Travel
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Travel
Gwalior: Where time has come to a standstill
Rock cut Jain images, carved during the 15th century, Urwai Gate, Gwalior Fort. Gwalior : Gwalior is being transformed as a Smart City under the Smart City Mission of the central government. For a visitor the first and only visible sign of this planned transformation is a series of two-colour temple style sign boards erected across the city, announcing names…
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Travel
Shivpuri:Far from the madding crowd-Travelogue Day 3
Hyacinth’s relentless march in Sakhya Sagar Shivpuri: Shivpuri’s lifeline, the mesmerising Sakhya Sagar which is today a part of select 51 wetlands of India, is facing a menace of deadly water hyacinth. Hyacinth has taken over the Sagar’s banks and is spreading at a rapid pace from all sides. In fact, hyacinth has completely choked the main flow of the…
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Shivpuri:Far from the madding crowd-Travelogue Day 2
George Castle, front view Shivpuri: Credit for Shivpuri’s development goes to Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia (1876 –1925). In the first decade of the 20th century he developed massive infrastructure in the region’s deciduous forests — where trees lose/ shed their leaves every year — to facilitate his and his cronies hunting expeditions. In the year 1911 when the Swadeshi movement…
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Travel
Shivpuri:Far from the madding crowd-Travelogue Day 1
Sakhya Sagar Shivpuri: About 480 km from Delhi and 120 km from Gwalior on Agra-Mumbai highway is Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh. The city and the district are famous for man made water bodies and small undulating hills of seamless deciduous forests which come alive during the monsoons. Shivpuri has witnessed a long procession of rulers — Mughals, Marathas, Rajputs of…
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Travel
Andaman & Nicobar Islands Diary: Of fishing and fishermen
Port Bair: I consider my visits to coastal areas incomplete if I return home without experiencing magnificent sunrises and magical sunsets. For me the second most important to-do-task of the coastal tour is interaction with local fishermen and visits to fish markets. Watching boatmen prepare meticulously for their fishing expedition as well as observing them arrive on the seashore with…
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Andaman & Nicobar Islands Diary: Seafood lover’s haven
Port Blair: Havelock and Neil Islands in the South Andamans are seafood lover’s haven. Fish is sourced locally at each of the islands while large size crabs and lobsters are fetched from Port Blair daily basis.Fish curry, fried, grilled or baked fish, grilled lobsters and crabs or in curry form are popular. Almost all shacks selling meals near the beaches…
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Travel
Andaman & Nicobar Islands Diary: Baratang, Jarawas & Ross Island
Port Blair: One-hour ferry ride costing Rs 1375 pp brings one back to Port Blair from Neil Island. Next day being the last day of our stay in the islands we wanted to wrap-up our tour by visiting the Baratang island. For this to happen we had to drive through the Jarawa Reserve Area. Last on day’s itinerary was a…
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Travel
Andaman & Nicobar Islands Diary: Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep)
Neil Island: An air-conditioned ferry takes one across to Neil Island from Havelock. After a one-hour ride costing Rs 1350 one reaches the 13.7 sq. km. island famous for its coral reefs, sunrise and sunset views. Bharatpur beach is the island’s most beautiful beach. It is a favorite of scuba divers and snorklers. A few options like water scooter and…
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Andaman & Nicobar Islands Diary: Elephant & Kalapathar beach
Havelock: Elephant Beach, a hub of water sports and allied activities, is also famous for its coral reefs which can be enjoyed by snorkeling, scuba diving — Rs 3500 on seashore and Rs 5000 from a boat — or by sea walk where you can feed fish. You can also admire corals from a glass boat (Rs 500 pp) or…
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Heritage
Andaman & Nicobar Islands Diary: Havelock Island (Swaraj Deep)
Havelock : Fifty-six kilometres from Port Blair is the Andamans most picturesque and popular tourist destination, Havelock Island (Swaraj Deep), spread over 92.2 sq km, famous world over for its white sandy beaches, coral reef, dark blue and green waters and a wide variety of water sports. Most unpredictable weather and rainbows are the hallmarks of this piece of heaven…
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