Travelogue: Visit to Tamil Nadu!

This trip was actually not supposed to happen. Infarct it was only because of mom n dad making persistent attempts in changing our original Ooty-Mysore plan that I decided to plan instead for the Tamil Nadu tour.

So while it was at its beginning it was meant to be just a trip to Bangalore to meet brother, it became full-fledged holiday for the family. So at the outset let me put the original itinerary that we had planned:

Bangalore -> Madurai -> Rameshwaram -> kanyakumari -> kodaikanal -> Bangalore

Considering the fact that the total distance we had planned to cover in Tamil Nadu was approximately around 1200 kilometers we decided to rent a car that could take us comfortably through the entire tour.

Bangalore was supposed to the home for us and thus we completely sidelined visiting any tourist spots in the city. Although the few cab rides that we took made us feel as though we had covered the entire city. We took a KSRTC bus to Madurai which reached its destination well before the scheduled time. Our car came to pick us up on time and without much ado we were resting inside our hotel room after some very long journey.

Day 1: Madurai

They call it the Athens of the East, but I would rather refer to it as the Temple city of TN. If one Google’s a bit about the city one would find that there are a number of attractions for tourist in the city.  So we went ahead and covered Azhagar Temple, Pazhamudir Cholai (Hills) Thirupparankundaram, Thirumalai Naicker Palace, and Gandhi Museum with our cab barring the Meenaxi temple which was just  a few minutes’ walk from our Hotel. The temple experience was very nice and they have it all organized and systematic for people to visit the deity.

Inside Madurai Meenaxi temple

Day 2: Rameshwaram

Who doesn’t know about the place and its significance! This is basically an island connected to the mainland with Pambam bridge which is the single largest railway bridge of the country. Also the bridge opens up for ships to sail through. After a four hour drive from Madurai we reached Rameshwaram and covered the places. We also went to Dhanuskodi which is island on the Gulf of Munnar and is a spectacle to the eyes as we saw water from three sides hitting a stretch of land.

Pambam Bridge

Day 3: Kanyakumari

Now our drive from Rameshwaram to Kanyakumari was rather a very long one and we also stopped at Thiruchendur to visit the Murugan temple there. By this time I could understand that the architecture of the temples in Tamil Nadu was almost identical across the cities with changes in color.
The experience inside Rock temple was very soothing one and the silence makes one introspect within. Although the weather played a spoil sport and we missed the sunset due to clouds, the sunrise was masked by heavy rainfall and thunderclouds.

Sunset in Kanyakumari

Day 4: Kodaikanal

We took the NH7 that goes to Dindigul to reach Kodaikanal and boy what roads have they made! We reached Kodaikanal in about 8 hours drive without feeling anything about the long journey. After some nice experience with the sea, now was the time for enjoying the weather of the hill station. We did enjoy all the tourist spots of the place and the boating experience was also worth mentioning. Although we could not find water in the rat tail falls and very less water flow in the silver cascade falls, the feeling of rainfall was clouds go past your body was amazing.

The Kodai Lake view

We had taken up hotel at every place and spent a night in each of the places. Finally our trip ended with us catching up the train to Bangalore from Madurai station. We had a day to relax in Bangalore before getting back to Kolkata and routine life which we invested in visiting the Iskon temple. If in Bangalore do visit the place.

And thus ended a blissful experience of Tamil Nadu!

P.S: In case you are interested in more photographs you can find them here, here and here!!!

Good Luck Happens!

I had the notion that most of the online sweepstakes, free coupons and similar such things are just to lure us in revealing our information and thereafter getting spammed was the end result. Also I had this belief that in case of any lottery, surprise gift cards, scratch cards etc. my luck is very bad. However, one fine days a few days ago I received a mail from Indiblogger with the subject titled "free KFC coupon".  

