Ghumakkad in Hindi means 'the wanderer'. That is what I am. On the move any time anywhere!
This blog chronicles Ghumakkad's travels/teachings/learnings around the globe as picture stories. In addition, there are Picturesque Quotes (PQs) created using my pictures. Enjoy it.
If you have also been to the places/topics described here, please feel free to add to the content.
Your comments/ suggestions are welcome.
What differentiates the armed forces personnel from their civilian counterparts?
Discipline.
Anything else?
Their value system.
Like what?
Nation first and always.
And how are such values inculcated?
By rigorous training at the time of joining and throughout the service life!
Training the Bedrock
Training is the bedrock of the Armed Forces. Training is fundamental to ensuring national security, transforming civilians into disciplined soldiers capable of surviving and succeeding in extreme conditions. It instills core values, builds physical and mental resilience, and develops teamwork essential for operational success.
Whether it is the Army, Navy or Air Force, military training ensures the development of following essential attributes:
Discipline and Character Development: Military training instills strict discipline, resilience, and a strong sense of responsibility, shaping moral character keeping in mind 'Nation First'.
Combat Readiness: Rigorous training ensures that personnel can withstand high-pressure, unpredictable, and dangerous environments, enhancing their success in combat.
Teamwork and Camaraderie: Training emphasizes working as a unit, developing deep trust, camaraderie, and mutual support among troops, which is essential for mission success.
Physical and Mental Conditioning: It prepares soldiers (or sailors and airmen) for the immense physical demands of war—such as carrying heavy gear, traversing difficult terrain (or operating far away at sea or submerged in a submarine), and succeeding with limited resources—as well as the mental fortitude to manage fear.
Leadership Development: Training teaches individuals to take initiative, make critical decisions under pressure, and lead by example, preparing them for future leadership roles.
Skill Proficiency: It provides technical proficiency in using sophisticated weaponry, technology, and vehicles or ship borne systems, alongside tactical skills like navigation and communication.
Adaptability and Problem-Solving: Personnel are trained to adapt to changing battlefield dynamics and to innovate solutions, such as repairing equipment or adjusting tactics in real time.
You may argue that many of these attributes are required in the civilian life as well. We agree But what differentiates is the purpose and objective. Rising above self. Thinking beyond profits.
Services Training Academies in India
In India, we have the training academies for the officers as listed below. Similarly for the personnel below officer ranks (PBOR), suitable training is imparted at respective Regimental Centres or schools.
National Defence Academy (NDA) - for all three services
Indian Military Academy (IMA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA) - for officers joining the Army
Indian Naval Academy (INA) - for Navy
Air Force Academy (AFA) - for Air Force
Indian Naval Academy (INA)
Located in Ezhimala in Kannur district of northern Kerala, INA trains the officers of all branches and specialisations. The cadets undergo a four-year training program leading to the award of an Engineering degree. Ghumakkad along with few other Navy Veterans had visited INA recently. All these Veterans had been 'instructors' (faculty) together at a premier training establishment of the Navy 52 years ago. That is why the visit to INA had special significance for us.
Spread over 2500 acres, it is Asia's largest naval academy. With a seven km coast line, it imparts comprehensive training including watermanship training. INA harnesses solar energy, with most of the rooftops lined with solar panels. It trains and transforms the cadets. We share few pictures and videos of our day long visit.
Prior to INA's Inauguration in 2009, where was the Academy located earlier?
Buddies though nearing 75, are ever ready for a picture!
INA also trains the cadets from friendly foreign countries as shown by their national flags in the picture below.
Electronics and Communication department was of interest to all of us being former Valsurians!
Keeping up with the times! The AR/VR lab!
INA Library was a delight to visit. See the pictures below.
Cafe in the library building? Yes at INA!
Watermanship Training Centre
The Squadrons
Cadets are assigned a squadron on joining. Squadrons promote healthy rivalry in sports and other competitions. There are six squadrons at INA namely Achiever, Braveheart, Cheetah, Daredevil, Eagle, and Fighter. Pictures below.
Katari Cadets Mess
Mess Dining Hall
Get a feel of the massive dining hall in the video clip below.
To honour the mates who are no longer there, a 'Missing Mate Table' finds a place of honour in the Academy Dining Hall. See the picture below.
We also met a 6th Term cadet during the lunch break. Tall and trim, ready to take on the world. A picture of confidence. As per protocol, we can't show the face here. The cadets wear their term tab on the left collar as shown in the picture.
We the Veterans hosted a lunch for the Commandant and other senior officers of INA. On a personal front, many of us had served with the present Comdt's late father in INS Valsura during 1973-75.
It was a privilege to present a copy of my book on Social Entrepreneurship titled 'BITS of Social Impact'. Picture below shows Capt PK Jindal presenting the book to the Comdt.
