Locomote

Karni Mata Temple located in Deshnok, 30 kms from Bikaner, Rajasthan and is dedicated to Karni mata, a famous mystic of her times, believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Durga. This temple is very well known as The Rat Temple.

It is one of the strangest temples in the world. The temple is home to over 20,000 rats which are treated as sacred. It is considered very lucky to spot a white rat in the temple. Famous for its rats, called “Kabas”, the Karni Mata Temple has received widespread media coverage in recent past. While there are many legends about the Kabas of the temple, most common perception is that the believers consider the rats as the incarnation of their ancestors, thus very holy. 

Apparently, even during the worst of plagues, the town of Deshnok was not affected. Strange but true, eating food that has been nibbled by the rats is considered to be a ‘high honor’. It is regarded auspicious, if a rat runs across one’s feet.  It is considered as that after Karni mata’s death, she became a rat. The Charan clans believe that once they die, they too will be re-incarnated as a rat and subsequently when a rat in the temple dies, it will be re-incarnated as a human again. It is forbidden to kill a rat, and if one gets killed by mistake, one must offer a similar rat made of silver. 

Despite the huge rat population the city of Bikaner has never been affected by plague. Additionally, when these rats die they produce no foul odor. Even crazier, it’s been noted that these rat deaths are immediately followed by rat births. No one has seen newborn Kabas, most of them are of a typical size and do not seem to be a part of the usual life and death cycle. While I had no means to verify this story, I found it very fascinating nonetheless.

The current temple was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner about 100 years ago. The temple opens daily at 4am when the priests perform Aarti and offer Prasad to the people. During this time visitors also make offerings to the rats.

There is beautiful marble facade in the temple which has solid silver doors, which are made in Mughal Rajput architecture style. The silver doors were donated by Maharaja on his visit to temple. The temple contains foot prints of Mata ji so symbolize her visit to the place. There is idol of karni mata holding Trishul and Mukut surrounds by the rats.

 To see the temple in full glory, visitors should come late at night or before sunrise, when the rats are out in full force, gathering food.

The karni mata fair is also very popular among the devotees and tourists. It is held twice a year. The first in March-April during Navratras and the second is held in September-October, also during the Navratras. During Navratras thousands of people travel to the temple by foot.

So peeps!! If you want to know more about this place , do write or contact me through any of my social media . Adding some more photographs of the temple, while they have not come up that great, they can still tell a story or two about this fascinating temple of rats.

The Florence Dairies

 Florence is popular for a reason – it’s spectacular.

I am going to start off this post with one of my favourite quotes about Italy, you know, because there are so many to choose from.

“A man who has not been in Italy, is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it is expected a man should see.” -Samuel Johnson

What is the root of this romantic, mysterious fascination with Italy, and why is Samuel Johnson so spot on – if you haven’t been to Italy, you haven’t been anywhere. Be embarrassed.

To say that Italy is magnificent is a massive understatement, and there is a very good reason why the Big 3 – Rome, Florence and Venice. They are beautiful. They are cultural, historical, and every other relative adjective you could possibly come up with. Italy has earned its fame.

This is my collection of observations on what it’s living in Italy. And that’s where The Florence Diaries begin…

Florence is the most accessible and walk able of the main cities in Italy.

One of the most asked question from me is “What’s the best way to spend one day in Florence? My first answer is always “Spend more than one day in Florence” – in fact, I recommend spending at least three days in Florence to really soak in the Renaissance charm of this city. However, we also know that a lot of people just don’t have that amount of time. So here I am sharing few tips for you to cover the most of Florence in a limited time period.

Plan Ahead: This seems basic but we can’t emphasize it enough. If you know you only have one day in Florence, you’ll need to take advantage of the amount of time you do have. The only way to do that is by having a bomb-proof plan for getting in, getting out, and which of the Florence attractions you really want to see. 

The Must-see things and places in Florence:

Santa Maria del Fiore:

This is one of the most famous cathedrals in Italy due in large part to its dome – the largest in the world from when it was built in 1431 until 1888. 

The dome climb is one of the more popular attractions in Florence but in high season the line can stretch to over 2 hours.

If you’ve never been before and only have one day in Florence you should at least walk around the outside of the cathedral to get a feel for its immensity and see the Gates of Heaven. 

There are so many restaurants , cafes and bars with the spectacular view of the central dome , so chill here along side the amazing view and a glass of amazing Italian wine .

The Boboli and Bardini Gardens

A city like Florence, well known for its amazing art collections, monumental architecture and rich historic past can sometimes have you forget about the natural beauty that abounds in the form of well-maintained gardens and parks.

The magical silence and stunning architecture in the Bardini Gardens seems to get lost in the crowd of places to visit while in Florence.

You might find yourself looking for a green area or a picturesque garden gate, however, when you enter from here you go first into a building where you will find the ticket office, and then take an elevator up to the gardens. The entrance walk into the gardens will have Florence to your back, and if you turn around you will have a view over the red terracotta rooftops and the Arno River.

Undoubtedly the most scenic part of the garden remains the great Baroque staircase and the Wisteria Tunnel, both of which lead to the Kaffeehaus and restaurant. 

Ponte Vecchio- The Everlasting Symbol of Florence

The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge)  is a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmentalarch bridge over the Arno River noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common. 

Butchers initially occupied the shops; the present tenants are jewellers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. 

It's certainly an interesting bridge. Full of old fashioned shops, this bridge is famous is Florence. Take some time to cross this one, as it can lead you to an awesome Pitti palace on the other side of the river and a beautiful district!

Pitti Palace (Palazzo Pitti)

The palace, which houses several important museums, was built in the second half of the 15th century and the palace still bears the name of its first owner, the Florentine banker Luca Pitti.

Now it is the largest museum complex in Florence and today the Palace is divided into four museums: the Treasury of the Grand Dukes on the ground floor, the Palatine Gallery and the Royal Apartments on the first floor, the Modern Art Gallery and the Museum of Costume and Fashion on the second floor.

Following are some information which you require at your next visit :

Opening days

From Tuesday  to Sunday

Opening hours

08.15 am -  6.50 pm

Closed on

Mondays 1 January, 1  May, 25 December

Piazza della Signoria- The historical centre of Florence

Piazza della Signoria has pride of place as the historical, political, and emotional heart of Florence.  

The Piazza della Signoria is Florence's primary meeting place for both locals and tourists. Several concerts, fairs, and rallies are held in the Piazza Della Signoria throughout the year.

Numerous statues designed by some of the most famous Florentine artists decorate the square. The most famous of the piazza's sculptures is a copy of Michelangelo's David (the original is in the ​Accademia), which stands to watch outside the Palazzo Vecchio.Other must-see sculptures on the square include Baccio Bandinelli's Heracles and Cacus, two statues by Giambologna - the equestrian statue of Grand Duke Cosimo I and Rape of a Sabine – and Cellini's Perseus and Medusa.

 The SUNSET of Florence :

Dusk is an important time in the life of an Italian city. In Florence, you have a couple of great options for enjoying the end of the day – the first and most traditional is to find your nearest wine bar and settle in for an aperativo or pre-dinner drink, usually accompanied by some small plates. 

If you have a bit more energy, head to the Oltrarno. After passing over the beautiful and historic Ponte Vecchio get ready for a 20-30 minute hike up the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo, where the wonderfully-scenic Basilica di San Miniato sits. Be sure to get there before it closes so you can peek inside. Then watch the sunset from the best view of Florence in the whole city. It’s the perfect to end to an eventful day of exploring.

The Bronze Pig of Florence

Porcellino, as the Italians call him, means “the little pig”. However the bronze porker sitting at the side of the New Market (Mercato Nuovo) is really a wild boar, or cinghiale in Italian. 

He supposedly brings good luck when visitors rub his snout and put a coin in his mouth. If the water washes the coin from the pig’s mouth and it falls into the grate below, you will have good luck and you will be sure to return to Florence. If not, try again. The coins are used to support an orphanage. 

So my friends , here I have tried to tell you my experience from Florence in a very compact version. “Trust me its worth it “  I must say the person who haven’t seen Italy in its lifetime is lacking on a bigger and ultimate experience of life.

 I wish you all good luck and wish that all of you will visit this amazing country soon and will create a count of experience .

Just remember do not forget to write me your experience about this beautiful city and in case any support you need from my end , contact me through any of my social media.

In a city so filled with icons of antiquity and the Christian faith, it's hard to know where to go first. Of course, your own interests will govern your choices, but there are certain sites that are almost obligatory landmarks of Italy and of all Europe, such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon.

A word of caution: try to vary your experiences as you explore Rome, so that you don't visit too many ancient sites or churches in a row. And intersperse these more serious attractions with a few that are simply tourist icons.

Anyone who has spent time in Rome would tend to agree that, in this copiously cultural Capital city, it seems that you can scarcely turn a corner without stumbling across at least one of its 900 churches. From the elaborate architectural feat of St Peter’s Basilica to the small and simple Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome’s treasure trove of churches from across the ages each have a story to tell. Perfect for a peaceful pause from the clamor of the city, whether they are presiding over a piazza of their own or tucked down a side street, you simply cannot come to Rome without checking out its churches.

And now from here I’ll help you to locate all those untouched destinations which are truly treasure but far from tourist’s sight. so, you can explore Rome in a better way.

With so many to tick off your sightseeing list, here is a short guide to get you started:

 The first one we’ll pick is The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore:

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is the most important and best preserved of Roman churches dedicated to the Madonna. It rises on top of the Esquiline Hill and is the only remaining example of early Christian architecture, even though it has over time been further embellished.

 One final ‘Santa Maria’ (though there are many, many more!), Santa Maria Maggiore is the biggest of them all and holds the status of a Papal major basilica. Legend has it that Pope Liberius of the 4thcentury had this spectacular church built after experiencing a vision of the Virgin Mary asking him to build a church in her honor. The next morning, in the height of the heat of a Roman summer, it is said that, by way of an instruction from the Virgin Mary of the location of the church, there was snowfall over the spot where the basilica still stands today. This enchanting legend is known as ‘The Miracle of the Snows’ and is celebrated each year on 5th August when white petals or artificial snow is sprinkled magically over the basilica. Inside the basilica is a wealth of glittering mosaics depicting the entire Old Testament up until the coming of Christ, at which point the story is continued with the birth and childhood of Christ illustrated by Byzantine mosaics. The basilica has its own Sistine Chapel (not to be confused with that of the Vatican) outside of which is found the tomb of distinguished Baroque architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini and his family.

What to See at Santa Maria Maggiore

The development of the city has taken away the impact of Santa Maria Maggiore's commanding position on the summit of the Esquiline Hill, but the church is still considered by many to be the most beautiful church in Rome after St Peter's.

Santa Maria Maggiore still retains its ancient layout, but most of the exterior dates from the 18th century. The only visible exterior part of the Early Christian basilica is a short length of the clerestory wall, seen from Via dell'Esquilino.

The interior of the basilica preserves its majestic Early Christian form, which was standard in Rome in the 5th century: a tall, wide nave with side aisles and a round apse at the end.

The 5th-century mosaics on either side of the nave depict scenes from the Old Testament. This was the first large-scale cycle of Biblical scenes in Rome. The left-hand side has scenes of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac; the right-hand side has scenes of Moses and Joshua.

Although most are original, not all the nave mosaics have survived. The cycle of Biblical scenes is thus interrupted several times and some panels were replaced by painted copies in the 16th century.

The golden mosaics of the triumphal arch are also from the 5th century and depict scenes from the early life of Christ. The imagery of these mosaics is rich and complex and the details have been interpreted in various ways; the second woman in the Epiphany scene, for example, has not been certainly identified. The scenes are as follows:

The apse mosaic, depicting the Coronation of the Virgin, is from the late 13th century, by Franciscan friar, Jacopo Torriti. The loggia above of the main entrance contains 13th-century mosaics, but is not always open.

The Athenian marble columns supporting the nave are the oldest parts of the church - they either come from the first basilica or from an antique Roman building. However, the shafts were reworked and the old capitals and bases were replaced during a restoration of the 18th century.

The medieval bell tower is the highest in Rome at 240 feet, (about 75 m). The floor of the church is paved in opus sectile mosaic, featuring the Borghese arms of an eagle and a dragon.

The high altar of this Patriarchal basilica is a papal altar, used only by the pope himself, or a priest given specific permission by him. It is traditional for the pope to lead a mass here on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, every August 15. A porphyry urn on the altar contains the relics of St. Matthew and other martyrs.

Beneath the altar is a confessio with a kneeling statue of Pope Pius IX. Beneath this, St. Jerome (d.420), Doctor of the Church and author of the Latin translation of the Bible, is buried in the Bethlehem crypt. The crypt is built to resemble the cave of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

In the right transept is the Sistine Chapel, containing the elaborate tomb of Pope Sixtus V (1521-90) and decorated with frescoes and reliefs of events from his reign. The chapel centers on a reliquary containing part of the Holy Crib, which was carried to Rome by Christian refugees during the Muslim conquest of the Holy Land in the 7th century. Just outside the chapel is the tomb of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and his family.

Across the way, the Pauline chapel is sumptuously decorated and houses the tombs of Pope Paul V (1552-1621) and his immediate predecessor Clement VIII. It is also home to the famous icon of the Virgin Mary known as Salus Populi Romani, "Health of the Roman People." The name derives from a miracle in which the icon helped keep plague from the city. Legend claims that it was painted from life by St. Luke the Evangelist, but most scholars date it to the 13th century.

Another relic held by the church are pieces of the True Cross, housed in a 14th-century cross-shaped reliquary. According to a 14th-century manuscript (Mirabilia Urbis Romae), there were even more relics that have not survived: "There be also... some of the milk of the blessed Virgin, and Our Lord's blood in a crystal."

OPENING TIMES

The Basilica is open every day from 7:00am to 6:45pm

The Sacristy is open from 7:00am to 12:30pm, and from 3:00pm (3:30 on Sundays and Holidays) to 6:30pm.

Holy Masses run weekdays at 7:00am,  8:00am, 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am,  12:00 pm, and 6:00 pm in the Sforza Chapel.

Sundays & Holidays: (in the Paolina Chapel) 7:00am, 8:00am, 9:00am (on the Papal Altar)10:00am (in Latin), 12:00pm, and 6:00 pm

RULES

Santa Maria Maggiore is a place of worship and so proper attire must be worn inside. For both women and men; this means covering your shoulders and your legs to the knee. If you are wearing a tank top or short shorts, bring a sweater or scarf to wrap around you.

TICKETS

It is free to enter Santa Maria Maggiore. but if you want to see all of Romes Major Basilicas it’s best to go with a certified tour, like the Walks of Italy Major Basilicas Tour, that can drive you to each one.

A museum below the church contains Roman remains that were found here in the 18th century, including a section of Roman road, a mosiac pavement, two wells, a series of arches and narrow passages cut into the bedrock.

Money Saving tip while travelling Europe :Reusable water bottles are worth their weight when you travel. Throw your empty water bottle of choice into your carry-on, then fill it up post-security at the airport (if you prefer to avoid water fountains, just ask at a cafe or restaurant) and you won't have to depend on the flight attendant to keep you hydrated. When you arrive at your destination, your next refill is as close as the tap, as long as the water is potable. Even if the water is questionable, you can opt to purchase one large plastic jug of water instead of dozens of smaller ones and just refill your reusable bottle as necessary. Not only is a reusable water bottle sturdier (and it leaks less) than a convenience-store bottle. For travel, consider getting a slightly smaller water bottle that fits easily in a purse or bag. And this one helped me a lot during my one day trip of Rome. But i suggest you can skip this kind of plastic bottle and better use for stainless steel or hard plastic bottle.

Located near the town of Kvareli, the Winery Khareba is a Wine Tunnel in the region of Kakheti Georgia.

What's special here is the 7.7km of wine tunnels, dug out of a hillside in the early 1960s for storing and ageing wine at constant temperatures. Today the tunnels store over 25,000 bottles of the Khareba company's European and qvevri wines.

Visitors can have a unique experience tasting Khareba wines in a tunnel. Winery Khareba produces three million bottles of wine.

