It seems just yesterday that we
welcomed the brand-new year, as we realize that the first quarter of 2019 is
already at its end. The past few months have rung a bell in me, that the sensation
of time can be greatly altered based on your outlook. Some people say that time
flies when you enjoy, whereas it slows down when you are bored. Well… While the
roots of the aforesaid saying can be traced to the notion that you look at the
clock more often when you are trying to kill time, we must realize that every
moment lived to the fullest provides a more enriching experience, thereby occupying
a greater portion of your mind and lasting longer, than an entire hour spent counting
minutes. So, I guess I perceive time a bit differently than most…
Such was the allure of Agra, that
kicked off the past few sublime months. The grandeur of the Taj Mahal, in
sparkling white is literally something out of a story book, its controversial
history only adding to its beguile. Witnessing the Agra Fort, Jama Masjid and
other monuments in Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar’s capital back in the day, takes you
back in time to the Mughal era. You don’t need to be a history buff to imagine
what the walls, that we so casually cling to and take pictures of, might have witnessed back in the day! Folks just like us, but probably with starkly different lifestyles,
aims, ambitions and day to day goals, walked those halls just a few centuries
back… Goosebumps all round!
Our brain is such a powerful tool,
imagine if we could communicate using nothing but our thoughts. We would be
able to understand everyone’s perspective without having to utter a single
word. The secret to true peace? Who knows? Though speaking of peace, takes me
back to our Nepal trip during the festive season of Holi this year. And what a
trip it was… Our first small step on the ‘roof of the world’ proved to be worth
every penny!
 |
| Incredible Nepal! |
On our way to Kathmandu, the
first thing that enthralled me was the complete absence of noise from honking vehicles
zigzagging the winding roads. It was only later that I came to know that the use
of horns was banned by the Nepalese Govt. What a move! A
short detour from our set path took us to the Manakamna Temple near Nepal’s
capital, which could only be reached by cable car, offering breathtaking views of our surroundings and kick starting our memorabilia. Spending the following day
visiting the famed Pashupatinath and Swayambhunath Temples, with a stop at the
infamous Narayanhiti Palace, where Nepal’s royal family was tragically
slaughtered around two decades back, we explored the streets of Thamel, with its
colourful nightlife, in the evening, which set the stage for an even more
exciting tomorrow.
Next on our bucket list was the tourism capital of Nepal, Pokhara. Nestled in the arms of the ice-capped Himalayan range, Annapurna, with the gorgeous Phewa Lake in the backdrop, our hotel room balcony overlooked three out of the top ten highest mountains in the world, viz. Manaslu, Annapurna-I and Dhaulagiri! Our time spent in this dreamy land ranged from watching the magical sun rise, gradually illuminate the snow covered peaks from Sarangkot, to rowing our way to the sacred Tal Barahi Temple, centered in the Phewa Lake, from which the majestic World Peace Pagoda was visible on the mountain top. Its hard to get more picturesque than this! The Devi’s Falls, Gupteshwor Mahadev Caves and the International Mountain Museum also contributed to the mystique of the place... With our evening supper lit up by a local folk dance, it was sadly time to bid farewell to this enchanting place. Gazing out of the car window on our way back, our minds were serenely filled with every little wondrous detail of our journey, with leafless trees adorned by bright flowers and flimsy walkways across deep cliffs, at every bend.
Using the little time we had left, celebrating the craziest Holi I’ve ever seen, at Gorakhpur, we attended the newly inaugurated light and sound show at the famous Gorakhnath Temple. Buddhia Mai, a shrine in the midst of the verdant Kushmi Forest, was another anima-augmenting delight! With souls rejuvenated and minds refreshed, I guess its time to work hard and play hard, looking forward to an amazing future together with our entire family! Riding the tide of my career’s first promotion, I hope my upcoming GMAT offers a smooth passage into the world of executive MBA, as the next natural step of my academic quest. Wishing everyone the best of health and success, lets see how much gas we have left in the tank...
BE THE FORCE!!!...
