Category: A2Z Challenge

  • Nothing but Emotion Gatherer

    Nothing but Emotion Gatherer

    Our heart is always filled with emotions. Sometimes we are really happy, someday we feel a bit deflated just like a flat tire. The sun may rise someday with a very sad and gloomy mood while the other day might feel elated. Our mind keeps playing tricks on us with all of these emotions.

    As a creative soul, I nourish my creativity with a regular dosage of these emotions. I have been writing poetry for more than 15 years. Over the years, many people asked me if there’s a personal story behind every poem.

    No, we are mere gatherers

    So today, I will answer this question. There are poems which come out from a very personal space. But not every poem comes with a backstory. Not every love-poem is written for my girlfriend/partner and my heart is not broken for so many times to mach my ‘broken heart’ poetry. Many times, I draw inspiration from people around me. Sometimes I don’t even know them. A poem can come to me when I am sitting at a cafe and there’s a couple sharing a nice conversation over a cuppa. A thought can take root when I am in a garden where I see an old man brooding alone.

    I find an abundance of emotions to gather all around me. Copious amounts of joy, plenty of happiness, tensions, anxiety and many more. However, I feel, sorrow is the strongest emotion we humans can feel. And it’s said many times that we poets carry a sadness deep down inside us.

    केहते है, दर्द के बिना कविता पैदा नहीं होती।

    With this thought, a Marathi poem came to me some days before, which talks about the relationship that poetry shares with sadness. May it be a personal emotion or it’s borrowed from someone else.


    दुःख, भावना तशी अतिशय प्रभावशाली.
    कधी स्वतः अनुभवलेली, कधी सभोवताली बघितलेली.
    क्वचित पूर्ण गुरफटून टाकणारी, तर केव्हा अगदी नमुन्याला गोळा केलेली.
    अनेक दुःखे हाताशी घेऊन आम्ही कवी,
    गुंफतो कधी शब्द काही.
    ते कागदावर उतरतात तेव्हा लेखणीतून उतरत नाही शाई,
    उतरतात ते अश्रू, ओढून दुःखाची चादर काळी.
    आजही, कढ अगदी दाटून आलाय,
    बहुदा दुःख उतू जाणार थोडी.
    कदाचित, आज कविता घडेल थोडी…

    आदित्य साठे

    हिंदी अनुवाद

    दुख, वैसे तो बहोत प्रभावशाली भावना।
    कभी खुद का अनुभव, तो फिर कभी कही देखा हुवा।
    शायद पूरी तरह से गिरफ्त में लेती हुई, या कई बार, बस छू कर जाने वाली।
    वैसे हम कवि लोग, अनगिनत दुख अपने बस्ते में लेके घूमते है,
    कही किसी दिन लिख देते है कुछ शब्द।
    जब वो कागज पे उतरते है तो स्याही नही,
    आसू उतरते है, दुख की काली चादर लपेटे हुए।
    आज भी, कूछ ज्यादा ही गहरा हो गया है,
    शायद दुख उबल कर बह जाएगा।
    शायद, आज थोड़ी कविता होगी…

    आदित्य साठे

    I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and this is the 5th post in my “Mobile Blogging” series. Do let me know what you think about this in the comments below.

    For my other posts, follow this trail

  • It’s all about the dedication

    It’s all about the dedication

    It’s all about dedication, I tell you. It was a perfect 3 day streak of posting even when I was on vacation. It appears that my streak ended along with it. Yesterday on the 4th of April, I was supposed to write the post for the letter D. I can give you the excuse of being tired after driving a car for 5 hours in this burning heat. But that would be a lie.

    I faltered with my dedication to keep writing is the only truth. And I am not ready to give up. Wise people say, it’s not a bad thing to make mistakes, it’s bad to repeat the same ones and not learn from them.

    It’s time to relearn

    I am learning once again about the need and importance of dedication and determination to achieve your goal. And it’s not just about being consistent at blogging. This relearning is helping me with my other goal too for which I have made a social commitment in my earlier blog.

    But I am glad that I am a part of this thriving community of my lovely fellow bloggers, Blogchatter. Their constant encouragement keeps my morals high and I am here writing this one instead of leaving the A2Z challenge after this first hurdle.

