My First Off-Beat Vacation!

So, I totally had to write about this one. I mean, it would’ve been a crime not to. So enthusiastic I was, that here I am, sitting in the sit out area of The Misty Mountains Retreat, and writing about the retreat itself, the journey, the experience and the people I met here!

It all started when I found I had ten days off work, and absolutely nobody to accompany me anywhere. Added to my phobia of spending Pujas in Kolkata, I started searching for some holiday spot, resolved to go it alone – and I typed “offbeat holiday destinations” in Google. After hours of searching, I found that most of the “offbeat” destinations were not so offbeat after all – as evidenced by the fact that they unabashedly offered wi-fi connectivity and multi cuisine restaurants. I was nearly resigned to fall back on my all time favourite spot – Pelling, Sikkim – when I chanced upon this place. The Misty Mountains Retreat. Approximately an hour of researching on the spot, the resort and the location later, my mind was made up – this is where I wanted to be!

So, quickly getting the Logistics over with – the nearest railway station is Kathgodam, the nearest Airport is New Delhi. You can connect as per your location and convenience. I flew in to Delhi, and then took a train from Anand Vihar Railway Station to Kathgodam. From Kathgodam / New Delhi, you can drive / hire a car to reach this place. Yes. That is the only way. From Delhi, it takes about 14 hours, and 7 hours from Kathgodam, to get to this place. One goes through Bhimtal, Almora, Raiagar to get here. After Raiagar, if you think the driver has led you astray with malicious intentions, you are probably wrong. Yes, I said “probably”. There is always a chance that you may get robbed and stabbed to death – after all you are only mortal and probably immensely rich! Therefore, it might be best if you ask Madhur, the owner of the Retreat, to arrange for the cab. Even after that, if you think that the driver is duping you after Raiagar, rest assured, he is not. For The Misty Mountains Retreat is, really, in the middle of a virgin forest (read, in the middle of nowhere). After Raiagar, for about an hour, you will be driving through a road that is not even a road – more, a trail. A map of the route is given below for convenience.

Now, may be you are wondering if this place is worth all that trouble. So, let’s get one thing clear right at the beginning. If you are looking for a holiday destination where you have 3G and wi-fi coverage, ATMs, places to buy medicines and batteries for your camera if you run out, temples to go to pray for your kid’s grades, clothes boutiques and fancy curio shoppes, this place is not for you. (Madhur will never forgive me if I am responsible for sending another buffoon who asks for an ATM in the Retreat!) But if you want to witness Mother Nature in all her glory, or speak to birds that could teach Camlin a thing or two about colour palettes, or have an adventurous urge to challenge the Himalayas, or marvel at the number of stars that the sky can hold, or just simply want to reinvent yourself, look no further. This is the place you want to be in.

Then there is the Retreat itself. The décor of the rooms, the layout of the resort, the cute little sit-out areas where you can enjoy a cozy chat or simply look at the beauty of the Himalayas and the cool hammocks hanging around the place, all make the Retreat beautiful. The rooms are clean, the beds are soft and the blankets are comfortable – you even get an electric blanket if it’s too cold!

 

 

But the real beauty of this place lies in its being in the middle of nowhere! The Retreat is spread over almost 5 acres of land amidst the forest. The flowers around the place are not managed by any gardener – they grow on their own, with little or no help from Ambika (Madhur’s wife and co-owner of the Retreat, fondly known to most as Kuna). The three pet cats of Kuna, Brownie, Musasa and Ai-Ai, are as much a part of the Retreat as are the trees and flowers. And the food, though cooked as simply as at home, will definitely make you over-eat and gain as many kilos as you lose trekking!

 

The Retreat, within itself, offers several things to do during your stay – I won’t reiterate the ones that Madhur has already listed on his website, but I will tell you this: if you are a nature enthusiast, and especially like bird watching, then you would probably find yourself being taken trekking around the place by Madhur and Kuna themselves! And I tell you, it would be worth the experience, for these two know the place like the back of their hands, are charming hosts and have a gift of endearing themselves to you without really trying!

I am now back. To my drab existence in Kolkata! And it is here that I am finishing this post. I was at the Retreat for almost seven days, and there was never a dull moment - and the farthest that I went from the Retreat was to Lamkeshwar! You might be thinking, “what will I do there for seven days?!” For that, you need to visit the website. But even apart from that, I assure you, I witnessed the regrets of the visitors who were there for only two or three days. Well, to be honest, I regretted leaving too, even after seven days, but that was because I never like my vacations to end!

If I had it my way, I would have stayed on forever! That was not to be, though... But if you do decide to visit The Misty Mountains Retreat, and you don’t have a month to spend there, definitely spare a week. Otherwise, you will not do the place justice. You will not do yourself justice. And you will definitely come back unsatisfied!

