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Funny School Sign Board at Naya Nagar at Mira Road

Monday, July 28, 2014

I noticed this funny school signboard at Naya Nagar at Mira Road.

St. John's High School.They have made it clear in the signboard itself that they don't accept donations and deposits.

Jaora, Return Journey

Sunday, July 27, 2014

My return journey was again by the same train which bought me here i.e. Udaipur Express. The train was to arrive at Jaora Station at 2:44 AM, only to arrive at Borivali Station at 1:47 PM the next morning.

Mohsin his brothers and Satish came to see me off.

I kick started my journey by sleeping. As I am not used to sleeping in the train a small jerk would awake me, but finally sleep had taken over.

The next morning when I had woken up the train had reached Bharuch. We were a long way from home.

A few of Krishna’s bhakts had their seats next to mine. They sang, played their musical instruments and danced the entire journey in that compartment till we reached Borivali. Their music was soothing to my ears, but when I took out my camera, they weren’t very happy so I immediately put it back inside.

Finally I was at Borivali station. My Jaora trip had officially come to an end. I was a bit unhappy in my initial days at Hussain Tekri as I couldn’t travel but Sujapur and  Bhora Mangra made my trip worth it. To top it beef spiced up the entire journey.

I am thankful to Mohsin and his family for the hospitality they have shown towards me.  I dedicate this blog post to him.      

Egg Omelette - The Experimental Cook

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Today I decided to experiment with my Egg.

So I took an Egg, three spoons of milk, a little onion, tomato and green chillies, mixed them with salt, pepper and oregano.  Now please don't ask me the proportion. After all I am the Experimental Cook.

I then fried the same in pan, off course in oil, in a couple of minutes it was ready.

Texture was brownish yellow but the taste. Oh la laa.

After all I made it myself. 

Jaora, Sujapur

Thursday, July 24, 2014

The first place we went to this village called Sujapur.



Mohsin had made arrangements for us to travel by a Rickshaw to Sujapur. It is a few km away from Hussein Tekri. Why Sujapur, there is a small Dargah atop a hill. The Dulha Dawal Shah Dargah.

We exited the highway on the small village road leading to Sujapur. We were greeted with lush green fields, mango trees, windmills and to top it cool winds in the afternoon. Windmills, not one, not two but beyond count. A small road leads to the base village of the Dargah in Sujapur. Though the road is made of tar it is still uneven.



The village is very scenic. A cluster of houses make up the village. Farming is the main profession here. The village has both Muslim and Hindu communities staying together. National Integration, I am loving it. You will be eager t know, how I know this, there is a temple and Dargah in its premises.

A series of steps leads to the hilltop which offers mind blowing view of the place. Climbing the steps will test your knees to the core. But if you have knee issues, you need not worry as uneven tar road will take you to the top.



The hilltop offers a beautiful 360 degree view of the place. The cluster of houses in the villages, the windmills and the lake make a beautiful scene. This bought a smile across my face. This is one of the reasons why I came on this trip.

Mohsin and his family offered prayers in the Dargah, while my friend accompanied me on my photo session. My friend the Panasonic TZ11.



I walked to one of the windmills and got amazing photos of the sun light breaking through the clouds. Not sure what the energy is used for.

I sat under the shade of the tree, thinking how people lead a life here. I don’t mind staying in a village. It will for sure heal me from the mobile phone illness cut me off social media sites.  Though the life they lead is difficult as compared to us urbanites. But that doesn’t stop them. They have been living it and will continue to live it.  



There is a school in the village, so the children are going to school to study which is a good sign. Literacy rate is going up; again that brings a smile across my face.

Sometimes we should keep mother earth the way it is. It serves a refreshing break to us urbanites.  Even in the city of Mumbai we have hillocks which are either demolished or soon to be demolished to make way for skyscrapers.  But most of them go unoccupied as the people have no buying capacity. Then what’s the use of erasing the hillock. Man’s Greed knows no boundaries.



Soon Mohsin’s prayer meeting was over and we then decided to head back. Again Mohsin’s brothers and I came down the stairs while the others came down the road.



On the way we did a detour to refresh ourselves in the waters. We shared the waters with a herd of buffaloes and also bikers who were washing their bikes here.



In a distance on the hill where the windmills are located I could see something in white, when I zoomed in with my camera, I saw that it was a herd of cattle grazing on the green pastures there.


Wasim, Satish and Nadeem, had a good time in the water, by the time they were out they were totally wet. So we made them sit together isolating them from us, else we would all be wet.

Soon we were on the Highway again. 

Jaora, Bhora Mangra

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Next stop was a farming village i.e Bhora Mangra. To reach it we had to move off the state highway. The tar road was replaced by a muddy patch. It took us to the Dargah. The dargah is located near the farms and the small hills near it. 


The time was 5 PM on my watch and I was hoping to get a good view of the sunset from here.

