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Ammapalli Temple: Tollywood’s Favourite Shoot Location!
Ammapalli Temple. Long Long ago, before Lord Rama met Hanuman during the course of events set out in the Ramayana…Well, thats the time that the few Kondanda Rama Temples that there are, hark back to.

Five kilometres from the Shamshabad Bus Station is a quiet little village called Ammapalli. In this quite forgotten leafy corner of the city outskirts is a centuries old temple that has long been popular with movie makers and has yet eluded mainstream popularity.

The road leading to Ammapalli Temple

Believe it or not but over four hundred Telugu movies have been shot here! & a few Hindi and Tamil movies too. For there is a sentiment among the Tollywood fraternity that a movie with even one scene shot here at this temple, will surely have a successful run at the box office and for a hundred days at the least.

Did you know? This temple was extensively featured in the 2001 blockbuster Murari, the very same movie that launched actor Mahesh Babu’s career towards superstardom. The central theme of the movie revolves around an ancient temple and its powerful presiding goddess. Little surprise there then that this Seeta Ramachandra Swamy Temple in Ammapalli makes frequent appearances right from the opening credits to the very climax.

Locally known as the Ammapalli Temple, this is the Sri Seeta Ramachandra Swamy Temple in Ammapalli, Shamshabad. Spread over two hundred and fifty acres, it was built sometime in the 11th Century by the Eastern Chalukyas. Like most of the prominent temples dedicated to Lord Rama in our country, this thousand year old temple too marks the spot where he once stopped to rest during his journey in the historic-mythical Dandkaaranyam.

Tree lined roads, manicured lawns and clearly sectioned off sandy areas lead you from the archway to the wide parking ground right outside the main temple. Along the way there are two smaller temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Hanuman, a couple of mandapams and abandoned looking structures and a beautiful step-well hidden in a grove of coconut trees.

If you love discovering beauty in little details, then this step-well is where you should start your exploration of the temple from. Corridors that start off in the Hindu style of pillared mandapams transition into Islamic arches as they go around enclosing the step-well. This was once the koneru where the Brahmostavams were held and people of all faiths would watch from these very corridors the on going festivities.

Step Well on the grounds of the temple

Sri Rama Navami is celebrated in a big way here and the Seetarama Kalyanam is attended by thousands of people annually. As you walk along the grounds, it becomes evident that the Kalyanam has been but an age old tradition of the temple. For most of the structures on the grounds outside the main temple complex are built to serve but this one purpose. From the two storeyed kalyana mandapam to the edurukolla mandapam and even the Nagaar Khana, were the musicians would be seated to play the wedding tunes, they are all laid out for this specific purpose.

Set against these structures is the main temple complex entered through a Gali Gopuram of ninety feet. Like every other aspect of this temple, the architecture of this too is strikingly unique with its colourful Seshashayee Vishnu carved into an otherwise drab brown tower. Then there is the bright white prahari or the boundary wall, which doubles up as a two storeyed corridor with benches on the upper level built into it. To serve as yet another viewing gallery undoubtedly.

For all its splendour though, what stands out the most about the Amapalli temple are the ekashila (single stone) idols and the story behind them. These are doubly unique in the fact that, firstly, this style of carving the deity with the surrounding makaram toranam from a single stone was prevalent only for a brief period of time in history making them rare and invaluable today. Secondly, they date back to a time when Lord Rama hadn’t yet met Hanuman, making this a Kodanda Rama temple, where Lord Rama is depicted devoid of a bow and a Hanuman next to him.

And adding to the intrigue is the Abhaya Anjaneya sculpted into the dwaja stambham (pillar) opposite the inner sanctum. On command from Lord Rama, he, Hanuman is said to fulfil the wishes of those devotees who seek it there and this is why when you go here to pray do not block the view between them!
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Explorers Guide

Route: Take the PVNR Expressway from the city. Around 8 kilometres before the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, take the right adjoining the Shamshabad Bus Station. Another 5 kilometres on this straight road and you will find an archway on your left, leading to the Sri Seeta Rama Chandra Swamy Temple .
Don’t Miss: Every month on the day that falls under Lord Rama’s birth star, Punarvasu, a Seeta Rama Kalyanam is held here in the morning. Followed by a Pallaki Seva and lunch.

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Read More on Temples in Hyderabad:

North meets South in Sitaram Bagh

Read on Other Ramayana Places:

A Song of Stone: Dichpally Ramalayam
March 3, 2018
Artisan Villages of Andhra Pradesh: Sri Kalahasti

Legends surround Sri Kalahasti, the temple town near South India’s most popular pilgrimage centre, Tirupati. Home to the ancient Shiva temple, the Sri Kalahasteeswara Temple, this town has been the centre of many legends, stories and folk lore.

But it isn’t as widely known that this town in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district also boasts of something that is in fact more renowned than the temple itself. Kalamkari.

Literally meaning craftsmanship of the pen, Kalamkari refers to the hand painted cotton fabric that is counted amongst one of the most beautiful traditional Indian art forms.

The Sri Kalahasteeswara Temple was originally built in the 5th century by the Pallavas under the shadow of a hill by the banks of the River Swarnamukhi. This was later extended by the Cholas in the 11th and 12th centuries. But it was in the 16th century, under Sri Krishnadeva Raya that it was most celebrated. And from then on, it hasn’t been just a mythical place of worship but the fountainhead for art and culture.

Vilasini Natyam, which is the traditional temple dance form, also originated here.

& what started out back then as a hand painted backdrop for the deities in the temple is what has today evolved to become one of the most appreciated fabric there is, purely for its artistic value.

That there is the story of Kalamkari.

But, there is more. For there is a variant, a different school of Kalamkari art that flourished under the Mughals and Qutb Shahis of Golconda. Here the fabric is block printed rather than hand painted and the motifs are more Persian than religious. This form of Kalamkari is produced in the town Machilipatnam, yet another town in Andhra Pradesh where flowing water is readily available. For whatever be the art form, it almost always draws inspiration from the society of the time, the geography of the land and availability of indigenous raw materials. And flowing water is an essential to the process of creating the Kalamkari textile.

Before the actual process of art begins, the cotton fabric has to be prepped for drawing by washing it in water and soaking it in milk. A master artist then draws the design freehand in bold black strokes using a charcoal pencil.

The cloth is then soaked once again, this time in boiling water before colours are filled in by the artisans using a bamboo kalam (pen).

The colours are always natural and made from ingredients like indigo and myrobalan fruit.

From sarees and dupattas to bed linen, this hand painted cotton fabric is considered hip and not just in the art circles. There is a huge demand for it today not just in India but internationally as well. Which is probably why now the Kalamkari motifs have grown to be so ubiquitous that you see them everywhere from bags to utility trays even.

Explorers Guide

Distance from Chennai: 116 Kilometres
Distance from Tirupati: 36 Kilometres
Trip Duration: One Day
Getting There: Less than an hours drive from Tirupati, this trip can be a detour on your journey there. One can also drive down from Chennai, shop and get back, all in a day.

Read More on Other Artisan Villages of India:

Artisan Villages of Andhra Pradesh: Uppada
Artisan Villages of Andhra Pradesh: Karipakam
Artisan Villages of Telangana: Nirmal
Artisan Villages of Telangana: Cheriyal

February 10, 2018
Alampur: South India’s City of Moksh

The temple town of Alampur in the Mahbubnagar district of Telangana is renowned for its Ashtadasa Shakti Peetham, the Jogulamba Temple.

But there is more to this sleepy little town that is only a few hours from Hyderabad. It is believed to be the Western gateway to Srisailam, one of the important pilgrimage centres for Shaivites (Shiva believers) in the country.

Locals say that there are so many Shiva Lingams everywhere, in and around Alampur only waiting to be found that this little town is known as Dakshina Kasi, implying it is South India’s very own Benaras/Varanasi/Kasi, the abode of Lord Shiva and the Hindus’ City of Moksh (salvation).

Navabramha Temple Complex & Jogulamba

Nine for Navabramhas, nine forms of Lord Shiva.

Legend has it that a 6^th century saint, Rasa Siddha had created a tantric Siddha Rasarnavam here at the Navabramha temples, built by the then Chalukya king, Pulakesi II. Using which, he could create gold out of mercury just by adding a few herbs. It is after this tool of alchemy – religious mysticism, that the nine deities here are named.

It is in this Navabramha Temple Complex, that the Jogulamba Temple is situated. One of the eighteen major Shakti Peethams, as listed by Adi Shankaracharya.

