Addiction At 85?

 Can you become an addict at 85 and lead a healthy life? Addicted to what?

A substance? Drugs? Alcohol? What else?

This is the story of a super senior citizen (and many others like him!) ‘suffering’ from addiction of a different kind. Addiction for good! Addiction for golf!

This super senior citizen, an armed forces veteran, is so deeply addicted to golf that he plays even in darkness. Don’t believe it? See the picture below shot in the darkness on a wintery morning at Secunderabad India. Can you spot a ball and the golfer?

 

As the day dawns, the darkness gives way to magical dawn and sometimes a misty morning with ground frost! Some more pictures below.

Golf is such an addiction that the golfers not only start the day with a round of golf but also dream, breathe and live golf! Ask any golfer! There is a society called ‘Golf Addicts’ with chapters around the world. Unlike ‘Alcoholic Anonymous’, the golf addicts celebrate being an addict.

Ghumakkad is also a golfer. Our earlier stories on golf have had wide readership. Links to some of the golf stories from our blog are listed below. Just click to browse the picture stories.

Golf and Yoga

Rolling Pin and Golf Club

RSI Golf Secunderabad - Hasn't happened again after 2016!

So, to remain happy in life, become an addict! Get addicted not to drugs or substance or alcohol, but to something positive in life like golf or painting, music, dance or gardening!  Follow your positive addiction with passion and you will live a healthy life! Just like Col GB Sethi featured in the story. Thanks Dr Sethi for your companionship, wit and humour on the golf course and beyond.

 

Thank you for browsing.

Incidentally, this is Ghumakkad’s 600^th story in our 12-year-old blog! It comes to you from a moving train! Thanks for your continued readership and support.

-        Harsh-the-Ghumakkad / Vande Bharat Train/ 23^rd Dec 23

#addiction #passion #golf #darkness #life #dawn #magicalmorning #mistymorning #golfaddicts #drugs #alacohol #substance #veterans #armedforces #bloggingfromrunningtrain #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb

Beauty of Darkness

Who lives in a cave?
Childhood memories tell us-- it is the king of the jungle.
Or, sadhus and hermits doing penance up in the Himalayas.
Or, mountaineers and trekkers seeking shelter from rain or snow.
Or, the Taliban terrorists hiding in Afghanistan!

So, caves mean different things to different people. There are many caves in India. But Borra Caves in Eastern Ghats are one of the deepest. Located 90 kms north of Vizag, it is a big tourist attraction.
See the map and official sign board below.

The caves are situated 2300 ft above mean sea level. The caves go down 260 feet deep into the mountain. Visitors get a chance to walk upto 700 feet inside the cave. With limited natural light, the caves have been illumniated with soft LED lights. With changing colours, it creates a surreal effect on surrounding rocks and ceiling.

A separate ticket for camera is required. Flash photography is not permitted as in Ajanta-Ellora caves near Aurangabad. Therefore, it is a tough call to keep the camera steady for long exposure. Ghumakkad did some experimentation with his monopod. Tripod would come in the way of teeming tourists, hence ruled out.

Pictures of Borra caves for you.

Am reminded of what Mahatma Gandhi said about darkness. Here is a picturesque quote- PQ- for you.

While negotiating a dark pathway around a tall stalagmite pillar, I took this picture. Here it is as a PQ with Hellen Keller's quote on darkness.

At the end of the cave, the lighting cast its shadow on the walls. Take a look with Adrienne Rich's famous line.

The next story will take you to Chaparai Waterflow near Araku to get a thrill of cascading and gushing river water.

Other caves in India are:
Elephanta caves near Mumbai
Borivli caves in Borivli National Park, Mumbai
Bellum Caves in AP
Narsing Cave Temple near Bidar
Caves near Sahasradhara, Dehradun
Ajanta-Ellora near Aurangabad
Bali cave near Chintamani temple, Hampi

Do share your pictures and experiences of visiting a cave.

Thanks for browsing

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 27th Aug 2017


Postscript:
"Somehow despite the dramatic effects in some corners of the cave, where rock formations are particularly unique, in my opinion the bright colors of  the LED lights all through the cave length make the natural wonder appear a bit artificial, like stage lighting, I think.  Makes you wonder what the natural rock formation really is like/ or the true colors of rocks in nature are like."-- Am with you on this observation Trixie.
"Stalactites and stalagmites are considered natural heritage objects and are protected by law in most countries, and their collection, mining, and selling is prohibited." (both observations by Trixie Asirvatham, 30th Aug 2017).
Thanks much Trixie. Although there were no warning boards as such, but the fact that visitors are not allowed to carry any handbags, cellphones etc, is an indicator of similar restrictions in India.

#Darkness, #Araku, #Borra Caves, #Stalactite, #Stalagmite, #Wanderlust, #Ghumakkad, #LonelyPlanetIndia, #IndiaTourism, #WanderTrails, #EasternGhats, #PicturesqueQuotes, 

Darkness and Blindness

Who hasn't experienced ups and downs in life?
For a child-- it's the swing. Up-down-up again!
For a school going teenager-- it's a win for the House team or many times a defeat!
For a cricketer-- it's the thrill of hitting a century but at times getting out on 20 nor less!
For all of us-- life teaches us to take ups and downs in our stride. Sometimes we cope with failures, some other times we need help.

Continuing with Rabindra Nath Tagore's writings, look what he said about life. He told us to be hopeful always. Because if we give up hope, that signifies the end. He compares 'being hopeful' with 'darkness' and 'giving up' with 'blindness' in his famous quotation below:

"darkness travels towards light,
but blindness towards death"

Ghumakkad has used an early morning shot in a tiger sanctuary to present this PQ- picturesque quote-- for you. 

See how nicely Tagore conveys that if you are hopeful, you will see the 'light' after the phase of darkness. But if you give up after being confronted with problems in life, your 'darkness' will get converted to permanent 'blindness' and you may not recover from it. Here is the next PQ for you.

Tagore also wrote another brilliant line on night's darkness which leads to the gold of dawn. To depict this PQ, Ghumakkad has used a picture of golden glow at dawn at a hill station in India. Enjoy the PQ.

Some other PQs on being positive in life are listed below (just click the link):
Winner never gives up
Rose petals and life
Be like water

Thanks for browsing

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 21st March 2016

Postscript: Talking of darkness reminds me of the motto of many educational institutions in India which reads "तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमयः " meaning 'Lead me from darkness to light'. And education is supposed to lead us from darkness to light. (25th March 2016)