Dandeli, Kavala and River Kali

Brahmagiri Hills Trek

Brahmagiri Hills

Located in the Western Ghats of Sountern India lies the breath taking Brahmagiri Hills. At a height of 1608 Ft above sea level these range of Hills lie in between Waynad District of Kerala and Kodagu District of Karnataka. Our trek began on 14 October 2007 which was a Saturday. At around half past ten we left Bangalore heading towards the northern side of Karnataka with the weather playing no spoil sport. As true adventurers we travelled in a tempo traveller unlike few who travel via “volvo” bus yet find themselves exhausted even before stepping on the ground, with our organiser Chandrashekar braving a few kms of the journey by sleeping on the roof top of our transportation. Enroute to the hills on SH17 road we came across an injured motorbike rider who lost control of his vehicle due to few stray dogs crossing his path. The biker had not sustained any serious injuries as such, apart from the trauma that he had an accident. After safely moving him over to the foot path we left the police to take over the rest of the situation and proceeded with our journey.

There were few young (junior) travellers whose energy was all used up by their vocal chords and jaws and when it came to using the rest of their body muscles they were really lagging behind. Let’s not bother !! now back to the trek…. So were where we … yes!! We reached one of the many ranges of Nagarhole Wild Life Sanctury around 5:00 am on 15 Oct. 07. With the Forest officer still asleep I had decided to sleep on the ground listening to Mr.Chandrashekar talking about Cobra’s in this region of the forest. Yep!! that’s exactly what I wanted to hear. All petrified I decided to sleep in the cab. So they barricade was finally lifted at 6:00 am on a Sunday morning. Every one with their Digicams and mobile cameras in hand were eagerly looking out for some wildlife. Few were “spotted” here and there. I meant spotted deer were spotted here and there. With a reasonably good Breakfast of idlies, sambar, and chow chow bath our trekking began at the base of Iruppu Falls.

Some Mythological Gyan!!
Iruppu (or Irpu or Lakshmana Tirtha) Falls of the Lakshmana Tirtha River lies on the Karnataka side of Brahmagiri. According to legend, when Rama and Lakshmana were searching for Sita, they became thirsty. Lakshmana shot an arrow into the Brahmagiri from which the river sprang. Rama is said to have dedicated a Shiva Kshethra known as Rajeshwara Temple on the banks of river Lakshmana Tirtha. The Lakshmana Tirtha river eventually flows into the Kaveri River.

With Karnataka blessed with few weeks of heavy rainfalls the water was just cutting across the stones like the buzz of a millions bees flying in the air. At temperatures between 5-6 degree Celsius it was quiet refreshing to see something so pure and clean. The ground was moist and the perfect resident under such moist conditions are none other than leeches. These blood sucking creatures just latch on to you until their tummies are filled with your blood. Tried the salt trick by applying some over the leg but it seems that these were immune to them. So finally decided to donate some blood to Mother Nature I guess it was due since a long time. The after effects of rains was visible all around, with green covered hills covering distances that my eyes could manage to see. With patches of trees on the hills it seemed like some one had taking a huge scissors and had managed to give a very clean haircut to each of these hills. Covering a distance of 9kms (one way) on our way to conquer the highest peak we came across a herd of Wild Elephants at a reasonably good distance we stayed back and began analysing these mammoth sized animals. After a close observation we all came to the conclusion to conquer the highest peak when our tusker friends leave that hill and move over to a different one.

Hence we made our way back after trekking 1608 ft. On our way back we came across a male tusker who seemed quiet relaxed eating out his afternoon lunch. Cautiously without alarming our four legged friend we crossed the stream and his path when his back was turned. I just din’t want to scare the poor creature ….:) . Back the base of Irupu Falls with Glucose biscuits in our hands we left the ever beautiful Brahmagiri Hills and returned back to Bangalore just to realise the fact that tomorrow we are back to our way of existence in this Planet which is work, eat, talk and sleep. Back to the hustle and bustle of us humans to trying so hard to sustain ourselves in this World of Ours which by the way seems so little when compared to creatures who sustain themselves in the Wilderness of the Jungle.

