Rajasthan - a memorable 6-day road trip!

Mention Rajasthan and the first images that come to one's mind are the vast sand dunes of the Thar Desert, the Hawa Mahal of Jaipur, the multi-hued and brilliantly coloured turban of the villagers,  and ofcourse a picture of the staid and unaffected camel.

We got to see all this and more during our brief, highly hectic but memorable six-day tour of Rajasthan. It sure is a vast state.  We covered close to 1500 kms but still could not cover the entire state!

We flew out to Jaipur from Bangalore and picked up a self-drive car (were lucky to get a less than a-year old Honda Jazz) from Zoom Cars.   This was our itinerary-

Jaipur - Bikaner - Deshnok - Jaisalmer - Sam San Dunes - Jodhpur - Ajmer - Pushkar - Jaipur.

The roads were mostly good (except for a few patches) and with the new car, we averaged a speed of 70-80 kms per hour!

Every day we woke up in a different place, in a different bed!  We freshened up, had breakfast and hit the road.  We drove nearly 300 kms each day (except the first day), arrived at the next destination by noon and spent the day sight-seeing.  Late evenings, we walked around the market place, took in the sights and sound of each town, did some shopping and sampled local food.  We chatted up the small shop-keepers; it was very interesting to hear their opinion of life and politics - especially the effects of demonetisation.

We also found the people of Rajasthan to be extremely warm, helpful and highly courteous. Strangers offered us help and a cup of warm tea when our car got stuck in sand.  Cab drivers spontaneously came forward to help fix a broken plate in our car and refused to accept money.  Their comment was "You are guests of our state, we will not accept money!"

It was an absolutely amazing experience and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly!    Here are some pictures from our trip - that offer a glimpse of remarkable Rajasthan!


Day -1 JAIPUR

Jaipur, the Pink City - its famous facade, the Hawa Mahal!

Grain seller outside the City Palace, Jaipur - attracting plenty of pigeons!

The majestic Amber Fort / Palace - a view from the road

A view of the moat and garden from the steps leading to Amber Palace

The impressive Ganesh Pol within the Palace 

The vegetable colours used in painting - bright and beautiful!

At the entrance, turban-clad, on the steps of the Amber Fort 

Rajasthan's famous sweet - Gewar! Filled with paneer!  Mouth-watering!

A Gewar tower on display!

Day - 2  BIKANER

Link - TO READ ABOUT BIKANER, click here 

On the road to Bikaner - big, voluminous and colourful cargo!

Junagarh Fort, Bikaner!

Inside Junagarh Fort - the Kings played Holi here! Lovely use of white and red stone

A piece of marvel built with sandstone - Bikaner

The King's royal quarters!

The Room of Clouds! - in Bikaner Fort

Our Princesses!

The beautiful Lalgarh Palace - home to the present RajMatha of Bikaner.

Day - 3  DESHNOKE,   JAISALMER

Entrance to the Karni Mata Rat Temple, Deshnoke

Rats enjoying 'prasad' in front of the deity

'Ksheera sagar' - feeding on a tray of milk!

Patwon ki Haweli - palatial home built by merchants in Jaisalmer

Framed in the ornate balcony of Patwon ki Haweli

Day - 4  JAISALMER ,    SAM SAND DUNES

At the entrance to the Jaisalmer Fort

A riot of colours!

The exquisite 'toran' carved in stone - Jain temple within the Jaisalmer Fort 

Awe-inspiring design, built to perfection

Jaisalmer Fort - the sandstone is almost golden in colour

The Golden City of Jaisalmer - view from the Fort!

The Golden-framed family!

A weathered Rajasthani villager playing a traditional instrument

As colourful as it can get - a shop within the fort.

Welcome to the Desert!

Camels - Hrithik Roshan and Babloo - taking us for a ride! 

Beautiful Sunset - picture courtesy Balu!

Selfie Time!

Our tented accommodation in Sam San Dunes 

Day - 5   JODHPUR

Passed Pokaran enroute to Jodhpur

The fantastic Mehrangarh fort at Jodhpur - first glimpse from the road!

Going up to 4 levels - impregnable certainly!

Jodhpur, the Blue City.  View from the fort

Totally awe-inspiring.  View of the fort entrance

View of the city centre with the Clock tower in the middle

Impressive rooms within the Fort

Mehrangarh's Sheesh Mahal

An elderly man with the hookah.

Mehrangarh Fort - lit up in the evening!  

Day - 6  AJMER,   PUSHKAR

At Moinuddin Chisti's Dargah, Ajmer

With young Syed Aadil Chisthi - a descendant of the Ajmer Sharif!

