Southern Sojourn, North? Oh No

India is, perhaps, the only nation in the world where varied languages, culture, food habits, etc., co-exists but at the same time, separates us from one another. The teeming millions who settle in the cities in search of job, welfare and modern life also contribute, in their own way towards the culture of the cities. The population that contributes more to the GDP, has its own ideocracies which is different and distinct from one another. As a frequent traveler – who enjoys traveling – I visited many cities in our country; each with its own hues and colors that our nation stands very unique amongst the countries of the world

I believe as a visitor, the best time to enter a city is in the early mornings. In the early hours, the City would be without its glitz and glamour and the artificial camouflage that one would normally get to see at night time. And it is possible to get a glimpse of the nucleus of its character by looking and feeling when the City is bereft of its pretensions. In the early hours, the City would be waking up and like a glamour's film start without her makeup, it is possible to catch it in its entire earthiness!

Thus, I set out to check a few Cities I frequented starting from, down South. 

When you visit the big and bursting at the seam Metro like Chennai in the morning hours, you would be surprised at the calmness on the main roads but for a few speeding vehicles. But in the by-lines parallel to the main roads, it would be business as usual; the first thing you would notice is the blaring devotional songs played in the street corners, with steaming tea being served from the copper boilers spewing steam and adding to the early morning aroma created by nature. You would also see that men and women, especially of the lower strata of the society, sipping the morning cuppa and discussing politics and cinema – the lifeline of people in Tamilnadu – before setting out to earn their bread for the day.

In contrast, the other southern state, Kerala with its mist-covered backwater canals and swaying coconut trees, is exactly the opposite. You would notice when you meander through the narrow highway to the smaller Cities like Trivandrum or Ernakulum – which in fact fits into the description of a big town rather than a City – the people at large hardly speak! There is no blaring music, and the tea shops would be frequented mostly by the elderly people – most of them would be on the wrong side of fifty, as the younger lot has migrated elsewhere to earn their livelihood – wielding newspapers to discuss in low voice their opinion on the happenings. In fact, even the tea shop owner would also be reading a newspaper of his choice, in between serving a stray customer quietly, as ample proof of the literacy rate of this state. Conspicuous by their absence would be children in the streets as they would all be in the schools!

 

The capital of Karnataka, Bangalore is a study in contrast. Till some years ago, the typical Bangalorean wouldn’t wake up until seven in the morning. The City which was known as pensioner’s paradise has changed dramatically over the years.

 

You would notice that along with the small hotels that are opened early to cater to the elderly people who go for their early morning walk which culminates in sipping a hot cup of coffee on the pavements with a little chat with others on the polity, the other shops that open as early as six in the morning are not the grocery or the much needed medical shops, but shops selling liquor! Alas, you will have to wait till ten in the morning to buy your medicines. So much for the character of a City!

 

For an outsider, the Kolkata City which in all probability should have been the capital of our nation - according to localities - appears as if it is on the verge of collapse where the only rule to follow is your own. The city has a character all of its own, which you can’t see anywhere else in the World. When I visited recently, I saw that a brand new tea shop had sprung up right in the middle of a circle where earlier there was a police pedestal. The rickshaw pullers and taxi drivers had parked their vehicles blocking the traffic and were busy sipping the divine drink! I was told that the early morning ritual continues throughout the day and if you are in a hurry, never take that road again!

 

But as they say, for every rule, there is an exception. Mumbai, the magic city where millions of people throng with the hope of making their millions and taunted as the financial capital of India, is definitely, an exception to the rule narrated above. The best time to visit the city of Mumbai, of course, is only after the nightfall. Having lived for over two-decades in Mumbai, when it was known as Bombay – I advise you, nay, plead with you, never ever visit it in the early morning hours no matter how you travel, whether by road or rail. 

In many places, you would come across the human dignity at its lowest, in the form of squatting figures on the railway lanes and roadsides hanging their head in shame, while attending to their nature’s call!