Skies on wintry mornings

Dusk

hues of clouds

scattered clouds

camel in the cloud

add your own

mountains or clouds

                                                              Dusk to dawn

  Mellowing ball of orange swallowed by the waters

Celebrations of crackers lighting up the night sky cover

Another number on the calendar counter flips over

Heralding a brand new dawn of dreams and desires

                                                                                         

Shower of yellow mistletoes and glittering confetti

Gifts, goodies, myriad festoons balloons galore

Revelry merry making and wingding that we adore

Hymns, melody, jazz, rock and roll medley

                                                                                  

Ecstatic bundles of bambino joys, blessed in New Year

Twelve months of gurgling babbling innocence

 Crawling, nibbling Playing piggy back in cadence

Cherubic and childlike, baby’s first steps, bringing cheer

Departure of near and dear ones leaving memories

Eternal sorrow amidst chants requiems and eulogy

Our hearts anguish and lament in melancholy

They pass into a great beyond and time freezes

                                

Period of looking within and introspection

Hindsight to set things in perspective

Resolutions broken and framed inactive

A flashback recollected in contemplation

Promising ambitions with a future bright and rosy

Yearning for a sanguine morrow with aspiration

Beliefs of optimism and thoughts no cessation

A year of hope for fondness, mirth and all that is cosy!

                                             
                                    Thinking beyond boundaries.....

                
              As I see this prize winning Google Doodle image, I feel proud that a young girl has risen above animosity and chauvinism on the basis of those fictitious boorish lines that demarcates the boundaries of the various states of India .Full credit to the girl Vaidehi Reddy, who with her awesome painting has united the country by crossing the barriers and borders of Andhra/Telengana and Maharashtra(I understand she’s domiciled in the city of Pune) to reach one of the seven sisters, showcasing the rich flora and fauna of Assam aptly titled as ‘natural and cultural paradise.’

                      The preconceived attitude and notions that exist in our minds to discriminate people based on their birth or habitat in a particular geographical territory is prejudice of the worst kind. Starting from the subtle dirty stares to gross condemnation of people and their cities prevail and flourish in our country despite the modern outlook and exposure to alien lands and foreigners. People despise one another for their nationality or statehood, religion, language, caste, gender, culture, colour...and this list is endless. Be it at work or at college or in a club or a pub or while in a public place or transport, the obvious tendency is to get attracted to one of a ‘kind’, a chikni Dillite chootiya, a jhakkas and bindaas amchi Mumbaiker, a Punjabi kudi, a lollufying machhi, adipoli mallu, a kaam sarsey Bongo or a kaaaho Bihari babu! Our relationships are therefore defined strongly by figmental contours of expanses, neither familiarity breeds contempt nor there is unity in diversity.

                 Racism of this kind lurks in every nook and cranny, from the mighty politicians, who never believe in sharing the God given resources with neighbouring states and hasten to “dam(n)” it and annexation of lands, a la Moghul style even when they cannot rule their own existing state or further dividing the country into more states, to the bollywood actors who, in order to hard sell their movies wear lungis to impress the ‘down south’ and vice versa.

                 Zooming in further let me narrate couple of experiences and I apologize sincerely to my readers for using nativity prefixes in these cases – this was done only to emphasize the gravity of discrimination. My fellow residents are akin to an India with unfriendly neighbours and with whom the maxim ‘love thy neighbour as thy yourself’ hardly works. There is this recluse Punjabi who has never said hello but easily copies whatever I do, right from drawing kolams to decorating the house on festive occasions – a typical made in China stamp! Then there is the Telugu speaking clan who look the other way whenever we cross each others’ paths – like Sri Lanka do with Tamils! Of course, how can I forget to mention the Talwade family, so very annoying similar to pesky Pakistan!  Friendly neighbourhood....bah...who said so...only state prejudices!!!

                 I was a witness to a conversation taking place between a Gujarati mother and her five year old son, who was pestering her to let him swim. The mother could have refused by saying “No beta you will catch a cold or the water is dirty” but she said “beta, look at the boy in the pool, see how Kaala he is, you will also become black if you get in.”- Wonder how Dhoklas give fairer complexion than idlis! The seeds of discrimination are sown then and there and the boy will decide who his friend is going to be, ONLY by the colour! I am saddened to add that my own kith and kin owe their allegiance to the domiciled city and swear by the alien language to “belong” or to “adapt” and conveniently forget their mother tongue. Adding insult to injury is the utmost contempt for other cities and its folks – is it because they do not eat vada pav or gol gappas or bisi bele bath! Truly agonizing to say the least! Hoisting of the state flags are celebrated with more fervour than even our tricolour!

                        Can we rise above this narrow minded sectarian and parochial mindset of intolerance on which our society rests and lay a foundation to think beyond state provinces and prejudices and feel ‘Indian’? No doubt, it is an uphill and daunting task, but I am sure my intellectual friends and family will start thinking of the nation as a whole and not in piece and parcel, ruled by crude lines! There are indeed do-gooders too who respect and regard you for what you are and not for where you are from and may their tribe increase – “Abou Ben Adhem!”

