Enthralling Trails

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness― John Muir Kay was a six-year-old girl who loved visiting the manmade forest with her parents every weekend. She was an Indian with a Greek name that meant the pure one. The forest had a serenity that none in the vicinity had. Every morning, the manmade forest came alive with the beautiful songs of birds, the cackling of geese, the gentle whisper and rustle of leaves, and the crunching of dried leaves beneath heavy footsteps. The dark canopy of the sky, filled with stars and planets, led one to a sense of heavenly bliss. Within this vibrant setting lived packs of dogs and a single, lonely cat. The dogs had spread themselves across various spots in the forest, while the cat had claimed her territory among the hedges near the entrance. She would growl and frighten the dogs that attempted to drive her out, puffing herself up to appear larger and causing the dogs to shiver in fear. On normal days, the cat sat meekly on the s...

  Agar Firdaus bar rōy-e zamin ast,hamin ast-o hamin ast-o hamin ast -I f there is a paradise on earth, It is this, it is this, it is this. The recent edition of the daily news once again brought attention to the situation in Kashmir. It featured a conversation between the news reporter Rajdeep Sardesai and residents emphasising the upcoming election rallies. The locals were asked for their thoughts on the removal of Article 371 and the change in Kashmir’s status to a union territory. The interview took place on the banks of Lake Dal, bringing back memories of my time in Kashmir. The news also covered the recent terrorist attacks in Baramulla. While the visuals were unsettling, the scenic beauty of the valley still resonated with us, evoking the feeling that heaven was right there in Kashmir, as quoted by the poet Amir Khusro. I recalled our journey through Baramulla to Gulmarg, where our adventures led to some mishaps faced by the tourists with their horse rides and others. A few ...

It rained the whole night, and we decided to walk nearby to lift our spirits. Our walk brought us across a pair of horses that belonged to a nomadic pastoral family who had settled near our residence. These horses usually roamed freely, but on this day, they seemed to be standing still and moving slowly, as if their movements were restricted. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that their legs were free but appeared to be mentally restricted. This made me ponder how often we become trapped in our thoughts, reminding me of a similar incident. My day began early on that particular day. I raced to my office cabin to start my scheduled work. My office space is a beautiful cabin with windows on both sides, providing excellent ventilation. One side of the cabin faces long fields. As usual, I opened the windows and turned on the fan to ventilate the room. Looking out into the dried fields just outside the window, I noticed burnt embers, three brick stones in a circle, and a piece of rag flying ...

  The following morning, we left Pahalgaon for Gulmarg, a hill station with snow-covered mountains. Our journey included a visit to the Martand Sun temple. The temple was located on a plateau and its ruins were visible. The temple surrounded by green hills is a scenic spot. It was a hot summer day and the open hills and the piercing sun rays prevented us from understanding the details. The Martand Sun Temple is not only a UNESCO World Heritage site but also listed as a national monument by the Archaeological Survey of India. The intricate sculptures and carvings remain visible despite being destroyed by multiple earthquakes over the past 1200 years. The large flat stone steps lead to the main temple, which has a central courtyard with images of Lord Vishnu, Ganges, the Sun deity and others to complement the walls. The courtyard was in ruins and was surrounded by intricately designed pillars. During our visit, a frail woman stood near the temple with a couple of white rabbits, askin...

  A few months ago my husband said that he had a bunion, I tried correcting saying it’s a banian, a vest worn in India. As he showed me his big toe, the bone jutted a bit, it was a bony bump on the joint at the base of his big toe with a ring-like swelling around it. He pointed it out and said, ‘This is a Bunion, I do get pain and swelling sometimes but today it seems hot and feverish” ‘Did you experience this earlier? I asked worried. ‘I remember it being worse a few years ago.’ We decided to consult our family doctor, Dr. Kannade, he has been an authorized medical authority and our family physician for many years. After listening to our concerns, Dr. Kannade prescribed a few medicines. Dr Kannade is also a good friend of mine, he is a regular writer, with many of his pieces published in the Times of India. The next day, the bunion seemed to be at rest, and the hotness and swelling near the toe disappeared. Dr Kannade then ordered a series of tests to rule out gout and other facto...

  Awanthipora We were ushered to our vehicle once again. We were to reach Pahalgam in three hours but the star attraction was the Saffron flower farms at Pampore, a small city close to Srinagar. The city is nourished by the river Jhelum and the climate here is ideal for growing saffron, so it is called the Saffron Capital of India. As we left Srinagar we saw many of the saffron fields lying forlorn but the meadows were green and beautiful. We were told that the fields bloom from July to October. On reaching the farm we were ushered to a huge hall equipped with a seating arrangement for sixty people. We quickly took our seats. The place was bustling with beautiful fair girls dressed in long attires with their heads covered with scarves. They had aquiline noses and fair skin with dark eyes. We were uncertain about what would be presented when a lean tall fair-skinned man exclaimed, ‘Everyone, I’m going to share something about saffron.’ The doors were closed, and suddenly a baby tumb...