Left for Lucknow on November 17, 2024, arrived there alongwith 1964 Batch Group of All India Service Officers. We were accommodated in VVIP Guest House, quite comfortable accommodation.
The
three local batch Officers, all of IAS organized welcome dinner at 08:00 PM, 12
of us joined it. We shared memories of togetherness of Batch at Mussorie in
1964.
On
November 18, we left for visit to Lucknow monuments at 09:00 AM. Visited Imam
Bara and Regency monuments. At 01:30 PM we had lunch at Moti Mahal Restaurant,
Mahatma Gandhi Road, Opp. Raj Bhavan. At 03:00 PM we were taken to Asma Hussain
Institute for Chikngari shopping at Hazrat Ganj. At 08:00 pm Dr. Shukla,
Director Aastha Geriatric Hospital, give a talk on ‘Geriatric Issues’, followed
by dinner.
On
November 19, we left for Ayodhya at 09:00 AM and returned at 06:00 PM. A
photograph taken of us at Ram Temple on the day.
At an IB
stop over on way to Ram Temple
Another temple near Ram Temple at
Ayodhya.
Just below
the Ram Temple, under construction.
On November
20, the group visited the Kukrail Forest and Crocodile Farm. We could not
accompany the Batch as we had to call on our old friend Shri VK Sircar at
Lucknow. He is being looked after by his three daughters quite well. I spent
about an hour with him. As there were restrictions in meeting him due to fear
of infection, we returned after lunch at a restaurant of Taj Hotel nearby. All
of us visited famous LA Martiniere College at Lucknow.
We had
dinner at Golf Club, hosted by the three local batchmates on the last day of
our stay at Lucknow.
On
November 21, we left for Shri Das’s House our batchmate from IAS for breakfast.
After breakfast we started our journey to Varanasi. We reached Varanasi in the
evening. As I could not get accommodation in Radisson Blu Hotel where the other
batchmates were accommodated, our son Amitabh arranged accommodation in Hilton
Hotel Varanasi.
On
November 22, we visited Vishanath,Sankat Mochan and Durga Devi temples and have good darshan and
did pooja. Thereafter we joined in Ganga Aarti and boat ride.
On November
23, visited Bhairav Temple. There was some problem there. However, we managed
to have darshan somehow. Venita had dip in Ganga at Dashaswasamegh Ghat. She
also visited Basanta College of yore and met Principal, Staff and Students. She
had studied here in early school days. We were requested to distribute prizes
of their ongoing Sports Meet. We also went to Verma family’s ancestral house. There
is nothing left of it now.
On November
24, we left for Vindhyanivasani Temple at Vindhyachal, had darshan and did
pooja there. We returned Varanasi. All others left for Delhi. We also visited 9,
Cantonment Road where Venita had lived earlier. Now there is an Ashram at the
place.
On
November 25, we left Hilton for the Varanasi Airport. Arrived Delhi at 07:00 PM
1 comment:
Very nice
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