Do Anna Blog

25th April 2009

More Nainital Photos: Ones tourists don’t see

Filed under: General — Lokesh Shah @ 19:48:31

For those who miss the town (small images for faster page load. Click on the image for large size).

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_003 (by Lokesh Shah)

Light of the setting Sun on the bare trees near the Bandstand

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_010 (by Lokesh Shah)

Nainital's public library. Named after my great grandfather and granduncle.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_011 (by Lokesh Shah)

Looking at Tallital from one of the windows of the library. Whan I was in class 10, I loved sitting on this window and reading the newspaper, occasionally looking out. The windows sill is for the emphasis.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_014 (by Lokesh Shah)

Looking at Tallital from one of the windows of the library. Twin towers of SEM are also visible.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_020 (by Lokesh Shah)

Nayna Devi temple and Gurudwara as seen from the Mall. The picture is for the railing which enclosed the lake.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_021 (by Lokesh Shah)

Grand Hotel and the new cast iron railing. Too dense for my liking. Grand Hotel was once the largest hotel in Nainital.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_024 (by Lokesh Shah)

The mall in front of Narains. The benches in front used to be our favourite seating places. Narains was once a thriving book shop. Now it is largely converted to a gift item shop with a small section for books. Apparently there is a shortage of book lovers in the city.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_027 (by Lokesh Shah)

Arya Samaj building behind the municipal clock tower. I am sure many residents remember being woken up early in the morning by the soothing prayer voice of Mr Counsel. Nainital being a valley, the voice carried high and far up the hills.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_110 (by Lokesh Shah)

A small cave near the degree college. During rainy seasion we sometimes took shelter here. The entrance is now encroached upon by a temple.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_112 (by Lokesh Shah)

A small overhang near the degree college. During rainy seasion we sometimes took shelter here.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_113 (by Lokesh Shah)

Mallital as seen from the degree college.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_119 (by Lokesh Shah)

A tree establishing foothold on the hill landslide. When did you last see the Nainital lake so green. The lake today is much cleaner, thanks to the aeration efforts going on. The ban on polythene bags also has helped. However these days I often see the ban being flouted by some shopkeepers.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_121 (by Lokesh Shah)

The Mallital gate of the degree college. Many also know it as DSB (Dan Singh Bisht) College.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_122 (by Lokesh Shah)

If you come on the government house road from Tallital, after St. Joseph's College the road splits. One goes to All Saint's, Sherwood and the other towards Degree College and then Mallital. On the right is a big wall. Long ago this wall wasn't there and you could see the small cemetry of St Mary's Convent. We often stood on the road looking down and wondered who was buried there and why the grave count never increased.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_123 (by Lokesh Shah)

The small cemetry of St Mary's Convent. We often stood on the road looking down and wondered who was buried there and why the grave count never increased.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_124 (by Lokesh Shah)

St. Francis Home at the Mallital gate of SEM

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_126 (by Lokesh Shah)

The middle gate of Sonn (St. Mary's Convent)

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_128 (by Lokesh Shah)

The helipad hill and the road to Bhowali. There is an electric pole here and a bell used to be tied to it. May rang the bell and bowed to the unseen temple in this direction. I think they were paying homage to the Ghorakhal temple which is in this direction.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_129 (by Lokesh Shah)

The district court

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_130 (by Lokesh Shah)

The road that leads up from Tallital Bazaar. Take teh left and you go past St. Joseph's College, Government House, Degree COllege to Mallital. Take the one to right and you go down to Thandi Sarak.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_132 (by Lokesh Shah)

The road up to the court from Tallital Bazaar

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_135 (by Lokesh Shah)

Bishop Shaw. Many have started their schooling here.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_138 (by Lokesh Shah)

Idle parked boat

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Boat House of the St. Joseph's College

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_140 (by Lokesh Shah)

Take the left road, and you get to a junction which'll take you to Degree College (right) or to the court (left). Take the right road and you'll land on Thandi Sarak

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_141 (by Lokesh Shah)

Thandi Sarak is now guarded by large iron gates. Still a place for a peaceful walk without climbing up the hill.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_143 (by Lokesh Shah)

Pashan Devi temple

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_144 (by Lokesh Shah)

