New Year Beside the Ganges in Haridwar

January 4, 2017

What better place to celebrate the new year than to celebrate it on the banks of the river Ganges in Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar. It was the greatest new year of my life as I strolled around Haridwar in search of peace and redemption. With a prayer in my heart, I stepped out of Baba Ramdev’s Yog Gram Ashram. Having lost 7 kg during my treatment here, I felt vitalised and rearing to go. I felt a new energy and charge and decided that the Ganga air will do me a lot of good.

I stepped out of my taxi into the sea of people who had come to pay homage to the holy mother and bathe in her bosom. The place was crowded with people from all parts of the world. Some were taking a bath while the others prayed for their dead ancestors.

A large part of the crowd ate putt and sabsi at the local eateries. I could not resist myself and dipped into a plate of aloo puri at a famous eatery. Then I stood in the middle of the bridge and took out my camera stand. I started shooting what can only be described as a maddening crowd of pilgrims and sadhus.

There were lame beggars begging, sadhus smoking ganja, shopkeepers and kids selling holy ornaments and others enjoying themselves in the sunshine. A mass of proud Indians was walking and striding towards the Ganga as bhajans rang in the air. The melancholic sounds of the temple bells rang aloud to vibrate the entire place.

Women, dressed up in bright sarees and ornaments, danced their way through the crowd. I filmed the entire scene with my camera and captured the kids jumping into the river for a holy dip. The whole place smelled of essence sticks as the smoke from the temple hawans bellowed into the surrounding air.

The sages walked through the sea of people with painted faces and one of them smiled when I photographed him. Many beggars throng this place haggling the passer-by for money and loose change. I gave them generously in the name of my father and prayed for his departed soul.

This is truly the Dev Bhoomi, the land of gods, the seat of prachin India, the hotbed of Vedic culture and religion. Pandits sat cross-legged as fortune tellers told people their future. Pilgrims prayed and offered alms to usher in the new year. Women and men both rang the temple bells praying for good luck and prosperity for their family. I stood amongst all this din and captured it beautifully through my lens.

Strolling down the bridge, I realised my camera battery had run out. It was time to pack up and move back towards my hotel. I turned around to take a look at this pious place and decided to visit it the next day in the evening to capture the splendour of the maya arti.

By adminin others

Baba Ramdev’s Garden of Eden

January 2, 2017

The most spectacular thing about the Yog Gram Ashram is the number and variety of flowers that are grown in the gardens. I was pulled towards these beautiful flowers every day as I strolled around the ashram and the surrounding farms for my ritualistic morning walk. The flowers add so much colour to the place and are so pleasing to the eyes. They have a soothing and hypnotic impact on the patients. The greenery that surrounds the ashram gives it the much-needed oxygen, energy, and charge that revitalises broken bodies and bleeding souls. The various smells that emanate from them charges and reinvigorates the body and mind.

An army of gardeners and malis look after the gardens, the flora, and fauna which brighten up the ashram premises. It is an advisable and silent way to cure disease, eradicate stress and relieve people from the cities of their day-to-day problems and fears.

The ashram also has a nursery where different varieties of orchids and rare flowers are grown. Montu, who is the keeper in charge of Baba Ramdev’s Garden of Eden, took me for a stroll around the gardens and nursery as I interviewed him. He explained to me in great detail the therapeutic value of these flowers and orchids that litter the ashram and also their importance in the entire therapy that is provided here.

Montu, the expert gardener, said “This is nothing sir. You should come here during the spring and see the flowers they grow and bloom to their natural size. It is such a pleasing sight.” I, for one, have enjoyed capturing these beauties through my lens and can’t wait to feature them on my blog.

Pokhri is another village 300 km from here where most of the herbs and jade buti are grown which go into making the various medicines and herbs that are prescribed by the doctors of the ashram. I have seen the beauty of this place and the magical powers of her colourful flowers. They have done wonders to my health and really energised me. In the last 10 days, I have even lost 6 kg. I have been walking almost 8 to 9 km every day. This, for me, is truly Baba Ramdev’s Garden of Eden.

