Central govt has notified the Consumer Protection Act 2019 (Act) and they came into effect on 20.07.2020 and 24.07.2020 thereby repealing the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 in this post an attempt has been made to summarise the Act on the following areas for the purposes of easy understanding.

1. Objects and salient features of Act;
2. Consumer Protection Council;
3. Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)
4. Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
5. Mediation
6. Product liability
7. Offences and Penalties
8. Major Comparisons between CP Act, 1986 and CP Act, 2019
9. Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020

• Objects and salient features of the Act

• Protection of the interests of the consumers
  • Establishment of executive agencies to promote, protect and enforce consumer rights (Eg: CCPA)
  • Product liability action due to defective product
  • Mediation as an alternate dispute resolution mechanism
  • Online filling of complaints and adjudication through video conferencing
  • Penalties and imprisonment for non-compliance with Commission’s orders.

• Sections 3 to 9 deals with Consumer Protection Council:-
  • Establishment of three-tier Central, State and District council with the aim to “render advice on promotion and protection of the consumer rights under this Act”
• Sections 10 to 27 (Chapter III) relating to formation of Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) which will have the following powers:
  • CCPA to regulate matters relating to violation of rights of consumers, unfair trade practices and false or misleading advertisements.
  • Investigation wing headed by Director General to conduct inquiry or investigation as may be directed by Central consumer protection authority
  • District collector’s power to inquire or investigate regarding violation of consumer rights, unfair trade practices.
  • Power to CCPA to recall goods, reimbursement of prices and discontinuation of practices which are unfair.
  • Power to issue directions and penalties against false and misleading advertisements. Endorser or manufacturer can be penalised upto 10 lakhs
  • Power of search and seizure of goods.
  • Appeal from order passed by CCPA shall lie before National Commission within a period of 30 days from the date of receipt of such order.
  • In this regard Central govt has notified Central Consumer Protection Authority (Allocation and Transaction of Business) Regulations, 2020

• Sections 28 to 73 (Chapter IV) relating to establishment of the following Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission: –

District Commission

• Shall consist of president and two other members
  • Pecuniary Jurisdiction: Value of goods or services does not exceed 1 crore
  • Powers of District Commission:
    • During pendency of proceeding may pass interim order
    • Will have powers of civil court under CPC
    • To award compensation for any loss or injury, grant punitive damages, cease manufacture of hazardous goods,
    • Review any order passed if there is an error apparent on the face of the record
  • Appeal from District Commission lies before State Commission. Appeal to be filed within 45 days.
  • Appeal will be entertained only on deposit of 50% of the amount awarded in District Commission.

State Commission

• Shall consist of president and four other members
  • Pecuniary Jurisdiction: Value of goods or services exceeds 1 crore but does not exceed 10 crores
  • Powers of State Commission:
    • Pass appropriate orders in any consumer dispute which is pending before it or has come on appeal from District Commission.
    • Power to declare any terms of contract which is unfair to any consumer to be null and void
  • Appeal from State Commission lies before National Commission. Appeal to be filed within 30 days from the date of the order.

National Commission

• Shall consist of president and four other members
  • Pecuniary Jurisdiction: Value of goods or services exceeds 10 crores
  • Powers of State Commission:
    • Pass appropriate orders in any consumer dispute which is pending before it or has come on appeal from State Commission
    • Power to declare any terms of contract which is unfair to any consumer to be null and void
    • Set aside ex-parte orders

Appeal from the order of the National Commission shall lie before Supreme Court within a period of 30 days from the date of order.

• Limitation Period to file Consumer Complaint before all the above-mentioned Commission’s shall be 2 years from the date of which the cause of action arise.

• Penalty for non-compliance of the order of Commission:

Non-compliance with any order by the District, State and National Commission shall be punishable within imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one month but may extend to three years or with fine which shall not be less than 25,000 rupees which may extend to upto 1 lakh or with both

• The Commission’s shall have the power of Judicial magistrate first class for trial of non-compliance of the orders

• Mediation (Chapter V) from Sections 74 to 81
  • Establishment of consumer mediation cell to be attached with the respective commissions
  • Settlement can happen through mediation the terms to agreed in writing and the same shall be submitted before the concerned Commission.
  • Barring appeal from an order passed under Section 80 on the basis of settlement reached between the parties.

