Hail "Thor"

Banana stem- commonly called "thor" in Bengali community, has graduated from an ordinary fibrous vegetable used widely for cooking and medicical purposes, to an elite league. I witnessed the graduation first hand- in a five star hotel. Right under my eyes, "thor" proved itself to be the "secret sauce" in the florist's repertoire of floral decorations that was billed for a (very) tidy sum of money. Now you get what I am aiming at- "thor" is being used extensively for marriage venue decorations!

It may be a coincidence, or destiny of this blog, that I witnessed large bunches of "thor" (full length large stem from full-grown banana trees) at New Jalpaiguri station when I was returning to Kolkata last week. I was curious, thought aimlessly about the intended purpose of the same, could not fathom much, and moved on to other thoughts. Cut to today evening, when I was in charge of the venue management for a friend's wedding ceremony at a five star hotel in Kolkata. I reached when the florist was half-way done; first thing that caught my attention was the preponderance of "thor" inside the banquet hall. Half-cut longitudinal sections were used to demarcate borders of different lines of flowers in the backdrop behind the ceremonial platform; four "thor" coloumns were used in different strategic locations of the venue; at the entrance there was table decoration using "thor". Each "thor" decoration was brightly lit with focus lights shining on it, and it dazzled in its new-found glory. It is evidently a florists delight- cheap price, white color, shiny texture, eminently "pinnable", strong yet soft, and can be cut to any size and shape. I initially chuckled at the turn of fortune for this humble middle class vegetable, and could not help rewind to the memory of "thor" consignments at Siliguri, which I now understood was heading for a grand wedding ceremony. The florist proudly declared that her decoration was "organic" in nature- she could easily have said "partially edible"! I also overheard her telling her workforce to use the item judiciously- as each piece costs Rs. 70 ($1.8). I wondered if the banana stems found their way to the market the next day, through the incredibly efficient recycling market of India.

When someone moves up in the corporate ladder, you do not expect him to do the jobs he left behind. Likewise, understandably, there was no "thor" item in the menu.

Here's your treatise on "thor" = banana stem = the tender core of the banana plant's trunk. First, it is an effective diet to lose weight. It is rich in fibre and can be had as a juice or as a cooked food. People suffering from kidney stones can have the juice extract prepared from the tender core of the banana’s trunk as a remedy. It is diuretic in nature and helps to get rid of the toxins in the body. It is a mild laxative too. Banana’s stem helps to cool the body. Like banana, banana stem is also rich in potassium and vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 helps production of chemicals such as hemoglobin and insulin. Again, it improves the ability of body to fight against infection. Potassium helps effective functioning of muscles including cardiac muscles, prevents high blood pressure, helps nerve impulses and maintains fluid balance within the body. It is a popular food in the South India- called as “Vazhai Thandu” in Tamil. It can also be cooked as a vegetable, as done in Bengal. "Thor" is a very good source of cellulose, therefore it can be used to make paper. Banana production in India is the highest, and the area under it’s cultivation is second largest, among all fruit crops grown in India. Banana stem is usually thrown away or sold at throwaway price by the farmers after harvesting.

So, "thor" has arrived; traveling beyond the food plate of traditional Bengalis and South Indians, in to the minds of health conscious urban citizens of India, and finally in the marriage venue decorations of upwardly mobile middle class. Hail "thor"!

Where are the Lions gone?

It is Durga Puja time. Goddess Durga rides a majestic, powerful lion given to her by Himalaya to defeat the demon king Mahisashura in the epic battle. the fight between good and evil continues, from the pre-Vedic period to the 21st century. But, the question is, where are the lions gone?

According to Wikipedia, until the late Pleistocene, 10000 years ago, lion was the most widespread large mamal after humans. They were found in most of Africa, accross Eurasia- from Western Europe to India and in East Asia. The Persian lion, once a royal symbol in ancient Persia, is now exinct in Iran. In ancient Egypt, lion was associated with death and rebirth. King Tut's tomb held a sphinx statue and many artwork depicting lions. Ancient China held lions in high esteem, although the animal was never indegenous species of that country. Stories of lions were carried along the Silk Route from Iran, Afganistan and by the Buddists who traveled from India; and lions were placed in front of many important palaces and was regarded as the "ninth son of the dragon".



Now, a small population of lions exist in Sub-Saharan Africa and a critically endangered population of Asiatic lions exists in the Gir National Forest in Gujarat, India. In September 2006, Conde Nast Traveler published a wonderful report titled "Where are all the Lions Gone?" on the status of African Lions- read it at: http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/10417?pageNumber=5&all=yes
The number of remaining lions in India is estimated to be little over 300. The population had dwildled to 20 in the early 1900, but conservation effort in the last century has resulted in some increase in population. However, large number of deaths have also been reported in the Gir forest in the recent years, which has alarmed the conservationists. A debate to resettle a part of the lion population in Kuno Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh has not yet been settled. Asiatic lion adorns India's national emblem- based on a sculpture created by Emperor Ashoka in 250 BC. It was India's national animal, until 1973 when it was replaced with the tiger.

