My expedition to Heaven on Earth #travelogue

 My  expedition to Heaven on Earth

Kashmir is famously known as the 'Heaven on Earth,' but very few lucky people have been able to experience its unparalleled beauty. It is said that one cannot call themselves a traveller if they haven't been to this stunning destination. My childhood was filled with visits to several incredible locations, and Kashmir was one of them. Come with me on a journey to this Land of Wonders.

I was only four years old when I visited Kashmir, but a few recollections of the trip still linger in my memory.

On the first day, we were taken to the renowned Dal Lake, the heart of Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. Its pure beauty left us all, including me, awe-struck. The clean water reflected the snow-capped mountains standing above the scenery of the beautiful landscape. Our boat ride across the lake took us to a grand houseboat, situated in the middle of this Kashmir gem. We were treated to a stunning view of the Dal Lake at sunset in our houseboat, a scene so beautiful it felt like out of a canvas—perfect for capturing unforgettable photos. The following day, we journeyed to Gulmarg, a destination well known for its winter sports and activities.

The two-day duration we spent there was preceded by a blanket of snow and frigid temperatures on our arrival. Nevertheless, hospitality at the hotel quickly converted cold to warmth since we were given the world-renowned Kashmiri Kahwa—a perfumed, spiced tea that was yummy to our sense organs and braced us up. We climbed snow-topped mountains, with panoramic sights of the town below. We spent our days in exciting experiences of skiing and snowboarding. On the fourth day, we took a drive to Pahalgam, a hidden paradise for nature lovers. Our tour included a trek to Mini Switzerland, a summit with panoramic sights of snow-topped peaks.

The panoramic sights were nothing short of magical. Day two at Pahalgam, we visited two valleys whose names now escape me. Although the view was pretty, it paled in comparison to the vistas from Mini Switzerland. In our exploration, we also had Kashmiri Pulao, a rice dish with scents of spices and nuts that added a nice culinary flavor to our journey. Our last day in Kashmir was spent traveling to Srinagar, where we traveled to fertile orchards and the famous Mughal gardens of Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh. The rich canopies, flower-filled with vibrant colors, and well-structured pathways were a real eye-opener as compared to what we were accustomed to, leaving us in awe of nature's beauty. Following six indelible days in Kashmir, we went to Jammu. Although less well known as a tourist destination, no trip to Kashmir is ever complete without visiting Jammu. We went to the holy Amarnath Caves and Vaishno Devi Temple, two mythic spiritual destinations, during our two-day stay. In the nights, we indulged in the unique flavor of butter tea paired with M&Ms—a balance of tradition and modernity at its best. Leaving Jammu and Kashmir after eight days was a melancholic one. I could not help but feel that there was still so much more to discover. However, I was reassured by the fact that we had extracted the maximum out of each and every moment, absorbing the panorama and the culture of this lovely nation.

Kashmir is a place that cannot be described. No picture or words can ever do it justice, and that's why we chose to visit it ourselves. I can confidently state that Kashmir is probably one of the most interesting places in India, a place that leaves an unforgettable imprint on the heart of every traveler.

#Midnight #Ghost

 My Second Book The Midnight Ghost in the haunted Castle

Dear all 

Happy to inform you that my second book is published by the grace of God.I take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you who has read my first book and has given me your valuable suggestions which meant a lot to me .Expecting the same for my second book also as I firmly believe no writer's can emerge without the support of readers.Your reviews suggestions criticisms all are welcome......

Midnight Ghost

Amazon US

Barnes & Nobles

World Without Trees

 World Without Trees 

Have you ever imagined a world without trees? This is a serious question to ponder. I have made a humble attempt to present my views through a story. These are the thoughts hovering around me when I saw my near and dear ones cut trees when they were planning to renovate their house. Are the trees an obstacle that will ruin the beauty of their house? 

 

"What a wonderful day today was!” I thought while getting into bed. I and my family visited a zoo. I hated jungles and forests, but still liked animals, so my family took me to a zoo. It was full of lush greenery and animals. 

I kept thinking about it before going to sleep. But the spell of sleep reached me soon and I was asleep dreaming about the kingdom of animals. 

I woke up quite early the next morning. I usually slept longer, but today it was different. I felt an air of gloom around me. I did not feel the usual fresh morning breeze. It wasn’t a pulchritudinous morning. I thought that something was erroneous. I looked out the window towards a forest that was nearby our village. But not a single tree was present! 

I was dumbfounded. Instantaneously, I ran towards the door, flung it open, and gazed at the spot where the forest was. But all I saw was barren land. No forest. No trees. I rubbed my eyes and looked again and again at the same spot but nothing changed. It was the same view. I ran towards the forest at full speed. 

By this time, some villagers had already gathered at the spot. One villager whispered to another, "Have the gods cursed us? Without water, we won’t be able to survive!”

"We should report this to the police right now!” said another. "What will we get from the police?” Someone from the crowd retorted. "We will only have the reporters and media here. We won’t get our trees back!!” 

