SARONIC ISLANDS

Demis Roussos, Greek, and Udaipur, travel destination, brought to mind a visit to Athens in 2014 and the delightful boat trip to three islands in Saronic Gulf. I had written about it in a piece published in Outlook magazine which I am posting here for those interested and who might not have read it earlier. 

                                                          

                                                       SARONIC ISLANDS

During a trip to Athens this summer, my wife and I decided to take a day’s cruise to the picturesque Saronic Islands that one had heard so much about. 

Our yacht departed from the port town of Piraeus at 8.30 a.m. and set course for our first destination, the island of Hydra or Idhra as the Greeks call it. We were soon into the Saronic Gulf which was blue, serene and calm and the weather was clear with the sun bright but not too hot. A cap and sunglasses were nevertheless desirable. The passage to Hydra was about two and a half hours which passed very quickly as apart from taking in the beautiful scenery all around us, there was a two man combo on the upper deck playing and singing nostalgic old songs including the ever popular and appropriate Zorba the Greek!

All too soon we entered Hydra harbor which is shaped like an amphitheatre or a crescent moon. Greystone mansions are constructed on the slope of a hill dating back to the 17th and 18th century. Hydra has been a favourite resort of the international jet set since the 1950s when it was popularized by Henry Miller’s Colliseus of Marousi. Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd have all rubbed shoulders with the average tourist here. The Monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary with a marine museum is right on the waterfront as you disembark from your boat. Hydra permits no automobiles on the island but boasts of over 500 donkeys which help the locals transport heavy loads. The waterside is full of busy cafes and boutique hotels and shops selling souvenirs, clothing, silverware and other handicrafts. You can venture inside the meandering, narrow cobblestone paved lanes for better bargains. 

It was time to embark and proceed to the second and the smallest of our three islands, Poros. This was a shorter passage of about an hour. Somewhat like Venice, the town of Poros is on a little strip uniting two minor bays with a small canal separating it from the rest of the island. In ancient times, Poros was actually two islands, Spheria and Kalavria, till the explosion of a volcano in 273 B.C. gave Poros its present shape. It has a distinct appearance with its white houses and red tiled roofs. On a hill is a prominent clocktower inviting tourists to climb up for a breathtaking panoramic view.  Poros is famous for its seafood and the yummy gelato which we could have only two of as the time on the island was restricted to 45 minutes!

Back on board and heading for our third island, the Aegina, which is towards Athens, it was time for a sumptuous buffet lunch. It was a mix of Greek and Continental food with rich desserts accompanied by live music. A sip of coffee and we were at Aegina which has a neoclassical and modern look. Due to time constraint, we were given the option to take a drive around the island or go for a swim on one of its famous beaches. We opted for the island trip. 

Close to the harbor is the ancient temple of Aphaia dating back to 480 B.C.  We were shown the house where Nikos Kazantzakis wrote Zorba the Greek.  A brief stopover was made at the majestic Church of Agios Nikolaos, the saint protector of fishermen and sailors. But Aegina is most famous for its pistachios. My wife and I had never seen a pistachio tree but here we saw them in thousands as they are abundant all over the island.  The harbor is full of shops selling pistachios and we bought a lot for family and friends. 

By now, it was 7 p.m. and time to sail back to Piraeus, a 75 minute ride. Durimg this passage, a memorable song and dance session was organised with full audience participation. We were literally pulled out of our chairs by the performers inviting us to join in the Greek dances including the Zorba once again! A great time was had by one and all and the cruise was by far the high point of our summer tour.

UDAIPUR 1949-51

 

The Rajasthan High Court was inaugurated on 29 August 1949 and Pitaji was sworn in as a High Court Judge at a ceremony in Jodhpur and transferred to Udaipur to head the bench there. First week of September, Pitaji, Mataji and I took the long overnight metre gauge train journey involving two changes to Udaipur. We were initially put up in Laxmi Vilas Guesthouse perched on top of a hill close to the City Palace and overlooking the Pichola lake. 

Udaipur, capital of the old Mewar Kingdom and founded in 1553, is a picturesque city located around a number of lakes, Pichola and Fateh Sagar being the main ones. For us, it was a welcome change from the dry and dusty Bharatpur. One of the first things I noticed, there were no fans anywhere. When I asked I was told that Udaipur, with its temperate climate as a result of water all around, was classified as a ‘hill station’!

Two islands on Pichola with impressive structures were visible from our Guesthouse. I was keen to visit them and luckily, Pitaji himself had tourist blood in his veins and we went to the islands on the very first weekend. The first was Jagmandir named after Maharana Jagat Singh I and completed in mid-17th century. It was the Lake Garden Palace of the Maharanas. It is said that Shahjehan, then known as Khurram, took refuge on the island during the fight for Jehangir’s successor and the unique floating marble structure of the Palace was his inspiration for the designing of Taj Mahal.

