Bandipur, Moon and Us

I wrote this article way back in March 2007, after, what I call 'the best trip out of Bangalore'. It was a trip of its unique kind, where Dibyendu and I had a ball of a time amidst nature. All the photos are taken by Dibyendu. Sharing it here, so that it is not lost in virtual world, and may attract comments from you!


Screeeech……the driver of the crowded bus pushed on to his brakes after hearing a couple of rounds of Anglo-Kannada yelling, “Stop madi! stop madi!” Amidst much flying dust caused by the sudden brake, two youths fought their way out of the rural Tamil populated, over used bus, and thought their whole 230 km journey from Bangalore changing three buses was worth, as the dusty air thinned, and signboards flashed, displaying the name ‘Bandipur’.

Under the scorching mid day Sun, Sayantan and Dibyendu left the hot tar road, and entered the vast fields of Bandipur, dotted with huge trees, and distantly placed forest department cottages. They had planned two weeks before to spend the full Moon night of 3rd March in some place where they can enjoy it. And what can be a better place than a jungle to enjoy the Moonlit flora and fauna, they thought. Though it was not the right season for a visit to Bandipur, yet they hoped that Nature will not be so miserly to send them back empty handed, especially on an occasion as colorful as Holi. Accordingly, the week leading to 3rd March was spent in gathering information about Bandipur, getting an accommodation with the forest department cottages, and getting mentally prepared for a Moon basked jungle experience. Finally, when the D-Saturday arrived, they were at Majestic very early in the morning, ran after a departing Mysore bus, got another bus to Gundlupeta from Mysore, and strived to get some place in a local Tamil Nadu bus going to Ooty.

“Sayantaaaaan, COME HERE…..”, shouted Dibyendu after seeing an unusual object at the other side of a hillock, even before they could go up to the reception to get their cottage.
When Sayantan was about to run towards him, thinking he might lose a rare opportunity, Dibyendu gestured at him to come slowly. It was a spotted deer, grazing on greener parts of the huge field leading to forests. It was not really a rare sight like a full solar eclipse. But for people like them, who are used to work the whole day in front of computers, under strict deadlines, and appreciate animals, trees and sky only in photoshoped pictures sent to them as forwarded mails, it was really something different at the very beginning of a promising trip.

The place was too appealing to spend time indoors. So Sayantan and Dibyendu decided to take a walk around the forest edge with their cameras, until it was time for the jungle safari at 5 ‘o’ clock. They saw that more deer had joined the earlier loner, and were happily munching on the grass. Most of the greenery had been replaced by an enveloping golden yellow spread, as the Sun, in its journey from perihelion to the spring equinox, has been very rude to these tender beings of the Earth. Still, some protestor green weeds and grasses caught their eyes, fighting the almighty Sun, with the support of the gentle breeze caressing them, and the grasses nodding in gratitude in return. Both Sayantan and Dibyendu have always cherished this rivalry between the Sun and the Wind, whenever they have been in the Nature’s lap.

When they were lost in the aroma of dry grass mixed with that of freshly uprooted ones by the deer and that of the deer themselves, two foreigners came near them chatting in their native language. Dibyendu started talking with them regarding their plans in Bandipur. They came to know that the foreigners had come for the evening jeep safari, and would return to Mysore that night. Sayantan proposed them with the idea of a joint safari, as that would enable both the parties to share the expenses. As expected, they had no problems with the fair deal, which left Sayantan and Dibyendu overjoyed, as they had presumed that they had to be content with the shorter van-safari, because of the high cost involved in a jeep-safari.

With quarter of an hour left before the safari, they started to know about each other, their native places, their experiences. The foreigners turned out to be Danish with the same name - Nick (may be their nick names!), on a work assignment in Bangalore. They narrated their work experience, details about Copenhagen, Bangalore traffic, and their means of relaxation after a hard day’s work. They also asked detailed questions when our duo were bringing out their experiences with today’s technology, visiting places around Bangalore, royal Bengal tiger, religions in India, and about Kolkata. Dibyendu and Sayantan, never out of the country, immediately felt connected to a greater global community.

