Trek to Kumara Parvatha-Part 3

We quickly settled down, put all our luggage into the tents and got into warm clothes. Now the next task ahead of us was to ignite the camp fire. All of us huddled together around location Raj, Sada and Kanthesh got into the task of lighting the firewood. :) With all the mist it was a tough one I must say. Finally with many special ingredients that Puneeth put along with the firewood we were able to put up a decent camp fire.

Our Camp fire :)

Most guys were exhausted and went to bed early. A couple of us sat outside savoring the beauty of Kumara Parvatha at night. The mist lifted after a while and we could see the entire hill range bathed in moon light. I was a marvelous sight and will stay in our minds forever. We decided to start the next part of our trek at 6 in the morning and went to bed. Raj and Sada being the wild life enthusiasts that they are went to the stream next to our camping site to try their luck in finding some rare amphibians and reptiles and they came back with pretty good pics :)

It was about two in the morning when Kiran woke up. In the process of getting out of his tent, which meant waking up Raj and Sada who were sleeping outside the tents in their sleeping bags woke all of us up. Then started the session of horror stories which didn't last long. As the tents were overcrowded all of us were cramped and we decided to get out of the tents and stretch our legs a bit. We noticed that the camp fire had died out. Raj tried to move the fire wood, lo and behold!!! Warming itself on the warm ashes was a shieldtail.

The rest of the night was uneventful.

Sada woke us up in the morning @ 6 and only a few of us were to climb to the peak. We decked ourselves up with warm clothes and came out of the tent. The cold was spine chilling!!! I wasn't able to speak properly, but this condition of ours did not last for long :) As the six of us started climbing the cold was no where to be found and we were panting and puffing in no time.

We clicked as many pics as we could on our way to the top. I this frenzy little did we realize that there was an alternate route to the peak and entered a forest nearby. The forest was leech infested. There were thousands of them. We had to run to save ourselves from them. No matter what they managed to get us :( especially me and Kantesh who were at the mercy of leeches. Pawan's leech socks were proving to be a boon.

This is why you should always wear leech socks!!!

We endured all this and went further in the route only to realize that it was taking us down the slope instead of taking us to the peak. So we turned back and retraced the path.

I and Raj stayed back while Sada, Kantesh, Abhi and Lokesh went upto the peak and returned back. Our trek finally remained incomplete. We came back to the camping site packed up our tents and started the trek back to Subramanya. Our last stop was at Bhattara mane.

Group photo @ Bhattara Mane

After having a relishing lunch there we continued our trek back. We reached Subramanya at 5 pm, caught the last bus to Mangalore and closed our eyes...

Trek to Kumara Parvatha-Part 2

We reached Subramanya at 10:45 AM (our plan was to reach there at 8AM, lets keep that apart). The next important thing was to find the starting point of the trek. We enquired with the locals and found out that we need to walk towards Anugraha lodge. For all of you aspiring trekkers here's the route to the foothills of kumara parvatha.

Route map, Courtesy Sadanand & Puneeth ;)

All of us were pretty excited on reaching the location from where we were supposed to start the trek. Raj was completely prepared with his leech socks on and shirt tucked in. If not for the Nikon D5000 in his hand some one would surely mistake him for a bandit :D The other guys who were wearing shoes tucked their trousers into the socks. I and Kanthesh who were wearing sandals were at the mercy of the leeches :)

We started the first phase of our trek at about 11:15 AM. The route from foot of the hills to Bhattara mane is a wonderful one. Most part of it comprises of evergreen forests forming thick canopy.

The thick canopy

We had done a lot of homework before leaving for this trek and we were completely aware that the Kumara Parvatha forests play host to a large population of King Cobras. We were keeping our fingers crossed hoping that we will get to see at least one of these elegant beauties in our two day trek. We were also hoping to see the Great Indian Hornbill :) its a sad thing to say that both of these prayers of ours went unanswered. Nonetheless we saw some exotic beauties on our way. I would like to share some of those in here.

A dung beetle :)

This dead tree was riddled with holes carved by woodpeckers!!

The elevation was exhausting and after about 4 KMs of trek the forest slowly faded out and the Sun shone mercilessly upon us. The climb became slower as each minute passed. I feel a bit ashamed to say this but I was looking forward to reaching Bhattara mane as soon as possible. The shola forests were uneventful, or at least we were not able to pay much attention because of the exhaustion. It was like the Software Engineer's lifestyle was taking its toll on us :) One thing that is worth mentioning here is the energy level that Chaddi had been maintaining. When all others were happy enough to find a place to sit he was hoppig and skipping all around the place.

After about 2 more kilometers we reached Bhattara mane at 2:30 PM. It seemed like an oasis in the middle of a desert. Each one of us spent 10 minutes soothing ourselves in the cool stream of water. What followed was one of the tastiest lunches that I've had recently.

Cooling our heels @ Bhattara Mane...

We were informed that if we were planning to reach Kallu Mantapa by evening we need to cross the forest checkpoint before 4PM. So, rejuvenated by the relishing sambar, rice and majjige (butter milk) that Bhattaru offered us we packed our bags, refilled our water bottles and started towards the check point which is about 200 Mts from there.

One important thing I would like to mention here, if u are planning to go to Bhattara mane for lunch u need to inform them before hand. Here is the mobile number on which you can contact them.

Bhattara Mane Mobile Number: +919448647947

The second phase of the trek passes through shola forests and they not offer any sort of shade.

The second phase of the trek.

Its better to start this phase in the evening. Half the distance was flat land and we cruised it with ease. Then came the elevations again and a series of cramps. Manju and Raj had been carrying the tent in turns for the entire trek (and we are thankful for that) until then and it had taken its toll. Both Raj and Manju suffered severe cramps. It was already getting dark and we could see thick clouds lurking in the horizon. So five of us Sada, Abhi, Lokesh, Kantesh and I decided that we will go ahead and look for the best place to camp for the night.

Sunset in Kumara Parvatha.

We found a picture perfect camping site near the Kallu Mantapa with a small stream just beside it. Someone had also brought in firewood for us (we had collected a lot of twigs on the way too). As soon as everyone reached the location we pitched our tents and sat down to relax. The mist slowly covered the entire hill and the lovely lady of night took the whole world into her arms...

