THe ride from Somnath to Ahmedabad

The ride from Somnath to Ahmedabad

Perhaps this piece should have been written earlier but given the F1 gloss - which ultimately led to spectators glued to the seats and failing to flee- and the successful Kolkata toss, the story could not not be penned and the the smooth ride from Somnath to Ahmedabad could not be showcased as a unifying trend. The stay in Somnath may not have stretched to one week or more but whatever little time i spent there it reminded me of places like Dilsukh centre - for the tea i took quite often- and the man on the first floor of the shopping arena who was kind enough to hand me the newspaper coming from the House of Femina. The tea inside the shopping arena was equally strong; the aberration being the shop remaining closed for some hours during which i failed to display my frown. THe bhelpuris - known in Kolkata circle as Jhalmuris- were tried quite often from shops on ground floor; one run by brother-sister duo and the other run by a middle aged man looking for a durable duo.

The close-to-a-week placement in Somnath i have tried in the past and probably that gives me the strength to withstand the horrifying national capital blast. AS i bid goodbye to Somnath, with the hope to come here again for another spiritual shot, the stay was grand and only thing missing was net band. The honey to keep cold at bay i tried and the mosquito-fighting apparatus i put on a functioning mode showed the longing i had for this place with all-pervasive peace tone.

As i left Somnath and later Veraval, the sighting of hoardings and havelis was my dose of survival. The number of educational institutions and lodges that one comes across length and breadth of the country are phenomenal and there are no dearth of hoardings advertising them. When i left Veraval to head towards Junagadh on the way to Ahmedabad some weeks ago, the first sighting was of Noble Group of Institutions- Making your dreams come true is our responsibility. Swamped with an integrated technical educational campus, the hoarding next to the Veraval bus stand has nothing novel about it except the attempt to catch as many eyeballs as possible. Possibly the wait at the bus stop made me engineer efforts to get a glimpse of such and other hoardings and as i inched towards Junagadh i had a sizeable sighting of the same.

In Keshod is the Shakti Centre offering tea at prices within your range and it has a refreshing flavour that easily recharges you after a bout of long distance travel. Similarly in Junagadh opposite the bus stand is Shri Ram Guest House (AC and Non AC rooms) and therein is another tea centre serving the cuppa with a mandate that keeps you glued to action in and outside the bus for a fairly good time. It was in Junagadh that the staff of the bus was replaced by a young fleet and it was a ride towards the State Capital with fewer interruptions. It was in Junagadh and places further away that one could sight hoardings of Saputara Monsoon Festival , held between July and August. It is almost two months since that fest ended and it evolved with themes on fun, romance, adventure and discovery. Saputara being part of the annual calendar, the themes would have a new trajectory year after year would be the belief of those who sighted with alacrity. Almost on the outer limit of Junagadh is Sakharbaug Zoological Park and so is the Mahanagar Seva Sadan. At Jetpur the bus stops adjacent to a pic of Sai in blue outfit. And that turns the thought on Ahmednagar in and out visit.

The bus having left Jetpur, the signboard ahead showed Porbandar 112 kms away and one which most of the residents of the State have tried once in their lifetime sway.

The next halt is Gondal, with a hoarding of Gondal Sunflower Preschool . THe tag line of this school reads" We build those who build the nation." Perhaps the tag line is ok except for the fact that there are too many claimants to claim that they are builders to the nation.

The route followed from Veraval included Keshod, Junagadh, Jetpur, Virpur, Gondal , Rajkot before reaching Ahmedabad. On the way sighting is possible of GSRTC buses going towards Modhera, Vishwamitri, Gir, Saurashtra, Dwarka, Somnath, Kutch, Junagadh, Una and Shentuche. It was close to 5 in the evening and the stoppage time at Rajkot bus stand was more than required to keep a long lasting grin .

As the bus moved out of Rajkot bus stand, there are different shops with signboards like World Class Plumbing done here , Himalayan Refrigeration System. Further ahead is Business Centre- House of electronics and appliances. There are a large number of passengers boarding the bus at Rajkot. But are there enough seats to get them aboard?. As i try to figure out there is one gentleman who gets in and out of the bus at every little or big halt the bus goes in for to make it a ride to be sought . Probably he has learnt the art of detachment to be followed by attachment given the thinking he is encircled with that there are surplus time with all those on board and most prefer to stay from home beat.

Except for his transgressions, the bus ride from Veraval to Ahmedabad was a uniting one as it unified my belief that no matter how big the distance may be, it is preferable to take roadways bus for the common touch it showers us and the commonality that binds all of us.