india

Keoladeo National Park: A Birding Paradise in India

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As a recent traveler to this bird sanctuary I’ll definitely leave you with a few things to expect at the park. Do take a bicycle or rickshaw at the entry gate. Whereas the old model of cycle costs INR 20, the trendier cycles will cost you INR 40. This time of the season, don’t expect boating. We were told that currently boating option is unavailable. The park is quite big but to have best chances of spotting various birds you should arrive well before dawn. A trip to this national park is a must to do thing if you are a traveler and have interest in birding. From this park we went ahead to visit Fatehpur Sikri and Sikandra. An accounting of these two breathtaking destinations will be due :-)

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The Big Nataraja of Konerirajapuram

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Kumbakonam is well known as a pilgrimage centre, in particular for those on the Navagraha circuit. Once in every twelve years, the Mahamaham Kumbh is held around the tank of the same name, attracting millions of pilgrims from far and wide. Kumbakonam is also called Temple City with literally hundreds of temples of its own, most of them ancient. The big two are the Kumbeswarar Siva Temple and Sarangapani Vishnu Temple. Swamimalai, one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan is a mere 6 km away. The World Heritage Site of Darasuram is just outside the city. The Cauvery Delta is a must visit for those who enjoy ancient living monuments and stepping back in time.

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Quick Trip To Bangalore And Belur

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On this trip with plenty of time to spare, I decided that I must now “see” Bangalore. Naturally that meant a leisurely morning walk in the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens where I was thrilled to see the very rare Jade Vine [Strongylodon macrobotrys]. I had first seen it almost thirty years ago as a watercolour in my plant book and never imagined I would ever see it for real. Here they are, green-blue clusters of flowers in all their glory.

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Treasuring the reminiscences

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Sriperambadur was my last stop before I flew back home from Chennai. Once home, tests revealed it was indeed Dengue and I was advised immediate hospitalization because of my condition. It took more than a month to fully recover.
I hate this travel bug !

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Periyar Tiger Reserve

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Kerala has more than its fair share of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in the Western Ghats. Of these, the Periyar Tiger Reserve at Thekkady [Kumily] is the most visited. It is our favourite wildlife reserve simply because we have always seen wildlife there on every trip, without even trying to!

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