Sunday, September 20, 2009

Locked out!!

When I was in my 5th standard, I learnt a poem called "Leisure" written by William Henry Davies". The first line

"What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare."

Looking at work pressure for the past few weeks, I knew that I needed a break. So I joined some photography training sessions. When I came home, I had a suprise waiting for me. I had forgotten to take the keys. All of them at home were out.

I was straddled. I could not go inside. So I took some snaps here and there.....and went out site seeing, roaming here and there. The metro railway in mumbai has come a long way, the pillar are all up. The sun was setting. The reflection of the sun rays on the building looked so brilliant.


I have never seen such a beautiful evening ever. I was roaming with nothing on my mind. I had to take atleast 3 hours out, before my mom would be home with a key. I saw a tree which was so old bang in the middle, which I had never see before.


These snaps are as it was taken, I have not altered them. They look awesome don't they. Here is the banyan tree, so old as me I should say!! I found two Hotels side by side, one named Paarth and the other named Saarathi. Paarth is the name of "Arjuna" from Mahabaratha and "Saarathi" is the name of Krishna himself. Paarth being a bar and restaurant. Saarathi is a Veg restaurant. I guess Paarth has not learnt from Saarthi after all. :) :)


In the twilight I see a board that explains the situation a little. Traffic congestion is really the reason for the metro, but the irony is the building a metro needs space, which eventually causes traffic jam. :)


New stores like "Jumbo king" and Brownie point have come up. They never told me :( :(


I am still exploring around. After all being locked out, does have its advantages.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Liverpool

I could not get into blogging for sometime because of hectic work at office. Finally I got some time to blog about something great. I have been a supporter of Liverpool for a long time. Even though I am not a ardent follower like football followers are usually are. I do want my team to win.

Liverpool beat West Ham 3-2 ; a great news to rejoice. The thing which is more awesome is that one of friend had been to England. He got me a Liverpool jersey and some accessories. Check out the snaps!! :) I am so happy........

Friday, September 4, 2009

Victoria Terminus (Part 2)

Moving away from Bandra, you come to the khadi, which stinks like hell. It has been the same for almost 10 years that I have been there. As soon as you cross this khadi, you enter an over bridge road, which is like a tunnel.

Then comes the most famous place on Mumbai, from where slumdog millionaire was made, part of Dharavi comes on the left. Next stop “Mahim”, I really don’t know anything about this place. Next stop “Kings circle”, I don’t know why this name has not been changed yet. There is a big circle which has a park. It is flanked on one side by Matunga, a small south India I should say. The South Indian Education Society High School is situated very near to the station. Next stop “Wadala Road”.

It is actually a very busy station. The people, who want to go to Navi-Mumbai, have to catch a train from here. It is kind of a junction. The guy who was sitting in front of me was checking overseas jobs column on his paper. He tired calling some numbers but could not find a suitable answer from any, he kept trying. The rain picked up again. It is amazing what a small drizzle can do. It wets all the railway signals and electric trusses. People here and there were running for cover.

Next stop “Sewri”. Before the station came along, I could see big oil tankers and storage vessels so huge. The IndianOil vessel was one of them. The “Sewri” station was flanked little higher than the usually stations. On the left of the station towards CST, was a road where all the tanker lorries were running hammock. As the train left “Sewri” station, I saw something interesting, there were small tankers which were pulled by oxen. Suddenly the town scape turned into village scenery. I saw more than 50 oxen and the tankers just parked there for filling kerosene I guess.

Just outside Sewri, you can see those oil tankers. "IndiaOil"


Next stop “Cotton Green”, before we reached the station on the left is “Cotton Association of India”. It is full of mills and hence with cotton association, the name. The buildings before and after the station are more or less look like warehouses. Some of them look dilapidated, but some of them are still alive and kicking. Moving away from cotton to Iron, next stop “Reay road”. Know for its iron garages all around the station. I saw a naked kid playing with another kid who was fully dressed. Irony of India I should say!! :P

Dockyard Road as the name suggests it’s the place of docks. Next stop is “Sandhurst Road”, it is quiet an unique station as it is at a raised platform from the other stations. Iron pillars beneath hold the station up. It was completed in 1921 quiet a feat then. Reay road and Sandhurst road, are named after British governors many years ago. Next stop is Masjid. It is a very busy station and, there was a bridge demolition going on just the day before. It had been finished on time and the trains were allowed through in record time. Masjid like popular belief is not named after mosque but a synagogue. 200 year old Gate of Mercy Synagogue is present here. As there are wholesale markets here, the volume of people going here are really alarming. At a peak hour you stand there and you will be completely swept away.

Last stop VT, or now CST(Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus). A one hour journey on the train never felt like it; when you are watching. I got a bag for my camera. I was home after 3 hours I commenced my journey. Mumbai Railways is truly faster than you think it is.

This is VT station, undergoing renovation!!

That is Queen Victoria at the top of the tower holding a torch!!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Victoria Terminus (part 1)

I had some work at CST (Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus), which has been renamed from Victoria Terminus long time back. CST is where the terrorists attacked if you remember some months back. From Andheri we have a Harbour line that takes us directly to CST which is actually on the central line.

The ticket counter at Andheri station is really frustrating as the queue is very huge. It takes rather 15 mins to get a ticket for your journey, wherein you can miss trains in minutes here. Standing in the queue we get to see regular travellers buying coupon books, punching them, beggars sitting right at the entries with their small babies. Next was my turn and ton ta dan, comes a guy says, senior citizen; please buy me a ticket. I get tickets for him.


Then climb the staircases to reach platform number 7, where my CST train has not yet come. When I reach the platform, I am greeted by a very serious glance by a bloke who has an extraordinary belly, with big ear phone (like the kind you wear for computer, silver colour) some kind of “Dinchak” music. He looked at me as if he had the best ear phone on display, some Chinese company mal. I could have shown him my music player, but the charge of my mobile was very low. Damn!!

The timer at the station said 1:06 pm, scheduled departure of the train. The train arrived just on time. I specifically chose this train as it was lunch time. :P less crowd. People got down not many, people hopped in not many. With swine flu tremors going around, many not all, had a handkerchief to cover their nose and mouth. Got a window seat, cursed myself for not bring a book to read. But I changed my mind at the end of the journey as it was good I did not bring a book.

I have been to CST in the same route before, but never on a window seat. So I thought I will check the sites. Being a slow train it stops at all the stops. Breezed pass the signals and into the aroma of Parle factories. The smell of Parle G filled my nostrils. First stop “Vile Parle”. Big walls separated the train rails parameter and houses. The walls painted with ads of banyans (Lux) and other faltu ads.

The train strolled into “Santacruz”, this is the place where we have the Domestic Airport. But if you happen to go there, it would tell you “Chatrapati International Airport”. Just to confuse people. Next stop “Khar road”, posh localities and the lot of rich people stay here. I used to get down at this station during my college days. Nostalgia of those days got hold of my memory. Ashwariya Rai used to live here before she got married.

As you move away from “Khar road”, there is an over bridge, which makes the switch to harbour line. Nice view of the station and its rails and tracks. Just past it on the left is the “kabaristan”, where Muslims bury their bodies after death. It started to rain; still some work was going on here inspite of it. Just after that, one more over bridge and you come to Bandra terminus.

Bandra comes in a jiffy after Khar. Again posh to the core, it has amazing hotels and clubs. I had been to a buffet called “Global fusion”, amazing place that. I saw Katrina kaif and Salman khan once walking here once. Shahrukh Khan stays here……contd
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