Encounters with Yama

It is often said that while the date of birth of a person is pre-determined, his date of death is decided only by the Lord. As we are growing, we witness the death of many near and dear ones.  We also read about the passing away of celebrities suddenly or due to illness.

Almost all people above 60 have the habit of turning first to the obituary section of their favorite newspaper, every day, to find out if any of their friends/ acquaintances have passed away in order to count their blessings!

During our younger days, we think that death happens only to others – especially the older people. We never associate it with ourselves unless we are involved in some accidents or serious illnesses.  I am going to share with you a couple of my encounters with Yama!

The first incident happened almost 42 years ago, when I was still a bachelor in Mumbai! I was leaving my job in Grant Kenyon & Eckhardt to join ACIl; Delhi.  My boss in Grant was not happy. He tried to brainwash me from leaving. The day after I met him, I was very confused. Skipping office I decided to take a long drive to clear my head. I chose the National Park in Borvilli, a Western suburb in Mumbai, which is located on a small hill. It was a winding road going up and down the hill. As I was driving on the lonely road down the hill, I was totally lost in thoughts. Suddenly I saw a dog cross my path. Jolted out of my reverie, I applied the breaks. To my shock I discovered that it was not working. Narrowly missing the dog, I tried to bring down the speed of the car by changing gears and my repeated attempts to bring the car to a halt failed.

On one side of the road there were rows of trees while on the other side was an open steep drop of about 200 ft. Added to the break problem, I realized even the steering was not moving in the direction that  I wanted it to. The Car was running zigzag, threatening to veer off the road anytime! As the car was rolling down hill faster and faster, I became panicky.

At that point I realized I was going to be involved in a major accident and that I may not come out of it alive. All sorts of thoughts crossed my mind and I was praying hard to the Lord to save me. Suddenly my car veered to the right and stopped after hitting a tree. In the impact I passed out. When I came back to my senses, I realized that I was in an awkward position in the car, almost upside down. My car had turned turtle and its four wheels were on top while I was sandwiched between the steering wheel and the seat. With great difficulty I extricated myself out of the car and came out to find that I had escaped a major accident with minor scratches. The car, however, was badly damaged (which was another matter), but on that otherwise empty road my favorite Lord Balaji appeared in the form of a local guy who helped me out.  Those few minutes my car was running downhill without control, I was literally facing death!

Another experience happened just a couple of weeks ago.

One morning I was driving my car to my office, on the narrow two lane road, not far from my home. I was driving slowly and though my lane was clear, there was bumper to bumper traffic on the opposite lane. Suddenly I found a call taxi coming towards me in the empty space in front. I thought the taxi driver  was trying to jump the queue taking advantage of the clearer space in front of me and would  try to sneak  his way back  again into the row of vehicles in the opposite lane.  While I was trying to steer the car to the left to avoid a possible collision, the taxi driver continued to come towards me. I knew something was wrong and thought in those few seconds we were going to have a head-on collision! Literally staring at death!

Fortunately, since I was driving slowly and the taxi also was not that fast, the collision only damaged the two vehicles. Nothing happened to any of us, in either of the car. While I thought the taxi driver was drunk, it turned out that he had dozed off at his wheel, because he was returning back to his garage after driving the whole night and was very tired!

I have had all kinds of accidents involving my car during the last 45 years. Anyone else with a weaker heart would have stopped driving. But I have been carrying on putting full faith in my Lord to save me every time!

I realize that faith alone is not enough anymore. With advancing age and failing reflexes, I am finding driving very stressful and getting involved in `near ` accident situations,  every other week. As a friend of mine advised me, even God can’t help me if my time has come to keep my appointment with Lord Yama!

The Fall of a cook

My friends and family are well aware of my interest in cooking. It is a creative pursuit and a great stress buster. It is a hobby that I also thoroughly enjoy.

The other day I was going down memory lane to recall when I first tried my hand at cooking.

I was about 8 years old with a 4 year old sister. My mother, a pious woman with strong beliefs in tradition, would sit in a corner during those days in a month, when she considered herself impure. She would not cook nor perform puja on those days. It was a kind of a three day holiday for her from her daily routine. Those three days, my father would take over her role, get the children ready for school, do the cooking, wash clothes etc. Because of this extra load he would be very tense and both my sister and I had to be very careful lest we earn his wrath. At the slightest provocation he would beat us black & blue!

It so happened that once when my dad was away on a three day official tour, my mother had to sit out and there was no one to look after us; especially to cook a meal for us, since we could not afford to buy food from outside.

My mother thought that at 8, I was old enough to learn some basic cooking. Standing in a corner, she taught me how to get a coal fired aduppu (Sigdi) ready. Then, showed me how to cook rice and dal and make a simple Rasam. I followed her step by step instructions and `lo & behold’ a basic three course meal for the family was ready in 60 minutes – Dal rice, rasam rice and of course rice and buttermilk .

