Captain's Corner

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

India and the Developed Nations – Planning Vs Randomness – Who will survive longer?

In a matter of a few months, a number of unauthorized shops and facilities have come up around the Jalvayu Vihar compound. A cobbler has set up shop on the foot path along with others selling vegetables, cigarettes, panipuri, momos, kababs, fruits, flowers and many other things. It is really fascinating to study how these facilities come up without any prompting by the customers. Who does the feasibility study, who determines the requirement, is there any thought given to the inherent risks, what is the business model – and above all, who allowed them to start an unlawful business in the first place?

The locality where we stay – Kammanahalli - was once a quiet, residential area in the outskirts of Bangalore. In a span of two decades, it has grown into a very popular and busy commercial hub – offering the best of restaurants, a great shopping experience and much more. The growth is unplanned and haphazard. Houses have been converted into shops; some were demolished to make way for high rise shopping complexes and malls and so on. In the original plan, there was no place earmarked for commercial activities. The same is true with the rest of Bangalore and I suppose the same holds good for the whole of India. I am beginning to believe that there are some higher forces of nature which are at play in India.

There is no order or method to the madness. In our cities, roads are carved out of nowhere, houses vary in design, size and colour and no two houses match. Electric poles are erected at random, water pipes are tampered with to provide illegal outlets and garbage is thrown in any available open space. Parking spaces appear wherever it is convenient to park – similarly any nook and corner becomes a public toilet. There appears to be no planning, coordination or aesthetics in our town planning.

Lack of planning, loosely structured rules, corruption and over population are some of the factors which govern this type of haphazard growth.

On the other hand, modern cities in Europe and America are examples of efficient town planning and administration; coupled with responsible citizens and effective law enforcement agencies.

On a philosophical plane, one can compare the growth of Europe and America to that of a well laid out garden. Lovely walk ways, with evenly trimmed hedges on either side, manicured lawns and neatly arranged flowering plants fill your eyes as you walk or drive past. Chairs and benches strategically placed under a shade, promise the best of views for a casual stroller or tourist. Gardeners appear to be ready to water the greenery and administer manure .The entire outfit is a result of excellent planning, and coordination by human beings.

On the other hand the uninhibited growth of Indian cities is akin to that of the rain forests of South America. No planning by humans. The toughest gets to see the sun. Growth follows a pattern set by the harsh rules of nature. The fittest survive. Creepers going piggy back on tall trees to get their share of the sun is common. Competition at ground level for light and food has lead to evolution of plants which live on the branches of other plants, or even strangle large trees to fight for survival. Huge evergreen trees keep company with smaller plants and animal life. Nature provides plenty of rain and sunshine free of cost. The forest floor receives only two percent of the sunshine, yet some plants have adopted to survive in this lowlight conditions. The aerial plants often gather nourishment from the air itself using so-called 'air roots'. This is a different world altogether.

The only plus point for the Indian ‘Rain Forest Growth Pattern’ comes from the ‘Second Law of Thermo Dynamics’. For a moment compare India or the Rain Forest to a mound of firm, wet sand on the beach; and Europe and America or the beautifully planned garden to a pretty sand castle of similar volume. Over a period of time the sand castle with low entropy will disintegrate due to the constant wind and waves.

Who will survive is purely rhetorical.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Goodbye 2013 – Wishing all readers of my blog a happy 2014. Grand children,barbeque,K Gudi Jungle Lodge and other stories

2013 was well spent, travelling overseas to Spain and Portugal. Within the country, we went to Chikmagaluru, Coonoor, Nainital and Ranikhet in pursuit of Golf. We went to Gurgaon and Mumbai for weddings. Regular outings provide the much needed solace to the soul. My take on the subject of travelling is –‘Travel Often’. Travel helps your mind to remain healthy and fresh – it is akin to sending your trousers to the dry cleaners. At the end of the sojourn, one feels relaxed and raring to go. Travelling gives you an opportunity to unwind, bond with friends, explore new cultures and the list is endless. Choose a place depending upon your purse, health and convenience and push off. If you knees are not on talking terms with the rest of your body, choose a place which involves the least amount of walking. Go to a hill resort and enjoy the view or sit by the beach and watch the never ending motion of the waves and so on – one must travel.

