What happens to your money & assets if you suddenly die? Have you planned for this???

Dear Friends,
Have you ever thought about what would happen if you meet with an accident and die? What if you are detected with a major disease like cancer. These thoughts itself are scary and no one wants to talk about it. I think we should seriously discuss amongst our family members. We should plan this so that our family doesn't suffer and live a disastrous life.

We all waste our time scrolling on Facebook or other social media apps. We all should give it a thought as life is uncertain and unpredictable. Today you might be fit but you cannot predict what happens tomorrow. You need to plan this before it's too late.

 There are so many people who die every year due to some or the other disease. According to a WHO report, a major cause of death occurs due to Heart disease, Cancer and road accident. There are many out of these patients who become bedridden and are completely dependant on their spouses or parents for their lifetime.

In today's fast-paced and uncertain world, the kind of life we live in is very hectic. We hardly have time to take care of ourselves. We all are busy making money so that we can retire early and retire rich. Life is unpredictable and we all should accept this fact and plan for it.

I would like to share a story of one of my friend who was successful in his life but he never planned for his death. He was married and had a kid. Once he met with an accident and died. His wife never knew what his total assets were. He never changed his nominee in his bank to his wife. His nominee was his Dad which he mentioned while opening the bank a few years back. When he died, his father received all balance amount, fixed deposit and mutual fund shares that he has bought through the bank. His Father never was shared a penny with his daughter in law (My friend's wife).

My dear friends, please do write down your assets and liabilities in a diary and inform your loved one about it. Discuss your life with your loved one so that they are aware of how you have planned your life. Please change your bank nominee to your loved one and inform them about it.

Whenever you buy an asset whether it is a land, gold or fixed deposit. Please share details with your loved one. Write it down in a diary.

We put in all the effort to make sure we earn enough so that we can fulfil all needs of our family. We at times miss out on sharing these details with our loved ones. It is important to share these details with your loved ones. Even if we miss out on updating even one asset.

Talk to your family, discuss your life with them. Nowadays, we miss on these small things which lead to bigger problems in the long run. Take your eyes off your mobile and take time out for your family.

Remember guys we work very hard all our life to earn as much money as possible. We do all these just to make our family happy. just imagine if they don't even know about the assets you have earned for them. Or if you gave changed your nominee in your bank details to your loved one's name. They should know about it. And most importantly they should also know the procedure to acquire it.

All said and done. Friends, make sure your family doesn't suffer because of your silly mistakes.

And One last important message to you all. "Please take care of yourself. You are very special for your family :-)"

Hope this article will help you plan your life in a better way. If you find this article useful, please do share it with your friend and family members.

Please also do read my article about: 

1. How to safeguard your social media and Gmail data online after you die.

2. Why should you donate blood regularly?

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What happens to your Gmail and Social media accounts if you suddenly die?

Have you ever thought of this? I know we all don't want to die but we all will one day. And we have no idea which day it is. No one knows an exact date. This sends shivers down your spine but let's be practical we all will die one day. We all have our plans on how to make more money or how to plan for a trip to our holiday destination. We start saving money for it for several months in advance. We plan for our wedding and many other things but we do not plan for our death. My purpose is to make you aware of how to plan it in the right manner.

In today's technologically advanced world, we all have an email account which is connected to several of our social media accounts. If God forbid something happens to us, we need to secure our email and social media accounts. These are not given utmost priorities but these are extremely important. Let's look at a few Pros and Cons of deactivating/ memorializing the deceased person's account.

Pros: 
1. The account is safe and closed as you have secured it by informing the support team of the respected social media platform/ email account.
2. You can request for the personal data which is online or you can ask them to delete the data.
3. You can delete and save your data from getting leaked/ misused online.

Cons:
1. The account will be active on social media. People who are connected will assume that he.she is alive.
2. Friends who are unaware will tag the deceased person unknowingly.
3. The deceased person will feature in 'People you may know' section for new friend request.

We will talk about the below-mentioned accounts:

1. Gmail
2. Facebook
3. Twitter
4. Instagram

P.S.: These are chosen based on their popularity

Gmail: 

If you want to close or share the data with your loved ones. Please login into your account. On your profile page click on 'Manage your account' then click on 'Data & Personalization'. Under 'Download, delete, or make a plan for your data', you will find a link 'Make a plan for your account' click here. It will take you to a page called 'Inactive account manager'

Google will start observing activity after your demise for at least three months. It will prompt you to fill all the contact details like contact person's mobile number, email id. The next page will ask for your permission with whom you want to share your data. The third page will ask whether you want to delete your account and data after your demise. I would suggest not to chose this option as it will delete all the hard work that you have done. Once you confirm all these details your account is secured. I am sharing the link for your convenience:  Inactive account manager (Please log into your account to go to the inactive account manager page.)

