Journey of love

A placid journey, a sacred journey, a testing journey for a year
Our minds strode in valor and yet with unspoken fear.
Our passionate hearts portraying a lovely symphony,
And humming notes of love in harmony.

Together, we gazed at the azure sky and played with the impish tide,
We smiled at the dancing daisies, with falling leaves, we cried.
We basked in love's glory and sparkled in its charm,
We clasped our hands in glee as we trod the apple farm.

Up the Arch and down the cave, we went adventuring,
Into a world decked with dreams, we flew without a wing.
We relished the spring, we endured the fall, we saw the winter reign,
Through changing seasons of sorrow and joy, we saw our love sustain.

When the angelic breeze conveys your essence,
My wistful heart triumphs in your presence.
Oh! Your touch would lessen my day's drudgery,
And your lips would weave a magical mystery.

Your warm breath clears the snowy shroud,
Your angelic looks heal when miseries crowd.
You hold me when teardrops dampen my face,
To my distressed mind, you endow solace.

Our Journey ends, and here dawns a new beginning,
We blend as one in a blissful wedding.
O my beloved !!, thou left footprints of eternal love in my heart,
O Lord! Keep us together in grief and bliss, till death do us part.

60th Milestone - 60th Birthday.

I thank almighty for his kind action,
He gave me a father who's etched with perfection.
Who attained his goals with will and passion,
Who's lived a life with firm conviction.
Today, on this day of joyous celebration,
I owe you my thanks with deep veneration.

Ten Thanks dad, for this gift of life,
You taught me how to smile in strife.
Ten Thanks dad, you hugged me in despair,
When you struggled to earn with no time to spare.
Ten Thanks dad, for the noble love and care,
You taught me to be just and fair.

Ten Thanks dad, for your sane advice,
You helped me bloom and aim the skies.
Ten Thanks dad, you saved me from world's wounding thorn,
Though I failed and defied you with scorn.
Ten Thanks dad, you studded my chilhood with pleasure,
Your jokes and games are my jewels to treasure.

Armed with humour, you are a spirit still and bright,
With something of an angelic light.
With Sixty thanks, this poem is through,
But O Dad, my thousand lives are indebted to you.
There are no candles, no flowers to be had,
Only a tearful eye and a silent wish,
Happy Birthday dad.

Kankeshwar Temple

Kankeshwar is a temple of Lord Shiva situated atop a hill at an altitude of 1200 ft above sea level. 12 Kms from Alibag, the land of beaches and roughly 3 kms from Kihim beach takes you to a village known as "Mapgaon" situated at the base of the hill. From here starts the adventurous and exciting journey upwards. The challenging target of more than 750 steps flagged by densely covered mountains on either side presents a collage of nature's awe inspiring beauty. The panorama fueled our goal to reach the top with bursts of enthusiasm and enery and we started off to discover the mountain folds and explore the unknown. Half an hour after we started, one of our friends had this sudden brainwave that he had somehow managed to leave his precious glasses somewhere along the trail. So he strutted all the way back to get it and we all had a hearty laugh at his expense.

As one travels along this road-less-travelled, nature unveils its untouched and mystic splendor to free the contemporary man from the shackles of a materialistic life. For those who dare, taking shortcuts along the mountains instead of the stairs is more thrilling and one gets to see several plants of sitaphal and shrubs of Hibiscus flowers enroute. A view of the Kihim beach as one climbs uphill is nothing short of a visual treat. With every kilometre covered, we discovered an inner force and yearned to cover one more.

One gets to see several other sites enroute like the Gaymandi consisting of a cow's sculpture which is worshipped by the localites. Here you can take a few minutes break to catch your breath and drink water from the water tank built by the Government's trust.

The other places that you come across on the trail are "Paleshwar Temple", tombs of 2 Kolis(Fishermen), "Hanuman Mandir" and "Balram Krishna Mandir". Another interesting site that falls on the way is the "BrahmaKund", a rectangular tank surrounded by steps on all four sides. It provides an excellent site for photography. As you near the temple, you will come across a small statue with an encryption "Mirchi Baba (1612)" towards your right.

