A Man and His Buffalo

 

"Often the journey is filled with experience that we reflect on a right time"

- Nirmal Shah

I have lived most of my adulthood in the city of Ahmedabad and majority of my experience's has been a mixture of travelling and harsh reality of the world that I tend to observe involuntarily - it's almost like a divine intervention that always leads me to understand it positively, take some learning from it and that keeps running in back of my head constantly, almost like the end credits of a movie which on a right time or on a right moment that come's in my life, certain text's from those credit's rise and emboss in front of my thoughts. I have learned over the years of my life to imply them almost immediately.

It was a very arid month of august, 2024, and rain's had not yet step in, we were experiencing an heatwave, it was hot and everyone was wishing it should rain any day, I was too wishing it since long the summer had started (laughingly), as monsoon is hand's down my favorite season from all the other season we are blessed with. I fondly remember this particular month because of two reason, I had just upgraded my bike to a cruiser from a Classic Royal Enfield and the second reason, I was waiting eagerly for the rain's to start so that I can have my first ride on the new bike and it was getting delayed, until I lost my patience.

I love to explore the back road's and non touristy places whereever I go, I personally believe that these region's on the map are majority of the time not marked or highlighted but where most of the cultural, historical and vivid experience's are tucked away in. I enjoy most of the time taking a walk or going my bike to these place's and vlog about it and take memory photograph's that I cherish on the way back to my home or the hotel.

Once such experience I still fondly remember, I braved into the arid region near by to my hometown but a bit of cruising distance one can enjoy, I had meticulously planned the whole route few days before my departure and fed it to my navigation so I can properly time my visit, transit and take care to that I don't miss out on anything so that I don't have do that route again. That's how I plan my ride's, I select one sector and juice the whole place out of its all the interesting points and never look back at the sector again until and unless its worth visiting the second time with family. 

On this particular ride I made sure the Aravalli ranges were always in my sight even though I am a beach person but monsoon and mountain's go hand in hand. While on this ride I visited beautiful dam's, local forest, lakes, reservoirs, a beautiful Jain temple and a man and his buffalo.

Apart from all calculation's, I faulted on my water intake. The weather and wind's were so dry and hot that I drank my whole 7 liter camel pouch, just to realize I was in a remote village in middle of nowhere with no shops around, the road's where intact though, majority of Gujarat village's now have concrete or tarmac road's, rarely have I come across a broken road, but this village lacked a shop, none had I passed by which was a walking distance to where I had stopped to take water break under a small shade of a dusty tree. I was so thirsty that my lips had dried up but I knew I was not dehydrated, there was still moisture in me but I was craving for water.

I saw a small home near by to where I was standing, my bike was extremely hot, I remember it because my thigh's were burning from the fresh engine oil being burnt inside, Well, I said it's better to stop for few minutes and let the body and bike cool down, till I can find water too drink - I opened my predownloaded map and saw that there was no water body near by nor any shop, while my phone was having no signal I couldn't access the internet and do it's thing, this is where the beauty of exploration start's - off the grid (technically).

I unbuckled my camel pouch from the rear seat and walked my way to the home that I saw near by, it was a mud, dry grass roof home of a near by farming family of 4, parents, a young boy and his wife. I was aware of the village families being very protective of their ladies in the house so I kept my distance from the front gate's of the house and I could see the father sitting on the ground - legs folded - smoking his bidi and I softly asked " Kaka, May I get some water? I have sadly ran out of it." to an immediate response the father replied "Come inside, have a sit!", looking over to his shoulder he asked his wife to bring a chair from inside which she promptly brought out, it was a plastic chair, blue in color and an arm broken. I replied to him "No trouble kaka, I just want bit water and I will leave!" and the father insisted with a firm voice "Come inside and sit for a while, till then fill the water too."

I resisted as I didn't see his son around and there were two female's assuming one was the son's wife as she had a red sindoor on her forehead but with reluctancy I entered his front yard where a dog was sleeping and few squirrels where running around small plants on the perimeter of the house. I said "thank you kaka, Just water, I am very thirsty" kaka immediately laughed and said "you won't get cold water here!" he must have assumed with the riding jacket and high ankle shoes I was wearing and the bike just up head - I would definitely need something exotic like the cold water in middle of nowhere.

