NIPPER AND 'HIS MASTER'S VOICE'

When you reach the age of 'getting high on numbers', any small thing can flood you with nostalgia. My way to dam the flood and make it safe to wade happily (remember, I am a non-swimmer) in memories is to 'blog' it!

The other day, there was a story in BabaMail featuring 15 hilarious amateur recreations of famous paintings. One of the originals was the entertainment trademark "His Master's Voice", used on the recording labels and gramophones of 'The Gramophone Company/EMI/HMV'.  It featured a dog looking curiously into and seemingly listening to the horn-like speaker of a hand-winding gramophone.

The real-life story behind the logo is heartwarming. There actually was a dog, a little terrier named Nipper, belonging to one Mark Henry Barraud in Bristol, UK. Mark died in 1887 and his brothers, Francis and Philip, took care of Nipper. Apparently, Nipper used to sit in front of a phonograph and listen in wonder to recordings of the voice of Mark which the two brothers used to play for the dog.

The dog died in 1895 and three years later, Francis, an artist, made a painting of Nipper and a phonograph titled "Dog Looking at and Listening to a Phonograph." The painting was offered to various phonograph companies including Edison Bell whose owner famously rejected it saying, "Dogs don't listen to phonographs". Finally, 'The Gramophone Company' in England bought it with the modification that the painting show one of the Company's own disc machines. And so was born 'His Master's Voice'.

The story is special to me as it was through an 'His Master's Voice' gramophone that I was introduced to music. As a child, as soon as I became aware of things around me, I found an HMV gramophone at home and some 78 rpm records. With only my grandparents in the house, I took possession of my finds and learnt to play the machine. Soon music became my passion and no day would go by without my playing a few records.

Starting with the morning, the house would echo with sounds of "Yeh Kaun Aaj Aaya Savere Savere", rumbling and whistles of "Toofan Mail", marching beats of "Praan Chaahe Nein Na Chaahe", hopes of someone visiting with "Aayega Aane Wala", approach of the night with "Yeh Raatein Yeh Mausam" and falling asleep hoping for sweet dreams listening to "Soja Rajkumari, Soja." 

Then there were songs to be played on a specific occasion. For example, whenever I got good results in exams, I would come home and play "Aaj Apni Mehnaton Ka Mujhko Samra Mil Gaya".

I lost my father when I was just four but thanks to the love and care of Mummy, my Nana and Nani and my two Mamas, I had a happy childhood. So I loved 'bachpan' songs of which there were plenty. To name a few, I had "Bachpan Ke Din Bhula Na Dena", "Bhala Tha Kitna Apna Bachpan", "Kahan Woh Bachpan Ka Pyara Sapna", “Bachpan Ke Din Bhi Kya Din Thay” and "Mere Bachpan Ke Saathi Mujhe Bhool Na Jaana".

I used to eagerly look forward to Vinnie Mama's visits who always brought new records whenever he came home on vacation from Allahabad University. Then he joined the Navy and I, St. Xavier's Jaipur and we got interested in English music. Vinnie Mama's first buys were "The Rich Maharajah of Magador", "My Truly Truly Fair", and "Goodnight Irene". Meanwhile, I learnt that English records were available in Delhi at a shop "Marques & Co." in Connaught Circus. We used to visit Delhi quite often and a visit to that shop was always on my schedule. And so I had "Don't Let The Stars Get in Your Eyes", "My Blue Heaven" and "White Christmas" on my fingertips whenever I desired.

With NDA and Navy for me and my grandparents changing houses, the gramophone got lost. I was heartbroken but forever grateful to it for instilling music in my blood.

Thank you for the music, Nipper and 'His Master's Voice'. I shall never forget you.

I'M AN ORDINARY MAN

I claim Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe wrote this for me!

I'm an ordinary man
Who desires nothing more just the ordinary chance
To live exactly as he likes
And do precisely what he wants
An average man am I
Of no eccentric whim
Who likes to live his life
Free of strife
Doing whatever he thinks is best for him
Just an ordinary man

I'm a very gentle man

Even tempered and good natured

Who you never hear complain

Who has the milk of human kindness

By the quart in every vein

A patient man am I

Down to my fingertips

The sort who never could

Ever would

Let an insulting remark escape his lips

Just a very gentle man

I'm a quiet living man

Who prefers to spend the evening

In the silence of his room

Who likes an atmosphere as restful

As an undiscovered tomb

A pensive man am I

Of philosophic joys

Who likes to meditate

Contemplate

Free from humanity's mad inhuman noise

Just a quiet living man

THAT MYSTIFYING 'SOMETHING'

I had forgotten a song that we used to listen to a lot in the late 1990s till I was reminded of it by Shumita the other day. The song is Elton John's "Something about the way you look tonight".

Elton John sings it beautifully but what makes it brilliant are the lyrics. True to life, we find that there are times when someone one loves looks especially attractive and alluring on a particular night. Could it be the dress, the smile ('A Certain Smile' a la Francoise Sagan and Johnny Mathis), the mood, the surroundings....? Difficult to say and Elton John does not know either -

"And I can't explain

But it's something about the way you look tonight

Oh, takes my breath away

It's that feeling I get about you deep inside

And I can't describe

But it's something about the way you look tonight

Takes my breath away

The way you look tonight."

Then my thoughts centred on 'Something'. Among a multitude of people, what is that 'something' that attracts a person to just 'one' other? Is it physical, chemical, magnetism, body language or .....?

I love to take the route of lyrics of songs to find meanings of words and so I thought of those that delve into 'something'. An old song I recalled was Cole Porter's "You Do Something To Me" which dates back to 1929. All old crooners have sung it including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Perry Como right down to Sinead O'Connor in 1990. And what is that 'something' you do-

"You do something to me, something that simply mystifies me

Tell me, why should it be, you have the power to hypnotize me

Let me live 'neath your spell, do do that voodoo that you do so well,

For you do something to me that nobody else can do!"

Here 'something' is 'mystic', 'hypnotic' and 'voodoo'! Is that worldly or ethereal?

Another outstanding song with a lot of 'something' in the lyrics is "Strangers in the Night", one of Frank Sinatra's best.  He sings-

"Something in your eyes was so inviting

Something in your smile was so exciting

Something in my heart

Told me I must have you."

Lovely, but 'something' remains undefined!

I then turned to perhaps the most popular song on this inexplicable phenomenon. The song is, what else, "Something"!

People of my vintage would remember it well but it is worth recalling a few important facts about this gem of a song. Written by George Harrison of The Beatles and sung by them in 1969, it topped the musical charts in the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and West Germany. Within three years, it was sung by over 150 artists making it the second-most covered Beatles composition after "Yesterday." Who's who of those who have sung it include Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Shirley Bassey, Ray Charles, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton. Frank Sinatra regularly performed it and called it "the greatest love song of the past 50 years." Elton John said "it is probably one of the best love songs ever written, better than 'Yesterday'". Shirley Bassey hit the top ten on music charts with her version sung with deep emotion and passion and is my particular favourite. Here is what it says-

"Something in the way she moves

Attracts me like no other lover....

Somewhere in her smile she knows

That I need no other lover

Something in her style that shows me....

Something in the way she knows

And all I have to do is think of her

Something in the things she shows me

I don't want to leave her now 

You know I believe and how"

Am I any wiser or just chasing butterflies? I can do no better than recall words from Oscar Hammerstein's classic number "Some Enchanted Evening" in "South Pacific"-

"Who can explain it, who can tell you why?

Fools give you reasons, wise men never try."

 

OF BIDEN, TRUMP, PUTIN AND ZELENSKY - IN A LIGHTER VEIN

It’s a long story not yet ended but I will make it short.

Biden was bidin’ his time biddin’ for keeping his beddin' in the White House for four more years. Trump would not have it and dealt his cards outbiddin’ 'Sleepy Joe' Biden and asserting his trump over Biden’s no trump. 

Biden’s ill health out trumped his biddin’ giving way to Kamala Harris. Trump did not find her ‘comely’ and she felt harassed till she was out trumped in the elections. Trump became POTUS and declared that his focus would not be on a sedate lotus but on eliminating all bogus hocus pocus with the help of his caucus with Washington as locus. All good, unless the joke's on us.

Trump made getting the noble Nobel Peace Prize his top priority. With India and Pakistan agreeing to a ceasefire, Trump started blowing his own trumpet with a piece ‘Peace for Trade’ for Beating Retreat. Modi found it totally out of tune but Trump persisted with it. After all, he couldn't possibly play “Abide With Me” as it would be reminiscent of Biden. Result- India goes from 'tareef' to tariff.

Trump is now puttin’  all his bets on talks with Putin to win the Noble, sorry, Nobel Peace Prize. The two of them met in Alaska where Putin put out his cards on the table though we don’t know if all have been dealt. Listening to Trump’s trumpet, Ukraine and Europe are hoping he has not been out trumped by Putin.

A side story on Alaska was that Putin had security agents carrying suitcases for puttin’ in all that Putin had put out during his stay as he didn’t want foreigners to examine his output. Whatever was put in would only be put out after return to Moscow.

Meanwhile, Zelensky has been to the White House twice. The first time he marched in battle dress with all guns blazing only to be told by Vice President Vance that his turnout was making the Veep weep and that talks would not advance as Zelensky was improperly dressed. (I was reminded of our NDA's Sergeant Major Ayling, who would hold that a cadet was improperly dressed if one of his buttons had come slightly loose which would hold his advance to the next term.) So on the second trip, Zelensky was formally suited and booted and buttoned right up to the top with Trump more amenable to his advances. European leaders and the British Prime Minister Starmer accompanied Zelensky to prevent any possibility of a storm brewing up.

The world watches with bated breath if all that Trump has put in Putin can put out peace between Russia and Ukraine and a bear hug for Vladimir and Volodymyr. 

P.S. Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard, US Director of National Intelligence, seems to have created some ‘gadbad’ by blocking the eyes of The Five Eyes from eyeing Russia and Ukraine.

P.P.S. I have put in a lot of effort in this piece. My apologies if anyone is put out by it.

GETTING HIGH ON NUMBERS

If Shubman Gill can score a double century, so can I. Only our fields are different.

Shubman scores double centuries on the Cricket ground. My field of activity is the blog on which this is my 200th post in 6 years.

Interestingly, I find life is full of numbers. The other day, our physiotherapist asked me how long I have been playing golf. I said "60 years" and she could just utter a "wow". 

