searching for identity in urbanisation

One evening a question casually asked by an acquaintance got me introspecting who i was and what i was... A simple question like what was my mother tongue got me intrigued, as i was always confused what it is.. Urbanisation has made it impossible to answer that question.. i was always proud that i am a Concoction of two different cultures..i never really thought it would be a impediment .. Generally a simple question " what culture i belonged to" would make me explain to people i was a mix, but for once i had questions i realised i did not belong to any culture completely as i was half of each one..i had unanswered questions i wanted to know more about my culture..

while urbanisation has had a positive effect ,it has some drawbacks too.. we never really know completely about our roots, apart from the information handed down to us, we are busy with making a life and do not have time to question anything. With integration within families the mixture of cultures has now led to intermingling of religions and the present generation has a mixture of different races, meaning no line breeding and a multiracial ethnicity which would minimise defects in births and a stronger race being created which could either spell disaster or could inherit the perfect set of genes with minimalistic chances of bad traits being carried forward..

on the flip side of it one does not know much about one's origins,would get torn in different directions, would give rise to identity crisis at times.i have experienced the best of both my cultures, but i would have to accept that i do not really belong anywhere . My quest to investigate and find my roots has left me more confused than before, while i carry my fathers surname and i speak my mothers mother tongue i find it extremely difficult to belong anywhere. Mix of cultures has given me a cosmopolitan look on life with my own ideas and views..i have inherited the best of genes maybe but i really still seek to belong somewhere, my identity crisis does not end with finding my roots because i still am a half baked cookie.My quest to belong somewhere will continue ...

Uprising Telangana Revolution

TRS chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao started his agitation on 29th Nov for a separate Telangana state by undertaking a fast unto death . KCR was arrested while on his way to Siddipet for his fast and remanded to a 14 day judicial custody. Following the arrest students and TRS workers protested at Osmania University campus in Hyderabad, Telangana university in Nizamabad, Kakatiya University in Warangal and pelted stones at RTC buses and police.The situation turned volatile in OU as students hurled stones at the police who resorted to lathi charge to disperse the student mob. O.U has become a war zone since then.Student protesters in retaliation to the laticharge took to streets and went on a rampage creating havoc among the general public. As the news of KCR's arrest floated ,stray incidents of violence rocked the Telangana districts . Angry activists engraged over the arrest damaged 22 buses, a few TRS activists immolated themselves. A 24 hr bandh had been called in Telangana on 30th November by the TRS in view of KCR's arrest.



On 30th Nov due to TRS chief's fasting ,his sugar levels had dropped and sodium levels were low,from the jail he was moved to the Khammam government hospital.There was high drama at the hospital on 1 Dec as KCR tried to make his way out of the hospital.A petition was filed in the local court for better treatment ,,seeking to shift him to a "A or B "class jail was dismissed.
Life in Hyderabad city was back to normal apart from a few stray incidents after the Nov 30th bandh, but reports of continued violence was coming in from the other Telangana districts.


Meanwhile there were allegations that police and doctors of Andhra region conspired to foil K.C.R's fast by administering fruit juices and tablets ,when he was not fully conscious. There was pressure on the government by the TRS activists to move KCR from Khammam to Hyderabad as his health condition was getting worse.
Sporadic incidents of violence continued in Karimnagar , Khammam and Nizamabad. Former Union Minister Renuka Choudary's home cum office was vandalised by TRS workers in Khammam.Stray incidents of violence at a few Congress MLA's homes and offices were reported in Telangana districts and some parts of Hyderabad.

The TRS leader was moved on 4 Dec from the Khammam government hospital to Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences in Punjagutta. Doctors claimed that his situation was stable. Senior Congress leaders were requesting KCR to give up his fast , but he continued his fast and said would try to commit suicide if pressurised.


Violent protests marred the scene at Kakatiya and Telangana University . O.U remained calm, while the situation still remained grim at the NIIMs hospital where KCR was hospitalised for the last few days and forcibly given saline drips.Health officials have claimed that his situation is deteriorating but he was stable ..
T.R.S chief K.Chandrashekhar Rao has been continuing his fast unto death and leading the Telangana movement from the hospital bed,meanwhile party workers went on a rampage and created havoc in the other Telangana districts.

