StatesOfIndia

Shree Gajanan Maharaj – Shegaon

By Ramakant Agrawal

Trip was fixed when I was coming back from office by Local Train in the month of December 2012 & in train one of the co-passenger given Laddu as a Prasad from Shree Gajanan Maharaj – Shegaon, as it was his native place & he visit regularly. On the same time we decided to go for the Darshan of Shree Gajanan Maharaj in Shegaon & other 3 friends to agree and now date to be fixed for the trip, finally we decided to visit in the Month of January 2013 from 25th January to 28th January, 2013 and accordingly we have booked Railway ticket on the next day & we have got the confirm Ticket too.. Jai Gajanan Maharaj… Gan Gan Ganat Bote

Ashtur Dreams – The Technicolour Royal Necropolis of Bahmani Sultanate

By Nirdesh Singh

Just looking at the long line of tombs you know the big daddy is the Ahmad Shah I Wali Tomb. The tomb is the second from the east. Ahmad Shah shifted the capital to Bidar in 1430 and rebuilt the old fort. Riches from different conquests brought opulence to Bidar which turned the city into a centre of culture and progress. He was religiously inclined and invited saints to Bidar. He was devoted to Hadrat Banda Nawaz of Gulbarga and later to Shah Nimat Ullah of Kirman, reportedly a Sufi dervish. He also respected the doctrine of Lingayats, a religious order of Deccan established by the philosopher, statesman and social reformer Basavanna (1134-1196). Ahmad Shah was like an earlier Akbar.

The Ahmad Shah I Wali Tomb is majestic and looks solid. The walls are about twelve feet thick supporting a huge orb dome on the top. There are three doors built into huge recessed arches. The walls carry three tiers of arches of varying dimensions. The tomb looks similar to its contemporary tombs in Delhi’s Lodhi Gardens.

Amarnath Yatra: Baltal – Srinagar – Ambala (Part 8)

By Naresh Sehgal

The beauty of Sonamarg forces the tourists to stop there. It seems that someone has laid green carpets on mountains. Once a great tourist puller and favorite place for shooting of Bollywood films, Sonamarg is perhaps the best health resort in the country. Sonamarg also hosts the International Championships of Rafting on River Sindh.

ताज़महल : सिसकती आहों की आख़िरी पनाहगार

By Avtar Singh

मेट्रो शहरों में बढ़ते ट्रेफिक के दबाव, सडकों की बदतरीन हालत, महंगाई, सरकारी नियमों और बेतरतीब फैलते शहरों ने इसे हम से छीन कर अतीत के गर्त में पहुंचा दिया है, मगर यहाँ इसे फिर से जीने का एक मौका मिला है, एक-एक कर सारे उस पर सवार हो जाते हैं और फिर बच्चों द्वारा समवेत स्वर से “ चल मेरी धन्नो !” के कालजयी उद्गोश के साथ तांगे वाला चल पड़ता है और मै मसूद रांणा के उस गीत को याद कर रहा हूँ

“तांगे वाला नित खैर मंगदा, तांगा लहौर दा होवे पांवे चंग‌्ग दा”

(वैसे लाहौर और झंग वर्तमान में पाकिस्तान में हैं) और इस गाने में तांगे वालों की मेहनत, जानवर और सवारी के लिए उनका प्यार, और उनकी मुफलिसी (तंगहाली) को बहुत अच्छी जुबान दी गयी है | जीवन का कोई भी क्षण क्यूँ ना हो, हमारे फिल्म संगीत ने हर अवसर के लिए बेहतरीन गीत दिए हैं और अब इंटरनेट ने ऐसे दुर्लभ गीतों को एक बार फिर से सुनने का मौका ! खैर, तांगे की सवारी में सब इतना मग्न हो गये हैं कि जब तांगे वाला आवाज लगता है, “लो जी पहुंच गये…” तो एक निराशा सी होती है अरे इतनी जल्दी, कोई और लम्बा रास्ता नही था…? एक पल को तो जैसे भूल ही गये कि हम तांगे की सवारी करने नही, ताज़महल देखने आये हैं !