Some interesting facts about lions-

a) lions spend much of their time resting. They are inactive for about 20 hours in a day. Their activity usually peaks after dusk. They spend about two hours in a day walking and 50 minutes eating.

b) lions are unusually social compared to other cats. A pride usually consists on related females, several offsprings and a small number of adult males. Social licking and head rubbing are their favorite pastime while resting.

c) lions are only members of the cat family to exhibit sexual dimorphism- males and females look distinctly different

d) lionesses do most of the hunting for the pride- being smaller, swifter and without the heavy and conspicuous mane

e) lions occasionally breed with tigers, to produce ligers and tigons



Lions are fighting an uphill battle, particularly in India. The cause for near-extinction is mostly conflict with humans. Lions are fearless and move around in groups. Ever since guns were invented, they were sitting ducks to humans. First there were the "hunters" who hunted for pleasure, then they have been replaced with poachers. Urbanization has been a death knell to many animal species, including lions. A lion was found crushed to death on the bank of the Hiran river in Gujarat, when it fell from a bridge 60 feet high, apparently because it was either hit or scared by a car in to the fatal jump. Loss of habitat is another obvious reason. An interesting observation was made by my friend's octogenarian father, who once said- "tigers drove away the lions". There might be a real truth behind this apparently light comment. Tigers share the same habitat with the lions, but are far more stealthy and cunning. They also do not move around in groups. In the Suderbans, which is the habitat of the famous Royal Bengal Tiger, there is a folk belief that if you "see" a tiger, you do not live to tell the story.

And, finally, a familiar paradox of Indian governmental funding and budgetary allocation- while tiger population has reduced in Maharastra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh inspite of huge funding for conservation effort, the population of lions in Gujarat has increased, even with the paltry sum allocated for conservation. The credit surely goes to the wildlife authorities and local people of that state, who made it one of the most significant success stories of wildlife conservation. Wishing lions a happy and safe future, and hope Goddess Durga continues to bless this majestic animal so that it lives the earth for many centuries to come.

Me & Montana

I have a new love :-)

And I am not joking. I am in love with Montana- the wilderness state of North America. Located in North-western part of the country and covering an area of 146,316 sq miles (slightly larger than Germany and 12% of India), Montana shares its entire northern border with Canada and is bound by North Dakota and South Dakota in the east, Idaho (and Rocky Mountains) the west and Wyoming in the south. The state is predominantly rural, with large deposits of minerals like coal and oil (it is described as the Saudi Arabia of America). The largest cities here are Billings, Great Falls, Missoula, Bozman, Helena, Butte-Silver Bow and Livingston. Only three among these have population over fifty thousand, and none above one lakh (one hundred thousand, as described in U.S.). The population density of the state is 6.2 people per square mile! Coming from the city of Kolkata with a population density of over 64,000 per square mile, it was a huge cultural shock for me as I was driven around the vast open stretches of land and see the emptiness all around. Most places beyond the cities are devoid of any human settlement or even large animals. It is called the “Big Sky Country” for a good reason indeed. Wherever I went, the vast open blue dome was there for us, bordered on the horizon with green mountains. I stayed in three cities in four days, and drove about 800 miles in those days, which gave me a good perspective of the place and its people.

First, the pace of life is slower and people are extremely nice and friendly. They love to talk, are not in a hurry, and extremely polite. Sometimes it was even difficult to end a conversation politely and hang up the phone. Even at the airport, the usually stern looking airline staff and the even sterner TSA Officers scanning people and luggage never appeared daunting. When I settled down in the staircase to tie my shoe-lace after the security check, one TSA Officer told me nicely- “you could use the chair?” Many more such small gestures from local people touched my heart. Front and center of my local experience was my friendly colleague and his wife who were my travel partners for all these four days.

People here are just used to travel long distances. At least three company representatives, including two ladies, drove 3 hours each way just to have a 1-hour meeting with me. And remember, in Montana, the speed limit is higher- 75 miles per hour. My colleague was fresh as a daisy even after driving 14 hours on the day we went in to Yellowstone National Park. As I said, I rode about 800 miles in my three-day stay in the state.

Montana is bitterly cold for five months of the year. Half the state lies over 4,000 feet above sea level. Generally, the first snow of the season coats the higher mountain elevations in Montana in September. Occasionally the snow will also reach the lower elevations, although the snow will not stick around long. The winter recreation (skiing, snow mobile) season generally extends from late November through March. Annual snowfall varies from quite heavy, 300 inches, in some parts of the mountains in the western half of the State, to around 20 inches at some locations. Most of the larger cities have annual snowfall within the 30 to 50 inch range. Temperatures can range from 50 degrees above zero to 50 below, but averages generally run from 20 to 35 degrees above zero, with mostly sunny skies. Winters, while usually cold, have few extended cold spells. Between cold waves there are periods, sometimes longer than 10 days, of mild but often windy weather. The snow can get as high as 5-6 feet and covers all areas from mountaintops to driveways. I am told it is good for the local animal and agricultural farms, since the melting snow is the only source of water for farming and animal husbandry. The state sees thunderstorms- many of the ones that occur during the summer, particularly over the mountainous areas, are considered dry thunderstorms. These are the most deadly of storms, since they produce huge amounts of lightning that spawn wildfires- while not dropping any rain.

I arrived in Billings in south-central Montana on a Saturday evening, and I had the Sunday free before I began work on Monday. My colleague arrived the same day, and the plan was to have meetings with companies in Bozeman in south western Montana on Monday. Transportation method was of course to drive the distance. So, it was decided that we would drive through the Beartooth Highway- described as “the most beautiful drive in America”. The Beartooth Highway is the section of U.S. Highway 212 between Red Lodge, Montana and Cooke City, Montana. It traces a series of steep zigzags and switchbacks, along the Montana-Wyoming border to the 10,947 ft (3,337 m) high Beartooth Pass. The approximate elevation rise is from 5,200 ft (1,600 m) to 8,000 ft (2,400 m) in 12 mi (19 km) in the most daring landscapes. Because of heavy snowfall at the top, the pass is usually open each year only from Memorial Day in late May through Labor Day in September.

We started from Billings at 6:30 am and started driving towards the west. As we were leaving Billings, we passed by the city jail and my colleague told me a story of the jailor who was caught in a restaurant having a dinner date with one of his lady prisoners! In about an hour, we drove up to Red Lodge which is a small town and a base camp for Yellowstone tour from the eastern side. We loaded up on gas there, since we were told by the hotel staff that gas anywhere beyond this point would be costlier. We saw a deer ambling along in front of one of the houses- apparently, it is common sight.




