BHUTAN - DRUKYUL

 Bing Crosby sang, "Those far away places with strange sounding names...are calling, calling me".

A place, not far away albeit with strange sounding names, had been calling me for quite some time: Bhutan or Drukyul as the Bhutanese call it. Druk means 'thunder dragon' and Yul means 'country', so it is the country of the thunder dragon. Strange because its people are so peaceful and content! It is just two hours' flight away from Delhi; it takes longer to get to, say, Kochi. A visit was always at the back of my mind but somehow, never materialised. 

At our Course lunch in March this year, some of us were chatting away when I aired my thoughts about wanting to visit Bhutan. General Ved Malik, former Army Chief, immediately offered to help out in organising with the support of the Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT) based there. He asked me to make air bookings and give him the dates.

So I booked seats for Akhila and myself departing Delhi on the 18th and returning on 23rd April and informed Ved. Thereafter, officers from IMTRAT got in touch with me and finalised our programme.

The only direct flight to Paro, international airport of Bhutan, is by Drukair, Bhutanese National Airline, leaving Delhi at 4.10 in the morning. A night of no sleep, but the flight is worth the sacrifice as it skirts the Himalayan range at close quarters. Weather was clear and we saw one snow-capped peak after another including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga. 

Paro airport is nestled between mountain ranges named Three Brothers and the pilot announced that the visibility was low and not safe for landing. We circled the airport for about an hour when the pilot announced that he was now low on fuel and would attempt to land before it got worse. So he banked to the left and flew tilted for some distance before levelling out just before landing with a thud and applying brakes to the full. I was reminded of a landing on an aircraft carrier and it was quite an experience but apparently, business as usual. I learnt later that pilots have to be specially certified to land at Paro airport.

We were met by the IMTRAT personnel and after a quick immigration process, proceeded to the Mess overlooking the airport and Paro chhu (river) flowing beside it. Over the next two days, we were to get many close views of aircraft taking off and landing at the airport.

In the afternoon, we drove to Paro market for shopping and coffee at the popular Mountain Cafe. Immediately, we were struck by the exemplary discipline of the people of Bhutan. There was total silence on the roads and over the next five days, we didn't hear a car horn even once. There were no traffic lights or policemen in sight. The driver would keep his eyes wide open for pedestrians and if he saw anyone intending to cross the road, he would stop and wave at the individual to carry on. No one seemed to be in a rush and there were smiles and courteous bows all around.

The local men are always in the national dress of Gho and Kera. Gho is a knee-length cloth tied at the waist with Kera which is a woven cloth belt. Women wear an apron like long ankle-length dress called Kira. Bright colours, intricate patterns and embroideries add to the charm and grace of the ladies. People are proud of the national dress and I don't remember seeing any local wearing anything else like shirt and trousers.

Another striking feature is the construction of the buildings. Wood is the main material and traditionally, no nails or iron bars are used. The sloping roofs are brightly coloured, similar for a particular cluster of buildings. Multiple small windows with spiritual paintings from one end to the other adorn the exterior walls.

All these factors along with courtesy, smile and pride contribute towards making Bhutan a happy country and, according to many, the happiest in the world. In 1972, the 4th King of Bhutan coined a term 'Gross National Happiness' (GNH) and declared it more important than Gross Domestic Product. The main domains of GNH are Psychological Wellbeing, Health and Good Governance. By these measures, Bhutan ranks on top of the world and many countries have been known to seek its counsel on how to achieve 'happiness'.

Back to sightseeing, I must confess that we gave perhaps the most famous site of Paro, Taktsang Dzong or Tiger's Nest Monastery built in 1692, a miss. Too much climbing and not recommended for old folks! So we were content glimpsing it from a distance. 'Dzong' means a fortress-monastery which due to its high location and architecture served as a stronghold against enemies in the past. Presently, most Dzongs play a combined role as monasteries and administrative offices. We were able to visit Paro Dzong, a high point of Bhutanese architecture, as it is more accessible located comfortably below Taktsang. At night, the building is brilliantly lit and is visible all over Paro.

Ta Dzong built as a watchtower in 1649 was next. It now houses the National Museum including displays of famous Bhutanese masks and natural wild life of the country.

Drukgyel Dzong, a half hour drive from Paro, is another monument on a height. Again, it is difficult to climb but we could go fairly close up to its steps where there is a small hutment housing a giant prayer wheel with 'mantras' written on it. The wheels called 'Lakhor' are an integral feature of Buddhist temples and are meant to be rotated by hand which as you know is one of the traditional ways of praying in Buddhism. 

Devotees also carry small hand-held wheels named 'Mani' while walking around Buddhist relics or temples and on long journeys.

Our Paro sightseeing was completed with a visit to Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest and most beautiful temples. 'Lhakhang' means 'the house of gods' and Bhutan boasts of more than a thousand of them, one for almost every village and mountain top. The one at Kyichu dates back to the 7th century with additions over the years, the last one a golden roof in 1839. Apart from idols and Lakhors, temples display multi-coloured prayer flags, blue for sky and space, red for fire, green for water, yellow for earth and white for air. 

