The Tata Nano just after the Rohtang Pass
Driving to Ladakh in any kind of a vehicle (especially when the roads still have snow / black ice on them) can be a tricky affair for the most experienced of drivers. But when someone decides to venture out in a Nano (the ‘baby’ car from the Tata Automobiles stable with a reputation for catching fire without the slightest of provocations) and comes back in the same car to tell the story, it is another thing altogether. Sanjay Madan and Pankaj Chanana did just that: they left their Landcruisers home and ventured out in a Nano. The following is a story of their journey, as narrated by them. (we have done minimal editing to it). (Sanjay will be coming to the Kunzum Travel Cafe in August to narrate his story in person. If you want to join the interactive talk, let us know and we will inform you when it is scheduled). Read on… [continue reading…]
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Larchalang Pass,
Leh - Ladakh,
manali,
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Rohtang Pass,
Sarchu,
srinagar,
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Tanglang La Pass,
Tata Nano,
Tough Toddler,
Zojila
The Almond Villa in Srinagar in Kashmir is literally a jewel in the crown. Or the crown itself for Mahindra Homestays. [continue reading…]
Bhaktapur in Kathmandu
Ever since Nepal made front page news for its political troubles, it has been struck off as a holiday destination by most Indians. But surely Nepal’s charms must still be holding good? Ajay Jain hit the road in his SUV to re-discover Nepal he last visited in the 1980s as a school boy. And came back giving a thumbs up to the country. [continue reading…]
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Bandipur,
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Koshi Tappu,
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Mayadevi Temple,
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Pashupatinath,
Patan,
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The Great Himalayan Drive,
wildlife
I drove to Jammu and Kashmir in April 2010 (yes, that’s right – I drove; don’t know any other way to travel) from Delhi. Here is a time – distance chart should you want to do so yourself. Hope it helps! [continue reading…]
Need to touch and feel snow – not just see. After all I am in the Himalayas. So off to Gulmarg it was. An eventful day – here is why:
* Conned by shop renting gumboots for the snow – paid Rs. 75 against official rate of Rs. 45.
* At Tangmarg, 12 kms before Gulmarg, I was told to get off to register my name with the police – only to be told later Indians don’t need to. But it gave some guides an opportunity to insist I need their services. [continue reading…]
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Great Himalyan Drive,
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Skiing,
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srinagar
The early morning vegetable market on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, India
Aaarrrrrghh! Its 4:30 am and the alarm is not giving up. If only I had not booked a Shikara for 5:00 am! But get up I had to – after all I am a travel writer out to cover the daily vegetable market in the Dal Lake. But once in the boat, was I glad for it. [continue reading…]
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Dal Lake,
Great Himalayan Drive,
Himalayas,
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Vegetable Market
Crusing in a Shikara in the Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir
Click on any picture for a larger view
The best time to go boating in the Dal Lake is in the evening. Start about half an hour before the sun starts setting behind the peaks. This will give you enough light to look around and for any shopping. What shopping? Before you realize it, ‘shikara shops’ will float up close to you – selling silver jewelry, fine Pashmina shawls, paper mache gifts, dry fruits and more. Sceptical? Why not? Anything targeted solely at tourists is taken with a pinch of salt. Check out the floating market too – these are shops standing in the water selling everything from handicrafts to household supplies. Even hot tea and local breads. But don’t spend too much time here. Lest you miss the magic. [continue reading…]
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The Hazratbal Mosque in Srinagar, Kashmir
Click on any image for a larger view
The day turned out to be one marked for visiting some holy spots – and what a revelation they were.
Hazratbal
The first thing to strike me about Hazratbal: it has a dome and a single minaret – not a common architectural feature. It is the most sacred of Muslim shrines in Kashmir Valley – for it houses a single hair of the Prophet Mohammed brought a thousand years ago from Medina. It is publicly displayed only on special occasions. Could not help noticing hundreds just sitting around on its lawns – including two young veiled women whose eyes seemed to be following my camera and me all over. Still wondering how they would have reacted had I gone up to them to strike a conversation – would give anything to see what they looked like. Will never know. [continue reading…]
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The Great Himalayan Drive
The Pari Mahal in Srinagar, Kashmir
Click on any image for a larger view
The day was dedicated to exploring historical Srinagar – or at least as much as I could cover in a day. What will it take for the city to take a pause from impressing me? Show-off city! [continue reading…]
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srinagar,
The Great Himalayan Drive
The Tulip Garden in Srinagar, Kashmir
[View many more images on Facebook even if you are not a member]
Want to see tulips? Here are two possible options:
1. Keukenhof Flower Gardens near Amsterdam in Holland: Over 7 million bulbs planted, best viewed for two spring months starting end-May.
2. Tulip Garden in Srinagar: Smaller by comparison, best viewed for 2 weeks starting end-March. With a breathtaking view of Himalayan peaks around and the Dal Lake below. Surrounded by gardens developed by the Mughal emperors many centuries ago. [continue reading…]
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srinagar,
Tulip Garden,
Tulips
The ancient temples at Kiramchi near Udhampur in the state of Jammu and Kashmir
If I ‘discovered’ the ancient temples at Kiramchi, it was only because I was told they exist. Not that anyone – including the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) – knows much about these. For anyone with even a passing interest in ancient structures, this site is a must-see. They are a work of art. And hats off to ASI for maintaining the surrounding gardens so well. [continue reading…]
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Gulab Singh,
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Jammu,
Kashmir,
Kiramchi,
Krimchi,
Shiva,
Shivaling,
Shivling,
Temple,
Udhampur
A sign on the Jammu - Srinagar highway in Kashmir
“If there is a heaven on Earth, it is here, it is here, it is here,” uttered Mughal Emperor Jahangir when he first set his eyes upon Kashmir in the 17th century A.D. There have been no dearth of expressions to describe the most prolific of all Himalayan regions since then. The state’s highways abound with signs reading Kashmir is the ‘Fruit Bowl of the Country,’ ‘A Flower Bed’ and ‘The Crown of India.’ Pity some vested interests have made this crown one of ‘bloody thorns’ – but that is another matter altogether. [continue reading…]
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srinagar
Is it possible to cover the entire span of the Himalayas from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh as one unbroken journey by road? Yes, it is. And I am setting out to show how it can be done, starting January 29, 2010. And I will drive for approximately 120 days.
