While there are some really huge rivers in north India, such as Indus, Jhelum, Chenab and Beas, south India does not have perennial rivers or those with high volume of water all year long. Cauvery river is one such important river to both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Let’s take a tour of the river starting from its source at Tala Kaveri upto the point where it joins the sea — at two different places!
Author Archives: india360
How we covered it: Gujarat
Gujarat is a state that can be covered fairly quickly. In India 360, it took us 20 days to do so. While we did it by car, you can do the same circuit with a state transport bus, railways or shared taxis. A full exploration of Gujarat state, along with two union territories, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, gives you so many sights to see. From the majestic Asiatic lions to a desert of salt. From a city that cuts and polishes diamonds to a city that is home to Mahatma Gandhi. Gujarat has a variety of experiences that can amaze. So let’s get started. Continue reading
Natural Wonders: Lonar crater, Buldhana district, Maharashtra
During India 360, we travelled all the way to Buldhana district’s Lonar town to visit a ‘hole in the ground’. Yes, that’s literally what the Lonar crater is. A large hole in the ground formed by a meteor several millenia ago. The effects of monsoon have filled this hole with a large lake today. Here’s why the Lonar crater makes a good destination during your visit to Maharashtra, especially as a stopover if you are travelling from Aurangabad to Nagpur.
Listicle: Lake side cities from India 360
India is country with several lakes. Major cities in India have lakes as sources of water. Mumbai has Powai, Tulsi and Vihar. Bengaluru has Ulsoor and Madivala. Chennai has Chetpet, Ambattur and Chitalapakkam. Pune has Khadakvasala and Pashan. But, these are just lakes within cities. Certain localities within these cities surround the lakes instead of the city itself being founded due to the lake. In this post, we look at _ cities whose reason to start, develop and flourish is due to a large natural lake in the centre or to one side. We are also excluding cities where the lake was artificially formed after the city was already founded e.g. Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad, Shibsagar (Assam), etc. While there are several such cities in India, we focus on the ones that we visited in India 360 and can help you with.
Travel Tips: Preparing for a Himalayan trek
Everyone dreams of being in the Himalayas, among the green meadow, snow caps, fir trees and the clean air. While several people get the wish granted in the form of road trips through the highways of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir, Sikkim or Arunachal Pradesh, many of them are not satisfied with experiencing Himalayas through a windshield and the windows of a vehicle or with the limited time in which they get to play in the lap of nature. Thousands of people enroll for treks over the trails of Himalayas every year. While the list of treks is countless, only between 50 – 100 trails are trekked on every year, the majority of them conducted by organisations like YHAI or IndiaHikes. There are independent trekkers who plan their own routes and do not depend on trekking organisations. Regardless of the method you follow, the checklist for what to wear for such treks, what to carry and how to maintain fitness and hygiene do not change.
Here are the broad categories that you should take care of in a Himalayan trek. Consider this to be a checklist of things essential to enjoy a trek safely and in good health.
Natural wonders: Naida caves, Diu
The island of Diu is one part of Daman and Diu union territory. It is about 60km from the temple city of Somnath in Gujarat. At Diu, There are some historic places from the Portuguese rule, such as the Diu fort. Diu is also known for its tranquil and not very touristy beaches. Since Diu is quite far from the major and most populated cities of India, not many Indians make it a destination. So Diu never overflows with tourists. But of all the destinations in Diu, there is one that stands out. A cluster of caves formed by uniquely coloured reddish brown rocks stand in a secluded corner of Diu city. The caves are called Naida caves. Tourist packages often miss the caves for reasons unknown to me. But that makes it a perfect destination for those who seek a quiet afternoon, walking through caves of multi-coloured rocks and watching the effects of light filter through them.
Travel Tips: Choosing your mode of transport
When travelling across a country as vast as India, you can use one of many modes of transport. You can use the local buses, share taxis, railways and aeroplanes. Why, you can even hitchhike and find yourself in the back of a tractor. Or you can take you own or a rented car around the country. To make things adventurous and nimble, you can take your motorbike. For an epic workout, you can even use a bicycle for certain routes. In India 360, we used all the listed forms of transport. However in this post, we are going to talk about the most common and sustainable modes of transport that we used and tested extensively throughout the trip: public transport, self-driven car and self-driven motorbike. Continue reading
Listicle: 10 sea-side temples we covered
India is a beautiful country. It is also a religious country. Places of beauty are also Kshetras with major temples. Things look especially beautiful if a major temple is on a beach. The sound of temple bells on one side is matched by the rhythm of waves on another. The smell of camphor mixes well with the fresh salty smell of sea water. Here are some sea-side temples from India. This is not an exhaustive list. It is just some temples we have covered during India 360 or other trips.
How we covered it: Maharashtra Ghats
Maharashtra is not a particularly appealing destination during summer. But during the other two seasons, travellers have abundant options in all corners of the state. The effects of monsoon and winter on Maharashtra are worlds apart. Between June to September, the monsoon magic casts its spell on the state, but the best effects are towards the west. The cool and pleasant winters are great for visiting interior Maharashtra districts like Aurangabad, Solapur, Nagpur and Chandrapur. it is also the best time to stick to the coast for all the secluded and gorgeous beaches. Continue reading
City Focus: Chandigarh
Several cities in India are named after a powerful Goddess, have a beautiful lake with a promenade, have tree-lined roads, are hosts to unique museums, have been developed with a plan and are very close to hill stations and getaways. But there is only ONE city that has some unique features apart from the ones mentioned above. This city is the capital of two states. This is the only city with its own unique hand gesture. This is the only city where you’ll find areas with no names like Mahatma Gandhi road or Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg or Akbar street or D’Souza lane. No, this city uses only numbers, like sector 17, sector 25, sector 42 and so on. All roads are laid out in neat and straight lines, intersecting at right angles at traffic islands, none of which have statues of politicians, sportsmen and freedom fighters. The city has a unique garden made by a government official who gathered waste material and scrap and turned them into something beautiful. A school in this city has a unique collection of dolls from all over the world and prides itself as the International Doll Museum. The city was built by the French designer Charles-Edouard Jeanneret or Le Corbusier (‘raven’ in French), a nickname apt for the man with a far-sighted vision, a vision well into the future.
Can you guess which city this is? It is the first city that India developed with a city plan after independence (so not counting ancient towns like Harappa or Hampi). It is Chandigarh, a union territory, which is also the capital of both Punjab and Haryana states. We say this with Chandigarh’s unique hand gesture: ‘We Love Chandigarh’. Continue reading