Even Plants Avoid Plastics

Are the plants and creepers more intelligent than us human beings?
Do they care more about the environment? 
Do creepers know how to avoid plastics?
The answer to all is yes.

Ghumakkad made this observation in his yard. To let the Karela करेला (Bitter Gourd) creeper climb up, we tied a small twine made of plastic. The creeper initially used the plastic twine to take a grip, albeit slowly and probably reluctantly. As it grew further, it bent sideways to find a natural grip of a branch or a leaf. And it succeeded. One step at a time. Read the picture story below.

If only we humans could be as discerning and intelligent as tiny plants and creepers, we could save our planet from ecological abuse and degradation.

Karela creeper had figured earlier in another story titled Jewel Bug. You may browse to marvel at Nature's another marvel. The bug had settled on a Karela leaf as shown below.

Nature continues to fascinate Ghumakkad. Does it fascinate you too?

Thanks for browsing.

     -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 28th March 2019

#nature #ecology #plants #creepers #plastics #environment #degradation #karela #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #jewelbug

Vasai Fort KBG-11 Winners

KBG Contest No. 11 was well contested.
The correct answer is Vasai Fort or Bassein Fort located in a northern suburb of Mumbai. The readers' responses ranged from Karnala Fort to Golconda Fort to the ruins in Ross Island near Port Blair.

We congratulate the winners who were the first three to identify the Fort correctly:
Akhil Vamshi
Veeresh Naidu
Suchitra Chowdury

There were many more who gave the correct answer thereafter. We thank them and wish them better luck next time.

Just to recapitulate, the clues given are reproduced below:

How to get there
Vasai Fort can be reached by the suburban train from Churchgate railway station in Mumbai. Get down at Vasai Road station and take a bus or auto to the fort located 8 kms south-west of the station. See the map below.

Brief History
The Fort was built in 1184 AD by the Yadavas of Devagiri. Thereafter it was controlled by the Chalukyas (till 1432),  Gujarat Sultanate (1432-1533), the Portuguese (1534-1739), the Marathas (1739-1818), East India Company (1818-1857) and the British Raj (1857-1947). The fort is a monument of national importance and is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. Readers may refer Wikipedia for more details.

The Fort Now
The fort is a major tourist attraction in the region for its Indo-Portuguese history. Several watch-towers still stand, with safe staircases leading up. The Portuguese buildings inside the fort are in ruins, although there are enough standing walls to give a good idea of the floor plans of these structures. Many of the arches have weathered the years remarkably well. They are usually decorated with carved stones, some weathered beyond recognition, others still displaying sharp chisel marks. Besides all the structures, tourists often also observe the nature that has taken over much of the fort. Butterflies, birds, plants and reptiles can all be observed. See Ghumakkad's pictures below.

Film Shooting
The fort is also a popular shooting location for Bollywood movies and songs. The Bollywood hit ″Kambakkht Ishq″ from Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya is one of the Bollywood songs. Movies such as Josh, starring Shah Rukh Khan, and Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega have a number of scenes from the fort.

Chimaji Appa Statue
In the 18th century, the Bassein Fort was taken over by the Maratha Empire under Peshwa Baji Rao's brother Chimaji Appa and fell in 1739 after the Battle of Baçaim. The fort was taken by the British in 1774 and returned to Marathas in 1783 under the Treaty of Salbai. The British in 1818 attacked and again took over the territory from the Marathas. The fort also played a strategic role in the First Anglo-Maratha War.

Although Ghumakkad had visited the fort more than 10 years ago, the pictures and KBG-11 contest brought back the memories. If you are in Mumbai and haven't seen Vasai Fort yet, do plan an outing. The ruins will not disappoint you. Am reminded of William Blake's famous words: "The ruins of time build mansions in eternity".

Moving on, KBG-12 once again centres around a Fort. Watch the announcement to grab the KBG Badge of Honour.

Thanks for browsing

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 24th March 2019/hbindia@gmail.com

#kbg #kbg11 #kaunbanegaghumakkad #funwithtravel #fort #ruins #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #contest #vasaifort #indoportugesehistory #seafort #natgeoindia #photowalks #travelindia #wandertrails #basseinfort #williamblake #chimajiappa

KBG-11: Identify the Fort

The Lake in California proved tough for all of you in the last contest. There was only one correct answer!
We promised to bring you some ruins which may be easier to identify.
The pictures below show a fort in ruins.
Identify the fort.

Three more pictures below give you additional clues.

First three correct answers will get featured in the next post with a short history of the Fort.
Happy hunting and punch your answers fast! 

       -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 17th March 2019/      hbindia@gmail.com
    
#kbg #kbg11 #kaunbanegaghumakkad #funwithtravel #fort #ruins #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #contest

Winner KBG-10 Berryessa Lake

Come on folks in USA! You should have got it right!
And folks in California- it was meant to be a cake walk.
Which lake?
Lake Berryessa in California.
Near which dam?
Monticello Dam and hydroelectric project, located in Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve. 

KBG-10 had more than 200 participants. The responses ranged from Gobind Sagar lake and Bhakra Dam in Punjab, Srisailam in AP/Telangana, Umiam Lake in Meghalaya India to Diablo Lake in Washington to the Black Canyon of Hoover Dam in Nevada. However, there was only one correct answer. The Winner's badge for KBG-10 goes to Hemant Bhargava who is a Chair Professor at UCDavis and has hiked in the Reserve multiple times. Congratulations Hemant.

Monticello Dam is a look alike of the Hoover dam but much smaller. See the picture below.

This Reserve is unique because it is maintained by a University and not by the National Park Service! And the credit for this goes to the University of California, Davis (UCDavis). UCDavis alumni- are you floored? See the signage below.

