Using an 18th century watch to tell time in Jaipur

“Tu toh Hrithik Roshan dikhe hai” (You look like Hrithik Roshan). In India you always know which hero is ruling the roost based on beggars, especially hijras (transgenders) likening you to him.

Here I was at the temple of Lord Hanuman in Salasar (150 km from Jaipur) getting an ego massage by the numerous beggars. This temple is one of the most famous temples for Lord Hanuman and every year millions of devotees come to pray. Our timing was god sent, as a fair had just concluded the week before and the temple was almost empty, allowing us to do peaceful darshan without being pushed around. The aroma of yummy churma (a sweet dish) wafts out of a room and I peek in to treat myself to a sight of huge vessels filled to the brim with the churma. My mouth starts to salivate and I grin to myself for I know that this churma will be offered as prasad on leaving the temple. This temple is highly revered by Marwaris (people originating from Rajasthan) and many visit it once or twice a year.

I’m a marwari and my hometown is 240 kilometers from Jaipur. Even though I live in Mumbai, my family and I visit our hometown twice every year to pray to our Kuldevi (Family Goddess). During these trips we also visit other places of worship like Salasar Balaji temple, Khatu Shyamji temple and the Ajmer Sharif dargah.

It’s 8 in the morning and I stretch myself as we wait for our taxi to pick us up from Jaipur airport. I see a man dressed in traditional Rajasthani attire with a placard. I crane my neck to see if our name was written on it, but alas, no such luck there. We’ve just arrived on a 6 am flight from Mumbai, which basically ensured that you don’t have a good night’s sleep. I was lucky in a way, as the 2 seats next to me on the flight were empty so I lay down and had an hour’s nap.

A white coloured Toyota Innova rolls to a stop before us (after some frantic waving by dad) and we load our luggage, take a seat and head off to Salasar. We make an early stop for some diesel. 9 km from the airport (area called Sahakari Bhavan) is a petrol pump of BPCL, where 95% of the attendants are ladies. Quite a rare sight in India.

On the way to Salasar, we stop for a quick breakfast 62 km from Jaipur, at a restaurant called Jhalak (Immediately reminded me of Himesh Reshammiya, his cap and his nasal twang). The pattern breakfast in the north of India is Aloo Paratha, so that is what I order. But by god the paratha was spicy, bringing tears to my eyes. I ate the food quickly, not because I was hungry but because the flies kept sitting on my food and the only other option was to keep shooing them off, which I had gotten tired off.

A few kilometers ahead is the town of Ringas, which is a centre for car building. The sides of the highway are lined by garages with mechanics furiously tinkering away on cars and by skeletons of cars sitting outside, patiently awaiting their turn to be transformed from an ugly ducking to a beautiful swan.

Rajasthan is one of the drier states of India but a wide variety of crops are grown here. It is harvest season at present and crops of Peanuts and Bajra had been cut, while Jowar was starting to be cut. Our driver Raju’s family also has some fields and when he isn’t ferrying people to their choice of destinations, he lends a helping hand there. “This year the yield of bajra is very good, but that means that we will get a lesser price than last year as supply will be more”, says Raju. There seems to be a dark cloud with this silver lining. Raju continues “and now we will sow the wheat crop in our fields which will be ready in 60 to 70 days”.

Our talk gets cut short as we reach a Toll Booth and we need to pay 25 INR. A couple of young boys run up to the car offering fresh mullis (radish), 2 for 10 INR. The toll tax that is being collected is being put to a good use as the roads are in good condition and speeds of 80 kmph are achievable even though it is a two way road.

One thing you should know about Raju, is that he seems to be a big fan of Formula 1 racing. He might not know the names of the drivers or their teams, but he’s very good at imitating their on-track antics as he pushes the Toyota to its limits. He speeds down the highway, cutting in and out of lanes and one time he even went full speed over a speed breaker causing us to jump (not for joy) in our seats which led to our heads playing bumper cars with the roof of the vehicle. For the very first time in my life I wore a seat belt while sitting in the back seat of a car, not entirely sure if it would help if we crashed. I have a slight suspicion that Raju is actually an undercover test car driver who in on a mission to put the Toyota’s acceleration, brakes, suspension and handling to the test.

