Visits of 2013 revisited - 15

The year closed with a trip to Varanasi. The Ganges is, as always, massive and majestic but the city must be blamed for making a mockery of the might with mightier pollution. Nonetheless, the city is among top tourist destinations in India. The mix of extremes is so common a site that Varanasi will definitely increase your faith in Gods.

Visits of 2013 revisited - 14

Chunaar is a small town close to Varanasi but falls under Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh. It is famous for the Chunaar Gadh Fort, immortalized in the story of Bundela warriors Alha and Udal. I couldn't visit the Chunaar Gadh Fort but found this balcony of Juliet, longing for a Romeo. 

Visits of 2013 revisited - 13

Leave a two-hour drive from Mumbai.... the maximum city offers such serene settings in the city itself. You just need to develop an eye for that.

Visits of 2013 revisited - 12

People often crib of Mumbai as an urban jungle... but I found a nice and cozy, albeit small bird sanctuary barely 2 hours drive away from Mumbai. This map was displayed at the beginning of the Karnala Bird Sanctuary in Panvel, Raigad. Thanks to Gunjan, who first drove me to out of bed on a Sunday morning and then all the way to this sanctuary. 

Visits of 2013 revisited - 11

Won't you love a job that asks you if you want to go to a hill-station for a week? Don't worry, they happily gave vacations for that and also paid for everything. This is a capture of Naini Lake, clicked from the rope-way connecting Snow View Point to Mall Road, Nainital.

Visits of 2013 revisited - 10

Somewhere in the mad rush of travel during summers, I stole a small trip to Ranganathittu in Mandya district of Karnataka, located somewhere in between Bangalore and Mysore. A dear friend's whole family played a delightful host all the while.

This crocodile was spotted in there, some 10 meters away from our boat in the same lake. For moments, all the horrific crocodile movie scenes played in my head... but I'm still here is a proof of the fact that crocodiles don't give a damn about us! 

Visits of 2013 revisited - 9

While cooling my heels for a while in Indore before the next round of travel begins, got a call to come to the city and meet three amazing individuals.

From left-to-right - Shamim Abbas, Farhat Ehsaas Sahab, Abhishek Shukla. Sharing some of their couplets here.

Update as of 2017:

No idea about the gentleman in the middle but have severed contact with the two on sides. 

Reason - found them deeply communal and full of political hatred.

हमारे दर्द को जानो अज़ीयतें देखो 

कोई किवाड़ नहीं फिर भी दस्तकें देखो 

सुना था हमने कोई शै है मावरा-ए-ख़याल 

फलांग आईं उसे मेरी वहशतें देखो 

जनाब शमीम अब्बास साहब

मुहब्बत का खुदा हूँ मैं मगर ऐसा खुदा जिसने 

बड़ी मुश्किल से अपना एक बन्दा घेर रखा है 

जनाब फरहत एहसास साहब

चलते हुए मुझमें कहीं ठहरा हुआ तू है

रस्ता नहीं मंज़िल नहीं अच्छा हुआ तू है

इक चोट लगी थी सो हुई उम्र उसे भी

बिखरा हुआ मैं हूँ के ये टूटा हुआ तू है 

भाई अभिषेक शुक्ल  

Visits of 2013 revisited - 8

It was my second meeting in 2013 with the mighty and majestic Ganges. Haridwar is the place, where the Ganges enters the plains of Uttar Pradesh - that sight and setting is really divine. We drove back from Mussoorie via Dehradoon and stopped in Haridwar for a while. 

Three days later, the mighty Ganges came even more heavily than the usual stream and washed away the entire landscape we admired on our way back. That incident is now known as The Uttarakhand Tragedy of 2013. Nature's forces are life-giver and life-taker at will. Our respect for them increased manifold that day.

Visits of 2013 revisited - 7

About time I should catch a personal vacation break... a much awaited break took us to Mussoorie - known as the queen of mountains, rightly so. 

Visits of 2013 revisited - 6

This summer, it was a mad rush to visit random places at short notices. Goa also got added at the last minute, for a friend wanted me for a small role at the First Pan-IIM Conference. 

Visits of 2013 revisited - 5

And here I was at another IIM... the A of all IIMs, where every morning is a good morning :)

Visits of 2013 revisited - 4

I am lost about where did I go to next, as I've visited over 20 places in 2013 (read about that here).
So, here is to one of my most exhilarating moments of 2013 - watching one of my favorite artists, Birjoo Maharaj, performing one of my favorite dance forms, Kathak, at a SPIC-MACAY concert at IIM Calcutta in one of my favorite cities, Kolkata.

Visits of 2013 revisited - 3

Next on our itinerary was Prayaag. Despite ongoing Maha Kumbh, Triveni was serene and beautiful in bone-chilling winter nights.

Visits of 2013 revisited - 2

The early February thunderstorms and rains made Lucknow even colder than normal. Yet, four of us decided to drive to (?? - wait till the next pic). We stopped en-route in Pratap Garh, where I clicked this mustard flower, while others met their 'urges'.

Visits of 2013 revisited - 1

This January will see a revisit to places I visited in 2013 and that revisit starts today :)
So the first place I flew to was the good old Lucknow and from the airport, I directly went to the place featured below for a good old old-fashioned picnic with the whole family :) :) :)