Calcutta -City of joy revisited

Calcutta evokes memories of English breakfast, club culture, gentlemanly people, good food and of course Mishti doi - the unfailing delight.

I was a tad sad to see a decrepit airport which must have seen better days am sure. It felt like the airport belonged to another era- caught in a time wrap. Last I knew Calcutta was still a bustling metropolis of India so why was its airport so not in tune with the times?

Our welcome and adios for this trip began and ended with Kolkata- we went on to Darjeeling, Kaziranga, Meghalaya-Sillong, its interiors and back to Calcutta. The imprint of colonization and the ensuing western culture is most overtly seen in the East of India. From building exteriors to museums and colonial homes to the way people dress on weekdays and Sundays – very charming.

In Kolkatta (todays name for Calcutta) the joy for me was the food! I discovered puchkas and jhaal muri outside Victoria which were very different from the pani puri and bhel puri of Bombay. Took me a while to appreciate the unique taste as it has a generous helping of mustard oil which is alien to me. Had phenomenal breakfast one morning at Balwants dhaba next to a gurudwara- the most amazing katchoris (stuffed dal small pooris) with aloo sabzi which were mind blowing awesome! Tea was served in earthen small pots –kulhads. Just for the unique experience this is a must visit place. We also visited the old coffee house on College street- my god it was a world from a past era - you gotta be there to experience it! We had a fantafabulous lunch in Bhojohori Manna and I could have gone to heaven right away! The raw mango pulp juice I had there along with a unique ice cream made from the first molasses of sugarcane - awesome! As you can tell- it was a non ending feast of delightful food journey there! How can I miss mentioning Flury’s. A sweet, clean, good food institution (over 100years old) – we packed stuff from there and brought back to Bombay and gorged on it. Despite the huge fire that engulfed the old Flury’s building it was up and running within 24hours of that horrid day

One sight that left me half smiling and half sad- we were waiting in traffic for the lights to turn green. At the same lights, scores of people all bundled behind a rope with a young man in uniform (traffic related) shrilled his whistle ordering them to cross the road by dropping that rope – humanity surged forward as if in a race! Parallely an announcement over the loudspeaker instructed them when the lights turned amber - “dooooon't crooossss the roooaaaddddd…” the rest I couldn’t catch as we had moved on

The high point in this Calcutta trip was the game we got to see between my favourite KKR team and next favorite DC team in an electrifying huge stadium of Eden Gardens. It is no news how Dada is revered here in Calcutta, but omg only if you are present in Eden do you know how big a God he is here! I absolutely think he was our best captain and had to go thru unnecessary tests all his life proving his worth! What a match it turned out to be! An edge of the seat game which KKR won – no articulation of those emotions in the stadium can do justice to the community feeling and sharing of joy and happiness when Dada Ganguly won the game! With adrenalin pumping, Calcutta dancing on the streets with joy after this brilliant victory, we made our way into the jam packed streets singing Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo as we made tracks into the night happy with a satisfying day behind and knowing the sunrise ahead would be amidst the monks and monasteries of the Darjeeling hills awaiting our arrival:)

Agra-ca-dabra

Magical vision?

The Taj Mahal is more than magical. Words fail me in describing this wondrous, awe inspiring, beautiful, sensitively crafted iconic structure. It pulls the heart strings to soften, the hard edges of daily existence to fade away. Replacing the void with a bright warm glow of tenderness and love that shows one the immense possibilities of eternity and forever.

It’s no wonder that the famous and magnificent Taj Mahal in Agra is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The magnificent mausoleum was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. Researchers have us believe that the emperor was on his spiritual journey and looked to replicate Gods kingdom on earth. The well scaped gardens are the passage to paradise (the mausoleum) to meet with the Almighty and become his. There is much proof to this Scientology behind why the emperor inscribed the critical chapters from the Koran. All speaking of a release to the ultimate haven, the Paradise.

