RANDOM THOUGHTS

          GANAPATHY BAPPA MORYAA RE  Ganapathy Puja each year is a very occasion and has always been special especially to me in more ways than one . My Schooling was mostly at Kharagpur in W Bengal  and a part at  Bhilai in the Madhya Pradesh of old and Chattigarh of the present .  Both are very cosmopolitan centers with people from all parts of the Country residing there  . Ganapathy Puja was a most looked forward to event especially if you were a kid . In Kharagpur ,  be it the Bungalow No 281 or later Bungalow No 620 , the beat of the huge drums and Brass Cymbals accompanied by the blowing of the big conch shells at the Mandap in RAILWAY PROTECTION FORCE HEADQUARTERS near the SERAA STADIUM  could be heard loud and clear from afar . On the visarjan day The Little Ganesha from our house would join the final treck of the RPF IDOL to the SALWA lake  . We loved to walk along with the truck for a while . MUMBAI  - BOMBA...

  NORTH EAST VISIT DAY 2 - SHILLONG  Shillong the Capital of Meghalaya is a scenic place nestled between Mountains on all sides . The houses , the attire of the people , their features gives one a feel of an all new world . The second day was reserved exclusively for a trip around many awe inspiring places in and around Shillong. Day 3 and 4 was for a visit to Umananda ,the temple up a hill in the middle of the Brahmaputra river . The ride on the largest river in India is awesome inspiring . Sukreshwar temple smack in the heart of Guwahati . Longer part of the Last day was a visit to the BHIMASHANKARA  JYOTHIRLINGA . That was an experience in itself .  Both Manikandan and Usha the unseen face behind all the activities connected to the tour need to be complimented for the excellent arrangements made for the smooth conduct of the tour . 

         NORTHEAST VISIT - Day 1 - 30 th Aug  We were at the Chennai Airport Domestic Terminal at 3.00 AM for our Indigo 6E 6771 flight to Guwahati scheduled to depart at 4.55 am . Our Sanjay Tour operator Manikandan himself was there at the Airport . It came as a surprise to learn that there were 51 of us on this tour . Barring a select few , Manikandan , being one of them , most were on the wrong side of the Sixties .  Boarding was quick and hazzle free . We were Airborne 10 minutes before departure time and landed at Guwahati Lokpriya Gopinath Bordolai International Airport very much before time .  A thing or two needs to be mentioned about the Guwahati Airport . It is supposed to be one of the biggest Greenfield Airports in India now  . The layout and the amenities here are simply superb.  The first thing that MK ( Manikandan Our Tour Operator ) did was to take a roll call . 51 of us were there in total as I said most of us on the wr...