16 VAYATHINILAY REVISITED - 574

             16 VAYATHINILAY REVISITED 

         A TRIP DOWN THE MEMORY LANE  

I somehow find this *Travel Down the Memory Lane* a particularly invigorating experience . For one it is free of any strain on the body and secondly  it does not come with any monetary strings attached .

I could assign various reasons for this , Chief among which is the fact that being from the old school , I am a bit fond of being  nostalgic of the past reminisces  and tend to relive the past at every opportunity that come my way . The additional fact  that I am getting on in age and any opportunity to re visit the past is always a welcome passtime   .

One such journey takes me back to the year 1976 , when I was the proud  owner of a Motor Cycle , My first two Wheeler was a  Royal Enfield Crusader . Madura Coats Bachelor s quarters inmates had a sizable number of Two Wheelers .  Only 5 brands were available then . ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET , RAJDOOT , JAWA FOR THE MOTORBIKES  AND LAMBRETTA AND VESPA SCOOTERS .

Cars were a luxury and one had to be sufficiently well ensconced with the GREEN STUFF ( Rs or $ ) to own a car. Only 3 varieties of Indian Made Cars were available then , PREMIER PADMINI FIAT , HINDUSTAN MOTORS AMBASSADORS AND STANDARD MOTORS HERALD AND STANDARD 10 . It was indeed very rare  to see any car other than these 3 makes . 

  In those days there was hardly any traffic on the road . I distinctly remember not coming across any vehicular traffic in the opposite direction during my entire travel from Kallidaikurichy Natesan Petrol Bunk  to our Bachelor's Quarters accomodation at Papanasam Madura Coats Mill Colony which could be easily in the range of 18 to 20 Kms . 

In those days the  Petrol Pump or Bunk were very few and quite distant from each other .   They  now go by a  more respectable name of  A GAS STATION . The nearest one to the Mill Colony was the one near the Ambai Railway Station  called  Muthulakshmi Petrol Bunk  .  The other one was just past the Kallidaikurichy Railway Station ( Natesan Agency ) The next petrol bunk was only at Melapalayam if you were on the way to Tirunelveli which itself was  nearly 30 kms away . It might be hard and infact impossible to digest the fact that 1 Litre of Petrol then cost all of a Princely sum of Rs 1.75 /- .

The situation today is totally different now  . Large  number of vehicles of all sizes and shapes  whizz past you in both directions and more importantly  there are now more than 15 well equipped Gas Stations within a redius of 10 Kms from Ambasamudram Railway Station limits  .

This brings to fore the sharp contrast of the days gone bye and the present . There was hardly any traffic on the Roads . 2 wheelers were very few barring the ones from the Mill Colony . They were referred to as the TAKKU MOTOR VANDY by the localites . In fact it was considered unsafe to travel from Ambasamudram Kalyani Theater to Mill Colony with the stretch from Miller Bungalow up to SAHAYAMATHA TEA SHOP  being considered particularly unsafe after dark . The 40 Watt incadescent Electric Bulbs with their yellow light was of  hardly of any use .

One particular time that comes to mind is when we as a Newly Married Couple ventured out to see the Movie 16 Vayathinile at the Kalyani Theatre in Ambasamudram on a drizzly evening . This all time hit of SRIDEVI  KAMALAHASAN RAJANIKANT GOUNDAMANI with Music by Ilayaraja was a sure favorite for all irrespective of their age . This despite being warned not to do so by the many well wishers in the colony . Being newly married does give one a feel of being no less a hero than the one on the screen  . Mr and Mrs Ganapathy Sir accompanied us on their Green Rajdoot Motor Cycle which was a rare colour for a Motorbike in those days . 

During the return journey after the movie they were following us close behind and this was the saving grace on that day . The minor hold up because of a puncture to my ENFIELD CRUSADER and having to find a mechanic  at the ungodly hour of 9.30 pm was a serious issue in those days . . We however did manage to find a mechanic and were home in the Colony at the truely ungodly hour of 12.45 am . So much so for 16 VAYATHINILAY . This all time hit still brings back fond memories of our venture on that rainy day .

The very same road is well lit now and there is hardly any dark patch anywhere .  Solar powered lamps adorn the road like a shiny necklace all through the entire stretch.  Vehicles beyond count ply on this road in both directions every minute . Surprisingly a large number of these are driven by the Fairer Sex .

WE HAVE SURELY MOVED FORWARD  AT A FAST PACE  IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE .