We left on a whim for Igatpuri on Saturday morning. It had been a while since we went on a long drive, and it was my wife's birthday on Monday, so...
The road to Igatpuri is the crowded National Highway leading to Nasik. As soon as we left Mumbai, it started to rain. Thankfully, due to the rains, the traffic was low. And the condition of the road was not as bad as I feared. Unfortunately, because of the rains, and the low lying clouds, most of the mountain and valley views that Igatpuri is famous for, was invisible to us.
At Igtapuri, we visited the Dhammapuri meditation centre. We could only visit the reception area, but it was extremely peaceful. Again, possibly due to the rains, we were the first visitors that day.
From Igatpuri, we proceeded to Nasik. On the way, we saw the road that leads to Bhandardara, and as my wife was keen to see that place, we took that road. The first kilometre of the road was horrible, and almost forced me to turn back. But after that, the road improved considerably, and was a beauty to drive on.
Bhandardara itself was a beautiful place, with a lake nestled between lush green mountains, with waterfalls cascading down them. The MTDC resort, located at the top of a hill, overlooking the hill, was where we stopped for lunch. Before that, we had checked out all the places to stay, not finding any. So, we just had our lunch, and proceeded to Shirdi.
On the way, we decided to check out Randha falls, the third highest in India. Unfortunately, due to the heavy rains, we could not reach the falls! After having tea almost at the edge of the flooded river, we continued to Shirdi.
The drive was not without adventure. One of the bridges on the route was flooded, so we had to take a diversion through narrow village roads. As is to be expected, these roads were not very good. Luckily, the diversion was not very long, and we were soon back on the highway.
We reached Shirdi at around 7 PM, after having driven for 270 kms. We stayed at a decent looking resort. The rains affected us even here, as we did not get fresh linen! We turned in early, and awoke early for darshan of Sai Baba. Being a Sunday, there was a long queue of pilgrims, and it took more than an hour for us to get darshan. After a relaxed breakfast back at the resort, we left Shirdi at around 10, headed for Aurangabad.
This section of the drive was easily the best of the journey. The road was good, passed through green fields, and thankfully, the rain kept off. We made great time to Aurangabad, where we had made bookings at the Taj Residency. Unfortunately, there were no directions to the Taj, and it took us a good 45 minutes to finally locate it!
After refreshing at the Taj, we immediately headed to Ellora caves, 29 kms from Aurangabad. We had a quick lunch at a restaurant at the base of the hills, and then started our exploration of the caves with the awesome Kailashnath temple.
There are no words to describe the temple. I was awestruck when I first saw this monument many years before, and I had the same feeling this time around as well. The highlight is to view the monument from the top of the cliff around. It is a sheer drop of more than a 100 feet, and it is amazing that the authorities have not barricaded it. Sitting on top of the cliff, and seeing this amazingly detailed monument carved out of solid rock more than a 1000 years ago, is an amazingly spiritual experience. To me, this is the most amazing monument in all of India, easily surpassing even the more famous Taj Mahal.
We then proceeded to the Buddhist section of the caves, which had some wonderful sculptures of the Buddha. The final halt was at the Jain section, which also amazed us with the intricate carvings typical of Jain temples.
We then proceeded to Khuldabad, and visited Aurangzebs' tomb. It is a simple monument, very unlike the reputation he had as an emperor (the last Mughal emperor of India). Our last halt was at the nearby Grishneshwar temple, one of the 12 jyotirlingas.
We turned in after a Mexican dinner at the Taj.
The next day was my wifes' birthday, and we spent the first half of the day lazing at the hotel. After checking out, we visited Bibi ka Maqbara. It being a Monday, there were not many tourists, and we could check out the monument leisurely. We then proceeded to Aurangabad caves, one of the oldest in the country. There are 2 sets of caves here, more than a km apart. Some of the carvings here outshone even those at Ellora. It is really a shame that most visitors bypass these caves on their way to the more famous ones at Ajantha and Ellora.
