An Intuitive Decision on Kutchch Travel

Ok, so you have just put down your papers in the job all of a sudden and have come back home, thinking what to do now. Your family suddenly gets supportive of your decision suspiciously and gives you some space for rest and thinking of future plan of action.  Now what?

That's what happened to me this month in December 2014. I left my job on an impulse and came back home. For months and years, I have always wanted to travel to the Himalayas, but could not get lucky. This time also I could not get lucky because of:

1. Severe winter
2. NRI Season
3. Expensive packages.

I was mulling over the fact when Amitabh Bachchan saved me. He came over the TV advertisement and asked me to go to Kutchch. It is also the right season to visit the region due to the Kutchch Rannutsav and other places worth going to, specifically in the winter.

I trusted the Gujarat Tourism department for the program. They also give option to go to Saurashtra but I chose Kutchch as I wanted to see a desert after a long time and visit some palaces such as Aina Mahal and Vijay Vilas Palace, where the famous Bollywood movies 'Lagaan and Hum Dil Chuke Sanam' were shot.

My booking turned out to be quite well for the package as I got enough photography opportunities to shoot different historic palaces, beach, desert, etc, of course much to the irritation of my fellow elder retired co-passengers who had to wait for me in the bus for more than 10 mins every time.

In my subsequent 4 blogs, I will describe each destination of Kutchch in detail and what you need to take care of and take with you. If you have crossed the age of 45 and do not have interest of photography then develop one or learn to wait patiently for people who have this passion. Else it is just like going to a place, seeing it, coming back and visiting another place. Let the image of the scene or sculpture or landscape settle in your eyes before you visit another place.


If you are going to visit Kutchch in Winter, then you should:

1. Take some woolen clothes
2. Plan your accommodation and book it at least 1 month in advance
3. Hire a well-informed local guide in advance
4. Adapt to the easy going attitude of the locals and the time lenient mentality 

The other fact is that you will find the water of Kutchch much sweet to drink.

In my next blog, you will get information on Morbi district. Of course, the photos will always be there to guide you.

Kuldip

Why I have Started Loving Mumbai’s Local Trains-Part 2

Prelude…

My anticipated and ideal ‘less crowded train’ never arrived during the peak hours, so I pushed myself into the first class of next local which arrived on the platform. It was no less than other compartments in terms of crowd ....just like school children going on a picnic.

Luckily I got inside or rather got pushed myself inside. The scene inside was typical of what you expect from a Mumbai local train. It looked like people of all religions were standing on a piece of land. Not a space to move, yet people were enjoying their daily activities.

People in the Local Train

The people at the doors were enjoying the ‘scenic’ view clinging to the pole or somebody’s shirt. Some lucky people who were sitting by the window had dozed off while their co-seat passengers were fooling around or peeping inside a newspaper of their neighbors. Young students were planning out their day at the college while a birthday was being celebrated in a corner. A cake was distributed among the co-passengers and the strangers.

Wrong Local Train

I asked a person beside me about the time, the train will reach Lower Parel. I was in for a shock as he told me that since it was a fast train, it would not stop at the station and I would have to get down at Dadar. I got talking with him about other things. He told me that he had been travelling in the local train for 5 years now and has rarely been lucky to get a seat.

Songs and fun

I started glancing around. Some guys were sleeping while standing, some people were discussing office politics and the politics of the nation. A group in the corner was singing old songs which made me feel nostalgic, while other people were listening to songs with their earphones, unmindful of their surroundings. I arrived at the Dadar station and I prepared myself to be thrown out of the train.

Dadar Station

Dadar is one of the busiest station of Mumbai. It is a heroic act to catch a train successfully from Dadar station. But I did it anyway and caught another slow local train. Again, I was greeted with a same view, but with more intensity. People inside were fixing share market  orders loudly while others were proudly discussing how they had managed to see Amitabh Bacchan on Sunday at his residence as he came out to wave at his fans.

Regular ‘Officers’

Some regular co passengers always make it a point to book a seat for their colleagues. The compartment inside is either a very silent place except for the timely announcement of the next station and the usual sound of the train, or noisy enough that you cannot hear even your mobile ring. Regular office goers always act as if it is their right to stand at a particular place. I guess, it’s the regular attachment to the local train.

A guy told me that if he would miss this local, he was sure of having a very bad day, even if the next local is always due in 4 or 5 minutes. There were people like me who were just interested to hear others or observe their surroundings.

I had learnt a few things during my last visit to Mumbai, so before my destination, I managed reach the door 2 stations earlier and safely put my foot down at the station. I had ample amount of time to meet my friend, but why take a chance? I again managed a bite of  'Vada Pav’ before I caught a taxi.

I then caught an empty train to Andheri from Lower Parel in the early evening, just before end of the office hours. I stretched my legs on the other seat and took a short nap.

I have observed one thing about Mumbai. Though people tend to be irritating or short-tempered, they always seem to help if assistance is sought. I have been lucky enough not to fall prey to a pick-pocketer or having a bad experience.