CIAO CHANDIGARH, ALOHA AGRA!

Date: 28-Feb-2005 3:43 AM
Subject: CIAO CHANDIGARH, ALOHA AGRA!

CIAO CHANDIGARH, ALOHA AGRA!

 

We got posted to Agra. Reporting at Agra on March 25, 2005.

 

Over, Its all over: the 6 years tenure at Chandigarh, the City Beautiful.
And finally, the visit to Chandigarh Annual Flower Show today marked the end of 6 years of trials,

tribulations, awakening, enlightment, understanding, transformation.

 

We cross the Sector 46 Playground with a pang in left chest.
Thats where I got down in an early morning, the morning of May 05, 1999,  from a Tata 470 mini truck,

which the punjabi driver/owner faithfully driven us from the same old Agra to Chandigarh.

 

We had just drove down the 08 hrs drive, on National Highway 01 from Delhi to Jammu
to the end of Indian North.

 

All along the black ribbon road night, the punjabi driver drank heavily, true to his customs, tweaked

the volume of the punjabi "chak de" music high, and drove as if he is sitting on a duck on clouds.

 

It was all new, new for me.
The city, the station, the works.

 

Just recently we all thought we understood Chandigarh, now we are posted.
Finding a house in Mohali was easy. While the same task is difficult in Sector 46 or 47.

 

Truly a well planned city. Compared to Agra, this is heaven.
Agra, or the whole UP is in shambles.

 

Load shedding is not much a botheration here. In Agra it is a lifestyle.
Proper Voltage, Current available here.
In Agra you need whole array of Stabilizers, boosters, inverters....

 

We will miss Chandi, CDG: no doubt.
Nizhalin arumai veyilil theriyum.

 

Neatly built sectors, uniformly formed cluster houses [kothi's], proper drainage, 3 times good water

 

supply, decent to posh houses at decent to posh rentals, educated people, ubiquitous car, high

 

society fashion.... the list of beauty of chandigarh goes on....

 

But the major irritant is distance for every action.
For Bike Repair goto Motor Market in 22 sector.
For Rail Reservation only goto Sector 17.
For Electronics goto sector 35.
For this goto that sector.
For that goto this sector.
Babre.. this is not convenient.

 

In Agra we used to get all-most in Idgah.
If not Nehru Place.
Thats all.
Matter clear. Simple place, simple life.
Here Bagh-doudi zyadah hai.
That burns deep hole in pocket for petrol.
Unless you own a Honda or any 4 stroke, god saves you. [like me].

 

I told 3 times water - All Tamilnadu people forgive me.
Morning 5 am to 8 am
Afternoon 12 pm to 3 pm
Evening 5 pm to 8 pm
Good water at your 2nd floor of 4th floor with good pressure.
Nirninri Amaiyadhu Ulagu.
Chandigarh-Mohali is Ulagu as per valluvan.

 

I remember only 3 times in past 6 years our first floor water pipe gave air: pssssssssssssss...
That time we got down, collected water from our ground floor people's tap.
Thats all.
Recall the same episode in Panagudi or Tuticorin or Chennai!
Alarming!.

 

What a Busstand!, Just like Tamilnadu, 24 hrs bus service to any part of India...
Haryana Roadways, Himachal Roadways, DTC, UPSRTC... all are just waiting to take you to places!.

 

Maynot be so good looking, but neat, clean, efficient buses.
You have Private Taxis-Buses in all hues and colours.

 

Air Travel to chandigarh is still not that much improved. but the air deccan is just arrived here.
So Chandigarh is a Future Metro, No Doubt.

 

With Infosys, Dell, QUARK Software, Ranbaxy, NIPER [National Inst. of Pharmacheutical Research],

 

SCL [Semi Conductors Complex Limited], PTL [Punjab Tractors Ltd] already pitched in here, it ison

 

the india's developed city radar.

 

So many BPO's, so many CRM companies...

 

Sector 31 Chandigarh Murugan Kovil, Sector 32 Chandigarh Tamil Mandram both are helping Tamils

 

here to have a home away from home.

 

Annadhanam - Langar a regular feature here.

 

Chandigarh Murugan Kovil Kumbabhishekam kanak kidaiththathu engal pakkiyam.
see Chandigarh murugan kovil site with lot of photos here...

http://murugan.org/temples/chandigarh.htm

 

Many tourist spots are nearby Chandigarh. Reg. all those visits I already wrote to you all.

 

God, I loved this City!.

 

Agra Alaikkirathu.

 

Agravaip patri piragu parpom.

 

Enrum Chandigarh ninaivudan,

 

Anban,
pasuG

 

PS:

Noun: aloha is Hawaiian; ciao is Italian

An acknowledgment that can be used to say hello or goodbye

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With Best wishes,
Mr. & Mrs. Pasupathi K. Pillai
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