Doklam and lessons from it

Doklam and lessons from it

The Doklam standoff having ended on the back of intense diplomatic engagement, there are lessons from this episode. Well China's official Xinhua News Agency confirmed withdrawal of Indian troops from the disputed region with no mention of its own it finally brought down curtains to over two months of standoff. Incidents like Doklam can very well happen in future and New Delhi would have to polish its diplomatic skills to bring a resolution or close to a temporary resolution. Essentially Doklam is an area strategically placed between Tibet's Chumbi Valley in the North, Bhutan's Ha Valley in the East and India's Sikkim region in the West.
Had the  9th BRICS Summit in China not been in the pipeline, the resolution of this standoff would have come is something to ponder over. China would not like to be seen on the wrong side of fence if New Delhi would have shown two minds on attending the summit.

A plausible boycott and belligerent stand
A boycott by India and a belligerent stand by China would have shown the summit in poor light. What the standoff showed right from the beginning was India taking up cudgels on behalf of a third country over a territory that is in dispute. Time and again it reposed faith in talks to bring an end to impasse. As South China Sea is a perfect illustration of Beijing acting on its own unmindful of reservations from other countries, India and other countries which are in dispute with China over territories/sea they would have to bear in mind the repeated unilateral action by Beijing and frame a response accordingly. For over two months Chinese State Media maintained a belligerent note not matched by Indian govt and independent Indian media in the same breath. That was the first incremental gain New Delhi secured. Day in and Day out Chinese State Media engaged in from warning of swift and small action to edge out Indian troops to trespassing in the Indian territory and how New Delhi would like to react. With Public opinion in Beijing fed for over two months a strong dose of patriotic fervour, India came to the rescue of Bhutan over a disputed territory between China and Bhutan.

A little over thirty years from now
One should note China is an ambitious player and would like to unilaterally dominate the world proceedings in little over 30 years from now to coincide with centenary of Communist rule. It is laying ground for such dominance through repeated incursions. Bringing machines to build a road in the disputed territory showed it cares two hoots about a small nation and its grievances. At the upcoming 19th Congress of Communist Party Mr Xi is  expected to get another five year term and he would vow to protect country's sovereignty at all costs and incidents like Doklam would make it doubly sure that he fits the bill to rule the nation in the capacity of a President.

China's not so visible success to rein in North Korea in its nuclear programme and missile tests does put a question mark on Beijing's calibre to be a world leader and its actions have to match words to show it is a world leader that has truly arrived.

A conflict both sides would like to stay away
China and India are two nations on the verge of writing a new chapter in Asia. A conflict that neither would like to engage in, a rabble rousing that most would prefer to get toned down, the two architects of Asia have a lot to gain  from camaraderie and conciliation. A border standoff that was nothing new; what was new was its duration with neither side willing to give in. Though on the ground a understanding of sorts has been reached but there is no guarantee that such standoff won't happen again. If and when standoff of this nature comes, what would be at play would be a intense dialogue at various levels to break the ice. The two countries need to engage in cultural and social sphere, not forgetting the economic ties that binds them. Though balance of trade is heavily tilted in favour of China, this economic blueprint doesn't stop Beijing to navigate in troubled waters.  A economic and cultural engagement would be a useful distraction if border disturbances keep on cropping up time and again.

Taking a new train ticket from Guruvayur to Angamali

Taking a new train ticket from Guruvayur to Angamali; meeting Abu Dhabi resident

Went to Trinity Travel & Tours Pvt Ltd on a Monday to cancel a train ticket from Guruvayoor to Angamali. The train no 16341 scheduled to depart from Guruvayur a little after three in the afternoon. Taking this train would have meant reaching airport by five pm when the flight was at 2am the next day. Mr Joshy booked a train ticket of Guruvayur Chennai Express scheduled to depart a little after 9 pm. Talking about job opportunities Mr Joshy maintained that there were fewer openings in the govt sector as a result unemployment was high in the state. On the topic of healthy heart both of us agreed taking less of sweet, avoiding oily food, taking raw onions in salad and taking a brisk walk. I told him in the North in the months of December, January and February there is severe cold and one tends to look for a terrain which has a moderate weather. Perhaps the temple town of Guruvayur does not experience biting cold as seen in the North.

Elephants binge on variety of dates
Another issue that we touched upon was on elephants finding it difficult to have leaves; they  binge on variety of dates in the temple town. As for traffic congestion in the national capital of Delhi i told him the number of cars in the city outstrip the number of cars in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata put together. Registration of vehicles through draw of lots was the way out. I am told Aiyappa is the reigning lord in Sabrimala temple which is near Kottayam District.

During my stay in Guruvayur i happen to meet Mr Scott from Scotland who had taken a flight from UK To Dubai and thereafter from Dubai To Kochi. I happen to meet a gentleman from Qatar who had come with his family for a vacation. He told me the room he was staying cost him above 3000 rs a day. While having meals in Nandini restaurant I came across a family from minority section which had come from Saudi Arabia for holidays in Guruvayur. On the issue of Indians being laid off in Saudi Arabia the woman from the family said there were isolated incidents and not in bulk. At the tea stall in the railway station i came across manu, the tea maker, dharam singh another personnel. Mr Venkatachalam Jacob in Vegetable shop had some of the best variety of bananas in town. I come across Sree Krishna Higher Secondary School students Akshay (Maths strong)  Sree Kumar  (English strong). The timings probably from 8.30 or 9.30 to 3.30. The medium of instruction is English.
In Sree Nandanam Residency i came across Mr Babu.

More Sightings in East Nada  Guruvayur
- Himalaya tours & travels
   taxi on call
- Midhila
-Harisree sweets
- Amrutha lodge
- Sanjay Handlooms
- Ramesh Metals
- Guruvayur Devaswom  Vyjayanthi shopping complex
- Guruvayur Devaswom Information Centre
-Guruvayur Devaswom Book Stall
- Guruvayur Devaswom
- Ganapathi Temple
 In East Nada there is Guruvayur Devaswom Religious library and reading room.

One outlet of Bru comes with this message: Get to know your loved ones over a cup of bru.

Near temple
- Guruvayur Devaswom Shopping Centre
- Sreekrishna
audios & fancy
Padma Restaurant Vegetarian which is in East Nada there is Mr Jose, Mr Ram Chander and Mr Mohan. In Krishnapriya restaurant which is also in East Nada there is Suresh Kumar (Parotta Master), Subish and Satyan.
Mr Tony of Choice Gift Centre gave me change. There is a cobbler who goes by the name Perumal. In Guruju Footwear Mr Jacob helped me with a buckle.

Post Office Message
In Post office in Guruvayoor there is citizen's charter counter service norms. The message that reads on notice board goes like this If your tongue is sweet the world will love you. 

In Sasi store which is near Previnnya Tourist Home there is Mr Amit Kumar selling sunglasses. There is another gentleman with the name Mr Padma Kumar giving information on Pal Payasam.

Going to Elephant sanctuary one has to go to Punnathur Kotta. This is told by Mr Sureendar working in  Abu Dhabi for the past 25 years. He has a desire to come back to Kerala as he has spent considerable time in the Gulf.  He hails from Thriprayar. When i spotted CA Tower which has  AC Non and AC rooms i came across Mr Bose and Mr Jiji.

