Inspite of living in Pune, a city with several picnic spots in its vicinity, we end up going places only once in say half a year!! One such trip happened last saturday, and needless to say, we had real fun!! (U can see that on the happy faces in the accompanying photograph, can’t u!!).
We started for Sinhagad, 12 of us, in a chakachak tempo-traveller at around 5:30 p.m. Passing through Chandni Chowk, Khadakvasla “chowpatty”, and numerous stories, fables and fairy tales about us, them, and Tanaji Malusare(The Marathi stalwart who became a martyr while capturing this fort from the Mughals), we finally reached the foot of Sinhagad. As our car inched forward via the very narrow road up Sinhagad, history came back to us in form of Tanaji, Kondhana, and the monitor lizard. Each of us tried to show off our historical knowledge!
Over time, we reached to the last point upto where vehicles could go. As we alighted from our car, we were instantly greeted with cries of “Jai Bhavani!! Jai Shivaji!!” from enthusiastic tourists. We started climbing, stopping only for posing for photographs, with the big beautiful valley as the backdrop or, standing on arches of gates as if “Yippee!!! We conquered it!!” hehe! 🙂 It was the perfect kind of weather: cool, windy, cloudy, but sans the drizzle. After we reached atop Sinhgad, there was another round of photographs, with different poses, (and slips, there was a lot of muck up there…).
And then, it was snacks time!! All of us hungry picnic-ers hogged on the yummmy Pithla-Bhakri-Kharda, Dahi and garam-garam Kanda Bhaji. While we were gourmeting on the spread, we completely forgot, that it was getting dark, and all though it was almost full moon, the full moon would be shadowed by the thick monsoon clouds. When this fact finally dawned upon us(dawned is such an ironical phrase in this situation, right!! 🙂 hehehe!), we started off, assuring and scaring each other at the same time. 🙂
There were some really hilarious incidents on our way down, like we signalling our mobile lights to some unknown persons thinking that they were from our group, like some guys calling out to our group by saying “Aye Ganpat!!!” and our extra-enthu guys replying with “Daru La!!!”(for those uninformed, This is a famous line from a song in the bollywood flick ‘Shootout at Lokhandwala’), like Diya* (* – names changed to protect privacy…LOL!!!) stepping into a puddle of water and everybody running towards her thinking she fell in there, like Rahul* crouching in the darkness and pouncing on Panna* and Kshama* and scaring them to the end of their wits, leaving them shaking and shivering till the end of the journey!!!!
And all in all, as u can clearly see from my post, we had a gala time!!! Enjoying the beautiful weather, and surrounded by your friends, what more can you ask for?? 🙂
Writer's Block! 
hi amruta
varsha here!
i often visit your blog,
Its really fun and more of learning so much in topics covered like importance of other people ….
hits on site says it all abt your writing..wt more can i say?
All the best
keep writing 🙂
luv
varsha
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Hi Varsha!!!
Thanks a lott for your generous praise!! Its really heartening to know that people read and connect with the thoughts that i pen down in this blog. 🙂
Keep reading!
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Hiii Amruta..!!!!!
Shrikant here!
I accidently got this by searching a snaps of Sinhgad. It recall my memories at Pune during my engineering with friends 🙂 to whom I m missing very much. Its really fun to stay connected with Pune n friends by such a wonderfull reading. which keeps our regular (dead) office life alive .
ALL THE BEST ,
Keep writing… : )
Regards
Shrikant.
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Hi Shrikant!!!
Thanks a lott for your comments, and welcome to the blog!
Keep reading, and keep writing in 🙂 , and yeah, do let me know what other things you would like to read about!!
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Hey…Amruta..!!!
Shrikant Here..!
Thanks . nice 2 c ur reply, once again i m visiting ur blog accidentaly….!!!!
U r writing on a topic of of picnic is like experiancing a interesting travel (book of a gr8 Author), which flows me alongwith my friends for a journey of a Sighgad.
I would like to read about the journery with friends because it feels emotinallywith them when physicaly we r far away from them . i m always on a official tour n like to travel everywhere in the search of new beautyfull places n people which helps us to undestand the new culture of various region. on tour i m always interested for getting a window seat in any season so that i can watch this unlimited world from a limited window frame ( of Vehical). During daytime i would like to watch the natural beauty, scenarty, lake, waterlily, beaches, birds ,cattle, sunset n sunrise…, etc , even i also like to watch beauty of nature in the moonlight. when everybody takes a rest after a day journey to hills station , then i would like to listen a melodious musics on a headset by sharing it with a friend n travel in a moonlight, by watching a beauty of dazzling stars in the night. even today i remember our “Vasota Fort Treaking Trip” ( Backwater of Koena dam, near Mahabaleshwar) , with a friend where we experiance a calm journey on the koena backwater in the night with a melodious tracks of KK. by manualy operated boat.
I like to travell, listen a melodious songs , Horse riding n to be always with friends.
i think i wrote tooo much to only say, i loves nature….. 🙂
“All The Best”
Keep writing….. 🙂
Regards
shrikant..
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