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Hi! I am D.Vamsidhar and I am going to share my monsoon family trip experience with you guys.

I live in Bhilai, a city in Chhattisgarh. So this experience is six years old in year 2016. It was mid of July the best time in the monsoon season for family trips, long drive with friends, and also solo trips to connect with nature. On one fine day, that was Friday we planned for a long trip on the weekend. Since, it was monsoon we decided to go to Chitrakote Waterfalls, the best example of Nature’s Art. Chitrakot Waterfalls is a cataract type waterfalls on the Indravati River with a height of 29 m.

Chitrakote Waterfalls is nearly 283 km in distance that is almost six hours of journey. But, don’t take this 6 hours journey lightly. The reason why we chose Chitrakote Waterfalls as the destination was because not only this place is beautiful but also the journey takes us through a roller-coaster ride of different emotions like excitement, happiness, and relaxation. To reach the destination we need to go through a famous ghat road in Chattisgarh, Keshkal Ghati named after the powerful Goddess Keshkala Mata whose temple can be seen on the Ghat road as part of the journey. Keshkal Ghati is also famous for its dangerous hairpin bends which multiplies the thrill of the journey in the Ghat road.

We also came across different types of trees and most of them were Teak and Sal trees.

Journey through a ghat road in the monsoon along with some tasty and hot fritters and tea is a delight for travelers, nature lovers, vloggers and so was it for us too. We started our journey around 10.00 A.M. The moment we entered the ghat road we slowly came out of our busy and mechanical lives and slowly connected to nature and started enjoying real life. The light showers outside the vehicle were giving physical look to the word beauty. After a journey of four hours, we stopped at a Dhaba and had our lunch, and continued with our journey. By this time, the intensity of rain decreased and the sky was getting clear and the sun came out.

After two more hours of journey, we finally reached the destination around 4.00 pm and it was the best time according to me to see the waterfalls, also the rain stopped completely and the waterfall was visible. These waterfalls also have a specialty that in every season the color of water appears different and intensifies its beauty. As it was monsoon the water’s color was slightly muddy and brown, but it is creating a cherished sensation inside the heart. Then we went for boating. After enjoying nature’s beauty we headed towards Prachin Shiv Mandir(Ancient Shiva Temple) a little far from the waterfalls.

Now here comes the plot twist, as soon as we left the place I suddenly felt my pocket very light because I kept my mom’s phone with me and my pocket should be heavy so I searched all my pockets , after searching all the pockets I doubted that I left my mother’s phone on a bench at the waterfall and immediately asked my father to reverse the car, everyone was in a doubt that it might have been stolen by someone, but still we checked as last hope. As we reached the spot as expected the phone wasn’t there and now my mom got tensed and pissed off because of my carelessness. Even, her anger was fair as her phone had all the important contacts and she had some important documents in it.

We enquired in the surroundings for almost an hour but nothing worked and we also called her phone but no one was attending the call. All of a sudden the excitement and enthusiasm of the trip turned into a dull and tense atmosphere. We returned to our car and as a last and final try we called her phone and we heard a ringtone and it was the same as my mom’s phone. After checking we found that her phone was lying beneath the seat of the car. I said to myself “It might have fallen from my pocket”. This silly carelessness of mine has charged us extra time with no fun at all and creating some disturbances.

After this incident, we left to visit the temple as it was getting late and started getting dark. By the time we reached the temple, it was almost dark and rain started again slowly. It was the same rain but this time it was creating a different kind of vibes. This time it was different because monsoon showers along with some devotional feelings always have a beautiful impact on nature lovers. As soon as the rain stopped, we went to have dinner in a nearby restaurant and took a room for the night to take rest as we were tired a lot.

The next morning we left the hotel having our breakfast to visit another waterfall that is Tirathgarh Waterfall which takes almost 1 hour 20 minutes of journey from Chitrakote Waterfalls.

 The Tirathgarh Waterfalls are block-type waterfalls on the Kanger River. The best thing about this waterfall is that we have to travel through Kanger National Park. The road drives through dense forest, misty views filling you with joy and enthusiasm. The scene of the waterfalls is so blissful and the water looks as white as milk. Wildlife, hills, and a beautiful waterfall just seem like heaven and one just can’t resist praising the beauty of nature.

