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Sunday, 26 May 2024
REVISITING AMRAVATI
I went to Amravati after 22 years.There is a drastic change in its appearance! There used to be large open spaces, fewer people and fewer vehicles.In that respect it has changed as every Indian city is changing.Modernisation has its drawbacks.The old charm is lost and as we saw the old house we were living in now changed completely ,we were saddened but it must have been sadder for Hemant and Anita who spent their childhood in that large house.They have memories of playing in the ground next to their house,of cycling down the lane,of neighbours,of friends, Ganpati festival and much more.They have moved on and so has Amravati!
Yet there are still large grounds attached to schools and colleges,facilities for playing every game which as a Mumbaikar I thought was fantastic.The local people say there are all facilities available but our children are not interested The idiot box is their attraction.Same as elsewhere!The place now boasts of a flyover and some shopping complexes.There aren't many eateries and cinema houses but whatever is there is enough for the population.The weather was fantastic and so many of us being together,it was fun.
Yet there are still large grounds attached to schools and colleges,facilities for playing every game which as a Mumbaikar I thought was fantastic.The local people say there are all facilities available but our children are not interested The idiot box is their attraction.Same as elsewhere!The place now boasts of a flyover and some shopping complexes.There aren't many eateries and cinema houses but whatever is there is enough for the population.The weather was fantastic and so many of us being together,it was fun.
Monday, 10 May 2021
Trip to tadoba
This was January 2020.
Meghana,Anoop ,Meera and both of us went to tadoba. It was a fantastic,luxurious trip. We saw tigers on all three safaris that we went. One at 7 pm,another 6 am and third at 2 pm. We also saw dhols which is very rare.We also saw leopard and lots of jungle fowl,deer,sambar .
It was a very memorable trip. Meera was with us and the excitement was too much.She is a very adjusting child. No tantrums,ate whatever was served and really enjoyed with all of us. Her parents too relaxed and read books whenever they had some time. They played with Meera at the play area.
It was a three day trip.
Sunday, 4 June 2017
Trip to Hyderabad and thereabouts.
Started from Mumbai on the 17th of February 2001 at 4.30 a.m.This was a Saturday.We had breakfast at Palaspay phata .breakfast was -upma,idli .At about 2 p.m. we had a lovely lunch. We spent the night at Umerga -close to Sholapur.. At Dattatray Lodge-we had dinner which was so-so. The arrangements in that place were absolutely no-no.We left early next morning ,after a good breakfast of batata wada,idli,sheera,tea/coffee.
The car gave problems. The clutch plate broke. From 9.30 am to 5 pm the car was being repaired.In the meantime some of us went to see a lake and had some fresh sugar cane juice.We saw a place where they were making 'gur' from sugar cane.We also visited a temple situated on a hill nearby.A place where we photographed an owl..The car was ready .
We left for Hyderabad.We reached at 10.30 pm.We stayed at Hotel Tajmahal .Next morning we left to see Salarjung Museum . It was very hot in Hyderabad.. After a rest at the hotel we left for Golconda fort.We did not climb up . We visited Usmansagar lake. It was very hot throughout the day and hence very tiring.We went shopping at Hyderabad though we did not buy anything much as the men were upset that we wanted to shop..Next morning the two of us visited relatives and later all of us visited the zoo..We saw the white tiger and orangutans..We took a packed lunch and left Hyderabad city.
On the way to Mannanur we had our lunch under some trees . It was a good experience!We reached Dindi at 6pm.We stayed at Dindi and left early morning . On the way we saw a temple -Uma maheshwaram Shanker temple.We had lunch under some shady trees . We had some sweet potatoes, potato upwas bhaji,omlette bread nariyal pani, fruits..Proceeded to Mannanur wildlife sanctuary with Divisional forest officers-Bashir and Rafi.They were very nice. On the way we saw a forest fire which was immediately put off by these two . It was a fantastic experience. We saw deer, peacocks, green dove, jungle fowl and some other birds .We returned to Achampet. We stayed at hotel Sampoorna.lodging.Good people and a nice , pleasant stay.Next morning we left after having a good breakfast at the S.T.stand. towards the jungle.This time the experience was tiring, unending and boring-it was very hot.On the way we saw a temple-shiv parvati-mallaya,quite far away..We did not have lunch or tea .
From Mannanur to Atmakur the road was winding,muddy,lonely and without any street lights. We were stopped by policemen-told to wait till 10/12 vehicles came and that all of us should go together.An S.T. bus came and two rifle totting men got in and we followed that bus. It was a frightening experience as it was dark and the fear was of Naxalites who were at that time quite active in that area.By the time we reached Atmakur -Lodge Sandhya Azad it was 9 pm.We were hungry, tired and irritable. Food was good and after a good nights sleep and next morning we were refreshed and ready to go . We went to Rollapadu -At 3.30pm bird sanctuary .We visited a lake which had damoiselle cranes by the hundreds and ibis. The sanctuary dormitory had a lone Great Indian Bustard- a very rare bird-a protected bird as it is on the verge of extinction..Early next morning visited the sanctuary where there was grass -corn coloured and the core area is absolutely virgin land . We spotted black bucks in large numbers and a fox -lots and lots of birds-Harrier which comes for feeding and bringing up the youngThere were 2/3 types of them. The high point was the spotting of the Great Indian Bustard- a father and son pair.There were spotted dove, lapwings, quail,green doves,green bee eaters.We left the place at 9.30 am and went to Bijapur .The road was absolutely bakwaas.We stayed at Hotel Mayura a unit of K.S.O.T.C. -ADIL SHAHI ANNEXE-Everything was good and we appreciated it more as we were tired after a harrowing journey. After a good nights' rest we left for mumbai.
Started from Mumbai on the 17th of February 2001 at 4.30 a.m.This was a Saturday.We had breakfast at Palaspay phata .breakfast was -upma,idli .At about 2 p.m. we had a lovely lunch. We spent the night at Umerga -close to Sholapur.. At Dattatray Lodge-we had dinner which was so-so. The arrangements in that place were absolutely no-no.We left early next morning ,after a good breakfast of batata wada,idli,sheera,tea/coffee.
The car gave problems. The clutch plate broke. From 9.30 am to 5 pm the car was being repaired.In the meantime some of us went to see a lake and had some fresh sugar cane juice.We saw a place where they were making 'gur' from sugar cane.We also visited a temple situated on a hill nearby.A place where we photographed an owl..The car was ready .
We left for Hyderabad.We reached at 10.30 pm.We stayed at Hotel Tajmahal .Next morning we left to see Salarjung Museum . It was very hot in Hyderabad.. After a rest at the hotel we left for Golconda fort.We did not climb up . We visited Usmansagar lake. It was very hot throughout the day and hence very tiring.We went shopping at Hyderabad though we did not buy anything much as the men were upset that we wanted to shop..Next morning the two of us visited relatives and later all of us visited the zoo..We saw the white tiger and orangutans..We took a packed lunch and left Hyderabad city.
On the way to Mannanur we had our lunch under some trees . It was a good experience!We reached Dindi at 6pm.We stayed at Dindi and left early morning . On the way we saw a temple -Uma maheshwaram Shanker temple.We had lunch under some shady trees . We had some sweet potatoes, potato upwas bhaji,omlette bread nariyal pani, fruits..Proceeded to Mannanur wildlife sanctuary with Divisional forest officers-Bashir and Rafi.They were very nice. On the way we saw a forest fire which was immediately put off by these two . It was a fantastic experience. We saw deer, peacocks, green dove, jungle fowl and some other birds .We returned to Achampet. We stayed at hotel Sampoorna.lodging.Good people and a nice , pleasant stay.Next morning we left after having a good breakfast at the S.T.stand. towards the jungle.This time the experience was tiring, unending and boring-it was very hot.On the way we saw a temple-shiv parvati-mallaya,quite far away..We did not have lunch or tea .
