Coding to Fitness Athlete: Shweta Mehta breaking the stereotype

Meet Haryana girl Shweta Mehta, known as a fitness athlete as well as the recent winner of the popular reality show Roadies Rising. Breaking the stereotype, Shweta took the risk of quitting her cushy job as software engineer to pursue her interest in body building.

 

Born in a small town Fatehabad, in Haryana, Shweta is the only girl among her four siblings. Her mother, headmistress of school and father a property landlord, had defined her priorities of education. Hanging around with her brothers, she didn’t have girl-friends in her childhood. Perhaps it was them who made her strong and tough.

Being a geek, she pursued B.Tech and moved to Bangalore as a software engineer where she worked for 5 years. Switching career to body building was not on her mind until she joined a gym for general fitness.

 

The push

Soon Shweta learnt about fitness competitions and researched on the fitness categories. She continued working out and prepared her body along with her job. Taking the step towards becoming a professional body builder and figure athlete was no small task. The tag of “small town” undoubtedly creates immense pressure in case of such career choices. When Mehta summed up courage to speak to her mom about her change in career and her willingness to compete internationally, her mom’s response was disheartening. Shweta was asked to delete her Facebook page showcasing pictures from her gym and stage practice. Scared of what her father’s response would be, she openly spoke to him about her career choice. He supported her, appreciated the pictures and encouraged her move.

 

The struggle

 

Focussed on being a figure athlete, she did not look back. The rigorous training and exercise came with not just massive hard work but also a lot of risks. Shweta realised she had a lot financial crunches to squeeze out of in order to compete. With no sponsors aiding her, and the bills for clothing, gym, food, competition preparation piling up, Shweta decided to take the big risk and spend her savings for her passion.

The silver lining

 

In March 2015, she appeared in her first competition as a Figure Athlete. In a span of a year this dimpled girl managed to secure a Gold in Jerai Women’s Fitness Model Championship 2016. Later she signed four brands in two years including Adidas, Neulife and Procel. In 2017, Shweta added another feather in her cap by winning MTV Roadies Rising, a popular TV show. She had instantly grabbed eyeballs during Roadies auditions when she did full squats with Harbhajan Singh on her shoulders and did pull ups better than anybody. The show demonstrated her strength and ultimately she emerged as the winner, crossing all hurdles and beating stronger male contestants.

 

Inspiring women

Shweta proudly says if she being from a small town could do it, so can anybody. Owing her success to her father’s support, Shweta asks people to believe in their dreams and never lose focus.

Talking about her future plans, Shweta wants to be a successful athlete first and later start a Fitness Food Truck that would serve only healthy food. Her long term plan includes setting up a gym.


Kudos to the fearless girl for following her dreams and inspiring women to never give up on their passion.

No country for women

On 4^th July 2017, a 16 year old school girl went missing while returning from school. Two days later, on a jungle trail, she was found dead subsequent to a brutal gang rape.
Himachal Pradesh lost its credibility of once known as a safe place after this heinous crime.

The girl took the usual route from school to home every day accompanied by her younger brother. Unfortunately, that day her brother stayed back in school for an event while she headed home alone through the forest. A gang of people, few with familiar faces, offered her lift in a car they were driving. Her dead body was found on 6^th July from Halila forest of Mahasu. The post mortem report confirmed rape and death by strangulation, along with deep injuries all over her face and body.
So common have rapes become in our country that our authorities fail to take it seriously. But hey, did anybody check on her clothes? Well, so this innocent girl deserved to die, for she provoked those drunken rapists in her knee length skirt? Oh, why did she cross that path alone without being accompanied by her brother? Girls are not supposed to venture out alone you see. Nope, men are not to be blamed, as they were under the influence of alcohol. Minor crimes like these happen in a country of billions.

Damn!
Such are the damned reactions of retard minds when a girl is raped and murdered. So cheap is a woman’s life in this society that “dignified” morals outweigh the gravity of crime. As we hang our heads in shame once again, we see how little has been done for women safety, exposing them to crime even in broad day light. A country that worships goddesses as a symbol of power and knowledge has nothing for the women living here. Not even a strict law against rape! Had stringent law reforms been made post the infamous Nirbhaya rape in December 2012, crimes would have minimized, if not ceased. We don’t see any difference since then even when the whole country went on a rampage protesting against Nirbhaya case demanding justice for her. On the hind side, there has been an upsurge in the number of rape cases from 706 in 2012 to 2199 in 2016 in Delhi alone.