By adminin others

The Violet Sky and a Morning Walk

January 1, 2017

Got up at 4:00 am in the morning. The sages say that this is the best time to get up as it is the Brahmamuhurtha. After a cold water bath and some yoga, I ventured out in search of the perfect sunrise with my camera dangling around my waist. By 6:30 am, the sky suddenly burst out with colours of violet, pink and purple as the sun brought the morning to the world today.

I took some shots trying to get close to the sky and reach some sort of perfection. As I was busy capturing the colourful sky, a young man tapped me on the shoulder. “Hari om sir, you want to see the sunrise? Why don’t you come with me for a walk into the farmland around the ashram near the water canals? You will get a much better view from there.” He said with a big smile on his face. “I think I will do just that. What is your name? Do you work here in the ashram?” The man introduced himself as Ramesh Kumar and he was a co-worker at the ashram. That was it. I decided to follow him in search of the violet sky.

Ramesh took me to the back of the ashram where the rest of the staff are put up in a huge hall. From there, we meandered through into a farm by walking on a dusty road built near a canal. As I walked through the dense mist, I could see bursts of colour in the sky and as if on cue, I started taking photos of this breathtaking vision. My breath became deep and long as the sky started to dance with a hue of vibrant colours.

I kept showing my photography skills to my guide, Ramesh, who was very impressed with my skills. All the fresh air was doing wonders for my health and my lungs and I had not smoked for a week and hence, my lungs felt light. Then suddenly, the sun came out as if it was tearing through the violet silhouette like an orange ball piping up out of a silk handkerchief. I started shooting again. Oh, I so much wished to have a longer lens to get closer to the sun but, alas, I had only the 24mm to 70mm lens.

This was one hell of a morning walk. Ramesh then took me to the top of the staff quarters building on the terrace to get a much better view of the sunrise. I was then able to shoot these beautiful scenes to my heart’s content.

With a smile on my face and a song in my heart, I danced my way back to the room to see the images and efforts of my morning walk.

By adminin others

The Power of Positive Vibrations

December 31, 2016

At the ashram, the most important thing that I noticed was the power of positive vibrations. These vibrations really energise the body and the soul. The first few days of fruit and juice diet as well as regular enema cleanses the bowels and regulate blood circulation. One gets at 4:30 am in the morning and really frees the body of all the collected toxins and other depression causing ingredients that the body ingests over a period of time. The morning yoga and laughter therapies make one’s insides like a hollow tube all the while making positive vibrations resonate from within you. The body becomes like a flute or a didgeridoo and once you blow air into it, it vibrates and hums with its own rhythm.

I was amazed that the greenery around me and the colourful flowers that grow in the gardens of the ashram had such a wondrous impact on me. My breathing has become regulated and deep. I have not smoked for a week and that has helped the accumulated harmful chemicals in my lungs to be thrown out of my body. The body has become hollow and the morning Surya Namaskar and Yoga have made it soft and supple. I walk on the green grass carpet in the morning to soak in the morning dew. This is a great therapy and it feels like giving myself acupuncture through the sole of my feet. There are more than 70 varieties of flowers in the ashram and each one bloom and dance to the tune of the wind. I also tested my photography skills by capturing them through my lens.

Getting up at 4:00 am now seems easy once you get into the routine of things. Capturing the sunrise through my camera is another thing that I enjoy doing. I weigh myself twice in the day, first at morning and then at late evening. I have lost 4.5 kg in one week and that is an achievement. I am motivated now to finish the course and achieve my goal of losing 10 kg at the end of the day.

Humming and singing all day being in the vicinity of such positive energies is a healing process in itself and that is a thing that one gets plenty at the ashram. From the laughter therapy to the Desh Bhakti songs, there is something for very one to enjoy, relate to and savour in this place. For Rs. 2000 a day, all inclusive, it is a bargain. It is like a service centre for the body and soul and a must-try for everyone to come and rejuvenate themselves. I give two thumbs up to the ashram, its helpful staff, knowledgeable coaches and great administrators. This is a must-visit place for anyone who wants to enjoy yoga and rejuvenate themselves.

Want to know more about yoga? Here is a guide that is even more detailed, updated and comprehensive on 18 amazing health benefits of yoga. It is over 7,000 words and packed with practical tips and advice. You can find it here: https://www.jenreviews.com/yoga/. Big thanks to Jen Miller, a writer at Jen Reviews.

