....One Life is not Enough....!!!!

...with the sudden demise of DR APJ Abdul Kalam former Indian President,India is mourning...Dr Kalam was referred to as the Common Man's President....a colleague of Vikram Sarabhai & Satish Dhawan the Architects of India's Space & Atomic programme,Dr Kalam had a humble background...a deeply rooted & sensitive Human being...Dr Kalam loved his subject of Science & Technology nd tirelessly he propagated for implementing same for the Nation ,which have a telltale bearing on the success of the Country...always in humility he represented wht knowledge & Wisdom in all its infinity could be a humbling factor for any Professor practising same....in fact he is truly the Path Finder for our youth & generations to come...he was relentless in finding solutions to a huge challenge called India its teeming mass of billions,...his mantra was to elicit smiles on this huge thriving civilisation of ours....no wonder his works & Books reflected his vision of a 2020 India, moving & Marching forward in Elan....he bade his adieu while on the teaching pulpit, imparting his message to the students til his last breath....as if One Life is not Enough...!!!...Dr Kalam's spirit is India's Spirit...Long Live....!!!!

...On Cloud nine....!!!

....the Deep Blu  at its "turncoat" best....intermittent showers , overcast conditions, with  Bright & Sunny side up every morn.....waxing & waning, titillating it to the realms of joyous abundance.....its Colorful Chimaera at its best....the Children wud point  it to their Grandparents.... waxing eloquence of their varied views....the Doors& Window panes need bracing, gusts of wind ,untamed roaring, crashing unwarranted at the first sight of obstruction....the Monsoon abundant as always....a Part & Parcel....moderating the weather .....a sudden drop must say frm May  Departure.....the Reading Team  is back to wrk.....Dicken's still holding Sway.....Ralph Nickelby ,in a shrewd move offering a Thames Riviera mansion to the Widow of his Elder brother: Mrs Nickelby , with Kate the daughter conveniently put away in employment at a Drapers firm....& Young Nicholas miles away incarcerated as Astt. Master in the Ramshackle Dothebys hall....gud to be back to the basics of existence aft. the whirlwind tour of the Indian Mainland......however & whtever Modernity invades us the the great works of Literateurs strikes always the Universal Chords and the observation is.... tht whtever & howevr evolved...we hv not changed over the centuries......the basic Tenets, Essence & Chemistry of Humanity......Thank Goodness for same....every line every para surmises so.....the language artfully Vintage...like a brush over a Canvas.....a Casualty in contemporary writing......in consonance with changing times....but it does in no uncertain terms elicit the thrill of Joyous reading, Character building & Firm Rootedness....despite & though ,hands are terribly full  the truncated wrk hrs not withstanding....thr is a spillage to extra hrs due to constant pouring of cases.....thr is a distinct feeling of fleet-footedness ....the vacation doing real Gud mentally & physically.....the ambient weather, overflowing mkts , the city in a newly refurbished look with reversal to 11pm closure as against 10pm in the last few mnths.....sprightly atmosphere in all urgency for the imp. mnth..... all adding up, with Pakistan 'Honey Mangoes' wel stacked up in cases in Godown , aplenty , auguring  wel for the impending Festivity.....

.....Into the Realms of Paradise....

.....UL 196 frm IGIA took off a trifle late ,amidst clear weather conditions & Srilankan Hospitality onboard....a strong return journey party, this time with Parent in laws...Arnav's classmate, nd his mother all fmly frnds, frm Kota joining us at the Airport....unprecedented Check in baggage allowance of 240kgs for 8 of us....all utilised by us, as we r Indians nd tht too Non Residents, hv to carry every bit of India with us....Connecting UL105 frm Colombo, past midnite,moving in thick rain,as the flickering Starboard lites on the wings wud suggest, across the Laccadive Sea once again, to Maldives Isles...crossing over to Male' frm the Airport, the early morn breeze,the Ferry, all Welcoming nd soothening...sharp contrast to now Gigantic NCR Gurgaon....upbeat Megapolis....its Ramaadan time....the air rife with Prayers....a truncated working hrs nd extended vacation for the Kids....the Second Innings begins, on the same note ,as I had left the First....!!!!  

.....the rapidly changing face of India....

