The first view of white Marvel

When I first got the glimpse , I thought I would loose the moment of spectacle in the process of believing of what I was seeing until my co-passenger on bus , stirred by heavy honking of a passing truck , woke up to the very sight of it and  instantly yelled a cry of euphoria shaking the fellow passengers off their slumber."There it is ... the peak of a snow-capped mountain" , she cried. I was finally assured. It was rather anticlimactic for me - might be a climactic culmination for the reader-  who had been weaving strings of hopes to his debut tour in the mountains to witness the bewitching snow-capped Himalayan peaks but had to eventually stop his delusional deluge owing to the weather serving as a perfect antagonist.
     
"The Hindu Kingdom" in the lap of Himalayas , Nepal , was the chosen spot three months prior to journey. Excitement sprang to its zenith when I found a ton of adventure activities from trekking to para-gliding could be availed. But I knew in the back of my mind that those fantasies had to be buried due to budget issues. Nevertheless , a view of the rugged white intimidating  beauty ranging in its wishful path creating valleys, gorges, springs and meandering roads cutting through the hills , would  more than make up for it. Those picturesque images from geography books and captivating videos from television would be confronting reality soon. The tour plan looked satisfying - kick-starting with jungle safari then  slowly progressing towards hills and culminating with the much-awaited view of Mt. Everest - cherry on the top.
     
The first night of our trip was a an exotic one , inside a serene resort at the edge of forest . Literally our first night in a foreign land! But little we knew then that misfortune had already announced its ringing endorsement from the next break of light in the east. Apparently , we were unable to witness the breaking of dawn as the cursed veil of nimbus-clouds denied to cast away. On some other time I might have been kept busy flaunting with my camera at those rain-impregnated-elements but that day I could not but curse them. Though the safari was thrilling , I carried a gloomy mind all throughout - the met-forecast showed no signs of hope for the weak ahead.
    
As destined , Pokhara was a complete washout. The place that promised the breathtaking view of the Annapurna mountain range over the horizon along with its lovely reflection on the crystal-clear waters of beautiful Fewa Lake surrounded by green hills on three sides , turned out to be major disappointment. The heavens chose that day to weep over the earth in abundance. While the farmers welcomed it whole-heartedly , the tourists put the day in the list of forgettable ones.
     
The first day at Kathmandu rekindled my hopes. The grey clouds seemed to make way for their immature whiter counterparts. The sun was out , yet not blazing , after a couple of off days to its Himalayan worshippers. The whole day had been dedicated to temple-viewing , the famous Pashupati Temple being first on the list followed by other significant ones. The sky remained blue till the end of day and the stars kept twinkling till I went to bed. Finally a smile on my face before sleeping.
    
The following morning brought even broader smile when I woke up to the glaring rays refracted through the window-glass. I quickly got ready and was up for the day before everybody. The Everest-view from the sunset point at Nagarkot was scheduled at afternoon. Our first sight-seeing spot was the historical Durbar Square. The temples and mansions mesmerised us with their unique architecture and art. It was one of the best views of the tour so far. But , naturally , I was more excited for the upcoming uphill drive to Nagarkot. As we were ascending the hill , my wall of excitement met its tragic end. From no where a large mass of ominous black cloud accumulated within minutes and shoved away the sun to take the limelight."Did any black cat crossed our path today?" - such superstitious thoughts occurred in my mind that moment. It seemed the gods would conjure up any elements at his disposal to thwart us from getting a sight of the real Himalayas. Though the interruption was in the form of drizzle that cleared itself soon, the view had been dwindled. The puffs of grey and white clouds blocked the supposedly distant view of the Everest.It was not the day to see the mightiest!
    
My hyped tour had already turned to a saddening outing. It was like a something-is-missing-type dinner party. The starters were promising but the main course fell short in the major areas. Hence , the expectation of dessert , if any , was fading away fast. Resting my head against the window of our returning bus, I was gingerly gazing over the backward-trailing hills and clouds. And then the unbelievable moment happened. The peeping peak across the farthest horizon did not escape my lazy eyes. Everybody got down and did not waste moment to capture the moment lest some unwelcomed clouds should hinder the "marvel".So, eventually a unexpectedly satisfying dessert was offered. All's well that ends well.
   

   

   

    

Travel at your own cost but don't cost Nature!