By adminin others

The Kings of the Jungle at the Rajaji National Park

December 23, 2016

The Rajaji National Park was my next destination as Janak Singh, my friend from Welham Boys’ coaxed me into a trip to see the wildlife of this place. Situated in Rishikesh, about an hour’s drive from Dehradun, it is an old wildlife reserve. Janak was a director at the park and helped develop the park during his younger days. So, needless to say, we easily got a booking and all the staff had come forward to make our stay a memorable one. “You see Anuj, the animal safari in Africa that you just saw is nothing compared to the tigers of the Rajaji Park. Now you need to observe and admire the Indian jungles and what better man to take you there than me. I have been the director of the park for a few years and I know it like the back of my hand.” He said boastfully.

The staff of the park packing mutton, vegetables and other requirements.

We had packed 3 kg of mutton and stopped over to shop for fruits and vegetables on the way. We reached the park in the afternoon and dumped our stuff in the bungalow provided to us.

12231 — Janak busy chatting with the local staff.

Janak was busy chatting with the local staff and the game wardens as I strolled around trying to test my new Canon Mark IV camera taking shots of the sunset and monkeys that ran amok in the garden near our bungalow.

Presenting a bottle of single malt whiskey.

We lighted up a huge bonfire and the cooks got busy cooking the mutton in the kitchen as I opened a new bottle of single malt and offered the liquor to all in the sundry.

It was great to see everyone enjoying the night near the fire. After all, it was getting a wee bit cold. Discussions centered on the Beatles and the Maharishi Ashram for which Rishikesh is very famous for.

Janak and the park staff around the bonfire.

The locals wanted to do a film and a cultural festival for which they wanted to invite important directors and other celebrities. I got an invite too and promised to do a documentary when I come to the park next time.

The next morning, a beautiful dawn, a new beginning. — The next morning, a beautiful dawn, another beginning.

Next morning was rock and roll time as we took a gypsy with gunmen inside the jungle and navigated its thick foliage and muddy terrain. After some time, we started walking on foot as we had to climb a bit. It was there that I first saw the pug marks of the tiger and the marks of its claws on the bark of a nearby tree.

It seemed that the tiger had been trailing a buffalo, the one owned by the Gujjar family who lived in the forest. “These bloody vermin are a curse to the jungles. These Gujjar Naiads from Kashmir come into the jungle and destroy it by cutting trees and letting their buffalos go amok. We have tried so many times to relocate them but they don’t listen. They keep coming back and destroy the natural habitat of the forest.” Janak said angrily.

12237 — Trekking through the park and looking for tiger marks.

The climb was steep and I had to navigate small streams to move ahead. Luckily, we were able to sight bucks and deer at the banks of the dry stream. The climb back was uphill and a bit steep but I managed to make it. It left me exhausted but the trip was worth it. With monkeys and langurs on the way, we managed to get a good look at the wildlife of the area.

12235 — The park was filled with monkeys and langurs of all kinds.

At midnight, we did a night safari and went deep into the jungle. Someone had left a scooter in a ditch nearby and looked suspicious. One of the forest guards took action and noted its number to report its sighting. Suddenly, a Sambar ran out on the road and Janak took a snap of it. With the headlight shining on it, it was a rare shot.

A rare shot of a sambar lighted by headlights.

Now, I am getting tucked into bed with a glass of warm whiskey all set to visit the Maharishi Ashram in the morning.

A good night to all of you from myself and Janak!

By adminin Kerala, others

A Lobster, Aircraft Carriers and A Lighthouse in Kochi

November 23, 2016

002 — The Vypin Lighthouse at Puthuvype in Vypin Island, Kerala.

I landed in God’s Own Country, Kerala, a few days back for a meeting with the team who manage my blog. Infynith, as they are called, put me up in the Park Central Hotel near their office. After our meeting, I and the team which included Shiju, Salman, and the boys strolled down the Marine Drive area of the city. Kerala is a green heaven and a coastal area popular for its Ayurveda, oil massages, herbs, spices and of course its seafood. I dined, walked and strolled around the city with my blog team. I enjoyed climbing up the Vypin Lighthouse in Puthuvype to take a panoramic view of Kochi. This lighthouse started functioning at Fort Kochi in 1839 and was shifted to Vypin Island in 1979.

