Defining Nostalgiphilia

May 31, 2010

Have you met people who begin every sentence “in the good old days…”

– Do you have an old BSA bicycle, or a Remington typewriter or Windows 3.0 PC which you cannot throw away since your father got that as birthday gift…

– Do you stop on the road to relish ‘burf ke gole’ without bothering about the harmful colour and the dirty water…

– Have you observed that some people stop everything they are doing to be lost in thoughts when they hear a Geeta Dutt or a Mohammed Rafi song…

Beware; it could be the classic case of ‘Rustic Retro’. This is a rash like itching symptom of a dreaded disease called ‘Nostalgiphilia’ that afflicts mainly those urbanites who are above 30 years, artistically inclined and who have a lot of free time to feel nostalgic. Too many films, poems, paintings have been melancholied about this disease. Medically, this disease is described as a serious psycho-somatic condition, where the patient is forever lost in melancholy. ‘Melancholia’ is clinically classified under ‘schizophrenia’, but symptomatically it is similar to asthma since it can be aggravated by both environmental and genetic factors. (Refer: Wikipedia)

The typical symptoms of Nostalgiphilia are easy to identify.

While surfing the TV channels, the afflicted will get stuck at the 150th rerun of Malgudi Days or Star Wars movie.
Every time their friends and relatives visit, Nostalgiphiliacs will pull out old wedding or vacation tour albums and start explaining each photo even though they would have shown it earlier.
While discussing about a serious topic, some of us digress from the topic talking about an experience from a bygone era. But for Nostalgiphiliacs such a digression is a default setting and they would not want to come back!
They cannot simply eat a rare seasonal fruit; there has to be a lengthy narration of how sweet the fruits were in those ‘boole bisre din’.
If by chance, you ask them how to make the thread strong for flying kites or ingredients of mango pickle… you will be buried in a torrent of nostalgic downpour!

Once someone gets Nostalgiphilia, there is no cure. The disease can only be controlled with a daily dose of harsh reality; but otherwise it is a bleak scenario of the rest of the family members who have to endure the pain. Family members can take care by avoiding simple triggers that can aggravate a situation.

Nostalgiphilia - Indian nostalgic things

Typical triggers to be avoided are:

Do not expose Nostalgiphiliacs to old antiquated items like a tape recorder, granpa’s clock, film camera or even an old milk powder tin. They will start their melodrama, “Meri bachpan ki Amulspray aur Lactogen ka dabba… jisme mein pal bada… jisme meri maa dal aur masala rakha karthi thi…”
Do not mention how prices are rising day by day. You wouldn’t want to endure a lengthy lecture on what prices were in 1960s and 70s.
Do not switch to Vividhbharati radio during lazy Sunday afternoon if you do not want to ruin your weekend by listening to the whole history of how Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote his poems in prison!
Do not pull out old family albums and gramophone records in the presence of Nostalgiphiliacs.
Bioscope, Burf-ke-gole, gramophone, inland letters, Bril ink, Camel pen, etc are some of the items to be avoided.

This website is dedicated to all the people who are valiantly struggling to overcome Nostalgiphilia. We need support from people of all walks of life to manage this social evil. Please mail your comments and suggestions at info@caleidoscope.in

Reference: wiki/Nostalgia

Image – Pixabay

5 Thirst-Quenching Wine Cocktails for a More Refreshing Summer

Caleidoscope

May 20, 2010

Don’t you have any plans to go to the beach this summer yet? Don’t be a bummer. Start moving by mixing up some cocktails and surely the fruitiness of these tropical drinks would let you remember the undeniable hint of summer. Here are five thirst-quenching cocktails that would lift your spirits this summer.

White Peach Sangria

Looking for something light and bright cocktail for summer evening outdoor parties with friends or neighbors? Turn your classic white wine Pinot Grigio into White Peach Sangria with mango-flavored rum, peach schnapps, limes, oranges, lemons, lemon-lime soda, and other ingredients.

There is a typical 4-ingredient recipe for this cocktail, though. First, make sure to wash four white, slice each of them, and muddle the sliced ones in a pitcher containing a ¾ cup of peach brandy. In the same pitcher, mix a bottle of Moscato of your choice and one liter of plain seltzer water (sparkling peach water will do). Finally, stir gently.