After seeing the strides made by INA, we all returned to Kannur with a deep sense of satisfaction and pride. Special thanks to Commodore E Govindan for organising the visit.
Challenges at INA
To get a first hand impression of INA and the challenges faced, we interviewed Rear Admiral KS Venugopal (KSV), VSM former Principal of INA. Excerpts:
HB: As Principal of INA, you must have interacted with the Naval Academies of other countries. How do you compare INA with other Academies in terms of infrastructure, faculty and the quality of training?
KSV: INA is one of the unique training academies focussing on 4-year BTech curriculum in Mechanical, Electrical/ Electronics subjects to match the Vision of the Indian Navy. The academy provides world class training with Infrastructure that includes state of the art laboratories and simulators. Instructors and faculty are specially selected. The quality of training is of very high standards which is monitored regularly.
HB. With changes in technology, how does INA upgrade the syllabi and prepare the cadets for future? A case in point is increasing use of AI, VR, Drone technology etc in warfare.
KSV: When one compares BTech curriculum, the training at INA matches with the infrastructure of any of the premier technical institutes in India. The syllabus is upgraded in two ways. Firstly, INA obtains continuous feedback from the operational units and other training institutions and the syllabi is upgraded/ modified periodically. During recent times, INA has incorporated advanced technology laboratories featuring Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Augmented/Virtual Reality (AR/VR).
Secondly, INA has MoUs with leading technological institutions in India. This enables research collaboration, faculty development and inputs by expert professors on technological advancements.
HB: As you mentioned that the cadets on successful completion of the four- year program, qualify to get a BTech degree. Unlike a regular engineering college, how does the INA maintain a balance between academics and other aspects of Naval training?
KSV: This is the most challenging and an important aspect of training at INA where the focus is on all round development of cadets. Each graduate of this academy has to be intellectually confident, physically fit and emotionally intelligent. Like an equilateral triangle, the training in Academics (BTech curriculum), Physical Fitness and Soft Skills are given equal importance at INA.
HB: Thank you Admiral for your time.
We are reminded of Frank Bell's quotation on education and training which says, "The goal of education is understanding; the goal of training is performance". We have created the following PQ- picturesque quote on a stunning picture by INA.
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The Veterans who visited INA had their Reunion at Kannur. You may browse the related stories of the Reunion linked below:
Veterans - A Powerhouse of Energy: Veterans never get old--may be a rhetorical or symbolic sentiment. They do get old like all other senior citizens. But when they get together for Reunions, they are a powerhouse of energy! As if re-born!
Hope you got a feel of the Indian Naval Academy which trains and transforms the cadets into future leaders. Thanks for browsing. Do leave a comment, it keeps us going.
Stay connected.
-Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 27th April 2026/ Secunderabad
Can we learn something from a lighthouse? Like lessons for life?
The answer is yes. Read on to discover.
A lighthouse is a sentinel guiding the mariners at sea. It is a beacon for safe navigation when approaching land, harbour, cliffs, reefs, shipwrecks etc. It stands tall visible from several nautical miles away. It can withstand tidal waves, storms, cyclones, thunder and lightning. It has a strong foundation, yet it needs periodic maintenance. It has a character or characteristics in terms of duration and periodicity of light, day light colour codes etc, Do humans also have all this? The table below summarises Ghumakkad's take on lighthouses and human beings.
Attribute
Lighthouse
Human Being
Character
Characteristics
of every lighthouse. Stays for life
Has character
with values. Some values change over time.
Foundation
Built on
strong foundation whether on rocks, cliffs or hills
Gets weakened
with crisis/stresses of life
Provides
service to
All mariners
irrespective of nationality, religion, ethnicity, colour, race, gender or age
Most humans
obsessed with race, religion, diversity, nationality etc.
Duty before
self
Yes, navigational
aid 24x7
Most humans
are self-centered
Steadfastness
Faces storms,
cyclones and tsunami steadfastly
Tendency to
breakdown with crisis/bereavement/ailment etc
Helping
others
Always
Few people
have concern for fellow human beings, animals, environment etc
Ray of hope
Beacon of
hope to all the mariners at sea
Very few
humans act like a beacon of hope specially during gloomy periods like the pandemic
Spirit of
Sharing
In-built
Whether
sharing knowledge or wealth, humans are very possessive.
Maintenance
Essentials
for sustained performance
Most humans
neglect their health specially in mid-life leading to life-style diseases.
Character: Every lighthouse has a character which is marked on the nautical charts (like a map for mariners) and other marine publications like the Light List. The character also called the characteristics gives the type of light, colour of light, cycle period, height of the light and range in nautical miles. The characteristics of a lighthouse do not change with time. Humans also have a character and associated values. But does it change with age? Like honesty. As children, we are honest. But with life's journey, honesty takes a beating. So, be like a lighthouse. Maintain your character and values- like honesty and compassion throughout your life.
