6 different ways to celebrate Kolkata during the festive period

      I reached Kolkata in West Bengal one afternoon to be a part of the vibrant colors and extravaganza of the Durga Puja Festival. This Hindu festival has many mythological stories to relate and is rejoiced for ten days in the Sep-Oct time frame every year. Each day has its own significance and importance. Here are six different ways to witness the fervor and pomp of this festival in the City of joy.

1.       Go pandal hopping -

Pandal is a temporary structure setup to depict a theme, with Goddess Durga being the center of attraction. The theme for every pandal differs and they compete amongst each other on the basis of decoration, creativity and concept. The preparations start couple of months before the onset of the festival. Government organizations, media houses, retail companies pump in the required funds that run to the tune of few millions (INR). The themes are innovative and elaborate; each outdoes the other and is a real visual treat. Some of the cynosures with maximum footfalls are located at College Square, Kumartuli Park, Mohammad Ali Park, Bagbazar, Suruchi Sangha Ekdalia and Deshpriya Park. You could witness the Dhunuchi Naach, a dance ritual conducted by holding earthenware incense burners in each hand. 

The festival is incomplete without playing the Dhak, a traditional drum like musical instrument. The gusto of the festival is felt by every woman whilst celebrating Sindhoor Khela. Women smear vermillion on each other’s cheeks and forehead as the Goddess leaves her parents’ home for her in laws place on the tenth day.

Dhak

2.       Visit the potter’s locality

Yes the same who handcraft Goddess Durga’s sculpture for this occasion. The potters prepare it with clay at a settlement called Kumartuli that is more than 300 years old. The beauty of the idol lies in the hands of the artist goes a common saying. In case of Goddess Durga it is told the beauty lies in her eyes which can either make or break its magnificence and splendor. The eyes are drawn by experienced craftsmen who know the tricks of the trade.

3.       Savor the local cuisine

It is told Bengalis have a sweet tooth. They have an elaborate range of delicacies in the dessert section which is had after every meal. These sweets are mostly milk based like the famous Rasagullas, Cham Cham, Mishti Doi and Sandesh. There are many sweet shops across Kolkata, few of which are more than a century old like Girish Dey & Nakur Nandy’s at Ramdullal Sarkar Street and Chitranjan’s at Shyambazar Street.  Visit Flurys, the tearoom on Park Street since the British era and is famed for its confectionary products. Kolkata is a food paradise for the sea food aficionados. The Hilsa fish is found in abundance in the Ganges River and is a popular delicacy in Bengal. Bengal is also famous for the Bengali paan (betel leaf) which is generally consumed after meals with betel nut. Kolkata is also known for its street food. Devour the tangy Puchka, a deep fried Indian bread accompanied with tamarind pulp and spices that would tickle the taste buds as it explodes in your mouth.

4.       Experience the old world charm

Kolkata’s tramways belong to the British age and are the face of the city. These electrically driven carriages reveal the heritage of Kolkata as they ramble down the roads. The ubiquitous hand pulled rickshaws could still be found across the streets of this city.

5.       Cruise the Hooghly river

Check out the Kolkata skyline framed by the Howrah Bridge and the Vidyasagar Sethu as you cruise the Hooghly River, a tributary of River Ganges. Enjoy the panoramic sunset or better take a ride down the river as the boatman rows and takes you to a world of tranquility by his rustic song.

6.       Shop till you drop

This city is well known for its stiff cotton saris and dress material. Do not forget to carry few vibrant prints in your bag when you return. Book worms could find loads of books at College Street. This is the place where one could buy rare books at throwaway prizes in the numerous book shops lining the street.  Junk and Silver jewelry, handicraft items, souvenirs, trinkets and terracotta items are predominantly found at New Market. They are great give away for friends and family back home.

I am sure there are lots more to experience in this City of Joy. Do you have some more ideas to explore Kolkata in the festive season?

Blueprint for India Shining

CORRUPTION - 

Just as it is impossible not to taste the honey or poison that one may find at the tip 
of one's tongue, so it is impossible for one dealing with government funds not to 
taste, at least a little bit, of the king's wealth

This is a famous statement from the Arthashastra penned down by Kautilya, a minister in Chandragupta Maurya's kingdom circa 4th century B.C. This is applicable in today's life as well when we see corruption, bribery practiced in every day of our life. We step out of our home, the traffic police holds you for an expired PUC you hand over few notes and whizz away. You need a caste certificate or a birth certificate with tampered details you pass on few bundles below the table and the job is done. Your ward needs to be admitted to a prestigious school pass on few bundles and the next moment you chest widens with pride that he has gained access to a renowned alma mater. The reason for such known and prevalent issues is diverse -

• Dearth of products/ services
• Non-existent or loose laws in place which encourages red tape and bureaucracy
• Opaque systems in place with less visibility
• Loop holes in the judicial system

These need to be fixed to discourage corruption. Technology could play a major role to track down defaulters. Computerized systems need to be in place to reconcile the transactions , validate and back track to closure.Also systems need to be made online so that number of staff members involved is reduced and under the table cases are eradicated. The common man can directly access the systems which would lead to faster transactions. The system needs to be strong enough with no loop holes. Trials in such cases should be fast tracked with stern punishments for the embezzlers. Lok Pal at the Centre and the Lok Ayut at State level need to be implemented. The politicians who are elected to govern our country and set its policies need to be elected based on few pre requisite. They should have completed some minimum level of education with no criminal records. Back ground verification needs to be done by a third party before he or she is considered eligible for contesting in the election. 

CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT -

Today India's CAD is still running low as per the latest stats revealed. The rupee stands volatile and vulnerable. Remits or personal transfers were way low in the last quarter. Gold, crude oil imports are still high. Last year inflation and political pressure had seen reduction in exports like that of the iron and cotton. Also recession in the Europe market had added on to our woes.

The solution to improve on CAD is to encourage export policies and relax FII norms. This would attract investments by international groups and encourage FOREX.  Basic infrastructure needs should be taken care of by the cities so that foreign countries could invest in our country. Export of goods needs to be given focus and encouraged. Export of Information Technology services, iron, coal are few of the areas we can do better. Trade policies need to be re looked upon to make them investor friendly.

CONFLICTS -

The Britishers couldn't resolve the issue and with the Divide and Rule Policy was born India and Pakistan. Till date the relations between the two countries continue to be strained. Our soldiers sent back home beheaded, sets wrong trends. Crores are being spent on the security front with our soldiers dispatched at the unfriendly terrains of Siachen Glacier. Bangladesh refraining cargo and vessels entry at Ashugang due to the pending sign off of Teesta River Treaty is another case of severed ties. This is adding on to expenses due to high road transportation cost. 

Handshake between countries need to be improved.Trade relations should be further boosted to improve bilateral relation. This would bring in people to people contact that would boost diplomacy. Now that Trinamool Congress is not part of UPA Government the Teesta River Treaty which is currently in the back burner could be inked. India could tie up with neighboring countries like Nepal on hydroelectric projects for its development. Campaigns like Aman ki Aasha carried out with prudence and fore foresightedness can strike the right balance to foster peace efforts. LOVE THY NEIGHBOR as resolution of conflicts would boost economy!

UNEMPLOYMENT -

Today we find unemployed citizens of India resorting to unwarranted acts. Thousands of people every year travel to the metropolitan cities for want of job and money. They need to sustain themselves and their family back home. Frustration, drug addiction, robbery, suicides are some of the results of this vice. Population, illiteracy are some of the reasons for unemployment  In India we find cheap labor its just that avenues need to be set up to harness it. 

Family Planning needs to be in place to tackle the issue in hand. Population should be brought under control to lay out a framework that could be managed and governed effectively. Cottage and small scale industries should get the required boost. Vocational and technical education should be popularized by schemes that are pocket friendly. Farmers should be given the required help by the state governments for a better yield. Reforms in the labor industry and policies framed to meet India's future citizens would curb unemployment.

ILLITERACY -

Illiteracy has been the reason for unemployment, Population explosion and the slow socio- economic growth. Gender disparity and social stratification are some of the causes of the inability. Child Labor is found in rampant in many cities.

Government would have to encourage free education for children and develop self sustaining education units.   Education should be coined as the Right to Live. Night schools and vocational education hubs need to to set up and promoted. Every citizen needs to be made to understand the importance of education. Through media government could reach to the remotest corner of the country. Schemes that are friendly on the cost perspective should be laid and tackled aggressively. Gender Bias could also be curbed though this initiative. Women Literacy campaigns should be set up as a women educated is equivalent to a family being educated. Every panchayat and municipal corporation should be given target to get the people under their area literate. The panchayats and corporation should be rewarded for high numbers. This would boost their performance and encourage them to take it in the right stride.

All the above listed issues are interrelated and have a cascading effect on each other. Nested problems -The resolution of one problem in turn leads to the resolution of the others. E.g. Literacy would kill Female Infanticide, unemployment, population explosion, child labor and so forth. This in turn would curb CAD and promote economy, infrastructure development and employment. Its a closed loop with multiple benefits.

