We were there for only one day and were allowed to go out till the evening to explore the city. In the evening, we were supposed to attend a training session conducted by our travel supervisors. We were put up in a three star hotel near the airport. Yatris (pilgrims) coming from various part of India were there. Our batch of pilgrims consisted of around twenty yatris from Karnataka. A small group had come from Delhi. All of us were set to start our Yatra the next day.

We woke up to a misty morning; the city was drenched in rains the night before. The local guides had told us that they would take us to see Pashupatinath Temple at around 9 a.m. We, three ladies (me, my aunt and my sister-in-law) wished to have a morning walk. We found a joggers pathway just in front of our hotel.

We found group of ladies wearing red and yellow saris walking up and down that path. Some passerby said that the pathway leads to the Pashupatinath Temple and the ladies were dressed up for Naga Panchami celebrations. As we moved back, we were tempted by a roadside tea vendor and we sat on the small cane stools before the vendor. It was she. Her name was Manju. As we were sipping the hot tea served in tiny plastic cups an old woman whose hair was knotted into a bun on top of her head came there, took another stool and perched there. She had worn a brown colored sari and was joined by another woman wearing similar kind of sari. As we greeted they smiled at us. Manju served black tea to them. They were conversing in Nepali Bhasa. In a few minutes, as we were watching, Manju offered a cigarette to the top knotted old woman, and the lady started puffing fumes!

The moment was like a flash of experience for us. I knew about Nepali men and women puffing Ganja (Marijuana). One can recall the song ‘Dum Maro Dum’ from Devanand’s film Hare Rama Hare Krishna! When we asked, the woman told her name, it was Velmayi. Earlier, on our walk, we had met another old woman plucking some tender herbs on the roadside. Whenever I recall this ‘flash of experience’, I feel like visiting Kathmandu once again to spend lengthy hours with these women to hear their stories!  

We took a round of the city in the noon. We visited Pashupatinath Temple. This ancient temple of Shiva is situated on the banks of Bhagmati River. It was crowded with women in bright hues. Saris in red, yellow and green combination, bright red lipstick, vermillion on the forehead, flowers to hair and bead necklaces…gleeful Nepali women in groups were seen everywhere. 

 Some were sitting before priests performing rituals, some were dancing in the temple courtyard, and some were standing in the long queue waiting for their turn to have a darshan of the deity. We were not allowed to take the camera inside the temple premises. So, I missed taking a picture of that ancient structure. 
 After that, we were taken to the well known Bouddhanath Stupa of Nepal. That evening we attended a briefing session about trekking. We were given down jackets; these are provided by the travels people for rent. They took 500 Nepali rupees. Next day, we were supposed to cross the Friendship Bridge at Kodari and reach Nyalam. 

 

Kovalam, being one of the popular destinations in Kerala, is located at about 16 km from the state capital Trivandrum. Kerala Tourism has taken eco-friendly initiatives in Kovalam by launching ‘Beyond Beach’ project. Beyond Beach is an offshoot of the Responsible Tourism in Kerala.

As we all know that Kovalam is best known for beach resorts. It is one of the oldest tourist attractions of India since the time of the British. ‘Beyond Beach’ programme offers a unique kind of experience to the traveller and it is mutually rewarding for both: the traveller and the local people. The intention is to develop community based awareness about the local culture and environment as to benefit both the host and the tourist. 

Vizhinjam Image Courtesy:Arun Jr

No matter whether you are a frequent visitor or a new comer, make sure to ask about this special service that is provided by the local guides. The guides would take you to explore the lesser known interiors of Kovalam and its village surroundings. Have a village life experience in Kovalam.

How to reach:

Trivandrum is the nearest destination to reach Kovalam by road, rail and airways. Hire taxis from Trivandrum to Kovalam.

Where to stay:

Beach resorts overlooking the sea are available.

What to see:

Kovalam is famous for its beaches. Three beaches constitute the 17km long coast line along the Arabian Sea. The Lighthouse beach is the most popular one.

Surfing, Boat ride and motor boat ride services are available on the coast.

Visit Vizhinjam, Poovar, Akkulam, and Agasthyarkoodam Peak if you get time.

Present day Nashik wears an urban set up catering all kinds of modern amenities in terms of accommodation, education, health care and entertainment. The city has already started preparing for the biggest event of 2015 i.e. Maha Kumbhamela. Millions of people visit Nashik at that time; it is not an easy task to manage such a massive crowd. In fact, on the day that we had gone, the city was celebrating the Chhat Puja event. 

 

Chhat is a Hindu festival in reverence of Sun God. It falls on the sixth day of Kartik month (mostly in November after the celebration of Deepawali) according to Hindu calendar. Not all Indians celebrate this Puja; mostly people of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand perform oblations to Sun standing in water.

That day, there was a huge crowd at the banks of Godavari River in Nashik. Devotees who celebrate Chhat had gathered there to perform the ritual. It was already evening when we reached there. The place is called ‘Ramkund’. Pavements and steps are built on either sides of the river. Thousands of devotees coming from nearby places were doing pujas holding the thalis of arati and the entire ambience was filled with enthusiasm.

Before that, we had taken a round of some other tourist sites of the city. People who are familiar with stories of the Ramayana may remember the instances related to Shri Rama’s exile in Panchavati. It was the place where he had stayed along with Sita and Lakshmana. This ancient Panchavati is now located in Nashik.

Visitors can see various places related to Rama’s exile such as Sita’s Cave, the Tapovan, Panchavati, Kalaram Temple and Ram-Sita temple. All the sites have been recreated in accordance with the Ramayana instances for the tourists. These sites are located near Ramkund. One has to walk through the narrow streets skirted by old buildings of the city to visit these sites. This part of the city can give you a glimpse of old Nashik.

