Walks in India: Complete List

Monday, June 30, 2008

The 'Walks in India' series, which was running through the month of June is now complete. The series has featured fifteen walking tours from all corners of the country, and has covered a great variety, such as walking among ancient ruins, tropical forest, sand dunes, snow, beach, plains and cities. Here is the complete list.

* Introduction
* Old Delhi
* Rishikesh
* Varanasi
* Jaipur
* Shimla
* Auli, Uttarakhand
* Khuri Village, Rajasthan
* Pondicherry
* Gokarna, Karnataka
* Hampi
* Along
* Orchha
* Thekkady
* Pushkar
* Mumbai

A lot of work has gone into compiling these walks, and it was all possible, thanks to help from many friends and fellow bloggers who contributed in many ways to complete it. I received considerable help to promote the walks and spread the word and also to select, design and fine tune a few walks.


It was tempting to go on and add more - there are many more places that are great for walking and it did not feel too good not to have them in the series. Shekhawati, Melukote, Kolkata, Wayanad, just to name a few. But then, I had to stop somewhere.

At the end of it, I do hope that it has been a useful exercise, and people heading to any of the destinations covered would find the information here useful, and perform these walks. Do leave a comment if you happen to take any of the featured walks, and if you found the maps and description useful, and also if you happen to find missing or incorrect information here.

Walks in India: Marine Drive, Mumbai

Sunday, June 29, 2008

This post is part of a series on 'Walks in India'.

Place: Mumbai

Highlights: Gateway of India, Marine Drive, Beach

Season: July to September, to get a feel of the monsoons in Mumbai. Also in December - January, when it is not very hot.

Time of the day: Evening - 4pm to 7pm

Distance: Approximately 5kms

Difficulty: Easy

Map. This is an interactive map of the walk. Zoom in to get a closer look. Click on the blue markers to identify of each location.


View Larger Map

The Walk.
With photographs from Poonam.



Mumbai's walk is predictably along it's sea shore. It is the most celebrated walk in the nation, adored by Bollywood, and the city's rich and poor alike.


The number of sightseeing places along the walk are many - Prince of Wales Museum, National Gallery of Modern Art, Knesseth Eliyahod Synagogue, Taraporewala Aquarium - just to name a few. But the walk along marine drive is best done as a leisurely stroll without worrying about any sightseeing, and watching the life in the city.

Start from Gateway of India, one of the most well known monuments in the country. Take Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Marg to Regal Circle, and continue further on Madame Cama Road till you reach Marine drive or Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road. Take the long promenade of Marine Drive towards north, and get to Girgaum Chowpatty Beach.

Walk along the sandy shore at Girgaum Chowpatty and spend time here till dark. The walk ends at Chowpatty.

Walks in India: Pushkar

Friday, June 27, 2008

This post is part of a series on 'Walks in India'.

Place: Pushkar

Highlights: Lakeside walk, Holy Ghats, Brahma Temple, Rangji Temple

Season: October to March, when it is not hot.

Time of the day: Evening - 3.30pm to 7pm

Distance: Approximately 3kms

Difficulty: Easy

Map. This is an interactive map of the walk. Zoom in to get a closer look. Click on the blue markers to identify of each location.


View Larger Map

The Walk.





Start from Rangji Temple near the North-East corner of the lake. This is a quiet and relatively less visited temple, but has beautiful Gopuras that are worth a visit.


From here, walk towards the lake, get down the steps and into the ghats at the north-east corner. You can see long ghats on either side of you which have steps leading into the lake, and many temples along the walls. You can watch people taking ritual bath, helped by priests or hire a priest yourself. Often you can see hundreds of pigeons along the ghats. If you wish to, buy grains on the ghats and feed the pigeons.

Spend leisurely time on the ghats, get back to the road and walk west. The road is full of shops servicing backpackers, selling colorful cloths, trinkets, restaurants serving international cuisine, internet cafes, etc. Walk on this road till you hit Brahma Temple, and get into the temple. This is said to be the only temple dedicated to Brahma in the world, since Brahma is usually not worshiped in temple. Walk along the narrow lanes around the temple, where you can discovering people preparing local delicacies in small restaurants. Stop for a sugary Malpua or an Aloo Tikki if you are up to it.

Continue circumambulating the lake. As you go further, you will see some open spaces and better views of the lake. You also cross a bridge, where it is required to remove your footwear and walk. There are many cafes along the walk where you can stop for coffee or snacks. All through the walk, you will also see small temples which you can explore.

The walk ends when you complete the circle and return to where you started.

