KHIRSU The habitat of many flora and fauna species with lofty Himalayan peaks, surrounded by chirping birds with a clear sky above and a renewed spirit to connect with nature again. Doesn’t it ring a bell? But it sure sounds familiar, with the steady flow of the river Ganga, we have not yet explored the hidden gems from where it originates and one such place is Khirsu. It’s blessed with lush greenery and orchards which makes it an idyllic and offbeat Himalayan excursion spot. The picturesque hill station positioned withinside the Pauri Garhwal district gives remarkable perspectives of the Himalayas, inclusive of a landscape of peaks just like the Panchachuli, Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot, and Trishul. Perched at a peak of 1,700 m, Khirsu is dotted with dense pine and deodar forests, which make for brilliant venues for nature walks and hikes. Wake up with the chirping of birds and the hues of the sunlight on top of the mountains. Rejuvenate your soul and revitalize your mind by planning a holiday in the serene and placid environment of Khirsu. Khirsu has been a less-traveled place but now it is earning a good name as a hill station. A wide view of the gigantic Himalayan range is distinctly visible from Khirsu, of which some are familiar peaks and many are unnamed. There is an ancient temple dedicated to Ghandiyal Devi situated nearby, which adds the quietude of the place. The region has plenty of apple orchards and is home to many species of birds. Khirsu is an immaculate destination which will impress you with its flamboyant charm all through the year. The hamlet is endowed with lush orchards of apples and wildflowers of each kind. The village is an agricultural hub and surrounding it are picturesque terrace farms. There is likewise very good cultivation of mushrooms in addition to wildflowers galore. There is a historical temple committed to Ghandiyal Devi which provides the quietude of the place. Khirsu is an immaculate vacation spot that will galvanize you with its flamboyant allure at every stage in the year. Rotaract Club of TCET Page 49
MANILA Ever heard of Manila? Maybe yes, but this one is not from the Philippines. So, what if I tell you that there is this hidden hamlet in Kumaon, Uttarakhand near Delhi also known as Manila? Well, it is true. The tiny hamlet of Manila placed approximately 87 km from Ranikhet in Almora is the local region of Manila Devi, the own circle of relatives goddess of Katyuri extended family from wherein the area was given its name. This lesser-regarded region is perched at an elevation of 1,820 meters, snuggled withinside the Kumaon area of Uttarakhand. The famous visitor location Ramnagar close to Jim Corbett has been placed approximately 75 km from Manila and Marchula, nestled close to the banks of Ramganga River is only 45 km far from Manila. Located in Almora district of Kumaon, Uttarakhand, and contoured by dense forest range along with a wide view of mighty Himalayas, this offbeat place remains un-crowded most of the year is unknown to many. Hindi is the official language in Manila, while locals also speak in local Kumaon language. So, there are no issues in communication aspects. Blessed with scenic beauty, Manila is a nature lover’s paradise because it gives an enticing view of Trishul, Panchachuli, Nanda Devi peaks. The nightfall and sunrise are mesmerizing from there because the crimson hues drape the Sun God like a stunning garment. The experience of seeing golden glows at sunrise and sunset over this range of Himalayas is just enough to fall in love with this beautiful yet small village in the Himalayas named Manila. The weather in Manila remains pleasant all around the year which can make traveling fun at any season. The summers are cool, while winters can be quite cold with the temperature dipping down to zero degrees Celsius too. Manila is a place where you can soak yourself into the tranquillity of the place, relax in peace and maybe get to know about the local culture of the region by interacting with the locals who are pretty much humble and down to earth. Rotaract Club of TCET Page 50
ARUNACHAL KI SEEMA Rotaract Club of TCET Page 51
