Sikkim Trip - Planning the Itinerary and Arrival at Gangtok

The Beginnings : It was in the month of March 2016, I started planning for a trip to the Himalayas. I was more interested to visit Bhutan, the Himalayan kingdom – known for its pristine nature and Gross National Happiness(contrary to Gross Domestic Product) – a bold concept in quantifying the well being of a citizen. Budget constraints and the thrill as well as joy of exploring paradises in our own backyard, prompted me to check for Sikkim tour packages! North Sikkim is a must in the itinerary, said my friend Sandeep, a prolific explorer himself! But there were only few packages available, which included it. After careful contemplation, I finalized a package, which had the following itinerary!

Indian Passport Renewal Procedure and Tips

You might have heard from your friends about the quick and easier renewal of passports these days in India. I got my passport renewed recently. What my friends told about the renewal process was right. But even then one needs to take care of few points during renewal. Here are those.

Passport Renewal Appointment : Online appointment is mandatory for renewal of passports. To schedule the appointment, you need to create an id for yourself at Indian Passport website. System will automatically book a slot for you. If you want to cancel/reschedule, you can do so. But this can be done only twice within a year of first appointment date.

Proofs : Once you have scheduled the appointment, it is time to gather proofs for submission. Though the passport website document adviser will give you a list of indicative proofs, they may not be complete. So, it is better you go through the list of documents listed in the online appointment receipt as per your case. Definitely, you do not want to make a trip to passport office in case some proof is missing. Some tips here.

Setting up your God's Own Office!

Writer Sudha Murthy explains how guys in a metro like Bengaluru wants a stress free life but don’t want to leave the city fearing loss of pay and the amenities big cities provide. What if you can achieve both i.e get stress free life as well as get paid like the ones who work in metros?

I believe most of us dream of such a well balanced life. We are in the big cities only because there are not enough job opportunities in small towns in India. We want a simple yet fulfilling life – enjoy marvels of nature, get soaked in festive spirit of religious gatherings, attend family functions or see our small town transform. Now, you would have many guys talking at length about this. Have you come across anybody who actually tried working from his hometown relishing every bit of his stay without compromising on the earnings from a big city?

What is it about? James Joseph is a small town guy who like many other middle class Indians has followed the well tread path of earning a foreign degree and finding his place in the corporate world as a global executive. Now, he wants to come back to India. But not to India of big cities but to Bharath of small towns! How he accomplishes this dream without compromising on his earning potential and work life resonance is what the book is all about.

Planning: James has carefully planned his move back to India. First he lands up in Bangalore to make his next move to Aluva, a small town near Kochi, Kerala.

Souramaana Yugaadi, Bisu Parba, Vishu and Tamil New Year

It is Souramaana Yugaadi tomorrow. This day is being celebrated as the beginning of new year in parts of Tulu Nadu (Dakshina Kannada/Mangalore, Udupi and Kasaragod) and also in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In Tulu Nadu, it is called Bisu Parba and in Kerala, Vishu. Since Souramana Yugaadi, as the name suggests is observed according to Solar calender, this festival is being celebrated on April 14 every year.

In Tulu Nadu, this festival is an occasion for the farmers to show their gratitude towards Mother Nature. Harvest from their fields is kept in a room and worshipped. Gathering of harvest thus worshipped is called 'Bisu Kani'. This way of worshipping the nature is also observed in temples of Tulu Nadu. This day also marks the beginning of the next season for crops in this region. 'Moode' is the delicacy of Tuluvas for this occasion. Charitable deeds too are part of the tradition.

Bisu Kani on Bisu Parba

For a more detailed information, you may also read my earlier articles on Souramaana Yugaadi in Kannada and Tulu below.

Kannada Article - ತುಳುನಾಡಿನಲ್ಲಿ೦ದು 'ಬಿಸು' ಹಬ್ಬ(ಸೌರಮಾನ ಯುಗಾದಿ)
Tulu Article - ತುಳುವೆರೆ ಬಿಸು ಪರ್ಬ

Yugaadi Wishes to all.

Thanks
Raveesh

Thousand Pillar Temple, Moodabidri Near Mangalore

Moodabidri is a center for Jainism and is called Jain Kashi. A quiet town, 35 km from Mangalore houses 18 Jain temples or basadis. Most prominent among these is the Thousand Pillar Temple (also called Saavira Kamabada Basadi and Tribhuvana Tilaka Chudamani Basadi), situated at the center of the town. Established in 1430, this temple is an architectural wonder. The temple is dedicated to 8th theerthankara of Jains, Chandranatha. Panchaloha(made up of 5 metals) statue of Chandranatha is worshipped here by the Jains.

Thousand Pillar Temple, Moodabidri

Pillars of the temple contain some fine carvings. Episodes from the life of Jain theerthankaras, Lord Krishna, Lord Shri Rama are the subject of most of the carvings. Moodabidri was also an important trading center during 15th century. Figures of giraffe and dragon carved in the temple, provide ample proofs for that and indicate ties with Africa and China. Ceilings of the temple also have some beautiful carvings. Also, one can see stone inscriptions in Halegannada (old form of Kannada). In front of the temple, there is maana sthambha which is a monolithic pillar and dhvaja sthambha, seen also in Hindu temples. Roofs of the temple which are red in colour, reminded me those of the Buddhist monasteries.

Inside Thousand Pillar Temple, Moodabidri

The temple is inside a fort like structure built at that time. View from the fort walls gives you the full picture of the famous temple, as you would have seen in tourist guides. The temple does not come under any Government organization and is managed by a Jain trust. They do not even charge entrance fees for the visitors. So, when I enquired about taking photographs of the place, I was asked to pay Rs.100/- as donation to the trust. One of the guides there, explained me about the history of the temple and the important carvings like Shri Rama pattabhisheka, figure of dragon and carvings made on giant doors of the temple.

Dhwaja Sthambha And Maana Sthamba

Basadis apart, Moodabidri is now famous for national level cultural festival, Alva's Viraasat, held every year. This music and dance festival brings together the best of artists from all over India. Moodabidri is also close to other tourist destinations like Karkala (another center for Jainism, 18km), Dharmasthala (Hindu pilgrimage center, 50km) and Udupi(50km).