I said to him assuringly "haha! No worries kaka, I would love to have earthen pot water or even well water is fine." in the moment I too assumed he must have a well somewhere in back of the home and he said "We don't have well here, but give your bottle, she will fill it up for you" he was amazed with the camel pouch I had and asked a few question seeing this interesting thing that carries water and asked "How does water stay inside this bag?" and I explained that there is a plastic bag inside and you have to open the knob top on the bag and simply fill the water or whatever you want inside it, he was happy to have learnt that day I could see it on his face while the two ladies a bit far, just below the front shed of the house were listening and smiling to our talks and probably seeing me dressed like we all bikers do for a bike ride.

Kaka suddenly stood up and went Infront of the gate's where I just walked in from and shouted to his son in the near by farm "Vaniyaaa, Oh Vaniyaaa come here", "Vaniyaaaaaa" he shouted again before coming back to exact place where he was sitting earlier and explained to me "called my son, he will come" at that time I did not understand why had he called his son while the lady was filling up my camel pouch with a steel jug she had conjured from thin air, as I had not noticed where did she bring the water filled steel jug from but was happy that my pouch was getting fatter by the weight of water.

As soon she gave me the pouch back through kaka, I asked his permission if I can drink the water first as it was theirs and we were in middle of some conversation and he lovingly said "yes! yes! beta go ahead, do let me know if you need more." the pouch was filled to the brim, I even dripped it on my t-shirt while drinking it directly from the top knob as sucking from the pouch's pipe would not satisfy my thirst. Having drank the water, it was the rare moment I found the water sweet - probably because I was so thirsty and it must have been from some river that must be flowing near by that they usually fill up from. Kaka said "Give your bag, they will fill it again" and they even gladly did returned back to me directly and I said "thank you" to no response but all three of them smiling.

In the mean time the son had come with a dusty buffalo following him like a child and kaka said "this is my only son Vaniya" as he made his way inside through the gate and both of them smiled while I didn't get the meaning of the name first, its natural habit of mine when someone tells me their name I immediately search for a meaning and attach to their name so I can remember it, before I could ask for their leave the son threw a question at me "Where are you coming from?"

I said "From Ahmedabad, currently exploring this region for my sake, for travel and adventure."

He replied "That's amazing, we rarely find someone here from the city on their motorcycles here, we are a small village"

I said "Yes! I came across this place on the way and ran out of water till I found your home and asked If I could get some water." clearing my intention and presences in his home.

He immediately turned to a pot tied on his buffalo and his wife suddenly went in and brought a steel bowl and gave it to him, he tumbled the pot with a fat white liquid which I first thought was buffalo milk for his family and he said "Bhai, Drink this butter milk", I was immediately taken back - buttermilk? being shared with a stranger like me who just came for water, I said to him "Buttermilk? No, No, that's too much, I just want water." he insisted giving the bowl in my hand "its hot right now, buttermilk will do more good then water." and I drank it peacefully with a heart filled with unknown satisfaction and love and respect. Till I bid them goodbye with a very cool body of mine and new energy I went ahead on my journey, and an unexplained happiness with in me.

Manier time's I have experienced such warm and fulfilling event's in my life and adventure's on my motorcycle and most of them are from village's and none are from the city. This makes me believe and simultaneously put me in a wonder why the difference is there in city and village, I am not saying people aren't welcoming in city - there are many families and people such but majorly you don't get entertained let alone these experience's and help easily and randomly in city. No one has got that time in city.

I think its because our heart have become closed such as our home's for such experiences, due to life events, rat race, probably day to day tension's, there's is too much to think in small brain of ours that no new thought's or warmth can find a small corner about it and even have very less space left in our heart's and minds and infact in our home's in the city that we cant help it but has become our passive nature which act's actively. The difference in a village life and city life is I guess 'Content' not the one's we all keep scrolling on the mobile phone's but that which one feel's within, a satisfaction similar to what I felt when I drank the water and buttermilk.

There is a constant tug of water between village life and city life, where either of them wants to settle out their life in each other's eco system and astonishingly they find 'content' in that, yet having not lived it completely and still find it difficult to settle out in the either. City dweller's imagine a house and farm land to live off in a far off village while a 'Vaniya' from a village somewhere wants to settle down in city for a better life. Both of them have found a bore, a level of monotonous experience in each of their ecosystems, their dwellings and a human's crave a new experience, oblivious of the consequences.

What I feel is both of them are yet far from getting accustomed to what each of the ecosystem brings to the table and the culture that needs to be followed to be accustomed to, not just to be the crowd but to settle down with sigh of relief at the end of the day both these ecosystem need's work to be done and each requires a different skill set developed over the year's, that has to come naturally, which I believe come's from truly living in it over many years, while in the initial short time both will have an immediate crash course which could develop a mindset and if it goes haywire then it could send the thoughts in a spiral.