ANINI Imagine waking up to the high-scaled mountains, the sound of pristine rivers, and profound silence around. Doesn’t it sound like a dream? But this paradise does exist and is known as Anini. It is the headquarters of the Dibang Valley district wherein the clouds come right down to kiss the land. With lots of its splendor peeking from at the back of the misty air, this unexplored metropolis is the region to go to for pristine calmness. It is a small underdeveloped city, especially due to its remoteness. Yet, it still has basic road and air links to the rest of India. It nonetheless has simple avenues and air hyperlinks for relaxation. The Idu Mishmi tribal human beings represent a majority here. Most of Anini is placed on a miniature plateau among tributaries of the Dibang river, the Dri river, and the Mathun river. It is marked with the aid of first-class climate and giant herbal splendor, making it a tourist’s paradise, acting from the clouds. Its silence, splendor, and magic are sort of untouched and may loosen up you to the very core. The vegetation of Arunachal ranges from temperate to alpine. Alpine forests are found at an altitude off 3500+ meters and are mostly covered in snow year round. Some other plants that are found include Bamboo, Tsuga, and Abies. Anini has the entirety to entice travelers. Whether it’s the unsurpassed fascinating surroundings, never- ending inexperienced grazing lands, quiet villages, and picture-ideal valleys, it is a secluded paradise for nature enthusiasts and trekkers. In other words, the speedy wind, and cloud-weighted down sky make Anini one of the nice locations for sluggish travel. To have a bird’s eye view of the Anini town, a visit to the view-point of Anini is a must. A short drive up in the hills takes you to the top point of the hills from where you have an aerial view of the entire town and the valley. Encircled by the towering hills and distant snowy mountain range, the view certainly gives a great sense of wanderlust. Rotaract Club of TCET Page 52
DONG Have you ever thought to yourself that while your city is still deeply asleep, enveloped within the darkness of the night, some other corner of the country is already breathing in the crisp air of a sunny morning? Might sound unfamiliar, but this is one phenomenon that almost every country on the globe stands witness to daily. So, which place in India is first touched by the elegant, orangey-red rays of the rising sun? The answer lies in our Arunachal ki Seema. The Dong valley which houses Dong is one of the easternmost villages in India sandwiched among India, China, and Myanmar. This is the very vicinity in which the solar first spreads its rays in India while the relaxation of the country remains deep in sleep! In Dong, the sun, on an average, rises at 5.50 am and sets at 4.30 pm during the winter season, which is almost an hour prior to other places in the country. To catch the first rays of the sun, you can either start in the wee hours of the morning, i.e., 3 am or, alternatively, you can camp at the plateau overnight and wait for the sunrise. A faraway vicinity withinside the farthest nook of the country, untouched via way of means of our current lives, pristine, and retaining its herbal beauty, Dong is a small slice of heaven. Nicknamed a “photographer’s paradise”, the village is enshrouded in a blanket of clouds over the towering mountains that surround the area. Located withinside the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh, the Dong village sits close to the Indo- China border at an elevation of 4,070 feet. In 1999, it changed into the first location where Dong stores India’s first sun rays, and seeing that it has grown in reputation because of this phenomenon. The confluence of the Lohit and Sati rivers creates a beautiful spectacle – pristine rivers merging with every difference with a backdrop of the excellent mountains and meandering clouds! Rotaract Club of TCET Page 53
Kashmir to Kanyakumari India is a country of diverse communities, sects, and religions, but if there is one uniting factor for all of us, it is our undying love for our motherland and its rich cultural heritage. There is absolutely no denial about the fact that Indian Culture in all its various regional and lingual variations has stood the test of time and is now reaching its zenith of creativity and beauty in this modern era. This great confluence of skill coupled with intricacy in beautiful patterns can be seen in our country’s ancient as well as medieval architectural wonders. Apart from this, if we have to truly find the most beautiful places to visit in India it would be the picturesque natural biomes that our country is blessed with within almost every region of India. Every region of India has a characteristic cultural as well as social setting with artisanal skills and architectural practices unique to those specific regions. This makes up for one of the most diverse potpourris of intermixing cultures and artisanal creations traditionally related to natural surroundings and human social life in these regions. No