THE ADVENTURE GROUP, INDIA

2011 memories!!

2012-01-06T11:16:00.000-08:00

Happy New year to all of you!We had a very memorable 2011 and here is to wishing that we have an even more adventurous 2012! A collage of 2011 memories!

Photo link in Picasa

Kudala Teertha and Kappe Chippu Dweepa - by Anantha Krishna

2011-12-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

Kudala Teertha and Kappe Chippu Dweepa 7th and 8th May 2011

With TAG INDIA

Pics:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2051562006617.2121111.1171504699&type=3

“Satisfaction is not restricted only to achievements”

Water is one of the basic elem ents, nature offers to all living beings. Organized by TAG INDIA, B3G group took off for a two day water experience, to learn lessons water has to offer. Kudala Teertha waterfalls amidst Aagumbe Rain Forest and Kappe Chippu Dweepa (Sea Shell Island) were the places we wanted to

use for our experience. Aagumbe Rain forest is situated in the Western Ghat s of Karnataka and is reputed for receiving 2nd highest rainfall next to Chirapunji. Kappe Chippu Dweepa is an island on the Arabian Sea off Malpe Coast. It gets its name for the verity of sea shells that are spread on the island.

We started this learning trip on 6th evening. Bangalore traffic once again was successful in delaying our start by close to 90 minutes. Bus reached ITPL around 8.45 pm and we started from ITPL by 9. Vaishnavi and Swami would never complain about that as they were busy checking in their code for the Italy project till the last minute. Supporters of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) got some time to watch Chris Gayle’s merciless hitting against Kings XI Punjab. Karthik, Satish, Jaheer and Satya had come directly from their team outing and were waiting in Yeshwanthpur for almost two hours. I, Mamatha, Shreyas, joined them at

Yeshwanthpur and we boarded the bus around 10 pm. This was the last pick up point and once everyone was in, the mood was upbeat and Satya took off with his dance steps for “Sheela ki Jawani”. Whole bus got into a party mood. Nisha, Mamatha new to B3G were shoc

ked to see the so called corporate culture suddenly change in the matter of 10 minutes.

Welcome party went on for couple of hours and people caught up on sleep gradually. Seats were exchanged between front and back rows midway in the journey much to the relief of people sitting in the last seats. We reached SITA River camp around 7 am in the morning.

One of the first things some of us did was to walk up to the river. The feel of being on the shore of an early morning calm river is an experience by itself. We had time to freshen up and gathered for an introduction as many people were new to B3G.

Subodh came up with the idea of creative introductions and the group was divided into 5 smaller groups. Body shake by Jaheer as his introduction was the one that caught many people wondering!! We had breakfast and Tea at the nature camp and were all set to go to Kudala Teertha.

We headed to Kudala Teertha by about 10 am. The drive to this place was through narrow lines of Aagumbe rain forest and with some off roads as well. We crossed Sita River stream in the bus and some of us really felt we should have had our foot wet there. Finally we reached a place where the bus could no longer take us and we had to walk. The trek was not strenuous but for first timers it was an achievement by itself. It was a 40 minutes trek in the

Rain forest amidst Rocks to get to this waterfall. We could hear the roar of water from a few meters and our curiousness to see waterfall had no bounds. When we did get to see the fall, we were blown by its natural beauty and the height from which it falls. It took us less than 5 minutes to get into the water. Once in water the rocks were slippery and we had to walk gently to get under the waterfall.

We were under the waterfall for almost two hours . The height from which it falls accompanied by the sprinkling effect induced by the rocks gave us the much needed aqua treatment to our body. We were back in camp by 3 pm. Lunch was waiting for us and it took us no time to get to the queue. We were so hungry that once we had lunch we were tired. We slept wherever possible, some on the floor, some on the banks of the river, some on stone benches on the river basin. 30 minutes of sleep is all that was allowed and we were greeted with “hot chai”. Chai resembled more of hot water. We all missed Roopa’s “Masala Chai”. By then it was time to pack up and we did exactly that. We left Nature camp by around 4.30 pm to go to Kaup Beach.

The drive to the beach was about couple of hours. Lost our way on the drive and finally managed to reach Kaup beach around 7 pm. Just right for a beach walk! Journey was fun filled with Mafia game and no marks for guessing that I was thrown out the game every single time as a matter of safety both for the villagers and for the Mafia.

We walked on the coast for an hour. There was silence on one side and the roar of water on the other. That roar actually reminded us the power of nature (Water in particular) and also the fact that it does not overflow beyond its limit. Reflections on how elements of nature with such enormous power just obey the mandate of the almighty. We left KAUP beach around 9 p

m for the fear of hotels in Udupi closing “for dinner”!! And our fears did not go wrong. Roopa and Subodh struggled hard to find a hotel which served us vegetarian meals. Jaheer was hungry right from evening and as luck would play a role he was denied lunch at the hotel. Finally he managed to get something to eat and we were all set to go and crash. Lodging was arranged in Udupi on a 3 per room basis. Day 1 of this eventful Nature trip ended with an announcement to start at 6 am the next day for Beach exercises.

Come 6 AM the next day, 14 out of 23 were in the bus at 6 AM and we started to the beach leaving others behind. B3G time policy mandates “Never punish people on time for people coming late”. Others joined us late at the beach. They had to wait till the bus returned. People argued they were just 5 minutes late; hopefully they learnt the importance of those 5 minutes. It was refresh

ing to do some warm up exercises and jog on the beach. Jog in the final stages resulted in splashing beach water on others and that was real fun. Shreyas wanted to keep himself clean and was obviously a center of attraction. Vaishnavi, Satish, myself along with others dressed him in Mud finally!

People were busy posing to photos while others were busy in exercises

Breakfast was arranged in a nearby hotel. Hotel was small but offered true value for money. Roopa had by then organized a private ferry that would take us to Kappe chippu Dweepa. It was a ferry ride of 40 minutes. The journey was full of shouts and for some people it was their first ferry ride. They were ready for the worst by wearing life jackets. Pradheep, Swami, Senthil, Satya, Vaishnavi and Himasri kept the group active and alive.

We reached the Sea shell island around 10.30 am. It is a small piece of land midst a huge ocean probably measured in meters. People were into water in a flash. The island coast had a nice play area where the water was chest high and the intensity of waves was low. It was a natural swimming pool with Ocean water. Team got into playing simple water games and quenching their thirst of swimming in Ocean. Vijay Nagaiah conducted Mafia in Water. It was amazing, balancing ourselves sitting inside water, in an ocean, playing this game. We spent a good 6 hours in the island with a light lunch (Sandwiches) around 2 pm. We reluctantly left the island around 4 pm.n

With all sweet memories we headed back to Malpe by around 5 pm.

In there entire day on a beach, one thing that we did not do was Wave Jumping. I, Satya, Jaheer and Satish quenched our thirst with that as well on the Maple coast while some others went on a water bike and camel rides.

Everybody left the beach contented as this was a rare occasion, where we had spent the entire day on a beach. We headed to our lodging facility for a quick freshen up and for some snacks. Jaheer finally got his much awaited dosa!! It was Jaheer’s Birthday as well and if my memory does not fail me, this was the first birthday celebration by anyone on any of our treks so far. Guess what, he had 325 missed calls and he had forgotten it was his birthday!! (So involved with happenings did not realize the date).

We headed back to Bangalore around 6.30 PM form Malpe. Though everybody was exhausted our enthusiasm kept us going. We play

ed dumb charades in the bus. Great acting by everyone! Shreyas with his “Jeene Nahi Doongi” was a highlight!

Senthil, Dileep and Pradheep trying to act Hindi movies without understanding the language were AMAZING!! We had our dinner on the way and had our usual lessons learnt session. It went on till late night and we reached Bangalore by 6 AM.

A great experience once again and I must admit I was a little worried during the planning phases on this trip with TAG INDIA as it did not have any signature activities that we would generally target for. I was proven wrong. The amount of lessons we have taken back is very unique in its own way and I am sure everyone in the B3G team have their own introspections that they will take forward for the rest of their life.

Yet another very successful trip with TAG INDIA.

For B3G Team

Anantha Krishna T

Please turn to Next Page for Comments from B3G Group!!

What do our dear folks say?

Sundar Nayak, Satya

It was an excellent trip which nicely exposed the Almighty’s beautiful creations. I was very fortunate to get a chance to be part of the trip. It was great opportunity to know each other very well as well we got some good friends. It gives opportunity to explore / prove you in front of others. The games we played were really amazing and best one is “Mafia in Beach”. Lifetime memorable thing is the time spent at waterfall. Hope we will go for longer duration trip next time. Thanks to all for the wonderful trip.

Nagaiah, Vijay

The Kudala Teertha is really a Teertha for those you made it for the trip. Enjoyed to the full extent, had good head massage. The trip had the highlight when we entered the sea shell Island where everyone enjoyed in sea water and biking least bothering about the hot sun. On the whole, it was a wonderful trip to be reminded for all the years to come.

Parameshwar Hegde, Gautam

B3G has always been doing treks which emphasize more on getting close to nature without any creature comforts. The Kudala Teertha trip was different in the sense that there was no hard climb involved. It was more of a pleasure trip but nonetheless it was as much fun as any other B3G trek. Night walk on the pristine Kaup beach, Morning yoga on the Malpe beach and lounging in the water on Sea Shell Island, I had never played with water so much in my life. All in all it was great fun.

Chinnathambi, Senthil Kumaran

Under a water fall (Kudala Teertha), silver drops on me… I just melted like an Antarctica Ice cube….

Awesome!! First time landed in an island sea shell island….

Went for Water Bike Ride… It was an amazing experience …..

Learnt basics of swimming…..

So when can we plan for our next trek or nature trip?

Iraj, Satish

I consider myself fortunate that I got to know about the trip @ the last moment, that to by chance when I was just passing in cafeteria and Anantha talking to Himasri, as the B3G trip were always a memory for life time. This time the best part of the trip was the water fall in Hebri. Man that’s so chilling water and with so much force it was falling, Standing bellow that fall was awesome. The next day morning Yoga and the jogging on Malpe beach, chasing Shreyas (God he runs) in the early morning was a great experience.

Well there are lots of other moments, going to Sea Shell Island in a ship, playing Mafia in sea shore, and swimming in sea. Wow! And for me personally was a great experience of taking photos of everyone in group. Asking them to pose and clicking pictures of them. He he he …. But yeah all the pictures came nice and I was overwhelmed when I see those pictures uploaded on FB.

Last but not the least was playing Dumb-Charades event of movies. Funny part was Shreyas struggling to act for the movie “Jeene Nahin Doongi” and we all fighting for time over.

And last one was leaving some of the people in hotel since they did not come @ 6am exactly. I was lucky that the cab couldn’t start and saw guys pushing it get it started. I just got it on time. Ha Ha….

Venkata Subramanian, Vaishnavi

Kudala Teertha

The gushing waters gave a perfect massage, detoxifying the soaring back completely rejuvenating me. Ah! Those moments were so well spent that I did not want to come back. The beautiful sound of water still reverberates in my ears. Those moments change solitude to bliss.

Sea Shell Island

A plunge into Sea Shell island, my first brush with waters in Arabian sea, those pebbles nibbling my feet, those lessons to dive, spotting plethora of oysters and being treated to various hues and shades of shell completely transported me to a colorful world. Nature’s perfect way of saying the world is colorful. Look beyond the black and white, take a pick from the palette and paint the canvas.

Kannusamy, Swaminathan

The Trip to Kudala Teertha / Sea Shell Island is one of the most unforgettable trips, I have been.

Kudala Teertha

A beautiful waterfall located deep in the jungles of Western Ghats. This is a beautiful water fall in any standards and the throbbing water from about 300ft, gave a relaxing massage to our body and mind.

Night Walk on the Kaup Beach

Another blissful moment was the night walk on the KAPU beach, which really relaxed and soothed my mind.

Sea Shell Island

The visit to the Sea Shell Island was really awesome. The pranks, the photo sessions, the MAFIA game and the aimless swimming lessons making everyone hooked to water brings a clear memory to me. Not to forget, my first stint with jet skiing was memorable indeed.

Sunkara, Raghu

It was awesome trip for me. Night beach was the wonderful and unique experience I never seen before.

Pogala, Himasri

I had good experiences in this trip

1. Nature cures any kind of diseases/tensions in human being

2. There is a saying that “ Money Cannot buy everything” ,its true in case of relief/Happiness which you get when you have time with nature

3. Got chance to taste a new food item for the first time Udupi Bun, Loved it

4. For the first time I went to Island and specialty of that place is one side sand and another side complete shells, waah!!! hats off to god creation

Thanks Anantha once again for reminding me all those funny, adventures and nice time I had in trip

Narasappa, Shreyas

Finding a waterfall deep inside the forest is an exhausting experience but to enjoy the water of the falls is refreshing and one such waterfall is Kudala Teertha. The water massage at the falls was amazing and the cool water took away the tiredness both from mind and body.

Sea Shell Island at Malpe is a fine place to soak in the sun and the salt waters of Arabian Sea. I was clean as anything on the beach, but not for very long…first Satish chased me and later others joined him

Finally I got dirty but for the good. I thoroughly enjoyed the sea waves and the Mafia game in the water.

Sweet and fresh at Kudala Teertha ……hot and salty at Malpe

Yogaprakash, Dileep

These are my Reflections regarding the B3G (Kudala Teertha / Sea Shell Island Water)

Helped me get many friends (Gives the opportunity to meet lot of people whom I don’t know and by the end of the trip they are all my friends.)

Thought me to keep environment clean (I didn’t put wasted things like plastic bags on public place instead I gave it to some person who collects the Garbage in B3G Trip.)

DENGUE FEVER & INDIAN MEDICINE - Roopa Sreedhar

2011-12-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

One of Giri's Aunt's suffered from Dengue Fever last week.

Dengue fever, also known as breakbone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles. In a small proportion of cases the disease develops into the life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage, or into dengue shock syndrome, where dangerously low blood pressure occurs.

Our aunt had very high fever & her platelet count had DROPPED to a mere 4000 from 150000. Her Sugar level had risen to 500 & Blood Pressure bursting. She almost went into coma while in ICU. There was practically no way to get the count back to normal ASAP via Allopathy. 12 bottles of Platelet blood were administered. Yet no improvement to boast.

The hospital at first refused to try Home Remedy that was suggested. We thought we had lost her.

The fever is caused by a mosquito bite, (transmitted by several species of mosquito within the genus Aedes, principally A. aegypti).

The Mosquito acts as a carrier of the Dengue Virus.The virus's main affect is on the PLATELET production. Normally the platelets in our body lasts for about 4 days and the body replenishes them when required. This virus DESTROYS THE BODY's CAPACITY TO PRODUCE NEW PLATELET's (during the period it is effective). The PLATELET count for a normal person varies from 1.5 Lakh - 2.5 Lakh per unit volume. On getting infected the patients PLATELET COUNT STARTS FALLING. A PLATELET count BELOW 1.O Lakh /volume is ALARMING - immediate medical attention is required. A PLATELET count BELOW 50K is FATAL.

A fall in platelet count PREVENTS FORMATION OF CLOTS - and this leads to HAEMORRAGE - which results into both INTERNAL & EXTERNAL BLEEDING - once bleeding starts the situation is almost IRRECOVERABLE.

MIRACLE INDIAN MEDICINE - ALTERNATE MEDICINE

One suggestion came from a very famous Aurvedic Doctor in Vivekanada Kendra, Jigni.

Juice of 4 PAPAYA LEAVES was administered. The platelet count increased to 85,000 overnight. Aunt's condition visibly improved!

The juice is being administed to her every day since three days & she is recovering very well, although very weak right now. She is still in hospital right now & well on path of recovery.

Imagine, Papaya Leaves can help regenerate & increase PLATELET COUNT immediately. What else our Ancient Medicine could possible have in store for us? Please explore this stream of medicine too before giving up or resorting to high dosage of English Medicine, which is harmful in a long run.

Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya, Kallabalu. Kallabalu Vill & Post, Jigani – Hobli,Anekal Taluk, Bangalore Dist. 562 106. Phone : +91-(0)80-2782-6267 Web: http://www.vkendra.org/

is one of the best places in Bangalore to receive alternate treatment for many ailments that have no cure in Allopathy or English Medicine.

Best Regards,

Roopa Sreedhar

+91-9535278981

August 2011: Himalayan Driving Holiday - Ladakh, Suru, Zanskar

2011-06-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

TAG India is planning Driving Holiday in Ladakh during August-- September 2011. Dates for this program are from August 26th to September 11th. The cost of the programs is estimated to be approximately Rs 20,000/- * or 30,000/-* depending on the plan to include local transport, insurance, sightseeing, boarding & lodging and food at certain places.

*The cost may vary depending on the number of participants & need for luxury.

The cost does not include airfare, some food & personal expenditure.

The tentative schedule for the Driving Holiday is given below. It might vary slightly based on the weather & other conditions in Ladakh region.

The local transport in Leh would be 4-Wheel Drives. Sometimes we will be making our own routes, a la Lonely Planet! The days are sunny & windy; nights are cool/cold.

Plan A - 10 days from 27 August 2011 to 4 September 2011

(To include Indian Public Holidays on 31 August & 1 September)

Plan B - 16 days from 27 August 2011 to 11 September 2011

(To include

Indian Public Holidays on 31 August & 1 September & American Holiday on 5 September if applicable)

Do fill up the form at the following link if you are interested in joining us on this Driving holiday!

https://spreadsheets0.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&formkey=dEVXQjRFZ1ZRV3lwLU9SYVVMajkwb2c6MA#gid=0

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Day 0 Friday 26-Aug-2011

Late Friday late night flight to Delhi & take an Friday early morning flight to Leh from Delhi

Day 1 Saturday 27-Aug-2011

Reach Leh; Acclimatize

Day 2 Sunday 28-Aug-2011

Pangong Tso

Day 3 Monday 29-Aug-2011

back to leh - Relax

Day 4 Tuesday 30-Aug-2011

Tso Moriri

Day 5 Wednesday 31-Aug-2011

back to Leh via Tso Kar & Tanglang La - Relax

Day 6 Thursday 01-Sep-2011

Enjoy Ladakh Festival; Relax in Leh or do local sight seeing;

Day 7 Friday 02-Sep-2011

Via Khardung La to Nubra Valley

Day 8 Saturday 03-Sep-2011

Nubra to Leh

Day 9 Sunday 04-Sep-2011

Part A – Fly back to Bangalore

Part B – Leh to Alchi, Lamayuru, Kargil

Day 10 Monday 05-Sep-2011

Kargil to Parachik

Day 11 Tuesday 06-Sep-2011

Parachik via Rangdum to Padum

Day 12 Wednesday 07-Sep-2011

Padum to Rangdum

Day 13 Thursday 08-Sep-2011

Rangdum to Kargil

Day 14 Friday 09-Sep-2011

Kargil to Dah/Alchi

Day 15 Saturday 10-Sep-2011

Alchi/Dah to Leh

Day 16 Sunday 11-Sep-2011

Fly from Leh to Delhi in the morning flight. Take the evening flight from Delhi to Bangalore (EOJ)

Plagiarism & Blog-hackers

2011-01-14T20:47:00.000-08:00

Plagiarism & Blog-hackers

By Roopa Sreedhar

Giri & I went to Mauritius in April 2007. It was a very beautiful Island.

After many months, we were traveling to Pandavapura, in Mandya District and took the by-pass road after Mandya for the first time. The scenic beauty of this place took my breath away. I was transported back to the Sugarcane fields of Mauritius once again. Our Mauritian taxi Driver Bijay had 100s of acres of land & had informed us that he cultivated 18 types of sugar. Really?

The Indian Sugar Cane fields were no less mesmerizing than their international family. We saw ahead of us a few small hillocks that seemed to stand on a thick green carpet. Having not read many blogs about this place, we parked our car at the base of the hill and inquired about this place. The next month I wrote the following invite & created our first trek to Kunti Betta.

" About the Place: Kunti Betta is a hillock near Pandavapura in Mandya District. The place is rich in history & heritage. Pandavapura features during the Mahabharata period. It is said the Pandavas ended their exile of 14 years in Pandavapura. Here is where Bheema slayed Bhakasura, the demon. A top Kunti betta, one can see the utensil shaped rocks which were apparently used by Pandavas for cooking. Sugarcane is grown in abundance in the fields around this place, giving it a feel of Mauritius . The multitude of canals passing by the fields gives the location an exotic look. On a sunny day, one can take a dip in any of the well maintained canals.
The Chunchanghatte falls, Melukote and the newly excavated temple of Venugopalaswamy on the Cauvery river basin are very close by. The backwaters of KRS is at a distance of 20 km from here.
One can take a dip in the nearby canal and visit the nearby spot where centuries old Temple is being excavated. - Roopa Sreedhar"

And then I saw a spate of websites copying the original text & populating their pages without mentioning the author's name. More time I spent on their sites, it was enough to point that these sites were museum of stolen text from other websites. Original content from many of my blogs appeared on these sites. They had also stolen from the best travel blogs on the internet of many avid travelers and travel bloggers. I could identify many original blogs of known trekkers.

It is one thing to refer to blogs sites and travel book and plan a travel, and another to create a site based on others travels. But copying from someone's book and publishing the same book again is nothing short of Plagiarism.
Some people I know are very good photographers. How would it feel if their original photographs were taken without permission to create a museum photography site?

Online thieves like this kill creativity.

Cheers to all original bloggers and blogger community!
Roopa Sreedhar

To all blog-hackers: If you don't have the talent to compile & write, go find another hobby. We are not offering our services as Ghost Writers to you blog thieves.

22 - 23 January 2011-Relaxing Weekend & Trek to Kudremukha

2011-01-04T01:35:00.000-08:00

22 - 23 January 2011

Relaxing Weekend & Trek to Kudremukha

Kuduremukha, also referred to as 'Samseparvata' is a mountain range in Chikkamagaluru district, in Karnataka, India. It is also the name of a small town situated near the mountain. The name Kuduremukha (as it is known by the natives) literally means 'horse-face' and refers to a particular picturesque view of a side of the mountain that resembles the same.

The sleepy town of Kudremukh is primarily an iron ore mining town where the government run Public Sector Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd. (KIOCL) operates. It is noted for its scenic beauty. Owing to the dense forests, sighting wildlife can be challenging, though the area is rich in wildlife. Nonetheless the drive through the forest ra

nges can be enchanting and exhilarating. Three important rivers, the Tunga, the Bhadra and the Nethravathi are said to have their origin here. A shrine of goddess Bhagavathi and a Varaha image, 1.8 m within a cave are the main attractions.

The Tunga river and Bhadra river flow freely through the parklands. Kadambi waterfalls area definite point of interest for anyone who travels to the spot. The animals found there include the malabar civet, wild dogs, sloth bear and spotted deer.

Source: Wikipedia

Distance: approximately 338 km from Bangalore

Schedule:

21-Jan-2011:

09:00 PM: leave from a common point in Bangalore.

22-Jan-2011:

Reach the estate by early morning
Hike to Kudremukha peak & get back by early evening
Those not interested in the hike can relax at the homestay near Bhadra river
Picnic lunch atop the hill
Return to the estate by evening
Bonfire if rain permits

23-Jan-2011:

Brunch at the estate
Chill out in nearby waterfalls
Leave by noon
Depart to Bangalore after lunch, and arrive in Bangalore by late night.

COST:

The cost per head is Rs 2300/- (INR Two thousand three hundred only) and includes

1 Nights stay at the estate, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Coffee/Tea, Transport to & fro Bangalore, Forest entry fee, Guide Fee, Campfire (if rain permits), Local attraction Entrance Fee, basic medical kit, activity fee

Does not include any personal expenditure, non vegetarian meals, dinner on the way & dinner on the way back

Banking

Bank: Axis Bank

Branch: Banashankari

Account Name: TAG India

Axis Bank Account Number: 102010200008617

Call us to confirm your participation. Please email the Transaction Details to info@tagindia.net with the subject “Jan 11 – Kudremukh Holiday – Transaction Details”

Rules:

1. After the announcement of final list, anyone dropping out has to bear the cost of Transportation & Food. (Transport & Food already booked/ordered)

2. In case of trekking, every group will have a Leader and a trailer - Decision taken by them would be the FINAL. Suggestions from trekkers are welcome but expecting maximum co-operation to Leaders. Trekking schedule/plan is designed without knowledge of Seasonal situation, Wildlife activity and anything which could go wrong at that time. Expecting high level of patience with respect to change in schedule/plan.

