#EE- Rounding Up The Final Two Years

This is a sequel to a post that I wrote two years back #EE- Summing Up two years , which was a review of my first two years with Electrical Engineering. I finished college a week ago and it only seems appropriate to pen (type) this final chapter before the next story begins.

Now that I am wiser by a few more shocks, I have plenty to say on the topic . Re-reading my last post on this subject matter, I realized that I had done injustice to the subject. But, then it was written in a lighter mood, with a glass of juice , light music and probably an active skype connection (I guess!)

On the matter of insulation (that's where I left off last time), I suggest you take it very seriously. I have recently been made aware of certain tragic incidents in the field. Play it safe, use insulation. To the lighter side, or in a more cliched sense - up the tough mountain. I'll not say much on the courses this time around. Go download the syllabus, or contact me for a pdf! 

Power Electronics, this is where electrical engineering actually got real for me. Electrical Drives in the next semester is what kept me going and  remains my favorite till date. My fascination with electric drives and the automotive world led me to select (Foolishly or wisely, I don't know!) my final year project in the same field. (We'll come to that later)

Power Systems got more interesting with the study of Power System Operation and Control, Protection, HVDC, FACTS etc. These are just fancy terms that actually stand for - High Voltage DC (HVDC) and Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS). This is where Power System design and Power Electronic devices come together.

Machines continued to be a severe pain (you-know-where). To top it all we even studied Design of Power Apparatus, which on the whole is a very interesting subject in the lab and a curse in the classroom.

SCADA and related courses were a walk in the park (not so much by examination scores, but who cares, eh?)

Two dreadful courses that I have kept for the end are Microprocessor and its Applications AND Digital Signal Processing/Processor and its Applications to Electro-mechanical Systems. The course name in each of the cases above can be broken into two - Microprocessor/DSP + applications. It is the latter that proved to be our Waterloo or Plassey or Abbotabad (whatever!) . In my opinion it should be sacrilege to conduct theory exams for such courses, a design practical would suffice. But, a man's got to suffer when he has to suffer (And so we did, Twice!)

This just about sums up Round 2 of Electrical Engineering.  Battered and bruised, the ordeal ended with the close of last month and we emerged Engineers! (result awaited!)

One additional course, (that was intentionally skipped) is the final year project, otherwise called the Major in our Uni. A lot of thought (or a trip to Janakpuri) goes into the selection of one's final year project. An interest in ED (Electric Drives) led me to opt for the development of a closed loop speed control mechanism of a brush-less DC hub motor. This machine, though the talk of the industry today, turned out to be too hot to handle! Getting it to run was tougher than anything we had attempted so far. After an agonizing wait and efforts coupled with terrible setbacks (Our karma - to pay for other's blunders with our own suffering!), it finally did run with expected performance and to say the least, we scraped through without much drama.

After the Project defense!

Looking back, these four years do not seem as tough as we made them out to be. It was more of a perceived notion that led us to believe that choice of electrical engineering as a major would prove to be our nemesis. I still continue to hold my stance from two years back - This was the best decision that I took in the last four years of my life and having attained the fulfillment of this dream, I am ready to take on the next challenge (which is another mammoth altogether!)

Closing lines :

Shocks and smoke may jar my bones
And my grades forever hurt me
I find pride and honour, nonetheless
In being an engineer of electricity!

-Anurag Arya, Electrical Engineer!

(forgive my poetry!)

Edit: Results were declared in the evening today. Cleared all subjects! (Whew!)

The Day I Walked Out on Everything - My First Solo Backpacking Adventure!

Plagued by a persistent itch to getaway from everything normal and mundane, I decided to step out and lose myself in the beautiful vales of Himachal. Even though my search for a companion yielded no results from all quarters, my ambition had already taken shape. I set off for this adventure all alone. This, I believe, was one of the best decisions I had taken in a very long time. After a quick post-exam celebration, I packed my bag (it was a borrowed one, actually!) and rushed to the Kashmiri Gate ISBT.

Delhi-Kasol

The first leg of my journey was a 13-hour bus ride to Bhunter. There isn't much to expect from this stage of my trip. I was asleep for a major part only waking at the two short stops we made for meals and snacks. One thing that struck me immediately in the hills of Himachal was the utter lack of good food in the road-side dhabas. Kumaon has a clear advantage over Himachal in this respect. Try the pahadi raita with chana and pakodas in Uttarakhand, this violent combination creates a sensation that leaves you yearning for more. 

Back to Himachal now. The bus dropped me off in Bhunter and after a quick homely meal in a small restaurant, I boarded a bus for Kasol. It is nearly 30 kms from Bhunter which means a one and a half hour ride in the hills. The road follows the curves of the river and is not in a very good condition. Yet, the scenery created an expectation of better things to follow in the immediate future.

Kasol - Manikaran

The first thing that strikes you when you get down at Kasol is the crowd! All around you, people with backpacks, some Indians, a lot more foreign travelers ( a vast majority hailing from Israel) milling around with an acute sense of wanderlust prevailing in the air. The excitement that accompanies it is visible in the crowd, in their motions and their gestures. Within minutes I was discussing the trek to Khirganga with a couple from Israel. They intended to make it there by nightfall. I on the other hand, had different plans. My first task was to secure cheap accommodation, which I did after some serious haggling (emotional jabs mostly!) and was able to get a decent room for INR 350 a night (pretty good bargain right?). 

View From My Room (Neat, right?)

The bus ride had left me tired, so I decided to take a nap before exploring Kasol and the neighborhood. My first excursion was a leisurely stroll to Manikaran which is 4 kms away. Manikaran has a Gurudwara with hot spring water to take a dip in. I took a detour  to the river bank halfway to my destination. The river, still in its youthful stage, gushed violently past not caring for anything that lay in between creating a picturesque scene that is mesmerizing for the beholder.The Gurudwara is approached over a bridge, below which the river churned over rocks creating scary rapids. The hot water bath in the Gurudwara is another unique addition. The steam rising from the surface of the water betrayed its temperature and true to its appearance, the water was extremely hot! 

Enroute to Manikaran

At Manikaran Gurudwara, Notice the steam rising up from the discharged hot water

The heavens shortened my stay at Manikaran as dark clouds began rolling in slyly from behind the tall peaks. A strong breeze followed by a short but heavy shower made me take shelter first, beneath an overhanging bush and later in a man-made establishment.

Shelter during the drizzle! (Later on it it turned to heavy rain and I had to seek shelter elsewhere)

It was seven by the time I returned, giving me ample time to explore Kasol. Tea and view of the snow capped Himalayan peaks left me fresh. After several introductory conversations with various travelers and an occasional talk with the local folk, I decided to have dinner at a place recommended by a friend - Stone Garden Cafe. It wasn't something great, rather an okay-ish establishment.Dessert from the German Bakery made up for this ordinary experience as I sampled at least 3-4 of the wares on display. It is a must try for everyone who visits Kasol. A short after-dinner stroll and I was ready to call it a night around half past eleven.

Kasol-Barshaini-Kheerganga

Up early the next morning, yet I was only able to get the 9:30 bus to Barshaini. This village is an hour's ride from Kasol. The bus frequency is quite low, with the first one coming two hours before and hence this bus was crowded. I jostled for space in the aisle with a bunch of school kids and a cage with two baby-goats. The bus emptied in Manikaran and I was able to secure a seat for the reminder of the journey. 

At Barshaini, I had my brunch in a small restaurant run by two ladies who happened to cook the most delicious of meals (another recommendation). After having my fill, I proceeded to gather directions for the trek from another restaurant owner nearby. His map and a graphic description of the wonders of Kheerganga only added to my curiosity and anticipation. (He described a lot more in context with the 'wonders of the Kheerganga valley'!)

Tasty and amazing!

The hand drawn map to Kheerganga (N is Nakthan, RN is Rudranag, PD is Pulga Dam)

The trek to Kheerganga would be a 11 km long one . I sighted plenty of travelers heading in the direction of the trail and chanced to ask a group of three whether they were heading for Kheerganga. After the first few introductions, we headed off together along the trail becoming good friends in the process.

The trek begins!

Markers are available all along the route (8 kms to go!)

The trek follows a beautiful trail with sights of small waterfalls, snow capped peaks and green slopes all around. The first leg of the trek is from Barshaini to a village called Nakthan. From Nakthan, we head toward Rudranag. Here the water scoops upwards in a small cup in the rock and subsequently falls as a projectile. It is a place of worship and the last bit where the easy walk ends. The next five kilometres were the most grueling ones with an uphill trek. We ended up going round robin on the backpack with the tent. (My companions were carrying a tent and I had agreed to camp with them!) . The path is marked with several small streams rushing down from the snow melt. The cold water left us gasping when we accidentally submerged our feet (shoes and socks) while crossing one. We stopped on a number of occasions and were only able to complete the trek in 4.5 hours! (The locals say that they do it in 3!)

