AFVOA Newsletter of Year 2021

Section 6 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 01 / 2021 Page 82 of 123 6 Those Good Old NDA Days Mrs Lalitha Mohandas Genre: Reflections ven today as I sit with a hot cuppa ,regaling our grandkids with stories of yester years, the great days spent in NDA, Khadakvasla, immediately comes to the forefront .Father was posted as a Met Instructor in the Air Force Training Team. Being far sighted, he ensured that we made the best use of all the wonderful opportunities and facilities provided on the Campus. This glorious period was between 1965 to 1967----and then suddenly I had a golden chance to rekindle fond memories, when I visited NDA in 2004. There were changes galore, no doubt, but I could perceive that on the whole the place was just the same. We were truly blessed, as children to be residing in such sylvan surroundings-more a resort I can say. I was a student of St.Josephs, Pashan and Pune---so our weekdays were quite hectic. What we kids looked forward to were the eventful weekends .On a regular basis, trips were organised with families, which used to be much awaited by us youngsters. Our trip to Sinhagad Fort is etched in my mind. The view from the Fort was captivating. Having studied about the valour of the Mighty Maratha warrior, who could take on the Mughals, we were thrilled that we had climbed His Fort. To tread the path, where the great Maratha Warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji had strode like a colossus, was unbelievable. Remember us kids standing overawed!!!! On another trip, the pristine beauty of the lake in Mahabaleshwar, a well-known Hill Station, dotted with so many varieties of trees, and the setting sun in the background, took our breath away. All of us had a notepad and promptly tried to draw the scenic surroundings and capture it for posterity. We munched on fresh, juicy carrots, one doesn’t see anywhere else. The drive to and fro NDA was fun. We made elders join us in playing Antakshari and passing the ball. Once there, we were herded to different view- points, to admire the breath taking scenic beauty. Later there were some games and singing before lunch, which we all took part in with zest and zeal. On our return leg, remember the MTD Uncle, manoeuvring a tricky bend with such dexterity, that he got a big round of applause from us all. He was genuinely touched by all our spontaneous E