India Drive - Return

India Drive - Return Pictures

It was on 20^th February 2015 and I started driving back to Delhi. I had Indian Magazine Congress in Madras and had to reach two days early as per directions of the Congress Chair- B Srinivasan, MD, Ananda Vikatan. We had to settle the final Agenda and script for the MC. Apart from us magazine publishers and delegates from magazine companies across the globe, we were fortunate to have Kamal Haasan and N Ram speak at the Congress. 

I drove out from home in Kerala around 11 am. I had decided to go via Anchal to meet my maternal uncle and Aunt. Aunt had packed my lunch too! My first stop was Trichy where my mother grew up and did up to her graduation. We used to visit my Grandfather’s house in Trichy during my school vacation. We knew that house no longer exists and some underpass has come where the house stood. My grandfather had spent his last years in Kerala and his wife with her daughter in Madras. From Anchal, the route was Kulathooppuzha- Thenmala-Aryankavu- Shenkottai- Rajapalayam- Trichy. By evening, I was in Trichy. 

Srini had sent a reporter based in Trichy to help me find places in the city. St. Philomina’s, my mother’s school and Holy Cross, her college were quite easy. Obviously! I walked into the Holy Cross College and saw Women’s Hostel right at the entrance on the left. Amma would have stayed there. Adjacent to Holy Cross is St. Joseph’s College, the famous education founded by Jesuits in 1844. The College Church, our Lady of Lourdes Church, which is a replica of our Lady of Lourdes Church in France, is a delight for an architectural connoisseur. The Church steeple is 213 feet high. The Church has Gothic style of architecture with its penchant for pointed arch. The church feet rises 62 feet above the nave. Thiruchirappalli (Trichy), on the banks of Kaveri, is famous for Thiruchirappalli Rock Fort locally known as Malaikottai. Rock Fort, which is constructed on an 83 metre (272 Feet) high ancient rock, is a historic fortification and a temple complex.

It was not too tough to identify the spot where the house stood as my Amma used say her school was right opposite their house gate. I did it the other way around. Stood in front of the gate of St. Philomina’s Convent looked ahead. There was road and an underpass.  I could also see the xxx Railway station and rail tracks. I vividly remember the elevated rail track running behind our house since as a kid I used to run to see every time a train passes. By afternoon, I started driving towards Madras and reached our venue,xxx, where I was staying as well by evening. 

Drive on the ECR (East Coast Road) to Pondy is an amazing experience.  You drive along the Bay of Bengal for long stretches. It was built originally to connect Chennai to Puthucherry, extended later stage by stage to Kanyakumari. ECR, having a total distance of 777 KMs, runs through Cuddallore, Nagapattinam and Tuticorin. 

About 4 hours and 150KMs is Auroville, City of Dawn, founded by Mirra Alfassa (The Mother to devotees) in 1968. It is 12 KMs north of Pondicherry. Its name comes from French words, aurore meaning dawn and ville meaning town. It is also named after Sri Aurbindo. In the minddle of the township is Matrimandir, a golden metallic sphere. Inside the Matrimandir, silence has to maintained for ensuring tranquility and the entire area around the Matrimandir is called ‘Peace Area’. 

I came straight to my hotel, taken out a couple of bags meant for return trip and dumped them in the room before venturing into the city. I was keen to get to ‘French Quarters’. It was good to see French houses in the middle of the city, remnants/ vestiges  of French occupation. There were many RUEs, some prefixed to Kovils (temples) as well. French-Tamil combo! Hung around a bit on the beach, took customary photos before identifying a ‘right’ French restaurant or pub for dinner. Problem is that everyone pretends to be an authentic French resto. I had no time or patience to seek the help of Google. Got into one when I got tired of walking. Had some beer, sandwiches and grilled fish. Don’t know whether it was French cuisine or not! 

Pondy to Bangalore was a ‘breeze’, as they say. Because of some confusion in dates, Suresh was on a bike trip; but insisted I stay at his place. I went out to Coorg Company (or Windsor Pub?) with Krish to have Pandi (Pork) curry for dinner. As usual, Suresh’s Amma made delicious breakfast and lunch parcel. Suresh had given me a map to get out of White House, where he stays! Then NICE road- Tumkur- Hubli. Equestrian statue of Chennama welcomed me to Hubbali. I had gone out walling to some shopping complex to have a late dinner and the first time I had jowar rotis. I had them with Kohlapuri mutton. Yum. I drove past Kohlapuri. I had thought may be I need stop at Pune and the very thought frightened me. Big city and intimidating big hotels. I was lucky to reach Pune early and could drive to Lonawala. Town of Chikkis! It was late in the evening and all I could see was Chikki shops! Next day, drove through New Bombay heading to Bhavnagar, where my parents in-law live. Drive to Surat and Bharuch was nice. Good highway. There were two interesting things. One was the bridge near Bharuch. Golden Bridge  (Narmada Bridge) bult in 1881 by the British connects Ankleshwar to Bharuch. The other one is a funny incident. On some empty highway, in Anad district I think, I came across a police patrol jeep and a few cops. I got a bit worried as it’s a dry state and I have alcohol in the car. One cop signaled me to stop. I pulled; didn’t get out of the car. He walked to the car and asked where I am going. Then why I am going Bhavnagar. I said to meet my in-laws. He was quite amused and asked ‘Driving from Delhi to meet in-laws?” I said ‘No. From Delhi, I had gone to Kerala to meet my parents and while returning to Delhi I will meet my in-laws’. I am wondering when he is going to ask me open the boot. I had lit a cigarette when I spotted the police jeep. He was curious as to which brand I was smoking. Classic Regular I said. ‘Mujhe ek cigarette milega?’ ‘Kyom nahin’. I passed on the packet to him. He took two cigarettes  and told me’ mei 2 leta hun”. By all means. He lit one, blew the smoke into the air and smiled. ‘Aap jayiye’!

