Sable Badiya Chhattisgarhiya! – it means ‘Chhattisgarh is
the best’ in Chhattisgarhi language. Those were the bold letters written on a
giant gate at the entry to the capital city – Raipur . I still remember reading these words
when I had taken my first steps towards the city. I still haven’t been to find
the reason why locals there think so. However there are few things that make CG a
bit unique in its own way.
Few enlightening things about my Karmabhoomi – Chhattisgarh:
- Apart from Tigers it houses a human population of 25,540,196
- No, not all people staying there are Naxals
- No, not all people staying there are Adivasis
- Yes there are a lot of people who buy cars there (for all those ignorant @$$es who kept asking me “Tu waha gaadi kisko bechega, forest officials ko??” )
- During summers you cant differentiate between a girl and a guy, both are covered by super long scarf on top half.
- Yes there are malls, 6 sprawling ones in a small city. Now you just have to find people to visit them.
- Everything is as expensive as metro cities, surely they have at least tried to replicate one aspect of Metros
- Summers are like a baking oven, can go upto 45 degrees
- ‘Bhaiyya’ becomes ‘Bhiya’, ‘Haan’ becomes ‘haau’, ‘Paani Puri’ becomes ‘Gup Chup’
- Rare to find localites, everyone is either a Marwari, Punjabi, Oriya, Bengali, Maharashtrian etc etc
- Peace loving people, hardly witnessed petty crimes
- Terrible food options, though I can vouch for the fact that ‘Rasoi’ in Bilaspur is the best vegetarian restaurant I have tried yet. No food available before 10 am and after 10 pm.
- It is not unusual to see a jerk stopping the vehicle on a flyover and talking on phone and waving other people to move ahead his car
- Cattles on the road give you an exciting driving experience
- Wine shops remind you of Mumbai Locals, round the year, as if the next day is a dry day.
- Sunday is a holiday, even for shopkeepers. So if you make plans to do some Sunday shopping, you are sure to be disappointed.
- Every Autorickshaw is a 10 seater, and even 15 seater if the traffic cop is on leave.
- Remember those School Bags with buckles to close them? You get those as a free accessory with every bike. They are used as a side carrier!
- Have seen a Bhelpuri waala sporting a huge LCD screen on his thhela powered by an Auto Battery. Call it a jugaad or innovation, means the same. He is a celeb.
- Don’t be shocked if you feel your plane has landed on a railway station. Yes it is the airport.
