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Skywatch~~~Until I reached Mandu I did not know who Hoshang Shah was. Travel does introduce us to, inter alia, interesting historical figures that we would not have otherwise bothered to find out about, isn’t it? At the first glance of Hoshang Shah’s Mausoleum in Mandu, the initial thought .. read full article »

The high range paradise of Munnar with its panoramic scenic vistas, spectacular sunrises and sunsets near lakesides and wildlife sanctuaries is one of the refreshingly beautiful place in Kerala. Munnar is a little town that loves to add to its “virgin” mystery an enigmatic touch. .. read full article »

20th-21st May About Kedarnath:Kedarnath is an important pilgrimage center for Shiviates and is also the remotest of char dhams. Situated at an altitude of about 11,500ft, Kedarnath is highest of char dhams. The journey to Kedarnath requires a trek of 14 km from Gaurikund which can either be .. read full article »

Madhya Pradesh the center of India is a state with large area under forest cover. It is hence referred as a tiger state with highest tiger population in India. But not withstanding forests it is an ancient hub of civilization with interesting and colorful history. Substantial revenue is .. read full article »

21 August 2010Its seems that this Giraffe is putting all its skill to get these leaves!! Process of growing longer!!!!Photo taken in Mysore zoo yesterday!! read full article »

Unlike many developed countries, Indian Railway is the primary source of  travel and transportation in India. This is the preferred mode of traveling by the less privileged, the lower, middle as well as the upper class in India. (Pun unintentional!)    Due to perpetual rush, rail reservation .. read full article »

Strolling through Mandu, I find another group of monuments comprising of the Jami Masjid, the Tomb of Mahmud Khilji and Ashrafi Mahal and the Hoshang Shah’s Mausoleum.The mosque in red sandstone that greets me in the center of the village of Mandu, on a huge raised plinth with rows of tiny .. read full article »

19th May 2010The very mention of Tehri dam brings one person in my mind, Sundar Lal Bahuguna. His satyagrahas, hunger strikes and the struggles for more than two decades went in vain when the Government succeeded in building massive dam at Tehri across Bhagirathi River. Our journey from from .. read full article »

It is a starlit sky. The dancers, musicians, the other artists and entertainers are dressed in their finest best. Lanterns are lit and decorated all over the palace grounds. Music fills up the open halls of the Jahaz Mahal. Sultan Ghiyathuddin Khilji and his trusted men wait for the arrival .. read full article »

18 May 2010As the name says, Gangothri is the origin of River Ganga. A Temple dedicated to Ganga is built there. But the “real” origin of the river is at Gangothri glaciers at Gomukh, 18 km from Gangothri. While the vehicles go till Gangothri, one needs to trek to visit Gomukh.Gangothri is .. read full article »

View a variety of skies around the world at Skywatch here.~~~The Hindola Mahal is styled as the 'Swinging Palace' for its unique architecture with its sidewalls sloping majestically as if swinging.This Palace is presumed to be constructed by Sultan Ghiyathuddin Khilji (AD 1469-1500) mainly to .. read full article »

Mukteshwar is a small town and beautiful tourist place in Nainital district of Uttarakhand. In the Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand, it is situated at the height of 2286 meters (7500 feet) from the sea level. Mukteshwar gets its name from a 350 yrs old temple of Lord Shiva, which is known .. read full article »

A magical morning in Coorg, taken during my visit in Apr 2010. After a rainy night. the mountains were covered with the mist and gradually dissolved as the sun rose. Click here for higher resolution image. Related posts:Zero Point at Binsar read full article »

“There is fragrance in the air” I said, as I tried to recall memories of the familiar scent in the air. It reminded me of my childhood. “Yes,” concurs my travel companion, walking along with me in that remote part of Mandu, Madhya Pradesh.Mandu is a fort on top of a plateau in the .. read full article »

Though more popular for tiger safaris, Madhya Pradesh  is an emerging center for religious tourism in Central India. Diverse religious facets have left their impact on the state. Ancient Hindu Temples, Mosques, Jain Derasar, Churches, Buddhist Stupas, sacred rivers and ashrams are spread all .. read full article »

View a variety of skies at Skywatch.No sizzling summer, no dry spells, no office timings to adhere to, no schedules, no deadlines to meet, no traffic on the road, no hustle and bustle of city life...at least not for a while! That's what I felt when I took a flight to go on a short holiday.After .. read full article »