 

If you'd like to see my memories of the Retreat, you might want to click this link: Holiday at The Misty Mountains Retreat. For pictures of the Retreat itself, well, Madhur has a website: The Misty Mountains Retreat.

Journeyed High through the Clouds

15th October, 2008

The mundane chores of every day life, tensions of office and the hot, humid weather of Kolkata were weighing us down for quite some time. And then, a wet, muddy Puja was promised, and we (meaning Mom, Ashish & I) decided to take immediate flight from this place!!! This October, therefore, we decided to explore the Himalayan terrains of Sikkim, and so, a short tour plan was chalked out almost at the last moment, as per which we were to cover Gangtok, Pelling and Siliguri mainly, with a few other places thrown in during the course of the journey.

Getting to Gangtok is easy… The capital of Sikkim is well connected by roads to nearby cities like Siliguri, Bagdogra etc. Trains and flights do not go directly to Gangtok (or to any other city in Sikkim, for that matter), but the nearest railway station, i.e. Siliguri, and the nearest airport, i.e. Bagdogra are only hours away from the city of Gangtok. A number of trains touch the New Jalpaiguri (NJP) station in Siliguri, and there are regular flights to Bagdogra also. Both these cities have excellent roadways connectivity with Gangtok. You could also take a chopper service from Bagdogra to reach Gangtok, which would take you much less time and would also give you a great experience of cruising through the mountains. We however took a train to NJP, and from there a hired Indica carried us to Gangtok.

That, I think, is quite enough logistics – now let me get to business! The tour of Gangtok promised us a lot of scenic beauty and the major highlights of this trip were to be the closeness to the Himalayas, which is quite a majestic creation of Mother Nature. The scenic beauty that is so famed in this region was revealed to us quite early in the trip – the long winding road from Siliguri to Gangtok was spectacular! We drove through the foothills of the Himalayas, while River Teesta gushed by, as you can see from the picture below...

Pics Above: River Teesta enroute Gangtok from Siliguri

We took a little over five hours to reach Gangtok. It was cool and pleasant, and the sun shone quite brilliantly still when we reached Gangtok, but by the time the three of us had finished bathing, lunching and dressing up for the evening, the sun had set, and the temperature had dipped a little. Mom was too tired to take a walk outside, so Ashish & I took off, intending to explore the nearby places. We walked down to the famous market place, M. G. Marg, and also visited a Durga Puja pandal on the way. After exploring the shops for quite some time and purchasing some necessaries there, we promptly headed towards a restaurant to fill our aching stomachs. [Just for your information, there are quite a few good hotels with restaurants there – Hotel Bayul, Hotel Dzong, Hotel Golden Pagoda & Hotel Hungry Jack are by far among the best ones.]

Once inside the restaurant, we were shocked beyond all expectations! I knew alcohol was cheap in Sikkim, but I didn’t know it was this cheap!! We could never imagine drinking wine for 35 bucks a peg / 135 bucks a bottle! Perhaps for the first time in our lives, we paid more for our food than what we paid for our drinks… and that too after drinking a lot more than we ate!!!

The next day found us chugging along in a Mahindra Maxx, along with seven others, for we were to visit the Nathu La Pass, Baba Mandir and Tsongo Lake. It was a cold, cloudy and wet day, and our breath misted as we spoke to each other, but we kept our fingers crossed and kept our spirits up! To keep the cold away, we had carried some chocolates and pistachios with us, but in my opinion, we would be much better off if we had carried some brandy or rum instead!!!

The road from Gangtok to Nathu La can only be described with one word – scary! In the beginning, the roads were good and wide, but as we climbed higher, the roads got rockier and narrower, and my heart skipped a beat every time the car took a steep turn… It was however a treat to watch the roads. Cut through the mountains, they winded and twisted and turned and seemed never-ending to us. On one side of us rose the hills, and on the other side the valley sloped down. The flora was strikingly bright & colorful, and at times, I felt as if I was watching a scene out of a framed painting rather than a real vista! Every now and then, some terms kept popping into my mind – ethereal, glorious, picturesque, breathtaking, exquisite… I could not stop admiring the work of Mother Nature! Through the pictures below (which, incidentally, I had taken from our running car) I hope to bring to you at least a fraction of the real beauty of the scenes.

Pics Above: En route Nathu La Pass

When we reached Nathu La, it was raining, and the weather was dark, murky & cloudy, and it was very, very cold. We however braved all of these, and stepped out into terrain that was about 14000 feet above sea level! Our teeth were very nearly chattering, and the rain soon drenched our woolen gloves. The oxygen levels there were pretty low, and it was difficult to walk and breathe at the same time. The clouds were all around us and had completely veiled the peaks and mountains all around us. Each time we walked through a particularly moisture-laden cloud, we felt wet & frozen to the core! There were times when we could not see the people walking right in front of us, as the clouds had obscured our vision…

Honestly, we were quite thankful to leave Nathu La about half an hour later – by that time we felt we were half dead already, from all the walking that we had done in that time! The moment we were back in the car, we started munching on the chocolates and pistachios, in a vain attempt to warm ourselves up. Soon the car had rolled out, and after driving through the clouds for about half an hour more, we reached Baba Mandir. There is a very strange story about this shrine, which has been built in the memory of Baba Harbhajan Singh, an erstwhile Major in the Indian Army. You can read the story here.

