Earth day, celebrated every year since 1970 on April, 22 worldwide in more than 192 countries to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
Save Environment, Save Earth.
Just a "Kos" Away!
Kos kos par badle paani, char kos par vani. I am sure, everyone has heard this famous Hindi maxim. But, do you know how the usage of "Kos" came into the picture? Here is an interesting fact about its evolution. The term Kos slipped into common usage as an abbreviation of "Kos Minars". These were the tall pillars erected as milestones during the Mughal empire in India. The traveling caravans of olden times used them to mark their route and distance. The distance between the two Kos Minars was one Kos. Though it is not used as commonly as kilometers or miles to measure distance, but it is still used as a common indicator of large distances.
I Like My Sky!
As we stopped to admire the beautiful valley on the way from Nainital to Mukteshwar, sun started playing hide and seek behind these beautiful pine wood trees. Managed to capture the sun peeking at me at just a perfect moment.
India's First Highway - The Grand Trunk Road
In the 16th century, Sher Shah Suri, the Pashtun emperor of Northern India, built a major road running across the Gangetic plain. It was known as "Sadak-e-Azam" and it served as an administrative link to the remote provinces of his vast empire. Over the centuries, various rulers added to the expanse of this road, till it expanded to Kabul, to Multan and to Bangladesh. Later it was renamed by Britishers as "The Grand Trunk Road". Connecting many cities with various National Highways under the part of Golden Quadrilateral project.
Today, the Grand Trunk Road remains a continuum that covers a distance of over 2,500 kilometers (1,600 mi). From its origin at Chittagong, it traverses to Sonargaon in the Narayanganj District of central Bangladesh, it reaches India, passing through Howrah, Bardhaman, Panagarh , Durgapur, Asansol, Dhanbad, Aurangabad, Dehri-on-sone, Sasaram, Mohania, Mughalsarai, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Kalianpur, Kannauj, Etah, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Delhi, Panipat, Karnal, Ambala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar. Within India, the major portion of the road – the stretch between Howrah to Kanpur is National Highway-2 (NH-2) and Kanpur to Delhi, which is known as National Highway-91 (NH-91), and between Delhi and Wagah, at the border with Pakistan, is known as National Highway-1 (NH-1). From the Pakistan border, the Grand Trunk Road (part of the NH-5) continues north through Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Attock District, Nowshera, Peshawar and Landi Kotal. Then it enters Afghanistan through the Khyber pass and continues west through Jalalabad, Surobi and ends at Kabul, a large part of the Afghan's Grand Trunk Road is today part of the Jalalabad-Kabul Road.
Grand, isn't it?
That artist from Surajkund
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| An Artist at Surajkund |
While my shopaholic friend was busy, this artist who was on his way for his performance at Surajkund Mela, grabbed the attention of my lens and I managed to get my perfect shot, well, almost perfect. Colorful, isn't it?
7 Adventure Sports You Must Try
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| Scuba Diving |
Only in Delhi
Most people take their own cities for granted and I was no different until few days ago. Born and bred in Delhi and yet was unaware of it's great history. If you are expecting me to tell you the history of Delhi here, you are at the wrong place. This post isn't about the past, it is about the present. It is about the small things that will make you fall in love with Delhi. It is about the people, it is about the experience.
Not so long ago, on a Sunday morning, I was traveling in Metro and I saw a man in his late 30s (not very well dressed) traveling along with his six or seven year old son. He was answering all his son's questions about whatever he could see outside the metro's window. I still remember the joy on that kid's face looking outside. Besides a great transportation mode, I never expected Delhi metro to be beneficial like this and help a dad to bring a smile on his son's face.
I remember when my car broke down in mid way and I was waiting for the car helpline, meanwhile a tempo driver pulled along and helped me to get started and when I tried to pay the driver for his efforts, he refused and left with a smile. Well, I never expected that, at-least not in Delhi. It changed my perspective totally.
A city which is as modern as it is traditional, where beliefs and facts go hand in hand. Where historical monuments stand with pride along with high rise buildings.
A city where so many cultures exists together and all festivals are celebrated with joy and fun. A city which looks lively each day. A city which has accommodated many cities in itself. Well, where else can it happen? Only in Delhi.
Horn OK Please
If you’ve ever driven on Indian highways, you’ll know two things are inevitable: potholes that could swallow small cars, and trucks decorated more colorfully than a Holi festival float. And at the back of almost every truck, you’ll spot the iconic words: “Horn OK Please.”
Now, you might think this is just a polite reminder to honk (as if Indians needed encouragement), but nope - it actually has a dramatic backstory. During World War II, army trucks ran on kerosene, which was basically the drama queen of fuels - one bump and BOOM! To avoid sudden fireworks on the road, drivers painted: “Horn Please, On Kerosene” Eventually, the “On Kerosene” bit retired, leaving us with “Horn OK Please,” which now confuses every tourist who thinks trucks are weirdly obsessed with grammar.
And just when you’ve processed that, another phrase zooms past you: “OK TATA BYE BYE.” Sounds like a cheesy breakup line, right? Actually, it’s genius. Since most trucks in India are made by TATA, and “Tata” also means goodbye in local slang, the phrase became the trucker’s version of “see ya later, alligator.” Quirky, efficient, and slightly emotional - like a Bollywood farewell scene painted in neon.