Soon, just as expected, news spread all over the world, and wishing a few hours, the reporters and media were present. The police arrived before them. They asked a lot of questions to some of the villagers. 

Soon, it was late into the afternoon. I was feeling hot, sick, and exhausted, and began to suffocate. All the villagers felt the same. "It is the lack of trees,” one villager suggested. It felt as if there was no water at all. My throat was parched. I was feeling hungry as well. 

By the time I had a good meal, I heard many of our villagers leaving the village. 

Nothing unusual happened in the evening except that I felt suffocated. At night I switched on the TV. Then I heard terrible news!! The World…without trees!! I couldn’t believe it, but I had to. It was all over. The world was finished. It wouldn’t survive long. I closed my eyes, imagining the disaster the world would be going through. Suddenly I woke up from my uncommon dream. I frantically looked around. "It was a dream!” I realized it within a fraction of a second.

I thanked God that it wasn’t a real-life incident. But yes, I knew, understood, and realized the importance of trees. I guessed it was a message sent by the gods to remind us of the significance of trees and to show us the impact they would have on our lives if they disappeared from Earth.

By Samarth

                                                                INCREDIBLE INDIA

Patriotism is a sweet feeling. I really miss my country. I would like to express my love, feelings, concern, and attachment to my beloved country through this poem.

India my country my pride,

I can enjoy your beauty from all side

The gigantic snow-capped Himalayas

The mesmerizing ever-green forests

The cool breeze, the crystal-clear rivers

The fragrance of vivid flowers

 Well-known  majestic monuments

Make my country unique.

We all dwell in happiness,

There is no room for sadness.

 

India my country my pride,

Still looks like a bride

Unity is our strength

A courageous army is our wealth

Agriculture is our health

My country taught me moral values in depth

The warm hug of my country gives me inner strength

My prayers are there with you!!

Though I am miles away from my country, my love for you is everlasting,

My relationship with you is long-lasting.

By Samarth

The Clue in the Garden

 

The clue in the garden 

“Wake up, get ready for school!!!’’ My mother’s voice pierced through my dream. 

It was a brilliant morning on the roads of Keshav Nagar. The cool morning breeze freshened me. The sounds of the chirping of birds were like music to my ears.

It was a typical day for me. I prepared for school in less than an hour.  I met Ravi and he joined me when I walked down the asphalt toward my school.

The school was about a mile from our house. It required 30 minutes to arrive. The school was little and immaterial, yet it was set in an extensive and delightful open countryside adjacent to an equally beautiful forest.

 

 “Hello,” Ravi abruptly shouted.  I was blissful as I saw one of my friends Som, headed out to welcome us. “You are always late. But today you seem punctual,” I remarked as we strolled together to the entry of our school. We spoke as we journeyed through the colorful bazaars of our town. “Do you know? Our watchman reported that yesterday, something strange occurred,” Som informed us. “Really?! What is it?” I was curious. “Yesterday night, he had left his square shoes outside the school garden for some strange reason and went away. When he returned, he found his shoes were missing! He thought some mischief-maker was around and hunting for him. But he found no one. Our headmaster will not believe him when he hears the tale.”

We walked towards our school garden. It was the most gorgeous part of our school. As we walked, I witnessed one of our teachers, Mr. Ram, bent over a gathering of flower shrubs in a corner. He was accompanied by our school gardener.

“How can you explain this?” I heard the gardener ask the professor. “Must be some intruder,” the latter mumbled. Similarly, as they left, I and Ravi hurried to the spot. “This looks like footprints!” I exclaimed. When we questioned our teacher, he replied sternly, “Don’t interfere with such things. It may very well be some intruder who remembered to jab their nose in our school garden. You needn’t stress.”

But I was interested at once. A mystery! This thought excited me. I generally wanted to show my detective abilities and this was the ideal open door!

During recess, I went on an excursion to the garden. There, I investigated the footprints more thoroughly. They were presumably brought about by square-formed shoes, I contemplated. While I was examining, I noticed banana peels near the footprint. I saw a watchman mumbling while carrying a stick. I enquired what the matter was. He replied he cannot stay in his cabin during the night because of the monkeys from the nearby forest. He couldn’t have his dinner because the monkeys stole his banana. I felt pity for the poor watch who had to remain hungry throughout the night because of naughty monkeys.

My inquisitive mind began to think, “Is there any connection between banana peels and footprints?” I shared the same doubt with my friends they laughed and mocked me by calling me, Junior Sherlock Holmes.

Bell rang … “Interval finished!” my friend shouted He was like a villain to me who is disrupting my detective mind. “Next period is history,” my friend said in a sleepy voice. My history teacher stepped into my class with a big fat textbook. I was staring at the book, “How can this textbook enter into my small brain?” As usual, the teacher wrote a topic on the board ‘Evolution.’ She understood that half of the class consider her class as a lullaby so the teacher changed her mode of teaching. She asked: “Do you know why monkeys try to imitate human beings?” One of my brilliant classmates gave a very good response, “Monkeys have a close connection with human beings and they are our ancestors.”

