Matheran - No honking hill station

What can be a better escape on a rainy weekend from Mumbai than Matheran ? Matheran is the only hill station, where vehicles are banned and you can clearly listen the sound of breeze rustling leaves and the sound of the horse shoes.

Yes, you can commute and explore the hills either on your own feet or on a horseback. This is a perfect place for Digital detoxification enjoy on the lap of mother nature.

How to reach : Matheran can be reached by road from Mumbai or Pune via Road or Train with ease.

We decided to take the railways + roadways - You can take a karjat bound train from from CST and get down at Neral. Then either go for toy train ( narrow gauge ) from Neral to Matheran. The toy train is not fully functional during Monsoon season ( from July to September) due to heavy rains. After having some light snacks (vadapav is a must have) at Divdekar food stall at Neral station. Board a shared taxi available at Rs.70/- per person, which shall take you uphill to Dasturi car parking (it is the last point for the vehicles). 

Where To Stay: You can stay in Hotel Cecil, which is a very calm place and fits in budget. Cecil is a heritage building and is about 100 years old.

The rooms are spacious, the toilets are not very well maintained and the food is 9/10. Although they do not serve nov-veg food and alcohol. The rent on a weekend for 1 night was 3000/- for a double occupancy room, which includes all meals.

We booked it through http://www.yatra.com/hotels/hotels-in-matheran/cecil-hotel

What to see : Matheran has about 22 points for tourists listed below. All developed by Britishers.
Important points are Alexander Pt., Rambag Pt, Little Chowk Pt, Big Chowk Pt, One Tree Hill Pt, Belvedere Pt, Olympia Race Course, Lords Pt, Charlotte Lake,Celia Pt (a water fall mouth), Echo Pt., Porcupine Pt (Sun Set Pt), Panorama Point (Sun Rise Pt), Khandala Pt, Madhavji Garden & Point, Matheran Railway Station, Louisa Point, Mayra Point, Pisarnath Temple.

It takes about 3 days to cover all the points and having time constraint we decided to visit only.
Charlotte lake , Echo point and Monkey point. So that we have enough time to click some of the best shots.

Breath taking view from Echo Point

If you want to experience adrenaline rush, you can also try Valley crossing from echo point.
And trust me nothing beats hot maggie and corn ( bhutta) at on the mountains, which is a must have thing.

Its advisable to reach back your resort before it gets dark as the hill terrain is not equipped with street lights.
So to catch up with time, we decided to hire horses, with funny names as hawa hawai and champion, which took us to Hotel Cecil before dusk.

After reaching hotel, nothing can beat hot masala Irani chai with bread butter.

After sound sleep during the night and delicious Morning breakfast and tea we left for Mumbai. Took a Toy train (15 mins journey) from Matheran to Aman Lodge, then shared taxi to Neral and then Local train to Thane and finally back home after experiencing a much needed Digital Detoxification.

Bow Down to the King - Bandhavgarh

Enter the JUNGLE

Last January, we were in Jabalpur - The city of Marble Rocks for a relatives wedding. En-cashing this opportunity and deciding to go on a short vacation and enjoy great family time explore the woods. Katni is a small town having superb railway connectivity. We opted for roadways, taxis are easily available from Jabalpur to Katni. Its about a 3 hours drive on a not so good road. After reaching Katni and taking refreshments we borrowed a car from a family friend and hit the road again to touch our final destination - Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. We are a happy family of four and all travel enthusiasts. The distance between Katni and Reserve is about 50kms but the you have to drive through kachha road from Teori to Bandhavgarh. This stretch is about 25 kms and runs through the jungle. As per the locals, the road is not well maintained to avoid over speeding of the vehicles which might harm wild animals.

Resort

Cold Morning - Safari

The KING

Where to stay: After this bumpy ride, it was a delight to reach our pre booked resort - The Bandhav Vilas. It is a beautiful resort just at the brim of the jungle. We were welcomed with a fresh nimbu pani and a warm towel (to wipe of the fatigue). Mr Vijay Parwar, our resort manager was extremely friendly and had a lot of Jungle tales to narrate. They serve amazing veg and non veg food freshly cooked using organic vegetables procured from the near by villages. The resort too has a small farm. Its endorses a small library which is full of various books on flora and fauna. The resort has a swimming pool and spa to relax and de-stress. We also experienced digital detoxification as there was not much mobile network coverage.
Fare : Rs. 8500/- includes 1 daily jungle safari  and all meals for double occupancy room.

