Ameya Gokhale

Hungry Hollow Trail, Silver Creek Conservation Area

2021-05-23T07:37:00.002+05:30

Hungry Hollow, Silver Creek Conservation

The Hungry Hollow trail is a hidden gem within a thick forest and has almost everything for every kind of nature lover. I went there with my wife and 2 year old, and it turned out to be a perfect Saturday afternoon. The trail starts at 124 Miller Drive in Halton Hills, and at the very beginning, descends steeply down to the level of the Silver Creek.

The creek runs West- East and the trail keeps crossing the creek at several places. We came across 3 board walks and they are really well maintained. There are also 2-3 bridges that give a great view of the Silver Creek.

Ample of natural cover and a lot of small water ponds make the hike very interesting. If you love clicking nature panoramas, this is a good place to explore further. If you are a biker, you have the trail that's perfectly carved for a smooth bike ride. If you happen to be a runner, the trail offers a good 5 - 7 kilometers of running amongst thick woods.

The central part of this trail is a loop which is approximately 2.5 KM. With a toddler, and their interests, watching insects and plants, it takes about 2 hours to just do this loop.

The trail continues further branching off the loop at several places, but we turned back to finish the loop.

The entire trail was very less crowded and that made it way more enjoyable.

Parking available for 10- 15 cars at 124 Miller Street (roadside- free).

Trail map: https://www.haltonhills.ca/en/explore-and-play/resources/Documents/TrailMap-Web.jpg

GPX:
https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1557850?units=km

Independence Day and a Cell Phone

2019-08-15T21:49:00.002+05:30

Take 1:

You just purchased that new cell phone and are happily excited to use it. You push the ‘start’ button and jump to explore its features. Your eyes curiously land on some ‘apps’ which are preexisting... and with a surprise, you mutter to yourself- ‘I didn’t ask for those... who put them here ?‘ and then you realize that the manufacturer has forced them on you. You try uninstalling them... but they won’t go ! Unwillingly, you think to yourself “I haven’t tried enough... I’ll figure that out later”

Over the next few months, you like the phone. But one particular phone bill shows, that you consumed a lot of data. You investigate further.... and conclude, that one of those preexisting apps, eats a lot of internet bandwidth. Now you desperately want to get rid of those, but don’t know how. Several months pass .... but no luck. So after all attempts in your limited capacity fail, you conclude that you’re stuck with them forever !

A month later, you come across an internet article about ‘hacking your phone’ to get rid of those unwanted apps. It sounds promising but also warns you of several consequences. But now you’ve decided ... there’s no turning back... you have faced enough ! You follow the steps and delete those pointless data hogging apps.

You feel relieved !! You feel liberated !!! You feel you just got a new phone!!!!! You realize that you are no more obligated to spend your hard earned money, on what the phone manufacturer wants you to. You also develop a hatred against such mean minded phone manufacturers.

And then.... You promise to never purchase a phone of that brand again...

Take 2:

Now think of a newborn child - A cute little miniature version of a human. It has no prejudices, it doesn’t know of any laws or norms... it’s free from any motives. The child’s mind is a clean slate!!

Now... just like the new phone in our story.... this poor little child is bombarded with a lot of unwanted ‘Attachments’like lastname, belief in some god, pride for his birth land, religion, race, forced respect for a language, forced love for a national team, obligatory respect for elders... unwarranted trust on the government... and the list goes on... !!

Obviously, the child has no opinion, and grows up with the pressure of these unwanted attachments. Although with good intentions, his parents, relatives, society and also his friends- try their best to ensure that the child respects and feels proud of these attachments and never comes out of it. They also trained his brain to never question these things that have been assumed to be true.

Over the years, the child grows into an adult.. As usual, life gets busy... and this adult wants more time, more money and also wants to get rid of pointless obstacles that hinder his progress. He investigates further, and at one point he starts realizing, that many of these attachments which ‘he never asked for’ also taking a lot of his personal time, money and energy. He decides to get rid of them, but by now, they are so deeply rooted that he is afraid to make a change. He is scared to say or do anything against what his own parents, society or friends told him. He concludes that he has to ‘live with it’.

Just while he was loosing hope, he reads an article .... The article gives an insight on how the world developed ... how societies developed... how these so called attachments came into play !! He finds it interesting and reads more articles and books on this topic. It takes him some time..... but to realize a truth.

He concludes that whatever beliefs he has been fondling since his childhood, are basically a creation of just another adult... or a group of adults. They weren’t necessarily great or intelligent, but others chose to follow them and societies continued these practices for ages - without any questions asked ! He also understood that he was systematically used by some people to propagate their values, traditions, cultures and many other abstracts... which he never asked for !

Just as the case of a smart phone, he literally hacked his brain.... He felt relieved !! he felt liberated !!! He felt he just got a new and much better life !!!! He realized that he was no more obligated to spend his time, money and energy on what the society wants him to. He also developed a hatred against those people, who used him.

That very day, he called himself - TRULY INDEPENDENT !

#happyindipendenceday

Consumer Complaints in India

2018-06-08T20:25:00.005+05:30

Was your recent visit to an expensive restaurant a disaster ? You found a dead rat near your seat ? Or may be purchased something from a store that doesn't work after you reached home ? You are now angry and want to go to every forum and yell out against the seller. I know, I can understand your frustration!!. You may always rush to the usual channels like facebook or twitter, but apart from writing negative reviews on social media, the right thing to do is to raise a consumer complaint.

Unfortunately, google points to so many privately owned complaint boards, that people are often confused with their effectiveness. After doing some online research and checking for a government owned solution, I landed on this site. Obviously, I haven't used this service so far. So let me know if it is useful.

Website:

https://consumerhelpline.gov.in/

Mentioned above is the website for Department of Consumer Affairs

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India

How do we register a complaint ?

Consumers can lodge their grievance by calling the toll free number 1800-11-4000 or 14404 and talking to an agent. Alternatively, they can register once in the portal and lodge their grievance attaching necessary documents.

For every grievance, a unique docket number is generated and are sent to the concerned. Action status is updated on a real time basis.

Let me know how your experience with them was.

Why did I emigrate??

2018-03-11T18:56:00.001+05:30

Hello all,

I was a part of a conversation where people discussed about Why so many people from India move abroad. Many of the reasons which people thought were Money and Government systems. But in my personal view, its a little different. Here's my story:

I am an engineer by qualification (Diploma +Degree) in electronics from Mumbai, India. Although an engineer, I never worked in the same field ever again. I am in a rare profession of being a Proposal Specialist (Business Writer). After working in IT and non IT fields for about 12 years in India, I moved abroad.