From Mannanur to Atmakur the road was winding,muddy,lonely and without any street lights. We were stopped by policemen-told to wait till 10/12 vehicles came and that all of us should go together.An S.T. bus came and two rifle totting men got in and we followed that bus. It was a frightening experience as it was dark and the fear was of Naxalites who were at that time quite active in that area.By the time we reached Atmakur -Lodge Sandhya Azad it was 9 pm.We were hungry, tired and irritable. Food was good and after a good nights sleep and next morning we were refreshed and ready to go . We went to Rollapadu -At 3.30pm bird sanctuary .We visited a lake which had damoiselle cranes by the hundreds and ibis. The sanctuary dormitory had a lone Great Indian Bustard- a very rare bird-a protected bird as it is on the verge of extinction..Early next morning visited the sanctuary where there was grass -corn coloured and the core area is absolutely virgin land . We spotted black bucks in large numbers and a fox -lots and lots of birds-Harrier which comes for feeding and bringing up the youngThere were 2/3 types of them. The high point was the spotting of the Great Indian Bustard- a father and son pair.There were spotted dove, lapwings, quail,green doves,green bee eaters.We left the place at 9.30 am and went to Bijapur .The road was absolutely bakwaas.We stayed at Hotel Mayura a unit of K.S.O.T.C. -ADIL SHAHI ANNEXE-Everything was good and we appreciated it more as we were tired after a harrowing journey. After a good nights' rest we left for mumbai.
Thursday, 21 May 2015
A sad day!
Date:20/5/2015
The garden around was watered as usual.
Nowadays I have stopped watching the water dish that we have put for the birds but my ears are always tuned to sounds of the birds.I was dusting the room opposite the water bath of the birds. Suddenly I heard lot of sounds so I looked up. It was a rare sight .I quickly got the camera,adjusted the curtains and slowly opened the window.
There was a sparrow-no two of them,aTickell's Blue flycatcher,a warbler and a sun bird all together at the water bath.The sun bird was on the Exora tree.I tried capturing it all on camera but two flew away and one couldn't be captured on camera. What I got was the Ticklle's Blue.Soon it flew away . After about half an hour I again saw it on the Chickoo tree.It is a beautiful bird!A blue bird with throat and breast pale rusty fading to white on abdomen.It makes a metallic sound.
I informed my neighbours .They too saw the bird. Again I got busy with some work and an hour later the neighbour came to me with the bird in his hand.
The cat had hunted it down and was ready to eat it!.The bird lay dead.
I was very sad-- but nature has its own ways and we are helpless. I said aloud that another one would come some day-which was when my neighbour who is a professional bird watchertold me that only one was sighted in our area .
It was then that it struck me that I was the last one to photograph this beautiful,rare bird and this is its last photograph!!!
R.I.P. dear bird- I shall miss you dearly!!
The garden around was watered as usual.
Nowadays I have stopped watching the water dish that we have put for the birds but my ears are always tuned to sounds of the birds.I was dusting the room opposite the water bath of the birds. Suddenly I heard lot of sounds so I looked up. It was a rare sight .I quickly got the camera,adjusted the curtains and slowly opened the window.
There was a sparrow-no two of them,aTickell's Blue flycatcher,a warbler and a sun bird all together at the water bath.The sun bird was on the Exora tree.I tried capturing it all on camera but two flew away and one couldn't be captured on camera. What I got was the Ticklle's Blue.Soon it flew away . After about half an hour I again saw it on the Chickoo tree.It is a beautiful bird!A blue bird with throat and breast pale rusty fading to white on abdomen.It makes a metallic sound.
I informed my neighbours .They too saw the bird. Again I got busy with some work and an hour later the neighbour came to me with the bird in his hand.
The cat had hunted it down and was ready to eat it!.The bird lay dead.
I was very sad-- but nature has its own ways and we are helpless. I said aloud that another one would come some day-which was when my neighbour who is a professional bird watchertold me that only one was sighted in our area .
It was then that it struck me that I was the last one to photograph this beautiful,rare bird and this is its last photograph!!!
R.I.P. dear bird- I shall miss you dearly!!
Friday, 8 March 2013
Rajasthan --a colourful desertland
Rajasthan- A Colourful desertland!
We explored a part of it with a few friends.Here is the detailed description of our trip.
18/2/2013
Our journey began from Mumbai airport .We landed at Jodhpur at 11.10 a.m. Driver Suresh of 'Make My Trip' received us . He was a well built ,slightly paunchy man speaking hindi. He also had with him .He had come with a ten seater tempo traveler which was to be with us throughout our trip .The flight was good -they gave us breakfast which I and the paranjpes, sulabha and anuradha did not have as we had already eaten the omelette sandwiches which I had prepared at home .The airport at Jodhpur was nice with a clean area outside and few people .We checked into hotel Chandra Inn.We left for Umaid Bhavan . This palace has the manually chisell
ed sandstone blocks put together in a special system of interlocking. There is no mortar binding.The palace is built by Maharaja Umaid Singh and hence named thus. Today there is the titular maharaja Gaj Singh who occupies a part of this beautiful palace. One part is converted into a hotel with the collaboration of Taj Group and the third part is a museum.Entrance fee was rs. 25 per person.The place has beautiful carvings, lovely photographs,pottery, a hall full of clocks and watches,glassware,furniture-table,chairs, cupboards with exquisite designs carved into the wood.There was a model of the Bhavan. A hall full of antique cars.Rolls Royce, Cadillac,Buick, Morris Minor,Mercedes,Ford Convertible,Hummer and an unknown model were also there...The whole exercise overwhelmed us so we went outside where there was a stall of kulfi which we ate[kesar kulfi].We proceeded to have lunch at a place called Kissan Bhojanalaya. This being our first meal in Rajasthan I shall describe it in detail.We had --thali with one lasun sabji,gadde ki sabji,kaju-kismis sabji,soya subji, masala raita [khatta], bajre ki roti ,papad,salad, masala pulav. None of the ladies could finish the thalis.The food was spicy, oily . We learnt a lesson. By the time it was 4 p.m. We left for the station where the Suris were to come.The train was delayed so we went to visit Mandore gardens.We were a little tired .We walked along and saw a man playing an instrument called Ravanhato which he was playing beautifully. He was surila and so we stood there and listened and then paid him .As we went ahead we saw another person also playing the same instrument.It seems that all over Rajasthan they play this instrument for the tourists and earn money.Ahead were some stone temples with lots of carvings and greenery around.This place was not well maintained. We returned to the station, received Suris and returned to the hotel and relaxed. We later met in Kishors room and had cake,chivda,biscuits,ladoo,gazak and talked and laughed a lot. Suri kept us in splits with his jokes. Pinky was quieter as her throat was still hurting from a bad throat infection that she had had earlier.Their son in law Ashish Dhankar was in Jodhpur for some demonstrations and he came to meet us later-on.We fed him all the goodies that we had and agreed to meet him for dinner the next day as he knew a place where they served very good lal maas. He left around 9 p.m. .We had dinner in the hotel restaurant .It was an improvement on the lunch.
19/2/2013
We had breakfast in the hotel at about 8a.m.-idli sambar, cornflakes,milk, toast,jam, tea coffee.By 8.45 we left to see Bishnoi -Gudi village..It was a good 30 minutes from the hotel by vehicle and a big dissapointment .The tourism department needs to update its website and not waste tourists' time thus.
There was a lake with a few ducks in it.That was it!The driver Suresh then took us to a shop cum workshop where they were selling Jodhpuri items like shawls, dhurries, stoles,saris and wall hangings.
I bought a stole [400rs],Pinky bought a stole and a bed cover,Anuradha bought a stole.The workshop had some people stitching things on the machines .Before going to Meherangarh fort, we ate lunch at an eatery . We ordered 2 thalis and the rest of us ordered roti,dal, chaval, mixed subji and salad. We were thus able to finish whatever we had ordered. Meherangarh fort is everything that is described on websites and more.There is a lift to go up 12 floors and from there starts the grandeur and splendour of the royalty.The fort is the property of Gaj Singh of Jodhpur who lives at Umaid Bhavan .He has maintained it from the proceeds obtained from tourists visiting the fort.The fort is marvelous. It makes one wonder how the people of those times imagined the structure ,then executed every detail manually taking years to complete it.From there we went to Jaswant Thada [Cenotaph].It has a garden with a small lake and ducks in it. There were trees outside which had sun birds in them.
