Mhow Ki Khabrein... Blogposts from Mhow (MP); India

MP Remount &Veterinary Squadron NCC of Mhow excels at Republic Day Camp

2012-01-17T23:57:00.002+05:30

NCC R&V Squadron from Mhow adjudged best riding team at Republic Day Camp



MP Remount &Veterinary Squadron NCC of MHOW performed excellently at the Republic Day Celebrations Equestrian Events 2012 at New Delhi, with the unit emerging as top most medal winner and first amongst all Remount & Veterinary Squadrons of the country. The squadron won a total of 3 best rider trophies apart from 5 Gold, 5 Silver, 1 Bronze and 2 highly commended medals in various equestrian competitions conducted at the event. A contingent of one Officer, one JCO, 2 Instructors, 3 boy cadets of Senior Division, 2 Girl cadets of Senior wing and 5 horses of this unit participated in these events.



Lt Col Sanjay Rawat, the squadron commander, said that the unit had a rigorous training and coaching camp at its newly constructed training grounds for over 2 months, under the guidance of Risaldar SS Singh, Dafedar Omveer Singh and ex cadet Yashowardhan Dwivedi. Senior Under Officer Sunali Raina of this unit was adjudged Best Rider (Girls), whereas Md Shah Rukh was honored with Best Rider (Boys). Other medal winners from the squadron include Cadets Govind Bali and Tejaswinee Potekar. The events conducted were show jumping, dressage and hacks. The winning horses include Lucky, Mahabali and Tarzan.


On 15 Jan 2012, Lt Gen PS Bhalla, PVSM, Director General NCC, witnessed the horse show at RDC Grounds New Delhi. SUO Md Shah Rukh won the show jumping competition here and was awarded the ‘Best Rider NCC Trophy’. Brig VK Adappa, SM, Dy Director General NCC (MP&CG) and Col VK Saini Commander, NCC Indore Group, have congratulated the Mhow based squadron for their sterling performance.

Pictures Courtesy: 2 MP R&V Squadron NCC Unit.

RESULTS:

(1) Senior Under Officer (SUO) Sunali Raina of Senior Wing, Veterans
(i) Gold Medal in Show Jumping Normal on Lucky
(ii) Gold Medal in Dressage on Mahabali
(iii) Silver Medal in Show Jumping Top Score on Mahabali
(iv) Highly Commended (4th Position) in Show Jumping Normal on Mahabali
(v) Best Rider Trophy, Girls

(2) Senior Under Officer (SUO) Md Shah Rukh of Senior Wing, Veterans
(i) Gold Medal in Dressage on Shaktiman
(ii) Gold Medal in Hacks on Shaktiman
(iii) Silver Medal in Show Jumping Top Score on Lucky
(iv) Bronze Medal in Show Jumping Normal on Lucky
(v) Runner Up in Best Rider Trophy, Boys
(vi) Best Rider Trophy, Director General NCC Horse Show

(3) Cadet Govind Bali, Senior Division, Novice

(i) Gold Medal in Hacks on Tarzan
(ii) Silver Medal in Show Jumping Top Score on Lucky
(iii) Silver Medal in Show Jumping Normal on Lucky
(iv) Highly Commended (4th position) in Dressage on Tarzan.

(4) Cadet Tejaswinee Potekar, Senior Division, Novice
(i) Silver Medal in Show Jumping Top Score on Lucky.

===============XXX================

A Two Day Army Exhibtion (Fauji Mela) in Mhow

2012-01-17T00:56:00.004+05:30

Fauji Mela in Mhow.

Jan 12-13 2012.

To celebrate National Youth Day (the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda).

The station commander Brigadier Mukesh Kumar was requested by Mhow MLA and State Industries Minister Shri Kailash Vijayvargiya to extend the mela by one day so that people from Indore could also see it. That is the reason why the exhibition of military hardware was open on Jan 13 too...

An infantryman atop a T-72 Battle Tank .

पैदल सिपाही (रायफलमैन) टैंक पर ....

The infantryman, the infant and the artillery..... The 105/37 Indian Field Gun... एक फौजी अपने पुत्र के साथ....

A visitor is curious about the ATGM (Anti Tank Guided Missile) Launcher टैंक को नष्ट करने वाले ATGM के बारे में जानकारी लेते हुए....

Small arms and other Infantry weapons on display...

पैदल सिपाहियों के हथियार की प्रदर्शनी

40 mm Multi Shot Grenade Launcher
४० एम् एम् मल्टी शाट ग्रिनेड लौन्चर

84 mm Rocket Launcher RCL Mark III

८४ एम् एम् राकेट लौन्चर आर सी एल मार्क III

30 mm AGL-17, Automatic Grenade Launcher.

३० एम् एम् ऐ जी एल - १७ आटोमेटिक ग्रिनेड लौन्चर

7.62 mm Machine Gun

७.६२ एम् एम् मशीन गन

Click here to see my photo essay on the same event in the English daily DNA (Indore Edition) (www.dnaindia.com)

Beirchha Road...

2012-01-16T23:57:00.001+05:30

Tamarind Trees on Beirchha Road... A sight I love seeing on my walk every morning...

Firepower Demonstration At The Army War College, Mhow - I

2011-11-28T22:27:00.003+05:30

November 23, 2011.

The Indian Army's Army War College at Mhow conducted a firepower demonstration. The press was also invited to witness this event.

That is how I attended this awesome display of firepower. This was primarily a demonstration conducted for the Junior Command (JC) course. The firepower demonstration showed the use of T-72 tanks of the Armoured Corps, Infantry Combat Vehicles BMP-II of the Mechanised Infantry and 105 mm Indian Field Gun of the Artillery. Here is a random sprinkling of pics clicked that day. There will be more in another blog post....

Above and Below: A sea of olive green and battle fatigues. Student officers witnessing the maneuvers.

A journalist breaks the monotony in the pic below.

Above: Student officers and media personnel enjoy a tank ride after the event.

Above: An infantryman with his firepower.....

Above: A T-72 tank on the move...

Above: Some of the media personnel having a good time with the guns on display...

The Lambretta... Remembering Old Times...

2011-09-25T14:35:00.000+05:30

Clicked in Malwa Market, Mhow....

Do read some of the comments on Facebook where I uploaded this pic:

Nitish Joshi: my fathers's favorite.........

Dev Kumar Vasudevan: My dad had two Lambrettas - the first was from 1968 to 1973 (Delhi, Mhow and Alwar) and the second one from 1973 to 1995 (Alwar, Shillong and Mhow)... He bought a Bajaj in 1995 because Lambrettas were not being produced... He couldn't use it for long as he lost his eyesight due to diabetic complications...

Mustafa Jamali: Looks in a very good condition, must be taken care of very well.

Dev Kumar Vasudevan: Yes Mustafa, there are a handful of these scooters in Mhow now. And all of them are well looked after. One is in the possession of the Sattar Tailor family.

Panchali Sengupta: oh, my Dad had one in green :0

Arun S Jayakaran: My Dad had one for years and as a kid I remember the numerous rides on it.

Sanjay Shukla Well kept machine.

Mustafa Jamali: Oh yes, they have been using one eversince I remember, a light blue coloured version, if they haven't modified it .

Navneet Kumar Yadav Very handyyy vehicle it reminds me of Dr Srivastava uncle who had been very kind all those years where he use to pick up his 2 sons after school from Rajeshwar vidhyalaya and use to take along 6 of us excluding him on his Lambretta ... Big hearted man big a big scooter ....

Dev Kumar Vasudevan: It was our family car. My father would drive, my mother would be on the pillion seat, youngest brother Ashok would stand in front and I and my younger brother Mahesh would sit on the metal frame above the spare wheel. This continues till I was ten or eleven. After that we stopped going five together. This particular scooter does not have the metal frame.

Deepa Vanjani: Took me back to the old old days of simplicity...i recalled my fathers

scooter called Fantabulous...

