Lavasa Rules

I was on my last egg-pickup procedure & it was already 2:00pm. The ribbon cutting ceremony was scheduled for 5:00pm. I left the clinic immediately after the patient was settled and got into a big traffic pile-up at Chembur! The express-way was empty at that time of the afternoon & I clocked just over 80 minutes to reach the end of the expressway. Once you turn right from the expressway, it is exactly 20 kms to the Chandni Chowk underpass which leads to the Pirangut-Paud tollgate. Taking the short-cut from just before Pirangut passing the Indai Lawns, I cruised onto the Lavabahn at 4 pm.It would have taken me just 30 minutes more to reach Lavasa, but I was hypnotized by the shades of green, rust & reds. March was a different spectacle altogether from February! The Jowar crop had just been harvested & the dried fields were being converted to bundles of hay. I would have thought that the heat would have turned everything around into shades of brown, but I was surprised to see nascent green all around. The 30 minute jouney now took two hours & I fell in love with the wild flowers all over again. These were a completely new set of species, which were not seen in the past six months. The majestic trees on both sides of the Lavabahn were swathed with a sheet of exotic red flowers. The helipad appeared around a curve in the road & seeing the helicopter, I realized how late I was. I reached the lobby bang in the middle of the Inaugural ceremony. Hugged my buddies & rushed up to freshen up. Another pleasant surprise - a WOW room!!! ITC has again excelled itself & have created a lovely hotel with ultramodern comforts. Rushed down, but the ceremony was over. Decided to visit Jimmy Shaw's Waterfront Serviced Apartments. Fida & Jimmy took us for a sneak preview - "WOW-WOW"- this was a whopper surprise. Beautiful & spacious serviced apartments with every imaginable five star amenity in these 43 apartments! The future of Lavasa had arrived. We had time to kill & decided to "experience' the LEC (LAVASA EXPERIENCE CENTER) next to the Fortune building. Another architectural masterpiece - Elegant straight lines, a airy majestic atrium & a superlative auditorium. This indeed is the showcase of modern India!

Around me I hear my friends Deepak & Jimmy remarking on the several species of birds that have congregated on the broken limbs of what at one time must have been beautiful proud trees. And that’s when it hits me. This wasn’t always a dried up grove. At some point this was probably a full and lush grove of trees. They once claimed this space for themselves. They lived here, providing a safe haven for countless generations of creatures. Somehow over the course of time these trees became a casualty of the elements to which they were exposed. Slowly, they succumbed, one by one to the inevitable effects of being deprived of water. The little collection of trees, that had managed to survive for years unattended, died. Now only a few brave soldiers still stand tall and proud. You can see them trying so hard to maintain their dignity as all around them life goes on. At first glance it’s easy to overlook them. We tend to get so caught up on the hustle and bustle of the life we see all around them. This bird or that one going about their daily life with the same nearsightedness from which we all suffer. Each keeping to themselves, going about their day and following their own urgent agenda. It’s not so difficult to understand. We are ourselves a reflection of the nature we came out here to be with. At one point or another all of us have been exposed to loss and grief. Though we might think we’ll never survive such losses; we inevitably do. As is in the human spirit, we survive and overcome and manage to live day to day in spite of it all. These once magnificent trees are a testament to the frailty and beauty of life. They have struggled through many changes and managed to remain standing through many seasons. And though they stand here before me; I know they are dying. Life is no longer theirs to have. They are destined to keep struggling everyday for that last shred of sunlight to touch their trunks before finally giving in to the red caked earth below. They have so much they would like to tell us. But it’s hard to hear them over the squawking migratory white birds nearby. It’s only when we stop and find some stillness that we can hear their tale.
All of us had congregated at Lavasa to witness the grand opening of the ITC Fortune select Dasve Hotel. Our honorable MP Sou Supriya Suleji had inaugurated the hotel & the celebratory party was a few hours down the evening. A group of us friends decided to take a walk around the lake & that is where we discovered this dead patch of trees. The most visionary project taken up by Team Lavasa is the re-forestation of barren slopes & the re-greening of the hillsides which have been cut to make way for the Lavabahn that is the connecting artery to the outside world. This is such a serene world by the lakeside. A beautiful blend of nature & its eco-friendly environment. We walked ahead from this barren area towards the dam and on towards the Portofino street. Jimmy had also inaugurated his out-of-the-world American Diner (A replica of the successful restaurant from India Habitat Center, New Delhi) that afternoon. We were in for a pleasant surprise... our first onion rings & peanut butter smoothies in Lavasa. We were joined by Dr & Mrs Suri who had also come in from Mumbai for the Fortune launch.
The Fortune Select Dasve looked resplendant & bedecked in shimmering lights like a newly wed bride. The glitter of the sparkling lights reflected off the serene waters of the lake. We walked across the "venetian" bridge & joined the party on the lawns of this magnificient building.

