This time around, I am celebrating Dipawali at Pune . Staying away from home for the last 9 years has made me quite aloof to festivals and they seems to have a negligible importance in my life.

However somewhere down my memory lanes, I still remember Dipawali for quite a few things....

21 days School Holidays: They are right on top of my priority list. I used to literally start counting day’s right from Ganesh Chaturthi and look forwards for these long 3 week holidays. Though the holiday did involve lots of homework but i guess it’s much better than a 1 day Corporate leave. As they say " Those were the fabulous dayz"...

The Demon King-Narkasur: In Goa, Diwali begins with the death of the Demon king called as Narkasur. Huge Effigies of the demon are burnt across the state, close to midnight on a day prior to Diwali. As a kid, I spend a considerable amount of my holidays building the demon king and later as I grew up, I spent the Diwali night goofing around with friends having some nice roadside Chinese dish and a cold mug of Beer...

Meeting All Near and Dear Ones: We spent our Diwali at our ancestral home in a small village called Loutolim in Goa. All the members of my extended family gather even today for a small and an unique ritual in the morning and later on have the Lakshmi Puja in the evening.

Over a period, i have understood that festivals aren’t just important to praying to the lord ( Ask for More..) but also play an important role to bond people together....

Wow...I have written a quite a bit now...And suddenly realized that I am nowhere close to being Aloof to these festivals....

So Happy Dipawali.....Wish u all ....Peace, Warmth and Lots of $$$$......

We Move On.....

Yes.....We have Moved on.... I have finally been a proud owner of Canon EOS 1000D,the entry level SLR camera.

Togather we shall uncover new places and rediscover ourself....

"I invent nothing, I rediscover"

Panchgani

The Word 'Panchgani' takes me back straight to my childhood days. Panchgani as always was wll known for Boarding schools and everytime i made my parents lifes a bit difficult they would sternly remind me that Panchgani wasnt far away...........

Comrades: Adil, Rahul, Chauhan and Yours truly

Distance: Pune-Hinjewadi junction- Pune Bangalore Highway- Take a right before Satara-Panchgani

Distance: 130 kms / 2.5 hrs of min drive

Places To wtach out: Every place out there will give u a sense of calmness and peace

I somehow always have felt connected to this place even before i landed there. Funny, but sometime childhood memories are so deeply imbibed that they are hard to forget.

Thanks Guys for making this trip indeed memorable.....

"Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls"