a business trip to Vadodara

It has been a trip which was jinxed twice. The first time was when I had to reschedule it as I had to be in Delhi and not in vadodara on that date. The second time, it was the 4th July downpour.I am not too fond of sitting for hours on end at strange airports, where I did not have any business to be, but because the pilots wanted to cool their heels there.Neither did i want to have 'on the house' food in airports each time they announce a delay of a couple of hours due to inclement weather.I did not also want to crane my neck looking at the boarding announcements, again for hours.Hence it was that i landed in vadodara 3rd time lucky on 18th evening.
My first impression from the aircraft was very positive; lots of greenery around and the aircraft glided to a halt in a very compact airport. Saw quite a few Airforce planes parked nearby.I was told the place has a sizeable army and airforce presence.
went around the city next day evening after work.Quite a small town it really is, but the university and the sahayaji park gobble up most of it; the remaining by the 'lawrys'. Yes, it is how they pronounced a gujarathi word, meaning roadside eating joints.There are hundreds of them lining many roads and i was told that on weekends especially there is a long queue in front of every 'lawry' and my colleague there usually avoids many stretches of roads for fear of getting caught in the traffic jam of 'lawry patronisers'.Yes, it was apparent that the locals are fond of eating out and it has taken the shape of a culture thing!
We went to a temple which is being developed in a very unique style. Maintained by the army personnel, it is spread over a very large area having innumerable banyan trees.They have managed to collect very ancient sculptures of gods and goddesses and they are placed under the banyan tress.The temple as such is shaped very differently to appear as a place of worship of 5 different faiths. But then, ram sankeertanam was being sung lustily by the devotees gathered there.They have made a cave like structure and actually maintaining a fully ice linga.
Went through the old city and the typical shops full of ethnic wares. I was told that in the last 5 years that my colleague is living in vadodara, he has witnessed earthquake, riots and floods.But life goes on!
A very safe place for girls and it is actually true that mothers never worry about their daughters if they are late from school or college!Appeared an altogether different planet and 'aliens' to me!

Delhi chalo

I have been to Delhi more times than to any other place on business in the last two years.I have looked critically at the varied faces the city shows up during different times of the year. I have had a unfavourable attitude towards the city, dont know for how long and for what reasons. I really believed that there is lack of sensitivity and friendliness in the city.There is too much aggresion is what i have felt.
But i remember this is not what my next seat neighbour on my flight back to chennai thought. He is a Tamilian but been brought up in Delhi.When i told him my opinion that delhi is the most unfriendly city among all the metropolitan cities in India, he said, you must be prejudiced because it is not 'sea facing'!He said people who have lived all their lives in coastal areas, have been known to exhibit such feelings in landlocked cities! I immediately remembered feeling suffociated and claustrophobic when i was in Nagpur with athai in the early days of my career. She tells me ever so often that i missed the beach and sea so much, that i asked her to make 'tenga manga pattani sundal' atleast to partly recreate the scene!
This time i was little more charitable and was willing to give delhi a chance.Noticed the really wiiiiiiiide roads and the 'jamun' trees lining the road for miles at a stretch. Saw a good number of "State Bhawans"; uttarpradesh bhavan, Assam Bhavan and Pondicherry house on the right side of the road.Was mentally imagining all the goings on in and around these buildings, when something 'juicy and newsy" stirs them up! Ram Manohar Lohia hospital complex appeared next and with it typical hospital scenes passed by; Hospitals seem to have more prominently displayed boards than any other public place; trauma care; casualty;24 hour Chemist's shop....
We were by then nearing Connaught place and i suddenly spotted an array of handicrafts emporia of every single state; utkalika, cauvery, kairali, cooptex,rajasthali.......Felt an intense urge to stop and atleast window shop.But then they were closed when i came that way in the evening around 8 pm!!
Crossed palika bazaar and was looking for jeevan bharati building of LIC.Was remembering seeing all these places wide eyed some 28 years back on the way to Jullundur as part of our orientation programme.A flood of nostalgia swept over me when i remembered going for a movie 'daddy' with swarna in one of the theatres in connaught place. around that time.It is as though by a magic wand from that particular moment, my dislike to delhi as a place vanished and i started looking at it with kindly eyes!