Memoir Of A Monsoon

The following is a note that was originally written sitting in the research scholars room at EGRL, Tirunelveli on a rainy day in 2012. Rain was a rare phenomenon there, it happened only 10-20 days in a year. But Vittalapuram village is very beautiful when it rains! The grey surface turns into lush green. Rabbits, peacocks, snakes and a hundred varieties of birds, both local and migratory, looks delightful. Numerous ponds both in and around the campus fills with fresh water. But for the rest of the year, there was only hot bright sunlight and dust and in some months additional strong winds. When the monsoon starts again this year, I am sitting in the portico of research scholars hostel at IIG, Navi Mumbai. I am reposting the post from my previous blog which I don't update now a days.

It was not only because of its musical voice that I lost myself completely in the magic of monsoon rain. If it were so, I would have just listened to the rain sitting inside my room happily. The sharp wet touch of rain on my bare skin and its gently piercing sound for me is something of an emotional feel rather than a meteorological phenomenon. I forget about tides, convection, gravity waves and doppler radars when the rain feather touch my heart.

Oh, another monsoon came and soaked my country in its water pebbles. When I miss it, sitting in a dry remote village, far away in Tamil Nadu, what else can I do other than recollecting the memories of my past romance with it?

I loved and still love rain as well as its season. Monsoon, The most beautiful and romantic season my country is blessed with! If you fall in love with rain, it gives you the love back always and forever; more greenish more deep and more intense!

The notorious stream - road parallels!

It was during a monsoon, I still remember, I was hit by a lorry in the muddy country road going side by side with a big stream of fresh water. After playing football with my friends in the nearby water filled paddy fields, we all were going to the stream for a bathe. Suddenly I met the accident.

I still remember, the labourers in the lorry jumped out and took me to a hospital in the same lorry. I was in the general ward in the top most floor of Koya's Hospital roofed with asbestos. Heavy rain knocked over the asbestos sheets the whole night as if she needed to hit me hard. I badly wanted to meet her in the dark shade of the night; but I could not even wake up from my bed.

The day when I came out discharged from the hospital, I saw my rain was starting showering as if she is welcoming me back! I waved my hands to her sitting in the porch. I watched her sitting in the dashing car. She called me crying, knocking and touching over the window glass. But I could not go out to embrace her. I tried to touch her on the glass from inside. We desperately thirsted for each other, but circumstance did not allow us to unite.

Football in rain still attracts people in Kerala. But everyone
must not be lucky enough to have a country road nearby
and meet a lorry accident to feel the love of rain peacefully.

Every experience of love is filled pain. But try loving the rain, it is different! Once you are in love with her, you will never want to miss her! The more you are away from her, the more passionately you love her! She will love you back with all the forms of emotions and  expressions a lover can have! What ever you think that you will get from a lover, she will give you. Solace, comfort, touch, pain, care, parting, melancholy, romance, relief; you tell what are all the things you think you will get from your lover. You will get them all from the rain.

The car reached home. Rain was silent. The shower was over. Like blood dissolved tears of rain, muddy water was flowing below the car. Sitting inside the clouds, rain desperately tried to tell me something. Before she can utter anything, my Umma took me into my home. In ultimate pain, rain stormed down all the night.

Looking Back From Top: A Summer View of Navi Mumbai

New Panvel as viewed from Nevali hill

This is not a post on philosophy nor this is a retrospection as the title may suggest. It is about an interesting but short trekking we had made few days back. Morning was really early: at 3.30 am, around Brahma Muhurtham according to ancient Indian culture! Me, Sunil, Dupinder, Sukanta and Sreeraj all the five packed and walked straight to the top of the hill we used to see every day and night from our institute. The hill is east to the institute and stand like a protecting fort to the city of Navi Mumbai. Panvel area, where our institute is located, is the eastern most part of Navi Mumbai.

Khanda Colony

At 3.40 we checked out at the institute gate and walked through the quiet streets of Khanda Colony. CIDCO has constructed the city beautifully in rectangular plots and sectors. Crossing the railway line and moved ahead, again crossed the Mumbai - Pune express high way. This well admired Mumbai - Pune express highway acts like a border between the city and rest of Maharashtra. We have to move a little more, say 1.5 kilometer, to reach the village of Nevali, at the foot of our destination: the Nevali Hill.