Dev Kumar Vasudevan: Yes Deepa I remember you telling me the story of your Dad's

Fantabulous. Come to think of it - Lambretta, Vespa (Bajaj), Fantabulous, Vijay Super. There

were hardly four or five models of scooters in the market.

The General, the Colonel and the Babbler

2011-05-24T10:44:00.000+05:30

The Large Grey Babbler is a bird which is present in large numbers in Mhow and other parts of Indore district. The taxonomic name of this common bird is Turdoides malcolmi. It was named by by Colonel W H Sykes (1790 - 1872)  in appreciation of support that he received from Major-General Sir John Malcolm  (1769–1833).

Colonel William Henry Sykes was an Indian Army officer, politician and ornithologist. He served in the army of the Bombay Presidency from 1804 to 1837. Major  General Sir John Malcolm is the man who founded Mhow cantonment in 1818 as a result of the Treaty of Mandsaur which was signed after the Holkars of Indore were defeated by the East India Co. at the Battle of Mahidpur (one of the decisive battles of the Third Anglo-Maratha war).

A retired Army officer to whom I sent this tale to had this to say, "Honouring a General by naming a babbler after him! I wonder whether the Colonel was paying the General a back handed compliment !"

Chronicle of Christ Church Mhow By Deepa Vanjani (Indore Plus, Times of India, 24 April 2011)

2011-04-26T01:49:00.001+05:30

An Easter gift.

Deepa Vanjani's article "Chronicle of Christ Church" featuring Christ Church Mhow published in Indore Plus (supplement to The Times of India) on 24 April 2011 - Easter Sunday.
"Photo courtesy and inputs from Dev Kumar Vasudevan"

Christ Church Mhow Is Illuminated for Good Friday and Easter Sunday

2011-04-22T14:42:00.000+05:30

Christ Church Mhow, The Mall, Mhow Cantt, District Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Image clicked on Monday, 18 April 2011

Christ Church Mhow gets ready for Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Stamp Released to Celebrate 100 years of the Corps of Signals, Indian Army

2011-02-09T11:05:00.000+05:30

The Corps of Signals of the Indian Army turns 100 on Feb 15 2011. The celebrations have been on since quite some time now. And since Mhow houses the Military College of Telecommunications Engineering (MCTE) - the alma mater of the Signals it has also been the venue for many of these celebrations.

I am happy that I could come to know about the release of this stamp and first day cover issued to celebrate 100 years of the Corps. I am also happy that I could discover a blog dedicated to the stamps of India. Please click here to see Indian Stamps For You Virtually - the source of these images.

Republic Day Parade 26 Jan 2011 गणतंत्र दिवस परेड २०११

2011-02-08T23:03:00.014+05:30

Shankar Laxman Stadium (Garrison Ground), Mhow, 26 Jan 2011
शंकर लक्ष्मण स्टेडियम (गेरिसन ग्राउंड) महू २६ जनवरी २०११

The atmosphere at the stadium is charged. The 61st Republic Day was being celebrated in this small town where Dr B R Ambedkar, the father of the Indian Constitution, was born in an Army family in the late 19th century. Generations in Mhow have looked forward to this day and have fond memories of the R Day parade in Garrison Ground.

एक अलग ही माहौल, एक अलग ही जोश. और होना भी है क्योंकि दिन है ख़ास.

St Mary's Convent Mhow led the march. They were the winners in the Senior Girls' section for best marching contingent.

Boys of Colonel's Academy Mhow.

Boys of Unique Higher Secondary School. The winners of the trophy for best senior boys marching contingent.
यूनिक हाईर सेकंड्री स्कूल के विध्यार्थी | वरिष्ठ (सीनियर) लड़कों की श्रेणी में इस दल को पहला पुरस्कार मिला

Young Scouts all smartly turned out...

And the girl guides also put up an impressive performance...

NCC Air Wing Cadets.

NCC Senior Girl Cadets.

Pipes and Drums - Rajput Regiment. राजपूत रेजिमेंट का पाइप्स एंड ड्रम्स बैंड

The Brass Band of Rajeshwar Vidyalaya. राजेश्वर विध्यालय का ब्रास बैंड

Shri Navin Tatge of the State Bank of India who, along with Mrs Pushpa Malviya of Army School Mhow has been the announcer in the parade for the past many years
स्टेट बैंक ऑफ़ इंडिया के श्री नवीन टात्गे जो पिछले कई वर्षों से आर्मी स्कूल के श्रीमती पुष्पा मालवीय के साथ इस कार्यक्रम का संचालन कर रहे हैं |

An impressive horse show by the Equestrian Squadron of the NCC. This squadron is linked to the Remount and Veterinary Corps of the Indian Army and is part of the Veterinary College, Mhow.
घुड़सवारी का बहुत अच्छा प्रदर्शन हुआ

Shifa Ansari sings "Vande Mataram" शिफा अंसारी "वन्दे मातरम" गाते हुए

Students of various schools participate in mass PT.

Students of JGG Higher Secondary School enact a scene from the uprising of 1857 (The First War of Independence for Indians and the Sepoy Mutiny for the British)

When youngsters captured a tank....
नौजवानों का टैंक पर कब्ज़ा !!! :-)

The Mobile Shop

2010-11-29T11:44:00.000+05:30

The puncture walla and his mobile shop. This is where I get air filled in the wheels of my motorbike. His stall was removed so he drives his shop to work everyday. Talk of innovativeness. ("कभी सोचा नहीं था की कार भी खरीदूंगा" ) "I had never thought I would buy a car," he told me with a smile, "but I had no option now so I bought this second hand car which is a huge financial burden but it enables me to keep my shop going." It may be a burden to him but am sure he will more than break even. This is something which I could not have imagined in the India of, say, 1990.

History. State Bank of Indore Is No More

2010-10-30T00:11:00.001+05:30

I wonder how long this board will stay. State Bank of Indore is now part of history. It has now merged with the State Bank of India. Hoarding seen near Modi Garden, just as one crosses the bridge on the Gambhir river.

"All branches of State Bank of Indore will function as branches of State Bank of India from August 27, 2010. Customers, including depositors of State Bank of Indore will be able to operate their accounts as customers of State Bank of India with effect from August 27," the Reserve Bank of India said in a statement.
Click here to read an article on the merger (Business Standard, Aug 27, 2010)

The Large Cuckoo-Shrike

2010-10-28T22:26:00.000+05:30

Mhow, Indore, Madhya Pradesh

Camera: SONY DSC H9

Common Name: Large Cuckoo-shrike

Taxonomic Name: Coracina macei
According to the Wikipedia: "The Large Cuckoo-shrike, Coracina macei, is a species of cuckooshrike found in south and south east Asia. They are mostly insectivorous and usually fly just above the forest canopy. They have a loud call Klu-eep and have a characteristic habit of shrugging their closed wings shortly after landing on a perch."
Thanks to Sumit Sen, founder of Birds of India (www.kolkatabirds.com) for helping me in identifying this species.

Food For The Gods... Ashtami Bhog... Durga Puja, 2010

2010-10-24T01:36:00.001+05:30

Oct 15, 2010.

Ashtami - The eighth day of the Durga Puja festival.

Celebrations of the Bengali Samaj, Mhow.

Held at the Narnoulli Dharamshala, Mhow

Camera: SONY DSC H9.

There was a time when I too was young ...

2010-10-24T01:13:00.000+05:30

October 20 2010.

Clicked in Mhow Bazaar. Near a Motorbike repair shop opposite the old Kotwali and not far from the Bohra mosque.

Camera: SONY DSC H9

From Army Marksmanship Unit(AMU),Mhow to the Commonwealth Games 2010, New Delhi

2010-10-23T12:44:00.001+05:30

Nine shooters from Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) Mhow were part of the 36 member shooting squad at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games 2010 at New Delhi. These were: Seema Tomar, Vijay Kumar, Gurpreet Singh, AD Peoples, Imran Hasan Khan, C.K. Choudhary, Hariom Singh, Sushil Ghaley, Praveen Dahiya.

