Building seen in pic is almost 175 years old.
Visited on 7th August 2014.
Mobile click with 2 megapixel camera in bright sunlight.
Saturday, 27 September 2014
Barrackpore Govt High School (Estd. 1837), B.T.Road, Barrackpore
Barrackpore Govt High School (Estd. 1837), B.T.Road, Barrackpore.
Building seen in pic is almost 175 years old.
Visited on 7th August 2014.
Mobile click with 2 megapixel camera in bright sunlight.
Building seen in pic is almost 175 years old.
Visited on 7th August 2014.
Mobile click with 2 megapixel camera in bright sunlight.
Monday, 22 September 2014
Kurseong - Darjeeling passenger train approaching Tung station
Reach Kurseong and then proceed towards Sonada.
Before Tung station there's a tea retail outlet of Margaret's Hope Tea Estate on the left side of Hill Cart Road. By positioning yourself just opposite the said retail outlet you can view this beautiful Kurseong - Darjeeling passenger train.
Simply wait for the Toy Train to come.
Story and photo courtesy: Arunava Das.
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Before Tung station there's a tea retail outlet of Margaret's Hope Tea Estate on the left side of Hill Cart Road. By positioning yourself just opposite the said retail outlet you can view this beautiful Kurseong - Darjeeling passenger train.
Simply wait for the Toy Train to come.
Story and photo courtesy: Arunava Das.
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Customer care by State Transport Corporations in India
Some of the State Transport Corporations really care for their passengers.
Why aren't the bosses hauled up for such fantastic customer comfort ..... I'm left wondering!
Why aren't the bosses hauled up for such fantastic customer comfort ..... I'm left wondering!
Sunday, 21 September 2014
Serene greenery of rural West Bengal at Taldih in South 24 Parganas
A weekend drive to serene greenery of rural West Bengal at Taldih in South 24 Parganas.
One can't miss the cool blue sky above the hues of green below.
Photo courtesy: Partha Kirtaniya (Facebook @ partha.kirtaniya).
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One can't miss the cool blue sky above the hues of green below.
Photo courtesy: Partha Kirtaniya (Facebook @ partha.kirtaniya).
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TotoPara riverine jeep safari with Mt Kanchenjunga in the backdrop
TotoPara (North Bengal).
147 km from Siliguri (via NH31C), 22 km from Jaldapara and 65 kms from Alipurduar (West Bengal), TotoPara is a small village on the bank of River Torsha near Bhutan border.
TotoPara is famous for the Dooars aboriginals - the Totos. Totos are one of the most primitive tribe in the world.
A riverine jeep safari in TotoPara with Mt Kanchenjunga in the backdrop is a great experience for any Indian Roadie.
Indian Roadie, Arunava Das (Facebook @ arunavavb) shared his joy of a visit to TotoPara with this photo clicked beyond Hantapara Tea Estate, opposite to TotoPara, towards the lower hills of Bhutan.
147 km from Siliguri (via NH31C), 22 km from Jaldapara and 65 kms from Alipurduar (West Bengal), TotoPara is a small village on the bank of River Torsha near Bhutan border.
TotoPara is famous for the Dooars aboriginals - the Totos. Totos are one of the most primitive tribe in the world.
A riverine jeep safari in TotoPara with Mt Kanchenjunga in the backdrop is a great experience for any Indian Roadie.
Indian Roadie, Arunava Das (Facebook @ arunavavb) shared his joy of a visit to TotoPara with this photo clicked beyond Hantapara Tea Estate, opposite to TotoPara, towards the lower hills of Bhutan.
Thursday, 18 September 2014
1969 North India drive in a Standard10 car with Baba Ma
In 1969 (hopefully, I'm getting the year right), when I was barely 7 years old, my parents took me out on a 3000+ kms drive from my hometown Barakar (near Asansol) to Allahabad, Agra, Faridabad, N.Delhi, Haridwar, DehraDun, Mussoorie, Nainital, Lucknow, Varanasi and back to Barakar in September/ October (during the Durga Puja vacation) in this miniature Standard 10 car that you get to see in the pic.
There was no Golden Quadrilateral and NH2 (popularly, known as the GT Road) had more potholes than bitumen on the road surface. I fail to fathom how 5 adults and 2 kids including my younger brother and me fitted into this matchbox
Thank you baba and ma for making me the Indian Roadie that I am today and for whatever professional success I've achieved in life.
There was no Golden Quadrilateral and NH2 (popularly, known as the GT Road) had more potholes than bitumen on the road surface. I fail to fathom how 5 adults and 2 kids including my younger brother and me fitted into this matchbox
Thank you baba and ma for making me the Indian Roadie that I am today and for whatever professional success I've achieved in life.
Crispy Dosas at Maruthi Vilas Hotel, Cannon Shed Road, Ernakulam
Maruthi Vilas, once a meeting point for politicians, journalists, cultural and social activists now stands empty, dark, and forlorn. Located on Cannon Shed Road, close to the Ernakulam boat jetty, this iconic hotel is on the verge of being demolished. Another historic landmark will soon disappear into the gauze of memory.
Not really luxurious or sophisticated Maruthi Vilas was a typical midtown boarding and lodge with a character of its own. For more than half a century at least it hosted celebrities; politicians made it their home, theatre actors made it their rehearsal camp. It was the city’s ‘place of occasion.’
Today, this place is run down. There are a few trade union offices that function out of this building. Electric supply has been cut for some time now. The ‘lobby’ still has its wooden, glass-topped cash counter with faded pictures of gods and goddesses on the washed out blue wall. A wooden staircase leads to the lodging above. On the ground floor was the famous restaurant that made hot, crisp, ghee dosas, memories of which old-timers still savour. Black-and-white photographs of the owner Rama Achar and his son Narayana Bhat occupy the space above the door that must have led to the main ‘dining hall.’
