Small Town Shopping In Pune!!

 Mundhwa

Dave was off to work with Digambar. Fighting traffic and camels!  : )

So--- I was looking for some thing to do and an Indian friend (Preya) and her son Dahnahnjai invited me to go for a walk to Mundhwa.  


Preya and Dahnahnjai

She was going to buy an electric Chepate maker.  (she brought it back already and is making them by hand!!!!)  She kept asking if I was sure I wanted to go.  Well, of course I was sure!!  Then, she told me we would be going to the end of our street and through a hole cut in the metal fence! I had seen that hole and guys coming through it on many of the walks Dave and I had been on!  Hmmm....  okay, just a little short cut, that will surely add to the adventure!



Dead end road in front of our flat




Deb going through hole cut in metal fence to Mundhwa



View through hole in fence


















Once you hop through the hole there is a small temple for worshiping and blessings.  There is a bell hanging just as you walk up the steps that you ring out of respect to the Gods. 

Small Temple

Then, there is a muddy, dirty road with cows and water trucks being filled to bring water to the smaller villages.

Cows on dirt road to Mundhwa

Water truck just filled

Finally, once you get past the dirt road you are in Mundhwa!!  A little shanty town that most people just drive through.  There are little stalls set up like you would find at a flea market!  I took Dave back there the next week end and we now spend at least an hour a week walking there!  We even bring our laundry there once a week.  I think the locals are starting to think of us as locals or just plain loco!!  There is a nursery, a tailor shop, small hand made Ganesh Temple, large Ganesh Temple, bakery, dentist office, doctors office, tyre station (tire), fruit stand and stall, vegetable stall, (I bought cauliflower and potatoes the other nite for dinner.  Cleaned them really well and they were delicious),  chicken and egg stall (not enough guts to buy any thing there yet), local market  (kind of like a 7 eleven with no Slurpee's!), 2 hardware stalls (we like to call them our Lowes and Home Depot!!), and the local notary on the side walk! 
Check them out!!!


Dave checking out the Nursery





Tailor Shop




Dr Office




Inside Dr. Office




Dental Clinic




Dave looking at Chickens at Chicken & Egg stall




Bakery




Tyre Changing Stall




Deb at Ganesh Temple




Home Depot!  : )




Lowes!  : )




Notary



Veggie Cart




Veggie Stall



















Fruit Stall






Hand made Ganesh at Temple

There are other places to shop in Pune.  Bigger malls, more commercialized chain stores but nothing compares to the small town friendliness you get going to Mundhwa.

Indian Independence Day

Flag raising!

On August 15, 2011 India celebrated its 65th Independence Day.   This is the day in 1947 that India attained freedom from the British rule.   Most places are closed, just like July 4th in the US.  Tho, here in India, if you work and are not on the list of business's that are allowed, you can be fined by the government.  It is a very special day here in India.  Families get together and celebrate.  Minus the Hamburgers and Hot Dogs!

The most important part of the day is the flag raising!  The flag has to be raised after dawn and lowered before dusk.  Dave and I went to the flag raising here at the hotel.  It was very surprising to only see one other couple attend!  (other than ALL the hotel staff).  Every one gathered around the flag pole.



Guard checking time of ceremony



Waiting on ceremony to start

 

Hotel staff at ceremony



Chef and staff




Security staff




Dave watching ceremony start

The security people from the hotel were all lined up.  As in the military there was a commander in front giving orders. They marched in place, saluted and shouted out the commands.  The flag was then raised by the manager's of the hotel and the National Anthem was sung, along with a flag raising song.  It was a very moving ceremony.  I know I am a bit hormonal and home sick but it really touched me to see the devotion the people in attendance have for their country.  Once the ceremony was over sweets were served.  Because I was the American taking pictures, I was honored with the first sweet.  I truly did feel honored.




Flag raised by managers




Staff saluting flag





Commander of security




Managers saluting flag
























Security during flag raising

 A few facts about the Indian flag and ceremony.  The flag is orange, white and green.  It must be made of a natural fabric.  Usually cotton.  The rope used for the ceremony must also be cotton.  No synthetics are allowed.  The area around the flag pole is decorated with drawings called Rangoli.  The drawings are made by hand using crushed rise powder or crushed lime stone.  The dye is all natural from spices and flowers.  Usually vibrant colors!  The important aspect of Rangoli painting is not to have a gap any where in your art.  It is said evil will enter the tiniest gap.  As you can see, the swastika is used in Indian art.  In India the swastika symbol means "Life is Good", "Prosperity, Good Health, Good Luck".  The proper spelling in Sanskrit is svastika, there is no W in Sanskrit.  Sanskrit is an historical indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.  The swastica symbol here in India is positioned clock wise and tilted a tiny bit to the left.  The girl decorating made the swastica on the left going counter clock wise, so...  they used it as a decoration.  Tho---  in some Indian cultures they do use the swastika going to the left.  More about that another time.  They also use lots of fresh flowers for decorating. Looks and smells beautiful.


Manager and his family (daughter is girl scout)




Rangoli art work

We missed Independence Day at home.  There is nothing like a good old 4th of July picnic with burgers, hot dogs, potato salad and especially fire works!!  But...  I think this is one Independence Day we will always remember!

Comedy!!!

Wayne Brady in Pune!!
There were always one of two responses when we told them we were going to see Wayne Brady's comedy show.  Either, "Who is that??"  or  "What is he doing in Pune??"

Wayne Brady ticket

Does any one out there remember "Whose Line Is It Anyway"??  The improv show with Drew Carey? Very funny!  Well, Wayne Brady does a really great spin off improv comedy show.  Clean compared to what is out there!!!
Digambar drove us a bit early because we weren't sure what seating would be like.

As it turned out, it was a good thing we went early!  Our seating was in the back section but after hob nobbing with the photographer he asked us if we wanted to sit in the second row!!  Well, of course we did!!!


Dave hob nobbing with photographer

 Dave and I really enjoyed the show.  Wayne Brady's side kick from "Whose Line is it Any way" was there as well.  He actually was as good as Brady.



Wayne Brady




Wayne Brady and his side kick




Getting the show started


















Dave was asked for a song title to do a skit.  His was " I've been married 37 years to a beautiful woman"  Was that not sweet????  AHHHHH.....
This is a lot nicer song title than the other one Dave was going to give them, "I got them lowdown dirty, pigstickin, chickenlickin, nosepickin, stickyfinger Pune Blues".
We had a wonderful night!


Dave and Deb second row!!