Believer to an Atheist

               I have never been a very religious person as per Indian society standards. No weekly temple visits, no weekly fasts. I come from a very liberal family where religion was never forced upon me. I imbibed whatever I experienced throughout my life.

              As a child I studied in a convent and thus my introduction to Jesus. My school campus itself was huge with a grotto and a chapel where every child could visit. The silence and the peace that you experience in a church was what drew me to Jesus. Even today if I enter a church I feel immensely at peace. Every morning prayer started with glory and praise to the Lord. Weekly there were catechism classes for Christian children and the rest were taught moral values. I always envied my christian friends as to why alone they were taught the Bible. Why were we left out ? This question often haunted me. But today when I look back I feel my school did me a favor. They helped us grow our own beliefs as a children. May be that is why Jesus and Mary still hold a special place in my heart.

            I realized the favor that my school had done was more evident a  few months ago when a neighbor who is an ardent Christian started preaching me about Christianity. She kept telling how there is only one God - ¨"Jesus" and how what we as Hindus worshiped deities were nothing but Devils or Satans to be more specific. People those who worship Satan will go to hell in your after life."  Truly speaking I am least concerned about what will happen to me after this life. I would rather think about the current one. Religion being forced or preached is appalling and revolting.

         What I had believed till now is that there is an universal force and whichever temple, church I have visited I have prayed to the same God. Be is Shiva, Parvati, Krishna, Jagannath, Ganapati, Jesus,Vaishodevi or Tirupati. To me the names never have been any specific importance.  

         Past few years have been testing times for my family. People who have children with disability would know how difficult it is to raise special children. I myself never realized and I guess few do unless one faces it. My niece was diagnosed with autism 2 years back. It has been a struggle for the child, the parents, grand parents and immediate family. Simple things like speaking, toileting , socializing, schooling have been a continuous struggle.

         When I left my job few months back I joined this organization working with autistic children. The few months I have spent there I have realized how difficult a life it is for all these kids and their parents. What is there future ? Are they considered a part of our society ? These are the same questions which every parent with a special child would keep thinking. Today when I see my sister spending sleepless nights thinking over her child's future. When I see that she is not the only one. There are many innocent kids and parents facing the same trauma. I would like to ask whether there is actually any God ?  All this pain and torture to innocent kids can only be the work of a heartless creator. Somehow I don't believe the law of Hindu karma. Why punish a person for deeds he is not aware of. I see many wicked and villainous people get away with fraud, robbery, murder, rape etc. Why not punish them.

I would rather believe there is no God rather than believe that that a creator can be so heartless and ruthless.

Love is Waste of Time..Char Kadam..soulful music from PK movie

       The much awaited trailer and songs of PK movie are officially out. Yes I am a Aamir Khan fan. But am a bigger fan of Rajkumar Hirani !! Never ever missed his movies and he seems to weave his magic with every movie. Be it Munna Bhai series or 3 Idiots. Just wish he would be dishing out many many many more movies, since I can't seem to get enough of his work.

        Since the trailer launch the buzz is what  the story would be. Fortunately/ unfortunately no one can guess. Some say it will be inspired by some Hollywood movies. Although I don't think it is true. If Raju Hirani had to just get inspired by Hollywood stuff he would be churning out movies every 2 months like many other Bollywood directors.

      The first music video is "Tharki Chokro". Aamir gives the feeling of many of the autistic kids I work at school. They don't care about social norms and like to touch and feel anyone. It may seem weird or tharki to normal society but it reflects certain degree of innocence.
      My favorites are however " Love is Waaste of Time". Can't seem to get myself to stop humming it.
So true -- "Love is waste of time. Fir bhi soch liya hai man ma  ek baar toh is jiban ma karna hai waste of time". Sonu again weaves his magic. I have missed his voice..just had enough of Arijeet and new Pakistani singers.

     Second favorite is -- "Chaar Kadam". Once again Shaan's soulful voice makes a romantic comeback. Best part is it is shot In Brugges. Belgium holds a special place in my heart and this music video sure makes me nostalgic. The typical Belgium house beautifully decorated with the flowers. The cycling lanes and the waterways. Wish I could go back in time.

Eagerly waiting...till the release in december !!

Shivasamudra falls - Nature's delight

If you are looking for a day away from the hustle and bustle of city life and also want it to be light on your pocket then Shivasamudram is a good choice. Shivasamudram is situated in Mandya district of Karnataka. It is picturesquely situated along the banks of the river Kaveri and is home to the twin water falls: Gaganachukki and Barahchukki.

The road takes you through small villages and towns which seemed to have stopped in time. The road is devoid of even food joints. The only one "The Kitchen" stands out because all cars and bikes seem to be parked in front of it.Unlike many of the previous road trips this one was surprisingly devoid of pot holes. As you started approaching the destination you could view the mighty Kaveri river flowing along one side of the road.

