End of an Era - Encyclopaedia Britannica

Felt an inexplicable sense of loss reading an article that Encyclopedia Britannica was doing away with its print edition after 244 years. It played such a major role in my life that makes me feel a little sentimental at the old ways coming to an end, paving the way for the current digital age. For most of us and especially for me it was a boon as we didn't have access to the kind of technology and online resources that are available today as compared to the 80s and early 90s.

So when I read this news, I was transported back to the day that I received 20 hard bound copies of the Encyclopedia Britannica, the topics ranging alphabetically from A to Z. This was the most precious birthday present I received from my parents not only for the value but also because these books were my companions at an era when Google did not exist (apologies to Bing but an online search will always be termed in my brain as google). It was not only a useful source of information and inputs from around the world, but the primary use was helping me and my Dad solve the daily crosswords in The Telegraph.

The Encyclopedia Britannica brought back memories of a quieter, simpler life; a time that seems to be getting lost in the hustle bustle of the modern digital age. Reminds me of those numerous evenings spent solving crosswords and jumbles in the verandah of our sprawling tea garden bungalows. A time when life was so uncomplicated that little things would bring so much joy. Living away from civilization amidst the beauty of glorious nature in remote locations with no phones, internet and yet it was a
beautiful life. A luxury in today's fast-paced world.

Even though it's hard for me to let go of memories, I think it is definitely more practical to have eBooks and save on space when so much information is available online and for the important fact that it helps reduce wastage of paper. I know my mind is caught between the two worlds - the old with almost no access to technology, and the new crowded gizmo world, but it is truly the end of an era for the Encyclopedia Britannica printed books. And though I will miss the memories associated with it, it is time to move on.

Assault on Women - A Reflection of our Society?

The last few days my mind has been plagued with many thoughts and questions, but sadly there are no answers. The events of sexual assaults against women reported in the media are intensely gruesome and defy logic or explanation. To say the least, it is extremely disturbing to imagine the reality of the nation that we live in.

Are such acts the true reflection of the mindset of our extremely narrow-minded, frustrated, judgmental, and hypocritical society? What makes some men behave the way they do and commit such gruesome acts? Is this part of our 5000 year old culture where acts of intimidation through brute force against women seem to be the accepted norm just like the evil practice of dowry that exists even today? Though there have been many such incidents, what has been shocking are these two cases that have rocked our nation the last few days.

The first was the horrifying ordeal of two teenage school girls who were raped in broad daylight by 15 men. One of the guys threatened to drink poison if she didn't meet him so the girl in a state of panic took her cousin along and went to that designated spot. What followed was sheer trauma for those two helpless schoolkids. They were intercepted by a gang of men, dragged to a field and raped. Hearing the commotion, some men working in the fields nearby came to see what was happening. Instead of saving the girls, they too joined in the act. This was just so shocking that such animals exist in our society and my heart goes out to to those two young girls who had to undergo such trauma at the hands of these beasts. There are so many questions but so few answers as to why such acts happen. Did they deserve to be raped? Absolutely not. Did they ask for it? No. Then why did it occur? Maybe to satisfy some sadistic inner frustration of some men? Or could be some base animal instinct to subjugate and torture the girls? Or maybe a clash of some deep-rooted hypocritical morals that exist in our society? So many questions but barely any answers to find out the cause why this disgusting, shameful incident had to occur.

Then there was this other incident in Kolkata where a 37 year old lady was raped at gun point in a moving car and later dumped. When she went to report the incident, the cops made lewd remarks about her drinking and partying, one of the ministers questioned her character and the honorable CM saw a political conspiracy behind the rape. Ms. CM, you being a woman, what would have won you accolades would have been if you had addressed the issue in the right manner, visited the victim, heard her story and offered heartfelt empathy for the trauma she has undergone, promised all the help and support to nab the accused.

No one was blaming you, Ms. CM. We all know that this act was committed by some mentally sick men and all that we expected from you was support in ensuring speedy justice and punishing the wrong-doers. This was your chance to prove that safety of women in Kolkata was of paramount importance to you and if such acts occur, a quick and strong punishment will be delivered that would serve as a lesson to all men so that they never think of committing such an act ever.

