12 Dec

Delhi to Hyderabad By Road – Road trip – Part 2 – Final

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Once you cross the MP border and enter Maharashtra, the real pain begins. The border was a stretch of non existent roads with craters  all over it. To add more to misery, there was a RTO checkpost which was checking the trucks and had created a huge Jam at this place.

After crossing the border, roads were bad, though there was tar on top but sudden potholes do surprise you and take a hit on your suspension.

After around 30 Kms from there, 4 lane road started which took me straight to Nagpur byepass. Paid my toll @ Mansar, and drove down the Nagpur byepass. I had initial plan of taking a stoppage at Nagpur and then start afresh from there, but never found any boards inviting me inside Nagpur, and I reached the next toll gate which was outside Nagpur. Now I had covered more than 250 Kms and wanted to have some rest but there were no dhabas or motels available.

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Shergarh – Sixth City of Delhi

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Before entering the main gate, get off at Mathura Road and enter the lake area. You can take the kids out boating. But you have more serious things to do. You walk towards the looming Talaaqi Gate. This gate like the others is also capped with chattris and protected with bastions. Walk along the ramparts on the right with the rim of the lake on your right. Once the moat probably ran around the fort but now is limited to the western flank. Just make some noise walking so that you do not startle love birds cooing in the bushes.
Shergarh is a sprawling compound bound by walls on all sides. There are three gates: The Western Gate for entering is called Bada Darwaza flanked with mighty bastions, Northern Gate is called the Talaaqi Darwaza or the Forbidden Gate and the Southern Gate is called Humayun Gate. Humayun Gate is the signature symbol of Purana Qila with the two ubiquitous pavilions on top. At the foot is an amphitheatre where the Light and Sound show about Seven Cities of Delhi is played out in the evenings.

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Mussorie – My best ever economical trip Day 2

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This place is located nearly 1364 Meter above the sea level . The Kempty Falls, surrounded by high mountain ranges and located at a high altitude of 4500 feet, is a good place for picnic or for spending a couple of hours listening to the music of water in the midst of the Greenery which cover the surroundings This waterfall attracts many tourists particularly from plain areas. Located at a distance of 15 KM from Mussoorie town , it can be visited by conducted tour or by taking a shared taxi near Gandhi chowk taxi stand. We opted for shared taxi.

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Mussorie – My best ever economical trip day 1

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We were really not sure what 6000 ft actually means, so after every 10-15 minutes we used to think Mussorie has come. But we were still not at Mussorie. Then at one particular point we saw a board Mussorie welcomes you and after sometime we reached at a place where there was number of taxi and it was the last point i.e. Mussorie. Weather was now little cold. We had covered our son with sweater and shawl and got down from taxi. We asked for the route to our hotel and a taxi person guided us to a staircase and then to the road. We paid charges to Taxi and was carrying our luggage.

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ओंकारेश्वर……………चलो एक बार फिर से.

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शाम करीब ७ बजे हम लोग औंकारेश्वर पहुंच गये। औंकारेश्वर में ठहरने के लिये हमेशा हमारी पहली प्राथमिकता होती है श्री गजानन महाराज संस्थान यात्री निवास, तो हमने सीधी राह पकड़ी संस्थान की और कुछ ही देर में हम संस्थान के सामने खड़े थे।

स्वागत कक्ष पर कुछ जरूरी औपचारीकतायें पुर्ण करने के बाद हमें हमारे कमरे की चाबी मिल गई। हमारा कमरा यात्री निवास नंबर ४ में था. अब चुंकी बहुत जोरों की भुख लगी थी अत:निर्णय लिया गया की सबसे पहले भोजन किया जाये। यहां यह बता देना सही रहेगा की श्री गजानन महाराज संस्थान के हर यात्री निवास में किफ़ायती दर पर भोजन की व्यवस्था होती है, चुंकी हम पहले भी श्री गजानन संस्थान (शेगांव) में रह चुके थे तथा भोजन भी कर चुके थे और वहां हमें भोजन बहुत पसंद आया था अत: हमने आज भी भोजन यहीं भोजनालय में करने का निश्चय किया और चल पड़े भोजनालय की ओर।

खाना सचमुच बड़ा स्वादिष्ट था, ३० रु. में थाली जिसमें दो सब्जी, रोटी, दाल, चावल तथा एक मिष्ठान्न के रुप में हलुवा……शुद्ध सात्वीक भोजन और हमें क्या चाहिये था? सो भरपेट करने के बाद हम लोग अपने रुम में आकर थोड़ी देर के लिये लेट गये। अब हमें ओंकारेश्वर मंदिर में शयन आरती में शामिल होना था जो की रात नौ बजे शुरु होती है. इस समय साढे आठ बज रहे थे और यही समय था शयन आरती के लिये निकलने का, अत: हम लोग मन्दीर जाने के लिये तैयार होने लगे.

चुंकि वातावरण में बहुत ठंडक थी अत: बच्चे तो इस समय बाहर निकलने में आनाकानी कर रहे थे लेकिन उन्हें हमने चलने के लिये मना ही लिया और अन्तत: हम लोग उनी कपड़े वगैरह पहनकर अपने रुम से बाहर निकल गये। बाहर सचमुच बहुत ठंड थी और हमें तो नर्मदा नदी पर बने झुला पूल से होकर ओंकारेश्वर मन्दीर की ओर जाना था जहां और ज्यादा ठंड लगने की संभावना थी।

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Cochin – Sightseeing by cruise and Cherai Beach

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As weather was hot, this ride was giving us good relief from heat. For first 15-20 minutes it was just like a normal cruise experience similar to Mumbai Gateway of India cruise ride or cruise ride at Rameswaram. But we were happy as kids were enjoying this ride with lots of space to sit as well as to run inside the boat and to see sparkling water.On our way we got to see many boats like country type, Russian yacht etc.