North Nada
In North Nada where there is Chamundeswari Road there are string of houses/flats. North Nada is clean and quiet. On a wall written "Hallo Friends Cleanliness is next to Godliness." This has a reflection in the entire temple town.

Sightings in West Nada
- Jyothi cafe
- Brahmin's hotel
- Narayana Picture mart
- Jyotilakshmi
- Sree Krishna lodge
- Sree Guruvayoorappan Picture Mart & Fancy
- Sannidhanam pooja store
South Nada
India Post Guruvayur Temple
Guruvayur Devaswom
Sree Valsam Guest House
Opposite Aiswarya lodge there is a board that shows Thrissur, Aanakotta, Kozhikode on right. 

Visiting Delhi Cantt. Station; deboarding at Palam

Visiting Delhi Cantt. Station; deboarding at Palam

In a space of 12 days have had the opportunity to visit Delhi Cantt. Railway station on two different occasions. The DTC bus i took and the breakneck speed at which it ran showed utter disregard for traffic rules. Given the VIP movement in the city it took a route that is rarely taken and overtaking different set of vehicles that is not always experienced the ride to the station was completed in a record time. Mind you, majority of Orange colour buses which run under DTC scheme too believe in fast ride and these traffic violators deserve a thumbs-down, not traffic adherents.  Reaching in a record time we would have abhorred given the least regard for traffic rules. A faulty air conditioning that it had not been able to set it right over a period of time showed the haste at which these air conditioned vehicles were procured.

The first visit to the station coincided with sighting of passengers bound for Rewari in Haryana. There were some making queries about a train coming from Jaisalmer and heading towards Howrah. The passengers for Howrah bound train were few and far. There are at the most three platforms at the station and except for platform one all were a deserted look given the limited arrivals and departures. At no point of time puddles of water could be found in the station premises as is seen in some of the major and local stations of the city.

The tea that was sought and the tea that was secured, there was a world of difference. A black tea could not be gained given the water that was boiled already had milk added to it. Came across a guy taking coaching for a medical seat. Held once a year the All India Pre Medical Test is a national level exam for admission to 2200 MBBS and 300 BDS seats at over 100  government medical and 30 dental colleges. It tests the calibre of students and only dedicated and serious ones can find mention in the list of those who got it through. As for his chances this guy believed steady coaching can help him to cross the barrier. Came across a father-son duo headed towards Ahmedabad. The son was of the opinion that doing a degree course from a college in the North would be a prudent move. They were residents of Gandhinagar which has large stretches of greenery.

The second visit saw me make a query about a train bound for Sarai Rohilla. After a wait of few minutes i board a local train coming from Rewari and headed towards Old Delhi. I came across two guys hailing from Bihar settled in Palam and trying to gain access to Old Delhi area. The two spoke about slew of news channel and how appropriate or inappropriate were the news they beam. Those who joined the conversation agreed that high decibel debate did not cut much ice and what was left to pore over was nothing but a tale of high sounding men and women participants.

I deboarded at Sarai Rohilla and headed to a tea centre outside the railway station. Later i returned to the railway station and saw the platform teeming with passengers headed towards Rajasthan and Gujarat. With a general ticket in hand i waited for a local train as the ride in a sleeper coach would have meant a penalty of no less than 500rs. There was a gentleman born and brought up in Gurgaon who time and again reminded me to try my luck in a sleeper coach as the ride to Gurgaon station was not a long journey. Still it would have taken over 40 minutes and I disagreed with him and so did others. This gentleman from Gurgaon has a sprawling 1000 sq yard plot with him and asserted that in 80's Gurgaon had large swathe of land not dedicated to construction and connivance.

Reports in the newspapers suggested water shortage was an issue in Gurgaon but this gentleman beg to disagree. I told him about the pictures appearing in newspapers about people washing their cars in their backyards and this was a punishable offence. He had no such knowledge. He asserted water was in plenty in Gurgaon and roundabout. The local which i took and the intermittent delays it was subjected to i deboarded at Palam with no patience to go all the way to Gurgaon.

Here in Palam the counter from where i took the general ticket for return journey to Delhi Cantt. station the man who had the responsibility to disburse the tickets seem to be least interested in attending to customers given the secure environs he worked in. Here in platform one there were some passengers with their helmets and some without them trying to bring down my anxiety by stating that the ride from here to Delhi Cantt. station was a little over seven minutes.  The general coach was not bursting at the seams and i boarded it so did Mr K D Singh. Mr Singh, a resident of Palam was headed towards Old Delhi area. Mr K D Singh told me that water in Palam comes for two to three hours in the morning and in the evening the supply is for a longer duration. A brief interaction with him revealed Mr K D Singh to be a very down to earth person. When i reached Delhi Cantt it was already half past three in the afternoon and the search for cyber cafes to do a story did not yield much.

On another day i came across students of Manipur in a Post office who have been in the city for long with a desire to get the much-coveted belongingness crown. 

Interactions across National Capital

Interactions across National Capital

Interactions across national capital ranged from the unrest in Darjeeling to a famous festival organised in the North East in the month of December. It was a chance meeting with some residents of Beijing in a coach of a Delhi Metro that brought forward the issue of landscape of Delhi much greener in its backyard vis-a-vis Mumbai. For these Beijing residents who were in India tasked with some important assignment their port of call was Mumbai followed by Delhi and the ride in a metro gave an opportunity to bring up the issue of pollution in their city and how different colour codes were in action when pollution breached the tolerable mark. Girl students from the North East enjoyed the ride in Delhi metro given the fact that walk from entry gate to the coach was easy to negotiate and the seat was easy to secure and retain. They spoke about Hornbill festival in the North East which had those in attendance not only  from different parts of India but from across the globe. There were some three star properties in the North East which were packed to capacity during the festival and same was true for other lodges/hotels.

On another day and on another completion of metro ride i came across a boy from Bhagalpur who had his water cart parked next to the Janakpuri metro station. Being patient and not unnerved by long wait for customers, the boy from Bhagalpur had some earning to fall back on rather than next to nil mileage in his home state which had been rocked over decades by rampant unemployment and vulnerable opportunities. Swad Food & Caterers in Janakpuri District Centre next to Vishal Tower provided some of the sumptuous meals in town not to forget the easy to rely and easy to digest Chhole Bhature. Satyam Cafe in the vicinity offered the black tea of your choice which had among its employees some hailing from Mizoram. It is hoped different lifts in the Janakpuri  District Centre are in good conditions and efforts are made for safe movement. Both Noth East girl students and Mizoram boys made enquiries about whether i had been to their area; if not one should visit in the near future to experience how diverse was the Indian template.

On another day on the occasion of Janmashtami had an opportunity to visit Laxmi Narayan Temple (Birla Temple) in Mandir Marg New Delhi. Right at the entrance its written to visit the temple one should be mentally and physically pure and cleanly dressed. The temple is known for its cleanliness and easy to approach different idols. New additions include the Sai idol in the temple premises. On Janmashtami day had the opportunity to watch Janmashtami celebrations from Dwarkadish Temple Dwarka, Gujarat on ETV Gujarati channel.