Last few days have seen peaceful protests in O.U. campus. Candlelight march in support of the students who layed down their lives for the cause of a separate Telangana state was carried out at Arts college in O.U on friday night. TRS workers and OU students were seen continuing their agitation for the Telangana state peacefully. Rumours of TRS chief KCR slipping into coma on saturday morning were adrift. Reacting to the rumours about 1000 protesters made their way into the city to NIIMS hospital wanting to see their chief. The T-uprising has been gaining momentum among other fraternities .Supporters from Non Telangana parties have come forward and extended their support for this movement.

Around 2000 protesters and students thronged the NIIMS hospital raising slogans of "Jai Telangana",creating a hindrance for the other patients and caused major traffic blockades in the surrounding areas.

While Osmania University campus remained calm due to peaceful protests, incidents of fresh violence erupted in many places close to the NIIMS hospital like Ameerpet Punjagutta Erragadda, Begumpet etc .Stones were pelted at shops ,malls and vandalized , buses were damaged. A 48 hour bandh has been called by the TRS party workers in lieu of the deteriorating health condition of K.C.R. Buses were taken off streets and shopkeepers were forced to pull their shutters down fearing fresh attacks. Commuters at large were inconvenienced and passengers were seen stranded at bus stations, railway stations and roads . As the news of the 48 hr bandh spread motorists thronged fuel stations , one could witness a mob at these stations. Most of the fuel stations shut down as a precautionary measure.Several Offices sent back their employees home early fearing more trouble.As a result there was chaos and communters were stranded,Auto drivers were demanding exhorbitant prices to ply from one area of the city to another. In view of the Telangana bandh coinciding with the Babri Masjid demolition the state is put on a high alert and section 144 has been imposed. The state police has been in a frenzy ever since ,additional Policemen have been deployed and patrolling has increased.

Voters knocked out

November 23rd the day, the city of Hyderabad would go to vote for the civic body elections.The entire city was rampant with campaigning and canvassing by different political parties each party trying to woo voters and outdo one another to win the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Elections. The last few weeks have seen a flurry of activity where all the parties have been campaigning day and night, on the streets leading to major traffic jams and snarls. Posters of campaigning political parties are put up on every nook and corner of the road. walls belonging to the public and private were pasted galore, the atrocious colour of political parties. In violation of the election code , parties have been campaigning late into the nights post the scheduled hours and knocking at the doors of their prospective vote banks with the police preferring to remain silent. Much to the chagrin and disgust of people , banners, posters and hoardings have surfaced at every possible place in the city for publicity.

The election commission is supposed to look into all these details book the perpetrators , while the government seems to be deep in slumber and turning a blind eye to the violation.


In the civic body there are 150 municipal divisions for which 1,310 candidates are vying. Nearly 57 lakh voters are expected to franchise their vote to elect their representatives. The election commission has set up separate booths this time . There are female polling booths , male polling booths and general polling booths which consists both.


The voting in the polling stations is between 7am -5pm on Monday the 23 of November.
The election authorities are to have banned canvassing for votes within polling stations ,public places and within 100 meters of distance of polling booths.

I decided to cast my vote as a responsible citizen, at 9.am in the morning i headed towards the polling station with my voters card and Pan card in tow. As i was nearing the polling stations i could see loads of voters arrive to exercise their fundamental right. i headed towards the polling booth, i was stopped by a cop he said i needed a slip with the ward number printed so i was sent away to figure out the details. It was intimated in the newspapers that if one did not receive a slip they could still go ahead and vote provided they carried some Id proof like voters card ,pan card, ration card etc . I made my way through agents who were within 50 meters of the polling stations all of them from various political parties, arguing among themselves, the police was 10 meters away and decided to be mute spectators to the violation of the election code of 100 meters distance which indeed was turning out to be a hog wash to the eye .Rules were rendered null and void when polling began in full swing this is what i understood from the scenario.

