Life in Mysore, back then and now

In College during the early 70s, there was a popular rhyme doing the rounds: What a pity, Mysore city. May be someone had felt that deterioration had already started! That was at a time when there was still some fresh and clean air to breathe, clear roads to drive, not much crowd on the footpath, 24x7 water supply, no power cuts, no TVs, no mobile phones but just ‘land lines’ and that too not in all houses, taxes were reasonable, less corruption in state govt. offices, no plastic menace, no garbage clearance problems, no tuition menace to students or no vulgarity in films. Life was certainly peaceful and comfortable even compared to life of the 50s, the elders feel. There was not much difference in life in the 2-3 decades prior to that also. The value of the rupee had its full 100 paise only up to 1960 and thereafter it slowly got devalued.

Not for nothing Mysore WAS a renown ‘Pensioners Paradise’. The slow easy paced life was typically Mysorean. People coming from the busy cities like Bombay and Delhi would get restless even in the early 1970s. My friend from Delhi who came to spend his summer holidays (school) in his grandmother’s home would leave sooner than schedule saying he had nothing much to do and Mysore was too slow for him.

‘Westernization’ and industrialization of Mysore has made it busy, polluted, and populated. It is no longer an old sleepy city. “Industrialize or perish” said Sir M.Visveswaraiah, the then Dewan of Mysore. Though industrialization is of benefit in many ways, peace is perishing! Citizen peace and development of a city are inimical. Transformation has happened far too quickly than one even dreamt, including the city planners. Mysore’s closeness to Bangalore, its salubrious climate, hospitable people, cheaper charges for land, housing and education, have added to the woes of the peace-loving, dwindling original Mysorean. A heavy influx of people from other places (for greener pastures) has added to the crowd everywhere. Rates have soared. Our country is good at sending prices like rockets to space!

The advent of TV has affected Mysore’s social life very badly. Friends’ families and relatives reduced social visits. Mind you, there were no appointments taken for such visits as they are done now, over telephone. People would just drop by for a chat or a coffee or even a meal. Some relatives even landed with luggage from other cities, uninformed. Of course, life was different and with joint family system in vogue, the door was never locked. Nuclear families have sprung up. Now many do not care who the neighbours are. They just lock themselves in, in their own world of the TV!

TV has killed the enthusiasm of attending public programmes also. The famous music festival esp. during Rama Navami period was of such popularity and one could notice a sudden fall in attendance as soon as the TV was made available to Mysore City in the mid 80s. After 25 years of TV’s arrival in Mysore, things have gotten worse. It is providing cheap entertainment (only a small number choose the educative channels) and wasting people’s valuable time which in olden days people (ladies) would learn crafts and culinary skills. Now they tell they are bored! As such, Mysore’s amateur artists have dwindled away.

Children were healthy as they were playing outdoors. Calling them in to homes was a big problem for elders. There was probably one “child specialist doctor” who was (is) renown. There was less sickness because people were closer to nature. Grandmothers knew home remedies and there was less need to run to doctors who were also far and few. Unless the ailment was of really serious nature they resorted to simple solutions.

Children went to schools leisurely and playfully returned home and did homeworks only under pressure, after being forcibly called in from their evening street games. There was no tuition menace. There was no need for parents to save money for tuitions, donations and education fees! There was no rush for LKG admission of kids, nor were there any competition for Engineering and Medical seats – only those who could afford the courses joined as seats were easily available. Teaching standards – the old generation teachers – real teachers – were still at large in the few schools and colleges. Education still had some meaning. Pressure from various angles has led to deteriorating standards in recent times. This is unthinkable in our city which is renown for education!

People depended on what we now call “snail mail” and the humble postman was anxiously waited for, for any communication that relatives or friends wrote. Now we use mobile phones to communicate how many times we sneezed.

We listened to the humble radio for news or waited for the morning newspaper. TV and internet now keep us abreast, live. People thronged with families to theatres with great enthusiasm because movies were good and educative – had touching stories and meaningful songs. Stage dramas held frequently at different venues had good crowds too.

