Jannat-e-Kashmir

The fortnight before our vacation gave us several anxious moments. After several catch ups with the news at ground zero, the media articles, travel fora, social media posts, et all, we decided to take the plunge and go ahead as scheduled with our summer vacation to Kashmir. We were happy to have stayed put with the itinerary and could never have felt more reassured.

A Shikhara boat along the Dal Lake

Srinagar, the Summer capital, was the first halt of the trip. The capital city with its ever expansive, lush green lawns and gardens and with the Tulips and Roses in full bloom was such a sight to behold. Locals who were extremely warm and hospitable left no stone unturned to ensure that we felt safe and at home. The stay at the famous Houseboats in the Dal lake and a view of the mountains would definitely make one look at the city from a different vantage point beyond all those bullets and stone pelting incidents and unrest that it has been known for. The energetic and vibrant local markets, serene lake side, well-manicured gardens and parks were all just perfect for a fun, family vacation. We could see so many lovely kids on their summer vacation having such a ball at the humungous gardens that the city boasts. My little Tsunami was no different too and all that she did was run around all those never-ending Greens tirelessly. This is truly one blessing that urban households can never give the kids.

River Sindh flowing across the mountain ranges at Sonamarg

Sonamarg, a day trip from Srinagar, was our first ever tryst with Snow in our life and was an absolute delight. We were indeed super-thrilled. For visitors from Chennai and Mumbai with the scorching sun in full heat mode, the snow peaked mountains and heaps of welcoming snow with pleasantly sunny skies was just what we wanted. We tried our hand at Sledging in the snow and had absolute fun. The mountain was teeming with tourists from across all parts of India. Names of destinations like Kargil, Dras and Uri in the sign boards of the Highway that we had only heard about through the media gave us goosebumps.

Snow peaked mountains

Gulmarg, the next destination on the cards, was simply magnificent. The weather was harsh with sub-zero temperatures and an unprecedented chill. The cable car Gondola ride atop the mountain ranges gave us a bird’s eye view of the entire Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas and those numerous pine trees covered in snow. Situated in thick, dense forests, the destination is one amongst the top most skiing destinations of the world and is the highest in Asia.

Pahalgam, the Valley of Shepherds, is about 3 hours away from Srinagar and is the starting point for the annual Amarnath Yatra. The Lidder River which flows through the town is mighty and gushing in full force. Once there, the Betaab and Aru valleys, with astounding views of the snow-capped mountainous, were totally another world altogether. Ponies are a common sight in these valleys and are the most favored mode of transport. It’s a quaint, leisurely town that encourages life to be slowed down to relish the silence and the outstanding views that the valley offers.

End of the day, it was an extremely gratifying trip. Rivers like Jhelum and Sindh that we had hitherto read about only in text books, were all in full flow, live and kicking, right before us. As Indians with a rich heritage, the history associated with these mighty rivers and these destinations makes our hearts swell in pride. Kashmir is inarguably one of the most beautiful places that we had ever been to and lives up every bit to its tag of “Paradise on Earth” in the truest sense of it.

Go Green

'Discover the unknown' has been our travel moto for quite sometime now. True to our stated objective, the Husband and I decided to bring in my birthday weekend in a destination which had less of the ‘Human beings’ variety and more of other living beings. So much to celebrate me turning a year older (& wiser :P).  Our search led us to Tarpa (Save Farms) which was primarily the choice due to its proximity from Mumbai.

At just about 2 hours (90 kms) away from Mumbai, lies the clean, green and serene Save Farms. 

Unripe Nutmeg

For want of better words, I would put it as 30 acres of pure bliss. Nature lovers would be definitely pleased to see so much of greenery across their 30 acre farm with its countless varieties of plants. 

The place is also apt for school/college students looking for interesting nature-related projects. 

Figs

Mutation Farming

The highlight of this agri-tourism destination is the passion that the Save Brothers (Mr. Prabhakar Save and Mr. Anil Save) have towards agriculture and their commitment towards eco-conservational initiatives. 

