Panshet Dam, Pune – a days trip

Around 45 to 50 kms from Pune, Panshet is a small nice place and perfect destination for a small one day trip. You are suppose to take Pune – Bangalore highway towards Singhad Fort. The roads are good and narrow. Just an hour and half drive one could plan early morning trip and return the same day. There are few resorts near the dam. A small resto for food is just at the edge of the hill surrounding the dam and gives amazing scenic view of the dam and surrounding hills. One could spend time with nature watching the clam water and the soothing mountains around. Far off from the city crowd, its a perfect place to relax in the silence of the nature and do some photography .

dam

boating

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Give away the anger …

Giving away those anger ?

Anger is a strong emotional response or reaction to the happening around us or with us. As all other emotion we should be very well aware of this emotion. This is one emotion that makes lot of things berserk within a small time span or even otherwise. Worst part this emotion provokes a similar emotion in others. Though most emotions work the same way, but anger affects people and community in harmful ways. So we should understand the source of anger and do the best to get rid or normalize this emotion. We should know where and when anger is required. Being aware of this emotion and playing around with it in situations would definitely help you to focus more on better things in life.

1.  First thing first – A peaceful mind is the last one to react with anger to any situation. So to control the anger one needs to find that peace in their life – whether personal or professional. If the mind state is not at peace, we are more vulnerable to create this emotion. Being peaceful inside means least reaction to the outer happening of the world. Yes there are happenings that will bother, that will disturb, but getting angry is no solution to these happenings. Rather find what solution could you come up with for any situation that seems disturbing.

2. Getting angry channelizes either through words or actions – both in a negative way. Abusing or getting physical is associated with getting angry. One should learn not to react with words or action impulsively. Impulsive reaction with anger is always harmful for one self and others around. You might really be angry with something, but you should learn the art of acting on it rather reacting on it. Acting here means a deliberate action performed with sense and understanding of the situation that had happened and that made you angry. Remember to unlearn – getting angry really doesn’t mean one need to hurt someone.

3. Angry people lose out to lot of good things in life. Getting angry has its harmful impact on one self. Angry people tend to miss the goods in life, the anger occupies the mind and happiness goes away. It has negative impact physically (http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/ways-anger-ruining-your-health/ ) and mentally. And these negative impacts goes beyond the normal consequences.

4. Getting angry at the right situation. This is important. Being angry with rightful reason at times become necessity. There are situations which really needs your anger. If your being angry helps someone, then better be angry. If your anger saves some one, better do it. A strong reason and logic would demand you to be angry – and you better be. Vent out this anger in the rightful way. Remember to keep the check of how much anger is required to control a situation or matter.

5. Do not react with anger to angry people – remember people who are disturbed within are most likely to be angry most of the time. So when some one angry and shouting at you, look with love and pity at their situation – a situation that they are helpless inside and all they can do is shout and fight. These are people who need help and reacting with anger would not really help the situation. Next time if somebody calls u and abuses you  – do not forget – they need help !!

6. Always indulge with happiness –  the more you indulge with happiness, the more anger walks away from your life. A life of bliss never entertains anger. A life that is filled with immense love, compassion and positivity – shall always be void of anger.

7. Don’t get angry – not for other but for your own good. People might have realized less, anytime you get angry, you spoil your own good energies. Theres an aura that happy people carry, the moment you get angry your aura vanishes. The beautiful energies that you had been carrying goes away. The negative energies get picked up which starts hampering your personal and professional life.

Practice meditation to reduce anger and stress

https://lovetravel.co.in/2017/02/23/meditation-lessons-for-the-beginners/

 

 

 

 

10 characteristics the middle class should give away for a better life

I am from a middle class family and so have grown and i have seen lot of middle class people -friends, relatives and many many many more. Middle class in India makes the most of the super population here. And when i say middle class, its all – low middle class, high middle class, high high middle class, super high middle class – we middle class people are very good at making the differentiation- because we really want to prove that we actually don’t completely belong to the middle class – hmm whatever !

So observing the middle class since almost three decades now, i couldn’t hold back more to get down and write something. This doesn’t come as a mocking – like most will think – but this comes from a heart and mind that know that middle class has been a victim since years now. And if at all we need to change things around – we need to change how we behave and react to our surrounding .I am just trying to touch on some pointers here that i have observed. ** When i talk about rich, i really don’t mean the people from glamour world and people who have money and power – may be the world thinks they are the only rich people – for me rich are people who are living a life they had always wanted to – rich are all who have an extra ordinary experience of life – rich are all those who might not have made lot of money but are making a lot of difference –  rich are all those wonderful people who spread love and harmony.