The shimmering bangles! 

Lake Pushkar, nestled in the Aravallis

The sacred and famous Brahma Temple, Pushkar

Kanyakumari – the southernmost tip of India!

------published in TheWeek's TripTease column in December 2016 ----

The Vivekananda Rock Memorial - Kanyakumari

This temple town in Tamilnadu forms the southernmost tip of India.  Situated right at the confluence of the three seas – the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean – Kanyakumari is a historic and beautiful destination. 

Kanyakumari is situated about 90 kms from Thiruvananthapuram and we took a bus from the Thiruvananthapuram Bus-stand, close to the famous Padmanabhaswamy temple.  The bus-ride was painfully slow and it took a good 4 hours to reach Kanyakumari. 

The photographer captured!

The famous Vivekananda Rock Memorial is situated about 500 m from the mainland.  One has to take a ferry to cross over to the other side.  Being a Saturday, the place was crowded and the queue for tickets was long.  The watchman assured us that the crowd that day was significantly lower than on other national holidays! The spell-binding view of the Rock  

View from the mainland

 Memorial and the imposing Thiruvalluvar Statue is spectacular.  It is believed that Swami Vivekananda sat on these rocks and meditated for a good three days.  He is supposed to have found answers to all the questions that plagued him and thus attained salvation.  The beautiful memorial that has been built here is remarkable and the huge statue of Swami Vivekananda, standing tall and erect is an inspiring sight.  It is a tribute befitting one of India’s much admired and respected philosophers / social reformers.  The Meditation Hall built in the lower precincts of the building is cool and inviting, and offers solace and peace to the wandering mind.

Posing beside the ornate door of the Memorial

 A walk around the outer platform is thoroughly enjoyable – the sea breeze is quite strong and refreshingly cool. One can spend any amount of time just watching the lashing waves and enjoying the breeze as it plays around with your hair and clothes, gently billowing and blowing through, providing the much needed respite from the hot sunny day.  The thought that one is standing on unique ground - right at the southernmost tip of India, surrounded by three seas – adds to the awe and magnitude of the experience.  

Enjoying the cool breeze!

A few metres from the Vivekananda Rock, on an adjacent stone island, is the majestic 133 ft. tall Thiruvalluvar Statue.  Thiruvalluvar is a great Tamil poet and philosopher whose famous work, ‘the Thirukkural’ is an important treatise on life and offers teachings on good conduct, morals and how to lead a happy and contented life.  The poet wrote the 133 chapters (and thus, the height of the statue) in ancient times but his teachings remain true and 

relevant even to this day.  One is left totally wonder-struck, admiring the beautiful stone cut figure of Tamilnadu’s much revered poet.

Medhini holding the Thiruvalluvar statue in her palm!

As we headed back to the main land, the lights were switched on at the Vivekananda Rock and what a sight it was!  Truly remarkable and well worth all the wait that one has to put up with!  The sun had set and as the last rays slowly vanished, the illumined lights of the Rock provided a fantastic view. 

When the lights were turned on.

We then slowly edged our way to the main temple dedicated to the young-girl goddess Kanyakumari.  The deity of the Goddess is beautiful – like an adolescent girl wearing a long-skirt, blouse and a ‘daavini’, or half-sari, holding a rosary in her hand.  The story is that Goddess Parvathi took the form of a young, virgin girl to kill the evil Banasura, who had been granted the boon that he could be killed by no man but only by a young, virgin girl.  Thus, she remained unmarried to fulfil her prophecy. 

The ring adorning the Goddess’s nose has a powerful glitter and shines lustrously.  In fact, it is believed that the bright light emanating from her nose-ring could be seen from the seas.  Several ships mistook this brilliance to be the lighthouse, sailed towards it and ended up crashing against the rocks.  As a result today, the eastern side of the temple facing the sea, has been walled up to prevent such mishaps.

At the confluence of the three water bodies!

After a long but memorable day spent in the beautiful and historic town of Kanyakumari, we took the bus back to Thiruvananthapuram. 

Goan Escapade - enjoying Goa differently.

----Published in the Women's Era magazine - December 2016 issue---

A mural of Goa at the airport

Fancy a trip to Goa? Well, who doesn’t!!  It is one of those destinations in India that beats going abroad too.  There are beaches all over the country and then there is GOA!  In appearance, it differs not a great deal from other beach locations – coconut-fringed shores, lush green vegetation, sunny and bright skies, and a cool gently blowing breeze.  But still, Goa is a class apart.  It may have something to do with the magical atmosphere surrounding this place – the carefree, and happy-go-lucky feeling that you get once you step into this wonderful land.

