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Shop and eat at Laxmi Road

Walking on Laxmi Road, Pune is an extremely trying affair. The place is terribly crowded at practically any time of the day (most shops here are open all day long unlike other true blue Puneri establishments that close for a siesta) and any time of the year. Moving from shop to shop, climbing up and down their rickety stairs and discussions about design/texture/colour (with your co-shopper) and price (with the shopkeeper) and (after transactions are successfully concluded,) lugging around your bags in the heat can test the resolve of even the most dedicated retail therapist!

So where does one go to restore the body as it were, the spirits having already being restored with the now lighter wallets?

Janaseva Bhojanalaya (Dughdha Mandir)  is an ideal spot to rest the limbs and restore much needed glucose to your systems. It is strategically located towards the Alka Talkies side of Laxmi Road, where the usual shopping haunts peter out… (I have not mentioned this place in one of my earlier posts about Laxmi Road.)

Its an old and small unpretentious hotel that has been revamped to some extent. Let me assure you that the menu remains faithful to its tradition, offering most Maharashtrian snacks (and few South Indian ones as well). The place is clean, the food is tasty, fully vegetarian and one cannot really complain about the prices.

Presently there are two sections in the hall. One is for Mithai and Namkeens for take aways. The other is the self-service dine in (you can get items from this menu packed as well) where one has to simply order and pay for whatever you want and relax your legs, back and arms as you wait at the tables. The billing machine is connected to the kitchen and your order is automatically transferred to and prepared by the chefs there. A tinkle announces your token number and then you can tuck in to your hearts content!

The menu is not very extensive but Sabudana Khichadi, Batata vada, Sabudana vada, Kharvas, Modak, Doodhi halwa, Misal pav, Thikhat Sanja, Kothimbir vadi are top favourites.

So the next time you are tired after shopping on Laxmi Road, head to Janaseva- you’ll enjoy it.
Cheers!
Archana

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What’s in a name?

Some years ago, I wrote another post with a similar title. Repeating it could mean:

  • lack of ideas on my part (wrong)
  • repeat post (wrong again)

OK lets not stretch this… Unlike the previous post where I wrote about MY name, this is about names of women. Rather, roads named after women…


Interested? I recently read this article on the BBC website which mentions that very few roads across cities in the world are named after women. Immediately I turned to my city and looked around trying to identify such roads here in Pune.





Horror of horrors Pune city too seemed to be bitten by the same bug as has bitten the ‘road naming’ authorities world over. I assumed that roads are named after people who have made important social, medical, scientific, cultural etc contributions to society or under political compulsions…. Logically this should include both men and women. Yet for every 8-10 roads named after men, I found only one road named after a woman.


I have found no reasons for this strangely skewed ratio.


From my limited search, here are the roads I located. Of course some of the names were only surnames so it could have been either that of a man or woman so we must give the benefit of a doubt…

  1. Kumidini Pednekar Road
  2. Kashibai Khilare Road
  3. Kamlabai Bhat Road
  4. Dr Banoo Coyaji Road
  5. Kalika Devi Marg
  6. Savitribai Phule Road
  7. I was unable to confirm if the famous Laxmi Road is named after Rani Laxmibai or the Goddess or any one else…

Can you spontaneously reel of names of 10 roads named after women in your city/town?


So what’s in a name? Nothing or everything, depending on your point of view.


Until my next post, do read names of roads you travel on. Thanks to our zealous corporators, most Pune roads now have big blue signboards.


And yes, if you find more such names in Pune, do write in. Please do not endanger yourself in trying to read such sign posts and always follow traffic rules.


I have not included names of “Chowk” (Squares”) but I guess they warrant inclusion as well. We must update that meagre list above…


Take care!
Archana


P.S: Adding to the above list:
8. Adarsha Mata Sonumai Joshi Path


P.S.S: Thanks to inputs from all my friends I am happy to add more names to our list. Please scroll down for the new additions.


