The hiatus is finally over

To me, the past three years seem like an eternity. I only have faint memories of my last trip to the US, sometime during first half of 2006. Back then I was a young bloke, barely two years into my job, very excited about my second visit to the US, and had already made plans for the third. And this one was not to be a 3 months affair, it was for 3 years. Call it luck, or planning - everything fell in place one after the other, and I ended up lapping the then coveted H1B visa. But what followed was completely unexpected and least of all, totally un-welcomed.

Initially it was a race against time to get fit before I leave Indian shores; then it became a struggle against whatever was inside my body that the doctors couldn't find; but later on, it was a struggle with myself to keep the spirits high when all the chips were down.

But as they say "All's well that ends well" - here I am today, in US once again, slogging my ass off on this new assignment; still happy because I could make it!!

Company_6

17 January, 2003, a date none of us [for whom this post is dedicated to] might remember, but if reminded, would certainly hold it close their hearts. On this date, started an online group which would help us stay connected [yes, back then we couldn’t afford mobile phones]. On this date started COMPANY_6 – our very own yahoo group!!! Before this day, we were just friends; but suddenly, we became a COMPANY!

Aah! Did I forget to introduce who WE are? Well read these lines below, which still are part of our description on the yahoo group’s page of Company_6:

COMPANY: Hum 6 punter
Vivek bhai – now in Mumbai – iFlex Solutions
Punit bhai – 5th year Elec – IIT Bombay
GD Pseud Man – CSC
Dhammo Ustaad – now in Pune – HSBC
Choubey Dada – now in Hyderabad – Satyam
Bharat Shaayar – now in University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

Belong to different places now
Have different goals in mind
But a Master plan going in all’s mind
A .plan file always under construction
So enjoy us!

Our locations & professions might have changed over the years, but the pseudonyms used in the description – they still remain the same. Our responsibilities might have increased multifold now, but that carefree, fun loving person inside us - he still remains the same. We still are the same bunch of 6 buddies, who got together one by one, sometime during our school days, not knowing we would stick around for so long [some of us have been together for over 15 years now]. We still love the same food, we still love to visit the same joints, we still enjoy the same pranks, we still crack the same jokes, we still rant & rave about the same things – everything is just so same about us and our Company; yet, so much has changed.

We no longer get to see each other every day; we no longer get to cycle around the town; we no longer get to spend those evenings together; we no longer get to ‘attack’ the home-made chocolate cake on Bharat’s B’day; we no longer get to fight over the bill amount for B’day bashes; we no longer get to eat butter chicken/egg curry at Sanjha Chula; we no longer get to dare each other for a paan at Parsavnath; nor do we get to ‘talk’ at Sukhliya chauraha. Also, in a long long time, all 6 of us haven’t been together at one place. The closest we came, was on our trip to Matheran last year, but even then, Bharat could not join us.

However, amidst this conundrum of missing each other and trying to stay connected, something that doesn't cease to amaze us all, is the alacrity with which we welcome new members to the Company! Be it Dhanashree's induction to the group over a couple of years ago, or Malabika's, or more recently Aditi's. All of us share the same excitement to welcome the better halves of our mates. And boy, do these ladies gel so well, so quickly; it's almost like we have been together since the inception of this group.

They say, "Birds of same feather, flock together" - appears to me that Company_6 is an exception. Here, no two people are alike. If Dharmesh is the live wire of the group, Bharat has a more calming effect on us; if I am kinda timid fellow, Puneet is the ever confident dude around; if Shobhit is the go-for-advice-to person, Vivek is the go-for-help-to guy! So much variety, so many traits - yet everything blended with the bond of friendship! That's Company_6 for me, and I hope this extended family of mine always stays together!

---

A more contemporary description of Company_6 is:

COMPANY: A fleet of 6 cars

• Vivek Makodey - Vivek bhai – car that runs more on US roads than on Indian; working for iFlex Solutions
• Puneet Parakh - Punit bhai – car in love with Mumbai road;, fitted with ‘made in Miraj’ radio; working for Normua (previously Lehman Brothers)
• Dhanashree Deval Parakh - Dhan Dhana Dhan – the ‘made in Miraj’ radio certainly spreads her gullu magic around; working at IIT Powai research lab
• Ankit Agarwal - GD Pseud Man – the only car still running on Indore roads; working for Impetus Technologies
• Dharmesh Akotiya - Dhammo Ustaad – running on Hyd roads; this car recently placed an order for a ‘made in Indore’ radio, upgrade due May 12, 2009; working for CTS
• Aditi Jain – the ‘made in Indore’ radio has certainly brought some new tunes along; Interior Designer
• Shobhit Choubey - Choubey Dada – this black beauty is fitted with a ‘made in Bhubaneswar’ radio, and runs on Hyd roads; working for Deloitte
• Malabika Choubey - Mala – this ‘made in Orissa’ radio wouldn’t part with the car for a moment; working for Deloitte
• Bharat Mahajan - Bharat Shaayar – car that preferred US roads over Indian; working for Technotherm Corp.

Belong to different places now
Have different goals in mind
But a Master plan going in all’s mind
A .plan file always under construction
So enjoy us!

[Sorry folks, car-radio & gullu are company_6’s copyrighted private jokes]

---

Here are a few cherished moments of Company_6 - Enjoy:

Rollover to rotate the pictures.

Untitled

Last week, when I visited my doctor for the routine follow-up, everything appeared so different.

This time, the Doctor didn’t have words of compassion for me,
Neither did he show any sympathy.
This time he didn’t prescribe any “more” antibiotics,
Neither did he write any “more” tests.
He no more called me a subject of an intriguing medical case,
Rather, he wished me luck for all my future endeavors!

