An Expedition

Everyone everywhere has heard about Hampi – the UNESCO World Heritage Site. But very less people know that there is one little town, as beautiful as Hampi itself which stands to tell its story. Often overshadowed by the fame of Hampi, this little town stand sin a corner like a child who stands in the corner waiting to be noticed. Located near the river Tungbhadra, it is the best place set up a camp with a history which is 5000 years older than the Hampis. It is said the Vijayanagar Kingdom was one of the richest empires in the world, even greater than the Roman Empire. And the ruins of Hampi are the foreloker of the same. But still a little far away from Hampi, in fact just 15 kms away stand the ruins of Anegundi. As elegant as Hampi, the architecture of Anegundi at places often surpasses the Hampis. A days trip will ensure that you get your fill of the Queens Bath, the Elephant Stable, the Virupaksha Temple and the musical pillars. There is also the Vittal Pillar. But what i...

Kaliash Mansarovar Tour After so much of description of the Mansarovar Kailash Yatra, a tour of the place is a must. Go on these lines and you will find the shortest route to Kailash Mansarovar. Here is the shortest route you will find in this itenary : Kathmandu – Mansarovar – Kailash – Kathmandu Day 1 : Arrive at Kathmandu. Here stay overnight in a pre booked hotel. Day 2 : See the beautiful land of Kathmandu. But don't walk much as there is a lot you have to cover in the coming days. Day 3 : Fly to Nepalganj by a charter plane or a normal plane. You can also cover this distance on the back of a mule, but it will take days to reach the place. Day 4 : Next morning after a heavy breakfast and packed lunch, take the route to Hilsa ( Nepal – Tibet Border). Cross the Friendship Bridge by foot and then walk a steep 700m uphill to the Chinese Check post called Shrey. ( Notice that photography at Shrey is strictly prohibited). After completing formalities, take an ...

Mt. Kailash, the adobe of Lord Shiva has a number of aspects which engrosses each traveler of his. Different people cover this tough terrain for reasons of their own. Some go for it as its one of the major four pilgrims of Hindus, some take it as a adventure trip and some just for the sake of it. Whatever the reason, but one thing is common – the guts which it takes to reach these heights. Think of it – the Shrey Border it at an altitue of 3725M, with temerature around 27 Deg Celsius at 11: 00 clock in the morning. Talakot at a height of 12600 ft and Mansarovar at an altitude of 4485M with the morning temperature of 13 Deg Celsius. The Base Camp of Mt. Kailash is at an Altitude of 4540M and the Dolma La Pass is at 5430M. These figures might not seem to be much but for the trekkers or the monks who cover this by foot, its a huge thing. Think again, these altitudes become much more tougher with the changing weather/ climate conditions. U never know when things change here, with the mearg...

Lying in the state of Mussoorie at a distance of 270 kms from New Delhi and at a height of 6578 ft, spread on a ridge of 34 kms, its a Hill Station which still reminds of the Britishers who used to live here. With the air still pure and invigorating, the place is next to heaven. The beauty of the mountain surpasses anything else. Its more than ones imagination can take you to. Once called the Queen of Hill Stations, the Hill Station still holds the beauty of Sal, Oak and Pine trees. More of the natural beauty can be seen in the Bhatia Village , about halfway up the ramp. One can see the panoramic view from here. Apart from the Mussoories natural beauty, what attracts its people is the Promenade or the Mall. Extending to a tremendous length, its lessens in is width. With thousands of souvenirs lined up and hundreds of eateries, it has the major clan of crow moving in the evening. Local people, tourists, common folk take a walk in the clouds as they do shopping here. Extending ...

Located in the Great Himalayan Divide, lies the trekking Valley of India called Zanskar. Literally meaning Land of White Copper, it has for decades exerted the allure of Shangri La. The nucleus of the region is a Y shaped glacial valley drained by three main rivers – Stod, Tsarap and Zanskar. Here, even the lowest passes remain closed for seven to eight months in a year with the mid winter temperatures dipping to a bone numbing minus 40 Deg C. Most of the people come to Zanskar either for trekking or for river rafting. Numerous trails wind their way towards north from Padium to Central Ladakh, west to Kishtwar and South to neighbouring Lahaul. The river flows down from Zanskar Valley to Lahaul and Spiti or the either way round. If you are travelling here, then you will be disappointed looking for a comfortable place. It is always better to go through a trekking tourist agent, so that all the accommodation can be taken care of by them. Near to the Zanskar ...