I still remember the compliment I received from my mother for cooking a decent and palatable meal. She went around telling all our neighbors about my performance. I was proud that I had passed the first test in cooking successfully. This incident sowed the first seed of interest in me for cooking.

I had a few more opportunities as a teenager to cook at home; when I learnt to make a simple porial (dry vegetable curry) and vathal-kulambu (a kind of sambar without dal).

The real test for my cooking abilities came after my marriage when we moved to Chennai from Delhi and my parents moved to Mumbai to look after my bachelor younger brother.

My tradition bound wife made me perform the role my father would perform during `those days’ but only in the kitchen because by this time we had a servant who was looking after the other functions of the house like cleaning, washing etc. I continued to perform the role until my parents returned to stay with me permanently in 1986 when my mother started helping my wife in the kitchen. As long as my mother was alive till 2000, I was not allowed to enter the kitchen, as the two women were more than what a kitchen could hold!

After my mother passed away, I decided to help my wife in the kitchen by planning the menu for the day, buying and cutting vegetables…and even became a Sunday cook, giving my wife a holiday from the kitchen for that day (or so I thought). On some Sundays I would invite all the fifteen members of the `joint’ family we have in our compound for a meal. My specialities were ( and continue to be ): Avial (mixed vegetable dish made with curd), Appalam (Papad) Vathal Kuzhambu and Paruppu Urundai More Kulambu (Similar to Kadi Vadi of Gujarat).

Whenever I was on tour in U.S.A, I made my cousins and nephews happy by cooking a meal of my favourite items. During the five years my son was staying in USA, I visited him every year for a week and cooked his favourite items, without my wife breathing down my neck. Many of his friends would barge into my son`s home for the good home meals because of which I had to always cook for atleast for five to six people to ensure that none of his friends went back disappointed.

Everything was going fine until I decided to cook a meal every other day, back at home. I thought I was helping my wife by saving her at least 90 minutes of quality time in the mornings, when she was very busy with hundred and one other things to do.

But my wife had other ideas. She thought I was encroaching into her territory without her permission; and not only making a mess but also upsetting all the arrangements in the kitchen. I have now been banned from entering the kitchen without her permission. Even my Sunday stints at the kitchen have become rare.

My dreams of becoming a great cook, admired(!) by friends and all connoisseurs of good food, lies shattered at the doors of our kitchen!



Feedback welcome also on rvrajan42@rediffmail.com or 9840392082

Publicity & Film Industry

My first exposure to village life was at the age of 7 when I went to stay with an uncle, who was an Asst. Station Master of a small station near Gooty on the Mumbai -Chennai route. It was also my first exposure to a touring talkie where the villagers saw old movies sitting on rickety chairs or simply lying on the ground, in front of the screen. Every day there were two shows in the evening and every Friday the movie was changed.



The publicity for the new movie started a few days earlier. A bullock cart or a horse carriage carrying the posters of the film would move slowly around the streets of all the villages nearby. The driver of the cart would make announcements through a portable public address system and an assistant would distribute leaflets on the new movie to passersby and houses on the way. If the touring talkie could afford it, a band would also accompany the cart playing music to attract the audience. In addition posters of the new movies giving show details would be pasted at all the vantage points. Cinema slides featuring the forthcoming movies would also be shown in the touring talkies during breaks.



Over a period of time resourceful producers have used imaginative ways to promote their films. S.S. Vasan of Gemini Studios was a giant among them. He was the first to introduce the concept of big banners and hoardings to promote his multi lingual extravaganza – Chandralekha. It was also one of the mostly highly publicized movies of its time through various media. He is considered the father of Giant Film Hoardings on Mount Road with which Madras was associated for a long time.



Apart from experimenting with vertical posters for his movie; “Gumasthavin Penn” he also used the direct mailing idea for his movie `Sansar`. For his film `Avvaiyar` he printed special invitation cards with highlights of the film and distributed the same door to door; accompanied by a band. It was like an invitation to a wedding and he ensured that the novel idea was written about in all print media which generated a lot of interest in the movie.



Playing the songs of a film outside or in the foyer of the cinema hall and distribution of song books containing the lyrics of the film songs were other methods used to publicize a film those days.



The concept of showing Trailers (trial part) was introduced in the mid fifties to promote new English films. The idea was quickly adopted by Indian movies in later years. Projecting trailers of a new movie in the group cinema theatres and in multiplexes is done even today.



Over the years the press has been the primary media through which new movies have been promoted. While paid advertisements are common, plenty of stories about movie and its stars begin appearing in the media, starting with the `Muhurat` of the movie, generating free editorial publicity. Gossips about the leading pair, tit bits about happenings, on and off the shooting floor are used for this purpose. Sometimes even a controversy between the producer and director or a director and the Stars etc. are passed on to the media, both newspapers and magazines to keep the movie in the news.



