Trek to Chinchoti Waterfalls

Monsoon is the always the best place to visit a waterfall. The fall is in full force and brimming to its capacity. There are very waterfalls in Mumbai and majority of them are located on the outskirts of the city. One such beautiful place is Chinchoti Waterfalls.

How to reach : You can reach till Naigaon Railway Station on the Western Line and get down on the eastern side of the station. From there you get Share Rickshaws who drop you to Chinchoti Naka on Mumbai Ahmedabad Highway for about Rs.10-15. 

Else you can take your own vehicle along Mumbai Ahmedabad Highway and reach Chinchoti Naka (Around 25Kms from Kashimira on Western Express Highway). Ask anyone the way to Waterfall inside Kaman Village. You have to park the vehicle in the village and walk through the forest. It is almost a one hour walk through the forest until you reach the waterfalls. It is exciting and adventurous with the sound of insects humming all through the path. Roads are narrow at some place but there are no major turns and twists. Majorly it is a straight path.

Do's:

1. Wear a pair of shoes if possible (Especially children and girls)

2. Carry enough water for drinking 

3. Carry your own snacks as there is nothing available nearby

Don'ts:

1. Don't venture too deep into water. It is dangerous

2. Don't climb too much up the rocks. They are slippery.

#WhatTheBlack Curtain Raises : Colgate Slim Soft Charcoal Toothbrush

From eggs,biscuits, chocolates..Everything was guessed! Finally the curtain has been raised about the #WhatTheBlack mystery.

First and foremost, brilliant conceptualization by the blogadda and the Candid Marketing team! Until third day, I guess no one could correctly guess what the product is.

I receive the product one day late. But as they say, Better late than never. By then I have already guessed what the product is. I open up the packing as fast as I could to check if physically also it is the same product. And Yes! #WhatTheBlack mystery is actually Colgate Slim Soft Charcoal Toothbrush!

#WhatTheBlack Mystery Day # 3 : A Black Cup & Tissue

#WhatTheBlack mystery is slowly beginning to unravel itself. Since two days, it was clear that it is something related to morning, something related to breakfast.

Day 1: Every child knows the fact that 'Sunday ho ya Monday, Roz Khao Ande'. Blogadda decides to send us Eggs for breakfast. And when we break it, it is actually a chocolate! So sweet of them :p. So first clue is related to morning - Eat eggs for breakfast

Day 2: Everyone is tired of reading those white newspapers with black print. Surprise comes calling on day 2! It is actually black newspaper with White print! Again something related to what we do in morning - Read Newspaper

Day-3 : Guessing the clue is not everyone's cup of tea. So we get a black cup on day 3! Along with it, a black tissue! Again something related to morning!

My Guess: It is launch of Slimsoft Charcoal toothpaste from Colgate.

This post is a part of 'WhatTheBlack' activity on Blogadda

#WhatTheBlack Day 2 : Black Times ahead!

For newspaper addicts like me, the first thing I do even before brushing my teeth is look for a newspaper! You are so used it. That white paper with black print with headlines and photos everywhere. What if you wake up one fine day and only to realize that newspapers have gone black? Na..How can it happen..That's what you are thinking right?

Baffled right? This #WhatTheBlack activity is turning crazy day by day. Wonder what is coming next now :p

The newspaper was full of 'Black' news. Poultry farms shocked at the sight of black eggs, Black stars baffle astronomers, Indian Cricket team turns up in black attire for a test match, Black tissues are replacing white one, etc etc..! Too excited for day 3!

This post is a part of 'WhatTheBlack' activity on Blogadda

#WhatTheBlack Mystery Day 1 : A Black Egg!

Before leaving for office today, I told my mom I am expecting some courier for myself. The moment mom received it, she called me to say, it's not a courier, the guy who has delivered it is saying 'It's a gift!'. I told mom "Please do not open it! I want to see the surprise springing out myself!". She promised she wouldn't and I was all excited to reach home and open it.

The moment I reached home, I asked mom where is the gift. "On your drawing table" she said. I rushed inside and saw a black box with a bow on it. Untied the bow and saw an oval shaped thing. I was amazed as I couldn't really figure out what it was! My mom joined me in my excitement. First response "Bomb ho sakta..Aaj kal logon ka kuch bharosa nai". I couldn't stop my laughter. By then my sister, probably smartest of all, joined in our mission. Within a minute she said "Kahin ye anda tho nahi!" I couldn't control my laughter for second time assuming "Ye Blogadda wale mujhe anda kyu bhejenge!"