Dasara festival saw public participation in genuine enthusiasm because everyone revered the Maharaja. It was really a great time with guests from other places visiting and pitching tent in relatives’ houses to take part in Dasara festivities ending with the grand “Dasara Meravanige”.

Life was cheap. Charges for filling of air to cycle tyres were three paise for two tyres and two paise, if we wanted only for one. Two peppermints were available for one paisa! The police constable was a thorn to bicyclists because he would catch for ‘wrong side riding’ or ‘light less riding’ and check for licenses which was an embossed aluminum token fixed to the cycle (on payment or a small annual sum to the municipality!). At night, to avoid being caught by these constables who hid behind trees and dark places to catch victims, bicyclists used either a candle kept burning in a paper cone half filled with sand to hold the candle and show the light holding the cone in one hand while riding or special kerosene lamps fixed to the handlebar or an electric dynamo which was costly. My bicycle headlamp has a ‘dip and dim’ switch to avoid glare to oncoming people or other cyclists! Now even car headlamps glare dangerously in high beam and no one cares, so un-Mysorish!

We had book circulating libraries having a crowd of members. Printing presses and book publishers were a busy lot. TV and computer have put the reading habit in jeopardy. E-books are no substitutes for the printed book.

Grandmothers prepared traditional savouries in myriad varieties in those days when hotels were few and street-side eateries, ‘chat centres’ were unthinkable. People’s taste buds were satisfied with just Masala Dosa and coffee! Churumuri, Pani Puri and Masala Puri made their impact around the 70s when people got out of shackles that ‘eating out’ was not that much a sin! Ice creams? No one screamed for ice creams. There was no ‘Joy’ to enjoy! Perhaps only one or two parlours like Phalamruta in Lansdowne Building prepared ice creams that attracted children.

Children played all variety of games right on the streets or in wide footpaths. My grandmother used to warn “be careful of the cyclists!” When a rare scooter came by, leave alone cars, the activity paused to make way for it.

Before dawn, we could hear the lion’s roar from the zoo even 2-3 miles away. Now buildings and other noise absorb those sounds what with the zoo itself is getting thinner in animal population. The zoo was a magnificent place to visit and the Primates section was a great source of entertainment from the chimpanzees that smoked cigarette butts thrown at them and ate peanuts like humans!

Development of the city is towards the wrong direction. Under the pretext of developing the city, something else is happening. Technological development is more a bane than a boon because people are disusing it more than using for positive and constructive things. Kitchen conveniences have made women lazy and unhealthy in general. They suffer from ‘modern day ailments’ like knee pain, depression, BP, diabetes, etc. All are resultants of mainly lack of social contacts, less of physical and mental activity. No wonder the ‘medicare business’ is thriving now. Surely, not good a good sign for the health of a city like Mysore. Earlier, there was only the Krishnarajendra Hospital and a nursing home here and there to take care of health revival.

A slow development of the city as it did before the 60s was not felt at all and that was a desirable speed. My grandfather’s time typically did not have a tomorrow. They lived on the day. The wants were only basic and never exceeded limits as there was no need for extra and hoarding was unknown. Any extras were either accepted and shared or refused! Virtues of a person were held in high value which is the other way round now. Nobody cares to respect the other. People never raced against time some decades back and we seemed to have lots of time on our hands. Hurry was not a Mysore thing before!

Rapid improvement in communication network, technological development and transportation facilities are contributing to most ‘modern day problems’. It is the speed that is worrisome and the administration is ill-equipped to keep pace with them. If Mysore does not learn the lessons from Bangalore, it will soon become a second Bangalore. The city planners have a very responsible role to play in Mysore’s future. Let’s hope our Heritage City of Mysore wont be an eye sore.

