An Intuitive Decision on Kutchch Travel

Ok, so you have just put down your papers in the job all of a sudden and have come back home, thinking what to do now. Your family suddenly gets supportive of your decision suspiciously and gives you some space for rest and thinking of future plan of action.  Now what?

That's what happened to me this month in December 2014. I left my job on an impulse and came back home. For months and years, I have always wanted to travel to the Himalayas, but could not get lucky. This time also I could not get lucky because of:

1. Severe winter
2. NRI Season
3. Expensive packages.

I was mulling over the fact when Amitabh Bachchan saved me. He came over the TV advertisement and asked me to go to Kutchch. It is also the right season to visit the region due to the Kutchch Rannutsav and other places worth going to, specifically in the winter.

I trusted the Gujarat Tourism department for the program. They also give option to go to Saurashtra but I chose Kutchch as I wanted to see a desert after a long time and visit some palaces such as Aina Mahal and Vijay Vilas Palace, where the famous Bollywood movies 'Lagaan and Hum Dil Chuke Sanam' were shot.

My booking turned out to be quite well for the package as I got enough photography opportunities to shoot different historic palaces, beach, desert, etc, of course much to the irritation of my fellow elder retired co-passengers who had to wait for me in the bus for more than 10 mins every time.

In my subsequent 4 blogs, I will describe each destination of Kutchch in detail and what you need to take care of and take with you. If you have crossed the age of 45 and do not have interest of photography then develop one or learn to wait patiently for people who have this passion. Else it is just like going to a place, seeing it, coming back and visiting another place. Let the image of the scene or sculpture or landscape settle in your eyes before you visit another place.


If you are going to visit Kutchch in Winter, then you should:

1. Take some woolen clothes
2. Plan your accommodation and book it at least 1 month in advance
3. Hire a well-informed local guide in advance
4. Adapt to the easy going attitude of the locals and the time lenient mentality 

The other fact is that you will find the water of Kutchch much sweet to drink.

In my next blog, you will get information on Morbi district. Of course, the photos will always be there to guide you.

Kuldip

Why I have Started Loving Mumbai’s Local Trains-Part 2

Prelude…

My anticipated and ideal ‘less crowded train’ never arrived during the peak hours, so I pushed myself into the first class of next local which arrived on the platform. It was no less than other compartments in terms of crowd ....just like school children going on a picnic.

Luckily I got inside or rather got pushed myself inside. The scene inside was typical of what you expect from a Mumbai local train. It looked like people of all religions were standing on a piece of land. Not a space to move, yet people were enjoying their daily activities.

People in the Local Train

The people at the doors were enjoying the ‘scenic’ view clinging to the pole or somebody’s shirt. Some lucky people who were sitting by the window had dozed off while their co-seat passengers were fooling around or peeping inside a newspaper of their neighbors. Young students were planning out their day at the college while a birthday was being celebrated in a corner. A cake was distributed among the co-passengers and the strangers.

Wrong Local Train

I asked a person beside me about the time, the train will reach Lower Parel. I was in for a shock as he told me that since it was a fast train, it would not stop at the station and I would have to get down at Dadar. I got talking with him about other things. He told me that he had been travelling in the local train for 5 years now and has rarely been lucky to get a seat.

Songs and fun

I started glancing around. Some guys were sleeping while standing, some people were discussing office politics and the politics of the nation. A group in the corner was singing old songs which made me feel nostalgic, while other people were listening to songs with their earphones, unmindful of their surroundings. I arrived at the Dadar station and I prepared myself to be thrown out of the train.

Dadar Station

Dadar is one of the busiest station of Mumbai. It is a heroic act to catch a train successfully from Dadar station. But I did it anyway and caught another slow local train. Again, I was greeted with a same view, but with more intensity. People inside were fixing share market  orders loudly while others were proudly discussing how they had managed to see Amitabh Bacchan on Sunday at his residence as he came out to wave at his fans.

Regular ‘Officers’

Some regular co passengers always make it a point to book a seat for their colleagues. The compartment inside is either a very silent place except for the timely announcement of the next station and the usual sound of the train, or noisy enough that you cannot hear even your mobile ring. Regular office goers always act as if it is their right to stand at a particular place. I guess, it’s the regular attachment to the local train.

A guy told me that if he would miss this local, he was sure of having a very bad day, even if the next local is always due in 4 or 5 minutes. There were people like me who were just interested to hear others or observe their surroundings.

I had learnt a few things during my last visit to Mumbai, so before my destination, I managed reach the door 2 stations earlier and safely put my foot down at the station. I had ample amount of time to meet my friend, but why take a chance? I again managed a bite of  'Vada Pav’ before I caught a taxi.

