COLD and More...

 First of all...you don't want to accept that your throat and nasal system has been tampered with "COUGH..,COLD..and your voice suddenly sounds like a tribal talking to a bird (weird voice pattern)". So when you delay it imagining it would be okay with "Milagu + honey in milk, Pepper and jeera kashayam" it just gets worse (obviously since its viral infection not just "COLD”) :-/

With two or three goodies around who force you to go to Doctor (Gayu….thanks she is my recent asset), you end up being at a crowded medical center. The pretty dressed nurse (wow..why don't they give such uniforms in India..I plan to click her picture to show it in India) smiles lovingly but presents a serious set of questions and health complaints that make you browse through the long list of chronic illness names and wonder "May be this? :-O May be that? :-O" As my eye balls pop out like in the cartoons…Thank god….Doctor calls us in with a broad smile.

 I feel calm as he resembles an actor from the recent Malayalam movie. I am trying to guess the name as he already starts checking BP(??!!), heartbeat etc and starts with a "ahem..ahem.." - wait...Is that a procedure in medical field? :)

Severe infections (of course..I had 3 sleepless nights), allergy to citrus Fruits( I quickly ask "Doctor can I have cranberry juice?"). He says again "Citrus fruits like orange, grapes dear.." He combines 2 statements together "If you had not come, it might have gone serious" and "Nothing to worry, will prescribe medicines" - WHICH one is true now? ;)

1..2..3..4..goes till 6, nasal spray, syrup, medicine, omega tablets..ufff and am more worried about my wounded nose and upper lip.. "It looks ugly nah Doctor?" - he thinks for a minute, studies my face since am too close to him.His thought " What if I say YES and this lady punches me instantly..am i ugly?" and carefully says "mmm guess it is not that bad...let me give u a special cream that would cure it"... and my face lights up instantly.

For those who think am exaggerating…please...coughing is even fine. With a red nose with rashes and dry skin around, I definitely didn't want to roam around like a girl who tried to do cycling stunts and punched her face directly on hard ground….ended up like this….poor thing!

“You can continue your home remedies too” Doctor’s voice distracts my imaginary world in which am thinking how people would feel looking at my bulged red nose(there are better things in the world to worry about, am sure J). Dad and Mom’s prescribed natural medicines are a long list to refer to at home…

Leaving medicines aside, I go for the cream first and see that I look better in just 2 hours…Doctor...you are unbelievable. It works! I quickly write down the name so that I can take it to India or suggest to friends..(well, that's important too…GK) :-D

Meanwhile, the poor best buddy who took me all along patiently for all these asks patiently "Did you have your tablets sangi?" I shake for both yes and no and rush to grab them and swallow. Work ahead...weekend ahead...I pray that I want to be out of this soon. Just took one learning - be careful about things you are allergic to - (it might be AC or Citrus fruits or even dust or sea breeze) what goes in creates havoc within. The moment you find something disturbs your system internally, check on it..rather then ending up with an unknown sickness and unforeseen irritation exhibited by your own system to you. :)

- Loved writing after a long while :) :) :) Thanks to sickness

Magic overtakes Melancholy(contd...)

We..as in we mammals who are sixth sensed tend to assume that we are the ones who choose and control everything around us. But, once in a while..we are being chosen for a reason rather than we making a choice.
I've a faint memory of hearing this line..  " It's difficult to entirely believe in god and its difficult to entirely not believe too...." true isn't it ? Though I call myself attached to spirituality, I have had my times of wonder too. And a series of coincidences like...reading the Shiva Trilogy book, a strong urge to visit Thiruvannamalai temple, getting back to my long lost love..classical dance , it happened all at once. But let me tell you, any temple that I visit...I spend more time in admiring the architecture, visualizing the glorious time of kings and scenes that would have taken place there, trying to know the history........somehow these things appear very captivating to my senses.

Shiva...the Mahadev(God of Gods) who proclaims the new slogan "Har Har Mahadev" (meaning each of us is god) and finds a throne for himself in the hearts of common people is in the same state too. In the second book " THE SECRET OF THE NAGAS" , he ventures out to see new temples...admires the architecture as the author unwinds the technical facts and significance of the design which appears nearly impossible and brilliant to us at the same time. The best part is about the Vasudev pandits from various parts of India conversing with each other's minds through "Radio waves" transmission. This seems possible due to the construction design of the temples , but requires extraordinary practice and concentration. Shiva, our hero has this power naturally and converses with all the pandits through mind - well, he is the HERO right? :)

Don't we experience Telepathy often in our lives ?Oh, yeah I can feel a lot of YES's. It's completely possible and can be accurate through extreme awareness and concentration on oneself...All we need is to believe in oneself.

