Blade Runner Major D P Singh and the Infantry Run

Infantry Run held as part of Infantry Day Celebrations 2013
A Photo Essay....

Major D P Singh, India's first blade runner who lost a leg in the 1999 Kargil War was the star attraction in the Infantry Run conducted in Mhow on Saturday 26 October 2013. This run was part of Infantry Day celebrations conducted in Mhow by the Infantry School - the alma mater of the Indian Infantry. D P Singh participated in the 10 km run and was a figure of admiration for each one of us who was there.
A majority of people who were there would not remember who the actual winners of the 3 km and 10 km race were... But we can forgive them after all it was DP's day... I too dedicate this blog post to the indomitable spirit of the soldier in Major DP Singh...

With Army officers before the run began...

With members of the NGO Swayam Jyoti which assisted Infantry School in conducting the Infantry Run...

With Lt General Rajesh Pant, AVSM, VSM, Commandant MCTE (Military College of Telecommunication Engineering) Mhow and Senior Colonel Commandant of the Corps of Signals. 

Encouraging and accepting the greetings of the participants of the 3 km race....


Some of the young participants in the 3 km run.


This group of ladies was also raring to go.....


Some of the veterans who participated in the run.


The Equestrian Squadron of the NCC (National Cadet Corps), RVC (Remount and Veterinary Corps)
was also in action helping in the smooth conduct of the run.  

Loosening up after the race. Nobody expected DP to go out of the stadium and he was left alone (something very unusual for this visit of his) for quite some time. 

Above and below: With some of his innumerable admirers.....

With a young subaltern...

Major DP Singh with Lt Gen A S Nandal, UYSM, AVSM, SM, Commandant Infantry School, Mhow


Major DP Singh being felicitated by Lt Gen A S Nandal, UYSM, AVSM, SM, Commandant Infantry School Mhow

                                        
The winner of the 10 km race young Pankaj Kumar Pardesi .... Wishing him many more successes in the future...

                             
Smartly turned out soldiers of the Sikh Regiment who made sure that the event went off peacefully.
Hats off to them....


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The Infantry school, Mhow organised an Infantry Run on Saturday 26 Oct as part of the Infantry day celebrations, which falls on 27 October, and is celebrated every year to commemorate the landing of first elements of the Indian Army at Srinagar airfield on 27 October 1947  thus preventing  Kashmir from falling into Pakistani hands.

 Approximately 5000 people from all spheres of life including defence personnel, civilians and school children participated with full zeal and enthusiasm. The run was conducted in two categories of 10 Km and 3 Km. Mr Pankaj Kumar Pardeshi in age group of 18 to 35, Nb Sub Amarjeet Singh in age group 35 to 45 and Nk AN Pandey in age group 45 to 55 came first in 10 km category whereas 3 Km run was won by Kumari Seema Awase in girl child category, Master Naveen Chauhan in boys category, Capt Sadhana Singh in ladies category and Mr N Sanjeev in senior category.  

 Many senior army officers and civil dignitaries participated in the run to support the spirit of Infantry Men who always leads from the front and are always ahead in war, counter insurgency operations or humanitarian relief during natural calamities.

 Major DP Singh, the first blade runner of the country and a Kargil war veteran also participated in the Infantry run as a special invitee and was felicitated by Lt Gen AS Nandal, UYSM, AVSM, SM, Commandant Infantry School.

Yashwant Nagar Talab... Beautiful and unspoilt...

Sunday Oct 27 2013
A visit to Yashwant Nagar Talab with a visiting friend.
The dam you see below was constructed by the Maharaja of Indore during the British Raj.
I came here for the first time in 1969 as an eight year old boy. The occasion was the festival of Holi and a group of officers from MCTE (Military College of Telecommunication Engineering) had arranged a picnic.
My parents were not part of that group but my friend Bunny's father - who was  then the Commandant of MCTE Brigadier Talwar had requested my father to send me and my younger brother with them.

When  I returned to Mhow in 1979 I remember an occasion when I and my classmates bunked college and cycled down here. One of us had even jumped off the dam (where the water can be seen overflowing now) and swam across the lake. I have cycled till this lake quite a few times. This lake has also been part of treks in the beautiful countryside sorrounding it. 

The Rest house of the Irrigation Department  ... Unchanged since many decades...

Love the sight of these stones which make these steps...

                                       The watchman's quarters attached to the  Rest House  

An Image from Colonial Era Mhow

Sola topis and doggie mascot ...   Mhow of the colonial era. A group photo by Guerra and Sons. Pre-1920.
Just love the tiled roof....

Owner: FIBIS Source: Original postcard owned by Valmay Young. Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 Unported. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Mhow Barracks in the early 20th Century.

A peek into the early 20th century. Wellesley Barracks (WB1 and WB2) where the British soldiers were kept  aka Gori Paltan (White Battalion) as opposed to Kali Paltan (Black Battalion) in the present day Infantry School area where the 'Native' battalion was kept. The highest point of Mhow. 