The second island we visited was Jag Niwas built by Maharana Jagat Singh II 1743-46 as his summer palace. This lavish piece of marble architecture with its terraces, gardens and fountains is now the Taj Lake Palace Hotel.

Udaipur is a tourists’ paradise and our weekends were all taken up by seeing new places. We visited the City Palace where I was amazed to see a garden on the rooftop of the 5-storey, 100 ft high monument. Then there was the Saheliyon Ki Bari, an ancient park with colourful fountains and marble elephants. Located on a hill by the side of Fateh Sagar was Sajjangarh, the Monsoon Palace of the Maharanas, which afforded a bird's eyeview of the entire city. An hour’s drive away on the winding road through Aravali hills, we visited Jaisamand which is the second largest artificial fresh water lake in Asia.

We are devotees of Lord Shrinathji whose idol is housed in the famous temple at Nathdwara, 48 kms. north-east of Udaipur. Shrinathji is a ‘swarup’ of Lord Krishna as a 7 year old boy who saved a village, Goverdhan, near Mathura, from torrential rains and deluge by holding up a hill with his left hand to provide shelter. Actually the idol was initially installed in Goverdhan but moved to Nathdwara in 1672 to save it from destruction by the Moghuls. A special ‘rath’ was constructed from wood without any nails for the transfer of the holy idol. The ‘rath’ has since been kept on display inside the temple complex. 

We first visited the temple during Diwali holidays that year. During 'darshan', one was being constantly pushed from side to side. On enquiring, I was told that it was done intentionally to simulate waves of the river Yamuna, the river passing through Mathura, birthplace of Lord Krishna. Another custom was a pujari standing and hitting devotees as they passed him with a knotted sheet; that symbolised cleansing one of one’s misdeeds by striking them out of the body. 

On Annakoot, the day after Diwali, the temple authorities had prepared more than 50 items of 'prasada'. I was awestruck to see a ten-foot high mound of cooked rice placed in the 'aangan' of the temple for distribution to the devotees.

The Udaipur area has its own ‘char dham’ for Vaishnavites and we visited all four many times during our stay in Udaipur. 42 kms. from the city is Eklingji worshipped as the ruling god of Mewar with the Maharana as his Dewan. The next is Shrinathji in Nathdwara followed by Dwarkadhish in Kankroli, next to the serene Rajsamand Lake. Completing the ‘char dham’ is Charbhujaji which is 112 kms. from Udaipur.

Near Charbhujaji, we also visited Ranakpur Jain temple famous for its fascinating architecture.  

Haldi Ghati, scene of the famous battle between Maharana Pratap and Akbar’s forces led by Maharaja Man Singh I of Amber, lies a short distance away between Eklingji and Nathdwara and was, of course, on our touring list. Visiting the historical site and standing by the Chetak Smarak, memorial to Maharana Pratap’s famous steed, one could visualise the battle in one's mind.

Chittorgarh, about 80 kms. from Udaipur and home to a huge fort, also invited a couple of trips from us. Apart from the fort, I remember visiting the Vijay Stambh and Rani Padmini’s Palace.

If my account of stay in Udaipur reads like a travelogue, it should surprise no one. The area is rich in history, monuments and lakes and a paradise for tourists who flock there in lakhs every year from thousands of miles away. And we had the luxury of living there visiting the sites at our leisure over a long stretch of time. 

Pitaji was allotted a government house next to the High Court enabling him to walk across for work. It had a big lawn with elevated levels on the sides. I remember this specially for one incident. Mummy, who was still teaching in Bharatpur, was on a visit and we were out on the lawn when I decided to run up and down the slopes. Mummy also got in the mood and joined me but slipped and fell on her face. Fortunately, she escaped with minor injuries but I considered myself responsible for the incident and felt very guilty about it. 

For my schooling, Pitaji had already planned to put me in a unique institution founded by his friend and well-known educationist, Shri Mohan Singh Mehta. I went into Class VII at the Vidya Bhawan, a school much ahead of its time. In an orthodox and conservative state of Rajasthan where women covered their faces with long ‘ghoonghats’, the School was a co-education one. It followed the objective of overall development of a child and not just academics. I went to School at 7 a.m. in a tonga accompanied by 6-7 other kids and returned almost 12 hours later. On reaching School, we started with physical training followed by breakfast. Classes were from 9 a,m. to 1.30 p.m. before the lunchbreak. Then for one hour, there was a compulsory siesta where we used to spread our bedroll kept in lockers on to the verandah. Up and into hobbies like carpentry and foundry and Indian dance lessons like Kathak and Ghoomar by Shri Devi Lal Samar who gained fame later by setting up his own Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal and was awarded the Padma Shri. Finally, we played games like Football, Hockey and Volleyball before catching the tonga back to home. On days of pleasant weather, students could opt to visit a nearby village or farm.

