Zouth Yindia!!! Part I (Tirupati and Chennai)

A trip down south in June – when most people go to the hills, we went to the hot and humid south- Tirupati, Chennai and Pondicherry (Puducherry). It was also a trip down memory lane as trips to Chennai and Tirupati were our yearly family vacation. They remain a feature of the annual travel plans of my parents; though me and my siblings like to go back as and when possible.

We first went to Lord Venkateswara’s temple (http://www.tirumala.org/) - a famous Hindu temple located in the hill town Tirumala, near Tirupati in Chittor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is situated on Venkatadri, one of the seven hills of Tirumala, and hence is also known as the Temple of Seven Hills (Saptagiri in Sanskrit). The temple is reportedly the richest and the most visited place of worship in the world and is visited by about 50000-100000 pilgrims every day.

While there are several legends in the history of this temple, the most famous is that Lord Vishnu decided to get married to Padmavathi - while his first wife – Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of fortune) had come down to live on earth following a spat with him. The Lord wandered on earth in her search and reached these hills . Here he met Padmavathi - an incarnation of Bhoodevi and a princess of Narayanapuram, whom he had promised to marry in Rama Avatar. As it was a royal wedding, he needed huge funds, which he borrowed from Kubera - the celestial cashier, who insisted on repayment with interest. While Goddess Lakshmi, understanding his commitments chose to live in his heart forever, the loan is yet to be paid back. The money donated by the devotees at this temple is said to be just sufficient to repay the interest portion. Apart for offering money, gold and jewellery, several devotees also offer their hair at the temple – which I am told is used for making wigs and is worth million of rupees year (http://www.hindu-blog.com/2007/06/on-human-hair-tonsured-at-tirumala.html )!!!!!!!!

Needless to say, the temple was extremely crowded even though it a week day in the middle of the summer season. The only accommodation available in Tirumala (Upper Tirupati) is in the guest houses maintained by the TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam) Trust and it is not an easy task to get one – so if you plan to go, please book it online well in advance. The area could do with more signage and general help, especially for people who cannot speak the local language. This is not to say, that there is no signage in our national language – Hindi - the most prominent one being at the counter where rooms are allotted:

Those who can read Hindi will understand (or maybe not!!) what the above sign is all about – it’s a pity and a huge disappointment to see that a simple notice could not be written properly that too in our national language.
But then, the other and a more positive way to look at this is that someone atleast tried to put a note for the benefit of devotees from north India. I guess my limited point is that any language should be respected and the least one can do is to write it correctly.

Chennai was the next destination – with a stop over en-route (at Srikalahasti) to meet wood carving artisans . Some of the most famous carvings are those of Lord Ganesha and Krishna. A 3-feet statue takes almost 3-4 months to be completed. Thanks to my husband who loves to meet and interact with the craftsmen and artisans directly; I cherish some of such en-route diversions!

Chennai was all about eating, shopping and sweating!!!......

We especially relished the Thanjavur banana leaf meal (hot food is served on a banana leaf and after the meal, banana leaf becomes food for cows).


So far, no trip to Chennai has ever been complete without a visit to the Marina beach – one of the longest beaches in the world –though given the rubbish scattered all over, I doubt if I will go there next time – which would be a pity….my family has spent several evenings on that beach – enjoying the waves and the food (raw mango, sugarcane, peanuts, popcorn, paani-poori and what not!). So, whether I go there again or not, it will always be ‘special’.

A must visit in Chennai are the stainless steel utensil stores – we went to the famous Rathna Store in Pondy Bazaar – it is a unique experience …..once you enter the shop you realize that not even a square inch is wasted and a huge maze of stainless steel utensils piled up from floor to roof and hung from the ceiling!!

See Part II for final destination!

Zouth Yindia! Part II (Pondicherry and Auroville)

The final destination was Pondicherry – with a few hours stop at Mahabalipuram (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabalipuram) – meeting the traditional stone carvers. These artisans are frequently commissioned to create sculptures for temples, residences and other places around the world. It is a delight to see the carvers working diligently to convert a block of stone into a beautiful sculpture.

