It is that time of the year when the team at Ghumakkar gets down to choose the ones who took us to travel the most, to the new and interesting places and leave lasting impressions. Their journeys and their expression hooked us on so strong that while they wanted to plan their next sojourn, we wanted them to first take time out and share with us, what they did.
To refresh, Reema, Mahesh Semwal, Manisha Chitale, Arvind Padmanabhan and Manish Khamesra were our Ghumakkars of 2009. They continued their journeys during 2010 year as well and here’s what I can recollect about them during 2010.
Reema continues to teach and her blog tells me that she is moving to Pune and would be settling down there. Read her wishes and how she fared against them, in her own words, here.
Mahesh has been our quintessential Ghumakkar, taking us out everywhere. I would be giving away too much if I tell you more but he has been most prolific in terms of destinations and content at Ghumakkar during 2010.
Manisha, our in-house poet traveled far and wide, questioned one of the biggest tourism success stories and regarded as a fine writer by our editorial board.
Arvind, who returned to India a while back, decided to chuck his day job and took a year long sabbatical. Yes, that is true. He finished his travel late this year and re-joined work. Read his Ghumakkari at his blog and go out and flaunt shamelessly that you know someone like him.
Manish, as fondly called as Professor, is been the pillar of strength for everyone at Ghumakkar. He is our sounding-board for all the new ideas, whatever little we do come up with, and Ghumakkar is not complete without him.
Did I start this post for 2010 ? I guess, I did so let me get back to main agenda. This year, we had setup a jury and our jury consisted of Arun, Manish Khamesra, Nandan and Vibha. Jury requested me to not write much about them, being humble souls so I would not go down that path too much but a little introduction wont hurt.
Arun is a full time travel writer, photographer, based at Bangalore and an avid Ghumakkar.
Manish Khamesra is the same Manish which I talked about just a couple of breaths back, based at Noida (NCR), an avid Ghumakkar. (I am pretty sure that you are not holding your breath).
Nandan is me, based at Ghaziabad, an avid Ghumakkar.
Vibha is a student of English writing, based at Britain, an avid Ghumakkar.
And the winners are……
Mahesh Semwal. Clap Clap Clap. Unanimous choice by all jury members. Can’t say more.
Devasmita, for your beautiful expression and the far-n-wide travel
Roopesh, for long and fulfilling travel tales. Often the road less taken.
Sahil, for the sheer energy. Never unpack your bag.
Congratulations Mahesh, Devasmita, Roopesh and Sahil. Vasant, Aurojit, Manisha were close and need a special mention. A small memento would head your way as the team here works out the logistics. I look forward to a more Ghumakkari year from you in 2011.
Let me close this post and leave the floor open for the congratulatory messages.
Wishing all Ghumakkars a great and enriching new year. May your bags be always packed. As I often say, traveling builds tolerance, let us help people travel more by sharing our travel experiences and make this world a peaceful place, one destination at a time.
Happy New Year.
Congratulations to all the winners. As I often say, travel helps building or shaping our characters and we get to know about ourselves besides the usual “getting to know a place” .
Ghumakkar is a platform to share such experiences.
I wish all the Ghumakkaris a very Happy New Year. May we all travel more.
Wish a very happy and prosperous new year to all the Ghumakkars.
My heartiest congratulations to all the winners, Specially Mahesh Semwal ji who really deserves this award, He is the blood of this forum.
Also congratulations to Sahil, Devsmita, Rupesh, Manish Khamesara and Manish Kumar (Hindi Ratna of Ghumakkar.com), and finally to the travelguru Nandan Jha.
Thanks.
Thanks a lot for your sweet words.
Congratulations to Mahesh, Devasmita, Roopesh, Sahil, Vasant, Aurojit and Manisha, and all the readers for creating such enriching insights. And new year wishes for a travel-rich year.