Lavasa beckons in November

Where flowers bloom so does hope.
- Lady Bird Johnson, Public Roads: Where Flowers Bloom
Something about flowers delights and stirs the soul of man. Since the beginning of literature and poetry, flowers have represented beauty, nature and tranquility, and love. According to the Bible, "Not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of [the lilies of the field]."
I took my kids for a drive to Paud for the Lavasa property registration & was welcomed with a sea of yellow flowers beckoning us to Lavasa. I think they are some type of wild yellow daisies. I'm not sure about the genus, but for sure this sea of yellow is soothing to the eyes. People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us. Yellow is a lovely color - and simple too! There are always flowers for those who want to see them.
A movie may have a cast of dozens of supporting actors, with hundreds of crew members working behind the scenes to bring the story to the silver screen. In the end, though, all eyes are on the star. It's the glamorous diva or the handsome stranger who gets all of the attention. But, I'm sure in November, even if the diva is Lavasa, it is these supporting actors who are going to hog the limelight. A bright flower can be the star of public roads. You'll be automatically drawn to a bloom that looks dramatically different from its surroundings. This is why perennial flowers in shades of yellow and orange can have such a strong impact on the environs. Whether they are part of a natural garden of wildflowers, or a carefully-chosen component in a formal display, the boldness and brightness of yellow to orange perennial flowers always makes a strong statement. We waded through this sea of yellow fromn Chandni Chowk to Paud & hoped that these remain in bloom for a few months more!
Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.
-Luther Burbank

They say that happiness is elusive; a slippery thing, not easily held. And yet the stuff of happiness is everywhere. It is all around you in each moment, in each person in your life, and in every step you take on this holy ground. Happiness is yours to choose to see. Stop for a moment. Breathe. Open your eyes to what is around you. Breathe the beauty of nature and melt into it, and allow it to melt into you. If you want to know happiness; if you want to find it, take a walk. Smell the grasses and trees. Look down at your feet. See the small but powerful beauty of the wild flowers pushing up between rocks. Why do you think you feel their beauty? It is natural isn’t it? But why? A wild flower is just one example of nature’s gift, and its message to you: that beauty and happiness are at your feet; that it is your choice to either see them or walk on by, and that seemingly delicate beauty, possesses great strength. You will find happiness in your connection to this natural world — including your own nature. You will find happiness in curiosity. You will unearth it when you indulge your sense of awe and excitement.We live in a rich universe of unimaginable abundance, power, and mystery. Is it that difficult to accept the simple happiness embodied in the pure and beautiful? You can still be tough and street-smart. You can still go toe-to-toe with the best of them. But do take time to look down at your feet now and then to notice where you are. And especially, take a moment to see the small beauty that grows in the hard places of your life. Feel just how powerful that beauty is, and be happy for it.

Happiness can be a yellow flower – if you so choose.

Look at the picture of the pillon rider on the motor-bike on the Lavabahn. The Saffron turban, the white kurta & the greens that he is carting off for maybe fodder. What does it remind you of? It reminded me of our tricolor & of National pride. It reminded me of how Lavasa is making the country proud. It reminds me of the small team with vision to procreate a hill-station that will be an envy to the world; a place where we will earn the most carbon credits in this vast nation. A place where we will show-case the best India has to offer the world. Coming back to the sea of yellow, I returned late evening & these wild yellow flowers seemed to have changed color to orange. Maybe I was hallucinating, maybe not!