It was past 3 PM by the time we finished viewing these caves. We then headed back to Mumbai via Ahmednagar and Pune. The drive was uneventful, except for the last stretch after we got off the Expressway. we reached home past 1:30 AM, after driving over 400 kms.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Lucknow & Shahjahanpur
I finally got a chance to visit Lucknow, due to work commitments. I reached Lucknow in the morning, and checked into the Taj Residency Hotel at 10:30. Fearing the summer heat, I stayed indoors till 5:30 PM. I then found an auto rickshaw driver to show me some of the sights of the city of Nawabs.
My tour started with the Gomti river, which we crossed on our way to La Martiniere college. It was one of the most enthralling monuments I have seen in India, with it's curved facade, statues on the roof, and location overlooking the Gomti river. Right in front of the main building, and on the river bed, is a very tall tower, whose reason for existence I am as yet unable to fathom!
The tour then continued to the most famous monument of Lucknow - The Bada Imambara. Unfortunately, it was past the closing time, so I could not enter the monument, and see the famous mazes of corridors. I had to be satisfied with a view from the outside. It looked like any other Indian Mughal monument, but I am sure a more detailed look would have shown me the individualities of the monument.
The next place was the Residency, which played a role in the 1857 mutiny. It now contains ruins of the place, amidst well maintained lawns.
The last stop was shopping for the famous Lucknowi chikan.
The next day I traveled to Shahjahanpur, 180 kms and 4 hours by road from Lucknow. The drive, alond the highway to Delhi was very pleasant. I was surprised by the amount of greenery visible all around, even though it was the peak of summer. It was definitely what I expected - the hot, dusty North Indian plains. The road, being a National Highway, was very well maintained. At one point, I read that I was on the Grand Trunk road, and suddenly got very excited. The GT Road is one of the oldest and longest of Indias' highways, but it was only for a short stretch that I saw the road called the GT Road. It was a bit of a mystery for me, because it just felt like a long, straight road to me, so why was only one stretch of the road called the GT Road?
The other image that stuck with me was the sheer variety of traffic on the National Highway - bullock and horse carts, cycle, pedestrians, all competed with the buses, trucks, 2 wheelers and 4 wheelers for a piece of the 2 lane highway. I can now feel a little of the culture shock that Westerners would be experiencing when in India!
I came back to Lucknow the same day, and was back in Mumbai the next day.
My tour started with the Gomti river, which we crossed on our way to La Martiniere college. It was one of the most enthralling monuments I have seen in India, with it's curved facade, statues on the roof, and location overlooking the Gomti river. Right in front of the main building, and on the river bed, is a very tall tower, whose reason for existence I am as yet unable to fathom!
The tour then continued to the most famous monument of Lucknow - The Bada Imambara. Unfortunately, it was past the closing time, so I could not enter the monument, and see the famous mazes of corridors. I had to be satisfied with a view from the outside. It looked like any other Indian Mughal monument, but I am sure a more detailed look would have shown me the individualities of the monument.
The next place was the Residency, which played a role in the 1857 mutiny. It now contains ruins of the place, amidst well maintained lawns.
The last stop was shopping for the famous Lucknowi chikan.
The next day I traveled to Shahjahanpur, 180 kms and 4 hours by road from Lucknow. The drive, alond the highway to Delhi was very pleasant. I was surprised by the amount of greenery visible all around, even though it was the peak of summer. It was definitely what I expected - the hot, dusty North Indian plains. The road, being a National Highway, was very well maintained. At one point, I read that I was on the Grand Trunk road, and suddenly got very excited. The GT Road is one of the oldest and longest of Indias' highways, but it was only for a short stretch that I saw the road called the GT Road. It was a bit of a mystery for me, because it just felt like a long, straight road to me, so why was only one stretch of the road called the GT Road?
