We decided to use the occasion of World Photography Day (19th of August) to visit the Mahim Nature Park. Not many people are aware of this gem right within the heart of Mumbai. And that is a shame. The place is a veritable oasis of green, and offers a variety of habitat within a small area - pond, creek, and well wooded areas. It is hard to imagine that this place was a garbage dump 25 years back. Kudos where it is due - it is one of those rare cases when the governing body has done a great job. Today, the Mahim Nature Park offers nature lovers a place to immerse oneself, and pursue their hobbies - be it Bird watching, or photography.
The place can be covered in an hours leisurely walk, but obviously, one can spend much more time observing nature in all its splendour. As we were without binoculars or camera, we were happy to just walk. And it was a rewarding walk - we spotted Ashy Prinias, Tailorbirds, a cormorant, cattle egret, koel, Red whiskered bulbul, with the highlight being a Fantail Flycatcher.
After the walk, we were fortunate to see a slideshow of nature photographs clicked by Kakubhai, a veteran photographer. He showed us some of lion and tiger photographs, and they were simply beautiful. It was amazing how he has been able to capture and transmit the emotions of the animals to the viewers. He also regaled us with stories of his 4 decaded of experience photographing animals in the wild.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Malshej Ghat - in the monsoon
Malshej is famous for its waterfalls in the monsoon season. As my wife has not visited this place, we took the opportunity of her birthday to drive to Malshej.
I had last passed through Malshej ghat more than 2 years back, on the way to Junnar and Shivneri. In the meantime, the road was upgraded from a State Highway to a National Highway (NH 222), and an already good road just got better.
We encountered just a bit of traffic at Kalyan, but the road from then on was clear, and mind blowingly beautiful. A two lane grey ribbon with clean white markings winding its way through lush green well wooded countryside...this must easily be one of the best roads for a long drive immediately outside Mumbai.
On crossing Murbad, the traffic thins out even further, and the imposing Western ghats loom high on the horizon. The road hurtles straight towards the mountains, and takes a turn at the last moment to begin the ascend into the Deccan Plateau. For a few kilometres, the road runs parallel to the towering mountain face, rising near vertically about 500 metres. Words cannot do justice to the experience.
Soon as you start climbing the ghat, the waterfalls for which Malshej is famous start to appear. Unfortunately, with the rains on an extended leave of absence in the month of July this year, the waterfalls were just trickles. But that did not deter groups of men from frolicking underneath one that crashes down to the road from an overhanging cliff face. An enterprising person has also set up a small stall selling tea and snacks beneath this overhang!
We stopped for lunch at the MTDC resort. As is almost always the case, MTDC had the best location - overlooking the Konkan stretching down below. On both sides are tall mountains, standing as sentinels to the Deccan plateau extending behind. The tops of the mountains were framed by clouds, and there was not a patch of brown in all the green. Across the valley could be seen the grey ribbon of road coming out of a tunnel, and snaking upwards. Simply stunning, and almost spiritual.
We were at Malshej ghat for a couple of hours, before starting the return journey. Along the way, we managed to get good, close up views of the Malabar Whistling Thrush. We also oberved a pair of Brahminy Mynas at the MTDC resort.
Malabar Whistling Thrush
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
The Taj Mahal, and the hype around '7 Wonders...'
No doubt, The Taj is a beautiful monument. But I am surprised at the hype being created by this voting. It is just a gimmick of some private company, not any International organization like the UN. I personally feel the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites is a better list to be on that this 7 Wonders list.
I say this because having just one monument from India, and just 7 in the whole world is a major disservice to the rest of the wonderful monuments that exist in the world. Take the case of India, is there any reason why the stupendous Kailash temple at Ellora should not be as highly talked about as the Taj? Or the cave paintings at Ajanta, which touch you in a spiritual way that cannot be described, only experienced? I personally found Akbars' mausoleum at Sikandra more moving than the Taj, which I experienced as a very cold monument - strikingly beautiful, yes, but also aloof.
I say this because having just one monument from India, and just 7 in the whole world is a major disservice to the rest of the wonderful monuments that exist in the world. Take the case of India, is there any reason why the stupendous Kailash temple at Ellora should not be as highly talked about as the Taj? Or the cave paintings at Ajanta, which touch you in a spiritual way that cannot be described, only experienced? I personally found Akbars' mausoleum at Sikandra more moving than the Taj, which I experienced as a very cold monument - strikingly beautiful, yes, but also aloof.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Bhatsa Dam & Igatpuri
After a gap of a few months, we again hit the road last weekend. This was a completely different travel trip from any that we had done before. To begin with, we left home at 3 in the afternoon - quite a change from our usual 6 AM departures! And the drive was a short one - only about 60 kms to Bhatsa nagar, again a change from the 250 odd kms we normally do.
The place is dominated by the Bhatsa dam. After visiting a few farms in the area, we had dinner at a small family run hotel in the village, before retiring for the day.
I woke up early the next morning, for a spot of bird watching. The dry deciduous forest along the road leading to the dam provided for a very enjoyable couple of hours of bird watching. The highlights for me included the Tawny Bellied Babbler, as well as good views of White Bellied Drongoes, Brown Headed Barbet (usually heard, not seen), White Throated Thrush, and a couple of Grey Hornbills.
After a brunch at the village, we left Bhatsa Nagar, headed for Igatpuri.
We reached Igatpuri after a painful drive through the Kasara ghat. I have travelled a few times along this stretch, and except for my last drive back from Saputara, have always encountered either heavy traffic, or bad road conditions along this stretch. And this time was no different, with lots of heavy trucks struggling to make the ascent. I think it is high time the authorities came down heavily on old trucks that create an obstruction for the rest of the road users.
Anyway, we finally reached Igatpuri, and after a refreshing chai, headed for Talegoan lake. The lake is an artifical one, created by a small dam. The setting is really beautiful, with the hills of Igatpuri all around, and the higher peaks of the Sahyadris visible in the distance. I had to tear myself away from this place to visit Dhammapuri - famous for its Vipassana meditation course. We were quickly shown through the center, after which we called it a day.
The next day was one of complete relaxation - spent a couple of hours on the porch, basking in the sun. The weather was extremely pleasant, because of the strong breeze. We left just after noon, had a buffet lunch at Manas Resorts, and reached home by 4 PM.
The place is dominated by the Bhatsa dam. After visiting a few farms in the area, we had dinner at a small family run hotel in the village, before retiring for the day.
I woke up early the next morning, for a spot of bird watching. The dry deciduous forest along the road leading to the dam provided for a very enjoyable couple of hours of bird watching. The highlights for me included the Tawny Bellied Babbler, as well as good views of White Bellied Drongoes, Brown Headed Barbet (usually heard, not seen), White Throated Thrush, and a couple of Grey Hornbills.
After a brunch at the village, we left Bhatsa Nagar, headed for Igatpuri.
We reached Igatpuri after a painful drive through the Kasara ghat. I have travelled a few times along this stretch, and except for my last drive back from Saputara, have always encountered either heavy traffic, or bad road conditions along this stretch. And this time was no different, with lots of heavy trucks struggling to make the ascent. I think it is high time the authorities came down heavily on old trucks that create an obstruction for the rest of the road users.
Anyway, we finally reached Igatpuri, and after a refreshing chai, headed for Talegoan lake. The lake is an artifical one, created by a small dam. The setting is really beautiful, with the hills of Igatpuri all around, and the higher peaks of the Sahyadris visible in the distance. I had to tear myself away from this place to visit Dhammapuri - famous for its Vipassana meditation course. We were quickly shown through the center, after which we called it a day.
The next day was one of complete relaxation - spent a couple of hours on the porch, basking in the sun. The weather was extremely pleasant, because of the strong breeze. We left just after noon, had a buffet lunch at Manas Resorts, and reached home by 4 PM.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Road Trip to Goa - Day 4
The next day, we headed for Tarkarli beach - 8 kms to the south of Malvan town. Again, the beach was nice, but not much better than Ganapatipule beach, as the guidebooks led us to believe. We had breakfast at the MTDC resort right on the beach. We then went back to malvan town, and took the boat across to Sindhudurg fort. The fort is expansive, with beautiful views back across the coconut tree fringed Malvan bay. At one corner of the fort was a small sandy cove, lapped by the crystal clear green waters of the Arabian sea. But the highlights of the fort are a temple dedicated to Shivaji Maharaj, and hand and foot prints of Shivaji himself.
We then did a bit of shopping for home cooked local Malvani stuff, before having lunch at the restaurant in the hotel we were staying. After lunch, we started our drive back - the time was 1:45 PM. The first part of the drive was along the Mumbai - Goa Highway, till Kharepatan.From Kharepatan, we turned right, off the National Highway to a State Highway headed towards Kolhapur. The road was narrow and twisting, but in reasonably good shape. We stopped for a chai at a small tea shop located on the side of a tree covered hill - was a nice experience. The time was 3:45 PM. We then hit a stretch of ghat, and as always, the Western Ghats was a beautiful sight to behold. Unfortunately, the condition of the road deteriorated as we neared Kolhapur. The traffic increased as well, consisting mainly of sugarcane laden bullock carts. We finally reached Kolhapur city at 5:45 PM, and had some snacks and coconut water on the banks of a lake.
We then drove through Kolhapur, trying to find our way to the Pune Highway. It took a fair bit of time, and it was close to 6:30 by the time we hit the phenomenal 6 lane Bangalore - Pune Highway. Mumbai was 385 kms away, Pune 220. By the time we stopped for dinner at 9:15 PM, we were about 30 kms short of Pune - an average speed of 70 kmph. We started our last stretch at 9:45 PM. A pleasant surprise was that the Katraj Ghat tunnel was operational (it wasn't the last time I passed this way, while driving from Varandhe ghat in October 2006). And what a tunnel it is! One can
easily forget that one is in India while driving along this stretch. We soon came to the Mumbai Pune expressway, and covered the distance of the expressway in 50 minutes! We reached Vashi by midnight, and home by 12:30. The average speed for this last stretch was 90 kmph!
We then did a bit of shopping for home cooked local Malvani stuff, before having lunch at the restaurant in the hotel we were staying. After lunch, we started our drive back - the time was 1:45 PM. The first part of the drive was along the Mumbai - Goa Highway, till Kharepatan.From Kharepatan, we turned right, off the National Highway to a State Highway headed towards Kolhapur. The road was narrow and twisting, but in reasonably good shape. We stopped for a chai at a small tea shop located on the side of a tree covered hill - was a nice experience. The time was 3:45 PM. We then hit a stretch of ghat, and as always, the Western Ghats was a beautiful sight to behold. Unfortunately, the condition of the road deteriorated as we neared Kolhapur. The traffic increased as well, consisting mainly of sugarcane laden bullock carts. We finally reached Kolhapur city at 5:45 PM, and had some snacks and coconut water on the banks of a lake.
We then drove through Kolhapur, trying to find our way to the Pune Highway. It took a fair bit of time, and it was close to 6:30 by the time we hit the phenomenal 6 lane Bangalore - Pune Highway. Mumbai was 385 kms away, Pune 220. By the time we stopped for dinner at 9:15 PM, we were about 30 kms short of Pune - an average speed of 70 kmph. We started our last stretch at 9:45 PM. A pleasant surprise was that the Katraj Ghat tunnel was operational (it wasn't the last time I passed this way, while driving from Varandhe ghat in October 2006). And what a tunnel it is! One can
easily forget that one is in India while driving along this stretch. We soon came to the Mumbai Pune expressway, and covered the distance of the expressway in 50 minutes! We reached Vashi by midnight, and home by 12:30. The average speed for this last stretch was 90 kmph!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Road Trip to Goa - Day 3
We left Bambolim after breakfast, headed for Vengurla in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. Our objective was to check out some of the beaches in the South Konkan, before heading back for Mumbai via Kolhapur the next day.
