NerdIndian's World

A day on Jagriti Yatra - Tiloniya, Rajasthan

2009-01-09T22:39:00.006+05:30

[Low res snaps - clicked and uploaded via mobile]

Today, the yatris on Tata Jagriti Yatra visited the barefoot college at Tiloniya, Rajasthan. The Yatris were delighted with the warm welcome by the villagers with Dhol, Manjira and Shankh. There was so much energy all around where Yatris danced their way to the pandal. After a short introduction and tea session, Yatris moved to see the solar energy projects in the village, village craft manufacturing units etc.

After lunch, Yatris walked through the fields to the Barefoot college campus and were addressed by Bunker Roy after which the Yatris went shopping at the village craft center.

[Introduction from the Barefoot college website]

The Barefoot College is a place of learning and unlearning. It's a place where the teacher is the learner and the learner is the teacher. It's a place where NO degrees and certificates are given because in development there are no experts-only resource persons. It's a place where people are encouraged to make mistakes so that they can learn humility, curiosity, the courage to take risks, to innovate, to improvise and to constantly experiment. It's a place where all are treated as equals and there is no hierarchy.
So long as the process leads to the good and welfare of all; so long as problems of discrimination, injustice, exploitation and inequalities are addresssed directly or indirectly; so long as the poor, the deprived and the dispossessed feel its a place they can talk, be heard with dignity and respect, be trained and be given the tools and the skills to improve their own lives the immediate relevance of the Barefoot College to the global poor will always be there.

Twittering away

2008-12-20T23:53:00.005+05:30

These days, I am addicted to a new social networking fad - Twitter. I had almost stopped blogging because of time constraints - not enough time to lay out my thoughts into a presentable blog post.

I had registered on Twitter since February 2008 and found it too boring. It really didn't catch on. I had started using LinkedIn for professional networking and making a shift from Orkut to Facebook for keeping in touch with friends by then. One of my friends @b50 got me going on Twitter again and now, I just can't keep away from it during my free time. It is such a light weight and powerful tool for people to use.

Use it from the web, dozens of client software on almost every platform that you would imagine, a variety of mobile clients as well. I personally prefer Tweetdeck client on the PC, Twitterberry and m.slander.net on the mobile and of course, the Twitpic API for sharing quick pics with my followers !

I find it amusing to be with tweeple who do tweetups often and is a much closer community than anything else I have seen online. I can feel I know many of the tweeple that I follow personally, though I may not have met many of them. Imagine sending a tweet to @having and you have your own food feed . One can think of very innovative uses of the twitter technology which uses just 140 characters to convey powerful messages.

You can just update your plain daily life for those who care and find it interesting. It makes an interesting read to follow people when you have some time. Lots of learning in there too !

This one is worth trying if you are convinced of the social networking funda - you will get addicted - be warned !

Mobile & micro-blogging

2008-11-02T18:36:00.002+05:30

Golden Temple, originally uploaded by iamshishir.

Have been experimenting with a few new tech tools to better manage my photo collections, social networks and blogs. This is one attempt to start blogging via mobile & email. If this works well, I could be microblogging a bit more during my travel time !

TripAdvisor

2008-02-09T16:40:00.000+05:30

Mumbai (Bombay), India

Dalhousie, India

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Amritsar, India

View my profile

Create your own travel map or travel blog

Visit TripAdvisor.com

Why ants migrate?

2007-07-29T11:15:00.000+05:30

Old Version:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter,the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

Modern Version:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter,the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house. Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other grasshoppers demanding that grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter. Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticize the Indian Government for no upholding the fundamental rights of the grasshopper. The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance). Opposition MP's stage a walkout. Leftparties call for "Bharat Bandh" in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry. CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among ants and grasshoppers.

Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'. Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the Prevention of Discrimination Against Grasshoppers Act [PODAGA]", with effect from the beginning of the winter.

Arjun Singh makes Special Reservation for Grass Hopper in educational Insititutions & in Govt. Services.The ant is fined for failing to comply with PODAGA and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV. Arundhati Roy calls it "a triumph of justice". Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice'. CPM calls it the 'revolutionary resurgence of the downtrodden'. Koffi Annan invites the grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later:

The ant has since migrated to the US as it discovered thereis no POTGA there and set up a multi billion dollar company in silicon valley. Hundreds of ants followed. Thousands of grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation. As hard working ants continue to migrate, and having to feed millions of lazy grasshoppers, India continues to be a developing country and will continue to be so for at least another century.

Technology for the young generation

2007-07-28T20:05:00.000+05:30

While young people embrace the Web with real or virtual friends and their mobile phone is never far away, relatively few like technology and those that do tend to be in Brazil, India and China, according to a survey.

Only a handful think of technology as a concept, and just 16 percent use terms like ‘social networking’, said two combined surveys covering 8- to 24-year-olds. “Young people don’t see ‘tech’ as a separate entity - it’s an organic part of their lives,” said Andrew Davidson, vice president of MTV’s VBS International Insight unit. “Talking to them about the role of technology in their lifestyle would be like talking to kids in the 1980s about the role the park swing or the telephone played in their social lives — it’s invisible.”

The surveys involved 18,000 young people in 16 countries including the UK, US, China, Japan, Canada and Mexico. Terms most frequently used by the young when talking about technology related to accessing content for free, notably “download and ‘burn’. The surveyors found the average Chinese computer user has 37 online friends they have never met, Indian youth are most likely to see mobile phones as a status symbol, while one-in-three UK and US teenagers say they cannot live without games consoles.

For example, the key digital device for Japan’s young is the mobile phone because of the privacy and portability it offers those who live in small homes with limited privacy. They found Japanese children aged eight to 14 have only one online friend they have not met, compared to a global average of five. Some 93 percent of Chinese computer users aged 8-14 have more than one friend online they have never met. Davidson said this was encouraging those aged 8-14 in China to select online over television — a trend not seen in any other market in that age group. The changes in how the youth market engages with technology is keenly followed by advertisers and content firms. “Traditional youth marketing considered opinion formers and influencers to be a small elite, but these days the elite has become much larger,” said Davidson.

For parents worried about what their children are getting up to amid the wave of gadgets, little has changed in a generation. The surveyors found the most popular activities the under-14s enjoy were watching TV, listening to music and being with friends. The rankings for those older was similar although listening to music was top.