At home, we had two living-in staff to help us with domestic work. One of them was a boy in his late teens or early 20s and I used to play with him. One day, I took a bet with him and lost. I stole a five-rupee note from Mataji’s purse to pay off the bet. I felt extremely guilty about it but was afraid to tell Mataji as Rs. 5 was big money in those days but I learnt my lesson not to repeat such promises unless I personally had the required funds!

Months went by and we were feeling well settled when in May ‘50 came the order abolishing the Udaipur High Court bench. Pitaji was transferred to Jaipur where we reached end-May. We were put up in the State guesthouse called Khasa Kothi. It was the height of summer and a regular feature was a dust storm in the afternoon. The only variation was that it could be a ‘kaali aandhi‘ or ‘peeli aandhi’ that we could see approaching from the west. 

Meanwhile, Mummy was selected to do a year’s B.Ed. Course in the Vidya Bhawan Teacher’s College in Udaipur starting July. As the institution was close to my school, it was decided that I should accompany her and continue for another year in Vidya Bhawan. A special permission was taken for me to stay with Mummy in the Ladies Hostel where we were allotted a small room in one corner. I had lots of Aunties and Didis around me for company!

With Mummy busy with her studies, there wasn’t much of interest happening. For practical experience, teachers undergoing B.Ed. were at times detailed to conduct classes in our school. Once a Maths lady teacher who I knew well from the Hostel came for a Geometry lesson to our class. Introducing us to Pythagoras’ theorem, she said, “A suker plus B suker is equal to C suker.” Nobody understood what she meant despite a number of repetitions. A classmate got up and asked her what was ‘suker’? This enraged her and she said that she couldn’t believe that students of Class VIII didn’t know the term and were just ridiculing her. Finally, she wrote on the blackboard, “A square plus B square = C square.” The class burst out laughing and the teacher thought we were being naughty and reported us to the Headmaster for appropriate punishment.

Apart from me, the only other males in the Hostel were the Warden and his two nephews in their 20s. In a large room next to ours, one of the occupants was a young, attractive lady in her early 20s, fresh out of college. The younger nephew and the young lady were attracted to each other and would meet surreptitiously. There were times when my School closed earlier than Mummy’s College. The young lady would skip classes and come back to the Hostel and ask me to keep a lookout while the nephew and she spent time together in her room. This went on for some time when one day, the young lady’s roommate came back early. I must have been sleeping on my watch as I failed to warn the couple. All hell broke loose and my role was exposed too. The nephews were banished and I got a sound thrashing from Mummy, second only to the combined one of Mataji and Mummy when I bunked from School in Bharatpur at age <6!

Days then rolled by normally and I busied myself with studies. Mummy was quite fond of movies and that was our main entertainment. I distinctly remember two unforgettable ones. ‘Mahal’, said to be Bollywood’s first horror film, had the glamorous Madhubala’s ghost flitting  all over from a swing on the lawn to inside the large mansion singing ‘Aayega, aayega, aayega, aayega aanewala, aayega, aayega’ (Lata Mangeshkar’s launching superhit), and haunting her target, the bewildered and dazed Ashok Kumar. The other movie, ‘Andaz’, was the deeply emotional story of a love triangle with Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Nargis. The music by Naushad and songs sung by Mukesh in his deep, mellifluous voice with beautiful piano accompaniment were outstanding and hearttugging. The three best were, ‘Jhoom jhoom ke nacho aaj, gao khushi ke geet, aaj kisi ki haar hui hai, aur kisi ki jeet’, ‘Hum aaj kahin dil kho baithe, yunh samjho kisi ke ho baithe’ and ‘Tu kahe agar jeevan bhar, mein geet sunata jaoon’. 

Came May 1951, I passed my VIIIth, Mummy successfully completed her B.Ed. and was transferred to Jaipur and we moved to that city. The ' Jaipur- Vaipur’ prophecy of the 5-year old had come true in 7 years.

IT'S A LOVELY DAY TODAY

 Woke up today to a beautiful morning. Hint of rain to come or maybe it has rained in places nearby. It was cloudy with temperature around 26* C., and a gentle, cool and pleasant easterly wind blowing at 10 knots. So an old song hummed in my mind. It’s an Irving Berlin composition featured in the 1953 movie, “Call Me Madam”, sung and tap-danced brilliantly by Donald O’Connor and Vera Ellen. Without further ado, the song, “It’s A Lovely Day Today”:

‘It’s a lovely day today

So whatever you’ve got to do

You’ve got a lovely day to do it in, that’s true….

And whatever you’ve got to do

I’d be so happy to be doing it with you.

But if you’ve got something that must be done

And it can only be done by one

There is nothing more to say

Except it’s a lovely day for saying

It’s a lovely day.’

What lovely lines!

Going further down memory lane, echoes Rodgers and Hammerstein's number from "Oklahoma":

'Oh, what a beautiful morning, oh, what a beautiful day,

I've got a beautiful feeling, that everything's going my way.'

In the same vein, sing along another lively number “Beautiful Sunday”, by Daniel Boone:

‘Birds are singing, you by my side

Let’s take a car and go for a ride

Hey, hey, hey, it’s a beautiful day….

