01 Jan

Kolkata->Varanasi->Allahabad->Sultanpur->Lucknow->Delhi Road Review

Kolkata->Varanasi->Allahabad->Sultanpur->Lucknow->Delhi Road Review

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Road review for this journey or rather saying road review for NH2 in one word to say is simply awesome. It is advisable to start as early as possible in the morning so as to avoid the city rush.
Starting with the Durgapur Expressway from Kolkata, this is one of the best highways in India, there is absolutely no doubt in that. If you are actually driving in this highway, the road quality is so good and the greenery around are so nice, that you will just want to keep driving on this road. A maximum speed of 150 KMPH is no big deal in this highway and you can easily maintain an avg speed of around 90-100 KMPH.
Every now and then one can find decent places to have tea and snacks, there is not limitation on any kind of meals, whether its breakfast, lunch or dinner. Shaktigarh around 100 KM from Kolkata is one such ideal place to have a good breakfast. It’s known for its famous sweets (langchas). It’s also known as “langchagarh”.

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Kolkata to Delhi drive : Part 2

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Another early travel on day 4, this time the destination was Sultanpur, where I did my MCA from Kamla Nehru Institute of Technology (UP Technical University). I always had an idea that Allahabad -> Sultanpur distance although only 99KM, the road is not good, so it will take minimum 4-5 hours.

So we started around 4-4:30, however we found the road to be much improved. NH96 was much improved now. While driving almost around 2 hours, I thought I would be reaching the college way to early, however, took a wrong highway to Amethi somewhere. So I had to take another 35 KM drive back to Sultanpur and was at college by around 7:30. I showed my parents the campus, went to the mess and immediately all of them recognized me, offered breakfast for free.

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Temple trails of Karnataka – Part 1: SUBRAMANYA & DHARMASTALA

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The famous temple route of South Western Karnataka is Mangalore- Subhramanya-Dharmastala-Hornadu-Sringeri-Kollur-Udupi-back to Mangalore.Murdeshwar beach temple can be included too if one has more time.

Kukke Subramanya temple is one of the most revered pilgrimage destinations in Karnataka. Here Lord Subramanya is worshipped as the lord of all serpents. The devotees enter the courtyard of the temple from the main entrance at the back and walk around to go before the deity.

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Araku valley

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Araku is a picturesque tribal settlement in the Eastern Ghats, about 120 km to the north of the port city of Visakhapatnam a.k.a. Vizag, which also happens to be my hometown. For me, the drive is an end in itself, a mind-blowing experience as one navigates through umpteen hair-pin bends on a steep mountain road which snakes its way up the Eastern Ghats to an altitude of some 1200 metres above sea level. This is one of those road trips on which one does not feel like driving fast but prefer to gently cruise along the serpentine path, inhaling the pristine air and feasting on the visual candy being proffered so generously by Mother Nature.

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Of Seven Capitals and New Delhi: Chapter III – Mehrauli

Of Seven Capitals and New Delhi: Chapter III – Mehrauli

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The urge to talk about Mehrauli Archaeological Park is literally irresistible now. After weeks of traveling and researching over the internet and books, I could not but wonder whether this is the most architecturally and historically rich places in the world. Turning the pages of history brings alive every alley and stone of Mehrauli area with a vigor which I had never ever imagined in wildest of my dreams as I passed through these streets over last several years I have been in Delhi.

Mehrauli is the site of plethora of monuments, so much so that a sense of history and legends pervade every lane and even stones, for here lived kings, sultans, generals, warriors, saints and monks. Prehistoric tales associate Mehrauli with the descendents of the Pandavas. Later it saw the building of Lal Kot, a bastion of the first real city of Delhi whose archaeological proof could be found. Then it became the dominion of legendary Rajput warrior prince Pritviraj indelibly ingrained in Hindu courtly love tradition. Qila Rai Pithora was witness to the glory of Prithviraj Chauhan who was later defeated in Second Battle of Tarain by Ghauri, whereupon the latter’s death, his slave Qutubdin Aibak made Mehrauli his capital and the Sultans and emperors who followed him ruled from there.

