What a year in India for the Stock Markets !!

~Sensex +42%

~Nifty +37%

~CNX Midcap +35%

~BSE Smallcap +73%

~BSE Capital Goods Index +91% was the highest sectoral gainer

~No of days mkt made all time highs : 59

~No of WEEKS mkt closed positive : 14

~No of days mkt closed up : 142

~No of days mkt closed down : 107

~53 IPOs hit the mkt - 46 gave positive returns

~774 stocks advanced - 197 declined in the mkt

~Foreigners pumped in $10.67 bn into Indian Stock markets

~Top Index Gainers - L&T +88%, BHEL +80%, Satyam +80%

~Worst Index Performers - Ranbaxy -42%, TISCO -1%, Grasim +5%

*******HOPE THAT 2006 IS EVEN BETTER*******

Life Insurance...or "post" life insurance

I have been toying with the thought .. "should I have a large insurance on myself".. I felt I was under-insured..
The minute I spread the word, I had 50 insurance agents from various companies hounding me..
I thought to myself.. Life Insurance is such a paradox..
By taking a policy, you are not “insuring” your life. The policy comes into play only after you life has gone away.
Why do we insure? Most people insure so that their family and kins who are left behind have a good life. My question is .. After you are dead, the “family” is no longer your family..(all relationships being valid only while you are alive).. Then why insure ?
The only reason one should insure is for disability..
Even if you think otherwise and feel insurance is important.. Then the counter I have is .. is it not better to leave investments for your family that will earn long term returns ? A mix of risk and risk-free investments ?
My debate continues..... your thoughts are welcome...

Mumbai to Goa - One of the best drives in India

The best long drive I have taken in India is the Mumbai – Goa road.
Its full of greenery and this road has IT ALL!!! Corners, Ghats, long straight open roads, small villages on the way where one has to slow down a bit.
Everything is there, name it and you have it. The 12 odd hours of continuous driving make this route a challenge cum adventure.
If you are a seafood fan.. food never gets better than on the konkan coast of Maharashtra.I have done this trip many times ..may be around 15 times.. and still find new things to enjoy everytime I drive down to Goa

Some things you need to remember :

Smooth roads mean that you just need to get a routine service done before your drive to Goa.
Key areas to check are:-

Brakes: The Mumbai-Goa road has its fair share of twisty corners and ghats, so you’ll be relying on that middle pedal a lot. See to it that your brakes are effective and reliable.-

Tyres: Stick to the recommended amount of air depending on the load. Check the pressure of the spare wheel too and also make sure you have the tools to change a wheel.-

Engine: Check liquid levels — oil, brake fluid, windscreen washer, radiator coolant and battery water.- Electricals Lights, indicators, horn and cabin lights.- Rattles and squeaks:

In the city they might not irritate much, but on a 500km-plus journey they will get on your nerves. So get them eliminated.-

Protection for your car Goa means beaches and sand which, coupled with salt water, are not good for the flooring of your car. Get rubber matting installed so the amount of sand and dampness reaching the carpet is reduced.

Packing luggage in the car- Pack your car so that luggage space is utilised to the maximum.

Avoid loading luggage on a roof rack. It ruins the areodynamics and reduces speed and fuel efficiency. - Pack stuff that you will not need during the journey first, so the things you do need are easily accessible. -

Never pack luggage in a way that it obstructs the line of sight of the rearview mirror. - In a hatchback, pack objects up to the level of the rear seat backrest, or during hard braking the luggage could injure rear passengers.

- Pack objects so that they don’t rattle or move about.- Never store bottles or objects near the gearstick and handbrake. They might hinder the driver.

- Do not stuff bottles under the driver’s seat. They may roll out and interfere with the foot pedals. - Carry cassettes in a bag or a case. Leaving them on the dashboard damages them and makes them slide all over

The DriveThe 500km-plus drive from Mumbai to Panaji is a pleasure thanks to the superb roads. The flyovers between Mumbai and Panvel give a signal-less drive to Panvel.Once you turn after Panvel onto NH17 for Goa, the road becomes a two-lane highway, which is well maintained but with its fair shares of fast corners.