The Emperor intended to create a mirror image of the Taj in black marble as his resting place after death, across the river Yamuna, exactly across the Taj Mahal building but for inexplicable reasons the project did not see the light of day. Many archeologists are digging up the exact same area to find signs on why how and what this building never came up...

Contemplation, they say, is what one must do when in such places. I took in the hot summer afternoon slowly and without complaining. There were loads of touts trying to be our tour guide but we wanted to be left alone to discover the Taj Mahal by ourselves. We ambled along the water edges capturing still frames of glorious angle of this iconic monument. Both from inside and outside and also from the road on way and on return journey to the hotel. Folklore has it that the ceilings of this great marvel were decorated with precious gems and diamonds once upon a time. And the precious peacock throne on which the Emperor used to hold the courts proceedings which was bejeweled with thousands of valuables, today sits in the British Queens looted treasures from India. I can only imagine how exquisite it would have been in its glorious years…

For a moment there in pitch darkness inside the mausoleum. A guide was demonstrating to a batch of tourists how the gems in the ceiling would glitter and wink back during the times of prosperity - he requested everyone to switch off their torches and lighters etc and then in complete darkness he lit a strike- and asked everyone to look upwards to the ceiling. There were a thousand glittering lights dancing on the ceiling reflecting how gorgeous it must have been when adorned with precious gems and stones in a yester year. Wow that was a sight that the camera simply could not capture:(

Once on the outside again we hopped crazily trying to save our burning feet from the scorching marble on which the sun beat mercilessly. Read voraciously much that was inscribed on tablets all around about the Emperor and his Begum. Photographed extensively till my camera ran out of power. Not only did our visit to the Taj Mahal sensitize us to the era under the gaze but it also brought alive the romance and love and passion felt by 2 mortals to create an immortal chapter for themselves for many centuries to comes.

Some do’s and don’ts: Don’t wear your best pair of shoes when visiting the Taj, one has to remove them afar and walk the large distances bare foot. We lost our shoes. Try to get an honest guide who can walk you through the history without exaggeration. There are many good guides. Of course if you are adventurous enough you must discover the Taj for yourself. No eatables are allowed in- make sure you declare your camera and get the right passes for entry. Hang lose, absorb all.

The Taj Mahal is breathtaking

Wai, Satara - Maharashtra

A fabulous highway, good people for company, a few halts - made this lovely 5 hour drive to Wai a beautiful memorable one. Villages and towns whizzed past giving way to rolling Sahyadris; gigantic and gentle at the same time. I effortlessly soaked in all the eye could behold

Upon reaching Wai I gathered from the village folks that Vishal Bhardwaj, Prakash Jha, Ashutosh G and many Marathi movie makers have shot lots of films in Wai - Kaminaay, Ishqiya, Omkara, Swades, Gangaajal, Mrityudand, Maqbool to name some.

In fact the day we were in Wai there were 4 shoots happening all within a short distance from each other. There was Salman Khan shooting for his film, Star One was shooting a soap there, our ad was being shot and some promo films for One were being shot. Clearly given the picturesque locale, simple hospitality, reachable distance from Bombay, all, make it a great location for Bollywood and the Ad fraternity to shoot here. Everyone comes to Wai, falls in love with the great outdoors as a location, stay for a day or many long weeks or months and come back again for more - addictive Wai indeed:)

The villagers clearly have seen many celebrities come and go – they have many tales to tell if you lend them a patient ear, they proudly preen about meeting Shah Rukh Khan (Swades), Vivek Oberoi (Omkara), Sushmita Sen ( they say she smokes much), Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi to name some. They treated us like stars and I was worried if this was some means of extraction- only to realize soon they are genuinely helpful and caring.

For me Wai spelt simplicity. Not lazy or laid back, allowed one to love it and in turn Wai loved one back. It’s a gentleman’s village. Humble, helpful, and all they sought in return was appreciation. The most memorable thing of Wai for me was the good strawberry's I ate there – sweet and juicy – never got such kind in Bombay ever

The downside was that Wai doesn’t boast of any decent overnight stay places. While film units usually stay at Mahabaleshwar or Panchgani and drive down to Wai for shooting, we were camped in Wai for the first day, before we moved base to Satara. Not much to write home about the rooms or service in Wai.

