Nainital- Naina Devi Temple

Naina Devi Temple is the most famous and sacred place in Nainital, Uttarakhand. This temple is also popular among the Hindus as Shakti Peeth. Naina Devi temple was almost destroyed in the devastating landslide of 1980 but was reconstructed later. We were lucky to witness the famous festival on the occasion of Nanda Ashtami which lasts for 8 days every year. Here is a short photo journey of the festival in September 2016-

The entry gate of fair ground

A huge fair is organized for theNanda Devi festival. The huge ground is lined with variety of shops and vendors who come from distant locations to Nainital. 

This attracts every women in the fair

Traditional Dancers

Traditional Dancers- They dance all 8 days till the end of the festival

Vendors sell colors- as an offering to Nanina Devi 

That's actually a male in female dress

Nanda Devi view from the lake

Head Priest of Naina Devi temple

Last day of festival- The paalki yaatra

Manali Trip- Day 2

Next morning I woke up little early to catch some early morning images. I managed to capture some beautiful images of the nature around. The first light on mountains and trees felt like inner bliss. Had to climb an unstable stair to capture good images.

Our taxi was right on time to pick us. It was a neat cab and not to forget the friendly driver. We started sharp at 8:30 am to avoid traffic later. The road towards Rohtang was narrow and controlled by the Indian Army. I also realized as we ascended the hills, the oxygen level also depleted. After a ride of more than 2 hours we reached our destination. It was almost deserted! This was because of the adventure activity ban and also because we reached early. I had to face a huge disappointment as there was no snow. The only white land we could spot was very high.

We trekked up the vertical hills, stumbling on the rocky path and struggling with low oxygen. I tried to push my limits but it had become impossible. I was on a verge of collapsing! I am not fat but not fit either for this kind of situation. I did manage to climb a good height but not enough to touch the snow.  I then decided to descend as it was going beyond my stamina.

 The good part was the beautiful mountain, playful clouds and scenic beauty! I captured few good images there.

We drove to Solang Valley from Rohtang. We stopped for lunch at Marhi village, the last village before Rohtang. A small Buddhist temple decorated with colorful flags opposite to the eating spot attracted us and we entered the premises. Along the road was a herd mountain sheep with their owners.  There was also a small stack of stones which seemed like an offering to the GOD’s of the valley. Every click was beautiful. Lest I should have missed those moments. We also experienced clouds blocking our road and that was the 1^st time I experienced something like that. It was magical to see clouds such close! I could not take many pictures because moisture from clouds would damage my cam lenses.

We arrived in Solang Valley after 45 minutes.  As expected, there wasn’t much rush because of the ban on snow activities. The only attraction left there is the rope way trolley to ferry you to a hill top. The 10 minute ride was costly-  Rs.500 each. It was my 1^st experience in a ropeway so didn’t want to miss that.  

The ride was great and soon we reached the top. We spent some time with a cup of tea amid the raw nature. Initially we thought the only way to reach there was the rope way but soon we discovered horse foot marks and dung. So there was a different way in.

We spent almost an hour and then again turned back to the ropeway down.  I click some more pics and we returned to our hotel.

 We also got a chance to Visit Manu Temple. This is only temple of Manu Rishi, legend says that he is the creator of human race in India.

 From the very beginning of this trip I was trying to locate a small forest (as seen on google map) with some birds but unable to locate it as the locals said that there was no forest. The only one is situated on the highway which is far. But something I saw all the time on our way to hotel was a small building with visitors all the time. Since our bus was scheduled for departure at 4:30pm, we had ample time post1pm.  So we thought to spent rest of our time on Mall Road. Again while crossing the same building I thought to have a look and “bingo” it was actually a small forest. A dream came true as I was entered the forest cum bird zoo. A peaceful and mesmerizing place it was! The forest was not big but still very beautiful and full of trees. We enjoyed our walk in the forest. As we entered little deep inside we spotted some cages with Himalyan birds. They are Himalayan Monal with peacock like neck and duck shaped body. The exuberant colors of the Monal were beautiful.

