The ride to Somnath; the stay in Somnath

The ride to Somnath; the stay in Somnath

Having checked in a hotel in Khanpur Road in Ahmedabad, the first half of the day was spent in the room, fairly big. THe visit to Camp Hanuman  was accomplished in fareed bhai's auto, the return journey in jalabhai desai's auto. Both these automen radiated a confidence that we find on fewer occasions. It is during these rides i come across Spices of Awadh eating joint that has come up near relief road. In the evening leave for Ahmedabad railway station from where the Somnath Express departs from Platform 10 at 10.15.
Viramgam comes at 11.25, Surendranagar 12.55, Junagadh 4.35, Keshod around 6 and Veraval 6.50 am. In Veraval, there is Just one overbridge at the railway station and to access that from your coach one has to walk almost half a km. In view of this there are some who try to cross over to Platform One through tracks.There are no other overbridges and this situation does not look handy. Even porters are hard to find at Veraval railway station, the scene no better at Delhi Cantt station from where we boarded the train. IN the train we came across one Mr Parekh who has with new ideas as his assignment tool. The mandate of the firm, with new ideas, was to organise events that made the residents of the state seek tourism spots in the state itself instead of vying for other states/directions.A family with Junagadh as its destination was in the coach and so was another gentleman who had completed just under seven hours the ride from Veraval to Ahmedabad in the morning in a personal car and was returning to Veraval by the same train. Howsoever good the roads be, the frenetic speed at which the journey is accomplished should be avoided.

A scooter ride costing 100 rs takes me to Somnath Trust where i am told the room can be availed after 10. Better to seek accommodation in Hotel Shivam. Initially the room allotted had four beds to it, the same changed to two beds late in the evening. It was a Friday when we reached Somnath. A good part of the day was spent inside Somnath Temple. There is an order to the proceedings inside the temple that we all relish. Except for faint noises here and there there was enough momentum to the stay inside the temple. In the evening as i set out for accommodation point, the Bhabha restaurant opposite the hotel is the ideal point for meals.Curd from here is really good. Here a word of praise for Kadi Ben working in Shivam Hotel in Somnath, who radiated a different level of energy. Similar word of praise for Ameera Ben  working in Prakashbhai run bhojanalaya in Dwarka and Ram Jeswani in Ahmedabad. Ram Jeswani was helpful in dropping me to Ahmedabad railway station when we were stuck in relief road, a traffic jam that would have taken hours to disperse. His ability to navigate the narrow alleys next to relief road and confidence in reaching the station a little before the train was to depart could not be missed.

 As for the stay in Somnath, there were enough meeting points and enough deliberations. As we head towards main bazar prabhas patan we come across

-South indian gujarati pav bhaji

- Way to shri somnath trust VIP guest house

- Gajanand Guest House

- Thakar Jayantilal Kantilal store
- Hotel metro

- Jai Bhavani Spoken English classes

- Shivam provision

- Anmol selection for ladies gents and children wear

-  Jay Bhavani computer classes

- Fair price shop sabji market

- Harsh computer

- Shiv shakti kirana bhandar

- Prince jewellers

- Somnath cloth store

- Karan collection

- Rameswar Hindu Hotel

- Raj medical store, neeldeep chemist, saurashtra provision store
- Sabri general store run by ahmad bhai

In shopping complex we come across 

- Mahaveer restaurant

- Somnath bhel house
- shiv shakti restaurant
- madhav tours and travels
- bhuvaneswari tea centre
- Goswami book store 

- Yatrik tours and travels

 Near SBI ATM near Bhabha restaurant there is Mukta Ben running a tea centre cha doodh coffee. The tea from mukta ben tea centre is something to write home about.  Ali the personnel at bhabha restaurant looked to be cheerful. Other staff at Bhabha restaurant looked equally cheerful The stay in Somnath was for three days, all days completed in the hotel which has Jawed and Jas as their personnel. Jawed with whom the interaction was long and liberating spoke in a tone that had a childish charm.The bhel from Somnath Bhel House was the best in the town and this time round i could not take tea from Bhuvaneswari tea centre , something i have repeatedly done in the past. Ahmad Bhai at Sabri general store could not be found as he had gone to attend Urs in Surat.

