Author: Adi Sathe

  • 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.

    Leaving tracks in sand
    Our ride to the fort
    From ramparts of Fort Colaba
    Some ruins of past glory
    Taking aim…
    Keep an eye out

    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.

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  • 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

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  • 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.

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  • Bhakti – an eternal flow of devotion and surrender

    Bhakti – an eternal flow of devotion and surrender

    I never have been a morning person as far as I remember. And yet today I remember about those dawns. Announcements airing on Akashwani Nashik, FM 101.4 MHz around 6:00 am always disturbed my sleep. Soon after, the station used to air traditional Marathi abhangs penned by saints like Tukaram, Namdev, Ramdas, etc. The Voices of legends like Bharatratna Bhimsen Joshi and Lata Mangeshkar used to fill the atmosphere.

    I used to be reluctant to wake up this early and the noise of the radio irritated me. Yet these tunes and words have formed strong memories. These songs gave me a basic introduction to Bhakti as a feeling. I was very young to understand it of course however, the impact these songs had on me was great.

    My encounter with Alwar literature

    My recent experiences of writings of some unfamiliar saints from other parts of India recalled this memory from my childhood. In the 2024 edition of Pune Kabir Festival, I was fortunate to listen to Priya Purushotamman, a fantastic vocalist of Agra Gharana. She presented renditions of Alwar saints, Akka Mahadevi, Basavanna and Kabir. I was clueless about the vast expanse of works of 12 Alvar saints. She sang a few couplets written by two of them. The meaning, she explained, blew my mind even though it’s Tamil literature. I would like to share a glimpse of the concert in which Priya sings Mirabai’s नाव किनारे लगाव प्रभुजी.

    Priya Purushottaman sings Mirabai’s नाव किनारे लगाव प्रभुजी.
    Moments from a concert of Mandar Karanjkar and Dakshayani Athalye
    Moments from a concert of Mandar Karanjkar and Dakshayani Athalye

    A few months ago, I came across writings of Saint Ravidas and Paltudas. My familiarity of Bhakti tradition from north India was limited to a few Mirabai and Kabir Bhajans. I am thankful to a duo of my favourite vocalists, Mandar Karanjkar and Dakshayani Athalye, for this introduction. One of my favourite couplet which stuck in my mind was

    ना मै किया ना करी सको, साहेब करता मोर,
    करत करावत आप है, पलटू पलटू शोर.

    Saint Paltu Das

    Common grounds in Bhakti tradition

    Even though these wise people were from different eras, separated by centuries, they have some common message. What Paltu Das says in पलटू मन मुवा नही, चले जगत को त्याग is very similar to Sant Dnyaneshwar’s कर्म मी करेन। किंवा ते सोडेन। बोलणे हे जाण। अज्ञानाचे।।. While explaining works of these saints, Mandar emphasised on the similar examples, same words used by all the saints like Kabir das, paltu das, Gorakh nath, etc over 8 centuries.

    These two concerts piqued my interest in exploring the writings of various saints from Bhakti tradition of India. Wisdom spread across in those writings in very simple words. If you get a chance to listen to any of these artists, don’t miss it. It’s a treat for ears even if they chose a different subject to present. They are wonderful musicians.

    And if you have any memories about particular bhajan, hymns, and kalam which you cherish, do share them in comments.

    Read more of my blogs here.

    This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Bohemian Bibliophile.

  • Let me go – A love story

    Let me go – A love story

    Samar was trying to get the task done. He has been struggling with this particular task since last morning. He was about to lose his calm if he couldn’t crack this in the next half hour. This was a really unusual thing as he was popular for figuring out the quick solutions about the task which were stuck at a point. But was it really the hard-to-crack solution that was bothering him? Or was it something else? Was it what happened a day before with Sneha? Yeah, it was about her. But exactly what part of their conversation bothered him so much that he couldn’t focus on his work?

    It’s been two years since Sneha and Samar started dating. Some six months before they hunted for a cosy little apartment and moved in together. It was not all lovey-dovey in these two years but they have managed to make it up to each other. They fought, even for the silliest reason but they also knew when to raise a flag for peace. They both have been working in the same company when they started dating. Within a couple of months, Sneha got a good deal at another MNC and she grabbed the opportunity. Samar strongly supported her in arriving at the decision to switch. They adjusted their life around the new change. Spending less time together was really tough. However, they got used to it.

    A day before, Samar finished his work rather early and took Sneha’s favourite flowers just to make her happy after a busy day at her office. She just had started leading a new project. Just like every other new project, initial hick-ups which resulted in stress at the end of the day. So once at home, he tidied the rooms, nicely arranged the flowers in vases Sneha bought when they moved in together. He got up from the sofa and just when he got a message from Sneha “See you in 10, dear”. He knew nothing but strong hot coffee would make Sneha happy. As soon as she smells that aroma, her stress is, Puff!!!! Gone……

    Exactly in 10 minutes the doorbell rang, Samar opened the door. They had set is as rule. “If another person is at home, one will not use the key to open the latch.” Seeing happy, smiling, bubbly Sneha at the door shocked him a bit. She had brought a box full of sweets. She came in, almost pushing Samar out of the way. Opened the box and fed him the sweet. She was surprised to see the flowers. It felt amazing when the aroma of brewing coffee hit her brain. Sneha refused to tell anything before they settled in with the coffee. Samar hurriedly poured their mugs and they settled in the sit out.

