Trail Encounters - Riding in the Aravalli Range

Anubhav suddenly slowed down on the rough trail, whispering softly indicating the sight of Neel Gian and the Deers, just ahead of him. I haven't seen the wild goat, standing tall and handsome, so closely earlier in these trails, as i pulled the breaks to my cycle. It was there for quite some time, and then suddenly disappeared in the wilderness of the Aravalli's.

Just before this rare sight, we had fixed punctures in both the tyre tubes of my bike, curtesy the wide spread of Kikar on the undulating terrain. Thanks to Ram and Anubhav for the help and we were done with the job in just 10 minutes.

Further ahead, towards the lost lake, was a ramp with the steep incline. On a combination of 1 & 1, pedalling uphill was quite a test for the lungs and also the muscles. Overlooking the forest, enveloped by the small mountain ranges from the three sides, we stayed for a while on the top of the ramp.

We soaked in the fresh air as we pedalled hard to ascent another ramp, about a mile ahead. it was time to fix another 2 punctures- one each for Ram and Anubhav's bike. It was a good opportunity for me to deliver on what i learnt a few minutes back and we quickly fixed another set of spoiled wheel.

Yesterday i poured my hear out in scribbling what i fantasise about cycling in the mountains. I guess, its impression lasted till today morning and i was out with my bike and helmet as soon as the fog showed some sign of clearance. The breeze was cold and the sun trying to peep out of the foggy clouds.


Dhuddhu and Jaskaran gave a pleasant surprise as i met Sunil at Ghata T point. It was Sunil's  first official ride and his face was radiating with enthusiasm. Nandini and Dippy were to join as we climbed the Ghata Hill point and raced on the GFR. We scattered at the chotey lal tea stall and i headed towards CRPF.

The sun was out and smiling by now and the ride was completely absorbing.

Met Ram and Anubhav on the way back, who were heading for an off road ride. I got lured and dropped the thought of heading back home and joined them.There were patches, with rumble and stones, where we escaped the fall while descending with the speed. Fixing the punctured tubes added fun to the unplanned adventure. After more than an hour and a half of off roading, full of excitement, the bikes were back to kiss the tarred road.

Five hours of a todays unplanned ride was a wonderful getaway, just like a fresh breath of air.

Empower the blind - get your Visiting Cards Braille Enabled

What is a Braille-enabled visiting card ?
Braille-enabled visiting cards are your standard visiting cards with a special feature - your name is embossed in Braille

 

How is this done?
The blind person uses the Brailler Printer to emboss your name on the visiting cards.
The brailling is done on your existing set of cards. There is no need to reprint your cards at all. 

How do you Contribute? 
The brailling is done for rupees 2 per card. So, for a box of 100 cards, you pay Rs 200 to the blind person for the job. 

This is a unique and innovative way of creating employment for the blind. As you pay directly to the blind for the job work, this is not an act of charity. 

Why your contributions are important?
By this you are helping the visually challenged to gain employment, to be self reliant.
The braille enabled visiting cards, once shared by you, will help spread the sensitivity towards the blind.

Empower the blind
If you find the concept of Braille Enabled Visiting Cards meaningful, share a box of your visiting cards to be braille enabled by the blind. 
Join hands to spread the sensitivity towards the visually challenged.

The Men Who Killed Gandhi

"The Men Who Killed Gandhi" by Manohar Malgonkar - asides to the sketch on assassination of Mahatama, the first chapter of the book reveals some interesting facts on Partition and how the key brand ambassadors of Hindu Mahasabha (the only political party) fell prey to Jinnah's formula on creating a new country-Pakistan. How weak leadership and postponing of the critical decisions can lead to crisis, violence impacting the lives of million is reflected in first 25 pages only. Nehru's comment " to the cutting off of the head to get rid of the headache" looks like a mockery to the helplessness of many refugees who where pry to the communal violence. It seemed that the crisis did not exist at all. Seems, if they had not allowed themselves to be held back by their own / Governer Generals ideology, the massacre of countless innocent people would certainly have been prevented, maybe the division also!! 

Colours This DiVali

Someone, who objects to spelling Diwali with a W shared this. Says it should be DiVali instead and explains why.

It has become a practice not to spell DiVali correctly and you must have picked it up what's on the internet.

In Hindi/Devanagri script there is no “W” sound, it’s a “V” sound. So the correct spelling in English from a Hindi sound is DiVali not DiWali.

