Goaa.......

Beaches...Beer....Babes... The name should have been Boa... instead of Goa... Its the land where you can get drunk, get on the street, and dance till 3 at night, and still you'll be normal, not a single stare would come your way. Do that in Mumbai and you'll be on Mumbai Mirrors front page next day with your middle finger straight up !!


This is what Goa has been doing, letting people be themselves, letting them have fun ! No rules ( !iterally ), No time restrictions, No noise restrictions, just an awesome piece of land where people have immense fun !!

Add to it the beautiful roads, the smaller ones that wind through the narrow lanes of old villages, lush greenery bordering them, and a feeling of freedom spreading inside you as you explore Goa through its veins of roads... Its simplicity, authenticity and urge to retain its heritage, yet seem so modern and futuristic, is what captures my mind as i zoom pass through its beauty on a cranky 2 wheeler thats been abused by everyone who shared it.

The best part of Goa is that a single place, everyday, will seem so different coz you'll meet new people, make new friends, and enjoy an atmosphere that will give you a de javu feeling, a pleasant one. Peoples smile, their thoughtfree mind emitting its peace through their graceful dance moves.... it all engulfs you in itself, and all you have to do is to surrender yourself.... yeah... thats the key... surrender to that moment, dance till you faint... shout as loud as you wanted to.... try those moves which you always wanted to... and even the worst of it would get applauded .... Those parties till morning... with people whom you met hours ago.... and still your dance steps would seem to be perfectly choreographed with them.... magic happens... truly it does...

One has to go there, and experience it. The experience is worth it.... the smile you get from your loved ones, for bringing them to such a wonderful place, and filling their minds with pleasant beautiful memories, and their heartfelt thank you, expressed through those soft touches... those graceful smiles... is all that matters in the end... Goa...makes it possible !!!  

Humans no more....

Try this out, take any daily news paper, from its first page, till the last, try reading news that talks about death, accidents, murders, anything thats not natural, now, do a death count from the first page till the last, everyday, any random news paper talks about atleast 50 deaths, caused not naturally. Well, thats not really an eureka invention by me to highlight this, but what disturbs me is that we so easily turn the pages once we're done accepting that someone somewhere was killed, before he deserved a death. We simply have got used to accepting this as a part of life that we humans are eligible to simply, Die ! No thought process goes into it beyond few mere seconds of sympathy, we simply, read on ! Even animals sit together and mourn when they lose someone from their herd. Yeah, Discovery Channel now teaches me Humanity ! That amuses me. Why have we become to used to such things ? Is it coz we see soo many like us around that we dont mind missing few unless we know them personally ? I live in Mumbai, which is a cramped place, everyone from the beggars to the rich fight for a place, we fight to stand, we fight to bare each other. The Suburban Local Trains are a part of Mumbai, its definition, its blood veins literally. Hundreds of people die merely because theyre lazy to climb few steps up and down over a bridge, or might be because their physics isn't that right in that moment, and they get the Time Distance Speed judgement wrongly and they perfectly get the deaths answer. And we Mumbaikars, have also accepted this as a daily part of life, someone dies, people stare, and life continue. We even share a discussion at home on the number of deaths we saw today, its kinda game now. Death is not a problem, its nature, but a stupid death is Human Nature !

I keep wondering, is this a problem with our society where we are a plenty of humans ? Or is this a global trend ? I should try and visit places like Greenland, Northern Russia, where its less populated, and try and sense if that makes the human life more important !

A year back I saw a Granny on her death bed, crying, perhaps asking for a few more days, to spend time with her husband, with whom she lived a happy wonderful years, and that feeling of not being able to see him anymore, and leaving him and her family and loved ones, eating her up from inside, what option did she have ? If you ask me, at that moment that granny appreciated life more than what we "the stupid healthier" ones cant !

Its not our obsession of seeing life after death that makes us less responsible, careless and so less appreciative of life, its merely a sense of lack of regards for this life, an abundance of stupidity and irresponsibility, and in the end, some lack of humanity !  

Kothaligad AKA Peth Fort

Date : 16th June 2011.