This time, my Dad didn’t have words of reassurance for me,
Neither did he feel sorry for my condition.
This time he didn’t frantically make calls to his friends & cousins,
Neither did he take me to other doctors.
He no more locked himself in the balcony and puffed away his tensions,
Rather, he chose to talk to me about my plans going forward!

This time, my Mom didn’t have the gloomy look when I returned home,
Neither did she have tears rolling down her cheeks.
This time she didn’t stay awake the whole night,
Neither did she resort to any anti-depressants.
She no more apprised our relatives of my medical condition,
Rather, she gleefully attended their calls and told them about my future plans!

This time, in front of the doctor, I didn’t pretend to be strong,
Neither did I pretend to be in control.
This time, when the doctor spoke, I didn’t feel weak in my knees,
Neither did I get dizzy thinking of the O.T. again.
I no more thought of the cuts and the scars I had,
Rather, I chose to ignore them and move on!

This time, when I returned home, I didn’t get cranky with my parents,
Neither did I avoid any conversation.
This time, I didn’t re-live the years of excruciating mental & physical pain,
Neither did I think of the lost opportunities,
Though I could not help, but remember someone I lost forever.

This time, I didn’t indulge in depression drinking & eating,
Neither did depression shopping get stronger of me.
This time, I had no excuses for being out of touch with my friends,
Neither did I crave for them to be with me.
I no more cried behind those closed doors,
Rather, I could finally smile!

Of all the innumerous visits, to scores of doctors over the past couple of years, I know I will never forget this visit.

---

After hours of deliberation over the title for this post, I could come up with nothing that would sum it up in a few words. So I have decided to keep it blank!

Welcoming Summer '09

Come summers, and everything brightens up - landscapes, blue skies, our clothes, and even our food [those deep fried dishes suddenly disappear from our plates]. So how could my personal space on internet, my blog, not brighten up. Ever since it was born, my blog wore a gorgeous black attire and it was time I gifted my baby with something to go with the season. This new look & feel [L&F] you see is what i finally got together for my blog.

Call it co-incidence or my luck, only today morning I was planning to change the L&F of my blog, but didn't know which template to pick [as templates on Blogger, are way too common, and most won't go with the feel I wanted], when I came across this very unique template. The moment I saw the template, I knew I have to have it for my blog.

But like always, things aren't as straight forward as they appear. As soon as I uploaded this template, wooooshh....all my widgets were gone :( Even though this website laid out exact steps I should have followed while changing the template, I went with the steps outlined by the template's author; and ended up in a soup. Took quite a bit of head banging, editing template's HTML/CSS and adding all the widgets all over again, before I could get my blog up and ready.

Though I am not yet fully satisfied with the L&F rite now, and over the next few days will continue to change a few things here and there, would really appreciate inputs from you guys. Let me know how the new L&F is, whether all the widgets are correctly placed, should I be adding any more widgets, in fact let me know just about anything that you feel about this new L&F and my blog in general. And, ya, all those of you who voted on the poll, request you all to re-cast your votes, as I have lost all previous data [thanks to the mis-configuration of the template]. Looking forward to your comments!!

ClearTrip's Train Search Bot for Gtalk

Technology never ceases to amaze us! Cleartrip's Train Search Bot is yet another example of how processes evolve, and how technology plays a pivotal role in aligning these processes with our day-to-day activities. Gone are the days when we had to stand in serpentine queues to get a train ticket; online ticket booking changed it all - with few clicks and few details in the right fields, we got the tickets. But now, online ticket booking is transcending to the next level - Natural Language Search!

Using something as simple as a chat client, ClearTrip has come up with an innovative product to help search/book trains via its Train Search Bot for Gtalk [in fact all Jabber clients can use this bot]. The process is fairly simple. You just need to add cleartrip.train@gmail.com or cleartrip.trains@jabber.org to your Gtalk buddy list, and you are good to go! From there on, just type in what you are looking for - trains between a pair of stations, availability of tickets in a particular train, or do you wish to book a ticket - it is all possible.

The best part is, one really doesn't have to bother about the exact input to the bot. Type what you feel like, and if something is missing, the bot will ask for it. But that doesn't meant you can type all garbage in there. Few keywords have been defined for this bot, based on which the bot identifies the action you wish to perform.

Like if you wish to search for trains between Indore & New Delhi (3rd AC) on March 20, enter
'Indore to New Delhi on March 20 3AC'
[Natural Language search in action here], and you will have your result as
2919 - Malwa express Rs. 980, @ 12:25 [Available 68]
2415 - Nizamuddin exp Rs. 891, @ 16:20 [R.a.c. 7]

To search for the trains for return journey simply enter 'return' and the train listing will come.

If you want to check the availability of tickets in the train you just searched, enter
'avail 2415'
and you will have your result as
On 20 Mar Waitlist 19
On 21 Mar Waitlist 32
On 22 Mar Waitlist 37
On 23 Mar Waitlist 7
On 24 Mar Waitlist 14 On 25 Mar Waitlist 10
Notice the bot takes the date of journey as the date for which you want to check the availability.

It is also possible to book train tickets using this bot. Simply enter
'book 2415 march 21 2 adults 1 child'
and in response you will get the URL like this
https://www.cleartrip.com/trains/itinerary/1de893a0f5ac012baa5c001a4bdf3d6a/info
which takes you to the ClearTrip website where you give the travelers' details, your contact info and can make the payment for the ticket.

Since chat clients are ubiquitous and everyone is using them all the time, this is a nice attempt to reach out to the people and make the process of searching trains easier.The general format for all the actions that can be performed using this bot is given below:

1. Search trains between two stations
   <source city> <destination city> <date> <class>
   
   
2. Search trains for the return journey
   return
   
   
3. Check availability in a train
   avail <train number>
   
   
4. Book train tickets
   book <train number> <date> <passenger details>
   

Though in its initial stages, this utility serves as an excellent way to search for trains...and that too really FAST! Happy Searching :)

How To Use Naukri On Chat Through Gtalk

Just as I was about to publish my post about the amazing ClearTrip Train Search Bot for Gtalk, I came across this awesome bot from Naukri that lets you search and apply to jobs using Gtalk!!