“My earliest memory of this hotel was when I was in school. Prof. Gopal Iyer, from Presidency College, Madras, had come to Maharaja’s College as an external examiner. He was my father’s professor. One evening he took me along with my father and Appan Thampuran to Maruthi Vilas, which then functioned out of Broadway. I had mango juice there,” remembers V.N. Venugopal, local historian.
By the early 1950s Maruthi Vilas became a hub of political activity. “Every evening after tennis I used to walk to Shanmugham Road where you could sit and listen to the music from the loudspeakers. Kunjappan, the peon of Maharaja’s College, used to watch me take this route close to Maruthi Vilas. He once stopped me and told me not to walk that way. Later, I came to know that Kunjappan’s worry was that I would be drawn into the study classes for Communists that were held in one of the rooms in this hotel,” adds Venugopal.
From then, till today Maruthi Vilas has been a popular destination for politicians, especially the Communists. “Room No. 54 was where A.P. Varkey, CPI-M’s long-standing district secretary stayed for more than four decades. Azhikodan Raghavan attended a meeting here, which turned out to be his last. He left at around 5 p.m. walked to the bus stand and took a bus to Thrissur where he was killed. Another important historic event that links this hotel to history is that of the swearing-in ceremony of the first Communist ministry in the world. Before the swearing –in at TDM Hall the Polit Bureau held a meeting at this hotel,” informs Ravi Kuttikad, journalist.
It was not just the Left parties that made Maruthi Vilas their den. Theatre personalities like P.J. Antony, N.N. Pillai who had rehearsals of plays here and Vaikom Mohammed Basheer often spent time here. “Basheer who had his book stall close to the hotel stayed above a tailoring shop owned by Francis that was located at the corner of Cannon Shed Road. There used to be a small eating place close to Maruthi that offered clean, homely food at comparatively low cost. The Prabhat Book House and two Communist party offices, all made this road very active,” says Ravi.
Sreedharan Nair came to this hotel nearly 35 years back as a cleaner. Though the hotel is on the verge of being demolished he continues to stay here finding work in one of the thattukadas nearby. “I have spent my whole life in this hotel. I have seen so many great leaders and personalities here. E.K. Nayanar, for example, used to stay here and continued to visit the hotel even when he was the Chief Minister. The food was much sought after and though the rooms were not very luxurious people found it comfortable. The location was also ideal,” remarks Sreedharan Nair, who hails from Cherthala.
Y. Shantaram, noted ghanjira artiste, and his brother, sons of Narayana Bhat, managed the hotel with the help of managers from 1982 to 2003. “Busy with my concerts it was my brother who was actually in-charge. In the heydays there were around 70 rooms and five to six buildings in the compound. I studied at the Swati Thirunal College of Music, Thiruvananthapuram, and whenever I came home I used to go to the hotel and help my father,” he says.
The first male playback singer in Malayalam the late T.K. Govinda Rao, once told this writer how he used to go to Maruthi Vilas, owned by one of his uncles and assisted him. And it was while he was sitting at the cash counter that he was invited to Salem to sing in the 1948 film Nirmala.
CPI (ML) Red Flag opened its first office in the district in this hotel and they continue to function from the same room. Charles George, District Secretary and State Secretariat member, sits in the office, papers strewn on a small table, a few chairs lying around and shelves with dusty files and papers. “As a student and part of the library movement I used to come to Maruthi Vilas. I have met so many leaders here. We set up our office in 1987-88. I used to stay in the office and whenever football was on television used to watch it in A.P. Varkey’s room.
All the rallies and processions of the Left parties used to begin from here, what we called Maruthi junction. And it is this historic landmark that will soon become a memory,” feels Charles.
Not really luxurious or sophisticated Maruthi Vilas was a typical midtown boarding and lodge with a character of its own. For more than half a century at least it hosted celebrities; politicians made it their home, theatre actors made it their rehearsal camp. It was the city’s ‘place of occasion.’
Today, this place is run down. There are a few trade union offices that function out of this building. Electric supply has been cut for some time now. The ‘lobby’ still has its wooden, glass-topped cash counter with faded pictures of gods and goddesses on the washed out blue wall. A wooden staircase leads to the lodging above. On the ground floor was the famous restaurant that made hot, crisp, ghee dosas, memories of which old-timers still savour. Black-and-white photographs of the owner Rama Achar and his son Narayana Bhat occupy the space above the door that must have led to the main ‘dining hall.’
“My earliest memory of this hotel was when I was in school. Prof. Gopal Iyer, from Presidency College, Madras, had come to Maharaja’s College as an external examiner. He was my father’s professor. One evening he took me along with my father and Appan Thampuran to Maruthi Vilas, which then functioned out of Broadway. I had mango juice there,” remembers V.N. Venugopal, local historian.
By the early 1950s Maruthi Vilas became a hub of political activity. “Every evening after tennis I used to walk to Shanmugham Road where you could sit and listen to the music from the loudspeakers. Kunjappan, the peon of Maharaja’s College, used to watch me take this route close to Maruthi Vilas. He once stopped me and told me not to walk that way. Later, I came to know that Kunjappan’s worry was that I would be drawn into the study classes for Communists that were held in one of the rooms in this hotel,” adds Venugopal.