....the porters no longer easily available .....nor do they throng upstairs near the Upper Class waiting Hall to collect their postcard if at all any arriving frm Chhapra/Siwan/Balia....the one I hired had a mobile ph....the Quintessential survival tool now...Kolkata no longer looks a hectic city anymore as it was 20 yrs ago...the traffic flow reasonable nd thr r no overloaded Bus'with people dangerously travelling on the footboard, as it was a common scene two decades back....a solitary tram or two & whole city draped in light blue shade to wipe away whtevr Red was thr which was the City Colors under the Marxist....Didi's Calcutta looks difft.....though the Strand Rd with its fossilised business est.looked just as same as I had left some 15 yrs back....simply fell in love with Victoria yet again...the lawns,the waterways nd the imposing facade erected whn the Empire was at its Zenith....this is the beauty of Calcutta, the maidan, the Sports clubs, the wide rds nd boulevards in the heart of the City...the Lungs of the City....also holding its place ,the sweetmeat shops nd the traditional taste unmistakbly Bengal....there was something amiss on the street though....the Unique wooden chassis Bus, with decorative window panels nd Aluminium,Tin panels,now,taken off the rds....replaced by more modern looking transport...with the Double Decker totally extinct....last 30yrs sees an unprecedented globalisation nd the Indian Cities losing its Unique status....untouched, though,is Madhupur 228kms west of Calcutta in native Jharkhand State...the Ramchandra Bazar same....one of the oldest Municipality,inaugurated by no less thn the Mahatma....Bansi Maharaj's kin still latching on to the slot without a structure, selling some fabulous sweetmeat...the fish mkt ,nd the Goat meat mkt under one heritage roof,untouched nd resitant to change....the nxt gen sellers r thr ,couldn't find those faces whom I still remember vividly.....the rural populace now dominating & thronging the Bazar as never before...nd merchandise overflowing....felt liberated as I sifted thru the crowd,popping in & out of small time shops...the heat & humidity unbearable....soaking a steady gaze of older gentry who unmistakbly recognised me....some old frnds perchance seeing me & hollering at the top of their voices my name....felt at home ...the undulating terrain,the far flung extent....dotted with Kothis of Bangali Babus, now in disrepair nd usurped....the Anglo Indian habitats of Bungalows now in ruins....shining though was Carmel Convent whr I learnt my ABC & 1,2,3 ,getting a fresh coat of paint in the vacation as it is customary nd usual practice....the air felt fresh, laden with fragrance of usual flora,the walk trail the same as I had last left 30yrs back.....!!!!!

.....The Slog Overs....

......Intermittent Rainfall , cool gusty sea breeze keeps us cool,sharply in contrast to the Indian Mainland whr Heatwave claim Lives....as the last phase b4 vacation is on, there is a sense of urgency for the Service...its time to formulate a plan for al my trusted clientele, as a backup & standby for the entire June Vacation.....last week sees an intense spurt in cases, nd stil continuing as these pre monsoon mnths wil be as usual....for the CDC....the NCD clinic wil be wel taken care off by trusted colleagues, whn handing over....there wil be a lull at Consult Chamber 4 ...the door taking a much needed rest as wud I....curtains for a yr of Marathon shud I say....!!!....in a couple of days the Butterfly is slated for its  arrival....in the abdomen ....as it is its customary fare....b4 departure.....Dicken's "Nicholas Nickelby" wil accompany me as I hv just started with young Nicholas assuming charge as an Asstt. Master in Mr Squeer's "Dotheby's Hall",depressed at the state of affairs thr....the progress is slow in the siesta time aft Lunch ,post Morn Clinic, tnx to chatterbox Doel ,who happens to be the reading partner,with her Thea stilton series & occasionally Enid Blyton...not to be undone & left behind is Arnav, who is picking up reading v fast ,with "Dug the Pug","Around the World" & "Fairy tales"....as he wud read aloud, much to our distraction....luckily halfway thru he wud  doze off for a Post school, Post Lunch nap.....happy tht the children like reading nd we r a team now, I enjoying every bit of the 1838 Novel ,post "PickwickPapers"....Copious reading & Voluminous writing as set forth as a brisk agenda for 2015 seems to be moving well in the first half of the yr.....now tht is concluding......Kolkata, Assam , Meghalaya & Native Jharkhand, r in the first leg followed by NCR in the second.....sad ,wont be visiting Haflong, as the Dima Hasao Distt. of Assam, is insurgency prone...one of the most breathtaking scenic route on Lumding- Silchar rail Route.....though,visiting in June, this Summer, with Monsoon around, shud be exciting nd fulfilling; meeting kith & kin & dear frnds....!!!....1st June instant,as usual wil cross the Laccadive Sea, with beautiful Birds Eye View of Maldives Isles.....!!!!....Pearl in the Indian Ocean....!!!