    This post started with my understanding of the importance of dedication and determination to achieve goals for improvement but seems like it has turned into my appreciation of the lovely folks of the Blogchatter community! And I have no regrets about this.

    But wait, I think an idea is brewing in my head for my next post which is supposed to be the ‘E post’. Just to give you a hint, a lot of shout outs are coming your way!!!

    So stay tuned to know, if you’re getting lucky in this post or the next one.


    I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and this is 4th post in my “Mobile Blogging” series. Do let me know what you think about this in the comments below.

    For my other posts, follow this trapil

  • Colaba on Cart…

    Colaba on Cart…

    Being Marathi, I have a soft corner for forts of Maharashtra. Raigad, Torna, Sindhudurg, Panhala, Janjira, Ramshej, Harihar and many more. The list goes on. These are the battle grounds where hundreds took on fight with thousands of Mughals, Adilshah, European powers and Siddis. Many sing the ballads of victory where others mourn some losses.

    I won’t claim that I am a trekking enthusiast or avid history buff. However, I have visited a few of them. I vividly remember my first trek to Fort Harihar. It was a day long excursion which I was on with three of my friends. It was memorable for many reasons but missing the last bus back home was the most dramatic one.

    Till date, I had climbed to forts, walked straight into a few. Even had sailed to a couple of them. Today, I had another “first”. I rode a horse cart to Fort Colaba near Alibaug coast. Thanks to a low tide, I was able to get this bumpy experience. This pair of horses took me and my folks to the fort entrance in just 10 minutes.

    From ramparts of Fort Colaba
    Some ruins of past glory

    Fort Colaba is a symbol of Maratha Navel prowess and leadership of Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He truly  was a visionary king who clearly understood the importance of controlling the coasts. Generations of Angres kept Siddis, British and Portuguese powers in these waters in check and ruled the region.

    The glory has now faded into the past. What remains there are some of its ruins. However, there’s one beautiful Ganesh temple still intact and being worshipped by local people. The view of the vast ocean and Alibaug cost from ramparts of the fort is breathtaking. If you like to visit historical places, this could be your next destination.


    I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z.

    For my other posts, follow this trail

  • Beaches are bae!

    Beaches are bae!

    Mother nature is one of the biggest creative powers I have ever witnessed. And the scale at which she creates is enormous! Massive mountains, vast oceans, beautiful forests, roaring rivers. List goes on. Each of these landforms is a masterpiece in itself. And yet, for me, beaches are bae! Today I don’t recollect the first memory of my beach visit. However, the connection I feel about these ocean-fronts is quite strong.

    Today when I woke up to a beautiful view of the Arabian sea from my resort, this love was revitalized in a moment. As soon as I was done with all morning chores, I was out on the beach inhaling all that ocean smell, feeling soft sand between my toes and clicking photos. The day was full of ocean views as we visited the Korlai Fort Lighthouse and evening was spent again on the Sasawane Beach which is almost in our resort’s backyard. Here are some of my favourite clicks of the day!

    The connection is not just limited to the photos or my experiences. Oceans and beaches have been part of my creative journey too. They have visited some of my poems and stories. I would like to conclude today’s post with a few lines. Do let me know if you also enjoy the ocean and beaches as much as I do!

    पायाशी येती लाटा,
    फेसळून त्या फुटती
    पण माघारी वळताना,
    नाजूक काढती नक्षी.

    आदित्य साठे

    I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z.

    For my other posts, follow this trail

  • Another journey begins…

    Another journey begins…

    When I registered for this year’s April A to Z, I was excited to embark on this journey. I was actively trying to work out some kind of theme for these 26 posts. But life happened. Since registration, till today I couldn’t manage to pull any theme out of my hat. And today, I am writing this one sitting in my room in one of the Alibaug resorts.

    The day started with a long six hour drive from Nashik to Alibaug. The drive was pleasant in general if we ignored  a bit of boring Mumbai region traffic.

    Evening turned out to be adventurous. It showed me a mirror as a climb of 5000 ft to Kanakeshwar temple got the better of me. I could climb only about 4000 ft before my fitness reached its limit. I feel awful looking at my current fitness level. I am mentioning this so that  it will act as a social commitment for my own improvement.