The other image that stuck with me was the sheer variety of traffic on the National Highway - bullock and horse carts, cycle, pedestrians, all competed with the buses, trucks, 2 wheelers and 4 wheelers for a piece of the 2 lane highway. I can now feel a little of the culture shock that Westerners would be experiencing when in India!
I came back to Lucknow the same day, and was back in Mumbai the next day.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Goa....!
Goa has to be my favourite holiday destination (atleast in India!). I love to travel, love the mountains, nature, so this is not just a trivial statement. There is something about the air of the place that just completely relaxes me, and the stress of city life seems just like distant thought.
I have been traveling to Goa regularly over the past 15 years. It helped that my aunt stays there! It had been over 3 years since I had last been there, so when my wife suggested we head there for a long weekend, I started looking forward to it.
Unfortunately, it looked like most of Mumbai and Pune had the same idea, so it was a bit difficult to make the travel and hotel bookings. Even though it was summer, (and the off season), we discovered that hotels had increased their tariffs only for this weekend. We were actually hoping to stay in one of the 5 star resorts, but had to scale down our expectations.
We took a Volvo bus on the evening of Friday, the 28th of April. It was quite comfortable, actually, though a bit long. An added bonus was getting to watch 'Bunty Aur Babli'!
We were booked at Heritage Village, at Arossim beach. Our first impressions were not great, the place looked small, and so was the room. However, the place was neat and colourful, with a reasonably sized pool in the centre. However, the beach was a 5 minute walk away. The beach was deserted, and clean. But numerous sign boards warning of the dangers of the sea dampened our enthusiasm for venturing much into the sea.
Being summer, most of the beach side shacks were shut, and that, finally, was the biggets disappointment of the trip. A trip to Goa is not complete without a few hours at a beach side shack, having delicious local cuisine. Our hotel was all-inclusive, and the food was standard, buffet spread. By the last day of our stay, we had had enough of the food, and actually had a very late, delicious lunch at the airport restaurant!
Looking back, the trip was peaceful, but we really could have been anywhere in the country. We decided that we shall drive down for our next trip, and stay at a smaller place closer to the beach and all the action.
I have been traveling to Goa regularly over the past 15 years. It helped that my aunt stays there! It had been over 3 years since I had last been there, so when my wife suggested we head there for a long weekend, I started looking forward to it.
Unfortunately, it looked like most of Mumbai and Pune had the same idea, so it was a bit difficult to make the travel and hotel bookings. Even though it was summer, (and the off season), we discovered that hotels had increased their tariffs only for this weekend. We were actually hoping to stay in one of the 5 star resorts, but had to scale down our expectations.
We took a Volvo bus on the evening of Friday, the 28th of April. It was quite comfortable, actually, though a bit long. An added bonus was getting to watch 'Bunty Aur Babli'!
We were booked at Heritage Village, at Arossim beach. Our first impressions were not great, the place looked small, and so was the room. However, the place was neat and colourful, with a reasonably sized pool in the centre. However, the beach was a 5 minute walk away. The beach was deserted, and clean. But numerous sign boards warning of the dangers of the sea dampened our enthusiasm for venturing much into the sea.
Being summer, most of the beach side shacks were shut, and that, finally, was the biggets disappointment of the trip. A trip to Goa is not complete without a few hours at a beach side shack, having delicious local cuisine. Our hotel was all-inclusive, and the food was standard, buffet spread. By the last day of our stay, we had had enough of the food, and actually had a very late, delicious lunch at the airport restaurant!
Looking back, the trip was peaceful, but we really could have been anywhere in the country. We decided that we shall drive down for our next trip, and stay at a smaller place closer to the beach and all the action.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Drive to Ganapatipule
Last week saw us (Sups and I) drive down to Ganapatipule. Ganapatipule lies about 375 kms south of Mumbai, a small detour from the Mumbai - Goa National Highway. We left Mumbai at 6:45 PM. Our first halt was at Karnala for breakfast. The next halt was straight at Chiplun, a 4 hour drive. However, with the good roads, and my love for driving, it did not feel at all tiring. After a leisurely hour long lunch, we reached Ganapatipule at 3:30. We could have reached atleast 30 minutes earlier if we had taken the right turn from the Mumbai Goa highway before we reached the turn off for Ratnagiri.
