Monday, January 24, 2011

Pune Traffic


Pune traffic circa 1989.  Notice the two camels and the number of bicycles.



Pune traffic with pollution, 2006.  This photo is not very clear, but I couldn't resist showing you the elephant in the street along with the motorcycles and cars.




Pune traffic 2011.  Motorized vehicles only.


There used to be only one traffic light in Pune.....and I am talking about during my lifetime.  Now there are not only many traffic lights but also many busy, crazy intersections.  

When Geeta Iyengar was in the USA for the very first time in 1996, as the chair of the Estes Park Iyengar Yoga Convention, I asked her what surprised her the most about the USA.  She replied that the cars all stay in their own lanes!!  This is unheard of in Pune and most of the rest of India.

On Sunday we witnessed a most amazing drama unfold in front of our eyes.  We were in the rickshaw with Nana doing a tour of some temples in Pune.  We pulled up to an intersection, the light turned red and one car went speeding through anyway.  Nana pointed out a policeman at this intersection and he explained that the traffic policeman was using his mobile device to send the license plate ahead to the policeman at the next intersection who would pull the speeding motorist over and give him a ticket.  When we reached the next traffic round about, it was just as Nana had predicted. Policeman was busy writing a ticket the chagrined driver was arguing with him.  Portland take notice!


Pune Practice Tips for our Portland Iyengar Yoga students:

Level 1 students:
Bring the spirit of Savasana to an upright, seated position such as Sukasana.  What does this teach you?

Level 2 and 3 students:
The movements of the shoulder blades and the spine are important elements in both Salamba Sirsasana and Salamba Sarvangasana.  In one of these poses, the spine ascends easily and the shoulder blades require considerable concentration and precision to engage.  In the other pose, the opposite is true (the shoulder blades ascend more easily and the spine needs more attention in order to lift in and up.) Practice these two poses.  What is your experience?  Figure out which is which.










1 comment:

  1. I love the animals in the street...and I have to ask about the second picture, with the elephant...was it dark and smokey because of pollution, because of the time of day, or a combination of both? You say 'with pollution' in your picture, which made me wonder if that was the whole reason it's so dark, or if it was both pollution and evening. :)

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