Beautiful City

Extending the architecture theme, I recently made a quick trip to Lucknow. First thing that struck me was the Roads. From airport to Indira Nagar, almost criss crossing across the town, the road was universally good. 4 lane roads being expanded to 6 lanes, 6 lanes at places to 8. The dividers are nicely painted, crossing proper and painted in visible stripes.
While governments may have did no governance, competition with predecessors has ensured lavish parks built in the names of inspirational political father figures dot the city. At least people can ruminate questions of law and order and employment sitting in sylvan surroundings. While I do resent the waste of money, still there is a comforting thought that at least the money did leave some relic that can actually be used. Which city will resent parks and open spaces?
The other thing about Lucknow is the architecture. Of course the old city is typically nice on the eyes but even the new buildings, governmental included, in the Gomti Nagar area are nice. Most have distinctive architectural features be is innovative pillars or domes or some such thing. To put it in a way most building have a 'character' and they cater to the beholder's sense of aesthetics. Quite unlike most other modern structures I have seen across India.
The earliest example was the Mandi Parishad building in Gomti Nagar with a very interesting dome with an even more interesting lightening. It was good to grab the cup of tea, get onto the roof and stare at it in distance. Similarly the new bridge near the Taj hotel with the distinctive Nawabi gates at the entrance. I hope the 2 new bridges being built with not mar the landscape. And to think that they are building 2 more bridges to the existing 2 so that congestion in future can be avoided. I thought town planning was extinct.
Now if only the powers take care of law and order too, the city can once more become the abode of life it was once famous as.

Exporting India

There is some talk happening about opening a Buddhist university in Nalanda near the erstwhile World University. An admirable idea if implemented.
I have long believed that India must start exporting spirituality. Mind and soul, one stop shop - India. We do currently send a steady crop of Godmen abroad but frankly they do not impress me. What I want to see is Global citizens coming to India to learn philosophy, contemplate the very questions of God and morality.
From the little that I know of Indian philosophy its not really judgmental, its more of many competing schools of thought debating questions and laying out alternates (INDIAN PHILOSOPHY) . Compare that with most of the non Indian religions (spiritual philosophies) which are nearly all judgmental, which in my opinion has caused so much of a clash of civilizations.
The way I see it is that Indian tradition has questioned all thoughts and reasoned out. Not like this is the word of God and you cannot question it. It has even questioned if God is itself a creation? I remember the words from the oldest of philosophy texts, the Rig Veda - the earliest of the Vedas and it starts with the very basic questions about creation and maybe God is a human construct?. From what I know Buddhism is an non theist religion, so it does not even have a concept of God.
The point of of this is that unlike most other philosophies especially spiritual ones, Indian philosophies offer thousands of years of thoughts catering to entire spectrum of spiritual tendencies. And that makes us unique.
India already has a mind share as a land of mystics and its time we aim to get that into useful assets. Once globe starts looking to India for spiritual guidance, we shall be the real world leaders. Top of mind recall shall be ours.
Combine that with our recall in knowledge industries it will transform India's image everywhere.