Pillars of Thousand Pillar Temple, Moodabidri

With its serene surroundings and charming presence of the Thousand Pillar Temple, town of Moodabidri beckoned me for a second visit to the place.

Beautiful Ceilings of Thousand Pillar Temple

Carvings of Dragon

Stone Inscription In Halegannada

Roofs Of Thousand Pillar Temple

Fort Walls of Thousand Pillar Temple

Statue of Swami Vivekananda near Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore

Statue of Swami Vivekananda unveiled on January 12th, the birth day of Swami Vivekananda(also celebrated as National Youth Day in India) is one of the new attractions added to Bangalore city. Situated near Ramakrishna Math, Basavanagudi is already flocked by visitors. Here are few snaps of the bronze statue of the great son of India.Ramakrishna Math near Basavanagudi, Bangalore is frequently visited by those who look for a break from the busy city life. Books on Vedantha, Spirituality are available for sale here. Main building of the Math resembles Ramakrishna Math, Belur, West Bengal. Belur Math is the headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. Inside the premises of the Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore, an area covered by rocks is marked for meditation. Visitors are encouraged to meditate here. If you are in Bangalore and thinking of charging up your souls, Ramakrishna Math is the place for you.

Bekal Fort Beach Kasaragod Kerala

Bekal Fort beach, a populart tourist attraction, is 15km away from Kasaragod town. Bekal Fort is the biggest fort in Kerala. The fort, whose construction was started during Hiriya Venkatappa Nayaka's time was completed during Keladi Shivappa Nayaka's reign. The fort spread across 40 acres of land is facing the Arabian sea. At the entrance of the fort, there is Mukhyaprana temple, dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Lord Hanuman is believed to be the protector of the fort. Architecture of this temple resembles the ones in Karnataka.As soon as you enter the fort, you will find the green lawns being laid. As you walk around the fort you will notice holes in the fort walls, designed to protect from invaders. Also, one can get a bird's view of the sea shore ahead from the fort walls, a rarity in beach locations. View from the fort walls of Bekal make you believe that one half of your view is filled by the Arabian sea and the other half by all coconut trees, typical of Kerala.From the fort there is a passage to the beach down. A walk along the sea shore and you will find the park for children. Various structures are being built to attract the tourists. This place is usually crowded with people spending their leisure time with family and friends. Also, one can see some boats lined up along the shore and some afloat in sea. You can also witness some small birds(dont know the name!)walking in the sands and shying away whenever sea waves come closer. Bekal fort is a must visit place for those who are on trip to Kasaragod.Film connection : Numerous films have been shot in the beautiful location of Bekal fort. Bombay, film directed by Maniratnam deserves mention here. Aravind Swamy's wait for Manisha Koirala, singing Tu Hi Re is still fresh in the memories of film goers. Lot of Kannada movies like Bhaava Bhamaida, Make up, Moggina Manassu have also been shot.How to reach Bekal fort from Mangalore :
Mangalore to Kasaragod (NH17) - 50km
Kasaragod to Bekal Fort - 15 km (Mode of transport : Bus/Auto)

Entrance Fees and Camera Charges :
Bekal Fort :
Entrance Fees : Rs.5 per person
Camera Fees : Rs. 25 per camera

Bekal Fort Beach:
Entrance Fees : Rs.5 per person
Camera Fees : Rs.25 per camera

Aravind Adiga's Mangalore Connection

2 years ago, in 2006, it was first time, I had heard of Aravind Adiga. Back then, he had written an article about Mangalore in TIME magazine, on how Mangalore as a city is growing up and had made whole of Mangalore proud. I kept on saying about this article in an international magazine to my friends and had written a post on it then. Aravind Adiga, a native of Mangalore, had done his schooling in St.Aloysius High School, Mangalore, one of the premier educational institutions in Mangalore. This year, when he was nominated for Booker prize, I sincerely hoped he wins it. Well, he has won the Booker prize and made whole of India proud. Congratulations Mr.Aravind Adiga.

Aravind Adiga [Picture Courtesy : mangalorean.com]

Well, first task for me now is to buy and read his award winning novel, 'The White Tiger' :)

Regards
Raveesh

Wayanad Trip - Day 2

Part1 of the Wayanad trip is here. Continuing after that, Nidhi was the first one to wake up next morning. When it was about 6 30 am everyone was inside the four wheeler to reach first destination of that day, Lakkidi. Within 15 minutes of drive from Kalpetta, we were in Lakkidi.

Lakkidi:
Lakkidi is the top most view point overlooking the mountains below. If you are driving from Kalpetta towards Kozhikode/Calicut, you will be reaching Lakkidi just crossing the Wayanad district border, covering 1-2 hair pin turns across the ghats. Only if you are arriving from Kozhikode/Calicut side you will have to travel all the way from down to reach the view point at the top of the ghats.

Lakkidi View Point

I must say Lakkidi is one of those breath taking view points which makes the valley down the hill and mountains across the region so small in size. Vehicular movement in ghat turnings too can be viewed as tiny toys moving across. Interestingly Lakkidi is also one of the places which receives highest rainfall in India. After spending some time in Lakkidi and wondering at the sheer beauty of mother nature, we were on our way back. We had in mind prospects of visiting Pookot lake at around 8, but to our dismay lake opens to tourists only after 9, so we were back in the hotel.

Pookot Lake:
After finishing breakfast at the hotel and checking out from there, we reached Pookot Lake at around 10. Here, you can avail the facility of ferry or peddle boat to wander in the lake. We hired two 2 seater peddle boats for four of us. Pookot lake is one of the best places to spend your time in Wayanad with greenery all around and you in middle of the lake. Far away from the lake shore, there are lotus plants and there is a strict instruction against plucking of lotuses from there.

Pookot Lake

Well, we captured lotuses in our cameras soon. In Pookot lake premises, there are shops selling Kerala craft, wooden carvings and lots of other decorative stuff. We purchased some wooden carvings after a ride in peddle boat.

Banasura Sagar Dam:
Time was around noon and we had reached our next destination Banasura Sagar Dam, the largest earth dam in India. This dam has facilities of motorized boating. Water contained in the dam had created artificial islands. These can be seen when you are cruising in the boat.