Interaction with a boy hailing from Darjeeling revealed the unrest in the hill station seem to be a prolonged affair with no meeting of minds among different parties. It was another chance meeting with a gentleman from Tibet who arrived in India about 16 years ago and his grip over Hindi language was quite strong given the considerable time he had spent in India. 

Making of Aadhaar Card in New Delhi; Negotiating challenges

Making of Aadhaar Card in New Delhi

Monday in the month of July was the day when i decided to file income tax return. I visited income tax office in Vivekanand Marg. Despite the rush i was hopeful i would be able to file income tax return. After a wait of 15 to 20 minutes what i could gather was to file income tax return aadhaar card has been made mandatory.
The Aadhaar card which i was not in possession of and the Aadhaar card which i never tried to gain showed my utter callousness. It was already three in the afternoon and there was no hope i would be able to locate the centres from where it could be made. The internet search yielded information on private centres with no precise details. Those whom i tried to get in touch with either disconnected the line or said they had folded up. As a result, Tuesday i set out in search for Aadhaar card centres in South Delhi.

Internet search yields little
The internet search revealed two private centres in Bhikaji Cama Place. A query to a woman in Bhikaji Cama Place revealed that Aadhaar Card was made in Sector 3 R K Puram. The auto which i hailed and the automan driving the same suggested Sector 1 R K Puram as the centre for making Aadhaar card. When i visited Sector 1 centre the gentleman who handled the affairs of the centre was not there and there was a junior fellow who seem to be holding the fort. He seem to be least interested in attending to the customers who were increasing every passing minute and was doling out later dates when one could fill up the form. As for securing the Aadhaar card  it was impossible to secure it in the next five days the days the extension stood for filing income tax return.

Visiting Sector 3 R K Puram
Taking the same auto i reached Sector 3 R K Puram where none of the queries to different persons on Aadhaar centre could yield  any clue. A young boy hailing from Nepal did try to find out from his acquaintance of whether he was making aadhaar card or not. The man on the other side told the boy from Nepal that he would get back to him later in the evening. The purpose of visiting Sector 3 R K Puram stood defeated. Later i decided to visit the centres in Bhikaji Cama Place. Here the private centre had folded up and there was a  govt centre where the queue was long and they were allowing one person at a time. The door of the room in which form was submitted remained closed for a longer duration and customer whose name was called just allowed inside. Here a gentleman told me that the head office of Aadhaar card was in Pragati Maidan and it was made in a record time. I set out in search for Pragati Maidan Aadhaar centre office.

Metro ride to Pragati Maidan
The Metro ride came handy but what i could not envisage was there were some conditions attached to making of Aadhaar card. First and foremost one had to join the queue before six in the morning to get the requisite token. In all 40 tokens were disbursed in a day and the token distribution began after seven am.  A city with a population of over 1 cr and increasing every passing minute had the head office to dole out 40 tokens in all in a day did not make any sense. How on earth one could reach the head office before six in the morning and still be lucky enough to secure one among 40-odd tokens.

Visiting Sector 1 R K Puram Aadhar Centre
I decided to try my luck one more time at the Sector 1 R K Puram Aadhaar Centre. The automan who did not have the change did not deter my determination to look for change and here a fruit vendor Mr Shamshad came to my rescue. I promised Mr Shamshad that i would take some fruits from him once i returned from Aadhaar office. Here in the Aadhaar office which went by the name and address Aadhar Infotech No 3, Vivekanand Market, Sector 1, R K Puram, the gentleman Mr Shankar Kumar who managed the entire affairs looked to be the one who could get things done. Appreciating the fact that i have served as a journalist in a leading newspaper and still continue to write blogs, he promised to expedite the things. Mind you those residents of the city visiting this R K Puram Aadhaar Centre Office should directly get in touch with Mr Shankar Kumar than dealing with one particular junior fellow who seem to be in a world of his own.

Enrolment number coming handy
Mr Shankar Kumar is very helpful and he could be seen helping most of the customers not unnerved by the large turnout in his office. The form duly filled , the thumb and finger impression and the photo taken i was told to come in a week to collect the Aadhaar Card. Mr Shankar Kumar said the enrolment number which i was in possession of after filling the form would be sufficient to file the income tax return.  Mr Sarvesh Ganeriwal of K Ganeriwal & Co  Chartered Accountants with his office in Vishal Tower Janakpuri District Centre told me when i went to file income tax return on a Monday in Vivekanand Marg IT Camp Office to visit the Janakpuri office. On another day i visited Mr Sarvesh office and he was kind enough to offer chair and file the return on the basis of enrolment number of Aadhaar card.

In all Mr Sarvesh Ganeriwal, Mr Shankar Kumar and Mr Shamshad helped me at different levels to get the work done. Once the Aadhar card was secured from Mr Shankar Kumar's office Mr Sarvesh helped me to link the Aadhar card to PAN. Aadhaar card is a 12 digit Aadhaar number which has a photo and address of the person concerned. As for Aadhaar card head office issuing just 40 tokens in a day is miles from reality. They should issue tokens in hundreds for a city bursting at the seams. As for those residing near R K Puram Aadhaar Infotech office in Sector 1 R K Puram people visiting the same should get in touch with Mr Shankar Kumar. Here people from the Northeast, South India and other places residing in Delhi could be spotted in his office.

Visiting Guruvayur temple again; meeting people from different walks of life

Visiting Guruvayur temple again; meeting people from different walks of life

After returning from Chavakkad beach, i vacated Rugmini Kallyana Mandapam and checked in Aiswarya lodge. This was my third lodge in a space of five days. Here i came across Mr Gopalakrishnan the owner and Mr Hassan the manager. They agreed to duration of my stay which was three days starting from Saturday. Mr Gopalakrishnan in particular had no issues. Later i visit Trinity Travel & Tours Pvt Ltd and book a air ticket from Kochi to Delhi. The flight is at 2am.

In Trinity Travel & Tours Pvt Ltd there is Mr Joshy, Reshma and Seeja. Mr Joshy clarified that he did not hail from Uttaranchal and was very much from Kerala. He went by the name Joshy and not Joshi. He said one could take a train from Guruvayur to Angamali and from Angamali there were local transport that could take you to Kochi airport. Even at that odd hour (say between 9pm to 12am) access to the airport was not that difficult. The train journey to the national capital from Thrissur that would have taken almost two days was an option i was not  interested to exercise given the volatility of emotions that one went through. Going by newspaper reporting Mr Joshy was of the view that Delhi the national capital had excessive pollution; something least to be found in other places and given the multiple cars that one owned and multiple cars they roam there was no easy way out.

Sightings Near Aiswarya lodge
- Hotel Padma vegetarian for tea
- ARKAY Dress Cleaners
- Silpa Digital Studio & Video
- Hotel Gokulam
- Hotel Krishnapriya
- Leeon Stores
- Krishna mobiles
- Fidha footwear
- Sree Guruvayoorappan Chips & Sweets
- Ladies style tailoring
- Vodafone super net
- Jyothi Tourist Home
- Guruvayoor Vegetables

Near Nandini Restaurant i came across two lottery ticket sellers who were Mr Aiyappan Nair and Mr Rajesh. From their looks one could make out the lure of lottery tickets was not strong these days.
Sunday was the day i visited Guruvayoor temple for the second time. One has to remove vest before frisking begins. On occasions frisking is thorough and on occasions it is half-hearted. All men visiting the temple are supposed to wear Mundu around their waist which in North India is dhoti.  Being Sunday the rush was there and equal was the temptation to sight Lord Guruvayoor. Pal Payasam from windows inside the temple was convenient option for devotees and its relocation outside is not a wise move. Sunday too was the day when i decided to cancel my train ticket. The new cancellation/refund rules went like this:
New cancellation/refund rules with effect 12/11/2015. If presented for cancellation between 48hrs and up to 12 hrs before scheduled departure of the train 25 per cent of the fare subject to the minimum cancellation fee. In effect 25 per cent was cut.