matter where we go in India, we are assured of being awestruck by the sheer magnitude of undiscovered ‘Natural or Architectural Heavens on Earth’. And the most endearing experience of all this is that the local domiciles are usually the ones that respect their heritage and keep their familial skills and knowledge of such creations alive for generations to come! There is so much colorfulness and vibrancy in our culture, that it’s utterly impossible to categorize them as anything but unique. Further, the most beautiful part is that in spite of all the variations all these cultural traditions continue to co-exist, accept and even appreciate each other’s merits! Also, the use of nature to express human emotions through art is something that really hitches our creative minds . Truly, there is no place like India, and without a doubt, there is absolutely no place in India that cannot make you feel extremely elated and amazed, to say the least! The beauty of India’s natural Habitats and undiscovered ecosystems is absolutely baffling! I have to say that, experiencing the beauty and magnanimous character of India’s Natural as well as Man-made sites, can make anyone fall in love with life and its immeasurable grandiose! Rotaract Club of TCET Page 54
Letterhead Exchanges: Quarter 1 Dear Reader, We present to you our letterhead exchanges for the first Quarter of the year. Rotaract Club Rotaract Club of of Sabarmati Kolkata Krishti Rotaract Club of Rotaract Club of Aurangabad West Ahemdabad Narol Rotaract Club of TCET Page 55
Letterhead Exchanges: Quarter 1 RID 3150 Rotaract Club of Bhavnagar Royals Rotaract Club of Rotaract Club of S.V.H.M.C Bhavnagar Youth Sincerely, Page 56 Rotaract Club of TCET. Rotaract Club of TCET
AQCUHAIERVTEERRS QUARTER 1 Rotaract Club of TCET Page 57
Best AVENUE EDITORIAL AVENUE RTR. MALCOLM CARDOZA Rotaract Club of TCET Page 58
Best MEMBERS RTR. AMBRESH SHUKLA RTR. ANKITA YADAV RTR. NITESH GOHIL Rotaract Club of TCET Page 59
Congratulations ACHIEVERS! Rotaract Club of TCET Page 60
Traveller's Diary Rotaract Club of TCET Page 61
Rtr. Ankit Sanghavi District Editor, RID 3141 Q1. What do you love the most about travelling? Travelling is not always about the destination you reach but is more about the journey you take to your destination. While traveling, I love the journey more than the destination. I usually travel in public transport and experience the beauty of the environment around me. Traveling with the locals and talking to them about their daily routines and peaks and troughs of live helps me learn more about the individual, the hardships one faces and the different ways in which each one stays happy and the life moves on. Food is the next prominent thing about my love for travelling. “Woh Maa ke haat ka khana kise nahi bhata”. Travelling to try local cuisines and some super delicious masalas is the best thing about travelling. The love with which each mother cooks to feed is a pious moment all together. Q2. What is travelling for you? In the most simplest terms, Travelling for me is a journey of a thousand miles which begins with a single step. A step of hope, of curiosity of knowing the true you and of experiences of life like never before. Travelling towards nature in the true form is travelling to know yourself and to know that you are no different than nature and the universe is all you and you are the universe. Exploring new destinations and learning from each place experiencing the culture and when accompanied by passionate travellers, learning from their personalities is what travelling is for me. Rotaract Club of TCET Page 62
Q3. What is the most memorable place you’ve been to? Why? The most memorable place I have been to is Gaumukh. Gaumukh is the source of Maa Ganga. Originating from a cow face like glacier from the Mighty Himalayas in the Gangotri National Park, Gaumukh is the best place I could have ever been. A long 22 hr walk from the Gangotri dham towards Gaumukh not only brings the mental peace by the scenic mountains but also teach us to flow and to flow continuously, “Chareveti Chareveti, Ye hi to Mantra hai Apna”. The mighty peaks of Bhagirathi 1 and 2 and other Himalayas rejuvenate us from the past and bless us to live in the moment. Q4. If given the chance, which place would you love to pay a visit to? I would love to visit Antarctica. As all know, Antarctica is a No Man’s Land and is a country/continent which is open for all. Which the climate change in place, it is the only place which can safeguard humanity and the restoration of the same will bring back the world climate to stability. Also, the wildlife on the continent is cute and awesome which not all are able to view in person. Thus, if given a chance, I would love to pay a visit to Antarctica. Rotaract Club of TCET Page 63
