The Auto Driver at Hubballi Railway station informed us that there were a dozen cyclists who had got down there earlier from Nizamuddin Train that comes to Hubballi from Delhi...
That "Enthusiasm and awareness about THE BIG event that was happening in town" was seen through out the day with literally every 'Hubblliga' I met .......
Every road I traveled on my Brother's two-wheeler, I saw young and old in the jersey meant for Cyclotsava on a bicycle, neither of which I had yet...
At the venue, I was literally surprised to see a sea of cyclists and cycling enthusiasts a (little less than the sea)... the ground was so well prepared and organized, I was just amazed.... at the time and effort these Hubballi Bicycle Club members had put in.... Hat's Off!!
That was just the beginning of the day of AMAZEMENTs...
At one of the several counters that were set-up, my ticket's QR code was scanned from my phone.. (A First experience for me...) before handing me my kit.. that contained a beautiful tri coloured t-shirt, a wrist band saying #RespectCyclists, A bib for the cycle.. a sticker for the helmet and a card with a chip....
My rented bicycle was waiting right across the road in a college campus... These cycles were procured from a vendor in Hyderabad!!
While heading there, met a Lorry Driver with his lorry, which had carried 23 cyclists and their cycles from Davanagere!! (150 kilometers from Hubbali)... This was just one of extra efforts cyclists had made to be a part of this Cyclotsava...
Met a few, who had cycled from
Bagalakote - 120+ kilometers
Kolhapur - 200+ kilometers
Bengaluru - 450 kilometers (didn't get a chance to meet, came to know through Strava)
A 7 year old, who was doing a Kolhapur to Pune 230 kilometers cycle ride the next day..
Few who appeared 70+ by their appearance.. however, younger than many of us in their spirits...
One IIT-Dharwad student doing his PhD...
Several Engineering students....
Two more Pramod's (First ever in my 42 years :)) who shared bib numbers next to mine... one was 708, mine 709 and the other 710... too big a coincidence huh....
More surprises were waiting for me on the stage....
Amit Samarth - one of the few in the world to have completed
Trans Siberian Extreme distance 9,100 kilometers and elevation 770,000 meters (10 mount everersts!!)...
A man whose left hand is hit by polio who did the treacherous terrains of Himalayas... with a cycle with altered back brakes to suit him...
A couple from Maharashtra, who have cycled all across together and had penned a beautiful Marathi poem unto that...
Many more such Ultra achievers... who made me feel... my rides and kilometers are just a drop in this ocean of cycling....
FIRST ATTEMPT
We were scheduled to start at 2 and it appeared like, we 1550 cyclists had lined up in our groups of 100 in the order of the bib numbers much before the start time... which would have given us a 10-15 minutes head start...
Volunteers for each group making sure, each one of us are following each rule to the DOT, I had to run back to the venue to put my sling bag with my hand phone in the cloak room... ;) That was a nice way to warm-up....
They had also ensured that we were well hydrated (water) and nourished (bananas)..
At 2:02, with tonnes of butterflies in our tummies... we started..... It was an amazing track rather road with not much of elevation...
Throughout the 4 kilometer ride.. there were volunteers shouting 'slow down'... 'cover up'... to ensure we keep 2-3 bicycle distance between our bikes...
FAIL
It took almost an hour post finishing the ride to hear that we did not make it.... Some cyclists overtook breaking the line causing the fault... along with a few who couldn't cover up the distance....
RE-STRATEGISE
We were asked to pull out if any of us felt he/she can't bicycle the reverse ride with the head wind... no one pulled out..
A list of offenders retrieved from the Guinness guys based on their BIBs and cards on bicycles were pulled out...
Bicycles of a certain size... pulled out..
All kids... pushed back..
All no-gear bicycles (mine too).... pushed back..
Bicycles with speedometers... Moved up the line...
Cycling groups.. moved up the line...
Our wrist bands collected... and returned...to be dropped back in the collection box to double check the count of cyclists...
Instructions to keep shouting "cover-up", "slow-down/half-peddle" informing rider in the back of the situation in the front....given to all...
All this took almost 2-2.5 hours post completion of the ride...
SUN was happily showering his light and heat and all of us :)
SECOND ATTEMPT
Even though the organisers made every attempt to keep our spirits high.... we were highly skeptical still...
The rider just in-front of me found it difficult... happily pulled out...
Amid shouts of "cover-up", "slow-down/half-peddle" ... we managed to bridge the gap...