The Enigmatic SRK

Born on November 2, 1965 in a Pathan Family and being raised by Hindus most of his life he well know for his dimpled smile and off late for his six pack abs. He made is debut in Deewana (1992) which catapulted him into Bollywood. Through his movies such as Baazigar and Anjaam villains became someone whom people would shed a tear when they die in the hands of the hero. Then came Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge a movies which had a great commercial success and won many critical acclaims. He became a common household name. His venture into the production world with Dreamz Unlimited did not work as expected with his first movie Phir Bhi Dil hai Hindustani crashing out in the Box office. This did not deter him. His next movie launch Chalte Chalte was a box office hit.

He further went on launching another production company called Red Chillies Entertainment were in he produced and starred in Main Hoon Na a directorial debut movie of Farah Khan. His recent movie Chak De India has won many critics. At the age of 42 he still is able of pull off the hero’s role in his forthcoming movie Om Shanti Om . He is either seen supporting Indian 20-20 cricket team or advertising for one of the Network Operators. Shahrukh Khan as he is known is truly an enigmatic actor. As Theatre Director Barry John, at Delhi's Theatre Action Group once commented that
“The credit for the phenomenally successful development and management of Shah Rukh's career goes to the superstar himself[1]”.

Keep going King Khan we all love you!!
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shahrukh_Khan

Statutes of the New Millennium

1. We are all different, and should do what we can to remain so.
2. Action and Contemplation are the two possibilities within each human. They both lead to the same place.
3. Power directs us towards our destiny and Gift obliges us to share it with others what is best in us.
4. Every human being should know two languages: the language of the society and the sign language. One serves to communicate with other people, the other serves to understand God’s messages
5. Every human being has the right to search for ‘happiness’. Happiness is something that makes the individual self content.
6. Every human should keep alive within them the sacred flame of madness, but should behave as a normal person.
7. Every human being has a personal legend to be fulfilled, and this is our reason for being in this world.
8. Enemies are placed in path in order to test our sword, and we should, out of respect for them, struggle against them. One of the grave faults is to have enemies in the first place.
9. All religions lead to the same God, and all deserve the same respect
10. Everything that is done in the present affects the future in form of consequence and affects the past in form of redemption.

STOP CULLING DOGS!! WE ARE NOT GODS!!

I believe that the issue of stray dogs would resolve only when we the people set an example. Our “heroes” such as actors, painters, writers etc.. would show their presence only when they need some publicity. Most of this generation children do not look up to these heroes, they are even more sensible than the elderly. They look up to their parents as heroes. If the parents dispose garbage on the roadside thereby increasing the chances of stray dogs growing in that area. Then children would definitely do the same. Media such as newspapers are projecting stray dog menace in a manner in which once when someone reads an incident their immediate feeling would be to cull all the stray dogs. They just report that a person was “attacked” by a stray dog. Dogs only attack when they have been threatened or when humans try to invade something they protect. Government should encourage citizens of Bangalore to adopt these stray dogs and policies should be made wherein if someone owns a foreign breed dog then monthly taxes should be paid by them. Since any one can get a foreign breed dog such as a German Shepard just by paying Rs. 8000/ - and of course they believe they have established a higher status in the society by owing one. These rules have been imposed by few of the western countries. People who adopt stray dogs do not have to pay any taxes and would also get a free annual medical treatment for the dog.

It was during similar kind of monsoon season in the year 2004 that I had saved the lives of 5 tiny little puppy dogs from drowning in drain. Apart from saving them I handed them over to the CUPA located after mekri circle. Over there I had seen many beautiful stray dogs. They were all jumping with joy when they saw me. It’s just like these adoption centres where children are filled with joy and hope in their hearts that some one has come to take them. I was tempted to keep one of the puppy dogs. Since my Sister –in-law was pregnant with her first child I had to restrict my temptation.
So STOP Culling DOGS!! We are not GODS!!

Monsoon is here!!!

