Mahabaleshwar, strawberry fields forever

Mahabaleshwar to me is a place for strawberries, jams, crushes, jellies, you name it and they’ve got it. There is much in common between the hill station and the delightful red fruit. It is the summer capital of Mumbai, which engages not only the strength of its natural beauty but also because of the charming tales spun around its most favored points. It has rugged hills, steep and sudden falls, forests crowded with plant life, rivers that flow every way they please. The fabulous weather here will never make you sweat despite of electricity often playing truant. You can go at anytime of the yearend be assured of a warm welcome and all the hill station experience you anticipated.

You can also take a guide for a tour of the hill station. At Sunset point or Mumbai point adults and children come to ride or about horses. Arthur’s seat is named after British actor Arthur Malet was destroyed in an earthquake in 1967. There is a grilled area that marks the point where Arthur would sit and ponder the nature of the wind. Mahabaleshwar has almost 30 designated sightseeing spots like Hunter Point with its clear view of Pratapgad Fort to Mahabaleshwar’s highest, Wilson Point that offers a spectacular view of the twin peaks of Makrangad. Malcolm point is named for Mahabaleshwar’s first citizen, who loved these hills.

On the Mahabaleshwar Oanchgani road there is a Lake Venna, which is the ideal place for an evening outing after we had done with all points, high and below.
Then there is Mahabaleshwar Temple where ancient shivaling inside the temple is a natural formation and over 500 years old.

The most famous was the Panchaganga Temple, which is situated at the confluence of five rivers the Krishna, Gayatri, Savitri, Koyna and Venna. The water from these rivers pours from the spout of a sculpted cow suckling its young one, and collects below. There were separate outlets of the river at the temple. This natural setting is considered very auspicious and devotees through come here through out year.

Then we went to Morarjee Castle, where Mahatma Gandhi stayed when he visited Mahabaleshwar and there is also few colonial style bungalows built during the Raj.
Mahabaleshwar is excellent trekking city. There were taxes and buses conducted tours but we preferred our own vehicle and used a guide to show us the place.

There is a bustling marketplace nearby where you will find all varieties of jams and jellies.
We stayed at Strawberry country, which gave us a affordable tariff, however there are many more hotels and resorts like MTDC Holiday Resort, Pratap Heritage, Hotel Shreyas and many more.

Mahabaleshwar offers several kinds of cuisine from Chinese to Indian, Continental to Mexican. The Imperial stores are famous for their pizzas and burgers and after having that I suggest to try them once. Then the Aman Restaurant is good for kebabs and tandoori.

Then Archie’s’ strawberry Farm, near Kate’s Point is a great place to glut a few milk shakes and learn a few things about strawberry cultivation.

Palampur, Darjeeling in Himachal

Palampur is in the Kangra Valley, criss crossed by streams and brooks which make Palampur pulum word for water in pahari, ideal for tea plantation. According to my guide the British were so obsessed by the aroma of the leaf of the Chinese origin that they began to plant tea bushes wherever land was suitable. The fame of Palampur lies in this British desire to have more tea than they could drink and export the rest back to a thirsting Europe.

While you enter Palampur you would come to know that it is surrounded by dense forest of oaks, pine and deodar making it ideal for those who enjoy long walks. For me the green valley also makes for enjoyable drives with my family and for those who are more adventurous, plugging off course to nearby destinations can be pretty rewarding.

Baijnath Temple also known as Kigram, was once the capital of the Kirat kings of Kangra as told by our guide. The early 13th century Shiva temple here is most unusual and looks as if it has been lifted from Puri in Orissa and dropped in the Kangra Valley.

The Tibetan monastery of Tashijong is one of the many built after the Dalai Lama settled in McLeodganj. We buyed carpets of delicate weave, Buddhist thanka paintings and other Tibetan arts and crafts, which were available here for our friends and relatives.

My destination was Neugal Khad close to the five centuries old temple of bundlamata. Also rising tall behind the chasm are the mighty Dhauladhars where we had a cup of tea at the HPTDC café nearby enjoying the views of chasm, temple and mountains all together as leisure.

Then there is a palace of the crescent moon Taragarh, heritage property build by Nawab of Bahawalpur and was named after the glass pleasure pavilion he built here which is now converted into a temple. However now it has been turned into Taragarh Palace Hotel.

Sherbing is a gigantic monastery also home to the pre- eminent Tal Sti Rimpoche. There are huge stupas and grandly conceived monastery in the middle of the forest. The Buddhist temple here contains an immense statue of Buddha. The Rimpoche allows the people between 2 and 4 in the afternoon; everyone is welcomed for the darshan.

We stayed at Hotel silver Oak, which offered us home-cooked food and horse rides, however there are many other hotels to stay like Hotel T- Bud, Sath Camps and many more. There is no dining choice in Palampur outside the hotels. Only Joy in town is famous for its veg food.