Somnath story done in 2012 vis-a-vis now
 With a stay of three days given the rush that Somnath trust run guest houses were seeing was huge. One should lay stress on a room in old guest house as it comes for 350 rs and are spacious enough. You are lucky enough if you can get a room in the blocks that are adjacent to the somnath trust run bhojanalaya. The day i reached and waited for a room in 2012, i was amidst some who were prefering to reserve rooms in the new guest house that had recently come up. If i was not mistaken, there was a family comprising over five members and they had booked probably two to three rooms in the new airconditioned guest house and had paid 7400rs . Probably for each room the tariff may have been 1500 plus for a day with a sizeable surety. The gentleman who had come to book the rooms wanted to be doubly sure that ac rooms were being given to him and in response the trust people assured him of Double Airconditioning. The thought that could have crossed many would be the rationale for seeking such plush rooms in Somnath. There have been airconditioned rooms in the old guest house which came for 400 rs in 2007. Perhaps the ac rooms in the old guest house have been dispensed with and the ac facility comes in new guest house. 

Apart from visiting the temple and roundabout the stay in Somnath saw me search for a cyber cafe which i discovered in Prabhas Patan. THis time too i could not access any other cyber point in shopping complex or roundabout. 
Photographers who used to take pictures a few metres away from the temple have been clearly told  to stay away from the entry/exit gate and park themselves near the amul parlour. This time too elaborate iron railings have been put as a security measure and photographers have to operate from behind iron railings.

Reservation centre but no phone booths
Shree Somnath shopping centre has new signboards and some new shops. More merchandise stores have come up. THis time as well i could find an increase in the number of stores in function.
 Absence of std/pco booth in the shopping centre has been hampering the smooth movement of devotees and others. Second there are no vegetable/fruit vendors in the shopping centre either. THis time as well we could not find any std/pco booth and in the shopping centre, the functioning of computerised railway reservation centre  is from 8a.m to 2 p.m. 
AS for Dilsukh tea centre, Abbas the boy had gone to attend other chores when i visited the tea stall this time round. Sohaib was there at the counter.
The stay here for two nights and three days did not provide enough time to visit Veraval. Soaps of handy frame were found at Sabri store. On a Sunday left for a new destination.
THere was enough sunshine during the stay and no smog or pollution to even talk about.  

Sunshine in Somnath

There is enough sunshine during the entire day in Somnath. THe hint of sunshine can be seen around 7-7.30 a.m. and by half past eight a continous pact with sunshine is established which lasts well beyond three. There could be chill in the weather but nothing of the sort that one experiences in the plains of the North. Sunshine which is extensive and elaborate nudges you to stay for a longer duration; the duration could be hours turning to days, days turning to weeks and beyond. The promise that this sunshine would come out of its hideout (or no hideout) each day is assidiously kept, something the metros of the north find it hard to keep, where sustained vehicular pollution adds to a smog and adds to a reality where the sun may not come out the entire day.
To talk about pollution and smog in this part of the world (Somnath and nearby places)  is beyond comprehension as neither exist or have a tendency to exist. One could fault the rising pollution and not that relenting smog for not being energetic enough to do daily chores in the north. Here in Somnath the fabric of the town is such that it does not let pollution and smog set in and this is enough to make you walk for miles together with no hint of sapping of energy. Minus vehicles of all shapes and sizes and lesser the crowd that takes out machines of pollution surprises, the weather is perfect to percolate down to the last layer.

The ride from Delhi to Ahmedabad

The ride from Delhi to Ahmedabad

On a Wednesday decided to board a train to Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Having procured train tickets through internet, the availability of a seat and the available train suggested i seek a premium tatkal ticket for Delhi-Ahmedabad section followed by a tatkal ticket for Ahmedabad-Somnath section. Having reached Delhi Cantt station by 11.30a.m., the Ashram express was supposed to leave from the station around 4pm and this time was utilised in a series of interactions with people across different spectrum.