All Hindi words are with “V” – MadhaVan, Vishnu, Veda, Verma, Vijay, “vapas”, “vahan”, “vishvas” “vo”, etc. Hindi does not have a “W” sound of “Wo”

Please correct your vocabulary and encourage your friends to start writing "Divali", and not "Diwali"

Interesting :-)

A Walk in the Clouds - Triund and Indrahara Pass

On a cold winter morning of 26th Oct, there was not a whiff of wind at Triund. As i glanced out of my tent, the silver lines marked the series of tall standing peaks of Dhauladhar Range.

On one side was the equally modest sun spreading its golden glow; to the other, above in the grey wintry light, loomed the black rock walls and fault lines of the Himalayas. Further below still, through steep slopes of Cedar and Deodar, and below the slowly circling eagles, was the foggy floor of the Kangra Valley. The Valley appeared like a green and brown checkered pattern, highlighting a clutter of small towns and villages with colored roof tops.

I stepped out for a stroll to embrace the meadows of Triund, at the level of the clouds, wishing for a small corner, my own space, under the open sky.

Trek to Indrahara Pass was the best suited option to be explored in 4 days. I was super excited for this was going to be my first solo trek with no / random planning. But, how could Deepti let me have all the fun alone, and she decided to join meJ. We decided to drive down, a 4X4 wheel drive in her brand new Yeti against the original plan to travel by Volvo.

We left Delhi, early morning at 4:30. It was a cold evening in Mcleodganj as we checked in to our hotel. The Tibetan Monks and the foreigners, mostly Israelis, peppered the lanes of Mclodganj - residence in exile of Dalai Lama. We met our guide Ranjeet in the evening and planned for the next 2 days to be spent up in the mountains.

Trek Started from Galu Devi (2130m) at Dharamkot. After a 3.5 hours of comfortable walk through the a mixed forest of oak and rhododendron, we were up in Triund (2975m).Triund is a forest protected land with Forest Rest House as the only permanent structure. Ranjeet's father is a care taker of this rest house since last 22 years. We had an option to stay in the rest house, but we opted for camping.

Post lunch at the rest house, me and Ranjeet went up till snowline (3300 mts). Both the Pir Panjal and The Great Himalayan ranges are visible from the top. Snowline’s majestic views include the peaks of Mun(4610m), Slab(4570m),Rifle Horn and Arthur’s Seat.

Original plan was to camp at Snowline and trek to Indrahara Pass (4375m) the next day. As Deepti wasn’t keeping well, we touched the clouds at Snowline to descend back to camp at Triund. By the time we reached our campsite, sun had set. Over dinner, we decided to return to Meclodganj the next day morning, leaving Indrahara Pass for the next visit. Temperature was dropping rapidly outside as we slipped in our sleeping bags in the warm and snug space of our tent.

Mcleodganj, the Tibet settlement above the Kangra Valley and the dusty planes of Punjab, is a miniature Tibet outside Tibet. The Monks, with wide leathery face, broad shoulders and an air of calm and dignity wore enveloping maroon robes. We explored the lanes of mini Tibet, visited Bhagsunag and the Dalai Lama Temple after descending, on the evening of next day.

“Violence may be justified by our scriptures in certain circumstances, but anger and hatred, are always forbidden" is a famous Tibetan Belief. Promoting this, late in the evening, were seen hundreds of people, across all the religions, peacefully protesting and marching in solidarity, in memory of a Tibetan Monk who self- immolated to protest against the violence spread by China.

Next day, was the time, to say good bye to the mysterious city of Meclodganj. We left at around 8 am and swiftly steered our way to Palampur for a small halt. Drive through the tea gardens along the foothills of the Himalayas was quite scenic. Next halt was at Anantpur Sahib. The Gurdawara was well lit at around 7 pm and the environment was very serene and peaceful.

It was exactly 1 hour past midnight, when we reached home. I kept thinking, all through the night, about the remarkable journey, fresh and absorbing air of the mountains offering lovely views, having met some of the incredible people who eat,sleep and live simple and uncomplicated life. I was feeling almost invincible,thinking about my next visit to Dharamshala to underline the unfinished task - Indrahara Pass

Lets Walk

This one was with "Lets Walk Gurgaon" - Bhondsi Ashram Walk- 9/11/2010

Imagine you sneak out at 4:30 hrs. out of the comfort zone, lace your trekkers, sling your camera, carry some water and step out of the condominium leaving one guard snoring at the entrance and answering the other on "why so early....hope no emergency??" This has become a routine for last couple of days, having attended 6 walks with some recently made "happy go lucky" dosts on the paths less traveled.

