My Gujrat Trip

    For the first time, I became a bag-packer and started with Vishnu, The thinking particle on a trip which most would react with a surprise, GUJRAT. What on earth made me go to Gujrat...there are so many places. I thought when Amitabh Bachchhan is so passionately inviting us by saying, kuchh din to gujariye Gujarat me" (spent at least few days in Gujarat). So i thought lets go. It was a a two week trip, nothing like i ever did before. No tour package, no fixed destination. Just a book guide lonely planet's INDIA, and of course an experienced traveler. For the first time i realized that Traveling and Tourism are two different things. I used to tour and visit and spend holiday at lot of place but for the first time, I was traveling. All on my own, on a low budget, depending mostly on public transport and budget hotels. Exploring the places by interacting with locals rather than just visiting a fixed popular route. In those two weeks, I traveled for more than 2500 kilometers(excluding train distance from Delhi to Gujarat). And most it by public transport, i.e. state transport which was surprisingly cheap (about 50-60paise per KM). And almost always the buses were fully packed, which shows how crucial it is for common public. Here is an outline of my tour:

1. Bhuj
Day1: Reached Bhuj, the center of Kutch, the western most part of India, mostly marshy region called Kuchchh as the regions map is in inverted shape of a turtle (Kachchhap in Sanskrit). Kutch is the largest district of India. We hired a bike for a day and enjoyed full accelerator bike on empty roads, but in night it was cold.
Main attractions covered:
A. White desert: Near a place called Khavda, you will see a desert made of sea salt. imagine white fields till your eyes can see. You cant find out where the land ends and the sky begins. The sky here was not blue but white, may be by the reflection of light from the white salt. It was so perplexing yet beautiful.
B. India bridge: The northern most bridge in this region having last check post till civilians can go.
C. Kala dunger: A rock which gives excellent view of great run but we missed due to traffic jam, but on the way we discovered a place like canyons.
D. Bhuj District itself has few old places to see. The shooting of film Lagaan was done here.
Day 2
E. Mandavi beach: Probably the first beach from north-west and unique as you wont find coconut but cactus near it.
F. Lakhpat port: An ancient port before the Indus diverted further deep. It was a city of lakhpatis (millionaires). Majestic fort welcomes you.
G. Narayan Sarovar and Mata Nu Mandir: Religious places revered like Vaishno Devi of Gujart.
We missed few places in Bhuj like its museum and a place called Than due to paucity of time. You can go to Kachchh with one whole week in hand and 4 days only for Bhuj and nearby.
Day3: stay in Rapar
After spending 3 nights in Bhuj, we started to see little run. but before that, the biggest site of Indus valley civilisation in India, Dhalavira near a small but peaceful town Rapar was waiting for us.
And the best thing is just before entering the island of Dhaulavira, you get pure, virgin white desert. The most beautiful sight of white run.
Dhaulavira: Excavation site of Hadappa or Sindhu Ghati Sabhyata (Indua valley civilization). A very nice museum with a very cooperative staff of ASI. (but not so good at Lothal which was rather small as compared to Dhaulavira)
Day 4: Stay at Dhagandra
From there, Dhagandra, the small kingdom where the king still live in his palace.
Day 5: 
Little Run, which confuses you with its vast mirages where even forest officials are afraid to venture as its very difficult to find the way once you are in.
Day6:  After spending night in Jamnagar, we started to see a unique place where you can see marine life and mangrove forest by walking to it on your feet.
Narara Marine national park, reach there early morning or get to know the timing of tide by calling forest office at Jamnagar/Narara
Day 7: stay at Dwaraka
City tour of Dwarka's outskirt including old temples and Bet Dwarka. An amazing boat-ride accompanied by Seagulls flying just a hand away
 Day 8. Stay at Junagarh
Junagarh Fort.so vast and beautiful. So many places inside. most amazing was a 5 storey deep well,
 And an amazing museum nearby. A grand old but neglected Mosque. Ashoka's rock inscriptions.
Day9: Stay at Gir
Gir National Park: the only home of Asiatic tiger. Forest department has good and cheap lodging facility.
To see lion, no need to take safari, see lion in interpretation center in just 75 Rs.
To see forest, you can take Safari.

Somnath: Grand temple. A brief on the way visit to this grand temple. I didn't like rocks being painted in silver and gold and it took away its natural beauty.
Day10: holiday at Diu
Diu: little Goa. A peaceful calm island. Hardly 10km to walk. We discovered a lagoon like beach with clean water and spend hours in the water. (and got tanned a lot).
The diu fort is really amazing. And the Sea Shell museum is amazing, take 2-3 hours to spend here.