when i reached the make shift enquiry desk which was beneath a tree , there was another women who had a ration card in her hand and was asking the people at the desk to locate her number in the voters sheet ,so as she could exercise her franchise.while they kept her waiting they decided to help me, but to their surprise and mine , the entire sheet with a list of voters who had been included this year had been missing . i was told by the person at the desk that the gentleman who had the sheet was away some place close by, so i was made to wait for a long time,while this non existent person remained untraceable with the elusive list. There was activity again , people coming to figure out whether they still existed in the voters lists, agents of political parties 5 meters away arriving in cars checking whether their agents were doing what they were paid for, trying to mobilize crowd to vote for them ,. showing their might and money. while i was kept waiting , the person with the list remained untraceable .i decided to probe and find out whether the enquiry desk belonged to any particular political party or from the election commission, somehow there were no answers , but the people at the desk were trying to help, since i did not come across as someone who would take no for an answer and return home without casting my vote.So they made some calls to the help desk located the ward number and location of the polling booth for me with the help of my Voters id number ,thanks to technology it did not take long .i was given a slip of written paper, with a few numbers and directed towards the polling station. i made my way towards the polling station with that slip of paper , voters id card and pan card while i was walking i could see and hear the agents approaching me and asking me to vote in favour of their party, i heard " Madam congress ko vote dalo"... as i walked ahead i heard another say " Madam nahin aap BJP ko vote dalo"... .These agents were 20 meters away from the polling booth , still canvassing and campaigning for their parties at the eleventh hour trying their best to cash in on their vote banks , if this isn't a violation of the election code what shall i term it as? i made my way through these agents towards the station and complained to one of the policemen stationed outside, instead of doing something about it , he tells me that those agents were not paying heed to what the police was saying . so what is the police for , if it cannot be a law keeper? Is it constituted for the blame game ? All rules seem to be observed more in violation than in word, Loop holes and loop holes visible to the naked eye , which has to be tied up at the grass root level , who is going to take that responsibility is it the immune government , the law keepers or law makers who all in the end turn a blind eye .

Triumphant Forces

DURGA PUJO

"She who is incomprehensible or difficult to reach is called DURGA ". she is called the Mother of the Universe and is a symbol of female dynamism.Goddess Durga is a form of Shakti worshipped when demonic forces created imbalance it is said all the gods united to form one Divine force which is called Durga or Shakti. Destroyer of demons ,she is known by various names such as Kali, Parvati, Ambika. She is worshipped during the annual festival called Navratri which is a nine day long Festival. It is mostly called Navratra's and in Bengal it is called Durga Pujo.

The Maa Durga idol is always made with her consortium the lion , on which she is mounted, wielding ten weapons in her ten hands . The sculpture of the idol itself has evolved over time. The worship always depicts Durga with her four children and occassionally two attendents with banana tree figures. In the ancient days all the five idols would be depicted in a single frame called patta , since the early 80s that has changed and the trend now is to depict each idol separately . Somewhere inside these beautiful yet complex edifices is a stage on which the Durga reigns standing on her lion mount. She went to battle on her ferocious mount lion, armed with the weapons given to her by the other Gods. Durga is one of the angry and aggressive aspects of the goddess Shakti, whose role in Hindu mythology was to fight and conquer demons and also personify the Sakti or female aspect of any male deity. In the battle, she fought and killed the evil Mahishasura and restored heaven to the Gods. Since then the goddess is invoked for protection from the powers of evil. Durga Puja is observed in her honor, to celebrate her victory over evil.



The entire process of creation of the idols from the collection of clay to the ornamentation is a holy process, supervised by rites and other rituals. On the Hindu date of akshaya tritya when the Ratha Yatra is held, clay for the idols is collected from the banks of a river, preferably the ganges. After the required rites, the clay is transported from which the idols are fashioned. An important event is Chakku daan , literally donation of the eyes. Starting with Devi Durga, the eyes of the idols are painted on Mahalya or the first day of the Pujas, before painting on the eyes, the artisans fast for a day and eat only vegetarian food.



This years durga puja has been special to me in many ways.I decided to be a part of the celebrations for 9 long days unlike all the previous years.. i wanted to witness and be a part of Durga Puja the Bengali style.The Durga Puja starts of on Mahalaya the first phase of the waxing moon in Ashwin .The main puja is for 3 days Mahasaptami, Mahaastami and Mahanavami .The Inauguration of the Goddess Idol starts on Mahashasti.The rituals are long , very detailed and complicated. But it is an earth shattering experience to be a part of these puja's. The recitation of the mantras, shlokas and the aartis leave you enthralled.



The Durga Puja spans over a period of ten days in case of traditional and household Pujas, though the main part of it is restricted to four days only. The main Puja, however, starts on the evening of Sasthi , the sixth day after the new moon, generally from beneath a Bel tree for the traditional ones. In the wee hours of Saptami, the next day, the Pran or life of the Devi is brought from a nearby pond or river in a banana tree and established inside the image. The main puja starts thereafter and the prime time is reached in the Sandhikshan, the crossover time between Ashtami and Navami. Finally, on Dashami, the tenth day from the new moon, the image is immersed in a pond or river. This is the religious center of the festivities and huge crowds gather to offer flower worship call Pushpanjali on the mornings, of the sixth to ninth days of the waxing moon fortnight known as Devi Pakshya , devi meaning goddess Pakshya meaning period. Devi Pakshya the period of the goddess. Ritual drummers carrying large leather strung Dhak show off their skill during the ritual dance worships called aarati's .The drum-beats are an integral part of the Durga Puja. This special variety of the drum, known as Dhak, enthralls the hearts of people with its majestic rhythm right from the day of Sasthi. This drum is held on the shoulder with the beating side in the bottom and is beaten with two sticks, one thick and another thin.



After the three days of Puja, in Dashami the last day, a tearful farewell is offered to the Goddess, the idol is taken for immersion in a procession amoud loud chants of bolo Durga mai -ki jai and to the sound of the drumbeats she is immersed in the river or a water body.Most of the community pujas postpone the farewell as long as possible and arrange a grand send-off. The images are carried in processions around the locality and finally is immersed in a nearby river or lake. Durga the mother returns to her husband Shiva ritualised through her immersion into the waters. Dashami is the tenth day and Vijay means Victory. Vijaya Dashami is an event celebrated all over the country.

Durga Puja is also a festivity of Good (Ma Durga) winning over the evil Maheshasoora the demon. It is a worship of power of Good which always wins over the bad.

Elusive Perfection

1st Sept 09


Perfect is an absolute ! it defines completeness not to say without a blemish , error or flaw..

In reality does Perfection exist? one looks forward to completeness in every situation and doesn't want to settle for anything but perfect... isn't the world being hypocritical in some manner or the other.In this developing world , there is a lot of emphasis on competition and search for well rounded things , complete packages if i may say so... Is there a need for such emphasis on perfection ? Why cant the world accept imperfect things and learn to live with it?

Today's Youth have all the fancy degrees to their credit , all the possible add on courses ,to the activities they involve themselves in to be well rounded students.. empowering themselves with their skills ....while they have all this to their credit ,they are suspended in a time frame looking for the Perfect jobs . So as to say their life is in a Limbo.. Their search for the perfect job is on ..
It seems to me as if they are in a daze.. like zombie's ..one goal one direction , one perfect job..but its eluding them ...Its being the only Elusive thing in their life..

Is it right to let go of dreams and aspirations and settle for something else only because it provides us financial stability and security...while we move on and away from the very goal in life...
Isn't it a Premature death of our dreams? . Even before we have started to fly we learnt to clip our wings .Most of us make compromises with life and do something else that we are not made for.Are we supposed to be patient and wait, than be haste and vain.

Some hit Bulls eye, while for the most its a difficult path . The struggle is an endless one , which is accompanied by depression , helplessness, unworthiness, the wait is Timeless .Some lose self confidence finally give up on the dream and succumb to the situation while others rise above stronger . It is Circumstance over man .The forces of the Universe are stronger than the ones who walk it and believe that they can conquer it.

Steps to Sublime Waters

August 22nd 2009 ...

Here i was one evening casually looking through my inbox ,when i see this email screaming "Adventure" .I had joined an Adventure's club a month ago but never went for any Trips.. The email -subject read Kayaking and Trekking around Anantagiri hills and Nagasamundram lake and the Content said If U love Impromptu things in life this is for you.. This is where it all began for me ..an experience which changed my life and made me look at things in a very different perspective..