In Pondicherry, we stayed at yet another Neemrana property - Hotel De L’Orient (www.neemranahotels.com/pondi/index.html.htm) - a restored French education institution. Of all the Neemrana properties we have stayed at so far, this one scores the highest on maintenance – the staff as in other properties is very courteous and helpful. The hotel is conveniently located parallel to the Beach Road and the Aurobindo Ashram( http://www.sriaurobindoashram.org)/ is round the corner. Part of the larger Ashram activities, locals are taught various craft such as making hand made paper, candles and a unique “marble pattern on paper and textile”. The departments are located in the vicinity of the Ashram and are successfully producing various products that are available for purchase.

Most streets in the vicinity of the Ashram still have French names and it is a task to find your way around even with a map, as it is difficult to communicate in the French language….…btw, are we still colonised??

For those who love ice creams – Le Soleil on the Beach Road is a must-must go….(and I do know many who would freak out at this place)- they serve two basic ice cream flavors (vanilla and chocolate) and give an option of around 50 toppings …the ice cream was the creamiest that I have ever had!! And imagine a road side Pizzeria that bakes freshly stretched base pizzas in a wood fired oven!

Another landmark of Pondicherry is the Golden Bridge Pottery (http://www.raymeeker.com/history.html ). Several students of this institute have set up independent studios and production units for hand-made studio pottery in Pondicherry and other parts of India.

We also visited Auroville (http://www.auroville.org/) – an experiment of community living - conceived in the 1930s but implemented in late 1960s. It is peaceful and beautiful….and we got to know that it has tax exemption, i.e., members of the Auroville commune are not required to pay income tax, instead are expected to voluntarily contribute to the Auroville Foundation.

All and all – a wonderful trip…..!

Snow white......!! (Washington DC, USA, Jan/Feb 2010)

A 3-week long official trip to Washington DC and California was in any case not a very exciting proposition for me because I was not getting to see any new place, which essentially meant no new masala for this blog (imagine – travelling around 15000 km and not getting to see even a new single place!! L). The driving factors that kept my excitement level high were two: a) meeting new people as I was going to the HQ of my new workplace for the first time, and (b) meeting up friends in DC and New York/New Jersey area.

The first two weeks in DC were great – all the way from the airport to the hotel, we could see snow piled on road side (remnants of a snow storm that came in December 2009)….how was I to know that I was see more snow on this trip than I have seen in my whole life! On the weekend before I was to fly out to California, all my plans to shop were ‘snowed-in’ – but it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life – waking up to snowfall (thanks to this lovely friend who made sure that I got up when it started snowing J). I had seen snow earlier- but never experienced a snow fall – it is so difficult to describe how it feels when the snow falls on you – light, fluffy like a feather touching you!! A poet has rightly described it as: “The snowfall is so silent, so slow, bit by bit, with delicacy it settles down on the earth and covers over the fields. ………………………….. Snow, delicate snow, that falls with such lightness on the head, on the feelings, come and cover over the sadness that lies always in my reason” (Miguel de Unamuno, translated by Robert Bly).

But how was I to know that this snow which had me captivated that day will become a bone of contention after four days when one of the worst snow storms would hit DC and disrupt life all over the mid-Atlantic region (for more details, visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35237043/ns/weather/).I can only thank God that we were stuck on the other coast (in beautiful San Francisco) as the airport in DC was closed (we had to come back to DC and then fly out to India – …..hey - did you just ask why???. Well – that’s another story – one which cannot be made public on this blog!). Spending hours every day on the phone trying to re-book air tickets (every day the flight would be cancelled and we will start the process of getting connected to some BPO in India/Philippines or the likes to get us on the next flight. It wasn’t as easy as it may seem now – it meant being on the phone for atleast one hour before you could talk to an agent (my conclusion as that customer service in India is better!) – only to be told that no seats are available!.....Finally, we did manage to reach DC and leave for India via NY ……wait- picture abhi baak hai – the flight had a technical snag delaying us for about 4 hours at NY airport – a few more hours and we would have been stuck in NY for 2-3 days as the storm hit NY that night and all flights in and out of NY were cancelled!.......But “mera bharat mahaan” (I was on Air India) – and when they could n to correct the fault through the computer – they did it manually!!

