Pune Ganesh Visarjan 2015

It was a much awaited trip to be a part of the Ganesh Visarjan procession at Pune and finally I got a chance to experience it.  Ganesh Festival in Pune was started with Bal Gangadhar Tilak  with five mancha ganapati's. This was a platform for community gathering, and  sharing their pains and gains with neighbours.

We started from Mumbai at around  06:40 am by Intercity Express and reached Pune at around 10.30 am. We had break-fast at a local joint and headed to Laxmi Road, the place of all processions .

A huge welcome rangoli was drawn at the centre. 

There were five “Manache” Ganapati mandals – Kasba Ganapati mandal, Tambadi Jogeshwari mandal, Guruji Talim mandal, Tulshibaug mandal and Kesriwada Trust mandal.

We were on the road to witness the charisma of five Manache Ganpatis. All eyes were looking into one direction only.

We reached just-in-time to wave goodbye to the first Ganapati.

The traditional ways of Dhols and attires of Navarri Sarees and Kurtas made the processions more colorful .

As the tradition goes, each Moorti has a Dhol Pathak (Group of members playing Dhols) leading the procession.  Each of them have their own way of attire.

Pune’s Iconic Dhol Pathak (Drum troupes)

Everyone were jumping with joy and dancing to the tunes of the dhols. With each beat, energy levels were going up.

The streets were filled with thousands of participants enjoying the drum beats.

Each of the Pathak, with their royalty and grandeur ,took us back to the history of Shivaji's times.

The traditional way of  all the five  grand processions were electric. 

As  the dhol beats were rising, energy levels were up and everyone waited with their heads and hearts on the road for the next Pathak to enter.

Some wore costumes that carried a message, banners, hoardings, placards etc etc . Some chose to use the procession as a platform to promote their message.

When the sun was high and energy low, we headed back to a local joint in the afternoon hours. After taking rest for some time, we headed to the river next to the bridge where Ganesh idols are ideally immersed. Pune Municipal Corporation had made arrangements to  immerse Lord Ganesh idols in water tanks rather than going in for the usual river immersions. But some of them preferred  the immersion into the river only.

As the light of the day dimmed, the colorful lights on the Ganesh Pandals became brighter.  Each pathak had a theme.

The crowd got thicker and the sounds got louder with Bollywood music. 

After another few hours of dancing, it was time to leave. Finally we had enjoyed the most awaiting festival in Pune- Ganesh Visarjan 2015.  

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Flower Trek to Tikona Fort

Tikona also known as Vitandgad,  is a dominant hill fort in Maval, in the Indian state of Maharashtra. To reach the place, head towards  Lonavala and then to Kamshet and then drive towards Gavhande village which is also called Tikona Peth.  Once you reach the village, there is a temple and vehicles can be parked near the temple. After a small introduction session, we started our walk towards the base of the fort.

A walk about 1.5 km will take you to the starting point of the fort. The trek starts from here. The 3500 feet high hill is pyramidal in shape and the name Tikona means "triangle".

Then the trek goes up and turns 180 degree towards the fort. Once you go up the initial slope and turn towards the fort, you are on an edge with valleys on either side.

While going up, the views of Pawna dam and the surrounding areas are absolutely mesmerising.

Some wildflowers were also seen on the way. Then we reached the main and most guarded entry to the  Fort.

After crossing the main entrance and a few minutes walk, we reached another entrance.

Then the trek goes through a vast area.

On the way we saw a temple of Lord Hanuman.

Cool weather and a walk through the woods was memorable. After a few minute walk we reached the temple named Lord Tuljadevi Mandir. There is small lake in front of the temple.

Soon we reached a 'V' shaped junction . A sign board was placed there to help visitors . We continued our climb  through the left side.

There is a massive stone wheel located within the fort. This big stone wheel was operated with the help of bulls.  From this point, the final ascent to the top begins.

The stairs are steep and each step is much bigger than a regular step. A rope with bolts is fixed which gives you support while climbing.

Guarded by watchtowers and water tanks, this entry is a small duct carved in stone with big steps and so is a tough path to climb.

At the end of  the steps, we saw a very beautiful bastion fortification and caves on the right side. This is also known as Bale-Killa.

After crossing this, we reached a vast area with compound wall all around.  We took a small break to capture the wonderful scenery around us.  Then we moved to the top of the fort. The final stretch was through steps with  hand railings.

There is a temple of  Tryambakeshwar on the top of the fort.

Once you reach the top of the plateau, the view is amazing. This fort has the highest number of water reservoirs which are still good and holds water even now.

Standing on the top, you get a spectacular 360 degree view of the surrounding area. From the top, you get an excellent view of Tung Fort, Pawna dam, Lohagad and Visapur forts. Orange Maratha Empire Flag with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj riding on Horse stands tall on the top of the fort.

We had some snacks which we had carried with us and after some sight seeing we started our descend from the fort. On the way,  greenery, plants and flowers of different  kinds on either sides of the path inspired me to click.

Overall,  it's a nice one day trek which I would recommend , especially during  the monsoons . 

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A few glimpses of Dahi Handi 2015, Mumbai

"Handi"

Dahi Handi or Govinda is a popular festival celebrated across India and the best place to see this 'sport'  is in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It celebrates the legend of Lord Krishna stealing butter as a child. The festival activity involves the making of a human pyramid that would be climbed by  participants who would be known as 'Govindas' . The aim of the activity is to climb to the top and break the pot filled with a mixture of milk, dry fruits, ghee . It is celebrated on the second day of Janmashtami.

Here are some pictures from the celebrations in Mumbai.

3.30 pm:  Govindas start arriving 

4.30: There are several teams for trials. Cash and gifts are offered for Govinda troops to participate.

Govindas forming a human pyramid to break the Dahi Handi, in Mumbai

Little Govinda

9:00 pm : Below is a sequence of photographs I managed to take, demonstrating the pyramid going up and the Handi finally being reached by little Govinda.

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