How can we be a developed country?

It happened yesterday morning.

A brand new Honda City stopped beside a traffic island. An young copule were inside, apparently going to a wedding or some function, because they were dressed very brightly. Her phone was glued to her ear - maybe she was asking for directions. He looked bored to death.

Suddenly, the window pane came down. She tossed out a polybag containing some garbage casually, without noticing where it went. It landed right in the middle of the walkway. I was approaching from the opposite direction; I was so shocked that I stopped in front of the car, giving them critical looks.

I had just finished a call and was still holding my cellphone. I pulled it out and pretended to take a snap. She got out of the car and asked me what was wrong!! (Imagine!!) ....Of course, she could follow my line of sight and knew what was not ok. Her companion had started the car by then, so she jumped back and they left without any further word or action.

If the educated and rich behave like this, how can we expect more civil behaviour from others?

Its time for some introspection... take a look at ourselves and wonder if we are fulfilling our roles as responsible citizens. How can we condemn others? Its not as if others should behave properly while we can do whatever we criticize them for doing.

There are so many similar things that we do, knowing fully well that we shouldn't be doing them.

CHANGE...or we shall always remain a "developing" nation, instead of a "developed" one.

___

This is a part of contest titled "Time to Change!" on Indiblogger.

Tag-a-Thon

I’ve been tagged by Rahul of Cognitive Amalgamation. Thanks dear!!

I have taken some time to respond, 'coz this one is a bit different. I have to answer questions asked of me and ask further set of questions to anybody I wish to tag. (Thats Rule #2, btw)
Here are rest of the Rules:

Rule#1: Put the rules on your blog.

Rule#2: Every person tagged should answer the 11 questions asked by the one that tagged you, tag 11 other people and ask them 11 different questions.

Rule#3: Let the people whom you tagged know you've done so.

Rule#4: Don't tag anyone who's been tagged before.

Rule#5: Really do tag 11 others; don't go all ''if you want to take this tag''. [Yikes!!]

Here are answers to questions Rahul asked:

1. What are you passionate about?
Love.

2. Cinema and Politics. What do they mean to you?
Cinema implies recreation. I love purely commercial Bollywood flings, because you go in expecting nothing, and come out thinking how idiotic people can be. :)
Unfortunately, Politics mean nothing.

3. One good thing you want to happen in India, for people – Long term?
100% literacy

4. One good thing you want to happen for yourself – Long term?
It's maybe obvious... I wish people would stop calling me fat.
5. One good thing you want to happen for yourself – Short term?
I am too blissful a person to want anything like this.

6. A frank thing you want to say about one of the bloggers here?
Here.. where? I love the works of most bloggers I come across in blogosphere. I detest technology blogs, 'coz I cannot relate to them.

7. Belief in God?
Only in times of crisis. You can call me Agnostic.

8. One thing you would surely do to uplift this poor country?
Kill certain politicians, if I could.
On a serious note, I inspire people not to cheat.

9. One secret about you?
Secrets should better remain secrets, isn't it?

10. Do you hold any regrets in your life?
There have been disappointments,but I havent held them as 'regrets'.

11. Adventure if any in life…lets count:
Starts right from school days. Countless.
Here are 11 questions you have to answer:
1. What does blogging mean to you?
2. Name the person who influenced you most.
3. Which is the last book you read?
4. Which are the subjects you hated most in school and college?
5. If you were to become a sports celebrity overnight, who would you choose and why?
6. Name your dream travel destinations- India and Abroad.
7. Describe your job briefly.
8. What is your alternative career option?
9. Do you really think the world will come to an end after December 2012?
10. What are the things you would like to do before you die?
11. Your views on television soaps?

I hope, those named below take this tag:
1. Sushmita of My Unfinished life
2. Ashok of ashokism...
3. Ramesh of Global Madrasi
4. Arvind of Simple Stories
5. Rachna of Rachna Says
6. Sulagna of pink n black
7. Sandipan of Sandi's Musings
8. SRK of KIRUKU
9. Deepika of Words as a Form of Life
10. Rupa of Quest for the UNKNOWN
11. Upasna of Someplace Else.