Safe and cozy for the rest of the night... :)

Trek to Kumara Parvatha-Part 1

Last year when I first heard about the fun that Chethu and his friends had at Kumara Parvatha, I knew for sure that I had to visit this place. I mailed all the guys as soon as I came back from B'lore but we had to dump our idea as it was not the best time to go there.

One fine afternoon in November when most of us had been to Hotel Khushi to have tea, I brought up this idea again and almost all of them gave a thumbs up :) so we shot a mail to the remaining guys as soon as we returned to office and I must say that the response was really overwhelming!!! The next important task was to arrange tents for camping. We searched the entire net for any details about tents on rent in and around Udupi but in vain. Sada and Raj visited each and every shop that could possibly give out tents for rent but that turned out to be a futile exercise too. It had been raining incessantly for three days now and the non availability of tents was proving to be a show stopper. I, Raj and Sada finally bought sleeping bags just to make sure that all of us will have something to keep ourselves warm in the "Kallu Mantapa". Atlast Manju like the heroes in those hindi movies saved the day by saying that he would get the tents while coming from Bangalore :) one problem solved, but the rains had'nt stopped yet.

It was the D day. We packed all our bags before leaving for office on the 19th. We had decided to catch the last bus to DharmasthaLa from Udupi @ 7:20 PM. By the time we left office it started raining again and all of us were drenched, but the state of excitement in which we all were nothing could dampen our spirits. So as fate would have it, nine of us, Anroop, Abhi, Chaddi, Kanthesh, Kiran, Puneeth, Raj, Sada and I boarded the bus. Manju and Lokesh were to join us in DharmasthaLa.

We had lots of fun in the bus and were in DharmasthaLa in no time ;) We checked into our rooms and forced our eyes shut. In the anticipation of the fun that we would have for the next two days sleep was nowhere to be seen!!! The next thing I remember hearing was Sada calling out my name. He's always been our designated alarm guy oh and not to forget our designated Finance Minister too :D more on that later. Manju and Lokesh arrived early. All of us got ready had our breakfast and boarded the bus to Kukke Subramanya.

Standing 1712 mts tall Kumara Parvatha is the second highest peak in Karnataka and is considered to be the most difficult of all treks here. There are two ways to reach the peak, one from Somavaarapete and the other from Subramanya. From the Subramanya side the elevation varies from 40 to 70 degrees and is physically challenging. The total distance from the foot of the hills to the peak is 13KMs approx. The entire trek can be divided into 3 phases.

Phase 1. From Kukke Subramanya temple to Bhattara Mane.

Phase 2. From Bhattara Mane to Kallu Mantapa.

Phase 3. From Kallu Mantapa to the Peak.

Our plan was to start the trek from Subramanya side on 20th and reach Kallu Mantapa by sunset. The next day ie; 21st we would trek to the peak and descend back to Subramanya.

The adventure begins!!!!

ಪ್ರಗತಿಪಥದೆಡೆಗೆ...

ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳು ಯಾವುದೇ ಕೆಲಸವನ್ನು ನೆಟ್ಟಗೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾ ಇಲ್ಲ, ಎಲ್ಲ ಕಡೆ ಬ್ರಷ್ಟಾಚಾರ ಎಂಬ ಕಾಳಿಂಗ ಸರ್ಪ ಹೆಡೆಯೆತ್ತಿ ನಿಂತಿದೆ, ಯಾವುದೇ ಕಾರ್ಯವಾಗಲಿ ಪ್ರಗತಿ ಪಥದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಗುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ, ಎಲ್ಲ ಕೆಲಸಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ವಿಳಂಬ, ದೇಶ ಪ್ರಜಾರಾಜ್ಯ ಆದರು ಒಂದೇ ಮನೆತನದ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳು ದೇಶದ ಎಲ್ಲೆಡೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ರಾರಾಜಿಸುತ್ತ ಇದ್ದಾರೆ... ಜನಗಳಿಗೆ ಮತದಾನ ಎಂಬುವ ಹಕ್ಕಿನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಆಸಕ್ತಿ ಕುಂದಿಹೂಗುವಂತೆ ಆಗಿದೆ.

ನಮ್ಮ ಭಾರತ ದೇಶ ಪ್ರಕಾಶಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಯಾರು ಎಷ್ಟು ಆರ್ಭಟ ಮಾಡಿದರೂ, ಪ್ರತಿ ದಿನ ವಿದ್ಯುತ್ ಕಡಿತ ದಿಂದಾಗಿ ಬೀಸಣಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗಾಳಿ ಬೀಸಿಕೊಂಡು, ಮೊಂಬತ್ತಿಯ ಬೆಳಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ homework ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು, ಒಂದು ಬಿಂದಿಗೆ ನೀರಿಗಾಗಿ ಪರದಾಡುತ್ತ ಮಾತು ಮಾತಿಗೂ ತಮ್ಮ ಹಣೆಬರಹವನ್ನು ತೆಗಳಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾ ಕಾಲ ನಡೆಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ನಾಗರಿಕನಿಗೆ ಅದು ಸುಳ್ಳು ಎಂದು ಗೊತ್ತು. ಎಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡಿದರಲ್ಲಿ ಗೋಮುಖ ವ್ಯಾಘ್ರಗಳೇ ತುಂಬಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವ ಈ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾರನ್ನು ಚುನಾಯಿಸುವುದು?? ಯಾವ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಕಷ್ಟಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಗಿಸಲು ಸಮರ್ಥ?? ಸಮರ್ಥ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿ ಇದ್ದರೂ ಅವನಿಗೆ ಗೆಲುವು ಖಚಿತವೆ?? ಒಂದು ವೇಳೆ ಅವನು ಗೆದ್ದನು ಎಂದೇ ಇಟ್ಟುಕೊಳ್ಳೋಣ, ಅವನು ಆಮಿಷಗಳಿಗೆ ಒಳಗಾಗದೆ ತನ್ನನ್ನು ಗದ್ದುಗೆಗೆ ತಂದ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಜನರ ಕಷ್ಟ ಕಾರ್ಪಣ್ಯಗಳನ್ನೂ ನೀಗುವನೆ?? ಅವನ ಸಹಚರರು ಇಂಥ ಪಥದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡಿಯಲು ಅವನಿಗೆ ಆಸ್ಪದ ನೀಡುವರೆ?? ಈ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳನ್ನ್ನನಾನು ಕೇಳುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ.. ಇಂದಿನ ಸಮಾಜವೇ ಈ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾಪಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ.

