Saturday, November 22, 2008

Day at Chinnaswamy Stadium bangalore - Australia vs India- Part 3

All these drills were supervised by the physio, bowling coach venky and the fielding coach robin singh. Around 8:30 am gautam gambhir strolled towards our stand and placed his gear next to the practise wicket just in front of our stand and joined the others in their game. After few minutes i couldnt believe what i was wirnessing.

The fab four were walking directly towards the practise wickets for a "hit-in". I was going to see all of them from a distance of 10 meters. I wasnt the only one who realised this. The half filled stand rose and went towards the enclosure that seperated the field from the stand and started shooting the players as they took guard and played a few strokes. First it was gautam gambhir and sehwag as they were supposed to open the batting. they had successfully played through the last evenings play and were set to consolidate the innings.

For the first time i felt let down by my trusted mobile. It was a 1.3 Mp camera that it had .. not worthwhile in clicking pictures if you have some distance in between you and the subject. There he was. Saching practising in front of me and i couldnt get a decent shot due to my stupid camera. With the insanely small amount of memory it had, i had to delete stuff even before i could click a picture!
Though i did manage to capture some videos of the master, they was grainy at best.

I saw them all bat. Dravid, Lakshman, Ganguly Dhoni et al. saw zaheer, ishant, amit mishra and kumble bowl. I was so thrilled that the ticket cost was recovered in the first hour itself before even a ball was bowled. Fully satisfied.

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Day at Chinnaswamy Stadium bangalore - Australia vs India- Part 2

Armed with the ticket for the 3rd Day of 1st Test match between India and Australia, I felt like i had wot the golden ticket to Willy Wonkas Chocolate factory. The day happened to be a saturday which meant i could freak out all i wanted as the next day was going to be a sunday.

Going to the stadium wasnt easy for me to say the least. I had been to the area around the Stadium a few times. But this time i had to be there early morning and that too using some mode of transport as it was pretty far away. My options were limited considering that i didnt have my own vehicle for transportation. That meant i either use an auto or a BMTC bus. Autos may be a convenient options elsewhere, but in bangalore you better be a millionaire to even consider traveling by it. Cos even if you are not, the autowallas assume you are some blue blooded fool ready to part with his money. The rates they quote shall either make your wallet lighter or force you to take the eco-friendly public transport. Hail the autowalla who cares for the environment!

So BMTC was the option for me. My source of truth was http://maps.google.com and http://bmtcinfo.com/ and http://btis.in/bus.htm . Excellent sites if you really want to go around in bangalore. route 138 it was for me then. I left at 7:30 am in the morning hoping to beat the rush. Luckily i got a bus as soon as i arrived at the bus stop and before i knew i had landed near the Chinnaswamy stadium.

The usually deserted road was transformed into a colourful melee of people, policemen, hawkers and blackmarketeers. With the match scheduled to start at 9:30 am, already i could see i was not the early bird at 7:45. large number of people were standing quietly in line waiting for the gates to open. I had got the tickets for the stand B (not to mention the cheapest ones). I had checked out the ground map earlier and had arrived at the conclusion that this was a good bet. and as i found out later, i wasnt wrong!

On figuring out that it was gate no 12 for me, i went upto the gate and started looking where the line ended. Strangely, there was no line at the gate! I wondered whether this really was the correct gate as the adjacent gate had a 100 meter queue already. My doubts were quelled when the guy at the ticket window confirmed that this indeed was the entrace to the stand A. I couldnt believe it. I was the first person to turn up in that particular stand. Not surprisingly though. I had arrived at the ground a 1:45 mins early.

As i stood there patiently thinking about how lucky i was to be the first one to enter the stand, i saw police men frisking away people anxious to get a ticket. The ticket window clearly displayed signes reading tickets were sold out. What an opporutnity for the black marketeers, i thought. I had experienced it myself the previous year during the last day of the test match between India and Pakistan. tickets were being sold at obnoxious prices a few meters away while the ticket windows shamelessly/helplessly/ignorantly displayed "sold out". What a shame. Paying a bribe to watch a sport thats considered a religion by us. In other words some black marketeer decides whether you can follow your religion or not. Utterly blasphemous.

Finally the gates opened and i was let in. There was thorough frisking of me,my bag and the result of which i had to do away with my water bottle. Another way to extort money under the guise of security. But all these thoughts suddenly gave way to great anxiousness instead. I was going to enter a cricket stadium for the first time in my life. What a feeling it was! I literally ran through the maze of high walls and entered the lobby which led to the stand. It was like a hall with a huge entrance at the other. It was here that the refreshmets were served during the breaks.

