Searching for beliefs that are truly mine.
Searching for instincts coming from the divine.
Searching for a road devoid of any sign.
Searching for that familiar but lost old wine.
She roars across the city raising the dust in its tracks. It clears all the traffic in its way no matter how thick it is. She feels like a monster and guzzles fuel by the gallon. It is a long standing symbol of power, aggression and arrogance. And no, I am not talking about the Humvee or the Haryana Roadways bus. She is my Yamaha RX-135, set loose in the city of Bangalore.
Lets start with the numbers first. I own a 2001 model, bought second hand for Rs. 25,000. It had been ridden 20,000 km then (and now after a year it is 30,000 km). For the unfamiliar, she has a single cylinder, two stroke engine, with a displacement of 132.00 ccm which gives a 12 bhp burst at 6500 rpm, and a torque of 12 nm at 5500 rpm. In other words, a 0-60 kmph in 5 sec. She has a 4-speed gear box and a top speed of 120 kmph. She is small in size and weighs less than 100 kg (its power-to-weight ratio is more than that of a mini cooper) which gives it an outstanding maneuverability, making it a perfect city bike: and me and her have been through a lot on the streets of this city.
Bangalore is surrounded with weekend getaways for one and all. This comes as a relief for computer-staring, white-collar, IT folks who have migrated here from around the country and make a bunch of the city's populace. One such site is that of Savandurga, located 60 kms from Bangalore and makes for a hell of a trekking experience (was the toughest for me till date).
Me and a couple of friends set out from Bangalore on bikes late morning (couple of Avengers).
Me and a couple of friends set out from Bangalore on bikes late morning (couple of Avengers).
While other places have clubs, bars and underground racing. . . Jaipur has hills, forts and palaces.
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| Amber Palace |
Jaipur is a timeless city, with the past, present and future all co-existing and complementing each other. The old "Pink City" is still the commercial hub of Jaipur. There is one active palace inside the Pink City which acts as a residence for the "Royal Family" of Jaipur. There are three other forts in the neighborhood of the city which also are integral to lives of the residents. The Amber Palace, residence of the founder of Jaipur and his ancestors. Jaigarh, the war time fort for the residents of Amber Palace, thankfully it was never needed . . .
“The first thing I noticed about Bombay, on that first day, was the smell of the different air. I could smell it before I saw or heard anything of India, even as I walked along the umbilical corridor that connected the plane to the airport. I was excited and delighted by it… but I didn’t and couldn’t recognize it. I know now that it’s the sweet, sweating smell of hope, which is the opposite of hate; and it’s the sour stifled smell of greed, which is the opposite of love. It’s the smell of gods, demons, empires, and civilizations in resurrection and decay… It smells of the stir and sleep and waste of sixty million animals, more than half of them humans and rats. It smells of heartbreak, and the struggle to live, and of the crucial failures and loves that produce our courage. It smells of ten thousand restaurants, five thousand temples, shrines, churches, and mosques, and of a hundred bazaars devoted exclusively to perfumes, spices, incense, and freshly cut flowers… the worst good smell in the world. The next thing I noticed was the heat. I stood in airport queues, not five minutes from the conditioned air of the plane, and my clothes clung to sudden sweat… Each breath was an angry little victory… Then there were the people; warrior caste, Brahmin, and untouchable; Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Parsee, Jain, Animist; fair skin and dark, green eyes and golden brown and black; every different face and form of that extravagant variety, that incomparable beauty, India.” --Gregory David Roberts ("Shantaram")
A similar flood of emotions and thoughts strikes anyone who steps into this island of dreams. This city is a showcase of India and, indeed, the World. It has a strong flavor of the energy, spirit and aspirations of countless of peoples, most of whom are immigrants or their descendants. The world's poorest and the richest live here as equals, walking with the same stride, carrying the same pride, and riding the same locals. It is a city which lives on its own rules and with its own dynamics. This is Atlantis reincarnate, but unlike the mythical Greek city, even Gods have failed to shake it. This is Bombay.
