The next time you see a snake, dial the rescue brigade

HISS AND TELL

The next time you see a snake, dial the rescue brigade

    Atiny guest is jumping on Abhijeet Awsarmol’s cot. “Should I get the worm?” he threatens her. “No,” the three-year-old girl screams, flops down and apologises. She knows what “the worm” means. Everyone at the lush green Post and Telegraph colony in Andheri, does. It is 19-year-old Awsarmol’s name for those dark creatures that often startle residents in their shower, under their pillow or even atop their television sets. Displaced by rainwater, snakes often emerge from their boroughs and enter the flats here. They haven’t been to Aswarmol’s though. “They probably know,” jokes the frail teenager who, having caught 111 snakes so far, now bears the aura of a local saviour.
    “We can only rest knowing he is around,” says Jyoti Khaire, a neighbour, about the boy who has been rescuing snakes here for two years now. It started off as a hobby for the commerce student, who caught his first snake at 16, but soon, became an incurable habit. As soon as he gets a call, Awsarmol only asks for the size and rushes with a wooden stick. “I try to hold the snake by its neck when its mouth is closed,” says Awsarmol, who then puts them in plastic jars and releases them at Aarey Milk colony or the Sanjay Gandhi national park. Many of these are venomous reptiles such as cobra and russell’s viper
that along with the non-poisonous common kraits and rat snakes, have slithered into his Facebook profile. “Snake catching is a necessity,” says the animal lover, who does not charge for the service.
    It is this need for conservation that draws hundreds of nature lovers across Mumbai and Thane toward the risky job, for which there is no formal training in India. “We learn by watching,” says 35-yearold Parthiv Sanghavi, who is part of an informal group called Reptile Rescue and Study Centre (RRSC). It gets close to a 1,000 calls per year mostly from Gorai and Borivali though of late, some have also been spotted at Worli Sea Link. The usual suspects include cobras, russell's viper, krait and rat snakes. Pythons are rare. “We first ask the caller if the snake is visible. Then, we inquire about the colour, length and pattern,” says Sanghavi. Accrodingly, they plan their strategy. Many use sticks, tongs or snake hooks, but others like Raju Lade, an estate agent, simply picks up the snake with his bare hands.
    Monsoon is the busiest season for catchers but it is not uncommon to find snakes in bathrooms during summer or inside warm car engines during winter. Extracting them from spaces such as lift chambers, air-conditioners or electric meter cabins, can be tricky. “Since these involve dealing with hightension wires, we have had to call up Reliance to request them to cut off power supply,” says 35-year-old HR professional Kaivalya Verma. Releasing, they say, is the most important part. “To avoid dumping, we try to find newer and safer pockets,” says Verma. At times, during the gap between rescue and release, catchers have kept the snake at home, inviting family member's ultimatums such as: “Either the snake stays or you stay.”
    In the course of dealing with the angry cobra or the temperamental russel's viper “whose piercing
whistle sounds like a pressure cooker,” says Lade, they learn more about people. “In the slums of Chembur, we are offered cold drinks while in the bungalows of Malabar Hill, even a glass of water is rare,” says Verma. Many a times, people refuse to pay even conveyance. Once, a bored housewife from Andheri, called RRSC, saying there’s a snake in her godown. After two hours of rearranging scraps in vain, catchers realised “she just wanted to get her godown cleaned.” They’ve also met women who ask for snake skin and drug addicts who demand venom.
    Routinely, snake catchers, who have seen people breaking coconuts in front of the serpents, have to clear the venom of superstition. No, snakes do not drink milk or dance to the tunes of pregnant flutes (they are deaf). “They also can't seek revenge or they would've found me,” says Awsarmol.
    Most rescuers are against “showmanship” but they wish for more support. “I don’t want a certificate,” says Awsarmol. “Give me a pair of tongs,” he says, referring to the Rs 4,000-worth instrument. It can help him get the worm.

OPERATION COBRA: Abhijeet Awsarmol (left) has caught over a hundred snakes

airlines have to show no. of seats sold at various price bands

Soon, airlines have to show no. of seats sold at various price bands

New Delhi: Declaring “shock and awe” low fares alone will not suffice for airlines. They may soon have to disclose how many seats they have sold at various price levels, including jaw-dropping low ones.
    The aviation ministry is set to form an economic cell that will collect this information from airlines and make it public. “If an airline says it will sell tickets for Rs 2,000 or Rs 3,000, people should know how many tickets it actually sold at that price. The new cell will be activated in two weeks and will get all this data from airlines. We will make public how many seats were sold at various price levels,” aviation minister Ajit Singh told TOI. The move comes just ahead of the launch of the Indian arm of AirAsia. ‘Airline responsible if you miss its connecting flight’ 

 
Couple To Be Paid 75,000, Rules Consumer Commission
Mumbai: In a relief to fliers, the national consumer commission has held that it is the airline’s responsibility to schedule your itinerary in such a way that you don’t miss connecting flights on the same airline. The national commission directed Jet Airways to pay Rs 75,000 and refund the tickets’ cost to a senior citizen couple who missed their connecting flight from Mumbai to Hong Kong in 2010. The couple had flown on the airline’s flight from Jaipur to Mumbai.
    “If Jet Airways schedules a flight to land at one airport at a particular time and another connecting flight to take off at a particular time, it must provide for time required in all functions, including security, immigration and air traffic management, which are necessarily concerned with or mandated for such landing and departure. The travelling public is in no way responsible for delay caused by any of them,” stated the National Consumer Disputes Commission.
    In January 2010, Vandana Jain (58) and Subhash Bhatnagar (64) were to arrive at Mumbai at 10.20pm after which they were to board another flight on the same airline at 1.50am. However, the flight from Jaipur was delayed and it reached Mumbai at 11.40pm. They were assured by the airline that the connecting flight would be available and they would get all assistance at Mumbai airport from their staff. The couple was issued boarding passes for the Hong Kong flight at Jaipur itself. They alleged that on reaching Mumbai, no assistance was provided to them and the shuttle for the international airport was delayed by 30-45 minutes. The couple said that due to long queues at immigration and security checks, they missed the flight to Hong Kong.
    The airline staff then got the immigration stamp and security check stamp cancelled and refused to board them on the next flight. They had to buy fresh tickets on another airline at 5.30am.
    They filed a complaint in the state commission, which passed an order in their favour in January 2013. Aggrieved, the airline filed an appeal in the national commission.
    The commission refuted the airline’s contention that two other passengers were successfully boarded and the couple were to blame for missing their flight. The commission further denied the argument that the delay in arrival of the Mumbai-bound flight due to air traffic congestion at Mumbai airport resulted in delay in landing of the flight.

Kashmir, opium-laced wine and his wife, Nur Jehan were the three passionate loves of the Mughal emperor, Jehangir.

The Mughal connection with Kashmir began in 1586 when Jehangir’s father, Akbar, stomped into the vale, leading an army that included a regiment of 1,500 scimitar-tusked armoured elephants. With Kashmir within the empire, Jehangir reaped the fruit of his father’s blood, sweat and toil. Often his entourage would leisurely stroll into Kashmir, the elephants now shambling along in mufti, for his annual summer vacation. This would probably be a month-long migration, given that the distance from Agra to Srinagar was 1,500km.

Road to yesterday
Today, the road most travellers take to Srinagar goes via Jammu and the Banihal tunnel or the NH1A, but during the Mughal era, this road didn’t exist. The path to Kashmir went from Delhi to Lahore and then to a place called Gujrat (now in Pakistan). From there it went to Bhimbar (today, just within the border of India) and then started zigzagging up the Pir Panjal range to crest it at 11,450 feet at a beautiful place called the Pir ki Gali, before descending into the valley of Kashmir at the idyllic town of Shopian.

My friends and I didn’t have a month, or a week. But what we did have was the Audi Q7 for a four-day drive from Delhi, and we decided to give the old imperial road a shot.