I didnt even bother to look around. My target was the entrance to the stand. I slowed down enough to allow the security to check my ticket again. Finally i entered the stadium. What a view it was! Lush outfield with a huge expanse. The circular canopy of the stadium supported by great arches looked beautiful. And the four light towers stood stoically as though they had been there since eternity. The thing that struck me instead was the size of the stadium. On tv it looked much bigger. I was awestruck for the initial 10 minutes. then as the feeling sunk in, I thought of calling my brother. As it turned out, that sloth was still in bed maybe dreaming of driving an F1 car alogside Michel Schumacher!

The weather of bangalore as always was perfect. the sun was out but perhaps it was unusually cool. The far side of the stadium was still under the morning shadows. I was still trying to find out the place to sit so that i could get to see the game perfectly. The stand itself was pretty snugly placed. It was directly opposite the players pavilion on the far side. So it meant you couldnt see who was coming in to bat next. But you shouldnt expect all this luxury in the cheapest seat in the house. It wasnt all that bad too. Besides being very close to the playing field, it also was a nice place to watch straight drives from.

Slowly, but surely the crowd was building up. And along with it was the noise. Soon a giant tricolor was unfurled in the stand above me. The horns suddenly stopped for a brief moment, the cheering went quiet and as everyone waited to see what happened, the two teams came out onto the field although in shorts and sweats. It was the morning practise before the match started. But that was enough for the people to start cheering wildly.

As the players went about their drills, people cheered for the player they recognised sometimes successfully and sometimes unsuccessfully. There were shouts of "Saaachinnnnn... Saaaachinnnn", which has become an anthem of sorts in the last decade. And interspersed were shouts and cheers for Sourav "Dada" Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sehwag, Dhoni, Ishat, Zaheer and of course Kumble. The Australians were playing a game of football whereas the Indians kept themselves busy with a game of rugby. So whenever the ball went close to any of the stands the people cheered wildly forgetting that the game hadnt even started!


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Friday, November 21, 2008

Day at Chinnaswamy Stadium bangalore - Australia vs India

How do you describe the first time you went and watched a match in a stadium? Unforgettable. Right? Its a childhood memory that any kid savors his entire life. Watching ones sporting heroes in flesh and blood compares to nothing else on this planet. Well i recently had the same experience. not as a kid, though. It happened to be almost 16 years after i fell in love with the game we call Cricket.

It wasn't that i never was interested in watching a live match. To be frank, i lived in the center of Mumbai; which in itself was reason good enough to watch atleast one match in the 16 years that I lived in Mumbai. But then somehow I never really came to watch a match in a stadium.Like a pilgrimage every pious Muslim takes to Mecca, it dawned upon me to do something similar.

The earliest instance i remember watching a cricket match on TV is the '91 Hero Cup. It was here that i saw the geniuses of Sachin Tendulkar & Anil Kumble at work. Frankly speaking, a 9 year old doesnt know a genius when he sees one. But After seeing all that these two have done for India over the last decade and a half, I was befitting to see these two characters of cricket in action with my very own eyes before they bid adieu to the 22 yards.

Its wasnt all about Sachin and Kumble, there was the ever hard-working father of Indian cricket Rahul Dravid. The "God of off-side", Sourav Ganguly and last but not the least, the silken willow of Vangipurappuvenkatasai Lakshman. The "Fab-Five" as these accomplished exponents of the game are known.

The opportunity chose me instead of the other way round. and nothing better i would say. After all, what better than a fitting challenge in the form of the Australians, the side to beat in cricketing circles. One last challenge. one last chance to leave an impression. One last chance to preserve a moment in history.

Having suffered enough at the hands of my procrastination, I set out to book my ticket before i let go of this chance. More in the next post...


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Sunday, November 16, 2008

Bus Routes in Bangalore and travelling from Bangalore International Airport

If you are traveling in bangalore and dont know which bus routes go where in bangalore? There are various buses available from BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation).
History of BMTC
BMTC was originally a company called Bangalore Transport Company (BTC) Limited founded in 1940 catering to the entire city with a fleet of 98 buses. The Government of Mysore took over the city transport from the private company in 1956 and called it Bangalore Transport Service [BTS]. On August 15, 1997 Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) was incorporated.

