A city with two hearts - Hyderabad

What started off as a simple official trip to yet another Southern city quite unexpectedly turned out to be an exploratory immersive break into the city of Hyderabad – a city of two hearts..

One heart beats to the tune of the “Hi-tech” – aptly called as such - where corporate dreams are woven, where skyscrapers try to touch the skies, where the lights brighten away the dinginess of everyday living and where the streets ooze sophistication and modernity..

Going from a city laden with pot holes and where a stretch of road without repair is a craving. I was starstruck with the real highways that Hyderabad boasts of and the ride through the Hi-tech quarter at night was a real Indian Times Square experience!!Twinkling lights, well-heeled employees unwinding on rooftops and overseeing the beautiful skyline that restaurants & pubs show off with very less humility..It is a blatant display of development, money and “upward” mobility and a real intention to put itself on the “developed” map!

The other heart of Hyderabad lives in the old city as it is called – the divide so obvious and yet the Hyderbadian is comfortable with living with two souls and hearts..The Charminar area is the bustling core of the old city where arterial roads sell everything from biriyani to bangles..The shoppers, the vendors and the tourists all culminate into a colourful tableau at the Charminar square..each with their minds full with experiences, steals and sales..

I let go off the remains of my “conference” and official purpose of the visit and donned the tourist cap to perfection as I explored Chowmahalla palace including a “Nawab” photoshoot that the cameraman sold with elan! An auto ride then took me in and around Charminar – a pearl shop- stop a necessity while you are in Hyderabad! And with no taste or knowledge in pearls, I was unintentionally drawn into a purchase of a tiny bracelet of pearls..After that it was just strolling through the old city quarters – bargaining for bangles,  sipping Iranian tea and biting into the malai bun that was served with a smile from one of the oldest shops – a huge crowd that I had to navigate through to get to that Bun malai!

Laden with steals and biting into the “Almond House Bistick”, I was smitten by the Hyderabadian hospitality, heritage and highways and as I zipped through the super highway to the airport, I confessed to the sins of good food and bearing a bit of jealousy and greed for the Hyderabadian highway of life.

That December Mood

A swing of cold air
Tingling at my nose

A burst of misty fog

Toying with my hair

A spring of festivities

Blooming within me

A pat of productivity

Priding my hard-worked back

A bond of family and friends

Snugging my evenings

A vacation of abundance

Brimming in my girl heart

A whiteness that engulfs me

Waving a thousand possibilities

A long list of 'forget-me's

De-cluttering my restless mind

A year of travel and thanking

Zipping past my terminal

A year of marathons

Slowing into laziness

A year of hope and happiness

Trickling at my feet

My very own December 

Ready to long, love and look forward

 

Can't take the CHILD out..

I see a child…

When I fight the little useless battles

When I hold on to that one small “toy” of an idea for life

When I cry over the little losses

When I pride over the small victory

When I peer into a fish tank with wide eyes

When I learn a new trick from a friend

When I terrify over a tiny to-do

When I worry myself to tears over some ‘spilt milk’

When I ‘group’ into comfort circles

When I ‘divide’ away what seems different

When I curiously learn a new thing every day

When I joyously laugh over a cup of coffee

When I still look for a motherly hug

At the end of a long long adult day

I can’t seem to take the child out of me

From my adult days, struggles and nights

Being Amdavadi

Ahmedabad has been an integral part of my growing up – omnipresent in the tales of struggles, tales of laughter and is almost a part of family tradition and legacy. A vacation in Ahmedabad is more a journey, a memory of nostalgic sweetness than a real “tourist” spot for me…And as if these were not good enough reasons to pack off into Gujarat – it was obviously  “the season” – of Navratri.. I couldn’t imagine a place on earth that could embrace Navratri as Amdavaadis…

And the experience never fell short..it was always more– more than the childhood memories, more than the stories of yonder, much more than the patched up images that I could recollect from days of past..From the moment I landed, I was in the warm embrace of the Amdavadi way of life – family, food, fun and festivities all wrapped in a warm cocoon that engulfed me in total and I was savouring every bit of this sweetness..

Starting off on a historic note, we ambled through the Gandhi ashram – an aesthetic memory of the struggles for freedom, a peek into the lifeline of Gandhi and a soothing structure by the banks of the river where squirrels, pigeons and parrots inhabit and keep the conversations going. After the cleansing experience, it was time to dip into pure evil that awaited us– the Gujarati thali lunch– a platter of dishes dipped in ghee and dripping with richness and sweetness in equal measure. We immersed in the culinary sins and came out ‘round-tummied’ and wasted..any step further seemed like an impossible feat and we surrendered to the “thali affect” and an afternoon nap was the only way ahead.

