From Thames to Thamirabharani

Title credit 🏆 to my dear Aunt, Bhanumati! Couldn't have named it better!

1 Month, 2 countries, 3 states and 6 cities - All showed 1 thing in common. Each takes pride in their local milieu.

Scotland's schools and nameboards use Gaelic as a language, akin to Indian Schools teaching Sanskrit. London takes pride in its age old Libraries and Museums. And so does the 1300 year Nellaiappar temple in Tirunelveli for its architecture. Aurangabad (Maharashtra) was renamed Sambhajinagar, a few years back. Locals here, give you a friendly nudge if you call it by the old name. It's their way of honoring the Maratha history.

Civilizations flourished, culture shocks happened, modernization accommodated, and still, they all stand on common platform, when it comes to preserving a thing or two of their past.

This May, a lot of learnings and a few un-learnings. 

Continental breakfast sounds fancier than it tastes (especially for the vegetarians). Hashbrowns are saviors. Here on, you will never hear from us, "Who eats boiled/shredded potatoes for breakfast". We did for 10-12 days!😉 . Subway for dinner, Pizzas for Lunch- anything with No Meat, No Pork, No Egg, made its way to our plates in London-Scotland tour. In contrast, Ambasamudram's Udupi Restaurant, showed us, how cone shaped Dosas & warm Idlis patiently wait for Sambhar bucket to arrive. This steel bucket never arrives in style. After serving 5-6 tables, it will come to us, only to stay there, until the next calling comes. But we were not complaining. As it was a food we could relate and a meal that fit the time.

With familiarity in vicinity, Continuity can't be far. Ambassador Hotel, Aurangabad continues to stand tall and iconic alongside its famed neighbor Rama International.  School reunion gave its good share of notable moments. Didn't know, our Principal, whose perfume spoke louder than words, had a penchant for Shaayari. From statue bell to house board decorations practices inside school premises stay continued...

But step out of school, to find busier streets and more people. Is this city shrinking? Aurangabad voiced, what London reiterated a week later- "Space Constraint is not our problem, increasing footfalls is". Dubai, on the other end with swanky architecture, broader roads feels like Gen Alpha singing K Pop.

Now fast read this below para, without skipping names...that's how quickly our Month of May moved...

Dune bashing in Dubai, cruising the Thames and bathing in  Thamirabarani River stay inked in our diaries & memories. Witnessing longer days and shorter nights, in London- Scotland made Day light saving relatable. Years back, Aurangabad had a fine dining restaurant called Windsor Castle. We now witnessed the grandeur of this name. A cab driver in Tirunelvelli speaks of Zoho campus in this district , with the same enthusiasm as the Tour operator in Scotland speaks about Falkirk Wheel.

Nestled home, I am still taking notes of commonalities than differences. I highlight them, so when I revisit this post later, they wave back to me in unison with smile..

#Blog on the Go-Deoghar Day 10

Penultimate day before heading back to the warmth of Chennai. 2025 started with Deoghar trip & ends with it. So, tomorrow signing off from this city for the 2nd time, in the same year.

Today was more of an office day. Finishing touches to what we started on my Day 1.

Removed a large chunk of redundant data. Added some new files to Drive & some new routines to the team

In between all this, came a plate of Litte Chouka. Another colleague gifted a box of Laddu. An Amla ka Acchar was also making my way, but I refused saying, no pickle lovers at home.

I am determined to head back with same count of luggage that I started my trip with. My 2 trolley cases nod in attendance.

Thank you, Jharkhand, till we meet again. & Deoghar, you have 11 posts dedicated to you on this blog. Maximum coverage, that any city has ever got on Vyo's World!  

Footnotes

Deoghar Series- Part 2  

Deoghar Diaries- Part 1 - 

#Blog on the Go- Deoghar Day 9- Sunday Treats

If you have read the previous post, you know, Team outing was a toss between Movie or Mini Trek. We chose the latter.

But what if Movie also happens? And it happened today. 1.50 PM show-Dhurandhar. Before Dhurandhar started, it was Border 2- Trailer. 

I asked my colleague, "Border Movie Dekhi hai"
Colleague-  Nahi, kab release hui?
Me - 1997

I was surprised I could recall the year so correctly. I had watched Border with my parents and family friends in Aurangabad's Goldie or Nupur Cinemas. It was a Matinee show. 