Imagine you sneak out at 4:30 hrs. out of the comfort zone, lace your trekkers, sling your camera, carry some water and step out of the condominium leaving one guard snoring at the entrance and answering the other on "why so early....hope no emergency??" This has become a routine for last couple of days, having attended 6 walks with some recently made "happy go lucky" dosts on the paths less traveled.

The air is fresh with no signs of pollution, habitation is low to force you think different, different than your high occupied life, terrain is undefined, different shades of green fascinates you as much as the sky depicts its true colors. The timing seems odd but the weather perfect. It was drizzling in patches, sometimes it pours so heavily. You don't actually look out for shade as this is the best you deserve to start your day.

The air is fresh with no signs of pollution, habitation is low to force you think different, different than your high occupied life, terrain is undefined, different shades of green fascinates you as much as the sky depicts its true colors. The timing seems odd but the weather perfect. It was drizzling in patches, sometimes it pours so heavily. You don't actually look out for shade as this is the best you deserve to start your day.

Many times we had stepped literally in the middle of nowhere in some of the walks. But the excitement to be there surpasses the mere thought on the consequence of reaching late at work. The best of the best was the Wednesday Walk, no it was the Saturday walk...hmm it’s so difficult to pick one. Seems as if you are on a vacation, seldom you forget when you started.

Many times we had stepped literally in the middle of nowhere in some of the walks. But the excitement to be there surpasses the mere thought on the consequence of reaching late at work. The best of the best was the Wednesday Walk, no it was the Saturday walk...hmm it’s so difficult to pick one. Seems as if you are on a vacation, seldom you forget when you started.

It’s hard to believe that the Condominium City has so much to offer. The recent one is "the Bhondsi Ashram Walk". Unbelievable but true, the trek we took is just 5 km’s away from the place i stay. So close and undiscovered. To keep the sanity intact, we parked 5 cars at vatika city, the groups meeting point and squeezed comfortably in rest of the 5. The drive was beautiful while we crossed the CRPF camp on our right. We were not the only few; the security force had already started their regime.

It’s hard to believe that the Condominium City has so much to offer. The recent one is "the Bhondsi Ashram Walk". Unbelievable but true, the trek we took is just 5 km’s away from the place i stay. So close and undiscovered. To keep the sanity intact, we parked 5 cars at vatika city, the groups meeting point and squeezed comfortably in rest of the 5. The drive was beautiful while we crossed the CRPF camp on our right. We were not the only few; the security force had already started their regime.

We headed the un-treaded path after the cars were safely parked. It drizzled as we ascended a small hill. The thick trees across the path joined hands/heads and gave a good cover. It wasn't dark now, the mist and the fog was streaming through the branches as if we were walking in the clouds. The first impression was WOW, awesome, unbelievable, amazing, deadly....as i overheard from a few. This came naturally, no adulteration in thoughts. The path was green, rich green with yellow wild flowers inviting to walk further. The path was defined hence the chances of getting lost was minimal. Mimi silently and softly kept reminding the group to maintain silence. Her attire, neck time and collar imprinted on her round neck top, added the impression of a leader talking sense. In silence one could hear the birds chirping, woodpeckers tapping for their breakfast and peacocks mewing.

We headed the un-treaded path after the cars were safely parked. It drizzled as we ascended a small hill. The thick trees across the path joined hands/heads and gave a good cover. It wasn't dark now, the mist and the fog was streaming through the branches as if we were walking in the clouds. The first impression was WOW, awesome, unbelievable, amazing, deadly....as i overheard from a few. This came naturally, no adulteration in thoughts. The path was green, rich green with yellow wild flowers inviting to walk further. The path was defined hence the chances of getting lost was minimal. Mimi silently and softly kept reminding the group to maintain silence. Her attire, neck time and collar imprinted on her round neck top, added the impression of a leader talking sense. In silence one could hear the birds chirping, woodpeckers tapping for their breakfast and peacocks mewing.
There was not a human settlement en route, just a machan popping out of the thick green valley. The birds spotted our caravan. We circumvented the valley and were awe-struck to see the beautiful lake as we descended. The water was still, fog and mist bordered the water body, the reflection of a huge banyan tree was unmatched. Nature had some surprise in store for us, and it poured, it poured heavily as if the cloud had burst. Umbrellas and snacks popped out of the bags and the cameras went inside. A few turned around and smiled for a shot with the lake at the background.

