Road trip - A 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.

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 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 tour was a road trip of Rajasthan over 8 days. Train was the mode of travel taking us to Rajasthan and back from there. Road trip with students on an educational tour is certainly worth reliving our own college days. Since I as a professor at the institute was travelling with the group, I thought of taking my sons who were then 7.5 years and 4.5 years old. They would not have stayed behind at home when I was out for 10 days. So the children travelled with me. This was the first time I was taking my children on such a long road trip but wanted them to experience that. I believe that travelling is learning, . As a family, we take atleast two vacations in a year. Children learn a lot be it visiting historic places, wildlife sanctuaries or places of immense natural beauty.

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: 

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Who kills your dreams?

Dream is a beautiful word and has many meanings, carries different interpretations for different individuals.

The dictionary describes dream as, "a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep."

There are dreams that you see in your sleep and there are some that keep you going after them till you actually achieve them, forgetting whether you slept or not. 

If your life is without any turbulence, everyone loves you, all your ideas are accepted with no oppositions- it simply means that your dreams aren't big enough! Everyone of us is capable of dreaming, its a fantasy world, We can be all that we want to be. But a majority of us are dreamers only in our sleep. 

If you ask older people or people of my generation to list some of their dreams. Its very difficult for them to even come out with just10. The other day I was talking to my husband, what his dream was, He couldn't come out with any. I know that he has been a go getter, an achiever in his own right and I am proud of him. But he, in his early 40s, having more than 20 glories years in his career; couldn't think of a dream. I am a person who'll always talk about positivity, optimism and dreams. Wanted him to think about his dreams, dreams that he cherished and the ones that were hidden somewhere. I felt the need to wipe the dust that was gathering over his dreams and hiding them from his vision as well as his mind. He represents a lot of us out there who have forgotten what dreams they once saw. I feel that we all need to have that drive to keep us going otherwise life certainly has no meaning. Again, these are my thoughts...

At the same time it made me wonder, why does this happen to people?Where do our dreams go? What distinguishes us from other animals is that we dream, We believe in them and we can achieve them. I also happened to ask my young sons the same question and they both came out with many dreams. Infact the elder one wrote down a big list of his dreams right from what he wanted to become when he grows up to the kind of house, car, toys, electronics, bikes and loads of other things that he wanted. The younger one who is only 5 and can't manage writing that well, told me more things than his brother. You know how kids are! to seek my appreciation he ensured that he came out with things that sounded jazzy! 

It made my thoughts stronger  that there had to be something that killed our dreams. When we grow up the focus moves from dreams to the harsh realities of our lives and that we somewhere forget to dream. As children our dreams are so many that we need to stretch both our arms to try holding and expressing them. As we grow up, finish studies, enter into the professional lives. We then try to fit the dreams into our earnings. They still look so big . We then try to make them smaller and smaller till they fit into the pay checks that we receive.These we take as our realities, the bitter truths and live by them. 

In this process we tend to lose our dreams, some may even kill them. The people around us become experts in telling us what works and what doesn't. Society starts forming rules for the living safely, following somebody and doing what someone wants us to do. 

Society and the people somehow become like the stadium where a cricket match is on and passing their expert comments and directing players to play the shots. Does this work? Does the advice work? will the players listen to these so called experts sitting up in the stands? Definitely not! 

Then why do we listen to others when it comes to our own dreams. We create them in our imagination and in our minds. Our thinking makes a strong imapct on our subconscience mind. We visualise how to take them forward, what measures on our part will take them closer to realisation. We know the journey that we have walked and the steps that'll take us closer to our dreams. 

Our dreams are ours and only ours! we must certainly not risk them at the mercy of others. 
I love this saying," If you can dream it you can do it". If you were not capable of doing it you won't even imagine it in your wildest dreams. And if you have have dreamt it then allow your dream to take off.

Back to the questions who kills your dreams? It can be YOU, the experts in the society, your own circle of friends who haven't attempted what you are thinking of and the general experts who have no experience whatsoever. If dreamers and achievers listened to the losers in life, the earth would have still been plat, the sun would have been the centre of the universe and there would've have been no inventions and discoveries.

We all know that we have this one life, this one opportunity to live to the fullest, Do what we want to do, be constructive, be an achiever, live a worthy life and be proud of what and who we are.