Thandi Sarak, as lonely as ever. Though it does get crowded in summer.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_155 (by Lokesh Shah)

The Boat House Club

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_156 (by Lokesh Shah)

Mallital Rickshaw stand

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_157 (by Lokesh Shah)

Vallerio Building housing Modern Book Depot, Sackleys, Aligarh Dairy Farm and Allied Stores

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_159 (by Lokesh Shah)

Gate of Nayna Devi temple. Photography inside is prohibited.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_182 (by Lokesh Shah)

Near the Tallital rickshaw stand, a small stand has been put up with bells. Passer by ring the bells to pay homage to the gods in Pashan Devi temple (seen below the 2nd bell from right) across the lake.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_183 (by Lokesh Shah)

Tallital post office

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_184 (by Lokesh Shah)

Entrance to Tallital bazaar.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_188 (by Lokesh Shah)

When fog blows in. My favourite scene in Nainital. Typically the fog comes in from Tallital. This one is looking at the fog from Tallital towards Mallital.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_195 (by Lokesh Shah)

The band stand in Mallital. Long ago this was the scene of some lively music. I never understaood any of it. Still it was fun.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_196 (by Lokesh Shah)

Masjid. Used to be a small structure. Now it has become huge.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_197 (by Lokesh Shah)

The intersection near Masjid. Starting from left: road goes down to flats, government house road, End Cliff road which leads to Tiffin Top, motor road to High Court and further to Kaladungi, and the road to Mallital bazar (I am standing here). Underneath the intersection is the Pardadhara - the big gadhera (drain) that empties into the lake.

Diwali_Autumn2008_SD870_214 (by Lokesh Shah)

A sail boat on the lake. You don't see these often.


Mostly these are taken by a pocket camera walking around town of places I passed by.

20th April 2009

Bike Ride – Bangalore Back Roads – 1

Filed under: General — Tags: , — Lokesh Shah @ 20:14:00
BikeRide_BackRoads_029 (by Lokesh Shah)

Back Roads - Perfect foe a morning ride

A bike ride after a long time. This time, no highways, no crowded streets, but the back roads south/east of Bangalore. As usual google earth/maps is the navigator. I spend a little time Fri evening charting out the route. A torn notebook sheet says Sarjaur -> Bagalur (left) -> Malur -> Hoskote. Route measure around 100Km. If roads are good, perfect for an early morning ride. As usual the log is on a sheet of paper (other side of the route jotting above), going by the odometer, rather than the watch.

The route map as plotted later on google maps (interactive):

Route Map

Route Map

The alarm rings at 0500. Morning rituals and I am off at 0530. Odo reads 18349.

0Km: The horizon is still dark. Other then the cool air, there are no signs of upcoming morning in KB. Everyone is asleep, including the guards. I drive out of the gates and the ITPL road is bustling with activity. Couple of joggers, worker hastening to catch the morning bus, vendors with their wares, call center sumos and tea shop idlers. All adding to the morning hustle bustle of Brookfields junction.

Past Varthur, morning starts showing up. There is more visibility and the lights of the rare oncoming vehicle do not offend. Driving past Gunjur I get the morning village smells. There is the omnipresent cow dung smell. Then there is something cooking. There is that smell of fire. Coal or wood I am not sure. Kids too are running around. Not something Bangalore can offer.

I hist the Sarjapur road junction and take a left heading South-East. No sun yet. Trucks appear on the road. This is the connecting road to Attibele.

21Km: I am at Sarjapur. A small town trying to go the Bangalore way. Several half complete housing projects around. I guess the receding economy left some sour dreams.

At the Sarjapur circle, the main road curves right. I thought I had to go straight. So I head on that way. Several boys are playing cricket on a dusty ground on the left.  A favorite pastime of my youth and a disappearing sight from today’s cities. I have a mind to stop and click. But then I move on. Past the bus stand onto a narrow road. And then it ends. There are two very narrow unpaved roads going left and right. This can’t be the way. I turn around, go back to the circle and head down the nice paved wide road.

Instinct tells me I am heading the wrong way. Instinctively I look at the instrument cluster. The petrol needle is on the full. It had to be. I refilled last night. I tell my self. All roads lead somewhere. As long as I have petrol, I can go anywhere.