On a personal front, I am into a serious hobby of Trekking (hiking). I have hiked over 400 small and big hills, forests,streams and natural wonders in the Sahyadri’ mountains. In short, hiking is my substantial involvement all along. I also have other hobbies and I come from a family with musically trained people.

In my tenure of 12 years in Mumbai and Pune, I realized some hard facts about working in India. They are my personal observations and were also the motivating factors that led me to think of moving abroad. Note: these are personal experiences and you may not agree with all of them.

#1 Reason: Severe lack of Work-Life balance

Most offices that I worked for, shared this common quality of not having any respect for their employee’s personal time. Every employee has a personal life and a set of priorities, and this was completely ignored. Employees were treated like resources and were expected to be available anytime of the day or even weekend. As a hiker, I always had plans over the weekend (I was a serious hiker even before I started to work). However, I was always under the stress of missing a pre-planned hike because of some urgent office meeting planned frantically over a weekend. Point to note: most companies claimed to work only Monday to Friday but always ended up making their employees work over weekends.

At times, I used to quietly run away from my office on Friday evenings, just so that people don’t catch me. I remember that some people used to take pride in the fact telling how they worked all over their vacation and then the company awarded them publicly as “dedicated employees”. This saddened me and always made me feel worse.

To add to this, seniors in the company always spoke of various techniques used to make sure that their employees would put extra hours. Many of the seniors would be secretly showing off their skills to be able to extract more work out of their reportees.

Weekday evenings weren’t comfortable either. There used to be calls set up as per the convenience of some one who sits in a different time zone. In one of my jobs, I was totally fed up with calls being set up every night at 9:30 PM. They used to go on until 11:00 PM and then some follow up emails until midnight. I would see my family being ignored by me due to some nonsensical urgency at work caused due to sheer Mismanagement. In all, the average work day was about 12 hours and some weekends..!!

The worst part - this was all extra work at no extra salary There’s no concept of over time in today’s world.

After a decade of this pathetic work ethic, I got totally frustrated balancing my personal and corporate life. And started exploring what it was to work outside India. I discovered that corporate life is very different here and it was all the more considerate towards humans. I now have ample of time for my family, my hobby and all my personal needs.

#2 Reason: Over emphasis on “Work is God”

Since the very early days, every company and all other employees have constantly hesitated from accepting one important fact: **Work is Boring**. People keep explaining how their work is more important than anything else (sometimes they go to the extent of claiming it to be more important than Oxygen, Water, kids, family, hobbies!!!). But nobody accepts that in reality Work is Boring. This whole myth of “Work is God” creates a Rat Race and every employee’s never ending struggle to impress their managers and constantly prove that they hold their work above everything.

In my very personal opinion, humans were not designed to sit in offices. We were always hunter-gatherers. But our society has changed and we now use our skills to the best purpose by working in offices and contributing to the economy. What I want to highlight is- work is and always be an Adjustment. Even if my work is in my area of interest, there are parts of it which I get bored with. That doesn’t mean I want to stop working. But it calls for accepting it and possibly dealing with it. The sheer lack of this acceptance keeps people in denial.

It creates a fiercely competitive war among work colleagues. Everyone in this Rat Race is obsessed with only showing how he or she is better than somebody else, while in reality they are not even interested in it.

I was bored with this Work God myth and the resulting Rat Race.

#3 Reason: Lack of a creationist mindset

Most IT companies in Mumbai/Pune are service stations for their clients abroad. essentially they are selling their employees time to service a client who has a problem. The sheer nature of this business is associated to being a good “follower” and not a “creator”. The idea is to please a customer. The idea is to not let ourselves fall in the eye of a customer in providing continuous service. This whole concept results in people being geared to do their work strictly in the conditions that are imposed on. No thinking out of the usual. No creativity, no honesty. There’s no scope to think differently.

Contrary to this, If you look at the big companies abroad, it’s our own Indian folks who are at top positions. Had Sundar Pichai’s of the world not been where they are, they would most probably be servicing some American client and convincing them to keep their company’s business up and running. In conclusion, we all have creative sides and just like hunger and thirst, we need to satisfy our cravings to be creative at more than a Diwali Lantern.

I was bored of being told to be a good follower..

I realized that I cannot make changes to the mass mindset and it is not possible for me to change everything in the limited time that I have. Better seek a place which gives what I want.

Hence the move!!!

It will be important for me to also mention some popular myths about those who go abroad. I never found that these were the reasons, but are popular belief.

Myth #1: People emigrate for money:

While there are some countries that pay huge amounts, it’s unfair to assume that every person saves more money than in India. In fact Indians have started earning good sums of money in India itself and would probably save similar amounts at the end of the month when they are abroad. The money might look bigger and different, but it’s buying power is not very different.

Myth #2: People emigrate for good government systems:

Atleast not me!! I had no issue in the Indian government system (irrespective of the ruling party). I had the patience to stand in a queue and wait patiently until my work got done. Yes Government systems are way way better than in India. But that’s not a reason to emigrate. You discover how good they are only after you experience them, not before you come here.

Myth#3: Discipline:

Yes.. there is a lot of discipline in countries outside India. But these are all things we get to see only after leaving our home country, not before. So no it’s not a factor that makes me move countries.

I will only conclude by saying that the brain drain is not just about money but more so about getting a life that helps me live like a human..!!

I hope I was able to explain my stand. I thank you for taking time to read this blog but also urge you to understand that you may have a different experience. Sorry if I have missed anything!!

Thanks

Happy Changed Year

2018-01-01T13:07:00.003+05:30

As the year changes, we should understand that it is just a man made benchmark.. in short nothing really changes...!!

What could possibly change is us... !!only us...!! nobody else might change.

So embrace the change... change to the ever expanding Science.. change your beliefs based on the new knowledge and information you get each day... change your old concepts to accommodate new ones. Question everything you are told.. Learn more things that make you happy, earn new friends with whom you enjoy spending time.. Change for a better tomorrow, change for a greener earth.. and lastly, change for a better and positive YOU...!!

Because...

Change is the only constant..!

Happy Changed Year... !!

Ameya Gokhale

www.ameyagokhale.com

Sarahah and all that..!!!

2017-08-20T19:08:00.000+05:30

Sarahah is the latest craze on social media and it's spreading like wild fire. Yesterday, I posted my Sarahah link to Facebook and received some messages on it. Along with that, I also received regular texts from my close friends, who asked me why do we need Sarahah in the first place. This blog is my view on what I liked about Sarahah.

