A(l)titude rocks!!

I often say that i live in a bowl..Before anyone gets any cutlery ideas let me clarify that iam speaking of a geographical bowl..A lovely city called Pune situated on the leeward side of the great Western Ghats...surrounded on all sides by hills, which are the lifeline of the city..and one of my favorite places on this whole earth(of all that i have seen that is*chuckle*)!

My tryst with the these "tekdis", as they are so fondly called here, started way back when i was 10-11 years old...My mami used to take me and my cousin brother on half day long sojourns to the Law college tekdi, packed with sandwiches, water, binoculars etc...the works...lovely 15-20 km walk all along the plateau on top...climbing from one part of the city and getting down from another part way away..Also, we used to regularly visit the Hanuman tekdi(behind Ferguson College)..every evening in our summer holidays we used to to go up there...climb that Pagoda behind Symbiosis and get down from the same side and walk back home...

After losing touch with these hilly landmarks for a few years during 10 std and junior college, i started revisiting the Law college tekdi in the first year of engineering...it was my getaway..from the various laws that were crowding in my brain...Boyle, Faraday,Joule and the works...And it became a ritual!!..For the four years that i went through my engineering, the tekdi was my getaway!..during regular college, during PLs, even during exams...

The path well trodden. August 2005

The tekdi has also been a source of great friendships for me..I have met and made good friends with SO many people there...During engineering, we had a HUGE group up there of about 12-15 individuals, mostly from engineering(Mech at that), different age groups etc and we would discuss everything..right from sports(cricket ruling ofcourse), academics,movies etc...all this along with the benefit of good health...Those were some awesome times!

I still visit the tekdi whenever i can...I do meet a few of my old acquaintances..See familiar faces that have coming there for donkeys years...new faces...I make it a point to go and sit at the stone quarry and watch the sunset...makes me forget all my tensions...

Sunset at the quarry. October 2006

The tekdi has given me a LOT of special memories..great friends, a place to relax and a decent stamina level(he he)...And now they are out to take it away from me(refer the new road)...Hope all parties with vested interests see some sense and save the lungs of our city!