There is a strange feeling of goodness that strikes my heart every time I visit the Taj Mahal. While most of my friends have complained of the dingy dirty lanes that lead up to this monument of love and the long serpentine queues that snake all its way to the entrance, I have somehow been able to rise above the mundane and managed to remain oblivious to the surroundings. As I trudged on through the rigors of the entry process paraphernalia (namely security checks and bag searches) I could feel…
Tag: tourism
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…
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 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…
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…
Day 4: Dhuandhar – The Smoky Cascade
‘Dhuan’ the Indian terminology for smoke is quintessentially associated with mysticism and mystic is what you become when you step into the misty haze of the Dhuandhar Falls. Located in the Central Indian State of Madhya Pradesh, the Dhuandhar essentially draws its name from the white smoky mist that is formed from its frothy waters gushing out from a height of 10 meters. I visited the Dhuandhar twice in my life. The first time was as a young, curious adolescent and the second time as a matured, experienced tourist. On…