The beautiful hillsides

The snowcapped peaks

Rudranag

The feeling of accomplishment at the end of the trek was dwarfed by the beauty of the Kheerganga meadow. Lying in an oval -shaped valley between mighty peaks, this meadow was a lush green setting dotted with rocks and a small human settlement. After a visit to the temple at the top, our first task was to setup the tent, which we did in quick time (And in this process I learned how a tent is assembled!) . Following the completion of the above, we rushed to take a dip in the hot spring pool to ease the tiredness of the journey. As we sat in the hot water pool, the cool breeze played a good companion to the heat from the water and this combination was refreshing.

On reaching Kheerganga! The smile cannot convey the feeling!

The hot water spring pool!

Following this, I spent some precious moments of solitude (numbering some 90 minutes!) just taking in the breathtaking scenery around me. From my vantage point, I also had the opportunity to interact with a variety of other people who were headed to and fro from a gathering a 1.5 hour trek away. (I gave it a miss owing to the tiredness that had set in now). By now the sun had almost completed its southward journey. The multitudes of colors on display that came with the setting sun were a bonus. As night crept in, the temperatures dropped. We built a fire (after prolonged efforts) and I had to don warm clothes, lest the cold troubled my sinuses again. Swapping stories (And stuff!) around the fire was fun! A less than palatable dinner in the small shacks (restaurants!) was a dampener for the spirits but what followed afterwards cannot be explained in words.

Enjoying these moments of solitude!

As we lay around the fire looking upwards at the heavens, we were taken by surprise by the night sky on display. It was a new moon night and the entire sky was dotted with stars sparkling small and bright. The valley seemed entombed in a beautiful shroud of twinkling stars . We lay admiring the needlework of the Gods on the dark wool of the skies as the sound of the river rushing deep below filled the silence.  With flames giving way to embers, we too decided to call it a day around midnight.

The next morning, I was the first one up and spent another beautiful period of solitude. It was the best feeling. With no contact from the outside world (there are no cellphone signals up there except for a lucky few like BSNL) and everyone, these moments of mine seemed to stretch into eternity as I forgot all and lived another life in those moments, among these hills. 

Our shelter for the night

Another dip in the hot water pool and we bid adieu to this enchanted location. The descent was quick and we made good time completing the journey in a little over two hours. From there it was a bus ride to Kasol where I parted ways with my new found friends who journeyed on to Kullu, while I stayed back to have lunch at Evergreen, which was a good recommendation.

The morning dip

On the way back!

Kasol-Kullu-Delhi

After a final walk around Kasol, I had to wait for a long time for the bus to Kullu. The bus dropped me off at the Kullu bus station with minutes to spare. The fact that the trip was ending didn't strike me until the bus had started moving off towards Delhi. As the rain splattered the windows outside, my eyes could not leave the hills beyond. I drifted to sleep with images of beautiful vales, gushing rivers and mighty mountains all left behind in this wonderful world.

8 am I touched base at ISBT and in 45 minutes I was back to college again!

Cost of the trip : 3,950 INR (Delhi-Kasol-Kheerganga-Delhi)

The experience : Priceless!

I am itching to run away again!

Say It Differently (Literally!)

It is that time of the year again - time to carve out that special day for your significant other . While a lot of us may be planning elaborate details for the perfect evening or day, I have decided to learn to say those special words differently in languages from around the globe. The short poem that follows is derived from the same.


In soft whispers, I'll say I love you tonight,
As your cheeks turn red, will you stay mute.
Or reply in kind, perhaps in a new light,
I'll listen, I'll wait , at the spot take root.

Te amo you may sing or Aš tave myliu,

How about Mikvarhar lady?
or simply Main Tumse Pyaar Karti Hun,
Maybe try the Welsh way, Rwy'n dy garu di.

Nagligivagit may leave you tongue-twisted,
Simply say Je t'aime or Volim te.
Wo ai ni , try Mandarin or the Hungarian Szeretlek,
Guess where they say Aloha wau ia'oe !

Sarang hae , look east, further still Aishiteru,
S'agapo from the Greeks my dear.
Seni seviorum or from Russia, Ya tebya liubliu
A simple Phom rak khun in my ear.

Perhaps it's best you sit still
The silence speaks to me too
A language that all voids does fill
You can say it again, I love you!



Hard work , right? Well saying it will definitely be worth it! Go give it a try (nudges)!

