anoobhooti

Gruerre Switzerland

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 06:21:00 +0000

It’s a small town near Zurich where chocolates are manufactured in Nestle .Caille is quite popular and there at the factory they give you a visual round about how it originated and from where they get the ingredients and how it’s manufactured. And then one gets to taste all types made there.

But it’s more famous for its cheese.. it’s exported throughout the world. There we get a round of everything.A cow takes 85 kg fodder and gives 25 kg milk everyday.

Very small quaint beautiful town on French side.Its a UNESCO heritage place. There is a chateau and entrance is near main road in the little market only.

There are restaurants and souvenir shops, and smell of cheese everywhere is very strong, which some people enjoy and some like me Dont.

Somnath and Dwarkadheesh

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 09:19:00 +0000

Next day in the morning we wanted to do abhishek and it is done in the old temple. Since this was off season we didn’t need to book , otherwise one needs to book the slot. In the temple premises only there is a counter sher one can book. All the pooja items are provided by the priest only.There is a huge shivling inside where everything is performed. They start with a snkalp pooja outside and then we go inside. It’s a very ethereal experience for people like us.It takes 30 minutes totally.

Then we came out and there were eateries with local food. We had breakfast of dhokla , gathia and pakora with tea.

There is a place called Bhalka teerth.. here Krishna ji came to stay before going to baikunth

And then started for Dwarkadheesh. .. it’s 197 km and takes around three and half hours. Roads are not very good. There are so many wind mills and most of the houses have put solar panels n the roof, never seen so many wind mills and solar panels.

We reach hotel in Dwarka , do the checkin and then have lunch there gujarati thali, new experience for us. Wouldn’t say loved it but there were new preparations like farsan poha, sev tomato vegetable, gujrati kadhi, laddoo etc.

After freshening up we went to darshan of Dwarkadheesh. There also we had to deposit mobile footwear and smart watch. There was a long queue and we waited in line..once they open darshan and queue starts moving it doesn’t take much time.when we see these temples , we navel at the architecture and knowledge of our ancestors who made them.

Outside local items are sold , one can get good chania cholis and other dresses. Mattha and sugarcane juice is available everywhere.

Eatable are quite reasonable there Even on the way we had thepla and kalakand , both were very delicious.

Somnath jyotirling

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 13:32:00 +0000

Last week we made this trip. From Hyderabad there are 2 airports where one could take a flight to.. Diu, and Rajkot. I took Rajkot because I got comfortable timings. It’s a 2 hr flight. From the airport we took a cab to Somnath. It take 3.5 to 4 hrs. Roads are not good and some under construction also. Not many eateries on the way, just basic ones, at be place peda was abundantly sold, so tried it and it was very tasty out of this world. Eatables are quite reasonable there. Once we reached there , we checked in hotel and then went for darshan, there are two temple side by side one old one where abhishek is done and other this magnificent place where you can have darshan. It’s huge and sea side , very neat and clean and we have to deposit mobile and all electronic items outside. Outside boundary wal ther is road and one can go there and see sangam of 3 sacred rivers or u can just stroll beside sea.

Out hotel was in Veraval and it has the biggest fishing industry, I have never seen so many ships at one place ever in my life.

Ajanta Ellora

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Sat, 03 Feb 2024 14:57:00 +0000

Last week we made a trip to Aurangabad. We had a direct flight from here.we stayed in Lemon tree hotel and liked it. It’s totally value for money, food was also good and I have rarely seen so much variety anywhere in breakfast. And for me being a vegetarian it was a boon that non veg section was totally separate.

First day we went to Jyotirlings.. Grishneshwar.. it was 30 minutes drive from our hotel. If one wants to do any pooja, go to their office, they have fixed rates, choose it and they take you inside. For only darshan you can stand in the queue.we did Rudrabhishek . There men have to be bare waist upward.

Ellora caves were our next .. just one km from there. There is entrance ticket and ticket for e vehicle which can leave you and pick you from 3 spots. Guide is your choice. Caves are spread in 3-4 km area. We took a guide also and evehicle dropped us at caves with Jain temple carvings. Second was kailash temple with stone carvings of full depiction of Ramayana and Mahabharata and huge shivling 2000 yrs old and third area of caves has Buddha statue and all about Buddhism. Kailash temple is monolithic and constructed from top and then bottom. All amazing example of our heritage and master pieces on carving. One needs to walk a lot and many steps to up & down and sometimes on uneven surface. It takes two hours but otherwise one can spend whole day there.

Next day we went to Shanishingnapur, it’s 1.45 hrs journey. Earlier there people never use to lock houses or shops but now it’s normal. It’s Shani Temple , open 24 hours.

Third day we went Ajanta caves, it’s 2 hours journey and road is so bad that you feel frustrated. There government buses are only allowed to reach the spot. It’s 3-4 lm distance. There one can have a porter or chair carriages taken by men. Because there are two many steps and steep also. It was tough for me,and I was scared of sitting in carriage. So I went till 16 no only. There are bhagwan buddhas statues in the main and meditation areas and frescos on walls and pillars, roofs telling the stories about Buddha, life and his his different lives.