.....The Ussiri falls of Giridih Dist.....

....the Madhupur Giridih Pass  hauled by the steam Loco was a regular feature adorning PF 1 of MDP RS ....1MG in the wee hrs until 8Mg, terminating at nearly midnite at MDP RS ,shuttling arduously over a plateau terrain with clocklike precision,  a trust worthy shuttler ,between the two towns of Madhupur Jn(Jharkhand) ...a Holiday Home health resort of ubiquitous Kothis ....of  well to do Bengali Gentry frm thn British Calcutta  & Giridih(Jharkhand): the Coal & Mica mining town, en route  Hazaribagh  . Early 20 th Century Calcutta was moist ,humid ,warm with brackish water , playing havoc with the health of its citizen with Industrial pollution.....the reachable  Santhal Pargana Plateau was a Plateau of Delite for many ,who wanted to escape the drudgery of Calcutta....the Health Resorts of Madhupur, Jamtara, Giridih, Simultala , Jasidih , Devghar were dotted with villas nd sanatoriums ,suiting their panacea of a lungful to inhale, inciting the imaginations of the Bangali Babus... the advantage of these towns being on the Calcutta Delhi Rly Trunk route was responsible for their development as a tourist centres ,far far away frm the maddening crowd of Calcutta....retreats ,Mathths, Temples dotting the landscape with Churches nd Mosques, for an al encompassing society of mutual thriving, with Respect, at a time whn the other parts of the World were already experiencing sectarian strife....the jewel of the plateau was the  Aborigine Santhal, whose village nd occupation of a living was as simple as whn the World was born....rubbing our eyes in the wee hrs of the morn to take the 1MG train to Giridih was  ful of thrill, for onward journey to a huge Waterfalls @ USSIRI thru dirt tracks of a Horse cart ride....with al bag & baggage of a whole day Picnic is wel etched in memory......the quite a distance Horse cart  ride amidst thick Sal jungle nd red soil of a dirt track to a huge area of waterfalls , majestically  cascading over the rocks.......cud hear the massive roar of the falls frm half a km away, the huge sal trees with its equally huge leaves , the thick Aroma of the vegetation of the Tropical green rain forest of the Santhal Parganas.....with firewood abundant ...the fire lit Cooked preparations by the fmly, frnds & occasionally relatives, was delicious ,after exploring the area ,& a swim....the water tasted  heavenly , famous for its mythical gastro corrective properties......the return journey @ 4pm for Giridih RS  was hurried.....to take the 6MG train to Madhupur  @ 5.30 pm via Mahesmunda Stn.....whr a 2mt stop was sufficient to drink the water provided by the Rly.Waterman (Pani Paray) in the RS with shining Brass water dispenser frm equally clean cool Earthenware pots......incidentally Mahesmunda was famous for its Water....nd many wud fetch a can of water frm thr......the clean ,pristine, setting of a plateau whr  we lived for  30 yrs, is  unparalled  til date....!!!.....the Imminent June Rendezvous  frm Male' to Kolkata for Madhupur , trudging the original circuit is  therefore breathtakingly Awaited .....for tht Lungful of Panacea to Inhale.....!!!!!

....We r challenged ,yet we seem oblivious....sad too many people died despite being aware & alerted by the Recent Temblors at the region.....I was horrified ,to note how insignificant meaningful coverage the latest Earthquake cud garner....there is a Challenge thrown by Mother Earth,....with the Nepalese Parliament shaken...whn ,the ground beneath us was sliding.....our Parliament was discussing Land Bill, its merits nd demerits....a 10 Richter will flatten Delhi, Lock ,Stock & Barrel....wht is the Contigency plan for the Nation's Capital & other vulnerable parts, of the Country........its War time now ....now tht the Nature is our Adversary......as today's Temblor proves, how vulnerable we r ....nd how our homes r castles of cards.....matters which really matters for the masses need to be taken up...as many will sleep outdoors tonite...I think the Quake situation is a National Emergency....for al Nations in the Region....Big Bro @ MFP was sombre today...definitely the toughest also seem to be rattled....We must mature as a Nation & priorities prioritized....