South of Kolkata, the Hooghly fringes one of the worlds largest estuarine deltas, the Sunderbans. Sunderbans mean beautiful forests. These forests are beautiful indeed. The 10,000 square kilometer expanse of marsh land, mangrove swamp and islets formed by silt swept down from the Himalayas. Its remote nature has been so designed as to make place for reserving the regions abundant wildlife which include saltwater crocodiles, gangetic dolphins, otters and the worlds largest population of tigers. This beautiful forest lies in the Ganges Delta, stretching east from the mouth of Hooghly to Bangladesh. The Sunderbans are home to legendary Royal Bengal Tiger, a ferocious man eater. This man eater has adaptive well to this watery environment, and swims from one island to another covering at least 40 kms per day. Other wildlife which love this place are sea turtles, wild boar, spotted deer, olive ridley, sharks. Mingling with these purely wild animals is a population of half a million hu...

Karnataka, the land of one of the most Kings of India – Tipu Sultan, is a land filled with stories of bravery and heroic deeds. Valour and grandeur are the twin roses of the land. Here in this beautiful land lie the beautiful temples of Halebid. Also known as the Holyasar Temples, these are one of the most beautiful temples in entire Karnataka. Halebid was once the Capital of Hoysala Dynasty located 32 kms northwest of Hassan. Once known as Dora Samudra, it was renamed as Hale – bidu or the dead city when Delhi Sultanate forces of Ala-ud-din-khalji swept through and reduced it to rubble. Despite this, the two main temples of the city – Hoysaleshvara and Kedareshvara are in superb in form, art, design and architecture. It is for these temples that the beautiful city of Halebid is still known. It is not known which dieties were originally worshipped, though the double shrine inside the temple are supposed to be devoted to Lord Shiva. Both the shrines contain shivlin...

Leh is tough, often causing altitude sickness to many, but the route to Leh is warm and welcoming. The surrounding calmness makes for a perfect stay and the rustiness in the air calls for a great day ahead. Taking a taxi from Leh Airport will set you on the Srinagar Highway. Karzoo, Suku and Fort Road are the main residential places of Leh. Only two banks take care of the Currency Exchange – the State Bank of India and J&k Bank. Sometimes the HDFC Bank too takes it in its hands. The old town of Leh has the Chamba Temple. Not easy to reach, taking the help of a local seems to be a better idea. Among the most visible expressions of Buddhism in Ladakh are the chess pawn – shaped chortens or stupas at the entrance of the Monasteries. Made of mud and stone or of concrete, most of the chortens are made as an act of piety by the nobles of Leh. These chortens are supposed to the imbibed with mystical powers. The largest one can be found in Shey – The place of old Palaces of Leh. So...

Home to Dalai Lama and Tibetan Government in exile and the starting point of some of the exhilarating treks into the Himalayas, McLeod Ganj is the upper town of Dharamshala. Spread across the wooden ridges beneath the Dauladher Range, the town is divided into two distinct sections. Originally a British Hill Station, McLeod Ganj has been converted into a Tibetan Home by the influx of Tibetan Refugees who left China fleeing the Chinese Oppression. McLeod Ganj is a place which attracts a lot of homeland people as well as foreigners. Its a preferred place for Hollywood Actors with a number of them already visited the place. Despite low temperatures between December and March, it attracts a lot of people throughout the year. Seeing the low temperatures, you will require loads of very warm clothes. Dalai Lama Settled temporarily in Mc Leod Ganj in 1960, four decades later he is still here. Because of his presence the place has become prestigious. His house is one the south edge...

Either it is contemporary or its is esthic – in whatever way you can accept it, the sculptures of Khajuraho has always been a question for the mankind. A superb example of the Indo Aryan Architecture, the embellished carvings on the walls of the temples has made them famous. The liberty given in the idols of the not – so liberal Indian society has always been a source of curiosity. Two elements have been highlighted in the temples – women and sex. But why so, Why there are no idols of the gods worshiped in these Temples except Lord Shiva. (There is a separate Temple for Lord Shiva in Khajuraho Temples). Some say these sensuous posturing idols are in fact Tantric Images (Black Magic), pertaining to the fact that they are not limited to Khajuraho. As per this Cult, gratification of the basic instincts is one way to transcend the evils of the world and thus achieve Enlightenment. Bhoga (Physical enjoyment) and Yoga (Spiritual enjoyment) – both are seen as equally valid in the Quest fo...

