secret quest

its been a while since i started writing again.. i guess i could call it with a dash of sophistication as the writer's block. what i do realize now is that i had lost the interest to inspect and dwell on trivial and the most mundane day to day tasks. When you stop thinking beyond the obvious reality, your topics, writings, thoughts start drying up. i guess that's what happened to me. i stopped relishing the simplest moments in my life and of course, writing about them. instead, i started enjoying the momentary transitional pleasures of life- enjoy and forget it as quickly as it started.
   well, the reason i felt like blogging today of all days was simple. i have gone back to my primary source of enjoyment - reading books. there is nothing to trigger a flood of emotions or thoughts as effectively as a good book.
 
   how often have all of us wanted to meet some person who could understand whatever your small and ever twisted brain was going through at that moment? without the need for you to express yourself- through words, painting, any medium what so ever. it is not that say, person X knows you since birth. I have had understanding issues even with my Mum who knows me since birth...or even before that.. It is just that X can understand your inner turmoil, the inner power struggles between the angel and the devil, everything... its not even about understanding about what i am trying to convey.. its more about understanding what am not trying to convey.. mis-communication is even more dangerous than no communication in the first place...  so am i searching for my own conscience? who knows me in and out ? who wont judge me for my actions or my mere thought process? am i trying to search for the ideal world where everyone understood each other without any verbal communication...  a long list.. in some way or the other, aren't we all searching for the mirage?

On the other hand, you do meet so many people, who would not be able to understand your emotions even if the wordsworths and kiplings of the world tried penning them for you.. my bad.. oversight in even thinking that the lesser mortals would understand these people's work nevertheless.. i would say i have wasted many  breath and red bull over these creatures, in the faint hope that i would be able to re kindle some kind of non- existential understanding.. Probably, due to the very same experiences have i become this cynical at this stage of even trying out new prospects.. am i missing out on my quest or am i giving it all up a bit too early?

i am bored when i am not actually bored

The title might sound confusing... today, when i woke up i suddenly realized that after a long period of time, i am actually not bored.. Throughout my schooling, college and even at work, when i was flushed till my throat with work, projects, submissions... i was always feeling like i am so bored and need a change... right now, when am actually not pursuing any studies, work and just lazing around at home, i do not get a feeling of boredom... 

I think it all lies in your mind.. Nowadays, when people keep asking me left right and centre whether i am bored without doing anything, my mind goes tangentially and convinces me that i am not on the contrary bored.. 

I finally have time to do what i have always wanted to do...paint, watch unlimited tv( i know thats what everyone wants to do :P), cook at leisure , just go out for a walk, read books, almost everything.... This break is really good... thank god for it!

Nahargarh fort- Jaipur

This is an old fort near jaipur( approx 350 km from Delhi).This got featured in the hit hindi movie "Rang de basanti". it is known for its spiralling stairs with a pond in the middle of the fort.I had gone there on a day visit.There is not much to see in this place other than the fort, jal mahal( a palace in the middle of the lake) and a boutique hotel situated in the Neemrana fort.
How to Reach there- by bus ( state transport from Anand Vihar), best way to reach there is by private transport

Travel time- 3-4 hours

Best time to visit - winter months as Jaipur is hot otherwise

Other places- Jaipur is 15 km from this place. Hence, we can go ahead and see the city as well.

Nainital- the town of seven lakes

Nainital is one of the most pristine and beautiful hill stations doting the Himalayan ranges. Present in Uttarakhand, this place is easily accessible by buses and train from Delhi.In case of a bus, there is a switch over at Haldwani and the second leg of the journey is around 1 hour. The main lake which is split into two parts- the upper and the lower halves is the hub for all kinds of activities.Most of the hotels,market place,restaurants are situated on the banks of the lake. The best part of this town is that the lake road is shut for vehicular traffic between 6 pm and 8 pm. This provides the tourists a nice chance to stretch their muscles and have a pleasant walk.

There are boat rides available during the stipulated hours till 6 in the evening.One can hire a cab for a day and visit the other lakes situated at around 15-20 km radius.I personally felt that the Bhim tal and the main lake are the best ones and the others are either too small for any tourist attraction or fall under the category of yet another water body.

