Series- Destination India- Agra, UttarPradesh

The moment one mentions Agra images of Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri come flashing. All tourists find a visit to Agra incomplete without a visit to these monuments- even the Red Fort is visited by hordes. While agreeing that these places are definitely worth a visit, Pashatuks finds two other monuments a "must see" more than the much touted,much visited monuments.

The Itimad-Ud-Daulah, the tomb made by Noor Jahan, for her father, by the banks of the once flowing now stagnant Yamuna river, and Sikandra the final resting place of the greatest Mughal of all-Akbar.

Our trip to Agra started in the wee hours of the morning.Team Pashatuks,shivering in their warmwear tanked up the vehicle and hit for the road. We took the super smooth Yamuna expressway where the speedometer doesnt stop at the permitted 100kmph.

The best time to visit Agra are the winter months but be prepared for the fog and low visibility - we got dense waves of fog and the car speeds were down to almost 10 kmph at certain sections. 

Mustard fields dot both sides of the expressway, right from the start at NOIDA and follow us through,right upto Agra. From the expressway when one enters Agra, there are big markers pointing to the monument and in no time we manage to to park our vehicle right outside the tomb.No parking hassles and a very small walk to the ticket counter. For Indian nationals entry is INR 10 and for foreign passport holders INR110. Still cameras are not charged but there is a nominal fee of INR 25 for video cameras.

We will not get into the archaeological detailing of the place,but the artisans working on this tomb have done a far better job on marble and precious stones than the Taj. And we have found the place to be uncluttered everytime we have been there.The environs are peaceful and the architecture draws gasps of admiration at many places,specially the concealed domes. Its not difficult to sit by the now dying river where the water depth is of the ankle length of dogs,and imagine the glory and grandeur of the days gone by. We while away our time there indulging in photo-ops.And then realise that its time to move onto the next place.

  

Sikandra or the final resting place of the greatest Mughal emperor-Abkar, third in the lineage of the Mughal Dynasty. The tomb lies on the Agra- Mathura Highway and the expressway is not recommended for this tomb.Do watch the Video by Pashatuks on this place on youtube for loads of inside information. Another beautiful monument, maintained by the archaeological survey of India.Akbar was the most secular of all mughals and his respect for all religions is reflected on the architecture all around as one finds swastikas(hinduism),cross(christianity),lotus(budhism) dotted all over the main entrance or the Din e illahi gate(din e illahi was the religion started by Akbar which believed in one unified God).History states that he had many wives of different faith and his successor Jahangir was infact born of a hindu mother Jodhabai.

The final remains of his Christian wife Miriam is close to the tomb Palace of Sikandra.

One finds that the building style of Sikandra is similar to that of Panch Mahal of Fatehpur Sikri.

The entry fees here are same as the Itimad Ud Daulah and theres ample parking space. Within the premises of this complex one can also find the tomb of Sikander Lodi after whom the place Sikandra is named.Pashatuks explores the place once again and finds many new things that they didnt notice before- like the freely moving antelopes,the reduction of the langur menance(we didnt spot a single one of these monkeys this time).The Kanch mahal(palace of Mirrors) of Jahangir was under renovation and we were not allowed access this time.

Without realising it it was sundown and we had to hit back for Delhi- an otherwise smooth two and a half hour drive otherwise,but given our morning experience with Fog, we played it safe and returned home,smug and satisfied of completing yet another journey.

PashaTuks stumbles upon- New Delhis multi-cultural fusion pot- Paharganj.

A territory unexplored despite nearly 3 decades of life in this city.

Paharganj-in the heart of the Capital notorious for its criminal and unconventional outlook for the sedate mentality, houses perhaps one of the most interesting places on the "must visit" for the real traveler- the explorer. Most people have only heard about the number of criminal incidents that routinely occur there and like to stay away from the place.
It is however the hub of international budget travelers,better known as the back packers and the  travelling student community as accommodation and food is reasonable and cuisine multi-cultural.
 A lifestyle unexpected, seedy hotels, bright lights, narrow lanes,international back packers, multi cultural aromas teasing the senses.

 A walk up very steep stairs-4 flights in all and a completely different world. A rooftop restaurant with twinkling stars as the only cover and a melting pot of people from all over the world. We were the only Indians. The meal we had was a combination of authentic Mexican,Israeli and German. Schinitzel, Enchlidas, beef sizzlers and mozarella cheese and mashed potatos washed down with exorbitantly priced vodka..the newly introduced e rikkas was our mode of conveyance- the desi tuktuks. 

