Monday, 1 October 2012

Kodai Platter !!


As per our home rule book,we necessarily should bunk work and go out of Bangalore on special days like birthdays :-) And this time, Sudeep insisted on exploring kodai wilderness . Kodaikanal is the place ,we had been to together ,way back in 2004 and the memories of our time there seemed some of the most indelible of our lives especially at the eighth year of our marriageJ,guess that was the reason for the second trip.

After all, have heard many times, ‘ life is nothing but a collection of memories and moments’ . And some moments you want to relive as and when. Interestingly, Kodaikanal is  also the only Indian hill station to be discovered by the Americans and not British.

First thing  I asked when I reached Hill country Kodai this time was, ‘tell me the most beautiful place to visit in Kodai ’.  'Berijam lake' , out came the answer. Three days we waited for permission from forest officials but in vain. Wild elephants had decided to barge in there and stay put just to make sure that we make at least one more visit to Kodaikanal in future. We don’t mind that though.

Anyways…despite missing on Berijam lake visit, we still were on the upside and the ROI(return on investment) wasn’t bad. We did witness the misty woods engulfed in the eerie silence,

On the way to Dolphin's nose at Kodaikanal

the tranquil lake around which cycling is fun,  (You can also peak into the roadside shops typical of tourist places while riding on the cycle & escape the sale at the same time)

Upper lake View in Kodaikanal

pristine Kodai beauty on Coaker’s walk,
At Coaker's Walk

vibrant skies contrasting with the wild greenery making for some beautiful scenes,





the falls,

the pine forests where our Indian heroes and heroins typically run around the trees and sing songs,

Pine forests - Kodaikanal


Looking above @ Pine forests ,Kodaikanal


the same blue church,



La sallete church in Kodaikanal



and the same bench where we have had our tea/coffee eight years back too.



All worth it.  Best part is that your legs & feet get to work after a long city slumber when you visit any hill station like Kodai. The uphill downhill roads, the lakeside, the mall road window shopping ,love it all. And thankfully life doesn’t remind you of time running by, every now and then.

After all, traveling does mean long walks, nature’s splendid beauty which works as an excellent eye tonic and food musings all along the tiring day J leaving everything else behind.
That reminds me of Tava restaurant there. Suggestions on trip advisor are not bad, hmmn. Had read about Tava there. Very small place but tasty north Indian food. Plus, Kodai has its name for fresh fruits and vegetables too. So no worry eat to your heart's delight there.I did ,ofcourse !

Today (23rd Aug 2012) my holidays end and as I conclude my trip feeling rewarded for my time spent in kodaikanal, I'm already wishing... wishing to come here again to celebrate many more special days and years of togetherness :-) 
Cake cutting at Kodai  lake.
Stay tuned till the next serving from my end !! ciao ...










Thursday, 16 August 2012


The biggest blessing…….

Even though, this blog is all about my travel experiences, this time I want to write about a completely different subject - subject which is closest to my heart. Recently finished working on an awareness campaign too in the same field. Below are a few ads.( Pls note- All children here have acted for the campaign,they are deeply loved by their parents)

