बिखरे मोतीयो से माला बनती नहीं....

टूटे शीशे कभी जुड़ते नहीं,
मुरझाये फूल कभी खिलते नहीं,
दूर से दीखते तो जरूर है
पर जमीन और आसमा कभी मिलते नहीं

बिखरे मोती से माला बनती नहीं,
खली प्यालों से मधुशाला चलती नहीं,
आंखों मैं तो सभी के रहते है
पर सिर्फ़ खवाबों से ज़िन्दगी चलती नहीं

पतझड़ में फूल खिलते नहीं,
बिन हवा पत्ते हिलते नहीं,
साथ में चलते तो है बहुत मुशाफिर
पर हमसफ़र क्यूँ राहो में मिलते नहीं|

- गजेंद्र "स्थिरप्रग्य" सिडाना

Untold story of a wave hitting the shore

Broken and exhausted he left the shore
Because he knew he couldn't take it any more
When he came he was full of energy and joy
And happily he touched the shore as if it was his toy
There was something in the shore which pulled him
But he knew chances of shore being bothered were slim
He just thought about it nights and days
And tried all he could to mend his ways

Humiliated while he waited till the lights got dim
Shore was enjoying with so many others like him
Shore was always happy and indifferent to his pain
But he accepted all this misery as his gain
He was sure that one day shore will see his devotion
And will move a little bit to accommodate his motion

For long he waited but shore was too stubborn
Exasperated he shivered and took back a turn
He had already lost most of its energy and vigor
So he realized it was not wise to test further the rigor
Realizing there was no point in waiting any more
He drifted back into the sea hoping to find another shore.

- गजेंद्र "स्थिरप्रग्य" सिडाना

बिन कहे तू समझे हाल-ऐ-दिल तो क्या बात हो

डूबते तिनके को बस एक सहारा मिल जाए तो क्या बात हो,
भटकती इस लहर को किनारा मिल जाए तो क्या बात हो,
यू तो कमी नहीं है लोगों की यहाँ,
पर अनजानी भीड़ मे कोई हमारा मिल जाए तो क्या बात हो|

छितिज पर आसमा को समुद्र का छोर मिल जाए तो क्या बात हो,
और डूबते तनहा सूरज को कोई और मिल जाए तो क्या बात हो,
यु तो कमी नहीं है सितारों की यहाँ,
पर इस चकोर को अपना एक चंदा मिल जाए तो क्या बात हो|

अंधियारी ज़िन्दगी मे एक चिराग मिल जाए तो क्या बात हो,
नीरस बाग़ में एक गुल खिल जाए तो क्या बात हो,
यु तो कमी नहीं है दोस्तों की यहाँ,
पर एक आँचल का साया भी मिल जाए तो क्या बात हो|

जब तू पढ़े इसे और सुमझे मेरे दिल को तो क्या बात हो,
तेरा दिल भी धडके मेरे लिए तो क्या बात हो,
कहना तो बहुत कुछ चाहता हूँ तुझसे,
पर बिन कहे तू समझे हाल-ऐ-दिल तो क्या बात हो|

- गजेंद्र "स्थिरप्रग्य" सिडाना

Six Men on a Trek (To speak nothing of the Dog) - Trek to Kudremukh

Finally after a long break of more than one year since we had our
last trek to Kumara Parvata, we decided to go for one more trek. This time we didn’t have three of the members from our group of last time but luckily we got three new people who willingly joined us. So finally we had Arun, Ashok, Nidhan, Rahul, Ravi and myself all set for the trek, though Tajamul also joined us initially but backed out for the reasons I will elaborate later. After so much deliberation on where to go, we pinned down to Kudremukh, a place located in Chickmanglur district. So the preparations started for the trek like arrangement of tents, sleeping bags, travel tickets, medicines, food and other miscellaneous items. As a part of preparation, we also thought of seeking some local’s advice on the challenges we faced, considering it was a rainy season and there was a forecast of moderate to heavy rain with 90 percent certainty on the weekend we were to travel. So the main challenges, as told to us, were leeches, slippery surface, land slides and last but not the least Naxals. So here we were with all the tickets booked (including one for Tajamul) and we were bombarded with all kind of threats facing us but we like stubborn kids decided not to step back, though our friend Tajamul found these threats to be too big to ignore and hence decided to walk out of the plan. So we six people with seven tickets started for Kalasa, our base camp, on Friday night 10:15 pm, only to reach our destination at 8:00 am in the morning. We had a quick breakfast, did all the daily routines as fast as we could just to make sure that we could get the permission from forest officials in Kudremukh early enough but as it always happens with govt. offices, we ended up wasting 2 hrs just waiting for the concerned person to come to office and sign on the required documents. It was already 1:00 pm when we started for badgal, the place from where we were to start our trek. We had our lunch there, an amazing meal including chapattis, curry, rice, sambhar and pickle just for Rs 20 per person. The thing, which touched us most, was the hospitality that you can only find in those small places.


