Hyderabad Trip: Pearl that Glitters with Majestic Elegance

I never knew that my first trip to land of Nizams, Pearl City, Hyderabad, would turn out to be such wonderful experience. Hyderabad was completely lit up and decorated (for my arrival?!), since there was ceremony to mark formation of India’s 29th state Telangana. Although, beating the heat was a nightmare, I made most of my time here at Hyderabad, thanks to my host Akash and his friends, who made me feel home!

Waterfront View

For the first time I had boarded Rajdhani Express to Secunderabad from namma Bengaluru. 9 year old birthday girl, Ayra and 4 year old Ayaan, with their grandmom were my cabin mates. It was lovely spending playing time with them and they made me enjoy train journey like never before! Quality food of the train also deserves credit!

Saturday morning when I reached Hyderabad, I partially buried my dream of exploring the city due to excessive heat. Sorry, it was not excessive heat, it was CRAZY! 40c feels like 60c! And I was coming from city that constantly enjoys 25c-30c! Will it stop me from exploring, NO!

#Birla Mandir, Necklace Road and Hussain Sagar lake- Having lost on the way and midst of confusion regarding picking up a friend and “etc”, I with 4 friends managed to arrive at Birla Mandir which had replica of Tirupathi Lord at 8pm. It was freakily overcrowded- some stories, good winds, nice backdrop of necklace road and sight of calm Buddha in the Hussain Sagar lake pacified me, helped me attain peace of mind!

One of Qutub Shahi Tombs

#Waterfront Restaurant, lakeside restaurant in necklace road is where you have to be next time you go Hyderabad. Amazing ambience with lovely food. I couldn’t resist penning down when I sat there-

When you sit on a lakeside with live music...
You can’t afford to relax…
Those lamps that shined were in a pattern…
Provoking me to explore…
I quietly sat and spent time in picking…
Those bits and pieces…
That I always thought I missed...
That I always thought I had...
Of those friendships that
Got newly made…
Of those friendships that
Got newly made again…
Friendship is never a relation…
It is the relaxation... It is the revelation…

#Qutub Shahi Tombs is set of 7 tombs where Nizams were laid to rest. Beautifully picture perfect with shades of big banyan trees. Unfinished tomb is the showstopper. Serene!

Chaarminar

#Charminar and Golconda Fort, didn’t catch much of my fascination but was kind of dream come true to stand next to it.

#Chowmahallah Palace is the best place I visited in this trip. Tells the story of Hyderabad and its shaping up since 1500s. Royally used armory, grocery items, accessories, photographs, clothing and cars- are the highlights here. Rolls Royce and Ford in vintage cars shed will put anyone in awe!

#Cream Stone serves deserts till midnight and I got my hands on Fruit Exotica & Willy Wonka with extra nuts. Awesome is the word! We had come here after our dinner at -The Pasta Bar Veneto, where IPL final was getting screened and ambience resonated- Abki Baar KKR! I also got a chance to visit -"The Chocolate Room" and "Karachi Bakery"!

Me as a Presenter!

#Friends, Thanks to Akash Budhia for hosting me. Thanks Umang Gupta for awesome selection of places and car rides, indebted! Thanks to Team CronJ, Monu, Aashish, Vijay, Aditi, Avneesh and Vineela for being around. Cheers to our new friendships!

My travelogue would be incomplete if I don’t mention Gopichand Academy which produces best of players. I also got a chance to play badminton and indoor games here at Hyderabad. Bdw, I forgot to mention the reason behind my trip, I came here to present my research work at an ACM conference held at spacious Hyderabad International Conference Center. This trip was indeed superfun and turned to be a great teacher!

Trip to God's own Country

I have never written down a story with poems. Or a poem with stories. It had to come together one day. I didn’t see it coming. So I packed my bag. Joined eight wonderful friends. Feeling good on going for a vacation and breaking away for same old work, terrible traffic and boring daily choirs, we raced to embrace the nature, towards couple of very exciting place that I had always kept hearing, in God’s very own Country, Incredible Kerala!

Friday night, we caught Kallada travels to Alappuzha, a.k.a, Alleppey, the Venice of the East! Smell of humid air was welcoming after we got down 10kms past our destined drop point on Saturday morning. We had to travel back 28kms before we checked in at The World Backwaters in West Kumarakam. Sight of Pool Lake, boathouse, never ending backwaters and my first poem of the trip…

Rowboats those are tied
Aren’t on a sail today…
Nor is my daily struggle…
Still emotions, Still water…
Bound by the lush greenery…
I see the flow of Universe,
In the color of flowing reflections…
Of mine, of the water, In my tied boat…