Satara on the other hand wears its prosperity with pride. The 4 lane highway drive is a dream- a very international standard highway, (was tempting to fly on such roads) sugarcane crop provides the greens amidst giant lolling light brown mountains, thousands of windmills atop flat table land mountains that spin gently effortlessly creating energy in rhythm. In fact Satara has the distinction of having the largest windmill farm in Asia! The twisting mountain roads were fabulous too. Infact in one place when I looked back from the car- the scene was straight out of a picturesque story book- rolling roadways climbing and undulating with the mountains- with not a soul in sight! How I wish I had my camera in hand to freeze frame that shot! Sigh - regret:(

Some Satara villagers recommended that we ride to Sajjangad, close to Thosghar. Sajjangad is a small fort where Guru Ramdas Swami, the spiritual leader of the Mahratta Warrior Shivaji, lived. And we did. The weather was cool. We spent crazed hours working to ensure we used maximum daylight, then close to sunset went trigger happy on my own camera gasping and marveling once again at the Windmills and the awesome scenery surrounding us.

It was pack up time, armed with a camera full of pictures, we drove to the centre of the village to grab a bite, and soon hit the highway to head back to Pune first. The mountain countryside view on both sides of the road was once again raw, hard and breath-taking. It was now time to pay attention to the driver and keep him engaged in a conversation for the next 5 hours to get home safe and sound in the dark hours of the night.

What gadgets do you carry when traveling?

In my light traveling mode I often imagine myself zooming off to travel with not much beyond the basic clothing and a piece of flint:)

But in reality when traveling we do pack in lot of gadgets. From iPods to noise-canceling headphones, digital cameras to GPS trackers, they take up space, can consume electricity and distract us from actually enjoying the trip. Things that will keep us safe if left to our own means we can keep ourselves entertained and usefully occupied.

Some gadgets that are a 'must carry' when traveling:

A multi tool holder- knife/corckscrew /pliers

A spare lock

An adapter plug for all devices: laptop, camera charger, cellphone charger, ipod... Its a pain to carry multiple cables all the time.

A handy first-aid travel kit. Must haves: bandages, painkillers essential tools for dealing with the bumps, scrapes, safety pins, duct tape, sting relief wipes, moisturizing wipes, alka seltzers...

A notebook and pen, you never know when the urge to write or make notes may strike

Tip:How do you fit a month’s worth of clothes into a 22-inch carry-on? By sucking the air out with vacuum packing bags. While you’re at it, it never hurts to bring along a half-dozen Ziploc-style bags, too:).

Of course, your ideal gadget list will also depend on what kind of a traveler you are. Hikers and campers may want headlamps instead of flashlights, or hand-crank radios instead of battery-powered, while urbanites may see little use for a first-aid kit. Go ahead and pick your gadget companions sensibly to pack along in the bag:)

An underground palace in Ahmedabad - Adalaj step well

This site touched me emotionally- for its architecture, for its many stories of intrigue and drama, for the wonderful foresight that was available to the people centuries ago and so on.

Why have we forgotten the good old methods of conservation of water in modern times!! Today water is fast deplenishing, and no one seems bothered about saving this vital resource so long as your home and office taps spew and gush water. Ask those people who have seen water shortages, ask the people living in rain starved villages and you realize the importance or the lack of safe drinking water and its lack of availability

The Adalaj step is an architectural marvel steeped in history that I did not have the foggiest about. This is an intricately carved well that descends seven floors downwards into the earth (very different from the wells we have seen in our life time) Infact the lower you climb the temperature drops to surround you with cool air inside this giant well. Built entirely of sandstone, one can enter this step-well from three sides – the octagonal landings have carved colonnades and intricately carved niches. Openings in the ceilings above the landing have been provided to allow light and air to enter the well. Natural air conditioning! Each landing has wide space suggesting that people, especially travelers, rested here while on their journeys – to quench their thirst with the cool waters before resuming their journeys. Glorious yesteryears indeed! As we walked about exploring the architecture, marveling at the steps carved out of stone ( the steps are made of slabs of stones that inter lock into each other), discovering the various levels to this inner side of the well – the view captured by my camera got even more joyous. The many questions surrounding this beautiful discovery got answered on coming back home by my friends and their family elders who have lived in Ahmedabad for a very long time.

