Electric buses in Delhi

Time has come to introduce Electric buses in Delhi to keep pollution at bay

As electric buses get into mainstream in a city like Bengaluru, it is time for Delhi to have its first brush with these set of electric vehicles. Proper infrastructure should be put in place like charging points so that these electric buses become a hit and commuters get rid of their personal vehicles. In the 80s itself one should have thought about electric vehicles as disdain for fuel guzzling transporting machinery began to be heard and seen. Nineties onwards the fuel guzzling tanks began to make inroads thereby disturbing peace and harmony in places as varied as courts. For the past 15 years efforts to rescue the city from pollution toll has delivered few results. There is a crying need to phase out low floor buses and get the electric buses on board as time would tell they would have seamless movement on road.

My best wishes to Mr Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia.  It is good that he has become Prime Minister again. My best wishes to him and people of Malaysia. My best wishes to people of Indonesia as well.

Interactions in recent months in Delhi; Visiting Free Church in New Delhi

Interactions in recent months in Delhi; Visiting Free Church in New Delhi

It has been over three months since i returned from Tirumala.

It was a pleasure to watch Ivan Maryadaraman a Malayalam movie in Mazhavil Manorama Channel. Karthika Deepotsavam on ETV Andhra Pradesh was a treat to watch. Had the opportunity to watch Swarabhishekam  - Hero's Special on ETV Telugu. Sri Padmavathiammavari Karthika Brahmotsavams 2018 coming on SVBC Channel was good. Oliyum Oliyum on DD Podhigai was equally good. NDTV Townhall with Bihar JD (U) leader Mr Prashant Kishor provided insights as far as political arithmetic was concerned.

Meeting those hailing from North East India

While going to Janakpuri West metro station some months ago came across a large number of people most of them hailing from North East India. Meet Mr Richard from Manipur. Meet Mr Pawan Kumar Yadav. Meet Mr Thangin from Nagaland. Meet Mr P Kipgen from Manipur. Meet Mr Thomas from Cochin. Meet Mr Ankit Kumar Yadav of CISF and Mr Gopinath Dey of CISF. Meet Mr Rohit from Orissa who is preparing for GATE exams. Meet Mr Soshanti, Mr Jasai and Mr Vicky from Manipur. Meet Mr Rinpam from Manipur taking coaching for civil services. Meet Mr Ajay from Jharkhand working in CISF. While taking a metro from Janakpuri West towards Hauz Khas meet Mr Lagan pursuing bio chemical engineering and bio technology from IIT Delhi. He is in second year. The class strength is 70 to 80. Majority of students hail from Bihar and Rajasthan. In first year three students have to share one room, two students in second year. According to Mr Lagan the oldest one happens to be IIT Kharagpur.

We spoke about Super 30 coaching institute in Bihar where all those enrolled for coaching come out with flying colours. Apart from accessible coaching institutes in Kota similar centres of learning have sprung up across country. When i broached the subject of some students of IIT flunking in internal exams, as reported in Indian Express about a year back, the IIT student placed the blame at the increasing tendency to mug up rather than understanding the concept and the course. As for faculty apart from those on the roll of the institute it has guest lecturers as well. Meet Mr Lukhai from Manipur.  Meet Mr Abhishek who wish to pursue a course from Queensland University. It is automan Mr Bhuvnesh Vajpayee who is kind enough to drop me at Safdarjung Enclave.

While going to Delhi Cantt railway  station boarded a bus from Nauroji Nagar. Before reaching the bus stand came across Mr Surendar selling pigeon feed. In under 30 minutes i reach the said station. The search for black tea took me to tea vendor Mr O P Sharma who was kind enough to dish out two sets of black tea. He opened his stall at 7.30 in the morning and continued till 8.30 in the night. Near his stall there are a series of shops some going by the name Balaji Handloom, Haryana Handloom House and Desire. On Platform 2 of the station a train from Ajmer comes proceeding towards Sarai Rohilla. On PF 1 comes Shahranpur Farukhnagar train. On PF 2 comes Rewari Delhi Sitapur, on PF 1 Delhi Sarai Rohilla to Chindwara train comes. Train number 14516 comes on PF 1 at 12.45 and departs at 1 pm. Platforms one and two are clean to the last mile. Meet the sole porter in the station who goes by the name Mohan Singh. Meet a class 5th student. On display are 14660 Jaisalmer/Barmer Delhi and 14322 Ala Hazrat Express Bhuj Bareilly trains.

The display board shows 19601 Udaipur Jalpaiguri expected at 14.03, 15715 Garib Nawaz Express at 16.09, 14311 Bareilly Bhuj 19.25 and 12916 Ashram Express 15.50.   While sitting on PF 2 spot a bag on which it is scribbled Imtiyaz Alam coming from Riyadh.

While taking a walk in Safdarjung Enclave meet a man from Arjun  Nagar, meet Mr Ramu from Motihari who is selling socks. Meet Mr Lal Singh near HDFC Bank. Meet Mr Ukhruf from Manipur. Meet Mr Muiwo from CRPF near N.C.C. building. Come across a message. No Parking. Space reserved for this house wheels will be clamped. Meet automan Mr Nanku from Bettiah in Bihar. Meet Mr Sudhanshu Mahapatra a Priest in Kali Bari Temple in Safdarjung Enclave. While taking a ride to Dwarka it is Mr Bunty at the helm of the Ola car and return ride is provided by Mr Kuldeep Singh in Ola cab. In Safdarjung Enclave meet Mr Karan doing BCA from JIMS in Vasant Kunj affiliated to IP University Delhi. Meet vegetable vendor Mr Pramod Kumar. Meet automan Mr Chandra Bhushan Singh from Sonepur in Bihar. Meet automan Mr Triloki. Meet Mr Amit Jha in Bhikaji Cama Place who guides me to HDFC Life office. While going to Yusuf Sarai meet Mr Virendar Prasad who is having peanuts, meet Mr Yarmi from Manipur, meet vegetable vendor Mr Jay Prakash. While going to Delhi Cantt railway station for the second time in a week in Delhi Cantt bus stand meet Mr Munir Ahmed from Baramulla in Kashmir who is residing with his brother in Delhi for some time. In Delhi cantt bus stand meet Ms Indu who has come with his mother who has BP problem. It is automan Mr Jai Mangal Prasad who drops me at my place.

Visiting Free Church in Parliament Street New Delhi

While taking part in worship service on Christmas day in Free Church in Parliament Street in New Delhi the Father spoke extensively about thanking God for all the blessings that have come our way. He spoke about Life being full of prophecies and one should adjust to the twists and turns accordingly. The Father made a special mention of Mr Jeremiah and Mr Manish Lal and requested the audience to put in a prayer for them as they were not well. Here in the church meet Eather Mangai selling merchandise. Meet Mr Praveen from Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu state. Meet Mr Lun from Manipur. Near Patel Chowk metro station meet Mr Lawrence and Ms Christy from Manipur. 

Listening to Tamil Songs and Mixed Tidings from ZERO the Hindi Movie

Listening to Tamil Songs and Mixed Tidings from ZERO the Hindi Movie

As i listen to Tamil Songs Vinnaithaandi Varuvayaa - Anbil Avan and Maanipaaya, i find it prudent to write about Zero the Hindi movie (Hindi is spoken in large parts of India) and all those associated with it after furnishing their C.V. It was a little after 11 am on a Sunday with one metro ride here and another metro ride there that took me to Delite the theatre in the heart of Delhi without any fear. In Delite the movie was not lackadaisical about someone appearing with a small height. Zero was all about series of affection lobbed here and there; the two women plugged to King SRK (Shahrukh Khan) in areas other than parking bay. Hailing from small town Meerut, the King was unsure about his fate cursing  one and all about the vertical challenge with which he had to crawl. At 4 feet 6 inches this was all the King could boast not tired by relentless spanking by his father who struggled hard to secure a occasion when to raise a toast. Meeting Aafia (Anuksha Sharma) the scientist at one point, meeting Babita Kumari (Katrina Kaif) the star at another point, his life seem to wriggle a bit after surprise meeting with Salman Khan the one associated with Tiger film hit. At wedding venue when King expressed his desire to pee, the would be father in law had little expressions of glee suggesting he could do it anywhere as there was nothing to fear. Shedding clothes to get in Kachha Baniyan (shorts vest) Tango when King was about to get WED to someone not from Congo was one among many hilarious scenes and running to board a bus which had among its occupants some wearing jeans.

Bahuaa Singh the character essayed by King SRK had enough occasions to lob bundle of notes on his peers knowing fully well they would have dollops of cheers. A word on a dimple here, a word on chauvinistic moorings there, the movie throws enough occasions on whether one should sit for entire duration to access the much anticipated sensation or stage a walkout half way through to do a favour to theatre and its creation. The MARS Mission looked palpably exhausted and return to earth after 15 years showed such possibilities still existed. The first half was by any yardstick the best with second half that could entirely be put to test. Perhaps another occasion would come when a better story plot could fetch the King handsome dividends at Box Office; this time the sizeable returns may appear to hide and miss (by the way some returns would surely come). Perhaps the second half could have well been shot in India why go to the US for NASR/NSAR phobia. As for the producer and others having stomach cramps, early morning food would give them handy returns even if they are not on a ramp.

At some point of time the trio of Shahrukh, Salman and Aamir (all three are Hindi film actors) should have a movie outing (movie made) with a strong story line and be kind to those who refuse to sample even a whine.



In the US at any point of time the security needs to be beefed up to keep an all-round watch on those who want to float in a terror tub. From California to Chicago from New York to Newark to innumerable nation states in Europe, the time is ripe to raise security alert as one never knows from where trouble can emanate and create an environment of repulsion and hate.

Mr Mattis has put in his papers. How many would shed officialdom and would that involve the one holding the highest office with a sizeable sum.

Tamil Songs To Cherish ( Tamil is spoken in Tamil Nadu State in India)

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya - Anbil Avan Video I A R Rahman (This song i have heard several times)

Yennai Arindhaal - Unakkenna Venum Sollu Video is great

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa - Mannipaaya Video I A R Rahman

Yennai Arindhaal - Mazhai Vara Pogudhae Video I Ajith I Harris Jayaraj

Vinnaithaandi Varuvayaa - Hosanna Video

Vaaranam Aayiram - Adiyae Kolluthey Video I Harris Jayaraj I Suriya

Pachchai Nirame Song  I   Alaipayuthey

Vaaranam Aayiram - Mundhinam Video I Harris Jayaraj I Suriya

Vinnathaandi Varuvaayaa - Omana Penne Video I A R Rahman

Thani Oruvan - Kannala Kannala Video I Jayam Ravi, Nayanthara I Hip Hop Tamizha


My best wishes to CNN (beamed from US), Al Jazeera ( beamed from Qatar and NDTV (beamed from India) News Channels.

Fifteen-year-old's views on climate change

Fifteen-year-old Thunberg's clarion call on climate change as beamed by CNN was an eye opener. To curb her carbon footprint she has stopped flying, stopped eating meat and stopped buying new things.  Ms Thunberg hails from Stockholm.

On to Political Party High Command bandwagon In India

On to Political Party High Command bandwagon In India

India became independent in 1947. High Command was born in 1967. The High Command term was roughly coined in the '60s and since then for the next 30 to 35 years it has had innings of mixed tidings and sometimes extreme exuberance. Whom to choose and whom to discard it was all decided by Party High Command. Higher was its appeal and extensive was its reach in the Hindi heartland. Had it not been for High Command to decipher and dissect the Grand Old Party in India would have struggled to forge ahead.

High Command primarily meant the top leadership of the political party mirroring a coterie sprinkled with loyalists and not easy to bend loyalists. Whether it was to unceremoniously remove NTR in Andhra Pradesh or to have a Bhonsle in Maharashtra or superimpose a man of their choice in the North, the High Command succeeded with elan. It was the High Command which brought out the foreign hand angle primarily meant to lay at its doorstep the disturbances taking place across country. As economy began to severe its ties with inspector raj and lib (liberalisation) became the buzzword, the High Command's imprint began to shrink with a man from the South (Rao) and essentially a non family entity holding reigns of power. With coalition courting coming to play, one party rule was a thing of the past and here there was no two opinion that High Command had gone into a shell. Few years into 21st century the High Command again reared its head and began to decide whom to anoint and whom to disappoint.

