Lavasa Glimpses – 9

A glimpse of what our seven Lavasa fans – Ankit Bajaj, Anurag Mala, Meena Chhichhia, Nerissa Fernandes, Rita Singh, Sarus Nirhali & Shikha Agarwal captured

 

 

Thanks a lot guys for these wonderful clicks & for sharing them with us!

 

Daytime at Lavasa

Here are a photos I took at Lavasa when I went there in February for the Lavasa Women’s Drive. As much as I liked the car rally, it was obviously quite crowded & I enjoy photography in relative solitude.

Here are a few photos I took the morning after. The lakeside buildings  are candy colored & very pretty, they seem to bear a strong resemblance to the harbor buildings at Copenhagen.

The last two photos were taken at & from Dasvino Town & Country Club. I have more photos of Lavasa to share in the next post, this time ones taken at night.

Love,

 

This post is written by Magali Vaz - our official blogger. To view the original post, click here.

Lavasa Glimpses 8

A glimpse of what our nine Lavasa fans – Rakhee Chhatpar, Saurabh Shah, Sonal Rajore, Syed Imran Abbas, Mr. Sameer, Rakesh Menon, Bhavesh Mehta, Anubandh Hambarde & Beena Viegas captured.

Thanks to all for sharing their treasured Lavasa moments.

Geographic Information System(GIS) Improves Water Supply In Cities

Lavasa has pioneered many technological initiatives since its inception. One such innovation is the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in all its activities. GIS is a technology employed to create digital maps for the entire Lavasa project area. In addition to what is visible on the surface, GIS also includes maps of the underground utilities (such as water supply lines) and above ground utilities (such as overhead electric cables).

One of the most powerful aspects of GIS is that it allows for creation of intelligent data. Although on the map a water supply pipe segment is shown as a single line, associated with that line is a lot of “intelligent” useful data. This information, known as attribute data, can contain for instance, the diameter, the material, the year of installation etc. One way to use such data is to do a simulation of whether the designed water supply network is adequate for future projected needs of the city. This is done by calculating the expected consumption of water during peak hours (number of consumers multiplied by average consumption). This leads to an estimate of the pressure that the network will have to sustain.  By varying the input parameters one can simulate those extreme conditions under which the network will fail. Needless to say, a host of  other factors influence the calculation of the pressure. Some of them are coefficient of friction between the water and the pipe (which depends on the material of the pipe), the difference in elevation between two ends of the network (which influences the relative drop in pressure), so on and so forth.

The most important question in this analysis is “will there be sufficient water pressure at the far end of the network to enable uninterrupted supply without using an additional booster pump?”  As is well known, the pressure keeps steadily decreasing as the water keeps flowing down the network. Depending on how much water is consumed at each consumption point, better known as node, the pressure will decrease accordingly. This means the final residual pressure will be determined by the difference in elevation between the source of water supply (the reservoir) and the lowest point on the network.  This difference in pressure is known as the hydraulic head. Naturally, locating the reservoir at the highest possible elevation is the ideal solution. This is the reason why housing societies locate the reservoir (a large water tank) at the top of a tower whose elevation is higher than the top floor of the buildings. In multi-storied buildings the water tank is on the terrace. It is not unusual for residents of the lower floors to receive only a trickle of water if people in the higher floors use more than normal volumes at that given time.

Let us consider a case study (not from Lavasa). Figure 1 shows an underground water supply network in which two tower mounted storage tanks (shown in white symbols) supply water to their respective service areas (colour coded in red and green). The unserviced area is shown in blue colour. The question that needs to be answered is “Within the unserviced area where should a new reservoir be located such that a maximum portion of that area is supplied with water?”  GIS software allows the analyst to position the new reservoir at each node and simulate how much of the network is serviced. By a process of iteration, the virtual reservoir is moved to each location that helps to identify one optimal location at which the maximum area is serviced. Figure 2 shows the result of this analysis. It may be noticed that some elements of the network remain unserviced. Perhaps these elements are inclined such that the water has to flow upward and there is not enough residual water pressure to overcome this negative gradient.  Booster pumps will have to be installed in such locations.

Figure 1 

Figure 2 

 This entire process provides one with an overview of how the GIS can be used to enhance efficiency in distributing water across various segments of the city.

Mumbai Women Participate in ‘Lavasa Women’s Drive’

Anyone who visits my blog regularly will know lot of information about Mumbai, my blog covers almost all the information that tourist are looking for.

Anybody have any queries, they send me a private message and I answer them on my blog and my friends seem to know everything,..er..well..almost everything….

