My musicaI in Nakki Lake-Mt.Abu

“Ei sundor sharnali sondhyae, eki bondhone jorale go bonbhu!!”

The rhythmic strokes of the spade creating ripples,

The setting sun spreading its golden hue,

The cool alluring breeze caressing our souls,

And his music!!….

Some bubbles in my stomach,

Gentle holding of hands with love,

Nakki lake and the intoxicating Abu air,

And his music!!......

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

I didn’t know when my eye lids had embraced my eyes and deep felt emotions had surrounded my inner being. I wanted to let loose and feel every passing moment without an iota of negativity. Such moments of ecstasy are rare, magical and breathe life into existence.

I always wanted a fairytale life and though reality is not always like my imagination, life is kind enough to bestow with some fairy tale moments.

Mount Abu was our second trip together after tying the knot. Romance and ecstasy was in the air of the little hill station at the foot of the Aravalli. They say that the Maharajas of Rajasthan would come to Abu during summer to get respite from the scorching desert sun. 

The hill station is indeed blessed with a beautiful landscape, the charm of which is quite a contradiction to the desert. The Aravalli hills are rocky at one point and green at the other. Colours play hide seek under the vastness of the clear March sky. Surrounded by the hills in the vicinity is the magnificent Nakki Lake, a famous tourist attraction.

 The lake with its surroundings was captivating in ways more than one. The sedate blueness, the happy faces and the colourful dressing of the local people made the area so full of colour as if it represented life. Street shopping couldn’t be more soulful than this. The market area with the signature merchandise of Rajasthan like bangles, Rajasthani dresses and turbans looked like the master stroke of a skillful painter.

It was our last day in Abu and we decided to spend it just the right way. Strolling lazily by the colourful lakeside we felt each other’s presence deep within. The sun was setting in full glory painting the sky red while the couples painted Abu red with romance. The soothing cool breeze, the multitude of hues above and our sudden discovery of getting late, is the beautiful evening going to end so soon? As we walked past the park around the lake, we noticed a blind man, silently playing a famous Rajasthani musical instrument called “Ravanhatta”. The tune was beautiful and we went to praise him for his skills. Immediately he said “babu if you pay me, I will come to play my instrument with you, on your boat ride”!!!

The boat moved lovingly fondling the lake water, it was dusk and the sun was bestowing its last beauty before going to sleep, we sat hand in hand and he played and played and played….. Tunes which have remained with me.! We paid him, may be more than he had expected but what he gave us is priceless and timeless to me. He gave me my share of fairy tale, my musical……!!!!

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

Mahabaleshwar-Maharashtra Unlimited

Where the green and the grey of the mountains,
Touch the blue tranquility…

Where waters of the crystal clear lake,

Summons with placidity ….

There I holiday with dear friends,

And every moment is well spent in the serenity!!

I love to holiday, no matter what the destination is, I always succeed in deriving some sort of inherent pleasure out of it. The joy and gaiety is not bound with time. It doesn’t confine its admirable self within the boundaries of our limited stay in the holiday destination. In fact, the derived pleasure stays with me and helps recreate its image through my blogs. But unfortunately it’s been long, since I set forth exploring. But that definitely won’t stop me from pursuing my other passion, “painting with words”.

on the way to Mahabaleshwar....

Our weekend trip to Mahabaleshwar, was one such rose to my bouquet of remembrances which I wanted to blossom through my blogs. When we shifted to Mumbai, I deliberately wanted to explore the nearby destinations, and Mahabaleshwar was my first opportunity to indulge. We (my husband and I) were accompanied by two of our besties Shalaka and Nilesh, on a road trip to “Mahabaleshwar”!

view from our hotel balcony....

Our travel to Mahabaleshwar was indeed a joy ride, the gossip, leg pulling, occasional halts at road side eateries and above all the visual treat of the charismatic landscape by the road.

January is supposed to be a cold month, and more so in a hill station. Contradicting the expectant behaviour of Nature, Mahabaleshwar was cool to warm! However, cannot put the entire blame on “global warming”. The exorbitant number of fun loving Mumbaikars, who had gathered to have a chilled out weekend and enjoyable encounters with nature contributed to the temperature rise to a commendable extent! No doubt it was the extended weekend of 26^th Jan’13.

Mahabaleshwar is mesmerizing, its green yet rocky mountains is typical of the place. The breath taking view of the valley, placidity of Venna Lake at the heart of the hill station, redness of farm fresh strawberries, the alluring breeze and the happy faces around infusing festivity to the ambiance made my stay worthy. While morning was reserved for sight seeing, evening was for fun and chill!!! Of all the places of interest, I found the elephant point to be most intriguing. A rock naturally moulded to resemble an elephant, quite interesting I would say!!

The few days of stay in Mahabaleshwar, left fond memories for me. It’s not the best of holiday destinations but worth a visit for sure, and if that’s possible with great company, I am sure it will make a holiday worth remembering, as it was in our case.

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

Rendezvous with Lonavala Khandala

As the scorching sun embrace the dark grey coat of the monsoon clouds,

We know the rain is here!

When the air carries the tender drops of water in his wings,

We know the rain is here!

When horns are interrupted by the occasional thunder,

We know the rain is here!

And when the greenery of hills wave its magical wand,

We know the rain is here!

Mumbai is a city known for its hustle bustle and busy life. They say the city grows on you, in spite of all odds. However even with its inherent busy life, Mumbai adorns a significantly different look in the rains. Being surrounded by the Western Ghats, soothing greenery dominates the look of the city during monsoon. Last monsoon we decided to drive to Lonavala and spend a leisure weekend amidst the greenery and the mist. There is indeed a mystic charm about the ambiance of such hill stations but it holds good only during the downpour.

This trip is special, because I was accompanied by the two most important people of my existence “my mom and my life partner”. The drive was enjoyable to the core, Mumbai-Pune Express Highway is a tourist destination in itself, long stretches of road paralleled by mountains, grey clouds looming heavy and the occasional drizzle or heavy downpour. A cozy wetness tickle your senses and its happening to me while narrating the experience as well.

Lonavala and Khandala do not have too many tourist attractions, however rains inject attractiveness to the landscape making it inherently mesmerizing. As if the rain with its magical touch transforms simple Cinderella to a gorgeous princess, whom every prince wants to woo. Bhushi Lake, Rajmachi point, Tiger point are a few of the most visited spots. However the drive to Bhushi dam and beyond up, was the most exciting part. With heavy torrential rain, dense fog and poor visibility the journey was no less than an adventurous roller-coaster ride.

Our cozy room in Sardar Sarovar Portico, good food, best company, an occasional spa and steaming cups of coffee with the blanket around made the trip, truly stress busting.

Lonavala- Khandala cannot be termed as exotic destinations for holidays, but monsoon do bless these places with a beauty worth beholding. Comfortable food and lodging, and easy commuting from Mumbai, make it ideal for a weekend getaway!

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta