10 Oct

рдЧреНрд╡рд╛рд▓рд┐рдпрд░ рдореЗрдВ рдШреБрдордХреНрдХрдбрд╝реА- рдЬрдп рд╡рд┐рд▓рд╛рд╕ рдкреИрд▓реЗрд╕

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рдЗрди рд╕реАрдврд╝рд┐рдпреЛрдВ рд╕реЗ рдЙрддрд░ рдХрд░ рд╣рдо рдорд╣рд▓ рдХреЗ рджреВрд╕рд░реЗ рднрд╛рдЧ рдореЗрдВ рдкрд╣реБрдБрдЪрддреЗ рд╣реИрдВред ┬ардпрд╣рд╛рдБ рдкрд░ рдЙрд╕ рд╕рдордп рд╕рд╡рд╛рд░реА рдореЗрдВ рдкреНрд░рдпреБрдХреНрдд рд╣реЛрдиреЗ рд╡рд╛рд▓ рддрд░рд╣ -рддрд░рд╣ рдХреА рдмрдЧреНрдШреА рд░рдЦреА рд╣реБрдИ рд╣реИрдВред рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рдкрд░ рдЙрд╕ рд╕рдордп рд╕рд╡рд╛рд░реА рдореЗрдВ рдкреНрд░рдпреБрдХреНрдд рд╣реЛрдиреЗ рд╡рд╛рд▓ рддрд░рд╣ -рддрд░рд╣ рдХреА рдмрдЧреНрдШреА , рдбреЛрд▓реА рдЖрджрд┐ рд░рдЦреА рд╣реБрдИ рд╣реИрдВред

рдЗрд╕рдХреЗ рд╕рд╛рде ┬ард╣реА рдорд╣рд▓ рдХреЗ рджреВрд╕рд░реЗ рднрд╛рдЧ рдореЗрдВ рд╣рдо рдкрд╣реБрдБрдЪрддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ рдЬрд┐рд╕реЗ рджрд░рдмрд╛рд░ рд╣рд╛рд▓ рдХреЗ рдирд╛рдо рд╕реЗ рдЬрд╛рдирд╛ рдЬрд╛рддрд╛ рд╣реИред ┬ардпрд╣рд╛рдБ рдкрд░ рд░рд╛рдЬрд╕реА рднреЛрдЬрдирд╛рд▓рдп рд╣реИ рдЬрд╣рд╛рдБ рдкрд░ рдПрдХ рд╕рд╛рде рдмрд╣реБрдд рд╕рд╛рд░реЗ рд▓реЛрдЧреЛ рдХреЗ рдЦрд╛рдиреЗ рдХреА рд╡реНрдпрд╡рд╕реНрдерд╛ рд╣реИред ┬ардореЗрд╣рдорд╛рдиреЛрдВ рдХреЗ ┬ард╕рд╛рде рдпрд╣реАрдВ рдкрд░ рдЦрд╛рдирд╛ рдЦрд╛рдиреЗ рдХрд╛ рдкреНрд░рдмрдиреНрдз рд╣реИред ┬арджрд░рдмрд╛рд░ рд╣рд╛рд▓ рдХреА рдЪрдХрд╛рдЪреМрдВрдз рдЙрд╕ рд╕рдордп рдХреЗ рд░рд╛рдЬ рдШрд░рд╛рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд╡реИрднрд╡ рдФрд░ рд╡рд┐рд▓рд╛рд╕рд┐рддрд╛ рдХреА рджрд╛рд╕реНрддрд╛рди рдХрд╣ рд░рд╣реЗ рдереЗред ┬ардЗрд╕рдХреА рдЫрдд рдореЗрдВ рд▓рдЯрдХреЗ рд╡рд┐рд╢рд╛рд▓рдХрд╛рдп рдЭрд╛рдбрд╝ – рдлрд╛рдиреВрд╕ рдХрд╛ рд╡рдЬрди рд▓рдЧрднрдЧ рддреАрди – рддреАрди рдЯрди рд╣реИред ┬ардЗрд╕рдХреА рдЫрдд рдЗрд╕рдХрд╛ рд╡рдЬрди рдЙрдард╛ рдкрд╛рдпреЗрдЧреА рдпрд╛ рдирд╣реАрдВ рдЗрд╕рд▓рд┐рдП рдЫрдд рдХреЗ рдКрдкрд░ рджрд╕ рд╣рд╛рдерд┐рдпреЛ рдХреЛ рдЪрдврд╝рд╛ рдХрд░ рдЫрдд рдХреА рдордЬрдмреВрддреА рдХреА рдЬрд╛рдБрдЪ рдХреА рдЧрдИ рдереАред ┬арджрд░рдмрд╛рд░ рд╣рд╛рд▓ рдореЗрдВ рдЬрд╛рдиреЗ рдХреА рд╕реАрдврд╝рд┐рдпреЛрдВ рдХреЗ рдХрд┐рдирд╛рд░реЗ рд▓рдЧреА рд░реЗрд▓рд┐рдВрдЧ рдХрд╛рдВрдЪ рдХреЗ рдкрд╛рдпреЛ рдкрд░ рдЯрд┐рдХреА рд╣реБрдИ рд╣реИред ┬ардПрдХ рдЧрд╛рд░реНрдб рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рдкрд░ рдмреИрдард╛ рджрд░реНрд╢рдХреЛ рдХреЛ рдпрд╣реА рдЖрдЧрд╛рд╣ рдХрд░рд╡рд╛ рд░рд╣рд╛ рдерд╛ рдХрд┐ рд░реЗрд▓рд┐рдВрдЧ рдХреЛ рди рдЫреБрдПред

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Trek to Goecha La – Yuksom to Dzongri

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We gathered in small groups in the tents to chat and while away the time. Dinner was served at around 8 p.m. at the one- room camp house which was occupied by cook Sumit Rai and his men. When I had ventured out of my tent around mid-night to go to the toilet-tent, I was awestruck on seeing small silvery snowflakes dropping from a clear sky. The moon shone in its silvery best.

