tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44435886044426152502024-03-14T01:24:26.224-07:00One Life - Endless MemoriesEverything I do, Everthing that happens to me , Every Place I visit, Every person who touches my life, leaves behind a trail of sweet and sour memories. Memories, which are nothing but a part of me. Memories which are infinite & Endless.Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-85623548458788866442023-09-16T01:36:00.003-07:002023-09-16T04:37:31.425-07:00The Lake of the Gods -Devariyataal <p> <span style="font-size: 15px;">Dev means God</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px;">Taal means Lake</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px;">Devariyatal - The Lake of the Gods</span></p><div><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></div><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">The name thus spoke about the location, describing the place in its exact form and beauty and proving Shakespear's quote ' what's in a name...' , a baseless accusation.</span><div><span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.8px;"></span></div><div><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">A trek to Devariyatal</span><div><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.8px;"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqQFd6xReKhlsjEeovwvZr2Q4ELGJ-1POVA5vbBRh-wi3KoAfTdWaIss-CRIqRAUrJlJvAD5RikQbx-POxq2w3XiFXAlg0lsZEbv3px5ffaJV1RZlGslrp4Q1Qx4KgYAKTP9DUHX5WZ2ymo2T33p3DliYb4CAJbcJG4svfJawgBTXlrFs-pBBfWJml2c/s3432/20220607_115930-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2330" data-original-width="3432" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqQFd6xReKhlsjEeovwvZr2Q4ELGJ-1POVA5vbBRh-wi3KoAfTdWaIss-CRIqRAUrJlJvAD5RikQbx-POxq2w3XiFXAlg0lsZEbv3px5ffaJV1RZlGslrp4Q1Qx4KgYAKTP9DUHX5WZ2ymo2T33p3DliYb4CAJbcJG4svfJawgBTXlrFs-pBBfWJml2c/s320/20220607_115930-01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">Locked in the pristine hills of Himalayas lies one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. It is rumoured that the lake ventures into the depth of the earth ( paatal ) and the Gods come to visit the lake in human form.</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">For us mortals , we took a vehicle from Rishikesh to reach Saari village, the base camp to Devariyataal.</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.8px;"></span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">Enroute , amongst beautiful landscapes , we came across two prominent cities Devprayag and Rudraprayag.</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreXRug0gWGSBbTI3yOPtF_XIZvjDpufTVmrRuiMkCthyMPMQ6B6zQ-rWAXua4jt6S036ySBRm6ISoGZRFzalMLZDUIIQ_WKbAHqMAAz087EGcBBdz9Brh34WBHNW_zsNUT_4FJFlrqqAC-p6xIzcwEIYkqd67yQvZ7eZ2vVOtNomiBjpLO-96P-09IEY/s4032/20220606_142217-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreXRug0gWGSBbTI3yOPtF_XIZvjDpufTVmrRuiMkCthyMPMQ6B6zQ-rWAXua4jt6S036ySBRm6ISoGZRFzalMLZDUIIQ_WKbAHqMAAz087EGcBBdz9Brh34WBHNW_zsNUT_4FJFlrqqAC-p6xIzcwEIYkqd67yQvZ7eZ2vVOtNomiBjpLO-96P-09IEY/s320/20220606_142217-01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">Rudraprayag is the confluence of the roaring Alaknanda taking the vivid Mandakini ( river ) into its fold while</span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">Devprayag is the confluence of the mighty river Alaknanda and the roaring Bhagirathi both merging into becoming the most pious reverred and sacred river of India - Ganga </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.8px;"></span><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUroJ90HHZMR9B5kzH0JYN20KDTYRsSgGhXBgsQe-nP30WNmvFZV0qDxNPPdEtJ59KmzZ3-DIe0AQ0wbulzajT8akQfx_fGQHdOczATwHrZkg84z00CH8Ox0m0pv9my3rkhVTEL4euHfJVp3dCjBUU31iQsuqGf2i-3Lo6E5Ive4Iw2gQC0yq-3H_ayw/s3826/20220606_095341-01.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3826" data-original-width="2703" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUroJ90HHZMR9B5kzH0JYN20KDTYRsSgGhXBgsQe-nP30WNmvFZV0qDxNPPdEtJ59KmzZ3-DIe0AQ0wbulzajT8akQfx_fGQHdOczATwHrZkg84z00CH8Ox0m0pv9my3rkhVTEL4euHfJVp3dCjBUU31iQsuqGf2i-3Lo6E5Ive4Iw2gQC0yq-3H_ayw/s320/20220606_095341-01.jpeg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px;">Saari Village is a small hamlet village with few basic (30-40) houses, a beautiful school (sponsored by Tata group ) and a number of hotels for the tourists and trekkers. The trek to devariaytal is an uphill pagdandi of around 3.5 km . One will come across an old temple , few shops ( for tourists ) and a majestic view from the top. The lake being a protected site has a fees with strict guidelines on cleanliness of the place. We took a round of the lake which is around 1.2 km witnessing new species of birds birds , insects , flora and fauna taking pictures and relishing our visit. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRR2kSOiDEc9OBMOKrhKwgP-XjoHj2NdImBTljtuoCL-o95--DS_NuCsJazkHe8NZfDltAS4sZH-u3hn2RfIPo1wr9TZp4m8m_SLKunOTKClfQrObBQf1Igb7wkW-0UFdGfsLG3IJO-1E3Z4VoENNkoELmuMmZdc2W2WwBnkqSNPlymc_G3lwMJE0TFo/s4032/20220607_130040-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRR2kSOiDEc9OBMOKrhKwgP-XjoHj2NdImBTljtuoCL-o95--DS_NuCsJazkHe8NZfDltAS4sZH-u3hn2RfIPo1wr9TZp4m8m_SLKunOTKClfQrObBQf1Igb7wkW-0UFdGfsLG3IJO-1E3Z4VoENNkoELmuMmZdc2W2WwBnkqSNPlymc_G3lwMJE0TFo/s320/20220607_130040-01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uk0gv6z8sBNpKe8ibov6ucds0rAZ5rOIhkjqE17hyL4-QxjOE1FmRK6iBd0e4lfXBFwQiVzvrmFHko8WeJYTnqD30Y8f-j9GJyMXbmPZn8RDq7jccRMbJc-Is_L3-j_fNxgIaYY8V8ziLctfitFN-whLWiw33nZEobzV0VZ-41ViF5BhnBJu5c9IfP4/s3776/20220607_105824-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2676" data-original-width="3776" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uk0gv6z8sBNpKe8ibov6ucds0rAZ5rOIhkjqE17hyL4-QxjOE1FmRK6iBd0e4lfXBFwQiVzvrmFHko8WeJYTnqD30Y8f-j9GJyMXbmPZn8RDq7jccRMbJc-Is_L3-j_fNxgIaYY8V8ziLctfitFN-whLWiw33nZEobzV0VZ-41ViF5BhnBJu5c9IfP4/s320/20220607_105824-01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px; text-align: left;">We went up on a machan ( man made elevated top) for a better view of the mountains only to be gushed by fresh waves of cold winds. </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">The place amplified solitude with a serene and tranquil atmosphere , only to be broken by the humming of the birds, echoing, an innate feeling of paradise.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></div><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 15px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">While we wanted to stay longer , we compelled ourselves to leave and come back to Saari village. A longer trek awaited next day to the Tungnath temple -the highest Shiva temple in the world.</div></span></div><br /></div>Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-54881252070141398982021-07-29T13:10:00.004-07:002021-07-31T09:05:36.613-07:00The Magnificent Don (Don Williams)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxR51LbcPM_fNf0iJL8eSMcDaW1nFNgDj-D9Bd7qORQNAyMbmZ5Rh4eSx_-0bSKu4olQfHPEbTnaE67-xnB0A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /> <span style="font-size: 17px;">There comes a phase in life when music overcomes and captivates our emotions , influencing the deepest strata of our soul and desires.</span><p></p><br /><span style="font-size: 17px;">It was the days of stereo and cassettes , when I came across this husky country voice , never imagining that I could fall in love with this voice and his songs. An amazing voice displayed in perfection with utmost simplicity. I would often rewind the songs listening to them over and over again. The monsoon rain , a glass of coffee and Don Williams songs became my favourite acquaintance during my college days. </span>
<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 17px;">Some of the evergreen songs of Don Williams mentioned below can take you to a different world</span>
<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 17px;">• I don't believe in superstars ..</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 17px;">• You are my best friend </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 17px;">• Rodeo Man </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 17px;">• Some broken hearts never mend</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 17px;">• I am just a country boy </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 17px;">• Tulsa time </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 17px;">• Good old boys like me ..</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 17px;">• Till the rivers all run dry </span>
<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 17px;">I am not a fan of live shows, yet going to a Don Williams live concert remained on my to do bucket list but with his demise (couple of years ago ) it will continue to remain so forever.</span>
