Uncle Kashyap used to
say that Gardens By the Bay is a treasure trove - once you visit this place you
will be addicted to it. Therefore there were no two opinions when it was
suggested that the October walk be held in his cherished venue.
A small group of
enthusiastic walkers assembled near the Magnificent Bull Statue at 8 am sharp
(Memories keep flooding to me that Uncle Kashyap would always make it a point
to be at the walk venues two minutes early). Another group of around 13 people
ventured out straight away to jog/explore the Wonderful Wizard of OZ in Flower
Dome.
Ably guided by
Praveen with the warming up exercises, the group, after reaching our favourite
“Planet” spot ( a hefty seven tons bronze sculpture of a baby floating in the
air), set out to explore different territory this occasion. Alok volunteered to
take us through the adjacent Marina Bay Sands. It was indeed a walk with a difference – an unforgettable experience.
This is the first occasion when substantial portion of the walk was inside an
air conditioned mall. Crossing the Dragon Fly Bridge over the ECP into
Marina Bay Sands (MBS), travelling the ups and downs of the escalators
marvelling at the ambience of F&B Celebrity restaurants, engaging in
vertical climb (Just only lifts!) soaring up to the 57th Floor to
enjoy the panoramic view of Singapore shorelines, coming down to the fourth
storey for viewing the Singapore Floating Platform and our Nation’s Pride
Singapore Merlion, not to miss the luxury fashion brands shops catering to the
exclusive elite of market and the Sampan rides along the canal at the Shoppes
at MBS, we had feast for our eyes throughout. As Praveen remarked it was good
that we came in very early in the day without our spouses when the grandiose
shops were still not open for business, lest we should have burnt a big hole in
our wallets.
Thereafter we came
back to the Gardens by the Bay to enjoy the Heritage Gardens. We were
overwhelmed with joy upon coming to know that many of the inscriptions
depicting the diverse history and Singapore culture told through fascinating
story of plants in the four themed garden were contributions by Uncle Kashyap’s
eldest daughter Savita.
Rounding up our walk
with a visit to Sun Pavilion, home of a large collection of cacti, we
reluctantly bade adieu to the Gardens by the Bay and reached the host’s
premises. True to the Kashyap tradition, we were warmly welcomed by the entire
Family. Musical performance followed our meditation and reading of prayers.
Ramni and Praveen with their kirtans and bhajans ably assisted by unle Kashyap’s
Music teacher and our K V Rao on the tabla were indeed a treat to our ears. The
pinnacle of course is the lovely rendition of the song “What makes you
Beautiful” by our little Deepika captivating the entire audience. I am sure
Uncle Kashyap would have felt proud that the October brunch Sangeeth tradition is
kept alive and humming.
As usual, we were all
treated to a sumptuous brunch by the Kashyap Family.
It was a worthwhile
day spent in the Park which Uncle held dear to his heart and in the Kashyap
Nivas where lived and loved.
-
S. Ramanathan
No comments:
Post a Comment