Divinity in stone
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Nestling in the hills of Lonavala, the rock-cut Karla Caves rank
amongst the oldest and finest examples of Early Buddhist temple art in
India
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Karla Caves is where Buddhism comes alive. Nestling in
the hills of Lonavala, the rock-cut Karla and Bhaja Caves rank amongst
the oldest and finest examples of Early Buddhist temple art in India.
The Karla Cave, the largest Early Buddhist shrine in India, imitates the
look of more familiar wooden architecture. Completed in 80 BC, the
impressive structure includes a representation of the Buddha, and an
aisle made up of 37 pillars and carved elephant heads, which once had
real ivory tusks.
The Bhaja Cave complex comprises 18 caves and 14 stupas. Dating from around 200 BC, these architectural curiosities lie amidst thick greenery in a setting that’s so calm, it’s almost mystical. Just outside Karla Caves, Ekvira Temple is visited by thousands of devotees, mainly fisher folk.
The MTDC Resort offers a water park and boating on a private lake. 2/3/4/6 bed AC and non-AC rooms are available.
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Sunday, July 29, 2012
Nestling in the hills of Lonavala, the rock-cut Karla Caves rank amongst the oldest and finest examples of Early Buddhist temple art in India
Bhandardara has all the makings of a beautiful holiday resort with spectacular sights
Experience the magic
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Bhandardara has all the makings of a beautiful holiday resort with spectacular sights
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Nestled among the Sahyadri Hills, Bhandardara has all
the makings of a beautiful holiday resort. Sky-high mountains, roaring
waterfalls and lush greenery throughout the year, attract tourists from
all over.
To reach Bhandardara, detrain at Igatpuri. If you are travelling by road from Mumbai, you need to turn right just a few kilometers after Igatpuri and enter Ghoti. This small town leads to a long narrow road, which cuts across the lofty mountains and ascends to the marvellous retreat. Although it is just about an hour’s journey, the sights are spectacular. Fluorescent green paddy fields contrast with the bright blue skies above and the murky brown streams that crisscross the whole land. When it rains, and clouds descend from the sky to blanket the earth, the sight is truly breathtaking! Bhandardara has many attractions - from majestic Wilson Dam to wondrous Arthur Lake. As legend has it, Agasti Rishi meditated here for a year, surviving only on water and air. Pleased with this display of devotion, God came down to Earth and blessed Shri Agasti Rishi with a stream of the Ganga river, which is now known as the Pravara River. Like all scenic spots, the magic of Bhandardara has to be experienced to be appreciated; if you are a nature lover, this spot should definitely appear on the top of your holiday destination list.
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Mahabaleshwar is bountiful, rewarding visitors with a mix of old-world charm, natural beauty and modernity
The most popular hill station
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Mahabaleshwar is bountiful, rewarding visitors with a mix of old-world charm, natural beauty and modernity
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Soaring peaks, breathtaking valleys, lush flora, cool,
crisp mountain air heralds Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra’s most popular
hill station, and once the summer capital of the Bombay Presidency
during the British Raj. Mahabaleshwar means ‘God of Great Power’ in
Sanskrit. Indeed, the place is great and bountiful, rewarding the
visitor with a mix of old-world charm, natural beauty and modernity.
A tour of Mahabaleshwar town and the surrounding countryside would take at least a couple of days as there is much to see and experience. The town bazaar is called Malcolm Peth after the then British Governor of Bombay, Sir John Malcolm. It lies at the heart of Mahableshwar with its hotels, shops, restaurants, outlying bungalows, government offices, and jostling crowds. Mahabaleshwar has proper, motorable roads to every point worth visiting, so one could tour the place by car, jeep, or even horseback. There are many buildings and sites that take one back to the days of the Raj. There’s Mount Malcolm, the one-time residence of Governor Malcolm; Moraji Castle, where Mahatma Gandhi lived during 1945; and the Mahabaleshwar Club. A short drive from town is the beautiful Venna Lake, where one can go boating, fishing, and pony riding. Or indulge oneself at the entertainment centre with its numerous food and game stalls. Near the lake, further down the road on the way to neighbouring Panchgani, are the great strawberry fields. Mahabaleshwar is known for its numerous sightseeing points, each providing a unique perspective of the majestic hill range. En route to Babington Point is Dhom dam, which is a good place to take a break. Or one could visit Old Mahabaleshwar and the famous Panchganga Mandir, which is said to contain the springs of five rivers: Koyna, Venna, Savitri, Gayatri and the sacred Krishna River. There’s also the Mahabaleshwar Mandir, revered for its Swayambhu Lingam.
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Malshej Ghat holds special value for hikers, trekkers and adventure lovers
Nature at its best
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Malshej Ghat holds special value for hikers, trekkers and adventure lovers
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Malshej Ghat holds special value for hikers, trekkers
and adventure lovers. The nature here is at its best. No wonder then
that the most exotic migratory flamingos choose it as their monsoon
abode. Close at hand is Shivneri Fort (approximately 40 kilometres),
birthplace of the legendary Shivaji. The unusual hill has Buddhist Caves
dating to the third century and is surmounted by an important historic
fort. At Malshej you will experience a revival of mind, body and spirit
like never before.
MTDC Holiday Resort provides accommodation comprised self-contained rooms (17 blocks). |
The cliffs of Matheran with incredibly steep drops to the plains below offer stunning viewing points
An undulating hilltop cloaked in green
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The cliffs of Matheran with incredibly steep drops to the plains below offer stunning viewing points
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Your toy train chugs along slowly without a care in
the world. During the two hour ascent, food vendors and monkeys jump on
and off as the valley glides by sedately. Sprawling languidly at an
altitude of 800 metres is Matheran - an undulating hilltop cloaked in
green.
The cliffs of Matheran with incredibly steep drops to the plains below offer stunning viewing points. These panoramic vistas, by day and night, leave you feeling light headed. Standing at Hart Point in pitch darkness you get a breathtaking glimpse of the lights of busy Bombay. Matheran abounds in such quixotically named points, popular sites for picnics and fireside revelry. The old world charm of the British and Parsi home capitavtes you all the way up to the Charlotte Lake. On each trip through the main bazaar you purchase some of its attractions - care and leather articles, hats, chappals and the irresistible chikki loved by young and old alike. MTDC provides accommodation facilities, the total capacity being 83. |
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Tarkarli’s major attractions are the long and narrow stretch of beach, with its pristine water and the various forts
Seen the sea bed 20 feet below?
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Tarkarli’s major attractions are the long and narrow stretch of beach, with its pristine water and the various forts
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Situated 6 kilometres south of Malvan and 546
kilometres from Mumbai on the coast of Maharashtra is Tarkarli. The
major attraction here is the long and narrow stretch of beach, with its
pristine water. On a clear day, you can see the sea bed through a depth
of 20 feet. Then of course there are the forts.
l Sindhudurg Fort, a symbol of Maratha naval dominance is situated about 2 km out at sea, off the coast of Tarkarli. Covering 48 acres, Sindhudurg Fort has a 2-mile long rampart wall, 30 feet high and 12 feet thick. Visit the Shivarajeshwar Temple. l More forts were set up in the neighbouring island of Padmagad and on the mainland of Rajkot and Sarjekot. l The Sarjekot fort is located about 2 km north of Rajkot, a little beyond Kolamb Creek in Revandi village. It was constructed by Shivaji in 1668, on a hillock at the mouth of the Kalavali Creek, on its south bank. The creek, which extends seven miles north to Masure and then to the north-east, reaching Maland, was once navigable. It was ideal for anchoring and shipbuilding and was also a safe haven for pirates. l In the process of fortifying Sindhudurg, many more forts like Bhagavantagad, Bharatgad, Nivti and Yashavantgad came into being. Strategically located, they guarded against enemy invasions in the region. l Tarkarli Creek is home to a variety of local and migratory birds and rare aquatic life. It’s also a major attraction for fishing enthusiasts. l Deo Baug beach is a few kilometers away from Tarkarli, a good place to unwind and relax, while watching seagulls overhead. l Located about 20 km from Malvan, Dhamapur Lake offers boating and other water sports facilities. The lake’s clean, crystal clear waters are absolutely irresistible. While in Tarkarli, make sure to visit the restaurant for the delectable cuisine and experience something unusual - staying in MTDC’s inviting Konkani Huts. The MTDC resort at Tarkali has Konkani House AC and Non-AC rooms along with Deluxe Bamboo House AC Rooms. Luxurious house boats are also available for dream journeys. |
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Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC)
Maharashtra Tourism
Development Corporation (MTDC) has since its inception, been involved in
the development and maintenance of the various tourist locations of
Maharashtra. MTDC owns and maintains resorts at all key tourist centres
and has more resorts planned.
Maharashtra is a tourist’s delight because the sheer quantum and variety it offers are virtually unmatched. From heritage structures and religious monuments to the natural beauty of caves, forts, wildlife preserves and hill stations, a vast coastline and themed tours like the Deccan Odyssey, the message is clear - get ready to be spoilt for choice! Plus, most tourist spots have multiple offerings; most forts or hill stations will have a religious significance too.