Out of these 60, it is now the 36th year at the Army Golf Course in Delhi Cantt. After retirement from the Navy in 1989, we settled down in Delhi and I started playing at this Course and have seen it grow from 9 holes to 12 and then to full 18 since the late '90s. With a number of restaurants and snack bars on the high ground next to 1st and 10th tees and 9th and 18th greens, it can hold its own against the more famous Delhi Golf Club and is an attractive spot for dinner in the moonlight or just a cup of coffee at the end of a round of golf.

35 years ago when I joined the Club, I had many 15-16 year olds caddying for me. Today, it is unbelievable to see them as 50+s on the verge of becoming grandfathers if not one already!

Unbelievable too that I left the Navy over 35 years ago. I was commissioned on 01 January 1960, over 65 years from now. The 1971 War during which I was on the aircraft carrier Vikrant as Fleet Communications Officer of the newly formed Eastern Fleet, took place 54 years ago. It's been 47 years since I commanded Katchall and 40 since commanding Trishul which is when I went to Singapore as the Defence Adviser. 

On 22 July this year, it was the 70th anniversary of our Course, 14th, joining the NDA. I remember my visit to the Academy earlier in the year when I met cadets of the 153rd Course who had been allotted numbers of 45000-46000 compared to mine, 2134. Now it is the 154th Course that has joined since last month and their numbers will be approaching the 50000 mark!

After changing residence every 2-3 years or even oftener while in the Navy, it is our 26th year in Aradhana. Here too, we have seen children growing into adults, marrying and then becoming parents!

Sometime ago, I was on my walk in Nehru Park when a young man caught up with me, wished me with a smile and asked me how old I was. I gave him my age reversing the digits. He looked at me strangely wondering why I looked so old for my age! I just had to put the poor fellow at ease by giving him the digits in correct order.

Contrarily, there is the sweet song of my school days, over 70 years ago, "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" by Ames Brothers:

"The naughty lady of Shady Lane, has the town in a whirl

The naughty lady of Shady Lane, me, oh, my, oh, what a girl....

Our town was peaceful and quiet, before she came on the scene

The lady has stared a riot, disturbing the suburban routine....

You should see how she carries on, with her admirers galore

She must be giving them quite a thrill, the way they flock to her door....

The things they're trying to pin on her, won't hold much water I'm sure

Beneath the powder and fancy lace, there beats a heart sweet and pure....

The naughty lady of Shady Lane, so delectable, quite respectable

And she's only nine days old!"

Where have all the years gone? 'The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind, the answer is blowin' in the wind!'

The years go by, memories remain. Let me end with a few lines from the beautiful, touching song 'Memory' from the superhit musical "Cats" with lyrics by Trevor Nunn and composition by Andrew Lloyd Webber-

"Memory, all alone in the moonlight, I can smile at the old days

I was beautiful then, I remember the time I knew what happiness was

Let the memory live again....

I must wait for the sunrise, I must think of a new life and I mustn't give in

When the dawn comes, tonight will be a memory too

And a new day will begin."

IT'S THE WORDS THAT MAKE A SONG

Sometime back, I came across this old Victorian adage, "Kissing a man without a moustache is like eating an egg without salt." Add a beard and the dish is complete with pepper and sauce! 

I am clean-shaven but am thankful my wife is a vegetarian.

Songs definitely need good words, or lyrics as they say, to make them more listenable and meaningful. A song cannot be whole and evoke its intended range of emotions without appropriate words. As the old group Ink Spots sang in their number "To Each His Own", "What good is a song if the words just don't belong". 

Back in the first half of the Nineteenth century, the famous composer Felix Mendelssohn composed a series of short piano pieces which he titled "Songs Without Words". Efforts were made to set lyrics to them but Mendelssohn objected as he said words would make the music he wanted to express 'too definite'. So his composition, though brilliant, remained in the category of 'instrumental music' and not quite 'songs' which should have expressive vocals.

Remember Francis Lai's music in "Love Story" which won him an Oscar? After the movie was released, the lyricist Carl Sigman gave words to its theme and Andy Williams sang the super hit, "Where Do I Begin" which when listened to even now, would flash touching scenes from the movie in the mind and leave one teary-eyed. Some lyrics-

"Where do I begin to tell the story of how great a love can be

The sweet love story that is older than the sea....

She fills my heart with very special things

With angel songs, with wild imaginings

She fills my soul with so much love that anywhere I go, I'm never lonely....

How long does it last? Can love be measured by the hours in a day?

I know I'ii need her 'til the stars all burn away

And she'll be there."

The Bee Gees put all their belief in words to win someone's heart in the romantic ballad titled...."Words", what else! Barry Gibbs sang in his unique falsetto voice, "It's only words, and words are all I have, to take your heart away."

Songs are mostly about 'love', from being attracted to someone, to falling in love, partings, heartbreaks and all. So let me run through the words of some of my favourites to see how emotions are conveyed.

We start with the sound advice in the song "Some Enchanted Evening" by Ezio Pinza in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific"-

"Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger

You may see a stranger across a crowded room

And somehow you know, you'll know even then

That somewhere you'll see her again and again....

Then fly to her side, and make her your own

For, all through your life, you may dream all alone

Once you have found her, never let her go."

The Beatles had a tremendous talent for simple, short lyrics that would immediately appeal to young and old alike. So they sang "I Saw Her Standing There", "She was just seventeen, you know what I mean, and the way she looked was way beyond compare. I could have danced with another, but I saw her standing there."

To advance love, their song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" says shyly, "I think you'll understand, when I say that something, I want to hold your hand, I want to hold your hand. Oh, please, say to me, you'll let me be your man. And please, say to me, you'll let me hold your hand."

Louis Armstrong takes it further in "A Kiss to Build a Dream On", "Give me a kiss to build a dream on, and my imagination will thrive upon that kiss. Sweetheart, I ask no more than this, a kiss to build a dream on."

The Rolling Stones go all the way with "Let's spend the night together, now I need you more than ever, let's spend the night together."

And then love happens. In the musical "Oklahoma", the two lovers start by warning each other to be discreet lest people misinterpret their intentions. But finally, they decide to throw caution to the winds unmindful of what people may say:-

"Don't sigh and gaze at me, your sighs are so like mine

Your eyes mustn't glow like mine, people will say we're in love....

Let people say we're in love

Starlight looks well on us, let the stars beam from above

Who cares if they tell on us

Let people say we're in love."

A couple can't always be together. Parting is 'such sweet sorrow' and painful though the pain is alleviated with the promise of a return. Al Martino or Englebert Humperdinck in "Blue Spanish Eyes"- "Teardrops are falling from your Spanish eyes. Please, please don't cry, this is just adios and not goodbye. Soon I'll return, bringing you all the love your heart can hold. Please say 'si, si', say you and your Spanish eyes will wait for me."

It could get worse if one party was not willing. The Beatles in "Hello Goodbye"- "You say 'goodbye', I say 'hello, hello, hello', I don't know why you say 'goodbye', I say 'hello'."

In "If You Go Away", English version of the French song, "Ne Me Quitte Pas", the singer urges the loved one to stay while fearing that the latter has already decided to go-

"But if you stay, I'll make you a day, like no day has been or will be again

I'll sail on your smile, I'll ride on your touch, I'll talk to your eyes, that I loved so much

Oh, but if you go, I won't cry, though the good is gone from the word goodbye,

If you go away, if you go away, if you go away."

Love can have a fierce stranglehold on one as Shirley Bassey sang in "Never, Never, Never", this time an English version of the Italian hit song, "Grande, Grande, Grande" which I first heard on a visit to Rome in 1976:-

"You make me laugh, you make me cry, you make me live, you make me die for you,

You make me sing, you make me sad, you make me glad, you make me mad for you.

I love you, hate you, love you, hate you, but I'll want you till the world stops turning

For whatever you do

I never, never, never want to be in love with anyone but you."

Remorse over love gone wrong is painfully expressed in "Yesterday" by The Beatles and in the Tom Jones version in which he seems to be actually crying; "Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play, now I need a place to hide away....Why she had to go I don't know, she wouldn't say. I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday."

Another heartbreak song: Sinead O'Connor in "Nothing Compares 2 U"- "It's been seven hours and fifteen days since you took your love away....I can see whomever I choose, I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant, but nothing, I said nothing can take away these blues. 'Cause nothing, I said nothing compares to you." 

If love was true, the lovers would realise that they must return and be there for each other. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell sang:

"You're all I need to get by

Like the sweet morning dew, I took one look at you

And it was plain to see, you were my destiny

With my arms open wide, I threw away my pride

I'll sacrifice for you, dedicate my life for you."

We are now all set for a 1957 song written by Burt Bacharach and sung by Marty Robbins, "The Story of My Life"-

"Someday I'm gonna write the story of my life

I'll tell about the night we met and how my heart can't forget

The way you smiled at me

I want the world to know the story of my life

The moment your lips met mine and that first exciting time

I held you close to me

The sorrow when our love was breaking up, the memory of a broken heart

Then later the joy of making up never, never more to part."

`

22 JULY - A DATE TO REMEMBER FOR 14th NDA COURSE

22 July is a special day for the 14th NDA Course to which I happily belong. For it was on this date 70 years ago that a little over 200 young boys aged 15-17 years from all over India began their training at the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and committed themselves to serve the homeland, 'theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die'.

Just the second course to go directly to the new location of the Academy, we had reached Khadakwasla the previous day. At the reporting point, the huge Cadets' Mess, we were allotted the squadron which would be our home from then on, and a number which would be our identity at the NDA. So off I went to 'F' or Fox squadron with my number 2134, lugging my steel trunk and a holdall. Before I could even take my belongings inside the squadron, I was 'welcomed' by some senior cadets who commenced the physical ragging which would be rendered in a daily dose in non-working hours, some days more, some days less. Many of us, self included, had left home for the first time and the ragging assured that we would have no time to be homesick and would become fully aware that we had to fend for ourselves with no 'mummy' to run to!

After the seniors had their fun, I had to find reserve energy to haul my luggage up two steep flights of stairs as due to sadistic luck, I was allotted a cabin on the top floor, number 98. There for the first time, I met my coursemate Jehangir Phiroze (Jhangoo) Aga, No. 2133 in cabin no. 99. Like me, he was also a naval cadet and I am glad to say, it was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. We have served together in the same station many times and now that he has settled in Mumbai and I in Delhi, meet whenever visiting the other's city. Fresh in mind is Akhila's and my trip to Mumbai end December-early January this year, when we met Najoo and Jhangoo a number of times including a dinner at the scenic Radio Club by the seaside near Gateway of India. Incidentally, when we exchange mails, he addresses it to 2134 and I to 2133!

