Gudguda waterfall (Odisha)

Gudguda waterfall (Odisha)

This is one of the small but beautiful waterfalls of Sambalpur district, Odisha. It is a Cascade waterfall meaning two waterfalls back to back. Waterfall sprinkles out from the Gudguda mountain, however streams doesn't turns into any river.

It is one of the perfect family picnic spot, approachable from any part of Odisha. After October, when Monsoon recedes, limited waterflow allows visitors to enjoy cold water streams. A small stream flows through the forest and in later parts support vegetation and farming in near by villages. Fruits like Mango, Litchi, Oranges are grown around the place.

Waterfall lies on the brink of Bamra-Gangpur forest full of densely grown trees reaching about 75 feet. Surrounding jungle is a serene and ecologically diverse making it a spot for photographing most of wild species occurring in Odisha. when I visited in October, the place was full of butterflies and dragonflies. Major insect predators were the frogs in large number.

How to reach:

From Rourkela, there are two routes to approach Gudguda waterfall. Although the time taken to travel remains same, conditions (road, landscape, accessibility etc) are totally different. On both roads, road signs / milestones are totally missing. The few present are in Odiya.

1. Rourkela - Bargaon - Bamra - Kuchunda - Kusumi - GudGuda

This road is absolutely superb to drive. Outof 167 Km drive, first 72 Km falls on state highway 10 , which will soon become a four lane highway connecting Rourkela- Jharsuguda-Sambalpur, from Rourkela to Bargaon. In some patches work is going on either to widen or make bridges. The work is expected to complete by May 2016. Food can be founf at all the major places mentioned.

2. Rourkela - Gurundia - Kusumi Gudguda

This is a shorter (107 Km), however more scenic compared to route 1. Most of the road passes through 'Bamra-Gangpur forest range'. Patch between Gurundia to Kusumi is too bad for car. However, road can be enjoyed a lot on bike specially during rainy season. Food may be available only at Gurundia, so always carry some packed food.

Precautions:

1. Drinking alcohol is prohibited, but as usual, some tourists tend to enjoy it near the streams.
2. Do not cross the safety wires put around the waterfall.
3. Unless you are a good swimmer, swimming in deep water is not advisable. Many incidents of mishaps are reported from the place.
4. If you are cooking, take care not to be a reason to destroy the place with fire.

Facilities:

• No fees for the visit
• It's primarily developed as picnic location. Cooking food is allowed. Special concrete platforms are constructed for the same.
• Changing rooms are available with the care-taker.
• Place is approachable with any kind of vehicle. Lot of parking space is available. 

Best time to visit

October to February

Approaching road to the parking area at Gudguda

List of Butterflies spotted 

• Common Mormon
• Blue Mormon
• Baronet
• Chocolate Pansy
• Grey Pansy
• Peacock Pansy
• Leopard
• Common Grass Yellow
• Lime
• Common Emigrant
• Common Nawab
• Common Lineblue
• Common Hedgeblue
• Common Crow
• Glassy tiger
• Common Lascar
• Common Evening Brown
• Orange Oakleaf
• Golden Angle
• Great Egg fly
• Grass Dart
• Water snow flat
• Oakblue species
• Sailor species
• Silverline species

Prof Bala and his family enjoying a dip at the waterfall

Small water streams and dense jungles make it perfect combination for photography

Why should I write a blog? : Intellectual development

Why should I write a blog? : Intellectual development 

To me, self development is the first and foremost reason of blog writing. A good blog writer knowingly or unknowingly follows a development circle : Acquisition, processing, expression and improvisation. Before me explaining these four steps, lets us stop a bit to revise the definitions of knowledge, learning and wisdom from Wikipedia  These terms are defined as 

Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something, which can include facts, information, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. it can be more or less formal or systematic.

 Learning is acquiring new, or modifying existing, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information.


Wisdom is the judicious theory and application of knowledge. It is a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgments and actions in keeping with this understanding.

Thus learning is a process that transforms knowledge into wisdom, and the tool for the intellectual development.  Development cycle is continuous process to be purified with many different tools like writing, discussing / debating.  To gain wisdom one must acquire knowledge learning by acquisition of information, processing it, expressing information in right form, improvisation based on outcome of expression. 

Information can be acquired by reading, observation , documentation. Sources of reading includes books, periodicals, website. The time when we don't do anything formally is the time for observation.  Documentation is preparing the notes of observations made (textual or graphical), multimedia recordings (analog / digital).  