 

That was the end to our Manali trip. I hope to help some backpackers with this blog.

Manali Trip-Day 1

If you plan for a short trip to escape the city hustle, then make it to a hill station away from traffic pollution and noise. Keeping this philosophy in mind my wife and I planned for a trip to Manali in September 2015.

The first step is to book an economical hotel as most of the time we venture out and the only time spent in a hotel room is at night while sleeping or getting ready in morning. So spending on a luxury room makes no sense. A colleague at my wife’s office suggested a budget hotel “Rohtang Mansuli” located near to circuit house. In the first glance at the pictures online I fell in love with the surroundings of the hotel with a big garden with beautiful flowers. The hotel is partially covered with plants which gives a very nice tree house look. We booked our hotel tickets from Chandralok building. A piece of advice- to book tickets of Govt operated Volvos as they are punctual and trusted. Also they don’t have odd pick up points. We headed to Himachal Tourism Bhawan (Mandi House, Delhi) for Volvo tickets. Yes I know we can book online but we wanted to keep it safe because last minute surprises are always bad.

We had planned for a 3 day trip as 1 full day is good enough for Rohtang Pass and Solang Valley until you indulgence in adventure sports. Post a 13 hour tiring Volvo ride, we made it to Manali bus stand by 11am.  The walk towards our hotel which was not even 2 km was an endurance task because the roads are inclined upwards. With each step we lost our energy and oxygen considering the heavy travel bags on our back.

Rohtang Manalsu’s rooms were decent with basic facilities and a non-working television in one corner. Post a quick lunch and nap, we were back in shape and ready for our first sightseeing. Half day was already gone so we toured Hidimba Devi temple and Mall road, as they were within a radius of 2 Km from our hotel.

The way towards Hidimba Devi Temple is full of Deodar trees. Picturesque and serene, the walk was mesmerizing with sunshine playing in the cover of leaves and clouds posing for the shutterbugs. The temple premises is located amid huge trees and greenery. At a first look it seemed more of an old Japanese house. The outer walls was decorated with skulls of wild animals mostly deer and mountain sheep. The best part was due to its location most tourists avoid visiting the temple or miss it assuming it to be a usual Hindu temple. But the surrounding is marvelous. As we entered the small temple, the lovely fragrance of scented sticks greeted our senses. The temple is peaceful and quiet.

The small forest surrounding the temple is also something what I couldn’t miss. The forest premises was absolutely peaceful inside the lush green forest. The sound of water from nearby river just added to the beauty of the place.

 

Ladies with mountain rabbits thronged the place lending the animals for pictures at rupees twenty to pose for pictures; don’t understand how they are doing it because it is not permitted under the wildlife protection act. We also encountered a foreigner sitting with a snake and renting it for picture. Imagine a lady like her giving us tips for good luck who looked like she lost all of her money in drugs! People will also try to sell local sex boosters like shilajit and herbs for hair growth. Ttrust me they will also give you 100% guarantee for the result.

We reached Mall road after 20 minute walk from Hidimba Devi Temple. Mall road is small and full of local shops mostly selling foods and souvenirs. One can also pick local clothes like the famous Himachali cap.

 

We heard about the worth visiting Tibetan Monastery on Mall Road. My excitement knew no bounds since it was my first experience. The place is very beautiful and calm. The main entrance of the temple was “guarded” with very friendly dogs. My wife was like n heaven as those dogs were super cute and cuddly. I also experienced turning the prayer wheel chanting the mantra which my wife taught me. She even clicked a selfie with one of the dogs.