I then caught an empty train to Andheri from Lower Parel in the early evening, just before end of the office hours. I stretched my legs on the other seat and took a short nap.

I have observed one thing about Mumbai. Though people tend to be irritating or short-tempered, they always seem to help if assistance is sought. I have been lucky enough not to fall prey to a pick-pocketer or having a bad experience. 

Meeting a Fortunate Man

Some days back, I was late to catch my bus back to home from the office. I was cursing the autowallah and waiting for my next possible ride in a bus or a private car.. all the while angry and sulking. Then I noticed my infrequent fellow traveller who had lost 2 of his legs waiting for a ride without clutches. He was as smiling as ever, talking on his cellphone. A private car came and I sat back inside.

The driver asked me to call the main hero of the story inside. As I called him I noticed that he came inside the car in a matter of only 5 seconds by using his hands as his feet. I was shocked to see this.He not only sat beside me like a normal guy, he even started talking with me...

I learned that he was earning about 14k p.m and was quite happy with his life and did not indulge in any self pity.As is my nature, I did not ask any personal questions to him nor asked him how did he lose his legs, but just kept on listening to him. He got off at the same place with me and gave the fare to the driver despite being not to.

I got to learn one lesson.. never curse yourself and your circumstances.. if you have your full limbs you can do wonders... if not.... you can do more wonders.

Kuldip

Why I have Started Loving Mumbai’s Local Trains-1

It is not often that I go to Mumbai, but it so happens that destiny sends me to Mumbai every 3 years. This February 2014, out of the blue, I had to take a one day leave from my office and catch a train to Mumbai. And how could I not go, for my best friend was leaving for Australia.

Mumbai Calling

The moment I put my foot down on Andheri Station, I could feel that familiar welcome call from the ‘city that never sleeps’. One could also feel the call to step in again to the lifeline of lakhs of citizens of the city-The local train.
I reached Andheri at 5:30 am in early morning, though not so early as per the local life of Mumbai. My brother was there to receive me and take me to his home. But, when anyone enters the city, there is a feeling of urgency in everyone’s feet.

BRTS: Gujarat’s Answer to Mumbai’s Local Trains

So, after I got ready to meet my friend at his home at Lower Parel, I again went to catch the Western lines local train. Suggestion was given to purchase a 1st class ticket as I was not accustomed to crowds in the locals, but little did my kid brother know that I was habituated to travelling in Gujarat’s answer to the local trains-The BRTS of Ahmedabad. The 1st class ticket cost me 65 bucks. As I went to the platform at 8 am, the ‘normal’ routine scene greeted me.

A Normal Day at a Mumbai Railway Platform

I have always enjoyed in local trains irrespective of the stories that are doing the rounds about pick pockets, rude fellow travellers, accidents etc. I have never experienced anyone of them. As, I went to the platform to catch the local to Lower Parel, a familiar sight came into view-People running here and there, office people grabbing a bite of the staple (fast) food of Mumbai-Vada Pav while on the go, Newspapers being read, people desperately getting in and out of the local trains and much more.
And why not, with each train having a waiting time of only 20 to 30 seconds, no one wants to be left behind and be late for office. I was surprised when people actually were hanging in the overly crowded local trains by holding other passenger’s collar near the entrance ( Or closing. It is all the same).

My Experience of People and Local Train

Since I had enough time, I waited for the ‘right local’ to come. I found all types of people at the platform: Marathis, Gujju’s, Marwadis, Sindhi’s and of course the ever intelligent South Indians. People were talking of a recent cricket match, a nearby share market deal was going on, some college boys were discussing projects and new girls in their college and locality, while women were discussing their daily struggles at the office.

My anticipated ideal, less crowded train never arrived during the peak hours, so I pushed myself into the next local which came on the platform in the 1st class, which was no less than other compartments in terms of crowd. The only benefit of travelling in 1st class is you expect to see and actually find decent sophisticated crowd as fellow passengers, who suddenly become just like school children going on a picnic.

My next half hour was very eventful, but more in the second part of the story

A Sudden Journey by Train

Date-27/12/2013. 

Location-Valsad-Mumbai Train.

It is close to 4 months that I last noted down my travel diary here on my laptop. However, I have been regularly noting it down directly on my blog. My company has declared 4 days leave for the last 4 days of December 2013, after making us toil hard last month. I had taken very few leaves for the year and so took my chance in applying one personal leave which got approved by the HR Dept. God bless the H.R  and my team leader.

