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.

Kerala Tourism has won the prestigious UN award for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism this year (2014). The award was conferred on 22^nd of January, 2014. This is for the first time that an Indian organisation has been conferred with such an honour at the global level. The award is honoured by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

While reading this news clip, I came across a catchy phrase called ‘Responsible Tourism’. It is for the excellent management of this ‘Responsible Tourism’ in Kumarakom the top honour has been given. So, I was curious to know more about Responsible Tourism.

Responsible Tourism is an offshoot of Eco Tourism, which is also known as Sustainable Tourism. This project aims at creating awareness about eco-balance, conservation of local environment, respecting local culture and the project encourages more and more involvement by the local people by supporting the local economy. It is a team work involving both the host ad the guest. The project is making news globally and already a network involving major countries of the world has been formed.

What is the role of India in this project? India, being a multi-cultural nation, is an important member of Responsible Tourism. Kerala has been a major contributor in this regard and the project was initiated in Kerala in the year 2008. Kerala selected Kumarakom region as its field of work and today the destination is regarded as a model for Sustainable Tourism.

Kumarakom project in Kerala has promoted local crafts and culture in the global scenario. Efforts have been made to co-ordinate among the natives by inviting the villagers, travel agencies, academicians, farmer groups, NGOs, local businessmen and leaders to join the network of responsible Tourism. Travel and hospitality sector of this project functions in an environment-friendly way.

In a nutshell, the scope of Tourism has been expanded by making it responsible, socially and economically as to help the local people. Four destinations of Kerala state have been functioning on this project. They are Kumarakom, Kovalam, Thekkady and Waynad in Kerala.

Won’t you be interested to explore the destinations mentioned above?!

Image Credit:Prajna LS

Route:

Lake Manas Sarovar could be approached by more than two routes. It is located in the Tibet Autonomous Region that is generally considered an occupied territory of China. Geographically, the lake is situated on the rugged Tibetan plateau which is a territory of China now.

We had booked 13 days yatra starting from Kathmandu, Nepal. One can reach the lake by road. So, it would not be a problem to reach Lake Manas Sarovar. The lake is connected by a smooth tar road on the Chinese side. It is called the Araniko Highway.

We took flights to Delhi and from Delhi to Kathmandu. Kathmandu is the base destination. The route we took was this: from Kathmandu to Kodari (Border), Kodari to Nyalam, Nyalam to Dongba, Dongba to Manas Sarovar. We stayed in Kodari, Nyalam and Dongba on the way to the lake. We had to cross the border between Nepal and China occupied Tibet (Tibet Autonomous Region) at Kadori which is located at about 115 km from Kathmandu.

Once after reaching Kathmandu the pilgrims will have to travel in a bus provided by the travel agency. Till the Chinese border we traveled in a Nepali travel bus and after crossing the border the Chinese guides arranged our transportation. That means the bus which carried us till the border will go back to Kathmandu and will come again the day when we return from the yatra.

The next step to be achieved after arriving at Manas Sarovar is the three day Kailash Parikraman. This is a tough job to be accomplished on foot about which I will write later.

Preparation:

The destination is located in the Tibetan Plateau which is known for unpredictable climate conditions. On the way to Manas Sarovar and in the three day Kailash Parikrama period be prepared for unexpected rains, sudden variations in temperature and heavy wind. More than that, the location is situated at high altitude. One needs to get acclimatized in those extreme climatic conditions.

The main difficulty is to manage ‘altitude sicknesses. Acute head ache, loss of appetite, nausea and fever may trouble you any time. Do carry a medicine kit along with you.

Do carry enough cloths to keep yourself warm. Dress up in layers. Wear thermals first. Then, wear your normal dress; it could be either salvar or jeans. Over that, wear a winter jacket (either a woolen sweater or a jacket). The outer layer should be a down jacket. Depending on the climate, you would be asked to take off warm cloths if it is hot.

A pair of leather (or woolen) gloves, 6 pair socks, winter cap, muffler, raincoat, torch, dry fruits, flask, a walking stick, sunglass, lotions, sports shoes with good grip are necessary things. You may buy these things in Kathmandu or in Nyalam. Go through a medical check up to assure that you are fit to take up trekking at high altitudes. A medical certificate is a must.

You are required to get a Chinese Visa and for that you need to have a valid passport. If you go through a private travel agency, then, the group Visa will be done by the travels people. Carry Chinese currency as much as you require and remember notes of rupees 500 will not be accepted in Nepal.