Me and my office colleagues decided to trek Peth Fort, also known as Kothaligad Fort. Well its basically not a fort, it was a watch tower which was also used as an ammunition storage point during the time of the Great Maratha Rulers. At 1550 Ft high, it gives a panoramic access to Rajmachi Plateau, Matheran, Bhimashankar and Peb Fort. It has a distinct structure. It has a tall pinnacle which is carved from the inside making way for steps that take you to the top !

Well we were around 20 people with most of us meeting each other for the first time. We had our private cars and we took the Mumbai - Panvel - Khopoli route to reach there. It was a beautiful pleasant drive as it was drizzling around and the surroundings were lush green.

We reached Ambivali, the base village from where the trek begins. We parked our cars and were getting ready to start our walk when a villager approached us asking if we would be interested in having lunch once we were back from the trek !! ( This was a mistake we made, you guy will later know why ). We paid some advance to the guy as a token of assurance and we started our walk.

The trek is divided into 3 parts : Hike from Ambivali to the plateau - a 15 minutes walk through the plateau to reach the Peth Village at the footsteps of the peak - And the final steep climb to reach the peak ( which can be scary if your shoes are completely out of grip.... ive had its first hand experience ).

Well the hike till the plateau is quite wonderful and pleasant. Its a soft climb over a broad kuccha road, a good hike to go along talking and knowing people with whom you are trekking. You can see a few waterfalls while going but unfortunately non of the waterfalls come across your path directly, you can only see then at some distance.

It takes around 2 hours to reach the plateau. Once you reach the plateau you get the first glimpse of your "Lakshya"........ the beautiful valley lies across with a curtain of waterfalls gliding across the cliffs. It surely is a beautiful site, one should spend some time just sitting there and seeing nature at its best, and appreciating the work of God. It feels serene just to sit by yourself !! From here its a simple walk above the plateau to reach Peth Village which touches the final tall pinnacle.

One the way you can come across wild horses, rice fields, and farmers using traditional methods of agriculture. Its a beautiful place to be, where simplicity and hard work is a way of life ! Their only abundance is the natures raw beauty that they are surrounded with. As it started raining it felt more pleasant to get drenched completely and feel the cold winds brushing you as you take every step closer towards the fort. From the Peth Village starts a bit of an adventure. The way to the top is narrow and steep. You walk through the dense plantation to reach the steps and the caves. The cave has a small temple and you'll find villagers selling lemonade and tea there during the monsoon season. From here the steps begin to reach the top. The steps are an engineering marvel considering that there were no modern equipment available with the Maratha Warriors while building this fort or watch tower. Well the steps are carved through the mountain and tall steep steps take you towards the peak. The steps at few points are very small only enough to make one person stand at a time. One has to be careful to see if there are people coming down from the peak as the place of crossing has to be planned properly as its quiet a cramped place up there.

Once you get through the steps you reach the peak which holds a small water tank and a cannon gun. From the top the view is simply amazing with clouds surrounding you and waterfalls painting the surrounding beautifully. The fresh greenery around you surely adds to the beautiful experience. Its a feast for a nature lover like me to appreciate natures beauty at its best.

After spending some time of the peak with a few snaps clicked we start our descend. Once again those narrow steep steps start haunting as i struggle to get a grip coz of my old shoes having lost all its gripping rubber beneath the feet.

Somehow slowly getting down we reached the Peth Village. Well if you can remember i mentioned a mistake about ordering food at the base village of Ambivali. Well, at this point, we were all so tired and hungry, but then we had already ordered food at the base village which was still a 2 hrs walk away, so a suggestion here. Do not order food at Ambivali, you can get good food at Peth Village. So once you reach the Peth Village after visiting the fort you can have your lunch there, rest and then start the simple hike towards the base village.

Well from Peth village its around 2 hr hike back to the base village of Ambivali. Well we had our own cars to reach there, but if you dont then you can take a Tum Tum or ST Bus to karjat station.

Its indeed a very beautiful place to be, truly enjoyed it thanks to the awesome people that were along with me which made it truly memorable and enjoyable !!!