The devastated father said how he had always warned her about wild animals, especially bears on the way and she would say, ‘Relax, papa, no one can harm me’.
“I wish I had warned her about men who are worse than beasts,” he said helplessly.
It would not be wrong to say we failed as a country. We failed as a society that could not teach men the values of respect and dignity of women. To the world we portray ourselves as regressive mind sets that feel sorry when rape happens and move on, but not build a culture to prevent the next. We feel okay to coach women on how to dress, stay indoors, not wear makeup, not talk on mobile phones, et al but not train men to treat women with respect.

Any woman, irrespective her age, is so vulnerable in our society that it feels a crime to be born as a woman. Be it the case of two year old Baby Falak, a victim of child trafficking brought to AIIMS trauma centre with fractured skull and bite marks all over her body (2015), or the 11 month baby who was raped for nearly two hours in Delhi’s Vikaspuri (2016) or the gang rape of 4 women travelling with family member to Bulandshahar from Noida (2017). Where has humanity gone?

As a country, we see the authorities make an issue out of every case, play political blame games, demand resignations from ministers, but what steps do they take to prevent such cases in future? How many more rapes will it take for the authorities to learn? A shudder passed through my body when I heard of this case. My eyes brimmed up as I was writing this, thinking what pain the girl must have gone through. She was not my relative or friend, yet I feel the pain and anger. Had it been a high profile case, would authorities leave any stone un-turned to nab the criminals and punish them? Which means we might have to wait for another rape, from a politician’s family may be, for a reform in law. (God forbade).

Under immense public pressure, the police arrested 6 suspects claiming to solve the case. Suspecting loopholes in police theory and custodial death of one of the accused, the case has been handed over to CBI for further investigation. More public outrage happened, when one of the culprits was murdered in police custody. Himachal High Court has directed CBI to file a fresh case to the case and custodial death of the suspect.

 Meanwhile, massive support has poured in for the aggrieved family, setting up financial support and demanding justice for the deceased girl. May her soul rest in peace and may the country wake up soon.

RAW PRESSERY: Delhi Chapter

Summers multiply the need of hydrating our body frequently. Since water alone is not sufficient to quench your thirst and replenish the lost minerals, there has been a consumer shift towards cold pressed juices.

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With health consciousness as a priority these days, Rakyan Beverages launches new variants of cold pressed juices under the brand RAW Pressery, which promises : RAW, AND NOTHING ELSE.

In a Blogger Haul organized in Delhi on 7th May, 2017, RAW displayed the new varieties added to it's portfolio. It is the only brand in India to sell bottled sugarcane juice. Besides this, RAW Pressery has a large variety of juices like pomegranate, guava, Valencia orange and many more.

The event kick-started with interactive session of bloggers over refreshing coconut water. The drink was perfect for the hot weather soaring up to 44 degrees centigrade that day.

The bloggers were put through a blind test. They made to taste RAW cold pressed juices along with other brands and were asked to guess the juice from former. Almost all bloggers made accurate guesses. The cold pressed juices from RAW indeed tasted fresh and nice.

                               

Announcing the blind test

They claim: No added sugar or preservatives. The juices are a healthy mix of 3-4 fruits & vegetables which cleanse, tone, trim and detox your body. On days if you skip eating or choose to flush out toxins with juices, you can have the whole detox pack which specifies the time of consumption on the bottles.

RAW Pressery has also launched ready to consume cold soups in variants of mix veggies and tomato.

The chef on board Thomas Blanchard prepared healthy summer salads and soups with Raw cold soups and items easily available at home. The bloggers engaged the chef in getting quick tips on healthy eating and cooking.

         

As a part of their CSR and brand promise to clean the environment, RAW initiates collecting the plastic bottles from your home and convert them into wearable fashion apparels. A great initiative indeed! 

About Raw Pressery 

The brand RAW Pressery started its journey in 2013 with home deliveries in Mumbai & Pune. From partnering with retail giants and airlines, RAW cold pressed juices grew from from 8 juices to a large variety of 18 along with soups and boosters. They are available on Big Basket, Grofers, Nature's Basket. You can subscribe from the website https://www.rawpressery.com/ 

Raw Pressery in News-

April 2017 saw a star studded media launch with actress Jacqueline Fernandez, who invested 3.5 crores (INR) in this brand. With this she also becomes the only celebrity in India to invest in a consumer goods brand.