Truly speaking, any number of words would fall short to express what I feel and mean by all this.
Agree, if there is one bad parent or a teacher, there are ten good parents and teachers in the world but that one child I see as my own child and that doesn’t let me take news as news. My child is 3.5 yrs and I really know what a 2 yr or a 3 yr child means. Am not obsessed with my child but am obsessed with every child’s safety and protection. If there is just one wish that I can be granted in this lifetime by God, I would ask that all the children in this world be safe & happy at all times and have a positive childhood.
Presently I don’t know what I’m going to do and how … to completely stop the abuse against children from our world but I intend so and I pray every day for the same. This blog post comes from my heart dedicated to all the children in this world. I send my deepest love and best wishes through this to all little ones.
I also want to plead to all parents, teachers and guardians to love children and be more patient. Please do not hurt them in anyway even if the same happened with you. Abusing a helpless innocent is the most heinous crime. Fill your hearts with love even when you look at your worst enemy’s child, even when a child is a brat of first order, even if a child hits you and doesn’t listen to you, even if he/she is the biggest disturbance in your life, even if you made the biggest loss or any other reason.
 A child is still vulnerable and innocent and deserves love and care. No child ever deserves to suffer the results of your revenge, hatred, anger, personal frustrations, or any need or perfection expectations program. Just treat kids as kids not step kids or others’ kids.
In my life journey so far, I see children as the best gifts of God. They come to teach us patience, tolerance and love. Unfortunately in most countries and cultures it is believed to be the other way round. Parents, elders and guardians are supposedly correct most of the times and by their position they become perfect enough to teach children about perfection J
I seriously feel there is a need for a two way education system. On one hand to educate elders on how to treat a child from the beginning even before a child is born.(I see the awareness program to be part  of pregnancy consultations, teacher’s training program, police training program and even military training program) And on the other hand, a child to be taught specifically about his rights and duties as a compulsory subject in schools from the very early age as soon as the child learns to communicate. (Have worked on a 4-5 page booklet for the same)
All this may sound funny to some, but imagine a 3-yrs old who is beaten  unreasonably on any & every  small issue; the poor child may not even understand that there could be something abnormal about his parents / teacher / guardian to even tell others. He may take that as part of parenting / teaching.
This is a country where children are even brought up with the belief that just because his father hit him, he passed the exam, he learnt the lesson or else he wouldn’t have become anything in life. People ask to the extent ‘who is the child scared of at home, child needs to have some fear?  Maths teachers make the subject scary.
I don’t understand, why the hell does the child need to be scared of anyone on earth? Are we perfect enough?? Don’t we make mistakes, don’t our parents make mistakes. If we don’t hit ourselves, our parents, our teachers, our bosses, the politicians, the corrupt then why children…. Just because they are small & physically delicate and it’s easy to hit them. From where does this idea of treating children as metals (beat and mould) come from?
Mahatma Gandhi’s father used silence and tears to teach his son that stealing is bad, he never hit him. Probably that’s why we got the lessons of truth, love and non violence from the same child.
You’re not strong if your child is scared of you and obeys you out of fear. You’re not strong if you lose temper easily and abuse any weak and vulnerable. You’re not strong if children suffer the consequences of your personal frustrations. You’re the weakest in the name of father, mother, teacher or guardian.
You’re a father:-
When a child can sleep peacefully in your arms believing that you can save him from all evils and dangers.
When a child knows that he can share anything with you and you’re there to understand.
When a child is not scared to fail because he knows that your love and encouragement will make him stand again to fight.
When a child waits for you to come back home knowing that he can play and laugh with you despite your hard day at work.
When your child doesn’t necessarily have to make you proud by coming first in the class or in sports or become what you wanted to be in order to get your approval and love.
And when you don’t tell your child to be but show your child how to be& the child obeys you out of respect and honor not fear.
You’re a Mother:-
When a child believes that whatever happens that one kiss or loving touch from mom can heal any injury or wound. And you don’t necessarily have to give birth for the same.
When a child feels that the most protected and secured place on earth is his mother’s lap & his mother would protect him/her at every cost even if that means going against the world & every relationship including husband.
When you mean love, sacrifice and care for the child.
When a child learns the lesson of faith, goodness and strength from you.
A teacher means ….
Someone who loves children more than English, Maths, Science, rules or his own reputation.
In every case love is the biggest teaching, the biggest lesson and the biggest learning. Then why do we stop believing in its power when handling small children... Every religion, every God believes in love and it can’t fail. I don’t mean pampering but loving and being an example of what we want our children to learn. .
If you want to teach patience…. be patient.
If you want to teach tolerance…. be tolerant.
If you want to teach love… be loving.
You can’t shout at child and say stop shouting. You can’t hit the child and tell him not to hit. Till the age of 8 everything that a child sees or hears becomes a part of his memory or belief system hence it’s important that it’s all positive.
Ya… That makes the life of the elder challenging, because we need to overcome our weaknesses first which may not be that easy. The experience of parenting or school teaching is not so much about teaching but learning. I do fail at many things lot of times and so I ask for forgiveness from my child and tell him that I am also learning along with him. I’ve not perfected the art of parenting, I can’t really teach anything to anyone but all am requesting is, please figure out your own ways to deal with children but make sure that you choose a loving & patient way. We’re trying…. You too can.
  
