NaNoWriMo: All set for a new challenge!

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I have been hearing about NaNoWriMo, which is the National Novel Writing Month since the last 4 years of my writing career. However, I couldn't motivate myself to take part in it because writing 50,000 words in a month along with managing regular workload (content writing in my case) doesn't sound easy at all. 

Moreover, there is no denying that I am so lazy, especially in the weekends. I hardly skip a weekend without catching up my friends, partying or going to a movie. So I never dared to attempt NaNoWriMo. 

However, this year, things are different. I want to challenge myself for NaNoWriMo due to plenty of reasons. First of all, I have been really bad to 'the writer in me' this year. During late August, I was so disheartened due to some reasons that I almost decided to quit writing. Even thinking of it makes me shiver now. How could I have even thought of that? Writing is like breathing to me, and even for some vulnerable minutes, I thought of giving it up. 

After that episode, I had a contemplative September when I rediscovered myself and made certain changes in my life to promote my well-being and to fuel my creativity. I made peace with the fact that writing is the number one priority in my life. It is the purpose and meaning of my life. I cannot let anything, no matter how important, take me away from it. 

I am having a wonderful, festive October with plenty of celebrations and travelling. All my close friends are Libras and therefore, October is all about birthday parties and celebrations for me. It was less work, more play. 

So now that I am all recharged with the celebrations, I have decided to commit myself to NaNoWriMo from 1st to 30th November. You can find me (Purba_Chakraborty) on the NaNoWriMo website. Please add me as a writing buddy if you are also participating in it this year. 

The tentative title of my novel is "Is it me you're looking for?" I wanted to write this book since a long time, but I have always postponed it, for some reason or the other. So, I feel that NaNoWriMo is the perfect push that I need to write this book. 

Rumi once said: "What you seek is seeking you."

The story of "Is it me you're looking for?" takes inspiration heavily from this quote. It is an emotionally intense, gripping and moving story about lost love, broken dreams and the power of miracles.

I am spending these days plotting and preparing for NaNoWriMo. I really don't remember the last time when I was so excited to start working on something new. 

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo? Do you have any tips for me? Please feel free to share.

The adventurous Everest Base Camp Trek

“In every walk with Nature, one receives more than he seeks.” ~ John Muir

Nature is the most powerful healing force. There is an amazing sense of liberation, contentment and happiness when you spend time with Nature. Trekking is one of the best outdoor activities where you can spend ample amount of time with Nature. If you are an adventurous soul, you will surely enjoy trekking.

Benefits of Trekking

Trekking can improve both your physical health and mental health. Let’s look at some of the benefits of trekking:

1. Since you need to cover large distances in trekking, it increases your cardiovascular strength. Trekking is great for keeping your heart healthy.

2. Trekking is a great physical activity that can help you shed excess fat.

3. When you are trekking, you are able to inhale fresh, clean air that helps in cleansing your lungs.

4. Trekking also enhances your muscle strength and makes your bones stronger.

5. Trekking is one of the best ways to reduce stress as it releases endorphins which makes you feel happy. Moreover, it enhances focus and helps a person to stay calm during challenging times.

Everest Base Camp Trek

Trekking to the base camp of Everest is a great adventure. Everest is the world’s highest mountain and therefore, trekking to the foot of Everest will be a breathtaking experience for any trekking enthusiast.

In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the rocky base of Everest. Since that time, enthusiastic trekkers have been trekking to the Everest Base Camp. 40,000 people have been trekking to this iconic base camp annually.

Trekking to the Everest Base Camp Trek is not for general weekend walkers. It is a difficult trek and therefore, it demands fitness and enthusiasm.

Your journey will start from the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu. You need to take a short flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, from where your trek will begin.

The next 14 days of your life will be an unforgettable experience for you, as you will witness mesmerizing mountain scenery, learn about the cultures and traditions of the Sherpa, discover beautiful Nepalese tea-houses and follow the Dudh Khosi River. After five days, you will enter the Everest National Park and get a glimpse of the highest point of the world.

The most favorable time to go for this trek is September to December or March to May. If you love adventure, this will be the most rewarding experience of your life.

Mojhi

Mojhi is the largest online portal for adventure activities in the world. It allows its users to search and choose their type of adventure such as trekking, paragliding, rafting, scuba, snorkeling, etc. You can find complete details about any adventure that you choose to embark on. 

You can find all the details of the adventurous Everest Base Camp Trek on their website. Once you submit your details, they will send you offers from professional and verified trekking companies within twelve hours. So, are you ready to spice up your life with some adventure?

“Life is either a great adventure or nothing.” ~ Helen Keller

Note: All the pictures have been sourced from Mojhi.com

Memories and Celebrations of Durga Puja 2016

As I was savoring a plate of Bijoya special Bengali sweets and sulking how quickly the four days of Durga Puja flew by, I decided to blog about it. Now, that's the best thing about being a writer. We, writers, write to taste life twice, once in the moment and the other in retrospect. 

This year, the Durga Puja began on a very gloomy note for me as I had tonsillitis and fever on Panchami night (6th October). I was so upset that all my plans from 7th to 10th October will be spoiled because of the fever. But some miracle happened and I started feeling better on Shashti morning (7th October). 

I went for some pandal hoping with my family. Since it was morning, there was less crowd. As I looked into Ma Durga's eyes, I felt a blanket of peace enveloping me. I offered my prayers to the Goddess and again looked at her divine face. I felt calm, protected and happy. The feeling was synonymous with how a person feels when he is with his mother. It was a beautiful moment that I had with Her on Shashti morning

Festivals like Durga Puja and Diwali allows me to bond with my family on a deeper level. I try my best to give them as much time as possible. I had long conversations with my father and grandmother. I made them smile, we took lots of selfies and had delicious food. 