Madhya Pradesh or Central India is one of the finest tourism destination in India. Ensconced in the center of the country and land locked the large state has impressive forest cover. Known as tiger state of India, the state has much more to offer than tiger safaris.  Green, beautiful and .. read full article »

Sometimes you travel to places which were never in your radar. One such place for me is Udupi. This small coastal town on the Western Ghats in South Karnataka is known to most of us for the famous Udupi Restaurants and cuisines. Udupi is equally famous in that part of the world for its temples, .. read full article »

India is a country full of various culture and traditions. Its colorful culture and beauty are one of the main reasons why each year people from all over the world consider India as one of the most popular tourist destination. Among the numerous tourist destination in India, Darjeeling is one .. read full article »

17th May 2010This day was expected to be a relaxed one as we just needed to travel from Barkot to UttarKashi. It could be covered in 6 hours.The journey from Barkot was pleasant. The smooth road passing through the pine forests, houses seen on hills and deep valleys. The path was never straight .. read full article »

Having joined a new office with a new job I was, at first, hesitating to apply for leave. But, not being used to spending time here in the summer when the temperatures soar over 50 deg C when I generally dream of making trips to the Himalayas, and because the vagabond spirit in me got .. read full article »

Venna LakeMahabaleshwarMaharashtraIndiaView a variety of skies at:SkyWatch read full article »

View a variety of skies around the world at Sky Watch.Bhopal is very much in the news these days. What happened 26 years back was tragic and the tragedy continues!I went through my archives and found quite a few photographs of Bhopal. The Bhopal Lake is popularly called by the locals as Bada .. read full article »

16th May 2010PrologueThis was an experience that I can never forget but at the same time I would not like to go through the same again!! Warning: This is a long post!!!!About YamunothriAs the same suggests, Yamunothri is the place of origin of Yamuna River. It is about 10,400ft above sea level. .. read full article »

Lake Windermere, Lake District, UK. Captured during a whirlwind long drive of 1200 miles in four and half days to Scotland and Lake district (Easter weekend, 2009). Click here for higher resolution image. Related posts:Good Bye, England Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle read full article »

In confines of true tropical greenery resides a state  -  Kerala one of the most popular holiday destination in India. The state possess proudly, lush greenery of dense tropical forests, azure blue of large stretch of backwater network and refreshing serene beaches on its impressive coast .. read full article »

One evening I set out on a stroll by the sea shore...The beach was peaceful...I found a bottle but there was no message inside...Then for a while thought that I trapped the descending sun inside the bulb...Until the soft colors of the setting captivated me...And I played with the silver waves .. read full article »

My first visit to Irpu Falls was in October 2007, during a two-day bike ride in Coorg. I was there again this April. There were quite considerable changes between these two visits – prominent being the amount of water. My first visit was just after the monsoon & the latest being in the middle .. read full article »

15th May 2010 The first place that we were going to see in our trip was the religious town of Hrishikesh. Having started from Delhi at 10PM, we were supposed to reach Hrishikesh by five in the morning. The distance was about 230km. But due to massive traffic jams on the highway, we were delayed .. read full article »

Watch many other skies at Skywatch Friday.In Egypt, under Ptolemy II, a road was built linking Marsa Alam and Edfu and is still in use. Tourists wishing to travel on this route used to do that in convoys until the recent past, and probably still do. Taxis needs to take prior permission from the .. read full article »

Auli is the best city opted for skiing by the people of the state of Uttarakhand where it is situated. The city of Auli rests in the lap of snow that is spread all around the peaks of the Himalayan Mountain that is located throughout the city. Auli is situated in the chamoli district that is .. read full article »

Haridwar is also pronounced as Hardwar by many Hindu pilgrims who consider Hardwar to be the holiest place among all others. It is a city located near the borders of Uttarakhand. Hardwar is a very spiritual place and the presence of the river Ganges has made its recognition more intense and .. read full article »

Last one month has been busy in deciding my new car. Buying a car is a hard decision. As I had now bought my new car, an Indica Vista Aura ABS QJ, I would like to share of experiences of trying out 3 cars before deciding to buy this car.I was looking for a hatchback big enough car where 3 people .. read full article »

