In the bygone days, the glitterati and the hoi polloi from Pune used to travel to Mumbai by train. Why because the notorious Bhor ghat used to make even Lamborghinis travel at 10kmph, that too if you were lucky. Many are the hapless road travellers of yore who have spent an entire night in the infamous traffic jams.
Enter the expressway and, hey presto! everything has changed. It is almost infra dig to travel by train now. You can vroom to outskirts of Mumbai in 2hrs and even AC public transport will take you there in 3 hrs max. You now dont plan a trip to Mumbai. Even by public transport. You micro manage your destination to Thane, Mulund, Sion, Dadar, Mantralaya, Borivali and what not.
All said and done, train journeys are more C1 C2 friendly. ( The spinal cord vertebrae, silly! ) And of late, easier on the purse too. Moreover, the ceetees in the tunnels and the monkeys at Monkey Hill are perks on the house.
For some reason, the Rlys dont seem to recognise the growing clout of the suburbs in Mumbai. Almost all the morning trains leaving Pune stop at Kalyan and then snobbishly zoom past Thane to Dadar. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to get to downtown.
I had some work in the Eastern suburbs last week and decided to travel by easy paced, conveniently timed Sahyadri Exp. USP: halt at Thane. From there you can now take AC city buses, my fav mode of transport in Mumbai. VFM, safe, comfy and C1C2 friendly ( courtesy air suspension.)
The junta traveling by this train are a relaxed and earthy suburban lot. It has a lot to do with the train's halt at Pimpri, Dehu, Talegaon, Karjat, Neral etc. And yes, most of them dont flaunt gizmos in their ears. That makes them eager and willing to strike up a conversation. That is my favourite timepass while travelling. Start a debate on a random topic in a motley crowd.
( Corruption or cricket come in very handy). Then lapse into listen mode! Beats MP3 anyday.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Kanda Pohe at 3:30 am
1.4.10
Pune is a campus city with hordes of students. Hence Pune has its night owls. Nal stop is where the mighty Symbians ( include its neighbors Law college, FTII, BMCC ) and the MITians converge. Nal stop is where Law college Road ends ( there is one way traffic, so it definitely does not start here ) and melds into Karve Road.
The night owls are an interesting lot.During exam times, they study hard. So they keep awake. During other times , they hang around with friends. So they keep awake. Pune goes into a police induced curfew around midnight. Forget about booze, even a cup of chai or a cigarette is impossible after that.
Bang on the corner of Nal stop is a joint called Amrut Bhavan. This is non descript by day. But Gosh, you gotta see the action here in the wee hours. Like addicts fighting withdrawal symptom, you can see night owls falling over one another for their chai and cigarette at the rear window ( this is in the building staircase ) even before the front shutters are opened. The action starts here 3ish ( am ). And that is the big deal. Much before the upma and the sheera is getting readied at Khau Galli opp Mrityunjay temple in Kothrud.
This is the time of the day when the newspaper network is getting ready for the last mile. And this is what gives this place its legitimacy so early in the day. The cops have a benign presence. Nothing happens for free. Quid pro quo is delivered in the patrol vehicle to the sahibs. Alongwith a complimentary newspaper.
Women power is making its presence here too. Earlier, there used to be the occassional chick with boyfriend/colleague/classmate. It has now progressed to groups of poultry coming on their own. Many times 3 to a 2 wheeler. Very soon we will have solo appearances at 3:30 am for the kanda pohe and chai. If not in Pune, where else?
The early bird can catch his chai at other places like Shivaji Putla and Khau Galli. But nothing is as early as Nal stop. Not even Shivajinagar, not even Swargate. Station? Maybe! But station isnt Pune.
Long live Nal stop! And Long live the night owls!
Pune is a campus city with hordes of students. Hence Pune has its night owls. Nal stop is where the mighty Symbians ( include its neighbors Law college, FTII, BMCC ) and the MITians converge. Nal stop is where Law college Road ends ( there is one way traffic, so it definitely does not start here ) and melds into Karve Road.
The night owls are an interesting lot.During exam times, they study hard. So they keep awake. During other times , they hang around with friends. So they keep awake. Pune goes into a police induced curfew around midnight. Forget about booze, even a cup of chai or a cigarette is impossible after that.
Bang on the corner of Nal stop is a joint called Amrut Bhavan. This is non descript by day. But Gosh, you gotta see the action here in the wee hours. Like addicts fighting withdrawal symptom, you can see night owls falling over one another for their chai and cigarette at the rear window ( this is in the building staircase ) even before the front shutters are opened. The action starts here 3ish ( am ). And that is the big deal. Much before the upma and the sheera is getting readied at Khau Galli opp Mrityunjay temple in Kothrud.
This is the time of the day when the newspaper network is getting ready for the last mile. And this is what gives this place its legitimacy so early in the day. The cops have a benign presence. Nothing happens for free. Quid pro quo is delivered in the patrol vehicle to the sahibs. Alongwith a complimentary newspaper.
Women power is making its presence here too. Earlier, there used to be the occassional chick with boyfriend/colleague/classmate. It has now progressed to groups of poultry coming on their own. Many times 3 to a 2 wheeler. Very soon we will have solo appearances at 3:30 am for the kanda pohe and chai. If not in Pune, where else?