Marine Drive was fun as we took a jetty to the seaport to get a glimpse of the great Indian aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. The two towering ships stared at us from afar showing off their intimidating size and strength. It was my first glimpse of these majestic beasts. While INS Vikramaditya was a Russian-made aircraft carrier that entered the Indian Navy service in 2013, INS Vikrant is the first aircraft carrier being built by the Cochin Shipyard for the Indian Navy. This giant aircraft carrier starting being built in 2013 and is estimated to complete around 2023!

003 — INS Vikramaditya “Brave as the Sun”, a Kiev-Class Aircraft Carrier.

I felt happy now as me and my team meandered to a local eatery for some lunch, full Kerala style. Rice, fish curry, and vegetables all served on a banana leaf. I gobbled up the sadhya with my hands in the local style enjoying the flavours of my cuisine.

Having a 'Sadhya' meaning Banquet in Malayalam. — Having a ‘Sadhya’ meaning Banquet in Malayalam.

Not only is Kerala the first communist state in India, it is also the first state in the world to win the general elections and form a communist government through democracy in 1957. E.M.S. Namboodiripad became the Chief Minister and laid rise to the root of communism that still runs deep here. People take pride in their communist ideals. It was only in the last elections that BJP won its first seat here.

A stunning view from the Lighthouse into the texture of Kochi.

I noticed that women of Kerala generally turn to become nurses or nuns and men fly out to Dubai to work as labourers on sites or as workmen on factory shop floors. The weather, although cool, is always a bit humid and the suburbs are littered with banana trees.

Vasco da Gama died in Kochi and was originally buried in St. Francis Church.

I, of course, could not leave Kerala without seeing Vasco da Gama’s Tomb, which has now been converted into a church. I am told his son came here after 14 years of Vasco da Gama’s death to take his father’s ashes back to his hometown.

My friends had said that I must dine in the Casino Hotel Wellington Restaurant when visiting Kerala and I did exactly that. With Shiju, the head of my blog team, I ventured into this exquisite dining place for a meal of fish, lobsters, and prawns as we chatted about all things from the downfall of Vijay Mallya and the Sahara Group to the philosophy of life. We even had a long conversation on South Indian films, especially about Santosh Sivan, the chief cinematographer of Mani Ratnam. The meal was a tad expensive as we drank a lot of single malt whiskey making a total bill of Rs 10,000. But with such delicious prawns and lobsters, it was worth it!

008 — Here’s a lobster from Casino Hotel.

Kerala is well and truly God’s Own Country.

By adminin others

Gorillas In The Mist

October 16, 2016

As I landed in Uganda, I began to get a feel of the gorillas and their habitat. Uganda is lush, green, fertile and gets lots of rain. My primary objective was to track down mountain gorillas who stay in game parks on the border of Uganda and Congo. These reserves consisted of a dense rain forest covered by charming mountains with mists flowing out of them all the time.

i_mountainmist — The mists racing through the mountains.

Geoffrey decided to drive me to the Congo border to see the gorillas. We took a Land Cruiser which belonged to my friend, Alok Bansal, who had invited me to his house. We started our journey from Kampala and passed Mpigi town meandering through Masaka, Lyantande town and Kabale town. We drove through the Bwindi forest and then to our lodge called ‘Gorillas In The Mist’. For 100 dollars a night, it was a steal. I witnessed the most spectacular sunset from the window of my room.

i_mountainsun — From the window of my room, the most spectacular sunset!

Next morning was the briefing session in which we were told how to behave in front of a gorilla. We were advised to keep a distance of 7 meters specifically from the male silverback gorilla. This was because the male silverback gorillas are some of the most powerful and aggressive gorillas in the region.