Presently part of the  MCTE (Military College of Telecommunication Engineering),  which was known as the School of Signals till 1967. The highest point of Mhow.  One reason the British Battalion was kept here was that they could overlook and protect the road to Bombay (Presently the road to Badgonda and then Mandleshwar).




Photograph by Guerra and Sons pre-1920. 
Printed glossy (black and white) (137mm x 87mm)
Author: FIBIS, Source: Original postcard owned by FIBIS; 
Licence:CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 Unported;
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Old Pic of Mhow "Scotch Kirk"

"Mhow Scotch Kirk" clicked in the early 20th century... sent to me from Canada by the descendants of Reverend Norman Russell who was a priest at the Builder Memorial Church Mhow and died in Mhow. I was lucky enough to find his grave in the cemetry near the Railway Station when his great grand nephew sent me a request via a message on Youtube... The commune of 'Rasalpura' on the outskirts of Mhow is named after Russell...

Pic Courtesy: Mrs Peggy McQuirk of Canada, a descendant of the late Reverend Norman Russell, priest at the Builder Memorial Church, Mhow in the late 19th and early 20th century...

Squirrels Sunbathing on a winter afternoon

December 20 2012

From my nature diary entry of Dec 20: A beautiful sight I saw this morning... Four squirrels
sunbathing on a Siris branch... A fifth one couldn't fit in the frame :-)

Diwali 2012 ... A photo essay...

Diwali is celebrated in a unique manner in Mhow. Unlike other parts of India where the day of Lakshmi Puja is the main day of this festival in Mhow the next day is the main day. It is known as 'Dhok Padwa' (aka Govardhan Puja - the day cattle are worshipped).  It is a unique sight one sees in the Mhow market.  People  get dressed in their best and visit one’s their neighbours, friends and acquaintances.  Friends embrace each other and wish each other a happy Diwali. The young bend down and touch the feet of their elders as a mark of respect and receive their blessings.  The word “dhok” refers to the respectful  obeisance towards one’s elders which the young pay by touching their feet.  

The Mall - All lit up. Midnight of 12-13 November 2012. 

Firecrackers being sold on the outskirts of Rau, near Mhow. 

Garland seller near the Mhow Fort, selling garlands at Rs 10 per garland. 

Sreyas and Shruti were with their grandmother during Diwali. They do not like the Diwali of Mumbai. 

The Member of Parliament from Indore Mrs Sumitra Mahajan visits Mhow without fail on Dhok Padwa and wishes the citizens here a happy Diwali. 

These boys told me that I had clicked them on Holi and so I MUST click them on Diwali as well!!! Impeccable logic, I must say....

The Sai Bhaktas wishing every one a Happy Diwali.... 

Mr C Kulkarni with the model he made for his grand-daughter. 

Rangoli made by 70 year old Mr Dhodapkar....

Rangoli (Maharashtra Samaj area)

Rangoli being made at the Kulkarni house. 

Rangoli competition at the Maharashtra Samaj...

Rangoli with a Radha Krishna theme being made in a house in the Maharashtra Samaj area...

Celebrating Dhok Padwa.... 

These gracious ladies readily agreed when I requested them for a 'Dhok Padwa' shot... 

Last but not least.... 

On Main Street in Mhow Bazaar... Clicked by Raj Kumar Saini... 

From Mhow to the London Olympics

Mhow and the Olympics at London - Two connections. 

A hockey player and a shooter....

1948 London Olympics 
Shri Kishan Lal (February 2, 1917 – June 23, 1980) of Mhow was the captain of the Indian hockey team at the 1948 London Olympics. The team won for India her first Olympics hockey gold medalafter independence. He played for Indian Railways in the domestic circuit. Public domain image from the Wikipedia... 

2012 London Olympics  


Subedar Vijay Kumar of the Indian Army's Mhow based Army Markmanship Unit (AMU) is representing the nation in the 25 m rapid fire pistol event. All the best Vijay we pray that you come back with a medal... Pic Courtesy: Army Marksmanship Unit, Mhow

Saturday Lunch... (14 July 2012)

 Clockwise from 12'O' clock - Kheera raita (Cucumber in curd), drumstick leaves, rotis, rasam, dal

Some Mynas I saw lately....

Clicked on my morning walk on 12 July 2012....

"Not very early and I still got the worm," says the common myna atop a broken branch of a karanj tree (Indian beechtree, Milletia pinnata, Pongam Oiltree). The tree had a heart shaped hollow at this very spot in which I had seen and clicked a spotted owlet many a time. Unfortunately a storm, two years ago, broke the tree at this very spot but I am glad I continue to spot the spotted owlets on this tree ... 

"Doesn't look like a gun, must be a camera....one just cannot trust these humans..." 

The Elusive Rosy Pastor/ Rosy Starling....

Two sightings of the Rosy Pastor/ Rosy Starling (Sturnus roseus) when I did not have a camera. Two 'non-sightings' when I went with the camera :-) Praying that I catch this migrant bird again on my camera after three years...

Holi 2012... A day of colours...

Mhow, Dist Indore, Madhya Pradesh,

Thursday March 8 2012 - the day of playing with colours (Dhulendi)