Picture courtesy: Himanshu Tomar and Bharadwaj Dayala

Class of 2014

The graduation day is always a special occasion. It is special not only for the graduates whose success this ceremony celebrates but it is also special for all those who contributed to this success - parents, professors, administrators and friends. This ceremony is also a great thank you to all of them. Family, friends, colleagues and well wishers celebrate the big day and pay tribute to the hard work and efforts of the graduates.

As a professor at the institute, it is a part of my portfolio to be the Master of the Ceremony and host the event. Its an honour to be there and lead the big day in the life of the graduating batch as well as for us at the institute. The day is high on energy and for me its definitely high on emotions. It is the time to say goodbye  to a  batch of students  who were welcomed  as young girls and boys when they join the institute and then turn into young ladies and gentlemen. The parents see the change and somewhere they give us the credit, but its always a team effort, as their professors we are their mentors, guides, facilitators of knowledge. That's certainly a lot of responsibility that every faculty member carries with him or her.

The event requires a lot of planning. It starts at least a month in advance; activities involve deciding on the venue, the invitees, the menu and a couple of rehearsals of the parade of the graduating batch in their robes. Its a sight to behold!

Institute profile

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 Ltd. 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 for learning of  Apeejay Surrendra 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. Not  only  academics  but  extra curricular 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 as well as other hotels.

The Ceremony

You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. You can't get there by bus, only by hard work and risk ,and by not quite knowing what you're doing, but what you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover will be yourself.

~Alan Alda

The 5^th batch graduated from the portals of the AIH on 30^th of March 2014 in a spectacular ceremony held at the Park Navi Mumbai. Mrs. Shirin Paul, Chairperson Emeritus, Apeejay Surrendra group was the Guest Of Honour and the Chief Guest for the function was Ms. Priya Paul, Chairperson,  Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. Also present was Mr. Swarup Datta, GM The Park, Navi Mumbai and Mr. Lotlikar from the Apeejay House. The invitees were parents of final year students, AIH alumni, principals of Hotel Management colleges in Navi Mumbai and Mumbai, media, Hotel General Managers of hotels and recruiters.

The function that started at 12 noon went on for a little over an hour. It began with the graduation march lead by Mrs. and Ms. Paul in full academic regalia. Laxmi Todiwan, was the Master of Ceremony. She welcomed all the guests and thanked everyone present for joining AIH on its special day in celebrating the graduates. She also expressed her appreciation to all those who had supported them – professors, administrators, parents, grandparents, siblings, relatives and close friends.

Principal Mr. GM Bhuvan presented the annual report; 

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

~Eleanor Roosevelt

Final year student representative Ms. Aishwarya Sathe, shared her experiences of the journey at AIH and it was received with cheer and applause. Then Ms. Priya Paul, chief guest of the function addressed the audience. Apart from the inspiring speech to the graduating students she shared her own ambition of studying hospitality at a premium university in the US, she ended by studying economics but later was invited to the same university to be the keynote speaker. She also spoke about the Park Management Training Programme being contemporary and trying to do something different and out of the box. It tries to expose young minds to various aspects of lifestyle elements, be it lifestyle products, destinations, music etc. into the curriculum, moving on from the hospitality of the 90s and giving the guests something different to experience.

Guest of honour for the function Mrs. Shirin Paul, then addressed the audience. She was very happy to be a part of this momentous occasion and expressed her appreciation of the institute and the graduating batch. She then conferred the Gold medals to the winner.

Jit Paul Gold medal which is instituted in fond memory of Mr. Jit Paul, is awarded to the passing out student who is an all rounder with the best attitude and values. The winner of this award was Ms. Kriti Srikanth. She  was also  the winner of the The Surrendra Paul Gold medal, instituted in the memory of our founder, awarded to the student for academic excellence.

Mrs. Paul then distributed the course completion certificates to the graduating batch. The passing out batch took the oath lead by the Master of Ceremony; this was in full academic regalia, students wearing their graduation robes and hats, holding the candles lit by their faculty members signifying the transference of knowledge.

The message to the graduating batch

As it is said that if one can dream it , he can do it. Take the time to dream big, as dreams help you to do great things. Continue to learn, be curious, be open to others whose interests differ from yours. Read and learn something new every day.  Be resilient, learn from your mistakes and celebrate your accomplishments.
As you sit together, as a class for the very last time, I encourage you to focus on what you have learned and accomplished in and outside of AIH.  And then use this experience and learnings to your advantage!