We stayed at the MTDC Resort. We had not made any prior bookings, and were sort of lucky to find a room. The first night we stayed in a deluxe Non A/C room overlooking the sea, and shifted to a Konkani Non A/C Hut the next day. The hut overlooked the backwaters.
The first evening, we visited the 'Swayambhu' Ganesh temple for which the place is famous. On the second day, we hit the beach before breakfast. The sand was golden and fine, while the sea was clear and warm. It was one of the more pleasant beach experiences I have had.
In the afternoon, we visited the nearby Jaigad fort, Lighthouse, and Karhateshwar Shiva Temple. The last was situated on the edge of a cliff, from where steps led down to a natural spring, below which the Arabian Sea crashed into rocks with a plume of white spray. Swaying coconut palms, and red cliffs provided a beautiful backdrop.
The next day was check out time. We visited Thibaw palace and point in Ratnagiri on our way back. After lunch at Chiplun, we visited the Parashuram temple there.
A great trip, and a great drive!
We stayed at the MTDC Resort. We had not made any prior bookings, and were sort of lucky to find a room. The first night we stayed in a deluxe Non A/C room overlooking the sea, and shifted to a Konkani Non A/C Hut the next day. The hut overlooked the backwaters.
The first evening, we visited the 'Swayambhu' Ganesh temple for which the place is famous. On the second day, we hit the beach before breakfast. The sand was golden and fine, while the sea was clear and warm. It was one of the more pleasant beach experiences I have had.
In the afternoon, we visited the nearby Jaigad fort, Lighthouse, and Karhateshwar Shiva Temple. The last was situated on the edge of a cliff, from where steps led down to a natural spring, below which the Arabian Sea crashed into rocks with a plume of white spray. Swaying coconut palms, and red cliffs provided a beautiful backdrop.
The next day was check out time. We visited Thibaw palace and point in Ratnagiri on our way back. After lunch at Chiplun, we visited the Parashuram temple there.
A great trip, and a great drive!
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Hyderabad - Many Years Later...
I got an occasion to travel on work to Hyderabad in the month of January. Like almost all major South Indian cities, this is one city which I used to frequently visit in my first job, more than 6 years ago.
I stayed with a close friend of mine from my Bangalore days - Prashant. The first impressions were - lots of new malls and eating joints. Over the next couple of days, I noticed the many flyovers. There was a Congress plenary session happening, so some key roads had been widened, numerous flags, hoardings could be seen along the roads.
Did not get to see any of the tourist spots that one usually associates with Hyderabad - Charminar, Golconda Fort, Salar Jung Museum due to lack of time and enthusiasm :-) But it was nice to catch up with my friend.
I stayed with a close friend of mine from my Bangalore days - Prashant. The first impressions were - lots of new malls and eating joints. Over the next couple of days, I noticed the many flyovers. There was a Congress plenary session happening, so some key roads had been widened, numerous flags, hoardings could be seen along the roads.
Did not get to see any of the tourist spots that one usually associates with Hyderabad - Charminar, Golconda Fort, Salar Jung Museum due to lack of time and enthusiasm :-) But it was nice to catch up with my friend.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Bangalore - 2.5 years later...
I had never got the opportunity to go back to Bangalore since leaving the city in mid - 2003, after a 4 year stay. I had stayed in touch with my friends there, and was reasonably updated of the changes in the city.
I finally got the chance to go back last week-end, due to work. The first thing that struck me was the weather - overcast, and cool. Luckily, I had remembered to carry some warm clothing, so it did not aggravate the fever that I was having.
