A Walk Through The Mountains

Golf Course

I remember that evening, when I had come down to Pune all the way from Jaipur. It was a hazy evening; I was in search of a college Foundation for Liberal and Management Education (FLAME), now known as Flame University.  As I visited the place to see where exactly it is located, I could just experience smog on the way to a new journey. Because of such weather I had to return and wait for the next morning to rise and finally I will be there getting rid of a long waited destination. Therefore, it was a pleasant morning, and I was prepared to make a visit to that place. However, it was an interview, but I was more curious to see how the place would actually look like. Therefore the surprise or wait was no longer there, I was about to reach the so waited destination, as we drove up the hills, the surroundings seemed to be more beautiful, some breath taking greenery midst the mountains was experienced in the regions of Pune. As it was eight in the morning and smog was still there, covering the beautiful golf course alongside this beautiful campus. As you keep moving down the Ghats, you experience the place, the beautiful greenery surrounding the hills. 

Cricket Field connecting the Library and Sodexo

I entered the college gate, at 50 Meters I see is a cricket field, and a full sized football court, if it would not have been an interview, I would have been playing at the field. I felt as if I was at a resort or came here for a weekend. Not knowing how the people around me be like, I walked down the campus with all unknown faces, every step that morning bought a smile on my face as it was just so beautiful all around me. I met a few teachers in the morning shared a few smiles and finished my interview, and then I was set to leave the campus. I did not feel as if I was to leave the place, it felt as if spending decades as well would not be enough here. 

A Drive to Flame

I returned to Jaipur, all the way thinking about this place. I had no idea of how the result will come out to be. A few days later, I received an email saying that Mr. Chidansh Choudhary has been selected for the FSLE batch (2011-2015). I was all prepared to reach the destination, which I just have been thinking about since the very first day I came for an interview.

Flame - It's always beautiful

Finally I was there standing amidst our batch people, not knowing where everyone has come from. I spoke to a few people, trying to know about them and in search of finding the best of people.

3.5

As I was new to these faces, some knew each other and some were strangers like me roaming across the lovely campus sharing smiles, spreading happiness and at last having the best of conversations turning into a beautiful friendship. Not even seven days of these four years, I could see that bonding amongst our batch mates, though I was the least spoken of all, but at times seeing everyone happy would bring on a smile. We stayed in a campus where we had all the facilities, right there from the sports to the food, everything was in front of our eyes. The student run ventures, Joe’s, Yaarana earlier known as Paathshala and Bottoms up were spread all over the campus, making us happier by serving best of the dishes like, Chilly Cheese Toast, Cheese Chakli Pav and the Momos. The mornings that started at Balus with a tea and vada pav ended up with a blast in our hostel rooms entering anyone’s room and waking everyone from sleep.

Paathshala or Yaarana - Picture by batch of 2008

Kakis 

Balus

Cafe Coffe Day, next to the Kund

However, we were staying in a resort cum campus, but a place where knowledge was shared at every step of your life. From the classroom to your hostel rooms, you had these conversations with best of your colleagues understanding life through a different perspective. Flame introduced us to a different fields of study at a single platform, be it the Social Science, Humanities, Physics and Natural Science, Fine and Performing arts, everything was right there at your doorstep.

Where We all Stayed

However, the campus is spread in an area of 80 acres, but it feels as if you are living in such a small place. Every step lets you experience a smiling face or an interesting conversation. There have been best of lifetime experiences that we all have been a part of at Flame University, like Discover India Project, Flame Leadership Award, and everyone’s favorite Exploration in Life Space, Life Roles & Identity (ELRI). These programs or experiences have been a life changing programs for everyone in some sense, a few like me turned out to be a photographer and more of an intellectual person. However, we all have had a complex time at Flame, not denying the fact, but yes we all were the strength to each other’s arms at the end of the day.