Banasura Sagar Dam

Half an hour drive in the boat refreshes you quite a lot with you catching the glimpse of mountains in the backdrop of the dam, clouds towering over it and well, the artificial islands in the middle. Besides the dam, small park is being set up. Surprisingly though rainy season, it was really hot and we spent some time in the greens of the park. After giving some attention into the mechanics of the dam, it was time for lunch.

Kuruva Island:
Mananthawady was the next town we stopped for lunch before reaching our last stop in the trip itinery, Kuruva Island. Kuruva Island is at a distance of 17kms from Mananthawady. Though till this time all the roads in Wayanad district wherever we went were in smooth condition, road leading to Kuruva Island was in pathetic condition. Anyhow, when we reached the natural island formed by Kabini river it was 3 pm. One had to travel to the island via boat and rowers' instruction for us was to come back by 4 30 to the point they had left us. This island is a place for rare species of birds, orchids and herbs, they say. Not well versed in Botany or in Zoology, it did not make much difference to us and we thought it as an ideal picnic spot to spend a day. The most common variety of flora, we could identify was bamboo tree which was abundant there.

Crossing the Kabini River in Kuruva Island using raft

The island is not single entity rather a collection of small islands. After reaching the main island we crossed to the other island via raft made up of bamboo sticks with the rafter pulling the rope tied across the trees of river banks on either side to negotiate the river current. This place is inhabitated with paddy fields, tree top huts, shops to prove that. After spending some time here, we were back in the original island and started wandering there at about 4 thinking we can reach the initial entry point well before the dead line of 4 30.

Paddy Fields in Kuruva Island

But even after walking, talking theories of shortest path algorithms, we were no where near to where we started and all seemed lost in panic and it was already 5. More details can be found in Nidhi's blog. Finally at about 5 15 we reached the starting point.

Leaving behind north Kerala tourist destinations, the route we took to reach Mysore via Nagarahole forest was the first big mistake we commited in the entire trip. We were in search of asphalt road which was non existent. When enquired the locals, it was told that it was more than 30 years now that the road was in such a condition! Nearly 20 km road full of ups and downs, full of potholes slowed down the speed of odometers.

Horrible Roads near Nagarahole Forest

Big 92.7, Mysore was our constant companion during this time of distress. To call and make them aware of the road condition here, all the mobile phone networks were down. Well, to our delight in middle of the jungle, we saw herd of bisons crossing our way. After travelling distance after the Nagarahole forest, we were back in best of the roads. Reaching Mysore at 9, we were crusing to Bangalore, carrying back home sweet memories of Wayanad.

View from Lakkidi view point

Lotus at its best at Pookot Lake

Wooden crocodiles on display near Pookot Lake

Motor boating at Banasura Sagar Dam

Inside Kuruva Island

River Kabini flows through Kuruva Island

Wayanad Trip - Day 1

On Saturday 20th Septmber, we began our journey to Wayanad. We were four of us, me, Jayasimha, Shrinidhi and Raviraj were on our way to Wayanad, popular tourist destination in Kerala and is about 282 kms from Bangalore. Journey began from Vijayanagar at 6 30 am in the morning with Nidhi in driver's seat in Scorpio, rented for self drive.

New Animal in Bandipur National Park!

Route we followed was - Bangalore - Mysore - Gundlpete - Bandipur forest - Wayanad. Bangalore - Mysore road is at its best inviting you to advance your speedometers. So is the NH212 route from Mysore to Kozhikode which passes via Bandipur national park.

Seetha Devi Temple at Ponkuzhi

Soon after crossing Kerala border, we saw this Seetha Devi Temple at Ponkuzhi, reminiscent of Kerala temple architecture. After taking some snaps of the beautiful temple we cotinued on our journey, to reach Sultan Bathery at 11 30 am.

Sulthan Bathery:
Suthan Bathery as the name suggested, we thought it may be a fort like structure, where ammunitions used to be kept. But even after asking several locals, we could not locate the fort at the place. Then one wise guy pointed us to the Jain temple where the shells where kept then.

Jain Temple at Sulthan Bathery

Jain temple, built in 13th century was used by Tipu Sultan for keeping arms and ammunitions, after he captured the temple in 18th century. Hence the name, Suthan Bathery. It is also the largest town in Wayanad district.

Edakal Caves:
Edakal caves was our next stop. We reached there around 12. You have to park your vehicle some distance before the place. To reach the caves on top, you can avail the jeep facility. It is a rocky hill, on the way to its top you will find 2 large caves.

1st Edakal Cave

Edakal caves is also the place where the Kannada movie 'Edakallu Guddada Mele' directed by legendary director Puttanna Kanagal was shot, to be precise in the first cave. Incidentally that was the only film shot here as per the guide who briefed us about the history of these caves. Reaching the peak can be a adventurous task as there are some steep rocks to climb on the way. One has to go via the first cave to get to the top but second cave is not directly on the way. We visited the first cave and were on our way to the top keeping the programme of visiting the second cave postponed while getting down. The place was crowded with youngsters enjoying the nice weekend.

Birds view from Edakal Peak

After climbing each altitude on the way to the top, seeing the land far below the hill, exclaimations by fellow trekkers like 'waw' was a common scene and I had in mind suggesting an alternate name for Wayanad as 'Wawnad'! After reaching the top of the hill, all the land below seem so small in dimensions.One can see the whole geography of the place, all green - paddy fields, plantations, towns, quarry at one glance and be amazed by nature's creation. On our way down,

2nd Edakal Cave

we visited the second cave where you can find inscriptions on the rocks by stone age people who believed to have lived there. The whole process of climbing up the hill and getting down took us about 3 hours.

Soochipara Falls:
We continued our journey towards Soochipara falls after finishing lunch at Edakal at around 4. Since the places were within a distance of 10-20 kms travelling time was far less and we were near Soochipara falls soon after Edakal. On our way to Soochipara falls we visited the Wayanad Heritage museum, did not find it interesting though.

Tea plantations

That apart, lush greenery of the tea plantations on the way is a treat to watch. Also, they make perfect locations to take some great snaps of unforgettable journeys. This also reminded me of how as children, we were mesmerized by the sight of all green tea plantations shown in Kannan Devan Tea ads! Now I was seeing them for real. After parking the vehicle, way to Soochipara falls is about 2km walk. 200 meters Soochipara falls was already filled with people.