This was also a chance for your administration to prove that women can come forward and report such crimes without fear of undergoing more trauma under the hands of the administration. I salute this lady because her fight is not only for the safety of women in Kolkata but for the nation at large.

I think what has been more disturbing is the mindset and attitude towards the rape victim where she is treated like a criminal for a crime that's been committed against her. So kudos to this brave lady for her courage in taking this fight forward despite the slander against her character and the accusations that have been thrown around. She is divorced with two teenage kids. So what? If someone is a divorcee, does it give men a license to rape her? She frequents pubs and drinks? Isn't this hypocritical? Men can frequent bars and if a woman wants to go out for a drink, she is automatically stereotyped as available. Did she deserve to be raped for visiting a pub? No. And as a friend of mine Serena pointed out, even if she did take a lift from these educated well-to-do men of Kolkata, does it give them the right to rape her at gun point and then dump her? Absolutely not. A rape is still a crime and it is shocking that this crime permeates through all sections of our society.

So question is wherein lies the problem? It's definitely not the woman coz as we have seen irrespective of the clothes a woman wears, her racial profile, looks, or class, she can still be a victim. Isn't the deep-rooted problem with the men who commit such acts of subjugation and terror against women? Who are these men? Why do they go around raping women? What pleasure do they derive from such a cruel act?

We need to delve into the psyche of these men and try to find out why they are the way they are? Is there something wrong with the conditioning of our society where Moms and sisters can be elevated to a goddess status untouched by sex and there lies the other world where every other woman is available in their eyes? Is it a problem with our movies, whether it is the regional movies or Bollywood, eve teasing has always been shown as cool and happening? Do you think the depiction of women in these movies could have led to this mindset? What is wrong with our censor board who approved the display of such violence against women in our movies but shy away from natural acts of love like a simple kiss preferring instead to show the union of two roses or an umbrella appearing from nowhere leaving it to the viewer's imagination.

So many questions but no easy answers. Isn't there an inherent problem in our society as denoted in our movies and lives? Is there some kind of conflict in people's minds that leads to such sexual crimes against women? Don't the laws need to be overhauled and made more stringent so that wrongdoers are given such hefty punishments that will deter others from committing such a crime? There are no words to describe such barbaric acts but don't we need to address these issues before it spreads even further? Any solutions to prevent such crimes and make this world a safer place for all women?

At the time of writing this blog, several other rape cases were reported in the media. A young girl in Noida, a widowed mother of two in West Bengal and several others. Mamata Banerjee continues to blame the opposition CPM for the other three cases reported as well.

What to Tweet, What not to Tweet! Who's the Twitter Police?

Who are all these people telling us what to tweet, what not to tweet? Who appointed them as the Twitter Police? Everyone and anyone is suddenly coming up with an article on the do's n don't of tweeting. I say BS.

If I want to talk about food, I will. I love those umpteen food pics posted by friends, family strangers n all my favorite TLC hosts be it Nigella, Andrew Zimmern, Anthony Bourdain, and so on, I love them all. So who are these Twitter Police to dictate these terms and conditions and tell us not to post such pics? We've never had such rules and why now?

And yes, I do love to hear mundane stuff about people's lives like what they do, where they go, the movies they watch, the books they read, even inane stuff like killing mosquitoes at night. Yes, there are several tweets dedicated to mosquitoes and I love these updates coz it somehow makes them more human and realistic and I can relate and imagine the lives they lead. So when Denise Richards talks about her daughter getting the flu or Liz Hurley and Shane Warne flirt with each other for the umpteenth time on full Twitter view, or Piers Morgan and Lord Sugar have their usual spats, I feel an instant connection to whoever it is out there, whether I know them or not and it's a nice, warm feeling.

