Mandalpatti

It all happened in a day, Including the one that caused me a week of house arrest. It was a place that I wanted to visit since a long time and there was that opportunity on that day to be there, serene, wild and weathered. 

Mandalpatti  is a magical beauty and an absolutely scenic place in Coorg. Stands mightily at 30th km from the place Somawarpet. The only disappointment and the only concern for all of us who care for nature is that there is a road till the peak. But the access to it, the canopy and the woods through which we pass through is unbelievably wild.

A lonely tree stands impressively welcoming all those and more.

One can see the whole range of the Western Ghats of Coorg

When it is about to set, It doesnt matter where we are, we will be blown away anyway

And I so much liked this view! 

One can camp here if they take permission from the forest department in Madikeri. We were lucky enough to get the permission and experience the wild in the night. The wind, like a monster consistently tried to knock us down the peak; but, it could not sustain the force when the other side was heavy enough with 5 hooligans. 

Just before the sunrise. 

Sun peeking out over the Kotebetta - the 3rd highest peak in Coorg. 

It is an absolute joy to see the woods in the early morning

It looked as if it was lit up with the golden flames of the morning sun.

 The flora and fauna were abundant. Many forms, many varieties. Some of which I had seen, and some were absolutely new. Whatever form they were in, they looked stunning when they were in full bloom. 

The forest office at the peak. The road connects till this point.

Colorful forest with tall trees, some in bloom. Some not. 

One of those wild flowers in full bloom.

Some orchids looked breathtakingly beautiful (Coelogyne sp)

Some more beautiful epiphytes (Dendrobium sp)

some wild flowers in style. (Sida sp)

It may look beautiful, mind you, dont play! 

One of the beautiful riverbed I have seen, One can stay here for any long!

If one wishes to go, take prior permission, take huge responsibility on your shoulders, not to spoil the place and not to be harmful for anything in Nature. Keep it clean, natural and beautiful. 

Srik

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reservations

Excerpt from the book - Breaking free of Nehru by Sanjeev Sabhlok

"Let India become a place of respect-worthy people and not a land of cowards, each coward begging for a little 'extra marks' from others. If you were to call me backward I would be extremely angry. And yet today, entire groups of people seek to be labelled as backward! This is a clear sign of great people who have lost their way. Let all men and women of India forget their social and economic past, and stand up as Indians - no less, no more. Let each person meet the great challenge of making the greatest possible contribution to society by dint of his or her determination, hard work and merit. Let  the best man or woman win in every field of life in India."

--

Powerful. Yet, how many more to be empowered? to be free. How many more to be touched? to be free. How many more to be made responsible? to be free. 

Srik

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passing on the cost

Excerpt from the book - Breaking free of Nehru by Sanjeev Sabhlok

The problem is that we are all guilty, to a lesser or to a greater extent, of such violations of justice. Our collective neglect of the environment has now created a situation where many animal and plant forms are seriously threatened, apart from the damage caused to millions of other human beings. As an example, each time we buy products made from a tree that has not been fully replaced, we pass on at least the following (small) cost to others: 

• the cost of increased flooding and damage to topsoil is passed on to those who live downstream of the forest from which the tree was culled;
• reduced opportunity to make a living by those who make a living off the by-products of the trees;
• slightly less oxygen to breathe for all citizens of the world; and 
• slightly higher temperature and excessive climatic variation consequent to the reduced absorption of Carbon dioxide - faced by all citizens of the world.

In addition, there is a loss to the food chain in the wild, as well as loss of habitat provided by that tree to birds, bees and other animal and plant life. 

--

Thinking seriously on the above excerpt, or even if I think of the process itself, we are causing too much of damage to many such things out of absolute ignorance. Since our lives are intricately bound by the continuing success of all other species of life, how can we be so ignorant on such things? Are we a free society yet?

Srik

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1757

Excerpt from the book - Breaking free of Nehru by Sanjeev Sabhlok

"But while Europeans explored new ideas and sent exploratory expeditions to all parts of the world, while they discovered new continents as far away as Australia and America and populated them, India put on blinkers around its eyes and turned inwards to save its soul. Not only was individual freedom not on the agenda of pre-1757 India, there was no ambition even to conquer the world. Great ambition is a great driver of progress but India displayed none; it still perhaps has none. Arrogance without ambition - a combination destined to guarantee mediocrity."

----

Sigh! I often think why we remain backwards compared to other western societies; both in terms of thinking and the growth. Wonder whether there were at least some people like now, how there are let-us-google-and-see kind of people existed during the past when it was really required! or whether there were just the frogs in the deep wells and now wondering where was the actual GAP?!

Srik

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Randomness

We often walk on the same road

we meet with the same faces

we go by the same bus

and we chose the same seats

perhaps everyday

we talk with the same voices

and we share same stories

we hear the same pain

and we connect same dots

and almost always

we read the same newspapers

perhaps same old boring topics

we follow the same leaders

and we make similar opinions

we do by choice

we almost do the same job

we eat at the same place

we smile the same smile

we stare at the same person

everyday unconditionally

but, what if, we change

to be different

when we have all the time,

choices in our hands,

and an ability to be free!?

Srik

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