What's important is to maintain warmth, openness to experience it. Forgetting what is already known but be empty again to be filled a fresh.

I once read a quote in a bookshop: 

                        "A Traveler travel's the world in search of it, only to return home to find it"

To my reader's I suggest keep your heart and mind open to all form's of experiences in life and I guess it should help make your city feel like a calm of village, A hep of a city in the village.

Diving into the abyss for more such experience, until then Que Sera! Sera!

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(The image is AI generated by my prompt using Gemini)

Gujri Bazaar Ahmedabad – The 600-Year-Old Heritage Market of Sultan Ahmed Shah

"Our heritage and ideals, our code and standards - the things we live by and teach our children - are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings."

- Walt Disney

Heritage! An asset given in goodwill to the new generation, new age, to take the helm of something so magnificent, that it is a legacy of its own, more like a bow fired into a void which will be ever flying if its provided the right amount of selflessness.

Travelling back to 1414, I found myself in the rule of Sultan Ahmed Shah of Ahmedabad, A Mughal crown basking beside the river banks of Sabarmati, The story of Sultan Ahmed Shah and his city of Ahmedabad shining bright under the Mughal moon after suppressing a rebel by his own uncle and other minister's of his court.

Sultan Ahmed Shah is an important ruler in the history of Ahmedabad and successor to Ahmad Khan and grandson of Sultan Muzaffar Shah - who founded the Muzzafarid Dynasty. His reign lasted from 1411 to 1442 which built the very foundation of today's modern Ahmedabad - A UNESCO World Heritage City. 

The city is a treasure trove in itself, with jewel studded relic's, monuments, stories, folk lore's of its time, it never fails to amuse me, even till this day. There is always to see something and even more to miss out every time you are out exploring the city. To get you interested - there is a memorial for a sparrow- which apparently died in a cross fire of police during Roti Riots - Navnirman Andolan of March 2, 1974, known as Chakli Smarak and even Chakli Kimbli in Dhalni Pol of the city. Interesting right?

600 Year Bazar

Soon after taking over the helm of Ahmedabad, Sultan Ahmed Shah started with building the gates and walls of the city, along the same lines in 1414, Sultan started the 'Khaas Bazar', Now known as the Ravivar Bazar - A Sunday Market in modern times. Initially it was setup in tents on Friday's and adopted the name Shukravari Bazar for the same reason.

The Bazar in itself had a triumph with communal riots of 1914 and 2002 - it found itself stopping and starting in the dates of history and shifted it's location's accordingly from Siddi Saiyed Mosque to Old Session Court of Ahmedabad and since then now at the city's iconic Riverfront, after then Chief Minister of the State of Gujarat - Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated it to public on Feb 3, 2014.

The market dawn's on people when they make their way to it from the city's other Iconic Ellis Bridge, a landmark itself, the market's hustle and bustle thaw's over one's visual sensation on the approach afar. A majestic yawn of 32,000 square feet, the market spread's it arms from 1414 to today's modern times, as a hug to all the residents, traders, buyers and tourist's.

Market is maintained by Ahmed Shah Gujri Association and gives membership to more than 1600 traders, from which 400 are female's. Another interesting fact behind this market is, members of the association pay a rent of Rs 3/- and Non Member's pay a rent of Rs 6/- to the association and in return the association pay's rent to the municipal body of  Rs 302/- against the land they use on every Sunday. This has since not changed to promote the flee market and maintain it's heritage value.

Much interestingly with such low rent's and almost a foot fall of 5000 people on a single day (I doubt its even more), the area is spanking clean, much cleaner then the modernized area's of the city I have visited. Traders and vistor's here must consider this place as their temple of work or even a home to achieve this fleet with such a large foot fall.

Considering this amount of business and footfall, there are said to be approximate of 7000 to 10,000 trader's who get business directly and indirectly from this weekly market, and to control the footfall and it's related vehicular traffic - there is a giant 16,500 vehicle capacity parking area which can accommodate both 2 wheelers and 4 wheeler's at a mere cost of  Rs 20/- for whole day. Initially the whole plot, where the current market bustle's was a shanty town for years before, home to nearly 20,000 people, it was decided to redevelop the whole river bed which cuts through the city and beautify it to the likes of other river side cities of the world such as Paris on Seine, Prague on Vltava, Venice on it Canals and similarly Ahmedabad on Sabarmati. 

