12 Dec

The Sunderbans : A long cherished dream : Part 3

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The first question I asked, whether any tiger tried to embark into our launch. Our crew members confirmed that no untoward incident happened in the night. So the tension, which was running in the background of my mind, had gone. We moved to the gate of Bonnie Camp, which was near to the place where we anchored our vessel last night.

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The Sunderbans : A Long Cherished Dream : Part 2

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While coming to Sunderbans I thought that we would see only water everywhere and the trip would be boring. But scenery and surrounding were ever changing. Nobody felt monotonous. While crossing the confluence we did not feel any turbulence. During rainy season, these areas become dangerous. For safety purpose, it is better to avoid Sunderbans during rainy season.

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Gangtok-Namchi-Pelling-Darjeeling tour : Part 3

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By the time, we found a momo corner nearby and grabbed few of them to fill the stomach before our two hours ride, the toy train arrived at the station. DHR was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO as it was the first, and still the most outstanding example of a hill passenger Railway. There are various types of rides available on this track, so you can book ride based on your preferences and time availability.

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Sweet and Sour Kerala Trip – Exploring Kochi

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Kerala is a paradise for sea food lovers and non vegetarians. Fish and rice is staple food of the state but if you are a vegetarian, it may be little difficult for you find variety of veg food. Same was the case with me. With only one vegetarian dish in dinner menu at hotel, we decided to look around for some other options and only ended at the Food Court of a nearby Mall. The initial idea was to roam around after dinner but since we had to leave early next morning for Munnar and it was already late we went back to hotel and retired to bed.

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Mumbai

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For long time I was thinking of visiting Mumbai properly. It isn’t that I haven’t been to Mumbai but it was mostly a day…

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Our trip to Udaipur – The city of lakes

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Do take hotels near Lake Pichola as it’s the best place to live in Udaipur. Lake Pichola Hotel (Government Approved) and Ambrehi Haveli are other hotels which I can suggest and are worth staying(Under INR 5,000 per night). Enjoy the lake side small cafes which serve you Italian, Mexican, Indian snacks. The price fits your pocket and the light music along with lake pichola view makes your morning more lively. One of such restaurant is Jasmine Restaurant.

Boat rides are available from many places across lake Pichola which can take you to Jag Mandir and Lake Palace situated at the centre of Lake Palace. Lake Palace can be entered by only those persons which have their room booking at the palace or else boat will just go around the same. As it is the most famous and most visited lake it is very polluted and smelly from some shores.

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गायकवाडों का शहर वड़ोदरा (Vadodara: The city of Gaikwads)

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ट्रेन आई और हम बैठ लिए अपने स्थान पर | एक वृद्ध दंपत्ति एक दुसरे का हाथ पकडे चढ़े | देखकर लगा की प्रेम की अभिव्यक्ति के कई आयाम और मायने होते हैं | ट्रेन अपनी गति से आगे बढती रही बीच बीच में आस पास के खेतों में उगे फसलों पर हम बात चीत कर रहे थे | तीन घंटे में हम वड़ोदरा पहुंच गये | स्टेशन से बाहर निकलकर हमने ठेले पर समोसे खाए और चल पड़े सैयाजी राव बाग़ की तरफ |

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A rendezvous with Narmada: Dhuandhar Fall at Jabalpur

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Sometimes, when you are too passionate about something, one gets a shock when the reality strikes suddenly. Deeply enamoured in love with the river, when I was approaching it, the reality of people struck me with deep sense of sorrow. I saw the poor children standing in the waves and searching for the coins which devotees throw in the water. I stood there for a while and wanted to ask those children about their reasons to do the same and to convince them about the risks that are generally associated with such activities in the middle of a raving water flow. However, after pondering over the situation, I desisted from entering into any kind of dialogue with those children, numbering around fifty. It was the example of extreme penury striking me with a reality check and shaking my conscience. All recent events of displacement of tribals during Bargi Dam and Sardar Sarovar Project revolved around my memory and I stood there dumbstruck. The modern day reality was mean and much beyond the well-meaning words of “Dakshin Ganga” and “mekal-kanya” etc.

