I think its been one of the worst part of the state politics which is going on in Andhra Pradesh..political parties have made a mess of the whole system of administration and instead of working towards development..they are working for their own greed...and shows how the government itself is so weak in handling such situations....this all happens when there is no able leader and a party which can control the situation and most of them are divided in themselves which makes things even more worse....
...brains of followers and molded by the political parties for their own gains rather then development of the state....followers are just like goats which follow one behind another without even thinking on what would be the consequences.....
On the other side, I think the students also lost their brains while doing "nirahara diskshas" showing solidarity to formation of new state which is the worst thing. Instead of fighting for a new state, why don't they ask the good for nothing MPs and MLAs for accountability of the development they have done in the state....why do the students want to be behind a leader whose party could not even contest the local elections and win a seat...and a leader who raised telangana issue just because he was not given a MLA ticket......
...does having frequent bandhs and breaking and burning RTC buses solve problems and to take ire of the general public who face lot of difficulties due to these???? and already they have made the companies move out of Hyderabad and these are the same students will start complaining a few years later that the government doesn’t do anything for them???
Does creating a new state solve all the problems of people? what great the governments achieved in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand instead of having the Maoists become strong and kill innocent people and policemen? And if the students are so interested for telangana...then study well and develop telangana region and then fight on basis of that...rather than just doing bandhs and dharnaa's.....which causes so many difficulties to people who are already struggling to live....with their own issues....people who are living outside AP will always be worried to go back to their "Home"..seeing all this and investments will go back because of problems caused....universities get blacklisted and life of students who genuinely study goes waste....
Even electronic media needs to be blamed for this...these days they run around even if a dog gets hurt in a road accident....and if dog could have spoken they would shown its reaction live.....they exaggerate even a small issue for nothing but to increase their TRPs...shame on these news channels...... without confirming reports they show any news which comes their way without thinking what would happen next and on that live commentary is shown about the status...which is more funnier than serious..its just become monotonic....temporary ban would be better on these until things come back to normal....
Central government has also played a big role is causing more issues as if there are no issues to solve...it’s been the worst period in the history of the state...for which students and greedy politicians will never be forgiven..... people should understand that the burning buses and destroying public/private properties is like adding fuel to high taxes which we are already paying and no political leader after 2 years will shell out his pocket's money to pay people's taxes....which will be higher to cover these losses due to our own mistakes...
Even after 100 years we will not change because these things can only happen in country like "India" which has a leader under whom all are puppets without their thinking hats on.......
It was 7.30 in the morning and we got up with a thud as we had planned to get up early....and go to connor which was around 30 kms from the town of ooty.....a small town while we come to ooty in train from mettupalyam.....
Atlast at 9 we were ready to vacate the cottage....we complete our breakfast....started straight for connor.....as ramesh who was injured and we had another patient veeru who had a problem with acidity....we left them at the hospital with vivek escorting them....went to the a famous garden at connor....after that we headed for the dolphin nose which was in the midst of valleys and mountains....about 20 kms from connor.....it has a waterfalls to look at and one of the natures beauties....it was a fascinating journey through the tea gardens....deep valleys and steep edges.....we had a good photo session and we were back to the city of connor....had our lunch.....started back for Bangalore at about 3 in the afternoon.....at 5 in the evening we were into the thick forest of madumalai.....we stopped at the shooting point...where many songs from movies of different languages were and are shot...it was a big hill in the midst of the forest....when viewed from the top of the hill we get a good view of the forest.....we spent some more and started back in the bus.....the route until bandipura is ghat section of the road which is full of curves and edges....full with natures beauties too....on the way we could see some elephants having their dinner on the road side....after that it was all fun again......singing...the highligts being the song I sung from "breathles" album and Ramesh's Kishore kumar's melodies...we reach around 2 am in the morning......back to our huts......
Hope the narration was good.....waiting for comments :)
It was around 5.30 am in the morning we reached the mountain town of ooty.....and we started the search for accommodation...@ 6am were all standing on a road in search of the rooms availability and it was a strange coincidence about the road which you would later .....it was all was vain until 8 in the morning as we were just roaming in different directions for the same.....at 8 am we got a cottage and it would take another 30 minutes for it to be ready....and we planned to complete our breakfast so that we can go start for sight seeing once we are ready....
At 10 in the morning first we had started for the doddabetta which was about 10 kms from the town of ooty....its the highest point from where we can see the whole town of ooty....spent the whole afternoon there....we had the lunch on the top of the hill and took lot of snaps....which I would try to include in the blog....the next place to be visited was the botanical park of ooty which has a lot of trees which we don’t normally see on the roads or the parks of the cities...next it was the tea museum and factory....it was a good experience on how the tea is made in the factories...and the tea there tasted the best....it was 4 in the evening and it started drizzling....and we decided to go the paikara lake which is one of the main attractions of the town....it was around 5.15 in the evening....it had started raining heavily....we nearly abandoned the visit to the lake due to the rain....fortunately for us the rain had receded and we decided to go ahead with the visit....we bought the tickets for a 10 seater boat which was comfortable and in the 2 rounds of the lake took lot of photos and sung songs from the bollywood which were apt while roaming around the lake.
It was 6.30 in the evening and we had completed the rounds of the lake and by 7 in the evening we were in the cottage in batches….after half hour of relaxation after then we went for snacks and brought some chocolates of ooty....after that it was all chatting sitting in the room.....and it was 10.30 in the night we started for dinner and to our surprise everything was closed and we were on the same road in the search of food on which we were at 6 am in search of the room.....which was a strange coincidence....and in the mean time....my colleague who planned the tour got injured as he twisted his ankle......while walking on the road....we had our dinner at around 12.30 in the night...after we could find something to eat.....the it was all saying good night and going into sleep....and it was heavily raining with thunderstorms all around and it was getting colder even in the mid summer’s night.....
It was a serious day in the month of may and it all started with ramesh sending a mail with proposal to go to ooty as it had been long time the teams had been gone on a small tour….we all agreed for the same as it had been long time we had gone outside Bangalore. All the team members agreed and we sent mail back to ramesh that we are ready for tour.
Though we all had agreed to go to on the tour some of the team members were still not sure whether they would be able to join to the tour...this suspense went for another 3-4 days and it was decided who is going to join the tour and not…..except my manager…who had a injury on his leg…the fun part of it was that we had named the persons who were not able to come as “GADDAAR”...it was fun calling them with that name.....at last the day of the starting for the tour had come..9th may 2008...8 pm in the evening....while we all were watching IPL match we got the news that Vivek (my manager) is also joining us on the tour and our joy knew no bounds.....it was 11 pm in the night.....after our dinner we had started....in the tempo traveler we had booked....it was a 13 seat vehicle which was comfortable for 10...which first when seen I felt....”...TV, DVD player.....”here are the names that were on the tour....me, Vivek, ankur, ramesh, piyush, saleesh, kamanna, veeru, santosh, lokesh....and not to forget the name of the our driver mani....it was 12 in the night and we were out of Bangalore moving towards Mysore.....meanwhile it was all fun the tempo in which we were going....it was a good photo session and it was all about singing....dancing.....
It was 2 am in the morning and we were in the city of Mysore....passing through the streets of the city and for the first time I had a look at the Mysore maharaja palace.....it was shining in the lights in the night....after that it was all about taking a short nap.....it was 4 am in the morning....I got up with the morning cold wind blowing through my ears....we were passing through the madumalai forest which was famous for elephants in India....about half hour after entering the forest we were on the mountain section of the road which leads us to ooty.....some distance into the mountain section we see that we were unable to see the road ahead which we thought at first to be think fog.....and it turned to be rain....it was then we realized that we were in the midst of cloud with rain all around us.....
It was seven in the morning and we all got up....it was too cold outside...we bared all that and luckily for us...some of us got a chance to take bath....at the railway station...and I still remember it be one of the neat stations...we enquired on what to see...in the whole of Lonavala and Khandala....and our first destination for the day was the....bushi dam.....in Lonavala...which was 4 km away from the rail station. We decided to walk through the station....walking merrily all over the road...taking photographs of whatever interesting we could find.....walking through we found a steep peak on the way....and we all decided to trek...but found that...it was too difficult as it was too steep and there was a chance of falling down.....still we decided to take it on and were successful in reaching the top of it...it was a great feeling to see the path we had taken...to reach the top...we observed that it was thick forest ahead once we climbed on to the peak....and decided not to venture through it.....though there was a great natural beauty....before our eyes.....we slowly got down....luckily we got to a bus to go to the bushi dam...we were there in 15 mins...we walked through the dam and saw lot of people and enjoying the water....dancing and swimming in the water....but we had other plans...we just moved through the dam and found that we had another mountain to climb after which we could enjoy a bath after 1.5 days...we climbed through the rocky hill and reached the "tiger point" from where there was no way to go...but to just close our eyes and stand below the pouring water which was .....
The route to the top of the hill was not easy....as we had to climb through the rocks and make sure we do not fall down as the whole surface was skiddy due to the overnight rains...also the route had water flowing...if we slip and fall down we will directly land up at the water reservoir downside the hill....it was real tough thing to complete....but still we gathered wits to go and could complete the bath under the water falls....the water falls at a speed of nearly 40 KMPH and it was real ice cool.....after the cold bath...we had some food....then played in the water and who ever knew swimming went through with it.....but had to stop soon as it had started raining....braving all this we started for Khandala 20 km from where we were standing....at four in the evening we reached Khandala...by which time the rain had receded and there was bright sunshine.....we reached the highest point of whole Khandala from where we can see the vehicles going through the six lane road which was 1km down the hill......we walked for about 15 mins....and realized there was a area from which we can venture through to one of the thickest forests of the great western ghats...some of us wanted to go into the forest and venture into it....I stopped them and tried to make them remember what happened at the simhagad (in the first part)...but some of them wanted to have a look and they went inside.....but returned within seconds.....in a short distance we found a MP's guesthouse...on a hill...which had a steep end...it was very picturesque view of the three railway lines meeting a one place....feeling of seeing toy trains passed through my mind...whenever I saw two trains passing each other or a train passed through that route....it was one of the most memorable days....as we had done all sorts of things to fully enjoy the tour as such.....we spent around 2 hours and after it was told not safe anymore as it was getting darker and darker by each second in the evening and we had to catch a train to Pune from Lonavla....which was at 9 pm...we took autos and reached the Lonavla station around 8.30 pm and the train had not yet arrived to the station from Pune...we waited for 15 mins...and train was there....it started as scheduled and reached Pune at 10.20 pm....by which time we exhausted and had no choice but to go and sleep in the night.....but we had the cloak room paper lost and we had to take our luggage....we updated the staff working and they called the station master for the night....he said it was not possible for him...to give the luggage and we should not take anything from the luggage except the tickets and money we had kept in my luggage....we obeyed to what they said....we were asked to come arnd 11 am the next day and collect the luggage after listing down the articles in the each one's luggage.....we went the next day and without having much discussion I voluntarily paid the whole amount...and got the luggage back to the room....there was a sigh of relief in the whole team of my friends as we had the luggage back....we spent the rest of the day till the evening...sleeping...chatting...etc...it was four in the evening...we started for the station...faring goodbye to the hotel staff...we were in the station and realized the train was late by 20 mins...this time we were lucky enough to get the seats for all together....we chatted all through the night recollecting the memory of the days we had spent as a unit....it was six in the morning of 30 August, 2002 and we are back in Hyderabad after what would have been was a great tour....it was a holiday on account of "Janmashtami"....and a Friday tooo...after reaching home I went straight through to the hospital....to see my sweet little sister who was 3 days old then.......
After reaching the college the following Monday...we enjoyed seeing the photos and explaining the things we had done...during the whole tour....which the class listened to with curiosity and interest.
Hope u liked all the parts and my sweetest memory as a whole.....
With the hope that the first part was interesting below is the second part....
In the night I called my parents enquiring about the my aunt...and my joy knew no bounds when I was told that I had a little sister to play with.....she was born on 26th August...2002...
It was arnd 10 pm in the night that I was cleaning all the mess of my bag. I found the copies of introduction letters of my college...given by our principal....and was to throw them out...when my friend requested not to throw them..and if I had done that I think it would have been the biggest blunder in my life....thinking why??? it would be answered....arnd 12 in the night...after a long discussion on what to do...we had decided to go to Bombay and to meet the expenses we decided to the keep the luggage in the cloak room at the station which would save a lot of money to go to Bombay....as we were in college..every rupee was important to us.....with the same idea...we went to sleep keeping whatever alarms we could that we should get up by 5 in the morning as we had train for Bombay at 7.50 AM...and it was then the fastest to reach Bombay....by 10.50 am......
It was 5.30 on a Tuesday morning....I wake up to see myself behind schedule by 30 mins.....after an hour we were all ready with the luggage to start for Bombay. We visited the temple of lord Shiva....near the hotel...and start our walk towards the railways station which was 10 mins away....we at first divide ourselves...one group to buy the tickets and other to keep the luggage in the cloak room...I gleefully accepted the receipt of the luggage and ran towards the train which was about to leave...as the train speeds towards its destination....we see the beauty of the nature....thick greenery engulfed in rain..mountains....and the tunnels....really it was a great experience...traveling through the beauty of the nature....we reach the lonavala station...which was in the midst of heavy rain......meanwhile we show the TC the tickets...2 hours pass eventfully and we finally smell the air of the financial capital....."BOMBAI NAGARIA"....a dream of every small man to become big after coming here.....we get down the train at Dadar station and we are caught the railway police for not paying reservation fee...of Rs 20/- each which was never told to us by the TC in the train....aaah...we were cursing the TC who was standing beside us as if he didn't know anything....1 hour passes and we were in a big mess....as the station master asked us to pay of fine of whooping 3600/- INR for the 18 members....we slowly started explaining that we were coming from a college from Hyderabad and we didn’t know all the rules....and it was our luck he accepted our explanation...but now he wants the proof that we were from the college....I realize that we have the introduction letters...once we showed the same to him...he took a copy of that and sent all of us to Juhu as Bombay had of colleges there...in a local train.....Local train in Bombay about which I had lot of fascination...their speed...accuracy of the services...network...covering every nook and corner of the metro.....it was a great feeling to be traveling in it...even though it was no different than the local trains in my own city...
Once we were in the train to Juhu...we sighed relief and started for shopping....bought something for each of us.....ate some junk food and started straight to the Juhu beach...in a metered auto......which we had seen in the TV or in the movies of bollywood...all those years till then.....we played in the water until it was dusk....at the each while returning I realize that the receipt of the cloak room is lost in the water...and all of us were worried about the luggage and we had time to think about it....we moved ahead to go to the Gateway of India....at first to Santa Cruz in a local train then in a metered taxi....it was a full moon day and sea was at bay.....the tide hitting the coast with great speed....we spent an hour and it was arnd 9.30 in the night...we made a plan to go to lonavala and khandala...one of the friends pulled information from the taxi driver that there was a train at 11.30 pm ...which goes to Lonavala at 3.30 am...immediately we make a plan to go to Lonavala...the next day....we buy tickets and realize that we have to sit in the train..and some of us should be awake as Lonavala would come at that odd hour of the night......after traveling for nearly 4 hours we reach..Khandala..I got down and sat on a bench on the platform facing to the opposite side as we had planned to alight the train at the khandala station....to my horror I see that none of my friends got down and the train has started.....I ran back to train and luckily boarded the train...
We get down at the Lonavala station and we sleep in a room...thanks to the station master...which also helped us from the cold and the rain outside....it was arnd 7 in the morning....I get up and got ready for what I think was one of the most memorable day with friends in life.....
To name some who were on the tour were me, vivekanand, potti mahesh(as we used to call him), medchal mahesh, harsha, srikanth, shanker, kranthi.....would add as I remember them...
Would cover the rest of the tour in the third and concluding part.....hope I am not toooooo boring.....
I was in final year of graduation at Aurora's degree & post graduate college....there was always a dissatisfaction in the whole class that we had not gone anywhere in the last 2 years of graduation....it was then we planned to go on an educational (namesake, as there was nothing as such...as it was just way to go out....) tour either to Bangalore or Pune to understand and apply for the colleges for a meaningful post graduate degree elsewhere than Hyderabad. Surprisingly there was never a mention of any college staff coming with us.
