Hyderabad, the city of many faces.............

Hyderabad! The city of pearls and diamonds! The city of Golkonda, Tank Bund, Alfa, Paradise, Bawarchi and Shaadab at Patthar Gatti. Andhra Meal and Biryani! Not to mention Laad Bazar and Chaar Kaman coupled with Charminar Square. It is getting connected with Aurangabad by air from 1st September! One private airline is commencing one scheduled trip to Hyderabad every day for just Rs. 2000! Great boon to people like me who are Hyderabad faddist! Obviously, I am planning a trip to Hyderabad next month.

Topi

Gandhi Cap or simply topi for me which I wore and do wear at all occasions. I wore it during my marriage as well. I like the topi and I have accepted it as part of my Maharashtrian culture since when I was in college. Few of my friends derived great pleasure in teasing me for this liking. Now? I am amused to see the very same friends wearing similar topi but something written on it like "I am ........" ! Change of heart or simply a farce or false patriotism?

Really, Anna Hazare's anti corruption campaign and the great agitation we are experiencing all over India over Jan Lokpal Bill has resulted in topi gaining its past glory back!

Oh Calcutta! Sorry, I can't call it Kolkata!

Bengal and Calcutta of my memories in 1986.....Dharamtala, Chowranghee Lane, at the corner shop of K. C. Das; the inventor of ‘Roshogullas’!!! The good old Hotel Carlton of Mrs. Johnes and the newly inaugurated metro in March, 1986. Visits to Victoria Memorial. Park Street to BBD Baugh by tram!!! Good old pipes filled with exquisite tobacco from New Market coupled with tea from Mrs. Johnes!!! Ohhh Calcutta! I miss thee!!! I left smoking long back, but the memories still haunt. Not to mention Bengali movies of Suchitra Sen watched at Light House. I admire her for her looks and her acting in mainly in two films : Mamta and Aandhi. Whatever Bengali films of hers I watched, I could understand little. But I watched them just for her and her acting! Calcutta of my memories of 1986 is essentially about Hotel Carlton; the ‘pucca’ British Hotel next to Oberoi Grand at Chowranghee. New Market, the leather goodies purchased there and yes, of course the finest Pipe I purchased there! Finely hand crafted wooden Pipe with all its accessories. The silver plated accessories to fill and to compress tobacco and finally the lighter!

I spent little over one month in Calcutta in March-April, 1986, while touring entire West Bengal by train for a project work.

The joy, after having sumptuous breakfast of corn flakes with warm milk, double omelette with toasts soaked in butter, chicken cutlet and then two cups of pot tea and then you light the pipe stacked with finest scented tobacco and puff first few strokes! It’s heaven! Yes literally heaven! Even now, just by remembering the breakfast, I regret, I lost the good old days of my Calcutta!

It is almost mandatory now, in every film, documentary, advertisement or any audio-visual on Calcutta to show a shot of sailing boat beneath Howrah Bridge. I did not experience that till my next trip to Calcutta in 2002! But I enjoyed the bridge by crossing it on foot twice! Yes, I crossed Howrah Bridge twice by walking down over it. Great fun and excitement. Try it!

Another thing I acquired in 1986 and reinforced during my visit to Calcutta is the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda. I visited Belur Mutt for whole day. I saw Swamiji's cottage where he lived very closely. In fact, I observed the whole Mutt campus very closely. I decided then and there only that I shall adopt the teaching of Swamiji. That was the turning point of my life. I went on studying his teaching and till this day, I am trying to understand that.

The only deep regret now is that, over the period, I lost the pipe I purchased at New Market in 1986!!!

A Prayer

O God, please bless me because I pray you every morning after bath but without offering you flowers. Please also bless all those who pray you offering variety of flowers stolen from my garden. After all, what is important is that YOU get the flowers no matter who cultivated them and who stolen them but ultimately offered to YOU. If caught, they shamelessly say "it's Shravan!' Our politicians are not different than this! So, sabki Jai Ho!

Bas itna sa hi gunaah hain…………:)

Life put apart by 30+ years is a feeling which really leaves bad taste in mouth!

In late 1970's and early 1980's we used to relish deep fried full "paaplet", one full plate of deep fried prawns and 'murgi parotha' all in one go at Sion Koliwada. To top all this, we used to have apples near Shanmukhanada Hall and after getting down at Wadala Station, one full glass of boiling hot milk! All this is still there! But the time has torn me 30+ years apart!

So now what? After hectic week, I reached Sion Koliwada this evening to try my luck!!! I thought that let's enjoy the week end over the same menu! The unpardonable mistake I committed is that, at some innocent moment, I disclosed my plan to elder dotty!!! Big mistake indeed! Frankly, this mobile phones are greatest curse and mood spoilers! I started receiving calls on my mobile warning against many things! Wify and elder dotty in particular! Since elder dotty joined LTMMC at Sion Hospital, all the charm of going to Sion Koliwada has vanished!

So what ultimately what I had this evening? Went to Sion Koliwada, but could not order a single dish! The very sight of 'kadais' full of oil frightened me! So came down to Vile Parle, seated in the same sophisticated hotel. (with AC 'on' etc. etc.) The menu : Tandoori Prawns (with instruction "no oil"), half veg. spring roll (wrapped in tissues for 15 mints; so again, no oil) one veg. sandwich with liberal dose of tomato ketchup and pudina chutny!

The only crime I committed is that I had one portion of kulfi! Bas itna sa hi gunaah hain…………:)

Purviben

There is this little girl presently at Surat. Purviben. My brother in law's daughter. Purvi. I call her Purviben because she is fluent in Gujarati and she lives in Surat. I am her greatest fan since 2001; the year she was born. The reason is very simple and natural. She looks largely like my wife and her complexion is exactly like my wife! Whenever I touch her, I recall the touch of my wife! God is great! HE is who decides everything about us. Who, what and how we are. In Shrimad Bhagvad Geeta, the Lord said, it is HE who decides the destiny of all of us. We all owe our existence to HIM! Purvi and my wife! Niece and aunt! The similarity is striking!

One more thing about Purviben. She is the only person who was the reason of joy for my mother in her last few days. My mother was on her death bed. I mean, she was facing her terminal illness. It was Purvi, who gave joy and pleasure to my mother. My mother often said; Mama has very pretty daughter! Indeed, Purvi was very very pretty then. Still she is. I used to take Purvi in my lap inside the ICU to please my mother. Those three or four last days of her life were pleasurable because of Purvi. And obviously, since then, Purvi became the angel of my eyes.

Now I hear from her mother, that they are shifting to Pune! I am happy because Purviben shall be near to me and I can meet her often. Surat in Gujarat was really an alien place!!!

Recently, about a month ago, I met Purviben at Surat. The night, when we went out for dinner is unforgettable throughout my life. We were walking down the footpath. Talking, Purviben telling me stories of her school and in between, we both were jumping and circling around ourselves! What a joy!

In 2001-02, she was living in Pune. Then the family shifted to Surat. Now Purviben is settling down at Pune in near future. I hoped this to happen long ago. It is now that her parents decided to do so. There is one lovely Marathi poem ....कधीतरी एकटे उगाचच फ़िरले पाहिजे..........तलावाच्या काठावर उताणे पडले पाहिजे........ Similarly, I would say, kadhitari ekte ugachach phirle pahije.............Purviben barobar unaadle pahije!

Yes, that's the right word! unaadle pahije! :))). The circle is complete! 2001 to 2011. Full ten years circled around and now I will have Purviben near to me at Pune!