And if you like to answer these questions, and I could not include you here; consider yourself tagged and take it on!!!

The Land of the Wilted Rose

Having enrolled in the Book Reviews Programme by Blogadda.com, this is the first time I have been selected to review a book. The book is titled "The Land of the Wilted Rose", by Anand Ranganathan. The cover, as you can see from the image on the left, has only an almost-dry rose on a yellow-ochre background. I felt very excited when I received the book... and when I opened it, I was in for more surprises.

There was a handwritten note from the author (Anand Ranganathan) which added a personal touch. And a welcome note from the website, personally signed by Founder and CEO, made me feel very good.

Now the book.

The Land of the Wilted Rose is the first of a quartet - a four book series. And whatever is written as a synopsis of the book on the back cover does not really tell you what the series of books, or this book in particular, is all about. Just a vague idea is all you will get.

And the surprise element is right at the start. It gives you such a jolt that you are hooked on to the book right away. So long, in school and elsewhere, we have heard about how tyrannic the British were during their rule in India. The plot of the book is set at a time when the English have conceded ground, and Indians are gaining power. So much so that the tables are reversed completely: the Indians abuse the English and oppress them. 

A prominent character is the Maharaja, who is all but seventeen years old. Yet, he is the ruler of 73 provinces, as good as ruler of the World. So much power, wealth and luxury at this young age has indeed spoilt him to the core. What is more, the subjects and officers of this Indian maharaja are all English.

The book excels in its detailing and tongue-in-cheek humour. The characterization is just mind blowing. The author has brought forward the finer traits of each human being, be it the king or the common man.

This book, being a part of a series of books, only creates the prelude for the rise of the White Mahatma, who would eventually rise to fight for the right of Englishmen. But I felt that all four parts of the story should have been published together, in a big fat novel instead of part books. The reason is that one may lose track if he picks up a book that is intermediate in the series... and moreover, lot of text has to be devoted to refer to past incidents if separate volumes are used. You know what I mean? For example, the Harry Potter books also form a series... the characters grow and the plot thickens in each book, but even if you pick one up randomly, you would enjoy it as an independent novel. This was what I found missing in this book.

The overview of the following books in this series has been provided to ensure that your eyes remain on your bookstore till you get hold of the final novel.

 

This review is a part of the Book Review Programme at Blogadda.com. 

Anupama in Bhopal

I have been in Bhopal for long stretches in the past two months because of official purposes, but have discovered a beautiful city that lies undiscovered in the heart of the country. Name Bhopal, and the first thing you can relate to it is a Gas Tragedy, an incident that happened more than quarter of a century ago. Such a blemish it has been to the city’s reputation, that it is not known as a possible tourist destination.

Much to the surprise of my colleagues, I was adamant that the city be explored in between work. We went to Van Vihar one late evening, an artificial animal reserve, where animals move around freely in secluded spaces.

One day when I was on my regular rounds, I had to get into the Core City. The architect in me could not but notice two large domes amidst the urban fabric.

“Whassat?”, I enquired of the driver.

“That’s Moti Masjid, Madam; but I can show you a bigger mosque if you wish”, he offered innocently.

The building I needed to visit was in itself an architectural wonder – it was a Nizam’s palace, now taken over by the State Government. I did not have a camera with me, but my phone came in handy. The staff watched me curiously as I went around clicking happily.

The driver took me to Taj-ul-Masjid, Asia’s largest mosque. The entry is indeed grand.. the building is perched on a huge flight of steps and you step in to a massive courtyard. The central waterbody soothes your psyche as you wonder at the architectural brilliance. You may be lucky to see some Art students sketching in a corner or Architecture students trying to measure each moulding. Contrary to popular belief, girls are allowed inside the main mosque – only one is requested not to disturb the people praying in there.

