MAR ATHNASIUS COLLEGE OF ENGINERING...MACE..KOTHAMANGALAM

 I was toying with the idea of visiting this institute for quite some time  MACE Mar Athnasius college of Engineering in Kothamangalam...my older lad Ganesh studied Computer Science here fron 2015 to 2019.

Kothamangalam is a small township closer to the Western Ghat mountains in the Ernakulam District of Kerala. Perumbavoor  is a major hub some twenty kilometers from Kothamangalam and Kothamangalam is not far from Muvattupuzha.The names of towns in this part of the world closely resemble each other and can be confusing. The district and city of Idukki is close to Kothamangalam and Kothamangangalam is transit point towards Idukki .However Idukki can also be approached through a place called Theni in Tamil Nadu. Nearly two hours from Idukki down the Western Ghat mountains is Theni.Idukki and this part of Kerala in general can be approached from Bangalore through Dindugal and Theni.

I had to get into a Kerala SRTC bus bound for Trivandrum which is a A/C hybrid bus 2+1 seater cum sleeper.Kerala SRTC must be congratulated for introducing this version of buses in its fleet because it is very comfortable. Karnataka SRTC is yet to introduce these buses to my understanding but would stand in good stead if they do so at the earliest.I had to get down at Perumbavoor which I did.

Perumbavoor is a fairly modern township with a elegant Government bus stand but to my understanding the bus-station needs better management.I had a stroll in the morning of Perumbavoor and could see large churches.The high point is that I got a budget room to stay here on the main road.My primary focus was to book a return ticket to Bangalore which I did on a Munnar-Bangalore service which stops at KSRTC Perumbavoor bus stand.

I decided to hire a taxi to Kothamangalam a very wise decision in many ways.The Taxi is a deisel run Auto-Taxi of Haridas. I was chatting with Haridass all along the stretch. TATA sons has stopped making these vehicles I was told by Haridas but is a splendid vehicle in many ways for its ruggedness and economy.The institute called MACE is on the Kothamangalam -Muvattupuzha road some two kilometers from Kothamangalam.Parking the Taxi in the stand Me and Haridas went about exploring the Institute.

I liked MACE for many reasons , a very well orchestrated place with top-class flora in and around. I had a look at the Electrical Machines lab which is half the size the lab we used to have at NIT but has all the machines. The lab incharge told me they even have Schrage motor which is a variable speed Induction drive.On the entrance to the institute is the photo of  CNR Rao.It was nice to see that Mr.Rao is honoured at this place.I used to know Rao when he was the Director of  Indian Institute of Science meeting him at times in the Faculty hall of IISc.

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Then I went to the Dept. of Computer Science and happenned to chat with a teacher of Ganesh who remembers him fonldy as a obedient lad who used to always sit in the front bench.Some how she was very glad to see me.

Thus ended a sojourn to this part of the World.This part of Kerala is less exciting to my observation acting more as a transit point to Munnar,Kottayam and Idukki.

A BUDGET HOTEL HERE

LILLY RESIDENCY;CHUNGATH JEWELLERY BUILDING;MC ROAD;PERUMBAVOOR;KERALA 683542

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Dr.Y Rajaram and Myself

It was in 2005 or so I was introduced to Dr.Y Rajaram with whom I had a long term professional association.He was a colleague of another friend and mentor of mine by name Dr.G Venkatesh who is a physicist from Raman Research Institute.Dr.Y Rajaram is a doctorate in banking from an university in central India.He guided me during my M Phil project on "Indo Singapore trade".

I have also met many times the brother of Dr.Y Rajaram , Dr.Narahari at the School of Automation at the Indian Institute of Science IISc. Dr Narahari I was told at a International Symposium of the society of Operations Management is an expert at Supply Chain modelling.

Dr.Y Rajaram is also an administrative expert with high degree of Operational conformity and above everything a very supportive and helpful individual. He was the Dean of RIMS Ramaiah Institute Of Management Studies for many years.

