Fun Time With Friends

During the weekend had friends come over to visit Pune and needless to say we had a great weekend.For me too,visits to Sarasbaug and Sinhagad were indeed refreshing,because its almost a decade or more since I went to these places.
Company of friends is always enjoyable.So all of us sure had a good time.
My friends arrived home around five in the evening and were treated to some hot batata wadas straight from the kadai, along with bakarwadi, chiwda, karanji, badusha and home made filter coffee,which they all throughly enjoyed.
Friday evening we spent some time at Sarasbaug,first at the famous Sarasbaug Ganapati temple.Though it was weebit dark still loved the blooming lotuses of varied colours in the said to be fountains which didn't work.There were some dummy cranes in the midst of the water which did for a few seconds dupe us into thinking they were real.Close by was a seagull perched so comfortable on a rock there and this time we were yet again taken for a ride,because this time we thought it was dummy and it turned out to be a real one, sitting still waiting for its prey.
Couldn't click any pictures, first we forgot our cameras second it was a little too dark.
We next visited our mutual friend at Katraj who has recently been elevated to the status of grandmother.All babies are cute and so was this one too.
Enjoyed coffee and Kolhapuri misal at their place.
After pet pooja all of us were just in the rght frame to hit the bed, but we had 45 minutes of ride before we reached home.
Saturday we were all ready for Sinhagad after a typical Maharashtrian breakfast of Kanda poha and chai.On the way we stopped for a bit to click some pictures(We remembered to carry the camera today) at Khadakwasala lake.The early morning chill breeze and the lake view was indeed very scenic and sure would inspire any poet to write a few lines....bad luck I am no poet:).
We reached Sinhagad to find a big notice there saying vehicles will not be allowed uphill for 2 months due to work going on there.Aah!!that was soooo very disappointing for all of us,none of us had the energy to even imagine doing it on foot,so a bit dejected and disappointed, we walked back to the car and were about to get in when someone just signalled to us to come,and came to us and said if anyof us were a govt servant and carried our ID's we could take our vehicle.He gave us option 2 too, which was to wait and go in the workers jeep.We did have two govt servants with us and both of them had their ID's with them.So with the smiles back and thanking GOD for coming to our help as HE ALWAYS does,(We just need to put all our faith on HIM and be rest assured that HE will take care of us) we drove our way up.It was good weather,sun shining and also a nice chill breeze to keep the heat away.
We spent sometime exploring the fort and seeing the important spots there,the DEv tanki, Kalyan Gate and many such.It is truly unimaginable how during Shivaji's time they climbed this on day to day basis and how the food and other material reached them.
A visit to Sinhagad is never complete without the famous Kanda bajji, bakri pitla and matka dahi,sure enough we did total justice to all of it and we alsi had barleli vangi this time which was spicy and would burn a hole right through.The bakri was excellent, so very soft and piping hot,pitla was good too.The matka dahi was indeed awesome,made from full cream milk,waah!! was just out of the world stuff.
Afer a sumptuous and enjoyable mini meal it was time for us to head downwards because we had a couple of other places too on the agenda.
Our next stop was Chitale Bandhu for soem bakarwadi&farsan, Laxmi road, a brief vist to PN Gadgil,some time at the famous and very old 'Kirti' a look around Vishrambaug wada and then the most popular Tulsi baug.My friends were totally lost at the antique brass shops in Tulsi baug,the result was that we ended spending a couple of hours there.
I must not forget to mention here that my friends were so impressed with the fruit basket I have at home and they all wanted one.Unfortunately that particular model was
no more in stock in any of the shops there.Quitting or giving up when you have once set your mind on something was sure one important thing I learnt here.We had only a shop which could probably have the fruit basket we were looking for and he was closed briefly for a lunch break.It was indeed amusing to me to watch so many like us queued up there outside the most popular TULSI shop,as if they were waiting for darshan of God Almighty,of course me too waited out there and just barged into the shop asking around for the fruit basket, and sure enough we did get it here, what a sign of relief on all our faces.Little things in life give us great pleasure and joy and such an immense sense of achievbement is what this experience taught me.Since we were already way behind schedule we had to cut out Aghakhan palace from our agenda and our next place of visit was Chatushringi Mata Temple.
After so many many years I climbed the temple and had a blissful darshan of "MAA".Went back down memory lane when our 'Lalitha Sahasranama' Group of ladies used to be here on the first day of navratri and chant Lalitha sahasranama in the temple premises which used to be so full of energy and great vibrations.
After temple darshan time once again for some snacks and so headed towards canal road for some sev puri stuff.It was a take away and so we headed homwards with sev puri,enjoyed sev puri with some filter coffee and then as is natural all of us were a teeny bit exhausted and needed to rest a while.
Dinner was simple home made phulaks ,cabbage bajhi,amti,which my maid Savita so lovingly served us all hot.The conversatiobn went to the bhakri we had at Sinhagad and Savita(my maid)had to prove that she was equally efficient in turning out soft bhakris insisted on making them for us.So we all enjoyed another round bhakri and this time home made.
My friends had an early train to catch the next morning so after sitting a while and recollecting the days events, it was time for all to say good night for the day.
Next morning after chai with bread toast it was time for them to say bye.I must conclude by thanking the driver for doing a great job for us all through their stay.

A nice weekend that!!

jai gurudev....