NH17 passes through forested roads, Karnala Bird Sanctuary and Pen where the road splits in two. While NH17 carries on towards Nagothane, a state highway goes on to the seaside town of Alibaug. Fishing Boats at Baga creek take passengers for a joyride. The entire run from Pen to Mahad runs south in an almost straight line and right turns at road junctions invariably lead to coastal towns like Murud, Shrivardhan and Harihareshwar.

After Poladpur, NH17 changes districts as it crossesover from Raigadh to Ratnagiri.The first major town in Ratnagiri district is Chiplun. The drive on the ghat thereafter affords splendid views of the marshlands formed by the river Vashishti. Soon after Ratnagiri junction you may come upon mango sellers where you can pick up the famed juicy Ratnagiri alphonso mangoes for a bargain price.

Talera is the last town NH17 passes through in the Ratnagiri district as it crosses over to Sindhudurg district, Savantwadi, and then into the state of GoaRoute TipsHere are some pointers on the road from Mumbai to Panaji in Goa.- Wear your seatbelt And insist that the passengers wear theirs too!

Start early By starting at 5.30am, you avoid the worst of the traffic and get to the Thane Creek bridge in a few minutes. The new flyovers make it possible to reach Panvel within an hour. Early morning traffic in Panvel is light but be careful in the city where people have a habit of suddenly jumping out of slow-moving buses.

The Panvel bypass is 1.8km longer and is a good option if you hit Panvel after 7am. - NH17 is a two-laner Exercise caution while overtaking. On the ghat sections use your horn merrily around the corners.

Don’t fight fatigue. Take refreshment stops when you feel drained.Do you want to try this drive… here is a detail route

Route Map

MapDriving distance 579.1km, King Circle (Mumbai) to Mandovi Bridge (Panaji).
Approximate driving time (excluding stops): 11.5 hours..
With practice, you could do it in 8-9 hours

Getting out of Mumbai :
0.0 to 42.2: King’s Circle (Maheshwari Udyan) to Goa right turn after Panvel. Driving time (approx): 40min
1.7 Flyover across Sion circle. Continue straight until you pass under a railway bridge.
4.4 Road junction signal. Take angular right towards Chembur. Continue straight past six signals, the fifth being a pedestrian crossing signal.
5.3 24-hour HP petrol pump on your right at the first signal. Continue straight.
9.1 Road junction. Turn left. Road ahead goes to Trombay.
13.3 Thane Creek Bridge. Caution! There are broken-down trucks parked awkwardly here sometimes.
16.6 Caution! Huge, unmarked speedbreaker.
17.3 Toll Naka (Rs 15).
34.6 Road junction under flyover. Continue right to go via Panvel city. Road on extreme right bypasses Panvel city but is 1.8km longer. Road on left goes to Thane.
38.3 Panvel city. (Petrol Pump — PP) Continue straight.
42.2 Road junction. Turn right for Panaji (Goa). Road ahead goes to Pune.
42.5 to 74.9: Goa right turn to Vadkhal Naka (NH17) Driving time (approx): 45min
42.5 Crossroads. Turn left for Panaji (Goa). Road ahead comes from Panvel bypass. Road on right goes to Panvel city. Caution! The road is now a two- laner with plenty of sharp corners so practise caution while overtaking.
57.8 Toll Naka (Rs 10). Carry on along NH17 to Pen
70.1 Road junction (Pen). Turn right for Panaji (Goa). Road on left goes to Pen town and Khapoli (40km). Caution! Road is fraught with cyclists, school children and mad Tempo Trax drivers.
74.9 Vadkhal Naka (PP). Turn left for Panaji (Goa).


74.9 to 183.3 — Vadkhal Naka to Mahableshwar turn-off Driving time (approx): 2hrs 15min - Traffic Drops

90.3 Deceptive speedbreaker on corner after bridge over Nidi River.
94.9 Nagothane (PP). At the road junction take the gradual left and continue on NH17 for Panaji (Goa).
124.5 Indapur. Caution! Heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Speed breakers at entrance and exit of town.
134.9 Mangaon (PP). Caution! Crowded road through the town. "Open Umbrella" is a good place to have breakfast.
183.3 Road junction with statue in the centre (PP). Continue straight on NH17. Road on left goes to Mahableshwar (41.6km).
183.3 to 254.1: Mahableshwar turn-off to Chiplun Driving time (approx): 1hr 20min
192.3 Caution! Kashedi Ghat (7.2km). Steep gradients and blind corners.
220.5 Caution! Speedbreaker on corner before bridge over Jagbudi River.
221.1 Caution! Baste Ghat begins (4km).
242.3 Caution! Parshram Ghat begins (6km).Note: The entire stretch between Baste Ghat and Parshram Ghat is winding with sharp and blind corners.
254.1 Chiplun. Crossroad. Continue straight. Road on right goes to Chiplun town. Road on left goes to Karad.