 

 

 

On our way back we went to the office of Himachal taxi union to book a taxi to Rohtang pass and Solang valley. We found a very honest driver and he broke a shocking piece of news to us. All activities in Rohtang and Solang were terminated by the National Green Tribunal court and the only activity left was the ropeway in Solang Valley. He agreed to ferry us to both the places in Rs.1500. Due to the restrictions, tourism has dropped in Manali and hence the huge discount on fares. He even told us about AAP campaign by the name of “Himachal Bachao” to help the local taxi drivers. We planned the itenary for the next day and agreed to leave from hotel at 8:30 am next morning.

I felt something different when I returned to the hotel room. There was complete silence. We city residents are not used to such silence so it was little strange for me. But honestly it was very relaxing.

Next morning I woke up little early to catch some early morning images. I managed to capture some beautiful images of hills, trees and also the hotel garden. The first light of the Sun on mountains and trees felt like inner bliss.

Day two of the trip coming soon...

FatehpurSikri and Taj Mahal

So finally I planned to visit the seventh 7^th wonder of the world “The Taj Mahal”. The total distance of Agra from my home in Gurgaon is approx. 270 KM which included my travel to Noida and a stretch of 180 KM on Yamuna expressway.
 

We started early at 5:30 am. The drive was smooth and we made a small halt at a roadside restaurant.  Few things what one needs to make sure while driving on the Yamuna expressway is to fill your vehicle tank and tyre pressure. Do check the backup tyre as well.
 

We reached Agra around 9:30 am and checked into a decent restaurant which had awesome reviews on tripadvisor.in However, what we got was much below our expectation as our experience was not that great. The AC in our room did not work which we realized after we had already unpacked our luggage. Ok they did change the room and transfer us to a much better room but because of all this we lost more than an hour. Our plan was to visit Fatehpur Sikri on the 1^st day. Post relaxing for an hour we started our journey to the historical place. The road was really bad.  We were also stopped by the local police for a routine check where the cop wanted us to drop his junior somewhere. Our privacy mattered to us and hence we refused. The nightmare started as soon as we crossed Agra. It seems UP government has no clue what is a road all about. We also got stuck at a railway crossing for more than one hour!
 

At last we reached the historical building of Fatehpur Sikri. Well, mismanagement seemed so prevalent when some local goons tried to extract money in the name of MCD tax!!! Avoid them and confidently shoo them away. After paying a huge parking charge we somehow reached the bus stand from where we had to board a bus ferrying to the main historical site. Beware of the shopkeepers who can bug you to visit their shop and even thrust their visiting cards to you. Do not talk to them, lest they should make you buy from their shops, at any cost!I assumed it to be a free ride, but the Ministry of UP tourism charged us Rs.10 each. Seems a small amount but I think they shouldn’t charge. No wonders why people call it Ulta Pradesh.

 

As soon as we reached Fatehpur Sikri, we asked ourselves if it was worth going as it was the same Mughal architecture we had seen in Delhi and Jaipur. There was nothing new, yet we have to spend some time there to justify our efforts of reaching there. There was nothing special about that place. So we spent nearly an hour and returned to our hotel by evening.

 

Next morning we went to Taj Mahal and we lost our way because of absence of sign boards. The monument is a white legend and its beauty is mesmerizing. I can imagine how much hard work went into the construction of such a perfect monument in that era where everything had to be done manually. Taj is a perfect example of Mughal architecture without a single flaw; everything is so perfect that it will be hard to envision architects and designers using their imaginative power and basic geometrical tools. Colorful stones used were imported from far off places like Iran and Russia in the making of the Taj. We had visited in the morning so I managed to get some good camera shots. In the latter half of the day the place looks like a war zone with thousands of visitors pouring in and making the place densely crowded with no proper management.

The visit to the Mumtaz “Makbara” inside was like walking in hell. It’s not lit inside, and the place is overcrowded beyond capacity. To make things worse, a single point served as the entry and exit as well.  We somehow managed to drag our way out. The TAJ is a must visit place to admire the beauty of LOVE but poor management, over crowded place,  and eve teasing with foreigners make the experience bad. 