Walks in India: Periyar Tiger Reserve

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

This post is part of a series on 'Walks in India'.

Place: Periyar Tiger Reserve

Highlights: Forest Walks, possible sightings from anything mundane to even the big cat, boat ride at the end of the walk.

Season: October to May, when it is not raining.

Time of the day: Morning - 6.30am to 8am

Distance: Approximately 3kms

Difficulty: Easy

Map. This is an interactive map of the walk. Zoom in to get a closer look. The walk begins near the intersection of four roads in the map and ends at the boat jetty.



The Walk.


Photos by Himanshu Sarpotdar and diametrik

Start from the gates of Periyar Tiger Reserve at Kumily. You need to pay a small entry fee to get in. Thick jungle begins the moment you enter through the gate.

It is almost an hour's walk from the gate to Thekkady, where all the tourist facilities of the reserve are located. Stroll slowly in the thick forest that surrounds you. Occasionally, you will get teasing glimpses of the big lake in the reserve, but not a full view till you reach Thekkady.


What you can sight on the way completely depends on your luck. It could be some interesting birds like White Bellied Treepie or Malabar Grey Hornbill, or some mammals like Wild Boars and Sambar deer. Lucky ones might even spot the tiger, but since you are on foot, you might be better off giving the big cat a miss.

Once you reach the place where all the tourist facilities are, you can have breakfast in the restaurant, take a boat ride, or sign up for jungle walks. You can hire a rickshaw for your way back, or walk back again if you prefer.

Walks in India: Orchha, Madhya Pradesh

Monday, June 23, 2008

This post is part of a series on 'Walks in India'.

Place: Orchha

Highlights: Cenautaphs, Riverside Walk, ancient palaces and temples

Season: November to February, when it is not hot.

Time of the day: Evening - 3pm to 6pm

Distance: Approximately 3kms

Difficulty: Easy

Map. This is an interactive map of the walk. Zoom in to get a closer look. Click on the blue markers to identify of each location.


View Larger Map

The Walk.
With inputs and photographs from Celine.




Orchha is a small town in Madhya Pradesh near Jhansi. It is full of history and ancient structures, but has still not been part of any major tourist itinerary.


Begin the walk from the southern edge of the town at the Chhatris, cenotaphs of Orchha's rulers. The Chhatris are located close to Betwa River; pay a visit to the river before walking northwards into the town. You can also cross the river using a bridge near the chhatris.

Walk north to the town, which is full of ancient temples and palaces. Visit the 17th century Chaturbhuj Temple, where you can walk up to the roof for panoramic views of Orchha town and the meandering river. Turn right here, cross the arched bridge and enter the enclosure of the Orchha Fort Complex that houses Jehangir Mahal and Raj Mahal. Visit Jehangir Mahal for its impressive Bundelkhand architecture and Raj Mahal for its beautiful painted ceilings, both are major attractions of Orchha. Nearby is the Rai Parveen Mahal, built in early 17th century for the lady of Raja Indramani.

Return to the center of the town and walk past Phool Bagh, near which
are the wind-catching tall towers popularly called Sawan Bhadon. Walk beyond the town for a kilometer to get to Laxminarayan Temple, which was built in 17th century.

The walk ends at Laxminarayan Temple.

You may need to find a way to get to Chhatris to begin the walk, and to get back from Laxminarayan Temple to your hotel. If you are planning a round trip from your hotel, add another 1.5km to your itinerary. A few well known hotels in Orchha are located to the south of the town, not very far from the Chhatris.

Walks in India: Along, Arunachal Pradesh

Saturday, June 21, 2008

This post is part of a series on 'Walks in India'.

Place: Along

Highlights: Riverside Walk, Tribal Villages, green countryside

Season: October to April, when it is not raining.

Time of the day: Morning - 6.30pm to 11.30pm

Distance: Approximately 9kms

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Map. This is an interactive map of the walk. Zoom in to get a closer look. Click on the blue markers to identify of each location.


View Larger Map

The Walk.
With photographs and inputs from Lavanya.





This walk is from one of the remotest regions of India, in Arunachal Predesh. It is also the longest of the walks in the series. But the weather is pleasant, and you can walk at your own pace besides the river and amidst lot of greenery, because of which it is not likely to be very tiring.


Start walking westwards from from Along, on the south bank of Siang River. The walk goes along the edge of the forest to its left, and fields and river to the right. First stop is Kabu Village, where, if you wish to, you can take a deviation to the river and walk across a flaky hanging bridge, and get back to the main road.