After enjoying the beauty we had our lunch and then decided to head back home. So, as per the plan we had lunch at a restaurant and left home again coming across nature’s magnificent representative The Keshkal Ghati. While heading back home, I decided to visit this place again. That day is still in my mind. Whenever we got time and wanted to go for a long drive we used to visit these places especially at the time of monsoon or winter.

Finally, I would like to say that this is a must-watch place for nature lovers at least once in a lifetime. Whoever is reading this story I would recommend you to have a visit to this place and have a direct connection with nature.

Written by – D.Vamsidhar

LinkedIn Profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-vamsidhar-29383a1b3/

#monsoon #story #storywritingcontest #monsoonstories #digitalwritopreneurs #dvamsidhar #rajindersoni

@d_vamsidhar Thank you so much for sharing your family trip with us. Your experience rekindled all of my childhood memories. The last time I visited the waterfalls was in the year 2014-15 after my marriage

@d_vamsidhar

Well written Vamsidhar I was visualizing as I was reading and was able to relate to the emotions that was called to experience. 

@d_vamsidhar you have portrayed a beautiful monsoon story with us. I am very fond of nature and the description you crafted was wonderful and cherishing! I also visited Chitrakot waterfalls few years back, it was so vibrant in color and stunning and I know it is called “Niagara of India” for its vibrancy and beauty. You relished my memory once again. 

@d_vamsidhar…

Recommendation noted and surely try to visit both water falls and will remember you there. 

Your love for nature and monsoon is clearly visible in story.  

What I liked more is your being truthfully describing about being careless and making fool of yourself in front of all. You had a chance to create a heroic  image of yourself. But you chose the truth. 

Congratulations! You are a rare breed! 

Thanks for sharing with all of us!

Main Title: Monsoon Mission 2.0 (Memories)

When it starts pouring, two wheeler riders start looking for a place to take shelter against the heavy rain. But, I used take my bike and ride leisurely for an hour or till it pours down heavily. I would be drenched to the skin, dripping all over, with a satiate smile. That’s my definition of chill/fun literally!
Those were the Merry Monsoon days! I never missed even a single second of narration of those rain special  bike rides incidents. The cheering audience were my nephews Chunnu and Bittu of 3 & 5 years respectively, at that time. (almost twenty years ago) Kids would be brimming with excitement and request me to take them too next time. Then I plan MM2.0.

The Monsoon Mission 2.0 begins.,

The next day was sunny but both my naughty nephews were dull and strangely silent. Around 2pm, suddenly Sun was covered by dark clouds; I rushed to terrace for collecting  the half dry washed clothes. Signaled both kids too and they started following me silently. Their mother/my bhabhi (brother’s wife, in Hindi) noticed them going upstairs. She shouts, asking them not to go out on the terrace. They may fall sick if their dresses got wet. What she said, was correct; so I hurriedly removed their clothes and kept them on top stair and locked the door from outside. Kids were in full excitement, jumping, dancing and cheering loudly in rain. A Very happy scene!!

It’s their first encounter with rain and they looked like the happiest kids on earth at that moment.

After about half an hour their mother felt something amiss. “With both kids in the house, silence for 10 minutes was impossible. Are the kids asleep?” she wondered. She came upstairs  to check on kids and seeing the removed clothes and hearing all the noise (as the door was shut, it wasn’t audible from downstairs.) Through glass windows, she could see all 3 of us playing in the rain & shouts at all of us but we pretended not to hear her and go on playing. She then called my mother upstairs complaining about the “Kaand (means, similar to committing a crime; of keeping kids out in the rains).

Now it was time to wind-up the show and open door for both mothers, each standing with a towel. Kids’ heads were wiped thoroughly and immediately taken to kitchen and given Hot Turmeric Milk.

 All this while my mother shouting at me and bhabhi fretting under her breath, that kids will fall sick, blah-blah..