Ha, ha, ha, beautiful Sunday

This is my, my, my, beautiful day

When you say, say, say, say that you love me,

Oh my, my, my, it’s a beautiful day’.

Today may be Thursday but I’m getting the car out!

THE CHARMING DEMIS ROUSSOS

 

The other day, Ruchir sent me a video of Harry Styles performing in a concert. Ignorant as I am of the present music scene, the only Harry I know is in association with Tom and Dick while the last time I came across ‘Styles’ was in Agatha Christie’s first novel, “The Mysterious Affair At Styles” which I read 70 years ago, also my first read of that brilliant author of detective stories. The two nouns put together, Harry Styles, were totally Greek to me.

So I asked Ruchir who updated my knowledge of music by telling me that Harry Styles was perhaps the most popular singer of today and Ruchir had just attended an entertraining concert of Styles’ at Madison Square Garden, New York.

As is my wont, I returned to my own dream world and remembered a genuine Greek singer and not just as a figure of speech, Demis Roussos, one of my top favourites who I often listen to and watch videos of till date.

I hadn’t heard of him till I saw the movie, “Sholay”, and loved the song and dance scene of “Mehbooba Mehbooba”. Someone told me that the song was a copy of a number by a singer called Demis Roussos.  Indeed, recently I read that the Director of “Sholay”, Ramesh Sippy, confessed in an interview that when he and his wife attended a concert by Roussos in London, Mrs Sippy was so smitten by the song “Say You Love Me”, that she told her husband to incorporate it in his movie and he, like a good husband, obliged.

And so I got to learn of Demis Roussos and on listening to his songs, developed an instant liking for him. While his songs fell in folk pop and rock music category, he had a unique voice which was a bit feminine but smooth and appealing. His lyrics, though romantic and emotional, were optimistic and positive and the pace of music quick and flowing. The songs were often of separation and longing but not of heartbreaks and tears. His videos on TV show that he was well-built, bearded and handsome, usually dressed in an elegant kaftan. Wearing a smile, he projected a charming and likeable image, urging his audience to sing along and have a good time.

He was at his best in the 1970s though his popularity was undiminished till his passing away in 2015 at the age of 68. His solo career began with “We Shall Dance” which reached the top 10 in 1971 while “Forever And Forever” was his first number one on the charts in 1973, followed by many others. 

On to 6 of my top favourites and their heartwarming lyrics. Appropriately, we begin with his first hit, “We Shall Dance”, a song of blossoming love looking into the future:

“We shall dance, we shall sing, my dear love, oh, my spring, 

My love, good days will come….

We shall dance, we shall stay, with the children at play,

Lord, I swear when the time comes, we’ll pray.”

Love blooms and reaches a high in “Forever And Ever”:

“Ever and ever, forever and ever you’ll be the one,

That shines on me like the morning sun,

Ever and ever, forever and ever you’ll be my spring

My rainbow’s end and the song I sing.

You’ll be my dream, my symphony, my own lover’s theme,

Ever and ever, forever and ever my destiny will follow you eternally.”

“My Only Fascination” has a similar theme:

“You’re my only fascination, my sweet inspiration, everything I hope would be,

You’re the dawn that rises for me, my summer wind from the sea.

You’re my only fascination, my sweet inspiration, you’re my tender harmony,

If it rains it’s music I hear, only because you are near.”

“Lovely Lady Of Arcadia” has a touch of sadness as the singer had to depart. He misses his love’s kiss and smile and says that he is living to come back to her once more:

“Lovely lady of Arcadia, promise you will wait for me

In your arms I found my Shangrila

And it’s where I long to be, lost in love eternally.”

One of his greatest hits was “My Friend The Wind” which has distinctive lyrics with Greek words in the refrain leaving people to guess at their meaning. The words are ‘Helenimou’, 'Aghapimou’ and ‘Manoulamou’. ‘Heleni’ is a girl's a name, ‘aghapi,’ love, ‘manoula’, one’s loving female, and ‘mou’ meaning my. The theme is that the wind coming from and returning to the hills would convey the lovers’ messages to and fro. The video of Roussos singing on the hill in Athens with the Acropolis in the background and the wind blowing gently is delightful:

“My friend the wind will come from the north,

With words of love, she whispered for me….

My friend the wind go back to the hills,

And tell my love a day will soon come,

Oh friendly wind you tell a secret

You know so well, oh you know so well.” 

The refrain of the song is repeated in ever accelerating pace as in ‘Zorba The Greek’, exhorting people to dance the Sirtaki”.

“I’ll hear her voice and the words that he brings from Helenimou,

Sweet as a kiss are the songs of Aghapimou,

Soft as the dew is the touch of Manoulamou, oh oh oh.”

