My 101 Lifetime GOALS
1. SEE A HUNDRED NEW ANIMALS
--- D-O-N-E ---
100. Takin(the national animal of Bhutan, at the Motithang Preserve at Thimpu) 99. Red-eared slider(a native turtle of South America, house pet) 98. Sea Lions(natural habitat at Pier 39, San Francisco) 97. Siberian Husky(someone's pet at HK) 96. Asian Water Monitor Lizard(natural habitat, Malaysia) 95. Puffer fish(a dead one, at the fish market HK) 94. Sea cucumbers(live ones at the fish market, HK) 93. Oysters(fish market, HK) 92. Oriental magpie and Asian Azure-winged magpie(natural habitat, China) 91. Red-billed blue magpie (natural habitat, Uttarakhand) 90. Chipmunk(natural habitat, Niagara State Park) 89. Canadian geese(natural habitat, USA) 88. Seagulls(natural habitat, India, HK, USA) 87. Kalij pheasant(natural habitat in Uttarakhand) 86. Scaly breasted munia(a beautiful small bird of Bangalore) 85. Barn owl(natural habitat, Bangalore) 84. Shikra(natural habitat, Bangalore) 83. Barn swallow(natural habitat, Bangalore) 82. Purple Moorhen(a.k.a swamp hen, lakes of Bangalore) 81. wasp moths - Euchromia Polymena and Hubner's (natural habitat, Karnataka) 80. moth - Cyana perornata(natural habitat, Karnataka) 79. Giant Panda(Ocean Park Hong Kong) 78. Pygmy Marmoset(a palm-sized monkey, at the Singapore zoo) 77. Orangutan(Singapore zoo) 76. Common Starling(natural habitat, USA) 75. Starfish(aquarium) 74. Jellyfish and Sea Jellies(aquarium) 73. Manta Rays(aquarium) 72. Stingrays(aquarium) 71. Manatee and baby(aquarium enclosures) 70. Leafy Seadragon(aquarium) 69. Sharks and Hammerhead sharks(aquarium) 68. Guitarfish(aquarium) 67. Chambered Nautilus(aquarium) 66. Garden Eels and Electric Eels(aquarium) 65. Sawfish(aquarium, HK) 64. Seahorse(aquarium and fish markets) 63. Dolphins(enclosures in aquarium, HK) 62. Seals(enclosures in aquarium, HK) 61. Arctic Fox(enclosures) 60. Anaconda(enclosures in zoo) 59. Sturgeons(aquarium) 58. Otters(enclosures in zoo) 57. Koala(enclosures in zoo) 56. Golden snub-nosed monkey(zoo) 55. Mandrill(zoo) 54. Lemur(zoo) 53. Tamarins(zoo) 52. Proboscis monkey(zoo) 51. Sloth(zoo) 50. Slow Loris(zoo) 49. Komodo Dragons(zoo) 48. Babirusa(pig with tusks, zoo) 47. Capybara(zoo) 46. Iguana(Bannerghatta National park enclosure, Bangalore) 45. Mouse deer(zoo) 44. Tapir(zoo) 43. Giant Tortoise(zoo) 42. Possums(zoo) 41. Meerkat(zoo) 40. Nyala and Bongo(African antelopes, zoo) 39. Oryx(zoo) 38. Eland(zoo) 37. Ibex(zoo) 36. Hyena(zoo) 35. Tarantula(zoo) 34. Gecko and Salamanders(zoo) 33. Malayan Flying Fox(zoo, large herbivore bats) 32. Hornbills(bird enclosures) 31. Flamingo(bird enclosures) 30. Macaws, Parakeets, Cockatoos, Lories and Lorikeets(bird enclosures) 29. Wood duck(bird enclosures) 28. Toucans(bird enclosures) 27. Cassowary(bird enclosures) 26. Violet Turaco(bird enclosures) 25. Currawong(bird enclosures) 24. Kiwi(bird enclosures) 23. Nicobar Pigeon (bird enclosures) 22. Red-wattled lapwing(natural habitat, Corbett National Park) 21. Himalayan Monal(bird enclosure, Jurong bird park) 20. Malayan and Crested peacock pheasant(Jurong Bird park) 19. Helmeted Guinea fowl(bird enclosure) 18. Victoria Crowned pigeon(bird enclosure) 17. Ostriches(bird enclosure) 16. Emu(bird enclosure) 15. Laughingthrushes and doves(bird enclosure) 14. Chameleons(zoo) 13. Temminck's tragopan(bird enclosure) 12. Bird-of-paradise(bird enclosure) 11. Terrapins(zoo) 10. Falcons and Vultures(bird enclosure) 9. Oriole(bird enclosure) 8. Baboons and Chimpanzees(zoo) 7. Siamang(zoo) 6. White-faced Saki(zoo) 5. Cheetah(zoo) 4. Wallaby(zoo) 3. Pygmy Hippopotamus(zoo) 2. Saddle-billed storks(bird enclosure) 1. Sand boa(natural habitat, Karnataka)
Barking deer(Motithang Preserve, Bhutan), Piranha(aquarium, HK) Penguins(aquarium enclosures) White-capped Redstart(natural habitat, Uttarakhand and China) White-bellied treepie(natural habitat, Chamundi hills Mysore) Pelicans, painted storks, Ibis and cattle egrets(natural habitat, Kokkre Bellur), Alligator Gars and Tinfoil Barbs and Giant Gowrami fish(Lalithodyana aquarium at Dharmasthala), Malnad Gidda cow(natural habitat, Sagara), a very heavy pug at a friends house named Kanna, Siberian seagulls at Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj during the Mahakumbh mela
2. EAT 101 NEW FRUITS
101. Pomelo 100. Passion Fruit 99. Nectarine 98. Grapefruit 97. Dragon Fruit 96. Persimmon 95. Apricots and Peaches 94. Tree Tomato(Tamarillo) 93. Jujube(the Chinese variant) 92. Yellow Plum 91. Blackberries and Raspberries 90. Blueberries 89. Paneer Fruit(Syzygium Jambos) 88. Star fruits 87. Avocado 86. Rose apples - white, pink and red 85. Banana variants - red banana, karpooravalli, poovan, Nanjangud rasbalehannu, yelakki 84. The tiny almond inside peach seeds 83. Mangosteen 82. Ambarella(Indian Hog Plum) 81. Rambutan 80. Hazelnuts 79. Physalis 78. Yellow watermelon (the skin is yellow, the pulp is red) 77. Mango variant Kala Phad from Tamil Nadu, dark green-black skin and yellow pulp and tastes like Kesar/saffron 76. wild jackfruit a.k.a anjili chakka - a palm-sized, rather sour, jackfruit 75. Green peaches at Shillong - fully ripe fruits still have green peels 74. Soh namdong(yellow fruits) at Shillong 73. Sohiong('black fruit' - sweet and sour purplish-black berry) in Shillong 72. Pineapple variant, quite sweet, grown in Shillong and exported to Middle East 71. Kaji Nemu, the long and huge lemon from North East, weighing above 200 grams each 70. Boiled water chestnuts(Singhada) 69. red dates 68.
Wishlist:
Ou tenga, Carandas cherry or Karonda, Phalsa berry, Soursop, bread fruit, prickly pear, miracle fruit/berry, Jabuticaba, black sapota, Australian finger lime, Longan, Star apple, cranberry, different coloured corn
3. EAT 101 NEW DISHES
1. Rhododendron(an edible flower, and the national flower of Nepal) 2. Ema Datshi (a chilli - cheese dish), the national dish of Bhutan 3. Kewa Datshi(potato - cheese dish) at Bhutan 4. Kaya(green-coloured jam made of eggs, coconut, pandan leaves and sugar, Singapore) 5. Tao Bao (steamed bun with sweet red bean filling, Malaysia) 6. Dim sum(multi-course meal of dumplings, Hong Kong) 7. Black rice porridge (China) 8. Amarula(South African liquor made of Marula fruits, cream and sugar, has a strong vanilla taste, quite expensive) 9. Suja(salted butter tea, Bhutan) 10. French Crepe(in USA) 11. Cendol(Malaysian ice-cream) 12. Plum Tea, Lotus tea, bubble(sago) tea of various flavours(HK) 13. Bean curd(tofu with sweet syrup of red-bean, HK) 14. Black bean soup in breadbowls(Panera, USA) 15. Pretzels - both sweet and savoury, donuts and bagels (USA) 16. Pan cakes with maple syrup(USA) 17. Baklava, at a turkish baklava outlet in Bengaluru 18. Hazelnut-flavoured creamer(thick sweetened milk to add to tea/coffee, USA) 19. Madeleine(shell-shaped, buttery tiny cakes, from France) 20. Butter from France 21. Malaysian flat noodles (vegetarian version) 22. White coffee of Ipoh at Ipoh 23. Teh Tarik(Malaysian pulled tea, made with condensed milk) 24. Fried Tofu in China 25. Sweet potato fries at a casino in Niagara, USA 26. A Buddhist meal in Po Lin monastery, Lantau Island, HK 27. Candied Hawthorne on stick, HK 28. Aubergine Parmigiana, at a restaurant in USA 29. Pineapple bun, HK 30. Turkish Delight, made by a colleague's wife 31. Banoffee cupcakes, baked by a star chef(a Le Cordon Bleu grad) who's also a friend's daughter 32. Croissant - plain and chocolate(pain au chocalat) - from Paris 33. Baguette from Paris 34. Nepali thali in Kathmandu and at tea-houses on the ABC trail, Nepal 35. Chocolates(liqueurs) from France - filled with rum and other liquors 36. Russian Medovik(layered cake) from a bakery in Benglauru 37. Macarons from a bakery in Bengaluru 38.
Indian:
1. Patishapta(Bengali sweet made only during festivals) 2. Pootharekulu(an Andhra sweet) from Hyderabad 3. Gulladaki Unde(a North Karnataka sweet made over 4 days) 4. Chhena Poda(an Oriya sweet) 5. Paan-flavoured petha(at Agra) and other flavours 6. Alu cha fadfada(made of colocasia leaves, Maharashtra) - a wedding(ours) specialty 7. Amrakhand and Anarsa(Maharashtra sweets) 8. Kokum - dried peels, sharbat9. Thoothukudi Macaroons from Thoothukudi 10. Tirunelveli halwa(dripping in ghee) from Tirunelveli 11. Onam sadya - the elaborate Kerala festival meal 12. Mangalore buns(soft, sweet puri made of banana and jaggery) and goli bajji 13. Sooji kakara pitha(festival sweet of Orissa) 14. Sattu paratha and chana-dal puri(dishes from Bihar) 15. Kotthu paratha(Tamil Nadu) 16. Dabeli, fafda and green papaya chutney(Gujrati snacks) 17. Phool makhana(a.k.a fox nuts or lotus seeds) 18. Nuchchina Unde from Karnataka 19. Jhal muri in Calcutta(on a train), with mustard oil, pickle and the works 20. Mawa Kachori, anjeer kalakand and Paneer jalebi (Rajasthani delicacies) 21. Betel-leaf flavoured wine from Coorg 22. Maddur vada from Maddur 23. Ooty varkey from Ooty 24. Hazelnut chocolate and dark chocolate 70% from Ooty(the cacao pods are grown in Ooty) 25. Kumbakonam degree(chicory) coffee in Kumbakonam 26. Mallige Idly in Bengaluru 27. Sabakki idli(sabudana and dill) in Bengaluru 28. Misal pav in Pune 29. Raagi halbai a.k.a raagi manni and rice manni/halbai, in Bengaluru 30. Chhurpi(hard nuggets made of yak milk) from Sikkim 31. Kanchipuram idli at Varadaraja Perumal temple, Kanchipuram 32. Khara sundal prasad at Udupi Sri Krishna temple - unusually delicious 33. Kadubu - the cylindrical, savoury idly 34. Khasi thali in Shillong - rice with bamboo pickle, peppered radishes and more, with everything being quite spicy 35. the famed Lal Chawal(red rice) of Uttarakhand with very high iron content 36. Fig pickle from Uttarakhand 37. Gujrati bhakri - wheat bhakri and bajra bhakri 38. Singhada chaat - boiled water chestnuts with spices 39. Rabdi in Haridwar 40. Salam pak from Gujarat - the winter dessert 41. Ghari, another popular dessert from Gujarat 42. Pundi in Shimoga 43. Awlakki mosru in Shimoga 44. GaNa homa prasada at Hattiangadi Siddhivinayaka temple 45. jackfruit papad 46. Malaiyo followed by badam milk in Varanasi 47. Malai lassi in Varanasi 48. Dry-fruit thandai in Banaras 49. Banaras paan in Varanasi 50. Kachori(a savoury breakfast poori) in Varanasi 51. Banarasi Laal peda in Varanasi 52. Kokum chutney in Pune 53. ALu vadi a.k.a patrode in Pune 54. Sol kadhi(kokum in coconut milk) 55. Dal bafla in Ujjain 56. Kada prashad(wheat flour halwa at the golden temple in Amritsar and in Ulsoor gurudwara) 57.
wishlist: dalma, papudi, sweet rice in Puri Jagannath temple, khaja, rabdi lassi, odissi rosagulla, rasabali, pakhala, ou khatta, pumpkin flower fritter, jhili, dahi aloo bada in odisha, ou khatta
4. SEE 51 NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD
1. The Himalayan mountain range - at Munsiyari, the mountains at Auli, the Annapurna range in Nepal 2. Beautiful waterfalls - Hogenakal waterfalls in Tamil Nadu, Gaganchukki and Bharachukki waterfalls near Bangalore, Niagara waterfalls in USA, De Tian waterfalls in China, Nuorilang Falls and Pearl Shoal waterfalls 3. Sinkholes - Belum caves in Andhra Pradesh, Patal Bhuvaneshwar limestone cave temple at Uttarakhand 4. Limestone caves - Batu cave, Gua Tempurang, Perak Tong cave, Ling Sen Tong cave temple(all in Malaysia) 5. Beautiful Lakes of Juizhaigou National Park - Five Colour Pond, Five Flower Lake, Tiger Lake, Panda Lake, Sleeping Dragon Lake, Mirror Lake 6. An estuary - in Pondicherry, connecting the Bay of Bengal to the Chunnambar backwaters 7. Rain columns - in Bangalore 8. Heavy snowfall in Uttarakhand, the first snowfall of the year and in Nepal 9. Hailstorms - in Bangalore and Jhansi 10. Squall - in Agra 11. White-outs - in Nepal 12. The aftermath of an avalanche in Nepal during the ABC trek 13. Mirages - during summer in Jhansi 14. Double rainbows 15. The smiley moon of Dec 1, 2008 16. Earthquakes, in Kittur and Jhansi 17. Meteor shower 18. Stratocumulus clouds 19. Starling murmurations 20. Stalagmites and stalactites in caves 21. Rainbows forming in waterfalls at eye-level and below 22. Hot-water spring at Tapovan near Joshimath in Uttarakhand 23. Algae causing water to appear blue, green and yellow at Juizhaiguo National Park in China 24. A 400-year old banyan tree sprawling over 3 acres, at Kethohalli in Bangalore 25. Hollow granite rocks at Mekedatu by Kaveri river, near Bangalore 26. Land-slides and mud-slides 27. Clear starry skies seen from a high altitude in Uttranchal 28. Beautiful and never-ending snow-covered mountain range all around at the Machchapuchre Base Camp, Nepal 29. seeing the sun and the moon at the same time 30. Living root bridges in Sohra - roots of rubber fig tree encouraged to grow aerially across and form a bridge to the other side of the stream flowing near the trees. the aerial roots are well-supported by other roots growing vertically downwards 31. Mawsmai caves with rain-fed water flowing in streams and collecting in pools all over 32. white rocks at Gangotri 33. sparkling white and very fine sand at Gangotri 34. super-cooled water, i.e water in liquid form when the temperatures dip below zero degree celsius... in Badrinath at minus seven degree celsius 35. Green and brown waters at the prayags in Uttarakhand that do not mix easily 36. water coming out of rocks in a steady stream at Nagateertha in Kodachadri and in Uttarakhand. it's called 'sarai' in Hindi and it is the source of drinking water up in the hills of Uttarakhand 37. Heat-haze or mirage, on the way from Omkareshwar to Indore 38. zero-shadow day on april 17th 2025 39. Butterfly migration - the annual butterfly migration of the blue tiger butterfly(Tirumala limniace) in Bengaluru 40. Watcing Fire flies light up 41.