We deviated off the main Mumbai - Goa highway before crossing into Maharashtra. Our first halt was at Mochemmad Beach. The access to the beach was through the village itself. The beach was completely empty, save for thousands of gulls right at the waters edge. Proof that humans rarely venture here. While the beach had clean sands, and water, it lacked shade where we could sit down to admire the view. It clearty did not measure up to the expectations I had, built up by whatever I had read about the beach.
We then headed for Vengurla town for lunch. Along the way, we saw a signboard for an MTDC Resort. We could not locate the resort on the first approach, and landed up at Vengurla town. We then backtracked and discovered that one cannot drive up to the resort, but had to park at the end of the road, and trek over a sand dune to reach the resort! On reaching the resort, we found that there was no accommodation to be had, as it was a long weekend on account of Shiv Jayanti. We also discovered, to our surprise, that this particular MTDC resort had no restaurant! We had lunch at a small restaurant at the place where we had parked the car. The lunch was homecooked, and quite delicious, though over priced (at Rs. 60 per fish thali).
After lunch, we checked out Sagareshwar beach. This was a nice stretch of clean golden sand, fringed by casuarina trees. The water was also clean, and inviting. We then decided to check out accommodation at Vengurla town itself. But as our guidebooks had mentioned, the hotels were very basic, though the location was awesome - overlooking Vengurla jetty, and the pristine stretch of sand marking Sagareshwar beach.
We then headed for Kudal, to check out accommodation there. And while it was definitely better than what we saw in Vengurla, it was a fair distance away from the sea, so we decided to hit Malvan town. We found decent accommodation right at the edge of Malvan beach - Hotel Sagar Kinara. We got a spacious room, overlooking the beach. We then strolled down the beach, taking in the sunset. We retired for the day after dinner in the room.
We deviated off the main Mumbai - Goa highway before crossing into Maharashtra. Our first halt was at Mochemmad Beach. The access to the beach was through the village itself. The beach was completely empty, save for thousands of gulls right at the waters edge. Proof that humans rarely venture here. While the beach had clean sands, and water, it lacked shade where we could sit down to admire the view. It clearty did not measure up to the expectations I had, built up by whatever I had read about the beach.
We then headed for Vengurla town for lunch. Along the way, we saw a signboard for an MTDC Resort. We could not locate the resort on the first approach, and landed up at Vengurla town. We then backtracked and discovered that one cannot drive up to the resort, but had to park at the end of the road, and trek over a sand dune to reach the resort! On reaching the resort, we found that there was no accommodation to be had, as it was a long weekend on account of Shiv Jayanti. We also discovered, to our surprise, that this particular MTDC resort had no restaurant! We had lunch at a small restaurant at the place where we had parked the car. The lunch was homecooked, and quite delicious, though over priced (at Rs. 60 per fish thali).
After lunch, we checked out Sagareshwar beach. This was a nice stretch of clean golden sand, fringed by casuarina trees. The water was also clean, and inviting. We then decided to check out accommodation at Vengurla town itself. But as our guidebooks had mentioned, the hotels were very basic, though the location was awesome - overlooking Vengurla jetty, and the pristine stretch of sand marking Sagareshwar beach.
We then headed for Kudal, to check out accommodation there. And while it was definitely better than what we saw in Vengurla, it was a fair distance away from the sea, so we decided to hit Malvan town. We found decent accommodation right at the edge of Malvan beach - Hotel Sagar Kinara. We got a spacious room, overlooking the beach. We then strolled down the beach, taking in the sunset. We retired for the day after dinner in the room.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Road Trip to Goa - Day 2
We wanted to do nothing more than laze at a beach side shack. We debated between traveling to the far south (Palolem), but then decided to just check out the nearby Bambolim Beach. And the decision turned out to be just right. The beach met my expectations of the ideal beach. Clean golden coloured sand, fringed by swaying palm trees, and hills all around. So what if the water was not the clearest!
There were 2 shacks on the beach - one crowded with Indian tourists, and the other near empty. We obviously made it to the less crowded one (Bambo Bay). And had a delightful afternoon of beer, and delicious sea food. We then lazed under the beach umbrellas, and had an evening juice before heading back home.
For dinner, we headed to Sinquerrim, and 'Sweet Chilly'. There was a live band playing, and we had a nice dinner under the open skies. Thus ended a relaxing day in Goa.
There were 2 shacks on the beach - one crowded with Indian tourists, and the other near empty. We obviously made it to the less crowded one (Bambo Bay). And had a delightful afternoon of beer, and delicious sea food. We then lazed under the beach umbrellas, and had an evening juice before heading back home.
For dinner, we headed to Sinquerrim, and 'Sweet Chilly'. There was a live band playing, and we had a nice dinner under the open skies. Thus ended a relaxing day in Goa.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Road Trip to Goa - Day 1
It had been a long standing desire of mine to do the iconic Mumbai - Goa Highway by car, wetted by our drive to Ganapatipule last year. I finally got an opportunity to do so a couple of weekends back, and a big Thanks to my wife for supporting me!
We started our drive at 6:30 AM on Friday. On crossing Panvel, we found out that a gas tanker had overturned near Karnala, necessitating a detour through Rasayani on the old Mumbai - Pune highway. That added 30 minutes. It was close to 8 by the time we crossed Nagothane. I encountered a bit of traffic, but as I rightly guessed, the traffic was all headed to Alibaug, and surrounding areas. As soon as we crossed Vadkhal Naka (the turn off to Alibaug), the traffic thinned out. And from then on, the drive was a dream. Being Mahashivratri, there was hardly any local traffic on the highway, and hardly any long distance travelers such as us.