Ok, so anyhow, I started on my way back to Vadodara from Gandhinagar at 1 pm. The bus came half an hour later and I got ticket up to the railway station. I was eventually going to change the bus to go to the bus station, but destiny thought otherwise and so landed up buying a railway ticket.  I find myself writing on my laptop as I have just crossed the Anand Railway station after boarding the 2 30 train from the Ahmedabad railway station. The current time is 4 30.

It is very very rare that I board a train. as normally a bus is preferred by me, as it is fast in spite of the difference in the fare. I like a comfortable journey at the end of the day, rather than a journey where you are pressurised to do every form of yoga exercise unwillingly.

And I thought that since I have boarded the Mumbai bound train, It will speed up and make me reach Baroda until 4 at least !  Well, it stopped at every small and tiny station on the way for a good 2 mins and for a bad 20 minutes because of some ongoing work on the tracks. What did I do on the way? Well, I slept for a 1.5 hours on a fully empty seat until 2 good ladies came with a kid and demanded to sit on the same berth that your's truly  was sitting. And, the seat in front of me was open for them. Ladies cannot sit quiet for 10 minutes can they? So eventually, I changed not only my seat but also my compartment as well with an oldie for the company who was very quite till I reached my destination.

I would have slept again, but was driven by a desire to do some reading on a busy official day, opened up the book ‘Connect the Dot’s by Rashmi Bansal and started flipping pages. My hand got stuck on a story so have decided to read the story part of Kalyan Varma, a wildlife photographer , who quit a lucrative job at yahoo to follow his heart's passion into wildlife photography and stuff.  Sounds like the right thing for me, though I don’t have a lucrative job like him, I do have a passion or interest in nature photography. My boss would surely not mind if I take some days leave from the company for some days, as he has another excellent senior content writer in his team now.

OK, so back to the train. I start viewing the things going on the tracks and see a rag picker picking out thorns from her chappal-less feet, people sleeping between the pillar spaces near the tracks, where the dogs don’t even care to urinate. I see the usual small children bathing with the hosepipes on the railway tracks and yes, also see a giant mouse between the tracks. I wonder, how do they get so big and also thank Lord Ganesh for not sending this big his vehicle to our home. A deranged person is talking to himself near a platform and smiling at passers by. That is a good thing to do. Nobody expects you to be sane so you can smile back at anyone, even to unknown ladies!  People are talking about politics and the AAP party's future in Delhi. Politics is the favorite time pass of all the people I guess, except me.

I do not know what more to write. So, ending up now. I have just crossed Ranoli and will hopefully reach my home in the next half an hour drinking homemade coffee. Enough of all these 'I's.

The Late Evening Singing aloud on the Road

How often have you heard yourself singing on the road aloud? How often have you sung together with an unknown person? I guess never or too rarely right?

But that is what I did 2 days back when I was coming  back from my job and had shared a taxi going home back to Gandhinagar.

The car owner gave me a lift back home and started playing music CD in his vehicle. Pleasantly he started playing my favourite songs and started singing slowly.. The other passengers in the too joined in and after some time, all started singing in the car to the 'Kalyug' song of 'Aadat' and DDLJ. 

Our voice was so loud that all other vehicle owners would pass by looking at us bewildered. And guess what? At the end of the ride... he did not charge a penny for giving us a ride.. 

That's the joy of travelling alone. You never know who you meet up or expect the unexpected. 

Kulls

A trip to Mahudi.

Have you ever heard of a temple, where the 'prasad' is not allowed to be taken outside the premises but consumed right there? Have you ever heard of a temple,which attracts lakhs of people everyday?

I am talking of Mahudi Temple. This is a famous Jain temple near Gandhinagar on the way to Himmatnagar. My company-LetsNurture had declared leave on Saturday of last month, due to some reason. Being a holiday, I took this wonderful opportunity to visit this wonderful temple.

I started the journey with my parents and uncle. We reached the destination in just about 45 minutes. Being early morning, we did not face heavy traffic.

The temple is known as Mahudi temple. It was built many years ago by acharya Shri Shri Budhhisagarji Maharaj, a Jain saint. To my surprise, I found my boss of my company, Mr Ketan Raval, also there with his family. He was having the famous Sweet of the temple known as 'Sukhdi' made of pure Ghee..

As per the famous legend, devotees are not allowed to take the sweets to their home or outside the premises. After paying respects to the Tirthankars, I started enjoying the Prasad with my family. Gradually, lots of people started coming in and the place became crowded.

We had to leave early, so we went back home. I would surely like to say thanks to my boss, who not only gave us a holiday from our office, but also offered his help to give me a lift in his car.