But when people reach a new territory, you don’t expect them to know everything. How will they know what is the pin code of Lavasa? Or what is unique about Lavasa, or what is the name of the games arcade in the city? So when they organized a quiz show like this, all the women did was to search the net for answers on their mobile and the fastest finger won.

Did you know that every seven minutes one Indian woman dies of Cervical Cancer?

Risk factors for cervical cancer include:
  • Having sex at an early age
  • Multiple sexual partners
  • Poor economic status (may not be able to afford regular Pap smears)
  • Sexual partners who have multiple partners or who participate in high-risk sexual activities
  • Women whose mothers took the drug DES (diethylstilbestrol) during pregnancy in the early 1960s to prevent miscarriage
  • Weakened immune system
    Worldwide, cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer in women. It is much less common in the United States because of the routine use of Pap smears.

This year, like every year, Mumbai had its Lavasa Women’s Drivea and this year they were supporting the awareness and prevention of cervical Cancer.




Early morning at 6am, when the Mumbaites were still snoozing extra hours of Sunday Morning, 350 women drove from Mumbai to Lavasa covering the distance of 200kms to spread the message of their cause through rhyme and games.



Some women took more than 2 days, meticulously dressing their cars with creative messages and slogans of the cause that they were supporting. 



They assembled at Bandra reclamation and were flagged off every two minutes to join the rally with 150 more participants from Pune city.

“Lavasa Women’s Drive is about celebrating the spirit of womanhood. It’s about the drive in each woman to be a successful home maker, a successful entrepreneur, a mother, a daughter. It is about women putting their hair down, their spirit and vibrancy and also about the ability to contribute to social causes” says the Lavasa community


At Lavasa, there was a carnival kind of party where people danced on Bollywood music, participated in talent hunt, walked down the promenade, and ate tasty food.



Some of the participants stayed back to enjoy the serenity and calmness of the place, which is best enjoyed during late hours of evening or early mornings, while the rest of the women drove back the same day, contented of being the part of such a grant event.



This post is written by Pushpa Moorjani on her blog. To view the original post, click here.

The Transformation of Mose Valley

Stretching from Mose to Dhaman Ohol, the Mose Valley had hitherto remained unaffected by the development in the neighbouring cities of Pune and Mumbai. Consisting of 18 small villages with 7 Gram Panchayats, the valley had relatively poor levels of health, hygiene and sanitation.

This isolated, forest area had patches of human dwelling in fragile huts. Villagers had to trudge through the hilly terrain for hours to get to the nearest market place or to get medical help. The 639 families dwelling in these villages, with the population being 3117, have a simple lifestyle based on the cultivation of paddy, nachni, bamboo and fishing activities, their income was rather low – as little as Rs.10 a day.

This, however, was until 2004 before the development of Lavasa took place. Lavasa has now set up a project for the progress of these villagers. This project shelters 70 families and helps them earn much more than what they were earning before. Labourers under the project get over Rs.200 a day while local shopkeepers earn over Rs.500 a day. The improved living conditions and job opportunities have ensured families covered under the project are happier than ever before.

Improved roads and infrastructure

Healthcare facilities at Apollo Hospital

Drinking water, yet another important concern, was addressed too. Considering their plight, Lavasa has provided free drinking water to 14 villages. Based on the population, required sizes of water tanks have been set up at suitable locations in the villages. At present, Lavasa supplies water to 41 locations.

The Lavasa project has taken many water conservation measures like contour trenching, gully plugging and gabion bunds to harvest the rain fall run off during rainy season. There is now resurgence in underground water in the project area which has in turn helped farmers in seasonal irrigation.

Local kids at Christel House

Education has also been a grave concern in this region. A vast majority of the locals are uneducated. Christel House Lavasa, which was recently set up, aims to provide world class education at the grass root level.

Christel House Lavasa provides students, many of whom are first generation learners, with an undifferentiated environment along with the best educational and extracurricular activities. It also provides them with mainstream education imparted by well trained faculty, pick-ups and drops, uniforms, nutrition and health care. With over 9 educational institutions and facilities planned for its students, Lavasa today is poised to be an education hub.

This is more than just a CSR initiative on Lavasa’s part. We recognize that the city will bloom and prosper with the progress of the locals. We believe these are the first of many good things to come for Lavasa.

Monsoon Holidays in Lavasa

The monsoon is everyone’s favourite season and we at Lavasa are thrilled to celebrate the rains with some incredible holiday offers. There is something about this weather that makes everything around us come alive. The air feels cooler, fresher and cleaner. Everything looks new and shiny! The monsoon at Lavasa just makes you want to leave everything and head to greener pastures (quite literally).