When a friend tweets that she's having a fruit salad for lunch, you get a peek into their lives and instantly feel like sharing your lunch though she lives halfway across the world. I love hearing about the challenges they face with their kids, schoolwork et al, the weather in their respective cities, even their daily woes be it work or household stuff; it's just so personal and nice and you feel closer to whoever it is out there. It is interesting to know what they like be it politics, sports, travel, social issues: People's thoughts are always so varied and fascinating that I love hearing their views whether I agree or not. And I've read some of the wittiest and original one-liners on Twitter.

So call it what u may Mr. or Ms. Twitter Police, please get your facts right because there's a whole wide audience out there and the reason why we are on Twitter may not be the same as your's so stop dictating. I personally hate self promotions and marketing tweets but it's upto whoever is posting them and I think it's a great platform which people visit for varied reasons and I respect that. Some may be to sell their wares and promote something, whereas for some of us it's pure entertainment and to connect with the larger world out there. Whatever the reason may be, Twitter is a free world and there are choices you can make as to who you want to follow based on your interests and similarly please respect our choices too however mundane and silly you may find it. Amen!

Trip to the Vijayanagar Empire: Hampi

Since loads of folks have asked me about the trip, thought would finally stop being lazy n jot down some stuff about our trip back in time to the Vijayanagar empire, Hampi. This trip was an amazing experience thanks to Sreya and Anindya who invited us along. Didn't really expect much after our numerous beach holidays but getting history lessons turned out to be surprisingly fascinating and truly exceeded our expectations. It was interesting to go back in time to hear the stories of the Vijaynagar empire, the legacy they left behind for future generations, and of course Indian mythology as depicted in the carvings. It truly is a vast contrast to the fast-paced technological world that we live in today.

To get there, you can either take a train to Hospet and then hire autos to get around. Most of the auto drivers also serve as guides and will take you around the heritage sites. Or if you do not want to be dependent on local transport, you can drive down from Hyderabad or Bangalore. We drove down from Hyderabad, so took the ORR onto the Hyd-Bangalore expressway and then the route we followed was Jadcherla, Mahboobnagar, Raichur, and Gangawati. The roads were pretty good till Gangawati. After that we took a detour to Kampli till we finally reached Hospet which is the nearest town to visit Hampi. It's around 6-8 hrs drive from Hyderabad depending on your driving speed.


Our trip begins: Sunrise on the Outer Ring Road, Hyderabad

There are plenty of hotels to stay in and around Hampi. However, based on reviews we shortlisted Hotel Malligi which is the only 3 star hotel there. The rooms are clean and nice and the restaurants in the hotel serve non-vegetarian food which was a plus for 4 non-veg bongs in what was primarily a vegetarian town. The hotel also has a pool which is a godsend coz after sightseeing in the heat all day, it's the perfect way to unwind and chill.


Accommodation at Hotel Malligi

There are several other hotels where you can choose to stay such as the Hampi Boulder Resorts and Laxmi Golden Beach Hotel but getting there may be a challenge as you need to cross the river and get there by boat. So that option was ruled out for us as we were driving down and had the car with us. Also, if it rains, it may not be accessible and easy to move around so that can be a criteria you can keep in mind while choosing your hotel.

Now about sightseeing, there is loads to see and do. The ruins of the Vijayanagar empire are stunning and set amidst picturesque settings of rolling hills and banana plantations. However, it is important that you get a good certified guide who can also narrate the history of the place and recommend what you should see or not see based on your preference and time limit. We hired a qualified guide recommended by the hotel who customised the itinerary for us and sure had a fabulous time hiking across the ruins, forests and even sailing down the river on the coracle to discover more interesting facets of the Vijayanagar empire. If interested in the services of a guide, you can contact Manjunath at 09448975862. Since there is alot to cover at Hampi, will list out a few places that you can try and fit in your itinerary:

Mustard Ganesh, Hemakuta Hill, Virupaksha Temple and the Bazaar: These are all in the same location within 2-3 kms walk so listed it together.