• Product liability (Chapter VI) from Sections 82 to 87
  • Product means any article or goods possessing intrinsic value and in produced for introduction to trade or commerce
  • Product liability responsibility of a product manufacturer to compensate for any harm caused to the consumer by such defective product.
  • Product liability action can be brought against a product manufacturer for any harm caused to the consumer on account of defective product.
  • Product Manufacturer shall be liable for:
    • Manufacturing defect;
    • Defective in design;
    • Deviation from manufacturing specifications;
    • Product does not confirm to express warranty
    • Fails to contain any adequate usage to prevent any harm or any warning

• Offences and Penalties: (Chapter VII) only Sections 88 to 93
  • Punishment for manufacturing for sale adulterant – whoever manufactures for sale or sells or distributes any adulterant shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to a term which may extend to 6 months or with fine upto 1 lakh
  • If the manufactured adulterant causes death of the consumer he can be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 7 years and which may extend upto imprisonment for life and with fine which shall not be less than 7 lakh rupees.
  • Whoever manufactures for sale or sells or distributes any spurious goods shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year and with fine upto 3 lakh rupees.

• Major Comparisons between CP Act, 1986 and CP Act, 2019

Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 (E-Commerce Rules)

E-Commerce Rules protects the consumers from unfair trade practices and other practices of e-commerce platforms

• As per rules 4 (4) of the E-Commerce Rules mandates that every e-commerce entity must establish an adequate grievance redressal mechanism and grievance officer
• Complaints must be acknowledged with 48 hours and ticket number should be generated and address the complaint within 1 month from the date of receipt of complaint
• E-commerce entity shall mention the name and details of any importer from whom it has purchased such goods or services
• E-commerce entity shall not impose cancellation charges on consumers cancelling after confirming purchase unless similar charges are also borne by the e- commerce entity
• Every E-commerce entity shall effect all payments towards accepted refund requests of the consumers as prescribed by RBI or as per applicable law;
• No E-commerce entity shall:
  • manipulate the price of the goods or services offered on its platform in such a manner as to gain unreasonable profit by imposing on consumers any unjustified price having regard to the prevailing market conditions;
  • discriminate between consumers of the same class or make any arbitrary classification of consumers affecting their rights.

• Liabilities of marketplace e-commerce entities:
  • Every marketplace e-commerce entity (entity which provides IT platform to facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers) shall require sellers through an undertaking to ensure that descriptions, images, and other content pertaining to goods or services on their platform is accurate.
  • E-commerce entity shall provide details about the sellers offering goods and services, including the name of their business, whether registered or not, their geographic address and other details.
  • Every marketplace e-commerce entity shall take reasonable efforts to maintain a record of relevant information allowing for the identification of all sellers who have repeatedly offered goods or services that have previously been removed or access to which has previously been disabled under relevant laws.

• Duties of sellers on marketplace:
  • No seller offering goods or services through a marketplace e-commerce entity shall adopt any unfair trade practice
  • No such seller shall falsely represent itself as a consumer and post reviews about goods or services or misrepresent the quality or the features of any goods or services.
  • No seller offering goods or services through a marketplace e-commerce entity shall refuse to take back goods purchased or refuse to refund consideration, if paid, if such goods are defective, deficient or spurious, or if the goods or services are not of the characteristics or features as advertised.
  • Any seller offering goods or services through a marketplace e-commerce entity shall have a prior written contract with the respective e-commerce entity in order to undertake to sale or offer

• Inventory e-commerce entity:

It shall mean an e-commerce entity which owns the inventory of goods or services and sells such goods or services directly to the consumers and shall include single brand retailers and multi-channel single brand retailers.

