Ghumakkad is Eight!

Hurray!
Your blog turns EIGHT today.
Time to express our gratitude to each one of you.
A big thank you from www.ghumakkadhb.blogspot.com team.

The Journey
It has been an exciting journey all the way. From a mere travel blog, Ghumakkad has transformed many folds. Our set of eight stories on Bhutan was the starting point. And we haven't looked back since then. First three years had only a handful of page views since it was a blog by invitation. Once we made it open, the growth has been overwhelming. See the graph below showing 194,700 page views.

 Our Spectrum
Here are quick links to give you a taste of the wide canvas of your own blog:

• Kaun Banega Ghumakkad  KBG online contests, the logo for which has been designed by well renowned illustrator Ramya Sriram. You may click on some of the well contested KBGs like San Jose Gurudwara, USA, Daly College Indore, Fox Millet and Al Noor Mosque Sharjah UAE. 35 editions of KBG have been keenly contested so far.

• Wellness: Our posts on Beating the Covid-19 Boredom, Bouncing Back in Life, Yoga for grandpas, Learning from flowers have appealed to the readers. The idea has been to bring a smile on the face of our readers. Lockdown has been gloomy. How to liven up our life during such trying conditions? Read on.

•  Reader's Contribution: It has been a pleasure to showcase the stories written by our readers. Browse the stories here Coyote Gulch- Hiking in A Stream written by a ten year old hiker and Women Hiking in Water by four adventurous women who nearly got swept away! The latter hike is hailed as one of the top-5 adventure hiles by NatGeo in USA.

• PQs: Pictures leave a lasting impression on our minds. Picturesque Quotes created using Ghumakkad's picture have inspired many readers. Sample a picture of a suspension bridge with the quote superimposed. More than 100 PQs have been created and shared through our blog. 

• Video Clips: Most of our stories also have a short video clip or two. The readers have particularly liked the clip from our story on Ross Island in Port Blair.

• Tips for Teachers: Ghumakkad being a teacher has always believed in sharing of knowledge. Some of the stories which were liked by the teachers and students alike are Learning from Students, When Students Select B-Plan Finalists and Uri The Movie with Many Lessons in Management.

• Nature: Nature continues to inspire Ghumakkad. Stories like Nature's Clock have intrigued scores of readers.

• Treasures of India: India has plenty to explore for a traveller like Ghumakkad. Forts, Palaces, Temples, Churches, Mosques, Villages and Ruins- it is so exciting. Treasures like Laknavaram Lake not so well known, but a great getaway. Hill stations have their own charm. Whether the Himalayas in the north or the Nilgiris in the south, hills always fascinate us. Browse the story Why Kodaikanal written by two teenagers pictured above. 

• Wild Life: The thrill of sighting a Leopard in a city like Jaipur! Who won't feel excited?

All Time Greats

Many readers ask 'Which is your favourite story?' To which I respond 'Whichever has been read by most readers!' A quick glance at the blog stats gave us the following data:

Readership
Your blog has global readership as seen in the graph below.

Road Ahead

With prevailing lockdown and travel restrictions worldwide, Ghumakkad may not be able to travel far. But there is so much to observe and learn from our immediate surroundings. We will strive to bring smiles to your faces despite the lockdown. In addition, we will also take you to places which we have been but are yet to post the stories! Those of you who wish to contribute a guest story are most welcome.

Acknowledgements

There are numerous people who have helped us grow. Some of them had been acknowledged in our 6th Anniversary post. In addition, we place on record our appreciation for Trixie Asirvatham, Chitra Shanker and Ramya Sriram for their unstinted support.

We also thank each one of you for your continued support without which Ghumakkad wouldn't have been here! Do give us your feedback to help us improve.

We are reminded of an ad for chocolates which said 'Never too old for a chocolate'. Ghumakkad started blogging at sixty. So folks 'never too old to start blogging!'

    -   Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 25th May 2020

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