The Gmail Inactive account manager

Facebook:

When you log into your Facebook account, there is an arrow-shaped downwards i.e. account's section. Click on the account's section and under 'Help & Support' click on 'Help Centre'. A new page will open and you will a menu bar on top. Click on 'Policies and Reporting' and you will see an option of  'Manage a Deceased person's account'. I have added a screenshot below for your reference. Here you will find all the details on how to manage closure or memorialize the account of a deceased person. I am sharing the link for your reference: Manage a deceased person's account

Facebook

Twitter:

When you log into Twitter, click on the help button at the bottom of the page. Click on 'Rules and policies'. Under 'General guidelines and policies' you will find details about 'How to contact Twitter about a deceased family member's account'. I am sharing the link for your reference: Deceased account

Twitter

Instagram: 

When you log in to Instagram, at the bottom of the page you will see the 'Help' link. Click on this link and it will direct you to the Help Centre. Click on the 'Privacy and Safety Center' then on 'Report something'. Here you will see an option 'Other type of report'. On this page, you will find details on reporting about a deceased person. Please see the image below. I am also attaching the link for your reference: Deceased person's account

Instagram

The data on this account is extremely sensitive and important as it might contain your family's personal photos and details which is available online. There is always a risk that it might get hacked. It's better to get memorialized or deactivated. The intention of this article is to make you aware and not to scare you. I hope for good health and prosperity for all.

Hope you find this content useful. Please do comment if you need any further details on this topic.

Please also do read about my article, I have mentioned the links below:

1. How to secure your family if you suddenly die due to unforeseen circumstances?

2. Why should you donate blood regularly?

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Why should you donate blood regularly?

Why should I donate blood?

The simplest answer would be to save someone's life. This is the beauty of blood donation. Your blood is a priceless gift from the almighty to you. Every year in India there is a shortage of 1.95 to 2 million units every year. It is not only beneficial for you but also to mankind. It hardly requires 20 minutes. You get your BP and Haemoglobin level checked for free. Your blood is also tested for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV 1, HIV 2 and many other diseases.

There are many myths about blood donation:

1. It causes Fatigue: Donors will be provided with refreshments and they can resume their work after an hour.

2. Your blood is reduced: Every person has 8-12 pints of blood in their body. Only one pint of blood is taken from your body. Your body recovers that one pint in the next 48 hours.

3. It is a painful process: It hardly requires 20 mins and the only pain is that of a needle pricking.

You only have to donate once in 3 months. Your blood will be used to treat different kind of patients. Let me just tell you about one type of patients that require regular blood "Thalassemia".

"Thalassemia": Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that affects the body’s ability to produce haemoglobin and red blood cells. These type of patients require blood every 21 days.

If they do not get blood transfusions done every 21 days. They might feel fatigued, chest pain, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, leg cramps, dizziness and faintness, poor feeding, greater susceptibility to infections, jaundice and pale skin, headache, delayed growth.

If they are untreated, then it might result in organ failure.

Who can/ cannot donate Blood?

1, The lower age limit is 18 years and upper age should be between 60 to 70 years depending on the fitness level of the individual.

2. You should have not suffered from acute fever, cold, flu or sore throat at least in the last 10 days. 

3. Your haemoglobin level should meet the minimum requirement.

4.  Anyone whose Blood pressure is not normal is not allowed to donate blood.

5. Anyone who had alcohol in the last 24 hours is not allowed. Even a smoker is not allowed after smoking for 4 hours.

5. Anyone having major conditions like Cancer, Cardiovascular, severe lung disease, Hepatitis B/ C, are not allowed to donate blood.

6. You should not have a tattoo done in the last one year.

7. Any women who were pregnant have to wait for at least 9 months post-delivery for blood donation, Even women who are pregnant are not advised to donate as it would put the life of both mother and child at risk.

8. If you are on medication, you might be disqualified. Please discuss this with the doctor before donating blood.

9. If there has an operation for a major ailment in the last 6 months you will not be allowed to donate blood.

Let me tell you a few benefits of blood donation:

1. Iron stores are reduced: The iron stores are reduced in your blood. There is a condition called hemochromatosis. It is caused due to iron overload. When you donate blood regularly, this disease can be avoided. The symptoms of hemochromatosis are unknown until one reaches mid-age.

2. Improves your cardiovascular health: It reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes as your iron stores are removed from your body

3. Reduces risk of cancer: Overload of iron stores is said to be the cause of cancer and ageing. Regular blood donation reduces the risk of cancers including liver, lung and throat.