Every inventory e-commerce entity shall provide the following information in a clear and accessible manner, displayed prominently to its users:

• accurate information related to return, refund, exchange, warranty and guarantee, delivery and shipment, cost of return shipping, mode of payments, grievance redressal mechanism.
  • all mandatory notices and information required by applicable laws.
  • information on available payment methods, the security of those payment methods, the procedure to cancel regular payments under those methods, any fees or charges payable by users, charge back options, if any, and the contact information of the relevant payment service provider.
  • all contractual information required to be disclosed by law.
  • total price in single figure of any good or service along with the breakup price for the good or service, showing all the compulsory and voluntary charges, such as delivery charges, postage and handling charges, conveyance charges and the applicable tax; and
  • a ticket number for each complaint lodged, through which the consumer can track the status of their complaint.
  • No inventory e-commerce entity shall falsely represent itself as a consumer and post reviews about goods and services or misrepresent the quality or the features of any goods or services.
  • Every inventory e-commerce entity shall ensure that the advertisements for marketing of goods or services are consistent with the actual characteristics, access and usage conditions of such goods or services.
  • No inventory e-commerce entity shall refuse to take back goods, or withdraw or discontinue services purchased or agreed to be purchased, or refuse to refund consideration, if paid, if such goods or services are defective, deficient spurious.
  • Any inventory e-commerce entity which explicitly or implicitly vouches for the authenticity of the goods or services sold by it, or guarantees that such goods or services are authentic, shall bear appropriate liability in any action related to the authenticity of such good or service.

• Contravention of E-Commerce Rules:
  • The provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 shall apply for any violation of the provisions of the E-Commerce Rules.

Conclusion:

The Act is a much needed piece of legislation to protect the interests of consumers and especially in the e-commerce regime where most of the deficiency of service arise and gets unredressed. In a nutshell by notifying this Act, the major implications would be:-

1. Consumers may get enhanced compensation towards deficiency of service or sale of defective goods.
2. Commission has abundant to power to declare a provision or the agreement itself as unfair contract.
3. Parties can effectively use mediation to settle consumer disputes at initial stage itself rather than adjudicating before Commission.
4. Setting up of grievance redressal mechanism and grievance officer for products sold through e-commerce and digital platforms should adhere to the obligations under E-commerce Rules.
5. Advertisements of published on digital platforms shall adhere to the Act and Rules.

Gardening, reading about trees, plants, birds, animals and forests has been a continuous process which are very close to my heart. Although I have been frequently composting home waste due to regular office work and travel, I have been not able to dedicate much time towards composting home waste and garden waste into organic manure. I decided to use free time during lock down to not let out any kitchen or garden waste out of my house and to convert them into organic manure which could be used as a fertiliser in our backyard garden.

Keeping in mind the following objectives I kept my hands on the home waste: –

1. Not to purchase any extra bins, composer mix or other items which are normally used in households for composing;
2. Not to utilise exclusive space for this purpose i.e. to use the existing space in the backyard effectively to compose waste;
3. Not to generate any foul smell and discomfort to family members during this composing process.

At the outset, I wanted to confess that I easily achieved the above objectives with much easiness, effort and time and I am excited share my experiences here.

Collection of Waste:

I made it a point to collect almost all bio degradable waste generated from kitchen starting from vegetable and fruit waste, leftover food, spoiled vegetables etc. I also started collecting dry leaves, small sticks which are shed from our garden trees and plants.

Usage of Big Pot as compost pit:

I decided to use the idle pot which was lying in my garden to collect the wet and dry waste. I created a thin layer of coco-pit at the bottom of the pot and started collecting the wet waste generated from the kitchen and dry waste generated from the garden in equal proportions. By mixing the wet waste with dry leaves it was ensured that no foul smell generated from this entire manure generating process. In one week time the entire pot was filled with waste and it slowly started composting on its own and all that I did was to stir the waste and to sprinkle water once in a week to fasten the composing process and rest of the magic of converting the kitchen waste and dry leaves into manure was done by microbes.

At the end of one month I got enough amount of organic manure which could be directly applied to the plants and trees of our garden.

