Charming Old City Delhi!!

Delhi is culture rich and offers a multitude of things to do. There is something for everyone, right from historical monuments to market places to events such as plays and concerts. Let's start with the historical monuments in Delhi, most being architectural marvels or simply an astounding proof of the might of kings of old. Visit India Gate, Qutab Minar, Fatehpur Sikri, Red Fort, Lotus Temple, Jama Masjid and Humayun's Tomb, to name a few. Experience India in the days of British Raj, walk through the doors of the Imperial hotel. It's a great way to bond with your cameras! 

India Gate (Photo Courtesy: WikiMedia Commons)

Qutab Minar (Photo Courtesy: WikiMedia Commons)

Fatehpur Sikri (Photo Courtesy: WikiMedia Commons)                                                                                                            

Red Fort (Photo Courtesy: WikiMedia Commons)   

Lotus Temple (Photo Courtesy: WikiMedia Commons)    

Jama Masjid  (Photo Courtesy: WikiMedia Commons)    

Humayun's Tomb  (Photo Courtesy: WikiMedia Commons)   

Imperial hotel  (Photo Courtesy: WikiMedia Commons)   

Of course you'd also have heard of the great shopping opportunities in Delhi. If you want to add some classy yet low cost clothes to your wardrobe, Delhi is the right place. Janpath near Connaught place, Khan market, and of course, you're in luck if the Dilli Haat is on when you're in Delhi, where you can experience cultures from across the country. Don't forget to let your feet walk you to the famous Chandni Chowk, Chawri bazaar and Sarojini nagar for one of the best shopping experiences ever. While you're at it, check out Khari Baoli, which is reputed to be Asia's biggest spice market.

Shoppers Paradise, Janpath Near Connaught place Delhi (Photo Courtesy: gallery.biorust.com)   

 Chandni Chowk Delhi (Photo Courtesy: ilovedelhi.in)   

The Famous Spice Market in Khari Baoli (Photo Courtesy:WikiPedia)

Chawri Bazaar Delhi (Photo Courtesy: kunzum.com) 

Delhi also happens to be the perfect destination if you want to tantalize those taste buds. Tangy chaats, rich paneer dishes, succulent and savoury meats, Delhi's got it all. 

Teej on Display at Dilli Haat Photo Courtesy:stylecraze.com)

Folk Dance Going on at Dill Haat (Photo Courtesy: sheshachaturvedi.blogspot.com)

A Still of Cultural Curry , Dilli Haat (Photo Courtesy: outlookindia)

Yes, India's capital is host to all of these awesome things and needless to say, Delhi lets you live the true Indian experience. A must go. When you're on a Delhi Flight and just about to land, look outside. As a first view of the Capital, you’ll see spread down below, a massive carpet of twinkling lights, organised as the skeleton of a leaf. 

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Tirupati: A day at the sacred shrine

Most school children associate Tirupati with shaved heads, because a way of offering to God is by shaving one’s head. Tirupati lies in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh and is famous for the Venkateswara Swamy temple, which is the richest  temple in the country. This is one of the most visited Hindu pilgrimage cities in the country, in fact, one of the most important in the world. 

Venkateswara Swamy temple, tirupati (Photo Courtesy: amazingtruelifestories)

It is generally very hot in Tirupati so when on this pilgrimage, it is a good idea to wear a hat and carry a little water.  A typical day in this sacred shrine would follow this pattern:

Make your journey from Tirumala hills towards the Venkateswara Swamy temple. Tirumala hills is home to 108 holy springs. It is believed that taking a dip or tirtha in these holy springs will relieve you from the cycle of births and deaths. Pushkarni, Kumaradhara and Tumburu are some of the holy springs here, to name a few.

Venkateswara Swamy temple (Photo Courtesy: indianbureaucratsdiary)

 The holy shrine itself is located on the summit of one of seven hills, and so it is also called the “Temple of Seven Hills”. Many climb the hill barefoot as a sign of devotion to Lord Venkateswara or Vishnu. Being one of the most visited pilgrimage destinations in the world, particularly during annual festivals such as Brahmotsavam when about 500,000 pilgrims have been known to visit, it is pretty crowded, to say the least. For a darshan or a sight of the Lord in the temple, waiting in long lines is common, and many of these waits are hours long; anywhere between three and eight hours long. Once you see the Lord, which is for a brief time so as to not to keep people waiting longer than required, your darshan is complete. Many find this sight of the Lord very soul-stirring.