Maharashtra’s 720 km long affair with the Arabian Sea extends from Dahanu and Bordi in the north up to Goa proceeding southwards. If you’ve got a penchant for sand, sea and surf, this state has a great many interesting options in store.
Any place you choose is conveniently linked to Mumbai, which makes it a good starting point. All these places are well connected by state buses. The coastal climate of Maharashtra makes travelling pleasant all round the year. Discover the real Maharashtra while you soak up the sun on soft sands or explore intriguing sights.
The geography of Maharashtra shows evidence of a divine hand. Running north to south, throughout its length are the steeply rising Western Ghats. The foothills sometimes approaching the seashore and sometimes withdrawing 40 or 50 kilometres away seem to be playing an eternal game with the Arabian Sea.
Nestling shyly in these mountains, some at an altitude of 2000 metres are the hill stations of Maharashtra. These towns offer clean, calm and a thoroughly refreshing alternative to city life. They are probably the only places in India where you can observe the fall of the land all the way to the shimmering sea.
Mumbai, India’s commercial capital, and easily the most accessible city in this country, is the perfect gateway to Maharashtra’s hill country, with convenient and comfortable links by road, rail, and air.
We are sure that Maharashtra’s sheer size and diversity will stun you. Here is a glimpse into this vibrant and beautiful land, the wide variety of options available for tourists and facilities provided. Go ahead and explore it to your heart’s content.
Online booking at MTDC resorts is available or you can also book at Mumbai and other MTDC Reservation Offices.
For details, call 22044040/ 22845678
or
visit www.maharashtratourism.gov.in
Maharashtra is a tourist’s delight because the sheer quantum and variety it offers are virtually unmatched. From heritage structures and religious monuments to the natural beauty of caves, forts, wildlife preserves and hill stations, a vast coastline and themed tours like the Deccan Odyssey, the message is clear - get ready to be spoilt for choice! Plus, most tourist spots have multiple offerings; most forts or hill stations will have a religious significance too.
Maharashtra’s 720 km long affair with the Arabian Sea extends from Dahanu and Bordi in the north up to Goa proceeding southwards. If you’ve got a penchant for sand, sea and surf, this state has a great many interesting options in store.
Any place you choose is conveniently linked to Mumbai, which makes it a good starting point. All these places are well connected by state buses. The coastal climate of Maharashtra makes travelling pleasant all round the year. Discover the real Maharashtra while you soak up the sun on soft sands or explore intriguing sights.
The geography of Maharashtra shows evidence of a divine hand. Running north to south, throughout its length are the steeply rising Western Ghats. The foothills sometimes approaching the seashore and sometimes withdrawing 40 or 50 kilometres away seem to be playing an eternal game with the Arabian Sea.
Nestling shyly in these mountains, some at an altitude of 2000 metres are the hill stations of Maharashtra. These towns offer clean, calm and a thoroughly refreshing alternative to city life. They are probably the only places in India where you can observe the fall of the land all the way to the shimmering sea.
Mumbai, India’s commercial capital, and easily the most accessible city in this country, is the perfect gateway to Maharashtra’s hill country, with convenient and comfortable links by road, rail, and air.
We are sure that Maharashtra’s sheer size and diversity will stun you. Here is a glimpse into this vibrant and beautiful land, the wide variety of options available for tourists and facilities provided. Go ahead and explore it to your heart’s content.
Online booking at MTDC resorts is available or you can also book at Mumbai and other MTDC Reservation Offices.
For details, call 22044040/ 22845678
or
visit www.maharashtratourism.gov.in
An idyllic getaway Ganapatipule is one of the most spectacular beaches along the Konkan Coast
An idyllic getaway
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Ganapatipule is one of the most spectacular beaches along the Konkan Coast
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Ganapatipule is one of the most spectacular beaches
along the Konkan Coast - an idyllic getaway that attracts peace-seekers,
beach lovers, and pilgrims alike. The temple of Swayambhu
(self-originated) Ganesh is much frequented by thousands every year.
Ganapatipule is rich in flora, including mangroves and coconut palms.
The MTDC Holiday Resort offers self-contained AC and non-AC rooms and Konkani House AC and Non-AC rooms. |
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Talakad | Riddles of the sands On the town’s mysterious riverside desert – its legends, history and present
As I drive through Mysore district, a silver sash peeps out from
behind the trees. This is the Kaveri (also known as the Cauvery)
river—it quickly hides behind the next clump of trees, refusing to be
seen thereafter. My high school geography book, I recollect, had
described these areas as “the fertile plains of the Kaveri basin”.
What are stretches of desert doing in the midst of a fertile river valley? Green fields giving way to crouching houses is understandable. But houses giving way to a desert? What is going on?
*********
Face to face with the Sri Vaidyanatheswara temple, or rather the sands that hem it in from all sides, I decide to explore the sands before entering the temple.
As I climb back up to ground level, it almost feels like I’m coming up for air. Next is the Saikatheswara temple, again underground like the Pataleswara temple, this time manned by a solitary priest. Ahead of it is a vast clearing in the sand. This is the last of the temples, the 12th century Keerthinarayana temple, now under renovation. A polygon-shaped stone platform stands bare, just 3ft tall or so. Nearby is the dismantled temple and numerous stones in front of it in heaps, almost like Lego blocks. This temple is being reworked and will be placed on the new foundation shortly.
Yet the architecture is faded, blurred. There is none of the sharp relief or delicate contrast that makes Khajuraho or Belur-Halebid so breathtaking. While the centuries have taken their toll, it’s saddening to see that the sculptures don’t look extraordinary.
*********
The presence of the sands isn’t the only mystery in Talakad. In seemingly unrelated news, the present maharaja (although the throne no longer has administrative power, the presumptive maharaja is expected to fulfil religious and cultural responsibilities) of Mysore, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, does not have any sons, and so there are no direct heirs to the Mysore throne.
The maharaja of the neighbouring kingdom of Mysore saw in this an opportunity to annex Talakad. The unprepared Rangamma sensed defeat was inevitable and jumped into the Kaveri river and killed herself.
But before her fatal plunge, she let out a curse that, when translated from Kannada, goes:
May Talakad become a desert,
May Malangi become a whirlpool,
May the Maharajas of Mysore not have heirs.
The first two came true, and while there have been exceptions to the third, the surprisingly high proportion of maharajas without heirs has been intriguing.
But surely curses don’t really come true? Surely there’s got to be another explanation?
To understand all this better, I call on a retired geologist (who requests anonymity because “he does not wish any publicity”). He is in his 80s and speaks with a shaking voice. He says: “Scientifically, the explanation is simple. You see, Talakad is a peninsula, it is surrounded by the Kaveri on three sides. The Kaveri here is in a form whose technical name is ‘meander’, it curves in an almost U-turn. Then there is the question of what happened around the 16th century when the desert came up here.” In the 15th century, the Vijayanagara kings built what is perhaps the first boulder dam in India. The Madhav Mantri dam, named after one of their viceroys, slowed the river’s waters down, and so, near the river’s meander, the sand from the river started getting deposited on the banks. “Over a few decades, the river’s sands piled up on the banks and gradually covered the entire town of Talakad.”
What
about the Mysore maharajas? I ask the geologist. He has no explanation
and neither does anyone else I meet in Talakad. The geologist and many
locals suggest that a reason why the rulers of Mysore haven’t had heirs
could be that they often married among close relatives. That explanation
seems like a flailing attempt to connect to anything plausible. It is
nothing conclusive. At least one of Talakad’s mysteries defies easy explanation.
*********
I sit down by the riverbank and watch the river flow by. The river is just around 150m wide at Talakad but the bank looks crowded because of the 40-50 tourists who are there.
Women in wet clothes, men in their underwear, and naked children splash around in the shallow water. A coracle full of tourists pirouettes on the water surface.
On the road between the “new town” and “old town”, the curtain of dusty roadside houses parts to reveal an endless vista of soft, fluid paddy fields flowing away, rippling gently in the cool breeze like a never-ending green trampoline. The “fertile plains of the Kaveri basin”, as it were.
Shifting sands: The Sri Vaidyanatheswara temple near Mysore.
Five
kilometres ahead of the Kaveri’s first silver gleam lies the town of
Talakad. The road narrows as soon as I enter the “old town”. Squat,
tiled houses flank the deserted-looking main street. Around a bend in
the road is a green signboard announcing the Sri Vaidyanatheswara
temple.As I turn this bend, my eyes are suddenly struck by the
glaring glow of sand dunes. The temple stands there as promised, but
what take centre stage are the huge mounds of sand. The desert mounds
aren’t barren, they are topped by eucalyptus trees, standing upright
like porcupine quills. What are stretches of desert doing in the midst of a fertile river valley? Green fields giving way to crouching houses is understandable. But houses giving way to a desert? What is going on?
*********
Face to face with the Sri Vaidyanatheswara temple, or rather the sands that hem it in from all sides, I decide to explore the sands before entering the temple.
A man fishing in the Kaveri river in Talakad. Photographs by Aravind Subbarao/Flickr.com/photos/arajasu
I
climb up the dunes and walk along the sand path under a metal shelter
that circumscribes the mile-long path around the complex of temples. The
eucalyptuses do nothing to mitigate the midsummer heat. The sluggish
warm air conspires to slow me down. My laboured steps slide into the
sand instead of moving me ahead.As the path turns, I reach the
first of the temples, the Pataleswara temple. The temple is all but
underground, looking like it’s been plonked into a crater in the sandy
dune. As I clamber down the steps in the heat, there is no one else in
the temple or around. The temple itself is a small, single chamber but
its underground location has a mysterious air about it, almost like a
movie villain’s hideout.As I climb back up to ground level, it almost feels like I’m coming up for air. Next is the Saikatheswara temple, again underground like the Pataleswara temple, this time manned by a solitary priest. Ahead of it is a vast clearing in the sand. This is the last of the temples, the 12th century Keerthinarayana temple, now under renovation. A polygon-shaped stone platform stands bare, just 3ft tall or so. Nearby is the dismantled temple and numerous stones in front of it in heaps, almost like Lego blocks. This temple is being reworked and will be placed on the new foundation shortly.
Yet the architecture is faded, blurred. There is none of the sharp relief or delicate contrast that makes Khajuraho or Belur-Halebid so breathtaking. While the centuries have taken their toll, it’s saddening to see that the sculptures don’t look extraordinary.
*********
The presence of the sands isn’t the only mystery in Talakad. In seemingly unrelated news, the present maharaja (although the throne no longer has administrative power, the presumptive maharaja is expected to fulfil religious and cultural responsibilities) of Mysore, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, does not have any sons, and so there are no direct heirs to the Mysore throne.
GRAPHIC BY AHMED RAZA KHAN/MINT
This
is part of a four-century-long pattern. Since the early 17th century,
only seven of the 19 maharajas have been sons of maharajas and, thus,
direct heirs to the throne. In the absence of direct heirs, the Mysore
throne has been handed down to adopted sons, nephews and extended
relatives since 1610. Legend has it that in the early 17th
century, Tirumala-Raja, a representative of the Vijayanagara empire,
controlled Talakad. When Tirumala-Raja took ill and died, his wife
Rangamma got control of the state. The maharaja of the neighbouring kingdom of Mysore saw in this an opportunity to annex Talakad. The unprepared Rangamma sensed defeat was inevitable and jumped into the Kaveri river and killed herself.
But before her fatal plunge, she let out a curse that, when translated from Kannada, goes:
May Talakad become a desert,
May Malangi become a whirlpool,
May the Maharajas of Mysore not have heirs.
The first two came true, and while there have been exceptions to the third, the surprisingly high proportion of maharajas without heirs has been intriguing.
But surely curses don’t really come true? Surely there’s got to be another explanation?
To understand all this better, I call on a retired geologist (who requests anonymity because “he does not wish any publicity”). He is in his 80s and speaks with a shaking voice. He says: “Scientifically, the explanation is simple. You see, Talakad is a peninsula, it is surrounded by the Kaveri on three sides. The Kaveri here is in a form whose technical name is ‘meander’, it curves in an almost U-turn. Then there is the question of what happened around the 16th century when the desert came up here.” In the 15th century, the Vijayanagara kings built what is perhaps the first boulder dam in India. The Madhav Mantri dam, named after one of their viceroys, slowed the river’s waters down, and so, near the river’s meander, the sand from the river started getting deposited on the banks. “Over a few decades, the river’s sands piled up on the banks and gradually covered the entire town of Talakad.”
*********
I sit down by the riverbank and watch the river flow by. The river is just around 150m wide at Talakad but the bank looks crowded because of the 40-50 tourists who are there.
Women in wet clothes, men in their underwear, and naked children splash around in the shallow water. A coracle full of tourists pirouettes on the water surface.
On the road between the “new town” and “old town”, the curtain of dusty roadside houses parts to reveal an endless vista of soft, fluid paddy fields flowing away, rippling gently in the cool breeze like a never-ending green trampoline. The “fertile plains of the Kaveri basin”, as it were.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
How to feel 10 years younger
How to feel10 years younger
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From the crisp mountain air of St Moritz to the 800-year-old hot water
spring in Bad Ragaz, Kishore Rathod tries the best of what Switzerland
has to offer in his quest for rejuvenation
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St Moritz has all the trappings of a modern city, with
five-star hotels, luxurious villas, and stores selling brands like
Jimmy Choo and Cartier. Yet, with a population of just 5,000, it calls
itself a village.
Among those who have homes here are the owners of Heineken and Fiat. And steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal’s villa is at one of the highest points. Our guide Susi, a resident of St Moritz, remarked that even those who don’t have a highly-placed house needn’t fret, because they know eventually they will get there — the only cemetery of the village is on the hill! Walking around the settlement, it quickly becomes apparent that it is a playground of the world’s rich and famous. The pastry chef at the Hauser Chocolatier was happy to demonstrate the making of liqueur chocolates, while the lady in the coffee-and caviar store rued the vanishing of wild caviar (Beluga from Iran is currently the costliest, selling for 700 CHF for a small tin — that’s about Rs42,000). Bemused, we headed for the mountains. We went past the picturesque Pointresina village, spotting mountain goats as we made a pit stop to take in the Diavolezza mountain draped in snow, before reaching the cable car station. Then, in a matter of 10 minutes, we were transported from a lush green landscape at 1,700 metres to a snow-white peak 3,500 metres high. There, a cosy restaurant was a perfect setting for Rudi, our 60-year-old guide, to regale us with mountain tales. From St Moritz, we took a train to the spa resort of Bad Ragaz, built around a natural hot water spring that comes out of a gorge 4km uphill. Over a million litres of water flow down this 800- year-old spring every day, at a consistent temperature of 36.5 degrees Celsius. Kokilaben Ambani is among the rich and the famous who come here to relax. Tamina Therme, the public area of the spa, has half a dozen pools, each with a different temperature of water, from 17 degrees to 36.5 degrees. I let the spring water wash away my stress before heading to the sauna and Swarovski crystal-embellished steam bath. I don’t know if it was the mineral-rich water I drank or the crisp mountain air or my stints in the therm al spa, but I returned home to India feeling 10 years younger, just like the locals in St Moritz had told me I would. |
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A Spa IN THE sky
A Spa IN THE sky
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There’s a lot to be said for luxury living in the Himalayas. Nothing
shakes up one’s Spartan leanings better than a wholesome meal while
perched on a tree-top-touching deck overlooking the mountains after a
calming foot reflexology session,
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There was a puzzling sight outside the balcony of my
room on the fifth floor. The outer Himalayas stood dark and brooding on
my left. Far, far away, the valley of Rishikesh was smouldering faintly
beside a bifurcating river Ganga. Not a rain cloud in sight, no breeze
to ruffle the leaves of tall Sal trees, the temperature was 42 degrees
Celsius. It would’ve been a typical hot Himalayan afternoon but for a
happy peacock. Right below me, he was dancing, blissfully oblivious to
the smoking hot weather. There was no thunder or rain prompting him to
dance, yet there he was, shiny feathers spread in a wide semi-circle,
swaying to an unheard tune. A peahen stood close by, looking elsewhere,
unimpressed by the performance.