3. TAG INDIA is a media for adventure/nature enthusiasts in Bangalore to come together and participate in eco-friendly adventure activities. TAG INDIA , TAG INDIA TEAM, Trek Leaders, and other TAG INDIA members are NOT responsible for loss of belongings or life of any participant. Please be very serious about this note. Take care of your own belongings and respect your life.

4. Littering & shouting in the wilderness is prohibited. Night stay is arranged in estate property. We will be having very simple and basic facilities. Luxury not included.

5. While on a trek, group should move together in a single-line formation, with no one going too far ahead or behind. Be independent. Carry one's own pack. Backpack not to exceed 15 kg. Wear dull, mud or khaki color cloths, which generally do not attract wildlife, avoid bright colors.

6. Consumption of alcohol is not allowed in any of the TAG INDIA TREKS.

7. Do not tease any living being in forest - from small plant, worm to elephant.

8. Making your trip a great experience is in your hand. Help yourself to follow the guidelines and enjoy the fun and adventure :-)

Things NOT to carry:

Liquor, narcotic drugs & ego

Best Regards,

TAG INDIA Team

www.tagindia.net

9886162404

Shoot only pictures; Capture only memories; Leave only footprints

20 & 21 Nov 2010 - SCUBA DIVING & SNORKELING IN NETRANI ISLANDS

2010-10-24T02:24:00.000-07:00

SCUBA DIVING & SNORKELING IN NETRANI ISLANDS
Destination: Murudeshwara, Netrani Islands

Participant Information - Please fill up the form
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=ps4QGHfuVEKmZg-0YHLIuEQ&hl=en

Distance: 500 km from Bangalore
Schedule:

* 19-Nov-2010: Friday 9:00 pm: leave late night from a common point in Bangalore
* 20-Nov-2010: Reach Murudeshwara by 8 am, Theory & Pool session DSD Participants, Acclimatization; Sight Seeing, Water Sports, Beach games (if time & energy permits), visit a local attraction & Relaxing
* 21-Nov-2010: Deep Sea Snorkeling and Scuba Dive in open water, relax in the sea. Leave for Bangalore by night
* 22-Nov-2010: Return early Monday Morning

Programs

1. DISCOVER SCUBA DIVING* & SNORKELING - 2 Days (Rs 6,900 only)

For Learners, Average Swimmers & non-panicky non-Swimmers: DSD or FUN DIVING is an introduction to Scuba Diving and includes a theory session, a pool (confined water) session and a dive in shallow Open Water. Students are taught to use the scuba gear in confined waters and prepared for the dive. *This is NOT a certification course

Cost: Rs 6900/- (Six thousand nine hundred only)

Included in Cost:

Transportation from Bangalore to Murudeshwara & back,

Stay in a star hotel in AC rooms (one day) on sharing basis

Boat charges, Course fee, Instructor fee, Equipment fee, Guide charges, Use of pool facilities, life jackets

1 Scuba dive in deep sea & snorkeling activities,

Dive Card /Certification for specific courses,

Basic medical kit,

Snacks on the boat, two Vegetarian Breakfasts, two Tea

Not Included in Cost:

Lunch & Dinner, fee for beach games, personal expenditure, loss of equipment charges and water sports not included in the programs specified. The participant is responsible for the equipment given to him/her during the event and will be liable for the same; in case of equipment loss/damage the participant will bear the brunt of replacing the same with cash.

Insurance can be procured externally; it is not mandatory.

Bank Account Details:

Axis Bank (Branch Banashankari) Account Name: TAG India Account Number: 102010200008617

Call us to confirm your participation. Please email the Transaction Details to info@tagindia.net with the subject “November 2010 – Snorkeling & Scuba Diving – Transaction Details”

Do find the details of the various programs in the following link

List of Programs:
http://groups.google.com/group/tagindiateam/web/list-of-scuba-diving-snorkeling-programs-to-suit-everyone

Introduction to Scuba Diving: Article
http://groups.google.com/group/tagindiateam/web/introduction-to-scuba-diving

Participant Information - Please fill up the form
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=ps4QGHfuVEKmZg-0YHLIuEQ&hl=en

Rules:

1. All participants should have filled up the membership form by using the join us link on www.tagindia.net
2. TAG INDIA is a medium for adventure/nature enthusiasts in Bangalore to come together and participate in eco-friendly adventure activities. TAG INDIA, TAG INDIA TEAM, Event Leaders, and other TAG INDIA members are NOT responsible for loss of belongings or life of any participant. Please be very serious about this note. Take care of your own belongings and respect your life.
3. Night stay is arranged in a hotel. We will be having very simple and basic facilities. Luxury not included.
4. Consumption of alcohol is not allowed in any of the TAG INDIA events.
5. Do not tease or hurt any marine life
6. Making your trip a great experience is in your hand. Help yourself to follow the guidelines and enjoy the fun and adventure :-)
7. After the announcement of final list, anyone dropping out has to bear the cost of Transportation & Hotel. (Transport & hotel already booked/ordered)

Things NOT to carry:
Liquor, narcotic drugs & ego

Regards,
TAG INDIA team
W: www.tagindia.net
M: +91-9886162404

B: tagindia.blogspot.com
E: info@tagindia.net
"Shoot only pictures; Capture only memories; Leave only Footprints"

Announcing 1. Kallatti to Kemmanugundi trek, 2. Mullainagiri Cave exploration, 3. Waterfalls & 4. Ridge walk on 9th & 10th October 2010

2010-10-06T04:16:00.000-07:00

Announcing 1. Kallatti to Kemmanugundi trek, 2. Mullainagiri Cave exploration, 3. Waterfalls & 4. Ridge walk on 9th & 10th October 2010

Travel Details:
2 days 2 nights

Schedule :
Departing on Friday 8th Oct @ 10:30 pm
Returning on Sunday 10th @ Oct night (door to door drop available)

Events :

1. Kallati to Kemmanugundi trek (waterfall visit)
2. Mullaingiri trek & cave exploration
3. Ridge walk
4. Waterfall visit
5. Kemmanugundi View point visit if time permits

Travel Time : 6 hours one way

What is included: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner, 2 snacks, Homestay on sharing basis, Basic medical kit, guide fee, transportation (To & fro with door to door drop, common pick-up point), sleeping bag

What is not included : Dinner on 8th & 10th, non-veg food, personal expenses and any other charges not mentioned above.
Cost: INR 2,350 per person

Banking:
Bank: Axis Bank
Branch: Banashankari
Account Name: TAG India
Axis Bank Account Number: 102010200008617

Call us to confirm your participation. Please email the Transaction Details to info@tagindia.net with the subject “Oct 10 – Kalhatti trek – Transaction Details”

Don’ts FOR THE TRIP
Do not carry or consume Liquor, narcotics, ego
Littering & shouting in the wilderness is prohibited
Night stay is arranged in homestay. We will be having very simple and basic facilities. Do not expect any luxury.
Do not tease any living being in forest - from small plant, worm to elephant.

Best Regards,
TAG INDIA TEAM
info@tagindia.net
9886162404

Announcing - COORG Relaxi Long weekend holiday - 15, 16, 17 October 2010

2010-10-01T02:13:00.000-07:00

COORG - Relaxi holiday
*

*Tadiyendamol Trek & Jungle Gym*

At a height 1800 m, Tadiyendamol is the second highest peak in Karnataka.
The peak belongs to the group of taller peaks between Himalayas in the north
and Nilgiris in the South. Tadiyendamol is a part of the range of Western
Ghats that lie in Coorg District of Karnataka. This range experiences a
salubrious climate throughout the year. Elephants, bison, tigers, wild cats,
and variety of birds habitat the thick vegetation. Plenty of waterfalls and
natural springs adorn the valleys. The flora & fauna of Coorg add to the
beauty of the valley. Most of the land with natural vegetation around the
peak is taken over by Plantation growers and converted to Plantations of
coffee, pepper, cardamom, beetle leaves, and areca nut. The forest
department well maintains the forest range with early burning of weeds and
shrubs, planting trees to re-grow the forest and maintenance of trees.

*Distance*: 290 km from Bangalore

*Route:* Hunsur, Gonikoppa, Virajpet*

*Schedule: *

*15-Oct-2010:** *

- 05:00 AM: leave early morning from a common point in Bangalore.
- Reach the estate before lunch break.
- Hike to the nearby *waterfall* & relax the entire evening.
- *Mafia *around *bonfire *if rain permits.

*16-Oct-2010**: *

- Start for *Tadiyendamol *trek after breakfast,
- *Picnic lunch *atop the hill
- Return to the estate by evening
- Bonfire if rain permits

*17-Oct-2010**: *

- Leave the estate after breakfast,
- Visit *Jungle Gym *- Participate in the desired activities (not
mandatory), Activities include *mountain biking, Rifle shooting, Obstacle
course, paintball *
- Sandwich lunch
- Depart to Bangalore at 4:30 pm, and arrive in Bangalore by late night.
- Door to door drop to the participants

*COST:*

*The cost per head is Rs 3600/- (Rs Three Thousand Six Hundred only for
three days) includes*
2 Nights stay at the estate, 2 Breakfast, 3 Lunch, 2 Dinner, 6 Coffee/Tea,
Transport between Bangalore & Coorg, local transport to the estate, Guide
Fee, Campfire (if rain permits), Local attraction Entrance Fee, basic
medical kit, activity fee

Does not include any personal expenditure, fee for JUNGLE GYM, non
vegetarian meals, breakfast on the way & dinner on the way back

*Banking *

Bank: Axis Bank

Branch: Banashankari

Account Name: TAG India

Axis Bank Account Number: 102010200008617

Call us to confirm your participation. Please email the Transaction Details
to info@tagindia.net with the subject “Oct 10 – Coorg Holiday – Transaction
Details”

*Things NOT to carry:*

Liquor, narcotic drugs & ego

Best Regards,
TAG INDIA Team
www.tagindia.net

9886162404

HIMACHAL DRIVING HOLIDAY - 2010 By Roopa Sreedhar (9886162404)

2010-08-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

© TAG INDIA www.tagindia.net

HIMACHAL DRIVING HOLIDAY - 2010 By Roopa Sreedhar (9886162404)

Participant Interest Form @ http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEVXQjRFZ1ZRV3lwLU9SYVVMajkwb2c6MA#gid=0

28 August 2010: 5:30 pm @ 36, Chandralok, Janpath, Delhi. The night journey to Manali in a semi sleeper. Simple Dinner awaits at Karnal. We hope to reach Manali by 10 am the next day. Here begins one of the most exotic journeys of India.

29-August-2010: We arrive at Manali by 10 am if there are no delays. After a sumptuous breakfast, we check in into the hotel booked for the day. A day tour of Manali takes us to the famous HADIMBA temple; allow us to stroll in the local markets and lose ourselves in the magic of this small hill town. We can capture in our memory the experience of eating local dish Shidu.

30-August-2010: We leave Manali to move southward. Indulge in a short trek up to Banjar fort on the way, visit Sojha & cross Jalori Pass to reach picturesque Gushaini by dawn.

31-August-2010: Relax at Gushaini.

1-Sep-2010: After a much needed break at Gushaini, we leave very early in the morning towards Manali for a very quick lunch. We move ahead to Keylong for night halt. We cross the Rohtang Pass, visit Beas Kund, the origin of mighty river Beas. Driving on the edge of the cliffs that overlook the fierce Bagha & meandering Chandra rivers, we reach Keylong.

State: Himachal Pradesh
Distt: Lahaul & Spiti
Destination: Kaza
Climate: Extremely cold during winter and difficult to approach, temperature drops well below even -20 degrees, cold during summer. Rainfall is almost zero and Heavy Woolens both in Summer Winter.
Altitude: Kaza is situated at an altitude of about 4,270 meters.
Best time to visit: Mid-June to Late October.

2-Sep-2010: We leave from Keylong & explore Kardang, Tayar & Guru Ghantal Monasteries. Rangrik, with the view of Key Monastery perched on high cliffs, is our destination. Barren mountains & desert like ambiance yet cold and comfortable, not to be found in any other part of the world.

3-Sep-2010: Time to explore the Spiti Valley, Key Monastery, Kibber Village, highest village in the world which is connected by motor-able road, Dhankar with an ancient fort and an 800-year-old Dhankar Monastery.

4-Sep-2010: Pin Valley

5-Sep-2010: Tabo Kaza Nako :At nearly 10,000 feet, Nako is like a green oasis in Spiti's high altitude desert. Kungri: Spiti's second oldest monastery is located in the Pin valley 45 kms from Tabo. The Kungri gompa was built around 1330 AD. Dhankar

6-Sep-2010: Chandratal: Chandertaal is situated at an altitude of about 4,270 meters. Camping next to this lake is one of the most beautiful experiences of the holiday. The sky is so clear that we can see the Milky way galaxy and zillions of stars shining down upon us.

7-Sep-2010: Back to Manali by Lunch gives us the whole evening to rest and get ready for the long journey ahead the next day.

8-Sep-2010: On the way to Dharamashala.

9-Sep-2010: Spend first half of the day soaking in the sights of Dharamshala, we pay homage to Dalai Lama. Post lunch we leave for Jammu. Arrive at Jammu by dinner time. The next day, we are to leave the embrace of Himalayas. Time to reflect upon the nature and our connection to our surroundings.

10-Sep-2010: Adios to all amigos! A sigh of contentment of having been in paradise once. When Buddha beckons & Himalayas call, how can one resist? Am sure we will come back again & again & again.........

If you are interested in joining us do fill up the Participant Interest Form @ http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEVXQjRFZ1ZRV3lwLU9SYVVMajkwb2c6MA#gid=0

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
roopa.sreedhar@tagindia.net

9886162404

Flash flood in Leh! Are you kidding me??? by GIRIDHAR B G

2010-08-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Just saw the news that Leh had flash flood due to cloud bursts yesterday. Around 60 people have been killed and more missing! My first thought was.. "you must be kidding me" and I will explain why I thought so in detail below.

Read news details on the flood at: Flash floods kill 59 in Leh, more missing

Leh (Ladakh region) has a cold desert climate with 90mm rainfall/per year only. How is a desert area getting flooded out of the blue (quite literally speaking)? You may want to attribute this to global warming, but the theory of global warming itself is a big fallacy as I had documented in one of my previous blogs.

I have personally traveled to Leh couple of times (read my blog with photos on Leh trip), and this is a mountain desert! The sources of water are glaciers melting and becoming rivulets. The mighty rivers include Indus and Zanskar that are completely fed by the glaciers and they melt due to the warmer conditions in Leh.

Curiously though, our neighbor China, who shares a border with Ladakh region, has been using cloud seeding techniques to create artificial rainfall to ease drought conditions in their southern region. Watch a Chinese news broadcast on the same topic.

The science of making artificial rain is now a reality. China used this technology quite heavily in Beijing during Olympics & to reduce pollution as well. Technology can easily become another commercially viable operation or even a military one used to spread havoc on a country's economy. Send fighter planes to drop these heavy particles into regions and trigger flash floods. If you still think I am talking science fiction watch this video on how this technology is being harnessed on regular basis: Humans make Rain

Could this technology be the cause of flooding at Leh? Is some one using this latest invention as another form of attack on the J&K state, which is already struggling in Kashmir on terrorism & civil unrest? Ladakh is the most stable region in J&K with strong military presence to guard our borders. It is also one of the main conduits for food and other supplies to the entire region and a major tourist destination. Most of the people are peace loving and all regions get along fine here. Many Tibetan migrants have found peace and solace establishing their homes here. It is not easy to instigate the people here unlike in the Kashmir valley. Leh is an integral part of India and the only way to destabilize this region is by using natural calamities. I am praying this is not the case and that this is once in a blue moon freak accident.

With the modern discoveries, intelligence communities of nations have to also upgrade their knowledge on how these could be used as potential weapons of mass destruction. Our ancient stories talked about man messing with the weather causing wide scale floods and destroying much of humanity. Vishnu's first avatar as a fish documents this in detail and resembles Noah's ark story quite closely. This is also documented by the Sumerian scriptures which predate the Bible by at least 4000 years and are probably one of the oldest surviving written scripts of mankind. Mankind with its selfish interest can bring upon itself a self destructive force which may not be controllable in the long run.

Don't mess with mother nature, her slight shrug can send continents crashing. You have been warned again.

Giridhar B G

Dream Route: Mangalore to Bangalore - Train Journey by JAGANNATH DAS C R

2010-08-04T11:08:00.001-07:00

Mangalooru Bengalooru Train Journey By JAGANNATH DAS

Participants: Jagan, Vijay, Phani, Gopi, Vaishu

It was 8.40 AM. Train started for Bengalooru from the Mangalore junction, situated barely 36 feet above the sea level. It was dream route to travel & the dream came true on 22 September for us. As usual, we cousins, Jagan, Vijay, Phani, Gopi, Vaishu, booked seats well in advance. The journey started through the plains. The train started ascending slowly in the hilly region and we crossed low lying hills, few curves, areca nut and coconut plantations and small rivers. Some of the stations that we passed on the way were Buntwal, Kabaka & Puttur. Near Panemangalur, the train crossed the Nethravathi River via a high placed, long bridge. The train reached Subramanya road at 10.40 AM, a mid-sized station surrounded by lofty hills. Here, the train was at 380 feet above sea level. Two more Diesel WDC Locomotives were added to back end. This was to help push the train in ascending Ghat section; the switch took well over 20 minutes. The 3 stations in the Ghats were for rail crossing. We saw glimpses of the superb Kumara Parvatha peak, standing 5624ft tall.

Train started at 11.00 Am, slowly picking the speed & entering dense green deciduous Forests. The train traveled at a very slow speed of 20-25 KMPH. We preceded further, more tunnels, curves; dense forest covered the line clinging to the ledges on the hillside. NH 48 was barely visible as a thin line from the track. As we entered a tunnel, everyone in train started enjoying the darkness, making their own sounds, whistling, everyone expressed their happiness in their own way. It was a memorable moment. We passed through a series of short tunnels and bridges. One of them fairly tall at 125 feet, built on a gentle curve. After almost an hour of roller coaster ride we reached Yedakumari. A forlorn, awesome wayside old station built on a rocky ledge with 2 tracks for trains to cross. We were on a high hill, unfortunately train stopped for only few seconds at this station. The travel was slow, meandering, on the curves of the delicate looking bridge. Kumaradhara River and one of its tributary passed along the track at many places. Train ascended steadily through a series of loops after Yedakumari, reaching Donigal, a small wayside station closer to highway. The journey was now through the tropical forests of the Sahyadri Hills, away from civilization. It took nearly 3 hours to complete excursion of the Ghats. By this time we had traveled through 57 Tunnels.

Total length of tunnels - 10.98 kms.
Longest tunnel - 578 mts.
Bridges 670
Major – 91, Minor – 549,
Road over bridges – 16,
Road under bridges – 12
Curves 110
80 - 85 Numbers,
30 to 50 - 25 Numbers.

A splendid engineering, every curve or bridge technically designed to ensure safety! Hats off to INDIAN RAILWAYS for implementing the structure, risking their lives at the height of 3000 feet above ground! It would certainly not be an easy task to accomplish such a route, where one could expect heavy rainfall, landslides etc. Walls had been constructed to avoid landslides in select places, heavy size rocks had been placed and covered by iron mesh to hold them together. Drainage system had been constructed all the way along both the sides of the track, for easy flow of rain water. Rain water was directed towards nearby streams or rivers. Inspection Trolleys were deputed before every train journey. Train Track in one of the most difficult terrains of Sahyadri, Subramanya and Sakleshpura, provided an easy access to the west coast. Most passengers were mesmerized by the passing scenery. They were sitting near the open door of the train.

We reached Sakleshpura station around 2.05 PM; situated at 3100 feet. At this station, the two additional engines were detached; train left for Bengalooru via Hassan. At Arsikere, the train changed the direction, shunting process took place. Every passenger could feel the Push and pull process in the journey. We reached Bengalooru at 8 00 pm, thus ending one the most beautiful rain journeys.

Hope many rail fans, Nature lovers will travel in this delightful route and have a breathtaking ride!

Embarrassing Moment: Some of passengers throw water bottles, plastic covers, food waste outside into rivers, forest, streams. They write their names on tunnels, bridges, spitting etc. which is really bad. I really don’t understand why people behave in such insensitive manner. According to me ,”We have every right to enjoy the nature ….but…. we don’t have the right to pollute it “, With these Lines I request all of you to take a step forward to save Nature and its purity, implement it and forward it to all.

Best Regards,
Jagannath Das C R

Why should we travel to J&K?

2010-08-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

© TAG INDIA www.tagindia.net

Dear friends,

You might be aware of the situation in J&K if you are following the news. The first thought to come into your mind could be a negative one! You could be doubtful about your travel plan and consider changing them or postponing until the situation is stable. For a first time traveler to J&K, this would definitely be the case.

The state of Jammu & Kashmir is divided into three major regions that follow three major religions & their sentiments, viz., (Jammu)Hinduism, (Kashmir) Islam & (Ladakh) Buddhism. Each of them thinks of themselves as a kingdom with a capital.

The city of Jammu is the capital of Jammu region. Jammu remains predominantly a Punjabi cultured region. It feels like being in 'safe Delhi' when we are in Jammu. The buildings, architecture, shops, temples, Gods, roads, people, and language; everything about Jammu is familiar & close to heart. All through the year, thousands of pilgrims travel to Jammu to pay homage to Mata Vaishno Devi.

Kashmir, bordering Pakistan & POK, has Srinagar for its capital. Most infiltrations of anti-social elements happen at the Kashmir border of India & hence lead to most unstable situations. Kashmir for its heavenly beauty was once called Paradise on earth. Today, it is in a state of war.
Last year, we had a great time staying in one of the floating palaces on Dal Lake. There were many tourists in Srinagar.

Ladakh is the most peaceful region in the whole of India, with Leh as it capital. No wonder, the Last tribe of Aryans, the Drokpa tribe, survives with other ancient tribes & cultures in Ladakh. No one can beat Ladakhis at their goodness. Principles of Buddha & India are truly followed here. Ladakh is bordered by peaceful Himachal Pradesh, Tibet & Kashmir. The stretch between Drass & Sonamarg is the one that travelers watch out for. So long as we are in Ladakh, we will enjoy the holiday of a lifetime without watching our backs.

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
9886162404

Champaka Dhama in Bangalore by Roopa Sreedhar

2010-08-02T05:26:00.000-07:00

© TAG INDIA www.tagindia.net

Wondering where Champaka Dhama is? Don't go too far, its right here in Bangalore's backyard.

The hillock near the entrance of Bannerghata National Park is called Champaka Dhama. There is a 600 year old temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara & Godess Mahalakshmi. Here, the Lord is also known by the name Champaka Dhama Swamy. Less than a hundred steps lead to the top of the small hillock & yet another temple dedicated to Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy.

Clubbing with a safari in Bannerghatta National Park, this hillock makes a lovely picnic spot well within Bangalore city.

Archana took Smitha & I to Champaka Dhama as a surprise outing. Archana was obviously feeling too religious & spent a lot of time speaking silently to all the available Gods at the temple. I was not particularly spiritual after our visit to Sneha Sadan orphanage before landing at the temple. Smitha lingered behind while waiting with patience for Archana to finish her meeting. We interrupted Archana's rendezvous with CD Swamy & took the fifty odd steps to the top of the hill for an evening walk. We enjoyed a pleasant evening here with a cool breeze blowing our way & clear view of south Bangalore & Bannerghatta National Park.

