Exploring India and the World around.....

Kodaikanal-in search of Mother nature.

2009-04-27T16:37:00.019+05:30

After returning back from Hampi,where each of us enjoyed the "royal" companionship of Krisnhnadeva Raya, I had to struggle a lot against a severe urge from within to explore nature at the best of its glory and splendour.I could not think of anything else but any hill station in South India. Ooty (Udgamandalam),Munnar,Kemmanagundi ,Kodaikanal etc. are some of the popular hill stations in the southern penisular,but I wanted to visit one which is yet to be conquered by swarms of tourists or the one which has not been touched by relentless commercialisation and urbanization.

With the above conditions in mind, I decided Kodaikanal is my destination.But as you know a travel mate always multiplies the fun and charm of traveling, I approached a close friend of mine,a batchmate of my engineering college, and he readily accepted to my proposal.So from next second onwards, we were so excited that every night we dreamt of high hills,spice plantation,green valleys etc.

Now we started planning how to reach Kodai.Since we were only two,there was no question of hiring any four wheeler from Bangalore ,and morover journey by train was also out of question because of non-availablity of direct trains (but I shall inform you on train journeys towards later part of the blog).As far as buses are concerned , you can book online through official KSRTC website.

We didnot opt for any of the above , rather went for a Govt. registered travel agent.This time it was Manish Travels & Tours Pvt. Ltd.We scanned through the no. of packages available for Kodaikanal, and we zeroed on for one night and two days package @ 2400 bucks per person,which included the cost of to and fro traveling,accomodation and sight seeing with the group.Food was obviously extra.

We left Bangalore on 23 Dec.,08 in a Govt.recognised private bus.It was 9 to 10 odd hours of night journey,reaching Kodaikanal early morning at about 6:30 AM.Since our rooms were booked in advance in a deluxe hotel we checked in immediately.Rooms were booked on twin-sharing basis for your information.

After a refreshing hot water bath we went for a short nap of 40 mins.Let me say something about Kodaikanal.It is a small hill station, still to be discovered by many enthusiasts,and untouched by commercialization ,but it should not be underestimated as some sleeping hammock in the mid of dense tropical forest. Kodai is like any other town with all necessary facilities, surrounded by beautiful and enchanting hill ranges.

Geographically it is located at about 6700 feet above mean sea level , with the top most point standing at 7500 feet above MSL.It is famous for spices ,coffee, famous Nilgiri tea plantations, and not the least , Kodai is known for its desi chocolates.Now wake up guys, who think only French and Swiss only make good chocolates. Our own backyard is brewing with captivating fine cocoa aroma, and we are so unfortunate for being so unaware.

Coming back to my trip, at about 10:00 AM we started off on our sightseeing spree with our cameras loaded with fully charged batteries and empty memory cards,ready to shoot whatever that enchants and capitavates us.We hired an individual cab for both of us so that the Kodai's scenic beauty can be enjoyed to our complete satisfaction, before we go in a shared vehicle the next day for other sites.

We spent the first day to witness a few least known but nevertheless some of the most beautiful spots, in Kodai.The trip began with a popular 100 years old church followed by enchanting series of waterfalls called as "Bear Shols Falls".

Dear readers I shall very soon resume my blog....thanks for the patience !!!

Hampi-exploring the glory of Vijayanagara Kingdom

2009-04-19T19:47:00.005+05:30

Well my dear readers, I apologize for my boring instructive blogs and thank all of you for accompanying me in my journey.

Lets begin the journey from the state where I reside now i,e Karnataka,culturally rich and vibrant , with bustling and prosperous cities and abodes of ultimate natural heritage as well.

In Dec,2008, I came across several articles on the historical and architectural wonders of a legendary place called Hampi. Gradually I started recalling the chapters from my Class VII or Class VIII History books in which had some introductory information on Hampi. Since I am now relatively near to Hampi , I decided to visit Hampi, but I was looking for a suitable date for departure.Ultimately I zeroed on 08/12/2008.I gathered a company of two of my dear friends for the journey , since it is always fun to travel in a group.

One of my prized possession,which has been a guiding star to my passion, is a Travel Guide for Karnataka published by Outlook. We all started referring the Travel guide for our travel planning.