Soochipara Falls

Water falling from such height and great force had made surroundings filled with sound and had created misty surroundings.

After Soochipara falls visit, we headed towards Kalpetta some 22 kms from Soochipara falls, in search of some good hotel to stay on that night. Kalpetta is the district headquarters of Wayanad, and hosts quite a number of hotels. After finding one to stay, we soon got into sleep, after discussing the next day morning's programme of visiting Lakkidi, a view point to catch the glimpse of misty mountains. Well, thats all folks for now. 2nd part of the trip coming soon.

Regards
Raveesh

Another view from Edakal peak

Great Roads amidst tea plantations, Wayanad

Will There Be 'A Wednesday'?

Few films leave their mark in the sands of time and 'A Wednesday' is one of them. A gripping story and top class performances by two senior actors in bollywood. No hero but the film is still a winner. Neeraj Pandey's directoral venture keeps you glued to your seats for about 1 hour 45 minutes. A Wednesday is the story of a common man who is fed up of frequent terror attacks and wants to get rid of the evil in his own way and also wants to send a clear message to the bureaucratic system in the country. Anupam Kher delivers his best as Prakash Rathod, Police Commissioner of Mumbai and so does Naseeruddin Shah as the anonymous caller who calls him. Naseeruddin Shah represents millions of our country men who as common men, have to bear the consequences of terrorist attacks. Angst of common man against the system which takes more than a decade to punish the culprits behind bomb blasts represents the current scenario in India.
Film depicts all the situations which surrounds a bomb blast - how easily one places the bomb in the police headquarters, how the news hungry media exploits the situation when terrorist sends them the message of possible attack and in turn helps the terrorists to see the aftermath of their actions live on tv, how a redtape bureaucratic system like ours fails protect its own citizens in the time of need, how easily one makes judgements about a person knowing his religion and the list goes on. Neeraj has also handled the sensitive issue of religion well as seen from the fact that even at the end of the film, anonymous caller does not reveal his name or identity as people draw conclusions about his actions based upon his name which reveals his religion.

Script has been handled well and there is never a dull moment in a thriller of a movie. New story line and its connection to the real world, impresses and provokes thought at the same time. Jimmy Shergil has donned the rough and tough role as inspector Arif khan, something new for him. Tamasha news aired nowadays by '24 hour news channels' and the telemarketing call by a credit card company to Prakash Rathod in middle of a crisis may make brief comic reliefs in an otherwise serious movie. In the end the only words I can say here are - 'this film is a must watch for all'.

September 15th - Engineers Day in India

Every year, September 15th is celebrated as 'Engineers Day' in India in honour of the greatest engineer and statesman the nation has ever seen, Sir M Vishweshwariah. Sir M V was born on September 15,1860. He was bestowed the highest civilian honour in India, Bharatha Rathna in 1955. He is a role model for all engineers for his brilliance, honesty and dedication to his job. Karnataka owes most of its industrial progress to this man. He was responsible for the starting of following institutions in the state

• Krishnarajasagara or KRS dam
• Bhadravati Iron and Steel Works
• Mysore Sandal Oil Factory and the Mysore soap factory
• Mysore University
• State Bank of Mysore
• Public libraries in Mysore and Bangalore
• Mysore Chamber of Commerce
• Kannada Sahitya Parishad
• Sri Jayachamarajendra Occupational Institute, Bangalore

Apart from these his other achievements include

• Implementation an extremely intricate system of irrigation in the Deccan area.
• Design of a system of automatic weir water floodgates, which was first installed in 1903, at the Khadakvasla reservoir near Pune.
• Design of a flood protection system to protect the city of Hyderabad from floods.
• Developing a system to protect Visakhapatnam port from sea erosion.

To know more about this simple man from Muddenahalli in his own words, you can read the book : Memoirs of My Working Life written by Sir MV in 1951. This book has been translated to Kannada in 2005, which is titled - Nanna Vruththijeevanada Nenapugalu by Dr.Gajanana Sharma. Sir MV's call for the nation was "Industrialize or Perish" contrary to Mahatama Gandhiji's "Industrialize and Perish". Seeing the current scenario, it is the former saying which has come true and India needs to be industrialized more, to stand among the developed nations of the world.

ಸ್ವಾತ೦ತ್ರ್ಯ ದಿನದ ಸ೦ಭ್ರಮ ಮುಗಿಯುವ ಮುನ್ನ

ಮತ್ತೊ೦ದು ಸ್ವಾತ೦ತ್ರ್ಯ ದಿನವೂ ಕಳೆದು ಹೋಯಿತು. ಕಚೇರಿಗೆ ರಜೆ ಎನ್ನುವುದು ಬಿಟ್ಟರೆ ಮತ್ತೇನು ಸ೦ಭ್ರಮವಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಹೀಗಿರುವಾಗ ನಮ್ಮ ಬಾಲ್ಯದ ಶಾಲಾ ದಿನಗಳ ಸ್ವಾತ೦ತ್ರ್ಯ ದಿನಾಚರಣೆ ನೆನಪಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಸ್ವಾತ೦ತ್ರ್ಯ ದಿನ ಅ೦ದರೆ ಏನೋ ಒ೦ದು ಪುಳಕವಿರುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಅದರ ಮುನ್ನಾ ದಿನ ಶಾಲಾ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮಗಳಿಗೆ ಸಿದ್ಧತೆ ನಡೆಸುವ ಆತುರವಿತ್ತು. ನ೦ತರದ ದಿನ ತ್ರಿವರ್ಣ ಧ್ವಜ ಹಾರಿಸಿ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಅತಿಥಿಗಳ ಭಾಷಣವನ್ನು ಮು೦ಜಾನೆ ಬಿಸಿಲಿನಲ್ಲೂ ನಿ೦ತೂ ಕೇಳುವ ತಾಳ್ಮೆಯಿರುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಇ೦ದು ಅದಾವುದೂ ಇಲ್ಲ - ಸ್ವಾತ೦ತ್ರ್ಯ ದಿನದ ಸ೦ಭ್ರಮ ಬರೀ ಶಾಲಾ ದಿನಗಳಿಗೆ ಸೀಮಿತವೇ? ಶಾಲಾ ದಿನಗಳ ಆ ಭಾಷಾತೀತ, ಧರ್ಮಾತೀತ ಭಾವನೆ ಯುವಕರಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದ೦ತೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಮಾಸುವುದು. ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಬಲಕ್ಕೆ ತಕ್ಕ೦ತೆ ಭಾಷೆ ಮತ್ತು ಧರ್ಮಗಳ ಪ್ರಾಬಲ್ಯ ಎ೦ಬುದು ಅರಿವಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದ೦ತೆ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮಾನತೆ ಅಷ್ಟು ಸರಳವಾಗಿಲ್ಲ ಎ೦ದೆನಿಸುವುದು. ಇತ್ತೀಚೆಗ೦ತೂ ಇವು ತೀರ ಅತಿರೇಕಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿವೆ ಎ೦ದರೆ ತಪ್ಪಾಗಲಾರದು.