The one and half hours jeep safari was one of the attractions of the entire trip. But when Sayantan and Dibyendu saw the 6-seater jeep, they were left with awe, as it did not have a single layer of protective shield. It was open from all the sides, readily inviting the inhabitants of the jungle to introduce themselves to the adventurers. But less protection meant the jungle authorities were sure, there was little or no chance for them to encounter the man-eaters, which made the travelers depressed. But on the other hand, the fact that it would allow them to mix with the jungle more, to take in the forest environment and give them a chance to touch the jungle mood more closely, made Sayantan and Dibyendu look forward to it eagerly.

The safari started with suspended monkeys and black faced langurs welcoming them into the denser jungle. As the end of the day was near, the animals and birds were in a hurry to end their day’s search for food and return to their shelters. Their silent jeep made way through the winding road of the woods, amidst typical wild but refreshing smell of the trees and bushes coupled with continuous and asynchronous chirping of the unknown flock of birds, against a mauve sky protecting and covering them like a mother. Sayantan could no longer sit inside the jeep. He stood up, with his head outside the jeep, trying to breathe the whole jungle inside, as Dibyendu sat with his eye in the camera. Suddenly there was a fully grown elephant, looking somewhat more bluish in the hue of the setting Sun. She was stretching herself to reach a green bush through a den of thorny and dried weeds. They instructed the driver to put off the engine as they took her snap, first in their mind then in the camera. The tusker, after completing her task, and perhaps feeling an intrusion in her privacy, slowly moved into the interiors of the jungle. So the jeep restarted, and glided slowly, full of expectations. Then there was a peacock, working hard to pull out the worms out of their earthy homes. The Danish duo requested him to spread his tail, as Dibyendu adjusted his camera zoom, but guess peacocks have a different language. So he continued to survey the ground more closely, paying little heed to his awestruck spectators. As the jeep moved on, bright colored birds like yellow tailed drongo and the kingfisher continued to be feasts for the travelers’ eyes. There were small water bodies along the track, where the birds and monkeys where quenching their thirst after a long, hot day. All the passengers in the jeep were curious to know whether tigers also visit those places, as the statistics board in the lodge reception proudly heralded that Bandipur contains 82 tigers among other animals. The driver of their jeep answered, “Sometimes, saar”. And just after saying so, he stopped his vehicle, looked down on the ground curiously. Then with a different tone, he said something in broken English, pointing his finger towards the ground. Everyone bent from their seats. It was a tiger pugmark. Indeed it was. Dibyendu and one of the Nicks took a picture as close as they could. But for Sayantan, it reminded of their jeep with no protection at all. According to the experienced driver, it was at most a couple of hours old. For the next few minutes, nobody uttered a word. As the jeep moved on, slowly herds of deer, single sambar showed their faces. A wild cock seemed to be very shy as he ran fast on seeing the undesired humans. As the frequent monkeys and langurs kept the adventurers’ eyes busy, the Sun was ready to set. It gave a wonderful view of its setting among the trees and bushes, which made Dibyendu leap out of the jeep and click a couple of snaps, much to the driver’s dislike.

Back from the safari and after bidding good bye to their Danish friends, Dibyendu and Sayantan looked up on the sky in search of the evening’s host, the Moon. Though it was not there, the sky looked awesome in violet and orange and pink reflections of the light. It reminded them, it was the day of Holi.

Meanwhile they met a Bengali family, staying in their next room, touring South India, all the way from Kolkata. They could not even finish their tea together, when the absent elder daughter of the family of four shouted calling them outside.