Here the goddess takes her Roudra Roopam or the form of fury. Which is why there is a moat around the main shrine, to cool the atmosphere and make it easier for us mere mortals to pray to this ‘Mother of Yogis’, they say.

So, both the principal deities of this temple come power packed with legends and beliefs! It is little wonder then that Alampur is a popular destination for a lot of Hindu pilgrims in Telangana.

But what is different here is that, this temple complex stands a stoic witness to a lot of mankind’s history.

For within its original walls, amidst all the temples, sits a dargah (grave/shrine of a religious figure or saint).

Speaking volumes of a time when not just this temple was invaded by intolerant rulers. The Bahamani sultans of the 14^th century, in this case.

Sangameswara Temple

Every temple in this town seems to some how signify the importance of the holy confluence of the rivers Krishna and Tungabadhra. To begin with, Alampur itself gets the monicker ‘Navabramha Theertham’ from this. the most prominent one, the Navabramha Temple Complex built on the banks of Tungabadhra in the 7^th century, together with the word ‘theertham’ meaning holy water give this town the name . Yet another temple in Alampur hinting at the holy confluence or Sangam is the Sangameswara Temple.

Did you know?
The Sangameswara Temple was moved stone for stone from the banks of the river to where it is now, during the construction of the Srisailam Dam in the 1970s.

This temple comes next only in terms of popularity for it is just as beautiful as the first if not even more striking in its stoic solitude. This only leaves us to wonder just how important were these rivers once, spiritually!

Papanasi Group of Temples

Save the best for the last and use Google Maps to take you to the Papanasi Group of Temples next. Tucked away, just around the corner from the main town of Alampur, is this cluster of 24 temples, stunningly elegant in their simple design.

Majority of these shrines are dedicated to Lord Shiva – yet again – housing Lingams in numerous forms.

Explorers Guide

Distance from Hyderabad: 215 kilometres
Trip Duration: Full Day
Route: Alampur is a three hour drive along the Hyderabad-Bangalore Highway. One can either go via the Outer Ring Road or the Airport. To save on time, plan your day trip so that you are not stuck in the city traffic during peak hours.
Tourist Info: The Jogulamba Temple in Alampur is open from 7 am to 5:30 pm, and is closed for an hour during the day between 1pm to 2pm. It is advisable, though not mandatory, for women to dress in traditional Indian clothes like a salwar kameez or a saree.
Remember: The Jogulamba temple closes early, so make sure to visit here first. It is also customary to take along a saree and bangles as an offering to the Mother Goddess.

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Read More on Temples in Telangana:

Of Rocks & Hidden Temples: Armoor
A Song of Stone: Dichpally Ramalayam
Town of Hymns: Manthani
Lost in Time: Nagunur Ruins

February 5, 2018
24 Hours in Jaipur

The country’s first planned city, Jaipur earned the moniker Pink City when Maharaja Ram Singh painted the entire city pink in honour of the Prince of Wales’s visit to India in 1876, for the colour pink symbolised hospitality.

One corner of India’s golden triangle, Delhi – Agra – Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital is an enchanting city, bustling with modernity and yet steeped in tradition and history, that you feel it in the very air you breathe.

Here is a lowdown on how to spend 24 hours in Pink City, the old city of Jaipur.

Breakfast @ LMB

Start your day like a local! Dig into the hot, savoury Pyaaz Kachoris and Jalebi at the iconic Lakshmi Mishthan Bhandar, lovingly called LMB, while you wait for the “World Famous Paneer Ghevar” to be packed for you to take back home.

This vegetarian restaurant in the old part of Jaipur, the Pink City as it is known, has been going strong since 1954.

& If you are not up to breakfast then the Rajasthani Thali is surely a must try. For when you are in Jaipur, you cannot not have the ghee laden Daal Baati Churma atleast once.

Hawa Mahal + Johari Bazaar

Hawa Mahal is a paradox. It is at once Jaipur’s – or even Rajasthan’s – most iconic monument and it is also probably its most underrated. For everyone’s visit to this beauty in pink begins and ends with a picture outside it. But you really enjoy it and begin to appreciate its name, Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds only once you are on the inside.

Johari Bazaar, or jewellers bazaar is Jaipur’s most popular shopping street. From silver trinkets to exquisite jewellery set in kundans, precious gems and diamonds, it truly is an experience, even if it is just to take a look at designs that hark back to a regal era.

Lunch @ Rajput Room

Lunch like a royal at Rajput Room, an all day fine dining restaurant in the Taj Rambagh Palace.

The erstwhile palace of the celebrated beauty, Maharani Gayatri Devi, queen of Jaipur, the Rambagh Palace is everything that India is associated with. A palace of marble elephants, Mughal gardens, hand-carved marble jalis (latticework), sandstone balustrades and chattris.

City Palace + Jantar Mantar

The City Palace and the Jantar Mantar, both in the old walled city (Pink City) of Jaipur, located one opposite the other were built by the founder of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II.

The city palace is a striking complex of colours, doors and paintings on the wall. Within the palace are the Mubarak Mahal or the erstwhile palace of reception which is now the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum showcasing unique royal costumes with the traditional Sanganeri prints and folk embroidery. A section of the palace is still home to the last ruling royal family, while another section houses a restaurant, only lately opened.

Jantar Mantar a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest of the five astronomical observatories built by the Maharaja. A beautiful garden that houses sixteen intricate and extensive geometric devices built in brick and mortar were designed to measure time, track celestial bodies, observe the orbits of the planets.

& Even one dedicated to the twelve zodiac signs.

Dinner & Stay @ Royal Heritage Haveli

The Royal Heritage Haveli has to be my favourite-st hotel ever and I will probably go back to Jaipur just to stay here again. Still owned by Maharaja Jai Singh of Jaipur, this 18th century hunting lodge is today a quiet boutique hotel that sure is a ‘tranquil haven of space and luxury to the discerning few’ as they like to call it themselves.

& a candle light dinner under the sprawling tree in the courtyard is just the right bit of romantic.

Explorers Guide

Nearby Places of Interest

Amer Fort + Panna Meena ka Kund + Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing
The stunning Amer Fort, sitting atop a hillock and reached by a road traversed not just by your everyday vehicles but also by hundreds of elephants (if that’s your style) is Jaipur’s star attraction.
Along the road up to Amer Fort, stop by at the Panna Meena ka Kund, a small but beautiful eight storeyed step well, complete with the quintessential Rajasthani chhatris at its four corners.
Set up to showcase and sensitise visitors to art of traditional hand block printing on fabrics, the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing housed in a restored haveli under the shadow of the Amer Fort has been making it to the must-visit list of the discerning traveller interested in understanding the artisanal heritage of a place.

I had shot this years ago on a small Sony Cybershot, while on a holiday there with my parents.

Nahargarh Fort
The Nahargarh Fort is famous for its sunset views of the city and the two kilometre trek to the top along with the restaurants here are quite the favourite with locals, come an evening.

Getting Around

Uber is the most convenient way of getting around the city. Book it on Uber Hire and you can get around in comfort and still not burn a hole in your pocket.

Save on the ride, splurge on the stay!

Read Next: 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2017

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24 Hours in Dubai
Sugar Rushed in Hyderabad

January 28, 2018
A Heritage Walk through The Walled City of Udaipur

Think Rajasthan and immediately pops into your head a picture of undulating waves of sand shimmering golden in the sun and a row of women all but hidden in their bright twirling lehengas and odhanis, walking away with pots of water on their head as thick silver anklets catch the sun on a hot windy afternoon.

But, you couldn’t be more wrong with Udaipur. Touted to be India’s most romantic city, it sits hidden between lush green hills endlessly stretching away in every direction.

To get a real feel of Udaipur though and its old world charm, a heritage walk along the winding thoroughfares of its walled city is what you need.

Choc-a-bloc with beautiful marble palaces, ancient temples, bright colourful havelis with facades of intricate jharokas, there is a temple at every turn and every house along the way has walls adorned with frescos in the miniature painting style of the region.

Udaipur’s old city is divided into sections by huge ornate gates along these erstwhile rampart walls that are locally known as pols. Like Hathi Pol or Elephant Gate which leads you from the main street, on to the grandiose City Palace. There are boards everywhere directing you to the next point of interest on the walk, be it a ghat, a haveli, a palace or even a museum.

Of these, the Gangaur Ghat with its imposing gateway and stunning Jagdish Mandir, made entirely in white marble are the most striking. The city palace is too, in its flamboyance.

Bhattiyani Chouhatta

If one follows the route charted by the Udaipur Nagar Nigam, the city’s municipal council, then Bhattiyani Chouhatta is the starting point. An area within the walled city, the original fortified city from 450 years ago.