One of the aged cyclist 3 bicycles in-front of me.. felt the same... repeated requests to pull-out, seemed to fall on deaf ears...
Some impatient cyclists did overtake... even after getting reminders from us...
Our skepticism had two solid reasons now....
ACHIEVE
With bated breath we waited in the dust and setting sun.... there came the announcement.. though not official... we cheered the loudest...
The tougher part now was to line-up in the queue to collect our handphones back from the cloak room...then one more queue to collect certificates and goody bags....
While the organisers were asking us to occupy the seats to hear the official announcement.. it was our turn to turn deaf .. :( It was 7 PM and my train back to Bengaluru was in three hours.. My priority was not to miss my train..
While waiting in the slow moving queue the official announcement too came 1235 was the new longest single line of bicycles... and we had made it to the GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS....
"BHARAT MATA KI JAI"... resounded the venue.. on the REPUBLIC DAY OF BHARAT...
A well spent, well achieved, well learnt day....!!
#RespectCyclists
Ciao!!
January 31, 2019
January 16, 2019
A Raleigh Bicycle, Two Brothers and Thirteen Pots....
It was 1989, I was thirteen and brother was eleven. Appa (Father) had started constructing our new house.
First big road block was WATER!!.
A 200 feet drill fetched innumerable pieces of black rock but no WATER!!
Somehow, we managed to get our home ready by renting WATER (Not mentioning about the fortune the guy made by counting us wrong number of tank loads)
As soon as we shifted, the first task on hand was WATER!!
Brother and Me used our mathematical brains (one of Appa's friends' mentioned that, We hadn't realised that till then ;)) to get water.
We used to tie ropes to plastic pots (Bindige in Kannada), hung them across the old but strong Raleigh cycle (All this while, I was thinking Rally was the spelling ;)) we had recently procured for this purpose.
Lengths of these ropes were measured to perfection so that our trips fetch maximum amount of water.
Lazy were we to fetch it again :)
Post that, we used to drag ourselves uphill first and then downhill to the hand pump to fetch.
The journey would easily have been more than a kilometre
The most difficult part was manoeuvring the bicycle on the way back on the downhill with these pots filled with water to the brink...
EVERY DROP COUNTS!!
Then came the savings part,
Morning pees were in the open yard in front of our home.
Showers were crisp with water in 3/4th or less of a bucket.
We had even started to have baths alternate days or even longer too...
Re-use when possible.. as in
Use water used to wash clothes and utensils (We used to wash them with our own hands:) ) to water the plants.
HIS BLESSINGS!!
As soon as it thunders and heavens opens its gates, forget about the time of the day or night get all pots, fill them with water pouring from the ceiling and dump it in the underground water tank...
That used to save us from the trips for many days to come..
However, drinking water had to come from the hand pump...
For which we always used to fight, on whose turn it was
All these incidents flashed in front of my eyes as soon as I saw above forward in WhatsApp sometime back...
It is soooo soooo very difficult for anyone to make any other understand that
EVERY DROP COUNTS....
Then I thought, a BLOG would be a step forward...
Does anyone want to walk along or not,
I WALK THIS PATH!!
Ciao!
November 11, 2017
React (Harsh FB Post) --> Respond (This Blog)
I was sooo furious and if I had an instant connection between my mind and FB, it would have resulted in my harshest post till date.... Thankfully human mind RULES!!
30 minutes pedalling and churning over thoughts pounding on mind resulted in this blog, a fiction....
The story goes something like this...
A young boy in his mid twenties suddenly finds himself in a completely unfamiliar territory with a gate in front of him... He opens and enters to find a person whom he has never seen before... Upon enquiring he comes to know that he is 'Chitragupta' and this young boy is in the other world...
'How did I come here, my father was taking me to a hospital and asking me to be brave and nothing would happen to me, then how come I am here? I should have been in that hospital' the boy was furious....
'You did reach the hospital my son, doctors did try their best and informed with a very sad face to your father that 'Sir, you should have been here 30 minutes before''
'Hospital was not very far from where I stay, the ambulance had also arrived in time, then how come?'
'If you remember my son, it was morning peak hour traffic in your city and all motorists were rushing to their work, some luggage carriers were in a hurry to get their goods delivered, and likewise the road was filled with such people who thought they reaching their destination was more important than giving way to the ambulance you were in. I can't blame them either, they weren't aware how critical you were'
'NOOOOOOOOOO... , that's basic civic sense which my father always taught me and I used to follow and used to ask fellow motorists to follow suit. THEY ARE THE REASON I AM HERE. I need their data, could I get it?'