It was not the same Bandipur Sayantan and Dibyendu had left outside. There was no emptiness in the Nature, no dryness; everything was so full, vibrating and shining in the Moon light flood, contrasting the darkness of the evening. The full Moon was just above the horizon, with a plan to traverse the whole sky throughout the night. Dibyendu, as usual, tried to measure the beauty through his camera. Everyone roamed around in the vast area full of trees, looking upward. In a little distance, there were deer grazing in flocks, looking like some heavenly silver creatures as seen playing around in dreams. There were small wild pigs too, playing mischief on one another. Gentle and cool breeze comforted them, as the entire environment was buzzing in chirping of crickets. Sayantan, Dibyendu and the Bengali family remained silent for a few moments. The just listened to and felt the Nature. Sitting on the field in broad Moon light, they realized, at times how important it was to remain disconnected from the whole world, and only then one realizes their connection with and dependency on Nature.

When the whole atmosphere was sufficiently inside all of them, drenching their mind and soul, they started talking. Talking gave way to singing. All of them sang ‘ Aaj jyotsna rate sobai gechhe bone, basonter ei matal somirone….’ (All have gone to the forests in this Moonlit night, amidst this intoxicating Spring breeze). Other songs suitable to the environment followed. Then suddenly the aged aunty of the Bengali family took one famous Tagore poem in her voice. It was titled ‘Africa’, praising the wild flora and fauna of Africa, as a representative of the world of forests, and man’s connection with the Nature, from his very early existence. The recitation, again, left all of them spellbound.

After having a quick dinner, they again returned to the serenity brimming with melted silver. They sat on a high hillock, giving them the impression they were on the deck of a ship! They talked about themselves, books they have read, exchanged views ranging from contemporary authors to mindset of young Indians. They sang too. When it was 12.30 in the night, they wished if there was some way to freeze time forever.

Next morning, they witnessed the Sun rising where the Moon ruled the last night. They took a van-safari in the morning, without any mentionable animal luck, but getting a chance to capture the jungles early in the morning. They took some photographs of the Sun basked campus after coming back from the safari.

It was time to get all their connections re-established. Bidding goodbye to the caretaker Nagaraj, and putting their cell phones in the switch on mode, Dibyendu and Sayantan came near the tar road to catch a running bus. No buses were there. So they stopped an inter-state truck, and took a lift up to Nanjangud. Well, that’s a different story altogether.

They attempted to capture the lifetime experience they had in the Moon lit Bandipur in their cameras. And they are proud, the attempt was unsuccessful. The pictures are only indicative. They are looking forward to the next encounter with Nature, a chance to be disconnected from the whole world.

Screeeech……the driver of the crowded bus pushed on to his brakes after hearing a couple of rounds of yelling, “ …” …………….

Encountering An Unusual Source

“Learn from unusual sources”, is what Subroto always says. Subroto Bagchi, the erstwhile Chief Operating Officer and now the Gardener of MindTree Ltd., has been instrumental in shaping my perspective and tuning my sensitivity with which I judge things today. According to him, a man (or a woman for that matter) is born 3 times in his life time. The first is the one when he actually comes to this planet. The second birth happens when he lands up on his first job. And the third time takes place when he becomes a father. All these occasions are marked with adopting hitherto unknown perspectives, dealing with a gush of opportunities, and learning a lot of aspects which directs life to a fuller circle…..only comparable to one’s birth! And during the incubated years of my second birth, I was fortunate enough to get Subroto and his team as my mentors who cared and caressed me and helped me to take the first steps, much alike my mom, dad, grandparents, close aunts and uncles had done during my first birth.

Now this post is not about Subroto’s preaching. Rather, it is about one of the numerous encounters that I had with an unusual learning source, and remembered him.

I was sitting at a window side of my office bus, while returning from office one evening. I like a window seat any day better than the aisle ones, as it gives me an opportunity to gaze at the happenings of my town, pretty regular at times but always with a difference. The bus was stuck in a traffic jam, that too in a market place, thronged with hawkers and buyers and pedestrians and auto rickshaws and two wheelers and bigger vehicles like ours. As a result, my gazing got translated into observing, and I was taking note of the violent bargaining between the buyers and the sellers, and the superficial quarrelling between the two-wheelerists and the pedestrians. The auto rickshaws (referred just as ‘auto’) of Kolkata are always a menace, making life tough for the traffic controllers. They did not like the idea of standing still in a traffic jam, and assuming they had wings, tried to swim through the roaring vehicular river.