After the session, I was followed by forest guards with guns. One had a cutlass to cut the bushes and banana trees as we had to make our own tracks to reach the gorilla family. We climbed up the rainforest slowly but steadily. We reached the top by cutting the trees and branches that came in our way as we gradually created a path for ourselves. It started to rain all of a sudden and ants began to climb up into my socks. It was then I realized what gorilla tracking really was. It was getting more and more difficult as I started to slip and fall on the leaves and plants under my feet. Thankfully, our forest rangers came to my rescue and kept pulling me up by the hand. I was panting and exhausted by then with the rain pouring down on my head, ants up my socks and the slippery ground. I understood that this was going to be even more fun than I anticipated.

An hour into the trek and I was ready to give up. “I can’t go anymore. I just want to sit down here.” With a thud, I sat on the muddy mountain to catch my breath. The forest guards kept motivating me and I trigged forward with all my might. Soon, we reached a high ground and the forest guard lifted the banana leaf to show me the most astounding sight. It was a male silverback gorilla.

i_gorillaeating — A Gorilla munching on a leaf.

The 140 kg beast was nibbling away and munching on a leaf. It was like I was in Jurassic Park and I just got the first glimpse of a dinosaur. Suddenly, the gorilla saw me and moved away. This was a cue for the forest ranger to pull me by the hand and take me to the other side. There I saw the whole gorilla family. There was a mother gorilla with a baby on her back.

I took out my camera and clicked away. Instantly, I was told not to use the flash as it would scare the gorilla and they may attack as they will feel threatened. We circled around the family of gorillas and then I sat down to observe them. They enjoyed eating banana leaves and climbing trees. One of them farted away to glory and even defecated from the tree top. Fortunately, I was at a distance and was saved from getting shat on.

I loved the daring experience. The grinding trek was worth it. After some time, we decided to defend and come back to the ground as it was pouring cats and dogs. With a song in my heart and a smile on my face, I moved back to the lodge courtesy of Geoffrey who was there to drive me back to the lodge.

By adminin others

Crocodiles, Hippos and Sunset on the Zambezi

October 14, 2016

So here I was in Zambia as an explorer. I was no less than Livingstone trying to make sense of the world and its many wonders. One such marvel is the Zambezi cruise that I went on. It was one of the most invigorating experiences of my life. I was thrilled to bits but before that, we had an opportunity to see some reptiles and serpents in the crocodile park. I roamed amongst these vicious animals and observed them sucking on a lemon drop. Cobras, vipers, and many creepy crawlers were all available for me to see and take pictures with.

i_croc — A Crocodile in the Crocodile Park

Nick was at his animated best as we then drove towards the Zambezi sunset cruise. I chatted with the people who had come to enjoy the cruise as we all hopped on a trawler full of booze with chicken and sausages being served for all to enjoy. I sipped away on glasses of whiskey and lime as the hippos in the river tried to come close to us. There was a group of them all floating under the water with only their noses being visible, but the most interesting part was when they yawned and widely opened their mouth. I managed to take a lot of pictures of hippos, elephants and cranes. It was as if they wanted my attention and were posing for my lens. I have also learnt so many things from these animals and that is another story.

i_hippo — Did you know that a Group of Hippos is called a Crash?

Then all of a sudden I heard ‘ooooh’s and ‘aahha’s. As I turned around, I saw the sunset. There it was, the sun as a radiant orange ball in the sky that made me feel like I was in love again. The fresh fizzing barbecue, the banter of good friends, flying cranes, bobbing hippos and the astonishing sunset. It was all too much to enjoy. I clicked away as Roger urged me to take that perfect shot. “Maybe I will travel to Botswana also. I think I am enjoying Africa.” Roger smiled and said. “We would love to take you there if you so wish.” “I have to finish Zimbabwe first, then I think I can get to Botswana. I will let you know.” That was that. The salad was nice and so was the chicken.

i_boat_2 — Making food in the middle of the Zambezi waters.

The cruise was about two and a half hours long and we were back to the banks of the river by 7:00 PM local time only to be greeted by the traditional dancers. Their dance was a vibrant traditional Zambian dance that was very similar to the ones I have seen in Zulu. The loud banging of the drums along with a robust shaking of the hips and legs. I wanted to join them but I felt exhausted. So I let be but yes, I did get some pictures of their fantastic costumes. I loved it as hell and was struck by the sheer spirit and power of their dance. They were just high on rhythm and music. All they had was their dance and it was as if the dance had merged with them and as if everything was one.