With a little effort, 'Chitragupta' handed over each and every detail including the video clipping of that day's ambulance journey. 'What are you going to do with it?'
'Ditto' the boy said
As we know the dead have abundant powers and that too with 'Chitragupta' and 'Yama' on the young boy's side, following happened in super quick time.
In his city, all crematorium's were working 24 X 7 and still the pile of tasks at hand were not receding at all, The city had such free roads with hardly any traffic that the ones who were commuting were feeling bored with the extra time they had at hand.
At the same time in the other world.... This boy had become an instant hero and the 'Ditto' people were repenting for their mistake and were pledging to never repeat their mistakes in their next lives...
--THE BEGINNING --
30 minutes pedalling and churning over thoughts pounding on mind resulted in this blog, a fiction....
The story goes something like this...
A young boy in his mid twenties suddenly finds himself in a completely unfamiliar territory with a gate in front of him... He opens and enters to find a person whom he has never seen before... Upon enquiring he comes to know that he is 'Chitragupta' and this young boy is in the other world...
'How did I come here, my father was taking me to a hospital and asking me to be brave and nothing would happen to me, then how come I am here? I should have been in that hospital' the boy was furious....
'You did reach the hospital my son, doctors did try their best and informed with a very sad face to your father that 'Sir, you should have been here 30 minutes before''
'Hospital was not very far from where I stay, the ambulance had also arrived in time, then how come?'
'If you remember my son, it was morning peak hour traffic in your city and all motorists were rushing to their work, some luggage carriers were in a hurry to get their goods delivered, and likewise the road was filled with such people who thought they reaching their destination was more important than giving way to the ambulance you were in. I can't blame them either, they weren't aware how critical you were'
'NOOOOOOOOOO... , that's basic civic sense which my father always taught me and I used to follow and used to ask fellow motorists to follow suit. THEY ARE THE REASON I AM HERE. I need their data, could I get it?'
With a little effort, 'Chitragupta' handed over each and every detail including the video clipping of that day's ambulance journey. 'What are you going to do with it?'
'Ditto' the boy said
As we know the dead have abundant powers and that too with 'Chitragupta' and 'Yama' on the young boy's side, following happened in super quick time.
In his city, all crematorium's were working 24 X 7 and still the pile of tasks at hand were not receding at all, The city had such free roads with hardly any traffic that the ones who were commuting were feeling bored with the extra time they had at hand.
At the same time in the other world.... This boy had become an instant hero and the 'Ditto' people were repenting for their mistake and were pledging to never repeat their mistakes in their next lives...
--THE BEGINNING --
July 24, 2017
You were just a dream in 2009
"Why do you want a child of your own. See now you are able to hold every child that comes across as yours and give love like your own. Once you have your own, you won't be able to do that". This was our Gynaecologist about 10 years ago.
"Aanu, why do you show your love and affection to all children you meet. I feel left out". This was Sihi few months ago.
I compared the time that I spend with her to the time I get to spend with someone else. The love, affection and reflection of the same she could find in the things we do & get for her on a side. To the minuscule things we get to do to others. She seemed convinced.
Yeah! She is starting a brand new year, year 9 today and wonder when and hows of her growth from the tiny handful that she was in year 2009.
Took time off to go through the blogs of that period...
Jul-2009-feeling-and-confusion...
Aug-2009-confusion....contd
Nov-2009-homecoming-of-sihi
July-2010-its-that-time-again
"Aanu, why do you show your love and affection to all children you meet. I feel left out". This was Sihi few months ago.
I compared the time that I spend with her to the time I get to spend with someone else. The love, affection and reflection of the same she could find in the things we do & get for her on a side. To the minuscule things we get to do to others. She seemed convinced.
Yeah! She is starting a brand new year, year 9 today and wonder when and hows of her growth from the tiny handful that she was in year 2009.
Took time off to go through the blogs of that period...
Jul-2009-feeling-and-confusion...
Aug-2009-confusion....contd
Nov-2009-homecoming-of-sihi
July-2010-its-that-time-again
March 06, 2016
Two 23 year olds who belittled me!