We all have had enough of heat for sometime in Bangalore. The rain dances were performed. People like me prayed for rain gods to show us some mercy. The heat was getting to me. Finally the rain gods have answered my prayers. Its been raining past few days in Bangalore and I am loving it!!!.... Even though I have been drenched once / twice I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The only issue I have when it rains is the flooding of water on the roads and footpaths. I am not going to whine over infrastructure issue, storm drains, government, etc.....just read an article in Indiatimes were Indians are supposed to be big whiners . (just click on the first pic). hmmmmmmmm ... So where were we ... ahh yes!!! Bangalore and Monsoon. I just enjoyyyy rainy season. I believe its just perfect when it's sunny and it rains. After I rains we at Bangalore give back mother nature. In the last picture our roads act as a puddle of water to a thirsty cow.

enjoy the pics!!

beer battery??????

Electricity from beer? It may sound like a farfetched idea cooked up after a few pints at the pub, but a partnership between Foster’s Brewery and scientists at the University of Queensland in Australia and the University of Ghent in Belgium has produced such a marvel. The “beer battery,” as it’s being affectionately called, is actually a microbial fuel cell (MFC). The fuel cell uses sugar-consuming bacteria to generate power from waste water produced in the brewing process. The bacteria consume the organic matter in the brewery’s waste water, breaking down alcohol, starch and sugar. The byproducts from the process are electricity, clean water and carbon dioxide, all very Earth-friendly.
Brewery waste water is particularly desirable for such an experiment because it’s biodegradable, says Professor Jürg Keller of the University of Queensland [ref].
The study was funded by a Queensland Government Sustainable Energy Innovation Fund Grant (about $115,000 U.S. dollars) and a grant from the Australian Research Council (for a little more than 1 million U.S. dollars).The university’s prototype MFC was 10 liters, or 2.6425 gallons, but the final cell, to be installed at Foster’s brewery, will hold 660 gallons. The MFC will likely produce 2 kilowatts of power, or enough to power an average home, and will be operating at the brewery by September.


“It’s not going to make an enormous amount of power -- it's primarily a waste water treatment that has the added benefit of creating electricity,” Professor Keller told the Associated Press [ref]. For a country like Australia, which is experiencing its worst drought in 100 years, the ability to salvage and purify waste water could be especially valuable [ref].
Foster’s microbial fuel cell could spawn similar devices to be used across the food and beverage industry, which generates a lot of organic waste. Because microbial fuel cells are well suited to disposing of this waste, they have generated a lot of interest lately among researchers. Like Foster’s beer battery, MFCs convert chemical energy trapped in a “bio-convertible substrate” (meaning some sort of organic matter) to electricity [ref]. The bacteria act as a catalyst, facilitating the reaction.
Perhaps a sign of the excitement developing around MFCs, there is the first Web site “completely devoted to the beauty of microbial fuel cells” and several blogs covering MFCs and related topics. In September 2007, a four-day conference called “Anaerobic Digestion: Bio-energy for Our Future” is meeting in Brisbane, Australia, where particular attention will be paid to methods of gleaning energy from waste matter.
So will the beer battery start a green revolution? Probably not, but it’s certainly an intriguing method to clean up waste, harvest energy and produce clean water. It also speaks to a growing trend in which many companies are going green by investing in a wide range of projects, large and small, rather than seeking out one panacea. While ethanol- or hydrogen-powered cars and cheap, ubiquitous solar power may eventually revolutionize the automobile and power industries, instituting many small, eco-friendly projects can have an equal, if not, greater impact.
One brewery is actually a step ahead of Foster’s. In fact, when Foster’s installs its MFC this summer, it won’t be the first brewery using microbial-munching bacteria to clean waste water. The New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado, uses bacteria to clean its waste water, producing methane gas as a byproduct. While the brewery uses wind power for most of its power needs (about 85 percent), the methane gas from the waste-water clean-up kicks in the remaining 15 percent.
New Belgium also recaptures and reuses water, uses “green building” techniques in constructing its facilities, has a sustainability specialist on staff and follows the mantra of reduce/reuse/recycle as much as possible. Not only are these practices good for the environment, they’re good for the bottom line, too: the New Belgium Brewery claims to save $3,000 every month on its electricity bill.