While parking at Khareba visitors are likely to note a shady park area where qvevri are used as decorations and to create a waterfall. The winery itself is built into a hill on the other side of the parking area:

                   These were the local musicians who were playing and singing an amazing composition which I had recorded for you guys, take a look:

Those Amazing bottles:

   Winery Khareba has its own vineyards in Kakheti. They have 13 different wines of wine and 16 grape sorts.

 Winery Khareba is constructed of 15 tunnels. At any time of the year, the temperature is 10C-11C. Wine is being aged there in the oak barrels. Two tunnels reaching 800 meters are parallel to each other and connect the other tunnels that are 500 meters. The tunnels keep the temperature relatively constant and cool facilitating the storage of wine.

 Underground world of wine:

Tours go into part of the tunnels (where tastings also take place) then up to the viewing tower and restaurant.

Winery Khareba offers four different packages available for visitors to purchase. To view the tunnels is the lowest cost option.  The second package is a tunnel visit and two wines to taste. The third package offers visitors four wines to taste and activities such as making churchkhela, Chacha degustation or baking Georgian bread. The final option is the premium level and includes three additional wine varieties to taste, plus a barbeque. More information is available on the winery website.

       All set :

 After our tasting at a counter in the subdued lighted tunnels, we were able to take a small elevator from the tunnel to the top floor with views of the countryside including a waterfall. Khareba has a winery restaurant with a wide range of items on the menu. Special private events can take place at the winery including weddings.

 So friends if in future you get this chance to visit this Winery Khareba ask to taste Khareba’ qvevri and European-style wines.

If visiting the area, consider a tour of the tunnels, a degustation or plan to visit the restaurant.

Any sort of queries for this experience, do contact me through any of my social media.

Do not forget to like comment and share .Keep reading.

 Your’s

Well, I really didn't know what to think about going to Georgia in the beginning but honestly this country absolutely blew my mind. It was literally something that I was waiting to discover.

Being a traveller you can understand my next line that you have this dream about going somewhere and you just think "Yes that's the perfect place to be".

“What’s so Magical about it “, probably you want to ask me right now.

Well, my answer will be “this country has everything” From kind hearted people to stunning countryside, Tbilisi’s night life, the world’s best wine and what not!! This is quite difficult to describe how this place is the mix of everything.

Technically it's the balcony of Europe, as Georgia is located in Eurasia. This is a gem between Europe and Asia and a place you will not regret visiting ever.

This country taught me how to appreciate nature and showed me how people can influence your soul, so deep down.

So friends let’s just come along for this incredible journey. I have spent 3 nights and 4 days here. And I was surprised everyday with the beauty and kindness of this city Tbilisi.

Day 1 Morning/Afternoon/night

Flight was set at 6 AM, from Sharjah International Airport. Arrival at 10 AM in Tbilisi.

I woke up by this view from my window seat on board Air Arabia. Attaching a video as well for the absolutely stunning welcome from Georgia:

Airport and immigration proceedings of departures and arrival went smooth , I collected my baggage from the belt and exchanged the US dollars in Georgian Lari.  Took a local number from airport itself, for better connectivity in this new place.

I have already pre booked my entire trip. So as soon as I was out from airport , my trip guide Mr. Ivan Markozashvili  which was quite a long name so he just told me I can call him Vano , so Vano have met me and discussed the all 4 day plan.

The trimming of arrival called for a late breakfast as my flight was early and I was empty stomach from last night, it was the first priority to look for the local breakfast.

So Vano explored one good restaurant and I just jumped into the table and order with help of him.

As I have ordered the food, and wait suddenly I noticed taxidermy interior of that unique restaurant with clay pots. It was superb!!  Take a look:

And I did not miss the chance to pose:

After a 20 Minutes of this photo shoot , finally my ordered food arrived , I have ordered the local Georgian Kachapuri and Vegetable dumplings (Momos) and those were absolutely delicious with a glass of red dry wine- a complete happiness. Here are the pictures from my plate:

After finishing the delicious meal, we have continued to our first day city tour. And our first destination was Tsminda Sameba Cathedral.

Tsminda Sameba Cathedral.:

It is the biggest symbol of the Georgian Orthodox church. It is unmissable by night and day, was consecrated in 2004 after a decade of building. A massive and lavish expression of traditional Georgian architectural forms in concrete, brick, granite and marble, it rises 84m to the top of the gold-covered cross above its gold-covered central dome. It's often very busy but retains a quiet, pious atmosphere, with many individuals praying, and candles burning before its numerous richly decorated icons.

 And I thought this was incomplete without me in the frame:

   The huge dome of this church creates a larger, much brighter central space than you’ll find in most Georgian churches.

   Well, this is a beautiful place to be in, you can see through the below frames:

  So after finishing the entire area and the church inside we headed out way for the next destination which was The great Mother Mary statue by crossing the Bridge of peace. The Bridge of peace is a bow-shaped pedestrian bridge, a steel and glass construction illuminated with numerous LEDs, over the Kura River in downtown Tbilisi. The bridge which stretches 150 meters which creates a contemporary design feature connecting Old Tbilisi with the new district.

So we stroll our way upon this Bridge of peace and clicked some photographs:

The Bridge of peace:

  The Kura River:

 By crossing this beautiful bridge we headed towards the Statue of Mother Mary, this place is very well known as Kartlis Deda.

The statue was erected on the top of Sololaki hill in 1958, the year Tbilisi celebrated its 1500th anniversary. She symbolizes the Georgian national character: in her left hand she holds a bowl of wine to greet those who come as friends and in her right hand is a sword for those who come as enemies.

We have to take Aerial tramway to visit the giant Mother Mary statue.

The statue is a short walk from the end of the tramway, there is a small observation platform at the statue's feet offering great views of the city.

And I clicked so many of the beautiful capture to keep with me forever.

 So after roaming for 2- 3 hours on the streets of Tbilisi, I have decided to finally go to the hotel and have some rest and get myself prepared for the next day’s fun.

My hotel was in the middle of the City, and it was in a busy area. Luckily I got my balcony room which was one of the most beautiful balconies of my entire travel life. I can see a fantastic city view from the balcony and as it was getting darker the beauty of the city is just emphasized by thousands of lights, see here:

So I grabbed my basket of the fresh fruits of Georgia with a bottle of extremely good red wine and my laptop and I spent almost 4 hours in my balcony to write this experience for all my friends.

That’s how I ended my first day in Tbilisi, and slept with a big to do list for tomorrow.

Day 2 Morning/Afternoon/Night

It was cold there in the morning. So I was sipping my cup of coffee in my balcony and noticed neighborhood there are fruit trees in their homes. O my request one staff from housekeeping brought those delicious pears; I have never tasted anything fresh. One Moment it was on the tree and the very next moment it was in my mouth.

My next day schedule was a round trip to Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) by visiting Ananuri Fortress . Sharp 9 o’clock Vano was there and we have headed our way to  Kazbegi and our first stop was Ananuri fortress.

The way was extremely beautiful. Aragvi River rave joined us for the journey.

The Beautiful valley of Aragvi River:

I never miss a chance to pose for the camera:

And one with my ride:

After a 2 hours of continuous drive, we arrived at the Ananuri Monastery Complex  - a combined castle and fortress that sits along Georgian Military Highway on the Aragvi River in Georgia.

Vano said that the castle was set on fire during the early days by forces from a rival duchy and is now included in the UNESCO Tentative List of Heritage Sites. It is considered one of the most beautiful churches in the whole of Georgia.

It was set on fire that is why most of the part is destructed but still have his unique beauty.  Within the complex, amongst two buildings, are two churches as well. This is a very nice place to explore . I had all the time I wanted and collected below memories.

A few things that you will see inside the complex are high crenellated curtain walls that join the towers together, Church of The Assumption, and a view of the Aragvi River at the back. Outside the complex is a small cafe where you can buy authentic Georgian bread and Turkish coffee and a souvenir shop where I got my head cover.

  I dedicated almost three hours to this beautiful castle but still I was not over it.

And time was stretching so I decided to move ahead. On my way I stopped a couple of time to collect the pictures of this amazing nature and country.

