A Tourist In Bihar

Notes of a Curious Traveller

Thursday, 8th June 2006

11:15 A.M: We’re finally on the way to Patna, the capital of Bihar. We had stopped over at Allahabad on the way yesterday night. Our train is late by an hour and a half, which anyone accustomed to travelling by Indian railways would say, is a pretty insignificant delay. We have just checked out of the hotel.

Here comes a cycle-rickshaw. I’m excited at the prospect; there are no cycle-rickshaws in my part of the country. The rickshaw wallah agrees to take us to the station for fifteen rupees. I’m told that fifteen is on the higher side, but I’m getting late and there really is no time for haggling…

11:30 A.M: our train has finally arrived. Fortunately, we have a second a/c booking. For all the apprehensions I had, things are pretty orderly here- that is to say relatively. My partner (who belongs to these parts by the way) tells me that the law and order situation will steadily deteriorate as we go further and further east, let’s see…

5:30 P.M: we’re now in Mughal Sarai- the last stop in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), before you enter Bihar. This city is dominated by Indian Railways. Apparently the railway yard here is the biggest in Asia. A railway official told me that you can get trains to any possible corner of India from Mughal Sarai- the only such station anywhere in this country.

The station itself is pretty dirty. There are scores of people moving in every possible direction. It seems to be a busy place, though one wonders what all this movement to and fro is in aid of: there aren’t too many trains here right now. But wait a minute… I see something you wouldn’t normally expect to see in a railway station: there’s a cow on the opposite platform! I know that cows abound in this part of the country (and some refer to these parts as the ‘cow belt’), but this is beyond anything I could have possibly foreseen. Judging by the reaction of those around (more precisely the absence thereof), this is a pretty normal sight here.

6:00 P.M: We’re finally leaving. Our train had stopped here about an hour ago. We’re now entering Bihar. Let’s see what this state has in hold for us.

11:00 P.M: we have finally arrived at the ancient city of Patna, the ancient Patliputra of the Maurya dynasty. It is said that this city was created by Raja Putraka for his queen Patali- giving this city its ancient name Pataligram (Gram means village in Sanskrit). The city is said to have been renamed Patliputra in honour of the first-born to the queen (Putra is Sanskrit for son). Whatever the truth behind this belief, archaeological evidences about the existence of this city go as far back as 490 BC or so, making this city one of the oldest surviving cities anywhere in the world.

Our train journey was a singular experience, to say the least. There were several stoppages along the way (I lost count); apparently, the people in this part of the country do not feel bound by laws that apply elsewhere. One need not wait for the train to reach a station; the moment you see your village, pull the chain and stop the train.

A reservation means nothing in this part of the country- even in the air-conditioned compartment. Anyone who feels like it is free to get in. The most foolish thing you can do is to get off your seat. Once you get off it, your chances of getting back there are remote- finders keepers, you see. In fact one guy tried hard to get me off my seat, unsuccessfully as it happened. Another maxim- the early bird catches the worm (er…seat). The utilisation of resources is optimum- you have two people sitting for one. How, you may ask. The answer is simple: for each person sitting on the lower berth, there is another on the upper. You can imagine how effective the air-conditioning would be.

But coming back to the present, we have just got off the train…looking around for our pickup. We’re completely new to this part of the country and I’m told that it’s not safe to venture out in the darkness in these parts. Here comes a tall, lean chap who would be much the better for a shave. “Mr. Ashok?” he asks me. I affirm that it’s me indeed. Thank goodness, we’re finally in safe hands.

He drives us to our hotel- supposedly one of the best in the city. Our driver Dinesh (who I might add, is a remarkably well informed guy, given his education and exposure) tells me that it’s rained pretty heavily over the last couple of days. He scarcely need have told us about it- I can see water logging everywhere. The little that I can see, the roads seem to be in terrible shape. The water outside must be about shin-deep. Although its not getting into our vehicle, I can feel the water just beneath the floor. The road lighting is poor; I can see very little outside…

Midnight: after an excellent dinner and nearly two whole days of travelling, we’re exhausted. Time to say good night!

Friday, 9th June

10:30 A.M: We're on our way to the client's place. I'm getting my first real sight of this city. The roads here are very narrow- a shortcoming quite common in Indian cities. There is a maze of wires everywhere. Apparently, both the electricity as well as the telephone connections are distributed through overhead wires. Being from a city where these wires are all underground, I confess that it certainly makes unusual (not to say appaling) viewing.