9. Sarla Nivrutti More Path
10. Laxmibai Vishnu Sane Path
11. Shobha. H. Kolte Path
12. Rashtramata Jijamata Marg

Updating the list on 29 Dec 2014:
13. Iravati Karve Marg
14. Minatai Thakre Road
15. Kamlabai Bhat Road


Update on 02 May 2015:
16. Kai Vimlabai Shankarrao Pachange Path


Update on 07 Dec 2015
17. Swargiya Vijayatai Kenjale Path


Update on 22 Dec 2015
18. Kai. Shrimati Gayabai Shyamgiri Gosavi Path
19. Kai. Jaai Bapu Vairat Path
20. Nargis Dutt Road


Update on 22 Jan 2016
21. Kai Shalinitai Khunte Path


Update on 26 Mar 2016
22. Dr Annie Besant Road


Update on 23 Sep 2016
23. Kai Sau Ramrati Ranulal Rathi Path


Update on 12 Dec 2016
24. Late Smita Patil Road

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I’m back

Like the dialogue made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger “I’m back” to e-space!
Various commitments in and out of Pune followed by plain old laziness took me away but that is no excuse…
On my return, what do I find? Following local elections, Pune is engulfed in a water crisis as the high point of a day is hearing the growling engine of an approaching water tanker! Whatever the reasons for the sudden water cuts, its something we have to live with till the rains at least.

A drive around the city shows that spring has settled in despite huge temperature variations. The golden blaze of the Tabebuia can catch you off guard and take your breath away even as the Jacaranda casts a soothing bluish haze over the tree line and a blue carpet at your feet… New leaves on the Moha blush as the Casia grandis preens in its pink glory competing with the greenish white fragrant blooms of Shirish.

I can go on but its better to walk down the streets and look up at the trees and enjoy this lovely season.
They too seem to be saying “I’m back” despite the changing climate, tree cutting and so on...

Cheers!
Archana

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Something Special…

Our tenure at Bhuj was among the most memorable for me. Besides the wonderful people we met there, I was honoured to get an opportunity to work with the lovely children of Dhanvantri School. Founded and managed by the dynamic Dr Shantuben Patel this is a one stop halt that caters to all needs (education, therapy and counselling) of special children. I am richer from this experience and from everything I have learnt from Shantuben.

At the outset let me make it clear, that the school is forever filled with joy and laughter and optimism. This arises from the diminutive soft spoken power house called Shantuben!  The school was razed to the ground in the 2001 earthquake yet Shantuben and the teachers relentlessly worked on. Their efforts have resulted in a beautiful new complex that offers succour to special children from in and around Bhuj.

There are several large-hearted benefactors that help keep this noble venture going and the school recently got a wonderful new gift- a school bus. The gift was made all the more special as the one and only Big B, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan did the honours by presenting the bus keys to Shantuben.

Due to commitments, he was unable to visit the school, something the children were really looking forward to. When Shantuben reached the school, they reverently touched the keys as ‘He’ had handed them over. Such unquestioned, unadulterated adulation and adoration and respect has to be seen to be believed. We do hope that Mr Bachchan can visit and spend time with the students of Dhanvatari School in future.

Here are some images of the children and their new bus.

In case you happen to be visiting Kutch or Bhuj, do make it a point to visit this school. It’s not about what you can give the school or its children but the hope and optimism that you will can learn from them….
Good Luck!
Archana

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Shaken…

After a long time, I read this article that really disturbed me. The Dec 26, 2011- Jan 09, 2012 issue of the Outlook magazine has several articles that describe ‘food trails’ in different regions. I have read several such ‘food’ travel articles online and in magazines but none was as stark as this one.

The article is entitled ‘Sweat of Shiva’s Back’ by Amita Bhaviskar and describes the food and life of Bhilala adivasis. Perish any thought of a romantic account of life in the jungles. Far from it. Having said that, at no point does the article deteriorate into a ‘sob story’ of their difficulties. In a simple stark manner, the author describes their food habits that are totally dictated by the lives they lead.

