Brotherhood of REO

Finally I was there with the Vroom gang, in the true spirit of Brotherhood!

Occasion: Republic Day, 26th January 2014.
Venue: Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

Royal Enfield Owners ride for safety on Republic day.

Royal Enfield Owners organised a ride for pride this Republic Day, 26^th January 2014 from Vashi to Panvel. The rally carried the message, “Ride for Safety”. The event was a first of its kind in Navi Mumbai more than 1000 Royal Enfield Owners  participated in this prestigious event. The rally was lead by women riders. Pravinaa Shetty, Gayatri Mattoo, AAshwini Marathe and ofcourse yours truly got to lead the ride. Pravinaa, made the experience absolutely wow for me. I wish to join her for more rides.

Women riders leading the Ride.

The beast, Royal Enfield Bullet, is not just to pump the adrenalin rush but it makes the rider responsible, disciplined, follow brotherhood and take up social causes in a big, organized way! Bullet is all about power and stability just like her rider. Nigel Rich, a member of the REO is the person who spearheads the rides. He is a big man if you go by his height, equally big is his heart and his spirit even bigger. Had been wanting to meet this group for the last couple of years, finally I was with them. They have organized many rallies in the past. Their ‘Republic Day Rally’ and the ‘One Ride’ in the first week of April are yearly events that carry social messages. The rides are received very well by the people, last year Republic day Ride carried the message to stop violence against women and had hundreds of supporters and people saluting them. Regret I missed that one but this year made it up for it by all means. The rides and the riders are cheered on with enthusiasm and have good fan following now.

With REO Bro -Nigel Rich

We see youngsters misusing the powerful bikes leading to accidents due to rash driving. Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai sees such accidents almost everyday. The Bikers, through these rallies carry the message that safety and responsible driving provide the thrill and excitement of biking making the experience enjoyable and fulfilling. Speed needs to be supported with a sense of safety and responsibility. It’s a habit that can be inculcated at an early age and make road safety a way of life!

REO has about 29 groups in the city of Mumbai alone, and they join such rides supporting  social causes from time to time. Its their passion for the ride and the want to highlight road safety and responsible riding and driving among the general people, especially youngsters. Ofcourse they are dutiful citizens of the country! 

The Rally was to start from Centre One Mall at Vashi, the REO groups started lining up from 8 am. Finally everyone reported by 9. Nigel Rich and Steven Miranda, briefed the riders of all the dos and don'ts. 

Bharadwaj Dayala 

Bhrajdwaj Dayala, the man who has gone around the world on his bike and this time wants to do it again on his Bullet came all the way from Vizag to be a part of the Ride. He was truly inspiring. He was given the bike of one of the REO brothers who left us, but always wished his bike to participate in the rides. Respecting that wish his bike was a part of this ride as well and that too given to one of the best bikers in the country Mr. Dayala. I am sure he was happy watching it from up there. Salute to him from everyone. The only non Bullet rider that was allowed on special request was  a person who had polio and found Bullet to be too heavy to handle. He was inducted into the brotherhood for his spirit! Way to go. There were many women and children also participating as pillion riders. All the lady riders were invited to lead the ride in the true spirit of brotherhood of REO. Sang the national anthem and flagged off the ride. The speed was maintained at 40 Km/ Hr sometimes even coming to 30. The headlights were kept on and the Tricolour unfurled in its true glory behind the bike and each one looked majestic. The sound that filled the air was that of all the Bullets roaring. Its amazing to hear all the bikes kick at the same time. 

The onlookers saluted the bikers, gave way at every traffic signal, its just amazing not to stop at any red light! the signal was always go for us. The route that we followed was Vashi-Palm Beach Road-Uran Phata- Palaspe- Panvel. From Centre One took the Palm Beach road, one of the best roads in Mumbai for a ride, went to the new developing hub of Uran all the way till Panvel and back. It was a pleasant morning and the ride was equally good. The sight was an absolute visual delight, never ending files of the bike and the roaring sound made Republic Day celebrations even more fun.The song of the horn filled the air from time to time. Cheering the bikers and spreading the message of road safety.We were back by 12.30 pm took about 3 hours to complete the ride. The atmosphere was all charged up, every biker cherished each moment.

I am so glad I could make it this time, yes had to leave my boys behind even though they wanted to come along, requesting my dad to attend to a more pressing requirement of the day, a desperate haircut for the boys and I choosing to join my REO brothers than visiting the neighbourhood barber! But some day I shall ride with my boys and the big boy!

PS: To note

Rules that the bikers follow for the ride :-

1. Be on time for the ride.

2. Helmet for the rider and the pillion is compulsory and carry riding gears (if any).

3. Shoes or boots compulsory for the rider.

4. No overtaking amongst each other. 

5. No rash riding during the ride/ rally.

6. No breaking file, ride in a file of 2.

7. No violence during the ride.

8. Always follow the bike which is ahead of you, all the way through the rally. 

9. Headlights will be full time on.

10. Every rider should carry valid driving license along with all necessary documents.

11. Ensure that the Royal Enfield is well serviced to avoid a break down during the ride.

Violation of any of the above rules will disqualify the rider and he can be asked to retire from the ride.

It was the teamwork of REO that made all this possible working day in an out, getting permissions to organise the ride on a very important and crucial day - The Republic Day of India. Appreciate the efforts of Nigel Rich, Atul Vig, Steven Miranda, Hozefa Gilitwala, Ashish Mattoo, Saniel Sonawane, Navin Nair, Christopher Nadar, Mohit, Carl Gawli, Bharat Choudhary, Viraj, Diezel, Karan Sharma, Mohit Khanna, Ali Asgar and all the participants. 

For more pictures, check the link:
https://www.facebook.com/events/190054287856930/?source=1
fbid=693682147318897&set=a.693680223985756.1073741842.100000313537109&type=1&theater

151

I have followed the voyage and  have been in touch with the goings on, have loved the pictures coming our way through Facebook and the blog. Was wondering if all of this (some rare pictures) can be a "Collector's Item? Yes it has become one and it is for the people to feel a part of the history too!

What am I talking about?

Our man, the history maker! The first Indian to circumnavigate the earth non stop and unassisted. Isn't that a feat? It certainly is! We have had a great maritime history but an Indian became only the 79th person in the world to do so. Glad that we have arrived and we did it through Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy, KC (He was decorated with the honour, Kirti Chakra for achieving this feat). 

A bit about the voyage

I have written about it, just at the moment he started the historic voyage, the circumnavigation in November 2012. Heres the link:

http://laxmitodiwan.blogspot.in/2012/11/sailing-on-wings-post-dedicated-to.html

It's about  India's greatest naval adventure.

It is about one man who covered about 40000 kms, sailing around the world, alone and without any help or stops. The boat Mhadei, went through some of the most terrible and lonely places on this planet encountering ferocious storms and raging seas. An adventure of this magnitude is so difficult that less than 100 people have ever successfully completed one. To compare, more than 5 times the number has gone to space and more than 5000 people have been on the Everest.

He sets off on the historic voyage from the Gateway of India, Mumbai on 1st November 2012, Thursday. Moves slowly and steadily on the route marked for him. If you can say marked, in the first place! Remember nothing is marked in the sea; one has to make it on his own but the route is more or less just a guideline.

No matter how much I love the sea, spend hours looking at it and at times talking to it, I won't be able to sail. I get sea sick and that prevents sailing, for that matter even joining by mariner husband. I must have already invented countless reasons why it wasn't a good idea to join him onboard. I remember sailing from Chennai to Port Blair way back. It was only a 4 days voyage but I was sick of seeing the sea and my head kept spinning. I was dying to see the land, the trees, the birds and what not! So, have great admiration for people who can stay put, keep calm and sail on! Marrying Capt. Todiwan was also a decision made on such emotional values. A man who can live in the sea for 5 months at a time can surely face anything (including ME- pun intended) and that I was in safe company. 
That truly justifies my admiration for the sea and all people who have made the sea their way of life or a way to earn their living! This admiration I probably expressed in my posts all through while the voyage was on.