Amidst all that pandemonium my eyes fell on an auto, just below my window. It was slightly bigger than a usual auto, and was of the Piaggio make. It had something interesting written on its side in Bengali. It read as, ‘Notun kichhu hok’, which when translated means ‘Lets have something fresh’.

I was awestruck! I was reading a word of such wisdom, that too on an auto! Now these kinds of words are very common in the daily thought of the day mailers. But I couldn’t believe my eyes; such statements can actually adorn an auto rickshaw too!

The auto drivers are believed to be the most illiterate motor drivers of our country. They are daily wage earners, which ranges from Rs120- Rs160 per day, falling only above the daily labourers in the wage scale. Most of them have families and the consequent financial demands, the daily struggle to make all ends meet, and frequent failures in that. Apart from the speed breakers, they constantly remain cautious of the otherwise-harmless-but-overreactive-in-their-case Police, and the opportunist political unions. In their valiant attempts to avoid the troubles of this world, they become more and more involved. And in the process, unconsciously, they themselves become the troubles to many people like me.

So, …..one of them is urging this world to have something fresh, start something new. Normally in other autos, the same place has written testimonials of how the auto-wallah is thankful to his mother, or the name of the particular bank which has given him an auto-loan, and mostly the name of the gods/goddesses for whom the pious auto-wallah is a devotee of. In most of the cases, the person who actually writes the stuff with paint, is illiterate, and draws the letters in different colors treating them as a part of a picture. So a whole bunch of them, reminding us, what we might do to rise above our daily miseries.

It dawned upon me, when a person who has been pushed enough against the wall, comes out with such a graffiti, its time for the enlightened bunch of us, to act. He is not anything less than the NASSCOM chief, who says that innovation and creativity at work will be the future driver for differentiating us in this highly competitive world. They are essentially speaking the language of sustenance, but in their own unique ways.

The Piaggio auto, living up to its character, soon surged ahead of us, leaving me overwhelmed and happy at my self-exploration. As it raced far and far ahead, surprisingly, it slowly became big…..big….. and even bigger for me.

A take on Belief

That evening I struck a conversation with my wife Sumi and Ma, about the concept of Belief. Being born and brought up in a very un-orthodox family, I have believed throughout my developing years that I don’t believe a lot of popular beliefs that my contemporary society offers. But that evening it was not about the individual beliefs, and the differences or lack of them, rather it was a dive at the beds of the very fundamental concept of Belief in order to search the pearls of reason behind why one should have beliefs and the consequences of the same.

There is absolutely no doubt, that beliefs enable a person to do a lot of things, which otherwise wouldn’t have been accomplished. However, just like all flies are not butterflies, some beliefs tend to shrink a person’s potential to do a mundane set of activities too. It is one of those rare inherent forces, which has the insurmountable power to make or break one’s aspirations, to influence the life of people around one. It is what makes us different from the lot. And since Beliefs can’t be shared, rather built, and lays down a unique path of glory or gloom for its holder, I was of the opinion that people who believe in anything, has to be reasonably selfish at some level.

Now that pulled Sumi and Ma to break free and disagree with me, which is the reason I love and stay with them! They were of the opinion that though a person is lonely in the journey of his call of belief, it is the end result that affects a larger group of people, and hence ideally includes her beloved, well wishers and community at large. Though the seed of belief germinates in an individual, and the individual is single-handedly responsible for growing that into a self-sustaining tree, it is the fruits which call for a community participation and celebration.

Not because they cook my food, I agreed with them realising that my focus area had been the journey for belief, while their focus was on the destination of the pursuit. I had no inhibitions in acknowledging the fact that two minds are mightier than one, especially the disagreeing ones.

