Pongal Potpourri - Exploring the Pongal astride the Honda BigWing Hness CB350

Sharing smiles and Pongal with the locals of Madurai recently had me thinking â€" although we are a miles apart in terms of our respective cultures, are we really that different from each other? Feelings, like traditions are primitive and natural, they flow from within and thus, is attached with a sense of purity and truth. Feelings can't be faked. The intensity can't be toggled. Thus, what evokes them have to be respected and cherished. For feelings are what makes us human and also responsible for happiness along with tapping into a space where we feel alive and present!

Lohri is celebrated on 13th January in the northern states of India as a harvest festival â€" in Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh to name a few. These are states where farming is one of the primary sources of income. Similarly, 13th-16th January is when Pongal is celebrated down south, in Tamil Nadu, again, as a harvest festival. While these states are thousands of kilometers apart, acknowledging and paying tribute the very nature that grants the people food, water and resources remains at the root of both cultures. Usually, I am up north during the afore mentioned time period, in New Delhi, enjoying frosty winters and foggy mornings, but this time around I am in Madurai, the heart of Tamil culture where the Pongal festival celebrations are in full swing. And my mode of exploration through an unfamiliar side to Madurai is the Honda H'ness CB350.

Right of the bat, as I press the ignition button, the 348-cc, single pot motor comes to life with an engine note that echoes the refinement that Honda has come to be known for. What this aural delight does is, first, instil a sense of elegance and with the H'ness CB350. There is thump that acts like a beating heart for the engine and the journey. The engine produces a healthy 22PS and 30Nm of peak torque which was enough to navigate through tight and tricky terrain including some heavily congested sections. However, stretching my legs and breathing in lungs full of the fresh and clean Madurai air along the traffic-free patches down the highway felt fantastic. A blessing for a Delhiite like me no less.

Apart from the clean air, the wind of Madurai was brimming with the flavour of Pongal and the energy was quite palpable. Every corner of Madurai had a small idol of worship which was decorated during this auspicious time. This also meant that incense sticks and lamps were lit across the city and while I was astride the Honda H'ness CB350, it instilled a heightened the sense of joy and celebration. It's then when I begin to notice the smiles on the faces of the locals on route, and the very concept of time has altered drastically. Everything that's taking place before me isn't as rushed and hurried as it happens in the city. I am happy that one of the main reasons that I was able to focus on the celebrations before me was thanks to the Honda's brilliant suspension and handling setup. I simply glided over broken stretches of tarmac and undulations were handled with ease. The suspension does such an excellent job of maintaining a plush ride, that after a certain point I did not even bother to change the path of my bike to avoid pot holes or rough tarmac, as it would not lead to any significant discomfort.

The entire city and even some pockets of villages are decorated with flowers, lights, kolams (traditional folk art), lamps, and colours. My senses were being tapped in a dynamic way, it was not just the striking visuals that were a delight to witness, but there were speakers that played calming songs throughout the day that enhanced the overall festive feeling. As I rode the Honda, the songs and holy chants resonating all around, the aromas of freshly cooked meals in the air, even the weather gods were kind to me throughout the journey. It was overcast with a powdery drizzle. The experience of riding the Honda H'ness CB350 couldn't have been any better. It felt like Madurai itself was as happy to greet and welcome me on my journey to experience the Pongal celebrations.

While I was in a small town of Keeladi to see how the Pongal dish was being prepared, and in the process, the people of the village made sure that I felt right at home there. They treated me as though I'd known them years. They took me into their tribe and that's done by asking to run small errands and carry out some odd chores, which at first felt odd, but in retrospect, I realised that they had faith and trust in me, a stranger, the kind of faith and trust you have with family and friends. And that felt simply amazing! Each temple had decorations and quite the footfall throughout the festival, and as I visited the temples and saw the celebration in the backdrop of paddy fields and plateaus that paint Madurai's topography, I felt how we all should be thankful to nature for what it grants us, and in return we have to just take care of it, as it does of us.

While I was engaged with locals, I glanced upon kids ogling at my Honda H'ness CB350, as the key was on the key fob, I drew a breath of relief as it has the safety feature of engine cut off when the side stand is engaged. This ensures that at times when even I can forget to disengage the side stand, the bike's safety net has got my back, and on the topic safety, it gets dual-channel ABS and traction control as well.  Voice command feature is great because it ensures that you never have to take your hands off the bar while riding and can execute calls or toggle through the music playlist seamlessly via Bluetooth connectivity.

The whole ride experience through Madurai taught me that if we focus upon the similarities instead of the differences, it might just be a revelation to us all, that we are not as different as we think. And once that realisation sets in, we do perceive the world in a different way, a way that highlights a world where we all can, belong. And I rode off into the sunset astride the Honda H'ness CB350 I found solace in these thoughts and was glad that I had made this highly enlightening and enjoyable road trip. On to the next adventurous trip then!