I stop to take a swig of water and take a pic of disappearing moon. The picture comes out bad.

24Km: The sun is up on my back left. I see it only after the entire circle is visible. I also notice the chirping birds. Wonder why only now.

BikeRide_BackRoads_009 (by Lokesh Shah)

Sunrise

26Km: Nice green field on the left. There is also a small tea shop nearby. No customers. My kind of shop. I stop for a cup of tea. With the cup of warm tea warming my fingers, I wander towards the field to take a few snaps. There’s a tube well next to the field. I should have taken a bath.

BikeRide_BackRoads_010 (by Lokesh Shah)

Scarecrow

While paying for the tea I ask for direction. I am heading unplanned towards Attibele. After taking off my windcheater I head back.

32Km: Back at Sarjapur junction, the boys are still playing.

BikeRide_BackRoads_012 (by Lokesh Shah)

Game of Cricket

Again I head past the bus stand and the seemingly dead end. There I turn left. I drive down a road which resembles moon’s surface. Every bone in my body shook in that 100m. Arriving at another T junction, I ask for direction and am promptly dispatched left.

A stretch of nice road appears. Trees line the road and sunlight is filtering through. Almost no vehicles on the road. This the fun of back road driving.

BikeRide_BackRoads_013 (by Lokesh Shah)

Road for a leisurely drive

36Km: The thoughts of nice road hadn’t even left my mind when I entered Tamilnadu. Almost instantly the pot holes appeared. Not small, but large ones that would even shake the trucks. I jig jagged looking for even pieces of road. I guess that is the reason for little traffic on the road. I stop for another swig from the bottle and spy some nice tomatoes growing in a field.

BikeRide_BackRoads_016 (by Lokesh Shah)

Tomatoes

There is an urge to take some home. I resist the stealing temptation and head on. The road is a little better. Setting is perfect of an easy ride. I slow down and enjoy the surroundings.

BikeRide_BackRoads_019 (by Lokesh Shah)

Lovely stretch of Road

43Km: I arrive at Bagalur. Stop by a shop to ask for directions and buy a couple of bananas. One good thing around here is that every other shop will sell bananas. Good for filling stomach and hygenic too. This shop was also selling puja items. So I go in the other direction to check if the mandir is one of those with colorful tops as are many other temples in the south. I couldn’t find the temple and head on my way.

The road is patchy with long stretches of unpaved mess and large potholes. What takes my mind off the bad road is the sporadic appearance of Gulmohar trees. The blooming tree is a sight to behold. I stop to take a picture and enjoy the sight.

BikeRide_BackRoads_022 (by Lokesh Shah)

Gulmohar tree adorning the roadside

At another point I stop to take the picture of a huge aircraft windmill wing on a truck parked along the road.

BikeRide_BackRoads_023 (by Lokesh Shah)

Windmill wing

64 Km: I reach Malur. The town is much bigger than it looks on the map. The main road is wide and bustling with activity. I take the left road to Hoskote after asking for directions.

The road improves. I guess I have entered Karnataka.

72Km: The fields bordering the road give way to dry jungle with small trees and thick brush under growth.

BikeRide_BackRoads_027 (by Lokesh Shah)

Jungle bordering the road

The road is still lined with Gulmohar trees (See pic on top) which makes the drive very pleasent.

Few more Km down the road, the traffic starts building up. Construction activity along the road has increased. Driving down is no so pleasent.

89Km: I hit NH4 which is choke full of traffic.

Few more Km towards Bangalore, I take a left towards Whitefield and home.

105Km: Just before KB, I stop for coffee and chochow bath. The filter coffee is my staple on every morning outing. Few minutes later I am home. It is 0852. Around 3hrs 30min of ride.

11th April 2009

Fear

Filed under: General — Tags: — Lokesh Shah @ 22:56:31

Quoting from A Trail of Memories: The Quotations Of Louis L’Amour

…Do not be afraid. A little fear can make one cautious. Too much fear can rob you of initiative. Respect fear, but use it for an incentive, do not let it bind you or tie you down. – The Lonesone Gods by Louis L’Amour

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