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Romancing with the Kumaon Hills

Romancing with the Kumaon hills to Jageshwar – III

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Why do we need vacations? There is a very simple answer to it. We need vacation to rest, rejuvenate, relax, as well as to recharge ourselves at least for the next few months. It’s very important to get away and de-stress oneself in todayтАЩs world. When we work for a living, we must get away from the work once in a while. Recently, we went to Nainital and then an unplanned visit to Jageshwar Temple. We were mesmerized to see the beauty of the Kumaon Hills & surroundings areas. You can also plan a trip there.

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Kolkata to Kumaon – A stay at Allahabad

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In Hindu tradition Triveni Sangam is the “confluence” of three rivers. Sangama is the Sanskrit word for confluence. The point of confluence is a sacred place for Hindus. A bath here is said to flush away all of one’s sins and free one from the cycle of rebirth.One such Triveni Sangam, in Prayag (Allahabad) has two physical rivers тАФ Ganges and Yamuna тАФ and the invisible Saraswati River. The place has religious importance and the site for historic Kumbh Mela held every 12 years,

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Summer in Sikkim-way to Pelling

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We crossed the border to enter Sikkim. Smooth good road replaced the bumpy and potholed road, air became cooler, traffic lighter and River Rangit replaced Teesta. Soon there was no traffic at all. We were the only one on the road and River Rangit was there, revealing its beauty to prove Aaroop right. Yes!!! Rangit was dancing, flirting and romancing with us. I have traveled along rivers in Uttaranchal, Himachal but nothing like this.

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Pune to Bangalore Road Trip

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There were many Kamat Upachar all the way through, but we chose to stop near tumkur. Immediately after the tumkur toll there was this Kamat. The lunch was excellent . They also serve in the traditional banana leaf. Enjoyed the food, the quality was very nice. We took quite sometime at this restaurant and left by 2 p.m. to Bangalore.

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The Southern Sojourn тАУ Kanyakumari

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It was close to 9.00 p.m. and with hunger cramps, I told Rajah to stop at a good eating place in the next town en-route. We landed at a small time restaurant – Shanti Bhawan (?) at Sayalgudi, a very small Panchayat town. The place looked clean, but the restaurant owner told us that the place was тАЬfullтАЭ. There were around 40 Ayappa Swami Devotees already seated and they were to be served first and our waiting time could be more than half an hour. While talking to the owner I was surprised to see the pictures of Kabaa, the holiest place for the Muslims along with some of the Hindu Gods. I asked him if it was a Hindu hotel. He said it was a Muslim Hotel. When I pointed to the wall hangings, he said тАЬSir, we worship all the GodsтАЭ. I was touched by his reply to the hilt and almost embraced him. I wish people all over the country had the similar feelings and then this divide between the religions would probably be non-existent. Thankfully the things appeared to be much better in Tamil Nadu as people of all the religions eat the same food, drink same toddy, speak Tamil and wear the same dress тАУ lungi / dhoti and shirt.

Outside the restaurant, a group of Swamis (devotees of Lord Ayappa) were standing. I was told that they were coming from somewhere in North Tamil Nadu (after a couple of drinks, one tends to forget the names sometimes) and were heading for Kanyakumari,

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How I Managed To Trek Kheerganga With My 8 Year Old Daughter!

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There are two different legends that explains the origin of Kheerganga – One says that Lord Shiva meditated here for thousands of years and another says that Kartikeya, son of Lord Shiva and Parvati meditated here and the natural spring was emerged when Shiva struck the ground with His trishul on Parvati’s request as she was worried that her son wouldn’t get anything to eat here.

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Bhalkimachan – the royal bear hunting grounds

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The Zamindars and the royal family members of Burdwan used this place as a hunting spot and constructed several Machans for their convenience. Thus Bhalki and Machan combined to give the place its current name Bhalki Machan. The etymology can be broken down into Bhalu ki Machan. Bhalu means bear. Machan means an elevated resting place for the hunters to hunt down wild animals.

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A Small Slice of Athens

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The view of Athens from here is quite splendid. An immediate circle of red-tiled roofs gives way to more modern structures spread all around. Mt. Lycabettus sticks out of this jumble glowing under a slant of sunlight that has lanced through a cloudy sky.

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Kushinagar – Where Buddha breathed last

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The actual cremation ground is a bit away and I didnтАЩt go there this time. The area has lots of temples built by many countries which practice Buddhism. There are good hotels as well, including Taj and I clearly remember that there were internet kiosks five year back.

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