Serve it with a glass full of ice. For the final touch, garnish the sangria with a slice of peach or two. If you are not going to serve it immediately, place it in the refrigerator. It is best served cold.

Rosé Berry Bliss

Rosé Berry Bliss is a sparkling wine cocktail that has an adorable pink or red theme—an elegant drink to serve for any fancy or casual affairs, holidays like Mother’s day, and other spring and summer parties. Pulling this drink’s recipe is the easiest way to entertain in style.

This simple recipe is comprised of one-liter lemon-lime soda (for a beautiful sparkle), one 12-ounce package frozen pink lemonade, one cup of blueberries, and a 750 ml-bottle of Clos du Bois Rosé. All you need to do is mix all the ingredients at once and refrigerate for at least an hour.

You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. If you run out of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries can serve as substitutes. Also, you can try adding apricot juice and nectar as an alternative to lemonade for a more exciting twist.

The Something Blue

If you are not into pinkish and reddish themed wines, you might want to consider serving warmer colored cocktails like The Something Blue. The name is derived from an old Victorian saying: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,” which means having these elements in a wedding will make a bride lucky.

This lucky charm is also simple to make. It is a three-ingredient cocktail that includes one an ounce of ginger ale, two ounces of white wine, and two ounces of Hpnotiq Liqueur. Pour all the three in your champagne flute, then the bubbles from the soda will do the mixing for you.

Kir Royale

If you are feeling too lazy this summer but want to have an elegant drink, try making this easy-to-make Kir Royale. It is one of many cocktails that are considered as one of a kind in their simplicity. It is one of the famous French cocktails made with a measure of blackcurrant liqueur, also called as crème de cassis.

If you have never heard about crème de cassis, wine enthusiasts consider it as any wine’s (Dry Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain, or other Sokolin Wines) best friend. It is a sweet liqueur combined with the flavor of black currants that works perfectly with a dry white wine.

To have one, pour 1/4 ounce of crème de cassis in a wine glass, then slowly pour two ¼ ounces of dry white wine. You can modify and adjust the volume of liqueur to complement your sweet tooth —the more liqueur, the sweeter.

Furthermore, there is no need to stir if you pour the liqueur first as it will naturally mix it with the wine. Conversely, you have to stir if you place the wine in the glass first before adding the liqueur.

Bishop Cocktail

You are wrong when you think leftover red wines that are out of your expectation should be thrown away. Wondering about what else you can do? You can go classic and mix up a Bishop cocktail!

Grab three cups of light rum, half a cup of lime juice, a tablespoon of simple syrup and mix these three with a cup of leftover red wine. You might find it rum-wine sour; however, give it a try, and it can work wonderfully in your glass. Also, do not skip the rum! Others would recommend it as a shortcut; but no, it is unnecessary.

Takeaway

Summer has always been the season of cold and refreshing beverages. People will not opt for something boozy, but lighter and more fruity like cocktails. These drinks will make people intoxicated yet sober, causing everyone to be more hype along with the summer vibe.

Author’s bio: Scarlett Wells is also an expert in the food industry. Her expertise and skills about food and beverage pairing have helped her in becoming an effective mentor inspiring everyone to maintain a fit and fab lifestyle.

Glorious journey through Western Ghats

Monica Levine

April 30, 2010

Traveling by train has been always a pleasure, where we can leisurely spend time relishing the changing landscape disconnected from all our work. If you are an offbeat traveller, you will have all the more pleasure enjoying the nature’s beauty. One of the most glorious journeys through Western Ghats which I have ever travelled was the train journey from Mangalore to Bangalore, which was an unforgettable experience.

I had always heard a lot about this train route (called the ‘Green Route’ by trekkers) from my better half and other friends, who cherished memories of trekking there, in there college days. I had travelled earlier on this route, but those bus journeys on treacherous roads were horrifying. So it was little hard to visualise this romantic image as they had explained.

Finally, the day came when we got a chance to go to Mangalore for a relative’s wedding. As usual I had to book our tickets keeping my husband’s tight schedule in mind. The journey from Bangalore was in the night so we could not see the route. But while returning back, we ensured to travel during the day so that we did not miss experiencing a journey we have waited so long. Rather than the wedding, I was all the more excited about the travel from Mangalore to Bangalore.