"I love to smell flowers in the dark," she said. "You get hold of their soul then."
-Lucy Maud Montgomery in Anne's House of Dreams

Lavasa - The Kingdom of Zeus is Born

Zeus ( Greek: nominative: Ζεύς Zeús /zdeús/, genitive: Διός Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/) in Greek mythology is the king of the Gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the God of the sky and thunder. In addition to his Indo-European inheritance, the classical "cloud-gatherer" also derives certain iconographic traits from the cultures of the ancient Near East, such as the scepter. In Hindu mythology his counterpart was Indra with ever common weapon as thunderbolt.

Zeus, poetically referred to by the vocative Zeu pater ("O, father Zeus"), is a continuation of *Di̯ēus, the Proto-Indo-European god of the daytime sky, also called *Dyeus ph2tēr ("Sky Father"). The god is known under this name in Sanskrit (cf. Dyaus/Dyaus Pita), Latin (cf. Jupiter, from Iuppiter, deriving from the PIE vocative *dyeu-ph2tēr), deriving from the basic form *dyeu- ("to shine", and in its many derivatives, "sky, heaven, god"). To the Greeks and Romans, the God of the sky was also the supreme God. Zeus is the only deity in the Olympic pantheon whose name has such a transparent Indo-European etymology.
The war of the Titans & Gods in Greek Mythology lasted ten years, after which the gods divided the earth among themselves by drawing lots. Zeus took the sky, Poseidon the sea and Hades the underworld.

After my first visit to Lavasa, I just knew that this was the Indian connection to the Indo-European mythography. Look at the pictures. In free India, we have never seen a planned hill-abode with the best architecture & facilities that contemporary building industry has to offer today. Lavasa at 3000 feet above sea level is indeed the Kingdom of Zeus or Indra that was promised to Hindustan in comparative mythology. This is the Kingdom of Zeus in the skies- this is the place where Zeus-the cloud gatherer resides. This is the promised Kingdom in the skies.

The LavaBahn took pride in being the only blemish-less road in the region which was pot-hole-free, but this time around I counted 5 pot-holes on this road. Must inform the seniors who pride themselves on the LavaBahn! I took a walk on the first Dam and got some excellent aerial shots;) (see pictures). The lakes are overflowing & this is one of the best seasons to visit Lavasa.

The last weekend that I drove there in my new car (Incidentally, this car will have the distinction of being the first vehicle to be registered at a Lavasa address!), the workers were scrubbing the floating piers clean, in preparation for the post-monsoon relaunch of the water-sports. What I repeatedly wondered was why should the eco-friendly team allow the diesel motor-boats to run in the main lake? This is the lake that gives the potable water-supply to the township. In this lake, which is the smallest of the 22km dammed Warasgaon lake, the authorities should only allow paddle-boats or sail boats or rowing boats - no fuel driven boats should be allowed in the main lake touching the Portofino area. There is a huge second lake (see pictures) which I believe will be home to the pontoon boat imported from the USA. This lake should be the venue for all motorised crafts & aquatic-sports. I hope some-one sensible in the Tourism Vertical pays heed to these suggestions.

The Kingdom of Zeus is fast-shaping up and probably will be ready before the projected 2010 Monsoons. There are 2000 skilled engineers and workers besides the unskilled labourers today, working 12-14 hour shifts giving birth to a new township-the likes of which our country has never seen before. On 15th October 2008, the ITC Fortune Hotel is due to kick off its operations with 60 rooms. Shortly, before the end of this year, 500 serviced apartments will be ready. Presently, the Corporation is restricting the visitors cars to 100/day. I think there will have to be extended visitation restrictions till 2010 when the Kingdom will be thrown open to the public.

I am glad I was introduced to Lavasa in its gestational period and am seeing the baby grow in its womb! I'm sure, the delivery will be a moment to cherish. Rumors abound that PVR will set-up a 4 screen multiplex & a world-famous adventure sports company will be setting up shop here. Lavasa - The Kingdom of Zeus is Born!

