India Travel Blog

Friday Photo: Mountains and the Sky

2008-07-25T16:29:00.000+05:30

Views from Auli, Uttarakhand.

Monsoon Stories on India Travel Blog

2008-07-21T21:47:00.003+05:30

For the season of rains, here is all the reading and images on India Travel Blog.

* Chikmagalur - Charmadi and Mullayyanagiri in the rains
* Driving to Coorg in the monsoons
* Driving in the rains to Jog and karwar
* Riverside picnic places around Bangalore
* Trekking on the tracks to Yedakumeri
* Hiking Brahmagiri Peak in Coorg
* Muthyala Madu
* Tubing in Kaveri
* Cherrapunjee
* An FAQ on monsoons
* Book Review - Chasing the Monsoon
* Monsoon image gallery

Friday Photo: Bridge, People and Temple

2008-07-18T16:27:00.001+05:30

Laxman Jhula, Rishikesh.

Skandagiri

2008-07-14T10:08:00.001+05:30

'I can't believe there is such an amazing place so close to Bangalore,' said a friend when I showed the photographs. It was getting predictable - show pictures of Skandagiri to anyone, tell them it is just 60km from Bangalore and wait for them to gasp and react with those words - 'I can't believe...'

A year ago I had uttered these words myself on a morning after finding pictures of Skandagiri in my mailbox. Skandagiri is a small hill that is just two hours drive from Bangalore. Earlier unknown, it came into light when a few people trekked up there and came back with amazing pictures of the hill ranges peeking through the early morning fog. In the time of internet and group emails, Skandagiri instantly became famous. People have since been going there and camping overnight to see the dramatic mornings with waves of clouds kissing the hills, and to watch the sun come up slowly amidst them. Skandagiri also has a place in history with a small fort on its top built by Tipu Sultan.

I was longing to visit the place, and when a local photography group planned for a trip, jumped in without much thinking. On the next night of full moon, we packed our camping gear and drove towards Skandagiri. We had all the night at our disposal to climb up, which means we started pretty late in the night. When we assembled outside the city, had our dinner and finally reached the base of the hill, it was already midnight. Hiring a guide and starting the trek took some more time and we started only around 12.45am.

Skandagiri looked deceptively small and easy to conquer from its base. 'Two hours,' we were told, but we brashly estimated for 45 minutes of easy walk. Our guide took us through the route that first lead to the lateral part of the mountain and then up on an easy slope. But it got steeper as we walked and we slowly started increasing the expected time to reach up. It was hardly 15 minutes of climbing when a few wanted to halt and rest. The mountain was getting the respect it deserved from us, playing the hard way. Not even five minutes of rest and our guides was herding us up threatening, saying that we will never make it in this pace before sunrise. We moved on grumblingly.

But you can't keep a bunch of photographers on their tows for too long. It was not much time before we found a nice rocky place with wide vistas of the planes below. Full moon shone brightly in the sky with a few stars flickering here and there, and dots of light from Chikballapur town a couple of kilometers away sparkled below. A gentle breeze blew continuously and rejuvenated us from the tiresome climb. Tripods came out from the bags and cameras mounted on them, we started clicking the endless vistas below. It was nearly half an hour before the guide overpowered us and forced us to move on.

The bridle path to the peak took us through patches of boulder strewn shrub jungle with a few big trees here and there. It got steeper as we moved up. We were deceived each time when we looked up and presumed it is going to take only a few more minutes to the top. We finally made it in little more than two and a half hours, tired and hungry.

On the top of the hill is a small rocky plateau with a short wall assembled with rocks, covering the perimeter of the plateau and making up the Tipu’s fort. In the middle stands a small ancient temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Once at the top, strong westward wind blew relentlessly and brought the temperature down by many degrees from the place where we started. Getting into the temple was the only way to escape the wind but the temptation of the bright moonlight and views of the barely visible plains below kept us outdoors. Around 4 am we were suddenly encompassed in thick fog with hardly any visibility, when we decided to pitch our tents and make an attempt to sleep.

The chill of the wind hardly allowed us to get any shuteye, and unwillingness to miss the sunrise meant we were up in no time. We woke up in the bitter cold, to see the entire world below us covered in clouds even when the altitude where we stood had a clear weather. A few summits in the distance came into view on and off as the clouds played with the wind. It was like a large pile of cotton candy spread on the earth as we looked from a height, and I wished we could float among them. When the sun came, he came up from the layer of clouds below like a small orange ball far away in the horizon. Once again cameras came out from the bags and tripods were laid out to capture those beautiful moments forever. The magic lasted for nearly thirty minutes when eventually the fog cleared to make way for a bright day. We then made our way down, still finding it hard to believe that we have a place so beautiful, so close to the city.