Here is where most of the havelis, temples and points of interest along this heritage walk are. Billboards all across the dusty crooked lanes in the old city announce backpacker friendly budget hotels, yoga and Indian cooking classes and rooftop cafes that proclaim views of the famously beautiful Lake Pichola.

Lake Pichola

Everything Udaipur, is in and around this lake, the Lake Pichola. The Aravallis, the gardens, palaces, havelis and temples.

The walk leads you through hidden alleyways, past traditional Rajasthani homes and the numerous temples and out on to the banks of the Pichola.

Prominent on the lake are Jag Niwas and Jag Mandir. While the best known of these is the Taj Lake Palace or Jag Niwas, as it was called by Maharana Jagat Singh II, whose pleasure palace it was in the 1700s. It is the Jag Mandir Island Palace that stands out, with its marble courtyard and ornate elephants jutting out into the water from every corner. It was here that Shah Jahan was given refuge by the Maharana of Mewar, Raja Karan Singh in 1623.

Gangaur Ghat

A ghat dedicated to one of the most important local festivals of Rajasthan, the Gangaur Festival. An 18 day festival celebrated by the women of Mewar in honour of the Goddess Gauri and her consort Lord Shiva (Gana). This ghat on the Lake Pichola serves as the location for the culmination of the Gangaur festivities and as the end point for the procession that begins from the City Palace.

Though the Gangaur Ghat sees the most crowds during this festival that celebrates women, it remains a popular landmark and is dearly loved by the locals even otherwise during the rest of the year.

Bagore ki Haveli

Located on the other side of Gangaur Ghat, this quirky museum was once a haveli. An eighteenth century haveli of over a hundred rooms, it was built by the then prime minister of Mewar in the classic style of the day.

Today it houses period costumes and photographs and hosts daily folk music & dance shows intended to be an evocative display of the Mewar culture.

Not to be missed here are the world’s largest turban and the Queens Chambers intricately done up entirely in mirrors.

Jagdish Temple

A lyrical work of carving in three storeys of white marble, the Jagdish Temple right in the heart of Udaipur’s old city is where all the roads converge. Accessed by a steep flight of stairs, this temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu comes as a complete surprise once you reach its main courtyard, flanked by the massive marble elephants.

Inspite of the buildings crowding around it, you will want to stay a while, as you are still doing the mandated parikrama (circumambulation) of the temple, stopping all the while to pay homage at the four smaller shrines dedicated to the Lords Ganesha, Shiva, Surya and the Goddess Shakti. For the entire temple is covered in carvings so intricate and interesting, that you are transfixed.

City Palace

The City Palace, Rajasthan’s biggest palace is imposing in its grandeur to say the least.

A series of palaces built over a period of four hundred years, as soon you enter through the Bari Pol or the Great Gate, you are greeted by huge arches. This was where massive weighing scales once stood, to measure out the ruling Maharana’s weight in gold – to be given away to the citizens of Mewar – on his birthday.

From these to the elephant parking bays just outside the entrance, which now serve as a look out point for idyllic views of the city set against the Aravalli ranges, everything about this palace complex is beautiful.

Built in a combination of Rajput and Mughal style of architecture typical of the era, a portion of the City Palace is open to the public and ranks number one on the list of things to see when in Udaipur.

Read Next: 24 Hours in Jaipur

January 19, 2018
7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2017

It is that time of the year again. When I look back at my year and see what is the one thing that I set out to do at the beginning of the year and actually did.

So, here I am proudly proclaiming that I did visit 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India in 2017.

1. Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram

2. The Valley of Flowers National Park

Read: In Pictures: The Valley of Flowers

3. Hills Forts of Rajasthan – Amer Fort

4. Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

Read: 24 Hours in Jaipur

5. Sun Temple, Konark

6. Group of Monuments at Pattadakal

7. Group of Monuments at Hampi

PS: I had set my target at 7 but I knew I could only visit 5. Like with anyone with travel plans, one is always majorly dependant on budgets and life in general. But then fate conspired and the universe showed a way (however clichéd that may sound!). I was selected to shoot at the Pushkar Fair with none other than Mr.Raghu Rai himself and we could choose to join him either from Delhi or from Jaipur, along the way to Pushkar. And here I am with that wished for number. 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2017.

PSS: Even a year of missed opportunities can have a happy ending. All negativity comes with a counter balancing positive energy.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year, 2018. Love & Light. ??

Read Next: Travel Wishlist: 25 Things To Do in India in 2018

December 31, 2017
5 Unmissable Places to visit in Warangal

Who doesn’t know the Kakatiya Kala Toranam? It is the omnipresent symbol of Telangana Heritage, incorporated even in the emblem of this newly formed state. A massive stone gateway and the proud legacy of Kakatiya art and architecture, one of these today stands in a park in Warangal. With the rest of the ruins from the Kakatiya fort.

Read on to find other such unmissable places to visit in Warangal to add to your trip itinerary.

#1 Thousand Pillar Temple

The most popular tourist place in Warangal is the Thousand Pillar Temple.

It has featured in numerous Telugu movies, most prominently in Varsham, Bahubali star Prabhas’s first major romantic blockbuster. The many songs and scenes from movie shot here in the rain are by far the most stunning take on the Thousand Pillar Temple.

Constructed in 1163 AD by Rudra Deva in the Chalukya style, it has three presiding deities, Vishnu, Shiva and Surya. The most recognisable feature of this temple besides its richly carved pillars is the huge monolithic Nandi of black stone.

The Thousand Pillar Temple – currently closed to public and under restoration

Some areas of the Thousand Pillar Temple are closed off for renovation but there is a fully functional Hindu temple on the grounds in the same architectural style. So don’t just leave it off of your list of places to visit in Warangal. It is still is the place from where you should start your day in the city.

#2 Warangal Fort & Kakatiya Kala Toranam

If you are using Google Maps to navigate within the city, look for Warangal Fort Park and not Warangal Fort. For that will take you to where the original fort once stood and which is now just a crumbling structure of stone, overrun in grass.

& yes what is now referred to as the Warangal Fort is just a park with well laid out pieces of sculptures and entry ways from the fort, including the Kakatiya Kala Toranam.

Ruins of Warangal Fort

Kakatiya Kala Toranam in the Warangal Fort Park

TOURIST INFO
Warangal Fort Park is a ticketed monument.
Open from 10am to 7pm, all days of the week.
There is also a sound and light show here every evening after sunset.

#3 Kush Mahal

Built within the walls of Warangal Fort, Kush Mahal is Tughlaq era hall. Though the original use for which it was built is not known for sure, we know that when the Tughlaqs conquered Warangal, they razed Kakatiya architecture to ground and built over them to mark their conquest.

So its a stones throw from that which it aimed to obliterate – the gateway and what it stood for.

Though not counted amongst popular tourist places of Warangal, it is a local favourite.

#4 Bhadrakali Temple

Set against a backdrop of water and hills, the Badhrakali temple isn’t just scenic. There is something powerful about the place, for darshan here is an intense experience.

Making it the foremost of places to visit in Warangal for many.

#5 Ramappa Temple & Lake

Ageless in its magnificence, it is as if the Ramappa Temple is a time capsule. This medieval temple from 1213 AD is beautiful beyond words and almost intact.

Definitely one of those tourist places in Warangal that one will regret to miss.

Did You Know? The bricks used to build the Ramappa Temple were so light that they can actually float on water!

It is also the only temple in the country to be known by the name of its sculptor. No surprise there for its sculptures are truly exquisite and an image of them will probably stay with you forever.

5 minutes from the temple is the Ramappa Lake.

Peaceful and serene it is neither crowded nor noisy, even on a weekend. The resort on its banks serving piping hot, spicy Andhra food makes Ramappa an ideal location for a quiet overnighter.

#6 Laknavaram Lake

The Lakanavaram Lake is beautiful and its waters soothing no doubt, but its popularity is its curse.

From its yellow suspension bridge to the mini island resort on the lake, it is so popular as a weekend getaway from Hyderabad that it gets nearly impossible to even stay a while if your intention is to wind down and enjoy being outdoors with nature.

Inspite of all that, here is a lake which was formed in the 13^th century by closing down three narrow valleys and is actually so well hidden by the surrounding hills that even today you wouldn’t be able to see it till you actually reach the bridge.

So it is worth a quick day trip if you are in the area and want to tick it off your warangal tourist places list!

GETTING THERE:

Hyderabad to Warangal Distance 145 Kms
Route Take the NH163 via Outer Ring Road to reach Warangal in two and a half hours.

