PUNE- A CITY WHICH STILL FEELS LIKE A SMALL TOWN

It just so happened that I had to visit Pune for a short trip. I had always known Pune as a town to be passed in transit, either going to Panchgani or a short drive from Khandala. Pune by itself had never really beckoned me. When I found that I was visiting Pune, I thought that I might as well get to know the city a tad bit better.  What I found was that Pune is a lovely little city which has retained its antiquity. It is located at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers. In the centre of the city is its nucleus. The localities in the old town are  named after the days of the week, so we have Ravivarpeth, Somwarpeth, and so on until Shaniwarpeth. In olden times each place had its market on that particular day of the week, naming the places therefore needed no imagination, and also led to no controversies.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak's house.

There is a feeling of calm in these lanes and roads of Pune. On Lakshmi Road are located most of the traditional jewellery shops. The jewellery of Pune is quite distinct and pretty. The tanmani, the goph and the typical nose rings are pretty. Pearls are used in abundance.

The typical nath( nose ring)

The Kunthekar Road which runs parallel to the Lakshmi Road is full of beautiful saree shops. The only hassle  is that one has to remove shoes to get inside the shop. The Shop assistants are very patient and keep on showing  sarees, one after the other, without asking "what exactly do you want to buy?"

Pune is near Shivneri Fort where Shivaji was born.  Maloji Bhonsale was a Maratha Sardar who served in the army of the Ahmadnagar sultanate. He was born in 1552 and was given the jagir(estate) of Pune and Supe by the Sultanate. His son was Shahaji and grandson was Shivaji.

Shahaji inherited the jagirs after Maloji's death. He followed in his father's footsteps and  joined the Mughal forces under Badshah Shah Jehan, he  later joined the Bijapur Sultanate. From them he received the jagir of Bangalore.

Shahaji was an exponent of guerrilla warfare and it is said that he never lost a battle. He was very well known for his calibre and his services were sought after by the Mughals, Adilshahi as well as the Nizamshahi.

 Shivaji the son of Shahaji and Jijabai,was brought up by Jijabai  in the town of Pune as Shahaji was always away at war and usually lived in Bangalore with his other sons Sambhaji and Venkoji. Shahaji died in 1665. In the year 1674, Shivaji was crowned the Chhatrapati. Pune has always been a very traditional place where they practice Hinduism strictly. None of the Brahmins of Pune were willing to perform the abhishek  of Shivaji as he belonged to the Maratha caste which is not considered  Ruling caste or Kshatriya in the hierarchical caste structure. Bali Avji Prabhu who was Shivaji's Secretary got a genealogical table prepared which showed that Shivaji belonged to the Sisodia family of Mewar, who were considered Kshatriyas of the purest Rajput clan. Then a Brahmin was brought in from Varanasi to perform the ceremonies as the very strict Brahmins of Pune still refused to perform the abhishek, in spite of the Genealogical table.

Shivaji created a large force of soldiers and restored strategically located forts inland as well as on the coast to safe guard his territory. He revived ancient Hindu traditions, court conventions and promoted the usage of Marathi and Sanskrit as against the Persian used in courts then.

Shivaji encouraged the development of Pune and a number of Peths, temples and dams were constructed during his reign. In 1670, Shaista Khan captured Pune, but after the battle of Sinhagadh, the Marathas got it back under their control.
Aurangzeb occupied Pune from 1703 to 1705.
In 1720, Bajirao Ballal Bhat of Saswad was appointed Peshwa or Prime Minister of the Maratha Empire by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaja of Satara, who was the grandson of Shivaji Maharaja. Pune was located centrally and all parts of Maharashtra, Konkan, Khandesh, Marathawada could be reached quickly, therefore Shahu Maharaja stationed his army at Pune under the Peshwa Bajiao I, for fast expeditions as well as quick sanction of finances.

Ruins of Shaniwarwada

Bajirao I moved his base from Saswad to Pune and started the construction of Shaniwarwada and also many temples and bridges and ushered in the era of the Peshwas.  Bajirao also constructed an underground aqueduct to get water from Katraj Lake to Shaniwarwada, this aqueduct is still operational.Bajirao was a noted General.
 

Mastani Gate at Shaniwarwada

Later Nanasaheb Peshwa the son of Bajirao Peshwa, also developed the city further.  He developed Saras bag,  Heera bag,  Sadashiv Peth, Narayan peth,  Rasta peth and Nana path. After the Battle of Panipat the era of the Peshwa declined but Pune remained their seat of power until they were finally defeated by the British East India Company in 1802. In 1817, the third Anglo Maratha war broke out and the Marathas were defeated at Khadki. The City was placed under Bombay Presidency and a large Cantonment was built here. Navi pet and Ganj Peth were developed during this time.