When we entered the compartment, there were just four people to accompany us. In the seat opposite to us, a grandma sat with her daughter and a new born baby. Beside us at the side window seat was a heavily built businessman who was very busy with his business calls over phone.
When the train started, it all felt the same, but as the train gathered speed, I was able to feel the warmth of nature in my eyes. I had ensured to book a window seat keeping the picturesque journey in mind, but my calculations went wrong! Being a regular traveller, the businessman told us that we are sitting on the wrong side, since the scenes would be visible from his window. It was obvious that I had to plead with him to let me take his seat and he politely obliged.

Glorious journey through Western Ghats

Till the train reached Subrahmanya Road station, I was wondering why people exaggerate things so much. The route had the usual scenery of rice fields, arecanut plantations, shrubby forests and tiny villages. But once we crossed the station, there was lot of hustle-bustle happening; passengers began moving towards the doors in their compartments to catch the panoramic view. My husband, who was patiently sitting in his seat, took out his camera and rushed to the door with a broad smile…

All the doors and windows of the train were packed with passengers who were relishing the marvellous sight of the green ghats… Even I was struck by the beauty of the green valley. However, it was not all the same with my fellow travellers. The grandma who sat opposite me was busy cuddling her grand daughter not much bothered by the scenery. For her the beauty was in her granddaughter’s smile! The businessman he had moved to our seats was now enjoying sound sleep and was snoring away to glory…

The excitement of the journey started from Subrahmanya and continued till Sakleshpur. The time spent between these two stations promises an unforgettable experience of Western Ghats. Marvellous views of the tropical evergreen Shola forests that blended with the verdant valleys, gentle waterfalls nestled in the folds of the hills, gushing streams, breath-taking bridges and endless tunnels. Yedakumari is the midpoint station that comes between Subrahmanya and Sakleshpur. Picturesque beauty of the steep gradients from Yedakumari displays nature at its best.

Trekkers from all over are fascinated by this destination and throng the place just after monsoon. Yedakumeri railway station is only place to stay overnight for trekkers. The stretch between Mangalore and Bangalore consists of both ghats and plains sections. The stretch between Subrahmanya and Sakleshpur is a ghats section of 55 km with 110 curves, 57 tunnels, 15 gradients, and 67 bridges with fascinating views.

sakleshpur to mangalore railway

The train journey between from Mangalore and Bangalore, via Sakleshpur and Hassan, was built in 1979 with the commissioning of the metre gauge track for traffic. But after almost one-and-a-half decade, traffic on this route was stopped in 1996 for the gauge conversion work. After an enormous delay due to neglect by the state government and the railways, the work on broad gauge conversion was completed, and movement of goods trains began as trial run in January 2006. The route was formally commissioned for the movement of passenger traffic in December 2007.

The train we traveled had 12 coaches pushed by three engines. While we are busy watching those beautiful curves, we did not realise that there were two engines at the back of the train and one in the front, which were puffing with all their energy to push the train up the steep gradient through the valley. I thought I was the only one so excited to enjoy the thrill of the picturesque journey. However, when the train went through the tunnels there went a huge roar of the travellers in other compartments. It was hard to explain why they were shouting! But this magical journey made all of us so excited.

The scenery changed dramatically as we reached Sakleshpur, and the normal routine journey ensued with tiny villages and farms floating by. Till we reached Bangalore we were relishing the beauty of the journey in the pictures captured in our camera. Long after we ended our journey, I still cherish those memories and they will remain a part of me forever…

Factfile
Train route – Bangalore – Mangalore – 330 kms
Ghat section – Subrahmanya – Sakleshpur – 55 km
Place to rest – Yedakumeri railway station
Reference – http://www.hmrdc.com
Wiki/Green_Route

Terrarium – The magical Miniature Earth

Levine Lawrence

April 14, 2010

Terrarium Do you remember the word ‘Biosphere’ from your biology classes… “It is the global sum of all ecosystems which integrates all living beings and their relationships. The concept of biosphere indicates that the earth itself is a living organism, both physically or metaphorically, which is also known as the Gaia hypothesis”. Does the concept sound too metaphysical…

Many times it is hard for us to understand that all living things are independent as well as dependent of the biosphere. To make it easy to understand, why not create a model of biosphere at home!?! Sounds too scientific… It is interesting to know that many so called scientific things are simple to learn and recreate!