Whether it is free or at our own cost we seldom fail to disprove any opportunity or invitation to travel. To explore new places and conquer unknown destinations is coded in our very own DNA. Some travel to photograph memories , some set out to adventure ; some head out to relive history whereas some just go out with their families and friends to spend some quality time. In the era of commercialization , tourism has seen itself evolve and shape into an prosperous industry. An industry whose positive contribution to the economy is augmenting annually. Tourist spots are spawning like mushrooms in every corner of the country. Be it historical places or hill stations or any other natural hotspot , Nature has been exploited as a booming market. Obviously it is benefiting our economical growth , but it is the duty of both government and individuals to ensure that that growth does not come at cost of environmental pollution. But do we regard this duty as "duty"?
      
Area of concern : Rahul is a cute little boy who has come with his parents at a beach to enjoy the evening. Rahul finds an ice-creamwala (a person who sells ice-cream) and instantly demands for one. His loving parents buys him one dutifully. When Rahul is done with it , he asks his parent where to keep the empty container. "Just throw it anywhere, darling". Rahul drops it over the sand and runs towards his parents. Hundreds of other Rahul watches this Rahul and does the same. May be one Sita recalls her school teacher's gospel of use of dustbin and she takes the little pain of scouting a nearby dustbin with her big inquisitive eyes amongst the carnival and thus avoids littering.
    
A group of college buddies plan or rather decide impromptu to feast in some exotic location. A remote waterfall trickling down to a hilly river is the destination. They are bewitched by the ambience , and so much so drunk in the exuberance of things that their ethical and aesthetics-thought-process has been clogged completely. They dump their non-biodegradable leftovers from their sumptuous luncheon in the natural water. No patrolling police , no overseeing security ; hence no one to bother about. Who would take the pain of disposing off the whole waste in any garbage bin or proper disposal site? Or rather are there proper disposal sites at exotic tourist spots?
       
Solution : The solution is simple and straightforward. Moreover any good books on civics and environment will enlighten that. But the most difficult part being implementation requires acute analysis with systematic implementation of policies and compulsory regular monitoring , of course keeping the cancer of corruption and prevalent laziness in attitude behind.
   
The foremost prerequisite is the change in mindset which can only be attained by responsible self-education. We all know that environmental education has been a mandatory inclusion in our school academics but it is highly doubtful the level of infiltration of the "value" into the general mind-system of public is substantially below recognition. So people need to educate themselves. We need to understand that environment is our parent home. Just as we maintain our own houses and mansions, we need to take care of our environment. The recent policies like "Swach Bharat" are praiseworthy initiatives but the seed of its fruitful-ness lies in our own hands. But sadly some of us , or rather most of us, are yet to plant them. If every house starts cleaning their surrounding or prevent littering in a single day , wonders will happen in no time. The policies are like the base , the soil. It is our duty to plant these lectures into action and water them with regular maintenance.
     
The next perspective , perhaps the most complex, that demands higher degree of introspection is the mechanism of education. Advertisement in all possible sectors do sound handy. But is the penetration happening till the grassroots?The government must ensure that they conduct some mobile educational tours with live demonstrations across rural areas , "Swach Bharat" captions and slogans must be highlighted in tourist spots, penalty systems should be strictly implemented in case of violations.
     
Another sustainable solution that has shown light is eco-tourism. This brings a great concept that takes care of contamination of environment and also caters to employment opportunities to locals. Government should promote and implement this on a large scale.
     
Environment is our own and only place of shelter in this beautiful earth. But we fail to realize this bigger picture or rather ignore this so blatantly. Yes if you read in school that "do not litter in public places" , do not. Also encourage your elders not to. If u see anybody in trains throwing plastics and stuff through the window , stop them. If u see anybody spitting in public or streets , kindly tell them not to or better showcase them to nearby police. Take the little pain of finding the "use me" bins. These little efforts in unison has the power of revolution, a silent democratic change. You may think What hellos crime will I be committing if I threw the tiny plastic  covering of a toffee just anywhere. Yes you may not realize the impact. Actually this degradation of environment is like slow poison. But a time will certainly come when the adverse damage will be beyond recovery. Its better now than never!

     

     

Why Chandrabhaga beach is better than Puri beach?

When one gets completely bogged down with the frustrations of monotonous mundane life and desperately craves for escape from reality , nothing can be a better option than spending a few moments with Nature. Added to that if you stay nearer to sea you are definitely at an advantage. The saline ambience coupled with the cozy bed of sand at the beach is the perfect gateway recipe. And if you happen to be in Odhisa the obvious choice would be a day off at Puri beach. But if you could travel 30 kms from Puri northward you will come across Chandrabhaga beach which will offer you better and memorable moments.
               
Avoiding the crowd : If serenity and tranquility is what you seek the most then Chandrabhaga beach has exactly those ingredients to offer you. Puri beach always remains overcrowded being a pilgrim site. Hence a quiet interaction with Nature soaking the saline atmosphere and feeling the grainy sand between your legs with only approaching-retreating turquoise waves in front of you - is rare in Puri.
     
Cleaner Beach : As the crowd is much thinner at Chandrabhaga the beach is cleaner and so the water seems less polluted. Even at waist height water you could see through your apparent feet which is highly unlikely in Puri. The absence of fleeting crowd keeps the beach less contaminated from wastes.
     
Nature all around : Puri beach stands just beside the busy marine drive and with it comes all the hustle and bustle. If your sole wish is to experience only Nature around , Chandrabhaga is ideal. The beach is withstood with a line of tall trees. Thus the view of greenery at your back and blue waters in front is nothing short of picturesque graphic.
   
Pristine waters : When you land at the beach the first difference with Puri beach that ignites your instincts is the pristine waters. Not only does it provide a captivating view but also cater a refreshing and rejuvenating bathing experience. The waves might seem a tad less violent but definitely more soothing and no less adventurous.
      
Let your body afloat : This is one of the most unique feature that I noticed. The retreating waves often create a mini lagoon which is only ankle depth but here you can just set your body free and the salinity will take care of the density to let your body afloat. This is the most soulful experience I ever had. The warmth of the water adds cushions to this unique experience. The formation of this mini oxbow lake is not guaranteed but it happens often. This is like experiencing Caspian Sea at Chandrabhaga.
      
In a nutshell , Chandrabhaga beach has all the bounties to be experienced in close connection with Nature - a day wrapped in Nature's refreshing outfits , a day worth spending off the crowd and off the necessary corporate boredom.
      

     

      

Mesmerizing Shivsamudra Falls

Various bounties of Nature have their own unique appealing effect but everytime I see a waterfall it seems I am experiencing it for the first time.And the case was no different when we visited Shivsamudra and Bharachukki Falls on river Kaveri.Located in a remote area at about 70 kms from Mysuru, the public transport facility is not that great.We were traveling from Mysuru and their are two ways to the destination.One through the town of Mallavalli and Shimsa village and another through Somnathpura , where you can visit the ancient Keshava temple on the way.If you taking the first option you can board the local bus from Mysuru to Mallavali and from there to Shimsa through the only bus in a day at around 9 am.It will be better to book a auto or jeep for the rest of the journey as there isn't any means of transport available on the return journey.

The way from Mallavali through Shimsa is refreshing  - open lush green fields on either side intercepted occasionally by few urban habitation and clear cobalt canopy above. Soon the surroundings gave away to small hills , initially scattered , but quickly turning into a range of green hills with bluish hills at the far background.Gradually the excitement was soaking in.

Soon we halted - the rustling sound of the bonded hydrogen and oxygen atoms , colliding with each other , began to randomize  as we stepped forward towards the view point of the Shivsamudra. Lovely view . Not a singular stream rather several tributaries converging to meet the catchment area down leading through the gorge. The fall creating the white froth at the greenish catchment water is the best part of any waterfall . The force was not strong enough due to less stiffness of the cliff, to create significant mists.The whole scenery around indeed seemed like scenery  made on drawing boards in our childhood.Distant bluish range of hills , the rollicking Kaveri flowing against a rough rocky bed and then falling off the cliff into the gorge thus creating the falls - perfect ambience to transport our souls to fairy-land.

After having the soulful gaze , we turned our wheels towards Bharachukki falls situated on the other side of Shivsamudra. The road ran across the Kaveri with beautiful view of bunch of coconut trees and swamps.The purity of Nature makes your soul feel light, feel like growing some new pair of wings to wander freely. While we approached, the rustling sound seemed louder , definitely suggesting bigger stream of water making its course downwards. But the excitement rose its peak as there was provision to go all the way climbing down some hundred stairs at the bottom of the falls.

The greater volume of water was accounted for confluence of many small tributaries. The area of the fall was much wider thus giving rise to several streams tunneling down edges of rocks duly following gravity.The sight was so splendid that it seemed we have landed in a cauldron of springs and fountains much alike fairy tales. Lots of people had flocked there to carry out their fun-water-activity stuff.Why miss the opportunity? We boarded a , what can be called as basket shaped boat , with a boatman guiding it right at the mouth of the fall - a chance to drench oneself , a chance to act crazy. Shrills and screams of excitement echoed all around the moment the icy water touched our skin causing the neurotransmitters to carry the sensation to the brain and eventually forcing the adrenaline react instantly.What an experience! Definitely etched in memory.

The journey up the steep stairs was tiresome but our spirits were fuelled enough to accomplish that. It was time to leave this perfect snapshot of Nature and return to our urbanized world. For this rejuvenation it's certainly worth coming back again and again.