From then, till today Maruthi Vilas has been a popular destination for politicians, especially the Communists. “Room No. 54 was where A.P. Varkey, CPI-M’s long-standing district secretary stayed for more than four decades. Azhikodan Raghavan attended a meeting here, which turned out to be his last. He left at around 5 p.m. walked to the bus stand and took a bus to Thrissur where he was killed. Another important historic event that links this hotel to history is that of the swearing-in ceremony of the first Communist ministry in the world. Before the swearing –in at TDM Hall the Polit Bureau held a meeting at this hotel,” informs Ravi Kuttikad, journalist.
It was not just the Left parties that made Maruthi Vilas their den. Theatre personalities like P.J. Antony, N.N. Pillai who had rehearsals of plays here and Vaikom Mohammed Basheer often spent time here. “Basheer who had his book stall close to the hotel stayed above a tailoring shop owned by Francis that was located at the corner of Cannon Shed Road. There used to be a small eating place close to Maruthi that offered clean, homely food at comparatively low cost. The Prabhat Book House and two Communist party offices, all made this road very active,” says Ravi.
Sreedharan Nair came to this hotel nearly 35 years back as a cleaner. Though the hotel is on the verge of being demolished he continues to stay here finding work in one of the thattukadas nearby. “I have spent my whole life in this hotel. I have seen so many great leaders and personalities here. E.K. Nayanar, for example, used to stay here and continued to visit the hotel even when he was the Chief Minister. The food was much sought after and though the rooms were not very luxurious people found it comfortable. The location was also ideal,” remarks Sreedharan Nair, who hails from Cherthala.
Y. Shantaram, noted ghanjira artiste, and his brother, sons of Narayana Bhat, managed the hotel with the help of managers from 1982 to 2003. “Busy with my concerts it was my brother who was actually in-charge. In the heydays there were around 70 rooms and five to six buildings in the compound. I studied at the Swati Thirunal College of Music, Thiruvananthapuram, and whenever I came home I used to go to the hotel and help my father,” he says.
The first male playback singer in Malayalam the late T.K. Govinda Rao, once told this writer how he used to go to Maruthi Vilas, owned by one of his uncles and assisted him. And it was while he was sitting at the cash counter that he was invited to Salem to sing in the 1948 film Nirmala.
CPI (ML) Red Flag opened its first office in the district in this hotel and they continue to function from the same room. Charles George, District Secretary and State Secretariat member, sits in the office, papers strewn on a small table, a few chairs lying around and shelves with dusty files and papers. “As a student and part of the library movement I used to come to Maruthi Vilas. I have met so many leaders here. We set up our office in 1987-88. I used to stay in the office and whenever football was on television used to watch it in A.P. Varkey’s room.
All the rallies and processions of the Left parties used to begin from here, what we called Maruthi junction. And it is this historic landmark that will soon become a memory,” feels Charles.
Between gods and business - celebrating George Town (Tamilnadu)
Devaraja Mudali Street in George Town packs in a vast variety of merchandise, and some unusual history to boot.
The mid-day sun is merciless, footpath non-existent and, to top it all, a mega traffic jam is hooting in the middle. That is Devaraja Mudali Street (off Evening Bazaar) on a working day. But overlook these irritants (try!) and plough through the 500-metre distance to where it meets NSC Bose Road to discover its true worth: DM Street trades in some of the most colourful merchandise in Park Town, and is home to one of the most heart-warming stories of the early British era.
Shopping here is fun. I ask Dhandapani, whose shop rather breathlessly Manufactures Indian Human Hair Exporter Specialist in Gents/Ladies Wigs Wholesale Dealers of Drama Wigs and Ladies/Gents Design Buns, Hair pieces Chauri Hair, where he gets his goods from. “Wherever mottai is done!” he returns. For 30 years, he has been peddling hair — real (washed/cleaned/combed) and synthetic — to numerous hair-seekers. “Original is expensive — 200-a-foot, has five-year guarantee, synthetic 85/ft (one-year only),” he tells a customer who needs a chauri.
Down its length, DM Street's closely-packed shops buy and sell glass of all kinds, plywood, picture-frames, hardware, sanitary fittings, watches — “from everywhere,” according to Kotilingam (78) whose picture-framing outlet has marked 50 years in business. DM Street connects two major thoroughfares; its twin temples attract crowds. I walk past dour-faced men who won't let me photograph their shops and weary labourers on their unloading trips to reach the all-things-pooja row of shops.
“This is VM Subramanyan Chettiar shop of 52 years,” smiles the handsome third-generation scion who sits surrounded by colours and fragrances from bales of thali-thread, cones of turmeric, kumkum, boxes of namakkatti, sandalwood, joss-sticks and sambrani. “Want to offer anything at the temples?”
I had overshot it. Mounds of dirt and demented parking now effectively block the entrance. To much relief, a long corridor of woodcraft shops keeps the interior cool. Before crossing into the praharam, I look up right and on a faded blue board, find divine history. The board, put up by the Chenna Malleeswarar/Chenna Kesava Perumal Devasthanam, names Guhasri Rasapthi as the writer: The temple precinct is in the middle of the city, at Park Town, it says, and gives proof of age. The translation: “Some 300 years ago, during the East India Company rule under Sir Pigot, an ancient temple in what was called Chenna Kesavapuram on the seashore to the south of High Court was broken up and rebuilt in 1762 by philanthropist (vallal) Muthukrishna Mudaliar (Kottai Iyya), elder grandfather of the present manager (Dharmakarthar) of the temple.” Inside, a flexi-board propped on the pillars of the main mandapam elaborates the narrative and says, “these were known as Pattanam and Flower Bazaar temples.”