One thing I noticed that Georgia have many sources of  naturally sparkling water (Naturally carbonated water) So I did not miss the chance and had a sip of this fresh water from these sources and tasted a candy which was quite delicious Though it was looking very different but healthy in every sense as it was made of pure honey and Hazelnuts.

  So like this we headed our way to the highest point from today’s journey. The way and the weather were extremely beautiful. You can have a bit of sense by following video & pictures:

We have reached to on a point , it was slightly crowded , Novo told me about this most picturesque viewpoint of all, was the Soviet-Georgian Friendship Memorial, built in the 80s, with colorful murals depicting Georgian tradition. The construction itself was very unusual, but best of all was the views over the valleys and snowcapped mountains. See here:

The view was stunning at this point; it was very fantastic dream scene for me that I just stood stiff looking this beauty. I just can't explain how amazed I am with earth.

  As we approached Kazbegi- our final destination, the views became more and more stunning, proving we were definitely in the mighty Caucasus.

The road was really bumpy on those heights which actually made us more adventurous about Kazbegi .

 We have reached to the GERGETI TRINITY CHURCH also known as Tsminda Sameba in the green and white Caucasus Mountain, below the summit of Mt Kazbegi that makes Gergeti Trinity Church quite so magnificent. This church was also like other churches of Georgia- A beautiful castle far away on the peak of hill. The church sits in a definitively epic location, overlooking the towns of Kazbegi and Gergeti, with Mount Kazbek, one of the tallest mountains in Georgia, as a backdrop.

And now let these pictures speak about this place, as I was breathless at some time to see this beyond beauty. It was Epic views no matter which way you looked

GERGETI TRINITY CHURCH:

Most day time travellers on this route will skip the town of Kazbegi, and go straight uphill to visit beautiful Gergeti Trinity Church. 

This is the climax of the trip. From here I have to return to my hotel in Tbilisi with an outstanding view on my eyesight forever.

My Georgia posts doesn't end here, I still have some more beautiful towns and streets of Georgia with a bunch of photos , while walking around the streets of Tbilisi and other monuments.

And oh, food! 

So please be patient while I sort all of it and hopefully summaries the solo trip and give you guys a round-up of the short vacay I had as a solo traveller.

If you have any queries make sure to connect with me by either commenting/email or any of my social media’s.

Awaiting your stories

I dedicate this article to all those innocent people who died in this monstrous massacre……..!!

The Jallianwalla Bagh is a public garden of 6 to 7 acres (28,000 m2), walled on all sides with five entrances in Amritsar in the Punjab state of India, and houses a memorial of national importance, established in 1951 by the Government of India. This garden is a historical monument which stands for the glorious freedom struggle of India on 13 April 1919.

 So this is going to be a pretty serious article. Anyone who has studied in an Indian curriculum, or studied Indian history basically would be familiar with this episode of Indian history. To those of you who don't, I'll try to explain it briefly:

13 April 1919 , a multitude of Punjabi’s gathered at Amritsar’ Jallianwala Bagh at a part of Sikh Festival” Baisakhi,”. Around 20,000 Innocent Indians were gathered here including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Muslims to peacefully protest against the Rowlatt Act 1919.  Many who were present had earlier worshiped at the Golden Temple, and were passing through the Bagh on their way home. These people were unaware of the following danger, which was surrounding them from all the sides in the form of General Dyer and his Gurkha army. 

It is said that  Dyer sent an aeroplane to overfly the Bagh and estimate the size of the crowd.

Giving no warning General Dyer entered the park and ordered his 50 soldiers to fire into the gathering. Dyer continued the firing for about ten minutes. Dyer stated that 1,650 rounds had been fired. He explained later that this act "was not to disperse the meeting but to punish the Indians for disobedience."

Apart from the thousands who died of direct shooting, there were several who lost their lives in stampedes at the narrow gates and many died jumping into the solitary well inside the Bagh and were left to die in the pool of their own blood. The wounded could not be moved from where they had fallen, as a curfew was declared, and many more died during the night.

It is unimaginable what the casualties would have been had the armored vehicles armed with machine guns, brought by General Dyer, been able to get past the narrow entrances to the Bagh .

Do you know when they have stopped this firing?  When they ran out of cartridges.  This "brutality stunned the entire nation"

This incident had an international impact but the guilty General Dyer was not punished for his doings.

When I get this chance to visit this place, I wanted to share all the minuet details with you.Any one from us will go in a different zone by listen about this cruel act and seeing the painful stains and marks all over the garden. It left me in tears when I see this portrait on the wall.

 Let’s just see the main corners of Jallianwala Bagh .

A memorial, designed by American architect Benjamin Polk, was built on the site and inaugurated by President of India Rajendra Prasad on 13 April 1961, in the presence of Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders.

Here the tourist can see walls full of the bullets marks and the and the well who drowned thousand of people who jumped there in sheer desperation, there is also a mosque within this park and a statue of Shahid Udham Singh who later killed General Dyer. 

Th Bullet marks ..

 A flame was later added to the site. You can find this continuous Indian oil flame named as “Amar Jyoti” in remembrance in the lives lost.

  The well into which many people jumped and drowned attempting to save themselves from the bullets is also a protected monument inside the park Many people died in stampedes at the narrow gates or by jumping into this solitary well on the compound to escape the shooting. After independence it was stated  that 120 bodies were removed from the well.. The wounded could not be moved from where they had fallen, as a curfew was declared, and many more died during the night.

By standing there I could feel the pain and the sorrow from that well. We cannot thank all the fighters enough for giving us this present.

      Here the tourist can visit the martyr’s gallery which displays the portraits of some freedom fighters who were victim of this monstrous incident.

   Today even mothers bring their small kids here and telling them the stories of the struggle and the patriotism.

 Jallianwala Bagh is a scrawling of an unforgettable memory of this tragedy, which evokes the patriotic spirit in every Indian; it was the worst massacre in the entire history of Indian freedom struggle.

Here I want to share few lines “ Dil se niklaegi na mar kar b ,vatan ki ulfat . Meri mitti se b khusboo-ai- vatan ayegi “

 And then is see these pillars with “Ashok Chakra”and see how this new generation paid them the respect:

  And now I want to say “The people who have really made the history are the martyrs and a generation which ignores this history has no past and no future. No wonder you will be left with moist eyes as you read the story of the incident.”

But still the lives of those people who died that day are still remembered. And they will continue to be remembered till the demise of India. These unsung lives will always remain as a harsh reminder of the sacrifices made to achieve a free nation.

It has its moments of sadness, as well as gladness. We must learn from the sadness and build on the gladness.

May their souls find peace.

This city for me is one of the brightest memories of Indian trips. The reasons are First great for the budget. Second, cultural aspect, unique atmosphere and different religion compare to the rest of the country. Third, political aspect, the border between Pakistan and India is nearby so every day you can witness interesting performance at Wagah border point.

So let’s just go for a very beautiful journey of this very beautiful city.

About the city:

Amritsar is located in Punjab state, near Indian-Pakistani border, in the north-west of the country. Amritsar is a holy city for the Sikhs. Sikhism was founded in the Punjab area in the 16th century by Guru Nanak. It’s monotheistic religion based on Guru Nanak’s teachings. Now a days there are about 20 million Sikhs in the world, it is the 8th biggest religion.

This city is home to the Harmandir Sahib (commonly known as the Golden Temple). In the history of the Muslim League War on the Hindus and Sikhs of the Punjab in 1947, Amritsar occupies an outstanding position. It was in this city, along with Lahore, though with an intensity even greater than in the latter town, that the most sustained war, lasting for over five months was waged on the Hindus and Sikhs.

During my trip i want you to accompany me for the following three very famous destinations.

Ø  WAGAH BORDER

Ø  The Great Golden Temple.

Ø  The Jallianwala Bagh

I reached Amritsar morning 8 o’clock followed by an overnight journey from Delhi. My hotel named Hong Kong Inn was precooked from Dubai, and i can recommend it to my fellows.  

After check-in I took shower  and headed my way to Wagaah border with Mr. Avtaar Singh (My pre-booked taxi’ driver) He was a very nice man , aging almost 55-60 years old and an amazing source to know the history and all hidden stories of the city .

In our way my first priority was to look for a Desi Dhaba so I can enjoy the original  Punjab’ rich taste   As Avtar ji was a local from Phagwara (A nearby village) was aware of all the highway side good Dhabas .