Great utility for people who cannot access Naukri.com from their offices ;)

Check out this Presentation to know more:

Slide show courtesy: SlideShare

Roadies

Naah! This post isn't about the bitching that happens on MTV Roadies; rather is about an unlikely Sunday when I [along with three of my friends] decided to hit the road and bike all the way to Ujjain - a city famous for Temples [particularly the Mahakal Temple].

At 6:30am, Abhishek picked me up from my place and we caught up with Pankaj & his brother Montu, in front of our office. After a bit of photo-shoot we revved up the engines, and set out for a day long trip. Even though the summers started a lot earlier this year, we didn't realize how cold it is in the morning. After driving for about half an hour on the much famed MR-10, I could feel the numbness in my hands. My arms would not bend, and it took some effort to switch gears!!


But braving the chill, we reached Ujjain city in about an hour around 8:00pm; and without a doubt, our first destination was Mahakal Temple - the famous Lord Shiva Temple. This place draws huge crowds every Monday [considered to be Lord Shiva's worship day], and particularly on Mahashivraatri festival. Mahakaal or Mahakaleshwar as the locals call it, is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga manifestations of Lord Shiva. The main sactum or the Garbha Griha is located underground, and this is where the Holy Jyotirlinga is situated. A silver snake encircles the Linga, which is flanked by idols of Lord Ganesha on one side and of Goddess Parvati & Kartikeya on the other.

Unlike last time, when people were allowed to go to the sanctum directly, this time we had to pass through serpentine queues that were in place to manage the rush. Took us about half an hour to reach to the sanctum, and less than 5 mins to be pushed out - that is the kind of rush always there.

There is a temple complex right above the underground sanctum. The special thing though is that, from one of the granite stairs of this temple, one can see the Holy Linga beneath - no one could never establish how it is possible! After paying a visit to the numerous temples in the the Mahakal premise, and clicking some pics, we came out to have a ditto Malwa style breakfast of poha-jalebi. It was only after we stuffed ourselves to the core, that we decided to go further. Our next stop was: Chintaman Ganesh.

About 8kms from the Mahakal Temple is the very famous temple of Lord Ganesha - the Chintaman Ganesh Temple. The temple dates back to 11th-12th century, and yet has not lost if glory. The sanctum has the swayambhu [self-manifested] idol of Lord Ganesha, and has the idols of Riddhi & Siddhi [Lord's two wives] on either side. The temple is artistically decorated with flowers and fruits, and is thronged by large number of devotees. We stayed there for quite some time, clicked pics and even tried our hand on the coconut cracking machine there :)


From the Chintaman Ganesh Temple, we drove further ahead to the Kaal Bhairon Temple. Bhairon is known to be the fierce idolization of Lord Shiva, and belongs to the heretic sect - one dealing with tantra-mantra [black magic]. Liquor is the staple offering here, and there are number of shops outside the temple selling all kinds of liquor. The idol in the temple accepts the offering, as in, it even drinks liquor - something again lot of people are suspicious about. The Temple courtyard had a pretty huge multistory lamp, which served as a nice background for our pictures!!


Close to the Kaal Bhairon Temple is another tourist attraction - Bharthari Caves. However, here we were least bothered to know the history of the place, thanks to the scorching sun, so directly went into the caves. But that was not before we burnt our feet on the fiery hot floor that leads to the caves. There are 2 caves here, and each houses a ShivLing. Constant recitation of tantra-mantra goes on in these caves, and it gives the entire place a mystical feel. However, due to the poor ventilation inside these caves, one soon starts to feel giddy. Once we were out of the caves, we had some lime water to beat the heat, but to no use. The temperatures were rising and so was our hunger. But we still had a couple of places to cover before we could feast. So from the caves we set out to see the famous Sandipani Ashram.


The ashram is believed to be the place where Lord Krishna and his friend Sudama received their education, and is one of the oldest places in Ujjain. The atmosphere inside the ashram is just like that of any temple in Mathura or Vrindavan - group of ladies singing and dancing, completely lost in Lord Krishna's devotion. The ashram's water source in the yester years was Gomti Kund, which now for all practical purposes has completely dried, but is still a great place for clicking pictures.


By now we were literally starving, and had absolutely no energy left to fight the heat. But then it's not always that you come out for a bike ride to Ujjain, so we did decide to cover this one last place: Observatory (Vaidhshala), before calling it a day. How reluctant we were when we entered the place - resigned looks, weary shoulders - but nonetheless happy that we finally get to see the famed Sun Dial. Another day, and we would have studied every structure there - Sun Dial, Shanku Yantra, Bhitti Yantra, Dignash Yantra & Samrat yantra - but not today. Just took a stroll in the observatory, clicked some snaps...and off we were to satisfy our appetite.


Hotel Sambhava on Indore road was just the perfect place for us to lay back and enjoy our meal. Butter chicken, Cashew Curry, Veg Jal Frazy, Butter Milk, Naan, Rotis...we ate like mad, and luckily the food was good too...or we were just too hungry?

But now the big deal - getting back to indore! After stuffing ourselves so much, we could only think of our beds....how can someone drive 50kms to get back home? Can we not just stay here :(( ? Wish we could!! Took us about a hour and a half to get back to Impetus office where we finally bid adieu. THE END to an amazing trip!

But picture abhi baaki hai mere dost....his wasn't our last bike trip for sure. Many more to go...so keep watching!!!

