Pandavkada Falls, Khargar

The natural swimming pool

Pandavkada water falls

Since the rain continues to shower its blessing, we too thought to make the most of it this year, and off we decided to go to another waterfall, and this time we chose Pandavkada.

Pandavkada waterfalls is situated in Khargar, Navi Mumbai.  Nearby spots to visit are the Central Park and Valley Golf Course, said to be Asia's largest golf course.

How to Reach:  If you are traveling by train, get down at Khargar station in the Harbour Line and take a rickshaw to the falls.  You also have NMMT buses plying in this route.  If you are traveling by car, use the Sion Panvel Highway.  It is a very easy-to-follow route.

This waterfall was closed to public for a couple of years due to many accidents/drowning that took place.  But after a lot of precautionary measures undertaken, it was open to public this year.  My brother-in-law went there a couple of weeks back and there was lot of water and the videos were tempting to watch, the waters beckoning us to come soon.  Unfortunately, when we went there, there wasn't a lot of water, yet it did not stop us from taking a splash.

We booked a cab that took us right to the main entrance.  There are two ways to go.  One is where people get down near the race course and your foot trail begins from here.  Secondly, you can take a left after the race course, pass right through a village and this takes you more closer to the trail.  We took the second option.

While passing through the village I had thoughts of how lucky these villagers were that they could still enjoy their village life while having a city only a stone's throw away.

Since we did not have plans to spend the whole day there, food was not a major concern.  We left home by 11 a.m., reached there by 11:30 and were back home by 4 p.m.  We just carried little snacks to munch away.

Once you park your vehicle, it is only 15 minutes' walk to the streams and another 10 minutes' walk to the falls.  The path is a mud trail lined by balsam flowers and fields.

They have constructed walls in the middle of the stream and it blocks the water at two points and forms a natural swimming pool that is 3 to 4 feet deep.  It is floored by sand and is safe to swim as there are no rocks in these pools.

It would be a good idea to pack your eatables as we did not find any nearby shacks or food suppliers and most tourists were also carrying their food.

If you choose to visit the falls in the afternoon, you can also spend some time at the Central Park which opens at 5 p.m.  It is the largest park in Mumbai and very well maintained.  They have excellent facilities in terms of kids' park, variety of play tools for kids, boating, and a soon-coming-up amphitheater.  Parking is free and well maintained toilets at every section of the park. You will find a collection of musical instruments all over the park along with a short write up/description.

This year I have had the opportunity to visit a lot of places and we did not have lot of money in our hands, and I learnt that happiness is not expensive.  With a little planning, one can enjoy a fun-filled picnic within one's means.  We have never picnicked in the monsoons, and it was a refreshing change this year that we explored a lot of places.

Life is waiting for you.... Go grab it!!!

Bubbye UTI - a tip to avoid urine infection

UTI or urinary tract infection is a common problem among females, and every female will face this at least once in her lifetime, unfortunately more than once.  For those who do not understand the medical term, it is that burning urination you experience, sometimes with pain, where you feel like sitting in the loo or a water tub the whole day.  You seem to want to urinate every 5 minutes and with much difficulty you are only able to get a few drops of it.  What a nasty thing it is!

Here is one simple tip to prevent UTI.  After finishing your defecation needs, never wash yourself from front to back or back to front, always wash yourself from side to side.  Keep a mild soap handy just to be extra sure.  Since vagina is situated very close to the anus, you can accidentally pass along some fecal material and thereby bacteria to your vagina or urethra, which in turn will lead to infections of the genitourinary tract.

Do not be surprised if you find a lot of women not knowing this; the number is really huge, hence, the need to pass this vital information to the masses.

Another tip is to avoid wearing your sanitary napkins for a long time during your periods or menstrual cycle.  Blood being an excellent medium for bacterial growth helps bacteria to grow and multiply.  There have been recent updates regarding the long-lasting, keep-yourself-dry, gel versions of napkins containing cancer-causing chemicals.  So change your napkins every 4 to 6 hours.  Tampons, depends on the recommendation duration on the pack, change every 4 to 8 hours.

If you are a sexually active woman, then you must urinate and wash yourself with a mild soap after the act.

