Janakpur Jaoge?

At last we arrive at Janakpur, Koria District, Chhatisgarh. Even the smallish Ambikarpur, from where we had begun four hours earlier, is gigantic in comparison.

A quick tea later, we hit the dirt road to the Villages for my official field visit. Like everywhere where else in Chhatisgarh, the wide open expanses are a constant source of surprise. The car stops on a sleepy little dirt track, we get off and walk  across fields and up to two mud huts in the middle of nowhere. As we near the huts, we are greeted by a pint sized thin as a reed totally naked boy who goes straight upto Fr. Xaxa and lisps in Sadri 'where did the car come from? I want to go to Jankpur'. Fr. Xaxa points at me and says"madam has come in it".

Half an hour later, when we are returning after our survey of the field and meeting with a few farmers, there is little Kisan ... dressed in his best shirt and shorts with both eyes shining in anticipation of Madam taking him in the car to far away Janakpur.


































Surprising that a tiny town like this even exists today in the jostling India of more than a billion. But apparently a comatose town to one can be a  fabled Shangrila to others.

Alas, with a heavy heart, Madam has to leave.Without him. But Kisan is going to go far, far beyond Janakpur. One day.

Krishna Janmashtami

Our apartment was redolent with the aroma of the frying 'taler - bora' or tal (palm sap) pakora, this rain soaked afternoon.

Afterall it is Krishna Janmashtami!

As much as both the rains and taler bora are traditional Janmashatmi events, so is distributing boxes of the afore mentioned tal er bora to friends and family! Thankgod. It is quite difficult to stop eating them ...

Crimson Pride!

The dominant colour this rainy month has been gray in many many many shades! The jaba - (in Bengali) and hibiscus to the rest thought otherwise!  

Ma's verandah. Soggy August afternoon in Kolkata.

Gone for a six

I boarded the near empty bus from the Ruby Hospital stop.

This was my first time to Hi-Land Park Multiplex by bus. Apart from being like 100 times cheaper than my usual cab, the ride itself was very pleasant. It was only 11 am on this rainy Sunday. The bus fairly zipped through the empty roads!

I asked the conductor what the fare was.

"Over boundary", was his response.

What? I stared at him blankly.

But only for a few seconds .... before I got it.

6 rupees. And just in time too. Before his amusing poser would be lost on a stupid passenger!

Only in Kolkata, this!

PS - The movie was good too!

The Eagle has landed

Not the noisy crows. Nor the shrill mynah. She is back. Solitary. Regal. Many a nights she spent on the branches just outside my window, waking me up with a single cry early in the morning. Then she'd spread her wings and take off as another day began. Just as suddenly, she disappeared. But now, she is back.

The path less taken

Its only a short walk to Nandan along AJC Bose Road from Exide More.  But it had been raining on and off. I didnt feel upto the jostling crowds on the narrow stretch of a footpath which would be wet, slippery, muddy. So, I "ventured" past the Nehru Children's Museum - a passer by assured me that there was a connection right upto Nandan. I did. Just behind, was a beautifully paved walk surrounding a pond with the Saint Paul's Cathedral on the other end.

I was quite amazed. At my frog in the well view of the world. I have always had only one view of the Cathedral. I must have visited Nandan a zillion times ... or more.

But mostly at the sight of the white cathedral under a grey sky. Beautiful.

Clouded Humour!

Cirrus, cumulus and now humourous!

Clouds were in a funny mood that evening. Spread thickly all over (atleast my part of) Kolkata, they looked exactly like thick polluting smoke of a thousand chimneys. More than 50 shades of Grey (haha).

Roof with a view: Kolkata, 6:00 pm ish, 9th July 2013