Start doing physical exercise (brisk walking or yoga) at least a month prior to the yatra. Take care as not to catch cold during that period that would make you vulnerable to adverse climate. Successful completion of the Yatra solely depends upon your health and will power.

Hear the experience straight from the horse’s mouth! I will start the narrative in the next episode.

[To be continued…]

Gone are those strenuous and lengthy naval expeditions for the exploration of unknown territories. Today we fly over oceans in a few hours! We travel through countries and travel across borders. We travel for recreation, business, and also for an exploration of unknown places. Basically, to travel means to move from one place to another that we all know.

Did you know that the word ‘travel’ was derived from the old French term called ‘travail’? Interestingly, ‘travail’ means ‘to toil hard’ or a ‘laborious task’. In the past, traveling was considered a laborious task due to the hardships one had to go through while traveling from one place to another.

image credit: youtravelbritain.com

The term was largely referred to ‘exploration’ of new places. People traveled on barefoot, in carts and manual carriages. One can imagine the difficulties of passing through thick jungles, wild forests, mountain valleys and desert having no hopes for a ‘safe return’. Today, a traveler stumbles upon countless tea shops and restaurants at every stop to fill his empty stomach. Truly it was a ‘laborious task’ for our ancestors to travel.

Even amidst such hardships some of our brave ancestors took up expeditions and kick started the exploration of unknown territories because of which the world looks so small a place to invent anything new now! One needs no vehicles to travel through these days. Wondering how?

All of us are explorers now on the net. We travel through and across borders in a second. No hardships. We cull information about travel destinations, book vehicles and tickets, reserve accommodation and all that takes no time.

I am not a travel enthusiast, most of my expeditions are of recreational kind, and family oriented trips. Love to sit and sip in a couch at a corner of my sweet home and I do travel through my mind, and try to reach across all depths of my inner world.

So, you guess, the word ‘travel’ travels through barriers of time and place!! Still wonder…what leads one to move from one place another. Why does one ‘travel’?

I am not a travel buff. Most of my expeditions are of recreational kind, and family oriented trips. Love to sit and sip in a couch at a corner of my sweet home and I do travel through my mind, and try to reach across all depths of my inner world!

Kids do not listen. As and when they declare their holiday schedule, it has been mandatory for us to look out for various travel destinations. This year we were at Nashik during Deepawali vacations. The pilgrimage city Nashik is located in Maharashtra on the banks of Godavari River. It is at about 180 km away from my home town Aurangabad; about three and half hours drive in a taxi.

However, we decided to travel by train. We took the morning Jan Shatabdi express from Aurangabad that leaves at 6 ‘O’ clock and reaches Nashik at about 8.45 am. We had already booked rooms to avoid last minute anxiety and had hired a taxi for travelling around the city. We were there for only two days, next evening were back to Aurangabad by the evening train.

Nashik is gearing up for Maha Kumbhamela to be held in 2015. Everywhere in the city, we could hear the buzz about forthcoming Kumbhamela. A 13 km long flyover bridge has been built to control the major traffic. Maha Kumbhamela is a huge congregation of devotees to be held at river banks for a ritual bath. 

People belonging to all sects and traditions (not necessarily Hindus) gather at river banks for a bathing ritual that would be fixed according to Hindu calendar. This congregation takes place once in twelve years or once in six years. Kumbhamelas are held at four places in India: Haridwar, Allahabad, Nashik and Ujjain. It is a kind of ritualistic Yatra in Indian traditions.

Nashik is one of those cities in India that houses a ‘Jyotirlinga’. The ‘Jyotirlinga’ lies inside an ancient temple. There are twelve ‘Jyotirlingas of Shiva’ in India and one among them is located in Trimbakeshwar near Nashik city. This is situated at the foothills of Brahmagiri where Godavari River originates.

As we had already decided, we moved towards Trimbakeshwar directly from the railway station. The temple is located at 40 km distance from Nashik city. If you visit the temple during hot seasons, say for instance during festivals or holidays, you will have to stand in a long queue for the Darshan. Since it was a holiday season, we had to wait for about two and half hours to get the darshan.

It is an ancient temple built by a Peshwa King. Visitors are not allowed to take photos. We were moved by the beautiful stone carvings on the outer portion of the temple. There was huge crowd that day, so people were pushing us for quick ‘darshan’ of the deity. The ‘lingam’ is said to be invisible there. Actually, what we see as lingam is a hollow.

