White River Rafting on River Kundalika

Bungee jumping, paragliding and river rafting were on my bucket list for a very long time now. So when my brother referenced to the river rafting website, I immediately shot an email to my friends list looking for participation. There were no second thoughts on their minds too as 7 of us planned this adventure trip within a day’s time. Although most of us had just heard about white river rafting, planning the trip was quite easy. The travel company’s website was quite informative and helped us make booking on time and provided us with many tips.

First let me give you a heads up about the place. Kundalika is a small river flowing from the Hills of Sahyadri to the Arabian Sea. The river is fed by the excess water from Tata Power's Mulshi Dam Project on to a series of hydroelectric projects and dams, where the water is released in the morning typically at 6 am, the rapids thus generated are used for rafting.
We started off from Chandani chowk at 0600 hrs and reached the spot by 0800 hrs. Since there aren’t many dhabas or eateries open in the wee hours, its recommended to carry your own breakfast. Make sure you don’t stuff yourself before the rafting session. We parked our vehicles at the base camp and hired a 6-seater up to the river about 10kms far, that cost us 500 bucks. We were briefed by our guide Ganesh, who told us the dos and don’ts.





And then and then we took our positions and did what Ganesh said -
"Farward paddle!"
"Fast farwards!"
"GET DOWN!"
"HOLD OON!"

The rafting session lasted for 2 odd hours – we gushed through level 2 and 3 rapids and was quite an adrenaline rush. We were screaming and getting wet as our raft hit the rapids. Not to mention the splash water fights with other rafters. We were allowed to dive in and swim for the last 2 3 kms, which was a highlight of the activity. It was worth every rupee spent [Rs. 1250 to be exact ;)]
Then we changed to dry clothes and had the option to munch some snacks at the local thelas, but we opted to find some place on the way back. Luckily we spotted a joint called Orchard Resort, which was recently inaugurated. We all relished a sumptuous lunch buffet for Rs. 149 and headed back to Pune around 1500 hrs.

How to reach there:

Pune – Chandani Chowk – Pirangut – Paud – Mulshi – Tamhini Ghat – Vile Phata (Diversion), 79 kms – Just ahead of this diversion, look for a very small hotel (dhaba) called Deepsayadri – continue ahead, take a right turn (lookout for this turn which slopes downwards, just after the railings) - continue ahead till you see a bridge. Turn left just before the bridge. You will see unfinished / under construction structure and river Kundalika flowing behind it. This is your Rafting Start Point which is Saje village.


Few leads before you plan a trip:

- Rate `700 on weekdays and `1250 on weekends
- Kids below 14 yrs of age aren’t allowed to raft.
- Swimming skills & Previous experience - No need to worry there
- Best quality life jackets and helmets will be provided


Things to carry – change of clothes, towel, floaters, drinking water, plastic bag to carry wet clothes, avoid wearing any accessories and try to carry ready to eat food.

If you decide on an overnight trip you can stay either at the Durshet Forest Lodge or the Empower Camp at Sutarwadi and club rafting along with other activities like bird watching, rappelling, rock climbing, kayaking (only in monsoon), night walks in the forest, barbecues and campfires.

A lot more info at http://www.kundalikarafting.in




More pics @ - http://picasaweb.google.com/arthiaudi/WhiteRiverRaftingAtRiverKundalika?authkey=Gv1sRgCKXRzOLP47r6wgE#

This article was printed in the Oct issue of Pune City Digest Magazine

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How much of Facebook?

When I was asked to write a snippet on any random topic, the first thing that came to my mind was the current hot topic of social networking and Facebook. I thought this is a good opportunity to pen down my views on the subject since I am on the site almost the whole day!

Wiki defines Social Network as a social structure made up of individuals (or organizations) called "nodes," which are tied (connected) by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige. Social is the key word here. For generations we learn and teach our kids that we humans are social animals. And in order to survive in today’s stressful lives, we strive to keep that point in mind and revive it time and again. The site’s popularity is clearly visible. I can’t stop myself from logging onto Facebook every morning before I even check my mails. Be it sharing the numerous funny videos posted by my friends or writing on friends walls the day doesn’t start without a funny tag line ;)
I remember during the initial days of Facebook, how excited most of us were to find long lost school friends, sharing loads of pictures and videos, virtual poking each other, throwing virtual pillows and of course, planting seeds in your Farmville! Right from games to super cool applications, many of the users have built a great credibility and gained customers for their various business. Its main USP, however, is that it serves as a dating site. Facebook has been the reason for many solitary souls’ smiles!
Albeit its gaining popularity and number of users, as for any invention, there are the disadvantages too. Major ones being, if you are in cognizant, strangers added as your friends can gain access to personal information, risk your safety and can lead to negative and unpleasant scenarios. You may not even be able to verify your “friend’s” credentials and it might be a false account for all we know.

