India March 2001

Edited and embellished details from my Diary covering my visit to India in March 2001, or A Passage from India.

Wednesday 21 March 2001  A relatively uneventful outbound trip - I only get duped once by a taxi driver.

Thursday 22 March 2001  No room at the Inn and a day in the office.

Friday 23 March 2001  My introduction to the Tandoor restaurant.

Saturday 24 March 2001  A visit to Nandi hills, a walk in the park and I manage to get duped for a second time.

Sunday 25 March 2001  A busy day. Visit to Ranganathittu Bird Sabctuary, Sri Chamudeswari temple, Mysore Zoo and Mysore Palace.

Monday 26 March 2001  A quiet day in the office, a meal out and a nightmare ride in an auto.

Tuesday 27 March 2001  A quiet day in the office followed by a night on the town.

Wednesday 28 March 2001  The return trip, an uneventful trip home except...

Thursday 29 March 2001  Home again, another meeting and I'm feeling iffy.

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Images and text Copyright © 2001 - 2002 Gary Allman

WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH 2001 - Flight to Mumbia

Up early and ready to leave at six thirty. Checked in for the ten twenty BA flight to Mumbai without any problems. Everything was fine until we tried to leave, when the embarkation ramp decided it didn't want to let go of the 'plane. After several minutes of persuasion it finally let go; maybe someone threw a bucket of water over it. But it was too late - we'd missed our take-off slot, and had to wait an hour for a new slot. We were unable to make up the time in-flight so we arrived in Mumbai late.

The transit bus to the domestic airport wasn't around - presumably because the 'plane was late, but who's to say in India? There was not a lot of time to make the connection for my flight to Bangalore, so I looked for a taxi. And that was how I managed to get myself fleeced by a canny taxi driver, though at the time I thought I'd done well to talk him down to less than half his original price. T'was just the sort of thing I was out in India to learn - how to look after myself and customers on future trips. For a learning experience it was cheap; in sterling the amount was trivial.

Once checked into the domestic airport, I got frustrated trying to call home, there was no problem getting through, the mobile network is excellent. In fact, as I was to find out later, the coverage is better than in the UK. The frustration was caused by getting a constant busy signal - the boys were tying up the telephone line accessing the internet. I kept on trying to get through right up to boarding the 'plane but no luck.

India

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THURSDAY 22 MARCH 2001 - Bangalore

On finally arriving at the Taj Residency hotel at a quarter to six in the morning. I was greeted by name at the desk, "This is good" thinks I, impressed, and I was then told the hotel was full, d'oh! The story was that a guest had been taken ill, and so my room had not been released. However, if I could wait half an hour, another room would be prepared. I settled down to wait an (Indian) half hour. I finished my book, and finally got to my room and bed after seven.

I got to the office around ten, and started out on a round of visits to local companies, looking for potential suppliers. I was accompanied by Renu from the marketing team. For lunch she took me to a popular restaurant where I had a Thali, a sort of mixed spicy food sampler, which, while it was served traditionally on a banana leaf, proved to be quite up-market by placing the leaf on a silver banana leaf shaped plate, rather than straight onto the table.

I had a quiet night in at the hotel, it was just a matter of keeping awake until around eleven thirty to kick my body-clock into Indian Standard Time.

The Development Team at Bangalore.

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FRIDAY 23 MARCH 2001 - Bangalore

As is my wont I settled into eating purely local food, with breakfast consisting of Dossa Masarla and Idlies - rice pancake, folded over a Marsala (vegetable curry), and compressed steamed rice 'cakes', all with spicy sauces.

At the office is was meetings, further training and more visits to potential suppliers. In the evening I treated the team to dinner in the Tandoor Restaurant about a quarter of a mile down the MG road from the hotel. I (bravely) managed to find my way there on foot. The food was superb, and I was persuaded to try a chicken kebab (I prefer to remain vegetarian like most of the locals), which superlatives can't do any justice to. If you're ever in Bangalore, make a point of visiting the Tandoor Restaurant on the MG Road.

My plan for the weekend was to explore some local tourist spots so that I could chaperone customers during future visits without having to be a burden on the team.

