A celebration of life

It is 5 days already since baby was born, and we are finally home from the hospital. Baby is fast asleep on her new bed at Ajji-Ajoba's and I'm beholding this new addition to my life, my daughter. Nowhere in my wildest dreams would I have imagined what it would be to hold this little thing, a part of my body for the last nine months.

Now that she is here, all those months of nausea, bed rest, exhaustion, acidity, anxiety, etc. seem to be behind me as if they never happened. I can stay stuck in this moment forever and ever. Love you my little sweetie pie.

Valley of Flowers At Kas Lake

At about half hour's drive from Satara city is the beautiful Kas Lake. The landscape is arguably similar to what you would see in Mahabaleshwar or several other spots along the Sahyadris in Maharashtra. However, a special attraction and a totally unique one about the Kas plateau is its Valley of Flowers. Wild flowers blossom by the millions for a very short time very year - around August end to October on this 5 km stretch of flat land. And the sight is an absolute heaven on earth.

We left Pune early in the morning; a leisurely drive along with a brief breakfast halt on NH-4 took us some 3 hours. As we neared the Kas plateau, we could see plenty of beautiful spots and a whole lot of yellow (Sonaki) flowers. You need to continue along the road until about 5 kms before the actual Kas Lake. The flowers start rather abruptly along a turn and you behold the mesmerizing landscape agape.

The flowers are hosted on short bushes about 6-8 inches tall. They are of various shapes, sizes and also colours. The place is a haven for butterflies and bees of various kinds. I think there could also be some potential for bird watching if you hit it very early in the morning. Apart from enjoying the flowers, you can relax in the true European style under some shady tree with a sandwich lunch, or even go down to the lake if the weather is good. Be sure you don't litter around and spoil the sanctity of the place.

The valley is so far quite clean and a Forest department officer was seen doing the rounds, urging people to keep off the flower beds and park in the right lanes. Thankfully there are still no wada paav or bhutta vendors and therefore only true nature lovers seen along. Visit before that changes! A place not to be missed.

Portico restaurant at Sayaji - Good Buffet

We'd planned to go to Barbeque Nation at Sayaji (Wakad) to celebrate my sister's birthday. But we had a rather disappointing experience. The terrace restaurant was really cold and seating terribly cramped. The decor (that looked a bit hotch-potch what with the overal ambience like Puran da Dhaba at Pride, but with Maharashtrian Warli art splayed on the terrace sides, and Ghazal music on) was nothing like BBQ Nation at Kalyaninagar. Our family was offered a table right next to the bar. To add to that and the biting cold winds, we actually had rain water splashing on to us. Obviously it was impossible to spend a couple of hours like that and we walked out.

Back to the lobby, we decided to try the dinner buffet at Portico restaurant on the ground floor. We got a table in about ten minutes even though they claimed to be full and were even served lemonade while we waited in the lobby. The seating was tad uncomfortable, since the table and seats could not be moved and therefore us short people had to lean forward to eat.

Anyway that apart, the buffet was quite good though there was nothing really that was extra-ordinary. Yet it was attractive fare, well prepared and well laid out. Starters - both veg and non-veg - were tasty. The 'multi-cuisine' claim was rather far-fetched as there wasn't much global stuff apart from the usual Chinese and Italian. The desserts were varied and yummy.

Service was satisfactory and quick. You didn't have to wait with a plate full of main course for the bread basket to arrive, nor did you have to signal to get your glass of water refilled. The staff seemed to be used to the large crowds and were managing well.

For the price (425+4% tax) I thought the buffet was worth it. However, the drinks that the men ordered proved to be exorbitantly priced. The beer actually came with two lime wedges (?!?).

To quote my Dad's favorite saying - Dane Dane pe Likha hai, Khane wala ka Naam... Portico was meant to host our dinner last night. Meanwhile, I doubt I'll go back to try BBQ at Sayaji.

Kalote lake - you couldn't imagine!

After months of battling nausea and morning sickness, Sunday seemed like a good day for a small outing somewhere close by. Besides, it was raining after a long time making it the perfect type of weather for a drive, and our new car was waiting to get some fresh air outside the city!

We had a number of limitations - good road being a major one - and a lot of places got quickly eliminated. Lonavala remained an option but it's just too crowded and boring these days. Milind Gunaji's book came to the rescue and we decided to explore Kalote lake, a little off Khopoli.

Directions to get there are pretty simple - exit the expressway at Khalapur and continue toward Mumbai on NH-4 about 4-5 kms, locate Westend Meadows on the opposite side and turn in adjacent to the complex. Continue for about a couple of kms until you reach the lake. It's hard to believe that there can be such a serene and beautiful place so close to the main road and yet so virgin. Do not expect any of the usual - thelas, hawkers, etc. There are a couple of resorts - Eden farms and another (I forget the name), but we didn't explore any of those. The only thing to do here is to sit and enjoy the beauty of the place. Others, normal and fitter people that is, can even take off on foot and explore the landscape. We obviously could not do that. Hope to go back there sometime for that part.

We got back to Pune via NH-4, again a good change from the by-now monotonous expressway. Except that the road is pretty bad at certain places and we had to come back real slow.

It was a great Sunday afternoon spent well though. This place is definitely worth trying!

Copacabana - Full of variety

It must have been the lure of adequate space at a reasonable price that made the owner set up this restaurant at Vishal Nagar, Wakad. Else you could have easily imagined this joint in a plush area in Koregaon Park or Kalyaninagar. Our sole reason to get there for lunch was its proximity to the residence. But everything about this place turned out to be a surprise!

There is ample of parking space, which is an immediate winner. The ambience is lively and youthful, the decor impressive. There is a lounge in the evenings and expansion is still in progress, with Cabanas planned behind the restaurant.

The menu is so long and so varied that it really takes a while to go over it peacefully and actually put a finger to some specific item. From Korean to Mexican, Chinese to Malay, there is a vast array of cuisines to choose from, including most of the familiar and global delicacies - be it the Spanish Paela or Mexican Enchiladas. Despite the long-list of items, the food was served quite quickly and turned out to be passably tasty. But the real icing on the cake was the spread of desserts on offer. Not just that, they actually HAD whatever was listed on the menu - an all too common disappointment at a lot of restaurants otherwise. The blueberry cheesecake, caramel custard and kulfi we ordered were simply superb.

We all thought that the 'concept' is a bit too early for Wakad despite its density of the 'IT crowd'. This was confirmed when I overheard an oldish man tell someone on the phone that he'd come to have lunch at 'Copablanca'... wonder what the owner (or whoever named this place) will have to say to that!

With some aggressive marketing, Copacabana has the potential to become a 'hub'. I would recommend it not just to people who live around the area, but to people who don't mind driving a bit for a good dining experience. After all most of us criss-cross to Koregaon once a while, don't we?

Rocket Singh - a refreshing watch

I'd really liked Ranbir in Wake Up Sid - and he brings his same boyish charms to Rocket Singh. I saw the television premier yesterday and notwithstanding the annoying breaks, I actually enjoyed something on the idiot box after a long long time. I know the movie hadn't created any major stir when it released. But I thought it had a decent storyline and a strong message - based on honesty and integrity that's gone so missing from around us these days. Perhaps it appealed to me a bit more because of the peculiar point at which my life stands right now - disappointed by corporate life and on the brink of entrepreneurship.

The characters are a bit over the edge - I had the same feeling about the director's previous film Chak De. The story has a slow but steady pace, but the plot is so unpredictable that it keeps you guessing all the time. You can see every emotion in Ranbir's eyes and your heart goes out to him on several occasions. Especially when the whole office is making fun of him and he finds himself alone, yet determined to continue. Most of us have had a difficult time or two in our careers, especially at the outset, and the reminiscence strikes hard.

All in all, I enjoyed the innocence and the 'people-orientation', far removed from emo-dramas and surrealism that I've never fallen for in Indian cinema. No song-and-dance sequences, no garish fashion, no side-kicks; just plain engrossing cinema.

My verdict: 4 out of 5... A really nice watch!

Night Train to Lisbon - And money down the drain

Gosh! I can't believe I actually went to a bookstore and purchased this book. I've recently become a member of an online reading club and I blame them for getting me to blow a few hundreds on this miserable piece of writing.

Usually I hate to put down books - though I have started to do that more often recently. In this case I started with a determination to read through to the end - I SIMPLY could NOT manage this.

The German translation is pathetic - the translator seems to have put words in an online German-English dictionary and blindly used them in places. The grammar is poor, there are hundreds of typos - something very unusual for a Western publication. But more importantly - there is NO STORY. I'll tell you what this is - a so called philosophical-cum-trying to be modernist-cum-melodramatic-cum-loserly tale of a professor who has lived a certain routine most of his life, and almost borders on being a psycho. He then sees a Portuguese book, gets intrigued by the author and sets out to trace this author's apparently contrasting life. Every few lines you are reminded of how totally surprised he is by the sudden turn of intentions in his head. Enter some more weird, totally impratical characters, painfully long descriptions that leave you no more enlightened, tears, fears, in short... verbal diarrheoa - Ugghh!

I used this book for several days as an antidote to my insomnia - 3 pages at a stretch and I would dose off into peaceful slumber, relieved that my world is what it is and stands where it is!

As for the good reviews of this book - I have one thing to say. You don't have to like all 'philosophy' - it's not like the Emperor's new clothes - you can turn down some of it without the risk of being labeled a pseudo-intellectual!

Mr. Pascal Mercier, I feel like sueing you for causing readers such acute mental trauma and then get away with it and into the bestseller's list!

Paathshala - Horribly misses the target

Writing a movie review of Paathshala is also in fact a painful task. There is not one thing that stands out, apart from may be a few hummable tunes. The movie attempts to highlight an issue that is in the thick of things these days - the commercialization of education, but director Milind Ukey fails miserably to tackle it properly.

Characterizations are totally missing, melodrama prevails throughout the second half, too many sub-plots jostle for space without any of them being taken to a logical conclusion. Shahid and Ayesha are unbelievably wasted, other actors have virtually no role apart from the sports teacher Sushant Singh may be. Saurabh Shukla is so annoying, you'd want to kill him not for his bad acting but for accepting an utterly illogical role. Nana Patekar could have been impressive, but the scriptwriter has not done any justice to his capability.

I have come to think that every such disaster sets back the pace of Bollywood cinema by a few notches. A similar theme revolving around education and its treatment of children was so well-tackled in the focused and just-adequately emotional Taare Zameen Par. The trick lay in the empathy with the main character, I think, rather than the temptation to please everybody. The beauty of TZP was that no one was intentionally bad, everyone had their reasons for the way they were behaving. That is totally lacking in Paathshala. Gone are the days when Hindi cinema had clear-cut 'heros' and 'villians'. Good modern Hindi cinema is more situational, practical, human.

My verdict: All in all, Paathshala makes for a pathetic watch. A must-miss for all age-groups.

Flavors, Wakad - Unexpectedly good

I'm saying unexpectedly because I didn't particularly think that a restaurant situated in kaspate vasti, wakad would resonate of class. But as it turns out I was unreasonably biased. This is a restaurant situated on the roof top of a 6-storey building near Kalewadi phata. The ambiance is decent and the food was good. We went along with some friends on a Saturday evening and even then there was relative peace. We in fact there spent quite a long time and were left to enjoy an unhurried dinner with IPL cricket on a big screen for company. I quite liked that about the place. No one to bother you, but even then good service without asking twice for anything.