But she was firm that it was an egg. She then opened a little sticker on it which had 'Use before 7 days' written on it. She smelt it and her response was 'Andar Chocolate hai'. By then, my mom was going crazy. She is pure vegetarian and probably could not digest the fact the there could be chocolate inside the egg!

My sister asked me if she can break it open. I was the most confused of all as what was going on. I nodded in affirmative. First she gently tapped it on the floor. It refused to break. Next was a little harsh one. Still it didn't open. Don't know from where soul of Albert Einstein entered into her and she said "See this black colour is sticking on my fingers. I guess it can be removed." She rushed towards the tap and held the egg down the flowing water. And there it was! The black egg has now turned purple! But my sister was more focused on the chocolate inside!

Then comes a rude slap for that egg and the outer covering is gone. Inside there is dark chocolate. My sister tastes it a bit and says it is really a chocolate. My mom again at her villainous best "Nai..Khaana nai..Pata nai kya hoga andar". But before she can finish, the chocolate has been partitioned and is now resting in peace in our tummies!

Coming back to the point, still guessing #WhatTheBlack is all about! A chocolate brand ? A Social message to create awareness about adulteration in food? A car launch ? Too many things on my mind but still can't pin point at any one thing! Waiting for further clues! Super excited!

In a nutshell, Day One was all about 'Ande ka Funda!'

This post is a part of 'WhatTheBlack' activity on Blogadda

#WhatTheBlack - 5 black things I desire!

For many, just a mention of word black gives it a 'racist' tone. To start with, let me tell you, when the game 

of Chess starts, both the players irrespective of their choice of colour, start with a equal probability. I may be 

crude but unfortunately, black has always been associated with  something wrong or something unwanted. 

But everything in this world is how we perceive. This blog is one such attempt to change the perception,

 If God grants me a wishlist, these are the five things I would want to have or own, which may make others

 say "WhatTheBlack" !

1. Purushwadi : Keep a Date with fireflies!

About 200 Kms from Mumbai, In Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra lies this tribal village of Purushwadi.

 Many would be thinking what is this Village's connection with colour Black. To say in a simple words, when

 it becomes pitch black, this village comes to life. This village is a home to millions of fireflies! And trust me,

 it is one of the most amazing natural beauty you will come across! The way these fireflies light up the 

entire trees is just magical and treat to eyes! Who says darkness is threatening and instills fear, Visit

 Purushwadi and you will fall in love with darkness and obviously those fireflies! Someone please make me
'Sarpanch' of this beautiful village!


















2. Caves of Meghalaya - Krem Liat Prah

Heard that jingle from an aerated drinks advertisement ' Darr sab ko lagta hai but Darr ke aage Jeet Hai' ?,

If you really want to live up to that jingle, venture yourself to these caves in Meghalaya. It is ironically longest natural caves in India. Inside the caves, within that darkness, you get into a different world. 

Image Credits: http://bit.ly/UqeJ8h

3.Full Moon Party - Thailand : The moment you hear the word 'Party', those disco lights begin to flash in front of your eyes, right? But what if I say, one of the best party in the world happens at a place where it dark and just moon light to your aid ? Welcome to Thailand and Welcome to Full Moon Party! One of the most happening place in the world, which will surely make you say "What The Black!"

4.  Tunnels : One of my favorite thing, ever since my childhood is passing through a tunnel, be it rail or road. So I get super excited when I travel through those Konkan Railway network or the famous Mumbai Pune Expressway. Someone has rightly said there is always a light at the end of the tunnel!

5. Marine Drive : The best of the lot and my personal favourite! This place comes to life when it starts to get dark! Unarguably, the most beautiful place in Mumbai, also known as Queen's necklace, this is the favourite place of many Mumbaikars. People sit here by the sea shore, enjoying the cool breeze along with Tea & Coffee served by the vendors on bicycle. The night and the colour black brings out the best in Mumbai at this place!

Hope you enjoyed reading this!

This post is a part of WhatTheBlack activity on BlogAdda

This post is a part of <a href="http://whattheblack.blogadda.com" title="WhatTheBlack" target="_blank">#WhatTheBlack</a> activity at <a href="http://www.blogadda.com" title="BlogAdda.com" target="_blank">BlogAdda.com</a>

Cheteshwar Pujara - The Next Dravid ?

I have always had a soft corner for Cheteshwar Pujara, but I don't know why! So when I got to know that he will be trying to fill in the mighty shoes of VVS Laxman in second test against Aussies in 2010, I was too happy to say the least.