Our final number, “Goodbye, My Love Goodbye” sung in a hopefully temporary farewell to the loved one, is, for me, Roussos’ best song. The lyrics are extremely touching:

“Goodbye my love, goodbye, goodbye and au revoir,

As long as you remember me I’ll never be too far.

Goodbye my love, goodbye, I always will be true,

So hold me in your arms ‘til I come back to you.”

Can you ever forget a singer and a song like this!

 

MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS....

It's that time of the year when dormant memories rise. Glossing over the product of 7 and 12, the numbers are special to me as the significant period of my growing up.

Shifting from Muttra (Mathura) to Bharatpur, we, Pitaji, Mataji (my Nana and Nani) and I, moved in a house called Balbir Bhavan. Pitaji was settling down in a new appointment as a High Court Judge under the eccentric Maharaja. Pitaji was honest and sincere to the core and sometimes undue pressures made him worry if he could survive in the job. There were other factors such as keeping the Maharaja happy in the Club with Tennis and other activities. Then the Maharaja decided to declare Tuesday as holiday instead of Sunday. That too irked Pitaji as Sunday was the day for the weekly visit of a barber for haircut and shave followed by shampoo which Pitaji was not comfortable with on Tuesday, being a holy day. Somehow, he survived all that.

One day, Pitaji wanted me to have a haircut which I resisted. Pitaji gave me a very light slap which did not hurt at all but the rebuke stung as that was the only time he raised his hand at me.

In summer, we used to sleep in the balcony. Lying in bed, Pitaji would ask me to recount the lessons I had learnt in the day. I would start speaking and stop when I heard Pitaji snore. But the moment I did so, he would wake up with a start and ask why I had stopped.

Some other tidbits I recall. Shashi Mama on vacation catching high fever and fed up with being given just milk all the time, shouting, "Doodh Maharaj ki jai!"; my mixing Dalmoth with milk and horrifying a visitor; touching the fuse box with two fingers and getting flung off the staircase I was standing on; taking a paan for Chachaji, my great-grandfather, who did not want it and eating it myself not knowing it contained tobacco!

We lived in Balbir Bhavan for less than a year before moving to what was known as 'Control House' as it was an Excise Control Office before being allotted to Pitaji. It was fairly large with rooms all around an 'aangan' which became my favourite place in the house. By then, I had started following Cricket and being by myself most of the time, devised a way to play the game alone by bouncing a Tennis or rubber ball off the facing wall and batting on the rebound. 

Newspapers were the only way to read about Cricket and that's how I followed the progress of the Indian team led by Nawab of Pataudi Senior on the tour of England in 1946. I became familiar with the names of stalwarts such as Vijay Merchant, Mushtaq Ali, Lala Amarnath, Vinoo Mankad and Gul Mohammad but my top favourite was Vijay Hazare. I was thrilled to read about him and Gul Mohammad strike a record partnership of 577 runs for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy final of 1946-47 against Holkar. Mohammad scored 319 while Hazare made 288.

In the winter of 1947-48, the Indian team toured Australia which at that time was unbeatable with legends such as Don Bradman, Lindsay Hassett, Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller. The Indian team was thrashed 4-0 in the 5 match series but in the 4th test at Adelaide, Vijay Hazare made 116 and 145 becoming the first Indian cricketer to score a century in both innings of a test.

In 1948, Pitaji, Mataji and I went to Delhi and I witnessed my first test match with India playing West Indies at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground. West Indies rattled up a huge score with Clyde Walcott, Gerry Gomez, Everton Weekes and Robert Christiani scoring centuries but India managed a draw thanks to Hemu Adhikari scoring an unbeaten century and 50-plus knocks from KC Ibrahim, Rusi Mody and Lala Amarnath. Following on, Adhikari remained unbeaten in the second innings too and helped draw the match.

A troublesome fact about the 'aangan' was that it was home to many yellow wasps (tattaiyas) which stung me quite often. Then someone told me to avoid any movement if a wasp came close. One day, a wasp alighted on my arm. I just froze which was difficult as I could see and feel the creature crawling on my skin. But I held my nerve and soon the wasp flew off harmlessly. Funny enough, no wasp has targeted me after that!

In those days, I often suffered from malaria which made me very weak. Our family doctor advised that I should eat eggs. Now ours was a strictly vegetarian house where even onion and garlic were taboo. But Mataji cast away all religious and emotional reservations and put an 'angeethi' and required utensils aside in the verandah where she would boil two eggs and make me eat them every day.

Since most of the time I was alone, I invented company and had imaginary friends Pip, Peep, John and Beau, supposedly studying with me at New Zealand's Wellington University. I very much missed Mummy, who was studying at Allahabad, and used to count the days till she came home on vacations. Ditto for my Mamas. Vinnie Mama was adept at drawing cartoons and one I remember well was of his bedding, which he had forgotten in the compartment while changing trains, searching high and low for him.

Vinnie Mama was awaited anxiously for another reason: he always came with a collection of the latest Pankaj Mullick 78 rpm records which I was very fond of.

