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An Indian Town And An English Town

6000 Miles Apart.

By Rajaroy Joseph AlphonsePublished 3 years ago 4 min read
2
Donnington Castle - Newbury, Nagaraja Temple - Nagercoil.

As one says: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Intelligent people, charitable towns.

Benevolent people, two beautiful towns.

Hardships, townships, norms in past tense.

Cheer them, cherish 'em, win thy comeuppance.

Look around, turn around, meaningful abundance.

Wha' goes around comes around, pair them with endurance.

Good cause, bad cause, no' everything goes.

Love 'em all, greet 'em all, friends or foes.

Intelligent people, charitable towns.

Benevolent people, our beautiful towns.

Newbury.
Nagercoil.

Every once in a while, especially on a rainy day, I sit in my comfy chair perched next to a big window facing the southern skies, in a small English town, and wonder how rich and diverse two of my favourite towns have come to be, being 6000 miles apart.

A small green town in the south of India, Nagercoil, is home to a quarter million brothers and sisters. I like the name of the town, 'Nager' referring to a Hindu Serpent King, while 'Coil' meaning 'Temple'. It is funny and at the same time true that we never appreciate the things close to us, especially when they are in the immediate vicinity. Having settled in a different town, 6000 miles away, it is only now that I'm learning more about its wonders.

The Southern English town, Newbury, where I'm living now, on the other hand is equally marvelous in an astonishingly different way. It was one of the first (New) 'fortified settlements' (Burgh), founded around a thousand years ago, which in time became 'Newbury', a town rich in its heritage and backstory.

No matter how subtle, polished or scenic they are, now that I'm heartily attached to both the towns, I'm afraid I can no longer take sides. However, by all means, if I genuinely have to compare between them, the first thing that comes to my mind is the seasonal differences, especially considering how vast and varied they are. Monsoon rains on one side and snowy winters on the other side; baking sunny spells on one side and resplendent autumn leaves on the other side. The differences are immense yet magical in every way for someone like me who savours every moment of it.

If there is one thing that my father has taught me well, it is the need to remain grounded in reality. After all, one can't be blindly delusional by admiring only the pretty side of things. On the flip side, Nagercoil is quite cluttered in many areas while Newbury is damp in many places. Every town has its flaws creating a unique character out for themselves. You can't go anywhere in Nagercoil that is quieter without the sound of vehicles honking and blaring all day round. Newbury on the other hand is quiet, sometimes too eerily quiet even for a small town.

Most houses in Nagercoil are flat-roofed. I still vividly remember my mum hanging our washed clothes to dry them on the lines taking advantage of the uncapricious summer days. On the other side the houses in Newbury are gabled to cope with the tirelessly, nevertheless generously pouring clouds. The exterior walls are always painted in different colours in Nagercoil. Newbury mostly has exposed brick works for exterior. It is impossible to spot even a single house in Nagercoil with transparent glass-windows whereas all the windows are fully-transparent in Newbury. Every shop on the streets of Nagercoil has shutters closed at nights. On the contrary, the shops are on full display behind transparent windows in Newbury. Almost all houses have brick walls for fencing. In Newbury it's mostly hedges surrounding the houses. There is beach sand spread around churches in Nagercoil. We have lush green lawn on all four sides surrounding the churches in Newbury. Having seen both the sides I find them equally beautiful and soul filling.

The same goes for food, culture, people, music, daylight, humidity, fashion, language, personalities, sense of humour and many more. The differences are abundant and yet I can't lean towards one side nor abandon the other.

Speaking of flora, coconut, neem and banyan trees grow in every nook and corner in Nagercoil. Newbury is home to gorgeous oaks and beeches. On one side the leaves are always green the year round. On the other side it is all about the changing colours through the four seasons. On a small negative note, the felling of trees in both the towns is something that I can't help worrying about though. That apart, the varieties are immense and something to be proud of.

The same goes for the plethora of fauna, art and architecture, historical significance, famous artists, back gardens, flowers and insects, taste for soap operas, etc.

Clock Tower - Newbury.
Nagaraja Temple - Nagercoil.

With the differences setting them apart in all possible ways, the one thing that is common on both the sides is the love for friends, families, neighbours and strangers. A Newburyite, upon seeing a stranger, asks, "Are you alright?". A Nagercoilite, upon seeing a stranger, asks, "Did you eat?".

This is why I simply love both the towns.

culture
2

About the Creator

Rajaroy Joseph Alphonse

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