This post has not given you details of what to see in DC – for that I need to dig into my notes of 2007 – and I will do it soon!!...

Watch this pace for “must do” in SFO – coming sooooon!!

Bangkok..............

Though it was my second visit to the city, I realized that I actually not really experienced it the first time. I guess the reason was that when I went there earlier it was my first ever ‘trip abroad’ (with the exception of Nepal)! On top of that we were to ld to be extremely careful of our belongings and not to venture out alone etc etc.- so really didn’t ‘see’ the city then. But this time it was different – with the experience of having travelled across Europe and USA, and several times alone, the confidence level was much higher.

The Grand Palace is undoubtedly one of most beautiful pieces of architecture that I have ever seen – the lobbies depict the story of the ‘Ramayana’ through wall to wall intricate and colorful paintings. Within the palace complex are several impressive buildings including Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which contains the small, very famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. While most websites give these details, what they don’t mention is that there is a strict dress code to be followed to visit the Palace (arms and legs to be fully covered, and closed footwear- though at times the guards do not bother about the footwear. You can also get wrap around skirts at the main entrance in case you are not appropriately dressed). Also, a must-not-miss is the ‘coconut water’ served chill at the restaurant near the exit.
Close by (15 minutes walk minimum) is the Reclining Budha- this highly impressive gold plated reclining Buddha is 46 meters long and 15 meters high, and is designed to illustrate the passing of the Buddha into nirvana.

The Suan Lum Night market is a beautiful place – it has hundreds and hundreds of shops selling traditional Thai handicrafts, clothes, bags etc – it opens only at 8 pm and is a very lively place. It has a huge food court and if you are lucky, you can a nice musical performance on the huge stage at the food court. I guess it’s a shoppers’ paradise for those who know what they want to buy and have the ’eye’ to see where that thing is - for someone like me who gets lost when there too many options - it wasn’t of much use.

Be aware of people (who you may stop to ask about directions) who will try to tell you that the temple/palace is closed as the King is visiting or something else – THEY ARE LIARS!!! They just want to take you somewhere else and charge you 3-4 times of the money you would otherwise spend. Also, the metered taxi is not always the trusted option- they can take you round and round the city- and you cannot even have a conversation with them as “they don’t understand English” (as per their convenience). The Jewellery/Gems factory (where most tour operators will surely take you) is something that most ‘Tuk-tuks’ and ‘taxis’ would want to take you to – coz they get coupons for gas refill in their vehicles!

And before I forget, the dinner cruise on the river is a lovely experience.

All and all – it’s a nice city, though I wish it was more tourist friendly.

Glasshouse on the Ganges…..–where Ganges is clean - the way it should be everywhere

A weekend break – away from the city – a must for those who love nature. We took the Dehradun Shatabdi from Delhi and got off at Haridwar, from where Glasshouse is a 2 hour drive. We reached the property by lunch time- though the drive was tough- specially some patches as the road had been completely destroyed by rains and landslides.

We stayed at a lovely place called the Glasshouse on the Ganges (A Neemrana property). The place came highly recommended from friends who went there about 2 years back. The property lives upto its name- its made mainly of glass and is situated bang on the Ganges. Most of the rooms have a view of the river and the mountains and is something completely different from the places I have been to so far. But the property can definitely do something to its maintenance levels …..the carromboard in the common room is in shambles. However, we spent all our time on the river beach – so it was ok!!

The river beach of the property is small but perfect (good things come in small packages after all!). it is so much better than a sea beach as the water is not salty. The weather was perfect and thank god it did not rain while we were there – so we could maximize the time we spent on the beach.

We also went to the Rishikesh town and had lunch at the famous restaurant – “Chotiwala”. It was nothing exceptional as it has kind of lost its old charm over the years and even the menu now includes pastas and pizzas (catering to the huge tourist inflow from the west). I remember going there as a child and really enjoying the traditional Indian food minus the shahi paneer and dal makhni .