Information

Skandagiri is 60km from Bangalore and is located along the same range as Nandi Hills. To reach Skandagiri, drive from Bangalore to Chikballapur(55km) on NH7 where you have to turn left and drive for another 5km. The trek begins from a small temple called Papagni Matha located at Kalwarahalli village. Once you are in Chikballapur ask for directions to Papagni Matha to make sure you are not lost.

The trek to the peak is steep at sections and one needs to be reasonably fit. It takes two to three hours to get to the top depending on your fitness. You can hire guides from Kalwarahalli village at the base of Skandagiri. Forest department charges an entry fee of Rs.15 on weekends.

Friday Photo: Falling Threds

2008-07-11T16:25:00.000+05:30

Shastradhara, Dehradun.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple - II

2008-07-07T21:54:00.001+05:30

See the first part of this article - Madurai Meenakshi Temple - I

The surroundings of Sundareshwarar temple have a feel very different from that of Meenakshi temple. Open spaces and well lit veranda give way to long and dark passages with shafts of light peeping in from the corners. The main entrance leads me to a mantapa with a Nandi in its middle, facing the main deity. The pillars of the mantapa are covered with carvings of Shiva in his varied forms - Nataraja, Bhairava and Ardhanareeshwara. Continuing the temple's love with garish metallic structures that disturb the harmony of its surroundings, in the middle of the mantapa is a gleaming yellow pillar that stands apart from its environment.

Devotees come and go in quick successions in the hall surrounding the mantapa, circumambulating the gods adorning the pillars of the edifice. A mural of Hanuman covered in kumkum and decorated with a hanging lamp sees visitors like no other. Wick lamps lit, flowers offered and a pradakshina made, they move on after applying kumkum on their foreheads, in a mood that is visibly contented. As I stand in a corner and watch people go by, their numbers in the hall keeps changing quickly between a few handful to many a dozen, but never disturbing the silence and calmness of the environs.

Along the corridors, the outer walls have been a subject of creativity of the artists. Unstructured, yet beautiful and colourful murals crowd the walls - there are warring people, priests, women churning butter, common people - representing life in the times of their creators. Inside, the sanctum is guarded by life-sized murals of elephants on each side of its door, with their trunks raised up. Flickering orange lamps burning along the door frame provide a brilliant, lively decor to the dark interior. The linga rests in the sanctum on a platform, under the shade of a serpent(adishesha?). The impressions of the modern days are visible here too, in the form of granite flooring that contradicts the beauty of dark stone structures surrounding it.

In front of the complex of Sundareshwarar shrine is a small market selling trinkets, arty materials, small statues and images of all kind of gods. The statues are painted in brightest possible yellow that can make the most willing buyer to reconsider. A door adjoining these shops leads to the gigantic thousand pillar hall, inside of which is crowded with thick stone pillars in every direction. The hall is now a museum that serves no purpose but of a store room for haphazardly installed statues that are in a desperate state, which only disturb the beauty of uniform array of pillars.

In the few days that I spent wandering the temple and its surroundings, the brightly lit Potramarai Kulam and its painted surroundings kept pulling me back to its environs. I cherished the morning hours sitting on the steps leading to the tank, spent watching the pigeons flying in and out of the water, admiring the view of the towers that aim for the sky, and sometimes lost, with the complex labyrinth of thoughts in mind melting away into nothingness in the calm moments.

As I moved on from Madurai and its temples, the scale of its structures and the intent of its creators remained as an enigma. Was it a wish to show-off their prosperity to their people and rest of the world? An icon of their moments of celebration? Or was it truly a show of their utmost belief and devotion of the supreme power? I am yet to understand.

Friday Photo: Yakshagana Artist

2008-07-04T16:20:00.000+05:30

A Yakshagana Artist in a stage performance.

Travelling.. Kargil, Zenskar, Leh, Ladakh, Nubra, Chhangthang, Western Himachal,..

2008-07-02T10:03:00.000+05:30

That's roughly how the itinerary is. It is going to be a really long journey, may be stretching to 8 weeks or more.

