Friday, June 11, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Panshet- A Weekend Retreat
The half-yearly workload was taking its toll!!! December was a month of toiling for all the Heating Engineering Department...OC's to finish, Inventory Reduction, Getting the OTP optimum, Product development...and other things to add to these...The heat was ON in the cold December.
The new year thus started off with lots of load to pull!!
But all that starts has to end...December was through and so was most of the workload!!! People needed a break...and "SO BE IT!!" was the answer!!
Engineering had a weekend blast at "Lake Weekend Resort - Panshet" on the 8th and 9th of Jan 2010.
The morning of the 8th of Jan was full of activity...Everyone was already in the mood to relax...But there was work to finish before the good times. People were busy finishing of their tasks so that no minute was wasted in the evening!! Post lunch everyone was already enjoying the resort in the minds. A fleet of cars and bikes left from Thermax factory in the evening of the 8th Jan. The first stop was at Khadakwasla to have the enchanting view of the setting sun. The golden sky and its reflection on the waters was a sight to see!! All the camera's were ready and clicking!!
From there onwards the twisting road led us to Panshet. With so many cars and bikes it was but obvious that a few would stray off the path. The organisers had managed this well...every car and bike had been provided with a small map and the location of the Resort. Inspite of the care taken a few bikers did miss the road... but later on they got back to the track. Small things like this add to the fun and adventure always!
Finally the destination was reached!! There was a warm welcome for all by the manager of the resort, and of course the hot cup of tea and Misal which was served for the evening snacks!! All feasted on the snacks..
The resort had many facilities for recreation like carrom, table-tennis, a good music system and mic's, just in case anyone wants to try a hand at singing or whatever!! This was a different kind of party, surely!
The view from the resort was awesome. The sprawling backwaters of Varasgaon dam with a backdrop of the Sahyadri hills.
After a good snack, the participants started trying their luck at the carrom tables and ping-pong. Competition was getting tougher.. With four players playing around the carrom table a dozen were cheering and more were waiting for their chance to play the games. Others were enjoying the beauty of nature...the calm night with cool breeze..
Along with the games the Resort manager, who was also playing the part of a compere for the whole programme, was entertaining the crowd with a battery of Sher-o0 Shayari, and jokes.
The night went by and the party got better by the hour.
There was a continuous flow of music in the air!! And this was making people swing and dance. People were rocking to the tunes of a variety of songs. Few of the participants performed dances, solo enactments and mimicry. It was fun to watch these shows. The mimicry was hilarious! The audience was rolling laughing on the floor seeing the enactment.
After so much fun, games and dance, everyone needed a good dinner.
Post dinner the participants calmed down and a few went off to watch their dreams. Others sat and chit chatted, while others played cards etc..
A small trek was organised by the resort early the next morning. Everyone geared
up much before the sun rose. Though everyone was very eager to see the sunrise and click good snaps...there was a bit disappointment due to a thick cloud cover. But when the sun rose, He showed his radiance and brilliance even through the cloud cover. I am sure everyone must have later thanked the clouds which made the sunrise more beautiful, I did!
The Sun rose and lighted up the view in front of us. The waters in the dam were sparkling in the sunrays. A light fog covered the ground as if a blanket. the whole scene was coloured silver. There was a huge range of Sahyadri's in front of us...At the very back, the three mighty forts of Sinhagad, Torna and Rajgad were visible. everyone was spellbound at this sight. To add up to the beauty, a pleasant breeze was constantly running. The fresh air was a treat to the lungs...pure and clean.
On the way, during the trek, there was a lot to observe, wild flowers, ant hills, a few birds.
After an hour or 2 everyone returned to the resort. Though most of the participants hadn't have had enough sleep, no one drowsed. Everyone was refreshed by the trek.
The whole morning was spent playing cricket and volleyball, all this without a trace of fatigue!
All the sweat and dust from the sports needed a good cooling.. And there was rain dance to serve the purpose! Along with rain dance there were even waterslides so that all can enjoy the variety.
The active mode came to a halt with the announcement of lunch being served. After the lunch people did have small naps.
Time had come now to pack up things and get back to the hustle-bustle of the city. Wearily everyone packed up their bags and started off the journey back home.
Surprise!!!!
The cars halted at the Varasgaon boat club, and everyone cheered up again!!
There were a few people paddling their boats in the dam, a few speeding up in speed boats, and a few adventurous guys getting up on the banana boat. Everyone was enjoying to the hilt.
Now, the day was called off with a warm cup off tea.
The new year thus started off with lots of load to pull!!
