AN EARLY MORNING IN WARDHA (1st September 2010, 2055 Hrs)

Life in Wardha starts very early, especially for students, who have to catch up with their early morning tuition. Very few from the older generation wake up for their customary early morning walk to keep the old saying still intact – ‘Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” The generation today surely has forgotten this old saying long time ago. If not for tuition, no child likes to wake up early in the morning... even I hated to wake up early morning when I was a kid.

The early morning run is so-so refreshing and makes me feel rejuvenated all day long. Now, most of the old people recognise me and just smile when we pass each other with a nod. I salute them for still loving their early morning walk, which I know they love with an undying passion. That is also the sole reason why they are still healthy unlike their predecessors. Students, fresh from their early bath cycling their way to their respective tuition classes is just a beautiful sight with their smiling faces and discussions about various things. Some of them are on two-wheelers whizzing pass by me... It refreshes my school going days... we didn’t even had the luxury of a bicycle and these young students are on two wheelers.

Oh yes, the enchanting chirping of various birds in the ambience is soul touching in the early morning. Even though hundreds of local sparrows chirp in tandem but those sounds in the morning make you wonder about the soul stirring musical creation of nature. I am really enjoying my daily morning run in such an enchanting atmosphere and the rejuvenation is truly blissful. When I started my run, I used to wonder why few village men with sack on their head or on the bicycle carrier shouts ‘bel’ every 10 seconds in the early morning darkness... however, the secret was revealed to me after a few days. These men sell ‘bel’ leaves to people early morning so they can use the leaves in early morning prayers. Hats off to these villagers, who have used their intelligence to make money for the laziness of city life!

The exception of Wardha’s early morning life doesn’t stop here... newspapers come in as late as 6.45 to 7.15 am... tea stalls near the station starts early and so also the paan dabbas... but one will be surprised to note that the vegetable mandi starts very late here... sometime around 8 or 8.30 am... wonder of wonders, early morning breakfast in Wardha starts around 7.30 am with poha, aloo bonda, samosa and kachori with spicy moong tari and a cup of hot adrak ki chai... I often wonder how people eat samosa and aloo bonda so early in the morning with spicy moong tari? But like every place has a speciality, Wardha’s lies in these delicious snacks’ items. Oh, yes! Tuition classes start as early as 6 am...

After my morning run is over, a hot cup of black coffee and few marie biscuits for me and three newspapers constitute usual breakfast... then the planning starts for the day...