As I stood there in the dimly lit platform at K.R.Puram, at the fag end of a ligthning quick visit to Bangalore, I was left ruminating on something that came up once too often during my casual banter with friends - Chennai. It inevitably started with a comparison between the traffic in Chennai and Bangalore.....and quickly veered to the topic of weather, which everyone seems to hold against Chennai. Standing there, on that windy cold night, wearing a wind cheater and still shivering as the cold bit into my bones, through the non existent layers of fat, I couldnt help dreaming of sweating away to glory in Chennai.
And as the announcer blared that the special to Chennai was going to be further delayed, and with nothing much else to gawk at, I decide to look for some fodder for thought. I realised that every time Chennai came up for chat, I was prompt in its defence. This, despite me complaining all the while I was in Chennai. What was it that made Chennai. Especially for a person from outside like me, who had spent just 4 years of his life there...
My initial thoughts suggested that it had a lot to do with my small town upbringing in Palakkad. A place which hardly qualifies as a town. A meltpot of communities - Nairs, Menons, Christians and muslims, Chettiars and Nadars and of course the Pattars(the tam bram community), from which I hail. Contrary to expectation, the place is a picture of harmony and every stroll out of your house will be met with a gentle tilt of the head and sometimes the half uttered "Oo". A greeting, which when coupled with a few winks of the eye and the appropriate facial expression can convey a thousand thoughts. The whole place generally feels like your home.
This being the case, me accepting Bangalore in the remotest ways was out of the question. People often question my "stupidity" sometimes..Bangalore is "Hot" and "Happening" you know...My career could really take off too...but then it misses that one ingredient that i would luv to have in a place (irrespective of whether it is a city or a town)...an underlying rhythm. All I hear is the daily grind of a human mass racing against itself....
The rude fact that the train was slowly chugging in to the Majestic Chennai central, struck home fast....first through my nostrils, and then the excruciating pain as i tried to extricate my face from the rexin and sweat on my berth even at the ungodly hour of 4 in the morning. Chennai is a lot more in your face i tell u..an experience for all the senses. The smell/stench of the cooum, the brash auto drivers, the majestic buildings from an era bygone,the extra large cut outs, the strong scent of Filter coffee in the morning, the very feeble sound of a carnatic compostion that u seem to hear no matter where you are. Have had people telling me that it is because i am comfortable with tamil...but then I am more comfy with malayalam but never did like Kochi much. Even had a sense of vulnerability while I was there..so language never was the problem I guess.
Despite being one of the biggest cities in India, there is something here that appeals to me ...the rhythm of this city...This is something that is very dicey to put in words. There are days when I get out of home while on my way to work, and there are times when i instinctively tilt my head to the right to the guy supplying drinking water to our house. To the retd. Collector of 80+ years who doesnt even know my name, despite staying above his house for more than a year, a gr8 man who unfailingly returns the complement with a generous "Good morning, young man". The kolams in front of houses, though sometimes right next to a big pile of garbage. An underlying serenity that is very unlike a big city...
The people here seem to have a sense of belonging which is largely amiss in Bangalore. Does it belong to the North indian, the kannadiga, the madrasi or the mallu...The city seems to be perpetually struggling to sort this out....Chennai unquestionably belongs to the Tamilian, but then it has been magnanimous enough to accomodate people from all walks in its fold. This has meant that every race has left its mark on the face of the city and continues to do so..
So what exactly is the rhythm of Chennai or is it madraass...for me It is characterised by a lot of vibrant notes, but set to the tune of people who at the end of day are happy going back home to catch the serial on SunTV, the Thayir saatham, looking forward to the next day - filter coffee, The hindu.. a partying scene that is conspicous by its absence, the vibrant cultural scene that sets many a wintery night alive, and a society that places the intellect above all..
Now, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else would I?
And as the announcer blared that the special to Chennai was going to be further delayed, and with nothing much else to gawk at, I decide to look for some fodder for thought. I realised that every time Chennai came up for chat, I was prompt in its defence. This, despite me complaining all the while I was in Chennai. What was it that made Chennai. Especially for a person from outside like me, who had spent just 4 years of his life there...
My initial thoughts suggested that it had a lot to do with my small town upbringing in Palakkad. A place which hardly qualifies as a town. A meltpot of communities - Nairs, Menons, Christians and muslims, Chettiars and Nadars and of course the Pattars(the tam bram community), from which I hail. Contrary to expectation, the place is a picture of harmony and every stroll out of your house will be met with a gentle tilt of the head and sometimes the half uttered "Oo". A greeting, which when coupled with a few winks of the eye and the appropriate facial expression can convey a thousand thoughts. The whole place generally feels like your home.
This being the case, me accepting Bangalore in the remotest ways was out of the question. People often question my "stupidity" sometimes..Bangalore is "Hot" and "Happening" you know...My career could really take off too...but then it misses that one ingredient that i would luv to have in a place (irrespective of whether it is a city or a town)...an underlying rhythm. All I hear is the daily grind of a human mass racing against itself....
The rude fact that the train was slowly chugging in to the Majestic Chennai central, struck home fast....first through my nostrils, and then the excruciating pain as i tried to extricate my face from the rexin and sweat on my berth even at the ungodly hour of 4 in the morning. Chennai is a lot more in your face i tell u..an experience for all the senses. The smell/stench of the cooum, the brash auto drivers, the majestic buildings from an era bygone,the extra large cut outs, the strong scent of Filter coffee in the morning, the very feeble sound of a carnatic compostion that u seem to hear no matter where you are. Have had people telling me that it is because i am comfortable with tamil...but then I am more comfy with malayalam but never did like Kochi much. Even had a sense of vulnerability while I was there..so language never was the problem I guess.
Despite being one of the biggest cities in India, there is something here that appeals to me ...the rhythm of this city...This is something that is very dicey to put in words. There are days when I get out of home while on my way to work, and there are times when i instinctively tilt my head to the right to the guy supplying drinking water to our house. To the retd. Collector of 80+ years who doesnt even know my name, despite staying above his house for more than a year, a gr8 man who unfailingly returns the complement with a generous "Good morning, young man". The kolams in front of houses, though sometimes right next to a big pile of garbage. An underlying serenity that is very unlike a big city...
The people here seem to have a sense of belonging which is largely amiss in Bangalore. Does it belong to the North indian, the kannadiga, the madrasi or the mallu...The city seems to be perpetually struggling to sort this out....Chennai unquestionably belongs to the Tamilian, but then it has been magnanimous enough to accomodate people from all walks in its fold. This has meant that every race has left its mark on the face of the city and continues to do so..
So what exactly is the rhythm of Chennai or is it madraass...for me It is characterised by a lot of vibrant notes, but set to the tune of people who at the end of day are happy going back home to catch the serial on SunTV, the Thayir saatham, looking forward to the next day - filter coffee, The hindu.. a partying scene that is conspicous by its absence, the vibrant cultural scene that sets many a wintery night alive, and a society that places the intellect above all..
Now, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else would I?
1 comment:
well i guess this is the only city that maintains a balance between tradition and modernity.. it might seem this smelly,really humid city famous for the koovam but ultimately as the saying goes "sorgame endralum adhu nam ooru pola varuma"
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