Coming back to the voyage of Tomy, the next significant moment was crossing the Equator, have a post on that as well; 

http://laxmitodiwan.blogspot.in/2012/11/crossing-equator-post-dedicated-to.html

Another milestone achievement was rounding the Cape Horn, very few sailors get to do that. Heres a post talking about it,

http://laxmitodiwan.blogspot.in/2013/01/heading-for-horn.html

He spoke about crossing the international date line yet another significant event and  kept his fans and fans of the voyage posted on the happenings through his facebook page and also had regular updates on his blog: 

http://sagarparikrama2.blogspot.in/

He was back in Mumbai on 31st March 2013, completing the circumnavigation in 150 days and 7 hours. But the official reception was organised on the 6th of April 2013, where he was  received by the First Citizen of the country President Pranab Mukherjee. He didn't announce his arrival till then and finally everyone learnt about the same when he posted a picture of his stamped passport announcing his arrival on 31st March 2013.

He was received to a Hero's welcome.The whole country took pride in the achievement. It wasn't just his achievement but that of the Indian Navy and India. He received the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for 2013.

All the excitement, agony, hope, endurance, persistence and grit of a man on a mission is recorded in pictorial form in his book 151, and I get a signed copy of the same!

I feel privileged to own a piece of the history! A national treasure. Through this medium I wish to congratulate Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy and Co-author Lynn De Souza for coming up with a masterpiece thats just not rare pictures but pictures that speak volumes of the circumnavigation, non stop and unassisted by an Indian..... the only one so far!

Yay!! I finally receive my autographed copy. The book is Brilliant thats the least I can say. Compliments to the authors. The book opens with a message from the President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee followed by a Foreword by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral DK Joshi. Then a prologue by the man himself.  Pictures narrate the story and take you through those 151 days of circumnavigation. The language is simple, fluid and something that engulfs you in the very mood and the mindset that the sailor must have gone through. A masterpiece that should be the toast of your collection of books. Its certainly going to be the jewel in my collection. Coincidently my first book that came as a prize of proficiency for standing first in my class in the third grade was, ' A journey to the centre of the Earth' by Jules Verne. This one adds to that, a prized possession!
If you love the sea and sailing, you'll like this book, if you don't understand that you'll love the pictures- a rare collection indeed. And the story that they so effortlessly tell. This is certainly a great coffee table book. He is an inspiration to the youngsters many of whom may consider a career in the armed forces particularly the Navy, and the book introduces you to the different facets of the man and his voyage.

He is a good photographer, continues to capture life and moments around him, is aesthetic, one who knows the right moments to capture. If you wish to own a copy of the book please follow the link and order yours:

http://spentamultimedia.com/151.html

Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy, KC and Ms. Lynn De Souza with President Pranab Mukherjee presenting their book 151.

PS. Apologies for making you meander through the different links... its perfectly fine if you didn't visit them, if you did.... thank you :) felt like sharing with my readers what I have already written, while the voyage was on.

If you wish you get a copy of 151, You can send an email to 151.the.book@gmail.com

College study tour to Rajasthan

The  Apeejay  Institute  of  Hospitality  located at CBD Belapur  shares its premises  with  The  Park  Navi  Mumbai. It is an initiative of the Apeejay  Surrendra  Park  Hotels  that  operates its collection of  Luxury  Boutique hotels in India. The  institute  offers  a 3 years   Bachelor’s  Degree programme in Hospitality Studies (BSc-HS)affiliated to the University of Mumbai & YCMO University and  is recognized by the  University Grants Commission.

AIH is also the center of learning for  Apeejay Surrendra  The Park Hotels. The group's Management Training Programme, Professional Development Programmes as well as consultancy projects for the hospitality industry are some of its  additional core activities. The highly accomplished faculty team is drawn from academics, supplemented by visiting faculty from reputed institutions, experts from The Park Hotels and professionals from the Hospitality and Services sector. The institute boasts of a world class curriculum augmented by state of the art facilities on campus with separate hostel facility for Girls and Boys.