Some things that we can all look at:-
1.       Number of children to be proportional to the time and amount of attention one can give. Population is already the cause behind most issuesJ the lesser the better.
2.       Children are the biggest responsibility and priority so the relationship & mental stability to be considered before we decide to bring a child into this world just like that.
3.       Children learn from us, from surroundings, from TV. We must understand the reason before reacting in any harsh way.
4.       Never to hesitate to say sorry to the kid. By giving children respect, one earns respect .
5.       Sometimes it’s ok not to listen, sometimes it’s ok to be a rebel for a child because then only, one day he/she would rebel against the existing social & political evils.
6.       If one doesn’t have a child but wish for one and can give a good life filled with love to a child, one must not hesitate to adopt.
7.       Lets love and protect every child we can, whichever way we can.
8.       Not to ever accept any form of abuse by anyone on any child.
9.       Children are more precious than our house, our expensive car or any silly materialistic thing we may be attached to, even our egos, reputation and image. Lets bless children every day & pray for all.
  10.   To learn to love a child unconditionally. No one can predict future, no one can guarantee what a child will be but let us just make sure that we do our part right.

Most importantly, all of us have the power to be the biggest blessing or the worst nightmare in any child’s life….lets be the biggest blessing only. Positive Ideas, people and prayers are welcome to join this fight against abuse.

Friday, 8 June 2012

Bangalore through my eyes !!

29th June 2001, my first step in Bangalore and first ever in south India. My uncle’s friend dropped me to Basavangudi , ING staff training hostel  ,a day before the training to commence. Still remember , it was raining that evening ,found Bangalore quite romantic .Its been 11 years since then…neither I left the city nor did the city allow me to leave.
 Bangalore to me has been evening rains,

Evening rains at Hebbal flyover through my car windscreen
Roads with huge trees on both sides with dash of orange bloom ,


One of my fav roads near IISC

12 noon shade at road near Sankey tank

 Morning walk in Parks,


 Cubbon park



















Evening stroll by the Lakeside ,

Evening sunset view at Sankey tank


Sankey tank













Beautiful churches ,

St. Mary's Basilica: The oldest church in Bangalore

Hudson church



St Andrew's church

St Marks Cathedral


Nariyal pani ,

Green coconuts(Daab in bengali)
and Shanti sagars and Shiv sagars even though the so called developmental works in last 10 yrs have changed  the face of B’lore beyond recognition.

Last weekend , my husband  was out on an official trip and the only relative in Bangalore, my sister , on her way to a month long trip in Europe . I was  alone in Bangalore with my all time company mum and kid. So I decided to get out of home and become a tourist in my own city for the weekend. Unfortunately I hadn’t even seen the bull temple in Basavangudi , a popular tourist spot , until last Sunday.

Bull temple at Basavangudi
 Also, I was a little guilty , “ Whats the point in traveling all the way to Paris to see Louvre or to Amsterdam to see Van gogh museum if one hasn’t even explored the art gallaries within the city." My agenda , this weekend was to visit Modern art gallery and Venkatappa art gallery. I realized these are great places to take kids too for their early exposure to artworks.
Modern Art Gallery on Palace Road
Visited Bangalore Palace too for the first time on Saturday.
Bangalore Palace
Sunday, I started early morning to see the roads without vehicles & Bangaloreans and have breakfast at Koshys only to experience the flash back city moments. I was able to see  the spring on trees , attend the Sunday mass at churches and wonder at one of the paintings by Mr Venkatappa. It really looked like a photograph. The sculptors at venkatappa art gallery have made me plan my next trip to Belur & Halebid to see the hoysala style of art.
The same evening I went to Iskon temple and Orion mall ,the new mall in Bangalore with a Lake.If there were two people in the whole art gallery,there were four per square inch of the mall inside :-) Anyway...here is a panoramic view.

From extreme left Orion Mall , Hotel Sheraton ,World trade centre , Brigade gateway and the man made lake at the centre
Not bad no? Get up early in the morning on a weekend, take your camera  and start exploring your own city before it gets a little more unfamiliar. You never know you might just fall in love with your city all over again. I have,  because this time my eyes were not just set on roads while driving but also on the road side places  which made me stop by  and see the real Bangalore hidden behind  vehicles ,roads and skyscrapers . So, guys get set go……………..



Friday, 1 June 2012

Just in time dimsums !!


Have you ever felt like getting down from an auto and start running or even telling the local train driver to be fast enough so that you could catch your connecting train or flight.

I have…not just once or twice but quite a number of times. And each time,I’ve had to go through a series of chemical changes in my mental composition.

