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!

Taj Mahal- A Trip to Heavenly Love

Okay! We all have been seeing men getting awestruck by the beauty of women for an eternity now. Expressing their feelings through music, art, writing, poetry is a conventional yet celebrated way in love. Literature and history are full of such examples where lovers could be seen crossing all the boundaries. But above all, the most astounding deed so far was done by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his loving wife Mumtaz Mahal in the form of white marble mausoleum Taj Mahal.

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal is the most iconic image of India and is mainly famous for its legend of eternal love. In a recent online survey by a website named TripAdvisor, travellers from across the globe ranked India's Taj Mahal among the top three landmarks in the world. Taj’s magical allure attracts around 3-4 million tourists with a huge number of International tourists every year. Such is its miraculous appeal that anyone can easily fall for Taj. And ever since I saw this gigantic marble beauty, I too fell in love with this epitome of love and architecture of exquisite beauty.

Friends, few days back, I got a chance to visit Agra to see the Taj Mahal with my friends. We planned a day-trip and chose to go by road. We decided to reach Agra via Yamuna expressway. As always I was super excited for this trip. It wasn't like that I was going to Agra for the first time; I had been there many times before. I don’t exactly remember when was the first time I visited Agra but yes I was quite young, a kid in fact and went to Agra with my parents for a relative’s wedding. And the day after wedding, we went to see the Taj Mahal. That was my first stint with my dear Taj. Guys, I still remember I was being told by somebody that once you would see the Taj Mahal, it definitely would change your parameters to judge a beauty. I don’t know when would I get the opportunity to witness all the striking architectures of the world, but even after watching all of them, Taj would always be on peak, special and close to my heart. Although this magnetic marble masterpiece looks more arresting at a full moon night but its other shades at different time of the day are no less interesting. From a rosy tinge in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden at night, the changing colours resemble the changing moods of women. Strange!

Well it was a one chilly day of winters. Since morning it was drizzling very slowly making the weather lovelier. Appearing..disappearing in the dark depths of the sky, clouds were seemed to be busy in playing hide and seek like kids. I could feel the softness of fresh raindrops when they were almost kissing my face and lips. This early morning splashing breeze was making my body sing like strings of violin. Yes something mysterious was there in the air which was incessantly raising my heartbeats with happiness. Wow.. What a day it was! Without interrupting our plan, we started our journey. The Yamuna expressway route was good and in accordance to international standards. I even did driving for few kilometers. Though I love chauffeur driven car but driving altogether is a different delight. Sitting next to driver’s seat, I was thinking about the products which used the Taj branding. Starting from one of the best group of hotels in India to a premium tea brand, all have used the name Taj as their brand name. The moment we need to define something magnificent, we start comparing it with Taj. As rich in history as in opulent marble, Taj defines class, richness, majesty, royalty, grandeur, luxury, splendor and what not! The car slowly stopped and we got down for a small tea break.

Precisely after 20 minutes, we’re again on the wheels. Now the Taj Mahal was not so far. From Delhi to Agra via express highway, it takes 2.30 to 3 hours to reach Agra. For those who live in Delhi and wish to see only the Taj Mahal, it is a single day up down if you start early. Now we had entered in to the vicinity of the city and took the help of Google maps to reach our destination. I, most of the time, take the help of Google maps to search a place. But at times, these maps force me to cross the most narrowed streets, busy routes and even a lake. After crossing the expressway, it was a stretch of 20-30 minutes to reach Taj. We also met traffic on our way. The car was crawling till that time providing us an ample time to scan everything that came in the way. Situated on the banks of river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, the city of Agra has a glorious history. Apart from the Taj Mahal, it has several other splendid Mughal-era buildings including Red Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. Agra is very well preserved city keeping its rich culture, traditions, values, authenticity still intact. Till today Agra gives that pleasant urbane village feel. Overall it felt great to see the city again.

The cluttered parking zone of the Taj Mahal stranded us with no place left for our car. Somehow after parking the car, we took the battery rickshaw ride to reach the ticket counter.  Whenever I went to see the Taj Mahal, I always found long queues at the ticket counters. This crowd supported the fact that there is no specific season to see this beauty. The security checking process came to an end with a lady guard taking all the chocolates and candies out of my bag. :(

Whoaa!! Finally I was there with lot of joy, thrill and enthusiasm inside. As it rained in the morning, the pleasant fragrance of wet mud from surrounding gardens was everywhere. I felt like a sweet music in the air was inviting me to get closer to Taj. The place, the people, the sights, the weather, everything seemed to be so pleasing, so perfect, almost like a utopia. Yes there was something magical about seeing thousands of people energized at the same time, in seeing happiness being shared so freely, in seeing people finally finding time to do the things they love; in short, seeing people happily live. It felt like the place that I have always imagined in my mind– a place of contented, elated, and free souls. Since this place was not just about nurturing bodies but the minds and souls too. And Taj nurtured all the three for me.

Standing in a queue to have an inside look of Taj, we started discussing the popular myths about this monument. According to a legend, it is believed that Shah Jahan was planning to construct a black marble Taj Mahal across the river Yamuna. As I am bit fearful of twins or identical people, I am happy that it is not true. Here it reminds me of Bibi Ka Maqbara and Taj Mahal Bangladesh that are widely known as replicas of the Taj Mahal. Located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, Bibi Ka Maqbara was commissioned by the sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the memory of his first wife. And a scaled copy of the original Taj Mahal, Taj Mahal Bangladesh was made by a wealthy Bangladeshi film-maker in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, in Sonargaon. But, these two replicas or any other monument can never take over the charisma, grandeur and majesty of our Indian Taj Mahal.