TALES ABOUT MY KINETIC HONDA

In the year 1995 more precisely June 1995 I bought a Kinetic Honda Scooter for 35,000/- the money largely financed by my parents and life was too good after that and became more enchanting considering the flow with which I could move from one place to another.It gave me nearly twenty years of service and now retired and parked at home giving way for a new Honda Activa.

In all I must have travelled some 3,00,000 kilometers on it during the twenty year course and may it be said it bought goodfortune for me in many ways.

I have travelled to many places on it ..Tumkur..Mysore ....and what a joy it was to ride it with only few skirmishes to remember..one a fall from it and another a collision with a push cart wagon.

The vehicle has served us in right earnest.In 2002 my sister was stranded on M G Road when her BPL  office was declared prematurely complete owing to the confinement of Dr.Rajkumar by Veerappan and I got a call from her about the commotion around and the absence of public transport.I took the vehicle monouvering through columns of hooligans who had amassed the streets brought her home to safety.This was an event of sorts.

In 2006 the demise of Dr.Rajkumar was announced and I was found to be in the middle of ring road in Bangalore with tyres around being burnt and my two-wheeler failing to start...i was upset and parked the ehicle to the side and looking for some one who could service it and all shops closed because of the chaos and confusion. I rushed the vehicle into a Car service center and one of those staff though not a regular one to repair a two-wheeler offered to try to service it with the tools on the vehicle.Apparently the plug adaptor had dislodged itself and he set it right and before long I was speeding away.

I had gone to Indiranagar for some work on my return from the US one afternoon.I parked the vehicle outside Shanti Sagar and went in to have lunch and on return was staggered to find my vehicle was not there.The pan stall person told me that Tiger had taken the vehicle.Tiger later I came to know was Traffic Police pick-up van or the tow van.Apparently I had parked hardly an inch into some line.I was told the vehicle is with the Traffic Police office near Isolation Hospital and I had to take an auto to the destination and as usual following the niceties got the vehicle back.

Many times the tyre of the vehicle used to go flat...and I used to fit the spare tyre from some near-by shop and remember once the spark-plug giving away and getting it replaced from a near-by service shop.

One of my earliest memories with this two-wheeler was on the ring road which was just erected in 1997 with no vehicles or very minimal vehicles on the road and I found myself speeding at 90 kmph and what an elated feeling.In one such escapade the accelerator cable broke and I had to replace the cable.

I lost my helmet from within the IISc campus in 1999 or so near the JRD TATA auditorium.I had put my helmet which was a brand new one on the rear mirror and went in for a conference and on return found it missing.I lodged a complaint with IISc security staff then.

By mistake once I used a 4T  oil instead of 2T oil and I found the vehicle not at ease and sensing the problem in advance rushed to a nearby petrol pump and put full half litre of 2T oil  and saved the situation.

The Vehicle has helped me many a times to ferry my family to Hospitals and back on many occasions.

Much later when I was using the vehicle I used to get back pain..this was painful. I had fit a broader tyre on the back wheel creating higher jerks and weakening the shock absorber. The problem stopped after I changed the shock absorber.

One of the penultimate incidents with the vehicle happened in Komaghatta forests near Bangalore where I was foolishly riding a twenty year old bike at high speed.The bore got stuck and the vehicle ceased signalling for all practical purposes the end of service of the vehicle. Some revellers on the route may it be said to the greatness of this city pushed the vehicle from their bikes on foot giving it thrust from behind and before long reaching Kengeri from where I brought the vehicle home on a luggage truck.For all practical purposes the vehicle had to be shelved and a new one replaced. Hats' off my KINETIC HONDA you did your best and at times I used to call the vehicle Bucephalus. I forgot to mention that in its younger years I used to ride my sister to her law office in it when she was a law student.But let me state one thing. I prefer riding a two wheeler to driving a car.

Every one must experience the joy of riding a two wheeler boy or girl as it is the easiest way to travel from one place to another.Get your vehicle serviced regularly.Ride at optimum speeds. Do not use the same route always in case there is a traffic jam on certain routes..avoid these jams by re-routing..Try to replace the vehicle once in ten years..use helmet always and when you are younger parents must finance the purchase of the vehicle.