Kung Hoy Fat Choy Happy Chinese New Year of the Dog

We were around ten to assemble at the Hall of the Taj on Sunday 29th January 2006 on Chinese New Year. Lilly arrived early and has become a member of the hash Group as has Usha whose cab drove up just as we were walking out. The “late” Andy also made it as usual to all our cemetery visits. Cees is back from Mauritius for a couple of hashes and we looked at the Canals while crossing the Alipore Bridge which dates back to 1932. The Municipality water gushes out on the bridge and it becomes a sort of bathing ghat as we noticed on our way back from the cemetery. We walked around the Commonwealth Graves that are being well maintained as they are returfing the parallel alleyways. We stayed off the new grass but admired the gravestones with the insignia of the regiments of the young corporals, lieutenants, stokers and firemen who gave up their lives in 1944-45. We noticed a few graves of soldiers from the Ivory Coast and Nigeria amidst those of the pilots of the Royal Air Force. There is even a Hindu grave amongst them.
Outside the hedged area of the Commonwealth graves, Siddiqui wanted to take a picture of her neighbour’s grave to send to the relatives. A plot costs around Rs. 6500 according to her. We saw relatives tending a grave and Shanti felt touched. We learnt that women weren’t allowed into Muslim cemeteries so we won’t be able to visit the cemeteries around Park Circus. We also stopped by the more recent yet unnamed graves of Bob Wright of the Tollygunge Club and little Maxx’s with the flowers growing on it.
We walked also around the National Library after signing ourselves in. Andy, Nil and Madhuri’s guests were walking slowly, so we walked ahead and didn’t see them. It was past 8:30 when we assembled again at the Taj. Rajesh Poddar, who is keener on brisk walks than cemetery walks headed to the Horticultural Gardens and was foiled as they couldn’t give him change for Rs.100. He walked around the National Library instead which though a public space has a board saying “trespassers will be dealt with”. He reached the Taj before us and I explained the advantages of sitting on our convex side of the circular table which give you more elbow space.
This was Howard and Shanti’s last hash on this trip as they have to return to the US and continue the work on their house there. They were able to give Lilly a few leads on a story that she can do on Rain Water Harvesting. We stayed chatting till ten when the breakfast buffet closes with a Chinese friend celebrating the start of the New Year. Lilly got a few more leads including Nil’s good news that their d designs have been selected to showcase at the Lakme Fashion week in March in Bombay.