Betel Leaf Creeper

Their knowledge about the Flora around was quite evident too, with their impressive narration about the umpteen varieties of plants around right from the medicinal ones, the spices and herbs, the crotons, the home-grown vegetables and the like. To top it all, we were floored by the yummy and sweet-like-honey Gholvad Chikoos that make this locality famous across the globe. One bite is all it took to be convinced that they deserve every bit of the global acclaim.

Fern Leaves

They have awesome tree-houses (“Machans”) and cottages which lend a quaint feel to the entire place. The entire location is so peaceful that the only noises you hear are those of birds' chirping, hens' cooing and that of the hush wind.

Raw Papayas

Food was amazing and was customised and served fresh and hot. The entire home-stay like experience was memorable thanks to the fantastic hospitality of the Save brothers and their amazing staff over there.

As it was my birthday weekend getaway, it was very thoughtful and sweet on their part to gift me a nice coffee mug filled with fragrant flowers which seemed like they had bloomed that day only to wish me a very Happy Birthday :) . Well, indeed, it was a truly memorable one!

So, if you are looking for a place away from all the hustle-bustle around you but lazy enough to travel too far, you don’t have to look beyond this one.

Say Cheese!!

It was one of the most awaited tours that I was looking forward to knock off my list. And I should say, it was more than well worth the wait. The day trip to Manchar yet again brought out the adventurists in us as we, after a couple of starting troubles,  got all set to embark on what was one supremely interesting trip.

After the 4 hour long drive from Mumbai, the day tour was structured as two-fold: a visit to the Dairy Farm followed by a visit to Asia's largest cheese factory. Post a sumptuous lunch atop a hill, we visited the Bhagyalakshmi Dairy Farm. The entire farm was founded by Mr. Devendra Shah, a Gujarati Jain. The guy obviously loves his cows quite much - it was apparent from the way the farm, containing 3000 cows (1000 milking cows), all of the Finnish Holstein-Friesian breed, is maintained. They have automated Rotary Parlors for milking the cows. Its a farm that has mechanized the whole milking process and in turn maximized quality and hygiene of the produce. Each of the cows is identified with a biometric tag hung around her neck which traces back the cow's historical details since its birth. The systemic manner in which they maintain all the details about the cows - about her medical history, output capacity, choice of music, etc. - is on par with some of the best record keeping standards. The focus on cleanliness is obvious - there are well laid out detailed cleaning procedures, exclusive cow free-gazing areas with brushes on the walls to rub themselves against itching. Vaccines and other treatments are provided at periodic intervals for the cattle as part of their regular health check-up. They even have Chilling Sheds during peak summer to reduce the temperature. These cows apparently listen to Classical music, Jazz/Rock bands and FM with equal interest.

What's also interesting is the way in which they take care of the little ones. The day old to month old calves are maintained in a separate section which is off the tourists' reach, primarily owing to their lower immunity levels soon after their birth. They are maintained in a far more secure environment and the new borns are fed with the Colostrum within a few hours of their birth and sufficient mothers' milk during the initial few months to ensure adequate protection from anti-bodies. They are also very clear about the place being a strict no-no for Slaughters, even after the cows' death.

Now for some statistics - the farm has an overall capacity of about 1 lakh litres per day with some of the exceptional ones singly yielding about 40 to 50 litres per day. True to their maxim of  "Minimal human effort, maximum milk produce", the USP of the place is the pure milk that is given to customers without human touch directly ( they call it the "Cow to Customer" Concept). Of course all this comes at a premium and the milk output from here is sold at Rs. 70 a litre (under the "Pride of Cows" brand), making it slightly out of reach for the masses (admittedly, their customers.

Next on course was the cheese factory visit. True to its stature of being Asia's largest, the factory of Gowardhan was a gastronomic feast to the eyes and the taste buds, capable enough to melt even the  hard hearted. The child in us came out as we were taken through the entire process right from standardization and culturing the milk, cutting it to separate the why from the milk solids (Curds), draining, pressing and curing it. The plant has an overall output capacity of approx. 10 lakh litres per day. The snacks laid out at the end of a day was a sumptuous end to an interesting day and the gift hampers containing samples of several varieties of cheese ensured that we gush about it every single day while we gorge on our Cheese Sandwiches and bask in their memories for a long, long time.