Lavasa waterfalls

All of us love a monsoon holiday, and we all have different ideas of what makes a great holiday. So why don’t you tell us what sort of holiday do you prefer and we will guide you to a perfect getaway. Do you like your holiday to be:

  1. Adventurous
  2. Romantic/Family time
  3. Luxurious

If you’re answer is A, then look no further than the Xthrill offers to make your monsoon getaway more delightful, Starting at Rs 999 per head, these Mesmerizing Monsoon deals will ensure you have an unforgettable monsoon experience where you can enjoy adventure sports, stay in comfortable AC tents complete with some scrumptious meals and generally have a ball of a time.

Head to Xthrill if you're looking for a monsoon adventure

If you’re looking to have a private moment with your partner, then look no further than Ekaant. Overlooking the lush green valley, this charming lodge is perfect for that special time with your loved one. If you’re taking a trip with your family, then the Waterfront Shaw would be ideal place to spend your time. The watersports are right in front of the service apartments and children would probably enjoy them best while you and your family members can sit back and appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds you.

Ekaant is perfect for a romantic monsoon getaway

Waterfront Shaw is ideal for a holiday with kids

If you are one of those who like to do things in style then choose from Mercure or Fortune Select Dasve. Spacious, comfortable rooms and excellent facilities make these the ideal choice for a lavish holiday. And if that’s not enough, head to the Dasvino Country Club for some indulgent spa treatments or for a fine dining experince.

Mercure - absolute luxury!

Fortune Select - sheer opulence and indulgence.

The Mesmerizing Monsoon packages get more delightful with the nature trail and the waterfall tours that are guaranteed to leave you spellbound.

Share your best Lavasa photos with us!

A trip to Lavasa can inspire the photographer in you. Something about the fresh air, flourishing greenery, breathtakingly stunning landscape, the promenade, the lake….. the list could go on. The place will just make you want to dig out your cameras and start clicking.

Bring out the photographer in you!

That is why, we at Lavasa, are inviting you to share your favourite memories at Lavasa with us. Those happy moments when you went on a nature trail with friends and family, or went boating with that special someone, or even those incredibly spectacular shots you’ve captured of the sunset, the buzzing promenade or the lush green hillside.

Take a walk down memory lane in Lavasa!

We hope you send us a lot of photographs and we would be happy to showcase them. Send us your most cherished pictures at Lavasa, and we will feature them right here by the end of the month. That’s not all! You could also win some exciting goodie bags from Lavasa. Email your pictures to lavasaphotos@gmail.com. Be sure to take a look at the terms and conditions as well.
Here’s to more happy Lavasa memories!

Lavasa Glimpses

We feature pictures shared by three of our Lavasa fans – Sidharth Negandhi, Rohit Kumar & Deepti Jacob. A special thank you to them for sharing these pictures with us.

Pic Courtesy: Sidharth Negandhi

Pic Courtesy: Sidharth Negandhi

Pic Courtesy: Sidharth Negandhi

Pic Courtesy: Sidharth Negandhi

Pic Courtesy: Rohit Kumar

The Promenade

Pic Courtesy: Deepti Jacob

Pic Courtesy: Deepti Jacob

Pic Courtesy: Deepti Jacob

Looking to the future

In today’s day and age, there is so much talk about urbanization for the future. But very few cities in the world today are actually based on principles of new urbanism. Lavasa understands how important these principles are in a country like India with its massive population. We strive to create a balance between technology and nature in our development. This can be seen by the impressive infrastructure, water conservation techniques adopted and waste management facilities.

The newest endeavor we have undertaken at Lavasa is the Citizen Call Center.

Citizen Call Center

The objective of the call center is to provide a single point resolution to all citizen concerns, queries and complaints. Any query right from a telephone connection to buying property will be addressed by the community call centre. The call centre staff has also been trained to deal with emergencies in Lavasa – terror threats, fire, accidents etc.

The idea behind this is to provide citizens with an information point and to give them a sense of security and protection. The call centre also responds to queries about hotel reservations, holiday packages, food festivals and educational programmes. Lease management of houses and villas is also done by the call centre staff.

To make things easier for Lavasa citizens, we have listed out two main numbers mentioned below:

For emergencies: 020 – 66755100 and 9096001001

Non-emergency/queries: 020 – 66755111 and 9561995619

Holiday packages: 020 66755222

New beginnings in Lavasa

Lavasa is proud of every little step it takes to make life better for its citizens. The most recent one was the launch of its new pre-school – Roots to Wings. The school will cater to kids between the ages of 2 and 6 with a unique curriculum approach. There will be pre-nursery, nursery, lower KG and upper KG classes for children.

