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Khajuraho is one of the world renowned destinations where celebration of human passion

Based on the experience of our taxi driver we reached a hotel The Lalit Temple View Khajuraho. Though we were skeptic about his decision but after reaching the hotel we found it as a good accommodation option. It is an absolutely lovely hotel because the rooms provide an awesome view of the Western Temple Complex. The hotel is meticulously maintained and offers good facilities and services. After having quick refreshment we went outside to experience the legacy crafted by the Chandela rulers between 9th and 10th century AD.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is located on the banks of Khudar Nala (a tributary of Ken River) with the Vindhya Range of mountains in its beautiful backdrop which make it a fascination destination of India tourism. The panorama of nature with saga of eroticism always fascinates the tourists who visit this place from across the world. The cloudy weather, sporadic rain and the vast expanse of greenery was nature’s dramatic description of that place which we never experienced in our life. The natural as well as cultural traits invoked serious thoughts on the erotic aspect of our life which we consider as the most taboo subject.

The temples of Khajuraho are divided according to their geographical locations such as the Eastern group, the Western group and the Southern group. Out of all these temples, the temples of the Western Group are the largest and are known for their spectacular architectural beauty. This temple group is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. Some of the important temples of this group are Lakshmana Temple, the Matangesvara Temple and the Varaha Temple.

Next day early morning we reached the Western Group of Temples where we enjoyed the silence of nature, rising of sun and refreshing atmosphere. The leftover charisma was filled up by the magnificent architecture of the Lakhmana Temple. This beautiful stone temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is among the best known and well-preserved attraction of this place which was built by King Yasovarman in the 10th century A.D. We entered the temple via arched gateway adorned with makar-torana. This is the only temple in Khajuraho depicting the incarnations of Lord Visnhu in different time periods.

We were struck by the skill of the artisans who built the temple centuries ago. The temple is in Sikhara style resembling the Himalayan peaks and is considered as the abode of gods. This temple has hundreds of statues, depicting gods, celestial nymphs, and couples depicting various scenes of the worldly affairs. We were impressed by the intricate rock carvings and tried to decipher the philosophy of life which was encoded in these sculptures.
We were lost in our thoughts while exploring all these famous temples of this region. There were arrays of erotic sculptures but they were meaningful as there was some interesting philosophy behind them. We stayed here till late evening watching the wonders crafted with deep inscribed philosophy which not only touches the heart and soul of visitors but also adds new dimensions to their life.

When darkness engulfed the best of human performance I with my friend headed towards our hotel where we stayed the whole night and the next morning we bid goodbye to this land of encrypted philosophy.

Kempty Fall, Mussorie

With two days in hand, this time I and my friend Ritu decided to go to Mussoorie as it is a wonderful hill station, not very far off from Delhi. It is a famous hill station of India located in Uttarakhand at an altitude of 2,000 m. Its salubrious climate, lush greenery and rich flora and fauna make it very charming. The Kempty waterfall is the major draw of this destination.

We reached Mussoorie by the train in the morning. We were booked in Hill Queen Hotel. When we reached the hotel we were assured that we had made the right choice. The hotel is located amidst lush green surroundings offering wonderful views of the beautiful surroundings. The ambiance was peaceful and refreshing. After refreshing ourselves we had breakfast and then set out on our Mussoorie sightseeing tour.

Our first destination was Gun Hill which is the second highest peak of this hill station. After a thirty minute uphill walk we reached the hill. Another option to reach the hill is rope-way. We were spell bound by the captivating views of the Himalayas offered by this hill. Our guide Sudhir told us that the hill was named Gun hill because during the pre-independence period a gun was mounted on its top which was fired at mid-day to enable people to adjust their watches. It also offers bird’s eye view of this hill station.

From here we headed for Childer’s Lodge which is the highest point in Mussoorie. We took a horse ride to this Lodge which was very interesting. Steeped in natural beauty, this place also offers captivating sunrise and sunset views.

After a refreshing tea break we headed towards our next destination, the Mussoorie Lake. It is a wonderful picnic spot where the local people come to spend some in a beautiful and peaceful environment. Here we met a bunch of children who had come here for picnic. We also played with them for some time before they left with heart warming smiles. Then we enjoyed boating at the lake and captured the arresting surroundings in our hearts and camera.

Post lunch, we visited Nag Devta Temple. It is an ancient temple built in honor of Nag Devta. Located in a picturesque location, it also offers panoramic views of the Mussoorie town.

Our Last destination was the Kempty Fall which is located 15 km from Mussoorie on the Yamunotri Road at an altitude of 4500 ft. It is really a beautiful waterfall surrounded by gorgeous surroundings. We enjoyed a bath under the waterfall and spent some quality time in the wonderful environment.