Silence speaks

2007-07-01T00:00:00.000+05:30

Have you ever experienced a moment in your life when you just ran out of words and you go silent?

Let me assist you in recalling -

The moment when you left your home for the first time and you look back at your parents who are worried that their son/daughter are leaving them yet happy that their child took the first step towards independence.
The moment when the girl/boy you like most smiled back at you! You don't say anything.. you just smile back.
The moment when you get better marks than you expected. Those "numb" moments of ecstasy n surprise "is that true?"
The moment when you are parting with your old friend(s) and the train has just started and you are standing on the door of the wagon waving "bye-bye" with your heart beating fast.
The moment after the HR manager has just called you and told you,"You are through! Congrats!"
The moment when you sit alone in your room after having told everyone that you cleared that exam you prepared for 6 months!!

You can go on remembering your "special" moments!

I had always wondered why I never said anything to myself at those moments - as if it was "understood". Happiness, joy, pain - all feelings just flowed ceaselessly in the 'years' that passed in those flash moments.They say the best way to communicate is through "silence". Love, joy, grief, surprise, anger, hope, expectations, support, non co-operation.

Can you imagine the importance of a silent moment in a song?

Ever had those moments when you thought you were tired enough that you reach for your bed after dinner but find yourself wide awake looking at the roof of your room silently? But you sure are 'thinking'.

Those moments of self-talk are most important in our lives. Those moments when we listen to our own hearts! Those promises, those decisions, those are the moments when we make our destinies! Next time you go silent, listen carefully to what your heart is saying. Listen to its joy, listen to its pain, listen to its fears, listen to its desires.

LISTEN TO THAT VOICE and ACCEPT EVERYTHING IT SAYS!

That voice alone can lead you to the abode of peace that your sleep lacks, peace that awaits you! Be in touch with your true self. Be silent once a day, every day! Silence speaks more than your words.

Sing your song

2007-04-29T22:30:00.000+05:30

When a woman in a certain African tribe knows she is pregnant, she goes out into the wilderness with a few friends and together they pray and medidate until they hear the song of the child. They recognise that every soul has its own vibration that expresses its unique flavour and purpose. When the women attune to the song, they sing it loud. Then they return to the tribe and teach it to everyone else. When the child is born, the community gathers and sings the child's song to him or her. Later, when the child enters education, the village gathers and chants the song. When the child passes through initiation to adulthood, the people again come together and sing. At the time of marriage, the person hears his or her song. Finally, when the soul is about to pass from this world, the family and friends gather at the person's bed, just as they did at their birth and they sing the person to the next life.

There is something inside each of us that knows we have a song, and we wish those we love would recognise it and support us to sing it. In the African tribe, there is one other occasion upon which the villagers sing to the child. If at any time during his or her life, the person commits a crime or aberrant social act, the individual is called to the centre of the village and the people in the community form a circle around them. Then they sing their song to them. The tribe recognises that the correction for antisocial behaviour is not punishment ; it is love and the remembrance of identity.

When you recognise your own song, you have no desire or need to do anything that would hurt another. A friend is someone who knows your song and sings it to you when you have forgotten it. Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made or dark images you hold about yourself. They remember your beauty when you feel ugly; your wholeness when you are broken; your innocence when you feel guilty; and your purpose when you are confused.

If you do not give your song a voice, you will feel lost, alone and confused. If you express it, you will come to life. We attract people on similar wavelength so we can support each other to sing aloud. Sometimes we attract people who challenge us by telling us that we cannot or should not sing our song in public. Yet, these people help us too, for they stimulate us to find greater courage to sing it.

You may not have grown up in an African tribe that sings your song to you at crucial life transitions, but life is always reminding you when you are in tune with yourself and when you are not. When you feel good, what you do matches your song, and when you feel awful, it doesn't. In the end, we shall all recognise our song and sing it well. You may feel a little wary at the moment, but so have all the great singers. Just keep singing and you shall find your way home.

Back to music

2007-02-11T14:15:00.000+05:30

I met up with Raj Aphale [one of my previous bosses / mentors at Inaltus] last evening. He showed me a video of his Sitar performance at a function and ignited my love for music again !

Just pulled out my flute a few minutes back to get back in touch with music. Played Kedar and Des - had been a long time since I even touched my flute - over two years, but I did manage to play the ragas instantly !

It was absolutely blissful and a great way to relieve stress - very refreshing. I now plan to keep up the practice at least on Sundays.

Origins !

2006-09-09T15:57:00.000+05:30

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oswal A social / caste group from Rajasthan and Punjab. Primarily Jain, their rituals with respect to birth, marriage, death etc. are strongly influenced by Sanatana Hindu culture.

The origin myth of the Oswals states that c.2500 years ago, members of the warrior caste within the traditional Hindu hierarchy, the Kshatriyas in the town of Upkeshpattan adopted Jainism as their faith. Upkeshpattan is said to be analogous to a town situated about 32 miles northwest of Jodhpur in the state of Rajasthan called Osiya or Ossia. Nevertheless, no Oswal-families are said to be inhabiting the present day Osiya.

The Oswal ranks swelled with Jainism's antagonism to the caste structure as the Kshatriyas were joined by people from other castes, which with Jainism's austere adherence to the philosophy of extreme non-violence and respect for all things, animate and inanimate; resulted in the development of trade as the primary occupation amongst the Oswal. Thus Oswal, became one amongst the thousands of sub-castes within the large Indian caste panoply. The Kshatriyas in Rajasthan, viz. Rajput, and Oswal consequently do share common social etiquettes which serve as distinguishing social indicators and identifiers. Eg. Both the Rajasthani Rajput and Oswal prefer the use of the honorofic suffix "-SA" instead of the more common honorific suffix "-JI" used in the rest of Hindi-speaking regions.

The Oswals are primarily adherents of the Shvetambar (The White Clad) school of Jainism and in contrast to the other Rajasthani diaspora are distinguished by their singular subscription to a protestant faith viz. Jainism whereas the Agarwals, Porwals, Maheswari are primarily Vaishnavite. Additionally, a strong Oswal identity can be found amongst certain Punjabi and Kutch groups as well.