ತಾವು ಚುನಾಯಿಸಿದ ಪ್ರತಿನಿಧಿಗಳು ಅವರ ಸ್ವಾರ್ಥಕ್ಕೋಸ್ಕರ ನಾಡಿನ ಏಳಿಗೆಯನ್ನು ಬಲಿಪಶು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಕಂಡು ಕಾಣದಂತೆ ಕೂಡಬೇಕಾದ ವಿಡಂಬನೆ ಇಂದಿನ ಜಾಗೃತ ನಾಗರೀಕನದು. ದೇಶ ಇಂದೇನಾದರೂ ಸಾಧಿಸುತ್ತಿಧೆ ಎಂದಾದರೆ ಅದು ಭಾರತ ದೇಶದ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಮನುಷ್ಯನಿಂದ ಮಾತ್ರ. ನಾಡಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಲಕ್ಷಾಂತರ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೆರೆದಿರುವ ಅನಕ್ಷರಸ್ಥ ಜನತೆಯ ಅಜ್ಞಾನವನ್ನು ದುರುಪಯೋಗ ಪಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿರುವ ಪೂಂಜಿಪತಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಲಗಾಮು ಹಾಕುವ ಕೆಲಸವನ್ನು ಈ ಅಸಾಮಾನ್ಯನಾದ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಮಾಡಬೇಕಿದೆ. ಇತಿಹಾಸದ ಪುಟಗಳನ್ನು ಒಮ್ಮೆ ತಿರುವಿ ನೋಡಿದರೆ, ಅರಸರ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ಮತ್ತು ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ದುರ್ಗತಿಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ಯಾವುದೇ ದೇಶದ ಏಳ್ಗೆಯಾಗಲಿ ಅದು ಸರ್ವೇಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ನಾಗರಿಕ ಆ ದೇಶದ ಅರಸರ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ದಂಗೆ ಎದ್ದಾಗ ಮಾತ್ರ ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಗಿದೆ.

ನಮ್ಮ ಭಾರತ ದೇಶವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಗತಿ ಪಥದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಸುವಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಪಾತ್ರ ವಹಿಸಬೇಕಾದ so called "YOUNGISTAN" ಆದ ನಾವು ದೇಶದ ಆಡಳಿತವನ್ನು ಶುಚಿ ಗೊಳಿಸಲು ಮಾಡಬಹುದಾದಂತಹ ಕಾರ್ಯವಾದರು ಏನು ಎಂದು ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಯೋಚಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಗ ನನ್ನ ಮನಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮೂಡಿದಂತಹ ಒಂದು ಚಿಂತನೆಯನ್ನು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮುಂದೆ ಇಡಲು ಇಚ್ಚಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ.

ಬರಲಿದೆ ಭಾಗ ೨...

The Gluttony Song

Here is my take on the song "Saari umar hum" from the movie 3idiots :o)

Saari umar hum bhooke hi mar gayee

Ek pal toh chain se khaane do khaane do

Saari umar hum bhooke hi mar gaye

Ek pal toh chain se khaane do khaane do ooo

Naa nanana nana naa nanana naa nanana nana nanannananaaaa

Give me some idlis, give me some cakes

Give me samosas I wanna eat it once again

Give me some idlis, give me some cakes

Give me samosas I wanna eat it once agaaainnnn

Oily khaane ko cholestrol ke darr ne mitaya

"Dieting karr yaar" yeh khud doston ne bataya

Count rakh rakh ke kiya crunches, dibs or push ups ko saala,

Quaker oats ne toh pura pura muh kharab kar daala

Muh ka taste gaya, aur girl friend bhi gayi

Chalo ab toh chain se khaane do khaane do

(C'mmon everyone sing wid me...)

Muh ka taste gaya, aur girl friend bhi gayi

Chalo ab toh chain se khaane do khaane doooooooo

Saari umar hum bhooke hi mar gayee

Ek pal toh chain se khaane do khaane do

Saari umar hum bhooke hi mar gaye

Ek pal toh chain se khaane do khaane do ooo

Naa nanana nana naa nanana naa nanana nana nanannananaaaa

The Reignited Fire...

Unless u've been living in a forest or on top of the tallest mountains u'd already know about the paryaaya festivities going on at Udupi... This Lord Krishna's abode has been bustling with activity for past one month, the most important of it being the offering of the Navarathna Ratha (A golden chariot completely encrusted with the 9 precious gems). Keep an eye on my orkut account, I'll be uploading the photos shortly.

The 3rd paryaaya of Shri Shri Sugunendra Tirtha Swamiji of Puttige Math came to an end on the 17th of Jan 2010 and Shri Shri Lakshmi vara Tirtha Swamiji of Shiroor Math took charge on morning of 18th Jan 2010. For more details on the paryaaya click here.

The night of 17th and the dawn of 18th were completely marked with cultural programs organized at every nook and corner of the temple town, flute rendering by Pravin Godkhindi and Mimicry Dayanand's show which tickled the funny bone even at 3 in the morning being the most notable ones. I wasn't lucky enough to witness both these geniuses in action as I was to come back from Bangalore only on 18th morning.

The festivities were to continue even on 18th night so I returned early from work, went to the temple to get a glimpse of the almighty, where I was Joined by Manju, Chandu and Paban. We started searching desperately for any cultural programs but found none to our despair. So we spent some time loitering around in the temple premises, had masala dosa @ the famous mitra samaj and were on our way home when Pawan's (my roomie) mobile rang. It was Anroop (alias Chethan). There was excitement in his voice, he said "Dude there's a gig going on in the field next to the temple, its by the PSYCHO GUY"!!! We took a minute to comprehend what he'd just said. Once it sank in, it was pure adrenaline rush.

If it was Raghu Dixit then we had to attend this gig. We turned around and ran towards the temple, we'd not travelled far when we could already hear the familiar voice of Raghu and the guitar jamming in the background for the song "Neene beku" from psycho.We followed the direction from where the music was coming then lo and behold, brilliant spot lights beckoned us to the location where Raghu was performing.