4. Burns calories: Every pint of blood burns 650 calories. However, it is not recommended to donate with the intent of reducing weight.

5. Sense of pride: The most important aspect is that you are helping in saving someone's life. The psychological advantage is that you helped someone who required your blood.

6. You will get a donor card which can be used once to collect blood bag when your closed ones are in need free of cost. These cards have validity for 6 months to lifetime depending on which state you are donating.

I stay nearby a government hospital and they keep calling me every now and then due to shortage of blood. The hospitals keep appealing to people to donate their blood. This is not something money can buy or scientist can generate. It has to be donated. We only can help by doing our bit.

Please donate. There is no substitute for this precious gift. Also encourage others like your colleagues, your family members and friends to donate.

14th June is World Donor Day. Hope next year when I write a blog about it. There are more people aware of blood donation and there is enough blood available with the hospitals. 

Also do read my blog about 'What happens to your Gmail and social media accounts if you suddenly die?'

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Is extending the Lockdown in India enough to cure people from the pandemic Corona Virus (Covid-19)?

The entire world right now is going through the worst phase in the last 100 years. The pandemic Coronavirus (Covid-19) has changed the approach towards living drastically. Our government has taken bold decisions. One of them is the complete lockdown of the country. This also has a huge impact on the economy of the country which was already bleeding.

How has the lockdown helped us in coping with the virus?

The day we found the first Covid-19 patient in India was on 30 January 2020. We imposed a lockdown on 24 March 2020. The world appreciated that we were proactive in imposing a lockdown. Here a question arises that if the first case was on 30 January why didn't we impose lockdown or stopped all the travellers from infected countries to be quarantined from the airport itself. Why were they just informed to stay at home for 14 days? People did not take it seriously and we all are suffering now.

Secondly, we could have imposed a lockdown much earlier but we didn't. The doctors and medical practitioners were of the opinion to impose lockdown when cases of Covid-19 patients started increasing in the 1st week of March 2020. We didn't. The government did not take any opinion of the medical initially I guess. You may check this link: The Hindu report 

The day the lockdown was implemented, there has only been a hike in the number of cases in India. Then how has the lockdown helped? People expected the lockdown will end by 14 April 2020. But it only got extended further for the next one and half months. Till now people have questions about the pandemic, will the Coronavirus end? Is there a solution to this pandemic Coronavirus? 

The government has lifted the lockdown in a phased manner. But if you see the number of cases after lockdown has only increased gradually. From having 5 cases on 2 March 2020 to reaching 50 thousand cases by 5 May 2020 and gradually increasing to 1 lakh cases by 18th May 2020. When the lockdown was lifted on 8 June 2020, the total number of cases rose to 2.65 lakhs. 

This goes to show that we have not utilized the lockdown in the best possible manner. We have failed in our approach. We should have tested as many people as possible and identified corona patients. Lockdown is only a temporary solution to the Pandemic. Unless and until this time was utilized to stop the virus. The planning has failed. This has had terrible consequences on the economy as there is a huge population who are daily labourers. They have suffered the most. People have walked back to their homes without food or water. Their stories are painful. We have failed them. 

Even today, there is no roadmap on how will we reduce the number of cases. Social distancing and Hygiene is good. But is it enough? As in most of the cases, there are no symptoms of the Coronavirus. The government of India is not ready to accept the fact that we have entered community transmission (Stage 3). In the capital state Delhi, as per the last statement made by the Health minister there is no community transmission bur there are 50% of the case which are asymptomatic (means the source of infection is not known). Please see this link: The Free Journal

When we don't know the source of infections that is enough to indicate that we have entered stage 3. But our government is not willing to accept this fact. There are huge implications for not accepting the truth. We will not be able to take decisions in the right direction if we don't accept the fact. 

The lockdown has been lifted. We need to pay attention to a few things here:

1. When there was lockdown the number of cases only kept increasing exponentially from merely 6 on 2 March 2020 to 2.65 lakhs on 8 June 2020. Check this link for the live count: covid19india.org
2. It is estimated to reach 5 lakhs by the end of June 2020 and 10 lakhs by the end of July 2020. 

3. How are we going to stop the virus when the lockdown is lifted. It will spread more rapidly than before if we don't have control. Imagine the number of cases by end of July 2020 in case of the lockdown being lifted. (You may check the worldwide count of Covid-19 cases at Worldometer website
4. Do we have enough beds for patients and to quarantine people in separate rooms?