Photo studios and old photographs

(Internet image)

Owning a camera was big deal up to the 1970s. There was no camera in our home until 1970. Agfa's Clik III came in the mid 70s. Our family had toured Jog falls and Gokarna in 1969. For this trip a maternal uncle offered his box camera, an Ansco Pioneer (which was something like this) which was given to him by a friend. It could use a coated paper film roll that took twelve exposures per roll!! Film was '120' type. Imagine today how we click our digital cameras in thousands!! That film paper was red on the outside and black on the coated side and while winding we had to set the number carefully in the little red window. We could record some memorable scenes of the trip with this humble camera. I remember we bought one more roll in Gokarna because all the 12 in the first roll was done with. On our trip to Bombay (now Mumbai) the same year, that camera did not travel with us. So memories of that (first long trip by train) are not in albums!

On the left is Ansco camera. (See this link with some description)

On the right is an Agfa given by a friend (never used, just showcased).

Our first camera, the type one had to hold in front of the tummy and look down at it's wide viewfinder lens, was bought in 1970 for Rs.100/- (a substantial sum in that time) as a family gift to take pictures for my Upanayanam (sacred thread ceremony). On that day, 3 rolls of 12 exposures each were finished with all the excitement. In the absence of flash bulbs, all lights in our hall were put on. The ceremony was at home. While my cousin clicked, others were holding table lamps trying to 'spotlight' on the area of 'action'. What a circus it was, amidst a sea of people witnessing the Upanayanam in the largish hall. My cousin had tested a roll before the event and results seemed good.

After the event, the rolls were 'washed'. Everyone was waiting to see the pictures. Lo and behold! All exposures were washed out, much to our disappointment! All the light that was lit was just insufficient for that camera! But, an uncle who was a 'foreign returned', had taken one shot with his camera that had a flash bulb. This is the only one that stays on for record and much treasured! All efforts from my cousin unfortunately turned out to be 'empty photography'! But my own experience three decades later was even emptier! Read about it!

This is my uncle's only picture to tell the story of that day! 30th April, 1970.

I remember my late cousin 1n 1970, trying to photograph my mother's Rangoli art she did on Varamahalakshmi Vrata. When I got older I got a few opportunities to load the roll and shoot some just for fun. But that was very short-lived. By early 80s its film became unavailable and this was cornered and I gave it to a friend. Now I am unable to recall its brand name.

People had a fancy to get photographed or to record events but not everyone possessed a camera (even for that matter, wrist watches, radios, scooters or cars!). Camera and photography were expensive affairs. Some of those who could afford, did some photography and a few of them developed pictures in their own homes for fun and hobby. Our good old tenant by name Gopinath who lived upstairs was having a camera because photography was his passion. He used to work at KR Mills when it was at its zenith. It was because of him many of our pictures in our album can show how people looked like in the late 1950s and 60s. I still cherish them.

Photo studios were in vogue since 1930s or so. Long later I came to know of Star Studio near Woodland Theatre, which had a great reputation for its sharp group pictures. My only visit there was around 1980s when our cricket team picture was arranged. But I have very vague memories of visiting Raj & Bros. (opposite Raghulal & Co, druggists) off Sayyaji Rao Road, when I was very young. I can remember a small round object (which was the lens) mounted on what looked like a wooden partition with those light bulbs behind ground glass sheets that diffused light and on either side of that lens. I was asked to stay still, smile and look at the lens! (The camera was hidden behind the 'partition'! Then the photographer would choose the right moment to turn a lever (at the right speed) that worked the camera shutter. Many are here in this web album (click)

As a young kid, it was a weird feeling when I was made to sit on a tall wooden desk in front of that 'partition'. With crying kids it required patience on the part of the photographer and those who accompanied the kid to calm it down. At times, they would beg the kid to smile and wooden toys were given so that a good shot could be taken.

Observe the wooden toy elephant and train here.

Many of our pictures in our album has the embossing of Raj & Bros. Most of the people in those days knew my grandfather as he was quite renown. So I think the owner of the studio knew him as well because my grandfather's very old office was in nearby Gandhi Square and also perhaps he specialized in children's stills. It appears that one of my pictures was prominently displayed at the studio among the samples which gave great pride to my grandmother, mother and aunt.