Present Day Deoghar, a Matinee show again @ Eyelex Cimena. Dhurandhar followed by Pizza treat. A few selfies and with more hunger pangs left, we reached a Thelawala (roadside vendor) for Momos. 

Not to forget, my day started with Pav Bhaji for breakfast and by Evening 6.30, Pizza and Momos were added to my food chart.

So, if I were to rank todays visual and edible treats together, it will go like this..

1 Thelawala's Momos
2 Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar 
2.5 JP Dutta's Border 2 Trailer
3 Narayan's Pav Bhaji [ chef @ home]
4  xxx Outlet's Pizza

#Blog on the Go- Deoghar Day 7 & 8 - Cooking at Banka

A large chunk of Day 7 in office, went in planning for, Saturday-Day 8. Team outing - Movie or Mini Trek, was the question? Latter won the votes, and we pinned the outing location as Odni Dam - Banka. 

Starting from Deoghar we crossed Jasidih, Katuria and reached Banka in Bihar. 🚘

The Green Dot Eaters 🟢had restaurant ordered food. Red Dots lovers 🔴 went for Venue cooking feel. It was interesting to watch a Ship Broking team come equipped with modest cooking kit. Almost 12.30 PM, a Black Coal based stove & Barbeque grills were set. Never had I imagined a lighter could be used ignite cooking fire. Winter winds posed a big challenge. 

Our driver, an old village man was the Chef of the Day. He shunned the barbeque plates, and borrowed a "Handi" from local fishermen, and cooked the marinated foods on it. What was initially planned as a Mini trek, turned out to be Mini Kitchen & Destination cooking experience. The long 2 hour drive, up and down Banka, definitely worth it.  

• Chat in the Car Footnotes
• Chatt Pooja and Kaadhu Rice eating ritual associated with it.
• Saathu seems to be a Superfood of Bihar/Jharkand. Ate at home, but understood today that its deeply ingrained in their food culture. Satthu Paratha to Litti and even Sharbat.
• Kheera is a common reference to Cucumbers here.

#Blog on the Go- Deoghar Day 6

Christmas, 2 years back, we were at roof top restaurant in Pondicherry. Waiting patiently for the waiter to take our orders. With Long waiting, less staff and limited tables, a lopsided attenders vs guest ratio was also on the menu that day.

Fast forward 2025, here I am in Deoghar, cozily tucked in my room. Its 11 degrees by the night and 14 degrees by the day. Sun plays peek a boo somewhere between 11 & 1 PM.  

With Dahi Chura for breakfast, started my sun walk.Took the opposite side this time, got familiar with a nameboards on the other end, so I know my way back. Halfway through, took a Toto to Smart Baazar Mall. Same Rs 30/- fare, even though this is farther than the usual V-Mart frequent.

Enter mall premises, and we can forget the city we are in. All malls dress alike for Christmas- Santa, Xmas tree take centre stage. People also react the same way, taking Selfies by the tree. Random, incoherent, light weight shopping to appease my school going audience back home. 

Then diligently joined the long Christmas queue for payments. Locals were getting impatient, with slow billing & limited counters. But for Deoghar visitors like me, it's no pressing hurry! Merry Christmas🎅

#Blog on the Go -Deoghar Day 5

As I enter Day 5, I realize, it's a serious disservice to not write about my earlier travels and just keep updating Deoghar diaries. 

Coorg's Dubare Elephant Camp definitely needs a mention. An experience of wading through knee deep waters, forming a human chain to witness the Mighty Elephants was a spectacular treat.

Compare this, to the 2 chirpy birds here, making more noise than 4 honking vehicles. Not a moment of quietness dwells. 

6 helping hands pace through corridors setting the house in motion, even as, the Owner-Grandparents tune in to their unhurried routine.

Their tableware displays Crockery of the 90s, Frames on the walls speak of 3 generations. 

A compact kitchen, a store cubicle, a verandah, stairs leading to the terrace... all this paraphernalia has become a part of my homestay at Deoghar.

#Blog on the Go - Deoghar Day 4- Driver's Wisdom

 A deeper dive into the local milieu of Deoghar. Williams Town to Manikpur is a 14 km , says the Driver. Simply put, this is a distance from my homestay to office.    