On the way back to Jaipur we cross Navalgarh (140 km from Jaipur). This is a small town which hosts a camel fair for 10 to 15 days near the end of October. From here the fair moves to its more famous avatar at Pushkar, where the fair is held during from 12^th to 21^st November.

“You went to Jaipur and didn’t see any of the palaces?” is what my friends would have told me had I returned to Mumbai without taking in some of the sights of Jaipur. So the next day we head out to see some of the city’s heritage before we head home.

City Palace

The City Palace of Jaipur is where the current King, Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh, still resides with his family. A part of the palace is open for the public to see and enjoy. Our guide, Digvijay, accompanies us through the palace and entertains us with trivia about the palace and the erstwhile kings. Our first stop is the Mubarak Mahal. Built by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II in 19^th century to entertain his guests, today it has on display an array of robes, bedspreads, turbans and other textiles used by the kings and queens. A wedding robe, made of muslin from Dhaka and having 320 pleats, Maharaja Man Singh II’s winter as well as summer polo attire, Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II’s (who was 7 feet tall, had a chest measuring 4 feet and weighed 250 kgs) robe and pyjama and many other clothes are on display.

The Diwan – i – Khaas (Private meeting chamber of the King) has 2 large Silver Urns. These urns weigh 350 kgs each and can hold 900 galloons of water. Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II would drink and use only water from the River Ganga to bathe. When he went to England on a visit, he carried water from the River Ganga in these two urns.

A little ahead was the Diwan – i – Aam (Public meeting chamber of the King). The grandeur of this room is a sight to be seen. Intricate leaf and flower patterns made using real gold, adorn the ceilings. A crystal chandelier hangs in the centre of the hall. This chandelier was brought from Czechoslovakia and can hold 108 candles. It is the 2^nd largest chandelier in India. The erstwhile kings of Jaipur look at you from their places of the walls, as you walk around the hall.

An interesting fact that I learned here is that the modern game of Polo actually originated from India, in the 1800s. The British did popularize it, but they discovered the game in the North East Indian state of Manipur. In 1834, the world’s first polo club was established in Silchar, Assam in India.

Even before that, polo has been popular in India since the 12^th century. During the Mughal period, the game (then called Chaughan) flourished. Even Emperor Akbar was fond of playing polo and introduced rules and regulations for the game.

Jantar Mantar

Yantar means instrument and Mantar means formula or calculation. But over time, the Y of yantar got converted to J, which is why it is now known as Jantar Mantar. The Jantar Mantar is located opposite the City Palace in Jaipur. It is home to 14 devices which were commissioned by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (the founder of Jaipur) in 1728. These devices were used to study astronomy by the scholars and the King, who was an avid astronomer himself. The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is one of five built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in India (the others are in Mathura, New Delhi, Ujjain and Varanasi), but it is the only one that is still in working condition. No wonder then that it has been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1^st August 2010.

The gem in the Jantar Mantar’s crown is the 90 foot (27 m) tall Sun Dial (World’s largest) (also called Samrat Yantra) which tells you the time with an accuracy of 2 seconds. Jeetendra Singh, our guide, pointed out one important fact, “The Sun Dial can tell you the exact time at Jaipur. But since Indian standard time is derived from Allahabad, the time in Jaipur is 11 minutes behind IST.” We head to the Sun Dial and the shadow of the median shows that it is 4:20 pm in Jaipur. My watch says 4:31 pm. Point proved.

Other instruments like the Jaiprakash Yantra tell you what Sun Sign the Sun currently is in, while the Narivalaya Yantra lets you know whether the Sun is in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, all based on where the Sun’s rays fall. Further down, are 13 constructions of stones (some in the form of stairs, triangles, etc.) facing a particular direction and set at a specific angle. When you look along the plain of the top end of the construction you can see the North Star or the star of the particular Sun Sign that the construction corresponds to. These contraptions can be tested only at night, but unfortunately the Jantar Mantar shuts its doors at 5 pm.

“The level of perfection that Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II wanted in these instruments can be seen in the fact that each instrument was first made in the form of a rough model, then a miniature scaled model and finally the actual instrument was constructed” points out Jeetendra. He adds that all three models of each instrument are still present here.