By the time we reached the top, we were worn-out and completely out of breath, but the moment we set our eyes on the temple and its environs all our exhaustion seemed to vanish into thin air. Built of stone and roughly circular in shape, Kankeshwar temple seemed to depict the ancient sculptures of age old India. As per the local poojari (priest), it was built in 1764 by Raja Ramdeorai Yadav and consists of a silver plated idol. The temple has a Kund known as "Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh Kund" once again emphasizing on the common thread of thought in Indian religion that Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are revered as the Supreme Trinity of multitude of manifestations of Divinity. This Kund is opened only at 4:00 in the morning and evening.
Small temples named "Kundeshwar", "Rameshwar", "Vishnu mandir", "Mankeshwar" and "RamSiddhivinayak Mandir" dot its periphery. A sweet water tank known as as "Pushkarni" is situated outside the temple and is claimed to be filled with water almost throughout the year. A grand fair is held at the temple in the "Kartik" month of Hindu calendar.

As with all other temples in India, legends and beliefs are associated with this temple as well. An age-old legacy of the worshippers wishes getting fulfilled is associated with this temple. The atmosphere oozing with spirituality and portraying nature's glory in a green canvas, the nearby modest hutments, all strive to provide tranquility and solace to the over-taxed soul.

On our way back, we stopped at a small shop to quench our thirst with buttermilk. It is then that we spotted a peacock in the vicinity. A sight rarely seen, in a minute there were cameras clicking, with the peacock proudly posing for each one of us. We arrived at the base exhausted and fatigued but with our souls rejuvenated after a journey through nature's open doors. The distant vision was now a part of our life.

My ill-fated Lily

The earth cast away its snowy veil to embrace the spring.
Daisies nestled in its grassy cradle, a sight so entrancing.
I planted a lily in the sodden ground, my spirits soaring high,
I waited for its pallid bliss with a buoyant yearning eye.

I nurtured the shrub with love and warmth, glowing in its essence,
I watched it bask in morning glory and yield to evening silence.
The breeze, a herald of budding season, caressed it with fervor,
Oh!! my wistful heart longs awfully to see my lily flower.

From dawn to dusk, many hours passed, I struggled through another day,
I watched the primrose bloom and sway but no lily came my way.
My heart wailed with despair, it sobbed in angst and strife,
I succumbed to anger with mournful eyes and slashed the shrub with knife.

As I wept at my terrible deed, the lifeless shrub spoke words so true,
You have hurt your mother many a times and failed your father too,
They showered you with love and care when distress stirred your life,
Oh vengeful mortal !! tell me what if their benign hands also took to knife?

Simple-Sandy had a fall (boo..hoo..that's me :( )

In memory of my great fall while trying to climb a rock on the trek to valley of flowers.

Simple-Sandy trotted by with a remarkable stride,
Her head was held high in the air and heart was full of pride,
She assessed the mountains with a smile and strutted away in style,
Trekking is a child's play, she was so smart and agile.

She ducked the stones, she crossed the streams, she climbed the mountains steep,
And when a shallow ditch appeared, Ah ! she gives a sudden leap.
Oh ! Simple-Sandy is so great, She always takes the lead.
Her friends were always left behind, so terrific was her speed.

Then, nestled in the lush green plants, she spots a rock profound,
Simple-Sandy gives a laugh, it's so easy to mount,
So with a casual step she climbed and showed no signs of fright,
But she slips and falls amid the rocks and disappears out of sight.

With a broken knee and a bleeding bruise, she whined and winced in pain,
But her pals were good at heart, so they helped her out again.
Simple-Sandy learnt a lesson, trekking isn't easy at all.
And now u know this secret friends, how Simple-Sandy had a fall. :(

Valley of Flowers..Where Earth weds the sky !!