Go, Gowardhan!

Turkish Delights

True to my yearning to discover newer corners of the world, the destination for LFC Trip 2012 was decided as Turkey, the Eurasian country. After all, not often during our travel research, do we (‘V’&‘I’) come across regions with so many unheard of names. 

Our week long trip began with a day’s halt at Istanbul, the economic capital of the land. And what a start it turned out to be. Istanbul being a transcontinental city – you could cruise from the European side of the city to the Asian side in about half an hour – has a perfect cultural mix of both the races. Nestled between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea, it is a charming city with a rich cultural history dating back to 660 BC during the Byzantine empire. The present version of the city is a witness of the several invasions and civilisations that it has seen from the ancient Persians, Athenians, Romans to the more recent Ottomans. Some interesting attractions like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Museum, the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar, combined with a Mediterranean weather and food made it a perfect start for the holiday.

Next on course was Ankara, the political capital. It was a brief stay here with respects paid to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Father of modern Turkey, at the Anitkabir Mausoleum, before proceeding on to the more interesting Cappadocia.  The drive to Cappadocia was, by itself, a feast to the eyes with some mind-boggling landscapes and vast expanses en-route.

This destination, Cappadocia, is a pre-historic natural wonder situated in the eastern Anatolian region of Turkey. It is a hilly region with several volcanic peaks containing remnants of ancient settlements dating back to the pre-Hellenistic era (Persians, Hittites, Greeks) followed by the Armenians during the Byzantine era. The place is a living example of several under-ground cities used by early Christians as hiding places before Christianity became an accepted religion. These settlements/ under-ground cities were basically houses and churches with ventilation chimneys, abbeys, water-wells, wine production places, etc., that were carved out of the several volcanic rocks of all shapes and sizes in the region.  A visit to such ancient settlements only makes us wonder the evolution of civilisations offering us all the comforts that we are blessed with in our modern societies.

Before we thought we had, perhaps, covered the most exceptional place of the tour, came Pamukkale, our next halt.

Pamukkale (“Cotton Castle” in Turkish) is a city with several hot water springs and travertines of mineral deposits, particularly lime-stone, formed by a process of precipitation of such carbonate mineral deposits. This text book definition apart, the place is akin to one huge spa with several geo-thermal springs with medicinal properties, making it look like fluffy heaps of cotton. Hence, the name ‘Cotton Castle’ or ‘Cotton Fortress’, as is known in the tourist circuit. Unarguably, our 2 day stay here was the most relaxing of the week-long holiday. This white-castle region is situated at the top of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Hierapolis which is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre by itself with several ancient ruins of the city whose other attractions include a huge amphitheatre and the Cleopatra swimming pool.

After yet another series of ‘Wows’ of the awe-struck beauty, we resumed our journey to visit the next wonder that was probably the most familiar of the names in the itinerary.

Aphrodisias is the city named after Aphrodite, the Greek god of love, with the chief attractions here being the Temple of Aphrodite (which is presently in ruins) and the Stadium. 

The Stadium, measuring approx. 890 ft. by 200 ft., is one of the best preserved and largest, ancient architectural structures in the Mediterranean and was used for athletic events and Roman style gladiatorial games, until it was destroyed by an earthquake.  

From here, we proceeded to the coastal, port-town of Kusadasi located on the sea-side Aegan coast of Turkey.  It had the perfect resort-town kind of a feel to it with a bird’s eye view of a few Greek islands en route. This was the halt town from where we visited Ephesus, the last destination of our tour.

Ephesus is, again, an ancient, classical Greco-Roman city with a history dating back to 1^st Century BC. Located in the province of Izmir, a beach coastal town, the City is most famous for the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was a structure built and dedicated to Artemis, the Greek goddess, and is in ruins now after a series of building, re-building and eventual destruction. The ruins of the Library of Celsus and the huge, open air amphitheatre which was again used for Roman style gladiatorial combats were amazing sights to behold for a life time. 