On 22 July, our training began in earnest and kept us on our toes morning to night. Days flew by starting with Physical Training, Drill or Horse Riding (including 'wooden horses'!) in the morning, academic classes during the day and games in the evening. Extracurricular activities included Novices Boxing and Dramatics, and 'Shramdaan' through which our physical labour contributed to the building of an Open Air Theatre and the Hut of Remembrance which pays tribute to the fallen heroes of WW II and the alumni of the NDA who have sacrificed their lives in various wars and operations through the years. Time passed in a flash and in December, we were glad to have successfully completed the term and proceeded home for a well-deserved break.

We spent six terms in the NDA during which we saw some additions and many changes. When I returned for my second term, a new squadron, 'K' for King had been added and I had been transferred to it. I had to settle once again among new surroundings and friends and was initially upset. But over time, I realised it was a good change thanks largely to our Squadron Commander, Sqn Ldr Chandan Singh, a gentleman to the core and an inspiring and benevolent leader who guided us to win the Champion Squadron title in the NDA.

Drill played an important part and there was a major change there with the introduction of Hindi words of command in place of English. In our first term, Drill was supervised by the tall British Regimental Sergeant Major Ayling who had a booming voice which carried well beyond the drill square. Somewhere in our second term, he made way to Subedar Major Gurung, much shorter but with a powerful voice and a caustic sense of humour.

Many foreign VIPs visited during our time but I specifically remember Lord Mountbatten in our second term for whom a special parade was held. While inspecting the parade, he asked a number of cadets if they were marked to join the Navy and astonishingly, he was right every time!

We had lots of fun too and one incident that never failed to raise a big laugh whenever recalled was a 100 metres sprint during Athletic championships towards the end of our stay at the NDA. Our champion sprinter, Jayanta Roy Choudhury was in the lead when halfway through the race, the elastic of his shorts became loose. We were treated to the hilarious sight of Roy Chou running holding the shorts up with his hands but to his credit, he still won the race and did not give us a chance to find out if he was clad in any undergarments.

Six terms flew by and we left the NDA with our Passing Out Parade end-May 1958. The Course split three ways with Army cadets off to Dehradun, Air Force to Jodhpur and Navy to INS Tir.

During our service careers we went through a number of wars, significantly the Indo-Pak War of 1971 in which a large number of us played an important role. Major Vijay Berry (later Brigadier) commanding a Company of the 4th Battalion of Para Regiment, led an assault on a Pakistani position strongly defended by tanks and minefields but succeeded in capturing them for which he was awarded Maha Vir Chakra. Sqn Ldr (later Air Vice Marshal) Jagbir Singh led a number of air attacks  and reconnaissance missions deep inside Pakistan which won him a Vir Chakra.

1971 saw the Navy in operation too. Our erstwhile sprinter, Roy Chou commanded a patrol boat supporting the Mukti Bahini. He too won a Vir Chakra. BB (Munna) Singh commanded one of the missile boats that carried out two attacks on Karachi harbour. Ashok Sinha piloting a Seahawk aircraft led a number of air attacks on the former East Pakistan. I, as the first Fleet Communications Officer of the newly formed Eastern Fleet, was on board the aircraft carrier Vikrant, flagship of the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, which was the platform from which all air and sea operations were directed on East Pakistan targets and shipping. Ashok and I earned 'mentioned in dispatches' for our roles in the War.

Then, of course, there was the 1999 Kargil war when our much-admired and loved course-mate, General Ved Malik, was the Army Chief. Under his able leadership, the Army was successful in flushing out the Pakistan Army and paramilitary troops from our side of the Line of Control where they had surreptitiously crept in.

So 70 years have flown by. Our 14th Course Association, efficiently managed by Atul Dev, Ronnie Das and Kamli Khanna, organises a lunch twice a year and all of us make an effort to attend with our wives. When we get together, we hark back to the NDA days recalling amusing incidents and behaving like 15-17 years old surprising our wives with our kiddish behaviour. But those were the days and our ways!

Akhila and I were on a visit to the NDA early January. It was vacation time and only cadets of the new153rd course had arrived. At the Gole Market, we ran into some of them. They had not been issued uniforms but were wearing their numbers which were in mid-43 thousands, more than 41000 after ours. The boys were in high spirits and I wondered if they knew what it would be like after the seniors arrived.

Time marches on, they would be in their second term now ‘welcoming' the 154th course, 140 after ours.

      

 

CONNIE FRANCIS PASSES ON

Remember Connie Francis, the peppy girl singer with the sweet voice who delighted us with her songs in late 1950s and early '60s? Two songs which come to mind immediately are "Lipstick On Your Collar" and "Stupid Cupid".

"Lipstick..." is about a girl who spots lipstick on the collar of her boyfriend when he comes back after going out supposedly to buy a soda pop. On being questioned, he says the lipstick marks are hers although the girl notices the marks are of a different shade. Just then, 'Mary Jane' walks in with lipstick all a mess and it is evident that the boy was smooching Mary, the singer's best friend. "Lipstick on your collar told a tale on you, lipstick on your collar said you were untrue, bet your bottom dollar, you and I are through."

Usually singing in a smooth style,  Connie Francis charmingly modulates her voice with a kind of  hiccup while warbling the title words in 'Stupid Cupid'. That is what she calls her boyfriend who she blames for being mean and flitting, making her act like a lovesick fool and carrying his books to school. She is bothered that she felt fine after kissing his lips of wine but now pleads, "Hey, hey, set me free, Stupid Cupid stop picking on me." 

Her other big hits included "Who's Sorry Now", "The Majesty of Love", "My Happiness", "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You", "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" and "Pretty Little Baby" which though released in 1962, went viral on TikTok this year and became a sleeper hit much to Connie's delight who said she had forgotten the song but was "pleased that her music, and the innocence it sought to represent, was being embraced by a younger audience".

Though her songs keep coming back to me, why am I specially thinking of her today? Because I just read that she is no more. She suffered an injury early this year and was wheelchair bound and passed away yesterday, 16 July, at the age of 87. Connie Francis was the top-charting female vocalist at her prime and sold more than 200 million records worldwide. An American citizen, she was of Italian descent with the originsl name 'of 'Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero'. Her success was international and in 1960, she was recognised as the most successful female artist in Germany, Japan, UK, Italy, Australia and the US.

Unfortunately her love life was not as smooth as her voice. She and Bobby Darin, the popular singer with hits like "Splish Splash", "Mack the Knife and "Beyond the Sea" (English adaptation of the classic French song "La Mer") were deeply in love but Connie's father did not allow them to get married on the grounds that Bobby Darin was not an Italian! She had four marriages and a partner in her final years but maintained that not marrying Bobby was her biggest mistake in life.

Bobby Darin later fell in love with Sandra Dee while filming the beautiful comedy "Come September" with the very catchy title song composed by Bobby. Unfortunately Bobby died at the young age of 37 in 1973 due to a weak heart.

Rest in peace, Connie Francis, your voice will never die.

 

MY VI VISIT TO ITALY - THE FINALE - MILAN

Milan, richest and largest and the second-most populous city after Rome in Italy had eluded me on my five previous trips to that country. This time I was determined not to let it go and we arrived there on the evening of 12 June. 

Milan is a wonderful mix of the ancient and the modern. It's historical monuments testify to its ancient art and culture while in present times it is recognised as the global capital of modern fashion and design. In a lighter vein, I am tempted to make something out of its name: 'Mil' in Hindi means 'meet', 'a' stands for 'ancient' and 'n' for 'new'. So Milan is where ancient and new meet!

On with our sightseeing and we started with the Gothic Duomo di Milano cathedral, the largest church in Italy and third largest in the world after St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and Basilica of Our Lady Aparecida in Brazil. Commissioned in 1386, it took nearly 600 years to complete. The church has more than 3400 statues, 135 spires and 155 gargoyles. Its multitude of spires and pinnacles reaching for the sky are fascinating. Rooftop terraces provide a breathtaking view of the city which prohibits any construction higher than the church's highest spire dedicated to St. Mary.

The church opens out on to a large square, Piazza del Duomo, teemed with tourists getting an eyeful of the complex and intricate design of the church. At night, it is brilliantly illuminated and one has to literally tear oneself away from the sight.

Across the road to the north is a big archway providing an entry to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the oldest active shopping arcade in Milan. The arcade covered by an arching glass and cast iron roof is built around the street linking Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala. A large glass dome covers the octagonal central space the floor of which is marked by four beautiful mosaics portraying the cost of arms of the old three kingdoms of Italy, Turin, Florence and Rome, and Milan. We saw a large number of people crowding around the Turin mosaic taking turns to spin around the centre. Our guide told us that the centre once had testicles of a bull from Turin and it was a belief that spinning three times around with a heel on the testicles brought the person good luck. The act has made the testicles disappear leaving a hole in the floor but the superstition still holds for the spinning hopefuls. Good luck to them!

The Rome mosaic shows two little boys sucking milk from a she-wolf depicting the mythical legend of Romulus and Remus who were abandoned as infants and nursed by the she-wolf. Growing up, the two founded a city but in a dispute, Romulus killed Remus and named the city Rome after himself.

Our guide told us that the Prada store in the arcade was the first that the luxury brand opened up in the world. Passing by the many restaurants, we pointed out one where we had dinner the previous evening. The guide said that restaurant, Biffi Caffe, was the oldest in the arcade and had been functioning ever since 1867, the year the arcade started functioning. That made us feel good and we happily recalled the exquisite taste of the tagliatelle we had had there. 

Right at the entrance, there was a big queue at the Amorino Gelataria which claims to serve the best  gelato in Milan. So we had to have it even though it took ages for our turn to come.

We exited from the arcade on to Piazza della Scala, a smaller square in the centre of which there is a monument to Leonardo da Vinci consisting of his tall statue with figures of four of his pupils on the base. And there, just across the road, was Teatro alla Scala, one of the most well-known opera houses in the world.

Inaugurated in August 1778, La Scala, as it is commonly known, is regarded as one of the leading opera and ballet theatres globally and has held premieres of many of the most popular operas. The historic auditorium is awe-inspiring with a multitude of boxes and superb architecture including the spectacular ceiling which appears to be curved but is actually flat. On the upper floor there is a museum with a large collection of paintings, statues and costumes. As one passes the busts of the great composers, their popular works come to mind; Verdi and La Traviata, Puccini and Madame Butterfly, Rossini and The Barber of Seville, the overture of which is our family favourite. I also remembered "La Donna e Mobile" from Verdi's Rigoletto which I had written about earlier in my blog. By the side of Rossini, there was a smaller bust of Beethoven who had written only one opera but I guess his greatness deserves a place in the museum. Another item of interest was a piano said to be the oldest in the world.