Take the example of a bus where there are only 30% of people sitting in the bus. What is any one of them has Corona, if he touches any part of the seat of the hand-holders? The other passengers who would touch the hand holder are susceptible to the virus. I would request all you beings to:

1. Avoid travelling unless it is really important. Please make use of the technological benefits we have.

2. Try and travel in your vehicle (if possible).  

3. Try and avoid sitting in any public place or touching anything

4. Push the door of your office with your shoulder.

5. Work from home

Till the time there is no medicine available. Please take these necessary precautions. 

How long will it take to make the Coronavirus (COVID 19) medicine:

There have been speculations that some countries have found medicine. But when they test it on the human body nothing is working right now. Some labs are preparing the vaccine and have declared that they would be ready by this year-end or next year with the vaccine.

All you beings who have read this. Please stay safe and take care of your family. We will all fight and win against this pandemic Coronavirus. Hope we the medicine as soon as possible.

Stay Safe. Stay Home. Stay Healthy.

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Dharamshala - A heaven on earth

Dharamshala (Also known as Dharamsala) is a hill station in Himachal Pradesh. It is at a height of 1946 meters from sea level. This is a beautiful holiday destination. The best time to visit is from October to May.

I will tell you how you can visit this place without spending a lot of money. 

You can go by road to this place from Delhi. There are flights also available but they are from limited cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata. The weather here is unpredictable and the flight might get delayed by hours while landing. I would rather suggest you to go by road. There are buses directly available from Delhi. You can go to the ISBT bus depot and catch a bus from there. You can also fo to Pathakot via train or bus and take a bus to Dhamarshala. Once you reach Dharamshala, you can find good hotels at a price of INR 1000 to INR 1500/-/.  Dharamshala is divided into two parts mainly Mcleod Ganj and Lower Dharamshala. Both are 7 to 8 kms away from each other. You can take local buses to reach either place. The fare is INR 30/- only. If you take a private car it will cost you INR 1100/-. The places to visit are Triund, Dal Lake, Dalai Lama temple, Nadi Lake, St John Church, Dharamshala Cricket Stadium, Kangra Art Museum, Tea Garden, War Memorial, Bhansunag Temple, Mc LeodGanj Square.

I will give you a small brief about all these places:

Triund: If you love trekking then you should visit this place. It is situated in the Kangra valley. It is 2875 meters above sea level. There are guides available locally.

Triund

Dal Lake: Similar to the Dal Lake of Kashmir there is a Dal Lake in Dharamshala and is known for its natural beauty. Please have a look.

Dal Lake, Dharamshala

Dalai Temple: This is a place where the monks of Buddhist beliefs meditate. Please note that you can visit this place but photography is not allowed at all.

Dalai Lama Temple

Nadi Lake: One of the scenic beauties of Dharamshala is this lake where you can find a waterfall. The
place is simply awesome. Don't miss it.

Nadi Lake

St John Church: It was built in 1852 and it is known for its beautiful carving on the glass. It also is known for the Bell Tower, The bell if rang can be heard at a distance of 18 km. Currently, it is locked as there were attempts previously to steal it.

St John Church

Dharamshala Cricket Stadium: This is situated at a height of 1460 meters and serves as an international cricket stadium at the highest from sea level. It is open for visitors from 9 am to 5 pm. The tickets to visit is INR 20/- only. I would suggest you to go as early as possible to avoid the crowd.

Dharamshala Cricket Stadium

Kangra Art Museum: It has all the history of Dharamshala. You must visit this place to know how it evolved over a period of time. The ticket price starts from INR 30/- onwards and INR 100 for foreigners. There are other charges photography and videography.

Kangra Art Museum

Tea Garden: If you are travelling from Palampur to Dharamshala, you will see tea plantation on either side of the road. If you are visiting the Kunal Pathri temple in Dharamshala you will see these tea plantations. These Tea plantations are popularly known as 'Kangra Tea'.

Kangra Tea Garden

War Memorial: This is a memorial dedicated to the armed forces who have sacrificed their lives for the country. Lush green and Nicely maintained.

War Museum

Bhagsunag Temple:  It is said that Lord Shiva himself has prevailed at this temple. This is a very sacred place in Hindu religion. Do visit the Bhagsu falls and enjoy the peaceful ambiance in the lap of nature. You can take a dip in the cool water of the pool which is set up in the premises of the temple.

Bhagsunag Temple

Mc LeodGanj Square: This is where you can find hotels for stay.

Mc Leodganj Square

If you are planning a visit to Dharamshala, I think 2 days are more than enough. The costing would be:

The per-day hotel stay - INR 1500/- (during peak season from March to May this might increase).
Food expenses - INR 500/- is enough unless you are a monster eater.
Travel and Tickets - If you take local buses the cost would be less than INR 200 for 2 days. But if you are hiring a private car it will cost you around INR 1100/- per day.