By the time we were done visiting all these unheard of places and got ready to get back to Istanbul to catch the flight back home, we were still left in a state of amazement, marvelling at the very thoughts of all those jaw-dropping places that we had been to.

In addition to the Lokum and Baklava (“Turkish Delights”/Desserts) we picked up for folks back home and the souvenirs to keep our memories of the trip evergreen, these are some of the most different experiences I was fascinated by, during the tour:-

• Experienced Hailstones for the first time in my life
• Covered two continents within a gap of half an hour
• Survived only on fresh Mediterranean fruits for days together
• Saw day-light brightness till about 8 pm
• Visited never heard of terrains like a city full of rock formations, travertines and mineral    deposits
• Visited a city in ruins (with a promise to visit Hampi, the ruined Indian city, next)
• Went to a building that has been both a church and a mosque in the past, and is neither now (Hagia Sophia).

Indeed, Turkey, is as exotic as it can get and a land of contrasts. It truly bridges the Eastern & the Western world. 

Malaysia......Truly Asia!!

Kuala Lumpur – a city that has been in my bucket list for long; got to knock it off my list, thanks to a Conference that I was nominated for by my organisation.  And a trip all by myself (I was the sole nominee) meant it was time to wake up the nomad in me. During my short stay of about 5 days, I managed to do quite a bit of hopping on and off (literally so), at most of the city-attractions, indulged in some culinary treats from Saravana Bhavan/Sangeetha’s and also experience the local Malay arts and crafts at Pasar Seni – all this entirely through their immaculately maintained rail networks. Living in Mumbai, I had almost forgotten to realise what it was like to have a useable public transport system; so, that left me impressing over their infrastructure and the way the Malays had maintained their city in such a tourist-friendly manner.

Of course, a critical difference between Mumbai and KL that was pointed out to me during my short stay, are the levels of safety, more so for solo-women travellers. Again, living in Mumbai, I should be forgiven for assuming ‘safe place to return back to the hotel late nights’ as a taken-for-granted parameter. Apparently, I was incorrect. Some of my conversations with locals revealed some truly scary recent instances of how infamous the city was owing to bag/chain snatchers, robbers and human-traffickers, even in heart-of-the-city locations. While such instances are common across almost all countries including India, even the thought of such occurrences in a foreign land can be treacherous.

However, what struck me most was not the magnificence of the twin towers or the Batu Murugan temple; nor the spot-on monorail and LRT rail networks; nor the co-existence of greenery and infrastructural developments; nor the omnipresent sky scrapers that could cause neck sprains, but a short conversation with a couple of local Malay Tamilians about their life in general and the prevailing under-current of local Malays Vs Tamils that seemed to be boiling below the surface of what seemed to be a smooth co-existence of various ethnic groups and races. It was sad to hear stories of physical abuses and tortures that the Tamils had mentioned that they were subjected to and the apparent inequalities in job opportunities between the two races, both being Malay ‘Citizens’. As a local put it in the vernacular language – “இலங்கையில ஒரேயடியா செத்தோம்; இங்க கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமா செத்துக்கிட்டு இருக்கோம்”. (“It was genocide at one go, in Srilanka – it is gradual out here!”). Curiously, since the Tamil race had settled in the Malay region generations ago, they have even lost out on the right to call any other country their own and do not have any roots in India which could help them come back freely from a state of unhappy existence. While I am no expert on the history of Malay Tamils, ethnic clashes and racial discrimination in a bustling mega-metropolis that could easily be ranked in the top 5 in Asia if not the world, only makes one wonder what could be a real meaning of ‘modernism’ - is it those trillion dollar investments that make it what it is today or is it a smooth acceptance of racial differences by citizens and the Govt. alike. In a way, it is a lesson to several of us, including yours truly, who migrate looking for greener pastures elsewhere far from our homelands instead of creating economic opportunities and developing our respective origins.