White flags on clusters of tall poles can frequently be seen in open spaces as it is believed that their fluttering by the wind spreads blessings and happiness all over the countryside.

On 20th morning, we took the road from Paro to Thimphu, a distance of 50 kms and about an hour's drive. The road is good but narrow and typically mountainous with hairpin bends and steep slopes. An artistic wooden gate heralds the entry to Thimphu, capital of Bhutan. We proceeded to the IMTRAT Mess situated in the centre of town.

That evening we visited the famous Buddha Point which has one of the largest Buddha statues in the world measuring 51.5 metres in height. Installed on top of one of the highest mountain ranges around Thimphu, it overlooks the city with the sitting Buddha in golden bronze benevolently seeming to convey his blessings of peace and happiness to all. 

The view from Buddha Point is fascinating as one can see the whole city, the river Thimphu chhu and the extensive valley. The statue is hollow and one can enter it. The inside holds 125000 miniature Buddhas 8 to 12 inches tall. As someone commented, the Buddhas far outnumber the 100,000 residents of Thimphu!

Our driver then took us to Devi Panchayan Mandir close to Buddha Point. It is the only public Hindu temple in Thimphu and is a fairly recent gift from the Bhutan King to the Hindu community.

The next day we embarked on a long trip to Punakha about 85 kms away. Our first stop was Dochu La pass, the highest point at 3100 metres. The view from there is supposed to be exceptional but as happens with these heights, there was fog and mist obscuring the view. There is also a Dzong there but difficult to climb, so wiser counsels prevailed. But there is a beautiful cafe just below the Dzong where we had a welcome cup of coffee. On the other side of the road, is a Memorial with 108 Chorten (Buddhist shrine) stupas built by the Queen Mother to honour the Bhutanese soldiers who were killed fighting rebels in 2003. 

We resumed our journey down the long and winding road to Punakha and its Dzong which is located at the confluence of two rivers, Mo and Po, which then merge to form the Punakha chhu. The Dzong is accessible from two sides, a road or an ancient wooden bridge, and we chose the latter. Punakha Dzong is an imposing citadel and one of the oldest built in 1637. It has had its share of fires and earthquakes the latest being a quake in 1897. Rebuilt, it looks strong and pretty. Punakha was the capital of Bhutan till 1955 when the seat of government moved to Thimphu. After a good look at the Dzong, we were on the road back to Thimphu enjoying the scenic drive.

On our final day in Thimphu, we started off with a visit to the oldest Dzong which has survived in its original form in Bhutan, Simtokha. It was built in 1629 and is just 5 kms from Thimphu. Located on a prominent ridge, we had been sighting it frequently on the road to Paro and Punakha. It is now home to the Dzongkha Language Learning Institute.

Closer to the city, we saw the Tashichho Dzong originally built in 1641 but vastly redesigned in 1965 as the Main Secratariat building and the Throne Room of the King. Next on our list was Changangkha Lhakhang, a 12th century fortress like temple where the priest asks you to throw a pair of dice and nods in approval when you do but does not tell what your numbers signify! We then went to the Takin Zoo, home to Takin, the national animal which has the body of an antelope and a goat's head. Our final stop was the National Memorial Chorten built in 1974 to honour the third King, as a monument of peace and prosperity. The stupa with a high pyramidal pillar crowned by a crescent moon and sun is brilliantly lit at night and visible at long distances.

A good night's sleep and we headed back to Paro airport to catch our flight back to Delhi. As Akhila had the window seat on the flight to Paro, I claimed it this time to get a ringside view of the Himalayas but the aircraft took an inner route and my effort went in vain.

And guess what was the first sound we heard on getting out of the Delhi airport- shrieking car horns!

It was an unforgettable visit and Akhila and I will always cherish its memories. Our sincere thanks to the IMTRAT team of Lt Col Dharmendra Yadav, Major Ankit Agarwal and Subedar Vikram Singh Negi for organising and guiding us to see the beautiful country. And, of course, how can we ever thank enough Ved, the General, the driving force behind this wonderful trip which was like bringing heaven on earth.

Tailpiece: On our return to Delhi, we were going through the immigration process with a middle-aged official. I have always found these people to be very officious and curt and was expecting the same treatment with the guy mumbling something which, with my hard hearing, I was unable to understand. Finally, I figured he was saying 38-38 and I guessed he was talking about my year of birth. I nodded and said, yes, it is 1938. He stamped my passport, extended it to me and as I was leaving the counter, said, "Sir, any advice for young people?" I was stumped by the question but somehow the words that tumbled out of my mouth were, "Keep faith in God...Stay happy!”

Bhutan effect?

OF ADMIRALS AND AN AIR MARSHAL

 

On the date of my permanent commission, 01 January 1960, the Indian Navy was a small service. The head of the Navy, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), held the rank of a Vice Admiral. There were just 5 Rear Admirals, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet, Flag Officer Bombay, Comptroller General Ordnance Factories and, because it was the Navy’s turn in the rotational inter-service appointment, Commandant National Defence Academy.