This was my first afternoon at Ananda, a spa resort in Uttarakhand. It took me two days and several yoga sessions to solve the mystery of the dancing peacock, but first a quick foray into history and philosophy. Ananda is housed atop a mountain in Tehri, half-an-hour’s uphill drive from Rishikesh. Over a hundred years ago, the Maharaja of Tehri-Garhwal, Narendra Singh, decided that he needed a summer capital, and picked this location fenced by the Shivalik mountains. Here, the climate was pleasant unlike the brrr! cold of the higher Himalayas. On clear days, almost his entire kingdom beyond Rishikesh was visible. The descendants of the king continued to live here until recently, when the royal family leased out their palace and 100 acres of forest around it. This became the Ananda Spa resort in 2000. Today, those who can afford it come here seeking wellness, stillness and spiritual solace. I spotted many such seekers walking determinedly up and down the cobbled pathways running like veins across the sprawling acres. Days at Ananda begin with yoga. By evening, if you are industrious enough, you can take three group sessions of an hour each, plus a personal lesson or two. Twisting and turning is pleasurably done at Hawa Mahal, a marble platform surrounded by trees. My yoga teacher, a slim, small-built Sushant Pandey, guided a fearful me through Jal Neti — cleansing of the nasal passages with lukewarm salted water. He listened patiently to the harried British woman who could not fathom why cellphones ring when we stretch forward into a Parvatasana (the mountain pose). And when I complained that meditation seemed impossible, Pandey gave me a dose of Trataka, which involved gazing steadily into a candle flame. On my third evening, as I walked back to the room after a yoga session, I saw the peacock again. This time, along with me, a couple stood transfixed by his performance. Too much heat had once driven the brilliant Van Gogh insane. Was it sun-induced delirium that had this bird dancing, I wondered; until I saw the garden sprinklers. They were spraying water in concentric circles, tricking the daft bird into a rain dance. My wonderment on the first day seemed a tad foolish now. Then I remembered what the yoga teacher had said, albeit in a different context. “Witness the experience. Pleasure, pain, whatever feelings it invokes, accept it and let it pass.” From ayurveda to hedonism The Ananda experience begins with a consultation with in-house ayurveda doctors. They deduced that I was a ‘Vata-Pitta’ type. According to ayurveda, there are three body types or tri-dosha: vata, pitta and kapha, each of which have a different recommended diet. I was advised lots of grains, milk, vegetables and sweets, and to stay off hot spices and salty food. The restaurant had a daily changing menu for each ayurveda type. But there was also such a tempting array of delicacies from Pacific salmon to Garhwali mountain goat, that it took me just a day to shed any ayurveda-induced inhibitions. And chefs Saurabh Tyagi and Sumeet Garg were more than willing to indulge me. Tyagi has unusual interests for a chef. He sympathises with the Maoists in Chattisgarh, follows avant garde art, and understands Henri Matisse. “I visualise everything on a plate,” he says, explaining his interest in molecular gastronomy. “We Indians don’t eat with all our senses. Shouldn’t we be eating first with our eyes and nose?” he asks. I tried that when he served ‘the air of beetroot and orange with spearmint powder’ — a riot of red, orange and green, with distinct smells of each ingredient. It was just foam but seemed so fresh and real. By the fourth course — chilled cucumber soup with yoghurt ravioli — I was a convert. A day earlier, Garg had treated me to a Garhwali meal, whose piece de resistance was Geheth ka Shikhar — mountain goat cooked with geheth, a local grain. Food though isn’t the focus at Ananda, I was told. “We’re just providing support to the spa experience,” said the chefs. Suitably chastised, I subjected myself to the powdery herbaceous concoctions of Choornaswedana, popularly known as the bundle massage. It was my last evening here and the first good rain of the season had arrived. Keeping pace with the heavy drops of water pounding the window panes, two therapists tapped small poultices of heated herbs all over me. Muscles knotted no longer, blood seemed to flow more easily inside me as I walked out of the spa sighing happily. Right by the lane was the peacock, dancing again. And this time, his mate was circling him. She seemed to enjoy his rain dance as much as he did. |
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Pattaya, the first stop in our three-city tour of Thailand, is a veritable mixed bag. While the golf courses and country clubs are divine
Here, female caddies egg you on
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Mark Twain famously described golf as a “good walk
spoiled”. But 600,000 annual golfing visitors who throng the 300-odd
courses in Thailand will disagree. Standing on top of the par five,
fifth tee box with 25 sand bunkers, a water-hole and daunting slopes at
the Siam Country Club’s Plantation Course, the last thing I had in mind
was a “good walk”.
Pattaya, the first stop in our three-city tour of Thailand, is a veritable mixed bag. While the golf courses and country clubs are divine, the city itself probably ranks as one of the sleaziest on earth. Thanks to indiscriminate construction, there’s not much of a beach left in Pattaya. What’s left is crammed with hundreds of deck chairs. There’s hardly any room on the beach, but out at sea, there’s entertainment in the form of water scooters, speed boats, jet-skiing, and parasailing. Relatively quiet during the day, the city really comes to life at night. Pattaya was a sleepy fishing and farming town till the Americans, engaged in the war in Vietnam, turned it into a recreation centre in the 1960s and ‘70s. It became the stomping ground for war-weary American GIs in desperate search of mindless sex, excessive booze and hallucination drugs. Today, neon lights advertising girls and sex flash incessantly all night. Thai girls dressed in schoolgirl uniforms holding up boards promising “two for one cocktails” and “free sex shows” vie for attention. In every sense of the word, Pattaya at night is sleaze. Golf, though, is another matter. The 27-hole Siam Country Club and Plantation Course, one of the two courses we tried out in Pattaya, draws no less than 50,000 foreign golfers each year. The 18-hole championship course we played here had 206 sand bunkers, numerous water hazards and daunting roughs, all aimed to test your course management and golfing skills. But the best courses were reserved for the final leg of our tour. The Black Mountain golf course is owned by a Swedish couple who were taken with the quiet charm of Hua Hin, a holiday resort for moneyed families. Word of this course spread quickly, and soon it was hosting a PGA event. The Banyan Golf Club is owned by seven Dutch nationals. The clubhouse sits atop a hill, overlooking 18 greens sprawled around the hillside. Treacherous fairway slopes make golfing here a challenge. The roughs at the Banyan are actually a pineapple plantation and golfers are warned not to venture into the plantation to retrieve lost balls for the pineapple trees’ thorns are tough and dangerous. “Take a penalty drop and get on with the game. Don’t go for any heroics,” the club advises golfers. But what really makes golfing in Thailand special are the caddies. Like the entire gamut of Thailand’s service industry, even the caddies are women. Most golf courses have smartly-dressed young women caddies who go ga-ga with your best shots. Even when you goof up, their smiles suggest that your shot wasn’t too bad. You eagerly fall for their encouraging smiles until you get to see your wretched scorecard. |
Watch the sunset from a houseboat, check managed to strike off two must-do's on her recent trip to Kerala
Watch the sunset from a houseboat, check
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managed to strike off two must-do's on her recent trip to Kerala
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A lakeside “village” in Kerala with traditional
homesteads interspaced with canals meandering around the green landscape
and small wooden bridges interlinking the sprawling lawns. That’s what
struck me as I entered the Kumarakom Lake Resort, located on a tiny
island, 16km west off the bustling town of Kottayam, near Kochi.
The ethnic touch, with ancient Kerala-style architecture, prevails on the 25-acre property nestled on the banks of Vembanad lake. Some building structures, in fact, have been transported in their entirety from villages to the resort. As I reached the Heritage Lakeview villa, the first thing that caught my eye was the traditional brass latch fixed on the heavy wooden door. And as we entered the villa, what stood out amid the wood-panelled walls, was a large colourful mural created with vegetable dye depicting Lord Shiva and Parvati’s wedding. After admiring the authentic latticed roof and heritage furniture, I was pleasantly surprised with the bathroom, which was open-air with a private plunge pool. It was a blend of the bygone era with amenities of the modern world. I had two agendas to fulfill on this trip: watch the sun set on a houseboat cruise in the backwaters and indulge in an ayurvedic massage. My husband and I set sail on the hyacinth-covered lake at noon on the kettuvallam (traditional houseboat) with two skippers and cook. The kettuvallams are made from locally-sourced materials such as wood and bamboo, and held together by coir ropes, without a single nail. As the engine chugged along, we soaked in the sights — stretches of paddy fields on tiny islands fringed with coconut and mango trees, women washing clothes, men fishing with Chinese nets, and children excitedly waving at us. Finally, I got my first wish fulfilled. I watched the sun set as I sipped my coffee on the deck. By the time the stars were out, we reached the shores for a candlelight dinner on the open deck at the Vembanad Seafood Bar & Restaurant. We decided to indulge in the local cuisine — scampi cooked in exotic Kerala spices, pearl spot fish braised in banana leaves with coconut milk and local vegetables, also cooked in banana leaves with coconut milk. For the main course we had a north Kerala specialty, Malabari Konju biryani, which uses small grain rice. Each course was accompanied by a glass of the delicious in-house wine. The next morning, it was time for my rejuvenation massage at the Ayurmana. As we entered the premises, the aromas of scented oils put us at ease. After the traditional lighting of the lamp and offering of prayers, my two female masseuses started with the head massage with brahmi oil. Then they slathered various kinds of oils all over my body and did a synchronised rub-down, easing out all the knots. An hour later, I was refreshed and rejuvenated. After spending the afternoon fishing by the canal outside our room, we strolled over to the thattukada (tea shop) in the lawns for the evening tea. I watched with rapt attention as the chaiwallah poured tea from about 3ft, without spilling, as classic Malayali film songs played on an old radio. In spite of it being a short trip, I was happy to strike off some must-dos when in “God’s own country”. |
On top of the leaning mountain of Naneghat
On top of the leaning mountain of Naneghat
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On his very first trek, Siva Sankar takes on Naneghat in the Western Ghats, where one mountain has a disconcerting slant
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Two-and-a-half hours after leaving Mumbai, as we drive
along the freshly re-laid, tree-lined Kalyan-Nirmal national highway
222, we catch a glimpse of Naneghat, still some distance away. There is
no mistaking the seemingly standalone mountain in the Western Ghats —
shrouded in mist, the clouds in a greyish-purple embrace with the
hilltop.