On the second day of Durga Puja, Saptami (8th October), I was invited to a close friend's apartment Puja. 

It was wonderful to see the devotion of the ladies in the apartment, all bonding together to celebrate Durga Puja. They welcomed me with open arms and allowed me to be a small part of their world. 

My friend and I had prasad there, and then we went for some Pandal hopping in the evening. The crowd was absolutely crazy, but that's what makes the Durga Puja of Kolkata truly special. People tirelessly celebrate in these 4 days, hoping from pandal to pandal. Kolkata doesn't sleep in these 4 days. Whether it is 3pm or 3am, you can find this mad crowd. 

The group of Dhakis who were playing the dhak (drum) in one of the pandals made me stop there for a few minutes. This sound of dhak totally captures the essence of Durga Puja. Looking at Ma Durga's idol and listening to the dhak has a magical effect. 

The third day of Durga Puja, Ashtami ( 9th October) started with the morning Pushpanjali. I woke up in the morning with the chants from the nearby pandal. I took a bath, wore a new saree and went to the pandal to offer my prayers to the Supreme Mother. 

Pushpanjali is an integral part of Durga Puja. It is a ritual where Anjali mantras are recited by devotees and flowers are offered to the Goddess. I cannot think of Durgashtami without Anjali. After the ritual, I felt wonderful, as if all my prayers were answered. That's the magic of faith, I guess. 

In the Ashtami evening, I went to a traditional zamindar house to see the Sandhi Puja. 

Sandhi Puja marks the passing of Ashtami into Navami. This is symbolically the time of dusk and lasts for about 48 minutes. It is believed that during this time, Devi Durga slayed the demons Chanda and Munda. 

On the fourth day of Durga Puja, Navami (10th October), I met my school friends and we had a great time. One of them is getting married in November this year and so we had lots to talk about.

I had plans of some pandal hoping in the night, but it started raining so heavily that I had to ultimately cancel the plan. 

Overall, I had a great Durga Puja with my family and friends. On the day of Vijaya Dashami, an uncanny sadness filled my heart, but there are sweets to cheer me up and beautiful memories ingrained in my heart. And of course, I am looking forward to Diwali now. 

Here's wishing all of you Subho Bijoya with a platter of Bengali sweets. 

How did you celebrate Durga Puja and Navratri? 

I believe in magic because of my bestie!

Friendship is the most beautiful element of life because friends are those magical gifts that we give ourselves. In the journey of life, we make many friends, but there is always that one friend that stands by our side like a rock, who came in our lives not to merely embellish it, but to add more meaning to it…who came to stay and not to leave after a few days. Yes, I am taking about our besties.

I met Priyam Kapoor in class eight when I took admission in National Gems Higher Secondary School. I can clearly recollect that none of the girls were talking to me on the first day of school and how miserable I was feeling. I was sitting on the last bench quietly when I first noticed her. A cute, chubby girl with two ponytails and a beautiful smile that spreads all over the face was looking at me. She came to my desk and introduced her saying that I can tell her if I face any problem on my first day. She would be glad to help me and be my friend. I beamed and then she asked what I have brought in tiffin and whether I will share it with her.

So it was in 2003 when I met this girl who told me that I can share with her if I face any problem. And even after 13 years in 2016, whenever I hit the rock bottom, all I do is send her a message “I am feeling terrible. Can you call me?” Within a few minutes, I get her call, irrespective of whether I have sent the message at 3am in the morning or 3pm in the afternoon. She is my lifeline. I can proudly tell that she is my audience poll, phone a friend and 50:50 at the same time.

I can clearly remember how we have spent lazy evenings on her terrace in our high school days discussing about our crush and giggling to our heart’s content. When we left school, I thought that our friendship might fade slowly due to lack of time. But I was so wrong. In fact, over the years, we have started understanding each other on a deeper level. We have profound conversations now apart from those silly, giggly ones that make us literally roll on the floor laughing.

We have truly grown up together. We have nursed each other after we had our first breakup that almost seemed to make the world stand still. Over the years, we have cultivated the art of understanding each other’s silent tears.

The best thing about our friendship is that we never judge each other and there is no room for envy. Even when we do not get each other’s point of view, we are only concerned about each other’s well being. I feel happy to see her grow in life and I know she feels the same for me. She is my best cheerleader and at the same time, she also gives me a reality check from time to time to keep me grounded.

We keep having a lot of fun and quirky moments. When I had a leg fracture, she was laughing like crazy just because she also had a leg fracture in the exact same place exactly a year back. So that made her believe that we are soul sisters. We have conversations that no one can understand and we can just go on a laughing spree looking at each other.

We also have a lot of deep moments, when we are totally on the same page, able to understand each other clearly. Those moments make me believe that magic indeed exists in life. My friendship with Priyam is one big magic that I have experienced in my life.

I just heard that ZEE TV is bringing a great chat show called “Yaaron ki Baarat” that is co-powered byAmazon.in and Brooke Bond Red Label. In this fun-filled chat show, we can see some popular celebrity friendships that will go through some fun tasks and challenges. I am really excited to see this amazing chat show, “Yaaron ki Baarat”. It will surely be lots of fun. Watching celebrities take fun challenges to prove their friendship sounds great. Doesn’t it?

Do not forget to tune in to ZEE TV on 8^th October at 8 pm. You can find more about the show at http://www.ozee.com/shows/yaaron-ki-baraat

To my muse!