Do Good & Good Will Follow You!

Like any other kid, I too was fond of listening stories during my childhood but travel tales were my favourites. And this is why I have a strong, a very deep inclination towards travelling as it unfolds a whole new world of interesting travel stories. Travel comes with many great opportunities. With a chance to explore new places, to meet new people, to experience new cultures & values, to learn new languages & dialects and to enjoy local delicacies, travelling provides another exciting prospect to eavesdrop to the unsaid, unheard, unknown anecdotes of those who inspire deeply but being left overlooked by society. During my visit to Ekling Ji temple of Udaipur in December 2014, I met this old lady who runs a free drinking water counter just outside the temple's entrance gate for localiites, visitors and travelers from morning to night. I found her working alone there. After a little chat, a localiite sitting next to the lady disclosed few things about her.

This old lady is almost in her late 80s or 90s. Filling the water buckets to serving water to dish-washing, she does it all alone. Generally at free drinking water counters, we drop a few coins as a token of gratitude. But hers has no money involved in it. She never asks for even a single penny. She does it as she finds solace, happiness, contentment in serving thirsty people. "Do good and cast it into the river" is her mantra of life. She believes that she is here on earth for a special purpose and that purpose is to serve mankind without any thought of profit or loss, and old age, her physical ailments, any disease, or anything cannot stop her following her true calling. Whenever somebody asks something to her, all she does is a sweet smile as she can't speak and listen much due to her old age. She cannot even see and walk properly. Though she can rest but her sentiment to serve people doesn't let her do so. Her selfless act to serve people is her ultimate strength. Compelled to say that I was overwhelmed by her genuine goodness, her real emotions and her invincible spirit! The love she was putting into serving, into giving was commendable.

Although I have seen many people running these kinds of free drinking water counters but this one truly is different where an act of social service is totally selfless, where the joy of feeding thirsty people is much bigger than the pains of her own life and where there is still an utter belief in good "karmas". She has proved that age can never be a hurdle in doing something good, something positive, something out of your reach; age is an issue of mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

Well, it's believed that feeding water to a thirsty person is not an extra-ordinary do; it becomes large enough to wipe out all the sins of a very sinful person. Go on, spread smiles, love all and never leave the next chance to do something good. As true happiness is giving it away. Always remember that famous quote of our great Mother Teresa- "If you can't feed a hundred people then feed just one." So do good & good will come to you for sure!

My 5 Favourite Cities to Travel

If you are crazy about something and always think about that, it means you are in love with that something! Well friends I am all crazy about travel, travel photography, travel stories and everything that belongs to and comes with travel. Yes I’m in love with travel. So here’s my top 5 favourite cities where i traveled and would love to revisit! Let’s have a peek-a-boo..

Jaipur- The capital city of the Indian state of Rajasthan, Jaipur is one of the most vibrant, colourful and happening cities of India. The city is famous for its rich art, craft & culture, amazing forts & palaces, beautiful mountains & lakes and more than that for its eventful past and glorious history. And during the Jaipur Literature Festival, the city also attracts a huge mob of intellectuals, writers, bloggers, photographers, artists and traveler. You can see the famous Jal Mahal of Jaipur below in the picture. 

Nainital- A very popular hill station in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, Nainital is set in a valley containing a pear-shaped lake and surrounded by lovely mountains. This shot was taken from the Naini Peak of Nainital. 

Kathmandu- Best known as the gateway to tourism in Nepal, Kathmandu is the capital and largest municipality of the country. Kathmandu is the core of Nepal’s largest urban agglomeration and also the hub of the country’s economy. In 2013, the city was ranked 3rd among the top 10 travel destinations on the rise in the world by TripAdvisor, and ranked first in Asia. This shot was taken from the Swayambhunath. You can see the city below.

Jammu- The winter capital of Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Jammu is situated on the banks of Tawi river. Tourism is the largest industry in Jammu as in the rest of the state. It is also a focal point for the pilgrims going to Vaishno Devi and Kashmir valley. A view of Vaishno Devi Katra, Jammu is being captured by me in this picture. 

Udaipur- Often called the “Venice of the East”, and also the “City of Lakes”, Udaipur is the historic capital of the kingdom of Mewar in the former Rajputana Agency. The city is a municipal corporation and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in Rajasthan of India. Apart from its eventful history, rich craft & culture, and scenic beauty, the city is also famous for its Rajput-era palaces. The Fateh Sagar Lake of Udaipur looks more beautiful when the sun goes down. Look at the sunset below!