The charm of my city-Nagpur
As soon as the flight started descending we could see from window small houses,buildings and lot of open green spaces everywhere.This was my city- my birthplace Nagpur. It instantly brought a smile on my face. My kid asked do you like Nagpur more than Mumbai ??
After spending around a decade in Mumbai I proudly call myself a Mumbaikar. The city has owned all people coming from outside. Mumbai is addictive because of its work culture, flexible lifestyle,diversity and its huge form. The charm,the glamour ,the speed of this city makes almost everyone fall in love.The massive structures ,skyscrapers, the infrastructure is evident of its constant growth.The city is never silent. It is always on an on mode.We feel motivated and charged here. There is no limit to dreaming and working to translate them to reality here.
All said,Friends whenever I visit Nagpur I feel transformed to solitude.
The city has managed to retain its greenery, cleanliness, silence despite of modernization and development. The roads are wide and clear. I don’t remember being stuck in traffic jam ever. There are lush green trees on both sides of the roads. There are no open drainage and no garbage on the roadsides.
The city has mostly independent houses. Even though new buildings are coming up in all parts of city they are not much tall. So the skies are clearly visible. Staying in independent houses keeps us connected to ground and soil. During our childhood we have always played in sand and mud. Tikkar billa (hopscotch), Sankhli (chain), making mud toys, hide and seek ,nadi ke pahad (river and mountain) were our favourite games . I realised the importance of playing under sun so easily when my kid enjoyed playing in courtyard with her cousins in Nagpur. Living in tall buildings in city like Mumbai somehow takes away the flexibility to go easily to play in open .We need to accompany kids in lifts and parks while they play. But in Nagpur children are much more free .They can play in courtyards or narrow bylanes bindaas!!.
Nagpur is famous for its extreme climate. Outsiders are wary of Nagpur extremes .In summers the temperature soars upto 48 degrees and winters are too cold. But the best part for me is that weather is dry. Rains are also soothing. Mostly it rains once a day and then throughout the day it is pleasant. In summers we can see big desert coolers at all homes and offices. Even though now people have started using air conditioners but still old coolers are still preferred by many. Even today many enjoy sleeping on terraces in summers. It is an experience which we have cherished the most .Long conversations, group games and then the fresh air make sleeping on terraces an unique experience. We still have dinners on terrace or in courtyards.In winters we have bonfires and outings to nearby places.We can find open air restaurants,farm houses all around Nagpur.So many gardens,lakes ,temples make Nagpur really beautiful.
Nagpur is famous for its oranges.Nagpur is also famous for its food. Nagpur is being associated with two very famous brand names Haldiram and Dinshaws. Saoji ,taripoha, soan rolls, rajkachori,samosa-jalebi are some of the few items you can enjoy the most at Nagpur.
Despite malls being coming up ,the old markets have retained their identity. There is customer loyalty and most of the shopkeepers know their clientele and their choices well.There is personalized service and attention. I feel one of the best part of being in Nagpur is we get to meet known people every now and then. Once we step outside we are bound to meet some or other person in our social circle. So we don’t feel like strangers. People are well connected and social gatherings are very common.
Due to less traffic we can reach any corner of city in less than an hour. I feel life in Nagpur moves at a comparatively slower speed but quality of family life is much better. Children get to spend time with their parents more. Due to less travelling time involved, family and social time is much more.People can indulge in numerous activities due to higher disposal time.Balance between personal and professional life can be effectively maintained at Nagpur.
There are so many schools and colleges.It is one of the most sought after education centre in Central India. Today equally booming is the healthcare industry .Best of the medical care is available.
Having top leaders from the city have given a boost to infrastructure development in recent times.Metro train and cement roads are coming up at many places. The circumference of the city is increasing.
The only thing which lacks in Nagpur is enough job opportunities and work options. So the young population is forced to migrate to metros and Tier 1 cities.But I feel this is a blessing in disguise. Since there are fewer industries and corporates, the city is still less crowded and less polluted. The city has been able to retain its peace, greenery and old charm because of this. It is a boon for people like us who have shifted for work ,to be able to spend some quality time which acts like a breezer. We feel connected to our roots because of originality it has maintained.
Nagpur symbolizes sweet culmination of all modern developments and healthy ,peaceful, personal and social life. Nagpur is janmabhoomi and Mumbai is karmabhoomi. Both are equally near and dear to me. So I always happily say that this vidharba kanya is proud to be a Mumbaikar!!!