Our journey to our first stop, our guide Satish’s house, could have been done on a Jeep but we decided not to go for it. So we walked up 8 km on the jeep track. By the time we reached, Satish’s house it was already evening 4 o’clock and since we were not allowed to stay inside the national park, so there was no point continuing the journey that day. So we decided to stay there only and continue next day. Just in the vicinity there was a beautiful waterfall, where we took bath despite of the chilling water. Here also what appealed to me most was the hospitality offered by Satish at his house. We were offered fresh white honey they got recently and then some much-needed glass of tea. Evening was a nice experience without electricity, mobile phone and any unwanted noise of motor vehicles etc. We spent most of the time trying to lit a bonfire out of water soaked woods but we failed even after using 200 mL petrol. So we decided not to waste time any further and just enjoyed the dawn in the lap of nature. Anyways Ravi was always there for our entertainment and Paa ji (Nidhan) left no stone unturned to get maximum pleasure out Ravi’s misery of being stuck with people like us. There was a perfect climax of the day with a nice dinner, which included home grown rice and traditional Karnataka sambhar with all the vegetables also grown at home only. Post dinner we shared some jokes, planned for next day and crashed. Most remarkable thing about whole ordeal was that we never missed our cell phones or electricity.


Next day we had quick breakfast and started for the peak around 8:00 am. It was raining heavily but not enough to dampen our spirits. Here Satish and his wonderful dog Raju went with us as our guide. Raju was our surprise companion throughout the journey. A very intelligent highly trained dog who guided us to the peak and way back even when Satish was far ahead of us. As we walked a bit further, it was all there, thick forest, waterfall and trees laden with fruits like guava and sweet lime. By the time we reached at Lobos’ house, we realized how potent was the threat regarding leaches. We were heavily using salt and Iodex but still it was not much of rescue as with rain the salt was getting washed off and leeches never missed such an opportunity. After traveling for 4 hrs and overcoming the hurdles of slippery surface and leeches we reached at the peak. It was too cold and windy that we decided to walk back after a short break but this journey till peak had already taught us one thing; if you want to avoid leech don’t stop at any place, especially near the waterfalls and area densely covered with woods. I came down from the peak without even taking a single pause and without being bothered by a single leech. I reached at Satish’s house at 3:00 pm and took a bath followed by a cup of tea. We started for the base location i.e. Kalasa and since our return bus was from Horanadu, we also got an opportunity to visit Annapoorneshwari temple, a pilgrimage popular among Karnataka people. When reached Bangalore next day we were too tired to go to office and hence decided to take a day off. Ashok had the after effect of leech bites even 15-20 days after the trek. The best part of whole thing was that we didn't find any Naxalites on our way.

A Not So Curious Incident Of An Underdog In Lifetime

If someone asks me who are two of my favorite characters and it wouldn’t take me much time to come up with the names of Marvin from “Hitchhikers Guide to Galaxy”, the guy who parked cars for 10 million years though having a brain of the size of a planet and George Costanza from the TV series “Seinfeld”, who was never expected and never did anything great in life. I myself have wondered many times why I like these two characters that much and finally concluded that it has to be some sort of empathy I have for these characters. I think if there is someone who can compete with me in being an underdog with so much consistency, these are the only two characters that come close. I also had the same empathy for Rajasthan Royals team in IPL league at one point of time but they betrayed me and ended up winning the trophy, which I feel is not what real underdogs do in real life. According to me, if in real life some underdog achieves something real, he is not a real underdog.

I know I may sound a bit too pessimistic but let me quote one of the incidents from my life, hence the title of this blog. Sometime back at some place, well time and space doesn’t matter in this incident because they are entangled in such a way that no one can comprehend. It was morning 6:00 am and my alarm clock started ringing loud and clear. I knew I had to rush but I still snoozed to grab few extra minutes of sleep. Finally after snoozing two or three times, I got up and did all daily routine activities in a hurry and reached at the bus stop. This bus was supposed to take me there and I wasn’t very sure why I was going there but knew that I had to be there. Finally I reached at my destination and as usual I took out my keys, took out my laptop from the drawers and allowed it to start and in the meantime went to the coffee room to grab a cup of coffee. Yes, you guessed it right I reached to my office and it was morning 7:50 am. After having the coffee, continued to work till evening 4:30 with a small lunch break in between. Evening 4:30 left back for the place, from where I came in the morning (please do notice that I haven’t used the word home here because it seems some that a home has some very essential components). After reaching there twitched a bit with my six strings and left for my club to play tennis for an hour or so, came back in the night, had dinner and finally retired to my bed waiting for the alarm bell to ring again next day.

An Aimless Wanderer

I have a feeling I have to go
To where I don't even know
Though I can still see some light
I have to be there before its dark night

It's weird you may say
But I don't have any reason to stay
Something inside makes me wanna run
And soak up this shining sun

I can feel the feelings withering
And the emotions tittering
But can't help but to keep going
To a destination without even knowing.

( My own (mis)creation )

- गजेंद्र "स्थिरप्रग्य" सिडाना

Bill Watterson's quotes

Below are some of the legendary quotes of Bill Watterson, the man who created all time great comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes". Bill watterson like Douglas Adams is one of the few writers whose quotes are full of wit and humour and yet so close to reality that they have something for everyone. They are the quotes which will resonate in everyone's heart. I am putting some of the quotes of Bill here. In the next blog, I am going to put Douglas Adams' quotes.

A real job is a job you hate.

Reality continues to ruin my life.

From now on, I'll connect the dots my own way.

Genius is never understood in its own time.

God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I am so far behind that I will never die.

Heck, what's a little extortion among friends?

I find my life is a lot easier the lower I keep everyone's expectations.

I know the world isn't fair, but why isn't it ever unfair in my favor?

I liked things better when I didn't understand them.

I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can play together all night.

I thought my life would seem more interesting with a musical score and a laugh track.

I'm not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information.

If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I'll bet they'd live a lot differently.

It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept.

It's surprising how hard we'll work when the work is done just for ourselves.

Know what's weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change. But pretty soon, everything's different.

Mothers are the necessity of invention.

Nothing helps a bad mood like spreading it around.

Often it takes some calamity to make us live in the present. Then suddenly we wake up and see all the mistakes we have made.

Shutting off the thought process is not rejuvenating; the mind is like a car battery - it recharges by running.

So, what's it like in the real world? Well, the food is better, but beyond that, I don't recommend it.

Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us.

Sometimes when I'm talking, my words can't keep up with my thoughts. I wonder why we think faster than we speak. Probably so we can think twice.

Talking with you is sort of the conversational equivalent of an out of body experience.

That's the whole problem with science. You've got a bunch of empiricists trying to describe things of unimaginable wonder.

The problem with the future is that it keeps running into the present.

The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us.

The world of a comic strip ought to be a special place with its own logic and life... I don't want the issue of Hobbes's reality settled by a doll manufacturer.

There is not enough time to do all the nothing we want to do.

Things are never quite as scary when you've got a best friend.

We all have different desires and needs, but if we don't discover what we want from ourselves and what we stand for, we will live passively and unfulfilled.

We don't devote enough scientific research to finding a cure for jerks.

Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.

Why waste time learning, when ignorance is instantaneous?

Just an inane thought

Today while I was talking to my colleague Arjun, I stumbled upon this interesting idea which I am sure not many feminists might have thought so far. So as usual being a great liker of women fraternity (though to my bad luck somehow they don't like me), I thought of putting it here. The idea I am talking about is related to the cyclones and hurricanes. Now let me ask you this, what is common between women and the hurricanes and cyclones, which have hit our planet recent times apart from the fact that both can be devastating at times. The answer is not very simple, so I will tell you the answer straight away. The commonality is that all these cyclones/hurricanes were named after women, be it Katrina, Rita or Nargis (which struck Bangalore yesterday) and Tsunami (though not sure what it means but definitely this word have feminine feel :D). So is it just pure coincidence that time and again all the devastating hurricanes were named after women, or its a sort of conspiracy by men dominated world or it is a fact the women are indeed dangerous and hence nothing unusual in this kind of nomenclature, only a feminist can answer. Any feminist reading this?

An ode to 1800 km

Today while looking at my bike's techometer, I realized that I have covered 1800 kms on my newly bought Pulsar 200 bike that too on the notriously famous Bangalore roads. These 1800 kms were not only wasted somewhere in the hurry to reach my destination rather these 1800 kms helped me understand the dynamics of Bangalore traffic system. Not to anyone's surprise, I realized that Bangalore traffic is a big hazard for the daily commuters but more than that it prepares you for the big battles in life. Another reason for writing this blog is the Unlock Bangalore campaign started by TOI. In this campaign bikers were villified to such an extent that one would think only bikers are responsible for the chaos on the roads. Hence I decided to list down the categories of vehicles which I feel are more responsible for the chaos when compared with Bikers. So here goes my list:

1) The proud winner in my list are the lady driver driving a pink scooty. Never ever try to compete with them, whether you have a pulsar 200 or a hayabhusha, it doesn't make any difference. You can never win.

2) Beware of the kids who drive bicycles and mopeds because these kids are really stupid. Don't think that I dont like kids, its just even elder people dont follow traffic rules, forget about these innocent kids to do so. After all they will learn from their elders.

3) Take extra care from the BMTC buses. Drivers of these buses are the same small kids who drove their mopeds/bicycles rashly in their childhood and then decided not to change. In case if it is a volvo it could be even worse.

4) If you see a car with yellow number plate, take extra precaution. Also the auto rikshaws, they drive as if the sole purpose of the road is to enable their movement and restrict others.

Another thought which has hovered in brain for so long is that, somewhere while complaining about the congested traffic system of Bangalore, I feel we forget to see the good work done by the traffic police people. I know I would be the only one to think this way but considering the resources they have at their disposal and the conditions in which they have to work, I feel they are doing a commendable job. Let us not forget that, when human rights people are busy shouting slogans to save people like Afzal guru, nobody gives a shit about these traffic police people, who have to inhale litres of hazardous gases everyday just to make this traffic run that too for a paltry amount of money they get at the end of the month.

An Innocent Death

After a long hiatus today I thought of writing. It has been months since I updated my blog but best part is that it doesn't make any difference, as no one would have noticed it since I am sure, not many people would be dropping on this blog anyways. Its not that lack of readers is always a bad rather sometimes it is good for a person like me. It gives me ample opportunity to discard all the garbage off my head but still not to bother anyone with it. So if anyone is reading this blog so far, it becomes my moral responsibility to make him aware about the possible danger he is stepping on.