There will be regular posts on India Travel Blog during this period. I have lined up many posts that were long pending, which will go live over next two months. I am also hoping to update from the road once in a while.

Three Years of India Travel Blog

2008-07-01T09:24:00.001+05:30

India Travel Blog is now three years old.

The first post was made on July 1st, 2005. It started like a pastime just to maintain my travel-logs, just so that the information remains and be available to anyone who would need it. It has hopefully been serving the purpose, but now has also outgrown to a level of influencing the direction of my life in the last year or so.

Thank you for all your good words and encouragement, and for being with India Travel Blog all along.

July 2008 Desktop Calendar Wallpaper

2008-07-01T00:26:00.003+05:30

Here is the desktop calendar wallpaper for July 2008. Click on the image to get 1024x768 version.

Walks in India: Complete List

2008-06-30T00:02:00.006+05:30

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

2008-06-29T00:10:00.002+05:30

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

2008-06-27T00:25:00.004+05:30

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

2008-06-25T00:01:00.001+05:30

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

2008-06-23T00:41:00.007+05:30

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

2008-06-21T00:33:00.003+05:30

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

2008-06-19T00:18:00.004+05:30

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

2008-06-17T00:35:00.002+05:30

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

2008-06-15T00:35:00.000+05:30

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

2008-06-13T00:08:00.003+05:30

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

2008-06-11T00:08:00.001+05:30

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

2008-06-09T00:08:00.003+05:30

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.

Begin the walk at the eastern end of Mall Road, near Oberoi Clark Hotel. It is good to start with an empty stomach, which would help you in stuffing up variety of eatables all along the way. If you are feeling lazy, you can find a bench as soon as you start, just above Clark Hotel where you get good vies of Shimla's valley. It takes less than five minutes of walking to find a few dozen option to eat and drink - it could be a coffee, light snack, ice cream or a full meal. But don't get tempted, there is lot more to come. Just take a cup of take-away coffee and continue walking.

It is only in Shimla that you can use a lift to move from one road to other. Cart road runs parallel to the mall a hundred feet below it. The city corporation runs a lift between the roads near Combermere Hotel. Take it to Cart road and come back just for the fun of it.

A five minute walk from the lift, you will reach the ridge - the highest point in the walk. Climb up the ridge using the steps leading to it from the road. If you are there in the evening on a good day, you might be lucky to see some dance, song or other cultural performances from local artists. Gaitey Theater on the ridge is one of the charming Raj era buildings in Shimla that has still survived.

Just ahead of the ridge is scandal point where tourists love to hangout. There isn't much to do though, just sit and watch the world go by, which is what everyone else would be doing. The walk further gets easier, since you go downhill on a gentle slope. Within five minutes of walk, you see an India Coffee House to your left. Walk-in for a snack and spend some time here. If you are hungry and it is lunch time, just next to it is Devico's Restaurant which has good views of the valley.

Buildings start disappearing after India Coffee House and give way to wooded sections. You will find vendors along the road selling exotic fruits like litchi, apricot and plums. Pack some fruits and continue down the road. You will see less and less people as you walk, and some stretches of the roads have no buildings. Find a bench here and spend time quietly munching the fruits. Walking a little more will take you to the western end of mall road, where the walk ends.

++ More about Shimla on paintedstork.com

* A Day in Shimla
* Touts in Shimla

Walks in India: Old City, Jaipur

2008-06-07T00:06:00.002+05:30

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

Place: Old City, Jaipur

Highlights: Royal Cenotaphs, Jaipur City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Old City(Pink City)

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

Time of the day: Evening - 9.30am to 1pm

Distance: Approximately 4kms

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.

The Walk begins from Royal Cenotaphs at Gaitor, just outside the old city. The fine marble structures host cenotaphs of kings of Jaipur and their descendants, starting with Sawai Jai Singh II from mid 18th century. The cenotaphs located amidst a few leafy ficus trees have interesting marble carvings of Krishna and other mythological characters. You can also look up to the views of Nahargarh Fort from here.

Get into Old City when you are done with Gaitor. It is a zig-zag of narrow roads here. If you loose your way, just ask for Hawa Mahal, and it should not be hard to find someone to help you. The long way is likely to be uneventful, but you would see a few temples and many old structures where you may feel like stopping briefly. Once you get near Hawa Mahal, you get a good feel of the 'Pink City', as Jaipur is called. All the buildings on the main road are painted in the same shade of pink and every shop looks the same as its neighbour. It is a busy area with shops selling every possible thing, most of them looking ancient. Many buildings in the Old City look very old, and some of them dilapidated. But these buildings have the ancient Rajasthani architecture with arches and chhatris(umbrellas), giving them a charming old-time feel.

