हापूस

तुम्हाला आंबा कसा खायला आवडतो?आज ह्या मोसमातला शेवटचा हापूस  आंबा खाताना लोकांना   आंबा  कसा खायला आवडत  असेल  याचा उगाचच  विचार करत होतो।
मला स्वतःला आंब्याची साल काढून संपूर्ण आंबा हातात घेऊन त्याचे मस्त लचके तोडत खायला आवडत .अर्थात ह्यात थोडी भीती असते कि आत कोयीला लागला असेल तर ?अन्यथा ह्यासारखी मजा नाही.सगळा गर खाऊन  झाला कि कोय दातावर घासून  इतकी पंढरी करायची कि लगेच चुलीत टाकली तरी जळेल.
नंतर मग दाताच्या फटींमधून आंब्याचे केस काढत राहायच. हात कितीही धुतले तरी न जाणारा पिवळेपणा किवा नखांच्या बाजूचा पिवळेपणा आपण लुटलेल्या आनंदाची साक्ष देत असतो.लहानपणी तर मे  महिन्याच्या सुट्टीत  दुपारी सगळे खेळायला जमले कि सहजच बोट  बघितली जायची ,कोण आंबे खून आलेत हे पाहण्यासाठी।
बर्याच वेळाने येणारी आंब्याची मस्त ढेकर हाही आंबे खाण्याच्या सगळ्या process चा अविभाज्य घटक आहे   ...खरतर ढेकर म्हटलं कि छान  अस काही मनात येत नाही पण आंब्याची ढेकर पण special असते असा मला वाटतं .
जी लोकं हापूस आंब्याचं milkshake  ,आमरस ,icecream साखर वगैरे घालून  आवडीने खातात त्यांचं मला थोडा आश्चर्य वाटतं .मलाही ह्या गोष्टी आवडत नाहीत असं नाही पण  ती हापूस  बरोबर केलेली तडजोड किवा हापूस चा अपमान वाटतो।
हे झाल हापूस बद्दल, पण जर पाडाचे किवा पायरी आंबे असतील तर ते पिळून, चोखून खाण्यातच खरी मजा.बाकी गेलाबाजार दशहरा , बदामी,लंगडा इत्यादी बद्दल  लिहिण्यासारखं फार नाही।

आता पुढचा मोसम येईपर्यंत फारच आठवण झाली जिभेला  आणि  ह्या राजाचा रस काढून जर फ्रीझर मध्ये ठेवला असेल  तर ताज्या आंब्याची चव आठवून  तडजोड म्हणून आस्वाद घ्या.

Kedarkantha Trek 24th December till 27th December 2011

The Background
When Chaitanya(my trek friend from Sahyadri's)posted a link on FB about Kedarkantha trek,seeking friends to join him,little did I know that I will not only join the trek but complete the summit climb of 12500 feet( not a great achievement by Himaliyan Standards but important for me nonetheless.).All things fell in place nicely,It was a short n easy trek,the air n rail bookings were available and most importantly,I got the the leave sanctioned from Office for the duration required.

New Delhi-Dehradun-Sankri-Dehradun-New Delhi---- check photos here-Kedarkantha Trek- Dehradun Sankri Dehradun

So here I was at New Delhi Railway station(our unofficial meeting point) waiting with Chaitanya for the night train to Dehradun .For me it was like I was in a deep freezer,what with sudden drop of almost 28deg.C from 33deg in Mumbai few hours ago to 5deg. in Delhi.Little did I know that after 6 days when I will be In Delhi again,I will feel warmer in same temperature.(Sir Einstein at work with his Theory of Relativity)

Since all of us had booked at different time,our bookings were spread throughout the train and we could meet only Sumantra, a group from Delhi and Hyderabad.With cursory Hi/Hello's we decided to meet at our Official Meeting Point ie.SBI ATM outside Dehradun Station.

Due to heavy fog the train got delayed by an Hour and we were a bit apprehensive about  our Bus ,which was suppose to be waiting for us at 0630hrs.

