The mini pilgrimage in March 2010 – Day 0

After a lot of pleading, hinting, cajoling, guiding, recommending, suggesting, nudging etc., I finally relented and agreed to make the long pending visit to Thirumanachery. To those of you who are not aware about the significance of this town, please be advised that a visit to the Shivan kovil in this town and doing the special poojai there, will help in ending the “single” marital status of an indvidual.

I had been asked to go to this place by countless people and now that I think about it, I don't think any of them actually got married after going through the routine that they advise me. But, I finally decided to take their suggestion in good faith and a trip was finally planned. We were to visit that temple of the 4th of March and return by the morning of March 6th, since I had a project party to partake in. 

The tour almost didnt happen, because of the health of my parents. My father was having another bout of amoebiasis and my mother had a small kitchen accident which caused a 3" diameter burn mark near her right elbow. But both of them were quite particular that this trip not be delayed, because they didn't want to bow down to any obstacle to a trip being planned with the main purpose of removing obstacles! 

So there we were opposite the Thiruvanmiyur bus stand at 10:40 PM on the 3rd of March, waiting for the Rathimeena bus scheduled to arrive at 11:05 PM. My dear friend Raghu had dropped us at the bus stand. Thankfully, we didnt make him wait, because the bus finally showed up a few minutes before midnight. 

This was the first time I was travelling on this bus and I must admit that it was good. I had opted for a semi-sleeper AC bus for this trip, though my lack of knowledge in this area meant that I didnt book their full-sleeper bus. The seats were quite comfortable, the AC was in full swing, we were given fresh blankets and there was also a supply of packaged water. 

The bus left the Thiruvanmiyur area a few minutes after midnight. Despite the relatively comfortable environment, I did have trouble falling asleep. It was primarily because I am not that used to sleeping in a bus unless I am really really tired. I was having a broken sleep and when the bus started slowing down at a place which I found out to be a petrol bunk in Pondichery, we took the usual toilet break. The time by then was 2 AM. 

The journey resumed in around 15 minutes and after more rounds of broken sleep, I finally heard some announce that the bus was in Mayavaram. When I checked the clock it was 5:00 AM. So the entire elapsed time was around 5 hours, with an actual travel time of just 4 hours 45 minutes. That, by Indian standards was quite fast! 

Day 1 updates in the next post.

Fined on the spot for over-speeding

It was around 5.30 PM on Wednesday the 17th of September 2008. I was returning home from office with a couple of friends in my car. I have been working out of the office closer home for the past couple of months and that day was one of those days.

So, there I was, happily coasting along the ECR at my usual speed of 80 KmPH in the stretch near Hot Kitchen restaurant. Suddenly in the middle of my lane, there appeared an apparition dressed in white shirt and khaki trousers and waving a big stick at me. I started braking and found out the apparition to be a real traffic constable.

He pointed me to the edge of the road using that big stick. When I pulled over, he came up to my window. I rolled it down and with my heart beating a little faster than normal, I asked him what was the matter. He responded by asking me why I was going so fast.

He confirmed my fear that I was pulled over for going faster than the posted speed limit. He then came closer to our car and said:
"400 rupees fine sir".
Me: "How much?"
TP (Traffic Police; abbreviation should not bring any other explanation to your mind): "400 rupees sir".
Me: "Ok, I am willing to pay the fine".
I then got out of my car.
TP: "Or you can pay 300 rupees fine and collect the challan."
Me: "Ok sir. Whatever is the fine, let me know and I will pay it. No problem."
TP: "Then it is 300 rupees sir."
Me: "Ok. Where do I pay?"
TP: "First give me your license"
I handed it over. He checked it. Then, he escorted me a few steps behind to where a patrol jeep was standing. He told a policeman standing in front of the jeep to prepare a spot fine challan for 300 rupees.
He then went off to the main road and I saw him do a similar waving gesture at a WagonR that was also coming at a good speed in that stretch. After successfully stopping that car, this dude came over to the patrol jeep. The policeman preparing the spot fine ticket and the receipt for the fine was quite busy with his paperwork. By then we were joined by another policeman, who looked a Sergeant-ish type. The gesticulating TP then came near his senior and said "sir, he accepted to pay whatever the fine was sir. he is a gentleman sir". I was instantly reminded of the famous Enna romba nallavannu sollittaan ma statement of Vadivelu!

Anyways, I never intended to bribe these policemen in the first place and even if the fine had been of much higher proportions, I would have paid it or at least collected the ticket to contest it in court.

My license was then handed back to me along with the spot fine ticket and the receipt. I paid the 300 rupees and before leaving the scene, I asked the gesticulating TP what the speed limit was in that area. He told that one could go up to 60 but I was going at 79! I assumed that he did track me on a radar or better still, he was able to guess my speed quite perfectly.

Ever since, my friends have been strongly cautioning me when I near that stretch, to go slow. However this does not come anywhere close to the warnings my parents were giving me while we were all in the USA and I got a speeding ticket right in front of them!

And please, do not jump to the conclusion that I am some speeding maniac on the road. Those of you who have travelled with me know full well that I don't drive that fast except on stretches that are really empty and the road is quite straight.

There is another bit of irony to this episode. It was only that same morning, that I was talking to a couple of team members that I don't drive that fast!!!