First of all, the manner in which India won is commendable. India never dominated the entire five days of both the test matches. But when it mattered the most,It was India that stood up to be counted. No doubt, this series belonged to Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan and VVS Laxman. But you might have seen that advertisement of a Kid asking his dad to have his nameplate, similar to the one he has in the office. So like this kid, some of the youngsters including Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Pragyan Ojha have only stood up to be recognised against the stalwarts whose career span is probably more than the age of these youngsters.

Cheteshwar Pujara has been a prolific scorer in domestic cricket averaging nearly 60.  on 26th november,2009 I had written a post about the possibility of  Pujara being the next dravid.

http://www.royalchallengers.com/fan-club/the_next_dravid/

Now, when I see that happening, I am more than happy. Probably, according to my cricketing knowledge, no one in the domestic circuit is more technically sound than Pujara. He has been sucessful of retaining the image of technically sound player even during the times of T-20's and IPL's. But the next question is whether he is the perfect guy to replace the mighty Rahul Dravid when the latter decides to hang his boots?

Everything is twice as large in this case. It is like measuring a three year old's three foot scale on a thirty year old's six foot scale. Now, Rahul Dravid has been synonymous with the number three position. You think of bottled water, Bisleri comes to your mind, you think of photocopy machine, Xerox comes to your mind and when you think of number three position, only Dravid comes to your mind. So when the 22 year old Pujara walked on to the ground instead of Dravid during the second test, even the Aussies were surprised.

It is only apt that the guy who is touted as a replacement for Dravid made his debut in Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Dravid has learnt the abc's of cricket. When he came in to bat, the odds were stacked against India. But the maturity displayed by this 22 year old won the hearts of many.

It may be too early to decide whether India has found a gem in Pujara, But what Dhoni can do is consider Pujara in the scheme of things for the future. India certainly doesn't want a situation like that of Aussies when the major stars retire. So the right thing to do would be keep grooming players like Vijay, Pujara, Raina, Ojha, etc. They can be played in rotation, so that they get enough exposure to International test cricket. Thus, we can ensure that we are no one time wonders in getting to the top of ICC rankings, We are capable of retaining it!

Can IPL reach pinnacle of sports like EPL ?

What EPL has been to soccer, IPL is to cricket. IPL was always expected to take cricket world by storm, and rightly so, it did! It is now, the dream of every cricketer to play in IPL, and in some unfortunate cases, it has also been preferred over playing for the country.
Last Sunday, as I was watching the blockbuster match between 2nd placed Manchester United and 3rd placed Arsenal, a thought came to my mind: Has IPL done justice to cricket? ,Can IPL be compared to EPL?
First of all, there is little doubt that IPL is the child of EPL. Right from the nomenclature to the format, bits and pieces of EPL have been put together to conceive IPL. But IPL must be given its due credit, for it showed that professional sports leagues do have a standing in cricket.
Comparing IPL and EPL is a difficult task to do, because both have their supremacy in their own domain, and as they say, ultimately a sport is the winner.
First let us look at the similarities:
Both the leagues are based on the club format, where the player's country of origin does not matter.(I think, now it does  ) Both the leagues are born in the country, where people are passionate about the game. If England is the biological mother of Cricket, then it wouldn’t be wrong to say that India is its surrogate mother.
Both the leagues often spark Country v/s Club debates and are often in the news for the ‘Burn-out’ issues regarding the players.
To start with the differences between the two leagues, I somehow feel that the professionalism in EPL is much higher than that of IPL.
In EPL the focus is only on the club. But in IPL, the attention is grabbed equally by the Club, team owners and the players.
The brand association of EPL clubs cannot be compared to that of IPL clubs. EPL fans swear by their clubs and I have seen many fights between the fans of two rival clubs.
A Manchester United Fan may have a bag, wallet, shirt, jacket, watch and even a underwear, all with MAN-U logo. The IPL is yet to see such strong brand association.
The reason I believe is that, since the clubs are based on the cities of India, they have limited global fan following. Also, the local player playing for his home team, rather than some other teams, would have made it easier for fans to connect with the team. For Punjab Kings 11, there cannot be a bigger crowd puller other than Harbhajan Singh, but he plays for Mumbai Indians.
The other reason which restricts the reach of IPL to the global audience is that, unlike Soccer, Cricket has very few countries under its wing.
Also in Soccer, we have players like Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast and Chelsea), Andrei Arshavin (Russia and Arsenal), who are superstars in their sporting arena but their country of origin may be unknown to many. In cricket, Such situation is yet to see the light of the day.
But IPL has revolutionized cricket in it’s own way, and though it may not reach a stature as high as EPL, it certainly has taken Cricket to the next level!

