Are we monkeys?

Today, let me take you to the journey of our modern and evolving lifestyle due to globalization. In my travel journey, I got an opportunity to meet people from different countries, having different cultures and I am amazed to see how they are living their lives - following their culture with evaluation.

Now you will say, we are evolving as well. With educations, internet, we are becoming "modern". Take a pause and think, the life you are living in is really modern? What is your definition of modern? Wearing fashionable clothes, going out for partying, drinking alcohol, going on a vacation on our festivals instead of celebrating it with family, or not celebrating our festivals at all in-short following the foreign culture if this is your definition of modern then you need to stop there and redefine it.

If you look closely at the foreign culture, these things are part of it but there is another side as well. Giving freedom to their children to choose their carrier, their life partner, their life. Are we following that? No, we are not giving our children freedom of their thoughts, freedom to live their life as they want. Like monkeys, we only follow what we see on the internet and in movies.

Becoming modern is not adopting someone's lifestyle as it is, becoming modern is evolving our own culture. Evolving it with understanding and need of today is modern. There is no modernization until the time you change your thoughts about life and people.

In the race of modernization, we are forgetting our culture and adopting foreign culture blindly like monkeys without understanding. In my opinion, modern is giving your younger generation freedom to think, to try new things, to explore this world. Are we thinking about that? Pass on your knowledge of local culture to your children instead of teaching them foreign culture.

There are always good and bad of any culture, whenever you travel, try to understand the culture of that place. Take the good of it and leave the bad aside. This is how we can evolve our culture and become modern.

Next time, try to know the "why" behind any culture before you start adopting it blindly just because you think it's modern and will look cool in front of others.

Go Local!

I hope you are all safe and healthy in this lockdown!

This lockdown gave me chance to spend time with my in-laws and get to know them better. I am surprised to look at their energy level and enthusiasm at this age. This made me think what would be the reason for their fitness at this age? Is there some kind of secret they have? While this lockdown is bothering us like hell, we can not go out, shop our favorite brands, missing fast food, can't hang out with our best friends, these people manage to stay happy and healthy.

When I started thinking about it, I noticed the lifestyle followed by them was far different than what we are following now. They are following the "local" way of life.

While in the name of fitness, we are trying out lot's of protein powders, different fitness routine, diets what they are doing is following the simple way of eating and going by our traditional way of fitness "Yoga"! and we are loosing our inheritable fitness ingredients "Yoga" and "Local Food".

For us eating out and partying is fun while for them meeting new people, talking to relatives and building relationships is fun and important.

Not only looking after our family and friends but also taking care of our environment is part of their life. We are cutting all the trees or even taking efforts to plant and take care of one while they are taking all the care to keep our environment healthy. How many of you still feed the birds or cook for stray animals? I guess very few because we have lots of reasons for not doing it. But they are following this tradition - cooking food for cows, feeding stray dogs, keeping food and water for birds, planting and taking care of trees, using cloth bags instead of plastic.

If you think, there are many activities which our grandmothers used to follow which we don't. With time, we adopted the western lifestyle, moved to cities, living in nuclear families, and forgetting about the meaning of environment, community, family, and started living for ourselves.

We still have time, to get back to our traditions and take India back to its royal heritage. Do yoga instead of going to gym, start eating food which is harvested in your region and follow our tradition -talk to your parents, grandparents and try to understand what routine they follow and what was the idea. You will get to know many things from them.

Inspiring from them, in my next travel journey, I will take you to the local traditions, festivals, habits of the people, and story behind it.

Stay tuned to this new journey! till then stay safe and stay healthy!

A day picnic at Jadhavgadh Fort

Situated at Hadapsar- Saswad Road, Fort Jadhavgadh is one of the best destinations for your day picnics. Built-in the 17th century by Pilaji Jadhavrao, the Maratha General in the army of Chhatrapati Shahuji, this is the only heritage fort hotel in Maharashtra. Spread in 25 acres of land, the fort will take you to the history of Marathas. 

It has a total of 58 rooms comprising of Royal Suites (Maharaja, Maharani and Museum Suite), Darbari Suites, Varsha Suites (Rain Shower Suites), Hill View Dalaan, Chaavni (a royal tent), Kholi and Neem Forest Cottages. The prices may vary for the different rooms starting at Rs. 6000 per night. If you are planning for special occasions, you can also choose among the different packages that they offer.

Cost of the picnic: 

On weekdays, the day picnic will cost you 1799 INR per adult and 1499 INR per kid whereas on weekends, cost per adult is 2199 INR and cost per kid is 1799 INR. You can book the tickets online from their site or from the Bookmyshow.

How to travel: 

As it is located in a remote area, it has no transportation facility. You need to travel in your own vehicle or you can book a rental car. 

Picnic Overview:

The day picnic pass includes:

• Breakfast, Lunch, and Hi-Tea
• Audio Tour
• Activities - Archery, Air Rifle Shooting, Pottery Making
• Outdoor sports - Volleyball, Badminton, Football, Cricket
• Visit to Aai museum

 You can have your breakfast, lunch, and Hi-Tea at their Paytha restaurant. While at the restaurant, you will get a fill of Maharashtrian food culture, via authentic food like Puranpoli and Pithale Bhakari and you can finish your lunch with "Paan". 

You will be welcomed at the Mahadarwaja in traditional Marathi way with tutari and dhol. I would suggest taking 45 mins of the audio tour first to know the history and places to visit at the fort. This will help you decide where to spend your time at the fort as per your interest. 

Indulge yourself in outdoor activities and sports and do visit their Aai museum. After a day full of activities, you can relax at the "Kund" a swimming pool or roam around the garden hearing whispering of the birds and enjoying the greenery.

Best to go with:  

Friends, family, bae, big group 

Payatha Restaurant

Mahadarwaja

Dungeon

Hotel Rooms

Kund - Swimming Pool

Garden

Organic farming

Aai museum

Archery

Outdoor Sports