Thriving on Surprises

When did you last spring a surprise on someone in a distant city?

Most people would say 'I'd rather send a surprise gift or make an unannounced video call'!

But don't you agree that no AI or technology can match a warm hug or the joy of giving (or receiving) a surprise in person! Of course it requires time and effort, which in my opinion is worth it!

Ghumakkad thrives on surprises! Surprises give joy.

Ghumakkad recently made a surprise visit to not just one but three people in Bengaluru. I travelled 680 kms either way from Hyderabad. Thanks to Vande Bharat trains, I did not require any elaborate planning to spring the surprises!

'Harsh Beta Sada Sukhi Raho'

An aunt nears 90. An affable person, sonorous voice, calligraphic handwriting, a dancer of repute, charming as ever and Ghumakkad's regular reader. Ghumakkad wanted to give her a surprise. My cousin Nidhi who also lives in Bengaluru, made a ploy to visit her. Literally after alighting from Vande Bharat train ride from Hyderabad, we drove to Savita Mami's house. Though her husband Jolly Mama was also part of the surprise drama, but with Mami Ghumakkad has a special bond. She was thrilled seeing me. See the pictures and the video below courtesy Nidhi and Mukul.

See the surprise on the faces of both the nonagenarians in the video below.

We had earlier published an exclusive story titled 'Dancing At Eighty' few years ago. See the graceful performance even though Savita Mami had to be seated because of her aching knees! You may click the link to browse the pictures and videos.

When Another Nonagenarian Blesses You

As a young Sub-Lieutenant I was posted in Jamnagar in 1973. That is when we met Dr and Mrs Achar. Dr Achar was the Medical Superintendent of Irwin Hospital. Their elder son had joined the NDA at Khadakwasla and daughter Harsha was studying at BITS Pilani. That is how the connection got established. It has been 53 years since then. Dr Achar is no more. His unmatched humour still brings a smile on our faces. Mrs Achar, a sprightly 92-year old lady, lives by herself in Bengaluru. She runs a school for the under-privileged since many years. I had last met her few years ago and made it a point to meet her again, this time unannounced.

A plan was hatched with Harsha to get her to RSI on the pretext of an Army social evening. Her joy of seeing me there and my own happiness, surpasses any other material gift. Let the pictures do the talking. PC courtesy Kedar, her grandson and Harsha.

A Pirate Party

When a Naval buddy turns 75, you can't miss being there. Moreso when the invite is so creatively designed by his daughter. See the clip below.

Ghumakkad gave another surprise in Bengaluru to Capt NR Ravi on his 75th birthday. Tanvee helped keep the surprise. Feel the thrill on the faces and hugs of  Ravi (partially hidden) and Lakshmi in the pictures below. Have also included the pictures of the elaborate decor and a video of the cake cutting. Thanks Tanvee and Vikas for all the effort. Thanks Saibal Roy Chou, who travelled all the way from Kolkata, for the shots in which Ghumakkad is not behind the lens!

 

Another fleeting video of Pirates jesting around.

It was such a pleasure to give the surprise to Ravi and Lakshmi.

Here is the video of cake cutting and the fireworks.

You are never too late for return gifts! See the imaginatively designed packaging of the return gifts!

Recalling Earlier Surprises

USA to India Surprise: We had the biggest of surprises few years ago when Ankur, our son-in-law landed from USA  unannounced at our home in Secunderabad. Instead of giving us a surprise, Ankur got the 'reverse' surprise on seeing the house locked. Some quick calls and smart guessing, he figured out that both Neeta and I were at RSI (our fauji club in Secunderabad). And lo and behold-- he gave us that biggest of surprises by locating and joining us at RSI that evening. Totally unannounced all the way from USA Unfortunately, no pictures or video of the memorable moment exist! But it is permanently etched in our memory.

India to USA Surprise: Sharing one more surprise across the continents. This time our son Ankush from Chennai, gave a pleasant surprise to our daughter Akanksha in California completely out of the blue. Of course such a secret operation can not be carried out without local support. Our son-in-law Ankur in USA teamed up with Ankush to pull it off. Back in 2012, the excitement was sadly not filmed.

Giving Surprises in Mumbai and Vapi

Another two surprises which Ghumakkad pulled off in November last year gave us a thrill. Two buddies one each from the Navy (who turned 75 that day) and from BITS my college (who had been unwell for a while), were thrilled beyond words when I entered their homes unannounced! Some of those precious moments are captured in the story below:

Thrill of a Surprise - Story of a secret operation from Hyderabad to Mumbai and Vapi with pictures and videos.

85th Birthday Surprise

Earlier this year, Ghumakkad gave a surprise to Col GB Sethi PhD, my golf partner, on his 85th birthday in Secunderabad. We share our birthdays and have many things in common. I wrote an exclusive poem, framed it with a picture of both of us and presented it in person. He was visibly moved. Sharing below a few pictures and a video clip courtesy Swati, his daughter.

Surprise Tests

The only surprise which is unwelcome is a surprise test by a teacher! Ask any college student and he/she will scoff at the very mention of a surprise test or surprise quiz in the class. Of course, teachers love giving surprise tests. But unlike surprise visits and gifts, the receiver (students) do not like such a surprise. Here is a symbolic picture of an MBA class.

  

What are you waiting for? Go and give someone a surprise visit. Remember surprises make memories which you cherish. If you are a teacher wanting to give a surprise test, think of the students too!

We close with a quote by Gilbert K Chesterton who said, "Surprise is the secret of joy." Now you know why Ghumakkad is so joyful!

Thanks for browsing and stay connected.

Do share your experience of a memorable surprise.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Bengaluru/ 31st May 2026

#ThrivingOnSurprises #SurprisesInLife #JoyOfASurprise #SurprisesThrillEveryone #GivingSurprises #GettingSurprised #Joy #happiness #memories #cheer #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #friends #relationships #GilbertKChesterton #PQs #SurpriseTest #SurpriseQuiz

Windows and Wanderings - Ghumakkad Turns Fourteen

 When your blog turns fourteen, how do you celebrate?

You celebrate by thanking the readers and contributors.  Because it is the readers who have taken the blog where it is. Thank you all.

Ghumakkad continues to wander.

Why do you like Ghumakkad's Blog?

Ghumakkad asked the readers a simple question 'Why do you like Ghumakkad's blog?' Within minutes we started  receiving responses. We have tried to summarise and include as many in the table below.

Reader(s)	Why I/we like Ghumakkad's Blog
KS Venugopal, Amandeep Kaur	A window to the world
Gyan Agarwal	It has a soul.
Lakshmi and NR Ravi, Vijay Uppal, Sharad Kumar, Daleep George,  TSR Swamy, Pramod Goel,  SVS Chary, Anju Tiwari, Surendra B,  Zafar Naseem, Ramya Champion, Vinay Prasad, Premila Basu,  PR Sangam, Vinod Dhanuka,  Pramod Lakhotia, Rachita Mahajan, Nishi and Ashok Jaitly, Mohan Swaminathan, Mani Thomas	Armchair travelogue of unseen and unheard off places. Feels like a 'live' tour with a ringside seat!
Ruma Purkayastha, Rashmi B, Indira Susheel Kumar,	Stories that leave you with the desire to experience and explore
Raman Kumar, BC Jayaprakash, Ruchi B, Vardhaman Tantia,  Poonam B, Joya Ganguly, Vijay Bal, RB Dhavare, Satish Kwatra	Wide variety, depth of research and simple language
Joyshree Banerjee, Dr Pappu, Praveen Garg, Chandreyee Ganguly, Helga Lakhotia	Makes us feel part of Ghuamkkad's trips!
N Sridhar, Pimmo Lodha	It gives me joy
Dr GB Sethi, Rakesh Bajaj, Tejaswini, Chanda Golani	It's uniqueness and educational value
Vinod Agarwal, Pramila B, Seema Jain, Suresh Sharma, Arun Dhupar	Meaningful and vivid descriptions that leave the reader asking for more
Suchitra Chauduri, M Vasudevan, Nitin Dhavare, Sharat Choudary, Mukul B, Shereen Sultana, Rajat B, Chaitanya Shiroor	Insightful, refreshing, authentic and deeply inspiring
Trixie Asirvatham, Shyamola Khanna, Dr Surekha Bhanot	Stunning illustrations and narratives
Pradeep Sethi	Love the small things that you notice!
Dilip Mohapatra, Krishna Prasad, Yella Prakash Rao, Raj K Mehta	Spreads goodwill, empathy and positive thinking.
Manik Srivastava	Your art of storytelling!
Vinay B, Rajinder Singh, GR Nair	Passion with which every story is created.
Padma Ramesh	It inspires wanderlust!
Deepak Jena	It keeps me in touch with my Professor!
Jaishankar	Stories that lie at the junction of adventure, curiosity and wisdom.
Dr Rohini Tiwari	My most exciting virtual travel companion and storyteller!