Within the ambit of the Indian sub-continent, the Rajputs and Rajasthani presence within the Mughal administrative apparatus gained the Oswals patronage from various emperors especially due to their strong presence in commercial activities and consequent influence in revenue generation. An Oswal immigrant who is said to have exercised decisive role in a series of events which culminated in the Battle of Plassey was the Indian Rothschild, Jagat Seth, a title bestowed upon him by the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb and who in revenge of a personal outrage financed and sided with the East India Company to bring about the downfall of Siraj-Ud-Daulah leading the East India Company's primacy in Bengal.

Within the caste hierarchy of the Oswals is the sub-groupings of Panca, Dasa and Visa, which mean five (5), ten (10) and twenty (20) respectively. These sub-groupings refer to various caste endogamic structures within the Oswals

Another sub-group of Oswals within the Kutch and Halar areas of present day Gujarat complete the non-marwari speaking group. These primariliy speak Kutchi or Gujarati as their mother tongue. Over the preceding centuries, many Halar based Oswal families migrated first to East Africa and then to the West and have founded distinct close-knit societies in these countries.

Day out @ Lonavla

2006-08-07T04:39:00.000+05:30

A few of us from Emkay went out for a day of rainy picnic at the Kumar Resorts, Lonavla. The snaps are uploaded in my photo album.

Will write more about the picnic over the weekend at leisure, but it was an absolutely fun packed day for all of us !

What time of day are you?

2006-07-27T06:42:00.000+05:30

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits.

Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle.

Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it.

You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

You Are Midnight

What Time Of Day Are You?

Blood Banks in Mumbai

2006-07-11T23:39:00.000+05:30

In response to the series of Bomb Blasts that Mumbai (India) saw today evening, high number of causalities have been reported. Many of fellow Mumbaikars have been wounded and injured.

Following are the list of prominent blood banks in Mumbai. Please move ahead and ensure that our friends in Mumbai are do not face shortage of Blood & any possible help. Maximum requirement is at KEM Hospital.

K.E.M Hospital Blood Bank
Parel Mumbai 400 012
Ph. 24136051,24131419, 24134977, 24135189, Ext-2016
Fax: 24185678

Hinduja National Hospital & Medical Research
Veer Savarkar Road
Mumbai 400 016
Ph. 24452222, 24451515, 24447752

Cooper Hospital
Vile Parle
Ph. 26207254, 26207256, 26207257

Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Hospital
Sion, Mumbai 400 022
Ph. 24076381, 24095099 Ext. 535

Lilavati Hospital Blood Bank
Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (W)
Mumbai 400 050
Ph. 26455891 Ext. 2223

Nanavati Hospital Blood Bank
Vile Parle (W)
Mumbai 400056
Ph. 26182262, 26182255

Indian Red Cross Soc. Blood Bank
Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg
Mumbai 400 001
Ph. 22663195, 22663560

Breach Candy Hospital and Research Centre
Bulabhai Desai Road
Mumbai 400 026
Ph. 23633651,2368 5406

Borivali Blood Bank
Vitthal Apt. Near Ram Mandir Borivali (W)
Mumbai 400103
Ph. 28010058, 28935219

Jaslok Hospital And Research Centre
Dr. G.Deshmukh Marg
Mumbai 400 026
Ph. 24939595

Sir.J.J Groups of Hospitals Blood Bank
Byculla
Mumbal 400 008
Ph. 23739400, 23735555, Ext. 2248

Tata Memorial Hospital Blood Bank
Dr. E. Borges Marg, Parel
Mumbai 400012
Ph. 24149750, 24161413, 24170000, 24127096

Harkisandas Nurottamdas Hospital Blood Bank
Prathana Samaj
Mumbai 400 004
Ph. 23884015, 23855555, 23808932

ISSUED IN PUBLIC INTEREST BY PRAVS WORLD

Black Tuesday

2006-07-11T23:06:00.000+05:30

Today was yet another black day in the history of Mumbai ! Mumbai and its surrounding areas have been struggling to see peaceful life over the last couple of weeks but peace seems to have gone out of this city.

First, the riots in Bhiwandi, then the Minatai Thakre statue issue and the most gravest incident - 7 serial blasts this evening. Most of you would have watched / heard the news about the serial blasts which rocked the western railway suburban trains this evening. All of these blasts happened between 18.30 hrs to 19.00 hrs and more than 350 people are reported dead.

Landlines / mobiles were jammed and there was a chaos situation all across Mumbai. As the blasts ripped apart train compartments, mangled bodies of passengers were hurled out and survivors, many of them bleeding profusely, jostled to come out, leading to chaotic scenes. The blasts occured at Matunga, Mahim (central Mumbai), Bandra, Khar (in north-west Mumbai), Borivili, Jogeshwari and Mira Road railway stations (in north Mumbai). This was the peak period when most of the people would be returning home from their offices. It is suspected that Lashkar-e-toiba would have executed this barbaric act.

Most TV channels were beaming these news and our Netajis would have wanted to rush to Mumbai. However, I am sure that the citizens of Mumbai would plead the netajis to stay wherever they are instead of coming down to Mumbai and adding to our woes. It is very evident that they will do more harm than help to the people. The already strained police force will have to cater to their security instead of focussing on their tasks. Hospitals will turn into security zones, losing their capability to cater to the casualties effectively.

On Sunday, the so called patriotic Shiv Sainiks raised havoc when the statue of Minatai Thakre was defaced. I just hope that the guys who were so concerned and enthusiastic enough to fly down from places like Aurangabad and putting buses on fire will now come forward to serve the citizens of Mumbai with a similar vigour too. 'Amchi Mumbai' as they call it ! From whatever little television reports that I saw, even this time, the common man of Mumbai has come down to work rapidly to help the affected people. The sarkari machinery has been slow and uneffective as usual.

For those who are stranded in South Mumbai and have a difficulty finding accomodation for the night, here are a couple of places to stay

Luckily, the Central Railways were majorly unaffected and I could reach home safely, albeit a bit late than usual.

I am confident that the Mumbai will bounce back to normalcy tomorrow [or rather have we become so insensitive ?] and there will be business as usual [except for the families who have suffered].

Winds of change

2006-07-08T18:41:00.000+05:30

This is my second post for today ! Quite a record in the last few months....

Today was a wonderful day at home. Nothing very special, but spent a quiet day - eat a bit, sleep a bit, roam out a bit. I started my driving lessons this afternoon [also did well for the first day]. I am feeling the original myself once again today.