Once we entered the location it was pure fun, I once for all wanted to get to the front of the crowd, where all the guys were enjoying like hell :) but for some reason unknown to me Paban and Anroop were in no mood to accompany me. No sooner did the pace of the guitar pick up for the Khidki song Paban got into the groove, then started the sessions of shouting, jumping and head banging. With our antics we did manage to turn some heads towards us :D

Over all the entire evening was marvelous, I've always been attracted to the guitar both as an instrument and for its style statement. Whenever I see a performance like this the thought of learning guitar ensnares me :) this time it seems like the urge to learn it is psychotic. Yesterday's concert has reignited in me a fire that had burned out, it has brought back to me a long lost love for music and guitar. So the next time u see me don't be surprised if I am playing the guitar and singing "No one will ever love u, like I do!!!"

South Karnataka trip ಪುರಾಣ (ಭಾಗ ೨ )

ಬೆಳ್ಳಂ ಬೆಳಿಗ್ಗೆ ನಾಲ್ಕು ಜನರ ಮೊಬೈಲ್ಗಳು ಕೂಗಿಕೊಂಡ್ವು. ಎಲ್ರು ದಡ ಬಡ ಎದ್ದು ಬಚ್ಚಲು ಮನೆಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ನೋಡ್ತಿವಿ ನಲ್ಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮೈ ಕೊರೆಯುವಂಥ ತಣ್ಣೀರು. ಓಡಿ ಹೋಗಿ lodge ಮಾಲಿಕನ್ನ ಎಬ್ಸಿದ್ವಿ, 5 :30 ಇಂದ ಬಿಸಿ ನೀರು ಅಂತ ಹೇಳಿ ಮಲಗಿಯೇಬಿಟ್ಟ.. ಪಾಪ ಅಭಿ ಕೊರೆಯುವ ಚಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಗೆ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿ ಬಂದ.. ನಾನು ಒಳಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಒಂದು bucket ತಣ್ಣೀರು ಖಾಲಿ ಮಾಡಿ ಮತ್ತೆ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಟ್ಟಾಗ ಬಿಸಿ ಬಿಸಿ ನೀರು, "ಲೋ ಮಕ್ಳ ಬಿಸಿ ನೇರು ಕಣ್ರೋ" ಅಂತ ಕೂಗಿ ಹೇಳಿದೆ, ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗು ಸಂಭ್ರಮವೂ ಸಂಭ್ರಮ. 5 :30 ಎಲ್ರು ರೆಡಿ ಆಗಿ ಚಾ ಕುಡಿದು ತೀರ್ಥಹಳ್ಳಿ ಬಸ್ ಹತ್ತಿ ಕುಂತ್ವಿ.

ಬೆಚ್ಚಗೆ ಇದ್ದ seat ನಲ್ಲಿ ಕುಳಿತು ಎಲ್ಲರು ನಮ್ಮ earphone ಗಳನ್ನ ಕಿವಿಗೆ ಏರಿಸಿದ್ವಿ. ಅಷ್ಟೊತ್ತು ಮಲಗಿದ್ದ ಸೂರ್ಯ ನಿಧಾನಕ್ಕೆ ತನ್ನ ಕೆಂಪು ಕಣ್ಣನ್ನು (ರಾತ್ರಿ ಹೊಡೆದ ಎಣ್ಣೆ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಆಗಿತ್ತೇನೋ ..) ತೆರೆಯುತ್ತ ಎದ್ದೆಳತೊಡಗಿದ , ಮಲೆನಾಡಿನ ಸೂರ್ಯೋದಯದ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯವನ್ನ ನೋಡಿದರೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಕುವೆಂಪು ಏನು ಯಾರು ಬೇಕಾದರು ಕವಿಗಳಗ್ತಾರೆ. ಮೌಡ್ಯತೆಯ ಕತ್ತಲನ್ನು ಚೀರಿ, ಜಾಡ್ಯ ಎಂಬ ಮಂಜನ್ನು ನೀರಾಗಿಸಿ, ಹೊಸ ಭರವಸೆ, ಆಸೆಗಳೆಂಬ ಹಕ್ಕಿಗಳನ್ನು ಎಲ್ಲರ ಮನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾರಿಸುತ್ತ ಇನ ಬಾಂದಳದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೇಲೆರಿದನು.

ಇಂಪಾದ ಹಕ್ಕಿಗಳ ಗಾನವನ್ನು ಕೇಳುತ್ತ ನಾನು ಹಾಗೆ ನಿದ್ರಾ ದೇವಿಯ ಮಡಿಲಿಗೆ ಜಾರಿಬಿಟ್ಟೆ. ಎದ್ದಿದ್ದು ತೀರ್ಥಹಳ್ಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ. ಸುತ್ತ ನೋಡ್ತಿನಿ, ಮಲೆನಾಡಿನ ಎಲ್ಲ ಹಕ್ಕಿಗಳು ನಮ್ಮ ಬಸ್ ನಲ್ಲೆ ಇದ್ವು, ಹಳದಿ ಚೂಡಿದಾರ ಧರಿಸಿದ್ದ ಒಂದ್ ಹಕ್ಕಿಯಂತು ಮನ ಮೋಹಕವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ನನ್ನ ಮಿತ್ರದ್ರೋಹಿ ಸ್ನೇಹಿತರು ನನ್ನು ಎಬ್ಬಿಸದೆ ಅವರೇ ಮಜಾ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದರು :o( ಅವೆಲ್ಲ ಇವಾಗ ಯಾಕೆ ಬಿಡಿ. ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಸಾಗರಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ ತಿಂಡಿ ಮುಗಿಸಿ ಜೋಗಕ್ಕೆ ಬಸ್ ಹತ್ತಿದಾಗ ಸಮಯ 11:45 .