On Ganesh Chaturthi in 1945, my formal schooling started. Actually, an effort was made to put me in a school earlier but soon after joining, some friends persuaded me to bunk and go out and play with them.When someone came to pick me up, I was missing and it took a long time before I was found. That got me a sound thrashing from Mataji and Mummy and I was taken off school! Luckily, the school shifted very near the Control House and I was allowed to rejoin. 

I was a fairly good student and one memory I have is that of doing well in a Maths exam in Class V and coming home singing Pankaj Mullick's 'Aaj apni mehnaton ka mujhko samra mil gaya.'

Meanwhile, history was in the making. Independence was declared on 15 August 1947 amidst communal riots and tanks rolling in to quell any doubts in the Maharaja's mind about joining the Indian Union. Returning from school one day, I saw a dangerous bunch of people with spears coming my way. Frightened, I hid behind some bushes till they went past. Later I wondered what would have happened if they had seen me; I had no way of identifying myself as either a Hindu or a Muslim!

And then came Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. Mummy by then had finished her Masters degree and was teaching in a girls' school in Bharatpur. She had gone to a friend's house and heard the news on radio. I remember her frightened and shocked look when she returned home and told us about it.

On the lighter side, I was old enough to see movies and Mummy, who was fond of them, used to take me along. One of the earliest I recall was "Hunterwali Ki Beti" the main character of which had the screen name 'Fearless Nadia'. She was an Australian born actress who had moved to India with her Scottish father. Unbelievably, in an era totally dominated by males, she played a woman who would singlehandedly fight a large number of men. Nadia herself performed dangerous stunts like jumping from a roof and landing on both feet with a scornful laugh!  

Another memorable movie was "Anmol Ghadi" featuring Suraiya, Noor Jehan and Surendra. It was packed with 12 hit songs including Shamshad Begum's 'Udan Khatole Pe Ud Jaoon, Tere Haath Na Aoon' and one of my favourite 'bachpan' songs, Noor Jehan's 'Mere Bachpan Ke Saathi Mujhe Bhool Na Jana'.

'Bachpan' was a popular genre those days. There were many unforgettable numbers such as Shamshad and Lata's 'Bachpan Ke Din Bhula Na Dena' and Lata's solo 'Bachpan Ki Muhabbat Ko Dil Se Na Juda Karna' to go along with the older Pankaj Mullick and Pahari Sanyal's 'Kahan Woh Bachpan Ka Pyara Sapna' and Hemant Kumar's 'Bhala Tha Kitna Apna Bachpan'.

In the final year in Bharatpur, we moved into a new house called "Dev Kutir". Vinnie Mama had joined the Navy and came home on leave full of naval stories and his photos in smart, white uniform. I promptly dressed in whites, shirt, shorts, stockings, shoes and all, and put on his cap and Sub Lieut's epaulettes on my shoulders and got myself photographed. The photo was securely affixed in an album but sadly, I can't trace it now. Anyway, the seed of an idea of becoming a naval officer had been sowed resulting in my joining the NDA 6 years later. 

The summer of 1949 was extremely hot. Shashi Mama was on vacation getting bored confined to the house the whole day. At the end of the day, he would unfailingly shout out his one-liner, "Garaz Ke Kaat Diya Zindagi Ka Din Ek Aur." Mummy decided to escape the heat by taking me to visit Mansiji in Dehra Dun where Masarji was commanding the 5th Gurkha Regiment. Along with their family, we visited Mussoorie where I insisted on going to a skating rink with Mummy saying no. I set off on my own and got separated from Mummy which led to some anxious moments for all before we were reunited.

On return to Dehra Dun, we got the sad news of my grand uncle, Rameshwar Nathji's sudden passing away at the age of just 50 and Mummy and I caught the first available train to Alwar. He was the last male elder from my father's side and we used to visit him a lot. The fact that his wife was Mataji's elder sister was another reason for our frequent visits. Once, Mataji took me to Alwar to try and escape a mumps infection rampant among my schoolmates but by the time we reached Alwar, I was already down with the illness. A Hakim was called who used to paint my cheeks and throat with some black paste. I recovered without much pain within three days whereas I had seen my friends suffering for weeks in Bharatpur.

A halwai had his shop just outside the house in Alwar and used to make the most delectable and juicy 'imartis' I have ever eaten. Unfortunately, my grand aunt, who had no children of her own, moved to her step daughter's house and my visit to Alwar at the time of grand uncle's demise was the last time I went to that city.

Soon after, Pitaji was appointed Judge in the newly formed Rajasthan High Court and transferred to Udaipur. When moving from Muttra to Bharatpur, I had innocently muttered "Abhi to kahan kahan jayenge, Jaipur Vaipur". At that time, any further move was far from my grandparents' thoughts  and Mataji immediately shut me up with a harsh admonition, "Chup kar, kulachchni baat nahin kehte''. My words were now turning prophetic with the 'Vaipur' part coming true soon to be followed by 'Jaipur'.