After finalizing a business deal with the CEO of a Canada based multinational, I came to know that he wanted to visit India and devote a month to the incredible India. Being his long-term business partner, I was supposed to make all the arrangements for him. But his first concern was to know important things before traveling to India. So, I prepared a document for him on the basics of India tourism.

As he was a non-resident to India, there were a few concerns for him:

• First of all, the foreigners are supposed to collect their visas from Indian Embassy or high commission.
• Next point to note is that one Indian Rupee is divided into 100 Paise, and the Rupee comes in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500.
• If you learn a few Hindi words, then communication is not an issue as English is commonly used in all business transactions. India has the second largest English speaking base in the world.
• When it comes to climate, India has a tropical climate with three main seasons, i.e. Summer (April to Mid-June), Monsoon (Late June to September) and Winter (October to March).
• Usually the hotels & restaurants charge you 10% service charge on the bill. Therefore, tipping is not necessary.
• Coming to the accommodation, hotels in India are amongst the best in the world. You can find a wide range of accommodation units in India, ranging from economical hotels to lodges, star-rated hotels, beach resorts, Ayurveda resorts, houseboats and business lounges.
• Foreign currencies can be exchanged at authorized centers very easily.
• You can contact any of the Indian travel agent or Indian tour operator, and you will get enough of information on ‘things to carry on particular places’. This may be needed if you are opting for theme based tours, which may be:
• Desert lands (Rajasthan)
• Wildlife sanctuaries (Jim Corbett National Park, Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary, Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary etc.)
• Hill stations (Nainital, Mussoorie, Manali, Dharamshala, Mount Abu, Kashmir, Leh – Ladakh etc.)
• Trekking trails (Sikkim, Darjeeling, Ladakh etc.)
• Water sports / beaches / backwaters (Goa, Kerala, Andaman & Nicobar etc.)
• Pilgrimages (Jammu, Ladakh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka etc.)

Apart from that, there were some other minute details about Indian culture, food, people, festivals and traditions. Thomas, my business partner, was really glad to receive all this information. He replied me through e-mail and expressed his gratitude. I am eagerly waiting for his trip to India to welcome him with age old colourful Indian traditions.

My cousin Rahul is an Associate Researcher at the Sálim Ali Center for Geese Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), so he visits several Bird Sanctuaries across the world. This time while his academic tour to Keoladeo National Park or Keoladeo Ghana National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan, he also took me to this pearl of Indian ecology. Though I was not ready for this tour but he persuaded me so much that I ha … Read More

via Royal India

Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), so he visits several Bird Sanctuaries across the world. This time while his academic tour to Keoladeo National Park or Keoladeo Ghana National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan, he also took me to this pearl of Indian ecology. Though I was not ready for this tour but he persuaded me so much that I had to manage two days to visit this finest Bird Sanctuary of India.

We reached Bharatpur early in the Saturday morning in his official vehicle from Agra. The proximity of Bharatpur from Delhi, Agra and Jaipur blesses this place with large inflow of tourists who want to witness the colorful splendor of flying creatures.

Bharatpur has a number of forest lodges, hotels and guest houses where tourists can stay but the Bharatpur Forest Lodge inside the park is the best place to stay during Bharatpur Tour. Due to its high demand it is advisable to book your accommodation 2 or 3 months before you come here.
While I stayed in the forest lodge my cousin met with forests officials for his academic purpose. From the window of my guest house I heard the cacophony of birds that were flying here and there. Then my cousin came and took me to explore the hidden beauty of this Bird Sanctuary. No vehicle is allowed here so this place can be visited by the approved cycle-rickshaws that ply inside the park or by electric van. Out of these two we opted for cycle-rickshaw so that we can visit this nature blessed place according to our will and choice.
The Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is one of the world’s best wetland eco-systems that cradles over 350 species of birds out of which every third one is a migrant. This diverse collection of bird species make this place a paradise for bird’s lover, research ground for Ornithologists and perfect place for wildlife photographers who want to capture the colorful birds.
While we were exploring this sanctuary my cousin briefed me about the several bird species which we came across. The details he had provided about birds made my safari more interesting and enriching which added new sphere to my knowledge bank.