With the advent of music cassettes, Audio launch of the film (tape/CDs containing the songs of the film) held a couple of weeks / months before the actual release of the film at a glittering function has become the launching pad and a regular publicity effort of the movies to follow. Between the audio launch and actual release interesting stories about the making of the film, interviews with the stars and directors also appear in all the media in an effort to create curiosity about the film. It helps to keep the title of the movie at the top of the mind of potential cinema goers!



While most of the producers use the time tested methods for publicizing their movies, Kamal Hasan tried an interesting experiment to promote his movie Virumandi in `B` and `C` markets.(semi-urban and rural areas). It was a two in one concept aimed at publicizing the highlights of the movie and at the same time fighting the unauthorized DVD menace.



Local cable TV Channels, featuring local news and events are very popular in the districts / mofussil areas across the country. He entered into a deal with several cable operators in Tamilnadu, providing them a 30 minute capsule of a special programme. The capsule featured the highlights, selected sequences, songs etc. at the end of which he would appear on the screen, appealing to the audience to see `Virumandi` in regular theatres and not on a DVD, if they really wanted to enjoy the visual experience of the movie. He supplied such free capsules to the cable operators every week for a fixed period. The cable operators were delighted to get a free programme and were telecasting the same several times during the week creating a huge awareness for the film in B & C markets. Even paid publicity would not have got this kind of awareness and interest that this novel method got for this movie!



Another idea which has caught on in recent times is the concept of promotional tours featuring the director, stars and other important technicians going around big cities, promoting the film through road shows to audiences- at the theatres screening the film, Big Malls and even colleges. This helps generate a lot of free editorial publicity in the print media. The impact is greater when the shows are co-sponsored by popular TV channels. Many Reality shows are used for this purpose.



In these days of multiple shows in multiplexes and the instant communication through twitter, face book and social media has helped create a new form of word-of-mouth publicity, which can make or mar a film`s success! There are `sms kings` who keep `tweeting` their views to friends even while they are watching a movie! Small budget films with good story but limited budgets for publicity have found the social media generating such instant and widespread word-of-mouth publicity helping them hit the bulls-eye in the Box office!



Proving the age old theory on advertising that while good products will survive and grow, (albeit slowly with a limited advertising budget), a bad product will get killed faster even with good and impactful advertising! The world of brands and films have enough examples to prove this point!





The author can be contacted on: rvrajan42@rediffmail.com or mob: 9840392082

Prakash Nair- a great Tabler; a wonderful friend

On Sunday, 20th May 2012, another good friend I was gifted with by Round Table India, was snatched away from us. Yes, Prakash Nair of Coimbatore North RT No.20, who spread cheer among anyone who came in contact with him, is no more.



The last time I visited his house in Coimbatore, he was suffering from multiple disabilities. Surviving with medication and the unstinted support of his wife Latha; who had to manage not only the responsibilities of running a house but also look after a patient`s physical needs single handedly! Prakash was literally a ghost of his former self.



But that is not the Prakash that I want to talk about in this tribute to his memory. I want to recall the dynamic Prakash, ever cheerful, ever helpful, and full of ideas not only for his business but for people and organisations that he was associated with. Coimbatore North RT No.20 and Round Table India were the big beneficiaries of his penchant for service.



I got to know Prakash after I shifted to Madras in 1974 and started visiting Coimbatore on business trips. Along with another common friend Pratap Gokuldas, he roped me into the publicity efforts for his Table`s Vellalore Village Project. That was the beginning of a long friendship which was cemented further by our involvement in several activities of Round Table India, of which he became a President in 1979-80. Round Table India later conferred on him the Distinguished Service Award for his many contributions in helping the Association reach an eminent position it enjoys today!



He also won several other Awards from industry bodies and youth organisations like Jaycee International for his ideas and leadership qualities.



He was one of the many Round Table friends who helped me with business and gave financial support when I decided to venture on my own with Anugrah Marketing & Advertising in 1986. He also helped me find an office space for Anugrah (Coimbatore branch); in the same building where the corporate office of Vivin &Co, the well known consumer durable distribution company was located. He was such a popular Tabler that his office became a must visit destination for any Tabler visiting Coimbatore those days. He was ever helpful to anyone who needed help. Prakash was one of the many Tabler friends from Coimbatore who taught me the value of friendship.



In my earlier years, whenever I visited Coimbatore, he would invite me to stay with him, which brought me close to his whole family; his doting parents, his charming wife Latha and their two loving kids, Raj & Nisha. The family`s hospitality was legendary! In all these years I never missed any of his family functions.