Although, it was a pleasant journey but I didn’t find it worth or it’s not value for money. Boat sailor but surely took us at the midst of sea and we saw numbers of Dolphin fish. Watching Kochi Harbour, Bolgatty island resort and Dolphin were good experience. Chinese Fishing net is an icon for Kochi but I didn’t find anything interesting watching that. The total time we spent here was 02 hours and we found it tiring. We came back to Marine Drive. Marine drive is a nice hangout place with many eatery joints.We had some light lunch and icecreams and came back to our friends place at 1730 hrs.

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A trip to Mewar, Raj – Jaipur Once again

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painting section: Second floor of this magnificent museum consisted of some rare books on display and a series of Raagmala paintings on display.These paintings are based upon different Ragas and Raginis of Indian classical music system. Different types of Raagmala series have been painted in different parts. Pahari style, Deccan style, Rajputana style. Each Raga is personified by a specific color, mood , time of its singing is mentioned on the painting and a story is told about a Nayak and a Nayika. I had read about tese paintings but was seeing these for the first time. I also had the privilege to see the paintings based upon stories from Hitopdesha and Panchtantra.  Just beautiful. Another surprise for me was the the presence of classic book JANGNAMA by Shah Muhammad(original).

Overall we spent about 2 hours in the museum and were tired. The big walls of this museum are adorned by the life like portraits of erstwhile kings of Jaipur state. Now was the time to have some snacks for the evening and visit the famous zoo of Jaipur, if not so big then not too small also. Dear Pavani’s desire was to have a look at the lion and the tiger which was duly fulfilled here.

THE ZOO: The desire was of Pavani was duly fulfilled as the first cage in the zoo was that of Leopard and next to it lay the cage of Tiger (wish double fulfilled).

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A trip to Mewar, Raj – Pushkar and Jaipur

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A small and picterusque town famous for one and onky temple of Brahma Ji, the town is also famous for the foreigners coming to the time to learn Yoga and instrumental music in the streets of Pushkar and numerous cafes adorning the streets. I can vouch for only temple perhaps my main motive was that only so I did,nt bother to look out for the guests from abroad or cafes. After inquiring my way to the temple of Brahma Ji, I straight away drove in that direction until I reached the place where Ghats were located. I thought may be temple is located in the centre of the sarovar there. So we all went towards the Ghat area and the thing that I  wanted to avoid at all costs followed us , hounding by various priests(pandas to have one or other form of puja for salvation of soul. As a person I m dead against these things as it seems to me more as an economic activity of these priests, nothing more(my personal opinion). Many persons were involved there in one or other ceremonies per their beliefs. But I did,nt want to listen to these priests about all this. One priest said “Unless you take bath in these Ghats and perform a puja your visit to Brahma temple would be incomplete” Why so? I just asked myself. After enquiring again about the temple from a family , we came to know that it was just on the next end of the street. I just pulled my family members from there hearing this. While walking towards the temple, in one corner , there was a small shop(PANDIT JI KI LASSI). Iski story baad mein bataoonga.

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Chennai Temples

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It is a very beautiful temple with numerous fixed glass windows permitting maximum sunlight thus saving lot of energy. All windows are nicely painted with mythological pictures. Beautiful wall painting, pillars and a huge darshan hall makes this temple very attractive. I really like the wooden doors of the enclosures where deities reside. It is a huge wooden door with beautiful carvings. Every Sunday , a special programme is held in this temple which includes bhajan, Bhagwat Gita course, Aarti and at 1315 hrs lunch Prasadam for everyone.

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Delhi to Hyderabad By Road – Road trip – Part 1

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The road conditions were really good looked like the same good roads from Krishnagiri to Chennai. Smooth 2 Lane Highway.

There were some minor ghat sections on the way which were super smooth laid and the car was able to do them at 80+

I had initially planned for stay at Sagar, but the roads were inviting and on the Highway I missed the entry into Sagar town, so I thought of stretching the limits and reach the next town which I hit.

It was already 7:30 and it was dark all around, stopped at a roadside Dhaba for my dinner and enquired about the roads ahead and the general safety in the area, once assured, I took a decision to venture ahead and reach Narsinghpur which was another 150 Kms from Sagar.

The Road till Narsinghpur was not complete fully and had a lot of diversions in between with non existent roads. As I had my last petrol filled at Jhansi, and I was planning to start early morning from my stoppage to Nagpur, I had to get the fuel filled so that I have a tank full in the morning. Before Narsingpur I passed a small town of Kairali and found a good petrol pump.

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A trip to Mewar, Rajasthan – Ajmer Sharif

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The hotel owner had warned me beforehand that Ajmer was a congested place and rightly so I also observed that. As usual we had no bookings and were in search of a decent budget hotel with parking facility. Mistakenly I asked a man about the way to Railwat Station as our experience has told us that such places could be found near Railway stations and Bus Stands. This time I was wrong and what I encountered was a very congested area full of crowd near Railway Station. My car was in chaos now with cycles and rickshaws all over it. It seemed to me very difficult to me to come out of it but anyhow came out of it nd just drove to a wide road about 1 km before the Railway Station. HOTEL NAGPAL was the sign board that attracted me. I  just parked my car and asked for the 3-bed room and parking facility. The hotel had both the facilities and I checked in. Tariff at that moment was Rs. 800/. Time was about 8.15 P.M and we were very confused whether to go for Dargah Ziyarat at that time or early morning. My wife suggested to go for  walk up to the Dargah of Khwaza Moinuddin Chishti  and try our luck at that time only.

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