The following pages give detailed Bus routes from BMTC.
BMTC English site: This site i sthe older version of the BMTC site which provides bus route maps

BTIS site- bus route maps : The new site with good information about commuting from the new Bangalore International Airport

BIAS-1

BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO HEBBALA

Hebbala Ring Road


DEPARTURE FROM :BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
0650 0715 0740 0805 0830 0920 0945 1030
1055 1120 1125 1210 1235 1300 1325 1350
1415 1440 1505 1550 1615 1640 1705 1730
1755 1820 1845 1910 1935 2000 2025 2110
2135 2200 2225 2250 2315 2340 0005 0210
0235 0300 0350 0415 0440



DEPARTURE FROM :HEBBALA
0600 0625 0650 0715 0740 0805 0830 0855
0920 1010 1035 1120 1145 1210 1235 1300
1325 1350 1415 1440 1505 1530 1555 1640
1705 1730 1755 1820 1845 1910 1935 2000
2025 2050 2135 2200 2225 2250 2315 0120
0145 0210 0300 0325 0350


ALL ARE VOLVO

BIAS-2

BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO MCTC BUS STAND

Vijayanagara, Basaveshwara nagar 8th Main, Navarang, Malleshwaram Bus Station, Sadashivanagara Bash yam Circle, Mekhri Circle , Hebbal, Jn.of Kogilu cross.(Only Non AC Suvarna Services)
DEPARTURE FROM :BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
0600 0700 0800 0900 1000 1100 1200 1300
1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100
2200 2300 2400 0100 0200 0300 0400

DEPARTURE FROM :MCTC BUS STAND
0600 0700 0800 0900 1000 1100 1200 1300
1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100
2200 2300 2400 0100 0400 0500

ALL ARE SUVARNA SERVICE

BIAS-3

BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO JEEVANBHIMANAGARA

DEPARTURE FROM :BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
0600 0615 0630 0645 0650 0715 0735 0755
0810 0825 0840 0910 0925 0940 1010 1025
1035 1105 1120 1135 1220 1235 1245 1320
1335 1335 1420 1435 1445 1515 1530 1545
1615 1630 1645 1700 1745 1800 1825 1845
1855 1925 1940 1950 2020 2035 2050 2120
2135 2145 2300 2335 2350 2400 0045 0130
0230 0300 0410 0440 0510 0525 0545

DEPARTURE FROM :JEEVANBHIMA NAGARA
0615 0630 0645 0715 0730 0745 0830 0845
0900 0910 0925 0940 1025 1040 1055 1125
1140 1155 1205 1225 1240 1250 1320 1335
1345 1435 1450 1500 1535 1550 1605 1635
1650 1700 1730 1745 1755 1825 1840 1855
1925 1940 1950 2020 2050 2120 2135 2150
2230 2330 0045 0100 0145 0225 0255 0325
0340 0355 0410 0425 0440 0455 0510 0525
0550

BIAS-4

BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO HAL

ROUTE NO.BIAS-4 BIAL TO HAL OLD AIRPORT
DEPARTURE FROM BIAL
0500 0600 0700 0800 0900 1000 1100 1200
1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000
2100 2200 2300 2400 0100 0200 0300

DEPARTURE FROM HAL
0500 0600 0700 0800 0900 1000 1100 1200
1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000
2100 2200 2300 2400 0100 0300 0400

BIAS-5

BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIR PORT To J.P. NAGAR 6TH PHASE

DEPARTURE FROM BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIR PORT
0610 0625 0640(V) 0655 0710 0725 0740V 0820(V)
0835 0850 0905 0920(V) 0935 0950 1005 1020(V)
1035 1050 1105 1120(V) 1135 1150 1205 1220(V)
1235 1320(V) 1350 1405 1420(V) 1435 1450 1505
1520(V) 1535 1550 1605 1620(V) 1635 1650 1705
1720(V) 1815 1830 1845 1915 1930 1945 2015
2045 2115 2145 2215 2300(V) 2315 2400(V) 0015
0045 0100(V) 0015 0130 0200(V) 0230 0300(V) 0340
0410 0440(V) 0510 0540(V)