Above: Article by Firoz Mirza in HT Live, Indore (Oct 7 2010) a supplement of Hindustan Times.

4 of these nine shooters won 5 Gold, 2 Silver and a Bronze medal either individually or in pairs.

They are: (1) Vijay Kumar - 2 Gold and a silver. Gold in 25 m (Pairs), Gold in Centre fire Pistol (Pairs), Silver in 25m Centre Fire Pistol (Individual)

(2) Gurpreet Singh - 2 Gold and a Bronze. Gold in 25 m Pistol Rapid Fire (Pairs), Gold in 10 m Air Pistol (Pairs), Bronze in 25 m Pistol Rapid Fire (Individual).

(3) Imran Hasan Khan - Gold in 50 m Rifle 3-Position (Pairs).

(4) C K Choudhary - Silver in 25 m Standard Pistol (Pairs).

September - The month of butterflies

2010-09-19T22:39:00.001+05:30

Puddling on Cow Dung.

Clicked on Thursday Sept 3, 2009.

The jungles on the hill of Janapao near Mhow. My uncle who is visiting from
Kerala wants to go and see a Shiva temple on a hilltop. We are walking through the forest when I see these butterflies feeding on cowdung. I also see some smaller groups on rocks too ... fascinating...

When I posted this in my facebook account this is what Priyanka - a fellow blogger and nature lover- commented: "Many butterflies feed on nectar from flowers, but they also get essential minerals and salts from mud and animal manures. This large gathering on mud or manure is called mud-puddling. Many an entomologists create their own mud puddles in their gardens in flower beds to attract a wide range of butterflies."

Pic below: Perched on a cactus is a Tailed Jay. Sept 21, 2007 at home.

Pic below: This Common Emigrant had perched on my shoulder and then it floated onto this flower. Clicked on Sept 21, 2007 at home.

Soccer at the Shankar Laxman Stadium (Garrison Ground),Mhow

2010-09-19T09:54:00.001+05:30

Sept 18, 2010 - Rajeshwar Vidyalaya Mhow defeated Jagdale School, Indore by 1-0 in the finals of the Mir Iqbal Hussain trophy for schools.

Soccer and hockey have been two of the most popular games of Mhow. Not surprising considering the Army presence here and the support that these sports got from the various regiments stationed here.

We also have a new plaque, a rather huge one at that, in honour of Honorary Captain Shankar Laxman the legendary hockey goalkeeper who was born in Kodariya village of Mhow and had joined the 5th battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry. Being a proper Mhow walla he was one of those who bridged the civil military gap in Mhow.

From Mhow to Slovenia in 67 days!!

2010-09-18T09:45:00.001+05:30

A postcard to Slovenia took 67 days to travel 6098 km (3789 miles)!!! Posted on 12 July and received on 17 Sept. Now it is my turn to receive a postcard from a randomly selected sender :-)

About three years ago I had registered at the site http://www.postcrossing.com The idea was to send and receive post cards from all over the globe. But after registering I forgot about it. Finally I decided to use my membership and requested for an address to send a card to. The site sent me the address of a young student in Slovenia.

I had a difficult time finding a picture postcard in Mhow. Luckily Zenith Stationery on Main Street had a bunch of old cards. Young Shabbir could not believe that someone was interested in buying these :-)

Anyway I sent the card after purchasing stamps worth Rupees fifteen from the Mhow GPO. Yesterday, 17 Sep I received an email that my card had been delivered adter 67 days!!! Now that my first postcard has been received my address will be given to a randomly selected member and I will soon be receiving a postcard from some corner of the globe. Will upload the pic the moment I receive my card.

I came to know about this site through a lady named Kate Russell. I must thank her and her column Webscape which is part of the program 'Click' which is shown on BBC TV and is also available on the BBC website
Click here to see my card at the website.

The Grave of a Child of the era of the British Raj

2010-07-29T01:16:00.001+05:30

The history of Mhow especially the British presence here from 1818 to 1947 is something which fascinates me. I have spent hours exploring the two Mhow cemetries and photographing old British graves. This January I came across the grave of Sandra the infant daughter of Major and Mrs J Drudge-Coates of the British Army Corps of Signals. She had died on Feb 15 1943, aged 15 months.

The epitaph reads: "In Loving Memory of Sandra, youngest daughter of Major and Mrs J Drudge-Coates, Royal Corps of Signals, whom God called suddenly, Feb 15 1943, aged 15 months. An angel took my flower away, yet I will not repine. For Jesus in his bosom wears, the flower that once was mine."

During the early days of the Raj wives and children did not come to India. But the advent of steamships and later the Suez Canal changed that. The Gora Sahib in India stopped keeping desiwives when the ladywives started arriving. Of the many British children born in India many attained eminence. Some names I remember include Eric Blair (George Orwell), Lawrence and Gerald Durrell, Rudyard Kipling, Spike Milligan, the mathematician Augustus De Morgan and even the infamous cricketer Douglas Jardine of the bodyline (Ashes) series.

I do not feel particularly sad when I see the graves of British soldiers in the Mhow cemetry. It is possible that there may well be a hundred thousand British graves in all the cemetries of the Indian subcontinent. The British were here to keep the Union Jack flying and it did not come for free. I remember reading these lines of the poet Rupert Brooke from his poem The Soldier when I was in school:

If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is forever England.

Rupert Brooke had died in World War I along with other famous poets like Siegfried Sassoon and these lines were dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of English soldiers killed in the horrible trench warfare in Europe but the same spirit well applies to graves in India. When one is walking among these graves one does feel that one is in England so well have these graveyards been built.

Seeing the graves of women and children is a different matter and I must admit that seeing some of these grave makes me feel sad.

© Dev Kumar Vasudevan., all rights reserved.

Adieu Lt Colonel (Retd) VG Sowani, SM (1920-2010)

2010-07-25T17:32:00.001+05:30

On 01 May 2010 Lt. Col (Retd) V G Sowani, SM passed away. At the age of ninety he was the seniormost surviving veteran in Mhow. He was also one of the few surviving veterans who had joined the Army in the pre-independence era. According to a blog of the Corps of Signals these are some of the details about him:
1. Date of birth: 11 Sep 1920
2. Date of Seniority: 04 Feb 1942
3. Date of retirement: 03 Feb 1970

He had settled in Mhow after retirement. I do not remember seeing him in my childhood though my parents knew the family. I remember him from 1979 onwards when I was in my late teens. He and I would often meet on our evening walk. We both would be with a dog. My father had been allotted an official quarter on the Mall which was known as Burmah Shell ka Bungla by the locals of Mhow. And the Sowanis lived diagonally across the road in a house they had purchased after the Colonel had retired from the Army. I also remember him for the side car attached to his Lambretta scooter. And for his impeccable manner of dressing - something very characteristic of officers commissioned in the pre-independence Indian Army.

We left the Burmah Shell Bungalow in 1980 when my Dad retired but we were always in touch with the Sowani family. There is a feeling of sadness when I think of veterans like Colonel Sowani and my dad. These are soldiers who were born in the nineteen twenties and and had served during historic times.

Mrs Vasundhara Sowani and their daughter Dr Abhijeet were kind enough to let me have access to the old photographs in the family albums. I am uploading some of them in this post as a tribute to the deceased soldier.

Marshall's Iora - A beautiful bird

2010-07-10T01:19:00.002+05:30

July 2, 2010

I clicked this Marshall's Iora in the Swarg Mandir area of Mhow. It was sitting on the branch of a Chikoo tree.

The One And Only Traffic Lights in Mhow

2010-05-19T21:33:00.001+05:30

Chinese Dies!!!!

2010-05-19T21:26:00.001+05:30

Anyone will die if the chef is vindictive enough :-))

An old photograph

2010-05-19T21:19:00.001+05:30

Station Road Mhow in 1918 when Mhow Cantonment was a 100 years old. This is most probably by Guerra and Sons.

Source: The internet.

The Jarul blooms in May

2010-05-19T21:15:00.001+05:30

From my archives. Clicked in May 2008.

