Woh Shaam Kuch Ajeeb Thi

28 December 2008, the last Sunday of the year…. It was evening time…finished my tea and came to room expecting to study….but not gearing up for it… the thought process was consuming lot of (already limited) brain resource … what to study…should I read some research paper… or should read some text book… now I have to serious about studies…31st Dec’07 seemed to be just like yesterday…the time flied away… just similar to the quote in Munna Bhai MBBS, (“yeh karma to shuru hote hee khatam hota ye..”) ‘ye saal to shuru hote hee khatam ho raha hain…’ ..

the one of major resolution made last year was to wake up early morning everyday and study hard in the morning session only… Couldn’t follow it after writing blog on it… (Fragrance of a Morning)…..

Every year…when it comes year ending… lot of (my) time is spent on making new year resolutions… but never made any of it :) Just day before Sunday one of my friends told me… “My New Year resolution is to not to make any resolution this year…” …good one..... :) It reminded me a story.. Once a king asks his barber “whom do you shave”? Barber, “I shave only all those in the city who don’t shave themselves…” Now the question is does the barber shaves himself? ... If you say “yes,” then think, he shave himself, means barber is not suppose to shave himself… and if you say, “no”, again, then he should shave himself according to his statement… this is actually a famous Russell's paradox in math.. So…that resolution of no resolution leads similar to Russell’s paradox… so what to do… how I should plan for 2009….

How about studies that was supposed to take place in the evening… more than 20 mins passed … it was some wonderful evening… sky was clear and blue…sun was going far at west… the whether was pleasant cool… the evening breeze was not allowing me to be at study… finally decided to roam in the beautiful IISc campus on this beautiful evening.....


So… gave up thought of studies…took digital camera with me…. In this digital era... u may not be an expert at photography; still u can take good snaps with the help of these new cameras... So started wandering around the campus with digi-cam... looking at the sun through trees…was a splendid vista…

birds were returning home…


reached the main building… it was simply magnificent… the building was illuminated by the orange sunshine, the scene was making me speechless…

Then went to gymkhana… students were playing on the ground…


I was astounded…. I was just feeling that this evening is different…. on the verge of the new year…

So this is time to look back and look ahead both…. Evening like this is a bridge between the year passing by and the new year arriving soon.. New Year, new beginning, full of promise and opportunity and the chance to make dreams come true

It was dark when I returned back to room with pleasant mood… with loads of hopes about future….


I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy new year… I wish you all a wonderful, exciting year ahead!!!

With Warm Wishes,
----
Regards,
Royal Sujit

(For more photos taken on this evening: http://picasaweb.google.com/sujit.gujar/IIScPhotos# )

Driving to Shivanasamudra

"Are Dost, week end ko nandi hills ghumne chalna hain kya?"
"Haan chal sakte hain, bolo chalna hain kya?Last moment cancel mat karo...mera mood kharab karoge..."
"Are nahi yaar, pakka chalnege...bahot din se baher ghumne nahi gaya.."
"To chal sakte hain, I will come to IISc, on sat aur raat me niklenge 4o'clock..aaram se jayenge..."
"Yep, done.."
Thus we planned for Nandi Hills on Sunday morning.
After some time, dost called me back,
"Are soon"
"Bol"
"Are How about going to Shivanasamudra ? Nandi hills ja chuke hain hum pahele bhi"
"Kitna Door hain"
"120 km"
"hmm.."
Then I searched for Shivanasamudra on google. I had herd of this place, but never planned to visit. Now I was seeing nice pictures of water falls on net.

"Yeah, we should visit this place man..bol tuze koi prb nahi na dost..."
"Are nahi yaar..muze bhi kuch naya try out karna hain isliye to suggest kiya"
"Okey done. We will start around 400-430...and may be back by late evening.."
"Thoda jaldi niklenge bhai..taki uder enjoy karne ke liye time milega.."
"Okey..to pakka, this saturday night we will decide when to leave."

Thus my dost and me planned for 'Shivanasamudra falls on Sunday'.

it was hardly 3/4th day trip, so nothing much to manage. Dost made his bike ready to drive.
My friend gave me his digi cam with 10X optical zoom to take snaps. We took some bingo (wafers) and two bottles of water. Thats it. Last thing was to make sure we reach properly on NH 209, as Shivanasamudra falls are located around 120kms south-west from Bangalore on NH 209 in Mandy district of Karnataka.
This era of Internet had made our lives easier. We could see our all route from my friends home to destination on-line.
It was almost 200 am. Set to go. Dost said, "ab sone ka kyon, aur thodi der me to niklana hain.."
"are nahi yaar, thoda so lete hain,...atcha rahega..."
"main to 245 ko uth jato hoon...330 ko niklenge.."
"k...main 300 baje utheta hoon..wasie bhi ready hona sequential hoga to dono ko ek sath uthke phayada nahi...aur suru ke half main drive karoonga..fir next half u...
while returning, it will be reverse. To pahele muze drive karna hain to muze thodi jada neend lene de"
"OKs..koi problem nahi"
"Chalo good night then."