I replied to my mother, “why are you scared unnecessarily? The rain is natural, pure, organic water directly from clouds to us. It won’t harm. Did you ever hear anyone getting sick because of getting drenched in rain? Please don’t make them weaklings. I want them to be adaptable to rain, winter-cold and even hot summer sun too. This is how they will grow strong. Nothing will happen just because they played in rain for some time. Next time you both too are welcome to join and have fun. May be then you’ll realize what you have missed all these years! 😊 ”

My bhabhi was asking the little one Chunnu, “you never like even a single drop of water on you. Your loudspeaker starts whenever I take you for bath. How did you go out in all this water all by yourself, that too so quietly?”

Here, I have to give a little brief about Chunnu:  Since his infant days he always hated baths. Even when he was just 40-45 days old baby, as soon as a drop of water is put on his skin, he howls at the top of his voice. Doesn’t matter whether the water is hot or cold, he hated it anyway. We tried to bathe him while he’s still sleeping, But in vain, starts crying as soon as the water comes in contact with his body. As he grew, his hatred too grew but somehow, they used to bribe him with chocolates or some goodies for taking bath. Still the whole house  (even few neighbors) know when he’s having bath. It was always a challenging task. However, I was happy to see a Smart Businessman of future grow.

Lets continue with our story,

Immediately Chunnu rushed towards my mom. I jokingly used to say, that the kids love my mom more than their own mom; which was true.

Both the kids used to call my mom as Mummy and their mom as “bhabhiji”! (As me, my younger brother and cousins used to call her bhabhiji!, He sat on her lap and told, “now onward I won’t cry while having bath!”

This statement was like ‘the eighth wonder’!

All of us were surprised to hear him declare this. He continued “only one thing, everyday, I will have bath not in bathroom but in rain only! So, Bhuva (addressing me), you call and tell him to come on same time every day. (Mostly I call/order for deliveries from tickets, provisions, cakes, ice creams, etc., via telephone). In the morning dad and grandpa will be there making so much noise, that I get headache!” Half of my family became loyal consumer of ‘Monisons’ (Green color balm used in case of head aches), due to his loudspeaker howling daily; and here he complains about having headache – what an irony

This is a 20 plus years old incident. At that time we were a big joint family living in a very small house. No shower or taps were fixed in our bathroom or kitchen. Hand pump was only source of all our daily water requirements. So he didn’t know that we can get our own personal rain in our bathroom itself whenever we want.

How we convinced or solved this new problem too is an interesting story, which I’ll share some other time.

Finally, all I have to say is, all three of us overcome with acute nostalgia over those memories and named it as MM2.0; Monsoon Memories 2.0(Rajinikanth Fans)

Written By Sangita Jain, HR Professional, Freelance Communications Trainer, Volunteer & Digital Writopreneur.

#Monsoonwriting #Monsoonmemories #storywriting #monsoonstorycontest #storytelling #Sangitajain #digitalwritopreneur #rajindersoni

                                         A Lifetime Journey To Cherish!

 Monsoon brings dazzling moments for us, the calmness like the summer and cool breeze like the winter. A relaxing time to spend with your loved ones, relishing the scent of showers while sipping on hot tea or coffee is the highlight of the day. From peacocks dancing in the rain to jumping in puddles, this season has it all! 

Night-Out Journey

 It is being a long time that I have packed my bags and went for an exploration. I am such a person who loves to explore new places and discover the hidden gems in it. This story was about a trip to one of the breathtaking hill stations Munnar. 

Kerala is known for its luxurious resorts, enthralling beauty of backwaters, appetizing cuisines, a striking view of the hills studded with wooded forest, enchanting waterfalls, appealing beauty of the flourishing paddy fields, the calmness of the beaches, Kerala is not less than any wonderland.

It was the month of October and the day was auspicious because it was ‘Diwali’. On the eve of Kali Puja or Diwali, we planned to go for a trip to Munnar, the beauty and serenity of Kerala.

 About the Breath-taking Landscape during Monsoon

Starting a journey in the monsoon made my trip memorable. You can enjoy this misty and cloudy heaven without having to worry about anything concerning travel. We started our journey by car, and Google maps armed us with the best of options.