New Year greetings from Janak and Jimmy McGilligan, Barli Development Institute for Rural Women, Indore.

2010-01-09T11:27:00.001+05:30

www.barli.org

2009-12-18T20:44:00.000+05:30

The Spotted Owlet In Her Nest.

more here.

2009-12-18T19:57:00.000+05:30

A Fruit Seller In Mhow

p.s. He stands at one end of Main Street. I have promised him a copy. I had clicked a picture last winter but could not give him a promised copy. Will not break my promise this time.

2009-12-16T21:56:00.000+05:30

Visiting the Barli Development Institute For Rural Women, Indore

"Being remembered for books and theories is not enough. One does not make a difference unless it is a difference in the lives of people.” – Economist Joseph Schumpeter

Monday 9 November 2009

I and a friend drive down to Indore to the Barli Development Institute For Rural Women to attend the 97th course completion ceremony (Deekshant Samaroh). I had received an email from Janak Palta Mc Gilligan, the director and life force of this institute, inviting me to attend the function. I love visiting this institute in Bhamori, Indore. This must have been the third or fourth time I was attending such a function. Janak Palta , who is from Chandigarh, and her husband Jimmy McGilligan (James McGilligan to be precise) who is from Northern Ireland, UK had set up this institute way back in the mid eighties.

Pic above: A smiling Janak at her desk. August 2009.

Pic above: Jimmy with his solar cooker. Aug 2009.

According to their website, www.barli.org , a visit to which I would strongly recommend:

'Barli’ is a common female name among Bhilala Tribes in the districts where many trainees come from. Barli denotes the central pillar which supports the tribal house typical of these areas, highlighting the belief of the Institute that women are the central pillars of society.

Based in Indore, the Institute conducts residential training programmes for rural, village and tribal women who did not get the opportunity of schooling and those who dropped out school. Most of the trainees come from western Madhya Pradesh, many also come from other states and areas of India. Priority is given to the socially and economically disadvantaged, i.e, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and backward classes, the physically challenged, orphans, widows, divorcees, the abused and the neglected. In Chattisgarh region there are three extension centers in Kanker and Imlipara where the girls trained from Barli are running these centers.

Pic above: Tribal motifs on the parapet wall of a well at the Barli Institute.

Pic above: Solar cookers at the Barli Institute. August 2009.

Janak was honored by All India Water Works Association, 1993 for educating rural and tribal women in safe drinking water and eradication of Guinea worms in 302 villages of Jhabua district.

She has also received the Global 500 Roll of Honor on behalf of BVIRW conferred by UN to the BVIRW at the Earth Summit Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on 5 June 1992 for its outstanding Achievements in the field of environmental efforts. BVIRW, if I remember rightly, stood for Bahai Vocational Institute For Rural Women – the name by which the Barli Development Institute For Rural Women was known by.

Janak and Jimmy are members of the Bahai community in India. Jimmy is an expert in solar cookers and has received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in the honours list announced by Buckingham Palace in 2009.

The Barli Institute in Indore is an unbelievable place. It is a beehive of activity. It exudes very positive vibes relating to work and creativity. It also receives students from Europe and America, among other countries, who come here and live and work and enrich themselves.

Pic above: A beaming Janak with a bank official and members of a village self help group (SHG) in a village in Mhow tehsil of Indore district. The SHG was provided with a solar cooker by the Barli Institute. Pic courtesy: Barli Institute.

Pic above: A tribal family with a solar cooker they have received from the Barli institute. Pic courtesy: Barli Institute.

This blogpost is a salute and tribute to this lovely couple who have given so much to underpreviliged women in particular and to society in general. I am glad that I met them accidentally on a trek. This was in 1995. Almost fifteen years ago. And we clicked well from the first moment. They are a very friendly couple and they have this remarkable ability to draw the best out of everyone they meet. I wonder whether I qualify in any manner to write about them but I am glad that fellow bloggers and readers of this blogpost will come to know about them, their work and their beautiful institute through my words.

Pic above: Trainees finishing a sewing session. August 2009.

Pic above: Trainees who have completed their training singing a group song at the passing out function on 9th November.

Fuel pellets made from biomass and paper. On rainy days these come in handy to cook food at the institute when their solar cookers cannot be used. This time on November 9 we had a lunch cooked by burning such pellets as the overcast skies prevented the use of solar cookers. On earlier occasions the lunch I have had on such days was cooked on the solar cookers.

Rotis made using the solar cooker and being kept hot. August 2009.

An article on Jimmy titled 'Here Comes The Sun' which had been published in the Hindustan Times.

Click here to see the original version of this post which had been posted in my sulekha weblog.

2009-10-25T01:04:00.000+05:30

By Road To Indore...
Camera: SONY DSC H9
A photo essay.

More here

2009-10-20T09:57:00.000+05:30

Birds Near My House.

I decided to count the number of species of birds that I see in the garden of my house and within a one kilometre radius. The count comes to roughly forty species. Ten of these species can be seen in a blog post by clicking here.
Camera: SONY DSC H9.

Black Shouldered Kite

2009-10-04T02:50:00.001+05:30

Dragonfly in the waters of Choral Dam

2009-10-04T02:38:00.000+05:30

Where have all the sparrows gone?

More here

2009-08-19T23:08:00.000+05:30

Sunny day and a suspicious mynah...
17 August 2009.
Camera: SONY DSC H9

More here.

2009-08-16T23:56:00.000+05:30

Independence Day - 15 August 2009, Saturday

Picture clicked on the platform of Indore railway station. More pictures here.

2009-08-04T11:58:00.003+05:30

The Rains In Mhow in 2009

I hope we get enough this year. The Malwa area of Madhya Pradesh had less rainfall last year.

More here, and here and here.

2009-05-07T22:01:00.000+05:30

April 14 2009.
Celebrating Ambedkar's Birthday.

A more detailed report in my Sulekha weblog, click here.

2009-05-03T15:06:00.000+05:30

Lok Sabha (Parliamentary) 2009, Elections in Mhow

Mhow will be voting in the Dhar constituency from the 2009 election onwards even though it is part of Indore district. This is the result of a parliamentary delimitation exercise carried out by the Government of India whereby some redrawing is done based on population figures.

It is a strange feeling in Mhow. Most people do not feel involved as they do not connect with the candidates from Dhar. Added to that was the intense heat on April 30 - voting day. If I am not wrong around 45 to 50 percent of the electorate turned up.

The main candidates, in alphabetical order, were:
(1) BJP: Mukam Singh Kirode

(2)Indian National Congress: Gajendra Singh Rajukhedi

As most people could not connect at an individual level with the candidates the voting was as per the party wise preferences of voters. Let us see what the results are in the districts of Indore, Dhar, the entire state of M.P. and at the national level.

Delimitation: Changing India's Political Map (Indian Express, Feb 29 2008)

2009-04-02T11:42:00.000+05:30

When Mhow Elected An MLA -

The Vidhan Sabha (State Assembly) Elections 2008 in Mhow.

When Kailash Vijayvargiya (BJP) defeated Antar Singh Darbar (INC)

Also See the following posts in my Sulekha Weblog

(1) Letter From Mhow: An Election Album

(2) Letter From Mhow: When A Small Town voted for its MLA

2009-02-28T12:04:00.000+05:30

From Dhan Teras to Bhai Dooj
Diwali 2008 (Oct 26 to Oct 30) in Mhow

Click here to access a more detailed blogpost in my Sulekha weblog.

2009-02-28T11:46:00.000+05:30

Gandhi Jayanti (Oct 2) 2008 in Mhow

This day also happens to be Shastri Jayanti - the birthday of Lal Bahadur Shastri the former Indian Prime Minister.

In 2008 this day was also celebrated as Id.

Click here to see what I posted in my sulekha weblog that day

2009-02-27T12:57:00.000+05:30

Durga Puja And Dassera 2008
7th to 9th October
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I also clicked some pics of Dassera celebrations. Especially the burning of the Ravana effigies

Click here to see the full photo report in my sulekha weblog.

2009-02-06T00:51:00.000+05:30

The Maharashtra Samaj Mhow and 100 Years of Ganesh Puja

In September 2008 the Maharashtra Samaj Mhow celebrated the 100th Ganesh Puja. The Samaj was formed in 1924 but the Pujas, I am told, had started long ago.

Maharshtra Samaj Mhow is basically an association of the Maharashtrian Brahmin community of Mhow. As they are a small community in Mhow they do not observe the distinctions between sub-communities as is done in Maharashtra. Many of my friends from childhood were a part of this larger family so I have been touch with it for almost four decades now.

When did the Marathis first come to Mhow? I would say that since Indore, of which Mhow is a part, was a Maratha Kingdom the Marathi community in Mhow must be as old as Indore itself. But it is possible that more families moved in after 1818 when Mhow was handed over to the British under the treaty of Mandsaur. The army of the East India Company under the Scotsman John Malcolm had defeated the Holkars at the Battle of Mahidpur in December 1817 and Mhow had been handed over to them to be used as a Cantonment.

When I chatted with Shri Sharad Joshi, one of the elders of this community, he told me that the Maharashtrian Brahmins came to Mhow from around the mid-nineteenth century onwards. According to him the first of the community came to Mhow from Pune on transfer. They were employed in the accounts department of the Army. He specifically mentioned the MES (Military Engineering Service). Once the Railways arrived in Mhow, he added, it became another provider of jobs to this educated community. Later more brahmins came from Indore and other parts of Maharashtra too. The Maharashtra Samaj in Mhow was established in 1924. One of the plaques inside the Samaj building mentions the name of a gentleman named Balwant Yashwant Godbole who was born in 1861 and died in 1939.

A local paper had alerted me to the fact that the Maharashtrian community of Mhow would be celebrating the 100th Ganesh puja in 2008. As the days came closer to Sept 3 which was the fourth day in the new month of Bhadrapad in the lunar calendar one could see the preparations getting more intense. Press release in various local newspapers, posters at prominent places and finally an invitation card from retired Lieutenant Colonel Borgaonkar, a family friend, to my parents with a day by day break up of the celebrations convinced me that I must attend as many of the functions as possible.

A special souvenir was brought out in 1958 to celebrate the completion of 50 years of Ganesh Puja. The most striking aspect of this souvenir is that it is handwritten. An exquisite example of beautiful handwriting in the Devnagari script. An awful lot of hard work has gone into the creation of this beautiful 'Granth'.

I felt a thrill as I flipped through the pages of this souvenir. The list of guest speakers in English and Hindi besides Marathi was really fascinating. The list of English speakers in the pre-independence days included Britishers. I wish I could get a copy of the words spoken by them. Ganesh Puja was basically a chance to show the nationalistic spirit and was started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak for this very purpose. So it is fascinating to learn that Englishmen also participated in it. I feel it may have had to do with the fact that the Maharashtrian Samaj of Mhow was dominated by government employees and the British government ensured that they did not antagonise the Indians and they could also monitor the activities by giving the Puja a form of approval.

I requested Mr Joshi to take good care of the souvenir. I also suggested that they save it in digital format so that multiple copies can be easily made and anyone interested can get a copy. I will try my best to lend a hand in this worthwhile project.

The Celebrations in September 2008
I was looking forward to Sept 3 the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. The Samaj would be taking out a procession through Mhow town which would go towards the Main Street and then come back to the Samaj via the M G Road.
It was also interesting to see that the 26 Maratha Light Infantry would be participating in this procession. This must be one of the rare occasions when an Army unit participated in a non-Army function. This would definitely not have been possible during the days of the Raj. In those days the British officers allowed each battalion to celebrate its festivals depending on which part of India the troops belonged to. But there was no question of 'fraternising with the native civilians.' This mindset had got ingrained in the minds of most Army officers. The trend has been changing of late. The Army continues to keep to itself but not with an air of superiority as was the norm in the post 1857 British Indian Army.

Besides the permanent residents of Mhow who belong to this community and have been living here for generations many retired army officers from the Maharashtrian community who have settled here participated in the procession along with their wives. Most of them were dresssed in traditional dress very similar to the ones which one associates with the freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

Besides the procession I also attended a musical program where bhajans in praise of Lord Ganesh were sung by Ms. Niharika Naidu. She is the daughter of a Lt. Colonel from the Rajput Regiment who was killed in the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict, her husband is also from the same regiment. I also attended a classical music program at the Samaj hall where Ms. Kalpana Jhokarkar of Indore and her team sang beautifully. The concert had gone on till midnight. The nexr day, Sunday 14 Sept, I attended the Mahaprasad function at the Samaj hall and also had a very tasty Maharashtrian lunch. Due to commitments I could not attend the visarjan program where the statue of Ganesha was taken to a lake and bid goodbye to. But on the whole it was a fantastic occassion to see one of the communities of Mhow celebrating its 100th puja. It is a small community numerically but they have given a lot to Mhow and to the country. I am already looking forward to next year's celebrations...

To see the complete post with many more photographs please click here.

2009-02-04T11:31:00.000+05:30

October 2008: Navin Jindal in Mhow

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Note: 04 Feb 2009.
I am resuming posting articles to this blog after a long gap.
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From My Sulekha Weblog.

October 11 2008; Saturday

Navin Jindal the young industrialist and Member of Parliament of the Congress(I) party is in Mhow. He is participating in the National Shooting Championships (Big Bore) being held here in which he is representing Haryana. He ends the day fruitfully with a team bronze. Navin is the young man who filed a PIL (public interest litigation) in the Supreme Court as a result of which any Indian citizen can fly the Indian flag. Earlier this could only be done by government institutions and by educational institutions on days like August 15 and January 26.

[Below: At the Shooting Range, peeping through a telescopic sight.]

Besides his shooting competition Navin was felicitated by a group of prominent citizens of Mhow at an open air function. Besides hearing him speak on various issues the local MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) Shri Antar Singh Darbar also brought to his attention the many grievances that the local citizens had against the Cantonement Board and the Army. This civil-military confrontation is an unfortunate aspect of most military cantonments in India. The civilians blame the Defence services for following archaic laws and for not allowing the Cantonement town to grow and the Defence Services counter by saying that cantonments are special places where normal rules of entreprenuerial activities cannot be allowed. It is a stalemate and it will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming years.

Below: With Mujib Qureishi and Antar Singh Darbar (then the MLA from Mhow) of the Congress(I).

The young turks, as they are called, are a group of young Members of Parliament. These include, among others, Rahul Gandhi, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Milind Deora, Sachin Pilot and Navin himself. They are generally a no-nonsense group of youngsters who wish to do a lot for India. Will they succeed or will the boa constrictor of the system set up in the six decades after independence crush their enthusiasm? Will their own party let them grow? I remember Rajiv Gandhi had started his innings as the youngest Prime Minister of India on a very confident note. But he was worn out by the time his term came to an end.

With Antar Singh Darbar the MLA from Mhow.

A beaming Navin. I could see that he had won over the hearts of everyone in the audience. The enthusiasm of the young inspires hope in everyone irrespective of political affiliation.

Click here if you wish to see the original post in my Sulekha weblog.

2008-10-24T22:59:00.000+05:30

Nana Patekar in Mhow
06 October 2008. Nana was in town to participate in the National Shooting Championships (Big Bore) being held at the Infantry School Mhow. He was part of the bronze medal winning team last year. Unfortunately he was not among the medal winners this year.

With Colonel Ajay Gupta, the Commanding Officer of the Army Marksmanship Unit

The original post in my sulekha weblog. Click here.

2008-09-23T14:24:00.001+05:30

On The Road....

Photographs Clicked on the roads just outside Mhow in Aug-Sept 2008

Click here to see the original post in my weblog on sulekha.