We reached Chiplun at noon, halted for a chai, crossed Hathkkhamba (the turn off for Ratnagiri at 1:30), halted for refueling, and continued southwards, destination Goa. We were on the lookout for a decent place to halt for lunch, but we only found one at Kankavli. Neelam Countryside Resorts is strongly recommended for a break. The food was good, service friendly, and we refreshed ourselves with a game of carroms and table tennis!
The road narrowed after Kudal, and we had to slow down while crossing Sawantwaid, and entering Goa. As it was just around 6 when we entered Goa, we decided to head for Vagator beach to catch the sunset. Unfortunately, we encountered traffic at Margao, and just missed the sunset by the time we hit the sands at the base of Chapora fort. After a refreshing drink of coconut water, we reached our destination - my aunts' place in Bambolim - a little after 8 PM.
It was an extremely fulfilling drive, and strongly recommended for all road trippers!
We started our drive at 6:30 AM on Friday. On crossing Panvel, we found out that a gas tanker had overturned near Karnala, necessitating a detour through Rasayani on the old Mumbai - Pune highway. That added 30 minutes. It was close to 8 by the time we crossed Nagothane. I encountered a bit of traffic, but as I rightly guessed, the traffic was all headed to Alibaug, and surrounding areas. As soon as we crossed Vadkhal Naka (the turn off to Alibaug), the traffic thinned out. And from then on, the drive was a dream. Being Mahashivratri, there was hardly any local traffic on the highway, and hardly any long distance travelers such as us.
We reached Chiplun at noon, halted for a chai, crossed Hathkkhamba (the turn off for Ratnagiri at 1:30), halted for refueling, and continued southwards, destination Goa. We were on the lookout for a decent place to halt for lunch, but we only found one at Kankavli. Neelam Countryside Resorts is strongly recommended for a break. The food was good, service friendly, and we refreshed ourselves with a game of carroms and table tennis!
The road narrowed after Kudal, and we had to slow down while crossing Sawantwaid, and entering Goa. As it was just around 6 when we entered Goa, we decided to head for Vagator beach to catch the sunset. Unfortunately, we encountered traffic at Margao, and just missed the sunset by the time we hit the sands at the base of Chapora fort. After a refreshing drink of coconut water, we reached our destination - my aunts' place in Bambolim - a little after 8 PM.
It was an extremely fulfilling drive, and strongly recommended for all road trippers!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Weekend trip to Saputara
The best trips are those that are unplanned. My wife and I were making plans to go out of town 'somewhere' over the weekend. As usual, it was Friday evening, and we had no clue where to go. At around midmight, after some failed attempts at finding some good driving destination online, we decided to head north to Gujarat, and Saputara.
It was nearly 8 AM by the time we got out of Mumbai, and we had to negotiate slightly heavy traffic immediately outside of Mumbai. It was nearly 10 by the time we reached Anam restaurant near Manor for breakfast. We then made good time on the simply fantastic Mumbai - Ahmedabad highway, which is part of the Goverment of Indias' Golden Quadrilateral Project. I can't wait for the day when most of the roads in India are of this quality.
Our next halt was at Tithak beach, a few kms off Valsad. I had read about this beach during my late night research. One web site even called it 'the best beach in Gujarat'. It was nothing of that sort! I have travelled to a few beaches on the West Coast of India, and the beaches get worse as one travels north.
We didn't spend much time at the beach, and continued on to Saputara. we deviated off the National Highway a few kilometres after Valsad. We had lunch at a small restaurant on the way, and reached Vansda National Park in the afternoon. Unfortunately, we couldn't drive into the park (my small car would not have handled the rough path :-)), but the drive along the thickly wooded park was a good experience in itself. We located a Ecoresort run by the state Government near the park. It was a simple resort, wondefully located. But as we were the only people there, it was not very appealing. We then continued onwards, reaching Saputara at 5 PM, after driving 350 kms. We located a nice hotel - Anando, overlooking the lake, and were pleasantly surprised by the (off-season) rate.
After freshening up, we headed for Valley View Point, and the ropeway ride across the valley. We followed that up with dinner at the market area of Saputara, and headed back to the hotel to call it an early night. I indulged in a bit of bird-watching around the hotel the next morning, and was rewarded with wonderful views of a Red Throated Flycatcher. Also spotted Sunbirds, and Grey Wagtails. We had a late breakfast at the hotel, checked out.
We continued with the bird watching around the hills of Saputara. Had a great time, with my first spotting of the male Paradise Flycatcher, with its brilliant white tail. Also spotted Tree Pipits, Tits, Drongoes, Verditer Flycatcher, and many more species.We headed back to Mumbai, via Nashik. The State Highway from Saputara to Nashik was exceptional. Our plan was to have lunch at the Taj hotel near Nashik, but we couldn't locate it, and ended up having a late lunch at Igatpuri. We made great time post lunch, reaching home in a flat 2 hours!
We had driven 600 kms over 2 days. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of roads I encountered. Credit where it is due - the government seems to be doing a good job. Easily the worst roads I encountered were in Mumbai city!
It was nearly 8 AM by the time we got out of Mumbai, and we had to negotiate slightly heavy traffic immediately outside of Mumbai. It was nearly 10 by the time we reached Anam restaurant near Manor for breakfast. We then made good time on the simply fantastic Mumbai - Ahmedabad highway, which is part of the Goverment of Indias' Golden Quadrilateral Project. I can't wait for the day when most of the roads in India are of this quality.
Our next halt was at Tithak beach, a few kms off Valsad. I had read about this beach during my late night research. One web site even called it 'the best beach in Gujarat'. It was nothing of that sort! I have travelled to a few beaches on the West Coast of India, and the beaches get worse as one travels north.
We didn't spend much time at the beach, and continued on to Saputara. we deviated off the National Highway a few kilometres after Valsad. We had lunch at a small restaurant on the way, and reached Vansda National Park in the afternoon. Unfortunately, we couldn't drive into the park (my small car would not have handled the rough path :-)), but the drive along the thickly wooded park was a good experience in itself. We located a Ecoresort run by the state Government near the park. It was a simple resort, wondefully located. But as we were the only people there, it was not very appealing. We then continued onwards, reaching Saputara at 5 PM, after driving 350 kms. We located a nice hotel - Anando, overlooking the lake, and were pleasantly surprised by the (off-season) rate.