Initially the botanist in me was struck by their use of the Mahua flowers and its oil and liquor made from it. Then as the words sank in, the magnitude of their situation hit me.

A friend of mine spent some time at Melghat and her account of the conditions there was of abject malnutrition, illiteracy…

Despite tall claims of our esteemed economists, industrialists and the government of being an economic superpower in-waiting, our politicians continue to focus on the caste system for their own gains, female infanticide is still rampant, girls are ‘married’ off to banana trees or earthen pots prior to marriage for some obscure ‘dosha‘ in their horoscope as their mothers and relatives look on approvingly…. (I have never heard of the same proceedure for a prospective groom, are their horoscopes universally excellent and free of doshas?). Does this mean its the darkest before dawn or is it all just a mirage? I don’t know…

Its true that ours is a vast country of diverse geographies and people. One size will not apply to all. The cities see a 24X7 rat race for more money, a bigger job designation, a bigger loan (to keep up with the Jonas’ in terms of creature comforts) and a slowly bigger list of diseases… Some migrate abroad in search of a ‘better’ life.

All this while folk from our villages fed up of lack of income and wanting a ‘better’ lifestyle come to the cities in search of the proverbial pot of gold…

We have lived in some pretty remote and disturbed areas, experienced the ups and downs of soldierly life. Combined with my work with disadvantaged kids I thought I had developed a thick skin… I was wrong…

Take care..
Archana

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Have we really evolved?

After my
daily tussle with completing home chores, the maid, telecallers and other
invisible forces, I zoomed out of the house to make it to work on time. As my
car idled in the choc-a-bloc traffic, my mind was in a spin. Though totally
unrelated to the IT industry, current developments at Satyam had disturbed me thoroughly. What was worse was
that it seemed only to be the tip of the iceberg of a widespread rot.
I
remembered a proverb: “Power tends to corrupt, and
absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men”.
The current incident is
certainly not the first but for whatever reason we simply shrug off and move
on. Some call it resilience or is it that we just don’t care? We are so
preoccupied with our own needs and wants that nobody wants to learn.
We go about
stoically as terror/scams/ Nature’s fury unfold in some distant place affecting
somebody else. Why bother, I am not affected… What it is that must drive such
attitude, such apathy?

We are
totally engrossed in reaching our own pot of gold at the end of the rainbow
come what may. Stopping for an accident victim or going that extra bit to save
the environment or even help in safety of our neighbourhoods seem to be a
hindrance and burden. Trust – that is the basic premise for any transaction
including business or social is fast becoming extinct.
Greed
(whether for tangible or intangible assets) fuels unethical / unlawful
behaviour and always leads to disastrous results. How much is enough? All said
and done irrespective of our earnings, one needs only six feet by three feet
space to sleep on and one can eat only about 250 gms of food at one time and
that too judiciously. Any more and it brings along uninvited guests like
diabetes, heart ailments.
Man claims
to be at the top of the evolutionary chain with his wrinkled grey matter and
mastery over baser instincts. Yet do we not display the same animalistic
characteristics that remain coated in a thin garb of so called urbanity? In the
perennial rat race we call a career, we search for a better position and better
pay packet but the winner still remains a rat. In his letter to
regulatory authorities, the outcast IT czar too likened his position to that
of, “riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten.”
So
complacent are we about our superiority that we go about plundering and
destroying nature. We pride in keeping our homes spick and span but dump all
refuse outside. Atrocities on and exploitation of women continue across all
economic strata and communities. Road rage, intolerance and disputes among
communities for trivial reasons often end up hurting everyone and the issue
remains just there- unresolved. If it ever existed that is….
A round of
horn blaring jolted me out of my reverie. My daydreaming had insulated me
partially from words being showered on me for delaying cars behind me. Hastily
I shifted to first and moved on, my mind a whirlpool of thoughts. Are we just
animals in urban jungles, some selfish uncaring creatures morphed from Homo-
sapiens? Have we evolved at all?
Think about it…
Have a good day!
Archana
This was first published on 17 Jan 2009 on 4indianwoman. That site is not available online anymore.
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Of Trees and Tree Hunters..