After a 30 Km run, we stopped at “Lucky Da Dhaba”. This place was crowded which assured me about the quality of food. And I had the world’s best “ Lassi” with Aloo prantha . The serving is enough to keep you full for long time as parantha is coming with a number of side dishes and a butter cube. See here:

 So after heaving this heavy meal around 1 o'clock , I literally wanted to sleep but the greenery on the way and that smell of soil of the Punjab did not allow me to do so . I was enjoying the scenic beauty both side of the road from the window of  my car.

As it was the Month of March the whole land was covered with a combination of yellow and green color of the “Sarso crop”. Which will give you a feel of acctuall incredible, productive & beautiful India. See through my below frame.

 It took almost one hour to reach The Wagah Border.  

On the entrance of Wagah border, there is a very interesting restaurant named “Sarhad Choubara”. Pakistani and Indian food is served at this Punjab style brick building near the border. So if you guys are planning this route, do try the amazing “ lehsuni paneer “with “makka roti”, and thank me later for this :P. Let me share some of the captures with you :

      Before we head towards Wagah Border ceremony, let’s just do a short round up for the history behind it:

Background at the Wagah Border:

In 1947 the immensely controversial ‘Radcliffe Line’ was drawn between India and Pakistan as the result of India’s independence from British control. The border sliced through densely populated areas instead of being drawn between them, leading to an unfortunate series of bloody border conflicts.

One of the most affected areas was Wagah, a largely populated village now divided into two, and in some extreme cases, even homes were split by the border. Mass departures occurred during the partition of the border, resulting in conflict and significant bloodshed. Today the eastern half of the village remains in the India while the western half belongs to Pakistan and every evening a symbolic border closing ceremony take place at the gates between the two states on Grand Trunk Road, which was once the only link between the two countries.

So after finishing the photo session and the Yummy food of Sarhad , we headed towards the Border gate , it’s not far from there . Within 15 minutes we entered in the gate of Wagah village.

Car parking is concentrated to particular areas. So we parked our can. One thing I need to inform you on order to avoid the inconvenience that No covered bags (including ladies purses & handbags) are allowed inside the visitor areas. However, border personnel allow carrying of clear plastic bags with few snacks, water, children's food etc.

As there is no sign boards for this information and” I have to walk again all the way from security check to keep my bag in car “

There are two types of sitting areas VIP Sitting areas & General Sitting areas.

VIP seating - closest to the gates and requires a special pass which can be made from the BSF station near the Amritsar bypass road a couple of days in advance.

General seating - tends to get very crowded and congested during rush days. Depending on gender distribution two of these areas (north and south of the road) may be assigned accordingly

As I have planned it from a long time back, I got this special pass from BSF . Visitors from both sexes are kept together in the same area after going through the separated security lines.

As I get in the main area there was sitting arrangements on the both side of the road, patriotic song were playing on a high volume. Soldiers were receiving the visitors and helping them to sit both side of the road.  It was such a proud feeling that we are belonging of this great country.

It left me surprised to see the craze out there!!

People were dancing out of excitement and happiness, to see this fun I decided to move and sit on the common sitting area so I can also dive in the ocean of that excitement.

As the sun started to set, Wagah Border comes alive with an incredible zeal and an unmistakable nationalist energy on both sides. The show started off with the playing of patriotic songs and remembering the brave soldiers who laid down their lives for the country. The crowd cheers on by calling out ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Vande Mataram’, reciprocated with cries of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ from the opposite side.

This ceremony starts with a stiff-marching parade by the soldiers from both the sides. Soon after, the heavy gates at the Wagah Border are flung open; the soldiers approach each other by exchange fierce looks, give out mimicked threats, and show anger. At this point the noise in the open-air theatre transforms into pin drop silence. After this two flags are lowered and carefully folded before the gates close once more and the ceremony is complete.

Here I want to witness this feeling through my Photo Gallery Down.

        There is a Milestone near Exit gate for Lahore!! And I did not miss this chance and took this capture.

 That’s how I was finished with the ceremony and rushed to my hotel so I can head towards my next day’s plans. I was quite tired so as soon as I reached my hotel I went to sleep so I can wake up early next day.

Day 2

I was very excited about my next destinations for the day.

You simply can’t miss visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar if you want to travel India and feel the beauty and essence of this country.

So my first destination for the day was Golden Temple. Its official name is actually Harmandir Sahib but the Golden Temple name is commonly used by tourists due to the temple being covered in real gold.

My planning was to spent quite good time here so I left early from the hotel and, This Holy place was not so far from my hotel, within 15 minutes’ drive I was there.

After a walk of 10 Minutes , I was there in front of the Great Golden temple , and trust me it  is simply one of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen in my life.

 Just Wow! My first glimpse of the beautiful Golden Temple!

The Golden Temple is open to everyone but all visitors must remove their shoes, wash their hands and feet and cover their heads before entering. If you don’t have a scarf there are little orange headscarves that you can borrow at the entrance and the water you walk through to cleanse your feet is lovely and refreshing on a hot day!

The Golden Temple is the jewel of a much bigger complex called Harmandir Sahib that contains more shrines and monuments, a museum, dining hall (langar) and pilgrims’ accommodation.

  It has four entrances in the North, East, South and west, to demonstrate that people from all four corners of the earth are welcome here.

The main building of the Golden Temple is surrounded by a lake, known as Amrit Sarovar .People of all religions come here in huge numbers to offer prayers and take a dip in this supposedly holy lake.

This pond has a number of fishes inside it, and these are a big excitement to children (and to adults such as myself) when they are seen. And you will not believe they are not scared of humans, they come closer to get their offerings.

   Inside there is asmall temple the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, takes pride of place while priests and musicians chant continuously and quite mesmerizingly.

Due to the small space devotees have to move through quite quickly. Photography was prohibited inside the main temple.

Another one of the things I loved and found really inspiring about the Golden Temple was the way in which an army of volunteers keeps the place sparkling clean and serves up to 100,000 vegetarian meals free every day, all day and to everyone who visits.  

 The local devotees doesn’t even allowed me to leave without having the langar bhoj, And trust me the taste of that thali was so yummy and very satisfactory.

  There is a ceremony every morning and night when the book is moved from the temple and then put to bed in the “Akal Takhat” which also contains a collection of sacred Sikh weapons.  The ceremony is really interesting to watch, it happens at 5 am and 9.40 pm in winter or at 4 am and 10.30 pm in summer. But I was late in the morning and could not stay long as I have to catch my flight. But next time whenever I visit this amazing lace I’ll make sure I’ll attend the ceremony and will write you guys the experience.

So like this I have covered this beautiful place by enjoying and feeling the every bit of it. And I managed to click some of the other corners of this shrine.

       There is a small market on the walk way to Golden temple with a pure essence of Punjab .

You can find the pair of lovely juttis or that beautiful Patiala salwar kurti easily girls !!

    At about 2 pm I finally left the Golden Temple after spending over 6 hours here.

I hope I’ll be back one day.

After leaving from The Great Golden Temple, the nearby place is                 “The Jallianwala Bagh”. We’ll write another post for the great memory of this sad event.

So Friends this is another destination, make sure you backpack soon for this place on nearby future. And there must be so many friends who have already visited this place, do let me know if my words did justice to this wonderful destination!!

“Do not forget to write me your stories for the destination”

 Your’s

My friends today‘s journey is for McLeod Ganj. As you all know people living in Delhi, hills are the favorite place to be, and what better than a long weekend trip to McLeod Ganj? Taking the advantage of the same thing, I decided to pack my bags and go to McLeod Ganj with a couple of friends.

McLeod Ganj, most famously known as the ‘seat of Dalai Lama’ or also ‘mini-Tibet’, is peacefully located in the lap of the mighty Dhauladhars. It is a part of Dharamshala city and known as Upper Dharamshala.

                        It is a place that is waiting to be discovered & can be discovered in multiple unique ways. Every traveler can have his / her own story of the town. & there lies its beauty!

The majority of my first day was followed by an overnight travelling journey to McLeod Ganj starting from ISBT Kashmiri Gate, Delhi.

As I stepped down at the McLeod Ganj bus stand, I was greeted by thick clouds playing hide & seek with the Himalayas. As I breathed in the coolness of the surrounding, magnifying the sense of harmony associated with the place, I opened my heart to an experience as profound as this one.

And the first thing I noticed about the place is how the town was so unlike India! McLeod Ganj is a remarkable vibrant center of Tibetan culture and Buddhism & all the roads seem to lead to Dalai Lama's temple.

Anther Tibetan thing is McLeod Ganj has so many cafes!! Café culture has so patently housed itself in McLeod Ganj. Some of the cafes which are my favorite are Mandela and Rogpa café (some of the café’s offer free Wi-Fi also). From pancakes to Israeli food, from Momos to Maggi, from Thupkas to Pizzas, every café has a variety of dishes to offer.

   Some of the best coffee I’ve had in India has been from McLeod Ganj’s coffee shops.

“Oh pleeeaase can we go there again, Chinu!!”

And one of the best meals which I had was from The Jimmy’s Italian Kitchen, which was some really sumptuous pizzas and I can’t stop raving about the pastas and the chicken in red wine sauce. So do not forget on your visit to get your plate filled with the delicious meal

So after swallow my meal, I have started to explore the McLeod Ganj Town, and first I headed for Bhagsu Nath Temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and located at 2 km from McLeod Ganj Market. This temple is having a freshwater spring in which pilgrims to take a holy dip flows through the temple.

 The way to this temple is a narrow street, in which both sides local vendors are lined with all sorts of shops, some selling stuff appealing to foreign tourists – souvenirs, musical instruments, etc.  I specially loved the jewelry stalls here, and I am sure here you can find a fantastic neckpiece or a beautiful pair of earrings so easily.

  After offering my prayers to the temple, we have headed our way to Bhagsu Nath Water fall.

Bhagsu Waterfall is situated nearly one and half km away from the Bhagsu Nag Temple. The way to the waterfall is in reasonably good shape, except for some bad patches, which may be quite slippery during Rainy season. Here I am attaching a picture of the trial.

And that’s how I spent my first day with McLeod Ganj and it’s delicious food and Bhagsunath Temple and area . I returned to hotel and spend some quality time with my friends in the hotel balcony. After a kickass party we slept with lots of excitement for tomorrow’s exploration.

So next day we got up early and immediately got ready to wonder on the streets of McLeod. We were so much obsessed with the food of Mini Tibbet that, we decided to have breakfast outside and no matter if we have to wait for another one hour.

So we reached to the Mandala Cafe and ordered the amazing breakfast with a piece of Bhagsu cake. This was delicious a treat, the cake has a cookie-layer, a layer of caramel and is topped with chocolate.

“Oh my god, I want to eat that again !!

After finishing our breakfast we headed our way to The Namygal Monastery. The busy road leading to the Monastery was lined with stalls, shops and cafes on both sides.

Inside view and the vibrations of that Monastery was so delightful. Tibetan Monks and people were chanting prayers there.  

 Inside the Monastery there was some holy Pooja was going on and Lamas were playing a soothing music as a part of their worship , if you guys remember during my Kaza visit I have described that music and it was the exactly same , but this time anyhow I managed to take a picture of those musical instruments.

And we stayed there for around half an hour and again started our way to the further destination in McLeod Ganj, but one thing I must say pretty much that every direction you look in McLeod Ganj you’re guaranteed a stunning view.

And one more thing which I have noticed about the place is that McLeod Ganj has lots of courses here for all the outsiders.

“Whatever you fancy trying, McLeod Ganj probably offers it!

You can learn Yoga classes (drop-ins and fixed-term), Ayurveda practices, massage, Tibetan and Hindi language classes and even Indian cookery classes with Tibetan food also.

So if you have a good number of days to stay, there are countless courses available which you can make you learn something different during your stay.

After visiting all the nearby area of Bhagsu and Monastery I was so lost in the charm of city that I wanted to stay there for longer but working with and overseas company you can’t change your plan so easily.

So after finishing from this part of the McLeod Ganj I left to visit the St. John’s Church. It is an Anglican church built in net-Gothic style in 1852. This church has a memorial of the British Viceroy Lord Elgin, and an old graveyard. The church building is surrounded by trees of Deodars and Pines all around.  We have clicked some pictures here and made a check in to the famous building of McLeod Ganj.

But as time was stretching and I have to rush to the hotel as I had my Volvo booked for Delhi. But one regret was there as I was leaving this city that I could not manage to do the Triund Trek, which I have finished on my next visit to McLeod Ganj.

So my friends I hope you have enjoyed this post, and made a to do list or updated your existing list. Do plan your visit soon After all, this town is the India’s closest connection to Tibet and provides ample opportunities to learn and understand Tibetan culture.

If you have any queries make sure to connect with me by either commenting/email or any of my social media’s.

 Awaiting your stories

Hii!! Friends Here I am with another undiscovered treasure of India. This city is very close to my heart and soul.

Ajmer – This city is situated in the heart of Rajasthan. When I entered the city from Pushkar heights it is encircled by the mountains of Aravalli, on my first look this city looked like a queen’s Necklace to me.

It is completely an offbeat place in tourism industry but I’ll try my best to explain what exactly I have felt there and If I succeeded you‘ll understand it is a perfect weekend getaway with a cultural taste. It is also a sacred city for Hindus and Muslims alike and is renowned for being a center of history and culture and beauty. The mystical environment gives you the feeling of inner peace, just by being there and breathing in the city!

The First and the most popular thing of Ajmer is One Delightful Dargaah Which is very well known as “Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti.”

  This place, an jewel amongst all the other places worth visiting in Ajmer, Rajasthan, is one of the holy places of Muslims in India.

You do not need a map to find a way to Dargah, just stop anywhere and ask for the direction to the Dargah or Garib Nawaz, and you will be shown the way.

This Dargaah has a huge gate donated by the Nizam of Hyderabad known as Nizam gate with two another entrances known as Shah Jahan gate and the Bulaand Darwaza.

  I could see people from all faiths and creed here the moment I started walking towards the Dargah. Just outside the main gate, there are numerous shops selling food, flowers, incense sticks and anything and everything that you might need in your life. There were so many jewelry stalls and I just want to go there but I thought let’s just visit the Dargaah and then I‘ll engage myself here.

   As we enter in the gate, as the convention goes we have to cover our head with scarf, rule is applicable for both male & female, so do not forgot to carry or your scarf or else you have to buy from the street shops there and it includes a high risk being cheated here.So as I entered with the flowers basket which I purchased to offer to Khwaja .  I bought it from the first shop from the entrance but in the courtyard you will find array of shops selling pink & red roses that devotees offer to Khwaja.

  As I Entered I was surprised at the silence the sacred place and instantly I knew why this place holds such a special place in so many hearts there. Inside the Dargaah I saw many Khadims & Bhishtis who were helping people there.  Since the photography was not allowed inside Dargaah , I ended up clicking a few pictures only .

I actually lost myself in the vibrations there so I sat with my back against the intricately carved wall and enjoyed the spellbinding Quwwali just outside the tomb.  Watching everywhere everything with so many queries in mind I saw Devotees were making the knots with thread of faith there and sending their wishes to the almighty.

 The Sufi music was so soothing my soul , I do not wanted to stand up from there  but as day was stretching I stood up without heart and start walking through the Dargaah Complex but I knew this music vibrations are going to stay with me forever and ever . I have bought many souvenirs for family and friends from the shops inside the complex.  

Another big draw at this holy shrine is the sacred and scrumptious food that is served to devotees. Cooked in giant cauldrons known as ‘Degs’, devotees gather in throngs to be blessed by this Prasad. I have seen giant Degs filled with currency Notes, silver, gold jewelry and as per people there these are the offerings in return to fulfillment of thousands of wishes of devotees.

   The Dargah includes many other attractive buildings, tombs, courtyards and Daalaans, some of which were erected during the Moghul period and these are exquisite specimens of the Moghul architecture.

Apart from this Ajmer is home of so many other attractions as Adhai Din ka Jhopra Mosque, Ana Sgar Lake , Soni ji ki Nasiyan , Taragarh and Mayo College .  Do not miss these places if you are in Ajmer.