ವಿಶೇಷ ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ವಲಯ ಯೋಜನೆಗೆ ಸರಕಾರಗಳು ಚಾಲನೆ ನೀಡಿದಾಗ ಸ೦ಭ್ರಮಿಸಿದವರಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು ಒಬ್ಬ. ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶದ ಆರ್ಥಿಕತೆ ಪುಷ್ಟಿ ಹಾಗು ಜನರಿಗೆ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಉದ್ಯೋಗ ದೊರೆವುದೆ೦ಬುದು ಆಶಯ. ಆದರೆ ಅವು ಹೇಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಹಸಿರು ಸಮೃದ್ಧ ನೆಲವನ್ನು ಬರಿದಾಗಿಸಲು ಹೊರಟಿವೆ ಹಾಗೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಜನರೇ ಇ೦ಥ ಯೋಜನೆಗಳ ವಿರೋಧಿಗಳದಾಗ ಈ ಯೋಜನೆಗಳ ರೂಪು ರೇಶೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಳುಕುಗಳು ಕಾಣಿಸ ತೊಡಗುತ್ತವೆ.ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲೀಗ ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳ ಕ್ರಾ೦ತಿಯಾಗಿದೆ. ಹಲವಾರು ಟಿ.ವಿ ಚ್ಯಾನೆಲ್ ಗಳು, ಪತ್ರಿಕೆಗಳು ಬ೦ದಿವೆ. ಒ೦ದು ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಿ೦ದಿ ಭಾಷೆಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಸೀಮಿತವಾಗಿದ್ದ ಟಿ.ವಿ ಇ೦ದು ಭಾರತದ ಬಹುತೇಕ ಭಾಷೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ಬಿತ್ತರಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ಭಾಷೆಯಲ್ಲೇ ನಮಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ದೊರೆಯುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಈ ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳ ವ್ಯಾಪಾರಿ ಮನೋಭಾವ, ಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮ ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು ಬೇಕಾಬಿಟ್ಟಿಯಾಗಿ ವರದಿ ಮಾಡುವುದು ದೇಶದ ಐಕ್ಯತೆಗೇ ಮಾರಕ. ನದಿ ನೀರಿನ೦ಥ ವಿಚಾರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡೂ ಭಾಷೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾಧ್ಯಮ ಹೊ೦ದಿರುವ ಸ೦ಸ್ಥೆಗಳು ಆಯಾ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಜನರ ಭಾವನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಕೆರಳಿಸುವ೦ತೆ ವರದಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತವೆ. ಇದು ಖ೦ಡಿತಾ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದಲ್ಲ.

ಸರಕಾರ, ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳನ್ನು ಬಿಡಿ, ಇನ್ನು ಪ್ರಜೆಗಳಾದ ನಮ್ಮ ವಿಷಯಕ್ಕೆ ಬ೦ದರೆ ಪ್ರತಿ ಅವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಗೆ ಸರಕಾರವೇ ಹೊಣೆ ಎನ್ನುವ ನಾವು ನಮ್ಮ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ನಿಭಾಯಿಸಿದ್ದೇವೆಯೆ? ಸರಕಾರದ ಆಯ್ಕೆಯಲ್ಲೂ ಬಹುಪಾಲು ಜನರ ಪಾತ್ರವಿಲ್ಲ. ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಚುನಾವಣೆಯಾದಾಗ ಶೇ.೬೦ ಮತದಾನವಾದರೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚು. ಉಳಿದ ಶೇ.೪೦ ಜನರಿಗೆ ಆಯ್ಕೆ ತಾಪತ್ರಯವೇ ಬೇಡ. ಹೀಗಿರುವಾಗ ಆಯ್ಕೆಯಾದ ಸರಕಾರವನ್ನು ಜರಿಯುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಆ ೪೦ ಶೇಕಡಾ ಜನರಿಗ೦ತೂ ನೈತಿಕ ಹಕ್ಕಿಲ್ಲ. ಇನ್ನು ವಿದೇಶ ಪ್ರವಾಸ ಮಾಡಿ ಬರುವ ಕೆಲವರು ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ, ಶುಚಿತ್ವದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹೊಗಳುವವರೇ. ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ರಸ್ತೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒ೦ದು ಕಣ ಧೂಳೂ ಕೂಡ ಇಲ್ಲ - ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡಿದರೆ ಎಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲೂ ಧೂಳು ಅನ್ನುವವರೇ. ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯನ್ನು ಶುಚಿಯಾಗಿ ಇಟ್ಟುಕ್ಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ನಾವು ಮನೆಯ ಸುತ್ತಮುತ್ತ ಶುಚಿತ್ವದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಗಮನ ಹರಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಅಮೆರಿಕ, ಬ್ರಿಟನ್ ನ೦ಥ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಗಳು ಇವನ್ನು ಸಾಧಿಸಿವೆಯಾದರೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಜನರು ನಿಯಮಗಳನ್ನು ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ಪಾಲಿಸಿರುವುದರಿ೦ದ.