Goa offers several activities and sight-seeing spots for first-time travelers - like the churches of old Goa, the cruise across River Mandovi, the Fort and Light House at Agouda, water–sports in the beaches...

 

There are also a whole lot of other non-touristy things that you can do when in Goa.  Here is looking at some of the things one can do here - which we tried and thoroughly enjoyed.

Yoga on the beach – Head to the beach early in the morning. Take a beach towel with you, and spread it across on the sand; start performing yogasanas - this is a great way to enjoy nature.  Focus on breathing while doing a Surya namaskar, watch the waves dancing on the shore, and enjoy the feeling of oneness as the soul within and the vast sea outside beat together to the rhythm of your breath!

Cycling through the Goan roads!

          Rent bicycles and enjoy the ride – Just as you can hire a car or two-wheeler, so can you rent a bicycle.  Pick a cycle each for your family members, hop on and get going.  Ideal time to do this would be to in the evenings around 4:30 PM when the sun’s heat has ebbed.  Cycle along the small roads, watch the river flow by and after exploring the area, get onto the beach.  It feels great to cycle on the fine sand  close to the water’s edge– like playing a game with the sea as the waves try to touch your cycle while you teasingly pedal away!

Cycling on the beach !

Watch the river meet the sea – You could take a small fishing boat and ask the friendly sailor to ferry you down the river to the point where the river meets the sea.  The River Sal in South Goa is one such river.  If you are game for it, you can also walk or cycle alongside the river and reach the point where the river’s journey ends as it flows into the Arabian Sea

Following the trail of the Sal river

Cycling along the edge of River Sal

  

The love-seat in Mrs. Braganza's Portuguese home!

Visit a Portuguese home – Goa has several old mansions built in the Portuguese style – complete with high ceilings, verandahs, a huge dining place fitted with a long table that can seat atleast 50 people, a private altar within the home! You can gain plenty of insight into the kind of life that people of the bygone era led.  The quaint furniture, the coat/umbrella stands and other furnishings are also a delight to see.  So take a tour of a Portuguese home and get a glimpse of life as it was a century or two ago!

The altar in the Portuguese home

Ride the local bus - To enjoy a place, you must feel and act like a local.  The best way to do that is take a bus from your hotel to the town and enjoy the ride. You will come across so many local folks – they are mostly friendly people and welcome all strangers with a smile.  You can strike a conversation with them as you enjoy the bus ride.  Most Goan buses play music on the radio, so you could also listen to the local tunes.  Remember the saying ’be a Roman when in Rome?” Well, you can try to be a Goan in Goa!

Visit the local market - The local town markets are places buzzing with activity – the colours, the smells, the sounds are all unique to every town and the market place gives you an idea of what the locals like – their eating, dressing habits, the different kinds of fruits and vegetables that are locally grown, the spices that are used, the meat and poultry that they favour, the kind of baking that is done.  In fact, Goa offers some great buns baked and served differently.  You will be surprised at the stuff that you will get to see in a local market.  So, keep your sensory organs peeled open and enjoy the adventure!

And finally, nothing beats a cool refreshing dip at the end of a warm day!   So do not forget to chill by the pool side of your resort/hotel!  Cheers!

Irupu Falls in Coorg - a weekend getaway!

-----Published in Women's Era Nov 2015 (2nd issue)-----

If you are looking for possible extended-weekend getaway options around Bangalore, you must surely consider visiting Irupu Falls in Coorg. This is about 260 kms from Bangalore and roughly involves a 6-hour drive. There are several homestays available; infact, most of the coffee planters around here have done up their homes and built in additional rooms, to be let out to eager tourists.  The prices are reasonable, the stay is pleasant and comfortable (do not expect any 5-star facilities.)  This will be ideal for friends or families travelling together.  One can, literally switch off completely (as the network connectivity in these parts is very poor), de-stress and relax, and enjoy the natural beauty of the place while breathing in the fresh mountain air.

We were two families of cousins who travelled together in April.  We set off quite early (around 4:45 AM) from Bangalore and escaped the weekend traffic. We stopped at Mysore for breakfast and proceeded to Irupu Falls taking the Hunsur- Gonikoppa route. We passed through the outer edges of the Nagarhole Forest and hoped to see some wild animals, but only got a glimpse of a few tamed elephants in a camp.