Come December, it’s time for a family reunion and bonding with our grandchildren.

Figure 1 – Family reunion – 31 Dec/01 Jan

Book readers are an endangered species. In the context of the internet, TV and instant entertainment, there are hardly any takers for reading books. The pace of life around us is also extremely fast. Adults and children alike find it difficult to spend long periods of time in reading books. As against the passive entertainment of watching TV, reading provides a platform for the imagination and creative thinking. A child’s education is not complete without reading a few classics.

Ayaan and Samara have started reading books – in the present day context; this development is certainly a gift from God. Reading is the cheapest form of edutainment. No other hobby can provide this high level of personal satisfaction. They devour Geronimo Stiltons faster than we can buy them. Books by Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl are extremely popular. Reading books has always been a cherished pastime with all of us in the family. We enjoy reading. The children have imbibed this truly wonderful habit. It gives me immense pleasure in seeing Ayaan reading a book at 6.30 am all by himself.

Apart from many PG Wodehouse creations, I enjoyed reading Ramachandra Guha’s ‘India after Gandhi’ and ‘Patriots & Partisans’. I also enjoyed reading ‘Maximum City’ by Suketu Mehta. Unlike the earlier days when I could get through a Frederick Forsyth or a Tom Clancy in a day or two, my appetite for reading has slowed down. Between golf, walks, blogging, forays into the kitchen, a bit of afternoon Zzzzzzz and social commitments – I have to really push myself to read. I have decided to reorganize my personal time more carefully and set aside some time for reading. Hopefully 2014 will be a better year for me – book wise.

The twins, Agastya and Aarin are growing up real fast. Even at three years each fellow’s personality is different and unique. They are busy exploring the world of I Pad and playing games. Agastya has moved on from being Spider Man to T Rex and Aarin from Super Man to baby Eagle with his nest in Singapore with a ladder to climb down and as he is small he has no wings and cannot fly. He also says that baby eagles love sausages J (his favourite food!)

When all the four GC meet, the scene is explosive and the place looks like a tornado has hit it. But nobody cares! Time passes very quickly for both the parties – us and them. Before you know it, it’s time to hit the bed. One thing is for sure, their energy is on the ascendancy and ours is waning. They are a bundle of joy and their stay always gives us immense pleasure.

This year the accent was on nature, conservation, pollution, the environment etc. Samara took the lead in organizing a ’Save Nature’ campaign. They made posters, watered plants and generally kept themselves busy throughout the day. Saanika and Sambhav, our neighbour’s children also joined the campaign.

Figure 2 By Saanika and Samara

Figure 3 - By Ayaan and Sambhav

This year too we had the traditional X’mas barbeque. Lots of our close friends and relatives came along. Vivek and Akhila’s friends joined us in large numbers. There’s a special flavour attached to any barbeque party –good friends, open air, fire, smell of chicken and burning wood generates a spirit of merriment. This year, I marinated some of the chicken in red wine, red chili powder, honey, lime and salt. I later on used Tabasco and Worchestishire sauce along with Olive oil for basting.

Figure 4 – Father and son combo

On 26^th Dec we conducted our annual Satyanarayana Pooja. My daughter Akhila has given me the task of decoding rituals such as Ganesh Pooja to render it understandable, meaningful and interesting. It is a very huge task indeed. Presently, we find ourselves just going through the motions without understanding very much. Both the adults and the young find it difficult to sit through the entire proceedings. There is an urgent need to juxtapose our rituals in the present context. My earlier blog also dwells on the same aspect.http://samundarbaba.blogspot.in/2010/09/festivals-ganapati-pooja.html.