We had planned to go on a tour in the month of august, 2005. It was season of the year where in we had lot of rains and with a hope that everything would go well....we had approached our principal....who with the sort of nature the students of my class where studies was always second to everything...would never accept us going to Bangalore....decided to send us to Pune....for which we all gleefully agreed...and now started all the fight....when to go where to go and how to go.....luckily we had a lecturer who was from Pune who helped us sort out the issues....and was the person who gave us the details of places we visited during the tour...in and arnd the city of Pune....
After putting lot of efforts for 15 days.....we at last decided the date to go...it was 28th August, 2002...when we checked for the status of the railway tickets.....as it was only way to go and comeback cheaply....the trains were all full....by the time we booked the tickets.....the status was such bad that we even didn't know whether we would get a seat to sit forget about sleeping in the night.....and for me it was a now another fight to convince to go on the tour....but with help of aunt.....who always stood behind helping us.....I got a nod to go....and I think it was one of the finest moments of my life.....the day had finally arrived and we all were ready to go.....on the most memorable tour...as a class..representing the college...wearing college t-shirts...aah....it was a proud feeling.....
Once confirmed that we were all there in the station...to our dismay we observed that we were all divided to 3 parts of the train and couldn’t help but to just go and sit.....and another memorable thing was the spat with the TC over a petty issue over seat allocation....and the way we convinced him...we slept late in the night narrating each one's experiences in the college and recording them to the then cassettes.....taking photos...hoping for a great start to the tour from the next day morning...the train was scheduled to reach Pune at 8.30 AM...and as usual was late by 1 hour....which we had spent sitting and waiting for us to get down.....we reached Pune at 9.30 am....we went ahead to a hotel where we had completed all the formalities and started for a place called "PARVATI" (on a mountain) which was the highest place in the whole city of Pune..something like birla mandir for Hyderabad....going to the temple of lard shiva and parvarthi devi....was a energy sapping thing as we had to climb steep rocks...but was very interesting to have a look at the whole city. We returned back in the evening...and as it was a Sunday.....we resigned ourselves to the hotel rooms for the rest of the day...watching TV and sipping hot tea.....in that chilly weather.....also planning what to do for the next day....the Monday.....
The next day we all go to the NCL hoping to get an entry to the lab so that we could have a look as to how things go at the best chemical lab in the country...but our hopes were dashed as the recent fire at the lab prevented outsiders from visiting the lab....we had to return dejected and disappointed...but that was it....we moved ahead to the symbiosis institute which is famous all over for MBA programme and students from different countries come and pursue courses...it was a great experience as the institute welcomed us in a very good manner and arranged lunch for us as the time we reached was a lunch time...we spent lot of time there understanding the institute as such and taking snaps whenever possible with the faculty and students as well.....it was 4.30 in the evening.....not hearing anything to the driver we planned to go to "SIMHAGAD"....a fort in thick forest...50 KM away from Pune...
It was very risky going to the place in the evenings as it gets dark very fast and there was always a chance of encountering wild animals....still our young minds were ready to take the challenge and see how strong we can be...but we started feeling the heat of the challenge as it had started raining...still we were adamant on going there....after covering half distance we could see no vehicles...coming opposite to us nor on our way.....it was clouds and only clouds....and once we were on the top of the fort it was pitch darkness and rain..no cell phone signals..we could barely hear what the others were speaking...and I think it was one of the scariest moments for all of us...but was one of the best moments for all us..as friends. We had to stop our adventures as the driver of the cab which we hired was a worried about us reaching home....but as we were coming down to the cab..we lost our way and we were moving to an altogether a different direction...at that point of time we all thought it was all over but for a dog..the best friend of man..showed us the way back to the cab...we thought we have to believe god is still there....
We thanked the cab driver for the drive of the day...and left to the hotel and I still remember celebrating India's win over England in a test match in their own backyard.....
Be prepared for lots of stories of the tour in the following parts.....