The first of such instances was while I was doing  my MBA and my family used to stay in Bhopal. I was to catch a train from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Kurla at 10.45 pm for Bhopal. My luck, that very day and time someone decided to commit suicide under my local train which was to take me to Tilak Nagar, only 5 min away from the terminus. I was with my friends Prashant, Venu &Preetam who had come to drop me. Even though we had started pretty well in advance, my weak actuarial capabilities didn’t account for such delays.  I wish I could just fly, 10.30 pm and I was still stuck. I probably reached local station Tilak nagar only at 10.45pm and from there we could see my train on the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, just about to leave. Heard the siren and we started to run… run to the best of our management abilities. My bag being passed on from one superman to another,  while we ran holding hands and breaths across the length and breadth of the crowd at the station.

 Yep, I finally did board the train… .. what do you think, why do movies like DDLJ work even after decades, they are all inspired by realism. Thankfully as soon as I stepped on to the last compartment, then only the train picked up the speed.

Another time, also in Mumbai and the destination - Bangalore. It was 2002 and I had been for a two months OJT(on the job training) at  Andheri branch for ING Bank. Was staying in Bank flats at Bhandup along with my friend Deaa. My chit chat quota never ends with Deaa so even the night before my travel, I slept late. The alarm didn’t work and I woke up only an hour before the train time. The train was to start from CST(Chatrapati shivaji terminal) at 8.05 am. In utter confusion and madness I chose to take a taxi from Bhandup to CST.  I was the back seat driver, driving faster than the driver all the way and repeating every sec ‘Bhaiya aur fast please’. Would have been impossible but that morning of 2002 was not that crowded and I did reach the CST station on time. As soon as my anxiety  settled down, I realized that the same train also stopped at Kalyan. First CST, then Dadar and then Kalyan at 9am. Kalyan, just 30 minutes from Bhandup. And I had come all the way riding in the opposite direction upto CST taking a few breaths and skipping a few. Anyways.….guess all is fair in the humdrum of life.

My Marriage too was no short of adventure. The day I was supposed to reach Udaipur for the function to commence, I was in tears calling Sudeep and telling him that I was still at B’lore airport and it was impossible for me to make it to my own wedding. Due to air-conditioning problem my flight was cancelled, and I had already missed my connecting flight for Udaipur. And in addition, due to some seminar in Bangalore, the airport was flooded with humanity, all flights were full and people were buzzing around the ticket counters for Mumbai ticket. I don’t remember what did Sudeep say or who had more faith but I decided to run from pillar to post. Finally an Indian Airlines senior officer screamed at others who were showing their ID cards to prove their urgency,’ Please understand, this girl has to attend her own wedding, I’ve to give a seat  to her.
Grrrrrrr … am married courtesy Indian Airlines' policies J
The travel adventure anxiety not just doubled but multiplied by leaps and bounds post marriage.

Last Dec during my trip to Gujrat, the day I was to return back home in Bangalore along with my kid, Mum and friend, I chose to shop in Ahmedabad before my flight. We kept our bags in the cloak room of train station and ventured into the shopping bylanes of Ahmedabad. Plan was to shop, then eat  at Bikanerwalla, come to the station, collect luggage and then go to the airport which was 30 min from the station. Had 4 hrs in hand, flight was at 5 pm. Till 2.45 we kept shopping, finished lunch at 3.30 and then started back. Unlike the onward journey on Ahmedabad roads, the return reminded me of Bangalore office hours on roads. Tension started building up, all of us looking at the traffic and praying desperately. Had already spent so much unnecessarily that I couldn’t afford to miss my flight. Reached train station somehow, collected the luggage and since time was so little at hand, instead of praying that I should be on time at the airport, I thought God may find it easier to delay the Ahmedabad - Bangalore flight. 2 Autos, lots of luggage and my son who has to sleep in every moving vehicle irrespective of the situation. Wanted to get out of the auto and start running, the auto driver just wasn’t able to drive at the speed of my ‘if  and then‘ thoughts. Reached airport… ran with my son, mum and luggage for the check in. Wow!! To my surprise, check in was still on. The flight too got delayed.
Hmmm, I love my country, my travel prayers do work here. Only thing is the nervous tension of missing the train or a flight just kills.