As State polls to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Assemblies threw up leaders more than one, once again the High Command is in action in a seasonal ton. Party workers were given signal to burst crackers and distribute sweets once results began to show the party had after a long interval repeated its feat. These party workers are none other than unemployed youth firing cylinders on doles and higher is the unemployment the larger is the contingent to celebrate and fall for the bait. The power it accumulates the decisions that don't fluctuate shows the High Command in action and Winter of 2018 has given it another chance to gain traction. 20 plus 19  polls would throw up a fractured toll and how effective would be the High Command is something that would resonate as if it is meant to crawl.

News Channels across spectrum have throw enough hint of all-encompassing High Command of Grand Old Party ready to groove and reach a feat reminiscent of the 80s of picking a leader here and dumping a leader there. Winter of 2018 has sent mixed tidings as far as State Polls in India are concerned as none have recorded an outright victory except for trs and the cheer and chorus to anoint a leader here and there may well be relegated to background once the fractured verdict comes to town in 20 plus 19 polls.   

Interactions in recent months in Delhi; take a call on Bishnupur; watching Telugu movies dubbed in Hindi

Interactions in recent months; Bishnupur should be a World Heritage Site; Watching KBC episodes; Watching Telugu/Tamil Movies dubbed in Hindi

Interactions in recent months in national capital covered a wide range of people from diverse background. Meet Mr Adhil pursuing BA Spanish from Delhi University. He has completed two years. He is from Calicut staying in Kamla Nagar in University area. I spoke to him about me taking a train some months ago from Kanniyakumari which went through Ernakulam, Angamali before reaching Thrissur. We spoke about famous elephant festival in Thrissur in Kerala State. Meet fruit vendor Mr Shiv Charan. Meet automan Mr Shravan Kumar. In College Store meet Mr Suraj Gupta.

Meet Mr Jacob hailing from Kerala in Nizamuddin railway station which is in Delhi who is going to Kota and from there he would be going to Mumbai. Here in the station announcements are being made for different trains. Goa Express to Vasco da gama to depart from Platform (PF) 7 at 3 pm. Some coaches of this train would go to Hubli (sometimes it is spelled as Hubbali on train coaches). Gondwana Express to Raigarh to depart at 3.20 pm. On Platform 7 the vending contractor is Mr Karan Chauhan. There is Ramakrishna Mission Book Stall. There is a group from Himachal. I tell them there are some monasteries in Himachal Pradesh as well. One book stall has fifty shades of grey by E L James. Meet Mr Mahant Deo who is from Hubli staying in Rishikesh. Rickshawman Mr Pintoo from West Bengal takes me to Jungpura metro station.

Going to Airport; meet Mr Afis Qasim

While taking Airport Express Line, meet Mr Radha Krishnan working in Ministry of Finance hailing from Pallakad in Kerala state. He has stayed for 32 years in Delhi. He is going to Bengaluru. From Bengaluru he would go to Bellary and from there he would go to Kerala. In Airport Express Line the display board shows please use mobile without disturbing co-passengers. In airport meet Mr Afis Qasim going to Saudi Arabia. There are other members who have come to see him off at the airport. I tell them Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia and it is time Saudi Arabia led blockade is lifted against Qatar.  Meet a group from a place near Calicut in Kerala. One member is a former MP and former Minister. From his clothes one can make out he has had good innings. In terminal 2 of Delhi Airport meet Mr Journey from Arunachal, meet Mr Jahangir going to Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir State. Mr Jahangir is excited to note that a resident of Delhi is interacting with him.

Meet Mr Puneet from CISF. Meet Mr Narayanan with other family members hailing from Chennai and going to the same city. I tell them i have been to different parts of Tamil Nadu State like Rameswaram, Kanniyakumari, Kanchipuram and other places. Meet Mr Mohammad Dost Saiy coming from Lucknow and going to Vadodra. Meet Mr Sangeet from Darjeeling. I  tell him to go to Darjeeling one has to go to New Jailpaiguri station first. Meet three girls from Thailand. I tell them i have been to Cambodia. Meet Mr Ashraf from Egypt. He is going to Ranchi.  Discuss about Tahrir Square and demonstrations that have taken place there in the past. Talk about past president Hosni Mubarak. Meet Mr Kelasang a monk from Bhutan who is part of a group comprising monks. Meet Mr Ram Krishna Rao from Hyderabad.
@ Cafe snack point in airport the black cardamom tea comes for Rs 54. Perhaps they should reduce the price of tea and eatables as people come from Maharashtra, Punjab, Kerala and other distant places and have to shell out huge cash for tea and eatables. The security money that they have to deposit to the airport operator should be reduced thereby helping them to charge less for tea and eatables. The airport operators should see to it that prices of eatables and tea is reduced across airports of the country.

Meet employees of Sobha Heartland Construction Co Dubai. The owner of the company is from Kerala.
As you go from Terminal 3 there is a hoarding that says
GMR No 1 Airport in the world. Thank you passengers and partners.

While taking a bus ride to T1D for which one has to shell out Rs 25 the ride is in a bus that is packed to capacity. Meet Mr Raghuram from Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh State. He is travelling to Hyderabad and from there the train ride to Vijaywada is five hours for a distance of roughly 300 kms. We discuss about Amravati the capital of Andhra Pradesh which comprises of Vijaywada and Guntur. I tell him i watch ETV Andhra Pradesh news channel. From T1D to Aerocity the bus fare is 30 rs for a ride less than two kms. What they are going to gain from charging high for short rides?

Visiting reservation centre

I visited Sarojini Nagar Reservation Centre some months ago to book two tickets,  one for Hampi Express from Bengaluru to Hospet and another from Hospet to Hubli in Tirupati Hubbali Intercity Passenger. In reservation centre the display board shows Northern Railway. Attention. Kindly follow single line system
Vyoma We engage with 4 million people daily.
Smart displays
2360 displays
400+ stations
A missed call is better than a missed journey
Destination India Gujarat
Great Rann of Kutch

- Passengers can buy reservation tickets here using credit/debit/ru pay cards
- No refund after three hours issue of General ticket.

Bishnupur in West Bengal should be declared a World Heritage Site as it has waited for over 20 years

Meet a student from Alwar in Rajasthan State taking coaching for GATE. Meet Mr Pramod from Darjeeling. Meet Mr Shri staying in Vasant Kunj in New Delhi essentially hailing from Bishnupur in West Bengal. He is into IT consultancy and travels every month from New Delhi. He says Bishnupur is on a tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Bishnupur is more than one thousand year old city. The oldest Durga Puja was organised here in 9997 AD and that was over 1000 years ago. Due to some illegal constructions Bishnupur has not come on UNESCO's World Heritage Site. Efforts should be made to shower it with World Heritage Site since it has been on a tentative list for over 20 years.

While taking a metro ride meet Ms Udita a class 10th student  who wants to pursue humanities in 10 + 2. Meet Mr Nitendar Singh posted in Air Force Station Jodhpur. Meet Mr Anil Sharma coming from Mumbai. The train left Mumbai at 11 am reached Delhi a little before 11 am the next day. The Train food was by no means palatable.

Meet Mr Luca and Ms Raffaella both from Italy who are here on work in India for four days. Italy's economy logging below one per cent growth rate and they were in the know that India was clocking a growth rate of six per cent. They told me that there were polls in Italy on March 4 and still there was no govt in view of no party securing a majority.

Meet Mr Mohammad Rafi from Palakkad

Meet Mr Mohammad Rafi from Pallakad working in Dubai . Meet Mr Paldan from Tibet. He completed his graduation from SRCC.  Doing Masters in Commerce from Delhi University. Staying in Kalkaji. His parents have a grocery/kirana store in Mussorie in Uttarakhand State.
Meet Mr Amit Kumar who guides me on how to get metro token from a vending machine. Meet Mr Kareem who is going to Patna and from there he would go to Darbhanga, both in Bihar State. Mr Pinkesh is the rickshaw man who takes me to Mandir Marg from metro station in New Delhi. Meet Mr Lal Chand Sharma who is a priest in Laxmi Narayan Temple in Mandir Marg. Mr Kamal Rai is the battery operated rickshawman who drops me at metro station.
In Butler school in Mandir Marg some messages etched like Truth is God. Truth is Evergreen

Going to Shiv Murti

The other day boarded a bus to go to Shiv Murti near Rajokri in New Delhi. Boarded bus at 10.03 am. Mr Vipin happenned to be the conductor. Going past Dhaula Kuan. Going past Hotel Venus, Hotel Classic Diplomat, Hotel Metropolitan. Reach Shiv Murti at 10.38.
Meet Mr Surendar who sells feed for pigeons. Meet Mr Inayat Khan who is a cold drinks vendor in Nauroji Nagar.

Meet Mr Malick from Gambia

Meet Mr Malick from Gambia in Safdarjung Enclave. His parents work in Gambia Embassy. He has friends from Gabon. He says it was a pleasure speaking to you.
Watch Podhigai Ungal Choice on DD Podhigai on May 3. Meet Mr Kholangatoa from Tirap district in Arunachal Pradesh. Working in Delhi Police. To go to Arunachal one has to take Dibrugarh Rajdhani which goes from New Delhi station a little after 4 pm and reaches Dibrugarh the third day at 6 am.

There is an ad of Ek Saal Nai Missal (One year New Milestones). Ad of UP Government. What is important that people of different communities live peacefully in Uttar Pradesh State, the minorities especially Muslims should feel secured.  Law and order and providing employment to people should be high on the list of the govt. Changing the name of railway station here and there is a sheer waste of money and energy.

The other day boarded bus number 544 at 11.20 am.
- Ad of India bole Yes to Conserving Water
- Ad of Mr Makhana Available in six flavours.
- Ad of Fill the air with goodness Daikin
Going past Siri Fort. We are in Mehrauli-Badarpur road at 12.15 pm. At 12.26 we go past Air Force Station Tughlakabad. Later Billboard of Make Delhi Traffic Free. Use public transport.
Meet Mr Deepak Sharma of Bhagat Singh College of Delhi University.
We are in Badarpur at 12.42. Here i meet Mr Omprakash,  waterman from Supaul in Bihar.
Board Central Sectt metro at 12.57. Come across No littering message. Reach Central Sectt at 1.30.
Meet Mr Dap from Meghalaya who has completed MBA from Don Bosco College Assam.

The KBC (Kaun Banega Crorepati) episodes anchored by Actor Mr Amitabh Bachchan this year were great. Especially the one featuring Mr Sparsh Shah, the teenager with multiple skills despite the odds he faced in life was good (multiple rods have been inserted in his body), the other one featuring Mr Ghulam who was no less than a knowledge powerhouse. The episode featuring a man leading the Jeevan Jyot institution providing free medicines showed we have angels in our society. We need to encourage such institutions. Mr Ghulam's Knowledge swept us all. Best wishes to all of them.

In recent days have had the opportunity to watch Telugu/Tamil films dubbed in Hindi. They went by the title "Return of the Rebel", "Dangerous Khiladi", "Ek Tha Soldier", "Dhruva" by Surendar Reddy, "Kaala" featuring Mr Rajnikanth and other Telugu/Tamil movies. Had the opportunity to Watch Hindi movie "Mulk" as well.

Al Jazeera channel beamed from Qatar is not being shown for over a month now.

Chhath puja in India this year was something to watch out for

Chhath puja in India this year was something to watch out for

Chhath puja this year was something to watch out for. Here you pray to Sun from your heart.
Notable was the coverage in India News Channel on Nov 13 showing glimpses of the Puja from Wazirabad in Delhi, ITO in Delhi, Juhu Chowpatty in Mumbai and Patna. News Nation Channel beamed pictures on Nov 14 from Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Noida and Bhopal all places in India.

