Back of the Blog - Sundays are meant to be in Sunday Bazaar!

Surprised with title of this post?

Instead of asking you to laze around on the bed and drink a good cup of coffee with newspaper in hand, why are we suggesting you to go to Sunday bazaar? Because, if you are curious and looking for an experience of street shopping, this is the place to be in Bangalore. We are not sure of other places - we understand that Hyderabad also has one and Delhi has Sunday Book bazaar - but you should make a point to visit Sunday bazaar in Bangalore. 

My first experience of Sunday Bazaar or "Gujari" - as it used to be called in good old days - was accompanying my dad on Sunday mornings to the old city of Bangalore. It was to buy second hand stuff. On Sundays, when the regular shops are closed, another market springs to life where you can buy anything. 

This is what we would suggest you to do this Sunday if you are in Bangalore. Get up lazily, have your cup of coffee with a diet of your favourite newspaper. Then take out your vehicle or better pick up an auto rickshaw and head to Udupi Sri Krishna Bhavan in Balepet for a brunch around 10 AM. Finish brunch of excellent Masale Dose and Rave Bisi Bele Bath and then take a leisurely walk towards BVK Iyengar road. 

Udupi Sri Krishna Bhavan (Photo Courtesy - http://indianbazaars.blogspot.in/)

Once you reach BVK Iyengar road, its lanes and bye lanes, you will be surprised with the number of temporary stalls on the footpath selling anything from old LP records to latest cell phones. You are now in Sunday Bazaar. Bangalore's own Chor Bazaar replica of Mumbai.

The uniqueness of Sunday Bazaar is it is never stagnant. You will always find something interesting if you have an eye for the curious.  Anything sells here. Bolts to blankets, from soles to software, from loo bowls to washing machines, name it and you will find it at the Sunday Bazaar.

Dumbbells for Sale (Photo Courtesy - Subbarayan Prasanna)

It all started as a market for secondhand goods. It continues to be one. But of late, you will see brand new items jostling for space with old on the streets.  As you walk along the lanes and bye lines, you will be surprised to see items you had never thought of.  Old coins, old books, binoculars, old cameras, radios, LP records and antique stuff......if you have patience to look around and check you will be surprised with list.  Home décor items, tools and equipments, mixer-grinders, washing machines, television sets, music systems, DVD players, refrigerators, garments, blankets, gym equipments, pen-drives, imported watches. List is endless.

Yes, you need to bargain for the prices. The traders are also aware of this. So it is the question of who has better bargaining skills. 

It is a good place to pick up stuff of yester years. Also good for human watching, to see the energy of people who throng every Sunday to buy items at cheaper cost. We go there once in a while to pick up some knick knacks or an antique lock or an old camera. We have never come back disappointed. 

Post Script - This is not like a leisurely shopping you experience in Malls in an air conditioned atmosphere. You will not get branded items here. Wear a cap and sunglasses. Carry bottles of water. The complete area of Old Bangalore will be like a huge market. It is up to you to explore. Based on your patience and time!

Please take a look at this nice Photo Essay on Sunday Bazaar by Subbarayan Prasanna 

Sunday Bazaar on BVK Iyengar Road

Have you had similar Bazaar experience? Do share it.

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Back of the blog - A checklist for Gourmets on travel in India!

So, you love to travel.

And you are a foodie and love to experience local tastes when you travel. Masala Dosa in Bangalore, Chettinad chicken in Chennai, Sorpotel in Panjim, Ghevar in Jaipur, Dahi Vada in Indore, Suleimani chai in Bhopal, Lassi or bhang laced thandai in Benaras, Hilsa in Calcutta, lovely Tibetan cuisine in Dharamshala or alu dum in Kashmir.......

The variety is just amazing. We love to explore local taste whenever we travel. The first thing we do when we land in a new place is to figure out what is famous in that place and which is the best restaurant. 

We were browsing old copies of India today travel plus magazine and noticed a list for gourmets to explore the cuisine of India in of its issue in 2012. Here it is.....

A checklist for Gourmets on travel in India

Also, a nice list of India's iconic dishes by Priya and Anurag who are gourmets and quintessential travellers.

