TIMES AT AMBAS HAVE DEFINITELY CHANGED - 4

AMBASAMUDRAM A CHANGED PLACE NOW 

Just the other day , finding no other way to while away the time , I was gaping at the road outside my house at Agasthiarpatty  . This is a road that connects the Taluk headquarteres town of Ambasamudram with the tourist / pilgrim attraction of Papanasam . There was heavy traffic  on the road with a lot of 2 and 4 wheelers passing  on either side .  What was conspicuous by its absence was the bicycle , which was till quite recently one of the main mode of  transport . Out of sheer curiosity , i counted the number of vehicles passing  on either side and noticed that it was almost 20 vehicles every minute .

This brought back memories of this  very same road some 40 years back . We were staying at the Mill Quarters close to Papanasam during those days . Against a lot of opposition and also advice from friends , self and my better half would often venture out for the evening movie show at Kalyani Theater , Ambasamudram on our motor bike . The distance involved was hardly 10 kms . On certain rainy nights we used to lament the fact that we did not take the well intended advice of our friends and drop the very idea of going to Ambasamudram to see the movie . Here I must be candid enough to add that in the early years of one's marriage , with the wind blowing on your unmasked and unhelmetted face and across your ears as you took a ride  on the road with your better half as the  pillion rider had its own romantic charm . Movie and the lone eatery in those days THE BOMBAY RESTAURANT opposite the present day Pookadai Bazaar where a prominent Jewellery Store now finds its place  was a welcome change of routine. 

 The entire stretch except for  a small patch of workers colony near Agasthiarpatty     ( Place of our present abode now   ) , was sans any traffic  or even street lights . We were lucky if even  2 vehicles crossed us during our entire  near 20 minute ride .

Back to present times  , heavy traffic all through the day and which goes  on to become almost chaotic during the morning and evening rush hours is a big change from the empty streets of yore . What is also surprising to note is the number of  ladies on the 2 wheelers now  , some even venturing  out on the 4 wheelers with utmost nonchalance . Their numbers are simply amazing .
THINGS HAVE DEFINITELY CHANGED   FOR THE BETTER FOR  AMBASAMUDRAM .