These are pictures (click to enlarge) of my father and maternal aunt taken most likely in the very early 1940s. Observe the artistic pencil-signature of "Raj Bros, Mysore City" and embossed address on my aunt's picture, which perhaps is of a slightly later time.

Raj & Bros. seemed to be great patriots of the Nation. Small complimentary pictures of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and our beloved Mysore Maharaja (Jayachamaraja Wadiyar) were distributed to the public to show his love for the city and country (probably also to advertise). They adorn our vintage album. Raj & Bros. were "photographers by appointment to the Maharaja of Mysore". Royal recognition and a great privilege!

His Highness Jayachamaraja Wadiyar

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, when he was the Prime Minister of India

Mahatma Gandhi

After many decades, I was at this studio and it still exists in the same old building (looked ill maintained for what reason I know not) with the same old furniture though I did not see that 'partition' with lights and camera - but an assistant was working at a computer in a corner. I saw some very old pictures of hindi film heroines and of course the Mysore Maharajas. As I came out and looked up at the board, it read in Kannada "digital studio"!

Raj & Bros. Studio

Those black and white pictures seem to last forever and those that Raj & Bros. have taken, give us cherishing moments with those wonderfully beautiful images on matt paper.

Procuring "35mm" cameras (film width) that took 36 exposures either in black & white or colour was something great! A great jump from the old paper film type. In the centre is a Russian camera my friend 'threw it to me'. I repaired a small flaw and used it until I got the Canon automatic. Both are now at rest because the invasion of the digital camera has brought out a little shutterbug in me.

We no longer talk about selective photography with merely a dozen photos per roll, but in hundreds and thousands in Gigabytes!

The B&Ws are the ones that are going to stay for posterity!

DASARA NOSTALGIA

In our schools, September mid-term examinations were scheduled (even now, in fact) in such a way that the short vacation (much awaited) following them always coincided with the Dasara festivities - Navaratri. 'Dasara Holidays' was a wonderful period in those days in the 1960s and 70s and I try to recount those times.

The excitement and participation of people in the festivities is something one cannot imagine these days. It came from within oneself and not through lighted up streets and circles or publicity loudspeakers! The Mysore Maharaja (Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar) was very revered by one and all and the Royal Family was respected. People's zeal and excitement were genuine. They looked forward to the ten day festival with all eagerness. Dasara of yore was quite something and before the 60s, perhaps even better.

On the home front, preparations would begin with the orderly arrangement of traditional dolls, toys and other little things for show on temporary platforms in our homes. We children were the most excited lot. We would make mini parks, zoos or mountains using little dolls and Binaca’s mini plastic animals as part of the doll show. Many enthusiastic children in small groups would visit houses asking “reee, bombe koorsideera?” (is there a doll show?) This custom of visiting the neighbourhood and farther to have a look at the doll show, sing a song and get that day’s “bombe bagina” (special snacks) is almost forgotten today, dominated by the influence of the telly, etc. Now, when the telly gets more attention than the guest and with the why-bother attitude, many neighbours remain strangers, thus defeating the idea of the social visit, i.e., to promote good relationships.

Children would gladly keep all their books for the Saraswathi Pooja and get busy cleaning their tricycles and bicycles for Ayudya Pooja.

It was such a thrill when my grandfather used to show tickets for the Dasara Procession which we eagerly looked forward to witness. I think they were 5-rupee tickets, chairs were under the pandal and a decent, disciplined crowd to be with. Of course, there were some light lathi charges from the Police guarding the spectators when they misbehaved. We used to be there under the pandal near KR Circle well before the 21-gun royal salute, which signaled the start of the procession from the Palace.

