Sunday, June 27, 2021

Kadana dam : We love sunsets....

Kadana dam : We love sunsets...

Hello,

So this was the second place on the day of Holi. We went to Kadana Dam. We wanted to explore Ghodiyar village and Nadinath hills more but we didn't want to miss sunset also..

We sat at the river bank for some time... just sat silently, watched birds, threw pebbles in the river, and enjoyed the silence with ourselves. The calm water of the river was calming our minds and our souls. Just a little ahead of us a small boy came there with his goats, talking with them, letting them drink water from the river, and enjoying his work peacefully...

We went to Kadana Dam viewpoint after that. There are two sites. One in dam per se and one is Dam viewpoint. You have to take the right turn from the Shri Hari restaurant and go uphill. From this viewpoint, you can see the most mesmerizing sunset... there is another Shivaji temple at the top of the hill. usually, people go up there but we didn't go to the top point but just before that we found one amazing spot with just four of us...

It was like just four of us, glistening water of Mahi, a lonely boat far ahead just looking like a tiny dot, the vastness of the sky, the beautiful colors of the sunset, and the shining supermoon rising slowly just behind us...few moments in your life you will never forget and these moments are just like those for us...

So that was a perfect Sunday for us... from a morning trip to Bakor to an evening trip to Kadana...

To conclude, our soul was feeling the same just like the quote of my favorite author..."For every time I see the sky I am aware of belonging to the universe rather than to just one corner of the earth."- Ruskin Bond. And this is what I wrote after this amazing sunset and moonrise...

Circle

Circle

Round

Wheel

Dot

Bindu...

Whatever you say

Whatever you see

It makes things complete

It makes life complete

First thing that

Comes to my mind

The sun

Shining brightly and eternally

Without fail...

He doesn’t wait for anybody

He comes and he goes

Just like our circle...

Still, we find time

To see those dreamy events

Because those moments are

The momentum of this circle

We all admire the crescent moon

Gibbous moon steals our heart

But

When do you feel contempt

Like there is no other way around

The full moon

The moon spreading its light

So calmly into us

Seeking in our body and

Enlightening our every cell

Giving us the energy to fight for

Another month

Fight of survival

Circle of mother’s bindi

On the mirrors

Of bathroom and dressing

Clean mirrors without them

Can show a nice and good image

But what is nice and good

Without heartwarming emotion in them?

They make the mirror complete

They join us with her smile

With her memories...

A first circle drawn by my kids

I didn’t know you were supposed to draw

From left to right

Or the right to left

School taught them that

But with me

It was just balls and bindis

And poori and luchis

Maa said every girl should

Learn to make Roti

That is round

I thought why?

Why is that so?

Now I understand

It’s not roti that should be round

It’s her nature...

To keep balance...

To keep motion...

No Matter what happens

To her family

To herself

She should always come around

Just like this roti

It was her way of telling me

You can do anything

You will do any impossible thing

Just keep going

Just like a circle...

So you see

We love all circles

Be it roti or poori

Mother’s dreamy bindi

The sun and the moon

Circle of Raza’s paintings

To circle of

Captain America’s shield

Because all circles

Are you and me

Bindu. Dot. Spot

It doesn’t start

It doesn’t end

It’s eternal

Just like us...

It’s our consciousness

It’s our conscience

It is our energy

Because of it, there is harmony

Let’s celebrate the circle

Big like sun

Or small like dot

Because it is endless...

- Kajal

Love

SaSha

Kaash

Location:

Kadana dam viewpoint - https://goo.gl/maps/RyQuPWPRHiizoKuVA - we sat here

Kadana nadinath lord shiva temple - https://goo.gl/maps/7FWoM8Nbjs5aPg9q9

Sunday, June 20, 2021

Bakor : A day picnic on Holi..

Hello all,

COVID's second peak was not there yet and there was a long weekend on Holi Dhuleti and we had last year’s pending tickets of Dharamshala which we had to use by March. So we decided to go for a trek because kids were pretty much accustomed to small treks thanks to our Sunday adventures...

But COVID has taught us one thing for sure...you can plan as much as you want, things will not go your way always...so after a canceled vacation in March 2020, we had to cancel this one also. This time we had planned for the Bengaluru Nandi Hills trek. Again tickets booked, reservations made, and all phsssss...

We thought Chalo ok... We can always go by car so we planned a perfect itinerary for Kutch and as it was super moon night we were thrilled for that trip...but again COVID had a different story for all of us...

Then after all that planning and cancellation, we decided to have a one-day picnic with no stay in any hotel or no food in any restaurant... stay in a tent in the afternoon, have homemade lunch in a picnic basket and hop in the car...

And we found this amazing destination- Bakor village. Though people will tell you that it is a monsoon destination or you will enjoy it more in winter, let me tell you this place is serene in all seasons...Be it Kaleshwari temple or trek in Sindoor Van...