The place is made of yellow sandstone with wonderful carvings in them.We then returned to the hotel from where Suris and Kishor left for Umaid Bhavan which they hadn't seen. They returned at 5.30 p.m. After resting a bit we left for Karni Bhavan which is a fine dining place where Ashish had arranged dinner.Unfortunately he wasn't able to come as he was duty bound.We sat in the lawn where there was a fire for our warmth.The men had drinks and all the women had fresh lime juice. Next was some soup-corn soup -freshly prepared and piping hot.It was followed by dinner. Our tempo driver had dropped us and gone . We walked back to the hotel which was only a few hundred feet away. All of us were tired and fell asleep .
20/2/2013
We had breakfast in the hotel at about 8.a.m.Bread-butter, aloo parathas,dahi, pohe, tea/coffee/orange/pineapple juice.Left for Jaisalmer at 8.45 a.m.Driver Suresh stopped at Haveli restaurant which caters to foreigners . The ambiance was very good with a lawn and very good washrooms. The catch was in the prices.One cup of tea cost Rs 100. Suri drank one cup ,we relaxed and left We went ahead and visited Pokhran fort which had a museum with palkhis, weapons and clothes-very,very so-so.People had thrown visiting cards,photos,and money through slits in the wooden windows.It had all these things belonging to a local saint Baba Ramdev[not the yoga guru]Hence people have faith that if they worship there it will bring them good omen.From there we went further and found a new restaurant which had not yet been thrown open to the public . It was to open the next day. It was ideal for us as they allowed us to eat our own food and provided water, tea ,a nice table and chairs.It was to be named Hotel Chirag. We had Methi theplas,chutney,butter [got by Anuradha] gazak[got by Sushama],Mazaa.tea and biscuits .After this lovely lunch we proceeded to a shop selling silverware. I got some earrings for Meghana. That shop was an exciting place for me,as i love silver jewellery. Next began our journey to Sam in Jaisalmer. The road in the initial stages was bad and time consuming.It is a straight road with green fields of spring onions and garlic on either side of the road in patches. The rest of the area is dry and arid.Sam is 40 kms. from Jaisalmer again a straight road with no vegetation,only sand, though we spotted animals like neel gai,deer, cattle ,sheep,goats, and peacocks.We reached Sam at 5.45 p.m.
We were pleasantly surprised to see a camel with colourful finery at the door and a mini band to welcome us. After the girls dressed in Rajasthani clothes applied sindoor, they expected bakshish and so we obliged. This is a gift of foreigners who are probably nudged into doing this.The tents are door-less but there are strings to tie.There is no question of locking ,so no keys to be carried around. Each tent had two beds ,a table fan,stool, chairs. Bathroom had a mirror,stool, bucket and tumbler.Arrangements were good seeing that we were in the middle of a desert.We went to watch the sun set nearby just outside our tents. Once it was 7.30 p.m. They served us snow white wafers [kurdaya] and pakode along with tea.Weather was good -not tooooo cold.Whilst we were having tea we were entertained by a group singing rajasthani songs and the two girls dancing .After all the gana-bajana drinks and dinner were served. Dinner was dal-bati-churma,ghee,gur, kejri ki sabji[desert beans]mixed vegetable and roti and rice.
After dinner we went to sit at the entrance where it was covered and less cold. We had a nice chat session and retired at about 11.30 p.m.
21/2/2013
A visit to Jaisalmer fort was on the cards. 5000 people are staying in the fort as of today.The rest is open to the public. This fort has rooms for the raja,the rani, palanquins for different occassions weapons, clothes raj darbar all places filled with carvings and a ceiling with 80 kgs of gold wonderfully carved.All this opulence is quite overwhelming ..From the fort we descended and went to Khadi Gram udyog where they were basically selling woolen shawls. We did not buy anything and went to eat at the 'Desert Bite'.The food was very good-sev tomato subji ,mixed vegetable, dal fry roti, dal and chaas. A very satisfying meal.We returned to Royal Camps In the evening was the time to go to the sand dunes.We went in camel carts for which we had to wait. So we had a cup of tea at a chai stall.The sand dunes are a wonderful sight.there are dunes around and colourfully decorated camels moving about. There are performing artists trying to make some money and the setting sun in the background keeps changing the colours of the foreground. Oh !It was amazing and I shall never forget that beautiful scene!We experienced winds as we were coming back and it was cold.Again we were received at the gate and given the same tea, pakodas and snow white wafers. It was disappointing . Again the same form of entertainment . Usually people stay for one night only and therefore these eatables and entertainment is okay, but as we stayed for three 3 nights it soon became boring and this time the singer was besura and betala. The sounds were ear piercing and un bearable.The dinner also was the same menu so we retired to sleep.
22/3/13
The day began with the same breakfast. We went to Luderwa where there is a 16th century old Jain temple.There was an idol of Mahavira in the central temple and 4 small temples with different murtis around. It was all in stone and wonderfully hand carved with jaalis in the stone.No photography was allowed inside the temple.The next stop was Gadhisar lake.It was an important source of drinking water in the past.The lake is flanked by shrines.We saw some people feeding bread to the catfish which are in plenty in this lake. Our local boatman told us that in spite of protesting against this bread feeding , people do not listen and as a result 10-12 fish die every few days. Bread is not their ideal food but people want to see the fish and so for their own pleasure indulge in this act.We spotted a few birds in this lake. Next was Kuldhara which is an abandoned village of the Paliwals. Kuldhara village is 18 km to the west of Jaisalmer. This is among the 84 villages inhabited by the prosperous, hardworking Paliwals.and was once a prosperous village with 600 houses.Kuldhara is a calm place and the ruins found around are examples of advanced sculpture and architecture. Most of the houses are double storied and are not affected by thunder or heat. Paliwals deserted these houses owing to several reasons. Their one time richness can be seen in the wells and water tanks.From there we went to Kabha-full of broken houses and one house had a well in it.We then had lunch at Trio which served good food though it took very long for the food to be served.On the way to hotel Pithla we bought fruits. At this hotel we had ice-cream [Owner is Mr. Sawaal Singh]We sat in the lawns outside and had a photo session using timer. Everyone had to try hard as they were all attempting this for the first time.Amidst a lot of mistakes, laughter and fumbling,the photo was taken.
We sat in one room of the hotel and watched D.D. National where they were showing the demonstrations of the fighter pilots show called 'Iron Fist'. Suri's son in law Ashish Dhankar was a part of these demonstrations.It was a wonderful show and it gave us an idea of the hard work and hours of practice this must have taken.Hats off to these brave people!When we reached Royal Camps-hotel it was
25/2/2013
Left for Jaipur after a hearty breakfast. Road was good for most part with some bad patches.We reached hotel C.M.Banipark at about 4p.m. We left our luggage and left for shopping.The market here is full of clothes, bags,dhurries, razaais,silver ,lac bangles .All the women were ecstatic!Rickshamen are a terror on the roads. They do not look to see if there are potholes or humans around and vice-versa for humans. It is a maddening way of walking or driving.Wewent tthe famous 'Rawat Kachoriwala'.where we ate pyaaz kachori, mava kachori,dahi wada,kulfi&/ice-cream .The quality of the food has gone down and it was disappointing.Suri kept givivng us gyaan and telling us jokes and generally being entertaining.It was fun!