I am back here because I needed to vent out the weird feeling I am having today. The sole reason for this is the movie "Into the wild". I watched this movie yesterday night and it shook me in a way, which no movie has done in past few years. The movie based on the true story of a 23 year old boy named Christopher Mccandless, who went into the wild in Alaska to live on his own. He donated his life time savings of USD 24,000 to OXFAM. He abandoned his car and burnt all the money he had.He survives in Alaska for 112 days before dying because of poisoning caused by a poisonous plant he ate.

This movie touches lot of aspects of human feeling. This movie makes you feel what is really important in your life. The main character makes you realize how a person can be happy without any bondage like money, power and relations. This movie also makes you ponder over your plight for missing so much of what nature has to offer. In the last part Christopher realized that a person enjoys happiness when its shared but it was too late for him to leave Alaska and ultimately he was forced to spend his last few days there itself.

The last part is a very tragic portrayal of an innocent death and by the time it happens viewer is bound to be so attached with the character that he will feel the pain of his death. I don't know which string this movie touched in my heart but I know one thing, it has change my perspective of life.

I must give full credit to director Sean Penn for directing a masterpiece, where I will give hundred percent marks to Emile Hirsch for acting and Eddie Vedder for wonderful sound track for this movie. The sound track is so great that I am listening to it continuously from past two days. After watching the movie, this sound track touches the heart even more.

Eurotrip 1

I started my journey on March 03, 2007 for Paris, my intermediate stoppage before my final destination, Amsterdam. After 10 hrs of pleasant flight in AF Business class, I reached in Paris sharp on time. The Paris airport is really big and I must say just by comparing the airports of Bangalore and Paris, you can easily contemplate the difference in life standard of people in these cities. Paris airport is really big and yet so organized. After spending three hrs on Paris airport, I started my voyage for Amsterdam. To my surprise, I found Schipol airport, Amsterdam to be even better than Paris (This just an initial impression, may be not a correct one).

From past two days I am just strolling on the roads of Amsterdam and I am really impressed by the way this city is maintained. After having seen so many posh BMWs, Mercs and several 600+ CC bikes, what surprised me most is that I find so many people riding cycles here which is in sharp contrast with the mentality of Indians, who will definitely find it a shame if they happen to be rich. I think because of this only, the air pollution in Amsterdam is very less and life seems to be much more peaceful and relaxed.Last but not the least, I find so many Indians here supporting the saying that 'Indians will reach to the places where even train hasn't reached'.

Idle like a painted ship

Unbearable stillness in the ocean of time ,
Forcing me to create this useless rhyme,
While thinking of something elegant to write,
My brain squirms at my plight.

Sitting as idle as a painted ship,
I can't even even have a fresh water dip,
I want to ride high in the sky,
Till sun makes the whole ocean dry.

I know what i am writing is all waste,
But after all everyone has his own taste,
you better do your job right,
Then reading the crap i write.

- गजेंद्र "स्थिरप्रग्य" सिडाना

Ek Din...........

दूर कहीँ उन-मने झरोखों से,
कहीँ थके अर्ध-सुप्त दराख्तो से,
टकराती चिल्काती उस अध्-जली धुप में ,
बैठा देख रह था उस सूनी पगडण्डी को,
जो बात झो रही थी किसी पथिक के आने को,
मानो गीली आंखो से तनहाई कि जलन बहुजन चाहती हो,
और पक्षियों के कलरव मैं अपने प्रियतम को पाना चाहती हो.

उसी दिन मैंने उस नीरस तीर को भी देखा था,
जो अपने प्रियतम को पाना चाहता था,
पर मानो नदिया कि पद्तादना से बबुस,
दूस्रेय तीर को बस्स निहारेय जा रह था,
और व्याकुल हो अह्स्रू नदिया मैं बहाए जा रह था,
संतोष बस्स इतना ही है उसको,
उसका प्रियतम भी कभी चुमेगा उसकी अश्रु कि बूंदों को.

उसी दिन मैंने हवा से कहते सुना था,
किसी बागन मैं एक गुलशन खिला था,
हवा से बातें करते करते उसने यह कहा है,
बहार के इस समां मैं वो कबसे भवरें कि राह देख रह है,
पर मस्त मलंग भावारे कि कौन खबर लाए,
और इस लाचार गुलशन के दिल को बहलाये.

मैं लाचार हैरान उनको देख रह हूँ
चाहता हूँ मदद करना पर खुद को भी बबुस पता हूँ,
और फिर उससी उदास पगडण्डी के बगल से बिना उससे चेदे
उस तीर के साथ साथ हवा से अपनी बबुसी जताता हुआ
तनहा घर लॉट जाता हूँ.

Kumara Parvata - A Memorable Trekking Experience

Last Wednesday, Zubin asked me if I am interested to go for hiking to Kumara Parvata (KP), a part of Western Ghats and I was told that this is the most difficult trek in Karnataka with a total to and fro distance of about 36 km. Despite of having no prior trekking experience, I agreed for the trip. Others in the team were Aveek, Arun, Ashok and Ajit (Four As!!!!). Amongst us, only Arun had prior trekking experience but he was also going to KP for the first time. So at the time of starting, we had no information about the trek details, other than the fact that it is known to be the most difficult trek in Karnataka. We found some blogs with details and though they provided us with some useful information, at the same time they also misled us. These blogs had compiled a list of items we should carry along with us but later we found that most of them were not needed at all on the trip and only added to our baggage. Based on these blogs, we decided which items we need to procure before embarking on the trip. Arun had booked the tents and travel tickets; Zubin and Aveek arranged for sleeping bags.

