Ghattikallu, Mudikere Taluk, Chikmagalur district ( 16 to 18 Dec 2011 )

Karnataka Western Ghats each Sq kilometer has unique and sit seeing place year-around. Few weeks before, I trekked in Western Ghats. This time we decided to visit Ghattikallu which is located between Mudikere and Kalasa. We were 18 members’ team and booked Home stay in Ghattikallu. We had very good fun and relaxation. We visited falls and Sun set point. We trekked a small distance too.

State Level Open Yoga championship 2011( 3 Dec 2011)

I just recalled before start writing this blog, there is no trace and relation with yoga and me past so many years. When I was with primary education in Roman Catholic (R.C) Middle school in my home town Melur, learned about prayer and disciplines. During my secondary education in Gandhi Niketan Ashram, I have learned about Mediation and how to live self control life.

One fine day in month of Aug 2010, it was heavily downpour in my area. I did not go HAL ground where I used play basket and do long runs .My body pushed and triggered to me for some exercise in that heavy rain. That time I decided to join YOGA in my area ( VIP’s Yoga Center ) . I met YOGA Master Mr. Venkatesh same day.

He is well trained and well yoga educated person. He has more than 17 years of experience in yoga. I attended the class form next day onwards. I was very irregular for first three months.

“You never miss any class if you have any dependence and very much required something”. The same situation was occurred for me too. From Jul 2011 onwards I was going the class regularly and lot of students also practiced yoga from our center. In Meantime we got a announcement about state level championship for yoga. Few members were turned for participating in competition. Master provided for special training which close to related to competition. As usual I used to miss special training classes. However I remembered all the Asana. We thought of order T-Shirts. We designed the logo and ordered T-Shirts form Thirupur. We got our T-shirts neck to neck movement. Final participants list came around 15 students.

Members are Shankar, Meenakshi Shankar, Swaroop, Swathi Swaroop, Krishna, Krishna raj, Venna, Nikitha, Janavi raj, Sree hari, Sree surthi, Thejaskumar, Naveen kumarm, Neha, Masters son and family, karthi and Myself.

Event day:

All students gathered in the center around 10 am. We reached the event place Dr. Rajkumar Kalakshetra in Vijaya Nagar around 11 am. We have registered for 16 students. Events were started with inaugural function... Initial Yoga dance was ultimate. Students were danced very well.

First event started with Age group of 8 to 15 for both gender. Four obverses were sitting in 4 corners and gave the marks to participants. The event followed by age group of 15 to 20, and then followed by 20 to 25. After that, I participated in 25 to 32 age group. They asked us do three 3 Asana’s which were mandatory (Ustrasana, Janu Sirsasana and Anantasana ) and followed by 2 interested Asana’s(Virabhadrasana and Chakrasana ). I got decent marks. Very less participants was in my age group. After that, age group of 32 to 40, 40 to 50 and 50+ events were happened. Awarding and Pricing ceremony was started around 5 pm. They announced new Yoga teachers for this year. One of our teachers also became a New Yoga Master. 10 members from our center got a rank in there events and prices.

I got a 3^rd price in my age group. Very first time in my life, I participated in yoga competition and got a price too. I was so happy that movement and. All our students safely back to our area.
Things Learned from yoga:

• Yoga is a practice and method, it controls body and mind. Body and mind are work together in yoga.
• It always produce good results in short term
• Why yoga was followed and practiced in our country before centuries of centuries.
• Learned Pranayama
• How to maintain good health in any age.
• How to Reduces common software engineers problems like stress, Back pain and obesity
• How to teach yoga to others
• Suraya Namaskara Mantra
• Difference between pranayama , Asana’s, Breathing exercises and mediation

My very special thanks to Master and yoga students. I decide this price to VIP’s Yoga center where I learned this yoga.

Sri Raja Rajeswari Illam, Yercaud ( 26 and 27 Nov 2011)

Just a week before we ( Hemakumar sir, Jai and myself ) decided and visited yercuad in Nov last week. I clicked few snaps,

Garden view

Totally climate was changed with in a month compare to October. we learned, how to change the Tyre in Ford Fista car.
Thanks to Hemakumar sir.. for inviting us.

Leaving the Farming family profession…

A Doctor son becomes A Specialized MD doctor. An Engineer son becomes a Post Graduate Engineer. A Politician son becomes Party leader and soon after become MLA or MP….

This article is not against the choosing the new profession or try to do innovation in the interested field or using the Emerging Global Market opportunities. Only to create awareness about Farming..

