Sun'N'Sea at Chirala

..we burnt some rubber on the highway to reach this place. On the way, we emptied a liquor store..well almost. Breezing through breezers, zipping on windswept roads, and making merry. Reached there almost midnight so it took some time to find the little guesthouse. as soon as i heard the sound of waves the weariness of driving 300kms disappeared. dumped my stuff in the room and ran to meet the sea and spent a long time chatting with friends, sitting on a boat on the shore. went to sleep at 3 am but i was up again at 5 as the first rays of the sun streamed in. It was a beautiful morning on the beach though a bit hazy. Spent two wonderful days here..

Take me out to the ocean,
Take me out to the sea,
Show me the foamy waves rolling there,
As I breathe in the salty sea air!

Take me out to the ocean,
Take me out to the sea.
Show me the currents and ocean tides,
Let me see where the seaweed resides!

Romancing the mighty Godavari

Sweet River, run softly till I end my song,
Sweet River, run softly, for I speak not loud or long
Yes, we'll gather at the river,
The beautiful, beautiful river --
On the bank of the river,
Washing up its silver spray,
We will walk and play,
All the happy, golden day.

This great bridge across the river
Nay it isn’t Brooklyn
Nor the Thames
It is the bridge across the Godavari
Mighty flows the river from underneath
Its waters clashing with the giant pillars
But it gushes forward on an unbriddled song
Whisper to the clear deep blue waters
The mighty Godavari will ask you to sail along
Underneath the bridge, there flows the Godavari





One small sandbar splits
the river, then it loops left,
and the river's silver
slips under the trees,
into the forest,

A lake's tryst with history

Hyderabad’s pride, the Hussain Sagar, one of the biggest man-made lake, is slowly losing its glory. With its placid waters getting polluted due to domestic sewerage and industrial waste being dumped in, citizens and tourists cringe at the stench from the lake. A walk on the otherwise beautiful necklace road on the banks of the lake is not possible without covering your nose these days. On the other hand, water hyacinth and other weeds are slowly taking over the lake.


In spite of well-maintained parks and gardens on the necklace road, the lake’s banks are an ugly site because of numerous `nallas’ spewing affluents and sewerage. The stagnant water on the banks has turned murky and is littered with plastic bags, water bottles and paper waste thrown in by careless tourists or citizens. A number of restaurants and hotels on the lake’s periphery dump solid waste in the lake.

The Hussain Sagar lake was created on the Musi river in 1562 by Hazrat Hussain Shah during the reign of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah. A `bund’which is now known as the Tank Bund was erected to check the Musi river creating this artificial reservoir to meet the water requirements of Hyderabad at that time. The original lake was spread across 24 sq kms. Now it has shrunk to less than half its original size.
Citizens groups, environmentalists and conservationists are campaigning vociferously to protect the lake and prevent further degradation.
That state government is making efforts to stem the rot and revive the lake but an ambitious project to restore it to its former glory is stuck due to mismanagement and bureaucratic red-rape as too many agencies are involved.

Meanwhile, the ugly sights and stench is starting to show as the number of citizens using the Necklace Road for daily walks and evening visitors has gone down drastically.

To The Legendary Captial Of Kakatiya Kingdom

I wanted to be here since I was a child when I read the awe-inspiring history of Kakatiyas. After so many years I was discovering the legendary capital of Kakatiya Kingdom_ Warangal. It is a city that found its way into Marco polo's travel diaries !
The legendary city was once the capital of the Kakatiyas in the 12th to 14th centuries.
The once glorious Warangal Fort near Hanamkonda now lies in ruins. But the towering gateways carved out of single stone leading to the fort are testimony to Kakatiyas' architectural prowess. There is the Thousand Pillared Temple which is another example of the intricate Kakatiya architecture.

2005 Tsunami: basic insticts work in death zone. 2006: What sea destroys, rains restore it.

POINT CALIMERE,TAMIL NADU, JANUARY 11, 2006: What was once the stuff of legend has been comprehensively demonstrated on the ground in this wildlife sanctuary. Cold statistics and matching eyewitness accounts tell the rest of the story.
Forest officers of the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary at Kodaikarai, some 65 km from Nagapattinam, say that 8 to 10 minutes before the giant tsunami waves crashed into the sanctuary, all the guards standing in observation towers saw the same spectacle: Virtually every animal, including droves of black bucks, spotted deer, wild boar and jackals, dashed towards higher grounds and stood there—like students at a school assembly.
The staff made a physical inspection and found only one wild boar dead. Probably it was sick and could not make it.
There are 2,200 animals of various species at the sanctuary and all of them are safe.
Among the animals that sensed the danger and fled were 1,800 black bucks, 250 spotted deer, 40 feral horses, and a number of wild boars and jackals which inhabit the 321 sq km sanctuary.
Even the guard at the lighthouse nearby saw the animals suddenly run inside the sanctuary. Birds__flamingoes and migratory ducks—also flew away before the waters came. They returned an hour later and started feeding as if nothing happened.
The lowlands have been totally ravaged by the sea water forcing the forest department to close down the sanctuary. Forest officials said rainwater harvesting systems, fresh water ponds and water holes have been inundated by sea water, rendering them useless.

