Ladies and Gentlemen of the extended family and the familia extendum ..

This region has limited internet and broad band connections and hence I am experiencing severe non connect conditions. I am a bit exasperated and forlorn because I did have intent of filling you in on all the exciting places of visit and journey and history and mythology ..

But alas that will have to wait !!

Apologies ..

Porbandar early morning among the fishing boats . Porbandar and Kirti Mandir, the birth place of Gandhi ji. The Swastika on the floor is the exact spot of Gandhi ji’s birth. The Swastika is a sacred sign in our belief, the way it is drawn now. Hitler twisted it and made it the dreaded SS, during his Nazi regime. Porbandar-Dwarka the drive for three hours and Mithapur where I stay, where salt is manufactured in a rather large industrial way. Ironically ‘Mitha’ means sweet in Hindi, but Mithapur, or the city of Mitha manufactures salt !! Apparently ‘mithu’ in Gujarati means salt .. or words to that effect !

In these regions also a certain tribe or class of people that practice ‘Maitri Karar’, a ritual where the bride to be, goes and lives with the Mother-in-law to be for three months to gauge whether they will get along and then decide on marriage to the boy. I am told in the entire Gujarat area the woman is more dominating. Been here since ages, much before the woman’s lib movement in the West. The future belongs to women !

Bapu’s birth place was so modest and simple … a small little house which had another floor added to it much later and has now an adjoining area attached to it known as the Kirti Mandir. A library, a museum, a school for children and prayer. It lies deep inside a congested lane, crowded with people and shops and other vocations, but once inside the premises, all else becomes strangely silent and peaceful.

Dwarka, the city where Krishna lived and its magnificent and powerful temple. The old Dwarka having submerged into the sea and lies there at the bottom, perhaps due to an earthquake, they say. So much to know and write about .. but of that later before I lose my connection ..

Love to you

Amitabh Bachchan