In earlier times, before the city had its complete makeover there was a local saying that I personally grew up listening, people use to swear on the river water's flow, for example once I remember my friends back in school we all were talking, one of them was so scared of passing the math exam that day he said that "If I pass the math exam it would be the day our city would have water passing through Sabarmati river. "meaning the water was never going to pass through the city nor my friend was ever going to pass the exam, eventually the exam got cleared but latter was remaining until now. The river now flows clean, lush, rustling through the city 24*7 with joy and greenery all around. Do make it point to visit the whole belt of the newly developed city's riverfront, specially in the morning and once sun starts to set. It's one of the other must do while in Ahmedabad.

Goddess Of Wealth At The Gates

Soon after Sultan Ahmed Shah took over the family coup and foiled it, he ordered to built the gates that marked the entry and exit point into his city. As usual, seen across all mughal king's and their kingdom's, these gate's were high walled, majestic, hand carved - history etched into the very stones and foundation such that not an inch of these gate's are boring. You will stare in amazement. The design's in each window is different from other.

There are 21 historically documented gates of the city. All a master piece but due to the expansion of the population and accommodating ever growing traffic, few walls and perimeters of the gate's had to be collapsed to let the modern horses and carriages with diesel and petrol engines flow into and out from the already congested, noisy old city.

There is an unconfirmed yet widely used folk lore that run's parallel to the collapsing of the old city walls, it is widely believed by the old and original residents of the city that when it was announced that some part of the perimeter walls will be collapsed to accommodate the new bridges that would link the two parts of the city beautifully divided by the river, it would bring bad omen to whole city, there was a long discussion that followed to its decision (I too faintly remember of the same), but once the walls were gently brought down. later the city had suffered an severe earthquake. The epicenter was in Bhuj ironically on 26th of January 2001 but massive destruction was there across the effected cities and even in Ahmedabad. The original story was that the Manek Burj should not be destroyed that connects both part of city by the iconic Ellis Bridge that doesn't rust and till date both the Burj and Bridge remains intact and a world UNESCO Heritage site.

Moving forward, The gates where Goddess of Wealth - Laxmi, still stands waiting for the sultan to give her a visit. Interesting?, The folk lore goes, one fine day Goddess Laxmi came to meet the Sultan, she was paused in her path by the guards at the gate and asked the purpose to which a willingness to meet the sultan was expressed by the goddess, overwhelmed the guard ran to Sultan expressing that the Goddess of Wealth is at the gates, Sultan upon hearing this and probably known to the religious presence of the goddess and her blessing, immediately drew out his sword and beheaded the guard - in the attempt to not let goddess know that sultan will ever come or not and till date sultan has never gone to greet the goddess at the gates, in fear that she will leave and he and his city will not get a chance to prosper in a divine intervention, this story still lives in hearts of all citizen's of Ahmedabad, specially in the trader's and businessman who operate near those gates. The gates are called Teen Darwaza - The Three gates.

The Goddess Laxmi still stand's waiting for the sultan and showering blessing on the city for immense prosperity and wealth and I believe somewhat it is true because once you get a chance to visit this place there are 2 prominent point's here the enigmatic temple of Bhadra Kali Devi - Goddess of the city and near the Burj - India's 2nd Largest 9 foot tall idol of Goddess Laxmi in the Mahalaxmi Temple, blessing the city since.

The most beautiful part of this story is a light, that has been running since it's inception by devotion towards Goddess Laxmi and has been burning bright and upkept through rains, winds, storm, holidays and history by the Muslim's in the area. Such a beautiful place to view, a joy you would only feel when personally here.

The Diya - light, still burn's bright in a lower corner of the central gate of the three gates, towards the inside of the city.

This whole area from Bhadra Kali Temple Up to Gandhi Road is laden with history amalgamated with modern chaos and hustle. On one hand the relic's of Mughal time quietly stand and stare while on the other hand hawker's, trader, visitor's, worshippers pass by each other in a perfect chaotic sync. The Three gate's is very interesting as the shoulder gates are smaller and narrower in size and length compared to the center gate which is tall, broad and deeper within - which is made purposefully that way to accommodate elephants and the behemoth convoy's that followed during meetings and Sultan's celebration or battle cry departure's.

The place where currently small businesses and hawker's thrive was initially a ground level terrace, a huge empty plot - parking spaces of those era's to act as stables for the horses and camp's for the gold and brass studded elephants and throne's on it. That's the reason, if you stand in center of this terrace you will see its a gigantic empty plot, temporary camp ground for even the soldier's that must have travelled with these majestic animal's along with their supplies.