I realize that it is good to have temples on top of hillocks. The stone quarrying Mafia will at least spare these rocks in the name of religion. The speed at which quarrying is happening around Bangalore, Kolar, Tekal, Mysore, Ramanagaram & Hunsmaranahalli, our district & the surrounding ones will be flat lands in a matter of years. Too much destruction of nature in too short a time!

Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar

From Leh to Kargil in a day by Roopa Sreedhar

2010-08-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

© TAG INDIA www.tagindia.net

On my journey to Kargil

I have lost count of the villages, towns, cities I have visited in all my travels & treks in India. Everywhere I went I felt at home & safe. I felt the vibes that I feel in my own city. I never felt out of place or my mind disturbed any time, whether it was trekking in deep jungles of Uttarkhand while on Har-ki-dun trek, or getting lost in Zanskar, even Srinagar with all its turbulence couldn’t shake my equilibrium. But Kargil was definitely a different story. Kargil is one of the most eerie places I have been to in all my travels in India.

We left Leh in the morning, spent some time at the beautiful Spituk Monastery. This one, with a Kali temple, was just on the outskirts of Leh & gave us a fantastic view of the city. After taking a bow at Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, we indulged in the famous experiment on the Magnetic stretch of the Magnetic Hill. Our vehicles were moving magically even when turned off, with an invisible force pulling them. Our next stop was a lovely break at the confluence of Indus & Zanskar rivers. The light brown of Indus merged with Green of Zanskar to flow as lighter shade of Gray with many names all the way & beyond Kargil.

Momos at the Tibetan restaurant at the quaint village of Nimmo were some of the best we had had. The landscape changed radically after Nimmo. We stopped by a fruit orchard, Giri helped us picked some apples, apricots & Leh berries. We felt we were in some ancient villages & ruins. Some views looked like scenes from Chinese movies of Himalayas. From bright sunshine, it felt like entering a cold gray zone. The other vehicle had moved ahead of us & we had a lot to catch up. We hurried behind them enjoying the lovely weather, barren landscape & snowcaped peaks staring at us.

Next on our list was the gracefully located Klu_Khil or Likir Monastery. The might golden statue of Buddha was most impressive. The buildings homing the monasteries looked the same every where, beautifully built on Tibetan Architecture, they looked like replicas of Tibetan palaces. Young monks were coming out from their school. Many small creeks of ice cold water supplied fresh water to the monastery.

We traversed our vehicles towards the ancient village of Alchi, set in the Indus valley. The narrow alleys to the temple had many walnut trees adorning the courtyards. This place was home to 2nd century temples of Buddha. The delicate yet surviving structure was very special. Their inner walls and ceilings were wonderful collages of ancient frescoes & paintings, kaleidoscope of bright colors made of vegetable & mineral dyes. Gardens with many flowering shrubs added color to this otherwise barren portrait. Most impressive were the various statues of Buddha in different colors and poses, placed to see 4 directions. We had lunch at Alchi in an apple orchard under the apple trees. This is one of our most memorable lunches. The hotel staff permitted us to pick some apples & we filled our bags with apples to last the entire trip. Gushing Indus making many high grade Rapids & milky froth tempted us to indulge in White water rafting!

We then set of to the most beautiful landscapes of Ladakh, often referred to as ‘the moonscape’ & the legendary Lamayuru Monastery. The serpentine curves leading to this place made a thrilling drive. We were sticking to our seats wishing for seat belts and gritting our teeth, and praying for a safe passage. This seemed to be a very dangerous drive up hill. The construction of Bridges by HIMANK & moving trucks only added to the thrill & scare.

Looking at the moonscapes was a very satisfying experience. This was like icing on black-forest cake. We felt very lucky to have done something that many just thought of. The cave where Naropa meditated in 4th century was hidden behind the camouflage of a book shelf in the monastery. The kind monk opened it up for us and told us the interesting story behind the legend.

Tea break at the hotel & lodging facility in the small town of Lamayuru had our energies rejuvenated. Bathrooms were bad. But atleast we knew that it would be easy to find accommodation in this village.

It was nearing 5 in the evening & we were in a hurry to reach Kargil before dark. We left Lamayuru & moved ahead. The sunset in the backdrop of monastery was picturesque. We were tired by the long drive. The moon was already up in the sky. Everytime we saw lights in the valley, as the vehicle went up the hills, we would wonder if that was Kargil our destination; disappointed, when we passed towns that were not Kargil. In quest for directions our driver stopped us in front of yet another monastery. It was already 8 on the watch. I got to know that this was Mulbek & the monastery had the 21 ft 2nd century Maitreya Buddha or Chamba of the Bamiyan style. This idol was so huge, that it was difficult to capture it with our lens. This was one of the few Bamiyan Buddhas left on earth after Taliban destroyed the ancient statues in Afghanistan in 2001.

Although we were all mighty tired, I urged the group to see the Bamiyan Buddha. There was only one monk serving in here. He permitted us to stay at the monastery if we needed a night halt. We thanked him & set on our journey to Kargil. We reached Kargil by 10 pm, found our hotel.

The air was different. The ambiance in the hotel was different. The way food was served was different. TV in the hotel played Al Zajeera Channel. May be it was just my mind playing up because of the blooded history & media hype. Whatever it was, with an uncanny feeling in my heart, I settled for the night in Kargil.

Next morning, we left our hotel to find Khadim. Khadim was the owner of a fleet of vehicles in Kargil. We hired TATA Winger, a 10 seater for our journey to Zanskar. After procuring the permission letters from JKTDC, we set on our way to reach Parakchik by night.

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
9886162404

© TAG INDIA www.tagindia.net

Confessions of a lonely woman traveler from India by RESHMI GUHA

2010-07-30T02:12:00.000-07:00

Confessions of a lonely woman traveler from India
by RESHMI GUHA

The most common question I come across is: Being a woman why do you travel alone? Isn’t it risky? It’s India. It’s not safe for a woman to travel alone.

It’s something that even I ask myself once I am back at home. I can’t afford to ask this question to myself when I am traveling. The reason being is that, it will make me too tensed and cautious. If I think about the challenges, then in a way it will act as my own hindrance. And no way am I going to allow that. I won’t stand in front of a bullet but I won’t limit my steps and my inner self just because I am a woman - known as the weaker sex. (Whoever said that needs to be put through the delivery pain during childbirth).

So far I have traveled only within India Each place has its own challenges and survival tactics. It’s not scary however it’s a different survival strategy altogether.

There are few ground rules I follow. I choose my clothes sensibly and my attitude carefully. And did I say that I modify accordingly as well? Before going anywhere I do a quick homework about the religiosity of the local people and the sentiments. At times, I have consciously avoided wearing jeans, Capri i.e. anything that shows even a glimpse of my skin. I also study extensively the road maps and alternative routes along with the history and cuisine of the place.

India is no Taliban land but there are places which are still proud of its conservative ethos. They value their traditions and in a way stay apprehensive and skeptic towards anything that is outside the known cultural pattern. This is also a kind of sexually repressed country so no cleavage shows to invite any lurking demon or ogling eyes.

All these hold true more due to the fact that I travel to off-beat destinations. These places are not haunted by tourist crowd so they remain submerged in their own sweet world.
And I try not to invite trouble by being a maverick. The entire idea is to get the place under my skin and feel in its own essence. This is in its own right requires me to be one among them rather than an alien despot.

I often have people trying to be nosy and extra friendly. This in a way irritates me and invades my privacy. I meet them and pretend not to understand the language. I also don’t travel till late at night nor do I wander lonely on unknown roads after dark. I particularly prefer to stay in a good hotel because I really don’t want any peeping Tom or anyone banging my door middle of the night.

Yes I do get those frowns and strange looks from people. The most awkward is when I walk in to a roadside food shack to eat my lunch and get invited with what-the-hell-is-this-woman-doing-here kind of a look. I immediately wear my nonchalant face with a mental blanket wrapped around me.

Being a tourist hopping through the well known cities or tourist spots with a copy of Lonely Planet in your hand is easy. But being a traveler with an insatiable quest for the unknown and unseen is tough and in its own way rewarding. Yes I have challenges. But then again what are my choices? Behind me I have the four walls and its known good security calling me and in front of me I have the entire meadow of unknown world welcoming me.
I choose the less chosen and less traveled one.

Regards
Reshmi

Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone. - The Dhammapada

Rescued by Indian Army @ Drang Drung Glacier - Sep 2009 by Roopa Sreedhar

2010-07-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

© TAG INDIA www.tagindia.net

Rescued by Indian Army @ Drang Drung Glacier, Zanskar - Sep 2009 by Roopa Sreedhar

It was another glorious day of our 18 day itinerary. We were traversing in the Kargil to Padum circuit. After visiting the Bhutanese Bardan Gompa in the famous dark valley, we got back to JKTDC guest house in Padum. Craving for South Indian food had us taking over the kitchen. Pulav, Raita & yummy Puliogare adorned our brunch table. We also packed the food for the way.

As we were approaching the best view of this journey, the 22km long Drang Drung Glacier, the tyre of our TATA WINGER burst. Khadim, our driver changed the tyre. We had gone up only a few km when we felt the wobble again. To our shock, two other tyres had punctured.

The milestone we read a few minutes ago had said 3 kms. It was only 4 in the evening. We could see the Rangdum Gompa set on a hilltop faraway. But since we could see it, it did not seem to be so far away to us. We thought we could walk to Rangdum's JKTDC Guest house. So we told Khadim to get the vehicle repaired and come back for us. Or send another vehicle to pick us up. We picked up our food pack, fruits, jackets, sleeping bags, water and set on foot.

We had just walked a few steps and saw the milestone 24 km. Oooooooops! Oh My God, We had missed out a 'Zero' next to 'Three' in '30 kms'!!!!! What next???? Trepidation??? It would become dark soon. Suru river flowed silently yet speaking volumes. Our minds were equally active with unasked questions! Would we reach the next village before the light disappeared? Would Khadim come back to get us? Would we find a pickup? Would someone give us a lift? Would the God appear from behind the hills? Oh Buddha, could you hear our prayers? And on a practical note.. Would we have to sleep under some stones? Rahul had slept under a stone during his course with HIM. If he could, we could do that too in dire situation.

Far away from the horizon, we saw a cloud of dust, a glimmer of hope. The cloud of dust grew bigger & bigger as the minutes passed but did not disappear from our vision. A truck emerged in front of us. We offered a lot of money to the driver and asked him to give us a lift to Guest house. But the truck was going in the opposite direction towards Padum. He said ' what will I do with money that won't buy me anything in this isolation? Keep it!' WOW. There are something money can't buy, indeed!

We started walking again contemplating, introspecting, discussing, enjoying the scenery.
Far away, I thought I saw some houses. But the scene vanished from my vision soon & I thought I was hallucinating. Is this how it felt when mind played games? Gompa stayed wherever it was perched, tempting us to conquer it just as any peak would do.

Another cloud formed in the horizon. An army truck came out of the dust. We were hoping for a miracle. The truck passed us and went ahead. Just as we were entering into a mood of disappointment, the truck took a U-Turn and came to a stop next to us. Khadim got off the Army truck with two army men. The first thing Khadim had done was go to the nearest army camp and convince the Indian Army to pick us up. A miracle had happened!

The army men, Jogender Singh from Jammu & Hardiyal Sharma from MP dropped us to Rangdum Guest House, opened it up, ordered hot food for us from the only hotel. They told the few villagers to take good care of us & took our leave.

Khadim left for Kargil very early next morning. He came back by noon with another vehicle and spare tyres. Army men came back in time to say goodbye to us. As we went to thank Sherdeen, and give him a tip, he asked us to give him the sachets of Coffee (Nescafe) we had taken with us. He wanted to save them for any future traveler who visited him.

The honesty, bravery, selflessness and goodness of the people here touched our heart :) We met some of the best people on this trip. The time we spent in this valley is the most memorable time of the whole trip. Mesmerizing views of Nun & Kun staring down at the small village surrounded by natural fortress of green hillocks. The only hotel of the village managed by 50 year of Sherdeen. As soon as I close my eyes and think about Himalayas, I am transported to Valley of Suru at Rangdum.

Zillion Thanks to Khadim & the Indian Army!

The best way to travel in Himalayas is to take it slow & easy & let the beauty of Himalayas touch our soul like a soothing balm.

Photos @ http://picasaweb.google.com/tagindiateam/LadakhTrip2009ZanskarValleyDay12Day13#
&
http://picasaweb.google.com/tagindiateam/LadakhTrip2009ParachikSuruValleyRangdumDay11#

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar

Reclaim Bengaluru.. but how?

2010-07-18T22:20:00.000-07:00

© TAG INDIA www.tagindia.net

We doth protest too much. This is more of a "Frog in Boiling water" story. The tree felling has been happening since 1980's when some of the first major roads of Bangalore were built. Protests were not seen then. The impact of this would be seen after 20 years.... The lukewarm water then is now at a boiling point & all the frogs (especially the next generation) want a radical change! (No offense meant to anyone)

It is the same politicians running the show now, that were there before. They have been in this business for many decades. It is the consequence of their choices and decisions then, that we live with today.

When numerous BDA layouts, private layouts, electronic city road, hosur road, bannerghatta road, Sarjapur road, West of cord road, Yeshwanthpur flyover, Hebbal fly over, inner & outer ring roads, peripheral roads, etc etc roads were being formed & constructed, thousands of century old trees saw the axe. We ate into the hillock around our valley city. We ate into the elephant corridor & national park.

The major damage was done. If the government or the people had then taken responsibility of simultaneously replenishing for green cover: "for every tree cut, may two sapling be planted;" we wouldn't have landed into this trouble now.

If the lakes were not converted into layouts, we would not be in this trouble now.
Most of us were mere kids in the cradle then. So should we go back to our parents and ask them why they did not take the corrective steps?

Our lakes are encroached, and we can't even take them back.

Our lakes & water sources are polluted, & we can't even clean them. But we have enough patience to suffer water shortage & deplete existing water source by digging more bore wells. Are we laying a foundation of problems for our future generations?

We are building new roads yes. Is this to resolve the immediate problem & traffic situation. Are we building new roads keeping a future situation ahead of years in mind?

Are new layouts really required? Why is the area around new airport being developed into plots and sold away? All the forest land is gone to the greed of real estate? Do we really need 5 plots, and apartments in every corner of the city? This is also for the people (s/w engineers from other parts iof the country) who have bought two three four apartments only to rent out. Each house has multiple vehicles. Wife drives a car and a husband drives another. There are at least 2 scooters per home. Other than replenishing our homes, we cannot think of anything constructive.

We are people with more money than we need and do not know what to do. Small minds small pictures. Big minds big pictures. What we are good at is making an issue about dividing the country into smaller pieces and driving people out of the states they are not born to. Owning up to responsibility comes to very few people. We are just another contributing factor to Global warming.

No Lakes -> No water storage -> No water
No Trees -> No shade -> No oxygen -> high temperature -> Bad weather -> Bad health -> Asthma, Dust Allergy,
No open space -> helpless children -> helpless old people
More people -> More money -> more homes -> more requirements ->
More vehicles -> more airplanes -> more trash -> more pollution -> More accidents -> More crime

How many of us join protest marches? how many of us join the sapling planting programs that very few NGO's are involved in, how many of us want to get involved directly in lake cleaning activities?

Yes, roads are required! With better planning, moving the clock backwards and with in next 10 years replenishing the green cover, reclaiming & cleaning lakes, have better roads, underground metro & we can resolve most of our issues.
It definitely is ACTION time to RECLAIM BANGALORE! Time to be stubborn & influence the government to change the rules of the game. It requires many gallons of cool water, to reduce the temperature of boiling water to save the frogs. Work will get done only we show up and soil our hands.

But we, the frogs, are playing the games with same stakes. Our next generation frogs will take the brunt of our choices and lifestyles and want yet another radical change. But then the time cannot be turned back. Superficially, we are saying all the right words & acting the wrong way.

Roopa Sreedhar
9886162404

© TAG INDIA www.tagindia.net

PLANNING A 3D/2N HOLIDAY IN LANGKAWI, Malaysia by ROOPA SREEDHAR

2010-07-18T11:24:00.001-07:00

© TAG INDIA www.tagindia.net

PLANNING A 3D/2N HOLIDAY IN LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA

Trip: 3D/2N
Approximate cost of the trip per head from KL = INR 9000/- (From Kuala Lumpur & Back)
Cost Includes; Airfare from KL & back(Air Asia), Car rental, fuel, Class B Hotel Accommodation for 2 days (3D/2N), Local Attraction & event fee, food
Room required for 2D

DAY 1

1. Book a hotel online before you land @ Langkawi to avoid wasting time on looking for a good place. Choose Pentai Cenang (beach) or Kedah (town).
2. Rush to the car rental counter at the airport as soon as you land & hire an AC Car (60RM to 120RM) before all the cars are gone. Move to information counter, pick up the map & information brochures.
3. Fill up fuel on the way (RM 30). Go to the hotel, drop your stuff. Book yourself on the island hopping trip for the noon. Pay in advance & collect your receipt. The trip starts at sharp 2pm. If you are not there, they'll leave you & go. (RM 25 to RM 30)
Also book yourself for the next day's Mangrove tour for the first half of the morning. (RM 100 to RM 120)
4. Leave for Cable car immediately. Complete cable car by 12 & get your lunch. Don't waste time lingering in the restaurants.
5. Get back to the hotel before 2:00 pm and go on the lovely Island hopping trip.
6. Enjoy the evening in the brightly lit night markets & a Goa like ambiance.
7. Retire early & sleep well!

DAY 2

1. Pick up for Mangrove tour arrives at 8:30. You can drive your car behind the pickup. It would be better to do so, as you can start exploring the town soon after you complete the Mangrove tour. Otherwise, you will be traveling back and forth on the same roads.
2. Wake up early, get your breakfast. Talk to the pickup car driver & follow the pickup car to reach the Mangrove tour commence point. Get on the tour. Lunch will be served on the floating restaurant. You will be done with the lovely tour by 3pm.
3. Pick your car & drive to the wild life & bird park, that is 10 minute drive from the Mangrove tour starting point towards Kedah town. (RM15 to RM20)
4. On the way to Kedah, you will see the only Indian temple of Langkawi. You may visit if you want to. (SKIP)
5. Visit Kedah town. Go to the Quay & Eagle Bay. Enjoy the beautiful sunset.
6. You can have dinner at Kedah or drive back to Pentai Cenang for dinner at any of the numerous restaurants. You can choose from Indian, french, Italian, continental, Malay, Lebanese, Chinese & American food. No dearth of choice here. (RM25)
7. Be tempted in the night market for books, trinkets, gift shops massage treatments etc. Retire for the night.

OR

8. Hop on a sunset cruise, party the night on the Sea. You can even charter a yatch for the night.

P.S. If you are short on time, you can leave by the night flight & make it a 2D/1N holiday. You would have indulged in the best of the activities.

DAY 3

1. Wake up early & have an Early breakfast. (RM20)
2. Drive towards crocodile park & reach there before 9 am to see the crocodile show. There are only 2 shows in a day. (RM20)
3. Get back to the hotel; freshen up & check out by lunch time.
4. Visit the under water world (it takes a long time to complete this)
OR
5. Visit Burnt rice village
7. Visit Maharusi tomb & Museum
8. Visit Snake Park
9. You can drive up to Kedah in day light, see the eagle.
10. Drive to the airport, deposit the car, collect the car rental advance.
11. Board the flight & reach KL by 10:30pm

OR
Drive to Penang Island. Spend 2 Days in Penang. Fly out to KL or take a bus to KL.

Travel duration KL to Penang
Flight - 50mns to 1 hr (RM 200)
Bus - Approximately 6 hrs (RM 35)

LANGKAWI has a serene, laid back ambiance. Penang is very close to Langkawi. It is a very good option to club Langkawi & Penang in a 5D/4N holiday package.

Air Asia flies from Bangalore to Penang also.

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
9886162404

© TAG INDIA www.tagindia.net

Cost & Travel details of Ladakh Driving Holiday - Aug/Sep 2010

2010-07-11T00:55:00.000-07:00

PARTICIPANT INTEREST FORM Please fill up the form in the below link

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEVXQjRFZ1ZRV3lwLU9SYVVMajkwb2c6MA#gid=0

Best Regards,
TAG INDIA TEAM
9886162404

TREK TO VALLEY OF FLOWERS - 20 August 2010 to 31 August 2010

2010-07-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

TREK TO VALLEY OF FLOWERS

Date: August 20th - 31st (aug24th).

6 Working days + 1 holidays + 2 weekends = 11 days !!!

Fly back save days !!!

Altitudes: 3000-4000+metres !!!
Trekk route: total 56km !!!
level: Moderate +

Trek itinerary

Aug 20: Day 0 Fly to delhi and take late night train to Haridwar !

Aug 21: Day 1 Haridwar Stay

Aug 22: Day 2 Morning Bus journey to Gupt Kashi / Gaurikund Stay (214 kms)

Aug 23: Day 3 Trek To Kedarnath and stay (14 kms)

Aug 24 & 25 :Day 4&5 Kedarnath - Gaurikund - Joshimath - Badrinath Stay
(14km down trek,~200 km by road, Have put one extra day here...lets see !!! :))

Aug 26: Day 6 Early morning to Govind Ghat, Trek Ghangaria(13kms/4hr Trek) and stay

Aug 27: Day 7 Trek to vof-ghangaria (3km trekk each side)

Aug 28: Day 8 Trek to hemkund - ghangaria (5.5 km trek each side)

Aug 29: Day 9 Trek to govind ghat - rishikesh Stay (13km trek and ~270 kms by road)

Aug 30: Day 10 Night to Delhi by train.

Aug 31: Day 11 bangalore (fly or by rail individual choice !!!)

PS: Night traffic is allowed after Haridwar/Rishikesh. All the journeys must conclude during the day.

Estimate:

Flight charges if booked now : INR 6500 (Any Indian City - Delhi - Any Indian City)
Train to/from Delhi/Haridwar : INR 350
Travel between Haridwar-Rishikesh-Kedar-Haridwar = ~1250
Accommodation (Budget): max 300 per day = 3000
Food: 250 per day = 2500

Total ~= 13600/- per head !!!

Best Regards,
Harilal

Contact
TAG INDIA TEAM
9886162404

GOING BANANAS? WOW

2010-07-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression "going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator! !!
This is interesting.
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power.. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking.... The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal..

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels.. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack..

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

MoonLight Beach Trek - Gokarna by Chandrika G Rao

2010-07-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

MoonLight Beach Trek - Gokarna, Om Beach

On Friday 14October 2005 one of my most awaited dreams was coming true ……… sitting on the sands of beach … rather sands of time and dream…………..

The team left for Gokarna after we gals had a hot cuppa tea from a street side vendor and the guys ofcourse after their usual round of smoking ( guyz passing around a single cigarette and puffing is a sight to see , what unity ; )

Stopped for dinner at a highway dhaba at about 11.30 pm for the busy bees and the absent minded professors who had missed out on their dinner. The sizzling cup of masala chai in such weather was awesome. though I dint feel it was the best masala chai’s I had ever tasted , our dear friend Aneesh from US also felt that it was not the best chai he had tasted in India & ofcourse he was too generous to tip Rs 50 for a Rs 5 tea. We gave him tips on tipping!

Our long journey continued all night listening to songs, singing and majority of them snoozing.

Got up the next day to the scorching heat at about 10 am, had breakfast at the best restaurant in Malpe after brushing our teeth standing in a queue in front of the hotel’s washbasins. Most of us remembered our good old hostel days. All of us were damn hungry and ordered all kind of yummy dosas and idlis but disappointed to find them too chewy.

Had a small break after breakfast! Some of us went in search of batteries to begin our photo sessions and rain coat so that Aneesh could perform a rain dance. Alas! he was disappointed with neither a rain coat nor hardly any rain to dance.

