Neglect of natural marvel

A Google search will tell you about ten famous balancing rocks in the world, but these famous ten conspicuously do not include the best in the world that we have in Jabalpur. The great volcanic rock is a wonderful example of neglect. It is sadly neglected by all, the citizens, the local government, the state government and finally the central government. Not many years back the rock was seen from the highway running few meters away from the site, but today I had to search for it. The wonderful natural marvel got surrounded by the mushroom growth of dwellings that seems mostly illegal and if these are legal them I pity the authorities who permitted these structures.

Mighty Narmada through Marble Rocks

Jabalpur has a great history. The city has been bestowed with many wonderful marvels by the nature. The mighty river Narmada flows through the marble rocks, a marvel that’s not seen anywhere in the world. The depth of Narmada at certain points in these ravines is up to 600 feet and distance between the two banks is as little as a monkey could jump over, thus called Bandarkud. Little away is a spot where the river is just five feet deep but makes a huge noise, proving the proverb, shallow water makes more noise. Down the stream is Indian version of Niagara, our own Dhuandhar, a mighty wonderful waterfall in central India.

Dhuandhar Fall

Wild Flowers

Few miles away from this mighty river that flows through the marble rocks, we find a range of volcanic rocks and it is in this area the great balancing rock is situated. Today one has to really struggle to find the place. There is no signage that will guide to this marvel. I stopped over a dozen times to check on the location. I moved little ahead of the rock through the hilly terrain and turned back when I realized that I had left behind the spot. The reason is total neglect, houses in the neighbourhood and no significance given to this magnificent marvel made me miss the place at first sight. I parked the car and entered the place through a trap passage. The wild flowers at the entrance were very pleasing but had I not been careful my next step would have landed on human excreta. What a sadistic pleasure the persons might be getting in turning this marvel in to a public toilet. I was at the rock almost after thirty-five years. I was so pleased to see the place again.

Balancing Rock. Inset: Contact area

The upper balancing stone is inclined at about thirty degrees and the surface area of two rocks in contact with each other is about few square inches. No other balancing rock in the world has this small contact surface area. The earthquake of 6.5 magnitudes on Richter’s scale that rocked Jabalpur in 1997 had no impact on this balancing rock. I tried to get more information about the rock from residents in the surrounding area but they were blanker than me. May be they were the migrants in the area from other parts of the country and had encroached the land. Even on the net hardly any information is available in details about this natural marvel.

The size of this rock is huge and the top balancing rock must be over 18 feet in height. There was no way to measure its girth and no one knows what might be the weight of this rock.

Balancing Rock

I tend to call this marvel a neglected one as no one seems to be interested in preserving and properly maintaining the place. There is no marketing of this great marvel. One spends USD 10 just to see how a coconut is chopped in Hawaii or USD 15 to see Bandar ka Khel in Miami. Walk tour of downtown London about Jack the Ripper for GBP 25 or a SGD 35 worth night safari in Singapore is marketing. I don’t want to criticize or challenge them. These may be good in their own way, but we have something that is far better, it’s natural and not manmade. Why can we not market this marvel and the mighty Narmada? Out of the top ten balancing rocks, none can come closer to the Jabalpur rock. The nearest rival can be the Balancing Rock in St. Mary's Bay on Long Island, Nova Scotia or The Golden Rock (Kyaiktiyo), perched atop a cliff near Yangon. There are many balancing rocks in Zimbabwe, but all these are poor distant cousins of Jabalpur rock.

Mighty Rock

I know there is no use to plead or demand a better status for this marvel with any authorities. Had it been smaller is size it would have been stolen buy now. All I desire that we should propagate for this marvel, we should visit the site, tell our friends and relations to take a vacation to visit this place. More traffic to this place can only wake the sleeping administration. My only fear is when the traffic increases, before the administration wakes up, touts and unscrupulous elements may wake up fast and make it difficult for the tourists. The place needs be beautified, cordoned off, and protected, it’s a marvel and pride for    India.

Can my young MBA friends, especially from Jabalpur and around, take the lead to market this marvel and of course start their own business venture in tourism industry. It’s a gold mine.

(My recent visit to Jabalpur in mid March 2013 made me think about this neglect and thus this blog. The purpose is not to criticize any individuals or organizations [there is no point], but to do some introspection so that this marvel can find a place in world tourism map. Please share this blog. Thanks)

Women's Day

There has been never any doubt about female power. Be it Jhansi ki Rani or Queen Victoria, be it Indira Gandhi or Margaret Thatcher, for that matter be it any mother or a social worker. Many females have done exceedingly well in their chosen field. Some got the publicity and some were satisfied with their achievements. There is no need for any formal education to prove something. For the females who did not attend any formal school, life was the teacher and they excelled in their chosen field. There are thousands of examples that can inspire a female to do something that is considered as an impossible by males. I am sharing personal experience of a female who got in to a job that was never thought be fit for women. It was not an effort to prove something but the actions proved something. It opened newer opportunities for the females and newer heights are scaled.

In late 1960’s and early 70’s Nagpur was still a sleepy town with orthodox views and less freedom for women to do what they desire. Women’s education was never undermined but the females did not venture in to professional fields or business. There are always exceptions, some follow the chosen path with determination and surge ahead and some stay with the stream.

This is a story of young girl, who stayed in a hostel, away from her parents who were in Indian Air Force, to pursue her education. The results for B.Sc. Part 1, (somewhat equivalent of HSSC of today) were out and she was ecstatic about her admission to the medical college. Unfortunately her parents being away and no courier services in that era, certain formalities could not be completed and she was thus deprived of her admission in the medical college. With not much of choice in late 60’s she decided to complete her B.Sc. She had an option to continue post graduation, but she decided against the same and wanted to do something that no female had done so far, at least in central India.

The mundane jobs that were available for females in those days were not of interest for her. Somehow an idea came to her mind that was close to her interest. It was related to medical field. She spoke about it to couple of persons in that field, who were not ready to accept her idea. No one had ever thought of such an activity in the past. As luck would have it, one company dealing with pharmaceutical products for female segment accepted her proposal and she became the first lady medical representative way back in 1972, in central India.  Her job was to meet the gynecologist and promote the company’s gynec range of products. Walking on streets with a medical representative signature bag, waiting with male colleagues at doctor’s chamber, visiting the pharmacies to ensure product availability at retail outlets was watched by everyone with a astonishment. The local press and radio, of course in absence of electronic media that’s available today, took notice of her activities and her interviews were published and broadcasted. The lady doctors were very comfortable with her while discussing clinical issues related to their field of specialization and understanding the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drugs that she was discussing with them. And of course male doctors were happy to see a sweet little face…!

Interview in Hitwada, Nagpur

Interview in Nagpur Times, Nagpur

Becoming a medical representative was not to prove something, but was for self satisfaction. It was not an effort to tell the world what a females can do, but was certainly a signal that even females can do the job that males have dominated for years. In her interview over AIR (All India Radio) she advised the younger generations not to have any inhibitions about a job, not to get bogged down by fear of uncertainty. It’s the efforts that will prove, desire to excel that will help to succeed.

Her efforts were not to challenge anyone but to open new avenues for the females. Today we find a large number of females working as medical representative, on higher positions and even as head of pharmaceutical companies. Someone had to take the lead to enter male bastion and that is what this girl did, not today but forty one years back.

Published in DNA, Mumbai

At a later stage of her life she worked for overall development of children and successfully ran a playgroup, nursery and children development center. Once again the media took cognizance of her efforts and gave the publicity that she deserved.  Working for downtrodden, under privileged is her passion and she is associated with social organizations and clubs like Innerwheel and Lioness.

May her past activities work as a beacon to younger generation and help them to choose the path that has been less travelled by the females. One should not do anything to prove, but one should do the things that prove ones capabilities. Happy women’s day.