After 16, there are 4 caves where Buddha is shown when he took Nirvana and their paintings are in better condition

Kovalam Alleppey

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Sat, 03 Feb 2024 14:31:00 +0000

Last month we made a trip to Kovalam & Allepey. From Hyderabad we took a flight to Trivendram, it was via Banglore. Took us around 5 hours due to layover. Trivendram airport is a small one and at the time of 1 PM its was totally vacant , just our flight, no cabs of Ola or Uber or anyother, just one office.. for prepaid. We took a cab for country club Kovalam for around 650/-. It took us 30 minutes to reach there.

The resort is very near to Kovalam beach and its approach is so unique, like spiral narrow ways, so much like Goa, both sides full of trees and greenery. Place is quite comfortable with a shallow swimming pool and canteen.

Next day we took a cab from our place only for a day to see the places in trivendram.. and first one was Padmanabhaswamy temple. It’s a beautiful place and well maintained. Nearby is chitra art gallery and 2 palaces.

Next day we went to Alleppey by cab, it’s a 4 hour journey. And we stayed in houseboat. There they ask what you want to eat in lunch tea dinner and breakfast and accordingly they stock and then you move on. We got fresh lunch served in dining place. Boat had drawing room,dining and bedroom with attached bath. And till 6 pm boat keeps moving and we could see beautiful landscapes and villages on shore. Next day after breakfast we came back.

My suggest would be to stay in resorts on the shores and take their boat for 2-3 hrs to see. For me it was a little scary and eerie experience to sleep there. And in the evening for one hour when they park it, there are lots of mosquitoes also, so we had to go in the room. AC works from the evening to morning.

Next day we went to see a Durga temple on Trivendram and Kovalam beach.

Germatt

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 14:32:00 +0000

Last weekend we planned glacier express and booked everything from Chur. But when the train came at chur it didn’t have our coach and they neither informed nor upgraded , instead he said.. AC of ur coach was not working and so we have upgraded u in this coach which was without AC.. only you could open the window, infact it was a downgrade as coach was very old. I never imagined something like this in Switzerland. And here it’s so hot that one can’t imagin travelling without AC and that too for 6 hrs.. we had to leave and travel back to Zurich to take another 2 trains .. to Berne and then to germatt but then at Visp we came to know that due to some accident , train is not going to germatt and since it’s a no car area , we were quite frustrated but then got a cab and reached Germatt around 8 PM.

It’s beautiful beyond imagination, a dreamy place, we were booked in Alpine stadt hotel, near railway station only. We kept the luggage and went out to dinner at Golden India.. Indian restaurant, they take the last order at 8.45, so we hurried and enjoyed everything even kulfi.

Next day we took a special train to Gornergat Matterhorn, It’s a 45 minute journey to the highest top of Europe The route is really steep and people get down at stops for hiking. Ticket is also high, it’s 110 chf for adults.

At the top there are multiple attractions, like virtual really of all peaks around Matterhorn, stone building, restaurant and ice palace

This is heaven for hikers and nature lovers

Rhine fall & Black forest

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 11:34:00 +0000

I have seen Rhine fall 10 years back but when I was looking for a day trip I found this combination best and reasonably priced too. 80 chf per person . They start at 12.15 from Silquay central bus stand. We travel 30 minutes on highway and then it’s a scenic drive in the forest. There are dark tall pine treees.our destination is Titisee, it’s a small medieval town with old houses , some refurbished, a lake in the centra and restaurants and shops. This is the place from where Black Forest cake started. We also tried it.. they put alcohol in it, so not to my liking. One can do boating or just roam around souvenir shops and have lunch. We are given 2 hours only which I think two little for all that, I wish they increase even 30 minutes more, it would b worth it because the walk from parking to centre takes 15 minutes each way and if one takes lunch in a restaurant, one hour is needed to order and eat and pay. But it was beautiful place. And yes Cuckoo clocks are made here at Drubba, they give a 15 minutes demo also.

From here we go towards Rhine fall , driving thru many old villages, they are so beautiful.. colorful, clean and picturesque. BTW Titisee falls in Germany , so if anyone buys something with more than 100 euro, one can get a tax refund of 10% while leaving Europe

Rhine fall is the highest fall in Europe. One can take a boat ride of 15 minutes, it takes you very near to fall. It costs 9 Euro per person. Then there is an Indian counter for food like samosa tea dosa and all. Imagine one samosa for 4.5 chf..(400/-)😀.

Scenery is beautiful everywhere.. again it’s a stop for less time only, so just enjoy the scenery. And back to Zurich , we reach around 7.15.

We take a taxi back and I was told by my son that here drivers are honest and any ab driver is supposed to take u by shortest route and charges accordingly, so we took a cab without asking anything and he fleeced us.. we paid 130 chf for a distance meant to be charged 80-90.

A lesson learnt.

Hunting for life partner

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 06:05:00 +0000

Seeing the people and marriages around me I have come to a conclusion that there are certain signals which tells us in advance that these people are not going to work together and we shouldn’t help them marry.. these traits are..

