Long Time No Post!

Predictably, I have got the most obvious reason- I was busy.

Past few months have been pretty much exhausting. The Project, Telstra (Australian Telecom), on which I was working since the time I joined IBM , is shut down(almost). Early this year, Telstra decided to move its maintenance projects from IBM to new low- bidding vendors. It was a nice+weird experience to see people from other companies coming to IBM in order to get the knowledge transferred. It was funny to see them gulp 14 Years of IBM’s experience with Telstra in 60 days!  Well,  Good Luck Telstra, Break a leg!

My new venture, another Telecom Biggie- Vodafone, handled by IBM. Its a comparatively new project with more responsibilities and challenges (which includes a 50 KM drive everyday through wheezing Bangalore Traffic… wtf?!). Anyway thats my story and the saga still continues!

I hope to squeeze out a little time in the future to keep my blog frequently posted.

-Stay Beautiful, Ciao.

NGO – Prerana notification

Dear Friends,

If you come across any bright students coming from poor financial background who have finished their 10th standard this year (April 2009) and scored more than 80%, please ask them to contact the NGO-Prerana (supported by Infosys foundation).The NGO is conducting a written test and those who clear the test will be eligible for financial help for   their further studies.

Please ask the students to contact the people mentioned below to get the form

#580,Shubhakar,
44th cross,1st ‘A’ main road,
jayanagar 7th block Bangalore
Mob no- 9900906338(saraswati)

Mr.Shivkumar( 9986630301) – Hanumanthnagar office

Ms.Bindu(9964534667 )-Yeshwantpur office

Becharming Kodagu!

As the saying goes “big surprises come in a small package”, came my way was a weekend trip to the Coorg valley, the second one!

To be frank, I did not have much expectation as I had already been to this place with a few of my closest friends. But this time I was able to catch the glimpse of a few corners of earth embraced in the enchanting beauty and purity of Mother Nature, which we happened to miss the first time.

The group: Suresh, Praveena, Mintee, Swati, Santosh, Anurag, Sameer, Ramesh (Driver).

Transport: Tata Sumo.

On Friday evening we left Bangalore for one our colleague’s wedding in Iritty, some where in Western Ghats, Kerala. After attending the wedding on Saturday morning, which I guess was just another reason for a weekend getaway , we stomped off to Madikeri. I must admit, the drive to Madikeri via Virajpet was memorable. Roads between the lush greenery were just re-energizing.

The places that we visited this time, apart from the ones that we covered on our first visit (see previous weblog : http://myjotter.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/coorg-–-a-journey-to-the-scotland-of-india/ ), includes Talakaveri and Dubare.

If with a bunch of friends, a ‘home-stay’ in and around Madikeri would be more fun than staying in a hotel in the crowded city center. Ofcourse, the former can be a bit expensive(1500-3000 Rs/day). We reached Madikeri town around 9PM, not a really nice time to be in the city, unless you have your accommodation booked in advance.

We tried all possible numbers of all possible hotels in and around Madikeri town but in vain. All we could get were a few places far from the city and charges, insane! Exhausted after a day’s travel, we all were hungry and in desperate need of a good sleep. Our cab driver, Ramesh, told us that he knew a ‘home-stay’ close by. Although we had left hopes of finding a good place to stay, we gave it a shot. To our surprise and good fortune, it finally worked out! It was a really nice, warm, comfortable and cozy place, situated at New Extension, Madikeri(Around 2 Kms from Madikeri town). They charge around 1500/day, which I would say, is a sweetheart deal for the place. The expressions on our faces had it all. We were so much happy and relieved. Thanks to Ramesh, we were all saved!

One Sincere advice- Anybody visiting Coorg on a weekend, please have your stay booked in advance.

After a good night’s sleep, and a scrumptious breakfast in a near by Rajeshwari canteen, we left for Talakaveri.

Talakaveri

About 50 KMs from Madikeri is the supposed origin of river Kaveri. The temple here is called Thalakaveri and is a beautiful setting to start your day with. A small temple tank offers the location for religious rituals and a stoned flight of steps leads to the spot where Rishis are said to have meditated in the past. Though nothing of great significance or grandeur exists here today, the place is well worth a visit to enjoy the setting.

Apart from the myth that the holy waters wash your sins off, there was something for everyone, something unexpected, something enchanting.