Moving on, I felt that sometimes beliefs extract extraordinary outputs from people who desire to stretch. The likes of Narayan Murthy, Subroto Bagchi, Lance Armstrong, Abhinav Bindra fall in this category. When Anil Kumble decides to continue bowling with a bandage wrapped around his broken jaw, and manages to send Brian Lara back to pavilion, I would like to see it as strong determination and conviction being personified, which started with a small seed of self-belief. No doubt beliefs do make people achieve something. But the second kind of belief deprives one of an earthly pleasure that one is eligible to experience sometimes even by way of demanding a certain share of one’s existence. When I look around me, unfortunately, I see this second type of belief dominating over the first type, that too with a formidable margin. While the cause of the first type of beliefs are to rise above the current level of comfort, the reason for these beliefs arise from sincere good wishes for all from within a comfort zone. While the consequences of the first type of beliefs are difficult-to-attain achievements, the results of these beliefs are popularly accepted sacrifices.

Ma and Sumi have agreed to disagree with me, without being disagreeable. So after carefully listening to my two-fold belief idea, they asked me, why would somebody believe in the second scheme of the system, if it doesn’t work for them? As I appreciated their listenability, I had an internal quicksearch, and knew that I don’t have the answer. I was not meant to provide either. It was almost midnight, and we dispersed, playing with the newly found pearls and stones, as we prepared to dive in a more earthly bed this time.

The topic is Music

“What is the first feeling that you get, when I say….’the topic is music’? ”

My music loving friend, who is a trained musician and vocalist himself, seemed startled at my sudden inquisitiveness. His rapidly moving eyes and facial expressions told me he has a mouthful of answers and opinions, but can’t decide which feeling should be popped out first! Finally he gathered himself, and unfurled, “Well, I feel like I am swimming in an ocean. If I apply a little more of mind into it, and less of heart, I feel I am playing hide and seek with an invisible person in a big, big maze. An unfathomable mystery, both ways, you see!”

I should admit that I am not at all a musically inclined person. But I take things as they come, enjoy their beauty and companionship, ask lot of questions on their face, appreciate their value in human life, and finally make them my identified pebbles in the journey of life. And the concept of music was not different. So when my friend, who has been in the practice for more than 15 years now, shared his idea of music, I instantly could relate to it, because of the element of mystery in it. I have often thought while listening to my mp3 player, how does a music composer’s mind work? How does a piece of music get created? From my sister, who practices ‘sargam’ in her harmonium, I have learnt that those seven notes when placed one after another, in various durations and in all possible combinations, give birth to music. Okay, I got to know how ‘music’ gets separated from ‘sound’, but then how is it decided, which note will sit beside whom, whether for half, quarter, eighth or sixteenth of a measure duration, whether they’ll have dots and ties, what clef to use in which place……who decides it damn it! I can understand the birth of music, but still lack the concept of melody.

I have had an opportunity to meet two eminent vocalists of our time in a recent music competition in our office. I asked them the same unanswered question of what brings melody into music, and how does the composer know about it? If I try to revisit their thought process, and their opinion that they shared with me, it would be something like:

A composer is like a leader. Just like a leader needs to have a vision of what he is going to do, a composer needs to hear the great music that he is going to compose. And no science, no set of rules can help him do that. It sheerly comes from a place………

My heart was pounding as my mind could predict that I was nearing to my much sought after answer….

…... from a place in between his head and heart. It is a manifestation of his knowledge and creativity, that is.

If you think my quest for exploring the mystery of music ended after that evening…...then you are right! Now, I have started savoring its different forms, appreciating the vocalists and instrumentalists who act as the bridge between music and me. I can easily understand, why music is the second highest crowd puller, and second strongest force behind binding people….after religion. As I am grateful to my music loving friend, my sister, the two eminent singers, and the bunch of talented composers for presenting me the key to this world, let me conclude by asking you a question:

“What is the first feeling that you get, when I say….’the topic is music’? ”