After freshening up, we headed for Valley View Point, and the ropeway ride across the valley. We followed that up with dinner at the market area of Saputara, and headed back to the hotel to call it an early night. I indulged in a bit of bird-watching around the hotel the next morning, and was rewarded with wonderful views of a Red Throated Flycatcher. Also spotted Sunbirds, and Grey Wagtails. We had a late breakfast at the hotel, checked out.
We continued with the bird watching around the hills of Saputara. Had a great time, with my first spotting of the male Paradise Flycatcher, with its brilliant white tail. Also spotted Tree Pipits, Tits, Drongoes, Verditer Flycatcher, and many more species.We headed back to Mumbai, via Nashik. The State Highway from Saputara to Nashik was exceptional. Our plan was to have lunch at the Taj hotel near Nashik, but we couldn't locate it, and ended up having a late lunch at Igatpuri. We made great time post lunch, reaching home in a flat 2 hours!
We had driven 600 kms over 2 days. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of roads I encountered. Credit where it is due - the government seems to be doing a good job. Easily the worst roads I encountered were in Mumbai city!
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Bhopal - Museum of Man
If there is one museum that you should definitely visit in India, it just has to be the Museum of Man in Bhopal. We visited it by accident, as we had time, and were in the area. I guess that helps - one does not have very high expectations of the place.
The museum is largely open air, and spread over many acress. There are life size replicas of tribal villages, where one can walk in, and inspect the houses, etc. There is a fantastic myths exhibition. Here, mythological tales from various parts of the country have been recreated in stunning detail. There are explanatory texts in English and Hindi against each of the exhibit. One can spend hours reading the fascinating tribal tales from various nooks of the country, and admiring the stunning craftwork.
Further on in a museum tracing the evolution of man. A lot of information, presented very well. There is another indoor museum, with further details of the various tribes of India, and their lifestyles. A particularly stunning exhibit is a complete wooden residence from Himachal Pradesh. As I walked into this house, I actually felt transported to the Himalayas. Adjacent to the exhibits are TV screens which show documentaries related to that exhibit.
We really enjoyed the time we spent at this museum, and strongly recommend it to anyone visiting Bhopal.
Monday, January 29, 2007
A Trip to Bhopal - Day 3 - Bhojpur and Bhimbetka
We left for Bhimbetka early morning on the 3rd day of our Bhopal trip. Like the previous day, the road was a treat - and I missed driving my Opel Corsa Sail on it. We soon reached Bhojpur, the site of an old, incomplete Shiva temple. Only the sanctum sanctorum of the temple got completed, and the ramp that was used to carry the heavy stones to the top of this tall monument still stands.
The scale of the existing structure boggles the mind. The Shiva linga stands over 7 feet tall, and over 10 feet in circumference. This is fixed atop a 15 feet tall square pedestal, each side of which is about 10 feet. 4 huge columns tower around the Shiva linga, ending in a dome, easily a hundred feet above the ground level. I don't know the reason why the temple was never completed, and one can only imagine the full grandeur the temple would have exuded if it had got complete.
Around the temple are carvings engraved into the black stone, but never chiselled out.
We then proceeded southwards to Bhimbetka. This is the site of the second oldest cave paintings in the World - and another World Heritage Site. The location is beautiful, along the Satpura range of mountains. The area around the caves is forested, which adds to the natural beauty.
The cave paintings themselves are easily worth the travel. The highlight is the cave nicknamed "The Zoo", for its collection of wild animals, in white and red. These are the two predominant colours used in the series of cave paintings, with only a few paintings in some caves in yellow and green. The whole complex is neatly maintained, but you will need a guide to point out some of the paintings not at eye level. Most of the people I spoke with after we got back from our trip had not heard of the place. I don't know who is to blame for this - us folks for not taking the interest in knowing more about our wonderful country? The government for not doing enough, or the popular media, who publish article upon article on some small Swiss village, but don't deem such places of world importance as worthy of being written about?
The feeling was compounded when we ran into a couple of Israeli tourists the next day at Hotel Ashoka in Bhopal. Both were middle-aged, and one of them has made over 15 trips to India, spending many weeks during each visit. He has been to more places than most Indians will ever make to, staying here. And one could sense the feeling in his voice when he said about how beautiful our country is. Domestic tourism can do wonders for the economy of the country, and it is up to each of us to make this happen.
The scale of the existing structure boggles the mind. The Shiva linga stands over 7 feet tall, and over 10 feet in circumference. This is fixed atop a 15 feet tall square pedestal, each side of which is about 10 feet. 4 huge columns tower around the Shiva linga, ending in a dome, easily a hundred feet above the ground level. I don't know the reason why the temple was never completed, and one can only imagine the full grandeur the temple would have exuded if it had got complete.
Around the temple are carvings engraved into the black stone, but never chiselled out.
We then proceeded southwards to Bhimbetka. This is the site of the second oldest cave paintings in the World - and another World Heritage Site. The location is beautiful, along the Satpura range of mountains. The area around the caves is forested, which adds to the natural beauty.
The cave paintings themselves are easily worth the travel. The highlight is the cave nicknamed "The Zoo", for its collection of wild animals, in white and red. These are the two predominant colours used in the series of cave paintings, with only a few paintings in some caves in yellow and green. The whole complex is neatly maintained, but you will need a guide to point out some of the paintings not at eye level. Most of the people I spoke with after we got back from our trip had not heard of the place. I don't know who is to blame for this - us folks for not taking the interest in knowing more about our wonderful country? The government for not doing enough, or the popular media, who publish article upon article on some small Swiss village, but don't deem such places of world importance as worthy of being written about?