Rtr. Vishw Sharma Vice President, Rotaract Club of Bombay North West Malad Q1. What do you love the most about travelling? The trip itself is something to look forward to (unless it's a road trip). Travelling is mostly associated with vacations and you usually treat yourself to a lot more comfort than you would at home. Probably my favourite part of travelling is just the absence of work. Q2. What is travelling for you? Travelling, for me, is always something to look forward to. I don't travel a lot, so the trips that I do take are special to me. Q3. What is the most memorable place you’ve been to? Why? The most memorable place I've been to is New York and New Jersey. That is probably because it was my first time traveling alone (I had relatives there, only the commute was solo) and also, it was everything that the movies had hyped that place up to be - chaotic, stimulating and alive! Q4. If given the chance, which place would you love to pay a visit to? If I were given a chance to visit any place, I'd visit Antarctica. There is just something about trekking in a place like that which gets your adrenaline pumping! Rotaract Club of TCET Page 64
KABHI ALVIDA NA KEHNA CONCLUSION Ahhh… what a trip it has been! We traveled through so many interesting places, interacted with so many regional cultures, and rediscovered some of the most jaw- droppingly beautiful places to visit in our country! But, sadly our wonderful little trip is now approaching its end, but we surely have gained a lot from this roundabout journey through our nation’s soul. I believe, that this magazine has not only given us a chance to know about the existence of these places but also come to the realization of true nature’s beauty and has enlightened us from our passive attitude towards nature and its many secret wonders. The encounters we have had in our journey through all the various previously undiscovered sites of natural as well as man-made beauty have truly inspired us to understand the base functioning of nature and humanity’s correlation with it. We have also come to comprehend the simplicity and deep-rooted traditional and cultural beliefs that we can experience when we visit these places and interact with the people who live there. Its truly been an inspiring mental get-away for all of us as we experience the true beauty of our nation. The purpose of this entire magazine was to make all our readers realize the value of traveling around to various places and expanding our thought process to accommodate various indigenous cultures and their traditions. When we retrospect about the natural beauty of these places and the people living there, we understand the fundamental truth about human society, i.e., that we humans usually tend to make every place our home very easily but it’s equally important for us to understand our responsibility in conserving and recognizing these picturesque places! It is our duty as citizens of this country as well as human beings to raise awareness about the degradation and damages that are being caused to these sites due to negligence and inconsiderate attitude towards natural habitats and places worthy of tourism! We as service-oriented and concerned members of society need to revitalize our demands for the conservation of natural environments and archaeological or architectural sites of importance. Finally, to sum up, all our emotions with regards to this awesome trip through the unseen wonders of India, I would like to quote Dr. Shashi Tharoor’s words saying, “In India, we celebrate the commonality of major differences, we are a land of belonging rather than of blood.” We hope all our readers had a great time with our exhilarating escapade as we ‘Mapped’ our dear country, India! Rotaract Club of TCET Page 65
Our Title Sponsor Rotaract Club of TCET Page 66
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Credits Magazine Head: Rtr. Mitali Mandge Design Head: Rtr. Dhruvi Jagani Rtr. Hardik Chemburkar Content Head: Rtr. Malcolm Cardoza Editorial Team: Creative Team: Rtr. Anuja Somthankar Rtr. Khushi Gupta Rtr. Tanishq Suryawanshi Rtr. Saniya Bhurke Rtr. Saloni Negi Rtr. Sudha Paudel Rtr. Neelam Yadav Rtr. Nandini Yadav Rtr. Meera Prajapati Rtr. Preeti Verma Rtr. Vivek Pandey Rtr. Aryan Sachin Rtr. Sarthak Shah Rtr. Nandini Seth Rtr. Nikhil Pal Rtr. Ekta Singh Rtr. Nidhi Worah Rtr. Vandita Gopal Rtr. Rishabh Shukla Rotaract Club of TCET Page 68
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