Important P.S. :
For the what means what in what: 
Infographic On the Different Ways of Saying I love You

Of Cannons and Things

It seems that the 'Land of the Kings' has a certain charm that has pulled me  thrice in the past year (always leaving me yearning for more!) . The forts standing high and majestic atop hills soothed by the melodies of Rajasthani music and  the scrumptious food- Yes! this is the land that dreams are made of. The land that beckoned to us last weekend.

After having postponed our sojourn from one weekend to the next, we were finally able to hit the road (figuratively!) last Friday. Our trip began on an excellent note, all thanks to the hilarious antics featured in The Interview (do watch it just for the laughs). A sleepless night behind us, we settled down to sleep at 5 a.m. on the train to Jaipur. Six hours later we were at our destination! A quick change of clothes and we were off (And hungry). Our first task was to satiate our aching stomachs. This was duly fulfilled at LMB in Johri Bazaar after a long ride to the other part of town. One huge Rajasthani meal later, we were ready to go explore the forts.

Rajasthani Thali (Hand for scale!)

We had less than eleven hours in Jaipur and we made good use of the time with visits to three forts ending up with the Birla Temple. Our first brush with the magnificence of  Rajput architecture was Amer Fort. High walls looking down upon a huge lake housing palaces and gardens - the Kings had it nice in the days of old!

Amer Fort

View from atop the Fort

The Travellers!

The sheer brilliance of wonders inside the fort like the Sheesh Mahal left us mesmerized. Add to it plenty of nooks and crannies to explore and we spent quite some time exploring the fort. Our joy had to be cut short as time was running out and we directed the autowallah to take us to Jaigarh Fort next. The fort in itself wasn't spectacular but it housed the largest cannon in the world - Jaivana and this piece of information had me all excited (ask S.!) The cannon was a monster! 

Jaivana - That is a 20 foot long barrel!

Jaigarh was dilapidated and vandalized to the extreme by seemingly romantic couples who probably wish to have their names etched into history. More on vandalism later. As the sun began to take the southward plunge, we directed our auto toward Nahargarh Fort - the one with a beautiful panoramic view of the city. True to hearsay, the ramparts of Nahargarh provided views that would have brought any photographer to his/her knees (literally!) We went around the outer wall till we reached the palace and in this way circled a good part of the fort keeping in view the amazing expanse of Jaipur below all along.

Sadly, he didn't jump!

The city through the outer wall

We were both running on low battery, hence a dearth of good pictures from Nahargarh. The craze for cannons continued here as is evident from the collage below! This was a smaller cannon placed outside the palace gates.

Cannon(ified)

The Madhvendra palace was a beautiful piece of symmetry! Symmetrical doors, halls and walkways all around made it a stunning spectacle.

Inside Madhvendra Palace

S. tired and forlorn (looking)

Roof of the Palace

As the sun disappeared below the horizon, we too descended from the hills and headed to Birla Temple. A quick stop followed by pani puri and kachori ,it was time to head to base. 

The iconic Birla Mandir

With a delicious dinner provided by a senior (Thank you sir!), it was time to bid adieu to Jaipur. The train for Udaipur left at 11 p.m. and we were now entering the second stage of our journey.

The City of Lakes - Stage II

Now , while the trip to Jaipur had been planned by us, the itinerary of the Udaipur leg had been graciously spelled out in detail by a friend of S. So, after a ridiculously expensive breakfast, we walked to the City Palace, Udaipur (Note: S. and I walk a lot and normally treat a 5 km distance as walkable). The City Palace though boasting a beautiful construction turned out to be a tad too boring (it being a museum!) It was good to walk around though (in search of the Hawa Mahal!)

City Palace (Just look at this beauty!)

Inside the City Palace, Lake Pichola in the background

This was followed by a trip on the Karni Mata Ropeway. A temple, a dargah and an abandoned fort atop a hill provided us with plenty of photography material. The view of the city especially Lake Pichola was magnificent from the ramparts of the fort. As we contemplated descending the hill using the outer wall of the fort instead of the rope way, P. arrived and the plan had to be cast aside. (Sadly or not so!)

At the Karni Mata mandir

P.'s arrival infused new energy into the trip and the fun continued during lunch by the Fateh Sagar Lake and in Nehru Park (where we swapped stories about things and stuff and were 'brozoned' by a couple of ladies, that is the correct term I presume.) Nehru Park and the Fateh Sagar shore provide quite a sight in the evening characterized by a soothing and peaceful scenery. After a midway retreat to Fateh Sagar (on account of having forgotten P.'s luggage) we reached Bagore Ki Haveli for the evening cultural show.