Recently, this Jan in Hyderabad also I had another time of my life. Courtsey my husband who has best learnt ‘don’t stop till you get the work done’ of all the management lessons, I felt like jumping out of the train rather than answering his calls every minute to know how far I was from Kacheguda where he was waiting. Had been to Hyderabad for a wedding, my return was by train from Kacheguda for Bangalore at 9.30 pm. I had the whole day at hand so I made an additional plan to meet a Clairvoyant lady in Malkhaid road (4hrs by train from Hyderabad) along with my Mum and comeback by evening & meet my husband & kid directly at the station  to catch our train for Bangalore. Was running a tight schedule already and the train which hardly gets delayed had to get delayed by 2 hours that same day. My phone  started ringing from 6pm itself. In the train a gentleman informed me that there was no way I could reach Kacheguda on time by the ‘Malkahid Road’ passenger I was in and taking local train from Lingampally would be wiser to reach Kacheguda on time. I did the same but after counting 4 stations in 2 minutes in the local, my confidence began to shake, and like crazy I started asking everyone, ’tell me exactly how much time this local train takes to reach Kacheguda’? On top of that ringing phone with every passing second  to ask all sorts of questions about the station the train had crossed and time remaining made my human properties change into glass. Finally, I switched off the mobile. The local train reached by 9.15 and thankfully at the same platform on opposite side from where I had my B’lore train. I could see my husband, kid and sister at the platform, sigh of relief!

The joy of being able to catch a train or flight on time when it is just not possible, is beyond words. For that moment you’re the winner in your own world, its like not losing the very opportunity in your life to reach the final destination.
Except for once in London when I missed my bus for Birmingham, I’ve not missed any train or flight till date and I hope not to. Happy traveling!!




Wednesday, 9 May 2012

Time-out

Born in Pachmarhi, my love for jungles still runs through my bloodstream. One of the reasons I get sweepingly sentimental over weekends if I don’t get to go out of the concrete walls of my home. I need to breathe directly beneath the sky and refresh my olefactory system in the vicinity of huge trees as often as  possible,seriously.

Wish I were paid to travel as much as I want to. I’ve yet to cover many jungles within India itself. Kabini river lodge (the hunting lodge of the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore) which is hardly 220kms from Bangalore was also on my wish list for long till recently when I made a 2-day trip.
River Kabini in the morning!

 A wildlife enthusiast appraised me of the allures of wildlife in Kabini and since summers are best known for sightings, I made my plan to visit in March and stay at Jungle Lodges Resorts.

Kabini River Lodge in March
Either  tigers have some problem with me or I’m more scary, as other than the tiger we saw most  animals. This is despite the company of very optimistic people on our safari jeep who kept reiterating ‘today we shall definitely see a tiger’. Until 2 days before, the tiger was seen on the tiger tank there every evening. Now I know the 'japa' was because of the doubt,we were all believers of probability more than anything.And as they say,

The good things that you expect …it is on your way
The things you fear about or doubt….. that is also on your way.
In the wilds of Nagarhole

Anyways,  jungle beauty sans the tiger is equally mesmerizing and we really missed having  tele- photo lens this time to be able to capture the same .
Kabini- Savior to so many species

Bangalore to Kabini is a nice road except that the last 12km stretch feels more like a ride on the moon - huge craters really!
But all that is worth in order to experience staying in tents, going on jungle safaris, listening to the wild melody and no TV, no cricket!! I loved it.
Jungle Lodges tent

From Kabini, I paid my customary  visit to Club Mahindra Madikeri(Coorg). There is something about  the energy of this place, which is just so refreshing. Have been to Coorg quite a number of times before, hence Abbey falls, Raja seat, Talcauvery  etc. were nothing new ; this time we explored the Golden temple (Namdroling Monastry).
Golden temple

Beautiful temple and surprisingly huge Tibetan establishment at Bylakuppe , on the way back to Bangalore.Reached home by evening and then back to the grind.


Do want to go back to Kabini again and meet Mr Tiger……this trip was just an appetizer. Anyone interested in coming along??

Thursday, 9 February 2012

united colors of bhujrat !

One day before my anointed travel date and I was still struggling for tickets calling up Indian railways  & Gujarat tourism, using every related and unrelated trump card and contemplating on my last minute air travel. All this, for my  maiden entry to Thepla-Fafda land.

At Mandvi beach in Bhuj
I had only heard about the Rann Utsav from a few Gujarati friends before embarking on my journey with a friend,my mother and my kid during Christmas. Adhoc plan and delicate star cast. I did have to pay the exorbitant price for my last minute flight bookings courtesy a few Gujju business extremists from travel industry in Ahmedabad who lied through the skin that  Rann Utsav bookings couldn’t be postponed or cancelled even though I desperately needed to change my travel dates for the lack of confirmed train tickets.
Thought of Gandhi and Modi at the same time but my travel itch was difficult to resist given that I love colors and Gujarati thali. Also, how could I ignore Mr. Bachchan who kept saying 'Kutch nahi dekha, to kya dekha?'