There is a place called Koregaon Bhima outside of Pune which has become a symbol of pride for the Mahar community. In 1818 there was a battle fought at Koregaon Bhima between the British East India Company and the Maratha Confederacy. There were 25,000 Marathas led by Peshwa Bajirao II who intended to fight the British to regain Pune. The Peshwa sent 10,000 Marathas to fight the 800 strong Company Force, that was on its way to reinforce the British troops at Pune. The Company defended the position for nearly 12 hours and the Marathas finally withdrew. The Company troops had predominantly Mahar soldiers and therefore this battle is regarded as a heroic episode in Dalit History. There is an obelisk to commemorate this battle and contains the names of the 49 company soldiers including 22 Mahars killed in action.Here I must add that due to the prevalent caste system, people other than Kshatriyas did not take up arms with Hindu Kings. There were very rare aberrations in this when the Mughals or other Muslim rulers allowed people other than Kshatriyas to join the Army. After the British came in, they broke the Caste system due to which people who were able bodied but belonged to other castes were also recruited in the East India Company army. 

Pune is very well known for its educational Institutes. Fergusson College was founded in 1885 by the British. The Symbiosis Institute, Film and TV Institute, The AFMC and other establishments of the Armed Forces speak a lot for the climate and atmosphere for education in Pune. 

Aga Khan Palace

The Agha Khan Palace was built in 1892 by Sultan Aga Khan III. This graceful building was used by the British to house Gandhi and other prominent nationalist leaders  following Gandhi’s Quit India campaign in 1942. The main palace now houses the Gandhi National Memorial where one can see the room where M.K.Gandhi used to stay. The palace is a very beautiful and luxurious place.  Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai died here and a memorial has been built for them in the garden.

Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai's memorial.

Perhaps because Pune was very strictly traditional it also became an important centre in the social and religious reform movements of the late 19th century. Prominent social reformers and freedom fighters lived here, including Gopal Krishna Gokhale,Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Vitthal Ramji Shinde, Dhondo Keshav Karve, Jyotirao Phule, Dr. Raghunath Karve, Tarabai Shinde and Pandita Ramabai.  These reformists demanded the abolition of caste prejudice, equal rights for women, harmony between the Hindu and Muslim communities, and better schools for the poor. 
One more person of prominence who lived in Pune  is Anandibai Gopal Joshi(1865-1887)who was the first lady physician of India who studied in USA. Society in those days was such that Hindus were not allowed to go across the sea. There were many restrictions and Anandibai faced a lot of hostilities from society at large as they presumed that by going abroad Anandibai would loose her status in society and could also change her Religion. She convinced people that she would not convert and also that she was going only to pursue studies. It is commendable that a fifteen year old girl could take bold decisions and bold steps to educate herself. It is said that her husband Gopal Joshi was instrumental in educating her and also for sending her abroad, although the means that he used were harsh, as it is said that he used to beat Anandibai. She became a Doctor, returned to India but sadly she suffered from TB and stayed in Pune to get treatment but died before she attained the age of 22.

Memorial of Mahadji Scindia

Mahadji Scindia of Gwalior, was the Commander in chief of the Maratha Army under the Peshwas. He died in Pune and there is a beautiful memorial dedicated to him in Pune.  

Where Mahadji Scindia was cremated

Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned at Yerwada Central Jail several times.Yerwada Central Jail was built in 1871 by the British and  has been a very famous Jail as many freedom fighters were jailed here between 1930 and 1942. These included Gandhi, Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Savarkar. The Poona Pact where Gandhi went on an indefinite fast to protest against the Communal awards was also signed at this Jail  on 24th September 1932, between Dr. Ambedkar and Gandhi.

This jail also remained in the limelight  after Independence, as during Emergency in 1975, Balasaheb Deoras, Atal Behari Vajpayee, Pramila Dandavate were imprisoned here. Anna Hazare, Telgi, Arun Gawli, Sanjay Dutt have also been inmates here. The last notorious criminal of this jail was Ajmal Kasab who was hanged and buried here in 2012.

Pune  has been a hub for reform, freedom movement, tradition, strict conservatism and a salubrious climate for education. The Osho ashram with its very free thought was also established at Pune.
Inspite of being so close to Mumbai, it has maintained its distinctness. The Marathi language spoken at Pune is considered very pure, the conservatism and practice of Hindu Religion is very strict.
It is a large City in size but maintains its identity as a small town.
The Shaniwarwada built very lovingly by Bajirao I is now in ruins. One can only see the walls of the Fort as well as a gate from where Mastani his second wife who was a Muslim could enter the Wada. There is Kelkar Museum here which is one man's collection of artefacts. A portion of the Mastani Mahal has also been kept at the Kelkar Museum. 

DAGDU SHETH GANPATI

The Lal Mahal, Dagdu Sheth Ganpati are some more places to see at Pune.Lal Mahal was the palace where Shivaji spent his childhood. The original building was destroyed and what stands in its place is a recent building.

