Travelogue: Ganesh Puja Celebration in Bangalore

 

Travelogue: NIMHANS Bengaluru

NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences) is a medical institution in Bangalore, India. It is an Institute of National Importance governed by the act of Parliament titled NIMHANS Act, 2012. This institute is multidisciplinary institute for patient care, academic pursuit and cutting edge research in the field of mental health and neurosciences. The Central Government recognized its eminent academic position, growth and contributions, and declared it a ‘Deemed University’ in 1994. In 2012, NIMHANS was conferred the status of an ‘Institute of National Importance’.  

(C) Rahul

"Aapki Beti Ke Lie"

One of my nieces who is really small, is of the age when kids amaze us with saying interesting things. Recently, she was carrying several toffees and I asked her if I could take one and she allowed me to have one. While I started enjoying the small Parle toffee, she came to me and gave me one more toffee saying, "Aap ek toffee apni beti ke lie le lijiye (please take one for your daughter)". I was really surprised and asked her what she meant; and she repeated the same. I was slightly embarrassed but could not refuse too and hence I took one more toffee and kept it in my pocket. Then she again said, "aapki ek beti hai ya do?" (Have you got one daughter or two?) Once again shocked at what was happening, I said "ek" (one). Then she was satisfied and went away. It seemed she was going to offer me one more toffee had I got two daughters. 

I think she did not know if I got a daughter or not and offered me the toffee just based on a hunch feeling or because of some previous experience with someone else. It is not the only time she has been a genius. 

Road Rage

I was passing through a village road and as soon as I crossed a chowk and took a turn, a small goat from a group of goats which were wandering around, decided to stand still in the middle of the road. I honked my bike and gradually slowed it till I crossed the little goat safely. As soon as I overtook the baby goat, I saw a small kid of about five standing on the left side of the road who had pointed a finger at me in order to grab my attention and then he shouted, "tohra dekh ke na chalal jhaechhai?" meaning, "can't you see?" I realized that he was scolding me for reckless driving. But where was I reckless? Perhaps the goat belonged to the kid and since I rode too close past the goat, he got worried and hence showed "road rage" against me. I was perplexed for a few moments because this was first time I witnessed a five-year-old kid in such a road rage situation. 

- Rahul 

Picture: Seeing Clouds from the Sky

The first experiences are priceless. I remember the first few times I had travelled with an airplane. First two times I had travelled abroad on office trip and in the night; but the third time I was on domestic flight during the day, and hence I was able to see clouds from a closer distance. It felt wonderful. I never imagined clouds would actually be like that; so far only being able to see clouds from the land. 

Over the years, I have travelled by air countless times and the travel experience did not feel anything special than traveling in a nice "bus". This is how time and experience can spoil things. 

All these thoughts crossed my mind when I was traveling last time and hence, I purposefully clicked pictures of clouds from the window. I did not bother if co-traveler will think of me as a first-time traveler or whatever. I wanted to see if it feels even a fraction of the magic that I had felt first time. And it did not disappoint me. I liked looking outside the window, trying to explore the excitement. 

I took more than a dozen pictures and here is one of those. In this, I liked the way I was able to look at the land too, apart from the clouds and the sky. 

 (C) Rahul

Travelogue: Creaticity Mall, Yerwada, Pune

Creaticity is a shopping mall in Pune famous for well-known international and national brands that sell furniture, home utility products, modular kitchens, home decor solutions, etc. 

- Rahul 

Travelogue: Some Pictures from Pune

Statue of a female soldier, Pune

Persistent Systems office campus, Hinjawadi, Pune

A sports car in Pune

Random location with beautiful scenery, Pune

FTII (Film and Television Institute of India), Law College Road, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune

National Film Archive of India, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune

Symbiosis International University, SB Road, Pune

Holkar Bridge, Pune, Constructed during the 1800s by the Maratha ruler Madharao Peshwa

Beautiful murals of musical instruments, Pimpri, Pune

 (C) Rahul

Travelogue: Cognizant (CTS) Office Campus in Hinjawadi, Pune

 (C) Rahul

Travelogue: Pu La Deshpande Udyan or Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden in Pune

Pu La Deshpande Udyan or Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden is one of the largest gardens in Pune located on Tanaji Malusare road (Sinhgad road) in Pune, India. 

The garden is inspired by the 300-year-old Kōraku-en Garden in Okayama, Japan, so it is also called the Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden.

(C) Rahul

Travelogue: Some Pictures from Patna

 

Wall murals in Patna

Rajendra Nagar Terminus Railway Station

Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport, Patna 

Danapur Railway Station, Patna

A road intersection in Patna 

(C) Rahul 

Watching Cows

In the few years I have lived at our village, I have invariably come across many 'non-human' members as well. Cows form a large part of the tribe, apart from cats, dogs, bulls, buffalos, birds of various types, or even donkeys. If you read my blog, you would know many such blog posts about them. 

Right in front of our house we have a relative's house who keeps several cows. I can't avoid looking at them. Sometimes I watch these cows who happily live there, just eating, standing, sitting, looking at things, and that is all that they ever do. There is a particular "tall" cow who is known to have a hot temper. At times she gets out of the rope tying her to a peg (khuta) and runs around. She runs raising both front legs at a time. I call her "ghoda gaay" (horse-cow). When she escapes and runs, she throws anyone who comes in her way up in the sky. Hence everyone is scared of her. But the men who look after her know how to control her. Earlier than the current one, there used to be an old man who looked after her. One fine morning while he was milking her, she hit her with her leg; some part of his body broke and then he died in a few days. He was already old but could have lived a few more years if she did not hit him. Life in a village is definitely full of risks. 

Over the years, I have developed huge appreciation and respect for these cows because of the way they are. At times when kids are playing or making noise, the cows will just look at them and then go about their own life. Some kids started playing with water making a noise; and the cow just looked at them and then went about eating again. When new small kids are taken to see the cows, the cows would look at their faces as if trying to remember them. The cows never ignore or insult anyone. They are living examples of acceptance, tolerance, and peacefulness. 

There is another smaller cow who is always tied below a tree at some distance. Someone said she got some bugs in her skin, that is why she is tied alone and away. She is just a kid. But she does not mind being kept separate from other cows all day long, for months at stretch. Apart from these two cows, other cows live mostly inside their house/shelter, so I do not get to observe them much. 

One interesting feature of these cows is that whenever they have a baby calf, they instinctively know what to do. Without any training, education or communication, they take care of the baby, feed it, show affection, help it and cure it by licking it. When it comes to humans, I wonder why we ask for every kind of help and education from others and can't do a thing instinctively by ourselves. And one day, when the calf is taken away from her, the cow just accepts it and goes about living as if nothing happened. The male calves of cows are removed from the place after a while as a rule and female calves are sometimes sold after they grow to an extent. If we apply human sentiments and emotions on their situation, it will look so much troubling. But cows don't mind. 

I don't know if I want to be a cow in any next births because I do not want to be dependent on humans for food etc; but I do love them and have huge respect for them. A human can never become even half of a cow in 10 lives. 

- Rahul