Introducing myself to Hindustani vocal music

It's been a long desire to lend an ear to Hindustani vocal music. After some searching, I chanced upon a wonderful website (Likhati) that helped me take a happy walk into this world.

Sharing one my favorites - Sira Pe Dari Gang by Kumar Gandharv.
Sira Pe Dhari Ganga
Kamara Mrug Chhala
Munda ki gala mala
Hatheli Soola Saaje
Pinaki Maha Gyani
Ajab Roop Dhaare
Dulat Dula Aave
Dimaru Dima baaje

Credits for introduction: Likhati

Honking on roads is my birthright!

Yes, this is just what Bangalore junta seem to have got into their heads. Every time I visit Bangalore, one thing that glares at me is the increasing decibel level of the city. You no more live in a house. You are on the streets all the time. Sleeping in silence is a dream now!! With all crossroads taken over as main roads to beat the traffic, there is constant melody(?) of honking, someone chatting on his cell phone, someone yelling at the guy honking in the night et al. Every night I woke up since the Yajaman of my neighboring house comes home at 11pm and the kind car driver honks thrice for the security guard to open the gate.

Now a pedestrian is just another vehicle on the road. There is no concept of footpath anymore. So you walk on the road. Once on the road, bhai you have to share it with motorwalas. So you get honked at and many a times you might end up with a heart attack hearing the kind of honks they have in the cars. They honk at everything - dogs/cows on road get honked at. Even if you are walking along one end of the crossroad and the rest of the road of totally empty, they have to honk at least twice before passing through that crossroad.

Everybody is in a hurry!!! I can understand this. But bhai, following some traffic rules -like the lane system, and halting at signals et al would make things much easier. But nope!! Bangaloreans would still like to project that all that matters is reaching the destination..who cares about rising noise pollution. We get "used" to everything.

All homes in Bangalore watch television at a must higher volume. Reason - well our classic traffic has made its contribution here too. If you would like to hear a word of anything playing on the idiot box, then ensure that it is louder than the traffic outside your home. This also means, people at home are talking in a much higher tone :) And ..I can only guess what the newborns are going through.

I hardly see any birds perched on trees along the main roads. Yes, they have all bid good bye and probably flown away to the exterior villages.

Bangalore has all the western eateries, clothes, theater, technology..think of it and you have it here. But why the heck did they not bring in the traffic culture from the west?

Pythagoras said - Anything that sounds harmonious follows a harmonic series. The sounds in nature propelled the minds to invent, discover and find patterns that gave answers about life. A mathematician says - This world in nothing but numbers and patterns. I wonder if there is a series in the Bangalore's decibels that would inspire a mathematician. Why the hell are these people honking so much?

A very old quote from rediff: If Indians are not watching cricket, they are honking.
I thought Bangalore will never be a proof of the above quote. But here we are in future. QED.

I recently read that the government has helped create a transportation and urban planning department in IISc.
My hope is on them to pump some sense into Bangaloreans. If you are a Bangalorean reading this blog, please do think twice before you honk. You might be waking up a sleeping child.