This place is again beautiful like Sujapur. Greenery as far as my eye could see.  Again a few windmills up on the hills.


A farmer was ploughing his fields with his HMT tractor. The tractor was made in 1985. I told Mohsin that he and the tractor are of the same age.


The best part is that though the tractor is 28 years old, it is still in working condition. The farmer told me that his father used to plough with it and now he does and soon will his son.


There is just one house located near the Dargah; it was the house of the farmer. There are two trees with twisted barks. Mohsin told me that when the Deity was angered he vented it out on the trees and they are twisted.


I don’t mind staying here and living a simple life. Change my profession to farming. Eat fresh produce from the farm, drink cow milk and live a healthy life. No wonder the villagers are much healthier than us, living in the cities.

As we were about to leave it was almost dusk and I managed to get some beautiful sunset photos. 

Jaora, Poor Vehicles

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

I hope these poor vehicles get a make over at Pimp My Ride. This team is known to do wonders to automobiles. 




Iftar Party with Michael Peters at Naya Nagar at Mira Road on 21/07/2014

Monday, July 21, 2014

Iftar Party with Michael Peters at Naya Nagar at Mira Road on 21/07/2014.

For a change this was more of a sweet dish and less of meat trip.

Halwa Puri followed by Malpua.

Which filled us up. Again the food was sweet.
Halwa Puri
Malpua

Iftar Party with Mohsin and Family on 20/07/2014

Iftar Party with Mohsin and family.

Dates, Chicken Tikka Stick, Beef Kheema with Pav,  Chicken Roll, Chicken Pattice, Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Crispy and Aloo and Kanda Bhajiya.

So many food items on one platter.

A special thanks to Mohsin's Mom for making Beef Kheema. Loved it a lot. Though I didn't eat much of it. Too many food items,  you see. Amazing food.

A special Thanks to Mohsin for having me over at his place.

Sardines Fry - The Experimental Cook

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Sardines bought from the fish market, fried in coconut oil till they are nice and crisp.

They look something like this

Jaora, Haveli in Jaora

I saw this massive Haveli in Jaora. 

By the look of it, didn't look like it was occupied.

This Haveli would have looked splendid in its glory days, but now see the state of it.

Good spot to shoot a horrow movie, what say?


Jaora, People photography in Jaora

Wednesday, July 16, 2014






















Iftar Party on 17 July 2014

 Chicken Tikka Stick, Chicken Pattice, Russian Chicken Roll, Chicken Spring Roll.
 I am loving it 


Jaora, The Horse Ride

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Mohsin had informed me that one of his cousins here has a horse and is one of the best horsemen.

I immediately informed him that I would not only love to sit in his horse cart but also ride it, if given a chance.


Finally Ahmed arrived with his horse cart. The cart and the horse looked vintage. As the horse moved along the roads the people looked as us.

We felt nice sitting in the horse cart while people around us zoomed in their cars but all eyes were on us. Gave me Celebrity like feeling that too on a horse cart.

Riding a horse cart is very difficult, though Ahmed drives it with ease. I tried my hands on it and found out how difficult it actually is.

Thanks Mohsin my Jinn for full filling my wish.

Jaora, Bheja Fry with Rumali Roti

Saturday, July 12, 2014

This perhaps the best Bheja Fry I had, till date. It was made of Bheja, deep fried in Beef gravy. Served hot with Rumali Roti.

For a change there was no egg in it. Though I have always had it with Egg. 

It was finger lickng good. I liked it so much that I had aa second serving of it.

Price is Rs. 20 for the below served across Hussain Tekri. 


Jaora, cylinders stacked near the road

Friday, July 11, 2014

Cylinders chained and held captive near one of the roads in Jaora.

No one was around to watch over them. 

Good time to make a quick steal, but you can't steal one, instead you have to take them all. Now that is going to be quiet a task.


Jaora, Water Tanker



A water tanker attached to a Tractor. The wheels of the tractor are beautifully painted to match the body of the tractor. Nice paintings on the water tanker also. 

Jaora, Dargah in the City of Jaora

Thursday, July 10, 2014

We took the services of a Tum Tum driven by Shah Rukh to explore the city. We came across this structure made of red stone with fortification around it.

One look at the structure and it gives, a eerry feeling.




It was old and unmaintained and so had creepers growing all around it. It had a huge wooden door which was locked. A small chor darwaza lets one inside it. The windows of it were beautifully carved. The architecture reminded me of the forts in Rajasthan.

There is a dargah in its premises.




We sat in its premises for a couple of minutes. I felt nice sitting here. The sound of the birds chirping, the sound of the leaves swaying in the wind was music to my ears. A few squirrel in the premises kept moving freely though we humans were next to it. They had no fear at all.

Shahrukh didn’t let me go to the top storey stating that the Jinns exist there. So I stayed put.



To which Mohsin corrected him that there are no Jinns, but as there is a heavy growth of trees there are snakes. Now I don’t know which of them is true, but I still stayed put.

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