So, is the so thought EVIL the real evil? NO..The Nagas aren't the villains as Shiva and all of us would think till here, in fact they are extremely honest and good willed humans. The society would have banned them to a far off land because they were born with deformities which is considered to be a result of their previous sins. Rubbish... Shiva too feels the same when he gets to know about it ! I like the thought that he strongly believes in the PRESENT only...

Shiva to Sati   "There is only this life. That is the only reality. Everything else is a theory. Believe the theory that gives you peace and reject the one that causes you pain. Why believe in a theory if it causes you unhappiness? Just have faith. " What an exclamation! It's utter truth and its good to believe in something that gives us peace and happiness now...and this on one love(Broken hearts :Note)
 "The opposite of love is not hate. Hate is just love gone bad. The actual opposite of love is apathy. When you don't care a damn as to what happens to the other person".

And, among the NAGAS..emerges our Lord of the Lords Ganesh whom we personify as an evil hooded figure with ugly deformities till the end of first book. The author brings the twist at a right moment shaking our emotions on strong perceptions that we create. The tactful narration when are about to know the face of the "Hooded Naga"...the way it unfolds and ends leaving us at a very embarassing and guilt filled moment that it its none other than our great god Ganesh is a sure "goose bump moment". We know that Lord Ganesh carries the the head of an elephant and body of a human and that's the mythological fact chosen for the deformity he was banned away for, in the story.

Injustice has prevailed at every point of time from when life has started, its about how we emerge to fight for the right and balance between good and bad at all times. There is another noteworthy line from the book which is spectacular, talking about individuality..

Shiva's Uncle to Shiva "If you feel like fighting against injustice, it might be your karma(destiny). It doesn't matter if the people that evil is being committed against don't fight back. It doesn't matter if the entire world chooses to look the other way. Always remember this. You don't live with the consequences of other people's karma. You live with the consequences of your own"

Another quick mention is of the sizzling romantic encounters between the "very" Suryavanshi Paravteshwar and the "very" Chandravanshi Anandmayi and the noteworthy contradiction that Parvateshwar believes in truth being one whereas Anandmayi says beautifully "There is your truth and there is my truth.And as for the universal truth, it doesn't exist". One must actually read the series to enjoy the Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi stuff - quite interesting that talks about different ways of life...both being fair.

Throughout this second book, we learn lessons on perceptions from various directions. What we seem to think is true isn't...unless we investigate, try to know and challenge it face to face!! That's when a new world opens up to pinch our preconceived groundless perceptions. We all know that rules, systems, laws were made to increase and sustain efficiency and stability among humans....at a place where there is justice to it, when there is truth..Shiva says " If the purpose of justice is served by breaking a law, then break it" !

In that gloomy period where the Mahadev(Shiva) enters India, it needed an enduring powerful soul like him to blow everyone through the transition of change for good. So, its discovered that the Nagas are the abandoned blesses souls and not evil but the source of evil could be found only through them i.e BECAUSE they are the worst affected from the evil.

Shiva gets to know the horrible injustice done to Ganesh but even there, he implies a very intense thought(credits to the author) though being a Mahadev -" Furthermore, I do not have the right to administer justice to the emperor. The universe does.It will deliver justice when it is appropriate..in this life of his"
Many a times, we end up suffering on the fact that there is no one to punish..no one to administer...but it doesn't work like that. We are strongly connected to this universe and so does it gives what it has to, at the right time - good or bad as one deserves. Just believe and do what is right...always ! You can always commit mistakes, get angry, lie,, live like a human but realize it, and then do the right ! 

This reverberating line from the book reflects that thought " That is the purpose of desire. It is for creation and destruction. It is the beginning and the end of a journey. Without desire, there is nothing".  The key for evil being revealed at the end of this book and the alliance of the divine Nagas enables Shiva in his further expedition to destroy evil...How is he going to do that? What if the whole of INDIA turns against him? What is the key evil which Nagas directed Shiva to?Is that linked to their deformities? 

Well, the answers cascade beautifully in the third book "The Oath of Vayuputras".Parashuram, Kali, Ganesh are some of the mezmerizing characters we come across in this second book of Nagas. The author Amish who considers himself blessed to have written this series has already earned a few crores through Westland publications through the success of this Trilogy. The embracing fact is when I read a recent article in a daily where Amish(author) revealed that youth of today are sincerely interested in our mythology and history - all that they are looking for is right people and right path.... And that's what became the key reason for the success of his books.