The bare chested,completely stoned, long haired foreigner wearing a rust coloured harem pants with multi coloured kamarbandhs kept strumming his guitar and soulfully singing aum namah shivah, while his equally happy partner high on ganja(marijuana), listened on. The entire evening was living out what we have only read about as hippie culture and very heavy on the senses. Fulltime dum maaro dum.
PashaTuks suggests -please park your vehicles at the nearby Connaught Place(Rajiv Chowk) parking - the lanes are narrow and parking impossible.Use the battery operated e-rickshaws plying dime a dozen. They charge INR 10 per head. Avoid wearing heels as all the eateries are roof top, which means normally the 4th floor and the stairs steep.
Dont be fooled by the Indian sounding names.Almost all eatery offers a wide choice of international cuisines at very affordable rates.
Go with an absolute open mind and do not judge people, who might be different in race or culture.Its one happy world there- enjoy the experience

Pashatuks Recommends-Things to do on a winter holiday- Go picnicking this winter

In Tuks own words "I never thought that the men could pull it off with such style and elan".

Sitting over a friends place place over lunch on Sunday, we decided that winter was receding rapidly and we needed to have a picnic. Out came the phone and the calls were made to the people we really wanted to be with. Just one family couldn't make it due to some prior commitment but every one else said yes to the concept, because our words to them were"no idea of menu and venue,but lets hit it for the  Indian Republic day".

Some men  got the brainwave that the food would be cooked at the venue itself and all men joined the yes brigade.The ladies were apprehensive(thats a mild statement for the loud protests the rest of us made) about getting any food at all, given the idea that the men would cook while we women would just chill.

Like all our great gatherings this event too had to have a logistics party, when everyone gathered at Pashatuks place over dinner to prepare for the picnic and responsibilities were allocated.Some got to organise breakfast,some got to organise the snacks,the rest had to procure the raw material.   The meal was simple- Mixed vegetables, dal, mutton curry and rice would be prepared at the venue while Rotis would come from the dhaba nearby.

Pashatuks managed to organise a farm house in Mehrauli on the outskirts of Delhi - a private property with load of privacy where we could do our own thing and no one would object.

All the processing work was done at the logistics party itself, mutton marinated, wood logs purchased and we were out of our respective homes by 8am. An  hour long drive saw all of our cars getting checked at various police barricades and it was hilarious explaning the firewood, utensils and dog, but we did manage to convince the Delhi police that we were not terrorists.

Then we got off the main road and got onto the dirt tracks- our car had no problems negotiating the rough terrain, but we could sense the mental agony of the other car owners which were low slung.However the entire lot of apprehension and negativity of the last 2 days( we are never going to get a meal, lets take some back up maggi noodles and some quick snacks, you guys are irresponsible we are getting old etc etc) flew right out of our minds as the caretaker opened the gates of the farm.

Well manicured lawns, with a swimming pool and an extremely clean western toilet reassured the naysayers.And potable drinking water was available freely too. What more does one need on a picnic. With the sun beating on our shoulders , the warmwear started coming off.Very soon we decided that it would be doing injustice to the springy soft grass if we had our shoes on- so barefoot we became.

There is something truly liberating about walking barefoot in the park. Breakfast was quick-fix- sandwiches, bananas and eggs.

 Then the brick oven was set up and the cooking started in full tempo. The good natured sniggers continued as the men toiled on in silence and the demands of tea, snacks and alcohol started coming to them, just the way the demands come to us at home.

The food smell wafting upto our nostrils in the clear weather suddenly had our stomachs churning for food,but we bravely suppressed our hunger and smiled.No one can call us unsporting. Most of us being small town people were enjoying the freedom of open spaces and the ones who weren't were enjoying the novelty and thrill of doing your own thing. The children were playing football, badminton, cricket, with us adults joining in off and on. Everyone was doing their own thing. Neuton,our labrador, our travel mascot made a wonderful fielder during the cricket match- the only problem was getting him to give back the ball.

Suddenly we realized food was ready and the ladies can honestly say that they never had better food. Maybe we were hungry and mentally at peace, maybe the expectations were lower, but the food tasted ethereally good,  almost divine and we were in a state of Nirvana.All the detractors to the idea of cooking outside were silenced because like always, actions spoke louder than words.But we are good losers. We made a mistake in underestimating the men and we were gracious enough to admit it.

So amidst a lot of good natured bonhomie and ribbing it was decided that the tea had to be made in the dying embers of the brick oven,and two ladies were deputed, oops sorry they offered to do the honours and all of us had some extremely good sugary tea.

Recycled glasses, plastic spoons, Neuton eating off Styrofoam plates - who cared- minor trivia.

Reluctantly with the sun going down and the warm-wear back on our bodies we bid adieu to this wonderful day and came back home, exhausted but deliriously happy. Nothing like a good old fashioned picnic to set the mood soaring!

Pashatuks recommends all you wonderful people to try a picnic at least once every winters.

