Of Trees and Beaches

The Green Heritage Walk was not something that struck me out of the blue. I was chatting with a dear friend of mine and she came up with this idea. Though I had been to Lalbagh before and the only things that amused me were the Snow White clock and shrubs trimmed into weird shapes, I didn't think twice. The walk helped me appreciate the objects most ignored in this botanical garden, which are actually those for which it was created and meant to be valued- trees. I'm glad I missed my regular hours of sleep that day to visit Lalbagh. We have become so nocturnal that we do not remember how it feels to stretch our arms and embrace the first rays of the sun, to inhale the crisp morning air and listen to the radio, to enjoy the chirping of birds, which is one of the most beautiful forms of music gifted to us by Mother Nature herself. I am not a History or Botany enthusiast but it was truly delightful to know about the varieties of trees brought to this garden from all parts of India and the world, about the tower erected by one of the founders of Bangalore which was among the four cardinal towers used to mark its boundary in the 16th century (of course Bangalore has stretched far beyond!), and about the Lalbagh rock which is over 3000 million years old and one of the oldest rock formations on earth. To top it all, we had yummy chikkis for snacks and mouth-watering breakfast at MTR, which is the inventor of the rava idli. It was the perfect finish for a perfect walk and one of my most cherished moments in this city.

About 300 km south-east of Bangalore lies a quiet little town contrasting the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan I live in. The Puducherry trip has been one of the best instinctive decisions I’ve taken! The highlight of the trip was our newly-found (or should I say ‘hired’) friend, our two-wheeler. Be it the cool and shady roads to Auroville or the narrow and pot-holed town streets (which entertain more than just motor vehicles), she remained faithful till the end of the trip and only did help triple the fun! Too bad we had no choice but to bid her farewell. Anyway, let’s not remember the sad part. Entering Auroville was like entering an aura of tranquility. Everything in this township has a touch of simplicity combined with beauty so unique that it still lingers on in my mind. A piece of Auroville survives inside Puducherry itself in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Each church in Puducherry is distinct from the other and yet equally marvelous a piece of architecture. So is each temple. And what do I say about the beaches? It’s always amazing to spend time on the beach, isn’t it? Well, we had more than just one beach to visit! Need I tell more? After the beaches, it was worth riding all the way to the Boat House just for a speed-boat ride around Chunnambar. And once we were done with the regular tourist activities, our spirits were all the more lifted to indulge in our favorite pastime on Nehru Street – shopping of course! The trip did leave us exhausted, but every bit of it was worth the energy spent.

As of today, all I can do is hope to push aside my lethargy and just go for another trip, simply to lose myself in the beauty of nature and probably take a few gasps of unpolluted air. Anybody game to accompany me?