I also explored Moti Masjid on the way back. The main mosque is in white, in stark contrast to the red sandstone all around. There are small waterbodies in the corners of the courtyard, and the ripples create an interesting play of light and shade on the surrounding structures.

The next day was Saturday… and we were free by lunch time. So long I had been watching the various lakes in Bhopal. Did you know Bhopal was also known as the “City of Lakes”? The Upper and Lower lakes, Shahpura lake and some smaller lakes are assets of the quiet town. Our driver took us for enjoying a boat ride in the Upper Lake. Much to my surprise, one was offered lots of options between paddle boats, steamers, speed boats and also conventional boats. We chose the conventional boat first.. and I actually tried my hand at rowing!! Did you know I was in the School Rowing Team? Those boats were different, of course.

Sunday is stricty no-work day, I had declared. We went to Sanchi, a World Heritage site, just 50 km from Bhopal. We crossed Tropic of Cancer on the way. Sanchi was thrilling, bringing back memories from my B. Arch days.

At the very next opportunity, we visited Bhimbedka, another World Heritage site. Cave paintings from the earliest known human civilization can be seen here. This site is also a Geologist’s delight, as various formations of sedimentary rocks can be seen here.

We also checked out various dams in Bhopal - Kerwa and Keliasot are small dams and fail to excite you with their current water levels. But Kolar Dam stuns you altogether. If you are in Bhopal, do not miss this for anything.

Although I may be sounding overworked in the previous post, I actuallly made the most of this opportunity!!

Photographs: Yashwant Namasani, Anupama

7-11-2-9-5-6-1-8

You may be wondering what those numbers mean.

Thats my schedule since January; and the reason why I have been absconding from blogosphere of late.

Barely through the first week of the new year, I went to Bhopal, the site of my current project on 8th January. My responsibility was client interaction and supervision of the site work. I was scheduled to return on 13th, but as it always happens with outstation trips, my stay got extended till  19th.

The story behind my return was that I had applied for leave for a week, so after two days, I went to Calcutta to attend a wedding, a puja at home, and of course, relax!

Back on 30th, I was hoping I would stay in Delhi sometime and sort out things which have been pending during my absence. But that was not to be. There was a crisis at site, and I had to be in Bhopal once again. But the hitch was that my cousin's wedding was round the corner, and I had to be in Calcutta once again. So I stayed in Bhopal from 5th to 10th, came back for a night, went to Calcutta on 11th and finally, am back!!!!!!!!!!

Green on Green

Ever since I bought a camera phone, I have developed a tendency to capture moments that draw my attention.. however small and insignificant they may be. It could be an ear-ring worn by a complete stranger, or a splash of colourful waste on the roadside. And its very easy and convenient, actually.

The other day in a metro station, I noticed this young lady dressed in military green... that's not the big deal.. the deal is in her socks. Wow, they are green too!!

I got to admit that I haven't seen adults wear green socks... one may wear skin toned, black and even grey ones, but green?

Out came my mobile, with the camera mode on. Pretending to be fiddling around with the handset, as is common with people these days, I executed my shot to near perferction.. "Green on Green", I had titled the image.

But fate was against me. A fellow passenger had walked up behind me, rather stopped there when he noticed me setting the frame.

"Not an extraordinary pair of legs, I guess?", he commented.

"Why would a girl photograph a girl?", he said in the same breath.

Now, that last phrase had caught some ears, and people were turning around. To avoid creating a sticky situation, I was left with no choice but to counter the perhaps-innocent stranger.

"Why would you peer over a girl's phone, may I ask?", I scorched back - I was standing to my full height, and had a strict look on my face.

Luckily, the people around me, with hardly any idea of what led to this spat, chose to support me. They condemned him for interfering with girls... and thanks to the high frequency service of the metro, it was over in three minutes.