The Perfect Wrong !

Im not sure if it is....But its the closest I think of.... to break the rule......but im equally helpless.... its not just the feeling for the moment....its also the belongingness.... Its that closeness that holds together....most importantly the trust to keep it within us.... That immense trust.... unbreakable...in whatever condition in life... Its so tempting....it happens naturally.... I become a river... the thoughts n the action all go with the flow ! I dont even know when the flow started... when those emotions creeped in.... it all happened... and it just continued... and became...i'll say better ! I dont even know if it can be defined as wrong or right... It happened...its happening....and I dont know what lies behind the mist ! This is a wierd phase in life where Its not the obvious thats happening, and worst, im not even questioning it.... The thought process stops, to let the true unadultarated emotions flow in ! !

Innocent.......

Are we ? Dexter....is the new word in everyones life.... I dont know about you, but i surely look at a mirror when i see Dexter...are we all that clean ? Or we feel comfortable keeping that illusion around us ? We are humans afterall...... how can we not commit a sin ? Do something wrong ? Something more than those usual lies and secrets held within ? Something more that would be shattering..... that would give that Repenting feeling.... or worst.... Its like being in a haunted place....You know its there,....you know its not true....you fear it... you feel it.... its at the back of the mind....Sin....rather....Sins.... it haunts.... makes the "heart attack" easier...the path maker rather... Its all in the moment....Right or wrong ??? Subjective..... or i guess judgemental.... provided that biased brain of ours thinks independently.... only to realise what a trap it is...... Even our dreams remind us of it....how cruel....how fair..... Sins......we carry !

Flying an untied kite......

Yeah that is how my mind is these days....wandering through the forest of thoughts.... stopping at every path break....slowing at every turn.... Should i be patient??? or should i just turn back on my journey through this babel??

I see them move ahead..... and wave a smile as they go pass by me.... And my urge to boost ahead only grows stronger... its just that one opportunity that i wait for.....amongst soo many that Lay ahead,,, Then it would be a matter of choice and not a matter of need.... right now its neither of them.... 

And amongst all these ripples in my life....few more stay different.... those moments when my ethics and responsibilities clash,,,,, when i have to think more than twice before commenting....and then i think even more after i have,,,, should i be honest and share some wisdom with the needed??? or should i keep the truth within myself to conclude an illusive beauty of the situation.... and to see people submerge more in the mud of mist and dust.... until one day the wind of reality will portray what i kept hiding.... and then i see that dust fall on me.... for reasons which one cant explain... its situations like these when what i say now matters then.... and then what i'll say wont matter a bit.... its hard to tell what the transition between these seconds in life holds around me.... its a choice between being a friend.....and being one with a soul !

Let me share the light !

Babel.......

A time comes in life when you have to strike.....a decision has to be made....one has to let go that feeling of Babel..... that confusion of thoughts. We have to get out of comfort zone to know the unknown, to try the untested, to do whats prohibited.... to achieve whats never been thought of.... The world goes against you.....only the true ones hold by you....soo close and soo strong the world only seems so small.... When thoughts take over actions.... when you make those actions convert your thoughts into reality.... when the urge to create value is more stronger than creating wealth.....coz wealth gets saturated.....value grows....sustains...and nurtures into a support system.... when its not important how much money you make....but how you make that money....its when you dare to share..... and in life be fair... when responsibility is more important that "right" ! when you know you are privileged and also acknowledge the fact that this luxury needs to be shared. When you know what you give away is so little for you....but that little seems to be the world for the needy....when a hug becomes a memory....when a gift is so rare.... When we enter the world of the less care...the left alone... when those smiles hide so much pain....when its difficult to step in their shoes...no matter how much you try...you still cannot understand them...and still be convinced you do.... its only when you spend time with those little ones...for whom a family means so many more like them....when they share a happiness thats common....but pain thats so much their own.... Its time now to create a difference..... for how long should i sit and watch ? for how long should i understand and ignore ? Who will hold them ? and help them stand ? Its time now.....Now is the Time !