We drove from Delhi to Jammu in an overnighter, and Google Maps on our smartphones directed us from Jammu to Akhnoor. A stern shepherd directed us towards Sunderbani and Naushera, after which we met the old Mughal road at a historically significant place called Chingus.

A nondescript village today, Chingus’s connection to history lies hidden in the forests bordering the road. Almost swallowed by the forest is the Chingus Sarai, one of the many medieval rest houses built on this road for travellers to rest and water their beasts.
On Monday, November 8, 1627, Jehangir died here en route to Delhi. Knowing that the Mughal throne in Delhi would be up for grabs should the word get out, Nur Jehan embargoed the news of his death and had his innards (chingus in Persian) buried at the sarai. Jehangir was then embalmed and placed upon his elephant to ride into Delhi, creating the illusion that he was still alive. Standing at the desolate Chingus Sarai, I caught an eerie whiff of putrefaction still tainting the air – but then realised that it was my imagination going haywire.

Jehangir, on the other hand, didn’t like taxing his imagination too much, which is why he had a mirror set up at the Noori Chamb (a waterfall) along this route. Nur Jehan used to frolic under the glacial water, and, according to local legend, Jehangir would often use the mirror to keep a lusty eye on her while bubbling away at his hookah. From peak to peak
We continued to drive this road, trying to imagine how it would have been 400 years ago when elephants slowly made their way from Chingus to Rajouri and then down the twists and turns to Bafliaz on the banks of the Poonch River.

Another seemingly ordinary village, Bafliaz has a link with hallowed antiquity going all the way back to 326BC. It is believed that it is here that Alexander’s beloved Bucephalus – the tempestuous horse that he trained as a youth – finally breathed his last after Alexander’s defeat at the hands of Porus in the battle of Hydaspes.

Fortunately for us, the 200 horses within our car’s crankcase were frisky and well, and we zipped up the recently reconstructed wide and smooth road up to the Pir ki Gali. The uninterrupted views of the snow-capped Pir Panjal range, the absence of heavy traffic and the presence of well-preserved serais make this road to Srinagar worth the extra time. Pir ki Gali is almost always peppered with snow, except during the height of summer in July.

Zig zag: up the Pir Panjal range to crest at the Pir ki Gali

It was even prettier descending from the pass into the vale of Kashmir. The famed Chinar trees soon appeared on the outskirts of the rustic village of Shopian, from where we drove the final 50km to Srinagar via Pulwama and Kanipora to get into the capital just as dusk was coming on. It had taken us 21 hours from Delhi.

Hidden wonders
All of us had already explored Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg – the touristy Kashmir quartet. So we decided to head
somewhere new instead. When we’d stopped at Shopian for tea and sweet Kashmiri bread at the local bakery, the baker told us, “Go to the hidden valley of Gurez”.

So the next morning, once again aided by Google Maps, we headed out towards Bandipora, 55km to the north of Srinagar. When we stopped at a little village en route, some of the locals insisted we have breakfast with them. This consisted of piping hot and salty sheer chai and hot and chewy bakarkhani bread. It was heavenly!

All the good people: Don’t be surprised if you get invited to share sheer chai and bakarkhani

This was the first of many such impromptu invitations to meals and tea we would receive in the days ahead. The local bakery also handed out a fresh batch of coconut macaroons which were so tasty that we promptly bought a kilo.

This looks familiar
Once we’d registered ourselves at the Bandipora police station and obtained permits for Gurez, we headed off towards the 11,672-foot-high Razdan Pass. Gurez is 80km from Bandipora over this pass and most of this is a mud track with some very rough sections. This region of Kashmir has only recently opened its doors to tourism, so there is still a large army presence, and every few kilometres we had to stop and register ourselves.

Some surprised army personnel from Ahmednagar were so amazed to see our Maharashtra-registered car that they unleashed a barrage of banter in Marathi and insisted that we have tea and snacks with them.

On the move: A nomad family near Chingus

When we drove into Dawar, the very pretty administrative centre of Gurez, it was like arriving at a trading post on an ancient caravan route. The light blue Kishanganga river flows calmly past the town in contrast to the bustle of the main market. We drove into the spanking new Tourist Guest House tooting our horn, and the caretaker – rudely awakened from his mid-day nap – arrived full of apologies, stunned that tourists had arrived so deep into the off season.