I happen to meet Mr Jyoti Prakash doing business in advertisement in Calicut. During that time a train comes from Ernakulam and is headed towards Thrissur for which it changes direction.

In Guruvayur station there is
- ISD STD booth
- Combined fruit and tea stall
- Cloak room
- SBI ATM

A board displays distance from Guruvayur/ Thrissur to different places.
From Guruvayur New Delhi 2165 + 28 kms
From Thrissur
Bangalore city 840 km
Chennai 910
New Delhi 2165
Howrah 1980
Patna 2145
Mumbai 1675
Agra Cantt 2090
Hyderabad 1450
Kurla 1560

A board displays from Guruvayur stations on the way
Punkunnam
Thrissur
Ollur
Pudukkad
Nellayi
Irinjalakuda
Chalakudi
Angamali
Ernakulam town
Ernakulam Jn
Kottayam
Quilon
Thiruvanthapuram
Nagercoil
Wadakkanchery
Palghat
Erode

A board displays Fare for 3rd AC and AC ordinary
A board displays Trains from Guruvayoor
Guruvayur-Thiruvanthapuram
Guruvayur-Ernakulam
Guruvayur- Punlalur
Guruvayur-Thrissur
Guruvayur- Ernakulam
Guruvayur-Chennai Egmore

There is an ad at Guruvayur station. It goes like this:
The first ever eco friendly township in Guruvayur with a helipad.

Ads in Guruvayur station
- Ramraj dhoties, shirts, banians
- Bhima and Brother
  Jeweller since 1925
Institute of gems & jewellery

As i walk after having a series of conversations i come across a smiling Mr Simson raj sitting outside station. Probably he has come to meet someone at the station.

Sightings on East Nada Guruvayur
-  i-net internet cafe
-  Harikrishna videos
   video casette CD DVD
-  Archana cards
-  RVK Residency
 - Hotel Sukhsagar restaurant
 - Variety collections, discount sale only rs 199/
-  KMA Oushadhasala
-  AMBADI Rooms & Hall for rent
-  Saravana Bhavan vegetarian restaurant
-  Union Bank of India
-  The Kerala State Financial Enterprises Ltd
-  Indian Coffee House
-  Saravaram Textiles
-  Krishna Fancy & Toys
-  ST. Joseph's time house
-  Gopika handicrafts
-  Priyadarsini Handlooms
-  Radionix
-  Sree kumar sweet house
-  Apsara saree home
-  Lakshmi Fancy
-  Fantasia Fancy
-  K P Metals
-  Sree Guruvayurappan Handicrafts
-  Devika music & fancy
-  Dhanalaxmi Bank established 1927
-  Metro handlooms
-  Western Union money transfer
-  Greesham handicrafts
-  Sopananm
-  Ambadi Fancy Fabrics
-  Music centre
-  Usha collections
-  Renuka fancy
-  Fancy stores
-  Hantex
-  M. G. Sweets
-  Sreehari Lodge
-  Hotel  Santhabhavan
-  Hotel Aryabhavan
-  Lakshmi sweets
-  Bony sweets
-  SreeKrishna Sweets
-  Computerised STD ISD
-  Kousthubham Rest House
-  Kousthubham restaurant vegetarian
-  Poonthanam auditorium
-  Kerala sweets
-  Prabhu sweets
-  Rajan's stores
-  Nishant The Book Shop (it has P.C.O STD ISD)
-  Murali stores
-  Fashion Textiles
-  Krishna Metals
-  Ashok Textiles
-  Krishnendhu

Sightings Near East Nada Bus Stand
- Forex Duty Paid Shop
- Manaf Stores  (personnel named Anas works here; here one can get range of writing pads
  and small torch)
- Dilu stores
- Hotel Biju
- Vendana Mens square
- Fit Boy Tailors
- Capital's Men's Wear  Exclusive Men's showroom
- Maya Plaza
- Trinity Travel & Tours Pvt Ltd
- Hrishikesam tourist home
- Sreenarayana Tourist Home
- Akshara Restaurant AC Non AC Rooms
- First fast food soft drinks
-Amritha stores
-Aroma

Guruvayur stay; visiting temple; visiting railway station

Guruvayur stay; visiting temple; visiting railway station

After having checked in Brahmaputra tourist home a little after 11pm on a Tuesday,  it was time to get fresh. At that odd hour the owner Mr Vishawanath was not there. A shower is taken under running water which is abundant and clean and later i set out in search for meals. Not far away is Gokulam or Krishnapriya hotel from where i take meals. Just before 12am i am in the  outer fringes of Guruvayur temple where people line up before the gates of the temple for early morning darshan. I return to tourist home. Early morning it begins to drizzle. Accommodation in the tourist home was provided for a day only and i have to search for other lodges.

A better part of Wednesday is spent in search for room. I visit Nirmalyam Tourist Home, Previnnya,  Nemini Tourist home among others.  RVK Residency agrees to give accommodation for two days. Here Mr Sunil is the personnel at the reception desk who tries to reason out that in view of the expected rush room can be given for a limited time. There is Mr Madhoo Nair as well who brings in tea and other eatables as and when required.

Thursday is the day when i visit Guruvayur temple. As usual there is rush and the movement of devotees is not marred by the fact that queue is long and they move in an orderly fashion. Sighting the Lord is an experience in itself and one can't stay beyond five seconds before the idol. A tray full of cash notes can be spotted; it would be better if offerings by devotees is put in the cash box. The temple is neat and clean to the last mile and the windows from which Pal Payasam and other prasadam could be secured have been relocated outside.  Taking a round of the sanctum sanctorum takes four to five minutes and there are large number of men and women doing the same.

Meals taken in the afternoon were precisely from Nandini restaurant where Urmila and Raj Gopal were among a host of personnel attending to the customers. Hotel Padma vegetarian provided the best tea in town. On a Friday i visited the railway station which is 15 to 20 minutes walk from RVK Residency. A Ticket is booked for Rajdhani train without any hassles. In the station premises i came across book stall manager Mr K Vidyadharan and the conversation with him ranged from stories i write to the weather in the temple town. There is a magazine story on a plane incident in Dubai. There are English and Malyalam magazines, children comic books and in all more than 30 to 40 magazines in Malyalam.  In the station premises one can find a ladies waiting room and a general waiting room.

The station name is first in Malyalam followed by Hindi and English. The metro  stations in the city of Bangalore doing away with Hindi is nothing but an act of pandering to their loyalists. Well, Hindi is spoken across length and breadth of the country. Here in the station which is amidst thick green cover i meet two gentlemen, one from Kodakara, 25 kms from Guruvayoor and another Mr Raja Gopal who has spent more than 35 years in Southeastern Railways and has a flat in Guruvayoor. It was a chance meeting with students of Sri Krishna Iyer Higher Secondary School one afternoon. Nirmal has been a commerce student in 10 plus one and there are five girl students in 10 plus one. I am told the school timings are from 8.45 to 4.45 and the medium of instruction is in Malyalam and English.