There was a 500 step steep ascent from the Talakaveri temple. We started climbing the steps having no idea where it lead to. But Finally the effort was paid off. This is the place where you can get one of the best views of the Coorg valley, midst the clouds, surrounded by lush greenery.. Voila!! indeed an entreat to the mind, body and soul.

By noon we climbed down, quenched our thirsts with a glass of fresh buttermilk and rolled on to Dubare.

Note: If you are planning to visit Talakaveri and return by noon, do carry some food along as you might not find any eateries on the way from Madikeri to Talakaveri and vice versa.

Dubare

Dubare is a forest area, amidst the thriving greenery of Coorg on the banks of river Kaveri, in between Kushalnagar and Siddapur, wherein an elephant training camp of the Forest Department of Coorg is present. This area is populated by the Kurbas, the local tribals. During the period of Maharaja of Mysore, the Dubare reserve forest was used to train the elephants for the impressive Mysore Dussehra festival.

Apart from the elephant camp, Dubare has other attractions like rafting, fishing etc, which we did not indulge in, due to lack of time. To reach the elephant camp one has to cross this tributary of river Cauvery by ferry or by walk through the shallow waters, which I believe was more fun

If you are really interested to see elephants, the best time to visit Dubare is before 2 PM. The clean and clear water would tempt anybody to have a dip in it, so did we!

The Finish

After a refreshing time spent at Dubare, we finally realized it was time for us to get going. Coorg certainly is a nature lover’s paradise. With a heavy heart, we drove to Kushal Nagar, had an awesome dinner and headed back to Bangalore. Roads from kushal Nagar to Bangalore are pretty good and are very much suitable for a night journey. We reached Bangalore around 1AM. It was time to wrap up these fond memories and put an end to one of the most beautiful trips that I have had.

Hope this article, in addition to the previous weblog, will be of some use to the folks looking forward to have a wonderful time at Coorg.

Miscellaneous:

For still there are so many things that I have never seen,

In every wood, in every Spring, there is a different green.

– J.R.R Tolkien, “The Lord of the Rings”

References/Credits:

http://myjotter.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/coorg-–-a-journey-to-the-scotland-of-india/ – posted by Rahul

Protests – The only way out?

On a busy Wednesday morning, 05/02/2009, hundreds of angry commuters blocked tracks at the Borivili station along the Western line for more than five hours, after a few rush hour trains were cancelled, stagnating the Mumbai lifeline.

Local trains in Mumbai ferry more than 6 million commuters everyday with people hanging out of the crowded compartments and traveling on the roof during rush hour. The citizens definitely need a better service. But are protests, holding up essential service, etc, the only way to get your demands heard?

Irate citizens, imploring ever since, have become helpless and started to protest for the smallest and essential needs, in the recent past. Why does our government act Deaf, Dumb and Blind until such a protest is carried out? The voice of a common man never reaches the politicians until the day when he steps down to the streets raising slogans, suspending essential services and of course, getting attention of the media.

Clearly, unlike this one, a peaceful protest like a candlelight march at the gateway of India, would not have got national focus and hype of this magnitude and have just ended up being a 30 second report in the 10 PM Bulletin!

The good part is that the Lok Sabha (also titled, the House of the People, by the Constitution.. HAHA!!) elections are coming up in the offing and as this issue has got some nation wide attention, we can expect some kind of immediate action from the government! I pity the condition of our people and the completely flawed Indian Government.

Nandi Hills & Kalavara Betta: A Sunrise Expectation

Memories of the delightful Coorg trip had not yet sunk in. Last weekend, we didn’t have our regular MS classes, so I was musing what to do to enjoy the break. While browsing through Orkut, I came across Dhina’s album. He had made a recent trip to Nandi Hills with his friends. The pictures he had uploaded gave me some insight into how wonderful that place was through a photographer’s lens. Also, I remembered that I had once been there when I was staying with Navas some 2 years ago. Santosh was keen on visiting this place. Many of my friends had not made it to Coorg due to official and personal issues.  Hence, I proposed a bike trip to Nandi Hills. Rajeev declined at the last moment as usual. Venus had expressed his unavailability earlier. But over all, the crowd was big this time.