* BOLD INDICATES VOLVO

DEPARTURE FROM J.P. NAGAR 6TH PHASE
0600(V) 0615 0630 0645 0700(V) 0715 0730 0745
0800(V) 0815 0830 0845 0900(V) 0915 0930 0945
1000(V) 1100(V) 1115 1130 1145 1200(V) 1215 1230
1245 1300(V) 1315 1330 1345 1400(V) 1415 1430
1445 1500V 1515 1610 1625 1655 1710 1725
1755 1825 1855 1925 2040(V) 2055 2125 2140(V)
2155 2225 2240(V) 2255 2310 2340(V) 0005 0040(V)
0120(V) 0150 0220(V) 0250 0320(V) 0350 0405 0420(V)
0435 0450 0505 0520(V)

* BOLD INDICATES VOLVO

BIAS-6

BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIR PORT To KADUGODI BUS STATION

DEPARTURE FROM BIAL
0440 0540 0640 0740 0830 0930 1030 1130
1230 1430 1530 1630 1730 1830 1930 2030
2130 2230 2330 0045




DEPARTURE FROM KADUGODI
0600 0700 0800 0900 1000 1100 1200 1300
1400 1500 1655 1745 1855 2000 2055 2145
2245 2400 0100


BIAS-7

BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIR PORT To KORAMANGALA

DEPARTURE FROM BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIR PORT
0600 0630 0700 0730 0800 0830 0900 0930
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1020 1050 1120 1150 1220 1250 1320 1350
2 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1420 1450 1520 1550 1620 1650 1720 1750
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1820 1850 1920 1950 2020 2110 2120 2150
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
2240 2310 2400 0040 0130 0220 0345 0430
1 2 4 6 7 8 3 5

DEPARTURE FROM KORAMANGALA
0610 0640 0700 0735 0820 0850 0920 0950
5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4
1020 1050 1120 1150 1220 1250 1320 1350
5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4
1420 1450 1520 1550 1620 1650 B 1750
5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4
1820 1910 1920 1950 2040 2110 2140 2210
5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4
2230 2300 2330 2400 0420 0450 0525 0540
5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4

BIAS-8

BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO ELECTRONIC CITY

DEPARTURE FROM :BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
0310 0500 0625 0715 0800 0840 0925 1010
1055 1135 1240 1355 1445 1535 1620 1705
1745 1825 1935 2015 2100 2145 2230 2315
2355 0040


DEPARTURE FROM :ELECTRONIC CITY
0110 0200 0300 0505 0550 0630 0730 0815
0855 1010 1105 1220 1305 1350 1430 1530
1630 1745 1830 1915 2015 2115 2230 2330
0040

BIAS-9

BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIR PORT To KEMPEGOWDA BUS STATION

DEPARTURE FROM BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIR PORT
0615 0725 0755 0825 0925 0855 0925 0945
1015 1045 1115 1145 1215 1245 1325 1355
1425 1455 1525 1550 1615 1645 1715 1745
1815 1905 1935 2005 2035 2105 2155 2225
2255 2320 2325 2355 0020 0105 0120 0135
0205 0220 0235 0305 0330 0335 0405 0430
0435 0505 0535


DEPARTURE FROM KEMPEGOWDA BUS STATION
0600 0630 0635 0700 0730 0735 0800 0820
0825 0850 0920 925 0950 1020 1050 1115
1200 1230 1300 1330 1400 1425 1450 1520
1550 1620 1650 1740 1810 1840 1910 1940
2030 2100 2130 2200 2230 2340 1210 1240
0110 0140 0230 0300 0330 0400 0430 0440
0500 0540



BIAS-11

BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIR PORT TOCHIKKALASANDRA BUS STAND

DEPARTURE FROM BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIR PORT
0520 0635 0750 0830 0935 1030 1125 1220
1300 1425 1520 1620 1720 1830 1930 2030
2130 2210 2330 0045




DEPARTURE FROM CHIKKALASADRA BUS STAND
0430 0520 0600 0705 0800 0900 1000 1050
1155 1300 1400 1500 1620 1655 1750 1850
2000 2120 2240 0330


BIAS-12

BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIR PORT TOKUVEMPU NAGARA (BTM LAYOUT)

DEPARTURE FROM BANGALORE INTERNATIONAL AIR PORT
0415 0520 0620 0720 0820 0920 1040 1240
1340 1440 1620 1720 1820 1920 2020 2140
0045 0230


DEPARTURE FROM KUVEMPU NAGARA (BTM LAYOUT)
0415 0520 0610 0720 0830 0940 1030 1140
1240 1450 1610 1710 1820 1930 2025 2130
2245 2400