At the Homestay

The road was good (the last time we took this road, there were more potholes than road) and we reached our Homestay by 11:00 AM.  This was just about 500 metres from the entrance to the Falls.  Our hosts (who were in their mid-60s) greeted us warmly. We spent some time taking in the surroundings - the house and the garden were well maintained and our Host showed us around, pointing out the different trees and plants.  After a good homely lunch, we played a round of boisterous basket ball without following any of the rules - there was lots of grabbing, pulling, running around with the ball and a good amount of healthy laughter! :-)

Evening sky

In the evening, we took a leisurely stroll and visited the Irupu Rameshwara Temple.The evening sky appeared like a beautiful painting - as though someone had gently stroked his brush across the wide canvas with different shades of orange, crimson and blue.  The temple appeared to be placed right in the lap of the valley, surrounded by hills on all sides.  It is a lovely structure set in a wide expanse of area; the main deity- a Shiva lingam - is enshrined in a circular enclosure and looked very appealing.
After the soul enriching temple visit, we walked back; the local dogs kept us company, and guided us back to the Homestay.  We had a wonderful barbecue dinner, sitting around a bonfire and making merry of the night.  Jokes, comments, wise cracks, music and dance kept us in a jolly mood and not to forget the lovely food cooked for us by the lady of the House.  Definitely, this was the stuff of the heavens!

Irupu Falls!

Hanging bridge - Irupu trail

The next morning, after a good jog, we headed to the Falls armed with extra clothes and towels.  We were the first visitors of the day and so had the Falls to ourselves for nearly an hour. The walk, a gradual climb actually, from the entrance to the Falls is about 750 m.  A hanging bridge adds to the sense of adventure. The legend goes that Lord Rama and Lakshmana visited this place while on their way to Lanka.  Rama felt thirsty and asked Lakshmana to fetch some water who immediately shot an arrow into the hills and thus emerged the Irupu Falls to quench Rama's thirst!  Due to this, it is also known locally as Lakshman Thirtha!

Posing under the Falls

As we walked the trail, we could hear the water even before we got to see it.  The water cascading from the top fell over two levels and appeared like sheer, frothing, white milk.  The water was refreshingly cool and soothing and removed all our runner's fatigue.  The force of the water was a little overwhelming for the children but provided a free massage for the adults. After a while of fun and frolicking and posing for crazy photos, hunger pangs hit us and so we headed back to the homestay. The only problem we had was the lack of proper changing rooms near the Falls.

Back at the homestay, we ate a sumptuous breakfast consisting of a local delicacy called kadubu. Our hostess explained that these were rasgulla like baked soft balls made of rice rawa served with a tasty coconut chutney. 

Monkeying around in Kuruva Island

We then decided to explore the region and drove up to neighboring Wayanad.  The drive was beautiful - we could only see greenery all around us and it was absolutely soothing to the eye.  We visited the Kuruva Island - an uninhabited space adjacent to the back waters of the Kabini river, surrounded by mangrove bushes, gigantic bamboos and trees of several other species. We had to take a barge to cross the river and reach the island.  Being a weekend, the place was crowded and the people far outnumbered the trees!  We sat near the river bank for a while.  I am sure it would have been a much better experience had there been fewer people around. Well, so much for calling it "an uninhabited island"!

We stopped at a restaurant called Hill Top Hotel and had 'Tunch', a combination of Tea and lunch, as my daughter calls it! We then headed back to the homestay, and spent some quality family time, playing cricket, cards and carrom board.  I was glad that there was no TV or internet connectivity; all of us - children and adults - were forced to bond without any distractions and what better a place than in the middle of a coffee estate, surrounded by nature.

A book, a swing, and greenery= Total relaxation!

Dinner was again a very hearty meal, made and served lovingly.  Even the poor eaters in the family had built up a good appetite and enjoyed the food immensely.

The next morning we again wanted to visit the Falls to enjoy the natural shower.  But we opted out and instead played basketball and badminton.  After a good breakfast, we set out on our return journey to Bangalore. We stopped on the way to pick up mangoes (the first of the season), had a late lunch at Kamat Lokaruchi and were back home before sundown.

The trip to Irupu Falls was a lovely 3-day break, cathartic to the soul and left us completely rejuvenated!




      

A photo tour of the animals around the Mantralayam temple

As we sat on the banks of the river Tunga, waiting to witness a beautiful sunset, we got to see several animals.  It is such an uncommon sight for an urban dweller to see so many animals sharing the eco-space of a small town, merging with the background and contributing to enjoying the whole rural experience!   Here are a few of our four-legged brethren that we were able to capture on camera.