Warangal to Ramappa Temple Distance 70 Kms
Warangal to Lakanavaram Lake Distance 70 Kms
Ramappa Temple to Laknavaram Lake Distance 29 Kms

Stay: Tourism Department’s Haritha Kakatiya Hotel at Warangal or Lake View Haritha Resort at Ramappa Lake. Call on +91 9000282897 for bookings and information.

Explore Other City Guides:

24 Hours in Jaipur
A Heritage Walk through The Walled City of Udaipur

December 15, 2017
5 Reasons You Should Travel to Ladakh Off-Season

Winter is coming.

A hackneyed phrase for a hackneyed destination?
So why not explore this Himalayan land off-season, before things change.

Here are five reasons.

Reason #1 – Drive through constantly changing landscapes.

The first thing one notices in Ladakh in winter is that here the landscape changes every day, every hour and just driving through this pristine and untouched white Ladakh is in itself a beautiful journey.

Right from the glittering ice on the frozen Indus River by the road as the sun comes up to how the sun kissed peaks in the clear distance light up at sunset, every minute you drive through this high altitude desert brings you closer to the beauty there is in this world.

Reason #2 – Have the popular tourist spots all to yourself.

Prayer flags flutter in the cool crisp breeze against the stark backdrop of the snow covered mountains touching the flat white sky and there isn’t a soul in sight. This however isn’t just a one off experience when you make that random stop along your road trip.

Be it the popular Shanti Stupa, the monasteries in and around Leh or the roads that whisk you off further into the heart of this exotic land, you will find them all relatively deserted, save a few locals.

Reason #3 – Experience subzero temperatures.

Bundled up in layers and insulated pants, I experienced temperatures of the kind I had only dreamt of till then.

As the climate world over steadily changes or worsens, depending on the world view that one subscribes to, Ladakh too has experienced a winter this year that has not had a precedent in these many years past.

This meant that we could not visit any of the lakes. It took five men just to get us out and back on our way as our massive SUVs struggled to trudge through the five feet deep snow on the road to Tso Moriri. Be that as it may, every experience like this in the stillness of the mountains as you watch the flurries of snow swirling down to your feet is a memory to be savoured a lifetime.

Reason #4 – Meet the Nomads.

In Changthang Valley in the Eastern Ladakh Region is Puga. A small nomadic village, where Tibetan Nomads on the Indian side settle down for the four cold winter months and tend to their animals. They come from the village of Hanle, their summer home. Traversing the same migratory routes across Ladakh every year and staying in their semi permanent encampments in Puga.

The Changpas are a warm and friendly people and their children spending their school vacations here, will happily take you around, for the novelty of visitors in winter is a welcome distraction.

Read: In the Nomadic Settlement of Puga

Reason #5 – Witness changing seasons.

If you have already been to Ladakh during the tourist season between May to September, this is reason enough for you to revisit the land of high passes off season. For, while the charm of Ladakh in summer lies in its vivid blue skies and stark landscapes, winter Ladakh’s lies in the powdered sugar patterns of snow on the same barren and rocky landscape.

Only, minus the crowds.

Winter Ladakh’s biggest draw though, remains the Chadar Trek. As winter sets in and temperatures drop, the north flowing tributary of the Indus River, the Zanskar freezes over. What in summer is a mighty, indomitable swirl is tamed by a ‘blanket of ice’, the chadar that forms on it. This sheet of ice that is on an average six feet deep, is crossed by hundreds of trekkers every year to see the now celebrated frozen waterfall at Naerak.

As human pressure on this phenomenon of nature increases, the possibility of a trek on the Zanskar itself disappears. Rapidly.

Explorers Guide

Getting There: There are regular flights flying from Delhi to Leh.
Stay: The Grand Dragon in Leh. From window views that can keep you in for hours to the superb heating that keeps out the harsh bite of winter in the Himalayas, this is as luxurious as it gets. Not to mention the brilliant food on their menu. Those cheese toasts! *sigh*
Shop: The Tibetan Refugee Market on the road leading from the popular hotels to the Leh Market. It is a good place to stock up on all the winter essentials that one might have missed out on packing. For while most shops remain shut during the winter months, this market is open through out the year and one can find everything from monkey caps and gloves to neck gaiters and winter boots.

Read More on Ladakh:

Ladakh Festival: Celebrating Life & Beyond
Royal Ruins: Shey Palace
In the Realm of The Passes: Khardung La

November 12, 2017
Artisan Villages of Andhra Pradesh: Uppada

Every second house in the village of Uppada, in coastal Andhra Pradesh is a handloom store. Just like Mangalagiri. It goes with the territory. For it too is a handloom village that has brought forth a commercially successful style of saree.

Known for its soft texture and lightness, what defines this saree is its thread count. A hundred threads go in lengthwise while a hundred and twenty go in sideways. Not a thread more, not a thread less. For it is this thread count that ensures the quality and feel of this beautifully rich handwoven fabric.

Once the royal garment of the rulers of Andhra Pradesh, weavers were prohibited from weaving these sarees for anyone outside of the royal household.

Though it is now the favoured form of wedding saree, the Uppada weave has had quite a roller coaster ride. From being a simple cotton saree in the 1950s, to fading out in the 80s to achieving the Geographical Indication tag in the 2000s. Today this saree sells from anywhere upwards of Rs.6000/- to around Rs.3,00,000/-, not taking into account the custom orders of course.

This style of weaving is a local variation on the three hundred year old Jamdani technique. The Uppada Saree evolved to its current form when Bangladeshi weavers came and settled in Uppada and the traditional Jamdani technique took on a new essence.

So, don’t be surprised if you hear the Uppada Pattu (silk) Sarees being referred to as Uppada Jamdani Sarees. For its origins can be traced back to today’s Bangladesh.

Would You Believe?
That late Ms.Jayalalitha, erstwhile Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu had once come to Uppada to commission a saree made with threads of pure molten gold!
& that today there still is a picture of her in that saree at the weaver’s house.

Explorers Guide

Getting There: 16 kilometres from Kakinada and almost 500 kilometres from Hyderabad, a trip to Uppada is better done on a road trip through Konaseema.
Remember: Avoid the bigger stores with the glass fronts and the air-conditioning. It is in the smaller houses that you will find the better stuff. Not just in terms of the quality of the threads used but also in terms of design and colour.
Don’t Miss: Sunset at Uppada Beach

Read Next: Artisan Villages of Andhra Pradesh: Karipakam

Other Artisan Villages of India:

Artisan Villages of Andhra Pradesh: Sri Kalahasti
Artisan Villages of Telangana: Nirmal
Artisan Villages of Telangana: Cheriyal

November 8, 2017
Great Living Chola Temples – Vol II: Gangaikonda Cholapuram

Second on UNESCO’s list of The Great Living Chola Temples, is the Brihadeeswara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram.

In a tiny village lost in time, is this 982 year old temple. This Brihadeeswara Temple too is built on the same lines as the Big Temple in Thanjavur, complete with a massive stone sculpture of Nandi facing the main shrine. Upon the death of Rajaraja I the capital was shifted from Thanjavur to Gangaikonda Cholapuram and there came about this smaller version of the original Brihadeeswara Temple.

This temple complex isn’t merely structurally beautiful. It is also tranquil. Owing not just to its gentler architecture but also probably to it’s secluded location.

After driving around all morning and noon in the summer heat of Tamil Nadu, it was evening by the time we got here.

& what with the setting sun deciding to play peek-a-boo from behind the looming rain clouds, an all pervading sense of peace descended over me, as I took my time exploring, strolling around the expansive, almost deserted grounds of the temple.

The bronze sculptures here are said to be priceless specimens of Chola art, but it was the Simhakeni or The Lion Well, that I found singularly intriguing.

Explorers Guide

Trip Duration: Day Trip
Getting There: Road Trip from Thanjavur.
Route: Thanjavur – Darasuram – Gangaikonda Cholapuram -Thanjavur
(183 Kilometres)
Distance from Thanjavur to Darasuram: 72 Kilometres
Distance from Darasuram to Gangaikonda Cholapuram: 39 Kilometres
Distance from Gangaikonda Cholapuram to Thanjavur: 72 Kilometres

Read First: The Great Living Chola Temples: Vol I

Other Temples in Tamil Nadu:

Rockfort Temple, Trichy

September 21, 2017
In Photos: The Valley of Flowers

The Valley of Flowers. A breathtakingly beautiful (literally!) high altitude meadow of alpine flowers in the Western Himalayas.

Accessible only through a trek route through the mountains, this valley is located in a transition zone that lies between the Zanskar Region of the Himalayas to the north and the Greater Himalayas to the south. Together with the Eastern and Western Himalayas on either side this valley is endowed with some extraordinary bio diversity.

From numerous restricted range bird species to highly threatened species of medicinal plants this high-altitude Himalayan valley isn’t just about stunning flowerscapes.

Together with the rugged wilderness of the Nanda Devi, these two National Parks are inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Commandeered over by India’s second highest mountain, Nanda Devi and reached through the world’s deepest gorge, Rishi Ganga, the Nanda Devi National Park is renowned for its spectacular topography. It is surrounded by glaciers and meadows, of which the Valley of Flowers is one.

Also Read: 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2017

September 2, 2017
Road Tripping through Konaseema

Konaseema. The lush bucolic countryside of Coastal Andhra. ‘Kona’ for corner, this land wedged into a corner surrounded by water, is one of the most fertile deltas of Southern India. The Godavari river keeps you company, as you Road Trip through these idyllic coastal towns. Known for its beauty, Konaseema has been depicted extensively with its swaying coconut trees and green backwater canals.

But, how best do you enjoy this beauty? For it is no tourist destination like Kerala where houseboats abound aplenty on the backwaters.

So here I chose one town, rather a small city, Kakinada and put together a two day itinerary for a road trip through Konaseema, that include visits to beaches, ancient temples and artisan villages.

Window Views of Konaseema

Story goes.. There was once a powerful asura (demon) Tarakasura who was at war with the gods and thanks to a boon, he could only be killed by a son of Lord Shiva. So there began a battle between him and Kumaraswamy, Shiva’s younger son and Lord Ganesha’s brother. But, at every deadly blow, the rakshasa, Tarakasura would reform limb to limb from his cut off body parts. This power to reform came from a Shiva Linga that the demon wore. So the only way to destroy him was to break the lingam first. Eventually, there came to be five pieces of this Siva lingam and these fell in five different places in Andhra Pradesh. Temples were then built in those locations around the fragments. Those five ancient temples now constitute the Pancharamam.

& Kakinada happens to have two of those in driving distance.

Bhimaramam (at Samarlakota)

All the pancharamam temples are two storeyed stone temples for they are all home to massive Shivalingas.

To continue the story, the five fragments were installed and worshipped at five temples by the five gods, Indra, Surya, Chandra, Vishnu and Kumaraswamy. This one near Samarlakota was by Kumaraswamy himself. & the temple itself is beautiful, peaceful and not too crowded.

Draksharamam

Probably the biggest and definitely the most celebrated of the five is Draksharamam, a pancharamam and also a shakti peetham. This 10th century temple has a rich history of mythological legends associated with. It is even believed to be the site of Dakshayagnam and that Daksha’s daughter Sati is none other than the Goddess Manikyamba who is alongside Shiva in this temple. Making it one of the major asthadasa shakti peethams in the country.

Annavaram

In Annavaram is a small hill, Ratnagiri, which is home to the temple dedicated to Lord Satyanarayan Swamy. A form of Lord Vishnu, that all Hindus worship at weddings, housewarmings and all important social occasions in one’s life. Making this a pilgrimage centre that is second in popularity only to Tirupati.

Uppada

The famous handcrafted Jamdani silk sarees come from here. Need I say more?

READ: Artisan Villages of Andhra Pradesh: Uppada

& The Beach

Explorers Guide

Getting There: Every place on the itinerary is less than an hour and a half from Kakinada.
Distances from Kakinada:
Samarlakota – 15 kilometres
Draksharamam – 34 kilometres
Annavaram – 45 kilometres
Uppada – 16 kilometres
Highway Pit Stop: One. Foodcourt near Annavaram.
Best Time to Visit: Monsoons
Stay: Paradigm Sarovar Portico. Comfortable and centrally located.
Vegetarian Restaurants: Subbaya’s Hotel, Bhimas.
Bring Back: Kakinada Kaja

July 23, 2017
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Spiti Valley this Summer

Here are 20 Photos to Inspire you to visit Spiti Valley this Summer. Ladakh’s lesser known cousin.

Separated from the popular Kullu valley in Himachal Pradesh by the Rohtang Pass, this middle land between India and Tibet is home to some of the most stunning lakes and monasteries in the world.

Of which, the mythical Chandratal Lake is one. Roads to the lake open mid July. So, peak tourist season in the Spiti Valley (for lack of a better word, tourism is yet to catch on here the way it has in Ladakh) is July and August. A difficult terrain as is, the four months of summer is when this desert valley in the Himalayas is most accessible.

Road Trip through tricky terrains, along rocky roads.

Be amazed by the stark landscapes.

Or the ‘moonscape’ of this land, as it has come to be known.

Rediscover colour.

Vivid skies, cloud shadows, wild flowers et al.

Fall in love.

With the starry nights.

Find peace amidst the many Himalayan Monasteries.

Befriend the most adorable kids you will ever see!

Stay with the locals in a homestay and experience life, their way.

Get to know them. In their houses that are built to shelter them in the harsh winter months when they can only be indoors. Over soft, doughy bread which is but a variant of our regular Indian roti and sweet milky chai.

& of course, no trip to Spiti Valley is complete without a visit to the Chandratal Lake.

Did You Know? The Chandratal Lake reflects the colour of the sky. So the lake is a bright turquoise blue at sunrise and a lush serene green at sunset!

Besides, it isn’t just this one lake in Spiti Valley that is breathtaking. There are more.

Read Next: a Fortress, a Monastery & a Lake: Dhankar

Read More on Spiti:

Driving through Lahaul & Spiti
Where The Monasteries are.
The Road to Serenity: Chandratal

July 18, 2017
Streets of Pondicherry – Part II: Architecture

They say if you can’t afford a ticket to Europe, travel to Pondicherry instead.

Stroll through the white part of town and be transported in time and place to a laid back French town. Or just wander the streets to absorb the distinctive Franco-Tamil culture of the place.

This small seaside town has a lot to offer for those who are looking for a leisurely laid-back holiday.

There is always coffee and croissants to intersperse your endless explorations with. For, Puducherry is blessed with both – cafes & heritage – in abundance!

Once an important port of call and a very prominent fortified town, as it changed hands, it was razed to ground and its ramparts flattened to what are today the tree lined boulevards of Pondicherry.

Laid out in a grid, the town is divided into the French and Tamil quarters by a storm water canal.

Both these quarters are so distinctive that you can tell which part of town you are in just from colour and style of the houses that go from classical European architecture to vernacular Tamil in a step.

As a lingering shadow of its European past follows you along its every street or rue as it known here, the historical richness of this town comes to life. In its art & architecture.

So what could possibly be a better way to discover this quaint little town than via Heritage Walks and Cycle Tours!

My first day in Pondicherry, I walked 9.6 kilometres to be exact. Discovering urban street art and restored heritage bungalows.

Besides, in this town of neat little blocks, self reliance comes easy to a girl, who just wants to explore, camera in hand.

I have been to Pondicherry thrice. & my longing for it only gets the stronger. :)

PS: INTACH or The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage has been working with the Government of Pondicherry and its public to conserve and restore the unprotected architectural heritage and townscape of Pondicherry. Almost all of the heritage buildings you see today have been brought back to life by them. Even the rocks to tame the sea on the famous promenade were by them.

They conduct heritage walks in the white town every morning and evening. Ending on the promenade, this hour long walk is a perfect way to to get to the beach just in time for dusk.

Read First: Streets of Pondicherry – Part I: Art

July 12, 2017
Armoor: Of Rocks and Hidden Temples

In Nizamabad, is a temple. Though not quite as legendary as the Dichpally Ramalayam, but just as historic. Popularly known as Armoor Siddula Gutta, this is the Navanatha Siddheswara Temple and a series of cave temples inside the rock formations of Armoor.

Armoor Rock Formations

As you drive along the highway from Nizamabad to Armoor, you will go past a long stretch of hills that look like they were made by someone who has artistically and quite laboriously piled up boulders to form them. These are the Armoor Rock Formations. Naturally weathered rocks crafted by mother nature for over millions of years. They are so distinctively striking that they are but a natural stopover for anyone driving that way and rightly so.

Sitting in a cave somewhere in those rocks is the Navantha Siddula Gutta, gutta for cave and Navanatha Siddhas for the sages who are believed to still reside in them.

Armoor Siddula Gutta

Fifteen years ago a ghat road was built through the rock formation, leading straight to Siddulagutta. There is also a walkway from the Gol Bungalow for pilgrims wishing to do the climb up to the temple by foot.