About Sarahah:

For those who have never heard of this before, Sarahah.com is a a website and app(on mobile) which allows anyone to send you a feedback or a message without disclosing their name or any identity. Nothing fancy, just plain internet link with a small window for a feedback. You get to see what feedback or messages you received and that's it.

My Sarahah page looks like this: http://ameyagokhale.sarahah.com

What issue does Sarahah resolve:

Sarahah is very unique inspite of being very simple. It fills many gaps that normal social media channels fail to consider.

Sarahah gives us a feedback and forces us to focus on its contents, without being judgmental about "who gave it".

We as humans have grown to challenge any feedback which comes from a person, whom we think doesn't know anything about the subject matter. In that process, we most likely shut the doors to our mind and leave the important elements of the feedback. Let's take an example: a friend of mine , who has never even touched the steering wheel, just commented on my rash driving. The first reaction is to ask him: what do you know about driving ??? What gives you the authority to comment on something you have never done before? Sarahah goes past this tendency and breaks the door that was shut down initially through a complex process of judgement and information. It makes me think on my driving style without being judgmental about who said it.

Social Etiqqutte

We all have grown in a culture where we try to build imaginary frames around certain people, who are usually near us. These frames form a blockage in our communication and create misled or misguided information bits. These frames are built due to culture, relations or at times simple prejudices. As an example, Lets think of a friend (a guy) who wants to compliment that his friend (possibly a girl) has a fabulous body. Things become even more complex, when there is an existing relationship between the girl and our friend - say she is his friends sister or some other relative. Obviously, before complimenting, our friend will have so many filters that there are chances he might modify, change or at times never complete the compliment process. Essentially, the communication gets lost or hindered because of so many pre-existing abstract hurdles. Sarahah, once again will be a good way to break this communication barrier without dealing with fear.

Radical Honesty

If you aren't aware of the concept of Radical honesty, google for it. Its about being able to communicate what comes to your mind without being afraid of the consequences. Sarahah is one step closer to Radical honesty.

Overall, I am very positive about the new communication methodology and I am sure there will be many more apps and services that will come up soon, making communication transparent and strong.

NRIs and Demonetization | My Experience with the RBI Process | Updated (June 2017)

2017-01-22T00:51:00.000+05:30

UPDATE (June 1st 2017)

The amount that I deposited in the form of old notes has been successfully transferred to my Saving Bank Account (in about 6 months).
----------------------------------

Image ref: https://binged.it/2k0G2o7

I happened to visit India after the demonetization cut off date and went through the process of depositing my old currency notes. This is my attempt to narrate my experience.

Tuesday:

After checking the RBI website, I found out that we as NRIs can deposit old currency at RBI offices in Mumbai and other metros. Unfortunately, the website never mentioned which offices of RBI do accept it. We (My wife and I) reached the RBI premises at Bandra Kurla Complex (being the closest) to check for the currency exchange process. However, I was told by the security that "This doesn't happen here and possibly you may want to check at either Belapur or the CST offices". He wasn't really sure.

We decided to avoid any chances and visited the CST office of RBI.

Wednesday, Time: 11:20 AM | Reached RBI premises

Facing the Gateway of India, the correct building is on the right side. A small queue gathered with photocopies in hand. A board mentioned the mandatory documents required which included photocopies PAN, ID proof, Passport with departure and arrival stamps, Custom declaration. Only one person allowed per family at a time.

While in the queue, my wife was asked by 2 random ladies if she had the custom declaration form. The ladies wanted to give her, their own old notes to deposit, to which my wife shooed her away. A similar incident happened with a random acquaintance coming over directly to our house and asking us if we were NRIs and could deposit their notes. We refused right away and subtly suggested of a legal action.

11:35 AM:

Since I was not aware about the photocopies, I went to a nearby store to get everything copied, while my wife and sister-in-law held the line.

11:45 AM:

Entered RBI through an intricate body check and scanning process. After entering, I noticed multiple queues inside. The security officers were courteous and guided me to a queue of entry pass and form collection. Meanwhile I called up my wife and asked her to leave, since I was told that this would involve about 2-3 hours.

12:02 AM:

At the end of this queue, each individual was issued a printed entry pass with a picture clicked through a small web cam. The same officers scanned my passport for verification and handed me a form.

12:07 AM:

The next line is a much longer queue and consisted about 85 - 90 people. 50 of them were seated on chairs. I started filling up the form while I was seated. The form contains basic information about you, name address, passport details and old currency count and value.

1:15 PM:

I reached the end of the queue and once again, all my documents were investigated in further detail. I was asked if a custom declaration was available. I was then given the number of 2 different counters and asked to go to them serially.

1:30 PM:

Counter 1 was where the form was verified and signed by am official. I was asked a couple of basic questions.

1:45 PM:

Counter 2 was where my old currency notes were deposited and a receipt was issued stating the amount.

1:50 PM:

Submitted the gatepass to the security and exited the RBI happily.

Update: While I went through the process on 11th Jan, I am yet to receive the funds in my bank account (as on 21st Jan).

Important notes:

This exchange process does not return new currency notes, but the money exchanged is directly deposited to your bank account which is KYC compliant.
You need to have your bank details handy including account number, IFSC code, Bank address, account holder name etc.
The form is to be filled by hand - which means that the account number and other details need to be accurate. If you make a mistake, the money might end up in a wrong account.
The officers make a sincere attempt to ensure that your experience is good. They strictly ensure that a queue is maintained and do not allow people to barge in (yes, people try to jump queues here as well).
For senior citizens, the officers make arrangement for special chairs and hold your position in the queue on request as a courtesy.
If you want to get this done quickly, reach as early as possible. I was told that the counters open at 10:30 AM and operate till 3:00 PM, except Sat/Sun.
You are not allowed to use a phone inside RBI premises.

Disclaimer: The information is based on my personal experience and people may have different experiences. This is my attempt at easing the access to the information in this regard, which is a little scattered.

- Ameya Gokhale
email: ameya@ameyagokhale.com

Independence Day

2016-08-15T20:01:00.000+05:30

Independence, in the present time, is an escape from the artificial world, glass buildings, motorized escalators, cars and air conditioners..!

To be truly Independent, walk into the wild forests, drench in a waterfall, climb the hilly slopes, experience the pleasing winds & spend time with only nature’s support. #HappyIndependenceDay

-Ameya Gokhale

An appeal to all SOLO HIKERS

2014-08-07T11:22:00.000+05:30

A discussion and pep-talk about a friend of mine (whom I owe a lot of respect and is known to be a solo- hiker) prompted me to pen this article. He ventures into the hills all alone without any team or companion and is almost addicted to it. While this is a great hobby, there are both- Pros and Cons to it. These are my 2 pennies on the matter of doing it solo.

