Indian Passport Application Center (BLS) - Washington DC

I would like to share my experience that I had while applying passports for my kids. We applied for new passports as the old passports got damaged.

Lets start with the location first, because we had bit trouble to set the location in GPS. It is better to take FedEx or USPS address that located in same building.

Coming to Parking, 800 K building has public parking, but expensive. <1 hour is $11. 1 Hr to 9 Hrs = $17 Hrs. On road pay parking is difficult to get here. Reaching here by metro would be a good idea.

BLS Office here is a small office with around 5 members staff with 10 chairs. Here the staff just verify the documents and send them to Consulate. Passport approval will not happen here, but they make sure your documents are proper. No need to hurry or worry if you are late. They have some fixed appointments, if you have appointment that day, they will take your documents up to 2PM (should be in by 1:45PM). Staff here is friendly and co-operative.

Take many copies of application form and affidavits. If there is something wrong, you can change them immediately and get it notarized by near by banks. There are two banks on the same streets, PNC Bank and TD Bank. I got notarized 4 papers from TD Bank there for free of cost.

Even if you miss some affidavits or need application forms, you can ask there in the BLS office. There will be a computer for public use with internet, if you need any help.

And finally, they took just 3 working days to process my normal passport. On 4th day, passports are in my hand.

Hope this helps!!

All the best.
 

Waiting for H1B extension, driving license is about to expire?

H1B Extensions filers can renew their driving license for 6 months from the day you apply. I got it renewed from West Valley (Utah) DMV.

For renewal you need:

1. Original I797-B (before extension)
2. Receipt Notice (I797-C).
3. DMV letter from your employer stating your work status. (may not be required, but I took)
4. Address proofs (if address change)
5. SSN
6. Current Driving License.

Salt Lake City DMV office asked me for Original Receipt Notice but I tried with West Valley with print out of receipt notice, it worked!!

They took 3 days to process. First of all, they take all documents and fees. Later, they will check with USCIS and approve it. Call them to know if the license is approved after couple of days, if everything is good, you can collect the license from office. They will courier the license card later.
 

Sabarimala Routes

As this is the Sabarimala season, I would like to share the Sabarimala routes from Bangalore which I have travelled and I thought to share useful information for other pilgrims. Among, the available routes Vandiperiyar route is best accessible from Bangalore with Tamilnadu NHAI. Usally with 10 to 12 hrs you can reach Vandiperiyar from Bangalore.

Route#1:
Bangalore -> Hosur -> Krishnagiri -> Dharmapuri -> Salem -> Namakkal -> Karur -> Dingidul -> Theni -> Kambam -> Kumily -> Vandiperiyar. (around 600 kms).

Bangalore to Dindigul roads are excellent. But keep money ready for tollgates :). From Dingidul carefully watch the Theni road, which is not so clear and misleads to go ahead. Near dindigul, you will be reached a flyover. Here you have to take right below the flyover. From Dindigul to Kumily road is also good. But it is just double road but almost empty road. Good to drive, but speed slows down a bit. From Kumily to Vandiperiyar, it is ghat road and heavy traffic road. Kumily town is always busy with shoppers. While going back, dont forget to buy banana chips :).

From Vandiperiyar, your personal cars cannot go into forests. So, you have to park your personal vehicles at vanperiyar and take permitted local jeeps which will drop till Pulimedu. Usually jeeps charge Rs. 300 to Rs. 400 per trip for a group of 6 to 8 members.

From Pulimedu, Sannidhanam is 7 kms walk. You will be walking from top of this hill to sannidhanam.

Those who are planning to walk from Pulimedu, please plan you schedule early. And you have to start walk from the Pulimedu not late than 2 PM. Otherwise, it is difficult to reach sannidhanam by 6:00 PM. After 6:00 PM, as there are no lights available and as it is a deep forest, highly risk to walk. You hardly find people after 5.00 PM in this route. So start early and reach early. Otherwise, you can continue your personal vehicle travel from Vandiperiyar to Pampa via Mundakkaam (shortcut - it saves atleast 50 kms).
Here are the few snaps:

Route from Vandiperiyar to Pulimedu. Difficult to drive with personal cars. Better to take local jeeps or Kerala local buses.

At Pulimedu, pilgrims are taking rest.

There are jeeps, autorikshaws and KSRTC buses are available from Kumily and Vandiperiyar.

After Pulimedu, vehicles cannot go. So need to walk 7 kms to Sanidhanam. First you have to walk steep for 15 mins.

Pilgrims are walking. Here the landscape will be awesome to watch.

Security check is as usual.

Our team was taking rest while walking from top of pulimedu hills to sannidhanam.

On the way you wont find shops for water or food like pampa route. So prepare enough to carry food and water along with you. Otherwise, you may have to discover some water flows. But believe me, this is the purest water and will be so sweet.

Here is the entrance you will reach from Pulimedu. This is accomodation office which is left side of sanidhanam. You will be joined to queue directly near holy steps (on request :) ).

Route#2:
Bangalore -> Hosur -> Krishnagiri -> Dharmapuri -> Salem -> Namakkal -> Karur -> Dingidul -> Theni -> Kambam -> Kumily -> Vandiperiyar -> Mundakkayam -> Erumeli -> Pampa (around 700 kms)

This is another best route to reach Sabarimala easily. If Pulimedu treckking is not feasible, you can continue to pampa via Erumeli. Carefully watch Mundakayam and there take a turn to Erumeli, which is a short cut. Usally cab drivers prefers this route and this route will be almost empty.

Route#3:
Bangalore -> Hosur -> Krishnagiri -> Dharmapuri -> Bhavani -> Coimbatore -> Palakkad -> Thrissur -> Kottayam -> Pampady -> Manimala -> Erumeli -> Pampa (around 750 kms)

Those who wants to touch "Bhavani" temple, take a turn after Dharmapuri. Pilgrims can take rest and take bath at Bhavani river, attached with temple. Good place to have food also.

After coimbatore, almost near touching the bypass to go Palakkad, there is a pilgrim camp for Ayyappa devotees escpecially. You have a big hall to take rest (with blankets), toilets for freshup. After freshup, there is a Ayyappan idol to do pooja and plantain leaf food is served hot with sweets. You can park your vehicles safely inside gate with security. And, all these facilities at free of cost. But you can donate some amount to run this camp. You can plan for night stay here.

Route#4:
Bangalore -> Mandya -> Mysore -> Nanjanagundu -> Bandipur -> Gudalor -> Trissur -> Kottayam -> Pampady -> Manimala -> Erumeli -> Pampa. (around 700 kms)


Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa.

(This article is not yet completed. Still I am editing to provide more information)