Plants can create their own biosphere and can live independently without outside supply of air and water! To understand that difficult-to-digest fact, let’s create a ‘Terrarium’. Terrarium is a covered glass container which contains a miniature garden of soil and plants. It is fascinating to know that plants survive very well in this closed airtight container. Simply speaking it is the opposite of an aquarium where you nurture plants instead of fish!

Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward, an English doctor created the concept of Terrarium (also known as the ‘Wardian case’) more then a hundred years ago. Ward noticed that ferns and grasses continued to grow in a tightly closed glass container in his home. He realized that the plant stayed alive because of the water that transpired from the leaves, condensed back into the soil and kept the moisture content constant. The principle helped in the successful transportation of plants on long ocean journeys t bring in rare specimens to the botanical gardens in England; coffee plants from Arabia to Brazil, rubber plants from South America or Rafflesia from East Indies.

terrarium containers Can we create a Terrarium at home… how difficult it is master this technique… All you need is a bit of patience and ingenuity to develop this type of terrarium. Any kind of bottle or glass container can be used to create this magical ecosystem. There are mainly two types of Terrarium:

* Wet or Moist Terrarium – contains moist soil with tropical perennial plants which can sustain in indoor lighting
* Dry or Desert Terrarium – contains mixture of gravel, sand and soil planted with cacti and other desert plants

Wet Terrarium

Clean and dry out a glass container. Even an old discarded, leaky aquarium can make an excellent terrarium case. Spread one inch layer of gravel on the bottom. This provides good drainage for the plants. Add a 1/2 inch layer of activated charcoal on top of the gravel. This filters the water and can help cut down on any foul odour. Add a 3 inch layer of soil on top of the charcoal/gravel layers. Place plants in desired arrangement and pull soil back to plant. Start with the smallest plants if you are planting multiple plants. Cover with airtight glass lid or plastic cling wrap. Place the Terrarium near the window to give enough lighting.

Dry Terrarium

Cover the bottom of the Terrarium with 2-inches of gravel, then with 2 to 3 inches of a mixture of sand and soil. Insert cacti and other desert plants with the help of slender wooden forceps. Place a few stones, pieces of dead cactus and yucca stems on the ground, to give an artistic effect. Cover with airtight glass lid or plastic cling wrap. Sprinkle ground around the plant with water and keep the Terrarium in a sunny location.

Once you master this technique, you can gift Terrariums as eco-friendly gifts to your friends or even start a business selling these magical pots!

– Factfile –
Materials Needed – Glass container, Fish bowl, or plastic bottle
First layer – stone pebbles or gravel
Second layer – activated charcoal
Third layer – potting soil with little organic manure
Plants – Money plant, Syngonium, spider plant, etc

Reference –
Field Book of Nature Activities and Conservation, William Hillcourt (1961)
http://www.beekerswords.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org

Eco-friendly Ideas for Future – Part II

Levine Lawrence

April 14, 2010

In our previous post on eco-friendly ideas we covered some of the best ideas to bring sustainability in our living. This post is the continued part of the Eco-friendly ideas for future part I. Please leave your opinion on the comment section of this post.

Banana Fibre

Human beings have used various types of fibre for clothing and furnishing. Cotton, silk, jute, synthetic fibre, etc. How about Banana fibre! Innovators in south India have used this fibre to weave various types of clothing and furnishing material. The Banana fibre could be the wonder fabric that can provide a new revenue stream for both handicraft artisans as well as farmers. It is flexible enough to be woven into mats and bags, as well as flattened into paper. There are enough producers to support an export market.

Biodiesel

Eco-friendly Idea - Biodiesel

Biodiesel is an innovative fuel made from vegetable oil which can be used for standard diesel engines without any alteration in the machine. This is nature’s gift for an oil starved India. Even farmers can make oil in their village and run their diesel gensets or tractors.