The school will be run by Educomp and will focus on imparting skill based knowledge using the exceptional Seven Petal Approach. The approach will focus on personal awareness, socio-emotional development, language development and fine motor development, among other things. The early education programme, one that is so important, comprises of fun-filled activities that will instill joyful learning through stories, rhymes, music, socialization and sensorial learning.

Roots to Wings

A child-friendly, colourful and hygienic ambience will ensure the little tots have a great time while learning.

For enquiries on admissions and other details, please call +91-20-64730110.

Lavasa Glimpses 2

In this second edition of the Lavasa Glimpses, we feature pictures shared by three of our Lavasa fans – Anubandh Hambarde, VijayPagare & Nirav Ramani. A special thank you to them for sharing these pictures with us.

Lavasa Glimpses 3

Hello people, it’s that time of the month when we feature your Lavasa photos on our blog! In this third edition of the Lavasa Glimpses, we feature pictures shared by some of our Lavasa fans.

A special thank you to all of them for sharing these amazing pictures with us.

An eco-friendly Diwali Shagun

The festive season is here and it brings with it happiness, celebration, prosperity and joy. As we gear up to celebrate Diwali, more and more people have recognised the need for a cracker-free, environmental friendly Green Diwali.

Bamboosa at Lavasa offers a wide variety of bamboo artefacts which are an eco-friendly option for your home and an unconventional gifting idea for your friends and family.

These well designed Diwali lamps can light up the entire house this festive season. The table lamps would serve as a great accessory to wooden furniture.

Bamboo Lamp

 

Table Lamps

 

If you are looking for a gift for colleagues or business associates, an office table set would be ideal.

Office Table Set

 

Bamboo Photo Frames are organic and porous and minimize the possibility of the effects of environmental contaminants. Excellent idea to cherish the most beloved memory of the past.

Photo Frames

You can re-decorate your house with some bamboo wall clocks and pots.

Wall Clocks

Bamboo Pots

This Diwali, show that you care. Join us as we try and make the festival of lights an enlightening journey towards a better future. Like they say, it is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.

Lavasa Glimpses 4

We feature pictures shared by four of our Lavasa fans – Chaitanya Dange, Deep Pachnekar, Gautam Deshpande & Vidhi Bhuta.

A special thank you to them for sharing these pictures with us :)

Lavasa Glimpses 5

We feature pictures shared by three of our Lavasa fans – Anubandh Hambarde, Neha Sarougi & Vinayak Tillu.

A special thanks to all of them for sharing these beautiful pictures with us.

The Lavasa Environmental Clearance in a Nut Shell

Lavasa is a private hill city being developed by Lavasa Corporation Limited where people can live, work, learn and play in harmony with nature.

 

It all started in March 2004, as Lavasa was granted environmental clearance by Maharashtra government for the first phase of 2000 ha and the work started from then onwards in a full swing.

With development in full swing, first town of Dasve was nearly completed by 2010. During the course, GoM (Government of Maharashtra) and MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forests) granted additional clearances for laying transmission lines, road widening, tunnel construction etc.

25th November 2010, MoEF unexpectedly issued a ‘Show Cause cum Stop Work’ notice to Lavasa stating that the required environmental clearances should have been obtained from MoEF and not from Government of Maharashtra.

Lavasa wrote a letter to the Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh claiming that the show-cause notice was without any authority of law and jurisdiction, malafide in intent and arbitrary.

 

 

In reply to the “Show Cause Notice”, Lavasa Corporation ltd. files a case against MoEF denying all the charges on them.

During December-January’11, High Court directed MoEF to visit the project and inspect the same. Accordingly, the MoEF team visited Lavasa in the first week of January 2011.
Based on the report submitted by the team, MoEF mentioned that they were willing to consider the project on merits provided that Lavasa submits certain information for scrutiny.

 

During Feb – June’11, Lavasa submitted various documents to MoEF for their consideration. Lavasa also addresses a letter to MoEF for finding an amicable solution to put an end to the controversy. MoEF indicates that it was willing to grant Environmental Clearance, subject to 5 pre-conditions being met. Lavasa agrees to the pre-conditions in order to end the issue and resume development.

 

 On 22nd August 2011, MoEF makes a statement in the High Court that they would pass the order within one week. However, the final order does not get passed

Lavasa’s wait in September’11 got longer as they filed an affidavit at the Bombay high court, which took ministry more time to make the decision.

In an order dated 13th October 2011, MoEF states that the decision on environmental clearance cannot be taken till all the pre-conditions, including a ‘credible action by Government of Maharashtra’, are met.

In the High Court hearing held on 20th October, the GoM stated that they will take necessary action in accordance with the MoEF recommendations. The court, thereafter, directed that ‘MoEF shall pass the final order within a period of three weeks and no extension will be granted to MoEF under any circumstances’

On 9th November’11 finally after alomost one year  of work stoppage got Lavasa  ‘Environmental Clearance’ by MoEF.

Lavasa is now back on track as development has resumed in full steam. Looking forward to tourism flourishing with more and more people visiting Lavasa to get a taste of peace and solitude :)

 

Lavasa Glimpses 6

We feature pictures shared by five of our Lavasa fans –Kavita Save, Ishaan Bhataiya, N Sanghvi, Rohit Sinha & Shoumik De.

A special thanks to all of them for sharing these beautiful pictures with us.

Festive Times at Lavasa

A visitor pens down a first – hand account on the festivities at Lavasa – this is an excerpt from her page – A Slice of Life!
 

Drive in to Lavasa this festive season. Drive out with memories – So read a hoarding.

My mind started thinking – Festive times in India?

Excuse me; this is the land of festivals where there are 24 festivals in 12 months.  Why is a destination advertising festive times? Anyways I had some work coming up in Pune and I decided to drive to Lavasa on a Saturday.

My first impression as I took the toll road from Chandni Chowk was that it was a nice without potholes road. As we drove uphill towards the ‘ghats’, the drive became even more scenic. We stopped by and had ‘chai’, ‘misal pav’ along the way.  The Viewing Gallery at the Entry Gate provided an aerial view of the entire valley and to say the views were breathtaking would be an understatement.

Ok, so the drive was breathtaking. But will the destination be worth the twists and turns on the ‘ghats’?

Our first stop – Ekaant – The Retreat – a lovely 20-room resort on the hill top provided us the answer. Sipping tea at the lovely lake view restaurant Vyanjan or getting lost in one’s thoughts while relaxing on the hammock. After a hearty breakfast, we decided to drive further down to the city and explore the bustling Town Centre.

The Town Centre with the lovely Portofino lakeside apartments is what you read about Europe – colourful buildings, cobbled paths, walkways, cafes and little sit out areas. The many hotels around – Fortune, Mercure, Waterfront Shaw Apartment Hotel  – each with their own special festive packages, performances and special treats added to the fervor.

More than that, the entire area seems festive even without trying to. Imagine a lakeside promenade with benches on the side – where one could sit, reflect, and stare. North Indian speciality restaurant Chor Bizarre to oriental cuisine at the Oriental Octopus, to the All American Diner to coffee and muffins at Brewberry’s – one was truly spoilt for choices.

After an hour of quietude, the watersports by the lake attracted me. I walked to the Lakeshore Watersports – spent a couple of hours with the jet skis and pontoon boats. The Xthrill Adventure Sports activities also were exhilarating. A number of activities, options to stay at A/c tents – I really thought that I had left the city far behind.

There was a nip in the air while we walk down the lakeside promenade. In the distance, I saw the glittering lights of the Convention Centre and the Dasvino club – almost magical – the lake reflects back the lights like diamonds.

I paused for a moment reflecting my thoughts and thought to myself – yes, it was indeed a festive time – and the difference was that it was not only about the festive packages and combo offerings. It was an entire experience packed into one. It was a journey that I drove back with lots of moments that I will treasure.

Making Future Today

It has been mankind’s constant endeavour to live, work, learn and play in harmony with nature. Over the last few decades this desire has become far more important since life has become too stressful in our cities. There is a need to create cities that are future ready. We need cities where futuristic human technology and pristine nature play hide & seek.

The need for this has arisen from the fact that most Indian cities today are reeling under problems of infrastructure collapse because of increasing population, lack of planning and poor management. With millions migrating to the cities in search of better education and jobs, we would only see the pressure on the existing cities increase.

‘India’s urban awakening: Building inclusive cities, sustaining economic growth,’ a report by the McKinsey Global Institute projects that 590 million people will live in Indian cities by 2030. To accommodate this explosive growth, India will need about 25 new world-class cities near existing Tier 1 cities.

Lavasa and other such cities will fulfill this need gap. With a vision to provide quality and affordable community living to one and all while simplifying and enhancing the lives of both residents and visitors, it is important that these future cities are  envisioned today. Future Cities like Lavasa will be facilitators, mediums that will endeavor to bring in the various entities – citizens, corporates, and the policy makers together across different platforms by triggering conversations on the need for new cities.

Urban planning intervention at the right time can help manage city growth using either the preventive approach of Curitiba or the curative strategy of Cairo. The success of urban planning intervention hinges on the ability of the local authority to build economic and physical infrastructure within the settlements along with the necessary connectivity to the city centre and to similar other peripheral settlements.