And then I notice it: the bizarre slant of the mountain. One push, or a gust, it appears, can send the whole mountain tumbling down. “It only looks like that from down here. When we get there, it won’t look as challenging,” a seasoned trekker reassures me, a debutant with a new pair of Weinbrenner shoes. Ten of us had left the city at 4.30am for Naneghat, 163 kilometres away. The lush, monsoon-kissed rural environs, coming to life on a July morning, makes the drive invigorating. Naneghat immediately casts a multi-sensory spell with its clean, fragrant air, birdsong, sounds of nearby streams, and cool, green surroundings. The foliage is bright, almost a luminescent green that radiates freshness immediately elevating my mood. We pick up a couple of stout sticks from the wayside and set off on a good 45-minute ‘walk’, before parking ourselves on a flat strip beside a stream. The rushing water makes therapeutic sounds. It’s perfect for a picnic breakfast and everyone chips in to prepare super-fresh, vegetarian sandwiches. We are now ready for the trek itself. Initially, the inclined path is muddy but easy enough to negotiate, with trees forming a nice canopy over us. But soon, we are zig-zagging our way up a boulder- and pebble-strewn path. It’s no longer a cakewalk, and I have to negotiate every step with care. The stick that I pick up is a huge help — how thoughtful of trekkers to leave behind something useful. When we pause for breath, we look back and see the vista developing behind us, realising that we’ve climbed quite a bit. Encouraged, we resume the trek that is getting tougher by the minute. Along the way, wildflowers, herbs and mushrooms, butterflies, golden-yellow crabs, assorted caterpillars, spiders and snails, hopping baby frogs and crickets, and howls of unseen creatures (“big monkeys”, someone says)… these help keep our minds off the strain of climbing. The trek splinters our team into smaller groups as some charge ahead while others lag behind. Again and again, we play catch up, using toy whistles to call out to each another. A patch of level ground comes as welcome relief. We turn around, and take in the stunning panorama of a dense, green valley and plains far beyond. By now, the mountains loom over us, appearing gigantic. The slant that had intimidated me earlier has disappeared, or so it appears. Instead, Naneghat seems to rise vertically to 2,750 feet above sea level, its visible side flaunting the steely granite it is made of, coated with strokes of the natural green of wild grass, plants and moss. The peak still looks beyond our reach. We continue climbing and after what seems like an eternity, we reach the famed caves of Naneghat, with inscriptions on their walls. I realise now that the inclined path we took cuts diagonally through two mountains to the other side. Naneghat is essentially a mountain pass. Connecting the Konkan coast and the Deccan Plateau, it was used as a toll-booth where coins (nane in Marathi) were collected from traders and travellers. We walk right up to the clifftop. It doesn’t feel like you are on top of a mountain until you walk to the edge and look down. The sight is breathtaking, and the height nauseating. Did we really just climb all this way up? The descent is trickier and takes an hour longer than the climb. We may have passed through only hours earlier, but strangely, these pathways feel different on the way down. The trek up and down takes us seven hours. But the pain of tired muscles and joint aches that last for days are a small price to pay for the pleasure of climbing that mountain.     |
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The trek of the matter Mumbai-based trekker Rameshwar Sawant shares lessons picked up from 22 years of being in the wilderness
The trek of the matter
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Mumbai-based trekker Rameshwar Sawant shares lessons picked up from 22 years of being in the wilderness
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I love the rains. For me, it is the best season to go
trekking — pleasant weather, verdant nature and an abundant supply of
water. The trekking expeditions I organise in this weather see the
greatest turnout.
In Maharashtra, Rajgad, at a height of 1,300 metres is my favourite destination. From the top of the fort, you can see a treasure trove of forts around you — Seemagad, Raigad, Ajinkyagad, Sajjangad and Kondhana among others. Another fort that is a favourite is Torna, believed to be the resting place for ghosts. Rumour had it that these ghosts are friendly and ever willing to help a lost stranger. One expedition I conducted had us spending the night at the Torna temple in a bid to meet the ghosts. We were, however, unlucky. Ready, set, go
Preparation
is key before any expedition, especially in extreme weather like the
monsoon. It is important to map out your journey and the route you plant
to take. Familiarising yourself with the path is helpful in case of
emergencies. I learned this lesson in the beginning of my trekking days.
I was part of a group that was visiting the Ajneri Fort in Nashik. I
was ahead of the group when after awhile I realised I had lost them. I
had no phone, and just a pack of biscuits and a bottle of water. It was
also raining. Luckily, my survival instincts kicked in and I found a
safe place to spend the night, essentially an overhang of the mountain.
At sunrise I managed to reach Ajneri village where the locals helped me
with food and directions.
There are a few basics that you should carry when on a trek — hunter shoes, extra slippers, a plastic sheet for camping, a raincoat, a tiffin box, biscuits, some snacks, fruits, minimal clothing and your personal medicines. Insects like leeches are commonly found in this season so carry some lemon or salt, both of which kill the leeches. Never try to pull leeches away from your skin. Travails of the sport
There
may come an unforeseen time during a trek when all you can do is wait
for a problem to negate on its own. During a trek to Harishchandra fort,
we were to climb the steep creek of the Konkan Kada which was a
straight rock of about 1,500 metres. While we were climbing, it began to
rain. There was no village nearby to take shelter in and it was
impossible to continue. We sat there through the night, in the rain
under our plastic tents. Only in the morning were we able to continue
our journey.
It is thus important to be supportive and help out each other. It’s the responsibility of a group leader to motivate the group in case of mishaps. If alone, only your will and strength to move ahead can help you. |
Getting An artist’s view of Turkey Despite apparently conflicting cultures, Turkey thrives on its amalgamation of differences,
Getting An artist’s view of Turkey
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Despite apparently conflicting cultures, Turkey thrives on its amalgamation of differences,
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I knew what I was looking for, so I ignored calls from
vendors trying to sell me evil-eye charms. I wanted something unique
that captured the essence of Turkey. After endless hours of roaming
around under the Mediterranean sun, something caught my eye. Tucked away
in the corner was a stall with miniature paintings in the most vivid
hues, interspersed with a turquoise the shade of the Bosphorus.
As a child, I spent endless hours sketching and trying to capture landscapes around my house, so local artwork is of special interest to me. Now, as I looked through his works, the Turkish artist regaled me with stories behind each painting. The economic downturn forced him to sell his paintings on the street. With meticulous attention to detail, almost lovingly, he packed my gifts in hand-made envelopes. While bidding him goodbye, I asked him how I could best discover his homeland. “Look beyond the obvious,” he said. For the rest of my trip, snatches of my conversation with the artist would come back to me at uncanny moments. Taking a cruise from the Asian to the European side across the strait of Bosphorous, I witnessed a city at cross-cultures. The cool breeze in strange contrast to the piercing, warm rays of the sun heightened my sense of wonder. Crumbling old buildings with breathtaking architecture juxtaposed with modern brick and glass facades. I could feel the clash of different worlds – the old with the new, Oriental versus Western, and the intermingling of two continents. Was this what the artist meant? People on the streets gave me another glimpse into a city of contrasts. I noticed their acceptance of Western ways, while also holding on to age-old traditions: charms to ward off the evil eye were emptied off the shelves as fast as mini-skirts. At one instant, I’d see a woman in a burqa, and right after, a girl in hot pants would brush past me. People munched McDonald’s burgers with as much gusto as they did their kebabs or baklavas. Or haggle for the choicest cinnamons at the Spice Bazaar, yet dish out their credit cards at spanking new shopping malls without batting an eyelid. I realised there was latitude of freedom in which the old could easily co-exist with the new. As I walked down cobbled streets, I noticed architectural marvels of a bygone era, a confluence of the Oriental and European styles. One example is Hagia Sophia, which first served as Greek cathedral of Constantinople, then as a mosque and now is a museum. As I admired the cross-cultural architecture of Hagia Sophia, something the artist had said came back to me: only a true artist can destroy his creation and start afresh. Istanbul, like Hagia Sophia, had to adopt new identities under different rulers. Founded by the Greeks in 660 BC, it was first known as Byzantium. Then, under Constantine the Great, it was renamed Constantinople. Afterwards, the Ottomans conquered the city and named it Istanbul. Turkey embodies the spirit of the artist of being able to fall and rise again, of having the courage to script new chapters even as the past lay in ruins. I had asked the artist whether he was dejected by his current circumstances. He replied: “This is the most interesting phase in my life. I can soak up experiences of tourists from around the world, and in turn trade a few stories of my own. My art has evolved with my experiences.” Istanbul has been a bridge between the East and the West due to its strategic position along the historic Silk Route, and even today spans both cultures. Today’s Istanbul is a transcontinental city, with one third of its population living in Asia but its commercial and historical centre in Europe. In the way the artist’s art form evolved as he grew richer in experiences, Turkey too continues to thrive in the amalgamation of differences. Rather than a conflict of cultures, it straddles the best of both worlds. |
Pench National Park
Pench National Park
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Another good place to try your luck for tigers is the
Pench National Park, located on the southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh,
about a five hour drive away from Kanha. Pench is the original setting
for The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. Rich in wildlife, Pench has high
populations of Chital and Sambar. Especially famous for large herds of
Gaur — the largest cattle in the world — Pench is good for sighting
animals like the Sloth Bear, Barking Deer and Jackal. Staying at the
Baghvan Wildlife Resort at Pench would be worth your while — named after
the Bengal tiger, it is located at a five-minute drive from the park.
