GIR PICS

The above photographs were clicked at Gir Lions Sanctuary.

THE KINGS of GIR

READ somewhere that Greece saw its last lion shortly after the birth of Christ. Most of the countries in the world have no presence of lions. Apart from Africa the only place where Asiatic lions, a regal subspecies, can be spotted is in the Gir forest in Gujarat (India).

IT was not planned nor was it there on the itinerary of my visit to Gujarat last week. It just happened. My passion to witness the Asiatic lions made me maneuver my work time and sneak into the Sasan Gir Forest Reserve – the only place, outside Africa, where lions can be still seen in full flesh and ferocity. It was created in 1913 and accorded the sanctuary status in 1965.

Before taking the 8-hour-long drive to Gir – I was told that it was not easy to actually witness the royal animal due to the fact that they are in small number spread over a large area; a 300 of them spread over 1000 sq kms area.

As you stroll into their natural habitat, it takes no time at all to realize why lions have come to stand for royalty and greatness. A tiger will slink through the forest unseen, but a lion stands its ground, curious and unafraid—lionhearted.

It takes hours and sometimes days around the dry forest and bumpy roads to track lions. I was lucky as it took me only 2 hours to see two big Asiatic lions walking majestically on the muddy track leaving behind pugmarks denoting that they control the expanse.

One of the forest guards told me that the lions were least bothered about the presence of humans near them. They just live royally unmindful of whoever is in the vicinity. The lion trackers follow these epic animals wielding a wooden stick in their hands – their job is to ensure that they are physically fine.

It was a breathtaking moment when I finally got close to a pride of Asiatic lions. Fear didn't grip me even for a moment when the big cat straddled gracefully; just a couple of feet away from me. A thrilling moment, indeed!

I chided myself for not being equipped with a professional camera to capture that never to be relived moment of my life. I managed to click few photos with a small digital camera and was happy with one particular frame when the Asiatic lion was crossing the road.

I have got to thank my friend – Kalpak Kekre – channel head of TV9 Gujarat, for facilitating such a fulfilling experience. He took off time to accompany me to Gir. Kalpak informed me that the Gir lions would most likely have disappeared by now, were it not for the Nawab of Junagadh. At the turn of the 20th century the Nawab saved the lions by declaring that any one wanted to hunt the lion in Gir required the royal license. It was not an entirely selfless effort. In order for him to continue to kill a few lions for sport, he needed to save many. Thanks to his 'license raj' there are about 300 lions still alive today in and around the Gir Forest, treating the eyes of many a curious eye.

White Blanket Over London

LONDON, 2007. I stayed at Bakers Street for sometime couple of years back. I heard ample of time about the bad weather in this part of the world. True! Come summer and it was raining.
I wondered does it ever snow in the capital of Britain. I was told most of Londoners have had never seen snow on the London streets since long, long and long time indeed. And if I had the fascination for snow then London was not the place to be. But I stayed. Completed my work. And left with a bit of disappointment of seeing all weathers except the white coloured flakes on the streets and on the rooftops and on the trees. And now when I am not there “SNOW” is smiling …...ooops it’s laughing all over the place. Londoners are witnessing heaviest snowfall in 20 years, which they never ever dreamt off. Tubes are jammed, buses are not plying and my friends called me to inform they are not going to office and having all the fun in this WHTE WEATHER. HO! SNOW you cheated me. I am missing you.

Falling Snow
See the pretty snowflakes Falling from the sky,
On the wall and housetops soft and thick they lie. On the window ledges,

On the branches bare,
Now how fast they gather, Filling all the air. Look into the garden,

Where the grass was green;
Covered by the snowflakes, Not a blade is seen.
Now the bare black bushes, All look soft and white,
Every twig is laden - What a pretty sight!

QUITE yet fascinating FLORENCE

I WAS standing on Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence (Italy). And doing what – singing a song in Chhattisgarhi dialect. It was a dream that I had last night.Vague! Absurd! Why did I see such a dream – I spoke to myself.

Later I realized an old friend of mine from my hometown - Raipur (Chhattisgarh) called me up the other day to inquire about visiting Florence. He wanted to record some visuals in Florence for his new Chhattisgarhi music album.
I spent quite a few days in Florence in October 2007. I wrote a lot about Florence and more I write more inquisitive I become.
There is poem by William Wordsworth which reminds of Florence:Earth has not anything to show more fair:

Dull would he be of soul who could pass byA sight so touching in its majesty:This City now doth, like a garment wearThe beauty of the morning; silent, bare,Ships, towers, domes, theaters, and temples lieOpen unto the fields, and to the sky;All bright and glittering in the smokeless air।Never did sun more beautifully steepIn his first splendor valley, rock, or hill;Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!The river glideth at his own sweet will।Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;And all that mighty heart is lying still!

I am not writing much on visiting Florence but would love to upload some photos I clicked while walking through the streets of this city, which is not as exciting as Rome or Venice but this capital of Tuscany region has something to offer to those travelers who love the essence of old cities। And mind you the maestro – Leonardo Di Vinci spent lot of time here and eventually went on to paint his all time masterpieces MONA LISA।Micheal Angelo’s David is also in Florence.

Swami Ramdev Baba : SIZE ZERO

GETTING UP at 4 am on a chilly day has never been my cup of tea. But instructions from my top boss to go and meet India's one of the top celebrity Yoga gurus and interview him for our group of channels – made me break my tradition of not waking up before the sunrise.