Continue walking westward from Kabu on the main road. The next stop is Pobdi village. Pobdi has a small tea shop where you can rest for tea and some snacks, but do not expect much from the place. Cross the bridge across Siang at Pobdi, and walk a little further to get to Paia Village.

The villages on the way - Kabu, Pobdi and Paia are inhabited by people of Gallong Adi tribes. In these villages you can see people making of rice beer(apong), old men weaving baskets, children wrapped in a cloth and being carried on the backs of women, women weaving, and life of tribals in general. You can also see a few mithuns(a kind of buffalo) grazing around the village.

The walk ends at Paia village. Do keep in mind that Pobdi is the last point of the walk connected with a tarmac road. Paia is not accessible to vehicles.

Walks in India: Hampi

Thursday, June 19, 2008

This post is part of a series on 'Walks in India'.

Place: Hampi

Highlights: Sunrise from Matanga Parvatha, Vithala Temple, Coracle Ride, Ancient City of Vijayanagara and Virupaksha Temple.

Season: November to February, when the sunrise it most colourful.

Map. This is an interactive map of the walk. Zoom in to get a closer look.



The Walk.









Hampi is split into two walks, one in the morning hours and one in the evening.


Morning Walk.

Distance: Approximately 3km

Time of the day: Morning - 5.30am to 10am

Difficulty: Moderate

The walk starts early in the morning to include watching sunrise in the itinerary. Begin the walk by climbing the hill - Mathanga Parvata. The climb can take some effort, but is rewarding. Rough Guide calls it the most beautiful sunrise in the world, and Lonely Planet does not make any effort to hold back praises. The view of sun coming out from behind the rocky hills seems almost surreal, it is something to die for.

Matanga Parvata is probably the tallest hill in Hampi and has a 360 degree view. There is the charming river to north flowing amidst neatly arranged boulders. To the south is Viroopaksha temple standing tall. Look anywhere and you will see rocky hills covered with loosely held boulders or vast vistas of plantain farms.

Take your time on Mathanga Parvatha and enjoy the views. When you get down, head to the Bazaar and into the Viroopaksha temple. This is the only temple where a deity is worshiped, though Hampi is a town where you are sure to knock into a temple before you walk for five minutes in any direction. Don't forget to buy Bananas at the entrance and feed it to the temple elephant Laxmi with your own hands.

Come out of the temple and head to Mango Tree Restaurant for a breakfast. The walk to the restaurant takes you along the river where you can watch boats taking people to the other side, and people bathing or washing clothes. The restaurant itself is right on the bank of the river, inside a plantain orchard.

Get to the other end of the Bazaar after breakfast and walk towards the river. Take a coracle ride from the river to Vithala temple. Boatmen claim the water here to be 50 feet deep. Flow of the river has made some interesting carvings on the rocks that are worth seeing. A small Mantapa on the opposite bank can only be reached by coracles.

Get down from the Coracle and walk to Vithala temple. The temple is a UNESCO world heritage monument, and is known for a stone chariot in its courtyard and musical pillars. You will have to be happy to see the pillars though, as touching them is not permitted.

From Vithala temple, take the bridle path that runs through the King's Balance and return to Bazaar to end the walk.

Evening Walk.

Distance: Approximately 4km

Time of the day: Evening - 3.30pm to 6.30pm

Difficulty: Easy

This walk takes you through ancient ruins and temples of of Hampi.

Start from The Queen's Bath, which is at one end of a series of monuments. Follow the signs put up by Archeological Department, and walk though the series of ancient structures comprising Hazaara Rama Temple, Underground Shiva Temple(Patalalinga Temple), Mahanavami Dibba, Elephant's Stables and Lotus Mahal. Come back to the main road from here, and walk towards the Bazaar. Before reaching Hemakoota Parvata, a small deviation from the main road will take you to Laxminarasimha statue and Badavi linga. Walk further and visit Krishna temple, your last temple visit for the day. A short climb from here will take you to Hemakoota Parvatha. Sit and relax here and watch the sunset.

++More about Hampi on paintedstork.com

* Hampi Trip Report
* Hampi Utsava
* Spending time leisurely in Hampi
* An encounter with a hermit
* Hampi Images

Walks in India: Gokarna

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

This post is part of a series on 'Walks in India'.

Place: Gokarna

Highlights: Beachside walk, hills along the sea shore, rocky shoreline

Season: July to March, when it is not hot.