I get an accurate version from historian Varadarajan: the temple is mentioned in Beri Thimannan's 1648 records, he says. In 1673, Dr. Fryer had called it Madras Pagoda where town meetings were held. Governor Pitt's map of 1709 confirms its presence at the High Court premises. It withstood the 1750 French invasion but was pulled down by the British in 1759 and the bricks/stones were used to build Fort St. George's northern wall. In 1762, the East India Company offered a compensation of 565.5 pagodas to the local Hindus who had started an agitation. Governor Pigot stepped out to calm nerves, allotted 23,944 sq.ft of land (equal to the temple area) on Jengu Ramaiyya Street (DM Street now). The twin temples came up on this site. The twin-temple construction, done in the late Vijayanagar/Nayak style, started in 1766, got over in 1780 on a total expenditure of 15,652 pagodas. Records tell us that Pigot was present at the Kumbabhishekam. They quickly became popular venues for discourses, kutcheris and non-political events. And till evacuation in 1914, tulasi thirtham from the temple was carried to the High Court for witnesses to take their truth oath on. Today, devotees leave locks on the doors of Narasimha sannadhi for blessings, families get young men and women to meet in front of Sengamalavallithayar for match-making. The Siva-Vishnu temples have stood side-by-side as symbols of caste/creed/sectarian amity for centuries.
“Mr. Pigot was a good man,” agreed Executive Officer Yuvaraj, who has brought out an updated version of temple history (Rs.60). “May be the figures of violinists and angels you see on the roof of the Bramarambikai sannadhi were carved in appreciation of an Englishman who respected the sentiments of the people he ruled.”
Photo & content courtesy: The Hindu.
The mid-day sun is merciless, footpath non-existent and, to top it all, a mega traffic jam is hooting in the middle. That is Devaraja Mudali Street (off Evening Bazaar) on a working day. But overlook these irritants (try!) and plough through the 500-metre distance to where it meets NSC Bose Road to discover its true worth: DM Street trades in some of the most colourful merchandise in Park Town, and is home to one of the most heart-warming stories of the early British era.
Shopping here is fun. I ask Dhandapani, whose shop rather breathlessly Manufactures Indian Human Hair Exporter Specialist in Gents/Ladies Wigs Wholesale Dealers of Drama Wigs and Ladies/Gents Design Buns, Hair pieces Chauri Hair, where he gets his goods from. “Wherever mottai is done!” he returns. For 30 years, he has been peddling hair — real (washed/cleaned/combed) and synthetic — to numerous hair-seekers. “Original is expensive — 200-a-foot, has five-year guarantee, synthetic 85/ft (one-year only),” he tells a customer who needs a chauri.
Down its length, DM Street's closely-packed shops buy and sell glass of all kinds, plywood, picture-frames, hardware, sanitary fittings, watches — “from everywhere,” according to Kotilingam (78) whose picture-framing outlet has marked 50 years in business. DM Street connects two major thoroughfares; its twin temples attract crowds. I walk past dour-faced men who won't let me photograph their shops and weary labourers on their unloading trips to reach the all-things-pooja row of shops.
“This is VM Subramanyan Chettiar shop of 52 years,” smiles the handsome third-generation scion who sits surrounded by colours and fragrances from bales of thali-thread, cones of turmeric, kumkum, boxes of namakkatti, sandalwood, joss-sticks and sambrani. “Want to offer anything at the temples?”
I had overshot it. Mounds of dirt and demented parking now effectively block the entrance. To much relief, a long corridor of woodcraft shops keeps the interior cool. Before crossing into the praharam, I look up right and on a faded blue board, find divine history. The board, put up by the Chenna Malleeswarar/Chenna Kesava Perumal Devasthanam, names Guhasri Rasapthi as the writer: The temple precinct is in the middle of the city, at Park Town, it says, and gives proof of age. The translation: “Some 300 years ago, during the East India Company rule under Sir Pigot, an ancient temple in what was called Chenna Kesavapuram on the seashore to the south of High Court was broken up and rebuilt in 1762 by philanthropist (vallal) Muthukrishna Mudaliar (Kottai Iyya), elder grandfather of the present manager (Dharmakarthar) of the temple.” Inside, a flexi-board propped on the pillars of the main mandapam elaborates the narrative and says, “these were known as Pattanam and Flower Bazaar temples.”
I get an accurate version from historian Varadarajan: the temple is mentioned in Beri Thimannan's 1648 records, he says. In 1673, Dr. Fryer had called it Madras Pagoda where town meetings were held. Governor Pitt's map of 1709 confirms its presence at the High Court premises. It withstood the 1750 French invasion but was pulled down by the British in 1759 and the bricks/stones were used to build Fort St. George's northern wall. In 1762, the East India Company offered a compensation of 565.5 pagodas to the local Hindus who had started an agitation. Governor Pigot stepped out to calm nerves, allotted 23,944 sq.ft of land (equal to the temple area) on Jengu Ramaiyya Street (DM Street now). The twin temples came up on this site. The twin-temple construction, done in the late Vijayanagar/Nayak style, started in 1766, got over in 1780 on a total expenditure of 15,652 pagodas. Records tell us that Pigot was present at the Kumbabhishekam. They quickly became popular venues for discourses, kutcheris and non-political events. And till evacuation in 1914, tulasi thirtham from the temple was carried to the High Court for witnesses to take their truth oath on. Today, devotees leave locks on the doors of Narasimha sannadhi for blessings, families get young men and women to meet in front of Sengamalavallithayar for match-making. The Siva-Vishnu temples have stood side-by-side as symbols of caste/creed/sectarian amity for centuries.
“Mr. Pigot was a good man,” agreed Executive Officer Yuvaraj, who has brought out an updated version of temple history (Rs.60). “May be the figures of violinists and angels you see on the roof of the Bramarambikai sannadhi were carved in appreciation of an Englishman who respected the sentiments of the people he ruled.”