Gratitude opens the door to a great, fulfilling and enriching life. Finally today, more than any other day, remember to be grateful.  Express your gratitude to everyone who contributed to bring you here on this threshold today, your parents, professors and fellow students.

Wishing you the very best.

May you make wise decisions and have great success.

The programme concluded with the national anthem sung by all present. The faculty and students then joined the guests for some sumptuous lunch, the Park Hotel kitchen team laid an elaborate buffet.

The function will certainly go as a red letter day in the history of the institute and will be cherished by the graduating batch.

An Auction - that carries a million emotions! ....Vandeemaataram!

I sit here checking my emails and updates.....and there's something that attracts my attention an Auction!!

The word brings out all kinds of emotions. We wonder what is being auctioned and why.... secondly, we also know that for being auctioned the possession has to be worthy of being auctioned, I would say something that's been priceless for someone. That priceless thing at the moment is heart breaking!

It is this feeling that makes me write this post.

My grand mother used to tell us stories, stories of kings and queens. She would say that the  kings had huge empires and the wealth of the state. I used to ask her how did they manage to do that and she would say by asking every household in the kingdom to contribute. That's how a part of the produce from every farmer would go to the kingdom. Similarly a part of every trader's goods would go to the king. The king in return would protect all the people and help the kingdom flourish. Simple story and simple logic.

Why do I think of this story and my late grandma today?

Vande maataram takes me to these thoughts. For whose who haven't heard of it yet...

Vande Maataram

It was the largest movement that united all the people of India before Independence. And it is now going to unite all the youth of the nation to come forward and vote. 

The bikers of the country are uniting to undertake the largest ever biker movement to help build a bright future of this great nation. The movement is spearheaded by Bharadwaj Dayala, the first Indian to go around the world on his motorcycle.

The ride

The ride started from Mumbai on 15th March 2014, the core team of riders ride to each and every state capital, meeting and energizing the youth all along the way. They are not supported by anyone but the people of this country. No politics, no parties, no persons. It’s just the Call of duty! with the largest number of bikers coming to support the core team. The rally ends at New Delhi with the largest ever gathering of bikers in the world (the event will feature in the Guinness book of World Records).

The team is in Kolkata at the moment, the riders are on their own. 

Message from Bharadwaj Dayala

"Good morning buddies. You know that Vande Maataram movement is not supported by any sponsors. All the riders are doing it at their own expense and for the cause of better India. Hence I have decided to auction my WORLD TOUR bike and support the Vande Maataram movement. All the riders will be fully funded from the proceeds of this bike sale. 

I know everyone will be angry with me. But support me to support this cause.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AWARE: THIS IS THE FIRST INDIAN BIKE THAT TRAVELLED AROUND THE WORLD, ACROSS 5 CONTINENTS AD 16 COUNTRIES, 47,000 KMS. BUT STILL DOING GREAT 

( more details will follow soon)"

A noble idea for sure but for raising funds for the ride you can't be doing this. The planning of Vande Maataram was just a couple of days...  Bharadwaj Dayala felt before his DreamLive project where he goes around the world on his motorcycle, he had to do something for his country- urge youngsters to vote. The event is going on as planned and beautifully. Vandemaataram has more than 15000 people who support the cause. The support and interest generated in less than a month, I see it as a huge achievement and in the right direction.

This time of the year companies take a bit of their time to allocate funds from the new budget for their organisations, so sponsorship is discussed and debated. I know the sponsorship will come eventually but the need is now. Probably that prompted Dayala to auction his pride possession. That clearly shows the passion that the man has and how he wants his bit to be done for the country.

I strongly feel that the people who support Vandemaataram must give a solution and a way out. Bikers ride from their heart and for their passion, must certainly show that heart and passion now. How, what and when... I don't know but the ride must be supported and believe me when it is accomplished, the satisfaction can be unimaginable. Truly rewarding and enriching yourself!

Give your thoughts on this would love to hear from you all.

Where there's a will there's always a way! .... that's the way forward..... believe in it today and forever!

PS: the team is in Assam now.

Details of the mission Vandemaataram: http://laxmitodiwan.blogspot.in/2014/03/a-revolution-called-vandemaataram.html

Check: https://www.facebook.com/Vandemaataram2014