After the refreshing paddle boat rides, I took time to teach swimming to four of my friends. This was the first time I ever taught swimming. Next morning, same friends pulled me out of bed to pool! We had hired a 12 seater tempo traveler for 3 days. We visited Alleppey beach in the evening, one of the very steep sea I have been to, in the sand we constructed a tunnel like structure with names of all nine of us scribbled in it, visitors also clicked snaps alongside it and an astonishing remains of an old bridge…

I saw a bridge to sea…
Today the remains were left!
Sun was past the red horizon…
Post the past, past my present…
Breeze blew off the remaining remains,
With those memoirs and smell of sand…
Silverlight jungles my house glitter,
In the buzzing roar I walk away…
Today bridge has lost its shine…
I saw its way to sea, And I walk away…

The sight of backwaters from our cottage made our day. Rest of the time was spent on badminton, dumb charades, antakshiri and cycling. 72 hours that we spent on this trip, most of us caught no sleep or very less sleep. Tranquility was being enjoyed to every bit and there was no need for any liquor to get our minds swinging! Sunday morning we were on our way to Munnar, place of Blue Mountains, from sea to top of hill, from humid weather to drizzling cold atmosphere…

Melodies of flute
Singing those tunes of life…
They lost the sun glasses,
Resistant to the heat and the glare…
I flew with clouds…
Kissing tall green trees…
Uncovering red petaled leaves…
Uncovering beauty and peace…
Burning tiredness in camp fire…
And it rained… On my face…
It rained…

In Munnar, we visited a garden with spices and area specific flora and fauna which included those wild orchids locally called Neelakurinchi which blooms once in 12 year. After a pinch of gyan on herbs and shrubs, it was time to enjoy the weather it is known for, drizzles of summer, we checked in at AyurCounty Resorts in Devikulam. It was located beautifully midst tea plantations and sky kissing mountains. On Monday morning, we did explore them and opted for Elephant safari. With a friend playing popular tunes in his flute and others singing along, with bag full of homemade chocolates, spices and memories, with those heartwarming conversations in our pockets, we boarded the SRS Travels, en route Bangalore, at evening 5pm. As we climbed down the Ghats, drizzling slowed down, nature started unveiling the beauty it hid, aroma of the blessed soil and then came my final words…

Mist had blurred my vision…
Of that all I see are blue peaks…
On a crimson morning where
Sunlight is pleasant…
Pond of water through tea palms
Brought the aroma of spices…
I took a deep breath…
Saw through the picture,
With the canopies of Nilgiri hills…
I closed my eyes…
Into a clear vision…

[Photo Courtesy: Yashaswini U & Yeshaswini P. Thanks to Manu, Akhilesh, Vijay, Amar, Yeshwaswini P, Yashaswini U, Sushma and Mridula for being part of it. Cheers!]

Also encourage you to check these posters sent to me from  Kerala Tourism!

Zenith..

Soothing tunes

Renovates spirit

Scales zenith

At times we get dejected. Music is the best discovery of Man. Tunes have made us groove and also, as our stories have told, brought down rains, and not to forget,  regardless of situation, has brought joys and sorrows. It has no language/region/religion barriers, just the octaves. Hence, at the top is unity, unity and only unity.

This Haiku is written for The Heights Of Haiku - April 2012. The prompt for today is  Renovation.

One to Motherland..

Calm jingles

Shield my splendid forts

Honeybees

In the history of mankind, every country has invaded and attacked. India has been a exception till date.

We have believed in peace, harmony, coexistence, and jingles have guarded our forts. Honeybees, also have these values, particularly, strong family bonds. There is a prayer here when line #2 and #3 are read together!

This Haiku is written for The Heights Of Haiku - April 2012. The prompt for today is  Honeybees.

Musical night..

Poetry doesn't come out without the pain, true..
We long to relive those moments that are lost..
Pain of missing a caring hand, an amazing hug..
Or simply a melody that moves your spirit..
We had a mission, to create those moments..
At a unknown place,  moonlight on the face ..
Climate was picture perfect, heart crooning hmmm ..
Exchanging smiles, glittering eyes,Magic was all around..
We started to sing, melodies of soul of the world..
On and on, magical moments, musical night..

Adieu..

I wish, I wish, that you will not come back..
To the place where I am not there..
To the place where our life had a rythm..
To the place where falling star twinkled every night..
To the place where we opened the eyes..
To the place where we never wanted to come..
Now, world is looking at us, as pioneers of change..
From being nowhere to somewhere, we have changed..
From being noone to someone, we have changed..
Lanes, we walked together, have changed..
Adieu, my friend, for all the golden times..

I wrote for you..

I am amazed, to be a tiny part of the vast ocean..
Moments of joy that I saw, I felt, I smiled..
Dusk setting in, I hold the sun in the mirror that I have..
I try to make my path, midst the dark clouds..
For just, as I see you waiting for me with the umbrella..
Pouring rain, or the cold wind, I care a little..
That doesn't stop me either to breathe or live..
Or for the lines that I always wrote for you..