Next place on our itinerary was Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, a museum containing works of Leonardo da Vinci (Portrait of a Musician), Caravaggio (The Basket of Fruit, said to be the first still life painting), Raphael (School of Athens, a cartoon representing the greatest mathematicians, philosophers and scientists who lived at different times but are shown together under one roof here), Titian (Adoration of the Magi), and Boticelli (Madonna of the Pavilion).

I was curious to know why Raphael's work was known as a 'cartoon' when it did not resemble anything like today's cartoons. I was told that the English word 'cartoon' is derived from the Italian 'cartone' which means 'large paper'. Raphael drew full-scale drawings on numerous sheets of paper and pasted them together as preparatory drawings for his frescos and tapestries. From there devolved the present-day 'cartoon'. 

We saw some miscellaneous items also such as the gloves that Napoleon wore at Waterloo. And "Codex Atlanticus", the largest collection of Leonardo da Vinci's writings and drawings.

In the heart of the city there is a castle named Sforzesco. Built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan and renovated in the 16th and 17th centuries, it was one of the largest citadels in Europe. Once accessed by a drawbridge, today it provides a nice walk inside its walls and below majestic towers.

We rounded off our sightseeing in Milan with a visit to Santa Maria della Grazie, a small church but internationally known, for this is where Leonardo da Vinci painted his famous and fascinating mural, "The Last Supper." It covers an entire wall with its size of 15 feet by 29 feet. As you know, during the supper, Jesus Christ is believed to have told his 12 apostles that one of them would betray him. The painting depicts the reaction of the apostles ranging from surprise and shock to awe and anger. The greatest critics and connoisseurs all over the world have been scrutinising and analysing the mural for over 525 years trying to interpret what exactly were the complex emotions of the apostles.

On the opposite wall there is another brilliant mural, "Crucifixion" by Montorfano.

So our dream trip to Italy was coming to an end and it was time to say 'Arrivederci Italia' and think of home. We were booked to fly back to Delhi from Milan by Air India Boeing 787 (Dreamliner) on the evening of Sunday 15 June and had the day free till then. But there was a bit of drama to be played out that day. An Air India Dreamliner had crashed in Ahmedabad on 12 June and all such aircraft were to undergo rigid inspection. On 14th afternoon, we got a message that our flight would be delayed by a few hours. Messages about further postponements continued till 15th forenoon when we were told that the flight was cancelled. That had all of us stunned. Our travel agent advised us to contact Air India in Milan and place ourselves in their hands. That was unacceptable because we were in no mood to be stranded in Milan even at Air India's expense.

We contacted Ruchir in New York by which time he had already come to know of the cancellation. He advised us to wait. Meanwhile, he and his very resourceful Chief of Staff, Paul Weiner, got into action to get us out of the mess. After a couple of anxious hours, they had managed to book us by SwissAir on 16th forenoon for which we had to go to Zurich. Getting a car was also a problem as it was a Sunday and drivers were not available. Finally, a car and driver were arranged and we left Milan just before 9 p.m. 

Milan to Zurich through Alps would be a lovely road journey in the daytime but we had sunlight only for less than an hour during which we passed some familiar spots like Lake Como and Lugano. Then it was dark and we were dozing off and on till reaching our hotel next to the airport.

After the anxious previous day, we heaved a huge sigh of relief when our flight took off from Zurich and started thinking of home, sweet home.

Tailpiece. Winter 1951. Father Mackessack's after school musical class in the old St. Xavier's building, Jaipur. He sings and we join reading from our little songbook-

"Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home

A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there

Which seek thru' the world is ne'er met elsewhere

Home! Home! Sweet, sweet home!

There's no place like home

There's no place like home!"

MY VI VISIT TO ITALY - Part II - IN AND AROUND FLORENCE

In planning the second part of our visit, there were two opinions. As we had just one week, Shumita felt we should limit it to one place and see it in detail whereas I thought we should cover 3-4 cities including Rome as this was the first trip to Italy for Shumita and the boys. Both Ruchir and Shumita thoight Rome was too far and so we settled on two, Florence and Milan. Also, I was for train travel but the others said that as there were five of us with baggage, we should rent a car for the long road journeys.  

So off we went at noon on 8 June hitting the road to Florence. In about 2 1/2 hours, we reached Modena, birthplace of Ferrari and home to its Formula One racing team. We made our way to the Enzo Ferrari Museum (Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari) and had our hearts racing just looking at the various models of the super racing cars from the rare ones of 1950s to Michael Schumacher's and more recent ones. There were a few Alfa Romeo and Maserati cars on display too and a video presentation depicting the life of the great Enzo Ferrari. A second part of the museum is the former house and workshop of Enzo's father which takes one back to the history of Ferrari's origins.

While leaving Modena, Shumita told me something I didn't know; my favourite singer of Neapolitan and opera songs, Luciano Pavarotti, was born here. After spending a lifetime entertaining audiences all over the world with his brilliant and powerful singing, he went back to Modena to rest in peace beneath the green, green grass of home. 

We got back on the road to Florence or Firenze as the Italians call it, arriving there at about 6 pm. We checked in our hotel which was ideally located in the heart of the city, just a short walk from most of the famous sites, and settled down for our stay.

The next two days we followed the true tourist itenerary visiting one landmark after the other beginning with the Cathedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore commonly known as the Duomo which with ts huge dome symbolises Florence just as Hawa Mahal represents Jaipur. Inside is the most famous feature of the church, the enormous octagonal cupola built by Brunelleschi. Historical frescoes and stained glass windows glorify the church which is one of the most well-known in the world.

Incidentally, I always thought 'duomo' meant 'dome' but learnt that it is actually an Italian term for a church.

After the Duomo, Akhila and I rested while Shumita and the boys climbed the 414 steps to the top of Campanile, the tower alongside the Duomo, to get a magnificent view of Florence. 

Next we visited the Galleria dell'Accademia which is home to the famously infamous 17-foot sculpture of David. Onwards to the Uffizi Gallery to see Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Leonardo da Vinci's Anunciation, Michelangelo's Holy Family and many other paintings of Titian, Lippi, Raphael and Caravaggio.

We then entered the Vasari corridor, a private passageway of the Medici family built in the 16th century. It links the Uffizi Gallery with Palazzo Pitti, the palace of the Medicis, via the top of the historic bridge, Ponte Vecchio. The Second World War saw the destruction of all old bridges over the Arno River but remarkably, Ponte Vecchio was left untouched. The bridge is now one of the landmarks of Florence with shops on both sides known particularly for selling exquisite jewellery.

Palazzo Pitti was closed for renovation but we did visit Giardino di Boboli, the pretty garden above the palace, which has many classic sculptures, fountains and breathtaking vistas.

On the evening of 9 June, following the recommendation of a friend of Shumita's, we went to Piazzale Michelangelo, a square on a hill just south of the city centre, which provides an excellent panoramic view of Florence. A replica of David's statue stands near the edge of the hill where there was a big crowd of tourists waiting to watch the sun go down over Ponte Vecchio and beyond the Arno river. Coincidentally, it was the evening just one before full moon, so as we watched the sun set in the west, the moon rose directly opposite in the east. A brilliant sight!

On 11 June, we hired a car to go an extensive road trip starting with Pisa. A drive of just over an hour and we stood looking at the amazing Leaning Tower, one of the seven wonders of the world, with people taking photographs either pretending to push or support the Tower. Once again, Shumita and the boys climbed up the Tower while Akhila and I sipped our Cappuccino at one of the many cafes in Piazza del Miracoli by the side of the Tower. A quick look inside the ancient Cathedral next to the Tower and we resumed our journey.

We headed to Siena, two hours away from Pisa. This drive in Tuscany is considered to be one of the most scenic in Italy. It joins the road from Florence to Siena which is known as 'Chiantigiana' after the famous red wine, Chianti. Majestic cypress trees, lush vineyards, huge wheat farms and bright yellow flowers (ginestra) on slopes of rolling hills provide stunning views all along. 

The Gothic town city of Siena has a walled centre with medieval brick buildings and dark lanes. Its 13th century Duomo is one of the prettiest churches I have seen. The entire floor is covered with inlaid marble mosaic and the church houses a plethora of works of the best Italian sculptors of that era including Michelangelo and Donatello. Besides, it has frescoes, stained glass windows and a hexagonal dome topped with Bernini's gilded lantern like a golden sun. A unique feature is the Piccolomini Library inside the church featuring a cycle of frescoes illustrating ten episodes from the life of Pope Pius II. There was a large collection of ancient, holy tomes of huge sizes with big, bold and colourful typefaces  dating back to the 15th century.

The other landmark we visited was the Piazza del Campo where a prestigious horse race takes place twice a year. As usual, the Piazza had many cafes and a gelataria claiming to be the best in the world for its mouth-watering gelatos in which we indulged.

Reversing course towards Florence, we came to another small and cute hill town of San Gimignano known for its 14 towers of varying heights. No cars are allowed inside the town, so while Shumita and the boys climbed up the road to see whatever sites they could, Akhila and I ambled up to Piazza del Duomo to sip our Cappuccino. On our walk down with wine shops on both sides, I could not resist the temptation to buy some local wine and settled for the glorious red Chianti.

By now the sun was going down and tired but happy, we made our way back to Florence. Our driver was a sweet lady who kept up a nice commentary describing the countryside and the places we were passing by. Additionally, we had music going on with "Grande, Grande, Grande" and "Il Mondo" on my request followed by Shumita appropriately playing Andrea Bocelli who was born in the village of La Sterza in Tuscany, about 40 kms. south of Pisa. Our driver told us that on his birthday on 22 September (all good people are Virgoans!), he holds a free concert and party in his village.  Tempted to join the fun?

A dinner at a restaurant in the busy Piazza della Repubblica with a colourful carousel in the centre marked our final evening in Florence and the next morning we were on the road to Milan. 

Looking at the road map, I had seen that only a small diversion was required to include Verona in our itinerary and Verona as everyone knows was the setting of Shakespeare's love story of Romeo and Juliet. So we took the detour and arrived at Verona by lunchtime. Again, the city allows no cars inside so we were dropped at Piazza Bra, the city's largest square. A quick lunch and we walked to the Roman amphitheater, the Arena, which was built around 30 AD and is the third largest in Italy after Rome's Colosseum and the Amphitheatre of Capua. 

After a quick look at the Arena which was under renovation, we entered the narrow lanes of the city and made our way to Via Cappello for Casa de Giulietta, the house of Juliet. An archway leads to a small courtyard with a lifesize bronze statue of Juliet. On the right stands the house with the famous balcony where much of Shakespeare's drama is played out.