I knew if i took this trip it would change my life forever, i would come back a totally different person. Every Experience has something to teach us and something that we have to learn from. Here i was on the brink of it all... i felt like i was climbing a hill even before i started .. i was to meet 14 strangers who i had never met before .An ex colleague of mine was already a part of the Adventures club , he had been on treks before , but this was going to be my first time and i was apprehensive of meeting so many faces i had never crossed paths with .. i called my friend and decided that i would want to be a part of the Trek and Kayaking .It was decided within a span of a few minutes that i was going to be a part of it . It was a late night and going to be a Early Morning as i was all excited and looked forward to the" Tommorow "which i did not wanna miss while i was asleep......i was thrilled and looking forward to Dawn.. It was literally DAWNING in my life ...something had changed when i woke up in the morning , it felt so good and different , it was as if life was opening doors for me and giving me opportunities and saying "Go and Grab before it is all over"...

Adventures are to the Adventurous..

The True Adventurer goes forth Aimless and uncalculating to meet and greet Unknown Fate.... O Henry



The itenary read start at 6.00 Am and return to the city by 6-7Pm. i was to meet a fellow trekker named Ranjan Sood who lived in the vicnity of 4-5 kms and travel with him to meet the rest of the Trekkers at a common place from where we all would leave together for trekking and kayaking

The kayaking was a fall out of Rama's effort to explore kayaking in and around Hyderabad.. This is not Lord Rama of the Treta Yuga we are talking about,who with the help of the Army of monkeys built the Ramsethu bridge..now which remains amidst Controversy..


well its our own Rama of the HAC, whose desire to kayak in and around Hyderabad got the Army of HAC to organize and snowball it into a fullfledged kayaking trip,which was certainly a wholesome treat for the first timers. If it wasnt for this Rama all of us wouldnt have kayaked the Nagasamundram lake...as HAC members we certainly did not build a bridge but laid foundations for friendships to blossom and not to forget climbed trees......... should I say "Evolution hasnt changed some things yet"....

In all there were 15 of us 12 men and 3 women, literally strangers to each other meeting at the common place , there was a round of introduction informally among ourselves, decided how many cars we were taking and who was leading the path..we grouped ourselves into 4 in each car , and we had one trekker drive his motorbike.. There was chitter chatter in each car , the initial apprehensions gave way to humour and laughter, we let our guard down and started interacting with our fellow trekkers... it was a long drive , abt 70-80 kms.. the road leading upto Vikarabad had beautiful grasslands, fields of corn , cotton etc.. on our way we stopped at some fields to take pics and goof around in the corn fields..It was all pure fun and spontaneity.


All of us had breakfast which consisted of dosa's , idli's, upma and coffee at a small little Udupi restaurant in Vikarabad before we headed towards our destination which was the Anantagiri Hills for our trek..


Anantagiri hills is a Hill station, which is surrounded by lush green vegetation , small waterfalls running through the valleys and rocks of the Hills.. it is perched at an altitude which gives a breathtaking sight of the Vegetation, scenic spots and viewpoints. It is an Ideal place to camp and Trek


We reached Anantagiri hills at 9Am , parked the cars decided which hill to trek, along with a set of instructions for all.. then had a formal round of Introductions . we decided we all would trek for 3 to 4 hours and each one was free to take their own path but make sure no one is left behind..Of the trekkers a lady decided she did not want to trek so another lady decided to give her company well since both these women could not be left alone on a hill ,lest some modern day Ravana's appear and decide to make trouble for them.. one of the trekkers decided to forgo his trek and stay behind with them. ...it was our very own Rama who stayed behind.... thats what Team Spirit is all about . being there for each other when needed..




