Jealousy, envy, and use-and-throw paper cups

I was wondering how the word "jealous" is thrown around easily like it's a use-and-throw paper cup. "feeling resentment against someone because of that person's rivalry, success, advantages, etc." Then again, resentment is "the feeling of displeasure or indignation at some act, remark, person, etc., regarded as causing injury or insult."

Isn't that too strong a feeling to be used casually? Or have we come to this stage?

Or is it used instead of Envy "a longing to possess something awarded to or achieved by another?"

Envy is not a word that was associated with a certain (and now mostly non-existent) Onida TV.

The quoted definitions have been taken from www.dictionary.com.

Visapur Trek

From the time we had been to Lohagad, Visapur was always on our mind. Maybe because we had heard that it is a little challenging than Lohagad (thus attracts less public) or maybe just because we had come so close to it that it had decided to pull us back to the summit.

So Visapur was planned a jiffy, and as usual we hunted for the best possible climbing route. Since we were already familiar with Malavli from our previous Lohagad trek, and the fact that there is ample parking at the base village Bhaje, we decided to drive down.

A valuable tip for any Sahyadri trek is to start as early as possible. In the monsoon, with overcast conditions you don’t need to worry about the Sun, but you can easily avoid the hordes that start climbing late. That feeling that you have climbed up, spent adequate and peaceful time on the summit, and encountering folks who are climbing up when you descend is rather good! Especially when you meet like a hundred, noisy, hormonally-driven kids who are climbing up after you've had the fort summit to yourself is just sublime!

Oh, but I digress. Just the way we had lost our route on the way up Visapur!

After parking at Bhaje and eating sumptuous breakfast, we started the climb to the Bhaje caves.

Bhaje caves

After looking at the Bhaje caves for 15-20 mins, we started the climb towards Visapur summit. You can find an interesting map for the various Visapur trek routes on this blog.

Visapur is on the left, Lohagad on the Right

Our route was a slight modification of the route that goes via Bhaje caves. If you look at the map, we took Route no i), and went along till we saw a summit but started traversing it towards Route no iii).

From the various blog posts, I had read that when you are going via this route, there are chances of getting lost in the forest. It is mainly because there are many pathways created by grazing animals and they appear as proper walking trails. The main tip everyone suggested was that take the route that ascends. After walking for a while when our route started descending a bit and we came across a densely covered path, we decided to go back to the place where we had seen some huts and ask for the right route. Fortunately, after walking back for some distance we came across a group who were climbing up and had taken a local guide to help them find a route. This chap took us right near the summit. If you see the map where Route no i) goes close to the fort, is the place we climbed up. A little tricky, but thrilling route!

On reaching the top, it was the usual lovely weather where wind played with the clouds and all the natural elements lifted our happy spirits even more. The green landscape was strewn with lovely little white, pink, and purple flowers. We saw a few broken structures as well. There are numerous water tanks on Visapur.

While climbing down, as suggested by the local guide who had accompanied the other group, we found Route iii) (from the map) and started climbing down. This route was along a waterfall or should I say that it intermingled with the waterfall for about 20-25 minutes. There were broken steps and stones carried down by the waterfall. It was a bit tricky going down this route.

After a while, there is a detour where we had to leave the waterfall and traverse across the fort. Here we met about a 100 people climbing up!

On reaching the base, we got in the car and went straight to Hotel Siddhi and had an amazing lunch.
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Lohagad and Visapur can be done in a day, but it’s better to keep them separate as each has its own charm. And try and go on a Saturday, especially if you are a small group, as a large number of people come here on Sundays.

Voices

The turn of events this morning have not at all been pleasing. Sadness to anger to shock. All in the span of a few hours and about 25 Kms.

Dr. Narendra Dabholkar, a leader who fought against supersition and ill-beliefs that made the society regressive, was shot at right in the heart of Pune. There are witnesses who have given the details of the motorcycle-riding assailants. Surely, the police would be tracing them out. The extreme shock will be lingering for a few days. People who are aware of the area where the crime took place will be scared and worried about their safety. Politicians will speak out and try to win brownie points by making this a political issue. (People like this writer would be wording their thoughts.)