I wish I can write a lot more...for there is a lot more to share...I will be glad of some of you atleast chose to read the series, not for religion...not for spirituality...but to know what the Mahadev(Shiva) was all about...how contemporary, blissful, outrageous and worldly was his thinking in irony to the gods being perceived as embodiment of seriousness... life is full when there is  laughter, open mindedness and bravery for him and that's what he preaches! Remember next time, you needn't be serious at a temple, you needn't think twice to hug your mate in public, you needn't act superior or inferior to anyone, you can cry loud, laugh out, dance as you wish, sing when you can and respect others the same way you want to be respected....

I am not going to write on the third book "The Oath of the Vayuputras", considering the heavy width and subject of the book.May be....left to you to experience... Har Har Mahadev(I loved the slogan)...the author who was an atheist turned devotee of Shiva..of the Universe.. says - call it everyone is god, call it where there is love there is god or call it each of one has power, its all the same and true. As you read the third book, you will find yourself bowing to not Lord Shiva...but Shiva...a man who lived like a legend and set an example through his extraordinary deeds to be worshiped as a great god today. 

Never know...I might go out of my way and share a few mesmerizing thoughts from the third book too... :)

Magic overtakes Melancholy....

A honest appeal:  My blog on these set of books is purely to kindle happiness within...kindly ignore errors!

It's a period of past melancholy...dreams still filled behind my wide open eyes with a tint of fear. From the most discussed Srilankan issue to budget updates to which heroine wants to enthrall with an item number next...I am spoilt for choices on what to write about. Nevertheless, am literally jumping out of this excitement of writing. May be about my new balcony garden or the job search adventures...the jealous eyed lady in her 40's whom I meet every evening at the park!! But an inner voice shouts that my deep wish is to share a few(well..) excellent portions from "The SHIVA trilogy series"(set of books). It's the most recent soul stirring experience that I went through, my silly encounters at new places always have another day...isn't it?:)

The Trilogy books(By Amish):

Shiva Trilogy 1 : The Immortals of Meluha

Shiva Trilogy 2 : The Secret of the Nagas

Shiva Trilogy 3: The Oath of Vayuputras

The first book has been possessed by me from one year now and I hardly could flip a couple of pages until before 3 months(shame on me..). But, better late than never. Faintly remembering  reading a few chapters in the second book of the series at a friend's place in Dubai last year, on a fine gloomy Monday, I picked  up the first book "The Immortals of Meluha" in a very lite mood.



And.....and....soon after, I found myself travelling(not just reading) along the mythical, exuberant journey of Shiva. That's surprisingly(and lovingly) how we would end up addressing the god of gods..Lord Shiva whilst in the series. The author's unique mythical writing presence gets exhibited with strong depiction of Shiva as a normal man turned Mahadev(God) due to his deeds rather than he being a born Mahadev. Confusing? Err, I too was. Let me be simpler, Amish says that Lord Shiva whom we worship in this era might have never been a god by itself  but a great, extraordinary human legend who transformed into godliness through his actions and karma.

 Now, that doesn't mean he never committed mistakes - the author portrays him as a man who has his own ups and downs, guilt and everything normal like a human.An inexplicable feeling arises when it strikes us hard that YES, Shiva was a human but extremely courageous, brutally honest, tender as a baby at heart, cries out loud, dances passionately, fights fiercely and expresses love like no one else. Now, all those of you to whom I repeatedly insist - expressing your emotion is something more than life, that's the way to live by all means. No matter you choose a religion or not. That's what you are born for..born with...(Disclaimer: Am not responsible if you do anything ruthless on expressing and get beaten up ;) )

So... the first book " The Immortals of Meluha not only throws light on India's geography around 1900 B.C but also gently pats our mind with the excellent societal forms, way of life back then(hardly impossible to implement now, but I still wish we could...), extreme honesty and faith in humans and the significance of rivers, valleys and natural resources in our own India. Isn't it a little pinching to know that Nature was diligently worshiped back then, whereas now..destroying them is one of the (wrong)means we have been into? But..salute to all you good ones who enjoy gardening, who fight and care for our environment..mother nature.

The story has a weird and interesting combo of mythology and fiction, filled with lot of factual data which we would have never got to know this easily. There are a few places where you get goosebumps..like..