All the instruments are made specifically for Jaipur’s location (Latitude of 27 degrees North), so if they were to be exactly replicated at any other place they would not work correctly.

I’m so glad I took some time out and visited the City Palace and especially Jantar Mantar. It was an eye opener to see the level of knowledge that India had at that time. To have built something which, even after almost 300 years, works as well as any of the complicated new age machines, is nothing short of sheer genius.

Before we said our good byes, I had one last thing to ask Jeetendra. “Why is Jaipur called the Pink city? Is it because of a certain stone used in the buildings?” Laughing, he replied, “Nahi Sir, in 1853 the Prince of Wales was visiting India and the king at that time (Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II) got the city painted pink, since pink was considered the color of hospitality. From that time on, the main road inside the walled city, where the Hawa Mahal stands, is pink in colour and Jaipur is known as the pink city.”

This makes me curious, why is Jodhpur called the ‘blue city’? Time to book a trip to Jodhpur to unravel that mystery.

The Best Mother in the World

Beep beep! I turn to pick up my mobile to see who had sent me a SMS. This is what flashed on the screen:
“Motherhood’s the toughest 24 hour lifetime job. No pay, no days off, no qualifications or training are given and most unappreciated and yet resignation is impossible! So send this to anyone who’s a terrific mum and let her know she’s absolutely wonderful”

A small message but it’s bang on target. It correctly defines every mother on this earth. I immediately forwarded it to my mom. If I could, I would have forwarded it to every mother on this planet because so many of us take our mothers for granted, that it’s our God given right to demand things to be done by her.

Many of you must have read the comic strip “The Family Circus” by Bill and Jeff Keane. I remember this particular comic strip that appeared in a newspaper in Mumbai, where the mother is sitting in a bank. She has filled a form, and in the field ‘Profession’ she’s written ‘Housewife’, but in her mind are running these thoughts ‘Baby sitter, driver, cook, cleaner, laundry in charge, doctor, teacher, counselor’ and so on. This is so true, every mother has to juggle so many roles but she always manages to conduct a fine balancing act.

Many forget to acknowledge and recognize the positive impact that their mother has had on them. After all it is usually the mother with whom the child shares the closest bond, for it is she who has carried the child in her womb for 9 months and nourished it from an embryo to an infant.
It is the same for me; I share a very strong bond with my mom. She’s more of a friend than a mother. What I am today is all thanks to her teachings, her sacrifices and her efforts.

How do I count the ways in which my mother has positively impacted my life? How, when I was ill, she wouldn’t sleep the whole night just to make sure that I slept well. How she patiently helped me read and write. How she taught me to pray, not just for myself but for others as well. How she rarely went out with her friends at night, just so that I would not have to sleep alone. How she would keep fasts in the names of different Gods and Goddesses, so that no obstacles would block my path. How she was stern and sweet, both in good measures.
Always leading by example, these huge efforts by my mom will always stay etched in my mind when I raise my children.

There were many instances when I would be upset with my mother and throw childish tantrums because some whim or fancy of mine had not been fulfilled. Quite often my grandma would give in to these tantrums of mine just to keep me happy, but it was in these instances that my mother would have to go through her tests of fire. She would quite often hold her stand and didn’t mind being labeled the ‘villain’ by me. She knew that she was providing the balance required to bring up a well mannered child. In the long run, it has paid off well and I am extremely thankful that she was strict with me at times, for otherwise I would have become a spoilt brat.

When I was fresh out of school, this chubby, insecure, shy teenager would tremble at the thought of making new friends. I remember how my mom forced me to join a public speaking class, and that was one of the biggest turning points of my life. I shed my inhibitions and became an active participant in all extra curricular activities in my college. The introvert had been transformed to an extrovert who went on to become the vice chairman of his extra curricular club.

I remember reading this line on the internet - “You can learn many things from a child, how much patience you have, for instance”
My mom always had a lot of patience with me. She would take as much time required in explaining things to me and work on my faults and mistakes without losing her cool. She has always taught me to stay away from comparisons, never to compare myself to another and to be happy with what I have. Everyone has their own destiny; their own place in this world. This is why I am content with my current place in the world and am not part of the rat race.