Please do share your views. 

Siddhuism at its Best!

No...Its not Navjot Singh Sidhu's birthday!  While I was surfing the internet, I found some of the most interesting quotes you would ever hear from a cricket commentator. So I thought of sharing it with my fellow cricket loving people.   You may love this man or hate him completely, but be it Cricket or Comedy Nights with Kapil, it is hard to ignore him!

Some Cricket commentators like Russel Arnold or Ranjit Fernando would bore you to death. But having commentators like Geofrey Boycott, Richie Benaud, Harsha Bhogle, Ravi Shastri, Tony Greig, etc is always a treat for cricket fans. Here is some sample of sidhuism I found on a networking site. I bet after reading this, many of you would be on the floor unable to control your laughter!  Sidhuism :

1.That ball went so high it could have got an air hostess down with it. 
2. There is light at the end of the tunnel for India, but it's that of an incoming train which will run them over.
3. Experience is like a comb that life gives you when you are bald. 
4. This quote was made after Ganguly called Dravid for a run and midway sent him back and Dravid was runout in the third test against the West Indies at Barbados."Ganguly has thrown a drowning man both ends of the rope."
5. Sri Lankan score is running like an Indian taxi meter. 
6. Statistics are like miniskirts, they reveal more than what they hide.
7. Wickets are like wives - you never know which way they will turn!
8. He is like Indian three-wheeler which will suck a lot of diesel but cannot go beyond 30! 
9. The Indians are going to beat the Kiwis! Let me tell you, my friend, that the Kiwi is the only bird in the whole world which does not have wings!
10. As uncomfortable as a bum on a porcupine. 
11. The ball whizzes past like a bumble bee and the Indians are in the sea.
12. The Indians are finding the gaps like a pin in a haystack.
13. The pitch is as dead as a dodo. 
14. Deep Dasgupta is as confused as a child is in a topless bar!
15. The way Indian wickets are falling reminds of the cycle stand at Rajendra Talkies in Patiala..one falls and everything else falls!
17. You cannot make Omlets without breaking the eggs.
18. Deep Dasgupta is not a Wicket Keeper, he is a goal keeper. He must be given a free transfer to Manchester United.
19. He will fight a rattlesnake and give it the first two bites too.
21. This quote was made after Eddie Nichols, the third umpire, ruled Shivnarine Chanderpaul 'NOT OUT' in the second test at Port of Spain,T&T. "Eddie Nichols is a man who cannot find his own buttocks with his two hands."
22. Anybody can pilot a ship when the sea is calm.
23. Nobody travels on the road to success without a puncture or two.
24. You got to choose between tightening your belt or losing your pants.
25. The cat with gloves catches no mice.
26. Age has been perfect fire extinguisher for flaming youth.
27. You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg.
28. He is like a one-legged man in a bum kicking competition.
29. The third umpires should be changed as often as nappies and for the same reason.
30. Statistics are like bikinis… what they reveal is suggestive, what they hide is essential!
31. Spit on your hands! Take the black flag! And start slitting throats!
32. Wickets are like wives… you never know which way they will turn!
33. He looks like a brooding hen over a China egg!
34. It is very difficult to kill a man who is hell bent on committing suicide!
35. He is as innocent as a freshly laid egg!
36. When you are dining with the demons, you’ve got to have a long spoon!
37. If ‘ifs and buts’ were ‘pots and pants’ there would be no tinkers!
38. The ball went so high it could have got an air hostess on its way down!
39. This team is like bicycles in a cycle stand… one falls and the entire row falls!
40. The scoreboard is running faster than an Indian Taximeter!
41. The batsman is like a three-wheeler. Sucks a lot of fuel, but cannot go beyond 30!
42. The wily fox is back… it is an ill omen when a fox licks the lambs!
43. A big outcry but no outcome!
44. All that comes from a cow is not milk!
45. Just because a rose smells sweet, you do not use it in the soup!


Hope you enjoyed them :)

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How competent are BJP Lok Sabha Candidates for 2014 Elections?