In fact, I was keen on joining a bunch of Orkuteers from the Bombay Community for a dinner at the Ling's Pavilion this evening, but am rather planning to cancel that now. Instead, I would go out for a dinner @ Legend with Shilpa.

I am coming a long way from looking back now. I have had a relatively short stint [a bit more than a year at CLSA]. It has been a great place to be at - the best of technologies, some of the best people in the investment banking / broking industry. It has given me valuable exposure to the best trading systems used across the globe. I spent a considerable time trying to work out options to get a better work-life balance with my current job. However, that wasn't happening and finally, I have made a decision.

A decision to bring about winds of change in my career as well as personal life ! I am looking forward to spend more quality time with family and friends with this change in job from the 1st of August. The new job gives me an opportunity to move into a more strategic role into IT management - a change from a doer to thinker [though I cannot really keep away from getting my hands dirty very often].

I am also looking forward to get back to my hobbies after I settle down a bit at the new office [some of you may already know and others should know, where, in the due course].

Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna

2006-07-08T17:32:00.000+05:30

Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna is a poem by Ramprasad Bismil.

It is an emotion-evoking ode to the revolutionaries of the Indian Independence Movement. It goes as follows:

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.

Dekhna hai zor kitna baazuay qaatil mein hai

Karta nahin kyun doosra kuch baat cheet,
Dekhta hun main jise voh chup teri mehfil mein hai
Aye shaheed-e-mulk-o-millat main tere oopar nisaar,
Ab teri himmat ka charcha ghair ki mehfil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.

Waqt aanay pey bata denge tujhe aye aasman,
Hum abhi se kya batayen kya hamare dil mein hai
Khainch kar layee hai sab ko qatl hone ki ummeed,
Aashiqon ka aaj jumghat koocha-e-qaatil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.

Hai liye hathiyaar dushman taak mein baitha udhar,
Aur hum taiyyaar hain seena liye apna idhar.
Khoon se khelenge holi gar vatan muskhil mein hai,

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.

Haath jin mein ho junoon katt te nahi talvaar se,
Sar jo uth jaate hain voh jhukte nahi lalkaar se.
Haath jin mein ho junoon katt te nahi talvaar se,
Sar jo uth jaate hain voh jhukte nahi lalkaar se.
Aur bhadkega jo shola-sa humaare dil mein hai,

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.

Hum to ghar se nikle hi the baandhkar sar pe qafan,
Chaahatein liin bhar liye lo bhar chale hain ye qadam.
Zindagi to apni mehmaan maut ki mehfil mein hai,

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.

Dil mein toofaanon ki toli aur nason mein inquilaab,
Hosh dushman ke udaa denge humein roko na aaj.
Duur reh paaye jo humse dam kahaan manzil mein hai,

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.
Dekhna hai zor kitna baazuay qaatil mein hai.

Yoon khara maqtal mein qatil keh raha hai baar-baar,
Kya tamanna-e-shahaadat bhi kisi ke dil mein hai.

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai.

Dekhna hai zor kitna baazuay qaatil mein hai.

This is probably not the exact arrangement of verses as Bismil wrote them, though these are all his words. Some verses of this poem were also featured in the 2006 Hindi movie Rang De Basanti.

Inaltus buddies meet

2006-06-25T18:34:00.000+05:30

A few of us from Inaltus team met up at the Cream Center, R-Mall, Mulund on the 24th of June 2006 and it was an enjoyable experience !

Gang on the ground floor

Trupti & Sailee

Parag, Adit & Parul

School buddies meet

2006-05-06T14:00:00.000+05:30

A few of us from the SKP class of 1991 met up @ Legend on 4th May 2006 over dinner.

Visapur Trek

2006-04-17T20:22:00.000+05:30

Date : Friday [14/04/2006 16.30 hrs IST]

Venue : Orkut

My scrapbook read:
André: ---- From mumbai trekker community. Interested in a one-day trek this weekend? There are 4 ppl currently.

A minute later, André's scrapbook read:

Shishir: what's the plan ? Unfortunately, I have to go to the office tomorrow evening for an hour or so [17.00 - 18.00]. But let me know the plan and may be able to make it !

Soon, we were exchanging scraps and from there-on, emails. On Friday night, we had decided that come what may, we will go out for a trek over the weekend. We decided to take up Lohgad as it had been classified as an easy trek - would be a good option for the summers. A few more guys had shown concrete interest in joining the trek - Manoj, Arjun, Gautam & Nilhil.

I was on my way to the office on Saturday evening for some work and I got a call from a number from the NSE. I thought it would be for something related to the evening's activity that I was going for. There was an Aditya from NSE IT on the other end and he said that he was interested in joining us, though he was not very sure. I told him the broad plan and wasn't really sure if he would be able to jump in at the last minute. In the mean time, Nikhil had intimated us that something urgent had come up on his side, so he would have to drop out of the plan.

Effectively, we were 5 of us who were going for sure and I wasn't very sure about Adi. We initially decided to depart by Siddheshwar Exress but Gautam would be a bit late at the office, so we decided to take the Passenger train to Pune from Dadar. Accordingly, I messaged everyone that we are meeting at 11.00 PM at Dadar station. I reached Dadar at around 10.30 PM and went to the enquiry counter to find that the last Passenger train to Pune leaves at 10.55 PM ! After that, the only option was Madras Mail. I messaged the gang again, Arjun and Manoj arrived in a few minutes but apparently, others had stuck to the 11.00 PM plan, so we were sure to miss the Passenger train. Soon, everyone else except André were there [Even Aditya had turned up]. I then realised that André wouldn't have got my message because he had lost his mobile phone. I should have intimated him separately about the change in plan. When I called up his residence, they said that he had already left for the trek. Now the funniest part was the all six of us hadn't seen each other before that day. Most of the co-ordination was online and on phone. We bought the tickets and were waiting on Dadar Platform no. 5, expecting that we would jump in if André would reach even in the last minute. However, we missed the train and went out at the assembly point - André had already arrived !