26/3/2013 We left for Amber Fort. The original palace was built by Raja maan singh The beautiful palace complex is approached through ganesh pol. The palace has natural colours,using vegetable dyes,.There was a sheesh mahal,diwan-e aam, jal mandir ranis mahal The rani mahal was air conditioned because of water circulation and storage.While going to jaigad we saw jal mahal in the centre of maan sagar lake.It was used by the ranis as a summer resort.From there we went to Jantar-Mantar.It was built by King Sawai jaisingh and one of the five observatories built by him..There are instruments which can tell the local time,the signs of the zodiac and the position of the sun .It is quite complicated and very difficult to remember ..The next stop was City Palace.. It has large silver urns,weapons,wonderful wooden furniture . Here a lot of foreigners were seen taking an elephant ride and clicking pictures with the decorated elephants.That was the end of our sight seeing . We then went for lunch to MacDonald and the lunch was hosted by Hemant-Madhavi as it was their daughters wedding anniversary..The trip was coming to an end. Suris returned by train and we all left the next morning .
The most wonderful thing was that there were a lot of school children brought to these places to see and learn the history of these places.
The Rajasthan that we saw and understood made us very proud to be a part of this great nation 'India'
We explored a part of it with a few friends.Here is the detailed description of our trip.
18/2/2013
Our journey began from Mumbai airport .We landed at Jodhpur at 11.10 a.m. Driver Suresh of 'Make My Trip' received us . He was a well built ,slightly paunchy man speaking hindi. He also had with him .He had come with a ten seater tempo traveler which was to be with us throughout our trip .The flight was good -they gave us breakfast which I and the paranjpes, sulabha and anuradha did not have as we had already eaten the omelette sandwiches which I had prepared at home .The airport at Jodhpur was nice with a clean area outside and few people .We checked into hotel Chandra Inn.We left for Umaid Bhavan . This palace has the manually chisell
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| model of Umaid Bhavan |
19/2/2013
We had breakfast in the hotel at about 8a.m.-idli sambar, cornflakes,milk, toast,jam, tea coffee.By 8.45 we left to see Bishnoi -Gudi village..It was a good 30 minutes from the hotel by vehicle and a big dissapointment .The tourism department needs to update its website and not waste tourists' time thus.
There was a lake with a few ducks in it.That was it!The driver Suresh then took us to a shop cum workshop where they were selling Jodhpuri items like shawls, dhurries, stoles,saris and wall hangings.
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| Meherangarh fort from outside |
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| sun bird |
20/2/2013
We had breakfast in the hotel at about 8.a.m.Bread-butter, aloo parathas,dahi, pohe, tea/coffee/orange/pineapple juice.Left for Jaisalmer at 8.45 a.m.Driver Suresh stopped at Haveli restaurant which caters to foreigners . The ambiance was very good with a lawn and very good washrooms. The catch was in the prices.One cup of tea cost Rs 100. Suri drank one cup ,we relaxed and left We went ahead and visited Pokhran fort which had a museum with palkhis, weapons and clothes-very,very so-so.People had thrown visiting cards,photos,and money through slits in the wooden windows.It had all these things belonging to a local saint Baba Ramdev[not the yoga guru]Hence people have faith that if they worship there it will bring them good omen.From there we went further and found a new restaurant which had not yet been thrown open to the public . It was to open the next day. It was ideal for us as they allowed us to eat our own food and provided water, tea ,a nice table and chairs.It was to be named Hotel Chirag. We had Methi theplas,chutney,butter [got by Anuradha] gazak[got by Sushama],Mazaa.tea and biscuits .After this lovely lunch we proceeded to a shop selling silverware. I got some earrings for Meghana. That shop was an exciting place for me,as i love silver jewellery. Next began our journey to Sam in Jaisalmer. The road in the initial stages was bad and time consuming.It is a straight road with green fields of spring onions and garlic on either side of the road in patches. The rest of the area is dry and arid.Sam is 40 kms. from Jaisalmer again a straight road with no vegetation,only sand, though we spotted animals like neel gai,deer, cattle ,sheep,goats, and peacocks.We reached Sam at 5.45 p.m.
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| Hemant ,Kishor,driver Sureshwithback to camera and |
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| Tent at Sam. |
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| setting sun at Sam. |
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| gana-bajana |
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| inside a tent |
After dinner we went to sit at the entrance where it was covered and less cold. We had a nice chat session and retired at about 11.30 p.m.
21/2/2013
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| Jaisalmer fort |
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| 16th century Jain TEmple |
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| gadhisar lake |
The day began with the same breakfast. We went to Luderwa where there is a 16th century old Jain temple.There was an idol of Mahavira in the central temple and 4 small temples with different murtis around. It was all in stone and wonderfully hand carved with jaalis in the stone.No photography was allowed inside the temple.The next stop was Gadhisar lake.It was an important source of drinking water in the past.The lake is flanked by shrines.We saw some people feeding bread to the catfish which are in plenty in this lake. Our local boatman told us that in spite of protesting against this bread feeding , people do not listen and as a result 10-12 fish die every few days. Bread is not their ideal food but people want to see the fish and so for their own pleasure indulge in this act.We spotted a few birds in this lake. Next was Kuldhara which is an abandoned village of the Paliwals. Kuldhara village is 18 km to the west of Jaisalmer. This is among the 84 villages inhabited by the prosperous, hardworking Paliwals.and was once a prosperous village with 600 houses.Kuldhara is a calm place and the ruins found around are examples of advanced sculpture and architecture. Most of the houses are double storied and are not affected by thunder or heat. Paliwals deserted these houses owing to several reasons. Their one time richness can be seen in the wells and water tanks.From there we went to Kabha-full of broken houses and one house had a well in it.We then had lunch at Trio which served good food though it took very long for the food to be served.On the way to hotel Pithla we bought fruits. At this hotel we had ice-cream [Owner is Mr. Sawaal Singh]We sat in the lawns outside and had a photo session using timer. Everyone had to try hard as they were all attempting this for the first time.Amidst a lot of mistakes, laughter and fumbling,the photo was taken.
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| self timer photo |
you guessed it---- the same welcome, the same pakodas and snow white wafers and the same entertainment except that nature decided to show us its own dance.It was very cold , with wind blowing and in the middle of the night there was a storm with lightening, thunder and rain. This was a new experience as the tents threw shadows and flashes of lightning and the sounds on the tent roof were annoying. We were worried that there may be water leaking but nothing of the sort happened and we were safe. That was the time that there was an earthquake at Jaipur.
23/3/2013
We got up to a cold, chilling windy day,no sun .After the usual tea, breakfast we left for Bikaner. The road was straight with patches of lush green vegetation.At 11.30 a.m. we stopped at Chirag our old visit still fresh in our minds.We had tea, biscuits as a gesture towards the new opening of the restaurant. Later we drove on and at 1p.m. Mr Suresh was hungry and wanted to have lunch. We had had chivda,fruits,sweets and so were not hungry.At 2.30 we stoppped at a dhaba and had lunch . We drove on and reached Bikaner -Hotel Sagar at 6p.m. We rested a bit and left for shopping. Suresh dropped us and off we went to the market at the station . Anuradha, Pinky,Sulabha bought bandhani dress materials. Sushama bought bed covers. . Shopping done we all headed for the hotel . During dinner there was a sarangi player accompanied by tabla -they were melodious and soothing.
24/3/2013
We had planned to go to Gajner wildlife sanctuary. It was cold and there was tremendous fog and visibility was very poor..Our plan had to be changed . at 10 a.m. we then drove to Karni Mata temple instead of going to Gajner.The temple has fascinating huge
silver gates and marble carvings. There are rodents who scamper freely within the premises and if one touches your feet its
considered auspicious. They are regarded sacred and devotees buy prasad to offer to them.We found the place to be smelly , sticky and very crowded. Our next halt was at Junagarh fort. We spent 2 hrs in the fort and an hour in the museum . I have so many photographs of the place- as it is beyond me to describe the richness and variety of the work done by the artists of that time-.paintings, clothes, masonry ,the weapons, the dresses, the gold work, marble, silver it is endless . One needs to visit this place to observe first hand the greatness of these devoted workmen!We returned to hotel Sagar for lunch..Rested , exchanged photographs,had dinner and slept off
23/3/2013
We got up to a cold, chilling windy day,no sun .After the usual tea, breakfast we left for Bikaner. The road was straight with patches of lush green vegetation.At 11.30 a.m. we stopped at Chirag our old visit still fresh in our minds.We had tea, biscuits as a gesture towards the new opening of the restaurant. Later we drove on and at 1p.m. Mr Suresh was hungry and wanted to have lunch. We had had chivda,fruits,sweets and so were not hungry.At 2.30 we stoppped at a dhaba and had lunch . We drove on and reached Bikaner -Hotel Sagar at 6p.m. We rested a bit and left for shopping. Suresh dropped us and off we went to the market at the station . Anuradha, Pinky,Sulabha bought bandhani dress materials. Sushama bought bed covers. . Shopping done we all headed for the hotel . During dinner there was a sarangi player accompanied by tabla -they were melodious and soothing.