Durga Pujo celebrations in New Delhi; smitten by West Bengal touch

Durga Pujo celebrations in New Delhi; smitten by West Bengal touch

As Durga Pujo celebrations winded up, the ecstasy built around it was not to be missed. There was a look of ecstasy and eagerness on whomever i came across. Pandal-hopping apart the long and winding interactions here and there and lavish spread of Bhog was something that would remain etched in our memory for a long time to come.

Beginning with Katyayani Temple in Chattarpur in Delhi the prayer on your lips and the unyielding commitment to sight the Goddess got you to a stage where everything looked blessed and blissful. The Metro ride could get you there and a walk from metro station to the temple wasn't as hard as one assumed. The first day of the Durga Pujo, the rush was less and intimacy built up with a finesse not much seen around the national capital of Delhi. Sixth day and with all prepared to step out i visited Jhandewalan Temple in Central Delhi. Cacophony of voices greeted you as one went past the metro station and cool and calm was the ambience as one stepped inside the temple. It sends good vibes for the duration you are inside the temple.

Once outside the same hullabaloo greet you with the same palpable tension and unfolding commitment that's largely built around one's day itinerary to finish different assignments. Next on the list was Kali Bari in Mandir Marg. There were many with roots in State of West Bengal and some from State of Bihar all true to the task of offering pushpanjali (offering flowers to the goddess accompanied with slokas). Three times one has to go through this routine before it is replaced by a new set of crowd who follow the same format. The young birds were dressed up for the occasion and a word of praise for those who stepped out in yellow outfit and the two who took a seat in the vicinity and conversing in Bangla which was least audible.  It was the seventh day of the Durga Pujo and there were enough occasions to cheer the way the Goddess looked, making you believe that there would be enough rounds when you would be face to face with clay made magnificent idols.

Time was approaching fast for Bhog to start and sometime around 1 pm the people began to queue up and it did not take long for devotees to get seated and satiate their Bhog cravings. The Bhog comprised of Khichdi (made from rice), vegetable, chutney and kheer. I  was lucky enough to be in the first lot.

On the eight day which was Ashtami i visited Kali Bari in Safdarjung Enclave. The clay prepared idols looked as magnificent/imposing as ever. The pandal was brimming with people hailing from West Bengal at present staying in Delhi and my inability to converse in Bangla couldn't get a large number of new acquaintances. Came across a student who had come with his mother, there was another school student Sangeeta Majhi who studied in a Bengali School in Sarojini Nagar. Bhog distribution started well after 2 pm and here the offering comprised of pulao (made from rice), two vegetable, veg chop, halua and a sweet. The offering was elaborate and sentiment upbeat. Post Bhog it was more appropriate to walk all the way to my place.

On the 9th day of Pujo i visited Kali Bari Mandir Marg and Kali Bari Safdarjung Enclave. Immersion of idols took place on the 10th day with the wait for this festival almost a year away. Once a year event this Pujo is a must-watch one with those in attendance radiating bonhomie round the year. The idols made from clay look as resplendent as ever.

There was Mr I Mukherjee who had come with his family all the way from Kolkata making a noting of Chittaranjan Avenue where i have stayed on numerous occasions; this area in Kolkata falling between Esplanade and Shyam Bazar. Though Durga Pujo celebrations is essentially East India centric (West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha) one gets smitten by Delhi touch when people from these states congregate under one roof and celebrate with renewed flourish.

Amit Shekhar the journo with mellifluous voice

Amit Shekhar the journo with mellifluous voice

A Journalist. A Columnist. A Poet par excellence. And what not.

Having worked in publications not less than six, Amit Shekhar's transient journey perhaps beginning from Reader's Digest to Business Today to Hindustan Times to Times of India to Outlook Money and others came with the practical underpining that guided him: life is not an easy outing; it has to be lived everyday with its share of highs and lows. Unwavering was his commitment to pen his thoughts and poems were the most convenient way to show his reflections on life. When he lived a very few of them making it to print and majority of them eluding us. His anthology of poems was released on Oct 23 his birthday in India International Centre New Delhi the event which i attended and those in the audience comprised of his parents, his two sisters, poets, journos and people from varied fields.

While in Delhi on occasions he looked distraught and disoriented and this was more to do with myriad night shifts and not that easy way to adjust to dawn to dusk and dusk to dawn template. A large part of his stay in Delhi was spent in Samachar Appartment in Mayur Vihar an upscale colony in East Delhi and umpteen times i visited his place. It was in second half of either '96 or '97 he joined HT. Night shifts were mandatory and nothing new for him; against one or two nights in previous stints here the week long night shifts kept him tied to uncharted waters. It was from here my acquaintance grew with him; he offering insights into the journey the life was and the unforgiving thunder that struck at the roots of its existence now and then.
Camaraderie that he shared with his colleagues and we were amidst peers like H Khogen Singh, Prashant Saxena, Gargi Kaul, Ramesh Babu, Rajan Nair, P Wangchuk, Thomas Mathew among others. A little over two years he spent in HT with one fine morning submitting his resignation to Gaur Sahib of HR Department. From here he moved to a dot com company which probably went by the name jobsahead.com. Working hours were flexible but what was bothering him was the cloak of depression that he was wrapped in and his endless struggle to tame it. Despite this constraint his editing skills were noteworthy and this factor helped him to gravitate from one job to another.

Late night phone conversations with him where he desired his pain be understood (largely to do with his take that we all are wandering in a world bereft of compassion and conscience), his feelings be admired (more to do with esoteric thoughts) and his all of a sudden gaining traction when moments of curiosity and contentment he would find himself in.  "Achanak mujhe kafi accha lag raha hai"  (I am in best frame of mind).  Alok Jha  and Bandeep Singh too were at India International Centre with Alok alluding to the fact that late night phone conversations with Amit was order of the day.

Once in office he turned up all dressed up in white showing symptoms of another milestone he wished to scale. Late in the night he landed at my place and said he wished to travel to Andhra and i suggesting him he should try to visit Tirumala. The very next morning he left for Andhra where his sister resided and couldn't keep his promise of visiting Tirumala.

When he left for Patna about five years ago he did not dodge from writing columns for The Pioneer the newspaper (Chandigarh Edition) and at the same time interspersed with poetic bursts that came from his pen that he largely kept to himself. The book on his poems is a true tribute to a man who was truly into multitasking doubling up as a columnist, poet and singer despite the odds that he faced. His rendition of Harivansh Rai Bachchan's poems are worth watching. This can be traced if one keys in Amit Shekhar The Poet in Google search engine.

His mellifluous voice would keep ringing in for years to come.

Visiting Tirumala on Monday; Watching SVBC Channel

Visiting Tirumala on Monday; Watching SVBC Channel

Sunday night i left Triveni Residency to visit well lit Srinivasa Complex to look at the probability of seeking another token to gain entry to Lord Govinda's Temple in Tirumala. I was told there was heavy rush in Seven Hills and no tokens were being issued for that day.

Monday i visited Tirumala from Tirupati one more time and had been to the outer periphery of the temple as well as Lord Hanuman temple opposite Lord Govinda temple.  In Tirumala i did not get opportunity to visit Lepakshi Centre. The STD booth which is near Indian Bank ATM in vicinity of  Lepakshi has a provision for making local calls; earlier one could make STD calls from the same booth. In this booth STD facility should be restored. This time i could not get opportunity to visit Jaipali Temple (Lord Hanuman temple). Monday i returned from Tirumala to Tirupati by 10.30 am. As for tea none of the days right from Thursday to Monday i was in Tirumala i could take tea from any of the tea centres which i have visited in the past. In Tirupati i used to take tea from Friends Tea Centre and a tea centre run by one Mr Reddy inside the bus stand.
It was wonderful stay in Tirumala/Tirupati and Lord Govinda was kind enough to give his fleeting glimpse on more than three occasions.

On Monday around 12 pm i left Tirupati for airport. The Airport India magazine had a story on Gangtok capital of Sikkim. There was another story on Gir National Park in Gujarat. It is time Tirupati Airport is renamed Venkateswara airport. In Tirupati airport i meet two Professors who have been associated with Sri Venkateswara University at some point of time. One of them spoke extensively about Tirumala. There are oil lamps in sanctum sanctorum (Bangaru Vakili), no tubelight or CFL addition. A dam had been built in Tirupati from where water is lifted to Tirumala. The SVBC Channel has a ticker which mentions Water is Divine. Save it. The people from different faiths should visit the Tirumala temple and aforesaid permission should be granted to them. I understand people from different faiths have visited Tirumala in the past.

As i watched Srivari Navaratri Brahmotsavams 2018 Garuda Vahanam coming from Tirumala on SVBC Channel on Oct 14 there were rains and umbrellas had come out in plenty. Srivari Navratri Brahmotsavams 2018 drew a large number of devotees. I also watched Chandra Prabha Vahanam from Tirumala on Oct 16 and Golden Tiruchi Utsavam as part of Srivari Navratri Brahmotsavams on SVBC channel on Oct 18.

At one point of time TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam) had a staff strength of 11,000 which at present stood at 8,000. Some of the services for the past few years were being handled by a large number of volunteers. In the years to come more of the services would be outsourced to volunteers. These Professors whom i met in airport were on their way to Varanasi to attend a conference. They told me Varanasi resembled Old Delhi area with innumerable lanes and by lanes. As for the food there was plenty on offer with enough to satiate your cravings.

As for Tirupati it was largely a dry area with spells of rain and duration for which they lasted mired in mystery. During my stay in Tirupati and going to Tirumala every day there were intermittent rains followed by short duration rains here and there. We were in agreement that Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Anna Prasadam Centre in Tirumala served the best food and it was humongous in nature as far as preparation and serving was concerned. It served breakfast from 9 to 11 am and from 11 to 4 pm they served meals which was again repeated from 5 to 11 pm. Watching SVBC News on October 7, we came to know canteens for preparing food was started on April 6, 1985 and to date it is functioning in a different venue. As for Thomala Seva and Archana Seva i was told First Friday of every month one had to get registered online and through draw of lots successful devotees were picked up. I still believe if one doesn't have online ticket one can opt for Sarva Darshan for which token is issued from Srinivasam Complex Tirupati from 12 am onwards with exact timing of darshan printed. This is a convenient way of accessing the Lord.


The Spicejet flight for Hyderabad took off from Tirupati at 3.07 and and landed in Hyderabad at 3.49. Spiceroute the inflight magazine had a story on Escape to the Hills essentially talking about Tamara Kodai in Kodaikanal. There was a story on Ms Amrapali Parihar and her transition from trainee first officer to Captain. There was a story on exclusive recruitment drive to have women pilots.

In Hyderabad airport meet Mr Satyajeet Kumar from Bihar. Meet a gentleman going to Mumbai who had worked in Mumbai Port from 1985 to 2015. He has a place of residence of his own in Mumbai. When he was working in Mumbai Port he was staying in Colaba area which is one of the polished colonies of Mumbai. As for 2018 +1 poll verdict i told him the picture looked to be hazy with none in a capacity to claim a majority.

Meet a Degree College Principal belonging to Mehboobnagar. Meet a family from New Town in Kolkata, the father a Chartered Accountant (Mr Chakravarty) and other members of the family in distinguished professions in Kolkata. The son was IT honcho. There was another gentleman who had come with his daughter hailing from Bengaluru and he too went by the name Mr Chakravarty. I told them i had been to Vyalikaval, Majestic among other places in Bengaluru. This family too visited Tirumala once a year and preferred to opt for break darshan.

As for Vistara flight from Hyderabad to Delhi the inflight magazine had a story on September is a great month for Trekking across the forts of Maharashtra featuring Murud Janjira Fort, Lohagad Fort and Sindhudurg Fort. Another story on weaving threads of Indian Handloom, another story mapping Hyderabad's culinary journey. Another story was on quintessential shopping Myeongdong related to Seoul which is seeped in tradition. Another story on Bukchon Village, exuding young vibes Hongdae.
The Vistara flight UK 870 took off a little before 9 and landed in Delhi at 10.55 pm. This Tirumala visit was one of the best in recent years with enough to cheer you up as far as Tirumala/Tirupati landscape is concerned.