Another interesting thing to surely see without fail is the Farmaan, Open letter written and inscribed on stone in a 8th century ancient language of Dev Nagri, Which was issued by the Maratha Empire's Governor Chimanji Raghunath in the year of 1812, post death of Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1442, 370 years later, stating rights for women's in their families ancestral properties, the Farmaan was issued to both Hindu's and Muslims, the Farmaan translates as:

"Let the daughter get her due share of fathers property without any hitch. So is Lord Vishwanath's command. If you defy, the Hindu will have to answer Mahadev and the Mussalman will have to explain to Allah or Rasool"

The whole time here, in the city is always joyous, fun, lot of heat, chaotic while simultaneously a prefect blend of history, religion, love and an aroma in the air of by gone times that still echoes' silently.

The only thing I personally felt was such historical significant monuments need better protection then it already is, it needs to be well preserved and away from regular human touch and vehicular passing through out the city and its monument's as these are non renewable, one cannot regain it original form once it is damaged - if so it would need more like Japanese Kintsugi process but that level of dedication, ikigai and patience come's at a cost far more in modern times to this priceless relic's of time and history.

With this, I hope you come visit the Unesco World Heritage City of Ahmedabad. If you are a foreigner it would definitely be a cultural shock but worth it if you choose to spend time correctly here with the right eye.

Sharing few picture's that I clicked during my visit back in time below.

Until next one, Que Sera,Sera!

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Click here for the complete detail Vlog on Youtube: 600 Year Market

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(Afar - The Teen Darwaza & Market)

(The Window's of Teen Darwaza)

(Abrupt Chance Meeting with a local guest from Rajasthan)

(The Farmaan By Maratha Governor)

(A Local Female Trader Selling Custom made Hand Carts - 'Lahri's')

(Happy Meetings - A Trader Enjoying Breakfast - Idli & Sambhar in Bazar)

(The Divine Calling - Lady giving service of flowers at Laxmi Temple, Ellis bridge)

(All images are of my own and resharing or reusage is strictly prohibited without prior permission)

Mind Is The Enemy

 "I think and think and think, I've thought myself out

of happiness one million times, but never once into it"

- Jonathan Safran Foer

"Aham! Brahmasami!"  - I am Brahma, this is very fondly used in the Indian mythological stories and even folk stories. The very being is me, yet not me, the audacity to think that you are the one, the one above all is the root cause of all the problem rich fruit's that our tree of life bears but on the parallel, this very same belief is what brings peace, nurture and harmony to the way of life.

I sympathize with people who are either over practical, analyzer's and planner's, look at the finance guy's around you - you will surely find their eyebrow's kissing each other on the forehead, I am not saying everyone in that field is the same, many I know, elder's too, have found an equilibrium amongst the chaos, their work is to worry of the future, the worry is the collateral they pay for the amount's they are invested with, but either way you are holding the same ear, doesn't matter if its with your right hand or left, you are too practical and analytical of everything around you and life itself.

Over the period of time, considering the day you took your first steps as your first day of having your own mind up to now while you are reading this. Think how you were and what you have become? Remember how care free and liberated you were compared to being now encased into a box filled with worries, turmoil's, vivid thoughts, goals and targets, loss, remorse and so many other feeling's suffocating you while you are continuously getting depleted of your oxygen - 'Happyness'.

What if I Told You It's Illusion?

The horrendous image that just got created in your mind, must have made you feel suffocating and congested suddenly, right?  You felt claustrophobic and fatigue at the same time, but how that can be? You are openly sitting somewhere, probably the favorite cafe, your favorite corner of your home, how can it make you feel that way? well, you related to it, you are or were at that place in your life that made you experience it and that is what you are relating to, it's a knee jerk reaction your brain always triggers, always, it's the brain, your mind that just now created and illusion of you inside a box even though you are free externally, a moment before you were free from it all, suddenly you are now slave of yourself and you didn't even realize it, matter of fact - this happens almost every day, every time you are overwhelmed.

What does it mean? Your mind is the enemy, not your situation, not your status, not your current state of being but the mind, the gray matter that sit's high on the thrown above all sensation's that the body feels below it, consider it as the apex ruling over you. 

You need to realize immediately and put it into action, you shouldn't believe everything your mind think's, mind is a network of thoughts and previously gathered experiences and emotion's, not just of this life of you but believe it or not it is coded with generation's of data accumulated into the DNA, it is the source code that keeps on reading and referencing from, no matter how good or bad, its the central command center, the invisible shield generator around you - aura - and majority of the time it will only take consideration from the bad, uncomfortable, hurtful experience's of all the nodes the DNA has gathered. But there is a savior, will let you know shortly.