Jungle Safari: After a calm night and sound sleep, we geared up for the early morning safari. the resort served tea and snacks even before the dawn @ 4.30 am. The 4X4 wheel drive gypsy with a driver and a guide was waiting outside the resort. The temperature was 4 degree Celcius and the surrounding had a blanket of fog. We were all set to witness the king of Jungle. As we started off with our journey we could see the varied flora and fauna. Got to see many peacocks, bisen, monkeys, enormous colorful birds and countless dears. But you have to be fateful to witness the King. We wandered across the park in search of the tiger but our dormant fate took a steep turn on our way back to the entrance of the reserve. Oh my God, Screamed my brother - there he is - the giant cat - so elegant as if he wanted to say, " Keep calm and Watch the king walk." We held our nerves when he crossed the pathway to get lost in the wild. It was the scariest yet the most elegant moment of our  lives. We reached back to the resort after the dusk. The sky turned orange to impart us a perfect evening before the infinite stars took charge.

Before the sleep: After enjoying the delicious finger licking dinner we decided to sit around the fire place and beat the chills. Trust me we had one of the best  conversations that night, sipping coffee and popping popcorn, before we dozed off sinking between the soft mattress and warm blanket.

A Roadtrip to Konkan via Heaven!

Did you ever wish to visit heaven prior to death? Yes it is possible and is situated in a very close proximity to Mumbai. I am talking about “Kaas plateau” aka “The valley of flowers.” The Plateau has been recognized as “bio diversity heritage site” by UNESCO. A car, 3 friends, a DSLR, some beer and cool music what else do we need for a road trip! All of us being fresh graduates did not own a car but we hired a selfdriven diesel car from Girikand travels and headed straight to Mumbai-Pune expressway and reached Satara town in about 6 hours. Being a national highway, the roads were smooth and there was no scarcity of eateries. We halted at one of the dhabas to fill our tummies and kept moving. It was an uphill journey from Satara to 1 of the 7 wonders of Maharashtra – The Kaas Plateau. This 22 kms  ghat is not a very tough one to drive on and its full of scenic beauty. As we move close we could see  the blossoms and suddenly it started drizzling making the journey more pleasing. Car parking venue is after you cross the valley of flowers and you have to walk back to the valley. Once we reached there, all we witnessed was an endless carpet of colourful blooms on both sides of the road.  It seemed as if the rainbow has been laid on the ground.

The whole stretch was so refreshing and rejuvenating that for once, we thought of quitting our jobs and blend in the valley forever. It is a surely a paradise for shutterbugs and can be an inspiration for poets and painters. Kaas also endorses a breathtaking aerial view of Shivsagar lake.  The Kaas plateau is known to be home to around 850 varieties of plants of which around 600 are flowering plants and about 40 of which are only found in Kaas. The volcanic soil i.e. rich in natural minerals is the reason for such wide floral diversity. This plateau is surely an ocean of learning for botanists and researchers. Being a weekend it was crowded.

[Note : Do not pluck or disturb the blossoms and walk only on the pathways marked with stones ].

Best time to visit is end august to November.  

Guhagar:

After dumping the idea of quitting jobs and realizing that its getting dark, we hit the road again to reach our final destination- Guhagar. It was about 180 kms drive from Satara via karad and Chiplun.  The roads were not in a good condition throughout the journey and there were some steep ghats, then we reached to the pre booked Nilambari Resort.

Where to stay:

Nilambari Resort- It was a 3 bed non AC room with attached toilet and television.  The resort owner is very friendly and we could bargain and get the fare down to Rs 1000/- from Rs.1500/-. After having typical Konkani poha and tea served at the Resort, we headed to the beach which is about a five minute walk from the resort.

Attractions:

We were awestruck after feeling the smooth white sand on this virgin Guhagar beach. The water was clear and so was the beach. It felt as 3 of us were the only tourists.  After having a dip in the Arabian sea, we headed towards the famous Gopalgarh fort which has great historic significance. It is believed to be built at the start of 16th Century by the Siddis. It was captured by Shivaji Maharah in 1660.