Riders: Ajo, Anoop, Anto, Grettu, Govind, Jerry, Manoj, Manu, Mithun, Rahul, Santosh,  Sitti, Sumesh and Yadav

Vehicles: Apache, Pulsar, Fiero, Unicorn, CBZ Xtreme, Maruti Swift

Total Distance Covered: 140 km

 

The wait:

Most of us reached diary circle by 3.15 am on the 12th of October. Grettu and his roomies were yet to come. The occasional reminder calls to him from all of us always brought the same reply – he will be there within 5 minutes. After a while, we got tired of the reply and started without him. The idea was that as he was traveling by car and could catch up with us on the highway. We rode to Devanahalli Airport. The chilly morning air posed difficulty for all us. Everyone agreed that it was bit cooler than Mysore road in the wee hours of the morning. Most of the group sped off, but I moved with a decent speed. The interesting fact was that I had not slept at all the previous night – I was wary of whether I would be able to go for the trip. But at last, excitement got the better of my decision. We sped along away into the morning and with the usual confusion about the route. We reached Kalavara Betta at around 6.00 am.

Kalavara Betta:

I have to say that I am disappointed totally in myself for some of my blunders. This was the first time I went for a trip without any knowledge about the place. Only when we reached the place did we know that we had to trek some 5 km to reach the top. This, no one knew before hand or rather, those who knew had kept quite. So this particular part will be about what we actually missed.

Kalavara Betta Hills are a part of the Skandagiri Hills. They are some 58 km from Bangalore. The speciality of the place is that once you reach the top you will be amidst clouds and get a blissfully scintillating view of the sunrise. On the way to the top you will cross a fort which was part built by Haider Ali and later completed by his son Tipu Sultan. The fort is a monumental structure and hence undoubtedly a beautiful building. At the top, you will also find an old temple of my favourite God – Lord Ganesha. An interesting fact here is that you will find a ‘Nandi’ opposite the Lord, which, normally, one would see only in a Shiva Temple.

I was not at all interested in trekking as I was not mentally prepared for it. But then Anto Bhaiyya said we will go till where we can and then return. Hence we trekked up about 2 km, took some pretty good pictures and descended. Yeah! I know what you must be thinking. But honestly there was no energy or mood. If you want to savour the beauty or the true meaning of the place, please reach there the previous night and start trekking at 12.00 am. Then you will reach the top before sunrise. I really rue missing that chance!

After descending, we all had hot idlis and tea and then started off to Nandi Hills. Meanwhile, Grettu had reached there with his friends.

Nandi Hills:

Nandi Hills are around 27 km from Kalavara Betta. The last 15 km are the hike towards the top, which can be covered on vehicle. We reached the hill top by 9 am. The mist and the fog were slowly subsiding and the Sun was spreading its radiance.

These hills got their name because they resemble the ‘Shiva Vahanam’ – ‘Nandi’.  The most attractive spot here is the Tipu Drop. It is said that prisoners sentenced to death were pushed down the cliff at this very point. It gives a picturesque view of lush greenery and dense mist. The air is cool. I would call it a romantic spot for people who have an economical budget.  We spent time there – clicked some cool pictures, had a little fun and then started descending. We reached home at about noon. The return was a bit slow with occasional traffic signals that blocked our speedy progress.

Moral:

 

I will never go for a trip without gathering ample information from friends with prior experience or from the internet. People who are planning to go, please do trek up the Kalavara Betta hills at the right time and enjoy the experience. Hoping that my wish to view the sunrise in its most exotic form will be realised some day, let me stop here.

 

Edited by: Rekha Narayanaswamy

Photographs: Rahul Soman

 

Coorg – A journey to the Scotland of India

About Coorg:

Coorg or Kodagu (originally called Kodaimalenadu) means ‘dense forest on steep hill’. Madikeri, the headquarters of this district lies at a distance of 252 kms from Bangalore and 1525 m above sea level. Popularly known as “The Scotland of India” amongst tourists, this city is known for its misty hills, lush forest, acres and acres of tea and coffee plantations, orange groves and scintillating views. Altogether, it has every ingredient to make it the most coveted romantic spot.

The Kickoff:

The entire trip was initially planned for two of our friends Ranjith and Rajeev who chose not to come due to personal reasons. We were hesitant to go after their withdrawal. But Prabeesh’s arrival on his bike with a 16 litre fuel tank full of petrol waiting to be burned and a tempting Nikon D40 got us moving. And thus the journey began at 3 am from BTM Layout signal near A2B.