Navy got its second Vice Admiral for two years in 1964 thanks again to the rotational requirement for the Commandant National Defence College (NDC). The service had to wait till 1967 to get a full Admiral after which the door was opened for further promotions. While the pyramid structure of the Navy permits only one full Admiral, it now has around 25 Vice Admirals and 60 Rear Admirals. 

The increase in the number of Admirals is, of course, justified due to the significant expansion of the Navy in men and material. But the larger the number, the less the rarity.

In 1960s, it was great to be promoted to the rank of Commander and earn a brass hat which is the addition of golden braid on the peak of the cap. That was the first step towards achieving greater laurels. With promotion to Rear Admiral, the braid is doubled to invite enhanced respect and reverence. The brass hat seems to have lost its unique status now not only because of large numbers but with all kinds of security personnel wearing it as part of their uniform. Pity!

In 1965, when Vice Admiral AK Chatterji, then Commandant NDC, picked me up as his Flag Lieutenant or ADC, I felt highly elated to get a chance to be so close to a person with the same rank as the CNS. Admiral Chatterji went on to become the CNS and the first full Admiral in the Indian Navy. I regard him as the most intelligent Admiral ever. With his sharp foresight, he laid down plans for the modern Navy as early as late 1950s when he was Director Naval Plans in the NHQ. It is often forgotten that he was responsible for the acquisition of the missile boats which were so effectively deployed in the '71 war by his follower, Admiral Nanda. Indeed, the missile boats were known in the Indian Navy as AK boats after the initials of Admiral Chatterji.

I had the privilege of being close to some other senior Admirals. Rear Admiral SH Sarma was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet just before the 1971 war and I was on his operational staff during  the war. He led the Eastern Fleet boldly and capably in all operations during the war but was so unassuming that he was given less credit than he deserved.

Rear Admiral Ronnie Pereira succeeded him and I served on his staff for about eight months. He, as everyone knows, rose to the highest office in the Navy. I have written a post about him earlier and regard him as a naval icon.

Then there was Vice Admiral Russi Ghandhi who I came to know more after retirement than before. According to me, he shared the iconic personality status with Admiral Pereira.

Among all the senior officers that I knew and admired was an Air Marshal. I had taken over as Admiral Chatterji's Flag Lt in May 1965. In January 1966, it was announced that Admiral Chatterji would take over as CNS in March that year and as he wished to proceed on some leave, Air Vice Marshal R Rajaram, then Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Air Command (AOC-in-C WAC), was appointed Commandant NDC in mid-January on promotion to Air Marshal (AM). 

By then, I had received orders to go for a specialisation course in Communications in Signal School, Cochin, mid-66. Admiral Chatterji had to look for a new Flag Lt and AM Rajaram would bring his own aide. I requested that since it was a matter of just a couple of months, could I remain in the NDC till my course commenced? Admiral Chatterji discussed this with AM Rajaram who graciously agreed with his aide remaining on the books of WAC.

That continued for a month or so when further communication was received from NHQ that my course was postponed by a year. I met the AM and told him that I was ready to go back to the Navy. To my surprise, he asked me to continue as his Flag Lt and sent the Air Force aide back to WAC. I held that appointment for about a year before AM Rajaram moved to the Air HQ as Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS).

AM Rajaram and his wife, Lakshmi, were simple, unpretentious people with no unusual demands. One did one's work and that was that. I felt not like just an aide but more like a companion. The AM always kept me next to him and it was fun going on private functions with the Rajarams in the AM's cute Volkswagen Beetle which he would drive himself.

The Rajarams were a lonely couple - they had no children. Perhaps that was the reason why they treated me like a son. After they got to know me a bit, the AM asked me if I could come over on a Sunday morning with some pending files to his 6 King George's Avenue residence. I told him there was nothing that couldn't wait but he said come anyway. So I picked up a few papers and went over. We sat on the sprawling lawn and attended to the official work which took all of 5-10 minutes. He then asked me to go inside and pick up a bottle of beer from the fridge and two glasses. After a while, Mrs Rajaram called us in for lunch and the three of us sat down for a typical vegetarian South Indian meal. That became a normal Sunday routine whenever the Rajarams were free and in Delhi.

The AM had a fine sense of humour and used to recount his experiences in a lighthearted way including the air operations overseen by him as AOC-in-C WAC during the '65 war. In my entire tenure, I never saw him and Mrs Rajaram lose their cool or even raise their voices.

Too soon, it all came to an end with the Air Marshal's move as VCAS. Shortly after, I went back to the Navy and was busy with my own work. On opening the newspaper one morning in June 1969, I was shocked to read of the Air Marshal's passing away; he was just 51 years old. On inquiring from my Air Force friends, I learnt that he was suddenly diagnosed with leukemia. While the Air Force did all it could for his treatment including sending him to Paris, his condition deteriorated rapidly leading to his end on 18 June 1969.

For some time following the AM's demise, Mrs Rajaram continued to stay in Delhi. Akhila and I visited her shortly after our marriage in March 1972. In time, we were to lose touch.

At the NDC, Lt Gen MM Khanna took over as the Commandant from the Air Marshal in December 1966. He asked me to continue as his aide but I told him that much as I would have liked to, it was time to for me to go back before the Navy forgot about me and vice versa. It took about a month to get a relief for me from the Army during which time I remained with him.