I Support 'Tilak Holi'

Gone are the days when we would mix color in the overhead tanks, and enjoy watching people crib about the colored water flowing through the taps!
Gone are the days when we would use water canons and spoil the building facade, and then get [mildly] bashed for doing so!
Gone are the days when we would throw water balloons on every person that walked or drove by our house!

Today, it is the time when we pay hefty sums to get a water tanker, just to meet our daily water supplies!
Today, is the time when even the most lethargic of the governments are, at the least, talking about sourcing water from ponds and lakes in the near by villages!
Today, is the time when, for once, the entire city [probably the entire country] has awaken to the fact that - WE ARE RUNNING SHORT OF WATER!!

Do you think, in times like these you can go out and celebrate Holi just like the yester years?
Do you think, in times like these you can waste those precious gallons on first coloring your mates, and then on getting rid of it yourself?
Do you think, in times like these you can afford to waste water and yet not be termed as a CRIMINAL?

Friends, traditions change, cultures evolve, and even the most closed societies open up with time - then why can't we? For once, why can't we all stand together, and put a firm foot forward and oppose the wet Holi celebrations!! In times when our rivers are nothing but vast stretches of dry land, our lakes only muddy pits, our bore wells only deep holes - why can't you and I celebrate Holi in ways like never before!

I remember the water shortage last year. Quite a few of us understood the gravity of the situation and moved on to celebrate dry Holi - using only gulal. No doubt we saved a lot of water playing dry Holi; but what about the clothes we spoiled with colors; didn't we waste so much water trying to rinse them? It was like, doing all the hard work to get to the top, and then jumping off the very last step!

This time things are even worse - we can't even afford the dry Holi celebration. This time let us all celebrate Tilak Holi - let us all greet our family and friends with a colored Tilak! Let us act like responsible citizens and show the world that "we care". Let us join the Tilak Holi campaign started by Dainik Bhaskar group, as it is about time we finally show our concern for the planet.



Here are a few ideas how we can celebrate Holi this year:

1. On the night before Dhulendi, enjoy bon-fire with you family.
   
2. Greet you family and friends with a colored Tilak. Use eco-friendly colors made out of kesar, turmeric, flowers etc.
3. Indulge youself in some delicacies - gujias, puran-polis, kaanji, dahi-wada
4. Visit you friends and relatives, and spread the word about Tilak Holi

Wishing you a very Happy Tilak Holi!!

Part III - Travelogues from my trip to the North

Day 6: The only reason why Patni Top was on our list was SNOW; and even though the place received less than average snowfall this year [thanks to Global Warming], places around Patni Top had much to offer. We decided to go to one such place called Nattha Top, which is 12kms north of Patni Top. Quickly gobbling up a couple of Aaloo Parathas and a bowl full of hot Manchow soup [a weird yet tasty combo], we set out for Nattha Top. But only after we rented all the winter wear we possibly could get our hands on - monkey caps, overcoats, hand-gloves, boots!

The au naturel mountains on one side and the snow laden ones on the other, made the 25 minutes drive to Nattha Top picturesque in its own unique way. At Nattha Top we were greeted by a herd of sledge-waalas, each wanting us to take a ride on his slide. Nattha Top was no Gulmarg or Sonmarg, but it had enough snow to give us the thrill and the sledge ride only added to the adrenaline rush. Getting down the slope and climbing up was fun; making snow balls and throwing at each other was fun; watching others slip and slide on the snow was fun; and experiencing the same slip ourselves and getting caught on camera while doing so....was fun too!! After spending a good couple of hours in the white, having fun, we finally bid adieu to Nattha Top, and left for our pen-ultimate destination on the trip: Vaishno Devi.


Katra, which is about 170kms from Patni Top, by all means is a town that developed solely because of the devotees coming to Vaishno Devi. This place has a bus stop, a railway booking center, dry fruit shops, restaurants & numerous hotels, but that's about it! It took us 4 hours to reach there following NH1A, and soon we checked-in to a hotel [again thanks to the off season, the rates were dirt cheap] and straight went to have some authentic vaishno food [veg food prepared without onion & garlic]. This was where we left the taxi which we hired in Amritsar; must say a great driver - no tantrums, safe driving, and knowledgeable indeed.

By 5pm we were already deliberating whether we should start the trek now, or should wait until night fall. We decided to start early to give ourselves enough time the next day to enjoy the city of Jammu. We reached Bandganga, the starting point of the trek to the Darbaar, at 7:30pm. Here that you have to go through multiple security checks, and in peak season you probably will have to wait here for hours together for your batch number [need to take it from Katra bus stand] to be called. By 8:00pm we cleared all the checks and actually embarked on the 12.5km trek.

My last visit to Vaishno Devi was about 12 years ago. A lot had changed [for good] since then. The entire trek has been paved with pavement blocks now, numerous shops flank the road on either side till about 3kms, there are restrooms at every 500mtrs, rest stops at every 250 mtrs, and big & small refreshment points scattered all along the trek. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has done a commendable job here.

We covered the initial couple of kilometers in a real rush - 3kms/hour - some speed for a trek! But that was the fastest we managed to go through out the trek; it was continuous deceleration after that. Hymns and songs being played at the shops add to the entire ambiance, and keeps your spirits high and fatigue at bay. But once the shops are left behind and the trek starts to get lonely, you feel the weakness in your legs, you follow the milestones closely, you repeatedly look at your watch and think of what else you could be doing at this hour. But call it the divine intervention or whatever, never at any point you think of quitting. All along the trek people greet each other by saying Jai Maata Di and pump up the spirits shouting slogans like Zor se Bolo - Jai Mata Di, Saare Bolo - Jai Mata Di!


