Sir,

Your Abracadabra dated 26th July — Nostalgically Speaking-2, Mysore, a Pensioner’s Paradise — was very interesting. I would like to add some more from my memories dating to 1960s and later.

I was a school boy in the 1960s at Bharathi Sthree Samaj in Vontikoppal (V.V. Puram). The city had about half the present population and majority owned bicycles which filled 95% of the parking space everywhere.

Cars and two-wheelers were sparse and no autorickshaws also. Many people resorted to walking and pollution was minimal. Plenty of tongas plied on the roads sounding their bells with zero air pollution. Rhythmic chuk-buk and coughing sounds of the Railway steam engines and their pleasant whistle were heard at a distance. The siren at the Ideal Jawa factory made alerting turbulent sounds periodically. At that time, the Maharaja of Mysore Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, once in a way would visit Sri Lakshmi Venkataramanaswamy Temple in Vontikoppal on KRS road. This would be a thrilling news in the locality.

Sparrows, now almost non-existent, were seen chirping in large numbers everywhere. People immersed Lord Ganesha idols in Kukkarahalli Lake in a ceremonious way with all the decorum and with great fervour.

I lament that all this is lost, and that golden era would not return again.

– Dr. C.S. Ravi Prakash, Vijayanagar II Stage, 27.7.2020

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