If apply the Mathematical or Sentimental logic to a Farmer... His son should become a landlord and need to lot of innovation in the field of agriculture and should be studied in Agricultural University. In current 21^st century scenario, his son profession altogether changed... He might be studied one of the Engineering or Science College and settled with new profession with new city.

Analyze about why forgot the family business and why the interest missing for continuing the family business even after if someone well settled in other field and who are all went to low profit profession and living in low lifestyle . As well as encourage and creating to “keep in touch” with farming.

Social responsibility: Agriculture based family son have the serious social responsibility to server society If continue the family business, we can maintain our Indian ECO- friendly System. Social responsibility should have all the farming based guys.

Proud of family business: Every former son should think I came to this position because of these farms and fields. Every time should feel proud about family business.

Hardcore Interest: This only one Profession (not a business) gives the food to live... without food no can live and survive. The hardcore interest should come from the heart and mind

Parents support: parents should enforce his children to continue the family business. Might be, they got lost doing the farming. It won not be case always. Do not force or migrate for new profession.

Selling the assets for social status: Want to buy home/apartment/land in nearest town or where he/she is working in the city for some social status. It is not a pure social status. When he continues the family business and shows the results (profit), it is called real social status. Buy whatever you like based profit and not because of selling lands...

Circumstances: do not compare with other professional family guy. Keep the benchmark with other state and other country farmers. Improve the farming.

Somewhere the mindset is missing about continuing the family business... create the mindset to children about the value of farming ask them to do innovation. In India only innovation is not happening in the field of agriculture.

This article, about written about general case and authors own view ... This may not applicable for all the cases.

Do not leave Farming family business... Who are continuing his family profession (Farming)... Applause to them.

Bangalore Ultra Marathon - 25K ( 13th Nov 2011)

Anybody born and brought up in village farm house, definitely he/she had trail run experience, may not be long distance trail run. It is pertinent my life too. Even I had very small trail runs, without know it is trail run like that, I ran so many times..

Whenever somebody plug coconut and Mango from our field without our permission... I used to run behind and try to catch them.

One more interesting trail run, try to catch the Rabbit whenever see Rabbit in filed… we have run at least minimum 11 kms speed.. Otherwise rabbit miss from visibility. These circumstances occurred for many times when I was in Keelaiyur as well as Ayavathanpatti.

Another event, I ran few KMs trail runs when we preparing Bullock cart for Rackla race. It is famous event southern tamil nadu districts. I used to participate during the practice session for Rackla race .For this run, participant need more and more stamina. Otherwise cannot job and sit intermittently in cart and hold the stick in mouth.

Another one more event also possible for trail run in villages of tamilnadu.. But I missed so many times... That is “Paraivettai” festival in the Tamil month “Masi” ( 11th month in tamil calendar ) . All the village people gather in common place, go together and catch the Rabbit. Minimum one person has to go from the each family from our village...

In above occasions, the person (runner) need to cross lot of fields, small ponds, small farms, small channels and lot of field boundaries all present in the terrain.. All above incidents run could be Maxumum of 5 to 10 kms..

I aware about Bangalore Ultra marathon but I never participated before this event. Asad told me about Ultra and I registered for Bangalore ultra. Before this event, I participated Chennai Marathon a week before.

I never ran more than 21 kms ( Half Marathon distance ) . I was well confident about me, but I had doubt about my health.
Race day :


We ( Arun and myself ) left our area around 3 am and reached “Our Native Village, Hessarghatta” at 4:15 am. It is 45 kms distance from our area.I met few of long running friends Suresh, Venky, Anu, Bobby, Ram, Anuoop, Bala , Mudhusudhan,Radhima and few mores.. 100 and 75 kms event started at 5 am , 50 and 37.5 kms events started at 6 pm. 25 and 12.5 events started at 7 am. I started the race with other same event runners... It was 2 loop run 25kms. I ran 1.5 loops without any stopping and remaining 0.5 loop ran with few breaks. I completed the race around 3 hrs. That day weather was so hot in the early morning itself.

It was really very tough trail run. I was so happy because of I felt about fitness and my highest distance running KMs become 25.

After race, I got a lift from one of the long runner and reached our area around 1 pm.

I could not write this blog very well due to delay and laziness.

Thanks to all.

