My debut novel

Guys
Good news awaiting all of you out there.
My debut novel will be up for sale at the end of this month.
Here I bring you a special pre-release glance at my book.

The cover of my book

I am sure you all gonna like it.

Like the Facebook page (link given below) for this book to keep yourself updated about the release date.

https://www.facebook.com/MATXN

Ten Most Beautiful Beaches of India

I am a trekker at heart but God I have a blood relation with beaches. My friends call me the "Sunshine" girl. Rightly so. My love for the sunny beaches is no secret. I give you the ten most beautiful beaches in India that are a must visit. 

Tarkarli Beach: : A long, narrow stretch of Beach with pristine white sand and azure blue water in the coastal area of Maharashtra is just what to you are looking for on a quiet weekend getaway. It is located at Tarkarli which is a village in Malvan Taluka, district Sindhudurg. From the beach, one can see the famous naval fort Sindhudurg built by Shivaji Maharaj together with the other sea fort Padmagarh. You can also indulge in water adventures like Snorkeling, Scuba diving and Boating.

Karaikal Beach: Calm and tranquil water, glittering sand, the much needed seclusion and resorts and cottages providing a brilliant sight of the sea, this is what Pondicherry beaches are all about. And the Karaikal beach is just the ideal package of all of these. It has a breathtaking view of the confluence Arasalar River and the Arabian Sea. If you panoramic view of the sunrise then this beach is a must visit. You can also enjoy the boating club on the beautiful backwaters of the Arasalar. The nearest airport to the beach is Trichy (Trichirapalli), the nearest Railway Station is at Nagore and regular buses ply from Pondicherry. 

Light house Beach: The Lighthouse Beach is a part of the famous Kovalam Beach. It is the southernmost beach and the one most frequented by tourists. It got its name due to the old Vizhinjam Lighthouse located on a rocky patch amidst the beach. The beach has not pristine, glittery sand, or it does not have vastness to boast of, a kind of unnatural commercialization has taken a toll really but that is not an end to the story. The sight of the lighthouse and those mighty waves beating against the rocks kind of makeup for everything.

Agonda Beach: If you are looking for a quiet, relaxing me-time you sure got to visit Agonda Beach, Goa. It isn’t as majestic as Bagha or Calangute but it definitely is much less frequented by tourists and your bonus surely is that it looks heavenly and inviting. Palolem is just 15 minutes by motorbike (10 km) away - but Agonda is generally cheaper, quieter, hassle-free and has much less "touristic" feel to it.

Varkala Beach: Also known as Papanasam beach, the Varkala Beach in Kerala gives us a wide angle view of the Indian Ocean. The word Papanasam means wash away sins. It is believed that a dip in the waters of Papanasam Beach washes away all the sins in one's life. Varkala beach is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea, a unique geological feature in an otherwise flat Kerala coast. The beach is a paradise for tourists looking for sun-bathing and swimming. Sunset here is must-watch event every day.

Radhanagar Beach: One of the popular beaches located at Havelock Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Radhanagar beach is the favorite among all nature lovers who love to explore. It offers a wide range of fauna and flora for one to explore. It's calm and clean surrounding offers a soothing sensation. To make you feel great I have this little piece of info for you; It was named "Best Beach in Asia" by Time in 2004.It is ideal for sea bathing and sun-basking. Radhanagar Beach is situated at a place which is 7 kilometers away from Dolphin Yatri Niwas at Havelock Island.

Rushikonda Beach: The lovely Rushikonda beach in Vishakhpatnam with golden sands and vast stretch of water is the best beach in Vizag. Rushikonda Beach, an ideal location to engage in water sports, is spectacular with its golden sand and the tidy waves of Bay of Bengal. It attracts a huge crowd of tourists day by day and many of them enjoy swimming, water skiing and wind surfing. 

   

Mandarmani Beach: Yeah ok I am being a little partial here but most of the other sites are too. They do write a lot about the southern beaches but miss out on the West Bengal and Orissa beaches. But you surely should know some of the resplendent beaches of Eastern India and Mandarmani definitely top the chart. Mandarmani is an isolated beach located in East Medinipur, one of the southern districts of West Bengal. It is almost 180km from Kolkata airport. Away from the hustle-bustle of city life, this newly developed destination has become a tourist hotspot. This 13 km long sea-beach on the Bay of Bengal coast offers a breath-taking view of the sea.