24/3/2013
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| Rodents, the prasad and the kheer |
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| FOG OUTSIDE HOTEL SAGAR |
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| anup mahal |
25/2/2013
Left for Jaipur after a hearty breakfast. Road was good for most part with some bad patches.We reached hotel C.M.Banipark at about 4p.m. We left our luggage and left for shopping.The market here is full of clothes, bags,dhurries, razaais,silver ,lac bangles .All the women were ecstatic!Rickshamen are a terror on the roads. They do not look to see if there are potholes or humans around and vice-versa for humans. It is a maddening way of walking or driving.Wewent tthe famous 'Rawat Kachoriwala'.where we ate pyaaz kachori, mava kachori,dahi wada,kulfi&/ice-cream .The quality of the food has gone down and it was disappointing.Suri kept givivng us gyaan and telling us jokes and generally being entertaining.It was fun!
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| At Jantar Mantar |
26/3/2013 We left for Amber Fort. The original palace was built by Raja maan singh The beautiful palace complex is approached through ganesh pol. The palace has natural colours,using vegetable dyes,.There was a sheesh mahal,diwan-e aam, jal mandir ranis mahal The rani mahal was air conditioned because of water circulation and storage.While going to jaigad we saw jal mahal in the centre of maan sagar lake.It was used by the ranis as a summer resort.From there we went to Jantar-Mantar.It was built by King Sawai jaisingh and one of the five observatories built by him..There are instruments which can tell the local time,the signs of the zodiac and the position of the sun .It is quite complicated and very difficult to remember ..The next stop was City Palace.. It has large silver urns,weapons,wonderful wooden furniture . Here a lot of foreigners were seen taking an elephant ride and clicking pictures with the decorated elephants.That was the end of our sight seeing . We then went for lunch to MacDonald and the lunch was hosted by Hemant-Madhavi as it was their daughters wedding anniversary..The trip was coming to an end. Suris returned by train and we all left the next morning .The most wonderful thing was that there were a lot of school children brought to these places to see and learn the history of these places.
The Rajasthan that we saw and understood made us very proud to be a part of this great nation 'India'
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
tadoba-andhari tiger reserve
16/12/2012
This trip is an addition to the get-together of old school friends at Nagpur.
We left Nagpur at 9.30 a.m. by Tata Sumo. We loaded our luggage on the carrier and took off. This vehicle is ideal for a long journey .
We reached Tadoba at 2p.m.We were hungry and wanted a good lunch ,so we ordered food at the M.T.D.C. Resort at Tadoba.We had reservations and they had allotted Rooms 107.108 and 109 to us.
They served us rotis,dal chaval,bhindi sabji,anda curry dahi. Everything was piping hot and very tasty-not too spicy or too bland.After lunch,we rested a bit and in the evening we walked about in the resort watching birds and getting friendly with a dog and a pup.Dinner was good too. One has to inform them in advance about the next meal -the menu and timing-then the service is very good with hot food .Once we understood this method we became innovative about the foods that we ordered.Next morning we were to go on the safari ride and we had to get up early and leave at 5.45 a.m.
17/12/2012:We got up in the morning and left for the jungle in an open jeep. There was a guide with us.One is allowed to take one's car but the presence of a guide is compulsory.The jungle is thick-full of saag and bamboo trees.We went a little distance inside and immediately heard calls of deer -indicating the presence of tiger/s.We waited at that spot for half an hour but could not spot any tiger and slowly the calls also stopped.We went further on and spotted birds on the way-yellow footed green pigeons [state bird],serpent eagle,lots of spotted doves,green bee eaters,white eyed buzzard.Spotted deer and sambar were seen by us.Deer were in groups ,somewhere even alone in the tall grass.
The jungle was looking beautiful with the sun peeping from the tall trees,birds waking up and calling and a slight warmth creeping in.It wasn't very cold so we were all very comfortable.At about 9a.m. we were told that tigers were spotted at Telia paazar.We rushed back and sure enough across the lake on the banks were three fully grown tiger cubs- first lying around then getting up and moving towards the water. We got some photographs and we had to rush back as time was up.
.We came back at about 10.15a.m. had tea ,biscuits bread, butter and went to our rooms for a hot bath and rest.We had lunch at 1.15 p.m. dal, chawal, flower sabji,patwadi curry [a speciality of Vidarbha]roti and dahi.
18/12/2012The tiger safari is closed on Tuesdays, so we spent the day lazying ,visiting nearby areas where we saw some water birds-moor hens,storks,tree pie,drongo, tailor bird,wood pecker.
19/12/2012 Again went for the safari but this time we were unlucky so far as tiger sighting is concerned. We saw deer , birds and of course the ride through the jungle is always a new discovery ,a new awareness.
A must visit for every one as it opens up a new world of peace, greenery, lovely sounds, nature awareness.
Thursday, 18 October 2012
pachmadi-bedaghat-kanha-pench
This is the travelogue of our trip to pachmadi-bedaghat-kanha-pench.
We left Mumbai on the 12th at 7.00 p.m. by Vidarbha Express train.The journey was very relaxing and luxurious.We had 1st class tickets!We reached Ajni station in the morning at 10.00a.m.and immediately left for Pachmarhi in a Tata Winger.
The Paranjpe's had given us a packed lunch .Around 1.30 p.m. we had lunch on the wayside underneath some trees .Oh it was awesome!.We were all tremendously hungry and the food was excellent .Sushama had given us everything including some fruit.
We reached Pachmarhi at about 3.30 in the evening.
We had tea and left to see a lake nearby.When we came back we actually saw the hotel'GLEN VIEW' which had old British colonial kind of bungalows.The rooms were clean,hot and cold water was aplenty,good sheets and covers. The weather was excellent on the colder side but good.I managed with sweater ,socks and shoes.
On the 14th that is next morning we visited the Pandav goomphas.Of the 5 goomphas only 3 could be seen of which only the 4th was better maintained with carvings on it.One room had superb acoustics and if one sang there ,others standing outside could get excellent sound quality.There were 2 bricks of the olden days measuring 1' by 1 1/2'[huge].From the top we got a superb view of the circular garden below.We bought some seeds at the nursery and returned to Glen View.On the way to the goomphas we saw a baby 'giant squirrel'got some very good photos.Next we went to see a silk manufacturing unit. Silk worms are bred on huge plantations of mulberry trees.The worms are fed and they make the silk which is woven into sarees and other materials.
From there we went to see Bee Falls. The road was winding through forest which had saag trees and the route was difficult-up-down twisting mud roads. We had to walk from a certain point all the way down to the Bee Falls. They are thus known because the water stings like the sting of a bee.We did not go all the way as we could see the waterfalls and there was also the sound of the water falling from a height.While going back up we saw a snake under a boulder. got a good photo.We had nimbu pani and left in the vehicle for the market.just window shopping!. Later got back to the hotel for dinner.
15th Got up a bit late and left for reechgad after a hearty breakfast ---omlette,cornflakes, milk, upma, toast jam-wonderful.Again the jeeps could go only upto a point . From there we had to walk.Guide kept encouraging by saying it isnt far ,just round the next corner and we kept climbing and finally reached a place
where two huge rocks met leaving a gap in between.The sight was wonderful.We were all happy we could do that kind of climbing and getting down.There were goomphas where you had to crawl in to get inside. There were relics inside.We then returned to where the jeeps were parked. On the way back to the hotel Neena bought a pant and two t shirts from the market.