Sightings in Tirupati

- Friends Tea stall
- BMR tours and travels
Daily trips and tour packages Hyderabad, Guntur, Vijaywada, Rajamundhry, Vizag, Kakinada, Goa, Kolhapur, Belgaum,  Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Mysore, Ooty, Coonoor, Madurai, Kodaikanal, Rameswaram, Kanniyakumari, Chennai, Pondicherry, Thekkady, Munnar, Alleppey
- Bhanu tours and travels
- CSK tours and travels
- Kaven travels
- Alpha tours and travels
- Garuda tours and travels
- Viswambara travels
- SVS Lodge
- Orange tours and travels
- Hotel Sarovar
- Hotel Garuda a family restaurant
- Meet Mr Satya babu a banana vendor
- Sreekanth Lodge
- Heritage Parlour The promise of health and happiness
- S. V. Fancy ice creams, cool drinks, xerox
- Meet Mr Suresh Babu who helps me to find a lodge
- Meet Mr Surendra Babu, Mr Venkatesh and Mr Ishwar of Triveni Residency

Belated Happy Birthday to Mr Amitabh Bachchan (Oct 11)and loads of good wishes to family members. The picture with son Abhishek and a little one as featured in blog was great.

Belated Happy Birthday to Mr Prannoy Roy (Oct 15) and loads of good wishes to family members and staff members of NDTV Channel in India.

Fleeting Glimpse of Lord Govinda in Tirumala

Fleeting Glimpse of Lord Govinda in Tirumala

From Alipiri Gate to Tirumala in all there are 3550 steps to be chased. Mind you Alipiri Gate is in Tirupati near Balaji bus station. On the way there are pop and mom stores supplemented by a large number of vendors selling their wares. Each one has a task cut out for himself/herself. Thursday when i started a little after 9 in the morning from Alipiri Gate i was apprehensive whether i would be able to make it in three to four hours. Adding to the apprehension was heavy downpour after 11 which restricted movement for over 30 to 40 minutes. By Lord Govinda's grace i was able to make it to Tirumala.

Reaching Tirumala, reaching Bangaru Vakili on two occasions in a single day

As Friday was the day i was given token (for convenience of devotees one should note these darshan tokens are free) to visit the temple i boarded a bus around 6.30 in the morning from Tirupati to Tirumala. There was a family from Mumbai which had secured darshan token from Srinivasam Complex in Tirupati at 12 am and their darshan timing was 8 am. When we reached Tirumala they enquired about the way to proceed since much of Hindi was not spoken and understood in this part of the country. I collected laminated pictures of Lord Govinda and headed to VQC (Vaikuntam Queue Complex) 1 or 2 where there are spacious compartments where devotees are asked to wait. I had barely waited for 15 minutes and gates opened and i was in sanctum sanctorum in less than half an hour. I spent some time near Vayu Bhagwan. When i could secure fleeting glimpse of Lord Govinda in such a short time thoughts travelled of having a second glimpse of Lord Govinda by taking a token and entering the temple for Sarva Darshan. Around 10. 30 i entered the designated compartment and the gates opened sometime after 4 pm. I was in Bangaru Vakili (Sanctum Sanctorum) by 5 pm and captured a good glimpse of Lord Govinda. With two darshans secured of Lord Venkateswara on a single day nothing could have been much better in Tirumala. Later i visited Anna Prasada Centre and the food as always was something to relish/cheer about. I returned from Tirumala to Tirupati a little after 8 pm.

On Saturday at 2 in the morning i visited the well lit Srinivasam Complex which is opposite Triveni Residency and collected a Sarva Darshan token after furnishing Aadhar Card. The designated time for darshan/temple entry was given 1 pm. As usual i left by bus from Tirumala. From foothpath entrance i was supposed to troop in where the compartment number where i was supposed to wait was to be given. I entered compartment at 12 pm. By 1.30 i was in Bangaru Vakili with Lord Govinda looking as relaxed and resplendent as ever. I should have visited Anna Prasada Centre and taken the food as i only used to have bananas in the morning. No sooner i returned to Tirupati  i had masala dosa and the sambhar from Hotel Mayura which was hard on my stomach. I had stomach discomfort and to be on the safer side later in the evening i had idli from Sarvana Bhawan near RTC bus stand opposite Srinivasam Complex. I had masala dosa from Hotel Mayura on Thursday as well and that looked to be fine but on Saturday it was not something to relish.

Another Glimpse of Lord Govinda

Sarvana Bhawan is the ideal destination for snacks and meals if one is in Tirupati. Sunday i visited Tirumala with temple visit not on my mind. As i neared Tirumala this thought crossed my mind why not have a fleeting glimpse of the Lord one more time. There is a circuitous route to the point where tokens are disbursed.  I rushed to gain token and enter the designated compartment. I was in compartment around 11 am with a prayer on my lip that i should have a pious and early darshan. Though the designated time for darshan was 11 pm the gates were opened well before 5 pm. And that has been true for all occasions when the gates have been opened well before the designated time of Lord Govinda's Darshan. A little after 5.30 i was in sanctum sanctorum thanking Lord Govinda for giving me another opportunity to visit him. A fleeting glimpse of Lord Govinda is enough to cheer you up. I was in Anna Prasada Centre a little before 7 and returned to Tirupati by 8.30.


Monday i visited Tirumala one more time and visited the outer periphery of the temple as well as Lord Hanuman temple opposite Lord Govinda temple. Monday i returned from Tirumala to Tirupati by 10.30 am.  In Tirumala i did not get opportunity to visit Lepakshi Centre. The STD booth which is near Indian Bank ATM near Lepakshi has provision for making local calls; earlier one could make STD calls from the same booth. In this booth STD facility should be restored. In Tirupati i used to take tea from Friends Tea Centre and a tea centre run by one Mr Reddy inside the bus stand.
It was wonderful stay in Tirumala/Tirupati and Lord Govinda was kind enough to give his fleeting glimpse on more than three occasions.
Frisking in Tirumala should be thorough all through the year and those carrying bags they should be screened as well. Tirumala is a wonderful place with Lord Govinda showering his blessings on everyone.

Cleanathon on NDTV Channel was wonderful

The fifth edition of Banega Swachh India Cleanathon on NDTV channel in India on October 2 was wonderful. Hope they continue with the same enthusiasm in the years to come. Such programmes elicit wide interest. A word of appreciation for campaign ambassador Mr Amitabh Bachchan, Mr Prannoy Roy, Mr Vikram Chandra and other participants. The programme itself lasted for over 12 to 13 hours and that was no mean feat.

The Asian Age newspaper's story on Oct 4 on the Price for being Banked by Mr Moin Qazi was great. The banks across private and public sectors should do away with imposing penalties if one is not able to maintain a minimum balance. Banks are here to cheer the public and not harass them. Another story on same day 'Enough lies!' Bosnian village bans politicians elicited interest.

Leaving for Chennai to reach Tirumala

Leaving for Chennai to reach Tirumala

Holding on to a thought whether to proceed to Tirumala or leave it for another day i budged from my intransigent stance and decided to take a flight to Chennai. Left home at 7 in the morning with not to be missed was a noting GMR proud to be associated with Delhi airport for 12 years as made clear as i stepped inside the airport. I met a woman from Spain who was on her way to Pantnagar in Uttarakhand. She had been to Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai way back in 1982 and found the present arrangement where there were restrictions probably for those hailing from other countries on movements inside the temple more appropriately near the sanctum sanctorum. Met two guys who were on their way to Tuticorin and taking the same flight. Met an auditor from HCL based in Chennai who had to travel back and forth across India and continents every other day. In the National Capital he stayed in Noida and was lucky enough to have a cook who could get him South Indian delicacies. Met Mr Harshit Narayan Jha near Airtel phone booth.

The Jet Airways flight 9W 0759 took off a little after 9.30 and reached Chennai a little after 12 pm. I got a helpful upgrade with window seat secured against odds with the cabin crew members in a more conciliatory and receptive mood. There was Mr Thomas Mathew from Indian Oil who was on his way to Chennai for a software package roll out for LPG Distributors. There was Mr M Kumar another passenger near the conveyor belt who conveyed that one could take a metro from airport to Chennai's Koyambedu bus stand. I profusely thanked him for giving me option to access Chennai Mofussil bus stand. Under 40 minutes i was in Chennai bus stand.

I decided to take meals from Adyar Anandha Bhawan in the vicinity of bus stand. The staff was very helpful.There was Mr George the ever alert security guard at entrance of Koyambedu bus stand. I set out for Tirupati at 2.30, the bus winding its way through different populated areas and finally reaching Tirupati at 7.30. The driver and bus conductor were quite alert to the proceedings. A five hour journey that included traffic hiccups along the way and a smooth passage almost after 5 pm looked to be little unsettling. Conventional wisdom would have us believe that securing accommodation in Tirumala won't be trouble of sorts. In pursuit of a room Tirupati fared much better as rooms are not allotted to single person in Tirumala. Before taking a room visited Srinivasam Complex. Took a room in Triveni Residency as suggested by Mr Suresh Babu and here Mr Eshwar was more than delighted to have me as his guest. Took  black tea from Friends Tea Stall with BMR tours and travels outlet in the vicinity. Exceed your thoughts and you are in for some wonderful time in Tirumala. Barring accommodation everything looks so elegant and moving you desire to stay in Seven Hills with all thoughts geared towards the Lord. Bunch of devotees file in with a breathtaking vow to have a fleeting glimpse of the Lord. Chants of Govinda reach a crescendo as one nears Bangaru Vakili which essentially is the sanctum sanctorum.

Following a well secured sleep and after taking black tea and getting ready i set out for Alipiri Gate from where i was supposed to walk to Tirumala. After making noting in a Prayer Diary i started from Alipiri Gate at 9.07 reaching Goli Gopuram at 10.08. There were no tokens being issued probably to do with heavy rush or something like that. A little before 11 i reached Lord Hanuman statue and little after 11.10 it began to rain, the heavy downpour lasting over 30 minutes. As rains subsided i began my onward journey reaching Tirumala at 1.07 pm. Had it not been for rains i would have completed my walk in little over three hours. In the past i used to complete the entire journey in three hours flat. As i essay my thoughts i am watching Srivaari Naivedya Ghantaanaadam from Tirumala coming on SVBC Channel. I watch SVBC Channel almost every day.

After ascending more than 3000 steps i went to the counter from where tokens (Sarva Darshan) are issued and my darshan timing was 10 am the next day. A little after 3 pm or 5 pm i visited Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Anna Prasadam Centre and took food. It is the best Anna Prasadam Centre across country. I returned to Tirupati with a firm determination to visit Tirumala the next day for a fleeting glimpse of Lord Govinda. Point to be noted Wednesday and Saturday are special days for Lord Govinda. In fact the  entire year is special for Lord Govinda.

Reminiscing about South India Stay about three to fourth months ago

Reminiscing about South India Stay about three to fourth months ago

In Hampi i used to frequent Ganesh restaurant in the past which was not open in view of low flow of tourists as it happens to be a lean season ( March to June is referred to as a lean season) .  In Gopi guest house and restaurant i come across Mr Kiran and Mr Bhima. As i make plans to leave Hampi, Mr Shiva guides me about buses that are bound towards Hospet. The train for Hubli from Hospet leaves at 10.15 am. Mr S M Kulkarni happens to be the TTE. The stations on the way are Munirabad, Hitha, Gingera, Koppal, Bhanapur, Bannikoppa, Gadag, Hebsur, Kusugal before finally reaching Hubli. In Hubli i stay in a lodge which is on Airport Road. 