Lodges i tried to check in after vacating RVK Residency.

- Ambadi (rooms come for over 1500 rs; only AC rooms)
- Krishna Gopuram lodge. Here next to it is a medicine shop where a gentleman says rooms are full
- Krishna Kripa (booked for marriage)
- Akshaya Warrier Samajam
- Sreepadam Tourist Home
- Nirmalyam Tourist Home
- Jyothi Tourist Home (only for a night it can be spared as one has to check out after 8 am)
- Srivihar Tourist Home (they have a  policy not to give to one person whereas outside it is written rooms to   let)
- RVK Residency (can't be spared for another day as manager shakeel bangs the keys on the desk showing  his displeasure when i made a request for extension)
- Elite over rs 1000 a day and it has been booked for marriage
- Rugmini Kallyana Mandapam (In all i made five visits to this lodge and what could be agreed upon was         room could be spared for just a day)
- Previnnya (Earlier they said come any day;  later the owner was not agreeing to part with a room)
- Lakshmi Lodge (The first day the tariff was shown to be 500 rs and following day they were willing to let     out at rs 1000 )
-Arunodayam Tourist Home (no rooms available as it is booked for marriage)
- Nemini Tourist home (no rooms)
In all 15 lodges were tried and Rugmini Kallyana Mandapam gave the room for a day on a Friday. Saturday was the day when i decided to visit Chavakkad beach.

Ride to Chavakkad beach
As bus moves out of bus stand, turns left there is Aiswarya Tea stall. It goes past Capital Traders, Muthoot Finance and a hoarding showing flats available for Rs 3.5 lakh in Guruvayur. The bus goes past
- Zaitara world of women's wear
- JIO Digital Life
- BSNL Holiday Home
- Capital Sandal
- VINU Car beauty
- VJN's English Solution
Spoken English

The ride is amidst shops, structures and thick layer of greenery. Met Mr Venugopal and Mr Gopinath who were kind enough to give directions for Chavakkad beach.
From bus i alight at Hotel ten to ten. From here Munakkakadavu is shown left, Anchangadi left and beach straight. A little later Baby Beach Road is shown Right. A few metres later there is Welcome to Chavakkad Beach. Masjid Jeelani is on left and Chetrai Lighthouse 2km away. There are more boats at beach, no litter and more shops. At beach i come across.
- Lazza ice cream
- Mohammad Sharief selling vinegar, salt
- Rafiq selling chana
- Merriboy ice cream
- Lions club of Thrissivaperoor town
- Babughail selling popcorn
The ride from beach is taken in a shared auto.  Meet Hansel Xavier in the shared auto.
 In Naboos Tea stall meet Shahar and Mr Hussein. From 1974 to 2014 Mr Hussein has worked in Abu  Dhabi in stationery and grocery store. I happen to meet Mr Tony Thomas in the tea stall and later Mr  Murlidharan working in urban bank in Guruvayur,  staying 20kms away from Guruvayur.

The ride from Kanniyakumari to Guruvayur; going past Kochi Airport

The ride from Kanniyakumari to Guruvayur; going past Kochi Airport

Mr Bose of Sangam Hotel and Mr P Thungaswami of Ranade Communication were two gentlemen whom i could not meet on Tuesday the day i am supposed to leave for Guruvayur. On reaching Kanniyakumari railway station which has three neat platforms i came across three boys hailing from Delhi who had come for a vacation to the temple city. Dressed in t-shirts and shorts they were comfortable in their outfit given no dengue or chikungunya scare in the temple city. One could least find spots of pile-up garbage or drains getting clogged. The three boys were not in agreement with me when i stated the temple city had less vehicle triggered pollution vis-a-vis New Delhi, the National Capital. The spate of flyovers that have come up in the city of Delhi between 1998 and 2010 have by no means lessened the traffic chaos. Mind you, there are no flyovers across the length and breadth of temple city as roads are few and most of them have the traffic clue.

The temple city had fewer vehicles and fewer newspapers promoting sale of vehicles through full page ads. In Kanniyakumari, the people took comfort in public transport though the speed at which they ran was questionable. Here in the station i came across Mr Sukumar of Jan Aahar outlet, Kavita of HPMC Pure Apples oulet and Janki at the railway reservation counter. A gentleman hailing from Uttaranchal whom i had spotted at Mahaganapati temple in Vivekananda Ashram was expected to take the same train. He was of the opinion that each city had its advantages and shortcomings and Kanniyakumari was renowned for tourist rush round the year. As i approached the train there were three men pulling down the cement slab board which had Kanniyakumari station written on it . The porter who went by the name Vardajan was kind enough to take the bag to the train coach.

Southern Railway Coach Care Centre; Woman TTE
The train leaves at 10.34. Stops and starts again. Coaches of Tirupati  Rameswaram Kanniyakumari could be seen stationed. The train gains speed at 10.40 going past residential colony followed by hills and large coconut and large banana plantation. The train slows down at 10.48.  A minute later a young boy waves at me. At 10.50  we spot Southern Railway Coach Care Centre. At 10.51 we reach  Nagercoil Junction which is fairly clean. From here the train leaves at 11.13. Coaches of Kochuveli Kottayam Ernakulam train could be seen. From here the train gains speed going past rich paddy field and a series of dwellings. There is a young TTE followed by a Woman TTE. At 11.35 Eraniel station comes which has a lake in the vicinity. The halt here is for 15 minutes.

Paravur lake
At 12.35 we reach Neyyatiakara station. At 12.45 the passage of the train through a tunnel lasts for 45 seconds. Nemam is reached at 12.50 and Thiruvanthapuram  Central at 1pm. In Thiruvanthapuram Central on offer is vegetarian biriyani which is enough to fill the stomach.  At 1.26 a Woman guard could be seen holding the flag. The train goes past Kaniyapuram 1.29, Murukumpuzha 1.31, Perungzh 1.35, Chiranyikil 1.37, Kadakavur 1.45, Akathumuri 1.48, Varkala Sivagiri 1.55, Edavai 2.03, Kappil  2.05, Killimukkam lake (big lake) 2.07, Paravur 2.08, gang restroom in Paravur could be seen,  Paravur lake (mammoth in size) 2.12, Mayanad 2.15, Sree Narayana College Kollam 2.18 and Kollam 2.25. Here in Kollam station one can easily spot non veg refreshment room and veg refreshment room. Between 12 and 1 pm three women passengers board the coach and took seat opposite mine. In a frame of discipline they conducted themselves. On occasions they were peering through window or speaking on their cell. Probably they were headed towards Bangalore.

Woman guard at work
At 3.05 comes Karunagapalli and five minutes later a woman guard in a blue outfit could be seen followed by another woman guard a little later. At 3.17 we go past a woman guard holding a green flag and from here the train is in full flow. At 3.22 Kayankulam Junction comes which is neat and clean. Here one can spot a hoarding of Pulimoottil silks. A  man holding a  bamboo umbrella goes past the coach. At 3.30 a majestic white colour building can be spotted. At 3.35 Mavelikara station comes and in the vicinity is a FCI(Food Corporation of India)  godown.  There is a Milima stall here.