We had our own lake

Since we all stayed in a campus, which was right between the hills, it too had some of the other attractions like the lake, which was part of our very own campus, small kund where everyday someone was thrown into the kund on their birthday celebrations. However, we were surrounded with restrictions, surrounded with hills, but we were grown and liberal through our thoughts. Exploring the hills, the lakes, the people out there became an hobby itself, sometimes just to enjoy the rains and see of how it all looked like from the top we would climb up the mountains and sit there for hours looking at the beauty were we all stayed.

How it looked from the Bungalows

One thing that Flame taught or I would rather say people around showed how speaking, opening up to different people at times could be so meaningful and important in life. You end up learning so many things, when I joined the college, I always stood as a silent pillar, but knowing people and talking to them made me a mature person at the end of these four years. Moreover, the best part was the interaction between the juniors and the seniors, there was no such thing that let us say, “yeh mera junior hai ya senior”. We all were equally at the same level, enjoying the interactions at Balu, Kakis or the sports field. 

Our Sports Heaven

One more thing that makes a happy person, were the activities that we have experienced at this place, we had a bunch of musicians, photographers, artists and just people with so much talent all around us. Sometimes you are just sitting in your room and you would find someone playing the guitar at Balus or Kakis, or see someone play at the fields, or read a book. That enthusiasm, something that use to turn out into smiles or force us to be a part of it.

Lake connecting to the Temple

Flame has been an integral part of my life and of course has been for friends as well. We have enjoyed the studies, the classroom masti, dancing with the best of our professors, bunking classes, missing exams, endless nights and things could just add on to the list that we all have experienced under this umbrella. I remember saying that two to three years are sufficient at Flame, fourth year becomes too much at the end, it surely would have. However, once you graduate you understand the importance of the bonding and the love you have been sharing for the past 4 years. 

Friends

Words are less to describe the journey I have experienced amidst friends at flame, this one goes to all of you who have been a part of this important journey and who have lived the same. To the best roommate, best of friends, best of batch mates, teachers and the surroundings.

Here the smiles came from

Mumbai to Alibag: A Journey Beyond Boundaries

It all started with a breathtaking view at Gateway of India, sun is about to rise, with people waiting to for their turn to enter the ferry. The sky is blue, the sun is bright, but we are not able to hold our breath to get a sigh of what Alibag would look like. Alibag is a coastal town in the regions of Maharashtra, sharing short distances with Mumbai and Pune, nearly 100 Km. 

Gateway of India @ 6:45 Am

Gateway of India, Passenger pointing towards the SUN

Staring at the sun, looking at the ferries and waiting for them to make a move we all waited down the line there to reach our destination. With sun touching are feet we moved towards a journey we have never experienced before. It was seven in the morning and we could not have asked for a better morning, showing us a glimpse of how beautiful nature around is.

Ferry Stand at Gateway of India

Somewhere in Between

Though it was a Sunday morning, hoping people would be relaxing at home. I saw a few people working on another ship. Though it did not bother me much, but taught something that life is not so easy my friend, be it a weekday or a weekend, life never stops. This is something you will realize very much by staying in Mumbai. Be it five in the morning or two in the midnight, the work keeps happening.

The work never stops, even if it is in middle of the waters

As we moved ahead, we noticed birds, roaming across our heads, some in search of food, and some entertained us. Migrating birds are all around us making sure; every person on the ferry will divert their mind in seeing them play. Some sat near a corner and gazed them until we reached and some on the way fed them, some tried capturing the heavenly moments.

Migrating Birds

Water is a free land

Migrating Birds on the way to Mandwa 

It's Show Time

Beautiful but ugly truth is it spoils what we might not enjoy in future. As I engaged myself capturing various delightful moments around me, I saw something, which was very overwhelming. People are sharing their foods with the birds, which in some way showed humanity, but at the same time the waste is going into the river. As you keep moving with a flow, you keep noticing the dirt and the waste that we as humans are spreading in our surroundings. A few seconds later my colleague pointed towards a ship, where I could see large quantities of oil is generated in the sea. There is a question that arose in my mind; maybe next visit to this place sometime in future would be more devastating or eye-catching? 