I will not ridicule solo hiking outright. I am sure there are many benefits and experiences that you have liked about going solo and something about it has been a reason for this addiction to keep on doing it repeatedly. I also understand that solo hiking gives you flexibility of time and date, higher ability to introspect and lack of dominance from anyone. Obviously it could be seen as an easy way towards an adventurous enlightenment.

However, Let’s be clear on something- Trekking / Hiking (whether solo or group) is a high risk activity in India. We do not have specialized methods of safety and communication, easily available. All we harp on is experience. Our experience itself has blinded us to the fact, that we are still prone to hazards. It could be a natural hazard, animal hazard, human hazard, personal hazard and many more hazards, that we cannot define outright. A sport that’s gaining great popularity can also be a death trap if it is not tamed in the right way.

Firstly, this sport is not yet equipped to handle emergency situations. There are no standard rescue mechanisms, there are no satellite phones, there are no wilderness doctors. Overall, there is a severe lack of a reliable support system, that will come into play for any emergency. Speaking about the hills in the Sahyadri ranges (Western ghats, India), there is a lot more missing. There are no defined routes (routes keep changing), no designated guides and no assessment of difficulty about any location etc etc. All these good practices will eventually come into picture, may be in years or decades, but surely not at this moment.

The sport will undoubtedly mature in terms of external support and a support system will surely come in place. But my friend, this will take some time. To have an apple to apple comparison, think of F1 racing. Look at the safety norms they follow. Look at all the measures they consider for themselves while performing on the track. Do we even have 1% of that in Hiking ????? The answer is a big NO..!

Till that time, do you think it will be a good idea to hike solo ? Are you so shortsighted, and cannot identify, that one of your solo hikes may just be your last hike ? In the past 22 years of hiking, I have seen many untoward incidences that have compelled me to treat this as an extremely dangerous mindset. I still remember that phone call from a friend when her friend’s husband went missing from a hill in North Maharashtra and was found dead only after a few days. I still remember that shattering story of a person being hit by a boulder making him gasp his last breath on the spot. I still remember of reading of those anti social elements that operate in some well known areas of the hills and can kill (or atleast handicap you for the rest of your life) only for a few bucks.

Most of the incidences could have been avoided if the hiker was not alone. However weak or strong his companion would be, the chances to get help from others increases manifold and chances of seeing another mountain grow better..!

The problem with solo hiking is not only at a personal level. It affects the entire community. For every untoward incidence, you are influencing a percentage of commoners to not venture into this hobby. Don’t you really think that this is a great hobby to peruse and it should be nurtured with safety ?

Some(unasked and unwarranted) advice from my side:

There’s still time that we start hiking solo – We have to wait for atleast some concrete mechanisms to be in place.
If at all you are left alone, turn back or atleast approach the villagers for help. A villager is perfectly ok as a companion.
Lastly, if you do not have any companion, its because you did not plan things in advance. Use social media to the best use. Numerous forums can help you find a companion for your next hike.

Bottomline: You can trek more only if you are fit and alive. To make this possible, go in a group..!

P.S: Special thanks to Jeetendra Bankapure (not to be confused as the solo hiker) for his motivation to provide my opinion on this matter - and hence this blog.

Keep the Mountains clean - No littering, No Plastics, No Wrappers

2013-09-20T18:46:00.004+05:30

A Sincere Appeal To All Trekkers

Background: Trekking which was once a private and beautiful affair has now turned into a full fledged business. One one side, this is a growth story with this activity being spread like a wild fire. On the other side, it is also an uncontrolled fire, that is spreading without any direction and guidance. The very first victim of the fire is our own Mother Nature, which includes Mountains, Lakes, Rivers, Streams, Insects, Wildlife etc. The rise of digital media, brings about a revolutionary growth in the number of readers to information on new and better places. But an unrestricted flow of visitors have made it a difficult ordeal for these places to maintain the same sanity and peace that once existed. On any particular day, our popular destinations host several thousand visitors and many of them do not respect the laws of nature and end up spoiling the environment. This results in an uncontrolled Littering, Plastics, Glass bottles, tins - you name it ..! Drunk visitors throw bottles all around, picnickers throw wrappers and plastics all over while some others play music in a loud tone. The sad part is that there’s absolutely no one who can clean this mess. In general, there is a severe lack of respect and awareness about conservation of nature and ecology.

Our Role: As trekkers, we are responsible for seriously considering ways to change this situation and get back the mountains green and clean. We interact with many individuals through multiple channels and will need to spread awareness amongst those whom we deal with. We are already creating heaps of information about new places through blogs and images. Its high time that we also educate our readers/friends about nature and conservation.

Statutory Warning: One way to cater to this problem is to create awareness through a repetitive instruction mechanism. Remember the statutory warning "SMOKING IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH" ???? A similar warning could be used to spread awareness through all the digital media that we upload on the Web, Facebook or any other channel. The tagline that I have started using for my pictures is:

“Keep the Mountains clean - No littering, No Plastics, No Wrappers”

Action Items:

Maintain a watermark of the conservation tagline on all pictures of a trek or a natural place before uploading to any form of digital/print media.
If you are a News Reporter or talking to one, request them to add a couple of lines that ask the readers to maintain the sanity of the place.
The next time you guide someone to a new destination recently discovered, don't forget to tell them about the cleanliness part that they have to maintain.

Thanking all of you in advance for taking your time to read this. We look forward to create a new beginning through a small initiative ..!

-a trekker,

Ameya Gokhale

www.ameyagokhale.com

Keep the Mountains clean - No littering, No Plastics, No Wrappers

U, Me and Karnala..!

2013-08-26T23:07:00.001+05:30

This was supposed to be a Lavish weekend(going out to some resort and get pampered all the while). But Arohi had something else in her mind. On thursday she suddenly suggested that we can go to Karnala. I was surprised since she is usually a little reluctant for trekking, considering her adventures with both the knees over the past 15 months.

So we started at 9:00 AM from Mulund and went straight past Panvel to reach Kshanbhar Vishranti to have our breakfast. After a oil-rich breakfast of Thalipeeth and Misal, we headed to the Karnala Bird Sanctuary. Thats where the real surprise started. There were allocated parking lots where we got one small place for our chariot. The next surprise was the entry booth. The cop(actually a forest guard) asked for an ID card to check my identity. He also noted my address and checked if the person on the ID was me ..!! This was by far the very first time that I was showing an ID card to climb a hill in Maharashtra. He charged us Rs 90, but also informed that we will have to pay Rs 10 more ahead. The third and a bigger surprise was still awaiting - immediately after the Rs 90 booth, we came across another set of cops who frisked us and checked our backpacks..!!!! (again a first time experience before climbing a hill). We were specifically asked by the Rs 10 booth that we should not throw plastics anywhere and we should not light any kind of fire.!!!!!!! Still more - they asked us to sign at one place in a large notebook where our details were also noted.