As a kid, I had some trouble with my ‘R’s but it’s all thanks to her that the kid who used to say “lound the lock the lugged loaver lan” instead of “round the rock the rugged rover ran” now lends his voice to radio spots, corporate videos and effortlessly anchors shows in front of a live audience.
I consider myself extremely lucky to have such a gem of a mother. I truly believe that I must have done a whole bunch of good deeds in my past life to have her as my mother in this life.

Many would say “All mothers do this; my mother also brought me up with great pains. She is the best mother in the world”.
You’ve told me, but have you told her?

Mumbai Cycle Night Ride

Mumbai, In the light of my cycle lamp

The cycling enthusiast in me was very excited. A group of cyclists were organizing a night cycle ride. Mumbai roads are usually bursting at their seams with more than 1.5 million automobiles spewing out Carbon Monoxide and other gases. This pretty much nullifies the health benefits of cycling. So a chance to cycle on the city roads, without having exhaust fumes blown into my face, made me rub my hands in glee.

The ride was to start from Bandra (North Mumbai) at 8 pm and head to Bade Miyan’s at Colaba (South Mumbai) where we’d stop for a bite to eat before heading back. Bade Miyan’s (meaning ‘Big Brother’) is a roadside stall selling scrumptious North Indian (Mughlai) food. The fan following for this roadside foodstall can humble many an established eatery.

Helmet, check. Water bottle, check. Tail light flashing, check. Since I live in between Bandra and Colaba, I join the ride mid-way. “Suuuummmmmiiiiiittttt”, is all I hear as a group of cyclists zoom by. I yell, wave and jump on my cycle. Pedaling furiously, I’m soon riding with the group. Along the way, I slow down to cast a glance over some old buildings dwarfed by massive upcoming constructions. Within 6 months, the middle class tenants will leave and these old buildings will make way for glass faced residential high rises for the über rich. Mumbai is constantly changing, but not always for the better.

“Buck up, or you’ll be left behind”, shouts out Zubair, as he gestures for me to speed up.

We reach Bade Miyan’s by 9.30pm and are immediately the center of attraction. All heads turn to see a dozen cycles being parallel parked. Zubair goes around asking the group for their food preference. Accustomed to seeing guests arrive in expensive cars and motorbikes, our 20 – something waiter was stunned for a second. But he recovers quickly as Zubair rattles off our order.

“4 chicken tikka roll, 2 bheja fry, 3 reshmi tikka roll, 3 mutton roll, 4 Coke, 5 Sprite aur 3 paani ka bottle”, repeats Ayub, while simultaneously scribbling on his little white pad.

After having our fill of yummy chicken tikka rolls and laughingly asking Ayub for a discount, since we were using a green form of transportation, we mount our cycles and head back. The return journey is at a much slower pace, to enjoy the nocturnal sight and sounds of the city. The bright lights at Chowpatty beach turn out to be an unexpected pit stop and an impromptu decision is made to have gola, kulfi, falooda and other yummy desserts to complete our meal.

The smell of the sea, the throbbing of my legs and the taste of some ice cold kulfi, what a way to spend a Saturday night.

Ramleela at Chowpatty

I’ve lived in Prabhadevi my entire life. Many people don’t consider this to be South Mumbai (Central Mumbaite is what I am told I should call myself). But schooling and college days have been spent in SoBo. So by that virtue, I consider myself to me a Townie.
One of the age old traditions of South Mumbai is the staging of the Ramleela at Chowpatty, Marine Drive during Navratra.
The Ramleela has been staged there for as long as I can remember, but I’ve never taken out the time to stop and have a glimpse. I guess it’s one of those things that you procrastinate about, saying you’ll go tomorrow/later (like the dentist’s appointment, going to the gym, etc., you get what I’m saying)

But this year I finally set out one evening and landed up at chowpatty to watch the Ramleela.
I had certain expectations of the place, would chowpatty be a clean area? Will there be families or only people trying to swindle you with different schemes? Would Lord Rama still be able to pull a crowd of faithful in an age where a movie has been made of his arch enemy?
But I was pleasantly surprised. Chowpatty has been cleaned up. The food stalls which would dot the beach had been shifted to one corner, thus giving an organized look to the whole area.
And it no longer looked like the seedy place where people from the underbelly of the city would come at night to carry out their shady business.
Instead, families spend quality time here savouring the delicious foods on offer while little kids are ferried about in toy jeeps blaring hit music from the latest bollywood release.
And scores of faithful still do come to watch their lord and master fell his adversary. The organizers have set up chairs for people to sit, but the crowd exceeds the number of chairs forcing people to either stand or sit on the floor. But no one is complaining.