    

My Brave Girl

This is a true incident that happened on the evening of November 24th. However, since I did not take permission from her, allow me to change her name. She is my colleague; and let's call her Shalini.

Have you seen street urchins throw stones at buses on the road? I have, but havent bothered about it much, coz it seems to be just children throwing small stones, most of which do not reach the moving vehicle. But what happens, if the stone is comparatively big, and it hits the glasses?

After a long day at work, Shalini was going home by a bus, when this happened. Someone threw a stone at the bus, and the projectile broke through the glass and hit her right on the face. Poor girl, she was not even on the window seat and fate had selected her.

Feeling blood, she screamed for the first aid box. Luckily there was one on the bus, and few fellow passengers helped her to clear the glass bits. Any other person in her place would get numbed in this situation, but her sharp brain quickly estimated the most prominent location where she could call her parents to. She asked the driver to start the bus, while someone called the police. In fact, they met the police on the way. The men asked the women on board to help them in carrying Shalini to the police, but no one came forward. Clutching her cell phone and purse, Shalini had to walk to the car herself. Her spectacles had fallen somewhere, perhaps broken too, but she could not think about them right then. Since she was bleeding profusely and her eyes hurt, she was sure that she needed medical attention urgently. She asked the police to take her to a hospital, and inform her parents at home. Two people from the bus volunteered to be with her all the time, till her parents arrived. The government hospital where the police had taken Shalini gave her very limited care, and wanted her parents to take her elsewhere for some tests since their own equipments were out of order. This was when they decided to shift her to a private hospital close to their home, and at least, where all facilities were under one roof. Her brother, much elder to most of us, took charge hereafter and completed all formalities.

It was much after the incident when we came to know about all this: next morning. When we rushed to the hospital, her face was swollen and cut; and we could hardly keep ourselves steady. Her mother told us that this was a much cleaner look, while Shalini jokingly told us how she vomitted everywhere: in the police car, government  hospital and also after her admission to the private setup.

We were relieved to see that Shalini was out of the trauma of the incident. She is young and unmarried, and we were worried that a face injury could disturb her future. She would be undergoing surgery soon to set right a few cracked, displaced and depressed bones... and only time will tell how she sails through this. A sharp and brave girl that she is, Shalini would be back with a bang!

Amen.

P.S: My appeal to all of you is that please condemn such incidences... they prove nothing, yet hurt inncocent people. Why throw stones at buses?

And if someone is hurt, please come forward and help. Delay on your part can cause a life loss, even.

An update:
Shalini (actual name: Rupa) has written about her experience in detail. Read it here on her blog.

Two Extra Hours

"What would you do if you had two extra hours to yourself everyday?".. a simple question!

My first reaction was, "Nah, I don't need any more! Isn't 24 enough?"

Pondering, I realized there are few simple things that suffer because we are always short of time.

For one, I would Read the Newspaper diligently. I usually leave for office quite early, and can take a look at the paper only after I get back. This actually means glancing at the headlines, absorbing about 5%. 30 minutes for a fair scan through the bunch.

Number two on the list is Have Breakfast properly.  My morning schedule on weekdays is jampacked, and due to any abberation caused by extended sleep or any unforeseen event, the axe is almost invariably on the breakfast. I know that's wrong, but... . 15 minutes. Total 45 minutes.

Another thing that tends to get squeezed on weekdays is my bath. With two extra hours every day, I would like to block 15 minutes flat for a peaceful Bath. 15 minutes. Total 1 hour.

I would try to attend to my health (read fitness) a bit. I know it is all about a few free hand exercises, and it takes little dedicated time. But who has it? Anyone who does tries to inspire me by saying, "Do you not have 20 minutes for yourself?" .. Maybe I do, but you have to allow me to be lazy at times. So maybe I can carve out some time out of this "Extra time". 20 minutes. Total 1 hour 20 minutes.