The drama started once we all assembled at SBI ATM as advised by our co-ordinator.The bus was not waiting, nobody had a clue about when and where the bus will be..After some frantic calls to Banglore,picture cleared somewhat and we finally located the bus quite a distance away from our planned Rendzvous point.After some discussion/Arguments/Negotiations , we finally stowed our Rucksacks in dickey which did not have enough space to accommodate all luggage. We also realised that we are much more in numbers than the bus can carry,hence two Sumo's had to be arranged .We also had two girls from Banglore( later on fondly known as "Kolaveri Girls"by our guide,)  joining us at Hotel Drona.We were taken aback by their initial ATTITUDE but later on were proved wrong when both of them gelled very well with the group.  The less said about the bus condition(to and from Sankri ) is better.It was already a delay of 2 hrs and we had a 7-8 hours of arduous journey through the hills ahead of us.

The journey through the northern  hills has always fascinated me,be it Delhi-Shimla-Manali, or Delhi-Dehradun-Mussoorie or Pathankot-Dalhousie, and I was not disappointed here also.The Journey from Dehradun-Mussoorie-Yamuna Bridge-Mori-Purola-Naiwad-Sankri n back was pretty, picturesque,serene.The common feature in all these hill journeys was present here also,namely , extremely narrow and rough roads,highly skilled  drivers,a river accompanying you all along( in our case it was Yamuna and Rupin).The view was so natural and clear I could not resist clicking even from a moving bus.

The bad road condition after Purola onwards ensured that we recognised and acknowledged the presence and importance of each body part. We all relished the Paranthas/Curd,bun maska for breakfast /lunch on both the journeys. On our way back from Sankri, the front tyre of the bus got flat.The driver refused to take any help from us and changed the tyre himself.The spare tyre was so worn out,that all of us were thinking about the insurance policies and how much the Nominee's will benefit.The driver obviously did not share our concerns but thankfully we came back to Dehradun in one piece.






Sankri-Juda Talab--------------6140ft to 9200ft    Check photos here- Sankri to Juda Talab

The rest house at Sankri was pretty OK.We were warmly Welcomed by Arjun and Sandhya from Indiahikes.We were just smarting from a long journey, especially the last 2 hours in pitch dark conditions on a bad bad road and a very very cold climate at 6140ft, when we were served with a hot cuppa .Considering the moment it was really "Amrutatulya" as we call it in Maharashtra.

We settled into our respective rooms with around 8 persons per room and immediately started preparing for the actual TREK starting tomorrow.It involved a lot of shifting of things for me as the packing for Airline check in baggage and packing for TREK was totally different.After moving n shuffling  lot of things between the rucksack to be carried with me and the bag to be kept at base,finally I was satisfied with what I had packed .(not realising the BLUNDER I had committed, would be cursing myself after two days).

After a nutritious veg meal with sweet dish, we retired early in anticipation of  tomorrows trek.It was getting colder n colder and we realised why the 'rajai' is as thick as a mattress.

We were greeted by a call for Bed Tea next day early morning.After completing our morning chores in a civilised 'city' way for the last time , we finished the breakfast of Bread-butter-jam ,eggs and tea. Arjun briefed us about the trek, the importance of "Layers" to defeat the cold,general precautions to observe,importance of sticking together etc.etc.We were also introduced to our Trek Leaders,Sohail and RajMohan.

Finally at 0920 , after checking all our gears, we started the actual trek,. Our target for today was Juda Talab at an height of 9200ft.So it was a 3000ft climb(the steepest climb for entire trek in a day), mostly through the Alpine woods.The weather was crisp, sunny.Almost perfect for a trek.We started trekking, enjoying the barren mountains,the Autumn effect on trees around, clicking photographs,chatting etc.The terrain became steeper as we moved forward and our pace slowed n varied.The trek leaders had difficult time keeping the flock in visible trail.After almost 1.5 hrs we came out in an open plateau where we had our first official break ( barring the many breaks we took in between ,gasping for breath).The steep climb had many of us huffing-puffing.It was here we had the first glimpse of snow on the ground.A trailor of what lied ahead.Our next climb was almost throughout through the snow.All of us were pretty excited about walking on snow but soon realised how difficult it can be to balance yourself.The cautious climb slowed us further and finally at around 1300hrs we reached Juda Talab--so named because of twin lakes joined together.
It was comforting to see that the mules who were carrying our tents, sleeping bags, food had already reached and the support staff were already pitching the tents.Some of us enthusiastically helped them and they readily obliged sharing their knowledge.

After a hot cuppa with fry-ums and pop corn, we explored the area  around.It was fascinating.The lake was frozen,the sun was out and we were warmed up with the climb.Many of us started clicking frantically, few adventurous ones walked on the snow,few just enjoyed the sunshine.

After a veg lunch, we were hoping to relax in our tents but our trek leader had different ideas.He made us gather around a well lit camp fire.So from 1600 hrs we were at camp fire soaking in much needed warmth,singing songs ,getting to know each other .Actually we had our official introduction at this time.

Some genuine talents surfaced in the form of Singers, namely Teja and Karthik (both cousins) the later being our S.P. Balasubramanium.Both of them alongwith veteran Aashish kept the camp fire alive(pun intended).Aashish was at his best with his witty one liners and catchy humor.Steaming hot soup was served to keep us warm.The songs and dance  went on till supper time and we feasted on the fresh Gulab Jamuns made at 11k feet in near zero deg.temperature.
As the sun went down, temperature dropped suddenly and we could imagine what lied ahead in the night.Keeping us warm was going to be a struggle.To add to our woes, our trek leader suggested we sleep w/o gloves and monkey caps else we may suffocate.It was hell of a night.Many among us were not used to sleeping in a cramped tent and it got really really cold in the night.Few were claustrophobic.Most of us could not sleep at all.It was a herculean task getting into inners(cotton sleeping bag) and then into sleeping bag with only your face open.Imagine getting out of it in severe cold for a loo break( which everyone had to take as we had to drink Bournvita before sleeping to keep us properly hydrated).

As always we got a bed tea at 0630 in the morning.The biggest task was to complete all our morning chores in such a severe cold and that too in open.....

Juda Talab - KK Base -----9200 ft to 11300 ft----Click here for photos  Juda Talab to KK Base

We finally left Juda Talab at around 0935.Todays climb was relatively less as we had to climb only 2k feet.We had the added advantage of getting properly acclimatized to cold and climbing.The only new factor was  snow, which we encountered immediately after we were out in the open from the woods.It was fun walking on the snow as it was soft, crystalline and dry.Though our climb was very slow due to the snow.
We reached KK base around 1300 hrs with one official stop at KK base camp 'A'.This is where we first saw KK peak . Some of us had a field day playing in snow at this official break.

KK base- Summit- Hargaon -----11200ft to 12500ft down to 8900feet-----KK base

The KK base was a sight to behold.It was a snow covered plateau ,completely deserted with only a hut that would serve as our kitchen.Even the water required for us had to be melted from the snow on wood fire. It gave the purest of pure water a taste of coal.Somebody got the whiff of an idea to check for mobile signal and suddenly we had everyone pointing their mobile heavenwards in all directions in search of that elusive signal.

Can you imagine, at 11200feet above sea level we were served with hot onion pakodas,lemon tea,roti, sabzi,soup n custard and finally again bournvita before Siesta......Amazing hospitality I must say.

That night we were wiser and wore maximum layers plus two pairs of socks separated by a polythene bag.The tents were pitched on a snow but we had Styrofoam sheets as base plus our tents were covered from top.As usual temperature dropped drastically immediately after sun down.Thankfully we had accumulated a lot of dry wood for a camp fire which proved to be a life saver.Even few feet away from  the fire, n we were freezing to the bone.The minimum temp. dropped to -9.6deg.Our tents were covered with snow flecks formed from the breath we exhaled in night.Amazing.

We were suppose to start early as on that day we had to Summit Kedarkantha and descend to Hargaon at 8900ft.I had realised about my biggest blunder yesterday night when my camera battery was exhausted. I had forgotten the spare battery in the other bag kept at Sankri.So no photographs from here on till base camp. Had to rely on Chaitanya for photographs of Summit.

The climb to summit was a difficult one due to heavy snow throughout but enjoyable due to 360 deg views of the surroundings nonetheless.It was a smooth affair thanks mainly due to our trek leaders Sohail and Rajmohan who constantly cheered us to carry on till the summit.

The pleasure of conquering any summit is beyond words...You need to experience it yourself.....

