The Modernisation of Lanterns

I live in a place called Bangalore(now bengaluru), the name is important beacuse it has added one word in english dictionary 'Bangalored'(ref. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bangalored).This is a place where I can enjoy nice climate, no light cut, 24 hours water in your tap and in one line the whole worldly facilities at your door-step.So, when I go back to my village, people look as if I am from different planet.

On saturday, we have a birthday party and we decided to have it on a DHABA called 'Angeethi'
(http://www.indianfoodforever.com/eating-out/restaurants/bangalore/angeethi-restaurant-bangalore.html)
on M.G.Road.Most probably, we wanted to have some place where we can remember our past.

I was quite surprised by looking the scene at the Dhaba.All the walls have been nicely polished so that it was looking like earthen wall, electric pipe wirings outside the wall were there, one well was at the centre with GHIRNI, there was a cot(khatiya) made of rope ( Kalkatiya Sutri ) along with a pillow, a betel(Pan Dukan) shop at one corner in a gumti, Posters of famous amitabh bachchan movies(like Deewar,Sholay etc) surrounding the place, one 'thanda matlab coca-cola' advertisement on one side of wall,,waiters were wearing kurta-pyagama and ofcourse there was no A.C. It was open to surroundings as it was on the top floor, and the hotel persons have tried their best to give a 'rustic' look.

So, as I saw it at a glance, I felt that I came in a different world(far away from the city in some boorish place) but I observed it instantly that these all things are un-natural and were made intensionally, means there was no water in well, no electrical wire inside the pipe wirings, no earthen wall.

But still,the most beautiful thing I liked that there were Lanterns put at different places for light.It was exactly as the kerosene lantern still used at small towns.The only difference was in place of wick there was a filament, in place of gas flame, there was bulb lighting and in place of capillary effect there might be some Edison effect was working.

These all efforts were made to cover the urban look by a rustic look, but the question is why? what's of doing all these non-sense in a high-tech city, where persons are habituated to live a differnet life style.May be it has been done so to keep the price comparively low, I thought.But, as soon as I have seen the menu, my this doubt has also been cleared.The price was so high that It can compete any of the costiest restaurants in India but still the crowd was so high (all are from high profile family) so that one can't get place easily unless it has been booked in advance(We were quite fortunate in that sense as we reached far before the normal dinner time).

I saw the menu - Paneer-butter Masala- 145/-, Roti- 50/- per piece avg, Betel(sweet)- 20/- per piece, cold drinks- 45/-( I don't know the prices of non-veg. stuff as I am vegetarian).So, with ten persons we managed somehow under 3000/- (without any starter like soup and icecreams or sweets), I bet, the bill for same kind of food in same amount in same kind of environment will not go beyond 300/- in so called sub-urban or undeveloped places.(But, if the same thing will be served with that much price, will the person go or even the high-profile persons will enter?)

So,Is the 'rustic look' main reason of attraction for an urbanite?If this is true, doesn't look it absurd. I am trying the brain of a urbanite. Do the so called cosmopolite people ever want go back to place they have abandoned forever?Do they also feel to sleep sometimes on these so uncomfortable Cots(Khatiya)?Do they ever want be enjoy the light of Lantern?May be sometimes they miss it badly and then want to buy something that can propitiate their emotions, doesn't matter if it is artificial,emotions can also be fooled.

For me, answers of these questions are quite straight.Sometimes I get quite bored with this 'No Light Cut' and I wish if the light goes off at night while I am studying with my Papa and my Mama shouts from kitchen -'Hey Raju, light the lantern immediately.Oh, you have not filled kerosene in lantern na, you have not cleaned the chimey also.You know light is quite uncertain here, Why not you do it all in evening itself.'' And then I run to Lantern before Papa add something to it but I find Lanterns have been modernised now. I have got switches to play with light and so with with my emotions.....................