Tirumala Hills (Photo Courtesy: en.wikipedia.org)

 There are lines of people who want to shave their heads as well. Many believe that they will get what they pray for when they make this offering of hair.

The next line to stand in is in the one for the prasadam. The sweet given here is generally a fantastic preparation of the laddoo, and you have the option of buying it as well so you can pick up some for your family and friends.

Tirupati is a great place to visit even if you’re keen on seeing more than this sacred shrine. Recently, the Tirupati airport was declared as an international airport, so you can take a flight toTirupati from world over or of course, make it to this sacred destination by train or by bus. However you make your way here, you’ll definitely have a good experience in Tirupati.

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The Road to Tiruchirapalli

Tiruchirapalli, also known as Trichy, lies in the state of Tamil Nadu. Historically a very important place, Tiruchirapalli is where the Carnatic wars between the French and the British took place. Undoubtedly, this is one of the places to take a lot of great pictures, considering how picturesque this city is. Some of the historical monuments in this place include:

Kolli hills, Trichy (Photo Courtesy: bestpicturesof)

Puliyancholai: Situated on the foothills of Kolli hills, this is a lovely location right by waterfalls, and almost always of lush greenery.

Kallanai Dam: This dam was built approximately 2,000 years ago over the Kallanai river. This river is an offshoot of the Cauvery river, and the dam was built by Karikala Cholan.

Rockfort: The temple complex has many temples, of which Thayumanavar, Uchchi Pillayar and Manikka Vinayagar are the more popular ones. One of the temples is atop the famous rock, and from this temple, you get a spectacular view of the city of Tiruchirapalli.

Ranganathaswamy temple, Trichy (Photo Courtesy: yadavhistory)

Ranganathaswamy temple: This is the temple with the sleeping form of Vishnu. A great sight to see for tourists and pilgrims alike, it has lovely architecture and one of the tallest temple towers.

Jambukeswarar temple, Trichy (Photo Courtesy: doshanivarthi)

Jambukeswarar temple: One of the Shiva temples in this city that should be explored.

There are more places of religious worship that can be visited, such as:

Perumal Malai temple, Vayalur Murugan temple, St. John’s Church, Jaamiya Masjid, Thablay Aalam Baadshah Darga, Samayapuram Amman temple, Thiruvellarai Gunaseelam-Vishnu temple, TELC Holy Trinity Cathedral, All Saints Church, St. Lourde’s Church, Woriyur with Vekkalimman temple

St. Lourde’s Church, Trichy (Photo Courtesy: Flickr)

There are also ample shopping opportunities for those who love jewellery. Check out Chinna Kadai street, which offers everything from some great jewellery and saree shops to places to eat at. Speaking of eating, Tiruchirapalli is also a great place for food! Try out traditional Indian food at Khurunji and also buy some of the traditional sweets available here.

A flight to Tiruchirapalli is the only thing that separates one from this lovely city and their comfort zone.

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The amazing boat race in Aranmula

Thiruvananthapuram, or Trivandrum, is the capital of God’s own country, Kerala. Mahatma Gandhi called this city the “Evergreen City of India” which you can believe when you see the beautiful expanse of lush green everywhere.

While the city is a major hub for educational institutions, IT centres, government organizations and offices, one of the famous events that people come to watch takes place about 130 km from Thiruvananthapuram. This event is the amazing boat race in Aranmula and happens during the Onam festival. The event itself is one of the oldest river boat festivals of Kerala. Celebrating the festival thus began sometime in the 1970s and it is conducted at a famous temple on the banks of the river Pampa that’s dedicated to Sri Krishna and Arjuna. The temple is believed to be about 1700 years old.

 Aranmula Boat Race (Photo Courtesy: WikiMedia Commons)

The race involves over 40 long boats built of wood, each a 100 to 138 feet in length, the rear section of the boat being up to 20 feet tall. More commonly called snake boats, they are decorated with flowers and colourful cloth for the event. The boats typically have one ornamental umbrella in the centre, and a golden lace in the front of the boat, with a flag. They can hold anywhere between 64 and 128 oarsmen, sitting in two rows on either edge of the boat. Besides this, 25 men sit or stand in the middle, to sing, some carrying colourful umbrellas. Traditionally, only men are allowed on these boats. All men are dressed in white mundus and turbans. The boats begin to row out in pairs into the river Pampa, among loud song and cheer, with about a thousand spectators watching. Each boat has singers singing and clapping loudly, and even dancing without upsetting the boat until the end of the race.