We missed visiting one important place in Nashik, I regret. That is the Phalke Memorial which is built in the memory of late Dadasaheb Phalke. Dada Saheb Phalke is known as the Father of Indian Cinema who made the first full length feature film of India named ‘Raja Harishchandra’ in 1913. Nashik was his home town where he breathed his last.

The Phalke Memorial provides clippings from Phalkeji’s life and work. A show comprising movie clippings would be shown in the evenings for the visitors, we missed viewing that. We did not know about the show timings, by the time we decided to go it was over.

Next day morning, we left for Vani. Vani is located at about 75 km from Nashik. It is the abode of Saptashrungi Mata, a powerful deity situated amidst seven hills of the Sahyadri Mountain Range. Nanduri Village is the nearest point to reach the hill temple. The temple is located on a rocky hill. The village that is spread out around the hill temple is known as Vani.

One has to climb up to reach the temple. Thousands of devotees visit every day it seems. The goddess is revered as one among the 51 Shakti Peethas of India. You would walk through rows of shops selling all accessories of the goddess. It was our taxi driver who had insisted us to take a ‘darshan’ of the goddess.

We returned to Aurangabad that evening itself by Jan Shatabdi. Ahhh…How could we forget buying Khishmish (raisins) for home?! Nashik is one of the highest grape growing regions of India.

Kumarakonam shines like a jewel in the crown; it is the pride of backwater tourism in India. Stretched to the eastern side of the Vembanad Lake, Kumarakonam is also known to be an important destination in the emerging Responsible Tourism in India.

Location:

Kumarakonam is a part of Kottayam district in Kerala situated besides the famous Vembanad Lake. The location can be called a cluster of villages nearby the Vembanad Lake. From Kottayam (15km), it is just 15 minutes drive. Kottayam is the nearest railhead and Cochin International Airport is the nearest (95 km) airport. Ferries are available from Allepy and Kochi. 

 The Vembanad Lake in Kerala is the backbone of Backwater Tourism in that state. It is the longest lake in Kerala stretching between Kochi and Allepy. The lake is surrounded by Kotayam, Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts. Cluster of islands formed in the lake have become tourist spots. Six major rivers of Kerala merge into this lake.

Fort Kochi lies on the north western side of the lake where as Kumarakonam is situated to the south eastern side. A salt water barrier has been built across the stream of the lake to avoid salt water flow into the lake. It is called the Thanneermukkom barrier and as a result one side of the hat barrier is a fresh water lake. Kumarakonam is a part of the fresh water lake side.

It is known for:

Kumarakonam has made news recently by bagging the prestigious UN award for Sustainable Tourism. It is a part of Kerala’s Responsible Tourism project.

The destination is known for backwater tourism, houseboats, and fishing. The place is the epitome of serene beauty by housing coconut groves on the either sides of the canals. Kumarakom Boat Race is a major event in the locality.

Tourists like the place because the place provides luxurious resorts and houseboats. Wide ranges of houseboats overlooking the lake are available here.

Visit Kumarakonam Bird sanctuary that is located near the Vembanad Lake. A Victorian Bungalow which is the present day Taj Garden Retreat, which was the home of Baker family is situated near the sanctuary. Back in time it was known as the Baker’s estate.

If you have read Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things, the Aymanam village mentioned in the book resembles Kumarakonam.

Best option would be to stay in a hired houseboat. It is an experience of a unique kind. You would get plenty of other options too. Lake view resorts, Home stays, eco-resorts, Villas, and budget hotels are available. Don’t forget to relish the local delicacies like Appam, Kappa, Karimeen (Pearl Spot fish) and varieties of seafood.

Taj Mahal Image courtesy: Seba Della y Sole Bossio

Almost each Indian family has a Taj mahal in their list to visit and why shouldn’t it be? It is the on the top list of every foreign tourists while their stay in India. The great Taj Mahal, breathtakingly amazing white marbled sculpture which is in one of the seven wonders of World is an impeccable example of symmetrical structure; especially enchanting since it was built five centuries back.

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan dedicated this taj mahal to his third wife Mumtaz Mahal who died while giving birth to his fourteenth offspring. It took 20 years to complete this sculpture and more than 22,000 people to build it. Taj mahal is considered as a “symbol of love”. It is a wonder when we watch this monument carefully that this could be built in 16^th century meaning how developed and skilled architectural concepts existed at that time.

The calligraphy written on the great gate says “o soul though at rest return to the lord at peace with him & he at peace with you”.

It is said that Shah Jahan wanted to build the same building but in black marble on the other side of the river but that couldn’t be fulfilled since he had a war with his sons for the crown of the emperor ship.

Taj mahal is in the Agra district of the state Uttar Pradesh in north India. It is 124km away from the Delhi, the capital city of India. After reaching Delhi one can hire car or go by bus to Agra.

The name taj mahal means the crown palace. It is among the list of the seven most notable places all over the world.

Taj Mahal takes different colours at different times of the day. It is assumes that symbolizes the moods of his queen Mumtaz Mahal. It is pink in the morning time; it looks white in the day time and golden in the moon light.

It was rumoured that many precious stones were hidden in the walls of this monument while the time of construction and they could be seen in the moon light on full moon night but those were snatched and taken out by British during 1857.

It is considered to be a romantic place; may be because of the history it has left behind but when you visit this place with your loved one and feels the beauty of this place during the night you can’t stop falling in love once again with your loved one, yourself and with this beautiful place.