Series- Destination India- Wagah ,India- Pakistan border-Punjab

Wagah, the last  border post for India is a tourist destination for its flamboyant "beating the retreat"(where soldiers retire for the day after lowering of the flags- an international practice) ceremony every evening, when the border gates are opened on each side for a specified amount of time and the every sentry from both countries put up a parade display, each trying to outdo the other country in terms of flamboyance and excellence. Every sentry in the parade is handpicked keeping in mind the flamboyance and display of might displayed by either country.The Sentries are exceptionally tall and imposing with terrific personas.
The distance to Wagah from Amritsar is around 30 kms and is well connected by public transport.
Pashatuks went by their own conveyance, which wasnt a very good idea as the designated parking for common tourists is quite a walk from the place of the event.

As we inched closer to the border, the scenario grew more dusty and rugged. Huge signboards claiming that we were reaching the border, hawkers on both sides of the dusty road peddling their wares in the typical bollywood film mode put us on an imagination overdrive with the adrenalin pumping. The imagination started looking for infiltrators. Cold logic made the soul sad that the same people, having the same culture, same language are now divided by a border and not accessible to each other. Multiple layers of electrified wires on both side of road are placed to ensure that there is no crossing over without proper documentation. Thats what politics do to any nation.

There are galleries built both sides of the stretch where "beating the retreat" takes place and the parade on the Indian side was led by these two young soldiers , both over 6 feet. It was enthralling to see the feet move upto nearly 6 feet in unison as the crowds went wild cheering "Bharat mata ki jai" and similar cheers could be heard from the other side.What you see in the picture below is the gates that open out at the designated time when the parade starts.The Indian side looks elegant and quiet while the Pakistan gates grand.

All too soon the parade was over and we all hit back for the parking lot,feeling distinctly patriotic and in sync with the armed forces. The walk back made us realise how fortunate we are to be living in the largest democracy of the world and instilled a sense of pride within us.
A few things to keep in mind if you want a good experience of this show- avoid all national holidays if you can. We went on the weekend of Easter and it seemed as if there were waves of humanity flowing.
However since we were guests of the state machinery, we were guided to premium seats and managed to catch the show.
If one has to go on national holidays make sure you have VIP seats allocated to you well in advance and make sure sure you reach early.Because VIP seats or not the moment the crowds swell,it becomes a free for all.
We were told that the version of this parade at the Ferozepur border was probably better and grander- but for Pashatuks its still hearsay. Till such time , we see it with our own eyes we reserve our comments on it

Series- Destination India- Amritsar,Punjab

Amritsar in Punjab is an important destination for tourists and pilgrims alike. It is also an important destination in terms of politics, being the last big city before the border to our "friendly"neighbor,Pakistan,
One can club a visit to Amritsar with a trip to Shimla, Kullu, Manali or a trip to Dharamshala and Dalhousie. Or one can even make a trip on an extended weekend trip from Delhi.
The distance from Delhi to Amritsar is around 450 Kms and can be approached by train, air or by road. Pashatuks has done the trip both by road and by rail.

Apart from other trains,Indian railways run the premium Shatabdi Express from Delhi, one in the morning and the other in the evening. It takes around 6 hours and Pashatuks has found it to be the most convenient. Pashatuks has covered the same distance by road and has been distracted by extended stoppages at the beautiful mustard fields,sunflower fields and the plethora of eateries called Dhabas serving the tastiest of piping hot Indian stuffed Paranthas with huge dollops of home made local butter. Going by road is a good idea if one has more than an extended weekend to spare- loads of memories to last a lifetime can be captured,but for people with time constraints, the train is recommended.

Pashatuks starts every trip to Amritsar with a trip to the famed Golden temple. What you see in the left is the imposing entrance to the temple complex. Footwear is left at the entrance and feet washed in the flowing water. The complex is open 24 hours, try to get in the wee hours of the morning for the peace and tranquility that one seeks in any religious place.We are not overtly religious,but the sikhs practice the philosophy that in the eyes of God all are equal and do not discriminate on basis of caste, creed or colour.
It is heartening to see a corporate honcho sweeping the steps of the complex alongside the regular sweeper. For the uninitiated it is important that you remember that the head is covered at all times within the complex and skin show is frowned upon.

We take the prescribed route to the main shrine-despite the serpentine line, there is a strange calm among people, who are unusually serene and wait their turn for their time at the sanctum sanctorum. On the way out , we are served piping hot "parshad",comprising of rawa served in piping hot ghee, better known as suji halwa.We then make our way to the 24 hour community kitchen where one is served food. We are lovingly served our breakfast, which we eat sitting on the floor. There is facility for wheel chair for senior citizens and disabled.
One can even offer service to the temple voluntarily, which most visitors do.
The soul satiated we leave the premises believing in the goodness of human beings(albeit temporarily). Do not skip the museum at the entrance- there is a lot of Sikh history packed there.