It was 10:30pm and barely 250mtrs from Ardh Kumari, when I spotted a Nescafe shop serving HOT Maggi - trust me, that was the best snack I could have had at that moment. And hey, did I tell you...Cafe Coffee Day was there too :D

At Ardh Kuwari, we were surprised to see quite a bit of rush. The queues were long and moving at snail's speed. We put all out belonging [mobiles, shoes, wrist-watches, spare clothes, backpacks] in the cloak room, took another batch number slip, and joined the queue. As time passed by, it started getting colder and the chilly winds made the matter worse. It took us about 2 hours before we could enter the sacred cave, popularly known as the Garbhjoon [see here or here to know why is it called so].

Day 7: Once we came out of the cave, we decided to take the new route to the Darbaar which was via Himkoti [instead of the old one via Hathi Mattha & Saanjhi Chatt]. The route bore a deserted look - the rest 5.5kms we hardly saw anyone pass by. We took ample of breaks this time, and reached the main Darbaar at about 3am. That is when reality shook us - we were supposed to take a bath before entering the holy cave!! Pheww! Ice cold water, at 3am ... well I could only wash my face and feet with it, but Nitesh did brave the cold and went all the way.We put all our belongings in the lockers at the Darbaar, and went straight to the holy cave.

There was no limit to our joys when we were allowed to go in the Temple through the ancient choti-gufa [small cave]. This is usually closed for most part of the year. Barely a couple of feet wide, this cave leads straight to the Temple where the Devi is present in the form of pindi. Inside the Temple there are 3 pindis - Saraswati Maata, Vaishno Maata & Kaali Maata. Unlike last time, when we were literally pushed out of the temple by huge crowds behind us, this time we could peacefully perform our prayers, and even got to talk to the priests.

But Nitesh was caught in some consfusion and came out of the temple, without actually seeing the pindis were placed. That was heartbreaking! We decided to go in again, BUT..you just cannot do that. The security officers denied even after our repeated requests. Just when we were about to leave with our stuff, the officer yelled at us, and said Jaldi Bhago Andar [move in fast]. Yippieeee ... darshan for the second time that very night ... must have done something really good on this trip!!

Completely tired by the trek and lack of sleep, we decided to do the last bit of our trek [to Bhariro Temple] on ponies - a good decision considering the fact that it's a very steep incline beyond the main Darbaar. By the time we reached the Bhairo Temple, it got so cold that I put on every piece of winter wear I had on me; I looked more like a dacoit from Chambal.


After the darshan, we started our decent and it was anything but fast - we would rest every 15 minutes, at times even at lesser intervals. After enjoying the sun rise at Ardh Kuwari, we caught some speed and came down real quick. But the very sight of 8-10 men pulling a cart up the hill with all their might, made me feel really bad :( Once we came down to from where we started, I treated myself to some really coarse body massage; and boy was that some relief!!


We then quickly rushed to get our train tickets from Jammu to Delhi, and then checked-out from the hotel around 1pm. Our train to Delhi was at 9:30pm, so we had quite some time to enjoy Jammu. We had our lunch at Katra, and then took a bus to Jammu, dumped our luggage in the cloak room, hired an auto-rickshaw and off we were...on a short tour of our final destination: Jammu.

Our first stop in Jammu was the famous Raghunath Temple, which after the attack on it in 2002, seem more like a fortress. This Temple had an idol of every single God I have heard of in my life; and I have heard of quite a few. A nicely built, huge Temple complex marred by only one thing - the priests here kinda force you to give donation - something which made me feel a bit awkward.

Other than the Raghunath Temple, Jammu is also very famous for Dry Fruits, which is a big business here. I didn't want to miss out on my share of Jammu's dry fruits, so we went to the wholesale dry fruit market, and shopped to our hearts content - dried apple, dried akmool, dried peach, raisins, apricots! After this we left for the Baag-e-Bahu garden, which am sure must be very good, but I found it disappointing - probably because I was damn tired by then, or may be it was getting dark. This place really didn't live up to my expectations. Now only one last thing to do before we would call it a day - one final drink!!


By the time we finished our drinks and dinner, it was almost time for our train. After 40 hours without the sleep, all we could think of at that moment was our berths in the train. Chained our luggage, spread our bedsheets, hung our boots and zzzZZZ! zzzzzZZZZZ!! zzzzzzzZZZZZZZ!!!

Day 8: Today was going to be our rest day, a family day. We reached New Delhi in the morning around 11:30, and headed straight to my grand parents home. A quiet family affair then, talked to some relatives, caught up with some sleep, went to a temple with grand parents, Pizza Hut with my cousins, and that was about it. The day ended really fast, and there we were, yet again at the Nizamuddin station, from where we boarded our train to Indore.

Day 9: Finally it was coming to an end. Our trip which had everything....

Lakes, Mountains, Valleys, Plains
Temples, Pubs, Monuments, Memorials
Trains, Buses, Cars, Rickshaws, Sledges
Humor, Emotion, Devotion!

It all would end in just a few more hours. Nonetheless, all this will always be with us in the form of numerous pics, videos and now these travelogues. Kudos to technology!!

When the train arrived at Indore station, we shared high fives and hugs once again, and bid adieu. The trip - Finally Over!!

---

My two cents for travelers visiting Patni Top & Vaishno Devi

1. Bargain as much as you can with people at Nattha Top. We got the sledge ride for 75/person [initial price 300/person]
2. Don't forget to take the Batch Number Slip from the Katra bus stand. This is valid for 6 hours, but you need to keep it with you till the end. It is needed at the Darbaar, and only then you are allowed the entry.
3. Do not bargain with the pitthus, paalki-walaas or the people who operate the horses. The rates are fixed by the Shrine Board.
   
4. For those suffering from any disability or health problems, you can avail the chopper services from Katra [Charges: 2700/- adult, 1300/- kid]. One may also avail the services of Battery operated rickshaws that un between Ard Kuwari and Darbaar.
   
