Enthralling Trails

  The Diwali festivities are special due to the rituals, beautiful decorations, delicious food, and family bonding. These celebrations provide a welcome break for everyone, as offices, colleges, schools, and workplaces shut down during this time. The festival is also marked by the bursting of firecrackers, which can create a lot of noise. This year, on the day of Lakshmi Pooja, the incessant sounds from the firecrackers were particularly challenging. While the rituals emphasise that it’s just about light, the celebrations have become extravagant to make a significant impact on social media. The Diyas have been replaced by flashy lights, but the children bring joy as they build tiny forts of Emperor Shivaji out of mud. With a few days off, we felt the need to escape into nature. We were looking forward to visiting the Kaas plateau in Satara district, Maharashtra. The plateau has acres of special flowers that bloom just after the monsoons begin. It continues till the end of September...