But all that starts has to end...December was through and so was most of the workload!!! People needed a break...and "SO BE IT!!" was the answer!!
Engineering had a weekend blast at "Lake Weekend Resort - Panshet" on the 8th and 9th of Jan 2010.
The morning of the 8th of Jan was full of activity...Everyone was already in the mood to relax...But there was work to finish before the good times. People were busy finishing of their tasks so that no minute was wasted in the evening!! Post lunch everyone was already enjoying the resort in the minds. A fleet of cars and bikes left from Thermax factory in the evening of the 8th Jan. The first stop was at Khadakwasla to have the enchanting view of the setting sun. The golden sky and its reflection on the waters was a sight to see!! All the camera's were ready and clicking!!
From there onwards the twisting road led us to Panshet. With so many cars and bikes it was but obvious that a few would stray off the path. The organisers had managed this well...every car and bike had been provided with a small map and the location of the Resort. Inspite of the care taken a few bikers did miss the road... but later on they got back to the track. Small things like this add to the fun and adventure always!
Finally the destination was reached!! There was a warm welcome for all by the manager of the resort, and of course the hot cup of tea and Misal which was served for the evening snacks!! All feasted on the snacks..
The resort had many facilities for recreation like carrom, table-tennis, a good music system and mic's, just in case anyone wants to try a hand at singing or whatever!! This was a different kind of party, surely!
The view from the resort was awesome. The sprawling backwaters of Varasgaon dam with a backdrop of the Sahyadri hills.
After a good snack, the participants started trying their luck at the carrom tables and ping-pong. Competition was getting tougher.. With four players playing around the carrom table a dozen were cheering and more were waiting for their chance to play the games. Others were enjoying the beauty of nature...the calm night with cool breeze..
Along with the games the Resort manager, who was also playing the part of a compere for the whole programme, was entertaining the crowd with a battery of Sher-o0 Shayari, and jokes.
The night went by and the party got better by the hour.
There was a continuous flow of music in the air!! And this was making people swing and dance. People were rocking to the tunes of a variety of songs. Few of the participants performed dances, solo enactments and mimicry. It was fun to watch these shows. The mimicry was hilarious! The audience was rolling laughing on the floor seeing the enactment.
After so much fun, games and dance, everyone needed a good dinner.
Post dinner the participants calmed down and a few went off to watch their dreams. Others sat and chit chatted, while others played cards etc..
A small trek was organised by the resort early the next morning. Everyone geared
up much before the sun rose. Though everyone was very eager to see the sunrise and click good snaps...there was a bit disappointment due to a thick cloud cover. But when the sun rose, He showed his radiance and brilliance even through the cloud cover. I am sure everyone must have later thanked the clouds which made the sunrise more beautiful, I did!The Sun rose and lighted up the view in front of us. The waters in the dam were sparkling in the sunrays. A light fog covered the ground as if a blanket. the whole scene was coloured silver. There was a huge range of Sahyadri's in front of us...At the very back, the three mighty forts of Sinhagad, Torna and Rajgad were visible. everyone was spellbound at this sight. To add up to the beauty, a pleasant breeze was constantly running. The fresh air was a treat to the lungs...pure and clean.
On the way, during the trek, there was a lot to observe, wild flowers, ant hills, a few birds.
After an hour or 2 everyone returned to the resort. Though most of the participants hadn't have had enough sleep, no one drowsed. Everyone was refreshed by the trek.
The whole morning was spent playing cricket and volleyball, all this without a trace of fatigue!
All the sweat and dust from the sports needed a good cooling.. And there was rain dance to serve the purpose! Along with rain dance there were even waterslides so that all can enjoy the variety.
The active mode came to a halt with the announcement of lunch being served. After the lunch people did have small naps.
Time had come now to pack up things and get back to the hustle-bustle of the city. Wearily everyone packed up their bags and started off the journey back home.
Surprise!!!!
The cars halted at the Varasgaon boat club, and everyone cheered up again!!
There were a few people paddling their boats in the dam, a few speeding up in speed boats, and a few adventurous guys getting up on the banana boat. Everyone was enjoying to the hilt.
Now, the day was called off with a warm cup off tea.
Everyone returned to Home Sweet Home!!
This was a very different outing than most of the others, filled with activities all could enjoy fully. Very relaxing.
Hope to have more such events in the future!
This was a very different outing than most of the others, filled with activities all could enjoy fully. Very relaxing.
Hope to have more such events in the future!
