The Wheel - W. B. Yeats

Through winter-time we call on spring,
And through the spring on summer call,
And when abounding hedges ring
Declare that winter's best of all;
And after that there's nothing good
Because the spring-time has not come ---
Nor know that what disturbs our blood
Is but our longing for the tomb.

Haiku - 6

dense clouds
dark sky
down pours rain

Void Voyage

Everything is so strange, here I started blogging rather searching outside and inside for a purpose in vain.I one of the books that i read it was quoted how many people search for a single clear purpose. And imagine if we really found and achieved it what else would be left for in life to live.

I used to feel I’ve seen and had enough of life and when I say what I feel; there is generally more than one soul to tell me, the worst is yet to come. And I asked why wait till then. Again they have an answer, how can you escape so easily?

And i wonder is that how everybody views life, as a challenge?

After reading and seeking several books, i wouldn't say my search has come to an end. None of the fruits of my action towards a purposeful life, a meaningful life has brought me closer to myself or somebody else or to the divine.

Rather everything and everybody took me places away away farther away to no-where.

Sans beginning sans end: - sans search

Whatever I may do, my thought, my dreams, my creations, my revolutions and my reevaluations will one day be obscured by sand. Including all challenge great and small that I survived through.
My search will never end as it has abruptly stopped.

A wish or desire to see something unique something otherworldly was probably my search. But guess I took too much time to now realize it’s not promising.

Now life goes on, flows on like an endless brook, a babbling brook.
It has a long past a long future but at the moment it just gushes down.
Not stopping for anything nor going towards anything.
All it now knows is it can find or make a path to just flow.
It does not want or wait for anything or anybody anymore.

Just keep moving to meet the abyss, to drop down to the unknown where it may finally belong.
Until then it just has to go on!

No emotions will augment the journey, but I know its going to be quick ;) Because I’ve traveled a route earlier trying to fast forward my life. Even now those moments are dejavu.But it never works that way.

I just need to let go of myself, let the natural boundaries guard me or constrain me, now I’m totally mislaid to bother how I’m going or where. I'll just keep going.


Let loose life cannot be concealed or controlled by a harness!
it may seem usual like a morning paper,
daily work, stops at a cafe and stirring emotions,
but eternity engulfs, dissolving everything to nothingness.

CAN Conquer CANcer initiative

This is an initiative titled “CAN Conquer CANcer” aimed at spreading a message to dispel the myths surrounding the disease and help create awareness.

It’s probably the 1st time in Blogsphere history that a contest is done on this scale with so much involvement from people from around the globe.



Here’s the link to the CAN Conquer CANcer initiative Blog Contest.
http://connexionsonline.biz/conxw/ican/

Haiku - 5

Haiku for birdwatchers


Colorful feathers
on a blue green backdrop
the migratory birds

Haiku - 4

Atypical scene

through the window beside

the silent school

Haiku - 3

A crab on the shore
all that remains in a blink
a trail on the sand

Haiku - 2

Another Haiku...

a winter morning
ritual walk in the park
the aged couple

What the bleep?

If you have heard or seen the movie "What the bleep do we know!?", that's great!

If not, you could read the study guide before you go watch the movie.
BTW, this guide is useful for those who have seen the movie too.

http://www.noetic.org/research/files/Bleep_Study_Guide.pdf

Surveys!

Wonder how many really like taking surveys.
Well I do! But only prefer meaningful ones.

A friend of mine Mr. Vishal Gokhale mailed me the below link to a Personality Survey from the BBC website called "What am I like?"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/whatamilike/index.shtml

Haiku

Haiku is a short, three-line poem (originally from Japan) with the form: 5,7,5 syllables.

Its impressive, short and precise poetry.
I tried writing one myself.

Warm under the quilt while;
The chill winds blowing outside
Frost on the window

Try these links:
http://www.haikuworld.org
http://www.tinywords.com

Boredom

The ocean is still
No waves meet the shore

Too much time to kill
And mind yearns for more

For a climb uphill
And see what's in store

But the search makes me ill
And sick of rowing an unguided oar

Let me take a pill
Go to slumber and snore

On soft and light quills
And forget all that bores.

An MBA?

How good is an MBA?
Some good soul out there, could enlighten me.
Your comments are valuable! My appreciation in advance.

Thank You!

Universal Birth Registration

I didn't know birth registration was an issue until I readabout it! That little piece of paper helps ensure that you get access to education, healthcare, or anything else needingidentification. It's shocking to find out that 36% of children born each year (48 million!) are invisible - they aren't registered at birth.