LAL MAHAL FACADE

Yes indeed, Pune retains its slow pace, looks pretty and neat and does not appear to want to grow up to be like its neighbour Mumbai. It is a beautiful place with a lot of greenery, lots of Universities and educational Institutions.
The new developments in the periphery of the town are distinct from the Old town of Pune, it is growing, glowing and young. Yet the simplicity of the old town, its people, its undercurrent of the pride in their Puneri language, culture, and cuisine stand out. 

SANCHI, HIDDEN UNDER VEGETATION.

FIELDS

As I travel on a train towards my destination Bhopal, I awake early to see the beautiful sunrise over a strange horizon. These are strange lands and fields in a continuous stretch of flat land with no hills in view. It's just a vast expanse of land and water, which are natures gift, which has not yet been destroyed by the intrusion of human beings for dwellings.

I wonder why people from distant  lands travelled far and wide. What made Ashoka choose Sanchi which was then called Kakanaya, to make his world famous Sanchi Stupa? Why was Vidisha the place where he lived as Governor before he became Emperor Ashoka? Vidisha is quite far from Pataliputra, to which place Ashoka belonged. Expansion of Kingdom you would say and I tend to agree with you. It is all a question of land, the more you have, the more you want.

GLORIOUS SANCHI STUPA

Sanchi stupa which has stood at its place since 2300 years is a wonderful structure. How many came and passed this way over the centuries? Did Akbar, Shah Jehan or Aurangzeb pass by, did Mohd bin Tughlaq stop here on his way from Delhi to Daulatabad? Shah Jehan on his way to Burhanpur and Aurangzeb on his way to Khuldabad must surely have seen this place. There must have been some who added to the structure and also those who destroyed in the name of religion.

I wonder how many men and women would have travelled to this place to see its beauty? Had it been a teerth sthal(pilgrimage place) hordes of people would travel from far and wide to wash off their sins. Sanchi at one time may have had the importance of being a religious place as some Relics of Buddha were embedded in the stupa here, but now it does not have the importance that Haridwar or Nashik or Allahabad have. In olden times when travelling was very difficult people travelling to religious destinations would wish their families good bye forever, as they often were not sure if they would return from their pilgrimage. Salvation was also ensured if one died while on pilgrimage.

As I pass by Sanchi on the train, I see the stupa on top of a little hill about ten kilometres from Vidisha, which was the place where Ashoka had spent a part of his life. His wife belonged to Vidisha. What was life like then, what language did they speak, what food did they eat, was it an amalgamation of sattu from Pataliputra and the staple food of Vidisha? I really wonder. I wonder about language as it is said that after every few kilometres in India, the dialect or spoken language changes.

As we approach Bhopal the ugliness of civilisation in the form of hills of landfill are the first things in view. The vast expanse of greenery and the soothing fields filled with crops gives way to buildings.

From Bhopal we took a cab to visit Sanchi and Vidisha. The stupa at Sanchi was built over the relics of Gautama the Buddha. This was built in the 3rd Century BC. When The Buddha died in 483 BC at Kushinara, his remains were divided amongst seven clans. Almost two hundred years after Buddha's death, Ashoka took the ashes/relics from some Stupas and divided them into about 84000 portions and built stupas in different places all over India. Sanchi stupa was one of these built by Ashoka. He chose Sanchi as it was close to Vidisha which was the place from where he had chosen his first wife called Devi. Ashoka had also lived in these areas as Governor while his father Bindusara was the ruler of Magadh. The stupa that Ashoka built here was originally a low structure of brick and was half the diameter of the present stupa. During the rule of the Sungas, the stupa was enlarged and faced with stone and the balustrade was made.

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The Stupa is built over a small hill and can therefore be seen from a distance. There are four gates or Toranas facing the four directions. 

ELEPHANTS AT BASE

 These gates or toranas were made by the Satvahanas in the 1st century AD. 

DWARFS AT BASE

Two of the Toranas or gates have elephants at the base of the three masts on the top. One gate has four lions and the fourth gate has dwarfs at the base. 

LIONS AT BASE

The different stories from the life and times of Buddha have been depicted on the pillars and mast of the gate. Not an inch of space has been left on Toranas. All four sides of a pillar are filled with beautiful sculpture.

Around the main Stupa are a few more stupas. One of them is built over the remains of Sariputta and Mogallayan two disciples of Gautam Buddha himself. There are the ruins of a monastery too near the Stupa. This is the place where Mahendra and Sanghamitra the children of Emperor Ashoka preached Buddhism, before they set out to spread Buddhism in Srilanka as well as further in the South East of Asia.

STAIRS TO SANCHI STUPA

The stairs that were perhaps built by Ashoka or the Sungas  for people to climb the hill to reach the Stupa are still in existence.