Pics Above: The Baba Mandir

Next, we descended to the Tsongo Lake, at an altitude of about 12000 feet above the sea level. While climbing up to Nathu La, we had crossed this lake in its full charisma, as it was slightly sunnier at that time. But the weather had deteriorated since then, and now it was cloudy and wet here too. However, Tsongo Lake still looked beautiful, and it really seemed worth having braved biting cold, freezing rains and so many other hardships just to reach and to set your eyes upon this gorgeous lake.

Pic Above: The Tsongo Lake

Soon however, the lake was completely obscured by the clouds, and we waded through them to descend further to the Tsongo Lake Shopping Complex. Thankfully, though, the clouds cleared after a little while, and we were able to enjoy the feeble sun for a quarter of an hour, and then it was time to head back to Gangtok.

Pic Above: The Tsongo Lake being obscured by the Clouds

On our way back, the clouds came back to haunt us, and visibility was reduced to such an extent that we could barely see the tail lamps of the car rolling ahead of us. We sat tight in our car, hearts in our mouths, hoping and praying with all our might that we get back from this trip alive and in one piece! We thanked God after about an hour and a half for granting our wish, and I, for one, thought that there could be no better moment to recite “Thank You God for the Life we Lead…”!!

Once in Gangtok, we headed to the Hungry Jack, where we drank wine and brandy most thankfully, and then proceeded to fill our empty stomachs with some amazing Chinese dishes!

The next day, we drove to Pelling from Gangtok, and saw quite a few places en route. It was slightly sad that we couldn’t do much of sightseeing in Gangtok itself, and though we did pass Hanuman Tok, Tashi Viewpoint & the famous Ropeway of Gangtok on our way, we did not have time to really enjoy them. We drove to Rumtek, which is famous for its monastery. En route, we passed the Rumtek Viewpoint, and the view of the valleys from there was truly breathtaking! We also noticed that there was a hotel, Hotel Rumtek Dzong, bang opposite the viewpoint, which seemed much more inviting and charming for a stay than in the city of Gangtok, and we promptly decided to schedule our next stay there!

The Rumtek Monastery was striking in its vivacity and bright colors. The interiors of the monastery were rich, colorful and flamboyant, but at the same time emanated a strange serenity. After spending some time there, we slowly proceeded to our car and journeyed on.

En route Pelling, we must have crossed at least a hundred small springs and falls. I was quite fascinated by the thought of how each one of these springs finally find their way, very determinedly and doggedly, into either River Rangit or River Teesta! We also passed through many small sweet towns, among which Ravangla, Singtham, Geyzing & Legship were enticing. Ravangla and Geyzing were especially beautiful, and we arrived at Pelling shortly after noon. It was a cloudy and murky kind of weather here too, and was much colder than in Gangtok, so after lunch, we went out very shortly to arrange for the tours for the next two days, and then returned back to the comfortable warmth of our hotel.

Pics Above: (from top to bottom) Some Waterfalls en route Pelling, Terrace Farming in Ravangla, View from Geyzing

The next morning, when Mom woke me up, it was nearly 6am. In my barely conscious mind, the first thing that pervaded my sleep was the thought of seeing Kanchenjunga! The only reason why people rush to Pelling is because from this town, you can see this snow capped peak (which is the third highest peak in the world) so closely that you feel as if you can touch it… and my major reason for visiting Pelling was most definitely Mt. Kanchenjunga.

I very nearly jumped up from my bed, and rushed to open the windows. Before Mom & Ashish even understood why I was acting so weird, this captivating sight greeted me (picture below), and I called out to Mom & Ashish to come and share my joy! My Mom gasped, and Ashish jumped off his bed too so that we could go up onto the terrace and take some more pictures of the enthralling Mt. Kanchenjunga – such was the impact of “Mt. Kanchendzonga” on us!

Pics Above: Kanchenjunga from our Hotel Room and from the Terrace Top

Soon, it was time to drive out in our hired Alto for sightseeing in and around Pelling. Our driver cum guide introduced himself as Philip Tamang, and from that moment on, we had the best and most memorable trip in the entire tour programme! Philip was not just a driver who took us around to the various tourist spots and left it to us to see them. He took it upon himself to narrate to us the importance of the various places, and also to take us to places to which the normal driver would not bother to take tourists.

Philip took us first to the Kanchenjunga Falls. But the Kanchenjunga Falls that the normal tourist visits is just the tip of the iceberg. Philip took us to the real falls that remain hidden behind the rocks, and which are quite difficult to access. He took Ashish across the rocks, through the falls to the very base of the falls and, though scared, Ashish enjoyed the experience to the hilt!