We walk out and walk into the Jallianwala Bagh Complex, where the massacre of thousands of innocents in 1919 took place. General Dyer managed to evoke a lot of negativity in a lot of us who were born post independence.
The complex itself did not impress me as the tourism department has made the place too touristy and not let us soak in the feel of history. By barricading the martyrs well where people jumped to save themselves from the bullets,we felt shortchanged.

On the right the marked boxes are the places where the bullets hit. It was a somber thought indeed imagining the unarmed innocents trying to scale the walls as the rain of bullets hailed upon them.

When in Amritsar,one must not forget to taste the savories that the city is famed for- butter chicken made in a way that is so different from what gets to eat anywhere else,Amritsari fish tikkas, jalebis, malaidar lassi,kachoris and what have you.
If one is in a mood for shopping, the tailoring of the salwar kameej is to die for, the cuts, the stitching, the fabrics,the rates..oo lala. And they deliver in hours. Our next destination in this series on the same belt is the Wagah border and Tarn Taran.

The Durgiana temple- a Hindu temple with distinct gurdwara architecture

The temple pond had the biggest fish.But they couldnt be touched!

Destination India- holidays galore- the planner unleashed

2014 saw us taking off on short vacations with many extended weekends. 2015 promises to be better still. Going by what we see on the calender, a casual leave here or there used wisely could lead to many happy journeys. Check it out people and plan well in advance. Pashatuks finds that over the 12 month phase just 7 leaves(not at all a difficult option) need to be adjusted to avail these weekends.  Financially the year might leave the wallets empty- but the year promises to be rich with memories and experiences

January

1st Thursday New Year’s Day
2nd Friday — Skip work; they will understand.
3rd  Saturday
4th  Sunday

January

23 Friday — Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti (Kolkata)
24 Saturday
25 Sunday
26 Monday  Republic Day

 Two slots of 4 days each-Pashatuks recommends Take off for any seaside, Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh(the heat is bearable in these two states during winters).For people looking for snow and ice a trip up the Himalayas can be fun too

February

14 Saturday
15 Sunday
16 Monday -Skip work, because Valentine’s Day long weekend!
17 Tuesday — Maha Shivratri

One slot of 4 days- Pashatuks recommends- Same as January - try GOA carnival if you can 

March
6 Friday — Holi (Festival of colours)
7 Saturday
8 Sunday 

One slot of 3 days-Pashatuks recommends-anyplace nearby to chill out and recharge.The weather is bordering from pleasant to hot. So keep that in mind. Great discounts for accommodation in the hills

April
3 Friday — Good Friday
4 Saturday
5 Sunday

April
11 Saturday
12 Sunday
13 Monday — Take leave
14 Tuesday— Ambedkar Jayanti, Tamil New Year.

Two slots- one 3 days and one 4 days. Pashatuks Recommends- seaside or hills

May
1 Friday — Labour Day; Maharashtra Day
2 Saturday
3 Sunday
4 Monday — Buddha Purnima 

One slot of 4 days-Pashatuks recommends- make the most of it because there is going to be a lull of these sneaky extended weekends.Dont bother about the heat

August
15 Saturday
16 Sunday
17 Monday — Skip work; you haven’t had a break since May!
18 Tuesday — Parsi New Year

Now this is a tricky one- the 18th August holiday is not applicable to people all across the country- so do check it before making your monsoon holiday plans

September

17 Thursday — Ganesh Chaturthi
18  Friday — Skip work
19  Saturday
20  Sunday

September
24 Thursday — Bakri Id
25  Friday — Skip work
26  Saturday
27  Sunday

Two slots of 4 days each. Pashatuks recommends Kerala and all zones enjoying good monsoons. Try the North Eastern States.

October
2 Friday — Gandhi Jayanti
3 Saturday
4 Sunday

October

22 Thursday—Dussehra
23 Friday — Take leave
24 Saturday
25 Sunday

Two slots - a 3 day and a 4 day slot- weather perfect for any travel all across the country.Pashatuks Recommends Do try and catch the dushera festival at Mysore

November
7 Saturday
8  Sunday
9  Monday — Dhanteras
10 Tuesday — Naraka Chaturdashi or take leave
11 Wednesday—Diwali (Lakshmi Puja)
12 Thursday—Diwali (Balipratipada) or take leave
13 Friday—Bhaidooj14 Saturday
15 Sunday

The longest break in the season- 9  days. Pashatuks recommends that you plan well in advance because everyone has the same idea.Pashatuks plans to hit for Leh ladakh- anyone wants to join in?

December
24 Thursday — Eid-e-Milad
25 Friday — Christmas
26 Saturday
27 Sunday

Way to end the year- seaside and hills once again.Enjoy your planning and do share your stories- Happy journey- 2015 is the year for it.. 

PashaTuks Recommends- Simple and Wholesome Outings- Rajpath,New Delhi,India

The  sweaters, jackets, shawls and all other warm-wear have started showing up on human bodies once more. The sun feels good on our bodies as we walk around. Winter is creeping up on the northern hemisphere and the mood is festive.

