A MEMORABLE TRIP TO PUNJAB (the land of the five rivers.)

Twelve enthusiastic members from our club I.W.C of  Hyderabad Central representing our district 315 left for Amritsar via Delhi on 13th September 2013.
We had a woman pilot driving us from Delhi to Amritsar.We reached Amritsar by nightfall and our host who received us took us to Gurudwara opposite the famous Golden temple. this proved advantageous s we could make many trips to the temple.
next day we visited the quaint marketplace with numerous cloth shops which was very picturesque.we all dispersed to different shops purchasing shalwar kameez which we got very cheaply compared to the price we pay generally in Hyd. we visited the Wagha border which stirred a lot of patriotic feelings in us as we saw the jawans marching The gastes suddenly opened we saw a equally huge crowd on the other side ,the Pakistan side where they too were shouting their patriotic slogans like us.It was an electrifying moment for all of us.but everything turned out peaceful we saw the jawans march with full fervor of patriotism.
on 15th we left by road to Pathankot where we attended the district meet hosted by the dist 307 who welcomed us with open arms and loaded us with gifts words are inadequate to describe.the hospitality of the Punjabis. they are very warm fun loving people full of vitality and great zest for life. we enjoyed their cuisine the kulchas,rotis,dal tadka and sabzis.
On 16th we We moved from Punjab to Himachal pradesh we went to the famous hill station Dalhousie. The climb was for an hour It as a beautiful hill station.we went anki dori resort and then for boating to Banikhet .and paid our homage to the mata mandir and stayed in their  guest house.the construction was not completed . yet we felt quite comfortable .
On 17th we left for Dharamshala. here Dalai Lama temple is very famous we climbed the temple but we were not allowed to take photographs The pictures and paintings and idols of Buddha we saw there was amazing though I have already been to Srilanka and Bangkok. we visited the famous jyotirlingam temple where Ravana was cutting off his own head one by one till the Lord Shiva appeared before him to grant him the boon desired by him.From there we climbed another hill station discovered by an Englishman by the name of Mcleod .the hill station was named after him  as Mcleod Gunj. this was breathtaking with a long mall road full of shops .We bought silk shawls and pashmina shawls too.
On 18th We left for Palampur, a place where our Indian martyrs had resided there.A  garden was built in their memory.It was heart wrenching  to hear the way the gruesome manner they were put to death when the enemies captured them . we next had darshan in mata Chamundeshwari temple . We visited the Palampur i.w. club and we were entertained  with music and dance.On 19th we visited Baijnath temple and visited a school for handicapped children run by the Rotary club in Palampur. We too donated money there..We then drove to Amritsar for 6 hrs and we visited the amritsar club who entertained us that evening with games,dance and music .
Then the next day o 20th we boarded the plane to Srinagar as we had problem with the Delhi flight. from Srinagar we flew to Delhi and then back to our sweet hometown Hyderabad carrying wonderful memories of this glorious trip.We were homesick and were happy to be back in Hyderabad.

The Golden Buddha in Bangkok

 

A Memorable trip to Bangkok

                                                           Bangkok trip 



My husband and I had a memorable trip to Bangkok in Thailand the "land of the thousand smiles

Everyone greets you with a wide smile.The ride on flyovers from the Suvarnabhumi airport to Hotel Ambassador in Sukhumwit watching multistoreyed buildings was really enjoyable . soon we discovered more exciting things in Bangkok, 'the way side thai food, the colourful stall s the sightseeing spots , the shows, the safari and the exciting cruise on the chaophraos river was indeed a feast to the eyes’

I loved walking in the pavement from my hotel to the Robinson mall. The whole place was colourful .i have never seen such a colourful place though I have travelled nearly all over the world .The colourful tuk tuks , the cabs,etc. Have you ever seen a rose coloured cab ?. There were colours, colours every where we went .



I come from a democratic country and it was so exciting see a country ruled by royal families who are very much respected by the citizens .Bowing to the princess addressing her as “Your Royal Highness” was indeed like going centuries back to kingdoms ruled by kings and queens

King Bhumipol Adulya Dej and queen Sirikit rule Thailand The king is none other than Rama Ix .Rama V had his education in Germany and that explains the western culture in Thailand. The king Bhumipol has 3 children The present princess the youngest of all. She is ChullbhornWalailak rajakumari a scientist married to an airfforce flight lieutenant they are divorced and have two daughters.We had the good fortune to see her in the 2012 Rotary convention which we attend at the Impact Challengers.



The highlight of the tour was the temple tour. The colossal golden Buddha , the 58ft/ Reclining Buddha and the glittering temple of the green Buddha known as Emerald Buddha.It gives great peace to see people sitting in pindrop silence with bowed heads in these temples

The Siam nirhmit show takes you back to the days when Bangkok was known as the Siam kingdom their culture heritage and spirituality, the quick change of scenesof the heaven, the hell and the mystic world is astounding. 150 people enacted this play, all emerging from different sides of the stage thatone knows not where to look. here again The celebration of each festival is depicted in a grand manner.

The safari inside a car close to the tigers all in the open playing with each other and also near the king of the jungle I watched them with a mixture of awe and fear scaring and thrilling .what a journey watching all the animals ,birds and also the dolphin show. There are other shows too like the elephant,the monkey and the birds show .Due to lack of time and it was not possible to do justice to everything .

The trip is not complete without going to the gems factory where you see different gemstones glittering. You see the workmen sitting in a row,silently carving and setting them in gold and silver by heating them.You have variety of them set in both silver and gold. The currency in Thailand is called bhat.One bhatt is 1.7 Rs.So tourists keep converting this money to their own currency mentally before shopping.

I would recommend this paradise of a place, Bangkok to people who have not been there

There are places I did not visit due to lack of time. Phuket ,Pattaya . Do go and enjoy your stay in Thailand.

brahma kamalam

 

What a big gap-How time flies!

It was indeed a thrilling experience when i went to chennai recently to attend my closest childhood friend's daughter's marriage. i met their entire family. there's is a huge family i had seen many members when they very small. i suddenly was introduced to a 40 yr old lady with 2 grown up kids i had seen her as a small girl. Her face had not changed a wee bit. i realised how time and tide waits for no one.my friends kept introducing met to each and every member in an animated manner everyone were thrilled to see me .i feel everyone should keep in touch with close friends ,relatives.i feel more than anything people are important.we go through so many emotions in our span of life but we should cherish good experiences and time heals all bitter experiences.when we meet after a long time every thing changes for the better.We have only one life to live and lets live it to the very best.

Mahabaleshwar trip.

Eleven of us innerwheel club members of Hyderabad Central left for Pune on the 6th evening by the Mumbai Express. we decided to have a pot luck dinner in the train.5 of us were in one coach and 6 others in another coach.As it was a vestibule compartment we kept going from one coach to the other as though we owned the entire train.All of us sat together enjoying the dishes prepared by each member with lots of care and concern.we kept chatting like college students till we realized there are other passengers who would like to call it a day.The next day early in the morning we reached pune and we found our agent who arranged this trip waiting for us with huge van.so off we left for our actual destination Mahabaleshwar.It was raining cats and dogs. we checked in to Bharat hotel. we had four rooms with three members in each room.Though it was foggy and raining a lot nothing dettered us from exploring the hill. when we reached the Harrison point and the Kate point we could see nothing except fog,mist and we were walking between the clouds as Mahabaleshwar was 3000 ft high.we next went to the table point we hire 3 tongas The horses galloped on the mire though scared i enjoyed the daring ride in the rain.
In the shopping area we found huge colourfull umbrellas This area stretched to 2kms
we find lots razais,blankets,woolen clothing a shop full of wooden stuff,.a shop full of cane items.
next day we went to Panchgani. This hill station is famous for strawberries,juices and jams The varities of chikkis can never be found any where. we were soon greeted by the wonderful smell of corn heated in the fire
There is a huge strawberry farm .We could not see it as there was heavy downpour.Though this was not the typical tourist season we want to enjoy every bit in this rainy season getting soaked to the skin, trying to share umbrellas etc.
We came back to Pune . There we found lots of Alfonso mangoes sold by vendors. One of my friends took a whole crate of it back home.i bought lots of juices.We carried all the nice stuff and along with it wonderful memories back home on 10th morning.Every season has its own charm we had a great time holidaying in the rainy season.