We were quite elated to discover that Hampi was well connected to Bangalore , through rail as well as by bus.

Locationwise, Hampi is located about 35O km north of Bangalore and takes about 8 hours to reach there by bus.Nearest railway station is located at Hospet which is directly connected to Bangalore by regular trains.For detailed information on trains and avanced bookings , please refer official website of Indian railways , and if you are interested for bus journeys, then advance tickets can be booked online from the official website of Karnataka Road State Transport Corporation (KSRTC).

We opted for the bus service because of ease in seat availability and suitable journey times.So tickets were booked in Rajhamsa Executive class of buses which were non-AC , 2/2 push back deluxe type.We departed at about 10 pm on 7/12/2008 and since it was an overnight journey , we hardly could enjoy the scenic beauties en-route.

It took exactly 8 hours and we reached at about 6 am the next day in Hampi Bus Stand.The moment we stepped out of the bus, we were surrounded by local hoteliers and self styled guides, promising for good services at better bargains.But we decided to stick to our golden rule of selecting right accommodation.Before leaving Bangalore we had enquired about govt. approved accommodation facilities available in Hampi and also referred my Travel guide.We finally decided to go for homely stays which are quite popular among tourists during season time (i.e, Oct to Feb, and July to Sept.) and are also recognised by state tourism dept.

So we straight away headed in search for our perfect home stay. We finally sealed a good bargain @ 500 bucks per day.The room was sufficient for three of us.

After a refreshing bath , we had a wholesome breakfast of aloo parathas and went straight to the KTDC office (Karnataka Govt. Tourism Dept. 's local office), for an approved guide.We hired one and booked an auto for a complete day of sightseeing.

Our rendezvous with the glorious ruins of Hampi began with an ancient Ganesh temples , one of which was called Mustard Ganesh Temple.We also visited Radha-Krishna Temple built by Krishnadeva Raya.

Now something introductory regarding Hampi (for all those who are not aware about Hampi).Hampi was the capital city of one of the most powerful and glorious Hindu kingdoms of Southern India, called Vijayanagara Kingdom.At the time of foundation of the kingdom during the beginning of 14th century AD, its initial capital was at Anegundi, one more ancient city across the Tungabhadra river.Later on Krishnadeva Raya, the jewel and the most influential among the line of rulers of the kingdom, shifted the capital to Hampi.Vijayanagara Kingdom was the last known Hindu stronghold in Southern India before felling to Muslim Sultans from north towards the end of 16th century AD.You can refer to several study materials on Hampi over the internet or better pick up some books on histories of Hampi from the local museum or book stores there.

Coming back to my journey, after Radha-Krishna temple we headed to one monolithic marvel, the Lakshmi-Narsimha Statue carved out of a single rock.Goddess Lakshmi 's statue is completed destroyed and is non-existent now.

Next was the turn of Stable for Royal Elephants and the Guards quarters.Both were quite captivating in terms of architectural works and historical background.

Lets continue our journey...

Next impressive architectural master piece is Lotus Mahal (Lotus Palace) which used to be a summer retreat for Krishnadeva Raya alongwith his queens.The palace has some breathtaking works on limestone and quite amazing a NATURAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM,which was consisting of water tanker at the top from which cold water used to flow throughout the walls of the palace by means narrow pipes built within the palace walls ,roofs,ceilings and floors.
The palace is currently have quite beautiful,lush green garden around the same.

The security arrangements for the Emperor's retreat was connsisiting of high watch towers erected at all strategic spots within the palace premises,and high fortified walls guarding the palace.Secret armoury is also believed to be located underground against unforseen attacks or ambushes.

After Lotus Mahal, we moved to Queen's Bath site. Some of the must-see sites are a number of Lord Shiva's Lingas,out of which one Linga surrounded by water body and underground Linga are quite significant.

By the time we finished the above sight seeings ,we all were tired and our guide also bit exhausted, so we decided to go for lunch.Again for lunch we were recommended to have it in the Govt. run guest house which was the nearest available facility for food.

We opted to try local South Indian lunch and really, it is a delicacy worth trying.Well after good luch, we headed straight towards the most visited tourist site in Hampi, i,e the Royal Enclosure.Royal enclosure consists primarily King's and queen's palace ruins, the ancient royal stages, and quite amazing rock carvings etc.All these ruins showcases the royal pomp and show during normal days and during festival time,especially Navrathri and Vijay Dashmi.