If I calculate the entire cost it comes around INR 4500/-. for 2 days.

A small tip: Try and walk from one destination to other if the distance is less than 3 Kms. That way you will be able to enjoy the scenic beauty.

Hope you find my story can help you plan better. Do write back to me with your feedback.

Also, do visit my blog (the link is mentioned below) on how I went to Dharamshala and other places unplanned.

Unplanned Travel Story

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How has Mumbai changed in the last 30 years

The city of dreams 'Mumbai' was Bombay in 1990. It was changed to Mumbai in 1995. There are lakhs of people who come to this city every day from different parts of the country to fulfil their dreams or earn a living.

The population has increased to almost double from 9.9 million in 1991 to more than 20 million in 2019.

In the 1990s, there used to be factory as I could hear the siren in the morning at 9 am and in the evening at 5 pm.  This was a phase of the Industrial Revolution in India. This was a phase when industries were booming.

Then there was a technological transformation which was brought about by the IT firms (Information Technology). Internet and IT was everywhere and transition started happening from offline to online. You didn't have to stand in a queue for hours to get your work done. Everything was slowly moving online.

Currently, we are living in a digital transformation world where everything is available comfortably. People want to live a comfortable life now. You have Google, Youtube, Social media. You can learn and search for anything from the comfort of your couch. You can learn anything for free by searching online.

But now most of the factories have been replaced by tall towers which are occupied by MNCs. The Television was huge like a Box and used to occupy a space of a microwave oven. They also had Antennas. Those who don't know what Antennas are, you may ask your parents. Now there are LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) which are flat and can be placed on a wall very easily. The image shared below perfectly illustrates the revolution from TV to LEDs.

 We never had DTH cable then we used to see Doordarshan channels. There were no daily soaps on TV but a few memorable TV serials like Nukkad, Tenali Rama, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Shanti and many more. Nowadays we have a specialised channel for every topic.

Pager

There were no smart mobile phones 30 years back. There were pagers where you would get messages on your phone. One had to call on a customer care number and leave a message which was then sent to the recipient. Yes, you heard it right it. There was a long procedure to just send a message.  THIS WAS ONLY TO RECEIVE 'A MESSAGE'.

Today, you can connect with anyone anywhere in the world within a few seconds on a Video Call. That's has been a huge transition.

Back then, there was no pressure of work, my parents used to return home by 7 pm every day. Nowadays we all work in corporate offices and reach home by 8 or 9 pm. Because there are targets to be met by the end of every month and commuting has become hectic because of overcrowded trains and buses.

There is no personal life. The festivals had the charm which is missing nowadays. My Mom and Dad's friends used to visit our home on the day of the feast. Now people wish each other on social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.

We used to play in the cricket, kites flying, Top, Skipping and many more games and get all dirty every day. My Mom used to scold me every day for dirty clothes. Now, they don't get dirty at all. There are hardly any grounds left now. Mumbai has become so commercial that the grounds have been used to make tall towers for either residential or commercial purpose.

Now, People play online games on their mobile phones or PS4. No one moves out of the house. Movies used to run in theatres for at least 25 to 50 weeks as well. Nowadays, the movie hardly runs for two months in a theatre. 

Of course, there are a few things which have changed for good. Communication has become easy. You can make video calls anywhere in the world. We have all the data on any topic now available on your phone. We can get any work done on the smartphone. There are a lot more new bridges which reduced your travel time. There used to be a lot of goons and criminals in Bombay. Now the Crime rate has decreased drastically. The security has been beefed up in Mumbai since the Terror attack in 2008.

Cassettes have been replaced by pen drives, Files by Cloud data servers. Factories by MNC offices and shopping malls.

One thing which has not changed is that the spirit of Mumbai which never fades away. 

Hope the Spirit of Mumbai never changes and stays the way it is forever!!!


Leaving you with a video which captures the spirit of Mumbai. Watch till the end!!!

Hope you like this article. Please do follow to see more blogs from me.

You can also check my blog about Mumbai which mentions why people prefer Mumbai as their first preference for work:

Why do most people in India prefer Mumbai for work?

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Why do most people in India prefer Mumbai for work???

Mumbai is said to be a city of dreams. When someone wants to make a career or join some big company or even labour class people from all villages in India turn to Mumbai. There are many reasons for this. I will start one by one:

Your talent will be respected: You will be respected for your skill and you will get so much of work that you can choose your work. There are a lot of people who do a job and a side business sitting at home. Some labours work at one job in the day and another at night.

