Not Just For Walking

Many words are easy to understand but difficult to define. We have to take the help of dictionary to find a proper definition for such words. The word "Footpath" is not one among such words. It is probably easy to define and its dictionary meaning is also quite simple. Dictionary meaning of the word footpath is "A path for people going on foot". Another definition is "a narrow path for walkers only". Both these definitions make two things very clear; the size and use of footpath. It is expected to be narrow and it is reserved to be used only by walkers. It is also to be used only by people going on foot.

There were days when footpath was considered safe for people going on foot as they need not worry about other modes of transport, usually heavy and fast, going on the road. The road part and the footpath existed side by side. As Panchasheel is being suddenly remembered today, after fifty years, we could as well say that footpaths and the roads had a time of peaceful co-existence. Not any longer. The density of vehicle population is overtaking human population and hence it has become important to increase the size of the road and reduce the extent of footpath. In addition to the reduction in size of the footpath, it has found many other uses as well. Even gods have chosen to make their homes on footpath. Shops have come up there. They started on temporary basis but became permanent in due course. There are even "Footpath Merchants Associations" to fight for the rights of selling on footpath. Of course, there is no footpath walkers association. In cities like Bangalore it is common to see traffic police chiding two wheeler drivers for running their vehicles on the road. "Why do you come here? Can't you see so much of space is available on footpath?", they say!

Some areas of Seattle city are excellent examples of alternate uses of a footpath. Seattle is an important city in the Pacific Northwest and is growing faster than many others due to some of the growing companies operating from there as headquarters. The old city still maintains its charms. Each house is different in these residential areas; there are no multi-storied buildings and concrete monsters. The houses stand in the middle of landscaped gardens withe each having a different type of pathway leading to the main door. There are flowers galore and fruit bearing trees around the house. Most of them are not fenced and yet the gardens are perfectly safe. It is a city where you may find an apple tree full of red ready-to-eat apples during your evening walk on the side of footpath and still find them that way after two days. Vegetables are grown in the garden around the house and there is no danger of theft or being eaten away by free roaming cattle. Footpath is strict for pedestrians only. The vehicles on the road stop and allow a person on foot the right of way to cross the road. In short, roads and footpath have a wonderful and peaceful co-existence.

There is a picture given at the top here. A newcomer to the city would wonder what this is. It is a footpath library. Residents of the area have put up such structures in front of their houses. The books purchased and read are later kept in such library shelves on the footpath. Anybody going on the street can check the books in the shelf, decide what is to be read and take the book with them for reading. The shelves have doors but no locks. If you have books that you do not need at home, you could also add to the collection. There are no accounts kept and there is no need to return the book at all. A book taken from one shelf can be returned to another shelf elsewhere, if one wants. It is a wonderful community service centre and they are always full of books. They are used regularly but there is no vandalism or theft in the regular sense of the words.

Another use of footpath and median can also be seen in Seattle. For orderly and safe vehicular traffic, most roads are provided with median space to divide traffic on the two directions. Space available on medians is not used for walking. We can find some plants in such space all round the world. But Seattle has something more than this. In many median space, vegetables are grown. Cabbage, tomato, eggplant (brinjal), lettuce, and other similar vegetables are grown here. A picture of such median garden is given alongside. A regular checking of these gardens for a full month showed that somebody was watering them regularly and de-weeding them. The vegetables were allowed to grow to their full potential without being taken away by somebody in the middle of day or night. There are flower gardens as well and the beauty of the flowers in them is a delight to watch whether you are walking on the footpath or driving along the road. 

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An extension of usage of surplus resource has been highlighted in the press here last week. Dr Issa Fathima Jasmine of Beasant Nagar, Chennai (See photograph on the right) had a problem of disposal of remaining food items each day. She was giving it away to an old lady sitting in her street corner. Then she thought of many others who need food like that old lady. But one does not know whom to offer as some may get offended when it is offered to them. It is also a difficult proposition to wait for someone with food in the hands leaving aside other work one has at home or at office. Dr Fathima has solved this problem by keeping a community refrigerator outside the Besant Nagar Tennis Club. The initiative is called "Ayyamittu Unn". Avvayars (meaning respectable lady) are a series of Tamil poets who have enriched the literature by their valued works. One collection of poems titled Aathichoodi of Avaviyar has a poem, the first stanza refers to "share the food with the needy before you eat". The food sharing has now got extended to clothes and other items as well.

In fact, this is not something totally new. It is reported that there are community fridge system in Mumbai and other cities as well. The idea of sharing or giving away something which still has some value for others has been there for generations in our country. More and more organized efforts are now finding expressions in different forms.

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The world is always a better place to live with co-existence. "Love the life you Live; Live the life you Love", says a mural (a large painting on the wall of a building on roadside) in Seattle. 