Gokarna: Gokarna is a town in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state, India. Gokarna is the smaller, cleaner and less frequented version of Goa. Now you must have already guessed that it is the seventh heaven. It surely is. Gokarna has four beaches the most popular among them being the Gokarna and Om beaches having religious significance. The other secluded beaches are Paradise and Half-moon Beaches, but beauties nevertheless.

Vagator Beach: It is the northernmost beach of Bardez Taluka, Goa. It is located on the opposite bank of the Chapora River from Morjim in Pernem. Vagator Beach has dramatic red cliffs looking down on the shore and two fresh water springs within a stone's throw of the sea. Vagator Beach is split into two main beaches by a seaside headland which holds the car park and lots of stalls selling trinkets, clothes, soft drinks and snacks. As you face the sea, on your right is North Vagator Beach (Big Vagator) and on your left Ozran Beach, more commonly known as Little Vagator.

A secret entry:

Bangaram Beach: Bangaram beach in Lakshadweep is synonymous with Bangaram Island. According to Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Bangaram beach is among the world's ten topmost secret beaches. Bangaram island in the midst of Indian Ocean is inhabited by the employees of a luxury resort and its guests. Silvery beaches with swaying coconut palms, coral reefs and turquoise blue lagoons make Bangaram a heavenly escapade for travel enthusiasts.

Some special entries:

You must understand that choosing ten best beaches is particularly hard when you are in no dearth of choice. You have your own preferences and that kind of reflects on the choices you make. However I want you to know it all and hence I note down some beaches that I find amazing yet I could not include in the top ten spot.

Udupi, Karnataka: One of the cleanest beaches I have seen. White sand and blue water gives you a heady concoction of awesomeness. If you are around Karnataka this is a must visit. And your perk? It is the St. Mary’s Island.

Ullal Beach, Mangalore: Karnataka, with its 320 kilometer coastline, has many popular beaches. Among the many beaches in Karnataka, Ullal Beach is arguably one of the best. Stretched out in a hue of blue and green, this beach is a prime tourist attraction of the state.

Marari Beach, Alappuzha, Kerala: Little known Marari Beach, not far from Alleppey in Kerala,India is perfect for those people exploring the Kerala backwaters who feel like some time at the beach as well. The name Marari is shortened from from Mararikulam, a small and sleepy fisherman's village.Marari Beach is located in Kerala, a short distance from Alleppey and 60 kilometers from Cochin.

Gopalpur and Chandipur Beaches, Orissa: Gopalpur is a town and a Notified Area Council on the Bay of Bengal coast in Ganjam district in the southern part of Odisha, India. Once a commercial port, it is now a famous sea beach and tourist destination around 15 km from Berhampur. 

Have you seen the sea disappear in front of your eyes? A unique phenomenon rarely seen anywhere else, the sea recedes by as much as five kilometers every day on the Chandipur beach in eastern India, not just enthralling the onlooker but also offering an opportunity to literally walk into the sea.

Goa serves you a plethora of beaches. I will mention the most beautiful ones.

North Goa: Candolim, Sinquerim, Mandrem and Miramar Beaches.

South Goa: Palolem, Varca, Mabor, Cavelossim and Colva Beaches.

Kashid Beach, Maharashtra: I will come up with an article featuring the best of Konkan coastline and you will get a more detailed description of this Beach there. So look out for my next update.

Have the most of your sea fare. And do leave a comment if you find this article helpful. For more updates do join my blog. Stay tuned for more beautiful and unexplored places in India.

A Review of the book “Keep the Change” by Nirupama Subramanian

Chick lit transmogrifies into my favorite genre when I am really bogged down with a hell lot of work or when the blue bugs bite me hard. And on one such bloody blue (no I am not a cricket fanatic and it isn't bleed blue), almost a self-imposed remorseful day with a whale of a hole in my pocket when I went on a book shopping binge I picked up this delectable looking chick lit by debutante author Nirupama Subramanian beckoningly titled “Keep the Change”. I was absolutely looking forward to a bewitching escape from the gloomy mood I had called upon myself.

I was all geared up for the go with a tub full of strawberry ice-cream and a macro Milky bar.

While I was rotting here in my room, B. Damayanthi, the protagonist was rotting somewhere in Chennai, the reason being slightly more serious in her case. The menacing sound of the impending marriage bell was ringing hard and the greasy-haired, sambar-fed suitors (suckers would be more apt though) weren't making it any easier for the 2 year old poor Damayanthi (her age wasn't doing any good either). But when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. And so did Damayanthi. To save herself from the catastrophe she resorts to finding a voguish job befitting her “consistent track record of achieving academic excellence”. And soon enough she lands herself a sassy banker job and off she flies to Mumbai to put an end to her fight with marriage. And soon began the fight with herself.

