The Great Driving Challenge

Off-course is Ofcourse

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10:19 PM

04 August 2009

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Mumbai Chaka Chak

Posted By elena

Meet the people who wash Mumbai’s dirty linen in public – literally. Come along with us this sunny Mumbai morning to the municipal Dhobi Ghats at Mahalaxmi station.

The Dhobi Ghats are the largest open-air laundry in the world, resiliently surviving and thriving in the age of washing machines. The dhobis live in the ghat, their houses facing the large wash tanks and wooden tubs for soaking. Around 100 dhobis and their families live their lives according to the rhythm of soaking, scrubbing, pounding, starching, drying, and ironing clothes. People working in the Dhobi Ghats mostly come from Uttar Pradesh, Andra Pradesh, and Kerala.

Standing knee-deep in sudsy water, lean sinew-armed men whirl a twisted bundle of clothes up towards the sky and pound it against a 150 year old dhoolayi pathar, worn smooth by years of Mumbai’s laundry, but still intact. An arch of droplets glitters in the sun as the wet clothes crash down upon the flogging stones and young men with mischievous winks throw fragments of songs across the tubs. (The Dhobi Ghats were, by the way, used to shoot several scenes in Munna M.B.B.S., where Munna bhai and his bhailog fight and dance around and in the wash basins.) As I pass through the narrow way between the tubs, the young men’s songs grow louder and a cacophony of whistles whirrs through the colourful shirts fluttering in the breeze.

Most of the tanks and tubs are filled with dull grey water but next to a stack of dazzlingly white shirts, we stumble upon a tub filled with brilliantly blue water – neel to brighten white laundry. And around the corner a tub sparkling with glittering pink water is awaiting a load of clothes to be dyed.

The dhobis’ houses are open without doors or windows, only curtains flapping in the air. Laundry has taken over their houses – kheps of washed and pressed linen waiting for delivery stacked in all possible corners, piles of dirty clothes awaiting to be washed everywhere, and a precious batch of freshly washed sparkling shirts in pastel colours drying on the roof.

The Dhobi Ghats were specifically constructed to wash the Viceroys and Senior British Officers’ laundry. As we pass by, the dhobis proudly tell us that they wash Taj Hotel’s laundry, other illustrious clients’ shirts, and even hospitals dirty sheets which are first boiled in huge vats in a separate area.

And just as Mumbai’s famous dabba wallas, the dhobis have a complicated identification system for the clothes that are first sorted and washed according to colour, heaviness of material and degree of dirtiness and then delivered in a need pressed stack to their owners. One dhobi can wash 200 pieces of laundry in a day, which makes the dhobis’ claim that they never mix up the clothes quite impressive.

The Dhobi Ghats have become so famous that many tourists forgo a visit to the Gateway of India for a stroll amongst the washing dhobi and strings of colourful fragrant shirts blowing in the wind, their collars cleverly twisted between two pieces of string. The Dhobi Ghats are a beautiful testimonial to Mumbai’s ingenuity and efficiency.

10:10 PM

04 August 2009

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Mittran di gaddi

Posted By elena

04:08 AM

02 August 2009

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Green Warriors of Chandi’s Fortress

Posted By gaurav

I have always considered my city an extended courtyard.. needless to say I’m obsessed with Chandigarh and madly in love with the city and its people.I shifted here just 3 years back and the love and warmth i received from the people here is heart warming. Many a times we come across things which don’t impress us and we are like..‘yaar kuch karna chahiye hai!’ and the counter thought is ’ yaar kuch nahi ho sakta… system hee kharaab hai ..! ’ We get so much from our city..but what do we give back ? We take our cities for granted and forget our own role in keeping the city going . We do have habit of discussing ‘Global issues’.. but we forget that action at Local level only.,can bring about change ..as many locals make one global !
Green Warriors happened when i came across this lovely place called ‘Heritage pond’ in middle of the city Chandigarh through the head of NGO Environment society of India , who has been maintaining it. Also he told that , this soon would be gone as Govt. is planning to build up a VIP’s club here. More than 600 trees would have been axed…and a lot more. So I took it as a challenge… to use my Film-making talent to raise the voice for this Heritage pond ...The Campaign started in Mid October 08 and the major Tool of fighting
back for the cause was a 35 min Zero Budget Documentary called ‘Green Warriors’ (http://www.humlog.org/gw ) The film was shot on a HandyCam and then extensively screened in the schools of the city. Around 2 dozen of screenings were organized in 4 months in various
institutes and schools in the Tricity. It was an awareness cum advocacy film shot over a period of 6 months in 2008. The film set a perfect example of ‘Video Activism’ at a local level.The main support in the campaign were the School Kids and the staff.The Heads of the schools issued Recommendation letters stating that the Heritage Village site is of Educational Importance and thus be saved. The school kids helped to spread the word around by being a part of various events like painting workshops , protest march etc.A very strong role was played by the Print media of the city by highlighting the cause time and again.
Final nail in the coffin came, when the High Court as a result of PIL filed by us, asked Govt to submit the affidavit that no such club shall be made at that place ,which the Govt. did. Today the place is being developed into a ‘Butterfly Park’ on the lines of Eco-tourism.
This is how the beautiful green place was saved by the Citizens themselves, by turning into ‘Green Warriors’

