Rural India - Happiness

When did you last visit a village in India? In any part or state of India ?

What was your experience and observations?

Were the villagers happy and contented?

Ghumakkad says 'Rural India is real happiness'.

While visiting the Pench Tiger Reserve in southern MP, we walked around the villages nearby. Although the economic levels may be low, yet the villagers, children, cattle and cleanliness were all admirable. There was no litter on the village lanes unlike the city streets and roads. Pench has plenty of resorts to cater for the tourists. All these resorts are clean and dispose off their garbage in a responsible manner. The village panchayat (lowest governing body in rural India) ensures cleanliness. A village panchayat has constructed a link road around a lake which is now a tourist attraction. This village panchayat gets it's revenue from all the resorts located around Pench Tiger Reserve. Construction of the link road generated employment for local population. See the pictures below.

See the short video below of the children enjoying playing and learning together.

Here is a short video panorama of Kohka lake. Being cloudy morning, the video is not as sharp.

We are sharing below our earlier stories on rural India and rural wisdom observed by us from time to time.

Bodo Village- Living With Nature - The picture story shows village huts and folk dance of a village in Asom (aka Assam)

Rural Jugaad - Shows how a sugarcane juice vendor on the street improvises!

Innovation and Rural Wisdom - This picture story brings you examples of rural wisdom in constructing the village huts using local material. It also chronicles an innovation to make the train journey for babies and their parents comfortable.

Kudos to our rural folk who preserve the environment successfully. May their tribe increase and prosper.

Thanks for browsing. Do share your experiences of rural India. Hope you find rural India a happier place as Ghumakkad does!

    - Harsh-the Ghumakkad/ Pench, Madhya Pradesh India/ 21st Jan 2024

#Pench #TigerReserve #MadhyaPradesh #jungleSafari #TuriaGate #kohkavillage #Wildlife #Conservation #corezone #Bufferzone #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb #tigers #indianbison #birdsofpench #pardev 

Train Companion of a Different Kind

Why do we love train journeys?

Meeting people.                              

Seeing the countryside.

Crossing the rivers with a dhikak-dhikak cyclic sound on the bridge.

Soaking in the greenery of cultivated fields.

Relishing the garam-chai with authentic snacks.

Eat-sleep-eat-sleep and-repeat cycle! Endlessly.

What else?

You also meet a cute puppy. Yes in the train. So tiny that it fits into your palm.

This morning Ghumakkad had a co-traveller named Jo. After seeing his picture, Ankush asked “Who is smaller- Jo or his name?”

See the pictures and the video where Jo is playing with his elder brother- a soft toy.

 

Joe and his stuffed toy! Enjoy the video shot in the train. 

What does Jo eat? He loves Mother Dairy's curd! See the picture below.

Elfo, our Cairn Terrier when he was ferried in Neeta’s palm in a flight from Bangalore to Delhi in 2001. Elfo lived a full life before leaving us in 2016. You may read Elfo’s story below:

Who will nudge me now?

Pets give us such joy. Unconditional, selfless and bountiful.

Thanks for browsing.

-            Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Rajdhani Express/ India/ 18^th Jan 2024

#pets #petlove #elfo #cairnterrier #trainjourney #unusualcompanion #cotravellerofadifferentkind #shihtzu #dogs #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh 

Vande Bharat - The Pride of Indian Railways

When did you last travel by a train? What keeps you away from a train journey? Noisy coaches and smelly wash rooms?

Well, those reasons are a thing of past! Try a Vande Bharat train. It connects cities up to 600 kms apart. Six to eight-hour journey in luxurious coaches. Noise and dust free cruising at steady 110 kmph. Bio-vacuum toilets as in an aircraft. Courteous staff, great food. Don’t believe it?

Ghumakkad recently travelled by Vande Bharat trains between Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Sharing few pictures for you to appreciate the quality of service offered by the Indian Railways.

The doors of the coaches open automatically. See the short video below.

See the short video clip of rotatable chairs. Complete 360 degrees rotation could not be captured as the chairs were not in the upright position.

It is not only the trains where the quality of service has improved, even the waiting halls at the stations have undergone a transformation. See two pictures of the AC waiting hall at Kacheguda railway station below.

Currently, there are 35 Vande Bharat trains in India which is likely to reach the target of 75 trains. The coaches of Vande Bharat are made in India by the Integral Coach Factory. The trains operate in two configurations of 16-coaches or 8-coaches. Ghumakkad travelled in an 8-coach service. Hyderabad-Bengaluru fare for executive chair car over the Christmas weekend was Rs 2956 including all meals, convenience fee and credit card fee. 

Train journeys are always fun. We share below some of our earlier stories of train travel both in India and overseas. Whether it is the roving chaat-wallah in a train or going through a tunnel, there is nothing like a train journey!

Vizag to Araku by the 'Royal' Class 

Taj Mahal at Dawn - Straight from the railway station

A Train Journey in America

Train to Ranthambor Tiger Reserve

Discovering Rural Wisdom and Innovation - Through a train journey in Saurashtra

Of course, vande bharat train does not permit the roving chaat-wallahs in the coaches, but in-the-train catering by the railways makes up for it. Do give it a shot! Vande Bharat- the changing face of Indian railways. Those who have already travelled by Vande Bharat, do share your experience.

Thanks for browsing. This story also came to you from a moving train!

-        Harsh-the-Ghumakkad / Vande Bharat Train/ 26th Dec 23

#trainjourneys #travel #fun #indianrailways #vandebharat #prideofindianrailways #biovaccumtoilets #veterans #seniorcitizens #bloggingfromrunningtrain #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb #qualityofservice 

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