This driver's wisdom spreads from Dhandabad's Coal fields to Bokaro's steel plant. Dhandabad's air quality is poor and dust particles black, due to Coal, he says. Landlocked Rajasthan is finding its way to Sea. 

Even before I could marvel at this new info, he speaks of a protest & a mob attack in vicinity. That was too fast a derailment of enlightenment, for me.

Before he derails further, I nudge. Did Jharkhand's split from Bihar make an impact? He gives full marks to this separation. Deoghar in his list, is next to Ranchi.. while Bihar still has only Patna to speak off... 

#Blog on the Go- Deoghar Day 3 - Devils Advocate in Angel's Cloak

Done with breakfast by 8.30 AM, started for office by 9. 

After a gap of 10 months, meeting the same Team, in the same office but with an elevated purpose. A team, that was once learning to swim was now diving in Maritime waters. Having watched this progress from the warmth of Chennai, here I am, braving the winters of Deoghar.

• This trip isn't about telling them what they didn't do. Its about reminding them, it had to be done.  
• We spoke of the hits, we spoke to misses. 
• More importantly we spoke of daily deviations leading to fragmented team efforts.

And a lot of observations coming from the team itself!!  I never knew, playing a Devil's Advocate in an Angel's Cloak- can make so much  of a difference.😀😀

#Blog on the Go- Deoghar Day 1 & 2

Landing on time with Domestic Transfers is a great starter. My second, 10- day stint at Deoghar, kicks off on a weekend.

A Sunday morning is greeted with hot Chura-Dahi & Chai. (Puffed Rice & Tea). Brisk enough to get me walking through the streets of Rani Kothi. Visit the same place for the 2nd time and a whiff of familiarity sets the tone. By lanes of Williams Town, now resonate better. 

A straight walk to Ramakrishna Hall, followed by a Toto Ride ( Auto) to V Mart. On the way back a thoughtful stop at Raj Stationery. As this humble shop crossed my path, a thought crossed my mind. World map outlines could make way to some games with the team. Ships- Ports- and the World- go in hand in hand..

Back home (Yes, its a homestay on official visit).Here I relish simple meals and play audience to 2 chirping parrots, in well spread-out garden lawn. 

Octogenarian Grandparents, owners of house, now have someone to talk to. They call me out for tea, which, during my earlier stay was delivered to my room. Like any grandparents they have stories to share, about their work, their family, & mainly their neighborhood. Sitamarhi, a place I had seen on Bihar-Jharkhand map, is relatable. Bhagalpur, a native whose name kept cropping up in Mumbai office, finds its place in every conversation here...

No work and just play, makes Jack a dull boy? 🤔🤔 A weekend work alarm rang. A quick call from boss, for a brain-storming session to discuss my agenda with the team. Before typing this post, I sent out my 1st draft there...

Its 9.15 PM- time to wind up & gear up for my next working day. Paratha for dinner was delectable.

Deoghar Diaries

 It's not a usual thing to attend a music concert at a book fair. To be fair, let me call it a "Pustak Mela"...

Local artiste , Ritu Aditi's , "Damadam Mastkalandar" hit all the right notes that day. She had her band on stage, but for me a spiced up "Litti Chokha" was a perfect partner for that chilling evening . To settle this hype ,came a troupe from Deoghar's neighbour- Kolkata. They performed a skit on Swami Vivekanand's life journey.  All these off beat happenings at a “Pustak Mela”, is what makes my Deoghar Diary special.

Toto Rides (local auto) took me to Tiwari Bazaar, a local market where sweatered vendors sold shawls and shawled vendors sold vegetables.

Deoghar mornings, noon, evenings & night- all spoke the language of Winter Chillness. To beat this cold, on a Sunday morning, I decided to brisk walk.I walked past many "Kothis" ( bungalows). Deoghar's architecture is yet to popularize tall structures. Be it Madhuri Nivas or Rani Kothi, the layout is horizontal and with a high probability that it shelters a Chaubey, Dubey or a Mishra inside.

On Deoghar's map of advancement, lies Deoghar Airport & STPI (Software Technology Park of India) that has our office. Walkable distance from office is Swaagat Dhaba, that took care of my daily lunch by serving Daal- Chaawal, that needs to be pre-ordered to ensure it’s served hot.