Gourmet Junction - India's Iconic Dishes

Here is our own A to Z list. 26 of them....though the list is indicative. Being veggies, we could only list vegetarian stuff.

a) Masala Dosa - Town Canteen (Chikmagalur), Vidyarthi Bhavan (Bangalore), Janardhana Hotel (Bangalore), Circle Tiffin Room (CTR) (Bangalore), MTR (Bangalore)

b) Khara Bath - MTR (Bangalore)

c) Idli & Vada - Brahmin's Coffee Bar (Bangalore)

d) Paranthas - Paranthe Wale Galli, Old Delhi

e) Channa Batura - LMB (Lakshmi Misthan Bhandar), Jaipur

f) Mysore Pak - Ram Vilas Sweets (Gundanna Hotel), Bangalore

g) Pongal - The Bangala, Karaikudi

h) Vegetarian Thali - South Indian - MTR, Bangalore

i) Vegetarian Thali - Gujarati - Agashiye, Ahmedabad

j) Vegetarian Thali - Punjabi - Kesar dhaba and Brothers Dhaba, Amritsar

k) Vegetarian meal - Rajasthani - Chowki Dani, Jaipur

l) Lassi - Roadside stalls opposite Krishna Temple, Mathura & Blue Lassi, Varanasi

m) Dahi Vada - Joshi Dahi Vada, Sarafa Bazar, Indore

n) Chats - Sarafa Bazar, Indore

o) Pedha - Thakur peda, line bazar, Dharwad & Pedha in the shops opposite Krishna temple in Mathura, Pedha in Benaras

p) Kunda - Purohits, Camp, Belgaum

q) Davanagere Butter dosa - Kottureshwara, Opposite BDT Dental College, Davangere

r) Sabudana vada - Vaishali, Pune

s) Laddu - Lovely sweets (Jalandhar), Bahadura Sweets (Gwalior), Anand Sweets (Bangalore), Bandar laddu of Machilipatnam

t) Pal Kova or Milk cake - Venkateshwara, Srivilliputtur, Tamil Nadu

u) Jalebi - Gurdas Ram Jalebiwala (Amritsar), JB's (Guwahati), Old Famous Jalebiwala (Old delhi)

v) Malpua - Halwai shops in Pushkar

w) Rassogulla/Sandesh - Bhim Chandra Nag (Kolkata), Chittaranjan (Kolkata)

x) Poori - MTR (Bangalore), LMB(Jaipur), JB's (Guwahati)

y) Pav Bhaji - Stalls in Chowpatti/Juhu in Mumbai

z) Cookies - Kayani bakery (Pune), Karachi Bakery (Hyderabad), Varrier Bakery (Bangalore)

Let us end the list with pan and Chai/Coffee

Pan - Where else but Benares aka Varanasi

Chai - Suleimani chai in Bhopal, Boiler chai in Tamil Nadu

Coffee - South Thindies, MTR, Maiyyas in Bangalore, Kumbakonam degree coffee in Kumbakonam/Thanjavur

This was our indicative list. Which is your favourite place to eat? Please do share it with us.

If you have read this, dont miss the following posts on culinary adventure in India

Food Streets of Indore

In search of Suleimani Chai in Bhopal

Momos in Mirik!

Food Safari

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Back of the Blog - English Pubs, London at its best!

Back of the blog. Here we will share tit-bits and snippets on India/World Travel which may be useful for a traveller. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel. 

Continuing from London Eye and being weekend, this post has to be on English Pubs......

If at all Bangalore - my home town - has some connection with London - the city i like most - it must the pubs and bars. Both cities celebrate the pub culture and if you are in either of them, you have to visit any of the pubs to revel in the atmosphere there. Thankfully, in recent times, the pub culture in Bangalore is in upswing - with good ales - and in London the Government is taking positive action to save iconic pubs in the city.

Pubs in London is a world in itself. English who generally keep a stiff upper lip - you should experience that when you travel in the London tube or in suburban trains where there is pin drop silence - let their hair down after a pint in the pub. Anything goes here. The favourite topics of course are football, politics and gossip. A typical English office goer will leave his office around five in the evening, buy a copy of Evening Standard in the neighbouring kiosk and head to his favourite pub for a pint before catching a train home. His buddies will join him there or he will join one of the gangs who will be there in the pub. If the day is Friday, the crowd is boisterous and lively than ever.

Why am i talking about pubs in London now? Two days back i read about good news of British government taking positive steps to make sure that good old pubs dont die a premature death at the hands of real estate sharks. This article in New York Times also kindled my memories of spending lovely evenings in the pubs of London during my stay there for a fortnight a decade ago.