We ordered a couple of drinks and a veggie platter for starters. The platter was standard, but I must make a special mention of the delicious mushroom. On the other hand we didn't think the cauliflower (which was too big to be counted in the category of aesthetically pleasing) or the paneer (too chewy) was that great.

For the main course, we ordered a vegetable jalfrezie and daal. A standard order, but well cooked and tasty. We stuck to vegetarian that day since our company was mainly vegetarian, but the sea food and the chicken dishes on the menu sounded quite good. We didn't taste any desserts that day so I'd do that too if we went back.

My verdict: A standard place with good food and reasonably priced too. If you are in the area and are looking for a decent place to have a quiet dinner, this is a good find. May not be a place you would especially seek out, though.

"The Old Man and His God" - a poignant collection

I found Sudha Murthy's "Old Man and His God: Discovering the Spirit of India" lying at our old apartment. The title didn't particularly interest me and assumed it would be some philosophical rendition of existentialism. Consequently the book was further lying around in my bedroom for several days before I picked it up one lazy Sunday afternoon for want of nothing better to do. How I regret not doing that earlier! The book is far from a discourse, it is in fact a collection of short stories, a third in a series, based on real incidences in Sudha Murthy's life and travels.

This is a book that can change your entire perspective of looking at people. Sudha Murthy's sincere, down-to-earth, practical writing style and the sheer simplicity of characters, stories and incidents portrayed in this book are apparent in every single page, every single line that she pens. The stories are crisp and have an inherent lesson or moral, but this is not clearly spelt out and left to the reader's interpretation. The reader is bound to relate to one or the other character every few pages and that keeps the interest alive through out.

I was especially touched by the story "The way you look at it", where Murthy recounts hearing criticism about a public toilet scheme started by her for rural women; but does not get discouraged by the remarks as no matter what you do, you cannot please everyone. However, if you are convinced about something, you should go ahead and do it with conviction nevertheless.

My verdict: Certainly not a book you can miss! A penguin publication, priced at Rs.150. I am now looking forward to reading the other two volumes in the series.

Post-91 - the attraction begins post the main course

Yes - desserts are among the few praise-worthy things about this restaurant - they have the choicest spread of cakes, mousses and Indian sweets in the lunch buffet. The rest of the stuff in the restaurant has nothing particularly unique to offer, but let's say it's not bad either.

Post-91 is located in lane 6 of Koregaon Park, opposite Kapoor's Yellow Chilly. I believe the name has something to do with the post-liberalization era in India - the relevance beats me. Anyway!
I've visited them 3-4 times as they are conveniently located from my office, have a buffet which makes for a quick working lunch and is generally not that crowded on a week day so it's peaceful. The ambience is decent, service is just about acceptable (though out of the 2-3 times I've been there, I've witnessed a couple of goof-ups), food is ok. I've generally liked the soups they've served, especially the carrot-tomato coriander soup I had there the last time I went.

Even then, I think there are plenty of things that can be got right in this place. First, the buffet spread is a bit hotch-potch. I mean multi-cuisine is one thing, but having too many dishes on board can get quite... err... confusing. For example, what do you eat a chinese stir fry with if the rice items include plain rice and an Indian biryani?

Also, some of the preparations are not exactly what you would call authentic. Sample this, there was an attractive looking salad bar the last time, but unfortunately whatever you asked for (the choices included three different dressings), you would get the same concoction. The cook manning the salad bar was adding whatever was available in front of him and the end result was not very exciting.

These and other experiences reduce the potential of the great place that Post-91 can aspire to be! For the price range (Rs.300 onwards - plus there are at least 2 pricing options in the buffet), let's say its value for money.

My verdict: You could try it out sometime, grab a quick bite if you work around the area and want to take someone out, but don't build too many expectations.

Prathamesh Holiday Homes Resort - You can find better in Diveagar

I booked this hotel after reading extremely good reviews about it all over on the internet. When we arrived first at Prathamesh, we could see nothing overtly wrong with the hotel. In fact, our first day there was great. The manager helped us out with sightseeing information and the staff appeared friendly. 

The trouble began on the second evening when we came back to the room and saw that several cockroaches had crept in through a window left open by the housekeeping staff! Our desperate calls for the staff yielded nothing but a bottle of insect repellant which my husband had to spray on the roaches himself. It didnt stop there. Throughout the night, we had cockroaches entering into our room from the gap below the door. Further searches in the room revealed tons of eggs in the horribly maintained furniture. By morning we had had enough and decided to check out. The staff had no explanation to provide, with not much resistance to our decision! 

It spoiled our beautiful experience of serene Diveagar. I could've easily excused the hotel for the cockroach incidence in a rural place like Diveagar, but the attitude of the staff simply didnt deserve this. 

There are several better places in Diveagar I am told. In fact, it would have been better if we'd left behind our urban compulsion to have an AC hotel and tried a home-stay instead.

Some other problems: The restaurant attached to the hotel is terrible. We had only one meal there and decided never to eat there again. If you do not have a car, this place is far away from the central area with the temple and eateries and walking at night doesn't exactly make you comfortable. Beach access is at least ten minutes away.

Mainland China - Never Disappoints

This is a restaurant I have gone back to several times in the last few years and it has never let me down!
We dined at the Senapati Road branch for our anniversary. The ambience gets it just right and the service is impeccable. Our visit coincided with a food festival they had on the occassion of the Chinese new year, and we tried some delicacies from the special menu.