My breakfast & dinners had a generous dose of Parathas & Cauliflower servings...May be that was the Cook's favourite but he made it my staple.No complaints because the same cook served hot Masala teas, piping hot tomato soup, Gondh ke laddus & Kheer for dessert.

As I sign out of Deoghar,  holding 96 rewards points from the local V Bazzar mall,  their message says, "visit us again to redeem your points" :)

City of Trams - Sends an Invite

My 1st step on Calcuttan soil. I was tempted to ask the Cab Driver to take me, to the fictional

Shahjahan Hotel of "Chowranghee". I hold back my excitement and descend at the hotel I am booked for. To me this city carries no nostalgia, no appendage - yet have lived & loved this City through books & novels.

My 1st taste of Kolkata was served at the reception desk of the Hotel. The man across the desk, puts up a question in chaste Bengali. I knew language would pose a challenge, but wasn't prepared to encounter the challenge so soon. A few lines down the conversation & the reception desk is convinced I am a Non Bengali speaking visitor.
Our conversations shift to English. For a city synonymous to Literature - English is like a second language.

Going by my wish list- Writers Building was 1st stop of interest. But the receptionist suggested otherwise. He was quick to bring out the city map and explain that Writers Building should be my 3rd stop. I decided to go by his expertise.

He suggested I start with Ballygunge. This affluent Kolkatan neighbourhood has big names associated to it. Tram Depot Wall of Ballygunge was getting ready to play host to the Street Art Festival. Catching a glimpse of its

Circular Road reminded me of newspaper cutting that said, it once housed  the legendry"Suchitra Sen's Bunglow".

Street names in Kolkata give a flavour of their cherished politicos/ artists tempered with some anglized counterparts.
On one side, as you wade through the likes of Aurobindo Sarani, Ganguly Street, you also come across Camac Street and
Shakespear Sarani."Sarani" to Bengal is what "Saalai" is to Tamil Nadu.  [ both meaning street]

A vegetarian roaming on the streets of a Seafood loving city isn't a great idea. It means you literally drop the proposals of almost every famous restaurant coming your way. And eventually settle for a simple meal at a decent outlet, which hardly features in the City's Food Guide.

Five Point Crossing at Shyambazaar was a must see on my list. I could sense the receptionist in the morning raise eyebrows, at my choice of places. I was not following the standard tour guide format. I had to assure him, I will not leave the city without visiting Howrah Bridge and Victoria Memorial.

But more of interest to me, was the famous Kolkata Port which made East India Company choose Kolkata as their trading hub. My fascination was to take the longest possible Tram ride- even if it meant spending a major portion of a day just commuting. My attractions lay in catching a glimpse of at least 1 literary stalwart, whose car would fleet the path, I am waiting to cross.
May be, the day I visit Kolkata, this might happen, Till then, I choose to indulge with this fictionalized account of my trip to the City of Joy. Meet you at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose airport...someday....

.............................. Mumbai v/s Chennai - Similarities that unite us....................

Madras Day - 22 Aug 2014 marks Chennai's 375th Anniversary. 

An overdose of Chennai love, coupled with TOI's "Chance-ey Illa" initiative,and one section opposing Madras Day Celebrations. I find all this a lot in common with Mumbai. 

It is this similarity that brings me to finding some more...

3 Beautiful Days... Srirangam

I  have always been a crazy fan of south Indian hotel sambhar. Srirangam, was just another excuse to exploit my taste buds. 

Having spent 3 beautiful days at temple town of Srirangam, I should ideally be talking about the altar & its architecture.

Of  the many factors that made this trip special, yummy luncheons were just a beginning. 

Few minutes  away from Ranganathar temple, "Vamana Royal" on Uthira Street was a superb bet in terms of lodging. Uthira Steet surrounds the temple & labels itself by direction- North- East- South & West Uthira.

Our mornings started with freshly brewed filter coffee at East Uthira. Then a small walk down the South Uthira Street to gaze the main temple entrance ( Rajagopuram).  

Wet floors, design rangolis along the West & North streets  leading to the White tower or "Vellai Gopuram" - would complete our walk.

Be it the morning stroll, or break between temple visits, mythological stories fuelled my excitement in this new town. Ma-in-law's story telling was akin to Grandma's summer time stories. Shrines & sculptures, were thus, a brick & mortar representation of these mythological narrations.

Final day of our stay had a packed itinerary - a temple visit, pre-wedding ceremony to attend, bags to pack and a train to catch. And all this in a half day's time. We  knew we will land up compromising on our interaction time with wedding family. But Sriangam had different plans for us. 

On the penultimate day, as we returned from "Mani Vilas" - after a sumptuous dinner, known faces & familiar voices filled the hotel corridors.  It took few mins to believe, that the wedding group had checked-in to the same hotel as ours.  Astonishment, followed by inquisitiveness from both ends, filled up the initial moments, slowly giving way to introductions and greetings. Needless to say, the next day, we bumped into each other, atleast a dozen times - initially at the corridors & then at the temple.  

Call it "Srirangam and its surprises", "Gods & their Gopurams", this is probably the first time I have multiple titles for a post

Bollywood's Rajasthan : Now My Rajasthan...

Rajasthan on celluloid, now feels more connected. From Bikaner to Mandawa, Agra to Delhi, 2014 started with a spill over vacation of 2013. From capital city Jaipur to pilgrim centre Pushkar, passing Ajmer to reach Jodhpur, meant 8 hours long drive. This was the best opportunity to befriend our non enthusiastic  driver Mr Sonu. Inter city drives turned him from a passive driver to an active contributor, giving Intercity comparisons. In his version Jaipur, his native, held an upper hand, over Delhi. I chuckled, as his comparisons pleasantly reminded me to the likes of Amravati v/s Aurangabad and Pune v/s Mumbai.

Sam Sand Dunes, gives a glimpse of Rajasthan, we all are familiar with. Be it "Sooraj hua Madham" song, or Nanhe Jaiselmer's poster boy, movie scenes unfold at the deserts of Jaisalmer. Love Aaj Kal's last scene, Shudh Desi Romance last song, its Rajasthan all the way. There is heightened excitement in watching these movies/ songs after visiting the places.

Contrast to Jaisalmer,Bikaner shows the aristocratic side of State. Mandawa, on the other hand, looks like a poor cousin to Bikaner. But their smart lodging facilities are a real attraction. Mandawa has converted it ill maintained havelis into Vantage Hotels. There can't be a better example of best out of waste.

The best part of Rajasthan is that, even non tourist attractions will give a local feel. Busy roads of Jaipur, will have camels walking on its sides. Radio stations, loud speakers, festivities are incomplete without their trade mark " Dumadum Mast Kalandar Song". Colourful turbans out for sale are hard to resist. I gave a miss to bags, and bought turbans this time.

Finally from the land of Maharajas to the land of Shehanshahs. From an architectural heavy weight to a commercial centre. From a Rajasthani  State to a Haryanvi Union Territory. Where Mahals replaced Minarets and Open Havelis became enclosed domes . Delhi was our final stop before returning to home city Chennai.

NB - Keeping up with my tradition of posting travelogues late, this post comes 2 months after the actual travel period. :)

Commuting Wows ( Not Woes)

When my "Work from Home" Option got waived, a tinge of disappointment was felt in and around me. It meant, daily commuting of 30 mins, up and down, in peak traffic. 30 Mins is negligible by Metro Standards. Yet it means, relinquishing my comfort of Working from Residence.

What I did not realize is, an underlying opportunity of introducing myself to City Roads was waiting for me. The theory called Chennai Topography was turning out to be a Practical Lab, with me, as one of the Lab Assistant.

Now I wake up to a new reason each day. There is a sheer excitement in hiring an auto every morning, negotiating and reaching destination. Evening rolls out another chance, another driver and a new bargain.

An iota of pride blooms up, when I tell them that "I am a regular commuter, and well aware of the prevailing Rate".

Its been only 2 weeks of daily commuting. 

As Route becomes a Routine, Excitement may turn into Exception. 

Before that happens, I had to make this post :)

Unfurling US Days (Part 2)

Unfurling & Untying some Memories Fresh

Unfolding the Sweet Nothings, I recall best.