Notable features of these suites include an outdoor shower as well as
the usual one indoors, and a machan on top, complete with mosquito net,
overhead fans and hookah pipes.
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Picca bird that mimics cellphone ringtones
Tiger, tiger, bragging rights
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A visit to Kanha National Park and Pench National Park reveals a wide
array of wildlife, from the hardground Barasingha found only in Kanha,
to the Picca bird that mimics cellphone ringtones. But the visit is
dominated by one species’ absence — the elusive tiger
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What are you hoping to see in the park?” asks
Parikshit, the naturalist who has been assigned to me for the duration
of my visit to Kanha National Park. I am climbing into the back of the
jeep. Before this, I had gotten a chance to relax at the Taj Resorts’
Banjaar Tola room — a suite with a tent-like appearance that belied its
luxurious interiors. Now, it is time to undertake the ‘nature drive’
through the interiors of the park.“Anything that would be interesting, I
guess.” I am an amateur when it comes to wildlife, and painfully aware
of probably having given the wrong answer. “You don’t want to see a
tiger?” he asks. “Well, if it happens, it happens,” I reply. He smiles
appreciatively. Turns out, I have accidentally given the right answer.
Of (no) tiger sightings The hype of the coveted tiger sighting follows the guests at Banjaar Tola around like a juicy rumour. “I would advise you to not go for tea if you don’t want to feel bad about not seeing a tiger,” Parikshit said cryptically. I go ahead anyway. On the second day, most tourists — myself included — hadn’t sighted the big cat. On the other hand, the few that had were voluble about it. At tea time, the smiles of the tiger-challenged became particularly fixed at the approach of a family that has a bit of a reputation — as the Australian tourist to my right tips me off — for being extraordinarily lucky in this matter. They have spotted no less than three tigers during their short stint here. As they wax poetic about the tiger and the outstanding quality of the photographs they have taken, I too, begin to feel the twinge of envy. Where is my tiger spotting? I retreat to the Banjaar Tola suite to sulk. On the plus side, there could be no better place to retreat from the forest, all the while remaining firmly in the thick of it. Opening the Taj suite’s door can have a disassociating effect — in the middle of the forest, the Banjaar Tola rooms are like teleportation devices that transport you to the very best of hotel living. The bedroom faces a wall of sliding doors that open into a viewing deck that looks directly onto the river and forest. The room features adivasi art and furniture constructed from bumpy tree trunks. The lavish suite, constructed mostly with bamboo tiles and fabric, affords guests the best of both worlds: a forest surrounding with a 5-star hotel ambience. The next morning, we wake bright and early at 5am and set out. The morning light is generous to Kanha’s landscape; the Sal forest looks crisp and verdant. Nestled in the Maikal range of the Satpura Hills, Kanha covers 1,945km. We drive crunchily through the forest, flanked by the burnt undergrowth of shrubs and grass on both sides. Parikshit points to the horizon. Following his hand, I can see the grey figures of three elephants trundling in an orderly row into the forest. “These mahouts are expert tiger spotters,” he explains. Because the elephant can go into the dense forests, where tourist jeeps can’t, they have a better chance of spotting a tiger. Tourists can then clamber on top of these elephants and take a look for themselves. Today, however, there are no tigers spotted by the mahouts or by anyone in the jeeps. Or so I think — just then, another jeep full of triumphant-looking tourists pulls up next to ours. “We spotted it,” says one uncle gleefully. “It was the tigress with her cubs. She was there for at least five minutes.” The rest brandish their professional-looking cameras in agreement. A birder is born I soldier on, hopeful for the day’s afternoon drive. It takes a couple of trips for your ears to retune themselves to their surroundings — at first the silence of the forest seems overwhelming. But once your guide reminds you that many sounds — a bird clacking, a monkey squealing or a Barasingha’s fading gallop — can be a warning for the presence of a tiger, your ears are pricked to the subtle shifts of the forest’s mood. We track various tiger pugmarks and warning cries, but to no avail. One species we do spot in hordes is the Chital, or the spotted deer. The delicate-looking Chital roams in herds of anywhere over forty. We also come across a number of preening peacocks, including one that is — rather mysteriously — doing his courtship dance all alone at the edge of the watering hole. “He’s just practicing,” explains Parikshit. Of course. New to bird-watching, I take the binoculars with a feigned enthusiasm when I am told that a white-naped woodpecker, or a racket-tailed drongo, or a jungle owlet has been spotted. But by the time we spot the common tailorbird — a Nimbus-sized bird that flits faster than a camera can keep up — I am a convert. The common tailorbird is also known for its stitching skills, by which it is able to construct a purse-like nest with large leaves. The sighting of the endangered vulture brooding over a small watering hole is a conversation topic for the rest of the day. But surely, by the law of averages, I should have spotted a tiger on my third drive out into the park? Ratna Singh has been a naturalist with Taj for the past six years. “Every naturalist is looking for the tiger when they enter the park,” she admits. “It’s an elusive animal. I do feel that some other aspects of the wildlife experience get ignored because of this focus on the tiger — while it is a magnificent animal, there is much more to be seen.” She rattles off a list of some missed out on rarities. “Rare species like the Chital and the Barasingha are fantastic sights. Birds such as the Indian Picca – which imitates other birds, and even cellphone ringtones — and birds of prey such as eagles and vultures, are all interesting facets which are often missed by tourists.” At the end of my trip, I have tallied zero tiger sightings — but to whittle a visit to Kanha National Park to a tiger sighting would do it an injustice. With rare birds, startlingly untouched stretches of nature and animals such as the Barasingha — found only in this park — Kanha has a lot more to offer than an elusive sighting that lasts all of five minutes. |
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A weekend with Mickey
A weekend with Mickey
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Anvee Barjatya is ecstatic. The 8-year-old from
Bangalore can’t believe she’s meeting Disney princesses. “I love
princesses. I even dress up like Cinderella and I’m learning ballet
because I want to be a princess some day,” says Anvee, one of the 37
winners of a contest on Disney Channel. She’s with her family on an
all-expenses-paid, two-day trip to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDR).
In no mood to try any of the rides, Anvee is content with just meeting cartoon characters. “I want to play with Mickey, Goofy, and Donald Duck, and take pictures.” Her parents stand by patiently, waiting to “see and enjoy other attractions.” Another winner, Saanvri Sirkar, 5, waits while her parents try out the stomach-churning roller coaster ride, the Space Mountain. Her mother, Madhumita, looks dazed after one round, but is raring for another go. “The thrill is worth everything,” chuckles the 32-year-old homemaker from Kolkata. Her husband Aroop has had his fill of thrills. He’d much rather wait with his daughter. The Sirkars and Barjatyas are part of the single largest Indian contingent to have arrived in HKDR, but it’s not the first, says HKDR marketing director, Wendy Chu. The 311 acre theme park is the smallest Disney property in the world, but because of Hong Kong’s proximity, it is a convenient holiday destination for Indian families. “Being the closest Disney resort to India, it is obviously a big draw with Indians,” says Chu. She adds that the number of Indian visitors has prompted the resort to accommodate varied tastes. “After seeing the demand, we’ve even tried to include Indian dishes on the menus of most of the restaurants.” Besides Indian food, HKDR also offers a number of attractions. The main street is lined with stores — a magic shop, candy stores, coffee parlours and an ubiquitous penny arcade. At the end of the street is a Grimm’s fairy-tale styled European castle. Across the drawbridge over the moat is a 3D theatre, Mickey’s PhillarMagic, with animated characters on a 150-foot wide screen. Here, scents, sprays of water, gusts of wind and changing temperatures make Donald and his orchestra come alive. A lion appears to lunge at the audience, and a little girl, Puja, starts crying. She’s soon gurgling happily, watching Donald Duck go into a tailspin. “Did you see Donald stuck in the wall, struggling?” she asks, even while being dragged out of the castle for the water parade. At the Water Parade, armed with water guns and hoses, characters like Pinocchio, Donald Duck, Goofy and Snow White spray water on bystanders. The cool water is a relief, but adults open up umbrellas to protect their cameras. We take photographs, trying simultaneously to protect our equipment from the water. Kids, on the other hand, are only too eager to get up close with Disney characters. |
A Buddhist whirl in Bangkok
A Buddhist whirl in Bangkok
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Would you travel to Bangkok with the primary aim of seeing the Reclining Buddha? was just such a believer?