Through this process I was able achieve: –

1. Not allowing any wet or dry waste from our house to go out for more than one month;
2. Made an attempt to have a self-sustaining garden wherein the waste generated becomes a manure in itself.
3. A good hobby to pursue during this lockdown and kept myself active and to explore my hand on home waste management.  

Happy Gardening,

Durai Murugan

As a bunch of wildlife enthusiasts it has been our longing to trip across India to visit wildlife sanctuaries, parks and reserved forests. Our common interest for wildlife and forests had kept our thirst for knowledge on wildlife and visiting forests alive despite our hectic work schedules. Our two days road trip started on a Friday evening in Mahindra XUV with 5 like-minded friends from Chennai with not just the vroom of car outside but with blasts of laughter inside the car throughout the journey which made this trip a memorable one.

Our non-stop drive from Chennai cutting across Bengaluru and Mysore cities eventually lead us to the starting point of our wildlife journey that is Bharathavadi entry gate of Nagarhole were we parked the vehicle and took a quick power nap, pleasant weather and twinkling stars was a great soother from the tiring ride. Although we had booked two safari’s for Saturday night and Sunday morning we didn’t want to miss our morning drive from Bharathavadi to Kuta in our vehicle since I couldn’t slip that goose-bump moment when I spotted a tiger crossing this road.

At 6 a.m when forest gate was opened we quickly drove inside and within 10 minutes we saw a alpha male wild dog trying to cross the road and we were quietly waiting for it to cross and to our delight around 6 adults and 7 young ones joined this march past, while the adults were very curious about the visitors, young ones were engulfed in their play. It was pleasure to watch this pack of wild dogs alongwith their cubs in the early morning hours. While I have witnessed packs of wild dogs few times the sight of cubs amidst the pack and their bonding with one another was a treasure trove.

We rolled our vehicle slowly to witness the spectacular sights of hundreds of grazing deer, Indian gaur, and wild boars listening to the melody of chirping birds. The forests was bustling with animals and birds kept us enthralled, I silently recalled that the best time to visit a forest is during its pristine mornings.

We booked our stay at an old and beautiful bungalow inside a coffee estate in Kutta offering splendid views to neighbouring valleys. Situated quietly inside coffee estate the bungalow looked beautiful from outside and very cosy inside disconnected from mobile and television network and perfectly connected to nature surrounded by trees, plants, fruits and birds. From calmness, beauty and to food we completely enjoyed our stay at this place.

We had booked two jungle safari rides with Karnataka forest department almost 45 days ahead since the demand was always very high. We were very eager to witness the beauty of the majestic nagarhole forest and drive inside her thick jungles while our excitement to see the big cats was very high but the mere thrill of getting into jungle always brought in happiness and peace within me. Throughout the ride wherever safari jeep was trolling inside forest we were able to witness hundreds of spotted deer and at times we saw sambar deer, while it was the gigantic elephants which brought momentum to our bumpy ride inside forest, I should confess that the melody of birds kept us refreshed.

It was almost 2 hours inside the forests and we could not see any big cats we were wondering where it was roaming and staying away from our eyesight, we heard alarm calls of deer and monkey, the alarms calls were very loud and we could easily see movement inside forests, we quietly parked our vehicle there and closely observed alarm calls and were eagerly waiting for the big cat to come out of the bush, it was almost 15 odd minutes and all that we could hear was alarm calls from different directions but we were quite unlucky that we could not spot the big cat, although little disappointed the thrill for waiting to witness a big cat in the wild is something which cannot be described by mere words and our three hour ride inside the forests came to an end with lot of thrilling moments and with the hope that in next day’s ride we can spot the big cat.

Our morning ride started at 6 a.m, the jeep broke into early morning silence of the forests rolling deep inside, the forest was buzzing with melody of birds and animals were easily moving around, the first encounter was with a herd of elephants, the bull elephant which was keeping a close watch at our jeep came close and trumpeted just to scare us but it was a beautiful sight to watch the big tusker guarding its herd from visitors. We criss-crossed the forest in the jeep spotting deer, wild dogs, Indian gaur, various birds, elephants but we were again unlucky that we couldn’t witness king of this jungle, the shy, powerful and majestic big cat. We kept our deep desire and promises to ourselves that we would come back again in search of the magnificent creature.