"Abe sale uthe, 330 ho gaye...too bada 245 ko uthne kee batye kar raha tha.."
"yaar 5 mins.."
"nahi..uth...nahi to late ho jayenge hum.."
"5 mins yaar..."
"Okey fir main pahele taya ho jata hoon.."

We made sure that we are not carrying any valuables apart from cell phones..
And started from his room at sharp 410. Approximately 40 mins delayed from schedule.

Had some tea and now charged up for driving.
I just sped up to 89kmph..and crrrr.....all of a sudden there was a speed breaker...
it was night mare in that dark to control the raised speed...
but somehow it got managed...thank GOD...
My dost used his tongue freely to praise Bangalore roads...
I really wonder why they don't put signs for speed breakers....other wise it might turn out to be
life breaker for somebody....I don't thing driving at that speed is crazy..if provided roads are good and driver is confident...about driving as well as vehicle...

Anyways, decided hence forth no much raise inside dark....unless road is clearly visible...

Okey we now continued to catch the NH 209...
I was excited about driving on NH...after long time it was ride for me on bike outside city...

Outer ring road was nice to drive on.... we were on Kankanpura road and finally we on NH...
There was no much rush...
It happened that, I was following a car...Don't know where it was going..but it was also on NH209..and driving as fast as we were traveling...
Hey it was good advantage now for us...
Bike high beams were insufficient to learn the road faster....
so we were limited in 70's....but this car's high beam were so powerful, we could see far long than just with bike headlights...So, we raced the car...and obviously he increased the speed...as what was intended...and he overtook us...and now he started driving in 80's..so i increased the distance between us and i also went in 80's...it was nice road and was completely comfortable to drive at that speed...the car was helping us to drive due to his powerful beams...

Now I was completely engrossed in driving...I was completely unaware of the rest of the world..I was knowing only driving...and wished to race higher and higher speed...but everything should be in control...I was speeding up and so do the car...
I touched 97kmph...my highest speed on bike....was thrilled to touch 100...waned to see 3 digit number on speedometer... but..but hard luck...the car started showing right indicator...and was slowing down....I had no option to slow down...Finally car took the turn...I was driving now in 70's and sometimes in 80's...but still it was dark...the clarity of the road was limited...
so driving in 80's..then came a straight road...it was much more clear...and I was feeling like..I am on runway and driving a plane...no obstacles....that's it....accelerated to full extent...and touched 99kmph.... completely concentrated...and shit...almost a km long...a vehicle was just standing in the middle of left half of the road....



So I missed the target again....Anyways...now Kakanpura, one town on the way was nearby...
so no point in racing....
just came down in 60's....driving in 60's is also has it's own fun...you can enjoy the surroundings...feel the freshness of early morning...finally had to give dost a chance to drive..
We took small break in Kakanpura..had tea...and positions interchanged...



It was 710, when we reached Gaganachukki falls...
It was beautiful scenery around. The hight of the fall is around 1000 ft and there is no way to go below it...still we enjoyed the water fall from distance..the scenery surrounding the waterfall....

Our feelings were mixed....whether it was worth to travel t this place 120km away...
water was not roaring as we had seen in the snaps...
Also we were now hungry and started hunting for food...
Some local person came asking for bike parking charges...
he said its too early to get any food item here...
we asked him, "Is there anything else to see here..."

He said, "This is Gaganachukki falls, why don't you go and see Bharachukki falls, its you go back to NH...take left and around 10-12 km from there, you wil reach Bharachukki falls.."
"Which falls?"
"Bharachukki "...
"Thanks boss..."

"Are dost, chalo abhi itna doot aaye hain to woh bhi dekh lenege.."
"Haan..waise bhi hume jaldi kaha hain"

So we reached the bharachukki falls...
It was amazing...and as it had not rained yet this year, the water flow was not roaring type...
We enjoyed walking on rocks in water...We were lucky in that sense that we could walk there..


Finally we reached from where we could not walk under the main water fall..but there were few boatmen...who were willing to take you under the water fall through there boats with nominal charge...