 Janagaṇamana-adhināẏaka jaẏa hē bhāratabhāgyabidhātā!
Pañjāba sindhu gujarāṭa marāṭhā drābiṛa uṯkala baṅga
bindhya himācala yamunā gaṅgā ucchalajaladhitaraṅga
taba śubha nāmē jāgē, taba śubha āśiṣa māgē,
gāhē taba jaẏagāthā.
Janagaṇamaṅgaladāẏaka jaẏa hē bhāratabhāgyabidhātā!
Jaẏa hē, jaẏa hē, jaẏa hē, jaẏa jaẏa jaẏa jaẏa hē..

        Each time I sing our National anthem, an unique and indescribable sense of patriotism swells my heart and I dream of Jambudweepa Bharatavarsha that is one single mass of land devoid of confines that rule and divide the nation- no lines, no zones and no states to distinguish the lands and their settlers and the associated discrimination, prejudices and xenophobia!

          Let us add this noble dimension to our personality and think beyond boundaries.                        

Sumadhura Infracon Pvt.Ltd. , the 3D approach- Dedication, determination and deliverance.
               


A decade and a half ago, this diminutive unassuming man started his building sojourn from Hyderabad , giving to the city beautiful and affordable dwellings . With nerves of steel, Mr. Madhusudhan. G has grown from strength to strength and overcome all odds and conquered the twin city of Secunderabad. He then moved to Bangalore , a city that was growing by leaps and bounds , a burgeoning real estate market  welcoming him with open arms. The corner stones of the successful growth story of Sumadhura Infracon Pvt. Ltd. , a company that is nurtured by this dynamic builder , are quality, pricing and punctuality of deliverance. Emphasis on after sale , a very rare commodity even with the top reputed builders these days, Sumadhura’s hallmark has been customer satisfaction.
 Quality is personified in each and every minute detail starting from the super structure which is RCC Framed structure with Seismic compliance as per IS code, and using autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC} block masonry walls. There is a stamp of quality in doors, windows, flooring tiles, kitchen sinks, granite tops, plumbing and electrical accessories and pipelines . The main door stands out unique with imported wooden frames and designer shutters which commands an air of luxury. The balconies are airy and the flooring is vitrified and the common areas boast of many open to sky courtyards which lets the gleaming sun in adding beauty to the remarkable landscapes. A rationalized cost structure has enabled the company to give houses at affordable prices and is indeed a good value of money. But what is remarkable is the prompt delivery of the finished product with all amenities and this punctuality is commendable. Normally projects are delayed way beyond the grace period with the builders citing dime a dozen reasons for the inordinate delay which causes a indirect hike in the final cost on the customer. On this front there has never been a lacunae and all completed projects bear testimony to that fact.

The skyline in Bangalore’s Whitefield/ Marthahalli/Hoodi/Mahadevapura  belt is dominated by Sumadhura and with the prestigious CREDAI rating under their belt they have grown in stature and size, but all the same remain committed to the ethics of building business. They have also been featured in the NDTV news channel in their prime property programme. The best compliments one can receive is undoubtedly from the satisfied purchasers but to be showered encomiums by competitors speaks volumes of their work. I had the opportunity to talk to Mr.Tony, who heads Aratt homes and one who is in similar stature. He was liberal in praises for his counterpart for his 3 Ds - dedication, determination and deliverance. However, he hastened to add that Mr. Madhusudhan was stereotyped and not experimenting with new and innovative ideas and high rises. Maybe to prove him wrong, Sumadhura has veered off the beaten track and ventured into sleek and tall buildings with newer structural designs and even into commercial spaces.

Survival in this highly competitive market is driven by various forces such as Government byelaws, mandatory approvals from umpteen authorities, finance from institutions, purchasing power of people, acquisition of lands , the rule of the land mafia, intense competition and above all the ever rising factors of production especially land , labour and capital. Also the finished product needs to be packaged and positioned well to lure the purchaser. Marketing plays a very important role, right from the attractive glossy brochures to the actual finished structure which turns many a dream into “reality”! Good structural engineers, design architects, landscape architects, varied floor plans, useful and attractive amenities, location and accessibility to easy finance are some of the building blocks on which Sumadhura has built its empire on. Customers nowadays, are demanding and much more knowledgeable in the world of documents and legal processes involved. They are well versed in important aspects of owning such as Commencement certificate, Occupancy certificate and the like and stress on these with a vengeance. The builder has to be on his toes and never take chances with the documents and approvals. On this front Sumadhura Infracon pvt. Ltd.has learnt the lesson the hard way and has emerged stronger with better values. The transition from BDA to BBMP in the early years of the turn of this century was a trying period for the real estate sector with newer and stringent regulations and some of the optional approvals becoming mandatory.