Amritsar, Golden domes and spicy papad city

Amritsar remains a city of tumultuous bazaars, of all modes of transport nearly missing all kinds of pedestrians, of stray dogs and placidly wandering cows, which seems same as told by my grandmother when I was small. Those who love Amritsar for them Golden temple has overtaken the Taj Mahal to become India’s most – visited monument. At heart’s it’s still the dera of Guru Ram Dass. It’s soul the incomparable Golden Temple, has desecrated and damaged countless time over centuries. Afghans and Mughals sacked the holy city several times, the Sikhs squabbled over it amongst themselves, it bears the scars of the violence of partition, the atrocities of Jallianwala Bagh and operation bluestar bears the scars. Yet each time the city has rebuilt its shrine and itself with unshakeable determination.

As the GT Road eases into the urban sprawl of Amritsar, the first tell tale sign is a rapid build up of traffic. Then concrete boxes replace the green fields. The faith of Harmandir commands continues to dominate the spirit of Amritsar, resulting in an overwhelming atmosphere of devotion. Make your parikrama of the Harmandir Sahib or Darbar Sahib around the golden temple, partake of the langar and move on reassured of the brotherhood of humanity that is this gurudwara greatest gift to all comers. Wash your feet and climb up the marble steps. As you climb down again towards the centre of the complex, the Golden temple is revealed to you in all its glory. The shining façade of this graceful gurudwara is accentuated not only by hundreds lights but by the faith and devotion it commands from its followers, many of whom are not even of the Sikh faith.

The Harmandir Sahib consists of two large shrines and many smaller subsidiary shrines. All set around a large tank known as the Lake of Nectar. The complex is a sea of white marble, trimmed with eye- catching features picked out in gold leaf and fine stone inlay. The airwaves are dominated by the sweet sounds of gurbani, the Sikhs hymns. Bathing in the Amrit Sarovar is of course an ancient tradition. The water is believed to have healing powers and so draws the sick and the ailing from all faiths. Bring a towel along if you want to go in for a dip. There is walled off portion where woman may bath.

The streets around the complex are dotted with many gurudwaras and spots of historical interest. The temple is situated in the oldest area of the city, abutted by ancient, crowded bazaars dotted with elderly historical buildings. The Gurudwara Baba atal and the Gurudwara Mata Kaulan are both within walking distance if the Harmandir as is the Guru Ke Mahal where the Guru’s lived when Golden Temple was under construction. Also nearby is the charming Gurudwara Saragarhi sahib.

Jallianwala Bagh is small clearing outside the Old city, is lined on every side by buildings outside a high, unbroken wall. It is very easy to miss the single small entrance to the spot where on April 13, 1919, a crowd filed through this same narrow alley to hear a nationalist speech or two. However Brigadier General Reginald Dyer decided to break up the assembly. He blocked the alley with armored cars and ordered his troops to open fire on the peaceful, unarmed crowd. Over 300 people, including children, died and closed to a thousand were injured. Now its landscaped garden with a museum run by the Jallianwala Bagh Trust. It’s favorite with children, who play hide- and- seek in its hedges. The well has been bricked up, trees planted where the corpses lay. The original boundary walls have also been preserved, complete with the dents circled in white paint and labeled bullet mark.

The markets of the Old city are much more exotic than the main shopping areas of the New City. The Hall Bazaar in the purana shehr and the areas surroundings the Kotwali are vast and traditional shopping areas. Their pickles and papad are famous. The bazaar outside Darbara Sahib is the place where you will found stainless steel cutlery and consecrated weaponry.
Amritsar offers many hotel accommodations from basic to the higher category like MK Hotel, Ritz Plaza, Mohan International Hotel and many more.

Nandi Hills, weekend destination from Bangalore

Nandi Hills

Nandi Hills are flat surroundings plains just outside Bangalore. The hills get their name from the beautiful statue of Nandi standing guard outside the Yoganandeeshwara Temple atop the hills.

Reaching the top is easy as there’s a good, mortable road going all the way up. Nandi hills are the place where laziness can be perfected into an art form. The most strenuous activities here are long ambles along the walkways meandering along the hills.

Tipu’s drop, a near 2,000 ft- high sheer cliff has a gory past. It is the place from where convicted prisoners would be hurdled to their death by Tipu Sultan’s decree. From here you would be able to view Bangalore in the distance sparkling beneath you like a giant rangoli decorated with diyas.
Yoganandeeshwara Temple is the abode of Shiva the ascetic at the top the hills was build by the Cholas. This ancient temple also has an inscription in the name of Sambhaji, son of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Amrita Sarovar is a large tank fed by perennial springs and is called the lake of ambrosia. People visit it in night when it shimmers in the moonlight. Nearby lies the chabootra or platform where Tipu Sultan used to pray.

Nehru Nilaya is the house where Nehru lived in, however now it is a guest house belonging to the Horticulture Department.

Bhognandeshwara Temple is at the base of the Nandi Hills. Nandi hills have only two accommodation options one is the Hotel Mayura Pine Top and the second one is Nehru Nilaya.
Nandi Hills is blessed with a pleasant climate all year round.