The Museum at the base of the hill is also worth a visit, as it contains a lot of artefacts that were collected from around this region.

Sanchi Stupa had been destroyed over the centuries and was all but lost to civilisation, till General Taylor re discovered the site in 1818. Later in the early 20th century Sir John Hubert Marshall, Director General of the Archeological Survey of India(1902 to 1928), got excavations conducted and then the entire stupa was painstakingly rebuilt and restored to its glory.  Incidentally Sir Marshall is also responsible for the excavations that led to the discovery of Harappa and Mohenjo daro.  I have a personal affinity with Sir Marshall as he studied at the Dulwich College at London, and presently my grand children study at an offshoot of the same Dulwich college.

  

GIGANTIC YAKSHA

Vidisha which at one time was a trade centre where Ashoka lived for a while as Governor is today a small town. There is nothing here which can tell us about its past glory. There is nothing which can show its link with its History. There is a museum which houses statues found in the vicinity. One gigantic statue of a Yaksh is in its proud possession. This statue had been found in the river and was being used as a washing stone by the local people. In olden days when statues of Gods and temples were being destroyed by the Muslim rulers and invaders, local people would throw their statues in the river to save them from destruction and desecration. Some would later be retrieved but some would remain in the water for ever. This particular Yaksh statue was one of those that remained for a long long time inside water. 

VARAHA

In this museum there are a couple of statues of Varaha which have numerous miniature statues of the innumerable Gods of the Indian pantheon carved on them. The museum has a good collection, but sadly the building housing the artefacts is in a very bad state, the place looked infested with white ants. There was seepage of water too and I dread to think of what would happen to these priceless statues and ancient masterpieces, due to the apathy of those who have to maintain these Museums.

UDAIGIRI CAVES

Close to Vidisha are the Udaigiri caves. These were carved during the rule of the Guptas, when Hinduism was being revived. There are very interesting sculptures in the rocks of this area. Most of the sculptures have been defaced and ruined by the Muslim rulers of the 13th Century. Some statues have survived. One large statue of Varaha avatar of Vishnu has survived. It is said that when Hiranyaksha stole Earth(Bhudevi) and hid her in the water, the Varaha avatar was taken by Vishnu to save Earth. Varaha slew the demon and retrieved the Earth from the ocean, lifting it on his tusks, and restored Bhudevi to her place in the universe. This is the scene depicted in this large relief carved on the rock. Another statue is of Vishnu resting on Sheshnag.

VISHNU ON SHESHNAG

The road to these caves is quite bad and directions to the place are not prominent. A visit to these caves shows us how beautifully these rocks were sculpted and also how ruthlessly they were destroyed.

Sanchi and Vidisha  belong to an era which existed two thousand years ago. These places speak of a glorious past. It also speaks of the apathy over the centuries which destroyed these beautiful treasures. We the owners of this land had managed to allow vegetation to take over these relics. Sanchi also speaks of the gigantic work undertaken by the British archeologists who excavated, and painstakingly restored our Historical landmark to its past glory, so that we can know what India really was like.

 

THE MONUMENTS WERE LIKE THIS WHEN FOUND IN 1912.

THE LIFE OF A PRINCESS

THE FORT PALACE BY NIGHT

Have you ever thought of what the  life of a princess in Rajasthan in the medieval times would be like? I  used to see the opulence, the beautiful gorgeous colourful ghaghras and the jewel encrusted blouses that the Princesses always wore. I was quite fascinated by the different kind of jewellery that the women were adorned with. I grew up reading about the stories of the valour of these princesses, Hada Rani, Rani Padmini, and so many others, that these stories always made me think that the life of a Princess in Rajasthan must be quite out of this world.

THE THEATRE & OTHER ROOMS

I recently went to Neemrana for a short holiday and saw for myself what being a princess really meant. The Neemrana fort is about 120 kilometres away from Delhi. It is on the Delhi Jaipur highway.  The journey was pleasant. We set out with baskets loaded with food and drinks and ice boxes full of ice . We had quite forgotten that the days of yore when one needed to pack a hamper and ice box have gone past their expiry date. One finds good eating joints with good air conditioning on the Highway. Not very far from Delhi in terms of distance, but quite far away measured by the time that it took us to reach, we found a Bikanerwala and a KFC on our side of the road. We quickly made  a pit stop. My children who live abroad were with us and so they wanted the papdi chaat and  chole bhature and what not for their repast. Soon after having our fill,  we set out on our journey and saw the Aravalli range closing in upon us.

AS WE ENTER

Neemrana fort is located on top of one of these hills. It is not visible from the Highway, but is nestled a little away. It was through a narrow lane that the car climbs up the hill and reaches the gate of the Fort. The Fort was built in 15th century and belonged to the descendants of Prithviraj Chauhan who had fled from Delhi after being vanquished in the battle with Mohd. Ghori in the 12th century. Once inside the gate, the beauty of the Fort Palace took my breath away. Climbing up the stairs to reach our rooms further took more of my breath away. I did however manage to survive!