Time of the day: Evening - 3.30pm to 6pm

Distance: Approximately 6kms

Difficulty: Moderate

Map. This is an interactive map of the walk. Zoom in to get a closer look. Click on the blue markers to identify of each location.


View Larger Map

The Walk.



The Walk.


This is a beach hopping walk. You begin at a beach and end at a beach. Do this between July to September if getting wet in the rain is your idea of fun. Else, stick to winter months.

Begin the walk from Gokarna town at the Kotitheertha - a large tank. The next stop is famous Gokarna Mahabaleshwara Temple - one of the holiest places in the south. This is said to be the place where Ganapathi coaxed Ravana to put Atmalinga on the ground. Further ahead is the Gokarna beach, a straight beach almost 7km long.

Take the bridle path that runs south of Gokarna Beach. This takes you through an elevated plain, for almost a kilometer before you hit Kudle Beach. Kudle is a nice long stretch of sand almost half kilometer long. From here, continue walking south through the hills and get down to Om Beach. Om Beach is the most popular of the beaches in Gokarna. If you are doing the walk in winter, you can stop at one of the few restaurants at the beach for breakfast. Continuing further from Om Beach, you walk close to the shore. A 15-minute walk will take you to half moon beach and another few minutes away is Paradise Beach - the 5th and last of the beaches where the 6km long walk ends.

As you can see from the map, there is no motor road to Paradise Beach. You can hire a boat from Paradise Beach to get back to Gokarna or Om Beach, or you can walk back till Om Beach, which is connected by a road.

++More about Gokarna on paintedstork.com

* Gokarna trip report
* Images from Gokarna

Walks in India: Pondicherry

Sunday, June 15, 2008

This post is part of a series on 'Walks in India'.

Place: Pondicherry

Highlights: Beachside promenade, French buildings, Sunrise at the Beach, Aurobindo Ashram, Paper Factory, Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Ananda Rangapillai's House.

Season: November to February, when it is not hot.

Time of the day: Evening - 6am to 10am

Distance: Approximately 6kms

Difficulty: Easy


View Larger Map



The Walk.


Pondicherry was once a French Colony, and even today has an essence of many things French.

Start early and wait for the sunrise near Gandhi Statue at Beach Road(Goubert Road). Walk south on the long beach road after watching the sun some up, and turn left at the end of the road to Laurent Street. Walk zig-zag along the roads which have buildings with Frech heritage. This section of the walk has a few restaurants that may serve Frech food, and also a bookshop with French books. Stroll along Romain Rolland Street and Suffren Streets at an easy pace.

When you feel done with this part, take La Bourdonnais Street and walk north. The next stop is the well known Aurobindo Ashram, where you can visit the samadhi of Sri Aurobindo. This is a quiet place with a feel-good, where you can see a lot of people meditating. A little ahead of the Ashram is the 300-year old Manakula Vinayagar Temple.

Continue walking on La Bourdonnais Street. At the end of it is a handmade paper factory that belongs to the Ashram. You can watch paper being made here, and even buy some. Getting back from the paper factory, walk on Gingy Street till you reach Ananda Rangapillai Street. Turn right on Ananda Rangapillai Street and get to Ananda Rangapillai's House. This is a palatial 18th century mansion of Ananda Rangapillai, who was a courtier of a French Governor.

The Walk ends at Ananda Rangapillai's House.

Walks in India: Khuri Village, Rajasthan

Friday, June 13, 2008

This post is part of a series on 'Walks in India'.

Place: Khuri

Highlights: Camel Safari, Village Life in remote Rajasthan, quiet and beautiful sand dunes, sunset point

Season: November to February, when it is not hot.

Time of the day: Evening - 4.30pm to 6.30pm

Distance: Approximately 3kms

Difficulty: Easy

Map. This is an indicative map. Not accurate and not to scale. Khuri is an hour's drive from Jaisalmer, and can be accessed by buses.



The Walk.





Khuri Village is approximately 40kms from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The village is surrounded by sand-dunes, and has a few basic home-stays.


Begin the walk from Khuri village. Walk along the small mud-houses, seeing life in the village. Along the untarred road, you can see men squatting in front of the house chattering, children playing, a few camel being tended by their owners and cows lazing, while the women work in the house. Talk to the villagers - they are friendly and open - and get to know more about their lives.

The village has a handicrafts store where you can have a look at crafts material made by local artisans. There is a pottery house near the handicrafts store, where you can see a few men working with soil. Watch them prepare the mud, spin the wheel and bring out fine shapes from a lump of soil.

