Vacation Diary: From Imagination to Enlightenment

Spending summer vacation without doing anything is also an art. But I still stand out as I made a constructive use of it by sleeping, eating, taking a trip to Bodhgaya, Bihar and Jaipur, Rajasthan. So I think my vacation was put to best use.

Sleeping gave me dreams with innovative ideas, a chance to visit places in my dreams which I can’t even think of.

To do what I want to without caring for anybody or anything.

It allowed me to live my aspirations, my fears, my instincts.

Isn’t it funny? I wanted to go for snorkeling right away. So I kept sleeping for a few more hours, enjoying myself. Exciting but strange that even though I was trying this adventure for the first time, I knew what I had to do.

I was ignorant of the fact that my mother kept waking me up throughout. But can any other idea be more tempting other than that, at that point of time?

Unaware of the happenings around me, I was sailing into the sea of self-imagination.

And wow! gorging upon good food. It gave me nothing but a good 8 kilos to put on. Blessed are those who can eat anything and everything, without worrying to shed those extra pounds. Chocolates, ice-creams, cakes, which the anorexic models can only think of as nightmares.

Trip to Bodhgaya

I was so elated to visit Bodhgaya, the place where Lord Buddha got enlightenment. Deciding right away at 10 o’clock in the morning and half-an-hour to get ready and take off created an atmosphere of chaos inside my house. Nobody can beat that experience.

It was kind of a long drive as Bodhgaya is a few hours away from Patna, the heart of Bihar. Basking in the glory of the scorching sun I kept asking for the directions from my family. It was a rejuvenating experience along with the post reunion joy.

The wonderful view of Pretshila Hills in the background and the monasteries established by different countries on both sides of the road. The conversation with the humble Buddhist monks and capturing the moments with my camera were a delight.

Surprised to see the Mahabodhi tree in its reinstated form, Lord Buddha’s footprints under the tree and the Chakramana where he used to take a stroll during his enlightening days.

After wandering all over the place, I ate my heart out at a roadside dhaba, where there was hardly any electricity and had a thatched roof. However, appetite overcame all odds.

Trip to Jaipur

I cannot miss the chance of talking about my Jaipur trip where I mostly shopped around Johari Bazaar. Can anything in this world replace the pleasure of shopping for a girl? Well, I am more like the opposite kind but this question explained my situation as I went on a shopping spree after an year long interval.

Searching through Johari Bazaar, I came across a famous shop where I relished my life’s first rich kulfi-faluda.

Who will believe this place, full of life and customers swarming, stood the adversities of a major terrorist attack?

Either you catch up a movie at a City Pulse (mall) PVR or a movie at Rajmandir, known as the most beautiful picture hall in India.

Jaipur shows the way, giving you the blend of traditional culture and modernity. This fusion is reflected from the royal palaces turned into luxury hotels.

Tired of seeing pink all over which started giving me an eye sore, I headed for sightseeing to the City Palace to catch a glimpse of the extravagant lifestyle of the Maharaja of Jaipur.

Truly this summer vacation experiences left me wiser.