Security: People here feel safe even if they are returning from work at 2'0 clock at night. There are Police vans patrolling after every 1 km distance.

Food available 24/7: Although Restaurants run throughout the day, they don't have permission to keep running through the night. But there are several street food joints which are available during the night in every area.

People are kind:  People in Mumbai are kind to each other. They help each other and do not ask for any favour. One such incident happened in front of my eyes when I saw a bike skit and he head started bleeding. There were several people to help him within the next few seconds. One person stopped the traffic another picked up his bike and parked it near his shop. One more person offered him water and asked about his wellness. One more person took him to the nearby hospital. Another person kept Rs.500/- in his shirt pocket.

Your Religion doesn't matter: If you are from an upper caste or lower caste or from another whichever small region you belong to. No one will ask you your caste before offering you a job. It's all secondary. Your talent will get you a job.

You have multiple modes of transport available at cheapest rates:

1. Trains: Local trains are said to be the lifeline of Mumbai and it really is. The local trains which start at 4.30 am in the morning and end at 1.40 am at night. On some routes, there are trains available every 2 mins during peak hours. Even if you want to cover a distance of more than 60 km the tickets would not cost anything more than Rupees.15-20 for one side travel. And the most important part is that you save a lot of time travelling by train.

2. BEST Buses: There are BEST buses which connect every part of Mumbai with each other. The buses are available during the day as well as night. There are special buses at the night. The tickets start from as cheap as Rs.5. They have also started AC buses now.

3. Taxis/ Rickshaw: There are Taxis and Rickshaws available through day and night. They will not demand an exorbitant fare. Their fares are decided by the meter.

4. Uber/ OLA: They are competitors to all Taxi and Rickshaw. You pay the same price if not less with better service and in an AC car.

5. Metro: This has only started in one route but it will spread in other parts of the city in phases in the coming years. This will make commuting much easier.

These are a few reasons Mumbai is loved by everyone. Even though the houses are small but the hearts of Mumbaikars are BIG.

Hope you liked my blog. Would love to see your feedback.

Please do write in the comments section.

Also do read my blog on How Mumbai has changed in the last 30 years. Please click on the link:

How has Mumbai changed in the last 30 years

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How to Quit Smoking in 30 days?

Today, I will be talking about how to quit smoking. I am not going to tell you any life-changing medicine or any formula which will instantly help you to quit smoking. For that, there are professional doctors and medicines available in every hospital at reasonable rates. I am not an expert on that. I will talk about how it all started for me and how do I control myself till date.

None of us was born smokers. We got this habit by looking at someone who used to smoke and it made him/her look cool and stylish with a cigarette in his hand. We were influenced by a superstar or maybe either of our parents or some family member or friend circle.

I will tell you how I quit smoking in 30 days? I started smoking at the age of 20 when I was in my college days. I was influenced by my friends. From there on, I used to regularly smoke due to the pressure of studies then the pressure of work. One fine day, I realized that smoking is not helping me reduce my pressure of studies or work. It is just diverting my attention for some time from my problems. The problems are solved when we take some action against them. Those problems will always be there throughout my life in some form or the other and they will keep coming in my life. Then what's the use of smoking when it only harms my body. This was the day I first decided to quit smoking. 

I never discussed this topic of quitting with my friends. I knew they will never help me instead they will make fun of me saying that "All smokers say the same but never quit". I had seen a lot of my friends leave smoking just because their parents told them or because their girlfriend/ wife told them or one of their loved ones told them. They failed miserably because they were not doing it for themselves. Just because a loved one told them they were leaving and again started smoking because they could not control.

When I quit smoking: When I decided to quit. There were two very important aspects which played a very important role. One, I will not quit it for someone else. Neither my parents, nor my girlfriend, nor my friends. I will quit for Myself. Second, my Will has to be very strong throughout my life. When I talk about life it looks so difficult. But just take one day at a time. It will all fall in place. The will has to be strong because there will be our closed ones who will encourage us to start smoking again. They will make fun of you and tease you. Remember this will be the test of your Will and your Character. You have to be very very strong here. No one can break you until you allow them to. Just hold yourself in such situations and you will be through.

Side effects of Quitting Smoking: When you quit smoking there are side effects that have an impact on your body.

1. You will feel uneasy.

   Solution: I would suggest you visit a doctor. Remember, a doctor can only help you with medicines. But in the end it's you who should control yourself and be disciplined.

2. Smoking also kills your appetite. You will feel hungry.

   Solutions: When you feel hungry start eating healthy food or food which you like. Don't kill your appetite. This will happen for at least the next couple of months. If you control this in the 1st month. You are almost through.