2008-09-22T12:31:00.000+05:30

People In Mhow Bazaar On A Rainy Day - A Photo Essay
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Thursday September 11, 2008
Around 12 noon - 2 pm

As the next day was Friday 12 Sept, Onam, I accompanied my mother in an autorickshaw to the Mhow bazaar where she wanted to buy vegetables, provisions and miscellaneous items. We stopped at what used to be known as Kotwali Chowk (because the police station used to be here in the building near the tree.) The monument you can see is known as the 'Coronation Fountain' and was built in 1911 on the occasion of the coronation of the then British monarch.

As it was raining I stayed inside the auto when my mother entered a shop in Tin Gali (Tin Street, which is famous for utensil shops and odds and ends). Luckily I had carried my camera along and I was able to do what the anthropologist Desmond Morris called 'people watching'. I am posting a small selection of those shots in this post. Do let me know how all of you out there like them.

A young boy keenly reads the text on the poster.

These are ladies of the Dawoodi Bohra community. As the holy month of Ramzan is on I am sure they are on their way to the mosque.

Schoolboys enjoying the rain. The best season to return home from school is during the rains.

He saw me!!! :)))

Enjoying the rains with a friend....

These sisters sure spent a lot of time looking at the poster...

As they were leaving the younger one saw me. She was so happy. It was like a reward for me. Bless you my child.

After some time we came and stopped near the Builder Memorial Church (established 1877)

Mhow is synonymous with the Indian Army so here is an infantryman for you.....

A thelewala (cartman)......

A Dawoodi Bohra gentleman. Notice the distinctive Bohra cap he is wearing.

This villager and his wife have bought a fair amount of stuff. No wonder she is finding it hard to sit pillion. I hope they made it safely.

A Bohra lady. When I had arrived in Mhow in 1979 and I had seen a Bohra ladies wearing this outer garment on a sunny day I had wondered why they were wearing raincoats when there was no question of rain. My childhood friend Zoaib who belongs to this community still teases me about it.

Schoolgirls returning home.... Today is one day they aren't in a hurry....

An elderly Bohra gentleman returning after some shopping.

"Papa jaam le do na..." Buying guavas for his son. The local word for guava is not amrood but jaam.

A school girl returning home on an empty stretch while we were returning home. If one looks at the sky one can't believe that it is a rainy day. But just look at the earth.

2008-09-05T14:53:00.000+05:30

Letter From Mhow: Waiting For Papa....

July 2008, Mhow, Indore, Madhya Pradesh , India

I had gone to the GPO (General Post Office) in Mhow and I had just emerged after finishing my work. As I headed towards my scooter (not in picture) I saw this little girl sitting on a motorbike waiting for her father. She was wearing the uniform of St. Mary's Convent (it is a new uniform, the school has changed the dress code of navy blue skirt and white shirt it had for many decades)... She keot herself occupied for some time and then her patience ran out. She seemed bored. The cooking gas cylinder tied to the motorbike indicated that she could be from a family in a village on the outskirts of Mhow. After a brief wait her father arrived. Her face lit up and she smiled with happiness. And then they both left for home....

2008-09-03T21:45:00.000+05:30

The Holy Month of Shravan And the Kavadiyas.....

The Kavadiyas are an essential part of Shravan the holy month as per the Hindu (lunar) calendar. Some images I clicked when I saw some of these Kavadiyas passing through Mhow one day in July.

According to the traditional (lunar) Hindu calendar the holy month of Shravan or Shravan Maas this year was from July 19th to Aug 16th 2008 in North India and from Aug 2 to Aug 30 in Maharashtra, Gujarat and South India..... The Mondays of this month are especially important and are known as Shravan Somwar. In the temple town of Ujjain special processions are taken out on these Mondays. And they are known as Mahakal ki Sawari.

The Malwa area of Madhya Pradesh of which Indore district forms a part as also the nearby Nimar area where the Narmada flows are totally under the sway of Siva. There are many famous Siva temples here. The two most famous being the Jyotirlinga temples at Omkareshwar and Ujjain. This is the month in which Siva is supposed to have drank the poison that was created after the gods had churned the oceans (Sagar Manthan). Every years during this month I see large groups, mostly men, of devotees clad in saffron passing through Mhow. They are mostly village folk who take time off for this important pilgrimage. They collect the water of the Narmada in small urns from the temple town of Maheshwar where Ahilya Bai Holkar the legendary queen of the Holkar kingdom had her capital. With these urns hung at the end of a pole they walk up and reach the Malwa plateau. The distance from Maheshwar to Mhow must be roughly 70 kilometres. From here they continue walking to Ujjain, another 90 kilometres, via the district headquarters town of Indore. It is a tough walk, more so as it is done bare feet. I must add that I do see many pilgrims wearing footwear. The gods are fairly liberal and I am sure that those who do it barefeet must be earning extra merit.

I happened to see a group of Kavadiyas walking through Mhow one day in late July. I stopped and clicked them as they entered Mhow walking on the AB Road (Agra Bombay Road). I also talked to some of them. They were mostly villagers from far and near. A couple of vehicles travelled with them with an elderly guru and provisions. Their faith moved me. I wonder whether I would be able to do such a long and arduous pilgrimage some day in the near future during Shravan Maas.

There is an unconfirmed theory that the town of Mhow (pronounced Mau) got its name because of the pilgrims who walk from Maheshwar to Ujjain (Ma + U = Mau = Mhow). Some people say that it is due to Maheshwar and Omkareshwar (Ma + O = Mao = Mhow).

Another theory is that Mhow is short for Military Headquarters of War/ Western India.

Some people have also suggested the name of the mahua tree as a possible source of the name Mhow.

I do not know which of these is the true reason behind the name of Mhow.Or is there yet another one?

But every little nugget of folklore adds to the charm of Mhow and the Malwa area of which it is a part....

Also posted in my Sulekha weblog; please click here.

2008-08-26T14:01:00.000+05:30

Pandrah Agast Ki Tasveerein.... Images of 15 August

I clicked a few photographs on 15 Aug 2008.
It was an overcast day but the farmers were happy. We have had only 13 inches of rain this year as opposed to 40 inches last year. We seem to be in for a harsh summer in 2009.

Baba Saheb Ambedkar's statue at the town hall was garlanded. He was born in Mhow as his father, a Subedar Major in the Mahar Regiment, was posted in Mhow during the late 19th century. Mhow has been renamed Dr. Ambedkar Nagar a few years ago. Something which hasn't gone down too well with the 'upper castes'. The compulsions of vote bank politics ensured that the state government had no choice...

Flag seller sitting by the side of the road as an Army school bus takes kids back home after attending the I day function at school. Mhow and the Indian Army are synonymous. A Cantonment has existed here since 1818 when the Scotsman John Malcolm led the East India Company troops to a victory over the Holkars who ruled Indore state.

This kid wanted a flag. The flagseller tells me that he is from a village in Depalpur, not far away. He gets good business on 15 Aug and 26 Jan every year so he comes to Mhow along with his family members and sells flags and toys.

The flag seller's mother taking some stock over to her son....

A shy schoolgirl at the middle school of village Gangliya Khedi. The colony where I live with my parents is in this village. The students were given a special treat of puris, aloo subji, laddoos on this day by the school.

The principal and staff pose for a group photograph. It was an overcast day. I have promised copies to each teacher. As the males were fewer in number I told them to sit on the bench. The lady teachers were chivalrous enough to agree...

Back to the bazaar in the evening. This young papaya seller wanted me to click him. "Hamari bhi photo lo na ... " The bazaar was full of people shopping for the festival of Rakhi which was on the 16th.

A flag planted on M.G. Road where the road joining Tin Gali and Hammal Mohalla crosses it.

My blogpost on Republic Day Celebrations at Garrison Ground Mhow

2008-07-08T20:40:00.000+05:30

The Rains Are Here

Images clicked on July 3 and July 6 2008

For more images clicked on these two days please take a look at this blog post in my Sulekha weblog.

2008-06-09T22:46:00.000+05:30

Reverence And Ruthlessness....

