A Wandering Minstrel
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| A tea seller outside Ram Mandir, Laxmi Road. |
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A truly happy lady. She loves what she does and sends many a woman with a happy smile on her face. |
Showing posts with label Pune. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pune. Show all posts
Monday, August 20, 2012
A FACE IN THE CROWD
Monday, June 18, 2012
A Slice OF Heaven
As I cruised down busy MG Road a tantalizing smell tempted me to
slow down. The aroma of freshly baked bread and buns, mixed with the crisp
early morning air, made me lose my senses and take a sharp left turn,
--oblivious of the steady stream of traffic flowing by--- and stop in front of an innocuous looking blue painted, tile roofed, rickety double storied
building. The Royal Bakery is an institution which has withstood the ravages of
time.
It sells the famous Milko-Vita Bread. Hand wrapped in custom designed orange
and white butter paper. These delicious breads, which promise to last for 100
hours and keep one fit for hundred years- are priced at a nominal Re. 10. No
true blue Puneites breakfast would be complete without a slice of this
delicious milky bread.
This humble bakery is also home to such delights like the charming
little glass cakes, the wine cake, a variety of biscuits and the super
scrumptious plum cake.
This quaint little establishment could be easily missed, had
it not been for its pea green facade and wooden shutters which roll
back to reveal a very homely interior. An antique glass topped cabinet and
glass fronted cupboard houses the precious delights. We were served by a bespectacled,
kindly looking gentle man, even as the previous owners of this Parsee establishment
looked down munificently from their high garlanded perch on the walls.
An open doorway over which a picture of Ahura Mazda hangs,
afforded me a peek into the way this grand old lady functioned. Busy workers
rolled out dough on a huge wooden table.
The various delectable items sold in this bakery were still
baked in a huge wood fired oven. Workers scooped out trays of freshly baked golden
cakes and buns from the oven with long wooden paddles. The grey stone floors
were stacked high with trays of delectable goodies.
Outside the bakery loyal customers crowded around for a loaf
of the nutritious Milko-Vita bread or a rich plum cake. A visit to Royal Bakery
has become a way of life for many Puneites.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Thursday, November 25, 2010
TULSI BAUG
The first impression of Tulsi Baug was one of a kaleidoscopic nature. Prisms of color burst forth from every corner. Sights and sounds hijack your senses and leave you completely enslaved. The hypnotic aroma of street chow entices you towards the food stalls lining the streets. You dither but for a moment before becoming an unequivocal convert to a totally new shopping experience.
A small side winding lane from the main arterial Laxmi road takes you to the lively world of Tulsi Baug. Here you are introduced to a quaint world full of intriguing and unusual characters. Where persuasion is power!
Lining the street sides were several stalls, selling rangoli powders in neatly arranged conical mounds of sunny yellows, fiery reds, turquoise blues and pretty pinks. A soft breeze sent a constant swirl of color into the air.
Inside a shallow reed basket perched precariously on the back of a cycle, were thick coils of jasmine flowers which reposed snake like on their bed of green peepal leaves. These particular flowers possessed a fragile beauty which was sadly lacking in the kitschy bouquets and mammoth garlands sold in some of the bigger shops nearby.
A watch repairer with an eye piece delicately examined the innards of an ancient timepiece with the care and adroitness of a heart surgeon. Time has literally stopped in this shop filled with antiquated timepieces whose hearts will never tick again.
The brass shops were huddled together along one corner. Here you came across the most exquisitely designed nutcrackers, lamps, statues and brass decorative pieces. Polished to perfection they had a beautiful golden patina.
Brightly painted food carts jostled for position under a shady banyan tree. Very soon a small crowd gathered around the carts to eat hot spicy pakoras and tangy bhel puris. These snacks are normally washed down with a spicy masala chai.
Tulsi Baug had many more hidden treasures waiting to be discovered and explored with each visit.
A small side winding lane from the main arterial Laxmi road takes you to the lively world of Tulsi Baug. Here you are introduced to a quaint world full of intriguing and unusual characters. Where persuasion is power!
Lining the street sides were several stalls, selling rangoli powders in neatly arranged conical mounds of sunny yellows, fiery reds, turquoise blues and pretty pinks. A soft breeze sent a constant swirl of color into the air.