Munnar tea estates

Munnar trip.

We left for Munnar from cochin we reached there dinner time we had booked our hotel at the highest point where it was not possible to go by our mini bus.the hotel people sent us a jeep to climb the very narrow ghat road which was very dark. It was like an adventure for us. we had reserved two cottages as we were 11 members.The next day we went to the Munnar lake and took a spacious motor boat .Some members even ventured on the speed boat, I would’nt dare to. .We, then went on an elephant ride and had great fun. Every hill stations have some points to see we saw 2 to 3 big waterfalls one was called Vallari falls.It was a wonderful sight on the way to Devi kolam.we find vast areas of tea.estates.We even went to a big spice store. Kerala is famous for its spices , fresh banana chips and tapioca chips.We were there just for a day but I would like advice readers of my post that when one wants holiday in Munnar one should go for 3 days . Kumargaon is famous for its canals where people ride in boats through these canals It is near Allepey. Idikki is another important place .We were unable to go to these places.due to shortage of time.We had spent some time in Cochin too.

sunset scenery

scene from Cochin houseboat

cutural program of Kerala.

Our tour to Cochin.

We were 11 members from the I.W.C of Hyderabad Central travelling to Cochin to attend the South Asia Rally conducted by the I.W.C of Cochin. From the time we boarded the sabari express. we had immense fun we had potluck lunch spread out before us then we played tombola, anthaskhari ,and cards game. one group played rummy and the other played una who said 26 hrs of travel by train is a bore? When you have the right fun loving company time just flies off such a company is provide by inner wheel club members who believe in the bond of friendship .They feel support gives strength.
After 26 hrs of fun together we reach Ernakulam in kerala which is India’s God’s own country we could see huge areas of coconut trees ,thatched roof of houses.our coach came to take us to our hotel star lagoon where we got a service apt with three bedrooms.we dumped our luggage in the lounge and rushed of to the Cochin harbour where house boats were arranged we were off on a cruise in the back waters of kochi .we saw naval battle ships,naval quarters, the huge Chinese nets and the famous bridgeWe came to the hotel for candle light dinner.
Next day we attended the South Asian Rally at the Le Meridian hotel.
The cochin I.W.C expected 600 I.W.C members but there arrived 1200 members beyond their expectations but the host club did a marvelous job managing all their guests they arranged different hotels and 3 buses in each hotel to transport themembers to the Le Meridian.They were dressed in the typical onam saris white with gold . They welcomed us amidst drums . Each district performed a cultural programme like kathakalli, mohiniattam,thevyam etc.We had typical kerala food served in banana leaves for lunch the main items being avial,pulisheri,chakkapradhamam-a kheer.curries with coconut
The rally was of great success consisting of games,cultural programmes they had few members from srilanka and Pakistan.
We left for Munnar hillstation after lunch it took us 4 hrs to reach there.

our Nainital trip

Nainital is in the Uttaranchal state.The name Nainital denotes nine lakes of which one has access to only bheem taal ,sath taal, naukutchiataal and the nainital lake.here we do not find motor boats as they pollute the lakes. we have rowing boats,shikara and paddle boats The lakes are about 23 kms from each other.As in every hill station there is the mall road which is the shopping centre. My husband Mohan ,my son Srikrishna and i left for Delhi by air from Hyderabad and then we got into Sampark express, a 6 hrs journey by Ac chair car. Refreshments are continously served there. Late in the evening we reached Kathgodam 35km away from Nainital. An Innova car was waiting for us and it took us up the hill through the ghat road and soon we reached our destination,The huge white palace known as Manu Maharani.It was a colossal place We were looking at it with awe.we rested that night in one of its rooms. The next day we visited each lake and spent our time going in different boats. In the mall road we bought some sweaters The second day we visited the nanda devi temple and we want to visit Jim Corbett's park but it was close we were disappointed but we went to Mukteshwar which was situated on a very high level we had to climb so many steps to reach here to have darshan of lord Shiva. It was one of the oldest temples.This place was in the Kumaon region where a man eating tiger was killed by Jim Corbett.
The next day we went by cable car to the snow top it was an exciting journey.but it was not the season to see snow.we have different forms of weather in the same day we experienced the sunshine,rain and the cold air blowing all in the same day.After spending three days there we went back to Delhi and spent a full day sightseeing in Delhi and flew back to our place Hyderabad.