In Constant Company of a 5 Year Old  -Many Mythological stories I told

Receiving them with a high interest -She appreciated my efforts best

But my stock of re-callable tales  -As expected,came to an end, one day

I, then narrated some mishciefs done, -By me & my Sis, in our Childhood Days

This was received with even higher interest  - Real wins over Reel, is what I guess.

Beautifully crafted weekends came my way  - Thanks to Silent Efforts some people made

Be it, the "Golden Gate" or "17 Mile Drive" -  Breezy winds, kept their share alive.

Downtown LA - sang a different tune - Showing us some colours, entirely new.

Nautically speaking, Vegas was colourful -  Emitting sounds of Slot Machines full

Enter Grand Canyon - An untold epic stood - Retelling - Man & Natures' brotherhood.

California brings me, some relatives close  - Heard Of, but unmet- for all these years

Meeting them, was on the cards - Even before,our Emirates had taken off.

Few formal mails, some informal calls -Random chats, More Chats led to Longer chats. 

Then, Dinners happened, Shopping was done - Home away from Home, a complete Family Fun.

These lovely days, will stay inked in here,

Adding one more account to my Travelosphere.

Unfurling the US Experience

A close friend tells me, that many Indians tend to look only at the negative aspects of US. To a certain extent she is right. I realized, 1 week into US, and I was already cribbing about Food & Microwave Cooking. A few weeks on, getting use to the available vegetarian options was easier than finding alternatives. Getting bored with Breads was easy, but making a variety of sandwiches was even easier.

US gave me my 1st Combine Cooking experience. 2 Families- 1 Cooking - is as interesting as you make it to be. We landed up discovering some different methods. In the absence of Roll pins we used Empty Beer bottles to flatten Rotis. Our Conscience, told us to try a better option. But no other object gave a firm grip for smooth rolling.  The thought of buying a roll pin never occurred, as we had already made friends with this discovery. 

My idea of City Touring includes familiarizing with Brands & Chains, the natives use. It is a sense of new learning to know that “Coach Factory”- sells exclusive Leather; Shopping at “Costco” will mean buying in Bulk; “Shell”, “Arco”, “Chevron” are Gas Stations on the US Menu.

Every West Coast visitor will tell you, about LA, Vegas and Chilled City of SFO. But they may not find it necessary to say, that you will need to talk in “Miles”, “LBS” and “Fahrenheit” - while discussing Distance, Weight and Temperature.

Habits, Dress Code, Formality Levels, Mindsets, vary from City to City, Country to Country. To me, the comparison goes like this - What is casual for Mumbai, may be modern for Chennai. What is casual for US, may be modern for India

Chennai as I see it...

TEMPLE METRO:
1 month old is a period decent enough to enjoy the newness, this City throws at you. I call it the TEMPLE METRO of India. Reference to any place, finds mention to the nearest temple it has. This feature is so distinctive, that address Books in Chennai use temples as Landmarks.

AROMATIC STREETS:
It is probably the proximity of temples that leads to their liking for Flowers and Garlands. Flower selling population form a sizable portion of Chennai Street Vendors.

THE CROWD THAT CHEERS:
Cheering is an integral part of Cine Going Experience here. Interesting dialogues, Stunts, and even Credits, at the beginning of the Movie – get welcomed with Claps and Cheers. This active participation, by movie watchers, extends beyond the Front Row Audience. But slightly disappointing is the absence of National Anthem at the Start of the Movie.

AN ILLUSION CALLED METERS
“Auto Fares” if indexed can be traded like Stocks. Commuting Charges depend more on Negotiation Skills than Distance covered. Concept called “Metered Fares” stays on the City’s Wish list.

CENTRAL INDIA MISSING?
Dominance of Tamil, closely followed by other South Indian Languages, fills up the linguistic Database of Chennai. Any State “ABOVE” the Southern Map of India is classified as NORTH INDIA. By that logic, Mumbai is a part of North India.(not Central India).

With the Stars - at the Bar

Treating a combination of Indian – Norwegian client meant spending my next few hours, tasting every variety (Hyperbole is my favourite figure of speech) of fruit punch available at Bar- House. A Bar House true to its name, will offer only 2 – 3 choices, to a humble- innocent like me, asking for a health drink (fruit punch sounds better) at an odd place. So far so good- I manage to get an Orange or a Watermelon option, where ever I go.