For more info check these links out:-

http://www.awmc.uq.edu.au/ad11/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6615787.stm

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/28/politics/main2522844.shtml

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070502/ap_on_sc/australia_beer_power

http://www.ap-foodtechnology.com/news/ng.asp?n=76348-fosters-¬microbial-fuel-cell-brewer-harmful-omissions

The New World (CUP) ?

So what is it that World Cup 2007 will be remembered for? The highest World Cup total, (India against Bermuda), the early exit of sub-continental giants (India and Pakistan) or the murder of the Pakistani coach Bob Woolmer under suspicious circumstances?

Godspeed Bob, go in peace.

Will anyone ever talk about who won this cup? The cricketing brilliance which is bound to shine through as the cup campaign gets into the Super 8 phase? As I still recover from the shock of India's defeat to Bangladesh and then the surrender to Sri Lanka, I am asking myself what does cricket mean to me now.



When Mohd Azharuddin gave the word coin a new phrase, the revolving door, as an acknowledgment of his ability to turn his wrists full circle, I thought I too could crack those tough Math numericals easily.


The point that I am making is that for me, great deeds on the cricketing field by team India, before they got re-christened as Men in Blue, were almost like great moments in my own life. And I am not alone. The same story gets repeated in millions of homes all across the country. But just like good performances leave a good taste in the mouth, bad performances leave a scar on our hearts. That's why when I hear that someone has died of a heart attack, as a result of India's exit, I don't get too surprised. Cricket in India is not "JUST A SPORT". It's a way of life, It's our daily routine. And routines sometimes can go haywire.


So make no mistake, despite this poor performance, I don't think that the passion we have for the game is in anyways going to reduce. The angry protests apart, many organised for cheap publicity in front of TV cameras, we will still be rooting for our guys, the moment they get onto their next assignment.


The BCCI has already taken the first step, by announcing that Ranji Trophy matches will now be played on faster pitches. They have to ensure that the promise is delivered. If we can get foreign coaches, lets also get some help in preparing pitches. Our cricket board is the richest. Surely money cannot be a problem.


Greg Chappell may have erred by trying to bring about too many changes in the international team, without looking at the talent available in our India A or India B teamsA Robin Utthappa scored a quick-fire 70 against West Indies on a better of a wicket and got himself a ticket to the cup. By now I have seen him in more commercials than match innings. One is not disagreeing with the players rights to make money. But maybe some kind of a professional who is hired by the BCCI and not top ad agency could be there to ensure that players don't end up compromising on cricket.

What should we do to free our planet from terrorism?

The root cause of terrorism is poverty and injustice. Let me take each of these at a time explain their effects on global peace and the solution to eradicate them.

Poverty: Millions of humans are without food each day. If few parts of Africa stones are boiled in water from a distance by parents who satisfy the sight of their little ones before they sleep away another day without food. Poor / underdeveloped countries feel that their food is being stolen from them by the developed countries. For example why is that Dubai is well know for its oil and gas industries and its infrastructure while in Iraq blood is being shed for the same oil?

Solution: “Education” a single word says it all. The sheiks in Dubai realised that fact that education would play a very crucial factor in the development of their nation. They had sent their sons to get the best education from Universities such as Harvard, Oxford etc.. Knowledge gained from any place, book or person is knowledge shared. Isn’t it safer to fight with ink and paper rather than to fight with bullets and guns? The required steps for these would be to for governments to promote education in rural areas and in countries where educating a child is prohibited. Education brings a self-awareness and realisation of the fact that the wars of the future would not be fought by millions of humans on a battle field but by few representatives of the nation who represent the people in the drawing rooms debating issues and finding out solutions.