History has it that Rana Veer Singh ruled the area around Adalaj. He started the construction of the step-well, which he wanted to be the most beautiful one around. Unfortunately he was killed in battle by Mohammed Begda, who coveted the widowed queen, Rani Ruba. Mohammed Begda proposed marriage to the Rani. The Queen agreed on one condition; that he complete the 7-storeyed step–well at Adalaj first.

Complete it he did in 1499–and he came back to the queen with his proposal. The next day, Rani Ruba flung herself into the water and drowned.

One of the well kept secrets of some of the step wells was that it also had hidden doors and chambers that led royal people, specially the queens to escape from being captured. They would simply fall into the well and pretend to be drowned but in reality, they would open hidden chambers and escape elsewhere . Wonder if Rani Ruba survived the plunge and escaped to live?

I walked around the exquisitely carved chambers, slightly perturbed. What about the 3 graves that were found near the well? It is believed that when Mohammed Begda asked the artisans if it were possible to build another step-well like the one at Adalaj they replied in the affirmative. This proved to be their undoing and they were instantly put to death. Shah Jahan-esqe isn’t it? Perhaps that is why the Adalaj step-well stands unrivaled till today. Beauty, romance and tragedy – well, every well has a story to tell!

On a more logical note- I wish our Government or Private public partnerships could look at reinventing such models to capture water for multi-purposes, while being earth friendly and non intrusive to not cause any further imbalances in our climate.

I hope this post renews the zest in us, similar to what our ancestors felt, to ensure deliverance (water relief for the weary sun burnt traveler) without any wastage's ( collection and restorage points)

Pondicherry

The name “Pondicherry” is a Westernized version of the Tamil “puducherry” meaning “small hamlet

This city is divided into French and Tamil localities with both sections displaying architectural details peculiar to each culture. In the French Town, the streets are lined by imposing colonial buildings with stately gates and huge compound walls. The facades are usually painted cream or light pink. In the Tamil Town, houses are typically painted green, blue and brown and have large, expansive verandahs ideal for a quick chat with passers by or even to be used as an impromptu guest room for unexpected travelers

Our travel to Pondicherry revolved around the Aurobindo Ashram, the Auroville, a nearby corner street for water or snacks replenishment, and the local diner - café which we frequented often for lunch and dinner. This diner place was called Le Club that retains much of that old world grandeur even today. Am not sure if it is a new place built to look like from olden times, or a genuinely olden place. The restaurant tastefully lights up at night in the garden of the old French villa. Located on Dumas Street very close to where we were staying it had some very authentic French food that had us returning regularly.

Auroville was the other place we found ourselves gravitating towards - conceived as a utopian city where people of different nationalities from all over the world could live in harmony. Around 1900 people, most of them non Indians live here in communes. During the inauguration of this community, soil from 124 countries was poured into an urn symbolizing the oneness of humanity. One can buy beautiful hand crafted arts in here. From perfumed candles, to hand made chappals, to necklaces, exotic silver ware, lamps, ceramic pottery and hand made paper, to antiques from Tamilnad and Kerala- this place became another destination for us to visit regularly during our stay there with the hope of shopping real ‘finds’ here

Although not in the same league as Goa, Pondicherry has its share of small, uncrowded beaches. The small promenade by evening finds many strollers largely tourists , taking in the salty sea breeze. The beach is relatively free of mankind, rather rocky and unsafe for swimming.