Riders: Anoop, Ajo, Prabeesh, Manoj, Rahul, Santosh, Yadav
Bikes: Apache RTR, Apache 150cc, Bajaj Pulsar and Honda Unicorn
Estimated duration onward: 6 hours

The early start gave us an advantage – of avoiding the irritating traffic menace of Bangalore city. We were on the Bangalore-Mysore Highway in no time. The initial bout was at normal speed, until we stopped at a tea shop and got rid of the morning blues with some horrendous biscuit eating and tea drinking. The fun began when all of us touched around 110 km/hr during most of the 135 kms to Ranganthittu. I know that our parents and dear friends will have a frown on their otherwise beautiful faces while reading this. But come on guys, the thrill was taking us on. At around 6.30 am, we reached the bypass to Hunsur. We actually reached Mysore, and then a dear autowala suggested that we come back and take the bypass so that the city traffic could be avoided, and also, the route was not as confusing. If we had taken the bypass initially, it’d've saved us a precious 10kms.We reached Hunsur, which was around 40 kms from the Mysore bypass, and had breakfast at Hotel Balaji. Then we took off from there to Kushal Nagar, which was another 40 kms. Our first stop was to be at the Golden Temple.

Golden Temple:

A feel of Tibet in Coorg – that is the best way to describe the Golden Temple. After the Chinese took over Tibet, the refugees settled at Bylakuppe near Kushalnagar and this Buddhist Monastery was re-established here in 1972. The monastery has become one of the most popular tourist spots because of the ambience it provides and the sheer beauty of the architecture, idols and paintings inside it. We reached here at around 9 am. All of us were very surprised to see Monks driving huge bikes and luxurious cars. Even more captivating was the architecture that lay in front of us. We were all enchanted by the atmosphere and the beauty of the place. The temple consisted of great paintings and huge idols of Lord Buddha and his disciples or descendants. We roamed about there for nearly an hour, and then departed to our next destination – Nisargadhama, a mere 2 kms from the monastery.

Nisargadhama:

Cauvery Nisargadhama is situated at about 36 kms from Madikeri. This place can very well attract people who want a quite stroll amidst nature. An island in the middle of the river connected by a rope bridge, it provides tourists with services like boating and elephant rides. Speaking about elephants, there is also an elephant training camp at Dubare just 8 kms further. If you are lucky you might also get to see a deer or two in Nisargdhama. But what we loved most was the swim we took in the river. It was really nice. The water was not so deep and hence very safe. All of us made merry for an hour. Then we recouped ourselves to move to the headquarters of Coorg – Madikeri.

The road to Madikeri is a bit bumpy and I am sure it’ll make anyone grumpy.

Madikeri:

Madikeri – I would call this place “The abode of romance”. Coffee and tea plantations present in surplus gives the air an aroma of coffee, tea, fresh cardamom, black pepper and Coorg honey. It also boasts of being the origin of the holy river Cauvery (Talacauvery). The cool climate and hilly terrain is what inspired the British to name this place “The Scotland of India”.

Coming from a city like Bangalore, where I used to breathe pure un-adulterated smoke for the past 2 years, it was like rejuvenation when I started inhaling the fresh air here. This place is radiant with a charismatic beauty and an aura of peace. Calm and quite prevails in most of the areas except for the town. But even the town is calm and quite compared to other towns and cities. You will never for once feel left out as each nook and cranny invites you with a story to tell and a memory to cherish.

We reached here by around noon marking the finish of the bike ride for day one. All of us eagerly went into a Hotel Zeenat and filled our tummies with plenty. Then we checked into a 7-bed room in Saman Residency which cost us around Rs.1000. All of us agreed to an hour’s short break. Then at around 6 pm we moved to our next location – Raja Seat.

Raja Seat:

According to legend, the kings of Kodagu spent their evenings here. But what’s unforgettable about Raja’s Seat is the spectacular sunset that one can enjoy from here. I was simply dumbfounded by the view that was ahead of me. God must surely have been in a great mood while creating this because it’s simply awesome! Raja’s Seat is a garden where one can spend time in serene atmosphere. Then there is the excellent opportunity to savour the beauty of the sunset. We were a bit unlucky to miss that. Our next visit would be to Omkareshwara Temple.