5. Take the new route to Darbaar from Ard Kuwari. It is shorter, the incline is less steep, and the route is free from horse-shit :)
6. I found only one shop at the Darbaar which was selling the Prasaad packets. So take note of that shop while you go through your security check at the Darbaar
7. Do not carry cameras, mobile phones, watches, pens, combs etc to Raghunath temple, as these are banned inside
8. Finally, anyone who seeks more information, feel free to mail me at aagarwal8@gmail.com, and I would be glad to help in whichever way I can

Part II - Travelogues from my trip to the North

Day 4 (contd...): After being completely bowled over by the splendor of Golden Temple, it was amidst thick fog that we slowly and cautiously drove out of Amritsar. But the fog did claim its share of casualties that morning. In less than a couple of hours, we witnessed 3 accidents - one involved a car barely 50feet from ours. Not the perfect beginning to our journey to Dev Bhoomi!

Still trying to forget the blood-stained bodies of the accident victims, we made a quick stop at Punjab-Himachal border for some snacks - a stop that later proved quite upsetting for Nitesh...lol.

Thanks to the the thick fog initially and then to the curvaceous ghaats and Nitesh's disturbed system later, it was already noon when we reached the Chintapurni Devi a.k.a. Chinnamastika Devi Temple. The temple is located in the Shivalik mountain range, and amasses huge crowds during the Navratri festival. You take a flight of marble stairs to get to the temple, where the Devi is present in the form of a pindi. The staircase is flanked on both sides with shops, where you can buy prasad [and only then they let you keep your shoes in their shop, as there is no arrangement at the temple], and souvenirs. However, like most other temples, your barely get to see the Holy Pindi, before you are pushed out of the temple, either by the huge crowds behind you or by the pandits and the security personnel around.


We initially had plans to visit all the 4 Devi's [Chintapurni, Jwala, Kangra & Naina Devi], Himachal is so famous for; but now doing so, would have disturbed our plans for McLeodganj and Vaishno Devi. So skipping the visit to the other 3 temples, we headed straight to McLeodganj via Kangra & Dharamshala - a scenic & picturesque drive through the Shivalik range. All through the drive one thought kept coming back to my mind over and over again - If Himachal didn't have the temples & tourist spots it presently has, what would have been a revenue earner for the locals otherwise!

It was about 5 in the evening when we finally reached 'Little Lhasa'. Yes! the town of McLeodganj is also known by this name as everything here is Tibetan - the people, the houses, the temples, the food, the clothes, the art. And why not, after all McLeodganj is now home to His Holiness the Dalai Lama [who was in McLeodganj that day]. We quickly checked-in to a hotel, which to my surprise offered us rooms at almost 80% discounted rates [thanks to the off season]. Soon we were on the streets of McLeodganj appreciating the beauty of the city and its citizens ;o)

The first thing we did was to treat ourselves with some Tibetan delicacies - Soup & Thukpa [flat noodles with vegetables & mild spices]. But this was not before we came across a World Peace march which is organized every year in McLeodganj. People from all age groups take part in the march, which this year certainly was a silent protest against the Chinese atrocities in Lhasa.

After the sumptuous snack we set out on foot for the Tsuglagkhang Temple, which is the main Buddhist temple in McLeodganj. Two things stand out about this place - one, that unlike any other temple in India, you can carry a [video] camera even inside the sanctum sanctorum; and two, even amidst the huge tourist rush, the Buddhist monks perform their services with the same composure & calm, as if they were the only ones there. The open terraces, the Stupas, the prayer wheels, the idols of Guru Padmasambhava & Avalokiteśvara; they all give the temple a mystical appeal & the candle list porches only added to the awe.


The temple houses the entire collection of the Sanskrit & English versions of Lord Buddha's preaching, and ancient Tibetan texts. I was always very curious to know why Buddhists rotate these 'cylinders'; and this curiosity was finally brought to rest by a monk on the temple premises who told us that, on these prayer wheels are inscribed hundreds of shloks & hyms, and rotating each wheel is equivalent to reciting all that is incribed on it. Sure is something of the lazy bones [no offences meant]!!


It was getting late, and crowds from the streets were soon vanishing - not that everyone was retiring in their hotel room; the place has some great eating [and obviously drinking] joints, right from Italian, to Tibetan to Chinese to Punjabi - everything can be found here. We decided to quench our thirst before we were to call it a [loooooong] day, and the pub Xcite was just the place to be! Kingfisher for me, and Smirnoff for Nitesh, some [pea]nuts to crack, and meat to bite - some ending for Day 4!!

Day 5: I never had seen a more beautiful morning than what I stood witness to that day from my hotel room. On one side was the sun rising behind the snow capped mountains, and on the other was the valley, which glowed in the morning sun. A picture perfect setting for a cuppa, and we didn't miss on that!!


Rushing through the morning chores and getting over with our driver's khit-pit we reached the base of the Bhagsu Nag Waterfall trek. It is about a kilometer trek through the ups-n-downs and twist-n-turns of the graphite mountains. Probably not the best time to visit the waterfall as it was merely a narrow stream of water running down the slope that time. But we thoroughly enjoyed the trek, the valley and the omelette we had. Oh yea...not to forget the photo shoot on the stones!!


On our way back, we visited the Bhagsu Nag Temple - dedicated to the snake God & Lord Shiva. Our last stop in McLeodganj was the Dal [read dull] Lake. The water was muddy, and the paddle boats were all wrecked. However, the oaks & pines that surround the lake, puts it on every tourists must-visit list.