254.1 to 579: Chiplun to Panaji. Driving time (approx): 6hr 15min - Traffic ? What Traffic ?
262.5 Caution! Ghat section (5.2km).
274.5 Caution! Ghat section (7.6km).
300.9 Sangameshwar (PP).
322.3 Caution! Nivli Ghat (2.4km).
334.9 Hathkhambe. Continue straight on NH17. Road on right goes to Ratnagiri (13km).
344.9 Pali. Continue on the right fork. Road ahead goes to Kolhapur (83km).
371.1 Caution! Vanked Ghat (2.2km).
377.5 Caution! Vatul Ghat (6.4km)
429.3 Talera. Road on right goes to Vaghotan (30.2km). Road on left goes to Kasarda.
486.7 Kudal.
501.1 Akeri Road junction. Bear left. Road bearing left goes to Panaji via Savantvadi. Distance 78km. Road on right goes to Panaji via Vengurla and Pernem. Distance 91km.
505.9 Take the right fork for Panaji via Savantvadi. Left fork goes to Belgaum (88km).
509.1 Savantvadi (PP).
512.2 Caution! Insuli Ghat begins (1.6km).
520.6 Banda. Note: Drive with caution here as the roads are very narrow and twisty with children and livestock running about.
547.4 Maharashtra-Goa state border. Police check post.
555.8 Road junction. Take the road on right for Mapusa and PanajiRoad on left goes to Bicholim (6.4km) and Ponda.
566.1 Road junction. Take road on left for Panaji. Road on right goes to Covali and Pernem.
569.0 Mapusa city (PP). Continue on NH17 for Panjim.
577.8 Bridge across Mandovi river to Panaji.
579.1 Panaji Circle. Road on right goes to Panaji city. Road ahead goes to Margao (34km).

Some 24-hour petrol pumps along the route
1.5 - Chhagan Mitha, 90/91, Sion Circle. Ph: 022 4072980
33.5 - Vijay Automobiles, Kalamboli, Mumbai-Pune Rd, Panvel.Ph: 022 7452525/2925, HP. Facilities: Lubes, snacks, coffee vending machine, music cassettes and clean toilets.
72.4 - Dharamkar Motor Store, Vadkhal Naka. Ph: 02143 9008, BP. Facilities: Puncture repair shop
163.0 - Doshi Automobiles, Mumbai-Goa Highway, Mahad. Ph: 02145 22387 BP. Facilities: First-aid, lubes, adjoining restaurant and clean toilets.
214.0 - HP Highway Services, Bharna Naka, Khed Taluka, Ratnagiri district. HP. Facilities: General store, STD booth, reasonably clean toilets.
249.9 - G B Mehta and Sons, Chiplun. Ph: 02355 56060. Facilities: Lubes and puncture repair shop.
291 - M/s Yashodhara Services, Mumbai-Goa Road, Sangameshwar, Ratnagiri Dist. Indian Oil. Facilities: Lubes, adjoining restaurant.
382.1 - Mangal Agencies, Bombay — Goa Road, Rajapur. Ph: 02353 22074. Indian Oil. Facilities: First-aid, toilets, ambulance available, adjoining hotel (veg).
417.0 - M/s WY Pokhale, Kasarde. Ph: 02367 32634. Facilities: Clean locked toilets with key on demand for customers only.
451.2 - S B & V B Samant, Kankauli. Ph: 02367 32028. Facilities: Puncture repair shop and clean toilets.
554.4 - Janardhan Zarapkar, Panjim Road. Facilities: Lubes, puncture repair shop.