Kindled the flame of Tulip buds

When spring winds weakened the mountain floods,

And kindled the flame of the Tulip buds,

When bees grew loud and the days grew long,

And the peach groves thrilled to the Oriole's song....

Queen Gulnaar was the most beautiful woman of her times.  As the Queen of King Feroz of Persia (present day Iran), she had everything she needed in this world.  Her husband was very fond of her and all material wealth was at her beck and call.  Yet she was not happy and one desire haunted her each time she saw her own image in the mirror.  She longed for a rival!  "Give me a rival, King Feroz", she begged her husband and King.  She felt an emptiness in her life as there was no one matching her beauty.  Just to satisfy her desire of having a rival, the King commanded his ministers to bring in unmatched beauties in the world. They brought seven most beautiful brides for the KIng.  The King married them all, led them to her room and told her that he has brought her the rivals she desired.

Seven Queens shone around her ivory bed,

Like seven soft gems on a silken thread,

Like seven fair lamps on a royal tower,

Like seven petals of the Beauty's flower...

Queen Gulnaar was not satisfied.  Though they were seven beautiful brides, they were no match for her beauty.  They were only fit for being her handmaids. "Bring me a rival, King Feroz", she again demanded.

A few years later the Queen was looking at her own image in the mirror.  Her two-year old little daughter runs to her, snatches the mirror and views her own image in it.  At last Queen Gulnaar is satisfied.

Queen Gulnaar laughed like a tremulous rose;

"Here is my rival, O King Feroz"   

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The story of Queen Gulnaar and King Feroz is the theme of a delightful poem titled "Queen's Rival" by Sarojini Naidu, known as the "Nightingale of India".  Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949) was born as Sarojini Chattopadhyay and lived in Hyderabad in her early years. She married a doctor, Govindarajulu Naidu, and later came to be known as Sarojini Naidu. Her brother Harindranath Chattopadhyay was a well-known actor and writer.  His role as an actor in the Hindi movie "Bawarchi" was one of his memorable performances.  Sarojini Naidu took part in the freedom struggle and was president of Indian National Congress in 1925 and presided over the AICC session in Kanpur.  She became the first woman Governor of an Indian state, of United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, before formation of Uttar Pradesh.  Her daughter Padmaja Naidu also worked in politics and later became Governor of West Bengal.

Sarojini Naidu spent her early life in Hyderabad with her father Aghoranath Chattopadhyay, who was the Principal of the Nizam Medical College.  Thus she became well versed with culture of the surroundings.  She was later educated in King's College, London and Cambridge University.  This led her to writing poems in English.  She learnt Persian language and wrote a play "Maher Muneer" in Persian. "Queen's Rival", story of a Persian King and Queen, was probably a natural product of her learning Persian. Her poetry in English language is of rich quality and expressions are a reflection of her keen observation of the surroundings and human emotions.

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The first time I heard of Tulip flower was while studying the poem "Queen's Rival" in High School, nearly five decades ago. I asked the teacher in the class: "What is Tulip and why kindling them?".  He answered that it was a flower.  "What is Oriole?" was the next question.  It is a bird, he said.  Further questions did not elicit any response as he had seen neither the flower nor the bird.  The next encounter with Tulips was while viewing the song "Dekha ek khwab to ye Gul khile huye" in the film "Silsila" filmed on Amitabh Bachan and Rekha. During our visit to Srinagar in Kashmir last month, we had an opportunity to visit "Kashmir Tulip Festival", in the Indira Gandhi Memorial Garden.

  

Oriole is a bright colored singing bird found in such surroundings.  Tulip flowers originated in Persia and traveled to other parts of the world in the 10th century.  The word "Tulip" has Persian origin.  It grows in mountainous areas of temperate climate. Long and cool spring period is required for growing Tulip flowers.  Vast areas of Tulip flowers in as many as 16 colors are grown in regions with such climatic conditions.  

Tulip flower moved to Europe in the 16th century and as the climate in Holland suited its growing, many acres around Amsterdam are used to grow the flower now. "Holland Tulip Festival" held during the months of April-May (April end and early May) draws huge tourist crowds from all over the world.  Cycle road trips along the over 100 Kilometer Tulip route is considered as one of the most beautiful road trips by National Geographic.  Kashmir Tulip festival also is held around the same dates. The beauty of Tulip gardens can be enjoyed for a period of a fortnight only. Untimely rains rob the pleasure as it damages the flowers. Tourists have to plan their visit to coincide with the Tulip Festival.

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The real lesson of "Queen's Rival" was indeed learnt when we were standing in the Tulip Gardens of Srinagar, with the Himalayan range in the background.  Each word of the poem had its special meaning.  It was truly spring winds that had weakened the mountain floods; there were heavy floods in Srinagar just a week ago.  Flame-like looking Tulip buds had flowered as if their tops were kindled! The flowers (there were other flowers too around the Tulips) had attracted innumerable bees and the sound they made was indeed loud. With the onset of spring, days were growing longer and thus shortening the time span cold nights occupied.  It was time for flowering in the peach and apple gardens making the beautiful Orioles to sing in their sweet voice......  Every word the poet said in the poem was before our eyes. She had indeed experienced each of these and made a mental note to enable reproducing them later in her poem!

