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Spending weekend in the lap of nature

All of us are aware of Ooty & must have also visited the popular hill station but there are some spots in the outskirts of the city which one must visit. On our first marriage anniversary i.e., 6^th May ‘13, we took a vehicle & made a road trip which was amazing to Ooty & the nearby destination. Bangalore to Ooty is 268 kms & May month is peak season so flocked with tourist & room rents surges double. (‘loot mar season’). Best part is clear skies & ideal time for sightseeing. We planned for complete three days trip.

Day 1: Start early at 5 am from Bangalore enjoying the cool breeze. Bandipur & Mudumalai  National parks are two destinations where one could spot animals by jungle safari, we were lucky to see wild elephants, herd of deer, four-horned antelope, grey langur & Peacock (but no tigers L).  By noon we reach our luxury hotel with welcoming staff & awesome ambience.  We panned the day for inside city tour & market analysis. Though rain surprised us but could let our spirits down, I continued with photoshoot.

Day 2: With morning breakfast of bread-omelet, we planned for Conoor after visiting Doda betta peak (it is the second highest mountain in the Nilgiri Hills, just the roads are pathetic). Conoor is a small place, surrounded by tea plantations & one could enjoy the toy-train ride too. Popular spots are Dolphin nose view point, Lady Canning seat, Lambs rock (lambs dhoond te reh jaoge), Sims park, law’s falls & Catherine falls. By the end of the day we were back in our hotel with some chocolate & tea powder shopping.

Day 3: Way out of the city there are two options one is the drive beyond Masinagudi entailing 35 hairpin bends, it used to be an elephant corridor & the other is scenic view & some more tourist spots.  Hindustan photo films, Kamraj Sagar Lake, Kamraj sagar dam (few kms from the lake), Wenlock downs (Shooting medu), tree park, Pykkara falls & dam are the spots which are in the outskirts but still populated with tourist.

We missed Emarald lake & Avalanche lake due to bad road conditions & safety issues.

I have been to Ooty earlier too but this time it was special & exhilarating. Bangaloreans need a break from this pollution & concrete. 

The long walk...

Landscape

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Surf's up

Plight of Mango Man

     Today, while I was watching the movie named ”Chala Mussaddi – Office Office”  directed by Rajiv Mehra & Pankaj Kapoor as Mussaddi Lal Tripathi, I just felt that some day or the other we all have faced Mussaddi Lal’s situation.  India today is among the most corrupt nations of the world, after fighting for more two hundred years, is our independence worth earning this title.  Why should the common man always bear the cost of economic meltdown?  After all it is the hard earned money from our blood & sweat which is drilled out from our pockets in various forms. “paise ped pe nahi lagte” At one time, bribe was paid for getting wrong things done but now bribe is paid for getting right things done at right time.

     Corruption, in its simplest sense, may be defined as an act of bribery or misuse of public position or power for the fulfillment of selfish motives or to gain personal indulgence. May it be a simple autowala to elite officials everyone is in a chance to squeeze the juice out of the mango man.  Corruption is a cancer of society, which every Indian must strive to cure. Why should the common man always be tormented in the name of development, competition & economic crisis? Every now and then new scams are coming up, economy is dwindling in the few hands, but there is lack of transparency to the people, so whose democracy is it?

     The important causes of corruption in India are poor regulatory structure, irrational process of decision making, official secrecy, lack of empathy, rigid bureaucratic structures and processes and absence of effective internal control mechanism. Social acceptability, tolerance for corruption and absence of a formal system of inculcating the values of ethics and integrity further propagates corruption.

     My purpose of writing this article is not just to lecture about corruption but I want you to ponder upon common man’s plight (as we are one of them) & work upon some innovative ideas to improve the scenario, say no to ill practices. Please take out some time from your busy weekend schedule to watch the movie, Chala Mussaddi – Office Office. I am sure, at some point of the movie you will feel yourself or your loved ones in the shoes of Mussaddi Lal.  What were the circumstances & how did you tackle the situation?  I welcome you to share your experiences in this post.

     “Corruption and hypocrisy ought not to be inevitable products of democracy, as they undoubtedly are today” by Mahatma Gandhi (Father of the Nation)

      Jaago Mango Man Jaago! 

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