The starter we ordered - Drums of Heaven in Hong kong sauce was juicy and tasty. In the main course, we tried out braised chicken in orange and black bean sauce and whole wheat noodles with leeks and shiitake mushrooms, again fantastic stuff. The chicken portion I thought was a little small, just about adequate for two people.

My experience with desserts at Mainland China in the past has not been up to the mark and I've indicated that in the feedback forms I've filled over there. This time, we didn't have to order any dessert at all. While making the dinner reservation, they had asked me if there was a special occasion and accordingly, presented us a nice cake after the main course. The gesture was touching and made our evening, and will make us go back for our next special meal.

The best part of this restaurant is the quiet service. You never have to ask for anything, it's as if they know exactly what you are going to require the next moment. Yet, it never seems as if you are being watched or excessively fussed over.

My verdict: I just love this place, and despite the relatively high price tag, I feel like I derive good value out of the money that I spend. A meal for two a la carte including a drink each can cost from Rs.1000 to Rs. 2000 depending on what you order.

Their branch on Dhole Patil road has a lunch buffet, which is more value for money. Besides, you get to sample a variety of dishes in the buffet.

Refreshingly Konkan – Part V – Murud Harnai

From Bankot, we took the road to Kelshi phata and reached Murud Harnai via Anjarle. There is a new road from Aade to Dapoli now, saving distance, and again offering fantastic scenary that is characteristic of Konkan! Especially worth mentioning is the bridge across the creek at Murde soon after Anjarle. Both Aade and Anjarle are typical Konkani villages and you'll enjoy the drive through them. It does tend to get a bit remote and lonely between villages though. And the road is not that great at certain places. It is best to avoid traveling after sundown.

Our resort at Murud Harnai was bang on the beach (something that we didn't get to enjoy at Diveagar actually) and we could see a beautiful sunset right from our room's sitout.

The next morning we went to the beach early and took a boat ride to see dolphins. The atmosphere was so serene, with the sound of the sea waves, flocks of birds of all sorts flying across and then the dolphins, gently cruising along the water revealing themselves every once a while. The shine and the grace of the species are unparalleled and I have a feeling they too are more than aware of the interest they generate among us humans.

It was time to pack up and leave soon after. The end of a holiday always brings two-fold emotions – the reminiscence of the days gone by and the regret of having to leave behind the beauty and peace and get back into routine.

The drive back via Dapoli -- Poladpur -- Mahabaleshwar -- Wai -- Pune was uneventful, except for the stopover at Mapro's in Panchgani where we had dollops of soft strawberry and lichee icecream and the jumbo grilled sandwich - their specialty.

My verdict: If you live in Mumbai/Pune (or anywhere for that matter) and haven't been to Konkan, you are really missing something in life.

Refreshingly Konkan – Part IV – Diveagar to Bankot Fort

The road along the coast from Diveagar to Srivardhan

Bankot Fort
Jetty from Bagmandla to Bankot

Our next route from Diveagar to Bankot Fort was full of scenic spots and much adventure. The road from Diveagar to Srivardhan (about 11 kms) runs parallel to the coast and is breathtakingly beautiful. We reached Harihareshwar around lunch time and stopped at MTDC's Grasshopper Inn restaurant to refuel. The fare is just about ok, but the location of the restaurant bang on the seashore adds something extraordinary to the experience. Bankot fort is vaguely visible from the restaurant, but one has to cross the creek to get there.

There is a jetty service which ferries people, vehicles as well as animals across the creek from Bagmandla to Bankot. The journey of around 1.5 kms takes 10 minutes and saves you 100 kms of road travel had you been forced to take the land route instead. It reminded me of a similar passage in Goa when the bridge across the Mandovi river at Panaji had collapsed. I must've been very young but have vivid memories of that trip!

When we got off at Bankot, we stopped to get directions to the fort from a couple on a bike. They suggested a road through the village that was obviously not a problem for them, but with our four-wheeler, we were almost negotiating through people's houses. With bated breath, we braved the bylanes of Bankot and its paraphernalia of vendors, street shops, cattle, racing poultry, pigs, stray dogs, and cats, and arrived intact at Bankot feeling really lucky! If you have to do this, I suggest taking the left turn (via a more circuitous route) after the jetty harbour and approach Bankot from the highway side.

Unfortunately after all the adventure, there is nothing much at Bankot. The entrance gate is majestic, but not unique. But the fort itself is very small and can be seen in less than 5 minutes. That's not only because it is in ruins but also because there does not seem to be any major historical significance attached to the place. The view is marvelous though and can hold you for much longer.

My verdict: The fort itself may not be that exciting, but the route is an unforgettable experience. We proceeded to Murud Harnai from here.

Refreshingly Konkan – Part III – Janjira Fort – the sole disappointment

Janjira Fort - from the ferry
View from the top of the fort

Despite the grandeur of the fort, this trip left us somewhat disappointed for very many reasons. One, the company was pathetic. The entire place seemed to be teeming with youths who had no interest in the fort or its history but were there only to make a racket and shout some or the other slogans the entire time.

Two, the place where you get the ferry from, Dighi, is unbelievably filthy. Three, no one knows what time the ferry exactly leaves. We got several different versions from people. But the truth is that the ferry doesn't leave until it fills its quorum of 50 people. On the Sunday that we went, this happened at around 10 am. Consequently, spending an hour waiting for the ferry for the three reasons above was grueling.

Four, the guide was rather sad. Some tidbits of info he gave us seemed interesting and logical, but the other stuff was so dismal that even you and I could do a better job just by the strength of our GK! Reason five was that you have to compulsorily buy a return ticket for the ferry which allows you about 45 minutes to see the fort. You don't get to see even a corner of it in that time. Besides, after we got hurriedly back to the entrance, we were waiting to board the ferry for another 15 min, which we could've spent inside the fort. The fort has 22 Buruj or viewing points, some 120+ cannons, several ponds and wells that have fresh water right in the middle of the sea, a secret passage-way, hundreds of other places – how can anyone do justice to it in 45 minutes?

Reason number six – the fort is shockingly badly maintained. For once, the Archeological Survey of India seemed to have no control on the environs and the unclean surroundings presented a very sorry picture. The main water body on the fort was fully covered in green moss and had all sorts of waste dumped into it. The fort was privately owned by the Siddhis but has been taken over by the Central Government since 1972 (according to the guide). Yet, there was no entry ticket or an organized, formal system for guides like in the case of other forts in Maharashtra like Raigad and Pratapgad for instance.

In its hey days, Janjira must have been a majestic monument that stood tall against all its conquerors – to date it remains undefeated. Today, it is in shambles and its desperate calls for attention are going unheard!

Done my way and at my pace, this trip had the potential of being etched in my memory forever.

My verdict: No comments.

Refreshingly Konkan – Part II – Diveagar

The Mandar flower
Idlimbu

Sunset at Diveagar beach

Continuing on road trip, we went to Diveagar after visiting Kude caves. The route we took was Kude – Mandad – Mhasala – Vadavali Phata – Borli Panchayatan – Diveagar. Diveagar is a place where you can get a holistic rural experience and a taste of the typical Maharashtrian food and living. It would be a pity to try to spoil it by expecting too much out of your hotel or resort. There are functional but decent resorts – MTDC Exotica, Ambiance Cottages, Pinakin Resort, Prathamesh Holiday Homes – and plenty of good home-stay places – Kelkar, Bhatkar – which you can try out. Most of the places are not actually 'on' the beach – but at a distance of about 5 min walking distance.

The best thing to do in Diveagar is to hit the beach at every opportunity you get and just sit and marvel the bounties of nature. Diveagar is managed by a conscious and aware Gram Panchayat which works to keep the beach clean. There are a few rules put up on boards at all entry points to the beach, such as – don't wear scanty clothing on the beach, don't litter around, etc. Reasonable ones, I'd say.

Another great aspect of this place is the food. Albeit, you need to plan out your stay and inform the eateries in advance (ideally 3-4 hours before the meal) to ensure:

1. That you get a meal. There isn't exactly a restaurant system and food is made to order.
2. That you get a meal of your choice. You can 'add-on' to your thali by ordering ukdiche modak, ambolis, solkadhi, fish, chicken, etc as the case may be – be sure to ask your host about the menu for the meal and what else they can provide, when you place the order. They are unlikely to 'market' their services and you might regret not asking earlier when you see others around gorging on modaks or fish that you so wanted to try.

A lot of the vegetarian eateries are owned by Kokonastha Bramhins – so also expect some highly practical talk (read straight talk) and don't get upset by it! The food that you get to savor beats it all! The non-vegetarian eateries serve fresh fish, prawns and chicken. We really liked the food at Suvarnaganesh Khanawal.

There is no major sight-seeing possibility in Diveagar apart from the Ganesh temple with a recently discovered 1000-year old Ganesh idol. I obviously did not visit the temple so don't ask me about it! However there are few places in a one-hour radius – Kuda caves, Janjira Fort, Harihareshwar, etc.

We had some rare insights into stuff from everyday life – I actually saw a Jayphal (nutmeg) fruit for the first time in life. We even visited a Poha (puffed rice) mill. Poha is made out of husked/ unpolished rice that is soaked for 24 hours, roasted along with sand and then pressed. What a revelation! We also saw a 'Mandar' flower for the first time and an 'Id-limbu' (very big lemon) tree.

My verdict: If you even vaguely enjoy road travel and beaches, do not miss out on this beautiful getaway. However, roads in Konkan leave much to be desired, so it is better to add an hour or two to your most pessimistic travel time expectations.

Some phone numbers for the eateries: Kelkar's eatery; Suhas Bapat's eatery 09423837967, 09271127337; Suvarnaganesh Khanawal (Mr. Parkar) 02147-225045.

Refreshingly Konkan – Part I – Kuda caves

The row of caves at Kuda
The view from the top
Carvings inside one of the caves

I have just returned from a road trip to Konkan and my next few posts are going to be about the places we visited. I'll start with our first destination – Kuda Caves.

Kude is on the way to Mhasala from Mandad on the Mumbai-Goa highway. If you are proceeding from Tamhini ghat, you need to take a right turn as you hit the highway and then turn left at Indapur towards Tale or Mandad. Kuda caves is about 5-6 kms after Tale. On the way, you can see the Tale fort (we didn't go right up to the top. I believe there is nothing much over there). Kuda caves are about 2000 years old are similar to the Bhaje caves I've reviewed earlier. The origins are Buddhist, but there are some Greek carvings on the walls. The only (big) difference being that Kude overlooks the sea. The view of the sea from the caves is simply superb.

There are about 25 caves and a central prayer hall. The entrance to the prayer hall has a magnificent figurine of an elephant, which is in ruins now, unfortunately. The caves are built at two levels. The architecture is very interesting, with the caves used for dwelling supplied with a window and door each, as well as a platform that was likely used for sleeping.

There is no historical or any information displayed near the caves, neither any entrance ticket. In fact, you would be fortunate if you find a single soul around the place. Best to be careful in the area. We went there on a weekday, and the only company we had was a group of youngsters who left soon after we reached there.

My Verdict: This is an adventurous stop-over on the way to Diveagar for people who are interested in history and archeology, or want to just enjoy the view. Nothing much to write home about beyond that! Sincerely wish we Indians would show more respect for our history than we appear to.