16th We got up early and left the hotel with a packed breakfast,went to Bedaghat.Everyone enjoyed the breakfast and the journey but I was carsick.We reached Bedaghat at 2p.m. After lunch at 3p.m. we left the hotel at 4.45 p.m. to see the Marble rocks. The Rocks are a sight worth seeing-with the narmada flowing quietly. The boat ride was good as our guide was a talkative boy -very entertaining with rhyming poetry in his narration.We took photos of 'the little cormorant ,blue kingfisher.The ride was for an hour. We then went to see the Dhurandhar falls with strong gushing Narmada-frightening, inviting and spellbinding!water sprays were felt by all of us.We could not photograph as light was insufficient and water droplets were getting onto the lens.
17th We left for Kanha.. We got a little lost at Narsingpur after Jabalpur and lost one hour in the process.Reached Kanha at 1.30p.m.We stayed at Bagheera huts. Food was good-roti,chawal,two sabjis-bhara hua tamatar,patta gobi, sprouts,salad and a lovely pudding with custard and fruits.Left for nature trail near Kanha Nature Park.Got a guide[300rs]and went walking along a path in the jungle. Saw a variety of trees-crocodile bark,palas,charoli,ashta,beheda,harda and bandar phool.Saw birds,animals.insects--a tree pie,racket tail drongo ,some bison a lovely spider's web called "funnel"because of its shape,termite hillsThe walk was 8 kms. It took us two hours.It was very refreshing.
18th Left at 6.45 a.m. for safari with packed breakfast.Saw spotted deer, wild boar, sloth bear,sambar, jungle fowl.The ride was till 11am. We went on elephants to see tigers .We saw a tigress relaxing in the bush.
We left Mumbai on the 12th at 7.00 p.m. by Vidarbha Express train.The journey was very relaxing and luxurious.We had 1st class tickets!We reached Ajni station in the morning at 10.00a.m.and immediately left for Pachmarhi in a Tata Winger.
The Paranjpe's had given us a packed lunch .Around 1.30 p.m. we had lunch on the wayside underneath some trees .Oh it was awesome!.We were all tremendously hungry and the food was excellent .Sushama had given us everything including some fruit.
On the 14th that is next morning we visited the Pandav goomphas.Of the 5 goomphas only 3 could be seen of which only the 4th was better maintained with carvings on it.One room had superb acoustics and if one sang there ,others standing outside could get excellent sound quality.There were 2 bricks of the olden days measuring 1' by 1 1/2'[huge].From the top we got a superb view of the circular garden below.We bought some seeds at the nursery and returned to Glen View.On the way to the goomphas we saw a baby 'giant squirrel'got some very good photos.Next we went to see a silk manufacturing unit. Silk worms are bred on huge plantations of mulberry trees.The worms are fed and they make the silk which is woven into sarees and other materials.
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| reechgad |
15th Got up a bit late and left for reechgad after a hearty breakfast ---omlette,cornflakes, milk, upma, toast jam-wonderful.Again the jeeps could go only upto a point . From there we had to walk.Guide kept encouraging by saying it isnt far ,just round the next corner and we kept climbing and finally reached a place
where two huge rocks met leaving a gap in between.The sight was wonderful.We were all happy we could do that kind of climbing and getting down.There were goomphas where you had to crawl in to get inside. There were relics inside.We then returned to where the jeeps were parked. On the way back to the hotel Neena bought a pant and two t shirts from the market.
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| marble rocks |
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| marble rocks |
17th We left for Kanha.. We got a little lost at Narsingpur after Jabalpur and lost one hour in the process.Reached Kanha at 1.30p.m.We stayed at Bagheera huts. Food was good-roti,chawal,two sabjis-bhara hua tamatar,patta gobi, sprouts,salad and a lovely pudding with custard and fruits.Left for nature trail near Kanha Nature Park.Got a guide[300rs]and went walking along a path in the jungle. Saw a variety of trees-crocodile bark,palas,charoli,ashta,beheda,harda and bandar phool.Saw birds,animals.insects--a tree pie,racket tail drongo ,some bison a lovely spider's web called "funnel"because of its shape,termite hillsThe walk was 8 kms. It took us two hours.It was very refreshing.
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| fox walking with us |
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| spotted deer |
At 3 pm we left for another safari.This time the light was different and we saw a fox which kept walking in front of us, bisons at close range eagle posing for us, indian rollers,barasingha, tree pie, racket tail drongo,spotted-deer.
19th morning left for Pench.
Route through Seoni by-pass. Reached Pench at 1.30 p.m. Went for a walk in the evening in and around the hotel. It was peaceful.Next morning we left for jungle safari .This time we saw some birds and a tiger in the bushes. We could not get photos as they were sleeping inside bushes.
All in all a very good trip.
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| termite hill |
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hotel at pench. |
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Music Programme at Karnatak Sangh Hall
Sunday the 23rd September
I went to this hall at 11a.m. The occasion was a musical rendering by Dr.Jyoti Kale, Mr. Aditya Khandwe and finally Dr. Ashwini Bhide in memory of their guru Late Shri Ratnakar Pai.
I reached late as the programme started at 10 a.m. I heard Dr.Jyoti Kale sing Pancham Lalit [all the ragas were rare ragas not heard often]She has a strong voice, sang in the upper octave and was very" surili."
Next was Mr. Aditya Khandwe. He began with raga"Bhankar"He has a very strong voice which could have been heard even without a microphone. Again ,he too sang the higher notes with perfect ease ,was good with tal .After this rendition he sang raag "Suha Kanada".By then his voice had really gotten into a smooth-flow and he sang with gusto and ease ,taking long ,complicated taans and enjoying his music and taking the audience along!
The last session was Dr. Ashwini Bhide. She is a well known singer and a fine artiste.She began with raag"Husaini Todi".She did alapi and then began the bandish slowly and steadily increased the tempo . She was accompanied by two of her shishyas who were both well trained and "surili" The next composition was raag-Anand- Bhairav.the raag is sweet to hear and has komal notes . .Dr.. Ashwini Bhide started having some trouble as her throat was causing irritation. The programme ended with a drut bandish .
I was very happy that i had decided to go for the programme. Avery well spent Sunday!
I went to this hall at 11a.m. The occasion was a musical rendering by Dr.Jyoti Kale, Mr. Aditya Khandwe and finally Dr. Ashwini Bhide in memory of their guru Late Shri Ratnakar Pai.
I reached late as the programme started at 10 a.m. I heard Dr.Jyoti Kale sing Pancham Lalit [all the ragas were rare ragas not heard often]She has a strong voice, sang in the upper octave and was very" surili."
Next was Mr. Aditya Khandwe. He began with raga"Bhankar"He has a very strong voice which could have been heard even without a microphone. Again ,he too sang the higher notes with perfect ease ,was good with tal .After this rendition he sang raag "Suha Kanada".By then his voice had really gotten into a smooth-flow and he sang with gusto and ease ,taking long ,complicated taans and enjoying his music and taking the audience along!
The last session was Dr. Ashwini Bhide. She is a well known singer and a fine artiste.She began with raag"Husaini Todi".She did alapi and then began the bandish slowly and steadily increased the tempo . She was accompanied by two of her shishyas who were both well trained and "surili" The next composition was raag-Anand- Bhairav.the raag is sweet to hear and has komal notes . .Dr.. Ashwini Bhide started having some trouble as her throat was causing irritation. The programme ended with a drut bandish .
I was very happy that i had decided to go for the programme. Avery well spent Sunday!
An incident from the past
An incident from the past
I had morning practicals ,so I left home at 8.30 a.m. I reached Andheri station and stood in the queue for the bus.The bus was late,people were agitated.At last the bus came. As we started getting into the bus one woman just rushed and as I was about to step in, she bit me on my arm just above the elbow at the back .She was angry and desperate.
I was shocked and shouted "Why are you biting me?".Seconds later , I was in the bus ,people were staring and me feeling quite stupid and still shocked that some grown woman had actually bitten me! I started thinking of what to do next.
