Cities

My Udaipur Diary – 8 must visit local places

By Kailash Mehta

City Palace has several gates (in local language known as “Pols”). The entry to the Palace is from the Hati Pol (Elephant gate). The Bari Pol brings you to the Tripolia gate. Main ticket office is near to it. You can also hire a guide or take the audio tour for getting familiar with the events and historic happenings of this beautiful monument.

The main part of the City Palace is now preserved as a museum displaying a large and diverse array of artifacts. After entering the Pol the armory museum is situated there, exhibits a huge collection of old war weapons. The rooms and the halls of the palace are decorated with mirrors, tiles and paintings. The Palace has large collection of royal paintings, jewelry, crockery, photographs and beautiful silver “Shadi ka Mandap” covered with glass wall. The palace has an old history which has many kings and rulers and there details, photographs and belongings can be seen in the different areas and rooms of the palace. The new small museums of silver, sculptures and music instrument were great.

Road Journeys – Mount Abu: “An oasis in the Desert”

By AJAY SHARMA

Evening is extremely lively in Mt. Abu, unlike other hills, the Mall road here remains crowded till late in the evening, say upto 10 – 11 pm at least. One of the safest hill station, less colder due to lower altitude and superb law and order, I was always pleased to see the care free atmosphere there. Diwali being just passed, the decorative lightings of the shops and hotels were still shimmering, adding extra charm to the already charming place. The vibrant stalls, mostly laden with Gujrati & Rajasthani stuffs are bound to lure your better half. Rows of ice-cream shops, pastries, cookies and crushed ice-balls (Golas) in different flavor are the trade mark of Mt. Abu.

Activities around Nakki Lake are however, stalled at 8 pm for security reasons. The surrounding is expanding with growing popularity and increasing inflow since I have last visited the place in 1998 and again in 2008.

सपनों का शहर शिमला

By Mukesh Bhalse

उम्मीद है इस श्रंखला की पिछली पोस्ट आप की उम्मीदों पर खरी उतरी होगी. चलिये अब आगे बढते हैं……. जब हम लोग इस टूर…

घुमक्कड़ की दिल्ली : गुरुद्वारा श्री बंगला साहिब

By MUNESH MISHRA

भवन के बाहर आकर पंक्ति में हलुवा का प्रशादा लिया. प्रांगण में कुछ देर शांतचित्त होकर बैठे रहने के बाद प्रशादा ग्रहण किया. गुरुद्वारों में मिलने वाले प्रशाद रूपी हलुवे की विशेषता है कि यह शुद्ध देशी घी से बना होता है और पूरी तरह से घी में तर होता है. हाथ में प्रशादा लेकर खाने के बाद हाथों में देशी घी की सुगंध और चिकनाहट बानी रहती है और स्वाद की तो बात ही क्या ‘गुरु-प्रसाद’ जो है. बच्चों ने भी प्रशादा ग्रहण किया और मेरी बड़ी बेटी भूमिका को इतना पसंद आया कि प्रशादा की लिए दोबारा से लाइन में लग गयी. प्रशादा वितरण करने वाले भगतजी ने सर पर रुमाला न होने की कारण थोड़ा डांटते हुए प्रशादा देने से मना कर दिया और हम दूर से दृश्य देखते रहे.

घुमक्कड़ की दिल्ली : तीन मूर्ति भवन

By MUNESH MISHRA

तारामंडल के बीचो-बीच एक विशेष प्रकार के प्रोजेक्टर ने धीरे-धीरे क्रियाशील होकर गोलाकार छत रुपी परदे को अपने प्रकाश से ढक दिया. आकाशगंगा, तारामंडल, ग्रह-नक्षत्र आदि ब्रह्मांडीय आकृतियों ने प्रकट होकर तारामंडल की छत को वास्तविक आकाश के रूप में परिवर्तित कर दिया. ब्रह्मांडीय खगोल की क्रियाओं जैसे ब्रह्माण्ड की उत्पत्ति, तारों के बनने नष्ट होने की प्रक्रिया, आकाशगंगा का बनना, ग्रह नक्षत्र, सौर परिवार के ग्रहों के आपसी सम्बन्ध और उनकी गति, भ्रमण, परिक्रमा आदि अनेक जानकारियों को बिखेरता हुआ तारामंडल का शो प्रगति पर था. ब्रह्माण्ड के नक्षत्र, आकाशगंगा, सौर परिवार और ग्रहों आदि को अच्छी प्रकार से समझने हेतु तारामंडल विशेष उपयोगी है.