There was not a human settlement en route, just a machan popping out of the thick green valley. The birds spotted our caravan. We circumvented the valley and were awe-struck to see the beautiful lake as we descended. The water was still, fog and mist bordered the water body, the reflection of a huge banyan tree was unmatched. Nature had some surprise in store for us, and it poured, it poured heavily as if the cloud had burst. Umbrellas and snacks popped out of the bags and the cameras went inside. A few turned around and smiled for a shot with the lake at the background.
Not wanting to, but we moved ahead wanting to get lost in the valley. The entire stretch refreshed my memories of my first trek to the Valley of Flowers. The rain stopped, the clouds dispersed as we went up and down the hill till we reached the Ashram. Temple hopping, beautiful havan kund/sthal, Mata ke darshan and hot halwe ka prasad was like an icing on the cake. Some of the walkers returned back from this point and some stayed back to enjoy Chaaj and Chai. We rode back to return again. The 7-8 km’s trek was not so exhaustive, until i hit the sack after a nice warm shower.

Not wanting to, but we moved ahead wanting to get lost in the valley. The entire stretch refreshed my memories of my first trek to the Valley of Flowers. The rain stopped, the clouds dispersed as we went up and down the hill till we reached the Ashram. Temple hopping, beautiful havan kund/sthal, Mata ke darshan and hot halwe ka prasad was like an icing on the cake. Some of the walkers returned back from this point and some stayed back to enjoy Chaaj and Chai. We rode back to return again. The 7-8 km’s trek was not so exhaustive, until i hit the sack after a nice warm shower.

Cycle Wali

The weekend of 18th-20th Aug was long awaited as i had plans to visit Uttranchal with a friend. The visit was planned to explore the place for some investments and spend some time with the locals to understand their idea of community living and self-sustainable projects (objectives of Shikshantar).The time was too short to wrap up so many things in one visit, but i was highly optimistic and excited about this trip. The weather was perfect to be in the hills and it was pouring on and off. But my dear friend was too occupied with work that the trip did not kick off.

The corporate refugee was too restless to spend the long awaited holidays in Gurgaon and Nandini's plan to cycle to Alwar at the eleventh hour came as a big respite. It was on Friday afternoon, that i switched my mind from the hills of Uttranchal to the Aravalis of Rajasthan. Everything happened so sudden, and we left for Alwar the very next day at 5:45 am

Dad was feeling not so great about this new adventure. His reaction was quite usual and normal. He accommodated and I got the permission to go :-)

We took the NH-8, cycled through Dharuvera and Bhiwadi before we hit the toll road leading to Alwar. The entire route before the toll road was choked with trafffic. We spent almost 4 hours in the high traffic zone, unable to speed up. The heat was picking up and so was humidity as we crossed the border. We were 65 km's short of Alwar when we took our first halt to refill the water bottles.

The toll road was welcoming and we thought of speeding up but the hot and extremely humid weather was pulling us down. There was hardly any tree/shade en route, though there were fields with green vegetation, primarily cotton, on both the sides of the road. We stopped at the 65km mark, then at 80. The 80-100 km stretch was tough and 100-120 km was a killer.

Post 80km, our halts were frequent. We interacted with the local villagers. They were welcoming and nice and inquisitive on why are we on cycles and not using public transport for such a long distance. The passersby slowed down and discussed us, our colorful attire, bright helmet and the super bikes

Tiredness was piling up because of humidity. Sun was bright and shining and finally, at 120 km mark, we gave up and kicked our bikes, refusing to pedal further :-)

Courtesy Lt Col Rajesh, we had our accommodation arranged in the Army Cantonment. The Tijara regiment's mess was a huge palace. In fact it was the hunting lodge of the King of Alwar at some point of time, and was very tastefully done. By the time we reached there, it was 3 pm. The happy but tired souls rested for a while before hogging the exotic lunch. Weather outside was warm and humid in the evening too. We were tired and lazy to venture out. Another round of meal and i went to my room to hit the sack again.

It was a lazy morning. I got up early, but in no mood to make an effort to slip out of the bed. My I pod playing all-time favorite - Gulzar and Jagjit Singh. Post breakfast, we left for the site seeing. Sprawling across a wide expanse, Siliserh Lake is located within the forested incline of the Aravalis. The boat ride was quite refreshing. The lake forms the backdrop of Siliserh Palace and is bordered by number of domed cenotaphs. After spending an hour and a half, it was time for temple hopping. On the hilltop was a fort like structure and a temple by the side. We met Digambar Jain Muni here who was busy attending the fan / followers.

