Author: Pihu

Travelling

Arrival Day 2: Day Trip to Akshardham 

Pihu

From my previous blog you know that I am in Ahmedabad, at my grandma’s house.  I arrived yesterday. Today we went to the famous Akshardham. We left around 2 ’o’ clock. The temple is 30km from the city center which takes about 45 minutes to cover. 

It was scorching hot when we reached. So, my aunt and I had some juice, which she had brought from home. It wasn’t necessary though, since there were many lemon soda and sugarcane juice stalls, along with chaats, gujarati snacks, and handmade clothes stalls. 

While entering, there was a huge queue, We had to submit all leather items, wallets, phones, and bags in a locker.  We first walked beside the beautiful gardens showcasing elephants and idols made from hedges. The temple was very beautiful with intricate carvings. Inside it was like any normal Hindu temple. On the top floor there was an art gallery on Sri Swaminarayan’s life. All the paintings were original and handmade and not printed!

Then we went to the Exhibition.There were many paintings, acts, and scenes, telling stories or giving knowledge about the Ancient Indian Civilization over there. We didn’t even notice, we had already spent four hours inside, and there was still so much left to see.

It was now time for the light and sound show, so we hurried there. They were narrating the story of Nachiketha( a short masterpiece in the ancient Katha Upanishad). We were all starving by the time the show was finished. So, we went to the canteen to have dinner. Oh! And what a dinner, it was really tasty, one must try their canteen when they visit Akshardham. 

On our way back, we noticed a place full of lights, people, and stalls, thus we decided to stop there. The first thing we came across was the stalls displaying footwear such as heels, sandals, bellies, slippers, jootis, you name it!  Only at an average of 250-350 rupees per pair. I regret not buying one!

Inside there were many traditional and western wear shops, again diverse, cheap, and good quality. Honestly, this place is a fashion haven, even its name is Fashion Street. The fake jewellry stalls were even better. No, I am not kidding!. 

We had some amazing Chole Kulche and Mosambi Juice before finally leaving for home. 

Personal, Travelling

Arrival Day 1 

Pihu

Ho, Finally landed, what a feeling! In the airport there was a slight confusion with the luggage belt. 

My aunt, my cousin, and grandpa have come to pick me up. While leaving we were in a hurry, to save the parking fine of 90 inr, but alas we were one minute past the deadline☹️( the queue itself was 2 mins long). While going home what caught my attention was the excellent quality of roads- very clean and big, but the traffic was very rash. There must have been countless times in our stay that we were almost hit. 

The major attraction that came our way was the Sabarmati Riverfront. When the Sabarmati river had started drying up, the government had diverted the water from the Narmada river. They also built parks and a walking track of 10 kms(!) on both the banks. 

After reaching home, I was overjoyed to meet my grandma. Later, she cooked methi ke parathe for all of us . 

In the evening both my aunts, uncle, and cousins went together to Riverfront Flower Park, which is a huge garden the government has developed near Sabarmati Riverfront. It looked even more beautiful and wonderful in springtime. 

There were many places to sit, and a small play area for children. There was even a lotus pond, it had many ducks and fishes in it. 

Later when we went home, we were thinking of stopping, for some street food. But Reyansh, my cousin, was sick. It wasn’t a bad decision though: my grandma had prepared amazing food and the entire family had dinner together. After finishing, nobody was in a mood to sleep, so we all stayed up till 4:30 am, talking!

Personal

For the View

Pihu

Our first long trip alone is a big prospect. As we grow the definition of long changes- going to the grocery store down the street, taking the city bus alone, and traveling Inter-city. 

Today I had the longest solo trip of my life, From Bengaluru to Ahmedabad(1552 Km), but it is only 2 hour from flight. 

Yet I was so tensed out, not about the pre-boarding procedures but about the fact once I am on the plane there is no turning back. In just 2 hours I am in a strange place far from the people I call home, all alone. Plus there is always a margin for accidents, my luggage bag may get lost or my aunt might not be able to pick me up. But I also know if any of these situations do arise, I will be able to handle them. 

Stepping out of my comfort zone made me more confident and gave me an opportunity to grow. I attained courage and belief in myself which I would have hardly found anywhere else. So step outside of your comfort zone today and tell me what it brought you.

Twilight caught from above the clouds
Flying higher than the birds!

Personal, Uncategorized

Just a Small Observation

Pihu

I wanted to post this article yesterday but I had some stuff to do and by the time I finished it, it was already 23:35.  So, anyways I will post it today. 

As you know from my previous article, I recently repotted my plant, which inspired me to take on the bigger task of starting a small vegetable garden. As I was looking for some good sunshine-receiving spots, I realized unlike before there were very few. Since we live in a flat and there is another flat attached to our east side, all the balconies are naturally west facing. Before I think in the rainy season we used to get plenty of sunlight between 13:00 upto 17:00 in all the three balconies, it was the best time for my plants. Then came winter which was the worst time for them, almost 5 died due to lack of sunlight, everyday there was just a gray, gloomy bunch of clouds hanging over the city. Sometimes when the sun used to shine though, It had slightly changed its angle and we didn’t receive as much light in the main balcony as before. In summer it has changed even more:- we have stopped getting any sunlight on all the three balconies, just a little spot in one balcony for 1-2 hours. 

Such a subtle thing I never noticed before. The sun had just changed its route in the sky a bit we can say. If you think about it, it has absolutely no effect on our daily lives, on our work, or on our routine. I don’t think so, I would have noticed it at all, if I hadn’t taken my plants more seriously. 

This is one of the many advantages of gardening. We inevitably get more in contact and knowledge about our environment. Which is actually very critical. 

So tell me if you are an avid gardener, what have you learned from it? And if you are not, do you plan to become one soon, I definitely do! 

Personal

Repotting My Plant

Pihu

My creeper was growing really well, So I decided it was time for it to move into a bigger pot. Now I must mention I had done nothing like this before, though I had a little bit of an idea because the guy in the nursery had tried to teach me how. So, I knew a few basic stuff. 

First I started off by choosing a pot, but the soil in it had gone completely dry and hard. So, I poured water when that didn’t work I turned it around and poured water from the bottom. Finally the soil came out and I transported it to yet another pot. Now, I separated the soft mud and the dry mud(which I kept for later use. After filling the pot about 3/4ths I mixed in a little compost. Then finally I added the Cocopeat, now we are all go for the final step. Miraculously and with great difficulty I managed to shift the plant in one piece. And this is the Final result.

please tell me how it is looking. 

One reason that I wrote about this was because after many days I broke the routine and tried something new. And it made me feel really happy and satisfied. As my favorite saying goes:- “When was the last time you did something for the first time?” My answer as of 1 month before would have been “ I don’t remember!”, what is your answer? Please tell me in the comment section below. See you there!