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When the Mountain Calls - Goechala Trekking

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 When the Mountain Calls, It Calls   Prelude   I had been secretly (and not so secretly) yearning for a Himalayan trek for years. The information I got was either too much (bombarded with ads) or too sketchy (never got into a detailed conversation with people who did it). So when some friends registered for the Goecha La trek, I tagged along (literally). I registered just a month and a half before the trek. In the briefing a month before the trek we were given a picture scary enough to freeze the souls of first time Himalayan  trekkers, with never heard of terms like AMS, HAPE, HACE, etc., of experienced trekkers not making it, of 4 nights in sub zero temperature, a strict criteria to fulfill the fitness requirement.  Goechala Trekking - At 53 Years - Age is SO NOT a Number! What started for me was a fitness regime that would have made any NCC cadet proud. Cardio, weights, jogging with weights, jogging on incline, backpack and incline, with yoga thro...
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5 Things to do in the Morning - Health and Fitness Goals

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Here are my Top 5 things to do in the morning for a healthy, happy and fit day. A Black Kite from the window 1. Listen to songs of nature. If you strain your ears in the morning, you will catch the tailorbird, babbler, sparrow, or drongo conversing, if you are lucky. Else there is the pigeon mynah or crow. A few minutes of listening to the titter and tatter sets a tranquil mood for the day. There are are other sounds of nature to catch too like the fall of leaves, rustle of wind or if you are lucky and near the coast, the breaking of the waves. So go ahead and find your songs of nature around you. 2. Sit quietly and reflect. Even a few minutes of absolute solitude helps set the tone for the day as one reaches out to one's core. It helps one figure out what is essential in life and what is not. 3. Observe a creature. This activity again connects us to other beings other than humans. Whether  it is an early bird looking for a worm or a bee looking for honey, a wasp going about buildi...
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Odia Raja - Meaning and Significance | Banaste Dakila Gaja

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  Banaste Dakila Gaja,  Barasa Ke Thare Asichi Raja, Asichi Raja lo Gheni Nua Saja Baja... so the old Odia folksong on Raja goes. The Raja festival is upon us. We know it and celebrate it as three days of fun, joy, celebrations, new clothes, home cooked pitha, preceded by days of shopping for new clothes and ingredients. The Raja festival  is the day of the year when the earth weeps tears of joy as its dry soil is drenched with the first monsoon rains.  It is during the time of Mithuna Sankranti, which is when the first rains of monsoon strike Odisha. There is also an allusion to the menstrual cycle of young girls of age in the festivities that occur during Raja. While girls have their periods every month, Mother Earth has hers every year. The festival is a tribute to mother Earth and she is given respite these days and not allowed to carry any burden. The traditional Odia family jobs of "kata", bata", "randha", "badha", "boha bahi" are spar...
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