Small steps to testing Terrain

The plan was to trek for 3-4 hours and meet at the hill top.. everyone was to take the less traveled path and free to go whichever way they wanted.. we all started out together, then started branching off , each in groups of 2-3 chattering away to glory ,getting to know our fellow trekkers and mingling conversation with our adventure..for a few trekkers like myself ,it was a first time experience so we made it on their own pace.. enthusiastic to the core even though it was a new experience. we made our way through the valley of the hill , the rocky region and the thorny trees.. Being the Monsoon season that it was ,every now and then as we were climbing we could hear the peacocks crying out for their mates.. we could not spot them dancing though , it is the nature of the National bird it dances only when the rains arrive...signalling the onset of rains..

we reached the top of the hill at 10.30 Am rested there for a short while.. took some pics ,had water to drink and then set off on our journey again..while we set off yet again on our trek we started mingling with other fellow trekkers , that way making sure we got to know each and every one..As we were planning to descend we spotted a huge tree and lo below.. we had all the trekkers wanting to climb the tree.. well methinks we have some bit of our ancestors in us..


Suddenly there was one person climbing , then another and then another followed suit.. in all we had 5 monkeys oops trekkers monkeying on the trees for a while and of course we had the everyready Papparazi taking pics below.....had some amazing fun there even though i wasnt party to climbing ,it was worthwhile watching too...

Around 10.45 it was ,when we decided that we will descend the hill and get back as we had plans to go to the Anantha Padmanabha temple ,visit ruins of caves around and then go kayaking. so we all set out again , taking less travelled paths downhill..turning here and there to make sure it wasnt a easy track back .. A first time trekker that i was ,by now i started identifying the thorny trees and plants using strategy to dodge and avoid being torn to pieces..lol....the way back was a lot more fun ,as it wasnt easy as climbing .. one had to be careful about not missing their foot while stepping on slippery and rocky surfaces..if one would notice there were various kinds of insects feeding on leaves etc .. it would have been a treat to an Entomologist..to find different if not rare species.. which is otherwise not visible to the eye in the city..each of us took our own time looking around taking in the beauty of the surroundings and living each moment as it came.. helping each other when needed by either waiting for a fellow trekker or making path or warning them about thorny plants.. One of our fellow trekkers suddenly realized that an insect had taken a fancy to him and decided to cling on to him .The insect am referring to is a caterpillar which i suppose liked Anup of all the trekkers (some Fatal Attraction it was if i could say so) ..so he wasnt willing to let go of Anup so easily... then with the help of Milind the caterpillar was shaken off Anup's arm.. well he did certainly leave his mark behind as Anup was all itchy and Hives ..we stopped a couple of times on our way lingered around and then finally made our way back to the spot where the cars had been parked... we rested for a short while ,replenished ourselves and then set out to visit the temple..

Anantha Padmanabha temple is a small temple built by a Muslim king centuries ago.. we visited the temple , prayed and evoked the blessings of the gods before we set out for our last destination of the day which was kayaking . we needed the gods to be with us so that it didn't "Rain on the Parade" as they say... There was a huge statue of Lord Hanuman outside the temple where we spent a mini miniscule of our time posing for snapshots.. The photosession was lot of fun..we had the passerby's take pictures of us which made us feel like we were celebrities being shot at ..
It was post Noon when we headed for our destination the Kotepally lake, which was around 8-10 kms from Anantagiri hills the place where we would finally loose ourselves and kayak on the lake..

On our way we stopped a few times to ask for directions to the lake and then found this beautiful lake hidden amidst the greenery... it looked like a very beautiful painting .. but wake up.. it was real..this was the lake on which we were going to kayak for the rest of the afternoon and evening.




Kayaking on Silent waters




All the 15 of us couldn't contain our excitement ...we go to work immediatley .. got the kayak's out of the cars , some of us started posing for pictures against the beautiful backdrop.. while some of us were waiting to just start kayaking.. even before the inflatable double seater kayaks were ready to kayak ,we had most of us wanting to kayak on the sublime waters..there was activity galore.. Thanks to Milind , Rama and Danika who brought along their respective kayaks so that all the others would get to indulge in kayaking , learn and enjoy the sport..

whether we knew how to kayak or not ,we all we ready to start testing the waters.. Milind was the first one to set sail with his single seater kayak and test waters , figuring out where the Shallows and the Depths were ...and lo below we were watching him kayak and maneuver himself on the waters...he did the wet exit to show us ,how to manage ourselves we any of us did overturn while kayaking .. everyone was watching him with rapt attention...