The buildings have been constructed in a very hapazard manner- you would be forgiven if you think that they mushroomed up by themselves, which would perhaps be the only proper explanation for this ocean of disorder. Some of the buildings here (and I'm told that this is primarily a commercial area by the way) are in a crazy state of disrepair. A vast majority of them are just brick and cement structures. It needs no genius to say that they have never so much as seen a coat of paint. There are several shattered windows to complete the picture.

11:00 A.M: We've reached the office. Parking the vehicle proved problematic. They have the facility of basement parking in this building, but the basement is currently not available. After the 36-hour rains earlier this week, its completely flooded (and we actually had to wade through overflowing water from the basement). They've just brought a pump to suck the water out- still not put into use.

9:00 P.M: Time to leave now. The car is not at our disposal. I proposed that we walk; my colleague is a bit apprehensive about walking out in the dark- but being the senior I prevail over him. Incidentally, they're still pumping out the water from the basement; the water level has receeded considerably.

A very, very busy working day- there was no time to move around. Nevertheless, I learnt much about this part of the country. Unfortunately, I can’t share most of it with you- one has got to be politically correct you see. There is however, much that I feel I ought to tell you.

For one, Bihar (or at least Patna) is not really as unsafe as people make it out to be. True, this city is remarkable disorganised, the roads are dirty and in terrible condition, etc. It is equally true that crime here is slowly under control. I’m told that not long back, it was too risky to venture out in the dark in these parts; the situation is now vastly improved. I was working until nine in the night and walked back the half kilometre back to my hotel without any hassles. In fact, there was surprising traffic out there.

The main reason for crime in these parts is the sheer poverty here. I’m told that outsiders are less likely to be affected by crime- as long as they go about their work and avoid getting involved with local matters. Patna is apparently an oasis of (relative) stability- several regions in this state have been heavily infiltered by Maoists and Naxalites. Needless to say, the poverty in those parts means that they easily find members among the populace. Dinesh tells me that the Naxalites or Maoists are virtually indistinguishable from the local populace in many places. They might appear to be in rags and look like the poorest of people- but woe betide anyone who goes messing around with them. And so, as I’ve already mentioned, mind where you tread. You’re in no danger as long as you don’t flaunt your wealth and mind your own business.

The food you get in Patna is excellent. Believe me, the food in these parts is certainly not going to disappoint, unless you’re setting unrealistically high standards. Our dinner was not just delicious, but also sumptuous (and you could say the same about our lunch)- they serve food in pretty big portions in these parts. I’m really sleepy after that excellent dinner- time to say good night again.

Saturday, 10th June

I fear, today was again a very hectic day- no time to go around the city. Nevertheless, my culinary experiences are worth describing. I ordered Alu Paratha for lunch today, as I did yesterday. Just two of them were all I needed (and most struggle to go beyond one)- they make pretty huge and thick parathas in these parts. Believe me, they are perhaps the best parathas I’ve ever tasted and the marketing manager here tells me (in a pretty matter-of-fact manner I may add), that the place from where they got it is not particularly reputed for the quality of food they dish out.

I also had the good experience of tasting the speciality of Bihar- Litti with Chokha (Litti-Chokha as it’s popularly called in these parts). Litti is round shaped (impossible to describe in any other manner!), made of wheat flour and sattu (and I’m not sure what sattu is) while Chokha is a dish primarily consisting of brinjal, tomato and potato boiled and smashed. The Litti-Chokha, like everything else I’ve tasted in these parts, is excellent- a must try for anyone who happens to come here.

That apart, I have little else to add as of today. But tomorrow promises to be an exciting prospect. We plan to go to Nalanda University- the first known university in all history and Rajgir- the remains of the Maurya dynasty. Unfortunately, Bodh Gaya (a well known pilgrimage centre for Buddhists) is currently inaccessible due to floods.

And so let me bid you good night for today. See you tomorrow.

Sunday, 11th June

It’s about 8 in the morning. We were advised to set out as early as possible to beat the heat. To be sure, it really isn’t very hot right now, owing to the rains a few days back. Anyway, the locals know the conditions much better. So here we are, setting out for Nalanda University.