The social and economic structure of India Shinning would be reformed and brought to the next level. Problems need to be attacked at grass root level. Its just that the right thinking at the right time by like minded people is what is required. 

It starts from our home, doesn't it?

FIVE POINT STAR

This post is a part of Weekend contest at BlogAdda.com in association with Chanakya's New Manifesto

Life as smooth as Satin

       I had traveled down South to meet my grandmother during my college holidays. I was seated on the sofa next to her ailing self. Her movements were restricted due to rheumatism and she required support. As we sat catching up on the happenings in each other’s lives we heard someone at the door. My mother's distant cousin had dropped by.

      She looked quite pale and weak. Her shoulders were drooping and her hair was disheveled. After the initial greeting the cat was out of the bag. Her husband had suffered heavy losses in business and they were in a hand to mouth situation. My grandmother heard her gravely. At last she spoke out, “Veena have I taught you this all throughout my life, to wallow in self-pity and low self-esteem? “ I was surprised by Grandma's sudden outburst. She had always been the magic magpie with a word of advice for the needy, but then I couldn't decipher Grandma's displeasure.

      Veena Aunty sat in silence. She dare not back answer Grandma out of fear and respect. Grandma looked at her and said sternly, "Get out of these insecurities which have no value. Support your husband when he needs you the most. Stand by his side. This is a passing phase and isn't constant. You need to be strong and remove the cobwebs of negativity that you have spun around yourself." That day Veena Aunty left with a ray of hope after having a steaming cup of coffee prepared by me. 

Courtesy Jandofabrics.com

       But I couldn't get to the core of Grandma's message. This incident left me thinking. After our dinner I sat next to her as she lay on the bed. Whenever we would visit her, she would talk till the wee hours.  I ruminated on the day's happenings. She saw my look of perplexity and retorted, “Are you thinking about Veena?" I nodded. She kept mum for some time, then spoke, “Do you know the pumice stone? It was used in the olden days by ladies to remove unwanted hair from the body. Today you have razors that glide on the skin and do stuff in a jiffy. We weren't that lucky though. We would scrub this stone for a while to exfoliate the skin and remove the hair. The result, glowing skin with dead cells and hair removed. In real life too you need to remove the unwanted debris (read thoughts) and go for the best in store for you. Only when dirt, dust and overburden is removed do we find diamonds in the deepest pockets of earth and mind. You need to shave the undesired to scale new heights."

       That night I lay on bed thinking of the day's happenings. What Grandma spoke made sense to me. It was years of experience and wisdom that had spilled out. I thought what would happen of Veena Aunty. 

I wish she had opted for her hair removal. But then it is never too late ....isn't it?

After all it is rightly told …. Better late than never!

This post is a part of the Gillette Satin Care contest in association with BlogAdda.com

Kalpavruksha

My post for the Goodness of Coconut Blog contest in association with Women's Web and Parachute

        My association with Malayalis started as soon as I was married to one. Like every girl is introduced to the values followed at her in laws place I too was cognizant to loads, be it their culture or food habits. I soon noticed that coconut was one of the important ingredients in their culinary trail. I couldn't fathom the fascination towards this nut as it was found in everything be it desserts, stir fry or gravies. 

            

        One day my husband’s paternal grandmother briefed me the family’s lineage. I got to know that she had given birth to ten kids. After the tenth delivery she went into a critical stage that was near paralysis. As she fought the handicapped situation a woman trained in Ayurveda was brought home. This lady stayed for three months and would give her a massage with a concoction of oils. The base ingredient of this mixture was coconut oil and over the period Grandma was able to walk by herself. 

            That wasn't the end of my acquaintance with the coconut. After my son’s delivery my mother in law got busy preparing oil from coconut milk. She boiled it, once cooled sieved it and added spices like pepper, cumin and cloves. It was later stored in a glass container and a tablespoon would be given to my son on a daily basis. I was told this would clear and heal the digestive tract of the babies.

             

             It still amuses me when I get to know many interesting facts and uses of this amazing fruit/nut/seed which is called by multiple names Kalpavruksha, The Tree of Life.

