Firemen at 2013 Republic Day parade Shivaji Park Mumbai

Firemen are an incredibly courageous lot. People tend to run away from flames with a natural horror of getting burned and being charred. Firemen, on the other hand, run towards the horrifying danger to battle the flames.

Most of our firemen do not have the special costumes to protect them from fire. Yet they plunge into the danger, time and again. They also rescue people trapped in high rise buildings and those trapped in stuck lifts. See them in their glorious fireman's uniforms in the photos below taken at the 2013 Republic Day parade at Shivaji Park. This time, though, there were not fire engines unlike at previous parades. Perhaps they were required at the site of a major fire.

2013 Republic Day parade Shivaji Park Mumbai

This year's Republic Day parade at Shivaji Park, Mumbai was an even grander event than previous years with the addition of more floats and more folk dance groups from the smaller towns and rural areas of Maharashtra.

It is a pity that the public stays away. There is a crowd, but not as much as one would expect. It was really a wonderful opportunity to see & cheer the various units of the police forces, fire brigade, security forces, army, navy and other personnel smartly turned out in their full working kit.

The photographs in this and related blog posts reveal them in all their glory.

Travel Tips for visitors to Ajanta Ellora caves Aurangabad

At the outset it should be mentioned that you should not try to pack in a visit to the Ajanta caves at the same time as the Ellora caves. You should keep enough time to explore the grandeur of the two caves separately.

Dining at Dala Rooster homestay Panchgani

The food served at Dala Rooster is wholesome and tasty. You can have  traditional Maharashtrian cuisine or western-type food. Breakfast items are fixed – upma, poha, sabudana khichdi etc. You can also have bread/oats & butter and ask for egg omlettes to be served. At tea time there are no snacks, just Glucon-D biscuits. 

Why is tilgul offered on Makar Sankranti

The spring festival of Makar Sankranti in terms of cosmic movements signifies the movement of the Sun from one constellation (Sagitarius) to another (Capricorn). Since the Sun God is the God of Light, this significant movement entails auspicious beginnings as there are more hours of light and fewer of darkness.

Staying at Dala Rooster Homestay Panchgani

As such there is no formal reception area at Dala Rooster homestay. Once you have located it, you walk into the door straight to a lounge area.  This homestay is not just a  truly beautiful place to stay at in Panchgani rather than opting to stay at a resort or formal hotel. Adding to the charm is the great service and thoughtfulness of the owners and the staff. You can see why here

Location of Dala Rooster Homestay Panchgani

The Dala Rooster homestay in Panchgani is located about 8-9kms. from Wai. (here is the review). Our private taxi driver knew the place as the taxi operator for whom he works was recommended to us by the owner, Captain Gokhale. Even if the name of the homestay is not known, you can ask for directions to the Gokhale bungalow.