Landscape dotted by concrete structures
At 3.50 we reach Chengannur station which is a picture of perfection as far as cleanliness goes. Making an enquiry about curd, the Milma milk stall has none of it. From here the tea made from tea bags is enough to get you the requisite monmentum. Here Naraspur-Hyderabad- Trivandrum Central train comes in Chengannur while we are waiting for our train to depart. At 4.13 Ellimala river comes.  Here in the train i meet Tony Kozhimannil, a priest associated with Shreyas organisation for sustainable development and justice. Mr Tony Kozhimannil observes my act of taking notes every time a new station comes and declares i am a journalist. Mr Tony has been to North part of India including Chandigarh and the rice that was not offer in different parts as wheat most residents went after. Mind you, between 2 and 3.40p.m there are fewer paddy fields and most of the landscape dotted by concrete structures. At 4.14 we go past Pampa river. At 4.15 paddy fields amidst trees could be spotted. At 4.23 we are in Thiruvalli village, Pathanimthitta. At 4.26 a fairly clean Thiruvallin station comes as Mangalore Central to Nagercoil train passes by.

Reaching Kottayam; thick greenery
Changanaseri comes at 4.37. A fully alert woman guard is seen at 4.55. At 5 pm we are in Kottayam station and i reach out for tea made with tea bags. The halt in Kottayam is a little over seven minutes and no sooner the train leaves the station we come across thick greenery. At  5.20 we are in Kuruppantara. I begin interaction with Ragith hailing from Palakkad. He has done his schooling  from Palakkad and college education from Coimbatore. At present, working in a firm dealing with industrial printing.

Ernakulam comes at 6.25
We spot Vaikam Road at 5.27,  Hindustan Newsprint Limited at 5.34, Piravam Road at 5.35, Kanjiramittam at 5.45, a fairly clean Mulanturutti station at 5.48,  Chottankkad road at 5.50,  Jesus Christ Fellowship New Jerusalem mention at 5.52. At 5.54 Venad Express train goes past us. Tripunittura comes at 5.56. Some minutes later spotting of a red, white and green structure looks great.  At  6.05 Kaniyampuzha river comes and at 6.10 a woman guard could be seen.  Ernakulam comes at 6.25,  Idappali at 6.45, Kalamasseri at 6.50, Aluva at 6.56. At 7.02 we spot Periyar Lake famous for Shivratri festival.  At 7.05 we spot the all lit up runway of Kochi Airport. From the runway one can make out the Kochi Airport to be Grand and Great. I am told besides domestic there are international flights to different destinations and some major flights are towards Gulf region given the comfort level of state people to work there.

At 7.09 a fairly clean Angamali station comes. At 7.55 we are in Pudukad and at 8.25 we are in Thrissur. Here i deboard. The ride from Kanniyakumari to Thrissur took a little under nine hours. In Thrissur station i go to Platform 1 and make enquiry about the train going to Guruvayur. In Thrissur i come across a guy studying in SRM College/University Chennai and another guy doing business in Bangalore. The SRM guy has come with an elderly gentleman who time and again reminds me about the train to Guruvayur. He is calm and composed. There is a family that hails from Nepal. The interaction at the station ranges from employment opportunities that have come up or dried up across the length and breadth of the country to the milestones that have been set as far as providing clean and neat governance is concerned. Most were of the opinion that the Govt at Centre was trying its best to deliver and had achievements to talk about, most notably the Clean India campaign, smart city and fight against corruption. Most of them were eager to know the destination i am headed towards and the duration of stay.

In Thrissur on Platform 1 one can spot
- Vegetarian refreshment room
- Bakery Sassya vegetarian
- Book stall
- Information centre
A little after 9.30 a local train comes that goes all the way to Guruvayur. There is no porter in sight in Guruvayoor station. From Platform No 2 i have to walk all the way to the exit gate.  A little after 11 i am in Brahmaputra Tourist Home East Nada Guruvayur. The lodge i took and the employee at the reception desk i came across suggested i won't be able to stay for a longer duration in the temple town. Against all odds i manage to stay longer.  I got an opportunity to visit Chavakkad Beach and Elephant Sanctuary, both different from what was experienced in 2012.

Making of aadhar card; challenges and opportunities

The ride from Kanniyakumari to Guruvayoor lasting almost 10 hours

The ride from Kanniyakumari to Guruvayoor lasting almost 10 hours

During three day stay in Kanniyakumari i was not lucky enough to meet Mr Bose of Sangam Hotel. On Tuesday the day i am supposed to leave for Guruvayoor i could not meet Mr P Thungaswami of Ranade Communication, Vivekanand Ashram. On reaching railway station which has three neat platforms i came across three boys hailing from Delhi who had come for a vacation to the temple city. They were not in agreement with me when i stated the temple city had less vehicle triggered pollution vis-a-vis New Delhi, the National Capital.

The spate of flyovers that have come up in the city of Delhi between 1998 and 2010 have by no means lessened the traffic chaos. There were no two opinions about the fact that the temple city had fewer vehicles and fewer newspapers promoting sale of vehicles through full page ads. In Kanniyakumari, the people took comfort in public transport though the speed at which they ran was questionable. Here in the station i came across Mr Sukumar of Jan Aahar outlet , Kavita of HPMC Pure Apples outlet. As i approached the train that was supposed to take me to Thrissur i saw three men pulling down the cement slab board which had Kanniyakumari station written on it. The porter who went by the name Vardajan was kind enough to take the bag to the train coach.

Southern Railway Coach Care Centre; Woman TTE
The train leaves at 10.34. Stops and starts again. Coaches of Tirupati  Rameswaram Kanniyakumari could be seen stationed. The train gains speed at 10.40 going past residential colony followed by hills and large coconut and large banana plantation. The train slows down at 10.48.  A minute later a young boy waves at me. At 10.50  we spot Southern Railway Coach Care Centre. At 10.51 we reach  Nagercoil Junction which is fairly clean. From here the train leaves at 11.13. Coaches of Kochuveli Kottayam Ernakulam train could be seen. From here the train gains speed going past rich paddy field and a series of dwellings. There is a young TTE followed by a Woman TTE. At 11.35 Eraniel station comes which has a lake in the vicinity. The halt here is for 15 minutes.

Reaching Thiruvanthapuram Central at 1pm
At 12.35 we reach Neyyatiakara station. At 12.45 the passage of the train through a tunnel lasts for 45 seconds. Nemam is reached at 12.50 and Thiruvanthapuram Central at 1pm.  At 1.26 a Woman guard could be seen holding the flag. The train goes past Kaniyapuram 1.29, Murukumpuzha 1.31, Perungzh 1.35, Chiranyikil 1.37, Kadakavur 1.45, Akathumuri 1.48, Varkala Sivagiri 1.55, Edavai 2.03, Kappil  2.05, Killimukkam lake (big lake) 2.07, Paravur 2.08, gang restroom in Paravur could be seen,  Paravur lake (mammoth in size) 2.12, Mayanad 2.15, Sree Narayana College Kollam 2.18 and Kollam 2.25. Here in Kollam station one can easily spot non veg refreshment room and veg refreshment room. Between 12 and 1 pm three women passengers board the coach and took seats opposite mine. In a frame of discipline they conducted themselves. On occasions they were peering through window or speaking on their cell. Probably they were headed towards Bangalore.

