A Trip To Heaven!

Its been quite a while since we had been planning a trip together. Whatever the destination ,the fun of being with my besties is what mattered. But when everything came out so well , it became a wonderful one to add to my list of memories.

Idukki, a paradise in God’s own country, blessed with hills, greeneries and streams was waiting to be explored. Our eleven membered group started off in the morning in two cars. On our way while climbing the hill, we had to stop the cars at several points as she kept alluring us.

img_20161011_131042
A view from the hilltop

The stroll through a small forest, so peaceful ,with birds chirping, stream flowing and the cool breeze blowing took my soul to a peaceful home that I always yearn for.

In the evening , we went onto see the waterfalls which resembled streams of milk flowing down the rock.  We clicked photos to our hearts content.

Next one was an adventurous drive to another hill top which nestled an awesome homestay. The lookalike of a traditional Kerala home .Staying here in the chilling climate was the best part of the trip. The hosts were so loving and the food served was delicious.

After dinner, we had a campfire, the one time we all crooned to our heart’s joy.

As the sun came out to greet us, we got  ready for boating , as we moved through the Periyar river, several elephant herds, monkeys  and exotic birds could be spotted on the banks  . We also spend sometime at a  charming resort located amidst the river.

IMG_20161012_073504.jpg
An elephant herd

On the way to our next destination, a beautiful vineyard at Cumbum valley , we  enjoyed watching many farms cultivating flowers,fruits and vegetables . The vines had bunches of grapes hanging from them . The grapes were really tempting  but thanks to the pesticides sprayed all over them, none of us dared to pluck them.

IMG_20161012_134921.jpg
A chrysanthemum cultivation
IMG_20161012_135929.jpg
A cabbage farm
IMG_20161012_144158.jpg
Grapes hanging from lush green vine

Since Idukki  is known for forests and wildlife, we visited a tribal museum which threw light upon mother forest and her children and why their protection is the need of the hour.

Driving our way back through the mountains covered with beautiful tea gardens, we bid bye to Idukki.

Wars will never end until the “My Religion is Better than your Religion” insanity stops.

All religions and beliefs apart, I sometimes wonder…..
Did all the gods in the world together join hands to create this earth and its people?? And did Krishna agree to take care of all Hindus and Jesus agree to take care of all the Christians and Allah agree to take care of all the Muslims? What about the rest of the 4300 religions and their Gods??

At the deepest level of Being , all of us are brothers and sisters because our souls are made up of the same material. We were created by the One. But we worship him in different forms.

“The essence of all religion is one. Only their approaches are different” – Mahatma Gandhi.

Let Peace , Joy , Love and Laughter prevail in all parts of the Earth!

❤ ❤ ❤

Here Begins The Second Childhood…

Awaiting my arrival at her home with an angelic smile ,wrapping me with her hugs, preparing me the tastiest food ever , she is my most approachable pillar of support both emotionally and financially for she is my Graaand- Mom. When our entire family meets up to celebrate any occasion she would be the most happiest person on earth.

For all these years granny was there for all of us. A sudden diagnosis of a rectal carcinoma and surgery that followed, she turned all frail and flimsy. But her lovely daughters,my mom and aunt, were extremely careful about not making her realize what she underwent was a small cancer surgery.This in fact played a great role in her quick recovery.All through these days her children and grandchildren were around her to nurse her.

As I got to be around her, I experienced the joy of having a grown-up baby around me. Every time someone should be beside her pretty much as a babysitter, looking at what she is up to, holding her hand while she walks. We had to dress her up and brush her hair. Much the same as a toddler, the toughest part was talking her into having each meal. I was assigned the duty of making her a variety of juices each day as she happily picked out her fruit of choice. She kept asking the same questions over and over at different times of the day,to which we had to give the same answers. We even put pillows on her side to ensure she won’t tumble from the bed.

Once a school teacher,now she behaves like a playful kid at school. The old baby is in full swing when all of us are around her, especially my one year old niece. Being around my lovely Grandma, for sure I realize that the greatest gift we can give the aged is our Time.

Happiness is….. A Sunday Morning!!

As I woke up from a beautiful dream, I realised it’s a Sunday morning.

I took a gander at my window from bed…

What’s more, the rain was pouring!

The sun was hiding in the clouds though it was his day.

Cool winds made my curtains fly..

Furthermore, reminding me that its a lazy Sunday…

I put on my blanket , cuddled my pillow and went back to my Dreamworld… 🙂

Image courtesy : Google

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.

_DSC0332.NEF

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

DSC04837

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.

DSC05108

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.

DSC05148

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.

DSC05284

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