Nehru Park

Boat ride back from Nehru Park

At the shores of Fateh Sagar

Yeah, he is trying to eat the Sun (or something)

Bagore Ki Haveli - Cultural Show

The traditions and folk culture of Rajasthan was epitomized in this hour long collection of displays that began with the favorite Kesariya Balam and included a Kathputli dance. The audience comprising of multiple nationalities all swayed to the beautiful tunes of Rajasthan in synchronicity.  This was the highlight of our day.

While you are in Udaipur you cannot miss the Chowpatty at Sukhadia Circle where scrumptious food is available till late and we were sure to try this out. A four kilometre long walk succeeded this. It was safe to say that at the end we were tired (Dead tired in P.'s case) but happy as we settled down to sleep.

The last day though unplanned had two items on our list - Sajjangarh Fort and a meeting with our 'absent' yet extremely helpful guide! The Fort situated again on top of a hill had roads that reminded me of the turns of the hills of Kumaon. It was the Nahargarh to Udaipur with a bird's eye view of the city and the surroundings.

Sajjangarh Fort

Look at the view beyond - both Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar are visible

A two hour long stay on top of the hill , with echo calls (not exactly successful!) was a brilliant one. S. was intent on endangering the 'last of his kind' (pun intended!) as he climbed on edges and ledges all around the fort. P. on the other hand was looking to socialize. Apart from our private eccentricities (sadly there were no cannons for me) we had an enjoyable trip to the Monsoon Palace.

Our penultimate port of call was a meeting with our guide, who was unfortunately unavailable to join us for a meal afterwards.A meal was lost and another found as we reached the suggested restaurant too late (It was 4:20 p.m.) and were lucky to find another - Cafe Satori nearby.

It was time to say goodbye after this meal but not without some further action. Running late, we asked a young and energetic autowallah to drop us at the railway station (S. and me) and bus depot (P.) . He certainly had nitro boosters installed for we zipped across the city (clinging on for our lives) and though we were able to reach the railway station on time, the bus had departed by the time P. reached the bus depot. What happened with P. afterwards is a tale for another day.

At 6:15 p.m. as the train left the Udaipur railway station, we peered out to get a glimpse of the city - a marvel in its own right and as the darkness took over the scenery, we could only hold the thoughts inside and find contentment in the happiness of the weekend past.

At Hazrat Nizammuddin 6:40 in the morning!

The next morning we woke to another reality, it was Delhi again! Plenty to look forward to after a refreshing trip. It was time to go and man the cannons now. While I focus on the journey and struggle that lies in the days ahead, a part of me wishes to head back and venture out once more into this amazing land called Rajasthan.

To Udaipur

A city magnificent, riddled with lakes
Thank you, for the beautiful memories.
the calmness and contentment, one takes
the joy, the happiness, the sweet hazelnut coffee.

Thank you lady, for the plan -so perfect
We missed yet plenty to look forward to.
I bet there is some of it lying unchecked
To discover; next time we'll get those few.

The forts, the lakes, the palaces and food,
Dear Rajasthan, thank you too.
Another  page to my memoirs glued,
To be cherished and daily felt anew.



Until we meet again!


P.S. Special thanks to K.M. for her suggestions regarding Jaipur.

A pinch of Uttarakhand: Kumaon

Having already written an ode to the most beautiful place on earth (jealously guarded opinion) i.e. Nainital, this time I wish to go beyond and step into the hills and vales of the beautiful land that is Kumaon -my homeland

Mere words are unjust, I hear the songs fall short,

As they recount the beauty of the land - Kumaon.

Young mountains strive to best their own,

Hidden from sight, valleys and creeks swarm below.

I look further, like majestic turrets of a fort,

Carry caps of snow and glisten gold.

Ponds, lakes and waterfalls too,

Marks of beauty in hues of green and blue.

Smudges of clouds painted above,

Affectionately placed by the Creator with love.

Hush, the scenery lies, a hum is heard,

Nestled in the flora, a beautiful bird.

I stand rooted as into the unknown, it takes off. 

Mesmerised by the beauty of the Abode of the Gods.

Reflections from the Naini Lake

A view of the Snow-capped Himalayas from Ranikhet - Almora Road

An inscription kept outside a Hotel in Almora

View from Dolma, Almora

All photos taken on the trip home, to Ranikhet-Almora-Nainital