Woman guard at work
At 3.05 comes Karunagapalli and five minutes later a woman guard in a blue outfit could be seen followed by another woman guard a little later. At 3.17 we go past a woman guard holding a green flag and from here the train is in full flow. At 3.22 Kayankulam Junction comes which is neat and clean. Here one can spot a hoarding of Pulimoottil silks. A  man holding a  bamboo umbrella goes past the coach. At 3.30 a majestic white colour building can be spotted. At 3.35 Mavelikara station comes and in the vicinity is a FCI(Food Corporation of India) godown. There is a Milima stall here.

Landscape dotted by concrete structures
At 3.50 we reach Chengannur station which is a picture of perfection as far as cleanliness goes. Making an enquiry about curd, the Milma milk stall has none of it. From here the tea made from tea bags is enough to get you the requisite monmentum. Here Naraspur-Hyderabad- Trivandrum Central train comes in Chengannur while we are waiting for our train to depart. At 4.13 Ellimala river comes.  Here in the train i meet Mr Tony Kozhimannil, a priest associated with Shreyas organisation for sustainable development and justice. Mind you, between 2 and 3.40p.m there are fewer paddy fields and most of the landscape dotted by concrete structures. At 4.14 we go past Pampa river. At 4.15 paddy fields amidst trees could be spotted. At 4.23 we are in Thiruvalli village, Pathanimthitta. At 4.26 a fairly clean Thiruvallin station comes as Mangalore Central to Nagercoil train passes by.

Thick greenery
Changanaseri comes at 4.37. A fully alert woman guard is seen at 4.55. At 5 pm we are in Kottayam station and i reach out for tea made with tea bags. The halt in Kottayam is a little over seven minutes and no sooner the train leaves the station we come across thick greenery. At  5.20 we are in Kuruppantara. I begin interaction with Ragith hailing from Palakkad. He has done his schooling  from Palakkad and college education from Coimbatore. At present, working in a firm dealing with industrial printing.

Ernakulam comes at 6.25
We spot Vaikam Road at 5.27,  Hindustan Newsprint Limited at 5.34, Piravam Road at 5.35, Kanjiramittam at 5.45, a fairly clean Mulanturutti station at 5.48,  Chottankkad road at 5.50,  Jesus Christ Fellowship New Jerusalem mention at 5.52. At 5.54 Venad Express train goes past us. Tripunittura comes at 5.56. Some minutes later spotting of a red, white and green structure looks great.  At  6.05 Kaniyampuzha river comes and at 6.10 a woman guard could be seen.  Ernakulam comes at 6.25,  Idappali at 6.45, Kalamasseri at 6.50, Aluva at 6.56.

At 7.02 we spot Periyar Lake famous for Shivratri festival.  At 7.05 we spot the all lit up runway of Kochi Airport. At 7.09 a fairly clean Angamali station comes. At 7.55 we are in Pudukad and at 8.25 we are in Thrissur.Here i deboard. The ride from Kanniyakumari to Thrissur took a little under nine hours. In Thrissur station i go to Platform 1 and make enquiry about the train going to Guruvayoor. In Thrissur i come across a guy studying in SRM College/University Chennai and another guy doing business in Bangalore. The SRM guy has come with an elderly gentleman who time and again reminds me about the train to Guruvayoor. He is calm and composed. There is a family that hails from Nepal. The interaction at the station ranges from employment opportunities that have come up across the length and breadth of the country to the milestones that have been set as far as fighting corruption is concerned. Most of them were eager to know the destination i am headed towards and the duration of stay.

In Thrissur on Platform 1 one can spot
- Vegetarian refreshment room
- Bakery Sassya vegetarian
- Book stall
- Information centre

A little after 9.30 a local train comes that goes all the way to Guruvayoor. There is no porter in sight in Guruvayoor station. From Platform No 2 i have to walk all the way to the exit gate.  A little after 11 i am in Brahmaputra Tourist Home East Nada Guruvayoor. The lodge i took and the employee at the reception desk i came across suggested i won't be able to stay for a longer duration in the temple town. Against all odds i manage to stay longer.  I was in different lodges in a span of seven days in the temple town.

Sightings In Kanniyakumari; India's first Wax Museum

Sightings In Kanniyakumari; India's first Wax Museum

- Devi Hotel
- Taj Hotel
- Konica STD Xerox Internet
- Bus timings from Kanniyakumari
- Photo colour lab
- Devdas store for writing pad, newspapers and fruits including bananas.

The stay in Kanniyakumari was for three days. More than once i visited Vivekananda Ashram. In Vivekananda Ashram there is  SBI Vivekanandapuram, Vivekananda Pictorial Exhibition and  a Nursery. As you enter Vivekananda Ashram few metres away on the right side is a Mahaganapati temple which sends good vibes.

Near Vegetarian Restaurant in Kanniyakumari
- Handicraft emporium
- Book stall
- Ranade communication
- BSNL Broadband Internet Browsing Centre
  Move further there is Vivekananda Kendra Kanniyakumari Reception Desk and on display is Shibir            Calendar

Outside Vivekananda Ashram
- Goldmary textiles and readymades
- Sivaram xerox, colour xerox, computer, fax, cd printing, internet,TNSPC Bank Exam, Dish recharge, call      recharge, bus ticket, EB Bill van, car rental
- Hotel Balaji vegetarian
- Canara bank Kanniyakumari branch
- Union Bank of India
- Canara bank ATM
- Kanya Lodge
- Computer Software College (CSC)
- K.P.R Beauty Parlour
- Kumari Tuition Centre
- TNDS Computer Education
- Aashiq footwear( Abdul is the owner)
- Sanjana Opticals
-The Italian Cake shop
- Kumari Lodge
- Loortha Matha Street
- Tea Coffee Centre
- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI)
- Raj Gopal Shop
- Al-Jannath Nursery and Primary School
- Muslim Street
- Jamaliya Lodge Kanniyakumari
- M Kassim Tea Shop
- Wonder Wax (India's first Wax Museum)
 - British Bakes
- Al Madina restaurant:  Indian, Chinese, Arabic, Continental

- Saji Catering and Decoration
- Mobile Care
- Sastha Medicals
- Hotel Amutham Residency
- Margin Free Market and Collections
- SSR Communications
- Mayilmanickam tours and travels
- Xerox, fax, internet, lamination, color print
- Typing Tamil English
- Phone booth STD ISD
- Ganga Lodge
- LG
- Samsung
- Orient PSPO fans
- LIC
- Apollo Pharmacy
- Hotel Sarancity
- Shifa mobiles
- Oppo camera phone
- Hotel Sivamurugan
- Hotel Sridevi rooms and hall (This is a new structure)
- Manomaniam Sundaranar University constituent college
- AVT Gold Cup Premium 100 per cent Assam blend
- Hotel Arabia
- Muttu Saloon
-  Near the saloon there is a tea centre from where i took tea in 2013 and earlier
- TMB ATM Madhusudanan is the security guard
- Nageswari tourist home
-  Hotel Ohm Saravana bhavan
- Sangam restaurant
- BSNL customer service centre
- India Post
- Hotel Triveni
- Triveni Tourist Home
- Now a hoarding
 Bhagarathi Amman temple 400m
 Boat house 400m  Gandhi mandapam 400m