He was a fellowship man all the way. He loved the glass that cheers and thoroughly enjoyed cracking jokes and playing pranks with people, especially the Circlers who used to love to hate him. His role as the ‘Seargent at Arms’ at Round Table India AGMs will always be remembered; so also his ready wit and his ability to make people reel with laughter when he was at the mike!



Later when his family moved to their spacious Dream Home on Thadagam Road, he would organize Chamber music to encourage musicians and other fun get-togethers to celebrate some event or the other which brought hoards of his friends and well wishers into his home. He encouraged Latha to display her enormous talent for singing Carnatic music by extending his full support to her when she went on Concert tours. `UPASANA’ a cultural Association which he started was a sincere effort on his part to encourage Carnatic music in Coimbatore. He was way ahead of his time in terms of ideas or activities.



His troubles started within a couple of years after he moved into his dream home. He was afflicted by severe depression – a problem which some people with hyper energy are known to face in life. The treatment led to other complications finally leading to a massive stroke which took away Prakash`s power of speech, a terrible loss for a person whose very strength was his ability to connect with all kinds of people, with his great communication skills. Best of treatment provided by the family did not stop Prakash gradually losing other faculties leading to his total dependence on Latha to even perform his daily chores. But during all those suffering years; his mind continued to be sharp, as I found during my interactions with him assisted by Latha.



My dear Prakash, while God at last decided to relieve you of the prolonged agony that you suffered for the last two decades. Prabha and I along with hundreds of your friends and other young Round Tablers whom you have inspired and motivated, pray for your soul to rest in peace!

B.I.Chandhok- Salute to a man who has seen 1000 moons

It was in 1969 that my tryst with the Round Table started when I joined the Bombay Round Table No.6. I was hardly a couple of months old in the Club when one day the chairman of the Club called me and requested me to be present at the Club meeting the following day as the national President and Secretary of the Round Table India were making an official visit to the club. That was my first exposure to the legendary Krish Chitale (President) and Indu Chandhok (Secretary). While Krish impressed me as a committed, no nonsense and serious person, Indu came across as a `Jolly Good Fellow`. I did not realize then that it was the beginning of a long and enduring relationship with both these gentlemen.



The next time I met Indu was at the RTI AGM in Delhi in 1970, my first AGM which opened the doors of a number of new friends across the country for me and made me an AGM addict. Indu was the candidate of the Establishment for the post of Vice President of RTI who would have automatically become the President the following year. Standing against him was a reluctant R.Desikan from my Table, who had started his tabling career in Madras Mylapore Round Table No 3 to which Indu belonged. It was Bombay Vs Madras fight in which two good friends were pitched against each other. The Bombay team felt that in view of his soft corner for Indu ,Desikan might withdraw his nomination on the floor of the house at the AGM, before elections. My club had charged me and Ashok Dey ,another green tabler to sit behind Desi, holding on to his coat tails, to prevent him from getting up to make his intention known. Indu lost the elections by a narrow margin never to become the President of RTI and Desi won against the establishment but lost his popularity as a Tabler for ever. I have always felt guilty of indirectly being responsible for Indu losing the opportunity to become the President of RTI .



I also remember Indu for another reason. He was one of the three Round Table stalwarts ( Krish, Indu and Ramoo Ramanathan) from Madras who attended my wedding in Madras in 1972. Indu presented me with a Round Table India tie.



In 1974, I moved to Chennai and joined Madras West Round Table No.10. I got actively involved not only with the activities of my Table but also helping the other city Tables and RTI in the publicity efforts. Indu, who had already developed a soft corner for me entrusted my agency Grant Kenyon to handle the publicity of the Carex brand of auto spare parts which his company was selling. This brought me very close to Indu.



By this time Indu had turned square and become active as a forty oner. It is now history that he pioneered a lot of new ideas in 41 Clubs going on to become a popular President of both National Association of 41 Clubs of India and 41 International. He conceived the idea of the now popular YAP programme and was primarily responsible for making 41 India, a force to reckon with in the international forum. Along with Kishore as the Secretary of 41 International when he was the President, he gave us a memorable 41 international AGM in Madras.



Once I turned square I also became active in 41 India activities and was the Publicity convener for four terms. This also provided me an opportunity to work shoulder to shoulder with Indu, who was already being proclaimed as the `Bheeshma Pitha Maha`of the 41 movement in India. Indu always claims that I was responsible for suggesting his name for the post of the President of 41 International at a truncated 41 India Board meeting in Kodaikanal. In retrospect I feel happy that I was responsible for correcting a wrong done to Indu in RTI, when I was indirectly responsible for his losing his election for the post of VP of RTI at the Delhi AGM in 1970.



A portly old man with a young heart Indu is a multifaceted personality. He is considered the father of the Motor Sports in India. He passed on his passion to his son Vicky and grand son Karun who is currently making waves in the International Motor Sports arena. An active Free Mason , he is the Past President of Rotary Club of Madras Central. He has been also very active in several other educational and community based social service organizations in Madras.