Not only academics but extracurricular activities are also given equal impetus. Students have the advantage of getting hands-on operational training at The Park, Navi Mumbai, doing their industrial training from any of the Park properties or associated organizations and take up careers with the Park Hotels. 

This year the institute organized a Domestic educational tour to Rajasthan and visited the capital city, Jaipur and the other tourist destinations in Jodhpur, Udaipur, Chittorgarh and Haldi Ghati. 37 students with 4 faculty members were there from the 11^th to the 20^th of December, 2013. The students learnt every aspect of this tour right from selecting the destination, zeroing down on the local attractions, reserving hotel rooms, planning the itinerary, identifying the hotels to visit as a part of the study tour, as well as all the Dos and Don’ts of travelling as a group.

Rajasthan was chosen as it is one of the most sought after tourist destination in the word and is one of the highest earners in the country in terms of revenue from tourism. It also has some of the best hotels in the country and houses some of the best Heritage hotels not only in India but are among the best in the world. Also this time of the year offered the best of Rajasthan in terms of the weather and travel.

The group left from Mumbai Central on the 11^th of December 2013 by the Jaipur super fast train, that leaves at 9.30 pm. Reached Jaipur at 12.50pm on 12^th December, we had a luxury tourist bus waiting for us at the station. We boarded the  bus and headed to our hotel at Jaipur.  Reached hotel in half an hour, were received at the hotel with refreshing welcome drinks and headed straight to the restaurant for lunch. There were two cakes waiting for the twins who were celebrating their birthday that day. The hotel was good and the rooms very comfortable. In the evening, that day we went to the World famous Choki Dhani, an ethnic village resort representing the culture, traditions and aspects of village life in the state.

Day two of the tour was for  a hotel visit, soon after the breakfast at our hotel we left for the Taj Hari Mahal Hotel. The group was large so was divided into two ensuring that they got a good exposure and got to learn all aspects of operations at the heritage property. Evening was left free for shopping.

Day three - The day of sightseeing, we started with the Amer Fort. The fort stands atop a range of craggy hills. The fort is remarkable as much for the majestic grandeur of its surroundings as for its sturdy battlements and beautiful palaces. Post lunch we visited the City Palace, situated in the heart of the old city and the first high rise structure (7 storey) in the city. After seeing the magnificent palace we went to the famous Jantar Mantar (observatory) the largest and the best preserved of the five observatories built in the 18^th century by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in different parts of the country.  We also visited the Hawa Mahal, the 5 storied stunning semi octagonal monument having 152 windows with over hanging latticed balconies, a fine piece of Rajput architecture and Jal Mahal situated in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake.

Day Four – We left for Jodhpur it was a whole day journey by road we reached the hotel in the evening. Some of the students freshened up and relaxed at the hotel whereas some did a bit of shopping at the local market close to the hotel.

Day Five – We went to see the Famous Mehrangarh Fort.  It is one of the largest forts in the country. It is situated 400 feet above the city and is enclosed by imposing thick walls. Had a relaxed evening back at the hotel.

Day Six – Left for Udaipur. Reached Udaipur in the evening had our dinner at the restaurant and retired for the night.

Day Seven – We left early morning for Chittorgarh. We visited the Chittorgarh Fort, Vijay Stambh, Padmini Palace, Rana Kumbha Palace, Kumbha Shyam Palace. The story of Chittorgarh is a saga of valor, tenacity and sacrifice. The fort is a treasure trove of history and offers to the travelers an insight into the lives of the great Rajput rulers, who laid their lives fighting superior enemies instead of leading a life of submission under them.

Day Eight – We visited the Leela Palace hotel, one of the best modern palace hotels in the city. The tour was very well organized by the hotel HR and Training team. The property is amazingly beautiful with great service standards. Evening was free for camp fire. The students enjoyed the chilly evening sitting by the camp fire.

Day Nine - We visited the Haldi Ghati, a mountain pass in the Aravali ranges, the name is believed to have come from the yellow coloured soil that looks like turmeric. It is the site where the famous battle of Haldighati was fought between Rana Pratap and the Mughals in the year 1576. We saw the light and sound show based on the life of the Maharana and his horse Chetak.