Chandigarh

By Arpit

“Try the pancakes, with honey – they are good” She suggests.

I nod and add a masala tea to the order. Her phone rings while she is scanning the menu. “An omelet for me…” she rushes out of the café to talk.

I find a corner table and start scanning my mobile for morning news. The café rings with laughter suddenly and I pull my face to see some young girls giggling their way in. She’s still talking on the phone outside the door, shifting herself from one leg to other.

There’s cassia blooming outside on a tree behind her. Surprised at its own fertility his young flower laden branches are struggling against the bitter January wind. Perhaps, the nature wants to have spring early this year.

My eyes focus back to her slightly troubled face. I wonder…

The tea arrives and while I soak in its aroma, the pancakes too. They are good – these guys at Nik’s – they won’t serve the omelet until she’s here.

She comes back in pulling her warm coat closer; her face is back to her usual blank-happiness state.

“How is it?”

“Ummm… pancakes are good, masala tea is better at CCD!”

Days Out in Brahmaputra Valley- Learning Bihu

By Anupam Chakraborty

People gathered here in huge number and many had already occupied the chairs kept under sheds circling the field. Others, like us, who reached here late, were trying hard to get a convenient place to watch the jubilant youthful passionate Bihu dance. I found my place in the middle of crowds. But some tall youths, who were blessed by the GOD with such a sterling heights, suddenly came and stood in front of me. They were standing like a monument and my visibility to the field came to an end.

Amazing trip to snow covered Shimla

By Abhinav Sinha

Next morning when we woke up, the view outside our hotel room was awesome. We had our tea and a small walk on balcony of our room just to have a view of Shimla at that time. The only thing which I can say now is White White White everywhere. Now the next problem which we never thought of was that the water in pipes freezed. So we asked hotel manager to have plan B executed in such situation. He told me that he is going to serve warm water in a bucket for each person. That was a good news for us. After getting ready, we checked out of our Hotel and moved till Ridge. It was bright sunny day. When the sun light was reflecting on snow, it was very hard to see anything because it was shining very brightly. After 20 mins of walk we reached Ridge. Good crowed over there as everyone was busy in capturing the moments in their own camera and having fun in snow. We took some pictures out there also as never wanted to miss any single moment.

Road Journeys – Dwarka to Jamnagar: Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary

By AJAY SHARMA

Excitedly, without caring I entered through the bushes and soon found a wide spread wet land with thousands of birds hovering, nesting, feeding, fishing and swimming. A dusty path on the right leads towards the wet land with ample water for the water birds for their activities. A little further is a watch tower where the track ends at the banks. The tower was almost abandoned, but the view around was so enticing that I cynically could not stop myself from reaching atop despite my wife’s skepticism. My extra-zoom camera captured whatever within range and my nature crazy mind was carried away with inveigle of ensnarement.

It is pertinent to mention that once you happen to visit the park, don’t forget to carry good quality binoculars and extra zoom cameras. Most of the photos clicked by me are on digital zoom, despite of 50x compatibility. It is wise to carry a tri-pod to avoid blurred results due to trembling on digital zoom.

Road journeys – Diu to Porbandar, Land of the Father of Nation

By AJAY SHARMA

“Mangrol is an important harbour as far as the fish industry is considered. There are many fisheries located here and exports to many European nations. The fishermen of Mangrol are infamous for being caught many-a-times by the Pakistan Coast Guard for entering their naval territories in search of fish”.