 Alang: the largest ship breaking industry of world. A port which can take even large ship on high tide and than anchor them for recycling. A ship is a city in itself and all kinds of things including sofa, furniture, fridge, washing machine, DG set, rescue boats, steel, and everything on a ship was on sale at a 5-6 kilometers long market beside the road.
Day 11 stay at Vadodara, big city but could manage to find a cheap guest house.
Champaner-Pavagarh: UNESCO world heritage site. will take a whole day to visit all placed of fort, beautiful mosques and a rope way ride to pavagarh shaktipeeth temple.
Day12:  stay at Ahmedabad 
Lothal, another indus valley excavation site but smaller than Dhaulavira. Nice brickwork here but not much and can be skipped if you have seen Dhaulavira. But if you have a car, you can go there to spend 15-20 minutes.
Day 13:
Sabarmati Ashram, history revisited
Adalaj vav, a beautiful 5 storey deep water body

Day 14: Stay at Patan:
Modhera: An ancient Sun temple, older than Konark. Demolished and looted by invaders. 3rd weekend of January is great dance festival.
Day 15:
A small but happening city which have its own museum, multiplex and a 200 year old handicarft tradtion, Patan ka patola, An ancient Saree making style without using any machine and making design on thread ,not on cloth. The saree starts with price 1.5 lakh Rs.
Rani ki Vav, another beautiful water body. and Patan ka Patola, a 2000 year old tradition of making saris from thread colouring. Sari cost starts from 1.5lakh Rs.
And now back to Palanpur, from where we started.
We used all kinds of road transport, bike, taxi, Khatara (a jugaad like tempo made from engine of bullet) which is ubiquitous in small cities and a life saver when there is no other means.

It was very nice experience, so many unique places, natural, archeological and cultural places. Every state in India is unique for its own kind of  landscape and diversity. It was all fun.
For detailed travelogue please visit thinking particle (Vishnu's) official blog page:

Trailing Gujarat Series: In Chronological Order

Trailing Gujarat: Train to Bhuj

Trailing Gujarat: Bhuj, Capital of Kutch
Trailing Gujarat: Northern Kutch, Dhordo and Kalo Dungar
Trailing Gujarat: Western Kutch, Lakhpat and Narayan Sarovar
Trailing Gujarat: Southern Kutch, Beachline of Mandvi
Trailing Gujarat: Eastern Kutch, Splendor of Rapar and Dholavira
Trailing Gujarat: Dhrangadhra, a lesser known delight of Gujarat
Trailing Gujarat: Little Rann of Kutch, Salt Plains and Heat Mirage
Trailing Gujarat: Jamnagar and Marine National Park, Narara
Trailing Gujarat: Dwarka, Where Pilgrims meet the end of earth (Read: Sea)
Trailing Gujarat: Junagadh, City of archaeological attractions
Trailing Gujarat: Gir National Park, last home of Asiatic Lions
Trailing Gujarat: Diu, Real thirst-quencher
Trailing Gujarat: Alang, Where Ships come to die
Trailing Gujarat: Champaner and Pavagadh
 Trailing Gujarat: Ahmedabad and Lothal Trailing Gujarat: Patan, Modhera and Separation
For More information on travel destination in India, You can see http://thinkingparticle.com/
Here is the outline of my two week 2500km journey. 

Who killed her???

Today she died. Everyone is shocked and sad. A mix of sadness, anger, frustration and helplessness and gloom. She is no more and it makes no different to her what happens now. But will her death go in vein just like any other case? So many crimes happen everyday and are forgotten with the news of the day, but this time whole country is mourning for her.
Who killed her?

The police?
for not providing protections?
for not filing FIRs for hundreds of such and similar cases happening everyday.
for not taking action on molesters and criminals?

The judicial system?
for being so slow and inefficient that it takes decades and all your earnings to get judgement, but still not the justice. Where advocates and judges have a nexus to delay the case forever. Where all kinds of reforms and accountability measures are just pending like millions of cases.

The transport department?
for letting such illegal buses run in the city and letting those criminals use it without any check. For not providing safe and secure service. for not taking any action on them despite complaints.

The politicians?
for letting all that happen. Do I need to even talk about them? Do they even care?

or
Us, the people, the society? for ignoring hundreds of such cases happening everyday.
for living comfortable despite everyday some crime was happening in the very city we live in.
for not doing anything for inferior and insecure position of woman.
for blaming and shaming the victim for no fault of hers.
for letting woman be treated as a property since the Pandavas used Draupadi as a property in a game of dice.
for not letting them feel equally human?
for not respecting them.
for not being sympathetic but pathetic.
for voting for politicians who themselves are rapists?
for letting the corrupt rule and letting the whole system rote?

what were we waiting for? A gruesome death to shake and awaken our conscience or to happen it to ourself?
Is it gender insensitivity and discrimination, lack of reforms (police reform, judicial reform, social reform, political reform, election reform .......the list is endless) ,corruption, negligence, or moral decay or defeat of humanity?

Till when we will keep ourself in this illusion that "it is not my job to care" or "what can I do about it".

Who is to blame? what be the punishment? or we should rather think on how to make it the last such case ever. There is a great distance to go, but when will we take the first step? when will we start moving? When will be understand that cumulative small steps of millions will make the journey smaller. When will we realize that millions drops makes an ocean. That we need to walk together but we also need to walk alone before we can join others. lets not keep standing, lets move. its time to act. Be vigilant. Use RTI , use vote, use yourself against any thing wrong, no matter how small or big, related to this crime or anything. Because those small things, when left unchecked come out as a monster who do heinous things and then we say we are helpless, weak, alone.

Act! or else we are also among those who killed her...... or let her die.... whats the difference!

Evolution of God III

   Why the concept of God is so strong, how it persisted through the test of time. It must have some great utility otherwise it would not be an integral part of our society. Two causes, love and fear may cause one to believe in God. We find solace in God from all the unknown dangers and uncertainties. But in our daily life, how the God helps. Even if one doesn’t believe in God the way religions propagate it, there is such a great utility in an impersonal concept of God that one can hardly ignore. It takes pressure out of you. If you are a creative person, you can attribute cause of your creativity to the God, and will it cost anything? No. But it will save you from the pressure to perform. If you do well, it’s God’s grace, if not, God didn’t want it to happen. There are so many uncontrollable and uncertain things in this world that limit us and no matter how much effort we make, we cannot do everything.  And when we fail, we need to attribute those failures caused by the external variables to some other entity. Otherwise we will have to bear the burden of failure unless we attribute that to God. And if we win, the vanity may attack us so we attribute that too to God’s grace. That’s what probably learned people would have tried to suggest when they said to submit oneself to the lord or God. But unfortunately many a times it is misinterpreted by leaving everything on God. When the concept of God, being a mean of our psychological well being, becomes the end in itself and the purpose of our existence, we are in trouble. We are not here for God; we have created or assumed a God to be there so that we live happily. But when we start living to achieve or reach God, we are missing the point. We are making our means, our end.

    However, this means-end-displacement is a very common phenomenon. Another example is money, which is a necessary tool for a comfortable life but we end up losing all our comforts just to earn money. So as far as God is to keep us humble and sober, save us from vanity and depression, we are good. But when we get obsessed with this human created concept, going to the extreme of its interpretation as if God is everything and we are nothing, we demean the very existence of ours. And of course when a belief or faith comes into picture, we can’t talk about rationality. Can anyone argue why so many bad things happen in this world if there is a God? No. Some say that it’s the result of their bad karmas. But then why God let them do those bad karma’s in the first place. Some says it’s not God’s job to take care of everything, well, then why is he therefore? These arguments are of no use as soon the logic goes miles away and people get sentimental. On the other hand so called atheist ignore the utility of the concept of God. If a person is so mature and psychologically sound that he can bear responsibility for everything and bear the pressure of success and failure equally and easily, he or she may not need a God. But not all have that power and capacity, so it’s easier to leave it on God.

    It’s difficult to take a balanced view here. That’s why people are so confused, that’s why there are so many religions, so many types of God.  Sometimes they exploit people by frightening them in the name of God. God and religion can be tools of power politics also. No one knows about God but all claims their version to be right despite the fact that it is imaginary. But by misinterpreting this concept, we can do a lot of harm to self and others. Anything based on fear and force cannot be right. Religion has its cultural value and it should remain so. It is not transcendent to the human existence itself. We should not blindly believe anything. It should be backed by reason and should not be detrimental to humanity itself. It is difficult to agree with a view that demeans being human and sees human life a sin and only objective of it being with the God again. If there is a God, why would he make this world and us only if we are supposed to leave this world and get assimilated in Him? If He is arbitrary, then he is hardly a God. If He is omnipresent, then why we need to go elsewhere to meet him. If he is omnipotent, then why so much chaos in the world. There are numerous inconsistencies in religious dictums and their concept of God, but we can’t argue as people have forgotten that we have created those concepts and they didn’t come from the heaven. It is almost impossible to argue against a belief system. Whatever serves the purpose of those in power, they will defend it with all means. Very few religions allow dissent. If something is static and doesn’t change with time, how can it be called alive. And how can we follow a dead thing!

The Adjustment bureau: an inspiring movie

Besides my new found love for Emily Blunt, I loved the theme of the movie. This movie reminds us how important the two things: 'love' and 'free will' are. Can we really sacrifice love for a great career? can life be really great with out true love? When we are determined to get something or love someone truly, even the God has to accept our choice. That's the message we get from the movie. A very beautiful and dramatic presentation. We always have a choice. And love is so powerful, that nothing else seem to matter. Little bit of "happy ending" or fairy tale  kind of movie but some scenes are really moving.

loved it, loved Emily Blunt.

Oh My God! What a movie

A must watch movie. An exhilarating experience. For all those who want to really understand the significance of God and Religion.
I loved that. Thanks Paresh rawal, Akshay kumar and Ashwini Yardi for making that. Prakash Shukla..ultimate direction!
I loved it.
trailer of the movie.