Oil Waste Generated from the Ship

We Feed, But we do Spread Waste around Us 

Therefore, before we could reach Alibag, we had a stop at Mandwa, which is 45 minutes drive from the destination we are looking forward to. We took a rickshaw, which costs us around Rs. 400. The streets are just beautiful as you are on your way to Alibag; the greenery that surrounds you is just compelling. Therefore, we nearly covered the span into 40 minutes, and we finally reached the place, which we were waiting for quite a long time. As I said, it was a Sunday afternoon, the place, was full of people relaxing along the beach sides, while some indulged themselves into the waves near the seashore.

At the Alibag Beach

As it was crowded, we planned a move to another beach namely “Nagaon Beach”, which was around 9 km from the alibag beach. It nearly took us 30 minutes to cover the distance. While we were about to reach the beach, we were to cross a area surrounded by coconut trees, greenery was something I experienced all around myself making me a happy person. Moreover, as we reached, I could see many shacks and small shop sellers, before the beach could start. However, it was as crowded or I would say more crowded from our previous visit to alibag beach. However, what made me happy was the area, as it was far better than the experience to alibag beach, as it was greener and we finally had a place to sit quietly.

Nagaon Beach

Therefore, as it is late in the evening, we made a move to our guesthouse, which we took near a beach itself. It costs us around 800 Rs for four people. Rest stays history, the next afternoon; we were ready to depart for Mumbai, so we again had to take a tempo back to Mandwa from Nagaon, which took us 1 hour to reach Mandwa.

When we were on the way back to Mumbai, I was capturing the birds that mesmerized us at the day 1. While I was doing that, I saw a ferry worker, stepping down the stairs leading to a small underground room. Just to look over what he is doing down there, I went near those stairs to see what is that made him walk down the stairs. I was wondering that a ferry would not need much of labor work. But when I noticed him working, it surprised me that how much it takes to run behind such things. In life, we always lope behind things not knowing how much effort it takes to run them.

Worker at the Ferry

And he works so Hard

There are many things that I learned over this journey or got an experienced of, some came out and the rest stays with me as a learning to reach out to you all in near future. As it is already 45 minutes, we almost reached the Gateway of India, noticing a beautiful hotel Taj, alongside Gateway of India at its best. Before, travelling to alibag, I read a beautiful line, which I pretty much experienced over this journey.

"Alibag Lovely beauty of Nature, Eye soothing greenery with coconut trees standing in Queue near Quick sandy beaches. Atmosphere is Pleasant with Twitter of birds, Tasty food, and the festival of colors in the sky"

Hotel Taj on the left, with Gateway of India on the right

Jaisalmer: The Desert City of Rajasthan

Sam Sand Dunes Jaisalmer

In midst of the colossal deserts of the Rajasthan, lies a City known as the “Golden city” or we call it the “City of Deserts”. Situated 223 Km’s from Jodhpur, 327 Km’s from Ajmer, and 487 Km’s from Jaipur, Jaisalmer has been an architectural highlight of the Yellow sand stonework, which is very much visible in the lands of Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer has named after the Rajput Ruler Raja Maharwal Jaisal Singh, who founded the city in 1156 AD.

Rajasthani Men in traditional dress

Rajasthani Women in traditional dress

Jaisalmer has been an important contributor to the majestic Rajasthani culture. That is much visible when you walk down the streets, man in white or colorful turbans, woman in colorful Saris wearing silver jewelries highlighting the Rajasthani culture. Jaisalmer is always full or artists or travelers, traveling through the streets exploring best of all the places.

Traditional Cloths

Traditional Toys

The city is always full of travelers, exploring traditional shops, food joints, hotels and tourist spots, which are at every corner of the city. Few of the spots that counts among the best of places are, Patwon Ki Haveli, Sam Sand Dunes, Bada Bagh, Jaisalmer Fort, Gadisar Lake, Amar Sagar lake, Tanot Mata Temple and various Jain temples across the city. During my stay at Jaisalmer I was not able to cover all the 5 star spots, but yes made an attempt to a few of them, including Jaisalmer Fort, Sam Sand Dunes, Patwon Ki Haveli and the huge traditional market of the golden city.