ಅದಿರಲಿ, ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶದ ಒಗ್ಗಟ್ಟು, ಸಾರ್ವಭೌಮತ್ವವನ್ನು ಸಾರಲು ನಮಗೊ೦ದು ದಿನ - ಆಗಸ್ಟ್ ೧೫. ಆದರೆ ಇತ್ತೀಚೆಗೆ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿರುವ ಉಗ್ರಗಾಮಿಗಳ ಬಾ೦ಬ್ ಸ್ಫೋಟಗಳನ್ನು ಗಮನಿಸಿದರೆ ಇ೦ಥಾ ಸ೦ಭ್ರಮವನ್ನೂ ಹದ್ದಿನ ಕಾವಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಸುವ೦ತಾಗಿದೆ. ಜಗತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲೇ ಭಯೋತ್ಪಾದನೆಗೆ ಮೊದಲು ಗುರಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದುದು ಭಾರತ. ಜಗತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲೇ ಅತ್ಯ೦ತ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಭಯೋತ್ಪಾದಕ ದಾಳಿಗಳಾಗಿರುವುದು ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ. ಆದರೂ ಅದನ್ನು ಹಿಮ್ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಸುವ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಇಚ್ಛಾ ಶಕ್ತಿ ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿಲ್ಲ. ವಿಪರ್ಯಾಸವೆ೦ದರೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ೯೩ರ ದಾಳಿಗೆ ಈಗಲೂ ಅಪರಾಧಿಗಳನ್ನು ಹುಡುಕುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇವೆ. ಭಯೋತ್ಪಾದಕರಿಗೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲೂ ಶಿಕ್ಷೆಯಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಪಕ್ಷಗಳ ಆರೋಪ ಪ್ರತ್ಯಾರೋಪಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕೊನೆಗೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತವೆ.

ಈ ಸಲದ ಒಲಿ೦ಪಿಕ್ಸ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಅಭಿನವ್ ಬಿ೦ದ್ರಾರವರಿಗೆ ಶೂಟಿ೦ಗ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಚಿನ್ನದ ಪದಕ ಬ೦ದಿರುವುದು ಭಾರತೀಯರಾದ ನಮಗೆ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯ ವಿಚಾರವೇ. ಆದರೆ ೧೦೦ ಕೋಟಿ ಜನರನ್ನು ಪ್ರತಿನಿಧಿಸಲು ಕೇವಲ ಒ೦ದೇ ವೈಯಕ್ತಿಕ ಪದಕವೇ - ಅದೂ ಇಷ್ಟು ವರ್ಷಗಳಲ್ಲಿ. ಭಾರತ ಇನ್ನೂ ಒ೦ದು ಕ್ರೀಡಾಸಕ್ತ ದೇಶವಾಗಿ ರೂಪುಗೊ೦ಡಿಲ್ಲ. ಕ್ರೀಡೆಗಳು ದೇಶದ ಐಕ್ಯತೆಗೆ ಪೂರಕ - ಒ೦ದು ಸಾಧನೆಯಿ೦ದ ಇಡೀ ದೇಶದ ಜನರೆಲ್ಲಾ ಒ೦ದಾಗಿ ಸ೦ಭ್ರಮಿಸಿತ್ತಾರೆ. ಮತ್ತೊ೦ದು ಸೋಜಿಗದ ವಿಚಾರವೆ೦ದರೆ ಈ ಪದಕ ಬ೦ದಾಕ್ಷಣ ಕೆಲವು ರಾಜ್ಯ ಸರಕಾರಗಳು ನಾ ಮು೦ದು ತಾ ಮು೦ದು ಎ೦ದು ಬಹುಮಾನ ಘೋಷಿಸಿರುವುದು. ತೆರಿಗೆ ಪಾವತಿದಾರರ ಹಣವನ್ನು ಹೀಗೆ ಪೋಲು ಮಾಡುವ ಸರಕಾರ ಕ್ರೀಡಾಪಟುಗಳು ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಗೆ, ಪ್ರೋತ್ಸಾಹಕ್ಕೆ ವಿನ೦ತಿಸಿದಾಗ ಕಿವುಡಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ.

ಭಾರತ ಇ೦ದು ಪ್ರಗತಿ ಶೀಲ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರವಾಗುವತ್ತ ದಾಪುಗಾಲಿಡುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿಯ ಪ್ರಮಾಣ ಶೇಕಡಾ ೯ ರಷ್ಟಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ನಾನು ಬಯಸುವುದು ಜಾಗತೀಕರಣದಿ೦ದ ಉ೦ಟಾಗಿರುವ ಈ ಭಾರತದ ಹೊಸ ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯ ಲಾಭ ಸಮಾಜದ ಕೆಳ ಸ್ಥರಕ್ಕೂ ತಲುಪಲಿ ಎ೦ದು. ೬೧ ಅತ್ತು ಮು೦ದೂ ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶ ಇನ್ನಷ್ಟು ಪ್ರಬುದ್ಧವಾಗಲಿ. ಪ್ರಜ್ನಾವ೦ತ ಪ್ರಜೆಗಳನ್ನು ರೂಪಿಸಲಿ. ಪ್ರತಿ ಸ್ವಾತ೦ತ್ರ್ಯ ದಿನವೂ ಆ ವರ್ಷ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಸಿಹಿ, ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕಹಿ ನೆನಪುಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊತ್ತು ತರುತ್ತದೆ - ಯುಗಾದಿಯ೦ತೆ!

ರವೀಶ

Can Kannada Cinema be the ambassador for the language?

This question has been in mind for quite some time now. There have been lots of debates on the issue of language. I was thinking how Hindi as a language has spread all over India. I don’t think all who speak Hindi will be well versed in reading and writing the language. But that does not stop anybody to start conversing in Hindi in almost any part of India. What is the ingredient then for largest speaking language in India to find its foothold? Yes, here I am talking of the Hindi cinema or Bollywood which has played a larger role in spreading the language. Though learning Hindi as third language in schools in most states has helped its cause to some extent, it is the charisma of Hindi films which make it easy for any person to learn and speak the language. That applies partly to other language movies like Tamil or Telugu cinema; at least they have a greater presence in South India if not in North India. I still remember how I got introduced to Tamil when I was in Mangalore; it was through the song Chiku buku raile song from the movie Gentleman. Kaadalan, Roja, Bombay were next in line to cast their spell. People also say they learn the language by watching movies.

Questions Unanswered: Here are few questions for Kannada cinema to ponder upon – how many times have been there instances of Kannada films being released out side the state, if not outside the country. For example, you will find very few films being screened in Kasaragod district of Kerala, with sizeable Kannada and Tulu population. Few films are released there after they become blockbusters like Yajamaana, Mungaaru Male. Big cities like Mumbai, Pune and Chennai too have good number of Kannadigas and what about border districts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu where Kannada is spoken. Why can’t we screen our films there? In Bangalore, a cosmopolitan city, there are shows of 6 different language films everyday. Can’t we screen Kannada movies in places where there is a significant presence of Kannadigas? Tamil and Telugu films travel to places where there is little presence of Tamilians, Telugus or not even that. Marketing would have made sure that it reaches places unheard of in mainstream media. Can we have the same marketing for namma Kannada films too?Script and the language: Echoing what Prakash Belavadi, well known director of ‘Stumble’, English and Kannada plays said in a seminar organized by Kannadasaahithya.com, we Kannadigas are lot more emotional about the script we follow. He said we are giving importance to lipi(script) rather than nudi(language), which is the reality too. Have you observed that Hindi ad punch lines are always written English? Bollywood movies in late 90s followed this trend of putting everything from film name to ‘the end’ message in English and that is not without reason too, as most of the movie goers could read English, so it was easy to understand. Can we have the similar thing for Kannada cinema? Along with the name in Kannada script can we have it written in English too, so non-Kannadigas too able to read the title, in turn learn a few Kannada phrases! Interestingly we find most of the times, captions after the film title in all English! Big hoardings in Bangalore now have Kannada written in English sometimes. If only they could be more meaningful it would serve the purpose. I am making it clear that it is not to replace the beautiful Kannada script but it is a temporary solution to ‘don’t know Kannada’ problem.

Recent Developments: Few days back, I was asked by one of my non-Kannadiga colleagues to translate ‘Ninnindale’ song from the movie,‘Milana’ to English. Good things are always appreciated devoid of language barriers. ‘Beduvanu Varavannu’ from 'Jogi',’Anisuthido Yaako Indu’ from ‘Mungaaru Male’ and most recently ‘Jinke Marina’ from ‘Nanda loves Nanditha’ was liked by every Bangalorean no matter whether he was a Kannadiga or not. Well, FM stations sudden rush to play Kannada songs also played its part here. Having said all that we have to make more good movies and market lesser popular but technically good movies, one Mungaaru Male or one Duniya is not enough to make a huge difference. Firstly filmmakers have to come out of their Bangalore centered approach while making films. There should be good marketing strategies to explore new markets and in turn spreading the language of the land.

Passing Note: Well known faces in film world like Maniratnam, Anil Kapoor(debut as director and hero respectively in Pallavi Anupallavi) and Juhi Chawla (debut in Premaloka) started their film careers in Kannada cinema.

Regards
Raveesh

This article also got published on Churumuri

Mangalore, next BPO boom town - CNBC TV18 Reports

Came across this video in youtube, in which CNBC TV18, one of the premier business news channels in India reports of Mangalore, calling it next BPO boom town and a serious challenger to India's silicon valley Bangalore according to a NASSCOM study! Watch the video to know more.

CNBC TV18 reports, Mangalore is now home to 27 outsourcing firms including big names like Infosys, Wipro and Mphasis. With over 186 educational institutes in and around Mangalore and over 3000 engineering graduates every over boom is here to sustain. Being in one's home town is certainly a dream nowadays as one goes in search of jobs to India's big cities. So, Mangalore provides a window of opportunity in the near future for more Mangaloreans to stay in their home town. People interviewed by CNBC too echoed the same opinion. Even the people who moved into this town from outside too were also happy about the city, typical cosmopolitan nature of Mangalore evident from many years. Sky scrapers in the city are common scene now. Real estate prices have gone up. City's economy is changing with new malls coming up. But again infrastructure is the main concern here too as in the state capital.

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one night @ the call center : Chetan's version

Chetan Bhagat’s choice of contemporary topics in his novels is well known and in his second novel, One Night @ The Call Center, he explores the world of call centers in India. If Five Point Someone dealt about college going youth, this is about the professional class.

Gist of the story : Five people working at a call center and their struggle on that one night is the subject of the novel. Chetan’s tells the story as first person account by one of the 5 characters, Shyam. Characters he has chosen covers the different personalities – Shyam, who considers himself as a loser latest loss being his girl friend Priyanaka, Vroom, who dislikes his job but has no other way out, Radhika, a housewife, all the time worried about her mother-in-law’s nuisances, Esha, who dreams of becoming model someday, Priyanka, who does not get along with her mother well and Military Uncle, who has left his family. Connexions, the firm where they work is downsizing. Adding on to this is the office politics and their own problems. Now they have to face it all. After being briefed about prospects being fired, these people go to a lounge to relieve them of their tensions and while returning from there in Qualis they meet with an accident and this is the time when they receive a call from ‘God’. How do they survive after this, how they prevent themselves from being thrown out of Connexions and how do they find solutions to their own problems are best read in the book itself! This whole story is depicted as being told to Chetan by a girl in a train in which they are travelling.What’s hot: Book contains 38 chapters with 5 chapters dedicated to describing Shyam’s dates with Priyanka. These five chapters present the romantic angle of the story telling how love blooms and end for Shyam and Priyanka, which makes an interesting read. In this novel Chetan also tells the general public’s perception about call center professionals. Also told are the nuisances of call center training like American way of pronouncing same English letter differently depending on its position in the words and 35=10 rule, which says a thirty five year old American’s brain and IQ is the same as ten year old Indian’s mind. Vroom’s disgusting remarks about the ruling class in India may be echoed in every other Indian youth. Also, his frustrations also directed towards annoying American callers. Shyam’s struggle in his job and he who always caught in his manager Bakshi’s management theories represent the plight of many corporate employees.

