Travelogue: Visit to Tamil Nadu!

This trip was actually not supposed to happen. Infarct it was only because of mom n dad making persistent attempts in changing our original Ooty-Mysore plan that I decided to plan instead for the Tamil Nadu tour.

So while it was at its beginning it was meant to be just a trip to Bangalore to meet brother, it became full-fledged holiday for the family. So at the outset let me put the original itinerary that we had planned:

Bangalore -> Madurai -> Rameshwaram -> kanyakumari -> kodaikanal -> Bangalore

Considering the fact that the total distance we had planned to cover in Tamil Nadu was approximately around 1200 kilometers we decided to rent a car that could take us comfortably through the entire tour.

Bangalore was supposed to the home for us and thus we completely sidelined visiting any tourist spots in the city. Although the few cab rides that we took made us feel as though we had covered the entire city. We took a KSRTC bus to Madurai which reached its destination well before the scheduled time. Our car came to pick us up on time and without much ado we were resting inside our hotel room after some very long journey.

Day 1: Madurai

They call it the Athens of the East, but I would rather refer to it as the Temple city of TN. If one Google’s a bit about the city one would find that there are a number of attractions for tourist in the city.  So we went ahead and covered Azhagar Temple, Pazhamudir Cholai (Hills) Thirupparankundaram, Thirumalai Naicker Palace, and Gandhi Museum with our cab barring the Meenaxi temple which was just  a few minutes’ walk from our Hotel. The temple experience was very nice and they have it all organized and systematic for people to visit the deity.

Inside Madurai Meenaxi temple

Day 2: Rameshwaram

Who doesn’t know about the place and its significance! This is basically an island connected to the mainland with Pambam bridge which is the single largest railway bridge of the country. Also the bridge opens up for ships to sail through. After a four hour drive from Madurai we reached Rameshwaram and covered the places. We also went to Dhanuskodi which is island on the Gulf of Munnar and is a spectacle to the eyes as we saw water from three sides hitting a stretch of land.

Pambam Bridge

Day 3: Kanyakumari

Now our drive from Rameshwaram to Kanyakumari was rather a very long one and we also stopped at Thiruchendur to visit the Murugan temple there. By this time I could understand that the architecture of the temples in Tamil Nadu was almost identical across the cities with changes in color.
The experience inside Rock temple was very soothing one and the silence makes one introspect within. Although the weather played a spoil sport and we missed the sunset due to clouds, the sunrise was masked by heavy rainfall and thunderclouds.

Sunset in Kanyakumari

Day 4: Kodaikanal

We took the NH7 that goes to Dindigul to reach Kodaikanal and boy what roads have they made! We reached Kodaikanal in about 8 hours drive without feeling anything about the long journey. After some nice experience with the sea, now was the time for enjoying the weather of the hill station. We did enjoy all the tourist spots of the place and the boating experience was also worth mentioning. Although we could not find water in the rat tail falls and very less water flow in the silver cascade falls, the feeling of rainfall was clouds go past your body was amazing.

The Kodai Lake view

We had taken up hotel at every place and spent a night in each of the places. Finally our trip ended with us catching up the train to Bangalore from Madurai station. We had a day to relax in Bangalore before getting back to Kolkata and routine life which we invested in visiting the Iskon temple. If in Bangalore do visit the place.

And thus ended a blissful experience of Tamil Nadu!

P.S: In case you are interested in more photographs you can find them here, here and here!!!

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn - The Experience

First things first, this is not a review of the movie as I am not in capacity of giving expert opinions on such masterpieces. This is more like sharing the experience of the movie. 

Image courtesy liverpoolecho.co.uk

Now having read after borrowing the books from kind friends and lovely neighbors I was really looking forward to the movie, especially since Spielberg and Jackman were coming together. As expected the movie has a mix of different stories but the spectator (yeah it was like watching an adrenaline pumping game) never ever misses the track as the story is very well woven. The 3D motion capture used in this movie has given it an amazing sense of reality even with the animated snowy doing a brilliant job. This is the best adaption of Tintin that I have seen on screen. 

The adventure starts off with Tintin buying a replica of the Unicorn ship and being accosted by mysterious looking men. What follows is a roller coaster ride of thrill and adventure as Tintin follows the clues looking for a story on the same. Daniel Craig as Ivan Sakharine stumps us with the evil performance. But the movie particularly belongs to captain haddock and Snowy. Other characters from the book also come alive in this movie with Bianca Castaffiore also getting a place.  The bike chase scene is one which will go down  in the history of this genre of filmmaking as an epic scene ( I have later come to know that it was a continuous take!). I feel even if someone who has never read or heard about Tintin (Is there someone?) they too would like the movie.