Finally, after two days of extensive preparation, on Friday (12th Jan) evening, we started for Kukke Subramanya (which is about 280 km from Bangalore), the place from where we had to start our trekking. The bus not being in a very good condition, gave us a very good warm up for the arduous journey we were to have later. We reached at Kukke Subramanya at 5:00 am and took 3 hrs of rest before starting our journey towards our first destination i.e. Narayan Bhatt’s house popularly known as Bhatta’s house. Here itself we had committed our first mistake. By the time we started, sun was already out in full, dissuading us not to make any attempt to reduce our distance from him and we like stubborn kids went ahead without paying any heeds to his threats. Initial part of the trek pass through thick wood cover and the slanting morning sunrays percolating through the trees was a superb feast for the eyes and the fresh air gave an extravagant treat to our CO2 rich and oxygen deficient brains. This forest cover lasts for around 4 km and we didn’t have any problems crossing that stretch but before reaching to Bhatta’s place, we needed to pass through grasslands. It was already 12:30 PM till we reached to Bhatta’s place. We had to take several breaks in between and had to consume lots of glucose and water to prevent dehydration. Just before bhatta’s place, you can find one tower standing and besides it you find a board saying “Please don’t tease wild animals” with a picture of tiger drawn on it and I am sure how happy every tired individual, who doesn’t even have a knife to cut grass, is going to feel after seeing this board. The time we reached at Bhatta’s place, it was already half past twelve and we were completely exhausted. We ordered for food and crashed wherever we could find the place. That place was crowded due to lot many people coming for the special pooja on Sakaranti, which was scheduled take place at KP on 14th January. After 45 mins we got food, which included boiled rice and radish sambhar and I can assure you that sambhar-rice never tasted that good to me throughout my life.

We started our journey at 2:00 PM and people told us that further journey is even more tiring as it is very steep and almost all of it is through grasslands. After taking adequate permissions etc through the forest department, we proceeded for what was to be the most difficult 6-8 kms of our life. The heat along with the exertion was killing us and we finished all the 12Lts of water, which we were carrying along with us before we reached the next source of water, which is about 3km from Bhatta’s place. Till this time, Aveek was dehydrated and was finding it very difficult to continue. We drank lot of water at that small source and washed our faces with cold water, which rejuvenated our spirits to conquer the peak. Our next destination was Mantop, a site where people Camp frequently if they find it difficult to reach the peak before the dusk. Till the time we reached Mantop, I also developed some sprain in my leg and was finding it very difficult to continue but lots of encouragement by other people kept me going. We decided that we will continue moving up till 5:30 and then will halt at a suitable place where we camp for the night. Till the time we found this suitable place, we had already traveled 2 kms from Mantop and were already at the peak of Shesha Parvata. The worst part about the whole trek is that it is very deceiving. All the time you will be moving up thinking that the highest peak you can see is your final destination, but it is never the case. All this time we were thinking that Shesha Parvata is our destination but when we reached there, we realized that KP is still 2km from this place. It was already evening six till we found a suitable place to halt. The place was very beautiful and we could see whole of Western Ghats from this place. We fixed our tents there and Ashok and Ajit went to collect woods. As the sun disappearing the temperature went down sharply (though not as cold as mentioned in the blogs I read). Initially we had to struggle a lot to lit the fire but finally using my Lohri experience I managed to lit the fire (surprisingly that day was Lohri and it became one of my most memorable Lohri I had so far, with bonfire at a height of 6000ft). Aveek and myself prepared, Maggie we were carrying with us and we really prepared some delicious half cooked Maggie. We sat for an hour around the bonfire, shared jokes and sang some songs and went on to sleep in the tents. Sleeping in the tents was a unique experience and when I got up it was the most pleasant morning one can expect, with fresh air filling our lungs with infinite energy and zeal. Throughout the night we never felt the need to use the blankets we were carrying and I was feeling very angry with the person who suggested this. Arun, Ashok and Ajit decided to go to peak early in the morning but we three decided to stay there on wait for them. We played cards (bluff) there with whole of Western Ghats witnessing our bluffing. When these people came back, we started back for the Kukke Subhramanya. The return journey was much peaceful though it put a lot of strain on our knees. We reached back at Kukke Subhramanya around 5:00 in the evening without much difficulty where special darshan were going on for Sakranti festival. We saw some wonderful Kathak performance by local troupe and then started back for Bangalore.

While crossing the forest on my return journey, Robert Frost’s following famous word kept echoing in my brain again and again:

Woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.





Following are the few tips about the trip:

Carry sufficient water
Keep the baggage weight to the minimum.
Don’t carry anything which is not required.

List of items one must carry:

Tents
Sleeping bags
Warm clothing (one jacket and thermal inner wear is enough, don’t carry blankets)
Normal clothing (One shorts, extra half sleeves t-shirt, extra shocks)
Camera (with extra batteries)
Ipods or music phones (music sounds fantastic in such beautiful locations)
Water (2lts per person)
Food items like Maggie, bread, jam etc.
One small cooking pan and spoon
Torch
Rope
Adhesive Tape
Needle and thread
100mL Petrol
Lighter and matchbox
One Knife
First aid (including antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and band-aid etc)

Defending the Despised

Person 1: Hey man, Congrats you got placed in a good company with an excellent package.

