Hi Folks,
The purpose of this ‘Bhopal Update’ is not just informing you about myself, it actually means a lot more to me. First, it chronicles the past events before every thing just vanishes from my transient ‘memory’ as the receding tides of the time. Second, it gives me yet another opportunity to visualise or go through all those moments of intense involvement providing me one more chance to experience that very same feeling in a more subtle manner. Third, this exercise allows me to delve deep into the outcomes of my actions and thus provides me space, time and insight to plan how to steer my way to make my time count. Truly this gives immense pleasure, satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment and I feel I am a happy soul! (…touch wood!!!)
At the beginning of this second issue, where I have elaborated the events and happenings of Feb and tried to exhibit all those interesting tit-bits that made my days certainly different from the normal if not exceptional, I would again like to mention and I think that’s for the last time, that Bhopal is a nice place to live and it offers an easy-going life. It provides what many metro cities have to offer but out rightly lacks the typical attributes of such cities - heavy traffic, noise, pollution, congestion on roads and a fast life within an indifferent society.
Month of February passed so swiftly that I hardly get any time to write this letter. I am not saying that I was totally busy but I was fully involved that’s for sure, in various official chores and was working for numerous deadlines. But that could not keep me away from my share of entertainment over the weekends. And so I went, with a couple of friends, to the world heritage site, ‘Bhim Betika’, about 50 km from Bhopal. This site is famous for its rock-shelters that contain prehistoric cave paintings from over 10,000 years old. Overlooking those fascinating pieces of human creativity, I was spellbound when suddenly ‘time’ seemed to have lost its relativity. The display of the life of the prehistoric beings in the form of these paintings was fascinating and truly engaging, I think this is what probably those historic men intended when ‘they’ conceived the idea of creating something extraordinary to be counted as a heritage today. The revelation that the journey to that era didn’t even take a fraction of second, was without a precedent and it fuelled the desire to have such revelations too frequently. After ‘Bhim Betika’ we headed for Bhojpur. The journey was kind of a competition between the remaining few rays of the setting Sun and myself on the motorbike, riding on full throttle to reach the temple before the last of those wandering shreds of the sun dies the usual death. I lost this battle over ‘time’; the same ‘time’ that seemed so miniscule when I was witnessing those timeless cave paintings. There wasn’t much that I could see or capture with my camera in such bad light, however the fact that this Shiv temple, constructed by ‘Raja Bhoj’ of Ujjain 5-7 centuries ago, has the biggest ‘Shiva Lingam’ in India wasn’t very difficult to discern. Legends have it that this huge temple as it appears today, was constructed in one single night, which is actually hard to believe. But undoubtedly if it has been a completed structure, then the majestic stone embankment and the decorated ceiling of the carved granite (may not be true) rock must have attracted a comparatively large number of tourists then what it does today.
After the active and adventurous first weekend, I visited home on the second weekend, this was first time after I came to Bhopal. Trip to home was as usual refreshing and interesting, except that the 3 days passed so swiftly that I felt that I spend more time in the train than being at home. When I came back from home, I never knew that now this whole week is going to be such a great fun. One of my old friends from my good old school days was waiting for me in Bhopal. With him I had a pleasant time all over the week. I went with him to ‘Birla Temple’ Bhopal, visited a couple of restaurants and had a lot of sleepless nights talking about the past 6 years of life since we last met. It was as if we both were cleaning the dust that has settled over the time, treading so cautiously down the memory lane as if not to disturb anything in between and reconstruct the events as and when it happened in each other’s life to attune each other. With him I went to Bhojpur Temple once again and discovered that it well deserved a second visit in bright sunlight to have the feel that it was constructed for.
The purpose of this ‘Bhopal Update’ is not just informing you about myself, it actually means a lot more to me. First, it chronicles the past events before every thing just vanishes from my transient ‘memory’ as the receding tides of the time. Second, it gives me yet another opportunity to visualise or go through all those moments of intense involvement providing me one more chance to experience that very same feeling in a more subtle manner. Third, this exercise allows me to delve deep into the outcomes of my actions and thus provides me space, time and insight to plan how to steer my way to make my time count. Truly this gives immense pleasure, satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment and I feel I am a happy soul! (…touch wood!!!)
At the beginning of this second issue, where I have elaborated the events and happenings of Feb and tried to exhibit all those interesting tit-bits that made my days certainly different from the normal if not exceptional, I would again like to mention and I think that’s for the last time, that Bhopal is a nice place to live and it offers an easy-going life. It provides what many metro cities have to offer but out rightly lacks the typical attributes of such cities - heavy traffic, noise, pollution, congestion on roads and a fast life within an indifferent society.