All in all a very well spent time and when I say the movie ended pretty fast I mean the time flew like seconds while the movie was on. It gives a hunger to see more and more of the adventure and that is what already makes the sequels worth waiting for. Personally I missed ‘thundering typoons’ from haddock although there was a healthy dose of”Blistering Barnicles”.

Great Snakes this is going to be a great Series!!

P.S: For interesting trivia on the movie visit this IMDB page

Sikkim - travelogue after the Earthquake

We had planned a Sikkim tour almost three months before the Puja Holidays. North Sikkim was unanimous decision and we booked the tour with the travel operator in Gangtok. Initially it was going to be a group of five, but as the days to the tour came nearer we started loosing partners as something or other came up either on home front or work which forced them to cancel the bookings and only two of us finally made it sure that this tour happens.

Destiny had something else in mind and when we were defying canceling the tour, a terrible earthquake shook the entire state with the maximum damage in the picturesque North Sikkim. This had almost sealed the fate of the tour to be cancelled, but the long holidays were not coming back again. Moreover with news coming in that apart from the northern part damage was less in west and south we re-scheduled the tour to visit Pelling, Ravangla etc.

One of the major reasons of going despite the earthquake was that we knew the operator will incur heavy monetary losses along with us and also that the Nathula –Changu lake route had been opened.

The Kolkata to Siliguri bus ride was the worst journey ever with roads caved in due to persistent rains. There was a delay of six hours in reaching Siliguri. The driver who picked us up was kind enough to wait for such a long time. Till this moment we were already feeling that we made the wrong choice, but from here started our beautiful moments.

The road conditions were not good in Sikkim and we were informed that the Earthquake had nothing to do with the condition of the roads; apparently this is the situation round the year. It was evening when we reached Gangtok and bad news hit us the moment we check into our hotel. Fresh landslides on the Nathula route had forced the Govt to stop issuing permits for tourists. So as compensation we were offered for a full day sightseeing of Gangtok. The place is beautiful and we did the usual sightseeing of the Rumtek Monastery, Ropeway ride, Do-Drul Chorten, Banjhakri falls etc. We were lucky to be the only tourists that day to visit the entire Rumtek Monastry, the rest room of the last Karmapa, the place where he used to wear the sacred cap, something which others do not get to see as tourists have the access to only ground floor of the main temple. The monastery has suffered heavy cracks in this recent earthquake.

Pelling is a smaller place than Gangtok and is at a distance far more than the distance between Gangtok and Siliguri. We went to Pelling via Ravangla in south Sikkim which is a tiny Hamlet with a tea garden. But the view of Kanchenjunga from this place is just awesome. Our sightseeing in Pelling was also very nice and we covered the entire place in two days including the Rabdenste ruins, the falls, rock Garden and the sacred wish fulfilling lake – Khecheolpari Lake. The place has a strange soothing silence that calms your mind and brings you to a standstill. The catch is to be at the place sans any other tourists, which we achieved by leaving the hotel early in the morning. We got some of the best views of the Kanchenjunga from our hotel balcony itself.

While returning from Pelling to Siliguri we got a driver who was present in Lachen during the Earthquake. We got the first hand experience of how bad the situation was and how after a 12 hour ordeal on those landslide stricken roads they were air lifted from Chungthang. According to the driver, it will take at least another six months for normalcy to return to North Sikkim.

All in all, what started off as a compromise tour later gave us some very nice moments and a long required holiday from the routine life at Kolkata. 

Humanity is not Dead Yet!

Picture this:


You had a stressful day at office, while retuning home you notice traffic is at its prime and some where your bike stops. You check and come to know you’re out of petrol. The nearest petrol pump is a KM away, you start pushing the bike to the pump and midway it starts to rain… now put this entire scenario in Kolkata. Get it… that was what I went through yesterday. The feeling when vehicles cross you spraying the mud water while you crawl on that very road with your boots is something you should not witness…

First things first Kolkata has petrol pumps in amazing awkward places, if you spot one chances are there will be five more in the vicinity but if can’t find one… it means on a radius of 2 Kms there is none and mind you Kolkata has more vehicles than the number of people it could sustain.

But this post is not about the traffic or road situation in Kolkata but how heart warming the people of Kolkata are… today if anything is precious it is compared to petrol, when you are out of it you know you have to reach that petrol pump and there’s no other way. Generally people don’t even bother looking at someone pushing a bike through the side of the road especially when you are returning home from office and its raining but I was actually offered petrol by two people. Yes, offering petrol is something honestly even I may not have done to a stranger but here I was a stranger in the city being offered fuel so costly and dear fuel by a complete stranger. On a highway in the dark of the night you may ay this could be expected but not in the city.

This small incident explains that humanity is still not dead and even if one does not wear those Being Human T-shirts they still have it in them. In my case since the petrol pump was few meters away I did not require the help, but it was still a very kind gesture and I salute the City of Joy for keeping the heart alive!!

