Category: Travel

  • Jungle path at Vaishno Devi

    Almost the whole gang from work- some 27 of us- went to Vaishno Devi early this month. There are two routes that one can take to reach “Bhawan”- the new shorter and cleaner (as no ponies allowed) one or the old one that goes through Sanjhi Chatt. As usual we took the new route and…

  • The elusive Tigers of Corbet

    Jim Corbet is one of the most celebrated National Parks in the country, but what is celebrated more is the tiger sighting- its become so rare at this park that most people consider themselves lucky if they come across one. We were amongst the bigger unlucky lot as far as the tigers go, but was…

  • Park dedicated to the Witch Doctors

    Somewhere in Sikkim is this strange touristy spot- a park dedicated to the Banjhakri- or the witch doctors. The life like sculptures in the park are one helluva scary art piece. Local lore has it that the BanJhakri can cure any disease that befalls man, but its like a double edged sword. The apparently moody…

  • Way to start a new year- driving 800 kms

    The 2nd leg of my road trip from Chennai to Delhi saw me taking a major detour to criss-cross Rajasthan during the peak winters – arguably the best time of the year to see the desert state. I was doing the trip solo and sticking to my Travel Bible – the Lonely Planet- staying at…

  • Ginger & army issue socks- battling the cold in N Sikkim

    North Sikkim is a sparsely populated district, which sees really harsh winters esp in the Gurudongmar Lake area. We were doing a road trip across Sikkim and decided that instead of going to the valley of flowers (given that it was December & no flowers would be blooming), we would explore the mountainous climes of…

  • Sikkim- Gods own garden

    Nestled between China, Nepal, Bhutan and West Bengal is the small and beautiful state of Sikkim… With a population of barely 6 lakhs residing in 7000 sq Kms, its indeed one of those few places (in India) where man has not yet tarnished the natural beauty. Infact in Sikkim , it seems we have found…

  • Innovate & explain this…

    Was on my way home from the airport when I saw a Maruti car in Delhi sporting a sticker “Bobby Jindal for Congress !” For a second I thought it was my lack of sleep playing games… but then I checked again… amusing as it was, I tried to come up with plausible explanation(s) for…

  • Rishikesh

    Just managed a hectic but fun filled day trip to Rishikesh… Its about 220-240 Kms from Delhi and can be reached in about 6-7 hrs.Rishikesh is famous as a pilgrim destination and the place is dotted with numerous temples and ashrams all along the Ganges.You can drive all the way into the city and would…

  • Island Fort @ Murud

    Murud Janjira- is an island fort along the Konkan coast. Its about 50 kms from Alibaug & the drive from Alibaug to Murud is so picturesque that it would be criminal to do that stretch during night. You are on a hilly stretch with western ghats on your left & the Arabian Sea on your…

  • Hoysala Temple @ Belur/Hasan

    I was at my first Republic Day parade today & was pleasantly surprised to see the Karnataka tableau inspired by the Belur Temple. The float had the Hoysala Emblem at the front & the rest of the it was designed as the temple complex. So I thought its only apt that I should write about…

  • The evolution of the Truck Graffiti

    The Indian creativity has now found a new canvas- the truck rears ! Gone are the days when the only thing you saw while trailing a truck was Horn Please or Buri Nazar wale tera muh kala. The interesting ones that I remember are – Singh is King ! – Buri nazar wale – ankhen…

  • Sadhus- Most Photogenic Indian Models ?

    If you have travelled extensively in India and you love to capture those moments on your Canon/Nikon…… I am sure you would agree with me- that some of the best potraits are those of Sadhus. These men of god have long been the ambasadors of our country(the land of mysticism) & they surely havent disappointed.…

  • Lal Quila- The Red Fort @Delhi

    Since my relocation to Delhi about a year ago- I have felt guilty that I know nothing about Delhi. So as part of my lost list of 2008 resolutions- I have now started visiting the various monuments/museums in Delhi. Red Fort is the start of this “Know about Delhi” series. Situated in the heart of…

  • Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary

    North india’s famous bird sanctuary is having a tough year. With lower than normal rain, most of the Bharatpur’s lakes etc have dried, which in turn has resulted in a steep fall in the visitor count. Informed people at the park say that it has been one of the worst seasons they have seen….but we…

  • Fatehpur Sikri

    Every visitor to Agra is advised to also visit Fatehpur Sikri- which could have been its twin city. Fatehpur Sikri is best known for the Buland Darwaza- Considered to be the highest door in Asia at that point of time, it was built by Akbar to commemorate victory over a battle in Rajasthan. There was…

  • Jim Corbett National Park

    JCNP is the most celebrated of the Tiger Reserves in India but we failed to see the celebrity cat… all we managed were a few pugmarks and the warning calls of the barking deer- rubbing it in, that we missed yet another close encounter. But the beauty of the jungle & the numerous other species…

  • Jallianwala bagh

    Situated right next to the holy Sikh shrine of Darbar Sahib – Golden Temple is the Jallianwala bagh.The board within the complex says it all…. But what was really depressing was that the insensitive visitors to this place- have left graffiti on the walls which are still riddled with the bulltes that were fired by…

  • Life in black & white

    Some of my favourite snaps from the Rajasthan road trip are the ones in black & white. I somehow feel that black/white gives a sense of depth/feel to a moment…. what do u think?