Mr Praveen Kiby of Chinmaya Cyber Cafe in Akshay Park Gokul Road is kind enough to let me do a story as well as book a ticket from Coimbatore to Hyderabad.  In Hubli airport come across Mr Panchaksaraiya Herematta from Gadag. Meet Mr Samiel who is from Madurai. Mr Jay Kumar and Mr Shubrajit of Spicejet are very helpful. Meet Mr Ekbote who is going to Tirumala along with his family members. The flight takes off at 9.45 am reaches Bengaluru at 10.35. The inflight magazine Spice Route has a story on Leh  "Juleh".  

In Bengaluru airport come across Ms Jyoti who looks at the ticket before letting me in , Mr Jishnu who is at Jet airways counter and Mr Kennedy from Madurai. The Jet airways flight takes off from Bengaluru airport at 1.37, lands at Coimbatore at 2.16. At Coimbatore airport Captain Pillai tells me the way to approach Coimbatore Junction. To go to Coimbatore Junction it is automan Mr Pasha who provides the ride. The woman at railway reservation centre is helpful. At the restaurant opposite railway station where i have meals i come across Ms Revathi SV, Ms Aruna A, Ms Durga and Ms Swetha who have completed M Tech from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) and have a promising future given the jobs they have secured from HCL Technologies in Hyderabad.  

 The bus from Ooty bus stand leaves at 4.15 pm and reaches Kotagiri at 8.05. I stay in Majestic lodge in K.R.E. complex Mettupalayam Road. The next day i leave for Udhagai (Udhagamandalam). I stay in Udhagai from Tuesday to Saturday. For the first two days i stay in Royal Paradise. Next two days i stay in Green Valley lodge which is near the lake. During my stay in Udhagai i visit Mudumalai, Coonoor, Doddabetta Peak. Hospitality that is generated across states of South India has fewer parallels.  While going towards Coonoor in Aravankadu there is a message: water is precious. Please don't waste water. 

In Marriamman Temple there are two statues. One is of Kali other is of Marria. While in Doddabetta Peak i come across Ms Aruna who is very helpful and even her brother Mr Arun who is studying in a College in Avinashi Main Road in Coimbatore comes across as a simple student. Here i meet Mr Pradeep from Trichy and in the bus going towards Udhgai i meet Mr Antony, a teacher in maths and science. 

On Saturday i leave for Coimbatore. The bus leaves Udhagai at 1.51 winding its way through different areas before reaching Coimbatore Ooty bus stand at 5.30. Take another bus to Gandhipuram bus stand. The conductor of bus number TN 58 N 1579 is helpful. Leave Coimbatore  after 11 pm reach Hyderabad after 12 am. 

I Stay in Padmaja lodge which is near Secundarabad Ganesh Temple.  Visit Ganesh temple on two different occasions. This Ganesh Temple has a magic spell of its own.
From Divya Sai cyber cafe do stories. Meet Mr Mohammad Salauddin who is into selling socks and automan Mr Rajesh. Had the opportunity to take a metro ride which is yet to cover old city area of Hyderabad. There is no clarity on when and where the metro connectivity would reach Hyderabad.  
   

At Secundarabad railway station the green initiatives adopted are among 100 LED lights installed, three lakh litres of water recycled, four hundred + trees and 100 sqm of landscaping add to the greenery.  Leave Hyderabad on Tuesday. The flight takes off a little after 5 pm and reaches Delhi a little after 5 pm. 

As 11-day Ganesh Festival comes to an end we hope peace prevails across continents. May Lord Ganesh bless us all.

Lois Sophia was well within her right to speak her mind

Lois Sophia was well within her right to speak her mind

The case of Lois Sophia a research scholar who was incarcerated and later released in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu state for reasons best known to cops shows how might of the state is being used unabashedly and this is indefensible. By merely stating "Fascist BJP Govt down down" she was well within her right to speak her mind and the State BJP President on a wrong foot by asking cops to invoke sections of IPC that would instigate her arrest. Instead of using the might of the state the BJP leader could have just smiled and moved on unperturbed by a mere slogan here and there.

There are slogans and counter slogans in Parliament when it is not dysfunctional and functioning and does anyone get arrested for mere slogan shouting. There is no room for dissent. Such acts are alienating the right wing party from its core voter base and shows how difference of opinion what to talk of dissent is being muzzled with the power of the state. Millions lined up in support of Lois Sophia and the sections under which she has been booked may well see the need for her to come all the way from Canada where she is pursuing her studies. If the party which rules at the Centre can't take dissent of this benign nature what hectoring we would be witness to in the run up to 2019 polls. Democracy in India is alive and thriving and isolated incidents like this which are becoming more of a routine now spells danger to the very fabric of democracy and its remnants.

The right wing party doesn't look to be a disciplined organisation with well chain of command and the rank and file needs to be told in no uncertain terms that dissent shouldn't dilute their campaign to stay in the fray. If anyone expresses an opinion different from what the party stands for that should not make them resort to misuse of state might to keep dissenters at bay. If there is no dissent there is no hope. The best remedy would be sections under which Lois Sophia has been booked are lifted with no time lost and her passport returned so that she can continue with her studies

Mr Kamal Hassan featuring in Indian Idol on Sony Channel in India was great. He belted out Sanam Teri Kasam song with ease. Sanam Teri Kasam Hindi movie was released in 1982. Loads of good wishes to Mr Kamal Hassan, Ms Reena Roy and Indian Idol participants. Loads of good wishes to Mr Rajni Kant and Mr Mohanlal as well.
Vaaranam Aayiram- Nenjukkul Tamil song is great as well. Loads of good wishes to Mr Suriya and Ms Sameera Reddy featuring in this song.

Batting in fourth innings is a daunting task in English conditions

Batting in fourth innings is a daunting task in English conditions

If Englishmen are able to post anything beyond 200 it would be a herculean task for Team India to surpass that. As a matter of fact they are way ahead brimming with confidence of having reached a total beyond 250 runs. For Team India except for one or two batsmen here and there no one is clicking and to say the least they are struggling at the outset. Pujara who scored a century outside subcontinent after a wait of five years may not be able to  radiate same energy and someone would be required to fill in his shoes. Batting in fourth innings comes with its share of ups and downs and chasing itself is a different ballgame altogether. The advantage that India had on Day one when Englishmen were skittled out for 246 was soon lost when India managed a slender lead of 27 runs. It would be miracle of sorts if India triumphs against all odds that would keep growing every passing minute.

Who would be India's saviour? The top order, the middle order or someone playing cameo of an innings. The flourish that top order could provide may well set the stage for other players to chip in to get near the target. As for Englishmen, a blistering 69 by Butler and Root and Curran coming good with 48 and 37 made England fort look formidable and difficult to lay a seige.

Team India would be overwhelmed if  they play defensive and repeatedly fail to read the ball and its swing/movement. Southampton is no Trent Bridge as India prepares to play an inning that may well be registered in history or fall like a pack of cards. Batsmen have to plan innings and not get alienated from the target. If they wrap the test with a win here they would be going to the 5th test with a new found energy and confidence. Who would be a major player in the hood no one knows. Team India Captain's overseas hunt has produced some outstanding performances. Will there be a repeat of the same? A batting line up that should not look demoralised and depleted if Englishmen are able to make inroads in the first session itself. Undeniably the host are at an advantage vis-a-vis Team India and here players should be all fired up to stay in the hunt.

Kerala Floods: In the path of nature's fury

In the path of nature's fury

The devastating floods that ravaged Kerala State in the South has brought untold misery to its residents. Residents who are staying put in relief camps face an uncertain future with no word yet when they will return to their homes and that too savaged by floods and landslides. In this hour of crisis everyone needs to show a big heart and lend a helping hand to the hapless people. It would take months to years for affected residents to get on with their lives and the roof under which they lived and earned livelihood has been too washed away by torrential landslides. These landslides followed by heavy rains have become quite frequent across country with rains that Kerala received in August was highest in 100 odd years.

Ensnared by greed

Ensnared by the greed  to raise dams, bring construction on forest land and passing of public land to private hands has led to erosion of ecological balance. These recurring floods across country not only pose questions about their intensity but as a matter of fact makes one wonder which other territory would fall into this flooding pattern in future. Floods are natural and should dissipate in no time and here alarming bells ringing shows the duration of floods and their likelihood to stay, perpetuated by anti-environment lobby

Western Ghats facing the fury

Western Ghats which comprise areas from Maharashtra to Kerala have seen too much of construction by laying of roads and unabashedly playing with nature's template. Repeated panels that have gone into study the Western Ghats are of the view that change of land ownership from public to private, acres of forest land prised open for construction and the newly built dams have undeniably brought this catastrophe. Time is running out and the solution lies in restoring forest land, bringing to a halt to construction and infrastructure projects and let the biodiversity hub retain its aura and beauty. To talk about bringing in climate resistant infrastructure is like promising a moon as it would involve billion of dollars which would be hard to raise at any stage with different vested groups acting as impediments and showcasing themselves as warriors.

Successive govts are at fault for leading to this sorry state of affairs where they looked the other way when construction and infrastructure were being raised at an alarming pace. The more you fiddle with environment template there are more chances that recurring floods and landslides will find a fertile platform here and there. Right from Assam, to Bihar to Chennai and Mumbai, the devastation is there for all to see.

Stick to Madhav Gadgil recommendations

Environmental degradation and biodiversity loss is all that we are witness to in the face of rising pressure on land and and man's unabated attempt to tinker with environment tenets, fiddling with flood plains and unquantified quarrying are all responsible for bringing hardships to human race.  It is time Madhav Gadgil report on Western Ghats is implemented in toto with no scaling down of its provisions in the face of reservations from tourist lobby and private parties with large wallet. Turning Kerala State into a tourist hotspot and unmindful of the destruction it is causing to environment and people at large has been going for decades. This trend needs to be discouraged at the outset.

Those in relief camps, over a million people, efforts should be made to ensure there is no outbreak of disease  and their little wants are met on a daily basis. The govt needs to provide loans at low rates for people to rebuild their homes/hamlets and efforts made to see that conducive atmosphere is not provided for recurring floods to occur. First and foremost priority should be to see the health apparatus is in plenty and not found wanting. Second those in relief camps should over a period of time able to reclaim their livelihood and get a roof on their head with active and not benign support from the government.

Deciding President's Fate: Is Impeachment in Line?

Deciding President's Fate: Is Impeachment in Line?

There are mid term polls in the US in November and all would be keeping their fingers crossed on its outcome. In the late '90s there was a move to impeach Bill Clinton and it could not fructify. What has given ammunition to Trump critics are two among different developments in the third week of August.

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort was convicted on eight out  of 18 tax and bank fraud Charges. If this was not enough Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty that $ 1, 30, 000 was paid to porn actress Daniels who had an affair (sexual encounter) way back in 2006. Democrats are in two minds whether to go ahead with impeachment or look the other way. Seventy nine per cent of Democratic voters are all fired up by signalling their intent that Prez should be impeached. Special Prosecutor Robert Muller who is probing Trump-Russian collusion during 2016 polls has a tough task on hand. These two developments would have electrified his resolve but he has to bring on table evidence convincing in nature on Russian meddling during 2016 polls. If he is able to succeed his report would finally make it to the Congress.

The biggest hurdle to Prez's impeachment is the rider that Senate's two-third members should give their assent which at the moment looks less improbable. But anything can happen between now and November with Senate members too in unison to impeach the Prez. There is another factor at  play. If Democrats are able to win control of House of Representatives in midterm elections that would be a short in the arm to bring around the majority of Senate members to the view that impeaching this Prez is a task to be truly followed as he is the one who has been going back on accords like Paris Climate Change, P5  + 1 deal with Iran and even threatening to move out of WTO (World Trade Organisation). His most exaggerated meeting with North Korean leader too seem to fly in his face

To tide over the impending crisis with all the force that he has at his disposal the Prez has said the markets would collapse if he is removed. But to have a Prez of this nature who doesn't go by the rule book his impeachment may well and truly happen. Markets won't collapse, there won't  be reverberations across political aisle and there would be a sense of relief that a man who was not fit to hold this office made it to Prez desk by default/chance. Media across the world is agog with rumours whether impeachment would come or fall by wayside.