Completing our safari rides in Nagarhole we rode our vehicle into the neighbouring Kabini forests witnessing wild elephants roaming freely on the highways. With two days well spent inside the forests with nature and wildlife we carried with us lot of great memories of the beautiful forests and the encounters with its enchanting wildlife.

Happy Travelling,

Durai Murugan

Swimming had always been a fun activity for me. I remember my school days when I used go to beach almost every day during summer to play in the waves before my school friends introduced me to marina swimming pool. Even though the pool was over-crowded but the joy of splashing in the waters with my friends encouraged me to visit it again and again. For me and my friends a summer day is incomplete without splashing in the water. Those days the only respite from summer heat were these pools. In a very amateurish manner watching other self-styled swimmers I also learnt my baby strokes in swimming and felt very delighted with the feeling that I was able to criss-cross the pool.

After exploring my luck with running it was time to explore triathlon and my only difficulty at that time was how I would be able to swim continuously 1.5km to self-acclaim myself a triathlete. Thought of swimming continuously was the biggest spoiler of my triathlete dream. I became a member in Anna swimming pool and started going there regularly in the morning to learn swimming, slowly and steadily on my own I was able to swim multiple laps and over a period of time gained confidence. Very soon I became a self-acclaimed half-iron triathlete. But the longest distance I had hitherto swam was 2 km at Nagalapuram east dam.

I wanted to challenge myself with a 5km swim at Chennai swimathon although I was confident to complete 2 km comfortably I realised that anything more than that required regular practise. I renewed my membership at Anna swimming pool and started my regular solo practice with self-motivation as a support.

After several months of hiatus, on 26.08.2018 when I went to velachery swimming pool I felt I was alien to sporting events. With the fear of whether I will cross the 5k mark I jumped inside the pool along with other swimmers. While 5 other fellow swimmers in my lane kept criss-crossing me I soon realised that I was the slowest swimmer in my lane. I felt like a heavy log in the pool while other swimmers where hunting like sharks.

But I told to myself that this swimathon is a test to myself and that I should find my rhythm and momentum to keep pushing myself rather than making false attempts to swim fast. After 1 km of difficult strides I gained my rhythm and discovered that if I had to complete this course I need to strictly hold on to this pace. As every kilometre I crossed I gained more confidence and felt very happy. I was able to feel my body float much better and my strokes getting swifter. By the time I completed 3.8km my lane became empty and I was blessed to swim the remaining 1.2km in that empty lane – a rare opportunity at city swimming pools.

After 3.15 hours in the water I finally crossed 5km mark re-discovering that my muscle and mind is still sticking to the passion for endurance sports.

Happy Swimming,

Durai Murugan

Being a city dweller and an outdoor enthusiast I always dreamt to trek in the Palani hills. Few years back I had the great opportunity to trek and explore the mighty palni hills but never in my dream had I thought that running in the hills was there on store for me until I discovered for myself that running in the hills is possible with dedication and practice. As a bunch of outdoor enthusiasts it was this joy of trolling in the hills for days together we called it as Hill Ultra. A profound happiness which connects man directly with the majestic mountains was the fabric on which Kodai hills Ultra was conceived.

I volunteered to be part of the team which marked the 100+kms of trail spanning across the Palani hills. Our major agenda was to guide runners with the help of our directions boards, sign marks on road, to enable smooth navigation for runners and ensure that no runner is lost in the trail.

Scenic and Challenging Route:

Am certain that lot of days and energy was spent to stitch this route connecting remote villages, jeep tracks and ghat roads on the palni hills. The route spanned across lakes, grasslands, ghat roads, forest trails, villages, on ridges and into plantations. We started as three groups on the first day afternoon with the help of jeeps and online maps to navigate, it was an endless exercise without proper rest and food, we kept marking, the forest and mountains accompanied us and many times we encountered the vegetarian giants (Indian gaurs) at close distance. From sambar deer, porcupine, rabbits, gaurs, jungle fowls, to birds the forests was brimming with wildlife in the night.

