Delhi Diary

Brrr it's cold. Don't remember a colder Rashtrapati Bhavan Republic Day Reception in the past 18 or so that I have attended. The gatherings at the Reception have grown enormously in recent years. It was a couple of hundred's in the Eighties but now a couple of thousand.















The Mughal Gardens through which the guests walk was resplendent with a variety of roses, petunias and pansies in full bloom. The other winter annuals are yet to start blooming. One does get chance to meet with old friends. There was as usual a preponderance of Defence Forces officers but one also spotted faces of a known politicians of yest er-years ( Buta Singh V. C Shukla),artists,writers and scribes; met a few friends in the bureaucracy and police. All in all the function still carries the aura and grandeur of the Raj with buglers on hte ramparts of the Presidential palace heralding the arrival of our first Lady PresidentPratibhaji and Zarkozy, her French counterpart who was Chief Guest at India's 59th Republic day celeberations.















With icy winds blowing over Rashtrapati Bhavan lawns under an overcast sky, there was less glamour to be seen among the guests! Ladies had to cover their backless Cholis with Pashmina and Jamavar shawls. Many in the gathering were disappointed not to get a glimpse of Bruni the French President's girlfriend who according to media gossip was to have joined him at the Taj in Agra ,which he visited immediately after the Republic Day Parade in the morning. There was a 30 minute holdup in the proceedings due to the delayed arrival of Zarkosy's flight from Agra.















Have to attend my Chhotey Mama's younger daughter's son's wedding in the Delhi Cantt later in the evening, Trying to brace myself for this heroic act by lacing myself with Rum in Hot water with Daalchini and Laung. Will wear leggings and thermal vest underneath the Band Gala. Why can't we do something about the Delhi weddings- like making them strictly family affairs or holding much smaller Receptions spread over a year ( a memorable event like marriage should not be allowed to fade away in the one week). This would bring relief to the hundreds of guests who have to travel long distances and face traffic jams to be there at Farm Houses and Party Places in far corners of the city. The experience during peak wedding dates is nightamarish. And yet the Melas continue. Because they came so you go!!











Incidentally, I wore my dark Pinstiped Sherwani and Churidar to the RPB Reception and the comments from friends were very interesting. I quote a few- Very Elegant and approprate"; "Hope to wear this one day if I can stay in shape"; " Didn't know you had joined politics"; " Have you converted ?"- all speaking volumes for background of those who made them. I tried explaining to a few that "this was the only formal wear used by my family for generations so I am comfotable in them"to the presribed and dress worn by all first generation leaders of free India from the North. But I gave up!!






Will attempt attaching a few pictures from my outdoor garden as promised and encouraged to do by Abhiram my older son in his comments added to my last Blog tomorrow, if I manage to save it with my limited knowledge of computronics!!





For your viewing pleasure are attched a few pictures of fresh blooms in my home garden taken this morning with my Nikon Coolpix

C U next week .

Have a great week ahead

Weekly Delhi Diary

After three warm days, winter began creeping back midweek with the temps dropping and the skies remaining occasionally overcast over Delhi. All in all, fairly dicey weather from the colds and coughs angle.

Winter annuals laid out in Lutyens Delhi's roadside parks and traffic islands have begun to bloom with the Calendulas and Dahlias taking the lead over the other varieties. The Chrysanthemums ( Mums in America), the first to bloom and spreading colour and joy the past month in private and public gardens took a beating when Delhi experienced sharp showers on January 9 night. They are now being removed and replaced by by pots of other winter annuals.
In my own home garden, the marigolds have begun to wither and pansy buds formation started, with just a few blooms peaking shyly from behind a thick cluster of leaves. These are, of course, the hybrid varieties from Sakata( Japanese) seedlings. The hardier desi yellow varieties are already in full bloom

Next week shall try to sprinkle my weekly diary with outdoor pictures taken from my digital camera to make the blog more colourful.

My namesake ( Anil Kumble) has brought a wave of good cheer all over India with the team's fantastic victory over the Aussies at the invincible Perth ground. Th tenacity displayed by each member of the team in the teeth of a fierce opposition from the Australian team was in my view, the key to the magic victory scored by us. The match by any standard was very interesting and watchable, restoring, to an extent, the waning appetite among Indian cricket lovers in Test cricket. More hard work and the same spirit may well see India levelling the Series at Adelaide.

Delhiites long expectation of faster commute to Gurgaon are finally set to become a reality with the official opening of the long network of Fly Overs connecting Delhi with Gurgaon and the IGI airport three days before( Jan 23) the Republic Day.
One listens almost daily to the woes of road users over the traffic snarls and increasing chaos on Delhi roads. But the solution, in my view, certainly does not lie in the attention this gets in the local print and electronic media.

First I would like to bring to the notice of the highly spoilt Delhi road users that the delays being suffered by them are nothing compared to the other Metros like Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Calcutta.

Also, some credit is due to the city planners and the authorities in Delhi, whether in the Central or state Gov ts for at least thinking about the traffic needs of one of the fastest growing cities of the world in terms of power driven vehicles, in a holistic manner, though a couple of decades late , some planning is finally discernible!

Most of the blame for the chaos on Delhi roads is due to the utter lack of road sense on the part of the users and the almost total absence of enforcement of traffic laws by the Delhi Police.Insufficiency of numbers of Delhi traffic police may be contributing to this phenomenon, but is totally unacceptable as an excuse on the part of DP. I think better supervision and utilization of existing resources is called for.

