Prologue.
Saw an advice from god to all motorists, put on a bill board on the wayside which read, "You're not quite ready to meet me yet". Quite cute I must say, but the few motorists that passed by me - I was on my morning walk - didn't seem to have registered the caption and drove past with a gay abandon! Perhaps, they're ready, after all!?
The noisy afternoon.
The arrival of the 'palkhis' connected with Sant Tukaram and the attendant religious fervour that had gripped the Puneites and many more Maharashtrians, from outside town, was palpable. There was a festive mood all round and I was told that the people looked forward to covering a distance of about 40 kms by foot during the transit of the palkhis! And here was an example where the crowds would be decently behaved and never jostled or pushed each other in the course of their walk over the next five days or so. The sounds of the trumpets and the topi clad men gave it a distinct 'tantia' flavour. I've always liked the festivals of Pune for its enthusiasm, as it's a microcosm of the entire state and shows as to how simple and good natured, the ordinary Maharashtrians are!
The 'heavy' exit.
Thanks to a botched up lunch date with yet another course mate and Chinese language partner, we'd more time with Joe at his place. He took the embarassment caused by me in his stride and had rustled up a lovely, impromptu lunch. Then, all too soon, it was time to bid goodbye and we kicked off to the railway station to be in time for our train through snarled traffic - though, I must admit that it was never a threat to reach the destination thanks to the intricate selection of roads by Joe's driver, Subhash Yadav.
The crowd at the Pune railway station was unprecedented and it had me nonplussed, for a while, till my counterpart had sent his man, Friday to help us board the train!
Tailpiece.
My heart's always heavy when I've to leave the town and this time, too, it's no different!
Saw an advice from god to all motorists, put on a bill board on the wayside which read, "You're not quite ready to meet me yet". Quite cute I must say, but the few motorists that passed by me - I was on my morning walk - didn't seem to have registered the caption and drove past with a gay abandon! Perhaps, they're ready, after all!?
The noisy afternoon.
The arrival of the 'palkhis' connected with Sant Tukaram and the attendant religious fervour that had gripped the Puneites and many more Maharashtrians, from outside town, was palpable. There was a festive mood all round and I was told that the people looked forward to covering a distance of about 40 kms by foot during the transit of the palkhis! And here was an example where the crowds would be decently behaved and never jostled or pushed each other in the course of their walk over the next five days or so. The sounds of the trumpets and the topi clad men gave it a distinct 'tantia' flavour. I've always liked the festivals of Pune for its enthusiasm, as it's a microcosm of the entire state and shows as to how simple and good natured, the ordinary Maharashtrians are!
The 'heavy' exit.
Thanks to a botched up lunch date with yet another course mate and Chinese language partner, we'd more time with Joe at his place. He took the embarassment caused by me in his stride and had rustled up a lovely, impromptu lunch. Then, all too soon, it was time to bid goodbye and we kicked off to the railway station to be in time for our train through snarled traffic - though, I must admit that it was never a threat to reach the destination thanks to the intricate selection of roads by Joe's driver, Subhash Yadav.
The crowd at the Pune railway station was unprecedented and it had me nonplussed, for a while, till my counterpart had sent his man, Friday to help us board the train!
Tailpiece.
My heart's always heavy when I've to leave the town and this time, too, it's no different!
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