Previously little known, Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh has gained popularity among backpackers during the last few years. This is because Spiti has some unique places. After all who can resist a place that has the world’s highest post office, the world’s oldest continuously running Buddhist monastery and an embalmed mummy of a Buddhist monk? Continue reading
Kedarnath is one of the four char dhams, or the four biggest abodes of Lord Shiva. Kedarnath is also the origin of river Mandakini and is the toughest of the four dhams to reach.
Trekking to Kedarnath involves an ascent from Gaurikund (6200 ft) to Kedarnath (11100 ft). It a part of the greater Himalayas. The path is full of snow and needs to be constantly cleared. The trek is challenging enough for the initiated. The uninitiated often give up soon after they start and use the services of a doli , porter or a horse to carry them to the top.
Duing summer, the entire trek is without any settlements except at the summit, 16 kms from the base. Most of Kedarnath village moves downhill before the onset of winter. When the trekking route is opened in the summer, the village doesn’t shift back overnight. the process is gradual. During the first week of the trek, only a few transits are created along the 16 km route. Some are army camps and some are convenience stores set up by the villagers, who are among the first to relocate. It is at one of these convenience stores that we heard this amusing conversation.
Guy 1: Oh my God1 That was tough, man!
Guy 2: This local says the trek hasn’t even started yet !!
Guy 1: What !! We have covered quite a bit. More than 5 of the 11 km in the trek and have been walking forever…At least 50% must be done, right? (sounding half dreaded and half hopeful)
Local: But sir, so far the walk has mostly been flat. The ascent will start shortly.
Guy 1 and 2 (in chorus) : Was that flat ??
Guy 1 (exasperated): Forget it. Let’s drink something..
Guy 2 ( Looks at the over crowded counter): They’ve got Lassi.
Guy 1: It’s freezing! Why would you drink Lassi now?
Guy 2 (pondering and agreeing): Hmm.. true. So what should I get?
Guy 1 (without hesitation): Let’s get a COOL DRINK.
We (giggling and whispering between ourselves) : Altitude certainly messes with the brain !!!
In India 360, we had no specific theme for the trip. Seasons were the most important determinant for our place of travel. In a vast and diverse country like India, the same place could look vastly different from one season to another and could provide different reasons to visit. This is also the most frequent question asked of us when someone was planning for a vacation.
We visited Gumbaz, Tipu Sultan’s final resting place at Srirangapatana, across the Cauvery river from Mysuru in Karnataka. The main chamber of Gumbaz contains the tomb of Tipu Sultan, his father Hyder Ali and mother Fakr-un-Nisa. Around the main chamber are laid various graves of Tipu’s brother, sisters, brothers-in-law, Tipu’s wife, children and sons-in-law. Every member of the Tipu family has at least a headstone inside the lawns of Gumbaz. Srirangapatana is just 16 km from Mysuru. So on a busy day, tourist operators and taxis bring in hundreds of visitors to Gumbaz.
As we were walking towards Gumbaz’s main mausoleum, a father was walking out with his two young boys after having visited the monument complex. The youngest boy, about 5 years old, looked very troubled. A conversation ensued as he hesitatingly asked questions of his father. We reproduce the conversation in its original form in Hindi along with English translations. Continue reading
Today, we look at a tiny hill station in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The state is famous for its Himalayan destinations such as Gulmarg and Amarnath. But little is known about the town of Patnitop. While most Indians do not know about it, the city of Jammu has been considering this little town a getaway for a long time. During weekends, the entire urban population of Jammu can be seen at Patnitop. This pine tree lined hill station is to Jammu, what Lonavla is to Mumbai / Pune, Nandi Hills is to Bengaluru, Shimla is to Chandigarh and Ooty is to Coimbatore / Mysuru. A convenient one-day or a weekend trip to escape the big city. Let us learn more about this town. Continue reading
The ease with which one can travel from place to place during a long journey is easily determined by how much you carry and how compactly you pack. It can mean the difference between choosing a destination because you are nimble or rejecting it because you are packed too heavy or too large. This is especially true for self-planned and backpacking trips. To be nimble and ready to go, you should pack smart and eliminate ruthlessly. You must have enough to cover your day-to-day travel life for several months, but less enough so that you are left with just not more than 60 litres and 15 kg of luggage per person. Here are some tips on frugal packing that we tested all over with India 360.
Often called the queen of hill stations, Darjeeling is a dream honeymoon destination for several couples. Nestled in the high Himalayan mountains of Gorkhaland, a Nepali-speaking district in West Bengal, Darjeeling has been a fascination since the British rule. It was built as an escape for the aristocrats of the East India company from the summer heat of their capital Calcutta. Later, Darjeeling evolved as a town with several boarding schools and one premier institution to teach mountaineering. Darjeeling is beautiful, but there is no beauty comparable to the mountain looming from the city’s north. This mountain stands as a backdrop to the busy town, almost watching over it like a guardian angel. It is the third highest mountain in the world — Kanchenjunga. Continue reading
India is a country steeped in culture and heritage. It is no wonder that you find museums of all sizes strewn around the country. Some museums come in modest sizes, like Dr Abdul Kalam’s house at Rameshwaram and Lokmanya Tilak’s birthplace at Ratnagiri. But some others are humungous, with multiple buildings and wings. Examples are Salarjung museum in Hyderabad, National Museum in New Delhi, Indian Museum in Kolkata, Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai, Baroda Museum at Vadodara, St Andrew’s Archaeological Site Museum in Old Goa and the biggest of them all, the Government Museum in Chennai.
Regardless of the size, one thing about them is common. All of them engage us through a single activity. Things of value are collected from around India and showcased in glass cases or pedestals. These valuable articles are collected either from archaeological sites or from affluent donors or committees who are avid collectors. A day at a typical museum is spent walking between aisles, studying the exhibits and reading the caption or the story attached to the exhibits. These museums are wonderful and each represents a slice of India’s culture. And yet…. !
There are some museums that are an exception. Something about them is extra special. They differentiate themselves from the hundreds of regular museums. In this post, we see 10 such museums around India. Continue reading
We often hear people talk about travelling to Coorg or Kullu-Manali. These aren’t single towns, but entire districts enriched with beauty. Yes, there are complete districts in India filled with sightseeing treasures, unique experiences and delicious food. One such district is Satara district in Maharashtra. The district lies at the eastern foot of Sahyadri mountains and is blessed with two major rivers. Satara district is home to exotic fruits like strawberries. To see the unparalleled beauty of Satara district, one must visit it during the monsoon between July to September. Let’s go through Satara district in today’s post and see which places are the best to visit.
Which city has the following things named after itself? A bathing soap, a type of south Indian fast food with stuffing, a variety of silk, a soft and porous sweet dish with a lot of ghee and an erstwhile State Bank subsidiary. The names are: Mysore sandal soap, Mysore masala dosa, Mysore silk, Mysore Pak and State Bank of Mysore. Nestled at the foot of Chamundi hills and watched over by Chamundi Devi or the Mahishasuramardhini, the city of Mysuru is one of the most beautiful, ecologically most balanced and tourism-wise most abundant locations in India. During India 360, Mysuru was one of our most enjoyed cities in India. This was enhanced by the fact that we were at Mysuru right during Navratri and Dassera, when the city is a potpourri of funfairs, performances, flower and food fests. Continue reading