It was very enjoying to travel through boats.....the water was cold and fresh...
it was fun to put hands inside water...and playing with it...So finally we reached the destination...
The water was bellowing...the flow was thick...it was looking like doodhganga is coming to planet earth from heaven...it was giving feeling that energy is flowing to us...with no delay..



i just went below it to drink the zeal..to get bath with the fall...
I don't think I will be able to explain those moments in words...I was not me..I was just subsumed to nature...

Few days back somebody asked me what is enjoyment...?
I am not sure how to answer this question..but surely the state of mind I had in those few moments..was surely enjoyable...

Now it was time to turn back...

The return journey was also enjoyable..had reached new peak of my driving speed...
I drove back as fast as 107kmph.....that was also one of most enjoyable moment...when I was driving at that speed..with full control over my driving...

Finally we came back to real world..with more energy..more enthusiasm...
more vigor...

---
Regards,
Royal Sujit

(For more about Shivansamudra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sivasamudram_Falls )

Unprecedented Part 2

(This is in continuation of Unprecedented )
Plane was climbing higher and higher cutting through the clouds...
Now it got sufficient altitude...

It bent right, to take right turn...
(Bangalore is south of Delhi and when craft took off, it was facing the East..)
That turn..that turn made that evening unforgettable...
made me witness of unprecedented event in my life...
I could clearly see the sun rising from west...
As plane was ascending, sun was rising...
I just thought it is simply a miracle...
I was stunned for long time....
After some time....
sun reached was like steady
in his position...and then it set very slowly...
it was like elongated sun set...very elongated...


Now technical part of it...
It is not a miracle..
As altitude of the craft was increasing...my horizon radius was increasing...
and it was increasing faster than the sun was going west with respect to plane...
So relative to me, the sun was moving east...or u can say I was catching the sun...
Pink Floyd's Time song says:
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but its sinking

But I can say I caught the sun...
leave fun part of it...

Now once plane reached the stable height from the ground...
my horizon was fixed...and now its radius was not increasing...
so sun started setting.
But why did I observe elongated sun set?
There is also technical reason...Its not that sun set at higher
altitude is prolonged...

As it was winter, daskhinayan of the sun was going on...
so sun was relatively towards south...
The day length increases as we go to south in winter (winter in India)
I was moving towards south, as day length was more, or
we can say at place A, south to place B, will be having sun set time later than the sun set time at place B.
the sun was expected to be in sky at place A even though it had set at B.

Few more such things which might be possible:
If you are flying west, at sufficiently faster speed, you might really feel like sun
has risen from the west for complete journey.
If you are going west, you might experience sun set at east...
and prolonged sun rise is also possible..


Finally the sun set that day...
but it left its traces permanently into my memory...Like a line carved on a stone...
Though technically it is not any surprise...
it was an unprecedented event in my life..and not sure whether I will be able to see this things again?
When I will be able to experience again?

---
Royal Sujit
I Am What I Am

Unprecedented

It was Sunday in cold winter. I was in Delhi for short visit. I had been on flight few times, still I am always excited about the take off..
That day, flight was at 545 pm from Delhi to Bangalore.
I reached airport that day well in advance...wanted to make sure that I will get
window sit. I approached the counter to get my boarding pass....

The lady at the counter checked my ticket and asked, "Any preference sir?".
"Yes, please give me window sit", me.
"Sure", the lady.
Yeah...so I got the window sit.

Now, I had to kill almost one and half hour ...
Every moment was like an hour...
Was checking for boarding call for me every 5 minutes....
In between watching females/gals (;)) roaming here and there...

Finally they announced the boarding call...
I immediately went to gate number 2...
and within few minutes I was on my sit...overwhelmed about the take off.
Just was looking outside the window...
On west side horizon I saw the sun was sinking..
I was just watching him descending @ west...
West horizon was full of orange and saffron color....
I was in completely in a different world...
the sun has said good bye...I just happened to salute him...

"Excuse me sir, can you please put on seat belt please?", air hostess on board...
I was back to reality...
"Yes, Thanks!!"
And normal instruction set on flight was being announced while plane was moving towards airstrip.

Plane took a turn,
I was not able to see the saffron horizon after the sun-set, as plane was headed east...
Then slowly plane came on the runway...

Now plane geared up ..all wings ready...crafts engine is roaring....
and booooooooooom..
Within few seconds it got the speed...
The building were going backwards at very high speed...
Ecstasy of take off was at its peak and the plane was in the air...
I lost the sensation of the speed...
it was feeling of void between me and earth...
but it was giving a nice feeling...
I guess some sort of piece of mind...
(Its just like a single cycle of saw tooth wave..)

Remaining part of this will be posted in Part 2.

---
Royal Sujit
I Am What I Am