This picture depicts Lord Ganesha (also known as Ganapathi or Vinayaka) who in Hindu mythology is famous for his love for food. One day he ate so much that his tummy almost burst, so he caught a snake and tied it around his waist as a belt. On this statue you can see the snake carved around his waist. Also he holds the goad, pasha (noose), and his broken tusk. The hand which holds modak (a kind of sweet) is broken and was reconstructed by the Archaeological Survey of India. According to inscriptions found nearby this pavilion was built by a trader from Chandragiri (in present day Andhra Pradesh) in 1506 AD, in memory of one of the Vijayanagara kings – Narasimha II (1491-1505 AD). The view at the back is also interesting. It depicts Lord Ganesha sitting on the lap of his mother Parvati.


A panoramic view from the base of the Hemakuta Hill.


On our way to Hemakuta Hill.


The backdrop of the Hampi Bazaar (Market) and Virupakshi Temple.

Vittala Temple complex: This area features the famous stone chariot or ratha which is itself a miniature temple, carved out of a single rock, to resemble the temple chariots or rathas in which temple idols are traditionally taken out in procession. It also features the 56 'Musical Pillars', which reverberate with music when tapped, the 9m tall statue of Lord Ganesha along with the 'Nobleman's Palace'.


Stone Chariot in the courtyard of Vittala Temple which was inspired by Konark's Sun Temple


Carving of Lord Vishnu on one of the pillars of Vittala Temple. You can even view the partial hues of the colors which still remain

Lotus Mahal, Queen's Bath and Elephant's Stables:


The Lotus Mahal which was a palace for the queen that had among other things, pipes with running water.


This is the elephants stable to house the ceremonial elephants of the royal household. The domes are of various types such as circular, octagonal, fluted or ribbed in design. The area in front of them was a parade ground for the elephants, and for troops. The guards' barracks are located right next to the elephant stables.

Coracle Ride:


One needs to sail down the Tungabhadra river in these ancient traditional, tiny, round bamboo boats - Coracle to view more ruins of the Vijayanagar empire. You can also take a coracle ride to Anegundi another historical place which we could not cover in this trip.


Reached our destination to cover the second leg of our trip. Was the first one to get off the Coracle. The others posing for a pic. :)

Tungabhadra Dam:

The barrage at the Tungabhadra River

When you visit the Tungabhadra Dam, you can go all the way to the lighthouse at the top where you get some fabulous views of the river. In the evenings, there is also a musical fountain show at the garden adjacent to the dam but I would not recommend it unless you want to enjoy some cheesy filmi kannada n hindi music. :)

Another place highly recommended for a unique dining experience is the Mango Tree restaurant. It is built around a mango tree facing the Tungabhadra river and to reach it you need to cross a banana plantation. The food is vegetarian but they do have a wide spread from continental to Tibetan to north indian dishes. You can dine seated on bamboo mats on the floor with food served on low stools while watching cattle graze on the banks of the river.


After 5 hrs of trekking through the ruins, we were hungry, thirsty and tired...and then began a short trek to reach Mango Tree for some lunch.


This was the view from where I was seated. Cattle grazing and the river Tungabhadra in the background.

Dreaming of Karwar

I’ve been dreaming of Karwar for around a year now. Ever since I heard of this tiny fishing town called Karwar from Tushita, this place was haunting my dreams, and I knew I had to visit this place atleast once this lifetime. Her ancestors used to reside in an island on the Mandovi River. When the Portuguese arrived, they fled further south and settled down on an island off Karwar. The Indian government has still not recognized these various islands that dot the Arabian Sea so they do not have electricity and run on personal generators thus leaving the island bereft of public utility services such as power and water supply. Islanders run their own diesel generators for day-to-day activities. We were fascinated with her narration of her trips back to the island to visit her grandmom and how choppy the sea waters would be at times, so they would wait at the mainland till it was less dangerous to venture out down the Kali river to the Arabian Sea to reach their island.

Her stories made me conjure up real, vivid images in my mind based on her description and I knew I would one day visit this place but of course I didn’t know that day would be sooner than I thought. Since there was a long weekend coming up, our initial plans were to drive down to Coorg with my school friends Saurabh and Kunal and their respective spouses. However, when that didn’t work out, Sand, Joy and I decided to get the details and route from Tushita and other folks who had driven down recently. Finally, with the best routes and information of places to visit in place, we headed out to Karwar. We started at 6 am, via the Outer Ring Road, and then caught the Hyderabad Bangalore expressway.