Posted at Poonch-Rajouri sector
A Rajashthan bound train departed as i entered platform 1 after getting some queries cleared. Came across Asif and two other members from Bangalore who attended Urs in Bareilly and they were not lucky enough to be in time to catch the Rajasthan bound train. Having decided to take Ala Hazrat Express, they made themselves comfortable on the floor of the platform at a point where there is not much rush and fairly clean.  Came across a military personnel hailing from a place near Markana in Rajasthan and posted in Poonch Rajouri sector in J-K. As was evident from his tone and facial expression, the going in Poonch-Rajouri sector and other disturbed sectors across J-K isn't smooth and i thought if at this point of time one is thinking about reengaging through cricket ties it would be highly inappropriate. Situation along the border isn't normal and efforts should be to deescalate than look to a solitary voice here and there that talks rubbish if cricket is ever mentioned as a point of engagement. We came across another young guy working in Clark Inn, waiting to board a train to Alwar. Given the high tariff that the hotel was charging, and its location in Anand Vihar just under 10 kms from where another state (UP)border begins, it wasn't easy to fathom the high rates and their success in roping in high-end customers.

Civil services aspirant
WE came across another gentleman working in SAL Steel in Gandhidham who at some point of time gave a shot at civil services. Past prelims, the Mains happened to be the stumbling block. He was holding employment news newspaper, something we rarely come across these days. Those with whom we interacted felt enough had been spent on ads and access to these summits and meets; the time had come to show the ground results. Even Civil Services aspirants when successful in all three stages should be taken on contract. The amount of load the exchequer takes on account of salaries and pensions of government staff is huge and there has to be a way where contractual pact comes into place for certain percentage of civil servants.
On other scale we see huge sums being spent by states on summits and meets.  Whenever a State advertises on a summit or a meet, it should bear in mind the public money that is being spent and is it all that justified. Fiscal stress the govt's financial department is under and the obligations arising from Seventh Pay Panel recommendations makes the task more difficult. The govt should cut back on foreign travels by a huge margin whether by govt functionaries or those enjoying spg cover battery.  Political parties of any scale should rein in their party office bearers who take to air travel now and then. Air travel by party office bearers now and then is highly inappropriate

While in search for band aid took me to a medical store just after flyover in DElhi Cantt station, the young boy at the store and store owner looked to be polite and simple. It was Mohammad Zaheer, the scooterman, who took and brought me back to the railway station. At the station waiting room came across a driver of a goods train and a retired railway engineer. According to goods train driver, it took eight to nine hours for a goods train to reach DElhi from Agra(distance 180-odd kms), the same being three hours for a high speed passenger train.The lady making a noting of the passengers who took seats at the waiting hall was well mannered. Only if the bathroom at the waiting room could have a door to it.

The train ride
Ashram express leaves at 4 pm(wrist watch), gains traction. Palam comes at 4.05, at 4.07 poor visibility at air tarmac and runway.  At 4 10 bijawasan comes with a board that spells Jatar Panchayat Bhawan Shiv Mndir. The train slows down at bijawasan. Later gains traction. WE come across Ram Avatar, member of ticket checking squad who has spent his eventful years in railways. At 4.17 Gurgaon which looks to be fairly clean (Swachh bharat showing results) . But after the station there is filth around. Patli 4.33, Taj nagar 4.42, Rewari 5.15 Khairthal 6pm, Alwar 6.25, Dausa 7.50 and Jaipur 8.50. WE are told that arguments had turned nasty about a month ago so they have stopped serving tea and food when the train runs towards Ahmedabad.