You have to know that the brain is designed to protect you and the body, why do you feel nauseated before an exam or interview, why do your legs feel weak and stomach feels like the 'Laurentian Abys - deepest part of our earth, when you walk on a glass floor or stand on a ledge, its all the defense mechanism to keep life itself alive, the race alive from doing something stupid, something so injurious that is threat to its existence. Consider it as a big parasite, breeding inside you, sucking the very joy of life from you just so that it can stay alive, you can stay alive, no matter what condition the outer body feel, your inner 'Jiva' feels, how the whole experience feels, it just wants to survive at all cost - how egoistic and self centered it is. So it's not you. 

Mind is designed to protect you from going through something so painful, that it will try and predict any feeling or decision in so many forms and parallel time lines that it is almost interstellar, you cannot stop it, but it has one goal only, keep the senses and body chemical's at par level and let it hype, its like a pressure valve that triggers before the breach point is reached

Each new painful event or memory get's encoded within, such that you can make a decision that get's super computed in a fraction of second in the apex and is resulted in your action by either words or behavior - this almost happens every time instantly and again taking no consideration of what the outer body or within feel's, what the soul feel's, its an irony sometimes that it generates it own negative feedback loop due to this very same reason and keeps on getting encoded again and again with no command to stop it, its involuntary, you wont be able to do anything about it, 

It is such a complex algorithm within each one of us that feed's on emotion that is generated from these very feedback loop's - its a huge maze without a map and many get lost in it with no way home.

Consider The Jiva:

For every evil there is good created, for every Chimera, Bellerophon is there on a winged horse to end it, for every brain there is a heart created.

Remember how I earlier said that I sympathize with people who are too practical and analytical, they always take calculated decision's, life for them is solving a Rubik's cube, set of decision = set of results, where is the fun in that, the very thought of this is boring, frustrating in its own way, their emotion's are calculated - biased and bifurcated for those they value and for those they don't, how judgmental that is. They are contradicting their very own creation. An irony.

The real freedom is living from within - living with Jiva. Considering and accepting that life is an constant flow of space, time, energy and multitude of emotion that result in experiences and not vice versa. What's there to calculate in living? breathing? enjoying every moment for as is?

The difficulties start to arise when you start going against the flow of life. When you stop considering the Jiva, the soul within you. You might be of certain age right now with experiences and emotion's you gathered from this walk of life, you have now a set forms of reaction's and thought process for said events and happening around you, probably you don't care for either or you are maintaining a stature to not be in aghast but do not forget that the soul within you is very ancient, far more experienced than you are, it has seen and felt time's and emotion's, its so well trained and 'lived' that its been cursed to not speak loudly. But the brain is inexperienced, it only knows this walk of life, it considers this life as a absolute data point which puts you in a frenzy, it has been blessed to be the loudest part of yourself that only you can hear in secrecy yet you act publicly, vividly. 

Remember this to the relation of what you just read "Empty vessel's make more noise!"

If you keep considering and listening to your mind as your friend then believe this "You will technically be an intern forever in this corporation of life".

Why do you sometimes feel strongly about something positive or ill? we call it the 'gut feeling', and most of the time it is correct, that's your soul - your Jiva talking with you, did you ever hear yourself or anyone saying "I had a mind feeling" , that is so stupid, never, but "I had a gut feeling" is experienced by us all. When it come's true it almost feels like a divine blessing, a supernatural guidance that your brain must had never computed from all the data point's it takes reference from. It simply cannot.

Understand this, start considering your Jiva, whenever and however you can, go with the gut feeling or what your heart feels best in the moment, the mind will always put you in a comfort zone which deprives you of new positive experiences, it will eventually lead you into the negative feedback loop.

The word Jiva - means life, a soul within you. Answer this do you love someone with brain's or heart? The most beautiful thing in this life that can happen is love - the love for your partner, friends, family, nation, motorcycles, cars, even for people with OCD - you love keeping things clean, perfectionist love to have their task completed with 100% accuracy, but why? the whole thing is love. Loving what you love. Your brain will never comprehend that, it will deprive you of that same thing for the sake of existence. It doesn't like to be in an uncomfortable state - its technically a coach potato!