As we were three families we had three rooms. All these rooms were inter connected. It was as though we had a wing of the palace exclusively allotted to us. Our rooms were the Nandi Burj, the Garuda and the Hans Mahal.

Nandi Burj was in red, Garuda was in green and the Hans Mahal was in pink.

INTERESTING ALMIRAH

Nandi Burj had a lovely dressing room and an interesting basement room. There was a spiral staircase which took one downstairs to a lovely little chamber with a bed, a quaint little cupboard and an exclusive toilet and bathing room. 

The most interesting thing in this was that a long drape hung from the roof, which was to be used as a support instead of a railing while going down. This was very unusual and therefore very interesting. All the rooms had wonderful furniture and interesting almirahs.

The Nandi Burj room has pictures of a bull by different artists.

The Garuda which was done up in green had paintings and decor of garuda. It also had a balcony. The Hans Mahal had pictures of graceful swans.

Having this whole area to ourselves was great fun as we could walk into each others rooms as if we were in our own home and could make as much noise as we wanted to.

THE AMAZING SWIMMING POOL

There are two swimming pools in the Fort Palace. One is exclusively for adults. All of us took to the common pool so that the family was together and also as there was a jacuzzi there. I cannot go ahead without telling you about a little girl who was walking past and excitedly told her mother,"Mom, look there is a Zucchini".
The water was lovely and warm. Solar energy had not been wasted, the warm water had been heated directly by the sun's rays. The view was exquisite and the pool was all to ourselves. On the first evening we spent over two hours in the pool as the sun was setting, and the beauty of the surroundings kept us enraptured.

We were told that there was a complimentary service of tea and coffee and snacks in the Hawa Mahal.  Locating the Hawa Mahal was quite an adventure as the signs were not very clear and there were stairs and dead ends galore. People guiding us would also point in some direction and then disappear. Not wanting to miss our complimentary tea we did finally locate the place.

Later in the evening trying  to locate the Dining Hall was another exploration. There were so many stairs going up here and down there, we went up one way and down another and had a lot of wild goose chases. The evening became more interesting as we went from one dead end to another, before we succeeded in finding the place.   It built up our appetite too for dinner. It was only later that we found that the Dining Hall was located quite close to our own wing of the Palace.

MAGNIFICENCE

The next morning was beautiful with the magnificent peacocks all around. I explored the palace on my own, making sure that I did not wander too far away from our rooms, as I was worried that I could have got lost in the myriad maze like stairs, and my family not knowing which direction I had wandered off to would have had to miss their breakfast looking for me.

CAMEL CART RIDE

The next day we went on a camel ride and a camel cart ride. We went to the step well which was built in the 15th century at the same time as the Fort Palace. The sun was scorching, and although we had hats and there  was an umbrella  provided by the camel cart owner, yet we had a tough time braving the sun as we went ahead with this joy ride. 

THE STEP WELL

I simply do not understand the concept of these huge beautiful step wells. We were told that the Queen used to come here for her bath from the Fort palace through a "surang", which is actually a hidden passage.
Neemrana also has a great modern Zip Wire over the hills. They are in five laps. I being a non adventurous person did not venture out but my children went for the Zip Wire and came back badly sunburnt. They did enjoy the experience though, as it was over the hills with a lovely view.

The same evening we went to the Hawa Mahal to attend a musical programme. Local artists sang lovely Rajasthani folk songs. Sitting in that open air place we felt cool fresh breeze of the Aravallis. It was very pleasant and soothing. There was no need for fans. 

THE FULLY ENCLOSED LATTICE WINDOWS

While sitting there I looked up to find walls with beautiful jaali work. It suddenly dawned upon me that this must have been the place where the women stayed. They could look down and see things, but they would not be visible to anyone. I then realised what a life of imprisonment the women had to live in. They were confined to their rooms, they could not interact with outsiders nor see strangers. They could not even feel the full breeze and free air. I suddenly started feeling very stifled.

THE CAMEL RIDE

I am sure the life of a princess must have been quite stifled. All the freedoms and liberties were curtailed. Everything was locked. If one was always told to be imprisoned within four walls then growth would have been totally dwarfed. Without the wings of freedom everything would be scuttled and straitjacketed. It must have been a dreadful life to stay confined all the time. Although for those who were born then and lived in those conditions that must have been their norm of life. They would be trained to live like that, never expect anything, and never look for that little sliver of freedom. 
Our holiday was great, as we had a fabulous time, living in a palace, dining like Royalty, and having the Chef prepare special Rajasthani cuisine specially for us. We moved about with free abandon from one palace to another.  The mystery of the palace, the intriguing stairs and different decor of the rooms made our holiday quite unique and out of the normal.