Being one of the most important lighthouses of India, Anjanvel Light house is a must visit. The lighthouse operator explained us the technicalities involved in signaling and controlling the ships. We halted on an unknown and unnamed venue on the hill and facing the Arabia Sea for some time and did not realize when we ended up halting there for hours. The air was the freshest air we have not had inhaled in our lifetime and the breathtaking view was the best ever experienced. The thought of quitting job was dwindling all over again. We enjoyed some late night drinks on the beach in the moonlight and under the sky full of twinkling stars.

Vyadeshwar and Velaneshwar temple:  Both are temples of Lord Shiva and are the Kuladaivat of a lot of Kokanastha Brahmins.

What to eat:

While in Guhagar, one must try Konkani vegetarian food like ukdi chamodak, sol kadi, Bhaves, kokam sharbat and  Thali-pith of Suruchi hotel is a must eat. Konkani sea food is globally recognized for its taste and while in this part of the sub-continent, one cannot afford to miss kalva, mhakala, vaghal, bonbil, kolim, kombadi vade, mori mutton, Ghol, Rawas etc.

Next morning we were all set to hit road and decided to take the road less travelled, where we had to cross dabhol creek on a ferry along with our car, which was a superb experience to reach Ratnagiri. Visited an ancient Chandika Devi Temple to reach Pune via not so easy to drive Tamhini Ghat. The ghat is full of waterfalls and scenic beauty during the monsoon. We drove back to Mumbai with a lifetime experience, much improved bond of friendship and promises for the many more upcoming roadtrips.

Must carry stuff on a roadtrip: Aux cable, cigarette point charger, knife, water, jacket, extra pair of shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen, old newspapers, mat, bedsheet, nail cutter, mug, DSLR, football, snacks,  beach wear and hell lot of great music.

Of the People, By the People and For the People!!

29/12/12

Even the pen is shivering while I am scribbling this. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN IN INDIA?? ?

India – A country with its citizen having high Moral values and Strong Religious believes.

A country where all school kids pledge, “All Indians are my brothers and sisters.” All of us talk have been talking about India Shining since a good long duration now. We have all good modern facilities in our prime cities at least.  Sky scrapers and Metro rails are up and running. World class medical, technical and B- Schools are flourishing here. We have successfully hosted the last edition of common wealth games and we even have an F-1 circuit now a days.

I wonder in a state of shock, what would have gone wrong with the brains of 6 men (Adults and not even mentally retarded) that led them to raping a 23 year old girl?

Aren’t   we known as the largest democracy on the planet?

Yes, Nirbhaya ( Fictious name imparted in honor of the courage she had) was brutally rape by 6 bastards in a bus which kept on wandering around the posh localities of our very own capital city- New Delhi.  When their penises were satisfied / tired, it was a rusty iron rod’s turn to penetrate the vagina. Oh God!

She fought bravely against all odds with commendable optimism and grace but after 13 long days her soul has departed leaving behind many questions still unanswered as –

Who will take care of her family?

Who will give justice to the Nirbhaya’s fearless soul by hanging the 6 bastards till death and by when? Because justice delayed is justice denied.

And Who will take care of all the other women’s security dwelling in this glowing , blooming, blossoming and SHINING INDIA?

-          Our Leaders claim, India will be a developed nation by 2020.

Dear Leaders,

Kindly accept my sincere apologies but I don’t want to be called as a citizen of a developed nation where our women cannot live and roam around freely without having a fear of eve-teasing, hooliganism or being RAPED.

Sincerely,

Citizen

Koi lauta de woh beetey hue din...

This is dedicated to the year, when I was a GET @ Parker Hannifin. pvt ltd.
July 2011- June 2012..

Ab hum Subah conference room mein nahi jaate,

Theek se Akhbaar padhe haftey ho chukey hain,

Dher saari fizool ki  baatein nahi kartey,

Maano Watsapp group ka sahara lagta ho….!!!

Disha (mam) ka intezaar karna maano ab purana ho gaya hai,

Befizool ubaasi lena ab kahan hi ho paata hai,

Aur uspe performance!!  toh maano itihaas ho chala hai…

Naach gaana ab TV pe hi dhek liya kartein hain…..

Facts ab koi nahi batata,

INFACT ab samay kahan hi mil pata hai….

Har baat pe taaliyaan nahi bajti’n….