I was about to delete the mail but thought of reading it and then delete. Upon reading the mail I landed on the Indiblogger website which asked for my details for that free coupon to be delivered. Just to give it a try I gave my address details, although I was sure that nothing is going to happen. But then Good Luck Happens! I recieved a courier yesterday with the free coupon. What this has done is this shaken my earlier belief and I learned that yes good luck just happens, but only if you try.

Here are the pictures of the coupon that I received, thanks to the Indiblogger.com team:

Paulography

Paulshutter's photostream on Flickr. Killing the laziness instead of the photographer in me.

And Happy 65th Independence Day!

Londonisation of Kolkata

Kolkata will become London and North Bengal will become Switzerland. Apparently work will start for the Londonisation of Kolkata from 1^st of this August. Are you happy with this piece of news? Oh and one more thing, this is the promise of the new CM. Now there must be a smile on your face.

Well I don’t know if the above statements will become reality or not but I sincerely hope and pray for them to become reality. But how will that become reality when the entire city is nothing but pits and falls among something called roads or is it the pillars and “under construction road/metro/sewage” that should be called the stepping stone of becoming Kolkata?

Frankly I did not give a damn thinking about it, till the bug came to my doorstep. Yes my Doorstep. While I happily returned from work on a Monday, I found the road leading to my house and garage dug up. Now I don’t know where to park my vehicle and how to commute through the Mud Mountains.

Yes the general answer would be something like the department works and people question and when does not they question. But the thing is every work has a process. What if they dig up the road leading to Didi’s home? Oh my can they even dare to do so… but then I am not asking preferential treatment, its just one expects the civic body to have the minimum civic sense.

I guess the simplest solution would be to rename Kolkata to London. Yeah as they did to the metro stations, now when you go to Tollygunge from Dum Dum all you ask at the counter is দাদা দুটো উত্তম কুমার দেবেন আর একটা সূর্য সেন. (Two Uttam kumar and one Surya Sen please in the Queen’s Language)

Mere dreaming and planning of change will not bring change but implementation that is precise of a plan that is accurate will keep the smile and admiration on everyone’s lips. Ok my ranting is over but my problem is not. Where do I park my Vehicle?

Help a child

If you read and follow news then you would definitely know about "Super 30" which has gained attention among the major cities of the world and has been praised all over.

The idea is talented students should get the opportunity to showcase their talent. But, sometimes finances get in the way. I have studied under an education loan. I was lucky to get a loan and fulfill my dreams. Not everyone is Lucky or financially able to get a loan. But there are immensely talented students out there. The following is an NGO working for the dreams of such students.

Help A Child to Study sponsors the higher education of meritorious underprivileged students, supporting them to achieve dreams of a better future. We sponsor all formal courses above 10th, including 11th and 12th, diploma courses, degree courses, B.E., M.B.B.S. and Postgrad. Through education our students are able to escape the cycle of poverty through their own talents.

We are very proud of our students - who are the children of labourers, small scale farmers, weavers and other families with low incomes. These students have enormous potential to succeed and only need financial support to do so. We are thrilled that today some of our graduates are placed with large companies such as Mahindra Tech, L&T, and TATA Consultancy Services.


Support: Education, higher education, sponsorship of students.

For more details you can visit them here: Help a Child

This post is a part of BlogAdda's Bloggers Social Responsibility (BSR) initiative. I am exercising my BSR. You can too with three simple steps. Visit http://www.blogadda.com/bsr/ and support the NGO's.

Sandakphu Trekking

Why Sandakphu

The Sleeping Buddha

Sandakphu is the culminating point of many trekking routes in the Darjeeling-Sikkim region. At an altitude of 3,636 m, it is located at a distance of 58 km. from Darjeeling. Maneybhanjang, at an altitude of 2134 m., is the gateway to the Sandakphu-Phalut Trekk route. Maneybhanjang, a small town. - can be reached from Siliguri via Ghoom or via Mirik. Sandakphu is the Paradise of Trekkers. Sandakphu is a vantage point from where one can see four of the world's five highest peaks - Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu and Lhotse in a continuous snow-clad arc. The place is resplendent with the ethereal beauty of Magnolias, Rhododendrons, Primulas and other sub-alpine flowers which are seasonal and change the entire trekking path every season. It also contains more than 600 varieties of orchids. Although open to tourists and trekkers round the year, the monsoon months of July-August are not suggested. For beginners this trek should be the one to start off.

