CONtext

Was reading newspaper came across the words: common man, ordinary people. Just struck me, who then are the uncommon and extraordinary people?  What is uncommon about them?  What actions of theirs are so extraordinary? Politician – no, most of them cheat, steal, lie. Actors/celebs: nope again. Lies, fake, deceitful. Businessman- maybe, some are good and progressive. What is about the guy sitting next to you on the train, the vegetable vendor, the old man buying vegetables from him? What makes them so ordinary and common?  I can come to only one conclusion, if IPL Chairman Lalit Modi, 2G Raja, Reddy brothers, and the likes of Pappu Yadav, Rakhi Sawant, are the uncommon extraordinary people according to media, the people who give the meaning to words like deceit, fake, extortionist, murderers. I am happy to be ordinary and common in this CONtext.  

Sticky Notes

This is a note to self…hmmm maybe some sort of reminder, more than a blog entry. I started this blog, when ever that was to keep track of some of my journeys both with in and with out. Like a marker along the way (da….. obvious ). These are not turning points, needn’t even be important events. These are a record of events I enjoyed, experiences that moved me, simple joys of life and a record of things I have read. Yes this is a travel blog describing a different kind of journey. One most of us rarely take. Through the catacombs of thoughts, through green valleys through what ever life decided to throw at me and more importantly what ever I decide to embark on. These might not be coherent but then again what is? In all these years if there is one thing I have learnt and internalized then it is that ‘the only true worthwhile pursuit in life is the pursuit of life itself’

Praveen

An eternal roar

The story of Raja and Rani is not just a tribute to the couple themselves, but also the many forest guards involved in giving them their space to mate for life. No, I am not using crude terminology. I actually do mean "mate" because this is the story of the only tiger pair we have heard of that has mated for life. The villagers of the Melghat Tiger Reserve, who had never seen the two apart, always knew when the pair had walked past, the inter-twined pug marks, a result of the way they gently rubbed past each other as they walked, were always a clear give-away. It was no surprise then that the one who watched over them, intended to bury them together whenever the fateful day came.

There came a time when the villagers realized that the pair had not been spotted for almost a year. Not even the romantic tangled prints that had become their identity could be traced. About the same time a pair of tiger skins was confiscated in raid some where in North India. On further interrogation it was found out that the skins were of a pair of tigers from Melghat jungle. Those skins were the remains Raja and Rani. A shooter, hired for Rs. 500; a trap setter, hired for Rs. 50; a person to watch the trap, hired for Rs. 5 all led to a women, hired for Rs. 1500, to wrap the skins round her waist, don a Burqa and transport them to a wealthy woman who paid Rs. 15 Lakhs for the skins of a pair that had mated for life. They were all arrested.

On hearing this news the distraught Mr.Barde, a forest guard to whom Raja and Rani were more then just a pair of animals, interrogated the perpetrators to find the location of the killing. On hearing that the remains of the tigers were scattered through out the mountain side to avoid detection, he traced back the location and spent the next few months looking for every remaining bone. Their bones were brought back and buried together for eternity, their pug marks never to be found again. He in his own way paid back to his beloved Raja and Rani.

On seeing the depth of emotions involved in this incident one of the perpetrator committed suicide in the same jungle.

With all the NGOs claiming to work with animals and the various government departments that are formed, we forget (as we often do) that the true heroes lie at the grass root levels. They are the true inspiration to all those with a passion for wildlife and should be on a pedestal right up there above all else.

This story is the legacy of people like Barde who are still out there. Working beyond the call of their duty, working to protect and save the last few remaining tigers. Living in inhospitable conditions and taking it all in the stride. In spite of people like Barde toiling out there, if the tiger ever goes extinct, due to our insatiable greed, on that day I would have lost all hope on human race.

Raja and Rani, their corporeal form might have been lost for ever but still somewhere in the deep jungles of Melghat in the heart of this country, if we listen closely we might still hear their roar.