So I served as Flag Lt to a Vice Admiral, an Air Marshal and a Lt General. Is that some kind of a record because I am not aware of anyone who has matched that!

Tailpiece: When I was Director Naval Signals in NHQ, I was visited by a retired Rear Admiral who left his visiting card with me. His rank was printed as 'Rare Admiral.' They were indeed 'rare' in his serving days!

WIN AT GOLF - ALWAYS

I am playing bad golf these days.

One reason could be that I haven't played much this year. The first two months I was travelling. Then I had a peculiar viral infection with long-lasting debilitating after-effects. Hopefully I am past all that now.

So golf has suffered. When I played a game last week, my shots were all over the place. Instead of going 200 yards north, they would end up less than 100 yards nor'-east-nor' or at times, east-nor'-east. You might be quick to advise, "Go and practice." I doubt that would help. First, the age; though the spirit may be there, the flesh is weak. Second, it is boring; who wants to stand rooted to one spot and hit 100 balls from there instead of a refreshing stroll through the natural greenery even though some have named golf  'a good walk spoiled.'

In golf, one's ego plays a very important part: one does not want to lose. More often than not, golfers like to bet and it is not that losing money would make a big hole in one's pocket, it is the ignominy of defeat. And that applies even though there might be no bet. One just wants to WIN.

I was pondering over all this when I recalled that some time back on a trip to New York, I had picked up a book, "'How To Win At Golf' without actually playing well" (referred to from now on as 'the book'). I have been going through it carefully and have picked up quite a few tips which I am sure will put me on the winning side always. I share them with you along with some other tricks I have learnt over the years with the hope that you would never be my opponent. I am joking; seriously, I declare that I would never stoop so low as to cheat.

To deal with the subject at hand, the first important thing is to get your caddie on the same page as you. Many years ago, I was taking part in the Navy Championships when I overheard a colleague briefing his caddie. With an engaging arm over the caddie's shoulder, he whispered that he had come to win, the caddie must ensure that his ball should always lie well and not worry about anything as he would be looked after well...wink...wink...wink!!!

Look for a barefoot caddie. It is likely that such an individual would be adept at walking over your ball, picking it up with the underside of his toes and deftly place it on a plush lie. Prior briefing is essential for the caddie should know you are not Admiral Pereira who caught his caddie doing that and proceeded to give him a tight slap though the Admiral broke his own thumb as the caddie attempted to defend himself with a club.

Here is a story I read elsewhere. A player went to a golf course but a caddie was not available. On further insistence, he was told that a nine-year old boy could do the job but he could only count upto five. The player immediately said, "Perfect. I will take him. Who wants him to count more." As you know, in golf, the winner is the one who takes the least number of strokes.

A word of caution though, don't overdo it. There is the story of a guy who got a hole-in-one but was so used to reducing his score that he noted his score as 'zero'. 

(A strange game is golf. Although a player should write his actual score on his card, a hole-in-one would count as zero when working out his net score if the player is entitled to a stroke on the hole by virtue of his handicap. In fact, if the player's handicap is above 18, he may have the benefit of 2 strokes on the hole making his net score -1!)

The book credits a Robert Tyre Jones Jr. with this quote which sums up the psychology of golf, "Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course: the space between your ears." Mind games begin the moment you meet your opponent on the first tee. You are there to beat him, so start messing up with his mind as soon as he appears ready to take his back swing for the first shot. Ask him, "Do you shank?" 

For information of those who don't play the game, 'shank' is a dreaded malaise that at times strikes the best of golfers. Something goes wrong with the forward swing and the ball makes contact with the shaft just above the club head instead of the latter, darts weakly 90* from the intended direction and quite likely, ends up in a hazard, or at best, in a bad lie. The question, posed at the right time, will haunt him through the round.

Another technique is shadow work as demonstrated in the movie "Goldfinger" in which the villain's sidekick quietly moves his shadow over James Bond's golf ball just when he is about to hit it. Or you could do a stifled sneeze at that time. Or, if you are in his peripheral vision, cross your feet or move your arms just as he starts his downswing.         

During the game, when your balls are lying at similar distance from the hole and he is due to play before you, ask your caddie within your opponent’s hearing for a club lower or higher than the one you actually intend to use. Start taking some practice swings before he takes his shot to sow doubts in his mind about club selection. After he has hopefully messed up the shot, change your club to the desired one.

Ask him if he has a 'swing thought' - what does he think when he is preparing to hit a shot? Occasionally, enumerate the various hazards facing him on his next shot ending with, "If you hit it straight avoiding the deep depression on the left and the big bunker on the right, you should be fine."

Many years back, a guy named Puran Pandey, unfortunately no more, God bless his soul, used to play with me and come up with wisecracks. One day his ball was lying inside a circle marked with  'chuna' (lime) indicating that it was 'GUR' (ground under repair) and he was allowed a free drop. He said that was a great idea and he would ask his caddie to always have some 'chuna' in the bag so that he could quickly mark it around his ball whenever the lie was not good and claim a free drop. Imagine my surprise when I found this in print in the book! It aptly names the player "Picasso" who always carried a can of white spray paint in his bag for the purpose!

