Historical

Tranquebar

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Tharangambadi (or Tranquebar) is a panchayat town in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, 15 km north of Karaikal, near the mouth of a distributary of the Kaveri River. Tharangambadi is the headquarters of Tharangambadi taluk. Its name means “place of the singing waves”. It was a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845, and in Danish and some other European languages it is known as “Trankebar” or “Tranquebar”.

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Ranthambore – My Machaan???

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We broomed the place under the tomb with a make shift Jhadoo and sat down; it gave us fantastic view of partly dried lake with deer grazing in the marsh. Amazingly there was no Machaan, to tell you the truth we forgot that it was a must at all the locations. Hours passed and we documented the deer and small carnivorous animals. At sunset, the wind direction changed and I could smell very strong tiger urine as and when the wind blew. It began to worry me a bit due to my experience in jungles watching and spotting tigers; I knew we were in the tiger territory for sure.

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Gokarna – Story of Ravana

Gokarna – Story of Ravana

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Gokarna also has an mythological significance which attracts pilgrims. There are a lot of stories about Gokarna, but the most famous one is the story of Ravana and the Atmalinga.
Ravana, the demon-king of Lanka, received the atmalinga from Shiva after he had performed a penance at Mount Kailash reciting self-written Shivatandavastotram. Shiva instructed Ravana that the sacred atmalinga should not be placed on the ground as it would establish itself where placed on earth. On his way back to Lanka, Ravana stops for his evening prayers at Gokarna.

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Srirangapatna – Mysore Trip Part 1

Srirangapatna – Mysore Trip Part 1

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Mysore, known as the cultural capital of Karnataka, is a must-visit if you come up-to Bangalore for even a week. As for Srirangapatna, made famous by Tippu Sultan and more so by the TV series “the Sword of Tipu Sultan” aired on Doordarshan :), it lies on the way to Mysore from Bangalore. So, visits from in-laws and my parents resulted in two trips to Srirangapatna and Mysore. Here is my travelogue based on the two visits – first part about Srirangapatna and second part on Mysore.

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Rediscovering Mussoorie

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Being the nature loverтАЩs that we are, we first went for a walk on CamelтАЩs Back road. CamelтАЩs Back road is a long winding road frequented by nature lovers who visit this place for their morning and evening walks. Unlike the Mall road, this was a much better place. It was calm and the views of the Himalayas were breathtaking. As the skies were clear, the snow-capped peaks could be seen clearly. Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are some of the peaks that are visible from CamelтАЩs Back road.

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Khajuraho : Exotic and Unbelievable

Khajuraho : Exotic and Unbelievable

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It is hard to think that why these marvel of architectures are build here in complete isolation? There is nothing of significant interest or beauty to recommend Khajuraho as a building site and also there is no big population so some big fort nearby. Whatever be the answer the truth is that this isolated location helped preserve it from the vandalism of Muslim invaders. Due to the threat of Afghan invaders, Chandela kings forsook Khajuraho for their forts. Also all the religious activities were abandoned so that this should be kept away from the eyes of invaders. With the passing time forest covered this entire region.

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Somnath Pilgrimage / рд╕реЛрдордирд╛рде: рдПрдХ рдЕрджреНрднреБрдд, рдЕрднреВрддрдкреВрд░реНрд╡ рдПрд╡рдВ рдЕрд╡рд┐рд╖реНрдорд░рдгреАрдп рдЕрдиреБрднреВрддрд┐

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рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛ рдХреА рдпреЛрдЬрдирд╛ рдПрд╡рдВ рддреИрдпрд╛рд░реА: рд╡реИрд╕реЗ рддреЛ рдЕрдм рддрдХ рдШреБрдордХреНрдХрдбрд╝ рдкрд░ рд╕реЛрдордирд╛рде рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рд░реЗ рдореЗрдВ рдмрд╣реБрдд рдХреБрдЫ рд▓рд┐рдЦрд╛ рдЬрд╛ рдЪреВрдХрд╛ рд╣реИ, рд▓реЗрдХрд┐рди рдПрдХ рдЫреЛрдЯрд╛…

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рд░рд╛рдЬрд╕реНрдерд╛рди рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛ – рдмреАрдХрд╛рдиреЗрд░ рд╕реЗ рдЬрдпрдкреБрд░ рдФрд░ рдЬрдпрдкреБрд░ –