Injustice: “No one’s above the Law” a phrase known by all. Yet some have utilised the same Law for own benefits. Are there loop holes in the Justice system which we are all unaware off until someone uses them?. For example after the government of Iraq was formed. Isn’t it right of the government to see to that law and order is maintained in nation? Appreciating the fact that US and UK have been successful in removing a dictator such as saddam hussain. He was inhuman to his own people. After a democratic government was established the future of saddam hussain should have been handed over to the people of Iraq. With all the cruelty and suffering that they must have experienced during his regime my guess is that they would have decided on what he deserved. By this a message would be sent out to the people that law is the same for all. Now since the US have not willing to withdraw troops from Iraq and quiet often interfering with the government of Iraq and its function US now lives now in constant fear of terrorist attacks. They have created more enemies than friends. The UNO has no word since the majority of its support and finance comes from US. True justice can be seen only when money and power are not the influential or deciding factors of one’s fait but proof and facts and the one factors that a person is tried on.

 

Puducherry

Raja, Rani, Rocket.

The decision to hire a driver to take us to few place that we decided on was a wise one taken on the basis of vote. The massive trucks and the behemoth loads that they carry is really surprising and bad since companies tend to cut costs by transporting more goods with few HMV vehicles. Passing by these huge vehicles on NH4; we were heading towards Jog Falls. The cricket gang (flying officer) Vinu, (OS) Pradeep, (Legend) Kartik, love boy George, Rizwan (bigolo male gigolo) and me (the disrelocation master ). The reason why I said that these vehicles are massive because it takes quiet a bit of energy to stop them.
Bikers please do wear a helmet !!

Especially when traveling on a highway road. We witnessed a horrible accident few mins after paying the toll fee. The bike was underneath the lorry. We carried the biker and transported him to a bus that was heading to wards the city. Since we ourselves where on the one way side that was heading towards tumkur and the distance to be covered before we could take a U turn was way far off. Where are the highway emergency numbers displayed when you need them? In the cities??.

So with a prayer in our minds for the biker we headed towards jog falls in the 7 seater Qualis. The drive was amazing its quiet hard to believe that even though our Highways are so good yet accidents happen. Could it be that we do not have the right road signs?? Or the law is quiet flexible enough that the rich industries can carry excess amount of weight whenever the need arises ?? are drunk drivers punished?? Now I do not want to put you off by stating the driving in a highway is not safe believe me it is quiet safe when compared to driving within the city. More the speed more is the safety required. Finally we reached Jog falls. Its told that when Mahatma Gandhi saw Jog falls he stated “what a spectacle of nature. Nature at its best” when Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya saw Jog falls his statement was “what a waste of energy!” and then we had the Linganamakki Dam and Gerusoppa Dam. The view was amazing. The climb down to the belly of the falls was fast. So with few snaps and admiring nature’s beauty we climbed the back up. During the British regime in India; steps where laid which guided us to our destination. With few stretched muscles our journey took us to Gerusoppa. Over there one of my friend works as an Assistant Engineer at Gerusoppa Hydroelectricity power plant. He had arranged for a guest house for us all to stay. With good food to eat we just crashed out after a long day of drive.

The next day my friend Vijay had taken us all to the Hydroelectricity power plant at Gerusoppa a 4 unit power plant. Like little kids on an excretion trip to a power house we wonder at the human marvel. Words such as necessity, utilization and survival would fall in its place here. From there we headed towards Om beach the. With lots of travelers already checked in for the New Year celebrations the atmosphere was electrifying. After a bit of beach football we headed towards Murudeshwar. If US is know for skyscrapers Indians are know for artistic skyscrapers. The statue of Lord Shiva was breathtaking. The shear size of it was amazing. Unfortunately one of the statues arm had fallen off due to lighting strike. The beach was filled with boats that would take the curious people to show them a portion of the Arabian Sea. For Rs 75 a round about trip was satisfying enough for the elderly was joyful for the young.

So we decided to drive back via Kollur , Khodachadri Hills. It was pitch black outside from it seemed like darkness was reaching to us to engulf us and we were outrunning it. Overnight drive all the way to Bangalore was tiresome with no food and a single bottle of water. We all managed and finally reached Bangalore on 28/12/2006. Even though the two day trip had come to an end we had a glimpse of the true beauty that Karnataka holds which would be HOME MADE FOOD!! J