The charming affair for exploring offbeat and marvellous hidden spots continues non-stop with Gwalior and nearby Chambal Ravines. I had a day in hand and thankfully got a car to drive, so Chambal Ravines were again the natural choice for exploring some more unexplored spots. What else this Vagabond would have thought of when Life gave him a spare day and a vehicle to drive.
Shanichara Temple, Morena
Offbeat delicacy in Pink City Jaipur
List of Best Treks in Uttarakhand that you must try
Trek to Laxman Temple/ Hemkund Sahib
This is the place where Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru of Sikh community, did intense meditation to please Lord Brahma. Please by the austerity Lord Brahma commanded Guru Gobind Singh Ji to take birth in Kal-Yuga in order to kill demons and protect holy people. Undoubtedly, the Hemkund Trek is a steep challenging trek and you will often hear from the locals there that – “Mountains are for FIT not FAT”. You trek from 9,600 ft to 15,000 ft in just 6 Kms and that’s what makes it a tough trek.
Place remains open to the world from June to October and for rest of the year it remains snow clad. Journey to the Hemkund starts from Haridwar, where you can easily hire a cab for your entire trip.
On Nainital and Mukteshwar: A Lake, Deodars and Maple Leaves - part 2 of 2
Trek to the Enchanted - Valley of Flowers
Valley of flowers, at
a height of 3046 meters above sea level, lies in the Chamoli district of
Uttarakhand state. Challenging trekking route and spectacular beauty of the
mystical valley has always tempted botanists, nature lovers, foreign tourists
and adventure lovers. Valley boast off over 500 species of wild flowers of
unparalleled appearance and fragrances.
Although
the picturesque valley remains open to the world from June to October, but it’s
great to visit the valley around June, July and August, when the flowers are in
abundance. For rest of the year valley remains snow clad.
Journey
to the valley starts from Haridwar, where you can easily hire a cab for
your entire trip. Below is the entire itinerary in brief.
1.
Haridwar to Govindghat - Around 300 Kms
2.
Start from Haridwar - Cab is recommended. Very less frequency of buses.
3.
Route: Haridwar – Rishikesh – Devprayag – Jayalgarh – Srinagar – Rudaprayag –
Karnaprayag – Nandaprayag – Chamoli – Pipalkoti – Joshimath – Vishnuprayag -
Govindghat
4.
Govindghat – (Motorable-4Km) – Poolna (Trek 10 km) – Ghangaria – Total 14 Kms
5.
Split routes from Ghangaria for Valley of Flowers Trek and Hemkund Sahib Trek
Drive to Govindghat around 300 Kms, which would take 10 – 12 hours of time to reach depending on the road conditions, please expect land sliding at various points throughout the drive.
Ahobilam - The Spiritual Safari
Ahobilam, a noted pilgrimage centre for Hindus, is situated at distance of around 130 km. from Kurnool Railway Station, 68 Kms from the Nandyal Railway Station and 24 km. from Allagadda.
Ahobilam, consists of lower Ahobilam and Upper Ahobilam, is the place where Lord Narasimha had manifested himself in a natural cavern of rock to rip apart the most ferocious demon Hiranyakashipu.
Exploring divine Almora...Day 3 & 4
As told by the locales once King Chand saw a cow milking itself on a stone while he was going for a battle. On further checking the place a ‘Shivling (holy symbol of Lord Shiva)’ was revealed. After returning victorious from the war, King Chand constructed this temple. Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, also houses a status of Lord Ganesha.
Try taking road to Vridh Jageshwar to cherish the vibrant natural beauty of the place.
Being situated on the topmost point in the Jageshwar valleys, the spot offers fascinating views of the nearby hills. If there are no clouds the snow-capped Nanda Devi peaks are clearly visible from this point.
Heavenly peace and beautiful landscapes; pilgrimage as well as adventures…Amazing Almora. Trekking enthusiasts can take a trek back to Jageshwar, this is the 3 km. trek from the back of Vridh Jageshwar temple…
And the last nearby spot was the Dandeshwar temple complex, dedicated to Lord Shiva. This is the biggest shrine of all the 500 temples in Jageshwar. Contrary to custom the Shivling here is a natural uncut rock. Flowing water steam and adjacent hills provide a fantasy tale setting to this temple.
Read more about DandeshwarTemple…
By late afternoon we were back at Jageshwar, the evening was totally reserved for exploring the Jageshwar temples and take part in the evening worship, AARTI at the temple.
There are around 500 temples spread across the hills surrounding the Jageshwar Dham. Keep on exploring the beautiful surroundings, keep on counting the temples. This is the most beautiful complex of temples in Almora or temples in India, I have come across.
Uttarakhand is called as देवà¤ूमि, Land of the Gods. At Jageshwar there is no doubt Gods must have stayed or still are staying at this place. There is also a museum, 50 m. from the Jageshwar Dham, which carries an intricate treasure of beautiful statues. Do take some time to visit this, you will be astonished by the art...
Photography is strictly prohibited inside the museum...
The Aarti finishes by 6:30 PM and thereafter the Jageshwar town goes to sleep. That finished our Day 3 as well in Jageshwar. Perfect harmony with nature at Jageshwar. Read more about Jageshwar...
Day 4: After early morning worship at the temple, we set out for return journey to Kathgodam. We had night train from Kathgodam, so we had sufficient time to cover the Katarmal Sun temple and Bhimtal.
Katarmal is 16 km. from Almora town and hidden inside cluster of hills. Visit here is all joys and curiosity how such a gigantic construction took place at this spot. Once in year, the first ray of sun falling on temple enlightens statue of Sun God in the temple and many devotees from the nearby places visit this temple. Katarmal is one of the perfect offbeat attractions in Uttarakhand.
It will take around 1.5-2 hours to cover. Read more about Katarmal…
While cruising via Almora, do try the delicate sweets of this region. Bal Mithai (बाल मिठाई) is a brown chocolate-like fudge, made with roasted khoya (thickened/ dried milk by heating), coated with white sugar balls. Singori or Singauri is a sweet made with fresh Khoya and wrapped in maalu leaf.
In the way we came across a spot called “Frog Point”. Out of curiosity we stopped the car and went ahead on the suspension bridge to see this place. A huge rock resembling the shape of frog is lying at the river bed and most of the visiting vehicles stop at this point. Check out…
Finally, towards the end of our journey we arrived at Bhimtal. Prominent attraction here is the Bhimtal lake which is named after Bhim, the most powerful of the Pandavas. A huge lake with an island at the centre is a major attraction. One can enjoy boating in the lake, horse riding, mountain biking and hang gliding at Bhimtal.
Bhimtal is the place which connects Kathgodam to the Kumaun region and to Nepal and Tibet. It might have been the part of the famous ancient silk route. There is a big market nearby to lake and one can enjoy every cuisine in this market.
To reach Almora:
Keep travelling Guys...
Exploring Kumaun... Almora & Pithoragarh (Day 1&2)
Almora is a hill station in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand. Unlike many other hill stations in India, Almora remained unknown to British. It has been preserved and developed solely by natives of Kumaun region and as a result, it is totally devoid of usual crowds at other hill stations. Almora district offers an ideal option to those looking for solitude in the arms of mighty Himalayas. Almora is also called as land of temples and the temples are located in some of the most stunning landscapes.
To enjoy the spiritual vibes along with unspoiled beauty of the undiscovered Kumaun region, we took early morning train from Delhi and landed at Kathgodam railway station at 11:40 AM. The objective was to explore the road to Almora to Jageshwar and Patal Bhubaneshwar.
Day 1: Delhi - Kathgodam - Kainchi Dham - Chitai Golu Devta Temple - Almora-Lakhudiyar-Jageshwar Dham
Day 2: Jageshwar – Pithoragarh (Gangolihat – Patal Bhubaneshwar) – Jageshwar
Day 3: Jageshwar Dham and nearby temples
Day 4: Jageshwar – Almora – Katarmal Sun Temple – Bhimtal–Kathgodam -Delhi
Outside the Kathgodam railway station there were many taxis
available for Nainital, few to Jageshwar (120 km. from Kathgodam) but very less
if Patal Bhubaneshwar is also included in the itinerary as well. Some
negotiation and we were on the way to Jageshwar Dham. Estimated time for the
drive was approx. 5 hours including halt at enroute attractions in order to
attend the 6 PM “AARTI” at Jageshwar Dham. This started our
Day 1.
First spot in the way is Bhimtal (21 km. from
kathgodam), but we skipped to cover during return as we had to reach Jageshwar
by evening.
Next spot in the way is Neem Karoli Kainchi Dham, which is 37 km. from Kathgodam and is dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Kainchi Dham was established in 1962 by the sage Shri Poornanand Ji of Kainchi village. Devotees can stay in the ashram and practice meditation.
Dandeshwar Temple, Jageshwar Dham - Almora
Dandeshwar temple is where Lord Shiva stays with a staff and protects the region. Dandeshwar Shiv temple complex (दंडेश्वर मंदिर समूह) is situated slightly upstream, 1.9 km. from the Jageshwar temple complex and can be easily reached on foot from Jageshwar Dham. Jageshwar is a small pilgrimage town in Almora district, Uttarakhand. Lord Shiva resides in Jageshwar in form of Jyotirlinga, so Jageshwar is also popularly called as “Jageshwar Dham”, residence of Lord Shiva.
Temples at Jageshwar Dham are considered to be dated back to 9th -
13th Century and are being preserved by the Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI). Out of all the temples in the Jageshwar Dham,
Dandeshwar Temple is the biggest temple structure. Dandeshwar temple complex is being
restored by ASI, and the condition of the temples has been improving gradually.
Last day of our stay at Jageshwar was solely dedicated to explore numerous nearby temples to Jageshwar main temples complex. After Vridh Jageshwar temple and Jhanker Sam temple, we started on a cosy walk alongside the flowing water stream to enjoy the Dandeshwar temple. Occasionally we were also enjoying going down to the river bed. Word Dandeshwar is formed by coupling of Dand "Staff" and Eshwar "The God". In line with the meaning of staff; the Dandeshwar temple is so tall that you may risk a camp in your neck. It is believed that Lord Shiva resides in this temple with a staff and keep a guard over this region.
Hiking to Cliff TROLLTUNGA, Norway
When was the last time you drove 100 miles for a cup of coffee or you decided to enjoy trekking while your friends preferred the cosy drive by road. Well those who are driven by Passion, always hear to their heart rather than comforting brains...One fine night our friend Jennifer decided to trek through the secrets of night in Trolltunga just to catch the Sun by surprise. Rest all, lets hear the inspiring adventure filled travel diaries of Jennifer, in her words...
While getting there was not as rough as expected, our way back became super painful for me towards the end because I was wearing shoes that were too tight. With every step down, my toes hit the front of my shoes so hard, that it was better for me to take them off for the last 3 km. Out of pain and exhaustion, I couldn’t stop crying and had to lean on my friend for support. This took us at least two hours longer, but in the end, the troll’s tongue was more than worth it. It’s something you should do at least once in your life, and add to your bucket list right now!
Keep Travelling Guys...
Sonagiri, the Milky Hill...
By now we have explored almost every road in ChambalRavines, to further extend our safari beyond Gwalior
we started our drive towards Orchha on road from Gwalior. While
exploring the roads and asking for the directions, some locales advised us to
visit the milky mountain of Sonagiri. Milky Mountain…? The name Sonagiri
actually means mountain of gold. We too were surprised by this, till the
locales told us that 77 beautiful temples, all in white colour is the
reason behind milky Sonagiri Hill. Locales are the best guides.
Kullu, the valley of Gods...
A wandering soul searching for a nest can get numerous excuses to surely
settle in Kullu, Valley of Gods.
Stunning landscapes coupled with hospitality of people,
their distinct lifestyle and rich culture have made Kullu valleys popular as
“Valley of Gods”. Kullu is renowned around the world for the woollen
Shawls and the Dussehra festival. However, to explore it also has some amazing
spots, which despite the popularity of Kullu are
surprisingly not so known. When coming from Shimla, spending one day to
explore Kullu Valleys shall be a great choice before proceeding to
Manali...
Forbidden Republic of Malana
When
it is 21st century, it is very difficult to believe about places which are
still lying disconnected from the mainland. Malana is such a spot which is 45
km. from much popular tourist destination of Kullu and has been lying
isolated from the outside civilization for thousands of years.
That much mention of such a solitary village was enough to stir the
exploring soul of this vagabond. In line to my philosophy that Good travelers never plan in advance, I was on the way to Parvati Valley, situated to the
north east of Kullu valley to see the sights of Malana.
Kodaikanal - Gift of the Forest
Four was the company for us and one fine evening we packed our bags and boarded a late night bus to "Kodaikanal". We had whole travel plan in our mind that we will have our first stop in Kodaikanal where we had to take permission from the District Forest Officer to enter the forest for trekking but were unaware of the little obstacles we may face in-between.
We had little hint that Kodaikanal may give a feeling of a hill station but never imagined that it would welcome us with somewhat like below.
On the outskirts of Kodaikanal, our bus had a pit stop at a highway roadside hotel. We had a delicious South-Indian breakfast and as expected it was "VOWWW".
Kodaikanal is a small town with lot of staying options suitable to all budgets. Luckily we got a very good place managed by Tamil Nadu Government itself with easily affordable price of 500/- per room. Rooms were really clean and surroundings were AWESOME.
We had complete half day with us so we just moved out to explore the city after having an economical & hygienic lunch in the HOTEL itself. The moment we stepped out of our hotel we saw many tourists cycling on the roads so without wasting a second we went to a nearby cycle shop and grabbed four cycles on rent.
There was a small teashop where we had one of the best tea of our lives having unique & fresh aroma, unfortunately the teashop guy was unable to fulfil our one of the companion's request of having Bournvita instead of Tea & Coffee. After having snacks we set out to explore the place on foot, as evening was setting in we were enjoying the foggy air of the evening.
Day 2– We were standing at DFO at sharp 9 AM and got to know that officer will arrive at around 11 AM, this did not matter as we were prepared to wait. Finally, our long wait ended and the officer arrived. Despite sitting immediate outside the office we could not get officer's appointment and finally we had conversation with him over the mobile phone only and answer was still 'NO'. We decided to keep aside our egos and asked the same officer to suggest some better alternatives as we thought that the Forest officer is the person most knowledgeable about the Forest. By seeing our eagerness to trek, the same officer suggested us an alternate trek at Tamil Nadu, Kerala border.
We boarded a common city bus in the late evening which took around 2-3 hours to reach our destination place. We have already decided that instead of luxuries of hotel we will be pitching in the tents. So immediately after reaching our spot we starting preparing our camps & bonfire to cook some food.
Day 3:
After meddling over the mysteries associated with the Mystery Rock, we again continued our trekking on the less explored path:
Kodaikanal is situated in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu and is 9 hours from Bangalore by bus. The nearest Railway stations are Palani Railway Station - 64 km. north, Kodai Road Station - 80 km. south east and Dindigul Railway Junction - 100 km. east.