The public never feared the cloudburst that is nearly guaranteed on Vijayadashami day, as if by arrangement. A special something drew thousands from all over. I can project in my mind’s eye the Majestic troops, meaningful tableux, melodious bands, two ‘tall’ men walking on stilts, decorated camels, horses, cows and elephants. Then there was the perambulating horse carrying Commander Bijli (probably my grandfather knew him), checking that all was well when the procession went on and host of other beautiful items like the silver chariot made the procession, which went to Bannimantap and returned in the night via Ashoka Road. But the tailpiece of the procession was the highlight. The Maharaja and the Prince, Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar sat on the delightful Ambari Elephant carrying the 80kg. Golden howdah.

It was the most thrilling sight to behold in itself. (The young Raja can be seen in the above old picture from a recent newspaper). What was even more enthralling was when His Highness spotted my grandfather by his prominent white hair, among the crowd with a special ‘namaskara’ and that little bow meant for his friend elderly friend. The Highness used to play tennis in the 1940s and 50s with my grandfather, who was a well-known personality in the city, esp. in the sports circles.

Some people from the public would offer flowers to the Maharaja. An assistant would collect the flowers in a special vessel to which a stick was attached and pass them up to the Maharaja who would receive and acknowledge with a little nod and folded hands to the person that offered. It was a grand sight. The Maharaja’s personality itself was so royal too.

(In this album picture, the His Highness Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar is seen presenting a trophy to my grandfather at Mysore Sports Club in the 1960s)

Translating that unique enjoyment of witnessing the procession is a hard task. When the Govt. abolished the titles and privy purse in 1972 or so, the original tang of Dasara was dissolved, forever. People could not think of a Dasara Procession without the Highness in the Howdah. It upset the sentiments of Mysoreans very much so much so that many (including me) stopped witnessing the procession henceforth. It was considered a farce. A picture of Goddess Chamundeshwari (Mysore’s Royal deity) then occupied the Highness’ place in it. Since that time onwards (the Maharaja alao died in 1974) Dasara has sadly, become secular, gaudy and too cheap-looking, completely lacking that magnificent Royal touch. That pure charm is now only a sweet memory. Such ambience will never be paralled, however colourful they make the Dasaras of today. Just as I wrote, there was our today's (21.9.2009) paper saying:
The boundary gates of the Palace were open in those days and we could go through any of them for short cuts, freely. Of course, they were still the days of ‘pedestrianism’ and bicycling. All gates except one were closed since the 80s due to security reasons.

This is a picture from 1930, of the illuminated Palace which had since seen many 'face lifts'.

In the Palace on all the nine days during the Dasara, the Maharaja used to sit on the throne at sharp 7 p.m for durbar. At the very instant of his sitting, the entire palace’s 80,000-bulb illumination was switched on. It was the grandest sight for anyone to behold. They were days when climate was according to Nature and rains never failed to fill the dams and so power generation was no problem. Imagine 97,000 40-watt (were they 60 w?) bulbs glowing! The glare of the illuminated palace could be seen many a mile away. Compare the illumination with the present day 15 watt ones. Just dull. Power problem!

This is a recent picture of the 15-watt era. Just visualize the brightness with 40-watt ones! How beautiful it would be!

One of the special single-coil, threaded bulbs manufactured for the Mysore Palace illumination. Note the print.

The spirit of Dasara after Vijayadashami and the Procession was sustained for two more months by way of another attraction, the Dasara Exhibition. (That is my separate blogpost). It was then beside the Mysore Medical College and that special splendour with its perfect location. Pictured below.

The beautiful waterfall seen from the entrance-passage is so vivid in my memory and particularly one visit that was most memorable.

The same building as it was in 1958 (from a Mysore guide).

In the ‘Ladies Section’, my grandmother’s crafts used to win prizes, since 1931. Picture of the certificate of that year:Some years, even the opposite Jeevannarayana Katte grounds would become an additional venue.

The religious significance of Dasara must not be forgotten.

Here is a good place to feel some of the Royal Splendour of Mysore.

A link to Vikram Sampath's Splendour of Royal Mysore.

The song “Mysooru dasara eshtondu sundara, chellide nageya panneeraa, ellellu nageya panneeraa…” sung by P.B.Sreenivos in the Kannada film 'Karulina Kare' glorifies Mysore Dasara. You can listen to it here.