Colors of Dhordo
25th Dec 2011, first day of my three day package trip ,I reached Bhuj, somehow and anyhow. We were the only Bangaloreans in a sea of humanity that spoke ‘aau chu or basi jaao’. After 1.5 hrs of dug-dug bus travel from Bhuj, we found ourselves in the tented city of Dhordo. Ethnically Grandiose! Besides, Gujarati food was a double bonanza for me. The glutton in me would keep all senses wide awake for every meal to hog on there.

Tent City where I stayed
Rann Utsav is an annually organized festival by Gujarat tourism every December and runs for a month. Best time to attend the carnival is around the full moon night of December.The tent city is hardly 5 kms from white Rann -the salt desert, which is splendid on full moon night. My lucky stars I was there on 25th December - a new moon day.


Houses in Dhordo Village

As per schedule, we headed to Dhordo village and Hodko village on the first day of our camp. Colorfully flamboyant houses,creative handicrafts and the fine art of patience -‘the intricate embroidery work’.

Unfortunately, evening was spent waiting in December cold for some transport to take us back to our tent city from the white Rann post sunset as our bus tyres sank into the salt desert. I am told salt absorbs negativity and I instantly recollected the altercation that a few Gujaratis on our bus had with the driver immediately upon our arrival at white Rann for parking reasons. So much so for Mr. Bachchan’s exhortations about Gujarat.

Next day on our list was Mandavi beach and a visit to Vijay Vilas Palace,made popular by Bollywood as the haveli for “hum dil de chuke sanam”. Its just 160 kms,said the guide. Reached Vijay Vilas in the afternoon, stomach already demanding  another round of Gujju delicacies. Nonetheless I did realize that Vijay Vilas palace is an eclectic blend of architectural styles. Amazing !
At Vijay Vilas Palace

There on to make peace with our hungry bellies,we drove to a restaurant nearby before setting our foot on the highly acclaimed beach of Gujarat. Camel safari at 2.30pm on mandvi beach with sun shining on my head was bad .


Mandvi Beach

Had wished to  take the shortest tour of the three options to be able to spend more time at the tent city but courtsey my ringing ears I  chose Mandvi beach tour .The whole day was dedicated to giving up one’s life control and limbs to the driver as we could reach only by 9pm.

A lady from Kutch at Dhordo into handicrafts
Kutch is mostly appreciated for its ecological and ethnic rich heritage, but more than anything a place is known by its inhabitants. Even though I hadn’t started on a very good note in this trip, my opinion was reversed by a few people I came across in Kutch. On the third and the last day, while I was struggling to find some place to keep my luggage in tourism office at Bhuj and complaining for non cooperation from tourism department, Mr. Good from Information Broadcasting department in Bhuj overheard me and extended help beyond my expectation."Caught in the wrong job", the monster india ad flashed in my mind. A strong believer in Bhagavad Geeta he said,' you came to see Kutch but you’ve not really seen'.And he went out of all his ways to make me understand the true Kutch people, irrespective of the fact that I was a complete stranger. 

Parag Mahal


Same day in Bhuj, we visited“Aaina Mahal” , “Parag Mahal” and also the ruins of earthquake which had hit Kutch in 2001.
Ruins of Bhuj


The fear of earthquake seems so evident that even the tourism department doesn’t do anything to rebuild or improve the toilets anywhere. Why would such things matter in the big scheme of things…Thankfully I met one more helpful family in the shopping district of Bhuj near Parag Mahal who not only let us their restroom but also their neighbors’.

I even saw the oldest Bhuj temple just next to their house which had survived the earthquake. Lord Krishna seemed strong enough so I took refuge in the same temple along with my son and a 50kg suitcase while my friend and mom shopped during the three hours before our bus to Veraval, nearest railhead for Gir.Gir and Somnath are mandatory being in Gujarat and yes, I did spot a lion within the first 5 minutes of our safari.

Gir lion
 A week of hullabaloo and I was back in Bangalore on 31st Dec.
By the end of the tapestry of contradictions that is Gujjuland, I realized that other than the lions of Gir,there are people atleast in Bhuj who have definitely learnt that the value of another human being is more than money or time and it does inspire me to irrevocably begin my life on a different note and in a different light.