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рдкрд╣рд▓реЗ рд╣рд┐рд╕реНрд╕реЗ рдореЗрдВ рд╕реВрд░рдЬ рдкреЛрд▓ рд╕реЗ рдЬрд╛рдиреЗ рдкрд░ рдорд┐рд▓рддрд╛ рд╣реИ рдЬрд▓реЗрдм рдЪреМрдХ рдЬрд╣рд╛рдВ рд╕реИрдирд┐рдХреЛрдВ рдХреЗ рд░рд╣рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдмреИрд░рдХреЗрдВ рдмрдиреА рд╣реИрдВ| рдЬреАрдд рдХреЗ рдЬрд╢реНрди рдХреЛ рджреЗрдЦрдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд░рд╛рдЬрд╕реА рдорд╣рд┐рд▓рд╛рдУрдВ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдЭрд░реЛрдЦреЗ рднреА рдмрдиреЗ рд╣реИрдВ| рдЗрд╕ рд╣рд┐рд╕реНрд╕реЗ рдХреЛ рд╕рд╡рд╛рдИ рдЬрдп рд╕рд┐рдВрд╣ рдХреЗ рдХрд╛рд░реНрдпрдХрд╛рд▓ рдореЗрдВ рдмрдирд╡рд╛рдпрд╛ рдЧрдпрд╛ рдерд╛| рдЬрд▓реЗрдм рдЪреМрдХ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рдж рдЗрд╕ рд╣рд┐рд╕реНрд╕реЗ рдХрд╛ рдкреНрд░рд╛рдВрдЧрдг рд╣реИ рдЬрд┐рд╕рдХреЗ рдПрдХ рдХрд┐рдирд╛рд░реЗ рдкрд░ рд╢рд┐рд▓рд╛ рджреЗрд╡реА рдХрд╛ рдордВрджрд┐рд░ рд╣реИ| рдордВрджрд┐рд░ рдХрд╛ рджрд░рд╡рд╛рдЬрд╛ рдХрд╛рдлреА рдкреНрд░рднрд╛рд╡рд╢рд╛рд▓реА рд╣реИ рдФрд░ рдЗрд╕ рдкрд░ рддрд░рд╣ рддрд░рд╣ рдХреА рдмрдирд╛рд╡рдЯреЗрдВ рд╣реИрдВ| рдЗрд╕рдХреЗ рдкреАрдЫреЗ рдХрд╣рд╛рдиреА рдпрд╣ рд╣реИ рдХрд┐ рд░рд╛рдЬрд╛ рдХреЛ рд╕рдкрдиреЗ рдореЗрдВ рджреЗрд╡реА рдиреЗ рджрд░реНрд╢рди рджрд┐рдП рдереЗ рдФрд░ рдЙрд╕рдХреЗ рдЙрдирд╣реЛрдВрдиреЗ рдмрдВрдЧрд╛рд▓ рдХреЗ рд░рд╛рдЬрд╛ рдХреЛ рдпреБрджреНрдз рдореЗрдВ рд╣рд░рд╛рдпрд╛ рдерд╛| рджреЗрд╡реА рдХреА рдореВрд░реНрддрд┐ рдХреЛ рд╕рдореБрджреНрд░ рд╕реЗ рдПрдХ рдкрддреНрдерд░ рд▓рд╛рдХрд░ рдЙрд╕ рдкрд░ рдирдХреНрдХрд╛рд╢реА рдХрд░рдХреЗ рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рд╕реНрдерд╛рдкрд┐рдд рдХрд┐рдпрд╛ рдЧрдпрд╛ рдерд╛, рдЗрд╕реАрд▓рд┐рдП рдирд╛рдо рдкрдбрд╝рд╛ рд╢рд┐рд▓рд╛ рджреЗрд╡реА| рдирд╡рд░рд╛рддреНрд░реА рдХреЗ рджрд┐рдиреЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рдмрд▓рд┐ рдХреА рдкреНрд░рдерд╛ рднреА рд╣реИ| рд╣рдо рдордВрджрд┐рд░ рдХреЗ рдЕрдВрджрд░ рдирд╣реАрдВ рдЬрд╛ рдкрд╛рдП рдХреНрдпреЛрдВрдХрд┐ рдкрдЯ рдмрдВрдж рдереЗ|

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Glimpses of Santiniketan

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Santiniketan is a name which evokes memories of Rabindranath Tagore and the Nobel Price. Of the Viswa Bharathi University, of art and culture, peace and tranquility. A visit to Kolkatta is incomplete without a visit to Santiniketan. I had an opportunity to visit the place last December and have tried to give some glimpses of the cultural ethos of the place

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Temple Trails of Karnataka: Part-3 – Belur and Halebeedu

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After our exertions at Mullayanagari Peak, we returned back to Chikmagalur town by mid-day, had our lunch and reached our hotel. I had hoped to catch some of the action from the Perth Test(hoping to watch Sachin’s 100th hundred live), but the Indian team dashed any such hopes by losing the Test in two and a half days. Disappointed by the result, I took the opportunity to slip into a much needed nap.

Our next destination was Belur temple, 25 kms from Chikmagalur. Belur is a small town located on the banks of Yagachi River in Hassan district. The main attraction of the town is the Chennakesava (literally translates to Handsome Vishnu) temple. It was built by King Vishnuvardana of Hoysala dynasty. The temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture alongside Halebeedu and Somnathpura. Coupled with Halebeedu, this is one of the major tourist destinations of Karnataka.

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Gagron Fort , Jhalawar —- Water on all Sides

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After visiting the Mahadev shrines near Kota and returning back to my friends house, where we unanimously voted for Gagron Fort in Jhalawar (a part of the Hadoti region of Rajasthan) to be our next. Gagron Fort is so obscure but at the same time it is such an outstanding embodiment of great architecture in terms of design,structure and strategy coupled with the bravery and chivalry of the erstwhile Rajput Rulers and warriors.

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