We were quite sceptical about the downward journey from Summit to base through the same snow but ultimately it proved to be the best and most enjoyable part of the trek.We came down in record time thanks to big big slides on the slants...It was quite exhilarating.....After a quick bite of 'khichadi" for lunch, we started our descend to Hargaon.It was quite a steep descent through forest and we were completely exhausted but thrilled at the same time for completing the trek successfully.

The evening was spent in celebrating in front of a camp fire again with songs, discussions and new year's resolutions .With great satisfaction we slept that night in a tent for last time.

Next day morning it was suppose to be a piece of cake descending to Sankri but we made it little bit more interesting by following a different trail in a jungle and getting lost briefly.Finally reached Sankri satisfied with our efforts.

The trek officially ended with Arjun distributing Certificates of acknowledgement for our efforts.


The Humane Element


I feel, Trekking being inherently a group activity,No trek can be successful unless you have a good company.


We were very fortunate to have a good set of people accompanying us on this trek.We started with 34 which I thought was a pretty big group but were reduced to 29 after our Thai friends decided to drop out at Juda Talkab due to severe cold.
We had some amazing characters 


1.Our group of three from Mumbai----Aashish was the Ace ...Keeping the group alive throughout with his charm.Chaitanya was probably over prepared for the trek with all his gadgets and by far the most organised....Nick named "Gyan Guru" for his expert comments.We had amazing time in tents with maximum laughter coming out from our tent.


2.Sapna--Great lady,very friendly n talkative with great courage and spirit.


3.Group of 5 from Hyderabad---We had 3 cousins and a couple in this group.Very livey.Two of them Teja and Karthik were extremely good performers and singers.(Karthik nick named S.P).Teja had used his 3 years in Noida to memorised many good hindi songs which he rendered one after the other.One cannot forget "Sheela Ki Jawani" dance by Karthik.He mathched steps with Kat and Maidhili(his cousin sister)  fittingly showered money on him BAR style.


4.A group of 6 people from Delhi-----Anoop, avdhesh, nikhil, amit, shubhra and vandana...
Anoop--co-ordinated wel and was very helpful
Avdhesh---He kept the camp fire burning throughout and kept us warm
Nikhil--Always blushing
Amit---A man with Attitude, style and great sense of humor.
Shubhra--Extremely Talkative, full of energy, very friendly n effervescent. I owe my sliding on the snow while descending from KK summit to this girl as she was fearlessly sliding on each slope ,inspiring me to take the plunge.
Vandana--again very Talkative n effervescent.Both these girls were nick named Pepsi and Coke by Rajmohan.


5.Two girls from Banglore Radhika and Deepa----The same girls who floored us with their ATTITUDE when they had boarded the Bus at Hotel Drona but later on gelled very wel with the group proving our initial judgement completely wrong. Poor girls were continuously teased as "Kolavery Girls" by Sohail for their sheer dislike for the song.
We constantly pulled the legs of these "Abala Nari's" but they were more than capable to handle us.


6. A group of 3 from Hyderabad---Took time to adjust as the language was a slight hindrance but were very friendly , responsive and mingled with everyone w/o hassles.


7. Three Bengal Tigers---Ronu,Udhdhiyo and Sudipto----Again helpful and friendly.Mostly leading the trek.


8. A group of 4 from Delhi----Surprisingly they kept to themselves.We later came to know that it was sort of re-union for them after 3 years.


9.Lawyer from Delhi--Sumantra----Completed the trek on sheer willpower.Was almost on the verge of returning back but ultimately scaled the Summit.A team guy


10. Last but not the least---Yogish Bhatt from Banglore---Extremely quite---Probably because language hurdle....Full of energy.


Thanks all of you for making it a memorable Trek


And ofcourse the great organisational efforts by IndiaHikes Team----Arjun ,Sandhya and Rekha to name few.

Agneepath-My Take

REMAKES are inherently risky .While one has an advantage in a proven storyline,excitement factor and pedigree,the monumental expectations to fulfil, inevitable comparisons with the original are easier said than achieved.Its easier and convenient to get INSPIRE from a certain movie and copy it to suit your sensibilities than officially Remake a film.