ताज़महल के प्रवेश द्वार के आगे लोगों की लम्बी कतारें लगी हुई हैं, जिन्हें देख कर लगता है कि अंदर प्रवेश पाने में ही कम से कम एक घंटा लग जायेगा, पर हमारा गाईड हमारा तारनहार बन कर सामने आता है, “मेरे पीछे आइये, जल्दी से …” और ना जाने किन-किन गलियों और रिहाईशी इलाकों से हमे गुजारता हुआ पांच- सात मिनट में ही एक ऐसे गेट के आगे ले जाता है, जहाँ अपेक्षाकृत बहुत ही कम लोग हैं, पास ही कई ऐसी छोटी-छोटी सी दुकानें हैं, जो रंग-बिरंगी टोपियों से लेकर ताज़ के प्रतिरूप और आगरे का मशहूर पेठा तक बेच रहें है | हमारा गाईड हमे कहता है कि शू कवर जरूर ले लें, दस रुपैये प्रति जोड़े के हिसाब से सबके लिए कवर और कुछ टोपियों भी ले ली जाती हैं, ताज़महल के अंदर जाने के लिए प्रवेश टिकट 20 रू की है, और जब तक हमारी ये छोटी सी खरीदारी पूरी हो, हमारा गाईड खुद ही टिकटें ले आता है | आँतक के इस दौर में, मुख्य प्रवेश द्वार से कुछ पहले ही सबकी सामान सहित तलाशी ली जाती है, और फिर सिक्योरिटी वालों के पूरी तरह संतुष्ट हो जाने पर, आपको हवाले कर दिया जाता है उन लम्हों के, जिन्हें देखने, सुनने, और महसूस करने का अनुभव, अब से केवल आपका और केवल आपका ही होगा !

Summer Road Trip – Auli, Tapovan and Kanchula Kharak

By Naturebuff

Kanchula was a forest dept. Musk Deer breeding centre which is now non-operational. This is a very remote place with no habitation around but there exists a very nice bamboo cottage with two bedrooms and a common dining-drawing area for eco-tourists. [The cost per double-bedroom is Rs 650/-, making the cottage worth Rs 1300/-] This can be booked through the DFO, Kedarnath range, Gopeshwar. Definitely worth it!
On reaching we realize that there is no provision for meals and one has to drive to Chopta about 8 kms further away for food. We drive there and have lunch at a dhaba which is quite good. Situated on the Gopeshwar-Ukhimath road, Chopta is a beautiful little hamlet situated at the highest point on this road (2900 m). This route to Chopta offers a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains and deep wooded valleys. This area gets copious rainfall annually and also sustains very high humidity levels giving a distinct character to its vegetation. The trees are moss laden and support good varieties of moist temperate plant life.

Summer Vacation: A city and its’ unique heritage – Last Part

By Amitava Chatterjee

The last seventeen days seem like a decade. We met everyone, explored some places, did things which were part of my life at some…

Kuchh din guzaarey humne Gujarat mein – How we reached (Part 1)

By Rakesh

I was still on the highway between Jaipur and Ajmer, 3 Hrs behind my schedule courtesy potholed roads near Mahendragarh and rush in the towns of Haryana where no byepass facility was available. Now I was laughing at Google as well as crying inside. Ajeeb feeling aur oopar se yeh Garmi that about Rs. 600 was spent on chilled bottled water that day…

The Emerald Islands of Andaman and Nicobar-II

By Sishir Mohammed

Our plan was to take a government ferry to Havelock and halt there for two days. For our return journey we planned to take the Makruzz back to Port Blair. We had to wake up at 5 in the morning to catch the ferry which leaves at 6:30 am. The harbour at Port Blair is lively even at these early hours as it caters to to the goods coming in from the mainland, as well as from nearby countries like Thailand. The ferry which we were to travel on, was operated by the Shipping Corporation of India. Our reserved seats in the first class compartment akin to the Indian Railways chair car coaches made our travel comfortable. During the journey to Havelock, you are free to go on deck. Travelers can hear the soothing sound of the waves hitting the craft and enjoy the vast expanse of the ocean. The blue sea, and the green emeralds dotting them, complement each other, and add to the experience. After standing on deck for 15 minutes, we decided to get a quick nap. When we woke up, the ferry was docking at the Havelock Jetty. After getting off the ship, we were picked up by a taxi our friends had arranged. We were dropped at our hotel, a government enterprise called the “Dolphin Hotel”. There are various grades of rooms available and it is important to reserve the rooms early.You may reserve the rooms through online payment on the website. Make sure to get a sea facing cottage. The drawback about Dolphin Hotel was that though it was set in a nice sea-facing location, it did not have a beach.There are a multitude of options to stay at in at Havelock, which suit all budgets.

Summer Road Trip – Badrinath Bound

By Naturebuff

The first glimpse of Badrinath is mesmerising!! It is nestled between the Nar and Narayan ranges. The towering Neelkanth lies just behind the Narayan Parvat on which the Badrinath shrine has been built. In the pristine morning sunlight and the crystal clear visibility of this place, this brilliant megalith has a strange magnetism. I think everyone who visits this place must be a little bit under its spell. [Pic: Neelkanth] The little settlement haphazardly built around the temple is but a random patchwork of colours in a vast magnificent landscape meant to command… dominate… enthral… hypnotise… inspire… all at once!

