Monsoon Break

Srichand Arora: Manali bound

Monsoon has just about set in and already people are planning a break. Srichand Arora is the first to be heading out to celebrate the rains in Manali. He leaves with family the day-after and would be back the following Monday.
Then there is Jagmohan Papneja who is herding a group (mostly from the ‘other’ Garden) on June 21 to Lonavala. Before that, from June 19 onward, we will witness a major exodus on account of Ramzaan. And then there’s Siba Prasad Maitra, eager to set out on yet another outing – even if it were to be Lonavala again. Arora has advised him to hold his horses for some time till everyone returns and regroups.
Meanwhile, Shekhawat felt he owed the Club an explanation for his absence yesterday when the rains ravaged the Garden.

Shekhawat pitches for a Mumbra faith healer

He said he had an appointment to keep with a famous faith healer in Mumbra who is capable of treating all ailments A to Z – from paralysis and cancer to heart issues, diabetes, polio, rheumatism… The dispensary is run under the aegis of Ramchandra Mahadev Chalke Ayurvedic Upchar Kendra.
“I had gone there for my wife’s joint pains,” he narrated. “Although we had prior appointment, we had to wait our turn in a long queue.

Mallika and Banoo Apa organise tea

Even more surprising was the healer, who looked so disheveled and unkempt that it was hard to have any faith in him. But from what I gathered from the people waiting there and those who had been cured by him, this man is capable of miracles. What other doctors are incapable of curing, he does with ayurveda – provided you have faith.”
Being a week-end and the pitter-patter of rains continuing relentlessly outside, this was a good talking point in the China Hut post-exercise. The pretentious know-alls dismissed the ‘miracles’ as hocus-pocus while the wise cautiously reserved their opinion. Adding heat to the debate was hot, home-brewed tea from Mallika Kagzi. Tea cannot be any more welcome than on a breezy monsoon morning.
Before leaving, many members took the address and telephone number of the Mumbra faith healer from Shekhawat.