There are many stay options.We stayed in a hotel situated near the army cantonment.This proved light on our pockets and also gave us a chance of experiencing"home like"stay. The caretaker offered to cook the meals provided the rations were bought by us which was very economical.There are many eateries around the lake which provide a variety of cuisines across all price points.Overall, it was a cheap affair as the budget came to around 3k per person for a 3 day trip.

Must try- 

The boiled egg sprinkled with pepper on the road side during the winters
Sitting on the benches in the periphery of the lake in the night. The chill breeze seriously sets a chill       in your bones.How to reach there- Train is the most cheapest mode of transport.It leaves from Old delhi station and goes upto Kathgodham.It is 45 minutes hill drive from Kathgodham to Nainital.Budget - 4-5k per person for a 3 day trip

Bhuj- the gateway to the unseen locales

The traditional Bandhini style cloth

Rann of Kutch during the annual festival

Bhuj is the district head of the kutch region in Gujarat. Recently, i had a nice opportunity to visit this place to get a quick glimpse of the cultural magnificence of this part of India. This small town is famous for its embroidery and  the traditional Bandhini styled clothes.The local people say that many famous movies like Lagaan,Refugee and some more were shot here. It is also famous for many handicrafts made out of wood and other such material which have the trademark designs of the kutch region. the city has two lakes and technically speaking does not offer much of tourist spots.it acts as the locus for many tourists places situated at 60-70 km from Bhuj. Some of the tourist places which are worth visiting are Rann of Kutch, Dholavira, Mandhvi port
The Rann of kutch is a stretch of white desert which turns into a marsh land during the monsoons and is best visited during the winters. The govt of Gujarat holds an annual festival here every december where in visitors are allowed to stay in the tents and enjoy some of the splendid cultural programs indigenous to the Gujarati people.This place requires a permit to visit and this can be arranged in the DSP office in Bhuj.
Dholavira is the only harrapan site in India( the other being in Pakistan) is famous for its archaeological connections.It has got the ruins and is a must see to know more about the history of the human civilization. This place is very close to the Indo- Pak border and has heavy security.
The Mandhvi port is also famous for its beach. This is one of the pristine beaches doting the vast coastline of the state. It is a very nice holiday spot.Note: Gujarat is a dry state. Hence, Liquor is sold in few of the permit shops.

Places to stay
Budget- Gangaram hotel ( Rs 500-1000/day)
Premium-Hotel prince ( Rs 800-5000/day)
Note: there were few more decent hotels like hotel KBN and Hotel ilak which were also in the same league as prince. i stayed in prince and had an wonderful experience as their servicing is too good.

first of the many to come...

Hi guys,
i have started this blog to fulfill my long time wish of writing something which i love the most-travelling.Hope you add your own experiences and share new information here for me to know as well.

comfort fabric conditioner

Fabric conditioner is one which makes the clothes softer and can be an after wash or pre-wash one. This market is currently a niche market in India as most of the people buy only detergents and assume that the clothes can withstand the onslaught of the effects of the chemicals. those who feel it cannot prefer to go for dry-washing rather than do it by themselves.

This product is more of a luxury offering for a commoner and only a person who is adventurous in trying or doesnt mind taking the pains personally will go for this product. i personally tried this only for the flower smell which it promised. little consumer insight which i gained out of using this product is that it isnt effective for all the clothes but is pretty good for bed-spreads and pillow cases( clothes which does not require day to day washing). the smell is retained for quite some time on the bed spreads which is pretty pleasant. if it is advertised for drapes and such infrequently washed components, it will have a wider reach. watch the ad here

The brand is positioned as a soft fabric conditioner which makes the clothes soft and doesnt let them fade or become old. hence, people have more involvement with getting dressed ( i seriously dont know how this becomes a selling point). good thing is that they have associated the softness and other features of the product with kids in the ad and they have also created awareness about how to use the product by mentioning it. the setting of the ad depicts that this product is probably for the sec A and the sec B customers.
The main threat which this product faces is from the core detergent products which also offer similar features like fragrance and keeping the clothes soft. the market for an entirely new product to perform these functions has not yet emerged. HUL's decision to bring this product to India starts a new war for an emerging market and if it does, it will give the giant the first mover advantage as it has experienced as always in India.