Conclusion: I last smoked in 2011. Till now there has been a lot of problems in my personal and professional life but I never thought of smoking again. Love yourself, love your body. The day you start taking care of your body. You will not do anything which harms your body.

"If something happens to you, your entire family has to take care of you. But if you are healthy you can take care of your family."

Stay Healthy and Love Yourself.

Do write in your feedback about my blog. I would love to hear from you.

You can also read about my unplanned travel when I went to Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Chamba and Amritsar on a solo trip. Please click on the link:

My unplanned solo trip 

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अनियोजित यात्रा कहानी

यह उत्तर भारत की मेरी यात्रा के बारे में है। यह एक तदर्थ निर्णय था। मैं लंबे समय से एक यात्रा की योजना बना रहा था। मैं ऐसी जगह पर होना चाहता था जहाँ शांति और सद्भाव हो सके। मैं प्रकृति की सुंदरता का अनुभव करना चाहता था। यह सब तब शुरू हुआ जब मैंने अपने दोस्तों को पिछले 6 महीनों से यात्रा की योजना बनाने के लिए कहा। उन्होंने मुझे व्यक्तिगत कारणों का हवाला देते हुए उन्होंने मुझे मना कर दिया। मैंने अपने माता-पिता से भी साथ जाने के लिए कहा, लेकिन उनके स्वास्थ्य की समस्या थी। मैं प्रकृति की सुंदरता का भ्रमण करना चाहता था। लेकिन कोई भी मेरे साथ नहीं आ रहा था। तब मेरे कुछ कार्यालय मित्रों ने मुझे अकेले यात्रा करने के लिए प्रोत्साहित किया। वहाँ जाने के लिए और दुनिया का पता लगाने के लिए। मैंने आधी रात को 12 बजे अपनी फ्लाइट बुक की, पैकिंग जल्दबाजी में की और सुबह 7.30 बजे दिल्ली की फ्लाइट में सवार हो गया। दिल्ली पहुँचा और मुझे इस शहर के बारे में कभी कुछ पता नहीं चला। मैंने स्थानीय लोगों से पूछा और आईएसबीटी बस डिपो गया। मैं चंडीगढ़ चला गया क्योंकि वहाँ मेरा बुआ का बेटा रहता था। मैंने एक दिन आराम किया और फिर अगली सुबह अपनी यात्रा शुरू की। पहले मैं अमृतसर गया, फिर खजियार, चंबा और धर्मशाला।

स्वर्ण मंदिर

जलियाँवाला बाग शहीद का कुआँ

जलियांवाला बाग

अमृतसर अपनी संस्कृति के लिए और सिखों के आध्यात्मिक केंद्र के रूप में जाना जाता है। आप द हरमंदिर साहिब (स्वर्ण मंदिर) की यात्रा कर सकते हैं, यह सिखों के लिए एक आध्यात्मिक मंदिर है। इसमें दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी मुफ्त रसोई (लंगर) है। औसतन यह 75000 भक्तों को भोजन परोसता है। यह एक बहुत ही शांतिपूर्ण और दिव्य स्थान है। मंदिर के ठीक बगल में जलियांवाला बाग है। इसे एक बगीचे में बदल दिया गया है और कुएं को अब ढंक दिया गया है। यह वही कुआँ है जहाँ पर लोगों ने छलांग लगाई थी जब जनरल डायर ने लोगों को गोली मारने का आदेश दिया था और उनके पास दौड़ने के लिए कोई जगह नहीं थी। उनमें से कुछ कुएँ में कूद गए और उनकी मृत्यु हो गई। मंदिर से वाघा बॉर्डर सिर्फ 32 किलोमीटर दूर है। गेट समापन समारोह के लिए यात्रा जरूर करें। (नीचे देखें तस्वीरें)

वाघा बॉर्डर परेड

वाघा बॉर्डर परेड

जब हम भोजन के बारे में बात कर रहे होते हैं तो पंजाबी अपने भोजन से प्यार करते हैं और अपने भोजन की आदतों के लिए अच्छी तरह से जाना जाता है। कृपया पंजाब के प्रामाणिक व्यंजनों का आनंद लेने के लिए रेस्तरां के बजाय स्थानीय भोजन जोड़ों से खाएं। आपको यहां पंजाबी खाने का असली स्वाद मिलेगा। मैंने हिमाचल प्रदेश की यात्रा जारी रखी। खजियार, चंबा और धर्मशाला हिमाचल प्रदेश में स्थित हैं। ये खूबसूरत हिल स्टेशन हैं। यहां तापमान हमेशा 10 डिग्री सेल्सियस से कम रहता है। यह ऐसी जगह है जहाँ मुश्किल से कोई राजमार्ग हैं, केवल घुमावदार सड़कें हैं। खूबसूरत दिखने वाले झरने और पहाड़ बर्फ से ढक गए। यह आपको मंत्रमुग्ध कर देगा और आपको दूसरी दुनिया में ले जाएगा। (तस्वीरें नीचे देखें)