Omkareshwara Temple:

Omkareshwara temple was built by King Lingarajendra in 1820. The architecture exhibits Islamic and Gothic styles. There is a pond in front of the temple that is considered to be sacred. It is said to be always clean because a certain species of fish, Catla Catla, belonging to the carp family resides there. People from southern India, where temples are built pompously will get to see a simple one in this structure. The tale behind the origin of the temple is that Lingarajendra killed an honest and pious Brahmin to fulfill his political ambitions (also a hearsay that he wanted the Brahmin’s daughter for wife, which the Brahmin refused). According to Hindu mythology killing of a Brahmin is considered to be a hideous crime and the curse is quite deadly of which even Lord Indra couldn’t escape. The Brahmin is said to have become a “Bramarakshas” and haunted the king during his sleep. When the king consulted his astrologers for a solution they advised him to bring a “Shivalinga” and install it after building a temple. The Shivalinga was named as “Omkareshwara” and regular rituals were performed. The bars of the windows of the temple were made of “Panchaloha” and an alphabet “lim” (I am not aware of the origin of this alphabet) has been placed in between the bars. Panchaloha (also called Panchaloham – literally, “five metals”) is a term for traditional five-metal alloys of sacred significance used for making Hindu temple idols (Murti). Making Panchaloha images were a well kept secret for a long time and their color changing properties added to their mysticism. Four minars have been built on four corners of the temple and the central minar is like a globe, which anybody can see. The Shivalinga now worshipped in the temple has its origins in Kashi. Among the many Shivalingas in Kashi five are considered the most sacred, and Omkareshwara is one of them. Praying to Omkareshwara is thus believed to rid the sinner of the tormenting ‘ Bramarakshas ‘. Lingarajendra (also known as Linga Raja) installed the Shivalinga from Kashi in the temple where we now stood, seeking redemption for his sin (facts taken from various sites). We all prayed until our hearts were content. Then all of us sat for a while in that holy atmosphere. After a while we all left for our hotel to call it a day and hit the sack.

Abbey Falls:

Located at a distance of 9 kms from the town of Madikeri, the Abbey Falls produces a spectacular sight of waterfalls. Situated amidst private coffee plantations, the Abbey Falls provides a fascinating ambience. A narrow road winding through the green and dense flora of surrounding coffee plantations leads to Abbey Falls.

The water gushing down and hitting the rocky surface produces a deafening sound that can be heard even from a great distance. The abundant scenic beauty makes it one of the most preferable picnic spots. We spent an hour here before moving to our final destination – Mallalli falls.

Mallalli Falls:

This picturesque waterfall is just 50 kms away from Madikeri on Somwarpet road. The Water, in its immaculate form, drops from a nifty height, which is a sight to behold. Mallalli Falls lies on the footsteps of Pushpagiri Hill Ranges, where river Kumaradhara falls over from 200 ft. We had to park our bikes 2 kms farther from the falls. Only a small road was available, which we had to trek. Most of the walk was pleasurable because we got to see a lot of beautiful damsels. The water fall was breathtaking. We couldn’t get very close to it, but could take ample pictures of it. It is much bigger and more splendid than Abbey falls. I have not seen many visit this place. Hence it was a treat.

The Departure:

When the moment came to depart, we all were thinking in unison that the trip should have lasted for 2 more days. We had not visited Talacauvery, Bhagmandala, Nagarholey, Irpu falls… Pledging to come back in a much better organized trip, we started the descent from Madikeri with the memories of Coorg haunting us. It’s better to clear the 130 kms from Madikeri to Mysore Road before nightfall. We reached Mysore Road at an excellent pace. We touched Bangalore at 12.30 am bringing the curtains down on a wonderful trip. This will surely be one of the most memorable trips for me.

Experience:

Total distance covered: 700kms
Most economical bike: – Bajaj Pulsar. An average of Rs.1000 was spent on petrol.
Accidents: Minor skidding en-route to Malahalli due to the steep curves. Be a bit careful while cruising there. Minimum speed advisable on that terrain
Food: Couple of hotels really spoiled the mood of the trip and our appetite. They took almost an hour to serve us. We were all crying in anguish – precious time was lost because of this. But then, some hotels were pretty good
Climate: Mornings are similar to Bangalore. Nights are a tinge cooler. If you have any ailments, do carry medications
About the place: A must visit tourist spot. It will simply probe your soul

The Final Whistle:

Coorg, with all its charisma has indeed captivated my heart and I sincerely hope that it surely does the same for you. This is my first attempt to describe a trip and all about the places and their importance. Hope it has come out well. Expecting valuable comments from the readers and hoping that it’s useful for at least some. Until the next trip – Adios Amigos!