I met this Uber driver whose brother was with Capgemini.. I asked why didn't you study.. He said he is doing BCom.. Has a degree in acting has done small roles in few Kannada movies.. A movie in which he is a hero is yet to be released.. And this guy started earning when he was in his 9th by working in KFC.. I thought what a guy..!! And respect went off to his parents instantly...
And then I met this fellow wiproite.. Who raised the bar so high...
This guy a wasean joined Wipro 6 months ago.. Lost his father when he was in 7th.. Gathered courage and little money to open a mobile shop at that age.. By traveling to Mumbai and chennai to buy pen drives and accessories...Studied through those obstacles and secured 1st Rank in his university in Degree..Now Has a mobile shop in Shimoga, Karnataka.. Runs a PG for girls there too..
I asked him why work.. He said passion for .Net..
God bless them and Kudos to their parents
These guys just belittled me..👌👌
And then I met this fellow wiproite.. Who raised the bar so high...
This guy a wasean joined Wipro 6 months ago.. Lost his father when he was in 7th.. Gathered courage and little money to open a mobile shop at that age.. By traveling to Mumbai and chennai to buy pen drives and accessories...Studied through those obstacles and secured 1st Rank in his university in Degree..Now Has a mobile shop in Shimoga, Karnataka.. Runs a PG for girls there too..
I asked him why work.. He said passion for .Net..
God bless them and Kudos to their parents
These guys just belittled me..👌👌
February 15, 2016
'Can't travel without clothes! Let's cancel the Trip!!'
'Can't travel without clothes! Let's cancel the Trip!!' is what Sandhya said when we boarded the Kanyakumari Express Train and leaving the Luggage carrying "all" clothes in the Car :)
I in my best of optimism and adventurous attitude said, 'Hold on', something would work out.. and the train chugged along....
Earlier that evening, Sandhya even suggested taking a cab instead of driving our car, sighting our return in the early hours of Thursday, I rejected it and took the car..
'Whoa!!' we are about a kilometer and a half from railway station and my Car puffed, I need a break!! I said what??!! You just had one couple of months Ago!! On its insistence, I called guys from its fav hangout these days to come and collect from railway station.. My Car, after a lot of convincing agreed to take us to our destination...
There, I asked two of my lovely ladies to go and board the train and wait for me.. and told will join them with the "Luggage" as soon as our Car is in safe hands..
While saying 'tata' to the car, little did I know that I was wishing the same to our luggage...
The first thing I told Sandhya was to make a list of all the things we need to buy when we chugged along... couple of items did enter the list loudly... rest, my lovely wife typed on Google Keep and showed me.. " ".. ;)
We were sure to get Sihi and my clothes easily.. however, Sandhya.. hmmm... that was tough.. that too for a wedding!! seemed impossible..
Every shop we entered or were about to enter, we first enquired for Sandhya... and after 5 shops... we were lucky to have one.. where we shopped "every" cloth we needed in under Rupees 2300!!!!
Our attire impressed literally everyone at the wedding and they started asking.. Where did you buy such lovely clothes.. how much did they cost... and hearing the answers.. they exclaimed.. let us also buy here.. they are damn cheap!!
Our lost luggage story too had got viral.. HEHE!!
The most eventful family outing we have had till date..
Wishing more such stories to be blessed our way.. :D
I in my best of optimism and adventurous attitude said, 'Hold on', something would work out.. and the train chugged along....
Earlier that evening, Sandhya even suggested taking a cab instead of driving our car, sighting our return in the early hours of Thursday, I rejected it and took the car..
'Whoa!!' we are about a kilometer and a half from railway station and my Car puffed, I need a break!! I said what??!! You just had one couple of months Ago!! On its insistence, I called guys from its fav hangout these days to come and collect from railway station.. My Car, after a lot of convincing agreed to take us to our destination...
There, I asked two of my lovely ladies to go and board the train and wait for me.. and told will join them with the "Luggage" as soon as our Car is in safe hands..
While saying 'tata' to the car, little did I know that I was wishing the same to our luggage...
The first thing I told Sandhya was to make a list of all the things we need to buy when we chugged along... couple of items did enter the list loudly... rest, my lovely wife typed on Google Keep and showed me.. " ".. ;)
We were sure to get Sihi and my clothes easily.. however, Sandhya.. hmmm... that was tough.. that too for a wedding!! seemed impossible..
Every shop we entered or were about to enter, we first enquired for Sandhya... and after 5 shops... we were lucky to have one.. where we shopped "every" cloth we needed in under Rupees 2300!!!!
