So what do we really know ?!

Reading seriously opens so many different paradigms we may never be able to fathom. Off late I have made a conscious effort to read, I quit FB, Twitter and have not logged there for more than 2-3 weeks I think. When we start reading we start learning, the more I read the more I believe in that. For the first time in my life I am reading multiple books at one go and I never thought it was ever possible. I have been peeking into The Discovery of India by Nehru, The Bourne Legacy by Eric Van Lustbander, by the way I must mention I love the last name Lustbander it does sound quite exotic does it not??!! Not to digress I am also reading a guide on photography and Fragrant Thorns by Ruby Badyal (no link but a gypsy soul like me)

Amazingly when we read we have so many thoughts going on, my nights are wonderful, I have dreams that are full 70mm movies, I can’t wait to fall asleep and watch the dreams. One day I am tracking a tiger who has become a man eater, one day I am in the midst of a heated discussion between Gandhi & Jinnah, sometimes I am plotting the downfall of a terrorist who has decided to attack the parliament again and another day I discover my wife has delivered twins ! Boy,  dare I tell my wife the things I dream !!! This is not to mention so many dreams that I just forget when I have to get up and get son ready for school.

From reading about how Siachen was snatched by India, the only territorial acquisition if you may call it that, by our country. The revenge of the Siachen defeat that Pervez Musharraf extracted in Kargil was an amazing piece of history. Wiki I must say is one of the most wonderful things that could have happened to the keen reader. I have always loved reading about history and the past mythologies and always tried to decipher them and put them into a logic and try to rationalize the human behavior. In my own humble way I have my theories and ideologies, although I am not a staunch believer in anything and my reading keeps on developing and diversifying my thoughts.

The more I read the more I feel there is so so so much out there that we know so little about. I live in Bharuch and although I was not born here (born in Tumchi Mumbai) I always call myself a Bharuchi, now for a guy who loves history it so happened that stuck on reading (well unconfirmed reports) about how Nehru and Sheikh Abdullah were related or not and how Sheikh Abdullah’s wife was once married to the Lawrence of Arabia or whether Feroze Gandhi’s father was a Parsi or his father a muslim and mother was a Gandy and how the christening changed I somehow clicked the link of Bharuch reading about Feroze Gandhi living in Kot Parsiwad in Bharuch to only realise I knew so little about my little town and I was bothering to know about so many other things!!!

The history rich town on the banks of the most holy river of India… Even the Ganges comes to bath in Narmada to purify herself…

I must state that I am astounded and want all you readers out there to know this fact very very clearly !!!!

Bharuch is the oldest city of Gujarat. It is also the second oldest city of India having continuous inhitations, first being Kashi (Varanasi). Bharuch has a known history for about 8000 years.

Alright, all of you, stop your bowing and get up, smile, don’t marvel at me.

I am just a friendly neighbourhood blogger and not a GOD !

*ducksallshoes*

Just been reading you know… just been reading… 

Visting Narmada :)

Many times in our busy and set routines we miss out on so many things around our lives. Somethings that are so near and yet so elusive. Sometimes we do not stretch our imagination beyond the restaurant and the multiplex or a party at a friends house. However, from time to time if you give into the outdoors you have a whole vibrant world waiting to keep you engaged and amused as well. It is winter and migratory birds always flock to our part of the world, a gentleman was kind enough to meet us on Saturday and lure us by saying hundreds of migratory birds of different species have come on the Narmada river bed near Kadod where there is an island on the river and water is quite shallow. Apparently it was just about 12 kms from my house and yet we were unaware.

We went off to the place at around 4 and the best thing was it had very few people and hence was very quiet and peaceful. This place is considered to be an auspicious place to take a dip in the river. Legend says that your soul becomes pure once you take a Dip in Ganga but the mere sight of Narmada will purify your soul…

We then managed to spot a wild hare, he was pretty curious and alert and a slight movement from us would invite jumps from him… but finally we settled and so did he to give us a pose…

Then after walking about 15 mins up river we first saw the silently gliding ducks…. I am not completely sure what species this is so please be my guest and help me identify them

But the moment we tried to get a little more nearer to them and get a more clearer shot they didn’t approve of it and off they went….

They went and landed with other birds which were of a much bigger size Yes the famously beautiful Flamingo’s They were a lot closer to our side of the shore, but the moment we started walking towards them, they decided to cross the river and go to the other side.

They walked very very elegantly without making much noise or fuss… they looked most beautiful when they flapped their wings and displayed the colours their wings hid… We sat around for quite a while looking at them… seemed plenty of algae and fish were around. Unfortunately even the 55-200 lens is not enough to get close enough… this is as close as we could get to them..

Sitting on the shore of the river we discussed quite a bit about how the birds were clear that humans were not a class to be trusted and they wouldn’t stay near us. Sigh… and whilst sitting we managed to take a few shots of things stuck in time..

A few colours of nature around on the green banks of Narmada

Thanks to this High Tension Cable’s Tower being erected they had a metal road made till a lot near the river and we were able to drive to it.

the lone ranger

The lone ranger watching the sun set...

This comes from this sunday’s outing… just loved the way this pic came in… no photoshop work here… just a pure capture… I have loads of pics to share… but they take ages to load in WordPress…