The calm before the storm!

I have been a little quiet on the blogging front.It's not as if there is'nt anything to write,but as I have said earlier...there's no time to write:-(

Anyway's I was at Arnala last Sunday with some friends and that was needed to wake me up from my static point to point terrain travelling - Malad to VT and VT to Malad.Arnala folks,falls in Virar which is at the outskirt of Mumbai.The beach is extremely dirty and the place is crowded to the brim.It seems as if the whole of West Mumbai comes here on a weekend.Anyway's I was out of the whole misery by the evening at least.

Nevertheless,the Terraintripper managed to take some serene snaps out of all the nearby Kung-Pao hustle.

           Coconut Trees Lined below the clear blue sky is a common site here in Maharashtra(near the coast especially)

Green...the smell of it,the sight of it,the breeze of it...and there's to lot of green to see in Maharastra I guess!

This post is a kind of precursor guys,as I am going on a drive to the Konkan coast this weekend.So do read this space next week for some for some more terrains being spotted.

Sleepy Industrial Towns Of India(Part III) - Farraka

The memories of Farakka township is like a mist - sometimes so dense that I cant even see through it.Where is Farakka?ummm...somewhere in West Bengal???When did we stay there?How long?blah blah!!!And suddenly when the mist clears,I see it all.Me,Mom,Dad and Sis in the 3rd floor flat of the NTPC temporary township.Temporary?Well!Let me explain it!

Farakka is famous for the huge dam/barrage that divides the temporary township(the first township during inaugural project of NTPC in this region) from the permanent.Completed in 1974-75 ,the Farakka Barrage is a dam on the Ganges River located in the Indian state of West Bengal, roughly 10 kilometers from the border with Bangladesh. The dam was built to divert the Ganges River water into the Hooghly River during the dry season, from January to June, in order to flush out the accumulating silt which in the 1950s and 1960s was a problem at the major port of Kolkata on the Hooghly River. Bangladesh and India have had many debates about how the Farakka Barrage cuts off Bangladesh's water supply. This is the longest barrage in the world and has recently been entered into the Guinness Book of World Records. The barrage was constructed by the Hindustan Construction Company Limited.

(Source : Wikipedia) 

My father worked with NTPC(National Thermal Power Corporation) while at Farakka.I shall always remember the place for some really unique things.

A. Bangladesh TV : Would you believe if I say that in between 1986-88,we watched on our b/w television "Night Rider" , "Remington Steele" , "Dynasty"...no,not on cable...but on the Bangladesh TV channel as our neighbouring country was just 10 Km's away! Today when I look at the my TV and surf the hundreds of channels at my disposal,I still wish Bangladesh TV could pop up and the "Night Rider" opening titles would come:-)

B. Murshidabad and it's Palaces : The city of Murshidabad is located on the southern bank of the Bhagirathi, a tributary of the Ganges River. It was the capital of undivided Bengal during the Mughal rule. Nawab's of Bengal used to rule Bengal from this city.About 30 Km's from Farakka,Murshidabad is a great place to see the glorious history of the Bengal Nawabs.The Hazarduari Palace(Palace of a thousand doors) looks quite grand and British in its construction.The Muradbagh palace and Khushbag Cemetary(Where the remains of Siraj-Ud-Daulah is kept) are also two nice places to see.

C. The Farakka Dam during Monsoons: As our school was in the Permanent township(15Km's from the temporary township where we stayed),we used to go via the bridge besides the dam.During rainy season,the thunderous sound of water hitting the barrage walls used to be scary.Many a times,we used to see animals,human bodies flowing in the turbulent waters.But yet,apart from seemimg dangerous,when we used to return in the evening and the water flow was less turbulent,the dam under the setting sun looked majestic.

I am sure today Farakka is a neo modern township,but I would like to picture it my way...with the b/w Televisions,the VCR's,the antennas on the roofs,the slight snobbishness of the permanent township people,strict bengali tecahers behaving like Britishers and last but not the least - the picteresque West Bengal landscape all around.

(Source for photos : www.hccindia.com) 

Aat Chalis Ki Fast Local!

The fast paced Mumbai life is slowly seeping into my system.The work and the travel hardly leaves any time for you to pursue interests.With someone like me,who is into blogging,composing,writing...the upcoming weekends are looked upon with dreamy eyed anticipation.