I had entered my 12th year and grown out of 'bachpan'.

',  

13 LIVES

Every once in a while, there comes a movie that overwhelms you. "13 Lives" that I saw the other day was the latest to do that to me.

It is based on a real life incident that happened 4 years ago. Most of us would recall following the news on TV of a massive rescue effort launched to rescue 12 members of a Thai junior football team of boys aged 11 to 16 and their 25 year old Assistant Coach, Ekkaphon Chanthawong, trapped in an underground cave in Chiang Rai Province in northern Thailand. After a practice game on 23 June 2018, the 13 lads decided to go to the Thang Luang Nang Non cave to celebrate the birthday of the oldest team member, carrying cakes, eats and drinks. The boys parked their bicycles at the entrance of the cave and went in. When the boys were inside, it started raining heavily and they were trapped, unable to come out. The cave started flooding and the boys were driven further inside. Thereafter, there was no contact with them for almost 2 weeks. The only clue that they were in the cave was their bikes.

When the boys were reported missing, Thai Naval Seal divers rushed to the site but because of the flooding and currents, were unable to make progress inside the cave. Thai government contacted the British Cave Rescue Council which sent expert divers led by John Volanthen and Rick Stanton, key players in planning and carrying out the eventual rescue.

Till 2nd July when Volanthen and Stanton first made contact with the kids, it was not known if the kids were still alive. When found, they were in a calm but disoriented state and asked what date it was. Communication was also difficult as only one of them spoke English. They asked if they could get out straightaway but were told it would take some more time during which they would be supplied with food and essential supplies.

Back to base, the divers pondered over the problem of getting the boys out. Could they be taught basic underwater diving given that a few didn't know even how to swim (like me!), could a new entrance be drilled, could they wait out the monsoon period still expected to last another couple of months? In all cases, the answer was a big no. 

Stanton then got an idea for which they summoned Dr. Harris, an anaesthesist from Australia. The plan was fraught with danger and both Volanthen's and Dr. Harris' initial reaction was that it was crazy. But as Stanton said, "We do nothing, we'll be bringing out dead for sure. But if they die while we're bringing them out, at least we will have tried." The plan along with the risks involved was revealed to the Thai Provincial Governor who took all responsibilty and gave the go-ahead.

Meanwhile, public concern and commiseration for the young lads drove multitudes of people to the site to help in the rescue effort. It was reckoned that around 10000 experts and volunteers from 25 countries played a part in the rescue which finally ended on 10 July. India was also represented with technical experts from Kirloskar Brothers rendering advice on dewatering and pumps.

All this and more is brilliantly portrayed in the movie "13 Lives" directed and produced by the famous Ron Howard who also directed "Apollo 13" (13 a coincidence?!), and won the Oscar for "A Beautiful Mind". Here is a movie the end of which you know but not the complexities which made escape next to impossible. That is what holds you in a vice-like grip throughout the 140 minutes and keeps you riveted to the screen, at one with the trapped boys and the rescuers. You watch with bated breath as the desperate plan unfolds and keep your fingers crossed for it to succeed. The emotions the movie makes you go through are like a roller-coaster ride.

The acting headed by Viggi Mortenson as Rick Stanton, Colin Farrell as John Volanthen and Joel Edgerton as Dr. Richard Harris is natural and realistic, the underwater cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom super and the screenplay by William Nicholson tells the story like it is with no melodrama. The dialogue is crisp with a caustic sense of humour. For example, one of the divers discussing the rescue simplifies the plan by stating, "Act like delivery boys handling packages."

There is, however, one aspect that I felt deserved much more emphasis in the movie as well as the accounts I have read. The boys were kept hopeful, calm and disciplined for over two weeks with no contact with the outside world and with limited food and water under the supervision of Ekkaphon. How peace and tranquility was maintained was exceptional. There could have been total desperation, pessimism and mental breakdown but the boys were found in good spirits. When asked who would be the first to be evacuated, there was no rush but, not aware of the massive arrangements, a unanimous decision that he should be the one who stayed farthest from the cave as they thought he would have to cycle all the way back to his home.The boys said the assistant coach made them meditate, chant and pray and kept their hopes alive. He really deserved heaps of praise but ironically, there were some who thought he should be held guilty for leading the boys into the cave in the first place. He himself, an illegal immigrant, had pangs of self-guilt and expected to be blamed. However, to his pleasant surprise, the parents and the boys gave him full credit and no case was made out against him. To top it all, he was granted Thai citizenship.

Watch the movie; it's one of a kind.

P.S. Netflix is coming out with a limited series "Thai Cave Rescue" on 22 September. I eagerly await.

 

TO BOMBAY AS FLEET OPERATIONS OFFICER

After a number of appointments from 1961 to 1969 on ships based in Bombay, I had left the city for Cochin in December ’69. I was then away for a good 13 years before returning to Bombay in December ’82 as the Fleet Operations Officer (FOO), Western fleet. An important professional and responsible job, the only thing I didn’t like about it was that people called you ‘FOO’, winking that ‘L’ was silent!