WE collect food packets from Jaipur station, each coming for 130rs. By and large the food is good except for a vegetable that is soaked in oil and a gulab jamun that can be avoided. (Gulab Jamun is doing no good to anyone).  I requested the TTE to allot me inside lower or side lower berth as the berth no 6 happened to be side upper. I was allotted seat number 47 (side lower) next to the door. In train travelling try to insist (prevail on ticket agent or window ticket giver)on inside lower or side lower; definitely not the one that is next to the door. That on occasions shows the rough side of law and order as abuse flows in plenty by outsiders who don't have reserved tickets and yet take the seat meant for attendants. I pointed this out to a woman with a sprained leg who boarded the train at Alwar, allotted seat number 48, but she did not find this offensive.  Ajmer  comes at 10.55, Abu road 4.30am, Palampur 5.27 Siddhpur 5.50, Unjha 6.05, Mehsana 6.27 Sabarmati 7.25 and Ahmedabad 7.55. Came across Ankit Vyas who had come for all india meet of his company in New Delhi from Ahmedabad. THis meet happens every month in the national capital. Came across another guy who has migrated to Austalia, working in a hotel next to MCG. This gentleman boarded the train from Rewari. Came across Asif or Arif who had gone to Allahabad with his wife to attend a family function.  By and large the crowd inside the train looked to be relaxed and willing to get into different sets of interactions.

Reaching Ahmedabad
In Ahmedabad, Swaroop the porter, rahul the scooterman, fareedbhai, the scooterman, jalabhai desai, the scooterman and Munaf, the keychain maker in Salapose road looked to be humble and well mannered.   All in all, the train ride from DElhi to Ahmedabad was comfortable except for the fact that during night time when the train was at a high speed it seemed as if it would jump the tracks. THis thought may have been misplaced but the bitter truth is the tracks are under stress and the issue of creaking infrastructure, coaches and rail lines need  to be looked into.AS i reached Ahmedabad, i checked into Hotel Mukam where the counter staff and those working in kitchen had changed entirely except for Yousufbhai. 

Meeting those hailing from Haiti, Bhutan and North East

Meeting those hailing from Haiti, Bhutan and North East

There have been occasions when we have come across residents hailing from Haiti and Bhutan. These residents have come on a training project which gives them the opportunity to gauge the sentiment prevailing in this part of the world. Commuting by metro, they have a mixed experience.

There have been umpteen occasions when we have come across students from the North East residing in the national capital of Delhi. They have a base in the heart of the city and that's the best part. A couple from Assam, working in a private bank, two students from Manipur taking coaching for civil services from a North DElhi Centre and two associate professors in DElhi University hailing from Mizoram. Interactions with them have ranged from the need to give respect to every community irrespective of their numbers to bringing sanity to the proceedings in the national capital.
Here in the national capital if you flip through the pages of newspapers you come across full page ads on a state seeking investments. It's a show of strength meant to showcase the strides they have recorded when in the name of development most claims don't have a ring of truth. What about MoUs worth million of rupees signed in the past and of that how much has been realised. Very negligible to say the least. The states across wide spectrum seek investments when attempts in the past have not delivered desired results.    

Public money and party office bearers

Public money and party office bearers

Dissuade them (political party office bearers)from taking to travel by air at party expense. THere have been umpteen  occasions when party office bearers assignment or no assignment take to travel by air. This seminar or that party work which won't be significant enough to call for travel by air sees more of such practices by party office bearers setting in motion the clamour for same by those in the lower rung. Resentment is brewing in this state unit, disaffection has arisen all of a sudden in that state unit, We have to travel from national capital to sort out the matter is the common refrain. This is all waste of public money when a mere telephone call would do.  Entirely unconnected to this is an issue of modernisation of airports and the private concerns which won the bid including in the metros. It was believed, reported to a fair extent, that private concerns which went on to raise and run the big airports had to shell out huge sums to the authorities/regime in power. As a result, they piled up huge debt and this having spillover effect to other frames of economy. If these concerns had not been told to fork out huge sums at least a degree of honesty would have been registered and other doors of economy would have opened with least bottlenecks and least greasing of palm.  