Immediately after, the road started climbing up the mountains. However, the slope of the road was gentle. Interestingly, we could see groups of bikers (cyclists) and motorcyclists from Red Lodge, and we found them all along the route. The cyclists were traveling up all the way up the top, which we figured out after we talked to some of them at a viewpoint stop. They were of all ages, and I was amazed at their enthusiasm and stamina. Thinking of cycling from 5,500 to 9,000 feet would not occur to me in my wildest imagination. And when I learnt that their motivation of doing this is to zip down the mountain curves after they reach the summit, I admired their free spirit even more! It was certainly not easy, and we could see some of them struggling up the slope. However, the group was being covered by a SUV which carried spares and supplies. The motorcyclists were enjoying themselves and the sweet sound of their machines- dressed in proper gears and enjoying the mountains as they rode past us. After driving 21 miles, we first stopped at Rock Creek Vista Point, where we realized that we were already at elevation of 9000 feet. The place offered a panoramic view of the Beartooth Mountains, Hell Roaring and Silver Run Plateaus. The Custer National Forest is also located in this area. The place offered excellent photo opportunity, with scenic backgrounds and thoughtful tourist viewpoints overlooking the mountains. After starting from there, the road rose further and the picture-postcard mountain landscape started unveiling before our eyes. There were glaciers on the northern flank on almost every mountain and lakes all around. Some glaciers had reddish tinge, which I was told comes from grasshoppers that are frozen in the snow. We could even touch the snow at some locations on the roadside.
The road continued to climb as it crosses into Wyoming. At this point, the slopes tapered in to a plateau, with an elevation of 10,900 feet. The views were expansive, south across the canyons carved by the Clarks Fork, north into the Absaroka-Beartooth wilderness. In the wilderness, a narrow pyramidal spire is profiled against blue sky. This is the Bear's Tooth- Na Pet Say in the language of the local American Indian community - from which the mountains take their name. I literally felt I was at the top of the world. Needless to say, we clicked several pictures before resuming our journey again. The roads started descending from this point, and we passed by forest areas and several lakes with crystal blue water. We stopped by one to feel the water- however as soon as we stepped out of the car, we were swarmed by mosquitoes. Fortunately, the American mosquitoes are not known to carry malaria, dengue or other diseases.
Sixty-four miles from Red Lodge, after crossing back into Montana, the Beartooth enters Cooke City. Originally a gold-mining camp, Cooke City is now the northeastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park. It has a toy town look, with a population of 140 only! The local chamber of commerce runs a small but informative visitor education center that is manned by two local ladies. They were very nice and gave us helpful information about the park. We made a small contribution in the tip box, which helps to cover the cost of running the place. It was noon and we are some food there to get ourselves ready for the Yellowstone entry. Just a week before our travel, four grizzly bears attacked a campground half mile outside Cooke City and killed four persons who were sleeping in the campground. Everyone was still discussing the incident when we arrived. That prepared me to think of grizzlies for the rest of my day at Yellowstone.







Within four miles of Cooke City, we reached the Yellowstone National Park entrance. The entry fee is $25 per car and it is valid for seven days. As we entered, wide open grasslands bordered by mountains in the horizon greeted us. Yellowstone is world’s first national park, established in 1872. The Park covers an area of 3,468 sq miles (about 12 times size of Singapore). Approximately 96 percent of the land area of Yellowstone National Park is located within the state of Wyoming. Another 3 percent is within Montana, with the remaining 1 percent in Idaho. The Park sits on the Yellowstone Plateau, at an elevation of 8000 feet, and is bounded on all sides by mountain ranges. The park is 63 miles (101 km) north to south, and 54 miles (87 km) west to east. Rivers and lakes cover 5 percent of the land area, with the largest water body being Yellowstone Lake. Yellowstone Lake is up to 400 feet (120 m) deep and has 110 miles (180 km) of shoreline. At an elevation of 7,733 feet (2,357 m) above sea level, Yellowstone Lake is the largest high altitude lake in North America. Sub-alpine forests comprise 80 percent of the land area of the park; most of the rest is grassland. We took a relatively short northern loop inside the Park, in which we entered through Cooke City, went up to Tower Roosevelt (about 40 miles) to Canyon Village (19 miles) to Norris 12 miles) to Mammoth Hot Springs (21 miles) and exited from there. To drive through the bigger loop would require us to drive an additional 105 miles, which our time did not permit.

Within 10 minutes of entering the park, we could see a lone bison, and got excited about the viewing. My colleague reacted calmly, reminding me that I would see hundreds of them in the next few hours. Soon enough, we could soon see herds of bison out in the grassy wilderness. But our first major viewing was that of a grizzly bear, walking in a downhill slope, again on grassland, within about 60 feet of the road. We were one of the first to see it and stopped our car, to be joined by many other excited tourists. The forest ranger came in immediately, advising people to stay calm, maintain distance, stay near the cars and keeping a watchful eye on the overall situation. My colleague was very excited and he told me that a grizzly viewing opportunity is extremely are, and he has not seen one in spite of coming to the Park several times as a local resident. The bear had a cinnamon colored body and a black snout, and was apparently about two year old- just an early age of starting to live separately from the mother. It seemed to have mild temper and did not get bothered by the human presence in its surroundings. After taking some snaps, we moved on.