For a detailed photoreport click here to get to a post in my sulekha weblog titled Nature Note From Mhow:Reverence and Ruthlessness

2008-06-07T00:59:00.001+05:30

Thats Me... I mean the guy with the cap...

June 5 2008. World Environment Day. Function at Sirpur Lake Indore. I was talking to Ishaan Ratnam and his team-mates from Radio 93.5 (an FM channel) when the Hindustan Times photographer clicked us. The next morning I see our snap with Ishaan's face circled. That entitles him to two meal tickets at Sreemaya. Sigh, some people have all the luck :))) Don't eat too much Ishaan.

p.s. I had visited Sirpur Lake in February 2008 to attend a bird watching camp.
Click here to see a blog post on that visit.

2008-05-19T00:17:00.000+05:30

Celebrating Dr. Ambedkar's Birthday in Mhow, 14 April 2008

I wrote and posted two entries in my weblog on sulekha. here are links to both:

(1) A Meeting With a Young Dalit Activist in Mhow

(2) Jai Bhim: A Photo Report on Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations in Mhow

2008-04-22T23:21:00.000+05:30

Aruna Rodrigues of Mhow - Fighting Against GM Foods

Aruna Rodrigues of Mhow is the chief petitioner in a PIL on Genetically Modified crops filed in the Supreme Court of India in 2005.

On Feb 13 2008 there was a hearing in New Delhi in the Supreme Court of India.
In an article titled Dancing With Frankenstein in the section Engaged Circle in the weekly Tehelka (Vol 5, Issue 12, Dated Mar 29, 2008) Aruna gives us detailed information about her campaign against GM Foods. As mentioned at the end of the article: "This article is based on the evidence submitted in Court, which includes statements of leading world scientists prepared for the Court."

Click here to read this well researched article on an issue of utmost importance.

2008-04-22T09:43:00.000+05:30

A Report in Priya Pathak - the Hindi Weekly from Mhow

April 14 2008 was a big day for Mhow. The birthday of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was celebrated here in a big way. Thousands of Dalits, especially Mahars, visited Mhow on that day. Not to mention politicians from all the leading political parties.
I had taken spot interviews of a few of the visitors that day. And some of these were published in the Hindi Weekly Priya Pathak (April 19-25, 2008) which is published from Mhow by Dinesh Solanki. The title of the article was 'Ambedkar Jayanti Par Daliton Se Sakshatkar - Report Dev Kumar Vasudevan duara'.

2008-03-26T12:40:00.000+05:30

CIRCUS IN TOWN

Chalna Hai?

If I remember rightly I attended a show of this circus in Delhi (in 1968!)... Must check whether this is the same circus....

Will try my best to take a visit and click some pictures before they leave town.
Keep watching this space

2008-03-14T22:13:00.000+05:30

Visiting a Plants Nursery

Prince Nursery Mhow.

13 March 2008. About 2 pm

Camera Used: SONY DSC H9

More images in a blogpost in my sulekha weblog: Click here.

2008-03-01T12:28:00.000+05:30

'Bat watching' at St. Mary's Convent Mhow

Thursday Feb 28 2008

St. Mary's Convent Mhow, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India

Detailed report with photographs and embedded video in my sulekha weblog. Click here

2008-02-18T00:22:00.000+05:30

Ramesh Kher... An Artist From Mhow...

It was by accident that I discovered the work of artist Ramesh Kher who was born in Mhow and is based in Indore. I was doing a google for another artist based in Indore...

Some of his work is shown in the online Reflections Art Gallery. Please click here to see his page in the same gallery.

According to this website:

Ramesh Kher 1950- Born in Mhow. He did his Diploma in Fine Arts from Indore. He has held solo shows in indore, Mumbai, Bhopal and New Delhi. He is a recipient of several awards, has come out with an untitled work done in oil on canvas for the ongoing exhibition. He has shown his paintings across the country and the US through a number of group shows, has come out with a marvelous piece of work for the exhibition. He works in Indore.

2008-02-05T10:24:00.000+05:30

Down Memory Lane

St. Mary's Convent Mhow, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Session: 1968-69.
The boys of Class II with their class teacher Mrs. Dubey.

I am third from right in the second row. I had come on transfer from Mount St. Mary's Delhi Cantt where I had studied Class I and four months of Class II. But the sessions in Delhi used to be from January to December. And in Mhow they were from July to April. I have been told that boys were admitted to St. Mary's till the early eighties. They studied here till Class III. Those senior to me tell me that there was a time when boys studied here till Class VII.

My younger brothers have also studied in the same school. I studied here for two sessions. Class II (1968-69) and Class III (1969-70). For Class IV the boys shifted to Rajeshwar Vidyalaya (Sacred Hearts Convent). And I studied there for two sessions - Class IV (1970-71) and Class V (1971-72). We left Mhow after that as my father was transferred to Alwar (Rajasthan) and I shifted to Kendriya Vidyalaya (Central School) Alwar.

2008-02-04T13:22:00.000+05:30

THE PUNCHED CARD (HOLLERITH CARD)

Ever seen a punched card? These were used as input media for first, second and third generation computers. I did my first computer programming course in 1980 at the Computer Society of India's Mhow Chapter which was housed in the Computer Wing of the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering Mhow. The computer we used was TDC - 316. The language I learnt was COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language). The programs we wrote were punched onto cards. There was one card per line of the program. Each line on a coding sheet could accomodate eighty characters. We would write our programs on coding sheets using a pencil. These sheets were then given to a punch operator to be converted into a deck of cards, one card per line of code. Each card could also hold eighty characters. If you peer at the fine print in the cards below (just below the first row of zeros) you can see a serial number list from 1 to 80.

When the programs were compiled by the computer they were checked for correct syntax. The error list was printed using the printer. If we found an error on, say, line 20 then that line was rewritten and a fresh card was punched for that line and inserted in the deck at the correct place. This process was repeated till all serious errors were removed and then the output was obtained. As the classes were held on alternate days it would often take upto a week to remove the errors and obtain the outputs.

In 1981 I used such cards again while learning another programming language named FORTRAN (Formula Translation). That was the last I used them. The code used to punch characters onto these cards is known as Hollerith code and I had memorised it. So I could 'read' a card fairly comfortably. In fact it was useful to show off in front of the girls who were doing the course with us.

It is mind boggling when I think of how computers have evolved in these twenty five years. In those days a select few could use these costly machines. Today almost everyone can thanks to the mouse and user friendly software.

I found these cards while sorting out old books. I have a few 'decks' of these cards lying in the garage. COBOL programs were long. So, if there were a hundred and twenty lines in a program the deck of cards which were punched would have an equal number of cards....

Let us see. It is possible that a few decades from today my nieces can sell these cards at some auction site and earn a few million dollars. That is one way of ensuring that they do not forget their crazy uncle...

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2008-01-28T21:58:00.000+05:30

26 January 2008. Honorary Captain Shankar Laxman Stadium (Garrison Ground) Mhow

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2008-01-28T21:44:00.000+05:30

Images of Moharrum: Photographs taken in Mhow Bazaar on the night of 19th-20th Jan

2008-01-17T20:07:00.000+05:30

Makar Sankranti in Mhow
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Flying kites and the festival of Makar Sankranti are synonymous. Here are some images I clicked in Mhow on the 14th and 15th of January 2008

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2008-01-15T04:02:00.000+05:30

A cricket match in Indore
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Sunday January 6, 2008.

The Ranji Trophy semi-final between Delhi and Baroda played at Indore at the Usha Raje Stadium. Some images from the second day's play. The match was eventually won by Delhi which moved on to the finals where it will be meeting Uttar Pradesh. This was also the day that India lost the infamous second Test Match to Australia and there was a lot of bad blood between both the teams.

Click here to see more images from a blog post in my Sulekha weblog.

2008-01-10T12:37:00.000+05:30

Wednesday 9 January 2008.