We decided to take the road route now, so we walked towards the Asiad bus stop at Dadar. After enquiries and all that, we freezed on hiring a private vehicle [which turned out to be a wise decision later] and managed to hire a Chevrolet Tavera. We started off from Mumbai at around 1.00 AM [yes it was Sunday now]. The journey was fairly comfortable except for the fact that we couldn't sleep at all [Except for Arjun, who claims that he did manage to sleep for a while]. We had an arrangement with the driver that he would drop us to the Malawali village and not on the Express Highway because it would be too late in the night for us to get off at the Express Highway and look for alternate transport to Malawali. After we crossed Lonavala, there was no sight of Malawali and suddenly, we found ourselves passing through Kamshet. We realised that something was wrong and decided to ask for directions. We met two watchmen outside a temple in Kamshet and they said that we had left Malwali 8 kms back ! Luckliy, it was just a railway station away from Kamshet, so we left that Tavera and walked down to the Kamshet railway station to take a small nap. However, we soon realised that André had lost his wallet [most probably dropped in the Tavera only]. But we couldn't find it now.Arjun, André & me had a small nap on the station benches. It was very cool because there was a river flowing just adjacent to the railway station. In the morning, we brushed our teeth on the station and started off to Malawali by the first local train coming from Pune.

On reaching Malawali, we started walking [there was one more family with a lot of kids, who seemed to be walking along-with us. I later realised that they were going to a dargah on the Lohgad fort or Lohgaon]. We had morning tea at a small shop and started trekking immediately, hoping that we would beat the sun by starting early and have breakfast somewhere on the way. We soon trekked upto a point where there was a diversion of routes - one going towards Lohgad [this was our original destination] and the other towards Visapur fort. We had some nimbu pani at a hut [I feel lucky we had it then], and took the route to the left [towards Visapur].

Lohgad and Visapur are popular forts for trekkers and can be toured in a day from Pune. Lohagad is 3400 feet high and is very wide spread fort. There are 4 doors to Lohagad from the nearby village - Lohgaon. i.e. 'Ganesh Darwaja' , 'Narayan Darwaja' , 'Hanuman Darwaja' and 'Maha Darwaja'. Some sculptures can also be seen on Maha Darwaja. Lohagad is not so spreaded and can be easily seen in few hours . The famous spot on Lohagad is 'Vinchu Kata' - a range of hills that looks like a scorpion's claw. Amazing view of Pawana Dam is also visible from the back side of Lohagad. The wealth from Surat was brought here under the leadership of Netaji Palkar and kept here for some period. The other fort near Lohagad is Visapur. It is 3500 feet high and situated between Lohagad and Bedse Caves. A huge cannon (almost 10 feet long) on Visapur is very vital as it has an impression of royal crown. One can see Purandar on south-east. Sinhagad as well as Tung and Tikona can also be clearly seen. Both these forts are of Satwahan Era and of great importance in Shivaji's period as to keep watch on Konkan and Bor Ghat. These two forts are historically very crucial.

This was not in our original plan. We had planned Lohgad, which was rated as an easy trek. However, this route seemed to be a bit tough as we started going ahead. Each of us was carrying a bottle full of water and we had bought some biscuits on the way. We had planned to get food on the way, as it would be available. We soon realised that we were running out of water and the sun was getting harsh and I started de-hydrating quickly. The route didn't seem to end at all and we seemed to be going round the fort. The route seemed to be going up and down but never near to the entrance of the fort. I thought for a while that we had lost the route and were wandering in the wild. However, we found a couple of houses on the way and Arjun went to enquire about the route. He returned back to report that a lady spoke something in marathi [which he couldn't understand] but had pointed to a direction. We started walking in that direction. We seemed to hit dead-ends some times, but upon little exploration, there seemed to be a way going ahead. I was soon feeling weak because of hunger / thirst and the heat and started trailing soon. The guys kept company and soon we were able to make it to the top, passing through thorny bushes and stony routes.

We were very happy to have reached the top of the fort and suddenly started feeling fresh again. Arjun found the master bedroom of the fort and went to sleep soon. I too had a small nap and then joined others to explore the fort. We met 4 more guys on the trek - probably the only humans that we saw on the route after we chose the Visapur route ! They had climed up from an alternate path - a dry waterfall, which was a much shorter route than what we had taken. We discussed the route with them and decided to descend from the route which they had taken. In turn, they asked us about our route and decided to descend from the route that we had taken to climb up. I thought that the descend by shorter route would be very easy and started off in high spirits again, expecting to find food / water soon. However, we soon found that this route was no less tougher than the route we had taken to climb up the fort.

This time, Arjun and André led the descent, making way through the dead waterfall. I was totally de-hydrated on the way and two sips of water + loads of glucose powder with Adi / Gautam saved me from fainting. All my previous treks were in the Himalayan region, where the temperatures are not as hot as the Sahyadris in the summers. This surely was a tough bet for people used to working in air-conditioned datacenter environments ! Once we descended the dry watefall, we felt more energetic and started walking toward the diversion where we had got our doses of nimbu pani in the morning. We soon reached the point and dropped down in the hut, filling up nimbu pani and asking for more ! Manoj also dared to have a zunka-bhakar and others tasted it too. We then started discussing further action. André suggested that we descend quickly and go to Lonavla for lunch because Malawali was a small village without any hotels / restaurants. The only option here was to request a household to prepare food for us. It was already past 14.30 hrs and an odd time to find lunch in the village.

We started the descent again. Soon, I started trailing again and Manoj was with me. We lost the trail again and entered another village [Bhaje] instead of Malawali. We reached an orphanage school, where we managed to get some water to drink again. After that, we walked down to the junction of Malawali and Bhaje village, where Adi was waiting for us. André, Arjun and Gautam had gone ahead in an auto to Malawali station to arrange tickets etc. They sent back the auto for us and we reached Malawali station soon, where we found a water cooler. We washed our dusty faces and felt much better. Soon, we reached Lonavala and had a hearty lunch at the Ram Krishna Hotel on the Mumbai Pune highway. After lunch, Gautam decided to stay back and we were on our way to Mumbai. We went to the railway station to get our tickets for Mumbai. We decided to board the Koyna Express upto Karjat, from where we could get the local trains to our respective destinations. As if the trek was not enough, the journey through Koyna Express was equally bad. The train was badly crowded and halted on the way for almost 20-30 minutes for some odd reason. We got off at Karjat and boarded the Karjat local within the next 40 minutes and were on our way to Aamchi Mumbai. Soon, everyone was fast asleep [ we had missed our sleep the previous night too]. I bid a bye to the gang at Kalyan and got off at Dombivli, while the others continued their journey to respective places.