Final Stretch of Route Marking:

Three hours left to flag off the event and we reached the starting point and realised that the major 21 kms stretch around Kodai town was not marked. It wasn’t sleep that was daunting us but it was the very cold weather which was freezing us. At 1 a.m we started our marking and completed few minutes before the flag off. After witnessing the flag off we took a quick nap to be back on our foot to volunteer at the aid stations.

Sweeping Kumbur to Kilavarai trail section:

It was around 6.30 p.m on the second day, sun was resting behind the mountains, when I reached the Kumbur aid station where I understood that the last two (130k) runners left inside trail few minutes back to cover the 13kms trail section. Since this is the trickiest portion of the entire 130kms stretch I decided to run on this trail to escort the two runners to Kilavarai village. After 20 minutes of running on the trail I met the runners while they were relaxing on the banks of a river. From two legs it became 6 legs now which ran and climbed alone in that vast forest. Admiring the twinkling stars, bright moon and the cold weather, we successfully reached the Kilavari village and joined the other volunteers waiting for us, one runner pulled out of the race due to cramps in this village. It was a long wait alongwith my fellow volunteers on this remote and freezing village in the openness until we got our jeep at 1 p.m.

Sweeping 130k Runners to finish line:

After my stint in the trail section I decided to sweep the 130k runners to the finish line. I placed myself at the last aid station and when the last runner came there at around 5 a.m we escorted him on bike for few kms on the ghat road which by now became famous for spotting Indian Gaurs on road. The last runner was solid and strong guy but cramped his leg badly and this was his last stretch of the race, when we informed that it was his last15kms with 2 hours left, he started running at a good pace. Finally, the last 6 kms I decided to run along with him. The sun rays was slowly penetrating into the forest and I should confess that he passed boundless energy on to me and made me run alongside him, it was pure sportsmanship witnessing his die-hard attitude and fighting spirit, he never gave up until he reached the finish line with his cramped leg. I still wonder and unable to comprehend the mind-set of these ultra-runners.

At 7.30 a.m on a bright Sunday morning, it was third straight day of volunteering, boredom or tiredness did not bother us. But am still exploring the answer what kept me energetic for 3 days, was it because of the ever enthusiastic fellow volunteers, or was it because of the phenomenal strength displayed by the runners or was it because of the cold nights but my heart is extremely biased towards the majestic and magnetic Palni hills which made this event unfold seamlessly.

Happy Volunteering,

Durai Murugan

Road trip to western coast had many unique things. First time I road my car between Chennai and goa covering about 2500+ kms in 7 days. We travelled cutting across national and state highways, ghat roads, driving on the banks of Cauvery river and adjacent to beautiful beaches. Natural hot spots became our camp sites, waterfalls our bathing place, forests our home and beaches our relaxing expanse.

Road trip in a nut shell:

Day 1 – Ride from Chennai and camped at Pennagaram.

Day 2 – Bath and coracle ride at Hoggenakkal waterfalls – Jungle safari inside Thalavadi range of Sathyamangalam tiger reserve.

Day 3 – Drive to Shravanabelagola and camped in a tent on top of Jog waterfalls

Day 4 – Exploring Jog falls, drive to Murdeshwar. Enjoying beaches with water bike rides and camping in Gokarna.

Day 5 – Entering Goa – trekking and exploring Cotigoa wildlife sanctuary – night fun at Colva beach.

Day 6 –  Drive back to Mysuru – morning bath at Apsarakonda waterfalls – relishing typical lunch in Mangalore. Night ride from Madikeri to Mysore. Stay in Mysore

Day 7 – Bird watching at Ranganthittu bird sanctuary. Drive from Mysore to Chennai.