This is the first time in quite a few years in summer that I am not able to make a journey to the Himalayan mountains. As I went through some old pictures in my albums, I had fond memories of some previous trips, and am posting these two pictures for this week's Skywatch.Mountains of Mana based .. read full article »

14th - 25th May 2010The term “Char dham” refers to the four most important Temples in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. Located in the Himalayan region are the pilgrim places of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.Though my Mother had seen most of the pilgrim towns in North India, the .. read full article »

How long does it take for plastic to decompose?I guess no one knows for sure, but it is presumed that plastic does not begin to decompose in a landfill for at least 1,000 years and in certain types like styrofoam, it is estimated that the decomposition process can last up to a million .. read full article »

Go view many more sky pictures at Skywatch Friday at this link.Passing through a village in Maharashtra...Villagers leading an animal...While another is busy digging into the soil...And the mayflowers are in bloom...MayflowersBotanical name: Delonix regia read full article »

Meenmutty falls, Wayanad, Kerala. Captured during weekend cycling ride in Wayanad, organised by Cycling and More. Click here for higher resolution image. Related posts:Wayanad Beckons Digest: Trip to Wayanad – 2006 A wonderland called Wayanad read full article »

1st and 2nd May 2010The road after Bellenne took me by surprise. As no soul was seen on that narrow and curvy concrete road, I realized that I had never traveled on that road in spite of the area being so close to my native place. We may have missed the destination but thanks to Harish who was .. read full article »

From Ruskin Bond's Mussoorie Diary in Outlook India magazine dated 17 May 2010:"I first saw Mussoorie in 1940, when I was six years old,” I told Gautam, who is twelve. “I didn’t know you were so ancient,” said Gautam. “A bit of history,” said his sister Shristi, all of fourteen. .. read full article »

With tremendous growth in the country's economy there has come about a change in travel concept and how we celebrate. India is on upward swing with the fastest growing middle class and the jet set. The travel concepts are fast changing and evolving as per the current scenario.     Luxury .. read full article »

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Pithoragarh is a small town in Uttarakhand state; it is also a district of Uttaranchal in Kumaon region. Pithoragarh situated at the height of 1851 meters in a valley. The place is also known as “Little Kashmir” of Uttarakhand. Pithoragarh is idyllic city and perfect destination for .. read full article »

Pithoragarh is a small town in Uttarakhand state; it is also a district of Uttaranchal in Kumaon region. Pithoragarh situated at the height of 1851 meters in a valley. The place is also known as “Little Kashmir” of Uttarakhand. Pithoragarh is idyllic city and perfect destination for .. read full article »

Kerala can be a dream destination for any one. It is really difficult to make up your mind to go all the way 3000+ KMs for excursion when you have Himachal and Uttaranchal in your neighborhood. After much thinking and %#*&@$)!&% I finally finalized my program for Kerala, God’s Own Country. I .. read full article »

24th April 2010Popularly known as TG Halli dam, this reservoir was constructed across Arkavathi River in 1933 by Sir M. Visvesvaraya. This is a major source of drinking water for Bengaluru. Due to receding water level, the submerged Sangameshwara Temple was visible this year. Always interested .. read full article »

11th April 2010This is a place not to be missed by any bird lover visiting Singapore. I may have reservations keeping the animals (or birds) in cage but this is one place where people can see various species of birds all around the world. It is the largest bird park in the world in terms of .. read full article »

Kokkare Bellur – I visited the place again, third time. Last to visits were in the months of January and April. This time it was mid of March. There were plenty of Painted Storks and Pelicans. Busy with their nesting for the season, listening to the whirring sound of their wings was a nice .. read full article »

Unlike other tourist destinations like Kerala, Rajasthan Eastern and Northern India and Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat is not very popular. The major places of attraction are Gir National Park famous for Lion Safaris, Dwarka, Girnar near Junagadh, Somnath Temple and Rann of Kutch.  While Dwarka, .. read full article »

Staying at Delhi, I have seen the importance of the to Mata Vaishno Devi (lovingly called as Mata Rani) shrine located near Katra in Jammu. Popularized by late Gulashan Kumar of T-Series fame, the chants of जय माता दी (Jai Mata Di - which also is part of T-Series logo) is as .. read full article »