Month of February passed so swiftly that I hardly get any time to write this letter. I am not saying that I was totally busy but I was fully involved that’s for sure, in various official chores and was working for numerous deadlines. But that could not keep me away from my share of entertainment over the weekends. And so I went, with a couple of friends, to the world heritage site, ‘Bhim Betika’, about 50 km from Bhopal. This site is famous for its rock-shelters that contain prehistoric cave paintings from over 10,000 years old. Overlooking those fascinating pieces of human creativity, I was spellbound when suddenly ‘time’ seemed to have lost its relativity. The display of the life of the prehistoric beings in the form of these paintings was fascinating and truly engaging, I think this is what probably those historic men intended when ‘they’ conceived the idea of creating something extraordinary to be counted as a heritage today. The revelation that the journey to that era didn’t even take a fraction of second, was without a precedent and it fuelled the desire to have such revelations too frequently. After ‘Bhim Betika’ we headed for Bhojpur. The journey was kind of a competition between the remaining few rays of the setting Sun and myself on the motorbike, riding on full throttle to reach the temple before the last of those wandering shreds of the sun dies the usual death. I lost this battle over ‘time’; the same ‘time’ that seemed so miniscule when I was witnessing those timeless cave paintings. There wasn’t much that I could see or capture with my camera in such bad light, however the fact that this Shiv temple, constructed by ‘Raja Bhoj’ of Ujjain 5-7 centuries ago, has the biggest ‘Shiva Lingam’ in India wasn’t very difficult to discern. Legends have it that this huge temple as it appears today, was constructed in one single night, which is actually hard to believe. But undoubtedly if it has been a completed structure, then the majestic stone embankment and the decorated ceiling of the carved granite (may not be true) rock must have attracted a comparatively large number of tourists then what it does today.
After the active and adventurous first weekend, I visited home on the second weekend, this was first time after I came to Bhopal. Trip to home was as usual refreshing and interesting, except that the 3 days passed so swiftly that I felt that I spend more time in the train than being at home. When I came back from home, I never knew that now this whole week is going to be such a great fun. One of my old friends from my good old school days was waiting for me in Bhopal. With him I had a pleasant time all over the week. I went with him to ‘Birla Temple’ Bhopal, visited a couple of restaurants and had a lot of sleepless nights talking about the past 6 years of life since we last met. It was as if we both were cleaning the dust that has settled over the time, treading so cautiously down the memory lane as if not to disturb anything in between and reconstruct the events as and when it happened in each other’s life to attune each other. With him I went to Bhojpur Temple once again and discovered that it well deserved a second visit in bright sunlight to have the feel that it was constructed for.
The week commencing on 21 Feb was an important week for the ‘Project on Sustainable Forest Management’ of which I claim to be one of the Managers. We had our annual Project Steering Committee Meeting for which the ITTO (Funding agency) representative came and for two days we had a hectic but enjoyable schedule. After attending a high profile dinner party at the Bhopal’s heritage hotel, where I would not have gone by my own, the project team went to one field site of the project, ‘Rata Pani Wildlife Sanctuary’. This visit was one of those times when I feel free, away from the concrete jungles, out there where the nature, in small patches, is struggling hard to persist. These stretches of forests and the adjoining villages provide a kind of space where one can breathe and feel a sense of rejuvenation (Pardon me, if it’s not the case with you).
The last week, as I think is generally the case with everyone with little finances left, escaped swiftly without giving me much space to venture away from Bhopal. Nevertheless, Bharat Bhawan- the art and theatre hub of Bhopal came for rescue where a week-long drama festival was going on. It showcased the local (M.P. & Chhattisgarh) art and culture, this gave me an opportunity to acquaint myself with the finer details of the art of theatre going and appreciating what is being performed absolutely live. It actually began in the month of January, when Charandas Chor, a popular play by the famous play writer and director, Habib Tanvir was staged in Bhopal for the cause of Tsunami victims. I really enjoyed that evening and soon Bharat Bhawan became the popular destination for enjoying a evening differently from the routine schedule.
Thus in its very own way, February gave way to March. The temperature started climbing and the weather became appealing. It was indeed a pleasure to walk uphill to my office in the morning when the cool breeze took off all that exhausting sensation of climbing the hillock to reach the office. The flowers in full bloom, birds’ singing-chirping and a slow lazy stroll, who would agree that going to office could be a delightful experience everyday. (For 15 days of Feb & March) until the temperature escalates for this climbing to remain a fun!
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