Not all can take off and enjoy the weather,yet there are things that one could do to break the monotony of the routine on a day off from work without causing too much of a dent on the wallet.

Pashatuks  tried this yesterday and enjoyed themselves tremendously .

Lutyens Delhi, the part of the capital designed and built by  British architect Edwin Lutyen, pre independence, happens to be the most aesthetically built areas of the capital. Magnificent government buildings, bungalows  on either side of wide tree lined roads make a pretty picture if one is taking a drive around the area.

Yesterday Pashatuks concentrated on the stretch between Raisina Hills and India Gate, commonly known as Rajpath.

The grand trio - comprising of the secretariat buildings(north and south block) with the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the abode of the President) started the journey, heady on the senses with their sheer grandoise.

soaking in the ambiance can be a time consuming affair

The drive through the road leading to India Gate, the war memorial for all our fallen soldiers is a beautiful one with the imposing Parliament building on the left and various government buildings on both sides beyond the beautiful manicured lawns on either side of the stretch.

We park in the designated parking lot of India gate and wade through the sea of tourists, happy faces from all parts of the world and a thought strikes our minds- the entire world gathers here to see these and we local residents cant even take an afternoon off to appreciate what is offered to us freely.

Vendors selling trinkets galore right from battery operated horns glowing in the dark, to cycle-rickshaws made up of multi-coloured wires form a good time pass. And the food- ahh- street food at its best. Pashatuks recommends that you do not try it if your intestines are not lead lined. The tastiest street foods of Delhi beginning from the humble papad(if you bargain you even get 8 big ones for INR 20), sweet potatoes baked and served with a wide assortment of spices(a must taste specially in the winter months),bhelpuri(available throughout the year),momos(whoever eats momos at India Gate?),piping hot pakodas,paani puri,coffee, tea and many many more items. It can be a free for all picnic,sitting on the lovely lawns and watching the world go by and indulging in all the street foods of India. Time flies doing simply nothing as you soak in the winter sun and its time to wrap up the day.

PashaTuks intends to catch up on these seemingly insignificant yet so enjoyable little trips over the next few days, urging all you people to try it at least once when in Delhi.

Pashatuks Great Midnight Adventure and the Uncontrollable Adrenalin Rush

Picking up a team member from the airport and bringing him back to base is a routine affair for most people. Most includes Pashatuks- well most of the times. Its an odd event here and there which keeps the adrenalin rush flowing in full form. And these odd events happen to be a part and parcel of Pashatuks daily lives.
This story starts with hitting on the road for the airport and after negotiating through the routine traffic snarls and road blocks that happen due to truckers and VIP movement alike, we managed to pick up our team member and hit off for base camp HOME.
The journey three quarters covered with us appreciating a late night Delhi- all lit up- wide roads,relatively empty roads,monuments looking forlorn but beautiful  and we suddenly see all lights blinking in the dashboard,like a Sci-Fi Hollywood movie and the 1980 Kilo SUV sputters to a halt.
Someone up there in the skies above does love Pashatuks.
For here we are in Delhi,not exactly the safest city for a woman and the car breaks down close to midnight at not a remote dark place(as they show in movies)but at a very very busy and well lit up crossing with a huge State Transport Bus depot within eyesight.Lady luck smiles at us,even when throwing challenges. The male members get out of the car and the bonnet is opened.They are sure that its a matter of minutes before we are up and moving.

Tuks sniggers inwardly,but keeps her mouth tightly shut and she rolls back the seat and settles in to catch up with friends on social media and telephones. A couple of cigarettes later and checking out of the locality for some tea(there was no tea vendor but a lone ice cream vendor who looked at us hopefully- the 8 degree celcius,windy, post midnight weather didnt induce any of us to help the poor hopeful though), the men decide to call in for help. So an emergency call goes out to 1800-209-7006- the 24*7 helpline number for Mahindra vehicles. The MNCs need to take a lesson or two from this indigenous  company on customer care- within half an hour we were located, picked up and dropped to the  service station closest to home.
The interesting part of the story comes when the recovery van comes in. Accompanied by the trained engineers the open van has a hydraulic ramp which opens up and the vehicle is pulled up through winch cables. Pashatuks has tried to record it,but the lighting was poor and maybe you dear readers have to strain your eyes to fathom what really happened.

After the bully was pulled up without a whimper like a chastised schoolboy, on the van we clambered into the car and took an early morning ride on top of the world, gleefully staring at the cars rushing by below.Our filmy moments. A rather expensive ride this, at INR 1800 for around 6 odd kms,but the experience and thrill of the moment more than made up for the lighter wallet. At the workshop, the same procedure was repeated to bring the car down and we looked around for transport for the last 1.5 kilometer home. The humble autorickshaw was the paid for knight in shining armour. We trooped in with our luggage and were dropped at our doorstep and this was the end to yet another journey.