I never understood in the past when my  Mother use to say that the Original Devdas or Parinita were better than their remakes, when in fact I liked both of them in contemporary form also. I was extremely anxious before watching the remake of DON and was certain that I won’t like it,but I liked it very much for its contemporary treatment, in spite of being a HUGE Amitabh fan. Come to think of it, I realized that all the above original movies were already proven classics before I watched them.Even DON was released in 1978, too early for me to watch it when it was released.Though I watched it in theatre, it was much much later,after I became a big FAN of AB.

It was much much different for AGNEEPATH.Here was a movie,which I had seen on the first day in a cinema hall,had followed it before and after release religiously, was sad about its box office collections , unhappy that Amitabh had to re-dub the movie to make it more marketable ,and had liked it immensely even before it became a cult film. A movie immortalized by Amitabh for the portrayal of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan ..Pura Naam, for the poem Agneepath, for its dialogues,for a classic duel between Vijay and Maa,Vijay and Commissioner Gaitonde.In short lot of emotions attached to it.

So I was not very sure if I really wanted to see the REMAKE. I was sure I won’t be able to watch it objectively, a little too prejudiced to enjoy.Had it not been Hritik in lead role,I would have definitely skipped it.After much deliberation I chose Sunday Morning Show,in the hope that I will not waste too much money if I really don’t like it.I had to let go of a0900hrs show as it was almost full and booked a 0930 show.This one was also full—a rare  sight in multiplexes where there is a show every 30 min.

To start with Karan Johar cleverly declares on screen that it’s a TRIBUTE to Mukul Anand and Amit Uncle…. Leaving all doubts about remake to rest.A masterstroke I must say

What unfolds on screen for next 20 reels is a visual treat for the eyes.Technological advances in the film making in last 21 years resulting in stunning visuals, be it the beautiful landscaping of Diu, tight close-ups of Hritik capturing minutest of facial changes,songs of Priyanka and Katrina or Ganesh Aarti at Visarjan.Karan Malhotra, very cleverly and rightly has taken few liberties in storyline, so while there is no Krishnan Iyer M.A.,Tinu Anand to name some important characters from the original,there is Rishi Kapoor portraying Rauf Lala.What an amazing performance by an actor capable of romancing  even a tree in his golden days.It will be extremely ironical but quite likely that he will be remembered  for his portrayal of Rauf lala…such is the impact he has on the movie. He is lethal,unashamed, unapologetic in his cruel performance and still evokes sympathy from audiences.Many other changes in story are inspired from another cult Movie Parinda. So the element of surprise is missing in changes though they fit perfectly in the movie.Finally it all boils down to the treatment of the movie and acting of protagonists and villain.

Karan Malhotra has given a fresh treatment while keeping the SOUL of the original intact. No mean feat this.He is ably helped by cinematographer  and his Asst.DOP.The background score heightens the drama perfectly throughout except at the climax when it’s a bit jarring.For some reason,the classic duel between Vijay n Maa and Vijay n Gaitonde is toned down a bit too much or eliminated altogether.While eliminating a love track of Shiksha And Iyer works very wel, Piggy Chops’ character doesn’t gel with the movie.Also fail to understand why Maa(zarina Wahab) is wearing a Taveez on the neck.

Sanjay Dutt as Kancha Cheena is extremely ineffective. Danny was extremely menacing even without a body that Sanju Baba has.What Sanju baba cannot achieve with his acting, he has tried to achieve by his ‘HARMON’ised,beefed up body but fails miserably.

Lastly,Hritik Roshan. We finally have found an Angry Young Man( its distinctly different from an action hero which we have aplenty) who can emote immense pain through his eyes, can deliver dialogues with panache,can be convincing when he flexes his muscles….Almost perfect.My respect keeps on growing for him after every movie….Lakshya, Jodha Akbar, Guzaarish, ZNMD and now this.He has very very few lines to deliver inspite of being a hero but still he is effective as Vijay. This one major weakness of not having catchy dialogues being compensated by good acting.

Ajay Atul’s music is inspirational and so is the background score.

Some unsolicited advice for the ladies of the film:

Priyanka---You need to start eating FOOD.When are you Ladies  going to realize that size zero does not work with Indian Men. We like fuller women. Also, pouting lips are not for you. For god’s sake stop emoting/ dancing  artificially..It shows.The smile doesn’t reach to the heart or eyes.