Neemrana managed to give us more than what we had wanted. There was beauty, comfort, intrigue, adventure, mystery and an eternal game of trying to reach different places without getting lost. We all loved the experience, but most of all I was happy to get dis- illusioned. The life of a princess is surely a life of clipped wings, with not even a whiff of fresh air coming her way freely. 

FORTY TWO YEARS AGO - CHAPTER FIVE.

Forty two years ago Cheltenham was a small town and did not have the Authority to take a Driving Test and issue a Driving License. For the purpose residents of Cheltenham had to apply to the Gloucester County Office. Accordingly, Triloki had applied to them for taking the test but had been told that there was a very long waiting list and he was being given an appointment after about two months. Since we had very limited time at our disposal in UK, Triloki picked up the phone and called up the Gloucestershire Office.

Triloki spoke with the concerned Officer and told him that he had only a little more than two months in the United Kingdom and he wished to tour the country by road. 

"Would it be possible for you to allow me to jump the queue and take the Driving Test as soon as possible, keeping in mind my special circumstances?" asked Triloki.

The County Official heard the full story patiently and then asked, "Mr. Nagpal, do you have a valid Driving License issued in your name by your country?"

Triloki said, "Yes indeed, I do have a valid Driving License issued by the Government of India"

The County Official said, "Good, in that case your Indian License can be used in the UK during your stay of two months and you will not need to take a test here."

Triloki was quite surprised by this information and delighted too.  This was like an unexpected windfall. But then there was one glitch, the Indian driving License had been issued in Hindi. Triloki therefore disclosed this to the County Official.

The County Official said,"Oh Dear that is a matter of concern, but Mr. Nagpal, by looking at the License can one make out that it is a Driving License and not a Dog License?"

Triloki told him that there were a few diagrams on the License by which one could conclude that it was indeed a Driving License.

The County Official then said, "Well then Mr. Nagpal, that settles it. You can use your Indian Driving License here. Enjoy your stay, Good Bye"

So apparently all that drama at the car rental place in Cheltenham and our slow drive down the countryside to Stratford Upon Avon on the Red double decker Bus, had been quite unnecessary. But then these incidents had added to the adventure and excitement of our lives. Besides, I am quite sure that my story would have remained quite mundane and insipid without these stories within stories. Right?  It was actually a case of "Much ado about nothing" and also "All's well that ends well". 

OUR BEAUTIFUL CAR

Armed with our new powers to hire a car legitimately, Triloki approached Budget Rent a Car and chose a beautiful silver coloured Vauxhall Viva for our trip to the Coast. We were going South of Cheltenham to Weymouth and Southampton. We were again going to be five of us, Francis, Sushma, Vishnu Arya a new entrant, Triloki and I.

It was decided that I would be the Navigator. In those days one had never even heard of the GPS and Tom Tom were the drums by which people in Africa communicated with each other, by beating of the drum. Well that is what I had read in Phantom and Tarzan comics! A Navigator had to depend upon a huge Map which had all the roads, lanes, rivers and villages/towns marked in great detail. The map would be of an enormous size and one needed to be quite deft with folding and unfolding the map. One wrong fold would mean a lot of minutes lost as well as a lot of patience lost.

Reading the map was a tough job, one had to watch the road, look out for turnings, keep spotting beautiful areas, NEVER, ever make mistakes, particularly if the car was being driven by the spouse. The war that took place if a turning was missed or a wrong turning was taken can only be understood by much married readers!

I agreed to take the risk so that I could get to sit on an individual seat in front and would not be squashed with two others if I sat at the back. Oh well, never mind, I was selfish, and no one will grudge it now after so many years. What do you think?

On a bright and beautiful Saturday morning all five of us set out to see the wonderful beach at Weymouth. The drive was pleasant, as we usually took the "A" roads which were well known for their scenic drives. We drove past the towns of Yeovil and Dorchester. Thomas Hardy had lived in Dorchester and the town of Casterbridge in the "Mayor of Casterbridge" was actually modelled on the town of Dorchester.

Weymouth is situated at the mouth of the River Wey on the English Channel. The town is very aptly named, isn't it? This port was the place from where in 1635 one hundred people set sail across the Atlantic Ocean and reached the East Coast of  North America. The town in which they settled down  was named Weymouth by them and is situated in the State of Massachusetts. 

THE BEACH, SEA AND ME

The Sea at Weymouth was as blue as one could have imagined it to be. The colour of the sky too matched the colour of the sea. The beach was clean, beautiful and there was no garbage to be seen anywhere. The sand was a golden brown colour and was spread over a large area. As one walked towards the water one's foot would sink into the sand. The waves came in one by one, each one more beautiful than the other. We sat enchanted and entranced by the soothing sea breeze and the sound of the waves as they rolled by. After sometime we decided to take a walk along the beach and find a place to have our lunch. As we walked we saw a huge sea liner anchored at the port and we all stood and gaped at the beautiful ship and took a lot of photographs.