Whenever in life you are on the fork in the road, try considering what your heart say's, what your gut feeling says, I am pretty sure a beautiful experience is waiting for you ahead because the soul has been through time and have a zillion times stopped at these so called fork's in the road and it knows what is best, not for you specifically but in overall experience. Life.

Stop surviving (brain) - Start living (soul).

For all the time's you feel restless, underachieved or just find your self in a well of ill emotion's yet cannot talk yourself out of it, consider this, stop going against the flow of life, there is something you are trying to do beyond your reach but the mind is creating an illusion that you can do it anyhow, well, don't force things that are not happening, that are not going your way, believe it - it is going where it has to go, you can't divert the flow of life or destiny, as they say what will be - will eventually be no matter how hard you try to avoid, delay or make it go your way, that's how life and the energies work - they are always in a constant flow.

Remember, life is like a flowing river, it has beautiful and rocky patches along its journey but eventually all rivers are going to meet their ocean's and sea's. Don't swim against the current - start flowing in it and you will find yourself at so much ease and feel weightless that you would eventually realize that you were restless without any reason, in an illusion of control, there is no such thing. Enjoy as is. It's all temporary anyways, the worst would be something didn't happen, the best would be you gained experience. 

When you feel like a kite in a storm do these simple steps, doesn't take much time and you will see the change:

1) Start deep breathing for 2min - focus on your breaths going in and out.

2) Take a knee - sit - close your eyes and let your emotion's and thoughts just flow, don't befriend them, just let them come and go, like train's on their stations.

3) Say a small prayer to yourself - "I have done this manier times, I will get through this, I can do it!"\

4) Drink a glass of water, calmly.

5) Don't take it personally, its all temporary.

I hope this help's you and find's you some peace, for rest all - ' Que Sera, Sera!"

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(Image is AI-generated digital art depicting the flow between human mind and soul, chakra's – on Jiva and life balance.)

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Man Made Marvel: Exploring Wanakbori Dam & World’s Largest Aqueduct in Gujarat | RoadsterRides Travel Blog

 WORLD'S LARGEST AQUEDUCT

The sheer will, ego and pride of man, can manier times default the time and the test's of nature that follow behind in it's wake. God created us in his image, but there are far more times we have seen wonder's, jaw dropping architecture's that send's ripple's across the fabric of the creation itself, man sometimes create master piece's from muds and stone's that for generation's is cherished, preserved, protected and even awarded as being the evidence that man once or does exist beyond the trials of time and nature.

One such hidden gem, a silver ore of architectural marvel, subtly endures such a test - constantly, amidst the dry, arid region of Balasinor near Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The only time it is enveloped in a more habitable, lush green canopy of tree's and shrub's is the romantic and paint brush mood of the almighty - Monsoon!

  

It was a few day's ago, I was scrapping through the map of my state and trying to find something unique, something historical, a place where you don't leave behind something for once but you take back something to cherish for years to come and share the experience with your viewer's, friends and family, I was almost about to give up, but India will never disappoint you in whole, you need to believe that because at this particular fork in the road where I had to decide either to give up the search or wait for an epiphany, I struck a eureka moment.

It was right there, sitting, for years, 2 places stacked up one upon each other -12km's apart, The Wanakbori Dam and Mahi Sagar Aqueduct. Both standing fast with valor against the frost of the nature, continuously bashing it with massive hydraulic force coming from a catchment area of more than 20.82 km². That is in itself huge, sheer nature's majestic raw form, hiding amongst the calm flowing river.

Recently there has been lot of rains in the region, turning the melodious river chimes on the bed rock into a thunderous roar that one could hear from the entry point of the dam, I was drawn to it like the opposite poles of the magnet, my steps hurried towards the roar and it dawned slowly in a near distance. By the time I could digest the view I was quickly stopped by a crew cut hairstyle officer, the first glance at him, I knew I was in trouble, the officer strictly said to me "Hey You! How did you manage to come inside, the dam is closed for visitor's, vacate the premises immediately!" and the only word I could say in the moment was in complete surrender "Ok Sir I am leaving!" I demanded no explanation, the officer's tone and pitch level was self explanatory, he was concerned and displeasured by me - a civilian, on the premises he is responsible to safe guard.

With the same hurried step that I came in, I was going back out the same path, with a walk of shame and a guided escort by the officer himself. He made sure I was outside the gate and made me delete the recorded footage, well whatever few second's I was able to record before I was thrown out, but he saw me for a second and felt my eagerness to see the dam and with a soft tone said "Boy!",  while I was walking towards my motorcycle, "There is a small gate up ahead, go there you can safely see the dam from there" and he vanished back into his duty.