1. Being Busy – we are taught to be busy. Yes no matter what, we gotta be busy. A middle class person cannot enjoy leisures of life, or if at all they do, they need to compensate it someday.Or they are believed to understand that leisure is only at weekends or some holidays that we might get out of work. You cannot own leisure if you are a middle class person. Apart from this middle class people are really, really busy – they are busy watching sas bahu serial, they are busy watching filthy all nonsense news, they are busy working, they are busy with the weekend booze parties, they are busy standing in queues, they are busy looking for jobs, they are busy calculating bills, they are busy understanding emi schemes, they are busy discussing politics, they are busy showing that they are busy(coz they think people who are rich are busy…) Point is here that the middle class family is so busy that they give their life in others hand.To decide what they need to do next, to decide what they should like, what they should wear, how they should speak, where they should work, how they should work, how much they should work, where they should live and many more. They have compromised their freedom – and they are so busy – they don’t have time to even think of this.

2. Being Worried – this one shit has been passed by middle class ancestors so professionally that the middle class person has this shit in the blood – worry. They worry – worry about money, worry about work, worry about no work, worry about yesterday, worry about tomorrow, worry about boss, worry about wife, worry about husband, worry about children, worry about neighbors, worry about celebrities, worry about assets, worry about no assets,worry about God, worry about no God, worry about being single, worry about being double, worry about what others think of you…being worried about almost everything. Worry is their best friend..its everywhere with them.

3. No Commitment – middle class doesn’t care about this word – commitment. Who fucking made this word.They think the only commitment they have to make is to their boyfriend or girlfriend about dying and living together. Else fuck commitment. “Yes i told i will call back – that doesn’t really mean i will”. You ask them why and then there comes the super answer i was busy. When a middle class person says – “don’t worry i am with you”, be aware. “I will come”, really doesn’t mean they will come – it means i might come – but they have already assumed that their words mean the same and who really cares to inform even if they don’t – that’s also should be pre assumed, according to them.They don’t have any commitment towards society and environment. Those are not their stuffs to be worried of. They are not committed to their jobs, wife,husband,parents – give a chance to switch they are first ones to do so – their conditions should be fulfilled – that’s it ! Forget anyone or anything – they are not committed to themselves.

4. Least Unity – Think of people you know above and below. Luckily i am with both the rich and the poor. I see a strong bonding in both the classes. Talk about richly and the poor, no matter what they will stand by each other – when required. More over they have their time of togetherness – both rich and the poor. They dance like mads, party, eat, talk in union. I have seen the poorest of the poorest dancing the whole night with their family and neighbors – enjoying the togetherness. This aspect is missing with the middle class. They don’t unite, they don’t dare to do so. They are already in a race with each other, how can they be united. Kick a middle class in middle of the road and no body bothers. Try doing the same with the rich or the poor – you better hide your ass. Middle class becomes a speechless, handicapped spectator. They are afraid to help, they are afraid to raise a voice for their own – at the end they are busy, how can they stop to help someone. Yes they do meet, in silos, 4 here, 5 there, all scattered, even at the time when their brothers and
sisters need them.

5. Gossip – They gossip and mind when i say gossip. Gossip is gossip, its not socializing. They gossip about almost everything – office, work, boss, girls, sex, neighbors, boys, movies, serials etc. They don’t talk or discuss, the gossip.

6. Deluded – they are the major chunk of population that is deluded. They are easily manipulated, easily, very very easily. They are the major reason behind brands like fair and lovely in India – “A 1000 Cr brand”. They drive the markets and in the most manipulated way and still never realize the power they carry as a mass. This is because together the middle class only forms a crowd and nothing more. A crowd who could be cheated, a crowd who could be manipulated, a crowd who could be bluffed, a crowd who could be robbed – without them even realizing that they are robbed.

7. Fear/Afraid – they are the ones who are afraid of hell lot of things. They are afraid of society, they are afraid of law, they are afraid of losses, they are afraid of people. They fear the goons, they fear the God, they fear security. They cannot break their cocoon the entire life because of the fear.

8. Lazy – Middle class is not because they are just middle class. Most are here because they are lazy asses. They love being lazy. They feel being lazy is their birth right. They go back home and lie on their sofa, beds like they have run a 1000 miles before reaching home. Their life style has made them lazy and they just enjoy it.

9. Complaining – The middle class people will have problem with everything around them – the system,the leaders,the education,the people,the roads,work and many more. They will complain about everything – walk in a middle class gathering and you gotta understand. Worst part there is only complaining – there are no doing, there is no action. They might swear on top of their voice to change the system- if at all – but that is like a
thunder with no show.

10. Lastly – they think that their whole world is within the 4 walls of their house. No matter what happens to the world their house should be intact. They are the ones who brooms the dust out of their house and into the neighbors – it only matters that their house is clean.

The behavior of the middle class person is easily anticipated by the smarter ones. And this is the reason the middle class people are made to dance on tunes of others. They are the ones who are easily exploited. The worst part is, the conditioning is so strong and deep that people, book, movies, situations fail to make them realize what they have been doing and how their behavior is driving so many unhealthy issues in the system. And yes, exceptions are there, yes there are people who have made a difference, but by large middle class has been the victim of the system. They are the ones who are most affected by the changes in the system. They are like the rats that are used by scientists to do tests. They are robbed of their own rights. They are robbed of freedom. They are robbed and raped by the system, and this middle class people stand – helpless, without much say, waiting for the government/leaders to show some mercy to them. To make their life better.To bring a change in their lives.

Its high time they should realize that they are the ones who can make a huge difference in the system. They are the ones who has the capacity to drive the changes that they need and want. They are the mass and the mass is the power. Open your eyes and wake up !!

Mahim, Kelva Beach near Mumbai – one day trip

Green, clean, fresh roadways

Mahim Beach, peaceful and quiet

A 120 km drive away from Mumbai, Mahim is a nice secluded beach, unlike its near cousin, Kelva beach, which is much populated. A 3 hrs drive from Mumbai, Mahim could be a small one day trip away from the hustle & bustle of the big city. Towards Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, one needs to take a left from Varai-Safale road to reach these beaches.

There are some resorts @Kelva but most of them are fully occupied by private parties and they might even not allow outsiders, even for food.

Shantashil resort is the place for food and drinks @palghar. This is on the way to Mahim  beach from Kelva and probably the only best place to dine.

The small town of the beach is beautiful and apt for photographers. Mahim beach is a fisherman’s beach and one could find many small boats in the water.

Fishermen at work

Fishermen’s boats

Know Your Mind – For Success & Happiness

Everybody wants to be successful, everybody wants to be happy, everybody wants almost everything in life. Ok so i say all this is possible, Yes a 110% possible.

Question is how ? The society has its own definition of success & happiness and gives an age old framework to all to work onto and to find a fit in it. They say – study and work hard and you would be successful, they say get good marks and come 1st in the race and success cannot be far. Our education system and society gives us a creepy understanding of success and ways that it could be achieved. No weightage is given to mind or even spoken of. And without the understanding of our mind and its capabilities or even how it functions we stray everywhere trying to be successful and happy. Result – 98% of people fail and a large chunk fail miserably. This 98% also includes people who have made money and many times fame too but they are the ones who also think they are yet not successful or happy.

Where have the things went wrong then ? May be the understanding of success and happiness is wrong at the first place OR may be one really couldn’t understand the mind – the way it functions and its importance in achieving success and happiness. Every successful person has a clear, calm mind and they are the same people who are happy too. A person who claims success and still has a disturbed mind, is really not successful. Success is something that brings a completeness to a person –  in heart, in mind and all.Success need not be an end point, it could be the journey it could be the path itself. So how you define success is very very important. A deluded mind fails to define and understand what success is. So before you start your journey to success and happiness, you need to understand your mind – the most powerful tool you carry within you.

Mind- is the psychic organ. Your everyday behavior, choices that you make, reasoning, awareness – all this and more is a result of your mind. So its important for you to keep your mind healthy and prosperous. The mind, like any other organ gets fed, needs exercise and needs rest.

— The mind feeds on processed information or raw information from the outside world – as the first step, understand whats getting fed in, screen whats not helpful or necessary and take the one that is important. Thoughts may pop from nowhere – be conscious enough to know which thought to follow – is this thought really worth rite now ? will this thought bring me closer to my dream ? is this thought worth spending my time on ? Ask these whenever a thought arise, check what your mind is getting engaged into. — All organs require exercise and rest to work to its best potential and so does your mind. Take out time for mind exercises – these could be from hearing music, creative work, puzzle etc. Rest is required as much for your mind as it is for other organs – good sleep and mediation helps immensely.