Wishlist: chilika lake - a coastal lagoon, eternal flame in Jwala ji, marble rocks of Jabalpur, dessert-like mountainous terrain in Leh-Ladakh, Loktak lake in Manipur, Lonar crater, Deccan traps, Majuli island(river islands) in Assam, river island in Udupi, Rann of Kutch with white sand, salt flats in Rajasthan, Nelliteertha cave temple, rocky arch in Tirumala, whirlpool in Japan, gorge in Japan, Aurora Borealis, light pillars, volcanoes, Antarctica, rainbow coloured bark of trees in Malaysia, rafflesia in Malaysia, yellowstone national park, canyons at arizona, the dead sea, red wood trees, glaciers, crystal caves in mexico, marble caves, rainbow mountains, ice caves, glowworm caves in nz, giant causeway in ireland, black pink and white sands, lake hillier with blue and pink waters, gas crater in turkmenistan, iguazu falls, water flowing under clear ice, waterfalls(Waterfall Island in paraguay), fjords, world's deepest gorge in Nepal, bioluminiscent beaches, black sand, Cone Volcano Paricutin in Michoacán, Mexico
https://nomadparadise.com/underrated-bucket-list-experiences/, La Huasteca Potosina in Mexico, Cenotes of Quintana Roo, Mexico, rain forests of Borneo, ice Cave, Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska, USA, Ik-Kil Cenote near Chichen Itza, Mexico, Rainbow Mountain (Montana de Siete Colores), Vinicunca, Cusco Region, Peru, salt flats, Marble Caves in Patagonia in Chile, Petra landscapein Jordan
5. DO A KAILASH PARIKRAMA, TOUCH THE KAILASH PARBAT AND TAKE A DIP IN LAKE MANSAROVAR
6 - 23. VISIT ALL 18 MAHA SHAKTI PEETHAS
These places and goddesses are mentioned in the Shakthi Peetha Stotram by Adi Shankaracharya:
lankayam shankaridevi... kamakshi kanchikapure (done)
pradyumne shrinkhaladevi... chamunda krounchapattane (done)
alampure jogulamba... srishaile bhramarambika
kolhapure mahalakshmi... mahurye ekaveerika
ujjainyam mahakali(done)... peethikayam puruhutika
odhyane girijadevi... manikya dakshavatike
harikshetre kamarupi (done) ... prayage madhaveshwari
jwalayam vaishnavidevi... gaya mangalyagourika
varanasyam vishalakshi (done)... kashmiretu saraswati
ashtadasha shaktipeethani yoginamapi durlabham
sayankale pathe nityam, sarva-shatru vinashanam
sarvarogaharam divyam sarvasampatkaram shubham
Shaktipeeth:
Maa Sri Vaishnodevi temple on Trikoota hills in Katra J&K, Savadatti Yallamma temple, Badami Sri Banashankari temple, Horanadu Sri Annapoorneshwari temple, Sringeri Sri Sharadamba temple, Kateelu Sri Durga Parameshwari temple, Kolluru Sri Mookambika temple, Sri Mayadevi in Haridwar, Sri Surkanda Devi near Dhanaulti in Uttarakhand, Sri Dhari Devi in Srinagar Uttarakhand, Sri Lalita Mahatripura Sundari in Naimisharanya, Sri Vindhyavasini in Vindhyachal near Varanasi, Sri Harsiddhi Mata in Ujjain
24. VISIT THE FOUR AADI SHAKTIPEETH
1. Vimala Mata, Puri, Odisha
2. Tara Tarini Mata, Ganjam, Odisha
3. Kamakhya Mata, Guwahati, Assam -- Done 2x
4. Kalighat Kaali Mata, Kolkata, West Bengal
25. SEE 21 MOST BEAUTIFUL WATERFALLS IN THE WORLD
1. Niagara Falls, USA 2. De Tian waterfalls, China 3. Hogenakal waterfalls, Tamil Nadu, India 4. Nuorilang Waterfall, Juizhaigou National Park, China 5. Shivanasamudra falls, Karnataka 6. Jog falls, Karnataka 7. Iruppu falls, Coorg, Karnataka 8. Pearl Shoal waterfalls, Juizhaigou National Park, China 9. an unnamed waterfall in Shimoga, Karnataka 10. Abbey falls, Coorg, Karnataka 11. Panda Falls, Juizhaigou National Park, China 12. rain-fed waterfalls everywhere in Meghalaya during monsoon 13. the multiple waterfalls in Garden of Caves in Meghalaya 14.
wishlist: plitvice lakes, iguazu falls, dudhsagar falls
26. VISIT EVERY STATE AND UNION TERRITORY IN INDIA
1. Karnataka - Bengaluru, Mysore, Coorg, Avani, Dharmasthala, Kukke, Southadaka, Tumkuru, Shravan Belagola, Bandipur, Ramohalli, Srirangapatna, Belur, Kokkre Belluru, Kudala Sangama, Gajanur, Ramnagara, Ranganathittu, Tavarekoppa, Shivamogga, Aihole, Pattadakal, Badami, Udupi, Kateel, Hubli, Dharwad, Belgaum, Kittur, Savadatti, Kolluru, and many more.
2. Tamil Nadu - Chennai, Yercaud, Hogenakal, Kanchipuram, Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram
3. West Bengal - Kolkata, Darjeeling, Kalimpong
4. Jammu Kashmir - Jammu, Katra
5. Maharashtra - Pune, Jejuri
6. Punjab - Amritsar
7. Andhra Pradesh - Lepakshi, Kurnool, Tirumala
8. Uttarakhand - Auli, Chitai, Karnaprayag, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Munsiyari, Nainital, Ranikhet, Joshimath, Almora, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Mana, Dhanaulti, Srinagar, Guptkashi, Uttarkashi, Barkot, Dehradun and many more.
9. Delhi UT
10. Pondicherry UT
11. Uttar Pradesh - Jhansi, Agra, Lucknow, Neemsar, Varanasi, Prayagraj
12. Himachal Pradesh - Manali
13. Assam - Guwahati, Kamakhya
14. Telangana - Hyderabad
15. Meghalaya - Shillong, Sohra(cherrapunji), Tyrna, Mawryngkhang
16. Madhya Pradesh - Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Indore
17. Sikkim - Hasimara junction, and Jaigaon tea estates on the way to Bhutan
18. Odisha - Bhubaneshwar, Puri, Cuttack, Jajpur, Ganjam, Konark
19.
Pending: Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala(maa amrita meditation centre?), Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra-Nagar Haveli-Daman-Diu, Lakshadweep
27. VISIT ALL SEVEN CONTINENTS ON EARTH
1. Asia - (India, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Bhutan, Malaysia, Nepal)
2. North America - (USA)
3. South America
4. Europe
5. Australia
6. Africa
7. Antarctica
28. EXPERIENCE 21 DIFFERENT TERRAINS
21. Snow-covered mountains(ABC trek, Nepal) - crunchy, powdery snow that's a delight to walk on, and hardened, slippery snow that's more of a nightmare.
20. Wet sandy beaches(Chennai) and sandy, shallow ocean floor
19. Wet clay soil on riverbanks and ponds in villages - sticky and your feet just sinks and your footwear gets stuck
18. hill cut and smoothened into a flat-land at the Jejuri temple. it felt very smooth and pleasantly cold to walk on
17. Moss-covered, slippery riverbanks
16. Rocky surface of hills, also when it gets wet and slippery and dangerous(savanadurga, avani)
15. hanging bridges - made of steel(in Nepal), of ropes, of bamboo(Meghalaya), of wood(Nepal, Bhutan), of living roots of trees(double-root and single-root bridges of Meghalaya)
14. the bottoms of caves, smoothened by flowing water(in Meghalaya)
13. (walking barefoot on)13kms of pavement for Vaishnodevi yatra... and getting blisters afterwards..
12. White, glittery, soft and very fine sand on river banks in Uttarakhand especially at Gangotri
11. super soft and fine, beige-coloured sand at the bottom of the river, at Prayagraj during the Mahakumbh mela 2025
10. rocky bottom of the clear Narmada river in Omkareshwar.. the rocks were all smoothened into well-rounded pebbles
9. walking barefoor on a 14-km tar-road trail as part of giri-valam in Tiruvannamalai, TN, and getting blisters after. walking on very rough coir-carpets afterwards at the temple was quite painful.
8. thick, clumpy, cushion-like grass on lawns.. very inviting but very prickly to sit on
7.
wishlist: floating island of loktak, salt flats, volcanic ash, black sand, pink and black sands, deserts
29. EXPERIENCE 21 DIFFERENT TRANSPORTATIONS
-- DONE --
21. A double-decker airplane
20. Double-decker train, the Caltrain, in USA
19. Double-decker trams for local-transportation in HK
18. Double-decker buses in Pune
17. Funicular trams - trams that go up a hill at a steep angle - The Peak Tram in HK to visit Victoria Peak and the Penang Hill Railway, Malaysia
16. Hop-on-hop-off tourist trams - ones that go on roads - in Niagara State Park USA and Jurong Bird park Singapore
15. Rope-ways - (a) in HK Ocean Park (b) at Auli in Uttarakhand (c) the 5.7km long gondola-ride to Lantau Island in HK
14. Inflatable raft in Bangalore at a fishing lake on Bannerghatta road
13. Barges in Singandoor, Dakshin Karnataka, that ferries people and vehicles across the Sharavati river
12. Motorised boats and ferries - local transportation in HK, and to Peacock island in Guwahati
11. Coracles - at Hogenakal falls TN and Shivasamudra falls in Karnataka
10. Bamboo raft at the DeTian falls in China
9. Mono-rails - between airports in Germany, and local commute in Malaysia
8. Bullet Train a.k.a High Speed Trains in China
7. LRTs, the Light Rail Transit which is an automated single or twin car rails in Singapore. The one I took went around in a loop.