The Trek Plan

Maneybhanjang is the base point or the start of point of this trek. From Maneybhanjang there are two routes that lead to Tumbling. One is an 11km trekking route through Meghma and Tonglu and the other one is from Dhotrey where the trekking route is 6.5 km. The route from Dhotrey is surrounded with long grasses and thick forest while the one through Megma is more exploring the beauty of villages in the hills and the scenic beauty.

Adventure Begins

Our trek plan was to explore the flora and fauna of this trek path and hence we chose Dhotrey, Also it saves sometime as the distance is lesser.

Dhotrey to Gairibans (12 kms):-- Porters or guides are available from Maneybhanjang or Dhotrey. But taking porters is very much necessary as they have the exact knowledge of the entire trek and are also helping hand in carrying the luggage. Within the start of the trek the forest begins to welcome the trekkers. The height increase is not very steep but the path is not a graveled path. This portion of the trek is soul soothing with absolute silence barring the birds chirping at some intervals. Depending upon the stamina and speed this portion of the trek can be covered in 5-6 hours. Tumbling is on the Nepal border and if the skies are happy you can have a nice view of the range from here only. There are only two trekkers’ huts in Tumbling; one can either have night halt here or at Gairibans which is walk downhill from Tumbling. We chose to stay at Gairibans after having a sumptuous meal in tumbling.

Gairibans to Kalipokhri (13km):-- Kalipokhri trek is not steep with a gain of 150 meters over 13 kms walk and is supposed to be easy on the legs. Kalipokhri gets its name from a small pond black in color, this is a holy place for those following Buddhism. The place is very nice for staying with lots of options for staying and preparing for the steep climb the Sandakphu the next day. This portion can be completed in 6-7 hours.

Kalipokhri to Sandakphu (10 km):-- The trek is of 10 kms and with altitude gain of over 600 metersbeing a steep climb there would be many stops in between so it is better to carry some chocolates for energy. This is the toughest part of the trek with altitude gain every few meters but the view and beauty of the place will keep motivating and the trek will be over before you knew it. One has to buy coupons at Bhikaybhanjang for entering into the Singalila national forest. Stay at Sandakphu is pleasant and clear skies will mesmerize everyone with the view of the range. We were unlucky the first time as clouds played hide and seek with us and we also had to face rains during this portion.

The View:-- Next day all of us were up at 5 AM to catch sunrise and Kanchenjunga, Everest Himalayan ranges. We were awarded with clear blue skies and perfect views of the Kanchenjunga. Nevertheless I sat there for a long time absorbing all the sceneries and will remember those for a long time.

Sandakphu to Srikhola (16kms):-- The trek is down hill via Gurdum, about 16kms and for a change through lush forest mostly bamboo trees and it is a test for everyone’s knees. Some rare red faced Pandas live here, only 30 are supposed to exist. Gurdum is actually in between a valley covered by lush green mountains. The place can bee seen from the top and is like a mirage that never comes and hours go by. One can have lunch at Gurdum, food here is nice and people are warm in welcoming. Srikhola is a tourist attraction in itself barring the trekkers. The mountain creeks gradually take the shape of a small waterfall and here it culminates into a gushing mountain river. There’s a hanging bridge which sways with winds and visitors love this place. If you start in the morning Srikhola can reached by the evening time. From Srikhola one walk up to Rimbik from where cabs to Darjeeling and Siliguri are plenty.

Camera/ Video camera fees have to be paid at Maneybhanjang itself. Although the entire trek is actually via Phalut and then to Srikhola but we did not have the time to cover the entire trek so we descended from Sandakphu instead.