As we crossed the highway through below the Mumbai - Pune Express Highway, it appeared as if we are entering a different country. In a few meters, everything changed. Roads became a series of potholes. Surroundings empty as against the sky scrapper forest that we just left behind. We were entering a village from city. The most important lesson that I learn from my country is that, good facilities in life are meant for a different class of people. Villagers and city dwellers have different duties: villagers are there to produce food for city dwellers and city dwellers are there to decide the financial and industrial fate of the country. The benefits of what villagers do always go to the city dwellers but the benefits of what city dwellers do never go to villagers very often! In general, the flow of the fruits of development is unidirectional in India, according to me. People may differ to me. Gandhi might have told that the soul of India is in its villages. If that is true, the soul of this nation is not very healthy, it is ill.

As we continued to walk forward, a cement mixing transport truck stopped and asked us if we want to go with them. We nodded no and they left us. We continued and reached the village Nevali at foot of the hill at around 4.40 am. It was still dark. We needed a cup of tea, but tea shops had not been opened yet. Dogs barked all the way from the time we entered the village. We started climbing up the steep rocks. I have never climbed such a steep hill before. Dogs, did not stop barking. But Sukanta, Sunil and Dupinder had already came here last monsoon. Activating its water falls and blanketing in green, the hill and village are very beautiful during monsoon. Few miles away from our institute, we could see the silver line water falls in the hills during monsoon. But sadly, in this summer, the hill was dry. We reached at the top of the hill after one hour, exactly at 5.40 am. Sun had not risen up. We removed our shirts and fell down to relax at the top of the hill! It was quiet a tiring ascend through the steep slopes of Nevali! The city was looking great. The express highway was still busy. We tried to spot IIG but could not do so as it was still dark. Dupinder was busy with video graphing and photographing. As time passed, we saw that light was spreading slowly and Sun appeared behind us. From the top, the city looked like a port where so many cargo boxes have been kept one above another. Then there was the mighty Panvel creek, the mighty wetland of Navi Mumbai that interspersed the mainland.

At that table-top hill, there was a small village too. There were cattle and chicken and a few trees. Then we saw women fetching water to their houses, they were carrying 3 - 4 pots one above another carrying water! We could spot a tiny dam where these people fetched water and washed their clothes. There were small patches of vegetable cultivation too. After eating some bread and banana, we wanted to go back. We entered the village and asked if any road was there. They showed us a muddy road leading down to the village. The hill was being eaten up by quarry miners! So many tipper lorries are already in queue and granite crusher have already started working. We could feel how the city was growing and the village decaying!

At 9.00 am we reached Nijo hotel at Khanda Colony by an auto that we got from down hill the village. Hotel is on the other side of the railway track where the autowallah dropped us. There was the huge pipe line that supplied water to the city. Water was gushing out through a crack that some one created with immense effort. A tea shop was there close to the pipe and the shop woman is getting water through a small hose inserted into the crack! We crossed the railway track and had our grand breakfast at Nijo hotel. Our legs were paining and we all were tired. Our clothes became dirty in the early morning itself! After an hour, we reached back at hostel and fell into bed and sank into deep sleep.

With Love From Antarctica

Last week, I got a call in the morning from some Gopal! Deep in sleep I could not realize that the only Gopal I know would call me at that time, because he was living in the southern most continent of the globe! At the volleyball ground a fat man appeared in the evening, and it was Gopal to my surprise, my friend and a technical person at EGRL, Tirunelveli. He is back from Antarctica after spending more than a year there. I was keen to listen to him to know how the life at the most harshest continents of the globe was! He gave me a huge volume of photographs and videos. I would like to share some of them here so that my friends can get a glimpse of the nature of life and activities at the icy land.

Bharati: India's station at Antarctica

Maitri: India's station at Antarctica

View of Moon from Antarctica

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India is the responsible agency of Indian Antarctic programs. India has three stations at the continent: Dakshin Gangothri (1983), Maitri (1989) and Bharati.
________________________________________________________________________

A Bit of History:

The first Indian to set his foot on Antarctic continent was Lieutenant Ram Charan, a meteorologist in the Indian Navy, who joined an Australian expedition in 1960. Indian interests in Antarctic research goes back to 1970's. As a result of some Indo - Russian agreement Indian scientists could join Russian team to Antarctica during those period. The research activities of India's polar studies got momentum when the first Indian expedition to Antarctica in 1981 was conducted under the leadership of Prof. Syed Zahoor Qasim.

