The Republic Day - Poonawalla Bangalore Derby

When I opened the Republic Day edition of the Times of India, one thing which caught my attention in the sports section was the news about the Bangalore Derby. Fancy names like Refreshing , Flashing star, Laughing Buddha adorned the page and were tipped as favourites. I have been passing by the Bangalore Turf Club ever since I was born , but never been inside even a single time. Curious about the hype & hoopla surrounding this and also wanting to utilize this photo opportunity I decided to witness the Republic day Derby with my childhood friend Manju.



All roads leading to the Bangalore Turf Club were jam packed with all kinds of vehicles ranging from swanky cars, bikes, autorickshaws and even cycles. The cops had a tough time managing the ruckus created by the hugely expectant crowd.



The logistics which were involved were mindboggling. Thousands of employees, Giant LCD displays, countless TV monitors, Fire brigade, Police force, Ambulances, food counters and what not.



There were nine races lined up for the day , the sixth one being the Big one - The poonwalla Bangalore Derby. I was excited to see the electrifying atmosphere & air of expectancy among the people. The crowd ranged from the The glamour man of Indian racing Dr.Vijay Mallya, the enigmatic Dr. M.A.M.Ramaswamy, film actress Keerthi Reddy, the Stylish Shehansha Feroz Khan, owners of the elegant horses, hot looking chic babes and a host of other Rich, Famous and ordinary people.



Before each race there is a showcase of all the horses which feature in the particular race.





The beautiful Silva Storai atop the horse Space craft.



I was happy freezing the moments of the famous derby whilst many others were betting their fortunes on these shining powerful cavalios






The excited crowd waiting in anticipation wether their horse will make it to the finish.




People in the members stand betting on their pick in one of the numerous betting counters.






Srikantadatta wodeyar on the extreme right.



The favourite of the day Flashing star guided by jockey Prakash lives up to its expectations and captures the prized Poonawallah Bangalore Derby 2006.




Dr MAM Ramaswamy having a walk along with the star jockey Prakash.



Just as a sportive bet Manju & myself bet 300 bucks on the horse named Amazing Warrior in the penultimate race of the day which had a mind boggling odds against it. Something was in store for us, surely !!




Against all hopes the Amazing Warrior true to its name makes its way to the finish.



As a publicity stint the derby sponsors - Poonawallah group had a host of prizes includinging a Maruthi car, Honda Activa, 29 inch colour TV for the people who correctly predicted the 1 to 4 places in the Derby race number 6. The contest was open for all.




Fortune favoured a simple man Ranganna from Kunigal ( person in the white shirt on the Giant screen ) and he drove away with the car.



Coming to our bet we pocketed an amazing ......................... hold ur breath ........ 11000 bucks from the mere 300 bucks which was put in play.


Statutory Warning - Hardcore betting is not advisable. A sportive bet & a visit once in a while to soak into the atmosphere is not bad.

Holiday in Orissa

I read some somewhere " If you know Orissa, you can say that you know India ". The Orissa escapade was a grand success, courtesy - a good friend of mine and his relatives who live there.

Day 1 - Friday December 23 2005


Started off on a first time marathon journey on the tracks from the Yesvantpur railway station at 7-45 AM. (l-r) koli, arun, ari, karyappa, kahn.




Travelling in the Indian railways on a long journey is an experience in itself. One gets to see a diverse group of people. There is so much of life & activity on the long locomotive worm as it moves along through scores of villages,towns & cities.




We spent time talking about a wide range of topics, playing cards, dumb charades & ragging each other. One of the nuisance during the jouney was the forceful demand of money by the androgynous homosapiens (Hijras). We used to dread their entry into the compartments.








Day 2 - Saturday December 24 2005





The mahanadi river from inside the train.




We reached Sambalpur at 3 PM and after lunch headed to the Deer Park.










The evening was spent playing TT & watching a movie. We retired for the day after a very tasty dinner.








Day 3 - Sunday December 25 2005


We got up at 4 AM and drove to the Debrigarh Forest where we came across a few Bisons.






The Mahanadi river which flows into the Bay of Bengal is a major source of Irrigation, Thanks to this river Orissa is major rice producing area of the eastern coast of India








The longest dam of India, the Hirakud Dam is built on the Mahanadi River.




A view of the Hirakud Dam from the Gandhi Minar tower.




