Cowboys Stadium, Dallas

After an interval of five years, I once again visited the USA. Last time it was Denver, Colorado. This time it was Dallas, Texas. I would like to share the mail I sent describing my visit to Cowboys Stadium

AN EVENING AT COWBOYS STADIUM, DALLAS

The daily occurrence of rainy atmosphere has suddenly caused what seems to be an early onset of winter and I had quite shivering experience of that on the evening of Sunday, Oct.5, when we visited the much-publicized Cowboys Stadium for the even more publicized Diwali Mela.

The hype for the event was being constantly created for quite some time - at least I had been listening to it since I came here a month back- by FunAsia Radio, a local FM radio for Asians, or to be accurate, for Indians and Pakistanis, in that order.

It was eagerly awaited event for the Indians, who were constantly bombarded by the announcer about the live programme of KailashKher at the Cowboys Stadium on that day. It looked, like "all roads lead to Rome", as if for the Indian community in Dallas all roads led to Cowboys Stadium. He was made into a star by the radio for the celebrity-starved Indians in America. (Or is he already a star? I doubt.)

I had scarce interest in Kher, but I was interested in the Stadium and in how Indians - so big lovers of festivals - "utsav-priya"- go about it in a foreign land.

The distance to the Stadium could have deterred many but it didn't. Someone told us they had traveled more than 60km for the event.

Even before entering the crowded parking lot, we  see that the stadium is teeming with Indians of all varieties, most notably Gujjus. They seem to be everywhere - if you don't like to see them here, go there, if you find them there too, just leave this wicked world full of Gujjus and go to heaven. If, by chance you find them there too, go to hell. But, oh, they are there too!

There are number of stores selling various services like insurance, and still more number of stores selling the 'Tastes of India'- samosa, chaat, paneeer-this and paneer-that, sweets and all sorts of mouth-watering Indian junk food. At least here is one field where the proud whites of this earth cannot beat us ugly Indians. Indian junk food is far superior to the lack-luster western junk food. They may have a more nutritious, wholesome diet but the Indian junk food is heavenly. India is undoubtedly a superpower in this respect. And amidst all this happy and joyous mess, you will hear a loud shout from a rowdy-looking, burly Indian, "AYE,SURESH!!" echoing even in such a huge stadium. Really, I love my India.

Suddenly, I feel homesick. Everything here is pleasantly Indian. The crowds here make me remember my country, the vast sea of humans and animals all overflowing and co-existing on the narrow roads and streets littered with cow dung and trash, the sheer anarchy of traffic, the stinking waste-bins strategically placed on the roads so that they are partly in your way and certainly in your nostrils filling them with the stench of overflowing food left-overs in the fresh, lovely mornings.

Just wait till 2-3 months' stay in the USA and you will yearn to go back to all that. And most surprising but wonderful thing is, even if you do not eat these things in India, you start yearning for methi na gota, samosa, ragdo-patis, daal-dhokli, churma na laadu, kesar jalebi, and ice-creams full of fat and cholesterol. Oh, Gujju, the Foodie Genius.

Back to the mini-India in Dallas.

Nobody had any idea about what the programmes were and where they were to be held. So everybody was moving around aimlessly, having a nice time just by having a feel of the festivity. One thing looked certain: the programme was to be staged outside the stadium and the problem threatening people like me was it was getting too cold; the wind was increasing and with it the cold was becoming unbearable. We ate samosa bought from Swaminarayan temple's stall. There were some rides and slides for children. Then moved inside the stadium, though some programmes were already going on on the open air stage. We sat in the stadium for quite a long time, and it was a great relief from the cold wind blowing outside. The stadium is spacious inside with excellent facilities, clean and ample number of rest rooms. I guess it's opened recently and the real sports events are yet to take place.

After getting sufficiently bored we moved towards the area near the stage where a cabin-like cover was created by putting up black curtains on four sides and a crowd had gathered near that. So the 'star' of the evening, Kailash Kher was in the black- curtained area and people were eagerly lingering around that for a glimpse of the 'celebrity'. The event staff in charge of holding the crowd at bay was having a tough time keeping the juvenile adults from pulling the curtains open and clicking their cameras before they closed. I think we must have watched this farce for more than an hour. Then the great man emerged from behind the curtains, the crowd cheered, and the cameras flashed. Kher was a disappointment to the eyes as well as to the ears even for me who had nothing to expect from him. He is less than ordinary- looking person with hardly a voice for singing. But Indians in America are celebrity-starved and lap up whatever they get.

When we were returning, we had a lovely view of the grand stadium glowing in the lights. It must give a feeling of thrill to watch great events of sports here. We can not make such stadiums but we can at least take some ideas about what a good and well planned stadium should be like.

Texas billionaire,Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys is the main force  behind his team's impressive, massive and expensive (at a cost of $1.2 billion)-new stadium.

Cowboys Stadium has number of private clubs and bars and a massive, 600-ton JumboTron hovering 90 ft. above the field. This gives  its audience home experience even within a stadium with  television, food and drink on a giant scale.This huge stadium at Arlington, Texas, is three times the size of Texas Stadium,which was the earlier playground of Dallas Cowboys . Of course this distinction will last till  next year, when the $1.6 billion Jets-Giants stadium opens in East Rutherford, N.J.

The high-def JumboTron — the world's largest — has  mammoth, four-sided video screens stretching 160 ft. in length."For many fans, especially the ones in the nosebleed seats, what they see on that screen will be their experience of the game. By comparison, the actual teams will be little dots scrambling on a field far below — except in the rare cases when the two worlds collide."

It was midnight when we reached home. It was indeed good to see the stadium and have the feel of an Indian festival celebration. It was indeed a memorable and invigorating experience.