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SATURDAY 24 MARCH 2001 - Nandi Hills

Ravi came and collected me around nine thirty, and we went to Nandi Hills. These are around seventy kilometres north of Bangalore, and are the only hills on an otherwise flat, arid and barren plain. The road runs above the surrounding land, and on closer inspection, this seems to be caused by human activity, where the topsoil has been removed to make bricks and get at the underlying granite. I saw several brick kilns on the roadside. Otherwise it was quite desolate. The soil throughout the region is a red colour, and forms a very thin covering over the granite base. Granite is used for just about everything. Slabs are used for walling huts and enclosing areas. It is cut into posts for fences, and ground up, it is made into ballast and cement.

Being freely available - just lying around - it seems people just cut it out where ever they find it; likewise with the soil for bricks.

The car was air-conditioned, which was a relief as it was, Ravi claimed, hot for the time of year at around thirty five degrees centigrade. The key attraction of Nandi Hills, is, wait for it: Nandi Hill. This is a volcanic upturned tea-cup which towers eight hundred odd metres over the plain. Once topped with a fort, it now has a guest house - used by Government ministers, a high class hotel, and a collection of the more normal accommodation, and a popular tourist spot for the locals as well.

The fort is reached by a very tortuous winding drive. You can catch a bus from Bangalore, but how it manages to get up to the top is a mystery to me, and I wouldn't fancy the trip down in any of the buses I had seen. They all look in dubious mechanical condition. Our driver's understanding of the basics of how to drive was severely challenged on the ascent. It seemed his thinking went something along the lines of - A higher gear makes a car go faster, therefore to go faster up the hill I must change to a higher gear - a philosophy which left the car struggling and juddering up the hill.

Nandi Hill, and a typical small settlement.
Notice how even here everything is wired up for electricity.

Once at the top Ravi, negotiated, and hired a guide who took us around. The views can only be equalled by those from an aeroplane. High point of our tour of the now crumbling fort walls was a point where Tipu Sultan, a local leader, whose preponderance for chucking his unwanted guests, and those who had upset him over a 600 metre high cliff, resulted in the aptly named Tipu's Drop. Apparently the British tried to attack the fort - we must be mad, shot from cannons that high up would be able to command a field of fire for miles around.

The old fort walls. Cannons here could command quite a field of fire.

Lunch was in the local tourist restaurant, which was basic but fine, with a view to die for. I spotted my first wild monkeys, they were too timid for me to get any pictures. Our guide had told as about a growing Nandi (Bull God statue) in the near-by Nandi village, so we went off in search of this, We didn't even consider walking down the path to the village. I couldn't see a path anyway, it just looked like a cliff edge to me.

Ravi and Gary at the top of Nandi Hill

Nandi village was quite small, but it has a very large 8th-15th Century temple. The temple was being restored by students from a local university, and one of the people in-charge took some time out to show us around. There were a couple of shrines, one containing a Nandi (but not, we discovered, the growing Nandi). The carvings here were exceptional, there was also a bathing area about half an Olympic pool in size. It was in a walled area, and very tranquil. Apparently ten thousand people turn up for one festival in the year (I was actually told one hundred thousand but I don't believe it).

After a bit more driving around through small villages we finally found the 'growing' Nandi, in the middle of nowhere, despite this the shrine had some attendants. There was no obvious signs of it growing, but it was - as Nandi's go very wide. Despite being miles from the nearest large town Ravi's mobile 'phone was working! They've got far better coverage than we have in the UK, where sometimes I can't even get a signal in Portsmouth.

I got back to the hotel in the late afternoon, and ventured out alone to Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in the southern suburbs of Bangalore. I decided it was time I tried the locals form of transport - the three wheeled, two-stroke engined auto. I had a wonderful walk around the park in the dusk. The Auto driver waited for me (and I soon found out why) on arriving back at the hotel I managed to get duped by my ignorance. It was my fault, I'd forgotten that there are 10ths of Rupees, and the auto driver took me for 10 times the metered fare - just as well they are very cheap! For dinner I walked down the MG road to try out another quite good restaurant - Ceasar's.