Courtesy MI9.com

List of its benefits from health perspective –

Coconut Shell Powder –

·         Exfoliate to clear of the dead cells on your feet, hands, legs and arms when added with sugar and coconut oil

Tender Coconut Fiber Husk –

·         Used to scrub the body

Coconut Water –

·         When applied on the skin acts as a great astringent and  toner

·         Drinking it reduces pitta and vat. Flushes the toxins and maintains the metabolism of the body

·         Cooling effect, clears stomach disorders and aids digestion

·         Cleanses the urinary bladder

·         Reduces hot flashes during menopause

·         A natural stress buster

Coconut Milk –

·         A great moisturizer that clears the skin and brings in an even tone
·         Clears blemishes and scars
·         Babies and adults can be massaged with this natural beauty product
·         Delays aging
·         Boiled to prepare oil and taken orally to heal the digestive system

Coconut Oil –

·         Has natural healing property could be applied for mouth ulcers
·         Cracked nipples heal quickly
·         Is applied on the anus of children to treat constipation
·         Most skin applicants in Ayurveda include it as one of the major ingredients as in  Dinesavalyadi Keram
·         Anti-bacterial properties

         It has multiple benefits when consumed orally or used externally. If the body is healthy the skin glows. In today’s burgeoning life if you do not have time to prepare coconut milk or a scrub, check the readily available products. 

One such stuff is Parachute Body Lotion with the richness of Coconut Milk. Go for it and feel the softness of your skin as it looks radiant. Let it be a part of your daily skincare ritual!

Reflection

       Few days back I received a mail from +Random House India courtesy Rukun .

      The Jaipur Literary Fest this year would take place between 24th to 28th Jan'13. Writers from the Asia Pacific region would grace the occasion and you too could be a part of it.

          Recently {LBBD}, Random House India, and Rare Destinations & Experiences have come together to grant 
one lucky reader insane Jaipur Literature Festival 2013 privileges!

All you have to do is send us a picture from your travels and tell us which book it reminds you of and why, in less than 200 words, and you can win:

• A 3 NIGHT 4 DAY stay for you at Castle Kanota, Jaipur, courtesy RARE Destinations and Experiences, and
• A chance to interview a Random House India author for {LBBD}, AND attend a Random House India JLF 2013 party with all the literati! 

             I contemplated on the idea, dug into my albums and thought over the books that I have read through till date. Finally I zeroed on the below entry after checking with Rukun if regional language books too could be considered.

I sat by the sea shore watching the sun set at one of the quaint hamlets in Konkan (coastal Maharashtra). 

My daughter pranced around in the water like a free bird. She was all by herself, unknown and unseen, untouched by the rigors of life. She had no qualms of the fact that she was being watched. Ignorant to the happenings around her she danced and frolicked in the sea as if she was liberated. She was smitten by the sound of the sea and her heart.

As I watched her antics I was reminded of Sane Guruji’s childhood memoirs in Konkan that he has penned in Marathi under the title Shyamchi Aai. How true and simple is the message of the book?  Children are like a clean slate, waiting to absorb whatever they see and hear around them. It’s the mother who imbibes values, righteousness into the child. It’s not just life that she gives to the new born but also a mind.  A mind that can be as colorful, beautiful and fragrant as a flower which spreads love or a rotten fruit that decays and infuses pessimism.

This humble message has been delivered in the book through anecdotes that any common man can relate to. 

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Have you been able to relate to any book looking at a picture that you clicked ?

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An Aerogramme to your loved one

		Giveaway Time! Write an Aerogramme to your loved one under 400 words and stand a chance to win Tania James’ Aerogrammes. Send your entries to rukunk@randomhouse.co.in
	Visit randomhouseindia.wordpress.com Last September Random House India had launched this contest of writing an Aerogramme to your Loved One .  I sent my entry to Rukun and she in return sent me a copy of Tania James Aerogrammes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Karthik, Hope you are doing well. I haven’t heard from you since sometime, probably some delay in the postal system. I do check with Raghu Kaka every day if he has any letters from you. Its three months now since you went on the warfront but it feels like ages. I still haven’t got accustomed to the feeling of not seeing you around. Every knock on the door brings in that hope that it might be you clad in the uniform with that glint in your eyes. But I am sure it wouldn’t be long that the days of war are over and there is peace around.  When the women around the neighborhood talk to me about your whereabouts I swell in pride that my husband is out at the frontier fighting for our country and for the safety of our fellow countrymen. Veer seems to be getting impatient in your absence. He misses the cycle rides and the tussles with you. His boat is left unfinished since the day you left. I asked him to rig it but seem he wants it to be done when you are around. He is doing well in school but it would be better if he works on Maths.  Maths wasn’t my forte either and it was you who had always sat with him to get his sums done.  Couple of days back I met his teacher she did seem to be happy with his progress. He keeps asking me when you would be back and I assure him it would be soon. It is festive time now and Ganesh Chaturthi is being celebrated with pomp and show all around the town. Just yesterday Lord Ganesha was welcomed into our neighborhood and set up in a beautifully decorated gazebo. Veer loves to spend time in the pandaal with his friends. He has been participating in all the activities planned during the ten day period. He is always in the forefront for every aarti and very enthusiastic about the festive spirit. I am happy that it keeps him engaged. The flower beds in the backyard have started to bud. The Pentas, Roses, Lilies and the Gladioli are soon to flower. It’s the beginning of a new era a new season. We will bask in the beauty of the blooms together. Eagerly waiting for you, come Home soon. With Love, Gayatri  -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Have you written an aerogramme to your loved ones? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Devbagh Fishermen