You may all be surprised to know that it was Krishnadeva Raya who began the culture of Navarathri celebrations in India.

We had spent some of the priceless moments in Royal Enclosure, and believe me if u have inclination towards history, u shall experience the royal feeling while strolling in the Royal Enclosure.

Next attraction is simply fabulous and is a jewel among all architectural wonders in Hampi.It is none other than the "Musical Pillars".These no ordinary pillars are constructed so marvelously that each of them produces different types of musical instrument sounds when hit upon.It can be found in the Vitthal Temple.

Before completing our first day lourney, we came across the Sugriva's Cave where Sugriva had hidden out of fear for life from his elder brother,Bali, and also visited Virupaksha Temple.

The second day was primarily for Anegundi, located across the river Tungabhadra,If u are bit adventurous, then you may opt for local circular type boats for crossing the rivwe ,and for others crossing the bridge is suitable.

Once reaching over in Anegundi-the cradle city,we visited some significant landmarks like Hanumadri Hill, the birth place of Lord Hanuman,Lakshmi Temple and some artificial lakes.

With Anegundi ' s trip over,we returned to our hotel and reached at about 6:30 pm.After refreshing birth we checked out and went to the local market for some souvenirs which made our Hampi trip memorable.

I peronally bought one hand made dairy anf my fellow travelers bought some antique pieces kind of stuffs.

We had our return KSRTC bus at 9:00 PM from Hampi Bus Stand, which we boarded well in time and were back in Bangalore by 7:00 AM next days with a lot of royal and historic memories alive in mind........

Tips for safe and memorable journeys.

2009-04-19T11:58:00.000+05:30

Traveling is an unique passion , in my opinion. Some go around in search of adventure, some for daredevil acts (like bungee jumping,para sailing,sky diving etc..), and one breed of travelers is there (like me) ,who primarily aim towards exploration of unseen, and never before experiences ,events, landmarks and legends which have often been glorified in the pages of human history.The sole objective of these ventures always remain satisfaction of unquenchable thirst for MORE !!!

Well putting philosophy aside , let me enlist some of my personal suggestions for making your trips and journeys more pleasant,safe and cherish able.

Trips are often meant to explore something earlier unknown.So better prepare yourself with adequate knowledge about terrain,culture,general traditions,lifestyles and most importantly CLIMATE.Depending upon time,season and place of journey, you should select your clothing,fooding and other related belongings.Suppose you venture to Himalayas, that too in Nov. or Dec when mercury dipping to minus ,you should not be crazy enough to brave the spline chilling cold with bare minimum.You may plan for some good woollen stuffs at the destination, but general winter wardrobe is advisable to accompany you during the journey.

Similarly while heading towards sunny beaches of Goa especially during end of winters or beginning of summers, you MUST have sunscreen lotion and a hat/cap with you.In fact GTDC (Goa Tourism Development Corporation) strongly recommends the same. As obviously understood don't forget to take some light clothing like T-shirts, bermundas and/or swim wears (if you are comfortable in showing off bit of your skin).

If you are traveling in India, then a bit of knowledge on clothing style will be handy,because India being culturally diverse has different clothing sentiments at different corners. Moreover, Indians mostly are very particular about what they wear and what you are wearing as a GUEST.

For an instance, lets imagine you are in Goa now and you have nothing to wear except some knee length (or still lesser) skirts or only shorts,with western style trendy tops or T-shirts.Then Goans wont be perturbed by any of those ,even while strolling at the centre of the city under broad daylight, since men and women over there are comfortable in them.Sharply in contrast to this, if you land up in Rajasthan or in the heritage town of Hampi in Karnataka, then you are surely those shall raise many eyebrows.Interestingly in Hampi, the local authorities have taken quite a pain in putting up instruction boards at different public places in the town like bus stands,auto rickshaw stands, major squares, hotels, local markets etc.,where they read " PLEASE DRESS RESPECTFULLY".Owing to this, many local shops have sprung up in the Hampi bazaar selling traditional attires and dress material which shall label you as "RESPECTFULLY DRESSED" !
So better choose you wardrobe accordingly before you attract local wrath or discontentment.