Dear All Ghumakkars,
Congratulations to all the readers for creating such enriching insights.I am avid follower of these post of travel experiences although not a ghumakkar in the sense of yours but very much appreciate the travelogue and photpgraphs of this sight and like it very much since last june . I think traveling can teach you lessons of lifetime which you cannot get anywhere else. Anyway Happy New Year and Wishing you a year filled with some great travelling experiences.Please do keep share your experiences with us this year and onwards coming years
I am thankful to all the jury members for considering me once again the GUMAKKARS of 2010.
It is such a great honour that too in the beginning of the new year. It will remain a memorable opening of the new year.
Wish all the Ghumakkar a very happy & prosperous new year !!!!!
WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.
seems like Ghumakkar are either out traveling or taking a well earned rest. :-)
Hope to see many more messages and Congratulations once more to Mahesh, Devasmita, Sahil and Roopesh.
Many Congratulations to all the Ghumakkars of the Year…Wishing all Ghumakkars another year full of Ghumakkari..
Cheers,
Vibha
A big thanks to the whole ghumakkar team for taking my name in the Ghumakkars of 2010. It is really giving a proud feeling . Its a great beginning to 2011. Hope to share much more travel experiences with you all.
A special thanks to Mr. Nandan for really encouraging me to write more.
WISHING ALL GHUMAKKARS A VERY HAPPY , HEALTHY AND AUSPICIOUS NEW YEAR 2011.
Regards,
Sahil
congratulations to all ghumakkars, especially to Mahesh Semwal, Devasmita, Roopesh, Sahil
cheers
Bahut bahut badhai sabhi ko. Ghumakarri chalti rahe.
Congratulations to all the winners of the ghummies (ghumakkar emmies) of 2010. More importantly to all the other contributors/ghumakkars who make this website a wonderful place to be. Also to Nandan & Smita for their amazing efforts.
Congratulations to all the winners!
It is a pleasure to read their posts and I hope to read more from them and others as well in this coming year !
Again thanks for the founder(s) of Ghumakkar for such a wonderful platform!
-Manisha
Wish you all a very happy new year. As rightly predicted, I am out there traveling, this time a road trip to San Diego along the Pacific Coast Highway. I cannot wait to write about it. Honestly, I am humbled for all the love and encouragement everyone at Ghumakkar has given me. My best gift on new years was this post, where I did not expect my name. More traveling and more writing is what I resolve for this year. May you all have a wonderful year ahead, and am proud to be a part of the Ghumakkar family. Thank you :)
Thanks to ghumakkar team for nominating me as one of the ghumakkars of the year. I was out for writing myself in rail enthusiast history books to have rode on last of the big meter gauge lines left in India – Akola to Indore. Ghumakkar is a great platform for sharing your travel stories. Thanks to adulation given to my stories I am encouraged to write more. It has prompted me to document even the old travels and recently completed composing one of my epic journey which I will post soon. Congrats to rest of the ghumakkars of the year. Wish all of you a happy new year ahead full of travel :)
Congratulations to the winners. My personal favourite has been the top of the world story by Devasmita.
Will look forward to even more inspiring stories in 2011 .
Congratulations everyone, specially to the winners, for sharing all interesting travel details, and making this a must-visit site.
Really enjoyed all posts published here, specially Ram sir’s posts about Delhi were too good.
Congratulations Mahesh, Devasmita, Roopesh and Sahil, Vasant, Aurojit and Manisha. Congratulations to the winning contributors and thanks to many other contributors as well who generated interest about many new places, brought new perspectives and yes shared the eye candy pictures of many known and unknown places.
As an author, I would like to thank all the readers who left their comments that always gave the boost to write and share more, believe me without you (the readers) ghumakkari wouldn’t have been such a pleasant experience and some of the readers are the encyclopedia of knowledge, every comment of theirs enrich all of us.
Ghumakkar is more like a family for some of us and hence selecting one among so many of our own is indeed a difficult task. I am sure as readers we do have our own favorites. As Mukesh rightly included the Hindi Ratna of Ghumakkar – Manish Kumar, the young prodigy – Shubham Sarcar and so many of us.
I wish the spirit of ghumakkari will continue this year as well, the spirit of sharing, learning and enriching.
Wishing you all the very best in year 2011.