Pics Above: The Kanchenjunga Falls and the Real Kachenjunga Falls

Philip took us to the Khecheopalri Lake from the Kanchenjunga Falls. The lake, also known as the Wishing Lake, has a religious significance among the local people – they believe that any wish made to the lake is always fulfilled, and there is much offering done to this lake and it is ardently worshipped by them. It is also said that although the lake is surrounded by trees all around, yet no leaf floats on its waters, as every single of the fallen leaves are scooped up by the birds. It is indeed quite remarkable how the surface of the lake is absolutely clear, and no debris floats on it!!!
Pic Above: The Khecheopalri Lake

Next we went to the Rimbi Rock Gardens, where a garden has been cultivated along the River Rangit. The effect and the milieu were truly picturesque, and neither Ashish nor I felt like leaving! We walked through the gardens a bit, and then headed to the Rangit Hydel Power Plant and the Rimbi Waterfalls. After that, it was time to break for lunch and we headed back to our hotel for refuelling ourselves!
Pic Above: The Rimbi Rock Gardens

Post lunch, Philip took us first to the Rabdentse Ruins. Rabdentse happens to be the ancient capital of Sikkim, and is ideally situated on top of a hill, from where the monarch could actually see the whole of Sikkim. The Namgyals, who are the royal family of Sikkim (the King is known as the “Chogyal”) abandoned Rabdentse later on, but the ruins are now protected by the Archaeological Survey of India as a national monument. The view from various points of the ruins were truly spectacular, and though one has to trek for about a kilometer through the hills and dense forest to reach the ruins, it is truly worth every painful step taken to reach it!

From the ruins, we went to visit the Pemayangtse Monastery, which is not as big as the Rumtek Monastery, but is famous because of a petite, beautiful but massive structure made of wood. It is said that the structure has been carved out of the trunk of one single tree, and is truly exquisite and looks like a riot of colours.
Pic Above: The Vibrant and Petite Wood-Carved Structure at Pemayangtse Monastery

The last place we visited was the helipad ground. We were informed that since these regions are very prone to landslides, and at times they remain cut off from the main land for months, the Sikkim Government keeps a few helicopters handy, which are used to deliver necessaries and relief items to the local people in such an event, or to ferry stranded tourists. When we finished the trip at the end of the day, we were riotously happy and satisfied to the hilt! We decided on the spot that we would carry some souvenirs of the trip back to Kolkata for our friends and family, and we did some rather impromptu shopping outside the hotel. A sumptuous dinner and some pegs of wine later, the warm hotel beds seemed to hold a magnetic power over us, and we snuggled into them with wonderful thoughts of the day.

The next day, we left Pelling early in the morning for Siliguri. Philip drove us out and took us to a place near Siliguri, where we went rafting on River Teesta for about 8 kms (from Malli to 29th Mile). We crossed the point where Rivers Rangit & Teesta converge, and were treated to some interesting folklore about the two rivers (you can read the story here, this is the best version that I could get online). Soon however, the fun day was over, and we had to resume our journey to Siliguri.

Once we reached our hotel in Siliguri, it felt as if the tour was over already. Although we did have plans of visiting the famous Hong Kong Market there, we felt quite lazy and drained, and the very thought of traversing the hot, humid plains nauseated us – so, we stay put in the hotel, watched television and finally went to sleep after an early dinner. The next morning dawned upon us a bit too soon, and before long we found ourselves on the train that was to bring us back to Kolkata.

Thus ended one more tour of mine. Our glorious days of walking through the clouds and reaching out to the paradise are over, and it is now time for all three of us to get back to our mundane daily chores… Sigh… How I wish these tours of mine never ended!!!

P.S.: If you want to see more pictures of the places I’ve just described, this is the place to go to!

Travelogue…

16th September, 2008

Honestly, I have surprised myself by finally managing to stage a comeback to the world of blogging!!! Much as I have been full to the brim with snippets of my life that I would want to share, I somehow never find the time, energy and enthusiasm to write about them all! But today, I am determined…

Hmmm… where do I start? I think I will tackle my favorite first – travelling… I’ve been travelling quite a lot lately – most of them business related and some of them for the pure pleasure of it all – but I suppose it’s the latter category that I should share.

Well, I should start with the one I had last year. Last October, Mom and I visited Vizag (aka “Vishakhapatnam / Vishakhapattanam” to many), one of the important port cities of Andhra Pradesh. One of the reasons why I found this city great is that it is a coastal city surrounded by the hills of the Eastern Ghat. You can actually see the hills merging into the sea here, and I loved that. Of course, I discovered other reasons to visit Vizag too, but more of that later.

Getting to Vizag is quite easy and comfortable. You can reach Vizag by road, rail or by air. It has its own airport, which is well connected to the major cities. By rail, Vizag lies on the Kolkata - Chennai main line and therefore almost all trains which go to Chennai from Kolkata pass through this city. Road transport also connects Vizag to the rest of the country as it lies on National Highway No. 5. However, we travelled by an Air Deccan flight from Kolkata, considering the time constraints and comfort.

Enough about the logistics, now down to the more interesting details! We had a five day trip planned, including the days of the journey. Therefore, the schedule was quite a packed one, and I shall now proceed to give you a day-to-day account of the trip, so here goes!

Day One: Our flight took off a little later than 7am, and we reached our hotel in Vizag within 11am. That day, we just lounged around and arranged the trips for the next few days. We also discovered some yummy food joints near the hotel, and treated ourselves. Within the city, we were informed that there were quite a few spots worth visiting – the Ramakrishna (RK) and Rishikonda Beaches, the lighthouse at the Dolphin's Nose, the temples at Sivagiri & Kailasagiri, Matsyadarshini, Mudasarlova Water Park, Submarine Museum and the famous ropeway of Vizag.

(pic above: a view of the city of Vizag)

Day Two: We left our hotel at around 8am in the morning and actually visited all these places. Pleasantly enough, I bumped into a colleague of mine, Haimanti, at the first place we visited, i.e. RK Beach, as she was also visiting Vizag during those days, and I kept bumping into her at all the places that we visited that day!

The RK & Rishikonda Beaches were beautiful and serene. I especially liked Rishikonda Beach, where we had an amazing view of the Eastern Ghats sloping down into the Bay of Bengal, and the waves lapping the feet of the hills… We skipped the temples at Sivagiri & Kailasagiri, though we did visit the other places of interest in Kailasagiri, including the toy train and the ropeway. Riding the ropeway was good fun – we could see the beaches lining the city, the hills hovering above it and the city itself lying serenely in the midst of all of it. The boats, houses and the cars appeared tiny from up there, and the city looked stunning!

(pics above: The Ropeway in Motion & View of Vizag from the Ropeway)

Matsyadarshini & Mudasarlova Water Park also did not strike us as anything out of the ordinary. The lighthouse at the Dolphin’s Nose was intriguing, though sadly enough we couldn’t climb up to the top as it was a Sunday.

The icing on the cake for that day however was the Submarine Museum. This is India’s (indeed, Asia’s) only museum that has been built in a real submarine. This submarine, INS Kursura, has had a long life of 31 years, and has served in the Indian Navy. After being decommissioned in 2001, INS Kursura has been turned into a museum on the RK Beach. It was truly wonderful to get into INS Kursura, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck prickle as I looked at the various parts of the submarine – the torpedoes, the cabins, the storage compartments, the periscope and the control panel for piloting the submarine!

(pic above: The Submarine Museum)

We came back from the city tour at around 7pm, exhausted but really exhilarated with the day!

Day 3: We took a car to visit the much talked about Araku Valley. En route, we visited the Simhachalam temple and the Borra Caves. These two are perhaps the most popular tourist spots in the state of Andhra Pradesh which fall en route Araku.

Simhachalam is a very old temple with exquisite stone carvings, situated on top of a hill. The stairs leading to the temple seemed to go on and on and on, but what awaited us at the end of the never ending steps did make the pain worth it!

The Borra Caves also intrigued us a lot. These caves, with their ancient stalactites and stalagmites, are said to be millions of years old… the caverns and the tunnels are truly scary, and the steps through these caves are really, really endless…

We finally reached Araku after 4pm, and we did have a wonderful time there too, among the blooms and the peaks… Araku Valley is truly one of the richest places I have seen in terms of natural beauty. There are dazzling wild flowers of all colours, blooming out of the hills, little streams making music against the backdrop of the rocks and waterfalls catching you unawares. There is also the sheer overwhelming power of our magnificent Mother Nature.

Araku is also populated with a lot of tribes, and we were lucky enough to catch a tribal dance session in the Tribal Museum there – it is called Dhimsu, and is a treat to watch!

(pic above: View of the Araku Valley)

We got back to our hotel really late in the night that day, and by the time we did, we were nearly falling off our feet! Fatigued, but thrilled, we somehow managed to call for dinner, and nearly fell asleep while eating!

Day 4: We utilized this day to visit the Submarine Museum again, and also visited the port. We however didn’t have enough time to visit the lighthouse at Dolphin’s Nose. We also did a little shopping, mainly for local souvenirs that we wanted to give away to friends and families, and a nice Hyderabadi pearl wristlet for myself.

Day 5: Our Air Deccan flight back home was to take off around 1pm, and after lounging around in the morning, and packing, we headed towards the airport. The Vizag airport is a quiet and small one, and soon we were boarding the flight and taking off and leaving the beautiful city of Vizag behind, carrying only memories of the trip back with us…

Coming Up Next: Our Trip to Geonkhali

Tripped Bandel!

