Sixty-four Kilometers from Pune,in the abode of the Sahyadri mountains is a beautiful landscape famously known as the “Tiger Point”,Lonavala--(The reasons for this name are still clouded in obscurity, but my research continues).
Well,what's strikingly beautiful about this place is its topography. Each mountain is beautifully eccentric in its shape and structure, like it were individually crafted by hand, one at a time. Probably that justifies the very name of this place- Lonavala.“Len” in the Prakrit language means a resting place carved from stone and Avali means series.So, Lonavli in Prakrit is a place which has a series of such Len around it. And collectively the range of these mountains makes the landscape look beautifully outlandish.
We (my friends and I) planned an early morning visit to this place. And there we were,standing 2040 ft above sea level ,in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Oh what a delight to wake up at Sunrise and watch every ray of the Sun gradually dissolve the darkness of night into light of the day.How overwhelming it is to just let your senses observe, hear and feel nature's bounteousness at hand!
Like the early morning birds do, we perched on one of those "table-top" rocks on the edge of a distant mountain , from where the only view was that of the unending range of the Sahyadris.
A few fissures occurred at irregular intervals breaking the continuity of the range. Dried patches of trees and shrubs growing in crevasses looked up at the skies as if longing for rains.
The tranquility and placidity that fills the senses in every close rendezvous with nature is unquestionably conducive to refreshing thoughts and ideas.It somehow unearths those faint and fatigued thoughts from the dark dungeons of mind and clears the mind and soul. Makes one feel relaxed and at peace.
I'll quote a few lines i once read -- “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
I believe the words apply to nature too:-
I’ve often heard the winds whisper something into my ears, and that “something “ has made me chuckle.
I’ve felt the presence of someone even on a deserted hilltop, though my eyes could see not a single soul in vicinity.
I’ve seen the Sun smiling at me in the early morning hours, and I’ve felt that smile spread on my lips too.
I’ve felt my feet tap with every drop of rain that touches the earth, that "pitter-patter " sounds musical too.
I’ve sighed sadly watching those grey clouds , and felt the sullen sky mirror my sorrows too.
I’ve often felt that mystical bonding with elements of nature –Have You?
