Love for NCR

All good beginning unfolds at Nation's capital for me.Let it be my first career,  life after wedding with Nambi,lean journey etc.. This is one ancient city which has become so romantic with me how much ever I hate it. In 2010 I disliked it and in 2016 my hatred for this city grew more due to climatic reasons, nevertheless NCR's love for me has become deeper with thick roots. I have become more inclusive with lot more Indianism in me and loving back NCR as an Indian and not as a south Indian,though I hear few regional demarcation statements wherever I go in North because of my Brown skin.
In fact I have got three great mentors for life at NCR, its my husband Nambi and my professional mentor cum Manager Minakshi and the city "NCR" by itself. It took sometime to consider NCR as my mentor but finally city won and I embrace it. I have learnt about true companionship in both good and bad times,beauty of patience  from Nambi who can dissect any problems to look into the possibility with 360 degree view, whenever I get entangled. I was a person who hardly believed in marriage once but it has truly changed the perspective now and I agree upon the point "Everyone needs a co-pilot" to make a journey of contentment.    

Unexpected gifts from Mentor NCR:

We  were able to meet my favorite author William Darlymple , the author of "City of Djinns"  who  has narrated about the great depth of India's landscape  in his book " Nine lives" at Delhi. Its an overwhelming moment when we see the favorite author who shared his glimpse about India.

We were able to witness the Jaipur literature festival 2016  with outstanding speech by Shashi Tharoor and many other young contemporary writers.So much in the store at Jaipur lit fest if anyone welcomes fresh perspective into their world of knowledge.

We were able to witness the slam poetry stage show by Sarah and Phil Kay though I made a huge hole in my pocket . Its worth it as their poem gets life in the stage

Last but not the least, I had a joyful professional journey to bring in lean momentum all because of my mentor Minakshi who taught me stakeholder management while handling people from multiple teams with its various intrinsic nuances and she is one such person who helped me to uncover the real passion of  mine "coach ,teach and experiment" with process and trainings.

Delhi is always something close to my heart in its own way.
 

Peace begins at Bhutan

I have recently read about Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner.Such an interesting book where the author goes in search of happiness quotient at different countries.One is the land of Gross National happiness,Bhutan.Even I got a chance to pack my bag to Bhutan recently.Though I have read about this country in Eric's book,Bhutan was in my bucket list for long time with so much research.I am excited to share about experience in Druk Airlines,where were able to spot Mt.Everest,Kanchanjanga,Mt.Makalu and many more moutains so close by.The landing is quite tricky as the runway is between two mountains.Thats a great experience to say.
   I liked people's self content life with meditation,chanting , prayers .Its so nice to see when a religion has all the power to bring in zero crime rate in a country.97% of the country follows Buddhism.We visited magnificent Buddha Point at Thimphu,a serene place to start with.We have got a Local college goer Tanzin as our one day friend who was happy enough to narrate their country's history.She actually was able to say the reality of a country without much polish.Must visit places are stamp museum,Textile Museum,Memorial chorten,Buddha Point and Thimphu Dzong.Food is spicy enough for Indian tongue.Then comes Paro where we trekked to Tiger's Nest.Its a place of extreme human engineering.Iam astonished by the building more than Guru Rinpoche's lonely meditation at the top of cliff.There is so much to write about Bhutan,so blog wont be a sufficient placeholder.So here goes few pics from our trip.I personally felt Bhutan is a place to find peace but not happiness.Afterall ,Happiness is always a subjective thing to discuss.More than 4 days Its not easy to stay at Bhutan as I have miles to go and things to finish

Parshar lake trek

We were able to finally complete our long waited parshar lake trek at Himachal Pradesh.I should convey my thanks to Indiahikes trek leads as well as trek members who made the trek less difficult one.we started our trek from Bagging village which is at 4000 ft high from Mandi.The ascend was moderate with steep routes in 4-5 spots.It would be better to go with trekkung shoes as it's mandatory in slippery grounds.After 6 hours of trek,we reached the view point at an altitude of 7000 ft.Vow! Such an insane beauty.