Belonging to a second generation Madrasi Punjabi family, Chandhoks are popular in the Madras social circles. A fantastic host, who loves attending parties and giving parties , Indu and Indira are well known among friends for some fantastic get togethers they have hosted in their lovely home in Nungambakkam, in Chennai. And in their family home in Kodaikanal. Indira is ever ready to host a party for 5 or 50 people at short notice-- to make her ever exuberant husband happy. I have always been a great admirer of this lovely couple.



Indu never comes across as a serious person even when he is discussing a serious subject. His ready wit in the form of one-liners and his sense of humour keep any discussion lively. His enormous enthusiasm and energy for anything that he handles is infectious. A great friend, ever helpful to any one in distress, Indu has endeared himself to a legion of friends both in India and abroad. He is as popular with children as he is with elders. My children discovered the child in Uncle Indu when they went on a private trekking trip with him in Kodaikanal years ago.



I am very proud to have Indu as my friend for the last 42 years! While wishing him Many Happy Returns on his 80th Birthday, I pray God that he continues to enjoy good health so that he is there to bless me on my `Sathabishekam` eleven years from now, when I would have also seen thousand moons!

No Limits to outsourcing

Thanks to the software industry which has put India on the world map, the word `outsourcing` is mostly associated with the IT industry. If brand India is a name to reckon with in the world market, the country owes a lot to the ‘wiz kids’ from the Indian Universities who constitute the ‘resources’ of the IT industry, providing software solutions to a whole host of multinational companies. They are also the bone of contention among politicians of the Western World who feel that Indians are taking away the jobs of their own countrymen!



Outsourcing has now become a by-word in almost every industry in India. We are all aware of BPOs (Business Process Outsourcing). But did you know about KPOs`- for Knowledge Process Outsourcing: RPOs- Research Process Outsourcing popular in Biotech Industry or Requirement Process Outsourcing popular in the HR industry. LPOs- Legal Process Outsourcing used by corporates, MBPOs- Medical Business Process Outsourcing in which Apollo Hospitals claim to be pioneers. The latest `PO` to be talked about is the MPO- Marketing Process Outsourcing which takes care of all marketing functions of a client, popular among smaller companies.



Be it manufacturing – where companies outsource the components required for their equipment, or the film industry where every support service required for the production of a film is outsourced, almost everyone is looking for opportunities to keep his own organization lean and mean. The idea seems to be to keep the fixed overheads to the minimum and get everything else possible outsourced!



There are service organizations who offer to provide you every conceivable service, for a monthly retainer plus costs. Whether you require the services of a plumber, electrician, carpenter or just a couple of hands to keep the house clean, there are service providers ready with requisite skilled manpower. Some of them also help in paying your bills, help you get tickets or do anything to save on your valuable time and efforts.



I have been using the services of a car cleaning service provider for the last few years. As per the agreement, two boys visit my home every alternate month. They not only wash my car & tyres clean but also vacuum clean the seats and floorings and end it up with a coat of polish to the car. Saving me the bother of taking the car to a service center and waiting there!.



Outsourcing of all wedding arrangements and marriage contracts to event managers is the in thing! From `Kolam` to `Kattu Sadam` we will take care of everything scream advertisements of marriage contractors in all Tamil family magazines.



Today there are experts who even can take care of all funeral arrangements.

`When you are in mourning and desolate, we will stand by your side` claims an advertisement for `ANTIM SAMSKAR SEVA`, projecting themselves as Mumbai`s only dignified funeral and cremation service! They not only provide you the flowers, garlands etc required but also the materials for `Antiyeshti` and bier (bamboo stretcher) etc. A well-appointed air-conditioned hearse to carry the dead body with some seats for the accompanying relatives and two trained, uniformed volunteers is the USP of the service.



Similar services are offered by any number of individual service providers in Chennai. As soon as a death occurs in your family, you just have to make a call to the specialist; the guy takes care of everything. Right from getting you a booking at the electric crematorium, a doctor`s certificate, and providing you a team consisting of a priest and helpers who take care of all physical and religious requirements. The Besant Nagar crematorium close to my residence in Chennai also has an adjacent building run by a religious outfit, where rooms are rented out with full facilities for conducting rites; special cooks and required manpower on a turnkey basis. All that you have to do is to book the room and pay an advance for the required services. From day one to day thirteen when the `Subasweekaram` feast is given, everything is taken care of.



What a boon this is compared to the amount of trouble we went through 18 years ago when my father passed away, when we had to run from pillar to post for the priest, for the helpers and for all other arrangements.



The way the concept of outsourcing is progressing, I will not be surprised if we start looking for somebody to do even our daily chores!



