11 Nov

Southend-on-Sea Visit – Day 12

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We could see the water shimmering white, much closer to the beach now. The beach had started looking a rich shade of yellow, and we could see those cute little typical English houses in the background, beyond the beach. Anyhow, we reached the little pier all excited, hoping for some coffee or food stalls. However, the pier was just that – a pier. It was a wooden structure, with a huge-ish area to walk about in and a few benches to sit on. The view was quite lovely, and there was something about standing in the middle of the water, with the wind in your face and the sun shining above. The water tide had come in quite a bit and I wanted to get back to the beach. The next train was due half an hour later, and so I decided to make the most of it.

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सतपुडा नैरो गेज- दिल्ली से नैनपुर वाया छिंदवाडा

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अब शुरू होती है नैरो गेज की सवारी। इस सिलसिले में अगर कोई और होता तो वो सीधा जबलपुर जाता। लेकिन इधर ठहरे टेढी खोपडी वाले, छिंदवाडा जा पहुंचे। छिंदवाडा से नैनपुर तक कई गाडियां चलती हैं, सारी की सारी पैसेंजर। मैं साढे बारह बजे चलने वाली गाडी (58853) में जा धरा। यह गाडी शाम को सात बजे नैनपुर पहुंचा देती है। यह इलाका भारत का सबसे व्यस्त और घना नैरो गेज वाला इलाका है। यहां रेल लाइन की शुरूआत 1905 के आसपास हुई थी। यहां सतपुडा की पहाडियों का बोलबाला है। ये पहाडियां इस मार्ग पर सफर को और भी मजेदार बना देती है। आबादी बहुत कम है। हालांकि ट्रेन में भीड बहुत होती है। गाडी की रफ्तार भी कम ही रहती है। लोगों को तेज यातायात उपलब्ध कराने के लिये इस नैरो गेज को उखाडकर ब्रॉड गेज में बदला जायेगा। जबलपुर-बालाघाट खण्ड पर आमान-परिवर्तन का काम शुरू भी हो चुका है।

छिंदवाडा से नैनपुर तक कुल बीस स्टेशन हैं। इनमें छिंदवाडा के बाद सिवनी सबसे बडा स्टेशन है। सिवनी जिला भी है। बीस स्टेशन और उनकी समुद्र तल से ऊंचाई इस प्रकार हैं:

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Deoria Tal – Tungnath – Chandrashila

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The last night’s amazing views of the sky dotted with innumerable twinkling stars left me spell bound and I was eagerly waiting for the sunrise. Next day, I got up at 4 and asked the tent shop owner to wake up the guide. After half an hour later, we started our climb to the peak and reached there well before time and now all (all bengalis except us as this place interestingly is mostly visited by the bengalis, witness to that are the shop signboards in bengali) were waiting for the sunrise. As soon as the sun rose from behind the Nanda Devi peak, all were all set to capture the golden ring created by the sunrise. Our guide told us the names of all the Himalayan peaks that ranges from Nanda Devi till Yamunotri Peak from right to left where Chaukhamba is the most dominating peak in the middle.

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Ground Zero

New York: The Big Apple

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The only sound in this serene neighbourhood was the constant whirring of the security choppers patrolling the Hudson. Though there wasn’t much to see in New Jersey, I found its peaceful charm quite endearing. Whether it was driving through Harrison, or checking out the sprawling campuses of New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers Institute at Newark, or bagging great discounts at Newport mall, Jersey Gardens mall, Macy’s, Wal-Mart, BJ’s and Shop Rite, or simply walking along the Pier… New Jersey really appealed to my senses in a way that very few can comprehend.

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Sultanpur National Park: Pathos for a Sitting Duck

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The marshland appeared more like grassland with bushes blocking the way everywhere. There were more grazing cattle inside than birds – I mean the birds which were supposed to be there according to the article. The ambience inside the park was more allusive to the Eliot’s Wasteland than the Wordsworth Tintern Abbey. You must be thinking I am totally nuts…talking like this :-) Well the thing is that I am writing this line on a few miles away from Sultanpur National Park, on revisiting the banks of “not quite” marshlands of the park and 15 months had passed since my last visit to this one time birder’s paradise.