Offbeat tracks in Maharashtra - A treat for the wanderlust-ed

I've admired Milind Gunaji (despite those totally disappointing villanous roles he chooses to do in Hindi and Marathi cinema). When I heard about his book "Offbeat tracks in Maharashtra", my awe about him increased! He is not only very well-traveled but is also a terrific photographer. His show called Bhatkanti on some Marathi channel (not sure if its still on) used to be interesting.

This book is a travel guide costing Rs. 250 (second edition - Popular Prakashan). Gunaji has reviewed some of the rarest spots in Maharashtra, and presents them in categories such as forts, temples, hill stations, jungles, sanctuaries and nature parks, lakes, reservoirs, hot springs, waterfalls, caves, museums and unusual places of interest. An exhilarating spread!

Gunaji gives you a run-down on each place along with a brief history, the route you can take and the facilities available out there. The product is almost an encyclopedia and even an avid traveler in Maharashtra may find a few that s/he hadn't heard of!

The forts are the best part of the book, since Maharashtra is credited with a long and understated history of forts. I'd seen a photography exhibition a few years ago on forts in Maharashtra that left me spellbound; Gunaji brought back those memories. The museum section has very few that I didn't know of, but the section on caves and lakes and sanctuaries was a bouncer - I had no idea there were so many different places to visit in a radius of 100-250 kms from where I live! I'm least interested in temples and could as well seal the section forever, so I wont comment on those here.

One among my (small) set of cribs is that the book could have included some more information under each category. Currently, the material is a wee bit too brief and you have to look up further info on the internet to actually plan a trip here.
The maps are pretty useless, and do not add value either in terms of getting to the place or figuring out the location. It would've been better to include a center spread with places and roads marked off. More photographs would also have been welcome.

My verdict: All in all a fantastic attempt. Hats off to the man. This is a must-have coffee table book for people like us who just love to get into the car and zoom off! We've already started ticking off from the table of contents.

Natural Potholes at Nighoj – a fascinating experience

The first reaction from a lot of people about my trip to Nighoj was to ask why we needed to go up to Nighoj to see potholes when we had so many of them in Pune!

Jokes apart, I saw Milind Gunaji review the potholes or Raanjankhalge at Nighoj on some Marathi travel show on television. I thought it was an interesting place and further research on the Internet convinced us to give it a shot. We combined the trip with a visit to Morachi Chincholi village. Nighoj is about half an hour’s drive from Morachi via Takli Haji. You need to continue to the end of Morachi village and take a right turn. The distance is around 20 kms.

What we saw was something I can never forget. The place is made up of thousands and thousands of potholes, of all shapes and sizes, through which the water flows in and out as if it is playing for its own amusement. Another unique phenomenon is the white rock sandwiched between layers of gray rock that looks like ridges from a distance. We also spotted nests of the swallow bird in the rocks.

We trekked right up to the source of the river near the bridge on one side (The rocks are slippery so please be very careful). The phenomenon is out of the world and leaves you wondering how long it must’ve taken for the rocks to get worn out in this fashion. Perhaps thousands of years! Nighoj is one of nature’s mesmerizing miracles.

The place is clean by average standards in India, but can be much better maintained if some more awareness is generated and some discipline in the form of fines for littering are introduced. Perhaps a small entrance fee would also help maintain and keep the place clean. A board with some historical and other information of significance will be more than welcome.

Currently, there is nothing else in the area, you won’t get any food or water or even a cup of tea. There is a large temple complex being constructed (I wonder why we cannot have any tourist place in our country without a temple!!) with restrooms planned, so in a few months that may become available. You can easily spend a couple of hours in the area. It may be best to avoid the monsoon, because if the water level is high, most of the potholes may be hidden.

My verdict: 4 out of 5 – this would’ve got a full 5 if it had more in terms of infrastructure. Again, it is an experience for all age-groups. Best time to visit is in the winter, may be a month after the monsoon.

Morachi Chincholi – rural tourism gaining roots

We started around 9 am and reached Morachi Chincholi village by 11. To get there, you need to take the Pune-Ahmednagar highway and take the second left after the toll booth, at Shikrapur. It's best to check with villagers if you are not sure – there is just one sign board which is easy to miss. The total distance from Pune is about 50 kms. Chincholi comes from the Marathi word "chinch" meaning tamarind. And true enough the village is full of tall tamarind trees that canopy the main village road. The word "Morachi" (Mor means peacock) comes from around 2500 peacocks that reside in their natural habitat in the village, and that are the attraction there.

The village is reasonably clean and the villagers seemed friendly. We traversed the length of it stopping to ask for best spots to see the birds and learnt that we'd arrived at the wrong time! As is the case with other birds, there are higher chances of sighting peacocks early morning and early evening, when they step out of their hiding places to find food. This was disappointing! The villagers suggested a newly opened tourist center (http://www.chincholimorachi.com/), where peacocks are fed in the morning and afternoon so you are guaranteed sightings. The tourist center offers a package (Rs.250 per adult) for the entire day where they offer you the holistic rustic experience, complete with typical rural Maharashtrian food, bullock cart ride, the experience of threshing grain, et al. It sounded like a 'must-do' in our list for the future, but we didn't want to spend the whole day there when we went this time.

We decided to take a chance and continue along the road. I'm glad we did. At the far end of the village, we stopped again to ask a villager on what are the likely spots where we may get to see the birds. The guy turned out to be extra helpful and volunteered to come with us in the car to show us. At first we were as wary as any intrinsically distrustful city dweller would be. However, he seemed genuinely willing to help. It was later that we realized that his purpose in going out of the way to help us out was that he was planning to buy a car of the same make that we owned and wanted to take a 'test'-drive!! We also got a full discourse of the pros and cons of living in a village and how urban children miss out on simple pleasures in life, interspersed with stories about his own history and livelihood.