Am humbled seeing your responses. Ghumakkad seems to have made a wide impact as visible from the variety of responses. Each one of you (and many others not included in the above list) deserve the special badge of appreciation. Thanks once again.

Ghumakkad exists because of you

It took 13 years to reach 6 lakh page views. But, we have added 5 lakh page views in just one year! See the graph below.

Sharing below an excerpt from Amandeep Kaur, my former MBA student now settled in Canada.

"Ghumakkad has been far more than a travel blog to me, it has been a window to the world. 

What makes Ghumakkad special is not just the journeys, but the soul behind them. Your writing carries warmth, curiosity, wisdom, and that quiet humor which makes readers feel like fellow travellers rather than just an audience.

As your student, I admired you in the classroom. As a reader, I have admired the way you turn travel into stories that stay with people long after they finish reading. Fourteen years later, Ghumakkad still inspires people to dream, explore, and look at the world with kinder eyes. That is a rare gift."

------------- 

Thank you Amandeep aka Ammu.

Another regular reader Admiral C Raghuram has sent a short poem on Ghumakkad's 14th Anniversary.

"Your footsteps frame each place with light and rhyme,  
You lift small wonders into song, one gentle chime.

  
Through winding lanes and hush of hills you roam,  
Each travelogue a tender bridge that leads us home

.  
You open doors where hidden mornings gleam and play,  
You turn plain paths to honeyed tracks where memories stay. 

 
Fourteen years your roaming words have charmed the way,  
Forever may your stories lead our hearts, and gently stay."

----------------- 

Thank you Admiral.

Special thanks are also due to all the Guest Story writers listed below along with links to their stories:

Ansh and Nikhil (then 14 and 11): Why Kodaikanal?

Abha and Akanksha: Ladakh: Shades of Heaven on Earth

Ankush: Maya The Tigress of Tadoba

Koushik Gopinath: Male Showstopper - Tigers of Ranthambhore

Abhishek Singh: Winning The Hearts Of People

Akanksha: Women Hiking In Water

Dr Rohini Tiwari: A Squirrel Comes Home

Trixie Asirvatham: Fallen But Not Forgotten

Ankush: Ironman In The Family

Nikhil (then 10 years old): Coyote Gulch- Hiking In A Stream

Sachi (then 15), Syon (13) and Maana (11): Who Says Children Don't Read Books

Naman (then 8 years old): Sketching at Eight

Ankush: 2nd Time ironman ki Kahani Ankush ki Zubani

Mohili and Kabir: Hiking With Two Middle Schoolers

Padma Ramesh: Who Says Adventure Has an Age Limit?

Tushar Bhakay: Birding on a Bicycle

Debashish Mukherjee: Call of the Road - Curiosity, Discovery and Joy

Padma Ramesh: There is Magic in the Air When They Meet -- An account of a Navy Veterans' Reunion

Would you like to see your name in above list? Then share your guest story. We would love to publish it.

Those who wish to browse across the spectrum of our picture stories, may click the link below:

Ghumakkad Enters the Teens - Gives a snapshot of our stories of last 13 years.

Be it the travelogues, environment, wildlife, birds, life lessons from Nature, obituaries or simple observations around our lives-- you have loved it all.

All we would say-- Gratitude with folded hands.