Maansi & Praveen

Gawilgarh Fort, Chikhaldara

Gawilgarh Fort, Chikhaldara – untouched, barely visited, teeming with life and, sadly, unkempt. Bears, leopards, langoors, water birds, migratory birds – they’re all there.Visiting it forces you to wonder how grand it must have been in all its glory, albeit in vain, because it’s near-impossible to fathom just how marvellous a fort that stretches over four mounds of the Melghat Ghats could possibly have been. With picturesque ponds, beautiful gardens, and walls proudly displaying some of the most exquisite carvings, which are some of what remains in the ruins of the Gawilgarh Fort, it is a sin to miss or ignore as a tourist attraction, and even more so to ignore it as a rich wildlife habitat.
With a little help in predator-prey population building and cordoning off the fort from domestic grazing, the remnants would be the perfect place for the conservation of the Vidharba region’s history as well as bio-diversity, and, owing to the remains of the mosque that still stands in the midst of this architectural marvel, a bit of religious conservation as well.
Unfortunately there is no full history recorded of the Gawilgarh Fort. Or at least, none that was within reach to us. It is only known that it has a Mahabharata reference, as it is the place where Bhima killed the evil Keechak. Chikhaldara, the hill station that houses the Fort, was first named Keechakdara and was renamed Chikhaldara in the later years.
All in all, a fort ruin with what remains of its flawless architecture and carvings, it’s abundant flora and fauna and the largest Canon we have ever laid eyes on (that can just as easily shoot a human being out at your enemies), deserves the attention, appreciation and respect it doubtless received when it had all its walls standing, it’s royal tapestries hanging and it’s flags flying high.
However, if someone does decide to indulge in the mental picture of how it looked in its day, they would have no reference to check how close to reality their minds managed to wander. Gawilgarh deserves to have its history known, its remaining walls restored, and its land explored as a living, breathing witness to all that it has seen and the stories it still stands to tell.
Time for some facts
Things to remember before you get there. This is place is vast and is empty. Its better to take some precautionary measures before you get there. Hiring a guide would be ideal but they can get expensive. Its better to do all the required hiring at the hotel. We stayed at Harshawardhan Resort; nice quaint place, true to their words has a homely ambiance. The food here is spicy, very spicy please remember to tell them to go easy on the mirch. If you are planning on a long day it’s advisable to pack food from the hotel. The Hotel Gawilgadh near the namesake Fort serves good food. The surprising thing we noticed was that the food is cheap, price-wise I mean.
Some hotels have adventure activities as part of their itinerary. We are not sure of the safety measures and the quality of the trainer and equipment. Please carry lots of water and a cap. Winters are very cold so warm clothing is a must.
Please do not ask the local folk including the hotel ones distances to any place. They can be misleading. The supposedly two minute hike took us a solid 45 min to complete, and the lovely two-level Jatradoh Falls we wanted to visit that was recorded at a distance of 4 kms from the hotel turned out to be approximately 10 kms in reality.
The most comfortable way to get to Chikhaldara is to hire a car, which will save you the trouble of catching a state transport bus and will also help in moving around within Chikhaldara. If you are out to rough it then the State Transport bus is the sure way to start. Board a bus at the Amravati bus stop and get off at the Paratwada one. From there you have the option of either changing buses and getting into another one that goes to Chikhaldara, or going 10 minutes away from the bus stand to the taxi stand and hiring a shared cab to Chikhaldara. The bus and the taxi cost the same, in case your’s is a budgeted trip and needs to be planned accordingly.
If you stay at the Harshwardan Resort like we did, the buses and taxis stop right outside it. If not, the hotels are nonetheless not too much of a walk from the main bus stop. Information on all the hotels and rest houses are available easily on the internet and bookings can be done over the phone and confirmed by making a payment via bank transfer.Planning and executing a trip to Chikhaldara is most simple and, when you reach there you will know this is true, most rewarding!


Praveen and Maansi

; - ]

imagine there was this man some one willing to face it all for wat it is, willing to experiment, but not with his sanity , well this might come close to that. someone not standing at the end of any thing no tradition weighing down on him.someone who will be the bridge to the dawn. Where we see each other as the way we see god. live life at the heighest level with no one forced to live for anything or anyone. we are not some random events in probability, not a concoction of chemicals programmed to function in a particular way due to random events. we are evolving with a purpose towards a direction we are yet to behold.... this man will be able to show all those willing to see the direction.... iam happy coz i can recognize him when i c him. it cud be any one of us, but the time for the change is here .now its time for the wheel of time to weave around those few of us you are willing to make this change... these are not profetic words nether are they some rumbling of a mad man..... mad yes but not rumblings..... for mad is a beautiful word. we stand at this threshold... how beautiful it would be....... when we were to realize the heaven we talk bout and read is right here in everyone of us and around us. i guess thats wat alchemist do find gold in everything and everywhere. and that we are part of everything that is around us...... and the connection running thru all of us is love. sounds esoteric :) true but sometimes ppl need more than the truth they need their faith answered........ :) batman is rite.......

Time

The wheel have started rolling..... can feel it in my gut . time weaves our life as time wishes... but for a few people time bends to accommodate them.... just for a few of them... where destiny and fate is but a choice a choice they are willing to make... all of us are learning to play this game... losing and winning.... but here with every loss you gain an experience which prepares us for the next round in a way ever loss is a win like the yin and the yang. why i am writing this i dont know.... like i am painting with words without knowing what i am painting... letting the hand decide the strokes.... the mind off.... letting it flow like jungle stream... incoherent set of thoughts...... puncuated by my mom asking me to eat every now and then...... i guess i gotta go now to eat...
:)

wild-life

Walking tall mane glistening

one with the arrow grass

the assegai rattles at my sight

I am not made to be broken

and be shackled I will not

they trying to tame me

make me one of them

a life of right and wrongs

lead by fear and guilt

finding my way through it

I am reaching the other side

it is not easy I never claimed it was

but finest it is with each passing moment

to live life as a king

a king not of countries not of states

but of life itself,

waiting for my lioness

to walk with me to break these cages

to live life as it is meant to be