We continued our journey to reach Gokarna at about 12.30 p.m. Our driver struggled to reach the beach , we tried all the possible routes except the right one (Murphy’s law)

It was frustrating to see such a beautiful and serene beach right in front of us but unable to touch it. At last we landed right in front of heaven, the scenery was awesome and the beach was breathtaking.

All of us enjoyed playing Frisbee, volleyball, and throw ball. I was surprised for the first time in my life, seeing guys not playing their favorite game “CRICKET”. . We enjoyed the beach hitting the highest waves and shouting at the top of our voices. Some of us lay down on the sands of beach relaxing. Some guys were relaxing with rest of them smearing them with wet sand and trying to bury them and having typical GUYZ kind of fun. I was capturing all this on the camera LIVE!

We left the beach totally tired, beyond exhaustion, hungry like hell only to find our bus disappeared. We had to trek for 1.5 hours to find our bus in the town. En-route we could catch a glimpse of the sunset and beautiful landscapes. Guys were busy posing for the cameras to post it on the matrimony sites;)..We wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience nature’s bounty if not for our driver...thanks to him.

We started our moonlight trek at about 9.15 pm, walked about 1 km, only to find by the local’s that we were misguided by another set of locals. Our core committee contacted our driver to bring the bus to the current spot. In the meantime, we had yummy rotis & MTR subzis using MTR cartons as plates and the water used to heat the packs as our finger bowls. All of us hogged like there was no tomorrow. We took some photo session of the moon, the hero of our trek :)

Full tummy, sleepy eyes made us all a bit tired but we were all looking forward to start our trek.

The bus took us to a village called…I don’t remember at 12.20 am. The boatman was generous enough to help us cross the river. My heart went thud thud thud, when the motor of the boat started so much that I could not feel the motion of the boat. What if the boat toppled with 35 of us in it and our Lady Roopa advised me that I shouldn’t be holding the hair or dress of the person who would save me but hold at the back and I would be safe. An excellent tip for all amaetuer swimmers likes me and professional drowners like many ;(

We landed in search of the beach to start our trek flashing different kinds of torches, none of it as strong as the moon. We walked for about half an hour only to reach a dead end, with nowhere to go and dogs barking in the background. I was too scared and concentrated on only dogs barking, I was petrified imagining dogs tearing me to pieces.

We knocked on a door and the master of the house a thorough gentleman was kind enough to guide us. We continued our quest for finding the beach passing through many private fields and ofcourse much to my terror the dogs continued to howl.

Atlast we reached our destination …beach …from where began our journey to reach the destination. It was the most beautiful night with moon playing hide and seek. Sometimes it would be so bright and I could see the moon smiling and the waves calm and soothing...the next moment the moon would become angry and frown and the waves would react with a scary sound. I had a nice chat with Chaitali discussing how beach could be an inanimate object when it could raise such a range of emotions in me.

We finished our moonlight trek @ 4 am, Our journey was so good …. So true … “It’s not the destination that matters but the journey itself “

All of us just flopped down on the shore snoring away to glory only to be awakened by the smell of tea and sandwiches with all kind of fillings ….God knows what….

Courtesy: TAJ WESTEND…OOPS……..Chaitali and Smitha.

We started walking back to Gokarna to visit the temples at 9.30 am smearing lots of sunscreens and ‘Sun Walls’ :)

With all our fresh clothes left in the bus …we gals had to shop (our favorite time pass) for some colorful clothes. Had our bath in the hotel rooms. It was the best feeling of the world having a cold shower after a record time of 48 hours. Cleansing away our dirt to cleanse our souls :)

We visited Ganesh and Shiva temple. Shiva temple being one of a kind in the world called atma linga which was brought by Ravana for his mom.

We had a sumptuous meal at brahmana maha sabha with live commentary about what dish comes next.. ofcourse the menu consisted of only 5 items. I thought what would happen if menu had 30 to 40 items …would they still give a running commentary..just kiddin’

We left for Bangalore @ 2.30 pm Sunday 16 Oct 2005, lucky to experience candle light dinner with heavy rains due to power outage. Had lot of fun singing, dancing and playing dumb charades

Reached Bangalore at 8 am, all of us tensed whether we would make it to the office well on time. We went back with smile on our face, tired bodies, and feelings beyond description…Bidding adieu to each other hoping to meet in the next trek. Thanks Roopa for the amazing outing!

Regards,

Chandrika G Rao

Escapade to Honnemaradu by Raghu Subramaniam

2010-07-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Gar firdaus bar rue zamin ast hamin ast, hamin ast, hamin ast! ("If there be paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here!")

And for sure Honnemaradu is an amateur swimmers paradise and a trekker’s dream.

But the very question that comes to mind where the hell on this earth is honnemaradu. When I was telling my friends that we will go to honnemaradu, Nirmit asked me, Is it Hone LULU?? Do we need a passport to go to this place? And we all burst into laughter. No more laughter’s now, let me throw some light on what exactly is the place we are talking about, honnemaradu is a place that lies in the heart of Western Ghats formed by the backwaters of Linganmakki dam on Sharawati river that Encompasses an estimated area of 350 sq Km. It’s a treat for nature lovers with wide variety of flora and fauna and has some 110 species of endangered species of birds found in the area

Importance: The Dam generates electricity enough to satisfy the needs of 60% of whole Karnataka demand.

Now the question why it’s known as honnemaradu

The myth: Honne (means gold in kanadda) and maradu (maralu means sand) so Golden Sands.

But here I was unusually wrong in figuring out the exact reason

The truth: Honne is a tree that is found in abundance on this soil, that’s why the name.

Now enough of knowledge sharing, let me come to the point why it was chosen to be destined place, honnemaradu is one of the few places in India known for water sport activities that includes coracling, canoeing, kayaking and wind rafting, and everybody of us for a long time was waiting for some adrenalin getting pumped into the blood, after a long, hectic schedule of a blood sucking job. Here we got an ample opportunity to do something rocking and adventurous.

So TAG INDIA decided to go on an escapade to honnemaradu very remote to any slightest form of civilization. An invite was sent to all the people. We got a nod from a lot of people but only the luckiest fellows got a ticket on board;

Lucky people go to heaven and the luckiest ones go to Honnemaradu J.

And 13 people were there overall who beat everybody else in the race to the paradise; Roopa (owner of TAG INDIA), Giridhar, Chetan, Soma, Nirmit, 10 year old Shreya (the die hard kid), Kumar alias KK (the kid’s DAD), Swapnil, Mangla, Chandan, Saurabh, Suresh and last but not the least Raghu (me). We all gathered at the railway station around 11’0 clock to board Shimoga Express on Friday night the 2^nd of May. And we began our journey under the able leadership of Roopa Sreedhar far away from the hustling bustling crowds and irritating noise of the vehicles. After a small gossiping session everybody went to sleep leaving me alone to note down each and every station that falls in the way. There was one more guy who was on his last trip as a bachelor who was wide awake giving detailed reports to his would be ……. Guess who????????? Chetan of course you dumbos. And like a very nice member of the crew I woke them at 6’o clock to pack their luggage. Moved out of the station and caught hold of a bus that drooped us at Sagara, it was a very smooth and nice journey as the road was better than what we find in our own Bengaluru. From there we again boarded a bus to Talaguppa that is nearly 4 km’s from honnemaradu. I wanted to trek to the place but as everybody wanted to conserve their energies for the next 2 days, we hired a cab that took us to a place that was far more beautiful and awe inspiring than what one could imagine; it’s a paradise for sure and nature at its full bloom with bamboo trees about to flower and it’s a treat as the event of bamboo flowering occurs once in 60 years. You see in any direction and will find endless water with so many small islands in between and it feels like the water body is stretched up to eternity.

At honnemaradu we were greeted by Mrs. Nomito who owns and run water activities at the place along with her husband Swami. They also arrange for your food and accommodation. She asked us to get fresh so that we can have our breakfast; I was one of the few along with Suresh and Giridhar who preferred to have our breakfast first as we were feeling really hungry. It was served in an open air theatre where u cannot enter with your slippers on and who did it heard some nice shlokas and words from Nomito. Mrs. Nomito is one of those persons who belong to my cadre, you ask something from me I won’t give a straight forward answer, :D nor will Nomito, and here I was the one who asked the questions.

Me: For how many years you are doing this?

Nomito: My experience is more than your age (that was a googlee)

Me (with a smile on face): So your husband also supports you in your Endeavor, where is he?

Nomito: The guy who served you breakfast, what do you think he is a cook, he’s my husband. (That was a bouncer and was embarrassing).

I was not in a position to ask any more questions, anyways breakfast was over and she asked everybody to make a circle as she had to make some announcements.

Guys and Gals you are in honnemaradu and you have to follow some rules.

Rule no 1: don’t try to break any rule.

Rule no 2: If you are going to break any than go back to rule 1.

Rule no 3: no warnings if you break the rules, just pack your bags up and move out.

It was not as stringent as written but it was for our own safety and enjoyment. After having listened to all the safety rules and norms we were taken on a site tour or a short trek from where we can watch the complete view of the place with all its enormity and liveliness. After that we put on our life jackets and went for a swimming session. We had to go to an island on the other shore and come back swimming. That was too much for an asking but we had a die hard kid Shreya with us just 10 years of age and will power more than a grown up. She was my inspiration all the way; nobody knows it yet; if the kid can do it why cannot I, of course I am not as brave as her, but more than her father:J for sure. Giridhar also helped me a lot by motivating me that I can do it nevertheless broke down a rule as he was shouting. And here was Nomito yelling don’t shout guys. The shores are full of Multani mitti (Multani sand) and all of us had a free facial and body massage with it absolutely free of cost that would have meant fortune expenditure in the city. Now after the grueling session I was feeling so hungry in fact everybody of us that we could eat anything at that time; but too our respite food was waiting for us that contained rice, loads of Sāmbhar and we ate like we hadn’t eaten for ages and there would be no tomorrow again. We were asked to take some rest before being taught how to peddle a coracle. It was great fun and I along with Roopa, Mangla, Swapnil were the winners even though we were stuck on the shore for nearly 5 minutes; courtesy Roopa, who prompty slided on the slippery floor & went underneath the coracle.

It was great fun all the way back. In the evening we had a camping session on an island known as kappe chippu (don’t know why the name, may be because it was in the shape of an unopened sea shell). We took our respective coracles and started our journey towards the island. We reached there with our dinner and all the other necessary equipments. Few of us went out in search of dry logs of wood needed for camp fire and the left over guys started to pitch the tents. We had a great antakshari round around the camp fire and we came to knew Chandan and KK are very nice singers (less than me obvious). We slept in the tents and by the time I woke up guys were playing Frisbee and believe me Chandan can throw it as straight as a jalebee so can Giridhar. We had a choice while returning either we can swim all the way or peddle the coracle; and why not we had brave hearts with us Our own Giridhar and Suresh who swam all the way back, even I wanted to do it but had pulled up my arm muscle so decided to go the other way.

A nice breakfast that consisted of karabath and kesribath was awaiting us and I ate like dinosaurs. Now was the time for diving session we went back to water again of course with our jackets on; Nomito was instructing how to dive from a coracle; she told swapnil that he had to jump in that direction, and that fool was not listening and got up to jump in other direction and rightly so got a slap on the other side :D. By that time I and Roopa had already started diving from the barren tree branches inside the water. Giridhar is a great diver and he was giving lessons to all of us the normal one, the front somersault and the back somersault. I tried my hand in all of them and fell on everything other than my palms, I was hit everywhere and once I wanted to cry aloud but I couldn't cry in front of gals and there was be Nomito yelling Don’t shout, so crying was out of question. Then Nirmit came with totally different monkey style diving technique. Soma was a good swimmer and diver but not Mangla. It was grueling and tiresome but rocking adventure and fun all the way. We came out and had our lunch again, now was the time for a canoeing session and I went with Chetan and made him to row all the way, I envy Nirmit as in his canoe there was a scorpion and he squatted and smashed it with his peddle, last time I killed a scorpion was in my hostel room. Kumar & Saurabh also slaughtered a cockroach in the same canoe, hats off to him.

By the time we came out we were tired like anything but that doesn’t prevent us from venturing inside water once again. Time didn’t allow us to go on a kayaking spree. Nobody wanted to come back from the place but unfortunately we had to. After a closing speech from Nomito we left the place as we had to reach Shimoga before 10’ o clock to catch our train, I was telling stories to Mangla, Nirmit , Chetan and Suresh about how I helped dubey and parvesh saini in college to get their true love :D. I am so nice u know.

We reached station at 9.45 Sunday the 4^th of may, the train was late by an hour or so and by the time we had a great dinner thanks to Giridhar and Kumar. As soon as the train left we all slept and reached our respective destinations in the morning.

All good things come to an end but sometimes good things are the foundations for a new beginning

Regards

Raghu

Paintings of HIMALAYAS by DEEPA SARWATE

2010-06-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Painting of heaven BY DEEPA SARWATE

Paintings by Deepa Sarwate
Photography by Giridhar B G

A Glance from Baralacha La pass to gaze at these mesmerizing white giants.

View of Snow Caped Peaks, a window of Spiti Valley

Barren hills & the valley after Rohtang Pass

Best Regards,
TAG INDIA TEAM

How do I find my lost dog in Bangalore? By Abhinav

2010-06-28T04:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
We need your help!

Area from where Dog went missing: R.T.Nagar
Date: 22-June-2010

We have lost our 8 month old Dog. Her breed is Boxer & name, Cherry. She is my sister's dog. My little sister, who studies in 4th standard, is inconsolable since the unfortunate day we lost her.

It so happened that we were taking Cherry out for a walk near a park in R.T. Nagar. We were crossing the road, a bike rider riding too fast was about to bang into us. He was blaring the horn! Cherry got scared and alarmed and ran away! We have been looking for her ever since. We went to SPCA & CUPA at Hebbal. We looked at the shelters.

If you think you have found her, please call us. Shelters charge a fee to even take in a Dog. If you have deposited Cherry to any of the Animal Shelters, we will reimburse you. Please help us find our dog.

Thanks a lot,
Abhinav

Leh to Pangong Tso by SUNIL VIKRAM

2010-06-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

PANGONG TSO

Route: Leh - Shey - Karu - Shakti - Chang La - Tanksey - Lukung - Spangmik (Pangong Tso)

Distance: 170kms from Leh

The Journey: Many travelers do the Leh - Pangong Tso excursion as a day trip and come back to Leh by night fall. However this is not recommended, since the 340 km long round trip leaves little time for Pangong Tso which is a magnificent lake and doing this excursion in the span of 2 - 3 days is highly recommended.

Following is a sample itinerary for an excursion to Pangong Tso spanned over two days.

Day 1 Leh - Chang La - Pangong Tso (170 kms): Start off from Leh in the morning after breakfast and start driving/riding on the Leh - Manali highway till you reach the town of Karu. From here you need to take a left turn to go towards village Shakti, roads are mostly straight and incline is little till you cross Shakti and a couple of kilometer thereafter the accent for Chan La starts.

For most part accent is steep and roads are generally good and you will be greeted by some wonderful views of village in the plateau below. However the final few kms of the accent are in bad shape and the accent is quite steep, which will test your riding/driving skills as well as endurance of your vehicle. Of all the passes one encounters in a trip to Ladakh (barring Marsimik La) Chang La is the steepest and due to bad roads during the final accent it is also the toughest, no wonder it is called The Mighty Chang La.

At 17800ft it is also the second highest pass in ladakh that you will come across. Once you reach the summit, you will be greeted by the Indian Army troops who are stationed here to acclimatize to high altitude, before they are posted in Siachen. There is a temple on top of Chang La pass called Chang La Baba ka Mandir, as well a cabin built by the army where you can warm up yourself while chatting with the soldiers. After a few minutes rest its time to begin the decent from Chang La, road is in bad condition for a few kilometers, beyond which superbly laid tarmac coupled with beautiful scenery awaits you.

Your next big break will be at Tanksey aka Tangste, Tanksey is a big town with few shops and hotels and an internet café. It is a good idea to have your lunch here or in case you have arrived late in the evening, than spend the night here instead of continuing to Lukung or Spangmik where finding accommodation in peak season can be an issue. Else you can continue to Lukung, where the magnificent Pangong Tso starts.

After you reach the shores of Pangong Tso, you can either look for accommodation in the nearby eco huts or you can continue on to the village of Spangmik. The road however ends here and you are left with a trail filled with sand and rock for the next 7kms to Spangmik, this is also the last point up to which tourists are allowed to venture.

Day 2 Pangong Tso - Chang La - Leh (170 kms): Wake up early in the day to witness a spectacular sunrise over Pangong Tso, after which you can begin your journey back to Leh.

Accommodation: Finding a good place to spend a night near Pangong Tso can be a bit of a headache during peak season. Spangmik only has one hotel which offers rooms as well as luxury tents; however get ready to shell out any where between Rs.700 - 1200 for these. One can also find accommodation in guest houses that some inhabitants of Spangmik run from their home. However a better option is to find a place to stay in the Eco Huts at Lukung, which is just right of the shore of Pangong Tso. Be warned there is no electricity or proper toilet, just camping grade toilet and warm water courtesy solar water heater.

One can also find accommodation in Tanksey which is of better quality but away from the lake.

Amenities: Before you head off for Pangong Tso make sure your vehicle is in good condition and you have enough fuel for 400kms. There are no phones here, only an internet café at Tanksey.

Restricted Area: Pangong Tso and Chang La are restricted areas and to visit them, you need permits which are easily obtainable from the DC’s office in Leh and can be procured by either submitting the application yourself or through a travel agent. The permits are issued for a maximum period of three weeks, in case you are visiting other restricted areas like Tso Moriri and Nubra Valley you need to mention them in the permit as well.

Make at least 4 photocopies of the permit per region, since you would need to submit them at various check posts

Best Regards,

Sunil Vikram

DRIVING HOLIDAY IN LADAKH - 2010 By ROOPA SREEDHAR

2010-06-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

© TAG INDIA www.tagindia.net

DRIVING HOLIDAY IN LADAKH - 2010 By Roopa Sreedhar (9886162404)

Participant Interest Form @ http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEVXQjRFZ1ZRV3lwLU9SYVVMajkwb2c6MA#gid=0

28 August 2010: 5:30 pm @ Janpath, Delhi. The night journey to Manali in a semi sleeper. Simple Dinner awaits at Karnal. We hope to reach Manali by 10 am the next day. Here begins one of the most exotic journeys of India.

29-August-2010: We arrive at Manali by 10 am if there are no delays. After a sumptuous breakfast, we check in into the hotel booked for the day. A day tour of Manali takes us to the famous HADIMBA temple; allow us to stroll in the local markets and lose ourselves in the magic of this small hill town. We can capture in our memory the experience of eating local dish Shidu.

30-August-2010: After a much needed break at Manali, we leave very early in the morning towards Keylong/Sarchu. We cross the Rohtang Pass, visit Beas Kund, the origin of mighty river Beas. Driving on the edge of the cliffs that overlook the fierce Chandra river, we reach Keylong. Breathtaking views of snow caped mountains embrace us into the Baralacha La territory. We end the day in stark wilderness at Sarchu. WELCOME TO HIMALAYAS!

31-August-2010:
Our journey beckons a horde of lakes
reflecting millions of hues,
of greens and blues..... :)
Castles of Sands in Mystical Lands
22 bends take us up, take us down
from baralacha La to Nakee La
By evening we reach Leh.

1-Sep-2010: Leh festival introduces the history & culture of Ladakh. A day to rest and acclimatize, and make us fit for the drives ahead. Stroll in Leh, walk up the hill to the old palace, see the sunset, taste the YAK Cheese & Salt Tea. End the day with a sigh of contentment that only being in Himalayas can bring.

2-Sep-2010: Enthralling sights & view points around Leh, magnetic hill, Gurdwara PatharSahib, Zanskar Indus confluence, Monasteries perched on high cliffs. Barren mountains & desert like ambiance yet cold and comfortable, not to be found in any other part of the world.

3-Sep-2010: Tso Morriri or Chomo Riri is a lake named after Chomo & her buffalo. This is one of the most beautiful lakes in Himalayan Region. Route that traverses to this lake is equally exotic with meandering Indus keeping us company all the way. The ice cold Indus turns into a piping hot Jacuzzi at Chuma Thang, where the Hot Springs sprout from the earth.

4-Sep-2010: Back to Leh via the colorful Upshi route. Rivulets Transparent, Milky white, Azure Blue, Pink and Green; mountains standing tall in Magenta and Teal. Where did they come from? Never seen more color in nature than here. A sight not to miss!

5-Sep-2010: Give the bones a break and stay back in Leh. Experience the potpourri culture in the city. Visit a monastery, a palace or a museum & be a part of the culture 2500 years old..

6-Sep-2010: Imagine a lake 150 kms in length and 85 kms in breadth at its widest points. Bangalore to Mysore is only 136 kms :). Brackish waters and her own shoreline, Pangong is almost a sea in the hills. Camping next to this lake is one of the most beautiful experiences of the holiday. The sky is so clear that we can see the Milky way galaxy and zillions of stars shining down upon us.

7-Sep-2010: Back to Leh by Lunch gives us the whole evening to rest and get ready for the long journey ahead the next day.

8-Sep-2010: How does it feel to be on top most point that any normal human being can reach in India. That's Khardung La pass, the highest motor-able road in India at an altitude 17582 feet. On the other side of this pass are the sand dunes of Nubra Valley. Beyond a certain distance the area is forbidden to tourists. Double backed Bactrian camels native of Central Asian deserts (north of the Himalayas) are found in this valley.

9-Sep-2010: Its a hard drive back to Leh. The eve of the day we are to leave the embrace of Himalayas. Time to reflect upon the nature and our connection to our surroundings. We pass Khardung La again. The last supper at Leh awaits.

10-Sep-2010: Adios to all amigos! We get the best views of Himalayas from our flight window. A sigh of contentment of having been in paradise once. When Buddha beckons & Himalayas call, how can one resist? Am sure we will come back again & again & again.........

If you are interested in joining us do fill up the Participant Interest Form @ http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEVXQjRFZ1ZRV3lwLU9SYVVMajkwb2c6MA#gid=0

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
roopa.sreedhar@tagindia.net

9886162404

Leh – Khardung La – Nubra Valley by SUNIL VIKRAM

2010-06-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

Leh – Khardung La – Nubra Valley

Route: Leh - Phyang - Khardung La (40kms) - Khardung - Khalsar - Diskit - Hunder - Diskit - Panamik

Distance: It will depend on the places you visit, but a round trip to Nubra Valley should be roughly 300 - 350 kms.

The Journey: There are various ways to do this excursion, people short on time prefer to only drive/ride till Khardung La, spend some time there and come back to Leh, any trip of this sort should come out to be 80 kms.

However many people do decide to go to Nubra Valley, which is highly recommended. You will need two - three days for such an excursion.

Here is a sample itinerary of the Nubra Valley circuit spanning three days:

Day 1 Leh - Khardung La - Hunder (120 kms): an early start should ensure that one reaches Khardung La without encountering lot of traffic. Despite all the hype surrounding Khardung La, drive/ride to the summit is relatively easy one. Road beyond South Pallu (check post where one needs to submit the permits) is in bad condition and gain in altitude is quite a lot, however it isn’t as strenuous or steep as Chang La or for that matter Tanglang La.

Once you reach the summit, you can take time out get your photo taken next to the signboard which says “Khardung La, 18380ft, Highest Motorable Road in the world”. For those out of breath, there is café at the summit as well where one can have a much needed cup of tea/coffee along with some snacks. There is also a souvenir shop selling Khardung La memorabilia.

After break get ready for a bumpy ride/drive till North Pallu (one needs to submit permits here as well) this also the last place before the village of Khardung where one can expect to find food.

Ride from North Pallu onward is relatively smooth with some fantastic views of the Nubra Valley. The main charm of this valley is the fact that views change every few kilometers from barren mountains to lush green fields to sand dunes, you will see and experience different views and weather extremities here and that too in a span of few hours.