World Percussion Festival 2014, New Delhi- A sneak peak

From Debyani Dasans notes-The year of disassociation- annual round up 2014

The journey through 2014 is coming to an end and the platform for 2015 is in sight and its time for a quick recap.
2014 has actually been a year where I have had the strength to battle all the ugliness around me and still have my head up and the smile intact. The year of disassociation perhaps?

Moving on has never been this easy before

The emotional armour firmly around my soul sends a strong signal that nothing is permanent and its stupid to hold onto anything- good, bad or ugly.The hurts have been there,but nothing caused emotional scars that I couldn't handle.
 I am now convinced that life is never going to let me sit on my butt and relax. Challenges are going to be thrown constantly at me and its going to take all that I have within me, to battle it out and emerge triumphant. For I love to win and win I shall. Maybe my battle is different, but my battle extracts more from me than what I would like to accept.
Mr.Tandon would be proud of me truly.
A big lesson to me came when my mail ids got hacked- and it was not nice to know that the hacker was someone who knew me and yet created the mischief.
Security on the web is definitely not as tight as one would like to believe.
First hand experience with a clinically mentally disturbed person makes me a more compassionate person and I realise how cheap and demeaning it is to laugh at someone who may not function the same way as I do. For everyone fights their own demons and don't deserve ridicule.
2014 has been a year of reunions- friends from the past, who I havent met in decades turned up in my life at least expected moments. With some I picked up the threads where I left off, with some  the distance only grew. But the connect remains.

This year has seen me starting a new venture with my  close friend- Pashatuks,

...and pashatuks is born

the community for people who travel and explore. I intend to put all of my passions together here,the love for travel,the love for writing and the love for networking and see what I can make out of the venture. I am ready to unleash the explorer within me.

Holidays have started taking new dimensions this year with Pashatuks being operational- Pashatuks is giving me more joy than I ever imagined. Now its time to strengthen the system and make it rock.
Leaving Wisdom Mart was a smooth process this time as I was not enjoying my work.
I have finally started wearing my spectacles for a better part of the day- the vision is clearer and so is the self.
But whats a story without some pathos- this year has seen Neuton slowing down and sick ever so often. I have been forced to accept that I dont have him for very long with me- a fact that is causing me gut wrenching pain.
But I know this too will pass and so as this year passes out I am ready and curious to know what new twists and turns I have to face in the new year. Ahh the journey has just begun is the feeling that I am getting- and waiting for the train to chug into 2015 and start off for the next destination...

Delhi Police - Aap ke liye, Aap ke Saath, Sahdev.(From Debyani Dasans facebook note)

My brush with the law is restricted to taking out my wallet and filling out challans ,once for over speeding and the other for jumping red light.Both times, the traffic constables  were polite and courteous, though very firm in punishing me for my violations. One even gave me INR 30 discount when he saw that I had no money left in the wallet after paying the challan.

But  the image that any law enforcing agency in our country has, in the minds of the common citizens, is nothing to write home about. Insensitive  and corrupt are the two words that come into the mind the moment the word police is uttered. In fact the slogan for Delhi police is the butt of many a joke in the middle class crowd. Roughly translated, it means "for you, with you always"-the biggest paradox.

Yet yesterday, something happened that made me revise my opinion that the Police are also humane with loads of sensitivity and a body who can handle sensitive cases, sensitively, and with huge dollops of compassion and humanity.

The mentally disturbed daughter of a friend of mine,in a moment of disturbance called in the police with all possible allegations against the parents,including fear for life and mental well being.

The calm and patient handling of the 6 odd Police from New Ashok Nagar Police station who had turned up not only calmed the violent girl,but also made her realize that these were people who were there to help her. And these were not the highly educated elite IPS,but the humble officials from a different strata of society, where ugliness and unpleasantness are commonly heard of.

They were equally polite to the parents, sympathetic(every one of them being parents themselves could empathize with the anguished parents)

The disturbed girl wanted to stay the night at the police station, but the laws of the land do not permit a lady to be detained in the police station post sundown, so the Police couldn't help there, causing her to get violent again - so they devised a way where the traumatized girl could be calmed- they opened their own sleeping quarters in the station,making her feel like a guest of the Delhi police,with the clause that a lady from  her house(in this case the girls mother) stayed with her. Through the night while the disturbed girl slept in peace, the friendly staff there counselled the mother, giving her tips on how to take take care of the daughter,offering solace and consolation to the parents on the cold winter night. I stood in the sidelines and watched in silence and this team took over a potentially violent situation with many shades of unpleasantness and ugliness and brought it to control.

I have no means of knowing whether what I witnessed yesterday is a one- off case or not but today I am forced to raise a salute to this team of yesterday as a common citizen of our democracy.

