The Travel Tales of a Travel Addict
……..in Love with Madhya Pradesh… 😉
She roars like a lioness as she plunges down the rocks creating a smoggy riot named Dhuadhaar falls and tumbles down the rocky path creating the wavy music. Then, like a tired child, she falls into a deep slumber in a cradle of the silky marbles. Sunbirds sing a lullaby to her as she quietly slithers through the marble rocks at Jabalpur, leaving them sculpted with indefinite designs. Read more
Ayodhya is a gem for the travelers as it is totally untouched when it comes to the development from the point of view of tourism. The town of Ayodhya has the temples built by the kingdoms of ancient India that also includes the Kingdoms of South. While roaming around this temple town, I came across the temples built by the kingdom of Orchha, Golconda, Datia, Banaras and many more. Thus, you get to see the architecture style of each ancient kingdom of India right here in this town.That’s not it. The places to visit in Ayodhya also includes historic gurudwara, the ghats of river Saryu and the antique streets of this town that looks straight out of some ancient Indian literature book.
India is a huge country, and there are tonnes of famous (and fascinating) tourist destinations to visit.
But what if you want to do something different, and see somewhere a little less well known? Especially, for the travelers who wish to stay away from the touristy stuff and crazy crowd, finding the least known places becomes quite a task. There are many jewels hidden in almost every corner of India.
I ’ve put together a few of the offbeat destinations in India to help you make up your mind. Plan your trips now… Read more
Manali has become like a crowded city of Himachal Pradesh. The people from almost the whole of country head to this place, especially in summers. And most of the visitors find it a dirty, noisy and jampacked place where you don’t even have a place to walk freely. Moreover, the loud music and parties in most places might deprive you of the real charm of the Mountains. And I am sure you would like to escape to some of the best offbeat places near Manali. This list has been curated after my 3 months of stay in Manali.
For all those who go to Manali to relish the fresh snow, you can expect the cottony soft snow here and can take some superb shots without the crazy crowds around. The places are also perfect for honeymoon planners 😉 Read more
Tranquility and spirituality in the air and the flooding divinity can not only be seen but can also be felt deep within your heart. It doesn’t matter if you are the believer of the faith or not, it would lure you just get a corner along the central canal or in the wilderness of the bird sanctuary.
I didn’t really understand the chanting going on outside the Lumbini Palace, but sitting under the Bodhi Tree, the chanting really felt to be soothing to my mind. The background music of the rustling leaves seemed to be notifying its presence and contribution in invoking the divine energy.
What I loved the most about Lumbini was its blissful surroundings and the desolate trails that led to the pastures spread till my eyes could see. Read more
It is one of the divine destinations of Karnataka. There are total five monoliths of Gomteshwara – the son of the first Jain tirthankar(Rishabhnath Swami) in the state, the tallest one(58 ft) of which is located in Shravanbelagola making it a tourist hot-spot. It is also considered to be the tallest monolith in the world. Chandragupta Maurya is said to have died here after he assumed the life of an ascetic. Fascinated by these facts and the craze for the fictional character of Bahubali, I planned a day trip from Mysore to this divine place that led to the creation of a blockbuster movie. Read more
The state of Goa is certainly blessed with amazing geographic location along with variety in culture and architecture. The state was once a Portuguese colony and still has many beautiful reminiscent of the Portuguese era. One of such places is located in the capital city of Panjim. Fontainhas area, near Ourem Creek in Panjim, has the Latin quarters of the Portuguese colonists. Portuguese Architecture can thus, best be relished in Fontainhas Goa, a Portuguese Colony in Goa. Read more
The Stoner’s paradise to a nature lover’s dream destination, Kasol proves to be a perfect place for every kind of traveler. The beauty of gushing river of Parvati to the Trans music, everything about Kasol is alluring and mesmerizing. The first-timers usually have two types of experiences. Either they feel that there is too much to explore and see or they just remain confined to the main streets of Kasol forming a dusty image of the town in their minds. The most beautiful trek in the Parvati Valley also starts from this hippie town of India.
I have been in love with this town since the time I heard about it. The visit and exploration just added to my emotions for it. Read more
Beyond the hustle and bustle of the most happening town of Kasol lies hidden among the hills, an ancient village of Grahan. The local claims it to be as old as the historic town of Malana. The beauty of Grahan Village is untouched by the tourists and trekkers (Written and visited in 2016) and is thus in its purest form. Unlike Malana, the people of Grahan Village are very friendly and the village is way much cleaner than Malana. Till 2014, when I visited it the first time, the village didn’t have any guest house or hotel. And just within the time span of 2 years, proper Homestays with modern amenities have come up. Though I feel it will make the village lose its original charm, it caters the basic need of a traveller. The only way to reach Grahan Village is by trekking from Kasol.
Shekhawati Region of Rajasthan has recently come to tourist limelight for its opulent Havelis and open-air art galleries. Mandwa is one of the Shekhawati Villages in Rajasthan that is famous for the Mandawa Havelis, the canvas of the artists. The distinctive feature of the art here is the frescoes that have remained untouched from the brutality of nature and lack of maintenance. The Havelis in Mandawa and other Shekhawati Villages were once owned by the rich merchants.
Another interesting fact is that the Marwari, Jain or Shekhawati merchants who dealt in the business of opium and spices, are no longer the owners of their lavish creation. Once they shifted to the big cities like Bombay and Kolkata, their Havelis were left in hands of the caretaker’s family or were just left abandoned. The life of these caretakers took a dramatic turn after the new property laws post India’s independence. They were given the ownership of these Havelis.