Hardcore realists will say 'Romeo and Juliet' is a work of fiction and there was no family such as the Capulets. Tell that to the hundreds of romantics who throng to Verona every day just to see Juliet's statue, house and the balcony. This is the house of Juliet, this is the balcony from where the love of Juliet and Romeo blossomed, this is the balcony which Romeo climbed to be with Juliet. And the statue- it is believed that rubbing Juliet's right breast is a charm for love and fertility. So young lovers, may that work for you and may your love bloom and grow forever!

On to Milan.

MY VI VISIT TO ITALY - PART I

The belief is that while in Rome, the eternal city, if one throws a coin in Trevi Fountain, it shall ensure a return to the city. Remember "Three Coins in the Fountain", the 1954 movie with its vastly popular theme song sung by The Four Aces?

On my first three visits to Rome, I threw a coin each time and returned for a fourth time. I threw a coin on that trip too but haven't been back to Rome. Akhila and I, while on a holiday in Monaco, did make a day trip to Sanremo on the Italian Riviera in 2018 so could that be attributed to the coin since we did visit Italy? There was, of course, no coin throwing on that trip so we should have been through with the country.

Not so. This summer, we had to get away from Delhi. Jaipur was a no-no with our house undergoing renovation. Various options were discussed and we finally settled on a two-week sojourn to North Italy, a region I had not seen. Ruchir took up the planning and said he would join us for a week. We asked Gaurav to come with family but he said he couldn't get away though Shumita and the boys could join us. So plans were made for 1-15 June.

The trip took off with an Air India flight from Delhi to Milan on 1 June. After a 45 minute drive from Milan airport, by midnight we were at our hotel, Villa d'Este, located in a town called Cernobbio on the banks of Lake Como. Ruchir had already got there earlier.

We spent the next six days exploring the area extensively beginning with our hotel itself. The main building is surrounded by parks sprawling over 25 acres. The property has its origins dating back to 1578 when it was developed as a residence for a Cardinal. It was converted into a hotel in 1873. A book about the hotel had an interesting line: "George Washington did not sleep here but Alfred Hitchcock did!" Elizabeth Taylor's love affair with Richard Burton blossomed here with Liz, according to the famous director, Mike Nichols (The Graduate), attempting to hide her identity by wearing a large hat all the time.

For me, the most fascinating part of the hotel was the magnificent "Mosaic Garden" also known as the Nymphaeum. The lush green lawn adorned with multiple-coloured flowers, some of them gigantic, leads to a small pool after which a few steps take one to a dozen marble structures representative of Italian Renaissance art. The path is decorated with colourful pebbles and a 50-metre climb leads to the statue of Ercole (Hercules) below old fort ruins and a tall bell tower which is a typically common feature of the area.

Another unique feature was the floating swimming pool which was brilliantly lit at night.

Lake Como is a huge lake, the third largest but deepest in Italy, covering an area of 147 sq. kms. It is shaped like an inverted Y with the three arms meeting at the town of Bellagio. The lake is said to be the oldest holiday retreat dating back to Roman times. A boat ride is a must and with gusty winds, there is a swell which, with the vastness of the lake, makes one feel as if one is at sea. Our first boat ride was a round trip for one hour and the lake seemed endless. We sailed feasting our eyes on romantic villas and luscious green waterfront promenades. The boat Coxswain proudly pointed out world-famous hotels with exquisite names as we passed them by. There was Villa Passalacqua, the 24 suites of which have centuries old original frescoes and ceiling carvings, a 200-year old greenhouse and floral parasols. This is a new hotel which started functioning in 2022, was voted as Europe's Best Hotel in 2023 and World's Best Hotel in 2024. Another hotel belonging to the same owners is the famous Grand Hotel Tremezzo located just opposite Bellagio which is home to Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni located right on the waterfront.  

Apart from hotels, the Coxswain pointed out houses belonging to celebrities like George Clooney and Gianni Versace. And then there were villas where popular films like 'Casino Royale' and 'Star Wars' and TV serials like 'Succession' and 'Made in Heaven' were shot. 

There is a marriage venue too where our own Deepika Padukone/Ranveer exchanged wedding vows.

We had a meal in most of these hotels which boast of Michelin star chefs. Being vegetarians, we provided them with a different challenge which they took on quite sportingly! 

We made two land trips, the first to the nearby city of Como on the southwest end of the lake centred on Piazza Cavour with a big lakeside promenade. After roaming around and visiting the famous Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore, we followed our lunch with delicious gelato at a gelataria highly recommended by our driver.

The second trip was across the border to the Swiss city of Lugano by the side of the lake of the same name. We went up a hill to Restaurant Montalbano for lunch and savoured a beautiful panoramic view of the lake and the picturesque valley.

I had invited our friends we made last year in Zurich, Natasha and Adrian, to come and have a meal with us. Very sportingly they obliged and came all the way and we had dinner at restaurant Veranda at our hotel. There was a three-man combo playing soft music and I remembered Natasha telling me that their son had studied with the grandson of Domenico Modugno who originally sang "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu" which was made popular in English by Dean Martin as "Volare". We requested the Combo to play it which they promptly did. Another request was made for "Buona Sera" and the band obliged again.

On Saturday night after dinner, we walked into the hotel bar with a young two-person band, a boy and a girl, singing popular songs. Here my request was for "Gloria" and "La Bamba" which were duly played much to the delight of all with many taking to the dance floor.

Sunday morning and our Lake Como visit came to an end. At noon, Ruchir went off to Zurich to catch his flight to New York and we took a car to Florence for the second part of our holiday.The week would transform into an unforgettable dream.

LALIT "TIGER" TALWAR AND ME - A TIMELINE

January 1956. I begin my second term in NDA transferred from 'Fox' to the newly-formed 'King' squadron.  Fresh 15th course cadets arrive and two of them impress me as they have a certain air about them: Vijay Malhotra and Lalit Talwar. They are both naval cadets with consecutive academy numbers of 2420 and 2421 respectively, and since they are in the same division as me, we have cabins on the same floor. Over my five remaining terms, I keep bumping into them though we have little to do with each other being from different courses. But that lays the foundation of a lifelong friendship with both.

December 1963-May 1965. I am posted in NDA as a Divisional Officer and so is Lalit Talwar. Both are bachelors and stay in the Officer's Mess with cabins near each other on the same floor. We now meet almost every day and spend a lot of time together in the evenings along with other naval bachelors like Subodh "Guppy" Gupta, Mel Charles Kendall and Sudhir "Ike" Isaacs. Guppy and Lalit take up golf and insist that I join them. After some resistance holding that golf is an old man's game, I cave in and join them but not before a few lessons from the Russian blue-blooded Dimitri Jouravlov, NDA golf coach, who is well-known for his remark that water is the best drink in life but as he can't afford the best, we can give him the second best, Rum.

Somewhere down the line, we start calling Lalit, "Tiger". I suspect it was because of his prowess at golf that the nickname got associated with a champion golfer as borne out years later by Eldrick Tont Woods appropriating the nickname for himself. For some reason, maybe wayward golf and kiddish temperament, Tiger and Guppy call me "Child". Tiger continued to address me as such all through his life.

Apart from golf, I discover another passion of Tiger's- Indian classical music. From Ravi Shankar to Ali Akbar Khan and Bismillah Khan, he has a big library of tapes which he makes me listen to whenever I visit his cabin. I too become a fan of this class of music and Tiger gladly transfers his collection on to my tapes. 

Mid-end1965. I am transferred to New Delhi as Flag Lt to Admiral Chatterji, Commandant, National Defence College. Tiger is selected for the new Submarine branch and comes to Delhi to learn Russian while standing by to go to the USSR. Both of us apply to join the Delhi Golf Club, become permanent members within a month and start playing there.

One Saturday evening, I invite Tiger to have drinks and dinner with me at the NDC where I stay. We sit outside on the huge lawn and after just 2 whiskies, Tiger says he is feeling groggy and leaves without dinner. We have a game planned the next morning and when I go to pick him up from Kotah House, he is still in bed. He says he has a massive hangover and won't be playing. I go back to my cabin and while putting away the bottles taken out the previous evening, discover that a gin bottle, which was more than half full, is empty. It then dawns upon me that Tiger was mixing gin instead of water with his whisky and hence the hangover!

We attend many classical music performances. I vividly recall a jugalbandi with Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan accompanied by the tabla wizard Allah Rakha.

Tiger gets engaged to Rashmi and both families decide that he is too handsome to be left alone in the hands of Russian girls. So Rashmi and Tiger are married before Tiger goes abroad. 

1966-1990. We operate in different spheres with Tiger leaving the Navy in 1980 and settling in Noida while I am at Navy's call shuttling between different cities. 

1990-2020. I settle down in Delhi after taking retirement from the Navy and meet Tiger off and on and we play some rounds of golf at the DGC. I am playing regularly at the Army GC and I invite Tiger to join me there. For some reason, the Army course is Tiger's Achilles heel, so he doesnt't come as often as I would like him to.

Summer 2005, after visiting Ruchir in New York, Akhila and I are returning to India and are at Heathrow changing flights. Suddenly I hear someone shouting 'Ravi'. I turn around and am pleasantly surprised to see Tiger. He tells me he is on his way to US after a stay in London. He has one daughter in UK and one in USA so it is convenient for him to break journey in London both ways rather than take long connecting flights.

2020-2024. Thanks to the lockdown, we keep in touch on WhatsApp. The first message I have from him is a forward of a youtube recording of Ustad Shujaat Khan playing Sitar and singing the ghazal 'Zindagi Se Badi Saza Hi Nahin' at Jashn-e-Rekhta. Tiger's forwarding message says, "Enjoy, my favourite artist." There are regular exchanges of music including a sufi qawwali with a dervish dance. And, of course, "Dama Dam Mast Qalandar"! Tiger also says he enjoys my blog and often sends appreciative comments which boost my morale.

14 October 2024. We meet at Kailash Kohli's last rites. This would turn out to be the last time I would see him in person.

03 January 2025. I am on a visit to the NDA and go to our old Squadron 'King' now 'Charlie'. There is an album with old photographs and I find some of Tiger's on joining the NDA in 1956. I send these to him. I also send some of the NDA golf course where it all started. He mentions Jouravlov in his response and I tell him that the course is now appropriately named after our old friend.

24 January-14 May 2025. Tiger undergoes a complex liver surgery. He is in and out of hospital. His daughters create a site on WhatsApp on which they keep his friends apprised of his condition.

15 May 2025. We get a message that Tiger is no more.

So rest in peace, my friend. Thanks for the happy times we spent together and many, many thanks for introducing me to golf and Indian classical music.