Once you get an understanding of mind as a psychic organ learn to control this amazingly powerful tool to get success and happiness in your life. Do not let mind play around with you – a simple play is worry – what is worry ? is it real ?  – Worry again is thought that gets popped up, so refrain from these thoughts.

All thoughts manifest – TRUE and this is the reason i emphasize the importance of mind in the journey of success and happiness . Good or Bad – thoughts manifest, so its very very important for all to know what thoughts they are engaging with. Thoughts that get focused on, that take majority of your attention are more likely to happen.

It is as much important for you to get educated about your mind as much it is to know your body, your environment – rather it is far more important to understand the mind. If not understood properly, it can bring enough sadness, enough worry, enough destruction in ones life. The road to success becomes a road to disaster for many, the road to happiness becomes a road to sadness for many. On other hand – know your mind and touch the bliss that every moment carries for you, know your mind and capture dreams that you thought were impossible, know your mind and touch true happiness that lies within.

CONQUER YOUR MIND AND YOU HAVE CONQUERED A LOT !!

 

I am on this journey to know more and understand more and learn more. Mail me if you have queries, questions, suggestions or something to share @ rameshlall01@gmail.com.

Will love to hear from you !!

 

 

 

 

 

Kutch & The White Desert – Rann

Mumbai to Bhuj (865 km) {Kutch} on train (13 hrs), 2 day trip and back !

Expense per head : INR 5000 (aprox), includes commute, a night halt at Shaam-e-Sarhad Village Resort and food.

February 10th afternoon we packed our back and boarded the train to Bhuj city, Gujarat. We were on our journey to see the most talked and advertised Rann of Kutch – The White Desert in Gujarat. Three of my friends from Mumbai and me. We reached Bhuj early morning on 11th, a cab had been already booked for our 2 day trip.

Sham-e-Sarhad – A village resort, Hodka

From Bhuj we drove towards Sham-e-Sarhad Village Stay at the Hodka village – 60 km from Bhuj. As we move out of Bhuj city we were able to see wide stretch of
land with little bushes till far. The road was narrow and very less traffic. Sham-e-Sarhad is an amazing place to stay. Its a authentic village stay. Mud floors and mud houses with amazing food. The place was at peace with nature with calmness and silence surrounding it.

Sham-E-Sarhad mud huts

Traditionally dressed dining space

After getting freshen up and lunch we drove to Kalo Dungar or Black Hill. Its the highest peak of Kutch district and 50 km from Sham-e-Sarhad.

Once at the top you could see the wide stretch of the Rann, far off white land. Its one of those rare sights of the beautiful planet. Only place from where we could see a panoramic view of the Great Rann.

From Kalo Dungar we drove straight to Rann of Kutch, the destination .Its about 45 km from Kalo Dungar and as we moved down from the hilly ranges, we saw plain land, plain land as far as the eye could see. The road was straight and both side we had raw earth land, stretched wide into the horizon. It was like the raw playground that had no structure built on it neither it knew it boundaries.

Finally we were at the renowned Rann of Kutch. Permits had been taken earlier.There were 2 check points before we landed on the white desert. Rann is an astonishing and stunning place. An ocean of salted marshy land. Never had i seen such a view or place on this earth.

White sand of salt all around, like a ocean had got dried up. We walked on the marshy land and started walking towards the endless horizon on the other side. It was late evening and every step i took into the marshy land i saw a new color of setting suns ray in the sky. One of the best sunset that i was noticing .The skyline became beautiful with the setting sun. It was like i could run to the end and peep the sun even if it went down. A long distance was covered and i thought to take a small halt and sit. There were small insects that fly during the sunset and they could be troublesome. It was my bandana and full covered clothes that gave a relieve there.

I sat watching the sun go down and enjoying every beauty of the white desert in the moment. It was almost dark and suddenly i turned to see something that made my eyes wide open – Moonrise.

First time in my life was i witnessing this. The moon was just above the earth, touching it rite at the curve. Huge in size, red in colour, i had never seen a moon so beautiful. This was a stunning sight. The light of the moon was shining on the white desert. I started moving towards the moon, as if i could run and reach very very close to it. There were flash light all around, photographers best time was this. I missed a nice camera here, but the experience was enthralling. We left from the beautiful Rann by 9 . Had amazing food at the village resort and one of the best sleep at the mud house, on the mud beds. Though the night was chill, the mud house was much much cozier.

Next morning was just too beautiful.I spent sometime on the charpai in front of our resort. Clean and fresh air and just sound of lil chirping birds.After our breakfast we checked out and  we went to a nearby village – hodka and met the locals. We spent nice time talking to children and the locals there. Rather we even played – goli with the smallies at the village. Their main source if income is handicraft .The village had 3-4 small houses. These houses had just one main room, small entrance and some tribal art done on the walls. The ladies are still not seen much outside the village and take care of the house and kidos. From the village we went seeing some palace in Bhuj. Prag Mahal and Aina Mahal is a must watch. They are magnificent piece of art and architecture of the 19th century.

Later part of the day was spent at the Mandvi beach. This was one of the dirtiest of beaches i had ever been. Thats the truth and i cannot lie. Though we had some amazing food at the Osho hotel in Mandvi, the beach is not much of hang around place.

Late evening we were back to Bhuj and boarded our train and off to Mumbai.

The Moon

Workers at the Sham-e-sarhad

Sham-E-Sarhad mud huts

The mud bed

Outside the resort

Dreams are Reality….

DREAMS are REALITY – live a dream life !!

We all dream of living a happy, content & fulfilling life.  The issue is, for most, the dream and reality seems far apart. More than often, people think that their dream is something that cannot be a reality and they push their dreams farther from their reality. Truth is the Dreams can be Reality. Most disbelieve this as they falter. And they falter for various reasons.

1. They tend to forget: In a system that we live in, exhaustive and distractive, it’s easy for anyone to forget what their hearts really want. They get satisfied with the temporary feeling of satisfaction, just like a child who suddenly stops crying when a new toy is handed over to him. He keeps playing until he bores or realizes this was not that he was looking for and he starts crying again.
2. Dreams cannot be reality: Most feel and are made to believe that their dreams cannot be reality. People who have not lived their dream life or even tried are the ones who always ensure to tell this – Dreams are dreams.
3. The system is ruthless: They system does not want you to live your dream life – yes and it’s a harsh truth that we should realize and understand.
4. Money is everything: We are too burdened with the idea of earning a lot. In this race many got dissolved and had never been able to get out of it. Most of the people in the race are the ones who at their core think – money is everything and they easily give up their dream for this money. Until one day they realize the truth and they realize that time has flown away with speed.
5. Distractions: People are too distracted. Thanks to worthless media, politics, controversies etc. Distracted enough to think everything else is important….but their life.
6. People are lazy: Everybody wants the change, but few could work to see that change happen. The lazy people wants things to just happen – without them doing or even putting an effort to get the change – which doesn’t really work.
7. People are afraid: This a big, big reason for the mass that thinks they could never achieve a dream life. People fear a hell lot of things – most of which doesn’t even exists.
8. Lack of believe in oneself: People who have not risked things and have not really played the beautiful game called Life, are also the ones who have minimal believe in what they think they can do. Because they have never tried to really push things around, they have never come across incidents that help boost their self confidence.
9. Become too comfortable: People become too comfortable with their daily routine of life. They get so habituated to the daily routine and same things around, that any thought of any change makes them uncomfortable. Living a life the same way for years to come makes them so comfortable that slightest of change hampers their happiness and life. And believe it buddy – change is coming, you like it or not.
10. What to ask from life: People do not know what they want from life. – I have asked this to too many people, most who don’t have a dream, are people who don’t know what they want from life. Even life seems to push them 100 times to understand what they want in life – but people become too blinded.
11. A beautiful life exists: People don’t know how beautiful a life could really be. They are grown hearing a stupid quote like – Life is full of struggles – A quote from people who could never understand and realize the magical side of life.
12. Money again: Money would solve all the problems. If this was really the case, then no rich would have ever committed suicide and no rich would have ever been in pain. Truth is not unknown here.
13. How to start: One last reasons in the list is a big question which every time holds the dreamer back and back into the race – Where do I start from? People who have realized their dream, get stuck at one point – how to start, they get stuck for so long, that at one moment they forget what their dream was.

To every point mentioned above, there is a hidden answer in the point itself. People with a little sense shall find it. People who still fail to get the solution or the hidden answers are more than welcomed to write to me @ rameshlall01@gmail.com, I would love to hear from you.

Stay Healthy! Stay Happy!