That evening, the talented and toothy cook of the local Noorani restaurant showed off his prowess by preparing a truly lip-smacking Kashmiri meal.

Four and many more
Since we were on a blitzkrieg trip, we had only the next morning to explore the Valley. We drove past little villages with ancient wooden houses inhabited by weather-beaten elders, rosy-cheeked children and very pretty women.

At the last village, Purana Tilel, everyone was busy preparing a wedding feast. The headman insisted that we stay back for the nikaah and the wazwaan feast, a labour intensive meal in which the meats are pounded hour hours by hand. Regrettably we had to be back in Srinagar that evening.

This was my fourth trip to Kashmir and I had been hesitant to go, thinking I had seen all that the state had to offer. Now I am glad to admit how mistaken I was. TRAVEL INFO

Make a pit stop at the Aliabad Sarai just like Emperor Jehangir would have done

* The Mughal Road is truly a fantastic drive. Take time out to explore the Chingus Sarai, Pir ki Gali and Aliabad Sarai.
Accommodation options in Srinagar range from the upmarket Vivanta by Taj Dal View, Srinagar and The Lalit Grand Palace to more modest options. Also check out houseboats on Dal Lake. The Tourist Reception Centre in Srinagar is at: 0194 2452691.
* To go to the Gurez Valley, you will need to obtain a permit from the Tourist Reception Centre in Lal Chowk, Srinagar, or from the Bandipora police station. This permit has to be stamped again by the police in Gurez.

TRAVEL TIPS
* Army personnel along the route at checkposts will take down names, ID card numbers (passport, voter’s ID card or driving licence) and may ask a few questions. Some might invite you for tea – consider that these men live and serve in harsh conditions and a few minutes of banter will go a long way in breaking the monotony for them.
* Carry all your car papers (in original as well as photocopies).
* When asked to follow a convoy, do so without question.
* Always ask for permission before taking pictures of seniors or women.

Safety on Mumbai-Pune Expressway gets a boost

Safety on Mumbai-Pune Expressway gets a boost

The budget of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) indicates that groundwork for augmenting Mumbai-Pune Expressway’s capacity will not happen this year. But, installation of safety and security systems will not wait for next year. According to the capital expenditure prepared by the corporation for the 2013-14 fiscal, only Rs1 crore has been marked for augmentation proposal. The plan includes widening the Expressway and Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, segregate both highways, extend the expressway towards Pune, construction of two tunnels (one below Bhushi Dam) and building 15-20 flyovers.But, the frequency of accidents is a cause for concern, thus installation of surveillance and safety systems will begin this year. “A sum of Rs40 crore has been kept aside for surveillance project on the expressway,” said an official from MSRDC. Another Rs16.35 crore will be used to install Brifen Rope Wires on the median of the entire 95-km stretch of the road connecting the two cities. On Sunday, two vehicles collided near Kamshet, killing two people and injuring three.Motorists will not have any new roads for at least a year. There are plans to have a theme park and Formula 1 track adjoining the expressway, but it is in the nascent stage. A sum of Rs15 lakh has been allocated for the theme park and and Rs5 crore for developing the racing track. A cricket stadium has already come up at the Pune-end of the road.

Safari in jungle

Safari in jungle

Cheapest Countries to Travel

World's Cheapest Countries to Travel

Bangalore: when we think of traveling abroad, the very first thing which we bear in mind is the expenses as such kind of traveling burn our pocket. But, if we take out some time from our busy routine and check for places which offers traveling at low cost then we may find some good place in real bargain. Below listed are some cheapest countries to travel, as listed by Yahoo.

1) Thailand

Magnificent beaches, wildlife, historical places, cultural sites and all-night beach parties make Thailand one of the most attractive places among travelers. Some of the most attractive destinations in Thailand are Luang Prabang, Halong Bay, Pattaya- the resort town, Bangkok and so on. Thailand stood at second for "Best-value destinations for 2010", according to Lonely Planet.