Day Dream

Peeping into the calmness of the city rush! Captured like a day dream.

Location- City Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan

Photo challenge- Ray of hope

There is light at the end of the tunnel. When life is dark, gloomy and hopeless, worry not for there is hope and light after every nark night. 

As they say in Hindi, "Har raat ki subah hoti hai".

Photo challenge- Ray of hope

Location- Eco Cave Park, Panther Cave, Nainital, Uttarakhand 

Beauty in wilderness

Photo of the day. When the divine light blessed the decaying tree. 

Location- Kilbury Sanctuary, Nainital, Uttarakhand 

My best reads from 2016

What I read in 2016. Rozabal Line missing in the pic

Reading evolves you and opens the thinking doors of your mind. I love to read and do not shy away from calling myself a book worm. So, I took the Good Reads challenge of reading 12 books in 2016 but could read only 10. As we move into a new year, I look back at 2016 picking out the 5 best reads from my collection-









1. The Rozabal Line by Ashwin Sanghi

      Genre – Theological thriller

Story about religious terrorism and conspiracy of taking over the world by people who claim to be descendants of Gods. The story also establishes the belief that Jesus died in Kashmir. There is a shrine named Rozabal from where the novel is inspired. Since the time the novel was published, there has been a huge upsurge of visitors to the Rozabal shrine in Srinagar as reported by the Indian newspapers.

The story is gripping and quite different from any theological thriller. The background changes from a library in London to desert in Afghan and church in Goa to India-Pakistan border. Story revolves around an American priest who gets visions and is convinced to find out the relationship of his visions with his past life. The whole truth digging activity leads to a revelation of shocking facts connected to reincarnations, terrorism and Jesus!

This is Ashwin’s first book which was commercially not successful but critically acclaimed! This page turner tops my list of favorites.  Fast paced and so well detailed, you would be intrigued to read till the end. It can even change the belief of many religious schools of thoughts. I loved this brilliant work.

2.  Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Genre- Short emotional stories

Indian author based out of New York usually writes about Indians who settle abroad. She brings about their struggle, their culture shock, their isolated lives and the way they take their culture along to connect with people. This book has various stories of Indian characters who come in touch with people abroad or come to tour India. Different stories, various emotions, a blend of gloomy as well as punch of humor in places.

Every story will leave you emotionally high. There is romance, there is old age love, there is betrayal, there is sadness, there is every spice of life. The stories are not thrillers or fast paced. But they bring out the emotional aspects of life beautifully. 

Jhumpa Lahiri is my personal favorite and this books ranks second in my reading list of 2016. 

   

3. Bankerupt by Ravi Subramanian

Genre- Economic crime thriller

This book received strong criticism from all readers calling it a bad read. Bankerput was my first pick from Subramanian's collection. What a brilliant piece this was! 

The story revolves around the protagonists Cririsha Narayanan, a professor at MIT Boston and Aditya Raisinghania, her banker husband. Cirisha and Aditya meet during a unique business deal. They both get married after some time but do not settle as a normal couple. Aditya stays in India while Cirisha goes back to her university in Boston. Aditya strikes an innovative business deal to help his father in law and gradually rises the corporate ladder. Shuttling between career and family, Cirisha struggles to settle her married life, often causing frustration to Aditya. While Aditya gets pulled into a financial scam, Cirisha stumbles upon a cryptic message, which is apparently the key to a larger scam. As the U.S elections inch closer, the debate on gun control gains momentum. Under strange circumstances, a series of life threatening events related to MIT Boston and the gun law happen that leaves everybody shocked.

The plot is super thrilling. The books kept me at the edge of my seat. The racy thriller kept me glued to it, asking for more! 

A banker by profession, Subramanian has written popular thrillers about banking and bankers, including award winning trilogy The Incredible Banker, The Bankster and Bankerupt.  Bankerupt got my attention and gets a happy third place in my reading list!

4. Delhi Deception by Elana Sabarwal

Genre- Thriller

Carla, an American Journalist comes to stay with her friend Elouise in Delhi after being cheated upon by her husband. Nursing her hurt, she diverts her attention to exploring Delhi and the Indian culture. She is carried away by George, a charming gentleman in the neighborhood, in-spite of warnings from Elousie. Carla struggles to forget her husband and continues to meet her new found love until one fine day she is kidnapped, only to be rescued by George. This incident draws them closer and there she finds herself neck deep in a conspiracy. Together with Elousie, they embark upon a journey to dig out the truth behind the hidden facts.   

