Secunderabad - 1987.
These backdated blogs are as much to record our travels and places seen as much as they are to present a photographic record of the growth of Ajeet and Anuj.
THIS BLOG COMPLETED ON 12 December 2020.
Irrespective of the date when the map was made and
the blogged, It has been published backdated, to maintain historical sequence.
These backdated blogs are written as much to record our travels and
places seen all those years in the past, as they are to present a photographic
record of the growth of Ajeet and Anuj through those early years.
Mapograph - Secunderabad - 1987.
This is a screenshot of the Secunderabad - 1987 map. This Screenshot is just to give you an overall picture of the tourist's attractions we visited and about our stay in Secunderabad.. But these details can not be accessed here.
Full details and description about routes, hotels stayed, restaurants, where we had food and the information/write up about tourists attractions visited by us, can be accessed in "interactive" google map
For an interactive map go here.
Link for
the album with photos of Secunderabad 1987 is given below
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TqAsrvM5qEeABXHj9
This
album shared from the main 8 Album 11/86-8/88 @
Secunderabad - 1987.
From Air Headquarters we were, posted to Collage of Defence Management (CDM) to undergo Long Defence Management Course (LDMC).
As it was a course there was no chance of taking leave to go on trips. Still, it did not stop us from seeing new places and fun time in Secunderabad.
279 / 3, Allenby Lines.
We were lucky to get an MES quarter. Lucky because CDM had a very limited number of MES quarters. So a lottery system was employed. Names of all the officers detailed for the course were put on slips and a blind draw conducted to decide which officers would be allotted MES quarters and who all will have to do running around to get an MES acquired house or sponsor a house for MES acquisition, My name turned up so I was saved a lot of running around. Most of the course officers had to stay at Sainikpuri or Vayupuri in MES
acquired houses.
We were allotted quarter number 279 / 3, Allenby Lines.
RSI was right across the road. There used to be a film show once a week and we used to just walk across the road for the movie. If we liked it we saw it or just walked back to the house.
In those days there were a lot of grape vineyards in the vicinity of Allenby Lines. Few within walking distance. In grape season Ajeet Anuj used go walking to the nearest vineyard with 10/- Rs and return with almost half a bag full of grapes.
During one year stay at Allenby Lines, Secunderabad lots and lots of photos were taken. Trying to add as many as possible in a group of 10s in the Mapograph(my google map).
For photos of our stay at Secunderabad go to the link of Main Album no8 @
EME Centre Swimming Pool.
We found out that there was an Olympic standard
swimming pool controlled and managed by EME Centre. As luck would have it, it
was within cycling/walking distance from our house. One day went and checked it
out. It was very clean and well maintained. The filtration plant was good and
working full time. A lifeguard and an instructor were always present during the
pool timings. Separate time blocks were allotted for officers, JCOs, other
ranks and their families. The pool, simply too good.
It was
a simple matter to obtain passes for us. Swimsuits were bought/dug out from the
clothes closet. During the summer we started going to the pool on regular basis.
Ajeet and Anuj learnt/ polished their swimming skills. We had a lot of fun. It
was the best of quality time with family.
To see photos with captions go to shared album @Holiday outings. In the 1980s surrounding areas and locality around our house in Allenby lines were very sparsely inhabited. Our house was almost the last housed on
the road. Beyond that, there were no houses and it was open ground with a lot of
hillocks made up of huge boulders or rather rocks that may have weighed hundreds/thousands of tones. It represented the typical boulder cum rock-strewn landscape
of Hyderabad/Secunderabad. The landscape had a strange beauty of its own.
Climbing and walking among those rocks was a lot of fun. Despite a busy schedule
and studies of the course, we made it a point to go out walking in the
surrounding hillocks and open ground. On Sundays and holidays used to go for walks in hillocks made of and full of huge boulders. In one such trip saw barrack and the room where Winston Churchill had stayed as a lieutenant.
To see photos with caption go to shared album @
Ajeet Anuj had Navratri/ Diwali holidays of 7 days. During that break Priti, Ajeet and Anuj made a trip to Indore.
Another highlight of Secunderabad stay was that Surekha and Charumavshi visited us in Secunderabad.
All in all that one year course stay in Secunderabad was quite good.
Places we saw during the year
Golconda Fort.
Hussain Sagar.
Birla Mandir.
BM Birla Planetarium.
Salar Jung Museum.
Golconda Fort.
Took Surekha to Golconda Fort. From the photos, it appears that young Puja and Charu Mavshi had not come on this sightseeing trip.
A vast sprawling fort mostly in ruins. But whatever buildings are in better shape indicate the grandeur of the place as it would have been in its hay day. Archaeological Department has made valiant efforts to beautify the place by well-maintained gardens and lawns.
To see the full fort area, one full day's trip is needed. Anything less than a day one can only rush through the fort without really seeing much and likely yo miss out on some important places. Info on Golconda fort from the wiki is included in mapograph.
Information from the internet given in mapograph.
To see photos with caption go to shared album @
Hussain Sagar.
On the way back home from Golconda Fort stopped at Hussain Sagar. Hussain Sagar was being developed as an attraction with a bit of a park, a promenade and a bit of water sport. Did a boat ride before returning home.
Information from the internet given in mapograph
To see photos with caption go to shared album @
Birla Mandir.
Birlas have built temples all over India. The temples built by them are constructed mainly from white marble. They are very grand. They are as much a place of worship as a tourist attraction and a place worth seeing. We went to see the Birla Mandir in Hyderabad. It is located on top of a hill and is near Hussain Sagar. Do not remember much details about the temple itself. Information from the internet given in mapograph.
BM Birla Planetarium.
The first-ever planetarium Priti and I had seen was in 1974 in Calcutta. We were very impressed by the whole show and how the planets and stars were shown. Skyline of Calcutta as seen fro the top of the planetarium was also shown. I was so good that I still remember it being shown to us in that show.
It is very surprising and sad that though I remember some details about Calcutta Planetarium seen in 1974 even after all this time I do not remember a single thing about Hyderabad Planetarium we saw in 1987-88. To tell the truth, it is only because of the photo album that I know we did visit it with Ajeet and Anuj. I only hope they were also impressed y the first visit to Birla Planetarium and do remember that visit.
While searching for its location I saw a huge complex of Birla science centre, Birla Science Museum, Nirmala Birla Art Gallery etc. All these were not there in 1987-88.
Information from the internet given in mapograph.
To see photos with caption go to shared album @
Allenby Lines 279/3.
Allenby Lines 279/3 end of the course, as well as our stay in Secunderabad, was coming to an end. Postings were received. From our course, Bajwa and I were posted to Hq Eastern Air Command Located at Shillong.
We knew it would not be possible to come to visit our relatives in Pune and Mumbai all the way from Shillong so we decided to visit these places before we left for Shillong.
Due to distances and journey time involved joining time worked out a hell of a lot. I do not remember the exact number of days but they were sufficient for us to go to visit Pune and Mumbai.
So after finalising arrangements and loading of the truck with Bajwa we packed ALL the luggage ready for loading and left for a trip to Mumbai and Pune. Luggage we would require for the journey from Secunderabad to Shillong was packed and kept separately before we left for Pune-Mumbai.
On our return as everything was packed, we were eating in RSI for two days and sleeping on the beddings from the holdall.
After two days of eating in RSI etc the truck which we were sharing with Bajwa reached our house for loading. It already had luggage of three other officers and looked almost full with no place within the truck. It won't be an exaggeration to say that all our luggage was accommodated on the tailboard of the truck.
After loading the truck we left for Hyderabad Railway Station to catch the Howrah train.