Photo & content courtesy: The Hindu.
'Only Coffee' chain serves filter coffee on National & State highways in Tamilnadu
Thanks to the efforts of G. Samyraj, you can now drink hot filter coffee when you are driving on the National and State Highways in Tamil Nadu.
G. Samyraj and his fellow-villagers identified spots on the National and State highways in Tamil Nadu, sat there from six in the morning to eight at night to count how many cars passed that way per hour. If the math worked, they opened a coffee outlet there. Not just any coffee, but Kumbakonam Degree Coffee!
G. Samyraj who came up with this initiative belongs to Zameen Devarkulam, a village 10 kilometres away from Kovilpatti. He worked for nearly a decade in the Middle East before returning to his village, where, he was pained to see fellow farmers struggling and in debt. He decided to do something about it. Eight months ago he set up his first Only Coffee outlet at Mangalamedu. Today, he has eleven of them up and running, and manned by people from his village.
The outlets are called ‘Naidu Coffee Inn' and as 'Only Coffee’. A dark blue board announces their presence. “We picked quiet spots where people in cars could stop and enjoy a refreshing cup. I am a coffee priyan and I love the idea of others like me enjoying a satisfying coffee, in the middle or end of a long drive. Kumbakonam Degree Coffee is a trade mark of Tamil Nadu and we serve that. It is like coffee made at home.” Frothy, piping hot, filter-coffee is served in gleaming pithalai davara tumblers. There is sugar-free substitutes for diabetics. “Sabari Malai pilgrims, and so on, are served in disposable cups,” explains Samyraj. The beans are procured from Chikamagalur and roasted at Virudhunagar from where they are delivered to the outlets where they are ground. Now Samyraj plans to go a step further to standardise flavours. He is working on setting up a unit where the decoction is centrally made. “So that the coffee will taste the same in all our outlets.” The R& D is underway and Samyraj hopes to get this plan off its feet soon.
What’s coffee without an accompanying snack? “Vegetarian bajji bonda will also be available. And we plan to centralise the grocery supplies as well. Only the vegetables will be sourced locally,” says Samyraj. The outlet proudly declares that it uses sunflower oil for frying and that the oil is not recycled. There is also a telephone number on teh board in case anyone has complaints. “We want feedback. That way we are alert about the service we provide. And we have communication with our customers.”
Samyraj insists Only Coffee stands for transparency and quality. Along with his business partners R. Anandhan and A. Kalpana, he is now on the lookout for franchisees. “We will set up the outlet for them and even have two of our trained staff to be with them for a month to show them how the café is run. We will supply the coffee powder and the grocery items too. Investors need approximately two lakh rupees that includes a deposit.”
Samyraj hopes that not too long in the future there will be at least a hundred Only Coffee outlets in Tamil Nadu. Till that time, he says, he and his team members will ensure that hot filter coffee priced at Rs 15 is served to the customers with a smile.
For details email akvfarms@gmail.com or call 9940627322/ 9443911011
Content source: The Hindu.
G. Samyraj and his fellow-villagers identified spots on the National and State highways in Tamil Nadu, sat there from six in the morning to eight at night to count how many cars passed that way per hour. If the math worked, they opened a coffee outlet there. Not just any coffee, but Kumbakonam Degree Coffee!
G. Samyraj who came up with this initiative belongs to Zameen Devarkulam, a village 10 kilometres away from Kovilpatti. He worked for nearly a decade in the Middle East before returning to his village, where, he was pained to see fellow farmers struggling and in debt. He decided to do something about it. Eight months ago he set up his first Only Coffee outlet at Mangalamedu. Today, he has eleven of them up and running, and manned by people from his village.
The outlets are called ‘Naidu Coffee Inn' and as 'Only Coffee’. A dark blue board announces their presence. “We picked quiet spots where people in cars could stop and enjoy a refreshing cup. I am a coffee priyan and I love the idea of others like me enjoying a satisfying coffee, in the middle or end of a long drive. Kumbakonam Degree Coffee is a trade mark of Tamil Nadu and we serve that. It is like coffee made at home.” Frothy, piping hot, filter-coffee is served in gleaming pithalai davara tumblers. There is sugar-free substitutes for diabetics. “Sabari Malai pilgrims, and so on, are served in disposable cups,” explains Samyraj. The beans are procured from Chikamagalur and roasted at Virudhunagar from where they are delivered to the outlets where they are ground. Now Samyraj plans to go a step further to standardise flavours. He is working on setting up a unit where the decoction is centrally made. “So that the coffee will taste the same in all our outlets.” The R& D is underway and Samyraj hopes to get this plan off its feet soon.
What’s coffee without an accompanying snack? “Vegetarian bajji bonda will also be available. And we plan to centralise the grocery supplies as well. Only the vegetables will be sourced locally,” says Samyraj. The outlet proudly declares that it uses sunflower oil for frying and that the oil is not recycled. There is also a telephone number on teh board in case anyone has complaints. “We want feedback. That way we are alert about the service we provide. And we have communication with our customers.”
Samyraj insists Only Coffee stands for transparency and quality. Along with his business partners R. Anandhan and A. Kalpana, he is now on the lookout for franchisees. “We will set up the outlet for them and even have two of our trained staff to be with them for a month to show them how the café is run. We will supply the coffee powder and the grocery items too. Investors need approximately two lakh rupees that includes a deposit.”
Samyraj hopes that not too long in the future there will be at least a hundred Only Coffee outlets in Tamil Nadu. Till that time, he says, he and his team members will ensure that hot filter coffee priced at Rs 15 is served to the customers with a smile.
For details email akvfarms@gmail.com or call 9940627322/ 9443911011
Content source: The Hindu.
Wednesday, 17 September 2014
Kargil War Memorial (J&K) visited by Arjun Uberoi & friends by Ford Ecosport in Aug 2014
Kargil War Memorial (J&K) visited by Arjun Uberoi & friends by Ford Ecosport in Aug 2014.
Photo credit: Arjun Uberoi, Veeresh Singh.
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"Beneath This Earth Young Warriors Sleep".
The Men who fought for us! The True men of the Motherland.
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Vijyant Thapar Helipad inaugurated on 26th December 2003 by Col V. N. Thapar (Retd), Father of Capt Vijyant Thapar, VrC.
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Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, who was flying the MIG 21 in the Operation Safed Sagar of IAF during the Kargil War of 1999 was shot at by a stinger shoulder fired missile by the Pakistan Army. Having crashed, it is believed by the Indian military that he survived the crash but was killed by Pakistan Army soldiers. The body of Ahuja bore two point-blank bullet wounds as per the post-mortem done by the Indian authorities. The point-blank injuries clearly indicate the intent of the enemy and a treatment in violation of Geneva conventions.
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Photo credit: Arjun Uberoi, Veeresh Singh.
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"Beneath This Earth Young Warriors Sleep".
The Men who fought for us! The True men of the Motherland.
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Vijyant Thapar Helipad inaugurated on 26th December 2003 by Col V. N. Thapar (Retd), Father of Capt Vijyant Thapar, VrC.
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Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, who was flying the MIG 21 in the Operation Safed Sagar of IAF during the Kargil War of 1999 was shot at by a stinger shoulder fired missile by the Pakistan Army. Having crashed, it is believed by the Indian military that he survived the crash but was killed by Pakistan Army soldiers. The body of Ahuja bore two point-blank bullet wounds as per the post-mortem done by the Indian authorities. The point-blank injuries clearly indicate the intent of the enemy and a treatment in violation of Geneva conventions.
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Tuesday, 16 September 2014
Ford Ecosport looks like a Dinky Car between the mighty Himalayas, enroute to Ladakh
A Ford Ecosport looks like a Dinky Car between the mighty Himalayas, somewhere enroute to Ladakh!!
Photo clicked during a drive to Ladakh in August 2014.
Photo courtesy: Arjun Uberoi
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Photo clicked during a drive to Ladakh in August 2014.
Photo courtesy: Arjun Uberoi
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Milestone at Tandi, Himachal Pradesh in August 2014
Photo of a milestone at Tandi, Himachal Pradesh which should be saved/ shared by every passionate Indian Roadie.
Photos like this makes you more confident while planning a drive or even after one has already hit the road.
Content is always the king!
Thanks Arjun Uberoi & Veeresh Singh for the clear picture.
Note: Photo was clicked during Indian Roadie, Arjun Uberoi's drive to Ladakh by a Ford Ecosport in August 2014.
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Photos like this makes you more confident while planning a drive or even after one has already hit the road.
Content is always the king!
Thanks Arjun Uberoi & Veeresh Singh for the clear picture.
Note: Photo was clicked during Indian Roadie, Arjun Uberoi's drive to Ladakh by a Ford Ecosport in August 2014.
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Maruti Gypsy Ambulance at Sissu, HP spotted again after 3 years
This is so Unbelievable!
Indian Roadie, Arjun Uberoi drove to Ladakh on a Ford Ecosport in August 2014.
At Sissu, he noticed this Maruti Gypsy ambulance with registration number HP-42-0083.
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Arjun Uberoi had slept for a night inside this very ambulance during his Gurgaon - Ladakh bike trip with Motohawks India way back in August 2011.
Arjun recalls that on 17th August 2011 he started from Upshi and reached Sissu at 20:00 hrs and could not find a place to stay. He parked his bike, tried opening the Ambulance door and by chance it was open. Without blinking an eyelid he got inside and slept off.
Photo credit: Arjun Uberoi.
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Indian Roadie, Arjun Uberoi drove to Ladakh on a Ford Ecosport in August 2014.
At Sissu, he noticed this Maruti Gypsy ambulance with registration number HP-42-0083.
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Arjun Uberoi had slept for a night inside this very ambulance during his Gurgaon - Ladakh bike trip with Motohawks India way back in August 2011.
Arjun recalls that on 17th August 2011 he started from Upshi and reached Sissu at 20:00 hrs and could not find a place to stay. He parked his bike, tried opening the Ambulance door and by chance it was open. Without blinking an eyelid he got inside and slept off.
Photo credit: Arjun Uberoi.
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8500 kms through India on a Royal Enfield Bullet motorbike
I wish I can do this round trip by car (if not a motorbike) atleast once in my life.
Copy and paste the following link on your browser for the entire story.
http://www.daysontheroad.be/buy-motorbike-drive-through-india-on-royal-enfield/
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Copy and paste the following link on your browser for the entire story.
http://www.daysontheroad.be/buy-motorbike-drive-through-india-on-royal-enfield/
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Army truck at Rohtang Pass, HP in 2014
Is it a fact that the Armed forces have a special hill driving license for their truck drivers .. !!!
Location: Rohtang Pass, HP in 2014.
Photo courtesy: A Uberoi (FB @ auberoi)
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Location: Rohtang Pass, HP in 2014.
Photo courtesy: A Uberoi (FB @ auberoi)
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Friday, 12 September 2014
Pure bliss!
Peace at Marine Drive, Mumbai - India's Maximum City early in the morning.