This is my second post on Devbagh. For the first post visit - Devbagh

      As I walked around the sleepy village (sleepy because it isn't frantic like Mumbai or for that matter not even close to the subdued Pune) of Devbagh I found myself passing by the fishermen folk. They were either busy mending their fishing nets or preparing for the next catch. Their attire seemed different in comparison to the Harnai fishermen who were more traditional in their Koli attire. 

             Every house has a well with a pulley to draw water. It reminded me of Shyamche Pohne an episode from the famous book Shyamche Aai by Sane Guruji. A literary tribute to a mother's love for her child and the values to be inculcated into a child wonderfully depicted. A must read for every parent. I also noticed that the houses had a Tulsi (Basil) plant in the courtyard or at the entrance accompanied by a staff of sugarcane. This it is told is the practice followed for Tulsi Vivah. (Tulsi Marriage)

      I couldn’t find vegetables in the shops of the village. Fish seemed to be sold as vegetables back home. Fish is their staple diet and is consumed from Wednesday to Sunday. Monday and Tuesday are the vegetarian days when meat isn't consumed. Vegetables are purchased from the Malvan market every Monday.  The sea food offers a wide variety that is mostly cooked with kokum and coconut. The sea is worshipped as a goddess and festivals are celebrated to offer their prayers to the sea.

           I woke up early on a clear morning to watch the sunrise at Karli River. As I waited at the jetty, I found the fishermen had long been at work. They had left at dawn in a small boat with an oar for each. I must say they were swift and agile, by the time I could change the settings in my camera and shoot them they had long turned around the creek. During the monsoon they refrain from entering the sea. Those days they go fishing to the Karli River.

         The ones with small fishing boats venture into the sea in pairs and come home with their catch. I could see the disappointment in the faces of one such pair that had left early one morning. The catch wasn't great and was just enough to last two meals for their families. 

          Others with larger fishing boats initially do a recce in a small boat few kilometres into the sea to check if enough fishes are available. In case its good news they venture into the sea for the big catch on a bigger boat. Before doing that they mend their nets and boat. The fishing net in such cases is long enough to run across few kilometers. The net is laid down on the sea shore and then the men squat over it to clean and mend it. They then bundle it over the oars and carry it onto the boat. This whole activity requires lots of co-ordination considering the length of the net. 

           Here you could see a video of the boat being towed on to the shore. I was reminded of the jargon team work looking at them move in perfect synchronization.

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Have you ever been witness to one such out of the box team activitiy?

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Pooja's Dilemma

This post is a part of the 'Shave or Crave' movement in association with BlogAdda.com

      It was the first day of the New Year and I was busy preparing the breakfast when the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find someone standing tall with cheeks that looked like a honey comb. On closer inspection I recognized him to be our neighbor Amol who had managed to grow a moss of hair that was beyond the stubble stage. 

      On further inquiry I got to know he was trying out a new look but the growth wasn't good so was planning to shave it off. Immediately my dear husband said you need to trim the beard that is when it will grow evenly else there wouldn't be proper growth and it would lead to dead hair. Oops, here was someone who was actually planning to go the clean shave way when he is being given free advice to get into the ancient primal age. I asked him is Kavitha fine with the new look, he replied you will have to check with her. I am sure she wouldn't be rather who would be from the fairer sex?

       During the aboriginal days when men didn't know the art of shaving facial hair it was found in abundance in adult males. In modern times other then religious beliefs it doesn't go well with the metro sexual look. Today men are found to be waxing their legs and chest so the very obvious facial hair should be given the utmost priority. Women wouldn't want to be rubbing their cheeks and lips against sand paper. Social kissing disclaims the bristles look.