If before marriage girls demand expensive clothes, jewellery or honeymoon in Europe.. and here the criteria for expensive is not any absolute amount.. it’s your feeling according to your standard.. if u feel it .. then it is.. she is not going to jel with you.. let her go.she is not made for u.

And the same way if boys or in-laws demand anything.. be it money or things which you don’t want to give then better leave them.

If girls are into artificial equality too much.. leave them, they are not worth it.. they will never make u happy.Like some girls work and keep their salarary to them and expect husband to run house and spend on them and May be on their parents too.

So the first question both sides should ask what they are going to contribute to marriage

Will they share the expenses equally?

Will they share the housework equally?

How will they manage investments?

Who will do what?

One could take the help of marriage counselling also.Though we can’t have a guarantee about anything but still one must prepare well.

LET IT GO!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Tue, 30 May 2023 12:50:00 +0000

There are people who can walk away from you.
And hear me when I tell you this!
When people can walk away from you: let them walk.

I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with
you, loving you, calling you, caring about you,
coming to see you, staying attached to you.

I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk.
Your destiny is never tied to anybody who left.

People leave you because they are not joined to you.
And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.
Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means
that their part in the story is over.
And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over
so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead.
You've got to know when it's dead.
You've got to know when it's over.

Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of goodbye.
It's the tenth spiritual gift; I believe in goodbye.
It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know
whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me.
And if it takes too much sweat, I don't need it.

Stop begging people to stay. Let them go! If you are holding
on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never
intended for your life, then you need to LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains...
LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back,
and see your worth...LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you ... LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge
LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction...
LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs
or talents... LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude...LET IT GO!!!
If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better...
LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a
new level in Him... LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship.
LET IT GO!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help
themselves...LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed...
LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to
handling yourself and God is saying
"take your hands off of it," then you need to... LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things.
GOD is doing a new thing for this year!!!
LET IT GO!!!

why?

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Mon, 29 May 2023 14:40:00 +0000

Why people today are getting egos bigger than their personalities...most of the people are so hung up on praise that they are far removed from reality and anybody reminding them about it becomes pariah...

Unless we take criticism in our stride we can never improve ourselves.I always think that whenever someone says anything negative, people start blaming that person only, instead of looking inward and trying to figure out whether there is some truth ..... most of the people behave irrationally with criticism...not many have the strength of character, yes thats what is required to take it in your stride....generally this is what happens....

Parents...as long as you keep telling them that they have done the best and they are always right, they are happy,the day you point the opposite...you are an ungrateful child, who doesnt even know how much parents suffered and all that.

Hubands...They always like to listen that they are god's gift to their wives, and as long as you pamper their ego, their stomach and their family..you are just great otherwise..god save you:)

Wives...Whatevr they may get from their husbands, they are never thankful in anyway, its their good luck that they got it, but whatevr they are not getting, its not their bad luck or anything lacking in them but husband and his family is at fault.

Sisters:...just listen to them, their gossip,all the time, be their sounding board, morale booster and partner in crime..you are the best, the day you dare to speak your mind.the truth.you are doomed.

Brothers...They are really a god's gift to sisters, as is told to everyone from their childhood and they take it so seriously,that all the onus for maintaining status quo lies on sisters only......

children......do whatever they want you to do, have no mind of your own,and never ever ask for any protocol...you are greatest mother on earth, do the otherway......and you wouldnt find a place even below the earth.

Son.inlaws..They are the most indifferent lot..you dont exist as long as you dont interfere with their daily routine.though at the back of their minds too..MIl is dominating:)

Daughter-in-laws;..Pamper them silly, break you back doing everything for them, but the day you demand your share of love and respect..commanding and demanding comes into the picture and..you will become a monster.in.law.

What has family come to?

Whenever somebody says something negative about us..we must stop and think for a minute..may be he/she has some iota of truth....but if we surround ourselves with the people always praising us even if its not hundred percent true, then we are living in an illusion, we may be temporarily happy, but for long term happiness and growth we need to grow and learn the truth.and if need be there ,then change also.

Trip to Prague

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Mon, 29 May 2023 09:28:00 +0000

Since I am in Zurich this week I planned a visit to Prague, It is just one hour 20 minutes flight from here.we took a morning flight and reached there around 9 AM. It is a small and convenient airport. We had booked Hilton old town , so that it would be easy to roam around. From airport one can take taxi or public transport also. If one is staying there for 2-3 days , one can also take a pass for 48 hrs or more and it’s valid in all mode of transports.

In old town, there are many hotels and Hotel Paris and Hotel kings court are just next to tram station.

Prague is a city of majestic buildings, be it houses , commercial buildings or museums, all are grand buildings with statues and carvings, haven’t seen anyother European town like this. It’s so beautiful and maintained.

Old town square is huge and surrounded by cafe and restaurants, and all tourist buses, vintage cars , tram and hop n hop off tours. There main attractions are

Astronomical clock.. majestic structure and every hour, there is a parade of apostles on the clock

Old town hall.. it has an underground structure too but we didn’t go as as it was not advised to people who have back problem or heart problem.

