Monday, September 28, 2009
Odisshaa.... Unforgettable Impressions
Image via Wikipedia
I had dreaded going to certain places in India, and fortunately I was forced to go to those very place itself. One of those places was Assam, and more than a year ago, I was there. I was there in Gauhati 2 hours before a serial blast took place in market place. I was at the same market two days later too. Life is different for people over there. It changed my outlook towards life too. From then on, I never had the dread of traveling anywhere.
I had always wished to go to Orissa, and I also had a very specific impressions. These had been fostered by those countless conversations with my colleagues who had been in and out of Orissa steel/sponge iron plant belt right from 2002-2003. They were seeing only half the picture! Or maybe they don't have my lenses :)
Right from the trip from Bhubaneswar to Sambalpur(I slept off till I reached BBS, a miss), I was wonder struck by the beauty of the land. Both sides of the track was green, filled with cultivated land and those small canals which irrigated them. Afar I could see groves, (of mangoes?) I couldn't identify them from the leaves, and the sparse palm trees on the boundaries separating those farmers land. The train was running really fast, and in each half an hour at least, I could see ponds full of water lilies(aambal as we call in Malayalam). Ah, that is a sight to behold if you could imagine the beauty it will be in full bloom. The 290 km trip from BBS to SMPR took around 4 hours, 4 hours of getting a feel of the beauty of Orissa.
I took off without telling about the real thing. I reached BBS in the wee hours of morning and in true style of mine, called up my colleague(and friend) asking him about the train. I was looking lost I the new place I guess, because when I asked a guy over at platform about where reservation counter is, he came along with me. He also took ticket for me, while I looked over both of our belongings! Now I had company, for the trip ahead. His name is Vardhan(also an electrical engineer like myself), I didn't ask much about him because I was really travel weary. World is a small place, and life is unpredictable, maybe I will get to meet him again, hopefully. We waited in the platform, freshened up(first time:)) and gave good company too.
The dawn was breaking and a Howrah Jan Shatabdi came. Suddenly the platform which was filled with beauties and wannabes, emptied. I was getting fidgety and told him, we will go to our platform, maybe there will be the better people. We went, but then, the train we were waiting for was in orissa, not the biggest metro in India. And the people were obviously different. I took to general compartment only to enjoy the culture there. There was a train there:P. For the first time in my life, I saw a train going in opposite direction :) confused?? Yeah, it happens in Orissa! I got into that train, after troubling my colleague again:). First comment I heard, after settling myself, oblivious of hullo bullo of the generals marshaling their troops(fathers/uncles/boyfriends rounding their folks), was “These dirty Indians,(pause, heave) no manners at all”. I looked to find a fat man, pushing forward towards nowhere with his luggage, all sweaty and don't know what else. And he was an INDIAN too :P.
I was in Orissa! The people are the best part of any place/state/country. And we have a wealth of them. Each state, each region is rich with them! I saw the beauty of the place right from the train itself. After initial bustle with many sitting, then getting their arse up again, and getting down, there came the first whistle. Many decided that this compartment was too crowded or may be they had better options and started to get off. I let Vardhan sit, and stood watching the drama. There was a group of students(Orissa girls are beautiful:)) and the guys behaved perfectly gentlemanly, making seats for their friends and also for a lady with a small kid. I was going to see first of many of signs of good natured people of Orissa. The guys who didn't know each other were helping out like brothers. After an hour Vardhan got down, with a shake of hands and wishing each other good, I settled down in his seat. The person next to me was having pan like a kid having chocolate:) in the 4 hours of travel, he had least 20-24 pan! He was putting it inside without spitting a bit. I was wondering what he had put inside. At last, he spit the chewed remains inside the compartment itself, a few charred remains(luckily I was getting down or else..)
As usual, I got down at wrong station( a practice which helped me explore more of the place I was going to). You can't blame me for my mistake – I will narrate what happened. I saw the station name Sambalpur City but the station was very idle. Outside the station, I didn't see anything except a road far away and fields around. Now that was not a promising sight when you have had the information that you are going to one of the prosperous cities in Orissa(also a few searches by self have revealed certain information about diamonds being mined here long ago). I called up my friend and asked him, he said get down and I did, but then I didn't listen to all he said – like, of the over bridge and auto stand outside the station. Anyway I got down and train stated moving. No auto stand was there outside this “city” neither was there over bridge near the station. I started asking the only person outside the station where is hotels and all. He said I got down at wrong place directly, I should have got down at Sambalpur town, not Sambalpur city. Here town is bigger than city! Ah, Orissa! I was enjoying myself! I shouldered my bags and started walking. My luck, an auto came and asked me if I was going to town(a lift). This guy told me about how to go to my hotel. With all these happening, and few changes of vehicle I reached my hotel. Settled down! I had to see the place. Fist Impressions were not that good. For now, I decided I will sleep and do the exploring later in night.
Labels: Bhubaneswar, India, Orissa, Travel and Tourism
