There was a lot of excitement palpable in the voices. Too many voices were trying to point to a direction. Few flashlights sprang into action trying to locate. One found it. The next moment others pointed to it too. There was about an hour left before the first rays of the sun would fill the land. The excitement in peoples voice was tearing through the early morning peace and the pitch-black surrounding. We had barely moved 100 meters. No one expected to be rewarded so soon. The cacophony though disturbing was understandable, we too had added to the chorus. Nobody minded, nobody cared. Except for the star of the attraction. The mahouts made the elephants to trumpet. The rhino had enough and could not take this chaos any more, very reluctantly it got up from its resting location. It was a scene to behold. Three elephants with two cubs chasing…
Vattakottai Fort – A Hidden Gem
Kanyakumari is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. At the southern tip of the Indian peninsula, where the Bay of Bengal meets the Arabian Sea. Throughout the year tourists throng this temple town and visit the nearby attractions, most notably the Vivekanand rock. However, this post is not about Kanyakumari. 8 KM from this town, is a picturesque but lesser-known fort, Vattakottai. It was commissioned by the Travancore King, Marthanda Varma during his reign in the 18th-century. The view from the fort is very serene. Waves are lashing the walls of the fort. You can easily be lost while gazing at the sea and the diving seagulls. On the other side, your eyes will feast on the hills of the Western Ghat mountain with dark green hue. On the bastion and inside the fort there are lush green lawns, with very few people around, its a good…
A Weekend in Gandikota
Staying in Bangalore, the choice of weekend getaways that one has, Gandikota does not feature at the top of the list. The list is crowded with places like Coorg, Waynad, Ooty, Mysore, Sakleshpur etc. where there are enough sites and activities to keep the tourist busy for 2 -3 days, that they want to spend away from the daily grind of the metropolis. Staying options are aplenty in these places, ranging from the budget hotels to luxury resorts. These top of the list places pamper the taste buds of city dwellers, serving one or the other local delicacies, from some of the famous restaurant or food joints. You get none of it in Gandikota. What you get is a piece of history and natural wonder, in the lap of unspoilt beauty at a rural setting. The place is rough, rugged and hot, yet so beautiful and charming. It is one…
Tale of A Journey – Rudranath
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam At 4:45 AM the bus is almost full. We managed to get 3 seats, separated from each other. Few passengers are sleeping. In some seats, the luggage is waiting for the owner to come back, after a glass of tea. The temperature is soothing, not bordering any extremes. With 45 minutes to leave, the passengers engage in chit chat. It has been ages for me having heard such unadulterated Hindi. Use of English is at a minimum, almost none. Urdu words that city dwellers use so effortlessly are not spoken in this hinterland. It’s pure Hindi is what people speak. As we come to seek purification of our soul, it is expected of us too. Something that we may have learned in our school days, but hardly practice anymore. I had to put some effort to resurrect the old self in me, to cope with this changing demographic…