A quote I came by says, 'He who have fastest cart never have to play bad lie'. To be smart, 'The Improver' rushes to his ball and improves his lie before anyone comes near him or while others are focused on watching another player take his shot.

On the putting green, if your opponent putts close to the hole, praise his shot and carefully examine proximity of the ball to the hole. Just when he thinks you are going to concede the putt, tell him "Nobutaminit" meaning 'it won't take but a minute for you to putt this’.

As for yourself, play the 'inchworm' by marking your ball, lifting it, cleaning it and replacing it a few inches nearer the hole.

What if the opponent has read this book or Sidney Potter's "Golfmanship" and tries his hand at playing on your mind? You have to be smart to recognise that quickly and concoct some long-winded, irrelevant story without an end about a real old golfer like Harry Vardon or Ben Hogan to throw him off and impress him with your knowledge of golf history.

All is fair in love and war and golf is war. Remember, 'golfers who claim they never cheat also lie'. Your relationship with your opponent is inversely proportional to how he is playing. Best summed up in the query, "Is my 'friend' in the bunker or is the 'bastard' on the green?" 

 

Tailpiece: Not a golf story but the poor guy must have been a golfer. In a cartoon I chanced upon, the executioner is ready with his axe held up high to knock off the head of the guy with his neck on the chopping block. Before he brings the axe down, the executioner asks the victim, "Any last wish?" The frightened, shaken  plea, “Don't shank."

 

 

ANDY WILLIAMS - ACE SINGER OF MOVIE THEME SONGS

Last night, as I closed my eyes to go to sleep, Andy Williams appeared in my thoughts. Why, I wondered, did I suddenly remember this great singer from days gone by?

Then I recalled that in the evening, I was reading about how the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences seemed to be ignoring Martin Scorsese who is considered by many as one of the best directors of all time but has only one Oscar to his credit despite critical acclaim for many movies and dozens of nominations. His Italian connection brought to mind "The Godfather" and its love theme 'Speak Softly Love'. That song was sung by Andy Williams.

So I indulged in more thinking about Andy Williams, the smooth-voiced crooner who in his prime in the 1960-70s, gave us one hit after another and was as successful as Frank Sinatra or Elvis Presley. For the record, he had 15 gold and 3 platinum certified albums and 6 Top Hits on US Billboard Hot 100. 

The first song by Andy that I heard and loved was 'Butterfly' in February 1957. It was an instant hit and topped the US and the UK music charts and our own Binaca Hit Parade.

His next big hit came a year later, 'Are You Sincere?' Others followed and then in 1962, he came up with a song that would put him on the road to everlasting fame. It was 'Moon River' from "Breakfast At Tiffany's", which he was asked to sing at the Oscar Awards function where it won as Best Original Song. 

The success of Moon River made Andy adopt the song as the theme for his TV show. Later that year, he recorded an album, "Moon River And Other Great Movie Themes" which included older movie themes such as 'Love Is A Many-Splendoured Thing', 'Theme From A Summer Place', 'As Time Goes By', and 'Three Coins In The Fountain'. The huge popularity of the album made him keep vocalising movie themes which brought out the best in him.

Among the movie theme hits to follow were 'A Time For Us' from the 1968 film "Romeo And Juliet", 'Where Do I Begin' from "Love Story", and, of course, 'Speak Softly Love' from "The Godfather". 

Some other Andy Williams' version of movie songs include 'The Shadow of Your Smile', 'Born Free', 'The Way We Were', 'Theme From Exodus' and 'Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head'. A tall list with many more.

Andy was also good at Christmas songs and his 8 such albums earned him the title of "Mr. Christmas". The most popular song among them is 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year', a must-play number during the Yuletide season. On the solemn side, he touchingly sang Schubert's 'Ave Maria' at the funeral of his friend, Robert F. Kennedy. 

A song is given birth by an inspired composer and an imaginative lyricist but finally it is the singer who with his voice and style brings the number to us and gets the credit for its popularity and lifespan. At this Andy Williams with his smooth, charming voice and easy-to-listen style was a master and will be remembered long after his favourite composers like Henry Mancini and lyricists like Johnny Mercer are forgotten. So let's recall six of his best songs and their engaging lyrics though you will have to listen to them yourself.

We begin with the Mancini-Mercer 'Moon River' which made Andy a star. Moon River in the song was a metaphor for a lover, a maker of dreams as also a heart breaker, who the smitten one was determined to follow on life's journey right to the end:-

"....Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,

Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way....

We're after the same rainbow's end,

Waitin' round the bend....

Moon river and me."

The musical score for "Love Story" was written by Francis Lai and then there was demand for its theme to be given lyrics. That was done by Carl Sigman and Andy Williams delivered the sad, heart-rending hit song:-

"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....

How long does it last

Can love be measured by the hours in a day

I have no answers now but this much I can say

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

And she'll be there!"

To take a break from the sentimental, let's go to Andy's first top hit 'Butterfly' which was sung appropriately in a fluttering style conjuring a vision of a butterfly flitting from flower to flower:-

"You tell me you love me, you say you'll be true,

Then you fly around with somebody new

But I'm crazy about you, you butterfly...."

And so:-

"I love you so much I know what I'll do

I'm clippin' your wings, your flyin' is through

'Cause I'm crazy about you, you butterfly".

Another delightful song rendered in a light way was 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You':-

"Pardon the way that I stare, there's nothing else to compare

The sight of you leaves me weak, there are no words left to speak

You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes off you."

Back to movies and we have the moving composition by the Italian, Nino Rota, for Franco Zefirelli's outstanding "Romeo And Juliet" with the title roles brilliantly played by two unknown teenagers, Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey. In the movie, a troubadour character performed a song 'What Is A Youth' in a party with Juliet anxiously searching for Romeo. Andy's song was titled 'A Time For Us':-

"A time for us at last to see 

A life worthwhile for you and me

And with our love through tears and thorns

We will endure as we pass surely through every storm

A time for us, some day there'll be a new world

A world of shining hope for you and me".

Finally, there was the enticing 'Love Theme From The Godfather', once again composed by Nino Rota, which was sung as 'Speak Softly Love' by Andy:-

"Wine-coloured days warmed by the sun

Deep velvet nights when we are one

Speak softly love so no one hears us but the sky

The vows of love we make will live until we die 

My life is yours and all because

You came into my world with love so softly love".

Andy Williams came into our world softly with his easy-to-listen, captivating voice which lives on to delight us anytime we desire.

Tidbit. Was Bollywood listening? Yes indeed. Tune in to 'Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya' from "Akele Hum Akele Tum".

  

RADIO CEYLON-AMEEN, GREG, AND JINGLES

Ameen Sayani, the man with the golden voice that charmed millions during most of the second half of the twentieth century, passed away recently. The glowing, emotional tributes that followed showed how much the man was loved and remembered.

It was in 1952 that the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon began the broadcast of the weekly programme, 'Binaca Geetmala', sponsored by the manufacturers of the toothpaste, Binaca Top. 8 p.m. on Wednesdays was the slot for it for half an hour and it started with 7 bestselling hit songs from Bollywood films played in no particular order. It instantly became the most popular programme of the radio service not least because of the way it was superbly compered by Ameen in a delightful, joyous way with a personal touch as if he was speaking to each listener personally. He captured the attention of the listeners with his opening "Behno aur Bhaiyon" adapting the common greeting by reversing the order, and asking them to give him a Binaca Top smile. It was estimated that the number of people who regularly tuned in to the programme ran into millions. From 30 minutes, the programme was extended to an hour counting down from Number 16 to the most popular, Number 1. This continued for around 40 years, earning Ameen a Padma Shri and the title 'Voice of India'.

Actually, for his outstanding success, Ameen might have thanked another hugely popular announcer who was on the English service of Radio Ceylon, Greg Roskowski. Greg, son of a Polish father and Japanese mother, had a deep, smooth voice and was a master at catching listeners' attention. He would introduce himself as 'Happy-go-lucky Greg' and start the morning asking listeners to 'wakey-wakey'. He would get over 500 fan mail letters every day, many from girls pledging their hearts to him forever. Frankly, I felt quite jealous of him!

In 1952, Greg launched 'Binaca Hit Parade', a half-hour programme of best selling English pop hits broadcast in the reverse order of popularity on Monday evenings at 8 p.m. It was a success from the word go. Listeners then flooded Radio Ceylon and the makers of Binaca toothpaste asking why there couldn't be a similar Hindi programme. Radio Ceylon got in touch with Hamid Sayani who already worked for them and ran a studio in Bombay, Hamid coaxed his younger brother Ameen, age 19, to do the programme and thus was born Binaca Geetmala to bring music and joy to millions of Indians and others.

I was an ardent listener of the English service of Radio Ceylon. It became an integral part of my daily routine as I switched on the radio on waking up and used the ads to get ready for School. The radio kept time for me as on the hour Greg would announce, "Check your watch by Rolex time, it is exactly, (tic-toc-tic-toc....DINGG) 8 O'clock, Indian Standard Time." Ads would continue throughout drawing attention to them by the two tiny double-toned 'ting-tong'. Reminder to brush teeth would come with a jingle, "'Did you Maclean your teeth today, show your smile, what does it say?' ... 'Yes I Macleaned my teeth today, that's why they're white and dazzling!'" For bath, there was 'Lux Beauty Soap, the favourite soap of movie stars'. Combing hair was advised by dabbing some 'Brylcreem' as endorsed by my favourite cricketer of those days, Denis Compton.  For breakfast the recommendations were for Brittania biscuits, Polson butter, Kissan jam and Ovaltine. 

Coca-Cola had arrived in India by then and I was tempted to carry a bottle with me by the line, 'What you want is a Coke' or, a few years later, 'Things go better with Coke'. For a snack, 'Have a break, have a Kit-Kat'. If all that made your tummy growl, the cure. 'When you're feeling low... Eno'. 

Down the years, Radio would yield to TV and we would see Kapil Dev on the screen running his hand smoothly over his cheeks and chin and saying with a content grin, "Palmolive da jawab nahin." But I miss the radio and for me, "Radio Ceylon da jawab nahin."