Shumita had just started schooling in nursery but Ruchir had to complete his term, so initially I moved on my own. Admiral Nayyar had already taken over as the Fleet Commander and we were soon sailing for exercises. For flagship, we alternated between the new Rajput commanded by Capt SW (Shreeni) Lakhkar and Vindhyagiri, commanded by Capt NN (Baby) Anand. Adm Nayyar and I got on well together and I fondly remember our walks up and down on the wings of the Bridge of our flagship whenever there was a lull between exercise serials.

Akhila and I wanted the kids to settle in their Bombay Schools as early as possible but there was a mismatch with Delhi finishing the academic year in March and Bombay in February. Akhila managed to persuade the Principal of Delhi Public School to give Ruchir an early promotion and the family shifted to Bombay mid-January. After a short stay in the MES Inspection Bungalow, we moved to our allotted accommodation in Gemini in the Navy Nagar, Colaba. 

End-February, the Fleet sailed on a cruise to Muscat, Bahrain and Dubai. It was an enjoyable visit and we were looked after well in all three ports. I had been to Bahrain and Dubai before but Muscat was new to me. Cdr YN Sharma, who had joined us as the NHQ representative, and I explored the outskirts of the city in a car organized for us with an Indian chauffeur who played Bollywood songs throughout our ride. Now whenever I hear the song “Jehan Teri Yeh Nazar Hai” from ‘Kaalia’, the vision of our drive in Muscat countryside flashes in my mind. 

While in Dubai, we got the news that our government had allowed the import of colour TVs. I immediately went and bought a Hitachi TV. On return to India, some people advised me not to declare it to the Customs but I insisted on doing so. The Customs did not accept my cash memo and levied a heavy duty which I paid. I then went to my friend, Cdr Halim Talibuddin, who was working with the Customs on deputation. He directed me to the Commissioner (Appeals), Mr. Joglekar, who ordered that I should be charged as per my cash memo and the excess amount refunded. A good amount of money was recovered and my stand on declaring the TV vindicated.

End-March, Adm Nayyar was transferred to Cochin as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command (FOCinC South) but no relief appointed. That meant I was virtually heading the Fleet planning all sailings and exercises! For actual sailings, there was the SOPA (Senior Officer Present Afloat) taking charge but it was made clear that he would exercise no control over the Fleet Staff and would conduct exercises using his ship’s staff. Mostly, Capt Baby Anand, CO Vindhyagiri, was the SOPA and we appreciated each other’s position well. One good thing about sailing with him was the high quality of food made possible by the fact that the fruits and vegetables were fresh from his farm on the outskirts of Bombay.

Upto that time, Replenishment At Sea (RAS), i.e. transfer of fuel, stores and personnel, was confined to a maximum of three ships with the supply ship engaging the two receiving ships on either side. Adm Tahiliani, FOCinC West, discussed with me the possibility of involving 5 ships simultaneously. For the next sailing, the Admiral embarked on board Vindhyagiri and brought along Mr Julio Ribeiro, Commissioner Police, Bombay. We successfully carried out RAS with 5 ships for the first time and a helo from Vindhyagiri took photos one of which adorns a wall in my living room in Jaipur. Subsequently, Fleet Commanders have gone ahead with increasing the number of ships to 9.

Some political unrest was stirring in Mauritius and the Fleet was sailed to Goa to be in readiness if required. As there was no Fleet Commander, VAdm Mookerjee, Vice Chief of Naval Staff, flew down to Goa to take charge of the Fleet. Fortunately, the situation stabilised soon and the Fleet returned to Bombay. 

End-April, after a gap of over a month, we had a proper FOCWF with the appointment of Vice Admiral IJS Khurana. 

In July, Admiral Dawson, CNS, scheduled a major exercise with all available ships and a submarine participating. CNS’s intention was to test the efficiency of ships in detecting and holding contact of a submarine in heavy monsoon conditions. The weather really turned rough with the result that ships were finding it difficult to maintain course and speed and a large number of personnel were seasick. In the chaotic situation, I remembered a joke told to me by Babuji, my father-in-law: a musical show was underway with some really atrocious fare by the performers. A tough, fearsome guy mounted the stage brandishing a sword. The performers started to scamper away but the swordsman ordered them to sit down and carry on with the show. He shouted, “Go on, you keep singing and playing, I have no quarrel with you. I am looking for the guy who scheduled this performance.”

I repeated the joke to the Naval Adviser to CNS and added, “Don’t blame the ships, let them carry on whatever they are doing. Let’s look for the guy who scheduled this exercise.” This was probably conveyed to the CNS as he appeared to look askance at me whenever he saw me after that. 

Adm Khurana and I were getting used to working with each other when I was suddenly appointed CO Trishul bringing an end to my 10-month term as FOO.