The entire journey was spent in deciding this. I came to the conclusion that medical aid must be taken. There was no cut or bleeding . I approached our college Ayurvedic medical center.Someone there cleaned my arm with Savlon and applied Soframycin ointment. She told me that if the arm swells up in the evening I would need to take a Tetanus injection.
What a day! IN THE 21ST CENTURY A WOMAN BITES ANOTHER.......
I had morning practicals ,so I left home at 8.30 a.m. I reached Andheri station and stood in the queue for the bus.The bus was late,people were agitated.At last the bus came. As we started getting into the bus one woman just rushed and as I was about to step in, she bit me on my arm just above the elbow at the back .She was angry and desperate.
I was shocked and shouted "Why are you biting me?".Seconds later , I was in the bus ,people were staring and me feeling quite stupid and still shocked that some grown woman had actually bitten me! I started thinking of what to do next.
The entire journey was spent in deciding this. I came to the conclusion that medical aid must be taken. There was no cut or bleeding . I approached our college Ayurvedic medical center.Someone there cleaned my arm with Savlon and applied Soframycin ointment. She told me that if the arm swells up in the evening I would need to take a Tetanus injection.
What a day! IN THE 21ST CENTURY A WOMAN BITES ANOTHER.......
Monday, 6 June 2011
ME , MY MAID AND VIVIDH BHARATI
Yesterday evening I was sitting at this very same spot looking out of the window and generally not thinking of anything. I happened to glance up and saw the fan in the room. It had blackened at the edges due to dust and moisture.I decided that the next day that is today I would be cleaning it before my help-the zadu-katkawali came for cleaning.
Today I got up early ,finished most of my work-breakfast and cooking and then began cleaning my room.I finished the roof and fan and the shelves.The floor now had a lot of dirt on it which my maid would clean.
Suddenly I realised it was already five days in a row that my maid had come and done the work-she would probably not come today.I called her up.The phone was busy.I turned and walked towards my bedroom when the phone rang.I rushed towards it with hope in my heart and also a little doubt-it was the maid-her son was sick, she was taking him to the doctor and could not come.
All thoughts crossed my mind.The doctor -delayed [ his maid had'nt come?] and hence a long queue at the doctors and therefore my maid could not come.She had already told me so!
Yesterday Aai had come back from her sisters' place .Her unwashed clothes,our clothes and a few extra pieces were already washed and sitting in the basket waiting to be put for drying.The scene at the kitchen sink was no different.All the food had been transferred to small vessels and the big ones were waiting to be cleaned.
I calmed myself and decided to think of all this differently-no anger -I could afford to be calm -I was a retired person sitting at home-nowhere to rush off.
I remembered that some of my colleagues (I was a teacher in a college) would take leave without any hesitation.The reason being that one had to be at a temple on an auspiciuos day [Thursday] to receive the Almighty's blessings! Another was just tired and felt like not going to work[tired doing housework or teaching?]
My maid had a sick child -she definitely needed to take leave.Thinking of the conditions in which they live, the different responsibilities they handle and the superstitions that surround them they are still doing a good job!
Looking at all the work piled up I smiled and turned to the transistor radio.I am fond of listening to the radio[inherited from my parents]I switched it on and kept it next to me. To the lilting voice of Lata Mangeshkar-"Woh bhuli dastaan phir yaad aa gayi"and "Bairan neend na aaye" each cloth was put up on the line for drying.I was singing along with Latadidi-would she have ever dreamed that her singing would ease a very tedious job considerably? The clothes hanging was over in a jiffy -I thought.
Then I turned to the vessels .Vividh bharati had Mohd. Rafi singing "jaroorat hai jaroorat hai ek shrimati ki kalavati ki-jo seva kare pati ki"-wah! how appropriate-they had to play something so apt.The songs were accompanied by some talk-this time it was about eating Karela and its numerous benefits.It was about how joint pains were relieved by eating karela. I realised I didn't need to eat karela -my mouth had already had the kadva taste,and the joints all creaking.Then a song- "dil hai ke manata nahin"-I wash ,clean,sing ,wash clean sing.
Then I turned to my room where it all began . I took the broom and cleaned up the mess I had created.
I also remembered "Hallo Farmaish" on Vividh bharati where people call in and ask them to play their favourite songs.The compere then talks to these people who say that "mein din bhar Vividh bharati soonta/soonti hoon kaam karte karte-tailoring,working in a garage, or a sipahi at the border-now I was one of them .I quite liked it all.
The clothes were hung to dry,vessels were now washed and the room was cleaned up
My thoughts could now be put into words
Thanks Vividh Bharati!
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
aaghat
This film directed by Mr. Vikram Gokhale[his first directorial venture]is a must see!
The film is sleek -that is ,there are no extra frills ,not a tear jerker or a comic riot but absolutely brilliant!
The actors have given a marvelous performance-each one of them and the credit goes to the director for keeping a tight leash on the acting -just as much as required by the script.The script is very good and it shows how a common person can be duped easily.The Hippocratic oath at the begining and the comment at the end were masterstrokes.
Thank you all for this great film and we would love to see more of Mr. Vikram Gokhale-both as an actor and a director.His faith in Ms. Mukta Barve is justified completely.All the actors have done a great job even in the smallest roles.Congratulations!
There is though one drawback- not many theaters are running the film and then those that are running it do so at odd times like 11.30 am or 12 noon.Still I could catch it and be happy that I have seen a great film!
The film is sleek -that is ,there are no extra frills ,not a tear jerker or a comic riot but absolutely brilliant!
The actors have given a marvelous performance-each one of them and the credit goes to the director for keeping a tight leash on the acting -just as much as required by the script.The script is very good and it shows how a common person can be duped easily.The Hippocratic oath at the begining and the comment at the end were masterstrokes.
Thank you all for this great film and we would love to see more of Mr. Vikram Gokhale-both as an actor and a director.His faith in Ms. Mukta Barve is justified completely.All the actors have done a great job even in the smallest roles.Congratulations!
There is though one drawback- not many theaters are running the film and then those that are running it do so at odd times like 11.30 am or 12 noon.Still I could catch it and be happy that I have seen a great film!
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
The Play-Katkon -Trikon
We saw a wonderfully written play Katkon Trikon. The writer is Dr. Vivek Bele ,the Director Mr. Girish Joshi and the Producer Mr. Ajit Bhure.
The play is about a young couple and an old man who is the man's father.The play is written in a very light banter kind of style.The actors are the very versatile Dr. Mohan Agashe, Mr. Sandesh Kulkarni and Ms. Ketki Thatte.The play makes one think about our own behaviour towards the old as also the thoughts and difficulties of the young.The play uses the same dialogues in different contexts and conveys an altogether different meaning. A wonderful use of language! The play also has humour though there are serious issues discussed and this takes the audience very delicately to the climax of the play,without it turning into a comedy or an over the top shouting ,screaming end.
All in all a superb coming together of an excellent writer ,a good director and a committed producer,par excellence actor Dr. Mohan Agashe,good acting by Mr. Sandesh Kulkarni and Ms. Ketki Thatte.
Thank you all for this wonderful gift.May we keep getting many such productions.
The play is about a young couple and an old man who is the man's father.The play is written in a very light banter kind of style.The actors are the very versatile Dr. Mohan Agashe, Mr. Sandesh Kulkarni and Ms. Ketki Thatte.The play makes one think about our own behaviour towards the old as also the thoughts and difficulties of the young.The play uses the same dialogues in different contexts and conveys an altogether different meaning. A wonderful use of language! The play also has humour though there are serious issues discussed and this takes the audience very delicately to the climax of the play,without it turning into a comedy or an over the top shouting ,screaming end.
All in all a superb coming together of an excellent writer ,a good director and a committed producer,par excellence actor Dr. Mohan Agashe,good acting by Mr. Sandesh Kulkarni and Ms. Ketki Thatte.
Thank you all for this wonderful gift.May we keep getting many such productions.