Old Jewish quarters.. It’s a 10 minutes walk from the square.There are few synagogues and old cemetery with lots of graves and halls showing all their burial society history and paraphernalia and 2-3 room’ walls are inscribed with names of people perished there at the time of Jewish holocaust. It’s a very sad reminder.

Prague castle.. it’s 20 minutes drive. There they St vitas cathedral and royal palace and many gardens, must be the biggest castle in the world.one needs to walk miles to see it fully.

Charles Bridge.. it’s on Vitava river and near old town square only, one can see the city on both the sides and see the nicknacks there

Crystal is made there , so we found beautiful crystals product everywhere.

Billa supermarket is where one can buy everything specially water:)

Rest, it’s like any other European town full of designer shops, one IVKO, we found quite beautiful.

But here hop on hop off tour is useless, better take conducted tour.

We found Indian restaurant also.. Indian Kitchen and had lunch there, it was good.Checzk cuisine is all about duck,pork,beef, so not for us,so we had Italian or Mexican.

Statue of Equality

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 12:24:00 +0000

We went there yesterday. It’s the second tallest statue in sitting position. It’s of great Shri Ramanujam who brought equality in learning.

It is near Hyderabad airport , around 30 KN’s from Hitech city. Before reaching there we see two tea centres and though we didn’t stop as we were getting place but they are a good place to have tea. At the main place, there is enough parking and it’s a huge place, beautifully landscaped.

First we have to deposit our cameras , mobiles and foot wear at a counter. It’s free service. Any eatables are also not allowed inside. Plus they advise you to go there wearing Indian dress, though it’s a case at many temples also, not that devotees follow it.

Then we take entry tickets. It’s 200/- adult and they have multiple counters, very convenient even there is crowd.. even baby feeding chambers are there.

Once we clear the scanning they put a stamp on the back side of palm.. and it’s om in Hindi, Sanskrit whatever, it was such a nice feeling to have that and then another surprise.. we can get traditional tika at our forehead.. same thing we do in Kashi, Vrindavan but there u find people on the road doing it.

Around the boundary in a circle they have made 108 Sannidhi or little rooms, with god Vishnu ‘ different mudras and incarnations ,some famous ones too like one in Padamnabha temple in Thiruanantpuram. Here I wished that they had mentioned some details of scene depicted in either Hindi or English, it would have increased our happiness manifold,But even now it’s an experience to have. There they are selling books about it in all languages and after every 27 idols, there are toilets, water and prasadam available.

Then in the centre there are 108 steps reaching to the main statue. Steps are quite broad and comfortable, at the same time for senior citizens and differently ab led people, lift is there and wheel chairs are also there. State is surrounded by fountains and one can see the city from the top like a view point too. Once evening lights come, it’s absolutely beautiful to watch the area lighten up and statue in different colors. There is a light and sound show also.

Now time to pack and leave and it’s dinner time, so we see that after exit food is available with all varieties, it was reasonably good and clean. There is a shop of pears also with beautiful collection of jewellery and one shop for Ayurvedic products.

The way it is maintained , it’s amazing.. very nice and clean and worth an experience.

Jorasanko.. Aruna chakravarty

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 14:28:00 +0000

This story is in two books and it’s about Tagore family, Brahm samaj and culture and traditions at that time in late 18th century.

These two books are important for me for reason.. because my young daughter.in law got them for me signed by the author. But I feel sad to say that I didn’t find them very interesting for multiple reasons. There are so many characters and big families that it was mighty difficult for me to remember the names and relations. Then I found that Rabindranath Tagore , so adulated and all was not so great as a man or husband or father, only as a poet. And in his family girls were married at a young age of 10 or 12 and got kids at 14 or May be 13. They were kept inside and couldn’t be out in sunshine even. I felt really sad to see their plight.

All in all those times were very regressive

400 Days… Chetan Bhagat

When he started writing, I loved his books but slowly i started getting bored and now instead of going up his writing is coming down. This one is a cheap thriller where all characters are more or less murky.. so much so that even hero heroine have no character, and for it’s very important to see protagonists behaving sensibly.

People sleeping together easily without any hesitation or thought are not my cup of tea, I may be old fashioned but married women sleeping with others is not done.. even if marriage is not working, first get out of it and then look for green pastures and same for single men .. sleeping with married women is not ok, it’s not love only lust. Here a young beautiful model is dated, feted and persued by a wealthy man and she is happy.But she is not able to adjust to his family and later she adjusts even with her husband having affairs with his employees .

No good.

Varanasi .day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Sat, 10 Dec 2022 06:45:00 +0000

We started with BHU temple of Mahadev, it is also very important there and I wanted to see BHU also. It is a huge campus, infact a mini city with all amenities, and hospitals even. In centre of temple is main deity Mahadev shivling and then there are all others like Ganeshji, Durgaji and Saraswatiji.From the first floor one can have an air view of campus and city.. All around gardens are there and at one place there are 5 trees good for environment like Pakar, Goolar mango, peepal Bargad

Next we went to Sarnath, there is one Stupa , Dhanek Stupa on the way And next is Buddhist monastery, there god Buddha gave his first sermon to his first 5 desciples who went all around to spread his teachings. We can see Buddha in different mudras like giving blessing, teaching etc. In the area some ethnic people stay and Pali and Sanskrit are taught there and they are taught skills to earn.The tree behind Buddha has grown from the seeds of the same tree Buddha disciples planted in srilanka.