This is where Lavasa and other future cities will come in. The city is mere 3 hours from Mumbai and 1 hour from Pune. Lavasa will host a complement of recognized companies in hospitality, tourism, education, healthcare and retail. The hill city provides contemporary yet timeless architectural designs, multiple options for housing like rental housing, apartments and villas.

Lavasa is thought and grandeur in symphony. It is the tourist destination of tomorrow, with an awe inspiring development spanning over 25,000 acres of picturesque and lush landscape. With sixty kilometers of picturesque lakefront and spread over seven magnificent hills, Lavasa is an architectural marvel that is sensitively integrated with natural environment, enhancing the scenic beauty of the area.

A major challenge faced by all of humanity is environmental sustainability. Lavasa’s goal is to stress on the need to ensure environmental sustainability by integrating sustainable development into a country’s national policy and to reduce the damage caused to the environment. It is a green dream that future cities of India have to deliver. At Lavasa, we are just trying to make that happen.

Courtesy : Dr.Shreyas Padgaonkar

Courtesy : Dr.Shreyas Padgaonkar

Gearing up for the Pink Drive

It is that time of the year again when women from Mumbai and Pune get in to their cars and drive all the way to the hill city of Lavasa. And while the convoy proceeds, the message of joining forces in the fight against Cervical and Breast Cancer is spread to one and all. Lavasa Women’s Drive is a signature annual event of Lavasa which blends fun, adventure and spirit of the Indian woman with a social cause. This annual drive is organized in collaboration with Bombay Times in aid of the Woman’s Cancer Initiative of Tata Memorial Hospital.

Already in its fourth year now, the LWD was launched in March 2009 as part of the Bombay Times March – commemorating the International Women’s Day. 2010 saw the event reaching new heights as it celebrated the Centennial celebrations of International Women’s Day. In 2011, the drive was scaled up even further. In addition to starting from Mumbai, the drive was also flagged off from Pune. It converged in Lavasa where a lot of fun-filled activities were planned. In its third year, the event saw a total of 503 cars, 352 from Mumbai and 151 from Pune.

The event was packed with star quotient. Several celebrities have lent their support to this cause. In 2011 these included Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Arjun Rampal, Mehr Jessia, Jackie Shroff, Adnan Sami, Maria Goretti, Mini Mathur, Shweta Tiwari, Neeta Lulla, Deepti Bhatnagar, Suchitra Pillai, Nauheed Cyrusi Arjan Bajwa, MP Priya Dutt, Sameer Soni and Sushma Reddy. Also a high-energy anthem, written and sung by Shibani Kashyap, was recorded for this very drive. The anthem’s release and the specially designed LWD T-shirt by acclaimed fashion designer Anita Dongre was attended by Yukta Mookhey, Roopa Ganguly, Dipanita Sharma and Pooja Chopra. 

Amidst all this fun and frolic the cause received a special facelift. A Cancer Camp was setup in the city of Lavasa, attended by over 400 women from in and around the villages in the catchment area. They were given Health Education on Breast Cancer and were screened for the same. Issues pertaining to Oral and Cervical Cancer were also discussed. Most women present, had never been examined by a doctor and were unaware of vital health issues that could determine their well being.

While the core focus of LWD is to create awareness about women’s cancer, a large number of NGOs, women organizations, corporate and individuals also participate in this drive to promote their individual causes and generate support, resulting in a synergy. The LWD, thus, reaches out to women from varied walks of life, brings them together and celebrate the spirit of womanhood.

Today the LWD has become one of the most popular women centric events in India. Arguably, this is the world’s largest all-women drive. While there is no official body or records available, the Limca Book of Records has certified LWD as India’s biggest All Women’s Drive. It is though just a small step towards securing a healthier future and what better place than a future city like Lavasa to champion this cause.

For more information log on to  www.facebook.com/lavasacommunity | www.twitter.com/lavasacommunity

Lavasa Glimpses 7

We feature pictures shared by six of our Lavasa fans – Supragya Munjal, Swapankumar Dutta, Sanjay Rawal, Ravi S, Rahul Nambiar & Shreyas Hebbare.

A special thanks to all of them for sharing these beautiful pictures with us.

The Future City is Here

What is future ?

The thesaurus defines future as opportunities, expectations, prospective, a hope.

A promise of something better.

 They say that the greatest achievements were at first and for a time, dreams.

But that’s what every advertisement promises.

Right? Every advertisement pegs on a vision.

But how many of us have the courage and conviction to even attempt to translate this dream and vision into reality?

Only few tread the unknown path and travel on the road less travelled.

After all there is certain level of comfort in following the herd.