Eco-friendly Idea - Biodiesel

Biodiesel is an invention that took nearly 100 years to be commercially utilized. IISc scientists rediscovered an idea suggested by Rudolf Diesel and have set the stage for another farmer driven fuel revolution. Making Biodiesel is no rocket science. Many innovators have made it at home through a process called ‘Transesterification,’ which removes unwanted components from vegetable oil and renders it a ‘methyl ester’. However, the fuel vs. food controversy has stifled its acceptance due to govt. curbs on methanol usage is a catalyst.
Details: http://www.svlele.com | http://www.treeoilsindia.com/

Sun Burnt Brick

Soil Stabilized Brick or sun burnt brick is a simple innovation that can prevent topsoil degradation and tree felling for burning bricks. Instead of buying regular burnt bricks, create your bricks at your building site, using the ratio of 80% soil, 15% sand and 5% cement.

Eco-friendly Idea - Sun Burnt Brick

The bricks have to be pressed using a manual powered machine and sun dried. Flyash Bricks are also becoming the trend in areas near to any thermal power plant. The powdery ash collected at the plant is being mixed with cement to create a light weight sturdy brick which is cheap and eco-friendly.
Details: http://civil.iisc.ernet.in

Ice in desert

Eco-friendly Idea - Yakhchal

How do you make ice in hot desert so that you can relish your icecream… simple, build a Yakhchal, which is the finest example of earth based architecture. By 400 BC, Persian engineers had mastered the technique of storing ice in the middle of summer in the hot, dry desert climate of Iran. The ice was brought in during the winters from nearby mountains in bulk amounts, and stored in a Yakhchal, or ice-pit. These ancient refrigerators were used primarily to store ice and food for use in the summer. Details: http://www.eartharchitecture.org

Eco-friendly Ideas for Future – Part I

Levine Lawrence

April 14, 2010

Eco-friendly planting ideas There was a time when all we commoners could do was talk about environmental degradation and heave a sigh that nothing much can be done about it. “If we need development, we need to sacrifice the environment!” That was the standard refrain. Fortunately, things have changed for the better off late, and for all of us who care about the earth, there is a new way – ‘Sustainable development’. It means there is a way to develop our society using some good ideas that can enable us to lead a better life without harming the environment. Fortunately, these eco-friendly ideas are not such a burden on your budget!

Here is a growing list of simple yet innovative idea collected from all over the world. Some of them are ancient and some are modern. If you find a better idea than these, please mail us the details. We will reward you and put up the idea on our site with your byline!

Turbo Ventilator

A strange looking device is dramatically changing the ambience in buildings! ‘Wind Driven Turbo Ventilator’ is a mechanical device that provides continuous airflow on any roof with a high capacity per vent. Made of stainless steel or aluminum, it offers maintenance free performance. This ventilator does not require electrical energy; instead, it operates utilizing wind energy to induce airflow by centrifugal force.

Eco-friendly Turbo Ventilator

The Turbo Ventilator’s operation is shockingly simple! Inside a building, hot air rises up and collects underneath the roof. The hot air pushes itself out and starts running the ventilator. Immediately, fresh colder air rushes in from the windows below. Today, you can see many factories that have installed these Turbo Ventilators which gives a return on investment in a short period of time.
Details – https://www.anantlaxman.com

Bamboo Architecture

Eco-friendly Bamboo Architecture

Can the humble bamboo be a construction material in modern housing? Due to its strength and durability, bamboo has been extensively used for scaffolds and supports in construction of permanent structures since ancient times. how can forget the chinese bamboo hut! Today, Bamboo reinforced houses are built by a firm named ‘WonderGrass’. This new concept is enabled by light weight architecture and treated bamboo. Clubhouse inside a corporate house such as Cisco Systems in Bangalore built completely out of bamboo.

The Composite Technology park in the TIFAC lab inside RVCE College in Bangalore has created various types of bamboo composite building material embedded in a plastic polymer.

Details – www.tifac.org.in | https://www.bamboo-inspiration.com

Bamboo Cycle

Eco-friendly Bamboo Cycle

Can you use bamboo composites to create anything else… the possibilities are mind boggling!
In Bangalore, Vijay Sharma, a manufacturer of office furniture, and Vaibhav Kaley a bamboo architect, have developed a bicycle made of bamboo and fibre, by replacing 3.5 kg of steel chassis.