But my absolute favorite part? The random quotes and slogans splashed across trucks in bright reds, yellows, and greens. One will say “Use Dipper at Night” (which always makes foreigners wonder what kind of dip they’re talking about). Another might say “Speed is a Knife That Cuts Life” - painted on the very truck overtaking you at 100 km/h. And then there are the true gems: “Maa Ka Aashirwad” (Mother’s Blessings), “Buri Nazar Wale Tera Muh Kala” (Evil Eye, Go Paint Your Face Black) - basically mobile wisdom mixed with roadside sass.
Why all this? Well, some say it’s to entertain and keep spirits high on endless road trips. I like to think of it as India’s very own 'highway poetry slam', where every truck is both philosopher and comedian on wheels.
So next time you’re stuck behind a truck, don’t just fume at the traffic - read the back. You might just get life advice, comedy, and a bit of history… all for free!!
Into the Wild
Well, this post isn't actually something about me going into the wild literally, but given the current lifestyle and hectic schedule where you are worried about presentations and clients, going to a zoological park meant as much as visiting a wild life sanctuary to me. Though I had been there as a kid, but watching all these wild animals now as well really astonished me. I do feel bad as they are kind of stuck in their cages, but they also bring smile on lot of kids faces, but that is no excuse, is it? However, I am sure that authorities are taking good care of them.
I flaunted my Canon digital camera like a costly DSLR and managed to capture some interesting pictures. No matter how bad photographer I am, but I always like my photographs on Facebook.
5 Things to Avoid While Traveling
There are two types of people in the world, those who love traveling, those who don't. Planning a trip, scheduling and packing might be difficult for the later ones. Well, there is nothing much we can do to make them fall in love with travel but, there are few things that can make a journey lot smoother.
There are five things that one must avoid while traveling:
- Heavy Suitcase/Backpack: Carrying heavy luggage is a strict No. You don't want yourself to be taking care of too much stuff you brought along by just a thought of you might need it. Make sure to carry only those things that are important to you. To make a list of the important items, read this Travel Itinerary.
- Heavy Food and Unhygienic Food: No matter how inviting it seems, be strong and avoid eating heavy food and unhygienic food as it might upset your stomach. I am not saying that you should not try other cuisine or street food, but make sure it is hygienic and quality is maintained.
- Avoid Keeping All Your Cash Together: It is good to keep your cash at separate locations. This will help you in case of an emergency or theft.
- Limit Your Talks with Strangers: This doesn't mean that do not mix up with the locals, but make sure you don't disclose too much about yourself to them. You never know who that person is.
- Choose Your Hotel Wisely: There have been too many scams already, so make sure you choose your hotel properly. If you are on a planned vacation, make sure to read about the hotel, research about it before booking. TripAdvisor is the best source available. In case of an unplanned vacation, you have to be aware and must follow your instincts.
Surajkund Mela (Faridabad, Haryana) India
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| Surajkund Mela |
If I have to put myself in any of the above mentioned categories, I will definitely fit best in foodies category. To be honest, that would be the only category I will fit in. As I entered, the first thing I noticed was the food court. If you are thinking I searched for the food court deliberately, let me make myself clear, I did not. I found it as I entered, trust me, it was planted there. Now that I was already in the food court, I tried few cuisines from Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat and Delhi's stalls.
Incredible India!
Every place has a tale to tell and it teaches us a lot. I looked at my photography journal and went back to those places virtually. Beautiful pictures of beautiful places and people, I am glad that I captured them in my canon so that I can hold them with me forever. Here is what I realized.
Rajasthan taught me to have a king size big warm heart. It also taught me to fight for our rights, for justice.
Rajasthan taught me to have a king size big warm heart. It also taught me to fight for our rights, for justice.
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| Rajasthan |
Why I love Traveling?
As I continue to explore new places, I have realized that traveling is more than that, more than exploring places and more than just a journey. It is an amazing experience, it is a journey of self realization, it is a journey of self exploration.
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| Traveling |
Here are some of the best reasons why I love traveling.
- Traveling has taught me to be patient and take it easy as things do fall in place eventually.
- It has changed my attitude towards life and taught me to be calm even at most difficult times.
- It has taught me to respect others, I have realized a sense of grounding and looking beyond self.
- It has made me realize my strengths, my fears, my anxieties, my weaknesses and taught me how to deal with them.
- It has helped me to look at the world from a different perspective and changed my outlook towards life.
- It has also made me more confident, easy-going, more tolerant, humble, more flexible and open towards life.
- It has evoked a sixth sense in me to judge things little better. It has taught me to differentiate between good and bad.
- It has helped me to think on my feet when dealing with certain situations.
- It has taught me a good lesson to not to assume things and not to just believe whatever people are saying. It has taught me to analyse better and to believe things as I see.
- It has helped me to polish my skills and I continue to improvise in my photography and to control my wife from shopping.
Keep exploring, keep traveling
Warm regards,
Being Traveler
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