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If I were to dream of Bangkok in my sleep, it would probably be a pleasant vision of
dizzying buildings and beautiful women, the Reclining Buddha, and a view of the Skytrain as seen through the parted curtains of my hotel window. The soul of Bangkok is to be found everywhere: in the quaint neighbourhoods that dot the city, alternating with ultra-modern highrises; in the colourful tuk-tuks that rev up their engines on city streets; in the chic young girls who walk with a smart strut; in the monasteries with their Buddhist architecture; and, above all, in its people who make a tourist like me feel very wanted. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, whose motto is “to give travellers what they need and nothing they don’t”, which translated into its being relatively inexpensive. From my room on the twelfth floor was visible the Skytrain, the city’s newest form of public transport gliding seamlessly along elevated tracks. And when I walked down the streets, there were malls galore, which made for shopping manna for the girls in my group. Not to mention the numerous foot reflexology parlours that thrilled the five of them, a service for which they would often step out more than once a day. It would be accurate to say that the alluring associations of Bangkok with most tourists lie in the city’s shopping and nightlife. But for me, the overwhelming attraction lay in the promise of viewing the Reclining Buddha, the largest of its kind in the world, situated in one of Bangkok’s oldest monasteries, Wat Pho. At 46 metres in length and 15 metres in height, it guaranteed a sight like never before for a born-again Buddhist like me. It was a cloudy day when we made our way to one corner of the Grand Palace built by King Rama I, where Wat Pho has been situated ever since it was first constructed in 1688. Its magnificent ornate gates flanked by Chinese warriors gave us a hint of what was to follow. As we lit candles in front of a portrait of the Thai king set amidst numerous Buddha images, we got a portent of the reverence in which the Thai people hold their monarch. Apparently, when the sovereign appears either in person or on television, all other activities come to a standstill. Yet, with 1,000 likenesses of the Buddha in the monastery, even His Majesty finds it hard to compete with Shakyamuni for one’s attention. The monastery has two main quarters: the sacred or chapel section and the residential or monks’ living section. We see monks of all ages flit around in their saffron robes. There are a few souvenir shops too around the chapel, but we are spared any hard-sell. We proceed to the main courtyard outside and encounter a bodhi (peepal) tree in the centre, which apparently bears a distant connection to the bodhi tree under which Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment under 2,500 years ago in present-day Bihar. Stepping out of our footwear (which we then lugged around with us), we enter the sanctum sanctorum which houses the Reclining Buddha. At first, one doesn’t see it at all there are just square pillars, behind which, we discover in due course, lies the Buddha. Even then, the massive golden statue is difficult to take in all at once. It sweeps across the length of the chapel with disarming ease, each digit on its hands the size of a child, glistening in the half light as visitors file past, absorbing the wonder in sections. The face is serene and the eyes almost transcendentally aglow. But while these are breathtaking, it’s the feet which hold special interest for Buddhists. Out of the 108 markings on the Buddha’s body, the centrepiece is the dharmachakra (wheel) on the soles of his feet. Done in elaborate blackand white mother-of-pearl, the soles are a striking contrast to the rest of the golden body. I notice that visitors linger here longer than they do on any of the other sections, with mothers pointing out features eagerly to their children. So mesmerised are visitors by the Reclining Buddha, that they rarely take notice of another masterwork of art within this sanctuary. These are the intricately-drawn murals adorning the inner columns and walls, reaching right up to the roof, 30 metres above. They tell tales of epic battles and court intrigues, personal love and jealousies. In 2007, a restoration job was completed to commemorate the 80th birthday of the King. Today, they give us in vivid colour a historic window to the intricate workmanship of an era gone by. I go around the Buddha twice, partly because I didn’t quite believe my eyes the first time and partly because I’m looking for my lady friends – whom I eventually spot. They are as fascinated as I am and stop to digest what they’ve seen near the waterfall in the courtyard. There’s no talk among them, surprisingly, of visiting Bangkok’s most reputed massage centre, which arguably originated the Thai massage right here within the monastery. It seems that they’ve had their fill of massages for the day and want to go shopping. Who am I to argue? |
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Get a peek into the history and culture of Buddhism by visiting these places
Follow the Buddha
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Get a peek into the history and culture of Buddhism by visiting these places
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Bodh Gaya, IndiaSituated in Bihar, it has the Mahabodhi temple and the bodhi tree, a cousin of the original tree under which Shakyamuni is beleived to have attained enlightenment some 2,500 years ago. Bodh Gaya is among the most visited tourist sites in the country. The surrounding town is dusty and noisy, but for devout Buddhists, this hardly seems to matter.Mcleodganj, IndiaMcleodganj in Himachal Pradesh is a hill station and the seat of the Dalai Lama. The town is divided into two parts, Upper Dharamsala where the Dalai Lama resides and Lower Dharamsala (main town). Besides the opportunity to meet with the Dalai Lama, the library of Tibetan art works and archives is also a good place to visit.Lumbini, NepalSituated in Nepal, Lumbini is the Buddha’s birthplace. Maya Devi temple and the stupas built by King Ashoka make the place worth a visit. Excursions to Kapilavastu — 27km away, where the Buddha lived as a prince before he sought the ascetic way — can also be organised on request.Anuradhapura, Sri LankaOf the many Buddhist pilgrimage spots in Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura is one of the most important. The Sri Maha Bodhiya is the site where an ancient Bo tree sits, believed to be from the sapling that Emperor Asoka's daughter, Theri Sanghamitta, brought to Sri Lanka in 249BC. The Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya temple nearby, which is the centre for the Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka, is currently being rebuilt. East of Anuradhapura city is another major Buddhist pilgrimage site in the country, Mihintale, which is also worth a visit.Kamakura, JapanThis is the centre for ancient Japanese Buddhism dating back to the 13th century and is filled with many landmark temples, several are worth visiting. There are 32 Nichiren sect temples here, 17 Zen temples and two Tendai sect temples, which form the core of Japanese Buddhism that still exists in contemporary Japan. Exotic and refurbished, they are especially beautiful in late March to early April, which is also the spectacular during cherry blossom season. |
Tourist arrivals in Kashmir are expected to witness a record three-fold jump this year.
J&K ready for record rise in tourist arrivals
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Tourist arrivals in Kashmir are expected to witness a record three-fold jump this year. “This year we expect a three-fold increase in the tourist influx since people have ensured harmony and peace despite provocations from the elements inimical to the prosperity and development of the state,” said Nawang Rigzin Jora, J&K minster for tourism and culture. Official figures said more than 13 lakh tourists visited the valley last year. The figure excludes 6.34 lakh pilgrims who visited the holy Amarnath Shrine in 2011. The Jammu and Ladakh regions too reaped the benefits of peace with one crore pilgrims visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine this year. More than 1.79 lakh tourists visited the cold desert of Ladakh, an increase of 136% from last year. Figures released by the home minister last week revealed that around nine lakh tourists have visited the state so far this year. “This year the valley would surpass all previous tourist records. Efforts are being made to develop new tourist spots and upgrade the tourist infrastructure for convenience of visiting tourists,” said Talat Parvez, director tourism department Kashmir. People associated with the tourism sector are taking the government projections with a pinch of salt. “We are still in the middle of tourism season and given their projections we should have crossed the half way mark. This however is not the case. Yes there has been substantial increase in tourist arrivals this year,” said GM Dag, chairman of J&K Tourism Alliance. What is harming the tourism sector is the travel advisor issued by foreign countries. “Foreign arrivals are very less and it will continue unless advisories are withdrawn,” said Dag. |
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Kuttralam is a beautiful small town with many waterfalls
GURMEET CHOUDHARY, ACTOR
1 CHERATING BEACH, MALAYSIA: You don’t see Indian tourists here. It is a beach resort and you get everything within its premises. From bows to kayaks, and beach balls to gyms, you have everything and can do everything. It is an experience of a lifetime.2 KUTTRALAM: It is a beautiful small town with many waterfalls. You can take a shower here. Ethnic meets bohemian here.
3 PURI: One of the four dhams. The sculpture on the temple is very
intricate and interesting. Sitting inside the temple and watching a man
climb to the temple top to change the flag is a scene to cherish. Also,
the gigantic waves here can’t be seen anywhere else.
4 UMARGAON: Again a sea front. There is nothing to see, but there is a feeling of the place being untouched.
5 MAYAPUR: The head office of Iskon is here and it is extremely neat and tidy. Mayapur is a marble city. You eat sleep and stay there, surrendering yourself to the almighty.
4 UMARGAON: Again a sea front. There is nothing to see, but there is a feeling of the place being untouched.
5 MAYAPUR: The head office of Iskon is here and it is extremely neat and tidy. Mayapur is a marble city. You eat sleep and stay there, surrendering yourself to the almighty.
Relive the history of India’s many monuments, heritage sites and even cities with interactive apps
It isn’t unusual to visit New York or London and head to the Statue of
Liberty or Buckingham Palace without a tour guide. Yet hordes of
tourists visiting these spots leave enriched thanks to travel apps that
mix visuals and audio and make the visit informative. Now India specific
apps are bringing the same experience to the average desi traveller.
These apps are easy on the wallet and cover monuments, heritage sites
and even cities.
