Chhatbir zoo is famous for its vast collection of Bengal tigers and other various species of flora and fauna. It is spread across an area of over 202 hectares and boasts of housing more than 52 species of animals including the royal Bengal tiger, the Himalayan black bear, and 62 species of birds.

The zoo plays an important role in attracting both local and migratory birds as well such as cormorants, pochards, grebes, coots, dabchicks, moorhens, and geese even from far off places.

We started of by watching very rare and exotic species of apes which were caged near the entrance of the zoo itself. Some distance away there were enclosures for the tigers. A variety of other mammals like the otter, hog deer, different species of deer and antelopes were major attraction. It was fun to watch the hippos lounging in the warm sun. Even the groups of elephant were "mast", prancing in their muddy pool.

The most exciting of all was the lion safari. There is a huge territory surrounded by high fences where the African and Asian lions roam freely. Visitors are allowed inside the territory only in the vans operated by the zoo authorities. It was really spine chilling experience to see these lions roam freely around our vans. The van driver kept on telling us not to take out hands or other body parts lest the lion grabs its meal. I still remember his caution, "Do not think they are as innocent and lazy as they seem to be, they can attack you at any point of time." At one point of time, one of the lions came and sat in right at the middle of the pathway. But our driver skillfully routed his van. For a change, we were caged and the king of jungle was roaming free.

To rest our tired soles, we took a small snack break at the restaurant within the zoo premises. On that day group of school children were also enjoying their ride to zoo. It was fun to watch little kids watch with awe the big animals. Some were aping the big chimpanzees with hooting and whistling. But kids mended their ways when the teacher educated them about these wonderful creatures and their importance in the ecosystem.

Centrally located in the zoo is the aviary section, home to the winged attractions. The white peacock topped the list of favorites. We got to see some rare species of cockatoos and swans. The last section of the zoo had big reptiles mainly alligators and crocodiles.

By the time we had covered the entire zoo it was 1:00 pm and we had started feeling tired as well as hungry. To our delight, delicious chole kulche were ready for us. After having lunch we played games which our HR personals had arranged for us. And almost all participated in one game or the other. Lemon and spoon race and tug-of-war revived our school-time memories. Couples volunteered for the paper dance. All the winners were awarded with gifts as souvenirs. With fond memories of the trip we started for our way back.

Yogesh Sharma

On November 11^th, 2006, we started off early from Chandigarh and after an hour's journey we reached Nahan where we had our breakfast. After and hour's stay there we left for Renuka Lake.

The Renuka Lake is believed to be the embodiment of Renukaji, the wife of sage Jamadagini and mother of Parshuram. The lake has the perimeter of 2.5 kms and is the largest lake in Himachal Pradesh. The lake is fed by underground springs and is surrounded by hills padded by lush green forests that support a large variety of plant and animal life. The natural beauty of Renuka has to be seen to be believed.

The main temple at Renuka, was constructed by the invading Gorkhas in 1814. The temple houses an excellent image of Renuka Devi.

The lake is surrounded by the Renuka Sanctuary, which is spread over 400 hectares of forest surrounding the sacred and picturesque Renuka Lake. I was amazed that this wildlife sanctuary despite its small size, harbors wild animals such as lions, bears, leopard and several species of deer like Chital, Sambhar and Barking Deer. I have never seen so many lions clustered together as I saw there. You can also see the threatened Kaleej pheasant and the more common Red jungle fowl there. The best part about this sanctuary is, you do not have to pay for seeing the beautiful blend of nature and her creation. The sanctuary can be visited all the year round.

The Renuka Lake and temple attract pilgrims from far and near. On the left bank of the Renuka Lake, there are three Ashrams run by Sadhus and these have inns to accommodate pilgrims visiting this sacred lake. Gayatri temple has a 1.60 meter high Panch Mukhi Ma Gayatri marble statue; with marble idols of Ganpati, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma, and Lord Indra. This temple is dedicated to Sri Ma Gayatri the mother of Vedas, the treasure of Hindu wisdom. Seeing these abodes of love and devotion, I was proud of my great heritage.