The photo credit entirely goes to whoever clicked this wonderful moment.
Thanks a ton!
The photo credit entirely goes to whoever clicked this wonderful moment.
Thanks a ton!
Sunday, 7 September 2014
Sunset clicked from Dikala Guest House, Corbett in June 2014
Sunset clicked from Dikala Guest House, Corbett by Yogesh Srivastava in June 2014.
Elephant and her cub at Corbett in June 2014
Indian Roadie fan, Yogesh Srivastava is a true marketing professional and an ace wildlife photographer.
He was there at Corbett & Kabini in June 2014.
An elephant and her cub at dusk near a river is a beautiful capture!
Yogesh deserves many 'likes' & comments.
He was there at Corbett & Kabini in June 2014.
An elephant and her cub at dusk near a river is a beautiful capture!
Yogesh deserves many 'likes' & comments.
Drive + photography on Marine Drive, Mumbai
A drive + photography on Mumbai's Marine Drive is always a delightful moment.
Congratulations Rakasree Basu for this wonderful click of 2013.
Also re-posted on http://www.facebook.com/indianroadie.
Congratulations Rakasree Basu for this wonderful click of 2013.
Also re-posted on http://www.facebook.com/indianroadie.
Char Dham road map for Indian Roadie fans
Char Dham (Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gumukh, Yamunatri) road map, also showing Haridwar for Indian Roadie fans.
Have you been to any of these places in the map within the past 5 years (or earlier). Please share your pics and stories.
Have you been to any of these places in the map within the past 5 years (or earlier). Please share your pics and stories.
Elephant on a truck in South India
Elephant on a truck with yummy bananas for its meals - spotted on a highway in South India.
Elephant on a tractor in Jalandhar
An Indian Roadie enjoys a joyride on a tractor in Jalandhar, Punjab in February 2010.
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
Maruti Suzuki Ciaz - 1st look
It’s been seven years since Maruti’s last proper sedan, the SX4 was launched in India and they are all set to launch its successor the Ciaz, this festive season. Maruti just invited us to Jaipur for a preview of the new sedan.
The Ciaz is quite an attractive car at first glance. The first thing that catches your attention is the attractive face. There are pleasing lines and angles on the bonnet and around the large, four slat chromed grill that do gel well with the projector headlamps. It’s unmistakably a Maruti Suzuki face but more like the younger weight lifting brother of the rather rounded SX4. And in side profile there is a nicely sloped shoulder line that lends the sides a touch of class and flair. But then you come to the rear of the car and there seems to be something amiss. I can’t tell if its the fact that the tail lights look too much like a competitor or just not Suzuki enough. Or maybe I’m getting used to the family look ideology of building cars. It doesn’t look quite like a Suzuki and the busy design of the tail lamps is not helped by the large faux air vents in the rear bumper. Despite this small misgiving though it still manages to be a pleasing car to look at from most angles.
Going back to that first glance and another thing you immediately notice is that this is a large car. It’s just shy of four and half meters in length and it packs in a lot of space. This is certainly the car for the long legged. In fact with the front seat at its furthest position with Suresh (6’2″) in front I had fairly comfortable knee room. With Suresh’s seat set to comfortable rather than ridiculous the knee and leg room turns luxurious. There are little neat touches like the way the fold out grab handles smoothly fold back into place or how the front and rear reading lamps are themselves the switches.
The instrument cluster is ver similar to the Swift’s unit and has a dash of chrome around the dials while the central console now features a new touch screen unit called SmartPlay. This will be available in the top of the line Z+ trim levels. It’s a simple intuitive system that’s packed with voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity and all the audio inputs you need. The voice recognition also claims to be designed specifically for Indian accents. The top three trims also get climate control as standard. In fact the projector headlamps and rear air con vents are standard across all models. This will also be one of the first Maruti’s to feature safety features like ABS and driver side airbag in all but the base spec trim. The ZXi trims get passenger side airbag too.
The Ciaz has been developed on an all new modular ultra lightweight platform that adopts Suzuki’s Total Effective Control Technology or S-TECT. This features a liberal use of high tensile steel across the body panels for a lighter, more durable body and a wide wheelbase for stability. And it’s light too, weighing in at just 1,010kg for the petrol and 1,105kg for the diesel.
The Ciaz will feature two familiar engines – the 1.4-litre K-Series petrol and the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel. Both the diesel and the petrol have been worked on specifically for the Ciaz. The petrol engine is dubbed the K14 and is the latest iteration of the K-series of engines. Lighter internals and revised bore and stroke numbers allow it to make 92.45PS at 6000rpm and 130Nm torque at 4000rpm. While 1.4-litre may sound like a small engine for a mid sized sedan remember that this is a fairly light car. The petrol engine is smooth but a fair deal of engine noise creeps into the cabin. It needs to be revved and that’s not a bad thing but the ratios are spaced quite far apart for efficiency and this kills the fun.
The Diesel engine makes 90PS at 4000rpm and 200Nm of torque at 1750rpm. The tuning of the Multijet has been further tweaked to produce a fairly linear spread of torque and this makes it the more pleasant car to drive. It’s quick too and on one stretch of highway the speedo was nudging past 150kmph with a fair number of revs to go before redline. Of the two power plants the diesel with its better spread of torque is easily the more pleasing engine to drive.
What the Ciaz does excel in is its ride quality and the chassis and suspension worked well to tune out some very rough stuff on our drive. Maruti engineers have spent time working on noise dampening and suspension tuning and this seems to have paid off. On our short drive on mostly state and national highways there was little scope to put to test its cornering abilities so we can’t really comment on the handling but it does feel like a solid stable package. There is some body roll but it’s controlled and grip levels are really good with the 195 section tyres. Even under hard braking to a stop from highway speeds for a u-turning tractor produced no misbehaviour.
