Secular India

India is the only country I guess where a person from any country..any religion can come down and settle quite comfortably without reservations of having to miss out on celebrating their important days.
Primarily becoz, except for their respective Independence day holidays, all the major religions celebrated around the world are celebrated here too and are given as national holidays.

I believe that is something which is the biggest advantage any foreign national - settled/ posted/ travelling here would have.
Adding a picture which is a personal favorite too, defining the Secular India,  I hope most of us are proud of.

Truly Secular, Truly India.

Happy Independence Day

Some people have a damn problem with everything in India.. yet they claim they love India and the  complaints arise from frustrations and concern for the way the country is going. To all of them, if you are genuinely SO concerned, DO something rather than spitting vent all the time on the issue. This issue, that issue or any other issue making you talk bitter of the country all the time! If you really have the guts, start the change or join the change! Then you will walk your talk and the others will willingly listen.

...Till then and for today atleast, Don't crib! ... Celebrate this day in honour of the thousands of sacrifices by lesser complaining souls who did something about the change they wanted.. even losing their lives while in pursue of it till they finally achieved it. Those go-getters are called freedom fighters.
Unsung, celebrated, revered, however Big or Small; there was none whose sacrifice was less than someone else's. Salute to all the true Heroes.

Happy Independence Day India.

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Pick up lines that may NOT work

Haha! So I had come across this as a foerward in my mail box.. & found it funny enough to save it in my drafts. I wonder why this was in my drafts.. maybe at that time I wanted to add a bit of my own to this.. which obviously today, I don't remember. Thought these were funny enough to publish. BUT these lines will still not work!! :P

• Should I call you in the morning or should I nudge you?


• Honey, I'm new to this town - do u think I could have directions to your house?


• Hi. You'll do.


• I think I could fall madly in bed with you.


• What is your first name? Hmm.., that goes kinda well with my last name.


• Are you going to kiss me or do I have to lie to my diary.


• If I could re-arranged he alphabets, I'd put U & I together.


• So tell me about yourself. Your dreams, your ambitions, your phone number.


• Excuse me, but I think I dropped something! My Jaw!!

Faith - Part II

Faith is something that gets cemented by little little timely grants of miracles.
Once cememted, then even a couple of biggets hurdles don't crash it out.

That Faith is what is needs to be established before building any expectations from anybody-anything.


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Life can Change

Never take life for granted.

Today morning you are alive.. making plans for many tomorrows.

If death comes knocking during this day.. by tomorrow morning, same time, you may be in ashes.

Within 24 hours, Life can change... to a non-expected Death;  Or  to a better lived day.

Choose Wise.


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And I So love travelling..

"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." - St. Augustine.

Being a solo traveller from the past three years, I've gotten to meet some very interesting people on my trips. And while there are many beautiful people I've been fortunate to meet; one stands out very clearly in my mind as the best till date.

May-2011 - Vaishno Devi.

I started my trek at 8:00 in the morning, very sure I would make the climb all the way up the 14 kms; even though I did not have company. Afterall, it was my first visit to the shrine!

It's an upward climb & it can be a good long one if trekking solo.
Nevertheless, I started, hoping to be back down by evening. But not one hour into the trek and I had sprained my ankle!
Thanks to the  couple of medical stores along the way, I brought some painkillers and a pain reliever spray to carry on. But understandably, it was very difficult to walk without me taking long breaks at short distances! :(

People who know about VaishnoDevi know that there are semi-bred horses all along the way ferrying devotees up and down the hill. Disappointed with my state, I decided to take a horse for the shortest distance so I could cover up for some lost time and also give my foot some relief. It happened to be a 1.5 kms. ride ending nearby a checkpoint.

After dismounting the horse and applying a good dose of the pain reliever and a tablet down, I started walking again feeling slightly better but not as fine yet.
As I walked out of the security check I see this dude-guy alongside me who looked at me and rightaway asked, "Weren't you on a horse just now?" Now, its such a stupid feeling to be asked that question from a random stranger! Gives you a feeling of being so unfit... for the need to take a horse, especially if you're someone who prides in trekking the length & breadth of most travel destinations!
 
Nodding in the affirmative, I tried to be polite. When he noticed my careful walk.. rather my slow walk; he asked me if I was OK, so I stated the reason to him. Turned out he was a Doctor!
n turned out he was a solo pilgrim too!!

Maybe because he had an almost patient in his hand, he was kind enough to keep at my pace through out the climb; even after me suggesting him to carry on.
The walk obviously became slightly easier because of the company and also because I was mentally relieved to know I was in the company of a Doctor; incase I needed one. :P

We exchanges interesting anecdotes from each others lives.. and I also learnt a lot about VaishnoDevi, since he had been there quite a few number of times.

We reached VaishnoDevi shrine by noon and were fortunate enough to have superb Darshan pretty soon. Then after a slight meal, we started towards Bhairo Nath, which is a higher trek.. and a tasking one at that!
Again, thanks to the company, I managed to reach the top inspite of all the pain, fatigue and a scare from the ever-present wild monkeys there!!
By evening my sprain was intolerable and that's when he was such a help.. in the form of encouragement he kept giving me to walk down the hill, prodding me all along.

Finally when we did reach down at 8:15 PM,  he gave me a few medications, dropped me at my hotel and got going on his way to Delhi.....

I personally feel he really was a God sent for my trip there. Had I not taken that short ride on the horsey, I would have missed meeting him and immense help he provided. I would never have gotten back down on time too.

It's been 10 months now and not to say, we stay in touch - became good friends. [How cliched! .. but since this is not the movies - it's true! :P]

Sometimes, unexpectedly we bump into people, never knowing they'll become a cherished part of our lives...of our memories.
For these very experiences of life, with life... I So love travelling.

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