Mother …….London……Reflection….

Mom always had a great fascination for London due to its history and the treasures that were taken from India to adorn the British Royals. I think even the school anthem they had in those days “God save the King” must have been a part!. My grandfather worked for the British government and like all the educated middleclass family, talking and thinking in “English” was considered as a “cool” thing to do. My Mom literally grew up surrounded by books and poems of Wordsworth, Keats and Shakespeare!!. Luckily being an orthodox Hindu, my grandparents also taught her Tamil and Sanskrit literature and religious hymns which she adored and mastered.

Ok coming back to England, when I started going to London on business trips, I have decided to take Mom also with me. When I asked her to join me in one of those trips, she was very enthusiastic, started humming “London Bridge is falling down” and created a list of tourist spots to visit. She was very happy that she is visiting London as a free Indian now and not when India was ruled by Britain.

We arrived in Heathrow and there was not much scrutiny as it was one of the pre 9/11 period. We took a taxi and arrived at the Hilton near Nelson Square. My Mom said that every landmark looks very familiar as she had seen them many times in the Travel Channel or read in the books. Well, after a brief rest and breakfast we headed out. My Mom said “Imagine the time when the Palace had no electric lights and the horse carriages carrying those Dukes and Duchess in the cobbled stone streets of London”!

The principle of Monarchy in England has changed with the time and with the Parliamentary democracy, the Royals have become a “Living Museum” concept. I think the choice to maintain that tradition even though it cost a considerable amount in the budget, is important as we can witness the continuity and the preservation of an antiquated tradition unfolding in front of our eyes. We need those brief moments of “awe” and “wonder” in our lives to become a child again and to enjoy a fairy tale!

The most awaited Crown jewels! We went to the London Tower to see the jewels. The Kohinoor diamond and the Peacock throne plus beautiful Emeralds, Rubies and Sapphires looked adorable in the well protected show cases and heavily guarded. It is also amazing to see how a piece of lowly carbon was transformed into a piece of dazzling diamond in the cradle of the mother earth and gained value to be followed by war, treachery and greed.



London trip can never be completed without a visit to the British Museum, Greenwich, Stratford at Avon Stone Henge, and the Oxford University. In Oxford, my Mom sighed and said that she never had the opportunity to go to College. I said “Mom your scholastic aptitude and research mind is unsurpassable. Without you I would not have gone to College”. With a new vigor and a sense of gratitude, I took Mom back to London right into the Regent Street. Yes, to the oldest Indian restaurant in London, Veeraswamy’s. The Manager was happy to narrate the history and the famous people who had visited the restaurant to my Mom while I was busy munching the best onion and vegetable pakoras!!




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