Person 2: Thanks buddy but I don't think I am all that happy with the job.

Person 1: Why? You have a very good package along with the profile you always dreamt of !!

Person 2: I know man but you know I have been placed in Chennai.

This is a common dialogue you can find across all the college campuses in the country. Whenever anybody gets placed in Chennai, invariably feelings are the same. Even I had the similar feeling, rather even stronger, as I had already spent four years in that place. I really despised Chennai and used to crib a lot about it. There was not a single day when I didn't abuse Chennai. Now I have left that place (prison) but there is a surprising change in attitude towards Chennai. If you think I miss Chennai now then I am really sorry but you are wrong. I don't miss Chennai, not at all, but I do have developed some sort of peculiar attachment with the city. I still abuse Chennai sometimes but can't tolerate someone else doing the same. Over the past few days, I have found myself defending the same city which I myself abuse. I don't like others criticizing the city even though they haven't ever lived in it, though I feel I have the every right to criticize it because that is my city, my own "Chennai". So next time please don't criticize Chennai in front of me.

Living a dead life

Sitting here by the lonely window,
I think of those hustling days,
And the beautiful colours of rainbow,
when happiness was scatter on all the ways.
The life which was happening and cheerful,
And the days when we made the sun glow,
We inspired the life to look meaningful,
And made the time pass just like rivers flow.

Now the reason has taken its toll,
The real me is dead long ago,
Every one have to find a suitable role,
But the only thing left is a dead shadow.
I am moving all along for no reason,
Traversing down the difficult lanes,
But why am I is an unanswered question,
And purposelessness of life still remains.

(my own creation)

Insanity Unlimited

I have always marveled at the functioning of Indian system, I mean whenever I think that what could be the driving force, which is making it run from so many years, my brain goes wild. I always find everything going on in a very smooth equilibrium and you can find all the antagonistic things living side by side. You can find corruption and honesty living side by side, as if they were some lovers who were born to live like that. You can find both intelligence and stupidity intermingled so closely to each other that go to any work place, you can find the difference in black and white. You find people supporting and praising talented people at one time, at other time you will find people calling them as a symbol of elitist oppressors.

In India everybody is moving on without knowing why they are moving or where they are heading but all of them know one thing for sure "We have to keep moving". You read big stories covering the grand success through which Indian Economy is going on or great thing regarding equality and democracy that India is preaching at international stage but I am sure noone ever noticed what a mockery of these two words is being made in the country.

State is imposing a ruthless discrimination in the name of upliftment of downtrodden. Reservations are imposed without any data collection or proper reason being given. Supreme court is shouting at the top of its voice that "how can Govt. of India first play the game and them make the rules". Supreme court has time and again suggeted our HON. DEMOCRATICALLY elected govt. to remove creamy layer from the ambit of reservation but the penchant hypocracy prevailing in the democratic setup itself doesn't allow OUR govt to listen to the reasonable voice. As I already mentioned, in India people learn to live very easily with the vices and virtue without creating much fuss, they also accepted reservation as the their fate. Protests died down because protestors knew that nothing other than demographic count can put any reason into the head of Head of State in India.

I feel that Indian leaders has got a contagious disease to show that they are very considerate of poor without knowing actually how to do that. Few days back only I saw one advertisement in Hindu published in public interest by Govt. of India saying " I am prepared, I have my boat ready, and lots of stuff ready and a fisherman was shown there and at the bottom it was written I am empowered". Now the basic question, which came to my mind, was "can a fisherman read English"? I am sure not many of them will be able to read English, then what is the point of giving this ad. in Hindu.

The reason is clear, DEMOCRATICALLY elected Govt of India doesn't go by reasons. They are not concerned who is getting benefited from its policies; all they care is votes, so that they can come back. Using Hindu (most widely circulated paper) they want to give the impression to middle class that they care for the people and by giving reservations they make sure that they can appease about 50% of the population. Cheap tools like caste, religion, bottle of local wine and some cash can easily lure poor.

The stage is all set for the enactment of George Orwell's ANIMAL FARM...

oops!!! sorry stage was always set here in India, I guess George Orwell must have taken the inspiration from India :)

Incredible India - The Good, Bad and Ugly

Once I saw the caption line used by the Tourism Department of India "Incredible India".I really could not understand the implication of those two words. I thought it to be a good caption line but what is so incredible about India. After all this also just another country spread across the globe, though unlike others, Indians were able to increase their count to one billion.After so much of the strain on my grey cells, I found that indeed India is incredible otherwise where you will find hundreds of religions, thousands of languages (including dialects) and millions of tourist places but if you thinks that is all about India then you are grossly mistaken. There is much more in India which makes it really incredible.

The country with millions of square feet of sprawling IT workspaces spread over its fast booming metros, living side by side with the biggest slums of the world.The country which claims to become the Guru of world in art, religion and literature is now fast headed to become the IT super power of the world. This is not the only good part that can be spoken about India, there is also a long success story related to revival of manufacturing sector and green revolution, which can be narrated infinite times. So i guess that give a very good picture of GOOD face of "Incredible India" but I think BAD face is more horrible with millions and millions dying of malnutrition, high corruption (70th place out of 162) and a fracture country divided along the lines of religion, region, language and caste.