Then, after a few days, Business as Usual. Apathy.

The people who Dr. Dabholkar was fighting for will remain just as clueless, illusionary, and under control. By the powers that want them to be downtrodden. By the office bearers who look at masses not as people, but as votes. The political class has to keep their vote banks under control, not let them progress, thus keeping them far away from rational thought. Far away from making them think beyond their basic needs. Making them dependent on the favours of local politicians and scaring them using the local goons.

On the way to work I saw a painting on the wall where it was written "Vishwaratna Dr. Ambedkar". Vishwaratna roughly translates to An International Jewel meaning a personality of that stature. Something that transcends, at least on the word-level and phonetically, the highest civilian award given in India - Bharat Ratna, the Jewel of India. Trapping people in illusions. Making them believe that the man who actually wanted people to educate themselves and rise above their social prejudices by educated thoughts and rationalism, is just a symbol for fighting class repression. In this modern age. Where the world is moving towards an era where such boundaries are more or less non-existent. Do I need to stress on the irony on calling Dr. Ambedkar as "Vishwaratna" in this case?

Your life is decided by people who have nothing to do with you apart from indirectly enslaving you and indirectly making you vote for them.

While the Police is busy handling Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers, Ex Presidents of India like they are the Royal Babies of England, actual people are suffering to a degree that will never be known.

India needs a revolution. But looking at how it is smartly divided but the ruling people by brain washing the interests of the people, there is not one single thing that we all can stand up for. Patriotism is defined differently for different people. Unity in Diversity is just a understanding more than a larger-than-life concept. Religion is a whip to control you. Anything else is just an opportunity to make money.

What do we look forward to? What about the coming generations?

Rajgad via Pali Darwaja

I recently completed watching the first season of Orange is the New Black. I enjoyed the myriad personalities and anecdotes that the good show had to offer. One of them, surprisingly, was an insight into Robert Frost's poem "The Road Less Travelled."  Yes, Orange is the New Black is a prison drama (Or comedrama as some say!).

The poem's last two lines, if taken literately, might eulogize the free-spirited individual and the one who "outstands." However, the poem in it's entirety actually conveys an opposite thought. How? Find out by reading it.

So, coming back to the trek. Of the routes that are popular for Rajgad, the one via Gunjavne village is more popular. Maybe because it's more well known, and promises more thrills. The one less travelled (there you go!) is via Pali Budruk (ahead of Vajeghar village). This is apparently also known as Rajmarg. We reached Pali at around 8:15-8:30 am and started our climb by 9:15 am.

Route
The route via Pali starts alongside a semi-motorable road till another village settlement and from then on a slight elevation through the usual Sahyadri vegetation.

After about an hour's trek start proper steps. These steps are not as easy as they might seem, but they set a nice rhthym, and along with the surroundings (which was extremely cloudy, rainy, and windy) make you feel like you are climbing THE stairway.

At first you come across a small door that might be mistaken for the famed Pali Darwaja, but after crossing it, you can see the actual Pali Darwaja cleverly hidden from immediate access. And now, you can see why it is called Rajmarg.

You can compare the picture taken in summer (from Wikipedia):

With the one we took in monsoon:

Total time - 1.5-2 hours depending on the number of breaks you take.

The fort is beautiful. We went to Padmavati Mandir, where you can stay if you are doing an overnight trek, had some nice hot tea and bhaji and went up Balekilla.

The trek up to Balekilla is a bit tricky. Akin to the rocky part on top of Torna, this one stretches a bit higher. Rocks, moss, flowing water, and the deceiving remnants of railings is a very heady combination. As always you start worrying about the decent all along while you climb. Yet, without appearing to be complacent, the decent is not as tough as is thought initially.

On top of the Balekilla (another post-monsoon trek without the cloud cover is planned right away) it was extremely windy, and whatever little extension of the fort we could see seemed ethereal.