20th February, 2008

It has been a long time since I've been able to enjoy the pleasure of simple things. Doing things on an impulse seems to be a faraway dream these days. And spending some time without any real aim has become a luxury that I can't afford. Fortunately or unfortunately, however, the last weekend provided me an oppurtunity to rectify this situation.

For some reasons which I'd rather not disclose to the world, I decided to spend some time alone, with only myself as company, and far, far away from the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan city that is my home. To do so within the city seemed an impossibility. So, on an impulse, I landed up at the railway station. The local trains looked inviting, and I, on an impulse, took the first local available at the time.

The local was supposed to carry me to Bandel. There was not much that I knew or remembered about the place. The last time I'd visited Bandel was perhaps when I was in middle school, and all I remebered from that trip was that there was a famous church in there, and that the Ganges flowed in its full charisma right beside the church. But somehow, I felt myself looking forward to the trip.

As I boarded the local train, I felt strangely excited! It had been a long time since I'd travelled in a train. Time constraints and other reasons ensure that though I do travel a lot, most of it is undertaken by air. Though I don't deny that travelling by air has its own charm and comforts, trains still give me that age old feeling of a "tour"!

The journey to Bandel was uneventful. Although I did enjoy the scenic beauty of the lush green fields, with the cows lazing around in them and the swans swimming in the adjacent ponds, through which the train was tearing away, there was nothing that can possibly be penned down.

However, when I reached Bandel a couple of hours later, I felt quite disoriented. The last I remembered of the place was the country-like feeling that it had infused in me. Today, however, I was standing in a small town that was perhaps smaller in size than many of its counterparts, but apart from that, was quite urbanised! ATMs, computerised railway booking offices, cyber cafes and AC buses greeted me, and I honestly could not match the Bandel I was in with the image that I'd had in my mind...

Soon however, I had to get over the initial disorientation, and I proceeded to hire an auto rickshaw along with some other visitors to visit the church. After negotiating through a maze of narrow, winding lanes for about quarter of an hour, we reached the Bandel Basilica. It stood, splendid in a demure way, greeting the visitors with a perpetual smile, it seemed!

The Bandel Basilica Church

As I entered the church, a sense of amazing calm overcame me. For a long time, I sat in the prayer room, communicating with my inner self and calming my doubts... Soon however, it was time for the church to close down for visitors, and we were requested to leave (none too politely, though!)

I strolled out of the church, and ambled across to the riverside. Here, a shock awaited me. Where was the magnificient River Ganges that I remembered, flowing beside the church? Where were the sweet waves that I remembered, lapping onto the shores? All I could see was a stream! The sight saddened me immensely... But the sad story of Ganga is not what I want to pen down here, so I'll save it for some other time.

I stood there, on the shores, watching all the activity that was going on around me. There were picnic-ers, playing with a frisbee... a few kids, playing cricket... a couple of lovers, walking down hand in hand... The sight of them all infused mixed reactions in my mind. I wanted to go back to my childhood, I wanted to escape from the life that I live, I wanted to hold someone's hand...

I noticed a few boats ferrying tourists around. Soon, I found myself surrounded by a crowd of boatmen, wanting to give me a ride in the waters of the Ganges. I hesitated for a minute... and then went ahead. The boat, precariously small and narrow, bobbed in the waves... Soon, we were in the middle of the river, with the outline of the church visible on my left, and the outlines of the factories on my right...

Even before I'd had my fill of the boat ride, it was bobbing back to the shore...

It was evening by then. Time to go back to the place I call my home, I thought... A strange sense of sadness filled my heart as I reached the Bandel station and boarded a Howrah-bound local, which would bear me back... The memories of the trip, however, remained with me. And they promised to spice up my day whenever I allowed them to invade my mind!

My Travel Chronicles - A Trek up the Parvati Hill!

1st April, 2007

The plan to visit the famous Parvati Temple in Pune was made all of a sudden… of course, I’d had it in my mind for quite some time now, but had never managed to execute it – at times for the lack of time, at others for lack of companions! Then, just when I’d decided upon visiting the place alone, things clicked and this very memorable and wonderful trip happened!

Two juniors of mine and I set off early in the morning (much later than what we’d initially planned, but it was still early morning for us late risers!) and made our way towards the desired destination – Parvati Hill! It is quite centrally located – an auto rickshaw could take you there either from Deccan (a 4 km drive) or from Swargate (just 1 km). Since we stay near Deccan, we naturally found it easier to reach the Hill via Deccan.

The Parvati Hill happens to be the highest peak of the city of Pune (it’s situated at a towering height of 2100 ft above sea level), and predictably, it offers a beautiful panoramic view of the entire city spread around it. In fact, some people visit the Temple daily, both for religious and health purposes – climbing up the 108 steps leading to the Temple makes sure that you burn whatever extra calories you have!

