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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.

Celebrating Pongal with books


Any festival is a reason to celebrate, and Pongal happens to be one of the important ones. Here is the kolam welcoming you to our home....





This year, the festival   has brought along an unexpected deluge of books, and what better way to celebrate than read!!  It all began with a temple visit which got so delayed that the temple closed! With nothing better to do, we ended up at a book store, and ended up coming home with a bagful of books for Samhith!!



With so many books for him, could I be far behind? Here are mine.... two different genres, two completely different kinds of books, but I am eager to read both!



The first book Bala Saraswati, is part of Blogadda's book review program, and I need to read it soon so that I can review it. The second, The Reluctant Detective, is the first novel of Blogger Kiran Manral, whom I met during the Lavasa Women's Rally. I am eager to read it, for this is the first time I am getting to read a book by a  person I actually know!!!

So now you know what I am going to be doing for the next few days, so if you don't see any posts here, please excuse me, for my nose will be buried deep inside one of these books!

Meanwhile, wish you all a Happy Pongal!!!

Comments

  1. Hi Anu, wishing you a Happy PONGAL. The welcoming Kolam is lovely..... so traditional.  I didn't know Kiran Manral had published a novel.  I have read both her blogs... 36 and counting and Karmic Kids where she blogs about her son.  wud luv to read her book.. thanks for sharing this info.

    Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy Pongal and happy readings.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Aabha! Kiran has been promoting her book mostly on fb, and its available online too...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Super!! Happy Pongal to your family!! Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  5. A very Happy Pongal to you too!

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  6. So how do i start...from your Kolam i can make out..you are a Tamilian. And yet what fully agree..what better way to celebrate than read..we do this at our place during New Year.
    Happy Pongal to you and your family.

    ReplyDelete
  7. happy pongal, happy reading and happy posting so that readers like us can be happy :)

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  8. Happy Pongal to you and your family,  Anu! Happy reading! btw., I don't see my book! Is it among the 'read' list and hence doesn't feature in the collection? :))

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  9. Yes, Viyoma, I am a tamilian, and we do celebrate the festival the traditional way.. the only thing is, for me, no celebration is complete without books :D

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  10. Thanks Santosh!! hope this year i can keep my readers happy!

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  11. Thanks Zephyr!!! and ur book is not there because its being devoured!!! as of now by me.... but am planning to carry it to sringeri so he can read it in the train to and fro!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Vanakkam--Pongal Greetings
     Excellent post glad -to see Arts &Culture spreading with Books at Pongal ;
    am telling  my friends too..
    Kind rgds &best wishes
    Capt.TR (Retd)

    ReplyDelete
  13. happy pongal to all friends and families..

    ReplyDelete

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