Details – http://handcraftedbikes.blogspot.com/

Concentrated Solar Thermal Power

All of us know that sun’s energy can be converted to electric power by using Solar Photo Voltaic cells made of silicon chips. However, since these cells cost a lot, the idea has not gained much acceptance. Thankfully, there is another idea which can create enormous amount of power using solar thermal power. Remember the solar water heater… The thermal power unit takes the same principle of converting solar power into latent heat; rather it concentrates the heat and creates super heated steam. The steam is then run through a turbine which creates electric power.

Concentrated Solar Thermal Power

The Solúcar PS10 project is an 11MW Solar Thermal Power Plant in Southern Spain plant, which is a first-of-its-kind Solar Central Receiver System using glass-metal heliostats to produce electricity. Google.org is investing in eSolar Inc., a California based company specializing in Solar Heliostat Concentrators which are power plants of 25MW base units consisting of several thermal receiver towers, each with a field of heliostat mirrors and a central power block. In India, Gadhia Solar is implementing smaller thermal power units of around 1-2MW in rural areas.

Details – https://en.wikipedia.org | http://solarcooking.wikia.co

Eco Friendly Ideas for Future-Part II

Green Wedding – Making our wedding eco-friendly

Levine Lawrence

April 12, 2010

Green Wedding

How do bring in green aspects in our day to day life… If it is hard to shift move into an eco-friendly lifestyle, can we do something unique in any of our special events so that they stay memorable for us as well as our friends and relatives… How about mixing your ideas on eco-friendly lifestyle with the most memorable day of your life… How about making our wedding eco-friendly? Green wedding!?

That’s exactly what a couple in Bangalore did in the last wedding season. B N Shivashankar & Family have always been a socially conscious family and they are ecological activists as well. They run an NGO named ‘Jeevana Mukthidhama’, which is a large tree memorial park for war heroes and famous personalities. The park has trees planted on the ashes of dead along with an epitaph.

So when the wedding of B N Dayal Bapu and Megha H was planned, the family thought it would to be different and to help Bangalore to become a bit greener. The idea was simple: distribute saplings to guests as complimentary gifts; cut down on plastic usage; and serve organic food. Through these activities, the idea was to build eco-consciousness among commoners and have awareness talks by eminent personalities, such as Basavanagudi MLA Shri Vijayakumar who spoke to the media.

Invited guests were pleasantly surprised by this gesture. In all, 2000 Honge (Pongamia) saplings were distributed to the guests and the couple planted a sapling in front of the G N R Kalyan Mantap in Jayanagar T Block. Volunteers from Lets Integrate For Environment (LIFE) enlightened the guests and distributed the saplings.

No doubt, the print and TV media were all over the place covering this unique event. Let’s hope this green wedding practice becomes a fashionable trend among the younger generation.

– Factfile –

Wedding organiser: B N Shivashankar & Family
Date: 10 May 2009
Place: G N R Kalyan Mantap, Jayanagar

Kodachadri – a breathtaking experience

Nagaraj

April 11, 2010

Every time I and my best pals go on a bus trip to the Western Ghats, a fight breaks out among us on who will sit next to the window. This time as well, I won the fight. I can fight another hundred such battles, to get the closest position to experience the divine beauty of lush green covered mountains of Western Ghats.

The local bus was filled with the fragrance of jasmine coming from the garlands hung on the photos of Yesu, Allah and Ganesha placed above the driver. Watching the gently drizzling rain, trees covered with thick green growth, flow of cold breeze – a sense of warmth filled up our hearts. There was a feeling of relief on our face since the so called year-long plan for this trek has finally materialized. I began to enjoy every bit of this journey of lifetime with my eyes glued to the window glass freshly sprinkled rain drops. The bus winded up the ghats and headed towards Kodachadri.

Kodachadri

The name ‘Kodachadri’ is derived from two words, ‘Kodacha’ or ‘Kodashi’ and ‘Adri’, a Sanskrit word. According to local sources ‘Kodacha’ means upside down and the ‘Adri’ refers to the peak of the mountain. It is linked to a legend about Lord Hanuman when he dropped the Sanjeevini Parvat while returning after reviving Lakshman, it fell upside down thereby creating the place ‘Kodachadri’ (upside down mountain). It is also believed that Guru Adhi Shankaracharya did his meditation on top of the mountain. He is believed to have sat on the ancient rock cenotaph on the peak named, ‘Sarvajna Peetha’.

