A monsoon drive and 2 chance discoveries



Monsoon is THE month for Maharashtra. It turns the state into a lush green wonderland with places like Lonavala, Khandala etc coming alive with water falls and the hills / Ghats turning into a very bright shade of green. It is only after shifting to Mumbai I realized the love for Monsoon that people can have. I come from Assam, where rains are abundant. I used to love rain when I was younger. I was always fascinated by the sound of falling rain drops on the tin roofs of our "Assam type" houses. I said houses, because all my relatives, grand parents stayed in such Assam type houses. Gradually after moving out of Assam and staying the hostel in Gwalior, and then flats in Delhi I lost that fascination. It's only after staying in Mumbai, I fell in love with rains all over again.








So as the monsoon was bidding adieu for this season, we went out on a small day drive to Igatpuri. My father in law had been to Mumbai many times. But he had never been out of the city during rains to see how amazing the places turn to be. We started very early in the morning. It was not raining when we started. But as soon as we were out of city limits and reaching Shahpur it started to pour. The drive itself was amazing. We stopped at Krishna's Udupi restaurant for an amazing breakfast of fresh idlis, vadas and upma.

The bridge on Vaitarna river

P was at that area few days ago on work. So he lead the way. We entered Vihigaon. Saw the sign board Ashok Dabdaba but we did not head there as to reach the water fall you need to walk downhill for sometime and my father in law was not fit enough for that adventure. Instead we went further towards the bridge on Vaitarna river. It was beautiful. For us city weary souls the quietness that it offered that stroke me the most.

FIL on the bridge on Vaitarna



The main gate at Vipassana Center

Then we drove up on the road for sometime towards Upper Vaitarna. But did not go upto Upper Vaitarna and returned as we wanted to go to Vipassana center at Igatpuri.




We reached the Vipassana center only to come to know that the center was closed for visitors that day. They allowed entry only till the hall. Point to keep in mind every alternate Saturday the center is closed for visitors. It is advisable to check once before you plan on a Saturday. As we were returning after spending about half an hour there; P just asked the security guard at the gate for his suggestion as where we could go to get a clearer view of the mountains. He said "Railway dam". We drove along the railway track asking people the way. Finally we were there at railway dam. I don't know if it has some other name. But the place is breathtakingly beautiful with a clear water body, lush florescent green fields and am amazing view of the hill. Besides that, there was no one else. Only us and so many butterflies.



"Railway Dam"

Father in law was exhausted. So he decided to stay inside the car. I & P sat there for a while soaking in the nature, the silence and the breeze. It was a feeling I cannot put in words. You must experience this to feel that.

While going to Railway dam we had crossed one very interesting looking old church. While coming back we stopped there. P and I opened the closed gate and entered the church premises. There was a small hut but no one came out. A dog came running to welcome us. There was an old cemetery. Peeping though the church window we could make out that it was a functional church.






The grey clouds, rustling of dried leaves, the curved crosses over graves and an old church dated 1892 - it was a perfect setting for some "para normal" activities. P commented " This is what ghost stories are made of ". We have to admit, we were so intrigued by the church and the surrounding. There was a letter box at the entrance of the church. We thought may be in old days, the church also acted as the post office for the village. Stories we would have loved to hear if got a chance.

The old church



Waiting for his master's mail!

Sometimes just wandering may lead you to places you do not find in guide books. The Railway Dam and the old church were such discoveries. This sure hardens my urge to wander even more!

Okra with Curd / Dahiwali Bhindi

Working day dinners are most of the time quick fix. I mostly happen to get the vegetables that are easy to cook and done. But I myself sometimes get bored of having the same simple vegetable the same simple quick fix way. Hence when that "feeling" strikes, I push myself and try something new.


Last night it was Okra or Bhindi. That's not a very favorite vegetable in our kitchen I have to admit. But that's so easy to cook. Last night also happened to be night of the " boredom of same simple vegetable". Hence I thought of trying out Okra with curd / Dahiwali Bhindi. I had heard about that and never tried. A quick help of Shri Google Maharaj and I was inspired enough when I stepped into our kitchen. It's easy too :)


Okra with curd / Dahiwali Bhindi

Ingredients :

Ingredients

250 gm of Okra or Bhindi

One cup of Curd

One Onion - chopped

One Tomato - chopped

One green chilli - finely chopped

Half tea spoon of Turmeric
Half tea spoon of Coriander powder
Half tea spoon of Red chilli powder ( optional)
A pinch of Asafoetida or Hing
Oil to cook
Salt as per taste
Coriander leaves to garnish.






Wash and dry the Okras well. Cut them into medium pieces.
Heat oil in a kadahi. Add the hing and then add chopped onions and fry till translucent. Add the tomato and green chilli now. Fry for 2 minutes and then add the okra pieces. Mix well and cover the lid and let these cook for 5 minutes.


In the mean time, mix the turmeric , coriander powder, red chilli powder with the curd and stir well. After 5 minutes check the okra. These must be half cooked by now. Add the spicy curd mixture and very gently mix everything. Once tender okras may break, hence you need to be gentle. Add salt as per your taste. Again cover the lid and let these cook for another 5 - 6 minutes or till they are done.


Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.


Serve hot with Chapati or Dal - Chawal.

5 Bollywood songs I so love

I admit I have grown up on heavy dose of Bollywood. Such a filmy keeda I was, that now when they show some of those films on TV, I cringe. How could I and how did I, I wonder. But this also meant listening to many songs; good, bad and ugly. And no matter what, I firmly believe that Bollywood offers a song for every occasion in our lives. So here I am looking back and trying to figure out the 5 Bollywood songs that always bring to mind something special.




1. Tere Bina zindegi se koi : This is the very first love "love song" I fell for in my teen years. I mean such poignant lyrics and when I finally saw the complete film " Aandhi" I realized what the song meant by
" Without you I have no complains against life ;
   But without you there is no life either"

2. O Hansini Meri Hansini : Some songs bring with them a beautiful memory. This one sure brings  the wonderful memories of that special one year in Gwalior at the tourism institute. All my batch mates would agree to this. The scorching summer in Gwalior made us sit out in the lawn till the whistle for girls to return to hostel went off. During such sessions one of our batch mate Mohanty  would sing O Hansini and we all would join in. The wide open lawn, the breeze, the night and Mohanty's silky voice; Memories aah memories.

3. ALL the songs of Hero : I am referring to Subhash Ghai's film Hero. I know I know this film has awesome songs. In my earliest memories of road trips in Assam, the album Hero finds a very special place. It was our driver Robin who was more like a family member and still is, would play the songs. We were too young too choose or pick songs to play. Those trips from Golaghat to Jorhat and Sibsagar with the songs of Hero playing still are so fresh in my mind. And everytime I hear "Tu mera jaanu hai" I remember our old Ambassador car, I, my siblings and my parents travelling in all our excitement to our Grannny's place.

4. Mahi ve : Ok this is a very recent addition and for this I have to thank our cab driver from Srinagar to Leh who played this song. Unlike most public transport drivers, he did not play eighties and nineties tragic hindi songs. This song came up at a time when I was slowly falling for the rugged terrains of Ladakh. From the movie " Highway", this song is THE song for the highway for me now. Everytime I hear this song, I feel the road calling out to me to be on it, going somewhere soaking in the changing landscapes!

5. Yeh Dil Deewana : No heart break story attached here. Just that this was the favorite song of one of my favorite teacher in college - RC sir. In fact most of the students just loved him. In our first year of graduation, he taught us Dr. Faustus and Dylan Thomas' "Poem in October". In all honesty after first few classes of English Literature I was so confused that I wanted to change my subject to History. But slowly then the magic of the gems in English literature unfolded and I could make some sense out of it. A major role is played by RC sir. I have no idea how this song became his favourite, but it was and he would never shy away from admitting that.

This list just a tiny drop in the vast ocean of Hindi songs that I love. But these few songs carry a memory with them. Of course there are others too. But they remain my all time favourite.



PS : I have only shared the links to the videos as found on YouTube. All credits to uploaders of these videos.

As I look back

I guess everyone faces this at some point in their lives. That urge to look back, stop and ponder " What if life had a rewind button or what if life offered an eraser?" What if...Yeah; but alas! that's not to be. The drifter and dreamer I am and now getting nearer to the age when chances of mid -life crisis are more; this stopping and looking back is happening more than before.

The curves of life

Every time I go to the mountains, I feel small. The majestic mountains make me realize how small we actually are. These enormous ancient mountains; standing tall with their head held high like some grand old men ( okay women too). They have seen many ups and downs; season changes, landscape changes! We think, now that we have managed to cut roads through them and now that we can reach on top of them; we have conquered them. But alas! that's again not to be. Mother Nature sure knows how to get even. And when she does, we all know what happens.


My last trip to the mountains was to Leh. I and my other half P; travelled by road from Srinagar to Leh and back. Believe you me when I say this is a road trip which can have a deep effect on your soul. As the green meadows of Sonamarg ends and the mighty Zoji La Pass begins, you realize what you have got into. Those narrow broken roads, constant eyes on the road, one wrong turn and you know what may happen. From Srinagar we had hired a cab. The jovial driver Ghulam singing and talking from the moment we got into his cab in Srinagar; suddenly gone all serious and was concentrating on the roads and only on the roads. There were other cars and bikes coming in between regular intervals. But mostly there were army vehicles. As we crossed the Zoji la and continued with our journey to Kargil and then to Leh by the super smooth and well maintained NH1, we realized that's what life is. We at times come across such hurdles and some are as mighty as the Zoji la pass. But the way Ghulam and many others like him make sure that his vehicle and his passengers cross the pass safe and sound and reach their destination; we also have to make sure we come out from such situations with our head held high. That's one Vantage Point in my life which I will never forget. Same was reiterated while returning from Leh to Srinagar. That time we took a shared cab and the cab started from Leh market at 5pm and we were crossing Zoji la at 1.30am! The scary pass looked even scarier at that hour. But thanks to our expert driver; we reached Srinagar in one piece. But deep down inside me ,something changed from that trip. Whenever faced with some hurdle in life now; I try and think of those 2 drivers who cross so many passes everyday ferrying people and they emerge victorious. That makes me believe I too will pass and continue with my journey ahead.