This is where the game changer, Lavasa steps in.

It is the city that sets itself apart from other towns or cities of today.

It is a city that benchmarks itself with global practices while keeping town planning at the core of its existence.

A city that in the least promises a vision where you can walk to work; where you can get the best of technology in the lap of  nature; where there is a vision to have a transparent and accountable governing structures  and where environmental sustainability is not just in theory.

Lavasa truly is a city that promises a vibrant community living and redefines how cities of tomorrow should look and feel.

This is going to take a little while.

Yes, it will take some time but as they say the future is not that far away!

LWD 2012 – Setting the Ball in Motion

The fourth edition of the Lavasa Women’s Drive is under way & with each year, this rally that is touted as one of the biggest all women’s rallies, get bigger & better. This year with a view to spread the message about prevention of cervical cancer, LWD 2012 has managed to reach over 9 lakh women in the form of votes & registrations in over 75 countries.

This year, in a bid to heighten the enthusiasm & cheer among our LWD women, apart from the fun carnival post the drive, workshops were organized in Pune & Mumbai. Noted choreographer Ganesh Hegde joined our LWD women in Mumbai & Pune to help them with some dance moves akin to Kareena “Chammak Challo” Kapoor. Our ladies not only had a whale of a time but also impressed our Hegde Sir with their thumkas.

 

 

 

 If the dancers were having a ball, our budding photographers weren’t far behind. Under the able guidance of ace photographer, Daboo Ratnani, our ladies learnt all bout angles & lenses. We are hoping for some masterpieces after this year’s Lavasa Women’s Drive.

 

With the LWD 2012 commencing with a bang, we hope the drive will be as much fun for all you ladies. We want you ladies to show us what you learnt from Ganesh Hegde at the Lavasa Carnival as we celebrate womanhood and show the world that women drivers are considerate, careful & responsible. Lavasa wishes all our women drivers all the best for Sunday!!!  See you at Lavasa.

For all those beautiful ladies who haven’t been able to participate in the drive, follow us on Facebook & Twitter for LIVE updates on this annual phenomenon.

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Lavasa Women’s Drive 2012 (#LWD2012)

The Lavasa Women’s Drive is an annual, all-women car rally that drives to Lavasa, a planned hill city near Pune for a cause. This year the main cause was Cervical Cancer. I was invited too, not as a rally participant! [ no car, can't drive! :( ] but to see the rally & Lavasa itself. I rode with the Windchimes team & another blogger (who were awesome company, btw!)
So Sunday started super early, on the way to Bandra reclamation grounds (where the flag-off was happening) I was super excited to see many decorated cars (about Cervical Cancer Awareness) drive past.
Due to some unexpected delays on my part, I missed the flag off for the first ten or so cars. There were a total of 350 cars leaving from Mumbai & another 150 from Pune, all of the rally participants (drivers & passengers) had to be women.
It was wonderful to see all that positive energy on the grounds that morning. People were so lively & happy. :)
A lot of celebrities came to show their support- Diana Hayden, Emraan Hashmi, Parvathy Omanakuttan, Simran Mundi, Dilip Vengsarkar, Chunky Pandey, Sophie Choudry, Bhagyashree etc. Some just came to flag off & cheer participants, some even participated in the rally. I didn’t click too many photos of the rally cars & I’m not even sure why? There were such wonderfully decorated cars, one was in support of the merchant navy (my dad is in the merchant navy!) & another one for breast cancer awareness had bras taped on the sides. Perhaps I was feeling sluggish but I really regret not taking photos of the cars. I do have some analog photos that I will share after I get the roll processed. The color theme was blue, there was a lot of blue visible everywhere! I loved all the blue balloons with cervical cancer awareness messages. After watching the flag off for a while we started our journey, I had heard that the road near Lavasa has too many ghats (i.e. very curvy) so I took my motion sickness pill well in advance, but it appeared that I was the only squeamish one in the car. We stopped on the Mumbai-Pune expressway for snacks, I was happy to be able to pick up Maganlal Chikki (the oldest & most renowned chikki brand!) for my mom. All of us chit chatted a little along the way, but I was mostly admiring the view, it was so scenic.
{cervical cancer awareness balloons at Bandra reclamation; bamboo handicrafts for sale at Lavasa}