Agra Fort
New age
Take for instance Audio Compass. The Mumbai-based audio firm offers in-depth tours at the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Khajuraho to anyone with a smartphone (iOS and Android). What’s more, the apps come with the approval of the Archeological Survey of India and Ministry of Culture.
“For example, the trouble with the Taj Mahal on-site tour is that a licensed guide charges the average tourist R895. So others are forced to hire locals who often pass off fiction for fact,” says Gautam Shewakramani, CEO of Audio Compass, adding that there is a high demand for apps that are available in several regional and foreign languages.
Their app tours come with interactive elements like highres pictures, touchscreen maps and, in the case of the Taj tour, a storyline that revolves around the legendary lovers, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Their Agra Fort tour allows visitors to get a feel of the palace, battles, and the rise and fall of Shah Jahan, while the tour of Khajuraho lets visitors explore one of the finest monuments of medieval India. They’ve even kept room for fiction to keep conspiracy theorists happy.
“For instance, Shah Jahan chopping off the hands of artisans who worked on the construction of the Taj is a myth told so many times that it has become true. So we mention it in our fiction section,” says Shewakramani.
Agra Fort
New age Take for instance Audio Compass. The Mumbai-based audio firm offers in-depth tours at the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Khajuraho to anyone with a smartphone (iOS and Android). What’s more, the apps come with the approval of the Archeological Survey of India and Ministry of Culture.
“For example, the trouble with the Taj Mahal on-site tour is that a licensed guide charges the average tourist R895. So others are forced to hire locals who often pass off fiction for fact,” says Gautam Shewakramani, CEO of Audio Compass, adding that there is a high demand for apps that are available in several regional and foreign languages.
Their app tours come with interactive elements like highres pictures, touchscreen maps and, in the case of the Taj tour, a storyline that revolves around the legendary lovers, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Their Agra Fort tour allows visitors to get a feel of the palace, battles, and the rise and fall of Shah Jahan, while the tour of Khajuraho lets visitors explore one of the finest monuments of medieval India. They’ve even kept room for fiction to keep conspiracy theorists happy.
“For instance, Shah Jahan chopping off the hands of artisans who worked on the construction of the Taj is a myth told so many times that it has become true. So we mention it in our fiction section,” says Shewakramani.
The company is soon set to release apps that feature Salar Jung
Museum, the Mumbai heritage district and even one around Bollywood star
homes. “The Mumbai heritage district tour will start at Horniman Circle
and end at Gateway of India. Similarly, the Bollywood tour will talk
about the stars and relive their life and times,” says Shewakramani.
The other app worth trying out is Monumental Agra.
Upon download, one is first taken to an illustrated map of Agra. It also has sections such as history of the Mughal dynasty, history of Agra, walkthrough history tours of the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Sikandra and Itimad-ud-Daulah’s Tomb along with cost of entry tickets and timing. “When you travel abroad, most monuments have official audio guides. However, in India, this phenomenon is limited only to popular monuments,” says Vedanta Kumar, creator of Monumental Agra.
Rich resource
There was extensive research done to provide users with accurate information. “We went through various historical sources and consulted guide books. We also took multiple tours of the monuments with various guides to capture the myths associated with a monument,” says Kumar.
Their app is compatible only with iOS, but they are working on launching an Android version of the application soon. Also on the cards are apps for Jaipur and Delhi. “We hope to have these apps launched by Diwali. After these cities, we will expand to other cities within India,” says Kumar.
And tourists too seem happy with the choices. “All we need to do is download the app once. Then they work offline and don’t even use roaming. It is the perfect alternative to guides,” says Ajinkya Kamath, a housewife in Dadar.
Do download
Let’s See—
South India: An interactive ‘travel handbook’, it offers crisp info on tourist places in the states.
A Guide to Goa: Provides info on places to visit, beautiful beaches, Goan dishes, useful contact numbers and Konkani phrases.
Delhi Expert Guide: This app leads you from New to Old Delhi and 400 years into the past with self-guided walking tours.
The other app worth trying out is Monumental Agra.
Upon download, one is first taken to an illustrated map of Agra. It also has sections such as history of the Mughal dynasty, history of Agra, walkthrough history tours of the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Sikandra and Itimad-ud-Daulah’s Tomb along with cost of entry tickets and timing. “When you travel abroad, most monuments have official audio guides. However, in India, this phenomenon is limited only to popular monuments,” says Vedanta Kumar, creator of Monumental Agra.
Rich resource
There was extensive research done to provide users with accurate information. “We went through various historical sources and consulted guide books. We also took multiple tours of the monuments with various guides to capture the myths associated with a monument,” says Kumar.
Their app is compatible only with iOS, but they are working on launching an Android version of the application soon. Also on the cards are apps for Jaipur and Delhi. “We hope to have these apps launched by Diwali. After these cities, we will expand to other cities within India,” says Kumar.
And tourists too seem happy with the choices. “All we need to do is download the app once. Then they work offline and don’t even use roaming. It is the perfect alternative to guides,” says Ajinkya Kamath, a housewife in Dadar.
Do download
Let’s See—
South India: An interactive ‘travel handbook’, it offers crisp info on tourist places in the states.
A Guide to Goa: Provides info on places to visit, beautiful beaches, Goan dishes, useful contact numbers and Konkani phrases.
Delhi Expert Guide: This app leads you from New to Old Delhi and 400 years into the past with self-guided walking tours.
Super posh places that are only a few hours’ drive away from Mumbai
The city slicker’s guide to an even slicker weekend – super posh places that are only a few hours’ drive away
“When
preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then,
take half the clothes and twice the money” – Susan Heller
THE RADISSON BLU, ALIBAUG
FROM R19,000
A little further away from popular beaches like Kihim, Mandwa and Nagaon is The Radisson Blu, 16 acres of peace and quiet. City dwellers especially love the Mandara Spa, a Balinese brand offering massages inspired by indigenous practices. Hurlene Kharbanda, a project consultant and frequent visitor at The Radisson, can’t seem to shake her spa experience. “As I lay there, with the sound of water flowing around in the enormous spa, I felt so refreshed. The Tamarind Body Blast Therapy was heavenly and while the masseuse fussed over me, I felt like I was in my happy place.”FORT JADHAVGADH, PUNE
FROM R7,000
If you’re looking to spend your weekend maharaja-style, this is the place. Trumpets are blown to celebrate your welcome. And from then on, you’re treated like royalty. The tents are air-conditioned, the rooms decorated with antique furniture, and the suites were once used by the descendants of Maratha General Pilaji Jadhav himself. There are ghazals and folk dances to keep you entertained, but if you’re a history buff, just walk around the fort hotel to feel the past come alive. Harish Punwani, operations and scheduling manager at Emirates, spent one of the most memorable weekends of his life at Fort Jadhavgadh. His wife surprised him by booking a romantic escape for their anniversary weekend. “As soon as they learnt that it was our wedding anniversary, they decorated the secluded balcony at the restaurant with flowers and candles, and treated us to a special dinner.”THE MACHAN, LONAVALA
The Canopy Machan: R12,000 The Heritage Machan: R30,000
Plenty of resorts offer you lodgings in the lap of luxury. At The Machan, they go a step further and put you on the very shoulder of luxury, offering a panoramic view of the Jambulne valley. Tree houses 40ft above the ground include the Heritage Machan, with a suspended ‘Hanging Room’ with glass walls from floor to ceiling. Watch the sunrise, and count the stars, from your cushy bed in a floating room. Talent manager Vidushi Arora visited The Machan and says the resort blends beautifully into its surroundings. “I spent my time sipping masala chai and watching nature revel in the monsoon!”BEYOND, SULA VINEYARDS, NASHIK
R6,000 TO R18,000
What started off as a winery has unfurled into an elegant getaway for those who prefer idling the weekend away with good wine and a view of the Nashik vineyards stretching for miles ahead. Beyond at Sula is all about touring vineyards, stomping grapes, appreciating new wines and tasting new flavours.
Former VJ Shehnaz Treasurywala says that one of the things she remembers of her visit is “sipping my wine at
CCAZA CCOMODORE,MANDWA
FROM R10,000
At Ccaza Ccomodore, barely seven minutes from the Mandwa jetty, the lovely cottages come with their own kitchen, private garden and caretaker. The homely vibe continues with a big common garden, where, if you choose to dine, your food is grilled and barbecued in front of you. It’s possible to while away the entire weekend in the great outdoors, watching your children knock themselves out on the trampoline, which according to Nitin Mongia, owner at Ccaza Ccomodore, is a favourite pastime for visiting families.THE UPPER DECK, LONAVALA
FROM R11,000
The Upper Deck, perched on the highest point of Lonavala, is secluded, untouched and offers the best view of the Valvan Reservoir, Rajmachi Point and the lush Sahyadri greenery that surrounds it. Take in the sights from the openair jacuzzi they’ve installed on their massive deck. When Ishrat Chadha, a playschool supervisor, went there with her family, everyone had a great time exploring the hills. “I enjoyed swimming in the large pool out front, with the valley as the backdrop,” says Shimona Chadha, her daughter.
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