• Shiva eradicating the concept of sinned people being cornered in the society and marries Sati who is a widower and mother of a stillborn child to explicitly prove his genuineness (Of course, he loves her). And, respects her being a warrior, a dancer and opens up to leave her to live her life, setting example for others. You get a feel - Didn't I assume freedom and empowerment for women is a topic of recent times ? :)

•  When the story transforms and makes us think that definition of good and evil is quite difficult because its those DIFFERENCES that are mostly regarded as evil by either side of the people...to be simple, for us we are good and the different ones are evil. If this thought could penetrate humans stronger, there would be no fights...nor any wars.  Also, balance of gravity is a must for this world - If there are some who are in strict adherence to time and strict way of life, there should be others to live for the moment and stay carefree..If there are some who follow only grammar, there should be others filled with passion ! The knack of it lies in mending towards the other way, lightening the rules and accepting people around you as they are - no matter which category they belong to.

• A lot of humiliating moments... when you encounter the depth of knowledge in fields of Science, Medicine, Architecture and many more which powerfully existed in those times, leaving you stunned. And the implausible system of neat classifications in the society in concurrence with abilities rather than wealth or caste - in fact there is no caste system.

• Though everyone believes and worship Shiva as a mighty hero, he is still an irritated cranky young man with sheer intelligence, curiosity and humility that shocks.

The character's respect for any kind of skill, art or a fine quality spreads among the society like forest fire - hence showcasing the effectiveness of living as an example than preaching it (well, you needn't be a hero for that..)

• We highly argue upon the influence of western culture and it's impact on our society like ways of dressing, habits etc but the most sensual ways of dressing, exuberant dancing patterns, exploring nature and a few "so thought to be borrowed" habits seem to have existed and instinctive in our geography itself(with due respect and beauty). We just don't know.....but talk.... :)

A handful of mesmerizing and skilled characters like Brahaspati, Parvateshwar, Nandi, Bhadra, Krittika travel with our spirits along with the story which makes us await to meet more influential people in the coming books - intriguing creations( attached to our mythology) by the author !!

Towards the end of the first book, we certainly are left with unfathomable thoughts of... Who are these NAGAS Shiva is searching for? Are they really evil? Shiva does prove himself as an extraordinary human and a great warrior, but how is he going to (perceptibly) transform into a real MAHADEV(god of gods) ? What other mythological wonders are left for us to know(in the next book) for being born in this great COUNTRY?

I doubt whether I have done justice to the writing, the subject and writing is near to impeccable. It's just difficult to pick the best from a few hundred pages, will try and pick up some intensely meaningful dialogues to share(that made so much of perfect sense to me) in the next blog on "The Secret of Nagas" to get you the essence of it(soon..).

Little things...out of a million!

It has become more of a routine now to store incomplete blogs in my system folder, and feel convinced that most of them are not worth completing(perhaps an excuse… ;)) And finally comes out this article. Incidents like today have occurred before and I have been forced to contemplate about the same matters and thoughts before, too. But, may be now is the fine hour to write about them. I had to meet up with a corporate executive today regarding a job and got bored of the conversation, usual advice…same questions and some very predictable suggestions. It all looked like dissuading rather than persuading me to travel along a meaningful career.

According to me, there are simply two ways to take life – either consider everything logical and take wise, thoughtful and calculative decisions or just go by your intuition, listen to your heart and proceed. A widespread misconception is that the latter doesn’t involve practicality (ssssh sometimes people are just jealous you live the way you wish and you are able to) but the truth is that going by your heart doesn’t mean you are a just a dreamer or a dramatic human. It is just that you don’t go by ALL (stress) the rules, habits and behavior set by the so formed society around us. Don’t we all know that during times of origin of mankind, we were closer to nature, consumed any available food around us, found out new ways of living, did what we liked and felt like doing at any moment and still loved…laughed….populated…completed our lifespan to the best?

 Over centuries of civilization, what we ALSO left with are…some very stupid social standards, meaningless inhibitions, fears and disturbing rules which are geography specific (might vary). Waking up in the morning and smiling at a little flower outside the window is considered poetic and surreal - not as our primitive nature, stopping for a few moments on the pathway to enjoy the rain when back from work is considered cinematic – forgetting that cinema did originate from the human mind…examples are innumerable(few being personal..), let me try not to illustrate a hundred here J 

I suppose you would be wondering why am being seriously affiliated towards common topics like above and what’s the relation? The day of my meeting at the IT hub – these were things running at the back my mind in a fast steady pace and I instantly stopped them at a point. Soon after my work, felt a little blank as I strolled along the well designed wooden bridges there. I could see tall buildings with sharp architecture, hundreds of corporate people moving around like busy bees and my focus shifted towards the huge collection of flowers around (no one bothered about them except for the hard working gardener amidst).