Jaipur Tourism- My Experience (Part-2)

                      
                                                           Old Forts of Jaipur 
                                      

4. Nahargarh Fort.

5. Jaigarh Fort.

6. Amber Fort.

7. Some Tips

Nahargarh Fort

This fort was constructed by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh on 1734 on the edge of Aravalli Hills. The meaning of the name is "Adobe od Tigers.

The 1st thing I encountered was that the fort was partially a restaurant. It got two restaurant one a reasonable and the other is very expensive, they charge Rs.50 even for the entry to the restaurant.

One thing is strange that they also serve beer that is not something what I expected from a historical place. Most part of the fort was restricted and ASI seems not interested cleaning of outside area. This place has nothing much to offer until you want to sit back and relax with a glass of beer.

 Entry to Courtyard

I Wonder if this works



Nice Paintings



Read all



Beautiful



Temple on Top



Main Courtyard

Jaigarh Fort

This fort was built by Jai Singh 2 to protect Amber Fort. This is a must visit place as the fort is huge and will offer you with lot of adventure.

I strongly suggest that not to take old people along with you as many places is not easy to access. The fort still looks very strong and give a very beautyful view of Jaipur city and Hawa Mahal. It also has a small pond which is littered with plastic bottles, thanks to our thirsty Indian tourist and the main reason you shall not miss this fort is because of "Jaivana Cannon". This cannon s the world largest on wheels of the early modern era and it was only fire once, legend a natural lake was formed on the place where the projectile landed.



View from the Way to Fort




Nice View of Hills



Pond Inside

Take Car Ride



Imagine The Muzzle Flash 



Beautiful Carvings



Read the Description

Huge Kalash for GangaJal



Some Facts



A small Cannon



Another View



Watch Tower



Different View



A view of Jal Mahal



Nice Shades of Marble

 Amber Fort

This palace is located in Amer city which is 4km drive from Jaipur city. This a fort where every tourist had visited, the fort seems the biggest among all the forts in Jaipur may be because it's not located on hills so there is no natural defence. The saddest part about the visit to there places are that you can names of people all around on walls which gives you a hint that you are in India and people keep writing there names no matter how much education they have. The pace is always crowded due to easy reach but still a fort to visit once.



A View of Main Courtyard



Nice



Nice Pic of Lord Ganesha



Small Balcony

Fort Defence Walls



See The Heart



Place  where Jodha Akbhar got Married



Very Nice Mugal Art



An Entry to the Fort

7. Some Tips

a)- Chowki dhani is a complete waste of time and money. The road is really very bad and there is nothing special about this place anymore. Oh yes some people might talk about the food then trust me it's nothing mouth watering, the place has lost it's "aura" due to easy reach and bad management decisions.

b)-Look for good guest house rather then an hotel. Guest house are really good for these kind of short trips as they are cheap and you can have lot of options, hotels can be really expensive.

c)- Make sure you are a very good driver if you planning to drive towards Jaigarh and Nahargarg fort. The road is very thin and no there are no two ways. The thin road is not the only problem you will also encounter huge traffic jams and bad roads. I suggest to hire an auto.

d)- Try to avoid road side food and go to a decent restaurant, trust me they are cheap if you compare it with metros like Delhi/NCR.

e)- Try not to look like a tourist (not for foreign travellers) because if you are planning to walk around the city then you are the target of every auto driver.

My visit was sometimes become horrible in the city when one after another auto diver will ask you to board there auto for a ride.DO NOT TRUST THESE DRIVERS FOR ANY SHOPPING POINTS AND SUGGESTED HOTELS or GUEST HOUSE, do a little research on internet before the visit.

f)- Do try sweets from a famous shop "brijwasi" they are awesome.

g)- Last but not the least for try to take auto (try to do bargain with 50% what they ask) as they are cheap and you can view the city on the way. But beware Jaipur pollution level is too high. Most important avoid shopping as you can easily buy the same stuff from your local city market.