Recently a friend of mine shared a link , which showed how Aam Aadmi Party candidates are really competent for fighting this year's Lok Sabha Election. As I have been a Narendra Modi supporter, more so after Arvind Kejriwal's 49 day stint at Delhi, I decided to write a similar blog for Bhartiya Janta Party candidates.

I won't touch the likes of Sushma Swaraj (Vidisha, MP), Arun Jaitley (Amritsar), Rajnath Singh(Lucknow), Maneka Gandhi (Pilibhit), Varun Gandhi(Sultanpur), Shatrugan Sinha (Patna Sahib), Dr. Harshvardhan (Chandi Chowk), Hema Malini (Mathura) as people are already familiar with these faces.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Jaipur Rural : 

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

A retired colonel in Indian Army, Olympic gold medalist & now out to conquer the Indian Politics. Few men achieve greatness in every field they venture into. Rathore will be contesting from Jaipur Rural seat on a BJP ticket.

Rathore retired from Indian Army in 2013 as a colonel. He has many medals to add to his illustrious career in shooting including Silver Medal in 2004 Athens Olympics.






General V.K. Singh, Ghaziabad:

         Another Army man to join BJP. General Vijay Kumar Singh is a                retired officer who served as Chief of Army Staff in Indian Army.
         Gen. V.K. Singh is experienced in counter insurgency and high                  altitude operations. He became chief of Army staff on 31st March              2010 and was the first commando to achieve that position.
         
         General V.K. Singh will be seen again in action but this time on a                different stage. He is fighting elections from Ghaziabad                                constituency on a BJP ticket.











Satypal Singh, Baghpat :

Former Police Commissioner of Mumbai, Satyapal Singh is a Maharashtra cadre IPS officer of 1980 batch.
A post-graduate in chemistry , he has also secured an MBA from Australia and is also has an MA and PhD in Public Administration . He received the President's Police Medal for distinguished service in 2004, the President's Police Medal for meritorious service in 1996 and the DG's Insignia in the same year.

Satyapal Singh will be contesting on a BJP ticket from Baghpat constituency in UP.


R.K. Singh, Arrah :

The man who is known for his efficiency and No-Nonsense attitude will be contesting from Arrah Constituency in Bihar.

R.K Singh is a 1975 batch Bihar Cadre IAS officer. Former Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh is known to be a tough task master and is known to make his stand clear even if it means going against the administrator.

Kirron Kher, Chandigarh :

One of the most recognizable face on Indian Television, Kirron Kher is the BJP candidate from Chandigarh Constituency and is pitched against Pawan Bansal of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party's Gul Panag.

Apart from her critically acclaimed roles in many films, Kirron Kher is associated with many Not-for-profit movements against Female Infanticide and Cancer.











Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo in Bengal : North East, West Bengal and South of India are not considered to be traditional bastions of BJP. To get rid of minnow status in West Bengal, BJP has fielded some popular faces among the likes of Music Director Bappi Lahiri, Singer Babul Supriyo ,magician P.C. Sorkar and actor George Baker.

Bappi da or The Disco King as he is lovingly called will be constesting from Srirampur Seat in West Bengal.

Babul Supriyo will be contesting from the Asansol Seat in West Bengal

Magician P.C. Sorkar (jr.) will be contesting from Barasat Constituency

Popular Bengali Actor George Baker will be contesting from Howrah Constituency


Meenakshi Lekhi, New Delhi:

Meenakshi Lekhi is contesting from New Delhi Seat. Lekhi is a Supreme Court Lawyer and has been part of drafting committees for bills like 'Women Reservation Bill' and 'Problem of Sexual harassment at workplace'. 

Meenakshi Lekhi represented media in the court to get the ban on media coverage of case proceedings revoked and was successful in the effort. She took up the case of permanent                                                             commissioning of women in the armed forces.

Smriti Irani , Amethi :

The favorite 'Bahu' of Indian television is challenging The Gandhi Scion Rahul Gandhi in his own den.

Smriti Irani who is a former model, Television actress and Producer is contesting from Amethi. She can be seen on majority of debates on news channels as a BJP representative.

Narendra Modi , Vadodra & Varanasi :

If you do not know this man, I doubt your existence in this planet. I call him the 'Virat Kohli of Indian Politics' - Aggressive, Brash but very consistent. The man who is serving as Chief Minister of Gujarat for the fourth consecutive term has toiled his way to the post of PM'ship. The face of National Democratic Alliance has made sure that he crosses every hurdle thrown by the ruling party without a scratch. He will be contesting two seats for BJP - One from his own state in Vadodra and the all important seat of Varanasi