Naintal foggy lake

 

The spring of my life.

I am a B.A, B.ed.I worked in a school for 5 years but this did not give me any fulfillment I was restlessly groping in the darkness and then cme a ray of hope and light in the form of Rotary club and the Innerwheel club.Both the Rotary club and the Innerwheel club have made a great impact in my life.They have transformed my life and made it so meaningful .I am both a Paul Haris Rotarian and the Charterpresident of the IWC. now I have been unanimously elected as the International Service Organiser(ISO).We do service,we socialise and make the bond of friendship stronger and also foster international understanding, we show that we care through friendship.This involves networking ,reporting to our District Chairman all our activities and travelling a lot.We attend rallys,conferences,assembly and have ISO's meet too.Personality development too takes place. we also have to address gatherings.I feel i have got into a very fulfilling organisation which emphasisis on women's identity and the role she has to play in society by getting into the IWC, and as a Rotarian too we do major projects like polio imunisation awareness program,water projects ,paying attention to poor schools and the likewise.I am part of a noble wonderful organisation and I thank God for this great gift and new leash of life he has given me.

Dasera kolu -2008

I take active interest in every festival but this year. I felt hardly any gap between one festival and the other.I suddenly realised Dasera was not far off when i was just relaxing after Vinayakachavithi.since I make dasera a big affair calling atleast 150 people i was wondering will i do proper justice to this festival this year in such short notice.it was not just setting up the dolls. Even the theme,background has to be given thought. My daughter in U.S.A asked me not to do it in the samme manner as last year she said, "no saris mom again."so i made Kalamkari,and Pochampalli a typical Andhra material for the theme this year.People who appreciated it this year felt it better than last time especially the allignment. I did not buy new dolls.I made different tableaus of each event.my small pretty garden has now more plants .so I was able to add them to my settings.you can take a glimpse at the picture of my kolu posted in the blog.
sita swayamvaram has a special set up always in my kolu.I always feel tableaus are more interesting and realistic than just having rows and rows of steps filled with dolls.For example put plants and make thataki the rakshasi stand on it and in the ground rama and lakshmana aim their bow at her.A forest atmosphere can be created with the plants wheras on the steps the dolls just stand by themselves.Make a small river and put guha's boat in it.
By the time i finished putting the dolls it was time to invite people and then soon it was time to remove them .everything happenend so quickly.i now look forward to seeing my dolls again next year hopefully with a new background Dasera dolls are my passion. i wish to add more to my collection.Happy Dasera to all the readers of this post.

dasera kolu-2008

 

A small joke to share

A dentist married a manicurist and soon they were fighting tooth and nail.

The past and the present.

Dear folks,
The geni tree that seems to be growing rapidly despite our convoluted
relationships has taken me back in time. I have been feeling a rush of
memories that I wanted to share with you all. I am reminded of my
childhood life in Madras with my grandparents. They indulged in me a
lot and gave me so much love which I cherish. I had people of my own
age group downstairs and we all went to rosary matriculation in a
rikshaw. How we enjoyed the ride. Mangalamba used to be in the
neighboring St. Thomas convent. I used to go and see her sometimes
during the recess. I always had a band of people following me and I
always was a leader in my grandmom's home. In the upstairs of the
mowbrays gate road, there was a huge blackboard that we used often to
play "teacher-student game". I was always the teacher. We used to
conduct exhibitions with a lot of stalls in my grandmom's home, which
yogi and jayashree used to visit. So simple were our desires. I had a
great childhood.

After a few years of living with my grandparents, I moved closer to
Kuppu perippas house and stayed with a lot of my cousins. My mom used
to write skits for the plays and we all had great fun enacting them.
With the geni tree I am able to see both sides of my family before
and after marriage together and realize how closely we are all
connected.