My Aero-memories

My Aero-memories

The flying object has always fascinated man. No wonder the Wright Brothers made it possible to sit and fly inside it! The Aeroplane was a very curious object for the Mysroeans in the 1960s, if not before and to some extent, even now. A small airfield south of the city at Mandakalli village was from where small aircrafts operated mostly, if my memory serves right, for the NCC and for pleasure trips during the Dasara season. I cannot name the aircrafts like Capt. Anup Murthy Perhaps he will know which were the ones that we saw in the air during the 60s and also more about them.

Throughout the 1960s, each time on our way to Nanjangud [often in one Khalaq’s Hillman Taxi which had the license number of 77] with our family, my grandfather first used to show us the ‘Yennehole’ and then the Mandakalli airfield from his front window seat. My memories of that vast, open glade were of a small, lone building and the fluttering striped cloth tube – the wind direction indicator. They appeared distant from the road.

My grandfather used to remember his lone trip by air from there to Bangalore [no idea which year and for what purpose, but I assume it to be in the late 40s or early 50s] and that it took just about 20 minutes. Later my uncle used to tell a little story of how the flight, prior to his, for a joy ride was thwarted due to a technical snag causing a minor mishap before take-off, during the Dasara season in the early 60s. He could not undertake later, forever.

I was thrilled to be there at Mandakalli among a group of friends in the early 70s on a bicycle ‘adventure’ .

During the time of Dasara, Circus shows were common [opposite the Palace]. As advertisement and attraction, besides the joy rides, the pamphlets used to be dropped to the streets from those small aeroplanes occasionally, but we only saw them waft down and fall somewhere else.

The sound of an aeroplane always brought children out of homes, looking up in the direction of the sound, because it was not common. Nobody notices a huge aircraft flying low in Bangalore or Mumbai because they have airports there and it is as common as birds! Here in Mysore, it still remains a curious object. In recent times, the Helicopters bringing in the Netas to Mysore also make us look up in awe. Even now, a jet airliner leaves a long smoke trail in Mysore's west - southwest sky occasionally.

In the mid 60s, I was there as a little boy at the Bangalore airport to receive an uncle returning home from the US. I have vague memories of that. Still fresh is my visit to Cochin's Army Base to see a friend in 1995. He had taken me inside a stationary helicopter [hundreds of meters and controls!!] which he was taking care. By the way, I also saw and went inside a huge, famous and old ship that was touring the world, selling books. [Will get back and add its name]. Coming back to edit when the name popped up! It's Doulos, the world's oldest sailing ship!

And in 2001 our cricket team had been taken to the Airport to see how the Meterological Dept. functioned [they were organizing the tournament there]. That was when I saw how weather was predicted and how they helped air traffic.

There was one "Gunda" a tenant's relative living upstairs. He was an "Air Wing Cadet" in his college and I used to get his waste balsa wood pieces to try and make my own model, using magazine pictures as a base. I made two, one a rough model, but the other is my favourite Concorde [pictured above]. I once saw with him [and also at a modelling show] how a tiny engine was fitted into a flying model. It made a sputtering sound to drive a propeller. I was satisfied with my "Air France" showcase model and the paper planes I made.

Mysorean Mind Runs - Backwards

The mind is running.... keep pace with it!
If you can.

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. So went a proverb. We felt it applied only to those bookworms. Traditional games from gulli-danda to popular cricket were all enjoyed by children of the previous generation which belonged to the pre-Idiot box era. I refer to the 1960s and 70s. The middle of the road and footpath was a virtual playground every evening, every holiday. Getting children back home was a headache for the parents, other than bookworms! On holidays, they had to search the entire neighbourhood if they wanted their kids home!