The sanctuary is closed for public. The receding water has deposited a lot of mud which has not yet dried and it is almost impossible to enter the sanctuary. Only guards take rounds to make sure the animals are safe.
The biggest threat was faced by black bucks which stay close to the sea. Although the other animals were deeper inside, even they made a dash to higher grounds.
They are still staying away from the sea and fortunately for them, the small water holes inside the sanctuary have not been touched by sea water.
The sanctuary is famous for its 40 wild horses. Although the waters have receded, they are still seen grazing on elevated grounds and hillocks.


A YEAR AFTER TSUNAMI
The sea destroys wildlife habitat, rain restores it
KODIA KARAI, DEC 22, 2006, A YEAR AFTER TSUNAMI: The heavy rains in Tamil Nadu may have made life miserable for those living in the rehabilitation camps. But they have come as a blessing for the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary at Kodia Karai.
Last year's tsunami deposited 40 cms of mud across the sanctuary's grasslands, destroying the prime habitat area of the park's main species—black buck and spotted deer. However, heavy rains in the past two months washed away the mud, and the landscape has become green once more, to the utter relief of forest officials.
The Point Calimere sanctuary, a kilometre from the sea shore, comprises about 20 sq km of grasslands and mangroves that provide a habitat for several species of animals and birds. It has 2,000-odd black bucks, 250 spotted deer, 56 feral horses, and 600-800 wild boars.
Eight minutes before the tsunami struck last year, the animals instinctively bolted from the coast and found safety on higher grounds. So, despite the fury of the waves, only one wild boar died. However, the tsunami destroyed the grasslands and rendered all the fresh water pools saline.
The animals survived, but with the habitat of the black bucks and the deer destroyed, the Forest Department was forced to close the sanctuary.
The tsunami deposited 40 cm thick mud in the affected areas of the sanctuary. The mud flats lay in prime grazing habitat areas. But to everyone’s joy, the heavy rains in the last few months—which have caused untold misery for other tsunami survivors—washed away these mud flats and the grasslands are back.
The park's rainwater harvesting systems, fresh water ponds and water holes were inundated by sea water. But with the grassland back, the department is working to restore the water supply. The forest department constructed a large rainwater recharge well to tackle salinity ingress. The heavy rains have also helped in forming a fresh water cushion. Many parts of the sanctuary are now inundated with ankle-deep fresh rain water which will rejuvenate the groundwater table and grasslands.
The Forest Department feared that the black bucks would vanish because they prefer grasslands near the coast. The animals did stay away from the coastal grasslands till the rains washed away the mud. With the grasslands regenerating slowly they have returned and are now found in their usual habitat.
The tsunami also inundated the Point Calimere bird sanctuary where thousands of flamingoes and other migratory birds visit every year and roost in the shallow waters. Many birds flew away after the tsunami but this year they are back in the thousands.
About 16 species of birds have already arrived, including about 20,000 flamingoes, a number of gull-billed terns, whiskered terns, gray pelicans, teals, curlew sandpipers and black-tailed godwits.

Jaisamand lake's placid blue waters

Peace and serenity sometimes lie far away from civilisation. Where there is no mobile phone, no known faces, and no TV. You have to get there to experience it. Untill you drive through the narrow lanes of villages and arrive at the steps of a stone wall, you dont even realise what lies beyond it. Climb up the couple of steps and the vast expanse of Jaisamand lake's placid blue waters welcome you. Some 200 kms from Ahmedabad, I, who was craving for a short holiday and a break from work, would easily call it a small paradise. The cool waters of the lake were dotted by small hillocks, lush green and beckoning after the bountiful rains. A short boat ride brings you to the Jaisamand resort_a small miracle of sorts becasue it has been chiselled out of a small hill right in the middle of the lake! Well, get into your room's balcony and take in the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding lake and scenery. Put up your feet and you are nothing short of an erstwhile Nawab sitting in his palace and admiring the view! The landscaping of the resort is tastefully done giving you a feeling of being at a good place. The swimming pool is simply wow. And, the hospitality is such that the waiters and bearers keep your `spirits' high all the time. I was here with my most cherished, loving and life long friends_beginning with elderly Bapu, Tusharbhai, Dineshbhai, Sanjaybhai, Lucin, Pakoda, Hemel, Eldrin, Bunty and Meghal. Of course, the presence of Viyangbhai and his friends added a lot of fun.

