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इन्दौर – पैदल स्थानीय भ्रमण!

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संभवतः तीसरी मंजिल पर जाकर एक ओर खेल कूद की दुकानें और दूसरी ओर खाने पीने के रेस्तरां दिखाई दिये। जेब में हाथ मार कर देखा तो पता चला कि मेरे सारे पैसे तो होटल में ही छूट गये हैं। अब दोबारा किसी भी हालत में होटल जाने और वापिस आने का मूड नहीं था। पैंट की, शर्ट की जेब बार – बार देखी पर एटीएम कार्ड के अतिरिक्त कुछ नहीं मिला। कैमरे के बैग की एक जेब में हाथ घुसाया तो मुड़ा तुड़ा सा १०० रुपये का एक नोट हाथ में आ गया। उस समय मुझे ये १०० रुपये इतने कीमती दिखाई दिये कि बस, क्या बताऊं ! छोले भटूरे का जुगाड़ तो हो ही सकता था। वही खा कर मॉल से बाहर निकल आया। सोचा इस बार सड़क के दूसरे वाले फुटपाथ से वापस होटल तक जाया जाये। सड़क का डिवाइडर पार कर उधर पहुंचा तो एक छोटा सा अष्टकोणीय (या शायद षट्‌कोणीय रहा होगा) भवन दिखाई दिया जिसकी छत पर एक स्तंभ भी था। सभी दीवारों पर जैन धर्म से संबंधित आकृतियां उकेरी गई थीं। यह जैनियों की किसी संस्था का कार्यालय था, जिसमें छोटे-छोटे दो कमरे बैंकों ने एटीएम के लिये किराये पर भी लिये हुए थे। एटीएम देख कर मेरी जान में जान आई और मैने तुरन्त कुछ पैसे निकाल लिये क्योंकि मेरी जेब में अब सिर्फ १० रुपये का ही एक नोट बाकी था।

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इन्दौर पहुंच गये हम!

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खाना खाने के बाद मैने तो लंबी तान ली और ये तीनों महिलाएं न जाने क्या – क्या गपशप करती रहीं। राजा की मंडी (आगरा) स्टेशन आया तो अपने घुमक्कड़ भाई रितेश गुप्ता की याद आई। उनसे सच्ची-मुच्ची वाली मुलाकात तो आज तक नहीं हो पाई पर फेसबुक पर गप-शप अक्सर ही होती रहती है। मैने उनको इस ट्रेन से जाने के बारे में सूचना नहीं दी हुई थी पर फिर भी न जाने किस आशा में, प्लेटफार्म पर उतरा, कुछ पल चहल-कदमी की और फिर वापिस ट्रेन में आ बैठा। बाहर अंधेरा होने लगा था और खिड़की से कुछ दिखाई नहीं दे रहा था, अतः सामने वालों पर ही ध्यान केन्द्रित किया। सोचा, बच्चों को कुछ ज्ञान की बातें बताई जायें। घुमक्कड़ का ज़िक्र शुरु कर दिया और बताया कि अगर उन्होंने वह वेबसाइट नहीं देखी तो समझो ज़िन्दगी में कुछ नहीं देखा। वहीं बैठे – बैठे रितेश, मनु, जाट देवता, डी.एल. अमितव, नन्दन, मुकेश-कविता भालसे, प्रवीण वाधवा आदि-आदि सब का परिचय दे डाला। रेलवे को भी कोसा कि लैपटॉप नहीं चल पा रहा है, वरना उनको घुमक्कड़ साइट भी दिखा डालता।

रात हुई, खाना खाया, कुछ देर किताब पढ़ी, फिर सामान को ठीक से लॉक करके और कैमरे वाले बैग को अपनी छाती से लगा कर सो गया। ग्वालियर में उतर कर अंधेरे में अपने मोबाइल से एक-दो फोटो खींचने का भी प्रयत्न किया पर कुछ बात कुछ बनी नहीं। सुबह पांच बजे आंख खुली और ट्रेन लगभग 7 बजे इन्दौर स्टेशन पर आ पहुंची।

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Chennai Wildlife

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2. Chennai Snake Park: The Chennai Snake Park Trust is a not-for-profit NGO constituted in 1972 by herpetologist Romulus Whitaker and is India’s first reptile park. Located on the former home of the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, the park is home to a wide range of snakes such as adders, pythons, vipers, cobras and other reptiles. The park gained statutory recognition as a medium zoo from the Central Zoo Authority in 1995.

Chennai Snake Park is next to the Guindy National Park .It is located on Sardar Patel road in Guindy OR the best landmark for this park is that it is just next to IIT Madras. This is one of the eco friendly and environment friendly biological parks that attract many tourists. This park is highly recommended from my side to visit. I always find this park interesting.

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Neat, green, flower filled cemetery

A date with some unexplored places of Delhi

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Whenever we visit a Museum, we always wonder what compels us to visit such places. What do we hope to see? A visit to this museum would have a great impact in a child’s mind. There is a great educational value as well. Almost every country is inhabited by a people differing in manners and habits, language, religion, dress. Such visits will help them to know about different countries, to distinguish between individuals from other races, how very different they all look, to learn how people in different countries dress up during their festivals, their way of living.

