Day 25: Yearning for Yercaud

An amazing array of the hues of nature is perhaps the first thing which strikes any visitor travelling to Yercaud. The brilliant blue sky speckled with puffs of cotton in the form of clouds and the verdant green of the surrounding forests have probably never been so well-utilised in creating such a sparkling landscape. Nestled in the lap of the Shevaroy Hills, Yercaud is located at an altitude of 1515 meters in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu.   Bubbling with a healthy harvest of coffee, oranges, bananas, pears and…

Wayanad Wilderness

Every time I visit Kerala, I realise a new facet about God’s partiality to this beautiful Southern India state. At every nook and corner of the place he has lavished his indulgence and left us to wonder at his creation. Wayanad, lying snuggled in the Northern part of Kerala, probably took up most of his time. Adorned with dense forests, gurgling lakes, lush tea estates, mysterious caves and frothy waterfalls Wayanad was the perfect choice for our summer vacations.  Nuzzling the Western Ghats, the rocky terrain of the region added…

Day 22: Visiting Varkala

Stretched out lazily at the foot of a cliff, the Papanasam beach is the glistening jewel crowning the coastal town of Varkala. Despite being perched at the most perilous coast of the Arabian Sea, Varkala is Southern Kerala’s most popular hang-out zone. The golden sands of the Papanasam beach is a lively collage of footprints of fishermen bringing home their catch, backpackers thirsting for the thrill of adventure as well as those of the religious minded who come to wash away their sins in the pious waters of the ocean.…

Day 20: Tawang – A Walk in the Clouds

Enclosed in the misty embrace of the clouds Tawang lies nestled amidst the hills of eastern Himalayas in the North Eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh in India. Irrespective of its political and geographical boundaries, Tawang is a unique creation of the Supreme Being. Tawang is inhabited primarily by the Monpa tribe, who can trace their roots to their Mongoloid fore fathers. The traditions and culture practiced by these tribesmen are so unique that the place has been donned with a distinct characteristic typical to itself. This makes it all the…

Day 19: Suntalekhola – The Sound of Silence

It was supposed to be a quiet family outing to Gorumara in North Bengal with a few adhoc places thrown in between. Somebody quipped in with a suggestion for a trip to Suntalekhola and we all nodded casually little knowing how much that nod would change our whole lives. Suntalekhola is a quaint little settlement located at a distance of 5 km from Samsing in the Darjeeling District in the Northern part of the Indian state of West Bengal. It drapes around itself a mantle of solitude, but yet is able…

Day 18: Red Fort – The Last Bastion of Mughal Supremacy

Though I got acquainted with the nuances of the English language from a very early age, I came to comprehend the significance of the three letter word ‘awe’ only when I saw the Red Fort. I was in my second year in college, a student of history, when I travelled to Delhi, Agra and a couple of other places for my summer vacation. It happened to be, as I later realized, the most appropriate time and the most impressionable age to make that journey. It created a lasting impact on…

Day 16: Phulia – The Colourful Canvas

Colour was definitely the first thing which struck me when I visited Phulia for the first time 15 years ago. Phew! Was it that long ago? It’s still quite fresh and clear in my mind, my first visit. Bright, vibrant shades of colour was almost everywhere I looked. The cool green of the mango orchards, the refreshing pistachio of the paddy fields, the bright yellow of the mustard fields, , the turquoise blue of the cotton threads or even the reddish tinge of the muddy tracks where we cycled seemed…

Nainital – The lake of the eye

Locating Nainital Comfortably settled in the lap of the Naini Peak (also known as the China Peak), the Naini lake has been creating quite a stir among tourists for several generations. If you are still wondering which place I am rambling about…well take out your maps and locate the most touristy water body in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and you will never miss  Nainital.  Cool and placid, the waters of Nainital has always been regarded as the preferred summer destination of almost half of India’s travel hungry population ever…

Day 10: Jabalpur – Discovering Identities

When I travelled to Jabalpur enroute to Bandhavgarh for a holiday, I thought it would be just another stopover and nothing more. However, as we jingled along the sun-drenched roads of Jabalapur on cycle rickshaws, the omnipresent indigenous mode of transport consisting of a carriage like seating area attached to a bicycle, towards our hotel , I realised that the place was already casting its spell on me. Having been born and brought up in a big city, I was naturally unaware of the charm of a small town like…