Our office was on Fleet street. Bang opposite our office is the revered Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese pub which traces its history to 16th century. This was our hang out most of the evenings before our British friends caught their train back home. If we got bored of this place, then we headed to another icon - The Tipperary known for its gloomy charm.

Let me leave you with some pictures of the iconic pubs in London. Also some nice articles for you to read with a pint in hand over the weekend.

Better still head to a pub! You will love it.

The Oldest Irish pub in London

The table where Oliver Goldsmith, Samuel Johnson, Charles Dickens used to enjoy a beer

Lovely corner in the pub

The Iconic Tipperary pub....

A lovely collage of English pubs. Photo Courtesy Ian Halesey

Saving an endangered species - English pubs

A slide show on English pubs

Going back in time in Old England - Sip by Sip

Pub crawl in London!

For all information on drinking Beer in London, click here

London - City of Beer

What has been your experience of going to a pub in London? Do share it.

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Back of the blog - Great Travel Books and Travel Movies

Back of the blog. Here we will share tit-bits and snippets on India/World Travel which may be useful for a traveller. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel. 

We love reading travelogues and travel books. Whether it is Chatwin or Stevenson or Theroux or Bryson, we love reading them all.

We happened get this list from Matt (Matthew Kepnes) of Nomadic Matt website which we follow. The list looks interesting and it is possible you might read or seen many of them. If not pick up a book or a movie and enjoy this weekend!

Great Travel Books

Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche (My favorite book of 2013)
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (I've read this book at least five times)
The Turk Who Loved Apples by Matt Gross
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? by Thomas Kohnstamm
Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story by Tony Wheeler
The Beach by Alex Garland
Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler
Smile When You're Lying by Chuck Thompson
Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer
In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World. by The Lost Girls
The Longest Way Home by Andrew McCarthy

The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Pacific by J. Maarten Troost
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet by Heather Poole
The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost by Rachel Friedman
The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

Great Travel Movies

A Map for Saturday
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
The Art of Travel
The Beach

City of God
The Darjeeling Limited
Eurotrip
A Good Year
The Hangover
Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures
Into the Wild
Last Stop for PaulLawrence of Arabia
Midnight in Paris
The Motorcycle Diaries
Nowhere in Africa
Seven Years In Tibet
Thelma & Louise
Under the Tuscan Sun
Up in the Air
The Way
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

If you have some other favourites, do let us know. We will be glad to read them.

Check out interesting titbits on travel in the "Back of the blog" section here

Back of the blog - Tit-bits from Travel world!

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Back of the Blog - Indian Architecture by Takeo Kamiya

We all travel. If you are interested in visiting places which showcase India's heritage like us, then chances are that you need to do lot of research to get details about the place. These are places which are outstanding from Architectural perspective, places where we get amazed at the beauty of the buildings, sculptures etc.

Few years ago we chanced upon a gem of a book on Indian Architecture by Mr. Takeo Kamiya. A well-known Japanese architect, he has done yeoman's service in documenting India's architectural heritage in simple and lucid way with lot of pictures. Ever since we saw this book, it has been a constant companion when we travel. 

Here are few pictures from his book.

Chalukya Temples in Lakkundi, Karnataka

Bara Imambra complex, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Palace with Clock tower, Murshidabad, West Bengal

Jami Masjid, Champaner, Gujarat

There is also a website which gives all details. Here is the link.

Architecture of Indian Subcontinent

But the book is useful and convenient. You can carry it wherever you go. Get one and you will not regret it.

Back of the blog - Coffee Corner, Kottigehara

Back of the blog. Here we will share tit-bits and snippets on India Travel which may be useful for a traveller in India. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel in India. 

We are coffee aficionados. Give us good coffee and we love every sip of it. The pity is one does not get good coffee everywhere. What do you do when you are on a road trip but want to stop for a cup of coffee?

You have an excellent place to stop over if you are driving in Western Ghats between Chikmagalur to Mangalore.  It is "Coffee Corner". We tasted it first when it had just opened. That was three years back. Coffee was fresh and typical South Indian filter type. Ever since, we stop at this place whenever we travel on this road.

We were driving on the same road few months back and stopped over again. It was raining cats and dogs and a good cup of freshly brewed coffee was all that we needed to get energised.

We were not disappointed. The coffee was as good as we had years back. 