So I watched with a smile on my face as Ravan threatens Sita to marry him, glad to see that people still revel in the simple pleasure of watching the Ramleela under a starlit night at Chowpatty.

Festivals of Maharashtra

Every culture has its own nuances, its own traditions, its own heritage. Very often cultures are pretty much standard across a country, but this is where India differs. Cultural beliefs, prayer rituals and traditions are vastly different over the length and breadth of this vast land mass.
Be it the colossal durga puja celebrations in Kolkata, or the total shutdown of Gujarat during the 5 days of Diwali, each region seems to celebrate festivals in its own way.

To enjoy the beauty of every festival one would have to spend a full year in a particular region of India, because no photos or videos can duplicate the sights of the place and the energy of the people during a festival celebration.

But a cultural show in Mumbai is aiming to give its viewers a full fledged feel of the festivals, in 1 hour instead of 1 year.

Utsav – Festivals of Maharashtra showcases 8 festivals of the state of Maharashtra and a Maharashtrian marriage in a period of 60 minutes.
The narrator explains the significance of certain rituals and the legends behind the festivals and the dance troupe comes on stage to enact the festivals in song and dance.

How did the elephant-headed God Ganesha get his head? Why is a bamboo pole adorned with a piece of cloth, a garland and a pitcher and hung outside every maharashtrian house? What is the reason for clay pots filled with curd, milk and prize money being hung in the streets and for boys forming human pyramids to break them? Why is a fire lit on the night before the festival of Holi?
All these and many more questions are answered during this show.

You watch in bated breath as the young Lord Krishna is lifted on top of the human pyramid to break the clay pot, and you get goose bumps all over on seeing the anger in the eyes of Goddess Durga.
The vibrant colours of the costumes and the beats of the music make you feel like a part of the celebrations and not just a bystander.

So if you’re looking to enjoy a yearload of festivals compressed into 1 hour of enjoyment and celebration, then make sure to add ‘Utsav’ to your itinerary.

Utsav – Festivals of Maharashtra:
Date: Every Saturday until the end of March 2011
Time: 7 pm
Place: Mini Theatre, Ravindra Natya Mandir, Prabhadevi, Mumbai, India
Ticket prices: INR 900 (US$ 20 approx) per person
Contact: Mr. Suresh Singh Tanwar (mobile: +91 9820070925)
Email: supersic@vsnl.com
Website: www.supersonictravels.org

Singapore Formula 1 Race (2010)

This year I was able to fulfill a long standing dream of mine, to watch a Formula 1 race live from the stands. And I did it at a landmark race track, the only night race in Formula 1 history.
Since 2008 Singapore has added another feather in its well decorated hat by successfully hosting the 1st night race in Formula 1 history. A mind boggling array of lights convert the 5.073 km Marina Bay Street circuit into a place where it seems that the sun never sets. 240,000 Formula 1 fans watch the race live at the track in Singapore, and millions across the world.

The city gets into Formula 1 mode much before the actual race, with part of the streets being blocked off from the Tuesday before the race. On Wednesday, I got lucky as the barricades were not completely placed around the track and I snuck onto the actual race track for a look. It’s an overwhelming feeling when you actually get to step on the track where you’ve watched your heroes race their mean machines. Let me put this into perspective for my cricket loving friends: imagine being allowed to walk on the cricket pitch at the Lords. Yep, same feeling. And the icing on the cake was seeing Fernando Alonso (2 times world champion) cycle around the track with his engineer. The cherry on top of the icing would have been to see Michael Schumacher, but I guess that will have to wait till some other day.