Recently I participated in an interesting event- A Tree Hunt organised by the Pune Muinicipal organisation along with some organisations and noted tree expert Shrikant Ingalhalikar. Rest assured this is not another post describing trees. Its about how people reacted to the trees around them.

Instead of wasting time, lets get straight to the point.  Most Tree Hunters were ladies of the baby boomer category. Hardly any men participated and I did not spot any youth- If some did take part, I have missed them.

Our task was to travel along a given route and identify and write down the trees we see on both sides of the road or those in people’s homes/gardens but visible from the road. Simple right?
Wrong!

We were given a list of common trees that would not be counted in the final tally! Now this complicated the situation as Buccha, Khaya, Gulmohor, etc were the most obvious ones and more populous. One could write number of each species thereby getting more points but that gave the event a tinge of being a Tree Census rather than a Tree Hunt. Any way. That is not the point.

Being a sunny winter day, there were many people grouped around trees on the roads. At one particular site, I just could not identify a particular tree and kept going round and round it trying to look for any flowers or fruit. The leaves were too high to be able to touch them so I had to make do with what I could see. A couple of youth had parked their bikes and were busy chatting. They just couldnt figure out what I was doing. One of them finally came and stood beside me and peeked into my papers. Now both of us were peering up at the tree.
“Do you know the name of this tree” I asked.
“No, I am trying to find out!”
Not much help there, so I turned to a shopkeeper with premises right under that tree.
“Do you know the name of this tree? Does it flower and what do they look like”
“I dont know,” he said, “I have never seen flowers in so many years!”

How could anyone ignore such majestic greenery growing above them? If this is the situation with mute living trees, then it explains people’s apathy to reacting to any accident or misdeeds around us….

A little ahead, a tree grew right along side a hutment. It had an interesting flaky grey bark and plenty of legumes hanging amid its leaves. Again this was a stranger to me. Inquires with people there yielded nothing. They did not know the name, if at all the tree flowered or bore fruit (yes, there are some trees in Pune that do not flower or fruit). The tree had grown such that it was almost stuck between two homes. A staircase went up to a home, right along the huge trunk but obviously people gave it as much attention as a stone lying on the wayside. A friend of mine later told me that it was a Phansi (Dalbergia lanceolaria var paniculata). I plan to go back and properly see the tree in April when it is supposed be flowering!!

Across the road was a huge tree with a massive trunk. By now I had no hesitation in asking people around about its name. I still hoped someone would give me an answer; not to ‘help’ my answer sheet but just to reinforce my faith that people paid attention to trees around them. I was not disappointed. Yeah!! There was some hope after all… The gentleman sitting under the tree pointed out a paper pinned high on the bark that listed various trees and this one’s identity was ticked off… Waval… His next question totally floored me:
“Are you going to cut this tree?”
It took me quite some time to explain that I was not any ‘tree authority’ and did not have any such nefarious intentions. I was only trying to identify the tree.

The people living there must obviously be proud of their tree and concerned about its survival. I do hope it is not axed down as part of any development plans.

Trees give us shade, oxygen, flowers and fruit besides being home to some other fauna or at times plants. Like us they are a part of Nature. They are necessary for our healthy existence. Plenty of trees have been cut down in our city for various reasons- some avoidable some not.
Its not too late. Wake up. Look around. Take care of your trees and they will take care of you…
Cheers!
Archana

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Music Festivals: Dos and Dont

Winter is a beautiful season in Pune. Besides lovely weather, excellent veggies (I refer to their quality not price!), sales and exhibition galore, there are usually several cultural programs as well. Despite several artists performing throughout the year, the period following Divali is particularly busy. Music festivals both small and big mean a virtual auditory feast for music lovers! And these are not simple three hour affairs, but are spread over a period of 3-5 days.

