In and Around Bangalore

Each weekend I try my best to vacate Bangalore in search of fresh air or for sites with historical or cultural significance. One such outing was to Nandi Hills, a giant block of granite that rises 1.5 km high. Once atop this monolith, I wandered across the uneven and rocky terrain (not to be confused for Bangalore “roads”) and surveyed the landscape in all directions. One point is known as Tipu’s Drop, where the famous sultan had his prisoners tossed into oblivion. This practice has not endured into modern times, so the point is now a favorite destination for lovers to commit suicide.

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On November 1st (Karnataka Day), Bangalore was officially renamed Bengaluru. This provides scope for considerable confusion as I am a Bengali from Canada in Bengaluru where they speak Kannada. In related news, the Bangalore Banger monicker was dropped in favor of the Bengaluru Tiger.

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My Bangalore Bengaluru office is located in the northern outskirts of the city in a place called Hebbal. It is a newly constructed facility. So new, in fact, that construction is still taking place on some floors while others are already inhabited by workers. The walls in the stairwells are covered by red stains, which are remnants of chewing tobacco and paan which are frequently to be found in the mouths of construction workers before being spat out in dramatic fashion. Hebbal is a combination of a dusty village and several burial sites of different religions (including a Parsi tower of silence), with a business park planted in the middle of it. It takes between 45 minutes to an hour for me to commute to my workplace, which is reasonable in comparison to the multi-hour one way travel times of several coworkers. For an additional fee, Satyam provides a daily bus service to its employees. The bus stops around 2 kilometers away from my flat. Usually, I take this bus on the way back from work. In the morning I take an auto rickshaw since I do not wake up in time to catch the bus and since I am not going to walk 2 kilometers twice (4 kilometers!) in one day.

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And one more thing...

Calcutta Celebrates

As the world celebrated Arnabmas with happiness and delight, the citizens of Kolkata rejoiced with additional fervor as the first day of Durga Puja (the largest festival for Bengalis) and ARNABirth coincided on the same auspicious date. My time in Kolkata was devoted to visiting my many relatives and in experiencing Durga Puja to the fullest. Accompanied by a Taiwanette, I visited as many pandals (elaborate platforms containing the idols) as possible and also attended a Durga Pujo that took place on a barge on the mighty Ganges (Ganga) river.

Money for Marriage

One day I was approached by a beggar who said something to me in rapid Hindi. Being a frequent viewer of Bollywood movies and a heavy visitor of matrimonial websites, I only understood the word shaadi, which means marriage. I also assumed the beggar’s request had something to do with money. I interpreted the phrase as “My sister is getting married, so please give me money”. My Hindi-speaking coworker informed me that what was actually said was “Give me money and I will pray for a quick and happy wedding for you”.

ARNABuzz

ARNABlog received some publicity by being mentioned in the SFU Business Buzz magazine:

“This is a story all about how Arnab’s life got flipped… I mean, about his AIESEC internship following graduation. He seems to be continuously sent around India by Satyam, an IT and consulting firm. Arnab always has something unique to say about the surrounding sights and culture. His flatmates are truly a bunch of characters and his search for Mrs. Arnab continues.”

The complete article about the Arnabian delight can be found in the October 2006 issue (page 5).

Maharashtra Marvels

On one long weekend, I ventured to Maharashtra with the goal of exploring the famed Ajanta and Ellora Caves along with 3 South Koreans and another Canadian. The nearest major city to the caves was Aurangabad. In and around the city we visited Daulatabad Fort, complete with cannons, moats, bat infested tunnels, and other hazards, and also Bibi ka Maqbara, the “poor man’s Taj Mahal”. Ajanta contains only Buddhist sculptures and paintings compared to Ellora’s broader range of Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain artifacts. Nonetheless, I preferred Ajanta due to its spectacular natural backdrop.

Having finished the caves in two days, we had a day too spare. Pune was nearby so we headed there. In Pune, I went to the zoo, parks, gardens, and a building where Mahatma Gandhi had been imprisoned. On the train journey home, we celebrated the birthday of my Korean roommate, with cake bought at the train station and some Rums Up (composed of India’s favorite soft drink, Thums Up, and another popular liquid).