Refreshment Stops
42.0 - Misal Corner, Goa turn-off after Panvel. Awesome misal pav and strong tea, just what you need to prepare you for your drive ahead.
130.0 - Hotel Open Umbrella Mangaon, Ph: 01240 63879Indian, South Indian and Konkani food. Konkani thali costs Rs 30.
156.3 - Hotel Ruchi Garden, Outskirts of Mahad, Splendid views of the Savitri river.
165.3 - Motel Visawa, Mahad, popular stopping point with a general store and all kind of snacks.
240.0 - Taj Gateway Chiplun, excellent food but at a price. - No longer managed by Taj
301.2 - Hotel Swad Sangameshwar, excellent Maharashtrian food and non-veg thali.
436.4 - Neelams Countryside, 24-hour coffee shop with continental snacks and rooms for an overnight halt

Caution!
Slow-moving rickshaws and bullock carts are aplenty near villages and towns.
Watch out for them. Keep loose change for toll handy.
There are numerous Accident Spot signs on the road. Take them seriously.
Bridges over rivers have speedbreakers before and after them — watch out for oncoming traffic braking hard for the speedbreakers.

The ghats (hilly terrain) you will cross are:

Kashedi Ghat between Poladpur and Kashedi,
Baste Ghat after Khed,
Parshram Ghat between Khed and Chiplun,
Nivli Ghat between Sangameshwar and Nivli,
Vanked Ghat between Lanja and Rajapur, and
Insuli Ghat between Savantvadi and Banda.

Toll Tickets

Thane Creek Bridge Rs 15
Mahad Rs 5
Kharpada Rs 10
Total Toll Rs 30

Smile..

Something that had a lot of relevance to my life many years ago and is apt even today..
Like a pebble dropped in water that sends ripples beyond sight
a smile you gave someone keeps going warm and bright
from one person to another
and before the day is through
Who knows when you need it
it may return to you

Keep smiling...

Child is the father of man

I often compare the relationship that I had with my father with the one that my son has with me.
I used to really respect my father- Partly even fear him. I would rarely question his decisions.. Would never argue with him and really look up to him. For me, he was the real “father figure”
My son, on the other hand, considers me more of a friend, chats openly with me on any topic.. To him, I am more of a friend than a father.
As a child, I spent hours reading and playing physical games like soccer and cricket. My son plays more on the computer and watches a lot of TV.
Due to more (not to be necessarily read as better) media exposure, he is much better informed and mature then I was at his age.
I often wonder if I lost a lot of my life studying things that I did not like or is my son really living up his life watching TV programs that he does not understand!!
Was my relation better with my father or my son?
Am I a good father? One can teach one’s kids to chose between the right and wrong but cannot make the choice for them.
Is the father-son relationship (like I had with my dad) better than the friendly-father relationship (that my son has with me) to help in imparting in your kids the ability to make the right decisions?
There are a lot of things that I learn from my son about how the generations are changing. Did my dad learn similar things from me ?
I wonder…

My Religious side

My dad used to believe that one cannot get knowledge without having a"Guru".
With this in his mind, he took me to a small place called Gondivale in Satara district in Maharashtra. I was 5 years old and was given "Guru Mantra" there ..
My Guru, Bramha Chaitanya Maharaj has built a Temple in the village of Gondavale. His samadhi is also located in the same village (He passed away in the early 1900s)
He had created a trust in those days from which, anyone coming to the village is given free food and accomodation.
At that age, I did not understand what i was getting into.. But kept going to this place every two years (if not every year) to pray.
When I was in school, and we could not afford better modes of transport, we used to take the train to Koregaoin station.. Reaching there at 3 am and wait for the State Transport bus till 6 am.
That has now changed to the luxury of airconditioned cars.
In the earlier days, we used to stay at the shrine (in the ashram) and eat there too.
Now, we stay at Panchgani in a resort and do a day trip to Gondavale..
Why do I still go there ?
Well, it gives a strange peace of mind
and I feel that life has been kind to me.. And this is a way to thank god for all that he has given me.
Surprisingly, though there is not much to do in Gondivale, my kids enjoy going there too..

