A Trip through Saurashtra - Part I

Lord Krishna and the Yadu clan truly left their mark on Dwaraka. The cows were everywhere. Big and small. Young and old. Some cared for and others roaming the streets eating the temple garbage.

We have a unique psychology. We revere the cows so much that we will not kill them for meat and yet we are so heartless that we will not do anything to ensure they live a good life. Cows, like the people in India are highly neglected. I digress though...this post is meant to be a memoir of my recent travels in Gujarat.

What an eye opening experience. Gujarat has so much to offer with its rich food, handlooms and historical sites. Yet, all I could credit Modi with, is a little bit of infrastructure in Ahmedabad and a few industries on the highways. The roads were in good condition and scattered with industries both by Reliance and Modi. But there was poverty everywhere. Saurashtra has always been economically backward. The land barren and the people poor. While the rest of Gujarat seems to have progressed, Saurashtra has little to its credit.

My trip started with a visit to Lothal, the ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization. Being a history student, I instantly romanticized this site. I could imagine the Harappan people building citadels, making pots and intricate beads that would make any jeweler in Bombay jealous. The museum was filled with artifacts thousands of years old and yet, it was no different from any of the other museums in India. Old and neglected. We drove on to Jamnagar. A nice little town that seemed to be booming due to the Reliance industries close by. We visited a very famous Hanuman temple where the Ram bhajan is recited non-stop. Apparently, it made it to the Guinness Book of world records.

I think the highlight of the trip as far as the family was concerned was the visit to the historic Dwaraka and the two jyotirlingas in Somnath and Nageswar. I must say our visit to these sites was truly a blessing. There is an old saying that one has to struggle to see (darshan) God. Struggle we did. Scores of people in unruly lines, hot pavements and children shouting. I had my very own "Swades" experience in Dwaraka. We had to cross the back waters on a rickety little boat that was over capacity. The dock was a concrete slab with steps and the "Captain" of the ship, just a laborer making money over the holidays. I looked at Mom and questioned "is it worth it?" while I could see my Dad drag us all to the dock. We have to make our own way if you want to see "beyt dwaraka" he shouted! One hand holding my Mother and the other, my mother-in-law we struggled to make way to the boat. We managed to embark and survived the ride to the other side.

L to R: Mother-in-law, Mother and I in the boat

More cows awaited us. And the remains of Lord Krishna's kingdom. I had just finished reading Devdutt Patnaik's Jaya and excerpts from the book came flooding back. What a unique and complex character Lord Krishna was. 

The lines of history and mythology were a blur. All I knew was that I had survived this horrendous boat ride. 

Dinner with a purpose

Someday I hope to be doing this. Work in an organization that is about social change. There are enough charities and non-profits out there and yet poverty and suffering still exists. I always believed in giving back to the community but also knew that I could not work for a charity based organization. I believe in empowerment and education and organizations that help individuals be self-sufficient.

Recently, I went to one such place. Old Skool Café. A supper club that is led by at risk youth. Teresa, the woman who founded this restaurant wanted a place where young people could learn life skills that can help them escape the vicious circle of crime, unemployment and gangs. Old Skool café is a training program that teaches these young adults everything there is to know about the restaurant business from cooking, to serving and fine dining etiquette. When these youngsters “graduate” they are ready for jobs in the food and restaurant business.

The best part of the experience was that, the food was delicious! After all, no matter what the cause, if the product is not good, the user will never return. This is where I feel a lot of organizations go wrong in. If you have a business model where part of or all your profits go towards a socio-economic cause then you have to make sure that the product or service you are delivering is the best. I will probably return to Old Skool Café and will always tip generously but I will do that because my dining experience was fantastic. The work that they do to support the youth is the crux of the restaurant but, it is secondary for most diners. The diner will most likely view this as icing on the cake. Speaking of dessert, don’t forget to try the lavender cheesecake. The perfect way to end the meal.