In quest of Love n Life ...Zindagi... Kahaani se dilon tak...

"Welcome to your destiny."   http://zindagitv.in/

 That is what their welcome note proclaims. And true it is! You need to be destined to find such a beauty personified place out of all those innumerable tourists spots you are researching on the net. 
We were for sure!!

We were travelling from Coonoor which was our first halt in our week long holiday. From Coonoor it took us two hours thirty minutes to reach our destiny. Destiny Farmstay. It is in Ooty but away from Ooty. 

As we taveled through the ghats connecting Coonoor to Ooty and once we had left the tourist crowd behind, we entered a beautiful terrain; tea gardens abound and farmlands predominated with orange colour of the freshly reaped carrots and potatoes still laying beneath. 

Our driver Prabhakaran knew the place so it was a gliding ride and we were more focused on the changing landscapes rather than finding directions. 

Once we were at the top of this winding hill road which is approaching EMERALD lake the view is so breathtaking even our driver who had visited the place up-teen number of times couldn't resist glancing. The Emerald lake you need to see to know why it is christened Emerald. 
Our vehicle moved down the slopes and in no time we were near the lake. Emerald and Avalanche lakes look like twin sisters and are amazingly beautiful difficult to choose which one is more picturesque then the other. At a point we reached a small bridge from where the bounty of this lake was visible on both sides of the car in its full glory and then the path is through the woods, the lake water running parallel on both sides. We suddenly registered we were on a kind of an island road. Through the woody & muddy path winding and twisting we reached the parking area of destiny.

The parking area is kept so neat and clean, with washrooms and drinking water it gives you a preview of the hospitality you are going to witness. 

The twenty minutes ride in the Army Truck is a fantastic bumpy experience.

Kids loved it and so did we. It’s a narrow muddy forest road which takes you into this heaven called DESTINY. 

Magellan … Yes each room is named after an explorer … other rooms too had names like …Columbus and so on. 

 You walk into this place and I am sure you shall have a big WOW spontaneously out of you. It appears to be like a huge RANCH and to know that you are going to be there for the coming three days is so very exciting. 

You walk into the portico that leads to your room and as you walk looking into the direction of the Avalanche lake in the lap of the valley and the mountain cuddling it from behind you are mesmerized by the sheer beauty of nature at its best.  Sure anyone would be. 

After the lunch we were very eager to walk down this amazing path of steps which led us to this very attractive spot which we christened "The Meditation Spot." 




As we walked down those steps everything around so natural seemed to have its own pace and synchronized action. The ducks in the pond  were happily basking in the not so very hot sunlight and bathing their feathers in the cold water of the little pond. Both sides of the steps were plantations of carrots, salads, veggies and birds were fleeting by. 

We had decided we were going to have a wonderful family meditation near the pond. So while the others enjoyed fishing at the bigger pond and left further to explore we sat down amidst lush greenery and in the backdrop the sound of the little brook made for a perfect setting. We held hands and breathed in fresh air and the calmness and stillness of this place. We felt blessed having discovered this spot and this paradise called DESTINY. 


 The stud farm kind of feel; which I so much enjoyed in Clint Eastwood films and our very own Feroze Khan movies; is worth the bucks you are going to spend here. 

The temperature was low and there aren't any fans in the rooms. We were told that in the Nilgiri's there isn't a fan in any household. It's presumably cold all year round and so was it when we visited. It drizzled in the evening and the temperature dropped further but the camp fire adequately took care of that.

 The silence of such places make you realize the value of stillness and calmness. We soaked in it and reclined for the day.

Next day was going to be a full day and we had decided what we were going to explore.
Horse riding in the morning, a walk through the woods, go fishing and me time. Me time is a time in the vacation when each one of us does what we feel like.
I woke up before the rest and before the sun had raised it's head. The Avalanche lake before me in its magnanimous Avatar was one of the most amazing sights i have ever witnessed in my life.

I Meditated for a while taking in the fresh air and basking in the glory of nature.

After which i took my cup of tea and watched the amazing sight. In peace and solitude as i sat breathing the oxygen rich air ... i realized the value of every breath ... and every moment felt so special ... it got me so close to that present moment awareness i so much have heard of.
It was time to wake up the kids and my love.

               
The horse riding arena is the best place of this Farmstay after of course the view from the sit out of the room. It has the most amazing view of the Avalanche lake. Horses encircling on the track and the Avalanche in the backdrop makes the perfect setting for some amazing family album. The horse are well kept and nourished. 
We were lucky to see a new born four days old colt.

It was not named as yet but we named it Chulbul. The horse my elder son rode on was named Destiny Child for obvious reasons and the horse which my younger one rode was called Twinkle for reasons not known.
As the kids were so happy with the ride they wanted more and so we send them for a paid ride around the Farm while we walked behind them hand in hand lost in paradise.

One spot we reached just next to the stable, was breathtaking.It gave a view of the horses grazing in the barricaded pasture in the foreground and in the backdrop the rustic panoramic view of the entire property. Oh i so much love this place. After Goshaini in the greater Himalaya's ....Raju's Cottage.... This is one place i want to visit again.

Also on our walk through the path we came across some freshly reaped carrots being loaded into trucks to be sent to the market. We requested for a few and one of the persons very happily gave two handfuls and repeatedly insisted on washing them before eating them. Once at the room we did exactly that and in fact we ate some on our way back home too, the freshness intact.

We skipped the farm tour and instead went for a walk through the woods which led us very close to The Avalanche lake. The entire area is well protected with electric fencing and we walked right up to a small gate which opened so close to the lake waters. The spot is silent and has a mesmerizing feel to it.


For yet another eventful day at Destiny. I woke up yet again before the others and this time a little later than the sun. I meditated and woke the gang after my cup of tea.
Kids were busy playing on the wooden slide and play area, happily rolling down the grass on the slope.

It was "Me time" and so we sat at on the wooden log placed at the sit out and read our books... I was reading Davidji's Secrets of Meditation, while my wife read Chakra Bible, the elder one read Ruskin Bond and the little fellow enjoyed his movie on the tab.

That night we had a big group which walked in during lunch time and so the place was buzzing again. But the calmness of this place is self absorbing it soaks in any excess sound.
That day we met the Chef john Mathews'

who was glad to know that we are teachers as well as healers and instantly shared his story of ups and downs. He was glad to ask our preferences and suggest the menu at dinner time and next day morning when we were supposed to leave for our home he made sure we had a sumptuous breakfast and even pack some for on the way.
It was time to leave with sweet memories and some lovely pictures so we went around clicking some for our family album and some for our fb status.
We even sneaked in some time for a Meditation again ... this time it was opening our hearts to the beautiful nature abound place called DESTINY.


A little bit of me still lingers there... 

In time and space when my soul yearns for those moments... 
I take a flight of fancy and visit it again in spirit...
The calmness and stillness a bit of each i gather and back to the grind i move... 
move with a promise to be back again to be there once again...
not only in spirit but in form...

© nozzer pardiwala