Moving further, I witnessed few dazzling views to die for. The weather kept on changing after every ten minutes as it was drizzling in-between. Here I could see the white clouds playing with the dome of the Taj Mahal. It was too ecstatic to see the sky in all shades of blue. I never saw a river making out with the rain as beautifully as river Yamuna was seen doing so. Flocks of birds were flying together in aesthetic patterns leaving everyone mesmerized, sometimes almost kissing the finial of Taj. I had never in my life imagined the Taj Mahal the way I saw it in that damp. It made my time stand still. The white marble minarets, the red sandstone walls, the pavements, the gardens, the clouds, the sky, the river, the raindrops, the flocks of birds, the sounds, everything there were so bright and unparalleled even better than the finest shots of a professional photographer. This scenic beauty made me happy, excited, fascinated, enthralled, numbed, stunned, relaxed, blessed, loved and what not- all at once! I was charmed by the union of emotions happening inside my heart. I was chuckling like a child who was seeing something for the first time in life. Well I was in love with this weather, this exquisite beauty and this experience of lifetime. I feel the real happiness and inner peace can best be found at a place like this.

Apart from jumping with joy, my heart was constantly asking that if this white marble monument would prove out to be a temple-“Tejo Mahalaya”, would it make any difference in the way millions of people now feel for it! I believed, no, it would not, it would never. Shakespeare very well said that “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

World's most beautiful monument, the Taj Mahal is everything for me, almost like a dream come true feeling. Sometimes I think if God were seeing the Taj Mahal from heaven, he too would get smitten over its infinite beauty and would want to create one for himself. Mughal Emperor Jahangir is reported to have said soulfully about Kashmir- “If there is paradise on Earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.” Enamoured by the beauty of Taj, I believe that “If someday God would choose any place as his abode on Earth, it would be the Taj Mahal, it would be the Taj Mahal, it would be the Taj Mahal.”

From Neemrana to Nirvana

Gone are the days when we used to think that “food, cloth and shelter” were the only things for a good living. “All we need is love” is a lie too. Sadly it’s true… High time to dump these age old ways of thinking, that’s passé guys. Be happy, proactive and alive by adding a bit of shopping, good food, recreational activities, gadgets and hang outs to your life. Trust me, a dab of love; food and travelling always works the best. With these things there is a sense of satisfaction assured. Especially with travel (my favourite). Wink! 

"Travelling is my drug of choice„ "One day I’ll travel the whole world". Hahaha.. I so use such quotes while posting/changing my pictures on Facebook and Whatsapp. Seriously, no matter how low I feel at a particular hour of a day, but when it comes to gratify my lust for travel and adventure, I’m always game for it. Let me confess I’m too sporadic with anything and everything barring my roaming streak. I swear my phone costs me more for my roaming charges. Lol.

Okay… Absolutely coming back to the point. Well much to your surprise, I was suffering from low esteem issues that I couldn't do Flying Fox zipping unlike few of my friends. Urgh!! And I was trying so hard to make this program possible since ages but all my efforts got wasted. Then I decided to keep these efforts at bay. But few days back, I got this chance to visit Neemrana and experience the eagerly awaited zip tour thanks to a friend’s birthday. Yay yay!!

Friends, you won’t believe but this plan was a perfectly unplanned one. In the midst of our birthday celebration discussion, as always, I suggested trying something different and that was this zipping idea. Ting! All got convinced in no time and I made my hay while sun was shining. Grin… Being a Delhiite, it was just a matter of 2-2.5 hours road travel to reach Neemrana Fort Palace and to enjoy this zip tour positioned on an outcrop of the Aravalli hill range. For me, it was an ecstatic escape from the mundane work, the capital and its noise for a day. This excursion cum adventure mind-bogglingly fed my hungry travel & adventurous buds.

Before starting this herculean task, what was keeping me mentally occupied apart from enthusiasm was my apprehension. With butterflies in my stomach, I was taking zip training with safety briefing. All mixed emotions were then my food for thought. Needless to say, some hiking was also involved with this exhilarating adventure.

Believe me; once I started zipping there was no room left for fear. With each passing zip wire, there was only an awesome, fearless and safe experience behind. This tour of five zip wires took me high over the Aravalli Mountains of Rajasthan with superlative views of 15th Century Neemrana Fort Palace. With a smile on my face, I shouted “ta da” as I finished this thrilling aerial tour. Yippie finally I did it!!

Well, combined with a mind-blowing location, striking views and International safety standards, this aerial adventure really was overwhelming. So, in short yes, the experience was beautiful. With a group of 12 people, this tour took approximately 2 hours. The trainers and staff of Flying Fox were exceptionally good.

With this zip wire adventure, Neemrana Fort Palace had also some more thrilling activities, amazing views and delectable food to offer. Sans forgetting, let me tell you that except zipping, I enjoyed the amazing view of Rajasthan sunset too from the terrace of the fort palace with a cup of tea. And that was the time which actually motivated me to share my experience with all of you through this blog.

So friends, I think if you stay in Delhi or around Delhi and are looking for an adventurous day out of the city, then Flying Fox Neemrana is an apt destination for you. Now don’t listen to what i say, just go, see and create your own experience. Go go, give wings to your coming weekend. Ciao...