TULIPS FROM AMSTERDAM IN DELHI

The second annual Delhi Tulip Festival ended on 21 February. 

My introduction to tulips dates back to the early 1950s when I read a book and heard a couple of songs that named the flower. The book was an Alexandre Dumas novel, "The Black Tulip", a classic story of love, jealousy, misfortune, obsession and revenge in which the hero pursues his dream of producing a black tulip despite being wrongly jailed and is helped in the task by the jailer's daughter who he falls in love with. The book inspired real life flower breeders to cultivate a black tulip and the first that any one came close to producing such a flower was a man called Geert Hageman from a tiny village Oude Niedorp in Holland, who on 18th February 1986, exactly 38 years ago, succeeded in growing one very dark flower and named it 'Paul Scherer', after a mayor in Germany, whose society had aided Hageman in his dogged pursuit.The flower has been preserved and is on display in the Amsterdam Tulip Museum. Paul Scherer tulips are now being grown and are the darkest breed of tulips but darkly purple and not truly black!

Now the songs. The first one was, as far as my memory goes, by 'Little' Rita Faye, so named because she sang the song in her teens. Lyrics of the song I recall distinctly go thus, 'Tulips in the springtime, apples in the fall, I don't care what mama says, I'm gonna marry Paul!'

The second song,"Tulips from Amsterdam" was a happy, romantic number with a promise by the singer to bring the flowers to his loved one in spring all the way from Amsterdam. He goes on,"Like the windmills keep on turning, that's how my heart keeps on yearning, for the day I know we can share these tulips from Amsterdam."

Well, Delhi has been sharing tulips from Amsterdam since 2017 when 18000 bulbs were imported and planted. For the last four years, they have been planted in Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri, and a regular festival organised since last year. This year, as many as 126000 bulbs were imported with some of them planted on different roundabouts in the city such as Teenmurti and Mandi House. The pity is that they only last for about 15 days.

As a kid, I recall inquiring why we do not grow tulips in India and was told that our climate was not suitable. However, Srinagar now has a regular tulip park with 68 varieties of the flower, overlooking the Dal Lake. In Delhi, we had them in many colours, red, orange, pink, purple, dark purple (almost black), white, purple and pink, pink and red, and appropriately timed with this year's Basant Panchmi, yellow. 

Although we immediately associate Holland with tulips, it was interesting to learn that the tulip was a wildflower growing in Central Asia. Turks were the first to cultivate it around 1000 A.D. and a 'Tulip Mania' struck Turkey in the 16th century with the Sultan desiring cultivation of the bloom for his pleasure. The name 'tulip' itself comes from the Turkish word for turban.

Those of us who saw the 1981 hit film 'Silsila' will recall Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha romping among tulips in the Keukenhof gardens in Amsterdam with the romantic song 'Dekha Ek Khwab' and musing at the twists and turns of life with 'Yeh Kahaan Aa Gaye Hum'.

JAIPUR LITERATURE FESTIVAL

The 17th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) ended a few days back. As in the past, it was vastly attended and a resounding success.

JLF had a very humble beginning in January 2006. It was conceived by well-known authors, Namita  Gokhale and William Dalrymple. They roped in Sanjoy Roy, head of the event management company, Teamwork Arts, as the Producer and held the first edition in a small heritage hotel, Diggi Palace, with free entry. A total of 18 writers including Gokhale and Dalrymple participated and around 100 people attended. As Dalrymple put it, most "appeared to be tourists who had simply got lost!"

Truth be told, my story of the discovery of the Festival is on similar lines. After my retirement from the Navy and settling down in Delhi, Akhila and I regularly visited Mummy in Jaipur starting mid-January and staying till after Mummy's birthday on 3 February. It was the same in 2006. Our house is a stone's throw, albeit a strong one, from Diggi Palace Hotel. On arrival from Delhi that afternoon, we saw a fairly large crowd on the road leading to the Hotel and inquired from our well-informed maid what was going on. She said Amitabh Bachchan was coming for a book launch, hence the crowd, and that was that. 

In the evening, with no intention of going anywhere, we changed into our sleeping clothes when we heard some nice music emanating from the Hotel. Curious, we wrapped ourselves in shawls and walked to the Hotel. There, on the lawn, a live concert was in progress and we sat down and listened to some entertaining music.

Further inquiries revealed all that was part of a literature festival that was being staged at the Hotel. We took a copy of the programme and returned the next morning to listen to some interesting discussions. And then decided to attend items of interest at the rest of the Festival.

Next year, we came to Jaipur as usual and were glad to find that another edition of the Festival was scheduled. We attended that as well and discovered that the Festival was going to be an annual feature. From then on, we have been attending every edition of the Festival barring 2022 at the height of the Covid pandemic.

Gokhale and Dalrymple's idea had caught on and every year the numbers of writers/speakers and attendees rose exponentially. In just four years in 2010, there were 172 authors and speakers and 30000 attendees. By 2015, it was clear that Diggi Palace could not handle the huge crowd and the evening music programmes which were part of the Festival were shifted to Hotel Clarks Amer. 