One more lesson in my journey through life- a single body cannot be painted with the same brush- each stroke is different. The situation demands the behavior of the Police force.

PashaTuks stumbles upon- Kerala Cafe

PashaTuks has the habit of celebrating the authentic,No matter how off beat or humble the origins might be.
Delhi is dotted with small eateries catering to the palate of the homesick Malayalees or the discerning   traveling foodies looking for a taste of what they might have had on their trip to Gods own country.Most of them do a fairly good job of reproducing the native flavour.

What makes the newly opened Kerala Cafe stand out is the availability of the exotic items in Delhi- Roast Duck, Clams (kakka curry),and Kingfish (Nayimeen) are some of the items that dot the menu along with the standard Kerala meals with the staple fish curry, fish fry etc.

PashaTuks ordered a portion each of Roast Duck, Beef fry, Beef roast Clams,Kingfish, Fish curry, a full kerala meal and appams.
Team PashaTuks certified the taste of each item ordered as authentic as it can get. Though the items looked very fiery, it did not hurt the intestine at any point.
The kakkas or the clams were flavoured subtly the way one gets as one eats at any of the many eateries facing the waterfront throughout the state.
The affable young owner Jose from Trissur says he came to the Capital city to make his mark. And it doesnt seem that hes done too badly as we spotted family of one of the leading political families quietly enjoying his fare and leaving as unobtrusively as he came in. The service quality is exemplary with Jose himself taking the orders and executing them- he is still a little rough around the edges with Hindi but he manages to understand what the guest wants and delivers. A meal for two costs slightly less than INR 500

This 16 cover eatery is on the 1st floor of the main market of Mayur Vihar in East Delhi. Ask for Acharya Niketan market and its in the 1st lane right after you enter the market.You have to look up to spot the signage.Its clean and hygienic.It is advisable to park the vehicle at the nearby Local shopping complex in front of Jeevan Anmol Hospital and walk. The walk itself is a journey as one can get the freshest of fruits and vegetables right on both sides of the road at rather affordable prices. PashaTuks had absolutely authentic Kerala cuisine in the typical style and pace of the average Malayalee -zimbly relaxed!

Jose- the owner

PashaTuks celebrates Diwali

Rajasthan- The Royal heritage. Sariska Tiger Reserve and Bhangarh Fort

Its not the destination as much as the people traveling with you who add that special zing to any travel. Pashatuks is happy to announce the completion of yet another travel.

 As usual an unplanned trip brings out the best in people born with the travel bug. So we decide not to make any kind of reservations,and just travel with the flow.Go whichever direction our heart desires and the heart desired for Rajasthan. We had 2 days to spare and decided to pack in as much as we could in these two days. Unlike other travels where we would travel at the crack of dawn, we started almost around noon,the reason being that the previous night was Diwali and we went to bed in the wee hours of the morning of travel.

 Destination for day one was Sariska Tiger Reserve 192 Kms from Delhi. The route we took is the tried and tested Gurgaon- Manesar- Daruhera from where we take a left turn for Alwar. The road condition of Haryana is excellent and  we made very good time and in no time we were settling down at The Jungle Babbler at Daruherafor lunch. This hotel has the ambiance of a resort and being a haryana tourism run unit,the pricing, that of a motel. For the Delhi dweller looking for a days outing, this forms an interesting option, specially in winter months, where the guest can soak in some sun in the well manicured carpet grass lawns and tuck in a good quality Indian meal. Pashatuks recommends you to sample their  cheese cutlets should you happen to require a snack.they make it out of cottage cheese(paneer) and we like it enough to recommend it.

The jungle babbler complex

The cut for Alwar comes in almost a kilometer before this place,but there is a service lane which one could use to get back to the cut.

We had decided to check out the Siliserth Lake which boasted of a palace, now a hotel run by the RTDC. We wouldn't have minded staying there for the night and then hitting for the safari the following day.

There is a board, rather primitive, indicating that we turn right and go for another 3 km- a small climb uphill and we drive into the palace by the lake. The lake is surrounded by the Aravalli hills which sport the just post rains look. A photographers delight

It is really disheartening to see what the state machinery can do to ruin something as grand and as elegant as a rajasthani palace,known for its grandeur and regal finish.
The structure by the waterfront does suggest that the place has seen some real grand days,but the chipped paint of the walls and the stench emanating from the washrooms across the area around the balcony offering the most spectacular vista of the lake surrounded by the beautiful Aravalli hills made us relieved that the non availability of rooms scuttled our plans of staying there and having a tete a tete with the royal residents floating in the building residing for hundreds of years. Ghost or no ghost unhygienic places do not appeal to Pashatuks. In any case we were sure that the spooks also were as unwashed and derelict as the palace itself.

We turn back for the road leading to our safari destination,fortunate enough to catch a spectacular sunset amidst the hills, hoping to manage some accommodation at the RTDC run Tiger Den. We took a chance knowing full well that we could be turned back. It was an extended weekend and booking is also done online. We have stayed there before and found the place to suit our needs perfectly. The rooms are spacious, neat and the food edible, almost bordering good.All meals are included in the tariff and there are options for veg and non veg. Meals are buffet and their vegetarian fare is definitely better than their boiled chicken in watery gravy dinner.We were lucky to manage rooms for ourselves against a no show of a prior booking.
Breakfast was a decided improvement.

The next morning we were up and ready -  private cars are allowed in on certain days of the week after paying INR 250 per car and a nominal amount of Rs.25 per person in the vehicle.
However post our Corbett trip we realised the advantages of travelling in open air gypsies and we set off to hire the gypsies with permits . These gypsies,run by the forest department can be hired from the gates of the park at INR 3000. Since the supreme court  mandate of allowing only 20 vehicles per day and bookings made online,there is always a rush for these gypsies.

 It is advisable to plan the gypsies in advance or reach early. Bookings start from 6 am in the morning and close at 730 am.

If you miss the gypsy and still want a visit into the scenic national park, the other available option is the open air canter with a seating capacity of 17 people, charging INR 500 per head.Not at all a wise option for the serious wild life enthusiast because the darned vehicle makes too much noise, scaring away the striped cats,panthers and other bigger animals. The deer, peacock,monkeys, birds and wildboars remain unaffected and can be spotted in plenty.

We managed to get into a canter and we guess theres no need to talk about the wildlife that we saw. However the mud tracks surrounded by the majestic aravalli hills sporting all the possible colours of fall and great company of like minded people more than adequately compensated for the big cat no show.
Post safari we checked out of the hotel and hit the trail for Bhangarh Fort, 50 kms from Sariska.

As soon as we hit the trail we were fortunate to come across the great indian neelgai putting up a photo-op for us right on the state highway.
The road condition is very bad and the fancier cars could end up in workshops.Thank god for the rugged home built desi SUV that the team has.

 Around 35 kms from Sariska we spotted a huge lake to our left with typical Rajasthani chatris(canopies) built within the lake and an ancient temple and fort to our right.No marking, no proper access to the buildings, the temple drew us to it. We trampled through the thick foliage without encountering a single soul for quite a while. There were skulls of animals strewn around,letting the imagination run riot with images of animal sacrifices, possibly humans too by powerful tantriks seated on skulls practising their witchcraft.Banshee like sounds cutting across the silence made us unconsciously move closer and hold hands as we approached the temple.But there was no thought of turning back. And suddenly there was a clearing and we had access to the steps leading upto the temple. The raw untouched beauty of the temple in ruins drew us to it like moths to a flame.The word ruins took on a new meaning as we soaked in the view from the temple courtyard. The steps leading underground makes us assume that its probably a direct connect to the fort up yonder in the hills.

The royal must have used this to pay his respects to the reigning deity, whose identity we are unsure of as there was not a single soul around and the temple doors were closed. We admired the architecture and came back to the main road.
Pashatuks suggests that if anyone is making this trip to this temple, do not do it alone- we are still not sure of the safety factor and Rajasthan is not exactly the safest of places. Make sure that you are in a group. Exploring the unexplored has a thrill that every die hard traveler seeks,but one should not be foolhardy.

Another 15 odd kilometers and we were in the haunted site of Bhangarh. Nestled in the Aravalli mountains this fort calls for a long walk from the parking area.

 This is one of the many temples within the Bhangarh complex

There is no entry fee and the walk to the main fort from the parking is through a lot of ruins, which transport you  to a rather harappan feel. The erstwhile city gives you a feel of perfect symmetry and we got the impression that citizens of that area were less than average in height  because the archways were lower than what we are used to seeing in other forts or places steeped in history.

Local folklore say that this city died overnight under the curse of a powerful tantrik who was displeased. Bhangarh is rumored to be one of the top 10 scariest places in the world and no one has apparently come out alive after sundown. Moreover the law enforcing agencies do not allow an entry to the premises post sundown. The mystery remains unraveled and our curiosity un-satiated.

One can spend the entire day out here with picnic baskets in the lawns. There are a couple of beautiful temples within the premises,but none drew us the way the one on the way to this place.
Pashatuks find themselves intrigued by the clampdown by law enforcement agencies of not allowing visitors post sundown as they do not really believe in the unnatural. We would love comments by anyone who may have visited the place post sundown and is alive to tell the tale.
All too soon it was time for us to come back to Delhi.We took the route back via Shahpura- Kotputli- Behroron the Jaipur Delhi highway.
It is important to remember that Rajasthan does not have the same dhaba culture that one is used to on the highways and it is always a wise idea to eat wherever one gets food or one has to wait for the next big city. Food in this belt is high on chillies and spice -so do make sure you either have a taste for it or carry your quota of antacids and hope for the best.