<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 17px;">His songs however remains a tribute to the country genre and the genius amongst the voices lives with us eternally through his songs.</span><!--/data/user/0/com.samsung.android.app.notes/files/clipdata/clipdata_bodytext_210730_013240_233.sdocx-->Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-30835972716465544412018-08-24T01:03:00.001-07:002018-08-24T01:05:02.973-07:00A Trek to Visapur Fort<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When you miss the World cup soccer Final for a Monsoon trek , the expectation of the trek rises exponentially. The destination for the trek was Visapur fort and at the end of the day it was worth it.<u></u></div>
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Visapur fort was built by Balaji Vishwanath , the first peshwa of Maratha in 1720 and is located around 9 km from Malavli railway station near Lonavala. It is a twin fort to Lohgad fort and held strategic importance in the capture of Lohgad fort by the British. We started our trek from Mumbai at 6 in the morning with the Mumbai Rangers group in a small minibus and reached our base camp near Abuja caves at around 9 for a small breakfast.<u></u><u></u></div>
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The road to Visapur passes through many beautiful waterfalls sprouting through the mountains . With heavy rains since our departure , the sweet aroma of mud had long vanished into voluptuous volume of water on the road , sky and waterfalls. The roads were smooth until we took a detour at the Visapur Lohgad Crossroad. The road turned yellow and muddy as we moved ahead witnessing the majestic sight of the fort hanging as a cliff. The climb uphill looked easy till we came across a waterfall route. Now this was the fascinating part which made the trek so delightful, we had to make a detour through and side of the waterfall to reach to the top of the trek. The intensity of the rains increased and so did the flow of waterfall, making it more challenging. I was a little worried for my son who is short of 10 and was on his first trek, however with the help of our trek guide he did better than the most.<u></u><u></u></div>
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After the rigorous walk through the waterfall, reaching the top is an achievement and the reward is the breathtaking view. We had a quick dip in a small waterfall followed with photographs, lunch and some sizzling hot tea . The weather turned much colder with rains , fog and heavy winds . The fog enveloped the fort and the winds forced the water to move in the opposite direction but that did not deter us from taking a round across the fort. We lost the way to a temple on the fort but came across sights of a mini dam, walk across streams , canons , ponds till we could find the right path back.</div>
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The descent looked much easier than the climb. We were still reliving the memories of the trek as we took the tedious walk back to the base camp....</div>
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Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-52768059460314662672017-10-08T08:06:00.001-07:002017-10-08T08:08:17.785-07:00Andharban - The dark forest <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Beyond the hot sultry summer, when rain start to pour down the subdued droplets reminscing the sweet smell of the mud into our subconcious mind , the very Monsoon becomes a paradise for trekkers in and around Mumbai. One of such a paradise trek route is the Andharban trek (Andhar meaning dark and ban meaning forest ) . While it cannot be categorized as one the most difficult it certainly can be rated as one of the most fascinating treks in the shahaydris.<br />
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The journey has all ingredients of a dream trek with breathtaking views , numerous waterfalls, flowing streams to cross , waterpools , reservoirs, plateau, green meadows and a dense forest.<br />
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We started from Mumbai at midnight reaching our base early morning . Post freshening and a sumptous breakfast we moved to the start point of the trek. We were a group of close to 75 people from sky adventures. The entry point itself was a sight to behold as One had to cross an overfilled reservoir ensuring that the shoes are wet and conveying that the next 14 kms will be an integral part of the memory. As we went higher the fog engulfed us subsequently clearing with magnificent views of waterfalls and valleys. The further trail led to walking in stream of waters and finally jumping in a natural pool </div>
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The pools , streams and waterfalls soon led into a dense jungle . Deep enough for light view but with sunlight blocked. The jungle led to a green meadow plateau and subsequently a very steep downroad with only large stones to rest our foot one. This was the most difficult and longest part of the trek. The rains had started by then and by the time we reached the foothills we could see a stream in sight. With No water and very less stamina we all just sat in the stream giving ourselves a new breath of life. Further down just before the base there was a huge reservoir . At the base we changed our clothes and were soon filling our hungry stomachs with an aching appetite. The journey back to Mumbai was filled with just the sweet memories of the adventure .</div>
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Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-79443613829082801522015-01-03T11:10:00.002-08:002021-07-29T13:13:11.103-07:00The Fault in Our Stars <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"But it is in the nature of stars to Cross, and never was Shakespeare more wrong than when he has Cassius Note ' <i>the fault dear Brutus , is not in our stars but in ourselves</i>' ".<br />
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"<b>The Fault in our Stars</b> " is probably one of the finest motivating book (and movie) of our times, taking the story of Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace into a fascinating world of love and triumph. The dialogues catching the imagination of the readers, transcending into a loop reminiscing through our mind, over and over again. It has been a couple of months since i saw the movie and then read the book, and today when the article on the first page of 'Times of India' read " Two thirds of the Cancer are caused due to bad luck " i could not resist but wonder the truth about the fault in our stars.<br />
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To All my friends (and anyone reading the blog ) if you have not read the book , make instant haste to a near by bookshop and purchase it, for Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace have shown us through their story, how to live our life in our small Infinities. <br />
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Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-68062862937708824712014-02-13T00:21:00.005-08:002015-01-03T11:17:22.479-08:00In Moments of Solitude<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Someday, Sometime , Somewhere,<br />
Away from the Stress and Chaos ;<br />
Every person Yearns,<br />
For Moments of Solitude !!<br />
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Growing old has it's moments of truth which slowly transends as figments of wisdom.<br />
The Wisdom allowing us to demarcate the thin lines of Solitude and Isolation, and the pleasure one starts deriving from the former. The wavering thoughts of expectation subliming into carefree abandon, a state of nothingness but Self.<br />
Freedom of reminiscing the past years, reflecting the most beautiful memories and passion of our Lives, a new lease of stressfree instances weaving together " In Moments of Solitude".<br />
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Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-49685886162136560762014-02-05T05:42:00.001-08:002015-01-03T11:16:58.096-08:00Passion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Passion is the Source of our most beautiful, inherited memories and desire. A passionate person has an inherent thrust of happines endorsed, in the things he loves to do, doing it solely not for reason but for the voice of his heart. <br />
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It is difficult to reason out why someone would spend his entire saving in purchasing a camera and wander in absolute isolation to capture some beautiful moments of life rather then socialising with friends over beer. And when someone looks for a answer , he is told 'there are passions which are more intoxicating than alcohol !!' Ahhhh .... and everyone thinks ... What a fool to resort to this kind of answer ?<br />
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None the less, I have had a fair share of being foolish and while in most cases, it fades away with time, some remain to intoxicate me for life. To be true to myself, When i look back, there is not a single trace of doubt, that the most beautiful moments and memories of my life have been enveloped during these passionate moments.<br />
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Passion ( in all contradictions) is derived from the Latin verb <i>patī</i> meaning to suffer, making me belive that it has been derived by some passionate lover who Suffered from a heartbreak.<br />
As far as I am concerened, I still recall it as my most intimate and desirable moments and will continue to relish so, everytime I look back at them. <br />
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Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-64272781154564323132010-03-26T06:41:00.000-07:002010-04-09T04:39:16.540-07:00Thy name is BondMussorie is and will be known as the queen of Hills , but one thing it can proudly boast of, is that a person called Ruskin Bond made this beautiful hill station his home and wrote some beautiful heart touching stories here.<br /><br /> "The night train at Deoli" " The room on the Roof" " Vagarants of the Valley" and "hundreds of other Stories" have touched millions of hearts like nothing ever written on paper. Bond's genius can be compared with the greatest authors in the story "The Eyes have it"; the simplicity and the vividity with which he puts forward the characters in this story is amazing.<br /><br />He may not capture the imagination like Asimov and Hawkins, nor can he be thrilling as Jeffrey archer or Sidney shelon but for sure he touches the Chord of life like no one else does. <br /><br />I studied in Mussorie for 10 years and Ruskin Bond had been the chief guest in our school on a couple of occassions. He was as simple as his stories and we were too young to realise the greatness of this person....<br /><br />Perhaps, thats how greatness reveals itself.Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-27452346942656209562010-03-15T04:45:00.000-07:002014-01-22T02:56:33.235-08:00Dreams come true !!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As a small kid , i dreamt of having many things when i grow up. As i started growing up my Priorities changed but these three things always remained in my mind.<br />
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1. Owning a Bike <br />
2. Having a Good Camera <br />
3. A good Stereo ( which has a very powerful sound) <br />
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( I must remind that a bike , an SLR & a big stereo was uncommon and an envious possession in those days)<br />
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My first job was in Ahmednagar and the Factory was far from the Company hostel. Thus came my first bike " Pulsar 150 cc". During the last eight years, my Pulsar has been a part of many unforgettable journies. The most important one was travelling 400 Miles without a backup with my brother Prashant to the Ajanta Ellora caves, Daulatabad fort, biwi ka makbara, Shani Mandir. <br />
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My friend Venkatesh ( Venky ) harboured an ambition to be a director. After shooting for a couple of documentries in Delhi, he came to the city of dreams to try his luck in bollywood. One day, while sitting over a cup of morning tea, he told me that he would get all his heroine's photoshoot done by me. I spent my entire saving in purchasing a Nikon F80 that very evening. The very next day, i also enrolled myself to do a certificate course in Photography at the Photographic Society of India. <br />
Venky went back to Delhi after three months, but i still beleive he will live up to his words :-) <br />
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My friend Vikas, wanted to buy a good mobile phone and as bachelors, who do nothing on Sundays i went along with him to give credibility to his decision. After all he wanted to buy an expensive one. As luck would have it, i came across this Yamaha Amplifier with a 5.1 Speakers + woofer and to add to my temtation, the shop was giving a 6 month interest free installment to purchase it. More than anything , i would not have bought it if Vikas would not have supported the credibility of my decision.<br />
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I drove my bike a lot and enjoyed every moment riding it ; i clicked some very beautiful pictures with my camera and enjoyed every wave of music when i increased the volumes of my home theatre to vibrating walls. But then, with years they lost significance, they are still with me but the passion of ownership, which i had dreamt as a child is lost.</div>
Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-4985880072416988582009-11-23T03:49:00.000-08:002010-06-28T22:24:59.264-07:00A trip to Batu Caves !!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuWZpZhB1P_98BVQC0wIn6LtN519By9-FHIkY1LWx40x6F_xGzzSNC5OXdz3oNLvHABZJYsuSTmDEAOyXkNx-6bIBwtsCos2wH7mSrlaAbV3qpR2Mdd5SzNt-14PbL1-WK0huh6R2avg/s1600-h/Stalactites+at+Batu+Caves.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 219px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuWZpZhB1P_98BVQC0wIn6LtN519By9-FHIkY1LWx40x6F_xGzzSNC5OXdz3oNLvHABZJYsuSTmDEAOyXkNx-6bIBwtsCos2wH7mSrlaAbV3qpR2Mdd5SzNt-14PbL1-WK0huh6R2avg/s320/Stalactites+at+Batu+Caves.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413565775348797282" /></a><br /><div>"Elongated forms of various minerals deposited from solution by slowly dripping water. A stalactite hangs from the ceiling . The dominant mineral in such deposits is <a title="calcite" href="http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/calcite">calcite</a> (calcium carbonate), and the largest displays are formed in caves of <a title="limestone" href="http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/limestone">limestone</a> and <a title="dolomite" href="http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/dolomite">dolomite</a>. eg Batu caves in Malaysia"<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2er_zEL6iYXrzPWFrei-Rvz14fqPIFynULUSgSJdusZiJn4O0J2QBMFNDu2p8wbWNRkXAkmdvJiGtgKAqz-o6fHJ7e-mHEu3FESIvY9CTicts7lmmpqENIoVwseuZZ92TylK_-VRRjeQ/s1600/DSC03919.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407293375884476690" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2er_zEL6iYXrzPWFrei-Rvz14fqPIFynULUSgSJdusZiJn4O0J2QBMFNDu2p8wbWNRkXAkmdvJiGtgKAqz-o6fHJ7e-mHEu3FESIvY9CTicts7lmmpqENIoVwseuZZ92TylK_-VRRjeQ/s320/DSC03919.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div>I sat there on the first bench listening to my Geography teacher & imagining , how a stalactite would look in real. That was 17 years back.</div><br /><br /><div>Last week , work brought me to Kuala Lumpur and I got the opportunity to see the stalactites in real. The Batu caves can be seen from far distant. There is a magnificent 140 ft tall, Golden statue of Lord Murugan at the base of the cave. That is sure enough to captivate you. If it doesn't, all you need to do is walk 340 steps to enter one of the most amzing cave in the world. The enterance to the cave and the view inside the cave are full of stalactites, amazing stalactites, a bit different from your books and mysterious enough to have your cameras clicking.</div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcY7yP2v_M4jcWYJaGzv5oUu2Fj3IIhf_DiLrKj1sVpxQUzpZW4yAj7rgK1Vz28Afu0eXP_CduKhPjFObufnAXwI-Mmw_9Pg6iKTTs9bkieV8J0CTpOaaiG1yJjNAcPZ2MrJkH6ynzb8/s1600/Batu+bw.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcY7yP2v_M4jcWYJaGzv5oUu2Fj3IIhf_DiLrKj1sVpxQUzpZW4yAj7rgK1Vz28Afu0eXP_CduKhPjFObufnAXwI-Mmw_9Pg6iKTTs9bkieV8J0CTpOaaiG1yJjNAcPZ2MrJkH6ynzb8/s320/Batu+bw.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407293905442231922" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>For all those religious people, there are few temples of hindu Gods inside. There is one function during the year where close to fifty thousand people Welcome Thaipusam Chariot and tourists from across the world come to watch.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>It was a rare treat . A worth visit to all who like to travel and, yes if you are in Malaysia or flying over it, the Twin Towers are amazing at night .</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimy-8-d0qOr26WB3LLnnMRMcinZHcRwHDD78PUfaXrNp6L0VcEAYTuzlRxasIeaJK0mouiSQEwmWEI7iV-yBV_POuVGuflB1wHjA9ZwLBWZ6L10chCYxwt96-_i82IviYVRjgV-iIRdCA/s1600/DSC03782.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimy-8-d0qOr26WB3LLnnMRMcinZHcRwHDD78PUfaXrNp6L0VcEAYTuzlRxasIeaJK0mouiSQEwmWEI7iV-yBV_POuVGuflB1wHjA9ZwLBWZ6L10chCYxwt96-_i82IviYVRjgV-iIRdCA/s320/DSC03782.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407294913219413874" /></a><br /><br /><div>HAppy Travelling !!!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-20094475992311351402009-02-14T10:50:00.000-08:002015-01-03T11:18:11.893-08:00Marine Drive - Mumbai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I can't forget the day, It was monsoon....... I was walking along the marine drive with a bright Sun shining directly over my head. A girl was smoking cigarretes in the most fashionable way just 25 meters away from me. I saw again , she looked pretty. A pretty girl smoking cigarettes all alone generated enough curiousity, to force me to take a break. As I stood there watching the sea, the sky turned dark & within seconds all I could see was a heavy downpour and water all around.<br />