From Balekilla, we climbed down to the main fort and then to Pali. We saw a lot of people climbing up when we were going down. Guess they were up for a night trek. Some of those people also seemed to remark at my Poncho (by calling it a plastic bag), but you have to know the feeling of a T-Shirt and inner-clothes that are still mostly dry after a splendid trek!

At Pali, we ate the usual Pithla Bhakri and by 4:30-5 pm started our return journey.

Rajgad will be climbed again. The next time by the road usually travelled.

Update:
One annoying thing about trekking in the monsoon is the flies that are encountered at times. Specially if there is thick vegetation that rises above you. These flies don't bite but they fly around you in large numbers and sometimes enter your eyes and mouth, committing harakiri. They eventually get stuck on your face or whereever they hit you. I am seriously considering getting a mosquito net or mesh for the face. :S

If you look closely, "I" is almost there in the word "TEAM." A part of it is just hidden or masked to make it appear as a "T."

Torna AKA Prachandagad

As the monsoons continued, so did the obsession for another trek. This time (Saturday, July 06 2013), Torna was targeted. Also known as Prachandagad, we had heard that it is of moderate difficulty. Gearing up for that, we reached the village of Velhe really early. At 7:15 AM, when we asked a local restaurant owner for breakfast, he claimed that we arrived really early! After waiting for a while and eating the freshly prepared Poha, we started the climb by 8-8:15 AM.

(Note that there is not enough parking available near the base. Most of the cars are parked near the Police Station in Velhe. If you reach early, you'll get a good parking spot.)

Torna, as the stories had suggested was indeed tougher than the ones we climbed so far. The continuous elevation for about 50-60% of the route adds to the challenge. You can always stop in between and look around at the scenery if the wind clears the fog and take a breather. Otherwise, keep on climbing and drinking water.

Lovely waterfalls around the fort

In the last quarter of the climb, there are some rocky patches. This was the tricky part of the trek. There are railings for support, but they are not in a good shape. If you depend on them completely, it would be really risky! The slow and steady philosophy works well here.

The beginning of the tricky last quarter of the climb

Yeah, and as soon as you climb up, don't start thinking about the journey down the same patch. Give it some time to sink in. On the way down, it might not even be so difficult. :)

On the top, there are some places to see but due to the dense fog we couldn't roam much. Just went across Mengai Devi to the right most end of the fort and came back. The wind was really harsh at this point and being drenched didn't help.

It took about 2-2.5 hours for us to reach on the top. As always, it was quite tough but exhilarating.

We decided to return immediately so as to reach Pune around lunch time. The thoughts of hot butter Naan and Chicken Tikka Masala took hold of our thoughts and rendered us helpless. We climbed down with that food in mind.

Gunjavane Dam backwaters on the left. You can see the trail down the mountain.

The climb down was really fun and scenic and then we looked back at the steep climb and thought, "Did we really climb all that?"

Oh, and then we drove to Mirch Masala and had that food that had put us on a voodoo spell. :)

Imagine the solace

Imagine that you are holding a book. A thick book. Now imagine that the white/yellow part of the pages and the cover disappear. Leaving the printed words hanging in space. On top of each other. In millions.

Suddenly all these words rush towards your head and start revolving around your head. Passing your eyes in the exact sequence as that of the book.

Imagine the solace.

Harishchandragad via Paachnai

"What's the difficulty level of Harishchandragad?"
"Hmmm, have you been to Rajgad?" "No." "Raigad?" "No." "Torna?" "No. I've done small ones like Purandar, Lohagad, and the one in the neighbourhood, Sinhagad. Oh yes, and Kalavantin." (I was pretty happy at this point  that there is at least one that that inspired an awe from this trekker friend with whom I had this conversation.)

Route:
The main discussion before the overnight trek to Harishchandragad was about the route to take. There are 3 main routes to the top (arranged in the ascending order of difficulty):

• via Paachnai / Pachnai
• via Khubi Phata - Khireshwar - Tolar Khind
• via Nali chi vaat

We were a group of five, and there were two people amongst us who had done this trek a long time back. We were sure that we would take the Khireshwar route since it's the most popular route. When we had almost finalised it, suddenly messages started pouring in our phones that it's better to take the Paachnai route,  especially in the monsoons. Dilemma at the last minute. Paachnai would add another 2 hours to our journey from Pune. But then, it will also cut the trekking time to 3 hours.

