Minds Eye Of Life

My travel so far has been exceptionally interesting. On one end of the spectrum is my quest of sort, to rattle me off the comfort zone I had built around me. At the other end of the spectrum is a lovely couple in their sixties who patched up with me to come along, which was totally unplanned. Of course certain patches of this travel have been solo. But mutual exploration of sort is also underway between two generations. Yesterdays travel was destination Karwar and its countryside. A great mix of spiritual abodes in the hinterlands and sparsely populated beaches. Both gave me different perspectives but the calming effect were the same. In one of those many moments of self introspection I penned the words below; "We humans are either superior hypocrites or down right idiots! Well the plain reality is that we all want to find nirvana, We travel in the name of peace, tranquility and higher purpose, The obscure bigger reality is that it lies within and not around. The trut...

Nature's enchanting beauty has never disappointed anyone and never will it ever disappoint anyone. Its true as long as we make sure we keep nurturing it and help spread more smiles. When you truly let yourself get absorbed by its enigmatic serenity you will feel the smile extending from your face to your heart. The train ride from Mangalore to Ankola today was one of the best I have experienced in recent pasts. During the first leg of my journey I was simply wowed and was engrossed in clicking pictures trying capture as much of natures beauty as I could. A little while later I  asked myself, what was I doing? I was being a lame me, try to cage the beauty of nature in mere images. The next couple of hours was spent simply looking outside the window, trying to to absorb the beautifully changing landscape through my eyes only. There was now a silent connect between me and nature. The landscape changed from that of a still lakes with distant view of hills to that of lush gree...

Traveling is simply not about getting from one place to another. Although the literal meaning might be that. But when you set out from home hoping to discover something new its a travel that is beyond getting to some place. Of what joy is a travel if there are no experiences to be carried home. The discoveries are not just limited to finding something that is out there. Its also about things that you discover about yourself through this process. Yesterdays travel had both the learning's. During a visit to a lesser known village called Atikari bettu it dwelled upon me that nothing much had changed with regards to education infrastructure in this ancestral village of mine. Parents wishing to educate their children had to get them admitted to a school in Mulki. That's a healthy 8 KM ride by cycle to and fro. I checked with dad he said it was the same for him in college days 40 years back. What has changed in this countryside?  Roads and electricity infrastructure are b...

The music in the street is still loud. Its 2:30 past midnight but the madness of celebration is no where close to ending in Mangalore. Its the last day of famous Mangalore Dasara. Its famous for its procession, the city is all bright and shining with sparkling lights. For a click happy person like me its been an amazing day. Spent almost all day capturing different emotions of people in this city. I might be an ammature in the field of photography. But I ain't competing with anyone, its for the joy of the soul I try to capture moments and freeze them in time. Learning, well quiet a few. When you know you are least bothered about being judged you simply enjoy what you do. Like my photography no one takes it seriously, so continue to enjoy it. Disagreements and love for dear ones can always coexist. Classic proof me and my parents we enjoy each others company despite our disagreements. Don't over burden your soul with expectations. When you really get into the groove ...

Sometimes you travel because you hate sitting at home on a holiday. There are times when you travel for adventure. There are also times when you feel you need to unwind with a vacation. All these travels are great yet they are still different from the ones where you travel not for reasons that enthrall your mind but to find clarity and cleans your soul. That day I decided I truly need to make this happen. Let my heart lead the travel and just explore. Sounded like a great proposition. The thought gave me sort of a high. Next step was to avail leave, may be a short sabbatical of sort. Spoke to my boss about the journey that I want to go on. He seemed to really encouraging of it. I then shared my plans with my better half then. She was a little uncertain if I really want to do anything of this sort. But then she told me that may be I should really make it happen. She had her fears, for she is sweet and loves me a lot. But somewhere within she too believed I had to do this. ...

“Happiness is not always outcome of an act, Happiness is at times the act itself. A lot of times happiness is lost, Lost in transition of thoughts. It would be much easier to be happy, By living more and thinking less.” I wrote the above lines and began to ponder why so much fuss about happiness.  I questioned myself, “Aren’t there multiple avenues leading to happiness?”  I let my mind go a little wilder and let it take trip of its own.  I dig deeper and realised that sadness is the key to realising the absence of happiness. More importantly the existence of happiness gains prominence because sadness exists.  A relation closely shared by truth and lies and also shared by light and darkness.  Some prefer silence than making noise; it’s the act of making a point by not making one. One can certainly be happy without going out in the wilderness hunting for happiness. Seeking the known which is camouflaged and labelled to be the unknown is...