Mumbai is known to have uncertain weather during monsoons . One moment it's bright and sunny and the next it's raining cats and dogs. I saw people around me running here & there for a Cover , and then I saw this girl , an extinguished cigarrete still in her mouth , but her hands wide open as if to welcome the rain . It was a perfect moment to describe a completely different sort of freedom, rather an act of defiance. I wished , I had a camera to capture this moment. After some time the girl turned back, got into a Toyota ( i still remember the car) and went away. Just vanished .<br />
I was in Mumbai only for a Day but I stood there in the rain , enjoying every moment of it. Three years later I came back again to Mumbai and have been here since last six years enjoying the beautiful rain every monsoon. Marine drive till date remains a favourite place in my heart. I often used to sit here alone, looking at the sunset and the vastness of sea. Even , with a friend , we sat down in silence for hours & hours just watching the sea & everything going around. When I bought my Nikon F80, the very next day I shot the sunset at marine drives and later did night photographies. As years passes by the frequencies to MD became lesser and lesser.<br />
Yesterday , I came to Marine Drive after a long long time. I stood there in front of the vast dark sea, with my arms open (just like the girl i saw on the first day)<br />
Try it during the Monsoon and you will Love it !!</div>
Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-53460764966499016332009-02-07T13:39:00.000-08:002009-02-07T14:42:38.322-08:00Dreaming" Dreams are true while they last,<br />And do we not live in dreams ?"<br /><br />I dream , I like dreaming ... that's the optimistic way of saying I like sleeping. I sleep extensively during weekends and I sleep longer so that I can dream longer, may be to enjoy myself with my very own selfish figment of realities.<br />While sleeping, I live in Imaginations , Fantasies, Thoughts which are unbiased & pure, thoughts which are controlled by my subconcious mind, thoughts which reflect my true self.<br />That's what dreaming is all about.....Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-88525931878579622082009-02-07T01:28:00.001-08:002009-02-07T14:44:18.933-08:00journey"Alice - Which road do I take<br />Cat - Where do you want to go ?<br />Alice - I don't know ?<br />Cat - Then it doesn't matter"<br /><br />( From Alice in Wonderland )<br /><br /><br /><p>Life is all about perceptions . To some, If you don't have a goal, your journey is purposeless. On the other hand , if Alice knew where she had to go , she would not have enjoyed the wonderland.</p><p>My experience says .... Enjoy the journey with a goal or without a goal.<br /></p>Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443588604442615250.post-76900051647911826672008-03-20T03:53:00.000-07:002009-01-31T10:56:43.588-08:00A Place called MaghraMussoorie is known as the queen of hills, but it is places in an around Musoorie that actually make you feel and realise the real essence of timeless beauty. Maghra , a small village of 20-30 people and completely hidden from the humdrums of Mussorie is one of these few places in India, worth visiting. If July and August are known to be the rainy months, the month of September brings all the blossom after the rains. It was the September of 1990 and we got our first opprotunity to go for an overnight hike.<br />If you have at any point of time imagined a place away from chaos , a place very serene & peaceful with a stream flowing and a guava orchid below it, the humming of birds, beautiful sunshine and an old temple to compliment the entire figment of imagination, then it's time to wake up & relive your imagination. It was not just me but all of us, who were simply awestruck with the beauty and the simplicity of the place.<br />The evening was spent collecting the wood and the night with a grand bonfire filled with songs , jokes and clumsy dance. The day next was trekking day and as luck would have it , our group lost the way. The general trekking rule says, when lost, walk along the stream. In our case it did not help us much.<br />The more we got lost , the more we seemed to enjoy it. Finally we four ( the lost group) just thought of going uphill and find some new way. It is not eazy to explain how we got back to our base camp but the two hours of journey was one of the best we could ever take. We made our own way.<br />If at any moment of your busy life , you want to take a break and add another memory to your journey of life, just go to Maghra and get lost amonst the stream ( and yes beware of the monkeys & langoors)Ravihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06703697005294861876noreply@blogger.com0