Inside these caves is a Shiva Temple, where the Shiva Lingam is said to be swaymbhu or self-manifested. It is said that the lingam here has always been worshipped by devotees, since the Tretayuga. That is the second age of mankind, in Hinduism! We are currently in the fourth.

The entrance to this cave temple is a door that is barely three feet. Once you crouch through it, the cave opens up and skylight filters in. You walk along in the designated route through the caves and you will come across many little temples in interconnected passageways. Even one dedicated to the Goddess Durga.

Just outside the exit point of this narrow cave is a Ramalayam and the temple tank, Jeeva Koneru. Legend has it that during the construction of the temple, when this tank was dug, it failed to well up with water. So, Rampriyadas Maharaj, the person who built the temple took up a tapasaya, that lasted forty-one days. At the end of which Lord Rama himself came to him in a dream and the water in this is believed to have been blessed with curative powers. Making the armoor siddula gutta popular amongst pilgrims undertaking the journey to be healed.

Otherwise quiet and forgotten, the temple tends to get crowded on the festival of Sri Rama Navami. Work is currently underway to build facilities to accommodate these devotees and also other temples around it on the flat ground between the rocks.

Beyond the Cave Temples

Further up the rocks, the summit flattens out into a breezy plateau. The village of Armoor with its houses of redbrick roofs and the setting sun glinting off the black rocks lend the landscape such beauty, that it has actually been the location for many a movie shoot.

Just about perfect for that evening picnic.

Explorers Guide

Distance from Hyderabad: 184 Kilometres
Trip Duration: Day Trip
Getting There: Armoor is around 37 kilometres from the town of Nizamabad, along the intersection of NH7 and NH16.
Other Places of Interest: Pochampadu Dam (Sri Rama Sagar Project)
30 kilometres from here this dam on the Godavari River is widely accepted to be the lifeline of Northern Telangana. It is quite a sight to behold when its forty-two floodgates are open.

Read More on Temples in Telangana

Town of Hymns: Manthani
Lost in Time: Nagunur Ruins
South India’s City of Moksh: Alampur
A Song of Stone: Dichpally Ramalayam

July 1, 2017
Grand Mosque: Walking on Reflections

Reflections, Reflections. Everywhere.
From the pristine white marble floors to the inky blue pools around them, its all about reflections.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, of course!

Because one is not grand enough. We have two.
One real & one a reflection.

Located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of United Arab Emirates and an hour and a half’s drive from Dubai, is The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Undoubtedly one of the grandest mosques today, it is visible from all the three bridges that connect the Abu Dhabi island city to the main land. & as you enter Abu Dhabi, it only takes ten minutes before this gloriously grandiose mosque in its pristine white and gold strikes a splendid welcome. Eighty two domes of Macedonian marble greet you from afar, and you know you have arrived at your destination.

The Grand Mosque, as it is popularly known, has to be one of the most iconic structures of the region. Also, probably one of the most photographed since it opened its doors to public in 2007. It is now the world’s second favourite landmark on Trip Advisor.

Why even Rihanna posed here for photographs and created quiet the stir!

Through a car park, a security building with screened-off ‘cover up’ rooms, and there you are out in the open. Where the glint of the sun reflecting off the glossy white surfaces gilded in gold is sure to catch you off guard.

Go closer and you see the sprawling complex of arches mirrored in the pools that surround the mosque. You are free to enter, wander around and take pictures to your hearts content as long as you maintain the decorum that one would accord a place of worship.

Once inside you are treated to a visual spectacle. Unending rows of crowned columns, a thousand to be precise. Ceilings into which Moroccan artwork is etched alongside verses from the Holy Quran. A courtyard, whose minarets stretch out to touch the sky and semi precious stones of hues ranging from the stunning blue of lapis lazuli to the blood red of agate come together with mother-of-pearl, in a floral motif on the floor. And the prayer hall brings it all to a stoic still, with shafts of natural light streaming in through the windows, onto handwoven carpets and massive Swarovski chandeliers that gleam with the forty kilos of 24-carat galvanised gold in them.

While the experience of taking in its beauty can only be described as overwhelming, it is the vision behind its founding father that makes the Sheik Zayed Grand mosque truly grand. It was for him, the first president of UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, an expression of Islam’s true religious values. One of the few mosques that is open to people of all faiths alike it is surely worth a visit.

Explorers Guide

Distance from Dubai: 125 Kilometres
Trip Duration: Half a day
Best Time To Visit: Sunset. The facade lighting has been designed to shift with the changing phases of the moon. Everyday the mosque lights up anew as the moon progresses from a crescent to a whole. So as night falls and colours fade, watch the whites transform into brilliant reflections mirrored in its pools.
Timings: Open to visitors from 9am to 10pm all week, except on Friday mornings when it is open to worshippers alone. During the Holy Month of Ramadan, the mosque is open only in the mornings, Saturday through Thursday.
Remember: It is recommended for both men and women to dress modestly. If found inappropriate, you may be asked to wear an abaya (for women) / kandura (for men) over your clothes.

PS: The mosque is very tourist friendly with a cafe on the grounds, free wifi and complimentary guided tours.

June 13, 2017
Eataly: To the Perfect Tiratisu!

Verrina Tiratisu

Home made mascarpone cream cheese with coffee flavoured spongecake topped with cocoa powder.

That’s Eatly’s Tiramisu for you. Hands down the best in Dubai and for me, counted amongst the few memorable ones from all those countless Tiramisus I have ever had!

Just the sight of the Tiratisu (a healthier version of the usual Tiramisu with Soy ingredients) at Eataly, Festival City is sure to cheer you up.

Thats what they mean, and that is what they do! Tiramisu comes from the Italian for ‘cheer me up’ and its new age variation Tiratisu translates to ‘cheer you up’. So let us begin. ?

How it Looks

Overlooking the waterfront, the views from the dining area make for a pleasant meal even on a hot summer afternoon.

& Winter nights are for sitting out.

Main Course

Skip the pasta.
Go Pizza, all the way!

For with the Aglio Olio pasta there was so much to ask for. It was ordinary and tasteless at best. The Pizza Margherita though, was absolutely yum, especially the crunchy crust.

Given that they don’t give you a side of bread with your pasta and even the bread basket that they do provide with at the beginning – “complimentary”, like they will be sure to tell you – has but a few slices obviously counted out, to the person and served.

I was left with no choice but to nibble on the Pizza crust to make my Pasta a tad bit more interesting and enjoyable.

Coffee & Desserts

From a dessert menu that revolves entirely around Nutella to coffee flavours that include Tiramisu, their coffee and desserts are amongst the most loved in Dubai, and rightly so.

So, if you happen to be there but don’t have the time for lunch, do stop by to taste their coffee. They serve illy too.

& how about some Tiramisu to go??

Know of other places that serves great desserts? What is your favourite at Eataly?
Do let me know in the comments below.

Eataly

Level 1, Festival City Mall
Dubai

+971 4 2241 083

Open: 9 am – 11:30 pm (weekdays)
9am – 12:30am (weekends, starting Thursday)

Read Next: I Heart Honey Bears: Le Pain Quotidien

Also Available

From coffee and chocolates to artisanal pastas and ready sauces, you can even shop at Eataly for everything that goes into your full course Italian Meal.

Straight from the restaurant’s Market.

May 27, 2017
North meets South in Sitaram Bagh

Tucked away in a quiet corner of the old city of Hyderabad is the Sitaram Bagh Temple. Built by a banker Mr. Puranmal Ganeriwal in 1832, this centuries old Shri Sitaram Mandir is a sprawling complex of temples and beautiful airy courtyards spread over twenty five acres.

From the main entrance and its imposing facade to the labyrinth of quadrangle courtyards leading you on to endless discoveries, this peaceful temple is a visual treat. Built in a style that is exquisitely distinctive, it combines the North and South Indian styles of architecture with the European.

Back in the day, Seth Puranmal acquired land in what was then the village of Mallapally, in the outskirts of Hyderabad, laid out an expansive garden (bagh) and built a temple for Sitaramji. Thus bestowing on this temple, the moniker Sitaram Bagh.

This stretch of land was also the site for a Qutb Shahi Mosque, which stands till today, albeit separated from the temple by a concrete wall. Also on this expanse is an archaic step well that was connected via subterranean ducts to a well in the mosque. It is around this step well that the various structures of the temple complex, including a gaushala, ved pathshala and houses for the Bramhin families were constructed.

This entire compound is now a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India.

As you enter the main temple, intricately painted doors, imposing archways and massive colour blocked doors take you through a series of courtyards.