   As the weather was helping us,we were able to complete the trek without any injury.There comes a hidden history to parshar lake.Parshar rishi ,guru of pandavas while they were in Himalayas for self realization and the son of vyasar meditates here and so the temple.There is an grassy island in the center of lake which keeps moving in the lake through out the year and the depth of lake remains unknown till this date.

  We learnt to make tent and we could witness rain followed by stars. 

 When I asked about trekking experience with trek members each had their own experience to say.As such trek won't give us a cup of joy ,but accomplishment raises our bar to face tough situations in a carefree style.

Here goes few pictures from parshar 

offbeat spots of India -My travel album

Here goes my new hobby of the year,publishing travel album(picture quality might not be stunning).I love to travel hearing stories along the way ,readers might be aware of it as most of my post deals with travel for past 2 years within India.In a way travel has healed me and shown a better person in my eyes.India as a sub continent thrills me with its abundance of diversity in every aspect starting from flora,fauna,people,massive mountains,gushing milky river,hotsprings and the set goes on..Let it be a cliff or a plain land or a sea it has deep history to it from the past.I should thank Google for making me well informed about the places with history in hand.This year 2016 would end up with many more travels within India with beautiful stories and experiences.
checkout this link for my travel album.


https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/M1fsNB

Ice Bucket challenge at himalayas- Kedarkantha trek 2014

     Mountains teaches me a lot.Before my memory volatiles, let me put my high altitude trekking experience of 2014.Conceived a thought of visiting Himalayan ranges before six months and we chose so called easy trek to Kedarkantha summit.From my experience high altitude trek needs a good amount of physical training.But whatever the say is I prefer to do mistakes and learn from it as my willpower is something unshakeable.Inspite of having personal hardship I take pride in touching the summit at 12500 feet with pinching cold.

  We had our trekking experience from Indiahikes which is worth to do it.We had trek lead Raju sir,who stood as a backbone for all the batchmates to reach the summit.I learned what is compassion and sportsmanship from him,its always a joy to speak with people who are not driven so much by external influence.Trekking with eight kg backpack needs a kind of practice which I was not able to do in a full fledge manner,nevertheless offloaded

  I learnt the objective behind lengthy trekking ,its all about living with less stuff let it be clothes,food,oxygen and amenities.I just followed jungle's law as like an early man's life without having any sense of people,no grooming and brushing too.Habituation to -15 degree cold ,sleep within tents can test a person's patience and perseverance to the core.Nights were so challenging ,sometimes with babycry. When you listen to your inner voice while minding your steps ,I found it to be a meditation.

 Let me share few pictures which I admired from my friend's album

Judaka Talab at 8500 feet  with frozen lake .Fantabulous view with brilliant silence and it has its own pain behind it

Frozen lake and pine trees with tint of sun rays makes the place as a sanctum

scary nights with falling temperature but adorable full moon and stars closer to my eyes.

The shiv ling resting in snow at the summit and I happily submitted my wishlist.

Shiv ji is called as "Aadhiyogi" father of meditation and Tapasya.Kedarkantha has a mythological history ,visited by pandavas and Yudhistra was the only chap who was able to reach Heaven by climbing Swargarohini peak which is near to Kedarkantha.

Here goes the lifetime view of himalayas from the summit .I love this picture as it depicts a symmetrical view and makes me to appreciate the painter .A trip for self realisation as a whole.I hold a lot with me  still without jotting all,as experience is never a say but a feel.

travel sunday

Melukote temple was in my travel list for longer time and now mission accomplished.Though what we plan and what we execute is always with spikes, its a pilgrimage trip for a sunny Sunday with my closed group chaps of masters.yoga Narasimha temple,cheluvanarayanaswamy temple,sri rangapatnam and Nimishamba with its own ancient history gave us a cup of joy.