The impressive French architecture living alongside Indian culture in harmony is a prime example of how everybody gets along in this tiny town. The serenity and relative quiet of Pondicherry is worth having a sample of – don’t go there expecting action, else you will be disappointed.

The Golden Temple Amritsar.

I distinctly recall our car was not allowed to drive through the barricades, the driver furiously negotiating with the cops, we waiting patiently inside the car knowing it will all sort out and eventually we did drive through to reach The Golden Temple

It was a very hot and humid day. Amidst much noise and so many people and the bustle of the narrow street, my head had begun to call out for help! I drove past the site of Jallianvala Baug and my heart felt for all those that died here.

With these emotions churning within I stepped out of the car covered my head as tradition demanded and entered Shri Harmandir Sahib/The Golden Temple. We first stopped to leave behind our shoes in safe keeping. And then walked on the hot marble to climb down the steps towards the Sarovar.

Everything suddenly stopped.

The only sound I could hear was the religious songs being sung in the temple. I was immediately overwhelmed by what I saw and felt. The nearest thing I can describe was a feeling of calm quietude descending on me. A coming home kind of feeling. I felt like I was meant to be there. I walked around struggling to ensure my chunni stayed atop my head, trying to absorb as many views as I could of this magnificent place. There has to be something in it. My senses couldn’t comprehend it but my soul could.


A holy place packed to capacity with the weekend crowd. We did our parikrama of the sarovar (water pond in the center) twice over – to a feeling of satisfaction.

The white marble we walked on was burning hot reminding me of how in the old days people may have had to walk over coals to seek atonement. With an utter feeling of a high, when the prasad of kada got handed out I was simply felt blessed. The Golden Temple. This place was all that I had heard about and more.

Large, bustling with activity, crowded! Yet everything had a sense of peace and calm. The shabad kirtan had a soothing effect and after pausing to take in the beauty of the Harmandir Sahib, we joined the queue to enter the inner sanctorum. I am always pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness and discipline exhibited at Sikh gurudwaras. The marble flooring was spotlessly clean and irrespective of the size of the crowd nobody pushes or tries to get ahead – quite unlike some of the temples that I have visited. I was quite impressed with the intricate carvings and detail on the walls and with the fact that everybody tries to do some seva (selfless service) here.

I had initially planned to taste the famous langar but the humid weather and the morning breakfast made me pass it this once, but will give it a try another time.

Darbar Sahib also called The Golden Temple or Temple of God is culturally the most significant place of worship of the Sikhs & one of the oldest Sikh Gurudwaras located in Amritsar which was established by Guru Ram Das the 4th guru of the Sikhs

In here nobody goes away hungry. For pilgrims and the poor, there's the divine langar. For the souls seeking more there is indeed more. And for the tourists and the locals, there's the ubiquitous dhaba

I find myself ill equipped to close this post, deep inside me I know I will definitely return to The Golden Temple soon.

Wagah Border.

I had heard a lot about the retreat ceremony at the Atari-Wagah border, some 28 kms from Amritsar, the only road border crossing between India and Pakistan.

While we did our best to reach before time and just about made it on time, we had not factored in the weekend crowd and just about managed to squeeze into a crowded stand which only had a partial view of the gates. The mood was soon set by a large group of school girls dancing to Hindi film patriotic songs. Some foreigners too jumped in with much dancing and waving of arms and legs. It was a great setting – the evening sunset, a few Indian flags in the crowd, smartly turned out BSF soldiers who looked so tall like the Pathans of Afghanisthan and amidst a lot of patriotic sloganeering – I couldn't help but feel very proud as an Indian, proud as never before.

Be prepared for an assault on the senses. We were surrounded by smelly wet perspiration soaked Mango People who despite the mad mad rush allowed us some room to stand without being felt over! People were on a high here, suddenly it seemed that all standing in the Indian side of the balconies were feeling a tremendous rush of pride and honour in being there watching and participating in the retreat. I was keen to get started on some ‘forever etched in memory kinda shots’ with my camera, but trying to find a comfortable spot, balance myself, not tip over and yet not come in the way of someone else, was a gigantic task! We pushed through the crowd and managed to reach as close we could to the balcony railing. I could see the other side of the border – the Pakistani Rangers in their black Pathani suits and a quiet audience that sat very orderly in the audience galleries on the other side of the border.