12:43 AM

02 August 2009

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Monsoon Taxi

Posted By elena

The very first rain…

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Beautiful drive from Nashik to Bombay, one of THE best roads we have driven on!

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Had fallen in love with Cedia. Now, it s time for detachment.

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Bright, blue sky.. Cotton candy clouds.. We head to Nasik

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Heavy rains in Konkan. Near zero visibility.

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Rain welcomes us at Goa

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In pot-hole territory. Thank god we are on empty stomachs!

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Now on the fringes of Western Ghats

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Touched Kerala once more. At Bekal Fort

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Morning drive through misty Coorg

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300km from home! :) :) racing to indore!

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2361 Shivpuri

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Pouring all the way from Agra into Jaipur

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On our way to Jaipur

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Madikkeri - Ghats, rains and pot-holed roads

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Still on the road to Agra...

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On our way back to Mysore

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In Wayanad. Western Ghats Kerala episode

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It s hot at the Hawa Mahal! :|

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In Varanasi, walking along the ghats and looking at the Ganga

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Through Nagarhole National Park

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At Akad Cars, the Mitsu showroom. Mr. Abhinav, the MD, is tellim us the best way around Jaipur.

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Good morning world! We are in Jaipur! Today s objective: getting Joe a pink shirt/kurta ;)

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In Varanasi, just got back to the room after the ganga aarti. Stunning.

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Swine flue alert in Hassan. We cancelled our stay and hit Mysore.

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30kms from Varanasi and its pouring..

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Leaving Jodhpur ... On our way to Ajmer.. Hoping to visit the dargah today .. Jodhpur was beautiful! *sigh*

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Cedia Sports turns its SUV mode on. Climbs Kemmana Gundi peak.

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Superbly bad roads on route to Varanasi. Soaking in the last sights of Madhya Pradesh.

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Just had a long conversation with Mr.Brijraj Singh - great-grandson of HRH Ratan Singh .. Visit to Mehrangarh Fort delayed

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Driving through coffee estates to Kemmana Gundi peak

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Bhadra dam & WLS. Touch & go.

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Passing through the Panna Forest Reserve..stopped on a bridge..

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Heading from Khajuraho to Varanasi..

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In Jodhpur old markets - SHOPPING!

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At Shimoga after a rainy day in rain forests

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Back at the hotel after seeing the absolutely stunning temples of Khajuraho.

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As the sun sets, we enter Jodhpur, today s travel - 396km, but not feeling blue at all :)

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On state highway 07. Namrata s driving while I m writing and Enrique s crooning.

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At the Vintage Villa of classic cars, droolin over the sports tourers. Got here after blastin the 88km NE1 Expressway in 42mins! Cedia, take a bow!

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Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary A manmade forest spread over 84 sq km A haven for deers peacocks an many birds

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Reached our first destination Daman, it even has its own airport! :)

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We haven't heard the 'Suprabhatham' chant for many many years. While we were in Chennai and Kerala we used to hear that quite often. First day morning. And as we walk into this nice restaurant at Vashi for breakfast, the 'Suprabhatham' chant welcomes us. Perhaps a good omen on the first stop on first day.

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Good morning! :) on our way frm thane to vapi. Jus done upma n rawa dosa at Kamat Vithals. Catch the pic on our flickr n twitter!

About us

Gaurav is a Chandigarh based Social activist ,filmmaker and a trained Doctor . He runs an NGO called Humlog ( we the people ) . Elena is based at Kolkata , works for her company till the evening and then she turns into a 'Bare-foot Doctor' for the slum kids around. We kindly request our dear friends and well wishers to NOT to cast multiple fake votes from their different IDs, that would do NO good to us . Please mind it !

Mumbai Chaka Chak

Mittran di gaddi

Green Warriors of Chandi’s Fortress

Monsoon Taxi

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