There is a lot to do at the race track, besides watching the actual race. International music stars like Mariah Carey, hip hop superstar Missy Elliot, American Idol alum Adam Lambert, etc entertain and stunts by bikers on dirt bikes enthrall the crowd. At the same time the aroma of scrumptious food and the sheen of F1 merchandise vie for your attention.
Along with Formula 1, the BMW cup and the Porsche Cup races are also held on the same day, but at an earlier time.

An hour and a half before the actual start of the race, a drivers’ parade is conducted. The Formula 1 drivers are ferried around the track in vintage cars. This is the best opportunity to see the Formula 1 drivers, as otherwise they zip by, tucked in their Formula 1 cars, faster than you can say “hello”.
As the sun begins to set, the lights come on and the track comes alive, engines roaring, loudspeakers blaring and fans cheering. You can feel the excitement rising in the stands. My own heart starts to beat faster in anticipation, and I almost forget to use the ear plugs which I had bought at the venue. Ear plugs? Why would I need those? For the first few laps of the race you might not need them, but to prevent damage to your eardrums and to save yourself from a splitting headache, its advisable to use them.
Once the race begins, the sound of 26 Formula 1 cars going at full throttle is (for lack of any other word) deafening.



My friends and I were seated in the Bay Grandstand. Our seats were just above the corner of the track, where the cars take a 90 degree left turn and go under the stands (turn 18). This was also the site of the crash of the cars of Bruno Senna (Hispania Racing) and Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber). Plus the straight before the turn was the point where Heikki Kovalainen’s Lotus car caught fire in the last few laps of the race. Besides getting a ringside view of all this action on the track, we also had a splendid view of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino (Singapore’s latest landmark). It is a 57 storey hotel, consisting of 3 towers, in the shape of packs of cards.



It was an eventful race, but in the end only 1 driver gets to stand at the top of the podium, and what a celebration it was by Fernando Alonso and the Ferrari team.

As the crowd heads home after the race, so do I, but not before soaking in as much of the atmosphere as I can. There was a sense of satisfaction on having fulfilled a dream of mine, but also a sense of curiosity, wondering when I will be able to see my next Formula 1 race. Maybe New Delhi in Oct 2011?


You can check out my rough documentary about my trip on Youtube (It's in 2 parts, as Youtube doesn't allow videos of more than 15 minutes)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqoCgASxzYs
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4QOlBzcCOc

My trip to Singapore (2010)

Singapore



Sites visited:

1. Clarke Quay
2. Jurong Bird Park
3. Singapore Flyer
4. MINT Museum of Toys
5. Sentosa Island
6. Formula 1 Race
   
   

Many call it a shopper’s paradise, the Monaco of Asia and even the fine city (Yep, you drop that tissue on the floor and you will get fined). But Singapore has much more to offer to its visitors. Sports, nature, nightlife, art and culture, food, adventure, are some of the options that one can explore.



Since 2005 gamblers have found a new country to come and try their luck in, as Singapore has legalized gambling to attract high rollers to its shores. This has led to the addition of another landmark to Singapore’s skyline, the Marina Bay Sand Hotel and Casino. MBS (as it is called) was opened in June 2010. This engineering marvel has three towers in the shape of packs of cards with a Sky Park located on the 57th floor and spanning the entire 3 towers.

You need to show your passport before you enter the casino, as Singapore citizens need to pay S$100 to enter, while other nationalities enter free. This has been levied by the government to protect its citizens from losing hard earned money at the casino.





Clarke Quay



If New York has its Times Square Garden and London has Leicester square, then Singapore has its Clarke Quay. Restaurants offering all kinds of cuisine and bars selling your poison can be found here.

Themed restaurants like Hooters or the Clinic (where you sit in wheelchairs instead of normal chairs) are located at Clarke Quay. One thing that you immediately notice at Clarke quay is the vibrant décor and the array of lights which light up even the darkest of nights.







If an adrenalin rush is what you seek, then try your hand at the GMAX and Reverse Swing at Clarke Quay to experience some reverse bungee.