If there is a golf course in Heaven, you and Kailash will already be playing. If not, I am sure you will convince St. Peter to make one. And music, they are all there, Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Vilayat Khan, Bismillah Khan, Allah Rakha and his son Zakir Hussain.

ALILA FORT BISHANGARH- A HIDDEN GEM

I haven't kept count of the number of trips I have done between Delhi and Jaipur on National Highway 48, but if someone said 100, it would be grossly short. After settling down in Delhi in 1990 post-retirement and with one leg in Jaipur, 3-4 trips per year have been the norm. For 35 years, you do the math.

Once one enters Rajasthan at Shahjahanpur, one sees a number of forts atop hills. The first one is Neemrana, a pathbreaker of sorts since it set the pace for converting forts into heritage hotels. Then there is one at Shahpura followed by Achrol which featured in the popular 1984 TV miniseries "The Far Pavilions". Driving on, when you see the majestic well-known Amer fort, you know you have reached Jaipur. The same hill range has the Jaigarh fort famous for its cannon named "Jaivana" which was manufactured in 1720 in the foundry within the fort, and was then the largest cannon on wheels in the world. Finally, we see the Nahargarh fort which keeps a watchful eye on the whole of Jaipur. Don't go there at night; it is believed to be haunted!

Sometime back, searching for heritage hotels around Jaipur, I came across one named Alila Fort located near Manoharpur which is on NH 48 next to Shahpura and just 50 kms. from Jaipur. I wondered why we had never seen it from the highway and then forgot about it....

Till last month when we got an invitation from Akhila's cousin, Anup, to the wedding of his daughter, Anusha, with a boy also named Anup! This was followed by a number of calls from Anup and his wife, Sarita, and the venue for the wedding was Alila fort.

We decided we must go for the wedding and hit the road a day before the date. In three and a half hours, we had crossed Shahpura and turned off the highway to the right for the fort. After about 5 kms. we sighted the fort for the first time, a quaint structure on a small granite hill. When thinking of forts, one generally pictures a fortification spread over a large area. This fort is different as it is only as wide as the small hill it is perched on but is nine stories high more like a modern multi-storey building. Appropriate, as the fort was originally built 240 years ago as a watchtower with a long-range panoramic view of the surroundings to provide early warning to Amer/Jaipur for any approaching aggressors.

Originally called Bishangarh fort after the village it is located in, it is now popular as Alila, a name given by Hyatt for a luxury class of hotels. ‘Alila’  means ‘surprise’ in Sanskrit which Hyatt hopes to achieve for their guests in these hotels by offering glimpses of local culture combined with ultra-modern facilities.

For many years, Bishangarh fort lay unoccupied, neglected and deserted. A "For Sale" sign was up on the highway when it caught the eye of one Rahul Kapur. He decided to have a look and after sighting it, roped in his architect brother and friends to buy and convert it into a heritage hotel. His account of their travails to do that makes interesting reading. There was no road and to reach the fort, they had to clamber up on hands and knees. They had to be careful not to annoy hordes of monkeys for whom the fort was a safe haven from leopards. The fort was in a state of decay and covered with vegetation consisting of thorns and brambles. And when they attempted to enter the fort, "zillions of bats" flew out. 

With no road, when the renovation work started, Rahul Kapur became the proud owner of 22 donkeys to cart the material to a height of 145 metres. Extreme caution was exercised not to cause any damage to the original structure the complex nature of which required three lifts to reach different levels much like changing trains at railway junctions! Finally, 15 years from its rediscovery and 9 years of renovation, Hyatt started running a 58 room hotel with two presidential suites in 2017. 

Its potential was then recognised as a venue for weddings. 60 more rooms were added at ground level along with lawns, gardens, halls and special sites for different Indian wedding ceremonies. To say that we were glad to attend a wedding at this spectacular fort would be an understatement.

The wedding evening started with the reception of the 'baraat' at the gate of the ramparts of the fort. That was followed by the 'Varmala'  ceremony with the bride walking slowly down the slope escorted by other young girls and the bridegroom receiving her at the bottom of the hill. They then moved to a gazebo by a small pool for the exchange of garlands. Finally the 'Pheraas' which were held down in a 'Baaori'.

Watching the ceremonies, I thought the scene was ideal for a romantic movie. Which story would be better: Romeo scaling the walls of the fort to abduct Juliet or Juliet running down the winding road in the dark to elope with Romeo?

Any royalties from the story would be mine!

THREE SONGS BROUGHT TO MIND BY TODAY'S GOOD WEATHER

April was a hot, hot month. Temperatures in Delhi were around five degrees above normal. Add pollution to that and you get the depressing picture!

The last day of April was just as bad. The first of May was slightly better but I had a runny nose and felt fatigued and missed my golf date. My usual golf companion said the breeze was cool and he enjoyed his round. And then on 2nd May, I was woken up in the early hours of the morning by flashes of lightning and loud rumblings of thunder. It was pouring heavily and pleasantly surprised, I went back to sleep.

When I finally got up, the weather was beautiful. From 5 degrees above average, it had plunged to seven degrees below normal. The lawn outside our apartment was flooded and it was still raining. An easterly breeze of 15-20 knots made it appear cooler than the actual temperature and kept the pollution levels low. With this spell, the next few days should be cool and there is more rain predicted.

Gone was the fatigue and my runny nose. I was in the mood for a song and what should come to mind but the old song Vinnie Mama taught me way back in early '50s soon after he joined the Navy, "She wore a yellow ribbon". The following lines will make it clear why I remembered this particular song : 

"And in her hair, she wore a yellow ribbon

She wore a yellow ribbon in the merry month of May

Hey, hey, and if you ask, oh why the hell she wore it

She wore it for a sailor who is far, far away."

In this mood, remembering old times, can Shashi Mama be far behind? No, and promptly, I was swaying to his favourite, "Balma ja ja ja, balma ja." Any party or get-together and you would have Shashi Mama singing and dancing and adding to the merry-making with this song.

The third song was a surprise. Quite out of context and on a serious note was Tom Jones' "Delilah". A lot of us would be familiar with this number in which the singer discovers the unfaithfulness of his lover, Delilah, by seeing 'flickering shadow of love on her blind....as she deceived me I watched and went out of my mind.... she stood there laughing, I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more. My, my, my Delilah! Why, why, why Delilah?' 

Perhaps the reason for recalling this song is the revival of Agatha Christie in my mind. In the '50s-70s, she was my favourite author of mystery novels featuring either the eccentric but sharp Hercule Poirot or the clever and observant Miss Marple. The other day, I read a news item that BBC is adapting her novel, "Towards Zero", for a TV serial. That put Agatha Christie back into my reading list and I have just finished the brilliant book which features a love triangle. 

Anyway, "Delilah" was one of Tom Jones' extremely popular numbers which we used to sing happily and boisterously in parties, never mind its murderous lyrics! 

May your May be happy and bright!

 

LA DONNA E MOBILE- A TREAT FOR MEN

Time to get out of depression and uplift the mood.

Opera is not popular in India even with those who are fond of Western classical music. I claim to be among the latter but find the extreme voice undulations of sopranos and contraltos a little taxing to my ears. I don't mind tenors, though, and love Mario Lanza, Luciano Pavarotti and the grouping together of the latter with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras as The Three Tenors. Their renditions of operatic arias and Neapolitan classics have been extraordinary and unforgettable and can be listened to anytime to get into a good mood. 

So when my music system was functional again after some repairs, I went to YouTube, searched for The Three Tenors and was led to their popular number "La donna e mobile" from Verdi's famous opera "Rigoletto". I have heard this aria before and liked it though I did not know the meaning of the words as, of course, it is sung in Italian. To listen to it again, I pressed the play button. To my pleasant surprise, the video carried an English translation of the lyrics.

When you understand the words, the pleasure increases manifold particularly as the lyrics of this song are full of humour and The Three Tenors sing it in a playful, mischievous way, prodding each other, exchanging naughty sidelong glances and smiling all the way. The translation is repeated below for those who, like me, love the song but do not know the Italian language.

The title of this post warns that it is a treat for men but if any women readers have come so far, they are advised to leave to avoid getting offended.

"La donna e mobile"  - 'Woman is fickle' :-

'Woman is fickle like a feather in the wind

She changes in voice and in thought

Always a lovely pretty face

In tears or in laughter, it is untrue.

Woman is fickle like a feather in the wind

She changes her words and her thoughts

Always miserable is he who trusts her

He who confides in her, his unwary heart

Yet one never feels fully happy

Who from that bosom does not drink love!

Woman is fickle like a feather in the wind

She changes her words and her thoughts.'

To quote RK Laxman- "You Said It!"

PRANAB ROY, A FRIEND FOR 74 YEARS PASSES ON

On 14th April, we got an early morning call from Polly Byce (Rear Admiral PS Byce, now retired and settled in Jaipur) that Pranab Roy had passed on. So ended an association of 74 years.

In July 1951, after moving from Udaipur to Jaipur, I was admitted to St. Xavier's School in Standard VII. The class had around 30 students and I was a shy kid but I somehow found the two Roy brothers in our class easy to talk to. And so I got friendly with Pranab and Prasun whose age difference was less than a year. Their father was a doctor and they lived in Bani Park, a fair distance away, but my house was close to the School and we often adjourned there to chat and play after School.

By the time we came to Standard X, the Senior Cambridge year, our class had whittled down to just 9 with the Roy brothers and me hanging there. Somewhere down the line, we got it into our heads that we should attempt to join the National Defence Academy (NDA). I had already been influenced by my two Mamas in the Navy and I guess that had passed on to the brothers as well. So amidst opposition from our parents and guardians, we submitted the application forms.

Our Senior Cambridge exam was in December 1954 and as the NDA written exam was soon after, we went to Delhi to appear in it without any preparation more for a lark than any serious intent. 

All three of us qualified and got called over to appear before the Services Selection Board, Bangalore, with free Inter class train tickets to and fro. At that stage, Pitaji, my Nana and guardian, put his foot down and said I was not to go. I pleaded with him to let me make the free trip with my friends and argued that physically frail as I was, I had no chance of getting selected. Finally, the three of us got into the train for a 2-day journey to Bangalore.

During the journey, we discussed our chances of qualifying. Pranab was just over 5 feet and not too fond of sports, I had barely touched 5' and was grossly underweight and boney, while Prasun was 5'5", stocky and athletic. Pranab and I agreed that we had no chance of making it but Prasun would surely get through. Prasun kept a discreet silence but we could see that he was in agreement.

Imagine our shock and surprise when Pranab and I qualified while Prasun was rejected! Poor Prasun never quite got over it.