Chronical of a weekend

There is never a dull moment in life when a bull is let loose! As it happens my Thunderbird is back with me and to celebrate the occasion LeChat and I decided to hit the roads. My knowledge of places around Pune is sketchy at best so the intrepid hiker LeChat is the navigator. Soon we find ourselves some small hamlet near Nilkantheshwar.
There is this nice little river murmuring by with rocks and all strategically placed for sitting with feet in water and hot day needed no better breaks.
after half an hour of nice talks and generally hunting for fishes in water we come back and the fun started. Apparently some kids (just a guess) thought that its fun to deflate both tires of a bullet in a God forsaken place with no hint of civilization nearby and promptly acted on the thought.
I know those Industrial age barons had the right idea in corralling those blighters in schools. It beats me why are they let out during day at all? So here we are no road on one side, a hill to climb on other and both tires flat.
Well I did hear a bike coming and the gentleman tells us, nope no repair shop nearby, best you can do is to get to Panshet which is the wrong side of the hill. LeChat true to form is clapping her hands in childlike glee - "Yippyy! We have an adventure ahead. Drag this beast on the hill my boy and we shall have the walk of our life!" I tell you sometimes I wish I had listened to what mom used to say about riding in woods with adventurous hikers for company!
So here we are, a shiny big bike next to us, walking up a hill for a couple of km and dragging the beast along. But we made it, only to realize that the shop which never closes is in fact closed today. Luckily someplace downhill has another shop. Wise to truant seeking shop keepers we decide to walk down first leaving the beast behind and check out on the repair shop's status. Ah luck has not completely deserted us, it is in fact open. Walk back, drag the bike along and finally we are there.
With all the dragging on dirt roads, the front tube valve body broke, the rear tyre did escape injury. I did tell you the kids couldn't really take all the air out there was just a hint of it left, otherwise dragging the bike would have been impossible. Well there is just one shop and too many pesky kids around, clearing the queue takes long. Sometime around 6, the gentleman does start working on the tyre. Took 1/2 hour to mend, shifting the valve and then adventure part duex starts. The gentleman has never worked on tyres with disc brakes before and reassembling ain't that straight forward. somewhere around 7:30 the tyre gets back, break is working and tyre seems to be doing its job. The intrepid explorers are back on track this time taking the road more explored back to Pune.
its a good hard drive for a long time and its nearly 8 when we hit Warje bang in the middle of a traffic jam and the gears start acting funny. But its a short drive and finally huffing and puffing we reach LeChat's abode. after the usual tootsie and cheerios with the family, the two of us decide to wrap up with some dinner nearby to celebrate our return on same day, hop back on bike. kick, start and the clutch wire breaks! So here we are, nearly at 10, all shops closed and no clutch. Well an old bike was commandeered and I am dropped off the nearest auto, packing food for self on the way. So an auto from Warje to Aundh.
Reach home uneventfully, just that the food could have done a lead role in Asian paints ad for sheer exuberance of colors. after picking up whatever looked edible I hit the sack.
Next morning I have to reach Hadapser to meet someone. So an auto ride from Aundh to Hadapsar. Okie met the gentleman and took an auto back to Warje from Hadapsar. Reached the bike and called the mechanic.
The overalls clad takes his sweet time and gets in around 7pm and starts dissembling the parts to replace the wire. A screw starts slipping. Okie dude now if you want my bike in your workshop - You drag it there. The dude does that and I hop into Lechat's limo and drive there. another 1/2 hr and now the dude tells me he needs to weld the screw and then take it out, no driver shall accomplish it on its own. The hitch? Guess? the welder has gone home! No option so I leave the bike and take an auto.
So an auto ride from Warje to Aundh. I get near Bremen Circle and the phone buzzes. LeChat giggling wildly! hello, I know I've been having an interesting weekend still some words would help. Ah it turns out once the shop closes, the mechanic decides to try again and the screw comes out clean! Still I am happy at least its gonna make morning commute better. So I return to Warje on the same auto, take the bike and finally home at 11 Pm.
So in total the weekend gist
1. 2Km drag of Bull mostly uphill
2. Auto from Warje to Aundh
3. Auto from Aundh to Hadapsar
4. Auto from Hadapsar to Warje
5. Auto from Warje to Aundh
6. Auto from Aundh to Warje.

And they all complaint that I do nothing on weekends!

ahem

Bombay Musings

Bombay aka Mumbai is an interesting city by all accounts. Had a visa interview yesterday and so spent most my time there. The first thing that strikes me about Bombay apart from the sheer number of people is the architecture. Short of the hill stations Bombay is probably home to some of our finest urban architecture. What is remarkable about it is what we have done to it.
Yesterday saw this immense circular building that must have been lovingly made many years ago. The windows had iron girders to hang clothes, someone extended the window by enclosing it all in dark glass and cheap aluminum. The shops in front put up high banners. In short, it epitomizes our singular lack of appreciation of a thing of beauty.
I remember this friend of mine once remarking, earlier in British times the municipal corporations were for town planning. Now the only function they do it to collect garbage and sweep streets both of which they do with a singular deficit of attention. How true. Look at all modern townships that have come up. Not one will boast of a unique architecture. Museums and town halls and art galleries and auditoriums are concepts not found in Indian town planners. This all reflects in attitudes. People take pride in defacing work of art because they simply have forgotten that there are things in life beyond roti and kapada. Saw this fort in Jaipur, there was a small nook in a corner with a view that I entered. From outside it apparently had some interesting murals on the wall. On coming closer I realized that its all graffiti with guys describing their love life all over the walls and pan stains and all. 300 years of heritage, scarred and marred on the alter of love!
But I digress. Good thing about Bombay is that most of the architecture is relatively new (last 200 years of so, mostly less) so at least much of it stands. Places like VT/Flora fountain are still a treat to the eyes so much of the residential areas marred. Someday I plan to hitch my camera to the bike and travel around the city and generally loll around soaking in the masterpieces. Only hitch is that the crowd makes it tough doing so during day. So I might take up a job there and do all this early mornings :).

Rains

Raindrops crawl across the shed, frogs sing
in the dark a solitary figure hunts for inspiration

PS: part busy, part bored
totally away
posts may have to wait