Constructed in the 3rd Centuries, it still has the Charms of a New City. I have seen a number of movies ( as per my say) on the nomadic Arabs, but as i stood in front of this one - its was as if standing in front of a gold mine - which shone more in the bright sun light. As i put my foot ahead in the only entrance of the City of Petra, i could sense what next i am going to see will be mindblowing. The siq - a long narrow gorge took me to the lands of Petra City. The huge city has many facets in its intact forms like the Al Khanez - the treasury. This treasury is fully bathed in the sun light in the morning hours. Glowing like gold in the morning; it turns into a pink shadow in the evening. Large shells indicate sort of lockers where wealth used to be put up. Next to it is the road which takes you to the Old Market. The huge lanes on the both sides, indicate a large no of shops and shopkeepers in it. My imagination suddenly runs what might have been the Market of City of P...

When I last visited the lands of Wayanad - see my last collective, i was naive of the Caves of Wayanad. These caves discovered by Fred Fawcett, the then Superintend of police of Malabar, discovered the caves. On a Hunting Trip to Wayanad in 1890, ha found a Neolithic Stone Axe in a Coffee Estate. This led him to the Rock Shelter 1,001 ft up the Hill. With the Neolithic Paintings and Carvings on the walls, these caves became the Center of Attraction. Today, these have been converted into a beautiful restaurant. You can take your vehicle only upto a part. Then after parking your vehicle in the Parking Lot provided, you have to hire a Jeep which comes only for Rs 70 ( Rs 40up/Rs 30 down the hill). Its an adventurous ride up the hill with the Telescope (provided) adding to the thrill. Once to land down the Jeep have a cool drink of the Ginger Juice or Herbal Soda being sold here. Once inside the Cave, see the second floor of the cave - which has the ancient paintings of the King and the...

It couldn't have been better - me standing at a Height of more than 14,000 ft from the sea level. Though there is no snow, still the beauty of the hills is incomparable.... Its been days since i have been in Gangtok but I haven't seen the boundaries of the two countries - the so called Brothers - India and China. And as today my guide told me we have got the Pass/ Permit to see the Nathula Pass, I can't see anything better. Nathula Pass is the Indo China Border at a height of more than 14,000ft. To reach this one needs at least 4 hrs from Gangtok . Passing through many beautiful places one reaches the No Mans Land - the Nathula Pass. Time flies as we pass through Hanuman Tok ( Hanuman Temple in Gangtok), Tosmgo Lake and the Natural Beauty of the Hills. From a distance I could see the large Board with Chinese and English Translation of these written on it. Like - Ni Hao means How do you Do? I finish...

How many times have you been to Calcutta. It reminded me of the city - the movie - City of Joy. As i watched the movie i could see the lanes of calcutta running before my eyes The Lindsay Street, the Victoria Memorial, the Rabindra Badi, the Church near the Birla Planitorium.....the list is long. Calcutta begins itself with the steps of Horse Tapping, then it moves to the local EMU - the lifeline of Calcutta people and then the last - the Metro. I still remember the Metro Station Senior Engineer telling me how it was in the beginning when Metro came. Slongans of - ETA CHOLBE NA - IT WON'T WORK - was all around; and see these days - same people, same place - people can't live without the Metro. So do cities change? Calcutta is a slow city, I say this as when i was back in the city after a couple of years, i could remember even the small galis - the narrow lanes, with the names chucked on them. The same banner painted in red saying - Welcome to Calcutta, the same wooden buses -...

It seemed a long while as I was outside the Ghoom Station. It looked like a Toy Station, the first time I saw it from outside. It was morning, 5 O clock – there was mist and fog. Stark fluorescent lamps lights with yellow lights covered the entire station. A strange feeling filled my mind. The Driver told us, “ It opens at 10: 00 a.m”. The next time I was standing there, number of voices were filling the area. The silence had broken and i could clearly hear the dripping voice of the rain drops. It was a cloudy day but we didn't expected the rains – the only good thing about it was that it was drizzly. Carrying my trekkers bag I strolled towards the Railway Line – it was small; unusually tiny – meter gauze – nothing more than a Toy Trains Path – but then I suddenly realized that it was a Toy Train I was here for. Small, mystic and charming. I should be beautiful - indeed. Breaking the silence of the Station, from quite a distance I could see the Engine – it was cute –...