Pranab and I got our instructions to join the 14th Course becoming the first two from our School to get into the NDA. Possibly it would have happened anyway but that gives me an opportunity to claim that we set a path for others to follow that soon produced two Chiefs, Admiral Madhvendra Singh for the Navy and Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi for the Air Force.

As directed, on 22nd July 1955, we reported to the NDA.  Pranab was sent to 'Baker' squadron and I to 'Fox' a little distance away. In our second term, I was transferred to the newly-formed 'King' squadron which was adjacent to 'Baker' and so we became neighbours able to spend much free time together.

After NDA, we were cadets together on Tir and, as Midshipmen, on Mysore. Then we separated as Pranab was moved to the Supply and Secratariat branch because of his weak eyesight and I remained in the Executive. We never served on the same ship but were in the same station a few times.

Pranab married Pronoti, commonly known as Rita, a good 7 years before I did. But after meeting each other, Rita and Akhila got along very well and remain close to this day.

I took premature retirement and Pranab retired in 1993 and settled back in Jaipur. Though we are in Delhi, Akhila and I go to Jaipur frequently and an exchange of visits, meals and seeing movies at the Army Picture Hall together with the Roys has been a must on every trip.

When we last went to Jaipur end-January, Akhila spoke to Rita and they talked about seeing the movie "Sky Force" at the Army theatre soon. Just a few days later, Rita told us that Pranab had a fall in the bathroom early morning and though he was fully conscious and the injury was attended to immediately, he slipped into a coma and was admitted to a hospital. Rita herself was down with a viral fever and not in good shape. Akhila and I came down with viral fever too and were badly debilitated. Pranab remained in coma and after about 10 days, the hospital authorities said his vital signs were OK, the hospital could do no more and Pranab should be taken home and attended to there.

End-February after we had somewhat recovered and felt OK to go back to Delhi, we visited Rita but Pranab remained in coma.

This state of affairs continued with Pranab being taken to hospital a few times as required. He was in hospital again when he finally passed away early morning on 14th April.

A classmate, coursemate, citymate and a true friend for 74 years, is no more. May his soul RIP. 

A RELIGIOUS JOURNEY - MY VISITS TO PLACES OF WORSHIP

Reading about Angkor Wat in William Dalrymple's "The Golden Road" set me thinking about the important places of worship I have visited across different religions. Actually, in my early years, it seems to have been ordained by God that I was brought up in some famous Hindu religious cities.

I was born in Mathura, Janmabhoomi of Lord Krishna, where I spent most of the first five years of my life listening to fascinating stories recounted by Mataji, my Nani, about little Krishna, adorably called 'Makhanchor' by housewives whose butter he stole as also their hearts! Like Lord Krishna, I can rightly claim to be a Brajwasi not only by birth but also because my ancestors came from Bharatpur, a city near Mathura and considered part of old Braj. After Mathura, the next six years of my life were spent in Bharatpur. Coincidentally, I sit writing this post on the festival of colour, Holi, which is celebrated with great gusto, singing and dancing, in Mathura and Bharatpur. A popular folk song from my childhood buzzing in my ears is "Aaj Biraj mein Holi re, Rasiya."

So my religious journey started with Mathura, a city full of temples starting with Sri Krishna Janma Bhoomi by the banks of the river Yamuna where a spectacular Aarti is held every evening. Nearby is Dwarkadhish temple housing a black marble idol of Lord Krishna. Close by is the town of Vrindavan famous for its Bankey Bihari temple. the idol of which is a combined form of Radha and Krishna. And in 1975, ISKCON opened a Radha-Krishna temple which celebrates its 50th anniversary in April this year.

The Mathura round is completed by visiting Giriraj temple in the village of Govardhan, the starting and finishing point of a round of Braj. The 'Parikrama' measures 7 'kos', roughly 21 kms. I must confess that I have only done darshan at the temple but Akhila boasts of having completed the Parikrama more than once before our marriage.

In 1949, the state of Rajasthan was formed and Pitaji, my Nana, was appointed a Judge in the new High Court Bench at Udaipur and we moved to the City of Lakes. Soon after, we made our first of countless visits to Nathdwara, 40 kms. away, for Shrinathji's darshan at the historic temple. For our small community of Suryadwaj Brahmins, Shrinathji is the 'Ishta-Devata' or presiding deity and the temple has special significance. I have written about it in detail in an earlier post but briefly, the idol is believed to date back to 1409 and is that of a seven year old Lord Krishna lifting a hill with his left hand to protect his home town of Govardhan. The idol was originally installed there in a temple but in 1672, it was decided to move it to a safer place down south to prevent it from being destroyed by Aurangzeb. Providentially, the chariot in which the idol was being transported broke down short of Udaipur and the Rana of Mewar took on the responsibility of protecting the idol. He built a haveli in the city now known as Nathdwara to house the idol where it stands to this day. The famed chariot, incidentally, is on display at the temple its unique feature being that it is completely made of wood only without a single metal piece such as a nail. 

Before Pitaji's transfer to Jaipur in 1950, we visited Nathdwara on all important festivals like Janmashthami and Diwali. The day after Diwali is specially celebrated there with Govardhan Puja or Annakoot when they prepare a large variety of special dishes and sweets and a huge mound of rice almost hitting the ceiling in the 'aangan' of the temple.

We also did the region's 'Char Dham' which from Udaipur starts with Eklingji, an ancient Shiva temple patronised by the Maharana of Mewar, Shrinathji at Nathdwara, Dwarkadhishji at Kankroli, and Char Bhujaji, another 'swaroop' of Lord Krishna. All these temples are linearly on the Udaipur-Kishengarh highway within a total of 90 kms. Goes without saying that Akhila and I have done this 'char dham' yatra many times.

Jaipur has many famous temples like Govindji ka Mandir inside the City Palace compound. It is said that the Maharaja of Jaipur used to have his early morning darshan using a telescope from his palace balcony about 50 meters away. Then there is Kaaley Hanumanji ka Mandir, Birla Mandir and Ganeshji ka Mandir just below the Moti Doongri Palace. But then every Indian city has its own set of famous temples so we will now skip to only the very well-known ones.

Shortly after marriage, Akhila and I visited our first of India's Bada Char Dham as declared by the sage, Adi Shankaracharya, the Jagannath temple at Puri in the east. The Navy kept me busy and it was only after retirement that we could resume the yatra with Dwarka in the west, Rameswaram in the south and Badrinath in the north, the last coming in 2008,  35 years after Puri. In between, we visited some other famous temples like Vaishno Devi in Jammu, Somnath in Gujarat, Meenakshi in Madurai, Kumari Amman Temple in Kanyakumari at the southernmost point of India, Tirumala Venkateswara in Tirupati and Sun Temple in Konark, Odisha. 

When we visited Dwarka, we also went to the island of Beyt Dwarka which is believed to have been the abode of Lord Krishna. Of special mention is the Martand Sun Temple near Anantnag in Kashmir. When I went there with my grandparents and Mummy in 1962, Pitaji gave the priest a few of his ancestors' names and the priest went inside and brought out a large scroll which traced our family's lineage for the past hundreds of years!

In 1951, approaching 13 years of age, I was admitted to St. Xavier's School in Jaipur and that was my introduction to Christianity. 2 years later, we planned to visit Bombay during the summer vacations and I mentioned that to my class teacher, Reverend Father Mackessack, who was also headed to Bombay. He invited us to visit Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount (Mount St. Mary Church) in Bandra which we, Pitaji, Mataji, Mummy and I, did with Fr. Mackessack happily being the guide. That was my first visit to a church and I vividly remember admiring the colourful stained glass windows for which the Church was famous.

In 1976, the Navy sent me to Rome for some work. That gave me the marvellous opportunity to visit Vatican City, headquarters of Roman Catholics and home of the Pope. On the very first weekend, I went there and headed for St. Peter's Basilica. As soon as I entered the Church, I heard an organ starting to play Schubert's "Ave Maria" and I remember standing transfixed in front of Michelangelo's La Pieta, sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus after his crucifixion. I was overwhelmed by an indescribable feeling and overcome by emotion. After a long while, I stirred myself out of my trance to see the rest of the Church and the nearby Sistine Chapel, known for Michelangelo's brilliant frescoes on the ceiling. 

In London in 1987, Akhila and I visited St. Paul's Cathedral as also Westminster Abbey which since 1066 has been the location of the coronation of 40 English and British monarchs, 16 royal weddings and 18 burials of monarchs. And in 2013, we went to Rio de Janeiro, home of the statue of Christ the Redeemer, one of the seven wonders of the world, amazingly installed in a narrow space on top of a steep hill. That truly was a dream come true!

We have seen many churches but I must mention one of particular significance to us. In June 2012, while visiting Ruchir in New York, I was struck by brain aneurysm and admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital for surgery. For a while, my condition was precarious and Akhila and Ruchir spent some very anxious moments. The hospital was a short distance from Ruchir's apartment and Akhila used to walk to the hospital and back. A doctor suggested that Akhila visit St. Paul the Apostle Church which was on her way very close to the hospital. She did that a number of times and now whenever we go to New York, we make it a point to visit it at least once.

Moving on to Buddhism, I have visited a number of monasteries thanks largely to my tenures in the National Defence College and the Defence Services Staff College. Both these institutions have 'Forward Area Tours' during which one is taken to the northern, western and eastern borders of the country. In the moonlike land of Ladakh, I have been to the Hemis Monastery, about 45 kms. south of Leh on the west bank of Indus river. The monastery is believed to have existed before the 11th century but was reestablished in 1672. In the east in Arunachal Pradesh, I have visited the Tawang Monastery, the largest monastery in India. During a visit to Gangtok, Sikkim, I went to the nearby Rumtek Monastery also known as the Dharma Chakra Centre and famous for its exquisite Tibetan architecture and Buddhist art. 

Last year, Akhila and I went to Bhutan, a country full of monasteries which they call 'dzong'. Paro where the international airport is located, is home to the famous Taktsang Dzong (Tiger's Nest Monastery) but we only saw it from a distance as it involves a tortuous climb. But we did enter many others like the one at Punakha, former capital of Bhutan, and Simtokha, near Thimphu, which is said to be the oldest in Bhutan.

Keeping a benevolent watch on Thimphu and blessing all from top of a hill is one of the largest Buddha statues in the world measuring 51.5 metres in height. The statue is made of golden bronze and is hollow allowing visitors to enter it and view 125000 miniature Buddhas 8 to 12 inches tall, placed inside.

A city well-known for its Buddhist temples is Bangkok which Akhila and I visited in 2014. Three temples we visited are fresh in my mind. Wat Arun is the Temple of Dawn and world-renowned symbol of Bangkok's rich cultural heritage. Wat Pho is unique for its 46 metres long and 15 metres high statue of the Reclining Buddha. And Wat Phra Kaew has the Emerald Buddha carved from a single block of jade.