The thrill and joy that I had experienced here will remain intact in my memory forever. The visit to this birds land is a lifetime experience because for the first time I closely encountered some exotic species of birds that I have read or seen in books.
Some of the bird’s species that I saw here are Flycatchers, Geese, Cranes, Hawks, Ducks, Eagles, Wheatears, Stints, Wagtails, Warblers and Cranes. The migratory birds that I saw here are Red Crested Porhard, Coot Snipes, Rosy Pelican, Spanish Sparrow and Flamingo.
After enjoying the whole day trip amidst colorful birds I returned to the forest lodge with my cousin. Though I was completely exhausted yet I was happy because the experience of seeing such colorful and beautiful birds was worth the pain. After taking dinner I thanked my cousin from the bottom of my heart and returned to Delhi in a taxi.

Karnimata Temple, Bikaner

My mother told me last week that she wants to visit the Karni Mata temple which is situated 30 km from Bikaner in a Deshnok Village of Rajasthan. It was an ardent desire of my mom to visit this temple. Visiting religious destinations is common in a Hindu Family because it is a way to pay tribute to God and Goddess but visiting a particular religious destination means that some of your wishes get fulfilled. And you go there to offer something special in return of your fulfilled wishes.

Being born in a Hindu Family it is obvious that one has strong inclination towards religion and its rites and rituals. Though this sentiment is not forced into one’s lifestyle yet consciously or unconsciously it becomes a part of an individual’s life. When you are in a family religious sentiments get inculcated into you even before you start walking or talking. During our childhood we are told to bow before the image of God and we are taught that God is the supreme power that can give us anything, protects us from unfortunate happenings and give us power to pursue our goals.

I with my mother boarded 5609 Abadh Assam Express and reached Bikaner early morning the next day. From there we hired a taxi and reached Deshnok which is situated 30 km from Bikaner. This small town is a famous religious destination where scores of tourists come to get heavenly blessings from Goddess Karni Mata. Our taxi driver took us to a tourist lodge where we refreshed ourselves and went straight to the temple.

The present temple dates back to the 15th century which was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner. The striking facade of the temple is wholly built in marble. Inside the temple complex, one can see a pair of silver doors before the main shrine of the Goddess. These solid silver doors were donated by Maharaja Gaj Singh, on his visit to this temple.

When we entered the temple we were confronted with hundreds and hundreds of rats freely running here and there. Whole temple premises was full of rats, some were on the ceiling, some on the wall and maximum of them were on the floor jumping and moving here and there. It was actually an amazing sight but also a scary moment for me. To my surprise my mother was undisturbed by this and was completely engrossed in her spirituality murmuring her lips with prayers.

In the main shrine, the image of the goddess is placed with holy things at her feet. Surrounded by rats, Karni Mata is holding a trishul (trident) in one of her hands. The image of Karni Mata is 75 cm tall, decked with a mukut (crown) and a garland of flowers. On her either side, images of her sisters are placed. Here my mother offered clothes, fruits, flowers and some rupees to the priest. After this we went near the huge metal bowls where my mother poured some milk in the pot, sprinkled grains and put down sweets on the ground for rats.

It is considered good luck if a rat runs over your foot. A few rats ran over my feet which give solace to my soul that good luck is with me. The glimpse of a white rat (kaba), which is very rare, is considered highly auspicious, promising and fruitful. However, I did manage to spot the white rat when I was looking aimlessly in the corner of this

Rajasthan Fort and palaces

My interest and liking towards the ancient structures of Rajput Kings evolved with my coaching classes in Kota. This was the time when I was preparing for my engineering and Kota in Rajasthan was my halt for coaching. Tired of my classes, I started exploring ancient Forts & Palaces in Rajasthan. Some on high hilltops, some in the middle of massive deserts, some on islands in lakes and some in the extreme interiors of Rajasthan – these forts & palaces showcase the finest of architectural heritage of Rajasthan.

I started off with the Taragarh Fort in Kota those days. Serving as an epitome of true Rajputana art, this grand fort was built in 1354 and offers an excellent bird’s eye view of the entire town from its boundary wall. Next to become the part of my exploration for rajasthan tourist places was the Junagarh Fort of Bikaner. It serves as a great monument for all those who have an insight love for art / craft & history.

Some other prominent forts & palaces in Rajasthan, which became a part of my exploration here, were:

• Chittorgarh Fort (Chittorgarh) – perched on a 180 m high hill and housing several palaces.
• Amber Fort (near Jaipur) – serving as the pride of Pink City and houses a classic museum as well.
• Jaigarh Fort (Jaipur) – also called as the Victory Fort.
• Mehrangarh Fort (Jodhpur)
• Golden Fort or Sonar Kila (Jaisalmer)
• City Palace (Jaipur & Udaipur) – the soul of Jaipur / Udaipur Tourism; house a number of other palaces also.

This way Rajasthan has no dearth of attractions for history buffs and art lovers when it comes to forts and palaces.