In 2021, the Festival could not be staged live due to Covid and a Virtual edition was held. The normal Festival was resumed in 2022 but the venue shifted to Clarks Amer and attendees had to pay a small fee. To maintain past connect with Diggi Palace, names of the five intra-venues were retained, Front Lawn, Char Bagh, Mughal Tent, Durbar Hall and Baithak. Also, the Festival was now available both on-ground as well as on-line. In 2023, its digital reach was said to be over 250 million and digital views over 25 million.

Names of speakers at past Festivals read like a Who's-Who of literature. They include Nobel laureates JM Coetzee, Orhan Pamuk and Sir VS Naipaul, Booker Prize winners Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, Pico Iyer, Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Atwood and Geetanjali Shree, Sahitya Akademi awardees Vikram Seth, Ashok Vajpeyi, Girish Karnad, Gulzar and Javed Akhtar, and literary superstars Amish Tripathi and Chetan Bhagat. Going beyond literature, Nobel laureates Dalai Lama and Amartya Sen, and eminent personalities like Amitabh Bachchan, the late APJ Abdul Kalam and Oprah Winfrey have participated in the Festivals.

In 2013, Ruchir was on stage discussing his maiden book, "Breakout Nations", with Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and head of Infosys.

Over the years, the Festival has expanded internationally and has been held in US, UK, Canada, Australia, Qatar, Maldives and Spain, preserving the brand name 'Jaipur Literature Festival'. From the small beginning, it is now described as 'the greatest literary show on earth.' 

Inaugurating the 2024 Festival, Diya Kumari, Rajasthan Deputy Minister and Minister of Finance, Tourism, Art, Literature and Culture, and other departments, stated that 'The contribution of the Literature Festival to the city of Jaipur in terms of tourism in just 5 days is more than what the Department of Tourism does in an entire year' and that 'The organisers have put Jaipur on the world map with JLF.' Strong words indeed from the state tourism minister herself!

This year, over 250 speakers participated and over 4,00,000 people attended the Festival. Prominent foreign authors included Paul Lynch, Booker Prize winner for "The Prophet Song", Kal Bird, Pulitzer Prize winner for "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer", Bonnie Garmus, "Lessons in Chemistry", and Nicholas Shakespeare, "Ian Fleming: The Complete Man". Among Indian speakers were Neerja Chowdhury, SY Qureshi, Sudha Murthy, Margaret Alva, Navin Chawla, Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj.

Of particular interest to me was the discussion on a book "Guardians of the Seas" by Rear Admiral SK Gupta, MVC, and Commodore Gurnam Singh, conducted by Commodore Srikant Kesnur. The book tells the naval story of the '71 war highlighting the operations of the aircraft carrier "Vikrant" and the Seahawk squadron which Adm Gupta, then a Lt Cdr, commanded. Lt Cdr Gupta led the first air attack on East Pakistan and was given a hero's welcome on his successful return by being garlanded and carried round the flight deck on the shoulders of the ground crew. Many more attacks followed till the eventual surrender and birth of Bangladesh. I was on Vikrant on the operational staff of the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet with a ringside view of all operations and can relive them vividly. Lt Cdr Gupta's brave actions were accorded recognition with the award of Mahavir Chakra to him. It was great meeting him after many years; our acquaintance dates back to 1956 when, as cadets in 'King' squadron, NDA, he was the Squadron Cadet Captain and I, two years his junior. Also nice was spending time with Cmde Kesnur who is a fellow Communications specialist.

There was naval touch in another discussion when Tarun Tahiliani spoke about his book on fashion. Tarun is the son of late Admiral Tahiliani, ex-Chief of the Naval Staff.

Curtains came down on the 2024 Festival with the customary Writers Ball wherein all the participants and sponsors are invited along with a small number of guests. It is said that a person invited for the Ball is deemed to have ‘arrived’! Well, Akhila and I have been rooted where we have always been so we have not 'arrived' anywhere either. However, we are blessed with good friends who have facilitated our presence at the event most of the years.

A regular feature of the Ball has been the outstanding music. This year, two bands, The Bluegrass Journeymen playing Bluegrass music, a synthesis of southern American, English, Irish and Scottish music, and Chugge Khan and Rajasthan Josh providing Manganiyar folk music, first performed individually and then combined in superb fusion leading to a rousing crescendo.

Next edition, please!

Tailpiece: Naval connect. Some may not be aware of the deep connect between the Festival and the Indian Navy. Sanjoy Roy is the son of the late Vice Admiral MK 'Micky' Roy, a distinguished naval officer and aviator. He was the head of the Eastern Fleet when I was commanding Katchall, one of the Fleet ships. He liked my ship and Mrs Roy always addressed Akhila as 'Bahurani'. He retired in 1984 and I had lost touch with him. Imagine my surprise when I bumped into him at the 2009 JLF and learnt that Sanjoy was his son!

The other connect is with the owner of Diggi Palace, Ram Pratap Singh, who is married to Jyotika, daughter of another fine naval officer and pilot, Capt RN Singh. The latter has a unique achievement of having travelled from London to Delhi or vice versa by air, sea and land, the last by driving a car all the way with two colleagues after completing initial training in early-1950s in the UK.