In case you want to enjoy the place through my pictures you can find them Here!

P.S: This post has been drafted by my friend and roommate @rudyonmove

Caveat Emptor: Let the Buyer Beware!!

Websites that offer huge discounts on products and services in your area/locality/city are burgeoning like mushrooms these days. Mostly the products or services on offer are not the everyday necessities but in general cater to giving you a slice of that lavish lifestyle you always dream of. 

Courtesy : americanbedu.com

The general idea is to get many buyers for the seller and thus create a win-win-win situation for all. The seller is happy as the sales reach the peaks. The buyer is happy to get hold of a good bargain and the service provider is happy to make a commission out if and create its loyalists.

SoSasta was a start up which became an instant hit when Groupon a World Giant in this field decided to enter India and bought the start up.  Having subscribed for the Kolkata deals and regularly getting tempting offers, I decided to buy a watch given the huge discount on offer. The process to buy the voucher was streamlined but the customer would always keep wondering about the delivery and purchase options as full details were missing.

The contact number provided keeps ringing and no one picks the same. I was lucky to reach them on my tenth try and spoke to lady who was very helpful to stating that apparently there is no voucher required for the sale whereas the email I received stated that voucher will be sent soon. Next I was asked to send a mail with all details but no response from the service providers till today. Every business organization must understand that this is the era of customer satisfaction. While a prompt service might not have forced me to blog about it but poor service will always do…

One search on twitter and I learnt I was not alone:

‎	PurpleMossE‎ Hello someone from @SoSasta pls write back...one of ur offers bought has incomplete details... Twitter - 700032 16 May 2011

‎	sum1‎ @SoSasta Sent 2 emails to contact@sosasta.com. Last one was 10 days ago. Still no reply. Call that customer service bcoz I don't

While the online shopping scenario is picking up speedily in India with international service providers heading to the country like Amazon which now provides free shipping and sites like Flipkart are creating benchmarks in customer delight, such bad experiences will leave people with a bitter taste in mouth. 

Update: 
People from SoSasta have explained about the issue with their vendor for the deal and have also mentioned to take steps towards informing the customers about such situations in future. Its good when companies take the extra pain to reach out to all their customers big and small.


This episode also explains how internet and social media interaction is changing the dynamics between Businesses and consumers.

Experience of conducting voting exercise in India

If you work in a public sector company you are a public servant. But in India it is other way around, you become a government servant, you have to abide by every order (official terms are Circulars, Notices, etc...) even if does not belong to your domain of knowledge or ability or any other suitable word you want to fit in here.

Kolkata and adjoining places went to vote on 27.04.2011. The manpower summoned by the election commission largely comprised of such public servants. The tyranny of the people chosen for this exercise on a pure random basis without putting any logical inputs can be put in a just a word. “Un-Explainable”

Some examples:

• All such people referred to as polling personnel are supposed to be thoroughly trained for this exercise. There are only two sessions in which you are supposed to learn things similar to a Management Degree Course. Easy for some…. Downside is the training was given entirely in Bengali. Think of the public servants working in Bengal who have been posted from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat…
• The commission knows the conditions of the remote places. But DOES not care to take any steps to ensure proper lighting facilities for such polling booths. Result: Even the fittest of the youth would find to difficult to see the ballot and press the button, almost everyone would turn blind.
• Paper work as in any government work is very high... but having 200 envelopes and forms to filled in signed and sealed along with taking votes is a big ask and requires too much time. We need to understand and SIMPLYFY the process, there is too much scope here for simplicity.

The media is always busy shooting celebrities and accounting first timers experience should also try and report about the conditions of such places.

Suggestions to the election commission:

• Please spare the aged people (50 and above) from such duties. As we grow Old we become fragile.
• Please take the pain to ensure proper lighting wherever possible.(I never expected a place around Kolkata to not have electricity…)
• SIMPIFY the processes… if you are adopting technology for the betterment do away with the papers (as in We send SMS and also record the same information in three forms and triplicate and file them in separate envelops. WHY?)