 It was night 11; the light rain started. It was raining heavily since one week. We packed our food, stored water, and some luggage for the trip and filled the petrol tank fully. We followed Trichy Express Way. Our car was flying high and I was very excited to see the patchy monsoon’s beauty and the calmness of the mountains. It was raining heavily and I became thrilled to enjoy the sounds of crickets and the deep darkness!

It was 2 am; we needed some break, had coffee, snacks and started again. I was feeling nostalgic and the night within me was very thrilling. The darkness deeply hovered everywhere. My kids were sleeping. My eyes closed due to deep sleep, but never wanted to miss this night’s adventure!

The next morning the day started with new energy and positivity. The time was 6 am. Still, it was raining; the roads were blocked by heavy waterlogging. Far away, the mountains and clouds were mixed in a color palette, and rainbow colors reflected from the sky created meticulous circumstances to describe! We relaxed for some time and had breakfast at a local shop. We were at Dindigul and discussed routes. Tamilnadu is a large state and it has a vast geographical region. I learned during my school time and gained in-depth knowledge about many states. 

The rainy season has its unique beauty. I read many short stories and novels where rain was the beauty queen. I reminisced eternal love stories, the universal story of a triangle love, the first raindrops on my hands, and the first jump on the mud with friends, the first play on the muddy ground, it made us so funny and enjoyable! 

Real Turmoil of Wandering inside the Village

The total journey was around 12 hours. We reached Munnar 18 hours later. The real turmoil started when we reached Thekkery, a trekking point where the road was divided into two paths. One was towards Munnar and another one towards the interior village of Kerala. According to the help of Google maps, it showed the wrong path towards the village muddy road. We were not aware of the exact road and entered into the muddy, deep forest where people did not ride bikes, walking was their only communication. Our car was entered into the slippery, muddy path and not a single space to walk along the road. When our friend asked a person enquired about the road, they spoke in the Malayalam language, hence we couldn’t understand. The Google map was totally a disaster inside the jungle. The roads were too narrow to pass and we saw some school boys and girls were coming. Wandering around hours inside the village was a bit challenging for us! After trying many attempts inside the village, we didn’t find the way of the city. Sourav (our friend) was in vain and he drove quickly towards a dead-end road where nothing was visible except suicide point, a Danger Zone! Suddenly my husband stopped the car and decided to change the plan. Then we asked some schoolboys about the city along with the resort’s destination. The time was 6 pm and the manager of the resort called us to book an appointment. 

 After getting a response from the navigator, we started quickly. The reddish muddy road, the ripe fruits hanging from the mango trees, the spices, the multi-colored rainbow, and the scent of the wet mud, intoxicated me literally! 

I became hungry and wanted to have something. My water stock was also empty; my throat was searching to quench my thirst and the body was paining severely. When reaching Munnar market, we took a long breath and saw lights and crowds. In Munnar, it was raining heavily; the roads were waterlogged forcefully and drainage was blocked. 

Way to Final Destination (Resort)

With an extremely flamboyant and stunning panorama, Kerala hills have become a favorite place for leisure hunters and nature lovers. I loved its chill ambiance, refreshing healthy climate, and scenic beauty of the destination because you will fall in love with the place. 

Where the market road ends and began a narrow street, our “Glenmore Resort” lies in between. It was inside the bushy land and upper part of the street. Our car slipped due to a muddy and slippery road. At around 7.30 PM, while entering the resort, realized that we came to a wonderland where I could feel the sound of dazzling waterfalls, the pin-drop-silence of the place, and the grand yummy dinner with music. The cottages were beautifully decorated and cleanly furnished. The windows were too big and airy, and outside the waterfalls, rhythmic sounds grabbed my attention to go and enjoy. But we had to wait till morning. I could hear the rhythm of rain and waterfalls melody-both created a lovely blending of music! 

At 3 PM, I and my friend could not resist going out to enjoy the darkness and sweet chords of the rain. I could hardly forget this enthralling yet tiresome trip, but the beauty and stunning panorama retained my heart extremely delicate and special. 

I would recommend this place to visit all nature lovers to experience the beauty and vibrancy of nature’s twist and turn once in a lifetime. You must go and cultivate the rainbow colors during the monsoon in Munnar and discover your exploration in the comments below.