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Maharashtra Yatra: Aurangabad- Panchakki and Bibi ka Maqbara

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Bibi Ka Maqbara is situated about 5 kms from the Aurangabad city, the burial place of Aurangzeb wife, Rabia-Durrani. It is an imitation of the Taj Mahal at Agra; it is also called as “poor man’s Taj Mahal” owing to it being a poor replica of the Taj. Behind the tomb is located a small archeological museum.

The comparison with the Agra monument has unfortunately somewhat degraded the Aurangabad tomb which in itself displays a worthwhile architectural design, with much distinguished surface ornamentation in the late Mughal style.

The tomb dates from 1678 and it was erected by Prince Azam Shah, one of Aurangzeb’s sons, in memory of Begum Rabia Durani, his mother. It stands in the middle of a spacious and formally planned garden, some 457 by 274 meters, with axial ponds, fountains, and water channels, many defined by stone screens and lined with broad pathways. The garden is enclosed by high crenellated walls with fortress set at intervals, and open pavilions on three sides.

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हिंदुस्तान का नाज़, यक़ीनन ताज….

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तकरीबन तीन घंटे की स्मूथ ड्राइव के बाद आगरा शहर में दिशा निर्देशो का पीछा करते हुए हम लोग होटल मधुश्री के सामने आकर खड़े हो गए. यमुना एक्सप्रेसवे से बाहर निकल कर जब आप आगरा शहर में प्रवेश करते है तो नाक की सीध में चलते चले जाने से एत्माददुल्ला के मकबरे (किले) की तरफ जाने वाले रस्ते पर एक टी पॉइंट आता है जिसमे यह होटल बिलकुल कोने पर ही बना हुआ है और इस होटल से दो मार्ग जाते है पहला आपको रामबाग, मथुरा, दिल्ली की तरफ ले जाता है और दूसरा मार्ग एत्माददुला और ताज महल की तरफ ले जाता है। इस होटल की एक बात मुझे और अच्छी लगी की आगरा की भीड़ से आप बचे भी रहेंगे और शांति भी बनी रहेगी अन्यथा जैसे-२ आप शहर के भीतर बढ़ते चले जाते है बेतहाशा ट्रैफिक और गन्दगी के ढेर आपको परेशान करते रहते है. और एक बात जिसकी हमे बहुत आवश्यकता थी वो थी कार पार्किंग जिसका बंद गलियो वाले रास्तो पर मिलना बहुत ही कठिन कार्य लग रहा था और एक पल को तो हमे लगा की कहीं हम इस भूल भुलैया में ही घूमते हुए न रह जाये। होटल के प्रांगण में कार पार्किंग का पर्याप्त स्थान मिल जाने के कारन एक मुसीबत तो हल हो चुकी थी और अब बारी थी उस जोर के झटके की जो धीरे से लगने वाला था अर्थात कमरे का किराया। होटल के अंदर स्वागत कक्ष में उपलब्ध प्रबंधक साहब ने बताया की यह होटल अधिकतर बिजनेस मीटिंग्स के लिए ही बुक रहता है जिसमे फॉरेन डेलीगेट्स आकर ठहरते है अतः आपको एक कमरा मिल तो जायेगा किन्तु चार्जेज लगेंगे पूरे पच्चीस सौ रूपए। अब मरता क्या न करता, आगरा के भीतर घुसकर ट्रैफिक से जूझने और कमरा ढूंढने की हिम्मत तो नहीं हो रही थी अतः महाशय को एडवांस में रूम चार्जेज का भुगतान करने के बाद अब हम लोग निश्चिंत होकर ताज देखने के लिए अपनी आगे की योजना बनाने लगे. वैसे यहाँ एक बात और बताना चाहूंगा की साफ़-सफाई और सुविधा की दृष्टि से होटल में कोई कमी नहीं थी, कार पार्किंग के अलावा अलमारी, सोफ़ा, एक्स्ट्रा पलंग, कलर टीवी, एयर कंडीशनर, संलग्नित बाथरूम, फ़ोन व् फ्री वाईफाई जैसे तमाम विकल्प मौजूद थे.

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