Come evening and it was time to now indulge in the spirit of Navratri that came alive every evening..Garba nights are the “thing” when you are in Ahmedabad – so we decided to transform into a true blooded Amdavadi – which meant shopping for the latest trendy jewellery and “chaniya cholis” at Law Garden would be our next stop ! After a bewitching long walk through the shopping streets, snaking and bargaining our way – we collected a full “Navratri kit” – bangles, trinkets, cholis and dandiya sticks and whatever we could lay our hands on.. ready for the Garba night ahead..

All dressed to ‘Dandiya perfection’, we were ready to take on the night at the Garba venue – and what a twinkling experience it was! The grounds bleeding a thousand colours, folks swaying in rhythmic symmetry, the music taking us to all a ‘new high’! And this turned into a ritual through the week – exploring Navratri events at various parts of the city, dancing and ‘dandiyaing’ our way, enjoying the whole experience of dressing up and then with sore legs and thumping hearts, heading to the nearest eatery to have a late night snack and dissolving into the city nights..

As a true contrast to the city’s explosive nights, we switched to a quiet heritage walk into the old city the next morning. The walk took us through old “Pols” (community living spots) , through a secular mix of  Hindu, Jain temples and ended with the Jama Masjid! It was indeed a soulful experience – a good mix of architecture, quaint history, evolution of the city and we literally smelled and sensed the history trapped in the streets, in the houses and the tiny tales that our guide sprinkled through the walk! And our final festination was the traditional breakfast at a 100-year-old restaurant that was tucked into one of the lanes of the old city – and the platter of dishes was perhaps a good representation of the old city itself – a bit of spice, sweet, salt and sourness – a blend of tastes – old and diverse!

We crossed the banks to return to the “new city” where we indulged in modern and ‘international” experiences of the Atal bridge, riverfront, sound/light and water shows at Akshardham and an aquarium that boasted of penguins and ‘coypus’(def: coypu is a cute rodent that conquered our hearts)..some more shopping and we had almost reached the end of the experience called Ahmedabad!

And as I savoured a few scoops of natural ‘Niruben icecream’ that was curated, made, served by the original “Niruben” herself – clad in a white saree and telling us of the modern ice cream parlours that are vying for her market share,  I could not help but feel the odd mix that the city was – heritage and history on one side of the bridge and the leap into so-called modernity and “development model” on the other…

After an explosion of endless days of exploration and nights of dazzling dandiya, not to forget the food that filled our hearts and tummies and the street shopping..the end was visible and we tried hard to bottle up and take some bit of Ahmedabad back with us – the bandini clothes, the oxidised anklets, the books from under Fernandez bridge that will remind us of this trip..

And what a blast it was indeed – to experience a slice of Gujarat in my adulthood, to relive the past, connect to the stories I have heard over the years, reminiscence the days of childhood and  to enjoy the familial ties that hold me close to the city. And as the flight took off and I peeked into the city one last time - Ahmedabad seemed like a fusion of my past and present threaded into a tapestry of colours, patterns and mirrors!

 

Our TODAYs

We do not blink when deaths happen outside wombs

But will influence deaths within wombs

We are on quests to unearth hidden places of worship

And yet turn blind to the crumbling history around us

A “reel” song or movie will hurt our sentiments

But real injustice never irks our sentiments

We are concerned about the influence of text books

But not the power of our deeds

We are generous with our reservations for the marginalized

But stingy when it comes to respect for the voices less heard

The wails of our dying brothers and sisters are faint

Yet the rumblings of a social media post is loud and clear

Water and air for our living is scarce

Yet there is enough for the non-living 

Our yesterdays’ struggles are long forgotten

Our future’s needs are but invisible to all

Our todays take us away from our past

And are eons away from the future we dream

What Accountancy did not teach me

That sometimes the balance sheet does not tally

In certain relationships

That the valuation is not fair

In certain decisions

That the liabilities can exceed assets

In certain choices

That disclosures may not be complete

In certain conversations

That unaccrued revenue may be recognized

In certain rewards of life

That books need not be kept

In certain milestones

That the going concern may be questioned

In certain stages of life

That the trial balance of life may be the real thing

That you can sometimes love your liabilities

And that you can decommission your most cherished assets

 

Woman in me

 You may call me names  - feminist or not

But the woman in me will remain

You may applaud the macho-men heroes

But the woman in me will rise

You may grudgingly fill up ‘diversity’ numbers

But the woman in me will thrive

You may justify the hate crimes and the rapes

But the woman in me will fly

You may crush and muffle the feminine voices

But the woman in me will scream

You may dissect, ‘cover-up’ and mutilate me

But the woman in me will stay solid

You can belittle and bemoan the waves of womanism

But we will buttress it all

One woman and another and another

Trivandrum – vaults and riches unexplored

 There are places that tom-tom their treasures, market their specialities and create a cloud of hype and anticipation. Then there are places that stay coy, laden with riches and wait to be explored and discovered…Trivandrum belongs to the latter category.

As I prepared for a week of Trivandrum exploration – packing a bit of staycation, a bit of family time, a bit of working – I was only looking forward to the novelty of a new place and to check the boxes of the capital city’s famous spots…

But Trivandrum proved to be an absolute stunner and I was stumbling from one treasure to another.. discovering troves of riches..and before I knew it, I was caught in the tapestry of Travancore history and the vast expanse of diverse natural wonders of south Kerala.

So one day, I was cruising in a boat through Poovar – calmed by the soothing silence of mangrove forests, the sight of migratory birds and the unique meeting place of sea and the river. And the silence was interrupted by our boatsman’s tales of fishing villages, of Marthanda Varma king’s times of hiding amongst the very mangrove forests and of changing times and water levels that Poovar witnesses each season.

And the next day I found myself first gaping at the sapphire Mankayam waterfalls at Brymore and then jumping into its lap of clear waters – pristine and therapeutic in equal measure! My head was screaming curses at the dripping mess that I had become but my mind was in a state of blue satiation – the tingle of the current still clinging to me as I moved to the next destination.

And if the forest and waterfalls weren’t good enough, the cliffs and white sandy beach of Varkala awaited us as we rushed to its fold to catch a sunset. Varkala was unlike any beach destination that I have ever visited – here was a high formation of cliffs that boasted a seaview that was unparalleled and at its feet was the whitest haven of a beach ever witnessed! I ‘funned’, I frolicked amongst the waves and after soaking in the crimson sunset, I explored the winding pathways by the cliff. Tiny illuminated shops selling knick-knacks, music streaming and mixing with the murmurs of the sea that was so close and black..a gypsy vibe that was so present in the air..a sumptuous dinner overlooking the sea and the glitter of the Varkala skyline – and the day was done well.

After the round of natural wonders, it was time to explore the history and culture of old Travancore. So I went for an early morning tour of the famed Padmanabha temple – and I was awakened – not so much by religiousness of it all but by the aesthetics, the subtle beauty, trying to imagine a kingdom of yesteryears – the core of the city right here with a temple, a pond and line of shops, museums and palaces – all dusted with history and tales..few more rounds of exploration at the Kuthira Malika palace, shopping exploits at an 18^th century weaving center and traditional ‘rasa-vada’ downed with coffee at ‘Mani mess’ and I returned home with a happy tummy, a shopping bag filled with goodies and a restless mind – eager to see and feel more!

I tried to pack a lot more into the rest of the week – night walks to the seats of power and tussle (the Secretariat), breezy outings to the Kowdiar area, sneak peaks into the Napier museum, Trivandrum zoo and the Chitra Art Gallery and a live conjurer’s performance at Magic Planet…my mind dizzy with the sights, sounds and experiences and yet leaving a sense of ‘more’.

As I rounded off the trip, the ‘last evening’ was well spent sipping tea at Trivandrum’s ‘central vista’ area- seeping in the beautiful buildings, the green avenues, people inching home and seeing the twinkling city lights – I had become a part of it all.. But yet I wanted more..like there was a lot that I had left uncovered..lot more to experience..so alongwith the souvernirs and the soft 'sweet boli' that I packed home, I also carried along a wanting called Trivandrum..

A year of gratitude

Thankful…

For the butterflies that flit through the Tulsi bushes

For the tea that amma brews ever morning

For the literary journeys of each book

For the rustic escapades that took me to nooks and bends unexplored

For the raucous laughter bursts from family and friends’ times

For the breezy cuddles during morning walks

For the river that soothes me with its thousand shades

For the mountains that wave through the clouds as I travel homeward

For the air of parental love trapped in the corridors of my home

For the innocence and little joys that a daughter emits

For all the beauty that seeps through the masks

For all the breaths that we were blessed with

2021..Giving more..Taking Less

Teaching me a few simple things

I learnt, I discovered and I bow

In gratitude