Thankfully for us, the monologue ended :) as we saw two birds, but they quickly disappeared into the sugarcane fields around. Peacocks are shy birds and won't let you get too close. We dropped him back and strangely, once we had stopped looking, we saw another two peacocks in the fields. This time they also gave us adequate time to take photographs. 4 out of 2500 was a small number, but good enough to please us urban folks!

My verdict: A full 5 out of 5 – the proximity of the village to Pune is the best part. People of all ages can enjoy this experience. If you are not planning to take the package with the tourist center, do carry food and water. Make sure you reach either early morning or late afternoon so as not to miss the birds. This trip can be combined with Nighoj / Ranjangaon (see my next post for our onward experience at Nighoj).

Sample India's superb history at Bhaje caves

The Bhaje caves

The main prayer hall

This was one of our rare spontaneous trips (given the compulsive planner that I am). We looked up some sites and set out early on Sunday morning for Bhaje caves (or लेणी in Marathi). We took the old Pune-Mumbai highway, which by the way makes for an amazing drive (I travel to Mumbai for work so often that I've developed an express highway-fatigue so the old highway was a good change).

To get to Bhaje, you take a left at Karle village (about 45 km from Pune). An old, dusty board confirms you are on the right track. Bhaje is about 4 kms from here and the road is surprisingly motorable. You can leave your car at the parking and then set out on foot for the last couple of kilometers. The other option is to take a Pune-Lonavala local till Malavali and then walk; which would be about 3 kms to the top. The climb is steep and if you are not a regular at exercise, you will definitely need to take at least one break. We were fortunate to have amazing weather that day. Climbing in the sun could be bad.

The caves show themselves suddenly from one point on, and what you behold is stunning. There is a large prayer hall and several caves that must've served as resting rooms for the monks, complete with a water storage area. The main hall is magnificient and hosts a large stone stupa... as always one wonders how people must have built them in the 2nd Century AD! Going up and down the stone stairways feels adventurous. The view is breath-taking, which I think must've inspired the architect back then! Be sure not to miss the stupas towards the right of the caves further along the road. The same road leads to Fort Lohagad, a popular trekking route. But we decided to try that some other time.

Bhaje is one of the three ancient caves near Karle. Bedse caves near Kamshet I hear are along similar lines as Bhaje. Karle caves on the other side of the road are the largest. We attempted going there last year on the way back from Lonavala but gave up mid-way. The road to the caves passes through a temple and is absolutely filthy and downright repulsive.

There is a small entrance fee of Rs.5 for the Bhaje caves, which seems to get utilized in maintaining the caves as the premises are clean and well conserved by the Archeological Society of India. I wish there was a big fee for the entire area and heavy fines for littering. There was especially a large group ahead of us - all educated looking youngsters - and pitifully we saw several of them littering all over the way, spitting, shouting; it struck me what a horrible failure our education system is for not imbibing this basic social discipline and respect for history in us!

My verdict: 4 out of 5. Bhaje makes for a great half-day trip when the weather's good. Leave early in the morning to avoid the sun. Best not to take older people along as the climb is not exactly easy. Carry food and water as the old highway hardly has any good eateries left.

Panchavati Gaurav – Mediocre stuff

It's hard for me to consent to eat at a thali restaurant these days, simply because I feel like a waste going out and eating the same food that you can cook (sometimes better) at home. I'd rather pick from some specialty, multi-cuisine options from which I can derive a unique experience. I was even more convinced after our experience at Panchavati Gaurav, off Bhandarkar road last week. We had to choose this place because we had people with us who don't particularly enjoy experimenting with their food, but then Marwadi seemed like a good change from the normal Maharashtrian Thali.

I tried to reserve a table in the morning, but the restaurant does not take reservations, which is disappointing because there is always the anxiety (for hyper people like me) about whether you will get a table and the likelihood of having to wait. Fortunately we got a table without a wait. The place has adequate parking and the ambience is ok.

You are of course served as soon as you choose your table. The preparation was aesthetic - no large chunks of sloppily cut vegetables or uncut coriander drooping down from your katori. In fact, the mini-puran poli which was served out of a kadai full of ghee both looked and tasted great. The undiyo and jal jeera with mint were also decent. However, the rest of the fare was run of the mill. The dhoklas were too dry, the mutter kachori was tasteless, rasmalai was rubbery and the vegetables were not even worth a mention. All in all, nothing unique about the Thali here that you would not get anywhere else – in terms of the spread as well as the taste.

Even more annoying was the service. I simply hate it when waiters messily thump food into your plate, spilling and splotching it all around (and over) you. We had to call for items like roti and rice several times before we were served. Moreover, they started gathering our plates the minute we were done and even started cleaning the table. I could not find a single reason why that could not have happened after we'd left the table, considering that in a thali restaurant that typically happens as soon as everyone has finished.

I often wonder why Thali places cannot create a nice, relaxed ambience and have to seem like low-end "khanawals" (lunch homes). Do they really need to loom over you and compel you to stuff your food, pay your bill and leave? I think 7 of us finished lunch and were out of the place within some 30 minutes. Hardly the sort of Sunday afternoon you would envisage with extended family! The price at Rs. 195 per plate too is far more than that charged by some of the better Thali places in town. I doubt I will ever go back!

My verdict: 2 out of 5 – for the total lack of differentiation and the poor service.

Bringing home good old grandma’s recipes – Sakas on Law College Road

Here’s a store I totally enjoy visiting. And not just for the old tom-cat that hangs around there that I love to pet. Actually Sakas is the place to go for all sorts of attas (wheat, rice, jowar, bajri), spices (Garam masala, Goda masala, Cardamom powder, Cinnamon powder), and delicious, authentic Maharashtrian foods. One trip to the shop and you can stock up your kitchen on days of tasty, healthy and quick cooking meals – nachani (raagi), sattu, daliya are some examples.