Lunch was arranged in the Mess. We had Maggie in the evening before we walked to the 8 Jat Regiment's mess where Rajesh had to meet one of his school alumni. It was around 3 km of walk and we were sweating badly because of the warm and humid weather. The walk was in the forest area which was dimly lit. The army officer was from Kangra and was happy to receive the guests. He treated us with mangoes, yummy mangoes, and juicy mangoes. After spending some time with him, we got dropped back to our campsite and had dinner. I wasn't hungry at all but forced 2 chapattis with Amul butter as it was important to park carbohydrates for tomorrow’s ride. In the desert were chocolate pastries which could not be refused. We got the air pressure checked and made our bikes ready to hit the road, the next day.

I packed my bag and went to bed to wake up early. I think i was too tired to get some sound sleep and was up and ready by 5. Forced 1 liter of water, a slice of bread and a banana post the natures call. I just hate to eat / stuff early morning. We thanked the staff for taking good care of us and started pedaling at 5:35 am.

It was a pleasant morning, unlike our onward journey. Return journey was planned through a different route, which was more scenic and less crowded. First stop was at Ramgarh. The road was nicely tarred, with lush green fields by the sides of the road. We saw a few migratory birds as Dove and Blue throttled Indian, and some with no identification. Our first chai stop was at 40 km. We again stopped at Naya Gaon, about a km ahead, for Dal ki Kachori's with aloo ki subzi and lahsun ki chutney. We could not refuse to taste the freshly baked milk cake. Simply irresistible :-)

The weather was supportive and we were fresh and energetic to enjoy the ride. We were heading towards Mewat, a small town thickly populated with Muslim community. It was Eid and the lanes were crowded with men in white attire. We could hardly see women on the roads. Trucks full of Muslims were approaching Mewat, as we crossed it. The locals could not resist passing comments. Someone shouted “cycle wali” and some referred us as “firang”. We appeared as the highlighters on the white board. We decided to speed up, pedaled hard and crossed the most notorious and high on crime city of Rajasthan.

Next stop was to be Nuhn. We were feeling fresh even after 80 km of riding and unwilling to stop as it started raining. We pedaled in the rain and slipped in the taxi after completing a 100km mark ahead of Nuhn.

Completely tanned, i was back home by 1:30 pm. A warm hug from Adit got me a smile and took away all the tiredness.

Thank you, Nandini, Rajesh for such a wonderful getaway.

The Joy of Sharing

I guess it started in 2008, when i exchanged business card with someone travelling from Bangalore. His visiting card had his name embossed in braille. I learnt that he himself did it, and there was a purpose behind it.

First and foremost was to share his learning with the visually challenged by teaching them braille.

Later, facilitate them to earn their livelihood by creating avenues. Creating avenue was important as the possibility of earning a livelihood in the organized sector is very low for the visually challenged. A simple and innovative act of getting the visiting cards braille enabled helped the blind to earn his living.

The unusual act drew my attention and initiated a spark of sensitivity towards the less/not sighted. And here, i think, the third purpose was also met.

Since then I was keen to learn braille and contribute to the cause, not knowing how. The blind schools in Delhi could not help me on this front. One day, my eyes stopped on this post on Face Book “want to learn braille” and i ensured that i will not let go the long awaited opportunity. 

Here, i met Nidhi, the crusader behind an NGO – Esha, people for the blind. Learning braille was quick, in less than 20 minutes, and in just one session.  

I also realized how a small act of “training a blind on braille” can empower him to be self-reliant. It can help the blind earn as high as Rs 35,200 per month.  You want to know how?

The Time and Motion study suggests that for 1 box of 100 cards, a blind person takes 1 hour to emboss an individual’s name by braille. In return he earns Rs 200.

So, in a month of 22 working days, with 8 working hours each, he can braille enable 800 cards/ day or 17,600 cards / month.

Provided he gets 8 boxes of cards every day, he can earn Rs 1600/day and Rs 35,200/month at a charge of Rs 2/card.

Through Esha, i got introduced to Athnas. Athnas is partially blind, a college student, and uses his knowledge of braille to earn his tution fees. His monthly earning is about Rs 2000, which largely depends on the quantum of cards/labels he gets for braille enabling.

I alongwith some of my friends are now his repeate clients. An entrepreneur friend of mine is now thinking of supporting him under the CSR initiaitive of his organisation by getting the entire lot of visiting cards and door labels braille enabled through him.

On the flip side, the biggest challenge i see in this model is sustainability. Even the mass getting benefited through this act is a big question mark. Will people really find it relevant to get their visiting cards braille enabled?

However, all these questions don’t stop me in contributing and spreading the word.

In case you too want to experience how small acts reap big benefits, send a box of your visiting cards to be braille enabled. You will surely experience the joy of sharing.