Hoggenakkal waterfalls – beauty personified:

Rightly christened as Niagara of south India Hoggenakkal waterfalls is a splendour lying on the laps of Nature. Cauvery river flows through rocky hills and drops inside a huge gorge making it a delight to admire. Beauty of the waterfalls and the coracle ride are gift to every nature lover. We had refreshing dip at cine falls with natural fish pedicure refershing us.

Sathyamangalam forest and Jungle Safari:

Drive from Sathyamangalam via thimbam heading to Thalavadi forest range spiralling through several hair-pin bends and thick lovely woods made me realise the mightiness of this beautiful forest. Although the Jungle safari was not worth for its money. The forest, animals and experience of being inside thick jungle made me take a vow that I should return back to this wildlife treasury and explore it thoroughly.

Shravanabelagola:

On top of a rocky hill stands tall the gigantic monolith statute of lord Bahubali a popular Jain pilgrim destination. The beautiful temple pond quietly tucked in the centre between two hills Vindhyagiri and Chadragiri offers excellent views from top of the hills. A great place to be at ease, mediate offering 360 degree views of the plains.

Mighty Jog waterfalls:

From the mighty man made monolith statue to mighty nature made Jog waterfalls it was mightiness unfolding in front of us everywhere. Before we could get out from man-made beauty nature delighted us with a falls which appeared as if water was dropping directly from the sky.

We camped on top of the Jog waterfalls under the light of glittering stars, bright moon with blue sky as our roof. Sound of the waterfalls dropping down on such a beautiful night made me realise that it was the best night of the trip. My heart is still floating around this waterfalls. Peace.

Murdeshwar and western coast:

Soft sand of murdeshwar beach, calm sea, gentle touch of the waves, and the adorable statue of lord Shiva – Murdeshwar is not just a tourist place it is a living epitome of Shiva himself. Drive along the coast with one side nestled with thick jungles and another side bordered with scenic sea – the beauty of western coast was completely exposed here.

Cotigoa wildlife sanctuary and Colva Beach:

Cotigoa sanctuary welcomed us the moment we entered the land of beautiful beaches – Goa. We walked inside the thick woods, spotted many birds, deer, lion tailed monkeys. On the eve of New Year, Colva beach was gushing with full of happy people who were all geared up for celebrations. The beach sported a complete party look with youngsters singing and dancing on the sands of beach.  This night was fresh and young.

Apsarakonda waterfalls:

While returning from Goa we dipped in Apsarakonda waterfalls a lovely place to refresh. The view-points from this hills throws open the beauty of the western coast to everyone. A great place to take a break while driving to goa on the western coast.

Mysuru and Ranganthittu bird sanctuary:

Mysuru always brings in a sense of warmth and quietness within me every time I visit this beautiful city. The majestic palace, clean roads, cold weather and warm people – it is a city of blissfulness. I have visited Ranganthittu bird sanctuary many times and had the wonderful opportunity to run in the Kaveri trail marathon along the banks of Kaveri river. Ranganthittu bird sanctuary definitely is a paradise for bird watchers.

Six days of driving my car through the Western Ghats, state highways, coast line and inside dense jungles with like-minded outdoor loving friends will always remain fresh in my heart as a joyful trip.

Durai Murugan

Pic credits: Pushkar and Dinesh

Berijam Lake is a beautiful water body tucked inside the palani hills located in Western Ghats. All four side of the lake is surrounded by thick forest and animals use this place to quench thirst and graze its grasslands. Rain water collected in the valley is stored in this lake which serves as precious water source to various towns located at its foothills.

Routes to reach Berijam:

Berijam Lake is connected from two routes. The first route starts from Kodaikanal Lake which head towards Moir point and from there it further leads to Berijam Lake. On this route there are famous scenic spots which includes Silent valley view, Berijam lake view and Caps fly valley view which provide astonishing views of the entire forest. The other route starts from Mannavanur village and leads to Berijam Lake. In this route one can experience the density and wilderness of this dense forest.