That trip itself provided me with the chance to ponder and look back from a really high Vantage Point;I mean literally. We stopped many times during the trip. One such was near Namik La. Looking down to the winding roads that we have crossed and the curves that we are yet to cross made me realize that's what my life is at that point. I have crossed many winding roads and curves and now standing at  that point of life where I can look back and ponder at those roads and then look forward to the roads coming ahead too. Life does not offer a rewind button nor an eraser. We make mistakes, we fall down but life sure helps in getting up and moving ahead. And that's what I am looking forward to. Life is not all smooth like the surface of NH1 nor it is always only the rough and tough narrow passages. It's a journey mixed of everything. As someone rightly said " When life throws lemons at you make lemonade out of it." Your call actually, Lemonade or Tequila shots.

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

How I fell in love with Kashmir

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact moment. May be when I first landed in beautiful Srinagar and was welcomed by that chill in the air or may be even before that, when my co passenger offered me his window seat. Not to forget all those glimpses that Bollywood offered. Whatever be the reason, I admit I am smitten by this beautiful state of India - Jammu & Kashmir. Jammu has a family connection now with my sister married there. Srinagar and other part of the state always fascinated me. Last year when I finally landed in Leh, I fell in love with it even more. That's a different story; but for now let me look back when and how I fell in love with Kashmir.

Dal

It was during the Good Friday long weekend  in 2012 that I first landed in Srinagar. Jammu I had been before many times. But that was my very first visit to Kashmir. All thanks to Prim, who is another Kashmir fan and a veteran in the travel business, asked me to join her on a trip to Srinagar during the Tulip season. Thus I was on my way to my first trip to the beautiful Srinagar. But as luck would have it, both of us got different rows and I got a middle seat. The passenger next to me in the window seat was sleeping throughout the flight. It was only when the captain announced that we had begun our descend to Srinagar, he woke up. From whatever I could manage to see from my seat, I could see snow clad mountains at a distance and yellow paddy, small cottage type houses. He noticed me trying to see through the window and asked " First time to Srinagar?" I said " Yes". He very generously offered me his seat so that I could have my first glimpse of the valley from the sky. When I protested; he said " I insist and welcome to my beautiful valley." The patches of yellow paddy down, villages scattered around, snow clad mountains at far and a warm gesture of Kashmiri hospitality 35,000 feet above ground - I was falling in love with Kashmir.

The Tulips

My first trip to Kashmir was, as I mentioned before, to see the Tulip Garden. This one is Asia's largest Tulip Garden. On the foothills of Zabarwan Hills and near the famous Dal Lake, this tulip garden is sure a must visit at least once. It opens only during the month of April, when the tulips are in full bloom. The tulip garden is a complete riot of colours. It is as if God himself has spread acres of colourful flower carpets to welcome one and all to the valley. I had my first cup of Kashmiri Kehwa (the fragrant Kashmiri tea) there. And then there are the other royal gardens in Srinagar - Nishad Bagh, Botanical Garden, Chashme Shahi, Mughal gardens etc. All are very well maintained and worth a visit. In one of my later trips, I and my other half, spent a whole day moving from one garden to another completely at the mercy of the Auto driver we hired for the day. That day we did full touristy stuff. That's another story. But trust me if anyone is in Kashmir during April, please make sure you go and see the Tulip garden once. You will not regret.

The Bulb

My first visit to Srinagar meant my first ever tryst with Kashmiri cuisine too and for a foodie like me, Kashmir is heaven.  My first meal in Srinagar was at Ah Doo's , an iconic restaurant in the city. It started in 1918 and still going strong. For the first time in my life I tasted Tabak Maaz which is Kashmiri fried Lamb ribs. The Roghan Josh never tasted so spectacular and not to mention Kashmiri Phirni. I loved every morsel. In the evening we had a "light" dinner of many varieties of kababs with Kashmiri naan in a small place where locals were eating. Next day we had been to Gulmarg. There we made the customary stop at Tangmarg for breakfast of piping hot maggi, bread omelette and tea. I am talking about 2012, maggi was still a part of our lives! On our way back from Gulmarg we again stopped at Tangmarg for lunch. This time we had Kashmiri Biriyani. That simple no fancy restaurant served such amazing biriyani that I and my friend both were floored. In my later visits, I relished that most succulent and flavourful Goshtaba at Khyber Himalayan Resort in Gulmarg. But by then I was already a fan of Kashmiri cuisine.
It will be really unfair if I don't mention about the invitation for dinner at a Kashmiri household. Prim had been to Kashmir many times and she has many friends there. One of the families invited us for dinner and served us chicken saagwala with homemade naans. This chicken dish was unlike any Chicken Saagwala that I had before. This was simple, yet there was something very rustic about it and I could still smell the aroma as type the words in my keypad!


My first trip to Srinagar was a short one. But when I was coming back I already knew that this short trip was just the beginning of a much longer fascination. Since then, I had been to Kashmir 3 more times and still has all the plans to go again and again.

Through the flight window!