Many people choose to stay at Diskit and there are phone facilities available here as well as hotels and guest houses. While in Diskit don’t forget to visit the ancient Diskit Gompa which was built in 1420 AD. Perched on top of a hill overlooking town of Diskit, the Gompa provides some breathtaking panoramic views. Access to Gompa is via a half hour trek through a two meter wide steep path; however the views and the Gompa more than make up for the effort. The main attraction of the Gompa is the main Deity, which holds in its hand the mummified human forearm and head, which is believed to be of a Mongol warrior.

However if you are looking for a more beautiful place to stay, then head over to Hunder 8 kms down the road. Hunder is set amidst fields of rye and barley and surrounded by fruit orchids and sand dunes; Hunder is a welcome break from the moonscape scenery of Ladakh.

Day 2 Hunder - Diskit - Sumur - Panamik - Sumur (40 kms): After backtracking for 15 odd kms you should be back at the bifurcation from where you had taken road to Diskit, now you need to take the other route going towards Sumur and Panamik.

Sumur (the village of three rivers) is the touristiest place in Nubra Valley, Sumurs main attraction is the 150 year old Samstening Gompa. Apart from that the village itself is quite beautiful, 20km down the road is the village of Panamik famous for 250 year old Ensa Gompa and hot water springs. This is also the last point tourists are allowed. After a hot bath head back to either Panamik for a good night sleep.

Day 3 Sumur - Khardung La - Leh (125 kms): Start early, despite the fact that you will have to cover only 125 km, controlled traffic on Khardung La means you could be delayed if the traffic from Leh is being allowed in. Once again road are good till North Pallu and it is a relatively easy drive/ride.

Accommodation: There are several accommodation options available in Diskit, Hunder and Sumur; Panamik on the other hand has only a handful of guest houses. Here is a list of hotels/guest houses in Ladakh http://www.jktourism.org/cities/ladakh/stay/tariff.htm

Amenities: There is a petrol pump in Diskit, however it is best not to rely on it and get the tank filled in Leh itself. There are also several phone booths in Diskit.

Restricted Area: Nubra Valley and Khardung La are restricted areas and to visit them you need permits which are easily obtainable from the DC’s office in Leh and can be procured by either submitting the application yourself or through a travel agent. The permits are issued for a maximum period of three weeks, in case you are visiting other restricted areas like Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso you need to mention them in the permit as well.

Make at least 4 photocopies of the permit per region, since you would need to submit them at various check posts

Best Regards,
Sunil Vikram

Tentative Schedule of Ladakh 2010 Driving Holiday

2010-06-08T02:47:00.000-07:00

LADAKH DRIVING HOLIDAY 2010

28th August 2010 to 10th September 2010

TAG India is planning Driving Holiday to Ladakh 2010. The drive starts from Manali. The local transport from Manali onward would be 4-Wheel Drives. The days are sunny & windy; night are cool. Thermals are not required.The tentative schedule for the Driving Holiday is given below. It might vary slightly based on the weather & other conditions in Ladakh region

The approximate airfare is 10,000 to 12,000 for three flights. The tentative cost for the holiday excluding airfare is 30000 & includes boarding & lodging, local transport (4-wheel drives), sightseeing, travel insurance.

Do fill up the form at the following link if you are interested in joining us on this Driving holiday!

Please click on the Link to sign up for the trip: Sign up form
( http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEVXQjRFZ1ZRV3lwLU9SYVVMajkwb2c6MA#gid=0)

Day 0 Saturday 28-Aug-2010
Take Saturday early morning flight to Delhi & take Volvo bus to Manali from Delhi

Day 1 Sunday 29-Aug-2010
Reach Manali; Acclimatize

Day 2 Monday 30-Aug-2010
Manali to Keylong/Sarchu

Day 3 Tuesday 31-Aug-2010
Keylong/Sarchu to leh - Relax

Day 4 Wednesday 01-Sep-2010
Acclimatize in Leh - Relax (If time permits, check out Leh festival)

Day 5 Thursday 02-Sep-2010
Sightseeing around Leh

Day 6 Friday 03-Sep-2010
Tso Morriri via Chuma Thang Hot Springs

Day 7 Saturday 04-Sep-2010
Back to Leh via Tso Kar & Tanglang La - Relax

Day 8 Sunday 05-Sep-2010
Relax in Leh or do local sight seeing

Day 9 Monday 06-Sep-2010
Pangong Tso

Day 10 Tuesday 07-Sep-2010
Pangong Tso & Back to Leh

Day 11 Wednesday 08-Sep-2010
Nubra Valley

Day 12 Thursday 09-Sep-2010
Back from Nubra Valley

Day 13 Friday 10-Sep-2010
Fly from Leh to Delhi in the morning flight. Take the evening flight from Delhi to Bangalore (EOJ)

Best Regards,
TAG INDIA TEAM
9886162404
picasaweb.google.com/tagindiateam

Healthy Habits: EATING FRUITS FIRST

2010-06-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

Dr Stephen Mak treats terminal ill cancer patients by "un-orthodox" way and many patients recovered. He believes in natural healing in the body against illnesses. See the article below.

Thanks for the email on fruits and juices. It is one of the strategies to heal cancer. As of late, my success rate in curing cancer is about 80%. Cancer patients shouldn't die. The cure for cancer is already found. It is whether you believe it or not. I am sorry for the hundreds of cancer patients who die under the conventional treatments.
Thanks and God bless.
Dr Stephen Mak

EATING FRUIT...

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS! * FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.
If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD. Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so.

In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil....

So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining — every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc — actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!

Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will NOT happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene — the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content.. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer! Can u believe this?? For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks HEART ATTACK PROCEDURE': (THIS IS NOT A JOKE!) Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. Sixty percent of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive.

TAG INDIA SUMMER CAMP FOR KIDS - MAY 2010

2010-03-25T01:04:00.000-07:00

Discover Scuba Diving - 24 & 25 April 2010

2010-02-21T19:50:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks,

Please note that Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) and Snorkeling programs in deep sea will be conducted on April 24 & 25.

DSD:
Cost per head = Rs 6750/-

Snorkeling:
Cost per head = Rs 4650/-

Cost includes
One day stay in 3 star hotel (had we taken budget hotel, event fee would have come down; but we wouldn't have enjoyed the stay!)
Transport from Bangalore to Murudeswara
Theory, Swimming pool practice sessions (Day 1)
Equipment, boat rentals
One Dive in Deep sea / Snorkeling in Deep Sea

Only Food and Local attraction fee is not included.

Bank Account Details:

Transfer the Fee for DSD / Snorkeling to

Axis Bank (Branch Banashankari)

Account Name: TAG India

Account Number: 102010200008617

Send an email to info@tagindia.net with your bank Transaction number!

Limited Slots!!! So confirm your booking by mode of payment by 15 March 2010.

People who are not comfortable in water and want to enjoy snorkeling and diving to the fullest, start going to the nearest swimming pool and take basic swimming lessons. Learn to be under water for sometime without panicking.

Related Links

Mandatory to fill up the form

Scuba diving participant interest form

Details & List of Programs

Introduction to Scuba Diving: Article

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
TAG INDIA TEAM
9886162404

ANNOUNCING 2010 SUMMER CAMP FOR KIDS from 12 MAY TO 16 MAY in COORG

2010-02-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

JUNGLE ADVENTURE CAMP 2010 for KIDS
DESTINATION: COORG

Kids Camp: 5 Days – 4 Nights

Dates: 12 May 2010 to 16 May 2010
AGE Group 9years to 14years
Rs. 6950/- Per Child (5Days / 4Nights )

Includes
Travel from Bangalore to Coorg & Return
All meals from Wed through Sunday Breakfast/Brunch.
Jungle Gym: obstacle courses for kids and competitions
Water Sport: Swimming, Still water rafting
Visit to Nisargadhama, Hanging Bridge walk, boating, Deer park & Orchidarium
Trekking
Outdoor Camping & equipment rental
First-Aid Medical Kit

Parent Camp

Dates: 15 & 16 May 2010

Rs 2200/- per head (2days /night)

One sibling under 5 travels free with parents

Additional/Older Siblings: Rd 1200/- per child

Bank Account Details:

Transfer the Fee for Summer Camp/Parent Camp to

Axis Bank (Branch Banashankari)

Account Name: TAG India

Account Number: 102010200008617

Send an email to info@tagindia.net with your bank Transaction number!

Limited slots! Please fill up the Participant interest form to book your slot today!

Sign up for this year's camp @ the following link
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEh0Y3NPbkV4UkY2TnZEbm5PejZtNVE6MA

Information in detail will be shared with the interested participants.

Last year's camp pictures at
http://picasaweb.google.com/tagindiateam/TAGYoungAdventureCamp16Apr09#

Best Regards,
TAG INDIA TEAM
9886162404

Disappearing Household Chirps by SUSHMA SHASHIDHARA

2010-02-10T00:52:00.000-08:00

by Sushma Shashidhara
I have beautiful memories of childhood, especially one with the chirps of tiny sparrows. These birds followed me erywhere, especially while been fed by my granny, becoming my constant companions. Gradually in search of better education and later for jobs I tired to find my old companions at every possible location I shifted base.

I tried to research on these avian. "There can be no bird that is more universally known and recognized than the House Sparrow" said Hugh Whistler. This phrase holds good for many of us-young or old, having beautiful memories of growing up with the sparrows; the constant chirps making them indispensable part of every house holds.

The few sparrows I found were scared to get closer, may be the fright of been harmed or experiences of been abruptly cut off. That is when a preposterous thought struck me that the common house sparrow, once seen everywhere is on its brink of extinction.

Grave Avian Affair
The disappearance of the House Sparrows could be attributed to reasons:
• Primarily, deforestation to accommodate the rising city population by destroying habitat of sparrows
• Pollution levels in air are a substantial threat to sparrows as its egg shell becomes very delicate and hatches prematurely or premature death of new born.
• Findings also show that the Electro Magnetic radiation (EMR) from the mobile towers penetrates the nervous system of the birds affecting unfavorably-the key reason for the depletion of this bird population.
• These tiny birds exhaust their energy communicating as they have to be heard against the noise pollution. This makes their signals to flock and mate more complicated; a serious indication of nearing extinction of this species.
• Increasing soil pollution has made it nearly impossible for these avian to survive on the worms or grains lying around. The pesticides have polluted the food chain making sparrows susceptible to slow poisoning or extinction in near future.

In earlier days miners used to carry canaries into the mines with them. If the canaries showed signs of distress it indicated that there were poisonous gases in the air, and the miners would immediately exit the mine. In present day, if sparrows of city give cries of distress it could be a warning to human residents about a possible natural disaster.

Saving Sparrows from Extinction
Now the probable question would be what can we do?
• Give a safe haven by saving neighbouring forest vegetation or afforestation
• Provide alternate food sources like placing food and water for these weaker links of eco system. But also watch for the scavengers!!!

The survival of sparrows is crucial not only to create a balance in food chain but also for bird lovers like me to still cherish those happy days of our life and giving the next generations to relive such moments of childhood.

Best Regards,
Sushma Shashidhara

Disappearing Cycle - Tea Sellers in Bangalore! by SUSHMA SHASHIDHARA

2010-02-09T22:50:00.000-08:00

By Sushma Shashidhara

Bengaluru has its own way of making you fall in love with it. My fascination began since my childhood when I used to visit with my granny to her brother's house in Basavanagudi. The gardens, the MTR, the temples and the parks at every corner always amused me. I was awed how the city could strike a balance between a mixed crowd of modern generation getting along with their older generation, acknowledging each others boundaries and liberty. But this is not about my research on the hotspots in Bangalore or the youth culture. This is about discovering the other side of this growing metro city- almost extinct 'cycle-wallahs' or the chai wallahs (tea sellers)!!!
I began my career in Bengaluru (then Bangalore) and this city still continues to amuse me. She has one of the most amiable personas than most of the cities I have visited across India. During my initial days as an intern in a newspaper organization, I took a keen interest in volunteering for assignments so I could learn during the period.

The cold wave of winter and monsoon in this "Garden city" makes everyone crave for a hot cup of tea or coffee. But a strong journalistic nose, along with tea, also looks out for interesting beats. During one such exploration for tea, my best friend and I found few of the cycle-wallahs around Symphony and MG road. This went on to become a hub for me and my friends to hang out and simultaneously building a cord of friendship with the chai-bhaiyyas.

The conversation was very casual and all of us enjoyed this late night outing before we went home. The tea bhaiyyas used to discuss how the late night job was not fetching them any profits. We laughed at those comments as we could see the streets getting queued up for a cup of tea and home made nibattus (fried munchies). We teased the bhaiyyas for indirectly proposing a hike. But all that ended with a stream of laughter and none of us giving too much serious consideration on the talks over a cup of tea.

As the years passed by, most of us got busy in building our careers and it was the once-in-a- while weekends or late night occasions that gave us a chance to gather for the usual street tea-party. But to our surprise we couldn't find our regular chai bhaiyyas. Disappearing Chai Wallahs!!! A good beat for a human interest story.
Another night we found our chai bhaiyyas. But to our astonishment, the casual conversations were no more there and we could only hear- 'how many cups of tea or how many cigarettes are required? His eyes were constantly on the roads and were alert every time a vehicle passed around, as if anticipating something any moment. Next weekend we didn't find him anywhere. We were surprised watching these dim prospects for our upcoming tea party. Something was bothering him, made him shift his stand whenever a vehicle came or even when Police patrol vehicle passed by.
The situation didn't improve much when we came out for tea after a month. We saw fewer chai bhaiyyas in the street. All of us wondered what was the reason for this disappearance? We thought it was the monsoon playing the devil only to discover how Bengaluru was getting deep into the most cursed structure of this country-Corruption in every strata and Exploitation of the underprivileged.

Eventually we found that these Chai Wallahs were selling tea/ cigarette/ biscuits at the busiest streets to earn some extra income. This un-hourly business was not entertained by the city managing organization which has issued a circular that all business establishments were to be closed in the city after a given time by the system. But as these chai wallahs were out to make some easy money and escape any actions by the patrolling team, they took to bribing the inspecting team. As the business increased the latter started demanding more money and this created a tense situation for business. Neither was polite with each other. It was a messy situation and we were no strangers to corruption in the Indian system.

This is one of the incidents, but I am sure there may be numerous such incidents and observations that many of you have come across. India ranks 84th among 180 countries, as per the Transparency International's 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index. In 2009, India climbed one spot up from 85th to 84th. India's integrity score this year is 3.4, down from 3.5 in 2007.
Do these statistics and the rise in list give us a reason to celebrate or put in our efforts on eliminating the name of India from the list?

India is pacing towards progress and trying to set fine example to all the developing nations to becoming a global identity. But what we are still lagging in handling crisis in any way. We always try to adjust instead of confronting a situation.

A Utopia has been self imposed where corruption and escaping reality through just "setting things right in our way" which is mainly through bribery and trying to silence the voices that opposes- is normal. If things continue this way, then our dream of joining the elite list of developed countries will soon be shattered. But again, none of us will bother to stop by and pick up those pieces. After all, we can always chase another dream!!!

Best Regards,

Sushma Shashidhara

TN Magic - Ancient Navagraha Temples & Legends by Roopa Sreedhar

2010-01-30T13:08:00.000-08:00

TN Magic - Ancient Navagraha Temples & Legends

Astrology, Astronomy, 9 Planets affecting health wealth and wise, personalized horoscopes! Find a link? Ring a few loud bells? Of course yes, our life is so shadowed by these notations that we are incapable of making an independent decision in our own lives without their interference and influence! Oh! what would I do without you, my God?

Are we talking about temples again? Then its my mom! :)

The 9 planets have individual temples dedicated to them. Each of the temple is in a different town or village in the district of Kumbakonam. To see all these temples, its a well planned three day excursion again. If you want to take up this road trip, have a lot of belief and trust in God and leave scientific brain back home. I have gone to these places 4 times and would love to embark on this journey again, so strong is the lure of these temple towns.

Alangudi Guru Temple
Tirunageswaram Nageswarar Temple, Rahu
Shani(Saturn) Temple(Tirunallar)
Chandra Bagavan Temple - Thingaloor near Kumbakonam
Budhan(Mercury) Temple at Tiruvenkadu
Ketu Temple, Keezhperumpallam
Sukra (Venus) Temple Kanchanur
Suryanaar(Sun) Temple Tirumangalakkudi,
Vaideeshwaran Temple(Angaaraka/Mars)

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
+91-9886162404

TN Magic - ECR or East Coast Road by Roopa Sreedhar

2010-01-30T10:42:00.000-08:00

East Coast Road or ECR as it is fondly called, is one of the most scenic routes of Chennai, absolutely no doubt about it! During our long stay at Chennai, we took on this route for our excursion. We were surprised to find that this stretch hosted most of the amusement & entertainment parks, beaches, resorts and open air theaters. Starting from Thiruvamiyur Junction, this toll road takes one southwards of Chennai all the way beyond Mahamallapuram through Marakanam to Puducherry Town. Cool zephyrs blowing our way from the sea. Serene weather and view acting as a calm balm to stressed city life.

Let me make a list of all the places we saw on the way and also those places we couldn't visit due to limitation on time.

The excursion to ECR started at 5:30 for us. Although I thought it was way too early to step on the roads of Tamil Nadu, by the time the day ended for me, I was awash with the feeling that we should have planned this for a weekend or three day trip and spent more time at various exciting spots on this stretch. Maybe next time!

Unlike my mom who wanted to visit every temple en-route, we were interested only in the ancient temples that lured us with their art, culture and ancient legends. The older the better!

Maruntheeswara Temple: 11th century structure, this temple has many legends adding to the mystery. Sage Valmiki, the author of the epic Ramayan is supposed to have visited this temple during his time. This temple is located in Thiruvamiyur only 4km from Adayar.

Cholamandal Art Village: One can find a huge community of artists involved in production and display of artifacts such as sculptures, paintings, bronze idols and icons. It was founded by K.C.S Paniker in 1966 and located 8 kms away from Chennai.

VGP Universal Kingdom or VGP Golden Beach
Jagannathan Temple, located in Kannathur, is supposed to be an exact replica of the Puri Jagannath Temple in Orissa. Haven't been there yet, hence cannot comment about the resemblance.

Mayajaal Multiplex Complex

MGM Dizzee World: Definitely for kids

Dakshina Chitra: run by Chennai Craft Foundation, this complex houses models and replicas of traditional homes, artifacts, crafts, folk & performing arts of not only Tamil Nadu, but also the rest of South India.

Muttukkaadu Boat House: On the backwaters of Muttukaad, one can enjoy, watersports such as speed boats, Wind Surfing, Canoeing, Kayaking and other boats such as Row & Pedal. With the looming sky-scrappers and multi-storied apartment complexes coming up in the vicinity, we felt the charm of this place losing to urbanization.

Thameem Ansari Baba Darga

Covelong Beach is a small fishing village 40kms away from Chennai. We got to know of a fort that was converted to a luxury resort.

Nithya Kalyana Perumal Temple: :Perumal = Vishnu or Tirupathy VenkataRamanaSwamy temple.
Crocodile Bank: This exciting place is 44 km from Chennai. 3.2 hectares of area is developed as a a farm where several species of Indian and African crocodiles and alligators are bred in captivity. Thousands of crocodiles and alligators are found near various pits in this area. Close by is a tribal society that runs Snake Venom extraction centre. Entry Fee: Rs 10/- for Adult, Rs 5/- for children.

Mahamallapuram

Arjuna's Penance

Five Rathas

Cave Temple

Shore Temple of Mahabalipuram is one of the oldest temples in Southern India and also one of the most mesmerizing stones structures. Standing, majestically on the edge of the sea, the temple is so well built that even Tsunami couldn't shake it much, while many of the temples nearby saw extreme devastation. Exquisite carving and sculptures add to the wonder of this ancient monument. A long compound wall is built around the main temple and a forms a very narrow alley giving a cave like feel. Main temple is a twin room structure with Lord Shiva's sculpture in one and an obelisk in the other.

Kanchipuram

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
+91-9886162404

Memoirs - Dear Mokokchung by Maxwel Jones

2010-01-30T10:05:00.001-08:00

TN Magic - In & Around Chennai

2010-01-28T22:33:00.000-08:00

Chennai is almost home due to all those relatives settled there. We have been going for Chennai for ages. Yet all we would do is stay at relative's homes, visit a couple of temples and beaches and head back home. This time, we just couldn't capture the cat and opted to do something different. We forced my mom to see Chennai our way, like a tourist. Initially not willing, she gave in to our emotional blackmail & arm twisting. Her own words "this is the best Chennai Trip ever!".

Here is a list of places apt for Day Tours, Weekend Outbounds, beach vacations, pilgrimage, ancient history.

1. Adyar Poonga Eco-Park
2. Anna Nagar Tower
3. Amir Mahal
4. Connemara public library
5. Fort St. George
6. Birla Planetarium
7. Coovum River
8. Doveton House
9. Elliots Beach
10. Marina Beach
11. Freemasons Hall: for those inquisitive about the Illuminati and the Freemasons
12. Horticultural Gardens
13. Lighthouse / Aquarium
14. Nappier Bridge
15. Rajaji Hall
16. Regional Rail Museum
17. Theosophical Society
18. Valluvar Kottam
19. Victory War Memorial
20. Bharatiyar Memorial House
21. Guindy National Park
22. Snake Park
23. Government Museum
24. Fort Museum

Besides the above, there are many temples and memorials to visit in Chennai.

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
+91-9886162404

Adventure & Camping in Coorg - 1, 2, 3 Jan 2010

2010-01-27T00:34:00.000-08:00

Adventure & Camping in Coorg - 1, 2, 3 Jan 2010

We had a blast for this new year. My brother had come down from Australia. 10 of us had gone to jungles of Coorg. We cannot enjoy being in nature unless we become one with it. We decided to camp in the same spot for three days. On our way, we traversed through the Nagarahole National Park in the hope to see a Tiger. Deer & Elephants were all we saw! A small hike to Irupu waterfalls warmed up the jagged muscles & made space in the tummy for a yummy lunch.

We camped in a coffee plantation and did a combat course in the jungle that dealt with crossing loads of obstacles in mid air. The physical activity improved concentration & endurance, and also brought into focus the need for flexibility of mind and body. Jungle paintball was an excellent team building and strategical game. If this was a simulation of the war on the hills, we could understand the army's plight to save our country. We could very strongly relate to the army, we met during our Ladakh travels. Coffee picking and drying was another stress buster. No wonder people in villages live a longer & healthier life.

Cooking was more fun than ever! Post Self cooked dinner, played Analytical Game 'Mafia' around Campfire through wee hours of the morning till we literally tickled our brains out!

The moon shone high up in the sky and lit up the entire camp in its silvery sheen. We had no need for torches that night. Giri set up his new Telescope and we queued up to see clearly the craters & their borders on the full moon. Excellent!

We were amazed at our own creativity and endurance. Over three days, in thick jungle, with limited resource, we cooked an array of dishes to include Yummy Vegetable Sambar, Rice, Sabzi, Papad, Rava Idli, Kheer, Upma, Sevayya, Puliyogare, Pullav, chutney & of course Unlimited Tea.

We lazed under a Bone chilling waterfall. While the Water babies Meghna, Deepti & Giri did not want to come out of water at all, the three musketeers Ram, Indri & Girish sun bathed on the rocks. Time did not exist. No pressures No Stress No next thoughts, ONLY the Present! Endlessly watching snails coming out of their shells. When we moved them even by an inch, we felt we were playing Gods in the snails' life and acting against nature. What if Gods from other planets were doing the same with us Humans? Loads of discussions on alternate history! On the way back, we played Anthakshari from Coorg till Bidadi! :) Everyone was a database of songs.
All together, a very memorable new year through a wonderful trip with even wonderful teammates.

Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
9886162404

Happy New Year!!

2009-12-31T11:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

TAG INDIA and its members wish you and your family a very happy 2010 :-)
We thank all the members who joined us for the many adventurous & memorable trips in 2009 and we hope to do more of such trips in 2010.