Kindly spread the word as there is some needy woman out there in need of this info.

Spread awareness and keep infections at bay.

Nature's Wonders

This is my first ever poem, and guess when or where I wrote it?  It was in my 12th standard Physics lecture.  I was always termed as a talkative and naughty student, and I feel proud of it now.

I had sent this poem as an entry for a youth section in Indian Express newspaper back in 1996.  I had just scribbled the poem, but did not know what title to give, so I had written a note along to the editor asking them to help me give a title.  The editor was kind enough to title it "Nature's Wonders" and I have retained that title till date, and will continue to remain so as my appreciation to them.

It was such a joy seeing my poem in the newspaper.  It was a big achievement those days.  One of my friend's dad, Thanabalan uncle, who is no more, called me up to congratulate me, and the excitement was no less than receiving a gold medal. That uncle is a constant source of encouragement and appreciation.

As usual on a Tuesday, that's the day for the youth section, I eagerly scanned the newspaper for various talents displayed.  I saw this poem titled Nature's Wonders and began reading it.  The words felt so familiar, but I did not realize that it's mine.  Just out of curiosity, I saw the poet's name and there it was listed, Kavita, AFAC Junior College, and I had such a surge of adrenaline.  I still can feel the jitters.

With that note, I present my first ever poetry, Nature's Wonders... Thank you Indian Express!!!  Thank you Mama!!!

Nature's Wonders

Sun rises with a golden lining,

Moon with that of silver,

Nature is so full of beauties,

With all its bloom and bower.

Flowers with colours so bright

Symbols nature’s love and light.

The streams flow with sparkling water

Thro’ the valleys with joy and laughter.

Sunset portrays its golden beauty

And all creations go to rest.

Then nature opens its arms so wide

To gather all creation to her breast.

Though darkness blankets in the night,

The moon showers its moonlight.

Trees sing their sweet lullaby

For babies tired with play and cry.

All creations, both animals and plants

From pipals and babuls to crickets and ants

All offer God a song of praise

Thanking Him for His mercy and grace.

Penned in 1996

BETRAYAL

I loved you with all that’s within me

And wanted us to be together forever.

What was it then that you drifted away

Without a word, nor a reason to say?

Did you never mean the words you spoke?

Were those feelings not real that you felt?

Did you not yearn those moments we spent?

Was the thread so fragile that you wove?

I saw it in your eyes, felt it in your smile

Felt it in everything that you did

Those unspoken words, those unrevealed feelings

I felt just by being near you.

I was entrapped in the storm of distress

Rigging and tossing with the tides of sorrow.

You stretched your hand to strengthen me

Lighting a hope to live life again.

When I was just coming out of it,

Just beginning to see the light of life

You removed your hand off from mine

Leaving me to fall in the storm again.

Is there no end to these tears?

Will they flow for endless time?

Can’t these threads be tied again?

Can’t we give our love a chance again?

         

Penned on March 23, 2000 

LIFE -- A Strife

When life seems an ocean of darkness

You stumble and fall, but can't perceive your fall;

Get up, though bruised, and search your way

For the ocean meets the shore of light.

When life seems a thorn of difficulties

You prick yourself and bleed tears

Quit not, but climb up the path

For there is a blossom of roses ahead.

The night is never a night always

The break of dawn declares the day

Awaiting you with a ray of light

To shone your path with possibilities.

But do not think it the goal of life

'Cos it's still miles away

Let not your hope die, for hope

Is the foundation to build your goal.

Strive through the trials and tribulations

Make them the pillars of your success

For this success is true and lasting

Gifting you a life -- content and prosperous.

Penned on February 17, 1999

Passions

Writing poems was a once-upon-a-time passion for me.  Through the years, in the mad rush, I seem to have lost touch with it.  I wish I could rekindle my thoughts and revisit that part of me through blogging.  I wanted to publish all my poems back then, and I always wanted to name my album "Passions".

So, I dedicate this blog to the younger me, whom I thought was dead, and whom I want to resurrect.

Also, I somehow feel like dedicating this to my brother, who always loved teasing me, saying that he is my inspiration and I write poetry because of him.  I do not know if it's true and if it is, I do not mind giving the credit to him.  But, I believe that I have inherited it from my dad, who is an excellent, but unpublished poet himself, and he has written many devotional songs in Tamil.

