Hills

Bijli Mahadev

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So following our original plan to cover Bijli Mahadev, Rewalsar Lake, Shikari Devi, Kamru Nag Lake, Karsog, Tattapani, we reached Kullu on the morning of 30 July’11. Since there were regular buses plying on this route, it allowed us some time to freshen up and to have a quick breakfast. Later we took a mini bus till a village nearby the shrine from where it is just 2.8 km soft trek passing through some of the villages

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DEORIA TAL

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The welcome board put up at the entrance to Sari by the villager’s shows a detailed map of Deoria Tal and the peaks that surround it. The Sari village committee is responsible for the upkeep of the area.

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Temple Trails of Karnataka-Part 2-MULLAYANNAGIRI PEAK

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We were now off to Mullayanagiri, the highest peak in Karnataka with a height of 1,930 metres(6,330 feet). It is said to be the highest peak between the Himalayas and the Nilgiris. The route from Chikmagalur town to the peak is a thrilling drive with fantastic views all along the way.

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A Little peace and quiet…

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If one is resides in any of the blooming cities in India, one would realize the importance of peace and quiet. Whether it is the constant buzzing of the phone or of the doorbell, there is hardly any time in one’s existence which is peaceful and quiet.

I am a frequent traveler but my travels are generally part of the business tourism category, always rushing from the hotel to the conference Center and back. It is generally a day or two that I get to spend in the city that I am in. But this time I was hell bent to get a decent holiday even if I had to drive close to 600 KM for it.
A small village, by the name of Chafi is the Center stage of this travel. It is close to 10 km from Bhimtal, which is close to Kathgodam, the nearest rail head and also the pretty much, the starting point of Real Mountains, the Himalayas.

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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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बद्रीनाथ -Mana, the last village!

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Badrinath is at a height of 11,204 feet above msl. It is around 530 Kms from Delhi and the route is Delhi – Haridwar – Rishikesh -Devprayag-Rudraprayag – Karanprayag-Chamoli -Joshimath – Badrinath. Badrinath route opens in first week of May and is closed for winters after Deepawali.
If going by own vehicle, one has to reach upto Karanprayag or Nandprayag and take a night’s halt. If there are two drivers, one can easily reach upto Joshimathh and stay there, saving one day.
For train journey, the last station is Rishikesh, from where hired taxis, chartered buses, route buses and jeeps are easily available for Badri Nath.

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Leaving Munsyari – The long drawn route

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So with full gusto, I rev-ed the engine and started back amid beautiful landscapes, away from the thoughtful and calm gaze of Panchachuli, the peak which was in the back yard of our stay. The journey from Munsyari to Birthi was spent gazing at mountains, standing tall and quite, looking at the occasional habitat along side the road with Pahadi folk wearing black topis, half jacket over long shirts and pajamas and throwing infectious smiles as they go through with their daily chores. Because of rains, the road was not in its prime so we were a tad cautious; but there was an natural desire to drive a little faster and be able to reach Sattal, which as per our friends from Pahad was not a realistic goal.

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Pachmarhi – In Heaven’s Abode (Trek 2)

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he points in this trek mostly included temple caves and shrines. I was greatly exhilarated because i will be surrounded by mysticism and divinity of Mahadev Shiva for the whole day. Mahadev is a great source of inspiration ,he is a yogi and a warrior bestowed with great powers.
Jatashankar is a cave temple.One has to go deep into the ravine about 200-400 meters with the help of narrow stairways laid down supported by enormous rocks on both sides.These are sedimentary rocks mainly sandstone thus having loose gravel.In simpler words if one throws a sandstone it breaks.

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