At Jadcherla, we got off the expressway to continue our journey to Karwar through Mahboobnagar, Raichur, Gangawati, Koppal, and Hubli. From the moment we started our journey it had been raining, so we were a little worried about the road conditions. However, apart from a few towns, major part of the state highways had excellent roads. After crossing Hubli, around 5:30-6 pm we entered the Ghats. To reach Karwar, the last stretch of around 2 hours was through the winded roads of the Ansh National Park and though the woods were lovely, dark and deep, with the fading light and the rains, visibility had become extremely poor and it was the toughest stretch. To top it, there was no GPS connection, so we had no clue whether we were venturing deep into the forest or headed the correct route to reach Karwar.

Finally, around 8 pm we reached Karwar. Our search for our hotel took us sometime before we figured it was located around 4-5 kms outside town after we crossed the Kali bridge on a hill-top. After crazy twists and turns and a very narrow hilly winded road we heaved a sigh of relief once we spied the hotel. It was raining cats and dogs and I was feeling extremely grateful to be out of the rain when the folks at the reception told us that we had to step outside again to reach our rooms. So in the pouring rain, we go up this dark, grassy, scary, unknown hillside and then we see these cobbled steps going down to an eerie looking building. The only thought going through my head was that I hope I do not step on a snake. The moment we entered the room and saw the view from our balcony, it was sheer bliss and I forgot all about creepy reptiles, I was so entranced. We had a view of the estuary where the river Kali meets the Arabian Sea and felt humbled and grateful that I could view this place in my lifetime. The whole night it was stormy, the wind was whistling, and the doors and windows rattling and it reminded Joy and me of our trip to Pattaya six years ago when we had the same experience during the rains. What is it with us and our trips to seaside places during the rains?

However, if any of you folks ever plan a trip to Karwar, do stay at the Devbagh resort which is located on an island off the Karwar mainland. We stayed on the mainland coz it was monsoons and didn’t want to get stuck on the island due to bad weather but a trip to this island is definitely worth a dekko. The next day after local sightseeing at Karwar, we headed off to Murudeshwar (around 120 kms) away and decided to stop at Gokarna (that is enroute and around 60 km from Karwar) on the way back. Murudeshwar is famous for the world’s 2nd largest Shiva statue and has some spectacular views as the temple resides on the coast of the Arabian Sea.


Next, we decided to visit Om beach at Gokarna. The drive to the secluded Om beach is off the beaten track across these beautiful green forests with glimpses of the sea at intervals. Once we reached, it was a rocky climb down to one of the most pristine, serene and rocky beaches in India. It was tough leaving that place but we do have plans to go and stay in Gokarna next time and spend some more time exploring that region.


The next day we headed out to Goa from Karwar. The roads were lovely, clean, and it was a very green and refreshing drive to Panjim which was around 100 kms away. Reached Panjim, had lunch with one of Sandy’s schoolmate and his GF at this Italian place called Café Mangii, then headed off to Baga where we had plans to spend the night and pay a visit to Tito’s. Next day, we shopped for all the local wares and with the car fully loaded, headed off to Martin’s Corner for lunch and then began our journey back. For those doing a road trip down south, avoid the Ponda, Mollem, Anmod route. The Karwar route maybe a little longer but you will save time as roads are far better. We took the Mollem national park route and the roads were washed off in some places, there were fallen trees, and it was pouring buckets as expected during the monsoons in the ghats.

So another vacation comes to an end. It was really rejuvenating after the monotony of work and city living. For the last 6 months, had been feeling restless and needed to get away to a place like this to clear my mind of all the stress and events in my life and that’s exactly what this did. I always feel sad when vacations end but I do feel like I’ve got a new lease of life after this trip and feel recharged to take on city life for now until wanderlust strikes me again and I feel the need to set out to newer destinations. 