My camera could wait no longer and I jumped along the grass to capture anything that I found beautiful and interesting. I could feel the happiness in me as I observed the assorted pretty range of flowers in marvelous shades (like a paint shop brochure ;)) and a voice roared from inside “Hey, this is what you like…walk..jump..run..click…think...and what are you running behind for, in those glass buildings?”. I didn’t want to analyze the voice too much, perfect wrong time in my life to do so. Reason is, sometimes…it’s not that you don’t know what you want…I knew way back in school that I wanted travel and journalism or fine arts(nutrition and science was the last choice)...it’s just that you should be destined to walk that path. And when that’s not your time, you would be tangled with the best of wrong people, situations and forced decisions. Now, this could be rightly understood only by folks who have gone through drastic ups and downs and changes in life – or it certainly would sound plain and stupid, that’s okay and I require a minimum of 40 pages for that episode of my life to be well justified!

Getting back to present, I continued venturing out in macro mode...hunting for tiny bees and insects among the flowers as a sweet stylish voice caught my rapt attention.“Hey, you are some camera girl..err....photographer?”(some?!!J). It was a young boy, should not be more than 8 years and looked really cute with his sea blue eyes and striking smile. I stood up and flashed my teeth at him and that’s when realized that my white…..formal….pants had got a light brown tint (adventure on the grass..)– lovely! 

We started talking, his dad was busy chatting up with some executives there and he seemed to be needing company. The best thing about being with kids is that you live in this moment and they teach you how positive and simple you can take life, and the same reason why I choose to be with them...they just suit me J. The blue eyed fella was up to shooting questions…cars..bikes and I knew little about them which left him a little disappointed.

 The topic floated towards flowers and thank god , I knew most of their names and had good amount of info about some of them in hand. Slowly, he seemed to be capitulated and threw an adorable look at me to say “Hey...I think I like you” and I was like “Awesome, an 8 year old boy likes me…so?!” J

 He didn’t stop with that and got curious about what I wanna do in life, what’s my passion etc and I don’t know why , but I shared some of my thoughts. I was really unsure how much would he understand but his replies and smile made me feel too good at that moment. His fears were about being lonely at home, too many silly friends and more…I found them quite cute and interesting.

An hour later, we had to wave good-bye to each other and before leaving, he stopped to hug me… “Don’t forget me San(that’s what I told him my name was) and when I grow up…if you still have the same pretty eyes and smile and hair and voice….aah and the camera, I would still like you”. With a huge grin, I wished him best of luck and stressed on the line “Just do what you think is right and what you like…people in this world would always have rights, wrongs and comments for every decision you take, so don’t worry” and he replied “Sure, I won’t forget that”.

Perhaps, I was destined to meet this little boy rather than the meeting….we just have to find the right reasons behind every day and happening in our life. There ends the confusion and fear, not that I don’t know this…I know too much and that’s the problem. Plausibly I am slow today but I shouldn't stop anywhere. A job…money…to help myself, to help others is what I would need to survive through the practical world but the days of travelling, studying and reaching places of  my deep wishes would surely arrive. It’s simply because today might not be your day, but everyone gets their chance in this world… to achieve and win over their love…their dreams…their passion…their wish…and our job is just to follow the right path which leads there. Leaving the rest to tomorrow….

The volcanic movement of today...

Like many others, my attention towards Anna Hazare started in a feeling of curiosity. This whole episode of “Anna Hazare” movement definitely commenced on a low key, took a break and has come back as a huge tide splashing across the country. When one follows a daily or a news channel (more of a habit…), it’s hard to be missing updates about Anna in the recent months ->
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Hazare

But, throwing an enlarged question mark – how many of us know what exactly is he talking about or the crucial reason for his activities? With Google, things can be easy as pie and I got too much of information about the whole story, people behind and the movement. But still thought, providing the link would make better sense here..

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/what-is-the-jan-lokpal-bill-why-its-important-96600

 

Err…sure that am not equipped with enough experience and knowledge to comment, form an opinion or provide any sort of (good/bad) criticism about the spark of revolution that has emerged. Saying that, I didn’t want to sit at home either…and that made me do something fruitful on a usual cloudy lazy cozy Sunday.  I always take a fleeting look of this place named “Freedom Park” (Seshadri Road, Bangalore) when I drive by that way. The big road is surrounded by huge trees, clean pavement and the greenery filled park, almost empty.