I round up my visits to Buddhist sites by recalling my trip to Dalhousie and Dharamshala while serving in the Signals Intelligence Directorate, Army Headquarters, in 1980. McLeod Ganj in Dharamshala is the home of the exiled Dalai Lama who lives in the Tsuglagkhang Monastery. The main temple room houses the throne on which the Dalai Lama sits while delivering teachings.

Akhila and I fulfilled a long-pending wish when we went to Amritsar towards the end of the monsoon season in 2015. We had a scary flight because of the stormy weather but it was well worth it. We visited the holiest site of Sikhism, the Golden Temple or Harmandir Sahib meaning 'House of God'. The original Gurdwara was completed in 1577 but later, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire, rebuilt it and overlaid the sanctum with gold leaf in 1830 due to which it acquired the name 'Golden Temple'. The main building, 'Akal Takht' (Throne of the Timeless) is in the centre of a pool and the holy book, 'Akal Granth', is placed here. Everyone irrespectice of religion or status is welcome in the temple and can have a free vegetarian meal at the 'langar', the community-run kitchen. That incidentally, is a feature of all Sikh Gurdwaras.

Bad weather delayed our return flight to Delhi by a day and that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It gave us the opportunity to go to Tarn Taran and visit Gurdwara Sri Darbar Singh which has the largest 'sarovar' (water pond) of all gurdwaras. 

Delhi itself hosts a number of top-ranking gurdwaras led by Bangla Sahib in Connaught Place and Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk. Just a km. from our home is Moti Bagh Sahib which we pass everytime we go towards Dhaula Kuan.

Among Islamic holy sites, Delhi is again prominent with its Jama Masjid which we have visited a number of times. By far the largest and grandest mosque we have seen is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi which was completed as recently as December 2007. It is a splendid white marble construction with 82 domes, over 1000 columns, 24-carat gold gilded chandeliers and the world's largest hand-knotted carpet. Standing inside the large main hall in complete silence gives one an awesome feeling. The dress code is strict requiring visitors to wear modest clothes and women generally are given a black 'Abaya' (long, loose, head-to-toe cloak) which is available at the entrance.

An unforgettable experience was visiting Mezquita de Cordoba in Spain which doubles as a mosque and a cathedral. It was believed to have been a church to start with but converted into a mosque in 785 A.D. under Muslim rule in Cordoba. In 1236, it was reconverted to a cathedral but a section of the main hall was preserved as a mosque and presently, both the chapel and the mosque function remarkably in one building under one roof. 

Cochin, now renamed Kochi, has a small Jewish town at one end of which is Paradesi, the oldest synagogue not only in India but in the entire Commonwealth. It was founded in 1568 by Spanish and Dutch Jews but was destroyed by the Portuguese in the 17th century and then rebuilt in its current form. Its interior is beautifully lit and decorated and I have visited it a number of times the last being in January 2024 with Akhila.

A small and relatively new religion is the Baha'i Faith which originated in Iran in mid-19th century. Its core beliefs are very noble as it embraces Oneness of Humanity, Oneness of Religion, and Elimination of Prejudice. It has no priesthood or ritual but has eight continental Houses of Worship in the world including one in Delhi called the Lotus Temple. The beautiful structure has won many international architecture awards with its main hall consisting of 27 free-standing marble-clad petals arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides. Completed in 1986, it has become a 'must-see' site in Delhi. Regular functions are held there and we have attended many including some musical performances.

Exhaustive list? Perhaps. Complete? Never. As the renowned travel writer Paul Theroux said, one may think one has seen a lot but there is so much left to see! 

I do wish to see Angkor Wat though.

Jai Shri Krishna.

In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost, Amen.

Sat Sri Akal.

Allah-ho-Akbar.

 

FROM ITALIAN LANGUAGE TO SONGS

We have been through a rough patch. 

The cause was a viral infection and after 6 weeks, Akhila and I hope we have seen the end of it and can get back to greener pastures again!

Confined to home, there were some light moments when Shumita and her boys came to comfort and cheer us. After lunch one day, Shiven and Raghav were talking about their Spanish lessons when Akhila remarked that Shumita had put in so much effort to learn French but it was all going waste as she was not making use of it now. In defence, Shumita said she had been busy with the boys' schooling and once they went to College, she would pursue French again, speak and write it and visit France. 

I butted in and said I shall visit the Italian Cultural Centre and join its language classes. Shumita asked why Italian and not Spanish which the boys are getting good at? I said I'm already familiar with a lot of Italian words and phrases and it would be easier for me to pick up the language.

Shumita and the boys: "Where did you learn the words?"

Me:"In Rome from Italians during my visits."

"For example?"

"Buon giorno."

"Another one?"

"Buona Sera."

"And another?"

"That's it, that's good night."

"No, buona sera is good evening" and they show me on iPhone that good night is "Buona notte."

"Well, for me buona sera is good night and I have a beautiful Italian song to prove it."

I switch on the TV and YouTube and open the 1956 hit song by Louis Prima, 'Buona Sera'. This is what its catchy and unforgettable lyrics say-

"Buona sera signorina buona sera

It is time to say good night to Napoli

Though it's hard for us to whisper buona sera

With that old moon above the Mediterranean Sea

In the morning signorina we'll go walking

Where the mountains help the sun come in to sight

And by the little jewelry shop we'll stop and linger

Where I'll buy a wedding ring for your finger

In the meantime let me tell you that I love you

Buona sera signorina kiss me good night."

Well, for me 'buona sera' will always be 'good night'!

P.S. This song was, of course, also rendered superbly by Dean(o) Martin(o), the maestro of Italian songs who gave us hits after hits in the '50s and the '60s. I simply have to recall perhaps his greatest, "Volare".

"Volare, oh oh

Cantare, oh oh oh oh

Let's fly way up to the clouds

Away from the maddening crowds

We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of where lovers enjoy peace of mind

Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind

Just like birds of a feather a rainbow together we'll find

Volare, oh oh

Cantare, oh oh oh oh

No wonder my happy heart sings

Your love has given me wings....

Nel blu dipinto di blu

E che dici di stare lassu...."

SWEET AND SOUR

It started off as a normal, sweet trip.

In January and February, we've been going to Jaipur for many, many years and so did we this year reaching there on 25 January well in time to settle down before the start of the famous Jaipur Literature Festival (LitFest) starting on 30 January. We got in touch with friends and relatives looking forward to meeting them in the Festival and later.

The LitFest got off with a bang with William Dalrymple holding forth brilliantly on his latest book, "The Golden Road-How Ancient India Transformed The World". As against the mythical 'Silk Road', Dalrymple recounts how India spread our culture and commerce to faraway places helped by a strong shipping industry guided by favourable monsoon winds. The largest Hindu temple, nay, the largest temple of any religion, is not in India but Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Among other Southeast countries, Ramayana is celebrated in Bali, one island in Islamic Indonesia which has a big Hindu majority. Buddhism spread all over East Asia including China. And India exported spices as far as the Roman Empire and got paid in gold. Truly a golden road!

A highlight of the opening day was the presence of Rishi Sunak, ex-PM of UK, who came with his in-laws, the Murthys, to attend a session where his wife, Akshata, spoke to her author mother Sudha Murthy about the latter's book, "The Child Within". Mr. Sunak obliged by standing up and doing a smiling 'Namaste' to the audience and was cheered appreciatively.  

The next day was a big one for the Sharma clan for which as many of us as could had got together in Jaipur. The event was the introduction of the book "Purde Ke Peechhey", an autography of the popular actress Ila Arun transcripted by my cousin Anjula Bedi, herself an actress, as told to her by Ila. The two were on stage with the moderator and theatre actor and director, MK Raina. Anjula read some passages while Ila kept the home audience (Ila is from Jaipur} entertained with her tales as also some singing and dancing. Midway during the session, Raina staged a sudden walkout apparently because he felt that Kashmir's troubles were being trivialised by filmmakers. Ila, however, continued gamely and retained the enthusiastic attention of the audience.  

On the final day of the Festival the organisers came up with a masterstroke bringing about a unique and unbelievable meeting of the descendants of two great thinkers of the last century, Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi, marking it the first time that family members of Tolstoy and Gandhi physically met after their ancestors' letter exchanges more than 115 years ago. Daniil Tolstoy, great grandson of Leo, and Gopalkrishna Gandhi, grandson of the Mahatma, were on stage enthralling the audience with the real life story of the extraordinary exchange of letters between the two famous men. In 1909, Leo Tolstoy, a Russian Count and renowned author, was 80 and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, a lawyer in Johannesburg, half Tolstoy's age at 40. On a visit to London, Gandhiji chanced upon a revolutionary manifesto by Tolstoy,"A Letter to a Hindu", in which, drawing from his own experience of the bloody 1905 Russian Revolution and quoting from Hindu scriptures, Tolstoy urged Indians to give up violence and 'embrace love as the only path to liberation'. Gandhiji was highly impressed by the 'Letter' and wrote back to Tolstoy setting up an exchange of letters for about a year before Tolstoy passed away in November 1910. Non-violence thus became Gandhiji's philosophy and to start with, he opened a Tolstoy farm outside Johannesburg where Satyagrahis could gather.  

The curtain to JLF 2025 was drawn with the customary Writer's Ball where a good time was had by all with sumptuous food and dancing to the music of a jugalbandi of Western and Rajasthani Manganiar music.

Akhila and I had planned on spending about 10 days in Jaipur after the LitFest. So we thought of taking it easy for a few days before catching up with friends and relatives. But on 6 February, Akhila developed a hacking cough and I got it soon after. As advised by a doctor friend, we started taking biochemical medicines and felt initial improvement. But suddenly our condition became worse and by 11th night, we were very ill. As advised and facilitated by our friend Rita, Pranab Roy's wife, who was recovering from a similar illness, the next morning we sought admission in a hospital and were kept in the CCU for over a day followed by 3 in a private room. Alarmed, Shumita flew to Jaipur to look after us.

We were discharged on 15th evening feeling completely debilitated and drained out. According to doctors, it was a viral infection that had affected the respiratory system. We discovered there were other victims in Jaipur including naval friend Polly Byce and his wife, Ranjana. The more we talked to people, the more we heard about cases from as far as Coorg and Varanasi. A neighbour in Delhi told us it took her 3 months to get her full strength back!   

We were advised two weeks of rest after which we returned to Delhi on 1 March. We have recovered from the infection but are still a little weak with some aches and pains.

So a sweet trip turned sour. Looking forward to an early return to 'sweet'!