You will not miss this spot. This place is between Mudigere and Kottigehara before Banakal if you are coming from Mudigere. The signage is prominent. 

Stop over next time when you are driving on this road for a refreshing cup of coffee. 

Back of the blog - Kootagal Hill

Back of the blog. Here we will share tit-bits and snippets on India Travel which may be useful for a traveller in India. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel in India. 

Very close to Bangalore is Ramanagaram. 

The name of the place may not strike you immediately. If we say that this is the place where the Hindi magnum opus "Sholay" was shot, you will sit up and take notice. Yes, it is the same Ramnagar, which was made immortal by Ramesh Sippy and again by David Lean in "A Passage to India"

For people like us in Bangalore, Ramanagaram continue to charm. The boulders, the hills, the caves and pristine ponds inside the forest make it a good break from humdrum of life in Bangalore city. The rains in the last week have turned the whole area green. We drove through this region last week the landscape was spectacular, though we didn't go to Kootagal hill in particular.

We read an interesting account of travel by B V Prakash to Kootagal hill and legend behind the rocks in Deccan Herald today. We couldn't resist sharing it with you.

Kootagal Hill - Where love endures amidst rocks!

Read on and go there this weekend for stroll among the rocks. You can also make small detour to visit Kanva reservoir, which must be full after a bountiful rain in last few weeks.

Photo Courtesy - Anurag Jain

Back of the blog - "On Being Tentbound"

Back of the blog. Here we will share tit-bits and snippets on India Travel which may be useful for a traveller in India. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel in India. 

We were browsing in "Select Bookshop", the venerable second hand bookshop in Bangalore. I was looking for some travel books when I saw a book titled "Eiger Dreams". A small book, it is written by Jon Krakauer who is one of the respected mountaineers and also a well-known travel writer. 

There are interesting essays on mountaineering, mountaineers and other adventures. Of the lot, there is one essay, which is all about “On Being Tentbound”. Funny and insightful, Jon writes about being stuck in a tent for days. It’s a quite humorous essay ruminating on the sometimes tender psyche of adventurers, and what can happen to the vulnerable mindsets of adrenaline junkies when, due to weather, their expeditions come to a forced halt. Some of us would have undergone a similar experience while on treks whether in India or anywhere. Reading it surely bring back some memories. 

An excerpt from New York Times review on the book...

"In EIGER DREAMS: Ventures Among Men and Mountains (186 pp., Lyons & Burford, $17.95), Jon Krakauer adopts a strategy much like Mr. Mewshaw's when answering a question asked him by family, friends and even utter strangers: why would you want to risk your life climbing a mountain? In this collection of essays, most of which were written for Outside and Smithsonian magazines, Mr. Krakauer uses subtle tactics: ''I circle the issue continually, poke at it from behind with a long stick now and then, but at no point do I jump right in the cage and wrestle with the beast directly, mano a mano.''

Mr. Krakauer, who is well regarded among my friends in the climbing community, believes that ''climbing strikes that chord in the public imagination most often associated with sharks and killer bees.'' In this book, he aims ''to prune away some of this overgrown mystique.'' And these pieces, which take us from Mt. McKinley to Chamonix to Pakistan, do just that. The title essay, for instance, is an account of a failed attempt on the deadly North Face of the Eiger in Switzerland. This Alpine wall is terrifying, and Mr. Krakauer considers it a matter of ''luck'' that the weather forced him down.

The reader who knows little about climbing will learn much from ''Eiger Dreams,'' but Mr. Krakauer has taken the literature of mountains onto a higher ledge. It used to be that men ''conquered'' mountains in a cacophony of gratuitous chest-thumping. Today, climbers who write feel compelled to experience epiphanies on the summit. Personally, I'm suspicious about this continual and simultaneous achievement of summit and epiphany. It's as if someone told you that he and his lover always have simultaneous orgasms. You'd detect a certain falseness in the claim.

Mr. Krakauer has set out to strip away that falseness. His snow-capped peaks set against limitless blue skies present problems that inspire irrefutable human experiences: fear and triumph, damnation and salvation. There is a beauty in his mountains beyond that expressed in conventional sermons. His reverence is earned, and it's entirely genuine."

Here is a link to the book on Google books. Better buy a copy. Enjoy the journey with Jon! You will not be satiated though!