The bus took a deep breath and stopped at Nagodi village to drop us, and continued on its seemingly everlasting journey. This is the right place to begin the trek to Kodachadri. The trek is approximately 10 km from the base to the peak, which can take around 5hours from Nagodi village. Another alternative is to reach the peak by boarding a jeep at Kollur, which is helpful for those who cannot walk.

Kodachadri

However, for a lifetime experience, I suggest one should do the trek journey to see the variety of flora and fauna. Further, the trekker’s path offers vantage points for spectacular scenery of the surroundings. People trekking for the first time should take care to travel with lots of water and start early in the morning.

There is a small canteen at the foot hill; make sure to pack refreshments since you will not find any other shop on the trekker’s path. Keep an eye out for the blood sucker leeches which would be in abundance during rainy season. A local treatment to keep leaches away is to apply a mixture of tobacco and lime soaked in water on your legs.

On the summit, the only means of food and shelter is the Bhat family. The family charges a small amount of money for food and blanket. The Karnataka state government has plans to make an all season metaled road the road right up to ‘Shankarapeetam’. However, environmentalists feel that this development would destroy the tranquility as well as disturb the natural habitat of many species in the region.

Kodachadri

The main attraction of this place is the trek itself and the sunset. The sunset view seen from the Kodachadri peak on a clear day is an enchanting experience. Sunrise can also be seen from another hillock just behind tourist bungalow. It is mesmerizing to just stand on the hill-top and experience the cold breeze whispering the secrets of natural beauty. Do not wonder if you feel like god since the place itself is like a true heaven on the earth!

Fact file –
• Nearest Town – Kollur around 20 km away
• Transport – travel from Kollur by jeep on a 40 km long winding mud road with many hair-pin bends. Bus available from Shimoga city
• Nearest Railway station is Kundapura on Konkan Railway route.
• Other attractions – Mookambika Nature Camp – 4 km south of Kollur
• Food – carry your own food for the trek
• More info – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodachadri https://usandeep.com/trekking/kodachadri.html

Attaining Nirvana in Nepal

Levine Lawrence

April 11, 2010

Can we seek nirvana with a money back guarantee… Is there a place where backpackers and luxury travellers can both get the best bargains… Is there Shangri La on earth where all people live perfect harmony with nature…

To seek an answer to all these questions, we need to travel to distant land tucked away in the misty mountains. Imagine a perfect triangle shaped mountain capped with snow; imagine a city nestled besides the mountain range and a serene lake reflecting the snowy peaks; imagine a suburb next to the lakeside which is cut off from the busy city; imagine fragrance of Patchouli and chants of ‘Om mani padme om’ emanating from shops and restaurants that sell delicious food, t-shirts, carpets, books and trekking bags; imagine smiling faces that greet a courteous Namaste. Now wake up, that’s Pokhara.

Nepal

Welcome to the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal! Before we came to Nepal, lot of friends warned about the cunning nature of Nepali guides and the grim security situation due to the Maoist insurgency. On the contrary, we did not get cheated by anyone and the countryside was as tranquil and peaceful as the mountains. Later we realized the reason behind this misconception; most travellers land in Kathmandu and get trapped by the scheming travel agents.

Nepal

The political situation has improved drastically with the new multi-party democracy system. Thankfully we researched thoroughly using the Lonely Planet guide book and the internet and we chose to land in the second largest city of Nepal.

pokhara nepal

The list of sight seeing spots that Pokhara offers is endless: Phewa Tal boating, paragliding from the Sarangkot sunrise viewpoint, gushing waters of Devi’s Fall, trekking on Annapurna circuit, sunset at the World Peace Pagoda, shopping by the lakeside, bats in the Gupteshwar caves, mountaineering museum and many more. We kept apart atleast three days to enjoy all the sights in and around Pokhara.

annapurna circuit

The Royal Chitwan National Park is a must see for all visitors, but you need to be lucky to get a glimpse of the wild animals. We were lucky enough to get only the wild deer. But the early morning elephant ride was really an exhilarating experience. But luckily the annual winter elephant race and football matches were on and we were amazed by the skills displayed by the elephants. This race is organized specially for the hordes of foreign tourists who really keep the local economy flourishing. Otherwise Nepal is a poverty-stricken country which is now slowly emerging from the political turmoil.