Suddenly a thought flashed through my mind. I yelled, “I got the culprit! I understood whose footprints there are! They are the watchman’s ancestors!” The whole class turned towards me. My teacher screamed, “Are you dreaming? Whose ancestor? What are you talking about?” I was like a comedian to my classmates but I was contended that I have given life to my History class My headmaster who was hiding behind the window watching the happenings in the class suddenly entered. All stood up. My headmaster was having the patience to listen to me. He asked me, “What were you talking about?” I explained that I found out about the continuation of the incident which happened in the garden. My teacher was very restless and she was looking at her watch as she knows my nature very well and it will take one period full for me to explain her Evolution lesson.

 My headmaster’s curious looks inspired me to explain my findings. Like a hero, I started explaining. All eyes were staring at me. I felt overwhelmed I began, “A monkey from the forest stole the banana of our watchman. While moving back from his cabin he saw the watchman’s shoes and as monkeys have a tendency to imitate humans, he tried to wear the shoes and was walking through our garden munching bananas.” I heard someone from the crowd uttering, “Wonderful work! You’ve solved it!”

“Did it happen like that?” While moving back to my class I was doing self-introspection.

This incident inspired me to be an actual detective in the future. And indeed, the future did have a lot of plans for me!! I was soon indulged in many more mysteries and this one was my very first!! 

By Samarth

 Winter

The chilled weather, the frozen surroundings dreams for a fresh day inspired me to write this poem…

The dew drops adorned my window, 

When I was lying low, 

I was cuddling under my bedspread, 

I was blessed enough to have my delicacies spread.

I saw the birds shivering, 

Are they complaining?

Oh…. No, they are enjoying the chilled weather, 

I saw them shaking their feathers together, 

They found shelter under the tree, 

Where they can enjoy the fresh air for free, 

The sky is missing the bright rays of the sun, 

As The Sun is a latecomer because… 

for him winter is fun!! 

For every creature winter is rejuvenating, 

I can understand what they are communicating. 

I wish I were a bird to fly high in the chilled air, 

I wish I were a tree to decorate my hair, 

With green and white dotted hair bands, 

I would welcome winter with open hands, 

Because winter is exciting, 

And all the more fascinating. 

And when it would pass by, 

I would say ,"Winter, goodbye!”

By Samarth

Ghost in the jungle

 

Ghost in the Jungle

Are you afraid of ghosts? Do you think that ghosts really exist? This was from my own experience. Those who are courageous enough only should read this….

 

I was enjoying myself. It was the holidays. Me and my family going to Wayanad, enjoying the forest breeze and the cool rain on the way to our destination, which we all loved. I remember a scary incident that took place during our journey which makes me shiver at the thought of it.

 

I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the landscape around us and wanted to take a break from the journey to enjoy the cool morning air.

We stopped nearby a dark landscape with an even darker forest.

We agreed to take the proof of the wildlife present there, but after the spine-chilling incident I went through, all I thought of the forest was darkness and danger.

 

We were entertained by the amazing wildlife existing in the forest and I was so absorbed in it that I was separated from the others. I walked aimlessly in the forest, completely lost now, calling and shouting for help.

 

It was at least two hours later that I realized the real danger I was in. It was afternoon and the forest was getting darker and darker, and I was beginning to feel that nobody would find me.

 

I was really afraid now, as it was nearing evening. Suddenly, I saw a dark shadow moving towards me in a ghostly manner; those were the most horrid seconds, the rustling of leaves made me feel that the leaves under his feet are crying for a new life. I rushed forward full of darkness everywhere. I got little courage to open my eyes and look at that figure. I took a deep breath as I understood that the figure was far behind. I was wondering whether it was a ghost. I again curiously observed. Oh… my God! The ghost was having a pot belly. The pot-bellied couldn’t walk fast he needs to do some work out to chase human beings my mind whispered. I closed my eyes and started praying to Lord Ganesha as he is also having the same figure. I thought he is the right person who can save me. My grandmother used to say that when we are in trouble, we should chant the mantras of Lord Ganesha. He will come and help us, so I thought maybe God came to rescue me. The smell of perfume tickled my nostrils I was like a statue closing my eyes and chanting mantras. I was accustomed to a similar aroma. Ghosts started using perfumes…. I was anxious to see who was near me. I slightly opened my eyes gathering full courage and a firm belief that Lord Ganesha will be there with me. I yelled that was my uncle who came in search of me. He was gasping for breath, ‘Why were you running? I couldn’t chase you!’ I smiled but I didn’t reveal to him about the pot-bellied ghost and Lord Ganesha. I thanked God for saving me.

 

And so, I escaped from the danger of the forest and I must say that it was a very narrow escape I also believe that it would never happen again, never, as I have taken an oath to not visit any forests in my entire life because this was a perilous adventure, the one that nobody wants to experience it again.

By Samarth