You know what I would do for my home? Do the dusting everyday. I live in Delhi, where dust particles travel in the air.. and settle on anything that comes in the way. I just cannot inspire myself to brush it daily.. and would go for this chore only once a week. It requires 10 minutes, believe me, if you do it daily. So there you are. 10 minutes. Total 1.5 hours.

Well dusting is not the only thing that requires day to day attention... so allow me to budget 10 more minutes to miscellaneous housework.You know how it is... something or the other needs to be stuck, or replaced, or any such thing that remains pending till the weekend.. and maybe gets postponed to the next due to some unforeseen event or sheer laziness. That totals to 1 hour 40 minutes.

And last but not the least, I would like to allot 15 minutes to cooking and 5 minutes to sheer laziness. You know cooking gives you an unearthly pleasure.. the joy of creating a tasty concoction from raw ingredients is undescribe-able. My busy schedule has drained all enthusiasm out of me, but I look forward to instances of trying out new recipes.. or improvising the existing ones.

The last 5 minutes is a buffer that would get fitted wherever I feel like, mostly to the morning sleep. Winter is slowly setting in Delhi, and who would mind 5 extra minutes of sleep?

I pose this question to you... What would you do if you had two extra hours to yourself everyday?

Delhi International Arts Festival

Delhi International Arts Festival - a multi dimensional, multi venue annual extravaganza of all kinds of art forms: music, dance, films, theatre, what not. Somehow, it maintains a low profile and enjoys very selective publicity. What I mean is that although I live in Delhi, listen to the radio and move about in the city, glance through newspapers, I detect absolutely nominal coverage. My fate with this event is somehow jinxed.. it sometimes coincides with my holidays, sometimes I dont realize its on. This year too, this 15 day festival from 31st October to 15th November was about to give me the slip. But luckily I chanced upon a newspaper advertisment on the 7th. I checked out the website mentioned therein almost immediately to download the schedule of events.

I wanted to go on 7th itself, but could manage to land up only until the 10th. I chose the venue that was most convenienet for me, and also had two events scheduled on that day. Unfortunately, my husband was busy and could not accompany me. But so strong was my urge to break out of the daily routine, that I was mentally prepared to go alone. However, a junior from college who is also training under my husband, joined me.  Both of us landed up at the India Habitat Centre to attend a musical performance by a singer from Israel called Noa. Not only is she stunningly beautiful, her voice is strong, yet melodious. We could not understand the lyrics.. but who needs words to enjoy good music? She transported us to a different world altogether. Later she sung a song in English and made the audience sing with her too.

We slipped out of the music recital to an auditorium where a classical dance performance was scheduled. Although Bharatnatyam is a common danceform, the performance was so divine that it seemed completely new to me. The dancer, Vani Ganpathy, herself explained the lyrics and the choreographical interpretations so that we could enjoy her renditions, although we could not understand the lyrics of the background music (which was mostly in Tamil).

I felt strangely liberated with this break, and although I missed my family badly, I came back the next day to watch fringe dance. It consisted of a section on different forms of Manipuri dance, with their colourful costumes, and very delicate touch of martial arts. The last section was by a contemporary dance by a professional team called Danceworks. They are based in two Indian cities, with number of international dancers and more than 5000 students. Isn't that impressive?   

You must be wondering where are the photos.. but I am sorry, somehow my photos havent come out well. And my video recordings are long and heavy. So, please pardon me. I shall post few once I get some from my friends. And I promise you, that I am going to be back next year!

Team Building at Sariska

My Monday blues disappeared when I received a mail nominating me for a Team Building Programme at Sariska Palace, Alwar from 16-17th of September.


We were a team of 32 colleagues from various departments. We started on 16th morning from office. It had rained heavily since the night before and roads were waterlogged. It took us about six hours to weave through the traffic, but a sumptuous mid-way breakfast made up for all the stress.