MARG Chennai Runners Half Marathon, IIT Madras (6 Nov 2011)

Long Running is become your passion or Hobby.. No One can stop from running unless your health is not support for running. After my Auroville Half Marathon Feb 2011, I look a long break for running... But in my mind, I was always thinking about long running. After So long gap for running, I started my running practice 2 weeks before the Chennai marathon event... After starting my practice, I registered for 10K event.. I was half marathon runner, due to lack of practice; I reduced to 10k event. In 2010, I ran Chennai Half marathon. In Meantime, I was practicing Yoga from VIP’s Yoga center last 4 months for better spinal health.

I Practiced 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 kms like that. I completed my training course in HAL Airport Road for 15 days. Patrick sir and I booked tickets to Chennai. We reached Chennai on 5th Nov early morning. We collected the BIB No’s from the Bala Sir Office. He is very nice person. He had given a lot of motivated factors about long running. We met Ram Chand. He is from Bangalore and he has passion about long running.

Marathon event was planned in the IIT Madras Campus.

Marathon day:

I had seen IIT campus many times from outside. Very first time I entered the campus with my friend Karupusamy around 5:15 am. Patrick and Ram chand also reached the campus same time. We did some warm up exercises. Patrick sir decided to run HM . Half Marathon was started at 6 am. 10K Event started at 6:30. Around 1300 people participated in the event.



I started with full of confidence. I was very much enjoyed during my run to seeing the IIT Departments, Deer’s and Co-runners. I got a first time "Runners High" feeling during my run. I completed my run in 55 minutes. I was so happy about my completion. In Finish point, Small kids gave the medals to every completion participants. T-Shirt and breakfast distributions kept in very good way... We took shatabdi express and reached bangalore around 10:15 pm safely.

Few Notable points about Chennai Runners and Marathon Event:

1. Well organized whole event
2. Very low cost for participation
3. Enough Pit stop points
4. Medal distribution using kids
5. Race Day T-shirt
6. Stretch help using blue members (trained persons)
7. South India Breakfast food with Chennai Coffee
8. Stage events ( Silabam and few Tamilan Traditional games )
9. Kindness skills about volunteers.

Thanks to all event coordinators, my colleagues, VIP’s Yoga center Master and students, friends and family members.

Minchukallu Trek in Mudigere,Chikmagalur district (22 Oct 2011)

We decided to go one day near Western Ghats; Aravaind came with plan to Minchukallu and Ballala caves. . It is located in near Devermane, Mudigere, Chikmagalur Dist. We ( Aravind, Ashok, Yasin and myself) took a bus from Bangalore and reached Mudikere. After Refresh, We booked auto rickshaw for Devermane.... Remaining info famous blogger and trekker Aravind written in his blog

Trekking Guide: One and only person Kushalappa.
Route to Reach Devermane from Bangalore : Banagalore – Chikmagalur – Mudigere - Devermane







Devermane Village Temple.

Sri Raja Rajeswari Illam, Yercaud ( 1and 2 Oct 2011)

During my casual talk with Hemakumar sir in August, we discussed about planning to visit Yercuad in Sep last or Oct first weekend. He has farm house in Yercaud and house name is Sri Raja Rajeswari Illam. I visited yercuad many times with him.

Hemakumar, Venkat, Naresh, Rashojit and I were final confirmed list. Dina and Jai also had interested but due to unavailability of seats , they did not join with us.

We started and from 10:30 am from Bangalore and reached yercaud by 4:00 pm. Yercaud is a small hill station in Salem District of Tamil Nadu state in India. It located in the Shevaroys range of hills in the Eastern Ghats.

Sri Raja Rajeswari Illam
Sun rise
Garden view
Garden view

We had very good relax, peace, food and chit chat.

We had discussed so many topics during our dinner time. Specially about community system in india, Nation integrity of Tamilans and Tamilnadu vs Hindi language. After long time, I had very good chance to speak lot of social topics with others.

On the way the IllamNext morning.. Hemakumar, Venkat and myself went Raja Rajeshwari temple. After that we all visited one of the tourist spot "Manjakuttai viewpoint".

Manjakuttai viewpoint
We started around 11 am from yercaud and reached Salem City around 12. We decided to have food at very famous hotel “ Selvi Mess”.

I had neck full food (non-veg ) after long time. we reached Bangalore safely around 5 pm..

It was a nice and good trip. Once again thanks to Hemakumar sir.. for inviting us.

