Skip to main content

Featured Post

The Vaishnodevi Experience 2023

My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.
3 comments

Earth Mela 2010 at Maharashtra Nature Park, Mumbai

Here's an interesting event being held in Mumbai - the Earth Mela, 2010! I am planning to take Samhith along for part of it.... Here is their full schedule. All those of you living in Mumbai, try to make it for a while.... If anyone would like to come along with me, please do drop me a line! There is a registration charge of Rs.175/- per day, and the activities listed seem quite interesting..... Waiting to see what it is like...



Earth Mela 2010 – April 24-25 (7am to 6pm)
at Maharashtra Nature Park Society

Central Theme: Biodiversity – In with UN's International Year of the
Biodiversity

Day 1 - April 25th Schedule (Sunday)

Time                                        Activities

7:00am                                     Registration Desk Opens

7 am – 9 am                             Cycle Rally (12km)

9 am – 10 am                           Breakfast for Volunteers

10 am – 11am                          Inauguration (Registration starts at 9.30am)

11am – 12 pm                          Film Screening

1. Papiroflexia (Short Film) 3min

2. The Climate Change Mystery, by CERE (Short Film) 23min English

3. SPROUTS by Unlimited India 2min English

4. Hard Rain by Mark Edwards 20min English

12pm – 1pm                             Lecture
Important Trees for Cities & Rare Indigenous Plants of India,
by Dr. C S Lattoo

1 pm – 2 pm                             Film Screening -------- (Lunch)--------
Finding Nemo,
Walt Disney Pictures, Animation Feature Film, Hindi

2 pm – 3 pm                             Film Screening

1. Diminishing Resources
By Himanshu Malhotra and Sabina Kidwai (UK Environment Film Fellowship)
16min English

2.Once there was a Purple Butterfly by Sonya V. Kapoor
(UK Environment Film Fellowship), 12min English

3.Mi MasaBoltoi 8min Marathi

3 pm – 4 pm                             Film Screening
Nagarahole : Tales from an Indian Jungle by Eco Media
 (Shekhar Dattatri), 53min English

4 pm – 5 pm                             Key Note Lecture:
`Himalaya' – Then & Now…
Mr. Harish Kapadia, Mountaineer & Writer


5 pm – 6 pm                             Film Screening
Ganges : Daughter of the Mountains by
BBC Natural History Unit, 50min,English

11 m – 6pm                              (Whole day activities)

- Adventure Sports Activities – Rock Climbing, Rappelling,
Burma bridge, Zip-line crossing and so much more fun…

- Kids Activities – Face painting, poster painting &
Paper/Mache making.

- Photo Exhibition: Indigenous and rare species of flora and fauna

- Stalls & Exhibition of eco-friendly products and life-style ideas
– Matsya Crafts, Hide-Out, Daily Dump, Indian Adventures, Ecoexist,
RUR, BNHS, UTMT, Baker's Street, Excel Industries, Learning Fantasies,
SPROUTS…


Day 2 - April 25th Schedule (Sunday)

Time                                        Activities

7:00am                                     Registration Desk Opens

7am – 9am                               Nature Trail led by Dr. Parvish Pandya

9am – 10am                             Breakfast for Volunteers

10am – 11am                           Film Screening
The Private Life of Plants: Episode1: Travelling
by BBC 50min,English

11am – 12pm                           Lecture1:
Urban Biodiversity Research and Role of Communities
by Ms. Ovee Thorat (20mins)

Lecture 2:
What's Biodiversity for? by Anand Pendharkar (20mins) Good for Kids & Adults

12pm – 1pm                             Film Screening

1. The Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan, 4 min English

2. Dreaming of my Clean Creek by Enviro-Vigil, 15 min English

3. Goa Goa Gone 28min English, Konkani, Marathi

1 pm – 2 pm                             Film Screening (Lunch)
Madagascar, Animation Feature, English

2 pm – 3 pm                             Film Screening
Gaaz, call of the Ocean by Arti Kulkarni 50min Marathi/English

3 pm – 4 pm                             Film Screening
Planet Earth : Great Plains by BBC, 50min English

4 pm – 5 pm                             Guest Lecture :
Why do we need leaders in the field of Ecological Conservation?
Dr. Sudhakar Solomon Raj, Reader, Wilson College

5 pm – 6 pm                             Film Screening
Born Free by James H. Hill
Feature Film, 95min English

10am – 6pm                             (Whole day activities)

- Adventure Sports Activities – Rock Climbing, Rappelling,
Burma bridge, Zip-line crossing and so much more fun…

- Kids Activities – Face painting, poster painting &
Paper/Mache making.

- Photo Exhibition: Indigenous and rare species of flora and fauna

- Stalls & Exhibition of eco-friendly products and life-style ideas
– Matsya Crafts, Hide-Out, Daily Dump, Indian Adventures, Ecoexist,
RUR, BNHS, UTMT, Baker's Street, Excel Industries, Learning Fantasies,
SPROUTS…

Labels:

Comments

  1. A journey called LifeApril 23, 2010 at 5:20 AM

    wow.. sounds nice.. im sure there will be a write up, once u guys are back.. waiting for that and the photos :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. A journey called LifeApril 23, 2010 at 5:20 AM

    wow.. sounds nice.. im sure there will be a write up, once u guys are back.. waiting for that and the photos :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. SoulSpaceApril 24, 2010 at 7:35 AM

    wow
    envy you
    hope yu have a great time

    ReplyDelete
  4. prassannaMarch 28, 2012 at 10:29 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please leave a comment for me so that I will know you have been here....

Popular posts from this blog

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavanteshw
8 comments
Read more

The Power of 8 - The Ashta Dikpalas and Ashta Vasus at Khajuraho

The four cardinal directions form the axis on which a temple is built, and are thus the basis of temple architecture. Leading from them are the eight directions, which are believed to be guarded by the eight guardians, or Ashta Dikpalas . In the temples of Khajuraho, great care has been taken by the sculptors to carve the Ashta Dikpalas on the walls, both inside and outside. They not only guard the temple, but also look over us as we circumambulate the shrine, protecting us by their presence. They are augmented by the Ashta Vasus , celestial beings which represent natural phenomena. Together, they enhance the idea of the temple as cosmos, enfolding within it, all the aspects of nature, both, on earth, as well in space.
4 comments
Read more

Rama Temple, Gokarna

To my right , the waves rush to the shore, eager to merge with the sand. To my left, the same waves crash against the rocks, their spray diverting my reverie as I ponder over the beauty of nature, and wonder what first brought people here. Was it this beauty that encouraged them to build a temple here, or was it the fresh, sweet spring water flowing from the hill here that made this place special? No matter what the reason, I am glad my auto driver brought me here. We are at the Rama temple in Gokarna, just a few minutes away from the Mahabaleshwara Temple, yet offering so different a perspective.
2 comments
Read more