It’s a fabulous sight to watch, and is perfect for all those camera buffs as an event where you can take pictures and videos. Plan your trip in advance, book a flight to Thiruvananthapuram, take a train or a bus to Aranmula and enjoy this festival in person.

Video Courtesy: keralatourismdotorg

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Visit the unseen at Srinagar

On the banks of Jhelum river and tucked in the Kashmir Valley lies the serenely beautiful city of Srinagar. It has been Kashmir’s most important commercial town for decades. Known throughout India as a honeymoon destination and a shoot favourite of the Bollywood movies of old, this city is the proud home of some of the most beautiful lakes and gardens in the country. 

Dal lake Srinagar, (Photo Courtesy: ananthnaag)

The Dal Lake with its houseboats has even led to this city being referred to as the “Venice of the East”. However, other than the scenic beauty, there is much to see in this beautiful city.

Some of the less visited tourist sites that are worth seeing are:

- Burzahama Ruins: Ancient settlements dating back to the Neolithic age, these ruins are unique to Kashmir, as well as the first of its kind. Many ancient artifacts that were discovered here are now displayed in the National museum in Kolkata. 

Martand temple ruins, Awantipur (Photo Courtesy: Flickr)

-  The Awantipur Ruins: Built by Awantivarman who ruled Kashmir in the 9th century, these are temples and shrines that have fallen to ruin, but still visited by the devout.

Chatti Padshahi Gurudwara (Photo Courtesy: placeforholidays)

- Chhatti Padshahi Gurudwara: One of the many Gurudwaras built for the sixth Sikh guru as he travelled all over Kashmir, this is one of the most important ones.

Old City Srinagar (Photo Courtesy: contemporarynomad)

Old City Srinagar (Photo Courtesy: aljazeera)

- Old City: Walk through the old city, pass by the markets and catch many a glimpse of the traditionally dressed men and women. This is a paradise for photographers, and while it’s a place that is full of people, it’s not always on the list of first things to see in Srinagar.

Pathar Masjid Srinagar (Photo Courtesy: meriyatrra)

- Pathar Masjid: Built by Nur Jahan in 1623, this is a peaceful stone mosque close to the river.

Kheer Bhavani Temple Srinagar (Photo Courtesy: devdham)

- Kheer Bhawani temple: Constructed over a sacred spring, this temple is dedicated to Goddess Bhawani. As it’s customary to offer kheer to the Goddess, the temple, previously just Bhawani temple, became Kheer Bhawani temple. 

Shankaracharya Temple Srinagar (Photo Courtesy Meriyatra)

- The Shankaracharya temple: Dating back to 250 B.C., this temple marks the spot where the philosopher Shankaracharya stayed when he visited Kashmir.

Shah Hamdan Mosque (Photo Courtesy: WikiPedia)

- Shah-i-Hamdan: The first mosque to be built in Srinagar,  it lies on the banks of the river Jhelum. Shah-i-Hamdan who made his way to Kashmir in the 13th century was responsible for bringing Islam and spreading the religion in Kashmir.

Nigeen Lake, Srinagar

Tulip garden, Srinagar (Photo courtesy: goheritageindiajourneys)

Nishat Bagh, Srinagar (Photo Courtesy: WikiPedia)

While these are some of the uncommon sightseeing spots in and around Srinagar, you should also definitely make the time to go to the gardens and the lakes in the city. And make sure to watch some of the performing artists if you get the chance. Take a flight to Srinagar and be drawn into the magic of this wonderful city.

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Guwahati: The gateway to the seven sisters

Guwahati is known as the gateway to the seven sisters because it acts as a gateway between the rest of India and the seven states in the North Eastern region of India. While Dispur is the capital of Assam, Guwahati is the largest city. It has many ancient Hindu temples, and is also known as “The City of Temples”.