Lastly, thank you Election Commission, for choosing me, in the process someone about to retire in a month would have been spared of the Ordeal we had been through.

Letter to Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Dear MSD,

On 31^st March 2011, I had mentioned in this blog that I was disappointed with your batting in the Semi Final against Pakistan. But I also had mentioned that probably you are waiting for the right time to peak up to your best performance. I had also mentioned that I did not want you to bat in the final innings.

When in the final innings so many runs were given by Sreesanth, I even questioned your captaincy. I made remarks on your selection of bowling spells. When Sachin was given out, I thought we are again going to witness a 2003 debacle.

The day the tournament started, I wanted to see the Helicopter Shot, but as the tournament progressed hope gave way to disappointment. As more and more innings went by, the belief got tested and somewhere I also broke down to change the thinking, that it was only Sachin who could win the cup for himself.

I was also referred to by my friends to be thinking very negative, but when Kohli went out, I wanted you to come up the order, because of the feeling that Yuvi although in form is not comfortable with spin and you could finally show some character. When you were batting at 7 off 17 balls, I had remarked that hope rests with Raina once again.

But, thank you for proving me wrong, thank you reinstating the belief, thank you for showing the ultimate character, thank you for putting up a performance I will never ever forget! 

In your entire after match interviews were punching me with answers on the questions I had raised and I was feeling ecstatic each time. May be we will win many more World Cups under more pressure situations but I am sure along with 1.2 Billion Indians that this one will always remain special. Something I would cherish to tell even my grand children about!

To top it all when God says this:

Dhoni is the best captain I played under

then you know you have achieved whatever you were born to achieve!!

P. S: And thank you for the modified Helicopter!!

Suman Paul

Diary Entry for 30.03.2011

Before getting into the entry for Wednesday, just a brief mention of Tuesday

5:00 PM: Slight irritation in throat and difficulty in swallowing anything.

5:10 PM: Met the Doctor for diagnosis, mild pharyngitis detected. BP Check: High

Now, this BP thing can be explained with the phenomenon called “India vs Pakistan Cricket Match in a World Cup Semi final”.

Wednesday began with a brisk morning walk, after almost three months went for a walk, reason being this:  

@skptweets Went for Morning walk today to be 100% fit for the game. #INDwin

30 Mar via TweetDeck Favorite Reply Delete

I know this sounds pretty boring read, so let’s jump to the action scenes then!!

Missing out on the toss and first two overs, reached home, switched on the TV and saw on the Scroll 4nb 4 4 0 4, no words yet invented for the reactions.

Sachin Tendulkar being LBW, denied! Stumping Denied! – At this point it felt as if this was all just a formality to denigrate the Pakistan cricket team to have the audacity to reach the semi-finals and face India. 

Image courtesy www.in.com

All those dropped catches off Sachin’s Bat! – Belief in the supreme power [whatever name you want you can fill here] became stronger and stronger

Dhoni’s Batting – so much expectation that he would finally fire but L [may be he is waiting for the finals to peak at the right time, want a DNB beside his name]

Raina’s batting – missed out on his first few strokes because of jinx that a wicket would fall every time we tuned in to the channel, but were brave enough to hook onto the screen 45^th over onwards; he proves with every innings that he is the asset of the future!

Innings break: went out to catch up with some snacks and were forced by Mother Nature and her thunderstorms to wait outside a roll stand and watch Zaheer being picked and hit.

By the time the rain stopped and we returned home, THE MUNAF had struck, what an idiotic shot it was!!!

Have been cursing Harbhajan Singh throughout the series but had no words when he struck with his “tingli”

After the usual fighting sequence the battle was over and we emerged victorious!!!!

Leaving you with the verdict of some experts of the game: Afridi's daughter's match analysis!

PS: I had plans of tweeting anything and everything during the match but somehow because of some mysterious reason only during some dull moments caught up with the world.