I encourage you to join me in supporting the Campaign for Universal Birth Registration being led by Plan, at http://www.writemedown.org

This is one campaign we could see real progress on quite quickly!

A day before Independence, 2005

Indian Independence Day (August 15th) happened to fall on a weekday (Monday).
I could have planned for a long weekend, if not for some work that drove me back to office on Saturday. Yet I and a couple of friends got around planning something for Sunday.

So we finally decided to head to Lonavala and Kandala. An hour’s journey from Pune via local train.

It was 9 fifteen when we reached Chinchwad station and bought tickets. At around 9.30 the train pulled over and we rushed in as locals don't stop for more than 30 seconds. We were a group of six. We all got to find seats after a couple of stops. 30 mins passed and then we realized we were on a special train to Lonavala which almost took us 2 hours to reach our destination :)

In the meantime we started playing Dumsharads. I and my roommate are totally novice to the Hindi language. But that did not stop us from guessing the names of several Hindi movies. It was fun and somehow averted the frustrating slow journey.

Lonavala, finally! We set foot on the station at 11.20.
It started to rain right after we came out of the station.
Now we started hunting for tour cabs preferably a Tata Sumo.
After enquiring at several places. We booked a Sumo and started towards Bushi Dam.

A drive in the clouds.

Waterfalls were a common scene at Lonavala.
At Bushi dam, we did not step out of the car. There was hajar crowd already trekking towards the dam. So we preceded towards a place called Air force shooting spot.
Know as a famous shooting place for several Hindi movies.

When we reached the spot. It was so thickly surrounded by fog. We could hardly see where we were walking. In a couple of minutes i started rain started to pour. We order for chai and corn bakoda's at a near by tea stall.

The garam chai with bakoda on a rainy day, it was sensationally refreshing.
After the rains the place was a little more visible. Yet only 10 feet from us was clear. We went for a walk, clicked some snaps.

It was amazing; i could not believe such places existed in India. So cold a weather and a welcoming green of nature all around.
When we got back to the cab. The driver was telling us that there were many other secluded places which are even more scenic and romantic. Since we were a mixed crowd of friends, he did not want to take us to those spots ;)

We started to other places around Lonavala. Its a beautiful city, if well maintained it would turn out to be heaven on earth.

We stopped at a vegetarian restaurant towards Kandala for lunch. We ordered for a
variety of food. But the quality was bad :(

Next we went to yet another BEAutiful shooting spot. A picturesque meadow.


Trees, pond and a vast stretch of pasture boundless

Massive mountains and far away cascades matchless.

The surrounding Stillness gently arouses mellowness.

Every breath so fresh, so calm, one tends to be pensive.

The remaining places were the Tiger valley and unset point at Kandala.

Tiger valley
Description: A park. No tigers!
Purpose: Serves a fantastic view of the surrounding hills and waterfalls.

Sunset Point
Description: Some 30 feet from tiger valley. On the road that leads to the express way.
Purpose: A perfect spot to watch the sunset.

The last place on our list was a Dam maintained by Tata Power. A well maintained place. The walk towards the dam was fun and scenic.
And the Dam itself was a sight to see. Could not click pictures of this great view.
As its a private property.
On our way back, we bought some roasted sweet corn. Munching it all the way back to the Station.

It was six 40 then. Unfortunately the next train to Pune was only at 7.20.
So we asked the driver to take us for another round or to another spot.
Well he refused. So we bough our tickets and walked into the station.

We had some namkeen and we bought tea at a stall on the platform.
We were sharing our thoughts after the stress releasing day. We talked too much that we didn't realize that our train had already pulled over at the station. We were at platform 1 and had to rush up and down the bridge to reach platform 3.

And finally boarded the train back to Pune.

My best friend's blog

Ascii

Ashok Narayan Veeraraghavan, one of my best friends and someone I always turn back to when in bliss or in mess.

He is the reason I started blogging. And I’m absolutely glad I started it. Thanks Ascii!

Visit his blog at http://vashok.blogspot.com

On a small trail.

Down the road, a gurgling stream protected bedind the fence.


















A scenic view of the Mulshi dam.


















We went into the forest on a small trail. This is the view of the Mulshi dam from up there.


















The view of the meadows on the trail.

















Observing the nature on the trail.

















After a short trail through the forest we took this road beside the Mulshi dam.

















On the trail we saw this particular plant used in ayurvedic treatments. When the juice of these leaves were applied on the gums, they go numb. Hence facilitates in tooth extraction without pain.

