Each one opening out to a mandapa, a temple or to just an open-to-sky pavilion enclosed in European style terraces adorned with Rajasthani style jharokas.

If one courtyard boasts of a South Indian mandapa adorned with the Dasavataras carved in stone, the very next one will surprise you with a mandapa of European columns and fading frescos.

Even the two main temples alternate in their styles. While the Sitaramji Mandir is built in the North Indian style, with an entrance reminiscent of a palace in Rajasthan, the Varadarajaji Mandir is built in the typical Dravidian architecture style of South India.

The idols of the main deities are in marble, staying true to the prevailing theme of Rajasthani. Little surprise then that the Sitarambagh temple is popular with the local Marwaris in and around the old city.

The Hanuman Mandir though, sitting away from the maze of the courtyards and almost too close to the boundary wall of the complex is a little cut off from both the main temple and its old world charm.

It wasn’t until renovations began around 2015, that people even knew just how old or huge the stone idol of Hanumanji was. Only once the twelve inch sindhoor chola on the sculpture was taken off did they realise that the Hanuman idol was in fact burrowed knee deep in earth. The eight feet by five feet statue was then dug out and reinstated, complete with a new South Indian style Gopuram. What is distinctive about this addition though is that, facing the four directions are Abhay Hanuman, Veer Hanuman, Bhakt Hanuman and the Das Mudra. All of them typically North Indian on a South Indian style shikhar.

Every turn that you take in this grand layout, will only reinforce in you the awe that you experience at how beautifully North meets South in this temple.

Explorers Guide

Timings: 5.30 – 11.30 am & 5 – 8 pm

Remember: Dress conservatively. For though not really crowded like the other temples in the city, the management including even the security of the temple complex are quite orthodox in their ways. They double check to ascertain that you are indeed a Hindu before you are even allowed to wander into the outer courtyard of the temple!

Don’t Miss: The baoli (step-well). It is outside the main Sitaram Mandir and fenced off, making it in a way, quite easy to miss unless you go looking for it. Go straight along the path to the Hanuman temple, right across from the main entrance and you will find it to your left.

PS: The famous Purana Rangji Mandir in Pushkar was also built by the same Mr. Generiwal in the year 1844. Yet again, in the same unique combination of the South Indian Dravidian style and the North Indian Rajasthani Vaastukala.

May 24, 2017
Town of Hymns: Manthani

Named after a Khiledar under the reign of Sikandar Jha during 1803 to 1823, Syed Karimuddin, Karimnagar is one district in Telangana, which has ancient places seeped in historic importance to both Hindus and Buddhists alike. The most popular amongst these is Manthani.

Home to the ruins of a Gautameswara Temple, Manthani is a timeless village from an era gone by.

On the banks of the river Godavari, it had once flourished as the seat of Vedic learning. Also referred to as Mantrapuri or The Town of Hymns it gets its name from the Sanskrit word Mantra Kutam, meaning House of Mantras.

It is also popularly believed that Manthani is home to a thousand Bramhin families, which is why it is also called the Sahasra Brahamana Gadapa i.e. a Thousand Brahmin’s Threshold. Little surprise then that though the temple in Manthani is in ruins today, overrun with a patchwork of undergrowth that is a brilliant-hued green, the town continues to be culturally significant for Hindus.

Work is underway to put back the beautiful stone temple of Manthani to how it once stood. Meanwhile there is a new, fully functional temple on the premises.

Explorers Guide

Getting There: The distance from Hyderabad to Karimnagar is around 164 kilometres, but if you take the NH44 via Medchal you will reach the town in less than two hours. Manthani is a further 64 kilometres from here.
Route: Once on the road by the village, ask around and get to the ‘temple on the banks of Godavari’. It can get a little tricky, because this one is not on Google Maps.
Best Time to Visit: In the rains.

Read Next: Lost in Time: Nagunur Ruins

Read More on Temples in Telangana:

Of Rocks and Hidden Temples: Armoor
A Song of Stone: Dichpally Ramalayam
South India’s City of Moksh: Alampur

April 26, 2017
Nagunur Ruins: Lost in Time

Less than three hours from Hyderabad, the district of Karimnagar in Telangana is peppered with numerous lesser-known forts and ancient ruins, making it the ideal day trip destination. Not yet over run with tourists, here you can happily explore at your own pace.

Home to a cluster of Kalyana and Kakatiya temple ruins, Nagunur is one such village in Karimnagar. Once the centre of the Kakatiya Empire, it is today but a tiny village lost in time. With these temples at its heart, it does not take but more than ten minutes to traverse through this entire village!

The most significant among these temples – from the 12^th century – is the Trikuta Temple built by the Chalukyas of Kalyani.

Though constructed in the same style as the Manthani temple, it is in much better shape today, with the three shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva showing evidence of continuing worship.

Explorers Guide

Getting There: Nagunur is 260 kilometers from Hyderabad and the drive via NH44 through Outer Ring Road will take around three and a half hours.
Best Time to Visit: Monsoons. With the rain clouds as a backdrop, these ancient temples look serenely beautiful.

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Read More on Temples in Telangana

Town of Hymns: Manthani
Of Rocks & Hidden Temples: Armoor
South India’s City of Moksh: Alampur
A Song of Stone: Dichpally Ramalayam

April 12, 2017
The Great Living Chola Temples – Vol I: Brihadeeswara Temple

In and around Thanjavur are The Great Living Chola Temples, three temple complexes dating back to the 11^th and 12^th centuries. Built by the Cholas, who were undoubtedly one of the most powerful monarchies of South India that ruled for over four and a half centuries, all of these ancient temples are ‘living temples’ – classified as such by UNESCO on their World Heritage List – in the sense that the pattern of worship and rituals established over a thousand years ago continue as is, to this day.

Thanjavur, mostly known for the Tanjore (Thanjavur) Paintings that are unique to this region, is home to the first of these Great Living Chola Temples. Locally known as the Big Temple, this is the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur. The grandest of the three.

As the region passed on from the Cholas to the Nayaks and then to the Marathas over the centuries, a few additions were made to the temple complex, from protective fort walls to murals and minor temples. One such are the beautiful frescos painted onto the ceiling of the Mandapam housing the massive 25 tonne monolithic Nandi, mount of Lord Shiva or Brihadeeswara, as he is in this temple.

& this particular mural is undoubtedly reminiscent of the famous Tanjore Paintings, all it needs is a little touch of gold!

Everything about this temple is big. The 20 feet Nandi, the 15 feet Dwarapalakas guarding the entrances, the 216 feet Vimana towering over the Sanctum Sanctorum that has to be two storeyed to house the huge Shiva Lingam (lingam form of the presiding deity).

The Vimana built over a base tier of two levels rises to dizzying heights, carrying on it an octagonal stone Shikhara which itself weighs 81 tonnes.

Ancient inscriptions refer to this Vimana as Dakshina Meru, implying it to be Mount Meru of the South or Maha Meru, Lord Shiva’s mountain abode.

It is said that a special ramp was constructed to carry the Shikhara up, to install on the Vimana, from a site six kilometres away and that more than a thousand elephants were required in the construction of this temple. Which is probably one of most the magnificent of Indian temples.

In fact, the city of Thanjavur itself was created with the deliberate intention of establishing it as a Bhakti centre. So, here is this impressively massive Big Temple at its heart and radiating out from it is the city, growing in concentric circuits starting from the inner quadrangle of the temple.

A colonnade of sandstone columns run all along the inner perimeter of the temple forming a circumambulatory path or Prakara. Though the Prakara itself dates back to the original construction, the 108 Shiva Lingas set against the stunning backdrop of beautiful murals painted on these stone walls are a 16th century addition.

The main temple itself occupies the rear half of the inner quadrangle, while two colossal Gopurams (gates) – Keralaanthagan & Rajarajan – into which are carved monolithic stone sculptures, lead the way.

Exemplifying the pure Dravidian style of architecture, these Chola Temples are not significant not just archaeologically but culturally as well. For it is believed that the Cholas built their temples not just as places for their people to get together and pray but to serve as epicentres of economic activity.

No trip to Thanjavur would be complete without witnessing these marvels of workmanship. The sheer size of these temples will cause you to wonder, muse on the scale at which affairs of state were once carried out!

The other two temples which together with the Big Temple form this unique group of living temples are the Brihadeeswara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the Airavateswara Temple at Darasuram.