Reading and relishing quality poetry is not mere understanding of words.  It is much more than that; it is mentally and emotionally transforming oneself into a different world. Thoughts of the famous 9th century Kashmiri poet-philosopher Anandavardhana and his celebrated work "Dwhanyaloka" naturally flooded the mind. His "Dhwani Theory" states that when a poet writes, he creates a resonance with a particular wavelength.  Only when the reader is tuned to that wavelength, he can understand and appreciate the poet's works. A local poet's Dhwani (Sound) Theory was understood through an English poem about a Persian Queen by an Indian writer, while standing mesmerized  in a Tulip garden with the backdrop of the Himalayan range!

   

Portland's Japanese Garden

The term "Pacific Northwest" is used with reference to the geographical region between the Pacific Ocean in the west and Rocky mountains on the east.  Oregon and Washington states of the United States of America and British Columbia province of Canada form the core geographical areas of the region.  Sometimes even Alaska and the northern mountainous regions of California are also included in this term.  The area has bountiful natural beauty with the Pacific ocean on the one side and the coastal mountains, Cascade range, Olympic mountains, Columbia mountains and the Rocky mountain range on the other.  The Mount Rainier National Park with the 14,410 feet high Mount Rainier in the Washington Cascades is one among the many tourist attractions in the area.  Columbia river that runs through the region and joins the Pacific ocean has cut a deep and wide gorge around the rim of the Columbia plateau and created many beautiful tourist spots.  It is said that after Mississippi, more water flows through this river in the entire country. Vancouver BC, Seattle and Portland are the major cities in the Pacific Northwest. Water bodies, hills and rich vegetation have made the area attractive to visitors. Many man made monuments and attractions have enhanced the places of tourist interest.

"Japanese Garden" in the city of Portland, Oregon is one such man made attraction for the tourists. Pacific Northwest has a large Japanese population and Portland is one of the centers that attracted Japanese in big numbers since the last decades of 19th century. Sapporo city in the Japanese island of Hokkaido is the sister city of Portland, Oregon. The Japanese Garden in Portland is made and supervised by the Japanese Garden Society of Oregon on a Not-for-Profit basis.  Proclaimed as the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan, the garden is formed in the west hills of the city of Portland. Spread over an area of 5.5 acres, the natural hilly slopes provide the setting for the garden.  The five distinct garden styles that constitute a typical Japanese Garden are blended here to give the desired effect of realizing a sense of peace, harmony and tranquility. The garden generates a feeling in the visitor of being a part of nature.  The garden aims to provide a living reflection of the history and traditional culture of Japan.

The layout of the garden is influenced by the Shinto, Buddhist and Taoist philosophies. The visual compositions of stones, water and plants provide a higher blend of aesthetic sense than meets the eye. The three essential elements of a Japanese garden are harmonized to provide the composite experience to the visitor.  Stones form the bones of the landscape with water acting as the life giving force.  The third element, plants, provide the tapestry on which the multiple colors of the seasonal flowers provide the final dimension.  Stones are used to give shape to the layout with well laid pathways and Pagodas, stone lanterns, water basins completing the visual effect.  Size of these visual aids is maintained in relation to human scale to give a feeling of being one with the nature.  Native trees that were existing at the time of creation of the garden are retained to enable blending with the natural view around the garden.  Carefully placed stone stepping along the pathway in wooden settings gives comfort while moving around in the garden.

The garden is basically divided into five parts; Flat Garden, Standing Pond Garden, The Tea House Garden, Natural Garden and Stand & Stone Garden.  The visual effect on the visitor varies with the seasons as each season brings with it its own flowers and colors.  The best time to visit is said to be when the riot of colors is displayed with the roses in full bloom.  Our visit was in winter and yet the garden gave its edition of wintery pleasure.  Each tree and plant in the garden was cut and trimmed appropriately and gave a view of perfection and aesthetic delight. The birds, fish and other small animals enhanced the natural beauty of the garden.

A wooden hall created within the garden provides place for exhibition of paintings, talk shows and lectures. Workshops for Bamboo Fence Building, Stone Pavement Making, Maple Pruning demonstrations and Pine Pruning are conducted here. A Kadomatsu workshop for preparing Japanese New Year decorations is also held for interested members of the society and general public.

Our visit to the garden last Sunday was on a rainy day.  Moving around in the garden appeared to be impossible when we started our journey towards the garden. Fortunately for us, the rain took rest for two hours just as we reached the garden and resumed as soon we finished our visit and returned to the parking lot.  Visit to the Japanese Garden in Portland will always remain a memorable experience.