Safe? yes! because of the heavy rain's there have been incidences beyond human control, floodings and cloud burst's that make the river's unpredictable, untamed, all of sudden, out of nowhere. So he was right to guide me out while indeed the river was bit flowing high that time. But it's the thrill that we chase and manier times valor filled men, responsible one's, get thrill seeker's like me out of such uncanny situation's, so did this time.

Brief About Wanakbori Dam

This man made marvel bathe's in the river named Mahi which mouth's into the Gulf of Khambhat, Coast of Gujarat into the Arabian Sea while its source origin's from a village named Minda in the Indian State of Madhya Pradesh, neighbor to State of Gujarat. The river itself is alive, as it tread's upwards, to northern state of Rajasthan and dive's down inside Gujarat and into its final destination of Arabian Sea.

The dam has a design of 'Overflowing', where the water is slowed down but not completely stopped but rationed into further village's, feeding their farms via help of canals and a Hydro electric plant that lighten up's the near by home's.

It is spanned across 796 meters across the river and has an estimated submerge value of 24 village's out of 74 villages it cater's. The water is used to irrigation purpose and power generation through the Wanakbori Power Plant (1MW) which is just up ahead the river from the dam.

Inaugurated in 1958, the dam has 33 Hydroplus Barrage Fuse gates, at a height of 25meters leading to storage capacity of approximate 42 million Cubic meters.

The gates itself is a marvel as it collapses automatically in times of flooding not to stop but to let go of excess water in times of natural forces in play. I found this very interesting.
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After basking in the mild setting of the sun that day, I stayed there for a while, hearing the water made me somehow stop and pause, amidst the sound of water crackling on the bed rock I found a tad bit of void, some kind of solace I must say. I snapped back into reality as the sun pinched my skin and I rustled my backpack with my camera and water bottle, saddled it onto my motorcycle and made headway towards the next destination, I was on the clock as it was the weekend ride and needed to come back home before the sun sparkled into its full glory in the noon.

The back road's is very scenic, from my experience of riding in my state - I have come to believe that the back road's are much fun then the traditional highway's that make the journey quick, these road's have the hustle and bustle of a typical village life, a kind of chaos you would love to be in just because it's peaceful at the same time with the camels, chicken's, manier times cow's and buffalo's running across the road's or just vailing away time standing right in the middle with no care of the moving world around them. 

Probably something they already know, they are in on a secret but are blessed to not be able to talk about it, yet they want to share it by their behavior is what I feel. Stop - Pause for a while and see around for what life and nature has to offer you while giving away few minutes to this exercise that they want to share will not be in vain but something definitely to gain, something to take back. 

I manier times see these animal's on my ride's and try to mimic them, taking a few minute's off my ride and it automatically changes into meditation - for say, the thoughts tend to be calmer, wider, imaginative while I pause beside or behind them while the chew their favorite grass just like a man enjoying his evening whiskey with a cigar. That's the secret I guess they want to share, pause.

Well, cornering through the village roads and its pollen filled air, I quickly made way to a canal, not far, that hugs to a side road with a canopy of lush green trees, just like best friends holding hand to a corner food joint on a cool summer noon. The only hinderance to the world's largest aqueduct was a rail track right on the bridge before, but luckily my cruiser crossed over a make shift stone path that was probably made by the local villager's for their cattle's to cross, well it worked.

On the first glance you can miss it very easily, its so well camouflaged to look like a normal cross over bridge for vehicles, but when you stop 25 meters over the Mahi River and take a peak over its walls, you would see the crossover of 2 rivers, one flowing below naturally and one man made marvel carrying the Narmada river with speed bypassing the rustling nature and right into the city, its a massive network that intercepts at this particular point, spanning across 700m over the river, feeding the water for irrigation purposes. Its a part of a long chain of Narmada River flowing effortlessly for more than 140km's.

Small idea to how majestic this place is, there is a competitor in the world for this place in Great Britain, it is home to the worlds longest aqueduct, namely Pontycysyllte Aqueduct, which is even the highest aqueduct in the world and a protected UNESCO Site built from 25th July 1795 to 26th November 1805. Would love to visit this place one day.

To understand much better with visual reference, you would love this vlog of mine when I visited this places over the weekend: Wanakbori Dam & World's Largest Aqueduct

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Few Pictures More:

Mahi River Bed, 25m Above, Thermal Plant In View.

                           Over World's Largest Aqueduct, Ferrying Narmada River Water