Then there is Combodian monastery, Thai monastery and sarnath shiv temple.

Next day we visited Markandey Mahadev , it’s 30 km in Kaithi. Another ancient temple, where people come and pray for long life and children.

I have a few suggestions here

If one wants to just have darshan of Vishwanathji, one can go either through VIP( if you have contacts)..then u can have any day any time, otherwise go in the morning and take a ticket for sugar darshan and spend sometime there..It will be memorable for u, and try to avoid weekends and festivals and Monday.One May opt for abhishekam also.Morning Arti at 3 AM is best if one can manage early mornings

BHU temple, sankat Mochan and Tulsimanas can be seen in2-3 hrs ,they are in same line and then one can go to Assi ghat.. and spend the whole evening there just walking,sitting or eating.. it’s ethereal to watch the lights coming up.. absolute delight.In the evening Ganga Arti should also be seen.

Stay in the city and take local E Rickshaw to go around, we stayed in cantt and waisted lot of time in commuting.

Food is available everywhere, try tamatar chaat, pehalwan lassi, and all street food, it is good there.

Varanasi- day2

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 09:31:00 +0000

Second day we started with Sankat Mochan temple, there also one has to deposit

mobile outside, and then we went inside , it’s Hanumanji temple built in a very big area and good landscaping, beautiful area.

In the same line at a little distance is Tulsi Manas temple. It is said that tulsidasji wrote Ramayana here. Whole Ramayana is written on the walls there and on first floor, whole Ramayana is depicted through tableau of all the main incidents in Ramayana and Krishna Leela, it’s beautiful to see.

From here we went to Vindhyachal.. Shakti peeth, it’s one and half our journey . Temple is situated at the hilltop..not really , just a little higher and car goes almost all the way. It’s more crowded on festivals and holidays, we were so happy that we could have darshan there, someone local helped us also.

Then we returned around 3.30 and had lunch on the way, there was nothing very good available in dhabas or restaurants.In the evening we did some shopping at Suvidha sarees, Peetambri and Dhunka at Sigra, Suvidha is most reasonable and good.

I think one should do Sankat Mochan, Tulsimanas and BHU mahadev temple together and the Assi ghat as they are in one line or nearby. It will save time.

Trip to varanasi

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 08:03:00 +0000

Once I read a book by Pankaj Tripathi and his descriptions about just walking on varanasi ghats and having a divine feeling , and from that time it was on my bucket list. And I loved it

We started from Lucknow around 6.30 by cab and reached varanasi around 12.30. Since we went via Jaunpur , we didn’t find any good place for tea or washrooms even. We had booked ourselves in India Benares in Cantt. So after check in we went to Kashi Vishwanath temple for darshan, there either one can stand in a general queue or take a ticket of Rs 300/- to make it quicker. Being a Sunday it was very crowded, so it’s better to plan it avowing Sunday Monday and any other holiday. Mobile and eatables are not allowed inside, so keep them out in lockers and go inside. There they allowed us only 1 minutes to darshan and then we were out. But now it’s a big place called corridor and one can walk around and see various other temples and sit and enjoy. Once outside we went to kaal bhairav temple by rickshaw, there are all small lanes, so only rickshaw can go, and there was a very long que for darshan in a small conjugated place , I felt suffocated, so we came back and had a walk in Vishwanath Gali, tried some street food and then went to Dashashvmedh ghat.. there vehicles are not allowed, so either one can walk or take manual rickshaw , wheelchairs are also available. It’s a walk on crowded street with hawkers of local products and eateries, once we reach the end of road, there are 100..150 stairs to reach Ganges, we went down and took a boat just for our family.. four adults .. for 2500/-, he showed us all main ghats .. harishanchandra and Manikarnika, both ghats are meant for burning pyres and all, there are total 60-80 ghats, all beautifully lighted, in the end he parked us in front of Ganga Nidhi Sadan area for ganga Arti. It is a beautiful ritual performed at 6. .. 6.30 pm in a grand way. One can watch either from the ghats or from the boat. 5-7 priests do it with shlokas and and music.

Though two adjoining ghats were performing Arti but not together, separately and it was jarring to the ears, wish they could do it together, it would be a very melodious experience then.

Then we got down at Maanmandir ghat as there were less stairs to climb and being all senior citizens we were dead tired, we saw Dolphin restaurant and anyhow reached there and had dinner there only. It’s location is perfect.. one can watch Arti sitting there, they have a guest house too, so good for staying too. After that we came out of serpentine lanes and took a riksha and came back to hotel.

My takeaway.. better to plan darshan in week days and if possible early mornings

Stay in the city and go around in with rickshaw or walk as city has very narrow lanes and too much traffic.food is plenty and available everywhere and very reasonably priced.