Sandakphu Trekking

Why Sandakphu

The Sleeping Buddha

Sandakphu is the culminating point of many trekking routes in the Darjeeling-Sikkim region. At an altitude of 3,636 m, it is located at a distance of 58 km. from Darjeeling. Maneybhanjang, at an altitude of 2134 m., is the gateway to the Sandakphu-Phalut Trekk route. Maneybhanjang, a small town. - can be reached from Siliguri via Ghoom or via Mirik. Sandakphu is the Paradise of Trekkers. Sandakphu is a vantage point from where one can see four of the world's five highest peaks - Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu and Lhotse in a continuous snow-clad arc. The place is resplendent with the ethereal beauty of Magnolias, Rhododendrons, Primulas and other sub-alpine flowers which are seasonal and change the entire trekking path every season. It also contains more than 600 varieties of orchids. Although open to tourists and trekkers round the year, the monsoon months of July-August are not suggested. For beginners this trek should be the one to start off.

The Trek Plan

Maneybhanjang is the base point or the start of point of this trek. From Maneybhanjang there are two routes that lead to Tumbling. One is an 11km trekking route through Meghma and Tonglu and the other one is from Dhotrey where the trekking route is 6.5 km. The route from Dhotrey is surrounded with long grasses and thick forest while the one through Megma is more exploring the beauty of villages in the hills and the scenic beauty.

Adventure Begins

Our trek plan was to explore the flora and fauna of this trek path and hence we chose Dhotrey, Also it saves sometime as the distance is lesser.

Dhotrey to Gairibans (12 kms):-- Porters or guides are available from Maneybhanjang or Dhotrey. But taking porters is very much necessary as they have the exact knowledge of the entire trek and are also helping hand in carrying the luggage. Within the start of the trek the forest begins to welcome the trekkers. The height increase is not very steep but the path is not a graveled path. This portion of the trek is soul soothing with absolute silence barring the birds chirping at some intervals. Depending upon the stamina and speed this portion of the trek can be covered in 5-6 hours. Tumbling is on the Nepal border and if the skies are happy you can have a nice view of the range from here only. There are only two trekkers’ huts in Tumbling; one can either have night halt here or at Gairibans which is walk downhill from Tumbling. We chose to stay at Gairibans after having a sumptuous meal in tumbling.

Gairibans to Kalipokhri (13km):-- Kalipokhri trek is not steep with a gain of 150 meters over 13 kms walk and is supposed to be easy on the legs. Kalipokhri gets its name from a small pond black in color, this is a holy place for those following Buddhism. The place is very nice for staying with lots of options for staying and preparing for the steep climb the Sandakphu the next day. This portion can be completed in 6-7 hours.

Kalipokhri to Sandakphu (10 km):-- The trek is of 10 kms and with altitude gain of over 600 metersbeing a steep climb there would be many stops in between so it is better to carry some chocolates for energy. This is the toughest part of the trek with altitude gain every few meters but the view and beauty of the place will keep motivating and the trek will be over before you knew it. One has to buy coupons at Bhikaybhanjang for entering into the Singalila national forest. Stay at Sandakphu is pleasant and clear skies will mesmerize everyone with the view of the range. We were unlucky the first time as clouds played hide and seek with us and we also had to face rains during this portion.

The View:-- Next day all of us were up at 5 AM to catch sunrise and Kanchenjunga, Everest Himalayan ranges. We were awarded with clear blue skies and perfect views of the Kanchenjunga. Nevertheless I sat there for a long time absorbing all the sceneries and will remember those for a long time.

Sandakphu to Srikhola (16kms):-- The trek is down hill via Gurdum, about 16kms and for a change through lush forest mostly bamboo trees and it is a test for everyone’s knees. Some rare red faced Pandas live here, only 30 are supposed to exist. Gurdum is actually in between a valley covered by lush green mountains. The place can bee seen from the top and is like a mirage that never comes and hours go by. One can have lunch at Gurdum, food here is nice and people are warm in welcoming. Srikhola is a tourist attraction in itself barring the trekkers. The mountain creeks gradually take the shape of a small waterfall and here it culminates into a gushing mountain river. There’s a hanging bridge which sways with winds and visitors love this place. If you start in the morning Srikhola can reached by the evening time. From Srikhola one walk up to Rimbik from where cabs to Darjeeling and Siliguri are plenty.

Camera/ Video camera fees have to be paid at Maneybhanjang itself. Although the entire trek is actually via Phalut and then to Srikhola but we did not have the time to cover the entire trek so we descended from Sandakphu instead.

In case you want to enjoy the place through my pictures you can find them Here!