    

Here is the view of Melukote with incredible view and please don't miss sunrise and prahaladha story behind the temple history.

Nimishamba temple too had a beautiful history where sankaracharya meditated before years back.

Srirangapatnam ranganadhan swamy too happily lying in a single piece of stone.

Lot of history, friends ,puliyogaree for lunch and painful laughter made it a perfect sunday.

pune in my history

Looking fresh after a fortnightly visit to city of hills,"Pune".Pune taught me to handle everything by myself .I stole my time from tightly packed schedule and grasped punerian history in one solid saturday with my charming friend's help.Anyone who wants to visit pune ,can take "pune-Darshan" at Deccan bus-terminus for a joyful ride with histories of museums and ancient monuments.Interior city  still remains as ancient in its architecture and the good part is history and stories are preserved.
  Here goes the view of ancient city

I have missed few spots ,as  we were not clear with pune-darshan timing.We managed to catch the guide and the troop at shanivar wakhde,which is a fort holding few story behind it

Then comes lal-mahal,as the name suggest its a red mahal,where King shivaji spent his initial days of life.

I had glimpse of ganesh-halwaai temple on the way,which I felt should have spent some more hours over there.Very beautiful architecture and such a wonderful ganesh idol.

Interestingly pune history has place holder for a chap who helped the city with drinking water during draught condition from his well.Happened to see Jyothi-Basu's ancient home cum museum with well of water.

There is a beautiful temple at the hill top "chadur shringi Amma temple" where we want to climb 100 steps .Those doves ,orange statues and big bell made me go crazy of  the place.

Apart from this ,city has Ambedkar museum,ancient university of pune,RajivGandhi Zoo ,Okhayam japanese friendship garden with lush green meadows,schindia family's palace and Kasturba Gandhi's cemetary.I happened to see ancient Indian kadhi flag with pre-matured chakra in the centre.

At the last we hit Lakshmi Road for small shopping and for snacks.City is refreshing with its ancient stories and people will go crazy for Mango mastani,sabudhana vada ,vada pav though I dont like spicy stuff .

Lot of trekking spots available in out skirts,as its city of hills.Had a peaceful time amdist my work with one such friend Uzma Martur ,who was my guide to narrate me detailed stories.Finally have not forgotten to take bakarwadi snack for my friends.

Someshwara temple-By Chola dynasty

Was digging into old age temples at BTM. Did lot of wiki search on this temple constructed in 1247AD by chola dynasty forLord Ishwar.powerful with its stories,Naga lingeshwara temple located near Begur Road at Bomanhalli has its own vibes reverberating since 1247 A.D.It has 5 linga's and the history says its powerful..Architecture is almost ruined,and I silently made my wishes in the ears of grand old nandi which I admired.There are few other left out sculptures available for pictures.Here goes chola dynasties craftwork in valour.

Good time in connecting with the past ,afterall people and organism perishes but stones and architecture touches life span after span.And I realised right now Iam dwelling in chola's province(modern Bangalore) though I hailed from Pandya Kingdom.

Siva samudra - fun of the day

This time while bidding "Adieu" for our friend before her wedlock,had a refreshing trip to Siva samudram falls .It has a beautiful history when I surfed about it in Wiki,as I always love stories .We reached in 3 hours after having yummy breakfast at Kamat hotel.Inspite of Mantya District being so hot,Siva samudram waterfall along with gaganachukki and barachukki brought life to the place with running water.

Its a feel of happiness while seeing smoke out of gushing water.I would suggest never to miss that Koraikal ride for 300 bucks,it worth it.Its a lifetime enjoyment when we swirl in the koraikal and whent the  koraikal rider takes us closer to gushing falls and the feel goes unexplained with lot of selfies.Its one such image captured by my friend and it stands closer to my heart.
                               