The early bird can catch his chai at other places like Shivaji Putla and Khau Galli. But nothing is as early as Nal stop. Not even Shivajinagar, not even Swargate. Station? Maybe! But station isnt Pune.
Long live Nal stop! And Long live the night owls!
Dignity to the Ragpicker
31.3.10
The other day, 23.3 to be precise, I was travelling Mum Del by Garib Rath. Due to rush season, couldn't manage a berth and was traveling chair car. Half my compartment was full of lower middle class looking ladies and the placards stacked on the racks were a giveaway that this was a group headed for some kind of morcha in Delhi. It is only when some volunteers from an NGO which was organizing them turned up that we realized they were rag pickers heading for a national rally. Like this, there were more groups expected from all over the country.
The normal image associated with this community is shabby, unkempt persons ( mostly women ) rummaging through the smelly filth of dumping grounds/landfills.This lot in the train was quite clean and well turned out .The volunteers informed that most of them have either drunken husbands or are widowed due to death of spouse to drugs/alcohol or many of them are abandoned by their husbands. They single handedly raise their children. If the husband is around, more often than not, he has a parasitic role in their lives rather than being a help.
Interesting aside was that almost 1/3 rd of them were carrying mobile phones and were quite informed about charging/roaming etc. For identification on e tickets, many of them flashed PAN cards. Their average daily income varies from Rs100 to Rs 250 on a lucky day.
Illiteracy is rampant and skill sets so poor that they are not capable of taking up any other profession. Within their families, working as a housemaid, for which there should be perennial demand in places like Mumbai, is taboo. All of them want decent education for their children and do not want the next generation to take up the same profession.
Demographically, most ragpickers in Mumbai, who recycle almost 30%! of Mumbai's waste hail either from the Nasik region of Maharashtra or from Andhra and Tamil Nadu. The Maharashtrians tend to send their children to schools, but the South Indians let their children loiter or supplement income through begging at signals etc.
I am not very sure what the purpose of the rally was and what their demands are. They want recognition as a profession, government patronage for self help groups, sanitation facilities and potable water at the dumping grounds. They also want review of plans for mechanised waste management Hats off to the educated volunteers and social workers of the NGOs who are trying to give dignity to these people!
The other day, 23.3 to be precise, I was travelling Mum Del by Garib Rath. Due to rush season, couldn't manage a berth and was traveling chair car. Half my compartment was full of lower middle class looking ladies and the placards stacked on the racks were a giveaway that this was a group headed for some kind of morcha in Delhi. It is only when some volunteers from an NGO which was organizing them turned up that we realized they were rag pickers heading for a national rally. Like this, there were more groups expected from all over the country.
The normal image associated with this community is shabby, unkempt persons ( mostly women ) rummaging through the smelly filth of dumping grounds/landfills.This lot in the train was quite clean and well turned out .The volunteers informed that most of them have either drunken husbands or are widowed due to death of spouse to drugs/alcohol or many of them are abandoned by their husbands. They single handedly raise their children. If the husband is around, more often than not, he has a parasitic role in their lives rather than being a help.
Interesting aside was that almost 1/3 rd of them were carrying mobile phones and were quite informed about charging/roaming etc. For identification on e tickets, many of them flashed PAN cards. Their average daily income varies from Rs100 to Rs 250 on a lucky day.
Illiteracy is rampant and skill sets so poor that they are not capable of taking up any other profession. Within their families, working as a housemaid, for which there should be perennial demand in places like Mumbai, is taboo. All of them want decent education for their children and do not want the next generation to take up the same profession.
Demographically, most ragpickers in Mumbai, who recycle almost 30%! of Mumbai's waste hail either from the Nasik region of Maharashtra or from Andhra and Tamil Nadu. The Maharashtrians tend to send their children to schools, but the South Indians let their children loiter or supplement income through begging at signals etc.
I am not very sure what the purpose of the rally was and what their demands are. They want recognition as a profession, government patronage for self help groups, sanitation facilities and potable water at the dumping grounds. They also want review of plans for mechanised waste management Hats off to the educated volunteers and social workers of the NGOs who are trying to give dignity to these people!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Ginger Hotel New Delhi
This is going to be my pad in Delhi for sometime to come.The property belongs to the Railways and the room rates are relatively ridiculous. This is a paisa vasool hotel, extremely well connected ( walking distance from New Delhi Rly stn and metro network.)
There is a Comesum restaurant on the premises, pricey but decent spread. Their Chicken Biryani is yummy without being too spicy. The rotis here are consistently good.
Early birds can book a standard room for Rs 999 and later on you tend to get ripped for similar room which gets classified as "twin" for Rs1200. It is still a bargain considering okay type hotels in Karol bagh are now pushing Rs 2500 plus per day.
4 bottles of 1/2 litre Bisleri and 4 packets for tea/coffee are a convenience on the house worth mentioning. The hot pot works! They even have a ironing board and iron on every floor. The house keeping is good.
Internet is available in the lobby @ Rs 111 for a single session of 1 hr!