During processing, information gathered over period of time must be inter-connected, duly organised to develop the subject under consideration. Experimenting is also a part of processing, where the theory developed is out to test and conclusions are drawn in turns adding to the information. Expression is the step where blog writing comes into picture. Writing a post helps to put formally the organised thoughts. 

प्रणयगंध

प्रणयगंध

होती साथ द्याया
फुले रातराणीची
आज आस आहे
तुझ्या धुंद मिठीची. 


प्रणयगंध उधळीत तु
येशील जेव्हा कवेत
दिशा मार्गस्थ होतील
शितल  गंधा समेत.

ओठातले गुज तुझ्या
ऐकतील माझे ओठ
हातात हात द्याया
असतील माझे हात.

बेधुंद होऊन जा,
होऊन जा निःशब्द
सोडुन दे ते जग
आज मिलनात जग.

A New beginning...

A New beginning...

A cycle-rickshaw owner starting his day

Kansbahal Dam

Kansbahal Dam

Kansbahal is a modern industrial town situated in the state of Odish India. Kansbahal abounds in naturally beautiful and man made places, among others, Mandira Dam,towards the northwest, Water Point, towards the north, Pitamahal Dam, towards the southeast and Kansbahal Dam, towards the south that are very suitable for the picnic spots. Two rivers run by Kansbahal - Ghoghar river and Sankh river, with the Ghoghar river finally merging into the Sankh river.

It is one the picnic spot locals enjoy alot. Once can prepare food here and enjoy eating it amidst the cool greenery. Sunset and sunrise timing are perfect for some landscape photography. Birds and macrolife (insects likes butterflies) are in abundance to photograph.

How to Reach Kansbahal Dam:

It lies on the State Highway #SH10 between the cities of Rourkela and Rajgangpur, about 25 km from Rourkela. Road till the dam in motor-able.

 

Best Time to Visit: 

November- February

Innocence

Innocence 

सखी

सखी

खूप काही दिलस,
एक मैत्रीण, एक सखी,
एक सुंदर सोबतीण म्हणून !

म्हणूनच,
आज शेवटचं मागायला आलोय.
पण फक्त आपल्या मैत्रीखातर
कधीही तोडू नको हे नातं
असेल पडलो कमी मी कुठेतरी
पण केलीय तेवढीच प्रिती तुझ्यावरती

तुझ्यारुपी एक गोंडस फुल
उराशी बाळगलं
आयुष्याच्या अवघड वाटेवर
तुला सांभाळल

पण हा भार नव्हे
या पाठी समर्पण आहे
म्हणूनच जिवनभर
हेच करण्याची इच्छा आहे.

तू मला नेहमीच हवीयस
हृदयाच्या सर्वात जवळ
एक सखी एक मैत्रीण
एक सुंदर सोबतीण म्हणुन.

स्वप्न

स्वप्न 

Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/

आज हळुच सखे 

येशील स्वप्नात का तु ?

गोड गुलाबी गाली 

सखे, थोडी हसशील का तु ?

नुसतेच स्वप्न नसावे 

स्वप्नात सत्य भासावे 

वेडा पिसा मजला पाहुन 

धुंदीच्या कुशीत तू शिरून 

सखे, थोडी लाजशील का तू ?

निःशब्द नको,

स्वप्न बोलके असुदे 

निल चक्षुंचे 

मला अमृत पिउदे 

सखी, थोडी बोलशील का तु ?

 

Review of dalma Restaurant in rourkela odisha

Review of Dalma Restaurant in Rourkela Odisha

When in the Rome do what Romans do. Likewise if you are travelling in India you might get baffled what to do first, when choices are many. One thing definitely is to eat local food. However, availability of so many dishes to choose from, decision making is little difficult. Then there are endless classifications such as Veg or non-veg, spicy or sweet, main course or snacks, one course or many, beverages or solid food, hygienic or street food? To every question there is only one solution: finding a good restaurant, which serves authentic local food.

I must say, I was lucky to visit one in Rourkela, the restaurant which serves local Odishi food. Lucky because nobody prescribed it and I never read about. After handing over car for maintenance to dealer, I thought to have lunch in nearby hotel. Restaurant Dalma was the nearest and the look drove me inside.