9:30 A.M: we are on the outskirts of this city. This is the first time I’m seeing this city up close and the development (or rather the lack thereof) quite astonishes me. Surprising as it may sound, the roads here are not as bad as they are in the main city. What strikes an outsider coming from a major city is the narrowness of the roads here. The traffic is, as you would expect in this part of the country, highly undisciplined. It is not uncommon for a vehicle (irrespective of size) to drive on the wrong side of the road or to change lanes from one end of the road to another at will. Hazardous as this may sound, there is hardly any danger involved. The combination of the roads and the undisciplined traffic means that you’re unlike to ever be able to drive faster than 50 Km/hr.

9:45 A.M: we are making an about-turn. Apparently the road ahead is blocked. Our driver Dinesh spoke to the locals in their local lingo, which I confess is quite different from anything I’ve ever heard before and which is incomprehensible to me. My colleague Arvind (who’s from UP) does not seem to understand it either. Whatever the reason, Dinesh tells us that we’d be better advised to take a different route.

11:00 A.M: We are making excruciatingly slow progress. There is plenty of traffic, or more specifically, slow- moving traffic on this road and with the narrow roads you have, overtaking the guy in front is hardly an option unless there’s no vehicle coming from the other side. But some of the sights I’ve seen are unbelievable. Unfortunately I could not share it with you since I have not a camera, and I assure you that there actually were a few sights you would be unlikely to find elsewhere.

It is common to see Jeeps (what would be called in the US, a small truck) designed to carry about 8 passangers stuffed with 20 odd passangers. And if you find that hard to believe, get a load of this: the driver himself is half outside the vehicle! I confess I myself would not have believed it had someone told me this even an hour back, but I can not deny what the eye sees. The driver has his left foot on the accelerator and his left hand on the steering wheel (remember, vehicles in India are meant to be driven on the left side of the road, which means that all vehicles made here are right-hand drive vehicles) and the rest of the body is outside the jeep.

And to add to the picture, there are anywhere between 5 to 8 people on the roof of the vehicle- as much as can be seated in the vehicle. Dinesh tells me that people sitting on the roof only have to pay half the fare as compared to their fellow-passangers sitting inside the vehicle. If you’re thinking about the risk of sitting on the roof, I can assure you that there’s little risk. How you may ask- the reason is pretty simple: Let me ask you this, just how fast can a vehicle made to seat 8 but is stuffed to somewhere between 3 to 4 times its capacity run? And when you consider that most vehicles on the road are just as badly stuffed, there’s almost no risk of being hit by a passing vehicle coming from either side should you fall off.

Another thing which strikes me is the fact that on the road, its only might which is right. I find that Dinesh has been regularly bulldozing all the other vehicles out of the way. Ours is a powerful vehicle, made to seat about 10 (and only 4 of us sitting inside, in case you’re wondering!). Just hoot the horn and get close to the guy in front- assuredly he’ll make way for you, even if that means rushing to the dust track on edge of the road…

11:30 A.M: we have stopped at a roadside place to have a quick brunch. The very appearance of this place would assuredly put you off. It is incredibly dirty: the chairs are such that you would scarcely be tempted to sit on them. There are countless bees, lying dead in the rasgulla syrup. One wonders how people can get themselves to buy that rasgulla with those scores of bees carcasses swarming in the syrup.

But having said that, I have another surprise in store: the food here is absolutely fabulous. The Litti-Chokha is superb and much better than anything I tasted in Patna. I had frequently heard say that the food you get in Bihar defies description; I now know that it is true.

12:00 P.M: we have halted outside the Jalmandir (which would literally mean water temple) at Pawapuri, about 100 Kilometres or so from Patna. Apparently, the founder of Jainism (a religion similar to Hinduism with followers primarily in Gujarat and Rajasthan), Lord Mahavir attained Moksh (salvation) here circa 500 B.C. he was cremated here and there ensued a rush to pick the soil from here, as a result of which so much was removed that a huge depression was created and it was subsequently decided to erect a temple here.A pond was created and a magnificent marble temple stands in the middle of this lotus pond. I confess that I’m seeing a lotus for the first time in my life. The sight of our national flower abounding in the middle of this pond is beautiful, I promise you. I can’t help wondering, by the way, that Bihar seems to be a remarkable place for pilgrims. You have Gaya for the Buddhists and Pawapuri for the Jains. Incidentally, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh was born here.