We left Dal lake around noon, and were now speeding through the ghaats in rush to reach Patni Top before the night falls. The road we took was through Punjab and I really couldn't, understand why we had to go thru Punjab to reach J&K when we already were in Himachal :(. But since we were on a Fixed Bid project and not T&M [lol...tough to restrain the software engineer], we really didn't bother much about the route our driver chose. [tubelights....fixed bid = we were to pay the driver on per day basis; T&M = time & material = need to pay per kilometer]. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as on this trip itself, we got to see another border [after Wagha border]; this time Punjab - J&K border. We made a stop at Madhopur, a border village, where we savored Punjab's famous daal makhni & chana masala yet again.

After a routine RTO check on the border, we.....we......we......
Oops....I don't remember what happened after the check post. My next memory is of being terribly shaken by Nitesh asking me to get up and get out of the taxi as we had reached PatniTop and need to inquire about the hotels. Hmmmm ... I think I slept after that heavy lunch-cum-evening snack! Even though he had already asked about the tariff at the only hotel in the vicinity, he still dragged me out to have a look around. And damn was it cold that night!! The chilliest night of our tour so far. Without wasting another minute we checked-in to the hotel and while he still could brave the cold and have dinner, it was already Good Night for me!

---

My two cents for travelers visiting McLeodganj & 4 Devi

1. Plan the journey such that you can visit all the 4 Devi's in this region. I have been told the treck to Naina Devi is beautiful.
2. Avoid parathas at road-side restaurants. Ask Nitesh why?
3. Those visiting Dharamshala, should surely visit McLeodganj. Commercialization is yet to spoil this place.
   
4. The Tsuglagkhang Temple is opened till only 8pm, so keep track of time when visiting McLeodganj.
5. 8kms ahead of Dal Lake is Naddi - a scenic tourist spot. One must visit this place if time permits.
6. For those who love to trek and are excited about snow, Dharamkot is the place to be. Several treks are organized to & from Daramkot, which is a village on the outskirts of McLeodganj.
7. Avail the best hotel deals in off seasons. Bargain as much as you can [applies when out for shopping too]
8. Try hot-beer [beer with honey and herbs] at the local pubs. It gives a better kick than the routine one ;)
   

Part I - Travelogues of my trip to the North

Two Travelers - Three States - Five Cities - Seven Days - Ten Destinations!! Not the mathemagic any travel guide would suggest. But who can stop the determined. Leaving boredom and frustration behind, we [I & my buddy Nitesh] set out on an action packed journey to the Northern states of Punjab, Himachal and J&K. Why action packed? B'coz the action started well before we reached our first pit-stop: Amritsar.

The Journey to Amritsar
Day 1: Sharing high fives and broad smiles, we boarded the train to Delhi on a hot sweaty afternoon; and true to my history of traveling in trains, even this time I had a dull all-male co-passenger compartment. Nothing interesting here....

Day 2: Numerous trains ferry passengers between Delhi & Amritsar - at least this is what I thought when I planned the trip, and took the chance of not making the reservation for this route. How wrong was I proved when we finally had to board the General compartment of the train; only to find ourselves seated on the edge of a wooden plank already being shared by 6 other passengers [though I certainly did not mind the presence of the one sitting right next to me - a chic chick - another causality of over-confidence]. However, all good things come to an end, and to our dismay, our only hope of somehow bearing the general compartment got off at the very next station. Our patience didn't last too long, and we too got off after a tiring couple of hours.

Taking our chances we moved to the Sleeper coach, completely unaware of what awaited us in there - a drunk surd, who beat the s**t out of us when the spirits got the better of him. I get goosebumps when I think of that empty coach with a bunch of surds, one of them completely sozzled, going crazy, asking us to get off and travel Punjab with him; if not, at least spend a night at his place and then continue the journey. Damn him and his motives!!

The Land of Warriors - Amritsar, Punjab
Day 3: After having spent a good couple of hours hotel-cum-food hunting at night, we were in no mood to get out of the bed early; and the chilly winds outside gave us another reason for not doing so. But the very thought of the places we had to visit and the time we had, got us out on road - this time taxi-hunting. But this hunt didn't last long, and soon we were off to Jaliawala Bagh; but not before we had a sumptuous lunch at Bharanwan da Dhaba.

What happened on April 13, 1919 at Jaliawala Bagh is ingrained in every Indian's mind. The moment you step inside the memorial, the massacre suddenly comes alive in your head; the moment you see the bullet marks on the walls, all your history lessons flash in front of your eyes. You can't help but feel for those trapped inside on that fateful day. It's a feeling so heavy, you want to move out ASAP.









But only a minutes walk from the memorial is Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as The Golden Temple - place where the eternal guru of Sikhs, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, is present. People from all walks of life and religion are welcomes at this holy place, and the four entrances to the temple [in all four direction] signify the same. But what strikes you the most about any Gurudwara across the world is the seva which the Sikhs perform there. People would swipe the floor, take care of others' shoes, serve food at langars, wash utensils and perform every task that one would want to have a servant for - a gesture missing at most other religious places.

Being 26th Jan, a national holiday in India, the temple was flooded with devotees from far and wide. The ceremony at Wagah Border was something we did not want to miss; so we planned to return to Golden Temple early next day [an advice I will always be thankful for to our driver]. The drive to Wagah Border is about 40 mins from the city, and for the first time we came across the lush green fields Punjab is so famous for.

But as soon as you reach the border, you suddenly feel an overwhelming surge of patriotism and sense of belonging to the nation. People here gathered from all over the country to see the 'Lowering of the Flags' parade, and Republic Day celebrations only added to the fervor. Amidst loud slogans of Hindustan Zindabaad, Bharat Mata ki Jai & Vande Maatram, students from Khalsa college performed Giddha [folk dance of Punjab which females perform] and Bhangra [folk dance of Punjab which males perform]. The enthusiasm reached its peak when the spiffy B.S.F and Pakistan Rangers' soldiers started an aggressive & thrilling march towards the gate at the border. The ceremony culminates after the national flags are lowered and finally removed from the flag-posts. However, the enthusiasm of the crowds and feeling of patriotism doesn't end there - you take them back as souvenirs from the border, often called the Berlin Wall of Asia.