6. MRTs, the manned and unmanned Mass Rapid Transit(metro) in Singapore, HK, Delhi, Bangalore. In the unmanned ones in Singapore, you can stand right at the front or rear window.
5. Horse-back from Katra town to Vaishnodevi ji darbar, and at Kedarnath
4. Motorized cycle rickshaw at Guwahati
3. A beautiful wooden bus, the city bus of Shillong
2. Battery-operated buggy at the Bangalore railway station
1. A bike trip over many days, in Uttarakhand
Wishlist: helicopter, toytrain, camel back, hot air balloon, amphibian buses that go on land and in water, micro-light airplanes, seaplane, glass-bottomed boats
30. GO ON 21 BEAUTIFUL HIKES AND TREKS
1. Vaishnodevi Yatra - on foot and horse-back, 16kms each way
2. Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal over 8 days
3. Hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery, Paro, Bhutan. Took 5 hours.
4. Hike up the hill to Tango Monastery, Bhutan
5. Hike to the National Museum, Paro, Bhutan - a steep 3km uphill
6. Savandurga hill, near Bangalore, as part of office outing.
7. Day trip and hike up Avani hill with bobo, near Bangalore
8. Shravana Belagola, near Bangalore - climb up a hill face
9. Hike to Rayakottai, a fort on a hill near Bangalore
10. Hike to Skandagiri, near Bangalore
11. Hike up Ten Thousand Buddhas monastery, Pai Tau Village, HK
12. Hike to the double bridge made of living roots of trees, at Tyrna in Meghalaya - a whopping total of 6,500 stairs
13. Hike to the bamboo bridge in Mawryngkhang in Meghalaya
14. A short, beautiful hike to the Mahadev Khola dhaam, Shillong
15. A 6km round-trip, half-way hike to Yamunotri in Uttarakhand
16. The 3km uphill at Kodachadri to Sarvagnya peetha
17. The 7.5km hike during Omkareshwar Parikrama
18. The 14km Arunachalam giri-valam(parikrama) at Tiruvannamalai
19. 22 kms uphill and downhill to Kedarnath, on a horse-back
20. 999 steps to Tara Tarini temple in Ganjam Odisha
21. 700 steps to Maa Mahua Kalua temple in Ganjam, Odisha
Wishlist: 999 steps to Tara Tarini temple in Ganjam Odisha, hike up the Kali mata temple in Ganjam, Odisha, Velliangiri Hill in Coimbatore TN, Ahobilam Matha in AP, Girnar Dattatreya temple, Govardhan parikrama, Taishan Mountain in China
31. SEE 21 DIFFERENT KINDS OF PLANTATIONS
21. Arecanut plantation in Chikmagalur 20. Coffee plantation in Coorg 19. Eucalyptus tree plantation in Kittur 18. marigold fields on the outskirts of Bengaluru 17. chickoo orchards in Bengaluru 16. Grape vineyards on the outskirts of Bengaluru 15. sugarcane fields in north karnataka 14. Lemon plantation on the outskirts of Chennai, owned by a colleague's family. The farm had plenty of snakes too. 13. rose plantation in e-ctiy 12. Apple orchards in Uttarakhand, at Harshil 11. a cabbage patch in Mana, Uttarakhand 10. mustard fields between Prayagraj and Varanasi 9. Tea plantation during Bhutan trip 8. Wheat fields in Ujjain and Omkareshwar, where the crop was about 1-1.5 feet tall 7. Spinach fields in Ujjain 6. Coriander fields in Ujjain 5. jasmine plantation in TN 4.
32. GO ON 21 FUN TRIPS WITH BOBO
1. 3-day trip to Kanchipuram 2. 3-day trip to Vadanbailu and Jog falls 3. 5-day trip to Bhutan 4. weekend trip to Dharmasthala, Kukke and Southadaka 5. day trip/drive to Shravan Belagola 6. Weekend trip to Kudala Sangama, Aihole and Pattadakallu 7. day trip to Rayakottai, TN 8. day trip to Avani 9. weekend trip to Dharwad and Saudatti Yallamma temple 10. day trip to Khandoba Malhar Martand trip, Jejuri near Pune(jan 2024) 11. day trip to Shirkoli mata temple on a hill on the outskirts of Pune 12. day trip to Tumkur matha 13. day trip to Yediyur Siddhalingeshwara temple(Jan 2025) 14. day trip to Ashapura Mata temple near Bannerghatta National park, and drive through Ragihalli state forest 15. a two-wheeler ride to Chamrajpete, to buy crystals for my akashic records classes 16. weekend bike rides through the mango groove layout close to home 17. weekend drives to get lunch at the e-city eatery 18.
33. DONATE MONEY TO 101 CAUSES
1. Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra for building the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Feb 2021 (my largest donation ever!)
2: Sewa Nyaya Utthan foundation for their ongoing social causes. Jan 2021. 3. Tumkur Sri Siddaganga Matha Dasoha. Mar 2021
4. Agniveer for setting up Vedic Aashrams. Apr 2021 5. Dasna Devi Mandir preservation. Apr 2021 6. Dakshin Vrindavan Trust, a cow shelter and retirement home. May 2021 7. Medical expenses of a needy boy from Melukote. May 2021 8. Koppal Jathre Dasoha, Jan 2022 9. Kamadhenu Gowshala and Foundation, for sustenance. Apr 2022 10. Bhooseva at Kateel Durga Parameshwari temple, May 2022 11. Gau Nandi Sewa Hospital, May 2022 12. Notebooks for school-going children of Tamil Nadu, Jun 2022 13. Kamadhenu Gowshala and Foundation, for sustenance. Jul 2022 14. Shri Navkar Sarvar Kendra, sponsored a few free medical kits for lumpy skin disease in cows, Sep 2022 15. Annadana Sewa, Sri Vadanbailu Padmavati Devi Temple. May 2023 16. Sri Vidya Learning Centre to setup SriVidya Jnaana Peetham in Kanchipuram. Jul 2023 17. Sewa Nyaya Utthan foundation for their ongoing social causes. Dec 2023. 18. Ugra Narasimha charitable trust for restoration of Avanamkulam Subrahmanya temple in Malappuram, Jan 2024 19. Annadana sewa to Mahamate Sri Vadanbailu Padmavati ammana temple, Jan 2024 20. Visamo Tiffin Seva by Rakesh Panchal, for feeding elderly people, Jan 2024 21. Dakshin Vrindavan Trust, for upkeep of cows Jan 2024 22. Koppal matha for resident students' welfare Jan 2024 23. Tumkur Sri Siddaganga Matha dasoha Jan 2024 24. Nidagundi Koppa Matha for Jatre, Jan 2024 25. Chaturshringi Devasthan jirnodhar Feb 2024 26. Temple restoration of Veerabhadra Swamy sametha Bhadrakali Amman at Uthiramerur, 20km from Kanchi Kamakshi Amman Temple. Feb 2024 27. Kamadhenu Gowshala and Foundation, Mar 2024 28. Anna-dana during opening ceremony of Veerabhadra Swamy sametha Bhadrakali Amman at Uthiramerur, 20km from Kanchi Kamakshi Amman Temple. Mar 2024 29. Mission Antyodaya Goraksha Charitable Trust, for fodder for cows. Mar 2024 30. Dakshin Vrindavan Trust and gowshala, Apr 2024 31. Annadana for devotees at Shantidham temple complex during Chaitra Navratri, Apr 2024 32. Gau Nandi Sewa Trust - sponspored medicine for skin-burns in cows, May 2024 33. Annadana Seva at ISKCON Bengaluru, June 2024 34. The Leprosy Mission Trust India, July 2024 35. Annadana Sewa at Saibaba temple Bannerghatta Road, Sep 2024 36. Swami Vivekananda orphanage Bengaluru, Oct 2024 37. Building Ram temple at Yamunotri foothills, Oct 2024 38. Dakshin Vrindavan Trust for looking after abandoned cows, Nov 2024 39. College fee assistance to a speech and hearing impaired girl in Bengaluru, Nov 2024 40. A priest's liver transplant operation, on Twitter. Dec 2024 41. Sewa Nyaya Utthan foundation for their ongoing social causes. Dec 2024 42. Annadana seva at Ayyappa Swamy temple, Bilekhalli. Dec 2024 43. Dakshin Vrindavan Trust for Lumpy Skin Disease medical assistance for cows, Jan 2025 44. Dasoha at Yediyuru Siddhalingeshwara temple, Jan 2025 45. Mahakumbh Annadana via Akshay Patra, Feb 2025 46. Prasada Bhojana, Sri Rama Durgamba Seva Samithi Varadahalli near Shimoga - a 1000 year old temple and Valmiki cave. Feb 2025 47. Annadana at Ujjain bhojanalaya, Mar 2025 48. Annadana at Tiruvannamalai Arulamigu Arunachaleshwara temple, Mar 2025 49. Akshaya Patra mid-day meal program(PM Poshan Abhiyaan), Apr 2025 50. Puri Jagannath Ratha Yatra Annadana Seva via Int. Goudiya Vedanta Trust, Jul 2025 51. Mission Antyodaya Goraksha Charitable Trust, Jul 2025 52.
