travel

Nainital

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Twilight is dancing on the lake water. All the myriad reflections of life are alive. The sun is receding behind the mountains.  There are no more clouds in the sky. I wish for a starry night. Soon the last boatmen will oar his way back; his mind will be occupied by his earnings of the day. How much is sufficient, how much is luxury? In the end, we’ll all be Capitol Cinema – alone, old, dead.

My favorite bench near the band house is unoccupied. I scurry my way to it. The gurudwara, the oaks and the local salesmen stand tall. They have lived lives here, they are living lives here…

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Srirangapatna – Mysore Trip Part 2

Srirangapatna – Mysore Trip Part 2

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Mysore is the Karnataka’s second biggest city. It was the erstwhile capital of the Wodeyar dynasty and is considered the cultural capital of the state. It is also known as the City of Palaces. From what we saw, Mysore appeared to be a clean and well planned city with a heritage feel and quaint charm to it. Here are the places we visited

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Vaishno Devi Yatra – A Pilgrim’s Progress

Vaishno Devi Yatra – A Pilgrim’s Progress

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Even appointments with gods come with privilege. A pilgrim with VIP pass could bypass all number and answer his/her calling with a privilege which a poor barefoot pilgrim couldn’t even dream of. An Amitabh Bachhan has more easy access to god than a mere “Nikhil Chandra”. Perhaps gold is a precious metal even among gods…who knows why the world is the way it is.

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सुहाना सफ़र और आप

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मैंने घुमक्कड़ पर रूचि लेना अभी कुछ समय पहले ही शुरू किया है अतः आप लोग मुझे घुमक्कड़ परिवार की नयी सदस्य कह सकते हैं. मेरे हसबेंड श्री मुकेश भालसे इस अंतरजाल (वेबसाइट ) से पहले से ही यात्रा वृत्तान्त लेखक के रूप में जुड़े हैं एवं उनकी घुमक्कड़ डोट कॉम के प्रति प्रेम तथा निष्ठा देखकर मैं भी धीरे धीरे इस सम्मानजनक मंच से जुड़ गई तथा अब तो यह स्थिति है की पूजा पाठ के बाद दैनिक कार्यों की शुरुआत घुमक्कड़ के साथ ही होती है. अगर मैं यह कहूँ की घुमक्कड़ हमारे परिवार का एक चहेता सदस्य है तो कोई अतिश्योक्ति नहीं होगी.

मैं अपने परिवार के साथ वर्ष में एक या एक से अधिक बार (मुख्यतः धार्मिक स्थान पर) घुमक्कड़ी कर ही लेती हूँ, इन यात्राओं में हमें बहुत से खट्टे मीठे अनुभव होते हैं तथा हर यात्रा हमें कुछ नया सिखा जाती है, अपनी यात्राओं के इन्ही खट्टे मीठे अनुभवों से प्राप्त कुछ महत्वपूर्ण बिन्दुओं को कलमबद्ध करके आज में आपलोगों को प्रस्तुत कर रही हूँ, आशा है की यह जानकारी साथी घुमक्कड़ों के लिए लाभदायक सिद्ध होगी, अगर ऐसा होता है तो मैं समझूंगी की मेरा प्रयास अर्थपूर्ण रहा.
यात्रा शुरू करने से पहले यात्रा सम्बंधित निम्नलिखित सभी महत्वपूर्ण पहलुओं पर गौर कर लें ताकि आपका सफ़र उर्दू वाला सफ़र ही रहे, अंग्रेजी वाला सफ़र (suffer) न बन जाए.

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Of Seven Capitals and New Delhi: Chapter III – Mehrauli

Of Seven Capitals and New Delhi: Chapter III – Mehrauli

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The urge to talk about Mehrauli Archaeological Park is literally irresistible now. After weeks of traveling and researching over the internet and books, I could not but wonder whether this is the most architecturally and historically rich places in the world. Turning the pages of history brings alive every alley and stone of Mehrauli area with a vigor which I had never ever imagined in wildest of my dreams as I passed through these streets over last several years I have been in Delhi.

Mehrauli is the site of plethora of monuments, so much so that a sense of history and legends pervade every lane and even stones, for here lived kings, sultans, generals, warriors, saints and monks. Prehistoric tales associate Mehrauli with the descendents of the Pandavas. Later it saw the building of Lal Kot, a bastion of the first real city of Delhi whose archaeological proof could be found. Then it became the dominion of legendary Rajput warrior prince Pritviraj indelibly ingrained in Hindu courtly love tradition. Qila Rai Pithora was witness to the glory of Prithviraj Chauhan who was later defeated in Second Battle of Tarain by Ghauri, whereupon the latter’s death, his slave Qutubdin Aibak made Mehrauli his capital and the Sultans and emperors who followed him ruled from there.

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From the Editor – The Age of the Gadgets

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All of these are very practical solutions to most of the issues faced by travellers. But what about the romance of travelling? Do we lose out on the adventure part of Ghumakkari if we carry such gadgets around? I guess yes to an extent. While a kindle may be practical, it can never replace the comfort of curling up with a book. And while plugging in earphones and listening to music privately will take care of boredome, can it ever replace the enriching discussions you can have with your fellow passengers?

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Of Seven Capitals and New Delhi: Chapter II – Hauz Khas Village Complex

Of Seven Capitals and New Delhi: Chapter II – Hauz Khas Village Complex

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Walking down the alleys of history, the road – Delhi Metro to be more precise – led me to Hauz Khas on an unbelievable Sunday. I say unbelievable because of the stunning clear blue sky which is a rare sight in Delhi especially during winter. Hauz Khas Village is part of many capitals but is best known as important site for: Siri and Firuzabad, with Siri being the third capital city and Firuzabad the fifth official capital and last of the Sultanate of Delhi.

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Sultanpur National Park: Pathos for a Sitting Duck

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The marshland appeared more like grassland with bushes blocking the way everywhere. There were more grazing cattle inside than birds – I mean the birds which were supposed to be there according to the article. The ambience inside the park was more allusive to the Eliot’s Wasteland than the Wordsworth Tintern Abbey. You must be thinking I am totally nuts…talking like this :-) Well the thing is that I am writing this line on a few miles away from Sultanpur National Park, on revisiting the banks of “not quite” marshlands of the park and 15 months had passed since my last visit to this one time birder’s paradise.

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Of Seven Capitals and New Delhi: Chapter I – Rai Pithora & Mehrauli

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Qutub Minar of yore was entered through its four monumental gates of which only the Southern one renowned as Alai Darwaza remains standing till date. Along the western periphery of the precinct runs a giant wall with pointed archways, creating a ‘Qibla’ or the decorated prayer wall. There are several buildings in the complex most of which lay in ruins except for the exquisitely carved tomb of Iltutmish which is still in fairly good state. The structure of note inside the complex includes the magnificent Qutub Minar, Ala al-Din Khalji’s madrasa and the Imam Zamin Mosque.

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