The feeling was compounded when we ran into a couple of Israeli tourists the next day at Hotel Ashoka in Bhopal. Both were middle-aged, and one of them has made over 15 trips to India, spending many weeks during each visit. He has been to more places than most Indians will ever make to, staying here. And one could sense the feeling in his voice when he said about how beautiful our country is. Domestic tourism can do wonders for the economy of the country, and it is up to each of us to make this happen.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
A Trip to Bhopal - Day 2 - Sanchi, Vidisha and Udaigiri
We hired a car and left Bhopal for Sanchi early on the second day, headed for Sanchi. We took the route via Raisen, and had good views of the fort atop a hill overlooking Raisen fort. However, the stretch from Raisen to near Sanchi was one of the worst I have ever experienced anywhere! There was just no road! Just a stretch of red gravel and dust, which continued for some 10 kms.
We were fortunate to reach Sanchi before the crowds, and could appreciate the splendour of the monuments in relative peace. The stupa, and other structures, are situated on top of a wooded hill, giving great views out over the countryside. The weather was just perfect with the fresh air and the warmth of the sun, to walk around and appreciate the intricate carvings over 2,000 years old. The museum at Sanchi has some nice sculptures recovered from around the area. A good exhibit is a photograph colllection which traces the 'discovery' of Sanchi.
After lunch at a nearby restaurant, we proceeded to Udaigiri, to view some caves containing carvings. After viewing the cave sculptures in Maharashtra (Ellora, Aurangabad, Kanheri, Karla), this came as a big disappointment. The only notable sculpture being one of Vishnu in the Varaha avataar.
Our last halt was at Vidisha. Some time back I had read in a book ont Indian architecture about a pillar erected at Vidisha bu Heliodoros - a Greek. It somehow fascinated me, and I had always wanted to view this. Not surprisingly, the place was not known to our driver, and neither was it to the travel agent who arranged for the car. It is locally known as "Khambha Baba", and is prayed to by some of the local folk. Vidisha is not a big town, so we managed to locate the place without any hassle. The pillar is not very big, but, standing as it does, on a square pedestal in a clearing amidst leafy trees, has its own charm.
We still had time on our hands, and a friendly driver, so we decided to check out a few more sights of Bhopal city. Our first halt was at a cave temple in Lalghati, situated mid-way up a hill on the north of the Upper Lake. Nothing spectacular. We then proceeded to Taj-Ul-Masjid, reportedly the largest stone mosque in South Asia. The mosque exuded an incredible air of peace, helped by the fact that there were only about half a dozen people when we visited. The large pink structure, flanked by towering minarets, in the warm evening light, made for a wonderful experience. We reluctantly pulled ourselves out of the mosque, and made for Arera colony, where we were staying.
We were fortunate to reach Sanchi before the crowds, and could appreciate the splendour of the monuments in relative peace. The stupa, and other structures, are situated on top of a wooded hill, giving great views out over the countryside. The weather was just perfect with the fresh air and the warmth of the sun, to walk around and appreciate the intricate carvings over 2,000 years old. The museum at Sanchi has some nice sculptures recovered from around the area. A good exhibit is a photograph colllection which traces the 'discovery' of Sanchi.
After lunch at a nearby restaurant, we proceeded to Udaigiri, to view some caves containing carvings. After viewing the cave sculptures in Maharashtra (Ellora, Aurangabad, Kanheri, Karla), this came as a big disappointment. The only notable sculpture being one of Vishnu in the Varaha avataar.
Our last halt was at Vidisha. Some time back I had read in a book ont Indian architecture about a pillar erected at Vidisha bu Heliodoros - a Greek. It somehow fascinated me, and I had always wanted to view this. Not surprisingly, the place was not known to our driver, and neither was it to the travel agent who arranged for the car. It is locally known as "Khambha Baba", and is prayed to by some of the local folk. Vidisha is not a big town, so we managed to locate the place without any hassle. The pillar is not very big, but, standing as it does, on a square pedestal in a clearing amidst leafy trees, has its own charm.
We still had time on our hands, and a friendly driver, so we decided to check out a few more sights of Bhopal city. Our first halt was at a cave temple in Lalghati, situated mid-way up a hill on the north of the Upper Lake. Nothing spectacular. We then proceeded to Taj-Ul-Masjid, reportedly the largest stone mosque in South Asia. The mosque exuded an incredible air of peace, helped by the fact that there were only about half a dozen people when we visited. The large pink structure, flanked by towering minarets, in the warm evening light, made for a wonderful experience. We reluctantly pulled ourselves out of the mosque, and made for Arera colony, where we were staying.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
A trip to Bhopal Part 1 - Bhopal City
As my wife was traveling to Bhopal with her family last Thursday, I decided to take the chance to join them. I had been to Bhopal last year on work for a day, and I had liked what little I saw then to make me decide to visit the place on leisure.
We left by the weekly Habibganj express from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus on Thursday evening, reaching Habibganj (a suburb of Bhopal) on time at 5:30 AM. Our adventure started when we could not alight from the train on time, and got carried to the yard of Bhopal station. We had to jump down to the tracks, cross another stationary train, to reach the platform. We had the misfortune of getting into an auto with a drunken driver as well!
After lunch, we started our tour of the city. The first place we visited was the Charles Correa designed "Bharat Bhavan". This is a centre for the arts, where regular art exhibitions and musical events are held. There were no major performances when we went, but the place, overlooking the Upper Lake, is very peaceful. After tea at the canteen, we left for Van Vihar, the open air zoo. But it was closed, being a Friday, so we ended up boating on the Upper Lake. The weather was extremely pleasant, and we got great close up views of Gulls (Black Headed?) on the lake.
We then visited Gohar Mahal, situated on the northern bank of the Upper Lake. The place hardly sees any tourists nowadays, except during the days when there are 'haats' within the palace. This must be quite a sight, and we would have loved to be there when one of them was on.