Manokamana

The Manokamana Mandir cable car is an amazing journey across the beautiful mountainside. It is truly amazing to see such a sophisticated cable car in a country plagued by crumbling infrastructure. People who complain about Indian roads need to go to Nepal once in their lifetime!

Nepal river rafting

People who had experienced river rafting in tame Indian rivers, will know what is Level-3 in rafting! River rafting in the true Himalayan white water rivers is a lifetime experience and another must-do item. The chilling waters drag the rafts through the gushing river winding through narrow valleys of terraced farms and tiny hamlets.

Finally on the New Year’s Eve, we arrived at the much fabled city of Kathmandu. The day was 29 December 2007, and the interim parliament amended the Nepali constitution to create the people’s socialist republic and abolish the monarchy. There were political demonstrations and processions and there was immense excitement on the streets.

kathmandu nepal

We stayed in Thamel, a small tourist locality where all the western travellers stay. The New Year night was truly extraordinary with dance troupes from brazil, djembe players from Africa, rock musicians from Europe, flute and tabla players from India all trying to entertain their niche crowd in the numerous pubs and dance bars. Finally, after an exhilarating night, we woke up the next day to realise that we had exceeded our office vacation, and reluctantly packed up from the enchanting land of Nepal!

Here is a documentary video dedicated to Nepal from caleidoscope team.

Pics by: Nagz

Packaging Heritage Museum

Levine Lawrence

April 10, 2010

Is it possible to find tins of Parry’s Nutrine, Amulspray and Lactogen, Philips radio, VAT 69 bottle, Army hipflask, Agfa camera in a leather case, ancient Pepsi and Coca Cola bottles, wooden cigar boxes all in one place… One would wonder how and why such a diverse assembly would happen in the first place!

It would surprise many of us to find a Packaging Heritage Museum in Bangalore city which chronicles the evolution of packaging in the 20th Century. Visitors are fascinated to find curious collectibles from yesteryears displayed in pristine condition, reminding them of their childhood. Gramophone records of Lata Mangeshkar packed in two-colour printed paper board, tin case of Cadbury Fry chocolate, huge hot cases with space for hot coal, velvet lined cutlery kit and lab tool cases, metal body cameras cased in leather, wood finish radios, you will find them all.

Manjushree Packaging Heritage Museum is a fascinating collection of all kinds of packaging material used since early part of 20th Century. It is located inside the premises of Manjushree Technopack Ltd, which is a Bangalore based leading plastic packaging company catering to all top FMCG companies. The museum maintained by Vimal Kedia, CEO of Manjushree Technopack displays a diverse collection of old as well as existing brands in different packaging material.

Packaging Heritage Museum
Manjushree Technopack Ltd established this unique museum in 2003, as part of its packaging innovation division. A brainchild ofVimal Kedia, this museum is the result of his passion of packaging technology. This collection attracts FMCG packaging experts and layman enthusiasts to study the gradual evolution of packaging material as well as changing consumer needs.

One look at the 250 items gives you a perspective on the sea of change that has happened in the world consumer goods packaging. Beginning from wood casing in the 1900s, packaging has moved to metal, then to glass, paper, cardboard and finally to plastic containers today. Today, marketing managers of various top brands do visit the museum to understand the legacy of their brands in the years gone by. For instance, we can see the gold plated spoon offered by Nescafe during its early days of promotion in the Middle East. Personal care items were showcased in hard casing with velvet and silk finishing in the interiors.

Packaging Heritage Museum

Tracing the origins of his collection, Mr.Vimal Kedia narrates “Most of our displayed items have been collected through friends and relatives who contributed from their attics. Whenever I traveled across the country, I searched for packages in old warehouses and shops. Smaller towns and villages are the best places to find such items and my visits to remote towns in Assam have yielded many such objects. Almost all of the information about these curious items was given to us by word of mouth. In fact, many of can find them in the attics of our grand parents.”

But there is a hitch before Nostalgiphiliacs want to go for a pilgrimage. This museum is in way outside the city in Electronic City. Moreover, it is inside the factory premises and you need to take prior permission to visit it!

Fact file –
Name: Manjushree Packaging Heritage Museum
Location: Electronic City II stage
Contact: Ankit Kedia
Info: http://www.manjushreeindia.com

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