Diweagar-The New Attraction in Konkan
Forgot to mention one thing. The Tamhini ghat is also home to various rare species of plant and animal kingdom. There are a number of devrai’s (sacred groves) in the area. Here you can see what the tamhini jungle would have been few decades back…the denseness and the hugeness of the trees here is spellbounding. I also spotted a very rare species of orchid here while descendingthe ghat, the Button Orchid. Now I wish to go in its flowering season to see the flowering (orchid flowers look amazingly beautiful).
Now let us come back to Konkan…
Typically the descend of the ghats in the sahyadri’s is quite drastic...in just 3-4 turns u climb down a good amount of height.
Now my next destination is Mangaon..from here I will cross the Mumbai-Goa National highway and would reach Diweagar via Mhasala.
The heat which was welcoming in the morning at tamhini has now startd to become a headache..the landscape on this side of the sahyadris is also not that green…barren at places..but a sudden green patch on the small ghat sections of the sahyadri outcrops is always a welcome.
I reach Mhasala in an hour from Mangaon..a traffic jam is in place to welcome me..this patch is the only bottleneck in the whole road..it has been so for years. A new bypass is under construction.
Mhasala , is a central location for tourists who want to visit the 3 famous places in this region of Konkan, i.e. Diweagar, Shriwardhan and Harihareshwar. But I guess it is not very well equipped to handle tourists.
These 3 places I have mentioned above have an importance of their own for tourists. Diweagar, ofcourse for its golden idol of Lord Ganesh, and a beautiful beach. Harihareshwar for its Shiva Temple and a astounding Pradakshina marga. Shriwardhan for its beautiful beach again.
But this is what all people see…these attractions are for those tourists who just want to spend a day or two out of their daily routine. Doing n seeing nothing new.. but as a nature lover I need to find out something better than this to satisfy myself..
Now to tell you, these places are of great importance geologically... and historically.First I will finish off the history… J
Shriwardhan was the birthplace of the first Peshwa, Balaji Vishwanath Bhat. Though nothing significant has been preserved in the village one can see a small building converted to a gymnasium on the grounds where the original house was and a statue. But that’s it..
Coming back to nature...
Diweagar is a small village which is settled on a huge sand deposit from the sea!! A small canal runs outside the village. If one takes a closer look at the banks of this canal sedimentation is seen. (If at all somebody decides to excavate there maybe chances of finding some interesting fossils here)
A very typical Konkani village, Diweagar has a number of coconut and betelnut plantations. Almost every house has a big plantation behind it. Apart from coconut and betelnut you can see a wide variety of hibiscus and lot of other flowering plants, vegetables, decorative plants etc. Due to these gardens (or “waadi” as it is commonly called) there is a wide variety of bird life.
The beach here also is lined with a dense strip of Kewda plants. This again is very rare.
Once a quiet n cozy village diweagar now has become a weekend getaway spot for many punekars and mumbaikars. Previously only a few houses provided lodging and lunch/dinner facilities..now a battery of lodges and resorts has come up in Diweagar. I was there in diweagar on Sunday the 25th of Jan followed by a national holiday. Diweagar was packed with flocks of people. One of my acquaintances in Diweagar gave me the information that on that particular weekend the place had 3 times the tourists than normal high season day!! I was lucky to get a room that day..else I was fully prepared to spend the night on the beach. (That would have been fun no doubt)Diweagar also has several other things to see. As I have mentioned a number of times, the gold idol of Lord Ganesh is the main attraction. It was recently (8-10 years back) found in a womans waadi, packed in a big old wooden box, while she was digging the earth to plant a tree.
Also there is a beautiful temple of Roop Narayan, which is under construction. The statue of the Roop Narayan is carved in a black stone. The sides of the statue show the dashawtar of Lord Vishnu. The statue is just too good.. beautiful as the name suggests..
Its almost 4 in the afternoon now and it has been a long day for me…also I finally have a room to sleep…So I switch off…after a nice 2-3 hour nap I am ready to roam again on the beach.
The beach which normally would have been quite and peaceful has turned out to be a big amusement park today...people everywhere…chaos...Cricket...Bhel...coconut water. Not very pleasing. But I walk on…remove my slippers at a safe distance from the water, slowly dip my feet in the waters of the Arabian sea and close my eyes for some time… the feel makes me loose sense of all the chaos surrounding me.. its me n the water…cool…calm…serene...engulfing...the splashing of the waves...the foam…the setting sun…the colour it gives to the sky… I feel one with these…this experience is one which I will never miss when I am near the sea. For once all the crap in the mind is washed off…and you are free to feel…free to hear…free to see…free to understand the smallest small spec of sand…free to be one with nature.