Finally, on the morning of our trek, all of us reached a consensus and decided to take the Paachnai route. The route from Pune goes via Alephata > Otur > Kotul > Paachnai. Fortunately Google Maps proved to be very good to navigate us right to the base village Paachnai. Once the map loaded on the phone, even when there was no mobile signal, the GPS kept us on route. The road from Otur to Paachnai was much better than we expected. It was washed away at some parts, but most of the times it was very good. The combination of such a road and a 4x4 vehicle is a pleasure to drive (As was evident on our fellow traveller's face)!

We reached Paachnai in 4.5 hours. At the base, there is a small shop where you get the usual snacks, chai, and even food. There is parking available at Paachnai. We parked in the compound of the shop. The shopkeepers do take parking charges, but they are minimal and the car is under the shopkeepers watch. So a little bit of relief.

Paachnai Village

Trek:
One of the best trekking experiences so far!
Before we started climbing, we had asked the shopkeeper to guide us till a certain point from where we can go on our own. He sent an old lady to guide us. Do I even need to mention who was the fastest climber when we started? Yes, the old lady who was climbing bare feet.

Beginning the trek

The initial part is through a nice forest and then a small rock patch. In the rains it's a bit moist and slippery, but otherwise not very difficult. As we started to climb up, suddenly we went beyond the point where clouds converged. The visibility dropped to about 50-100 m depending on the wind. We couldn't even see the valley which is supposed to be very scenic from this particular route. We walked in clouds. From then on, it was just the winds, clouds, and us, with the rain chipping in between.

From the rock patch, the route takes you along a huge rock escarpment. There are waterfalls on this escarpment and sometimes you walk through the waterfalls and sometimes from below them. Somehow it reminded me of Frodo and Sam's journey. The journey after the rock patch is very beautiful. Through a dense forest patch and across a small rivulet. (At this point of time, the last thing on your mind is worrying about getting your socks wet!) We reached a small temple that marked the end of our journey to the top of Harishchandragad. (The temple door faces the route and serves as a marking point for the descending route.)

From the top, we reached a temple and scouted for a cave inside the temple. Luckily, we found a cave of about 8 x 5 feet. Since there were 5 of us, it was good enough in size to accomodate all of us. (On a side note, these caves are carved in stone. Oh if you are scared of the arachnids and such, I empathize!)

We settled in for a night ahead!

Overall, the route wasn't as difficult as we had initially expected. Took us around 3 hours to reach the caves.

Caves and food:

View from the cave

Food was also a big decision for us. The experienced amongst us had told us about joy of eating warm, freshly prepared food after a trek, specially in the monsoon. Though we were convinced, we weren't sure of carrying a stove or gas and the raw materials along with us. Fortunately, the night before we got to know that food is available on the top. Problem solved! We confirmed this fact at the base village of Paachnai and were assured so.

As soon as we settled in, we were asked about food and we placed a generous order. The food, though nothing fancy, is the best you can get in that environment. It will give you the best of feeling in that windy, rainy set up!

Regarding the caves, well, there are a lot of caves on the top of Harishchandragad, some big, some small, and some water filled in the monsoons. Better to find the right one for your group!

There are stories to tell about our night spent in the cave, but the charm would be lost on the blog. :) It will always bring a smile on our collective faces whenever we will think about the caves and the night!

Return journey:
After an eventful night, we brushed and had warm Poha for breakfast and decided to visit Konkan Kada. After walking for about 30 minutes, we reached the point but the clouds were so dense that we saw nothing at all. A little disappointed, we returned back to where we had stayed and then saw the Kedareshwar temple. This temple is famed for its huge Shivling amidst 4 pillars out of which 3 are broken, and surrounded by ice-cold water.

From there, we started our return journey. Carrying our wet clothes and fresh memories. The descent took about 2-2.5 hours and it wasn't taxing.

Overall, a very pleasant and memorable (specially the cave night!) trek to Harishchandragad.