HORTICULTURAL Gardens and new Taj T shirts
Old hashers and new were at the Horticultural Gardens at 7 am. Hashers now pay their own entrance fees to Parks (Rs.10 for Horticultural Gardens, Rs.5 or Rs.50 for foreigners at Botanics). Carl and Sid who were sporting the new blue T shirts had walked down from the Taj after depositing the T shirts there. We walked around the gardens a number of times and met up with the Poddars and the Jains who had entered from other gates.

Twila had seen the fountain rising up from the wooden boat in the lake but by the time we reached, it was switched off. We saw the newly constructed Udayan or memorial by the Birla’s and Natalie and I both mistook the flooring for wood when it was actually marble!
We also stopped at the Epitaph of Sidney Percy Lancaster 1886-1972 Secretary of the Agro-Horticultaral Society 1914-1953 and I copied down this Ode to a Gardener.

The world more beautiful he made
With loving zeal he plied his trade
His tools the trowel, hoe and spade.

This humble man did in his way
Bring beauty to the world to stay
Not one but nearly everyday.

There are some lovely benches dotting the park, not that we got to sit and rest as the Doc, accompanied by his wife set a fast and furious pace. We even started following an early morning walker for a while and he must have been quite disconcerted to find himself being followed by a band of at least ten. We passed the elephant’s foot tree and Twila pointed out some green plants that may be called Elephant ears.

I told everyone to go see the Mid Summer’s Night Dream production by the British Council at Tolly Club. Priyanka, who was there the previous night, has joined the hash group. I also met for the first time new hasher Niti who said I had loomed large in my absence. I still loom Large in the new hash T shirt that most of us changed into at the Taj before breakfast. 10 were also given to Taj.