Kerala Floods: Ensure relief reaches those in distress

Reaching out to those ravaged by floods in Kerala. Account for every penny sent to CM's relief fund

There are two opinions about the fact that recent Kerala floods are man-made disaster. These disasters are hard to escape given man's repeated nudge to nature's template.

The magnitude of disaster that has visited the Southern State of Kerala is yet to be known and what is being dangled out are figures like one million people taking refuge in over 5000 relief camps . A detailed rehabilitation plan needs to be drawn as the number of dwellings that have been brought down by flash floods is roughly 8,000 and counting. Repairing and constructing houses would be a herculean task as what would be found wanting would be resources that would be hard to come by. Though loss is estimated to be rs 20,000 cr (preliminary estimate), with the state seeking rs 2600 as immediate assistance and the Centre sanctioning rs 600 cr to tide over the crisis. The worst affected districts in Kerala include Chengannur, Kozhencherry, Alappuzha and Chalakudy.

The trauma that visits the residents hit by floods is hard to overcome and they are essentially drained out physically and mentally and it takes months if not years to rebuild their lives. No doubt it is a man-made disaster and more would be sucked in if we continue to fiddle with nature's mandate. Large concrete structure replacing green cover and green grace being repeatedly mowed down in the name of development and what we have is a disaster that leaves imprint from Bihar, Uttarakhand, Assam, Chennai and now Kerala.

The water woes emerging from incessant rains is a leveller as it remove inequalities palpable on surface in normal times and make each entity irrespective of caste, colour and gender chip in with whatever imagination they can travel forward.

MPs cutting across party lines need to donate one month salary towards rehabilitation and if possible bureaucrats need to follow suit. From Large business houses to common man on the street all need to chip in. What would be on everyone's mind would be every penny donated to CM's relief fund reaches to the last man in the last row despite cacophony of voices emerging here and there that they have been left out. Even a token gesture to CM's relief fund should be welcome. In this state of affairs it is important to see that middlemen don't intrude and try to take away the benefit meant for those in distress and discomfort.

Hope the people of Kerala are able to tide over this crisis and get on with life filled with hope and aspiration. It would be a monumental task but well within their reach.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Adored by one and all

Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Adored by one and all

It  was in May-June '96 the 13 day experiment of BJP came to a halt given its inability to shore up numbers in Lok Sabha (Lower House). I was returning from Tirumala. Having taken Sapthagiri Expresss from Tirupati to Chennai i read about Vajpayee govt putting in papers in a newspaper of the South and paving the way for a new combine to take office. The  13 day access to power period was also witness to one of his cabinet colleagues Sikander Bakht showing distress at the portfolio handed to him.
A moderate face in a hardline party who preferred to walk the middle path in the heydays of Mandal and Mandir agitation which meant to singe the fabric of the country. His affable nature, his modest arguments often replete with poetic posts seem to take sheen away from arguments put by other side. On occasions he was a man of few words and his ability to read the situation better than his counterparts proved his grip in areas like foreign affairs. A filibuster campaign which he least adhered to and his poetic postures were enough to win hearts across country and the world.  Whenever he took to mike his extempore speech was all that his audience rooted for craving for more of such creative creations. Some of those occupying the opposition benches were in effusive praise of him when he went on Lahore bus trip and the camaraderie he shared with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief was not to be lost.

I came across Vajpayee in Parliament House Annexe  (PHA)in 1995 and that was the only time when i saw him in person. Those days entry to PHA was without much hassles.

Not nudged into a corner he went ahead with nuclear tests undeterred by international brouhaha and in no time the sanctions imposed by a host of nations were scaled down. Pakistan too went with nuclear tests and that showed South Asia all but sitting on a powder keg. His oratory skills much of which got noticed in Parliamentary debates showed him a man of true wisdom and character. Taking a strong line against corruption the muddle the telecom ministry found itself in he changed the Minister at the helm. A solitary vote loss in the no confidence motion in 1999 could not keep him down and he was all prepared to start afresh whenever polls happen. In between Kargil happenned and when Nawaz Sharief and US President spoke on the finality of Pak Army withdrawing from Kargil Vajpayee was the first to acknowledge the Kargil conundrum had been fixed. I wrote a piece on Vajpayee in HT titled "It's all about governance."

Less had been said and heard ever since he decided to bid goodbye to active politics in 2005 and had it not been for his failing health he would have provided the much-needed ammunition to campaign strategy of his party which had been lying in tatters. NDA lost in 2004 and when questioned in Kullu in Himachal State on why the party lost so badly, he was blunt to admit that Gujarat riots had cost the party dear. When results were declared for 2004 polls his security personnel pacing up and down the corridors of 7 RCR to find out the modalities to vacate the premises, Vajpayee cut them short by stating Bistar Bandho aur niklo (Pack bags and make room for others).  He belonged to that school where giving space to opposition, giving succour to the disadvantage and giving the much-needed ammunition to economy set the stage for a statesman to lead a non cong govt for close to four and a half years (Oct 1999 to May 2004).  Having secured best parliamentarian award in 1995 it would be hard for any politico from opposition to bag such award in the polarised times we live. He  did not take to foreign travel as leaders from ruling to opposition benches hit on these days and yet having the courage to show that in diplomacy India was second to none. A politico of his genre would be hard to trace these days and a politico of his sentiment would be hard to chase.  Vajpayee would remain embedded in our memory for a long time and three cheers for the strong leadership he provided on the political firmament.

It would take more than 100 years for a nation of this size and sensitivity to have a statesman and an orator like him.

Reminiscing about stay in South India

Reminiscing about stay in South India

A day to cheer and none to fear was all i was up against as i left New Delhi for South India.  A modest observation i came across at New Delhi Airport: Think of everyone as your equal and the world will become a better place. In the times when there is growing restiveness in certain locales of the country with increasing incidents of those taking law into their hands this minor and not mighty reminder should be imbued by one and all. The Supreme Court has set a ceiling on reservation and that is 49.5 per cent and those politicos who are promising the moon (reservation for their state residents) should bear in mind that there can't be any tinkering with this reservation ceiling  and it is as good as done and dusted. Employment opportunities have dried up across country, agriculture sector is showing signs of  recovery still not significant by any yardstick and here you have plush offices/residential quarters and luxury sedans the latter pacing up and down the state highways and big metros and this is bound to make the unemployed class struggle/wrestle with unmitigated anger and release the same on whoever comes its way.

Flipping through pages of inflight magazines

During my sojourn in South India i flipped through the pages of different inflight magazines. Some came with the caveat that those women in the age group of 18 to 27 were eligible to join the cabin crew needed to be relaxed so that they (women) could remain employed for a large number of years; definitely not exiting at 27 from work sphere. Other stories in inflight magazines featured Mysuru in South India voted the cleanest city to Clean India Campaign meant to impress upon each citizen to do his/her bit on this front.  The first port of call happenned to be Bengaluru in South India. A tidy and neat room in Shubhodaya lodge in Gandhi Nagar with a reminder that check out time was 24 hours and not something like 12 in the afternoon gave me the benefit of paying for a day instead of two days. Mr Jagdish and Mr Anand come out as easy to reach managers with no pretensions. In the city besides visiting Hotel Adora and Hotel Kamat i quite often visited Gandhgava Upahar for tea and snacks. I am able to get the number of Mr Shivanna who has served in Hare Krishna Vegetarian restaurant in the past located near Bengaluru railway station and he hails from Chikmagalur in Karnataka State. Cobbler Mr Ramachandra was helpful so was Mr Kamat of Kamat Hotel. Going to 16th Cross Vyali Kaval in Bengaluru where TTD temple is located it was automan Mr Syed Mastan who gave the ride. The food from Swathi Deluxe restaurant which is on first floor in Majestic bus station was something to relish.

Strategically placed boulders in Anegundi

Ananda Rao circle in Bengaluru city has hints of green. In late evening set out out for Hospet by a train that took over eight hours. Ms Madhu from Yelahanka boards the train. Meet Mr Keerthiraj who works for NGO WeWorld. From Hospet i head to Anegundi and take a room in Vaibhava Guest House. Here it would be prudent to mention about Mr Khwaja Pasha who enquired about purpose of my journey and told me the stop where i should deboard for Anegundi.  Later i head to Anjaneya Parvat (Lord Hanuman Temple). There are in all 550 steps to be chased to reach Hanuman Temple. Mr Parushram, son of Mr Malappa, i meet him after a while who was kind enough to dish out a room when i visited Anegundi in September 2014. There are strategically placed boulders/rocks which you come across quite often in Anegundi and going to No 1 river cross to Hampi the sighting could well make you engineer a step closer to these boulders. Meet Mr Gangadhar and Mr D Subbaya in Anegundi who wish to travel by ferry boat to other side.

Reaching Virupapura gaddi 

In Hoova cafe i meet Shreya studying in class 7 who helps me to collect soaps, writing pad from adjacent store. Thursday before leaving for Virupapura gaddi i come across Sapna who is in IInd year in a college. In Virupapura gaddi (VPG) i stay in Mowgli guest house where i am told the rents hit the roof when the season is on. Mowgli guest house/restaurant employs a large number of people from Nepal. In VPG i meet Mr Farooq who runs a small restaurant and here the veg thali comes for 100 rs as against 180 rs at other places. In the same restaurant i happen to meet Mr Gil from Israel who has a desire to go back to New Delhi by travelling in a sleeper class in a train as the air fare has set him back by more than thousand fears.  Meet Mr Naga Babu who is into farming, meet Mr Archit who is a bike enthusiast.  Meet Mr Abey who is a Judicial Scrivener, Mr Shuttle, who is a novelist (some of his works go by the name Manapu and Nakano). Both have come from Tokyo.


The next day i leave for Hampi and take a room in Pushpa Guest House. The place where i board the vessel for Hampi i meet Mr Sujit and Mr Pawan both from National Institute of Creative Communication, Bengaluru who are supposed to complete a project report for which they are visiting Hampi and nearby areas. Mr Abhishek who is a guide too joins us in the vessel. In Pushpa guest house seeing the pictures of Lord Venkateswara i tell them i am also an ardent devotee. In Hampi Meet Mr B Gangappa who has worked in AIR (All India Radio) and he is able to place me. Meet Mr Prasanna Patil staying in Hampi for over 30 years, meet Mr Prakash Kulkarni staying in Hampi for 50 years. Meet Mr Parmesh of Shambhu Guest House. I stayed in Hampi for three days before heading towards Hubli.  In Hampi visit Vitthala temple and other places. Take dosa from Naivedyam restaurant before boarding a train which would take me to Hubli.

The findings from NRC (National Register of Citizens) should be handled tactfully and the line that differentiates between an alien and native doesn't get blurred. All for histrionics relayed here and there these four million people would continue to reside in Assam or dispersed to other places in the country in the times to come.

TMC MPs being beaten up by securitymen in Silchar airport is highly unfortunate. These securitymen should be taken to task. This shows the times we live in.

STATE OF AFFAIRS: Bring Order; Rein in cow vigilantes ; Stay in Secundarabad

STATE OF AFFAIRS:  Bring Order; Rein in cow vigilantes
Stay in Secundarabad in Telangana State

Before i begin to write on my stay in the city of Secundarabad, it would be better to write a word on two on cow vigilantes who are on a rampage across country. Cow vigilantes need to be reined in before they dish out another lynching story. Not a word has been spoken by those in power and all they have alluded to ( observed by one party leader) is that as the leader's popularity would rise in the coming days lynching incidents would continue to pour in. Who is this leader and how popular or purple he is? The country is witness to enough of globetrotting by this mentor; now the time has come to chase a blueprint that at least guarantees peace.

Lynching as the mob suspects one to be a child lifter to suspecting someone indulging in bovine trade. A set of guidelines has been issued by Supreme Court and all states need to get on with it before a new law is put into action. A state of affairs which we all detest and a new law needs to be framed by lower house to stop mobocracy which tends to leave a dark imprint as the day goes by.