ಜಗತ್ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ಜೋಗ ಜಲಪಾತ, ರಾಜ, ರಾಣಿ ಮತ್ತು ರೊಕೆಟ್ ಕುಯ್ಯೋ ಮರ್ರೋ ಅಂತ ಇದ್ರು. ಟೆನ್ಶನ್ ತಗೋಬೇಡಿ, ನನ್ನ ಮಾತಿನ ಅರ್ಥ ನೀರು ಹೆಚ್ಗೆ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ ರೋರೆರ್ ಒಬ್ಬ ಮತ್ರ ರಾರಾಜಿಸ್ತ ಇದ್ದ. ನೀರು ಹೆಚ್ಗೆ ಇಲ್ಲದ್ದರಿಂದ ನಮಗೆ ನೀರಲ್ಲಿ ಆಟ ಆಡೋ ಹಂಬಲ ಆಗಿ ಕೆಳಗೆ ಇಳಿಯೋಕೆ ಶುರು ಮಾಡಿದ್ವಿ. ಯಾತ್ರಿಕರಿಗೆ ಸಹಾಯ ಆಗ್ಲಿ ಅಂತ concrete ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಲುಗಳನ್ನ ಮಾಡಿದೆ ಸರಕಾರ, ಆದರೆ ಮುಂಚಿನ ಕಾಲು ದಾರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಡಿಯೋ ಮಜಾ ಈಗ ಇಲ್ಲ. ತಮ್ಮ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಸವಿಲು ಬಂದ ರಸಿಕರ ಜೊತೆ ರಾಜ, ರಾಣಿ, ರೋರೆರ್ ಮತ್ತು ರೊಕೆಟ್ ಮರಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ಅವಿತು ಆಡುತಿದ್ದ ಕಣ್ಣ ಮುಚ್ಚಾಲೆ ಈಗ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಎಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡಿದರು ಪ್ಲಾಸ್ಟಿಕ್ ಹಾವಳಿ. Will we never change ??

ಎಲ್ಲರು ಕೆಳಗೆ ಇಳಿದು ನಮ್ಮ ಚೀಲಗಳನ್ನ ಒಂದು ಬಂಡೆಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಗುಡ್ಡೆ ಹಾಕಿ ನೀರಿಗೆ ಧುಮುಕಿದೆವು. ಈಜು ಬಾರದೆ ಇದ್ದರೆ ಜೋಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ risk ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬಾರದು. ಎಲ್ಲ ಬಂಡೆಗಳು ಪಾಚಿ ಕಟ್ಟಿ ತುಂಬಾ ಜಾರಿಕೆ, ಅದು ಅಲ್ಲದೆ sudden ಆಗಿ ಆಳ ಇರೋದ್ರಿಂದ ಬಂಡೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಒರಗಿಕೊಂಡೆ ಆಟ ಆಡಿ ವಾಪಾಸ್ ಬರಬೇಕಾಯಿತು. ಹಿಂದಿರುಗುವಾಗ 1700 odd ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಲುಗಳನ್ನ ಹತ್ತುವುದೇ ಒಂದು ದೊಡ್ಡ ಸಾಹಸ. ನನ್ನ ಕಾಲುಗಳು ನನ್ನ ಭಾರದ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಬ್ಯಾಗ್ ಭಾರವನ್ನು ಹೊರಲಾರದೆ ಸೋತು ಹೋದವು. ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಅಭಿ ನನ್ನ ಬ್ಯಾಗ್ ಹೊತ್ತುಕೊಂಡು ಬಂದ (Thanx abhi). ಅಂತು ಇಂತೂ ಮೇಲೆ ಬಂದು ಸಾಗರಕ್ಕೆ ವಾಪಾಸ್ ಆದೆವು. ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ರಾತ್ರಿ ಎಂಟಕ್ಕೆ ಬಸ್ ಹಿಡಿದು ಉಡುಪಿ ಗೆ ಬಂದು ತಲುಪುವಾಗ ರಾತ್ರಿ 1 ಘಂಟೆ ಆಗಿತ್ತು. ಜನವರಿ ಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಟ್ರಿಪ್ ಹೋಗೋಣವೆಂದು ಮೆಸೇಜ್ ಮಾಡಿ ಎಲ್ಲರು ಮಲಗಿದೆವು.

South Karnataka trip ಪುರಾಣ (ಭಾಗ ೧ )

ಶುಕ್ರವಾರ ಮಧ್ಯಾನ ಆಫೀಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕುಂತು ತೂಕಡಿಸ್ತಾ ಇದ್ದೆ, ಅದೆಲ್ಲಿಂದಲೋ ಬಂದ mail ಟಿಂಗ್ ಅಂತ ಶಬ್ದ ಮಾಡ್ತಾ ನನ್ನ ಗಮನ ಸೆಳೆಯಿತು. ಥೂ!! ಯಾರಿದು ಅಂತ ಬೈಕಂಡು ಓಪನ್ ಮಾಡಿ ನೋಡ್ತೀನಿ ಸದಾನಂದ ತೆಗ್ಗಿ "weekend" ಅಂತ ಸಬ್ಜೆಕ್ಟ್ ಹಾಕಿ ಮೇಲ್ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದ.. ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಮಂಪರಿನ ತೆರೆ ಸರಿದಂತಾಗಿ ಏನಿದು ಅಂತ ನೋಡಿದೆ, ಅದೊಂದು ವೀಕೆಂಡ್ ಟ್ರಿಪ್ ನ invite ಆಗಿತ್ತು... ತಕ್ಷಣ reply ಗಳ ಸುರಿಮಳೆ... ಕೆಲವರು ಹ್ಞೂ ಅಂದ್ರು ಇನ್ನು ಕೆಲವರು ಇಲ್ಲ busy ಅಂದ್ರು.. ಅಂತು ಇಂತೂ 4 ಜನದ ಗುಂಪು ತಯಾರು ಆಗೆಬಿಟ್ಟಿತು.. ಎರಡು ದಿನದಲ್ಲಿ ಶೃಂಗೇರಿ ಮತ್ತೆ ಹೊರನಾಡು cover ಮಾಡೋ ಪ್ಲಾನ್ ಮಾಡಿದೆವು, ಅಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂತೋಷ "ಲೇ ಶಿಷ್ಯ ಬರಿ ತೀರ್ಥ ಯಾತ್ರೆ ಆಗುತ್ತಮ್ಮ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಮಜನೂ ಮಾಡೋಣ, ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಜಾಗ ಹೇಳ್ರೂ " ಅಂದ. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ನಾನು ಸರಿ ಶಿವ ಒಂದು ದಿನದಲ್ಲಿ ತೀರ್ಥ ಯಾತ್ರೆ ಮುಗಿಸಿ ಭಾನ್ವಾರ ಜೋಗಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗ್ಬಿಡೋಣ ಅಂದೆ, ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಬಹಳ exited ಆಗಿ ಸೂಪರ್ ಮಗ marvellous plan lets do it ಅಂದೆಬಿಟ್ಟರು.