Fish tail Palm that we saw, called so because the leaves of the palm appear to be like the tail of a fish. The flowers of this tree looked like a hanging chandelier. Jyanthi explained that when this flower was completely bloom, there would be a narrow hole in the center, and often Bats roost in the central pith of this flower. And during the nights one could notice them flying out of the center of the flower in search of food.


















We spotted this Beehive on the Way to the waterfall.

Waterfall Rappeling

At the top of the Waterfall

















And beginning to Rappel.

















Spiderman spiderman
friendly neighborhood spiderman
spins the web anytime
catch the thief just in time.

Look up... there goes the spiderman!
















Half way down the waterfall.

On the Way to Mulshi Dam

This tree house was near a motel, where we had stopped for breakfast.

















Consecutinve waterfalls on the way.

The Wild in Me.

It was six in the morning when i woke up and realized I had to be at Chandini Chowk in an hour’s time. The guys who were supposed to come along dropped out.
So I took a public transport bus to a place called Deccan. From where I took an autorikshaw to Chandni Chowk.My adventure group members were waiting. I boarded a bus at 7.15 and by 8.30 we were at a small motel. We had breakfast and chai. From there I rode on the bike with Devdutta Mullay to the waterfalls. There were several falls on the way.

A scenic beauty of the misty mountains draped with pasture and trickling stream here and there. The view of the Mulshi Dam from different angles as we took a small trail through the forest was serene.

The Forest trail: We were a group of 25, split in two groups. As one group went of the mountain to start the waterfall rappelling. The other group including me went for a forest trail. We saw a very old tree supporting itself with buttress.
Saw a small Bamboo thicket. There is a superstition that when bamboos bloom it is considered a bad omen. Because after the bamboo blooms, the village near by is generally affected by famine or plaque. Wonder why?

The seeds that are produced during the flowering of bamboos attract rats and rodents. When the rodent population increases they invade the grains in the store house. Hence causing famine due to loss of grains. Most rats carry infectious germs on their body which could cause plague.

In many forests, the plant and ecology are being conserved through a system called "Devarai".
A sacred stone is identified and is treated heavenly. People living in the nearby village pray to the Devarai God. No ecosystem around the Devarai is affected as it is considered to be part of God. But these days, people are encouraging the Devarai to be brought into mainstream religion. Thereby a lot of crowd is attracted to the places where Devarai’s are instilled, causing damages to the ecosystem and ultimately the concept of Devarai's too.

Mrs.Jyanthi Krishnamurthy and Devdutta Mullay from the organizing committee were equally excited as the group; they noticed everything on the trail and explained the significance to the minute detail.
Like the Fish tail Palm that we saw, called so because the leaves of the palm appear to be like the tail of a fish. The flowers of this tree looked like a hanging chandelier. Jyanthi explained that when this flower was completely bloom, there would be a narrow hole in the center, and often Bats roost in the central pith of this flower. And during the nights one could notice them flying out of the center of the flower in search of food.

Another interesting thing I noticed on the way was a particular variety of plant. I'm yet to get the botanical name. It was earlier used in Ayuredic treatments for dental problems. When the juice from these leaves was applied on the gums, they go numb for over 2 days. Hence for tooth extraction these leaves were extensively used. On the lighter side when campers unknowing used the stem of this plant to stir their food their gums went numb too.

When we came back it was time for lunch. The group shared whatever food they had brought. After a good meal, we set out to walk up the mountain to watch the pervious group rappel down the waterfall.

Most of them had a pleasant rappel. As they were slow or really slow like most amateurs. The problem with others was, after a couple of minutes, they just wanted to come down quickly. This would have been possible if not for the extra safety rope reef knotted around their waist and let down only at a constant pace. Anyway it was thrilling in every sense to just watch them come down with the rhythmic force of the waterfall. Nature so obviously powerful! I could not wait to go up there.

Jyanthi and I were the last to go up the mountain to the spot where the rappelling starts. The trail was scary, the mountain was steep and the rocks were not aiding easily under our feet, some slippery and some just not at a comfortable distance from others. Finally we did it. After coming up that trail, no one would want to go back down the same way. Everyone would decide to just rappel down come what may. So you can understand how bad the trail up was!

It was cold up there, with the waterfall around and the chill breeze. 10 minutes later it started to rain, by the time I was belted with the harness and locked with the figure of eight I was ssshiiiverrrring. Within minutes I was on my own hanging on ropes.