The temples on the Parvati Hill are among the oldest heritage structures in Pune and are reminiscent of the Peshwa dynasty. There are five temples in all on the Hill, one each for the Lords Devdeveshwara (Vitthal), Karthikeya, Vishnu & Ganesh, and one for the Goddess Parvati.

(pic above) The Devdeveshwara Temple

That’s about all the history and geography of the place that I’m gonna include in here! As usual, I did my share of the research for you guys, and anyone interested in reading up more about the place can visit Virtual Pune or Pune Line.

Of course, the main attraction of the Parvati Hill for me was the famous bird’s eye view of the city all around. I’d only heard about the magnificent panoramic view that it offers, but once I went there I realized that words could not have described even a quarter of the real beauty of the scene! In fact, even the pictures uploaded here only depict half of the real beauty of the views!

(pic above) A view from the Parvati Hill! Pic taken by me...

Up on top of the Hill, it felt as if we indeed were on top of the world! We could see Pune at different angles from different parts of the Hill… and what a view it was! Multi-storied houses looked like small blocks that kids play with, the cars plying below resembled miniature toys, the roads and the river appeared to be sleek grey and green ribbons…!

Apart from the amazing panoramic view of Pune, exploring the Hill itself was a treat too… what with the ancient temples, the Peshwa Museum, the trees and the greenery, and most of all, the breath of fresh air, the two-n-half hours that we spent there seemed like an eternity in paradise!

(pic above) Can you make out the roads and the cars?

Pic taken by Anupam Prakash, my junior, and edited a bit by me!

Of course, we had to pay a price for this memorable trek - the scorching heat had depleted us of all our vital energies by the time we descended the 108 steps, even though we’d been smart enough to carry three litres of glucose water with us! We therefore thought it fitting to top the trip up by a sumptuous lunch at a wonderful place called Sukanta, near Deccan, which would wash away whatever fatigue we had… and it indeed served the purpose! The cool sugarcane juice and the yummy aamras soon revived us, and by the time we were home, we were already making plans of revisiting the place soon!

Though I’m not sure of that plan taking shape, you surely could whip up a plan to visit the Parvati Hill – trust me, you wouldn’t regret it!

My Travel Chronicles - A Beautiful Temple...!

16th March, 2007

I dunno how many times I've mentioned this, but Pune is really a beautiful city! It has quite a few places which appeal to my aesthetic side, and the temple at Sarasbaug is a very prominent one among them.

Located near Swargate, one of the less populated areas of the city, Sarasbaug is a place which fills the mind with peace and harmony. It is, primarily, a very famous temple (picture below) where Lord Ganesha is worshipped. The temple is no doubt beautiful, and it is said that whatever you pray for in this temple, comes true - but what captures the heart, soothes the eyes and caresses the soul is the complex...



Sarasbaug is more in the nature of a park - greenery all over, with a lake full of water lilies and lotuses among the tall trees... It makes a treat for the serenity-starved soul! It's a place where I always find my worries vanish into nonenities, and life suddenly seems so beautiful! I mostly like to visit the place in the evenings (the pic below is one taken in the morning), and if I'm worried or upset or restless about something, then it simply is THE place to be in for me... trust me, when the dewy grass tickles your feet and invites you to play with them... when the green, green trees wave their branches and beckon you to speak to them... when sweet blossoms of all possible colours look you in the eye and tell you life is beautiful... and when the cool breeze ruffles your hair and whispers melodious endearments to you - you are bound to forget all the bothersome details of life. You will tell yourself to wake up to the beauty of life and live it up fully, as much as you can!



Sarasbaug makes me feel totally at peace with myself... And if ever any of you reading this visit the place, I believe you will not be disappointed either!! So then, happy tripping...!

My Travel Chronicles – A Trip to Remember!

11th March, 2007

For quite some time now, I’ve been longing to complete this travel account, and share it here. Once again, it’s about the beauty of the city of Pune, and this one positively tops my list of favourites… Sinhgad & Khadakwasla!!

Sinhgad, situated around 25 kilometres away from the main city of Pune, is a fort. Literally, Sinhgad means “Lion Fort”… It was so named for various historical reasons, none of which I’m about to relate here (I hate history lessons! However, if any of you are interested in the historical significance of the fort, the following websites will help you – Around Pune and surprisingly enough, Wikipedia!)

On the way to Sinhgad, you have to cross the beautiful lake of Khadakwasla. It is actually a “moderate sized dam”, according to Wikipedia, built on the river Mutha and takes care of a major chunk of the water supplies to the city of Pune. There, that’s about the history and geography, now getting to the point!

Quite easily accessible from the city, Sinhgad can be reached by various modes of private and public transportation from Swargate. I have had the opportunity of visited the Fort by all sorts of transportations – right from a bike to an Esteem to a Qualis – but the most memorable of all my trips to Sinhgad was the one I undertook with two of my friends, in public transport! This is the trip that I choose to share with you today!