After lunch, we indulged in parasailing where one is towed behind a vehicle while attached to a parachute. Ari sailing in the air. I opted out of this as I am dizzy of heights.





Day 4 - Monday December 26 2005


Kahn with lovable Eshan. After lunch and bidding farewell to Kahns relatives we left Sambhalpur to Kendrapara at 2 PM accompanied by the very nice Phanigre and the soft soul driver Chittu. It was a very long 6 hour drive. We enjoyed the drive by listening to some 90's bollywood music.




By the time we reached Kendrapara it was 9-30 PM. We hit the bed after a sumptuous meal and some wine.





Day 5 - Tuesday December 27 2005


We set out for the day at 7 AM . Had a local breakfast of tasty idli and dhal.




The manner in which the dry hay is stacked in the fields is differnt from the way its done in Karnataka. It is neatly shaped into the form of huts.




We spent the whole day in the Backwaters of Bhittarkanika










The split in the clours of water was eyecatching.




Scores of crocodiles & birds were spotted. We got a closer view using the Binos and zooming in through the camera.





The Backwaters are neverending. It looks like you are approching the end, but when you are there it goes on and on.










Mark made by a huge croc.




After covering quite a distance we parked the boat and made way into the crocodile breeding park.




We were shown around by this officer. One of the favourite passtimes of any Oriyan man from what we could infer was chewing pan.



















It was a long day in the waters and amidst mother nature in its pristine glory





Day 6 - Wednesday December 28 2005

We started off to Puri at 6 in the morning and were suitably rewarded by the best sunrise which I have ever witnessed till date.




The drive thought the Four lane Golden Quadrilateral was fabulous. We passed through Cuttack & Bhubaneswar in no time.




We did a pretty amount of shopping for Orissa Handicrafts on the way to Puri.




Another speciality is the well built cattle and the unusually big hump which is uncommon for the cattle in Karnataka.



At 11 AM we reached puri and headed towards Asia's largest inland salt-water lagoon Chilka.









We could hardly sight any Dolphins which the Satpada part of Lake Chilka is famous for.












By the time we reached Konark it was nightfall and there was no chance that we could enjoy the intricate details of the world famous Sun Temple






The streets which lead to the temple are abuzz with activity and a source for many artefacts & curios.




Dinner was at Hotel Mayfair which we wont forget for reasons good, bad and ugly !! :-)




After dinner we had a stroll in the crowded Puri beach. These sand structures are breathtaking.






Manmohan Mahapatra the man behind these sand arts.




The sound of the crashing waves in the silence of the night was music to the ears and one tends to get lost in deep thoughts.





Day 7 - Thursday December 29 2005


After a tasty breakfast of puris and lassi & tea to kill the hangover we left Puri again to Konark as we wanted to see the Sun Temple in daylight. In the process we decided to skip bird watching in Chilka. The 30 KM Marine drive which leads to Konark is a beauty. It has the Bay of Bengal on one side and is lined on either sides with trees. Though the sea cannot be seen from the road the oceanic atmoshphere is very evident with the washed away sand on either sides of the road and the roar of the waves in the air.






The Sun Temple is also known as the Black Pagoda. It was built by King Narasigha Deva in the 13th century with the help of 1200 architects in 12 years time and at the cost of 12 years state revenue in the form of a chariot of Sun God. It is fitted with 24 wheels and drawn by 7 horses.














Rabindranath Tagore was so moved by the beauty of the the sulptures that he said " Here the language of man is defeated by the language of the stone"











The Sun God of Konark. There are three forms rising sun, mid-day sun & the setting sun.






The best part of the trip was the fun we had in the beach at Konark. According to Kahn it is one of the cleanest beaches that he has seen.






Mr Phanigre


A game of Beach Football .









Fun amidst the waves .








The final sunset we witnessed in Orissa with a heavy heart.





Day 8 - Friday December 30 2005


We left for Bangalore from Bhvaneswar via the Howrah - Yesvantpur express at 7 AM . It was memorable tour to Orissa. thanks to our parents, the comrades and kahns relatives. Even though we travelled around Orissa for 5 days we hardly could cover even 25 percent . Orissa is rich both naturally & culturally . Go out there & explore it to its fullest !!



Finally we reached Bangalore on the 31st Dec 3 PM in time to welcome year 2006.