It’s been just a few days since we stepped into 2012 and the year has already begin to shower it’s benevolence on me. As I opened my eyes into the New year, I found myself reveling in two moments of happiness and delight as a blogger and I thought of sharing them with all of you.

Here they go--

1. My Yatra Diary… Reviewed!

We have all heard of books being reviewed, there are movies and television soaps being reviewed too but a blog, that too, by a blogger at his/her blog?!

Yes, it's being done by The Fool @ his blog Lucifer House Inc. And when I came to know of this opportunity to get my little diary reviewed by one of the most promising and fair reviewers in the blogosphere, I grabbed it with both hands.

This was special for me because besides being something completely new, it was also being done with a genuine intention and with utmost honesty. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to The Fool for taking the time out to review my diary and wish him all the success in this noble gesture of his.

Presented below is a small excerpt of his analysis –
Yātrā, in Hinduism and other Indian religions, generally means pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, places associated with Hindu epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and other sacred pilgrimage sites. And My Yatra Diary is Arti’s record of her visits to places of pilgrimage in India.
Arti itself is an interesting  name with religious associations. It refers to kind of ceremonious form of welcome that is done at homes and temples both for dieties as wells as humans. And I welcome the New Year on my blog with a review of Arti’s blog...

Please click on the link to read the full review – My Yatra Diary… Reviewed!

What’s more, he is still taking it up and it is open to all. So, if you also wish to get your blog reviewed at the same time also giving it a chance to reach out to a wider audience, rush over to his space and queue your blog up in this blog review submission post.

Help Me Improve

Taking this further, I request You - the reader of this diary - to help me improve by letting me know your thoughts and suggestions on this diary as well. You know what its flaws are and I trust you to know it best. So, if you have any suggestions/improvements for this blogger or blog, please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below. Though I don't swear on acting on them right away or even incorporating them, but be rest assured that I will be surely considering them and if possible try inculcating them as well.

2. A Poet Takes Inspiration!

How does it feel when one of your works gets picked up as an inspiration by a poet? And that too, by a poet you admire?

River Ganga at Harsil in the Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand
River Ganga

That was exactly how I felt when I came to know that one of my blogger friends, writer and poet, Leo (Vinay) took inspiration from this River Ganga photograph - Harsil, Char Dham Yatra, one of my favorites too, for one of his haikus,


... on New Year’s Eve and began his blogging journey of 2012 with it.

Blogging Break!

Thus, with an encouraging review and a beautiful feeling in my pocket, I step in the New Year with a silent prayer to the Almighty to continue making it good for me and for all of us here and bless us all with a fruitful year ahead.

I will be on a short break for a couple of weeks from now. In the coming days, you can expect some guest posts, hopefully, from me and a few from others as well to fill up the pages.

But, I promise, I will be back soon with another one of my yatras!

Till then,

Happy Blogging!