Check in is a little inconvenient at 1300 hrs, although they try their best to put you up by 1215.
All in all a habit forming experience.
There is a Comesum restaurant on the premises, pricey but decent spread. Their Chicken Biryani is yummy without being too spicy. The rotis here are consistently good.
Early birds can book a standard room for Rs 999 and later on you tend to get ripped for similar room which gets classified as "twin" for Rs1200. It is still a bargain considering okay type hotels in Karol bagh are now pushing Rs 2500 plus per day.
4 bottles of 1/2 litre Bisleri and 4 packets for tea/coffee are a convenience on the house worth mentioning. The hot pot works! They even have a ironing board and iron on every floor. The house keeping is good.
Internet is available in the lobby @ Rs 111 for a single session of 1 hr!
Check in is a little inconvenient at 1300 hrs, although they try their best to put you up by 1215.
All in all a habit forming experience.
2909 Garib Rath
On 23.3 took this train from Borivali to Nizamuddin Delhi. The dep time 1736 is convenient for catching up some work in the western suburbs. This is a damn fast paisa vasool train, rivals Rajdhani in speed. Makes it to Surat by 8pm and Baroda by 9:45pm.
The grub from the pantry is so so. The best bet is food from the platform stalls at Baroda where it has a longish halt.
I made this journey by chair car which is not as bad as the other Garib Raths running on Konkan Railway. The one disturbing thing is that the bright lights are kept on throughout the night.
It chugs into Nizamuddin around 10am and one can catch up quite a bit of work same day in Delhi.
The grub from the pantry is so so. The best bet is food from the platform stalls at Baroda where it has a longish halt.
I made this journey by chair car which is not as bad as the other Garib Raths running on Konkan Railway. The one disturbing thing is that the bright lights are kept on throughout the night.
It chugs into Nizamuddin around 10am and one can catch up quite a bit of work same day in Delhi.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Amul Voice Of India
15.3.10
I have been following this program in its various variants over the years. It has thrown up some very good talent like Abhaas and Anwesha. This program also has a history of sobriety and balance compared to the histrionics in other similar shows.
The episode aired on Sun 14.3, however was jarring. I hold no brief for Shaan and I am definitely not a fan rooting for him. Personally, I feel that Shankar is a more accomplished musician albeit with a team that is not as talented as Shaan's. Honestly, the best combination was Shreya's super stars. Ironically, they were the first to get eliminated last week.
Coming back to yesterday's episode, Javed saab's judging was atrocious. Right from the word go, he was carrying his prejudice against Shaan on his sleeve. The 6 points doled for Shadaab's performance ( Shadaab was in tears ) and the 5 point difference in medley from Javed Akhtar's marks clearly shows that he was taking out some old khunnas. Such egotists who totally distort the judgement of the panel with their immature display of power should be debarred from judging reality shows in future. For starters, the format should be immediately changed to eliminate extreme swings in voting. This is a well established statistical procedure.
I have been following this program in its various variants over the years. It has thrown up some very good talent like Abhaas and Anwesha. This program also has a history of sobriety and balance compared to the histrionics in other similar shows.
The episode aired on Sun 14.3, however was jarring. I hold no brief for Shaan and I am definitely not a fan rooting for him. Personally, I feel that Shankar is a more accomplished musician albeit with a team that is not as talented as Shaan's. Honestly, the best combination was Shreya's super stars. Ironically, they were the first to get eliminated last week.
Coming back to yesterday's episode, Javed saab's judging was atrocious. Right from the word go, he was carrying his prejudice against Shaan on his sleeve. The 6 points doled for Shadaab's performance ( Shadaab was in tears ) and the 5 point difference in medley from Javed Akhtar's marks clearly shows that he was taking out some old khunnas. Such egotists who totally distort the judgement of the panel with their immature display of power should be debarred from judging reality shows in future. For starters, the format should be immediately changed to eliminate extreme swings in voting. This is a well established statistical procedure.
Friday, March 12, 2010
How safe are our Highways?
13.3.10
Major highways in India are now 4/6 laned and incidence of head on collisions has come down. But major mishaps continue. Saw a truck's cabin totally ripped while going down hill in Khandala ghat, ( the exit point towards Khopoli is a death trap ) , another truck overturned and a bus rammed from behind by a truck near Kini ( Kolhapur ). All in the course of a week.
Mumbai is reputed for its traffic discipline. But Eastern Express highway seems to be an exception. There is scant respect for signals, might is right seems to be the order of the day and everyone ( including auto rickshaws ) seems to be driving at breakneck speed.
Major highways in India are now 4/6 laned and incidence of head on collisions has come down. But major mishaps continue. Saw a truck's cabin totally ripped while going down hill in Khandala ghat, ( the exit point towards Khopoli is a death trap ) , another truck overturned and a bus rammed from behind by a truck near Kini ( Kolhapur ). All in the course of a week.
Mumbai is reputed for its traffic discipline. But Eastern Express highway seems to be an exception. There is scant respect for signals, might is right seems to be the order of the day and everyone ( including auto rickshaws ) seems to be driving at breakneck speed.
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