The time flew exploring the vicinity of Renuka lake. We spent around three hours at Renuka and started off for Nahan, where we stopped for lunch. It was 4:30 PM and was almost getting dark by the time we finished our lunch. By that time some of us had decided to go back to Chandigarh. But for few secfians journey was not yet ending, trip to Paonta sahib was still on our cards. And I gladly accepted my card, after all who would like to let go the opportunity of seeing the famous Sikh pilgrimage. Though I am a Hindu, but I guess that is the beauty of been an Indian, we embrace humanity and tolerance and love for all religions.

We reached Paonta Sahib around 7:00 PM. The main attraction of Paonta Sahib the Gurudwara is it lighting arrangements, when the entire Gurudwara shines in its pristine glory. The Paonta sahib was looking splendid even in the night. We spent quite some time in the Guruwara and listening to the kirtan.

Surrounded by sal forest and on the banks of river Yamuna, the historic town of Paonta Sahib was founded by the Tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh. When only 16 years old, the Guru left Anandpur Sahib and on the invitation of Raja Maidini Prakash of Sirmour, lived at this beautiful place for over four years. The word Paonta means 'space for a foothold'.

With sweet memories of the trip in our minds, we headed off towards Chandigarh at 10:00 PM. I called off my day with a thought that each journey has to end, with a promise of a new one. Looking forward for another trip call from our HR department.

Yogesh Sharma

In this article, I will try to highlight how I had my calling for this particular genre known as technical writing.

Yesterday

I remember having read different kinds of books and authors during my formative years at school and college - short stories, poems, novels, plays, science books, and so on.I left nothing unread, well almost! Till date, what intrigues me most about some authors is the narration great writers always choose writing as the perfect vehicle for self-expression.

"Gosh.how can anyone write with such remarkable ease?" I used to wonder at that time. We still remember Shakespeare for his classics, don't we? Can we let go of Mark Twain even today, and what about William Wordsworth for his poems? The heart of the matter is that choosing the right genre (and associating with it) is just so important.the sooner one realizes - the better.

Today

Technology has given birth to infinite jobs today, including new avenues for writers. The underlying question, however is, "Are we ready to take the plunge?" People who are entering into this profession of technical writing must be ready to learn about the intricacies of products, technologies, domains, or industry trends. Ideally a person who holds such a profile would be asked to document product manuals, research papers, courseware, web content, and so on. My gut feeling, when I meet other technical writers, is that technical writing is just limited to software documentation. In fact, for things to change we have to target new vistas and niche market segments like aerospace, medical, electronics, and manufacturing segments.

Tomorrow

"Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one's levels of aspiration and expectation."

- Jack Nicklaus

Expectations, as we all know, can be never ending, more so, in the professional world. As Technical Writers, we need to gear up to face the expectations from the industry. With fierce competition and changing landscapes of this profession, we must be able to show our worth through professional documentation. A perfect blend of technological understanding and good writing skills is sufficient to show us the initial way. We also need the confidence to say 'Yes' to the challenges thrown in to us.

From my experience, I can vouch that if you are ready to accept challenges in life without worrying too much about the consequences, you can achieve a lot. I started my career as a faculty member at a leading computer-training institute and accidentally discovered technical writing as a full-time career option. My language skills and unnerving quest for technology were my only driving force when I entered this profession. In my last company, my willingness to say 'Yes,' helped me gain tremendous amount of respect among peers and supervisors. Even though I worked as an Instructional Designer in my last company, I willingly took up some extra work for myself. As a result of which, I achieved some personal milestones for my organization. I was the official trainer for a proprietary development tool. I also documented the Users Manual and the Installation Guide for that tool.

In the end, I would just like to say that my tryst with writing has been a pleasant one, an experience that I would always hold dear to my heart.

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