To add to the surprises, there was a small handwritten board - It displayed a list of about 20 odd individuals and the crime they committed in this protected area. Also mentioned were the charges that were recovered from them in due course. We went past the booths and started our journey. The very first section is a tar road walk of about half a kilometer to reach the base where there are some caged birds and a rabbit. The We walked past the board that said - way to Karnala fort and started climbing a gradual slope. The path is good and well trodden(though it is still a hilly path). At regular intervals, there are shades for intermediate breaks.

Langoors and other birds, insects keep making sure that there is no silence and it feels good to see thee very thick forest cover. After about an hour’s hike, we reached closer to the Fort. The Karnala pinnacle was not visible much due to the fog, but the view was sheer Romance..! Till now, I had missed one thing which I usually get to see at popular places - plastic wrappers and bottles. We checked out some area around the fort and found it equally clean. There are some water tanks around the base of the pinnacle - which are well covered by the forest guards with a safety grill..! (Awesome..!! )

Inspite of this, a group of a$$holes tried entering the grill and entered the caves. However they did not make too much of a noise and due to the fog, nobody really noticed them(until someone informed the security about them later). We saw a few places around and had a small brunch of biscuits and dates. Then was an elaborate photo session which was the best part of this day - all greens and amazing pictures..! covered and uncovered by fog.

The crowd that had come to visit the fort was equally good. I mean no drunkards, no errants and Picnickers. most of them were maintaining the required silence and added to the tranquil. The forest department has taken enough care to write boards reminding people to stay away from throwing plastics and feeding the monkeys.

We started back and reached the base in about an hour and 15 mins. It rained a little during our descend and the route was wet all along making it a little slippery than before. At the base, we were greeted by the monkeys and local dogs. In a while we knew why the monkeys and dogs have come together - Food and humans. A local group of ladies staying near the entrance booths serve a small canteen. We had pohe and tea to fill our screaming tummy. Although Arohi was scared of the monkeys, she later was even more scared of the dogs and hence we ate the Pohe even more quickly. ..!

This was our very first trek together(just the two of us..!) and we enjoyed it thoroughly. We started back towards home and were back at about 5:00 PM. Overall a good and clean experience at Karnala. Recommended place for a Green - simple - clean outing..!

Link to All Pictures:

Karnala Aug 2013 | Arohi and Ameya

Hatkeshwar

2013-01-07T17:52:00.001+05:30

Hey,

I happened to visit a place called Hatkeshwar. It s towering hill and a strenuous hike for a day. We 3(Myself, Anju and Ashish Mhatre) started from mumbai on saturday night and went to stay in a small temple in Madh village near Malshej. It was very cold and it was a little difficult to sleep on the cold floor of the temple. Ajay Dhamdhere, Mahendra Singh and Vilas Ashtaputre joined us after about an hour or so. Mornings were very cold and we were actively looking out to make a fire. Ajay had forgotten the gas burner(and it made me very very happy - I can now lit a fire to make tea). Tea was refreshing in that cold - except that it lost all its warmth in a minute...!

We reached kolewadi and started our trek. At the first look, it appeared very simple and my (overconfident) calculations told me that it wont take anything more than 2 hours. We initially lost the track and went to the right side of the hill. after a session of route finding, Ajay suggested that we go back to the platue(which was only a few minutes from the base village). I was very reluctant but since there was no option, agreed to it. We went back and enquired the route - we were almost 500 mts away from the correct one. The villager showed us the right route and we followed it to a very steep gradient with dried up grass. As we climbed, my calculations of 2 hours went berserk. After getting on the right route, 2 hours had passed and we were still able to see the top far away and far high. We continued with the gentle pace and finally reached the temple after about 30 mins making it a 3 hours ascend from the base village. The top section before the temple comprised of a steep rock cut foot hold(similar to Khutte Dara of Dhakoba) for about 10 mins.

The temple is small and there is a water tank next to it. After a lunch session, we went ahead to whatever little was remaining to reach the absolute top. before that we decided to venture the place. we went to the far left end where there is a range of pinnacles. One can explore some more routes from here, but mostly they all are exposed and its good if you can carry a small rope.There is another water tank in that area and looks like there were attempts to make a fort on this place- but there aren't any signs of a fort. We reached the top and came down quickly to the temple. The top is commanding and provides a view of as many as 20 known mountains. If you are lucky, you can see hills right upto Dhakoba, Jeevdhan, Napta, Kombada, Kunjargad, Kalsubai, Harishchandragad, Karkai, Niroli, Ranjna, Shivneri, Sindola, Udhala, Lenyadri. We got some water topped up and started our steep descend. It was dead steep and most of us fumbled at many occasions. I myself bruised at a couple of thorns in this ferocious descend. At times, I had to practically sit down like a newbie(I still do it btw ..!).

We were pretty quick in reaching the base and managed to touch down in a quick 1 hour 45 mins right upto our vehicles. As always, Ajay had brought a plethora of food stuff. We ate Pithala - chapati and went ahead to see other hill that we had proposed but didnt venture due to the lack of time and energy(for me, energy was a bigger reason). We obviously had a great drive around the Pimpalgaon Joga Dam and the it was the most beautiful sunset I must have seen till date. We had chai near khubi and started back immediately. We touched Thane at about 9:30 PM. The GPS track is shown below.
View Hatkeshwar GPS track in a larger map

Dhoria - Kanjangad - Tringalwadi

2012-12-03T14:37:00.004+05:30

After a long time, I did a Marathon Trek with some well versed trekkers and also my age old companions. Along with Hardikar kaka(Shrikant Hardikar), Anju Paniculam, and Kaustubh Naik, we happened to cover Dhoria, Kanjangad and Tringalwadi. Although we got late by some 30 mins to begin our trek(courtesy Kaustubh oversleeping at home..!), we were fairly on time at all places. We drove to the base of Dhoria called Vaitarna Nagar. ( Thane - Igatpuri - Ghoti -(left turn)- Vaitarna Nagar). The distance was approximately to 130 kms one way. A local guide helped us with the route to dhoria. As usual, villagers were baffeled to know that we wanted to climb that hill at all. many thought that we have come there for hiking to Trimbakeshwar.