Nandi statue in the Nandi Village Temple - not to be confused with the growing Nandi which we found elsewhere.

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SUNDAY 25 MARCH 2001 - Mysore

Up early for a trip to Mysore. Mysore is about one hundred and thirty kilometres to the south of Bangalore, and the trip took about three hours. I was accompanied by one of the team - Sujit, who was most definitely the worse for wear after a Saturday night living it up. He slept most of the way, and looked quite green at times.

The countryside to the south of Bangalore is a complete contrast to the north. Initially quite flat, but very verdant, with paddy fields, coconut plantations and sugar beet, it became quite hilly in places, generally the hills were reminiscent of Nandi hill, - upturned teacups.

If Indian driving in the City is mad - then I don't know how to describe driving on the open road. There are very short sections of dual carriageway but the concept is obviously not understood (despite clear signs), with traffic going both ways on both sides! Watching busses or lorries travelling two or three abreast towards you along a single carriageway is, well, different to say the least. I saw my first major accident - a lorry and bus had collided head on.

Our first stop was at Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, where we saw lots of exotic birds (I bought some postcards in case my photographs didn't come out). We had a guided trip on the river in a rowing boat, which we shared with an Indian family. We'd not long left the bank when I saw a crocodile, its head just sticking out of the water. A young boy in the boat with us was quite frightened, and any thoughts I had of dipping my fingers in the water were quickly dispelled.

The rich green of the countryside to the South of Bangalore is a marked contrast the the arid countryside to the north.

Paddy fields behind the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary

The black dots in the trees aren't birds - they're bats!

After the Sanctuary we went on to Mysore and up Chamundi hill to the Sri Chamundeswari Temple. Sujit was reluctant to take me into the temple, it was very busy as it was the day for the Local New Years celebrations so I had to satisfy myself with a walk around the outside. However I was rewarded, as the priests brought the statue of the Sri Chamundeswari god out for a parade around the temple. For refreshments we bought coconuts in the market, and then visited the Godly Museum, in which a frieze around the walls illustrates the price of being good and of committing various sins.

Halfway down Chamundi hill is another Nandi, at over five metres tall, one of the largest in India. We stopped here for a quick walk around and take some pictures. The driver then took us to a large white palace, which had an armed guard. I thought this was another museum, but it turned out to be a hotel, where we were being dropped off for lunch. I wasn't that hungry, and anyway wanted to eat somewhere much more modest - preferably on the street, so we turned round and headed into central Mysore.

The top of Chumundi Hill. Gary and Sujit with Mysore in the background.

One of India's largest Nandi statues overlooking Mysore on Chamundi Hill.

Not another museum but the Lalitha Palace Hotel outside Mysore

Next on our itinerary was a visit to Mysore zoo. Which was very big, though very sad and rather pathetic I'm afraid. I prefer my animals loose. The only ones that were, were the monkeys. Entertainment was provided by a hawk, free and wild, picking off a squirrel for lunch.

Then on to the piece de resistance - Mysore Palace, where we spent two hours. The place was filled with tourists (no Europeans though), and it was magnificent. There were two problems; firstly no cameras are allowed inside, and secondly, you can't buy a guide book until after you've been through - typical Indian logic there! Sujit proved to be a font of Hindu folklore and religious knowledge, and named most of the gods depicted in the paintings, and also told me their stories. He was most taken with the bronze statues of tigers which were strategically placed around the palace. The craftsmanship and decoration of the palace in stained glass, ivory, mahogany and silver is wonderful. The palace is relatively modern, was designed by a Scott and completed in 1912. The original palace having burned down.

As with most places in India, you are expected to remove your footwear before entering, and this isn't normally a problem - but I should have had my warning a Nandi Temple the previous day, where the only way to move around inside the courtyard was to stick close to the walls where the ground had been in shade. In order to get to another museum, we had to walk down a paved area which had been exposed to sun for several hours and I managed to burn the soles of my feet. I also forgot to put on my sun-block so after several hours in the sun I was a little (but not too much) red in the face.