On a related note, Mr. Rajiv just explained to me this pretty unusual phenomenon of tridents atop factory chimneys. Any outsider visiting these parts would at once be stuck by the fact that they have tridents on the top of all chimneys. I was under the impression that people here are rather religious (since the trident is the symbol of Lord Shiv). The explanation though, is much simpler: those tridents are meant to be conductors of electricity since streaks of lightning are apparently common in this part of the country, especially at this time of the year. So much for initial impressions!

It is very hot out here and I’m told that the temperature right now is well below the average summer temperature, since it reained just a few days back. It is just a touch less humid than Patna, which is a very humid place, surrounded as it is, by rivers. I was fool enough to leave my footwear in our car. The ground under my feet is scorching and I promise you, the heat is unbearable. Fortunately I’m a very quick runner; I’ll make a dash…

12:30 P.M: We are just a few kilometres from Nalanda University (pronounced as Naal-un-dha). Unfortunately, we will be unable to go any further. The road has broken here and the overflowing river is flowing across. The current here is very powerful and I promise you, it can easily take with it vehicles like ours. This current could easily overwhelm a truck, leave alone a car. Someone came up to us and told something to Dinesh in their local lingo. Fortunately this time Dinesh told us what he was saying: apparently the road ahead is impassable. There is no choice but to turn back now.

The accountant of the compant I’m auditing, Mr. Rajiv who is with us tells me that Bihar is prone to floods in the monsoon. The phenomenon of roads breaking and the river obtruding upon the road is by no means uncommon in these parts. But the floods (once they recede) also have a beneficial effect: the top layer of soil is annually replenished by the overflowing river, which of course means that the soil always remains fertile.Well I'm dissapointed. I might never again come to these parts. So close and yet so far... but then, better this disappointment, than reaching there, only to find yourself cut off, what say?

3:00 P.M: we are sitting in this restaurant in Patna. This one’s at the railway station. I’m sitting at the corner right next to the wall and Mr. Rajiv tells me that the railway tracks are on the other side of this wall. Can’t help wondering if it wouldn’t be a bad idea to create French windows here: Imagine sitting and having your lunch watching trains come and go!

The food, I may add is terrific- as I’ve come to expect in these parts. I may sound like a broken record here, but I promise you, I’ve never tasted food like this before. There is, incidentally, another remarkable thing here. I see a group of ladies here accompanied here by one man, presumably the head of the family. What’s so remarkable in that you may ask? I had not realised this until a moment back- but this is the first time I’m seeing a woman here in Patna. It appears that this place is pretty unsafe for ladies- I had not seen a single female in this city in all of 4 days until a moment back! Dinesh tells me that by appearance they are perhaps a marriage party come to see a girl. None of the females are the type who would grab your attention.

Apparently this isn’t the most happening place for bachelors…

3:30 P.M: Well our day’s trip ends here. Dinesh just received a call from home- apparently his daughter has been hospitalised. He had to rush home. We are returning to the hotel now…

Monday, 12th June

Another uneventful day here- we were way too busy with work to do any exploring. But I learnt a couple of interesting things here. Apparently, you do not get mobile phone connections on a ‘billing’ basis; you can only get a pre-paid connection. I was also told that kidnapping is an industry here. How it works is another story- that’s too complicated to narrate here.

Tuesday, 13th June

4:30 A.M: well, my trip to Bihar is now over. My train leaves Patna at quarter past 5. I confess that I had some apprehensions about stepping out so early. But I forgot that I’m in the east now. I was astonished to find it so bright here. It’s already bright here- the sort of brightness you would expect to see by about half past 6 in Bombay where I come from (which is of course in the west coast of India). The brightness fairly astonished me; back home, the only thing you would expect to see at this time of the day would be bats!

I’ve got a cycle-rickshaw. The rickshaw driver is an aging man and I can see that the poor fellow is struggling to get the vehicle moving. The condition of the road (if indeed you can call it that) is terrible. I only hope I can get there in time.

5:50 A.M: Here comes my train. It’s been a long wait, I must say. I’ll be in Varanasi, UP in a few hours time. So for now its adieu Bihar. What were my impressions of this state? The answer is not easy: for one, I did not spend enough time here. But the little that I saw and heard, I can say with certainty that there is much scope for improvement, especially insofar as education and law and order are concerned. But there's no denying that Bihar is culturally rich. The food here is far better than anything I've ever tasted before and the people here can be remarkably good.

God willing, I might come back here someday…