Tirupati travelogue 9-Feb-08 to 10-Feb-08: Part 6 (Final)

Anyways, there was quite some time left to kill and a couple of used this to investigate the availability of some other better bus service. But there was no change in luck on that count.

I then went about in search of water and some mint to give me solace during the trip. After I returned to my seat, there was a request from one of the parties to get Filmfare or Stardust or something of that ilk. Coming as it did from one of the most knowledgeable people in the touring party, I was actually surprised.

After I got the magazines demanded by others as well, all of us finally settled down for the journey to start. The bus did start at the indicated time of 5 PM. By then, all the seats were occupied and a handful of people were already standing. I guess that is a price one has to pay if you can go to Chennai from Tirupati for Rs.62!

Anyways…our seat was right behind the conductor’s seat and while people were getting tickets, I thought I heard a couple of “Kalahasthi”s being mentioned. The bus halted at a Railway crossing and at that point I asked the conductor which route the bus was taking. His reply was “Kalahasthi Tada Padi” and on being further questioned about the travel time, he said it would be around 4 hours.

Great! I avoided the trip to Kalahasthi and this bus was anyway going by that town. Was I to feel bad about it or should I feel happy that even when I didn’t want to go by that route, I was still being made to at least pass by and have a darshan of the Gopuram?

By the 20th minute of the journey, I started getting all sorts of body pain due to the ergonomically challenged seats. My friend sharing the seat was in no better state and both of us decided to take turns in leaning forward, just to let the other person gain a 4% increase in comfort levels. We are both of average height and not that wide (perhaps deep, but not wide, if you know what I mean), yet sitting in those seats was getting to be painful.

The bus was ambling at a steady pace and with the fading light, the driver couldn’t really go at good speed due to the poorly lit highway, that seemed to under construction for a good portion. We finally reached Tada at 7.15 PM and were informed that there was going to be a quick break.

My friends and I literally ran out of the bus to stretch ourselves. I just couldn’t stand for even a minute. I kept walking around, started bending my back in all directions, lifted my legs, stretched them towards to the back etc etc. If I hadn’t done any of those, I am sure I would have died of cramps.

As a blessing in disguise, the supposedly short break went on for almost half an hour. We had actually stopped at a wayside stall selling “purotta” and the likes. So, we had to make do with our biscuit packets and water and stick on to the “dinner at home plan”.

The bus finally started around 7:45 PM and we reached the Koyambedu bus stand at around 10 PM. A total travel time of 5 hours! Once we crossed the Padi area, my friend made bookings with a Call Taxi and the four of us headed towards Besant Nagar/Indra Nagar were feeling relaxed.

But unfortunately, it took that confirmation some 20 minutes to materialize. We were waiting at the bus stand eagerly looking at every yellow colored Omni van with the desperate hope that it was our taxi. Finally we got a call from the taxi driver and an Indica showed up.

After dropping off everyone, mine became the last stop and when I stepped in to my home, the clock had moved beyond 11 PM. I had a quick change and a quicker dinner, giving a quick download of the trip to my parents. I was in no mood to go to work the next day, but then, there was Ramadurai’s Griha Pravesham to attend to in the early morning. And this house was at Perungalathur and those familiar with the topography know that its practically at the half-way mark on my way to office. So, it would require a Santa Singh to actually go that far and then come back home and since I am not one, I went to the office, a tad later than usual.

All in all, the trip was definitely an enlightening one for me. One that made me wonder if I was leading a very extravagant life!

[Concluded]

Road Trip to Vaitheeswaran Kovil - Part 11 ::: Return home

Once we settled the bills at the hotel and gave the tips to the room boy, we packed our stuff into the car and started our return trip. Barely 3-4 kms after we started, we saw a pretty long snake cross the road at good speed in front of us. I am sure it must have been some 8-10 feet long. It looked a bit dark brown in color. I am no expert about the species, but my mother tells me that it wouldn't have been the "big guy". She grew up in one of the villages in that district and has spent sufficient time in the fields to be able to know such details.

Otherwise, there was nothing interesting in the return trip, except for the very precisely incorrect directions given by Raghu to the Woodlands restaurant at Cuddalore. We spent a good 20 minutes in trying to locate it along a road where it was not present. After checking with auto drivers, general public and shopkeepers, we finally managed to reach the place.

After reaching there I checked with my guru and only then did he admit that it had been ages since he'd gone there!!! So he obviously forgot that in the meantime, the directions in Cuddalore had changed. At least, he was correct about the quality of food there. It was quite good and very economical as well.

We resumed our journey and after crossing Pondy, I was finally able to drive at a good speed. For quite a long stretch, I was able to maintain 100 Kmph. In fact, till I reached Mahabalipuram, I must have surely averaged 90+.

Obviously, there are many others who average much higher, but then, unlike me, they don't travel with the occupants of Fort Knox (my house in Besant Nagar). We took a coffee break at Mahabs and were finally home around 5.30.

So, all in all, I had a very satisfying trip. My long pending desire of desire of a road trip in India was fulfilled. I clocked around 550 Kms up and down. I was able to drive for a few kms at a speed of 100-105 Kmph. There were no accidents, slight brushes or even near misses. No complaints about over speeding too. :)

With this I would like to wrap up this travelogue. And if by mistake, you do remember telling something about rusk in my first part, well the deal is that, the minute I opened the gate at home and brought the car inside, Jimmy promptly came inside. I fed him the rusk that I took along on Saturday morning!