#monsoonstorytelling #naturelovers #relishingmemory #lifetimejourney #monsooninmunnar #digitalwritopreneur #poulomi @rajindersoni

Thank You!

Main Title: My Monsoon Family Trip Story to Kodaikanal

I wanted to bless my wife and my daughter with my unparalleled affection and love with a priceless gift. My wife holding the post of Deputy General Manager, Mobile Communications was due for retirement in August 2016 after her 39 years of service. An additional happy event was that my daughter was appointed as a software engineer in an MNC giant. Now my gift for them was to take them on a monsoon tour.

Going on a three-day trip to Kodaikanal and nearby places was the best option during the monsoon period in the months of May, June and July. The reasons for selecting this place were

(i) Monsoon starts in June and ends in September.

(ii) Blooming of a rare flower called neelakurinchi (blue coloured) was due after 12 years.

(iii) A variety of rose flowers in the Bryant Park were going to be opened for the general public during May, June and July

(iv) Hills, waterfalls, pillar rocks and many photogenic places shine during the monsoon.

The distance from my place to Kodaikanal is around 230 km. As compared to a 6-hour drive in a car where we encounter mountainous zig-zag hair-pin ring roads of about 25 km, journey in a bus is considered to be accident free. Another reason was that our personal driver was not familiar and accustomed with this route so it was very risky. It is situated at a height of 7300 feet in the Palani hills. It is surrounded by views of breathtaking hills and mountains. 

We started at Karaikudi at 07:00 AM by a private bus leading to Kodaikanal on 25th July 2016. The bus journey of 25 km up hills during the rainy season is very pleasing. It is mixed with some amount of strain due to leakage of rain water through the ceiling making us to run within the bus searching for a seat free from rainwater seepage. We were drenched in the cold rainwater and the climate of Kodai Hill was also adding to the chillness. We were quite lucky to taste hot samosas from a hawker travelling in the bus. Suddenly, to our great astonishment, two to three monkeys got inside the bus, when the bus was queuing to go one by one in the mountainous zig-zag road. They ate some and took the remaining samosas, from the hawker’s box. The hawker virtually,
cried for the loss. A few samaritans travelling in the bus, including us, compensated his loss. When we reached Kodaikanal bus station, it was 2:00 p.m.

We were fully drenched. We preferred an old man’s auto to reach the guest house as he, among the group of auto-drivers, pleaded that he did not get even a single passenger in the day for his bread. The old man dropped us in the guest house safely.

On reaching the guest house and upon occupying the booked room, we wanted to take a shower. Unfortunately, the heater did not work. Again, chilled water bath only favoured us. After the sumptuous lunch, we took rest for a while. At about 6:00 p.m., we went for a walk in the nearby lake area while chit-chatting about the events of the day.

We totally forgot about the route and distance walked. When it was 7:15 p.m., we wanted to return. Alas! We missed the route and were motionless. At that time, we were facing another trouble from an Alsatian dog which escaped from the clutch of the guard, pouncing on my wife; my blood got struck. I prayed to my family deity; really, I felt the god through a car coming towards us. When I stopped, the driver responded and asked us to get in without hesitation. He safely left us in the guest house. We skipped our dinner and cursed for our bad luck. This ruined the fun of the entire trip. 

After disturbed sleep, we got up early and were ready for the sightseeing trip through a local guide in a common bus carrying about 25 people on the second day. The places visited between 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. were as follows:

1. City Kodai Lake: It is a and star-shaped city surrounded by lush green Palani hills. We boarded the pedal boat and spent quite some time admiring the entrancing beauty of the lake. The co-passengers were following us in different kinds of boats and this became a fantastic oval-shaped formation. We admired the beauty of the “Neelakurinji flower” which blossomed like a palace.

2. Coaker’s Walk: It is 1-km-long walkway on the steep slopes of the mesmerizing Palani hills. Since it was a rainy day, we were able to enjoy the walk on the clouds path and it was a wonderful experience.

3. Pine Forest: This place is a 20-minute drive from Coaker’s Walk with vast expanse of pine trees adding to the splendour. We spent some relaxing moments at this place.