But in this blog, my aim is not to focus on either the good or bad face of India. Here want to bring into attention the UGLY face of "Incredible India" The face which stinks beyond imagination like a gutter and make you ask one question again and again, what is so incredible about India?

In the fast commercializing world, when most of the people don't prefer to make literature as their living, the ones who have proved their mettle are struggling to earn their bread. Everybody raised hue and cry (in India also) when Mohd. Ali threw away his gold medal in the river against the racial discrimination but no body bothered when the person who was once part of Olympics hockey gold winning Indian squad and had to sell his gold medal to get the treatment for his wife and children. He died while selling ground nuts on foot paths. The goverment instead of doing anything to save the dying literature/art/sports in the country are busy trying to save their chair. The help is given to those who really don't need any.Yesterday I read one story in Hindu about a State Sahitya Academy award winner poet who is struggling hard to make is living. I am pasting it below and I am sure reader can't do anything to stop this story in hovering in his mind for a long time.

The poet as fishmonger (K.P.M. BASHEER) Source: The Hindu

IT was a monsoon night. The village was soaked in rain. The tiny thatched hut leaked. The kerosene lamp struggled to fight off the wet winds that tried to snuff out its pale light.

Hungry and lying in his grass mattress spread out on the floor, Pavithran listened to the night's wail. His mother rose, and came close. "Child, there's a treasure trove hidden in a bamboo grove a little distance away," she whispered in his ears. "I am going out to get it. Be a nice boy and go to sleep."

Vivid memory

Leaving him alone in the hut, she walked out into the rainy night.

The mother returned by midnight. She had no treasure trove with her; only a wet five-rupee note in her hand. Tears in her eyes, she dried it against the flickering lamp.

More than a quarter century later, Pavithran Theekkuni, the celebrated young Malayalam poet, still vividly remembers that tortured night. It had scorched the innocence of his boyhood.

His mother had gone treasure hunting again on many nights — for, she had to feed two young stomachs, Pavithran's and his sister's. She could never get him the promised treasure trove, but her nocturnal travels left a deep scar on Pavithran's mind. Years later, their burning memories echoed in his poetry. In the widely admired poem "Nidhi" (treasure trove), the poet scoops out the molten lava of that painful experience into his readers' hearts.

For a five-rupee note, Pavithran's father had once "sold" him when he was a little boy. The insane father has lived on the street, almost naked, for the past three decades. All his childhood, Pavithran suffered the ridicule, "madman's son".

Basis of his poetry

"My experiences formed my poetry," Pavithran tells his interviewer. "With my 32 years of life experiences, I can probably keep on writing poetry for the next 10 lifetimes."

Sitting on a rock near his home in Aayancherry, 60 km from Kozhikode, his shirt and hair and hands reek of fish. He is just back from the village market where he makes a living by selling fish. Eight books of poetry and several poetry awards (including a State Sahitya Akademi Award) later, selling fish is his only reliable source of income. Earlier, he used to carry the fish basket on his head and sell door-to-door; now, from a wooden board raised on the road's edge.

"I make upwards of Rs. 150 a day," Pavithran says. Mackerels, sardines and seer fish help feed three stomachs — his wife Shaantha's and two children's — who live with him in a rundown one-room thatched hut that has no electric light.

"There is no poetry on my mind while I sell fish; all I care about is to sell out my ware." That was why he asked the interviewer to wait until sundown.

Hawking fish has helped end his years of wandering across Kerala picking up odd jobs — as restaurant waiter, digger of phone-cable pits, newspaper vendor, coconut plucker, barber, chef, stone-cutter, headload worker and occasionally as beggar. And writing poetry in between. "It was poetry that kept me going during those days of pain and hardship."

Driven by extreme poverty and debt, Pavithran and his family had, at one time, attempted suicide. On the 1999 Onam night, the four-member family laid down across railway tracks near Thrissur awaiting a train to end their worries forever. But, a few minutes before the train arrived, Pavithran's three-year-old daughter got up and cried out for water. At this, the one-year-old son got up too, and both refused to lie down on the tracks again. Then, the family went back to life. That night, as rain poured, they slept in a shed.

While his wife and the son were in hospital, Pavithran, holding his daughter's hand, begged in the streets for days to keep the family alive. But even during those days, he used to scribble poems in his notebook. In one of those poems, Pavithran asks: "Is death harder than starvation?"

Emotional support

Pavithran married his wife Shaantha at the age of 20 while he was still in college. She was from a poor family and was practically illiterate and her father had died of mental illness. "I married for money," Pavithran admits. "I was keen on marrying off my sister in order to rescue her from my home." With the little money he got as his dowry, the sister was married off. But the marriage didn't last long.

"But for Shaantha, I would have ended my life long back," he says with gratitude. "She stood by me in all my travails." He sold off her only piece of gold jewellery to get his first book of poetry, Spring of Wounds, published in 1994, when he was just 20. (He got his second book published by raising Rs. 20 each from 500 people.) After marriage, he dropped out of college.