Technology affiliated rumours need to be checked, collection of people turning to a mob needs to be discouraged, advertisements across print and electronic media and to top it all District Magistrates across states need to appoint nodal officers in dozens in each district to see to it that no situation comes to a breaking point. Multiplexes, malls and SUVs making more than a maiden entry against unparalleled existence where there are no jobs and no source of livelihood have all let up to release of pent up anger. Liquor vends spread across country ( the number of liquor vends that were sanctioned in the city of Delhi between 2000 and 2013 is unparallel) and people addicted to the same, Print Moguls, real estate emperors and business honchos travelling in SUVs sharing space on road with buses loaded with passengers, all this add up to a situation where pent up anger is bound to reflect. It is collection of upmarket colony car chasers/drivers pushed to the brink by khaki men and those in plain clothes and the filthy abuse generated by them shows the clout of neighbouring house and sums up the intensity of exasperation/frustration. Because of department people of neighbouring house the water supply has been erratic/disrupted for the past seven years and this shows the hold they have over water and power supply and they lose no opportunity to create trouble every passing hour. You will crave for water if you disrupt water supply to simple households. They are frustrated and would continue to be frustrated. The minority man who was thrashed in (Alwar) Rajasthan State it took four hours for law enforcers to take him to a health centre which was just three kms away as reported in the media.

Need to take a break from 7 star feasts

These leadership and ladder summits by round the year ringing media czars are enough to cock a snook at those vast majority of men who struggle to eke out a living by sheer hardwork. The country needs to take a break from these 7 star feasts as there are enough countrymen who don't have a source of livelihood and here you have participants lining up for summit that should have not been organised in the first place.  No one is going to cheer for these participants and globetrotting leaders. Men of all political hues crisscrossing country on taxpayer money; the debate about the same consuming prime time in news channels; plethora of soap operas set in a construct where luxury is the byword, good times are least conceivable even for an incorrigible optimist.

Stay in Secundarabad

Having spent the entire night at Hyderabad airport, decide to leave at 6 in the morning. I am told Secundarabad the city is quite far from the airport. Take a bus from Hyderabad airport to Jubilee Bus Station. From Jubilee Bus Station take auto to Padmaja Lodge which is located near Secundarabad Ganesh temple and Secundarabad Railway Station. Stayed put in Padmaja lodge from Sunday to Tuesday. I had the opportunity to visit Ganesh Temple on Sunday and Tuesday. During my stay in Secundarabad had the opportunity to take a metro ride which was yet to touch the old city area. Had the metro been introduced in old city area of Hyderabad it would have eased travelling. In Secundarabad visited Divya Sai internet/cyber cafe for doing stories. In Padmaja Hotel the tea served was great and so was the food. Take meals from Padmaja veg restaurant and Hotel Swathi Lodge veg restaurant. Met Mr Mohammad Salauddin who is into selling of socks, Met Mr Rajesh automan who was very helpful

Sightings in Secundarabad

- Mahadev Prasad Kirana General store
- Jio Digital Life
- TSRTC bus station
- Hotel Nirmal Grand
- Blue point hotel
- Sri Rami Reddy Pure Ghee sweets
- K. N. travelling goods
- Samsung Galaxy
- Style Plus
- Shakti Clinic
- Champa Jewellers
- Milan Pan Shop
- New Mathura lassi. Available here
- Gokul Medical and General store
- Gokul Residency
- Jawahar tea mart
- Renuka AC bar
- M.P. Enterprises
- Mustafa restaurant
- Kings mobiles
- Cost to cost footworld
- Ganesh lodge
- Golden China Bazar
- Golden Bakery
- Hotel Santosh Mess
- Sri Ganesh Temple
- Moiz Watch Co
- Amruth stores
- Manappuram Gold Loan
- Bhavani pan shop
- Golden restaurant and bakery
- Hotel Indian
- Sai Chandana footwear
- Asoka restaurant tea and bakers
- Swathi sweets/bakery and meals
- Sandarshini pure veg
- airtel 4G
- Medical Hall
- Devi Deluxe Mess
- Hotel Swathi Lodge veg
- Hotel Balaji
- Everest Lodge
- Hotel Padmaja restaurant lodge
- National Lodge
- Royal travels
- Secundarabad railway station
- Hotel Tulip Deluxe Lodge
- Andhra Bank ATM
- Navodaya Lodge
- VIVO
- Asian tea co
- Devaki lodge
- Hotel Lotus Grand
- Alpha Hotel and stores
-
Outside station
- Orange VRL Travels: Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Tirupathi, Goa, Shirdi, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Ernakulam, Trivandrum (Thiruvanthapuram), Vizag, Cochin , Nagercoil, Dundigal, Calicut, Kannur

On Monday take metro from Secundrabad East to Ameerpet and from Ameerpet to Miyapur. Start from Secundarabad East at 12.15 pm, reach Miyapur at 1 pm. In the metro meet a family from Mangalore. They are taking a ride in Hyderabad metro for the first time. The Mangalore family boarded a bus at 4.30 pm from Mangalore reached Hyderabad at 11 am the next day. Meet another man from Godhra in Gujarat state. Took train from Mumbai (9.30pm) reached Hyderabad at 11.30 am the next day. Meet Mr Babu alias Mr Raghuraman from Madurai.
While taking a metro ride near Bharatnagar metro station the Majestic Garden is great. Come across Sheesh Mahal cinema hall (Single Screen Theatre) next to Ameerpet. This cinema hall is perhaps not functioning. It should start again and there is a need to give impetus to single screen theatres. After Begumpet metro station there is Sai Ganpati temple. Later the Parade Ground that we come across is massive.

Metro stations on the way
Ameerpet, Begumpet, Prakash Nagar, Rasoolpura, Paradise, Parade Ground, Secundarabad East, Mettuguda, Tarnaka, Habsiguda, NGRI Stadium, Uppal, Nagole. Aradhana theatre near Tarnaka station should start functioning again. Near stadium station there is a huge pond the like of which you won't be able to find in Delhi. Perhaps this pond could hold some reserves. At Nagole station there is an outlet which goes like this Get your pulse report, proteins, water, height, fat, bone minerals. At Nagole Station meet Mr Srinivasan a security man. There are more people looking after security hailing from Orissa, Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra. There is Gated Community @ uppal depot billboard.
In Secundarabad railway station there is Mr D Venu Gopal dispensing platform tickets. In Secundarabad railway station announcements are being made for Shatabadi express and Padmavathi express 12764 and Faluknama to Nizamuddin Delhi station train. Secundarabad Tirupati Express is on Platform 1
- A.H. Wheeler and co Pvt Ltd
- Bhimavaram
  Sri Someshwara temple
  Discover God
  In the vibrant colours
  goandhrapradesh.com
Another hoarding
Book the 5 steps to success by Yandamoori Veerendrantu

Green initiatives adopted in Secundarabad station
- 100 LED lights are installed.
- Three lakh litres of water are being recycled per day - around 10 per cent of water requirement is         met from recycled water. Perhaps the city of Delhi could take a cue from that.
-  Four hundred + trees and 100 sqm of landscaping add to the greenery.

In Secunderabad station
- general waiting hall, prepaid AC waiting hall
- Book this space before your competitor does

In Padmaja lodge where i stayed meet Mr Aakash, Mr Manjunath, Mr Thilak. Mr Thilak talks about Jagannath Rath Yatra and by God's grace this time it passed off peacefully.

- Telangana State Police
  Duty, Honour, Compassion

- Gowtham Model School
   Learn from your child

On Tuesday reach Jubilee Bus Station (JBS) by auto. There a bus waiting for people who wish to go to Srisailam. The bus for airport leaves at 9.20. Mr Ravi is at the wheels who is very humble.
Fares from pickup point to airport
Secundarabad JBS 250 rs
Tarnaka 250 rs
Uppal Road 200 rs
A hoarding says traffic rules are made for our safety. Hence do not violate.
Going past
- Panjagutta Bakers
- Classic Tiffin Centre
- J V Rao Park
- Agra Sweets
- Sardharshini restaurant
- Mehdipatna
- Telangana State Khadi and Village Industries Board
At 10.08 we are on P V Narasimha Rao Expressway. Go past Prof Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University. We reach Shamshabad 10.28, Airport 10.41. From outskirts of Airport the city of Bengaluru is shown to be 547 km. At the airport meet Mr Subhachandra hailing from Manipur working in CISF. There is a billboard: From the charm of Charminar to the calm of Hussain Sagar.

Sightings in Airport

- Hyderabad Tiffin Express
  Mysore Bhaji 4 piece 100 rs
  Filter coffee 100 rs
- self check-in
- meet a man from East Godavari in Andhra Pradesh
- International Departure is on right
- Domestic departure is on left
- Krishna Pearls and Jewellers
- fabindia
- William Penn
- flights to Rajahmundry, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Shirdi, New Delhi, Bengaluru.
- W H Smith
- Indian Savouries
- Parle
- A section on Fiction chart, non fiction chart, Indian writing chart, magazines

The flight takes off from Hyderabad at 3.17 pm, lands in Delhi at 5.13 pm. Hello 6E inflight magazine has an ad. The sky needs stars. Looking for young women to join its cabin crew. Age between 18 and 27 years. It should be between 18 and 42 as that would keep them(women) employed for long. Take taxi from Airport. Mr Kranti Kumar is the taximan hailing from Bhagalpur.

I stayed in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana and days spent had its share of flourish and charm.

VIEWS on break darshan in Tirumala; In Udhgai Visiting Coonoor, Visiting Doddabetta Peak; leaving for Coimbatore

Views on break darshan in Tirumala; In Udhgai Visiting Coonoor, Visiting  Doddabetta Peak; leaving for Coimbatore, reaching Hyderabad on a Sunday

The VIP break darshan in  Tirumala should be through draw of lots and that too for just two days in a week and that too for one hour each day Mon Tues between 6 am to 7 am. Lord Venkateswara is for everyone and not just for break darshan people.

The Lord Venkateswara temple is managed by TTD. The TTD should see to it that pilgrims including common pilgrims are not pushed around repeatedly just to ensure that enough time is made available for VIPs to troop in. The tag line in SVBC channel shows those who have donated a lump sum  amount (over Rs 10 lakh) can opt for break darshan. The Lord Venkateswara Temple is for everyone. L1 L2 L3 lines should be discontinued for all times to come. Make arrangements for elderly people and those who need help. If TTD can't manage things the temple should be looked after by an independent institution like ASI.

All is well in Tirumala except for break darshan and giving freebies to so-called politicos and other VIPs like CM of this state or that province. Keeping people in compartments for long hours to let this VIP get inside the temple won't do. Then SVBC channel showing this VIP visited the temple during such and such date and taking his or her views has become a reigning practice and this needs to be stopped immediately. SVBC should devote its resources towards productive things instead of covering the so-called VIP and his troop members.

There was a time when seva tickets like Thomala, Archana were given to those who joined the queue at 2 in the morning or before that and counters would open at eight. Those who were first in the queue would be given the seva tickets. Such practice has been discontinued and pilgrims find it hard to avail Archana, Thomala Seva. A sort of correction needs to be introduced here.

In Udhagai, Visiting Coonoor, Doddabetta Peak

It would require steady rigour on a consistent basis to map out the areas i visited in and around Udhagai (Udhagamandalam) and the sightings i made note of. Intermittent rains defined the proceedings with a word out that exploring Udhagai would be incomplete without visiting  Mudumalai, Coonoor and Doddabetta Peak. A summary of assumptions constructed and summary of events recalled  the visits to these places spread between Tuesday and Saturday were marked by a hospitality that normally one comes across in States of South India. The sightings of different places is primarily done with the objective of noting the people i come across and their hospitable nature with no intention to show who is the boss.