After this again my stomach starts yelling for fuel…I have dinner at a MTDC resort…a very nice place.
Now my day at diweagar is over…tomorrow I leave for harihareshwar and shriwardhan…
Tamhini..The Start of Blogging
Hi guys!!! Finally i have decided to blog...all thanks to Shweta to coax me into this...So now i am in a dilemma about what to pen down (or i should say key down??) and then i remember what better I can write other than traveling!!! so here I start...
Konkan has always been one of my favourite destinations for traveling..the journey itself thrills me..from Pune to Konkan one travels through a huge variety...people, geography, nature, culture everything..what fascinates me most is the natural beauty..This time I travel to Diweagar..a place highly visited by tourists now-a-days for its scenic beach and various temples around.. so the day n time is decided..and I leave..
I start traveling from my hometown, Pune, on the Deccan plateau...and go towards Mulshi, a small village some 40 kms away from Pune, crossing many small outcrops of the Sahyadri Hill Ranges. This village is situated near a Dam known by the same name. Here the lofty Sahyadris stand ahead of me and the ghat road begins..as soon as I enter the ghat the cool air from the mountains refreshes my senses..The sight of the dam and the mountains surrounding it is astounding. In the rains the place is live with huge waterfalls gurgling down the cliffs into the adjoining valleys..people flock here to enjoy the beauty (though they seldom try to protect it!!!) One can see a wide variety of trees ans birds while passing through this area. Also if we take a closer look at the waterfalls, we can find potholes created due to the rapids and waterfalls. The jungle here is quite dense in some places. Last time I had visited the area I had been to a small lake inside the jungle..a very scenic place...very unknown to common people (it better be that way). The expanse of the jungle is a very small but its quite "JUNGLEE"!!
The Plus Valley in Tamhini ghat is a sight worth seeing..a spectacle of nature..four valleys come here together to form a Plus sign..its better seen than described. There is one more terrifying valley known as the Kundalika valley..the depth and the look give it a terrifying look..a beautiful gorge it is. (next time you think about the Grand Canyon's remember to visit this place or Varandha ghat..)
My stomach yells at me for food and I stop by a small roadside hotel to have a finger licking Misal.. Gradually I leave the top of the Sahyadri and start climbing down into Konkan. The change in the landscape is drastic. one moment before you are surrounded by huge cliffs and now what you can see is a sudden wide depression. The change can also be felt in the weather. The cool of the Sahyadri's suddenly subdues and the warmth of Konkan welcomes you.
Konkan has always been one of my favourite destinations for traveling..the journey itself thrills me..from Pune to Konkan one travels through a huge variety...people, geography, nature, culture everything..what fascinates me most is the natural beauty..This time I travel to Diweagar..a place highly visited by tourists now-a-days for its scenic beach and various temples around.. so the day n time is decided..and I leave..
I start traveling from my hometown, Pune, on the Deccan plateau...and go towards Mulshi, a small village some 40 kms away from Pune, crossing many small outcrops of the Sahyadri Hill Ranges. This village is situated near a Dam known by the same name. Here the lofty Sahyadris stand ahead of me and the ghat road begins..as soon as I enter the ghat the cool air from the mountains refreshes my senses..The sight of the dam and the mountains surrounding it is astounding. In the rains the place is live with huge waterfalls gurgling down the cliffs into the adjoining valleys..people flock here to enjoy the beauty (though they seldom try to protect it!!!) One can see a wide variety of trees ans birds while passing through this area. Also if we take a closer look at the waterfalls, we can find potholes created due to the rapids and waterfalls. The jungle here is quite dense in some places. Last time I had visited the area I had been to a small lake inside the jungle..a very scenic place...very unknown to common people (it better be that way). The expanse of the jungle is a very small but its quite "JUNGLEE"!! The Plus Valley in Tamhini ghat is a sight worth seeing..a spectacle of nature..four valleys come here together to form a Plus sign..its better seen than described. There is one more terrifying valley known as the Kundalika valley..the depth and the look give it a terrifying look..a beautiful gorge it is. (next time you think about the Grand Canyon's remember to visit this place or Varandha ghat..)
My stomach yells at me for food and I stop by a small roadside hotel to have a finger licking Misal.. Gradually I leave the top of the Sahyadri and start climbing down into Konkan. The change in the landscape is drastic. one moment before you are surrounded by huge cliffs and now what you can see is a sudden wide depression. The change can also be felt in the weather. The cool of the Sahyadri's suddenly subdues and the warmth of Konkan welcomes you.
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