On 28^th Dec we left for K.Gudi (Kyathadevarayana Gudi) Wilderness Camp run by Jungle Lodges which is located in the Biligiri Rangana Hill (BR Hill), Karnataka. We covered a distance of 240 Km from JVV via Mysore, Nanjangud and Chamarajanagar to the camp. One can also reach the camp via Kanakpura and Malavalli. It took us approximately 7hrs to reach the place after halts for breakfast and nature calls. The roads are in a very good state throughout. The game reserve covers an area of 547 Sq kms. It is a unique blend of wildlife sanctuary and hill station, set 3500 to 6000 ft above sea level. The weather is very cold especially during the early hours of the morning and at night. A warm jacket is a must. The reserve boasts of 33 tigers, 75 leopards, 600 to 700 elephants and 300 different species of birds.

Figure 5 – Along the drive

This region has been the home of the semi-nomadic Soliga tribe. Close to the camp there is a”Kanyara colony,” housing a few tribals.

The camp is rustic, with bare essentials and merges well with the local flora and fauna. Fortunately there is no TV, radio, music and other such gadgets to remind us of urban living. Electricity is available only for a short duration in the morning and in the evening. Hot water is provided on request in buckets. A kerosene lamp illuminates the path ways and the tent. We stayed in a tented accommodation overlooking the forest. All combined, the camp provides an excellent setting for a holiday in the wilderness.

Figure 6 – The tented accommodation. Surprisingly, there are no mosquitoes.

Figure 7 – Relaxing

Figure 8 – Anirban with Ayaan and Aarin outside the dining hut

Figure 9 – A good catch

There are two safaris each day, one in the morning at 0620am and one in the evening starting at 1520pm. The safari lasts for two and a half hours in an open jeep with the driver acting as a forest guide. The safari criss crosses the kuccha roads within the forest and stops by a popular watering hole where one can expect to sight the big cats. All along the children behaved excellently and they indulged in jungle talk – soft whispers – throughout the safari. We sighted the usual elephants, wild boar, gaur, spotted deer, sambhar and barking deer. We also sighted pond terrapin turtles, straight neck mongoose and the malabar giant squirrel. The big cats remained elusive ; however one safari sighted two tigers in the watering hole, while another spotted a leopard crossing the road. We had to be content with hearing the tiger’s roar on the first day.

Figure 10 – All our sightings - Gaur

Figure 11 – Lone tusker

Unlike other forests, the thick undergrowth makes it difficult to spot any game. Akhila was really good at spotting a lone tusker in the distance. The forest is full of greenery at this time of the year. The ‘stand density’ in this forest appears to be very high.

Figure 12 - Sambhar

Figure 13 – Spotted deer

Figure 14 – Ready to charge at us

Figure 15 – Crested arch eagle

Figure 16 – Tiger paw marks. Marking its territory.

Figure 17 - Turtles

Figure 18 – High ‘Stand Density’

Figure 19 – Cancerous growth

Figure 20 – Woodpecker’s home

Figure 21 – Another example of cancerous growth

Figure 22 - Sunrise

The forest is a birder’s paradise. We sighted an indian pond heron, malabar parquet, jungle babbler, king fisher, rufous babbler, bulbul red vented, red-whiskered bulbul, malabar whistling thrush, gray wag tail, woodpecker plain back, streak throated woodpecker, crested serpent eagle, crested arch eagle, common rosefinch, wagtail, grey jungle fowl, tree pipit, hill myna etc.

The food is basic but tasty. The service is good with a host of polite and helpful lodge staff in attendance.

Jai was busy throughout the year with ‘Freedom International School’ http://www.freedom-international.in/.This year they conducted an excellent FIS Fest. It was very well received.

Vivek and Shubhra continue to enjoy their work. Google was looking for companies that had a “compelling business, web and human story in order to create a video. Chumbak was selected to be a part of this activity on how companies worldwide used ‘Google Services’. Chumbak was one of the 3 companies worldwide to be selected. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EhsNFOA9ew.This is a very tall achievement indeed. http://www.chumbak.com/ . They have increased their range of products and have added their own stores in Bangalore and Delhi.

Akhila with all her responsibilities at home has found time to involve herself in the field of education. She has gained expertise in the field of curriculum frame working and also assists Angel Xpress Foundation - A unique non-profit organization which works for the progress of underprivileged children. It makes education accessible to street children by setting up schools on the streets.

Anirban continues to be busy with www.caakwan.com. He figured in the Hindustan Times, “People who are in positions to change the way we live, think, work and play in India”. Power to youth.Hindustan Times New Delhi, November 03, 2012.

I have got involved with 3G in a big way – Golf, Grand Children and God. Apart from Golf - gardening, blogging and cooking continue to occupy my time. I have had some big culinary achievements in the past year. I have posted some more interesting recipes in my blog http://recipebaba.wordpress.com/.

We celebrated the New Year at home with the immediate family. We lit a bonfire and sat around it ushering in the New Year - good music, drinks and food inclusive. During the day children were kept busy collecting dry twigs for the bon fire. They had a wonderful time running around and playing.

Figure 23 – Jai ushering in 2014

Figure 24 – Akhila preparing fools caps

Figure 25 – Bonfire about to be lit

Figure 26 – Shubs very happy with 2013

At 12pm sharp, we lit a paper lamp and let it soar into the sky. The lamp took away 2013 and shed light on us, ushering 2014 in.

Another year has come to a close.We look forward to a new year with lots of hope and anticipation.My family and I wish all the readers of 'Samundarbaba' a vey happy 2014 - may god bless you and your family with good health and cheer.

Travel more,read a lot and conserve nature.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Marriages are made in heaven - Disha becomes a Blah

I do not know where to begin. Maybe I should go back to 2002, when I first came to know that my daughter Akhila was dating Anirban Das Blah. I thought, ‘Here comes trouble; Later on in 2003, I met Anirban’s younger brother Indranil and I am reported to have muttered under my breath, ‘Here comes double trouble’. So, I have known ‘Indranil’ for a very long time – a man of few words, at times reticent, always affectionate and forever respectful; in short, a very likable person. All along, he was a bachelor to boot, with a cool job and an even cooler bachelor pad. I often referred to him as "Bertie Wooster". All those foot loose and fancy free days had to come to an end, sometime or the other and it did, when Indranil, happening to look in the right direction, fell for a very pretty, bright and charming girl called ’ Disha’ . On second thoughts, the title of this blog should have been ‘Indranil clean bowled’.

Marriages are made in heaven

Indranil and Disha celebrated their wedding on 6^th Dec 2013.It was not quite so simple though. The preparations started many moons ago in the Blah and Bhavsar household. Everyone from the 2B family circle joined hands to make the occasion a memorable event. The bride’s father Ashok Bhavsar and Akhila were pivotal in organizing the wedding. Akhila with her childhood military grooming and a flair for organizing, treated the entire event as an Army Commander would treat a military manoeuvre. Under the title of ‘Disha becomes a Blah’ a number of check off lists were made to ensure nothing was left to chance – Transport requirement, airport transfer, guest list, menu for each function, wardrobe for events, individual responsibilities etc – every aspect of the wedding had a when, who and how tag attached.

Within the 2B family unit there was a confluence of many religious and social traditions; a variety of customs and traditions originating from Gujarat, Meghalaya, Assam and Bengal were amply evident in all the wedding ceremonies. Throughout the three day affair they managed to strike a balance between religious ceremonies and youthful antics. In the final analysis it was a sacred union, under an umbrella of gaiety, fun and frolic. Every individual fostered this mood.

A large posse of kith and kin from the 2B circle made it a point to attend the wedding and bless the couple. The entire staff of CAA KWAN was there to lend support and join in all the revelry. One aspect which stood out very loud and clear is the excellent network of friends painstakingly developed over a long period of time by both, Anirban and Indranil. They were all there from different corners of the country and the globe to attend the festivities. A heartwarming development indeed. Their presence added a special flavour to all the proceedings. The mood throughout was one of bonhomie. To further charge the already electrified air – a number of Bollywood celebrities graced the functions.

Without a doubt, the most handsome people in the wedding were Indranil and Disha with their nephews Ayaan, Agastya and Aarin in their colour coordinated outfits coming a very close second.

The run up to the wedding was one great ball. The Blah home had all the ingredients of a ‘Marriage Transit Camp’ – hordes of people, endless cups of coffee and tea, breakfast till 12 noon, a constant flow of visitors, the endless ring of cell phones, permanently occupied toilets, blaring music, dance rehearsals, dormitory arrangements for sleeping and so on. The endless cacophony was amply mitigated by unlimited flow of ‘Laphroaig’ – kind courtesy of my son in law. To quote “The pungent, earthy aroma of the blue peat smoke, the sweet nuttiness of the barley and the delicate, heathery perfume of Islay’s streams,” more than ensured that I slept well through the night. I had been given the task of taking the children to the park in the evenings and making them sleep after lunch – a very enjoyable task indeed. 3^rd and 4^th December were spent in last minute preparations, visits to beauty parlors, canteen, departmental stores and dance rehearsals late into the night etc.

The whole house was rearranged to accommodate a 90-strong guest list for the traditional Assamese ritual ‘Juroon’. And ‘Mehndi’, on 5th December. Due to logistical imperatives the Blah home momentarily become the bride’s house and Juroon was held in the house. Juroon is a very interesting, fun filled pre-marriage ceremony carried out before the wedding. This ritual is performed by women. Here the groom's mother visits the bride's house accompanied by close relatives and friends. The groom’s mother gifts the bride her bridal trousseau, including an odd number of pairs of Mekhela Chadar (traditional Assamese female attire) a complete make up kit (whoa!), gold ornaments etc. Once they reach the bride's house the groom's mother is welcomed by the bride's mother at the entrance with a XORAI or BOTA in her hands which contains tamul-paan covered by a Gamosa.

In many Hindu weddings, it's traditional to have a Mehndi party before the wedding. Artists use a paste made from dried henna leaves to paint intricate patterns on hands (and sometimes also feet) of the bridal party. The bride gets the most intricate patterns, to set her apart. It is believed that henna gives blessings, luck, and joy, although it is also seen as a beauty enhancer. Some brides get their future spouse's initials hidden into their Mehndi design. In our case Indranil got a ‘D’ in a heart mehndied on his palm.

As the Mehndi dried and the stars glittered, the guests were treated to really tasty Kashmiri fare. Amongst the many delicacies, what caught my taste and imagination were - Rogan Josh, Tabak Maaz - Lamb ribs with turmeric, cinnamon and saffron, Chicken Yakhni , Phirni for desert and finally Kashmiri Tea- Qahwah ;very tasty and authentic Kashmiri food indeed.

The wedding was solemnized on the lawns of the ‘Army Officers’ Institute’, Juhu Mumbai on 6^th December followed by a reception. The spacious outdoor setting with tall trees and well mowed lawns was ideal for the wedding. The weather was very supportive and all were at ease. The ‘Baraat’ arrived at sharp 4 pm and all of us were made to wear a dark pink Pagdi as against a light floral Pagdi for the bride’s side. The Gujarati wedding ceremony is a derivative of the traditional ‘Vedic’ marriage. It starts with Var Ponke wherein the bride's mother welcomes the groom and his 'Baraat' at the entrance of the wedding venue. Before the groom can enter the premises, he is made to step on a 'Bajat' (low stool) where the bride's mother performs the traditional 'Aarti' for the groom, applies the 'Kunkhu' (vermilion) and rice 'Tikka' on his forehead. The bride's mother places a clay pot filled with rice on the ground and the groom breaks it before entering the wedding 'Mandap'. The groom is thereafter led to Mandap and made to sit on a low stool for the ceremonies. This is followed by worship of the ‘Kalasha’ - a copper pot filled with water. Mango leaves are placed in the mouth of the pot and a coconut is placed over it. The Kalasha is believed to contain amrita, the elixir of life, and thus is viewed as a symbol of abundance, wisdom, and immortality.