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Wildlife encounters- Visit to the Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan

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The roads are quite narrow and at some stretches only one vehicle can pass thus it is advisable to be quite vigilant and drive safely. The villagers alongside are quite eager to help all through. Just at the end of one of the forks one can see a narrow road leading to Bhim ki dungari and the other towards Jain nashea. taking the left road ends on the red sandstone gate leading to the majestic Jain temple. The view of the main temple is quite soothing standing tall against the backdrop of the setting sun straining through the dark clouds. Just to the left of the road leading to the Jain temple is the Mughal era structure which is believed to be emperor Akhbar’s place of rest during his long hunting expeditions

Coming back towards the fork leads one to Bhim ki dungari. The story dates back to Mahabharat times when the Pandavas were sent to exile and had to live with hidden identities or “agyaatvaas”. The caves were abodes of the Pandavas then. It is believed Bhim stamped his foot on the ground to bring forth a stream of water to quench the thirst of his brothers and wife.

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Ladakh Calling… (Part 5) Leh – Pangong TSo – Leh

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Soon to my rescue I saw a Tata Sumo coming from behind. I indicated for some help & it stopped. The driver asked me to stand on the rear footrest and grab the carrier as it was all full from passengers. I was standing out in the open air on the rear footrest. After reaching to our point I thanked the driver for the help extended, in their local language – “Julley”.

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Mukteswar Hill station

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We walked to the rocky path to the top point in the evening there we could see the Shiva Temple. There is a Rock with a hole and it is believed if barren women enter this hole they will have children. It was a thrilling experience at the temple and the nearby Suicide point where we stayed quite some time seeing the Sun set and the moon rise and the chirping of birds of different kinds.

A sort of Red flowering plants could be seen all over. The red flowers seen is Brass/Buransh is the Pahari/Hindi name of Rhododendron Arborium. Its Juice is said to be good for reducing Cholesterol. The Oils extracted is good for Skin. There are hundreds of such medicinal plants here. This plant is seen all along the way up mingled with other flowers of different kinds. These preparations are available at Haldwani but not on top of the hills.

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THANDI HAWAYEN LEHRA KE AYYEN… Meri Kashmir Yatra Part 7

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Mr. Bhajji was clever enough to place the vehicle among the local vehicles and we crossed the vehicle only to find a toll office on the left side where a person was noting the number of the vehicle. If it was the local vehicle , those were allowed without paying any tax. If the registration number was outside state and not a tourist vehicle registered in Jammu and Kashmir then tax was levied. So folks no option but to pay that tax to reach the main snow point.

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Visit to BADRINATH and village MANA

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We were totally muddled what to do to see the long queue .We were doubtful that whether we would be able to visit the temple the same day but to our surprise unlike other temples our turn came within one hour as there one can afford to do hasty darshan because of too much of rush.The main entrance gate of the Badrnath is very colourful and known as “Singhdwar.”

Badrinath was originally established as a pilgrimage site by Adi Shankara in the ninth century. It is said that Shankara discovered the image of Badrinarayan in the Alaknanda River and enshrined it in a cave near the Tapt Kund (Hot Spring). Later the King of Garhwal moved that image to the present temple. Since then the temple has undergone several major renovations by many people.

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माता वैष्णोदेवी यात्रा भाग – ७ ( जम्मू – JAMMU – २)

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रघुनाथ मंदिर जम्मू और कश्मीर राज्य के जम्मू शहर के मध्य में स्थित है। यह मंदिर जम्मू कि पहचान हैं.यह मन्दिर आकर्षक कलात्मकता का विशिष्ट उदाहरण है। रघुनाथ मंदिर भगवान राम को समर्पित है। यह मंदिर उत्तर भारत के सबसे प्रमुख एवं अनोखे मंदिरों में से एक है। इस मंदिर को सन् 1835 में इसे महाराज गुलाब सिंह ने बनवाना शुरू किया पर निर्माण की समाप्ति राजा रणजीत सिंह के काल में हुई। मंदिर के भीतर की दीवारों पर तीन तरफ से सोने की परत चढ़ी हुई है।

इसके अलावा मंदिर के चारों ओर कई मंदिर स्थित है जिनका सम्बन्ध रामायण काल के देवी-देवताओं से हैं। रघुनाथ मन्दिर में की गई नक़्क़ाशी को देख कर पर्यटक एक अद्भुत सम्मोहन में बंध कर मन्त्र-मुग्ध से हो जाते हैं।यह कहा जाता हैं कि मंदिर में तैंतीस करोड देवी देवताओं कि स्थापना हैं.  मंदिर का मैं केवल बाहर से ही चित्र दे पा रहा हूँ. अंदर के फोटो लेना वर्जित हैं.

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Qila Rai Pithora – the First City of Delhi

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Delhi’s history goes back possibly to the times of the old village of Indrapat in and around Purana Qila. Other villages of that time were Sonepat, Panipat, Baghpat and Tilpat. Indrapat is the site of Indraprastha, the mythological capital of Pandavas believed to be buried in the area where Humayun built Purana Qila.

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Scenic beauty on the way to Badrinath

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On the way back from Kedarnath we had our light breakfast and started our downwards journey. At slow pace we covered 3-4 kms but after sometime my elder daughter started complaining of leg pain , I advised her to use either pony or kandi for rest of the distance but she did not like the idea and continued her journey.

While coming back we tried shortcuts in between but it is advisable not to use if kids are with you.As sometimes short cuts are really very risky too. We experienced that downward journey is more painful than climbing up. Around 12 o’clock we reached Rambara (Midway) , we had our traditional lunch , rice & dal and relaxed ourselves for a while and again proceeded further for Gaurikund.

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