Dhoria is a C shaped hill and the route climbs the eastern edge on a very steep ascent. There is also a minor rock patch(but would need assistance in rains) at about 50% of the altitude. We reached the highest point in about 1 hour with a descent enough pace. But this is not all. reaching the highest point, one realizes that the hill being c shaped, the trek would complete only after reaching the other end of that big C. After a short break we started traversing through exposed scree to the western edge. At one point the scree was so loose that I thought of using my rope... The route further passes through scenic grassy tops and further to the western edge. On the way much before the edge, we were informed by our guide about a ferocious looking descent straight to the base village. We did not opt for this route and went ahead to the edge. The edge gave us a complete view of the gigantic Dhoria. There is a simpler route from the western edge that descends back to the ground level through a thick forest.

While we almost touched the base village, we saw a small temple like structure in the rock face of the Dhoria hill. we climbed till there using steps which are being constructed. Its a peacefull place with a small cave type crevice.Their is a peculiar hole in the wall above the temple. A rare view, where the hole is dug in an upwardly direction. We descended and reached the base finally and had lunch in a nearby Garva hotel.

We then moved to Kanjangad - it happens to be near Village Devgaon. while we started driving towards the flags atop this place, we suddenly realized that our car has almost reached the top. So we parked and walked for 10 mins. Theres a modern temple, but a baba living there told us that there were some old structures earlier, but they were not abandoned and broken, while the temple was reconstructed in 2009. The top gives a gallant view of all the hills across the Upper Vaitarna Lake - Utwad, Basgad, Harihar, Brahmagiri, Anjaneri, Fani Dongar etc etc.

We quickly descended to the car and started back. It was till 3:00 PM and we had sufficient time to do a trek which could be done in an hours time. We were confused between budhya and tringalwadi.We finally chose tringalwadi and drove to Igatpuri. there we were asked to go a little back on the highway towards the Nasik direction and take a left at Take village. The road( pathetic in condition) lead us to Tringalwadi village and further to Talewadi village. The drive from Take village to Talewadi village is only about 20 kms, but takes more than 40 mins. When we started from Talewadi, it was already 5:07 PM..!! villagers asked if we were planning to stay atop the Tringalwadi fort. They were amused to know that we intended to descend back today itself and also that we expected to reach Mumbai tonight(most of them gave a ROFL look). We started with full force and went as quick as possible. A well carved cave welcomed us to the base of the hill. the route passe from the left of the cave to the upper platue. There onwards the route climbs very gradually to the base of the rock massif. Keeping the massif at the right, one reaches the extreme end, where there is a crack in the wall. the same crack is where there are about 60 steps in a well carved staircase. above the stairs, theres is a big Hanuman and a door to the fort. The actual top is further ahead with some dilapidated constructions and some scree. The top gives beautiful views of the surrounding area and we were lucky to witness the sunset. We reached the top at 5:59 PM( full speed ..!). The temprature had suddenly dropped and we started feeling the cold.. Our target was to reach the base(and our car) by 7:00 PM. So we started back and reached the upper platue in about 20 mins. However, the route after that happens to be on the east and whatever small light that guided us so far, was gone. Time to take out torches. We initially struggled to keep walking on a trodden path, occasionally missing the path and wandering in the grass, but eventually finding it somewhere(route finding in the dark is a very interesting activity..!! try doing it .. !) Eventually we reached the base and at 6:59 we managed to get back to our car. Finding the route after we reached the ground level was much more difficult than doing it above the hill. We started back and after a 30 min dinner break, reached Mulund at 10:15 PM. Total distance travelled: 320 Kms(Mulund to Mulund).

A well spent Sunday ..!!!!

Participants:

Ameya Gokhale
Anju Paniculam
Shreekant Hardikar
Kaustubh Naik.

Pictures of this trek are available on the following URL

https://picasaweb.google.com/116176022186236936221/DhoriaKanjangadTringalwadi?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Dhoria - Kanjangad - Tringalwadi

A complete GPS track of our visit to Dhoria is linked here:

View Track201212020922 in a larger map

https://maps.google.co.in/maps/ms?msid=213344360044667823975.0004cfee258c7a5eed23e&msa=0&ll=19.790813,73.531752&spn=0.022855,0.038581

Bitangad & Aad Fort

2012-11-08T18:02:00.003+05:30

Bitangad is a small hill in the Ghoti region. Like most treks, we started on Saturday night from Mulund and reached Bitanwadi very early in the morning - around 4:00 AM. The reason to reach so early was simple, avoid the uneasy and irritating early morning wake ups and find adequate time to visit another hill in the surroundings.

Bitangad: This small hill is mostly a walk and then a little bit of an uphill hike. From Bitanwadi, it usually takes about 20-25 mins to reach the base of the hill where we start hiking upwards(another 25 mins). The route up is marked by a rocky staircase(like many other hills around Nasik). The holds around the steps are well placed so thats a very easy job. There is also a small cave immediately after thee staricase. It can accomodate about 6-8 people in the dry season. The top is a beautiful place with commanding views all around. The adjoining hill- Mahankaal is infested by a large number of windmills. There are 2 sets of watertanks, one near the south side of the Top massif and another on the east face. There was no water in this month(November). We quickly got down and reached the base village(bitanwadi). It took us about 3 hours 30 mins from Bitanwadi and back.

Our next target was Aad fort. Aad is situated about 30 kms from Bitanwadi and the base village is called Aad wadi. The route from bitanwadi to Aad wadi is very scenic with mostly gigantic views of the Wind mills- some working, some not working, some fast some slow. The route from Bitan wadi passes via the base of another well known giant fort called Patta(Vishramgad). The road then leads to Thangaon and further to Aadwadi. Thangaon is a place known for tomato growers. You will find all farmers sorting tomatoes all over the place and then filling it in big plastic boxes for further transportation.

Aad Fort: Aad is a small but very beautiful place. It is easy to hike from Aad wadi and usually takes about 30 mins from the base to top(for regular hikers). Although it is easy, the approach towards the right place to start the hike could be confusing. I have shown the actual location of the starting point on my map. i have traced the entire path using a GPS in my cell phone. The route which we opted is best suited when you have your own vehicle. The top of Aad is a wide spread platue with about 3 sets water tanks(non potable), one door, and a cave on the other side. The cave can be approached via a staircase and a small rock step(not difficult, but be careful). The cave is worth a visit with a small compartment next to it. The cave and compartment can easily accommodate about 20 people. There is a good water tank next to the cave and it happens to be the only potable source of water. There are also some old structures above the fort which look like constructions and also like some tombs(dont know what exactly they are meant to be).

