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Somnath - Veraval - Saurashtra - Gujarat  The sea in the background adds to the charismatic grace and grandeur of the towering structure. No wonder since centuries the temple has been a cynosure of millions of eyes. The 9th century temple is Lord Shiva's domain and that what matters. The .. read full article »

Came across these pear blossoms while on a road journey from Nainital to Bhimtal. Spring is a beautiful season, isn't it?View skies around the world at SkyWatchFriday. read full article »

9th January 2010The first trip of this year was to the fort town of Chitradurga. Even though it is 200 km from Bengaluru, it can be easily done in a day thanks to the good roads. It was a family trip with my wife, mother and daughter.The journey started early in the morning and at 10AM we were .. read full article »

Jabalpur Situated in center of India in Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur is a scenic town ideal for sightseeing and picnics. The city sits in a cradle of forested mountains. The forested hill slopes, large reservoirs, water bodies and rivers make the place highly enchanting. The places of interest .. read full article »

Paithalmala is an enchanting hill station in North Kerala in the Western Ghats near Kerala-Karnataka border. Standing as tall as about 4,500 feet above sea level, the summit is located about 65 kms north-east of Kannur city and 35 kms east of Thaliparamba. North of Paithalmala is the Kudaku .. read full article »

Ezhimala, the capital of the ancient Mooshika kings, is considered to be an ancient historical site. It is a onspicuous,isolated cluster of hills, forming a promontory, 38 kms. north of Kannur. A flouriIshing sea port and centre of trade in ancient Kerala, it was one of the major battle fields .. read full article »

Kappil Beach For those who prefer Thoreau to Harold Robbins, the secluded and relatively unexplored Kappil Beach should prove idyllic. This sun-drenched beach is a perfect getaway after a hectic tour of the nearby Bekal Fort, some six kms away. Adventurous souls can even ascend the nearby Kodi .. read full article »

Ananthapuram Lake Temple is the only lake temple in Kerala, which is regarded as the moolasthanam (original abode) of Anandapadmanabha, the deity of Sri Padmanabha Swami temple, Thiruvananthapuram. It is located at Ananthapuram,, 30km from Bekal in Kasargod District. The deity Shri Padmanabha is .. read full article »

MADHUR 8 KMs north east of Kasargod. Famous Srimad Anantheswara Vinayaka temple is situated here. The rich architecture, imposing structure of the temple, with its turrests and gables and the copper plate roofing rises majestically against the beautiful land scape of hills paddy fields and .. read full article »

Valiyaparamba is a picturesque backwater draw out situated in the district of Kasargod of Kerala. Circulated by 4 rivers flecked by quit number of small islands, Valiyaparamba is incredibly growing as an excellent backwater resort which grants captivating boat cruises. Valiyaparamba, a piece of .. read full article »

RanipuramLocated on the highest peak in Kasargod, at a distance of 85 kms (46 & 54 kms from Kanhangad and Bekal) and sharing the border with Karnataka, Ranipuram is a beautiful mountain terrain covered with evergreen shola woods, monsoon forests and grasslands. Perched at an altitude of 750m .. read full article »

Last week, MSN Green had listed some of the top eco-destinations in India and God’s own country - Kerala - was in the list for its famous backwaters and one of the richest biodiversity in the world. Here’s some more good news for the state. National Geographic has rated the Kerala backwaters .. read full article »

Considered the largest as well as the best-preserved fort in Kerala, the Bekal Fort as a majestic structure lies 130 ft above the sea level. Endowed with a rich and long history, the Bekal Fort still is one of the most imposing structures of Kerala, and attracts tourists, historians and nature .. read full article »

Places of importance There are various places of touristic, ecological, religious, and historic importance in the district. Thirunelli Temple is a very old temple on the foothills of Brahmagiri. Edakkal Caves, 32 km from Kalpetta near Ambalavayal, is famous for its pre-historic carvings and .. read full article »