Katrina….Chikani Chameli required you to be Bindass but that hardly means thrusting your  assets so vigourously.It will do you a lot of good to remember what Govinda use to say about his Dancing….  “I put in a lot of effort so that my dance looks Effortless”

Lastly,with all said and done ,both the producer and director has taken enough care to make it as a TRIBUTE instead of a Remake.They have not tried to ape Amitabh in any way steering completely clear of any comparisons.The characterization of Amitabh and Hritik is dissimilar in many ways.Hritik playing safe with not experimenting  much with the role.Its more of a Son’s revenge of his Father’s murder and Less about Mandwa. One of the highlight of the Original,The Dharavi Sequence is missing,though the auction scene of Shiksha is comparable ,its not in same league.Probably both Karans conceding to the master of Mob scenes,Mr.Mukul Anand.

Had it been named something else, I would have enjoyed it more.

As for AGNEEPATH….I’m still completely bias towards the original….

देख क्या ये दृश्य है,चल रहा मनुष्य है ,

अश्रू ,श्वेत ,रक्त से लथ पथ,

अग्निपथ अग्निपथ अग्निपथ  

डोंगरमाथा....एक निसर्ग मंदिर !!

It was Makar Sankranti on 15th January when during our School Re-union I met my school mate Mangesh Govekar after a gap of almost 22 years.Among other things which we all discussed and shared ,I was highly impressed when Mangesh told us all about his venture Dongarmatha(http://dongarmatha.com/) ,his ideas and views about environment conservation,how he plans to implement them etc.etc.
Like many of us, I'm fascinated by the sheer beauty of Konkan and during my annual pilgrimage  trips to Harihareshwar (Our Kuldaiwat),Shriwardhan and Dive Agar,I always dreamt of having a beach house with Mango, Cashew and Coconut trees behind a typical Konkan Home.My typical Middle Class mentality ensured that the Dream remained just that....An Unfulfilled Dream. So I was really happy to know that one of my schoolmate has gone ahead and built an ecocare guest house on a hilltop near Parshuram Chiplun.
I was very very eager to visit  Dongarmatha(http://dongarmatha.com/)at the earliest but the 'clichéd' office work meant I had to wait till May end.
In the meantime we also tried  a failed trip to Dongarmatha with our school friends.

So finally on a short notice,very early in the morning I alongwith my son and wife left for Chiplun.I was very confidant and hopeful of covering the distance of 250 kms in 4-5 hrs. How wrong I was...Thane-Belapur road till Panvel was crowded as usual at that hour also and Mumbai Goa Highway till Nagothane was no better,this being summer vacation.Absence of a divider on the  road meant Overtaking was difficult and required Mastery in Snake (S) driving. I thoroughly enjoyed the drive though it was definitely more tiring than driving on Expressway where you don't need to change gears at all.Its inherently risky nature makes it even more enjoyable to drive on Mumbai-Goa Highway.
Fed up of bumper to bumper traffic near Vadkhal Naka, we stopped for a Maharashtrian Breakfast at Kshudha Shanti.

The traffic continued till Nagothane after which I was able to speed up.With some good breakfast down, my son was fresh and enjoying the winding roads and scenery outside. Seeing some small hillocks along the road he wanted to Trek on one of  them . By that time we were near Mahad so we made an impromptu stop near the Old Budhdha Leni before Mahad and had a nice trek towards the Leni.It was fun and the small climb made me realise how unfit I have become in last six months.

From here on till Khed it was a smooth n fast drive . 20km after I passed Khed,I was suppose to turn left on way to famous Parshuram Mandir before Chiplun.From the base of Dongarmatha till top was test of any driver as the climb is very steep with sharp turns and you cannot afford to lose momentum.Thankfully my old car was up to the challenge and we reached the top around Noon.
It was breathtaking sight, the moment we got down from car.The full view of the River Vashishthi on one hand and Chiplun on the other side,strong cool  breeze at noon made sure that we forget all the effort of reaching the place.It was instant rejuvenation .
 We were warmly Wel-comed by Mangesh and led to our Suite with a Balcony overlooking the Hill and Plantation.It was spacious and airy.Ample use of Bamboo and minimum usage of Steel n Cement made it cooler.Also the cow-dung splashed floor gave it a natural feel.Within moments we were relaxed and fresh.