We descended the same way down and started our return journey.

Be careful about the roads. The forts are relatively simple, but the roads are not. We went 25 kms in an absolutely wrong direction while returning home.

The Match Was Fixed..

2012-10-07T23:11:00.001+05:30

Now this is something I hate... No, I am not referring to matches being fixed. I am too small to know anthing about "fixing" with certainity.

What I really hate, is the general attitude of people, when they confidently declare that a particular match was FIXED. This usually happens when any of the expected big players along with a handful of others quickly return to the pavillion. You get to see statements like "match fixed tha yaaaar" ..usually on either facebook or other social networking sites. And my immediate reaction is.... WTF.. Who has asked you?? What gives you so much of confidence???? C'mmon... If you are watching the match, you will have to blindly trust the nature of a game. Agreed, that fixings happen.. But whether a particular match was fixed or not is something which cannot be verified without a detailed investigation..

Lastly, I remember my old diploma engineering college days. Usually there were very less or no girls in many streams.. People used to extend this 3 or 4 year course to about 5, 6 or sometimes 8 years by failing consistently. These so called super-seniors used to keep looking out for newly entered gals. Once they locate a new girl the very first action was to propose to her. For all obvious reasons, she used to get dead-scared and would almost run away from the situation saying a BIGG *NO*. Now, these poopers being badly hurt would resort to a usual behaviour of tarnishing her image all around. Spreading gossips, making comments- *WOH TO R@ND HAI SAALI*.(she is a prostitute). ! This cycle kept repeating and repeating.. !

The only reason to narrate the above incidence is due to the stark similarity that relates the behaviour. Blaming a possible foul play, when results dont come in favour.. !

Get a life man.. !

Takmak Fort

2012-09-30T22:17:00.003+05:30

The name Takmak has always been very curious for me and finally, I got an opportunity to visit this place. After searching over the internet, I once again confronted the unreliable nature of the information scattered around. So let me provide some clarifications right away:

Takmak Fort has no connection to the well known Raigad Fort ( one of the sections of Raigad is called Takmak-Tok, but the fort is still Raigad ).
Takmak Fort is Faar away from Manor ( almost 32 kms )
While travelling from Mumbai, Takmak can be approached via the base village Sakavar ( or sometimes referred to as Sakwar/sakvar etc). Sakavar is 53 Kms from Thane. A landmark near Sakavar is the Ramkrishna Mission
The best time to trek on this fort is during monsoon ( and also while it rains). During other seasons, a night trek is a good option
During all other seasons, the humidity is at its peak, unbearable heat and sweat.
A route guide is preferred.. Its not very easy( so far) to decipher the route through the thick forests.
Our Route guide charged us Rs 200.
Carry a minimum of 4 litres of water per person. Carrying anything less could be suicidal in the humid climate. There is no reliable source of water atop.
Although there are small water tanks atop, the water is only accumulated and evaporates after Diwali. Also, the water in this tank did not appear visibly potable.

Route:

Mumbai(Mulund) - Thane - Ghodbunder Road - Fountain Junction - Sakavar ( 55 Kms from Mulund )

The fort comprises of a 2 flat tops, which although appear connected are not easy to access from one another. The first 50% of the route is thickly forested and provides a good cover from the blistering Sun. Our team comprised of 4 members and we took 2 hours 30 mins to reach the top. The top is small with various flat areas connected by thickets. The entire fort (on this side) could be covered in about 30 mins. There are 2 canons atop and also 3 water tanks. The top provides a commanding view of nearby hills and water bodies.

Attached are some pictures from our trek.

Album:

These pics are also available on the following URL: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151073041980913.424418.681270912&type=1&l=8ca9f08909

Note: you dont need to be on facebook to view the album

Bhivpuri - Garbut - Matheran - Dhodhani - Panvel

2012-08-27T13:20:00.002+05:30

One of the most effort-full and satisfying one day treks in the recent past - this route was also a very scenic one. Almost a days effort, a little hectic for a one dayer, this turned out to be a cross country which practically started at bhivpuri and ended close to Panvel.

Route:

We started from Bhivpuri station, had breakfast and then headed towards the dam. There onwards we kept the dam on our right side and circled it almost for half the circumference. we then climbed up the spur to a huge tree and then ahead to a small village called Sagachi wadi. The route now climbed steeply to the lower platue of Garbut Point leading further to Garbut Village. The lower platue is remarkably beautiful with greenery all around. From Garbut village, the Garbut point is about 15 - 20 mins. We crossed the entire table land of Matheran and reached the Louisa point. Below this point is the village : hasha chi patti. A long route then took us to Dhodhani where we got a bus to Panvel.

Cost:

We traveled using public transport and did not spend too much on the way. Our expense was only about 140 per head (thane station to thane station). We carried lunch from home and had only breakfast/tea outside.

Commercialization:

Unfortunately, anywhere around Matheran, there is a lot of commercialization. As an instance, while we were standing right below the Garbut point, a few village kids asked us to take the route which goes from Garbut Village. As per them, it was easier. we trusted them. Later they asked if we need tea. we agreed. while paying for the tea, the kids demanded Rs 15/- per cup..!! Obviously we paid only 40 for 6 cups. Later we figured out that there was no need to visit the Garbut village at all and and it was only to make money that they wanted us to come there. Also, while we started the trek, we asked at bhivpuri if someone can show us the route . A villager agreed, but demanded Rs 500/-.. By all means, 500 for a guide in the Sahyadri is too much. Obviously, we found our route and didnt take a guide. Atop Matheran, it was the usual business of "room chahiye ?" but thats ok, since it is a declared hill station.

Members:

Ameya Gokhale, Saurabh Joshi, Gayatri Joshi, Panini Phadnis, Vinay Y Jadhav and Makarand Deshpande.

Pictures:

The pictures are also available on the following URL: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151029394490913.416960.681270912&type=1&l=8201d9076c

Madhe Ghat

2012-08-21T14:23:00.000+05:30

Hey,

I happened to visit Madhe Ghat with my friends from Pune (Ajay Dhamdhere and his group of trekkers). Some of the pictures, I was able to click are put up below. Wikipedia provides adequate information on Madhe Ghat ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhe_Ghat ). Let me know if you like the pictures.

Korlai Fort

2012-07-16T21:48:00.001+05:30

Hey..!! I recently happened to visit the Korlai Fort near Revdanda. An awesome place to be. one of the rare places where you see a section of land splitting the water in 2 parts. Hope you enjoy the pics.