Steadfastness: A lighthouse faces storms, cyclones and tsunami resolutely. Remains steadfast. We humans also face life's storms and cyclones. But do we remain steadfast? Or, do we get shaken up? Learning from a lighthouse- remain steadfast in life!
Spirit of Sharing: A lighthouse guides all who seek help in navigation at sea. Irrespective of the nationality, race, colour or religion of the mariner, it keeps giving and sharing the information. We humans are hung up on nationality, alliances, wealth etc such that it clouds our spirit of giving and sharing.
Before we analyse further similarities and life lessons, we take you on a live tour of a lighthouse on the East Coast of India. For those who haven't been inside a lighthouse, get a feel through the pictures below. Lighthouses in India are managed by the Department of Lighthouses and Lightships, Ministry of Shipping. Ghumakkad had visited the Dolphin's Nose Lighthouse in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh in 2020. Here are a few pictures.
Here is a short list of tallest lighthouses in the world.
The lighthouse which we visited is already 65-year old with no signs of ageing! See the plaque below.
Here is a sample of a hydrographic chart showing the lighthouses on the coast of Andhra Pradesh.
Visitors are permitted during specified timings. Guided tours are specially conducted for school students.
The lighthouse was a perfect example of 'Swatch Bharat', clean India.
Ever seen a cactus train? See the picture below.
Continuing with the life lessons, lighthouses are a ray of hope for the mariners. Whether in distress or otherwise, it provides a sense of security and assurance. Ask yourself- during Covid times, did we humans provide any support to fellow human beings? With this thought in mind, we had conceived KBG-69, the 69th edition of Kaun Banega Ghumakkad. The participants of the online contest had to caption the following picture of a lighthouse on the west coast of USA. Picture courtesy Akanksha Bhargava.
KBG-69 Captions
The picture evoked massive response with more than 400 views. We received more than 60 captions with many of them bordering on the theme 'Ray of Hope'. We thank all the participants. Complete list of captions received is given in the table below.
No.
Name
Caption
for KBG-69 Contest
1
Ajai
Bhumri
Hope
of life
2
Amandeep
Kaur
Samundar
ki ankhein.
3
Atul
Mulkar
घबराओमत. मैहूंना.
4
Avinash
Tiwari
Marg
darshak.
Safar men Jo bichde tumhi se milenge
5
Avinash
Tiwari
Niswarth
seva
6
Bharat
Ladha
Andhere
me roshani ki kiran
7
Bharat
Ladha
Ray
of hope
8
BU
Vuppala
Beacon
of hope!
9
CD
Sawant
Be a
Light House Not a Lifebuoy
10
Chaitanya
Shiroor
Lead
kindly light - and the Mariners rejoiced!
11
CP Srivastava
Be
one for others.
12
C
Raghuram
Speck
of light, Casts away one’s fright
13
Deepak
Jena
One
travels more usefully when alone, because he reflects more.
14
Deepak
Jena
Lighthouses
don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just
stand there shining.
15
Deepak
Jena
The
rules is alternating shifts.
16
GB
Sethi
The
light of a Mariner is but darkness visible unless assisted by the light which
is from above
17
GR
Sreenivasan
Let
Hope be our lighthouse guiding us through stormy waters of Samsara Sagara.
18
J
Ramamoorty
Leading
the way to a safe and secure passage
19
Jyoti
Dixit
I
stand alone
20
Jyoti
Dixit
Intimidating
I am
21
K
Gopu
Glowing
Angel on a stormy night
22
Kausalya
Govindan
Hope
of light amidst the dark clouds!
23
Lekha
Sishta
My
personal values- A beacon of safety in a chaotic world..
24
LS
Bhargava
Darkness
to brightness
25
Manju
Khetan
Where
loneliness will be the glimmer of luminous prancing upon ocean waves… rising
and falling only for my breathing.
26
Manu
Bhatnagar
In
times of trouble, look for the light.
27
Narendra Soni
मार्गदर्शकअचल, निरंतरअविरल
28
Neelima Paroolkar
East
or West, this lighthouse is the best.
29
Nidhi
Bhargava
Let us be the Lighthouse for someone
30
NN
Pashupathy
GPS of a bygone era!
31
Pallavi
Bhargava
There is always a rainbow at the end of the storm.
32
Parag
Sharma
No other edifice constructed as altruistic as
lighthouse to serve .
33
Peter
de Padua
The light that leads when danger lurks below.
34
Peter
de Padua
Guiding light for the darkest night.
35
Peter
de Padua
We all can be,
a guiding light
on a deep, dark night.