The team landed in Antarctica on 9th January 1982 and hoisted Indian flag on the icy continent. India's first station at Antarctica, Dakshin Gangotri, was set up after two years of the first expedition. Later the station got buried under ice. It was restored and is being protected as a historic site. Another name in the history of Antarctic program of India, as a student, is Dr. Dinabandhu Sahoo. He was the first Indian student to reach Antarctica, who joined the seventh of Indian Antarctic expedition. India's third station Bharati is at a distance of 3000 kilo meter from the second station, Maitri! People who want to go to Bharati from Maitri sail to Cape town in South Africa and then to Bharati (if not in a helicopter or air craft)! How vast is Antarctica!

Courtesy: The Hindu

Having established the scientific capabilities of India at the Southern most continent, the first Indian team set out to visit the South 'Pole' which was still thousands of kilo meters away from Indian station Maitri! The team was led by 62 year old Dr. Rasik Ravindra! Mr. Ajay Dhar, a technical officer in the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism was lucky to be part of the team in the year 2010.

A Journey Through The Banks Of Brahmaputra

At Dibrugarh bus stand Venki. Jeni, Me and Deva.

Finally we, Sukanta, Jeni, Venki and Deva boarded the bus 'Rudranee' of Assam State Transport Corporation at around 8.00 O' clock that evening. It was a long debate and confusion among more than ten research scholars whether to go to Kaziranga or not. Finally we decided that some can go Kaziranga and others will tour around nearby places. Rimpy had spent a full day with me seeking a safe and comfortable transport to Kaziranga National Park. We must have gave her immense depression but she didn't show any irritation. That is the nobility of an Assamee.

The National Space Science Symposium venue @DU

During the days of symposium at Dibrugarh University, we had experienced the warmth of politeness of the University staff and students. But it was equally worrying that Assam is a land of revolutionaries too. Every day we heard about encounters, cross-fires and killings. The morning we reached Tinsukia, a place in Assam one hour before reaching Dibrugarh, we saw military posts. We knew there is chaos in the state. The day we landed in Dibrugarh railway station, we heard the news of a cross fire in which an Inspector General was killed along with others. Next day we heard some North Indian was killed. Another day we heard of a killing in the Arunachal boarder. Another day there was a news from Delhi in which one north-east student was killed by North Indians, we thought that a long travel through Assam would be as if risking your life. But of course there is immense charm in taking some risks too!

Truck to Kaziranga

National Space Science Symposium got over. Our return train to Mumbai was booked for after three more days. We were determined to go and needed to save as much money as possible. No train was available. With great help from Rimpy, my friend and research scholar at Dibrugarh, we managed to book five tickets to Nagaon in the Guwahati bus.

The bus was spacious with only three seats in a row as against four and five in Kerala state buses. All other passengers were Assamese and they stared at us politely. We felt comfortable with them. All the worries and discomfort vanished at the end of the journey. North-East of India have one of the best people of the nation and our media is wrongly projecting them as bad.

When day light appeared!

I had another experience with a local, once I missed the van to my hotel from the symposium venue. I waited there for several hours and the organizers arranged one vehicle and they left me in the middle of the city thinking that I am staying in some hotel there. Actually they confused with the names of the hotels. They showed one road and told me the hotel is that way! But they were wrong, my hotel was not inside the city, it was 4-5 kilo meter away from where they dropped me. By the time I could realize that, their vehicle had left me! I started walking alone carrying my bag through the streets, shops were closed already. Only some stray dogs were there barking and shouting.Fear started filling my mind slowly and I started singing some Hindi songs, immediately I remembered the incidence of killing of a north Indian, then I started singing a Malayalam song. I thought they will not do anything to a South Indian, as a lot of Assamese work in my state. Suddenly one young man on a bicycle stopped in front of me and asked where I am going I told the name of my hotel and he asked me to sit on the carrier of the cycle. I looked at his cycle, only the most essential parts were there: two tyres - back tyre didn't have sufficient air in it, handle was there but no bell nor brake, he used his legs to stop the bicycle! I thanked the young man and told to leave me and that I will walk. "No, the hotel is very far you cannot walk alone that distance in this late night" - he told me. Finally I hopped onto the carrier and he started pedaling the old cycle through the damaged road. On the way he asked about me, he was surprised that I am from Kerala. he told our people go to Kerala why are you coming here?! I explained him why I was there. The cycle stopped in front of hotel Keteke. We talked standing there for some more time. He left me and pedaled back to where his home is. I looked at that young man with great gratefulness and prayed for him. I think I should acknowledge that young man who work all through the day and until late in the night for a living. Some where in the suburbs he may be living with his own peace of mind and worries.

Deva and Sukanta half in the frame!

By the way, the bus stopped in front of a highway dhabha. We all got down and had tea and snacks. Had one and two done and relaxed for some time. It was so chilling cool in Assam in that January. At around 3.00am the bus reached Nagaon bus stand. It was against what Rimpy had told us, she had suggested to get down either at Bokakhat or at Kohara and the rides were actually available at Kohara. But we asked the bus crew again about how to go to Kaziranga. They told us to get down at Nagaon which was more than 100 km away from the Kaziranga National Park. Problem of planning a journey suddenly! There were a lot of people in the Nagaon bus stand at that time! We did not know Kaziranga is still several hours away from there. We had already left behind Bokakhat and Kohora several hours before itself! Actually there are many places to get down in Kaziranga national park. Also somebody suggested not to get down at Kohora or Bokakhat at such an early morning because they are small towns and we may face some difficulty as we are new there! At Nagaon we tried to get some vehicles for dropping us at Kaziranga. at that time one small goods carrier came. It was a newspaper vehicle. Apart from news papers, there were some local people going to villages, there were some paint boxes and some baggages too. We got into the carrier of the mini lorry and tried to settle down. But it was difficult, as it is meant to carry goods not people. Two men were sleeping on the paint boxes. It was terribly cool too! We were already wrapped ourselves with what ever clothes we had with us. Still it was so cool, I have never been to such cool difficulty before!

The route map, thanks to Google

The TATA-407 started with a mild rough sound and started running. We already had our price fixed for the trip: hundred rupees per head. The locals were smoking beedi continuously inside until they got down at different places in between. Now we are the only remaining passengers in the vehicle, the driver sped up the vehicle. We desperately wanted to sleep. Me and Deva found a nice bedding on the paint barrels, even though we were thrown up and down frequently! There were few more stops for delivering the newspaper bunches and short tea breaks. We were hopping up and down inside the vehicle as it ran over gutters and humps indiscriminately. The vehicle had entered the forest already. At around 7.00 am, just before we reached the destination, the driver stopped his warhorse and showed us the most awaited Rhino far away in the Kazhiranga forest. And in half an hour, we were at the Elephant ride centre in the Kaziranga national park.

It is the journey that nourishes the heart, not the destination.

When the TATA - 407 left us at the Kaziranga

An elephant ride through the Kaziranga National Park. The photo of Rhino was nicely captured by Sukanta.

Later in the afternoon we got a bus to Guwahati and joined our friends in the Dibrugarh - New Delhi Rajadhani Express.

A Visit To The Legendary Alibag Observatory

Old Alibag magnetic observatory.
It is still working!

In 1900, the British Indian government decided to electrify tram service in Bombay and it was a threat to the magnetic observations at Colaba observatory.

Dr. N.A.F. Moos found an alternative place at Alibaug, 30km away from Bombay - a pleasant place in Raigad district of Maharashtra. Most of the IIG staff and family members and research scholars came to the observatory.

Cricket at Alibag beach.

After a cup of tea and snacks we started playing cricket at the beach women folk were engaged in some other games. Alibag is a tourist attraction due to various facilities available and its green and pleasant atmosphere.

The observatory campus houses magnetometers and some other instruments like any other IIG observatory. It has a lot of coconut trees inside the campus. Most of the buildings are almost a hundred year old! 

Old building: The ground floor
houses the museum.

The greatest attraction here is the museum set up. It preserves a lot of instruments and tools used in IIG at various times. There are lots of varieties of magnetometers and telescopes. There was an old chair used by Dr. Moos too!

At Alibag beach: an old fort used
 by Sivaji is seen in the background.

For a few years, the Colaba and Alibag observatories were run together to compare the observations at these two sites. If any mismatch in observations were seen, it could not be used as an observatory. But fortunately the magnetic observations at Alibag was as good as it was at Colaba.

There were no one to explain the story of old instruments in the observatory museums, as so many visitors came together. All I could understand was that those instruments were used a hundred years ago. Each instrument must have a story to tell. I don't know which magnetometer recorded the historic aurora at Bombay! I feel there is a need to preserve and document a lot of things at IIG. Not only mere instruments; the story of each instrument should be documented well. The historic aurora was recorded manually at the IIG since magnetometers were not recording the measurements automatically. But nobody knows who recorded that! May be Indian scientists are not good in documenting the history of Indian science!