A bit about the culture of Singapore, couples who are engaged to be married hire photographers to click their wedding portfolios at picturesque locations. These photos are then displayed at their wedding. I met such a couple at Clarke Quay and they were kind enough to pose for some photos with me. They explained this aspect of their culture to me, and I in turn explained to them that in India we usually get photos clicked only on the day of the wedding or the reception.



Jurong Bird Park

Singapore has a lot to offer nature lovers, like The Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park, Bedok Reservoir Park, the Night Safari, and many green pockets amidst the concrete jungle. Changi International airport also has a Butterfly Farm in the departure area of Terminal 3.







The Jurong Bird Park is situated in South west Singapore. It covers 202,000 square meters and is home to 8,000 birds belonging to 600 species.

Flamingoes, Eagles, Pelicans, Vultures, Ostriches, Ducks, Parrots and many more of these winged wonders can be seen in their natural habitats. Another sight not to be missed is the world’s tallest man-made waterfall, which is in the African Waterfall Aviary section at the bird park.





The Bird Park daily organizes a number of shows with the birds, such as the Parrot Show and the Birds of Prey show (with eagles, vultures, kites and even an owl).

And if you think you’ll get tired of walking around the park, rest your weary feet by hoping on the cute air-conditioned Panorail which will ferry you all around the park.



Singapore Flyer

Not everyone can afford a helicopter ride to see the Singapore from the sky. But there is a much cheaper option. Presenting the world’s largest giant observation wheel, the Singapore flyer.

Thrown open on 15 April 2008, the Singapore flyer can take a maximum of 784 people in its 28 air conditioned capsules, for an unforgettable view of Singapore. (Tickets are for S$ 30 per person).



The Singapore Flyer is 554 feet high (42 stories), compared to the London Eye which is only 442 feet in height. The Flyer takes 32 minutes for 1 rotation, letting the passengers soak in the sights of Singapore. Try to head there around sunset time, so you get to view a beautiful sunset unobstructed by the skyscrapers. Plus the city skyline is just beginning to light up at that time, allowing you to see this whole other avatar of Singapore. Initially the Singapore Flyer was rotating in a counter-clockwise direction when viewed from Marina Centre, but its direction was changed in August 2008 under the advice of Feng shui masters.



Cuisine from all over the world is available in Singapore, but I was drawn to something that reminded me of back home. In the Plaza mall in Singapore is a food kiosk by the name of the Flying Bread, which serves vegetarian and non vegetarian rolls. The owners call their cuisine a fusion of Mediterranean and Indian, and the food sure did remind me of rolls that I’ve eaten in Mumbai, yummy.



While on the topic of food, 9 % of Singapore’s population is Indian, so there is no lack of Indian food. Vegetarians can rejoice for they will have a better trip, food wise, in Singapore than at any other South East Asian country. North and South Indian foods are easy to come by. One stall at Sentosa Island was advertising a Vada Pav Vegetarian Burger Set (with mashed potatoes and fruit juice). Need I say more?



MINT (Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with toys) Museum of Toys.

Hidden away in a by lane, next to the historic Raffles Hotel (near City Hall MRT Station) is your ticket to rediscover your childhood. The Mint Museum of Toys is housed in a modern building on Seah Street but the treasures it holds date back to mid 19th century. (Tickets for S$ 15)

The museum has a collection of over 50,000 toys from 45 countries. But the 5 floors of the museum have only about 7,000 pieces on display at any given point of time. Every 6 months the displays are changed, ensuring that repeat visits will be as exhilarating as the first.



Earlier, toys from a country could be identified by the material used and the workmanship of the toymaker. But with the advent of globalization, children would be forgiven to believe that Santa Claus resides in China instead of the North Pole.

The toys are stored in dimly lit glass cases, and care is taken to prevent sunlight from entering the display areas. This is done to prevent discoloration of the toys owing to harsh lights. Even flash photography is forbidden in the interest of the toys.

Do bear with the little ones, if they ask where a certain toy needs to be plugged in to use it.





Sentosa Island

Sentosa is a small island ½ km off the southern coast of Singapore, measuring just 5 sq km in size. But the visitors to this island are anything but small, measuring 5 million in the year 2009.