Versatility in cuisines and delicacies is an attractive feature in Indian journeys.They too deserve to be cherished and explored.Mouth watering aroma of spicy curries,tasty tandoori es and thirst quenching lassies shall forever remain in your memories.But a word of caution, try them only to taste. Don't take them like your staple food.Locals have developed resistance against the ill effects of over eating through ages,right from their birth.And most significantly,prefer ONLY properly bottled mineral water.

Coming to accommodation, I personal suggestion is to opt for Govt. recognised or Govt. undertaking hotels,lodging or guest houses.In some cases, Govt. tariffs may drill a deeper hole in your pockets, but considering safety of self , family members or your fellow traveler, those are advisable.

Traveling again I recommend should be through Govt. run transportation corporations or agencies because they are more comfortable,easy to book, and qualitative in service.All these together makes your journey more fun and free from ambiguity.

Once you reach at your planned destination, you often become desperate to venture out and in the process of same, many often end up hiring an agency or guide who come out with bits and pieces with most of the information being not authentic or, not up to your satisfaction level.To add to the agony, you may also need to pay more at the end of the day. So its always better to do some homework before you leave for the place.Try consulting your friends,colleagues and other acquaintances for some valuable inputs.
In this context, I prefer to book a Govt. approved Guide before reaching at the place. The same can be done well through local tourism offices or reputed travel agents.Information on the contacts addresses or no.s can be easily found from popular travel guides, frequently published and updated by esteemed publishing houses like Times,Outlook,Penguin,TV Today etc.You can anytime pick up your copy from the nearest book store or news stand.

Always be extra cautious of your financial assets like cash and debit/credit cards.I personally prefer to carry less cash and do maximum transaction through cards,but the luxury also comes with a bit of strain on mind. Be vigilant while the shopkeeper processes your purchase through cards.In case of any intentional/unintentional error , its becomes bit difficult to follow up with those people for recovery, as you are only a GUEST in that place.
This particular tip may not be suitable while traveling in rural or secluded areas where facilities like ATMs and card acceptance are remote possibilities.Hence do carry enough cash with you or better distribute the cash lots among your fellow traveler(s).

Not the least, if you are quite enthusiastic in capturing your magical moments while on trip or holidays, then arms yourself with a cameras ,preferably digital compact types or ammeters and hobbyists may go for entry level DSLRs or better (depending on your proficiency levels).
I personally own a Sony Alpha 200W DSLR with two no.s of kit lenses which fullfills all my photography requirements while I am in a journey.
Also do carry enough enough batteries or battery charger and in case of film cameras, two or three spare rolls should be handy.

In addition to above I shall continuously update this blog with some more tips for making your traveling passion still MORE passion able.

Till then HAPPY & SAFE journey !!!

Exploring my INDIA and my planet.....

2009-04-18T20:57:00.000+05:30

I always had a penchant towards traveling,since childhood days when I was studying in Class II.During summer vacations we usually used to visit my uncle's place in village.Moving out of Orissa (my native state) was hardly feasible during those times, because of several unavoidable circumstances like Dad's official professional pre-occupations,family responsibilities etc.But I always longed to venture out of my state and explore the verstality of my country, about which I had studied so lot in my Social Studies Books.

Witty sand dunes and royal companies of colorful Rajasthan,mouth watering aroma Dhokla and energetic Dandia of Gujarat,enchanting cave paintings of Ajanta-Ellora, lost glory of Hampi,relaxing evenings on house boats in the lagoons (back waters) of Kerala, fascinating temples of Madurai,mesmerising sunset of Cape Camorin (Kanyakumari), capitavating aroma of Darjeeling Tea, wild dates with single horn Rhinos,snowy summits along Himalayan ranges right upto the holy heights of Kedarnath and Badrinath , charming heaven on earth-Kashmir valley and chilling terrains of Ladakh , were calling me to be explored and admired, but I was always waiting for the right time.As years rolled on ,my desire to capture the best of the Indian culture,landscape,terrain and traditions went on multiplying by leaps and bounds.

Now after securing a job based in Bangalore and still SINGLE, I feel time is right to pursue my passion to explore my INDIA, and my beautiful planet !