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January 2010. It was my second trip to Ooty in Tamilnadu. For hill station standards, Ooty was sadly getting more and more crowded over time.I took a bus to Coonoor expecting the place to be peaceful and quiet, but the town was not to be so. However a few miles out of town, it was beautiful! .. read full article »

I was there last night. The atmosphere in the Maj. Dhyan Chand National Stadium hosting the FIH Hockey World Cup was electrifying. The stands were almost full. The sound was deafening. The Astroturf was gleaming in the floodlight. Amidst this the team India lost their way. Once the Aussies were .. read full article »

Click here for higher resolution image. Background photo: Sandown beach, Isle of Wight. No related posts. read full article »

20-21st February 2010I was in Bandipur with my family last weekend. The exciting part of the trip was the sighting of a Tiger. It was resting on the edges of a pool. The best part was that we could watch the Tiger for more than 20 minutes in peaceful conditions. More jeeps started trickling in .. read full article »

Chakrata, the previous name was Jaunsar Bawar is situated at the elevation of 5500-6500 feet from the sea level in Dehradun district, the capital of Uttarakhand state. Chakrata is 92 km away from Dehradun and 73 km from Mussoorie in the Garhwal region of state between the Yamuna and Tons River. .. read full article »

Bylakuppe in Karnataka has a number of monasteries, nunneries and temples in all the major Tibetan Buddhist traditions. It is a settlement that was established on land leased by the Karnataka state government to accommodate some of the Tibetan refugees who came to India after 1959.My skywatch .. read full article »

I visited Manchanabele/Manchinabele first way back in Nov 2006. With a day to spare today, I thought of visiting the place again. It was all good till few kilometers before the the water reservoir. Then the road repair work made me take diversions. After 2-3 diversions, I was lost! To add to .. read full article »

Unveiled Originally uploaded by KaushikMunish The second photography exhibition by my fraternity at Munish Khanna Academy is being put up from 4th to 8th March 2010 - (10am-8pm) at the Convention Centre Foyer, India Habitat centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi. This photo feast is aimed at treating you .. read full article »

6th February 2010 Hong Kong as a city consists of three main logical area.· Lantau Island – the least populated of all areas has the airport and some tourist places like Big Buddha and Disneyland.· Kowloon – The peninsula area physically connected to mainland China.· Hong Kong Island – .. read full article »

chocolates and rosesirrational behaviourpheromonesand attractiondopamine effectromance to followadrenalinand serotoninlost in thoughtsbrain patternsconnectingthe person acrosseye gazing, huggingchemicals abodeoxytocin and vasopressinhuman bondinghormones at workexcessive energylosing .. read full article »

My Nokia N72 had gone bust in about a year and half. I continued with it till it died about a couple of months ago. Around this time I had landed in the Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh, Delhi. There is a big mobile bazaar there. I was at a loss as to how to buy a mobile there on my first visit. The .. read full article »

During a stroll one evening as the sun was getting ready to set, I reach this place of justice...A local woman with her traditional garb poses before it...A bunch of school kids and a lone bird flying high up...A little further away another gate is open...Men in khakhi stroll under blossom .. read full article »

Khajuraho played a significant role in Indian history. It was called Vatsa in ancient time, Jijakbhukti in medieval times and Bundelkhand from the 14th century.The Chandela kings who rose to power in the early 10th century made Khajuraho their capital and decorated their palace areas with .. read full article »

Getting geared up for my second trip to Corbett next weekend. My first trip was in 2008 when I had availed a KMVN package from Delhi. This time it will be a drive in trip. Last time we had stayed at the Dhikala FRH complex. This time we be staying at the Gairal Forest Rest House.  Gairal FRH .. read full article »

6th February 2010Big Buddha (also called as Tian Tan Buddha) is one of the major tourist attractions in Hong Kong. Even though it is situated in Hong Kong it is completely away from the “concrete jungle”. Big Buddha is in Ngong Ping village Lantau Island (one of the island in Hong Kong). The .. read full article »