A wide array of activities are on offer for all age groups, from roller coasters at Universal Studios to Luge (a mix between a go-kart and a toboggan) riding and Segway riding at the Beach Station, from fodder for nature lovers at the Butterfly and Insect Kingdom at Imibiah Lookout to soaking in some history at the Fort Siloso, from playing a round off golf at Serapong to taking a dip in the sea at one of the beaches. Sentosa has something for everyone.



Even a full day seems less to enjoy all that Sentosa has to offer. But for whatever duration you plan to stay at Sentosa, don’t forget to take in the Songs of the Sea show (Tickets for S$ 10). It is a must watch sound and light show that is conducted every evening at 7.40 pm and 8.40 pm. A delight for children and adults, I guarantee that you will experience many ‘WOW’ moments and a few jaw dropping ones as well.



Formula 1

Since 2008 Singapore has added another feather in its well decorated hat by successfully hosting the 1st night race in Formula 1 history. A mind boggling array of lights convert the 5.073 km Marina Bay Street circuit into a place where it seems that the sun never sets. 240,000 Formula 1 fans watch the race live at the track in Singapore, and millions across the world.



The city gets into Formula 1 mode much before the actual race, with part of the streets being blocked off from the Tuesday before the race. On Wednesday, I got lucky as the barricades were not completely placed around the track and I snuck onto the actual race track for a look. It’s an overwhelming feeling when you actually get to step on the track where you’ve watched your heroes race their mean machines. Let me put this into perspective for my cricket loving friends: imagine being allowed to walk on the cricket pitch at the Lords. Yep, same feeling. And the icing on the cake was seeing Fernando Alonso (2 times world champion) cycle around the track with his engineer. The cherry on top of the icing would have been to see Michael Schumacher, but I guess that will have to wait till some other day.

There is a lot to do at the race track, besides watching the actual race. International music stars like Mariah Carey, hip hop superstar Missy Elliot, American Idol alum Adam Lambert, etc entertain and stunts by bikers on dirt bikes enthrall the crowd. At the same time the aroma of scrumptious food and the sheen of F1 merchandise vie for your attention.

Along with Formula 1, the BMW cup and the Porsche Cup races are also held on the same day, but at an earlier time.



An hour and a half before the actual start of the race, a drivers’ parade is conducted. The Formula 1 drivers are ferried around the track in vintage cars. This is the best opportunity to see the Formula 1 drivers, as otherwise they zip by, tucked in their Formula 1 cars, faster than you can say “hello”.

As the sun begins to set, the lights come on and the track comes alive, engines roaring, loudspeakers blaring and fans cheering. You can feel the excitement rising in the stands. My own heart starts to beat faster in anticipation, and I almost forget to use the ear plugs which I had bought at the venue. Ear plugs? Why would I need those? For the first few laps of the race you might not need them, but to prevent damage to your eardrums and to save yourself from a splitting headache, its advisable to use them. Once the race begins, the sound of 26 Formula 1 cars going at full throttle is (for lack of any other word) deafening.

As Singapore is a street circuit, chances of overtaking are few and far between. This leads to riskier overtaking maneuvers by drivers, which unfortunately can lead to accidents. At these times the safety car comes out.



My friends and I were seated in the Bay Grandstand. Our seats were just above the corner of the track, where the cars take a 90 degree left turn and go under the stands (turn 18). This was also the site of the crash of the cars of Bruno Senna (Hispania Racing) and Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber). Plus the straight before the turn was the point where Heikki Kovalainen’s Lotus car caught fire in the last few laps of the race. Besides getting a ringside view of all this action on the track, we also had a splendid view of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino.



It was an eventful race, but in the end only 1 driver gets to stand at the top of the podium, and what a celebration it was by Fernando Alonso and the Ferrari team.



As the crowd heads home after the race, so do I, but not before soaking in as much of the atmosphere as I can. After all watching a live Formula 1 race had been one of my dreams, till today that is.



It has been a fantastic 4 days, but I will be back again, for there is so much still to see, so much still to explore in this small but extraordinary country.



See you soon Singapore, thank you for your hospitality.







You can check out my rough documentary about my trip on Youtube (It's in 2 parts, as Youtube doesn't allow videos of more than 15 minutes)

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqoCgASxzYs

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4QOlBzcCOc