What’s not: In the end, there is one part of the story where the call center agents call their American customers and say their systems are being attacked by viruses. To see find out whether the system is attacked by virus or not they are told to type = rand(200,99) in a blank MSWord file and press Enter. If lots of text is generated in the MS word file, they say it is a virus. Coming from a technical background and knowing that it is a bug in MSWord, I found this hard to digest. But, I see by 35=10 rule, this would be enough to create fears in the minds of Americans as Chetan proclaims.

It is a good read for the people who are in IT/ITES/BPO industry, as it represents the scenarios and minds of the employees in these industries very well and people usually like the books which they can relate to themselves quickly. If you are in IT/ITES/BPO industry and have not read the novel till now, it is time for you to pick up your copy.

Regards
Raveesh

Buy One Night at The Call Center here

5 things I liked about 5 Point Someone

Chetan's first book was lately read by me in 2008, with the book being released way back in 2004. But the charm of the book is still not lost, even after 4 years of its first publication and it is still topping the best sellers list in India. So, I am not presenting the review of the book here, but things I liked about the book while reading, mostly drawing similarities between IITians and non-IITians. For the non-starters, Five Point Someone is a fictional work by Chetan Bhagat about 3 friends - Hari, Alok and Ryan in an IIT.

Our Language: Chetan speaks our language, language of youth which enables him to reach the majority of young indians through his writings. Though novel is set up in an IIT background, the scenarios depicted by him is pretty much similar to other engineering colleges in India, with most of the engineering under-graduates speaking the same lingo, as he has presented with over emphasis on some special 'key' words! Dreaded Viva: I think atleast some of us, engineering students, used to shiver and most of us used to develop a healthy fear during those lab exam days. That is one of the reasons for Hari, one of the 3 characters to feel uncomfortable during the grilling viva-voce and he goes to the extent of attending viva after having vodka to overcome the fear, only possible in novels! This fear among students is not without reason as in the case of other engineeing colleges, professors from rival colleges who come for lab viva try to settle scores by means of this dreaded tool and make life miserable for the students like Hari. But the question always remains as who started the trend first: the professors from this college who had gone to other colleges or is it other way! Atleast IIT guys should be lucky in this regard as these institutions are autonomous and vivas are conducted by in-house faculty only! Is it right to assume so?

Placement Scenario: Placement scenario is almost the same in decent engineering colleges as in IITs nowadays, with software companies knocking the door of every possible engineering college to hire talent, leave alone the higher pay packages IITians get. Here, the cutoff aggregate percentages are 60-70% as they vary from company to company. This aspect do worry students at the beginning of 6th semester. Aggregate percentage below this is as good as five pointer in IIT but unlike in IITs there is no relative grading of students! Also, as in the case of novel's characters, Alok and Hari, companies arriving for recruitement last, relax the eligibility criteria little bit.

Lots of Ryans! Characters like Ryan can be found in almost every second guy you meet in any engineering college bashing their own college and then the University for the same reasons as Ryan's like mugging up the portions, no original thinking etc etc. The 'novel' idea of Cooperate to Dominate extended here as well, as assignments if at all given carried little or no weightage and so, mass copying was common and semester projects, that was another story in itself! Well, Chetan indicates how it is important to make a balance between the usual routine stuff in the colleges and the original thinking.

Other than IITs: At the end of the novel, Chetan does not forget to mention that it is not only the IITs which produces quality engineers in India. This has been depicted as a speech made by Prof.Cherian, Head of the Department, Mechanical Engineering in Hari's dreams, which might indicate how this viewpoint is not yet fully accepted. Also, he stresses on the point that it is not the end of the world, if you dont get into IITs.

Regards
Raveesh

The 3 Mistakes of My Life : Book Review

New books of any best selling author is awaited eagerly by his readers. Chetan Bhagat is the same case. I had read the prologue of 'The 3 Mistakes of My Life', which had been given in his site www.chetanbhagat.com. After reading the prologue, I had the option to send the link of the just read stuff to 3 more people by giving their e-mail adresses to get the Ist chapter for reading. In other cases, it would have been the case of spamming but considering Chetan and his credibility, I proceeded and read the first chapter, got thrilled and on the following weekend bought the book from Landmark, Forum, Bangalore.

Chetan in his new book, has stuck with a story revolving around 3 friends much in the similar fashion as in his first book, Five Point Someone. But this time, the story is not from the corridors of prestigious IITs. As he says, it is from small towns like Ahmedabad. Anyway, I never thought Ahmedabad was a small town at all. As the book's synopsys says it is a book about 3 of India's passions - Cricket, Religion and Business, personified by the 3 characters - Ishaan, Omi and Govind. As in Five Point Someone, this story is told by one of the characters, Govind in first person.

Though Chetan starts off with Cricket, story line turns into religious aspects quickly. Chetan follows up the series of India v/s England and India v/s Australia in 2001 and shows up how these 3 guys react to the match results and this forms the core of the story but there is nothing extraordinary about that as you would have already heard or seen yourself the live analysis, aftermath of the cricket matches in regular households.On the other hand, I felt most of the times that he is presenting the same old stuff about religion, churned out most often by the media again and again, which shows up only one side of the story. I also saw little merit in tracing Gujarat's history from 2001 which comprises earthquake, religious clashes etc, as enough has been said and it has been the hot topic of discussion in the intellectual circles of the country. What is disappointing is the same perspective of the state from India's west, thrusted upon by the media is reiterated by the author. But Chetan has attempted to be different when one of his characters says about Chimpazees kissing after the fight among themselves akin to religious clashes and that dialogue among people is what is missing in India in these situations.

Cricket, a national time pass has also been seen from a businessman's point of view, which may be relatively new to the young readers. Businessman also sees religion in an agnostic point of view. The common glue which binds the 3 characters though they pursue different passions is cricket. Well, how can one forget the romantic part of the story, typical to Chetan's novels. Here too one of the characters falls in love with a girl and events which lead to this is presented in almost similar way in Five Point Someone. But Chetan here conveys some serious stuff yet jokingly.

Happy ending is any author would love to provide to his readers after all the trauma and Chetan follows the tradition here too but with some sacrifices. One liners like his first novel are witty and worth 2nd read. All in all, it is not a must read but can be useful if you can take the real jist out of the full write up.

Regards
Raveesh

Buy Three Mistakes of My Life here