Maano sab birthday ka intezaar kar rahe  hain….

Bakshi ke maze koi nahi le paata…

Shayad use bhi maza aata hoga!!

Health tips nahi milte ab …

Aur naa hi muft ki healthy cheezein…

Shahrukh ki ninda bhi naa ho pati hai,

Group hug ka maano muhurat nikalna padega.

Chai ka cup nahi girta ab har roz…

Anda bhurji bhi parayi si lagti hai,…

…..ab hame koi BACHHA keh ke ni bulata,

Sayaney ho gaye hain shayad….!!!

Par dil ab bhi naadaan hai……

A contribution from Disha maa’m.

Sach yeh sab mujhe bhi bahut bahut yaad aata hai...

Aur subah ka nashta abb mujhe bada pasand aata hai..

tum sabke intezaar mein aakein tahar si gayi hain mano

Dekho waqt hamein kya kya ehsaas dilaata hai...

AND I AM AN ENGINEER!!!

Every year more than 700 students get into BVP engg college but how many get lucky enough to be called as engineers after being blessed with a Certificate is a big question. I personally got it after 4+1 long but immensely enjoyable years. Yes, the ceremony of 'degree distribution' is officially known as CONVOCATION. It is the time when passouts can relive their college days with the same friends in the same pavements, podium, GS corner, eatouts ( a few being Richie Rich, keshav and raju ki tapri), parties and the  premises. I reached early to the library building but was really surprised to see many more enthusiasts already in the que to get their maroon gown and avoid that BABY PINK one. Post getting my maroon one and wearing it after decoding the way 2 wear it, there were camera flashes all over. Many chaps and chics came hugged, got clicked and kept moving. Groups were becoming larger and larger. Everyone had a grin and a satisfaction about finally becoming what they dreamt off or were forced to a few years back. All old familiar faces and comments like 'abe tu aur mota ho gaya', 'aur koi ni ladki pati', 'raat ka kya scene hai?' And many more. Then we moved towards the pendol in the ground, friends kept on joining and the cameras kept on clicking. Everyone was enjoying themselves to the fullest. The caps flew high and the voices rose in amplitude. After returning back the gown we got the proof of our success. I was nostalgic when I realised the fact that I was probably meeting some of my pals for the last time.
To end this report nothing can be better than the lines -- woh kaisi subah thi khushiyon ka tha safar, sab yaar sang the koi thi na fikar..

Cheers

My Interview for the 1st Job

My journey to the new beginning: "Parker Hannifin"

Procedure

1st there was a written test comprised of 50 MCQs of 1 hour.

Questions included Technical, Quantitative aptitude and General knowledge.

2nd round was G.D. and my group’s topic was Population – A boon or Bane?”

3rd round was Personal Interview in which panels of three officials from company were to Interview the short listed 11 students.

Interview:

Q-1: Hi abhimanyu, You seem to be very naughty,”Bachpan bohot maar khaayi hai ?”

Ans: Yes ma’am.

Q-2: Tell us something about yourself.

Ans: I told everything right from school to final year of B-Tech highlighting the points such as:

House captain, Marketing head, President,Editor, and member of Student’s training and placement council. I guess they were impressed then.

Q-3: What if we post you in Chennai?

Ans: not a problem sir, whether be Chennai, Navi Mumbai or Newyork.

There were a few more questions like Why Parker?

Why your 1st year percentage is so less? etc

Finally 8 out of 11 students were short listed to be interviewed by the Country Head HR on

skype(web cam). Next day we reported at 8:30am and trust me nervousness was in the air.

Q-1: Abhimanyu tell me any 1 achievement of yours?

Ans: I told him everything about the magazine (Prodyogiki) and my

work as PESA president.

Q-2: Where do u see yourself at the age of 45?

Ans: At some managerial post in any reputed firm like yours and moreover I want to be satisfied man like my dad.

Q-3: What does your dad do?

Ans: He is in Govt. Service.

Q-4: You never thought of joining public sector?

Ans: I did but later i realized that in public sector, Promotions come after a longer period of time and I want to grow very quickly.

Q-5: Ask me any question.

Ans: Sir, can I interview you for this year’s magazine. He

said Yes and then I asked him 3 Questions which are included in this magazine.

Results were out and I got my DREAM JOB.