Feedback welcome on 9840392082 or email: rvrajan42@rediffmail.com

Kashmir is safe for a Dream Holiday

Kashmir is variously described as a Paradise on Earth, a dreamland destination., a crown Jewel on the map of India. It is all these and much more. As my wife and I discovered during `a dream come true` trip to this land where many holiday ideas are realized. Where the honey-dewed orchards, flower-carpeted meadows, rippling lakes and blue skies, icy mountains beckon everyone to sample the many delights of the Valley.


After 40 years of wedding bliss, When I took the decision to help my wife Prabha realize her Childhood dream and looked for some friends to accompany us – there was a general reluctance. As people are still worried about the safety and security of tourists in Kashmir. However, the travel Agent who coordinated our trip assured us that Kashmir was quite safe and that a few groups that he had sent to Kashmir last year returned with very happy memories!

They also offered us the company of Laxmi and Narasimha Swamy a couple from Vizag, who were courageous enough to undertake the trip along with us. We could not have asked for better companions as they were fun to be with.

It was a pleasure cum pilgrimage trip. In the first lap of the journey we visited Srinagar – the city famous for its Dal lake and Mughal gardens, Sonmarg known as a gateway to Ladakh , Gulmarg – the meadow of flowers and Pahelgam – valley of Shepherds. In the second lap we visited the famous Vaishnodevi Temple in Katra about 55 kms from Jammu.

This article is not only about the scenic beauty of Kashmir valley but also about our special experiences and my impressions about the places and people of Kashmir.

Beginnings of a dream holiday

Our flight to Srinagar from Delhi via Jammu was routine except that we had for company the Chief Minister of Omar Abdulla traveling with us. From the airport we were taken straight to the Boat house – Bendemeer – on the famous Dal Lake, where we were booked to spend a night. From Gate no 9, on the Dal gate, the road running parallel to the Dal lake , we were tranfered to our Boat House in a Shikara – a small manually operated boat used for transporting the visitors from the road to the boats and for pleasure rides in the Lake. Each Boat house has a Shikara attached to it which the tourists of the particular boat house can use free of charge. Our well appointed Boat House had a reception hall, dining hall, pantry and four double bed rooms. It was a modest accommodation overlooking the lake.

After a quick wash, we returned to the Dal gate on the same Shikara to begin our trip to various places. The highlight of the visit on the first day was the visit to the picturesque Tulip Gardens which can be seen only for a month in April, every year, when the flower blossoms. We were lucky to witness the fascinating variety of Tulips in myriad colours and varieties, spread across the huge garden.

On our return we took a joy ride in the lake sitting in our Shikara. We passed through hundreds of boat houses and a section devoted to a floating market where daily necessities are sold. During this trip we came across a no of salesmen in Boats trying to sell a variety of gift articles. A word of caution: Even the reduced prices of articles in these boats are atleast 50% higher than outside.

Relaxing in the front area of the Boat house in the evening, we were captivated by the beautiful scenary provided by the setting sun behind the mountains. In the night when the lights are switched on by all the boats – Dal lake becomes Golden lake, thanks to the reflection of thousands of amber coloured lights in the water.

On the second day after checking into a hotel, we visited the Shankaracharya temple located on a small hillock., a high octoganol plinth known as Takth-i-Sulaiman.. The site dates back to 250 BC. It is believed that Adi Shankaracharya performed Tapas in a cave here, which is still preserved for public viewing. This is the only tourist spot where we saw strict security managed by local police, who also were preparing and distributing `Rice Payas(am)`as Prasad(am) to all devotees. From the hillock you get a picturesque view of Srinagar and the lakes- Dal and the less famous Nageen lake-surrounding it. The temple is a must visit destination for all the Hindus.

Though we visited Nishat Gardens, Chasma Shahi and Shalimar Gardens all forming part of the Mughal Gardens. we were disappointed as we did not see enough varieties. We were told that the gardens will be in full bloom only in May/June.

We had heard that Srinagar used to be teeming with security forces and barricades on every street. But the situation has obviously changed. Because the area around Dal lake and other places we visited were teeming with tourists from all over India. The security forces were conspicuous by their absence.

While the breakfast and dinners were taken care of by the Hotels where we stayed thanks to a package deal, we had our lunches in local restaurants or Dabhas serving a wide variety of cuisines- including Idlis and Dosas and the ubiquitous Aloo Parathas. We were happy with the food we got during our stay in Kashimir. On the evening of the second day the hotel had arranged for a musical evening by some local singers in the Lobby. Since it was too noisy, we decided to it and have an early meal and retire.

The third day we took a trip to Sonmarg where I had an unforgettable experience!