I was rappelling, oh boy! and suddenly I felt the urge to come back up, I didn't want to do it. But I could hear my instructor screaming "Come on chennai u can do it" Yeah I was the only chennaite out there. He clicked my snap :D

Rappelling - one wrong step you lose your limb or your life.
Well that suits only for "Waterfall" rappelling. Man! every step is a wrong step. The rocks have been underwater for quite a few weeks now and it was bloody slippery. And you don't get a proper view because the water is showering overhead. It was thrilling, I was gritting my teeth. The simple rule was to maintain oneself perpendicular to the mountain.
I've done rock climbing and rappelling before but never under a waterfall. Half way through, there was a long broad cave like structure on the rocks; my left leg had gone through it. And wow! I noticed a small nest damn! Wish I had a waterproof camera attached to my helmet.

Finally after say 50 feet, one has to come down vertically, that's were the trick starts, an amateur would do it damn slowly but an experienced would know how to let more rope through and slide down quickly. But things worked out better for amateurs. As I had written earlier about the safety rope which is released only at a particular speed, I should have tried not to release my rope quickly and held it until I felt the safety rope was long enough to come down. Well I did get strangled in between and screamed my throat out. But all this is part of adventure!

If your blood is wild,
And limbs ready to be tried.Never miss adventure like this. Thrills every nerve in the body!

Trip to Bhimashankar

Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary


















Gurgling streams


















Our lunch spot - beside a smooth stream

















Forest Trail

















Bhimshankar temple gopuram

















Spot the world's biggest squirrel - Indian Giant squirrel
Clicked this picture while on another trail behind the temple.

Walk in the clouds

Bhimashankar wildlife sanctuary, home of the world’s biggest squirrel (The Indian Giant Squirrel). It was a sight to remember during the second half of the trail, around the bhimashanker temple. These squirrels looked almost like cats, with a orange shaded body and a cashmere shaded tail. This forest is spread over an area of 125sq. km. The forest type here is basically semi-evergreen with patches of primary evergreen forest at some places. Perched at an height of 3296 feet on the northern end of the western ghats, Bhimshankar, is one of the most thickly forested regions of the state.

On the Shayadris, we found lots of karvy plants. Karvy is a septennial plant which flowers once n seven years. These flowers are the most attractive and hence most of the insects and birds feed on the honey of these flowers at the same time increasing the rate of pollination. Due to the same reason, the year Karvys bloom, the rest of the plants on the shyadris suffer a week rate of growth. But recover in the next seven years. Thus the ecosystem remains balanced.
The trail we took was like a walk in the clouds. With innumerable thundering cascades and gurgling streams. On the way we found lots of slow moving snails, crabs, jewel bugs, beetles and also the cobra lily it gets its name from the fact that one of its petals looks like the hood of the cobra.

Luminous fungi grow on the trees that lay on the banks of the river Bhima. These glow during the dark. A natural light system during the nights. We heard a pleasant whistle. It was the whistling bird or the school boy. Because the same bird whistle that sounds like a scratch of a chalk on the slate during the evenings.

Bhimshankar temple is situated in Ambegaon taluka , District - Pune on the Sahayadri, by the banks of the river Bhima. Built in 'Hemadpanti' style of architecture is one of the 12 Jyotirling temples of Lord Shiva. The lingam was very small, just about 5 inches tall. The day we went to the temple was a pradhosam. We got a spectacular sight of the milk abhishekam using the cornshell. Otherwise nothing much around the temple was visible due to the mist laden chilly atmosphere.

All’s well that ends well. Not really! After hours of walking up, down and through the streams, I’ve caught cold. Well it was my first forest trail and this cold is in no way going to stop me from the second and many more.

Findings for the day.

A friend of mine from Chennai, Vasanth, had sent me this link.
Its a Tamil FM radio website.

Hope some Tamil folks enjoy this.
http://www.wtruk.com/radio2.html

A survey for bloggers

Proverbs and poetry.
Prose and parables.
Words, a channel to express, every feeling of joy and sorrow or love and hatred.

At times we feel even words fail us when we try to articulate our feeling of gratitude or sympathy to another.
Such moments are venerable.

But the line by Earl Jones, has thrown the perfect spotlight on the meaning of words.
One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter.


Earl Jones

James Earl Jones, the man with the mystic voice. How could one not be rapt by his captivating voiceover for King Mufasa in “The Lion king”. However his voice would be forever linked to Darth Vader's black helmet.

At certain situations, I freeze and do not say anything. Like when I’m hurt or when I feel I may tend to hurt another, this line pounds my mind. And I feel guilty. And a feeling of betrayal of another, sweeps the peace out of my mind. But never have I tried to overcome those nightmare feelings.

Guess I’ve said enough. So I and my blogs will henceforth express thoughts from the bottom of my heart.