Refreshing Morning Walk             

Dr. Jyoti Patil

  

Morning means new beginning of a new day which is always as refreshing as first blossom of spring. To begin a day with a good happy morning is everyone’s desire. Wordsworth has appreciated the beauty of the morning in ‘Upon Westminster Bridge’ “The earth has nothing to show more beautiful than this morning”. Morning begins with the break of daylight at around 5 o’clock. Morning walkers generally get up early to enjoy the pleasure of free breeze.

There are some favourite places for morning walk in Nagpur. Joggers’ lane of Seminary hills is known for its VIP morning walkers but VRCE now VNIT is haven for morning walkers. Some three to four years ago when VRCE got a huge grant for renovation we started thinking that permission to enter their premises will be stopped. Thanks to the authorities who continue to keep open their gates for morning walkers that consist of old people, young couples, ladies, teenagers and children. The number of old persons is of course on the high as getting up in the morning is becoming rarer and rarer for the young generation. Thanks to internet chatting.

Old people are very serious walkers. They are very regular and punctual and the changes of season, weather disturbance, mood problem hardly bother them. There are some old people who walk as rapidly as a rabbit and look as fit as a young health conscious. There are some who walk with stick in hand. Some walk in groups chatting freely on various topics. Their topics of conversation include Sachin’s Mumbai Indians, Shivraj Patil’s Statement, gruesome murder of Aarushi and their personal follow up. “Arei tumi kaal naahi ale?” “ Mee sunelaa tichya maheri sodayala gelo hoto.” “Tumcha mulga aala kaa Ameriketun?” Ho to firayala gela aahe aaplya mulabala sobat.” There is a big group of senior citizens in VNIT who come from different directions to converge into a lively, happy and carefree bundle of gigglers. To see them enjoy life in the wane of their life is quite refreshing. It is true that in India elders can still enjoy their retired life freely and joyfully without any interruption of their children, at least the morning time.  

There are some couples who come regularly putting an example of ideal spouses who love and care for each other and give good company to each other by starting a day so romantically. It is a happy sight to see these couples sharing the health regime together. They walk together adjusting their speed with their spouses putting an ideal example of complacent married life which is again an Indian prerogative where marriage is considered an ultimate bondage of love to share happy as well as sad moments together. Some couples indulge in small talks about their lives. Some do some yoga exercises, pranayaam or jogging. In VNIT campus you can find a plenty of small lawns, shadowy trees with different fragrances, birds chirping different notes and of course nicely maintained roads, pavements and landscapes all along the roads leading to its different departments. In front of Architecture and Planning Department one can see a lovely couple doing Ramdeobaba’s pranayaam and light exercises in rhythm. Some sit in the front steps of the Library Building doing light exercises and making the sight quite refreshing.

There are some women morning walkers who belong to different age groups. Most of them are in saree, the traditional Indian attire, some wear salwar kurta which is more convenient for today’s woman than saree. Office going women prefer this attire as it saves a lot of time rather than wearing saree. Some wear shirt and trousers and look different and slightly odd in the typical Indian context of the morning at VNIT. There is an elderly short height graceful lady who looks very pretty in saree gets greetings by many passersby. She must be a professor in VNIT. There are some who walk in twos and talk all the way mainly about maidservants and children. But some do the walking quite seriously. 

Some young morning walkers also join this healthy routine. But the number is very less. Some come in the company of their mother or father. Perhaps they are pushed by their parents to follow the healthy way of starting a day. Some of them take a round of cricket ground, entry of which is perhaps closed but they know some secret entry point. Some of the young girls sit on the pavement and do some little talk that gives them energy for the hectic daily schedule. The security service people keep strict vigil on all these activities of the morning walkers who are according to them are trespassers in their area. 

Just in front of the main gate towards Bajajnagar across the road budding skaters do their morning practice while their anxious parents watch their activities with great enthusiasm. Herbal juice stalls on both sides of the gate with louki, gaajar,karela, annanas juices etc are flocked by the late morning walkers who begin their walk after 6.30am. It is really a pleasant sight when the honking and blaring of vehicles have not started  and the city is really green and refreshing with soft soothing wind caressing your bodies and freshening you for the tiring tasks of the day. 

  

Hitvada Middle Space (Published on 30th May)