Overall, though it was a tough trek, it made 6 guys who did not know each other at all come together, trek together and we were very good friends at the end of this trek ! At the end of the trek, we couldn't believe that we were total strangers the previous day.

PS: A piece of advise if you are keen on trekking the Sahyadris in the summer, do make sure that you carry a lot of water alongwith you !

Nutan varshabhinandan

2006-03-30T17:24:00.000+05:30

New Year is celebrated in different states of India under various names, for e.g. Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Gudi Padava in Maharashtra. The Sindhis celebrate it as Cheti chand.

Gudi means a banner raised to announce victory and joy and "Padva" is another name for "Pratipada" which is the first day of a lunar month.The Maharashtrian New Year's Day is celebrated in March/April, on the first day of the Hindu month - Chaitra and marks the beginning of spring or "Vasant". This day is said to be the one on which Lord Brahma created the world after deluge. It is a day of great festivity and rejoicing as it commemorates the triumphant expeditions of the Maratha armies of the great Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the most beloved leader of the Maharashtrians. It is a day when the brave Marathas returned home from their successful expeditions of war.

People get up early and clean their houses, decorating them with intricate rangoli (colored rice flour designs for the floor) designs. This worship to the "Gudi" is supposed to drive away evil from the house and are expected to usher in prosperity and good fortune.

A brightly colored silk cloth is first tied to a wooden pole with a brass or silver goblet or kalash is placed upturned atop it. Then garlands of sweet sugary battasa, neem leaves and orange -yellow marigold flowers are tied to the pole. This is called the "Gudi". The "Gudi" or decorated pole is placed where it can be seen by passers by.

This festival is celebrated with extreme enthusiasm in Dombivli where there are very strong cultural emotions among the citizens. I too, had taken permission to go late to my office today and participated in the Nav-varsha swagat yatra which goes around Dombivli every year.

People started assembling from 06.00 hrs at Kanhoji Jedhe Maidan [Bhagshala Maidan - for most of you]. They were dressed up traditionally for the occassion. Sadhwi Rutumbhara was invited for the Gudi hosting ceremony at 06.30 hrs. After that, the procession started off in a very systematic and disciplined manner. By the time the last team in the procession left the originating site, it was almost 07.15 hrs !

People from all communities [prominently Maharashtrians, followed by Gujaratis, South Indians etc] participated in this procession. They had their own music and still, it was all very much united.

I was to leave for office by 07.30 hrs, but decided to stay on till late and participated in the entire swagat yatra. It was a wonderful experience and hope you will love the snaps here.

Pancham Puriwala

2006-03-26T18:13:00.000+05:30

I had to go to the office on Saturday (so what's new in that? ). I decided to have my lunch out of office and returned back to Mumbai CST. It was almost 15.00 hrs and I was feeling very hungry and was in a mood to try something new so I turned towards the Bora Bazaar street and there I was, in front of Pancham Puriwala - a Grade III Hotel very near to Mumbai CST.

Here is a foodie who would love to eat anywhere from Tiffin / India Jones to a road-side thela - all you need is good & tasty food [I am not a health freak anyways]. So I went into this ancient joint. The ground floor was full, so I was directed to the mezzanine floor upstairs.

This place is said to be operational for the last 150 years and has very basic furniture etc. Normally, you wouldn't even dare to enter such a place if you observe the place for a few minutes from outside. However, I had already made up my mind.

I just glanced at the blackboard which seemed to be the only menu card / board available in there. The most obvious dish that one would try here is the Puri Bhaji, which is what this place is famous for. The menu had items like - Puri Bhaji [starting from Rs. 18 /- a plate], Masala Puri Bhaji, Chole Puri, Thali, Thali with Masala Puri, Lassi, Chaas and so on.

I was feeling very hungry so I decided to go in for a Thali with Masala Puri [Rs. 35 /-]. This thali had 3 vegetables, dal, kadhi, raita, pickles, 4 big Masala Puris & rice. As expected, the puris were piping hot and I was almost full with 3 puris [couldn't even think of touching the 4th one], and finished it off with 2 glasses of Masala Chaas !

It is very true that Mumbai will never let the poorest person sleep with an empty stomach. You could have a Vada Pav and an Energee for less than 20 bucks and a decent lunch for within 50 bucks too. At the same time, Mumbai has ways to make you shell out money if you have it all. You could be happy paying out Rs. 450 + taxes for a single Appam @ the Tiffin too.

Yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan !

Mohe rang de basanti

2006-03-19T18:09:00.000+05:30

Thodi si dhool meri..
dharti ki mere watan ki..
thodi si dhool meri..
dharti ki mere watan ki..
thodi si khushbu aajaaegi mast pawanki..
thodi si dhoknewaali dhak dhak dhak dhak dhak dhak saase..
dil mein ho junoon junoon woh boonde laal lahoon ki!
ye sab tu mila mila le!
aur rang tu khila khila le!!
ye sab tu mila mila le!
aur rang tu khila khila le!!
aur mohe tu rang de basanti yaara..
mohe tu rang de basanti!!..
mohe mohe tu rang de basanti......
mohe mohe tu rang de basanti..
mohe mohe tu rang de basanti..
mohe mohe tu rang de basanti..

sapne rang de..
apne rang de..
khushiya rang de..
gum bhi rang de..
kasme rang de..
fasle rang de..
rang de dhadkan..
rang de sargam..
rang de surat..
rang de darpan..
aur mohe mohe tu rang de basanti yaara..
mohe mohe tu rang de basanti!!

thodi si..........

dheeme aaj bhi tu..
zara ishq chadha..
thoda challne aa..
thodi nazar mila..
thoda saagar laa..
thodi gaagar laa..
thodi chinak chinak..
thoda hila hila..
fir ek rang tu khila khila..
mohe mohe tu rang de basanti yaara..
mohe tu rang de basanti!!

basti rang de..
hasti rang de..
has has rang de..
nas nas rang de..
bachpan rang de..
jauvan rang de..
ab der na kar sach much rang de..
angrez mere sach much rang de..
mohe mohe tu rang de basanti yaara..
mohe tu rang de basanti!!

thodi si dhool meri..
dharti ki mere watan ki..
thodi si dhool meri..
dharti ki mere watan ki..
thodi si khushbu aajaaegi mast pawanki..
thodi si dhoknewaali dhak dhak dhak dhak dhak dhak saase..
dil mein ho junoon junoon woh boonde laal lahoon ki!
ye sab tu mila mila le!
aur rang tu khila khila le!!
ye sab tu mila mila le!
aur rang tu khila khila le!!
aur mohe tu rang de basanti yaara..
mohe tu rang de basanti!!..
mohe mohe tu rang de basanti......
mohe mohe tu rang de basanti..
mohe mohe tu rang de basanti..
mohe mohe tu rang de basanti!!

mohe rang de basanti, rang de basanti, rang de basanti yaaaara!!!