2009 was very exciting indeed with many adventure trips that took us to the southern most part of India (Kerala) and to the remotest borders of North India (Himalayas)! We learnt some new skills with our scuba diving & snorkeling trip, white water rafting events, rock climbing and river crossing camps! We visited some exotic places like the Mullaingiri caves, Himalayan glaciers, magnetic hill, ipod death zone, Dubare elephant camp, Kalvarbetta clouds and many more. We had great fun organizing leadership building events, team outbounds, kids camp and survival camps. To sum it up, 2009 was indeed a very memorable year and it went really fast! We are now at the doorstep of 2010 and we certainly hope that it will be a fun year too.

So here is a wish to you from all of us!

May the new year bring you lots of new adventures, excitement and fond memories
May we spend more time with nature in conservation and restoration activities and revitalize the planet with our efforts
May we discover new places, make new friends and make planet earth a friendlier place

See you in 2010!
Best Wishes
TAG INDIA TEAM

To see photos of all our trips please visit: www.tagindia.net or http://picasaweb.google.com/tagindiateam

1 JAN to 3 JAN 2010 - NEW YEAR 2010 IN COORG

2009-12-28T23:28:00.000-08:00

NEW YEAR 2010 IN COORG
Owing to popular demand, we are leaving from Bangalore at 4:30 AM from Devegowda Petrol Bunk.
Schedule:
1-Jan-2010, Friday:
Leave Bangalore from a common point at 5:00 am;
have breakfast on the way;
travel via Nagarhole National Park in the hope to meet a Tiger;
reach the estate by before Lunch;
Activities: Nature walk in coffee plantation, Waterfall, cooking & camping, games, night walk

2-Jan-2010: Saturday:
Jungle Trek, Picnic Lunch, visit Jungle Gym, Cooking & Campfire, Games, Star gazing

3-Jan-2010: Sunday:
Brunch;
Leave for Bangalore via Kushal Nagar & Dubaare;
Lunch at Dubaare, still water rafting & swimming;
Visit the Golden Temple;
Reach Bangalore before dinner;

The cost per head for the 3 day event is Rs 2950/-
Night Camping fee, camping gear including tents, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, 2 Breakfast, 2 Lunch, 2 Dinner, (veg meals), As many Tea, Transport, Guide Fee, Accommodation rent, Campfire (if weather permits), basic medical kit, cooking equipment
Does not include any personal expenditure, non vegetarian meals, lunch & dinner on the way to the estate and back, activity fee at Jungle Gym & Dubare, Local attraction entrance fees.

Bank Account Details:
Axis Bank (Branch Banashankari)
Account Name: TAG India
Account Number: 102010200008617

Things to carry:
Books (optional), Umbrella, Torch & extra batteries, Floaters, Warm clothes for the cold nights, Swim wear, Cap, Min 2 ltrs of Water & bottles, personal snacks & munches, a small bag for one day trek, Camera, Chargers,

Rules:
1. All participants should have filled up the membership form by using the join us link on www.tagindia.net
2. In case of trekking, every group will have a Leader and a trailer - Decision taken by them would be the FINAL. Suggestions from trekkers are welcome but expecting maximum co-operation to Leaders. Trekking schedule/plan is designed without knowledge of Seasonal situation, Wildlife activity and anything which could go wrong at that time. Expecting high level of patience with respect to change in schedule/plan.
3. TAG INDIA is a media for adventure/nature enthusiasts in Bangalore to come together and participate in eco-friendly adventure activities. TAG INDIA , TAG INDIA TEAM, Trek Leaders, and other TAG INDIA members are NOT responsible for loss of belongings or life of any participant. Please be very serious about this note. Take care of your own belongings and respect your life.
4. Littering & shouting in the wilderness is prohibited. Night stay is arranged in estate property. We will be having very simple and basic facilities. Luxury not included.
6. Consumption of alcohol is not allowed in any of the TAG INDIA TREKS.
7. Do not tease any living being in forest - from small plant, worm to elephant.
8. Making your trip a great experience is in your hand. Help yourself to follow the guidelines and enjoy the fun and adventure :-)
9. After the announcement of final list, anyone dropping out has to bear the cost of Transportation & Food. (Transport & Food already booked/ordered)

Things NOT to carry:
Liquor, narcotic drugs & ego

Regards,
TAG INDIA team
W: www.tagindia.net
M: +91-9886162404
E: info@tagindia.net
B: tagindia.blogspot.com
"Shoot only pictures; Capture only memories; Leave only Footprints"

Orissa Dairies: Chandikhole, Panikoli, Ghatagaon, Keonjhar by NALIN AGARWAL

2009-11-02T00:31:00.000-08:00

Location: Chandikhole, Panikoli, Ghatagaon, Keonjhar
Nearest Towns: Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambhalpur
Distances: Chandikhole 95Kms, Ghatagaon 150kms, Keonjhar 210kms from Bhubaneswar
Getting there: From Bhubaneswar via Cuttack highway NH5. Take a turn left into Panikoli under the flyover to reach the jajpur main road. State highway 215 from here would lead to Ghatagaon, Keonjhar falls straight ahead of the same.
Trip Length: 5 Hrs one way
Best Time to Visit: September to February
Worst Time to Visit: Peak Summer
Permission: None Required
Things to carry: A local map of the roads and places, bottles of water, plenty of filling snacks, extra memory cards.
Things to keep in mind before traveling:
• Since your vehicle would have to endure some good stress, make sure it is properly serviced. Make sure you are carrying your toolkit and a torch.
• You can’t rely on your mobile phone for help (no network in most places). So keep someone informed about your whereabouts and move in a group with not much distance between.
• Keep a cool head, keep buffer in your travel time, plan in advance for the places to visit and make a milkman route for the same.
We had no luxuries of knowing this before we started, because it was all planned at the last moment.

Rating: 3.5/5

Fact File:

Mahavinayak temple is a major centre of pilgrimage and one of the oldest Ganesha temples in Orissa. In Orissa there are five different Kshetras or religious centers celebrated for these Pancha Devata(Five God) viz: Vinayaka or Ganesh Kshetra at Mahavinayak hills in the district of Jajpur, Vishnu or Sankha (the attributes in the hands of Lord Vishnu) Kshetra at Puri, Shiva or Ekamra Kshetra Bhubaneswar, Durga or Viraja Kshetra at Jajpur or Yajanapur. Mahavinayak enshrines the five god heads in one Lingam. The speciality of Mahavinayak temple is that the Pancha Devata: Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Sun and Ganapati, are worshipped as a single deity in a single sanctum sanctorum. In no other Hindu temples such tradition of worship is present. It is situated 40 Km north to Cuttack besides NH5 and 4 Km away from the NH towards west via Sukinda Paradip expressway in Chandikhole. *Source: Wikipedia

Maa Tarini Temple, Ghatagaon is one of the most sacred places of Orissa. One legend with a delightful association with the rathyatra concerns King Purushottam Dev(15th Century). (More details at www.maatarini.com). The temple is highly revered and the goddess there is believed be highly powerful. Coconuts are the offering here. In fact, such is the faith in the goddess that if anyone in the state waves a coconut wrapped in a red cloth on a highway the next bus would surely stop to pick it up and take it to the temple. Even if the bus is on a different route, the driver ensures that the coconuts are dropped in the collection box on the way or hand it over to another bus headed for Ghatagaon. The drivers say and from their experience, the people who have failed in this met with several difficulties on their journeys. During festival seasons, as many as 100,000 coconuts reach the temple everyday. This flawless coconut courier service based on the faith has made Maa Tarini an extremely popular deity in Orissa. It has even figured in the news in BBC Asia.

Keonjhar district is a green land of panoramic beauties and a store house of mineral wealth. It offers a variety of attractions to the tourists which includes religious shrines, fresco painting, waterfalls and above all the natural sceneries. The terraced villages buzzing with the sweet melodies of the birds take the visitors to a dream land. The simplicity of the tribal folk mixed with the gaiety of their festivals can keep the visitors amused. Places to visit here are:-
Sitabinji: It is situated on river Sita. The spot has gained prominence as a place having ancient fresco paintings on a rock shelter called Ravan Chhaya which is like a half opened umbrella. The paintings depict a royal procession. It is 30 km from keonjhar (23 km on the Jajpur-Keonjhar road upto Katrabeda and 7 km from there)

Badaghagara: It is about 9 Km from Keonjhar on NH6 towards Sambhalpur. It is yet another small (200ft high) but exciting waterfall.

Sanghagara: It is 6 Km from Keonjhar on NH-6 towards Sambhalpur. It is a small (100ft. high) and a beautiful waterfall.

Keonjhargarh: It is the district headquarters and is famous for Vishnu temple. On the outskirts are the shrines of Sidha Jagannath, Sidhakali and Panchabati amidst picturesque settings.

Deogaon (Kosaleswar): On the river Kusei near Anandapur., the temple of Kosaleswar built in Circa 900 AD is a famous centre of pilgrimage. Once upon a time it was a flourishing seat of Budhism.

Gonasika: Situated at a distance of 45 Km from Keonjhar, Gonasika hill is the source of the river Baitarani.

Murgamahdev: A beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, is situated on picturesque Thakruani hil. It is situated in Champua subdivision and is 65 Km away from Keonjhar.

The Journey:

Day 1:
Bitten by the travel bug, the weekend of 10th Oct we planned a short trip to Ratnagiri, a series of hills with remains of Buddhist monasteries from the 10th centuries. This was planned by a friend of mine who had recently gained a lot of enthusiasm considering the perfect weather and the number of long weekends that were headed up for us. Mind it, long weekend for us means a consecutive day to a Sunday even though we’re all in IT. Due to the inhuman project requirements, Saturdays are also working for us….sad but true.

Anyways, we made a rough plan, about 110Kms one way, 85 of which on a straight highway NH5, total travel time was estimated to be 2 hrs one way. As we reached office as the common point for meeting up, some more colleagues added up to in the caravan on the spot. The count was now 7 and with 4 bikes it seemed like a perfect daylong trip. A brief about the team members,

Prahlad- The planner for the trip, a flamboyant SAP consultant from Bangalore who has found better REASONS for his stay in a place like Bhubaneswar as well *wink wink*

Sudhir- A fraud Telugu (has very few distinguished Telugu qualities) who is more than happy to be on any trip, condition being booze and fag should readily be available.

Sandip- An easy going guy from Mumbai who would joke with a straight face and you would not even realize when he is taking you for a long ride :).

Suneel- The bachelor for the week, since his wife was back home, he was more than eager to relive his college days.

Vivek- The most quiet of the species in the office. You would always catch him with his eyes dug into the computer screen and hands on keyboard fiddling around with ABAP codes.

Suresh- A first timer to our group usually stays to himself, another quiet fellow.

And

Yours truly- Well I can go about myself for pages altogether, but I’d leave the job to you to figure me out.

Due to some inherent tendencies of delays by few people (I hope they’re reading this :))…we finally started at 11.45am (about 90 mins post the scheduled time). By now the sun was up high glaring down upon us bad. Our first destination was a place named as Chandikhole (92kms from Bhubaneswar on NH5). The ride till Chandikhole was defined by an awesome highway, and an amazingly smooth ride. Reaching the town crossing (Chandikhole Chaka), 30-35Kms into the road on the right turn was Ratnagiri and 5-7 kms into the left were much revered temples of Chandi and Maha Vinayaka.

We took left to visit the temples first which were closer. Unfortunately, by the time we reached the Chandi temple (1300hrs), it was closed and was expected to open only by 4pm. Even Gods deserve a power nap in the afternoon :)) hence we headed further for the Maha Vinayaka temple dreading if it might be closed as well. It was about another 3-4 Kms further ahead, and the entrance was categorically marked with statues of lion over an elephant on both its sides which is commonplace in Orissa. After a small flight of steps was the temple, which to our dismay was also closed but thankfully only for sometime. To make the most of the time we had, we started for the Devi temple on the hilltop the steps for which started from the rear of the temple. The high and steep steps made most of the junta panting for breath, all thanks to their sedentary lifestyles. I in the meanwhile got some good opportunity to try my hands on some macro photography sighting variety of spiders and butterflies on the way up. It was a beautiful view of the town from the hilltop. That’s where we offered our prayers and rested for a while.
By the time we reached back, the Maha Vinayaka temple was already open. It was a small but beautiful temple with three entrances to it. Within there was the much known and revered lingam with the five god heads. With a narrow passage to the idol, and many devotees thronging the place, it was difficult to get a snap of the same, so I chose to keep the cam inside the bag, get inside and take the blessings at least.

By this time everyone’s stomachs were twisting and turning from inside since we had a very very small snack at the start and the hunger was accentuated by the hill climbing up drill we just underwent. We spotted a hotel “Hotel Midtown” right at the Chandikhole crossing. Thankfully it was still open and serving, since most of the places shut down in afternoon usually after 2.30. The food was ordered and the round table discussions started about the rest of the trip. Considering that the next day was also off, we were contemplating extending our travel, but to where and how was the question.

Keonjhar came out as the picked destination after some quick phone calls to our local colleagues at office. However we were warned of the extremely bad roads and the trucks plying on the same if we happen to get late.

At that moment, Ratnagiri was dropped as the destination since it was already 4pm and we had to cover another 120 odd kms out of which most part of the road was in a bad shape with no lights. Our inherent delays followed us everywhere, this time because we missed a turn from the highway by 20kms and had to come all the way back. We were supposed to take a left from the highway at Panikholi. We still had over 90 kms to reach Keonjhar and by now it was getting dark. Single road with multiple SPEEDBREAKERS (they were meant to break more than just speeds) and potholes marked our ride till we realized we had missed a turn once again, thankfully only by 4kms this time. Once we got the turn, we made sure that we keep asking people for directions not to go off track again. The road now had no lights except coming from the vehicles, and it was almost 6.30. Our next milestone was to reach Ghatagaon, Maa Tarini Temple which was about 45kms from here. Sudden huge potholes on the road kept us on an alert all through the ride. The last phase of 20-25kms towards Ghatagaon was an awesome road through a dense jungle, wherein if you shut off your headlights, you would not be able to see your own hands even. Scary but splendid it was. It was getting a bit cold as well which was hurting the already aching backs from those huge speed bumps. We finally reached Maa Tarini Temple at 8pm. I would say that we were very lucky to have reached there just in time before the temple closes. The front gate was already latched, but a local suggested trying the side door which might be open, and it was. We were the last group of visitors to enter after which they shut that door. The temple was beautiful from inside with a circular boundary. In the centre was the idol of Maa Tarini. The idol with two big eyes, with a mark in centre for nose, completely painted in red emanated power and divinity. I so much wanted to have a shot of the scene there but unfortunately taking pics was not allowed inside. Stepping out after the short puja and the yumm prasad we were wondering how much more of roads we had to cover till we finally got a bed to rest our butts on.

We had absolutely no idea that the worst was still to come. The next 45-50Kms were only potholes with roads showing up sometimes in between. To worsen the situation, we had a caravan of trucks (unfortunately the truck movement had started) on the road. Dust was all around, all over, and inside our systems as well. We were looking like as if just came out from a dust mine by the time we reached Keonjhar.

It was about 10 by the time we reached. Now we desperately needed some rest, a warm bath and cozy beds. Looking around we came across “Hotel Labanaya” towards our right on the main road itself. On checking out the inside, we could not rate it worthy to spend a night, not value for money by the amount they were charging. Looking out further, on the way we came across another hotel “Hotel Shreekrishna”. It had decent rooms, cheap, and the best part, had hot water…we went no further and simply checked in there. We ordered food. There in the hotel we were eating papads, egg bhurji, munching on the baadam (groundnut is called badam here), and discussing how crazy we are and what a crazy journey this has been so far. It was 1.30 when everyone hit the sack and I did doubt if anyone would be ready to start anything before 10 in the morning.

Day 2:
A pleasant countryside morning it was and Suneel (the enthusiastic one) came banging each door, pulling each one’s sheets, punching…trying to wake up the sleeping logs, only to give a start. But all efforts in vain, we eventually started at about 11.

Taking directions from the hotel guys and the places to see we headed for the 1st in our list “Sanaghagra” and “Badaghagra” falls. Just about 3-4 kms from our place we spotted a “Panthnivas” on the right. It could have been a very good stay for us in case we knew about it in advance. Nonetheless we moved on.

It was surprising that very few people were able to give us the correct directions for the two places and we went off road a couple of times before we were able to reach the smaller of the two “Sanaghagra” falls. The place had been decently maintained. One had to walk for about 500mtrs from the parking area to reach the falls. It was a series of small but beautiful waterfalls. Unfortunately it did not look very inviting for a dip so most of us kept to the sides getting wet and playing around.

On the way back to our bikes, there was a villager selling blocks of wood claiming to be sandal at 40 bucks each. I was skeptical about the authenticity of the same since a block of sandalwood of that size costs around 800 bucks back in Cauvery, Bangalore. In fact the doubt was strengthened when he agreed to give it for 15 bucks a piece. Only to realize at the end of the journey that we had been duped :), it was just a block of wood dipped in scented water, did not expect this from a villager.

Post “sanghagra” we headed for “badaghagra”. Trying to figure out the way, we realized that it was a narrow stony road uphill which lead to the Ghagra river reservoir and the falls. We could see no one on the way and nowhere near and around as well. Such was the situation that at one point we divided into two groups at a V junction and planned come back after exactly 10 mins, since there was no network in any one’s mobile (Something Vodafone should look at. they did not follow me here). Incidentally both the ways went to different sides of the water fall. We reached the base of the waterfall where there was some solar power station which looked as if it was an abandoned building. While the other group reached the reservoir. Shouts and yells brought both the groups together at the huge reservoir. It was a beautiful sight with only water at one end of the horizon and lush green jungle on the other end.

Considering it was 2pm already and we were way behind our schedule we headed for the other places on our list. Still clueless as to what to visit, how to visit, where to go, we took the advice of some local people as to what could be completed within the small amount of time that we had. A unanimous answer was Gonasika, and the origin of river baithrani. Asking directions was easy, but getting the right direction was a hell of a task. From the main road near Sanghagra, the distance was estimated to be about 25-30kms.

Once off the highway towards Sambhalpur, it was a dreamlike stretch with a narrow but smooth single road with tall trees on both sides. It was a winding road with steep ups and downs…more of climbs since we were on our way towards the hill top.

Even though the ride was smooth but the load of pillion and the steep climb made our mean machines to groan in agony. And that’s when it happened, one of them broke down. Chain went loose. We were like, in middle of nowhere, no idea how far we were from civilization, how much time it would take to reach there and million such thoughts started brewing in our heads. That’s when a god sent angel came (a local) who though was going the other way, obliged us by taking us to the village mechanic. The mechanic’s shop was so inconspicuous, that we could have not possibly figured it out on our own. The bike was fixed and we were ready to start again all thanks to that angel.

In this village it was a temple ahead of which was the river origin. Prayers were offered at the temple, Prasad taken and off we were towards the hilltop. Road now was the narrowest, and there was a point where we had to finally park our bikes to walk and climb the rest of the distance. After walking for a while, there was another series of steps painted green by the moss covering them and small streams of water gushing by. At the end of the steps was a very small temple. Inside was an idol of a goddess and a rock looking like head of a cow at her feet. On close observation we saw the stream of water actually pouring out of the nostrils of that cow head shaped rock. This, this was the origin of the baitarini river. Such an interesting thing it is, that most of the rivers start from small springs or streams like this and grow huge before flowing into the sea. It was about 4.30 and slightly getting dark, so with more prayers, more offerings and some snaps we wrapped up the stay there.

Next task was to reach back to our hotel. Ride downhill was much easier and smoother since we knew the roads well now. Our only aim was to be able 2 hit the state highway before the trucks and dumpers did. But as luck would have had it, on the way back Sunil’s bike gave in again. This time it was a flat tyre. Since we were moving in sets of two bikes, he had one company. Since there was no network, there was no possibility of messaging to us as we had moved ahead.
Interestingly Vivek volunteered to get some help, waved his thumb, got a lift to nowhere (mind it he does not understand hindi, forget Oriya). The situation now, one bike reached the hotel, one stopped en route ahead since a call connected to them from a local PCO, two bikes at the puncture shop, and a lost guy with no network.

It was a painful ordeal of patience and wait for about an hour before everyone was able to get in touch with each other. Maybe the prayers came for our help. Else otherwise it could have easily been a big search operation since it was already pretty dark.

Everyone took a breather getting back together at the hotel and that’s when the ragging session of the lost soul began. The fun got interrupted by the tea and plates full of hot aloo pakoras which in no time were gobbled up. These were the first elements of food that got into our system other than biscuits and water. Refueled we were back on the road by 7. By now it was already late and we had to face the ordeal of the following the trucks with the whirlwind of dust behind them.
This time we were not lucky to be at the Ma Tarini temple on time, way late by half hour. By now we knew that there was no chance we could reach before 12, but the need of the hour was food, which we desperately longed for. The hope of getting a good dhabha on the highway fuelled us to cover the next 50kms of the ride. The small eating joints looked too tempting on the way, but we held back to reach the highway, even though we were not sure of what we would possibly get there.

And then came the highway, and a series of small and big dhabhas. Had no more patience, simply barged into one, ordered a humongous meal and gulped Masala coke while we waited for the feast to arrive. Not a great meal, but then who cares when you’re hungry. Gluttony had taken over the taste buds. Now that everyone was full getting up from those chairs now seemed to take like an eternity. It was 12.30 by now, and we had another 100kms to reach Bhubaneswar. But now it was a smooth 6 lane national highway ahead of us, with barely any traffic. Stomachs full to hearts desire we were ready to zoom back to our comfortable homes.

Zipping at comfortable speeds of 80-90, in no time we were back in Bhubaneswar sitting at the Rasulgarh circle for everyone to catch up. There we were, all of us sitting and laughing at the moments from the trip. Finally at 2.30 in the night we bid each other byes as we parted ways for our homes.

Lying on my bed, after such an eventful trip, I was wondering how ill cope with the uneventful days in office ahead. That’s when I stretched, shrugged the thought out of my head, turned on my side and slipped into sweet slumber. Goodnight!

Places of Stay in Keonjhar:
Panthanivas Keonjhar, At/Po. Judia, Keonjhar - 758 002,
Tel. 06766 - 253603, Mob. 9238211629

Hotel Shreekrishna, NH6 Near Madhapur
09437826311, (06766)256999, 250111

Other hotels in the area are
Hotel Ajanta 06766-253372, Hotel Plaza 06766-255246, Labanya Lodge 06766-255507, Keonjhar Lodge 06766-255794 , Gayatree guest house 06766-255668, Hotel Ankita, Shreekshetra Hotel

More pics from the trip can be found at Picasa Album

--Nalin Agarwal

Orissa Dairies: 64 Yogini Temple & Local Palm Leaf Art by NALIN AGARWAL

2009-10-22T03:21:00.000-07:00

Location: Hirapur village, Khorda Distt.
Nearest Towns: Bhubaneswar.
Distances: 16Kms from Bhubaneswar
Getting there: Bhubaneswar towards Puri, left turn into the village after crossing Dhauli. One can book an auto or taxi to and fro from Bhubaneswar.
Trip Length: 3 Hrs
Best Time to Visit: September to March (preferably mornings to be able to attend the morning puja)
Worst Time to Visit: Peak Summer
Permission: None Required
Things to look for: 64 Yogini temple and local palm leaf art
Things to carry: Bottle of water, some snacks, extra memory card for camera (you are bound to take many photos).
Rating: 3.5 / 5

Fact file:
Simple circular enclosures without a roof are an unusual phenomenon among the religious shrines in India. In addition, the circular walls of these enclosures have niches that enshrine sixty-four female images known as Yoginis. These shrines are referred to as the Chausath (sixty-four) Yogini temples, and the cult associated with them is known as the Yogini cult, forbidden archaeological sites of India. All told, nine Yogini temples have been discovered so far in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Orissa has two of these outstanding temples located at Hirapur, a deltoid village just outside Bhubaneswar, and another at Ranipur Jharial in the western strip of Bolangir district.