Another thought on how we celebrate Republic Day. Yes we must be remember the sacrifices of our forefathers in achieving Independence and Democracy in a befitting manner, and keep patriotism and nationalism alive,no doubt. But the scale on which we spend and the rather repetitive nature of the elaborate processions and march pasts on Raj Path causing immense discomfort to road users over several days needs to be looked at again.Is the objective being achieved ?Is there no scope for a more imaginative and innovative approach , but to see India's rich and diverse heritage folk art and and dances performed by children floated past ??


Enough for this week, I think. Hey, this chance to share my thoughts on subjects of interest has whetted my appetite to continue writing this weekly.
How do you find it? Pl help me to make it more readable.
Best of everything in the week ahead

A Cold Week End in Delhi

The Met office was right for a change when it predicted fall in min temp on the weekend, due to "cold westerly winds". Though the sun was out bright and warm, the strong cold winds kept Delhites chilled and mostly indoors. Shailey went to the Garden of Five Senses with the NTRO Ladies Club for Housie and Lunch at the the Bhau Sahib Ka Dhaba, I lazed around after Ram Kumar's rub down. Went to CP to get my new wollen trouser refitted at Mhan lal and Sons ( unsuccessfully) and had Patiey ke Mataren and Kulchey at Bhogal's behind Scindhia House. Then Ashok Saikia's Prayer Meting at the Chinmaya Mission at Lodhi Rd in the evening.. It could have been better. The Bhajan singer broke in with a Nhajan set on Bollywood tune which put me off. The speakers were also inimpressive, except the last who( Gunnu) spoke from the heart and made people close to Ashok cry Today was Lohri. There was no agenda. Shuchi's parents dropped in with the Moongphalis, Revadi and Ghazak. Had tea with them outside on the terrace. Called Kaushal Sahib to check whether they were home and joined them for lunch. Came back and enjoyed a snooze. Lallan( Maj Gen Parmar) and his wife dropped in in the evening and joined us for dinner. All in all a relaxed Sunday. Not much to do in the garden, except watering the beds and sprinking of the lawns. Spinach, Lal Moolis and Dhaniya were cropped and shared with the Sawhneys and Kaushals. Cmpleted my sixth day on the Treadmill during the week. Maight take a break tomorrow and take a walk in Nehru Garden if I wake up early enough. That's all for tonight. Shailey's school officially reopens tomorrow. So back to the routine.

Another Year Begins

A leap year I am told.





The last year ended on a very dark note - losing an old jewel among my friends, suddenly and without any apparent reason, except a one in a thousandth case of cardio surgery complications, at one of the best equipped and manned Heart Care centres in Delhi. The combined prayers and efforts of the best Cardiovascular surgeons in town over several tortous hours failed to check the cruel hand of fate .


The grief stricken faces of Ranjana, Suman, Pikku and the Saikia brothers known to me for over 40 years was too much to bear and I left the hospital, desolate, around midnight. I knew that the battle was over, and the last minute efforts of the AIIMS team which went into the Escorts OT were highly unlikely to succeed.


When Gokul confirmed at 0430 hrs on the cell phone that Ashok ( Roon to family) was no more. Oh No was my reaction in disbelief, though I knew that it was inevitable when I had slept. That is the philosophy of miracles not happening!





Did not quite feel upto leaving for the airport with the kids for the brief get away at Goa planned months in advance. I had anticipated the family taking ashok to Titabar in Assam for the last rites which I was informed was being done. Embalming at AIIMS and the entire family alongwith the remains leaving for Guwahati by the 4 PM flt. Moon the brother immediately after Roon ( based in Jorhat Assam)had already in the morning via Calcutta to make advance preparations.



It was over. Only the formalities involving the family remained to be carried out. The gettogether of three generation cutting across contents involving six cuples and children would have turned sour if I dropped out at the last minute. his would not be fair I thought. So I went to the airport.



Shailey and I were in Goa after nearly eight years. Despite the steep rise in the volume and density of the autos on the roads, we were not disappointed. Met up the few old friends from the early seventies when I spent three years there, as SP Goa , Daman and Diu. The landscape was as charming and the air as balmy as before. The pace of life suddenly slows down as one drives out of the Dabolim( Goa) airport in the port town of Vasco.



The one big change was the bridge over the Zuari river. Earlier, there was only the two ferry boats which took across four cars at a time in the opposite directions.



The Sun and Sand hotel overlooking the Mandovi ( the other great river estuary on which Goa is located) in Panjim is an architectual beauty . It appears tht the five storied hotel has been woven around the old trees on the hill top. A nice and cozy place with the proverbial Goan friendly and hospitable service.



Funkiet Martins and Dr Antonio Valadares our old friends had both gone out of their way as usual to arrange every evening entertainment for the nearly fourteen strong family which had congregated in Goa to spend three nights together. We met up with Funkiet and Antonio's families at different places including the fabulous house of Sadiq, Funkiet's brother-in law married to Gidda, Nanda's ( Funkiet's wife) sister overlooking the Arabian Sea at Donna Paula, a picturesque land mark of Goa close to Panjim town.

Except for our 1 year old granddaughter Antara's stomach infection and six months old Akshay (my late brother's grandson) alo being similarly infected just before our departure at Dabolim, the Goa trip was enjoyable and tranquil with a lot of good goan sea-food, wine, drinks and live music by Goan musical Groups.



Goa was nice and warm but Delhi was feezing when we landed at Palam on Second Jan evening. Delhi was in the grip of a severe cold wave withtemperatures 5 degrees below normal.





The family and close friends dinner do at home last night was well attended with almost all turning up. Shailey had as susual put together a lot of good food while the Boys and I kept the best drinks flowing. All 40 + had a good time with the kids spilling into the bedrooms and the Study.



More in my next Blog for the family with some stuff on my favourite subject Gardening.

Wishing all a happy and healthy 2008