Billed to be a trip never done before (certainly not in recorded memory), the journey will stretch from the western border of the Indian Himalayas in Kashmir to the eastern end in Arunachal Pradesh. It will also go through Ladakh, Lahaul Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland and Manipur.
The journey has been made possible with sponsorships from TripAdvisor.in and Yatra.com. Keen to know more about the trip? Click here…
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Himachal Pradesh,
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Lahaul,
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Nepal,
road trip,
Sikkim,
Spiti,
The Great Himalayan Drive,
uttarakhand
Evening Arati (Prayer) during the Maha Kumbh Mela (Fair) in Haridwar, Uttarakhand located along the holy river Ganges
This set of photos were taken at the Maha Kumbh Mela (fair) at Haridwar, a once-in-12-year event. The 2010 edition started on January 14 to end on April 28. This photo was taken on January 15. Click on any image for a larger view.
It is an occasion for Hindus to come to Haridwar and take a dip / bath in the River Ganges, considered holy by them. And freezing temperatures rarely dissuade them from doing so. View more images on Facebook or Flickr. Click here to see some more images
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festival,
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Haridwar,
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Hindusim,
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Kumbh Mela,
Mahakumbh,
religion,
uttarakhand,
uttaranchal
I am off to the Haridwar Mahakumbh Mela starting January 14. Will be there till January 17. Hope to post some interesting stories and pictures from there. The once in 12 year event will continue till April 28, 2010.
The following is a travel advisory and list if important dates I received from a diplomatic mission in New Delhi. Appending the same should this interest you. [continue reading…]
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Fair,
Haridwar,
Hindu,
Mahakumbh,
Mela,
religion,
uttarakhand
Half way between Kullu and Manali, adventurers get an adrenaline rush by jumping from a 2000M cliff to enjoy Paragliding. Those who dare are rewarded with a birds eye view of the most incredible scenery – snow capped mountains, the river Beas in the Kullu valley, the villages of Sarsei and Chakri and the neighboring pine forests. Beginners needn’t worry – tandem jumps with experienced jumpers are available.
[This post was contributed by Vijay Ramanathan - a Technology/Gadget enthusiast and Blogger. You can follow his tweets at http://twitter.com/tekdude & his blog at http://tekdude.wordpress.com/ ]
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Himachal Pradesh,
Himalayas,
Kullu-Manali,
Paragliding
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxn1tZi_G7c[/youtube]
Shot in the heart of Corbett National Park, Wild Saga of Corbett is the only comprehensive travel guide on Corbett National Park. Loaded with safari tips, the film also showcases how we as tourists can help in the conservation efforts of the park authorities.
So in case you are planning a visit to Corbett and wondering what is the kind of preparation you need to do for your trip, grab a copy of this DVD by contacting the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) – India’s leading non -government organisation (NGO) or just call Nature Wanderers at +91 9871367945.
(Visit us at www.naturewanderers.com / www.flickr.com/photos/shivangmehta)
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Himalayas,
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uttarakhand,
wildlife
The Takthok (Thagtok) Monastery in Ladakh
Why did so many gompas start out as caves? Tak-Thok (also Thag-Thok, literally “rock roof”) gompa has come up around a cave where Padmasambhava, or the Guru Rinpoche, is said to have meditated during his travels to Ladakh in the 8th century.
The cave, called Duphug (or Tu-Phuk) Lhakhang, is a popular pilgrimage. Buddhists visit to be blessed by dubchu, the sacred water that oozes from its ceiling. A constant drip. Even in winter, when the world freezes over. The ceiling is a greasy black with emissions from the butter lamps that burn nonstop. Devotees have stuck offerings of banknotes and coins all over. Gold-plated statues of Padmasambhava’s eight manifestations occupy pride of place. [continue reading…]
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buddhism,
gompa,
Guru Rinpoche,
Ladakh,
monastery,
Nyingma,
Padmasambhava,
TakThok,
Thagthok
This street vendor is one of many – selling vegetables during season in the main market in Leh, Ladakh. One has to wonder – how many Ladakhi winters has this woman weathered?
[This post was contributed by Vijay Ramanathan - a Technology/Gadget enthusiast and Blogger. You can follow his tweets at http://twitter.com/tekdude & his blog at http://tekdude.wordpress.com/ ]
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Ladakh,
Leh
Hemis Monastery, Ladakh: If you walk up this track, will you spot flying lamas?
If you walk up the mountains from Hemis monastery, you’ll reach Gotsang cave, about 2 km away. Buddhist monk Gyalwa Gotsangpa meditated there in the 13th century.
Monks do so even today. Anyone will tell you this. But Tashi, a local cabbie, has more to tell. These lamas, called Tubas according to him, meditate for years on end, wearing nothing even in the icy winter. This intense discipline gives the lamas the shakti (‘power’) to fly, flit about from peak to peak. Has Tashi seen these aerial acrobatics? No, but he knows people who have. [continue reading…]
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buddhism,
Chemde,
Chemrey,
Flying,
hemis,
Ladakh,
lamas,
monastery
