Of castles and forts..

Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004.

Crisp. That's the word for the weather these days. A slight chill, a gentle breeze - like when you open the freezer....

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Read about the 5 suicides in 48 hours in Mumbai on the e-paper. I'm sure there are more each day, just not reported, or reported as something else. It's distressing. What must it be like, to reach a point where one feels theres no turning back; where hanging yourself or cutting your wrists seems to be the only solution to your problems..... What is it about some people that makes them give up, when others resolutely carry on one day at a time - praying and hoping against hope that the tide will turn. And it usually does. But you need the patience and the will to live against all odds to reach that turning point. The light in the tunnel is not always an oncoming car.....

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Went for a nice drive yesterday to Rochester and beyond. Stopped to see the Rochester castle and cathedral. Walked around lovely grounds, admired the view and wondered many times why we can't replicate this in India. It's such a shame - our history is more varied, ancient and exciting than that of Europe, and yet, we couldn't care less. Looking at the castle made we wonder why we neglect our forts - what history we have there! A little maintenance, a little publicity - and we have a terrific showcase of history that we should be really proud of. It's not easy to build forts in the middle of the sea (or anywhere else for that matter) so why not show-off that pride and heritage for the world to see? For all that the SS stands for, I really appreciate Uddhav Thackeray's effort at bringing the forts of Maharashtra in the public eye. Now if only he could take it a little further and do something more than just print a book......and still not turn it into a political stunt...wouldn't that be just fabulous?

Take a look at Rochester castle..