Buffaloes taking a leisurely stroll on the river bank

A lonely dog walking on the paved stones!

We found quite a few pigs (several black and a few white) in Mantralayam town - this one was walking on the river bank.  Looks like it is wearing 2 pairs of  tiny heeled slippers!

the Temple elephant

Close-up of the Jumbo!

Snake Kalia - a sculpture of Krishna dancing on the snake.

We saw other animals too - cats, cows, more dogs, pigs and piglets, donkeys.. but didn't get a picture of them.  The pigs and donkeys were definitely the attraction - after all, you don't get to see them in cities now.

Bangalore to Mantralayam - by road

Entrance to the temple

We had been wanting to visit the Raghavendra temple in Mantralayam for quite some time.  What with the whole family being busy - the husband travelling or generally being  occupied on weekends, with daughters having some event, project or activity at school - we were unable to plan a trip.  Finally out of the blue, when we found a weekend when everyone was free, we decided to head out to Mantralayam.  Railway tickets are very rarely available and on a weekend, definitely not; so we set out by road.

A beautiful stone sculpture at the entrance

Mantralayam is 408kms from our house in Jayanagar (as given by our car's odometer) and the roads are pretty good.  We set out early by 5:30 AM and hence had the road to ourselves.  We took the National Highway 7- the Hyderabad route - stopped at Chikbalapur's Kamat Upachar restaurant for breakfast.  It was quite decent.  We crossed Anantpur, Gooty and then took the state highway towards Pattikonda; passed by Adoni, Yemmiganur and reached Mantralyam by 12:30 pm - a good 7 hours drive with a couple of stops for breakfast and mid-morning tea.

We booked a room at the Temple Trust - we got a 3-cot bed which came in handy for our family of 3 adults and 2 children.  We had also carried pillows and bed sheets with us (the luxuries of travelling by car) and so could manage a good night's sleep on the not so well-washed hotel bedding.  We visited the temple and headed straight to lunch (as the last batch was at 2:00 pm).  There is something to be said of the lunch served in temples - it may be a simple fare but all of us ate heartily, especially my little girl who relished the sweet-tasting sambhar and rasam.  Back in the room, we rested for a while and then set out to the temple to have our darshan of Raghavendra Swamy.  It was quiet and peaceful when we went in, not much of a crowd; we could enjoy the peace and tranquility of the place and feel one with the Lord.

Sunset on the banks of the Tunga river

We also visited the Tungabhadra river, but were disappointed to see nothing but rocks with no trace of a river flowing.  We sat on the banks and witnessed the sun-set while listening to the recorded voice of the Temple security person (we possibly heard it close to 20 times!!) alerting pilgrims to be wary of pick-pockets and thieves in all 5 languages - Telugu, English, Kannada, Hindi and Tamil.   We also saw several animals walking past the river bank, serenely and peacefully, doing whatever they had set out to do.

the Rathotsava in progress

When we returned to the temple, it was packed - it being a second-Saturday, lots of holiday goers were present.  Also, several had come to see the Rathotsava that was held around 7:30 pm.  A beautiful sight it was, with the colorfully be-decked and garlanded Utsava murthy, placed on chariots - first on the silvery-white elephant and then on the traditional wooden one - and pulled around the temple shrine.  We expected the devotees to use ropes to pull the chariot, instead found that the chariot was motorized - so no tugging and pulling, just a quick circle of the outer shrine.

After witnessing  the beautiful ceremony, we then found out that they also served dinner at the temple and so headed to the Bhojanalaya to have our simple but tasty dinner of rasam rice and curd rice. While sitting in neat rows for the food to be served, we could not but be in awe of the service rendered by the temple authorities and more so by the cooks who serve food day in and day out for the thousands of devotees visiting the temple everyday - truly inspiring and amazing work!

the Utsavamurthy atop the silver elephant

The next morning, we again visited the temple and prayed to Raghavendra Swamy and Lord Hanuman - who appeared more like Hayagreeva as the horse's facial outline plate that is put on the Lord's chest stood highlighted.  With prayers to visit again, we bid goodbye to the temple town of Mantralayam and made our way back to Bangalore.   We took the same route on the return trip but we spent nearly 8 hours, possibly because of the later start.  Lunch on the way was a challenge as we did not find decent places to eat.  We finally stopped at the same Kamat restaurant in Chikbalapur where we'd had our breakfast earlier.

So all in all, it was a pleasant 2-day trip; we collected memories and enjoyed the family time, and ofcourse, returned as rejuvenated souls!