I have great memories of the joint family in the marredpally house as
well. I had lots people around me to help me .I remember the festivals
we all celebrated together. I learn't a lot about nurturing
relationships and how support gives strength. Both the Alladis and the
mamidipudis gave great importance to education, all of us discussing
various topics in the hall, it was never just idle gossip. It gave me
great pleasure and I loved participating and arguing and learning
other people's views on different issues be it about America or India,
or any other topic. It was also very challenging.

But now that I have come out of the joint family I also enjoy the
space I get now which was not there before. Individuality and privacy
were not part of the old system . Even now we all bond with each other
during festivals and important occasions but I am able to make my own
decisions. There are always merits and demerits in every system and I
am able to see them clearly now as I have experienced both.

I would like to mention as an exception Alladi Vasu mama's family and
write my feelings about them as I have bonded a lot with them from my
childhood days. They are a self-made family and each one had risen to
a very high level in the U.S. Although they lead an individualistic
life, I find them all bonding with each other and are so closely knit
that they ooze with so much of warmth and affection now.

I wish I saw that kind of closeness among the families in India as
well. The culture and scenario has changed a lot and people seem to
give importance to material values but relationships have become more
and more superficial. Its very sad. Vasu mama's family is truly an
exceptional case.

Nowadays when I go to a family function, I am amazed to see a large
group of nannies neatly dressed in colorful attires, each in charge of
one child. I cannot imagine a scene like that in the past when the
nanny system was scorned upon by the elders in the house. Only members
of the house looked after the children. Now the whole scenario is very
amusing.

But, I have always been for hiring nannies and even had them for my
children except to be ridiculed, but I am glad to see this shift now
and think it makes even more sense considering the fact that both
women and men have reached admirable positions in their professional
lives.

Recently, I am also able to see a correlation between the lifestyles
of the people in the u.s and the families in India. Perhaps values
change over time based on one's needs and we can no longer scorn at
things that we once looked down upon like the secluded lives of the
American families and their nannies, since we seem to be emulating
them.

I wish we could emulate the American's latest culture of celebrating
birthday parties where they choose few charity institutions and
whatever gift a person wishes to give the birthday child they put it
in the charity box. why people borrow only the negative aspects of a
country I don't understand.

Janaki

Dasera in my house

As i mentioned in "my profile", my earlier post, i believe in celebrating every festival as they stand for our culture,they bring people together and they also reduce stress and help people to unwind from their hectic routine. well here is a picture of Dasera in my house.
For the past 33 years i have been living in a joint family where we celebrated Dasera in a very grand scale and now though i am on my own, the tradition, culture has seeped inside me and i continue to try to do justice in the same manner. i love dolls and i look forward to this 10 day event with great enthusiasm. First and foremost i bring out all the array of saris in different colours - my old banaras and kanchi sarees which are now out of fashion, which i had tucked away in my cupboard, play a predominant role in this festival. I decorate the room like a sari exhibition and all the glittering decoration rolls of paper are hung across the room from different corners. They merge together at the center of the ceiling. This is the background for the dolls. in olden days they had long range of steps and the dolls were arranged in a row. The more the number of steps it had, the grander it looked. The number of steps depicted the prestige of the house. But nowadays we make it more realistic. we make lots of tableaus for the ramayana scenes. Tableaus cannot be created on steps. My plants are also used to depict the dandakaranya forest area and we create the Sarayu river across which the boatman guha rowed rama, lakshmana and sita to the other side of the river. We have more scope to make it innovative and artistic when we make tableaus. This is when all our hidden talents come out. I also created a tableau for sita kalyanam. A real marriage scene background is created then we arrange the concerned dolls in it. similarly we create tableaus for ravanasura darbar,pattabhishekam scene and hanuman carrying the sanjivini parvatham. these are excellent sets which look grand if its displayed after creating a grand back ground. we have great tradition and culture which we can feel immensely proud of. i feel it should be passed on to the future generation whether they are in india or abroad.
i invite nearly 100 people to see this dasera doll exhibition i got very good feed back and eulogies for all the effort i put in. what could be a better occasion than this to meet people and socialise?