Finally, I could say that I have at least lived my name.

I would like to restart this journey with one of my favorite poems, and it was published in poetry.com

http://poetry.com/poems/890138--65279-My-Promise-To-You-#

My Promise To You

penned on ... January 28,2000

Need Whiter Clothes??

Just thought of passing along this useful tip I learnt from my mother-in-law.  They work in an organisation where they require to wear white uniform very often, and I always found their clothes to be sparkling white.  When I asked her how, she shared this with me.

After washing the clothes as usual, just give it another quick wash with Lux soap.  I was very skeptical of this, nevertheless, I tried giving it a shot.  I picked up my daughter's dress and did as told, and lo, it had such a nice shine.  It gives a new look to the clothes.  I washed her shoes with it, and that too turned out sparkling new.  I tried washing my trekking shoes that were so dirty and I got the same result.

What you need to do:

Use LUX Soap (white or pink, both should work, though I used the white version) instead of your regular washing soap.  Work up a nice lather.  You will see that it removes stains and dirt very efficiently and leaves them bright and shining.

My experiment did not stop here.  The other day, I tried washing my bathroom tiles and toilet seat.  We have hard water here and it stains our bathrooms a lot.  My bathroom smiled back at me for making them twinkling like that.

I do not use Lux soap for bathing, but I surely buy one for these purposes.  Do try it out and let me know how it works for you.

Happy Washing.. Keep Shining...

Caring for your Environment

Lot has been said and done about global warming, but all that is still a drop in the ocean.  Though most of us cannot participate in a big way, there are still things we can do in our own small ways, and these seemingly small things will impact the globe in a big way.  If each one of us were to carry one small stone, then it will not be an impossible task to build a fort, isn't it?

Like they say, change begins at home, so would be our contribution too as individuals and as a family.  Following is a small list of things that we can inculcate into our daily routine.

1.  Switch off fan and lights when not in use.
2.  Running air conditioners at 24 degrees and switching them off when you do not need them.
3.  Usage of paper and cloth bags instead of plastics.
4.  Avoid littering at public places, trains, buses.  People tend to use local trains as dumping grounds to throw away plastics, fruits/vegetable wastes, hair, etc.  It is very sad that they do not realize that it is our own property and cleanliness and hygiene need to be maintained by us.  Look around for dustbins or dispose them off once you reach home.
5.  I do not know what religious sentiments it signifies, but one also needs to stop throwing flowers and wastes in the creek as the trains pass by; many do not even remove the plastic bags the flowers are contained in.
6.  During certain festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, the idols are immersed in the sea, lakes, creek, etc.  Please restrain from disposing them off this way and thus polluting the waters.  Refrain from using plaster of paris idols and switch over to metallic or eco-friendly ones, which can be reused and disposed off in a safe manner.  Small idols can be immersed in your bathroom tub which could be nicely decorated.  For larger idols there are many artificial ponds built by the municipality for safe disposal.  One really ought to visit such places (where they dump the idols carelessly) after a few days to see the state of the idols, which is really pathetic.
7.  Water is a valuable natural resource and should be used with care.  Many societies that provide 24-hour water supply should do so with a gentle reminder.  People often misuse this facility.  It is advisable to have fixed water timings to avoid misuse/overuse.  Taps should be checked and closed before leaving the house.  Leaking taps should be fixed promptly.

This is just a small compilation and I would encourage my readers to add to this and thus help spreading awareness in our society.

This Earth is not just a planet, but she is our Mother, and we need to respect, love, and take care of her.

Go Clean
Go Green

A Ganesh idol in the filth

Does your God deserve this?

If they are holy, they should be treated as holy.

A Trek to Lohagad

Trekking is a hobby that I recently started enjoying and exploring.  I was blessed to be introduced to a few friends who were regular trekkers and after watching their pictures, I was unknowingly getting pulled into this sport, so strong was the attraction and craving.