Quick paced and easy language, this book has Indian background that one can easily relate to. The characters are strong and close to real which offers a good credibility to the story. It is a light read and you can finish it in three-four days. The plot is not too intense but still manages to engross you.

This found the fourth place in my reading list.   

5.  The Kite Runner by Khalid Hoesini

Genre- Historical Fiction/drama

After lot of hum drum and appreciation for this book, I at last read it in 2016. Trust me, from

the first chapter to the last, the book is full of grief and pain! Though this is an overwhelmingly touching book, it does not end on a happy note. Your mind goes deep into the sad story empathizing with the characters who have very harsh times. 

This is the story of Amir, a young boy from Kabul, whose closest friend is Hassan, his father's young Hazara servant.  The best buddies were like brothers. Amir developed a complex from Haasan and left the country with his father after the fall of Afghan monarchy. Guilty and ashamed, the two see tough times while trying to evade their country. Amir grows up in the US, at times thinking of his loyal friend Hassan. Years later he comes back in search of Hassan and to meet his father's loyal friends who had always helped them. Amir finds out the ugly truth. 

The entire novel is quite disturbing. From child abuse to Taliban rule, every incident sends shock down your spine. This book became a bestseller for Hosseini and sold over 7 million copies in the U.S. The Kite Runner is a-not-to-be missed literary piece of work! 

Burger King's 'Dine with Santa' Christmas Celebration

Burger King organised a date with Santa' this Xmas

Celebrate Christmas your own way with Burger King

New Delhi, 17th December 2016: Burger King, organised a Christmas Carnival at Burger King, Select City Walk Mall, Delhi from 16^th Dec to 18^th Dec. The same event would also be organized at Nehru Place outlet for 2 days, on 23rd and 24th Dec.

Burger King brings Santa in the town this Christmas. Burger King's very own Santa made an appearance giving away gifts to the children which added to the experience for the young ones. Apart from this the event had whole lot of musical entertainment, carols, along with hourly magic show. Carrying its promise to bring the best burger in the town, Burger King also offered a special meal package for people in the town. The celebration is happening from 16^th-18^th December in Select City Walk Mall, Saket outlet.

Burger King also took a special initiative to organize "Dine with Santa" for NGO kids from "Catalyst India Charitable Trust". The initiative gave the kids an opportunity to enjoy Christmas like any other kid. Talking about the celebration Cicily Thomas, Vice President, Operations and brand standards, Burger King said, "The whole idea of this Celebration is to let people have their own way of Christmas Celebration. With this Burger King also got the opportunity to play Santa this Christmas for NGO Kids. Burger King invited these kids in light of the Christmas season & spread the joy of giving."

The event also facilitated the facility of NGO to showcase their talent in the form of Carols in Burger King. The kids enjoyed the best of burger in the town while enjoying the Carols, magic show. 

Something about Burger King- 

The 1^st Burger King store launched in November 2014 in Delhi and since then there has been no looking back. The brand has a huge share in the U.S market and has successful in the Indian market as well. Christmas celebration with the underprivileged children, Burger King brings them joys and love for the season!   A great initiative indeed! 

Mr. X to Mr. Right

“This blogathon is supported by Woo, The most popular match making app in India with a base of over 3.5 million users.”

I did not want to get married because my parents wanted. Neither did I want to get married because the clock was ticking away. I wanted to get married only when I get the right person. But the big question was- How do I know he is right? Was there a universal criteria to judge men by their behavior or thinking? Or was there a questionnaire for all those prospects there? Wooh! It was indeed tough! 

The hunt for the right alliance began when I turned 25; just the age when parents want to see their daughters married. I being a rebel, rejected all alliances forwarded to me by my parents. How could I let them decide for my life partner? This was ONE decision I always to take on my own and not let anybody else control my destiny, even if they are my parents.

Reeling under pressure and fed up of taunts from my panicky mom, I found myself searching grooms online! I created an online matrimony account, read profiles, chatted with few, made friends with few only under the condition to take some time in knowing them. I met at least twenty prospects. Sounds like a huge number yea?

