A tale of Indian cities

It is always fun visiting new places and meeting new people. And it is always with the human mind that we tend to compare our cities and people residing in those cities. I have stayed in Ahmedabad for most of my life. But things started to change after my college got over.

I stayed in Kanpur for 4 months, when i visited Agra and Lucknow too. Then i went to Chennai and stayed there for 4 months. After that i came down to Pune and now it has been 1 year since i have been staying here. I have been a frequent visitor to Mumbai and Delhi too. I just came back from my Bangalore trip. I have also been to Vadodara & Chandigarh amongst the major cities of the country. So, now i have visited most of the big cities in the country, with the noteworthy exclusions being Hyderabad, Kolkatta, Jaipur, Patna and Surat.

Starting with Ahmedabad, it being my home town i love that city and even with many negative points that city have, i will always love to make that my permanent residence any day. Ahmedabad has the best electricity and water facilities amongst all the cities i have been to. Roads do get a beating during monsoon, but otherwise it has quite wide roads and the public transport has been on a way up since last few years, with the BRTS being the latest icing on the cake. But still there is a huge improvement needed in terms of public transport. Also with IT industry not having a prominent presence there and with most of the Gujju population going the business way, there is not enough diverse population present there. And also being a dry state, the NaMo land lacks in terms of hangout joints like pubs or discs. And greenery is a big negative point about the city. There are not enough places for youngsters to pass their time at, apart from maybe huge number of malls and multiplexes.

Then coming to Pune, where i have stayed for the longest duration after Ahmedabad. The city lacks big time in terms of basic infrastructure like roads, electricity, water supply and public transport. Most of the population here consists of youngsters only because of the big presence of Educational institutions and IT industry, which with it brings a huge chunk of young, money spending crowd. This in turn leads to a diverse climate and that leads to a happening environment in the city with many pubs, good restaurants and discs and all. But, the best thing about the city is its climate and the places to see around. It is located in the middle of the beautiful, lush green Western Ghats. And there are so many options to trek around the city. And the monsoons make the city wear the look of a newly wedded Indian bride (i dont know, but the newly wedded Indian wives look very beautiful. May be for the obvious reason).

Mumbai will always be one of my favorite cities, mainly because of the people residing in the city. It is the only city with the true metropolitan crowd, according to me. The public transport is also the best in the country. The local trains rock, somehow. And can't believe the pace at which this city lives. Life begins at 5 in the morning and it boasts of a brilliant night life also. The beaches are another jewel in the crown of this city. But yeah, being the biggest city of the country and one of the most costliest in terms of land prices, there are many other factors worth consideration for this city.

The best thing about Chennai was its beaches. Watching the sun rise from the endless waters, while relaxing on the beautiful brown sand, is the most amazing feeling one can get anywhere. The public transport is also very good over there. But i dont think any North Indian (which according to people over there is anything above Tamil Nadu), will enjoy staying there. There are some really nice places to visit around as well, with Pondicherry being my favorite.

Bangalore, to me was very similar to Pune. But yeah, almost double the size of Pune, and the population density also quite huge as compared to Pune. The worst part was its traffic. The roads are very narrow, just like Pune and the traffic is a big chaos. But yeah, public transport is definitely better than the one in Pune. And it is ofcourse way more costlier too.

Apart from these, Kanpur was a big chaotic city. Hadn't expected much else from a UP industrial city otherwise also. I have never liked Delhi much. But yes, metro is a very beautiful service there. Lucknow was a good, small, clean city. Vadodara is also a very decent, small city.

So, finally to end it, i would like to appeal to the civic authorities that they should understand that cities are for the public and they should atleast take efforts to keep them clean and green. The other basic facilities like good roads, public transport, electricity, affordable homes, water supply, places to hang out, etc are also very necessary. But ideal cities are a far cry in our country with so many other problems like corruption, poverty, education, etc. Again ending it with a hope, that times will change and change for the good.