Sariska is a known for its Tiger Sanctuary. Just Adjoining it is Sariska Palace, built by Maharaja of Alwar and presently been converted into a heritage hotel with all the modern amenities. This is also the location where the Bollywood movie, “Karan Arjun” had been shot.



Our trainer, retd. Major Subhash Mahajan, joined us on the way.



Allotted rooms and roommates, we quickly freshened up and gathered for lunch.

It was raining ever since we arrived, so our activities were restricted indoors.



We were divided into four teams with 8 members each, and the trainer gave us a problem to solve. He had created a model, which we needed to study to visualize the problem.

The rain had stopped by then, so we could venture out a bit. The trainer made us stand in a circle and explained the games he had planned for us.



The adjoining picture shows one of the many games where four blindfolded representatives had to collect coins strewn on the floor, guided by respective team members.






The post-tea session was very challenging. We were divided into three teams this time, handed a piece of cloth, two colours and a paintbrush. We not only had to name our team, we had to frame a motto, design a flag and compose a 12-line song without repetitions!



The theme was “Mera Ujjwal Bharat” and we were given an hour to complete the task.



We were imparted a crash course on first-aid training during emergencies.



It was actually fun!







We assembled in the evening on the outdoor podium for a cultural evening presented by the staff.


When the dancing began, we all joined in.


The next morning began early in the Conference Hall. We discussed our ideas on what the Organizational Values of DIMTS should be.



We had almost transformed into arguing politicians in the Parliament, so much brainstorming was done!





We got to showcase our creativity when we were asked to make a gift for our room-mate, and tell everyone about the person we spent the night with… someone we didn’t perhaps know well enough before!








We had a rapid fire session of sketching our imagination on paper : the only challenge being a team member sketches after the other, without any prior discussion.

The oraganisers had something planned for us too. They selected three men and asked them to decorate three girls with ornaments made of newspaper.



The makeover was indeed innovative.

The last activity was almost like a blind date with toilet paper. We were asked to take as much we wanted to.. and then one had to share equal number of true and false facts about his own self.



The leading “hoarder” was required to share as many as 93 true and 93 false facts about himself.




We started on our return journey, right after lunch.



We played “Dumb Charades” all along the way, our enthusiasm outweighing our fatigue.



It was indeed a trip to remember, where we made many new friends.

Framed in History

Photo Tour of Goa in Monsoons

Monsoons, popularly described as the time of the year to stay put indoors and sip tea as the rain lashes your window pane.

Umm, not for some.

And we chose Goa, a Union territory enriched with heritage, and flecked with beaches, churches, temples and more.

We knew the sea would be fiery and there would be no water sports. But we knew something else too. There would be no crowd either. And nature would be at its beautiful best.

Our trip started at Mumbai, because we have relatives there. We booked our seats by a semi-sleeper Volvo bus, which was very comfortable and reasonably priced.

The landscape along the road that snakes through mild hilly terrain between Mumbai and Goa has an unadulterated beauty about it. The rain soaked fauna is lush green.

We were determined to stay in North Goa, because we were told that all the action is right there.

We got off at Mapusa and went to Calangute beach straightaway in the search of a hotel. Well, you can afford to take such risks in off season, don’t think of it in peak tourist seasons!!

You may well have to book your hotel three months in advance.

The options of lodging, however, are numerous and rising in Goa. There are hotels of varying budgets, guest houses, anything you may want.

We wanted to stay as close to the beach as possible, and the one we zeroed in was perfect: Hotel Goan Heritage.

Our room overlooked both the swimming pool and the sea. And a gate from the campus would open directly to the beach.

Goa offers another flexibility to the tourist: Hire your own vehicle and go wherever you want.

You may hire a Scooter, a fancy bike or a car. Hiring a tourist bus or a taxi is also possible, but that’s too ordinary a thing to do.


There is perhaps no petrol pump in Goa except Panaji. Petrol is available in roadside shops, albeit at a slightly high price, but fuel is not a problem at all.