Facebook may not be all that good or bad. It’s up to us, the users, to decide what kind of information to share. Share with a sense of responsibility and don’t let the cyberpunks trespass what’s personal to you.

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Book Review - Train to Pakistan

Train to Pakistan - by Khushwant Singh published in 1956 - Fiction
Although I have read a lot of books since I was 10, this is my first book review. Thanks to Rahul who inspired (read as forced) me into this one ;)
Train to Pakistan is a book based on the partition of India Pakistan right after India's independence. It takes us to the summer of 1947 to Mano Majra, a tiny village in Punjab. The partition means almost nothing to the local villagers and all is well between the sikh farmers and muslim tenants of the village until the local money lender Ram Lal is murdered. Jugga and the England returned social activist become the prey of Punjab police. The heavy drama shifts drastically when an east-bound train makes an unplanned stop at Mano Majra, coaches full of corpses. The flabbergasted villagers have not yet accepted the truth when reality slaps them once again when Sutlej floods from neighboring village. Action paces on as the magistrate, Jugga, Iqbal (the social activist) and village heads try to tackle the revolting violence. Also, the attitude of local police and niggling government officials is very nicely portrayed. The end however leaves a lot of open threads. Once I was about 4 - 5 pages away from the end, I was keen to know how will he end the series of misfortunes in the village. Frankly I was a bit disappointed since I was expecting something out of Mr. Iqbal as well. But to sum it up, Mr. Singh's eye to detail makes it a total page turner. Train to Pakistan gets a "Must Read" tag.

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Between holding a hand and chaining a soul

After a while you learn the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love doesn mean learning and
company doesn mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren contracts
and presents aren promises,
And you begin to accept your defeat with your head
up and you eyes open, with the grace of an adult,
not the grief of a child,
And you learn to build all you roads on today
because tomorrow ground is too uncertain for
plans.
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if
you get too much.
So you plant your own garden and decorate your own
soul, instead of waiting for someone else to bring you
flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure...
That you really are strong,
And you really do have worth.



Veronica A. Shoffstall

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oNe DaY..........i WIlL bE THeRe...

Listed are my current best-loved holiday destinations and few reasons why they are numbered here

1. Go Paris ;) -


Whoever is close to me, would know what this city means to me and how eagerly I am waiting to visit this place. From climbing the Eiffel Tower to discovering the artistic treasures of the Louvre I wana do it all. I often get feedback stating that its not worth the trip, its like any other Europe city, its a big-ticket etc, but I know that I surely wanna visit the place once in my life. And I am still clueless what has magnetized me to it so much.

2. Himalayas (Valley of Flowers) -


The other major trait in me is to try and get as close to the nature as possible. And visit places that can make you feel numb just by being there and doing nothing at all. Valley of Flowers in the West Himalaya is one such place. Its natural beauty is ineffable (as I've heard and seen in pictures) let alone sightings of rare birds and animals. It is also closely associated with our Hindu Mythology. I wanna go here before the dirty hands of us humans pollutes the fairyland.

3. Kerala -


Who doesn't know about God's Own Country! One of the most favored honeymoon destinations, Kerala has always charmed me since childhood, with its beautiful backwaters, mellifluent Malayalam, and the yummy delicacies.

4. Nepal -


Mainly for its natural beauty...the lakes, valleys, Himalayas, temples and coz u don need a visa ;) hehehe

5. Sri Lanka -


It's association with Ramayana and the virgin beaches makes Sri Lanka one of the most scenic holidays. Like any other island, there are a lot of activities that you can do while you are here and enjoy the wilderness too.

7. North-East India -


I always wanted to visit the north east Indian cities/states for the most rare and endangered species of animals and virgin dense forests. It is also the habitat of the maximum species of wild orchids. The tea estates, ruins of ancient kingdoms, temples, rivers, hills has tremendous ingredient for adventure and leisure holidays.

6. Switzerland

7. Maldives/Mauritius/Bali

Do I even need to state the reasons for number 6 & 7 ;)

8. Rajasthan -

I so want to visit places like Thar Desert, Jaipur, lakes of Udaipur and desert forts of Jodhpur, Bikaner & Jaisalmer. Often known as the shoppers paradise I can't wait to shop for their textiles, semi-precious stones, handicrafts and unique jewelery. Since its my close fren's native place, I am hoping to get some exclusive tips and tricks to enjoy the beauty of the largest state in India.