Explorers Guide

Getting There: Begin your day trip with the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur, drive on to the Airavateswara Temple, Darasuram, making a quick pitstop for lunch along the way on this 37 Kilometres stretch. Complete the circuit with the Brihadeeswara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram. The 72 Kilometres drive from here, back to Thanjavur will take around 2 hours.

PS: Here is a super shaky video of a few of the brilliant murals in the Prakara.

Decided to add this here to the post, inspite of it being such a terrible attempt at shooting video because, I do want to share with you atleast a glimpse of the natural dye frescos that are such a fine example of ancient Indian artistry.

April 2, 2017
From a billion years ago.

Thwack. Down came the elephant’s trunk on my head, in a gesture of blessing. I was surprised at how gentle it was, gentle giants indeed.

We were in Trichy, Tamil Nadu to attend a wedding at our family friends’ home and the temple elephant was here to bless the newly weds, to flag off their journey together on an auspicious note. Even though I grew up in a traditional South Indian family this was completely unexpected. After all, it isn’t everyday that a majestic elephant walks into a wedding!

But, knowing where I was, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

Amongst the many interpretations of how this town got its name, one that particularly sticks in this case is that, Tiruchirapalli could have come from Tiruchinnapalli, which when broken down means Holy Little Town. Or even Tirussilapalli, meaning Holy Rock Town. Which brings us to the Rockfort Temple.

Tiruchirapalli or Trichy as one familiarly calls it, has always been an important religious centre for the Hindus with many a prolific and ancient temple peppered around town. From the more famous Ranganatha Swamy temple of Srirangam to the Rockfort Temple, which has come to be a symbol of this temple town.

I am yet to see a temple so striking and haughty in its simplicity, as this one. Sitting on a 272 feet rock, right in the centre of Trichy, it draws your gaze in, from wherever in the city you are, like a pivot.

So, here is where we went first, this intriguing fort-temple on the rock.

As we wound our way through the busy bazaar at the foot of the rock, I really did not know what to expect. There were the usual lines of people going about their prayers – visible from the busy street – in the Ganesh Temple which was right there. But did Ucchi Pillayar Kovil not mean Ganesh temple at the top, literally?

It was then that our guide explained to us that there are two rock cut temples in the fort, the lower and upper cave temples.

Having paid our respects at the Manikka Vinayakar Temple, the lower cave temple, we began the steep climb of over 350 steps through the ancient rock that dates back to over a billion years ago.

Of the many cave temples that we passed by, cut into this monolithic rock, the oldest was built by the Pallavas in 580 AD.

The biggest in this complex though is the Thayumana Swamy Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvathi, spanning a length of two stories in a regular building.

Stunning though it was, right from its architecture to the colourful murals painted on the walls of the cave, it is the Ganesh temple sitting right at the summit that takes your breath away.

As you come out of the caves and struggle to climb up the sheer rock face to reach this temple, you are bound to pause for breath and that is when you realise just how picturesque the panoramas that it offers of the city look.

We did too.

As the breeze blew cool in my face I caught my first glimpse of Srirangam, from inside the Ucchi Pillayar Kovil.

Explorers Guide

Distance from Chennai: 335 kilometers
Trip Duration: Weekend
Getting There: Sitting right in the center of Tamil Nadu, Trichy can be reached by road from Chennai in 6 hours. There are also regular flights from Chennai to Trichy.

Read More on Temples in Tamil Nadu:

The Great Living Chola Temples: Vol I
The Great Living Chola Temples: Vol II

March 12, 2017
Medak: A Trinity of Faiths & more

Everyone in Hyderabad has heard of the Medak Church and if you grew up in this city it is highly likely that you would have even gone there on a school trip. It is after all the largest diocese in all of Asia and is believed to be second only to the Vatican, even across the globe!

What started off as a project of true Christian compassion in 1914, to mitigate the suffering of people during the three-year famine that had hit Medak then, has brought to this district its most famous landmark. It was the missionary Rev. Charles Walker Posnett’s idea, to create employment rather than run a free kitchen and this massive church built in the Gothic Revival style that took 10 years to complete did achieve this objective.

Notwithstanding the fact that the church gained its most renown for its beautiful stained glass windows – which do leave one spellbound as the sunlight filters through them into the inner sanctum of the cathedral – its most striking feature remains the 175 feet bell tower.

There is more to this sleepy little town though. Telangana’s most celebrated festival, Bathukamma is performed on a large scale here. Recognised as the symbol of the state’s cultural identity, this nine-day festival is celebrated in honour of the Hindu Goddess Gauri. Yet another festival unique to this region is Peerla Panduga. It is but Muharram, only celebrated by both Hindus and Muslims alike across the Sufi Ashurkhanas here.

& with the Tourism Department‘s Heritage Hotel at the Medak Fort one can enjoy the art of slow travel right here, only an hour and half’s drive away.

The Medak Fort is a testimony to the history of this district. Strategically located on a hill, this fort is known to have exploited the natural topography of the area in creating an invincible defence around itself, standing witness to Medak’s significance during the reign of the Kakatiyas.

This summit today offers one gorgeous views of the surrounding city.

The view from the fort is not be missed. For it surely is an intriguing sight to see a city grow and flourish around Trinity Diagonal – a Mosque, a Temple and the Church all perfectly aligned in a diagonal cutting across Medak.

Built around the 12^th century, the Medak Fort was once a command outpost for the Kakatiya, Bahamani and Qutb Shahi dynasties and is believed to have set the scene for many a battle for over five centuries.

Not much remains of the fort now, except for its three entrances – Prathama Dwaram (first entrance), Simha Dwaram (lion entrance) and Gaja Dwaram (elephant entrance). These are striking in their architecture and as their names suggest, are adorned with snarling lion heads and majestic elephants. Also standing untouched by time on the main entrance is the Ganda Bherundam, a double-headed eagle with an elephant in its talons. This mythical bird, an ancient symbol of royalty and the great Vijayanagar Empire’s insignia has since been incorporated into the present day Karnataka State’s emblem. One is then left to wonder if it isn’t but a remnant of the symbolic consolidation of the reigning dynasties of the era.

So, while planning your next road trip from Hyderabad don’t just strike Medak off your list, for there is a lot more to this district-town than just its record holding Church.

Explorers Guide

Distance from Hyderabad: 95 Kilometers
Trip Duration: Half Day – Weekend
Extend your Road Trip: Drive on to Pocharam
Route: Take the NH44 via Kompally to get to Medak.
Stop By: The road to Medak goes through the Narsapur Forest Range and you will find a horde of monkeys lined up all along the road. So don’t forget to carry some bananas to feed these guys. They are so accustomed to this that the minute you slow your car they will stand up and look into your window to see what snacks you have got them!

January 31, 2017
The year that was, 2016

2016 has been the year that has made me feel like a ‘Travel Writer & Photographer’. This year, despite its major misses (for me), it is right there next to 2012 on my list of my favourite years.

Who has a favourite year, you wonder. Well, I did. 2012 for me has always been special, not for the great things that I had achieved then but merely for the end it put to many a remnant of my most trying years. This year though will be remembered for the ‘good vibes only’!!

A Travel Writer, endorsed.

From those occasional spurts of writing years ago, which ranged from anonymous and loquacious book reviews to off hand fashion stories in local magazines to articles in HR Journals, I can now confidently say I have found my niche.

A Photographer, endorsed.

The Award that I won from The Government of Telangana on World Tourism Day – in recognition of the Heritage that a photograph of mine showcased – brought to me something far more significant. An Identity in the eyes of friends, family and society.

Map In My Pocket, endorsed.

From collaborating with biggies like Tata Motors, Ceat Tyres, Israel Ministry of Tourism in India to being invited to the Himalayas, Map In My Pocket got an identity too.

Anyone who knows me or the blog is no stranger to the love that I have for the Himalayas. The fact that the Himalayas were not even on the cards for me this year and my only trip there was on invitation, only made it sweeter. Not to mention just how beautiful the experience in itself was!

& How can a review of my year as a Travel Blogger be complete without a list of the destinations I travelled to in 2016?

International Dubai
India Pune | Tada | Thanjavur | Tirupati | Trichy | Udaipur | Uttarakhand
Road Trips from Hyderabad Adilabad | Bidar | Karimnagar | Mahbub Nagar | Medak | Nizamabad | Warangal

As far as the answer to the all important question goes..

What have I achieved in 2016??

Contentment.

PS: How has your year been? What did you learn, what do you hope to achieve starting tomorrow? Do share your thoughts, leave me a comment. :)

PPS: After 52 Photowalks this year, I am contemplating taking up another Project this 2017. May be The 100 Strangers Project.

Read Next: 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2017

December 31, 2016