Since 2003 I have attended several such ‘utsav‘ because that is what they are – music festivals!  The audience obviously largely comprises die hard music lovers. However there is a small percentage of people who are present there simply to accompany their loved one who loves that particular music genre/artist or to
merely ‘log’ their presence at the event or youngsters (a rising number of them seen these days) who tag along with their ‘group’. Prestigious events like the Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen (the last name added from this year) attract Hindustani music aficionados from across the seven seas!


I like music. I enjoy music but for me it has to be in small doses in relative comfortable seating. A full music therapy dose comprising five hours daily for five days is not something that I can tolerate. After a while, the back and neck start complaining and the mind begins to drift as the eyelids droop …
I have now developed a strategy to make the experience more enjoyable.
Those in such a position will benefit from this post. 

  • First and foremost, scrutinise the program and identify the artist that you like. The trick is to arrive late or leave early so one can catch this performance.  
  • Watch the interactions between the supporting artists and other musicians on the stage. I firmly maintain that a live performance demands excellent team work and good leadership as they deftly share the limelight, let others lead and combine their efforts to have the audience eating out of their hands and asking for more—which is what the program is all about! 
  • Next up, carry a book or newspaper or better still, your iPad or Kindle. Dont we read and listen to music at home then why not here?? Do ensure your neighbours are not disturbed.
  • The by now ubiquitous smartphones are a good way to be physically present but mentally absent. There is lots you can do: for starters…update your twitter or facebook status, update your blog…
  • For the tech-averse- look around and watch expressions of people around you, admire sarees of other ladies in the audience (yes, some of them really do turn up in wonderful outfits, exotic bindis and earrings-whether its their normal way of dressing or customised for the event is something I wouldn’t know).
  • Explore the variety of food stalls outside- a must for foodie Punekars (one needs nourishment to appreciate music after all) or stalls selling music CDs etc. Usually one can find relatively uncommon recordings and artists at such stalls. Irrespective of your seating (the elite sofas or the down to earth ‘bharatiya baithak’ all stand in the queue and partake from similar plastic cups/paper plates. After their performance, some artists are often spotted checking out the fare on offer!
  • Scan the people thronging these stalls or the audience rows to identify any one whom you know. This is vital particularly for those who wish to be ‘seen’ at the right places.
  • Carry along a pillow/bolster (especially if your seating is in the ‘bharatiya baithak‘). they are very useful for a quick nap or to support that aching low back! 

As far as don’ts are concerned (ref title post): Those who cannot or will not tolerate music, should best stay away from such events.

We would welcome more innovative ideas. Till then, enjoy!
Archana
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Arranged Marriages and Astrology

Recently I attended a very interesting lecture organised by a prominent Marriage Bureau that was meant to throw some light on ‘horoscope matching’ that is almost always done prior to arranged marriages. The auditorium was full– with people standing in the aisles and corridors outside to hear what the expert (a famous astrologer appearing on TV shows) had to say.
The aim was to get answers to some questions like:
What exactly is horoscope matching? Is simply counting the गूण (loosely translated as ‘points’) sufficient? Is it sufficient to match the moon sign, नकक्षत्र (nakshatra– constellation ) नाडी (nadi) ? What about the dreaded मंगळ (Manglik) or सगोत्र (sagotra- same gotra)?