Experiences of a lifetime

In Kashmir, they say, the weather is like Bombay fashion - it keeps changing every day. Fortunately, the day we visited Sonmarg it was bright and sunny. The snow clad mountain was beckoning the visitors to enjoy, not only the breathtakingly beautiful scenary but also participate in the fun activity of riding on a sledge board & skating on the ice wearing the special gum boots available on hire. Since it was the first time she was seeing snow and ice, Prabha was excited. .As the surface was slippery, we were advised to hire a ‘sledge’ with two boys as helpers. After you sit on the sledge one boy pulls the sledge with a rope and another pushes the sledge while going up the mountain. I found it extremely difficult to sit on the sledge with stretched legs and my protruding tummy and so opted to walk up the mountain, holding on to one of the helper. Beyond a point the men in the group of four decided to stay back. Prabha, however, with her child like enthusiasm, decided to take the risk of continuing with the adventure of going up the Icy mountain, accompanied by Laxmi who was constantly encouraging her to take up the challenge. While the gentlemen were standing and praying, the ladies managed to reach the top of the mountain from where they were shown the path leading to Amarnath. Prabha felt as if she had conquered the Mount Everest.

While the climb up is strenuous and takes almost 60 minutes , one can slide down fast to the starting point in 5 minutes, supported by one of the helpers sitting on the sledge. Watching Prabha and Laxmi having fun sliding down, I also gathered courage to sit behind the helper on the sledge, holding on to him for dear life and sliding back to the starting point. It was a thrilling experience.

While I escaped any accident walking up or sliding down the slippery snow clad mountain, when I stepped out of the sledge and put forward my right leg to stand up, it went down the loose ice right upto the thigh. Visual images of people going down quick sands passed through my mind . I really got frightened and screamed. Two boys had to pull me out to safety. Though there were other trekking possibilities, shaken by my experience, we decided to pack up and return to the safety of our hotel room.

At Gulmarg, which is about 90 minutes drive from Srinagar and famous for film shootings, I had my first experience of riding a horse. For a heavy man like me, made heavier by the hired big overcoat and gum boots and looking like an Eskimo, getting on top of the horse was itself an ordeal, The helper guided me to insert one foot in the foot rest on the left of the horse and asked me to hold on to him and throw my right leg to the other side so that I can sit on the saddle of the tall horse. After two failed attempts I finally managed to get on top of the horse, much to the amusement of the onlookers and collateral damage to some parts of my body- as I discovered later.

The ride itself was not comfortable. After sometime, thanks to the up and down jerks during the ride, I found my feet and back hurting, thighs becoming numb and at one point, I became panicky because my chest started paining. I asked the helper to stop and took deep breaths while praying the almighty for a safe journey. I even offered to sacrifice whatever hair I have on my bald pate to Lord Balaji at Tirupathi. Lord obviously responded to my appeal because soon I felt some relief and we carried on. Unfortunately, by the time we got on to the `Gondola`- the cable car which takes the tourists to the upland meadows of Kongdori `at 9000ft and beyond to the top of Apharwat range at a height of 14000ft for viewing the Himalayan peaks in Summer and for downhill skiing in winter - the weather turned murky and it started snowing. Watching the snow falling was again a first time experience for Prabha and she was delighted! Standing in the middle of vast expanse of white ice gave me goos pimples.

Like in Sonmarg, at the top of the icy mountains in Gulmarg – skating and skiing were in full swing. Since we had already experienced it at Sonmarg, we were content throwing ice balls at each other like kids! Prabha was also busy making `Ice Lingams`.

After a night halt at a hotel in Gulmarg, we proceeded to Pehelgam, which is situated at the confluence of the Sheshnag and Lidder river streams. Pahelgam, again has beautiful icy mountains, picturesque Valleys – Aru Valley and Betaab Valley ( so named because the shooting of the Hindi film Betaab featuring Sanjay Dutt and Amrita singh was held here).

Pehelgam is the place where lakhs of pilgrims assemble in June every year to start on the Amarnathji Yatra from Chandanwari- the last village in Pehelgam, trekking for three days to see the the Shivling made of ice in the Amarnath caves - which waxes and wanes with the moon.

The single road Mall in Pehelgam has well appointed shops selling a variety of gift items, peculiar to Kashmir. We picked up our quota of saffron, walnut and other dry fruits famous in the area. We also tasted Kauva, a special Kashmiri drink, offered instead of tea, made with hot water, cardamum, honey, some nuts and a dash of saffron.

As it was the flowering season, during our trips on the road, we saw miles and miles of apple trees with white flowers and no apples. Another popular activity is the cultivation of mustard plants. Vast areas covered with green and yellow mustard fields look like beautiful carpets spread on the earth. especially when viewed from the aircraft as the flight is on a descent to land at the Srinagar airport. We also got to see some saffron fields.