After Naneghat and Koraigad, I forcefully had to stop in order to enjoy one of the joys of womanhood of being a mother.  So after almost three years and much persuasion, my friends planned a trek to Lohagad.  As usual, there were lots of "Ï am coming, I am not coming" issues, but we were able to plan this event with nine of us.  Two of our friends had their own cars and they volunteered to be our drivers too.  So, our mode of transport was not an issue.

After a sleepless, excitement-filled night, we all left our homes by 5 am approximately, some earlier and some later, and reached Bhandup station by 6 a.m.  We were five boys and four girls in two cars and off we went to Lohagad.  The travel was so picturesque, it was raining now and then, waterfalls greeting us all the way.  The constant chatting of friends was adding to the excitement of the day.   Once we reached village Lohagad, we stopped at a small tapri to have chai.  It is such a refreshing experience to have piping hot tea with friends amidst such greenery, fog, and rain.  If anyone had any remnants of sleep or tiredness from the hour-long journey, the tea did its job to freshen us up.

Once we reached Lohagad, we stopped for a few clicks and had our breakfast of kande pohe, garam garam kandyachi bhajji, and tea again.  We dropped our bags in the car and armoured us with our windcheaters.  Those who were brave enough carried cameras too.

Lohagad is said to be an easy trek.  We reached the fort in less than half an hour.  Visibility was so low that we could not see few feet ahead of us.  There was a big pond of water and some enthusiastic crowd was having a good time diving and swimming in it, but the cold water prevented us from taking the plunge, and I had not taken a change of clothes, which was my foolishness.  After the preliminary inspection of the fort was over, some of us wanted to explore the entire fort.  I'd like to mention that till the fort, it is okay for people of all ages to visit, but the exploration of the scorpion tail and the rest of the fort needs some strength and courage.  Some of us did not have the courage to looking at the steep descent, but our brave friends encouraged us to shed our inhibitions and take the plunge.  They were telling "Darr ke aage jeet hai" every so often, so with lots of aahs, oohs, and screams we made our way to the ends of the fort. There was lot of cloud and we could barely see ahead.  It is a steep valley down and the wind was strong, but we were enthusiastic and determined.  There were lot of waterfalls and amazing was the sight to see inverted waterfalls.  Sorry, this term is derived by me, so I need to give its explanation too.  As I said there were lot of waterfalls, but the wind was so strong blowing from below that it was making the water to flow like an upward fountain.  Words are not doing justice to express that beautiful and amazing sight.

The ascent back to the fort was a bit easier than the descent.  Comparatively fewer people would make the choice of exploring the fort due to the clouds and the steep valley down.  The winds were strong enough to push us back, but we were lucky we chose to go on in spite of the obstacles.  I learned many valuable lessons there.  I was blessed to have friends who did not think twice before lending their hands to support us, especially me when I was too scared to put my next foot.

There were lot of monkeys and it was pleasing to watch the families of monkeys.  One was sweetly eating away the grass, another munching on some chips it had managed to snatch from a girl, and rest swinging from one tree to another.

We saw many strewn drinking bottles and chips packets and I want to request people to not do it.  These forts are of historical significance and an asset to our country.  Please take care of them and do your part to maintain its cleanliness.  It is our duty to protect our heritage.

There was one humble chaiwala serving hot tea to beat the cold rains, chilly winds, and exhaustion.  Since we had already had two teas before the trek and our spirits were keeping us warm, we deferred the tea, but blessed the tea vendor in our hearts and started to climb down the fort.  So after 3 hours, we were back to where we had started at the base of the fort.

We had a lunch of rice bhakari, aagri chicken, rice, lime-sprinkled kanda (onions), and zunka.  Then we made plans to visit the nearby Pawana Lake, another must see place and good for boating.  We wanted to return to Mumbai before sunset to avoid traffic, hence we did not wait long.  Another round of chatting and singing and after 2 hours were back in Mumbai.  After having our evening tea, we all said bye to each other and returned to our homes, with lot of joy in hearts.

One valuable lesson I learnt is:  Life is like a trek - scary, fun, enthusiastic, and full of obstacles - but when you are determined and go step by step, victory meets you at the end." 

I thank my friends for lending me those helping hands when I felt I could not go further than this.

A day amidst the constant rain, tricky descents and ascents, and playing with the winds and clouds.. wow..

Kashid Beach

Long time ago, one of my close friend had visited this place for a marriage and said it was a very quiet and beautiful beach.  Her description was so vivid that I had an immediate longing to visit this beach.  But it took almost 5 years for me to actually visit Kashid.  Since I was a novice internet user, I was not well-versed with Google.  But my dream turned to reality, and we finally managed a two-day family outing at Kashid Beach.

Kashid is a beach spot, half an hour from Alibaug, about three-and-a-half hours from Mumbai. It is one of the white sand beaches of Maharashtra.  Unlike Alibaug, it's not much crowded and is also comparatively clean.

You have wonderful home-stays near the beach.  Resorts can be a bit crowded and expensive.  But we were lucky to stay at this wonderful home-stay called Kripa Sindhu and the owner's name is Mr. Pappu.  It was right next to the bus stop.  Wow, what a lovely place they have maintained!  They have both AC and non-AC rooms with TV, a neat and clean bathroom, well-equipped you could say.  They have a small garden for outdoor play too.

We spent two days at Kashid and had our own vehicle.  You can reach there by bus too.  There are frequent buses to Murud from various parts of the state.  You also have a ferry service from CST, Mumbai, to Alibaug and later other forms of transport.

It is an awesome beach, clean, serene, and very appealing.  You have water sports too at the main beach.  There was a beaten up mud path  a little ahead of the main road near to Sarve Huts that led to a secluded part of the beach that was sparsely crowded.  The view was breathtaking here.

You have hotels and shacks right at the beach apart from other refreshments.  Many people had brought in their own equipment for cooking.  There was a large area of land covered by trees at the other side of the road, opposite to the beach, where people were cooking and having fun.

A Lovely Sunset

It has been more than a year that I went, so the description could be a bit vague, but we plan to revisit some time later this year, so I should come up with more specific details.  Do not let anything prevent you from visiting this awesome, awesome beach.  It is too lovely to miss out.

The main beach with shacks

Kids enjoying the waves

The serene beach with white sand

Bhivpuri Waterfalls

Instead of spending another Sunday sulking at home, we thought of going for an outing.  After much speculation, we decided on going to Bhivpuri Waterfalls situated in Karjat, Maharashtra.

It is an apt place for a one-day picnic.  We went there for the first time and were swept off our feet by its beauty.

Its main attraction are the waterfall and mountain range that's well-suited for trekking.

How to Reach:
One can take a Karjat-bound train from any of the central railway stations and either you get off at Bhivpuri Road station, like we did, or you can get off at Karjat too and take an autorickshaw.  Most people prefer to get off at Bhivpuri Road and go walking to the waterfalls, which is about an hour's walk from the station.  You have autos from Bhivpuri Station too, and they were charging Rs. 50 per auto.

The auto would leave you halfway to the falls, and you have to walk the rest of the way.  If you have your own vehicle, you can save another 15 mins of walk.  We were under the impression that perhaps it's nearby, looking at the number of people who were walking ahead of us, and hence chose to walk too.  But, we never regretted our decision as we got to sink in the awesome sceneries and couldn't stop from clicking photos.  Halfway into the walk, you are surrounded by lush greenery, little streams, and rocks, which makes it fun and enjoyable.

Food:
There are hotels serving you local food of vada pav, bhaji, kombadi vade, rice plate, chinese, etc. but these are not very close to falls.  You have stalls near the falls, and you can place order with them for home-made food. Alternately, you can carry your own food, like we did, if you are scared of eating outside food.  There are tea vendors who do their rounds with freshly brewed masala chai.

One major drawback is that you find people drinking and lying around in waters, but you need not be scared as the locals are ready to ward off any miscreants with their sticks.


If you have less money and less time, this again is a suitable place for we had a beautiful day at less than Rs. 100 per person.

Do enjoy a monsoon day at Bhivpuri Falls and rejuvenate your spirits.

En route to Falls

The crowd n tea shop

An awesome terrain for photography

The path to waterfalls can be traced by people walking
This view is on the way back from the falls.

Bhivpuri Waterfalls

Nature's Beauty

Beetroot Rice

I don't intend to start a cooking blog, but once in a while, I might post few recipes that are close to my heart, and today, I would like to share one such recipe, which is Beetroot Rice.

Beetroot is a vegetable that not many like, especially North Indians, who don't even buy it.  Beetroot has lot of health benefits including increasing your hemoglobin, reducing blood pressure, improving neurological function (brain power), lowers cholesterol, rich anti-oxidant, helps hemorrhoids, etc., etc.  It can be consumed raw as a salad or juice or cooked in various dishes.

This is an excellent meal for fussy kids, ideal for lunch box too.  Due to it's brilliant colour, kids are sure to love it.  I am an experimental cook and love to experiment all the time.  The recipe and ingredients are to my liking and can be altered the way you wish.  This has been a hit among my friends and family.

Things you will need:
2 cups cooked rice (you can use leftover rice too)
1 medium beetroot, peeled and grated
4-5 cloves of garlic crushed or minced (optional, I am a garlic lover; you can increase, decrease, or omit it according to your preference)
2-3 shallots sliced or 1 small onion sliced or finely chopped
1-2 green chilies
1 sprig curry leaves
1 teaspoon urad dal or black gram
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds or rai
1/2 teaspoon jeera/cumin seeds
1/8th teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi
2 tbsp grated coconut for garnishing (optional)
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method:
1.  Heat a kadai or pan and add oil.
2.  When oil is hot, add rai and let it splutter.
3.  Add urad dal and stir till it turns golden.
4.  Add jeera and when it splutters, add garlic.
5.  When garlic starts to change color, add curry leaves and green chillies and give a quick stir.
6.  Add onions and let it turn slightly pink.  You can add little salt at this moment to fasten the process. Add a pinch of haldi or turmeric powder.
7.  Add grated beetroot and mix well.
8.  When beetroot is 3/4th done, adjust salt to taste.
9.  Mix the rice and simmer it for 5 mins to let it absorb all the flavour and colour.
10.  Garnish with grated coconut and switch off the flame.

Delicious beetroot is ready to tantalize your taste buds.

It is a complete meal by itself, but you can serve it with raita, papad, and achar/pickle.

Notes:
1.  Beetroot can be cooked to individual preference.  It can be half cooked, three-fourth cooked, or fully cooked before you add rice.  There would be slight alteration in taste and crunchiness.
2.  If you are having it immediately, you can dribble a spoonful of ghee (clarified butter) or can replace the oil with ghee.
3.  You can replace beetroot with carrot or finely chopped spinach or spring onions too.  The colours are bound to attract kids.  If using spinach, use 4-5 leaves.  Use 2-3 spring onions.  Do not forget the garlic because it adds a wonderful flavour.

I do not have a picture right now, but would soon update as soon as I manage to click one.

My First Blog

Yay!  This is my first post and my mind is racing so much that I can't think of what to blog.  I am new to blogging and frankly do not have much knowledge about it.  Yet, I wanted to experience it.  The thought entices me as to how wonderful it would be to put your thoughts in writing and you can visit it again and again as and when you wish to.

I am a very talkative person and often find myself with no ears to hear, and what do I do at such times; well, I talk to myself and get myself heard by me.  It has it's own advantage.  What, you may ask.  There is no one to criticize me.  I am my own judge.  I can be happy for me, I can encourage me, I can criticize me too and, boy, I often find myself reprimanding myself.  But most of all, it gives me the satisfaction that I have been heard by.  It gives me a relief from all the turmoil you face.  Imagine, you have an argument with your spouse or a loved one.  Sometimes you want to tell them lot of things which could be inappropriate and can affect your relationship negatively.  Another instance could be when your boss scolds you for something and you feel it was not fair on his/her part, and I cannot even argue with him/her.  At such times, talking to myself helps me a lot, to get away from the stress, to find calmness, and at many times, it has given rise to new ideas and solutions to my problems.

I know I am rambling about things and being vague, but all this is just to get myself started.  Maybe just shaking off my nerves and finding the right path.  I am happy that I at least started and took my first step, because all I have been doing last three days is thinking, thinking, and more thinking.

All the best to me, and I hope I can write something substantial that is worth reading, spreads at least some  awareness and smiles, and above all, makes this place that we call our world a better place in any small way I can.