Bangalore Traffic and solutions in my view

If you are living in Bangalore or Visitor to Bangalore in week days (sometimes weekend also), definitely could notice one thing about Bangalore, that’s “Bangalore Traffic”. Generally people says about, Ambulance story.
Compare to other metro cities in India like Mumbai, Chennai with Bangalore. Bangalore is small city. But growth is high as equaling to other cities.
Here Job distributions, in sector wise vary from other cities. High growth is in one or two sectors (example: Software’s and Software Enables). The white color job doing people is high. So obviously owning four wheelers is more.
Compare other cities yearly raining quantity also high. So high chance of road gets damage very easily. This also increases the Bangalore traffic.
Migrant people is more in past few years .

Solutions:

• Self discipline of drivers - Own Cars/ Hired vehicles / Buses ( Follow your lane / strictly obey the signal)
• Traffic Management system (Sync up with traffic level to adjacent traffic signals)
• Maintenance of Roads (Due to nature, roads are getting damaged easily. Especially in Signal junction)
• Make use of near college and school NCC and NSS Students
  
• Follow the best practices from other cities(Sometime I lived in the Chennai and visited Mumbai too. I feel in Chennai and Mumbai traffic management is effective. We can follow the best practices of those cities )
• Traffic Police Authorities(Traffic police need to use their authorities /power during the peak hours and issues the tickets for defaulters)
• Parallel Roads(Need to build the parallels road for all the major roads)
• Deployment of more traffic officers in festival session and long holidays beginning time
• Bus stop need to push right place.
• Over stopping buses in bus stop
• Educate to Lorry and truck drivers about lane discipline
• Allow or build the special underground crossing roads for Special Economic zones from other side.
• Give more priority for Main lane signal.
• During build up the fly over/ under pass, need to maintain decent level temp roads
  
• Build the subways for crossing road.
• Vision about City Planning
• Public need to utilize the common transport medium

Currently traffic jam is our routine and part of life. One day it will change. I am hoping for this..as a Bangalore-ian.

Kasturba Medical College, Manipal & Mangalore Airport ( 7th and 9th Sep 2011)

I got a chance to visit Manipal Medical college (aka KMC, Manipal). During travel, I went to Mangalore Airport . No one forgot about Mangalore Flight crash in 2010. In Mangalore Airport, during waiting time, I clicked few snaps for memories...

Monsoon Water Falls tirp, Coorg Dist ( 27 and 28 Aug 2011)

After I back from Chennai to Bangalore, I early waited Aravind's for email for weekend trip.. As I expected, we got a mail about Monsoon trip. 5 members turned up for a trip. Aravind booked Home stay in "Coorg River Valley Home stay" near Madapur, Coorg Dist .

Day 1:

We ( Aravaind, Saran, Sankara , Balaji and myself ) started in Saran’s car from Bangalore around 6:15 am. After having 2 luxury pit stops ( Kamat & Coorg café) on the way, we reached the Home stay around 11:30. We decide to visit few waters near the Madapur area after having lunch.


Surlabbi falls

It was very close to road. we stood on the road and watched the falls. it was very lengthy but moderate height.

Mallalli Falls

It was around 15 KMs distance form surlabbi falls. Around 2 kms off-road driving and about 1 km distance to walk . The climate was awesome. Non-monsoon time can be reach the bottom of the falls

Bagganamane falls

We were not able reach the falls spot due to heavy rain and bad light. We took few snaps from long distance and returned to Home stay.
Dinner was good.. After long time . I had very good chit chat with friends. ( I feel, it is very important in the life.. you can learn and understand the casual and piratical life.. will detail blog about this topic later)

Day 2:

As planned we vacated the room and had breakfast in home-stay

Kuppehole falls - 1 and 2

It is surrounded by coffee estate and turmeric field .we had good tea near kuppehole falls. Wee en-queried about DTH and usage about villagers.


Kalyala falls

Koynadu is the place situated in the Mangalore state highway 25km from Madikeri.After reaching koyanadu. we queried about falls. we understood that, Reaching the falls by luxury car is difficult, so we hired the Jeep and went the falls. There is one house after reaching 6 or 7 kilometers where we parked the jeep and walk forward to the falls,around 500 meters need to walk. Only aravind and Jeep driver explored more. we stood in one good view point watched the falls.


we had lot of leech bites for every one. All the my fear had gone after few years. it was not the case in Srishi Monsoon Trip few years back with same team.

Devarakolli falls

While returning to medikerri, we stopped deverakolli falls.it was on main road and not required to walk at all.
We had late lunch at medikerri.. we started to Bangalore sharp 4 pm and we had 2 pit-stops in 2 places ( cafe coorg , Kamat.. sakar's favorite spot). We reached Bangalore by 8:30 PM safely. It was very good monsoon trip.