We then passed through an area which witnessed a devastating forest fire in the 1980s, that wiped out a major part of the vegetation. The forest is now regenerating itself. We then ran in to some kind of a traffic jam. The reason was soon evident- a large bison was standing patiently by the roadside, offering a fantastic photo opportunity to the tourists as they drove past slowly. We were not denied of the photo opportunity either, and got a great chance to take a close look at the American bison. It had a heavy fur coating which helps it to deal with the brutal winter of the place, and seemed to be much more docile than the Indian bison which are known to attack unprovoked (a forest ranger in Gorumara National Forest showed me a hole in his jeep’s body metal that was caused by a bison charging and hitting the jeep with its horn). Next, we again came up against a crowd that gathered to watch a family of 3 grizzly bears- mother and two cubs- in the grassland that sloped down from the high road. To see four grizzlies in a day is considered so rare that my friend started saying my presence was the lucky charm for him! We moved on and saw an elk in close range. In between the wildlife viewing, we saw some amazing geological formations. The Yellowstone River, going in to a magnificent waterfall, was a treat to watch. We could also see the caldera and the clear formation of the volcanic rocks. The viewpoints are strategically located to offer a great panorama of the key locations. From those locations, I really felt I have been transported back in time to when giant dinosaurs used to roam the area and volcanic eruptions shaped and reshaped the landscape. Indeed, the highest number of dinosaur fossils, including the first and also the largest fossil of T-Rex, have been found in Montana, which is known for its “Paleo treasures”! The Maiasaura nests found at Egg Mountain have been hailed as one of the most important discoveries ever for dinosaur biology. Apparently the Jurassic Park movie is based on a scientist that worked in one of the areas of Montana. The state has a Dinosaur Trail (www.mtdinotrail.org), dotted with several museums that offer tourists a sneak peek in to a world 150 million years back. Throughout Yellowstone, there are visible evidence of geothermal activity, with several hot springs and geysers dotting the landscape. About a thousand known geysers exist worldwide, roughly half of which are in Yellowstone National Park. A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapor phase (steam), and is found in volcanic areas. The most famous among the geysers is Old Faithful, which has a eruption height of 105 ft to 185 feet, and an eruption frequency of 45-125 minutes. In fact the Yellowstone area is part of the largest volcanic system of North America, and has been termed a “supervolcano”. Due to the volcanic and tectonic nature of the region, the area experiences between 1000 and 2000 measurable earthquakes a year.

We stopped at Crystal Rocks for a photo, and almost had as close encounter with a fourth grizzly. As I stylishly posed on a rock for my colleague to shoot a photo, the forest ranger came running and sternly told us to get back in to the car immediately. Why? Because a grizzly is within 300 yards! We scampered back in to the car and drove off. That might have been my last photo!

Our last stop in Yellowstone was at Mammoth Hot Springs in the north-west corner of the Park. Mammoth is a large limestone hill that has been created over thousands of years as hot water from the spring cooled and deposited calcium carbonate (over two tons flows into Mammoth each day in a solution). Algae living in the warm pools have tinted the travertine shades of brown, orange, red, and green.

I would love to go back to Yellowstone during the winter, when the park is frozen in snow but at its pristine best.

As we exited from the Park, we went through a beautiful stone arch gate that proclaimed Yellowstone’s claim to fame though a simple inscription- the first national park of America, created through a Congressional Proclamation in 1872. At the top of the gate is inscribed in large font- “For The Benefit & Enjoyment of The People”.

The emptiness surrounding the structure made the edifice more majestic and poignant. We moved on, after taking one last picture of the beautiful structure in the middle of emptiness. But by then, Yellowstone has been etched in my memory for ever.

Here & There

I just returned from a relatively long trip to U.S. Not as if I went for the first or second time, but I realized again that there are certain issues- "aamra vs ora" issues, which never cease to be different. It is purely cultural- it is impossible and unfair to comment whether any one side is better than the other. A neutral observer standpoint is the best position to have. So, here is my treatise on some fundamental cultural differences between India and U.S. I am sure you guys will have some more to add from your personal experience.

1) Left vs right: fundamental confusion- while getting in cars, driving on roads and walking on sidewalk. We keep to left, in U.S. the motto is keep right. Number of times I went to the wrong side trying to get in to the front seat in the car, and came close to colliding with pedestrians while walking on the sidewalk. And so far i did not have to drive, that would have been another terrible confusion because of the left hand driving. Someone told me- "if you think you are doing it wrong, that's the right thing to do!"

2) Greeting strangers: Everyone greets everyone, when face to face. Thats the polite thing to do- acknowledge the fellow human being. In India, we never or rarely greet strangers, even when traveling alone together in an elevator. And if it is oppposite sex, niobo noibo choh! However, there is a flip side. The greetings are generally routine and if any non-standard reply is given, thats recipe for disaster. Example- a standard greeting would be "hello- how are u doing today?". Now, if you take that to your heart and start saying "glad you asked. how well u think I can be in a recession hit economy? You know, my brother is in Detriot and today he just finished his 67th application without an interview call", that will traumatize and confuse the greeter for weeks and will make him miss the metro for which he was running top speed. Possibly to avoid such eventuality, some people pre-empt the situation by auto-completing the reply. So the greeting goes as "hello. how are u doing today morning? good!!" and he walks off :-)

3) Keep it "short": In a touristy place like Washington DC, half the people on the road might be in off-white shorts in summer. That includes men and women of all ages, and of course children and young adults. Looks good, looks smart, looks comfy, but also looks "different" to Indian eyes.

4) Museums- telling the America story: What a tectonic difference in the attitude towards museums as an institution. The administrators (example Smithsonian Institution, which runs 19 different museums in Washington DC area) consider museums as a vehicle of telling the America story, and organize them with tremendous passion and imagination. The museums are almost interactive, compared to the bureaucratic, cut-and-dry approach of most government controled museums in India. Smithsonian (www.si.edu) also runs 9 research centers and the national zoo, takes hundreds of citizen volunteers, conducts hundreds of workshops and festivals every year in an effort to integrate the common population to to its activities and share the knowledge it continues to acquire about art, culture, history and science. It is not about how much money is spent- it is about how to think differently and creatively. I have nothing but complete admiration for museums in America.

