Destinations
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Darjeeling Sightseeing, Food Trail And Shopping
Travel to Darjeeling- The Himalayan town of toy train, pastries and all things good!
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Honeymoon in Darjeeling: The Flashpacking trip
“I don’t care if it is too cold to be romantic, I don’t care if it is too short for a trip to the mountains, I want nothing but the Himalayas as my honeymoon destination” I grudged on. No wonder I chose to honeymoon in Darjeeling. We got married in 22nd January 2017, a time when winter is at its peak in India. Many would consider going to the Himalayas suicidal and the least romantic honeymoon idea during this time of the year; but well, I wasn’t looking for a romantic honeymoon at all, in my mind it’s all about adventure. Our dates were pretty tight. The marriage party was…
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Tharu Culture in Chitwan — The forest and the cultural dance show
Like a monkey I sprang from one room to another. I was trying to decide whether I should take up a room in the building or one of the garden huts. I settled with the garden hut. The location of our resort in Chitwan, Nepal was excellent. Chitwan forest surrounded the entire locality, the Sauraha village — heart of Tharu culture. The homes of the Tharu people and the Rapti riverbank both were within walking distance from the resort. I was casually walking about in the resort complex when suddenly my peripheral vision caught sight of something huge. I turned to my left and for a split second considered running…
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The Chaotic India Nepal Border Crossing On A Horse Drawn Cart
The loudspeaker blared in Howrah Station as I sat in the Mithila Express along with my parents and a huge group filled with strangers. We were supposed to be reaching Raxaul station early morning next day at India Nepal border. Our first overnight stop in Nepal would be Chitwan. Travelling in Indian trains is an experience in itself, more so when you choose sleeper class. These come at dirt cheap price and guarantee a sneak peek into the true life of Indians. The cold night in the train was soon over and I opened my eyes to find the dawn light already flowing in through the glass windows; Raxaul station…
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Sonajhuri — Part 3: When I Had The Entire Place To Myself
The crowd which had gathered for the ‘Shanibarer Haat’ had completely vanished the next day, i.e, a Sunday. My last night in Sonajhuri was already a history and currently I was spending the ‘last day’. I always tend to suffer from incredible bouts of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). The previous night before falling asleep I had promised to myself that next day I would wake up early in the morning at 6AM and go for a long walk to the nearby village and meet the villagers. The medicines I took to cure my painful shingles definitely worked against my plan. At 8 AM I found myself sleepily shouting at…
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Sonajhuri — Part 2 : The Musical ‘Bauls’ And The Weekly Fair
The train reached Bolpur station in West Bengal, India just in time for breakfast. Our Sonajhuri trip officially started. The weather was comfortably cold. The entire gang pounced on the first tea seller we came across. As for me — nothing wrong with tea — just that I feel irritated holding anything hot in my hand. Tea is generally served in minuscule cups in the roadside shacks of India. I am constantly weary the liquid may just spill over and burn my hands. Well then again, I am also one of those who feel scared of putting a switch on or off. In my mind I have gotten electrocuted a…
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Sonajhuri — Part 1: The Shingles, The Plan and The Mad Drive To The Station
Generally people cringe and cry when they suffer from a painful disease, particularly diseases which may leave a scar. My case was different. Before consulting the doctor I had googled my symptoms and the Almighty Internet had made me believe I would die within a month. So, when I was diagnosed with the Herpes Zoster (Shingles) – a curable disease, it didn’t bother me much. I was extremely happy to know it wasn’t life threatening and I would be alive. Suddenly I was a minor ‘celebrity’ and each single member of my extended family either visited me multiple times or called on the phone to know my health condition. Though…
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Kausani Sightseeing — Exploring Kumaon
The bus had been honking for quite some time now. I am in the northern fringes of India and the big plan of this day was to travel from Chaukori to Kausani and then indulge in Kausani sightseeing. I hopped aboard and the vehicle started rolling down the hills. It crossed the farms, villages, huts, shacks and finally stopped in the town of Bageshwar for a break. Bagnath Temple The locals gave me the direction to the temple. The alley leading up to it was congested with shops selling various products like handicrafts, utensils, clay pots, stationery, sweets and snacks. But the more dominant items were flowers, incense, conch shells…
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Nainital Sightseeing on foot — The Lives and Lifestyle
It was supposed to be a day dedicated to Nainital sightseeing on foot. From the roof I watched the sparkling green water of the Himalayan lake of Nainital in India. The next sight where I settled my eyes on was the exquisite minarets of the Jama Masjid. It is impossible not to praise the beauty of this mosque. The hotel I stayed in was perched atop a steep incline emerging out of an alley near the Nainital Stadium. Due to the steepness of the hotel’s location, watching the town from its roof was like observing from a watchtower. The Sun was shining bright when I climbed down the steep alley…
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Almora Places to Visit on Foot — A Walk Down It’s Lanes
In the Kumaon circuit of India, Almora is more or less overshadowed by the presence of its ‘big brother’ destinations. The travelers are more engaged composing poetry in Munsiyari or sailing the yachts in Nainital. This is my second visit in the Kumaon belt and in my first one I too had developed such a ‘nothing special’ concept of Almora. It changed this time. I rediscovered Almora. A walk down its lanes revealed Almora : places to visit and things to eat. The tedious train journey from Kolkata to Lalkuan followed by the short bus ride to Nainital for overnight stay before setting off the next day to reach Almora had…
