Getting urges to travel frequently often leads to budget travels. Because of law of economics, there is always unlimited wants and limited resources. This weekend we decided to give all the logic a break. We chose a boutique resort near Pune and headed there with absolute no agenda.

After checking in, not sure about where to go, I opened google maps. We could see a water body close to our resort. We just followed the waterbody and arrived here ! It was indeed a mesmerizing panorama.

It was the Dhom Dam region with a tranquil landscape and a cool breeze to die for. Found a perfect frame to club the man-made and the natural swimmers. Given our luck as usual, we were the only two people initially and had all the natural beauty to us. We did not speak a word for almost an hour and just soaked in the energy and repose.

 This boat and this frame is one of our favourite shots from this trip. It has a deep meaning. Thinking hard about what should the caption to this picture be, we rested on : “Purpose of life”. We often forget that our life on earth has a purpose. And that we get just one life. Worries, agendas, goals and ultimately stress. Between these goals, there is a thing called Life which has to be lived! The definitions can be unique for each one, but isn’t it important to find it and pursue it?

We just thought of driving to the other side of the dam and found this ancient temple in one of the lanes after crossing  Menavali village. Even at 12 in the noon, the premises of this stoned architecture were super cool. The temple is secluded and cannot be found easily.

This was where we parked our car to go inside the jungle on a little trail where we found the ancient temple. Sometimes it is invigorating to drive without plans. We would never have discovered this countryside beauty had we made any specific plans.

Whenever we see a small hill with a small pathway, we always want to climb it. This time we seized the opportunity. While driving through the small village roads, there was this path and we hurried out of the car and hiked upwards. Towards the guardian hut, we had no idea what lied up there!

We were greeted with this enchanting view. Stored water from the Dhom Dam and the unfrequented dam road. The water looked like glass. Untouched and intact. It was a view to cherish.

We took a stroll on the dam road and loaded our cameras with pictures. Even today the pictures have a magical effect when we see them sometimes after a weary day.

This was the village route that led us to those peculiar discoveries. Indian Countryside has unmatched beauties. They await to be in limelight. Sometimes a selfish traveller in me feels that such places should remain hidden only for the true seekers, given the chaos senseless tourists create at serene places. But deep within, my Indian heart feels that glamour to such places will give economic freedom to remote villages and solve a lot of problem of migration of villagers to the cities.

Being near Wai, we couldn’t of course miss the temple made famous by Bollywood. This is seen in many movies (Swades, Bol Bacchan etc) The temple has a charm of its own.

The unique architecture of this temple must have prompted a lot of directors to chose it for their shots. It also has a small pond in the premises which makes it an even more beautiful sight.

We returned to the Dhom Dam backwaters again the next day to store in the good vibes. Such lovely scenic drives so close to the city are savers during tough work schedules. Sometimes I do get bizarre ideas like shifting to one of such lovely countryside villages. Our kinda “Swades”  moment! Someday…

P.S. India is a magnificent country and we live on a beautiful planet. Please do not litter. Be a responsible traveller.