Tourists mainly visit Thailand to take a glimpse of Bangkok, often known as the "city of angels" is the capital city of Thailand. Other reasons to visit this beautiful place are for its glorious beaches and islands.

2) Malaysia

Gorgeous beaches, exotic tropical islands, tropical rainforests, scuba diving, snorkeling and mouth watery street food describes Malaysia at its best. In Malaysia, places like Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Sipadan, and Kuching are best to try range of entertaining activities.

Besides, the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur has emerged as one of the most popular tourist destination in the world. The city is famous for the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest tower in the world. Kuala Lumpur offers attractive options to stay and eat at low costs. Adding to it, the place is well known for retail and fashion hub.
3) Argentina

The football crazy nation, Argentina is one of the most sought after destination among travelers due to its budget friendly nature coupled with supreme culture. Buenos Aires, San Carlos de Bariloche, Puerto Iguazu, Mendoza and El Calafate, to name a few, are the popular destinations to visit in Argentina.

Besides, the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires is the center of healthy tourism, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. Also, Buenos Aires often called as the "Paris of South America" is the most visited city in South America. The attraction of this place are graceful architecture, exquisite cuisine, fun filled nightlife and trendy shopping. However, traveling to Argentina may not be inexpensive but compared to other countries it is worth visiting.
4) Brazil

Amazon rainforest, exotic beaches, Atlantic forest, waterfalls, elegant architecture, samba and football, is the best way to portray Brazil. Some of the attractive places to visit in Brazil are Rio de Janeiro, Florianopolis, Sao Paulo, Buzios and Bonito are among others. However, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are the prime destinations which tourists visit the most for leisure trips.
5) Costa Rica

Dazzling coral reefs, magnificent islands, tropical beaches and volcanoes are the beauty of Costa Rica. There are adventurous activities to try in Costa Rica, such as scuba diving, surfing, horse riding, bungee jumping, sport fishing and hikes to mangroves. Interestingly, most of the beaches have warm water all over the year. Hence, you can visit and enjoy the beauty of this place in any season. Also, Costa Rica is one of the popular nature travel destinations from the late 1980s.
6) Indonesia

Indonesia is also on the list of cheapest destination and it is a tourist's heaven. Indonesia is one of the most sought after destination among travelers. There are many attractive places to visit in Indonesia including Jakarta-the capital city, beach resorts of Bali, beautiful islands of Java and so on. It is one of the best places to spot flora and fauna and is a delightful place for nature lovers.

Besides, Bali is an important island in Indonesia and is often known as "Island of the Gods" or "Island of a Thousand Puras." Pristine beaches, rugged coastlines, impressive volcanoes, picturesque hills and mountains make Bali a paradise on earth. In the year 2010, Travel and Leisure awarded the 'Best Island award' to Bali due to its gorgeous landscape, diverse tourist attractions, excellent food and the friendly behavior of the local people.

7) Morocco

The country Morocco is situated in North Africa. Most of the tourists visit Morocco because of its location, attractions and low price. The inexpensive nature of Morocco is mainly due to the depreciation of the dirham. Some of the exotic locations to visit in Morocco are Marrakech, Tangier and Fes. Also, you can experience the beauty of Sahara, gorgeous beaches and trek to the Atlas Mountains. And, if you are a shopaholic, Morocco is the best place to visit.

8) Portugal

Since Portugal is one of the cheapest euro-zone countries, it is one of the best places to travel. This country offers beautiful diversity of landscape coupled with green mountains in the North, outstanding slopes and falls, amazing beaches and many more.

Some of the hottest destinations in Portugal are Lisbon, Algarve and Madeira. But, the government of Portugal is promoting some other destinations as well to develop the tourism and such destinations are Douro Valley, the island of Porto Santo and Alentejo.

Most Romantic Private Island Getaways 

 

Bangalore: Imagine waking up in the morning to the gentle sound of lapping waves at the beach front! Yes, these privately owned luxury islands are the idyllic places where you can treat your eyes with picturesque scenic beauty and soak in the purity of nature. Below is the list of 10 most beautiful Private Islands in the world.