    However, this doesn’t mean those 4000 ft were not worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed the climb. Here are a few of the glimpses from the adventure.

    There’s one more thing which I am doing for the first time. This blogpost is written using a Jetpack mobile application for WordPress. So far, the experience is good. Maybe, “Mobile Blogging” could be the theme for this year’s A2Z. Let me know in the comment if this is a good idea or what!

    See you tomorrow. Till then, happy blogging.


    I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z.

    For my other posts, follow this trail ..

  • Joker entry to A2Z: fascinating stories of a composer

    Joker entry to A2Z: fascinating stories of a composer

    When I decieded to write about the books I enjoyed reading during 2023 A2Z, I made a list of the books picking titles starting English Alphabets from A to Z. When I was scrolling through my list on Goodreads, I couldn’t find a book for the letter J. So, here’s a Joker entry to the list.

    Mr. Shantanu Moitra is a household name after listening to his melodious tunes from many films and non-film songs. Indie music projects like Abke Saawan, Coke Studio, Dewarists has made a mark with their unique flavor. If you get a peak into his creative process, his inspirations and passion for the art, you would be delighted. But Mr. Moitra is a multifaceted person. Music is not the only thing that drives him.

    I read this book way back in 2015 and yet, it has made a strong impact on me. Since then I have re-red it again and again. Not entirely but in bits and pieces.

    What to expect from this?

    Main focus of the book is on memories about music. However, they enlighten the shades of great artists in the music world; the human being side. This journey is full of helpful values, lessons and thought, he picked up. Shantanu underlines, as a composer, how important is to be alert to grab all these bits and pieces of wisdom you come across throughout this book.

    Mountains are a huge inspiration for him. His love for mountains is weaved so elegantly in between memories of music that makes the collection very mystic. We keep turning pages with glimpse of those magnificent mountains and tunes of his compositions playing in our mind. He takes us to meet good souls chasing their dreams of their life.

    Parineeta is an important milestone in his career as a composer. Memories of that project have a well deserving place in this book. Back then he was young and enthusiastic music composer. He dreamed to create musical masterpiece for this Bengali Classic of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.

    His cooking adventures, his relations with majestic poets Gulzar saab and Javed ji, his meeting with fellow mountain lover Krushnaa Patil, his days from advertising industry and so many other memories stops you from putting the book down easily. Just get your copy and dive in the pool of memories with him.

    From the blurb

    There was once a young boy who loved nothing more than making music. He dreamt of sharing his music with the world. One day, his dream came true.From a childhood spent strumming away at a guitar in Delhi to one of the most successful music composers in Mumbai: this is the story of Shantanu Moitra.

    His ebullience and sheer sense of adventure light up this memoir. Finding himself all alone at Jaisalmer station at three in the morning as a schoolboy; days as a client servicing drone in an advertising agency; collaborations with the biggest names in Hindi cinema; the making of Parineeta, his greatest hit; an all-consuming love of astronomy; near-death escapades in the Himalayas; his surreal moment with Diego Maradona at Milan airport – these stories provide a fascinating glimpse of the man behind the music.On the Wings of Music is a collection of reminiscences, anecdotes and self-revelations, embellished by photographs from Moitra’s personal albums. These are delightful vignettes that chart the growth of a timid, self-effacing boy into a music composer of international repute. Charming and compelling.

    About the book

    • Name of Book: On the wings of music
    • Author: Shantanu Moitra with Aruna Chakravarti
    • Publisher: Harper Collins
    • Publication year: 2014
    • Pages: 152
    • ISBN – 10: 9351365042
    • ISBN – 13: 9789351365044
    • Price: ₹ 325

    My ratings

    Stories: 4/5
    Writing Style: 4/5
    Cover Design: 4/5

    Overall Rating: 4/5

    Where to get your copy

    Should you read it?

    If you enjoy listening to a good tune, love the scenic views on mountains, and cherish the tasty food, you will connect with this book. This book will take you on the journey of his experiences, memories and adventures which fuels his art. So, fasten your seat-belts and let it take you for a ride.


    This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023. For more about my views on books, click here.