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.

Better follow ONION

27^th Aug 2011 , 12 PM to 1 PM – 36000 feet above sea level.

Here I am, on board flight to Mumbai. Thanks to Parker Hannifin Corporation for giving me an opportunity to tour across 3 prime cities of India.

Travelling across – The first destination was Chennai – capital of Tamil Nadu. There I couldn’t find anyone in a state of peace (be it mental or physical). Everyone was chasing some or the other task. The rush on the roads resembled to something what would have happened in Jallianwala bagh some decades back. No one spoke Hindi (The national language). The skin color was a few shades darker. The religious beliefs were different and so was the way of worshipping. Having a conservative mind was still an “in thing” there as locating females after dusk was quite difficult. The food looked and tasted differently. Every dish had a flavor of coconut, tamarind and “It.” With enormous memories (sweet, sour & some with a tinge of “It”), I left for Hyderabad.

Hyderabad – The deccan capital of India. The roads were clean and wide – sufficient to make you fall in love with Hyderabad. No one was in a rush. Almost everyone conversed in Hindi pretty well though the local language was Telugu. The “conservative mind psychology” dropped to a decent level as I could see girls wearing trendy outfits. The newspaper with the maximum circulation was – The Deccan Herald whereas in Chennai it was “The Hindu.” The staple food was a thicker version of rice. The amount of spices and masala was increased to an extent that eyes and nose started running as soon as I had my 1^st bite. But from sambhar to biryani, “Its” presence could be easily felt.

The concluding destination was The National Capital- dilwalon ka sheher – Dilli. Delhi can be easily crowned as “the liveliest city of India.” The airport was insanely huge that it seemed to be a city in itself. The roads were clean-broad and as smooth as a mink quilt. I could hear the vibrant Hindi from all directions. An immense increment in the no. of Gurudwaras could be easily noticed whereas in Hyderabad the number of Mosques was dominant. Sikhs were easily seen and Punjabi could be heared loud and clear. The conservativeness was dropped down drastically as the length of denims was cut short to hot pants.

Core apologies to Shri Anna Hazare (Who is on a hunger strike for the noble cause of eradicating corruption) but Delhi is famous for its cuisine which primarily comprises of paneer, butter, chicken, a thinner version of rice than that found in southern India. Being in Delhi you can’t afford to miss Paranthe  and chaat (I think I should stop now because this list can encircle the globe at least once) .

Throughout the tour I tasted n varieties of food, “It” was everywhere – standing proudly with a pumped up chest. While on my way back I realized that, “we might be divided by RELIGION but will always be united by ONION (It).”

NOTE—THE ABOVE CONTENT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYONE IN PERSON. SO, PLEASE SMILE AFTER READING AND SAVE THIS DOC IF YOU LIKE IT. CHEERSSS

The Princess woke up early

31^st sept.-2010

900hrs dawn, sound of rain could penetrate the ears easily, which was realised whenever ‘his’ eyes opened while sleeping. Yes, HE was sleeping but not alone. Few words were exchanged between the 2 mates on bed, which could never be recalled after gaining senses. 
“He” doesn’t remember when he fell asleep last night after the clocked ticked 2:00am. The mates confronted a fight/quarrel/shouts/thunder and storms with heavy rains from all the 3 sides i.e. the clouds outside and the eyes (2*2) inside the window.

The eyes which wept in the dark, though slept in the same blanket with cloths ON probably for the 1^st time (neglecting the unfavourable times of illness).

(After the eyelids were closed and the senses were lost, the two love struck were still in touch – “which could be only sensed by the tactile sensors installed free of cost when you are bitten by the love bug.” HE entangled the mate in his arms , kisses were exchanged on neck, cheeks, chin, nose, forehead, ears and every exposed part of the two Insleep mates.)

Alarm sound was heard by HE, who pushed the snooze button and the mate simultaneously but mate couldn’t wakeup. Alarm roared again but still the senses couldn’t be regained. Finally, after uncountable and unremembered attempts one of the two mates woke up and emerged back from the romantic, touchy, dreamy world to the real world of collecting “the times of India” from the door step, attending the call of nature, splashing water on face, etc, etc.

The other mate (still in sleep) could hear the sound of triggering the gas lighter, noise of water being poured into some metallic container. The nostrils could sense some smell too, whereas the closed eyelids were kept constant.

The bedroom's door was opened and the insleep mate judged  it by the creeping sound produced by the door hinges. The blanket was removed in the most romantic way one could imagine. A kiss was pecked on the forehead but still-closed-eyelids demanded for two more. This desire was fulfilled too.

The sound of water being poured into..., which was heard some minutes ago, was transformed into the best possible tea. This was the best morning one could ever dream of as HE enjoyed the best BEDTEA full of love, feelings, emotions, dreams of being, staying, and loving  each other forever and ever only because “the Princess woke up early.”