July 11, 2006

July 11, 2006

When you write and read about terror attacks and deaths very often it probably makes you numb and insensitive. My fingers froze on the keyboard for a moment when that thought struck me as I went about calculating the number of Gujaratis dead in Tuesday`s blasts in Mumbai. The official list from Mumbai’s hospitals wasn’t matching with news trickling in from friends and relatives of victims, who rushed to Mumbai from Gujarat. In the hurry to complete the story on time, check and confirm the facts, I completely became unfeeling and insensate. That is, until I picked up the phone to talk to the victims` relatives.Many were besides themselves with grief; a family member or relative listed as injured was actually no more. A brother from Bhavnagar who rushed to Mumbai hoping to see his injured elder sibling was quietly directed to the morgue. Apparently, social workers and rescue personnel who called from victims` mobile phones to inform relatives could not bring themselves to deliver the bad news. They just said `serious` or `critical`.I called several mobile numbers listed alongside names of injured, hoping that the owner would answer. When a lady answered Haresh Shah`s mobile, the words stuck in my mouth. What to ask? Fortunately, Hareshbhai is recovering in a hospital but unable to speak or hear because his eardrums are still ringing after the sound of the explosion. But it was the voice of Harish Doshi`s daughter which brought me down with a thud to the reality of Tuesday night`s tragedy. She was broken and distraught and probably in a trauma after seeing her hospitalized father`s condition. With that came the realization that behind what were simple numbers to me, there were hundreds of people who were suffering, and, scared and frightened by the experience. It is easy to become insensitive and get down to body count. This is not the first time that terror attacks or mishaps have happened elsewhere and the bodies came to homes in Gujarat. When grenades were thrown on tourists in Srinagar in the last week of May, the body bags came to Surat. Eight pilgrims from Surendranagar died at the Gateway of India blast. A tourist bus overturns in Shimla and there is a pall of gloom in Vadodara. But the high number of victims from Gujarat in Tuesday`s blasts is unnerving. Like me there are so many who are left wondering if Gujaratis were part of the target.

Tribal Cuppa

From the scenic slopes of Araku valley on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam to markets in Europe, a success story is brewing. And the people behind it belong to a tribe so far known only for its colourful customs and traditions.

On December 21 last year, the Araku tribals set up a processing plant to produce their brand of organic coffee, 'Araku Emerald'. In less than three months, the brand's unique quality and aroma have won it customers in far away France, Norway and the UK. On Monday, a team from Tradecraft, UK, visited the coffee plantations while US-based coffee roasters Beans and Beans has evinced interest.


The first export order of 1,000 boxes of organic coffee has been sent to Norway for an IT company. 'Araku Emerald' will be built into an international brand. AN NGO trained the tribals of Araku Valley to produce high-quality coffee as part of a sustainable livelihood programme.


Today, the poor tribals, who otherwise produced pulses and occassionally coffee, are making at least Rs 30,000 per acre.
The foundation helped the around 8,000 tribals of the valley organise themselves into the Small and Marginal Farmer Mutually-Aided Cooperative Society, with support from the Green Development Foundation of the Netherlands, and assisted them in setting up a coffee processing plant with machinery imported from the UK.
The Tribal Cooperative set up by the farmers happens to be the only cooperative in the country to have both fair trade and organic trade certification.


The Tribal Cooperative set up by the farmers happens to be the only cooperative in the country to have both fair trade and organic trade certification.
Representatives of foreign companies coming here find it very exciting that these tribals living in the valley and still following their customs and traditions are producing high-quality organic coffee. They are surprised that the tribal cooperative also has fair trade and organic certification and they immediately want to do business with them.


Situated 115 km from Visakhapatnam, the extremely scenic Araku Valley overlooking the Bay of Bengal is a favourite tourist and picnic spot. It is situated at a height of 900 metres above sea level in the Ananthgiri hills in Eastern Ghats, and has thick forests and rolling hills. It is accessible by both rail and road, with 45 tunnels on the road linking it to Vizag.
The thick forests of the valley are an ideal place for growing coffee as the tall silver oak trees provide the right shade and light for the plants.
Before the NGO stepped in, tribals used to actually cut the huge silver oaks to clear land for agriculture, leaving many hills bare. Now, apart from helping them monetarily, the coffee trade has also helped the tribals realise the importance of conserving the forests.