A Question for each Occasion

What did I do this Diwali … I drove myself crazy with questions. A friend of mine, Ritesh Khera… invited me to spend Diwali with his family at his place in Chandigarh. For anyone, who has been long enough in Gurgaon it is as-easy a decision you will make all your life. So I tagged along. Anyways, was sick and tired of reading about ‘Chandigarh’ topping every review for the best city in the country. Being a true-blood Mumbaikar, I needed to see the city with my own eyes.
Chandigarh is a brainchild of Jawaharlal Nehru, who yearned to create a city - "unfettered by the traditions of the past, a symbol of the nation's faith in the future" (Nehru's own words). Apparently, Swiss-born French architect and planner, Le Corbusier was responsible for designing the layout of this beautiful city. (Inset - Nek Chand's Rock Garden, picture courtesy lonelyplanet).

The other planned cities in India are New Delhi, Bhubaneshwar in Orissa, Gandhinagar in Gujrat and Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra (all built close to existing old cities - Delhi, Cuttack, Ahmedabad and Mumbai). Of course, I didn't know this till i stumbled upon an article in Wikipedia.

Anyways, I believe that even if you haven't parked yourself in a city - there are tell-tale signs - which tell you a thing or two about the city. Take roads for instance. The health of roads tell you whether the city government cares for its citizen - a parameter too important to ignore. The movement of traffic will tell you what kind of law and order to expect in the city. If people blatantly break traffic rules - you know there is not much to offer on the law and order front. Crime will not be too far away in such a place. The most common vehicle brand you come across will most likely be a decent indicator of average income of a city dweller. And finally always stop by and ask for directions in a city - and observe the way - you are directed. In most cases this simple interaction will tell you enough about the people residing in the city.

Chandigarh did remarkably well in all the parameters. What was noticeable though was that Chandigarh is not a city on the move. The vibrant buzz of Mumbai or Delhi is unmistakably absent. It has this undescribable relaxed air about it. My friend explained to me that chandigarh being a Union Territory houses government offices for the state of Haryana and Punjab. So you see more government players than corporate ones. May be that explains the lack of rush in people to get somewhere. Anyways, the city made me think of where do I want to settle down eventually. A wrong question at a wrong time. Almost ruined my Diwali.

The question triggered a chain reaction - adrenaline kicked in, my eyes popped out and brain cells went into overdrive - some exaggeration for dramatization is harmless :) A thought of quickly settling the issue by picking 'Mumbai' (check the adjoining pic) as the favored destination was entertained for a second before being dumped equally quickly. I have stayed in Gurgaon for almost two years now and have been to Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, Jaipur, Manipal (in Karnataka) and now chandigarh - and must confess - I have been impressed by all of them. In the last two years - i have also been to Rishikesh/Haridwar and Roorkee in Uttaranchal, Dharamshala and Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh and Amritsar in Punjab, but i decided against settling down in these places :)

The pros and cons of each place did not lend themselves to easy comparison and made the whole process a nightmare. Then i decided to rate each place on parameters like crime/personal security; cost of living; job opportunities; city infrastructure - like roads, airport, etc.; traffic conjestion; availability of mass transit options; recreation options and finally eating joints - and all that left me in a tired state and most importantly without an answer.

I almost ruined my Diwali celebration thinking about the stupid question. While I was thinking of how i almost ruined this festival - i decided against "thinking" on all future festivals. Thinking of future festivals made me think of all coming festivals and especially the ones i enjoy, which ofcourse, led me to asking myself the question - which festival I enjoy the most? Ganpati festival or Holi or Diwali? A chain reaction (familiar by now) kicked in again.... and for 'almost ruining' my diwali... lets just say the question provided final FINISHing touches . Hope you had a good one :)