रुबाई - Rubaai: November 2014

Logical reasons:

Car features are more than sufficient for my small family .
Last month I had accident with bike, after which I am not confident enough to drive two-wheeler. Lifestyle in Rourkela demands some commutation means. Distance from NIT To market, to station, to nearby picnic spots etc is at least 5 kilometres.
Better to have a small car like nano, than to have un-geared motor.
Everybody from our including me will learn to drive the car. In such condition, it is logical to invest on a disposable car.
Proud of the vision by Tata, one of the product that Indian industry has given to the world.
"Cheap car" and "Unsecured" are the two big myths about Nano.

Must watch Documentary appeared in NatGeo Megastructures: Making of Tata Nano

Technical Reasons:

Compared to other cars in the class (eg Alto, WagonR, i10 etc), The major difference is the power. Nano engine is 300 CC less as compared to these cars. Now the question is, when to use the extra power? On flat road, never. I leave in city, Rourkela, which is on Plateau. So extra power is useless.
Top-speed is 105 KM, high enough and still in safe range.
Efficiency is the highest among the class.
Design and technology issues are settled now. Nano was introduced 2008 and now it has completed more than 5 years.
The new Tata Nano Twist comes with power steering, Music system (Four speaker, USB/Bluetooth/FM), air conditioner, newly designed dashboard with added electronics, and some smart engine cooling features add to the superb design.
Space is more. Front seats have much larger leg space as car is rear-wheel-drive. Perfect car for a couple with two children.
Good after-sales support in Rourkela.
Still it is cheaper compared t others ! I got it for mere 2.44 Lacs (On-road price) :-) I saved approx 1 lakh. Above all, SBI sanctions loan so quickly. For me, it took less than an hour to finish the whole procedure.

The pitfalls:

Boot space is just 80 litres. Not much luggage it can accommodate. However enough for 3 to 4 days trip for 3 persons.
Fuel tank is smaller, just 15 liters. Although the mileage on positive side, I think tank could have been designed for few more liters.
No air-bags. At-least upper models could have this option.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Nano

http://www.tatanano.com/

The best road

ABC Wednesday (T for travel ), Wordless Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday,

Our World - Campus Nature Diary Nov 14

NIT Rourkela campus in November 2014

Reflection of buildings in Rose Lake : Upcoming lecture hall complex, Lecture hall Complex - I, Married research scholar Hostel

Hostel 8, NIT Rourkela

Sunrise on a foggy winter morning. Construction of new building on campus is in full swing.

Our world Tuesday

Wednesday Post : En-route Konkan Railway (The Fog)

En-route Konkan Railway - The Fog

One can hardly see anything further than ten meters

Nothing to see under the bridge !

Another train waiting for the green signal

Power carrying towers working even on cold mornings

Sunrise over the farms and small mountains, a typical view on foggy mornings of Konkan

Wordless Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, ABC Wednesday (S for Sunrise, Silence ),Thursday Challenge (A for architecture):

DJ Night - Innovision'14, NIT Rourkela

View from a distance. Dust appearance was welcome, at least by the photographers :-)

DJ Night - Innovision'14, NIT Rourkela

- DJ night for Enjoyment for students of NIT Rourkela on the last day of Innovision'14

- 7:30 PM, Dilip Tirkey Stadium, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela

- For details about Innovision'14, visit http://innovision.nitrkl.ac.in/

SET - 1

Huge crowd and great excitation among student was seen on the DJ night

However many of them were either mute spectators shaking legs with the beats or cameraman recording the event

Variety of lights throwing all combinations of colors made the stage dramatic

Photographers of Third eye photography club were right on the spot ! In frame: Ram Deshpande

Few excited students even tossed their friend. I am sure they caught him to !

Took lot of Silhouettes, backlit dancers made every photo melodramatic

Sculpture at Intersection - Aambagan Square

Rourkela Still Plant (RSP) by SAIL is heart of Odisha. Not only it pumps money into city, but also is responsible for its social development. One key development among many is "The ring road", encircling the city. Four lane wider, 23 kilo-meters long road is laid to connect almost all 19 sectors of planned new Rourkela city and old Rourkela. It is maintained and decorated by RSP, as a social initiative. The divider gardens, lush green plantation on both sides of roads, broad side-walks of ring road keeps city traffic in order and makes commutation trouble free.

RSP architectures has creatively decorated the crossroads by raising aptly carved and suggestive sculptors made of steel. The new series "Sculpture at Intersection" is about such monuments that marks the city map of Rourkela.

Symbolism:

It symbolises the success Indian steel industry has achieved after 50 years of independence. This growth is represented by a mature bird ready to fly in all four directions. "The bird" is committed to touch the extreme limits of development and excellence in the field.

Sculpture was inaugurated by Mr. A K Singh (Then director Rourkela Steel plant, 2nd October 1997)