After a happy ride,we can drench in falls which is at walkable distance from this place.We thoroughly enjoyed drenching in falls with loads of fun.After spending funtime at Barachukki falls ,we went to Talakad and its a place with sand dunes .It has its own history,which I read in small pamplets kept for sale.Its a place where shiva is in five different avatars as Pathaleswara,vaidheswara,narabaleshwara et all.As I always love to have temple visit,I enjoyed it with the story .After peaceful lunch in small karnataka mess,we planned to visit Somnathpura which was at 30 Kms from Talakad.If a person interested in monuments,architecture its a place not to be missed.As its been created in Hoysala's period,same replica is at Halebidu .

Here goes few snaps captured at Somnathpura,will make us to say WOW.Its the pillar with lot of curvilinear work

Perpendicular view of stupa

closer view 

Story of grand old military in sculpture

And a Black pigeon 

I enjoyed a day's trip with interesting facts and pictures.There is always so much to celebrate in ancient monuments to modern innovations .Special credits to Mr. Akshay for capturing wonderful pics at its best.

skandagiri- trek to heaven

A beautiful christmas gift by Santa on 25th Dec,2013..ya ,its my trekking to Skandagiri ,located near chikballapur,Karnataka.Somehow a trekking group got formed where we just fit in.Its my second trekking experience after Chembra,Wayanad.
Iam connecting trekking with software projects which really goes in principles.
Break the task into granules.
Aim for a milestone which lies nearby.
Take generous help from people who passed through that way
Make a successful teamwork.
After we trekked for 3 hours ,such a splendid view which goes unexplained.I sat at the edge of cliff to view those half melted puffy clouds.
                                          Here goes the view

Its a must visit place where I saw heaven and sun very closer to me.

one life is not enough

After a long long time,started with some comma in my blog.Had a feel of leaving things at right time same with my blog too,but its my thirst quenching oasis in isolated desert and Iam unable to.Becoming so greedy and this single life is not enough to quench my thirst.Had jannath trips,read light weighted book "Have little faith",done with my sem and people do ask what more in your pocket.Lot more without a solid plan.
 Blown away in wind and perfection is not even marked in my dictionary.Places,people,books,steps changing in all my way and thats how the way is........
One more life,one more way,one more dance...............

Some random lines living still in my mind during my recent trip to Wayanad,Kerala...
                                     At chembra wayanad,6000 ft height .....Sometimes Goodthings wont come in easier go...My takeaway from Chembra...

Melted with fog,showered by drizzle,dried in sun,perfumed by sweat and mud...My first trekking experience. 

2013 ends up with lot of  good stories making me more younger and prettier .

Hoysala kingdom-A visit back to history

                Iam so generous to wish "Gandhi Jayanthi" not because of my name or my action of showing respect to Vetron,but for the marvellous trip which droove me back to history,flashback of Hoysala dynasty at Karnataka,up above the hill trekking made to take a look over Jains.From the drive amidst paddy fields,river,lake everything as a whole remains so solid in its form.At times I feel some more pair of eyes are in demand,hence these times.

        After crossing 500 carved steps of mountain,behind leeches,nervous shake we reached the heaven,where the "Bahubali" Jain prophet dwells ,measuring the heights between sand and sky.A good drizzle and rocking bunch of friends will make this place  more than the life it has.The first jain temple on which I winked my eyes.
                                    

                                 Then our ride to HaleBidu (The ancient city for architecture) made us to roll back to our eighth standard,eversince from that time I got the meaning of Hoysalas here-"Man killed Lion".HaleBidu is just just masterpiece which stands as solid as it is before years and years.I just rolled eyes for the timespan of approx 200yrs for its finishing.With single soap stone man's finger has done so many miracles.Its the place where it reflected in my eyes,my roots are from here.Its always been a rich time for hearing stories with symbols.Now Iam just lack of words as sculptures spoke too much about themselves.Hence I silently sign off nothing more than a voooooow.