Holi hai !

2006-03-15T00:01:00.000+05:30

[Standing : Rajesh, Tanu, Girish]
[Sitting : Deepa, Sudha, Trupti, Prantik, Shishir, Parag & Ashok]

Holi, the exuberant festival of color. Holi falls on the full moon of the month of Phalgun. The Hindu calendar uses lunar months, and Phalgun typically runs from the latter half of February through the first half of March. The crops have been harvested, so farmers have more free time and some money to celebrate the end of winter. With Holi, this celebration is an ecstatic burst of color. In the past, the color came from flowers that blossom only during the festival. Now, however, the powder is often created artificially.

On the eve of Holi, bonfires burn at many street corners.

On Holi, the mood is festive, with a nervous edge that accompanies impending chaos. People roam the streets with hands full of gulal [color powder] and pichkaris [spray pistols] containing colored water. When they meet, a colorful cloud of activity ensues. All emerge a rainbow of color.

Typically, this day is associated with Bhang and Puran Polis as the main recipies.

Bhang is meant to be an offering for Lord Shiva. Bhang Ki Thandai is a drink popular in many parts of North India which is made by mixing bhang with Thandai, a drink prepared with a mixture of almonds, certain spices, milk and sugar. Cultivation of cannabis is illegal in many parts of the country, but bhang is widely available.

Puran poli is a traditional sweet prepared in Maharashtra, by stuffing a chapati with a sweet preparation. The chapati is made of wheat or maida flour. The sweet stuffing is made of either chana daal, grated coconut and sugar or grated coconut and powdered white sugar. In the latter case, the chapati will be stiffer and crunchier, while in the former, it will softer.

Wishing you all a happy and colorful Holi !!!

Dombivli Local

2006-03-05T04:48:00.000+05:30

Departure : 0600 from Dombivli
Arrival : 0720 @ Mumbai CST

I generally glance through my Mumbai Mirror till I reach Thane and then have a nap upto Mumbai CST.

Local trains in Mumbai are a life-line for the working class and students in Mumbai. It is very interesting to observe people in the train because that is one time when you are really doing nothing but only looking around till you reach your destination. I have been travelling in these trains regularly for 8+ years now and have tried to describe some types of people that I have come across. These may be familiar characters for you too !

Ardent sleepers: They get into the train only to find a place to finish their sleep. These people have the ability to sleep under any conditions - standing or sitting ! Some even sleep with their mouth open and some snore so loudly that you feel they are trying to compete with the rattling sound of the train. They are an amusement [annoying characters?] for co-passengers too. Some of these will keep on falling on either side to use the neighbour's shoulder as their pillow [this is very irritating - you need to keep your balance guys].

Singer gangs: In most of the long distance local trains, there are singing groups which like to sing all the way through their journey. They will carry portable drums, cymbals etc too. Most of the times, you will find them singing some bhajans but at times, if the mood changes, they could turn on to movie songs too. I find them entertaining at times, but have found that they are disliked by many other travellers.

Students: For students, travelling in local trains is more of a meeting place or a mobile Katta as they call it. They would be on their way to colleges and will be found discussing a variety of topics ranging from sports, movies, latest mobiles and other gadgets, hot babes in their college / coaching classes, professors, studies and could be gossiping about anything else under the sun. Some of them are busy finishing off their assignments or discussing problems amongst themselves. Most of them would be carrying heavy sacks. They are very lively and interesting lot to be with because they remind you of your student life.

Book worms: These people will carry a thick novel or a book and will dump their heads into it as soon as they have settled down and will never bother to come out of it unless they realise that they have reached their destination.

Foodies: I have seen some people carrying food packets - could be anything ranging from Samosas, pop-corns, biscuits, burgers, soft-drinks, tea, coffee or just about anything and will keep on munching something or the other during their journey. Most of the times, they are those in-frequent travellers who are taking out their family and need to keep themselves engaged, so they think that eating is essential on the train as in long-distance trains.

Leaders: These are the people who look around carefully to find victims. They could start a dialogue with you under the guise of borrowing your newspaper / magazine or just enquire about your mobile phone model. Once you reply, they will try to get into a very high level discussion even though you have met them for the first time in your life. These discussions be on varying topics like Indian economy, Indian politics, social problems and so on. Probably, they ought to be netajis but couldn't become one, so they like to lead discussions within train groups. They would have a lot to say on how the Indian public should have act or re-acted to various situations. They also have all the expert knowledge about what happened in history and what is happening all around the world now. They seem to have all the solutions to the socio-economic & political problems that India has had to face in the past and how that could have been avoided.

I am sure you too, would have noticed a lot on your train journeys. I am feeling a bit sleepy for now but will continue this post soon.....

Winter Trek 2005

2006-01-30T12:18:00.000+05:30

A trek to the Himalayas- nothing sounded better to Smriti and me for the past 2 months since we registered for it. We were from Hyderabad and had big plans for the trek ahead; our first halt had to be at Delhi and from there to Pathankot.

We started of on the 21 morning for Delhi and had loads of fun on the way; we shared our compartment with some military guys who taught us this awesome game sweep (cards) which went on till one in the night. We then landed at Delhi where Smriti’s friends received us and we spent time shopping, yapping and eating.

We then boarded the train to Pathankot at night. The train to Pathankot was delayed by 5 hours therefore we reached there only at 1:00 PM. Next we moved to Pathankot bus stop to take a bus to Dalhousie. Here we met a friend Shishir who I had spoken to online, to take a few hints about the trek. He had done the same trek last year and was repeating it this year. From thereon, the 3 of us were together.