I only got to meet some relatives and very few friends as the time was just too short. I also managed to take in the new (since I had left in any case!) Crossword store, check out the new pub - Mojo, by the same management as Peco's - and have some amazing dosas and sambar at Krishna Kafe in Koramangala.
The traffic was as bad as I had heard it was, but the crowd seemed to have improved a bit ;-)
I think I will be headed there again soon...!
I finally got the chance to go back last week-end, due to work. The first thing that struck me was the weather - overcast, and cool. Luckily, I had remembered to carry some warm clothing, so it did not aggravate the fever that I was having.
I only got to meet some relatives and very few friends as the time was just too short. I also managed to take in the new (since I had left in any case!) Crossword store, check out the new pub - Mojo, by the same management as Peco's - and have some amazing dosas and sambar at Krishna Kafe in Koramangala.
The traffic was as bad as I had heard it was, but the crowd seemed to have improved a bit ;-)
I think I will be headed there again soon...!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Jaipur
I am back from a 2 day trip to the 'Pink City' - Jaipur. While I had work for a day, I stayed back for a day to see the one big city in Rajasthan that I have not been to, having been to Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer in the past.
I had always stayed away from Jaipur thinking that it will be just another big city. And while my trip did reinforce that thought, the city turned out to be fairly interesting.
I enjoyed traveling through the 'Pink City' (it's only a small part of the city that is pink). The neat layout, the shopping, the hustle and bustle, was fun! I also indulged in a little shopping (signs of settling down ? !)
But it falls short of the traditional Rajasthani experience that Jodhpur and Jaisalmer provide, or the beauty of Udaipur.
A pleasant introduction to a fascinating state.
I had always stayed away from Jaipur thinking that it will be just another big city. And while my trip did reinforce that thought, the city turned out to be fairly interesting.
I enjoyed traveling through the 'Pink City' (it's only a small part of the city that is pink). The neat layout, the shopping, the hustle and bustle, was fun! I also indulged in a little shopping (signs of settling down ? !)
But it falls short of the traditional Rajasthani experience that Jodhpur and Jaisalmer provide, or the beauty of Udaipur.
A pleasant introduction to a fascinating state.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
A Very Short Trip to Bhopal
Posting this very late. I had been to Bhopal a few months back on some work. It was my first visit to the state of Madhya Pradesh, though I have passed through it once on my way back from Delhi to Mumbai by train. I had always wanted to visit the city, and the state.
Unfortunately, work pressures meant that I really did not get to see the city, except spend some time at one of the lakes, and visit a temple atop a hill, reached via cable car.
But I liked what little I saw of the city. The weather was pleasant, the roads were not very crowded, and it had a good, small city atmosphere.
I hope I will be able to make a visit back in the future, and spend some time seeing the city and sights around it, such as Sanchi.
Unfortunately, work pressures meant that I really did not get to see the city, except spend some time at one of the lakes, and visit a temple atop a hill, reached via cable car.
But I liked what little I saw of the city. The weather was pleasant, the roads were not very crowded, and it had a good, small city atmosphere.
I hope I will be able to make a visit back in the future, and spend some time seeing the city and sights around it, such as Sanchi.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
A trip to Malappuram, Kerala
Malappuram is a small town in the most backward district of Kerala. This is the district immediately to the the south of Kozhikode (Calicut) district. Interestingly, the Calicut Airport and University are located in this district, and not in Calicut district!
I visited this place on work last week, from the 3rd to the 5th of August.
Had a great journey reaching here. The flight from Mumbai was via Coimbatore. After an hour within the plane at Coimbatore runway, it was announced that the flight will not proceed to Calicut due to a technical snag. So they (Indian Airlines) put us all into taxis for the 4 hour ride to Calicut. I was lucky to share a taxi with only one another gentleman, an elderly Mr. Dias. The taxi was an indica, well maintained, and quite fast! The scenery along the drive was simply outstanding. I got to see a side of Kerala that I had been blind to all these years. Just as we left Coimbatore, and all alongside us for the first half of the journey were the high Nilgiris. It looked especially beautiful with the greenery due to the rains, occasional waterfalls, and wisps of clouds covering the higher peaks. For the second half of the journey, the mountains gave way to even more greenery. Plantations of coconut, banana and the occasional rubber, were everywhere! It was more greenery than both of us could take!