I ramble along the mountains high,
To a wedding amid two lovers.
For the lovely earth and the azure sky,
will wed at 'Valley of flowers'.

As the morning casts a crimson glow,
On sheets of frosty hail,
I see the fair bride sweetly blush,
Through her silken misty veil.

Flowers with tints of red and blue,
Adorn her bridal wear,
And dewdrops nestling in the leaves,
Form jewels that shine and glare.

The amber leaves do a swirling dance,
As the breeze sends them afloat,
To ripples of the bubbling brook,
That hums a music note.

The vibrant butterflies hasten about,
To invite all and one.
The birds too lift their voices pure,
To awaken the sun.

I hear the whispers of the wind,
It sings of nature's splendor.
Oh trekker there, it's a sight to behold !!
This wedding full of grandeur.

When the morning light fades away,
And as scarlet sun seeks the horizon,
I see the sky embrace his bride,
With love and yearning passion.

My memories..Garhwal in Uttaranchal..Paradise incognito !!!

I am back, complete with a broken ligament, a few bruises, deep tan, a running nose, skin peeling off from all over my body and every part of my poor body screaming for rest; but it is my mind which is at rest; it is calm and full of memories..memories from the paradise.
Yes..I am back from a trip to the paradise..the Himalayas...the "Abode of Snow" ; which exemplifies the brilliance and splendor of nature, which emphasizes the smallness and helplessness of a human being on the face of earth. I know my words won't do any justice to those ever rising youngfold mountains and to its peaks draped in snow nor would my little camera be able to confine it's sheer magnificence in a simple polaroid; but these words had to be penned down so that years later when I go down the memory lane, I'll still feel it's awe-inspiring beauty.

The Garhwal range of Indian Himalayas laces uttaranchal, encompassing spectacular scenic beauty. Since times immemorial, the Himalayas have said to epitomize a mystical truth, it's said to possess a sanctity which each of it's stones foretell. Every snow-capped peak is said to have a spiritual aspect and every rivulet a reflective devoutness.It has lured sages and rishis since centuries into it's nest, inspiring poetry and numinous tales.

At one point as high as 25000 ft above sea level, where the vegetation grows sparse, one will find the 'GovindGanga' tearing the sharp-edged glaciers with it's turbulence but only to nestle into the arms of the majestic valleys and meadows much below the snowline. Here Nature changes it's colors every minute. It's harsh with it's unpredictable landslides at one point whereas provides tranquility at 'DevPrayag', where river Alaknanda weds Bhagirathi to give birth to the Holy Ganga.

It is the divine aspect of the Garhwal Indian Himalayas which has attracted pilgrims and ascetics whereas it's captivating beauty and jagged heights have drawn trekkers and mountaineers to test their skills against it's dangerous ravines since times to remember. It's association with the mythological tales and legends only add to the ecstacy, mounting up every moment. To stand on the same ground where "Maharshi Vyas" narrated the entire "Mahabharata" to "Lord Ganesha" elicits a feeling of bliss and harmony. The sight of the mighty "Bhim Pul" at Mana, allegedly pulled down by "Bhim" of "Pandava" fame to enable his wife "Draupadi" cross the river "Saraswati", is again a tale of fascination for the tourists.
The Garhwal valleys inhibit a strong devotion for "Nanda Devi" and "Lord Shiva". With a firm belief in the supernatural powers and black-magic, a zeal for celebrating all the Hindu religious occassions and the ancient stories involving characters from the epics and myths as a backdrop, Garhwal seems to reflect a picture of the age-old India.

The pain of venturing into the inner Himalayas along the rugged terrain seems to vanish miraculously at the sight of the flower-adorned "Valley of flowers", the serene "Hemkund-Sahib", the turbulent Ganga and Yamuna, the pious "char-dhams" or shrines, the majestic peaks and the inaccessible valleys. They all unite together to provide the contemporary man a break from the rush of the city and solace from the ever increasing worries of a modern-day life.