There was a funfair near the beach and as the day went by more people came to the beach, spread their towels, put up their beach umbrellas, applied sun screen and then lay down to read their books, or frolic around in the water. None of us were interested in swimming, so all that we did was watch, watch and watch. This beach was very different from our beaches in India. There was no narial pani wala, no chana zor garam wala, and no balloon wala too.

TRILOKI AND I

Having had our fill of Weymouth, we decided to drive on to Southampton, which was about 61 miles away. Southampton was further towards the East and had been an important port through History. It was the departure point for the Pilgrims, who were actually the separatists, who fled from England to settle in America in 1620 on board the "Mayflower". The RMS Titanic also sailed from this port in 1912. It is a big port and known as such, not for its beach. Southampton is also famous for its night life and all things associated with sailors.

 Being eternally broke people as far as finances were concerned, we did not venture towards any of the money spending events. We just walked past interesting scenarios and buildings and after having our dinner returned to our car. 

Did you think that this journey was going to be uneventful? Of course not, no story is complete without its surprise element. As we left Southampton en route to Cheltenham, we suddenly heard the unusual sound of a car's horn being blown at the highest pitch for a very long time. Yes of course, it was someone shouting at us verrrry loud and harsh. Triloki had taken a turn without putting on his indicator and therefore there was this huge bombardment. Drivers in UK use the car's horn only to let out their steam on an erring driver. I thought it was a very practical and decent thing to do as the tongue does not lash out, no unparliamentary words are used, the Blood Pressure does not get erratic and the end result is the same, the pleasure of having shouted is achieved. 

We were properly chastised and drove back to Cheltenham safely.

If the story so far was good and interesting, then I will look forward to taking you with me on my next journey to the most wonderful city of London. Did you know it's streets were paved with gold? London...the city of the Queen, Lords, Ladies, Dukes, Duchess, scullery maids, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond and what else? Oh yes, Oxford Street, Pall Mall, Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, the Thames and its Embankment, London Bridge, Tower Bridge and the wonderful Westminster as well as its Abbey. What is London without the Oval and Wimbledon and its numerous parks? 
London is the city from where Great Britain a tiny little country,  became the greatest Empire in the World, over which the sun never set. That I agree, was once upon a time.  Yet, even today, it is the most bewitching city in the whole wide World. I shall take you there with me in my next story.

Dus ve daniya- that was Russian, Namaste, phir milenge jaldi se! Do wait for me... I will be back sooner than you think. 

42 YEARS AGO-CHAPTER FOUR

 After our adventure at the garage at Cheltenham, Triloki did not want to venture again to hire a car without a proper driving license in his own name. He therefore approached the Gloucestershire County Office at Gloucester. He told them that he would like to give a driving test so that they could issue him a license to drive a car in the United Kingdom. There was a long waiting list for giving the test.

Having been bitten by the wanderlust bug, Triloki and I could not let the absence of a license to hire a car stop us from visiting the neighbouring places As it is United Kingdom is a small country in size, but its impact on our minds and lives is immense. We in India have to compulsorily study two languages in school. One language is essentially English. When one reads English Literature, there is no way that one can  avoid the "Bard of Avon". It was therefore decided that Triloki and I would venture out on our own to see this wonderful place which gave to the world "Shakespeare."

No need to tell you that we had to choose the cheapest mode of travel. There are delightful Deluxe buses, the National Express buses and then there are the Red buses which are like passenger trains which halt at every stop. They are slow, stop everywhere and take all the time in the world to take you to your destination. Time was not in short supply and we were not in a hurry. So the Red bus it was that was to take us to Stratford upon Avon. Stratford upon Avon is towards the North East from our base Cheltenham.

On a Saturday morning Triloki and I walked to the Bus Station with home made sandwiches, chocolates and water in a small backpack which in those good old days was called an air bag. We bought our tickets and were thrilled to see that we were to travel on a double decker bus. We quickly climbed the steps and occupied the seats right in the front on the right hand side. Soon the bus left Cheltenham and we were off on a journey across the countryside. The distance was about 30 miles and we expected to reach our destination in an hour.  I soon realised that reaching in one hour was an optimistic expectation. It seemed as if the roadways was bent upon fulfilling my every wish. The bus  instead of rushing, actually ambled along the way. It took a longish picturesque road, and went in to small little villages, drove along the river and went on and on and on.