Hanuman dhaam

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 13:07:00 +0000

It is a beautiful religious place, though most of the people go with a feeling of picnic and enjoyment. There it was clearly written . No photo and selfi and even one attendant kept telling people but nobody listened, kids were playing inside and young and old were all the time interested in making videos and taking selfies. Seeing such crowd totally spoiled my mood. People don’t want to maintain the sanctity of the place It’s in Ramnagar .and constructed beautifully . There are around 30 stairs which may be difficult for some but they are constructing ramp for wheel chair. Temple is closed from 1 pm to 2 PM only.

They have shown many different statues of Hanumanji.. panchmukhi, with Anjana mai and other gods too. All in marble and dressed beautifully.

In UP people are so immersed in enjoying everything that you will find food items everywhere. I just hope that once it starts in full swing there won’t be heaps of trash and disposables.And people come here for praying and finding peace here and then enjoy the food and area, instead of coming here to enjoy and see the temple.

Musings of a disillusioned soul

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Sun, 13 Nov 2022 08:43:00 +0000

Now a days I am in my hometown, and meeting lot of people here and I observed that now a days people maintain relationships only for fun or for sake of fun. There is no depth or any social protocol about it.

Personally I am a person who has no facade and I can’t maintain sweetness for the sake of it. I may be friendly with only few persons but that will be real and in all conditions and situations I will be there,

But I see many people young and old, who are always extra sweet and show niceties today and gone tomorrow, or when you want them to ask your whereabouts or welfare, you wouldn’t find them anywhere. But again they will appear at their own convenience and with an attitude that there is no difference as if nothing happened..

And all this irritates me a lot and I get stressed a lot and not able to reconcile my self with this way of living..

For me all relationships, be it friends or relations should be genuine, specially at my age I don’t want and need to suffer such fakes, can’t understand how could someone be happy with this way of living. But I think this is new world where instant enjoyment, satisfaction and fun are only important thing in life, not ethics, honesty or integrity. Today every one wants money at any cost and then they want better houses , cars , travels all materialistic pleasure, not much thought is given to finer aspects of life. A life lived with values is more important and brings infinite satisfaction, but alas, not many people want to think in this direction.

People are respected for their monetary acquisitions not for their character , education or intellect.

Sad state of affairs today!

Srisailam .. ll & lll day

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 02:38:00 +0000

Next day we had breakfast of dosa Idly on the roadside stalls just outside our lodge and that person served us with so much love that I felt so content. And then our first point was Patal Ganga.. here it is believed that if you take bath there it cures skin diseases.and it is advised not to use soap or shampoo there but people were using it there and water was getting dirty. They have changing rooms for women. First we took ropeway to reach down at the bottom there. Ropeway ticket is 65/- adult and available every 10 minutes from 10-5 pm.It’s only 5 minutes journey but very enjoyable to see the place from there. Once we reached there we just saw the bathing place and offered diya and Prasad to Krishna river.

Then we took the ticket for Akka mahadevi caves. It is 400/ - per adult for to and fro. Total trip takes 3-4 hrs, one hour each for going and coming. Our motor boat started around 10.30. Must be 20-25 people in the trip.we were all asked to wear life jackets all the time and not move here to there much.whenever someone tried to take off the jacket tour driver insisted upon wearing it. One more instruction.he said.. don’t drop anything, any plastic bottle, wrapper in water , even by mistake because tourism department is very strict and always watching, they come immediately and charge heavily and don’t listen to any excuse.

On way we can see some hutments, power houses 🏠 n shores.it is said that Akka mahadevi did penance there and then mahadev appeared in the form of swayambhoo. Shivling. It’s naturally offered water 365 days in a year.It but s 13th century place. After one hour we reached there and then it’s 10 minutes trek to the main place. It’s rocky but has railings, so manageable. Once I reached there I was stupefied to see the nature’s wonder, it’s all rocks, such big ones, one can see with awe only, our culture and history both are so grand.Then there is a 5 minute climb to the real place. It’s dark, rocky uneven and with slush and in the end it’s height is only 3 ft, so one has to bend and May be squatting, and there is shortage on f oxygen too, so I didn’t go but my husband did.. it was tough. And then one more small trek for ganpati darshan and we came back., took the ropeway back..and then we looked for change of hotel and now found a room in Haritha resort ( govt one ) and thank god it’s a good one for 2150/- with complimentary breakfast.

Now lunchtime was gone, so we headed for some hot snacks and tea and then went to see shivaji spoorty stadium.. here shivaji meditated and then goddess gave him a sword. Here we find all memorabilia of Shivaji maharaj.

Next was Rudra vanam near to this only.. it’s a big park well maintained with few stone sculptures . Beautiful place for nature lovers and one could see whole town also, for children there were swing slides, infact for kids they were there in all parks like Vasav vanam too, that is also a big park with landscaping and stone carved pillars and all but in all this area there were lots of locusts flying over all the time, so I didn’t feel like sitting and enjoying.Nearby is tribal museum too, we were tired so didn’t go inside.