"Always heartbreaking when you got to leave your city behind and all that you carry along is a bag full of memories." I wrote the above lines as the train was about to chug off from Hubli railway station. I was heading back to Bangalore, which I term as my Karmabhoomi, for that’s where I work. In the last couple of months my visits to Hubli have been more frequent. I end up spending a minimum of two days every month in the company of my parents in Hubli. It’s a tier two city as everyone terms it. So there is a huge gap between the socio-economic lifestyles of Bangalore and Hubli. One part of the story is it does make me feel uncomfortable as lack of development in Hubli is very apparent.   The city by itself has always been the epicentre of not just socio-political events but happens to be a prime city for trade reasons too for northern Karnataka. The pain areas are very basic yet they are the most important ones. Basic infrastructure such as roads, drinking ...

  It was the fourth time that evening I had checked the time, it read 7:57 PM. I had planned to leave office a little early that day but alas I had failed yet again. Finally I had managed to wrap the work, pack my bag and leave for the day. After several months I was finally visiting my family, next three days I would be happily away from the city and work.

"You want to lead an uncompromised life,  You want to be the rebel you are not,  But in the end you shy away from deep desires.

Photo Credit: www.facebook.com/Biplab-Mahato-Photography It sure doesn’t matter to me how long it’s been since I last posted my thoughts on my blog. What sure incites my soul is that I am attempting to find my way back to doing what I like doing the most –“Writing cause I love to.” I am not sure if it’s a moonless night or starli t sky outside. Well either ways beauty exists in both. Such is life too, if you have the right attitude you can enjoy it even in the darkest hour as much as you enjoy it during your life’s happiest moments. Walking back home each day I meet a florist. Well she is not the one who owns an air conditioned store with fancy packaging service. She is just another ordinary woman trying to earn her living, weaving the flowers together on the street side. A complete stranger to me, yet when I pass by her we exchange smile. Her smile reflects satisfaction. Satisfaction, that she is enjoying her petty job more than that of the man who stops his swa...

“Coffeeee!! Teaa!!” “Coffeeee!! Teaa!!” The vendor called out as he passed the coupe. “Thuddd!” The baby fell on its knee trying to walk across to his mother. The mother ran to pick up the child and is busy placating him. Ravishing young lady sat across him checking her flock of hair in the mirror of her mini clutch bag. The chatter from the group of young boys engrossed in a card game relayed from above. The train had halted at Varnasi for 15 mins. He hadn’t moved or uttered a word from the time he got on. The newspaper covered Sanjay’s face; his eyes peered through his bi-focal spectacles and his hair rested neatly combed sideways. A pencil in his hand was losing his grip, he felt drowsy as he struggled to keep his eyes open. He heard someone calling out his name in a distance. He tried to run in the direction of the feeble voice. As he reached closer, the voice got louder, and the vision got better. He saw a young boy struggling to stay afloat...

When destination is unplanned, Journey never ends. If you ever think, That you have reached, That you have arrived, Then think again. Where you have reached, Is only one amongst the many milestones. Sometime later it will be time to pack again, Get set and hit the road again.

A journey called life that never seems to end, Joy, sorrow and confusion is just a perfect blend. Dreams not just one but many, Some sweet, some sour and some dark. Life in a way is a reflection of those dreams, They may not have all come true Yet what stays alive is the spark . There are days when I ask myself, What I want to be? The answer seems to change its form, But the question remains the same within me. Life pretends to be in a state of constant trance, Stirring itself in direction of the inconsistent rhythm. Yet there seems to be a pattern to it, A joy within when high, A silence when bit by sorrow. The journey will end someday, The music will die, But who knows life may still go on, For its journey that has ended not life! - Cheers N Peace! VJ!

Back again and the journey continues! Well I sure was alive all these days, but never felt like writing anything, not until today. But then finally the fingers began tapping the keypad of my laptop and thoughts starting taking shape of words. I seem to be returning back to where it all began. The long overdue break from Mumbai finally arrived. The break did give me ample of time to reconnect with the person within me, my alter ego. And it sure looks like I am finally slowly getting back to being myself. I always loved being in the moment. The happy go lucky boy! Guess it suits me best. I have always believed whatever happens, happens for the best. No good no bad... life’s too short to be sad! Life’s always has been an amazing canvas..... Colours got spilt on it with every new phase in life and the picture took birth! And that’s life! Sure I am determined as ever to explore new avenues in life. Its not that, I am going to stop and go on a sabb...