Combining My Love for Fitness and Travel on a Soul-Calming Trip to Targol Dam, Bodeli

Greetings of the day,

Today felt like a breath of fresh air. When I opened the window early in the morning, the light mist spread in front and the cool breeze touched my mind. The weather was so lovely that I felt that I should go out somewhere today. Didn't think much just picked up the car keys and set out towards Targol Dam which is near Bodeli Gujarat. I had seen this place before but every time I come here the experience seems new. The views of the villages on the way were as if an old picture had come alive again the farmers working in the fields, neem and mango trees standing on the roadside and in between small houses with faint waves of smoke rising from them.

As I moved further, the road became more beautiful. At some places the road seemed to disappear in the shade of trees, while at some places the shadow of the distant hills was clearly visible. Small waterfalls were also seen at some places which were flowing rain water. This simplicity of the path makes it special. I slowed down the car several times to fully experience the views. There was a smell of soil and green grass in the air, which is rarely felt in the city.

After about an hour I reached Targol Dam. The blue water of the lake was seen shining from a distance. The peace felt after reaching there was no less than the peace of a temple. There was silence all around – just the gentle waves of water and the sounds of birds coming from the distance. I got down from the car and slowly walked to the shore. Standing there, I took a deep breath, as if all the fatigue had gone away. The sun's rays were creating small golden pieces on the water. I felt that this moment should be captured in the heart, not in the camera.

There were some people who had come with their families children were playing on the banks of the lake, and some couples were sitting quietly and watching the scene. I sat alone on the shore for a while — without talking just feeling the sky the water and the wind. Sometimes it seems that a person has to go to some far away place to meet himself. This place was exactly that – away from the noise, but close to the spirit.

After some time I took some pictures on the banks of the lake and then went a little further from where the forest path started. The leaves of the trees were rustling against each other, and the wind passing through them was making a sweet tune. The atmosphere there was so peaceful that it felt as if time had stopped. The sun was slowly setting behind the distant hills, and the sky was turning orange.

The return path looked even more beautiful. In the setting sun the shadows of the trees had spread across the road, and the air had increased in coolness. I drove slowly, so that I could see each scene one last time. The only thought in my mind was that there are some places in life where one feels like visiting again and again – and for me, Targol Dam had now become one of those places.