Because you have turned up in off season, you may find perfection missing from everything.

Moss and weeds grow freely on the rain soaked monuments.

This is the entrance to Fort Aguada, which was actually a storage for water in the higher parts of Goa. An abandoned lighthouse is also here.

The Fort overlooks the sea below.

The slope down is rocky on which a dense growth of trees tip into the sea.

The horizon almost merges …

Down the road from Fort Aguada, we drive to Sinquerim beach. It is obviously the extension of Aguada.


A circular viewing gallery has been constructed, and if you stand there for even five minutes, the angry splashes of the sea would drench you.

Taj Vivanta, a five star resort, overlooks this beach.

Moving north along the coastline, you would discover Candolim Beach, characterized by this old deserted ship.

In our search for a fort called Ries Margos, we arrived at this unnamed beach.

The fort lies right opposite this viewing gallery, and is presently under renovation.

What a lovely resort this fort would make with its picture-perfect location!

For the shoppers, even in this not-so-tourist season, Goa offers a myriad variety of beachwear, junk jewellery, funky eye-gear, alcohol and sea food.

Another craze is temporary tattoos. Although the overnight artists claim that these would last a month, in all probabilities, these would last few days. If you want a permanent one, check out the tattoo studios in Goa.


This is at Baga beach, btw.

Anjuna Beach. Rocky but picturesque. You can step in the sea if you are careful.

There’s water trapped in the rocky base, and you can see tiny fishes.

Vagator is another rocky beach along the coast. The approach is from an elevated level, but if have some time in hand, and your adventurous self is active, you may venture down.

The next destination is Fort Chhapora, which is in ruins. What remains is the boundary, and you cannot make out where the inner structure were.

The wind is so strong that birds cannot fly against it.



And needless to say, the view of the sea is breathtaking.

Three beaches await to be discovered by you. The blackish sand, the gentle slope inviting you into the sea and complete ignorance by the tourists characterize them: Morgim, Aswem and Mandrem.

If you are lucky, you may witness some fishermen in action, some tending to their boats and get a feel of their daily routine.

The northernmost beach, Arambol, is popular among foreigners and other tourists as it is closest to Mumbai.

It has some trees on one side.

Our guide showed a beach further north by the name of Quickem, but no one seemed to know about it.

Next day we ventured into Panaji to book our return tickets and then move on towards Old Goa.

You have to cross the backwaters of the sea and the road is a dream to ride on.

This is Basilica of Bom Jesus. Adjoining it is St. Catherine’s Church and Archaeological museum. These three are well known tourist destinations.

They form a part of a beautiful complex of chapels and churches, which is an architect’s delight.

A road on the backside of this tourist complex leads you to Mandovi River. A ferry service is operated by the Government that carries people complete with their conveyances: two wheelers, cars, trucks and also pedestrians.

In about 15 minutes, you would be on the other side, Divar Island.

There is no tourist spot per se in Divar. It is a peaceful island with picturesque beauty. Piedade village is perhaps the only human settlement, which is sparsely populated. There’s a church and temple on top of a hill.

The tranquility of the place grips you while you drive around. Lose yourself if you will, because there is no signage. You can eventually come to the dock, to be ferried back into Old Goa.

It is also a foodie’s paradise, if you are a non vegetarian. Vegetarian preparations are equally good, don’t worry.

 Mouthwatering sea food cooked in the Konkan style is available in even the smallest joints in Goa. North Indian, Chinese, South Indian options are also there.


Must do: Enjoy a meal on the beachside with your favourite drink.

Our trip was short but we have come back very happy and rejuvenated. There are many things we did not do or see. But we have experienced Goa in a new way. We could explore in the inner roads and see how the common man lives and how the city functions beaneath its shiny armour of tourism. Indeed Goa is a place to be during tourist season where there is fun, frolic, adventure and water sports. Nevertheless, we encourage you to witness Goa in this peaceful and calm version.