BABA RAMDEV - clad from head to foot in orange robes, his early morning television show pulls in 20 million viewers in India alone, and there are the usual video and summer camp spin-offs, as well as the more unusual ones, like yoga cruises.
He is in Hyderabad for a week-long session. And on Wednesday morning (January 28, 2009) - I made my way to his camp and waited for him to conclude his 3-hour session.
The moment he got down from the podium – I posed my first question – "Bollywood and Size Zero – what is your take on it,"- Unusual question at a very unusual time – but this gentleman is known to speak on any issue under the sun.
"Size zero is not healthy," pop came the response from the Swamiji. Giving up food to attain a sexy figure is not advisable, he said and added that such figure could be accomplished through yoga. There are various methods in yoga by which one can get the much-publicized 'SIZE ZERO', Baba Ramdev said. Pranayam, Kapal bhati, lom vilom can help one achieve the desired figure, the yoga guru specified.
Swamiji is also known to have many friends in Bollywood. His favourites are Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini and Akshay Kumar to name some. He revealed these names with his convention élan and also added that they all are his yoga lovers.
Baba Ramdev also spoke on politicians and their fitness and cricketers…THAT I will mention in another write up. Right now I want to keep this piece on SIZE ZERO only.
SO babes – if you want to try attaining size zero please do heed to BABA's advice….YOGA ....with loads of meditation and a glass full of LAUKI (bottle gourd ) juice every morning.
SIZE ZERO:
# Size zero, commonly used to refer to people with very low body mass index, refers to a clothing size in U.S. brands.
#A woman with waist size 23 inches, hip size 32 inches and bust around 31 inches would qualify to be called size zero.
#Crash diets to achieve size zero can have repercussions on your health -- from heart attacks to renal failures.
#Uruguay model Luisel Ramos sparked off the debate on size zero. Soon after stepping down from the ramp after a fashion show in 2006, she was found dead following a heart attack. International fashion shows then stayed away from models with BMIs less than 18, an unhealthy number as per the guidelines of World Health Organisation.
#In India, though a number of models fit into the slender category, many have been successful without having to be reed thin. Sisters Tapur and Tupur, modelturned- actors Koena Mitra and Katrina Kaif fit the bill.

The Thrill Ride

If the thrill of riding in a metal cabin with no doors, no seat belts and no airbags on treacherous Indian roads doesn't scare you, then the auto-wallah's driving skills definitely will! Riding an auto rickshaw is a bit like riding a roller coaster except you stay firmly on the ground with no definite track

Last afternoon I took an auto rickshaw to office. It was completely a new experience for me as I don’t remember when the last time I had the experience to board an auto rickshaw.

I still remember my niece once described auto rickshaw as a notorious metal shell, on 3 wheels much like a scooter with three wheels with a motor that sounds like a western lawn mower! - The Auto Rickshaw.

Even though auto rickshaws are said have a top-speed of around 50 km/h (about 31 mph), it definitely doesn't seem like it and I doubt it's true especially when you’re zipping past cars and bikes at much higher speeds leaving them in a cloud of smoke. You can sometimes feel the G-forces pulling you as the auto-wallah makes a tight turn. They're driven the way you would a bumper car at a carnival.They zig-zag and weave through traffic unafraid of bigger vehicles or pedestrians and are notorious for playing chicken by driving on the wrong side of the road with oncoming traffic. And just when you think it couldn't get any worse, if the gap between two cars or buses in front of you is seemingly impossible to fit into...think again! The auto wallah will surprise you by daringly maneuvering their rickshaw into the tightest imaginable spaces in traffic. So much so that you can literally touch the vehicle beside you by sticking out a finger!For people in Hyderabad and other cities of India, these monsters on the road are more like anybody's daily affair. People from abroad see them as a cute, loving vehicle on the road. Foreigners don't forget to take a ride on them while visiting the rustic side of this country.

Anyways, after 30 minutes of scary ride I managed to reach destination in one piece. Don’t know when I would dare to board the auto for another thrill ride of my life…….

I Love Puchkas

It was a trip down memory lane when I had a chance to visit my city of birth – Kolkata – last week.

I was born and brought up in the ‘City of joy’ but moved out in late 80s. Though, there are many places associated with my childhood but being a food junkie, I didn’t want to miss one thing – the Bong eateries.

Many things changed in Kolkata. The lanes, the buildings, and the traffic etc etc..the only thing which is intact since ages is its road side snacks.

Favourite snack of the Kolkatan is the puchka — pani puris and golgappas come a distant second. The crisp puchka, with its mashed potato filling and dipped in tangy tamarind water and eaten out of saal leaf rolled into cups, is an experience to be savoured.

Favourite hangouts are near Victoria Memorial and Vivekananda Park in South Kolkata. My own favourite is Panditji near Birla Academy. Another delicacy from the puchkawallah is the churmur — crushed puchka with potato and masala, which has not yet found its way to other cities.

Jhalmuri or masala muri is a favourite item of all. Its acceptance lies in the fact that it is easy to make, available everywhere, safe on the stomach and best of all, can be customised to suit every palate. An item, made even at home and the focal point of many an adda and party.

A recommendatory guide is incomplete without mention of the sweets of Bengal, found in every lane of Kolkata. There is a distinct north-south divide in this regard with old-time favourites spread throughout Kolkata. Favourites are Kacha Golla (Nakur), Mishti Dohi (Bhim Nag, Bowbazar and Jadab, R.B. Avenue), Sandesh (all types) from Balaram (Bhowanipur), Pantua from Bancharam, Indrani from Ganguram and the list could go on and on.

I am feeling hungry again!