Below is a cut-paste from a site that gives more information on Gondavale

Ravji Inamdar, a great pious man lived in Gondavale (Gondavale is a small town with a population of about 6,000, in Satara District in Maharashtra, about 64 kilometres from Satara, on Satara-Pandharpur road.) with his wife Gitabai. They were affluent with ancestral house, farms etc. In spite of this, the couple of devoted to God and engaged in donations. People considered the couple Godlike. A son was born to the couple on Wednesday (Hindu Magha month, Shuddha Dwadashi) in 1845. The child was chubby, fair and very beautiful. They named the child as Ganapati, but called him with the nickname as Ganoba. Ganoba was endowed with enormous intelligence. He would learn the Sanskrit slokas by reciting only once. He learnt reading and writing at the age of four. They used to conduct Bhajans every evening and Ganoba would not sleep without participating in the Bhajans. Soon, his Upanayanam was completed. He learnt Sandhyvandanam, worshipping the God. He used to meditate upon the God for hours at stretch. Once at night Ganoba went to a cave near the graveyard and sat there meditating. He was admitted to the school, but he could not concentrate on studies. He used to write "Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram" on the slate. He used to sing bhajans with other children. Sometimes he used to take children far away and worship a stone, as Shri Ram and sing bhajans.Once a Ramdasi (those who follow the path laid down by Samarth Ramdas Swami of Sajjanagad, Maharashtra) had come to Gondavale. He had worn ochre coloured robe. Ganoba asked him why he had worn ochre coloured robe and what he was looking for. Ramdasi told him that he was wandering in search of a Sadguru, who would enable him to meet the God. Ganoba was impressed and then decided to leave his home and go in search of his Sadguru. He met a pious lady, Radhabai at Haripur, a great devotee Annabua at Miraj, Dev-mamledar at Nasik, Samarth Swami of Akkalkot, Shri Manikprabhu at Humnabad, a yogi from Abu hill, many Tapaswis (those who practice penance) from Naimisharanya, Shri Ramkrishna Paramhansa in Bengal near Calcutta, and finally to Tukaramchaitanya at Yehalegaon near Nanded in Maharashtra. Tukaramchaitanya became Ganoba's spiritual master (Sadguru), whom he served with utmost devotion, sincerity and faith. Tukaramchaitanya tasted Ganoba in many ways, but Ganoba never failed his master. After nine months of intense training in the spiritual field, once Tukaramchaitanya took Ganoba in a dense forest on the auspious day of Ramnavmi. Both of them took bath. Tukaramchaitanya said, " My child, I have troubled you really, but you served me wholeheartedly. I have realized that you are truly desirous of meeting the God. I would give all my knowledge of Self to you". Tukaramchaitanya placed his hand on Ganoba's head and instantly Ganoba went into a trance (Samadhi). Tukaramchaitanya named Ganoba as Brahmachaitanya and gave him the 13 lettered gurumantra, "Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram" and entrusted the welfare of the people to him. Since then Ganoba became famous as Brahmachaitanya Gondavalekar Maharaj.Reformation of Tribals: Once, when Maharaj was walking thro' the jungle of Abu, he was held captive by the tribals (Bhils) and taken to their hutments. Tribals were thieves who started to beat Maharaj, but he was not affected. One of them, an old man told others not to beat Maharaj and thought that the latter had some great mystic power (Mantrashakti) with him, which they could gain. Others started to take food there, but Maharaj told he drank only milk. One of the tribals brought a cow that did yield any milk and was not tamed, and asked Maharaj to get milk from it. Maharaj went to the cow, patted it with affection and said,"O mother, I am very hungry. Give me milk to satisfy my hunger." And lo! The cow started to yield a lot of milk, which Maharaj drank. When the tribals realized their folly and asked for his forgiveness. Not only Maharaj forgave them but also advised them to renounce the path of thievery and advised them to chant the Ramnam. All of them were completely reformed.After completing pilgrimage Maharaj settled in Gondavale, where he constructed a temple for Shri Ram and hermitages for the pilgrims. At the very old and ripe age, he took his mother, Gitabai to Varanasi (Kashi) for pilgrimage. Before leaving for Kashi, Maharaj gave away everything from his home as charity to the poor and needy. He took his mother to Kashi and stayed there for one month. At Ayodhya, his mother became unwell. She stopped taking food and medicines and started to chant Ramnam continuously. She bathed in Sharayu river and gave a lot of money in charity. She was surprised that there was an unending source of money below the mattress over which she was made to sit. On the following day, Gitabai left her mortal coil while chanting the Ramnam in her son's lap. After her demise Maharaj said, "Now Shri Ram is my sole refuge".In Indore, he was fed with laddus (sweetmeats) prepared from chili powder, which he happily ate. Later he was fed with red burning embers, which he gladly consumed like sweets. The lady, Jijibai, who did this, repented for her action and asked for his forgiveness.Once, Maharaj was constructing a Ram temple at Gondavale. Many of his disciples brought bricks, stones, cement, timber, and money as an act of devotion to Maharaj. On one Thursday, Maharaj did not have any money to offer to the construction labourers. The labourers were really disappointed, but Maharaj told them not to get disheartened and offered them food. Later he asked them to chant Ramnam. In the evening, one of the disciples of Maharaj came from Mhasavad and offered Rs. 105 to him. Maharaj told the labourers that Ram was always concerned about their problems and distributed the money among them. Though, the temple was being constructed, there was no sign of the idols of Shri Ram, Shri Lakshman and Shri Sitamai. When people asked Maharaj about the idols, he said, " It is Shri Ram's temple, so He would take care of the idols Himself." Surprisingly, in a nearby village, Talavadegaon, a rich moneylender had brought beautiful idols of Shri Ram, Shri Lakshman and Shri Sitamai for a temple that he wanted to construct. Around this time, his house caught fire and at night, Shri Ram appeared in the dream of the moneylender and asked him to send all the idols to Gondavale to Brahmachaitanya Maharaj. On a Sunday, the moneylender brought the idols to Maharaj when he was singing bhajans of Shri Ram. As soon as he saw the idol, tears of joy started to flow from his eyes. On an auspious day, Maharaj consecrated the idols after the completion of the temple. Thousands of people were offered food on that day.Maharaj loved all the animals equally. He had constructed many Goshalas (cow sheds) at Gondavale. He used to rescue many barren cows that were sold to butchers and bring them and look after them.Now Maharaj became 68 years old. His body was tired and there was swelling over his feet. Maharaj called his disciples and said," My dear children, please do not forget my Shri Ram. Please take care of yourself. Wherever name of Shri Ram will be chanted, I would be there. Now I am going to leave." Disciples realized that time had come for Maharaj to shed his mortal coil. Thousands of people came from far and wide, offered their salutations to Maharaj and cried. On the Sunday night, Maharaj started to do Bhajan, there were tears in the eyes of all people. Bhajan and Arti were over. Maharaj said, "O Shri Ramchandra, this is my last service to you, please take care of my devotees." Many people offered their obeisance to Maharaj, but Maharaj only touched the heads of his disciples without speaking a word. Maharaj came back to his room. It was 2 a.m. He sat and chanted," Sri Ram, Sri Ram" and closed his eyes, never to open again. The day was December 22, 1913. Many of his disciples had requested him to write a book that could guide them. But Maharaj said, " I have already written 'DasBodh'." Since Dasbodh is written by Samartha Ramdas Swami in 17th century, it is obvious that Brahmachaitanya Maharaj was a reincarnation of the former.

Of cabbages and kings

I was just looking back on the past 10 years that I have worked in the Investment banking industry. It has its goods and the not so goods..
The 3 main goods are :
1.The opportunity to interact with people who are much smarter/more intellectual than you
2. The green stuff which very few industries can pay in these proportions
3. The international travel opportunities..
While the 3 main "not so goods" are
1. High burn-out due to the stress.. I have seen people collapsing due to the stress
2. Lots of baggage holding ..
3. No career path. You grow in designations but not in the job.. You keep doing the same thing in larger proportions.. Post the first 5 years, there is no intrinsic value addition

This often makes me think of the Lewis Carroll lines.. which I have modified a little

"The time has come the Walrus said,
To think of other things ."

But then.. The green stuff hold you back.. and you keep telling yourself..
Just 3-4 years more and I will retire..
The 3-4 years are a moving target as responsibilities keep growing...

Thinking back, the best years of my life were at the B-School..
Lots of intellectual thinking (atleast that's what I believed it to be), no cares and lots of fun..

On the "fun-scale" its been downhill from there..

Depending on where you are on the career curve.. decide what you want to have 10 years down the line.. and stick to your plan