       Just few days back I ran into my friend Pooja in a shopping mall. She wasn't her vibrant self though she did try to be. I was done with my shopping and was craving for a cuppa so offered her one. She readily accepted and there we were perched on a sette with the aroma of roasted beans when she opened up. Well cupid had stuck her and she had fallen for this guy in her office. He belonged to a respectable family and they seemed to like her too.

I: So what is the problem, why don't you go ahead with this relation? Are your parents against it?

Pooja : No they have always respected my decision so they wouldn't oppose this relation

I: Then what is stopping you?

Pooja: He comes back as a guy with a laid back attitude. You know how I have been throughout my life always taken my work, education, relations with utmost importance

I: Why do you think he doesn't seem to take life seriously? Has some event in the past prejudiced your belief?

Pooja: Nothing has happened; just that he has got this unkempt look which is emphasized by his 5 o' clock shadow (read evening stubble). 

I mulled over the discussion, I had always remembered Pooja as being a strong level headed individual who was always clear of what she wanted from her life. Today she seemed to be in a dilemma for the first time as she didn't find her would be in the same boat she had been till date.

I: Pooja do you love him?

Pooja: Yes I do!

I: Then why don't you go ahead, it’s just that you need to talk to him and reason it out? He needs to shave twice a day and given his appearance a trim and tidy look. You could -

• Yourself give him a nice clean shave an evening before a party
• Appreciate his looks and he would fall for the newly found interest
• A peck on his clean shaved cheeks over a candle light dinner would lighten his spirits and crave for more
• The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Whip out his favorite meal when he is clean shaved for dinner.
• The days he knocks your door with the evening stubble send him to bed empty stomach
• On those bushy days let him take the couch for good, till he aches for your presence beside him
• Talk to him about your love for Salman Khan's neat and immaculate look or the guy next seat in your office. The J factor would work for sure as you would smell something burning.

I saw Pooja off by her car. I hope the New Year ushers the dawn of hope and belief that everything happens for the best. 

The message is clear either Pooja's guy shaves or craves lifelong for her. The choice is his!!

Looks like, the blade has taken an edge in Pooja's life.

This post is a part of the 'Shave or Crave' movement in association with BlogAdda.com

Sunset @ Rock Gardens, Malvan

Sunset at the Rock Gardens, Malvan a small town in Western Maharashtra

For beautiful skywatch stories visit http://skyley.blogspot.in/

Devbagh

        Devbagh is a sleepy town at the farthest end of the Konkan belt in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. It took us a good ten hours drive from Pune via Kolhapur to reach this town which also included breaks in between for lunch and breakfast. As like all villages in Konkan it is abundant in cashew and coconut trees, mangroves and the ubiquitous fish. En route to Devbagh the air was filled with the aroma of the mango blooms that were in abundance. It was the flowering season of the mangoes.
         We opted for a homestay with Omkar Resort a decent place surrounded by coconut trees and hammocks. Over the three days that we stayed in this place we had all varieties of fish fry and curries in Malvani style, sol kadi not to forget the famous Kombadi Vade (country chicken had with a puri like accompaniment). Food was prepared in-house by Ninad's mother the owner of the place.

Omkar Resort

            The next day we started early from the Karli river jetty on a boat powered by a Yamaha engine. I must say dawn and dusk bring out the best panoramic views during the day and for a computer geek like me who is mostly glued to the boring desktops it is mesmerizing.

Sunrise at River Karli

         As we set for an action packed day we first dropped anchor at the Devbagh Sangam the confluence of river Karli and the Arabian Sea. This spot is also the place where dolphins frequent. One needs to be there early in the morning to catch them prancing around as they do not come out when the temperature rises up.

Dolphins 

Next we visited the Nivti Beach via Vengurla. This beach has many rocks and is untouched by the commercial chaos. A small expanse of land with nature's beauty at its best.

Rocks at Nivti Beach

Nivti Beach

We then headed for the Tsunami island as the name suggests this island was formed when tsunami hit the Indian Ocean. This place is a heaven for individuals interested in action packed adventure. There are a plethora of water sports available for those seeking adrenaline pumping activities. Jet ski, Banana ride, Motor Boat, Bouncing Ride etc.

Cricket on Tsunami Island

We treated ourselves here to the delicious Malvan delicacy Ghavan chutney and Ukadeeche Modak.

 All in all a satisfying and an interesting day I would say. We were close to nature and could enjoy its beauty and changing colors far from the burgeoning city life. 

Devbagh doesn't end here there is more to it and you would get to view it through my eyes in the coming posts.