34. LEARN 101 USEFUL THINGS FOR FREE
1. Certificate of Participation from Amnesty International in 'Digital Security and Human Rights' - to be showcased on my resume. 2. Made a variety of pickles by following YouTube videos. 3. Learnt to cut my hair in layers. Cut my own hair and Bobo's hair several times during Covid 4. Several dishes 5. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C01 via AWS SheDares program 6. Sri Devi Khadgamala deeksha from Sivapremananda Self-Realization Centre Bengaluru 7. Shiva mantra deeksha from Sivapremananda Self-Realization Centre Bengaluru 8. Mahakali Mahamantra deeksha from SSRC Bengaluru 9. Dattatreya mantra deeksha from SSRC Bengaluru 10. Basics of Canva at a promotional online event 11. Thyroid care from a free, promotional webinar 12.
35. EAT 21 WHOLE JACKFRUITS WITH BOBO
1. April 27th, 2024 2. May 12th, 2024 3. June 16th, 2024
4. July 6th, 2024 5. July 7th, 2024 6. July 13th, 2024 7. May 1, 2025 8. June 25th, 2025 9.
36. VISIT 108 TEMPLES AND SHRINES THAT ARE MORE THAN A 100 YEARS OLD (2024 ONWARDS)
1. Khandoba temple in Jejuri near Pune. Built in the 12th century.
-- Feb 2024. 2. Shri Vitthal Rukmini Mandir a.k.a Prati Pandharpur in Vitthalwadi, Pune. Built in 1765. Each year, the Vaari to Pandharpur pilgrimage by thousands of devotees on foot, starts at this temple. -- Feb 2024
3. Trishunda Mayureshwar Ganapati temple in Pune. Built in 1770. -- Feb 2024. 4. Kasbapeth Ganapati temple in Pune, built in 1630 by Jijabai, Shivaji Maharaj's mother -- Feb 2024
5. Shri Mookambika temple in Kollur. Built and established in the 8th century by Shri Adi Shankaracharya. -- May 2024
6. Ugratara Temple in Guwahati, built in 1725 by Ahom kings -- Jul 2024
7. Kamakhya temple in Guwahati, built earlier than 1565 -- Jul 2024
8. Mahadev Khola dham in Shillong, 150 years old, it has a cave that connects to Kamakhya temple in Guwahati -- Aug 2024
9. Mayadevi temple and Ananda Bhairava mandir in Haridwar, build in the 11th century -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
10. Har Ki paudi and Ganga devi temple in Haridwar - Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
11. Daksha Mahadev temple in Haridwar - Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
12. Manokaamna Siddh Hanuman Peeth, near Triveni Sangam in Hrishikesh -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
13. Bharat Mandir, a.k.a Hrishikesh Narayan temple, in Rishikesh -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
14. Raghunath temple and pond in Rishikesh -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
15. Pracheen Kali mata temple near Triveni Sangam in Rishikesh -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
16. Lakhamandal Shiva temple near Barkot and Yamunontri in Uttarakhand, 5,000 years old -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
17. Guptkashi Vishwanath temple in Uttarakhand -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
18. Maa Gangotri temple in Uttarakhand -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra 19. Hanuman Chatti temple in Uttarakhand -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
20. Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra 21. Gaurikund temple in Kedarnath -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
22. TriyugiNarayan temple in Uttarakhand -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
23. Badrinath temple in Uttarakhand -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra 24. Spatik mahadev temple in Badrinath -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra 25. GhantaKarna temple in Mana near Badrinath -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
26. Taposthali Sri Vishwakarma gufa in Mana near Badrinath -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
27. Vishnu Narayan mandir at Vishnu Prayag in Uttarakhand - Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
28. Dhari Devi temple in Uttarakhand -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
29. Surkanda devi temple in Uttarakhand -- Oct 2024 during YHAI Char dham yatra
30. Shri Mata Lalita Devi Shaktipeeth in Naimisharanya near Lucknow, UP -- Oct 2024
31. Hanuman Gadhi and various other temples in Naimisharanya -- Oct 2024
32. Yediyuru Sri Siddhalingeshwara temple -- Jan 2025
33. Ikkeri Sri Aghoreshwara temple -- Jan 2025, with Sharada di
34. Varadahalli Sri Rama Durga temple and cave, about a 1000 yrs old - Jan 2025 trip with Sharada di
35. Singandooru Sri Chowdeshwari temple - Jan 2025 trip with Sharada di
36. Ganapati temple on the way to Singandooru - Jan 2025 trip with Sharada di
37. Hattiangadi Sri Siddhivinayaka temple, 8th century -- Jan 2025 trip with Sharada di
38. Temples on Kodachadri hill -- Jan 2025 trip with Sharada di
39. Sarvadnya Peetha, meditation spot of Sri Adi Shankaracharya ji on top of the Kodachadri hill -- Jan 2025 trip with Sharada di
40. <> matha -- Jan 2025 trip with Sharada di
41. Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi -- Feb 2025 during Mahakumbh
42. Vishalakshi temple in Varanasi - Feb 2025 during Mahakumbh
43. Vindhyanchal Sri Vindyavasini temple - Feb 2025 during Mahakumbh
44. Gufa wali Kali mata temple in Vindhyanchal - Feb 2025, Mahakumbh
45. Someshwar Mahadev mandir in Prayagraj - Feb 2025, Mahakumbh
46. Sri Chakra Madhav mandir in Prayagraj - Feb 2025, Mahakumbh
47. Ujjain Harsiddhi mata Shaktipeeth mandir - Mar 2025
48. Ujjain Mahakaal Jyotirling mandir - Mar 2025
49. Ujjain Gadkalika Maha Shaktipeeth mandir - Mar 2025
50. Ujjain Kal Bhairav mandir - Mar 2025
51. Ujjain Karka Mahadev mandir - Mar 2025
52. Ujjain Bhooki mata mandir - Mar 2025
53. Ujjain Chintaman Ganesh temple - Mar 2025
54. Pracheen Ujjain temples at the Shipra ghat - Mar 2025
55. Omkareshwar Jyotirling temple at Omkareshwar -- Mar 2025
56. Mamleshwar temple at Omkareshwar -- Mar 2025
57. Tiruvannamalai Arulamigu Arunachaleshwara temple and all associated temples -- Mar 2025
58. Shri Bande Mahakali temple in Bengaluru, build in 1522 -- May 2025
59. Chidambaram Natarajar temple and Sivakami amman temple, built between 10th to 12th century -- Jun 2025
60. Thillai Kaliamman temple in Chidambaram, built in the 13th century -- Jun 2025
61.
