InTO tHE MYstERiOUs MoUNtAiNs

Some span of time gets imprinted in memory without a replay button

All we do is revisit the memory lane with a smile & goose bumps

It all started like a Journey rich beyond dreams

The initial thrill to be on time, the speculation about teammates

The initial DJ, to crazy ride on bus top & the pain in the a**,

The first sight of snow clad peak shining bright in moonlit sky

& the thrill within to conquer it over the time

The first steep climb, the breathlessness, the pushing up hard

All got tougher owing to the continuous laugh

There was intoxication in the air that made every moment too precious to be missed

The rush in the chilling cold to watch the 1^st ray of sun to singing aloud to the setting sun

To lay down shivering on the cold exterior & watch the consortium of stars twinkling all over

There is a beauty in watching them appear, making shapes, tracing them fall

Till the moon overpowers & protect them from the unsatisfying eyes of the earthly beings

The sound of whispers of water from beyond the fog covered valleys

The walk through the trees breaking the silent secrets of the jungle

To the sight of mountains half covered with forest & the never ending meadows there after

The 1^st camp sight, the bonfire, the initial struggle with sleeping mats

Later it became the comfortable Grey tent, with a hanging torch, 3 spoons & random chit chat

Ofcourse the tough gets tougher unless you have friends motivating each other

Diverting focus with random poses & selfies; talking about unachievable toofani passion

The final climb, the late start, the passion & the foolishness all reflecting a mixed emotion

No words can justify the beauty of the landscape that unfolded as we moved up far above the cloud

Ofcourse the serenity & peace will remain within me

More than that, I earned few moments, bonds, laughs, craziness mixed with the beauty of Roopkund

The perfect combination that gave me a lifetime of memories to smile upon

sTOp fOR tHe wORld, fOR wHAt It's WoRTh !!

A simple act of kindness brought me closer to myself

There is a beauty in reflecting upon oneself in silence & leisure

Some indiscriminate thoughts pour into my pool of thoughtlessness

Things done undone that I always wanted to do

Vision of happy idealistic world & creativity all around

I am no different from all of us

True that we are all dedicated people, with complete dedication to our work

Yeah we give our time & effort in blind desperation to advance in the boundless sea

Trying to ride or build the most creative ship that will sustain the might waves

But sustain to do what?? Do we ever ponder upon the ultimate purpose?

In the holy houses we fold our hands;

We beg for luxury & in return pledge to perform our obligation

Stop & read into the eyes of the creator, it’s not in need our obligation

It’s the intention that matters, the source of all our action with dedication

I agree that there is always a tiny urge within all of us to give back

But multiple chores of life take our attention & we procrastinate to ourselves

But I guess the concept is simple, it either NOW or NEVER

STOP FOR THE WORLD, FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH.......

Imperfection is brilliant !!

Imperfection is brilliant!!

It gives freedom to traverse the perfection’s mysterious paths

In our vague attempt to be one, we evolve in our perception

How do I build a perfect ‘me’ when the supreme couldn’t build a perfect ‘it’

I believe it’s the imperfection in one which led to split of perception

To the point of selling religion in the presumptuous ambience of sacred houses

Perfection is just the vacant truth in the eyes of critics along which we benchmark ourselves

So let loose your silent lies & appreciate your futile attempt to be perfect

Hold a mirror & look beyond the reflection of your lustful eyes

& smile at the perfection of your flaws

Coz that grants you a reason to stare at your reflection again....

Varanasi - A beautiful story in itself

Varanasi, previously known as Kashi, is a city as old as time standing by the river Ganges. The holy ‘City of Light’ shines bright during its evening Aarti at the ghats of Ganges. Though I missed this magnificent sight due to time constraint but it’s a must see for anyone travelling to Varanasi. The best time to catch this spectacular sight is during Dev Deepawali, where the entire Ganges is lit up with countless Diyas which float their way across the water.  Not to mention, Kashi Viswanath temple is a place to visit for all those who want to touch base the spiritual history of India. It is said that the 3 tombs of this temple is made of gold. It attracts a huge crowd during Maha Shivratri when the queue for darshan extends for hours together. Even a normal day attracts decent crowd to keep you waiting for half hour atleast. The Varan ‘asi’ , 80 ghaats from where Varanasi derives its name is beautiful with ghats leading down to Ganges waters. Varanasi is one of the seven sacred cities full of religious people who radiate endless energy to celebrate festivals with sanctity. Sawan mela which peaks in the 3 consecutive days just after completion of Rath Yatra is a big festival. 

There is special dish called ‘Naan Khatai’ which is found in all food outlets but only in and around Sawan mela. It is basically a cookie made of aata & little other stuff. Apart from it, the other must try is ‘Batti Chokha’. Baati is roasted Dough of aata with chaana masala stuffing inside & the Chokha is a sabji made by mixing aaloo, tamato, Baingan. Varanasi milk products taste really good, its paneer is one of the best. Leaving apart food items, Banarasi saaree is quite famous across.

Another thing to mark about Varanasi is its galiyan. The city is full of galiyan with hardly one man walking space. I have saved the best for the last. There is kahawat known as ‘Banaras ki Adiyan’. It is very interesting fact to know about Varanasi. It goes this way, “Suppose you start your day at 6 am with 10 min walk & you found a group sitting near tea shop. You go there & join the group with a cup of tea. Suppose you start a topic on your lost bag, you will find the group joining in with more stories of lost bags & it will continue for hours. Someone will leave & someone else will join but the topic continues. Suppose you leave the group, go to office & again visit the tea stall in the evening, you will find a group sitting at the tea stall discussing on the lost bags”. This is Banaras is ‘Adiyan’. So never fail to join adiyan when you visit Banaras & watch the magic happen. The city is full of easy going, happy & religious people who love leisure. Be a part of this beautiful city at least once in life time.

Allahabad is 125 km via road from Varanasi. First thing, try eating Rasgulla at “Dehati Rasgulla”, & take the feel of a soft gulab jamun melting inside your mouth. It damn yummy!!. Second thing to do is to try Cold Coffee at Amber Café. An interesting concept to see in Allahabad is its Jugaad Bridge which they put up during Kumbh mela or Magh mela. It is basically a temporary bridge made of hollow iron cylinders which float on water & are tied up to the river bed with the help of chain. Iron plates are placed over this iron floats & a bridge is made. And trust me trucks, cars ply over these bridges in huge numbers during this melas. By god !! heights of jugaad. My car was moving up & down the road & it was scary to drive over it. But it’s safe and has been approved by government. I heard they had set up 28 such bridges to facilitate transportation during Maha Kumbh in 2013. This kind melas in themselves is an entire topic to cover. 

Few Clicks at Sangam Allhabad: