The Dindi Getaway

Its September again and time for annual get-together. This year we have decided to explore the beauty of Konaseema greenery. So, we have picked up the APTDC resorts at Dindi for our stay. APTDC has been a great travel partner for us with a very few occassional hiccups, mostly at the restaurant departments. This particular resort at Dindi was an exception with a very beautiful restaurant and rooms. The resort is located on the banks of river Godavari and is very picturesque. The excellent view of the coconut trees on the other side of the river was a scene to be remembered. The landscape was so dense with the coconut trees, that we wanted to visit the other side. We only came to know later that the resort we are staying at, is in an equally dense landscape. The other side of the valley is always greener."

Dindi is located in the East Godavari district and is 9kms and 16 kms in distance from Razole and Palkollu respectively. Razole is the nearest bus station and Palakollu is the nearest Railway station. The resort caters both the district's locals as an excellent weekend getaway. The swimming pool was decent enough for us to spend a couple of hours a day throughout the vacation and it was very relaxing.

I was the only bachelor in the whole group and all my friends are married and came along with their respective better halves. The very good thing that happened during the trip is that all the ladies gelled up with each other and everyone is comfortable in each other's company. This is very important as we are looking forward for many of such vacations in the future. The group was a mixture of all sorts of talents. The only downside is that two of my pals couldn't make it to this trip due to their work and the absence was felt almost at every moment.We were blessed to have a darshan of Lord Shiva at Draksharamam. The temple is one of the three Jyotirlingas in Andhra Pradesh, due to which the state got its name as Trilingadesha. Also, we had lunch at Subbayya hotel at Kakinada that day. The hospitality of the staff while serving the food is definitely worth a revisit to this eatery. It's a sure shot path to the hospital, with hospitality.

There is a canal that flows across the river Godavari at P.Gannavaram. A bridge was constructed for the vehicles to cross the river and below the vehicle movement zone, there goes a canal along with the bridge. The purpose of this is to make sure that the canal waters are not going into the river and are supplied for irrigation, on both sides of the river. The bridge was designed and constructed by Sir. Arthur Cotton, under the British raj. He is the same person who constructed a dam on the Godavari at Dhavaleswaram, near Rajamundry. No wonder, he is receiving poojas in temples across the Godavari districts for his contribution to irrigation and greenery in the region.

The trip was a great time for us to understand each other better and rejuvenate ourselves for the next one year. Hoping that the missing pals will join next year. Also, prospect of the addition of kids is quite exciting.

Yet another unforgettable week-end!!

Last five days of my life have been a real roller coaster of emotions. I experienced all the basic emotions like Joy, Trust, Fear, Surprise, Sadness, Disgust, Anger and Anticipation through out this period. I met the daughter of my friend who is just 20 days older, a bride, entering her new life, a 90 year old lady who is en-route to a temple, albeit her age and sickness, each one imparting a different kind of respect towards human life.

Man is a social animal and when the fear of society is taken off from that very man, he becomes a mere animal. There remains no difference between the thinking man and thoughtless dog or a pig. An incident that I experienced is so un-humanly that I was left in complete disgust towards the person who committed it. Very unfortunately, this man is a friend of mine with whom, I need to maintain the relationship for life.

On a very different occasion and another friend in the scene, I felt trust in the relationship solidified.

Overall, we are what we think. I know that I need to move forward remembering the incidents that impart positive energy to my thinking process and leave those, which will take me down. Thanks to my friends and well wishers who bestowed me with these emotions which will shape my personality.

Birthday Trip

I am not a spiritual guy by any standards. However, there has to be a force that is governing us. Religion is one name that we give to this unknown force and whenever we need help in matters that are out of our reach, we seek it from the religion.

I wanted this birthday to be extra special and decided to visit Tirupati to get the blessings of Lord Venkatesha. I have booked the accommodation and the Darshan three months in advance and failed to book the travel. So, started to Tirupati by bus. The travel took almost 16 hours and was uneventful.

Traveling alone has its own benefits: getting some quality time to think and evaluate about one's own life is one of them. I got ample time for this. I trekked up the hill on foot and it took 4 hours to reach the top. It was an awesome feeling to be in the temple town of Tirumala after 3 years. The Ramayan that played on the local radio puts anyone's heart at peace. It being the Brahmotsava's, the town is full of pilgrims and very busy.

After checking into the accommodation, that I booked earlier, I went for Darshan and was pleased to see the arrangements made by the Temple authorities for the pilgrims who walked to the abode. They gave me some basic meal to eat in the queue. This hospitality was not expected a couple of years back. I waited for 4 hours in the queue to see the almighty and the Darshan lasted less than 20 seconds. But all the pain was worth it.

After Darshan, I went to dinner and witnessed a strange phenomenon. I saw at least a dozen of newly weds enjoying their dinner. Where on Earth would I get such a glimpse?

The next day, it being my birthday, went to Darshan again and it took only an hour to meet the God.

I had to kill the whole day in Tirupati as my return journey is scheduled in the late evening. Tirupati is a small town. It doesn't have decent movie theaters or better shopping malls. If Lord Venkatesa miraculously vanish some day from his shrine, Tirupati will hold no importance whatsoever.

I managed to reach Kakinada, my home town, by next morning and spent some quality time with my family. Started to Vizag that evening and back to my routine, as usual...

Importance of Smiley in the informal communication.

I was chatting to two of my very close friends today and understood the importance of Smileys in the electronic communication.

There is a research that states 70% of communication in humans is Non-verbal. The facial expressions and body language comprise of this non verbal communication and the words that we speak form the verbal communication.

Some words are very harsh in nature, but sometimes used in teasing, when coupled with smile. But, in case of e-communication, the other party can not see our expressions. Smileys are one great innovation in e-communication.

Currently, I am in so much love with the emoticons. ;)

India, The World Champions

INDIA - A land of great diversity.

But, yesterday evening, the whole nation was united for a single cause. There was only one religion called Cricket and the biggest festival, the 2011 Cricket World Cup final, was in full swing. It was the clash between India's demigods and Sri Lankan lions. The Indians in the country and abroad were glued to the television sets in support to their team. Every Indian wished only one thing, a win in the finals and becoming the world champions. The Indian team reached the finals thrashing titans like Australia and Pakistan on their way.

Indian team was the favorite to lift the cup even before the start of the series. People were anticipating a fairytale end for Sachin Tendulkar, the man with virtually every record under his name, except a World cup victory. At the age of 38, this could be practically Sachin’s last World Cup and he wishes to win this one very badly. The sentiment is so strong that the team said that it will win the cup just for this man.

And as the history unfolded before the millions of spectators, India fought superbly and became the champions. Gambhir displayed the greatest nerve under pressure and Dhoni matched shot to shot with him. The world cup feather was added to Sachin’s cap in style. It was a very emotional moment for whole team.

The whole nation went into a kind of mass hysteria once India won the cup. Every city witnessed its masses on the streets dancing and singing. Every individual had his own way of expressing their happiness. Some danced to a bollywood number while some were emotionally singing the national anthem. The tri-color was everywhere. The traffic jams became a norm and yet the usually restless souls never complained.

The people of India are well known for their impatience and differences. Yet, a sporting event can put all those differences aside. It was a great feeling to see your favorite team winning, but witnessing the greatest party with no limitations whatsoever is a different thing altogether.

This happens only in India…

Destruction of statues on Tank Bund, Hyderabad.

Frankly speaking, there are no words to express my feelings. I don't know how one can think of future without respecting the past. And the irony is, our so called leaders are not even bothering about future of people.

I still remember my first visit to Hyderabad as a tourist when I was in 3rd class and walking down the tank bund and listening to stories of great people from my Mom and Dad.

Tanknund for me and my sister WAS Hyderabad...