Some more sightings
- Hotel Sri Pazhani
- Township lodge
- MP Rahul Jewellery and works. In the vicinity songs are being played and i am told it is Rahman's songs in   praise of Lord Shiva.
- P P Ram store for soap
-  Ganesh Lodge
-  SBI ATM
-  State Bank of Travancore Kanniyakumari branch
-  Adarsh credit cooperative society
-  South Indian Bank ATM
-  SALWA Cake Shop
-  IOB Kanniyakumari branch
-  Hoarding of xerox pancard passport apply
-  Hotel Sun Park
-  Sarmi store for bananas, biscuits
-  Karnataka Bank ATM
-  Hotel Ashiff
-  Sun tours and travels
-  Kanniyakumari communication
-  Girishva cars
-  New Cape hotel
-  Infant Jesus nursery and primary school
-  Indel money
-  CR saloon
-  Sri Sai tiffin centre
-  Hotel Green Palace
-  Planet soda
-  VRD cool bar
-  KK store
-  Shrine of Our  Lady of Ransom is inside
-  Indian Bank ATM
-  ST. Antony's Higher Secondary School established in 1921
-  Paris bakery
-  Dish TV Fathima Stores
-  Fathima stores (stationery)

Apart from meeting Mr Velapan the security guard in Vivekananda Ashram, i came across Mr Vativael from Pondicherry and a family from Coimbatore. They were on a vacation to the temple city. Ganesh the automan was very helpful. Mr Abdul from Aashiq footwear was kind enough to replace the soul of the shoe. On way to railway station there is Wonder Wax and here the board suggests it is India's first Wax Museum. 

The temple city has a charm of its own flanked by tourist arrival round the year. Though hotel rooms don't come cheap some of them can be tried for a short stay. Residents don't clean out their savings made visible by the appearance of large number of banks. The clean air and clean water sets it apart from metros of India.

Some Ideas for Independence Day speech 2017 by Puneet Rajhans

Some Ideas for Independence Day speech to be delivered from Red Fort

As per reports coming in newspapers, Ideas pour in for I-Day speech. There are some more ideas which can be accorded due respect. After all being polite and humble is the need of the hour.The speech to be delivered from the ramparts of Red Fort would be amidst a layer of security never seen before. Those assigned with the task of securing the Red Fort premises would see to it that nothing is left for the last hour. Executing a monumental plan to free the premises of any threat would see congregation of hundreds of security men alert to the pre and post speech proceedings.


Involving media to send out message
For a layman the speech would essentially be talking about the hits (read achievements) and no mention of the misses of the govt. Areas where govt could not deliver should be part of the speech as this would give a balanced perspective to the spectators. Unity in diversity is the theme that Indian template agrees to and any diversion would be construed as hurting the foundation of the nation state should be the backdrop of the speech. In the past three years a climate of confrontation has been seen at various levels and govt would be advised to clear the air. Acts of horror like mob lynching and cow vigilantes going on a rampage should be part of the speech to assure the minorities and other deprived sections that govt stands by them at this hour. As govt placed ads in newspapers and electronic media on the success of providing LPG connection to those sections who had been deprived for long or its success of opening of new bank accounts in the same vein the govt of the day can involve newspapers and electronic media through ads and news to convey that acts of hatred would be least tolerated and tough sections of Indian Penal Code would be invoked to give a befitting reply to the perpetrators.

Everything to Eat Everything to Wear and None to Fear
One nation one flag is what we all swear to. In the past three years a climate of hatred and coercion has found its way in the task of nation building and the govt would be well advised to deploy all resources at its command to create a climate of belongingness and common pursuit. Marginalised sections should not fear and an assurance that existing laws are enough to hit those indulging in hate crimes. Everything to Eat Everything to Wear and none to fear should be the template that govt should abide by and citizens can be the ears and eyes of the govt wherever acts of hate crime take place. Those on a short fuse need to be handled tactfully. This trend of losing temper and taking law into their hands has emerged at different layers of society. NOT IN MY NAME CAMPAIGN that has been taken out in different cities of the country is meant to bring an element of sanity to the rough proceedings and this campaign is essentially meant to improve the governance index. Participation  of Citizens reporting hate crimes and stopping the same would be welcome as law enforcing machinery finds it too taxing to address every undesirable incident and this participation of citizens concept can find mention in the speech.

Jobs that should have come
In the past three years in the name of employment generation the govt has not much to boast about and the speech should bring in the fact that a sensex that roars doesn't necessarily mean the economy in full force. Fundamentals may be strong but it would be a monumental feat for the govt to reach employment target as per its manifesto. Three years and numerous state assembly battles won should at no point of time give impression to the govt That India Battle has been Won. No one knows what would be the verdict like in two years from now and consolidation of majority votes may or may not happen. Sabka sath (To be with everyone) Sabka vikas (To bring hope and development to everyone)  should be implemented on the ground  rather than remaining a mere slogan to pep up the party.

As for Housing For All by 2022 the govt would be well advised to set a new date/year say 10 to 15 years from now as 2022 is not a realistic target. As for decongesting  traffic in major metros including Delhi Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, registration of 250 vehicles (upper limit) each month for each city through draw of lots. If this is possible, this process should set in soon to make our cities liveable. One household One car should be the theme on which the govt should work on. More importantly a process should be evolved whereby driving licences is granted after undergoing driving tests. Over 50 per cent of driving licences in the country have been issued without driving tests over a period of time. To make roads safe a complete overhaul in granting driving licences is required.

GST Challenge
While making an address during CA Day the govt talked about how fake shell companies had been given a blow and same temperament should be deployed while dealing with graft cases. As far as GST (Goods and Services  Tax)and its implementation is concerned, the govt should see to it that this historic tax makeover shows gains on the ground for citizens. That's a hard task on hand. On a different plane, a sections of electronic media is being targeted. This should be avoided and they should be given due recognition.

Big C needs to beef up security on home front
As for tense ties with Islamabad, the govt would be well advised to not hold talks in the near future. Director General of Military Operation DGMO-level talks between the two countries would be sufficient to maintain calm along the border. As for border standoff in Sikkim, troops would only be withdrawn if BIG C (part of BRICS) withdraws its troops from the area and gives an assurance that no roads would be built in Doklam (India-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction) in future. More importantly, there is no pressing need for India to enter into One Belt One Road (OBOR) project. As for BIG C (part of BRICS) it would be better advised to ramp up its security in its crowded cities and towns.

Clean India Campaign
As far as Clean India campaign Swachh Bharat Swasth Bharat (Clean India Healthy India) is concerned it has taken a smooth flight and cooperation of all sections of society is sought to make it a grand success. This campaign deserves all praise. In this endeavour the electronic media ad showing for a marginal fee people in Mumbai can use public toilets should be replicated in other cities and towns. In smaller towns and cities free use of public toilets should be allowed.

The duration of the speech is not known and it can well go beyond one hour if there are no rain interruptions. The speech would be long and a candid mind would be at play with a determination to come again and again at Red Fort to address the nation.