Adventure…living on the edge?
Last week I suddenly found myself escorting 25 girls to the Summer Education Camp in Dudhsagar Forest Camp . This is part of the Bhagwan Mahavir National Park near Collem. As the duty was totally unexpected I had a thousand questions buzzing in my mind. I contacted the organisers and realised that we would be staying in tents…
My mind went into a tizzy. I packed my bags with a little apprehension , a little thrill and because of the inevitability- with a I don’t care attitude too!
The next morning we left the school towards Collem. The parents had a thousand questions . I was as curious as them!We reached Collem at 9 AM. The organisers were to meet us there and take us into the jungle.They were soon located. They told us that we were to walk for 1/2 a kilometre and there a vehicle would be waiting for us. We soon reached a rivulet.A pick-up came and took our bags. We crossed the rivulet by treading in crystal clear waters….shoes in hand , the kids shreiked in happiness and playfully splashed water around. Our adventure had begun.
To be continued…
Shiva Linga in the Pandyan cave.
This is said to be of seventh century AD.
Harvalem… Pandyan caves of laterite stones
From Sanquelim we went a few kilometres north to Harvalem.
It is a protected site . It has five laterite caves housing Shiva Lingas in each. Each linga differs in shape. Some have Bramhi inscriptions too.One looks like an arrowhead, another has a halo around it.There is yet another cave which is said to be a kitchen..The ASI has posted a personnel there who guides and guards the place.He was helpful.
We then went to Harvalem / Arvalem’s Rudreshwar temple. It is situated near a roaring waterfalls . The water collects into Bheem Kund. This is a cool,green pool used for performing last rites.The whole place is very peaceful. we had our lunch there. I had carried food from home .When we were about to leave a foreign tourist arrived . He was smoking. When I gestured for him to go elsewhere, he argued that it was an open space. I protested that it was a place of worship. It fell on deaf ears…We just chose to leave the place.
Sadly this is the picture of Goa now.
Har Har Harvalem..
This weekend was a surprise planned for V. He had worked hard for his exams and needed a change.. The exams got over on 19/3 and results are to be announced on 28/3. At KVs the new session begins after a 6-7 day break. The next academic session begins on 1/ 04. So V got a break ( and me too from corrections and timetable making and report cards…!!)
We started after a light breakfast and heavy lunch basket. Goa is known for not having too many good veg. restaurants. And we were travelling to the interior !In fact I took along coffee too.
We decided to go to a few places in North Goa. There are some famous temples and other places of interest there. In Sanquelim, the mining town are three temples of repute. The RadhaKrishna temple, The Dattaprasad Temple and the Vittal temple.. Anjunem Dam built on the River Valvanti is close by on the Chorla Ghat road.Also at a short distance is Harvalem laterite rock -cut caves of the 7th century and the Rudreshwar temple and Harvalem water falls.
We were eager to see the Vittal temple first .Here several utsavs take place through out the year. On Gokulashtami, it is believed that Sant Tukaram visits this Vittal !!On Tripuraari Pournami, this temple holds boat races.People build model boats and float them down the River Valvanti. A night long mela is held. Chaitra Pournami is the time of annual jatra. It is said that this temple is 500 years old and that the Ranes were the ones who built the temple. The River Valvanti meanders down below.The steps going down to the river are neatly paved and made skid proof.The ghat has many small shrines holding paintings of famous devotees o Vittal like Sant Namdev , Jaana bai , Eknaath…The temple has the idols of Vittal ,Rukmini and Satyabhama. The neatness and beauty are seen to be believed. The wonderful chandeliers and huge deepasthambas…lovely.
The river as seen here is bordered by trees . It is very green all around. The water looked welcoming…but some people were washing clothes on the ghat .
To be contd.
Why do people read Bhagawad Geeta ??
This is a beautiful story – if inspired please pass it on, else keep it can’t say when it might inspire you!
An old Farmer lived on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Bhagavat Geeta.
His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.
One day the grandson asked, ‘Grandpa! I try to read the Bhagavat Geeta just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bhagavat Geeta do?’
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, ‘Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.’
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house.
The grandfather laughed and said, ‘You’ll have to move a little faster next time,’ and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home.
Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, ‘I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You’re just not trying hard enough,’ and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house.
The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, ‘See Grandpa, it’s useless!’
’So you think it is useless?’ The old man said, ‘Look at the basket.’
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.
‘Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bhagavat Geeta. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Krishna in our lives.’
I got this in an e mail.
I thought I an share this here .
‘Celebrate Life. Care for others and Share whatever you have with
Those less fortunate than you.
Broaden your vision, for the whole world belongs to you.’
Help!!
My son has stopped being a pillion rider. He has become a pillorying rider.
Each section of the 5 km ride to school is analysed and commented upon.Each honk’s length is criticized . Each turn is dissected….
I am waiting for the time when I will sit behind him and get back my pound of flesh.I can’t glare or grumble at crazy drivers. THEY have his sympathy..whatever their blunders!
Teens …..age the parents .They banish the parents to’useless land’.
In my case this is just the beginning..
Wherever you are…..
Today is 7 th February.
Happy birthday, Bhanu N.
My bosom pal , my benchmate of the early seventies…
Many happy returns of the day.
Many a time we make friends and lose them.
We ‘find’ friends and gather so many experiences and memories. We move on in life and ‘lose’ them . Their journey with us would have been highly fruitful . I wonder why we can’t work harder to keep in touch. I have had the fortune of having some great friends who made astounding efforts to keep in touch with me. I use the word ‘astounding’ because I studied in six different Kendriya Vidyalayas scattered across the country !! My father got transferred often and there were no mobiles and e mails in those days. There were no social networking sites either. I too have tried to retain friendships with some inspite of having lost them temporarily.
I found Brinda , a wonderful person after having lost her for about 15 years. And just by chance I realised that my neighbour’s brother had worked in Perambur in the early nineties……and all the efforts clicked !! I suddenly had her father’s phone number . He had worked with my neighbour’s brother .My joy was doubled when I spoke to her and met her in her Mambalam residence a few weeks later.
For 5 years Bhanu was my friend–alter ego?We looked alike, thought alike,and probably behaved in a similar fashion too!I still remember the day I entered class III A, in KVM. I was given a seat next to her. And even the very strict Saraswati miss couldn’t separate us as we would burst out crying whenever she tried .
We used to exchange our tiffin boxes, and write in each others’ style and what-not.We had similar interests in reading , embroidery, playing throwball, dodgeball ….
Oh! Those were heady days. We had some seniors whom we would emulate and follow their footsteps..Our school ( KV Malleshwaram ) conducted elections to elect school leaders.We used to follow our candidates in a trance -like fashion.We used to keep thinking of suitable slogans and novel ways of campaigning for them.Cleanliness of the classroom was a major issue. It fetched ’stars ‘ for the class. And we would go overboard…Staying after school , sweeping, washing and polishing the windows…
My mom used to lament that if I had taken half that interest in cleaning out my cupboard/ study table at home she would have given me real stars ;)
Class II to class 7–an idyllic world… In class 8 some crazy brain thought of shuffling the classes.We were heart broken. My father got transferred out of Bangalore in the same year and the gloom changed scene.
I used to meet her till 1985. Then I lost touch with her.
She did her B tech from UVCE- most probably 1981-85 Electrical / electronics.
Some things we would love to keep safely forever and these are the things that evaporate into thin air. Ties need to be watered to be kept alive.They need careful rearing .
Anyway, wherever you are…may God bless you dear friend.
Aha, bachpan ke din bhi kyaa din the…
Recent Comments