Showing posts with label Udaipur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Udaipur. Show all posts

Memories of Memorable Occasions


A screensaver from the hotel we stayed at in Udaipur -above. 
Below- Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.

A gathering of musical minds- a group I am part of-above
Below, a meetup at my niece Miskil's place, Mumbai, May 2023.


A scenic place on way to Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka.
Below, at an event organised by Prestige University, with Mr. Karthikeyan, IIML alum and entrepreneur.

Mt. St. Michael, France above, and at a Jigoku in Beppu, Japan, below.



Miners- coal mines, Kothagudem.


 This is a collection of many memorable occasions, visits, meets.. pictorial.



The Beauty of Udaipur

We went there a couple of times in the last five years. I am very impressed with Udaipur, more so than Jaipur, for some reason. So I am revisiting some places and quirky pics taken there. Enjoy!






Rajasthan Over the Years in Pictures

 First, Udaipur, then, at Jodhpur (with Sita Mishra recently), and with Prarthana in the traditional colourful headgear on a roadtrip.
 Stayed in this haveli with Manoharan for admission work, 2009. A shot of the ceiling, below.
and the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur.
Jodhpur, Mehrangarh, with Neveen Das, my Ph.D. student then.
 Chittorgarh victory tower, above, and a camel ride, below in Jaisalmer. 2015.

Rajasthan is fascinating, and I have been there several times.
and finally, the swag at having done it. Kuldhara, the mysterious deserted village near Jaisalmer.

Of Jaisalmer and Rajasthan

We drove, a group of six, to Jaisalmer to visit the sand dunes. So now, we can claim to have "dune" it! Or, the dudes who dune it, in Americanese.

We stuck to the highways, except where it was inevitable. Advice from  faculty colleague from Rajasthan helped us select the best routes (via close to Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur, and back via Jodhpur, Udaipur) and some of the highways were fantastic. Reminded me of the long circular drives where we went to around 20 US states each time (we did that twice)-Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon and South Dakota's Mount Rushmore remain etched in memory. Roads have a spinoff effect, and can take the country ahead. So does the metro railway, and Mumbai has developed due to its famed local trains more than anything else. Commuters like a predictable journey time.

Anyway, back to Jaisalmer. Dunes are fun, and every park should have a sand dune in my view. Camel rides are fun too, though some camels look starved. They should be fed well. We also did the dune thing, that is, stayed in a tent for the night, and listened to Rajasthani folk sing their thing and dance their tunes out in the dunes. Ok, I am almost dun with the dunes. For now. More later, with pics.

What I Remember of 2014

I remember..

times spent with family..particularly an adventurous drive to Udaipur from Indore via Banswada.

attending a birthday party of my niece in Hyderabad...re-watching The History of The World by Mel Brooks.

golfing at Nagpur at the Air Force club and the holes no. 0 and 19 before and after...yet another session at Kodaikanal where I got a hole-in-one..wonders never cease!

visits to Bangalore where I met friends from the past (colleagues from IIM, PESIT & IFIM, IIMB classmates, PESIT/IMT Nagpur alums in particular). Exploring crafted beers in the original pub city...the first pub started around the time I was studying at IIMB.

reading some good books, including a collection of humourous essays by Art Buchwald, whose column once appeared in The Hindu, and a nice fiction story Kalyug by Sreeram, an ex-student.

some good films, like Finding Fanny, Zed Plus, City Lights, .and some good episodes of Comedy Nights with Kapil, a show that's sustained its popular appeal.

tasting some excellent wines at a friend's place, same place I learnt how to quaff single malts..well, well, learning happens in the most unexpected places, when you least expect it..Eureka! Newton, are you listening?

meeting IMT Nagpur alums at Mumbai, Hyderabad meets.

a trip to Bali, Indonesia to present a conference paper...it's a lovely place.

'discovery' tours of the Indore surroundings with new-found friends from the faculty.

a case-writing expedition that's still on.

an innovative research project on Online personal branding that's also on.

teaching a course on advertising after a break...it's easier with the Youtube chronicles.

...and there's more to come..a batch meet at IIMB this weekend. Not yet goodbye, 2014.




Udaipur Musings

It's fashionable to muse these days. And I can't afford not keeping up. So here goes, after the trip into Udaipur.

Why is the whole city white? And Jaipur pink? Was it through an order from the respective kings?

Such lovely art that shows up wherever you go- on the ceilings, walls, and anyplace you can draw. Why is it that we have lost the art of 'the everyday art'? Rembrandt and so on are fine as creators of the masterpieces, but we need more daily doses of it from being creative ourselves.

How did these guys actually fight wars riding horses wearing 20 kilos of armour and holding shields that remind you of that of Chief Vitalstatistix? I find it difficult to go to work if my shoe feels heavier than usual. Brave!

Why do they allow cars in the city? It's such a pity. It messes up the otherwise beautiful place.

Why don't we operate more ropeways in our towns and cities? They might boost tourism in lots of places that have a view to offer.

Lakes add a lovely touch to any place. How many new lakes have we built in urban areas in the last sixty years?

Maybe more thoughts will occur; maybe not.






Udaipur- the White City

Visited this city of lakes and palaces with family recently. This is a likeable city, with friendly people and beautiful vistas. One of the best places to get a bird's-eye view is to take the ropeway up the hill which had a fort at one time. You get an excellent view both from the cabin and on reaching the top.The pics below may help to visualise the visual delight. The first is the City Palace (another must-see) and the second is the luxury hotels on the lake Pichola. If you can imagine James Bond lolling in the lounge, he did- in Octopussy. Which is screened in many restaurants for the visitors. The buildings are all white, contrasting with Jaipur, the Pink City. The city is also known for the bravery of Rana Pratap who defeated Akbar's forces, which also comprised Man Singh of Jaipur!

School, College and Other Alumni

 We do meet up at times, all of these alumni. Some photographic memories- Hyderabad Public School alumni -we met a few years ago in Hyderaba...

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