A VILLAGE

I was delighted to see a small little village approach and our bus stop outside an inn. The inn was exactly like what I had read about in various books. It was a small little cottage with a thatched roof and a garden in front. There was a brook flowing across the road. The only thing lacking was that there was no Stage Coach and no horses in front of the Inn. Suddenly to my utter surprise and joy, I saw the place where the Stage Coach was supposed to halt in olden days,  and also saw the stables where the horses were changed. Oh Wow! so I was actually seeing an inn around which surely some story must have been woven, some time ago.

After the stop at the fascinating inn with an equally fascinating name, the bus had to take a right turn and go on a bridge which was across the small little river. The bridge  was tiny and the turning appeared quite sharp and the bus looked like  a mammoth as compared to the tiny bridge  and the turning.

A BRIDGE

Looking out of the bus from the front I was dreading what would happen next, but the huge double decker Red bus deftly took one turn and we were on the bridge, soon we were across the river and I let out a quick breath which I had been holding on to for dear life. Yes of course I know, buses go on that route everyday, there is no problem for the driver, but then what do you tell an anxious passenger who has nothing but fear written all across her face?

The countryside was beautiful, there was not a leaf out of place,  there was not a speck of dust anywhere, and there were no people to be seen anywhere. The lovely cottages with the English Rose creeper climbing up the slanting rooftops, the tiny little gates and the number of the house written outside each cottage door was a visual delight .

A LOVELY COTTAGE GATE

The bus went on and on and went into more villages, halted, took on more passengers, took more turns on bridges,  and lulled us into a sense of complacency. We had actually set out on a journey to watch the world go by at its own pace. The names of the villages were very quaint. One needed a lot of time to take the name of the village, and yet the names were not abbreviated, the full name was always taken.  How does the name Bishop's Cleeve, Bourbon on the Water, Stow on the Wold sound to you? Yes, they are names of little towns that we crossed on our slow journey towards  Stratford upon Avon. Had the names been abbreviated then the first one would be BC, the next BOW and the third one would be SOW.

Soon we saw that the road became a bit wider, and we were entering the urban town of Stratford Upon Avon.  I got transported from the early Eighteenth century inns and Stage Coach stations with horses  and tiny little bridges across tiny little brooks to the  Twentieth Century, where there were tourists and National Express buses and cars and taxies, and a little bit of noise. The Red bus had brought us to our destination by a lovely memorable road.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S HOUSE

We went straight to the house where William was born in 1564.  His cradle is still kept in the room which was where exactly the Bard of Avon was born.This Cottage is a museum and has been maintained as it would have been in the days of William Shakespeare. There  are many  objects of those days preserved and displayed for the viewing pleasure of the tourists who come in hordes to see the house.

ANNE HATHAWAY'S COTTAGE

We then went to see the house of Anne Hathaway, his wife. It was a little away and the thatch on her house was denser and more brown. It is really amazing to time travel and see these memorials as they were in those days about 500 years ago.

As it is, I am quite fascinated with the name of the place itself. Stratford upon Avon where Strat is actually a street and a ford is a shallow place with good footing from where a river or stream can be crossed by wading or on a cart. Avon is the river upon which this town was built. 

This town was a market town and is about 800 years old.

Shakespeare was a poet, playwright and also an actor. He was born on 26th April 1564 and died at the young age of 52 on 23rd April 1616. He married Anne Hathaway when he was eighteen years old and Anne was twenty six years old.

The journey of 30 miles which took us through beautiful lands, lovely cottages, swift rivers and tiny bridges were like a journey through a story book. The Red double decker bus took me through four centuries of immense natural beauty, peace, calm and literature.

RAMBLING ROSE

It was just a chance decision to travel by this cheapest mode of transport which went slowly around every bend, every bridge and every village. The peace, calm and patience that I felt on that journey perhaps never got replicated.  It was only incidental that we reached Stratford upon Avon and saw the places that we actually set out to see on that beautiful Saturday in 1973. 

This slow bus journey was one of the most beautiful and  memorable journeys that I have performed in my life, and I can tell you that I have been on a lot of bus journeys. Regular weekend bus journeys from Chandigarh to Delhi and back for almost one year and weekend journeys from Dehradun to Delhi and back for four years is a lot of bus journeys , you will agree. This journey was more enchanting than reaching the destination was. Triloki and I were both a captive audience to each other. The bus was nearly empty, at least the top deck was exclusive to us. The view from the window was beautiful, the speed of the bus was soothing, there was no speeding, no rushing, no tension, everything was as if, " All's well with the World". There were no cell phones to take away attention from each other or nature's best view from the window. It was in the morning and we did not doze off to sleep also, as they say in Urdu,"Kharama kharama chale ja rahe thhe". There was not a care in the world, no hurry, nothing but a soothing beautiful slow journey through life.

Thank you my dear friends for being with me so far.

Next week I will take you with me to Weymouth and Southampton. 

"There are stories and incidents and adventures galore, 
wait for them till I narrate them my dear fellow traveller."
Buona Sera, Namaskar, see you later....