During my training in NADT, I have to visit many places, some for work and some just for sight-seeing. India thus is coming to me in many unseen ways. And the diversity and the associated pride of its uniqueness is shown when I travel across the length and breadth of the country. While Mumbai was chaotic in its centre and beautiful in the Necklace Marine Drive, Kolkata has been an assault on senses and invigorating on perception both by its madness and historical beauty.
Now at present I am in Bangalore, the so-called Garden City,
IT City or Silk City of India. While the sprawl of urban development is very noticeable,
the underlying breakage of it by the population growth is also on the cards.
So, while it excites, it also makes you pity about the coming days. Anyway isn’t
it the story of the whole India? However, the visit to Mysore was a long-time
dream fulfilled. But how dampener it turned out to be. Mysore Palace was good,
if not stupendous, but the biggest letdown was Tipu Sultan’s museum, palace and
kingdom of Seringapatam. The place is nothing but a dilapidated state of
affairs with nothing reminiscent of yore existing. That’s why people say, “Don’t
expect much when visiting places, because every person is mortal and every place
nothing more than mortar”.
I have to go to the unchartered terrains of North-east next
week. And I can’t help being excited about it. Guwahati, Shillong and Arunachal
Pradesh are on the itinerary. Above all though, I am roused to feel the
isolated but beautiful part of the country which has so long remained in maps
only for us. Different food, different language and culture, different environs
…. India never fails to amaze me!!!