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Rays of Light

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We started our walk and soon saw the first of the Sarnath monument, the Chaukhandi Stupa. A beautiful, well kept garden surrounding the Stupa welcomes you with dancing butterflies and chirping birds. Chaukhandi Stupa has a square base. This stupa was built during Gupta times. And later during Islamic rule, it got the peculiar head with edges. Built in red bricks, it was an impressive site, standing tall under a blue sky, silently remembering the era by gone.
This main road of Sarnath is lined with some beautiful Buddhist temples donated and built by several east Asian Buddhist nations. It really shows their affection and devotion towards Gautam Buddha and it’s land.

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पिण्डारी ग्लेशियर यात्रा- जरूरी जानकारी, नक्शा और खर्चा

पिण्डारी ग्लेशियर यात्रा- जरूरी जानकारी, नक्शा और खर्चा

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पिण्डारी ग्लेशियर उत्तराखण्ड के कुमाऊं मण्डल में बागेश्वर जिले में स्थित है। यहां जाने के लिये सबसे पहले हल्द्वानी पहुंचना होता है। हल्द्वानी से…

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Trip to village(kirtinagar)

Trip to village(kirtinagar)

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The drive to Rankandiyal from Kirtinagar is around 8 kms along a small hill stream.In the month of June,the water was very clear and one could even drink it.I can vouch for its purity.The whole feeling was nostalgic since it was after 6-7 years that I was visiting the place.The sun was following with us and in no time,we reached the village.We went straight to the nani’s ancestral house where there was a big pandal and music was full on.The whole atmosphere was very divine and we were feeling very light after a long day of travel.We both were given a room in my uncle’s house.The room was small but quite cosy and we had to take blankets in the night.Soon we both were dead.

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पिण्डारी ग्लेशियर यात्रा- छठा दिन (खाती-सूपी-बागेश्वर-अल्मोडा)

पिण्डारी ग्लेशियर यात्रा- छठा दिन (खाती-सूपी-बागेश्वर-अल्मोडा)

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पिछले चार दिनों से मैं इसी खाती-सूपी वाले रास्ते की जानकारी जुटाने में लगा था और अपेक्षा से ज्यादा सफलता भी मिल रही थी। सफलता मिल रही हो तो इंसान आगे क्यों ना बढे। सुबह खा-पीकर हमने भी सूपी वाला रास्ता पकड लिया। हालांकि मैं और अतुल तो एक ही पलडे के बाट थे, जबकि हल्दीराम का झुकाव दूसरे पलडे यानी बंगाली की ओर था। बंगाली एक गाइड देवा के साथ था। देवा ने इस सूपी वाले रास्ते से जाने से मना कर दिया। देवा की मनाही और हमारे जबरदस्त समर्थन के कारण हल्दीराम बीच में फंस गया कि जाट के साथ चले या बंगाली के। आखिरकार बंगाली भी हमारी ओर ही आ गया जब उसने कहा कि इस बार कुछ नया हो जाये। धाकुडी वाले पुराने रास्ते के मुकाबले सूपी वाला रास्ता नया ही कहा जायेगा। देवा को मानना पडा।

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कफनी ग्लेशियर यात्रा- पांचवां दिन (द्वाली-कफनी-द्वाली-खाती)

कफनी ग्लेशियर यात्रा- पांचवां दिन (द्वाली-कफनी-द्वाली-खाती)

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तभी सामने कुछ दूर सफेद सी आकृति दिखीं। सोचा गया कि वे तम्बू हैं। चलो, वहां तक चलते हैं। जाकर देखा तो तम्बू वम्बू कुछ नहीं था, बल्कि कुछ प्लास्टिक का मलबा सा पडा था। गौर से देखने पर पता चला कि यह फाइबर है यानी एक तरह का मजबूत प्लास्टिक। कम से कम सौ मीटर के घेरे में यहां वहां बिखरा पडा था यह मलबा। इसमें लकडी के दरवाजे भी थे जो आदमकद थे। दिमाग खूब चलाकर देख लिया कि यह बला क्या है। आखिरकार नतीजा निकला कि यहां कभी कोई हेलीकॉप्टर गिरा होगा, यह उसका मलबा है।

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The River and the City

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The airport is located in Babatpur, a slightly funny name but when you see the airport name displayed in bold letters as Lal Bahadur Shastri aiport, suddenly it gains stature and you feel a connection, a long lost memory jogged. And you remember a story of young Lal bahadur swimming across the Ganga for his studies.

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