Ill day… we packed up.. time to cherish the memories and go home. Coming back we saw Sakshi Ganpati temple, here it is said that pilgrims is complete only when you visit ganpati and tell him your gotra, so that he will tell his father shiva and will be a Salzgitter to your visit.

Next stop was Paldhara panchdhara.. here five streams are coming and it is believed that it is coming from Pal. Head of shiva.. again it’s 160 steps down and then coming back is little tiring for us.

All done and now lessons learned from this trip..

1-Always book your accommodation in advance.

2-Weekends

are always crowded, so if you want to enjoy leisurely go in midweek only

3-When you go to Akka Mahadevi caves, take some water and snacks with you, in that trip of 3-4 hrs you will not find anything.

4- For main darshan take a dhoti with you.

5..Tiger reserve is a half day trip and you have to book in advance and it opens in October only , so we missed it.

Srisailam..first day

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 14:56:00 +0000

This was on my places to see list for a long time , so when I got sometime , I started planning. First the duration of visit.. and I thought I would go for four days and see everything leisurely but when I searched I found most of the people visiting for a day or two only, so I was in dilemma and then thought .ok I will make it for 3 days atleast. Next mode of transport.. again I didn’t find any good buses on the route and train also doesn’t connect to the main place, so it has to be a cab only. I wanted some recommended service , none in my known circle recommended Ola for outstation, I checked savaari.com and Cabbazar.com.. , first one I didn’t find good reviews and second one most reviews were from north. Again I was skeptical about their sincerity and Customercare, so I gave a feeler to my friends to find some known person and they found me one.. he had a Swift dezire.. good enough for us two people .And the driver turned out to be very good in all respects, caring, punctual, good driver and all. He charged us 12000/- for 3 days, all inclusive.

We started from Hyderabad around 9 AM.. within 30 minutes on the way there is Udupi.. good joint for breakfast. Spent half an hour and we were on the way.Roads are very good and after 70-80 km, forest area starts for 70 km.. Nalla malla forest.. it’s a dense forest and drive is very pleasant. They close that road after 6 from both sides. There are boards everywhere asking not to feed monkeys and no littering anywhere, otherwise penalty is 10000/-.. yes ten thousand, still people were feeding and at some places picnicking also.

On the way first we see a small dam and before entering Srisailam a majestic dam, water there coming in full force and a sight to see.Whole stretch was full of fish selling, drying and all and stinking. And people stop anywhere to buy or take pics without realising that they are creating a traffic jam.

We reached Srisailam around 2.30 and first we saw APTDC Haritha hotel, but there was no room available. We wanted to stay in close vicinity of temple only. And there are lodges in plenty but lot of stairs and some not very clean too and still full due to it being Monday. Ultimately we found a room on first floor in a dharamshala near rope way.. it wasn’t to our liking but had no choice. Room was for 1100/- but had no facility of any food, tea, porter , even linen wasn’t good.

We kept the luggage and went for a late lunch. Food is very good there and cheap also. We went to Ganesh Foodcourt and had chola bhatoore and stuff paratha and then went for a ticket to Abhishekam. There it was available for same evening from 6-9 PM, we took it and went for it around 7 PM. As usual camera and phones are not allowed, so put them in cloak room.there wasn’t much queue anywhere.It is mandatory for men to wear vests or dhoti and no shirt, for women it is Indian wear preferably sari , otherwise salwar kameej. My husband bought dhoti over there onlyThere are no signs to tell you anything, so we had to ask at every step, we went inside and collected pooja items and went in. there they asked us to wait , we waited around 40 minutes and they asked us inside in garbhgrah,. It took us 15 minutes to do pooja.. I heard that it’s the only Jyotirling where they let you touch it. After this we came out and one Swamiji asked us to sit and gave blessings.

Then we went to darshan of Ammavari Devi, wife of Mallikararjun Swamy. It is next only but some 20-25 stairs.

Temple is huge and well mainatained and there are many shivlings and Nandi statues but since they don’t allow photography we couldn’t take any memory.

Outside temple it’s very lively atmosphere with colorful shops, selling toys, pooja items and usual other things like bangles, garlands and all.All shops have vesti, shirts etc.

By the time we finished it was 9 pm, so went to dinner and back to lodge

Encroachment

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 15:57:00 +0000

When I was in Chennai and we faced that massive flood situation, there were discussions on whys and hows and it was clear that it happened because all water bodies were build upon and there were no clear drains or reservoirs.

But I have seen this in most of the cities that rampant corruption in system and unlimited greed of public has created a mess all around. Everywhere buildings are constructed without norms. Restaurants are opened in residential areas without provisions of parking and create multiple problems for residents. Even software companies open offices anywhere without making parking.. and what happens? Most of the road is occupied by their vehicles, and traffic jams happen. But biggest looser are pedestrians who don’t know where to walk.

I see the same thing happening everywhere in Hyderabad.. unauthorized everything.

First builders encroach upon extra land or roads even, build an extra floor even because they know later they can get it authorized , then bussiness people open shops restaurant, encroaching upon more space.. all this happens openly, as if there is no law and order.

And then I see individuals who want to get as much extra space as they can.. balconies are extended on the name of putting plants, common areas are covered, all this without a single thought of propriety, civic sense or considering others.

I feel sad for our countrymen who are loosing their morals so fast. I feel that if one can afford a 2 bhk, then one should be happy and satisfied li I h in it, instead of turning the balcony in a small room.like many people have done in Delhi in DDA flats, or if you like to have plants, have them, it’s a good hobby but not at the cost of illegal extensions.

This feeling of taking more than we should or could is very deplorable and should be treated as such.

Ethics and integrity is important in all aspects of life

Is it Racism or?

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 08:46:00 +0000

This is one of my old posts but still relevant

The incidents in Delhi, Gurgaon and Banlore make me feel so ashamed..are we living in a progressive society where people are killed for not speaking their language.
One of my friend said that people should blend..fine..thats very good if they blend, its to their advantage only..like if I dont know tamil, I am at a loss and miss so many things but in what way I am harming locals I fail to understand...why this compulsion to learn their language?

Are we becoming dictators and telling the people to behave...and behave in such a way, otherwise you cant live here..what sort of society we are going to make?...why not be tolerant of difference and celebrate..there is so much beauty in diversity, why people want a homogeneous society..it would be so boring..

Do all the people who go outside the country blend so much?..Dont they make a mini India outside..and we revel in that..so why such a big cry for everything in your own country?and then we say we are educated..sorry we are not..we are just literates..education makes us open minded...

I have lived in many states of India, and everywhere..local people had their own group and sometimes some people included me, some did not..I never felt offended or anything, because its natural to feel more comfortable among your own types, but that doesnt mean we should be intolerant of others..why dont you eat south Indian/north Indian food..or live like locals..why should some one change his/her own culture and habits..it should be their own choice...

North has 5 states..but they are all clubbed as north Indians.. and I never felt anything amiss.so what..
But the same thing in south is a issue..

I find many things worth emulating in south and I appreciate them,with that I miss so many things of north also here..Every Place has its own pros and cons..and as an aware person if we can take the good from them, we shall be enriching ourselves....

And then we blame other societies like whites for racism whereas we do the same in our country, we hardly treat equally and differentiate between people for multiple reasons.. like religion, caste money and complexion etc etc

More degrees we take, more racial we become...may be we are better off uneducated..go to the villages, they are cordial to everybody...

Vrindavan

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 13:52:00 +0000

For a long time I wanted to visit Vrindavan and this time when I came to Lucknow I made it final. We went for a 3 day trip. Now from Lucknow to Agra there is an express highway, totally unimaginable earlier.. one can travel at 100 km/ hour very comfortably. We started around 7.30 and reached there around 12.30. We had booked a hotel very near to temples as we can’t walk too much.

There food and merchandise of Radha Krishna is everywhere.. and everything is so beautiful.

In the evening we went to have darshan of Bankey Bihari ji and it was so crowded and devotees love was really inspiring. And then to Radha Ballabh temple.

Next day we went to Radha Raman temple.. Holi in Vrindavan has special importance, people come from everywhere to play with Krishan.

If one goes as a tourist there are many more places to see like Nidhivan, Prem Mandir, Gokul and devotees do Parikrama of Govardhan,.

All in all a very fulfilling trip.

Aamhi doghi

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 07:49:00 +0000

Another gem of a Marathi movie on Amazon prime.

It’s about a girl who loses are mother and father is very busy and successful lawyer and they live in a big house but she practically grows up with servants only. She is fiercely independent , beautiful and tops her class. Father brings a young lady in the house as her mother and the girl is not happy though the lady is sweet and meek and she slowly accepts her, but she goes it to Mumbai , studies and work there never to see her father again and suddenly one day her step mother comes to her telling that her father die and now they are two only for each other and tells her full story how her father helped her, it wasn’t marriage in physical sense but just to help a homeless poor girl as she has a fatal disease. And then they become very close to each other and enjoy till that young lady dies.

It’s a beautiful story and told in such a poetic way.. very simple people with normal life , I just loved it.

Zucker farm

noreply@blogger.com (Renu) — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 08:17:00 +0000

This Sunday we went to Zucker farm.. it’s a 45 minute journey from our side, first a ferry of car from Horgen to Meilen and then from there by car, but then the route we followed was closed for cars, so we went to Uster bus stand and from there took a bus to the farm.Once we got down from the bus, it was a small beautiful walk to main area and there were pumpkins everywhere, pumpkins carving was going on, there were beautiful creatures made of pumpkin,all food being served was with farm fresh ingredients and mainly pumkin , shops selling jam and sauces with fresh fruit and vegetables. It was lake side , so view was totally captivating.

I was wondering that we are agricultural country and grow so many things but never do any event like this or anything else to commercialise it and increase the reach of such items, like when I went to Lonavla I found so much of strawberries and everything with it, in Nainital we find lots of fruits like berries, then even in kausani I found lots of local jams and all but no marketing like this.