And now, the place looked so festooned with bunches of people plus the popcorn…peanuts and magazine (what not!) sellers. The noticeable fact was the self motivated huge crowd all over the arena located inside the park. On the other hand, the widespread area outside was occupied by a long array of vehicles coming from different parts of the city(from various small supporting groups). A few protesters were singing rhymes and songs on “Anna” but  rest all were for the country. Slogans against corruption & politicians were on a high pitch and no one knew each other there and still managed to maintain harmony in all ways. All I felt was that if people can have so much energy and unity, why were we lacking bravery till now?! Where was all this fire till today?

 

 Well, the scenes appeared much like a modern day freedom struggle(with cameras, CCTV's, rally of bikes etc) due to the fact that every single person there was out with a common objective and most of the faces expressed the depth of irritation, pain and suffering undergone. "We just want it done.." was the attitude.

Obviously, we have scarcity of good leaders and the amount of sensitivity among people showed that with a few meaningful leaders out there, things could really change around us. Or at least…they could be attempted to change! There is been enough of news on the television on this lokpal bill story but watching the spirit in person was an entire inexplicable thing. There was a common cause – some know well, some don’t have any idea, some just want to be there and support, some drive it but there was lot of effort portrayed. 

 A few admirable things:

1. There was superb discipline among the crowd of 1000(or more…) people. No one pushed each other; people took proper queues and left way for the elderly.
2. There was no age bar : kids, school students, college boys and girls, techies(our colloquial word), families with children and the pensioners – they all exhibited same level of enthusiasm in showcasing their support.
3. People had really worked a lot making posters, paintings, pictures, slogan prints from their own creativity and the time they took for that…mattered a lot.
4. Made me wonder (really :-o) how much of cohesiveness we have and at the same time, fail to utilize it rightly – hopefully this doesn’t end with just one lokpal bill issue but continues for all the good.

A noticeable moment : Mobile numbers of all the State level Ministers were provided on the spot(through the mic..) and people were told to dial in - none of the phones were reachable or answered, a few numbers didn't even exist ! It just spread laughter amongst the crowd !

 And a few (somewhat) disturbing facts:

1. The "shouting slogans mania" was appreciative but just being too loud wouldn’t help – Anna would also prefer people knowing about the bill in detail when we showcase support to this extent.

2. Some of them were also interested in clicking pictures of themselves...in different poses and that looked a bit out of place - mobiles and cameras flashing on themselves.

3. A tiny fear that we have the tendency of blindly supporting something that a hundred people are already doing…shouldn’t become the case here. Hopefully it’s won't proceed in that way..

It wasn't a day of just photographs for me and I truly enjoyed the utmost fact that people can be so united, can behave with excellent co-ordination and wish to fight and ask for their basic rights. We do aspire to have better rules and procedures in the country but should also remember that each of us play a strict role in forming the society.  It's as simple as "Keep your house clean first, then the street...then help your locality to be clean and it automatically diverges forward" - this should be in all aspects from cleanliness to literacy to economy to social responsibility. I know it sounds good and sophisticated but no magic wand to transform things overnight, we do need a lot of people to drive and lots & lots of people to practice - least I can write  this night ,since we are still granted our "Freedom of Speech" :)

Along the virgin beach of Ankola..(part II)

Well, it’s true that part one ended a little bluntly and that was due to my sleepy mood guys (was lazy to write anymore!).

We had made definite interesting plans for the next day, before we left the crabs to rest in peace and returned to our cottage. Multiple options surrounded us…trekking along the hills, trekking plus walking down the hill to reach out to the beach (shaped like the symbol OM) on the other side, visiting nearby places(forests!) and so on. After enough discussion, we chose to do nothing but wake up and sip a huge cup of coffee, rambling along the rocks. Seldom would we get a chance to open our eyes in the morning and (still!) see a huge chain of hills with milky white waves splashing along, isn't it? :) 

 

I started observing the fishermen who were sailing back home…who knew that it was bad monsoon and the sea was fierce, yet couldn’t stop going into the ocean the previous night. That minute, somehow they appeared like the bravest of men I have seen. There was a whole big village of them and their families on the other side and I could sense life all around that place. Of people who work hard, who connect with nature and live within.All that they need is perhaps some education on basic nutrition, health & hygiene, literacy good enough to at least read/know/understand stuff required for their work. I have observed and got to know that they rarely would think of doing any other job, even if you pay them lumps. They are people who worship the sea and wouldn’t afford to migrate that easily. Strange reality that, and made my thoughts dive deep till breakfast time.

 

We decked out in nice outfits (vibrant colors) and went to the beach straight to get it all spoiled in matter of minutes. Somehow, it felt happy to do that…not everyday right! Those huge waves which did the needful also splashed on my camera dramatically and forced me to shut it down. Later, deciding to venture out (trying to catch the route back to the city), we drove down to visit the very famous “Mahamayi” temple of Ankola. No pictures allowed but it looked very elegant, though simple.

