Travel: Delhi-Bhubaneswar Run

I should call it just another crazy drive. Last month me and another friend just drove down to Bhubaneswar from Delhi in 32 hours flat. Yes, 32 hours and the major halt was for 2 hours around for a power nap somewhere before Jamshedpur probably. It was fun again with a very small peg of adventure. And to anyone's surprise, I did not take my camera out anywhere. Only managed to click a few (read 3-4) with cell-phone camera. Unlike the last Bhubaneswar-Delhi drive, this time we had the comfort of being inside a car :D

The Adventure Leg:

I did came via Kharagpur-Durgapur and did hit the GT road or NH 2 (now NHAI has termed it AH, Asian Highway) at Asansol. We were suppose to take the same route but decided to enter into Jharkhand from Dhanbad. It was the next rainy evening and our aim was still the same, to hit Bhubaneswar in one go. Being on a new route and rainy outside there hardly were any locals around. So GPS became our navigator and dumped us somewhere deep into the forest giving us a brilliant vibe of Naxalites around. The super tallented GPS navigation system was still insisting us on the existence of a Bridge to cross River Damodar. Somehow we managed to find the way to the bridge to find the Purulia-Dhanbad road. The rain was pretty gentle until it was dark but showed us its face afterwards, from 7pm till 11, it rained like anything. Superb road with strategically placed pot holes filled with water accompanied us till Jamshedpur. Almost around midnight by then as the adventure ended. So another experience :D

By dusk we did hit Odisha border at Jamshola and the roads were surprisingly well and within an hour we crossed Balasore and around 3-3.5 hours more till bhubaneswar. And all in an Alto :)

Route:

Delhi (Saket)-DND-Yamuna Expressway-Agra-Etawah-Kanpur-Allahabad bypass-Dhanbad-Purulia-Barabhum-Ghatshila-Baharagora-Jamsola-Balasore-Bhadrakh-Bhubaneswar

Travel: The Leaning Temple of Huma

Huma Temple, famously known as 'Huma Bakra Mandira (Leaning Temple of Huma)' is the abode of lord Shiva who is being worshiped here as 'Lord Vimaleshwara'. 23 kilometers away from Sambalpur city, the drive does show you a beautiful rustic view of typical Odia country side and farm lands.

The temple is not that big or that old. There are two contradictions regarding the construction period of the temple. According to some it was built in 17th century, where as some documents say it was built in last quarter of 19th century.

The most wonderful thing about the temple is, it is significantly leaned towards the North-East side. It is quite strange. And at the same time the other small small temple structures inside the campus are also tilted to different different sides. The inclination also has come controversy. Some researchers believe that the temple is leaned because of the movement of the foundation stone due to heavy floods and according to some, it was the idea of the designer or architect to protect the structure from the heavy current of flood water of Mahanadi as the temple is inclined opposite to the flow of water. Very interesting, is not it!

What NOT to miss!
- If you are visiting the place, do spend little time inside the campus and try to read the architecture and inclinations.
- Even the boundary walls are inclined.
- Do visit through the rear gate of the campus towards the rocky river bed. Sin on the concrete steps and soak your legs with chilled water of River Mahanadi. There are very interesting and big big red colored fishes with some mythological importance. So people do feed them with some special food available there.
- You can take a small boat ride also in Mahanadi.

Eat Fresh, Stay Healthy :)

Mumbai Graffiti: Why so Serious!

DREAMS

'You are never too old to set another Goal or to dream a new dream'.
-C.S. Lewis-

Sambalpur: My First Visit

My first ever visit to this part of Odisha as a visitor, though I did cross it numerous times but never stopped. But am I impressed! It is hard to say as I did spend a very little time but no doubt, there are many interesting places around. Will post a few sometime soon.

And any guess on the image you are seeing here!! Any coastal guy who has never visited the northern side of Odisha may get a shock. It is river 'Mahanadi' flowing over a rocky bed beside the hills creating a mesmerizing view. I can't imagine the beauty of the place in winter or just after the first rain, at the same time the scenario in Rain also do scare me. Nothing can be more destructive when this river flows in full swing after heavy rains in upper region.

Exotic Cars

Few more photographs I found recently from HDD which I never got to see once clicked. The study days were culprit of not publishing these beauties. And honestly, now I don't remember if the visit to the place was for architecture or exotic cars ;)

Who remembers this!!!

Yo Herbie...

Just now, while looking for an important photograph in an old HDD, I got to find a folder containing photographs from "London Motor Museum", which were never even seen/checked after being clicked... Should post loads of customized vehicles sometime soon ;)

Bonnville Pontiac 1958

Recently, while coming out from a guest-house lobby after a meeting, my eyes got glued to this and could not resist to request the client if I can spend some time with this brilliantly detailed scale model of Bonnville Pontiac... A quick run to grab the camera bag and some shots of the beauty :)












Bonnville Pontiac is quite popular as a collector's edition. This particular 2 door convertible is 18+ feet long and is among one the heaviest cars produced in that time. It was powered by a V8 6100cc and 300hp engine with 'Star Chief' body style.

Spread LOVE :)