4. Bear Shola Falls: This is a very charming falls at 25-minute drive from the pine forests. This is known to be the watering hole for bears living in the surrounding forest area. We enjoyed the beauty of the falls for a while.

5. Bryant Park: It is 2.5 km away from Bear Shola Falls. A magnificent flower-show displaying a variety of flowers was organized by the authorities. We enjoyed the smell and the colours. We bought five pots with rose plants to grow in our house.

6. Silver Cascade Falls : It is a 180-feet-high silver waterfall gushing through a rugged hilly terrain. It looks absolutely gorgeous on a rainy day. We felt as if we were in heaven.

7. Vattakanal Falls: This stumbled us. We enjoyed the falls, evergreen forests and the birds in hundreds of number. This energized us for a fresh life.

8. Dolphin’s Nose: This was found as a trekking spot as the winding road took us through the natural milieu. We enjoyed the magnificent view of the mountains and echo point.

9. Cap’s Fly Valley: This is situated in a calm and tranquil surrounding. We were surprised to see the boomerang effect where when we threw a lightweight object then it came back to us.

10. Berijam Lake: We found this lake, which is a freshwater reservoir with fascinating species of flora and fauna, elephants, bison and langurs. Because of the tranquility and soothing ambience, we felt heavenly pleasure.

11. Pillar Rocks: The huge cliffs of this location looked like pillars. In this place, we found many lovers who on enquiry told us that there is a love story behind this pillar rock.

12. Thalaiyar Falls: This waterfall looked like the tail of a rat, thin and long, having a trekking trail of about 15 km.

The guide left us in the guest house at 6:30 P.M. We were very much tired. After a small dinner, we went for a sound sleep. We vacated the guest house the next morning at 7:00 a.m. and went to the bus station after the breakfast, and proceeded to Suruli Falls which is 30 km away from Thalaiyar.

13. Suruli Falls: We reached Suruli Falls at 10:00 a.m. This falls drops from a height of 150 feet, gathers into a pool, flows for a short distance and again drops to a depth of 40 feet. This is unique. After watching this, we went to chinna Suruli Falls and enjoyed its beauty.

14. Mangaladevi Temple: Around 95 km away from chinna Suruli Falls, we saw a majestic temple called Mangaladevi. We worshipped the goddess for our well being and the community as a whole. We took photographs of all the places with our Yashica camera and shared with all our friends and relatives.

After lunch, we boarded the bus at 2:00 p.m. and reached our place safely by 8:00 p.m. The entire tour was of a thrilling experience. Upon return, I revealed to them that this tour was a gift that I wanted to give to my wife and daughter. They reciprocated saying that this is a fitting and worthy one. Even today, those places and sceneries appear in our dreams as an unforgettable life experience.

Written by: Mr. Duraipandy Chelliah, Retired Deputy General Manager (Finance) at Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and Digital Writopreneur

Edited by: Mr. Rajinder Soni, CEO and Writopreneurs Coach, Digital Writopreneurs Hub and Academy, New Delhi

#kodaikanaltour #monsoonwriting #storywriting #storytelling #duraipandychelliah #digitalwritopreneur #rajindersoni

@duraipandychelliah Sir, I thoroughly enjoyed the virtual journey as our mentor Mr. Rajinder Sir narrated it. The trip that you gifted to your wife and daughter was indeed a sweet gesture. All the places that you mentioned in your family tour are worth it. My most favorites are Suruli falls, Coaker’s walk and Bryant Park. 

I heard a lot about Kodaikanal and your monsoon story depicted all the highs and lows of your journey very well. Would love to visit Kodaikanal someday.

@duraipandychelliah It was an amazing experience reading your story and made me have a virtual tour to kodaikanal . I also got some amazing places to visit and work on my niche. 

@sangita-jain Your story is really cute and was making me revive my childhood memories.

@poulomi The narration about Nature is good, whre the clouds part reminds me of my winter trip with friends back in 2019. I’m excited to take a rollercoaster ride to Munnar post pandemic, can’t wait to visit it with friends. 

@duraipandychelliah I didn’t visit the place, but I’m thinking of one to visit with my family, not only you did share your experience, but it gives me an idea of places in Kodaikanal.

1. Thankyou Vamsidhar!
2.