Leave the village behind and walk towards sand dunes. You walk through a plane area with a few shrubs here and there. Look out for birds here - you will see a lot of them chirping and fluttering. Most common are sparrows and White Cheeked Bulbuls.

A kilometer's walk will take you to the sand dunes. Get on it and walk around at will. The fine sand is a pleasure to walk on, as your feet sinks at every step. You can find beauty in the patterns made by wind on the sand next to you, or in the expanse of the desert stretching far into the horizon. You will spot a few sprinting Black Bucks if you are lucky.

There would be a few camel drivers walking with their beasts, looking for customers for joy-rides. If you have never been on a camel, use the opportunity. Where-ever you are, return to the sunset point at the eastern part of the ridge when the sun is about to set. You can see a long stretch of the golden sand of the dunes from here as the sun is moves below the horizon.

After watching the sunset, walk back to the village, where the walk ends.

Walks in India: Auli, Uttarakhand

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

This post is part of a series on 'Walks in India'.

Place: Auli, Uttarakhand

Highlights: Views of Snowy Peaks, Walks in Snow

Season: December to March, when there is snow.

Time of the day: Morning - 9am to 12pm

Distance: Approximately 4kms

Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

Map. This is an interactive map of the walk. Zoom in to get a closer look. Click on the blue markers to identify of each location. The walking line in the map is approximate. It should be easy to find the walk-way once you are at Auli. In a good winter, entire region in the map will be covered in snow.


View Larger Map

The Walk.




Notes.


1. It is important not to stray away from the path or go too far from sight of other people on the slopes. There are chances that you can get stuck in snow, or get lost in the forest.
2. The nature of walk varies considerably with the amount of snowfall in the season. You would be walking in several feet high snow or tiny grass on the ground depending on snow conditions. Either way, it is a pleasant walk.

Auli has ski slopes, besides which you can walk in the snow. There are cable cars from Joshimath, the nearest town, that can take you to Auli.

Begin the walk from GMVN Lodge in Auli. Make sure you have a good breakfast before you leave, and preferably pack something to eat and drink. Walk parallel to the ski slopes, on the left side of the track as you walk up. Pause often and look back north to enjoy the views of the snowy peaks on the other side of the valley. You can see Trishul and Dronagiri ranges to the North and Nanda Devi to the east.

As you walk up, you can watch amateur skiers coming down the slope in the initial slopes. Make sure you stay away from them - they could loose control and head towards you anytime!

A 20 minute walk should take you to the base of the ski lift where skiers would have lined up to get on the lift. Continue walking up along slopes, which is now filled with more experienced people. All along the way, you can relish the views of the mountains surrounding you. If you are lucky, you will have plenty of snow where walking can be fun initially, and a little tiring later. But take your time - there is no reason to hurry. You can make snowballs and play with your friends, or jump on the snow and feel good sinking into it.

In case of heavy snow, the last point of the walk will be the topmost tower where the cable car goes. The region beyond this would be under heavy snow and hence out of reach. Sometimes a restaurant will be functioning here, where you can have some tea, snacks, or even lunch. If you are staying in GMVN lodge, trace back the path you walked. If you have arrived from Joshimath, you can take the cable car back from here to reach the town.

If there is not much snow, and provided you are still feeling fit, you can walk higher and get into woods(this is not marked in the map). Make sure you don't stray away from designated path or go out of sight from other people on the slopes. You can walk as high as possible depending on the time of the day and your fitness level. Naturally, higher you go the better are the views, and you are likely to find more and more snow. But make sure you keep enough time in hand to be able to get back.

++ More about Auli on paintedstork.com

* The backbreaking journey to Auli
* Skiing in Auli - 2005, 2006
* Spending time in Auli
* Trekking and Walking in Auli
* Auli Information
* Auli Images - 2005
* Auli Images - 2006

Walks in India: Mall Road, Shimla

Monday, June 09, 2008

This post is part of a series on 'Walks in India'.

Place: Shimla

Highlights: Traffic Free Mall Road, Celebrations during festival days, Wooded sections, Restaurants.

Season: In Summer. March to June

Time of the day: Any time of the day is good.

Distance: Approximately 3kms

Difficulty: Easy

Map. This is an interactive map of the walk. Zoom in or out to get the desired perspective. For a more concise map with the important locations marked, click here.



The Walk.




Shimla's Mall Road is closed for traffic, making it a pleasant walk with no pollution and noise from vehicles. The Road is usually full of tourists from the plains walking up and down in lookout of things to do or just searching for a quiet bench to sit on. It has an easy going, festive air.