The variety of games played on the streets and footpaths (no weeds in those times) was such that each season had a new attraction: summer, it was gulli-danda and marbles outdoors, indoors it was either chowka-baara, kavade, pagade, halagulimane, or any board games; festival season, it was playing tops; some houses had playing cards and we used to play many games with it among chess, draughts, snake and ladder, money-trade, etc. The neighborhood boys and girls joined the fun. “I spy you” was extremely popular as it needed only hiding space and no equipment. Traditional games had been designed to make the body healthy and the mind clean. The e-games that the present children play are no way in comparison to the thrills of their old counterparts. We collected empty cigaratte packs for playing ‘tikki’. Not popular for long. We collected match-labels and marbles.

You may ask what about birthday parties….. in fact, they were not heard of! Those kids having their birthdays would bring in a (traditional) sweet or two (prepared at home) and share it among friends! It was such a peaceful event that helped good wishes to actually reach the kid! Look at it now – what a nuisance it creates! Cutting cakes, candles inserted into the later-distributed cake, throwing shining powder (which also settles on edibles, tiny coloured thermocole globules, balloons, aluminium foils and finally noise from the “sound blaster” playing what they call “music”, under all of which the purpose is forgotten!!

Hotels were few and mostly they had their own typical flavour and popularity. Ballal Hotel was once famous for its Masala Dosa and the Radio. Meenakshi Bhavan was more famous for its Radio than its dishes – Binaca Geet Mala was popular Amin Sayani presentation which people who did not have radios at home thronged here. Sales and Radio seemed to have a link! [see my other post]

We never screamed for ice-cream! There was no paani-poori, gobi manchoori or churmuri. But the Jamoon, Masala Dosa and coffee provided a satisfying kick. And none craved for variety. None got confused with too many recipes - the old ladies at home knew enough traditional foods to nourish [importantly] and to tickle the taste buds.

Minds were comparatively unpolluted until the movie-world stripped off decency. Watching films in theatres was always a family event. Movies of yore (in toto) had a team of intellects, from Directors to the helpers in the shots. It's the opposite now. Movies had a theme, good script spiced with beautiful proverbs; they had sequences that touched emotions, but there were decent comedians particularly Narasimharaju and Balakrishna in scenes to soothe the audience who had a hearty laughter. And they had suspense too. Pronounciation of dialogues - a joy to listen! Dr.Rajkumar, KS Ashwath, et al. The Black and White movie era was the best, even though the scenes imitated a stage-drama. It had quality!

A telephone and a wrist-watch were luxuries with scooters or motorcycles coming in next. Car-owners were even sparse. Power-failure was rarely heard. A watch was a major gift item in weddings, much inquired and demanded.

Water flowed in pipes with such explosive power that they would make froth and even slightly weak taps leak and throw away the hosepipes fixed while watering plants! It was not in the thoughts to build tanks to store water for emergencies – they were only for convenience – it flowed generally 24x7 in most parts of the city. Overhead tanks were nowhere seen! If any water-stoppage happened, it was news! Now, it is announced in the press when it trickles in the pipes!

Plastic was not recycled. We still have some 40-yr old virgin-plastic materials still in use! Now we get dirty recycled plastic that breaks off from a few years use.

The glare from the sun was not piercing like now. Except in the hot months, exposure to sun never scorched. Now even in winter months we have to bring the eyebrows closer to adjust to the glare.

Onions were so pungent that it made all people 'weep'. Now hardly anybody “cries” –they cry for other things or rather crave! Pizzas, Gobis and whatnot. “Chats” and Dhabas came from the North many years later. Rice was tasty – as it was also cooked over charcoal and in bronze vessels and pressure cookers had not made its impact. Rice of today goes under the trend “whiter the better”! Dining tables were taboo. Squatting was commonly practiced – for they knew no other method! Because of that, orthopaedics only treated fractures and not had patients complaining joint pains! There was need only for the Family Physicians. Now we have 'specialists' for every part and side of the body's organs!! You name it, lo, you will find them! Visiting family physicians was only after home remedies failed to give results and also without prior appointments. Sometimes the physician also visited the patient, also as a family friend who gave the healing [physical] touch, now unheard of! Now we run to a specialist for every cough and sneeze. The ‘compounder’ at the pharmacy mixing the colourful liquids that were taken home in bottles was a common sight. Medical stores were far and few. There was a doctor in the famous Krishnarajendra Hospital in the 1960s. He was supposed to be the most knowledgeable (in public view) doctor in that hospital and went by the nickname “Dodda Doctru” (of short stature, ironically!). I remember his name as Dr.A.K.Gopalarajan.