On the way to Bakor, we had a stop at Panam river bridge and kids loved to explore their way under the bridge, along the river...river water was very scarce but that gave kids a chance to hop along the rocks and find their own way in the river...

Kaleshwari temple:

Actually, there are multiple archeological structures in the same compound. Two-step wells, one large kund, a temple. But the main thing we noticed over here is peace. The place is immensely peaceful. You can definitely spend an hour or two just enjoying the company of yourself Or with your friends and family. The second most marked thing was cleanliness. Despite having regular visitors the place is quite clean. There is one campsite just outside the temple and we have to book it online only.

Sindoor Van trek:

There are many hotels and campsites in Bakor and they arrange a trek in the Sundari van lake with a guide. But as we wanted to avoid any place with a crowd or avoid exposure, we tried to explore it on our own. We just asked the local village kid and he had shown us the rough path and then we started our trek just like that. It was super fun!!! We lost our way in return and took a quite long route but that’s the fun part of DIY treks!!! And if you want to do it on your own follow this signboard. there are few of them..

The trail was easy and small and it leads us to a beautiful lake with small hills all around... it was so beautiful in spring so we can't imagine its beauty in the monsoon...

After that, we just built our tent on a farm and had our lunch. Kids had fun playing chess and ludo and at around 4 we left for Kadana dam.

If you are planning to go on monsoon or post-monsoon another beautiful waterfall is there, Adadari (Bhadar river) waterfall and Laliya Luhar ni Medi, near Vavkuva village. We had skipped that but Bakor is definitely among one of our post-monsoon destinations so we will definitely visit to enjoy those falls.

We enjoyed this day's picnic with the kids. We have found our solitude. Have you?

What is solitude?

Climbing a mountain with family

Or swimming in a river merrily

Water kissing your feet at the shore

Walking barefoot on the deep forest floor

That one small grin in a crowd

A tight hug that we only imagine

That one nod that gives us ease

That smile after tear-soaked pillow

Close dance in the wild disco

Karaoke night song in bad tune

A bowl of Maggi in the circle of friends

Silly jokes to which everyone is immune

Oh!! Wait a minute

Where is solitude

In this?

Solitude is not loneliness

It’s a bliss

Finding happiness

In one

In two

In crowd

Findings peace

In chaos

Finding rhythm

In noise

Finding content

In woe

Finding harmony

In hatred

So let’s try

Be solitude for someone

Rather than a state

Let’s make it a person!

- Kajal

And this is how our first camping trip happened. We found solitude in the four of us!!! What about you?

for Ghodiyar and Kadana Dam post - see you next week.

Location:

Kaleshwari temple- https://goo.gl/maps/dnongLdYdFkkvGTJ6

Sindoor van- Somebody has marked location with his name and from its vicinity, you can start your trek. The villagers are always eager to help so don't be shy to ask. https://goo.gl/maps/Lo1bQkXtaaPp6CMQA

Bhadar river waterfall - Vavkuva - https://goo.gl/maps/KjvpUmUWFYTV1j6o6

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Tadia dam and Panch Khobla temples : Slow down from busy life

Tadiya dam and Panch Khobla temples: Slow down from busy life

Hello...

We didn’t want to go very far and wanted to explore a quiet, peaceful place.

And we found the perfect picturesque place!!!

TADIA/TADIYA DAM

It is a small dam just beside the more famous Dev dam (by the way our post of Dev dam is pending). Just like a little brother of a much bigger Dev dam. But its beauty is more scenic than the former. We have visited so many places in the vicinity of Baroda but this is the most peaceful place up till now. We have reached the perfect timing to see the sunrise but clouds were not with us today. But then also the beauty of the sun was mesmerizing.

A big lake with few frond-like areas of land extending in the water just like a finger in gloves... You can walk on the bridge of the dam, you can climb surrounding hills without any fear. You can walk on the trail along the lake... and the trails like these never disappoints you...they take us to the places where we can find ourselves and we can understand ourselves...

We had reached there by 6 and we left from there at around 9:30. We couldn’t feel where that time had passed. We were so lost in our surroundings!

PANCH KHOBLA

When you go to the Tadia dam on your left side you will find a whiteboard of Pach Khobla village. Don’t go there in the beginning as the sunrise view from the dam is the thing u can’t miss. We went there while we were returning from Tadia dam. This village has few beautiful ancient temples, sort of archeological sites. One is the Mahadev temple and another one is Hanumanji’s temple. Mahadev temple is just opposite to the lake and the ambiance is very soothing. If you don’t know what the calmness is or what the tranquility is come and visit this place, sit on the benches facing the lake and you will understand. The carvings on the temple are mind-blowing. Hanumanji’s temple is a little far and is at the dead-end of the road. I mean you can’t take car beyond that and it has the same calming effect on us.