Vibrant streets and culture, never-ending night markets, commonly seen rich-poor divide,   cosmopolitan crowd (China town, Little India...),  a fascination for the West - Indeed, KL stands for many things “truly Asia”!

A Guide to Social Networking Etiquettes

A recent market research on the trends in leveraging social networking for marketing by corporates emphasised the power of Generation S and how it had made email (Generation E) look so passé. After all, you now have one platform where Gen E can not only mail but also several other things under the sun.

As someone who took up to social networking at its stages of infancy and seen it the way as its evolved today, these could be few tricks of the trade which can help you hold your own in the virtual world:-

• Never hang up a chat session abruptly without bidding bye – Online chat is as good as a f2f chat and need not necessarily be discourteous.
• Say BRB, only if you really mean it.
• Never tag people in pics without their consent – after all, even a monkey would want to be well dressed out if its parading before a group of friends :P
• Never add your boss to your network – u don’t want to be caught holidaying whilst your leave application says u r unwell!
• Never over do the acronyms part – the world was not created knowing words like ROFLMAO, IKWYM, CWTCU, etc..and they do not form part of the  Oxford English Dictionary as well. And, hey, it is NOT COOL.
• Yes, there are Sister’s Week, Brother’s Week, Son’s Week, Daughter’s Week, even Daughters-in-Law’s Week. And yes, there are Cancer Patients Week. I am fairly successful in being a good daughter/sister. I am also fairly sensitive towards patients who are struck with such fatal diseases and prefer doing my bit discreetly. I know of several of my friends who do so, too. Please do not bombard our walls reminding us of these. Do your bit without proclaiming the same to the world.
• If you are copy pasting, please acknowledge. Do not plagiarise.
• If you use it purely for tp ing....err, time passing, do so only with people who have spare time to pass, don’t bother the busy ones unless they too have the time to pass!!..;)
• Wish even those friends whose birthdays do not come as standard alerts through FB/ Google Calendar – Now, THAT would really mean something!

                                                        ******

P.S. : Sorry SK, the 4^th point is not meant for u, and no I do not employ this particular trick...:D! 

சென்னையில் நான்....

மொட்டை மாடியில் விடியர் காலையில், முருகன் கோவில் மணி ......

'The Hindu' வின் செய்திகள் மற்றும் Metro Plus.......

அம்மா தரும் பில்ட்டர் காபி .....

ரேடியோ மிர்ச்சி RJக்களின் விடிகாலை வெட்டி மொக்கை :p.....

அதில் வரும் சூப்பர் சூப்பரான 1980s இளையராஜா பாடல்கள்....(முக்கியமா 'நீங்க நான் ராஜா சார்' நிகழ்ச்சி...)

எனது scootyயில் விர்ர்ரென்று பறக்கும் பொழுது உணரும் பறவை போன்ற அந்த சுதந்திரம்.....

கல்லூரி நண்பர்களுடன் Coffee worldடிலும் Qwikysசிலும் மற்ற பல பல coffee shopகளிலும்  பொழுது கழிக்கும் தருணங்கள்....... 

நான் வாழ்ந்த வளர்ந்த இடங்களையும் தெருக்களையும் கடைகளையும் வாஞ்சையுடன் சென்று பார்க்கும் ஆவல்....

கபாலீஸ்வரரையும் பார்த்தசாரதியையும் சென்று வணங்கி அருகிலுள்ள உலகே மெச்சும் Marina கடற்கரையில் காலாற செல்லும் வேளைகள்....

விடிய விடிய அம்மாவுடனும் தங்கையுடனும் அடிக்கும் அரட்டை கச்சேரி...... 

விமானத்திலிருந்து இறங்கியது முதல் திரும்பி போகின்ற அந்த நொடி வரை என் சொந்த ஊர் காற்றை சுவாசத்தில் உள்ளேந்தி தேக்கி வைக்க எண்ணும் என் உள்ளம்....

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.......இவை அத்தனையும் கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாகவும் திடமாகவும் எனக்கு நினைவுப்படுத்தின, ......என் வாழ்வில் நான் எதை சாதிக்க எதை இழக்கிறேன் என்று......!