As the guests waited eagerly, the bride's 'mama' (maternal uncle) escorted Disha to the 'Mandap' for the ‘Varmala’. This was followed by Kanya Agamana. In this ritual, the bride and groom exchange garlands at the marriage altar in front of the sacred fire. Her maternal uncle accompanies the bride to the altar and a small screen is placed between her and the groom. Amidst chanting of mantras, the screen is lowered and the couples exchange their garlands. Indranil and Disha garlanded each other in accordance with ancient Vedic customs, to demonstrate their free choice and acceptance of each other.

'Juta Churai' was next to follow. During this ritual, the bride's family members try to steal the groom's shoes, only to be returned much later for a fee which is negotiated amidst much laughter and bargaining. Very regrettably the bride’s party with utmost cunning and stealth stole the groom’s shoes from Indranil’s car. I understand a princely sum of INR 5000 was handed over for the shoes. The groom’s defense strategy was very ‘shaky’ to say the least.

This was followed by an elaborate reception with drinks and dinner. The food once again was excellent with Chicken Zafrani, Mutton Tawa stealing the show, amongst other items on the menu.

Majority of the invitees knew each other and the remaining struck a happy chord with the barman. In all, everyone looked happy and contented.

We had to check out of the army premises exactly at 12 midnight – none of us wanted to be turned into a pumpkin. The Vidaai marks the exit of the bride from her parental home and her arrival into the groom's family. It also marks the beginning of a new life, with new people and relations. According to the custom, the bride's brother accompanies her till the exit of the home along with relatives and gives her hand to her husband.

Next morning Disha came home for the first time as a ‘Bahu’ - daughter in law. Her arrival marked yet another ritual ‘Ghar Ni Laxmi’. The groom's family welcomes the bride to her new home. The bride is considered as Goddess Lakshmi, who brings wealth and good luck to the family. As a ritual the bride is asked to knock off a vessel with rice grains as she enters her new home. The happiest smile was on PK and Rita’s face – the groom’s parents.

This was followed by Aeki Beki which is an excellent tradition, wherein the couple joins the entire groom’s family to play a few innocent games. This breaks the barrier and sets in an easy ambiance. A ring is hidden in a vessel filled with rice. The bride and the groom are asked to play the game and whoever finds the ring in a maximum number of occasions is considered as the winner and declared ruler of the house. If my memory serves me right, Indranil found the ring.

In the next game both Indranil and Disha were blind folded. The women in the house were made to stand in a row and Indranil was asked to feel the palm of the ladies and recognize Disha’s palm. Lo and behold, Indranil got it wrong and selected Kshama’s hand instead. In the next turn all the men stood in a line and bang on, Disha homed on to Indranil with utmost confidence and certainty. Well done D.

In the evening 0f 7^th December we all closed up at the Juhu Club Millennium for Sangeet. Normally this is a fun filled evening which takes place prior to the wedding, but in this case it followed the wedding. All the ingredients which go to make a successful Sangeet were there. Blah and Disha’s friends had prepared for this function from a long time. Vijay and Dhruv took the lead and unfolded Sangeet in a truly professional manner. There was a PPT on the childhood days of the couple with tongue in cheek remarks, speeches by the bride’s father, grooms mother and brother. However the best oratory went to 6 year old Ayaan when he said ‘I must declare that the couple is one of the best couples in the whole world’. The Bollywood dance sequences put up by the FOBAD (friends of Blahs and Disha) were truly amazing. The irony of it all was not lost on the people present – specially the Bollywood celebrities who at times approved the dances and at times put thumbs down.

In all ‘Disha Becomes a Blah’ was a memorable event. I am sure; all the invitees went back with sweet memories. This was one of those weddings which focused on creating a platform to correctly showcase how a wedding ought to be – a right mix of rituals, traditions, customs and expression of happiness in the union of two souls.

We all wish Indranil and Disha a very happy and long married life.

If you have managed to read the blog up to here – please spare some time and enjoy viewing the photographs