At night, it was common to offer food to those who came asking "bhavati bhikshaandehi", usually at dinner time. They were usually poor boys or men. Some families also had the noble tradition of "Vaaraanna" (weekly food). One poor college student - his name was Somu - used to visit us for dinner every particular weekday during the mid sixties. Some poor people also came for alms during the morning hours. On Saturdays, "Daasayya" came blowing the conch and striking that flat bell. A coin or a handful of rice was offered to him, which was gleefully accepted.

There was the 'fortune teller' [they knew what the birds said of homes and events and it was said that they would tell them if paid] who came with that small 'Bud-budke' sounded musically. If not paid substantially, he would tell about some danger in the family and leave. That once became true to us when my grandfather met with a cycle accident in the early 70s. The Bud-budke sound became much feared to us thereafter! Now they are extinct.

Then there were a group of people - supposedly from Mylara with Bearskin and shells. They would know which family's deity is theirs and then they would enter those houses for 'pooja' and then demamd a hefty sum. They usually came for their rounds when all men went out for work and just entered the houses.

There were no food considered as 'junk' in those days. The bakeries attracted customers with colourful icing on cakes and flavoury biscuits and chips. No packed foods! Just toffees and chocolates.

Conservancies [gullies] were meant for throwing garbage. Even they were clean! Because all waste was organic. Now this plastic is making a mockery on environment. Time will tell at what cost we are buying convenience. Each dose of a peppermint, toffee or chocolate produces one piece of waste. Imagine trillions of them strewn all over the Earth! Now this Areca - zarda - pan ... habituated people tear the aluminium foil-packet with their teeth, pour the contents into their mouths and then drop it off wherever they are. Trillions again! Then every little thing that is purchased in shops are packed in plastic - even vegetables now in Hi-fi malls - and delivered! So many thousands of tons of non-biodegradable waste is generated on our Earth. And more,it is mixed with organic waste! All just to bring the product home! Carrying plastic carrybags is a fashion, instead of cloth bags!

In those days, provisions were packed in paper covers and tied with jute thread. It took time to pack, but it never created waste. And another problem at times was that the heavier packets would get torn and get mixed up! Carefully they were brought home in bags.

In hotels, parcels were made in banana leaf and paper, not plastic! Now each Dosa and Idli is packed in plastic, chutney and sambar and whatnot in plastic covers. Plastic is abused. They are the ones that choke the drains and intestines of poor cattle. We call ours as civilization, yet, we do such nasty things.

Hiring of bicycles from cycle shops was popular - hourly or daily basis. We had Shivaram close to our house for this service, but we had our own Sunbeam, Raleigh and Robin Hood. We had hired a few times a smaller kid's bicycle as it was a pleasure to ride it in streets, like adults did!

Kerosene was sold on the streets in the 60s and 70s. There used to be bullock-carts with horizontally arranged twin drums with a pipe and tap. The rider made a sound by tapping the drum with his 'spanner' that opened the tap, to attract/announce his arrival/passing by.

Our Ajji traveled to Bangalore by train with 'Rail Chombu' - bronze water pot! Some people brought water in glass bottles which sometimes fell and broke and create a mess.  Plastic water bottles were there, but it was smelly.

All said and done, we had lots of time, tension - never heard of. BP or diabetes, not much. Operations in hospitals - extremely rare. Stoppage of water in taps - unheard. Load shedding - what was that? Traffic jam - we would have thought of some brand of 'jam'.

This is an endless post. The mind runs haywire. Will jot down more in newer posts, with pictures perhaps......