The architecture was a bit different from usual South Indian temples, showcasing a mixed look of Kerala and Buddhist style. That was may be because it was North Karnataka and the seashore was a long stretch along the coastal line from Kerala to Maharashtra.

That evening, we could see signs of sunset with magical crimson color borders behind the ocean blues. Dad and bro were chilling out with massage and rejuvenation. Mom got busy exploring the plants (weeds?!!) peeping from the rocks plus studying the geography around. 

Clicked with Canon digi (power shot)

She is well known from her college days, for collecting (stealing) saplings and doing quick projects on nutritional value of the herbs and greens available at any place. I set my tripod and threw a wide smile to myself…one of my beautiful crazy dreams to dance along a virgin beach came true to an extent. After i was done with a few English songs,i felt my mind transverse towards “Ilayaraja”(only someone who has grown up listening to his music would know about its depth and originality). 


I picked up my favorite musical bit and ran around dancing for more than a while. The waves were a sweet disturbance making me lose balance and wetting me too often and I didn’t want to stay too long, realized the ocean started looking a bit scary with crushing silence and gigantic tides, after sunset. 

Trekking was the only left over (interesting) item in our agenda. With sport shoes on, the friend/guide from the resort by our side, we advanced towards the mighty hill next morning, in high spirits. It was indeed slippery as we started climbing and my rain girl joined us soon; I was the only one to say “wowwwww” as the rest of gang stared at me. We never imagined such a marvelous landscape view and a surreal scene from the top of the hill. It was a speechless moment as we walked further to capture the look of fishermen’s village and the “OM” shaped beach,on the other side. Greens and blues on the ground with dark grey clouds as huge curtains appeared like an animated scene.

I played enough in rain whilst climbing down (c'mon…how much ever I shouted happily, there was no one except us to feel conscious about,how lovely that !). Didn’t forget to make friends with a few women from the village who took the same route to cross the hills – and click their very different attractive attire.For a change, it wasn’t me but my bro who was busy slipping (humpty dumpty had a great fall ;)) with his hi-fi shoes on, and his grumpy face was worth watching:-P 

We had to pack our bags soon after as we were getting late to drive back. I did my quick “to-do’s” of collecting shells, dry pine nuts (with a bit of work, they can be transformed to beautiful artistic pieces) and a few yellow lilies which happily glowed along my curls. With a few thankful words and some chocolates, we bid adieu to the service team and set for our journey again. 

 

 Not wanting to be a in a hurry unlike our onward drive, we diverted via the green tinged hilly route which would touch the glorious “Jog Falls” and a few wildlife sanctuaries. The complete small town of Ankola had a damp but fresh feel with small food outlets, a few temples and churches. There was a strange aroma of spices and a variety of herbs filling the air and it had the capability to magically cure any pain or discomfort - I  could sense it thoroughly.

The must see places not located very far were "Gokarna"  and "Murudeshwar temple"(with the very elegant 120 feet high Shiva idol). We had to skip those because of time constraints and not wanting to experience them in a  hurry, we could always come back to cover these along with the wildlife(birds too) sanctuaries. Luckily, Jog falls was too near(2 km) from the main road of the hilly place named Jog and we decided not to miss taking a look.

 It suddenly started pouring as we stood near the huge stairs which led to the falls below. There was enough time for season , hence not a heavy flow but still the water fall scene mesmerized our senses for a few seconds. It gave me a feeling of exhilaration to even think how it would look during monsoon time. An hour was definitely not sufficient to explore the place and walk 4miles downstream to reach the foothills of the falls. I strolled along the bridge promising myself to get back there on a weekend (in a few months) and reached the car.

 It was late noon already, we had to pick up speed though the whole stretch had  amazing beautiful sceneries. As others dozed off... I didn't want to miss accompanying dad(we like to chatter at such times) who was driving, also the visual treat outside the window. After crossing Shimoga, we came across a lot of pineapple farms and farmers who would sell them on the road. I forced dad to stop at one of the places, because of the temptation the farm fresh fruit got me into. 