1) Mustique
Location: West Indies

Mustique is a small private island in West Indies, which is a part of a group of islands called the Grenadines. The island which is owned by Mustique Company has an approximate of 100 private villas and has been a source of attraction to many celebrities such as Amy Winehouse Jeremy Clarkson, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

2) Necker Island
Location: British Virgin Islands

No list of private islands is complete without including British Virgin Islands' Necker Island owned by Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of Virgin Group. In the year 1978 Branson bought United Kingdom's Necker Island that spans over 74 acre of outstanding landscape. Although this is his private island, there is also a small private resort. This private island is an ideal place for relax and rejuvenate as the island is surrounded by coral reefs and scenic beaches. Spending one night at this resort will cost you a cool amount of around $50,000.

But this Island caught media attention after the resort on the island caught fire caused by lightning. At the point there were 20 high profile guests staying at the resort including Branson's 90 year old mother who was rescued from the flames by the famous Hollywood actress Kate Winslet.
3) Musha Cay
Location: Bahamas

Musha Cay is a privately owned island in Exuma Chain, in the southern Bahamas which is located 85 miles southeast of Nassau. This amazing island which is located amidst three smaller islands is owned by David Copperfield, a famous magician. Spread over 150 acres of beautiful landscape. Copperfield has converted Musha Cay into an exclusive getaway with staff strength of 30. This island has included 12 bedroom resorts which are given to one person at a time and it ensures a soothing atmosphere coupled with complete privacy to the visitors. The architect behind this marvelous island is Howard Holtzman. Staying at this island you can call celebrities like Nicolas Cage and Eddie Murphy your neighbors who stay in islands close by.
4) Palm Jumeirah
Location: Dubai

Built for a tremendous expenditure of $12 Billion this palm shaped group of islands is one of the most beautiful artificial structures in the world. The Island built on 94 Million cubic meters of sand and 7 million tons of rock has an internal mono rail and an eight lane highway. The most amazing parts of the structure are, the two jet shaped reefs towards the coast which are built upon actual fighter jets sunk into the bay. The island also has 28 dolphins in its dolphin bay to attract guests.

5) Amwaj Islands
Location: Bahrain

Completed in 2006 for a sum of $1.5 Billion, the Amwaj Islands in Bahrain is an exclusive retreat for the rich. Being the only place in the whole kingdom where foreigners can own a property the Islands see a lot of visitors every time of the year. The greatest features of the islands are water boat housing and boat docking.
6) Harbor Island
Location: Seattle

Harbor Islands in Seattle is one of the largest artificial islands in the world. Built in 1909 the island is built over a base of 24 million cubic yards of earth dredged from the Duwamish River. Stretching over 395 Acres of land, the island mostly consists of industries, ports, train stations and some sports stadiums.






7) Floating Island
Location: Mexico

The small island built in the eastern coast of Mexico on top of heaps of plastic bottles and boxes is designed by British Artist Richard Sowa. Richard says, "Floating islands can be all over the globe, on rivers, lakes and in protected oceans. They can provide sustainable habitats for plants, animals and humans, and can even be made on dry ground in potential flood areas such as Bangladesh."
8) Matangi
Location: Fiji

Matangi is one of the most exotic islands located in the northern Fiji Islands. This beautiful horseshoe-shaped island has a resort named Matangi Island Resort, which is the only tree house resort in Fiji that is nestled in the jungle. Matangi Private Island Resort includes around 12 luxury villas along with seaside spa. Pristine white sand beaches surrounded with a lagoon of pure aquamarine makes Matangi an ideal place to spend your holiday. This outstanding tree house resort offer thrill and adventure at its best, which can make your romance ablaze. Matangi Island Resort is a privately owned resort in Fiji that offers unique experiences of nature, blend with water-based activities. Moreover, the major highlight of this scenic island is the Horseshoe Bay.

Jobs in Kesari Travels

Jobs in Kesari Travels