Freshest At The Mizzen: Team Navika Sagar Parikrama

바카라�It takes a while to get back to land and adjust to the normal routine of life,바카라� says Lt. Cdr. Vartika Joshi, a young naval officer. Surprising as it may seem, this small-town girl from Uttrakahand led a team of six women on a circumnavigation of the world. Joshi, an aerospace engineer, fell for the age-old allure of the sea during college and wanted to join the Ind­ian Navy. Lt Cdr B. Aishwarya, also part of the team, was actuated by a dual fascination: adv­­e­­nture and the uniform, with her father being an ex-CISF officer. She was commissioned in the Navy in the architecture cadre. 바카라�To be honest, when I joined the Navy, I had no idea about sailing!바카라� she says.

Vartika, however, came from a civilian background, and wasn바카라�t aware that lady officers in the Indian Navy are not given sailing duties or sea postings. 바카라�I was a little disheartened바카라�but when this offer of Navika Sagar Parikrama on INSV Tarini came up, I grabbed it,바카라� says Vartika. The training for this expedition star­ted two-and-a-half years back. 바카라�The sea can be unforgiving and we had a rigorous training.바카라� Aishwarya testifies to that, and credits her seaworthiness to Capt Dilip Donde: 바카라�He was a guiding force.바카라� Donde prepared the women for a punishing voyage, stressing the little details. Vartika mentions the voyage바카라�s long duration and the moments of privation in the open sea. 바카라�There were six of us from different backgrounds, so we had our differences of opinion. But at the end we were a team.바카라�

바카라�The best part was seeing nature in its purest form. I used to look into the starlit nights, the reflection of the moon on the ocean,바카라� says Aishwarya. Vartika hopes that one day women in the Indian armed forces will be given permanent commissions. 바카라�The navy has changed my outlook towards life!," she says. They can do with more officers like Vartika and Aishwarya!