We were looking forward to see the much heard and boasted coastal highway running parallel to the Arabian Sea. Though almost the entire highway runs along the coast but the sea or its shores is visible only for a stretch of one kilometer. After long wait we finally reached a concrete fly-over kind of bridge at Madhavpur. The sight of infinitive majestic blue of Arabian Sea on our left at a hand shaking distance and rows of palms and greenery comprising tall pillars with massive blades of the wind mills standing erect with pride & humility on the right was like reaching a dream land. The SUZLON wind-mills claim providing 24 hour power to the state. According to official data, wind power generations capacity in the state has increased a staggering ten times in just six years. As per C-WET data, the total installed capacity in Gujarat stood at 3093 MW.

MALAYSIA TRULY ASIA (Kuala Lumpur & Genting Highland)

By Mahesh Semwal

We started our visit from Putrajaya. It is a planned Capital city located at 25 Km south of KL & 20 Km from KL International Airport .Most of the government offices are shifted here from KL , due to over crowding & congested place. Putrajaya is still nature. Lush greenery, botanical gardens are spread across the landscape enhanced by large bodies of water and wetlands. Five confluences meet at the north forming a main waterway which flows across the city area.

ब्रज भूमि भ्रमण : मथुरा-वृंदावन के कुछ दर्शनीय स्थल

By MUNESH MISHRA

निधिवन में विचरने के पश्चात् अभी भी मंदिरों के द्वार खुलने में पर्याप्त समय था. वृंदावन में आकर वृंदावनी लस्सी का मजा अगर नहीं लिया तो वृंदावन का भ्रमण अधूरा ही है. भूख भी लगी हुए थी तो कुछ खाने-पीने के साथ वृंदावनी लस्सी का मज़ा उठाने का यही सही समय था. बाकि बचे समय को श्री यमुना जी का तट पर व्यतीत करने का विचार कर पग यमुना तट की ओर चल पड़े. श्री यमुनाजी भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण की अनेक लीलाओं की साक्षी है. श्री यमुनाजी के तट पर बैठकर भगवन की चीर-हरण, कालिया-दमन आदि अनेक लीलाओं के दृश्य आँखों के सामने तैरने लगते हैं. श्री यमुना जी कि रेत में बच्चे क्रीड़ा करते हुए गीले रेत में सराबोर होकर आनंद के खजाने को खोदने लगे. और धीरे-धीरे समय मंदिरों के द्वार खुलने का हो गया.
सबसे पहले वृंदावन के प्राचीन श्री बांके बिहारी जी मंदिर के दर्शन के लिए मंदिर द्वार पर द्वार खुलने की प्रतीक्षा करने लगे. बांके बिहारी मंदिर भारत के प्राचीन और प्रसिद्ध मंदिरों में से एक है। बांके बिहारी कृष्ण का ही एक रूप है जो इसमें प्रदर्शित किया गया है। इसका निर्माण सन 1864 में स्वामी हरिदास ने करवाया था. वृंदावन में आने वाला प्रत्येक दर्शनार्थी इस मंदिर में श्री बांके बिहारी जी के दर्शन अवश्य करके अपने यात्रा को सफल करने का प्रयत्न करता है.

अन्य प्रसिद्ध मंदिरों में कृष्ण बलराम मंदिर (इस्कॉन टेम्पल) जो कि अंग्रेजों का मंदिर नाम से भी प्रसिद्द है. ISCON के संस्थापक स्वामी प्रभुपाद जी के आदेशानुसार इस मंदिर का निर्माण सन 1975 में करवाया गया. विश्वभर के प्रसिद्द इस्कॉन मंदिरों में से एक वृंदावन का ये एक अतिप्रसिद्ध मंदिर है. वर्षभर इस मंदिर में पूरे विश्व के कृष्ण-भक्तों का यहाँ आना-जाना लगा रहता है. मंदिर में प्रवेश करते ही स्वामी प्रभुपाद जी के महामंत्र (हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे. हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे) का मानसिक जाप स्वतः ही प्रारम्भ हो जाता है. मंदिर में सतत चलने वाला महामंत्र का संकीर्तन आगंतुकों को मंत्रमुग्ध कर दर्शन के साथ नर्तन करने को विवश कर देता है.

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