While on a long drive like this, I try to avoid cities and city hotels. It’s a pain getting in and getting out. Its always good to stay in outskirts. From Bharuch, I had put Bhavnagar in Google Maps. I was driving through narrow roads which were getting narrower and narrower. Of course, deserted as well. Strange vegetation on both sides of the road, I figured out was tobacco cultivation. I had only known Guntur belt for tobacco. To cut a long story short, my drive ended in a Tabela. A buffalo Tabela. (Tabele is Stable or a cattle shed). Its from the stink that I got the wimph of where I had landed! The village folks laughed when I said I was looking for Baroda and I am en route Bhavnagar. They said if I dare to drive 2-3 KMs more through such roads and Tabelas I would reach outskirts of Baroda. On managing to reach highway looking road, I asked panwaala where I am.He said Baroda is some 10-12 KMs behind and this is the road to Bhavnagar. It was already past 8 pm. There was a small motel kind 10 odd KMs further. Typical Daba turned restaurant which added a few rooms to the offering. They had newly build 6 rooms. Just two into the launch. Extrenely hospitable staff, though very rustic in manners. 

They had told me their restaurant is veg, which checking in itself. I have no option. When I went down to eat, I realized its owned by muslims. I just could not figure why they cant serve non-veg, even if its chicken. Then they revealed the secret- if they serve non-veg,local people and highway traffic people won’t eat there. You can imagine why they have Dominos with only veg pizzas! 

I got to my in-laws house by lunch time. After vegetarian meals for lunch, dinner and breakfast, I headed out for Udaipur via Ahmedabad. We cross Abu Road before Udaipur. Udaipur, the city of lakes, is beautiful. I checked into a nice hotel which was near a lake. Evening walk to the lake side was cathartic. Next day was for City Palace, Vintage car museum etc. Regular Udaipur beat. When I visited the city palace, they told me about the grand holi celebrations and holika dahan in the evening. Maharaja himself will meet gues and all crap crap to attract tourists, particularly foreigners. Since I had nothing better to do, I bought a ticket for the evening. 1000 bucks, which includes alcohol and dinner. 

Maharaja was Arvind Singh Mewar who recently passed away (16^th March 2025). Maharajas of Udaipur claim to be reincarnation of Vishnu. The holi celebrations in the palace, they claim, is 800 generations old tradition! There was nothing exciting in the whole affair. After a long Queue, when one got a drink it was some cheap whisky; so, I didn’t risk with their dinner. I went back the room and ordered some laal maas and tawa rotis. Yum.

I left only around 11.30 am. Roads were empty because it was holi. My planned halt was in Jaipur; but I reached the bypass quite early. Then I kept driving thinking I will stop when I am tired. Thought will stop at Neemrana. But drove through to reach home around 6.30 pm. I did Udaipur-Delhi (666 Kms) in 9 hours flat. (8 hours?) I missed Anahita’s 16^th birthday; but was back 2 days before her Maths exam for which and subsequent exams I had to take her. 

Going was 3264 KMs (including 110 KMs where my Skoda Yeti had the pleasure and privilege  of being driven by a pick-up truck and me Suresh Selvaraj. Return,via Madras and Pondy, was 3960 KMs. A journey of a total of 7224 KMs, which began on 26^th January came to a close on 6^th March. I had three meetings with Malayala Manorama during this period. For the first one in Delhi on 3^rd Feb, I had left the car in Bangalore to fly down. The second was around 15^th February in Kottayam and the third end March in Cochin. In fact, I returned to Delhi with an offer from Manorama to head their North marketing operations. I joined on 8^th April 2015, two days before my 51^st birthday. 

Aurobindo Ashram and room. French Quarters and beach in the evening. Next day morning to Bangalore. 

Bangalore to that lady statue via Belgavi. Kohlapur, Pune. Halt at Chikki place. Lonawala. Stay there. New Bombay, Behruch, Surat, Baroda. Halt. Bye pass. Bhavnagar. Halt. 

Ahmedabad, Abu Road, Udaipur. 11.30 am to 6.30 pm Udai- Delhi. Holi.