Excited and with heart fluttering over the first meeting nervousness, I met the first guy. 
A civil engineer by profession, the tall, good looking boy loved to debate. Soft spoken, intelligent and witty, I fell for him instantly. Things would have been nice only if his location factor was not in picture. His job required him to stay on the outskirts of Ahmadabad, whereas my career would have come to an end. I was unwilling to relocate to a remote village. He admitted he liked me and insisted to talk to my parents but I was tight lipped. I held back myself, oscillating between marriage and career. Eventually we drifted away from each other, only to receive news of his marriage to somebody else ofcourse! That was obvious and this lead to the end of a chapter "Mr X to Mr. Right".

Saddened by my first experience of searching for Mr Right that went wrong, I continued the journey further. After-al, life is full of stumbling stones and you should never give up.

Meeting with the second guy happened soon. Mr. X's decent looks, same field of job as mine, similar

interests and fitness consciousness made me feel an instant connection with him. He was talkative, I was the quiet one. We both loved reading and once again I felt he was THE guy I waited for! The happiness was short lived when he suddenly went out of touch. Post a gap of two months Mr. X reconnected with all real-sounding reasons like a relative's accident in US, father unwell, travelling and so on. Thinking to give him another chance, I accepted his all excuses.But I should have known! I should have thought how could a media person not have a social account? With a push from my sixth senses, I fished out his social media account. I should have known, when a guy refuses to add you in his friend list, something's not right. I should have known he was fooling me and would have fooled many other girls. He was engaged, waiting to get married in next few months. Between the time of his engagement and marriage, he'd thought of having fun hanging out with prospective brides! Upset and disappointed , all I could do was end the brief stint of so-called-love I felt with him. You can imagine what all I went through. I cried over my wrong selection. Uggh!!!

One of the other guys I met, had great sense of humor and loved traveling. But he confessed he would marry the girl chosen by his mom. What the hell he was doing on the matrimony website then? 

Another guy's father called me, praising his good son and passed on his number to me. Thank God I did not talk to Sonny dear. In few SMS that we exchanged, he told me how he ran away from his hometown just because marriage did not interest him and how he does drugs each day. My stars saved me from a drug addict! 

Another Mr X rejected me because I am vegetarian. So, what was he? A man eater? 

There are endless stories which continued for some time before the final chapter.  

Dejected and hopeless, I met another prospect. Just like other guys I had the same feedback for him. He was polite and well mannered (all guys are polite in the first meeting). We watched a movie, ate lunch together and called it a day. 

I decided to know more about him and dated him for a while. He was not the typical protective or possessive type who would open the car door for me or ask if I knew cooking. He respected my decision of pursuing career post marriage. He was the only guy who asked if I knew any tact of self defense. "Because husbands or cops cannot fly to the mishap sites, so ladies should to be able to protect themselves before help arrives", he said. Wow! Now that was impressive.

Time flew and we became bonded well. He loved English songs which he used to play while driving. Once while dropping me home, I was surprised when he played Ghazals in car. When I asked him the reason for the change, he blushed! He had downloaded Ghazals for me :-) I found it cute. Secretly I had my fingers crossed. 

While discussing the way we wanted to get married, I revealed my thoughts. To get married like a princess is any girl's dream but I wanted a simple ceremony in the company of close ones and not spend lavishly. I wanted no loan or huge expense for show off in wedding. To my surprise he agreed. He was totally cool with the idea of saving money for future than spend extravagantly for guests who do not come to help in grave hours of need. My respect for him multiplied that day. The warmth, honesty and space that he gave in the relationship was extremely comforting. His sense of responsibility and vision for future was praiseworthy. There was no reason for me to reject him. 

He called me one day to discuss something important. He wanted me to buy a health plan for myself and an insurance for parents. He was preparing me for emergency, which often goes neglected. I recalled my professor's debate topic during MBA tenure - "A perfect husband is one who prepares his wife for widowhood". This topic had raised many eyebrows but was worth thinking about. A shudder passed through me as he spoke about the insurance schemes. With welled up eyes the realization dawned upon me that HE was indeed MY Mr. Right.  

Within 7 months of dating Mr. X, we tied the knot in January 2015 and became my Mr. Right. 

  

Evening sky watch ~ Udaipur

Udaipur has undoubtedly the most beautiful sunsets. I feel lucky to have witnessed the luxurious hues of the sky as the fiery Sun sets, cooling off the heat in the lakes. There are various points in Udaipur to enjoy the views of sunset. I captured sunset from three places; Gangaur Ghat, Deendayal Updhayay Park and Banks of Lake Pichola on two different days.  This photo blog will capture the tangy orange and sweet pink luminous colors of sunsets that I witnessed during my trip to Udaipur in October 2016.

Pink sky- Gangaur Ghat- 5:30 pm (This was Day 1)

The rest of the sunset views are Day 2 on wards-

Lake Pichola bank - Around 5 pm

View from Deen DayalPark @5:30 pm

Pastel hues. View from Deen Dayal Park@ 5:56 pm

Panoramic view from Deen Dayal Park @ 5:58pm 

Sun down,. View from Deen Dayal Park@ 5:59 pm

 JagMandir: View from Lake Pichola bank@ 6:36 pm

 JagMandir: View from Lake Pichola bank@ 6:37 pm

                                                 

  

Jag Mandir after Sun down@ 7 pm

Here's why Sajjangarh Zoo in Udaipur a must visit

  

As the incredible Rajasthan always welcomes with the warm “Padharo maahro desh”, we keep coming to the princely state for more History, culture, art and adventure. So here we went on exploring more of Udaipur on the second day of our trip.

We reached Sajjangarh Biological Park (sanctuary) as suggested by friends.  .

Gate on left leads to the Zoo. Gate on right is for palace entry

The entry tickets has a separate counter fifteen meters away from the main gate. 
Ticket costs Rs 30 for Indians and Rs 300 for foreigners. Still camera charges are Rs 80 and Video Camera charges are Rs 200.

Timings- 9 to 5:30 pm daily, closed on Tuesday  

Spread over a total area of 36 heactares, this park was established with the objective of conserving endangered flora and fauna and developing among visitors an empathy for wild animals. The zoo is flagged with boards on wildlife conservation and protection.

You can tour the park on foot. I do not recommend it, since its too tiring and hot under the sun right on your head. The walking paths are without shades.

Or else you can buy tickets for Golf Cart at Rs 50 each for a 90 minutes ride. The carts that accommodates 6 people in one go, are noiseless and battery operated, hence cause no pollution or disturbance for the environment.  The only limitation- The cart moves only when full. The management might convince you to pay Rs 60 in case you want to make it move early.

The third most exciting mode of travelling is bicycle. These non fancy-no gear-manual cycles can put you through a real endurance test. They charge Rs 20 per hour. One can cycle through the whole sanctuary in less than two hours. Needless to say, we chose to cycle. 

The only mistake we did - We did not cover our heads. 

Advisable- Carry a hat/stoll/cap to protect your head from direct sun, lest you should be dehydrated/get headache.  

Cycle ki sawari

The pathways are beautiful and very well maintained. Sajjangarh Zoo is a polythene free area dotted with bins and banners that discourage people from littering.

                          


It is a visual treat to see several species of animals in large allocated spaces. Meeting Ostrich was a pleasant surprise. 

                                  

Witnessing tortoises fight with each other was amusing. Who could imagine these slow timid creatures fighting? But they did! 

The most interesting enclosure was of the croc’s. The tank had glass walls for the visitors to look into the croc’s eye. However, the reptile chose to relax on the sand and not enter into the water. Huh, tough luck! 

We also saw the four legged animals which had committed suicide in front of Salman Khan’s car. The black buck.  hehe.

Black Buck

A resting tigress 

Wolf enclosure

Some treks were steep where we had to drag the cycles along. The whole cycling experience is just wonderful.

• Wear shoes else cycling or walking would be difficult. 
• Carry water with you. Though the zoo has water coolers at short distances, your golf cart may not stop everywhere.
• Please maintain silence lest you should scare the animals.

The Monsson Palace, on the adjacent road is also visible from the zoo. The heat slowed us down and we kept taking short breaks under trees' shade. By the exit time, we literally fled with our cycles without looking at the animals since it was too hot! I don’t remember how many times we had refilled our water bottles. Sweating and tired we returned the cycles post two hours of adventure.

As we exited the Zoo with bagful of memories and camera full of pictures, we contemplated whether or not to visit the Monsoon Palace. To know what happened next, read here.

P.S- This trip of mine to Udaipur was in Oct 2016.