The 356 page saga is at times racy and at other times downbeat; a mix of very good, good and not-so-good moments. Some gory details could have been omitted. A 250 page action packed novel could have done some real wonder. However, the ending did some wonder of course. It made up for all the sluggish pages that I could not wait turning. It was one of the high (the highest really) points of the entire story.

The characterizations were vivid. I could almost see Damayanthi and her team of soldiers. The language could not have got any better; a perfect balance of artistry and lucidity.

At one or two occasions the facts got jumbled up; natural when you attempt to write a 356 page epic. Justifiable and forgivable too.

Overall a good read. You really don’t keep anything back when you finish page no 356. But you have no qualms either. B. Damayanthi is forgettable but enjoyable at the same time. I wouldn't suggest you to go for the plunge and neither will I stop you if you eventually decide to take it.

‘KOLKATA’ As You (Won’t) Like It

I so often read articles about how Kolkata is the city with all the warmth and those empressement waves in all their glory. And every time I feel so puffed up with the sheer vehemence of being born in the lap of this spirited city.

The fishes, the phuckas, the mishtis, the egg rolls, the singaras, the cutlets, the heated political discussions, the meaningless ‘addas’, the cups after cups of ‘raw’ chas’, the bargains at Hatibagan, Esplanade and Garihat er more, the metro rides, the foul talk and meaningless fights in the ladies compartments of local trains, the nugatory tram rides, the smell of old books in College Street, the cheap ‘Parata ar aloo r Dum’ at the roadside vendors, the shoddy smell of the Coffee House, the hours of doing-nothing on the bank of the Ganges, the tana-rickshaws,  the ‘un’rotating fairy of the Victoria Memorial, the uncountable pigeons on the stairs of ‘Dakhineshwar Mandir’,  the Khidirpur bus-rides in search of cheaper electronic goods, the smell of ‘Shiuli’ and the sight of ‘Kashful’ in Autumn, the much anticipated Durga Puja are all fondly remembered. Like every other Bengali born and brought up in Kolkata I dote on all of these so very lovingly.

But somewhere deep down a question lingers. Why is there so much written about the food and the culture, the people and their affection, the soul and all those philosophical bullshit? Is it because there is really nothing else to write about Kolkata? Is it like a complimentary prize? Is it a way to write off Kolkata with all its inherited panache that it is so proud of? I believe my question isn’t baseless and you too will be able to see through it. Ok if you haven’t (yet) let us together switch on the information channel.

The question that bugs me most (and probably all my fellow Bengalis who aren’t in Bengal anymore) is why do I have to leave my beloved city to pursue my dreams? Why do I have to give up on the luxury of fresh-water fishes and ‘luchi ar cholar dal’ cooked by ma?

Answer:  Because there is simply no other way. The job scenario in Kolkata looks so down-and-out that I decided on satisfying my food-loving mind with idli-dosa (No offense meant. Our taste buds just don’t agree with the tamarind and all that rice-batter. I very well know that the rest of India wonders how Bengalis stand so nonchalantly for hours in a fish market) instead of starving.

According to statistics, West Bengal, the fourth most populous state of India, is the biggest loser of talent pool. The aggressive and the driven lot give up on their fishy dreams to get hold of something more meaningful in life. They can’t wait to leave their despondent and gloomy city and fill their pockets with all those little puddles of sunshine their hands lay on. You really can’t blame them. Can you?

The industrial growth is stunted. The economy is just as bad. Ok we don’t really care. We are so engrossed in the cultural hullabaloo, the glorious past and the mighty rich heritage that we did not have time even to change the Government (yes we needed 32 years to see through the mistakes of the of the Marxist rule). But how blithely we forget that it is not the past but the present that serves us.

We call ourselves the ‘cultural capital’ because that is the best way we can satisfy our Bengali ego (trust me it is huge). Yeah we do have our share of culturally rich people but the rest of India isn’t really suffering from a cultural drought.

Every city has its own charm. They all allure you in their own ways. A city grows on you not because of the people who live in it but only a handful of special people who cross your lives when you are there. If Kolkata has spread its root inside me because of all the wonderful people who are a precious part of my life not because of that overzealous aunty staying next door whose warmth was almost voyeurism or the over jealous room-mate who portrayed me as a prostitute to my class-mate. Every city has a soul. The soul we find in the friends we make in the city. Mumbai has a soul too when you make lovely friends like I did while I was there. Next time when someone glorifies the “warmth” Kolkata picture that pesky uncle, the owner of your paying guest accommodation, who made life almost hell asking you about your whereabouts when you went to a party at your friend’s place but who would not have helped you if you were in a trying situation in any case. I don’t know how Kolkata becomes “warm” all of a sudden on the pages of a magazine when I haven’t seen a single girl/lady offering seats to old women in the ladies compartment of local trains in all of my 5 years’ of commuting.

Every city has its own color, its own way to celebrate life. We are just pompous idiots to idealize our culture and “Durga Puja”. I would have really been proud if the sex ratio (expressed as the number of women per thousand men in a given population at a given time) had been the highest in Kolkata and not Thiruvananthapuram. That would have been a true celebration of the “Durga Puja” spirit.

All the proud Kolkatans must have killed me thousand times in their minds while going through this article. But what you don’t realize is that I have stabbed myself real bad (with a really sharp object) every time I pulled my city down (to its rightful position that is). But then it is better to hurt oneself with all the arduous truth than those embellished lies packed in beautifully crafted words.

Next time when we read a glorified version of our city giving us those goose-bumps let’s not just bask in the falsely reflected grandeur but let us take that much sought after effort to make our city as beautiful as those words jotted down. Let us strive to make the panegyrized version a truth to savor.

Kudremukha Trek

Travel is an addiction and I have to have my dose of it every now and then. It was April 2013 and I desperately needed a respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. And as happens all the time I started planning a trip. I wanted to exert myself and the 15 km trek to the Kudremukha peak and 15 km downhill really titillated my travel buds. I instantly did some research on the place as I usually do and everything fell into place all by itself.

I fixed the journey date and booked the bus tickets and my travel partners followed commands.

There was no direct bus from Bangalore to Kudremukha. The nearest bus station was Kalasa which was about 311 kms from Bangalore and about 22.5 kms from Kudremukha.

So on 26th April we reached Majestic at around 8.30 pm. Abhisek could not join us due to some last minute official commitment. So it was the three of us this time around; myself, Joga and Debanjan.

We had dinner at our all-time favorite eatery in Majestic, “National Restaurant”. Our patriotism (not the food as you might have been guessing) takes us there every time.

After some real hard time trying to register directions thrown at us in Kannada we reached the exact spot from where buses to Kalasa leave. And after another gruesome ten minutes we were finally able to firmly settle our asses in the bus that was supposed to take us to Kalasa.

The road condition was good. The ride wasn’t all that bumpy.

We reached Kalasa the next morning at around 7 am. We had tea and biscuits from a nearby tea shop and enquired the teashop owner regarding how to reach Kudremukha. We do that all the time. He said that local buses ply every one hour and the bus stand was right opposite his shop. Aha! Bliss.

At around 7.40 am we got the bus to Kudremukha. It was an enchanting ride along the winding trail and ample eye soothing green outside the window.

After about half an hour we reached Kudremukha.

We had to take the trekking permission from Kudremukha tourism office which was like 2 minutes’ walk from the bus stop. And another ecstatic moment. It was almost around 9.30 am when we got the permission (which costed us 250 rupees each, guide separate) in our hands. And then we had to go all the way to Mullodhi which was the base of the trek. Joga wasn’t really for it. We gave into Joga’s ardent pleas and postponed the trek to next day. Instead we decided to go to Hanumangundi falls which was like 40 minutes ride from Kudremukha.

And like the last travel update I will not describe the place but let the picture do it all.

And after coming back to Kudremukha we were like hungry wolves ready to devour anything that our hands would lay on. We had tea, biscuits and cakes from a local tea shop and enquired about  non-veg eateries nearby. He told us to go to Kalasa if we were in real need of chicken and fish. We were in real need. Nothing could be more real than our love for good food.

We went to Kalasa and the first thing that our eyes met was a non-veg restaurant (Raj restaurant) with pictures of succulent fish and tender chicken just near the bus-stand. We gorged on fish fries and chicken kebabs. The price was quite reasonable. After our tummies had no more complains we started with our hotel hunting. It wasn't difficult to find one. Just nearby was "Chandan Lodge" which looked pretty decent. The charges were 600 rupees/ night for a double bed room. Good enough.

Next day we started early. We reached Balagal by bus which took us around 15 minutes. From there we went to Mullodhi by auto which charged us 200 rupees. There are jeeps available but they charge around 600 rupees but since we were three in number auto seemed a better option. The auto dropped us at Mullodhi from where our guide, Rajesh took over. The auto driver had called Rajesh earlier to be our guide and he had agreed.

So we started our trek. Some 2 kms away we saw home stays. We asked Rajesh about the charges. He said they costed around 600/person/day. To that he added that his home is a home stay too and the charges were 500/person/day.

After a 15 km walk through forests and steep inclines we reached the Kudremukha peak. It was tiring to say the least. Joga cursed us heavily every time he was able to take some breath. It was his first trek and for a first timer I would not suggest this trek. The route is not difficult but the distance to the peak does the trick. You need to be a regular trekker to cover 15 kms to reach the top.

While coming down we faced a hail storm. And it made the ascend difficult but made our experience all the more enriching and of course burnt a hole in my pocket (my camera went for a permanent holiday). Rajesh took us to his house, offered us towels to dry ourselves up and served us coffee. He lit fire for us. He had a brother and mother at home. All of them were so humble and welcoming. The other went on incessantly ln Kannada. What I could figure out was that she was asking us to visit them again. The atmosphere at Rajesh's house made up for all the sweat we had shed, all the trouble we had taken. Such experiences  are treasures in the chest called 'life'.

The rain made the hilly roads slippery ande no vehicle was ready to come to Mullodhi. So we had to walk all the way down. I could not dare to look at Joga's face. He was pissed off to the extent of planning our funeral. However a localite whom we met midway helped us out. He called his friend who was a auto driver who agreed to take us to Kalasa. He charged us 150 rupees which was like the best that could have happene. When we reached Kalasa it was 5.30 pm and we were drenched to our skin. We desperately needed to change bt we had already checked out in the morning. But Debanjan took the responsibility to talk to the hostel authorities and request them to give us the keys for some 30 mins and he was able to manage them. Some of the few things he successfully accomplished.

Myself

Rolling hills

Forest trails

Fallen Legend - Joga

Cloud nine

Stretches of Savanna grasslands

Rajesh's home

After leaving the hotel room we had dinner and waited for our bus to arrive.
At around 10.30 pm we boarded our bus back to Bangalore and ended another trek and another handful of memories got added to my travel diary.

Something good.....

NOTEBOOK DISTRIBUTION, MAGADI.

The “Notebook distribution” programme organized by the “Notebook Drive”, an IISc students’ initiative, was in its second last day today (Friday the 21^st of June, 2013) and we were supposed to cover 6 Govt. primary schools in Magadi, Karnataka. Today’s area coordinator was Himani Galagali, a final year UG student.

 We had earlier decided on starting  at 8.30 am sharp but loading of notebooks and stationeries, arranging for vehicles, gathering of all the volunteers took some time and finally it was almost 9.30 am when we started rolling. I, Gaurav, Omkar, Abhay and Himani made ourselves comfortable in an Alto , Deepak decided to stick with the tempo carrying books and stationeries driven by Karthick. Mahesh and Arventh followed us in bikes.

When we reached the first school we were greeted with cheerful “good morning” from the kids. That rhythmic and musical “good morning” reminded me of my very own childhood days. There is an inexpressible joy in spending time with kids, seeing them laugh to their heart’s content, seeing happiness sipping through their souls when they lay their hands on something new and you get every bit of all that when you are part of the “Notebook distribution”.

Every time we went to a new school the happiness kept on growing. The happy faces of the kids, their ear-to-ear grins, their glittering eyes were a sight so fulfilling. The schools kept on changing and I while writing this article could not quite recall their names, but the atmosphere invariably remained the same. And as wise men say, “Happiness has no language”, though I could not understand what the kids tried to convey in Kannada, I knew that they were happy and that is all that matters.

The teachers were warm and inviting. They did all they could to make us feel at home. They were very appreciative of our efforts and it really made everything worth it. Their humble efforts touched our hearts.

With the efforts of all and sundry the distribution was carried out in a very orderly manner. Everything was almost perfect. Yeah, we took a little longer than planned but who cares as long as we enjoyed every bit of the experience. Good things after all should be relished slowly.

We were back by 5 pm and by that time I was feeling exhausted and liberated at the same time. It was not the first event of “Notebook drive” that I participated in, but the fervor invariably remains unaltered. Every time I spend time with these kids I realize how I miss my childhood. I feel a little grown up. I feel a little innocence lost. I feel how I take simple joys of life for granted and how I can be a little better person. Hats off to all the members of NBD who have taken the responsibility (I can raise my collars, I being one) for organizing such a gala event.