There is one more thing very famous about Amritsar - The Non-Veg, and being a hardcore non veggie, I just could not miss out on this one. The dinner had to be 100% non-veg, and I made sure so it was. Roasted Chicken, Amritsari Fish and Bacardi - quite a dinner I would say!!

Day 4: As they say, 'Leave the Best for the Last', we did just that by revisiting the Golden Temple at 4:30am, and what we saw was simply MAJESTIC. The temple glowed in middle of the Amrit Sarovar, as if a burning wick in a lamp. You reach the main temple following the Parikrama in a clockwise direction. While we were standing along side other solemn devotees, waiting to get inside the Darbar Sahib, I just could not take my eyes off the skilled craftsmanship & the intricate designs on the gold plated facade of the temple. Inside the temple, there is a continuous recitation of scriptures from the holy book. As we came out of the main shrine, we were amazed to see the temple disappear in thick fog. It was like, the building was there 5 minutes before, and gone now. Magical!!












Completely awed by the beauty and serenity of the Golden Temple, we left the temple complex and headed straight to our next pit-stop: Chintpoorni Devi & McLeodganj in Himachal.

---

My two cents for travelers visiting Amritsar:

1. Lot of cheap hotels [Rs 300-700] are available near the railway station with decent lodging facilities. However, bargaining might not work at these places.
2. Hire a taxi [Rs 700-800] or an Auto-Rickshaw [Rs 400-500] for local sight-seeing. Jaliawal Bagh, Golden Temple & Wagah Border are must-visit locations. Durgiana Temple, Company Bagh, Town Hall, and Taran Taran are few other places you can visit if you have enough time.
   
3. Visit Golden Temple twice - once during the day time, and once at night [must visit]. If possible, plan to visit the temple when the Holy Book is carried to the Akaal Takhth from the Darbar Sahib - a procession that takes place late in the evening [check at the temple for the exact time as it depends on the lunar calendar].
4. Travel light to Wagah Border, and try to reach early [around 3:30pm] as the parade starts sharp at 5:00pm and the crowds can get really big on special occasions. Try to get a seat in the area next to the Welcome Gate, as the view is best from there.
5. Do sample non-veg in Amritsar, as the tastes different [for the better] that the non-veg you might have eaten anywhere else .
6. Do sample desi gud ki sharab - more of a delicacy; your taxi driver can certainly help you out in getting the right mix.
   
7. Lastly, do not get into a brawl with the local police [as I have been told, Punjab Police is the toughest to handle, and doesn't bother about your sources in the system]

Ready, Steady & Here I Goooo!!!!

Ever since company_6's amazing Lonavala-Matheran trip, we all were raring to plan something very similar once again. The Republic Day long weekend seemed like an apt time to do so; but getting all 6 [read 8 - as two of us have tied the knot] people at one place, on one date, is fast becoming more of a dream. Why? Because, one is in the US, one has just come back from the US & is already planning to go again, one doesn't have enough leave balance [ya a baggage that always comes with high paying jobs], couple # 1 is to celebrate their 1st marriage anniversary this weekend [congratulations in advance guys], and couple # 2 is already holidaying in Malaysia....woooof, we certainly are a bunch!!

But the only one who is 'stuck' in Indore is I, and is more restless than anyone else for an outing. So putting off the company_6 outing for some other 'suitable' date, I decided to challenge the mountains on my own, and carved out a serene trip to Northern India - to the lands of Warriors, to the Dev Bhoomi, to the City of Temples and to the Capital City. Yea, yea some of you got it right - Punjab, Himachal, Jammu & Delhi are on my list. It's going to be a week long trip commencing Jan 24, and I will be traveling to Amritsar in Punjab, Dharamshala, McLeaodganj & Kangra in Himachal, Patnitop & VaishnoDevi in Jammu and then a day long city tour of Delhi, before coming back to Indore on Feb 1. But why these places?

• When I was planning the trip to North, I couldn't leave Amritsar out [even though it is a detour for the rest of the locations] for the very history of this place - no Indian can forget Dyer's massacre at Jaliawallah Bagh. Golden Temple & 'Lowering of the Flags' ceremony at Wagah Border got Amritsar on the itinerary on its own.
  
• The tough part was selecting places to visit in Himachal, as this could well be one of the most beautiful regions of India. Hill Stations galore in this part of the country and it had to be something more than a mere hill station to be on the itinerary. Dharamshala, McLeoganj & Kangra just had that bit extra to their credit - Headquaters of Dalai Lama & Tibetan Monuments.
  
• You can't visit North in winters and not hope to see fresh snow; that is why PatniTop, which is 'loaded' with snow these days [yippee am already excited about snow'wo'man], appears on my list.
  
• With 25 years of committing sins, I think I needed to visit the holy abode of Maata VaishnoDevi to absolve all my wrong doings.
• Given that Delhi is my second home, I can kick my butt for not visiting places like Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple and the likes, in all the numerous visits I have had to Delhi over the years. So it's a natural fallout of all the beating my butt took, that Delhi appears on my ToGo list.
  

Over the past one week I have spoken to a whole lot of taxi operators, travel operators and people who have been to these places before; I visited numerous forums and travel websites; dug deep into the rail, road, political & physical maps of Northern India; and burnt midnight oil trying to gather as much information as possible about these places. And with the preparations in full swing [got a backpack, a bigger memory stick for my digicam, loads of winter wear, tickets for the round trip etc.] the excitement is reaching its peak. I just can't wait for the day to pass, and board the north bound train tomorrow.

Oh! ya and my companions on the trip....a backpack and my school buddy Nitesh!!

---

COMING SOON: Travelogues of my trip to the North!