36
Poonam
Bhargava
My
name-Lighthouse they say,
A hope for those who have lost the way!
37
Poonam
Bhargava
तटकासजगप्रहरी
38
Prabhat
Jindal
Sentinels
of the Sea, Have been guiding seafarers through the generations
39
Pradeep
Siwach
Ray
of Hope
40
PRR
Rao
When
we sail in the seas of life, look out for God's lighthouse.
41
Radhika
Sareen
In
this dark hour, not only to the ship, show the way to us as well!
42
Radhika
Sareen
On
these dark days, may you light every house
43
Rajendra
Singh
Ray
of Hope when all is lost !
44
Rajinder
Rihal
Standing
on guard.
45
Ranajit
Sen
The
light of life
46
Rashmi
Bhargava
Be
the lighthouse in someone's storm
47
Ritu
Bhargava
Be a light house to guide someone to the path of
love and humanity.
48
Rohini
Tiwari
Aspire
to be a Lighthouse in someone's life.... give selfless service and strong
support!
49
Shereen
Sultana
A ray of hope!
50
SR
Murari
Beyond trust - light house is as good as a star, it
brought many an ace navigator's head hang in shame
51
Susmita
Ganguly
Sweeping Beam of Hope, Promise and Caution.
52
Susmita
Ganguly
Sentinel
53
Trixie
Asirvatham
Standing strong, a beacon of hope in life's storms.
54
Trixie
Asirvatham
Unique and individual, facing the currents of life
with
strength and hope.
55
TSR
Swamy
There is light at the end of the tunnel.
56
Veeky
Baths
Be
the lighthouse for someone!
57
Vijay
S Dixit
The
Light in this House -an immortal Lifeline to many at sea
58
Vinay
Prasad
All
of us need one to sail through our life! The Guru!
59
Vinod
Dhanuka
Adversities
can't destroy one who Guides others
60
Yogesh
Marg-darshak
61
Zafar
Naseem
Land's
end
62
PK
Lawrence
Unflinching
through rain and shine.
63
Neelam
Sawant
Oh
with your light so bright you stand there all by yourself to be our guiding
light
Our jury has selected five winning captions which are listed below along with a brief profile of the authors. Congratulations to the winners.
Atul Mulkar calls himself मस्त मौला meaning a happy-go-lucky guy. His caption in Hindi घबराओ मत मैं हूँ ना meaning 'don't worry, I am there' was an instant choice by the Jury. Atul is an engineer from BITS Pilani and was Director of a British company in Dubai for two decades. He enjoys singing and playing the keyboard.
C Raghuram has been a regular reader of Ghumakkad's blog and has won the KBG Contest several times. As a Flag Officer in the Navy, he inspires his teams to achieve more. His caption 'Speck of light, casts away one's fright' reflects a mariner's perspective. Raghu loves travelling and interacting with people
Narendra Soni has a masters in Zoology but chose to join the Indian Customs. A keen environmentalist, he has won the KBG Contest several times. His caption in Hindi मार्ग दर्शक अचल, निरंतर अविरल means 'Shows the path- steadfastly, immovable and continuously' describes the soul of a lighthouse.
Poonam Bhargava is an alumnus of the Lady Irwin College New Delhi. She was a school teacher in Pilani for few years. She loves to be with Nature. Simplicity appeals to her and helping others is her way to happiness. Her caption in Hindi तट का सजग प्रहरी meaning 'Alert guardian of the Coast' is simple but conveys a lot about a lighthouse.
Susmita Ganguly is a keen traveller and photographer. He caption 'Sweeping beam of hope, promise and caution' brings out the characteristics of a lighthouse which we humans should imbibe. Susmita is an excellent communicator and heads a leading school in south Mumbai.
Another reader Vinay Prasad had equated a lighthouse to a Guru- who helps us sail through our life. Thanks Vinay. Many of the captions related to this theme.
Lighthouses are supposed to last a life time. It needs regular maintenance of both the stone structure as well as the optics and electronics inside. We humans neglect the aspect of maintaining our health. Only when a parameter like BP, blood sugar level etc goes beyond limit, do we wake up. By that time it is too late. So, be like a lighthouse. Undertake regular maintenance in the form of exercise, balanced diet, disciplined life and vacationing. You will then continue to be like a sentinel for others.
We end with a PQ- picturesque quote about travelling and its impact on our life.
Hope you enjoyed our comparison of human beings with lighthouses and KBG-69 associated with it. There is much to learn and imbibe form a lighthouse. Once again we thank all the participants and both the Jury members of KBG-69. Anchita and Akanksha you both rock.
Stay connected. More KBGs are coming up to trigger your imagination.
Thanks for browsing
- Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/3rd Feb 2022