9. Kashmir -

I want to visit the Vaishno Devi temple and ofcourse experience heaven on Earth :)

10. Rome / Vatican City -

Who would not want to see the beautiful churches and the meet the pope :)

11. Sydney / Oz

And last but not the least Sydney -- Just for the Oprah House and the Harbor Bridge... :)

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Cntrl+F1

I wished for a wish,
A wish to find things,
To find people, to find emotions,
To find happiness in everything I do :)

Recently, I have misplaced and forgotten so many things, the number is not even funny. Be it my ever vanishing house keys or the book I have been waiting to return to a friend. I make sure I leave it at a place where its very obvious for me to spot it while leaving, but I wonder why I miss it. Invariably lost for words, there is something that always keeps me busy up there --> Don't ask me what it is, coz I am clueless too. Apart from this are times when I just can't find a piece of jewellery or an important doc...when I store it, I know its a safe place and I am sure to find it when reqd. But when I need it, I feel like takin a revolver and shooting myself...for doing it once again...wasting hours searching for it...in the end I land up finding something else I was looking for 3 weeks back ;p And for reasons as such, I have sooooo wished for a Ctrl+F option in life, or atleast an F1. I can already imagine the stuff I would be looking for first...days with mom, my long lost watch, true love, n so on n so forth. I wish the guys at google come up with some tool soon. I wouldn't want everyone to have it, but something's better than nothin ;)
Signing off as I try to Cntrl+F the F1 key ;)

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Bewitched in Timberland

Last year when PJ was talkin to Rajesh about their pending trip to a wildlife park, I jumped in as usual and said that I would be interested too. But I wasn't very sure then, if I could ever make it to one. It was more of a dream to me. This year when PJ put in all his efforts to convince everyone to chip in and make this trip a reality, I was more than happy to help him out. I used to be so excited about the trip and longed for it to get nearer. Finally the day arrived, the train journey to Katni was more of a fight with the unreserved passengers than a jaunt. NikDee's idlis, Kala's thepla and mere curd rice kept us all filled up and saved us from the junk food sold in the train.

Once we reached Katni, Mogli Resort manager had sent us a Tavera to get us to Bandhavgarh. I so wish the a/c in the jeep was more powerful. We couldn't wait to get to the resort. The heat was unbearable. Once at our terminus, I was with my ambhar sharing a neat cottage ;) cleaned up, had our déjeuner and jumped in the gypsies for our very first safari. My migraine started acting up, but I ignored it. The route and the woods mesmerized us as soon as we entered the gate. Our guide Kunwar Singh shared stories and facts about the jungle. As soon as it was 5 PM we saw B2 tigers 2 sons climb down the terrain and prey on a baby vulture. All the guides said it was a rare sight and we were more than glad to watch it hunt. What a sight! A sudden spate of joy built up in me :) I was gladdened seeing them so close the very first day. The jeeps roared back to the gate before it was 6:45 PM deadline -- all smiles :)

Once back to the resort, we dined, checked each others snaps & reposed for the day. Had to get up early for the morning safari. The alarm went off at 4:30 AM...I have never woken up so early apart for our South Indian marriages :p the morning safaris were more pleasant (sans the heat) We saw the same set of stripes today as well after a much awaited session. Meanwhile we also spotted the rest of the jungle family --> deers, elephants, langurs and different species of birds as well. The trails and the ratting calls kept us bewitched in the timber.

Safari # 3 was a bit disappointing as we couldn't get close to any panthera or the B2, who only glanced at us for a split minute. However, we were delighted (initially jealous :p) to hear that Pramika, Kala n Rahul (a wiretapping duh who shared a safari with us) saw B2 up-close n nigh. Thanks to Ram the super quick driver/guide. What an experience even looking at the pics n videos. Pure WOWY! Later, the night at the resort was fun with games and TP stuff.

Last day we checked out of 2 rooms, post safari # 4 and shifted our baggages to room 3. Last safari was uneventful ;( left for Katni after an early dinner and were dead tired by the time we boarded the tardy train. Thank god it was an a/c compartment. Journey was smooth and we kept on hogging thru out :p played a few games and reached Bombay (Kalyan) on time at 7:15 PM. Met Kala's hospitable uncle and aunt and then dined at Mahalakshmi. We nearly missed our Pune train as the coach numbers were mismatched at the platform and we had to take to the woods ;) hehe....Reached Pune before time around 12 and since there was a strike by the rickshaw drivers, family had to come to the rescue. Reached home after we reached our goal :) A trip that I'll never forget -- Adios for now.

PS: More info can be found at http://www.bandhavgarh.net/. For accommodation contact http://mogliresorts.com/

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