P.S: This post has been drafted by my friend and roommate @rudyonmove

Experience of conducting voting exercise in India

If you work in a public sector company you are a public servant. But in India it is other way around, you become a government servant, you have to abide by every order (official terms are Circulars, Notices, etc...) even if does not belong to your domain of knowledge or ability or any other suitable word you want to fit in here.

Kolkata and adjoining places went to vote on 27.04.2011. The manpower summoned by the election commission largely comprised of such public servants. The tyranny of the people chosen for this exercise on a pure random basis without putting any logical inputs can be put in a just a word. “Un-Explainable”

Some examples:

• All such people referred to as polling personnel are supposed to be thoroughly trained for this exercise. There are only two sessions in which you are supposed to learn things similar to a Management Degree Course. Easy for some…. Downside is the training was given entirely in Bengali. Think of the public servants working in Bengal who have been posted from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat…
• The commission knows the conditions of the remote places. But DOES not care to take any steps to ensure proper lighting facilities for such polling booths. Result: Even the fittest of the youth would find to difficult to see the ballot and press the button, almost everyone would turn blind.
• Paper work as in any government work is very high... but having 200 envelopes and forms to filled in signed and sealed along with taking votes is a big ask and requires too much time. We need to understand and SIMPLYFY the process, there is too much scope here for simplicity.

The media is always busy shooting celebrities and accounting first timers experience should also try and report about the conditions of such places.

Suggestions to the election commission:

• Please spare the aged people (50 and above) from such duties. As we grow Old we become fragile.
• Please take the pain to ensure proper lighting wherever possible.(I never expected a place around Kolkata to not have electricity…)
• SIMPIFY the processes… if you are adopting technology for the betterment do away with the papers (as in We send SMS and also record the same information in three forms and triplicate and file them in separate envelops. WHY?)

Lastly, thank you Election Commission, for choosing me, in the process someone about to retire in a month would have been spared of the Ordeal we had been through.

Amritsar Trip - Learned. Experienced. enjoyed.

Type Amritsar into Google and you would get the Golden city name with images of the Golden Temple. But it is not only Golden Temple, there are two very significant places Wagah Border and Jalianwalah Bagh. 

Amritsar is a must visit place for young children who read about the Indian history and to develop the pride of being Indian. I understand that this sounds a bit like lecturing and already known facts being juggled but actually its only after visiting the place I can surely say it is sure going to give you goosebumps when you visit both the places.

Following are few photographs that must be there on the internet but sharing them here:

The Indian Gate at Wagah Border

The place in jaliawalan bagh where Dyar gave the orders to kill the innocents.

The wall that took 28 bullets

Although the city is a relatively small one, people are very cooperative and there is a general feel good factor among one and all. I have visited a few temple and shrines but Golden temple is very different. The experience is surreal to say the least. 

It just takes a weekend plan to get away from busy Delhi to reach this place. On a different note food is great here. For the non vegetarians to dig on special chicken. There is a Dhaba called Shankar dhaba on the route to wagah border, do not miss the Malai chicken there and the lassi is also a must at any place but people will guide you to the most famous one easily.

P. S: We also caught our very own Siddhu Paji along with the budding MP from Himachal before their Lal chowk campaign. Courtesy a friend Nilesh Taunk below is the photograph:

Christmas weekend to Mandarmoni

Seldom do we plan things so accurately that the implementation happens point blank. The Christmas Eve holiday made the most opportune time for us to get away from the crowded city to a serene beach. Mandarmoni is a beach resort slowly taking over the tourist choice from Digha for the Bengali looking to spread the legs in the weekends.
Anyways with the Christmas season most of the resorts were full and we were lucky to get a good bargain of a package stay at The Blue Lagoon, not a luxurious resort but the guys were good at service to say the least. The day one was engulfed by journey to the resort and we could only enjoy the night at the beach.

On the Christmas day, we took on the sea and had loads of fun. The evening was spent on a boat ride at the Mohana delta; we started from the river and went on to the sea riding on the waves, watching the sun set into the sea was a beautiful experience. Our trip was supposed to end on the third day with a bus ride back to the city, but the morning tea brought some thoughtful sparks of adventure and we changed course.

We took detour to Digha via a lonely beach at Tajpur, because the other evening we noticed Parasailing happening at that beach!! Anyways we were not lucky to get the feel of flying without wings, but adventure on the mind something had to be done, so we chose rafting on the waves. We could not imagine such activities in Bengal and always thought Rishikesh or Goa is the place to be for these activities.

For a non swimmer going into the water is always a matter of apprehension, but the guys gave us the confidence and we jumped in, fighting the waves trying to coordinate with the Oars we had a lifetime experience. These guys have made a very nice package with group activities filled with adventure. The name of the group is Himalayan Retreat and one needs to book the dates in advance to enjoy the nature and adventure.

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