Pavithran had started writing poetry when he was in high school. "Poetry just came out of my hardships," he says. "It was my only weapon against life's assaults." He was not a great reader, and had skipped all the must-read classics of Malayalam poetry.

He was a bright student. Working on holidays, and even during intervals between classes, he supported himself. Poverty, the "insecurity of the home" and the bad reputation brought in by his parents had forced him to drop out of school and college many times.

His free verses use simple, short words which are deep and intense. Some read like Zen poems. Not for him the high-flung, flowery poetic language. The imagery comes from subaltern lives.

Most of his poems first appeared in magazines. "Those editors who once rejected me are now seeking out my poems; I send the same poems they had once rejected," Pavithran says with a chuckle.

Critics' responses

"Pavithran's poetic sensibilities come from his lived experiences," the late Dr. Ayyappa Panicker, the well-known poet, observed in a review of his poems. "His mind and poetry are full of fire — but they do not yell out, just smoulder."

So far eight volumes of his poetry have come out in print. But they offered not much of a financial relief. The latest, Thekkuni Kavithagal, was published by DC Books recently. Leading literary critics rank him high among the young poets. His poems are referred to as "poems born out of fire" and "poems smelling of scorched lives". Some critics have accused him of "having brought in the stench of fish to Malayalam poetry".

Pavithran says he has no intention to quit hawking fish in the near future.

Ref: http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/11/12/stories/2006111200350700.htm

A wake up call for Feminists

I have always wondered how people manage to find some trivial issues to raise and then fight for them. Take the case of north south divide, the whole issue rest on the difference in language. People are going mad about it, fighting with each other but in turn leaving out the core issues i.e. the widespread poverty which prevails everywhere in the country.Then can't help but to think about the fight going on for over a century between communists and capitalist. The whole issue being who should own the enterprise i.e. the top bureaucrats or some capitalists. In the end it has to be none other then the poor labor class people who will suffer in both the systems.I don't deny the fact that it is suppose to be this way only. In the food chain, somebody gotta to be on the top. Not every one can be at the same level.

When talking about struggles, how can anyone miss one of the greatest revolution to happen in our century. Yes, you guessed it correctly, I am speaking about FEMINISM. The movement claims to fight for the upliftment of fairer sex who has been oppressed from the times of Adam and Eve. Even I agree that these poor creatures bears so much throughout their lives but for no reason but this movement never meant to address the core issues ( just like any others movement).Rather this movement started to focus on issues like why can't women smoke, drink or go out naked etc just like man!! Now my question is do you really think that women's main suffering is that they are not allowed to smoke or drink or going out naked. So I thought (not actually but got the idea from the movie "Before Sunrise") that "feminism must have been a men's idea" and I think somewhere behind this movement are men only. Of late I don't see any funny issues from these feminists, so thought that I should suggest them a few and I do promise that as a mark of respect to their movement's grand history I won't suggest any issues which may remotely help the needy women. Here are the few issues which should be taken up in the near future:

1) Few days back I was passing by a construction site, there I saw one warning board "Men at Work, Please Go Slow". Now the question is why "Men at work" was written though there are so many women also working. Don't you think that this warning message is a conspiracy of men against women to devaluate their hardwork?

My suggestion is that government should pass a legislation enforcing all the contractors to put the board mentioning "Women and Men at work" (though there is a risk traffic jams after putting these boards :D ). Considering the gravity of crime, the contractor not abiding by this should be given life imprisonment.

2)I also see that in public transport busses, seats on left sides and the rear are reserved for women and the ones on the right and the front (just left to driver) are left unreserved. Again its clear that by reserving the back seats, men want to subjugate them they way they have been doing for generations.

My suggestion would be to reserve every alternate seat for women (not to mention starting from seat no. 1 :D).

I will try to come up with lot more issues to help (wo)men from time to time. :D

Should I celebrate?

One more independence day is on its way to put some more burden on the government exchaquer and to make us feel better by emphasizing that at some moment, we were even worse then this. I think the whole purpose of this excercise is to convey one simple message "Dear countrymen, please don't worry if you find the situation in the country very bad because few decades back we were worse". The honourable PM will give a very long speech (written by some else, edited by another) while standing on Lal-Quila which will be more of a philosophical sermon on how citizens should behave (without bothering what politicians are doing). In this speech, he will tell what was the contribution of the great leaders, what great deeds they did without thinking it important to focus on his own contributions. I know few of the so called patriotic guys will call me passimist and rude, but I think it is the high time we should start worrying about present also. I think just remembering the past is of no use, if we can't make use of it to improve are present. Country is divided on the lines of religion, caste, language and what not. You think of a reason for conflict, you can find in India. People are dyng of hunger but government is busy reserving seats IITs and IIMs on the basis of caste for people of particular castes. Every now and then bomb blasts are happening, people are dying but government is busy giving high pitch statements. So called saviours of oppressed are busy fooling them over and over for all these decades. Parliament never works properly, with no business ever done on serious matters. The fastest bills to be passed are those in which there is a proposal to increase the emoluments of MP's or the bill's like reservation to which no party dares to oppose. Democracy has become a poor joke. I don't know why west wants democracy everywhere.People are stupid eough first to elect stupid people and then crib about them. If this is is what we call democracy, then please don't enforce democracy around the globe.