Over the years I have lived in Gurgaon, I have learnt some key facts about the way the place is designed-it is primarily designed to confound the senses of the most seasoned homing pigeon. Even those who have figured out how the Golchakkars at Connaught Place work are found wandering aimlessly in the Gurgaon neighborhoods asking every passing bhaiya the way to their destination. Though I still get lost if I move more than 5 kms from my residence, I hope this will help the newbie Gurgaonite or the wandering traveler get a clear mental map of the Millenium City.
The land is randomly divided into sectors which are divided by a Highway. There are sectors supposedly numbered from 1 to 72, (many sectors in between have vanished mysteriously – very few people have seen or heard of sector 24 since it went missing in 2001). The wandering traveller cannot assume that just because he has reached Sector 42, he will soon reach Sector 43. There will be a Phase in between when he goes through severe disorientation and loss of bearings.
This could be in DLF Phase 4 or Phase 5. These are not passing Phases, but permanent entities which have swallowed up a few sectors.
There are assorted areas like South City, Sushant Lok or Jalvayu Vihar which appear between Sectors and Phases. Sushant Lok is in competition with the DLF Phases and attaches both alphabets and numbers to it, just to show off and make it more exciting for the traveller to find Sushant Lok 1, C Block.
Then there is Sohna Road which has attached itself to Gurgaon like a long tail with new housing omplexes that are springing up on it like warts. All houses here have the same address- Name of Building, Sohna Road. This gives the wandering traveller a chance to play the adventurous game of “Spot the Building.” In the advanced version of the game, the player has to dodge cows,potholes and tractors while keeping an eye out for the building he has to get to.
In between Sectors, Phases and other areas there are shopping malls and office complexes. It is quite easy to build an office complex in Gurgaon. Start with the word Cyber. Add another word to it like Park/City/Green/Blue etc. Throw in a Global or a Tech along with glass, steel and concrete and you have prime commercial space.
Hidden slyly between malls, sectors, phases and grazing grounds are villages with buffaloes, bazaars and bylanes on which the wandering travellers will have to abandon their vehicle and walk single file.
With all these delicate nuances in the landscape, the Gurgaonite has realised that it is no use giving a postal address if you want people to find you. During my early days in Gurgaon, I tried giving directions to friends who made the mistake of wanting to visit us. We would have a bizarre conversation that sounded like lines from an old art house film (Imagine U2’s Where the Streets have noname playing gently in the background)
“So what is the name of the road you are on?” enquires the friend
“I don’t know.”
“Which sector is it?
“No idea.”
“What is the number of the building?’
“No number. Ask anyone for Hamilton Court.”
“Is there any landmark nearby?”
“Yes, The Shri Ram School.”
“How do I find the school?”
“Oh, it is just behind Hamilton Court.”
At this point of time, the friend would be banging the cell phone against a hard surface and insist that I hand the phone over to my husband. Four years ago we moved out of Hamilton Court to another apartment in Gurgaon. Luckily, I no longer have to give any directions. The only friends we now have left are the ones who live in the same building.