Ghumakkad has hiked in Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve. The hike takes you on a ridge. As you climb the top, lake Berryessa comes into view. What a magnificent lake! It is a popular destination for boating with multiple piers and jetties. See the pictures below.

Thanks for participating in KBG-10.

The Stebbins Cold hiking trail has some amazing flora. Ghumakkad had posted some PQs - picturesque quotes- based on the pictures taken during the hike. Few of the PQs are reproduced below:

 

So the guys in California, do the Stebbins Cold Canyan hike. It is a day hike. You can't camp for the night there. But you will love the flora. Share your pictures later.

Ghumakkad will take you to some ruins in the coming episode.
Better luck next time.

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 15th March 2019/ hbindia@gmail.com

#kbg #kaunbanegaghumakkad #lake #dam #traveltheworld #natgeo #planetm #photowalks #wandertrails #contests #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #hiking #kbg10 #winnerkbg10 #lakeberryessa #monticellodam #stebbinscoldcanyonreserve #ucdavis 

KBG-10 Which Lake Where?

From flowers, plants, trees, tribal food, buildings and statues, we now move to a lake!
Which is this lake?
Where is it?
KBG-10 is here! Kaun Banega Ghumakkad Contest No. 10.

Two clues follow with pictures.
The lake is situated next to a dam.

If you still can't figure out, look at the first picture. See the hill slopes. What kind of vegetation grows there? Clue in the picture below.

Come on folks, this one is designed for hikers across the globe!
Enough said, punch your response.

First three winners get featured in the next post.

Happy hunting.

    -Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 12th March 2019/ hbindia@gmail.com

#kbg #kaunbanegaghumakkad #lake #dam #traveltheworld #natgeo #planetm #photowalks #wandertrails #contests #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #hiking #kbg10

Winners KBG-9 Shiva Statue in Pilani

Identifying Lord Shiva's statue evoked enthusiastic response.
We received a range of responses pinning the statue to be in Nepal, Haridwar, Vadodara and Gurugram Highway.
However, the answer to KBG-9 is Pilani. Yes, the statue is located in Pilani but not in BITS campus as many readers pointed out. It is built in a pond talab तालाब opposite the Devi Mata Mandir in Pilani. 

The clue for identification was the chatris or canopies in the picture. An identical statue built by the same sculptor exists on Delhi-Gurugram raod sans the chatris. Many readers from Delhi region mistook it to be so.

Fact file:
Location of the Statue: Pilani
Height: 80 feet from pedestal
Pedestal height: 20 feet
Year built: 2011 or so
Sculptor: Matu Ram Chejara
Twin Statue: On Delhi-Gurugram road by the same sculptor.

Winners:
We congratulate the first three winners of KBG-9:

1. Dr Umesh Dhyani, Former Prof BITS Pilani and author
2. Ms Ruchi Bhargava a BITSian and teacher
3. Dr Jyoti Iyer Mathur, a BITSian and Professor Georgia Tech USA

We would also like to mention Prashant Jade and BC Jayaprakash who gave one of the earliest answers as 'BITS Pilani'.

More than 200 readers participated in KBG-9. We thank each one of them. Many of them said that KBG is becoming addictive! We are humbled.

Although Ghumakkad has plenty of pictures for future KBG contests, but your ideas are most welcome. Do mail us.

Thanks for becoming a Ghumakkad!

-   Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 10th March 2019/ hbindia@gmail.com

#kbg #kaunbanegaghumakkad #shiva #statues #travelindia #natgeoindia #planetmindia #photowalks #wandertrails #contests #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #shivastatuePilani

More Power to Women of the World

Another Women's Day.
Some more slogans, some more media hype!
Beti padhao, beti bachao! And the like.

I would say Women's Day is every day.
We owe it to all the women in the world.
Without women, where would we be? Not in this world!

This year, Ghumakkad once again recalls W.R. Wallace's famous lines:
"The hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world."

We salute the women from BITS Pilani, Ghumakkad's alma-mater, who joined the Indian Armed Forces. They made a mark not only for themselves but all the women of the world. We will bring you their individual stories. Should you know some more BITSian women who made it to the Armed Forces, do mail us. We would be happy to feature them.

You may like to browse Ghumakkad's earlier tributes to the women of the world.
2018: Hail the women of the world

2017: More Power to the women of the world

2016: Every Day is Women's day

2015: May the women of the world remain smiling- always

Women have climbed Mt Everest. Women have become successful CEOs. Women are no less. Read the account of women hiking in water.

Let us all give our women respect, dignity and love which they deserve.

Happy Women's Day 2019.

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 8th March 2019
       hbindia@gmail.com 

#womensday #women #respect #dignity #love #mother #sister #wife #daughter #grandmother #teacher #colleague #internationalwomensday2019 #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

KBG-9 Where is this Statue?

Yesterday was Shivratri.
Media was flooded with posts on Lord Shiva, his attire, colour of his skin, the snake around his neck, river Ganges emanating from his head and so on.
Ghumakkad follows up with next edition of Kaun Banega Ghumakkad Contest KBG-9 dedicated to Lord Shiva.

There are thousands of statues of Lord Shiva across India. Can you identify the above statue - where is it located? How is this statue different from the rest? Clue is in the picture itself. Of course the picture is shot by Ghumakkad.


As earlier, first three winners get featured in the next story!
Get cracking!

     -   Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 5th March 2019/ hbindia@gmail.com
#kbg #kaunbanegaghumakkad #shiva #statues #travelindia #natgeoindia #planetmindia #photowalks #wandertrails #contests #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh