RANDOM THOUGHTS

          SIX DECADES LATER  PLACE : KHARAGPUR- W Bengal  YEAR : EARLY 1960 S  Two things are bound to flash into one's mind when the name of Kharagpur is mentioned .  First one , without a  doubt is THE  INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY which came to be established HERE as the First of it's kind in India . Second , Kharagpur  finds its place as an Important Railway Junction in SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAY , where trains from Howrah to Bombay , Howrah to Madras  or Howrah to Midnapore and beyond separate. It also boasted of the Longest Railway Platform at that time . HGR  resided in Bungalow No 281, while SRM resided in Bungalow No 283 . Both their Fathers add to that SRM s Grandfather were Senior Railway Officers.  Being Neighbors , the  access to each other's house was almost as easy as walking from one room to the  other  . Both HGR AND SRM spent a major part of their time in each other's residence . Each Bungalow had a huge Garden space where Fruits and Vegetables grew in Ab

             AYODHYA YAATRAA - DAY 7                                                 VALEDICTORY FUNCTION  All things Good have to unfortunately come to an end. The last Seven Days have been unique in more ways than one . Near 70 Persons Sharing Space and Experiences with totally unknown persons and coming from totally different and Contrasting Backgrounds has all the ingredients for differences of opinion .  Ashok and his team ensured that no such thing happened and the single minded goal of all to make the Yatra a Success was the stand out Feature .  Timings were maintained to near perfection . Food that was soft on the stomach and with a different Sweet each day was a special Feature .  As pointed out by Seshadrinathan , for many in the group , this was the first time they were taking their better halves out for 7 days at a Stretch.  Added to this is was the fact that All had Good a Darshan and completing other religious and spiritual rituals associated at various places .  Thanks t

  Most Unwelcome Airport - Our Chennai Airport We pride ourselves on our long held Traditions . Athithy Devo Bhava is one such Tradition . Leave alone the Athithy , even you who has been living in Chennai for a long time is not welcome back at the Domestic Terminal if you decide to enter the City from wherever you have been by Flight into the City . The problem is even more if you are a Senior Citizen .  After Collecting your Baggage from the Baggage Carousel Bay Earmarked for your Flight . You exit from the Airport and you are in the middle of nowhere , not knowing how to Reach the Hired Vehicle that you had decided earlier and a ritual which you have been doing for a long time now .  The Road in front of the Exit Gate is only for Uber or Ola Taxis.  Enquiries with other Cab Drivers revealed that we have to load our Bagagge on to a Buggy and Ferry you to a point called the Drop - Off - Point . Problem here is that there are only limited Buggies and Seniors may find it a bit of a Chall

          Our love for a Hot Cup of Coffee  We South Indians and especially the ones from Tamilnadu have a special love for their Coffee . Their day is made if it starts with a Sip of Piping Hot Filter Coffee.  Our Return Flight from Gaya to Chennai was with a transit Halt of close to 5 Hours at Delhi IGI Airport . We arrived at the Delhi Airport at 1.30 AM and had lots of time in our hand .  The Puliogara and Thair Saadam of Sunder Travels was both Sumptuous and Tasty . Only problem was that it brought about a feel of Drowsiness after the Satisfying Lunch .  What better than a hot Cup of Coffee to bring about  the change in your drowsiness .  Terminal 2 of IGI has umpteen outlets vending from their stalls . We got a shock when the first such stall mentioned a price of Rs 420 /- for a Medium Cup of Coffee which included the GST .  We the Six in our group , we had no mind to shell out such a huge sum for our Coffee which would have cost us a whopping Rs 2500 /-  Our searches in other ou

                         TEACHERS DAY AND ME  I am now 74 years old . Sept 5 has always been a special day for me for 2 reasons. One , Celebrated as the Teachers Day it is very close to my heart as I have very fond and lasting memories associated with it . Two persons who are very close to me are associated with this noble profession  .  My  own Father started his career initially  as a Teacher at Yelamanchilli near Vishakapatnam before he joined the Indian Railways . My better half has been a very loved and respected Tamil Teacher all her working   life at the Girls High School at Kadayam in Tamilnadu.  I have myself dabbed my hand at being a Teacher  in Spoken English and Hindi for sometime . I must only hasten to add here that it had only limited takers , the reasons for which are all too obvious and needs no elaboration . I must also admit that I have only faint memories of my Teachers at Kharagpur from Standard 1 to 4 . I however  have fairly good memories of my Teachers from Clas

          Ayodhya Yaatraa - Day 6  In comparative terms this was a relatively calmer day for us Yatrees . Gaya is a place where Tarpanam and Shraadham are done and pindum offered at the  Vishnu Paadam .  First things first , we were lodged at at Bodh Residency at Bodh Gaya which is some 15 Kms away from Gaya Proper .  We started from Bodh Gaya at around 6.00 AM which is a good one hour later than our practice thus far .  Tarpanam , Pinda Daanam at Vishnu Paadam was done in all seriousness for our wellbeing and the Moksha of our forefathers.  We were back in the Hotel by 12.30 and took rest till 4.30 PM .  Bodh Gaya is the place where Gautama Buddha attained Nirvaana under the Bodhi Tree . This place is held in utmost reverence by the Bhudhist Followers the world over . Lots of visitors are home to this place which can be judged by the fact that there is an Airport here catering to both domestic and International Trvavellers . Budha Vihaaraas from many Countries are Home to this place.

  AYODHYA YAATRAA DAY 5  ASHOK HAD ALREADY INFORMED US THE PREVIOUS NIGHT ITSELF THAT WE WERE IN FOR A VERY BUSY DAY ON DAY 5 OF THE YAATRAA . AS HAS NOW BECOME ALMOST A  ROUTINE WE WERE UP AND READY FOR A VISIT TO SIX IMPORTANT PLACES AT VARANASI BY 5.00 AM IN THE MORNING .  SEVEN MINI VANS WERE ENGAGED FOR THIS PURPOSE . SPRUCED UP AFTER AN EARLY MORNING BATH AND A  HOT CUP OF COFFEE WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO THE KAAL BHAIRAV TEMPLE .  IT IS BELIEVED THAT NO VISIT TO VARANASI AND KASHI VISHWANATH IS COMPLETE WITHOUT A VISIT TO THE KAAL BHAIRAV TEMPLE TO PAY YOUR RESPECTS AND SEEK  HIS BLESSINGS TO LEAVE THE HOLY PLACE FOR NOW . A CROWD WAS ALREADY THERE AT THIS EARLY MORNING HOUR WHICH KEPT INCREASING EACH PASSING MINUTE .WE PRAYED AND OFFERED OUR RESPECTS .  BLACK WRIST BANDS FOR BOTH THE LADIES AND GENTS ARE TIED BY A PUNDIT AND A WHACK ON THE BACK IS A RITUAL HERE . IT IS SUPPOSED TO RELIEVE YOU OF ALL YOUR PAINS AND THE HECTIC TROUBLE TAKEN TO VISIT ALL THE HOLY PLACES IN KASHI THUS