5) Civic sense, discipline, respect for others: No one spits on the road, people and cars wait for the other person or car to move ahead, nio one honks on the road. Quite unthinkable in most situations in India. I have my theory for this. Competition and scramble here results from scarcity of resource. If you are polite and do not rush to be ahead in a queue, you might not get a seat in a train. If you do not elbow out the driver beside you to squeeze in to the small space, you will not move ahead for a long time. If, like in U.S., there was an assurance that the last person in the queue will get a fair share of the "bread", here it would have been exactly as things are in U.S. Does this make sense?

6) Naked man, cool cyclists, independant handicaps: In summer, you will find men, good looking and decent otherwise, running all over town in nothing but shorts, dripping in sweat. I was told, "we really strip down in summer". Way to be, there; unusual, in our eyes. Cycling is fun, and people take it as a serious weekend activity or even as a major sport. Traveling along Beartooth Highway (www.beartoothhighway.com) in Montana, I saw group of cyclists riding up from an elevation of 5000 ft at the base of Red Lodge to 10000 feet at the summit, for a distance of about 50 miles. I was told that they are doing this, so that they can then zip down the mountain curves at exhilarating speed. And these were common men, sometimes quite senior in age. Lasdtly, the people with disability are far more independant, moving around the city in wheelchair without expecting any assistance. The infrastructure on the road is such that they would not need any. The sidewalks slope down gently on the road, so that the wheelchairs can move without any difficulty. Wonderful sensitivity of the system, to make sure no one is left behind.

7) Water from the tap: When was the last you checked in to a good hotel, and drank water from the bathroom tap? You would do it all the time in U.S. Public water sources are considered very safe, and hotels would laugh if you ask for drinking water bottle/pitcher in your room. I still pause at this, even after many years of travel there.

8) Light switch work in opposite direction: Here- down- on; up- off. there- just the opposite. how about that?

9) Food portions: Huge is an understatement. A plate is usually too much for a single individual. Doesn't happen often in India, whatever be the price of the plate.

10) Do it yourself: Almost everywhere, you would miss the "support" that you are used to in India. In gas station, you fill your own gas- not a soul to help. In hotel, you haul your own bags to the room and push a cart on your own. At home, you do all work, mow your lawns if possible, wash your car, shove your snow.

11) Not exactly a dog's life: dogs are very important part of society. Pet grooming is multi-billion dollar business. Owners happily carry dog poop from the road back in to house for disposal. To be fair, the dogs also seem much more well-behaved than their Indian counterparts (this may evoke strong reaction)!

12) "Smooch" nahi tio kuch nahin: Propensity for PDA (public display of affection)- very high. :-)

Those, my friends, are my top "here vs there" issues! Neutral observations, no value judgments. Let me know what you think.

Woman at the wheel- just a visual

This blog is only about a picture.

Recorded live, by yours truly, from a balcony last weekend. No value judgement about women's driving skills, no personal bias, no quoting from German woman professor Claudia Wolf's research on parking skills of men and women (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1237383/Men-really-ARE-better-parking--thats-woman-professor-talking.html). I am swiping off any hint of smile with a dark handkerchief as I write this. Yes, I giggled when I saw the scene unfolding under my eyes last Saturday, the 3-min sequence being as below:

• a new sedan car with windows rolled up come under the balcony (it is a wide end of a blind lane)
• tries to turn around (takes one round of backing up unless the car is a maruti)
• ends up on the edge of the road where the edges slope slightly to ensure water drainage
• stops, rolls slightly, stops precariously close to the garden fence of the house ahead, can't back off (no dearth of space at the back)
• a teenager steps out of the car and goes near the bonnet, touches it to push the car back, startles and takes his palm off because the ambient is 37 degrees and the bonnet is 40
• his father come out of the left front seat and the duo PUSHES THE CAR BACK using their handkerchiefs as gloves (at this point i whip out my cellphone and start recording)

For a moment I thought the car battery was dead, but then as soon as the car came in the middle of the road width I could see a pink sleeve in the driver's seat :-) Then the car moves smartly forward from that safe position, when it does not require backing up anymore. The father-son duo get in to the car and the mom briskly drives off. Seeing the drive away, no one would believe that a few seconds ago the lady was struggling to back up on a 5 degree slope and rotate the steering 30 degree to the left to back the car up to the middle of the road. I realized then, moving forward and moving back are two entirely different ball games.

I am not trying to say anything here. It is just a visual. Get mad at me, or sit back and enjoy. Cheers!

Alternative Strategies to Deal With Effects of Global Warming

Hmmm. GW has undeniably arrived. According to the estimates by IPCC, Earth's average surface temperature has increased by 0.74°C during the period 1901-2005. A study done by researchers in University of Pune on long-term temperature changes in four largest cities of India during twentieth century threw up some significant results. It established that Annual Mean temperature (celcius) in four cities increased by the following levels over last 100 years (1091-2001): Delhi 0.2 Kolkata 0.99 Mumbai 0.6 Chennai 0.56
The summer and winter mean temperatures in Kolkata have increased by over 1.2 degrees. Part of the phenomenon can be explained by rapid urbanization, but the effect of larger climate change cannot be ruled out. Any man on the street will tell you that summers are much more unbearable, winter chill has vanished and monsoon has shifted/become unpredictable (no matter what weather office says about "normal" rainfall and "monsoon has arrived" every year).