A welcome drink of Raw Mangoes (Kairi Panhe) was waiting for us and we savoured it ...Our true Konkan Experience had started on a very good note.

Mangesh took us on a short sight-seeing  tour of the area and we were amazed by the Vistas offered by common leaving room.One of the locals had climbed on a tall jack fruit tree to take down the fruit for us.It was a very ingenious and simple method of removing fruit w/o harming it.Mangesh was  ,very enthusiastically, explaining to us the different environmentally friendly plants he had sowed,how much effort had gone into building what we have today,the road, the tents etc etc.It was fascinating. We could see how proud,and satisfied he felt about the whole thing.His single minded  passion  and lots of money has resulted into a beautiful eco-friendly Guest House.

By the time we came back from a exploratory tour of the place we were hungry and a simple , nutritious, hot lunch was waiting for us.The vegetables were farm fresh specially selected by Mangesh and you could tell the difference in taste.Konkans favorite Sol Kadhi was amazingly tasty and I lost count of how many bowls I had gulped down.
After a sumptuous Lunch, it was Siesta time,but I could hardly sleep.The nice cool breeze,good views all around  was ideal for reading and I did just that.

Mangesh and Abhi  had planned a boat ride in Vashishthi river in the late afternoon to see crocodiles.Meanwhile we were joined by a group of 8 trekkers who were Abhi's friends.

The Boat Ride for crocodile Safari was amazing. We could see few crocodiles resting on the river bank.There were plenty of birds flocking together, enjoying late evening sun. We seemed to have disturbed their rest as they flew with the sound of boat engine, giving us the beautiful sight of Birds in Flight.Its a photographer's delight to click .My son Arush thoroughly enjoyed the ride and so did all of us.

By the time we were back on Dongarmatha, it was Sunset time and all the photographers took their places for the clicks.Hot masala chai with cakes quenched our thirst.But for the two telecom towers which were in the middle ,the view was splendid.
There was hardly any time for us to be bored but Mangesh had some custom made interesting Games/Puzzles for children and elders alike.It was fun solving them and some were so tricky, we could not  figure out the way till end.

While the two groups were chitchatting sharing experiences , we were served with Fanas Gare (jack Fruit) .
Dinner was again a typical Konkani affair with Bharali Wangi, Zunaka and Rice Bhakari along with hot Thecha and to top it all Sewai Kheer.It was a fulfilling experience . By this time both the groups were fairly acquainted and we had dinner together in open Aangan  sitting in a circle on floor.

After such a heavy Dinner, nobody wanted to sleep immediately , so Abhi engaged us in some very innovative group activity.We thoroughly enjoyed it.He had also planned for a camp fire and the other group joined him.Myself and Mangesh were trying our hand at the Telescope which he has bought ,for some star gazing.

After a while I took their leave and retired for the night but I could hear the happy voises for quite a long time.

Next day early  morning few of us had decided to go for Birding. So at six, we embarked on a small walk on the backyard of Dongarmatha.We could hear the chirping of birds but were not very lucky to spot many.

Nevertheless it was invigorating morning walk. We also discovered a good place to view Sunset w/o obstruction of those Telecom Towers.

I wanted to take Arush to Derwan to show him ShivSrushti, so after the breakfast we had a small tour of around 40kms.
It was already Lunch time when we were back and all of us were thinking about the impending traffic while returning back home. Though nobody wanted to leave that calm and serene place,it was time to head home and resume our boring lives once again.
After having lunch, exchanging contact numbers and lots of group photos, with heavy heart and a vow to come back again for longer duration we left Dongarmatha.

By the time we reached home, the traffic,pollution and noise had us crash landing from Dongarmatha to the ground realities of life in Mumbai.

It was amazing one and half days that I spent in the lap of nature and I'm sure to visit the place again whenever time permits and in all seasons.

Thank You Mangesh for your hospitality and personal attention.It was as if we were living in our own relative's home.
All the best and Keep up the good Work!!!
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