Nirvana Adventures opens a new paragliding season at Kamshet

October 17, 2011 · by Astrid Rao · in ,

Nirvana Adventures is happy to announce the opening of another new paragliding season at Kamshet. Elementary Pilot courses have been on since the 6th of October.

Nirvana Adventures Elementary pilot course batch

A happy first Elementary Pilot batch of the new season

In our very first batch we had 2 mother daughter duo’s - Priya with her mom Sushumna from Hyderabad  & Nirja & Aparajita from  Ahmedabad as well as Satoko a Japanese National and  corporate lawyer based in Mumbai, Priyank a  DJ from Mumbai a software guy from Pune
In our very first batch we had 2 mother daughter duo’s Priya with her mom Sushumna from Hyderabad  & Nirja & Priya from  Ahmedabad. Coming from Mumbai were Satoko  a Japanese national and corporate lawyer living in Mumbai as well as  DJ Priyank and Divya a  software guy from Pune.
the flynirvana team
FlyNirvana Team
After a long monsoon break the FlyNirvana team is happy to be back in the field helping you to achieve your free flight dreams. Come join us on an adventure in the skies.

Check out the slideshow https://picasaweb.google.com/115062823260269473472/ParaglidingInIndiaWithNirvanaAdventures#5664354287313453650

Peace Bliss & Happy Landings

Astrid & Sanjay Rao

Monsoon fun and festivities at Nirvana Adventures

September 5, 2011 · by Astrid Rao · in , ,

The beautiful Shelar Hills

Shelar site in the monsoon season


All through the monsoon season (June to September) we continue to go up to Native Place on the weekends. The paragliding season will only reopen in October but each weekend as we drive by on the road from Kamshet to Native place my eyes turn to the Shelar hills on the right to get a glimpse of what is going on there. In the first two weeks it is amazing to watch the brown hillsides turn green. Next the tiny silvery snaky waterfalls begin to be seen on the cliff face behind. Depending on the force of the rain we may see as many 14 or more waterfalls and when it is raining heavily the entire Shelar hillside is shrouded in a cloudy haze.

Last weekend we headed right in that direction. We were going to Karanjgaon village to visit the homes of the nirvana crew and kids on the occasion of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. As we drove closer to the Shelar site it was fascinating to see up close and personal the transformation that the rain had brought to the site.

A window to Shelar

It was also lovely to visit the homes of all the crew and kids.

Ravi Shelar has built a new home and we got the tour of it too – Here is a view of the site from his bedroom window. He also can see the Tower Hill site from his front balcony.

We visited many ganesh idols installed in the houses of all the kids but I could not resist putting up the pic of the idol at Pramod’s house with its very current ‘I am Anna’ theme. Anna Hazare has inspired us all :)

Ganpati and Anna Hazare

Peace Bliss & Happy Landings

Astrid & Sanjay Rao
www.flynirvana.com

Nirvana Adventures 15 August 2011 Independence day blog

August 19, 2011 · by Astrid Rao · in , , ,

Independence day 2011

Celebrating Independence Day with school children at Kamshet


Last weekend we visited the Golden Glades secondary school to hoist the flag and celebrate Independence Day with the children. We were also there to inaugurate a new water tank that was donated by Nirvana Adventures to provide drinking water to the school children.

drinking water for school children

The students had a program of patriotic songs and there were of course a few speeches. One speech given by the one of the girl’s from class 10 really touched us all. She spoke about ‘swatantra’ and questioned its relevance today citing the incident of the farmers at Pawna. How independent are we she asked if we are not allowed to express ourselves and share our concerns about the water of our own lakes being chanellised to industrial towns that have polluted their own water sources. She sure had a point there.

The entire Kamshet region is shell shocked by this incident where farmers protesting the diversion of their waters. First we take their land and submerge it and then those very waters are diverted elsewhere. What do we do with industrialization if we do not have food to eat? How can we turn guns onto farmers running helter skelter?

Seeing those images on the television was a terrible shock. Hey this is not the enemy – they put food on our tables and we need to respect them and listen to their concerns. It was hard to face our own staff and instructors like Ravi Bandya, Sandeep, Mangesh, Eknath whose parents are farmers in this very region and to look at the hurt and confusion in their eyes. There is no explanation that can make this unfortunate incident go away.

Yes the farmers of Pawna assembled on the expressway and halted traffic – but such protests are a part of our history and our very own struggle for independence. How does the farmer grow crops without water? Should he wait for it to run out before he voices his opinion . Should we put it down to politics or call it kalyug and pass it off ???

It is time to reflect and to act

Peace Bliss & Happy Landings

Astrid & Sanjay Rao

Check out the trailer ‘Flow’ an award winning documentary, an investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century – The World Water Crisis. The film builds a case against the growing privatization of the world’s dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.

Once you have tasted flight …

February 22, 2011 · by Astrid Rao · in , ,
paragliding at Shelar

The Shelar ridge

Hi All,
Although I have been spending every weekend at Kamshet as usual, it had been many weeks since I went paragliding. I had been nursing an injured shoulder for the past 6 weeks and immersed in our new herb growing venture at Native Place.  This Saturday I finally got to Shelar and had a long happy flight. The wind was cross when we got there but it graciously turned to give everyone a chance to get up. It felt wonderful to trudge up the hill and then takeoff and be greeted by the cool crisp air above. The conditions were soothing and easy and the company of friends and family in the air (my nephew Dylan and Rinul who were also flying after a break) all added up to a great evening.
I flew about freely, ensconced in comforting friendly air all around me, singing to myself, watching people takeoff below me and work their way up.  Soon the restitution kicked in and it was lifting all over. I spotted a long billed vulture and was thrilled with the sighting. It flew over my glider and I followed it happily for a while singing loudly wondering if it could hear me. Finally the sun sank below the hills and it was time to get my feet back on the ground and head back to of Native Place.

Peace Bliss & Happy Landings

Astrid Rao

The Nirvana Paragliding Experience

January 12, 2011 · by Astrid Rao · in , ,
Native Place's festive entrance

Students enter Native Place and walk through the the Scarlet Vine

All through the festive season through Christmas and New Year we had a stream of students coming over for 3 day and 5 day courses, a group of visiting paragliding pilots from Holland as well as friends and pilots from Europe and around the place. Stephan Irene and Anna whom we had said goodbye to only a few months ago (they moved back to Switzerland after spending 5 years in Pune during which time they spent most weekends at Native Place and went back home to Switzerland for Christmas)  traveled back to Kamshet and  Native Place  to spend Christmas with us :)
Yes a course with Nirvana Adventures does that to you. It is difficult to explain to those who have not experienced it. I often talk about the ‘nirvana paragliding trip’ a special experience that each of our  students and visiting pilots  go through – one filled with excitement, discovery,  lasting friendships  & memories  and a sense of belonging to the Nirvana Paragliding Family  and Native Place.
Here is a video ‘I wish I could fly like the birds‘ by Abhijeet Dutta an Elementary Pilot student. It covers the experience of a bunch of students enrolled for our Elementary Pilot Course.  It  is simple but conveys the experience.
Here’s wishing you all great flights & amazing experiences in the coming year.
Peace Bliss & Happy Landings
Astrid & Sanjay Rao