We arrived back in Bangalore around five o'clock, and we bought our tea from a street trader. Two plates of vegetable curry and two cokes for less than R50 (£1.00). I had to be at the Airport for eight o'clock to meet my Keith and Ian, our visiting customers. When I got to the airport, it was at a standstill. So I joined everyone else watching India beat Australia in the packed arrivals lounge. Can't say I fancy flying while India's playing cricket. Who's to say which screen the air traffic controllers are concentrating on!

Mysore Palace




Fierce looking bronze tigers. Look closely and you'll note that the Gumbies have made it to India.




The Durbar Hall Colonnade, just a sample of the magnificent decor of Mysore palace

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MONDAY 26 MARCH 2001 - Bangalore

In the evening Keith went off to see a friend so Ian and I went out looking for food. I managed to navigate us to a restaurant suggested by my guide (Lonely Planet, highly recommended) only to find a building site. Ian resisted the temptation to try out a bar despite my encouragement. The evening took on a bizarre turn, as I kept getting 'phone calls on my mobile from people in the UK asking about gifts on a wedding list I was managing for Stephen. There was I dodging the beggars and the milling throngs in down town Bangalore talking about kitchen and bathroom scales, hairdryers , vases, and towels (no toasters).

As our planned dinner destination had been scratched it was back for my second visit to the Tandoor. It was definitely one of the best restaurants in town. Keith Joined us, and we took an Auto back to the hotel. The driver was an absolute maniac, who got the thing up to warp factor nine - at least 40mph with us all in the back. We thought he was either going to miss the hotel turning altogether or turn the thing over in attempting the turn. Once safely back in the hotel a stiff drink was called for.

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TUESDAY 27 MARCH 2001 - A night out

Following a morning presentation we decamped to the Oberoi hotel for lunch. It was very good, but as a popular hotel with Americans the menu was a bit too western for my now acclimatised palette. After lunch I continued my tour of potential suppliers while Keith and Ian continued their training course with the team.

Vijay treated us to our evening meal - at the Tandoor. After which Keith Ian and I went out on a search for Pubs and clubs. Bangalore is renowned for its pubs, we managed to find two, but they were both empty, the first chucked us out at ten past ten as they were closing, presumably because we were the only customers. The second was a bit busier and didn't chuck us out until half past eleven.

Unless you're of an age to have visited inner city or country pubs in the fifties or sixties, public lavatories in India are best avoided. Hotels and good restaurants are generally clean, wholesome, and are attended by a host of chaps to open the door, run basins of water and pass you towels. However, the chap in the Lavatory at the pub we visited had them all beat. Before you could unzip he was there flushing and cleaning the urinal, running water in the wash basin, handing you the soap and towel! Having had this wondrous treatment described, Keith decided this was an experience not to be missed. You should have seen the grin on his face as he came out of the loo. Magic. Finally after a much saner auto ride to the hotel, we kept the bar open for a night-cap and rolled into our respective beds around two am definitely the worse for wear.

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WEDNESDAY 28 MARCH 2001 - Shopping and Flight Home

My last day. Spent another day chasing around potential suppliers, and then back to the office to say my farewells to the team, Ian and Keith, who were moving on for a few days sightseeing. Back to the hotel and a trip down the MG Road for some souvenir shopping. The auto-driver was really upset that I wouldn't take his advice, but insisted on being taken to the state shop. As I'd been warned, he insisted he knew somewhere much better and cheaper. It drove me up the wall, having to keep on telling him just to take me where I asked and nowhere else every thirty seconds.

Having arrived where I wanted, I got some trinkets for the team at work, a sandal wood jewellery box for Elaine and some Sandal wood elephants for the boys.

By six o'clock I was off to the airport and home, but that's not quite the end

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THURSDAY 29 MARCH 2001 - Home

I arrived at Heathrow at about seven thirty, feeling very squiffy, I dived into the executive lounge and locked my self away for a shower and to get changed and find something for my upset stomach. It was then on to Brighton for a lunch meeting (ugh!) and finally home around five. I'd felt fine all the time I was in India, and can only blame the food or drink on the 'plane back. I was unwell for over a week but I'll spare you the details. I can however, highly recommend Imodium.

Gary Allman

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Images and text Copyright © 2001 Gary Allman