A dangal (wrestling tournament) in village Kodariya. Tehsil Mhow, District Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
I spent around an hour there. Savouring the atmosphere. The noise, the drums, the excitement. Local wrestlers as well as others from Gwalior, Delhi and Haryana were participating. Women were also present among the spectators. And there were female wrestlers too. These included girls who had represented India at the national level. Unfortunately the pressure of work prevented me from staying on and enjoying the full dangal. Enjoy the pictures:

2008-01-10T12:23:00.000+05:30

Images of Christmas 2007.

Location: Sacred Heart Church (Built 1884) and Rajeshwar Vidyalaya campus
Mhow, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.

2008-01-09T21:45:00.000+05:30

Catholic Procession marking Corpus Christi (Nov 25 2007)

The Catholics of Mhow marked Corpus Christi with a procession on Sunday 25 November 2007. I took a few photographs of the event. I could not click to my heart's content as the battery of the camera ran out of charge. I had forgotten to recharge it after using it heavily the previous day. Lesson learnt.

2007-12-28T22:50:00.000+05:30

The Brigadier Kale Football Tournament 2007
Lazy Sunday afternoons in Mhow and watching soccer being played on the 'Gurkha Grounds'

Random images from the Brigadier Kale Football Tournament 2007. Clicked on Sunday 8 Dec 2007

2007-12-20T21:40:00.001+05:30

Nature Notes From Mhow

I remember reading an article in an American website about how military garrison towns in Europe and America often end up protecting flora and fauna because these towns are not allowed to 'develop' the way a normal town has to.

Mhow, where I live, is also a paradise of nature. The East India Company was given this town in 1818 after the Holkars who ruled Indore state till 1947 were defeated at the Battle of Mahidpur and the Treaty of Mandsaur was signed. Cantonment laws prohibit any form of building and the civilian population has its complaints about these laws being outdated and relics of the British Raj. The net result of all this is the sheer profusion of flora and fauna.

The English chose their cantonments well. Mhow, Pachchmarhi, Pune, Bangalore, Secunderabad, Wellington were some of the towns chosen in Central, Western and South India as being fit for training institutions. Pune, Bangalore and Secunderabad have changed beyond recognition thanks to the IT revolution and globalisation. But Mhow has still remained the same. The writer Jaisinh Birjepatil whose novel Chinnery's Hotel is set in a fictional Mhow and has been selected by Khushwant Singh as one of the best post Independence (post 1947) pieces of fiction written by an Indian had told me in an email that he chose Mhow because it has hardly changed.

I have spent most of my life in this small town. A few months ago I decided to make use of a modest sum I earned through my weblog at Sulekha and chose to buy a digital camera. This has enabled me to snap hundreds of pictures which have to do with various aspects of life in this small town. This includes the trees, birds and animals I see here. I am posting these as a series of linked blog posts titled Nature Note From Mhow in my Sulekha weblog.

Click here to see these posts and the beauty of the Malwa region of Western Madhya Pradesh.

2007-11-30T08:06:00.000+05:30

Kartik Purnima 2007: Images from Janapao - the temple on a hill top

Kartik Purnima - the full moon after Diwali was on Saturday 24 November this year.
For the 14th year in succession I visited Janapao and climbed the hill along with thousands of devotees who came from the villages and towns near Mhow. Hundreds also came from relatively distant places like Jhabua.

Here are some of the pictures that I took:

Click here to read a more detailed report

2007-11-25T23:32:00.000+05:30

The Day After Diwali
Dhok Padwa and Govardhan Puja in Mhow

Nov 10 2007, Saturday

The day after Diwali is celebrated as Dhok Padwa in Mhow and Malwa. It is a day on which people meet near and dear ones. It is celebrated with much joy in Mhow. So much so that the Dhok Padwa celebrations in Mhow have become a news event. Here are some random images. Photographs I took in Mhow bazaar on Dhok Padwa.

In the villages this day is for Govardhan Puja or worship of cattle. Here are some photographs I took in village Gawli Palasiya on the same day.

2007-11-09T23:12:00.000+05:30

Diwali 2007 in Mhow : Part One - Random Shots...

From Dhan Teras to Lakshmi Puja

2007-11-07T20:57:00.000+05:30

Nature Note From Mhow: Random Shots from a Farm

Sunday 04 November 2007. I had lunch and spent a few hours at the farmhouse of my friend Anurag. Here are some of the shots I took that afternoon....

Cowdung and colours can do wonders. As made by a tribal woman who works at the farm

Pulses growing on a bush (Toor, Tuvar or Arhar ki daal - Hindi). It was at this farm that I saw this for the first time.

Beans

Bunty, my friend from Mumbai, who is an avid birdwatcher tells me that this is a long tailed Shrike. Thanks Bunty

2007-11-03T14:35:00.001+05:30

Looking at the Sky....

Some of the images I clicked today (03 Nov) morning.

2007-11-02T12:22:00.000+05:30

The Sheep and Camel Are Here

Winter begins... the sheep and camel from Rajasthan are here... Pictures taken today morning (2 Nov 2007)

03 November 2007

An earlier blog post on the same topic. Click here.

2007-10-31T09:59:00.000+05:30

Puneet Joshi and his music album Alpha Blend

Puneet Joshi, his wife and kids were visiting his parents during Dassera. We have many common friends but we had interacted only through the internet. He managed to take some time out and come over to my house. We talked about everything under the sun. Including his album Alpha Blend.

I came to know about Alpha Blend while googling for Mhow. If I remember rightly one of Puneet's friends had posted something about Alpha Blend in his blog. The choice of words was interesting. Something like, "Mhow has released a new album titled Alpha Blend." Must google again to find the exact words. Anyway, to cut short a long story I was able to get in touch with Puneet through email.

Puneet was a student of Rajeswar Vidyalaya Mhow (Class of 1989). He graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Powai, Mumbai (IIT Bombay). He is currently working as a software professional in Bangalore.

Before leaving my house Puneet clicked a picture of the 1987 (or is it 1986?) model Kinetic Honda scooter which I still use. I had bought it from a common family friend who is no more now. Puneet is in touch with some members of the family and he said that he would show them the picture. Thats what a trip to Mhow is all about. Discovering connections one didn't know existed.

Here's wishing you all the best with your music career Puneet.

To know more about this album click here

2007-10-29T12:45:00.000+05:30

Random Nature Shot From Mhow

Pic taken on Sunday 28 Oct 2007.
Camera used: SONY DSC H9
Click here to see more.

2007-10-28T09:32:00.001+05:30

Letter from Mhow: Visiting Sheikh Riyazuddin's art exhibition in Indore

I visited Indore Saturday evening to see the Marathi Food Festival and also saw an art exhibition. It was a solo art exhibition by a young artist named Sheikh Riyazuddin who is a product of the Indore School of Fine Arts. I am not an expert on art hence I cannot speak with authority. I liked most of his works. Most of these were abstracts or faces. Some of the faces reminded me of the works of Munch. Here are some of the pictures I clicked:

Gandhi Hall, where Riyazuddin's solo exhibition is being held, is well illuminated. The Global Investors meet is on in Indore and potential investors are here from all over the world. Indore is decked up like a bride.

2007-10-26T10:13:00.000+05:30

When the Banyan tree in Main Street Mhow had fallen (Aug 2006)

The banyan tree in Main Street Mhow had fallen on 18 August 2006. It was supposed to be older than the town of Mhow. I had posted an entry about it in my blog. (Click here to get to it.) The photographs in that blog post had been 'outsourced'. Arshad of Pradeep Studios on Main Street Mhow had asked one of his employees to click those pictures. As they were taken on a digital camera they were available almost instantly to upload onto my blog. I had also taken some pictures on my Yashica MF2 camera. These were taken on Sunday 20 Aug 2006. I had lost the photographs. The other day I found them in a pile of books. I have uploaded them onto this post. Here they are, a remembrance of a sad day.

2007-10-17T10:00:00.000+05:30

Id Mubarak: Images from Mhow on Id, 14 October 2007, Sunday

I have uploaded images of Id 2007 onto my Sulekha weblog. Click here to see it.