So, the couch side of ITC Maurya Bar looked something like this. 2 Clients, 1 Colleague, 2 Kingfisher, 2 Melon Juice in Wine Glass and some Chips/ Nuts to munch. Main entrance of the Bar to my left, and The Bar to my back.

The Norwegian client was explaining how high Oil prices are affecting his freight, when a medium heighted – gray suited person entered (the Bar). Following him was a tall man – again in Grey Suit- as if they had planned to wear the same colour. Just as these 2 had taken seat – 3 others followed and all of them greeted each other with “Award Function Style” hugs.

Gulshan Grover, Mukesh Rishi (Judwaa ka Villian Fame), Aditya Panscholi , yesteryear actor Ranjeet and Shakti Kapoor. We thought it was a small together of these 5 Stars. We were wrong. They were guests at a Music Launch – by Kuku Kolhi. It was a matter of time, as Suzzane Roshan, Ravenna Tandon, Poonam Dhillon, Zeenat Aman, eye-candy couple Rishi & Neetu Kapoor joined. A lady with heavy makeup made an entry; I could not make out who she is. My Indian Client – in the 50+ age bracket – tells me- she is Shenaz Hussain. By now our Norwegian counterpart realized he was witness to Star Power of India. His curiosity translated into enquires about Bollywood and its movies.

I am not sure, to what extent we promoted business, but dear Bollywood –we did our bit of promotion for you.

BIT- Matunga

Readers, not familiar with the title: you may begin with the Footnote.

A serpentine entrance leads you into the building. The entrance carries no warning to hawkers, salesmen or trespassers. This single gate entry point, allows just one person at a time to walk in. No high gate, no watchman, I am still wondering, when the building got constructed, what must have been their idea of security.

Wooden hand-rest leads you to the residents, through cemented floors. Building Corridors have pigeon holes, for sunbeam to usher in. Some stray cob-webs surrounding them, politely convey a message, of "live and let live”.

As we wait for the door bell to be answered, I notice different compartments on the door. At the centre lies a rectangular opening with a wooden flap, inscribed LETTER BOX. (The first “E” and the “R” have turned faint) The postman must be sliding the letters in, so that the residents have them at their feet, when they go by the door. I recall not having seen any Letterbox at the building entrance.
To compartmentalize the door further is another opening at the eye-level, with sliding arrangement. It allows the residents to know who the visitor/ stranger is. This arrangement I believe is much easier than the modern day key holes, which gives a hazy picture of the visitor; sometimes they just give a laughing mirror type of images.

For a first time visitor like me, every object in this “1 Room Kitchen” and its way of presentation seemed antique. To begin with a cupboard veiled with saree thin curtain cloth.

I am wondering the purpose behind veiling the cupboard. So far I managed to jot down 3 options:
• Veil the object that stores valuables of the household. (Not highly convincing, as the veil only manages to attract more attention than necessary)
• Olden Day Scratch Pad, to protect the Mirror on it.
• A way of Furnishing.

In a 1RK,"space" is a constraint, but, “the Cloth line in the house” is never made to realize this. Those cloth-lines that humbly occupy air-space make themselves comfortable stretching across ends. As the ceiling fan exhales, moisture laden air seeps down, giving you a refreshing feel. I wonder, if Coolers, a relatively new development got their inspiration from this?
To supplement the internal cool air, “prison van type window grills” act in co-ordination.

These windows serve a dual purpose. They allow fresh air from outside, at the same time keep flies at bay. No wonder, separate need for Mosquito Nets was never felt.

Moving to Kitchen. L Shaped Platforms were absent those days, and Modular structures were ages ahead. Kitchen queens seem to have divided their options into 4 categories. Floor Space, Mid Air Space, Air Space or a combination of any two. BIT- Kitchen introduced this to me in its own way.
• A segmented Worship place starting from ground level to 5 feet height (A Combination).
• An Airborne Plate Stand.
• Multiple tables segregating dry from wet ingredients (Mid Air Space)

For those of you who say, Creativity gets dampened under Constraints. Time to revisit your thinking. Creativity can work best, even under Constraints.

Footnote:
I recently visited my “GREAT Grand Ma’s” house. My account of the old building and its ancient furnishing. BIT stands for Bombay Improvement Trust.