Another good outcome was that the place I wanted to go to was on the highway itself betwen Coimbatore and Calicut. So I got a free drop! In retrospect, the extended journey turned out to be a blessing in disguise!
Had a series of good meetings here. The journey back was quite uneventful, except for a small delay as the flight was an international one coming from Sharjah via Kochi (Cochin).
Monday, August 01, 2005
Rains in Mumbai
By now, many of you would have heard of the heavy rains in Mumbai. How heavy it is can be gauged from the fact that we have already had more than the average annul rainfall in less than half of the monsoon season! I wonder how much rain we will end up receiving this season!
I normally do not like the rains, I much rather prefer the warmth of the sun! And I have been cooped up at home for 3 days now, and not enjoying it at all. The redeeming factor is that my niece is staying with us. She is all of 10 months old, and it's great fun watching her play.
The rains have also put a spoke into my travel plans. I was planning to travel to Malappuram, near Kozhikode (Calicut) in Kerala, for a couple of days, starting tomorrow, the 2nd of August. But now, I am hoping to be at least able to reach office tomorrow, and then figure out my travel plans.
I hope everyone is fine, wherever they might be.
I normally do not like the rains, I much rather prefer the warmth of the sun! And I have been cooped up at home for 3 days now, and not enjoying it at all. The redeeming factor is that my niece is staying with us. She is all of 10 months old, and it's great fun watching her play.
The rains have also put a spoke into my travel plans. I was planning to travel to Malappuram, near Kozhikode (Calicut) in Kerala, for a couple of days, starting tomorrow, the 2nd of August. But now, I am hoping to be at least able to reach office tomorrow, and then figure out my travel plans.
I hope everyone is fine, wherever they might be.
Monday, July 04, 2005
A short trip to Chennai
I had been to Chennai last weekend, for work reasons. Actual work was for only a few hours on Saturday, but I ultilized this opportunity to spend some time at the place I stayed in for 6 months, 7 years back.
The trip turned out to be quite nostalgic. My first job, the nice people I met with for work, staying with my cousin, doing things together, it all came back to me rather overwhelmingly. I would have loved to spend some more time, meeting up with all my old friends, revisiting the places I used to frequent 7 years back, and seeing how they have changed...But time did not permit it. Or maybe I really did not want to see all those places and meet those people right now. This way, I have a reason to plan a trip to Chennai again!
The trip turned out to be quite nostalgic. My first job, the nice people I met with for work, staying with my cousin, doing things together, it all came back to me rather overwhelmingly. I would have loved to spend some more time, meeting up with all my old friends, revisiting the places I used to frequent 7 years back, and seeing how they have changed...But time did not permit it. Or maybe I really did not want to see all those places and meet those people right now. This way, I have a reason to plan a trip to Chennai again!
Friday, June 03, 2005
My entry into the blogsphere
So here goes, my first blogpost. I have been reading about blogs for a while, but always thought it was a techno freak phenomenon. But as with everything about the Net, more and more people are becoming bloggers (or so I perceive). And finally, curiosity got the better of inertia! So here I am, typing this!
I am an absolute newbie, but I hope to be able to spend some time to understsand this medium better. And I guess one of the best ways to do so is to just browse around! So if anyone knows of some good blogs that I can refer, please post the links!
Thanks in advance!
I am an absolute newbie, but I hope to be able to spend some time to understsand this medium better. And I guess one of the best ways to do so is to just browse around! So if anyone knows of some good blogs that I can refer, please post the links!
Thanks in advance!
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