 After a day roaming about the Dargaah and engaging myself with the ever present spirituality of the place I was done with Ajmer Dargah Sharif. It was such a lovely experience, which left me silent and quiet at the end of this day and I knew it that I would come back here to consume the sanctity, magnificence and simplicity .

So my friend I hope this brief made you to think  about this untouched city and here in a Invite you to “Khwaja k shaher “  And this is why I dedicated this caption to this article  “A Divine Invitation” .

So, this is my dedication to mesmerising Ajmer – the city that I absolutely love and the city that captures the essence of #IncredibleIndia to its fullest. I will write more on the city soon, when I travel to this city again.

Until then, Happy Travelling!

Awaiting all the stories

Pighle neelam sa behta hua ye sama Neeli-Neeli si khamoshiyaan Na kahin hai zameen, na kahin Aasmaan Sarsarati hui tenhaiyaan, pattiyaan Keh raheen hai ki bas ek tum ho yahaan Sirf main hoon Meri saansein hain aur meri dhadkanein Aisi gehraiyaan, aisi tanhaiyaan Aur main sirf main Apne hone par mujhko yaqeen aa gaya

Hii !! Friends here I am with my First destination. This trip was beyond travelling, happiness & enjoyment. I have started to see this world from a different and polished sight after finishing this & that’s how i realized that how travelling can bring huge difference in anyone’ life.  

Anu & Shruti was my partners for this amazing journey.  We spend the most magnificent 15 days together and explored the most beautiful places of India.

So we started our journey from ISBT Kashmiri Gate Delhi. We got our way from Delhi to Chandigarh by Volvo. We were heading towards Chandigarh with excitement, so many questions, joy and so on.

Chandigarh  to Shimla :

It was a comfortable journey and we reached to our first stop Chandigarh. Chandigarh is a beautiful & green city. We did not get a chance to stay there for long as another 1000 Kms. were waiting for us. So after a stay of 1 hour we started our journey for Shimla – the most known hill station of India. Almost 4 hours of beautiful drive with mesmerizing sight scenes  we reached Shimla .It was not very late in evening but because it is a hill station it get dark early .

Shimla -A short round up:

Shimla was looking beautiful, the mountains were filled with thousands of lights, and there was a fragrance in the air which made us to stay there for one night. We found a good hotel surrounded by hills and natural beauty for our night stay. Though we were tired but we actually got high on the air of Shimla and we decided to roam around and had the delicious food of Shimla from the local street vendors. We had the most delicious Momos here served with hot chili chutney, pudina chutney and white sauce, and serving was enough to keep us full in just Rs. 30. After visiting the main street of Shimla which is well known as Mall road we got our way back to hotel with beautiful memories of Shimla. We slept with a desire to wake up early to witness the sun rise of Shimla.

 Shimla – Sangla- Rakcham- Chitkul- Kalpa- Kinaur-Spiti - Tabo- Naco- Kaza- Key Monestry-Kibber .

As I told we wanted to witness the sunrise, but we got late by 00:30 minutes but still the city was having the beauty of that red sunlight which left us satisfied. We packed and started our journey with local Roadways bus to Reckong Peo (district headquarters of Kinnaur Valley) .Along the highway is the natural beauty of Satluj River, its valley and towering hills. High way was in a fair condition, except some bad patches due to the landslides that may occur anytime. Sometimes, when our bus was passing through a narrow section of the road and when we looked below, down to hundreds of feet, the fierce flow of Satluj can shiver your spine with thrill and excitement. Some snaps are here from our way :

                        The beauty and Vibrations of those places were making us to change our plans every next hour and finally we changed our decision and we three got down in the middle of our way and hired a local taxi driver for Chitkul .

   This place where we got down was actually near The Kailash , unexplored, away from the crowd of developed towns so pure and beautiful. We were stopping our cab almost every 100 meters,just  to witness God’s beautiful creations !! And I don’t know why it just came in my mind that why we all are after world tours, oversea trips ? It does not mean that I am against of the idea World Travel!! I just I mean why people want to pay a crock of gold when they can see something equally beautiful in their own country.

So let’s just continue and suddenly for 5 minutes all our excitement got down , when we saw a long queue of vehicles , standing and waiting for their turn to pass from hilly way which was half destroyed because of a recent land slide. We were thrilled and we started to talk to some local workers there with our never ending queries about the place.

The local people there were so simple and honest, we actually found an Old lady working there and we started to call her Nani Ji !! She was very much interested to click photographs with us and on this cost she provided us a number of useful information about the area, which actually helped us a lot during our stay. After a struggle of almost 2 hours workers there opened the way and we passed from that deadly road , by the time we crossed Sangla it was completely dark and the roads were looking quite horrified but we continue to head towards Rakcham.

 Rakcham & Chitkul :

Rakcham is relatively unknown place, located midway between two lesser unknown places, Sangla and Chitkul. The beauty of this small village with a population of 800 defies words – so I have tried using more of snaps than words.

The Village lies of left side of the main road and on the right gloriously flows the Baspa river. The force of water is not as menacing. At places, we could easily walk across to the other side, but as it was dark so we postponed the idea for our return way.

Since it was a spontaneous decision to halt at Rakcham, we approached the first logical shelter located at Chitkul end of the main road. It was seems an ok stay until we wake up in the morning and witness the extraordinarily fantastic view across our room window , which I want you to watch in updated video and this picture clicked  at 4 A.M  here and you can realize the joy we had.

As we were the first arrivals of the season, hotels were empty and we got really a good discount and from the owner of hotel we have arranged one Scorpio with Driver named Mr. Ballu which we used to call Ballu Bhaiya for rest of our journey. We had a great dinner as hotel owner offered food from his own kitchen.

Next day, the first agenda on our schedule was to visit the village, which was just across the road from the hotel. We have visited Kali and Shiva temples, are marvelous structure built by the local people.

 Villagers were extremely friendly .Ballu Bhaiya was a local from Rakcham ,he took us to his home and his wife given us some fresh Aple from their backyard garden with a local Himachali cap and according to Ballu Bhaiya I was looking like a Upri kinour ki Chokri ( snap I have put down ) we were overwhelmed receive those beautiful gifts. Here i am  with the local Himachali cap:

Then We started for Chitkul , at a drive time of about 45 min, at noon. Chitkul was very enjoyable and had abundant snow, Anu  and Shruti indulged in their mad monkey acts with thick layers of snow, some snaps of chitkul are here:

We spend almost 3 hours which gave me a lot of time to feel the valley and its charm. We all three were as quite as we were so astonished to see the creation of god!! With beautiful memories, silence, peace and an amazing feeling we started for Kalpa.

Kalpa :

Kalpa is a small town (rather village) surrounded by Apple orchards and beautiful landscapes. Two main paved roads cover the upper and lower part of this town. The major portion of this town is situated along the lower road. But all the good hotels are situated on the upper road And Since, it’s not a very famous destination in the conventional tourist circuit, the shortage of the rooms are not a problem in Kalpa so we decided to find a hotel later and started to visit the local temples and main market.

There are no particular sightseeing spots in Kalpa. You have to just walk along the upper road or on the lower road passing through the middle of apple orchards to enjoy the beauty of nature and solace of Kalpa. And we spent some time like this roaming arround and decided not to check in, instead we started our journey towards kaza from Kalpa.

Kalpa- Reckong peo- Nako

So we headed our way towards Kaza, we decided to stop at Poo and continue the journey for a night stay in Nako, but the locals told us that roads are blocked due to landslide and we couldn’t be able to make it today hence we chose to spend the night in Reckong Peo and decided to go to Poo and Nako next day.

So we wake up early morning had our breakfast from the little chef restaurant (it was good) amazing breakfast and started the journey for Poo & Nako. On our way we saw JCB machines were cleaning the roads which made us more excited and adventures for the upcoming journey.

The journey was so beautiful, it seemed like Satluj have joined us for the trip , it was flowing with us off the road, Iron and wooden Bridges, bumpy and destructed roads were making the scenes out of the world.  On first sight it was looking like a different planet we are running on.

Suddenly we guys were seemed lost, we were not talking to each other, scared of blinking even so we can’t miss the inch of this beauty .