Food choice:

• Here several typical Odia dishes are available. To quote a few veg dishes :Dalma,Dahi Baingan
• Both veg and non veg food is served
• Staff and service up to the mark
• Economical compared to the facilities, service and variety offered

Facilities:

• AC restaurant
• Ample car parking
• All cards are accepted. If phone line is down, which is quite probable, carrying cash is wise option.
• Clean washrooms

Suggestions for improvement:

• Quality of utensils and cutlery can be replaced with better ones
• Quantity of food could be more, compensating in price obviously 

‘Kanchi Abhijana’ - Odissi dance by Manoranjan Pradhan

‘Kanchi Abhijana’ by Guru Manoranjan Pradhan and Troupe

National Institute of Technology, Rourkela is celebrating 53rd Institute Foundation Day on 15th August 2014. To commemorate this day, various programs have been organized bythe Literary and Cultural Society of SAC. Major among them was a SPIC MACAY event, ‘Kanchi abhijana’ by Guru Manoranjan Pradhan and Troupe from Utkal University of Culture.

Director of Dances: Guru Manoranjan Pradhan and Minati Pradhan

Artist: Manoranjan Pradhan, Minati Pradhan, Sachikanat Pradhan,

Other photo series of "Kanchi-Abhijana" published:

• Set of Black and White photos
• ‘Kanchi Abhijana’ - Series of Dance Mudras by Manoranjan and Minati Pradhan

Profile of Manoranjan Pradhan [1]

Guru Manoranjan Pradhan was trained at the Orissa Dance Academy in India under Guru Gangadhar Pradhan and completed his Master's degree in Odissi dance at Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Utkal University. He underwent rigorous training with the doyen of Odissi dance Padma Bibhushan Kelucharan Mohapatra. He has performed on the stage & TV in India and abroad. A major time of his career has been spent dancing and teaching in Canada, Mexico and the United States

He has served as a guest lecturer in Odissi dance at the Standford University and shares his experience through extensive teaching at Odissi Dance Academy and Odissi Research Centre in Bhubaneswar. He toured the USA with Ralph Lemon's "Tree", second in series of the Geography Trilogy, with a company of dancers and musicians from all over the World. He also performed in Germany, Italy, Croatia and England.

Manoranjan Pradhan is married to dancer Minati Dasgupta (Now Minati Pradhan).

Few words about SPIC MACAY:

Thanks to Spic-Macay to let me have many wonderful experiences to listen live to some of great Indian performers. At IIT Bombay, I got an opportunity to listen to Pt. Runu Muzumdar, Pt. Arti Ankalikar-Tikekar, Pt Vishvamohan Bhatt, and Pt Vijay Ghate. Now experiencing simlar at NIT Rourkela. Looking forward to cover many more such events !

SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth) is a voluntary movement founded in 1977 by Dr Kiran Seth, a Professor at IIT-Delhi who was awarded the ‘Padma Shri’ for his contribution to the arts in 2009 [2]. 

Intention is to enrich the quality of formal education by increasing awareness about different aspects of Indian heritage and inspiring the young mind. It seeks to inspire youth through experiencing the rich and heterogeneous cultural tapestry of Indian and World Heritage, with a hope that the beauty, grace, values and wisdom embodied in these arts will influence their way of life and thinking and inspire one to become a better human being. For this, the most accomplished artistes of the country render programs of Indian classical music and dance, folk, poetry, theater, traditional paintings, crafts & yog  [2].

Felicitation of the performers by Prof. Sunil Kumar Sarangi (Director, NIT Rourkela)

Experiences while shooting:

Photographing Odissi performance is a great opportunity to practice different aspects of photography. Almost every time I did, I have enjoyed. However, this time shooting at Behera Auditorium experience was a sad episode. Light operator seemed to be too innocent and operated the lights like a switch-loving child, a child who switches on and off at its will. To add to it, lights were LED based and were located at a lower height. LED lights with violet and red color are difficult to focus in. Avoiding a direct light appearing in photograph was a task in itself.

This experience taught me following lessons:

1. A lens more than 200 mm focal length is a must in kit. Longer focal length will help in choosing a good background, specially when some banner is displayed on stage.  I used 105 mm macro lens.

2. Underexposed but sharp photos are better than no or blurred photos at all. As I shoot in RAW, I can fix some of them later.

Reference:

[1] http://odissi.blogspot.in/2007/09/manoranjan-pradhan.html
[2] http://spicmacay.com/