Trimbakeswar is best known for performing ancestral rituals of Hindus. We see people performing various other kinds of rituals also, especially the Naga Bali Puja. We dipped our legs and sprinkled the water on ourselves in ‘Kushavartha’, that is the pond from where Godavari River takes its further course.

It is such a beautiful place that we wished to stay there for some more time. One can visit the place all through the day, so a visit during evenings or in the early mornings would be more pleasant I feel. We returned to Nashik thinking about spending an evening at the temple to enjoy the sunset.

 

Image credit: Prajna L S

Kailash–Manas Sarovar Yatra is one of the toughest spiritual yatras of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist traditions. The author of this write up has been one of those fortunate pilgrims to accomplish the three day Kailash Parikrama successfully. So, in this series of articles, she would be sharing her experience. She would make an attempt to perceive the significance of this particular yatra.

The present series would introduce the destination by providing useful information and tips concerning the yatra. This series of articles is based on the Kailash Yatra 2013.

I begin by introducing the concept called ‘Yatra’ itself. It can roughly be translated as ‘pilgrimage’, but, a ‘Yatra’ for an Indian has wider implications. It is not just visiting the holy places and sites.

In fact, in Indian way of living a particular term called ‘Yatra’ is used for making a journey. Yatra means journey and it also means a particular kind of procession or gathering at some specific places at some specific time. Roughly, you could term it as ‘pilgrimage’ but no rituals are mandatory in Indian pilgrimages. Yatra is a ritual. A metaphor. A spiritual journey.

A yatra can be done by visiting ancient holy cities, birth places of deities, temples, rivers, lakes and mountains. These kinds of Yatras are usually known as ‘Teertha Yatras’ that means the journey to holy locations. It is a kind of ritual to be performed.

Hindus perform rituals at river banks for their ancestors. However, India consists of various other traditions also. So, ‘Yatras’ are done by devotees following other than Hindu traditions. Char Dham Yatra, Kailas Manas Sarovar Yatra, Amarnath Yatra, Shaktipeeth Yatra, Jyotirling Yatra, Kashi-Rameshwar Yatra…India consists of innumerable ‘Yatra’ locations.

Sometimes at river confluences rituals would be held, and devotes throng at the confluences in huge numbers. This kind of gathering at river banks is called ‘Mela’ and a journey to participate in such Melas is also a part of Yatra tradition. Kumbha Mela and Maha Kumbha Melas are two well known ‘Melas’ in India conducted at river banks.

Most of you must have heard of the Jagannath Ratha Yatra at Puri, Orissa. This unique kind of Yatra is held every year by celebrating a ritualistic journey of the deity. This is a celebration by pulling the Temple Chariot on which the deity will be placed. These ritualistic Yatras will be held in many other places of India.

Kailash-Manas Sarovar Yatra is considered the ultimate among all yatras in India. One needs to be fit both mentally and physically to ‘perform’ this yatra. I have deliberately used the word ‘perform’ since I see this yatra as a kind of ‘ritual’ to be performed.

It was by chance I joined the yatra. Usually the Ministry of External Affairs conducts this tour every year. But, this year due to the havoc created by Monsoon rains in the Uttarakhand region the Government had cancelled the yatra. However, we went by a private tourist agency named Nirmala Travels. This travel agency located in Bangalore has tied up with a Nepali travel agency named Shrestha Travels.

In the next post you would know about the route map of Kailash Yatra and about the things to carry for Kailash Manas Sarovar Yatra!

[To be continued…]

 Team Clear Car Rental is very happy to announce that, today, our founder & CEO Mr. Sachin Kate will be addressing the evolving entrepreneurs of North Karnataka at ‘Tie Connect 2014’ in Hubli, Karnataka. Mr. Sachin Kate is one of the keynote speakers.

‘Tie Connect 2014’ is a workshop organised by The Hubli Chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) on 22nd Jan 2014. The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) is a training institution to encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship through networking, mentoring and lecturing. The institution is committed to fostering entrepreneurship.

Training sessions are held at Deshpande Centre of Social Entrepreneurship (DCSE) in Hubli. The intention is to bring noted venture capitalists and successful entrepreneurs from Tier-2 cities on a common platform to share their success stories and thereby, to guide young entrepreneurs.

Our founder and CEO is one of the invitees to speak upon his success story of scaling a business being situated in a Tier 2 city. Hailing from a small city in Maharashtra, Sachin Kate has become a hero for the budding entrepreneurs in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.