The double seater Kayaks were inflated by then.. two seats and so many eager trekkers for kayaking ..well Rajan made sure that while we set out kayaking , that either of the pair knew to swim or either knew kayaking already, that way the risk factor was lowered ...Am sure when the first time kayakers set sail they had their fears and apprehensions but as they learnt to navigate through the waters they realized it was a lot of fun , all one has to do is paddle in the opposite direction and get impelled by the wind to move further into the water..One gets so mesmerised by the water and the propelling of the paddling that one dsnt realize the distance one has covered.. kayaking has a soothing effect on the senses..the silent yet sublime waters beneath the kayak incite and thrill one to explore the secrets of the water..One is so in sync while kayaking that it feels like the merging of humans and Nature .. Perfect synchrony i could say...For the many of us who hadnt heard the word kayak before this was a awesome experience ..watching , learning and enjoying .. it was a wholesome experience ...something that words cant do justice to.. The excitement to kayak was so evident that all of us had forgotten to have lunch ...we were so taken in by kayaking that ,as one pair of kayakers would return .. the others would set sail.. there wasnt a minute when the kayaks were lying empty ..... kayakers were all the while out on the waters going to the end and breath of the lake...exploring different latitudes and longitudes of the lake...it almost seemed to me that i was transported to the backwaters of kerala and witness to those boat races that they have annually..such was the spirit of our kayakers.. I am scared of water.. even though i swim and have tried Surfing in a created environment ..i wasnt sure i would try to kayak .. but as i saw the gusto with which people were kayaking it got to me.. and there i was out kayaking with Mr Ranjan..i was a li'll apprehensive at first but then learnt to navigate almost immediately .. thanks to Mr Sood i got over my fears and was enjoying every minute of kayaking .. it was a smooth sail ... we spotted a crane on the other end of the lake ,, it was sight to see but we dint have the camera to take a snapshot as we were paddling.. as we neared the crane it flew away.. then we navigated back along the waters and there was this gush of breeze.. cool and exihilarating.. we stopped paddling and let the kayak take its own course...it was a stimulating experience for me..

The funniest episode of the entire kayaking was of Rajan and Raman ...who went kayaking to one end of the lake and weren't coming back ... few of us were having our lunch while we were witness to this feat of .. Rajan and Raman trying to maneuvre the kayak and come back but due to the breeze they were circling around in the same place for more than half hour...whatever they were up to .. they did not seem to make any progress ...

Around 4.30 pm it started getting cloudy and dark.. but the weather was awesome .. one or two of us were sitting on the ground and watching our fellow kayakers..lest they needed any help .. that was when Ranga and Naman decided to take advantage of the lovely weather conditions and kayak along the entire length of the lake ....it was a very beautiful evening and the perfect weather for kayaking .. .. it was more than an hour later that Ranga and Naman returned huffing and puffing ,they had gone far away into the waters and were circling in the depths .. at one point they were so far away ,they appeared as an one Orange speck on the Horizon.. that was the distance they covered.. the winds were playing havoc with them so it was an effort to get back to the shore...Meanwhile the others had a great time swimming and having fun...it was a crazy time for all of us where we let down our guard and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.....


It was a very beautiful evening , sky was filled with all shades and hues of nature at its best .

What more could one ask for ,,than to take pictures .. so we had Ranga who obliged us and put us in Frame .. ...we all were a part of the Picture ....the one above had created ... a perfect Painting i'd like to say...It was around 6.30 when we left for the city .... thought we would stopped by in the corn fields and take come pics but dusk had fallen by then .. few of us had taken different roads to get back to the city .. the car i was in.. i thought we were lost .. we took some godforsaken route ,which added to our adventure .. ....finally all of us did catch up at vikarabad and then exchanged numbers ...it was around 7.30 i guess by the time we all reached city and then went our respective paths..
Am sure each one of us have experienced something new and different on our kayaking Trip which we have brought back with us ,which has Enriched our lives in a certain manner..I have had the pleasure of meeting 14 very Unique people , each of whom has added a different colour and dimension to my experience and made my journey unforgetable... Thank you all for being a part and sharing the wonderful experience ,without whom it wouldn't have been a Memorable one ...