Experience the food in Guwahati at restaurants like Khorika restaurant and Paradise restaurant. Assamese food, unlike the food in other parts of the country are not spicy, they are more bland. It’s a unique and great taste!

There are also quite a few sights to see, and these include:

-  Urra Tara temple: One of the most beautiful temples of the city, it is very beautiful. There are also ponds in the centre, which make it more picturesque.

Urra Tara Temple, Guwahati (Photo Courtesy: eagersnap)

- Sukeshwar Ghat park: A quaint little park opposite a few temples in the Sukeshwar Devalaya.

- Nabagraha Mandir: This temple hosts nine ancient stone Shiva Lingams. A must visit for the religious and the history buffs.

- Assam State Museum: Definitely worth going to, this museum has a great collection that hosts many culture related artifacts, sculptures and so on.

Assam State Museum, Guwahati (Photo Courtesy: placeforholidays)

- Kamakhya Mandir: This is a temple known for performing tantric sensual worship.

Kamakhya Mandir, Guwahati (Photo Courtesy: guwahatiservices)

- Nehru Park: A typical park to take an evening stroll.

- Other attractions include: Dighalipukhri, Peacock Island, Garchuk Lachit Garh, Chandubi lake, Rudreswar temple, Doul Govinda temple, Nepali Mandir, Deepor Beel bird sanctuary, Umananda temple, Sarania Pahar and so on.

A group of Greater Adjutant Stork search for food in Deepor Beel bird sanctuary (Photo Courtesy: guwahatiservices)

The Chandubi Lake , Guwahati (Photo Courtesy: gettourinfo)

Dighali Pukhuri, guwahati (Photo Courtesy: Beyond lust)

There’s more to see in this city, and it is a shopaholic’s paradise! The well known joints include Pan Bazaar, Paltan Bazaar and Fancy Bazaar to shop and eat. Plan your vacation in advance, take a flight to Guwahati and enjoy this beautiful North Eastern city.

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36 Hours in Kochi

The city that hosts one of the major ports of south India is Kochi or Cochin. Cochin is home to the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy. For centuries, it was the centre of the Indian spice trade. 

Cochin was occupied by the Portuguese in the 1500s and St. Francis church here hosted the grave of Vasco da Gama, until his remains were returned to Portugal in 1539. The Dutch then occupied Cochin, after which it was conquered by Hyder Ali in the early 1700s. It was then part of the British-colonized India until India’s independence. Kochi thus holds a lot of historical importance, besides being an important port city.

If you have 36 hours to spare, make sure you see all the sights that Cochin has to offer:

Mattancherry Palace  (Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

- Mattancherry Palace - Built by the Portuguese in 1550, it is also known as the Dutch palace because of the extensive repairs and extensions the Dutch made to it. However, neither occupied it.

Jewish Synagogue  (Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

- Jewish Synagogue - This was built in 1568 AD and is a popular tourist destination.

St. Francis church (Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

- St. Francis church - Besides being the temporary burial site of Vasco da Gama, it was built in 1510 AD and thought to be the oldest church built by the Europeans in India.  

Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica (Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

- Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica - This is one of the oldest churches in the country, built by the Portuguese.  

Bolghatty palace (Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

- Bolghatty palace - Built by the Dutch in the late 1700s, this is now a hotel. Definitely a must-visit.

Chinese fishing nets (Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

- Chinese fishing nets - Said to have been brought from China to India by the traders of Kubalai Khan’s court, they are used by the Kerala fishermen. It is a beautiful sight to see these nets lining the coast, and makes for great pictures as well.

Fort Kochi Relics (Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

- Fort Kochi - This is a great place to visit to do some shopping or even just sit in a cafe, eat good food and read a book.  Accessible by ferry, it is part of Cochin, but a twenty minute ferry ride away. The fort after which this place is named,  Fort Emmanuel, was destroyed by the Dutch.

Thirumala Devaswom  temple (Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

- Cochin Thirumala Devaswom  temple and  Sree Gopalaswamy Devaswom temple - A must visit for any tourist, religious or not!

There are many museums and art galleries in Cochin as well, that are worth a visit. A must-visit port town, Cochin is well connected by air,  ferry, rail and road. The simplest way to reach Cochin quickly is to take a flight to the Cochin International Airport. You can then hop onto a ferry or take any public transport for a beautiful trip that you will not regret!

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