The lofty snow capped peaks in the backdrop of the gurgling Alaknanda far below … this is the place which has so much spirituality that you can almost reach out and touch it. Nothing is godlier than nature itself!
It really puts things into perspective. One senses how small, insignificant and petty are human egos, wants and conflicts in a scale this extravagant. It is at once uplifting and calming… a place I felt at peace with myself and the world at large. The Himalayas in their splendorous beauty! I’ll let the pictures do the talking…

Summer Vacation: A visit to Dakshineswar Kali Temple – Part – VIII

By Amitava Chatterjee

We had a wonderful time, exploring some of the beautiful places in Kolkata during our vacation. However, as all the good things in life…

Summer Road Trip – Birding in Lansdowne

By Naturebuff

The next two days are packed with bird watching. The commonest of the birds around command our attention for they are new to us plains dwellers. The ubiquitous Himalayan Bulbul, Blue Whistling Thrush and the Russet Sparrows are everywhere. In fact, we do not see any house sparrows there at all! The Streaked Laughing thrush is trying to catch our attention by peaking at us from just beyond the tree trunk. The Black headed Jay is wandering around as common as the Rock Pigeon in the plains!

Meanwhile, two green birds fly up to a nearby tree. There is a distinct yellow on them and the flight indicates woodpeckers. We hurry and try to get in position for at least a record shot to identify the specie. The Lesser Yellownape it is! Hard on the heels of this pair is another pair, this one of the Brown fronted Woodpecker… birds are raining down on us hard and fast! The Himalayan Woodpeckers are also plentiful. The Grey headed Woodpecker makes an appearance… I am very happy. The bird count for the trip is increasing rapidly.

आगरा: ताज की तरफ वाया सिकंदरा (अकबर का मकबरा)

By Avtar Singh

मुगलों के बनवाए कुछ मकबरे तो वाकई इतने बुलंद और आलीशान हैं कि आपको उनकी मौत से भी रश्क हो जाता है | इस काल की जितनी भी मुख्य इमारतें हैं, उनमे कुछ ना कुछ ऐसा जरूर है, जिस से आप उनकी भवन-निर्माण कला के मुरीद हो जाएँ, इस मामले में ये मकबरा भी आपको एक ऐसा नायाब पल देता है, जब आप, (चित्र में लाल घेरे वाले) पत्थर पर खड़े होकर जो भी बोलते हैं, वो इस के हर हिस्से में सुनाई देता है यानी कि आज के दौर का Public Address System. और आप हैरान तो तब रह जाते हैं जब इस स्पॉट से दो फुट दायें–बाएं या आगे-पीछे होने पर. आपकी आवाज केवल आप तक ही रह जाती है |

सदियों से, जो मौत इतनी डरावनी और भयावह समझी जाती रही है कि कोई अपनी मरजी से उसके पास तक नही जाना चाहता, उसे याद तक नही करना चाहता, ऐसे में उसकी यादगार को कायम रखने के लिए इतने भव्य और आलीशान मकबरों का निर्माण, वाकई कमाल की बात है |

मिर्ज़ा ग़ालिब का एक शेर इस मौके पर बेसाख्ता ही याद आकर लबों पर एक हल्की सी मुस्कान बिखेर देता है –

“ मत पूछ, के क्या हाल है मेरा तेरे पीछे?, सोच के क्या रंग तेरा, मेरे आगे ! “

मिस्त्र के पिरामिड और ये मकबरे, ऐसा नही, कि मौत को कोई चुनोती देते हों या मौत पर इंसान की जीत का परचम फहराते हों, पर हाँ इतना जरूर है कि इन्हें देखने के बाद मौत इतनी भी बदसूरत नजर नही आती! बहरहाल सूरज अपना जलवा दिखाने को बेकरार हो रहा है, और घड़ी की सुईयां भी सरपट भाग रही हैं, ऐसे में हम फैसला करते हैं कि हमें अपनी ऊर्जा ताजमहल के लिए भी बचा कर रखनी है | अत:, हम जल्दी से अकबर के मकबरे को अपनी यादों में समेट, मुगलिया सल्तनत के एक बेताज बादशाह को उसकी फराखदिली और पंथ-निरपेक्षता के लिए उसे अपना आखिरी सलाम देते हुए, एक और मकबरे, ताजमहल को देखने आगरा की और कूच कर देते हैं…..

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Really enjoyed reading this Dalhousie journey. The way you described the last moments there and the return journey made it feel like I was travelling along with you. Beautiful memories.
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Hi Nitesh I m planning to trip to Agra ,fathe pur ,Sikri AND I WILL BE GUIDED BY UR ABOVE INPUT.
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I am wondering how I might be notified when a new post has been made.
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great article keep it guys
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Fun things about explained nicely, must read it article.
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Bundelkhand avashya hi bharatvarsh ka hriday
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I enjoyed reading about your solo trip to Kasol. The way you shared your experiences, travel tips, and beautiful moments makes this article both interesting and inspiring for anyone planning…
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Thank you for sharing such an insightful perspective on exploring Khajuraho beyond its famous temples. I particularly appreciated how the article highlights the region's broader cultural, historical, and natural attractions,…