Nature trails

Enjoying the ambience

An old bridge

Being a bit critical on Indian cleanliness I had assumed that this water falls would be like many of ill maintained littered places. To my surprise the place was well kept. One could view the fall from a certain distance. Being peak monsoon season it seemed to be gushing dangerously with water. The steps to reach the water was blocked midway. Although it was a disappointment that one could not get to feel and go near the water the safety reasons outweighed our disappointment. My husband's effort of packing an extra pair of clothing seemed to be wasted.

Gaganachukki falls

Barahchukki falls

There is not much to do around the place. There are few old villages like Talakaddu on the way which can be visited if you have interest in old temple architecture.

The best part of the trip was the overall journey. The small villages or broken bridges on the river bank where one could stop and just be with nature. This route seemed to be a favorite with bikers and trekkers. The water fall was beautiful reminded me of the several new year picnic we celebrated along these water falls in the Chota Nagpur plateau during school days. Overall it was a day well spent.

Auro's Pondicherry

Why Auro's Pondicherry and why not only Pondicherry ? The moment you enter Pondicherry one will know the strong influence of Sri Aurobindo in this small little town. Every other place, street,farm house hotel starts with Auro's... No idea whether Sri Aurobindo is considered sacred or lucky for this place or it's just to cash on his popularity. Also could be a mix of both.

I had this great desire to visit this south Indian city from a long time. The name had a certain charm and also the fact that it was considered the French riviera of Indian coast. Friend's had told me it was a great place to relax, something deeply valued in today's fast world. So I had this idea of a French town in the southern Indian coast where you do nothing but relax or meditate in the ashram.

I was a smooth drive for the four of us from Bangalore to Pondicherry. The moment we entered the city the mix of both foreign and Indian nationals was a common sight on the streets. My friend questioned why these tourists wanted to leave their cool European abodes and want to live in this hot humid climate of the Indian soil. A question I had no answer to, since we Indians were doing the reverse, flocking to the western cooler and cleaner climates.

We had booked a room in a hotel Mango Hill highly recommended by my friend. It was run by a French couple who fell in love with this place and never thought of returning back. The moment you entered the place you could feel the best of both Indian and French mix. The architecture, the staff was a mix of both but the air of the place was relaxed as you would find in the West. The most tempting architecture was the huge swimming pool aesthetically placed in the center of the hotel.

The Mango Hill swimming pool

If you have lived in Bangalore you might know how the weather in Bangalore can spoil you. The sudden heat of the Pondicherry soil just was unbearable for us. We had booked these beautiful Thai cottages overlooking the pool. But once we entered the rooms all the beauty of the place was shattered. Why ? The rooms were not air conditioned and had just two ceiling fans. The heat being unbearable during the days the least we expected was an ac. The hotel site had completely failed to mention that in their site. This was the only low point in the whole trip.

After cleaning up and finally adjusting to the heat we decided to go visit the Promenade beach. If you have been to the marine drive in Mumbai you can co-relate to this one. Although it is much more cleaner and donned with old French Architecture. Around the beach in the French part of the city, with beautiful French homes.The walk around this walking stretch is beautiful with the sea breeze blowing in your face.

Light house at the Promenade beach

Walking plaza

She sells sea shells on the sea shore

That evening we decided to eat at this restaurant  called Villa Shanti. The name can be deceptive. Unlike the Indian name the place serves both Indian and French cuisine and is a great place to just sit and drink. Most places in Pondy reminded me of the days spend in Europe. The hotels, the restaurants had adapted the European chilled ambiance where you can sit and relax over a drink as long as you want. The food served was extremely good and I devoured a french grilled chicken salad.

The next day we woke and were pondering whether or not to visit the Paradise beach. The staff at the hotel suggested that it is not a place one should miss. We started of early, a 15 mins boat ride took as to the place. And it is definitely one of the cleanest beaches in India. May be not the best beach in India. No swimming was allowed though one could get into the water till a certain extent. The sea was definitely rough and had huge dangerous waves.It is one of the well kept beaches it had small straw huts, showers, changing rooms and a cleanliness hard to find on Indian soil. It is a half day activity and we were back to the hotel for lunch.

Myself and my husband on the paradise beach

Paradise it is

    I forgot to mention that at the Mango Tree hotel also the food is extremely good. You can get a Bengali Fish Curry and also a Spanish Paella. Also they serve complimentary breakfast with croissant and stuff from their own bakery. They also have their own cheese processing unit and have been featured on shows of the Fox Traveller channnel.

The last day we wrapped up in the morning to visit the much heard of Auroville. When we reached the place we realized that the whole of the Pondicherry tourist was present there. We had fallen short in doing our research for this place. We had planned 2 hours visit to Auroville on the way back to Bangalore. But the place is huge and would take atleast one complete day to see things properly. Also we were caught unaware that we needed to pre-book tickets to visit Matri Mandir (the meditation dome) two to three days in advance. I had heard that it is a wonderful experience to meditate in it but just had to pacify ourselves by viewing it from outside. May be next time. I suggest before visiting Auroville check their web site for  details and preplan your trip.