I was mostly napping during the latter part of the approximately four hour long drive (thanks to the aforementioned pill). And soon we were there- Dasve. It’s the first & most complete village of Lavasa & in 2005 it won awards from the Congress for the New Urbanism and the American Society of Landscape Architects. When we arrived there was a band & the carnival there was in full swing. The atmosphere was very festive. There was a main Shamiana (basically an  Indian-style cloth canopy/tent) where a compere was constantly having quizzes & other activities, besides that there were all kinds of stalls set up- there was free tattoo painting, hair braiding & Mehendi (temporary tattoos with henna), there were stalls selling all kinds of bamboo articles including furniture, also small business stalls selling natural bath & body products (I was tempted to buy some lip balm, if I didn’t already have so many!) Lavasa has a lot of restaurants, but for the carnival there were also a lot of food stalls set up. I ate chaat soon after arriving & felt pretty full (so what if it was past 2 PM? Lunch could wait!) The next few hours were just spent wandering around the place, checking out the band performances (Did I mention the Lavasa Women’s Drive had a really great, upbeat anthem? It was awesome.)

I also had Gola after a very long time, it was just the right weather for it. For those of you who don’t know, Gola is a little Indian treat mostly available on the streets where ice is grated then pressed together on a stick firmly, then flavored crush is poured over it. It’s yummy in summers (or hot winter days!) After a little bit of wandering around, checking out the festivities in the tent & browsing the various stalls I finally decided to go for lunch.

A quick check at the information/help desk revealed that Lunch was being served at Lavasa International Convention Centre (LICC). The directions were to walk past the promenade, cross a bridge when I see it & go to the convention centre. By this time I was feeling somewhat weary but as I was crossing the bridge I first notice how beautiful Lavasa is. I was on a large bridge over Warasgaon lake with brightly colored apartment buildings on one side, the large convention centre on the other side, a few boats in the water & a dam in the distance. I paused for a while to take in the beauty & then I took a few photos with my Polaroid which you will see soon enough.

 

{raspberry flavored gola; large cloth installation of the Lavasa logo}

After that I went to the convention centre. It’s an imposing (& impressive) building, two storeyed with many different conference rooms. There seemed like a really good lunch buffet but I wasn’t too hungry so I settled for desserts only. Warm Gulab Jamuns are my absolutely favorite, & I’m craving them again as I’m typing this. Shortly after lunch I got to check into my room at Mercure Lavasa, a luxurious business hotel (one of three hotels at Lavasa). I liked the room a lot, I spent the next couple of hours clicking photos of the beautiful view from my balcony, checking out the days photos, freshening up & sipping on hot lemon tea. I met the team again for dinner, we had the dinner buffet at the Mercure restaurant itself & it was pretty good.

Then we turned in for the night to our respective rooms with plans to be up latest by 9 AM. I watched some tv (Psych was on FOX Crime, though I have every episode of that show & have watched it multiple times I couldn’t resist watching again.)

I turned in my sleep a couple of times & saw the breathtaking sunrise over the mountains. I really should have woken up & taken pictures but I was too tired/lazy.

By the time we went down breakfast it was quarter to 11 & we were told that the breakfast got over at 10:30. I was a little disappointed but couldn’t complain as I had a fantastic sleep. The very confused looking waiter finally managed to get us some vadas & idlis as well as fresh watermelon juice.

Then we started touring the place. Since Lavasa is going to be a self contained new urban city & not just a vacation getaway, it is planned really well. We passed the administrative building, the fire station & police station, post office & then reached Christel House, an English medium school for the underprivileged children. That was one of the most inspirational stops of the tour- the school building is very nice, & we were taken into classrooms as well. Children there were polite, smart, neat & pretty well versed in English. In the music room the children sang I Have a Dream by ABBA beautifully to the tunes of an keyboard, & after they were finished they left the room in single file with their hands behind their backs with almost no prompting.


{the view from Lavassa International Convention Centre; the poolside at Dasvino Town & Country Club}

Next we were taken on a proper tour of the convention centre, & afterwards a quick visit to the exclusive Davino Town & Country Club which had everything- a spa, bar, café, card room, children’s play area, pool, tennis court, squash rooms etc.

There was so much more to see as Lavasa is such a large place but we were already a little weary & it was getting late so we had to miss checking out Bamboosa – The Bamboo Factory & The Nature Trail.

We just headed back to Mercure for Lunch. There we were kept waiting so long even though we ordered from the set menu! We were hungry & after being kept waiting for about forty minutes on just salad & papad we were all losing our patience. But when the food finally came it was quite delicious so no harm, no foul. We then set out on the long drive back to Bombay, with a stop for snacks in between. Sadly we got the rush hour traffic once we arrived in the city but I was home by eight. Then it was dinner with margaritas & hitting the sack for me. It was a wonderful experience & I’d like to thank Mukta & Partitosh from Windchimes for making the whole trip so much fun.

Love,

 

This post is written by Magali Vaz on her blog. To view the original post, click here.

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