Last but not the least we have to thank our advisors over the years:

Trixie Asirvatham (Blog content)
Dr Chitra Shanker (Environment)
Yella Prakash Rao (Birding)

Thanks for browsing and stay connected. Do share a comment and/or your guest story as and when you can.

    -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Secunderabad/ 22nd May 2026

#14thAnniversary #travlandlifeblog #GhumakkadIsFourteen #WindowsAndWanderings #gratitude #thankyoureaders #OneMillionPageViews #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb #GuestStory #explore #discovery #adventure #joyofsharing #powerofobservation #appreciationbadge #blogreadership

Lord Shiva at the feet of Kalika Devi

Ever seen any statue of  Lord Shiva where he is being crushed by Kali?

We also hadn't seen any such idol or depiction till we travelled to a remote island in the middle of Kali River near Karwar in Karnataka.

How to Visit?

This picture story takes you to Kalika Devi Temple on an island. Only way to reach the island is by a boat. Boat rides are available from Nandangadda Boat Point 12 kms north-east of Karwar town. See the picture of Navy Veterans wading through knee deep water. We also share a map below.

The other option is to take a longer boat ride from Deobagh Beach side. For the guests staying at Jungle Lodges and Resorts at Deobagh Beach, a boat ride is included in the package. We, few Navy Veterans took the ride in a swanky motor boat. See the map and the video below.

Sharing below a short 12-sec video clip of our boat ride.

Significance

Kali island has a temple and a statue of an angry Kalika Devi crushing Lord Shiva under her feet! Unbelievable, isn't it?

Legend has it that Lord Shiva lies at the feet of Goddess Kali to pacify her uncontrollable rage after the battle with the demon Raktabija. Seeing her destructive rampage threatening the universe, Shiva laid himself in her path. When she stepped on his chest, Kali instantly realized she was standing on her husband, bringing her fury to a halt. See a series of pictures below.

Boat Ride

The boat ride is subject to the weather conditions. We were lucky to get an exclusive ride. It was heartening to see the life jackets for all passengers in good working condition. We had to navigate under Kali Bridge on NH-66 with a long span. The visit to the island has to be timed with the tide timings. The water level on the stony pathway to the island changes with the tide. See the pictures below.

Kali Matha Island

It is a small island. We had to anchor on a shallow patch and then wade through knee deep water. The island also has a 240-metres boardwalk to observe the mangroves. However due to damages, it was closed. Pictures below.

Kalika Devi Temple

It is a small temple with two wells for drinking water. Our guide from the Resort accompanied us to the island. A pujari and his dog stay on the island. The temple has large following.

Deobagh Beach

It is a beautiful beach. As stated earlier, we had stayed at the Jungle Lodges property on the beach. We will bring you an exclusive story on the beach, the resort and the views all around.

Stories of Other Island Locations

Ghumakkad has visited many islands in India and overseas. Sharing below the links to few of the stories of 'island attractions'. Click the link to browse the picture story.

Bhavani Island An Ideal Getaway - Another island named after Goddess Durga. The story shows the tree houses and water sports on the island in River Krishna near Vijayawada.

Laknavaram Lake Resort - Picture story with videos shows you the lake resort accessible through a suspension bridge. Guest rooms are on stilts in water!

Ruins of Ross Island - Picture story of an island just two kms east of Port Blair. The ruins speak to you. The island has since been renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep.

War Memorial on an Island - Picture story of Anjadip War Memorial which commemorates the battle of Anjadip, 1961.

We end with Ralph W Sockman's quote on islands which says, "The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder." 

Islands have their own attraction. Whether it is a river island or an island at sea, the thrill starts with the boat ride. Do take an island holiday in India. So many locations some of which we have shared above.

In the ongoing vacation season, happy travelling.

Thanks for browsing. Do leave a comment and stay connected.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Secunderabad and Karwar/ 18th May 2026

#KaliRiver #KalikaDeviTemple #Karwar #LordShivaAtTheFeetOfKali #Destruction #Rage #Durga #MaaKali #BoatRide #KaliBridge #NavyVeterans #Reunion #DeobaghBeach #JungleLodges #GhumakkadHarsh #ghumakkadhb #Islands #IslandOfKnowledge