Jaisalmer Fort - Exterior

Jaisalmer Fort - Interiors

Jaisalmer Fort

Jharoka at Jaisalmer Fort

Experiencing Jaisalmer was altogether a different achievement for a photographer, there were moments of happiness while capturing the streets, moment of proud, and royalty while capturing the Jaisalmer Fort and Patwon Ki Haveli. What amazed me about the fort was, how lively people have made it, there are food joints, museums, hotels and traditional markets inside the fort only making it a vivacious place. As I was capturing the fort, I saw an artist painting the outer wall of restaurant inside the fort. Eager to see what he was painting, I climbed the stairs to know what exactly it was. I see a foreigner painting a portrait of Rajasthani men with a colorful turban. I asked him, what makes you do so, he answered I keep traveling to new places and keep meeting new people and Rajasthan, India feels the home to me. Therefore, further he continued by saying, I am learning Hindi and Sanskrit in India and for a matter of fact I keep visiting Jaisalmer every few weeks because of the people out here and the culture which makes me a happy person. 

Potrait of a Rajasthani Men - Painted by the artist

Later in the evening, I walked down the narrowed lane from the fort, connecting to Patwon Ki Haveli. As heard the place gets you experience the beautiful colors of Jaisalmer in the evening. The Patwon Ki Haveli is an interesting piece of Architecture and is the most important among the Haveli’s in Jaisalmer. This is precisely because of two things, first that it was the first Haveli raised in Jaisalmer and second, that it is not a single Haveli but a cluster of 5 small Haveli’s.

Patwon Ki Haveli - Exteriors

Patwon Ki Haveli - Interiors

The Patwon Ki Haveli is a symbol of the architectural work, which Rajasthan has recognized for, the carvings, the stonework highlights the royal Rajasthani culture and the great work and hardship of the workers of that era, which is difficult to see these days.  While I was standing at the rooftop of the Haveli, the yellowish/orange sky filled with birds sailing around the sun fascinated me to capture every bit of the sky. Apart from this the Haveli gives you a splendid view of the fort, the golden fort is enlightened with the sun rays spreading yellow color to its edges and to the vibrant city of Jaisalmer.

Patwon Ki Haveli - Terrace

Jaisalmer Fort - View from Patwon Ki Haveli

Sunset @ Patwon Ki Haveli

Architectural heritage of Jaisalmer amazed me at one place, what left was the immense desert of the "Desert City Jaisalmer". Therefore, next evening I planned an outing to the part of Thar Desert, known as Sam Sand Dunes. The place was full of Travelers, Photographers, Tourists, and Camel riders waiting for people to join them to experience the camel ride with a view of the sunset and vast experience of the Thar desert. As you reach the sunset point, you get an amazing view of the desert, I suggest if you’re a photographer, do not forget to carry your camera, as you would not want to neglect the photo shots at the moment. Apart from this, ask your Camel riders to get you an experience of the Camel race and ride to the other spots of Thar Desert.

Camel @ Sam Sand Dunes

Sunset at Sam Sand Dunes

Sunset at Sam Sand Dunes

Moreover, when you are over with the camel safari, do not forget to proceed to the restaurants nearby, to experience the traditional Rajasthani Dance form, Rajasthani food, and a few melodies of Rajasthani folk music. You would come across the one of the best dance forms of India, you will be surprised to see, how without a reaction the artists perform in pain, and making sure, the customers are delighted with the performance. 

Dance Performance by Rajasthani Artist

Note for Travelers: Do not pay more than 150 for camel ride; 300-400 for dinner + Rajasthani dance performance, cab will cost Rs 1200, if you are going to the sand dunes. Auto rickshaws are cheapest mode of travel in the city.