I have to thank PM Narendra Modi profusely. And of course the students of COEP too for creating a satellite that was launched by ISRO and ensuring the PM visits them too!
His coming to Pune city last Sunday has given my ears a breather. Otherwise every Monday morning, the husband’s cantankerous Parsi gene comes out in full force as we cross the COEP flyover as he would complain about it no matter what unearthly hour it was. “They have killed the beauty of this historical and prestigious college. Left the flyover unfinished without any civic sense or understanding of infrastructure.”
For anybody who’s seen the COEP flyover and the mess it is will know what he means as roadblockers, uneven curves and sharp edges dominate its design. Lack of lights and construction material, and with its second phase due to start and five deaths already in the area, this flyover (which started in 2012) seems to be more a nuisance than a traffic-solver.
Which is why when PM Modi came calling last week for the Smart City inauguration, this flyover got a phenomenal makeover. New arched lamps, a fresh coat of paint and a lot of the other construction material lying about finally moved away rendering the husband speechless. What’s more as we drove in on Friday, I saw the government and third party machinery hard at work in the wee hours of the night painting the pavements in Aundh! Well, must have been quite a test for our PMC commissioner Kunal Kumar and his team given they spent much time and money burning the midnight oil to play the perfect host. All I can say and hope is that the PM comes visiting our city more often. Or maybe I should tweet him my list… err… the husband’s list of complaints!
Talking of playing perfect hosts, the city for years has been laying out the red.. err… orange carpet for Varkaris as they walk the pilgrimage to Pandharpur. The rain, the palkhis and the devotional bhajans and chants may cause traffic snarls, but it is definitely when even the air in the city feels sacred.
The varkaris hold a special meaning for many in the city. For my ex-neighbour and the beautiful Supriya Mohite, the pilgrimage to Pandharpur is one she hasn’t missed in 15 years. For my college friend Shweta Pawar, just the joy of getting a Mauli from the varkaris was an experience to capture. Even well-known artist Shraddha Borawake captured the fervour in its hypnotic spirit and for Pune’s instagrammers, it seems like a reason to bring out their photography skills.
My favourite moment growing up as a teenager was as I walked home crying in the rain through one of these processions over my first heart break. Only to have a varkari give me a banana and some money. Almost a sign from god, that life moves on and it did…
On that note, my week’s picks:
Float 2.0: It’s back. This time at the Westin. So get ready to party your guts out tonight. The last pop-up with an exclusive lasted till 5 in the morning!
Low Profile CEO Award: Would definitely go to Supam Maheshwari – who’s the CEO & founder of FirstCry.com. Amongst the few startups headquartered in Pune and who have survived the turbulent startup weather, this Marwari seems to have stayed low profile despite adding Big B to his advert plan and Ratan Tata earlier this year to his VC list. I already superlike!
#BringItBack: Olive Bistro & Bar after playing host to many a brunch, including a boozy champagne brunch, shut down moons ago. Rumours abound of differences between the Pune Club and the management… Well, we hope for sure it finds a new venue soon!
Gone Forever: The most authentic Gwalior Gayaki exponent and one who called Pune her home, Veena Sahasrabuddheleft behind a legacy this week. Reminds me of an interview I did with her husband Hari Sahasrabuddhe who left no stone unturned in ensuring the internet took his wife’s music to all those who loved it much before streaming apps became derigeur. May she rest in peace and her music continue to keep the world spellbound.
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