Edited by: Rekha Narayanaswamy

Photography: Prabeesh & Rahul

I am still not relieved

Something has been worrying me for a long time. However hard I try to get it out of my system it is tightening its grip around me. Has anyone one of you felt the anguish of not knowing the exact reason why you are poignant? I have been through that a lot but this time I know the reason. I have been missing the thrill of chasing my dreams. The small dreams which had started from my childhood. Dreams of being like my father, neatly dressed, going to a big office for work, driving a luxurious car, being the man of our house. Dreams of being a human being, who can care, listen and love unconditionally. All the verve and zest in dreaming were lost in the struggle to succeed and earn a true identity in this world.

How did I change from a contender to a fierce competitor? Or should the question be when did the monster get unleashed? Every time I look at the mirror the image that greets me is a boy who is wearing a mask of compromiser. I never understood that word at all. But now it has become the oxygen of my very existence. What hurts me is not the change, but the effects of the change. The idea of stamping ones back to progress to my next level, have a dual character all hurts at times. I am scared of being alone because of fear of confrontation with my conscience.

There is a lot of stuff that I do now, which would not have crossed my mind earlier. Gone are the days where I could look at someone for advice. Now people look at me for vision. But someone times my vision itself stabs me in my heart. But has left enough life in me to receive more. I have taken everything in the true spirit.

All I know is that all my friends at one point or another has always misunderstood me. They have whispered in each other’s ears about the person I am. They can’t take my attitude much longer. Every time a fight breaks is when these opinions arise. I am accustomed to these complaints now. All I have is one question to all the friendly folks. I hope it gives all of you a lot of happiness in blaming a person without understanding the whole situation.

A Ride to the Hell!

Exhausted after a day’s work, I step outside my work place, I see those anxious eyes waiting to hear me say the name of some far off place, preferably a crowded place with some shopping mall or a cinema theatre. Doubtfully, I say in a feeble voice ,”BTM” and suddenly I see those faces turn away as if they never saw me..  To begin with, all places seem to be unacceptable to them. Ask them, “BTM?” “No” comes the answer. At times they are so rude, they won’t even respond to you. At the very utterance of the name BTM they would make such a face and would drive away from you so fast that you would feel sorry for ever wanting to go to a place like BTM. Now ask them vice versa, “JAL BHAVAN” (land mark near my company,as I am afraid that I would be charged insane if I tell my company as my destination)?” “No” “BTM to Koramangala?” “No”. “vice versa?” “No.” “BTM to MG road?” Yes. Thankfully. But “Vice Versa?” No. “MG road to Koramangala” No. or Yes but one and half.

 

 

 

 

After waiting for more than half an hour I feel so happy when an autowala nodes his head and asks me to get in. Suddenly, I feel as if I just made through. I just step in and I hear a following voice saying “chalees rupay dedo” (give me 40 Rs.).. Ah Wo!! Why the heck should I pay him more!!? I get terribly annoyed and feel like telling him that begging would have been better!! 

 

 

 

  
 

Auto-rickshaw drivers are the nightmare of the city. They generally tend to charge on an ad-hoc basis depending on the distance of the destination or the chances of getting another customer from the mentioned locality or according to your attire!, if nothing else, instead of charging by the meter. One should be tactful enough when approaching an auto-rickshaw during night, or during heavy rains. Chances are they would be charged with exorbitant rates.            

However, meters are just for the sake of it. Don’t be happy if some autowala says that he is ready to come for meter charge. You bet!, the meter is tampered, and you are gonna be robbed baby! Also, over time, I think that the IT crowd has spoiled them. They must have asked for some nominal Y at first, dude earning tones might have paid that, and now after so many years, Y is big!     

  

Driving Auto has just become a way of making easy money rather than serving the purpose of a public transport. Actually, an auto ride in Bangalore is not supposed to be too expensive. It is Rs.7/- per kilometer, with a minimum of at least Rs. 14/- per ride. Autos add a 50% surcharge after 10 pm (called “one and half”). Some drivers Just wait for the clock to tick 9 or some just demand 100% surcharge after 10PM or 11PM. Its all seems useless to argue when you are in a hurry to reach office to attend to an urgent issue or meeting or tired after work.