Some of the noteworthy projects needing a mention here are Sumadhura Anandam, Sawan, Mathushree, Sandoval, Serene, Akash which have all been well received in terms of the values and traditions they stand for. The projects in the pipeline are Silver ripples, Madhuram, Sankalpam, Shikharam, Srinivasam, Vasantham and Anantham . The soon to be launched Essenza off Hosur road is an architectural marvel in itself.
As Albert Einstein said on success
‘Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value’ and this is precisely what Sumadhura stands for and any purchaser or prospective customer can directly talk to the man at the helm Mr. Madhusudhan himself and nothing in life becomes real until is experienced!

     

 A feature by Sunita Ramaswamy.

(This is an entry for Nissan safety driving forum and you can know more about it at https://www.nissan.in/innovation/NSDF.html)

             Driving.......there’s more to life than increasing its speed!

                                  @#^!<.>$%^&*()Free  flowing and fulsome  expletives and interjections  as we mindlessly cut lanes, honk incessantly, jump signals, drink and drive, make vicious u-turns or enter one-ways,  when not allowed ,seat belts hardly matter- throwing caution to winds and having scant regard for fellow drivers with headlights on high beam, is indeed  the prevailing maddening order of the day on Indian roads!

                                I drove past a luminescent billboard featuring an advertisement with an interesting tag line “I love traffic”  - ah..I rejoiced at the thought that I was not one of a kind who enjoyed driving even with all the mayhem on the roads, there are others as insane as me to be so passionate to spin, turn and whirl! But the next line broke that joy of exclusive company as it read ”stay close to your workplace so that you do not have to commute!” I realized the ad was for an apartment with close proximity to everything so that we do not have to hit the roads!!

Prelude...

Learning the nuances of driving in the pre Maruti era, in the sprawling gated township community  was easily child’s play even with  an over protective dad doing back seat driving , however  the real test of one’s skills and adroitness was put to test on the main roads of Kochi  and this was nothing short but  dare devilry and adventure. No hand breaks, seatbelts, side view mirrors, bucket seats or airbags to give one a cosy comfort of safety nor there was a coolant to keep the whirring engines cool and composed, it was just plain water that quenched the thirst of the bye gone engines. Yes, I hasten to add the vehicle population twenty five years ago was scanty but the red devils(Kochiites would know what I mean and for the un initiated folks who live outside the crude imaginary lines of boundaries, they are the private buses painted in bright red ) were already present in full magnificence, honking to their ears ‘glory, breathing down our necks, revving the engines for all its worth and pressing the gas pedal to their feet content much to the jittery and sweating new driver’s discomfort and agony! So I learnt putting pedal to metal the hard way and this has stood the test of time, graduating fearlessly from a lesser known metro with an out modelled car, to a burgeoning metro –Bengaluru. Moving up from a geared four wheeler to an improvised automatic version to an all powerful sports utility vehicle with all the safety accessories in place,  was indeed a quantum leap as I continue the happy hours on the road, despite gridlocks and logjams, cranky and cantankerous cows, 

 jaunty and prankish kids, zippy zesty road hogs, flying cabbies, roaring roadsters, unscrupulous lurking cops, abysmal craters,

harassing vagabonds, engrossed prattling phone users

 and exasperating expletives and curses. The use of the prefix “happy” connotes the will to drive safe without the sound of screeching rubber or blowing the car’s trumpet, obeying the traffic rules and not putting anyone in jeopardy for I believe in Gandhiji’s words of wisdom....

Increasing motorists with rampant issue of licenses, collapsing infra structure with roads that are hardly 10 feet wide, automobile manufacturers growing like mushrooms, lopsided growth of cities owing to availability of livelihood, haphazard town planning that is ever expanding vertically, horizontally, arterially and peripherally are undoubtedly reasons for incapacitating and crippling our freedom of movement on the roads , but do we keep cribbing on the shortcomings or  be the change we wish to see in the world .

It must begin with me and I must be the catalyst to bring about harmony on roads and convert distress into pleasure.

So here goes the mitzvah, some of which I have faithfully followed, few of them intentionally ignored, conveniently forgotten, tried and failed miserably while the rest I am  determined to adopt in the New Year....

v Never lay rubber - normal speed meets all needs!

v Stop for signals – never be colour blind and get fined!

v Never cut lanes – criss cross, zig zag, a strict no no!

v No jaunty rides - Alcohol and accidents go hand in hand!

v Wear seat belts - Always strap and buckle

v Drive on low beam – headlights are not beacons!

v    Abide by the law and follow the rules – flout and land up in a bout!

v No texting or talking on mobile - Got the message?

v Let pathways be walkways and not roadways!

v Care for the habitat – toxin is venom!

v Documents are a must - Possess and preserve papers!

Come, join me in embarking on a lovely sojourn to pursue a safe drive with conviction and perseverance and let us all together make our journey a joie de vivre!!!