The ceremony started with some smart drill and marching by the BSF. The jawans kicking their heels incredibly high and putting on a show of mock face-off with the Pak rangers, much to the delight of the crowd. A white line that came along with the partition in 1947 by the British demarcates the border between India and Pakistan about a yard apart. The soldiers drill with pounding long strides on the grounds as the two iron gates are shut with a final handshake. The ceremony invokes nostalgia among the visitors and offers something that one cannot afford to miss as a short excursion from Amritsar.

After a while I found myself being repulsed by this show as I found it to be too threatening in stance and too combative and confrontationalist! All this fervour was drummed and beaten up by an orchestraor (DJ if you wish) who signaled the crowds to cheer and boo according to his commands! My initial feeling of patriotism gave way to a feeling of sadness, a feeling of being let down. Perhaps because I have always had the highest regard for our army. So when they do these public theatres like at the Wagah border it felt so staged! The entire ceremony became repetitive and farfetched.

I had had enough of the hot humid weather and the milling crowd and the harsh sun and I just wanted to get back to the air conditioned comfort of the hotel room. But there was no way out from the jam packed stands, so we waited some more and finally all of us just decided to make our way despite the milling crowds who magically allowed us a path out, we left before the ceremony was completed. As I walked back to the parking after the ceremony I could not help wondering about what the soldiers would do once the crowds had melted away. Would some of them casually saunter off across the border and share a drink with their counterparts? Or, perhaps share some jokes with each other on the way the crowds behaved today vis a vis the previous weekend. What if the border had actually been drawn a few more kms north. Wouldn’t some of the soldiers guarding the frontier, be probably guarding it from the other side? What choice does an individual have in choosing his Nationality?

Playing glutton in the land of milk and ghee -Amritsar

I was told by friends that often the locals prefer to send out for food rather than cook in their kitchens, now I know why:) The food is not only hot and tasty, its also fresh and clean. Despite my fears of the water they served to drink and the watery chutney and the not so fresh looking diced onions given as accompaniment with the kulchas not once did I suffer any tummy problems.

I have never eaten kulchas like this ever before in my life! Crunchy, tasty, mouth watering, so yummy that I could not desist from having more than I should have had! The Amritsari kulcha I devoured with relish, its for those who may not know much about a kuclcha- a flaky crisp white flour bread stuffed with potatoes, spiced onions chilly and pepper, jeera and anardana on the inside and roasted in generous dollops of butter to give that crunch. This kinda kulcha cannot be found anywhere beyond Amritsar I swear to you . A tiny ramshackle place in a side street off the main road dished up this tasty meal which I ate with tasty chole (albeit a bit watery) and green chutney which I washed down with a brass tumbler full of cool lassi. It was no over exaggeration that the best bread is available on the streets of Amritsar

This journey of food exploration from the streets of Amritsar certainly made me believe all I had heard thus far about how tasty food is in this city! Amritsaris do indeed dish up the most flavoursome and fragrant of food at the humblest of prices At dinner time I ordered straightforward simple food and given how ravenous I was, I downed most of it but must acknowledge that Lonely Planet probably is not the best judge of good north Indian food

At first glance Amritsar belies of prosperity, wealth and a certain influx of internationalism. The more I looked around and observed the more I detected a certain humbleness, a quality that many who were selling would not compromise on, a certain respect allowed to the women despite the hot bloodedness of the males from these parts of north India or the over crowded streets where congestion word was probably discovered.

