The Calm Buddha

“Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are, it solely relies on what you THINK” – Gauthama Buddha

“Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are,it solely relies on what you THINK” –  Gauthama Buddha

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We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun!

College years are the best part of a person’s life. With the aim of making our final semester the best-est of all , we decided to go for a four day tour. Discussions and plannings had been going on from the beginning of the semester.Finally we chose the spots to visit and booked the bus. Everyone excitedly waited for the day to arrive and it came…

Unaware that the best moments of our college life would be made, we got into the bus.The journey started off with howls and cheers.Thanks to the music maniacs who played shake and move music, we all danced like never before. There was maximum joy in the air.As midnight arrived, we cut a big cake and celebrated the bus birthday party of three of our friends.

By morning we reached Pondicherry, known for its French heritage, great food and fine wine. I loved strolling through the peaceful French colony. The homes and their wooden windows with blooms hanging were so lovely. The Paradise beach was packed with foreigners. That land had a totally different vibe.

Later we started off to Mahabalipuram , the land of cave temples , situated in the Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu. The beautiful carvings all around the caves were stupendous. History was not much of an interest to any of us but clicking umpteen number of photos were.

As we were busy posing in front of the caves, a monkey snatched away my friend’s drink.

Cave sculptures at Mahabalipuram

The next morning we went to see the hill stations of Yercaud in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu. The hill stations were obviously very cool and refreshing. With lots of vendors selling food , we got to eat grilled corn and a variety of pickles.We additionally visited the Sri Chakra Maha Meru Devi temple. Visiting the temple was a treat to the mind as well as the eye.The place was so calm with beautiful gardens around.

The third day was to explore the northern part of God’s own country. The Wayanad district known as the “Green paradise” of Kerala welcomed us with cool air.The mountains were wrapped in fog. We climbed a steep mountain to reach the Edakkal caves. The scribblings and rock art by ancient men took me back in centuries when man use to live close with nature.

Centuries old rock art at Edakkal caves of Wayanad

In the evening we visited the Wayanad wildlife sanctuary. An adorable peackock  greeted us with her magnificent feathers. There were deer herds all around. I pondered whether they would be friends or relatives. An elephant and his girlfriend popped out from some place and disappeared into the woods.

Deer herd at Wayanad Wildlife Sanctury

On the last day we went for trekking the Paithalmala Hills in Kannore district.Singing or I would rather say trying to emulate the traditional tribal calls and songs and clicking photographs we reached the top of the hill. While relishing the pristine beauty of Mother Nature , the clouds drizzled and the cool breeze caressed us.My joy knew no bound then.

A click from Paithalmala hills

None of us had any idea about how the days passed so quickly. The fun we had while on the bus was unforgettable…Dancing , singing, cracking jokes, making fun, clicking endless selfies.

We didn’t know we were making the best of memories… The heaven part of our lives that we would always look back to….

Featured image courtesy : Google

The Treasure Land of Books

A library is altogether a different world. The marvelous world of books and the stories they have got to narrate. When anyone mentions the word ‘library’ my school library comes running into my mind. Back in school days, I used to frequent the library. The sight of neatly stacked books in the book shelves , calling me out to read them, gave me a feeling of euphoria. With a plethora of choices to select from, the library was my favourite place at school. The place was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. It had a big banner saying ‘Keep silence” and beautiful quotes were hung at every nook and corner. Our well-lit library had polished wooden tables. I had a favourite spot on a corner where I use to sit.

From lifestyle magazines to fiction ,spine-chilling mysteries to Vedas, from cutting-edge technology journals to world class literature, the library had an array of books. It beyond any doubt, was the wonderland for any bookworm. The voracious reader in me sometimes wanted to grab and run away with all the books at once. But haplessly , at school, they issued only one book at a time. The sight of brand new books arrived at the bookshelf was literally mouthwatering. I loved to smell the pages of newly arrived magazines and books before I started to read them. I and my friends used to actively engage in discussions post our reading. We even used to secretly nickname some of our class mates after the fictional characters. We could talk about these children under their nose , without they knowing .

As a child, Enid Blyton books were my top favourite. I can still feel the joy I used to get out of perusing the Magic faraway tree. A few books were enthralling to the point that I never took my head out of the book. It was a rare sight to see all the seven Harry Potter books together as they were on the run most of the time.

In this age of chatting and googling where everything is a fingertip away, I wonder how many children would take time out of their lives to explore the treasure house of knowledge and absolute fun called Library…

Image courtesy : Internet