Get into Hawa Mahal and peek through its tiny windows. Hawa Mahal was the place where the queens would spend their time watching the streets. To get best views of Hawa Mahal, climb the building opposite to it, which can give you a perspective from a good height.

Walk along the lanes behind Hawa Mahal to get to City Palace. The large enclosure of City Palace is full of old buildings, where pigeons keep fluttering in large groups. The big City Palace can keep you occupied for more than an hour. Get in and see the Diwan-I-Khas, Diwan-I-Aam, huge silver vessels, arts and crafts gallery, arms museum and four seasons gates. The Palace has a restaurant where you can break the walk for a cup of coffee or some snacks.

Just a little ahead of City Palace is Jantar Mantar, a collection of astronomical instruments built by Maharajah Jai Singh II. Make sure you hire a guide here to be able to understand the significance of each of these structures.

Further, continue walking on the market streets of Old City at Tripolia Bazar. You will see a narrow and tall tower called Swargasuli or Iswari Minar Swarga Sal. Climb the tower through its dark ramp with little ventilation, which might make you feel a little claustrophobic. It is one of the tallest structures in Old City, and gives you an uninterrupted view on all sides. You can easily spot Hawa Mahal, City Palace and other nearby landmarks, and Nahargarh Fort at a distance.

Walk westwards on Chandpol Road and reach Chandpol gate, which is one of the major entrances to the walled old city. You can see the restored walls of the Old City here. The walk ends at Chandpol.

Walks in India: Varanasi

2008-06-05T00:01:00.002+05:30

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

Place: Varanasi

Highlights: Boat ride, Life on the Ghats, Burning Ghats, Ganga Aarti, Kashi Vishwanath Temple

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

Time of the day: Morning 6 to 9 or evening 4 to 7.

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.

Varanasi is known as the oldest living city. A lot of places and structures you see along the ghats are indeed very old. Do the walk in morning hours to witness the sunrise from a boat on the Ganges. The evening hours see more activity on the ghats, and you can conclude your walk by attending the Ganga Aarti at 6pm.

Start early in the morning from Dasawamedh Ghat and hire a boat to take you all the way south to Assi Ghat. Watch the sky turn from dark to crimson at sunrise as the boat takes you over the river.

Get down from the boat at Assi Ghat and start walking back along the river towards Dasaswamedh Ghat. See the life go by as you walk through the ghats. The people and the activities you see can vary a lot depending on the time of the day. Prabhu Ghat is where you find washermen washing clothes and drying them on the banks. Harischandra Ghat, close to Dasaswamedh is where the dead bodies are burned. Kedar ghat has steep steps leading to a brick-red and white striped temple. Munshi ghat has attractive ancient buildings, and view point from atop that fort gives a nice view of the the area along the ghats where the boats are stationed.

Through other ghats, you can witness many other things, like water buffaloes bathing in the river, mynas pecking food grains given by pilgrims, people making offerings to sun god, mendicants meditating, pilgrims taking holy dip, just to name a few. Kedar Ghat and Tulsi Ghat are some of the other ghats that you pass through during the walk. Activities in the ghats are endless and you keep seeing new things each time you return. There are many chai shops and a few juice centers on the way where you can fill yourself, provided you are not very hygiene conscious.

Most pilgrims tend to congregate near Dasaswamedh Ghat, which is close to Kashi Vishwanath Temple. You can spend some time here watching people in pooja, performing shraddha karma or other rituals. Further ahead is Manikarnika Ghat, another burning ghat where the dead are cremated. Come back to Dasaswamedh from Manikarnika and walk away from the river for a visit to Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

You can end the morning walk at Dasaswamedh Ghat with breakfast in one of the many restaurants in the lane leading into the town. If it is evening, sit at Dasaswamedh and witness a session of Ganga Aarti, which lasts till 7pm.

++ More about Varanasi on paintedstork.com

* Perceptions of Varanasi
* Seeing the ghats
* Ganga Aarti - worshiping in the Ganges at Varanasi
* Life on the ghats
* Images of Varanasi
* Varanasi Information