Inside a shallow reed basket perched precariously on the back of a cycle, were thick coils of jasmine flowers which reposed snake like on their bed of green peepal leaves. These particular flowers possessed a fragile beauty which was sadly lacking in the kitschy bouquets and mammoth garlands sold in some of the bigger shops nearby.
A watch repairer with an eye piece delicately examined the innards of an ancient timepiece with the care and adroitness of a heart surgeon. Time has literally stopped in this shop filled with antiquated timepieces whose hearts will never tick again.
The brass shops were huddled together along one corner. Here you came across the most exquisitely designed nutcrackers, lamps, statues and brass decorative pieces. Polished to perfection they had a beautiful golden patina.
Brightly painted food carts jostled for position under a shady banyan tree. Very soon a small crowd gathered around the carts to eat hot spicy pakoras and tangy bhel puris. These snacks are normally washed down with a spicy masala chai.
Tulsi Baug had many more hidden treasures waiting to be discovered and explored with each visit.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
A Walk Through Tabooth Street
This is Tabooth Street; one among the many quaint little side streets tucked away in different corners of Pune. The buildings which line this street are almost a century old.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
A WALK IN THE HILLS
A lone eagle flew high overhead, wheeling, a black dot in the clear blue sky. The air was crisp and chill and we sat watching the wood smoke curling upwards from one of the hutments far below. Our vantage point was the Ganesh temple nestled in the hills high above the surrounding plains.
It was the month of August. There had been a small interlude between the torrential rains and we used this opportunity to explore the hills bordering our house. A short steep climb along the tarred road bought us to the foothills. From there a tiny path threaded its way through the dense foliage. Trees in a thousand shades of green blanketed the entire hillside. Pale sunlight filtered through the forest canopy taking on an ethereal greenish tinge. Suddenly a bird disturbed by our footfall exploded from the forest floor and flew upwards in a riot of colors. A koel hidden in one of the upper branches of a mango tree serenaded us with its sweet haunting cry. A tiny squirrel chattering happily skittered up a nearby neem tree.
As we trekked upwards we suddenly spied a tiny white edifice. A red flag on its tiled roof fluttered lazily in the breeze. Tucked away between tall trees it could easily be missed. We stood gazing at it for a long time.
A distant ominous rumble sent us scrambling for shelter. Pelting rain soon followed. Soaked to the skin we finally reached the white building which turned out to be a temple. For the next half hour the temple provided us refuge from the driving rain. Sitting on its broad, stone- flagged verandah we had a bird’s eye view of the surrounding countryside.
After about an hour the rain slowly died down. The sun came out in its entire golden splendor. The newly washed leaves glistened in the sunlight and the heady smell of wet earth filled us with a sense of well being. Reluctantly we decided to head home before the rain commenced.
Although we have visited the temple several times subsequently, we have never quite been able to recapture the magic of that first visit in the rain.
It was the month of August. There had been a small interlude between the torrential rains and we used this opportunity to explore the hills bordering our house. A short steep climb along the tarred road bought us to the foothills. From there a tiny path threaded its way through the dense foliage. Trees in a thousand shades of green blanketed the entire hillside. Pale sunlight filtered through the forest canopy taking on an ethereal greenish tinge. Suddenly a bird disturbed by our footfall exploded from the forest floor and flew upwards in a riot of colors. A koel hidden in one of the upper branches of a mango tree serenaded us with its sweet haunting cry. A tiny squirrel chattering happily skittered up a nearby neem tree.
As we trekked upwards we suddenly spied a tiny white edifice. A red flag on its tiled roof fluttered lazily in the breeze. Tucked away between tall trees it could easily be missed. We stood gazing at it for a long time.
A distant ominous rumble sent us scrambling for shelter. Pelting rain soon followed. Soaked to the skin we finally reached the white building which turned out to be a temple. For the next half hour the temple provided us refuge from the driving rain. Sitting on its broad, stone- flagged verandah we had a bird’s eye view of the surrounding countryside.
After about an hour the rain slowly died down. The sun came out in its entire golden splendor. The newly washed leaves glistened in the sunlight and the heady smell of wet earth filled us with a sense of well being. Reluctantly we decided to head home before the rain commenced.
Although we have visited the temple several times subsequently, we have never quite been able to recapture the magic of that first visit in the rain.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
A KALEIDOSCOPIC VIEW OF PUNE - PART 1
Early morning outside NIBM Institute
Pitman's Institute
Pitman's Institute
Center Street
Shivaji Vegetable Market
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