On a lucky day one can easily spot Indian gaurs, Elephants, Malabar giant squirrels, wild dogs, deer, and many beautiful birds which have made this portion of western ghats has their home. Although there have been news reports of tiger and leopard presence inside this forest only very few lucky souls had the rare opportunity to have spotted them.

Transit Shed for British soldiers:

This beautiful lake is on the old and famous escape route which earlier connected Kodaikanal with munnar. This scenic spot was used by the British soldiers as one of the transit shed for travelling between Kodaikanal and Munnar. Until 1990 this place was open to public without any prior permission. Ever since this lake was declared as part of Kodaikanal wildlife sanctuary entry to this lake is restricted only with prior permission from TN forest department.

At present there are few cottages for forest department watchers, one cottage for forest ranger, a forest range office and a guest house. Most of the days and nights are spent by the forest guards here even without electricity safeguarding this pristine forest and its wildlife.

I have had the great opportunity to visit Berijam Lake from both the sides in different seasons. During winter it is completely submerged with thick and dense fog, during monsoon it is drenched with rain and during summer the forest provides excellent visibility. Berijam Lake is a sparkling splendor of Kodaikanal quietly tucked inside the Palani hills.

Durai Murugan

I first got influenced into long distance running because of my friends who kept sharing their experiences on social media. Some said distance running has given “new meaning to their life”, some said “they are able to test their physical and mental limits”, some experienced “improved health conditions” and some felt it’s a great way to make “new friends”. But one thing I noticed which was very common with all of them was that they were experiencing an uncommon ‘adrenaline rush because of the high intensity which their body and mind is put to’.

This high degree of intensity is what which initially attracted me towards long distance running in 2012. I initially started running alone after my office hours from light house to high court at Marina beach. I couldn’t run the entire distance, I used to walk for some time, run for some time before I got the required qualities to complete 10kms continuous running.  It was September 2012 and for the first time in Chennai our very own Chennai Runners club had made announcements about conducting a marathon for our Chennai city. Now I didn’t want to let go this wonderful opportunity of running my first full marathon in the city I was born and brought up.

I trained religiously, I was prepared for the event and I was eagerly looking forward for my first marathon. At this juncture I felt that there was a BIG VOID and I miserably failed in my attempts to find the reason for this blankness. I didn’t have an answer why should I run this marathon. That’s when I was influenced with the idea of running for a good cause, without no second thoughts ‘ISHA VIDHYA’ popped in my mind and I decided to support their cause ‘educating rural India’. I strongly believed that if there is going to be any phenomenal empowerment in Indian society it can only happen through educating the rural Indian masses which was precisely Isha Vidhya was doing.

In 2012 the running expo happened at Express Avenue and I met an Isha volunteer who handed me a good cotton t-shirt and requested me to run with this t-shirt to support Isha Vidhya. My running friends cautioned me that one should not wear a cotton t-shirt to run marathons. But I just had two things in my mind one is crossing the finish line which was 42.195 kms away and secondly to support Isha Vidhya. I ran my first full marathon proudly sporting a cotton t-shirt of Isha Vidhya and successfully completed with lot of happiness.

At the end of the marathon I realised that my running had a new meaning, life and real purpose which was educating rural Indian students. I also had two delights – firstly the delight of completing my first full marathon, and secondly the delight of supporting a meaningful cause – Isha Vidhya.

Running for a cause charges up the whole marathon atmosphere. It is quite extraordinary that we are coming together for the common good in these events, and that is quite unique. It may be a simple thing like carrying placards or pushing body and mind to running for that personal best timing – all become worth it in this kind of space. I feel good that the charity I supported for the past four years has been recognized as the official charity partner for TWCM this year and more than 2000 volunteers ran spreading awareness about Isha Vidhya.

My story of 19 full marathons: what started as a solo journey for improved health had a reach beyond my personal goals. Every race promoted a valuable cause, and every race was put into perspective. I was running for something greater than myself. I was running to raise awareness for Isha Vidhya. These races became more than just races, they became causes and incentives to do my best for others.

Happy running,

Durai Murugan