[@ Pathankot Bus Stand]

We reached Dalhousie at about 6:30 that evening. As soon as we finished reporting we had to go for dinner and then there was a camp fire by the people who had reported the previous day. The food organized by YHAI was really amazing we had lots of custard for dessert. There would be one sweet (mostly fluid) apart from paratha / phulka, 1 / 2 sabjis, dal and papad. The food was really a treat and we all took snaps with the very friendly cooks. The camp fire presented by DW-4 (people who reported on the day before) was quite good and we had a lot of fun. Since it was an eco-friendly trek we never burnt wood but lit a candle instead. SAVE THE FORESTS MY FRIENDS

The next day there was a wake up call at 6:00 and we had to go for the early morning exercise. I fortunately got there just in time when the group was about to leave. It was a jog till Subash Chowk (It seems there are only 2 chowks in Dalhousie - Subash Chowk and Gandhi Chowk). We then had some warm up exercises which we enjoyed after the breath taking jog. After breakfast, we started our acclimatization walk till the Panchpula waterfalls. This was about 5 km and we made lots of friends on the way. There were 10 lawyers practicing in the high court of Kerala. They are also members of this society called LEAF (Lawyers Environmental Association). There was a group of 10-11 people from Bangalore (most of them in the software industry) and another 16-17 people from Goa. They were mainly school kids. It was a very enthusiastic group indeed.

The same night we presented the camp fire to the new arrivals. As for Smriti and I, she directed a musical skit and was part of it (as the actress) and I with 2 others was singing songs for the musical skit. Since that day was Christmas Eve Thomas and I sang 2 carols to conclude the session. The next day we were off to the higher camps. There was a boat song performance by the lawyers from Kerala. That was one of the best performances along with Smriti’s skit.

[Boat Song]

The higher camps

The first day’s trek was to Kalatop (4000 ft) - an 8 km uphill trek. It was called Kalatop because the place was a hill top and never received sunlight because of the dense cover of the deodar trees. The terrain wasn’t very rocky. The sunset over there was a real treat. On our arrival we were welcomed with hot soup. We stayed in a log house at this place. It was the same place where Manisha Koirala stays in the movie 1942 a love story. At night there was a camp fire again and we all sang lots n lots of songs. Not to forget we celebrated Sadhu uncle’s wedding anniversary too.

Next day we moved on to Khajjiar - the Switzerland of India as it is popularly called. An 11 km trek at a height of 8000ft. This trek was simply superb - the worst of terrain, but the best of fun. On the way to Khajjiar our lunch point was at this valley after climbing down 1 mountain and before climbing up the next 1. It was such a beautiful place with a stream flowing in between and there were some pahadi women and their children who were making omelets, maggi and chow-mien. Amazing food in our packed lunch too! But all said n done the pahadi women literally stole the show. They were very beautiful and no matter what they made sure they had smeared their lips with several coats of lipstick (invariably red or pink).

When we had about 1km to reach Khajjiar there was a 600 yrs old temple that we visited. A real beauty I must say. We reached our hotel Sunil inn at Khajjiar to once again get a welcome soup n a happy meal. It was followed by a camp fire again which were loads of fun. Will not disclose why. It is only for my trekker friends to understand. The star at Khajjiar was Nitin, he was a star gazer n was very kind enough to show us the sky thru his telescope. We saw the moon, Saturn n Jupiter thru it. It was a blessing indeed.

The next day morning we left for Mangala, our final camp, a valley at 4000ft.so it was a knee aching 400ft downward walk from Khajjiar. We did lots of masti on the way and finally reached Mangala where the very sweet camp leader was waiting for us much before the actual camp sight. The Bangalore guys now left because they wanted to leave for Dharamshala and Manali ASAP. It was not very easy to say a bye because we had all become good friends now.

We then arranged a bus and went to this town called Chamba. Well this is that place where Ash lived in the movie Taal. You are right we did have a filmy trek. Some of us shopped there it’s famous for its Chamba chappal. We then had dinner and returned back to have yet another but this time our last camp fire. The camp leader hear was class apart and he really was the man to hear at the camp fire. We all shared our good and bad views on the trek and were very sad that it was coming to an end. Each one of us was felt like we have been together for so long now and parting was going to be bad.

We reached Dalhousie the next day at 10.30 after having lots mouth watering Chole Bhature. We all collected our certificates n finally some people managed to have a bath after 8 days, but mind you we were enjoying the dirt. We took lots of photos n bid farewell to the camp. But it is not over yet.

From Dalhousie 13 of u left for Amritsar accommodation. We reached there in the night at about 9:00, managed to get a decent accommodation and then went off for dinner. By the time we came back it was about 12:30. There was a darshan at the Gurudwara (Golden temple) a ceremony where in they take the Granth Sahib from the dome opposite the main Gurudwara and place it in the main sanctum sanctorum. This was to be held at 4:30 in the morning. I had not had bath for the last 6 days so got up at 3:30 and fortunately got hot water and had a bath. We were there at the Gurudwara around 4:35.but we made it in time for the darshan. Well we came back at around 5:30 after chai at the temple and fell asleep again. The temple was a beauty .it had its own charm and I cannot find words for it.

We got up at 10:30, went to the Gurudwara after breakfast (only 4 of us had gone in the morning the others had to take darshan, had langar at the temple and then came back checked out from the hotel, arranged a cab, went to Jallianwala Baugh. And then Wagah border to watch the parade there – oh! It was real patriotic feel. The border seemed so unnecessary we India and Pakistan were so close. By the time we were done with this it was time for the LEAFs to take their train so we rushed back to the city (Wagah is about 30kms away from Amritsar city). But we still managed time to stuff our selves with lots of Pani Puri. We bid farewell to the LEAFs.

Then 3 of us - Shishir, Smriti and I then went to a nearby dhaba and had amazing aloo kulcha and paneer chole sabji. Shishir got Smriti and me each a box of celebrations chocolates. The thought never even occurred to the two of us. Next we got into the train to Delhi.

When we reached Delhi we put out stuff in the cloak room once again and sent off Shishir. He had to take a flight to Bombay. After spending the day at Smriti’s relatives place we took the train back to Hyderabad the same day evening.

At the train we met one of the people we had met in the onward journey (it’s a small world indeed).He came the next day morning and made sure we went to his coach and played sweep once again. We reached Hyderabad at 8:30 on the night of 31st.We were home for the new year and were very happy to set off 2006 with a blast.

We learnt lots of new things on the trek and made lots of new friends but the most important lesson was that. You do not get a chance always so whenever you get one doesn’t let it pass by. Live life the big way.