Of all the Yogini temples of India, the Hirapur Temple is the best preserved forbidden archaeological site. Located over the vast plains of the Mahanadi delta, on the bank of the sacred Bhargavi River, Hirapur is a small picturesque village, set amidst a peaceful environment, just outside the modern bustling town of Bhubaneswar. The Yogini Temple, otherwise known as the Mahamaya Temple, situated near the village entrance has an ambience that is quite charged. The temple conveys an impression of the overwhelming power of its sixty-four Yoginis. Mahamaya, the presiding deity of the temple is found adorned with red cloth and vermilion. The deity is still worshipped by the local villagers.

The Hirapur Temple is the smallest of the Yogini temples in India. The temple is a circular structure, 30 feet in diameter, which is built of coarse sandstone and has barely 8 feet high walls containing 64 niches to house the sculptures of Yoginis or Dakinis (2 feet in height). These 64 deities carved from fine-grained gray chlorite are goddess with voluptuous figures or animal faces and shrunken skulls give the 64 Yogini Shrines its name. These goddesses in turn serve Goddess Kali (Bhairavi). The Yogini cult, an offshoot of tantric practices in India during the 9th -13th century, believed that by worshipping the 64 goddesses and the Goddess Bhairavi, they would be able to channel the destructive energies of these deities to acquire positive supernatural powers for themselves including the ability to shape shift and become invisible.

The deities are derived from the village deity such as Ramchandi, Shyamkali, Harachandi, Tarini, Viraja, Bhagavati, Durgamata, Sarala, Bhadrakali, Kamakhya, Bhabani, and Mangala who are revered by the local villagers. Together in numerical groupings of 8 especially 64, they unleash there significant powers that can create and destroy mankind.

The Journey:

Inspired by my previous visit, and the pleasant weather, a friend of mine tagged along with me this time to explore the much talked about Yogini temple. Also, as it was my first chance to get started with my new baby ….Canon 1000D, I was very excited about the trip. Considering that it was just 16kms away, we took our own sweet time, had lunch and then made a move for the place on my bike. We reached the place around 2 in the afternoon, with an overcast sky; it was a great weather for making an excursion. The place was beautifully located within the village with a big pond on one side and farms all the way.

At the entrance of the complex was a small but a beautiful temple on the left with a statue of Gopinath. Similar to other temples I have seen here, it was painted in vibrant shades of orange, red and blue with an idol of Nandi facing the door of the temple.

A little up ahead was the Yogini Temple. At the first sight of it, we could simply think of it like a circular stage or a platform of stones being only a little over 7-8 ft in height. Moving close we could see the idols on the outer walls of the temple, as well as two idols standing carved at the narrow entrance. We stooped to enter inside the temple through the small gate. The temple inside had a perfect circular wall and without a roof. We could not help but notice and admire the beautifully carved idols of the Yoginis on the wall one beside the other.
Closely observing, each one of them looked as if they were made of metal, so neat was their finishing considering it is a temple belonging to 9-13th century. It was a transformation into another world altogether, with an open sky above and surrounded by idols which were considered extremely powerful in the tantric cult religion. Each idol was clearly distinguished from the other by the mounts, postures and head structures. A guide explained each of the 64 idols and their names, some of which I remember are Narmada on an elephant, Mananda on lotus, Padmavati on snake etc. Some of the idols were damaged and fractured, and are considered to be the act of an angry king. At the centre of the temple was an elevated platform with four pillars, which was explained to be the place for the execution of sacrifices.
The two idols at the entrance were Kala and Mahakala. However, being very poor at mythology, I could not truly appreciate the religious or the spiritual significance of the presence of various idols there, but for sure I felt the entire setup to be overwhelming.

After taking photographs of the temple, and some special pics of my friend who needed them to be posted for his matrimonial page ….we made our exit from the temple complex. My friend got into a conversation with a local villager there while I was busy taking photographs, and that’s when I realized the villager had taken my friend to his home nearby. I followed them into the house. That guy and his wife were actually artists who painted and drew on palm leaves and sold them for a living and wanted to show/sell them to us.

Here they showed us the various pieces of art they had made. A quick look into their house I could see various idols of Lord Jagannath and other art pieces. In fact, as a demonstration, the woman even showed us how they make the drawings on the palm leaf. With a heavy, big nail like tool she quickly drew some invisible stuff on the leaf. Then she rubbed some kohl on that area and voila, the drawing appeared. Within seconds, she had made a real neat pair of hands and a face. As an appreciation to their art and efforts, we both bought small drawings from them.

A personal word here, please do not bargain much with them or artists like them anywhere. They make their living with this art and it is only because of the support they get, various art forms are still alive & getting carried forward to future generations. Please make sure you are promoting the art & the artists not the traders.

We made a final bow towards the temple, hopped on the bike and headed back towards our cribs.

More pictures from this trip can be found here Picasa Album

--Nalin Agarwal

YOGINI

2009-10-21T23:35:00.000-07:00

Yogini is the feminine form corresponding to the masculine yogi. Yoginis are known to possess a steadfast mind, which they cultivate through the disciplined pursuit of transcendence, an idea that is central to the practice of yoga. Tantric scholars have described yoginis as independent, outspoken women with graceful spirits, without whom yoga would fail to achieve its full, fruitful purpose.

Though the leaders of the modern Yoga-asana & meditation tradition have often been male, the vast majority of modern practitioners are female, including many who have attained mastery through the primary Yoga of the embodied Shakti life mysteries of the life cycle and mothering. Only the female can awaken the muladhara chakra (the seat of the Kundalini-shakti) via fertility and sexuality; the male must use kriya Yoga.

In the Hindu tradition, mother is first guru (teacher) and in the Yoga tradition, proper respect of Yoginis is a necessary part of the path to liberation. A Yogini is the sacred feminine force made incarnate: the goddesses of mythology (Lakshmi, Durga, Kali) as well as the ordinary human woman who is enlightened, both having exuberant passion, spiritual powers and deep insight, capable of giving birth to saints, peacemakers, and Yogis.

In the Tibetan Buddhism and Bön tradition, a female practitioner is known as a ngagma (see ngagpa), and in the Drikung Kagyu school of Buddhism, togdenma (Tenzin Palmo). These married tantric practitioners are required to devote significant time to retreat and spiritual practice. Ngagma are particularly known for performing birth rituals, weddings, funerals, divinations, and pacification of spiritual disruptions. Some ngagma are comparable in practice to the Mahasidda yoginis of Indian Buddhism.

Yogini as tantrika

According to the Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika text, a yogini is more specifically a woman initiate who can preserve her own genital ejaculate (rajas) and contain the male semen (bindu) by means of the practice of the vajroli-mudra, also practiced in reverse by advanced yogis.

The Sixty-Four Yogini temples

There are four major extant sixty four yogini temples in India, two of them are in Orissa and the other two are in Madhya Pradesh. One of the most impressive yogini temples in Orissa is the 9th century CE hypaethral Chausathi yogini (sixty-four yogini) temple located at Hirapur in Khurda district, 15 km south of Bhubaneshwar. Another hypaethral sixty-four yogini temple in Orissa is the Chausathi yogini pitha in Ranipur-Jharial, near Titilagarh in Balangir district. Presently only 62 images are found in this temple.

Two notable Yogini temples in Madhya Pradesh are the 9th century CE Chaunsath yogini temple to the southwest of the western group of temples in Khajuraho, near Chhatarpur in Chhatarpur District and the 10th century CE Chaunsath yogini mandir in Bhedaghat, near Jabalpur in Jabalpur district.

The iconographies of the Yogini images in four Yogini temples are not uniform. In Hirapur yogini temple, all Yogini images are with their vahanas (vehicles) and in standing posture. In Ranipur-Jharial temple the yogini images are in dancing posture. In Bhedaghat temple Yogini images are seated in Lalitasana.

Association with Matrikas

Often the Matrikas are confused with the Yoginis which may be sixty-four or eighty-one. In Sanskrit literature the Yoginis have been represented as the attendants or various manifestations of Durga engaged in fighting with the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha, and the principal Yoginis are identified with the Matrikas.[16] Other Yoginis are described as born from one or more Matrikas. The derivation of 64 Yogini from 8 Matrikas became a tradition. By mid- 11th century, the connection between Yoginis and Matrikas had become common lore. The Mandala (circle) and chakra of Yoginis were used alternatively. The 81 Yoginis evolve from a group of nine Matrikas, instead of seven or eight. The Saptamatrika (Brahmi, Maheshvari, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Indrani (Aindri) and Chamundi) joined by Candika and Mahalakshmi form the nine Matrika cluster. Each Matrika is considered to be a Yogini and is associate with eight other Yoginis resulting in the troupe of 81 (nine times nine).

Source: Wikipedia

Compiled by Roopa Sreedhar

Dakini

2009-10-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

Dakini

A dakini (Sanskrit: डाकिणी ḍākinī; Tibetan: khandro; Wylie:mkha'-'gro-ma;TP:Kandroma; Chinese language: 空行女) is a tantric deity described as a female embodiment of enlightened energy. In the Tibetan language, dakini is rendered Khandroma which means 'she who traverses the sky' or 'she who moves in space'. Sometimes the term is translated poetically as 'sky dancer' or 'sky walker'.

The dakini, in all her varied forms, is an important figure in Tibetan Buddhism. She is so central to the requirements for a practitioner to attain full enlightenment as a Buddha that she appears in a tantric formulation of the Buddhist Three Jewels refuge formula known as the Three Roots. Most commonly she appears as the protector, alongside a guru and yidam, but Judith Simmer-Brown points out that:

The dakini, in her various guises, serves as each of the Three Roots. She may be a human guru, a vajra master who transmits the Vajrayana teachings to her disciples and joins them in samaya commitments. The wisdom dakini may be a yidam, a meditational deity; female deity yogas such as Vajrayogini are common in Tibetan Buddhism. Or she may be a protector; the wisdom dakinis have special power and responsibility to protect the integrity of oral transmissions.

Iconography

According to Campbell, "Iconographic representations tend to show the dakini as a young, naked figure in a dancing posture, often holding a skullcup (kapala) filled with menstrual blood or the elixir of life in one hand, and a curved knife (kartika) in the other. She may wear a garland of human skulls, with a trident staff leaning against her shoulder. Her hair is usually wild and hanging down her back, and her face often wrathful in expression, as she dances on top of a corpse, which represents her complete mastery over ego and ignorance.

Although dakini figures appear in Hinduism and in the Bön tradition, dakinis are particularly prevalent in Vajrayana Buddhism and have been particularly conceived in Tibetan Buddhism where the dakini, generally of volatile or wrathful temperament, act somewhat as a muse (or inspirational thoughtform) for spiritual practice. Dakinis are energetic beings in female form, evocative of the movement of energy in space. In this context, the sky or space indicates shunyata, the insubstantiality of all phenomena, which is, at the same time, the pure potentiality for all possible manifestations.

Dakinis, being associated with energy in all its functions, are linked with the revelation of the Anuttara Yoga Tantras or Higher Tantras, which represent the path of transformation. Here, the energy of negative emotions or kleshas, called poisons, are transformed into the luminous energy of enlightened awareness or gnosis (jnana) yielding rigpa.

When considered as a stage on the Vajrayana Path, the dakini is the last of the stages: the first is the guru, which corresponds to the initial realization of the true condition of reality, as this is introduced by the guru in the empowerment, if the disciple obtains what the Inner Tantras call peyi yeshe (dpe yi ye shes); the second is the devata, which corresponds to the Contemplation insofar as the devata is the method we use for developing the state discovered in the initial realization of the true condition of reality; the third and last is the dakini insofar as the dakini is the source of the activities of realization. In Dzogchen (rdzogs chen) these three correspond to tawa (lta ba), gompa (sgom pa) and chöpa (spyod pa): the first is the direct Vision of the true nature of reality rather than an intellectual view of reality, as is the case with the term in other vehicles; the second is the continuity of this Vision in sessions of Contemplation; and the third is the continuity of this Vision in the everyday activities, and the use of imperfection for making the Vision uninterrupted. Qua base, the dakinis are the energies of life; qua Path, they are the activities of advanced practitioners; qua Fruit, they are the actionless activities of realized Masters.

According to tradition, a Dakini gave a black hat to the third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje (1284 - 1339), when he was three years old.[4] The Black Crown became the emblem of the oldest reincarnating Tibetan lineage.
[edit] Classes of Dakini
Senge Dongma.

Judith Simmer-Brown, based on teachings she received from Tibetan lamas, identifies four main classes of dakini. These follow the Twilight Language tradition of esotericism in referring to secret, inner, outer and outer-outer classes of dakinis. The secret class of dakini is Prajnaparamita (Tibetan yum chenmo) or voidness, the empty nature of reality according to Mahayana doctrine. The inner class of dakini is the dakini of the mandala, a meditational deity (Tibetan:yidam) and fully-enlightened Buddha who helps the practitioner recognise their own Buddhahood. The outer dakini is the physical form of the dakini, attained through Completion Stage Tantra practices such as the Six Yogas of Naropa that work with the subtle winds of the subtle body so that the practitioner's body is compatible with an enlightened mind. The outer-outer dakini is a dakini in human form. She is a yogini, or Tantric practitioner in her own right but may also be a karmamudra, or consort, of a yogi or mahasiddha.

Dakinis can also be classified according to the Trikaya, or three bodies of a Buddha. The dharmakaya dakini, which is Samantabhadri, represents the dharmadhatu where all phenomena appear. The sambhogakaya dakinis are the yidams used as meditational deities for tantric practice. The nirmanakaya dakinis are human women born with special potentialities, these are realized yogini, the consorts of the gurus, or even all women in general as they may be classified into the five Buddha-families.

Source: Wikipedia

Compiled by Roopa Sreedhar

Orissa Dairies: Hot water springs & Hatkeshwar temple by Nalin Agarwal

2009-10-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

Location: Baghmari village, Khorda Distt.
Nearest Towns: Bhubaneswar.
Distances: 42Kms from Bhubaneswar
Getting there: Bhubaneswar towards Khorda (NH5), turn into khorda town and keep left from new bus stand. Baghamari is well connected with Govt and Private Buses from Bhubaneswar and you can find Buses within one hour interval for Nayagarh.
Trip Length: 3 Hrs
Best Time to Visit: October to Feb
Worst Time to Visit: Peak Summer & Peak Monsoons
Permission: None Required
Things to look for: Hatkeshwar temple and Hot water springs
Things to carry: Bottle of water, some snacks.
Rating: * out of *****

Factfile:
Situated in the Khurda district of Orissa, 42 Kilometers from the capital city, Atri is one of the most popular hot water sulfur springs in Orissa. The Atri sulfur spring is situated in the middle of paddy fields, and a distinct odor of sulfur surrounds the entire surroundings. The water at the Atri hot water spring maintains a steady temperature of 55 degree centigrade all through out the day. The waters from the spring are reserved in an artificial lake for the use of the people.

With a depth of around 15 feet and a circumference of 10 feet, the reservoir collects enough water to supply all the people visiting the place. The crystal clear water of the Atri sulfur spring is believed to have medical properties that have curative powers. According to the local people the Atri sulfur spring can even cure the infertility of women.

The Atri sulfur spring is located in a picturesque setting and the path leading to the spring is lined with banyan, neem and peepul trees. The tourism department of Orissa has constructed a bathing complex besides the spring which allows the pilgrims to take hot water bath indoors. Besides having healing powers the hot water of the Atri spring is famous for rejuvenating ones body and soul. Very near the Atri sulfur spring is located the Shrine of Lord Hatakeswar which is also a popular tourist spot. The place acquires a festive look on the days of Sivaratri and festival of Makar Sakranti.

The Journey:

After wasting numerous weekends spending indoors lazin off or watchin movies I finally decided to give myself a break. Starting after a big gap I needed somewhere close, somewhere easy to warm myself up before I went into bigger expedites once again. So there I was sitting online looking for places in the near vicinity. Of all the options thrown, I chose a lesser visited place known for an old temple (Hatkeshwar Temple) and a not so famous Sulfur hot water spring. Total travel distance was approximated to 42kms and about an hour to reach there. Neither wikimapia nor google maps were of any help to check the route, nonetheless the area was known so the plan was final. Unfortunately my friends were still coming out from the inertia and the hangover from the night…so if I had to travel…it had to be by myself. Still anyways…

I started easy at 11 in the morning towards town of Khurda on NH5. The weather was perfect, cloudy, very light drizzle at times, great road … I couldn’t have had chosen a better day for this trip.

After cruising for 24Kms on the national highway from Khandgiri square, I turned right to enter the roads of town. One could easily miss the turnings as there were no signboards, and from the boards or hoardings of shops etc, it was difficult to make out the area since they were all in OriyaJ. That’s when the friendly local crowd comes to the rescue, after seeking the directions from the local in my broken two-three word local vocab, I was able to figure the way out. It was mostly straight roads with complete greenery around, green farms on both the sides and an overcast sky up and ahead of me.

These roads through the town with a couple of turns brought me to the temple. It was a beautiful temple with the colourful arch and statues at the entrance. Amidst the quiet farms and serene surroundings the temple was really peaceful. After offering my prayers and taking some pics I made a move towards the hot sulphur springs.

A mile ahead from the temple was the “Atri-Hot Springs”. I entered into the complex with a measly entry charge of Rs.2 J (inflation sure didn’t hit here !!). In the centre of the complex was the well. Walking towards it I could get the same pungent smell that we used to shove at the noses from the test tubes to irritate the girls in the chemistry lab …yes it was sulphur J. Peeping inside the well I could get the whiffs of bubbling hydrogen sulphide emanating from the hot water.

In the meanwhile a priest (or he pretended to be one) had hurried over to me bringing along a small cup tied from a rope which he hurled into the well and took out some water for me to experience, giving the gyaan of 55 degrees temperature etc. He finally left me at peace once he was handed over a currency note. It was a well maintained well, looking around I saw some bathing pools which supposedly had the same sulfur water to cure various ailments. Being touted as having medicinal properties I did wanted to have a go and take a dip in the same.

As I walked towards the 4 of them, there was Fifth pond with the title as ‘Maansik Kuan (Literal English translation – Mental Pond J). At the sight of that I was so sad that I should have brought some of my friends with me…mebbe a dip here would have helped them gain some mental stability J. Sigh…they should have come along !!! Moving further towards the 4 small pools, my enthusiasm was however dampened by the sight those pools were in.

Local villagers were busy having a proper soapy bath while some were busy washing clothes. Nearing the ponds I couldn’t se the inside of the pool because of the deeply murky water.
Considering that I am in the pink of my health I thought I can make a pass at having a dip in this water J maybe laters when I would need some medicinal treatments ill come back again..till then this can wait. Apart from this the complex there had a small park with a couple of swings and see-saws where some kids were having a good time.

Being promoted as a tourist destination under Orissa tourism I would say that this place has not received any attention at all. The main attraction, the hot water spring is safe in that well, but those pools which should have been an interesting pull for tourists shabbily or rather not maintained at all. Overall my score for this place would be 1 out of 5. Not a place that you may feel sad about in case you’re not able to make a visit here.

Finally the lazy me started to take over me slowly and I headed back straight for my home..where my cozy comfortable bed was waiting for me. Not a very rewarding trip but the weather and the surroundings surely made it worth remembering.

More pics from this trip can be found here: Picasa Album

--Nalin Agarwal
TAG INDIA Discoverer for Orissa

Dzongri Goecha La Trek in Oct/Nov 09

2009-09-29T23:25:00.000-07:00

Dzongri Goecha La Trek

Introduction
This popular trek in Sikkim, is from Yuksom to Dzongri and onwards to Goecha La, and has superb views of Kanchenjunga. From Yuksam, the trail follows the Rathong Valley to Bakkhim and from here a steep ascent to the village of Tsokha. Above Tsokha the trail reaches Phedang. A further stage brings you to Dzongri (4020 M). From here the trail drops steeply down the river to Thangsing (3930 M). The final stop is at Samiti Lake from which an assault is made to Goecha La (4940 M) for the best views of Kanchenjunga.

Dzongri is situated at an altitude of about
4020 M, in west Sikkim. It offers the trekker a most fascinating close-up view of Kanchenjunga and Mt. Pandim. To the west rises the long outline of the Kyangla ridge. Dzongri is trekker’s paradise. Goecha La is situated at an altitude of about 4940 M. Goecha La offers a mind catching sight of the mountains like Pandim, Kanchenjunga and the others. The trek to Goecha la really is getting out & getting trekked. There are only few trekking routes around the Kanchenjunga National Park that are open to visitors. The trek is traditional which follows a picturesque route past lush vegetation and wonderful mountain views until it reaches a high pass.

Day 01: Bagdogra – Darjeeling
Take morning connecting flight from Bangalore via Delhi to Bagdogra. Transfer into hotel. Evening sightseeing and acclimatisation. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 02: Darjeeling – Yuksom (123 kms/6-7 hrs)
Today we will drive to Yuksom. The base of our trek. Dinner and overnight stay in
guesthouse/tents.

Day 03: Yuksam - Bakkhim (5-6 hrs/ 2744 m)
Today we will start our day 1 trek to Bakkhim with packed lunch. We follow a well-marked forest trail that winds high above the Rathong River. The trail winds through forests of conifer and oaks, mosses and ferns and past frequent side streams that tumble down the hillside. After four to five hours the trail crosses a substantial bridge just upstream of the confluence of the Rathong River and the Prek River. From the bridge it is a further one hour ascent to the small settlement of Bakkhim (2750 metres), where a single Lepcha family live. The Lepchas, the original inhabitants of Sikkim were forced to move to the remote regions when large numbers of Tibetans migrated to Sikkim in the 17th century. Although there is a Rest House in Bakkhim, on arrival set out camp for overnight stay.

Day 04: Bakkhim – Tshoka - Phedang (04godz. - 3760 m)
In the morning after breakfast we ascend the meadows above Bakkhim before reaching the village of Tsokha. Tibetan refugees who were granted this tract of land by the Sikkim government founded the village about a generation ago. From Tshoka the trail ascends steeply through magnificent rhododendron forest to the grazing meadow at Phedang (3700 metres). A short stage but necessary for acclimatization before continuing to Dzongri. Overnight at camp.

Day 05: Phedang - Dzongri (03godz. - 4320m)
From Phedang an early start is imperative. The trail ascends steeply for one hour before we gain our first uninterrupted views of the peak of Kanchenjunga (8586 metres) and Pandim (6691 metres). From the vantage point it is a further two to three km across the open meadows to the camp at Dzongri (4020 metres). Here we gain views of the main peaks along the Singalilla Ridge- the impressive divide between Nepal and Sikkim. The panorama includes
Koktang (6147 metres), Rathong (6679 metres), Kabru Sth. (7317 metres) and Kabru Nth (7338 metres). Overnight at camp.

Day 06: Rest day & Acclimatise at Dzongri
The day is for rest and acclimatization. On this day one can savor views of the mountain peaks by climbing up to Dzongri Top. From here you get a panoramic view of Kabru (7353 m), Ratong (6678 m), Kanchenjunga (8534 m), Koktang (6147 m), Pandim (6691 m) and Narsingh (5825 m). Towards the west, the Singalilla Ridge, which separates Sikkim from Nepal, can be seen. Dinner and overnight stay in tents.

Day 07: Dzongri – Thangsing (3800 mts/ 12464 ft) (10 kms/4-5 hrs)
The trail from Dzongri continues along the right bank of the river towards east. After cresting the hill the path drops into the valley and then crosses the bridge over the Prek Chu River. It’s an hour climb from the bridge to Thangsing (3800 m) located on the slopes of Mt Pandim. Dinner and overnight stay in tents.