The most interesting thing worth blogging though is the Mumbai Local Train service.First thing's first,in Mumbai Local trains are meant for everyone,be it masses or the classes.Initially,I felt awkward having a C-Segment car at home and an AGM tag in my job,to be travelling in a train.But soon I learnt that people having bigger better cars,houses and designation also travel by the Mumbai Local.The reason is simple - "Save Time".The Mumbai Road infrastructure is below pathetic status,and nothing much is happening to improve it.That is why,taking a train is always a better bet.For example,I start at Malad(w) and my office is at VT(South Mumbai).In case I take my car to the office,I would spend at least two hours to and fro,but in a train ride(Fast Train),I would take 45 minutes to reach VT.

This blogpost is not to mention the advantages of travelling by Mumbai Local Train,but rather to talk about the string of strange characters I meet everyday,when I am on it.Before I start though,some useful tips for outsiders like me who would soon need to travel by train.

Tip # 1 : In case your office starts at 10 AM,do not take the 9 AM train,because you will be CRUSHED.Do not take me lightly,because I somehow managed a ride once at 9 AM and almost lost my laptop,glasses,balls...well...almost!Please wake up a little early and take the train before 8 AM.You will still not get a place to sit till Dadar,but you will not get crushed and thrown around.

Tip # 2 : Take a little pain and find out the starting train from your region as you will always get a place to sit in a starting train.Also,buy a first class pass(Photograph needed) for the month.These acts will not ensure you guaranteed seating on every ride,but will make train commuting slightly easier.

But nothing can beat the weird/lovable/irritating/crazy characters that you will meet in the Mumbai Locals.Here's a small effort by me to capture some of these characters through this post:

Reliance CDMA Raju Bhai : Raju is from UP,and after staying in Mumbai for donkey years,has become bhai instead of bhaiya.He goes from Malad to Dadar to work as a packer and mover at some logistic company.Raju's favourite possession is his CDMA Mobile phone,which has a creaky and annoyingly loud speaker.The moment he climbs up on the train,he puts on these unbearable (Bhojpuri/Hindi songs from B grade Mithun movies) numbers for the rest of the journey.

Balancing Act Uncles : These nice local uncles are old and have probably been taking the locals for over 20 years.They stand within the train among the maddening crowd and read a "Loksatta" or a "Sakal" nonchalantly.Though it sounds easy,but reading is not child's play in a local train that halt,move and speed up everytime with a jolt.These uncles are also very helpful,and are always ready to tell you the simplest train route in case you ask them.

Bombay Bully Boys : Ok...these guys are poor replicas of a Sanjay Dutt or Sunil Shetty.Even if the train is empty,they will hang from the train,even if people are getting ready to get down in a civilized way,they will growl up in a hoarse voice : "abey,uttar na...kya jhol macha rakha hai"(Hey,get down...why all this commotion?).Their attitude is completely like that of a movie star in an action sequence,always ready to pounce...at whom...only they know! 

The Madmen: These characters are the saddest ones to watch in the Mumbai locals.These are people who have lost their sanity in the Mumbai madness.They sit in the train,their eyes look blank and they have hardly have any destination to go.They look at you and smile,but the next moment their eyes become moist...thinking about the state they are in!

The jolly salesman: You are travelling in the crowded compartment,when you hear a loud,jolly voice..."Gentlemen,you have ulcer,piles,constipation,rashes...say goodbye to them all.With this book written in Hindi,Marathi,Gujarati, you will get remedies for 300 diseases.10 Rs only.No charges for looking".The dialogues are told with such conviction and confidence,that the average 2nd class crowd soon plucks up all the copies and the jolly salesman has a field day:-).I think corporate business developement people(me included) should learn something from these guys.

There are many more such characters and I would keep on writing if I can.For example,a Qawwal group kept singing from Churchgate to Malad,a young boy who got separated from his father at Dadar was helped by the local train commuters and handed over to the police.

All in all,Mumbai locals are a mix of sweat,humanity,hope...all mixed together in a strange smelly paste - called "Daily Rigmarole"

Keep reading this space fore more musings!

Lonely@Lonavla - Epilogue!

The best part of going outside of Mumbai to nearby areas is the vast,open road that you get.First it's Mumbai-Pune expressway,but even post that you can roam towards the beautiful Amby Valley road that looks like straight out of a foreign movie based in Sicily.

The above photo was taken en route to Amby Valley.Sunshine,Greenery,Hills and above it all...impeccable road construction!

Lovely...isn't it?

Lonely @ Lonavla

I am just not finding any time to blog...and so instead of writing an usual long post...I will keep it only in pictures.I am hoping that these will say those famous thousand words instead of me writing anything...

Lions Point at Lonavla(View of a farway lake)

Mckennas Gold Country(In India)Aurora Borealis(In India)

So better hop to Lonavla,next time you are in Mumbai.One can cover the place and come back in 7-8 hours flat.Short and Sweet...aint it?