Sunday, 4 July 2010
A visit to Leh June 19th to 26th
A wonderful trip to the beautiful land of Leh! Leh needs a lot of preparation. The climate was not what one would expect -cold and colder. During the flight we could see the mountain ranges -snow covered and some grey. We landed in Leh at 7 am. It was cold -8 degrees celcius.It was also icy windy!. I had to keep myself completely covered in a shawl apart from the sweater, inners and cap..
The oxygen content being low also caused discomfort.The first day was spent in getting acclimatized. Any exertion caused tiredness.The hotel Leh Chan was a nice place away from the noise of vehicles and close to a tiny river..The next day we woke up early as the sunrise is early.What a wonderful sight we saw!
From our room we could see the sunrise ,the snow clad mountains, the palace at a distance and the magpie robin.It was a sight that I had never seen before and do not think will see again.21 st we went to Samkar gompha, Shanti Stupa the Hemis festival and the Leh palace.These are the photos of the Samkar gompha, the Shanti Stupa the Leh palace and the Hemis festival.
The next day 22nd we went to the Pangyong lake .It is a long drive through winding roads and snow covered mountains.The topmost point is Chang-La which is 
17586 FEET .
The entire jour
ney showed us a part of India we had never imagined.From there we proceeded to Pangyong lake. This photo does not do justice to the beauty of the vast lake which also spreads into China.We found some gulls in there brown headed and looking wonderful on the blue green waters of the lake.We passed through villages Shey and Thiksey.The route back was tiring as the low oxygen content causes some discomfort as also the winding roads.We reached Hotel Leh Chen around evening and then just flopped out. The 23 rd was a day of sight seeing at lower levels-the sangam of the zanskar and indus rivers, the magnetic hill, the patthar sahib-a gurudwara, the fabulous museum -a tribute to our brave 
soldiers of the 
army ,navy and air force.
The eveving was spent in shopping at Leh market.The market is full of woolens,silver jewellery ,bags of different leathers and stones of all kinds.
We had a good time there and also got to walk a little as we were all the time getting into the Qualis and driving off.We also visited the market and got a papaya and a mashmelon and were happy that we could eat some fruit after 4-5 days.
The next day was a trip to Nubra valley ,the highest motorable road in the world.We got off to an early start and the drive was amazing .The mountains were of all colours and the weather was bitterly cold.We reached the highest point Khardung-La.The oxygen content was low and quite a tiring time.The man in the picture is a tourist who is trying to show that the low temperature has no effect on him!Later on these people had to be hospitalised and given oxygen.One must pay attention to the instructions of the guides or the people living there.
The road went further towards the sand dunes -a cold desert . I had never imagined that it would be a desert with freezing temperatures and sand all around. There are many two-humped camels here. The sand is extremely fine and looks like miles and miles of it.The further journey brought us to Tirith camp -a wonderful place in the midst of nowhere.
The approach to the camp provided us with a view of a waterfall from the snow capped mountains.What can I say? all the adjectives fall short of the sight that we saw!.The camping was a superb experience .The food was good and we all could sit together and chat ,relax ,have a hot water bath .The tea place was a round area where we all sat together ,had tea, biscuits and snacks.We ladies played cards -a game called 7 of hearts.It was a lot of fun.We stayed overnight and left ea
rly as there was a chance of bad weather. Sure enough we experienced a blizzard on the way back.The trip gave us the complete package of what it can be in a place like Leh.Luckily we did not see the ugly side of the terrain or the weather.The mou
ntains we saw were a varied colour-red- as you can see in this picture ,green yellow and of various textures-rocky but smooth like chocolate,sandy, gravelly ,stony sometimes forming shapes sometimes looking dangerous. The drive back was a bit frightening because there was mist and sometimes one could not see anything and suddenly the mist would go away and we could again see the beautiful snow laden mountains.The journey ended with us back at the Leh chen hotel in the evening. The next day was a rest day when we decided to go river rafting in the Zanskar river. River rafting is for the strong ones -who can use oars fast and for the brave hearts who will not lose their cool in case of a mishap.The entire stretch was a raw beauty that one never sees elsewhere. It is unspoilt by humans requiring all amenities and mollycoddling. The next day -26th we began the return journey with memories of an unforgettable trip to one of the most wonderful places in INDIA that one could see.
The oxygen content being low also caused discomfort.The first day was spent in getting acclimatized. Any exertion caused tiredness.The hotel Leh Chan was a nice place away from the noise of vehicles and close to a tiny river..The next day we woke up early as the sunrise is early.What a wonderful sight we saw!From our room we could see the sunrise ,the snow clad mountains, the palace at a distance and the magpie robin.It was a sight that I had never seen before and do not think will see again.21 st we went to Samkar gompha, Shanti Stupa the Hemis festival and the Leh palace.These are the photos of the Samkar gompha, the Shanti Stupa the Leh palace and the Hemis festival.
The next day 22nd we went to the Pangyong lake .It is a long drive through winding roads and snow covered mountains.The topmost point is Chang-La which is 
17586 FEET .
The entire jour
ney showed us a part of India we had never imagined.From there we proceeded to Pangyong lake. This photo does not do justice to the beauty of the vast lake which also spreads into China.We found some gulls in there brown headed and looking wonderful on the blue green waters of the lake.We passed through villages Shey and Thiksey.The route back was tiring as the low oxygen content causes some discomfort as also the winding roads.We reached Hotel Leh Chen around evening and then just flopped out. The 23 rd was a day of sight seeing at lower levels-the sangam of the zanskar and indus rivers, the magnetic hill, the patthar sahib-a gurudwara, the fabulous museum -a tribute to our brave 
soldiers of the 
army ,navy and air force.
The eveving was spent in shopping at Leh market.The market is full of woolens,silver jewellery ,bags of different leathers and stones of all kinds.
We had a good time there and also got to walk a little as we were all the time getting into the Qualis and driving off.We also visited the market and got a papaya and a mashmelon and were happy that we could eat some fruit after 4-5 days.
The next day was a trip to Nubra valley ,the highest motorable road in the world.We got off to an early start and the drive was amazing .The mountains were of all colours and the weather was bitterly cold.We reached the highest point Khardung-La.The oxygen content was low and quite a tiring time.The man in the picture is a tourist who is trying to show that the low temperature has no effect on him!Later on these people had to be hospitalised and given oxygen.One must pay attention to the instructions of the guides or the people living there.
The road went further towards the sand dunes -a cold desert . I had never imagined that it would be a desert with freezing temperatures and sand all around. There are many two-humped camels here. The sand is extremely fine and looks like miles and miles of it.The further journey brought us to Tirith camp -a wonderful place in the midst of nowhere.
The approach to the camp provided us with a view of a waterfall from the snow capped mountains.What can I say? all the adjectives fall short of the sight that we saw!.The camping was a superb experience .The food was good and we all could sit together and chat ,relax ,have a hot water bath .The tea place was a round area where we all sat together ,had tea, biscuits and snacks.We ladies played cards -a game called 7 of hearts.It was a lot of fun.We stayed overnight and left ea
rly as there was a chance of bad weather. Sure enough we experienced a blizzard on the way back.The trip gave us the complete package of what it can be in a place like Leh.Luckily we did not see the ugly side of the terrain or the weather.The mou
ntains we saw were a varied colour-red- as you can see in this picture ,green yellow and of various textures-rocky but smooth like chocolate,sandy, gravelly ,stony sometimes forming shapes sometimes looking dangerous. The drive back was a bit frightening because there was mist and sometimes one could not see anything and suddenly the mist would go away and we could again see the beautiful snow laden mountains.The journey ended with us back at the Leh chen hotel in the evening. The next day was a rest day when we decided to go river rafting in the Zanskar river. River rafting is for the strong ones -who can use oars fast and for the brave hearts who will not lose their cool in case of a mishap.The entire stretch was a raw beauty that one never sees elsewhere. It is unspoilt by humans requiring all amenities and mollycoddling. The next day -26th we began the return journey with memories of an unforgettable trip to one of the most wonderful places in INDIA that one could see.
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