धौलाधार रेंज

खाज्जिअर

मैंने डलहौजी का नेतृत्व किया जो समुद्र तल से लगभग 6500 फीट ऊपर है। यह धौलाधार पर्वत श्रृंखला के पास 5 पहाड़ियों में फैला हुआ है। आप खजियार की यात्रा कर सकते हैं, जिसे इसकी आकर्षक प्रकृति के लिए मिनी स्विट्जरलैंड भी कहा जाता है।

आप फूलन देवी मंदिर जा सकते हैं। यह चारों ओर से पहाड़ों से घिरा हुआ है। यह अनन्त है जब आप पहाड़ की चोटी पर वहाँ खड़े होते हैं। यहाँ से, मैं चम्बा की ओर चल पड़ा, जहाँ आप चम्बा झील की अद्भुत सुंदरता देखते हैं जो आपको शहरों के व्यस्त जीवन से एक शांतिपूर्ण दुनिया में ले जाती है। इसके बाद रावी नदी है जो चम्बा तक जाती है। रावी नदी ट्रांस हिमालयन सिंधु नदी का हिस्सा है। एक बार जब आप चंबा पहुंचते हैं, यहां कई मंदिर हैं। कई ज्ञात मंदिरों में से एक लक्ष्मी नारायण मंदिर है जो एक प्राचीन मंदिर है। यह पत्थर की नक्काशी से बनाया गया है और इसके शीर्ष पर लकड़ी की अनूठी छतरियाँ बनी हैं। आप चामुंडा मंदिर भी जा सकते हैं जो शाह मदार पहाड़ी पर ऊंचाई पर स्थित है। मंदिर में कम से कम 500 घंटियाँ हैं। यहां से आप पूरे चंबा और रावी नदी को देख सकते हैं। आपको ऐसा लगता है जैसे आप आसमान को छू रहे हैं। (नीचे देखें तस्वीरें)

चामुंडा मंदिर, चंबा

रावी नदी, चम्बा

लक्ष्मी नारायण मंदिर, चंबा

मेरी अगली मंजिल धर्मशाला थी। यह दलाई लामा और तिब्बती शरणार्थियों का घर भी है। यहां के प्रमुख आकर्षण मैकलोडगंज, तिब्बती मठ, सेंट जॉन्ह चर्च, नड्डी झील, दलाई लामा मंदिर, भागसुनाग मंदिर हैं। नाडी झरना बहुत सुंदर है। एक घंटी है जो 100 साल से अधिक पुरानी है। जब घंटी बजती है तो यह एक ध्वनि बनाता है जिसे 18 किलोमीटर दूर सुना जा सकता है। आप गुना देवी मंदिर भी जा सकते हैं जो नड्डी झील से 8 किलोमीटर दूर है। यह पहाड़ के बीच ट्रायंड ट्रेक के माध्यम से है। वहाँ पहुँचने में 3 घंटे लगते हैं और वापस आने में लगभग 2 घंटे। धर्मशाला मेरी आखिरी मंजिल थी। (नीचे पिक्स देखें)

मैक लेओड गंज, धर्मशाला

घंटी सेंट जॉन चर्च, धर्मशाला

नाडी झील, धर्मशाला

अफसोस! मैंने अपनी एकल यात्रा समाप्त की। लेकिन मैंने जो अनुभव किया वह यह है कि हमारे पास भारत में घूमने के लिए बहुत सारी खूबसूरत जगहें हैं जो लुभावनी हैं। हमें बस उन्हें तलाशने की जरूरत है। शुरू में मैं सोलो यात्रा करने में संकोच कर रहा था। मुझे लगा कि मेरे दोस्त सोचेंगे कि मैं पागल हूं। लेकिन मेरा विश्वास करो कि यह मेरे जीवन में सबसे अच्छे फैसलों में से एक था। पूर्ण आनन्द है और कुछ नहीं। दुनिया का अन्वेषण करें, पैसा बनाने से परे जीवन को देखें। यह सरल और सुंदर है। हंसमुख जीवन जिए। मुस्कुराते रहो!!!


मेरी कुल यात्रा का कुल खर्च INR 15000 / - से कम था।


मुझे अपनी यात्रा की कहानी के बारे में अपनी प्रतिक्रिया दें। आशा है आपको इसे पढ़कर अच्छा लगा !!!

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