wishlist: Puri Jagannath temple, Gundicha temple, Bedi Hanuman ji temple, Birija devi temple, Vimala Devi temple, Tara Tarini Temple, Chaunsath yogini temple, Lingaraj temple, Ananta Padmanabha temple
37. GO ON 21 LONG RIDES BY MYSELF ON MY BIKE
38. SPEND A YEAR DOCUMENTING ONE MEMORY EACH DAY
39. TRAVEL THIRTY DAYS EACH YEAR FOR THREE YEARS
2024 -- EXCEEDED (Pune 3x, Kolluru, Guwahati, Meghalaya Monsoon trek, Chardham yatra, Haridwar and Naimisharanya)
2025 -- (28 days) 1 day to Yediyuru, 8 days to Shimoga, 5 days to Mahakumbh mela, 6 days to Ujjain and Omkareshwar, 2 days to Tiruvannamalai, 1 day to Chidambaram, 5 days to Puri
40. CLIMB THE 10,000 STEPS AT GIRNAR HILL
40. READ THE BHAGAVAD GEETA
41. LEARN SRI VIDYA SADHANA
a. Complete practising levels 1 to 7 for two months each -- done
b. Learn Soundarya Lahari -- pending
c. Learn Lalita Sahasranama -- pending
d. Learn Lalita Trishati -- pending
42. DO GOVARDHAN PARIKRAMA
43. TAKE MY NEPHEWS OUT ON 21 FUN PICNICS
44. SPENT A YEAR PERFECTING ONE SKILL EACH MONTH
2025
wishlist: Python, Data Analytics, 2 whlr, roller blades, marathi, punjabi, full splits, perfect 100 dishes, write a book, write poems, progress on all the pending life goals, stitch clothes, paint faces, geometric rangoli
45. HAVE A PERFECT SET OF TEETH
46. BINGE-READ 101 BOOKS IN A SINGLE YEAR
47. TAKE 101 MOST BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS
48. BUY A SPACIOUS, AIRY HOME THAT I TRULY LOVE
49. OWN A JACKFRUIT TREE
50. COMPLETE ONE 365-DAY CREATIVE CHALLENGE
51. GET A MASTER'S DEGREE IN A FUN, USEFUL SUBJECT
52. SPEND A YEAR TALKING TO A DIFFERENT PERSON EACH DAY FOR AN UPWARD OF FIVE MINUTES, ENDING WITH HAVING SPOKEN TO 365 DIFFERENT PEOPLE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
FIRST attempt - Jul 21, 2024 to Jul 20, 2025
People talked to: 226
SECOND attempt - Aug 15, 2025 to Aug 15, 2026
People talked to:
FAMILY:
1. Chittu ji, Aug 16th. 2. Guru ji 3. bobo, the husband 4. Mom 5.
FRIENDS:
1. Kiran 2.
NEIGHBOURS:
STRANGERS:
53. CLIMB 10 FLOORS A DAY FOR A MONTH
and see what changes
54. WALK 10KMS A DAY FOR A MONTH
and see what changes
55. EAT AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME FOR A MONTH
and see what changes
56. KETTLEBELL 100 SWINGS A DAY FOR A MONTH
and see what changes
57. SIT CROSS-LEGGED ON THE FLOOR FOR AN HOUR
58. DO A FULL SPLIT
59. SOAK IN A BUBBLE BATH TILL ALL FINGER-TIPS GO HORRIBLY WRINKLY, TAKE FUN PRINTS OF FINGER TIPS
60. DO 21 ACTIVITIES TRENDING ON THE INTERNET
exercise routines, fun twisties, food, did-you-know etc
61. DO A CHAPPAN BHOG(ANNAKOOT) WITH BOBO
62. VISIT MYSURU PALACE WITH BOBO ON A DAY WHEN IT IS LIT UP
63. EAT A RAW RUDRAKSHA FRUIT
highly-recommended by an old shopkeeper at kamakhya... raw rudraksha fruits, dried and powdered, have a bunch of nutrients
64. SPEND A YEAR WEARING A SAREE ONCE EACH WEEK
65. DANCE IN A BHAJAN DRESSED TO THE NINES
-- preferably in Vrindavan
66. SPEND A YEAR EATING A DIFFERENT DISH EACH DAY, i.e EAT 365 UNIQUE DISHES THAT YEAR
67. SPEND A YEAR WRITING EVERY SINGLE DAY
68. NAP WITH AN ELEPHANT
69. VISIT IGUAZU FALLS
70. VISIT THE PLITVICE LAKES
71. SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS - AURORA BOREALIS
72. SEE A LIVE VOLCANO
73. FLOAT IN THE DEAD SEA
74. TAKE A DIP IN ICY WATERS
75. WALK ON FIRE
76. TOUCH LAVA
77. HOLD A BUSH BABY(JUMPING GALAGOS)
78. HOLD MEXICAN JUMPING BEANS
79. SWIM IN AN OCEAN
80. WRITE BOOKS
81. VISIT ANTARCTICA
82. HAVE A PET
-- DONE --
1. Tinnu, my dear turtle
2. A snail that lived with Tinnu
83. DOCUMENT A THOUSAND AND ONE UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
Documented here.
84. VISIT A THOUSAND REALLY BEAUTIFUL PLACES
Listed here.
85. BE GRATEFUL FOR 21 LIFE-CHANGING PEOPLE AND EVENTS
1. grateful for dad's job that allowed us to travel all over the country, attend different schools, and learn so much more
2. grateful that my dad was so loving and kind
3. grateful that my mom has been so grounded and religious
4. grateful for getting hired soon after college, the year the y2k bug had caused an upheaval in the IT industry
5. grateful for oracle and the opportunities it provided. it helped me buy a second home and my first car and travel to a bunch of countries and enrich my life in so many ways
6. grateful for a loving and a smart husband
7. grateful for non-intrusive in-laws
8. grateful for tinnu the turtle for all the emotional fulfillment
9. grateful for sandhya to keep me on track with my SriVidya practice, without her i wouldn't have completed the levels in good time.
10. grateful for sharada didi for offering me a spot on the chandi homa in kollur, in 2024
11. grateful for finding the path of SriVidya sadhana
10. grateful for my friends from school who keep me socially active
11. grateful for supportive friends at different stages of life - neighbours, cousins, school friends, college friends, colleagues et al
12. grateful for two dear friends from school for being my pillar of strength during school-days - shilpa a.g and veena tuppad
13. grateful for the beautiful rented home bobo and i live in and have great neighbours, it's been so much fun
14. grateful to sharada di for taking me along on a weeklong trip to Shimoga, 2025 that had a visit to Singandoor Choudeshwari temple, Ikkeri and many other fun and spiritual places
15. grateful to sandhya who master-minded our trip to Mahakumbh 2025 and made all the arrangements. without her initiative and boundless energy, i would have never attended the Mahakumbh - the single most important event of this century
16. the lone sadhu that appeared to help me climb a long flight of stairs during Omkareshwar parikrama
17. two sadhus from Maharashtra that walked me through the final stretch of the Omkareshwar parikrama that was particularly dark with steep steps and no houses around, reinforcing my belief in surrenderance and eternal protection
18. the young guy who gave me a ride to Karkeshwar Mahadev temple at Ujjain with the Tropic of Cancer marker, when I stopped him to ask for directions... the temple was quite far and the way to it didn't look inviting. he then pointed me to Bhooki mata mandir across the river and the way to the Shipra river-side aarti thus enriching my spiritual experience 100x
19. for the friend(kiran) i made during meghalaya trip, and the one(rajesh) i made during mahakumbh, both of who are fun accomplices and keep me in high spirits
20. grateful for the bubbly nephew Vaibhav who brings limitless joy to mom and hence keeps me from worrying about her
21. grateful to kiran for initiating the puri trip and enabling my visit to shaktipeeths - two adi-shaktipeeths and a bunch of shaktipeeths
86. WATCH 21 MOVIES WITH BOBO
-- DONE --
1. John Wick 4 2. The Sea Beast 3. Soul 4. Ferdinand
5. Extra Ordinary - putting the normal in paranormal.
6. Encanto 7. The Box - animated short movie 8. Logan Lucky
9. Sweet Cocoon - animated short movie 10. Godzilla minus one
11. Gnome - animated short movie 12. Thor - Love and Thunder
13. Shang Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings 14. Dr.Dolittle 2
15. The Lost City 16. Free Guy 17. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
18. Rings of Power - season 1 19. Leo - animated full length movie 20. The Menu 21. Glass Onion 22. Wolfs
87. DO THE 7.5KMS OMKARESHWAR PARIKRAMA
-- DONE --
13th Mar 2025 on Vasant Panchami Poornima
88. DO THE 13KMS GIRI VALAM - ARUNACHALESHWARA PARIKRAMA
-- DONE
April 2025 on a very auspicious day
89. DOCUMENT 21 LUNCH PRASADA AT TEMPLES
-- DONE --
1. Tumkur Siddaganga Matha 2. Dharmasthala Manjunatha temple 3. Kukke Subramanya Temple 4. Gorvanahalli Mahalakshmi temple 5. Kateelu Durga Parameshwari Temple 6. Golden temple at Amritsar(dinner and morning tea) 7. Koppal matha 8. Nidagundi Koppa Matha, with a baby deer hanging around. 9. Banashankari Ammana Temple in Bangalore 10. Vadanbailu Padmavati Ammana temple at Vadanbailu in Shimoga(breakfast, lunch and dinner, sweet milk tea in the morning and sweet milk tea in the evening) 11. Thirumeyachur Lalitambika temple 12. Sai baba temple on Post Office Road, Bannerghatta, Bangalore 13. Kamakhya Mata Mandir, Kamakhya near Guwahati in Assam 14. Lunch at the Sivapremananda Self-Realization Centre in Bengaluru 15. Shivaganga temple 16. Sri Mookambika temple in Kollur 17. Yediyur Siddhalingeshwara temple 18. Singandoor Sri Chowdeshwari temple 19. Hattiangadi Sri Siddhivinayaka Devasthana 20. Haranahalli Sri Siddhalingeshwara Matha 21. Ujjain Sri Mahakaal temple 22. Sri Ashapura Mata Mandir on Bannerghatta road, Bengaluru 23. Thillai Natarajar temple in Chidambaram 24.