The net take away for me was as follows:
  • First and foremost, people match horoscopes to eliminate ‘risks’. 
Does this mean those with perfectly matching horoscopes face zero troubles in life with smooth sailing all around? I have not got an answer to this question… Further, people with who do not believe in horoscopes or do not want to match them are suspected to have ‘something’ to hide! 
  • Verify if the horoscope has been ‘made’ correctly. Currently available computer-generated horoscopes are acceptable. For this one has to provide date, time and place of birth.
This raises some more doubts. Often people ‘manage’ horoscopes so that they match with the one of the desirable bride or groom. The expert at the above event said that it is possible to do so and very difficult to spot the ‘managed’ (hence fraud) horoscope. 
We depend on the hospital staff to tell us the time of birth. A doctor has told me that no staff in a delivery room has their eyes fixed on the clock at the critical period of the child’s birth. They obviously have better things to do… 
Hence what we consider as the precise time of birth, may be slightly different by a few minutes. Further what can be defined as the precise time: the time when the head is delivered or when the baby cries or when the umbilical cord is cut?
Often clashes between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law can cause marriages to break. Then should their horoscopes be matched as well? 
The expert did not shed light on these vital points.
  • Parents (its usually them who insist on matching horoscopes) fall into three categories: 1) Do not believe in horoscopes hence do not match (very very few in number), 2) Get horoscopes matched from a astrologer and 3) those who do a जुजबी (loosely translated as cursory) matching. 
Its the third category that is most dangerous. Using a ready reckoner or simply focusing on a few elements to ‘decide’ weather or not to go ahead with a proposal is like losing out on a diamond!
Like most sciences, in astrology too, there are things beyond tallying points which only experienced experts can interpret. Even an unfavourable or less favourable position of a star or planet may be offset by other star/planet positions in that horoscope or in the one to be matched. There is nothing to fear in the मंगळ or other so called dreaded नाडी provided one ‘studies’ the horoscope in its totality and practically.
The expert gave practical explainations and solutions to some of these misconceptions.
  • Those who do wish to match horoscopes must consult an experienced astrologer for the same. Of course it means paying his/her fees which can be a barrier. To save this money, people resort to half-baked, self-taught, haphazard matching with insufficient knowledge that cause them to ‘miss’ out on a perfectly suitable groom or bride or worse still: end up overlooking some vital ‘mismatches’…
One of the speakers at the above lecture gave some very practical advice when seeking a bride or groom. Go ahead and match horoscopes if you believe in them but do consider the following:
Values, Lifestyles and Financial background of the two families and the children.
Its absolutely vital that these match or are compatible for a successful marriage. The young couple must have similar aspirations and values. As he said, being against corruption does not simply mean going on a candlelight march and then submitting a falsely inflated travel bill in the office!
Further, these days, parents are extra sensitive about their children (हळवे). Let us remember that if our upbringing has been correct, our children should be able to take decisions independently and take responsibility for their decisions.
There are several programs on TV or even print articles about matching horoscopes for marriage. In this case one size does not fit all. If horoscopes do match one cannot simply sit back and behave as one wills. The concerned couple and their families must understand that making their marriage succeed is an ongoing process that needs constant efforts.
In cases of so called ‘love’ marriages or intercaste, intercommunity marriages, parents do forgo matching horoscopes and yet we do find that these are happy successful families contributing to society and economy.
In these modern times, the final decision must be based on scientific and practical grounds and solutions found and acted upon accordingly. Laboratories like Golwilkar Metropolis in Pune offer Pre-Marital Blood tests (for HIV, Rh compatibility, Hepatitis, Thalassemia etc). Would this be a more scientific approach to pre-maritial screening? (I do not hold any stake in the mentioned Path lab. I just happened to see their brochure hence this mention. Others may offer the same as well!!)

This post will not change a person’s attitude, its not meant to. However if it can stimulate the reader to honestly assess their reasons to match horoscopes, I have succeeded!

Take care!
Archana
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Setting dahi in Fossil stone: Experiment 2

Continuing from an earlier post, here is an account of what happened when I subjected my glass made of fossil stone (from Jaisalmer) to some treatments!

Research showed that the porous stone may hold spore of bacteria that regrow under ideal conditions. So I put boiling water in the cup for about half an hour, changing the water when it cooled. Then washed the glass as usual. Thereafter I immersed the glass in butter milk for about four hours and again washed it clean.

The next day, I again poured about 50 ml of warm milk and waited for it to set. Though it took longer than usual, the milk did turn into curd and this time it tasted like our usual curd. Its texture, colour was normal.

Does this confirm claims that its fossil stone (from Jaisalmer) can curdle/set milk into dahi without a starter medium? These amateur trials at home certainly cannot prove anything but the fact remains that despite taking a longer time, my experiment did end with ‘dahi’ in the glass.

Dahi for thought?
Cheers!

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