The Matri Mandir at Auroville

The giant banyan tree @ Auroville

Auroville was the last point of our journey. We were returning back home with mixed feeling. For me it had been a memorable journey. Apart from the heat I had enjoyed the food, the people, the place and the dip in the swimming pool. I would definitely come back to this place.

Banglorean's great traffic sense !!

           Bangalorean's have a great traffic sense !! There is no denying this fact.An outsider who follows the normal traffic rules here may end up with an accident.
           I came to stay in this city two years back and was amazed and shocked at how the city traffic moves. The two wheeler riders completely seem to miss the point when it comes to wearing the helmet. Some of the ways they use or wear their helmets is hilarious. The best way to not miss a bus or train is to travel by the autos. They can challenge any formula one driver when it comes to cutting the traffic and speeding through it, sometimes just maintaining half an inch from the vehicle ahead. They need to at least make seat beats mandatory for riding these local Ferrari's.
         The universal rule to be followed are as below.
1) Size matters -> The larger vehicle gets it ways. Forget the traffic rule book at home.
2) Beware of Auto's, Taxis -> If you are driving your personal vehicle please give way to auto's and taxis. They don't think twice (actually they don't think) before hitting or scratching your vehicle.
3) Beware of SUV's or the traffic elephants (no offense meant to the actual ones) -> They think they rule the road but don't know the basics of driving at all. In 90 out of 100 scenario's I observed these giant bulky vehicles create the major road blocks. There mahouts simply don't know how to tackle them. Some animals are best meant for the jungle.
          Below illustrations are on a lighter note.

Lalbagh Fest..a floral delight

               Lalbagh tops the list of famous tourist spots in Bangalore. This botanical garden is the heart of the garden city. Once famous for it's greenery today's burgeoning Bangalore now more famous as the IT capital, real estate capital is struggling to keep it's glory of being the garden city. Spots like Lalbagh, Cubbon park are places which remind us of it's old glory.
              This vast and beautiful botanical garden was sanctioned by Hyder Ali and completed by his son Tipu Sultan. My first visit to this place made me realise what pleasures we have been missing in the name of development. I wish there were many many more of such places were I could fill my lungs with the fresh air. Could look at the flowering trees in their full bloom. Listen to the birds, feel the wind, watch the fruits dangling from the tree branches and laze around on the grass. Reminds me of the famous lines from a childhood poem -            Leisure by W.H. Davis.
                                     ¨What is life if, full of care
                                       We have no time to stand and stare¨
           This Independence week the 200th anniversary of the annual flower fest was being held in Lalbagh. Being a nature enthusiast I planned not to miss this occasion although it meant fighting the traffic to reach, or spending 1 hour finding a suitable spot to park the vehicle.
           It was a weekend and huge crowd had turned up.The main flower decoration is situated inside the glass house. As in any other tourist spot you just need to follow the crowd to reach the spot. Each year the theme changes and this time it was a floral replication of the famous Mysore palace.The entire structure had been designed using roses. Two huge elephants also stood before the structure. Surrounding the structure there was this display of variety of flowering plants.

              Around the glass house there was these interesting stalls from numerous nurseries and horticulture departments. The best sellers were the indoor orchids and the anthurium. It was a paradise to pick up stuff to decorate your home garden. Vegetable seeds, coco peat, organic fertilizers, decorative pots, coco peat fibre hanging pots.
              I ended up buying few plants for myself.  Plant names like geranuim, anthurium, hydrangea were added to my limited vocabulary. It helped me connect to nature. It was a Refreshing break from our weekend mall outings which have become a integral part of our make believe lives.

 
 

Trip to Bal Bhavan..a feast for my senses

        Today we went out for a painting competition to Bal Bhavan, Cubbon Park organised by concern India foundation. Both children and teachers were equally excited. Teachers were excited as well as anxious. What if the children forget what they had practised for past one month ? what if they are distracted by the crowd ? would they be on their best behaviour ? several such questions popped up.
      The drive was long as expected in the Bangalore traffic. But surprisingly the children seemed to be enjoying the ride.We reached few minutes late.All children from several different schools were already settled and had just started.The venue had these open air cottages were the children had to settle down. There were groups based on the age. Bala and Laskhmi accompanied the younger lot; Ranga,Mihir,Saras and Ishaan whereas myself and accompanied the bigger boys; Sandeep,Sanath and Rohit.
      The atmosphere was a perfect blend of elements which would have made our children anxious on a normal day. Blaring speakers,unknown people, unfamiliar place and smell.But they seemed to be immersed in their works completely unaware of anything. This made us realize how we underestimate our kids.No one would have guessed that our kids suffered from ASD and were sensitive to loud noise,unfamiliar place and people.
        Rohit and Sanath finished their drawing before scheduled time. Rohith's masterstrokes had managed to capture many spectators. He seemed like a young Da Vinci at work, using both his left and right had with equal finesse. Sanath had drawn foods that he liked and had documented every food precisely with the flavour. He was then enjoying some Bollywood masala news from a Bangalore times which was lying nearby. Sandeep had meticulously drawn all details of traffic safety.