ತುಂಬಾ ಹೊತ್ತು discussion ಆದಮೇಲೆ ಆದಷ್ಟು ದಾರಿಯನ್ನ ರಾತ್ರಿ ನೆ ಕ್ರಮಿಸಿಬಿಡೋಣ ಅಂತ decide ಮಾಡಿ ಶಿವಮೊಗ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗುವ ರಾಜಹಂಸ ಹತ್ತಿ ಮಲಗಿಬಿಟ್ವಿ... ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಮಜವಾದ ವಿಷಯ ಏನಂದ್ರೆ ನಾವುಗಳು ಹೊರಟಿದ್ದು ಉಡುಪಿ ಇಂದ, ನಮ್ಮ ಸೌತ್ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಟ್ರಿಪ್ ಇಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭ.. :o)

ಮುಂಜಾನೆ 4 ಘಂಟೆಗೆ ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ಶಿವಮೊಗ್ಗ ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನ ಹೊತ್ತಾಕಿ ರಾಜಹಂಸ ದಾವಣಗೆರೆಯತ್ತ ಹಾರಿಹೋದ, ಅಷ್ಟು ಹೊತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲೂ ಶಿವಮೊಗ್ಗ ಬಸ್ ಸ್ಟ್ಯಾಂಡ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ರಶ್!!! ಸರಿ ಇನ್ನು ಶೃಂಗೇರಿ ಬಸ್ ಹುಡುಕುವ ಕೆಲಸ. ಯಾರನ್ನ ತಡಕಿ ಕೇಳಿದರು ಎಲ್ಲರು ಒಂದು ಮೂಲೆಯನ್ನು ತೋರಿಸಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುತ್ತೆ ಅಂತ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಶಿವಮೊಗ್ಗ ಬಸ್ ಸ್ಟ್ಯಾಂಡ್ ಮುಂದೆ ಇರುವ ಅಶೋಕ ಪಿಲ್ಲರ್ ಸುತ್ತ ನಾಲ್ಕು ಬಾರಿ ಸುತ್ತಿದ ಮೇಲೆ ಯಾರು ಸರೀಗೆ ಹೇಳ್ತಾ ಇಲ್ಲ ಅಂತ ನಮಗೆ ಅರಿವಾಗಿದ್ದು. ನಾನು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಂದ ಬಂದಿದ್ದು ನೋಡಿ.. ಇಂಥವು ತುಂಬಾ ಅಭ್ಯಾಸ ಆಗಿದೆ, ಅಲ್ಲೇ ಹತ್ತಿರದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದ ಒಂದು ಚಾ ಗಾಡಿ ಹತ್ತಿರ ಹೋಗಿ ನಾಲ್ಕು ಚಾ ಹೇಳಿದೆ, ಬಿಸಿಬಿ ಬಿಸಿ ಚಾ ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತ ಅಂಗಡಿಯ ಹುಡುಗನ್ನ "ಗುರು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಶೃಂಗೇರಿ ಕಡೆ ಬಸ್ ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುತ್ತಮ್ಮ ??" ಅಂದ ಕೂಡಲೇ ಪಟ ಪಟ ಅಂತ ಹೇಳ ತೊಡಗಿದ :o) ಅಲ್ಲೇ ಎದುರಿಗಿದ್ದ ಬಸ್ ಸ್ಟ್ಯಾಂಡ್ ಲಿ 4:45 ಗೆ ಮೊದಲ ಬಸ್.

ಶೃಂಗೇರಿ ಕಡೆ ಬಸ್ ಹೊರಟಂತೆ ಚಳಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿತು, ಹಿಮ ಎಲ್ಲೆಡೆ ಬೆಳ್ಳನೆಯ ಸೆರಗನ್ನು ಹೊಚ್ಚಿ ಇಡೀ ಜಗತ್ತನ್ನೇ ತನ್ನ ಮಡಿಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮಳಗಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಂತೆ ಇತ್ತು. ನಮ್ಮ driver ಮಲಗದೆ ಇದ್ರೆ ಸಾಕು ಅನ್ನೋ ಭಯ ನು ಇತ್ತು ಬಿಡಿ, ಮಲೆನಾಡಿನ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯ ವನ್ನ ಸವಿಯುತ್ತ ಹಾಗೆ ನಿದ್ದೆ ಹೋದ್ವಿ.

ಎಷ್ಟು ಹೊತ್ತು ಮಲಗಿದವೋ ನೆನಪಿಲ್ಲ. ಇಡೀ journey ಕರೆಂಟ್ ಹೊಡೆದ ಕಾಗೆ ಥರ ಕುಳಿತಿದ್ದ ಅಭಿಲಾಷ ಯಾಕೋ ಕಿಟಾರ್!!! ಎಂದು ಕೂಗಿದಂತೆ ಅನ್ನಿಸಿತು, ಎಲ್ಲರು ಎದ್ದು ನೋಡುತ್ತೇವೆ ಅವನ ಮುಖದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ರೀತಿಯ ಶಾಕ್ ಇತ್ತು. ಕಿಟಿಕಿಯತ್ತ ಕೈ ಮಾಡಿ "just look at this dude" ಅಂದನು... ಅವನ ಕೈ ಒಂದು ಹಸಿರು ಬೋರ್ಡ್ ಕಡೆ ತಿರುಗಿತ್ತು, ಅದರ ಮೇಲೆ ಬೆಳ್ಳಗೆ ಫಳ ಫಳ ಹೊಳೆಯುವ radium sticker ಲಿ "MANGALORE 105 KMS" ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಶೃಂಗೇರಿ ಮುಟ್ಟುವ ವರೆಗೂ ನಿದ್ದೆ ಬರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ನಾವು ಶೃಂಗೇರಿ ಲೇ ಇದ್ದ್ವಿ ಅನ್ನೋದು ಬೇರೆ ಮಾತು.