The Way To Lavasa - Land of Zeus & Poseidon

September 6, 2008, Saturday. My wife Swati's birthday & what better way to celebrate it than taking her to the Land of Zeus & Poseidon:) In Greek mythology, Poseidon (Greek: Ποσειδῶν; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the sea. Poseidon was given a trident during the war of the Titans and the gods, in which he fought alongside his siblings. The war lasted ten years, after which the gods divided the earth among themselves by drawing lots. Zeus took the sky, Poseidon the sea and Hades the underworld. I have christened Lavasa as the Land of Zeus & Poseidon- a blessed waterbody in the skies. We left at 7am from our residence in Central Mumbai. We reached the Lavabahn(the road from Pirangut to Lavasa) in about three hours after a Wada-Pao break near the Kamshet toll-point on the Express-way. The road was enveloped by verdant green all through the 37 Kms to Lavasa. We met the Maharashtrian Cowboy (Dinkar Bhau on his pony Suraj)(see picture). We also met Ramdas the cattle-grazer & Subhash the Sahyadri Fodder-Delivery Executive (see pictures). We had Masala-Chai in Dagdu Mama's village about 9 Kms from Lavasa. Dagdu Mama posed for pictures with his Ox Krishnaa (see picture).
We saw Buffalos bathing in roadside ponds & cows grazing in lush green meadows. I was fascinated by the shades of Green all along the Lavabahn.The word green is closely related to the old English verb growan, “to grow”. It is used to describe plants or the ocean. The most common associations, however, are found in its ties to nature. For example, Islam venerates the color, as it expects paradise to be full of lush greenery. Green is also associated with regeneration, fertility and rebirth for its connections to nature. See the accompanying pictures of my Journey to Lavasa. Nineteen out of 20 pictures have thirteen shades of green.
Shocking pink (also called neon pink) is bold and intense. It takes its name from the shade used on the box of the perfume called Shocking, designed by Leonor Fini for the Surrealist fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli in 1937. This in turn was inspired by the Tête de Belier (Ram's Head), a 17.27ct pink diamond from Cartier owned by heiress Daisy Fellowes, who was one of Schiaparelli's best clients. Shocking pink kept its name in British English, whereas in North America "This intense magenta was called shocking pink in the 1930s, hot pink in the 1950s, and kinky pink in the 1960s...[it] has appeared in the vanguard of more than one youth revolution...to some it sings, to others it screams" . On its way into the German language, shocking pink lost the "shocking" and is called only "Pink", while the English color "pink" is referred to as "Rosa". Meanwhile in Portuguese one of its nomenclatures arrived intact becoming "cor-de-rosa choque" ("shocking pink") used more frequently in Brazil. It's also called "çingene pembesi" (Gypsy pink) in Turkish. Enjoy the pink Saree of Yashoda Padwal working the green paddy fields- Don't miss out the pink wild flowers in the foreground. Pink shades continue in Master Waghmare's smart pink T-shirt. Pink was the predominant color standing out in the journey other than Green.
Before we hit the first dam on Warasgaon lake, we barged into the early morning board meeting of the Dasve goats right in the middle of the road! Taking a minor detour we crossed the first of six dams on the 22 Km lake and crossed over to the top of the dam. The lake is now overflowing through the controlled sluice gates and feeding the Mutha river which flows down towards Pune. See the accompanying aerial pictures of the beginnings of the Mutha river from the top of this dam. The Mutha arises in the western ghats and flows eastward until in merges with the Mula River in the city of Pune. It has been dammed twice, firstly at the Panshet Dam, used as a resource of HydroElectricity. The water released here is dammed again at Khadakwasla and is an important source of drinking water for Pune. One more dam has been built later on the Mutha river at Temghar. After merging with the River Mula in Pune it flows as the Mula-Mutha to join the river Bhima.
Finally, we were there! The Warasgaon lake brimming with happiness was the ideal home for Poseidon. The lake in Zeus' skies - at 3000 feet above sea level. The friendly staff at Ekaant welcomed us with Iced Tea - after a short walk through the freshly laid out nature trail, we savoured Chef Sandeep's creations (including my favorite Pokchoy leaf + Cottage cheese salad!). I enjoyed the chilled Fosters pints. The birthday party at night organized by the F & B team was a nice private dinner in the patio outside our ground level room - again, with the clouds walking into our room.