wholesome prasada after darshan at:
1. Venkateshwara temple at Tavarkere road, Bengaluru - a different dish each day 2. ISKCON temple in Bengaluru 3. Ganesha Temple in Koramangala, Bengaluru - piping hot halwa 4. Golden temple in Amritsar - kada prashad dripping with ghee served directly into your palms (also getting served glucon-d water instead of plain water in summer) 5. Bawe Wali Mata Mahakali Mandir in Jammu (halwa prasada by temple and lunch by devotees) 6. Sai baba temple at Bannerghatta road, Bengaluru 7. Thirumeyachur Lalitambika temple - sweet pongal dripping in ghee, and savoury rice 8. Udupi Sri Krishna temple - sundal with sugar 9. Sivapremananda Self-Realization Centre in Bengaluru 10. A wholesome birthday party treat at Mrs.Annapurna's home where Bala, bala Ganapati and bala Krishna live - 3 gulab jamuns, a piece of the birthday cake, popcorn, potato chips, masala buttermilk, laddu, sweet pongal 11. Ulsoor gurudwara - fruit bowl with ice-cream 12. Dhari devi temple in Uttarakhand - thick white poha with sweet bits in it 13. Hanumanji temple in Rishikesh - two motichoor laddu and tons of sweet boondi 14. Hanuman Chatti on the way to Badrinath - sweet boondi 15. Swamy Ayyappa temple in Vijaya Bank Layout, Bengaluru - sweet poha 16. Gad Kalika mandir in Ujjain - dry sugary sweets 17. Tomato bath and panchamruta at Shri Bande Mahakali temple in Bengaluru 18.
90. EAT 21 LOCATION-SPECIFIC POPULAR FOODS WHILE BEING IN THAT LOCATION
-- DONE --
Other countries:
1. Ipoh white coffee at Ipoh(Malaysia) 2. Malaysian flat noodles in Malaysia 3. Ice kachang - a tall, multi-coloured shaved ice dessert with various toppings - in Malaysia 4. Teh tarik, Malaysian pulled tea made with condensed milk, in Malaysia 5. Ema datshi - the national dish of Bhutan - in Bhutan 6. Kewa datshi in Bhutan 7. Suja(salted butter tea) in Bhutan 8. Bean curd in Hong Kong 9. Dim sum in Hong Kong 10. Fried tofu and tomato dish in China. 11. Vegetarian chowmein in China 12. Chinese cucumber salad in China 13. Black rice porridge/congee in China at the airport on my last day there 14. Various noodles in China 15. Kaya jam and kaya toast in Singapore 16. Nepali thali in Nepal 17. Donuts in USA 18. Black bean soup in a bread bowl at a Panera Bread outlet in USA 19.
Indian:
1. Agra petha in Agra - during two separate visits. The pan petha is the very best, closely followed by the orange pumpkin one 2. Dharwad peda in Dharwad 3. Misal pav in Pune 4. Kanchipuram idly in Kanchipuram at the famed Varadaraj Perumal Temple 5. Coorg coffee in Coorg, on a trip with my girl-gang who were also my colleagues 6. degree(chicory) coffee in Kumbakonam at the Sri Mangalambika Vilas coffee house est.1914 attached to the Adi Kumbeshwarar temple 7. out-of-the-world Rosogulla at a very popular eatery in Kolkata 8. jhal muri in Kolkata - churmur with mango pickles in it and heavy with mustard flavour 9. Sugar-cane juice from a jaggery-vat in sugar-cane fields, in Mandya the second highest producer of sugarcane in Karnataka 10. aloo paratha and lassi in Amritsar at the popular Kesar da dhaba 11. Kadha prasad in gurudwaras(golden temple in Amritsar, Ulsoor gurudwara in Bengaluru) 12. The famed pineapples of Meghalaya, at Shillong 13. Assam milk tea and laal saa(red tea) in Guwahati 14. Khasi thali/meal in the khasi-land Meghalaya 15. Bamboo pickle and bamboo vegetable in Meghalaya 16. Paneer and curd in Lucknow(Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of dairy products) 17. Uttarakhand apples in Uttarakhand. Harshil is a popular apple destination 18. Malaiyo followed by badam milk in Varanasi 19. Malai lassi in Varanasi 20. Banaras paan in Varanasi 21. Kachori(a savoury breakfast poori) in Varanasi 22. Banarasi Laal peda in Varanasi 23. Dry fruit thandai in Varanasi 24. Sol Kadhi in Pune 25. ALoo chi Vadi(patrode) in Pune 26. local coffee in Tiruvannamalai 27. tamarind rice in Tamil Nadu(Tiruvannamalai) at the temple 28. sweet pongal in Tamil Nadu(Tiruvannamalai) at the temple 29. gadbad ice-cream at the Panchatara parlour in Shimoga, where it was created 30. Indori poha(pohey) in Indore 31.
wishlist:
rava idli and chandrahara in MTR - these dishes were created here, mysuru bonda in mysuru, mysuru pak in mysuru, bisibele bath(dish created in the mysore palace) in mysuru, mysuru masala dosa, french toast in france, veg kolhapuri in kolhapur, davangere benne dose in davangere, mangaluru buns in mangaluru, darjeeling tea in darjeeling, momos in sikkim, bombay ice-halwa and bombay sandwich in bombay, lima beans in lima in peru, cocoa from the pods in south america, vodka in russia, bruschetta in italy, mathura peda in mathura, dhokla, fafda and all other snacks in gujrat, croissants macaroons and other pastries in france, pizzas and baked goods in italy, desserts and fruits and vegetables of different countries, eat multi-coloured corn, amritsari kulcha in amritsar, kashmiri naan and chai in kashmir, chiroti from konkan area
91. PET 21 ANIMALS
-- DONE --
1. Red-eared slider(turtle) - a beautfiul house pet 2. Mongoose - a rescue at Dharmasthala 3. An elephant and it's calf at Bandipur National Park 4. Shih Tzu - a friend's house pet 5. Neighbour's labrador puppy Brownie, and a blind, senior white labrador 6. cows and calves at the downstairs cattle-pen 7. goats and kids at an aunt's house 8. horses at my school 9. cats and kittens 10. the tiny/pygmy cows at Vadanbailu 11. feeding bananas to an elephant at Dharmasthala 12. Kanna, a friend's very heavy pug 13. a black mountain dog and a sweet black puppy during ABC trek in Nepal 14. a cat at the double-root bridge coffee shop that came to sit with me during a tea break 15. the three polite dogs at the double-root bridge that i hand-fed pooris to 16. the other dog on the double-root bridge trail who asked to be petted when i sat down for a while 17. a kid at kamakhya temple 18. the adorable dog at the Ananda Bhairava temple in Haridwar 19. the calf at Naimisharanya Lalita Devi temple that ate all my laddus 20. a beautiful, jet-black street dog outside my apartment 21. a beautiful black cow that walked up to me in Shimoga 22. an energetic, beautiful and dark-brown coloured golden retriever during my morning walk 23. a huge bull, a baby bull and cows while feeding them on Akshaya Tritiya 24.