Sightings in Udhagai

- Hotel Mughal. Here i Meet Mr Karthik
- Hotel Landmark
- Meet Mr Govindraj from Mysore
- SBI ATM
- Narendar mobiles and textiles
- Madhima coffee, tea and spices
- Green Apple residency
- Silly talks (Kuniyar mobiles)
- Narendar electricals co
- Tasty Kitchen
- Indian electricals
- Ubaid Coffee and tea co
- Bismillah hotel
- Sri Selva Vinaygar stores
- Nilgiri super coffee
- Jyothi tea and coffee
- Ayesha cafe and cool bar
- Sri Ranga Vilas restaurant
- P. V. Ragavan National tea restaurant
- Taj Bakers
- Blue star cottage. Room available
- Meet Mr Aseem
- Deluxe bakery. The coffee shop and snacks
- Star Cafe
- Tamil Nadu paints and hardware
- Thunder world
- Experience real snow in Ooty
   snow world
- Udhagai railway station
- Ticket counter only four tickets per passenger
- Southern railway computerised reservation centre
   retiring rooms, booking office
- Meet Mr Halgor
- Nilgiri Railway Co constructed the railway from 1886 to 1899 between Mettupalayam and                  Coonoor  using 'Alternate Biting Teeth' technology. In January 1903 the railway was purchased by      the govt and construction between Coonoor and Udagamandalam was completed in 1908.                    UNESCO conferred World Heritage to Nilgiri Mountain Railway in 2005.

 Going to Coonoor

Take Nilgiri train. Leave Udhagai at 12.43. Lovedale comes at 12.54. Three tunnels come on the   way. To gauge the surroundings and surfeit of challenges, a window seat would have been desirable.
 1.07 Ketti
 1.42 Aravankadu station. The message here is water is precious. Please don't waste water
 1.54 Wellington. Year of construction 1808
 1.58 Coonoor

 Sightings in Coonoor

- In  Coonoor meet Mr Sudaram, Mr Murugan , Mr Radhakrishnan of New Classic Foods Bakery          and Sweets. From here i have veg puff.
- Hyderabad Biryani
- Venkateswara lodge
- S.A P. Hotel veg and non veg
- Y S Men's Club of Coonoor
- From Coonoor Kotagiri is 22kms, Lambi's rock 9 km, Dolphin's Nose 12 km
- Eldee Complex Lodge
- Hotel Ragavendra
- May I Help You Coonoor Traffic Police
- V. K G. Mobiles
- Chamraj finest Nilgiri tea
- Hotel Sri Lakshmi for meals
- Variety Handloom Exclusive Silk Sarees
- K Fashion Vimal Textiles
- BKC Biryani and Kabab corner
- Hotel Vinayaga
- Hotel Haathira
- Star mess
- Blue Mountain Tea traders
- Nagaraja Medicals
- Sri Manikandan Medicals
- Indian Bakery

 Meet Mr Kurup of Venky's restaurant in Cash Bazar Coonoor. I am meeting him after seven years. Since i can't get the ticket for Nilgiri train i settle for bus. The bus for Ooty from Coonoor  leaves at 4.05 pm. Mr Rajesh is bus conductor, Mr Vijay Anand is bus driver. Both are very humble. We are on Ettines road at 4.55. Reach Ooty at 5.07. Meet Mr Ravi Vijaydurai of Bharat Scouts and Guides in the bus.
 In Udhagai bus stand
- Tamil Nadu Tourism Welcomes You
- Places of interest in and around Udhagai
   Ooty lake, Rose Garden, Botanical Garden, Doddabetta Peak, Kalhatty Falls, Avalanche, Pykara
   In Kotagiri, Kodanadu view point
   In Gudalur,  Mudumalai  which is 18 kms from Gudalur
 Distance from Ooty
 Mettupalayam 51km
 Coimbatore 89km
 Chennai 585 km

 In Udhagai bus stand
 Filter coffee, filter tea, black coffee, black tea, lemon tea, milk all for rs 15.

  Arafa Bakes
  Hot tea, coffee, lemon tea, soup available
- Iyangar cake shop near SBI ATM
- In Marriamman Temple there are two statues One is Kali other is Marria
- Meet Mr Silvaraj. Meet Mr Srinivas. Meet Mr Dakshnav a class 10 student

 Leave for Doddabetta Peak at 10.26

 Going past The Nilgiris Hotel Pure Vegetarian restaurant attached, Race Course Lodge
 Directions Market Left, Charring Cross Straight, Coonoor Straight, Kotagiri Straight
- Benchmark chocolate factory
- High Hill tea
A message. Find a bin put it in.
Deboard at 10.59
Take another bus at 11 am. Reach Doddabetta Peak at 11.45 after walking for a considerable time as there is traffic jam.

Doddabetta Peak Menu

Lemon Tea 15 rs, Green tea 15, Veg noodles 70, Veg biryani 70, Tomato rice 60. Here there is no receipt given.
The Telescope House is designed and constructed by Engineering Wing T.T.D.C. Ltd.
Mr Patrick hands over my picture clicked by a woman photographer.
Meet Mr Dinesh Yeole from Nashik in Maharashtra State. He came in a group by tempo traveller. As for 2019 battleground he is of the firm view that one man is up against a plethora of leaders. The basic fact is all political leaders travel on taxpayer money. Is it fair?

It is raining without a break in Doddabetta Peak. Take shelter in a tea shop in Doddabetta Peak Junction. Meet Ms Aruna who is very helpful. Even his brother Mr Arun studying in a college in Avinashi Main Road in Coimbatore is helpful. Here i meet Mr Pradeep from Trichy, meet Mr Antony, a teacher in maths and science. Mr Antony tells me about Fruit show in Sim's Park in Coonoor on May 26 and 27.
Reach udhagai bus stand by 1 pm. There is a need to redevelop Udhagai bus stand. There are not enough seats for passengers.
In Southern Railway Pure Veg restaurant what is on offer is Tea, coffee and meals. In Kutti's bakery for tea and biscuits meet Ms Raagri and Ms Priya.
Meet Mr Deepan and Mr Satyan in City Palace restaurant. Meet Mr Satyanarayan priest in Marriamman Temple. Meet Mr Ismail running a general store who hands over tongue cleaners
Meet Mr Senthil.

More Sightings in Udhagai

- Venkat tea stall tea, coffee and snacks
- Shree Manjunath Computer typing
- Ooty print park
- Bharathiar University study centre
- Fiat car TN 43 A 8188
- Mr T. K. Devaraj B. A. LLB Govt pleader
- Rakshit and Harshini enterprises paper cup manufacturer
- National restaurant
- Shivanna Beauty Parlour
  10 am to 7.30 pm
- R K Mobiles
- Umesh Nahar Jewellers
- National tea and coffee bar. Meet Mr Praveen at the counter. This tea centre i have repeatedly visited in 2011.
- REPCO Bank
- Global computers computer sales and service
- S.S. Holiday Inn
- Meet Mr Harry who has come with family members from Chennai. They visit Udhagai three to          four times in a year.
- Infant Jesus Church
- Best Furniture
  Hi sleep. Dreams hug you naturally
- We are in Willow Bound Road
- Meet Mr Syed Abdul Razaq
- Muthu store
- Shree Navodhya stores
- Meet Ms Sharow. Born in Udhagai. He says in Nov Dec the temperature dips below zero.
  While going towards Boat House come across a hoarding Tamil Nadu Forest Dept Goal of Life           Living in harmony with nature.
- F.M.J. Supermarket opposite Boat house.
- Hotel Tamil Nadu
  Instant room booking done here for all TTDC hotels
  Meet three men from Ernakulam. Meet two girls from Tiruchirapalli. Meet Mr Joseph and Mr              Sukumar.
  BRU outlet in Ooty (Udhagai) bus stand.  Here the staff is very humble.

Leaving Udhagai for Coimbatore

Get in bus at 1.30. Bus leaves at 1.51
Going past
- Sri Shanti Vijay Girls Higher Secondary School
- Hoarding of National Model School Nilgiris
- Hotel PNR
- Tata Motors
- Hotel Sabari.  Kerala rice available
At 2.10 Coimbatore is 83 km. Later Ketti Town Panchayat welcomes you
2.18 Kethi. Kovai shown to be 80 kms away
2.20 Ellanalli
2.27 Erode shown to be 136 kms
- Cordite factory Aruvankadu
At 2.32 Wellington Cantonment Limit Begins
At 2.37 Wellington
At 2.40 Madurai 285 km
At 2.41 Coonoor.  Say no to plastic litter
At 3.05 Marapalan. The bus stops at 3.25, resumes journey at 3.37
At 4.07 Mettupalayam
At 4.34 Mettupalayam road. Later come across Billboard of Kanjivarams and silk sarees, R S Puram Coimbatore
At 5.30 we reach Coimbatore Ooty bus stand 
Take another bus to Gandhipuram bus stand.  The conductor of bus number TN 58 N 1579 very cooperative. Take bus no 36 from Gandhipuram for airport. Mr Ramesh in bus no 36 guides me to Chitra airport in Coimbatore.

Near Coimbatore Airport visit Aroma Bakery and have repeated dose of vada and black tea. The Aroma Bakery needs to be appreciated by one and all. Visit Sree Lakshmi Medicals and take plastic u shaped tongue cleaners. Walk all the way from Aroma Bakery to Airport. Inside airport the display board shows flights to Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Singapore. This is a silent airport. There will be no flight announcement.
A board shows SSVM institutions wishes you a pleasant flight
Shree Sarasswathi Vidhyaah Mandheer Mettupalayam
SSVM World School Coimbatore
SSVM School of Excellence Coimbatore

In Coimbatore Airport
- Buddies cafe
- KR Bakes which has a story on how sandwich originated
- Sri Krishna sweets
- In K R Bakes Veg puff, Egg puff, chicken puff, chicken cutlet and veg roll
- It's the best of TIMES in Coimbatore hoarding
- Meet Mr Chandrashekhar working in Udulamet, 10 kms from Coimbatore as service engineer.            Hails from Madurai. Talks about Madurai temple and there is no two opinion about the fact that       economy of the city is based on temple.
- MCR Dhothies Shirts, vests and briefs

Leave Coimbatore a little after 11 pm  and reach Hyderabad after 12 am. Stay put in Hyderabad airport till six in the morning. These department people in Delhi in a nearby house giving trouble the less said about them the better it would be.

Landfill sites in Delhi on the brink of collapse; Need to introduce electric buses

There are three landfill sites in Delhi. They are Okhla, Ghazipur and Bhalswa. They are on the brink of collapse. Baby steps or to be more appropriate no steps have been taken for the past twenty years to look into the issue of waste that is generated in Delhi everyday. Can't part of this waste or in toto be recycled so that these landfill sites have something to fall back on. Both the Central and State Governments need to take urgent steps and that too not spread over months so that things don't go out of hand. A sorry state of affairs in the state of Delhi. It is important L-G (Especially, Central Government) and the Delhi government show some seriousness on this issue.
The time has come for electric vehicles to be introduced in Delhi and other parts of the country. Begin with electric buses in Delhi. All tenders floated for fuel guzzling vehicles should be cancelled and electric buses should be introduced.
There is a need to decongest the  roads of Delhi. A surcharge on any household having second car would be desirable. Only through these measures the air pollution can be checked.
In Tirumala E-Rickshaws, the ones plying in Delhi, should be introduced so that the pilgrims are not at the receiving end of vehicles that continuously overcharge. Tirumala is a great place with great people. In Ahmednagar they should discontinue with the practice of throwing garlands from Sai's platform with full force. They should keep garlands quietly at the back instead of ruthlessly throwing.

Saying No to FRDI Bill In India

The Indian Govt's move to bring in FRDI  (Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance) Bill is highly unfortunate. It can't play with honest deposits of a large number of countrymen. The FRDI Bill is fraught with grave consequences. The clause that in case of insolvency in a bank, the depositors would have to bear a part of the cost shows how insensitive the govt could be on occasions not realising the wide travels across country and world by politicos on taxpayer money. Don't play with deposits of countrymen. A report in a section of Press indicate the Govt is toying with the idea to withdraw the FRDI Bill.

As for lateral induction in Central Government this trend needs to be encouraged irrespective of which party is at the helm.
New Delhi should continue to import oil from Tehran despite threat of sanctions by US. Who is bothered about the threat and the path that it will trek. We desire for peace in the Middle East and other places.