The roads were too bumpy and suddenly we saw this funny sign board -Sorry for Ooh Ahh Ouch Inconvenience regretted!! That can make you smile after such a driving .

By the time we reached village names Dubling , the view of the valley got much better , we were able to see the snow on the peaks of the mountains .

 It was like we entered to Planet no. 2. The roads turned better and the mountain color , stone , sand was different here, But Satluj River remained  the same .I still remember Shruti said “ Kya pagal Nadi hai yaar , look at the flow man !!”   Give it a look:

  Finally we reached Nako , It was looking like a beautiful slot of green farms are welcoming us .

As we get down we three was hearing our heartbeat so clear in our ears , it may be because of the air pressure on height . And we were keep on saying “Yaar, kuch to ho raha hai !!”  So according to Shruti Madam it’s happening because I am hungry, So she took me to a local small café and we had yak milk tea and yak milk cheese Masala Omelet !! And it was not bad. Try this for sure on your visit to Nako.

So we started to explore the Village, It has a natural lake and a small Monastery.

So we spend almost 3 hours in the monastery, watching the new monastery and old as well. It was not allowed to capture the images of old monastery. 

Local People of Nako were amused to see us that you three girls came here alone!! I don’t know why but everyone is saying this to us including Ballu bhaiya. So we were treated slight different and people were behaving so nice with us , they offered us the most delicious peas , sweet as sugar . So Don’t forget to take your bunch when you visit this place next time .

After visiting all the places in Nako, we started to look for a guest house, and easily we found one. We were lucky enough to had our balcony room . That Balcony just gave us so many beautiful memories!! The hotel owner gave us an iron tub for the bonfire and then what we just drank , danced , ate and enjoyed the every bit of It .

  Nako – Tabo :

So next day we woke up early as it was so usual practice during this trip ,  Nako to Tabo is around another 2-2.5 hours and through the lovely valley with the Spiti river gorging through with huge flow, we just kept moving ahead.

 Again the view was fantastic and we enjoyed the adventure, drive ,air, peace and what not . We just loved this journey completely. See the enclosed and you can guess the level of our excitement.

 Here is the another one

Moving this way, we reached to Tabo, by around 5:30PM. Oh my God!! What a beautiful village it is. I was just too excited to visit this so we found a guest house, and we checked in quickly and put the luggage in the room. Without a small delay, we just rushed out of the room to have a view of the village.

The Tabo monastery considered to be one of the oldest and most important, was close and was to be opened next morning. So we decided to walk through the village.

We were just roaming around and we saw Far off in a mountain something is written in big big letters of some other language, after talking to Local people there got to know these are Tibetan letters, the name of the village Tabo.  Oh it’s just awesome.

 It was freezing there, but still the entire evening and during late night, we ended up roaming, gossiping with each other There were so many foreigners around our hotel .And because our hotel was having a small café , they all were there till late in the night , so we just sat together with born fire , Guitar , Books and other musical instruments  in café and enjoyed talked , danced , had delicious warm food .

Finally It was time for some sound sleep and way to go ahead the next day, so we three returned to our room and slept with so many plans in eyes for the next day.

The next day we got up early in the morning, Because morning time is very beautiful in Himachal we did not want to slip on that so immediately after waking up we left to explore some more places but within one hour we came back took bath , got ready and had a lovely and heavy breakfast from the hotel.

Our first target was to visit Tabo Monastery, So till the time the monastery temples were open, we saw the entire monastery.

Tabo Monastery is the oldest and the best monasteries in the entire spiti valley, It is huge with around 9 small temples and in a huge area. It was established more than  1000 years back.

Went back to the monastery, One of an old Monk helped us showed us all the 9 temples. Photography was not allowed inside. He showed us the different prayer halls, the different avatars of The Buddha, and also the next avatar of Buddha. Inside the temples it’s really dark. He showed us the different Buddhist gods and calligraphy of gods fighting the daemons in the walls.

    We went to every inch of the Monastery and  Shruti was just gone mad with the Holy gongs , running every time behind those gongs :

We went to few more places in the village, before around 10:00 AM it was time to leave for the next destination.

Tabo- Kaza

Our next destination was Kaza. Kaza is on height of 12000 ft.. Our Plan was to cover Kibber, Key Monastery the lovely town of Kaza. As we move towards, Kaza, the road becomes more beautiful, the valley becomes more adventurous and beautiful and we reach up more height. So we were stopping and capturing the selfies and pictures.

Normally it is not recommended to go at such heights if you have breathing problem or heart problem.

So around 11 O’clock we reached Kaza. Kaza is a lovely small city in the Spiti valley we checked in into a beautiful hotel, located at a nice location right beside the Kaza monastery. The Kaza Monastery was so beautiful and colorful. We almost spend 2 hours there. As we entered we hear a strange amazing sound coming right from the Monastery. These were monks who were praying and playing music trough their traditional instruments.  Unfortunately I have missed the video clip of this moment but here Is a beautiful picture of the Monastery.

    The view in front of the monastery was nowhere less than breathtaking. So Anu & Shruti started to pose and I became the photographer.

 As we were visiting the places nearby we saw a very beautiful and cute old lady, she was saying something to us but we didn’t understand the local language so we ended up clicking one picture:

 We continued to visit the several places, right beside the monastery there were seven holy gongs were in a line which was looking fantastic and I did not let this chance to go and clicked another snap of the journey, you can see the background , how clouds were playing hide & seek with us .

 You can see the stones near gongs , it was not usual ,There was something holy in Tibetan language was  written on those stones take a clear look here :

Time was stretching, as we had to cover Kibber also the same day. We started for Kibber around 14 KM from Kaza but because of height, it takes time to reach.

The plan was to cover Kibber and then Key Monastery (which is around 7 KM from Kaza). Key monastery was on way and sideways, so accordingly Ballu Bhaiya took us first to Kibber, while coming back we were to visit Key monastery.

 Kaza to Kibber and Keylong Monastery and Kaza return :

On our way from Kaza to Kibber , we found some snow near the road and after seeing those the monkeys inside us again woke up and we enjoyed there for 30 minutes with snow ,some of the moments are captured by Ballu Bhaiya.

   We reached Kibber, as we touched the milestone we realized it’s a trip of lifetime, we hugged each other opened our beer bottles and made a toast for this wonderful journey, as this was our highest destination and no other place can be better for this celebration.

     Kibber is almost at a height of around 14500 ft and a very beautiful village. I was surprised to see that how these small villages are fully developed. They have schools, developed houses, govt. offices even internet cafes also.

The overall view of Kibber was awesome.

We had our lunch here in a local café, which Shruti did not like much and anyone can guess this by watching this picture. She ordered thungpa :P !!

So after relaxing we started our journey again and our next destination was Key Monastery which is on way back to Kaza, but situated on slightly different direction. Situated at a height of around 13500 ft., Key Monastery is the largest monastery at such a hill top and is a tourist’s paradise.

The route to these monasteries are on the edges and quite dangerous. But it didn’t make much difference on us as we were too excited as The Key monastery at such a height provides another gorgeous view of the Spiti River. Apart from that, it is the biggest monastery at a hill top, and beautiful inside.

The monastery was looking like a king’s crown from far:

      And as we entered the main gate of the Key Gompa , I literally goose bumps with the serenity of that place:

 We spend some good time here with the monks here, they offered us a special kind of tea , but after watching this snap everyone was teasing s we had shorts of Rum:

We captured some more pictures here with the monks and the beauty of this place.

The entire coverage of Key monastery was done by around 6.00 PM and we were back on cab for Kaza.  We moved back to our hotel room, where we celebrated completion of this trip.  We have opened our special Chardeni which we bought for the moment, enjoyed and took a promise that every year we’ll plan something like this trip and will steel our escape from the routine things .Next day our journey was next day’s journey for Manali via Rohtang Pass and from Manali to Delhi back.   And like this we have finished our trip on a good note.

And now after 2 years of this trip still we see pictures and got that feeling back.  And I highly recommend all the girls and boys out there to just go and enjoy the breathtaking beauty and adventure of The Himalayas.

It’s worth going once in entire life. So go and write me all your stories , make them interesting by let yourself free  and never forget to share these delights with me