Maruti is claiming some impressive mileage figures of 26.21kmpl (ARAI) for the diesel and 20.73kmpl for the petrol. And on these numbers alone it should make a fair few waves. That said the pricing will be key and considering that Maruti may plan to position the Ciaz above the City and the Verna as a C+ segment player which will in turn mean that its pricing will be extremely critical. With its impressive set of standard features and feature rich top end models if the price is right this could be another stunner from Maruti.
(Article & photo courtesy: Overdrive.in dated 2nd Sept 2014)
The Ciaz is quite an attractive car at first glance. The first thing that catches your attention is the attractive face. There are pleasing lines and angles on the bonnet and around the large, four slat chromed grill that do gel well with the projector headlamps. It’s unmistakably a Maruti Suzuki face but more like the younger weight lifting brother of the rather rounded SX4. And in side profile there is a nicely sloped shoulder line that lends the sides a touch of class and flair. But then you come to the rear of the car and there seems to be something amiss. I can’t tell if its the fact that the tail lights look too much like a competitor or just not Suzuki enough. Or maybe I’m getting used to the family look ideology of building cars. It doesn’t look quite like a Suzuki and the busy design of the tail lamps is not helped by the large faux air vents in the rear bumper. Despite this small misgiving though it still manages to be a pleasing car to look at from most angles.
Going back to that first glance and another thing you immediately notice is that this is a large car. It’s just shy of four and half meters in length and it packs in a lot of space. This is certainly the car for the long legged. In fact with the front seat at its furthest position with Suresh (6’2″) in front I had fairly comfortable knee room. With Suresh’s seat set to comfortable rather than ridiculous the knee and leg room turns luxurious. There are little neat touches like the way the fold out grab handles smoothly fold back into place or how the front and rear reading lamps are themselves the switches.
The instrument cluster is ver similar to the Swift’s unit and has a dash of chrome around the dials while the central console now features a new touch screen unit called SmartPlay. This will be available in the top of the line Z+ trim levels. It’s a simple intuitive system that’s packed with voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity and all the audio inputs you need. The voice recognition also claims to be designed specifically for Indian accents. The top three trims also get climate control as standard. In fact the projector headlamps and rear air con vents are standard across all models. This will also be one of the first Maruti’s to feature safety features like ABS and driver side airbag in all but the base spec trim. The ZXi trims get passenger side airbag too.
The Ciaz has been developed on an all new modular ultra lightweight platform that adopts Suzuki’s Total Effective Control Technology or S-TECT. This features a liberal use of high tensile steel across the body panels for a lighter, more durable body and a wide wheelbase for stability. And it’s light too, weighing in at just 1,010kg for the petrol and 1,105kg for the diesel.
The Ciaz will feature two familiar engines – the 1.4-litre K-Series petrol and the 1.3-litre Multijet diesel. Both the diesel and the petrol have been worked on specifically for the Ciaz. The petrol engine is dubbed the K14 and is the latest iteration of the K-series of engines. Lighter internals and revised bore and stroke numbers allow it to make 92.45PS at 6000rpm and 130Nm torque at 4000rpm. While 1.4-litre may sound like a small engine for a mid sized sedan remember that this is a fairly light car. The petrol engine is smooth but a fair deal of engine noise creeps into the cabin. It needs to be revved and that’s not a bad thing but the ratios are spaced quite far apart for efficiency and this kills the fun.
The Diesel engine makes 90PS at 4000rpm and 200Nm of torque at 1750rpm. The tuning of the Multijet has been further tweaked to produce a fairly linear spread of torque and this makes it the more pleasant car to drive. It’s quick too and on one stretch of highway the speedo was nudging past 150kmph with a fair number of revs to go before redline. Of the two power plants the diesel with its better spread of torque is easily the more pleasing engine to drive.
What the Ciaz does excel in is its ride quality and the chassis and suspension worked well to tune out some very rough stuff on our drive. Maruti engineers have spent time working on noise dampening and suspension tuning and this seems to have paid off. On our short drive on mostly state and national highways there was little scope to put to test its cornering abilities so we can’t really comment on the handling but it does feel like a solid stable package. There is some body roll but it’s controlled and grip levels are really good with the 195 section tyres. Even under hard braking to a stop from highway speeds for a u-turning tractor produced no misbehaviour.
Maruti is claiming some impressive mileage figures of 26.21kmpl (ARAI) for the diesel and 20.73kmpl for the petrol. And on these numbers alone it should make a fair few waves. That said the pricing will be key and considering that Maruti may plan to position the Ciaz above the City and the Verna as a C+ segment player which will in turn mean that its pricing will be extremely critical. With its impressive set of standard features and feature rich top end models if the price is right this could be another stunner from Maruti.
(Article & photo courtesy: Overdrive.in dated 2nd Sept 2014)
Monday, 1 September 2014
NH34 at Kaliachak in West Bengal
Reposting a photo by friend & travel writer Arunava Das showing the pathetic state of NH34 at Kaliachak in West Bengal.
Will Indian Roadie fans ever get to drive on a super-smooth NH34 enroute to North Bengal & the North Eastern states in the near future.
Will Indian Roadie fans ever get to drive on a super-smooth NH34 enroute to North Bengal & the North Eastern states in the near future.
Road to Amboli (in August 2014)
Road to Amboli enroute to Goa in August 2014.
Photo courtesy: Pratheek Kunder.
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Photo courtesy: Pratheek Kunder.
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