Simple folks

Kashmiris we saw during our trip were generally serious but friendly people. We did not come across any boisterous Kashmiri! Most of them are very fair and good looking. Men are well built and handsome. Kashmiris - especially men with a generous girth in the centre are rare to find. May be they were hidden behind the long overcoat called `Pheran` which every one wears during cold weather, with hands tucked inside the coats. Women are beautiful with chiseled features. Though they are poor they are all proud of their land. Almost every one eagerly asks you` Do you like Kashmir?`

A beauracrat in the Kashmir Government , who was seated next to us on the flight to Srinagar, was proud to talk about Kashmir`s beauty. With great enthusiasm he was pointing out the beautiful snow clad Peer Panja mountains glistening in the Sun, like silver mountains, passing below us.

Kashmir is cold throughout the year, though the intensity varies between Summers and Winters. While rich can afford to have heaters at home and in their cars, the common people carry a small portable heater basket called `Kangdi` with coal fire, hung around their necks . Or they sit on it to keep themselves warm.

Struggling Economy

Travelling by road to Pahelgam through the villages of Kashmir, we did not find signs of any progress anywhere. The villages are plain and simple with hardly any activity, as the men folks are away working at tourist spots earning their livelihood. However I was impressed with the sight of hoards of boys and girls in uniforms going to schools. I understand that the current government is laying a lot of emphasis on providing free education for children.

Some development is happening in the infrastructure sectors like roads and telecom. The only highway connecting Srinagar to Jammu (300kms) is being converted into a four lane road. You can see almost everyone carrying a mobile- another word of caution: only post paid facility is allowed in Kashmir. Your mobiles with prepaid facilty will not work here.

Though we saw massive new housing activities near the new Srinagar Airport on the out skirts of the city, we did not come across a single multi-storied building. It was interesting to note that there were no concrete structures in Kashmir. Most of the houses and buildings we saw were built with bricks and having slopy tin roofings with wooden frames., obviously to allow the snow or ice to slide down the roofs. It was also evident that a lot more needs to be done in terms of power and public transport. There is no rail connectivity within Kashmir. Public transport is restricted to buses, taxis and autos..

A manager of a local company whom I met said, ‘the last four years the situation has certainly improved a lot. It is a pity that the media is only giving negative publicity based on sporadic incidents happening in specific locations. Please tell your friends that Kashmir is safe today -especially all the tourist spots like Srinagar, Sonmarg, Gulmarg and Pehelgam. if more and more people visit this state from across the country and abroad, the economy of the state will automatically improve’.

But the catch is that tourism can give employment only for six months in a year because of the extreme weather in winter months. And the supply of manpower to tourism industry far exceeds the demand, resulting in severe competition for available jobs in the industry. Most of the people we spoke to in our trip repeatedly said that they have to earn enough money in six months to take care of their family during the rest of the months when they have no jobs to do. If the government creates conducive atmosphere for industries to invest in the State, providing employment throughout the year, Kashmiris can really look forward to a better future., which should also help in resolving the contentious Kashmir issue, once and for all.

You can also do your bit to help the cause by planning your dream holiday to this much neglected Paradise on Earth, because Kashmir is now safe for travel. My wife and I have done our bit and in return have been rewarded with beautiful memories, which we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

Useful Tips

1. Kashmir is safe. You can now confidently plan a trip to this Paradise on Earth with your family. Do it when you are still young so that you can participate in all the adventurous activities.

2. Try to finalise your plan a few months ahead and take advantage of economy rates of Air carriers and other tourist facilities

3. If you are planning to use the railways, please note that train services are available only upto Jammu. Beyond that you have to travel by road or air to reach Srinagar

4. Take enough warm clothings including monkey caps, gloves and woollen socks which will be required when you go picnicking at the top of icy mountains. Temperature range from 2oC to -5oC even during day time in March and April. I understand that June to August are comparatively warmer months.

5. Though you can book online for most of the facilities I would advise you to use the services of a travel agency in your town, who is familiar with the facilities available in J&K to serve different pockets and also has local contacts in Kashmir to address any special problems you may face.

6. Take enough supply of medicines you regularly use. You may not get specific medicines if you run out of stock.

7. Please note prepaid mobiles don’t work in Kashmir. Carry a mobile with post paid facility.

8. If you are the type who likes his two `chotas` or `badas` in the evening to keep yourself warm and spirited, please carry your own stock. There are no liquor shops or Bars in Kashmir.

9. If you are fussy about your food or tired of eating outside every day, I would advise you to carry some Podis & Vatha Kuzhambu paste and packets of banana chips. You can always whip up your favourite meal because cooked white rice and curds are available in every restaurant in Hotels.

10. Hindi is the most commonly used language in Kashmir. You can however get away with English because even the attenders in restaurants and vendors can understand some English.

11. Beware of touts and agents at the picnic spots on the icy mountains who help hire the special gears required to walk on the cold mountains. They can persuade you to part with more cash than necessary.