The store also stocks laddoos of various kinds (rawa, besan, puffed rice/kurmura), chaklis, chivdas (mixtures) and amazing polis – gulpoli, puranpoli, khawa poli. The polis make for a very reasonable and enjoyable meal. Make a koshimbir or simple salad or get solkadhi with it and your meal is complete. Not to mention reminiscing on that taste your grandma’s cooking brought to your mouth, because the quality of preparation from the store is excellent and is sure to leave you smacking your lips. However, in peak season – for e.g. puran polis in shravan or gulachi poli around makar sankrant, it is advisable to call them in advance and book your polis. Prices are only slightly higher than that in your neighbourhood store, but the quality will be well worth that extra spend.

The Sakas brand sells its products through several retail stores and even their own franchises around Pune. But the freshness of the products you can pick up from the main store on Law College road is unparalleled. However, you will need to bear in mind their ‘timings’ – daily 9 to 1 and 4.30 to 8.30 pm, with Thursdays off. The over-the-counter retail style is also a little uncomfortable for people like us used to the retail chains these days.

My verdict: You won’t regret visiting this place. Keeping with the green trend, they do not provide carry bags. So remember to carry your own.
To reach this place, you need to take a turn after the two petrol pumps in front of Ranka Jewellers (if you are heading from Nal stop to Deccan) and then take the second left.

No Justice to the title – Divine Justice by David Baldacci

I don’t know if there are others who feel the same way, but I’ve been having real trouble trying to finish books lately. And I am convinced it’s not just the lack of time or energy at the end of a hard day to blame. On the contrary, which book lover wouldn’t like to unwind with a thriller or a stylish novel when you can spare the time? However, these days I feel as if there are no good books out there. Even the ones that start well fizzle out over the pages. Where have all the good writers gone?

I picked up Divine Justice from several bestseller lists. Some reviews I saw gave it high star ratings. In truth, the book was a huge disappointment. There is neither any obvious writing style nor pace in the book. The plot is actually quite good. The parallel storyline shifting between the erstwhile CIA sharp shooter Oliver, who murders two important American men, and the agent Knox caught between his boss with an ulterior motive to track down Oliver and the value judgments that come from his own past is intriguing. However, the author’s reluctance to keep the narrative crisp makes the book drift on and on. Multiple plots and forced coincidences kill the focus, and again, the all-too-common property among authors to glorify the protagonist make your interest wane after the first few pages.

I had real trouble finishing this one despite much determination to not put it away half-read.

My verdict – This one may be for you if you are really interested in the CIA, or the legacies of the American war in Vietnam and Afghanistan. Or if you really don’t have anything else to read AND are well versed with the art of speed reading.

3 Idiots - the over-hyped revenue machine?

I went to see 3 idiots early in the New Year on a Saturday morning. Opted for the morning show for three reasons: One, I was not partying so hard on the 31st that I would need to spend the next 2-3 days recuperating. Two: Judging by the size of the queue for advance booking, I did not even expect to get the tickets for an evening show over the long weekend. And three, and rather obviously, it was the cheapest show. By saying cheapest, I am being very relative, since the price of the cheapest movie ticket that day was actually higher than what a typical ticket would cost on another day. Hard to see why the movie would not gross as much as it has.

Let me bring in some more necessary digression by telling you that I am not exactly what they call a movie buff. You would hardly find me in the theatre as soon as the movie is released, unless its Harry Potter may be. I seek the opinion of people whose taste in movies matches that of my own before I even consider seeing a movie in the theater. I would probably allow more concession when it comes to renting a DVD, but that’s simply because I can walk away from the movie at any time if I am bored, without feeling guilty about having paid through my nose for the ticket. Even after all the reviews, and after the calculated risk of expecting to like the movie, I end up not liking the movies, and have in fact burnt my fingers real bad on some occasions. Which basically means you would rather place me in the critic or even cynic category when it comes to movies.

However, I completely believe that some movies ought to be seen for their ‘public image value’ (PIV). They can’t be missed if you want to uphold that ‘happening status’ in your social life. I decided that 3 Idiots was one of those movies with a high PIV.

The euphoria surrounding 3 Idiots was evident in the packed theatre with people of all age groups scrambling at 10 am to be equipped with popcorn and all the other paraphernalia that comes with seeing movies in a multiplex these days. I must admit the movie made for an entertaining 3 hours. The audience was compelled to laugh, cry, marvel, ogle, smirk, and all of it in the time. And as has come to be expected from a Rajkumar Hirani creation, people got out of the theatre feeling good.

I actually came out feeling a little ‘different’. Yes, movies must be entertaining. But perhaps my expectations about an underlying message are too high. What is the real takeaway from spending so much money and putting in so much effort into moviemaking? In this case what was it - Question marks on the Indian education system? Tips on how to rebel against stereotypical professors? Lessons in true friendship? Or a different take on how to derive more value from life? Did you really think it achieved any of this?

May be it is the whole genre of escapist cinema that fails to appeal to me. Five-Point Someone is a simple story, of ordinary people in a common setting. Yet it says a lot, yields more realism and ends pleasantly though not without trying to tie up all the loose ends. The movie on the other hand, enjoys creating the larger than life image to the extent of being melodramatic at times, stretches all characters to the extreme by either glorifying or falsifying human nature, and seeks that picture-perfect ending that one can never dream of in real life. (And not even give credit to the author – but let me get into that some other time.)

My verdict – I would give it 3.5 out of 5 for the excellent cinematography and Chatur’s speech. A definite one time watch, especially for the PIV.