But , overall, a lovely trip – we plan to skip Rishikesh next time and just spend all our time at the Glasshouse…just when we are ready for our next “complete break to unwind”!

Ramgarh, Uttarakhand……………the beauty of doing nothing!!!

After debating between beach and hills…the hills won and we finally decided to go on a short holiday to this place called Ramgarh in Uttarakhand. Easily accessible by road and train (we took the overnight Ranikhet Express to Kathgodam, from where it is only a 2 hour drive).

We got exactly what we wanted – a quiet, serene and peaceful destination, where at times, we could hear our own breath. We stayed at the Neemrana Ramgarh Bunglows – a ‘non-hotel’ hotel. The cottages are beautifully located and each cottage has its own charm. We stayed at the Cliff House and the view from there is truly exquisite. The jam and juice factory run by Neemrana Hotels at their property itself is worth a visit – you can taste the stuff before you buy it and in any case if happen to be staying there or have breakfast there, the jams and juices will be served to you! The staff is very nice and hospitable; however, the property can do with better maintenance especially of the flower beds it has.

It’s a perfect place for people who want to completely unwind and forget the hustle bustle of city life…..time stops in Ramgarh! There is nothing to do except walk, eat, sleep, read, look at the mountains and enjoy the cool breeze. The weather was perfect and we were lucky that it did not rain while we were there – though I think that it would have become even more beautiful if it did.

One of best things about Ramgarh is that there are hardly any monkeys where the cottages are - which means that you can enjoy your meals out in the open…and you can leave your things anywhere in the property without the fear of not being able to find them again!

Any description of Ramgarh would be incomplete without the mention of the ‘Cedar Lodge’. It is located much above the Neemrana Bunglows and offers a great view of the valley and the mountains – and we were told it is the best after snowfall d you can see all the snow capped mountains from there. The food is lovely …and so are the dogs (Tiger and Rocky)!

On our way back, we went to Naukuchiya Taal and got our boat ‘driver’ to stop at the Lake Resort for tea.

It not being peak season and weekdays, we avoided the Delhi crowd completely and we were almost the only ones wherever we went.

A beautiful holiday, a short holiday…. A PERFECT HOLIDAY!

Bandhavgarh National Park

An overdose of travel to several European and American cities in 2007, made us think of going on a different kind of a holiday than the usual. The search for that perfect holiday finally led us to deciding upon going to a Tiger Reserve. We finally selected Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh as the destination – for several reasons: one - the density of the tiger population at Bandhavgarh is one of the highest known in India, and two – it required the least travel by road and is well connected by the rail network.

Bandhavgarh National Park consists of a core area of 105 sq km and a buffer area of approximately 400 sq km of topography varies between steep ridges, undulating, forest and open meadows. Bandhavgarh National Park is known for the Royal Bengal Tigers. Bandhavgarh National Park was the former hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa and at present is a famous natural hub for White Tigers. The terrain is broken, with rocky hill ranges, running roughly east west, interspersed with grassy swamps and forested valleys.

We took the safaris on all the days – both morning and evening (it was strange to get up at 5 am on a holiday – but lot of fun- especially with the packed breakfast and tea that our hotel used to pack for us). We did manage to see the TIGERS and also some other animals - elephants, deers, wild boars, sambars, jackals and several exotic birds. It was a different experience- waiting in the jeeps trying to listen to alarm calls of animals like monkeys and barking deer and then a wild goose chase across the jungle looking for the TIGER!!! The most beautiful sight of all was a four year old baby elephant trying to play with his 80 year old grandmother -ignoring his mother completely. But, his mother was keeping an eye on him and the moment he started playing with us – she made such noises that he ran away (dum daba ke!!!).

A must not miss on the trip to Bandhavgarh is the Bandhavgarh Fort. As this path is frequented by tigers, it is full of very clear tiger pug marks. The view, from the Fort, of the surrounding area of Bandhavgarh National Park is breathtakingly beautiful (and will probably compensate for not being able to see the tiger during the safari). There is an old temple where a pujari still lives and there are the ruins of the royal treasury, a school and the palace of the royal family.