Day Ten- We visited the Jagdish Temple, built between 1628 and 1653 dedicated to Lord Jagannath. The next attraction was the City Palace, which is one of the architectural marvels of Rajasthan, it is the most visited attraction in Udaipur. The palace has various towers, domes and arches. It boasts of the wonderful blend of Medieval, European and Chinese architecture. We also visited the palace museum. We returned to the hotel, had our lunch and checked out. On our way we visited Saheliyon ki Bari, this is a well planned garden blessed with extensive and shady lawns and great water fountains.

Towards the evening we did boating on the Fateh Sagar lake and visited the Jagmandir island in the centre of the lake it was a sight of rare beauty. We then visited the Pratap Smarak, which is on top of the Moti Magir or Pearl Hill overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake. The path to the top, traverses through elegant gardens including the Japanese rock garden.

We had dinner at the Natraj restaurant that is famous for its Thali meals. Then it was time for us to board our train back home. We came back with very informative and enriching memories of the Royal Rajasthan.

We used the expertise of Royal Tours, a Mumbai based travel company that specialises in group tours especially school and colleges. We found them doing a fantastic job!

For pictures follow the link: 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151880595335967.1073741866.351487565966&type=1

Foundation course in Travel & Tourism (IATA approved)

AIH Teams up with IATA to offer the foundation course in Travel & Tourism

Apeejay Institute of Hospitality (AIH), an initiative of the Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. becomes the IATA authorized training centre in Navi Mumbai. It has been a vision of the top management to one day be able to offer this program as they see it carrying great value for the students who are seeking a career in the travel and tourism industry. This is the right time for them to prepare themselves to enter into the globally rewarding career.

The programme was launched in an inaugural ceremony at the institute campus on 6^th January 2014. Classes commenced from 7^th January 2014. We believe that this course will benefit the hospitality students in a big way.

The institute offers the IATA Foundation Course in Travel and Tourism. It’s a six months program and the learning hours at the institute are 6 hours per week. The batches are both weekdays as well as weekends so that students from other discipline and professionals can also take up the course. The eligibility for the programme is 10 + 2 / Under graduate / Graduate in any discipline. On successful completion of the programme, the candidates will be awarded the International Certification from IATA, Canada.

AIH will offer excellent placements through campus interviews in international and domestic airlines, airport operations, travel agencies, tourism organizations, travel portals, airline back offices, hospitality and many more.

The travel and tourism industry employs more than 200 million individuals worldwide, (source: IATA) in such diverse areas as travel sales, ticketing, hotel guest services and administration, nature reserve guides, cruise ship marketing, group sales, tour operations, packaging, niche as well as specialty travel sales and attraction management among others. Responsible travel and tourism aims to bridge cultural differences, fostering an environment which enriches our lives through the bringing together of people for leisure, family get togethers, business and educational purposes.

On successful completion of the program, the candidates will acquire the knowledge and skill to work in an ever growing industry that contributes to making the world a global village. The international Travel and Tourism industry is expected to grow more than double in size in next decade.

The IATA Foundation course in Travel and Tourism is a comprehensive course to begin a career in travel and tourism industry. It is a global qualification that certifies that the candidate has achieved a certain level of professional competence.  Learn industry terms and codes, products, services, international air fare pricing and e- ticketing. Facilities include air-conditioned class rooms, Audio Visual aids, access to library, internet lab and well equipped computer lab for GDS. The institute has full time IATA qualified and experienced faculty.

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm 

~Ralph Waldo Emerson 
To the first batch of the IATA program, we wish you the very best, have enthusiasm, have  fun and learn about the vast possibilities that await you!

IATA and AIH invite candidates to hop onboard and give wings to their career!

For further details connect with AIH at www.aih.edu.in

or write to

Apeejay Institute of Hospitality
No.1, Sector-10, C.B.D. Belapur, Navi Mumbai – 400 614, India 

Ph. 022 2758 9050
Email : connect@aih.edu.in