Honor Killings and Ridiculous Society

2012-06-04T16:03:00.002+05:30

This was the first time that I saw the episode of Satyamev Jayate. The subject was great - "Honor Killing". I really appreciate the team for bringing up the topic, which is deep rooted in our society. The worst part in our society is that the whole world (except the bride and groom) has an opinion about the marriage. The moment a marriage goes
beyond their own self imposed opinions, there is a revolt. People criticize, hit, kill or go to any extent.

Surprisingly, people can get obsessed with almost anything - Caste, religion, gotra, naadi, patrika, raashi, skin color, respect, money, .... you name it, and you will find it here ( not sure if this happens anywhere else ).

The problem is that our society has formed just too many norms( which they feel are right) and are hell bent to storm those who wont go with their silly opinions.

Infact, I feel there should be a law which is specifically focused on breaking these ridiculous norms ..! eg: support for inter-cast marriage, support for marriages where the patrika fails, inter religion, inter racial etc etc, the support can be monitory or anything else... eg: funds for marrying inter-cast/not matching patrika/not following an existing norm, that doesn't hold true by law/medicine.

Nagzira Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra

2012-05-22T13:43:00.002+05:30

We recently visited Nagzira Tiger Reserve. Although I was able to squeeze only 2 days, I was lucky enough to capture some good sightings of Tigers and other wild creatures. Attached are some pictures that I took. Let me know if you like them.

Android.... Android....

2011-11-22T14:36:00.001+05:30

A mobile theft at the notorious kurla station prompted me to buy a new phone. I am now a proud android owner. This stuff is awessome... I mean it rocks truely. The infinite number of apps along with the power of google makes it feel like a marvel. It looks like the powers of android have totally taken over the manufacturer brand.

Thanks google for this wonder......

Silly Computer Graphics

2011-10-30T09:44:00.001+05:30

Whats so great about computer graphics in a movie??? I've always wondered, why people like to see the artificial world of computerized animations and fake scenes created only for soothing your eyes. I understand if it is a cartoon movie. But in a normal movie with a dedicated hero and a heroine, what role do these graphics play?? Many people keep saying: 'the movie was good, it had a lot of computer graphics'... Yeeeeks.. This statement sucks hard. Hardly anyone talks about acting!! You need to be skilled enough to show that you are a BEGGAR, when in reality, you are a MILLIONAIRE. By praising unreal fiction, are we not moving towards an artificial world?? Something that makes us dwell in the (un)realities of an imaginary belief...!! In fact, the recent trend of movies is -- getting closer to reality. Also think of the many many television pro grammes that show the whole world what goes on in REAL LIFE. In spite of all this, I wonder what people like in a movie that's full of graphics.. If this continues, our definitions of entertainment will be far away from reality and practicality. In my opinion, entertainment should be close to our own life. A little deviation for the sake of adding spice is still justified. But then, when things go beyond reality and we as humans start praising virtual reality, certainly, something is wrong.... This might just be the reason, why TV soaps are far from reality. They try to grab your attention by showing what you are something that only fits in our imagination. May be a situation that you are always afraid of, or something that you only feel is possible, but have never encountered. Now that's what I call unreal... No logic.. Plain emotions. Same is the reason, why TV news channels rely so much on useless and crap news being aired 10,000 times a day. This is one big reason, why I like plays and stage performances. Lets hope things get more REAL than far-fetched.....

Who stops me??

2011-10-28T00:25:00.001+05:30

Sleep is sometimes a really funny experience. You know you are sleeping, yet you are in a fairy tale world- enjoying your dreams. At times, I wonder, what differentiates our behavior in the dream world and the real world ?? In the dream world, (say for example), I see an irritating "mosquito" flying around me, I immediately raise my hand to slap that jerk...Yess......!! This is the point, where I realize the immense force that I encounter. My hand bluntly refuses to get raised. I feel as if I am lifting a 100 kg dumbbell along with my hand... I try hard to lift it, but in vain. The mosquito is still there and I try shooing him with my gestures- quick body movements, head shaking etc etc... That's when I come across realization number 2- I can't even move my body parts... They too feel like being under a tremendously heavy weight rings. .. This is where, I slowly start contemplating- am I dreaming??? Oh yess, I was dreaming...and that's exactly why I was not able to move anything. ... I wake up.. And even before I completely open my eyes, my memory of this dream are vanished.. Probably, my dreams are recorded in some different part of my brain and hence not accessible in day time. .. There's memory compartmentalization even in my brain.. Huh.. In another such dream, I came across a wild thought- some funny idea. The first reaction was to expose it on Facebook/twitter. (That also proved- I am a social media addict..!). Now since my brain is compartmentalized, I can't recollect that funny idea. But surely wanted to tweet something in my dreams and believe me, it must have been interesting. Lets see, if I can recollect it, when I again visit similar dream destinations. The point here is: the only difference in dream and real life behavior is that, I can't generally move myself in dreams... In real life, I can... otherwise, both are almost the same.. The only question that remains:- who stops me from moving, while I am asleep(and dreaming)??

(I may sound like an idiot, but that's what I thought of scribbling)

Sent by emoze push mailSleep is sometimes a really funny experience. You know you are sleeping, yet you are in a fairy tale world- enjoying your dreams. At times, I wonder, what differentiates our behavior in the dream world and the real world ?? In the dream world, (say for example), I see an irritating "mosquito" flying ...

Lalbaug & Around, Ganapati 2011

2011-09-11T20:46:00.005+05:30

On the day of Ananta Chaturdashi ( 10/11th day of Ganapati Bappa's stay ), I happened to be at Lalbag. I tried capturing a few pictures, of the immersion processions and the overall festive Pomp. I have tried naming the pictures as I remember. however, if you have any correction, kindly let me know.

Lalbaug on this day, actually turns "red" because of the "gulaal". Streets wear a red carpet and everywhere around, you get to see a zealous celebration. All around this area, there are flower garlands/fancy caps/saffron ribbons, all arrived to bid farewell to our dear Ganapati Bappa, who had stayed here for 10/11 days.

Mumbai, Specifically Lalbag is known for its remarkable size of Ganapati idols. It is interesting to see the co-operative effort by the numerous members of the Ganapati Mandals ( organizers). The huge idols needs a lot of effort to be picked up from its Pandal ( stage ) to the truck which carries it for

emmersion. For some big and well known processions, it usually takes about 15 to 20 hours to reach the Girgaon chowpaty( sea face).

This is one of the few celebrations, when men /women come out in equal numbers and dance on the streets. All enjoying to their best ..!

The album of these pictures is located in the slideshow attached below:

!!....... Ganapati Bappa Morya........!!