Day 08: Thangsing – Samiti Lake (4500 mts/ 14760 ft) (7 kms/3-4 hrs)
The trail from Thangsing climbs gently north and follows a stream and alpine meadows. About an hour above Thangsing we reach Onglathang from where the superb view of the south face of Kanchenjunga can be seen. In order to capture clear views one has to reach Onglathang early. The trail then skirts through a series of glacial moraines before crossing over meadows again, and arrives at the emerald lake at Samiti. Dinner and overnight stay in tents.

Day 09: Samiti Lake – Goecha La (5002 mts/ 16406 ft) – Samiti Lake (12 kms/6-7 hrs)
The climb to Goecha La begins with gentle gradient eastwards for about half an hour and then later the steep ascent starts. The trail follows the glacial moraine north-east and then drops to a dry lake at Zemathang. A tough scramble over rocks and boulders with a rise of 400 meters will bring us on the top of the pass. The pass is formed due to the depression between Pandim and the Kabru spurs. It over looks the Talung Valley and commands a very
impressive view of the south faces of Kanchenjunga. Afternoon return to the Samiti lake. Dinner and overnight stay in tents.

Day 10: Samiti Lake – Tshokha (14 kms/6-7 hrs)
Start retracing steps towards Thangsing will take about couple of hours or so. From Thangsing follow the trail to Kokchorung (3800 m) which is a good camping site. Continue descending towards Tsokha by going through a bypass route directly to Tsokha. Dinner and overnight stay in tents.

Day 11: Tshoka – Yuksom (14 kms/5-6 hrs)
Retrace steps towards Yuksam on the final day of the trek. The going is easier as the path is mainly downhill. Overnight stay at guest house.

Day 12: Yuksam – Bagdogra
In the morning after breakfast drive to Bagdogra to catch a flight for onwards destination. Trip Ends Here

COST OF THE TRIP
Approximately Rs. 6,000 per person* (for a minimum of 4 people)

COST INCLUDES
• Accommodation: Budget Hotel/Guest House at Darjeeling, Yuksam. While on trek we take
Dome/Alpine trekking tents on twin sharing basis. Sleeping bag, Camping mattresses, camping stool etc would be provided.
• Transport: Toyota Qualis/Tata Sumo from Bagdogra – Trek point and back to
Bagdogra.
• Meals: While on trek, all meal. Meals will be freshly prepared and will be a mix of Indian, Chinese & Continental.
• Yaks/Porters: For carrying camping equipment, rations, vegetables and some
amount of personal gear of the clients (one bag not weighing more than 14 kgs).
• Professional local trekking guide and kitchen staff would accompany the group
• Entry fee and Inner Line permit (ILP) etc

COST DOES NOT INCLUDE
• Air Ticket
• Any charges for carrying still/video cameras etc.
• Personal expenses like tips, telephone calls, laundry, etc.
• Any costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances like landslides, road blocks, bad
weather, etc.
• Travel insurance

Best Regards,
TAG India Team
9886162404

Animal Rescue Shelters in Bangalore

2009-07-31T00:19:00.000-07:00

Animal Rescue Shelters in Bangalore

Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Trust
Animal Shelter, Snake Catchers
Mr Srinath N K
-26392561
No.4, 19th Crs,15th Mn,Chikkalasandra Tank Bed,
Padmanabhanagar, Bangalore - 560070

Cupa
Animal Shelter
Dr Balasubramaniam
-22947291
www.cupabangalore.org
Lakshman Rao Ngr, Viveknagar, Bangalore - 560047

Wild Life Association Of South India
Animal Shelter, Associations
Ishwariah
-25300367
No.17/1, Victoria Layout, Bangalore - 560047

Pet India Clinic
Animal Shelter, Veterinary Hospitals
+(91)-(80)-25532636, 25532766
No.630, 17th A Mn,6th Blk,
Koramangala, Bangalore - 560095

Bangalore Gourakshan Shalla
Animal Shelter, Diary Dealers
Mr Prakash Jain(Proprietor)
+(91)-(80)-28510272, 28517092
-9844455289
No.B-37, Nr Kr Puram Railway Station, Doddanikundi Indl Area,
Mahadevapura, Bangalore - 560048

Cartman Animal Shelter & Clinic
Animal Shelter, Veterinary Doctors, Dog Boarding Kennels
Mr Tn Bamzai
-65362687
-25533203
cartman@vsnl.com
No.870, 17th E Mn Rd,6th Blk, Koramangala, Bangalore - 560095

Government Veterinary Hospital
Animal Shelter, Veterinary Doctors, Veterinary Clinics
Dr Lakshmi Narayan
-22260200
Nr To Kptcl Of, Queens Road, Bangalore - 560001

Karuna Animal Welfare Association
Animal Shelter, Snake Catchers, Dog Catching Van
+(91)-(80)-22860205, 23411181
-9844062539
contact@karunaanimalwelfare.org
www.karunaanimalwelfare.org
Op To Queens Statue, Kasturba Road, Bangalore - 560001

New Look Aquarium
Animal Shelter, Aquariums, Aquarium Fish Dealers
Mr Ganesh Rao
-9886783835
mainhoonna-2004@yahoo.com
No.09,, Opp Ashoka Heights, Shankarnagar Mn Rd,
Mahalakshmipuram Layout, Bangalore - 560086

Cupa Animal Shelter
Animal Shelter, Ngos
+(91)-(80)-22947300, 22947301
santosh2413@gmail.com
www.cupabangalore.org
Kvafsu Campus, Bh Veterinary College Hospital,
Hebbal, Bangalore - 560024

Livestock Breeding Farm
Bangalore-560088
Animal Shelter
-28466445
-9880995972

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
9886162404

Snake Catchers in Bangalore

2009-07-29T03:08:00.000-07:00

Snake Catchers in Bangalore

1 Snake Rescue
Malleswaram, Bangalore-560003
-66507410

2 Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Trust
Padmanabhanagar, Bangalore-560070
Mr Srinath N K
-26392561
No.4, 19th Crs,15th Mn,Chikkalasandra Tank Bed,
Padmanabhanagar, Bangalore - 560070

3 Mohammed Anees
Frazer Town, Bangalore-560005
+(91)-(80)-25487424
-9844037333
No.15, Coles Rd, Frazer Town, Bangalore - 560005

4 Karuna Animal Shelter
(91)-(80)-23411181, 23511329, 24
Veternary Coll Campas, Bellary Rd, Hebbal, Bangalore - 560024

5 Bbmp Wildlife Rescue
Mr Sharath
J C Road, Bangalore-560002
-22221177
-9880108710
sharathbabur@yahoo.co.in
Corporation Bldg, Nr Town Hall, J C Road, Bangalore - 560002

6 Mr Harsha
-9844396610
No.207, Srinagar, Bangalore - 560050

7 People For Animals
Mr Ranjan Chacko
+(91)-(80)-28603986, 28604767, 22733350
info@pfabangalore.org
pfa_bangalore@yahoo.com
www.pfabangalore.org
Survey No.67, Nr Bgs Global Hospital & Abhiman Studio, Sbjit Engineering College,
Uttarhalli Road, Kengeri, Bangalore - 560060

8 Sumanth
J C Road, Bangalore-560002
Snake Catchers, Snake Charmer
-9980872884
Unity Bldg, Bbmp Office, J C Road, Bangalore - 560002

9 Karuna Animal Welfare Association
Snake Catchers, Dog Catching Van
Ms Pushpa
+(91)-(80)-22860205, 23411181
-9844062539
contact@karunaanimalwelfare.org
www.karunaanimalwelfare.org
Op To Queens Statue, Kasturba Road, Bangalore - 560001

10 Prof Rahmath Ataaz(Proprietor)
Lalbagh Road, Bangalore-560027
Snake Catchers
-9845243773
ataaz_swear@yahoo.co.in
Al-Ameen College, Near To Lal Bagh, Lalbagh Road, Bangalore - 560027

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
9886162404

P.S. There may also be a cost involved in rescuing a snake. Please don't let this discourage you.

Chennagiri

2009-07-29T02:43:00.000-07:00

Chennagiri
Location: Behind Nandi Hills, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Nearest Towns: Chickballapur, Devanahalli, Bangalore.
Distances: 56 km from Bangalore
Route: NH4, Bangalore, Devanahalli, Nandi cross, behind Nandi Hills
Camping Sites: top of the hill, or at the base of the hill near the Shiva temple
Trek Length: half a day trek
Difficulty Level: Moderate to difficult
Best Time To Visit: All round the year
Worst Time To Visit: Peak Summer & Peak Monsoons
Permission: None Required
Things To Look for: Stone temple atop the hill, stone pool
Things to be aware of: Confused villagers & Monkey menace
Things to carry: Lot of Water, Sunglasses, Cap, Food

Summary:

Channagiri or Channarayagiri, 56 kms from Bangalore, is one of the 5 major hillocks in the Nandi Ranges. The others are Nandi giri, Skanda giri, Deva giri, Dibba giri. The Nandi hills range has views across the plains and ideal for hiking. Channagiri hill is densely covered with shrubs. At the base of the hill is a Shiva Temple with a huge Nandi, built in Chola Architecture. The trek starts from a temple near Sultanpet and the track goes behind the hill and culminates at the hill top taking wholly about 2 ½ hours. A small temple and a stone water pool within a fort stands in ruins. Hardly used by trekkers, Channagiri is suitable for teams to enjoy nature at its best. Expect strong winds as you near the top. Adjacent Nandi Hills and Kalwarbeta are in full view from Channagiri. A nice drive from Bangalore and good trek makes Channagiri an ideal destination for a day trip. Do carry lots of water and beware of the naughty monkeys at the temple.

The route to Chennagiri is almost the same a Nandigiri except that we have to pass through the village of Sultanpet to get to the base of Chennagiri. This hill stands behind the Nandi Hill and is hence not visible from the main road. When asked for directions, villagers generally mislead by showing the path to the nearby Skandagiri, also known as Kalawarabetta. While the trek to Kalawarabetta starts from the Chickballapur town, the trek to Chennagiri starts from Sultanpet village itself.

It is 4398 ft. (1340 meters) above sea level. The hill is very steep and at some points is at an angle of 70+ degrees. Though the route upto the top is marked & is easier to find, we have to make our own way each time to climb down the hill. This is difficult and equally exciting. There are some stretches where we have to do a little bit of rock-climbing. We also have to carefully make way through a small forest of thorny shrubs. All in all, a very exciting trek, is not recommended for family trips.

The terrain is very diverse, rocky at some places & evergreen forest on the slopes. The forest of the hill acts as a substrate for cloud condensation and every morning the trees are covered in water. This allows for many moist forest species of plants and animals. The hills are very rich in birdlife making it a very popular location for birdwatchers and bird photographers. The evergreen forest patch on top of the hill being a favored wintering location for many migrant species of warblers, flycatchers and thrushes. The forest patch is also home for a relict population of the Nilgiri Woodpigeon. A breeding pair of Shaheen Falcon, the resident race of the Peregrine Falcon is also often seen here. The Malabar Whistling Thrush, Uropeltid snakes and Pill millipedes which are otherwise known only from the Western Ghats ranges are also found here. The hill slopes are the home of the Yellow-throated Bulbul, a species endemic to the hills of peninsular India.

When I first trekked here many years ago, this hill was not exposed to Stone Quarrying, that has been one of the long time works threatening the environment and the ecosystem. My trek to Chennagiri this year was disappointing as I saw that many parts of this beautiful rock were quarried. There is no end to the greed.

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
9886162404

Rock Climbing at Ramanagara

2009-07-29T01:53:00.000-07:00

Ramanagaram

Location: Ramanagaram, Karnataka, India
Nearest Towns: Ramanagaram, Bidadi, Mandya, Bangalore, Mysore,
Distances: 50 km from Bangalore
Route: Bangalore -> Bidadi -> Ramanagaram
Camping Sites: The temple atop the hill, Fields in the surrounding area
Trek Length: half a day,
Activities: Rock climbing, Bouldering, Rappelling, Trekking
Permission: Permission Required for Rock climbing & Rappelling (RFO- Ramnagaram Office) Rs25 Per Person and guide charges Rs150/-
Things To Look for: Legendary Temples,
Things To Be Aware Of: Monkeys, Slippery surfaces during rain
Difficulty Level: Moderate to difficult
Best Time To Visit: All around the year except monsoons
Worst Time To Visit: Avoid monsoons

Summary: Ramanagaram is situated in a valley surrounded by (48 km from Bangalore) rocky hillocks is sub-divisional headquarters from 1884. It became a taluk headquarters in 1928, and the place was named Ramanagaram in 1949 . It is the biggest cocoon marketing centre now.

Ramanagaram Rocks lie on the right side of the Bangalore Mysore main road beyond Ramanagaram town and are visible from the main road. To reach the rocks, one could ask directions to 'Rama Devara Betta'. Beyond Ramanagaram town, you will see a diversion on right hand side. There is an arch at the entrance of this road. This leads to the base of the 'Rama Devara Betta' Hillock. Cars can be parked here. Monkeys have made this place their abode. Beware of monkey attacks. Do not carry anything in plastic covers. Do not eat while climbing the steps.

There are a few hundred steps that lead to the top of the hillock. There is a resting place & platform on top and a few temples of Rama, Seetha, Hanumantha. Another huge hillock stands tall making the top of Rama Devara Betta as its base. This is most famous rock climbing wall in Karnataka. A natural pond leads the way to this hillock. One needs to be careful while crossing the dense pathway to reach the base of the climbing wall of the hillock. It is very dangerous to swim here and must be avoided. Many a villager has lost his life by diving into this pond. Avoid trekking on rocky surfaces if it is raining very heavily.

Ramanagaram is spread on the banks of the Arkavati and the old bridge connecting the town was built by Sir Barry Close, the Resident at the Royal Court of Mysore. Hence, the place was named Closepet, during the British period. Closepet Granites are formed during the Lower Proterozoic era . They form the rock belt stretching north south direction about 50kms. This belt has potassic granites, low grade granite greenstone belts with iron manganese ores, also younger gneiss's of granitic and granodioritic composition with gold bearing schist belts.

Ramanagara gets its name from Ramagiri Hills or Ramadevara Betta. Along with Ramadevara Betta there are other hills Rama Siddeshwara betta, Shivar-amagiri, Kaakasura Betta, Kapotagiri, this hill resembles a lingam when viewed from the east, Ganesha from the west, a serpent from the north and Lord Hanuman from the south. The village has a Agrahara, on the banks of the river Arkavati. Arkeshwara Temple built in Vijayanagara style was later renovated by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III.

The popular movie of 1970, Sholay, was shot in Ramanagaram area. Nature enthusiasts & bird watchers also haunt this site as many species of birds make their home here due to the vicinity to Ranganatittu Bird sanctuary. The hills are the home for endangered species like the Yellow throated Bulbul and Long billed Vultures. Many people have spotted the sloth bears, tigers were found in the region in 1900s. Stone Quarrying has been one of the long time works threatening the environment and the ecosystem.

For a Bangalorean, it is amazing to know that River Arkavati flows all the way to Bangalore through the Nandini Layout Area of Rajaji Nagar. During time of my grandparents who settled in Rajajinagar in 1950, my uncles & aunts used to trek, walk up to the stream and bathe & have have memorable picnics. Sadly, hazards of urbanization have eaten into this river and once a beautiful stream, today it is just another gutter.

I used to enjoy looking at the tall rocks on my drives to Mysore. My first trek/trip to these rocks happened only when we organized a rock climbing/rappelling camp on these hills.

This is an internationally recognized rock-climbing site. Grades here vary from 5.8 – 5.11 American with 1 to 2 pitches. There are the climbs called Wanakkal wall (“Gabbar ki asli pasand”, “labour pain”) on the Rainbow wall (“UIAA”, “Kalia”), on the Anna Thamma Rock (“Darkness at Dawn”, “Black Diamond”).

I have always felt that rock Climbing is one of the safest adventure sports. Every climber needs to be equipped with high quality safety gears. This is a sport which is an ultimate test for our inner strength, endurance, confidence and concentration powers. Though its more of physical activity, its mental game one should win. Here, there is no 'men can do it better'. We are competing with ourselves to know how much better we can do for ourselves, how much more we can stretch our limits. Every individual test his/her own capacity and comes out feeling mentally stronger with a sense of achievement! I hope to get back to my favorite sport again.

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
9886162404

Kunti Betta

2009-07-29T00:35:00.000-07:00

Photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/tagindiateam/KuntiBettaMandyaDiscoveryTrek29Jun08#
http://picasaweb.google.com/tagindiateam/HarohalliBoulderingSep2008#

Location: Pandavapura in Mandya District, Karnakata, India
Nearest Towns: Mandya, Pandavapura
Distances: 150 km from Bangalore
Route: Bangalore -> Mandya -> Pandavapura (towards KRS)
Camping Sites: Base of Kunti Betta, Fields in the surrounding region
Trek Length: Half a day, (3 to 6 hours depending on the fitness level)
Difficulty Level: Moderate to difficult
Terrain: Rocky
Things To Look for: Utensil Shaped rocks, Obelisk
Things To Be Aware Of: Slippery during monsoon
Things to carry: Sunglasses, Lot of Water, Hat or Cap,Canvas shoes
Best Time To Visit: All seasons except monsoons
Worst Time To Visit: Monsoons

Summary: Kunti Betta is a hillock near Pandavapura in Mandya District. The place is rich in history & heritage. Pandavapura features during the Mahabharata period. It is said the Pandavas ended their exile of 14 years in Pandavapura. Here is where Bheema slayed Bhakasura, the demon. A top Kunti betta, one can see the utensil shaped rocks which were apparently used by Pandavas for cooking. Sugarcane is grown in abundance in the fields around this place, giving it a feel of Mauritius . The multitude of canals passing by the fields gives the location an exotic look. On a sunny day, one can take a dip in any of the well maintained canals. The Chunchanghatte falls, Melukote and the newly excavated temple of Venugopalaswamy on the Cauvery river basin are very close by. The backwaters of KRS is at a distance of 20 km from here. We can also visit the nearby KRS dam where centuries old Temple is being excavated & reinstalled on the bank of the backwaters.

Giri's grandmother, who is from Mysore, was very excited when we told her that we were going to Kunti Betta for a trek. She informed us that during British times, these rocks were also called 'French Rocks'. Many wars were fought in this area between Tipu Sultan and the Brits!

We started very early from Bangalore to avoid the morning traffic on Mysore Road. Deciding upon the very famous Mallige Idli or Tatte Idli at Bidadi & almost a brunch at Kamat, we opted for the later. Kamat took more time from our schedule, making us ponder if Bidadi was a better place to pack breakfast. Sorely tempted to drink the sugarcane juice, we got off for an industial visit of the local jaggery making units. Kunti betta & its twin Onake Betta stood majestically a few miles away and were seen from a distance.

The painted stairs to the Ganapati Temple made a perfect picture. We spotted many kingfishers at the small pool next to the temple. There was also a cave that led nowhere. A wall was built inside the cave, giving a feeling that there was another world on the other side of the wall. Effect of too many harry potters, no doubt! An urge to break the wall and explore the unknown was too tempting.

The trek route started from near the pool. It was a natural slide of a rock, steep enough to give vertigo. This was a point where the timid heart gave way & refused to move. We had to climb many boulders, slither & crawl through tiny spaces. It was tough & exciting! Only sheer perseverance & will not to go back would lead us to the top.
The view from the top was amazing. We rested under the shade of huge boulders. Obelisk on this hill was another mystery unsolved. Mighty winds were blowing our way. The full view Pandavapura lake at the base of the hill could be seen only from the hilltop. While the clouds formed shadows on the lake, the color of the sky & the sun created magic of the surface of the lake. This natural kaleidoscope was enough to tempt us to go back to Kunti Betta again.

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
9886162404

Tso Moriri

2009-07-27T03:23:00.000-07:00

Tso Moriri

Route: Leh – Chumathang – Tsomoriri
Distance: (240 Kms) Distance between Leh & Tso Moriri is approximately 240 km one way & takes about 6 to 7 hours to traverse. We will need minimum two days. This distance can be traversed in two routes hence covering maximum places & seeing different sceneries to & fro Leh to Tso Moriri.
Topography

As per a classification of the Himalayan Lakes done on the basis of their origin, there are four groups and Tsomoriri falls under the third group of “Remnant Lakes". The classification as reported states:

(i) Glacial lakes which are formed in and around glaciers;
(ii) Structural lakes, formed by folds or faults due to movements in earth’s crust (e.g. Nainital lake in Uttaranchal),
(iii) Remnant lakes which were originally structural but represent the remnants of vast lakes (e.g., Tsomoriri, Tso Kar, Pangong Tso in Ladakh, and Dal Lake in Kashmir),
(iv) Natural dammed lakes i.e., temporary water bodies formed along the river courses due to deposition of rocks or debris e.g. Gohna Tal in Garhwal, Uttaranchal.

Tsomoriri or Lake Moriri (official name: Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve), in the Changthang (literal meaning, northern plains) area, is a High Altitude Lake with an altitude of 4,595 m (15,080 ft) in Ladakh, India and is the largest of the High Altitude Lakes in the Trans-himalayan biogeographic region, entirely within India. It is hemmed between Ladakh in the North and Tibet in the east and Zanskar in the west; the Changthang plateau is the geographical setting with snow peaks that provides the source of water for the Lake. Accessibility to the lake is limited to summer season only. Tsokar means salty lake in local language and salt was extracted from this lake in earlier times, till the end of 1959, for consumption by the local people.
The lake is surrounded by the elevated valley of Rupshu with hills rising to 6,000 m (20,000 ft). “Changpas", the nomadic migratory shepherds (pastoral community) of yak, sheep, goat, and horses of Tibetan origin and who are engaged in trade and work on caravans in Ladakh region, are the main inhabitants of the area. Changpa herders use the land of this valley as grazing ground and for cultivation.

Day 1:
After breakfast drive for 7hours to Leh via Sumdo and Chuma – Thang (3965M). Enroute stop at Mahe Bridge from where the road crosses to the south bank of the river by a bridge; it then follows the unmetalled road through Sumdo village up to join Puga stream. The drive from Sumdo to Mahe follows a narrow mountain gorge through green bushes. Packed lunch en-route. Chuma-Thang is known for its famous medicated hot water springs where people from various parts of Ladakh come for relieving their pains. Enroute drive past beautiful villages of Nurnis, Kery and Kadgam. The Jeep drive through this part of the Indus valley is quite flat without much uphill or downhill drive, a wide open village.

On the way visit Sumdo village and another 55 kms drive will take us to Tsomoriri. The Lake is breeding grounds for numerous species of birds. Chief among them are the bar headed goose, found in great numbers, crested grebe, the Brahmany duck (ruddy sheldrake) and the brown headed gull. The Lake is 28 km long and 8 km wide across its widest point. Overnight in tents, dhaba or local hotels.

Korzok or Karzok is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery belonging to the Drukpa Lineage and it is an ancient village on the western bank of Tsomoriri lake in Leh District, Ladakh, India. Korzok is situated at 15,000 feet (4,572 m). The monastery houses a Shakyamuni Buddha and other statues and is home to about 35 monks.

Hot Springs

Day 2:
sumdo - tso kar - thukse - debring - tanglangla - upshi - hemis - Leh (234 km)

Taglang La, with an elevation of 17,582 feet (5,359 m), is a high mountain pass in Ladakh, India.It is the second highest motorable mountain pass in India after Khardung La and is reached via 21 Gata loops. Locally called Baayis Kainchi (22 Scissors), the road to reach the pass is very thrilling. It is located along the Leh-Manali Highway. This is a very scenic route. We will come across the pink river & pink/magenta & green hills near Rumste. The kaleidoscope of color will spellbind us. After these landscapes, the sandscapes of mountains of Leh will seem like time travel onto a different planet.

Be careful with your digital cameras, ipods, Digi watches etc while approaching this pass. All electronic items supposedly go dead here. Our Cannon 40 D died on us here during the last trip. There are similar 'ipod death zones' all over Ladhak. Beware.

Best Regards,
Roopa Sreedhar
9886162404