ಹೌದು ಅಭಿ ಯಾಕೆ ಸುಮ್ನಿದ್ದ ಅಂತ ಹೇಳೋದು ಮರೆತೆ. ಅವನು ಕೇರಳ ದವನಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ಅವನಿಗೆ ಕನ್ನಡ ಅರ್ಥ ವಾದರೂ ಮಾತಾಡೋದು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕಷ್ಟ ಆಗ್ತಾ ಇತ್ತು. ಜೋಗಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗೋ ಬಸ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಡುಗೀರು ಹತ್ತಿದಕ್ಷಣ ಮಾತಾಡೋಕ್ಕೆ ಶುರು ಮಾಡಿದ.

ಶೃಂಗೇರಿಲೇ ಒಂದು ರೂಂ ಮಾಡಿ.. ಮೊದಲು ಶಾರದ ದೇವಿ ದರ್ಶನ ಮಾಡಿ ಹೊರನಾಡಿಗೆ ಹೋಗ್ಬಂದ್ವಿ.. ರಾತ್ರಿ ಎಲ್ರು ಮೊಬೈಲ್ ಲಿ 4 ಘಂಟೆ ಗೆ alarm ಇಟ್ಟು... ತೆಗ್ಗಿ ಗೆ ಎಲ್ರುನ್ನು ಎಬ್ಬಿಸೋ responsibility ಹೊರಿಸಿದ್ವಿ...

ಬರಲಿದೆ ಭಾಗ ೨..

ಹೇಳಿ ಹೋಗು ಕಾರಣ, ಹೋಗುವ ಮೊದಲು...

C.ಅಶ್ವಥ್

29 december 1939 - 29 december 2009

C . ಅಶ್ವಥ್ ಅವರನ್ನು ಕನ್ನಡ ಸುಗಮ ಸಂಗೀತದ ಮೇರು ಪರ್ವತ ಎಂದು ಕರೆದರೂ ತಪ್ಪು ಆಗಲಾರದು.. ಅಂತಹ ಒಂದು ಮಹಾನ್ ಚೇತನವನ್ನು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಇಂದು ನಮಗೆ ಭರಿಸಲಾಗದಂತಹ ನಷ್ಟವಾಗಿದೆ.. ಕನ್ನಡದ ಮಹಾನ್ ಕವಿಗಳ ಕಾವ್ಯಗಳಿಗೆ ರಾಗದ ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಜೀವತುಂಬಿ ಎಲ್ಲರ ಮನಮುಟ್ಟುವಂತೆ ಹಾಡುವಂಥ ಇವರ ಶೈಲಿ ಬಹಳ ಅನುಪಮ ಹಾಗು ಅಪೂರ್ವ.. ಅವರ ದೇಹ ಇಂದು ನಮ್ಮ ಮಧ್ಯ ಇಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೂ ಅವರು ತಮ್ಮ ಹಾಡುಗಳ ಮೂಲಕ ಕನ್ನಡ ಅಭಿಮಾನಿಗಳ ಎದೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಚಿರಂತನವಾಗಿ ಉಳಿಯುತ್ತಾರೆ..

1st Anniversary

Last year I had left home, my beloved parents and friends to pursue my career, my dreams which I hoped would materialize one day. Had to make a lot of sacrifices and go through a lot of hardships. Today I've completed my first year as professional, which brings back to me the memories from my college and school days.. Those wonderful days that I had spent with you.. One thing that I would like to tell you is.. Thank you.. I would not have made this without you.. :o)

As far as my dreams and fancies are concerned... Well they never stop do they?? :o)

The other day I was sitting at home and pondering over some abstract thought that had been troubling me for quite a long time... As history has it India has been a hub of knowledge, education, culture and heritage from time immemorial. Our contribution towards the development of the entire world has been monolithic.

It was in India that one of the world's oldest and most sophisticated civilizations arose, it was here that one of the oldest languages ever to be spoken on the earth the "Samskritha " originated. Our contribution to the world of mathematics and astronomy has been astounding. Recent discoveries have showed that the stealth material about which the entire world is going gung-ho about was developed in India using herbs... Well the list never ends...

Today's India is known to the outside world as a land of snake charmers, it's known for its poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and of course cheap labour. Please don't feel that I am complaining... Is'nt it high time that we introspect. What the hell went wrong, due to which such a rich civilization is in shambles today.

According to me the greatest problems of modern India is its religious biasing. Until and unless our hearts are cleared of this infestation, until every person in India sees himself as a citizen of India first and then as a person belonging to some religion we will never be able to work together towards the upliftment of the nation.

The second problem is the negligent attitude towards what is ours. We are always fascinated towards the clean roads, high rise buildings, wonderful infrastructures and spanking new public transport that the west has, but do we realize the role that every citizen plays in keeping them the way they are. Do we ever bother to give something back to the country that has given us so much??

We the young generation are hell bent upon mocking the western civilization without even realizing that the main route to development lies in realizing our roots...

In an effort to make sure this happens I have taken an oath that I'll be making one new entry to the blog every week that will tell us something new about our wonderful nation and help in uplifting our downtrodden self respect.

Let's join hands in giving something back to the nation... JAI HIND!!!!

Food for thought...

It’s election time and it is a wonderful feeling when an entire nation wakes up to franchise for a better tomorrow, for themselves and for their future generations. The slogan for this year’s parliamentary elections has been “Vote for change.” Thinking about change and progress, one thing that comes to my mind is education of the masses. As all of you would readily accept, it’s the light of knowledge that has the capacity of leading an individual and an entire nation towards success.

Being a citizen of a country that is developing at a blinding pace is surely an interesting and also a difficult thing. As the eternal truth goes, its natural to make mistakes while growing up and we as a nation are still in the growing stage. We sure are learning by our experiences, we are traveling fast on the lanes of development and are catching up with some of the big guns out there. But in this frenzy of modernization, industrialization and development I personally feel that India has taken a wrong step and if not attended to immediately it might lead to disastrous outcomes.

