Trip To Satara

Out of circulation for 2 weeks!
Reason was a trip to Satara.
Satara is approximately 124 Km from Pune and nestled in the western ghats.

The weather is similar to Ooty and Kodaikanal. Mahabaleshwar is just 47 Kms from Satara. Mahabaleshwar is a hill resort and famous spot for bollywood shootings. But we could not go there due to constant drizzle.

Besides a cool climate, this place is blessed with fresh air. I loved the just-plucked fresh vegetables from near by farms, brought to the market only towards evening each day. You just had to put the knife and the vegetables would get cut like it were a piece of butter! That tender each one was. I went crazy cooking most vegetables I could lay my hands on, as our family was put up in a company guest house with full kitchen facilities. The cow's milk was good. Its Ghee was even better. So was the malai paneer with which I made some of our family's favorite dishes like aloo-gobi-paneer, paneer-methi, stuffed paneer paranthas and mutter-paneer. It was sad that I found out about fresh paneer too late otherwise, it would have been paneer this or paneer that, all through our stay. Thank God the family escaped the paneer over-do punishment!!

The view from our first floor rooms was too good. Each morning we would wake up to the sight of misty clouds floating over lush green mountains. There would be drizzle but never a heavy down pour. The few minus about this place was that no tar roads are laid except the main thoroughfares resulting in too much slush all over. On top perhaps due to the cold weather, everybody would spit freely on the roads, anywhere and everywhere!!

The area is full of greenery and trees housing parrots, pigeons, sparrows, etc., which could be seen from close quarters. We shot some pictures which I am going to share.

My elderly cousin from Hyderabad gave me a hint to visit the Chinna Chidambaram, the famed Nataraja Temple built by the Maha Periyavaal, Sri Chandrashekhar Swamigal of Shankara Madom, Kanchipuram. I was fortunate to visit it and also recite the Lalitha Sahasranamam as an offering on a Friday to the Divine Mother.

My wish to visit the famed Kolhapur's Mahalakshmi temple also came true and I could sing the Mahalakshmi Ashtakam in HER divine presence inside the premises which was another high for me. Lesser crowd than usual made it possible.

Having left my elderly mother alone for a full 13 days was indeed worrisome, yet all of us sisters kept talking to her on the cell. I had also made arrangements with my neighbour to visit her at least twice a day. She did that wonderfully well because I and my husband have never hesitated to help her whenever there was a chance to help them. The servant also never let me down. My mother has always been the independent type and she must have loved to be on her own and do her things her way for 2 weeks! In fact when we arrived, she prepared crisp dosas with very good chutney and sambar. It was heaven to be back home and see mother. I have never been away from her for longer than 1 or 2 days at a time.

Mahalakshmi.