Political parties in power and those aspiring to gain power have to exercise checks and balances when it comes to party work/assignment and whom all to send and the occasion if at all calls for travel by air. WE come across instances where calls are made regularly to donate to the party kitty to see the expenses that a political party bears are met. It was reported widely that even before the poll fever had set in 2007 in UP close to 200cr were spent to demonstrate that young leadership had won the hearts and minds of  the people. Being garlanded at every other minute, being showered with rose petals, the convoy being stopped here and there was meant to show the leadership had the pulse of the electorate. When the polls were over, the party could not register a win.
As for ads during different anniversaries of leaders, the newspapers across states are flooded with them. Why spent such huge sums when the same effort could be utilised to raise a medical facility in far away districts/ remote districts of a state/country.This exercise of placing ads is a sheer wastage of public money. These occasions are meant to show they are very much relevant in the political landscape of the country.   Similarly when employment is a big issue, most of the leaderships from Bengal, Assam , DElhi went to Gandhi Maidan in Bihar during swearing -in ceremony only to attest the fact there is no bar on travel by political leadership to any part of the country. THese travels were on public money.  Bihar elections showed the departure from real issues and talking about tantra mantra, personal attacks, straying from real agenda and not sticking to the state issue and keeping the speech short and to the point cost them(party making an attempt to gain power) dear. What law and order turn the state would witness would be known soon but the state is in the grip of a caste calculus and this percolates down to the bottom, hitting the very fabric of governance. No poll can be won when minorities don't wait and vote for you. This does not mean the other alliance has done wonders for minorities. THe party in power in the state has used minorities as votebanks. If they had really cared for minorities at least in madrasas in the state  the young lot should have been provided education, skill development and a path that would have glided them towards gainful employment. One page insertions in different newspapers like leaflets in minority dominated constituencies in the state which carry reports of how minorities are gaining skill, gaining employment and same being spread through word of mouth could bring a sense of belongingness to the minorities. THis one page insertion could be carried out in the entire country in the districts where minorities have a sizeable presence.
THe bus permits, the number of buses to be run on such and such route, the roads that need recarpeting are some among million areas that could see rise or reinvention of graft. Giving tenders to those hailing from one caste or one group would further see the strong grip of caste calculus in the state..    

House sitting too is on public money and if there are disagreements, the attempt should be to thrash out the same than adjourning the House. Even if marshals are required for the same it could be tried. House sitting during two session than three would do.
IN the national capital, the attempt should have been to streamline the functioning of different govt hospitals. About 10 months ago when the new regime came in the national capital, a detail list of different govt hospitals and the staff reporting for same should have been prepared. This should have been followed by a list of doctors, nurses who all needed to be recruited in different hospitals followed by the list of equipments that needed to be supplied to these govt hospitals. A detail follow up would have improved the functioning of these hospitals. Why not draw up a list of hospitals in the national capital of delhi and recruit the doctors/nurses based on feedback from the hospital. THis is more important than make a claim that 10,000 new buses would hit the road of the national capital of delhi when there is no space for the same. This would further create law and order problem as we all know from where trouble begins. Similarly the elevated road corridor on the outskirts of capital that could prevent the trucks/buses from entering the heart of the capital (this would check pollution) should be the priority than placing ads in electronic media  and print media about how different they are from others. Giving priority to govt hospitals is more important than getting influenced by surveys that show private medical care is doing wonders when very few can afford it. At all major railway stations, bus terminals of the national capital there could be at least one kiosk on providing information on availability of beds in govt hospitals and the doctors who could be of help to you. Because those coming from outside have to run here and there to get medical care when the requisite information they seek does not come.


Seventh Pay Panel
AS for the seventh pay panel, reports in the papers suggest that before its implementation over 4lakh 30, 000 crore goes toward salaries and pension of central govt staff including railways every year. After its implementation the Centre would have to bear a burden of over 1 lakh crore in the first year. This steep hike of over 23 per cent can't be justified and yet the party making an attempt to gain power suggests the hike should have been 40 per cent. Private companies are in huge debt, salaries are being slashed like anything and yet the pay panel set up by the previous regime sees merit in raising the pay and that too by such a margin. Pay panel should come every 15 years, not 10. THe ability of the govt to dole out such huge sums can be questioned given the financial landscape we are in when taxes of different nature haunt us.IN the West when the govt has failed to honour commitments towards salaries/pension disturbing trends have emerged.    

