Which Flower KBG-27

November is flowering time for many flowers in India. Like roses and many other varieties.
The flower in this edition of KBG Kaun Banega Ghumakkad grows abundantly and with minimum care. A hardy plant. It catches your eye instantly.

Which is this flower?

Need a clue? Another picture for you.



Still not got it? Last clue showing a close-up.


Shoot fast! First three correct answers get featured in the blog!

Those who came in late, here is the link to the previous contest KBG-26:
Cypress Vine

This happens to be the 400th post of your blog. 
Thanks for browsing! Special thanks to Dr Chitra Shanker for research support.

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/29th Nov 2019
#kbg #kaunbanegaghumakkad #onlinecontest #environment #nature #awareness #fun #quickresponse #shootfast #firstthree #kbgwinner #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #knowyourenvironment #wanderers #photowalks #learningfromnature #plants #powerofobservation #learningfromplants #funwatchingflowers

Chail Palace

Have you heard of a hill station created out of vengeance and a severely hurt ego?

A Maharaja in 1891 got banished from Shimla, India because of his dalliance with British Commander-in-Chief. He went on to create his own summer capital at an altitude higher than Shimla. Interesting, isn't it?

The hill station is called Chail in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh (HP). 
Ghumakkad visited Chail as part of a Navy Reunion in November 2019.

Chail has many places to see. Am sharing a brief write up on Chail from a popular travel site.

Chail Wildlife Sanctuary

Previously a hunters' reserve for the royal residing in Chail, this area was declared a wildlife sanctuary by the Government in the year 1976. This sanctuary has a large species of birds and animals.

Palace Hotel Chail

The Palace Hotel in Chail was constructed way back in the year 1891 by the Maharaja of Patiala as his summer palace. Later, it was purchased in 1972 by Himachal Tourism Corporation and converted into a heritage hotel. Counted in the list of the most well-known heritage hotels in India, this hotel is spread over 75 acres.

Chail Cricket Ground

Since Maharaja Bhupender Singh was a cricket enthusiast, he built a cricket ground here on top of a hill. Chail is the proud home to the highest cricket ground in the world.

Sadhupul Village

Sadhupul is a dainty little village based around the hill river Ashwin, between Chail and Solan. You can actually sit in the river on the benches and enjoy local food from the vendors present at the spot.

Glimpses of our visit to The Palace follow.

Those not familiar with the location see the map below. Chail is about 25 kms east of Kandaghat. But the altitude difference is about 3000 feet. Therefore, the drive takes more than an hour. Chail at 7400 feet above MSL has a salubrious climate and is known for virgin forests.

The palace has many artefacts brought from various parts of the world. Although the collection at Chail is miniscule in comparison with the Nizam's collection in Hyderabad; but we need to remember that carting any loads to Chail at 7400 feet above MSL posed a different challenge as compared to Hyderabad's location. Few pictures for you.

Buddies from L to R: Parvathy, Neelima, Rani, Neeta, Vijay, Gopu and Asokan. Baljit not in the picture as she was in the library. Harsh behind the lens!

Few fallen leaves on the lawn reminded me of Rumi's famous quote "Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop". Here is a PQ- picturesque quote superimposed on Ghumakkad's picture of the lawn and the leaves.

On one of the benches in the Palace Lawn, I noticed the insignia shown below. Google search revealed it as Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India (RGLNI). It appears that Chail Palace had some connection with the Freemasons as well. In all probability, this association would have happened after 1961 when Grand Lodge of India was set up. Any of the readers may educate us on this aspect.

Get a feel of the Maharaja Suite in a short 30-sec video clip below.

It was time to embark on the return journey to Kandaghat. The road is pretty winding. Those prone to mountain sickness, should occupy front seat in a car and take preventive medication.
But the view during the drive is simply breathtaking! See the picture of Ashwin River valley below.

We end the story with a quotation by Roosevelt who said "The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future". Here is a PQ- picturesque quote- superimposed on the picture of Chail Palace.

Special thanks to Vijay Bal for organising our Reunion single-handedly. More stories of our Himachal trip will follow. 

Stay connected.

Thanks for browsing.

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 29th Nov 2019

#navyveterans #himachalpradesh #himalayas #chail #thepalace #maharajaofpatiala #himachaltourism #friendsforever #navybuddies #grandparents #navyreunion #indiannavy #livinglife #ageisnobar #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb #natgeoindia #planetmindia #wandertrails #photowalks #history #hurtego #challenge

Himachal Bound Grandparents

What do young grandparents do?
How can grandparents be young?
What do you call the grandparents whose grandchildren are ten year old?
You call them 'ten-year-old-grandparents'! Correct?
And a ten-year-old is certainly 'young'!

This is the story of five such young grandparents with many things in common.
All are Navy Veterans.
All were Coursemates in the Navy.
All have two children each.
All are grandparents, by the grace of God.
All love outdoor life, good food and travelling.
All of them enjoy the company of their friends.
They have been friends for forty six years now!
Yes, forty six!
And counting!

These young grandparents decided to celebrate their togetherness in the hills of Himachal Pradesh. Their previous Reunions took place in Secunderabad, Coorg, Goa, Lonavla, and Manas (Assam). Links to some of the previous stories are given below:
Assam- Here We Come and other linked stories
Young Grandparents in Goa

Here is a video made for an earlier Reunion in Bangalore:

Who are these 'crazy' young grandparents who chose Himachal Pradesh for their Reunion?
Here they are!

Asokans

Bals

Gopus

Mohini Paroolkar 

Bhargavas

Following course mates could not join the Reunion in Himachal.

Anands, Haridwar
Aisolas, USA
Bhowmicks, Mumbai
Chandras, Noida
Das', Bangalore
Dhavares, Pune
Gopals, Hyderabad
Goerges, Chennai
Jains, Noida
Jogis, Canada
Nagarajs, Bangalore
Pottis, Vizag
Ravindras, Bangalore
RPs, Noida
Trilochans, Chandigarh
Xavier

Not in touch:
Monty Goyal
BK Katti
Pradeep Uppal

Here is how they all looked in 1973 when Navy brought them together! This picture always finds a place in every Reunion.

Once again we thank God and our children for giving us the most precious gift- our grandchildren! Hail our grandchildren!

As we move up the hills in coming days, more stories will follow.
Stay connected.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 17th Nov 2019

#Indiannavy #veterans #navalbuddies #coursemates #reunions #friendshipforever #himachalpradesh #kandaghat #lifeinthehills #grandchildren #lifeishavingfriends #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #hailthegrandchildren