Our last destination for the day was the 'Laxminarayan' temple, also called 'Birla Mandir'. It is not as grand in appearance as other Birla temples, but had a good setting on a hill, overlooking the Lower Lake and the city around.
We left by the weekly Habibganj express from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus on Thursday evening, reaching Habibganj (a suburb of Bhopal) on time at 5:30 AM. Our adventure started when we could not alight from the train on time, and got carried to the yard of Bhopal station. We had to jump down to the tracks, cross another stationary train, to reach the platform. We had the misfortune of getting into an auto with a drunken driver as well!
After lunch, we started our tour of the city. The first place we visited was the Charles Correa designed "Bharat Bhavan". This is a centre for the arts, where regular art exhibitions and musical events are held. There were no major performances when we went, but the place, overlooking the Upper Lake, is very peaceful. After tea at the canteen, we left for Van Vihar, the open air zoo. But it was closed, being a Friday, so we ended up boating on the Upper Lake. The weather was extremely pleasant, and we got great close up views of Gulls (Black Headed?) on the lake.
We then visited Gohar Mahal, situated on the northern bank of the Upper Lake. The place hardly sees any tourists nowadays, except during the days when there are 'haats' within the palace. This must be quite a sight, and we would have loved to be there when one of them was on.
Our last destination for the day was the 'Laxminarayan' temple, also called 'Birla Mandir'. It is not as grand in appearance as other Birla temples, but had a good setting on a hill, overlooking the Lower Lake and the city around.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Day Trip to Baramati
I had to visit a few villages around Baramati on work. We left Mumbai at 7:30 AM in a Ford Fiesta car. For a diesel powered vehicle, the car was very refined and powerful. We were touching 140 kmph on the expressway, before we requested the driver to keep it to a more comfortable 120!
We had some little work at Nigdi, just before Pune. Unfortunately, because of this work, we had to drive right through Pune city. The narrow roads, and traffic, meant that it was a good hour and a half before we reached Hadapsar, on the outskirts of Pune city. We then took the Solapur road for about 50 kms, before turning right to Morgaon village, passing Supa village on the way.
The drive from the turn off on Solapur road was through a fantastic scenery of dry, rolling grasslands and scrub. I could spot the usual suspects of this kind of habitait amongst the avian population - Bee Eaters, Roller, Drongoes. This was very different from the green sugarcane fields lining both sides of the Solapur Road, in the clearing around one of which I spotted a pair of Red Wattled Lapwings.
We stopped at Morgaon to pick up our local contact, and then visited a few villages around Baramati. Lunch was a traditional Maharashtrian thali at a restaurant located in a lane in Baramati. The lane was typical of small town India - narrow, dusty road with a plethora of vehicles and pedestrians, flanked by old, two - storey houses with a shopfront.
The highlight of the visit was at our last call at Korale village. This village has an old temple, with fine stone carvings. In front of the temple were a couple of old, large banyan trees. It really made for an evocative sight.
We had some little work at Nigdi, just before Pune. Unfortunately, because of this work, we had to drive right through Pune city. The narrow roads, and traffic, meant that it was a good hour and a half before we reached Hadapsar, on the outskirts of Pune city. We then took the Solapur road for about 50 kms, before turning right to Morgaon village, passing Supa village on the way.
The drive from the turn off on Solapur road was through a fantastic scenery of dry, rolling grasslands and scrub. I could spot the usual suspects of this kind of habitait amongst the avian population - Bee Eaters, Roller, Drongoes. This was very different from the green sugarcane fields lining both sides of the Solapur Road, in the clearing around one of which I spotted a pair of Red Wattled Lapwings.
We stopped at Morgaon to pick up our local contact, and then visited a few villages around Baramati. Lunch was a traditional Maharashtrian thali at a restaurant located in a lane in Baramati. The lane was typical of small town India - narrow, dusty road with a plethora of vehicles and pedestrians, flanked by old, two - storey houses with a shopfront.
The highlight of the visit was at our last call at Korale village. This village has an old temple, with fine stone carvings. In front of the temple were a couple of old, large banyan trees. It really made for an evocative sight.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Drive through Varandha ghat and Sinhagad
This is the first trip I was making with my dad. We left Mumbai at 7:30 AM, headed for the Goa Highway. As always, our breakfast halt was at 'Kshanbhar Vishranti' near Karnala. We then proceeded to Mahad. There was a fair bit of traffic till Wadkhal Naka (the turn off to Alibad, Kashid and Murud - Janjira). The traffic eased off considerably once we took the turn to Goa, and the drive till Mahad was a breeze.
We had noticed a new 'Vithal Kamat's' restaurant at Karnala. So, when we saw another one at Mahad, we took a short refreshment break. By then, we had decided that we would be staying the night, so we checked out rooms at Hotel 'Kuber Palace'. The rooms were nice, but the place, with an attached bar, did not look very inviting.
We then proceeded to Raigad, which was not part of the original plan. The drive up was through narrow village roads, with the final part being a climb up to the base of the fort. Once there, we realized our folly. Being a holiday, the place was overflowing with tourists, and cars. After struggling to park the car, and having to pay Rs. 25 for the pain, we found out that the ticket counter for the rope-way was closed due to the rush. Not having an appetite for a 3 hour waiting, we thought we would have lunch there. But after waiting 15 minutes in vain for a table, we gave up on that as well. On the way down, we came across a small restaurant, serving home cooked Maharashtrian meals. Though we had to wait a while for lunch, the food more than made up for it.
We then got back to Mahad, and proceeded to Varandha Ghat. This place is on the route to Bhor, and crossed the Sahyadris, giving spectacular views of Konkan below, and the forested valleys of the Sahyadris on the other side. Again, the road was narrow and steep, but the car took it in its stride. It was the first time I was driving right up to the top of a mountain, and the views from the crest of the hill were simply spectacular. We had delicious onion bhajjis and chai from a road side stall at the top, and were entertained by monkeys. One
particularly intrepid simian clambered on top of my car quite nonchalantly! But we were still not done with the climb. The road continued its ascend, and soon we could see the tea stalls far below us. It was amazing! We then hit Lake Purandar, a vast expanse of still water, reflecting the hills and trees around. The view of the sunset through the clouds was simply out of this world!
The road ran parallel to the lake for a long time. The road was not in a great condition, but not too bad either. It was dark by the time we hit Pune - Satara road. After debating whether to proceed to Wai, or to Pune, we decided on the latter.
I had a passing thought of driving all the way back to Pune, but jettisoned it in favour of staying back at Pune, and seeing some of the sights around the city. Luckily, we found a decent place, Hotel Ravikant, close to the Pune by-pass. We got the last room, and later found that it has just opened a day back! There was no in-house restaurant, so we had to walk a bit for dinner. Luckily, they provided bed tea the next morning.
We checked out at 9, had breakfast, and then headed for Sinhagad fort. We passed Khadakvasla dam along the way, before hitting another ghat. It was my third narrow, steep, not so well maintained mountain road in less than 24 hours. But Sinhagad fort made up for it. Again, the fort was crowded, but not as bad as Raigad. The views from the top were simply superb, as was the weather - not very hot, it actually started raining as we were getting down. That, unfortunately, spoilt the driving pleasure. We took a new route to NH 4. The road was poor, but there was a steady stream of cars ahead, which helped me avoid most of the nasty potholes. We hit NH 4 and discovered that it was the same road we drove past the previous night.
We halted at a small place for a quick lunch, and then took the by-pass to the Mumbai expressway. After a halt at the Food Mall for tea, and to fill up at the HP pump, we reached home by 6 PM.
We had noticed a new 'Vithal Kamat's' restaurant at Karnala. So, when we saw another one at Mahad, we took a short refreshment break. By then, we had decided that we would be staying the night, so we checked out rooms at Hotel 'Kuber Palace'. The rooms were nice, but the place, with an attached bar, did not look very inviting.
We then proceeded to Raigad, which was not part of the original plan. The drive up was through narrow village roads, with the final part being a climb up to the base of the fort. Once there, we realized our folly. Being a holiday, the place was overflowing with tourists, and cars. After struggling to park the car, and having to pay Rs. 25 for the pain, we found out that the ticket counter for the rope-way was closed due to the rush. Not having an appetite for a 3 hour waiting, we thought we would have lunch there. But after waiting 15 minutes in vain for a table, we gave up on that as well. On the way down, we came across a small restaurant, serving home cooked Maharashtrian meals. Though we had to wait a while for lunch, the food more than made up for it.
We then got back to Mahad, and proceeded to Varandha Ghat. This place is on the route to Bhor, and crossed the Sahyadris, giving spectacular views of Konkan below, and the forested valleys of the Sahyadris on the other side. Again, the road was narrow and steep, but the car took it in its stride. It was the first time I was driving right up to the top of a mountain, and the views from the crest of the hill were simply spectacular. We had delicious onion bhajjis and chai from a road side stall at the top, and were entertained by monkeys. One
particularly intrepid simian clambered on top of my car quite nonchalantly! But we were still not done with the climb. The road continued its ascend, and soon we could see the tea stalls far below us. It was amazing! We then hit Lake Purandar, a vast expanse of still water, reflecting the hills and trees around. The view of the sunset through the clouds was simply out of this world!
The road ran parallel to the lake for a long time. The road was not in a great condition, but not too bad either. It was dark by the time we hit Pune - Satara road. After debating whether to proceed to Wai, or to Pune, we decided on the latter.
I had a passing thought of driving all the way back to Pune, but jettisoned it in favour of staying back at Pune, and seeing some of the sights around the city. Luckily, we found a decent place, Hotel Ravikant, close to the Pune by-pass. We got the last room, and later found that it has just opened a day back! There was no in-house restaurant, so we had to walk a bit for dinner. Luckily, they provided bed tea the next morning.
We checked out at 9, had breakfast, and then headed for Sinhagad fort. We passed Khadakvasla dam along the way, before hitting another ghat. It was my third narrow, steep, not so well maintained mountain road in less than 24 hours. But Sinhagad fort made up for it. Again, the fort was crowded, but not as bad as Raigad. The views from the top were simply superb, as was the weather - not very hot, it actually started raining as we were getting down. That, unfortunately, spoilt the driving pleasure. We took a new route to NH 4. The road was poor, but there was a steady stream of cars ahead, which helped me avoid most of the nasty potholes. We hit NH 4 and discovered that it was the same road we drove past the previous night.
We halted at a small place for a quick lunch, and then took the by-pass to the Mumbai expressway. After a halt at the Food Mall for tea, and to fill up at the HP pump, we reached home by 6 PM.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Ahmedabad, again
Last weekend saw me at Ahmedabad, for a short, work - related trip. Having studied there for 2 years, I am somewhat familiar with the city. But this was the first time I was flying in and out, and I was quite impressed with the neat airport. Another thing that I noticed, (not very surprising, really) was the numbers of NRIs (identifiable by their accent) flying in.
The road to the city center was smooth, without any of the potholes that riddle Mumbais' roads. One thing I noticed was the abundance of red- brick buildings, and the relative greenery along the roads. And a number of petite women!
Unfortunately, I did not get any time to see any more of the city. The earlier plan was for my wife to accompany me, and then we were planning to visit Mt. Abu. Unfortunately, due to personal reasons, that plan did not materialise. So Mt. Abu has to wait...
The road to the city center was smooth, without any of the potholes that riddle Mumbais' roads. One thing I noticed was the abundance of red- brick buildings, and the relative greenery along the roads. And a number of petite women!
Unfortunately, I did not get any time to see any more of the city. The earlier plan was for my wife to accompany me, and then we were planning to visit Mt. Abu. Unfortunately, due to personal reasons, that plan did not materialise. So Mt. Abu has to wait...
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Bhandardara and Aurangabad
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.
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.
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!
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