92. GROW 21 EDIBLE PLANTS IN OUR BALCONY GARDEN
-- D-O-N-E --
1. Tulsi - a staple plant of all households 2. lemongrass - an antimicrobial, to be used to flavour/infuse water and make tea or add to tea.. quite tasty 3. aloe vera - anti-inflammatory, used for sunburns, healthy skin, wounds and for adding to drinks.. quite easy to eat it too 4. insulin plant - lowers blood glucose levels, a leaf to be eaten everyday... grows like weed 5. ajwain patta - for stomach ache and cough, great to flavour buttermilk and make pakodas.. grows like weed too 6. giloy - antimicrobial and anti-ageing, the leaf is edible.. ate the leaves many times during covid, though the roots are said to have medicinal properties 7. curry leaf - a daily staple 8. Pirandai a.k.a Asthisamharaka or Hadjod - for bone density and bone strength.. yet to use it. grows easily 9. capsicum - got a bunch of tiny fruits, very sweet 10. sweet potato - a surprise.. the leaves were edible too 11. ash gourd - go a single ash-gourd for a dozen flowers.. learnt much later that these need to be pollinated by hand 12. fennel(saunf) - an amazing plant.. couldn't get enough of eating it's leaves 13. spinach 14. gongura(roselle) from seeds 15. fenugreek (methi) 16. sweet corn 17. red amaranth, from cuttings 18. yellow cherry tomato - from the batch given to us by our neighbours 19. betel leaf - great for it's iron content.. did not grow well 20. mustard greens - from store-bought mustard seeds 21. jalapeno chillies - from a store-bought batch of chillies 22. dill leaves 23. coriander
wishlist: sugar cane, pandanus(biriyani patta), bamboo, a healthy betel leaf vine
93. SEE THE HIMALAYAS
--- D-O-N-E ---
1. the Panchachuli peaks at Munsiyari, Uttarakhand(India)
2. the Annapurna range via ABC trek(Nepal)
3. view of Kedarnath, Nanda Devi and Bandarpunch peaks of Himalayan ranges from Surkanda Devi temple in Dhanaulti, Uttarakhand(India)
94. DOCUMENT 21 BEAUTIFUL WALKS
-- D-O-N-E --
1. The 16km uphill walk to Vaishnodevi darbar, in the middle of night. The path is well-lit and paved and winding. Many times, you find yourself walking alone. The view of city lights from the uphill path is quite beautiful.
2. Walking on the Great Wall of China, especially on a very steep section with beautiful views and turning back from there. Buying a golden medal on the wall to commemorate the visit. Reluctantly leaving after announcements are made on speakers all over the wall at 5pm.
3. Early morning temple trails with Bobo in Kanchipuram, before it got too hot to be out.
4. Walking 10kms with Pallavi in Bangalore on a casual weekend
5. Beautiful board walks at the Juizhaigou National Park, China.
6. Board walk to Sentosa Island in Singapore, watching the tiny twinkling lights embedded in the wooden walkway
7. Walk from Thamel to the Darbar Square and back, in Nepal, through a busy market place dodging vehicular and foot traffic.
8. Walk around in Niagara State Park, instead of taking the tourist tram and seeing a Canadian geese family
9. Walk around the IIM Bangalore campus, full of trees and beautiful roads
10. Evening walks with Bobo around a walking loop near our home
11. waking uphill with Bobo to visit the museum at Paro in Bhutan and stopping on the way to take photos of snow-covered mountains at a distance, and stopping every few minutes to catch our breath.
12. walking around the lanes of HK eating and drinking from tiny shops esp. the boba tea, lotus tea etc, and around a fishing island i visited there. One could buy a puffed up Puffer Fish from shops selling dry fish.
13. walking barefoot with bobo on the hillocks of shivaganga and deeply regretting not bringing our shoes along. the sharp pebbles hurt our feet at every step
14. walking 2kms by myself on a deserted, winding road from the Nandi statue to the main road at Chamundi hill in Mysuru.
15. walking down from the hilltop temple of Bhuvaneshwari ji in Kamakhya to the main temple, on beautiful roads checking out the various spots along Bramhaputra river in the valley on one side and the hill on the other
16. walking by myself from Mahadev Khola dham over a small bridge over a stream in rain. Later from the temple steeply upwards at first first then flatlands to the main gate, in Shillong.
17. walking the trail of the very beautiful Garden of Caves, Meghalaya, with clearly marked spots that follow the trail back to the entrance. Lots of stone steps. Delightful!
18. walking the short trail to the watery and amazing Mawsmai caves and walking in ankle-deep water inside the cave, in Meghalaya
19. walking the beautiful trail to Arwah caves, watching a few waterfalls at a distance, wooden handrails covered in moss et al
20. walking late-evening from a restaurant to the home-stay in Sohra/Cherrapunji.. it was very quiet, very dark, sparse streetlights and heavy mist. surprising, there were no insects chirping too. it was that quiet. the most peaceful walk ever!
21. a long walk with bobo on a very pleasant morning to the kudala sangama temple, from the hotel
22. walking around Haridwar - along the market road to the Ganga river for the evening aarti, to the Mayadevi temple in the morning, halfway up to the Devi temple, photographing old buildings and looking at the several akhadas
23. climbing down very narrow stairs between houses to get to the Vishwanath temple in Guptkashi. These stairs turned tiresome on the way back.
24. walking through the narrow lanes in Mana near Badrinath, visiting two amazing temples - the Ghantakarna kshetrapal temple and the Vishwakarma Taposthal
25. walking through the colourful market near Triveni Sangam in Rishikesh
26. walking along the riverside on both sides of the river and in the pavilions in Prayagraj during the Mahakumbh
27. walking on the pontoon bridges during the Mahakumbh
28. walk around the Mahalok(Mahakaleshwar temple) corridor in Ujjain, during the day and again in the evening
29. walking along the Shipra river in Ujjain, from Bhooki mata temple to the Karkeshwar Mahadev temple to a very peaceful ashram with many temples.. to the Shipra ghat where the evening aarti is performed. The ashram had a hanuman temple where his bal-avatar is worshipped.
30. walking from Harsiddhi mata temple everyday to the hotel through a marketplace
31.
95. VISIT KEDARNATH
-- DONE --
96. SMOKE POT
--- DONE ---
97. DE-ADDICT FROM TEA, COFFEE, WHEAT, RICE AND SUGAR
de-addict is to go without a craving
-- DONE --
98. SEE A RUDRAKSHA TREE
-- DONE --
saw a rudraksha tree with green fruits at Harihar Ashram temple complex in Haridwar. The original goal was to SEE A RUDRAKSHA TREE WITH PURPLE FRUITS... birds eat the fruit as soon as it turns purple and ripe, as the fruit turns sweet at this stage. it's rare and very difficult to find a purple rudraksha fruit spared by the birds
99. SEE 21 DIFFERENT FRUIT TREES
-- DONE --
1. Tamarillo(tree tomato) tree in Nepal 2. Pomelo tree in Indiranagar Bengaluru 3. Avocado tree in Bengaluru 4. Grapefruit trees in Uttaranchal 5. Cashew trees in Joga near Shimoga 6. Pineapple shrubs on the hiking trails in Meghalaya 7. Sol Nongam(yellow fruit) trees in Meghalaya 8. Pear trees laden with fruits, all over Meghalaya 9. Star fruit tree in Guwahati 10. Coconut palms everywhere 11. Mango trees 12. Guava trees 13. Chickoo trees 14. Jackfruit trees 15. Papaya 16. Banana 17. Pomegranate trees 18 Custard apple trees 19. Jamun trees 20. Ber trees 21. Fig trees 22. Gooseberry trees 23. Date palms 24. Palmyra palms 25. Lemon trees 26. Tamarind trees 27. Sugarcane(more of a grass than a fruit) 28. Bel trees 29. Grape vines 30. Apple trees in Uttarakhand 31. Almond trees
100. DO A 100-KETTLEBELL-SWINGS IN ONE DAY
-- DONE --
101. SEE GOD
-- DONE --
The final and the most important goal of my life.
Instance #1: This happened during the Char-dham yatra in October 2024 when we visited the 5,000 year old Lakhamandir Shiva temple on the way to Barkot. After a wholesome darshan, as we were preparing to leave, a small boy - a toddler - singled me out and ran towards me with outstretched arms. I picked him up, found his dad, and entertained the child for a while. We took a bunch of selfies together. He was light-weight, fair skinned with light-brown curly and wispy hair, very loving, and snuggled comfortably in my arms. It was the most comfortable, no-fuss encounter I have ever had with a child.
After the trip, I checked with Guruji and he confirmed that the boy was indeed Lord Shiva blessing me with His divine darshan! Guruji added that my pilgrimage had been successful! Blessed!
Instance #2: During Omkareshwar parikrama on 13th March 2025. Turned out I was the only person doing the parikrama instead of many people. I had started late in the evening and was eager to cover as much ground as I could before the sun went down. The stairs every now and then were slowing me down significantly. Then I came across a really big flight of stairs, and felt my heart cry out at the amount of time it would take, given I would stop every now and then to catch my breath.
Out of nowhere, a young fair sadhu passed me by and climbed the stairs ahead of me. He had a short stick in his right hand, he wore white dhoti, had tied half his hair up and had rudraksha mala around his neck. I had no doubt in my mind. I just focussed on his feet climbing the stairs and followed him. In record time, I was on top of the stairs without having stopped and I wasn't even out of breath. I forgot to look for the sadhu.
Goals Completed: 18
Goals Pending: 83
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