 

Currently, there are over 90,000 auto-rickshaws in Bangalore and we are still counting. Still Almost all of us have suffered under their hands at one time or the other. Everyone of us might have seen autowalas taking advantage of the tourists who arrive here. They are literally a threat to our tourism growth. What’s more annoying is their rude behavior and rude language. They drive like maniacs and speak like rowdy’s. There are simply no code of driving for these guys today.They are the cause of several accidents and chaotic traffic that you see everyday on Bangalore roads. And if someone decides to question them, you see a bunch of autowala’s appearing from nowhere to support their fellow driver. Unity in atrocity!

Its not because our govt. is not aware of it. No one is capable enough to come down heavily upon these drivers, either because of political stakes or because of negligence. The civilians have no choice but keep making unyielding reports and complaints. After all, what are civilians for – to vote politicians to power and then watch them make money!! 

This is a kind request to all the readers of this post. Please do your best to not encourage such corruption! Rs.10 might not be a big deal for you. But let our negligence not make the lives of those not-so-rich people miserable!

People visiting Bangalore must be careful while hiring an auto-rickshaw or you might have to face embarrassing or annoying situations.                         

 

Itz storytime….. :)

 Let me tell you a story…. the story of a little girl who was lost in a dream of her own. Like every other kid, she too created a fantasy world where she could live her life the way she wanted, with the people she cared for most… and she could have gotten away with it too. But alas! life had other plans for her in mind…

Her godmother as she was, life wanted to be a good mentor to her. So what did godmother life do?  Did she fulfil her every wish?  No, she did not. Did she show her how to reach out to the stars that so fascinated her? No, she did not. She chose the path that only a true mentor would show…

The path was adorned with lovely white rosebushes on either side. The girl followed, mesmerised by the beauty of it… the sincerity and the purity that it radiated. She was so engrossed in admiring and caressing the white roses that she totally ignored the tender green grass that supported her throughout,  protecting her little bare feet from the stones that turned up every now and then on the path.

As she walked on, she realized that something seemed to be different. Somehow, the scenery around her had changed. And then she noticed it…the roses were not white anymore. It had turned into a pinkish shade.. coloured by the small red droplets that came out from the scratches made by those invisible thorns on the rosebushes on her delicate palms. For a moment or so, she stopped.  Should she go forward…she thought. But the child as she is, inspite of the pain she felt, the pink roses still attracted her too much to give up now. And so, she walked on…However, she wished she weren’t alone anymore. She dreamed of  a companion….somebody to talk to…someone who would understand her in a way nobody had… someone who would be more than happy to give her all the time in the world. And then life said, “as you wish….”

(To be continued…)

(p.s: dont kick me if it turns out into a megaserial… …after all, you asked for it.. )

Maa Nishadhaa!

What has the world come to?. Come on folks. Every channel I switch to, the news flash running at the bottom of the screen has at least one incident to report where a teacher hitting a child till death or sometimes leaving some life. The way kids are being tortured are many. Some deliver hard blows through canes. Some give electric shocks. Even more horrific acts are there. But the ultimate intent is to inflict maximum pain.

Why do human beings want to hurt each other and take ones life?. The world is so huge, that all can still live in harmony. Parents of these kids toil hard all day to give the best for their kids. They trust the teachers to provide for a good future for their loved ones. But imagine a scene where a mother,father or both have to see the dead body of their loving child whom they so passionately sent to school. Recently, a 15 year old girl was thrashed to such an extent that she slipped to coma. She was hospitalized due to blood clotting in her brain. Then there is the case where a teacher applied electric shock to 22 kids using equipments in a physics lab. This is mostly similar to corporal punishments. Even hard core criminals are treated in a better in this society . Why do the future citizens of India have to be groomed in this manner?.

The Supreme Court banned corporal punishment in 2000 but reports of brutal and humiliating ‘disciplining’ of children in the country are frequent.The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), too, protects children from all forms of physical violence (Article 19) and from inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment (Article 37). India is a signatory to the UNCRC. But as usual there is a common say that rules are meant to be broken.

We command to be a land of learned. All are working in MNC’s. These are our kids. Stripping them in public, slapping them until they become deaf,paralyzed. The progress of any nation lies in the hands of the upcoming youth. If we are so hell bound to nip them in the bud. We might end up with a deaf, paralyzed,mentally afflicted next generation in a while. There should be mass awareness and reaction against this social evil. Discipline doesn’t comes with pain. It comes with understanding and love. God is love. Kids need affection and care. Nothing more,nothing less.