Our attire impressed literally everyone at the wedding and they started asking.. Where did you buy such lovely clothes.. how much did they cost... and hearing the answers.. they exclaimed.. let us also buy here.. they are damn cheap!!
Our lost luggage story too had got viral.. HEHE!!
The most eventful family outing we have had till date..
Wishing more such stories to be blessed our way.. :D
January 10, 2016
Ammaaaa.... :)
I have been kicking myself for not blogging for so long.. and finally decided enough of kicking self... give work to your fingers to give way to your heart and mind to flow through to this Ones&Zeroes (binary) world..
Most of my early childhood memories of Ammaaa.. or Maaa as I fondly call her are given to me by her... I started to value those post getting out of our home 'Suprada' and ending up in then alien land Bengaluru..
I always used to complain, why do you have to cook for our tenants (mostly engineering students)... her answer was 'they are away from their home and mom, by doing this little gesture, I would help them feel at home, this virtue would come back and bless you when you go out my child..'.. I never used to believe her then... But when I did not have to struggle much to get a abode and homely warmth in this alien land did I realise, she was right..
This ones very dear to my heart... It was my first birthday and she wanted to see me in a new shirt and she wasn't having any money to buy that.. She mustered small amounts of money, bought newspapers from a local grocer, made carry bags out of them, sold it, and bought me that shirt.. Recently she told me that this trip had to be repeated once more since the shirt cost her a little more than she had earned in her first trip... I always look up to her for that determination to achieve..
This continued right up to my admission to Masters and my brothers admission to Engineering, she along with my Aanu had this uncanny ability to find contacts, find time to meet them, convince them by talk or by donations that their sons get admitted to these professional courses...
I remember her waking up in the wee hours to cook break-fast and lunch for all the four of us and ensure that we get to school by 6:30 AM!!!
I remember her heart going out to every heart that is in pain, so much so that, our doctor still feels she should limit this to her close circle of loved ones for her good health... What he doesn't know is her close circle is 'Vasudaiva Kutumbakam' (World is one family)... :)
I see that recent Indonesian video where employees of a hotel are made to answer some queries on their Mothers, which bring tears in their eyes for not giving time to understand their mothers as a reflection of me.. :(
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3a70UY7KNA
Maa.. You have made me what I am, you have given me all that I have, you have helped me to stay Strong in troubled times, you have given me a heart that is kind, you have ensured that I have everything that I need more of which were wants than needs, You are awesome..
You are Maatru! Mother....Maa.. Amma..
Most of my early childhood memories of Ammaaa.. or Maaa as I fondly call her are given to me by her... I started to value those post getting out of our home 'Suprada' and ending up in then alien land Bengaluru..
I always used to complain, why do you have to cook for our tenants (mostly engineering students)... her answer was 'they are away from their home and mom, by doing this little gesture, I would help them feel at home, this virtue would come back and bless you when you go out my child..'.. I never used to believe her then... But when I did not have to struggle much to get a abode and homely warmth in this alien land did I realise, she was right..
This ones very dear to my heart... It was my first birthday and she wanted to see me in a new shirt and she wasn't having any money to buy that.. She mustered small amounts of money, bought newspapers from a local grocer, made carry bags out of them, sold it, and bought me that shirt.. Recently she told me that this trip had to be repeated once more since the shirt cost her a little more than she had earned in her first trip... I always look up to her for that determination to achieve..
This continued right up to my admission to Masters and my brothers admission to Engineering, she along with my Aanu had this uncanny ability to find contacts, find time to meet them, convince them by talk or by donations that their sons get admitted to these professional courses...
I remember her waking up in the wee hours to cook break-fast and lunch for all the four of us and ensure that we get to school by 6:30 AM!!!
I remember her heart going out to every heart that is in pain, so much so that, our doctor still feels she should limit this to her close circle of loved ones for her good health... What he doesn't know is her close circle is 'Vasudaiva Kutumbakam' (World is one family)... :)
I see that recent Indonesian video where employees of a hotel are made to answer some queries on their Mothers, which bring tears in their eyes for not giving time to understand their mothers as a reflection of me.. :(
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3a70UY7KNA
Maa.. You have made me what I am, you have given me all that I have, you have helped me to stay Strong in troubled times, you have given me a heart that is kind, you have ensured that I have everything that I need more of which were wants than needs, You are awesome..
You are Maatru! Mother....Maa.. Amma..
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