IPCC reported that since 1961, global average sea level had risen at an average rate of 1.8 mm/yr. The rate of rise has been much faster in the last decade. Sea level is projected to rise by up to 2 meters at the end of the current century. That's half of one floor level in my house! So? Time to think of strategies to deal with it. Here is my twelve-point "alternative strategy" to deal with climate change, in a jocular vein:

At Community Level (hypothesis: a critically ill patient needs drastic treatment methods):

• Promote horse riding as a healthy alternative to cars (till the time fuel cell powered cars are widely available) for reaching work place and social dos. Side effect- parking problem resolved; potholed roads will be a breeze under horses feet; only conservancy department need to work extra hours to clear some dung; however these can be fed in to a bio-digester to generate bio-methane again- clean fuel for free- double whammy.


• Ban ACs, let people discover living in natural ventilation (ACs consume twice as much energy than its nearest competitor in equipment category). Side effect- healthy people; lighter electricity bills. Saunas go out of business though :-(


• Make use of solar energy compulsory in households. Have concept of voluntary loadshedding targets. Give tax breaks to those who opt for higher duration of loadshedding.


• Promote uniform height standards for city structures- let air flow for all. Those who want to live in higher floors may not be allowed walls on four sides and water may be carried in buckets from the third floor onwards. Then no problem. Higher floors will become like ride in bus roof in districts- lower ticket price!


• Have paradigm shift- make planting trees and rejuvenating forests more significant achievement than creating industries and creating a new satellite town.


• Constitutional amendment to make a bandh per month a fundamental duty of every state government. Lower greenhouse gas load assured for that day. Side effect-productive employees next morning; clean air reducing health costs of the nation.

At Personal level (hypothesis: incremental improvements and soft targets don't work):

• Don't bathe like a bison, save water (water and energy has strong nexus- maximum energy bill for a city authority is spent on electricity bills). Side effect- more fresh water left behind for your future generations


• Walk, cycle or ride a horse to work (make a style statement- yeah!)


• Reduce dependence on equipment. Take out cars, ACs, washing machines and other energy guzzlers out of your life equation. Side effect- tremendous increase in disposable income; game changer strategy in the chinese checker of one-upmanship with Mrs. Khanna next door.


• Put kitchen waste in bio-digesters and use the gas for cooking; use solar water heater and solar cookers. Then call up your cooking gas dealer who used to frustrate you for all these years with late delivery and yell at him to heart's content without worrying about repercussions.


• Instead of dogs, keep cows as pets. The manure is a tremendous source of methane. With a back-yard digester, you can even sell gas to your neighbour. Side effect- healthy families enjoying unadulterated milk; packaged health drinks go out of business though :-(


• Learn swimming- if sea level rises by 6+ feet, you will have to swim from one room to another and paddle while in potty. Be prepared.

Now that you have read my treatise on climate change and possibly getting mad at me, read more factual information about climate change- you cannot deal with what you don't know about. The problem is more serious than you think it is. Depending on others to make a difference won't do. If a few of these strategies are implemented from each category, we don't have to worry about global warming for an extra hundred years.

Any one sponsoring me to the next UN climate change conference to make a presentation? :-))

Loadshedding- Stray thoughts in and about darkness

Sondhe bela loadshedding- gorome barandai dariye thakte thakte kichu stray chinta ke ektu japte dhortei ekta chehara niye nilo. Picked up a pen and grabbed a paper- voila- it is a writing!! Not sure whether a prose or a poetry. Doesnt really matter. Gorome matha ta geche- me and poetry? Now I realize that when chichen is barbecued, the brain gets fried first :-) Anyway, since there is no better place to stash these ramblings, here it is, in your face. Face it, if you will, and dont blame/criticize/praise/provoke me. I have no intention of going back to this or follow through in any other way.

Due to lack of Bengali keyboard translator in my computer, I am writing in English script- this writing is 90% bengali:



Ondhokare ki bhalo dekha jai?
Ki jani- oprocholito bhabe dekhar obbhesh chole geche
Thik bujhte pari na.
Aabcha aloi kichu notun drissher michil
Samner barir melancholic lok'ta,
Je onno somoye aatkaath bondho kore boshe thake
Se dekhchi barandai eshe bosheche.
Pasher barir je janla ta konodin khole na
Seta sonkuchito bhabe khule gelo.
Jara dekhche, tader dekhchi na
Kintu tader dekha ta dekhte pacchi.
Mone pore, Bombay Mail'er sleeper class er janla diye ondhokaar dekhtaam
Mile'er por mile ghono nishchiddro chap chap ondhokaar
Only interrupted by occasional flicker of village lanterns
Ondhokaar er ekta nijossho roop aache
Beshikkhon takale nesha dhore jai.
Ondhokaar onek kichu dekhai- dhoirjo dhore dekhte hoy.
Akaser tara, purnima'r alo, ityadi...
Jodi ghotonachokre chokhe pore jai
Bidyut-kotripokkho ke ekta sonkhipto dhonnobaad deben!!
















Ondhokare ki bhalo shona jai?
Pasher barir tukro kotha
Jegulo nagorik sobbhotaar nitya poribeshe kane aashe na
Segulo ki kore shunte pacchi?
Onek ratre train er awaj, jahajer bashi shona jai keno
Diner bela kokhono bhebe dekhechen?
Munna'Bhai er Circuit hoyto bolbe, "yeah Ether'ka loccha hai bhai-
Aandhere mein light waves sound waves ke sath panga nehi leta hai"
(http://www.tu-harburg.de/rzt/rzt/it/Ether.html)

Shudhu ki Physics? Feelings noy?
Nagorik sobbhotar chora aloi
Mon ki bikkhipto hoy na?
Drishti, srobon ki sonkhipto hoy na?
Dristi'r bhongi, sroboner prokhorota, chintaar poridhi,
Somporker ontorongota, prokriti'r mormo-
Prosarito hoy ondhokaare
Songe, "Pyar ke side effects" er moto sonkuchito hoy aapnaar electic bill:-)
ebong carbon footprint...
Jatiyotabadi karone rokto nahoy nai dilen,
Bishwo ushnayoner itihaas e aapnaar batanukool deho-nisrito
k-phonta kled'bindu'r obodaan
sonar okkhore lekha thakbe :-))
Bhebe dekhun, gontobbo bihin byasto podocharonai
zero-displacement sweating method'er
Ekta chomotkaar bikolpo byabostha kintu
Aapnaar hater muthoi chole elo!

Jaak, bhalo dekhar udahoron swarup
Ami amar ondhokaar sombondhe chinta ta ke
ondhokaar e ekjholok dekhei japte dhore phelechi-
Alo thakle ei kaaj ta motei partaam na.

Bhalo shonaar practical ta baki roilo-
Porer baar aapnaar songe
Loadshedding er ondhokare dekha hole
Ei bhabogombhir kobita ta aapnake shonabo :-))
Tarpor, hoyto, just hoyto-
Aaapni dekhben, ami shunbo??

Poetry in Iron- The Charm of old Kolkata Balconies

Rabindranath Tagore wrote in his description of "Library"" "Somudrer sohosro botsorer kallol jodi keho emon koriya badhiya rakhite parito je se ghumaiya pora shishutir moto chup koriya thakito, tobe sei nirob moha-shobder sohit gronthagaar'er tulona hoito". And I offer my own crude translation of the same here: If anyone could capture the roar of the sea for a millennium in such a way that it would stay silent as a sleeping child, then that silence, pregnant with deafening decibel, could be compared to a library. I take liberty to modify this stratospheric analogy to say the iron railings of the houses in colonial Kolkata are pregnant with the entire history and heritage of the city. These represent a microcosm of the architectural, social and economic history of the city from 18th to 20th century. Too profound? Lets discuss!

I don't remember when I started getting fascinated by these exotic protuberances, also known as balconies, often from dilapidated and neglected structures in the older neighborhoods of Kolkata. Millions of people have passed under and even stood nonchalantly on these, most without caring to look, let alone appreciate. That included me of course, for the most part of my life. Maybe my first appreciation for this well-kept secret of Kolkata is a corollary of my liking for traditional houses in older parts of Kolkata. The moment you care to look up and appreciate the magnificent mansions that dot several parts of north, east (say Beliaghata) and part of south (say Bhowanipore) of Kolkata, you can't help notice the majesty of the balconies which look back at you with almost surreal charm. The architecture is typically hybrid between European and traditional Indian architecture. Remember, colonial Kolkata was clearly divided between the Native and the White areas. My objects of fascination are typically the houses of the rich Indian community in the Native areas. Most of these were constructed between mid-1700 and early 1900.

Now, when I look at the balconies of the old mansions, apart from the ornate architecture of the structure itself, what attracts me most is the balcony railing. Most often, these are made of iron, unlike our modern houses which typically have mild-steel (MS) or wrought iron railings. My initiation to the material named "cast iron railings" happened when I was scanning the construction material market and demolition sites in 2003 for construction of my house in Kolkata. By that time, I had already bought a substantial quantity of "demolition material" from a palatial mansion on Suburban Hospital Road and therefore got a taste of how good old materials can be. Martin Burn company bricks were like gold, Burma teak wood door and window frames were strong as ever, floral design floor tiles needed just one polish to shine like a newly minted coin again. I could not get the cast iron grills for staircase and balcony/roof railings from there. I checked the new material market and the price differential with MS material and waiting time (for manufacturing on order) was beyond my affordable limit- so I settled for what everybody does- mild steel bars and strips. But the fondness for the intricate designs and the old-world charm offered by cast iron stayed with me all this while, only to re-surface when I now go out occasionally on early morning dates with the old ladies that I fancy!

Now here's your treatise on metallurgy- to help you understand what kind of an animal "cast iron" is. Cast iron arrived in early 19th century. It is one of the earliest forms of iron extracted from ores, having a higher carbon content (2 to 4 percent) compared to modern construction materials like mild steel. It also contains varying amounts of silicon and manganese and traces of impurities such as sulfur and phosphorus. It has to be "cast" in sand moulds and cannot be forged (beaten to shape when hot) and it is brittle. It is however very good with compression load, and most importantly, it does not rust at all. Cast Iron architecture was a prominent style in the Industrial Revolution era (late 18th century) when cast iron was relatively cheap and modern steel had not yet been developed. It had both structural use (bridges) and architectural use (pillars, railings). Allow me to insert a quote from Rudyard Kipling here:
"Gold is for the mistress- silver for the maid
Copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade
“Good” said the Baron, sitting in the hall,
“ But, Iron- Cold Iron, - is master of them all”.

The skilled craftsmen of Bengal, possibly employed in the early foundries of Howrah (this area was famously known as Sheffield of India for its engineering industry) casted some of these masterpieces. The foundry industry in Howrah is the birthplace of the Indian engineering industry. In fact, the fame of steel from India is mythological. It is well captured in the words of the Arab Edrisi (12th century) who commented: "the Hindus excelled in the manufacture of iron and it is impossible to find anything to surpass the edge from Hinduwani or Indian steel". It is mind-boggling to think how these intricate designs were created in moulds in which hot molten iron was then poured for casting. I believe a large quantity of intricately designed cast iron architectural materials were also imported from Britain during that period. The wealthy families of Kolkata, who stayed in the important neighbourhoods of colonial Kolkata used them. The ornate style of cast iron railings fitted perfectly with the Victorian style of construction of these buildings.

I have traveled around the city for months, taking pictures of these absolute beauties. The photos were mostly taken between 5 am - 8 am when I could drive through the congested neighbourhoods with relative ease and not having to worry about one-way streets and unauthorized parkings. So I had the sun working either absolutely in favour or against my amateur photographs.

I have seen several beautiful cast iron architectures in the residential houses, but the place with the most extensive use of intricately designed and passionately maintained cast iron railings is the magnificent Pareshnath Jain Temple, located to the North East of Kolkata at the Badridas Temple Street. The temple is dedicated to Pareshnath, who was the 23rd Jain Tirthankar, and was built way back in the year 1867. The railings used in the temple premises and some cast iron benches and chairs used in the temple precints are simply awesome.

I thought of listing my favorite "top ten", but realized that it is stupid to give any such list since I probably have missed many and don't know many more that lie in those and other areas. I am also not sure whether the historical handicap and the unintellectual appreciation by a "Southerner" of a small visual aspect of the houses that are seeped in more important glory of the owner's past will be pardoned by those whose houses I mention and those whose I dont. So I refrained from listing any. But I can assure that I will keep looking and keep the flag of dogged affection flying for every new "discovery" that I make. The poetry in iron- the elegant, intricate, timeless, charming cast iron railings in the balconies of colonial Kolkata.

I will stop here, and let you judge. You can start from a sample of pictures given below:

Note: Please do not reproduce any part of this without permission.

The Charm of early mornings in Kolkata

I have to admit- this is one of my secret fascinations. I have been exploring this for a while- scratched at the surface only so far. A city which bursts at the seams and strains every sinews during the day presents a surprisingly different picture in its relative moments of privacy- say Sunday mornings, between 5-8 am. The one way traffic rules don't come in to force till 8 am, which, coupled with thin traffic on the road makes driving a relaxed experience. Some of my favorite beats include a drive down the river Ganga, starting with the northern end at Bagbazar Ghat and going all the way up to the base of the Howrah Bridge. The ghats come alive in the morning, offering a slice of life that is normally obscured from view during the day. For example, you could see boats laden with tons of straw anchoring at the Bagbazar Ghat; a "kusti akhara" (Indian wrestling arena) at Mullick Ghat and one of the largest wholesale flower markets at the same place. The flower market is a riot of bright colors where with a bit of bargaining you could buy a bunch of 50 roses for $2 or less..

Even without buying, it is an interesting experience just to walk through the market. I have rarely seen Kolkata citizens visiting the place as tourist, but every time I go I see some foreigners visiting the flower market. I know that this place is in the informal word-of-mouth list of things-to-do-in-Kolkata among them. Is someone from the tourism department listening? It is original things like this, linked to the personality of the city that outsiders come to see.

The other locations that I love to drive are along Central Avenue (the Park Street of yesteryears), Bidhan Sarani, and several lanes that branch off from it- such as Muktaram Babu Street (most famous address here is the Marble Palace).

These have some charming buildings and dilapidated palaces still standing. You need to have the morning peace of mind to stop the car suddenly and look up to admire these fascinating beauties bejewelled with the most ornate wrought iron grills, splendidly designed windows and the Corinthian pillars. I am thinking of joining one of the few walking tours that are conducted by local organizations, often led by heritage conservationists and architects, to explore this a little better. I am also trying to motivate some of my friends staying in North Calcutta to wake up from their royal slumber early in the morning to accompany me. Most of them have certainly retained a piece of zamindari style and attitude in their genes!

Other good areas to drive through are the "White area" of old Kolkata- a few square miles west of the river Hugli (Chowringhee, Dalhousie, Maidan areas). I cannot help admire the British urban planning and architecture every time I drive through these areas.

No morning tour of Kolkata is complete without a food stop. Some of my favorites include a small shop near Marble Palace serving five small kachoris and aloo-sabzi in a sal leaf plate. This helping has to be followed by hot jalebis. There are a group of street dogs on that road who would not touch a morsel of the kachoris or biscuits which you might throw at them, but will lap up every piece of jalebi which you decide to offer them. Other competitors in this food category is Maharani at the other end of town- in the south- near Deshapriya Park. Same menu- here the regular patrons are the morning walkers of Dhakuria Lake who feel guilty of shedding so much calories and make an honest effort to make up on their way back home :-) If you are more adventurous, you could try the "telebhaja" shops near bagbazar (a national morning food in that side of the world). The attractions include out-of-the-world fuluri, dal-bora, alur chop, beguni, peyaji (no translations available for any of these). If you are in that side of town, you could polish off your breakfast with rasagollas (several different sizes, all heavenly) and/or madhu-parka (a cross-breed between icecream, sandesh and mishtydoi). And I am not telling you here what gifts to mankind are available in this part (only) in the evenings (subject of a separate blog). Lastly, if you are among the unfortunate ones who carry a red flag about fried food, you could head for the early morning Chinese breakfast on Tiretta Bazar near Poddar Court. A small group of Chinese sell strictly home style chinese breakfast items between 6-8 am there.. In this by-the-chinese-for-the-chinese affair, you could find various categories of broths, fish balls, steamed pao with a variety of fillings, spicy chinese sausages. You could carry home prawn chips, dried greens, strings of sausages and home-made soya sauce. The place is losing its character with other kinds of sellers crowding the chinese out; but if you visit within the next few years you might still be able to catch up with the food and experience.

As the clock strikes 8 am, the traffic cops take position and one way rules come in to force on most roads- it is time for me to head home, or to slip back in to my householder routine by stopping at the Manicktala market to buy a good, fresh bekty that would yield to succulent chilly fish cubes; or other special categories that would not be available in the local markets. And thus the day begins. What preceded this was the "zero period", as we used to call in school!