My observations - chaos is not a bad thing, am sure there is definite method to any madness. However does chaos have to mean mess? Chaotic traffic? Dilapidated buildings? Guess the Govt doesn’t care but do we stop caring? Our cities look equally bad so not once am I passing any judgment here- all I am seeking is some of us need to wake up and stop accepting this degeneration quietly . We live in a sorry state and we shouldn’t be. We need to change things – we need to reflect care for things, we need to demand better things for ourselves from ourselves. And not allow it to get from bad to worse. And this observation is true for most of pilgrim cities I have visited in India

All too soon, it was time to head back home, while I was keen to get back to Pooch I also wished I had some extra time in hand to stop and buy Amritsari papads and Pinni’s and gur halwa for family and friends. I sat a tad wistful in the plane that it was all over too soon, but promised myself I would come back here with family and take in the sounds and smells and everything Amritsari slowly and joyfully and savour it. I remember seeing this little kulfi shop, the name of which I cannot recollect. I wanted to stop and sample its wares but could not, I know their malai kulfi is to die for! I wanted to have the Paneer pakoras and the kachauris and the desi ghee jalebis and the phirni and the bhaturas and the ma ki dal and the aam papar - all of this the next trip for sure! I know the patiala suits are gorgeous and awaiting me for the next trip. This is the land of senses alright- creamy yet textured, I promise to get back to this wonderful land soon

Ale or Lager? Delhi has come a long way baby!

Last weekend in Delhi was not just a rich sports filled day with Monte Carlo becoming a good hunting ground for the prancing horse (Ferrari yes!) who finally made it to a 3rd on the podium closely followed by Massa at 4, but also the T20 finals between Hyderabad and Bangalore giving enough respite to what could have been an otherwise tension filled evening between old rivals Delhi and Bombay were they to come face to face in this seasons IPL.

I found myself in Delhi's cool(!) Sports Bar enjoying the race with friends amidst lively conversation. And soon after the race we moved to a Bavarian beer bar where we were joined by more friends given the popularity of IPL and the finals. This place promised very fresh beer…and the music blasting from within was enough to set us all on our feet!

And so pitcher after pitcher, the evening had begun in true earnest. The beer was indeed fresh. Retaining the original taste from the tap right till the serving mug reached the halfway mark. Unlike the bottled or canned beer which loses much of its original character. There’s this issue of varying temperatures and a host of other factors like the quantity produced and the way in which it is transported etc. so is my guess. Which is why the bar was thronging with ex-pats and Indians alike all rubbing shoulders and exchanging smiles with strangers as the beer went down smoothly and the music was electric! And by now Kumble’s men had restricted Gillys boys for inside 150!

The evening was setting firmly in place for all of us, amidst loud chatter, food plates being passed around, with difficulty being able to hear ones own voice forget hearing the others we still were chatting with one another and communicating with the giant screens pushing the adrenalin even higher ball after ball , and all this was taken farenhites further with the romance of beer ... at that a fresh one right at the source:)

There was lots to experience - endless variety of brews made from just four ingredients: water, malt, hops and yeast. One could choose from a selection of draft beers (made from rice or wheat or germ flour) or even a glass of ale or lager or dark beer or wine or mixed drink of your choice We were nicely settled at a vantage point to view the screen and the game, and the taste of pumped up music and the microbreweries, craft beer or brewpubs all added the right dosage of magic to an evening which was anyways glorious given the high of betting on the right team or the right score or the right batsman! Nothing can replace a great live performance – and we all loved the great show that Gillys boys put up in the second innings!

From the frosty mug to the dark long-necked glass different folks were enjoying the most tasteful journey of this sunset yellow or dark brewed indulgence. But naturally, it occurs to me, to popularize a new concept such as fresh beer brew the beerbar management rightly combined cricket frenzy with the merriment of beer. It generated a lot of buzz in this outsourcing and software hub, dotted by malls and shopping plazas.

Kumbles men crumbled, the DJ went many notches louder on his music rack, the beer was smooth and quite tasty. The calorie content, I’m told, was lower than bottled beer. The ambience was great. The friends were a riot to be with. What else could one ask for after the grunge of a work filled week?