There is Lao Tzu saying, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”  As to prove this saying, Sachin Kate has climbed the ladder of success step by step. He has worked as newspaper by, has been an office attendant, and then became a computer instructor. He picked up the travel and hospitality line of business slowly, by indulging himself in website designing and developing. His blog post titled “Aurangabad Calling” inspired many unemployed youngsters of Aurangabad.

Clear Car Rental Pvt Ltd is his dream child. He has been able to scale the company to 250+ cities without raising a single penny of institutional funding. CCR provides local and outstation travel packages for round trip, one way drop and multi city travels.

He has set an example for the younger generation who think that the key to success in business field lies in holding a M.B.A degree from some or the other deemed institution. Our CEO is a self educated man in the field of business.

We congratulate Mr.Sachin Kate and wish a great success to TiE Connect 2014!

 Jaipur is the city in Rajasthan state of India. Jaipur; the pink city of India is the royal place to stay. When we see the city roam around the city we come across many palaces most of which have converted into Luxury hotels, we fall in love with the city itself. The old palaces, heritage hotels, lakes keep holding you back here in this city. One more thing which couldn’t be missed out in Jaipur is shopping market. Jaipur market is a heaven for shopaholics. We can experience shop till you drop tagline here.

Kundan style jewelry found in Jaipur market is world famous. As well as other famous attractions which are the specialty of jaipur are blue pottery, bangles and jewelry with lakh work, tic and dye fabrics, Mojri, latik paintings etc. It is the city for artists and traders.

Jaipur gems and designs have gained the international fame. Cutting, polishing, setting of the stones is done here itself and the work is miraculous.

We can see large number of collection of antiques near Hawa mahal. Market near Hawa mahal is famous for antiques.

The specialty of Jaipur market is we can get variety of stuff in affordable range and with the great quality.

The local market articles are the typical specialty of shopping trip in Jaipur.

Local markets such as Johri Bazar, Bapu Bazar, Nehru Bazar, and Chaura Rasta Bazar are important from local market shopping point of view.

One of the impeccable things found in Jaipur is the Brasso work.

Many high designers have understood the value of Jaipur market and have opened their concept stores here. There are anokhi and hotpink stores which are quiet famous.

Anokhi is a store which is one of the top places to buy handicrafts and clothes in India.

Hot pink is another concept store and its name itself stands by the theme of the store. It is one of the famous theme stores in India.  

So whenever we plan to go to Jaipur don’t forget to full your pockets with extra bucks reserved for shopping here. It is one of the important to do list here in Jaipur.

Delhi, the capital city of India, one of the happening and a major metro city. When we talk about Delhi, images running through our minds are Red Fort, Humayun’s tomb, Delhi gate which is seen in many Bollywood movies, Parliament of India, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Lotus temple and many more ….

Being world’s second most populous city Delhi serves a home for many people situated there for earning their bread and butter.

Many of the people tend to have weekend getaways from Delhi to nearby places which are very famous from tourist point of view too. These places are sure to add on your list when you are planning a trip to Delhi.

Mathura

 

(Image courtesy: indianpiligrimtours.com)

It is one of the important pilgrimage places in India. It is a birthplace of Lord Krishna. The holy city where you can plan a trip with you family and have a peaceful time. It is 145km away from Delhi. We get to see many temples here Dwarkashish temple, Iskon temple and also the museum like Mathura museum. We can reach there by bus or book cab from Delhi.

Agra

Taj Mahal, Agra Image courtesy:Dennis Jarvis

Lansdowne

When you work really hard all the week generally nobody is in the mood to go to the heritage place; what you seek at that time of weekends is a relaxing outstation where you can go and a have a peaceful time with your loved ones. And hence Lansdowne tops the list here. It is a town in Puri Garwal in Uttaranchal. The cantonment town with zealous scenic beauty is 17000 ft. from the sea level. Adventure activities like trekking, boating, paddling and also bird watching attract the tourists over here. Lansdowne is 250 km from Delhi and once can reach there by bus but for convenience it is really advisable that one should either go by own private car or the best suited option is hire car.

Jim Corbett National park

Jim Corbett National park Image courtesy:netlancer2006

When you are already in Delhi or nearby Delhi this is a place one should at least visit once. Jim Corbett being India’s first National park established in 1936 it is the world’s largest tiger reserve. This striped wild beauty blows your mind with its elegance and ferocity in looks at the same time. Jim Corbett is 295 km away from Delhi. A weekend trip or a small tour of 3-4 days is really good to go here from Delhi. These days tourism has realized the importance of this site and has been developed accordingly vastly with beautiful, luxurious resorts like Corbett getaway spa and resort.