My Musings

This post is prompted by a recent news that Indian Govt in considering limiting wedding guest list - to save food. My memories flew back to 1960s when the then PM (Morarji Desai ?) brought a Govt order called Guest Control Act to limit the number of guests to a marriage. Admiitedly those days were "famine-like" and we had to save food in whichever way we could think of. In fact, during 1965-70 the entire nation lived on PORT-to-MOUTH existence - when our total requirement of wheat was shipped from USA under PL480. Those were the days when all the eateries, big and small, used to close down their shutters from 2 PM on Mondays to next morning, under GOI's orders. No food will be available after 2. And, on Wednesdays, no rice will be served for the day - just wheat. 2011 is not 1960, we have come a long way. Food is not scarce but then over 100 million Indians go to sleep everyday hungry and malnourishment is rife. Cutting back on profligate banquets would save the na

Our previous visit to Bangalore was during mid-Dec 2010. Now, Neeraja - Ashok decided to perform Satyanarayana poojai on 18 Feb 2011; they requested our presence. So we came to Bangalore on 17 Feb 2011, by Brindavan Express. In the morning at 0530 AM at Chennai, Arvind dropped us at Adyar depot where we boarded A1 bus to Central Station. Originally our tickets were wait-listed but "confirmed" later. Unfortunately, our seats were in different coaches - mine was in C2 whereas Vijaya's was in C3. However, we could get the seats exchanged with another, and Vijaya came to C2 coach. On reaching SBC, we decided to take a bus from Kempegowda Bus Station (KBS), previously known as Majestic. We walked the short distance and boarded a Vajra AC bus (route 365) for Meenakshi koil. Fare = Rs 35 per. Kempegowda Bus Station, Bangalore  This is the first time we are going to KBS and travelling by a bus.  KBS is a huge bus-station but decently organised. Next day, (18th Feb) was