We left pretty early in the morning – 6:30 am, to be precise – riotously happy and in a great picnic mood! Public buses are pretty infrequent in this city, but fortunately enough, we didn’t have to wait long for one that day! The bus was to carry us to Swargate. The trip to Swargate was quite uneventful, so I’ll spare you the details! Anyway, 20-25 minutes later, we found ourselves at the bus stand there, waiting for the bus that was to take us to Khadakwasla.

About 45 minutes later, we were still waiting! The bus was no where to be seen, and our patience was running out! We started exploring other options, and very soon found one – six-seaters! Needless to say, we caught hold of one, haggled and bargained over the bhada, and finally, after three more people had been roped into the vehicle, we moved from Swargate!

It was our first six-seater ride ever, and boy, was it a bumpy one!!! About 45 minutes of bone-breaking ride later, we gingerly got out of the vehicle, and looked out over the vast stretch of a water body that was the Khadakwasla lake!

Like magic, all our pain and frustration vanished, as we looked and looked at the lake!! It wasn’t the beauty of the lake that struck us, it was the serenity… I’ve been to the place a number of times, but the picturesque scenic beauty of the lake captures my heart anew every time I look at it, and the charm of the cool, soft, rustling breeze never fails to amaze me… I have seen Khadakwasla at golden dawns, in cool early hours of the mornings, in hot sultry afternoons, at rainbow sunsets and in the quietness of the nights – and each time, I have gazed at it as if I’m seeing it for the first time… for indeed, Khadakwasla wore a different beauty every time!



All too soon, however, it was time to make a move towards our main destination – Sinhgad! So, reluctantly we moved on towards the nearest jeep, and it promptly made its way through the curving, winding, rocky roads of the Western Ghats, carrying us towards the fort.

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have described the terrible journey (we were squashed and nearly suffocated in the jeep, as our driver had, very kindly, decided to carry another family of four with us – there weren’t any more jeeps around, and this family desperately wanted to picnic!) but this is different – because the road to Sinhgad is almost as beautiful as the fort itself!

The roads are narrow, rocky and dusty – typical hilly roads that endlessly wind up and down through numerous hills… at times, you can see the deep slopes of the hills, and you cannot even make out what lies at the bottom… at times, you can see peaks glittering in the sunlight all around you… at times, you feel as if you are making your way into heaven (quite literally, as the roads are scary!!)… at times, small streams and waterfalls attract your attention – as if beckoning you to come closer… And all the time, Sinhgad Fort grows larger and larger in sight ahead of you! The gorgeous beauty of the roads we traveled made the suffering worth it. In fact, we hardly noticed how those 45 uncomfortable minutes passed by, so engrossed we were in appreciating the beauty of Mother Nature!

When we finally got out of the jeep, moving our limbs seemed to be a momentous task, but we managed it – after all, we had the prospect of exploring the Fort to egg us on! And then we stepped into the Fort… the famous Sinhgad Fort, with its beautiful caves, with its grandeurous ruins, with its stunning vastness…



We trekked and trekked and trekked… from one part of the fort, we could see the city before us… from another part, we could see Khadakwasla… from yet another part, it was only the Ghats that greeted us…

Just as with Khadakwasla, the Fort of Sinhgad also appears new to me every time I see it… I’m not talking about history here – nor am I talking about the various historical spots in the fort… I’m talking about the natural beauty of the place… in places it is rough, dry and dusty; in places, it is lush green… at times it is huge and forbidding; yet at times, so friendly and inviting!

The three of us seemed to have regained our childhood! We hopped, skipped and jumped… we explored, we traveled around, we befriended, we got lost and found each other again! We laughed and we talked and we chased each other… we saw, we went and we conquered! And we carried back warm and beautiful memories of the trip!

Late in the afternoon, when we finally made our slow, reluctant way back home, we kept turning back to look at the Fort, now growing smaller and smaller behind us, longing with all our hearts to go back! But soon, fatigue overtook us. By the time we reached Khadakwasla, practical things like food and drinks were on our minds! As we settled down in a small eatery overlooking the lake, I felt a sudden tranquility in my heart – the calm and quiet stillness of the waters, the soft breeze and the light melody of the small waves… all of them seemed to tell me something – that Mother Nature is beautiful, and so are all her creations… and so am I, ’coz I too am a lovely daughter of the same Mother Nature! Khadakwasla has always spoken to me… it almost always says the same thing – but in different ways!!

When we finally got back home at night, tired and exhausted, I realized some time during the day, some where during the trip, I’d twisted my ankle – but such was the influence of the profound beauty of Sinhgad and Khadakwasla that even my pain seemed beautiful, ’cuz it too is a creation of Mother Nature!!! After all, I wouldn’t know the beauty of a healthy limb if I didn’t experience this pain, would I?!