We relished a few pieces as I seemed to had impressed the pineapple farm owner with my talks(animated excitement?!!). As a result, he offered me a few free samplings and was forced to pose for a picture in return(he looked more scared whether my Arnold looking bro would crush him and stood a few feet away);). There was no stopping allowed after that since our estimated time of reach looked like beyond midnight already. We took turns in driving later and were sure it would have been around 3am when we parked the car, threw the bags inside our den(home) and fell asleep at random places. I was still dancing around the beach(obviously) in my dreams and it took a day or two to resume work life :( :)

Along the virgin beach of Ankola..(part I)

Our "made compulsory" yearly trip could finally commence with all the family members managing to get together towards the end of June. My strict...little bossy….foodie bro had definitely located a very different and worth seeing place, that was inherent even from the maps and the route we had to take. Beaches…… (That’s the best part)!

First half of our road trip was all exciting with music in high volume and laughter around! We were on NH 4 , but surprised not to find any good food outlet :-O. Deciding to be humble (no other option!), we munched something simple, at a village tea shop. Oh, what a right guess! There stood KAMAT, magnificently at about 5 min distance from there – stunning aroma, and obviously lot of options for breakfast. We stared at each other not knowing whom to blame and decided to continue the drive, estimated total duration was 10 hours. We were sure it would be fine with dad being an excellent driver known for itself plus two spare ones, bro & me.

The highway journey (though quicker) left me disappointed with no scenic beauty or anything interesting. Watching a few imported cars and counting the number of toll gates(too many man!!) was all that I could do. From this place called THADAS, with all happiness(mine:)) we diverted through state roads -SH 64 which directly would take us to Ankola. The most expected hilly roads, forest limits, water places and everything you wish is found in this route. The downpour along the greenery was a beautiful add-on for us then.

When we reached Ankola, the resort guys were nice enough to wait for us in the city. But gradually, it became a lackadaisical journey through a number of fields and gates and hills and muddy roads. I was in the verge of feeling dejected thinking that there can’t be any beach around a place like that. Bro teased me, “Perhaps we didn’t check properly in the map and moreover I just said Ankola, never said Ankola beach”(grr). Dad cheered me up saying that we could still drive down to GOA which was only 140 km from there (according to the sign boards)!

 With a long face, I peeped outside the window to get awestruck by the scene of the breathtaking mighty ocean placed right in the middle of a huge stretch of hills. Literally rubbing my eyes, I tried to pay attention to the screeching sound of waves blowing high as dad and bro winked at me (“happy”??!). It was a high feeling for all as though we have travelled far away from India as we recollected a few series of programs on TLC and Discovery Travel channels. I  always argue on the fact that our country does have a lot of (lot more than outside) beautiful places to see and experience – just that we don’t spend enough time on choosing the right destination and travel as much possible(and the scene proved  how true was that).

The service team at “Honey beach” resort was one the best we had ever experienced. Be it the scrumptious food or warm service or assistance. 

The place was so isolated, leaving the employees with almost no connection with outside world and their families. That very fact made us go very friendly with them and hence the food/service was delivered with personal care.  We were told that the panoramic beauty is much better during summer when the sea is blue and the beach space expands. Since it was June and monsoon time, we could see that the water had a green and brown tint, with the tides getting too high even in the day.

 

Okay, the funniest part was network. Neither does internet work there (huh...what a waste to have carried my laptop!) nor any mobile. BSNL was the only connection which seemed to work at some points.  It’s good to lose connection and stay peaceful, at times…but definitely not without a plan. We didn’t expect to get lost amongst the hills though! We spent a while admiring the cottages being constructed on the hill and the artistic look of the steps etc – reminded us of movies like Bombay, Dil Chahta hai, Josh….I could say that the place gave a mixed look of Goa & Kerala. 

When we got ready to walk up  to the beach, the smart looking young boy at the reception (our guide later) came running towards me to suggest a peculiar place where I could use my mobile(relief!). But people, it’s fancier than any of you can imagine – I had to climb on a huge rock from where I would exactly appear like attempting for suicide. As I stood there (of course my eyes blinking wide and hair flying above like a ghost from the sea) the young man (who cares of he is smart or no, now!!) said 

“ Ma’am..aah..aah yeah, stand right there and don’t move an inch and you can use the mobile” and he was gone the next minute. I stood there…not being sure whether to laugh or cry.

I recovered in a few seconds and managed to stand there in “Nataraja pose” (thanks to bharatanatyam that I have been learning) to make some urgent and important calls. Mom does know about me well and she though I am up to something crazy but dad freaked out looking at me standing alone there(oh god..hope she didn't push anyone down there :-O)! Anyway, we had a good laugh on the same, later. After dinner, we sat along the rocks down the resort to feel the water splashing on us when the waves got high every 2^nd minute (like a huge phone shower).

A few crabs down the lane got scared by our footsteps and ran away. Not wanting to be attacked by them later, we decided to crash..sleep safe inside our cottage.