As all of you might agree in the recent days, education has been taking a back seat in the road towards development. Although there has been a sudden surge in the number of people who attain their matriculation and degree certificates, it’s the people in villages and slums in and around the cities we live who have been grossly neglected. With talented men and women moving towards much fruitful prospects, the quality of teaching is also rapidly collapsing which is one more reason for concern. Although filled with blooming talent and proving to the external world time and again what we are capable of, the so called developed countries still view us as a bustling center of “QUALITY CHEAP LABOUR“. This phrase deeply hurts and burns me from the inside when ever I hear it.

So what do we do to to strip this label off our backs? Well, we already have one thing- Quality The next thing is innovation and entrepreneurship. To show the World what we are capable of, we first need to harness the untapped intelligence that is going waste in the underdeveloped regions of India. While thinking on these lines, an idea struck me..

I call it the “Kereya neeranu kerege chelli process” India has been a host and home to numerous BPOs , IT companies and other MNCs. As we all know, even in an average sized company at least 5 to 10 people are free on any given day, i.e they are on the bench or they do not have any urgent deadlines to meet. We can harness this manpower by requesting companies to spare such employees, who can be dispatched to schools and colleges all over the state and country on a one or two day teaching assignment. This will not only make sure that the river of knowledge flows through each nook and corner of India, it also improves quality of education imparted to the future generations of our nation. Oh! and also we get the much required break Just imagine, what a revolution it would be if this is taken up on a large scale. Of course for all that the nation has given us, we are ready to do a bit of a sacrifice, aren’t we? Well the fun factor is always there too. Before its taken up on a large scale, voluntary involvement is the thing that will bring in the much required difference.

A tribute to the martyrs.....

Do you believe in life after death?? Well if someone had asked me this question a few weeks earlier I would have laughed at them, ridiculed them. After the terrorist attacks on “aamchi Mumbai”, and being a witness to some of the greatest sacrifices of human kind, well, now I am a strong believer in life after death.

He was returning home after submitting the reports of the Malegaon blasts to his higher authorities when he heard about the news that some terrorists have attacked the Shivaji terminus in Mumbai, he asked the driver of his car to take him to that location, although he was not able to intercept the terrorists at the terminus, he continued the pursuit and at last caught up with them, but such a brave soul had to lay his life down due to the lack of ammunition, and effective protection. All that he had with him was a service revolver. He fell prey to the raging bullets of the AK47 brandishing miscreants. This brave son of India was none other than the ATS chief Mr.Hemant Karkare. He was one of the first victims of the Mumbai attacks which has burnt a deep hole in the heart of every Indian.

His father was an employee of ISRO and was against his wish to join the armed forces. If he had chosen to lead a normal life by listening to his father's words he would have been alive today and living among us not being recognized by any one. But today the entire country speaks of the valor that this 31 year old lad has shown. Yes this is the saahasagaatha of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan.

Born and brought up in Bangalore Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan joined the NDA (National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla) in 1995 before being commissioned into the army in 1999. He was always known among his compatriots for his generosity and leadership qualities.

On the fateful day of November 28th 2008 Major Unnikrishnan was engaged in a fierce gun battle with the terrorists who were holed up at the historic Taj hotel. Participating in an operation code named Black Tornado, Major Unnikrishnan was leading an elite group of NSG (National Security Guards). When one of his comrades got injured he immediately got him evacuated and started pursuing the terrorists who escaped to the next floor. Here he was grievously injured by the miscreants and later succumbed to his injuries.

One more rather unsung hero who laid down his life during the Mumbai siege was Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police 48 year old Tukaram Omble. Thanks to this daredevil, the police could arrest at least one terrorist alive, whom investigating agencies are now making sing. Based on the information received on their walkie talkies a group of policemen had prepared a naka bandhi to capture two terrorists heading towards them on a hijacked car. The terrorists who realized that they were in a fix tried to escape but in vain. So one of the terrorists Ajmal Amir Iman (the arrested terrorist) got down from the car and pretended to surrender only to open fire on the policemen a few seconds later.

Without caring for his life or the consequences, Ombale took Iman head on. He sprang towards the ultra and gripped the barrel of his AK-47 rifle with both hands.

With the barrel pointing towards the cop, Iman pulled the trigger. The brave policeman took all the bullets on himself. Bullet-holed Ombale collapsed, but did not let go of Iman. Thus, he not only provided a perfect cover to his team, but also prevented Iman from firing at any one else and in turn saving many precious lives.

Although these brave souls got their befitting respects and we bid adieu to them, one thought keeps ringing in my mind. For how long will we remember these brave souls?? Since time immemorial there have been martyrs who have laid down their lives for protecting their motherland. All that we do is sing about their bravery and then forget it till the next anniversary.

Reports, eyewitness and photographs of the Mumbai siege have brought up shocking realities into the forefront. Most of the terrorists who were involved here were within the age of 20 to 23 years. This further raises our concerns on the type of path that the youth of today are choosing to tread on and the ways in which social evils such as poverty, inequality and religionism are influencing them to choose such paths which is not only hazardous to their own self, but also to the world in which they live in.

On the brighter side, the point I would like to stress here is that, in spite of the aforementioned social evils or any such problems happening around them people like Hemant Karkare, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan ,Thukaram Omble and many more have and will be rising above horizon of mankind who will never look back for even a fraction of a second before making the supreme sacrifice for the safety of their comrades and their countrymen.

So what brings in this difference?? Well the question is debatable, and has been thrown around at every imaginable occasion.

This question brings to my mind a wonderful story that my grandfather had narrated to me in my childhood.

Once a Red Indian father was telling his daughter a story, when he told her that, “each and every man in this world has two wolves within him, one is the good wolf and the other the bad one”, the little girl true to her innocence wanted to know that which of those two wolves would finally win. So the father smiled at his little one and replied “The one that we feed”.

So there is no one else in the world but ourselves who have the power to decide what kind of life that we would want to live and what sort of path we would choose to tread. Its high time that instead of singing aloud the bravery of these magnificent heroes and forgetting them with time, we make their ideologies a part and parcel of our daily life. If each and every man in this world follows this, then I am sure that this world will be a better place to live in.

So lets join our hands together and make sure that we give these great souls a befitting tribute for their sacrifice, let us not let their ideologies die. Lets give them,

A LIFE AFTER DEATH........