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Aundha Nagnath / औंढा नागनाथ: भोले बाबा का एक और आशियाना

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नांदेड में हजुर साहिब सचखंड गुरूद्वारे के पावन दर्शन के पश्चात अब हमारी यात्रा का अगला गंतव्य था श्री औंढा नागनाथ ज्योतिर्लिंग दर्शन.
नांदेड में रणजीतसिंह यात्री निवास से लगभग 10 बजे चेक आउट करने के बाद औंढा के लिए बस पकड़ने के उद्देश्य से हम नांदेड के बस स्टेंड पर पहुँच गए, वहां जाकर पता चला की औंढा के लिए डाइरेक्ट कोई बस उपलब्ध नहीं थी अतः हम बसमथ के लिए बस में सवार हो गए और बसमथ से बस बदलकर लगभग साढ़े 12 बजे औंढा नागनाथ पहुँच गए. अब अपनी कहानी को यहाँ विराम देकर आपको स्थान से परिचित करता हूँ.नांदेड में हजुर साहिब सचखंड गुरूद्वारे के पावन दर्शन के पश्चात अब हमारी यात्रा का अगला गंतव्य था श्री औंढा नागनाथ ज्योतिर्लिंग दर्शन.
नांदेड में रणजीतसिंह यात्री निवास से लगभग 10 बजे चेक आउट करने के बाद औंढा के लिए बस पकड़ने के उद्देश्य से हम नांदेड के बस स्टेंड पर पहुँच गए, वहां जाकर पता चला की औंढा के लिए डाइरेक्ट कोई बस उपलब्ध नहीं थी अतः हम बसमथ के लिए बस में सवार हो गए और बसमथ से बस बदलकर लगभग साढ़े 12 बजे औंढा नागनाथ पहुँच गए. अब अपनी कहानी को यहाँ विराम देकर आपको स्थान से परिचित करता हूँ.

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सतपुडा नैरो गेज- बालाघाट से जबलपुर

सतपुडा नैरो गेज- बालाघाट से जबलपुर

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अभी तक आपने पढा होगा कि मैं सतपुडा इलाके में फैले नैरो गेज के जाल को देखने सबसे पहले छिंदवाडा पहुंचा। छिंदवाडा से नैरो गेज की गाडी में बैठकर शाम तक नैनपुर चला गया। अभी मेरे पास एक दिन और था। सोचा कि बालाघाट चला जाऊं, कल बालाघाट से जबलपुर खण्ड भी देख लेंगे। रात तीन बजे तक बालाघाट जा पहुंचे। यहां से पौने चार बजे एक डीएमयू (78810) चलती है गोंदिया के लिये। गोंदिया भी चले गये।

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तख़्त सचखंड श्री हजुर साहिब गुरुद्वारा नांदेड़/Sachkhand Gurudwara Nanded

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सभी घुमक्कड़ साथियों को  मेरा सप्रेम नमस्कार. एक बार फिर उपस्थित हूँ मैं आपलोगों के सामने अपनी नूतन धर्म यात्रा के अनोखे अनुभवों के साथ. अपनी ज्योतिर्लिंग यात्राओं के क्रम में पिछले वर्ष सम्पन्न की गई श्री महाकालेश्वर ज्योतिर्लिंग की यात्रा के बाद अगली ज्योतिर्लिंग यात्रा के रूप में हमने महाराष्ट्र के मराठवाड़ा क्षेत्र में स्थित दो ज्योतिर्लिंगों औंढा नागनाथ और परली वैद्यनाथ को चुना. इन स्थलों के बारे में जानकारी जुटाने के लिए जब मैं गूगल महाशय की शरण में गया तो उन्होंने बताया की दोनों ज्योतिर्लिंग नांदेड शहर के आसपास हैं. नांदेड का नाम पहले भी कई बार सुना था लेकिन ज्यादा जानकारी नहीं थी, अपनी सर्च के दौरान नांदेड के बारे में बहुत कुछ जानने को मिला, और पता चला की यह शहर सिक्ख धर्म एक…

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