Two Chennai photos

A tiny temple

Door of a prayer room

Photos by me. Copyright reserved.
Click to enlarge.

Photos: Clouds over Chennai

Photos by me. Copyright reserved.
Click to enlarge.

Also see:

Madras Matters

No Red Sails in the Sunset

Travel: A round trip by train

Last Thursday I went to Bangalaore by the Shadabthi Express. The first thing that struck me was the difference in the onward and return fares. The latter was lesser. It took me some time to sort that out.

It was my maiden trip by the much touted Shadabthi. Clean compartment. The wide seats, two abreast with fold back middle arm rest, were comfortable. The airconditioning was just right. The toilets were spotless. They had paper rolls and genuine undiluted liquid soap.

Shortly after we left Chennai Central at 5.30 p.m. high tea was laid out – sandwich, samosa, wafers in three different flavors, and so on. Most of the passengers stuffed the goodies into their bags.

Then it was dinner time. Again substantial quantities served by smartly attired bearers. Quite tasty too. All included in the fare. Read for sometime and presto we were in Bangalore Cantt. The distance of about 355kms was covered in approximately 4 ½ hours.

The return train yesterday was to start at 6 a.m. Reached the City Station at 5.30 only to be told that Shadabthi was cancelled. Informing passengers over phone about such changes is apparently not a part of the railway culture.

After a while I was told that three additional AC chair cars were being attached to the Lal Baugh Express leaving at 6.30. I got a seat in a 1992 vintage coach. One could buy breakfast from vendors (railway employees?) wearing clothes that required washing a week ago.

Half an hour out of Chennai Central it was announced that the train was being diverted to Egmore Terminus. The reason? Two bogies of another train had derailed at Central Station. But that had happened the previous night. The passengers could have been informed even before our train left Bangalore.

Since my driver has a mobile phone I could direct him to Egmore. Passengers who didn’t have that facility had to engage taxi or auto rickshaw from Egmore to Central for boarding their cars.
One must however acknowledge that the hefty difference between Shadabthi and the Lal Baugh Express fares was refunded within half hour of reaching Egmore at the end of the 6 ½ hours journey.

Now, the reason for the fare disparity between the Bangalore bound and return Shadabthi - on the outward journey high tea and dinner are served while only breakfast is provided when you come back.

The Shadabthi Express is good – when it runs!

Ends.

Also see:
Memories: Shoeless on suburban train.
Travel: Shendurney, the Royal Tree
Bangalore: Of a club, a park and a Chief Secretary couple

Lifestyle: The greatest sari on earth

On Monday, 26 November, the famous actor-director Suhasini Maniratnam unveiled a sari created by Chennai Silks. You might wonder what’s so great about a sari to be on the front pages of newspapers, and on TV. Well, this one is different from anything seen so far.

To start with, there is only one piece like it in the world. Made from the finest silk. Twelve precious stones including pearl, diamond, sapphire, topaz and emerald were set into the sari with platinum, gold and silver, using a double-warp. The work took 4680 man-hours involving 7440 jacquard hooks and 66794 cards. That should be world record.

Woven into this masterpiece are eleven (some reports say thirteen) other gems – great paintings of the master, Raja Ravi Varma. Ten of these are depicted on the sari border. And the other, ‘Musicians’ (see the image below) is on the pallu.

This unique sari will be displayed in the Chennai Silks showroom in Chennai. But it is not just an exhibition piece. It can be worn just like other saris. Provided one can meet the price tag of USD100, 100 (about 4 million Indian rupees.)

Ends.

Also see: Raja Ravi Varma: A movie on the Royal Painter

Madras Matters

For 30 months now, I have been living more or less continuously in Chennai (formerly Madras). This is the first time I stayed outside Kerala for so long since my college days. People often ask me how I find the change. Well, not too bad.

First of all the rain gods have been kind. The weather has been quite tolerable, in fact pleasant I would say, except for a month or two in summer. Since we stay about hundred meters or so from the sea, there is always a lovely breeze. The problem though is that our area doesn’t have a proper drainage system. In certain parts of the otherwise well-maintained avenue, the rainwater forms pools that sometimes remain for a couple of days.

Almost everything is home-delivered except liquor. In fact, buying the potion is quite an adventure. There are two wine shops nearby. Unlike Kerala, there is no system of queuing here. In the jostling and wriggling, strong men get the bottles. The meek wait eternally. I tried a few times to buy drinks personally and gave up – not on the liquor, but getting involved in the melee. Now I depend on the driver for buying bottles.

Otherwise, one can get almost everything within a two-hundred meter radius; including ATMs (see ATM Service). What is amazing is that on the 300 meter long street with no high-rise buildings, there are three ironing booths and two tailors, all on the roadside. They pick up the clothes and deliver them back. They seem to be busy all the time.

The road slopes to the sea. An ‘L’ turn takes one to a broad, straight stretch that that has a dead-end. It is parallel to the beach and is a beautiful place to walk – not crowded, hardly any traffic. In fact children play football at the dead-end, and that is great. And, apart from walkers and joggers, one comes across several good quality breeds of dogs. It is sometimes like a Kennel Club parade.

Talking about clubs – that is one thing I miss in Chennai. Occasionally I do go to the Gymkhana or the Presidency. That’s no fun because I hardly know any one there. And I don’t have the knack of introducing myself and getting into a conversation. One’s own club and group of friends – there is nothing like it.

The area is quiet and trouble free. All houses have watchmen. Several of them are on the wrong side of sixty, possibly with impaired vision and hearing. The reason for hiring them, someone explained to me, is the theory that old men require less sleep. That’s fine but if a thief happens to land right in front, the watchman may not know what to do with him!

Ends.

Also see: No Red Sails in the Sunset