Kulls

Have we really forgotten to look at nature?

Date 02.08.2013.

I sometimes think if people have forgot their basic nature of living in the real 'Nature' or at least looking at the nature around them. People of course resort to their inner natural tendency, when they resort to violence in the name of protests or when they demand a separate state like Telangana and other states of India.

Speaking of different states, now people are demanding their own state like Gorkhaland, Saurasthra, Kutchch, and what not. They are simply undoing, what Sardar Patel did 60 years ago, by uniting different kingdoms and Raj's.

Sorry, I went off the wrong lane in this blog of my travel diaries. I wanted to write about the nature. Anyways, how many of us people really think to look at nature, in our daily lives? We may think of planting trees once a year, or going to a forest once a year in our busy lives, but have we forgot to really look and appreciate the nature around us and in turn, appreciate that 'inner being' in us, who is looking to jump forward always.

Have we looked at the stars at a clear sky carefully, like we used to? Do we now look at the wonderful animals around us and appreciate them for their usefulness in our daily lives? Not anymore I guess, after the corporate culture set in and sends us home, tired hungry and sleepy.

There are only few people remaining, I guess, who wake up in the middle of the night specially to see meteors falling in the sky or look at the stars and wonder how tiny humanity is, and marvel at nature.

I have an interest in photography and always carry my camera with me when I travel. Yesterday, on my way back from my office, I happened to pass through a wonderful scene on a road. It caught my attention. A calf was drinking milk of its mother cow and the cow was taking utmost care of not disturbing it. It would get angry if any human being stopped nearby fearing for its calf.

How wonderful the scene was! When I started my camera, the cow became cautious and looked at me like I was going to hurt its calf. Motherly love. I quickly captured the scene and left the place.

It would be a better nation to be in or a better world to be in, if all people appreciate nature in their daily lives and contribute in some way

Adeiu,
Kulls

Ahmedabad airport drama

An interesting experience
This is how auto people try to rope in unsuspecting travellers

. Last week, I had gone to Ahmedabad airport to drop off Jiggi Patel my friend, going to Australia. As I came out of the airport, I wanted to take an auto to the bus stand nearby.

2 Autowallah  people approached me, thinking I was a traveler and had just landed down at the airport. The conversation between us....

Kaha jaana hai sahab.
Me: Gandhinagar jaana hai. Drop me to the nearby bus stand
250 Rs Lagenge. beth jao.. 1/2 ghante me pocha denge.
Me: Are you mad? Sorry, I dont want to come
Are sir, give 200 Bucks.. 50 Rs discount
Me: Man, My budget is only 50 Rs... uptil Gandhinagar. Take me or drop it.

What sir, you are at the airport, coming down from a plane and now haggling for a small amount. This is the standard rate of auto wallah people. You wont get less than this anywhere. Ok , lets make it to 150 Bucks and I will drop you off to nearest bus stand.

Me: Who said , I just landed down? I cam here to drop off my friend. I dont even work here. I can at the most give 30 bucks.
And then I started walking out of the airport.

Finally an auto wallah realised that I was only a local guy and offered me my choice of fare. He dropped me off to the nearest bus stand to Gandhinagar.

But this left me thinking, this is how all transport people operate at the airport. You need to be firm with them and be ready to walk off from the deal to get the best deal.

Closing this, I must thank my boss at my office-LetsNurture to allow me to go to airport to see off my friend at such a short notice.

Is there any reason to be wary of drenching in Rain

Date: 27th July

All the year round, people wait anxiously and tirelessly for the rains to come. When the rains do come actually, they get part in getting drenched in rain. But for how long? Hardly twice or thrice. 

I have seen while coming from my office in Ahmadabad, that when it rains, people actually curse the rain after a time. What an irony! First they wait and pray for the rain, then they get drenched in the rain for a day or two and then  the same people curse the rain. 

Due to pressures from my uncle's home in gandhinagar, I take my raincoat with me to office every time, but I remember that in these 2 months of rain, I may have rarely used my raincoat. It is indeed a good thing to get drenched in rain, unless you are going for a job interview, to someone's place or have a delicate tendency to catch cold. 

How wonderful it is to get wet in the rain. You feel your stress, worry and all the troubles in the world get washed away. You don't need to go and freshen up at your home. And the best of all things is that you get to experience the wonders of nature flowing by with green trees and the wonderful scenery passing by.  

I would request everyone to enjoy the rain when they get caught up with it and spend the best days of their life enjoying. After all, they are not going to enjoy the rain once they get old, are they?

Kulls