Dubare Elephant Camp, CoorgPhotographed on 3 January 2010No, Mr. Crocodile, thank you. Certainly not, unless I am pushed off the edge by someone into the River Cauvery. Even then, I shall quickly learn to swim and reach the banks of the River before you decide to play with me your favourite .. read full article »

The first international sports events for 2010 in Delhi is knocking at the door. The Hockey World Cup 2010 Tickets are now up for sale. Event strats on 28th Feb and ends on 13th March, 2010. India has no chances, but I will be there as a sports fan to cheer the team. Tickets can be purchased .. read full article »

Technorati Tags: Kashmir,PahalgamPahalgam was an optional choice in our original itinerary. However as we could not go to Sonamarg due to excessive snowfall, we decided to head for Pahalgam. Our plan was to spend some time there and then head for Patni top for the night stay.Travelling from .. read full article »

I feel bad that I had not find much time to attend my blog. I had travelled more than I posted. But I plan to finish off my travel stories of last year. So following posts are coming:1) Pahalgam (the last and concluding part of Kashmir trip)2) Mysore - Infosys campus3) Surathkal and Udupi .. read full article »

Click here for higher resolution image. Background photo: Silhouetted Avani betta, near Kolar. Related posts:A Visit to Avani Betta read full article »

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"January 13, 2010: The officials at Jim Corbett National Park have spotted a tiger dead, the fourth since December last year.January 27, 2010. Another Tiger Found Dead in Corbett National Park in India."It is sad news again with the announcement today of the death of the fifth tiger within a .. read full article »

After a lot of delays, here it is, a new set of wheels in the garage. I’ve all the reasons to be not guilty of contributing more to the pollution as the new vehicle is a Merida MTA 510A. Specifications: Speeds:  27 Size:  17″ Color:  Red Frame:  Advance Alloy Frame With Discbrake .. read full article »

From my visit to the place in Feb 2008. No related posts. read full article »

At last, the elevated highway connecting silk board junction to Electronic city was opened last Friday giving a sigh of relief for the daily commuters to E-city. Few years ago, it was a nightmare to travel on that road. There were many cartoons that were circulating those days. Few of them are .. read full article »

It was a scenic 6-7 km trek one early morning to Landour from the hotel I stayed in Mussoorie. Leisurely climbing most of the way to a height of more than 1,500 it took almost 4 hours to reach Landour around noon. Landour is a small cantonment adjoining Mussoorie.The journey was rich with .. read full article »

Hello friends. My best wishes for a happy new year.The year 2009 has been a good one for me. That applies also to my travels. Here’s a summary:1. Feb 2009: Egypt, the Land of Ancient WondersCairo, Giza, Dashour, Memphis, Alexandria, Aswan, Agilika, Abu-Simbel, Karnata, Luxor, and to the .. read full article »

26th December 2009When Nelliampathy trip was planned, Palakkad was also included in the itinerary. The two reasons were:· To get a break from the long journey from Nelliampathy to Bengaluru.· Palakkad fort and Malampuzha gardens.Palakkad is located in the area called as “Palakkad gap”. The .. read full article »

Indian monumentsAbout travel to India and travel resource and useful links for traveling in Indian states and places. read full article »

24th to 26th December 2009I was planning for a family vacation in some hill station. It was then I realized that I have run out of options in South India!! There were many places but not really ideal for a family outing. The “not so commercialized” hill station of Nellaimpathy in Kerala got .. read full article »

This is a strange phenomenon that I observed during a safari in Bandhavgarh. A stag was eating (or chewing) an antler. A behavior that is not expected from a herbivorous animal like spotted deer.Some reasons that can be thought and my responseWas it hungry? Does not look like as monsoon was just .. read full article »

Impressed by Narendar’s Modi initiative, Amitabh Bachchan, the legendary bollywood actor offered to become State Tourism Brand Ambassador. Mr Bachchan expressed his views in his blog that says “Modi talks of raising the level of awareness for his state through tourism and I volunteer to .. read full article »