    Sneha excitedly pulled the envelope out of her bag and put it in his hands. Samar opened it with excitement. It was a letter from her company. He was thrilled with excitement to know about the content of the letter. His face lit with joy as he read it. Her selection for on-site assignment for the new project got him excited. They decided to hit their favourite club to celebrate the offer in excitement.

    It took a couple of hours for Samar to realise that this was going to be the long assignment. As they were returning from the club, the fact of a 5-6 month long on-site assignment was sinking in Samar’s head. He was quiet when they were getting back. Whenever he is upset, he goes into this introvertive cocoon. He almost stops talking. His replies shorten to one or two words. Sneha had sensed the reason behind his silence, but she chose not to push him. She knew he would take his time to get back.

    Since then, Samar was struggling to accept and get himself ready for such a long period of staying away from her. He knew it was going to be the toughest patch in their relationship. He was not sure about how he was going to handle it. From yesterday morning, Samar was trying to figure out how to make these six months liveable. Sneha knew that he was not going to stop her from taking this assignment. Just when Samar was about to call it a day and head home, his phone beeped. He checked the notification. It was a video message from Sneha. With his finger tap, Sneha appeared on screen with a perfect puppy face, saying “Let me go, dear.” 

    Samar had found his answer…

    “This post is a part of Remembering Love Blog Hop hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed“.

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    This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Bohemian Bibliophile.

    For more stories, click here.

  • A trip down the memory lane…

    A trip down the memory lane…

    Imagine a room of a kid who’s barely out of his teens. For the sake of the story, let’s call him Bandya. Ohh, you think it’s out of fashion name? So, shall it be Sunny? Good! So, imagine Sunny’s room. What do you see? A single bed towards a wall, flooding with all sorts of thing that you would wonder if it has a mattress on it or not. A clutter of headphones, charger cables, iPad, heap of cloths and Sunny himself. How can you even expect to see a piece of mattress with all this? This is just a one side of the room.

    On the other side, a corner specially designed for ‘studying’ which has not seen much of the use. A stack of course books which would be touched only a couple of days before exams is on the table and a huge paper pile gathered over the years. Another corner is for the sporting equipment for cricket or badminton. A room is incomplete without a special nook carved for a computer desk where you would find sunny if he’s not on his bed.

    The reason for which I am telling you all these details is, so that you can enjoy the story I am going to narrate. Just like us, Sunny’s mum had taken all the clutter in from her vantage point at the door. Sunny had really tested her limits this time. She sprang into action and without giving Sunny a chance to escape, she pulled him out of the bed.

    “If I don’t see this cleared and tidied you are not getting lunch today. So Mr. Sunny, better get going.”, she issued an ultimatum. “Then, I’ll go out for lunch.” He tried acting smart. After giving him a cold stare for a moment, she just left the room. At the door, she turned, closed it and just bolted it from outside. Sunny was so dumbstruck with this mood that he couldn’t even comprehend what has transpired. “Want to head out for lunch? Go if you can!” she roared. “Clean it up and I will open the door.”

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    In a fit of anger, he too bolted the door from inside, as if he was trying to keep the whole family locked up in other rooms. He even tried throwing stuff around. Understanding the futility of the situation, he decided to clean the room at last. Even the room almost gave out a sigh with a thought of getting a much-awaited tidying up.

    Sunny started pulling all the clutter down on the floor. Once everything was on the floor, he sat in the middle and started going through it. If you would have looked at the scene, you would feel like standing in a stall selling second hand things in a weekly bazaar. When he started sorting a pile of papers from the table, he wasn’t sure from when the pile was growing. It had papers almost from his first grade. While looking at all those bits and bobs, he was forgetting that he has to tidy all of this. He was losing himself in a maze of memories associated with all those things.

    He could see all of his friends, and the fun they had during his school days. The pile had bunch of photos taken during birthdays, festivals. Tickets of the movies they watched; class photos taken for every year. A box of greeting cards given by friends collected which he had collected over the years. He was so engrossed in this that he lost the track of time.

    His mum, oblivious to Sunny’s trip in memory land, was waiting for him to plead for lunch. When he didn’t turn up even their usual lunch time passed, she came to check up on him. She tried calling him, but no response. Sunny was so lost that he didn’t hear the calls. She opened the bolt just to find it locked from the inside. This ticked her off again and she gave up on him and bolted the door again. She went on to have her lunch and keep working according to her own schedule.

    When Sunny came back from his long stroll of memory lanes, clock was showing 5PM. A growling tymmy made him realised the hunger. He just tidied everything quickly and went to the door to go to the kitchen for food. When he tried opening it but it didn’t budge. He tried again and then remembered the whole episode which had put him in this space at the first place.

    He called out to his mother to open the door. She was waiting for his calls already so she rushed to his room and opened the door from outside. She started firing all sorts of questions. “What were you doing so far? why didn’t you answered when I came to call him for lun…” She almost froze in mid-sentence as she took a tidied room in. It was a shocking transformation. She just pulled him into her arms and took him to the kitchen for his much-delayed lunch. She was looking at him eating silently with teary eyes…

    This post is a part of Blogchatter Blog Hop. Read more stories like this here.