A recent meet of investors in the western state saw the electronic media being splashed with an ad "Hum hai tayar" was sheer wastage of public money. THe state has least employment rate. The meet won't raise emloyment. This ad should have run  at the most for a week prior to the investor meet than running for over 40 days.
Most would agree that public money can't be wasted on ads in print and electronic media. Another ad that shows "yeh doodh peeta hai india" looks inflammatory and repulsive THe ads on super bikes super cars splashed in papers and electronic media are nothing but an attempt to create stir in the society.   

The ride from Puri to Balasore

Sightings in Puri

Sightings in Puri

Station is choc-a-bloc with passengers when more than one train arrives at the same time or arrival or departure of trains are close to each other. Outside station vendors could be spotted selling their wares and a sorry sight is of garbage that piles up. Perhaps some renovation work of flattening the ground is underway and this part of the space could be utilised to accommodate vendors who are literally on road. As for the book store in the station, on occasions the long meal break time can dislodge your efforts to secure the publication of your choice. Staff is good but the meal break time can go beyond one hour.

From station
- shree jagannath computer care
- bakery items available here
- fast food
- xerox, ice cream, snacks, stationary, grocery
- baba lokanath shop
- mantoo bhai tours and travels

- jhadeswari grocery shop
- mahura chena rabidi
- time inn net
- studio kalpataru
- sahoo general store
- mahalaxmi VT store
-sudarshan craft museum
-maa dakhinakali fruit shop
-The Career
admission open

-1853 puri zila school
- hotel padma  (jittu, deenbandhu were part of courteous staff in the restaurant)
- renuka the puri urban primary consumer cooperative store
- sai tele service
- orissa bakery
- tarini computer
- axis bank atm
now comes gopal sahi chowk
- sbi
- united india insurance co ltd
- students' reliance
turn right
- subash academy
BSE CBSE
+2 math, banking, railway

As far as rama ballav road is concerned the sightings are as follows

-ayurshree spa direction showing inside

- wild grass @good food.pocket friendly
- swaraj scs college hostel
- st xavier high school
- intouch (selling snacks). it also provides coaching of sorts. cbse icse  coaching (III- V)

Further ahead is college road prominent being samanta chandrasekhar college 1944

When you turn left from rama ballav road you reach college road, further ahead turning right you reach hostel square. Keep walking and from here on turning right is amala club road and on left is anna tiffin centre
-anna tiffin centre
south indian
cold drinks available here

-catholic church
- gen nxt internet
And here you reach mochi sahi square

When you reach main post office road there is icici bank branch, atm. Further ahead as you turn left you reach college road. You come across
- odisha computer organisation (board)
- ramakrishna vivekananda vedanta sahitya available
- vendor cart dishing out kolabari chuski chumm
- scs college
- concentric circle a region of mathematics
- hdfc


On dola mandap sahi road
-prasanna kumar sahoo general store
- anupam
- jay jagannath ( good store man)
- Subha Shree in Mahodadhi market


Sightings from grand road to dola mandap sahi road
-Bidya Bhavan
-memory point
- G triangle art & craft
- singhdwar sub post office
- uptodate hair dressers
- kothabhoga khaja shop
- sri jagannath agencies
- aquarium house
- south indian tiffin point
- odisha roop kal mandir
- sbi atm
- cheese cake
- odisha khadi bhawan
- anna idly centre
- senapati sweets
- goldie studio
- ramashree lodge
- baikuntha dham

The stay in Puri was for 10 days. Pooja lodge appeared to be the best bet and the adjoining cafeteria in Sarada lodge run by Sushant was a big advantage.   Rama ballav road was all dug up and it would require months' efforts to restore it back to its glory. There is only big college , SCS College. A young boy residing in the area said people from different places come to Puri but students of the town have to flock to different parts of the country to seek higher education and probable levels of employment. Higher education and extension is something Puri has been denied all these years leading to a large flow of students to other urban centres. Though coaching centres have dotted the landscape, Puri Zila School 1853 remains an important landmark.