Google Book extract - On Being tentbound

Photo Credit - Paul Sydney

Back of the Blog - Coorg from the Sky!

Back of the blog. Here we will share tit-bits and snippets on India Travel which may be useful for a traveller in India. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel in India. 

We all know that Coorg is beautiful. The green vistas, lovely waterfalls, wildlife, people, cuisine......every aspect of Coorg makes it an enchanting place. We also know that Coorgis love adventure and outdoor activities.

Did you know that you can see the "Scotland of the East" from the sky? We read about it and waiting for the rainy season get over to experience the thrill of seeing the rolling hills of Brahmagiri ranges from the sky.

Muthanna and Tanya makes it happen through their agency Coorg Sky Adventures. Passionate about the sport and trained pilots, they will send you up in the air to see Coorg from the sky. Here is the link their website.

Coorg Sky Adventures

We are waiting for the rains to stop to hop on and soar into the sky, above the lovely hills of Coorg. Be sure you hop into these birds when you visit Coorg next time. Till then do enjoy the video shot by them.

The Video

Want to know more about Coorg? For related posts on Coorg please click here

Coorg

If you like this post, please Share It. If you need more information on planning a trip to Coorg, pls write to poorna62@gmail.com

Happy to help.

Back of the Blog - "A Walk in the woods" by Bill Bryson

Back of the blog. Here we will share tit-bits and snippets on India Travel which may be useful for a traveller in India. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel in India. 

When we were packing the bags for the Great lake trek in Kashmir, the first thing we packed was an old copy of Bill Bryson's classic on trekking Appalachian Trail in America. I have read it many times and each time it provides a new insight. On a long trek covering more than 50 KMs in Kashmir, this would be the best companion. It is funny, serious and typical Bill. 

This book has no connection with travelling in India. But it is a story which every trekker feel, wherever they go.......Himalayas, Western ghats.........

Relevant to this date, we in India can definitely relate to the insights provided in the book .

Some pictures of the trail from the Net.......

Here is what Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, the reviewer in New York Time wrote when it was first published in 1998.

"A Walk in the Woods" is a funny book, full of dry humor in the native-American grain. It is also a serious book. Nothing really terrible happened to the author, but by playing on our fears, he captures the ambivalence of our feelings about the wild. We revere it but we're also intimidated. We want to protect animals but we also want to kill them. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but they also "choke off views and leave you muddled and without bearings." He continues: "They make you feel small and confused and vulnerable, like a small child lost in a crowd of strange legs." 

For full review, click here.

NYT Review

Bill takes you through the trail without you sweating a drop. Just pick up a copy from somewhere and read it. You won't regret the time spent with him!

Back of the blog - Everest @ 60

Back of the blog. Here we will try and share tit-bits and snippets on India Travel which may be useful for a traveller in India. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel in India.

It is Sixty years since Mount Everest was conquered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. I have been reading a fantastic book by Mike Conefrey on the first ascent of Everest. The book captures the complete account of the ascent, the grit and determination of the whole team in trying circumstances.

Here is a review of the book in "The Guardian"

Everest 1953 - The Epic story of first ascent - A review

If you love mountains - who doesn't - then take a look at this lovely video on Mt Everest

Celebrating Everest - AlJazeeera video

Also read the brilliant first hand account of covering ascent of Everest in 1953 by Peter Jackson, the Reuters correspondent.

Assignment Everest

And of course, don't forget to read experiences by famed mountaineers, see outstanding pictures on National Geographic. Published to celebrate fifty years of first ascent in 2003, it is still makes one get goose bumps!

Everest @ 50

Back of the Blog - Dokhra work (Bell Metal Craft) of Chattisgarh

Chattisgarh is an amazing state. The state is rich in handicraft tradition with skilled tribals practicing myriad crafts.

When we were planning on a road trip in 2010 to this exciting state, one of the reasons for us to decide on Chattisgarh was the handicrafts of the region. We knew about the richness of Dokhra work or delicate Terracota or the works from wrought iron or the wood carvings - these were always exquisite. While we were keen to take away some excellent terracota stuff, we were sure that it won't sustain the long road trip we were under taking. So, the ideal take away was the "Pride of Chattisagrh" which is the Dokhra work.

The cradle of Dokhra tradition in Chattisgarh is a small town of Kondagaon which falls mid way between Jagdalpur and Kanker.  We stopped at a place where Dokhra sculptures were being made by skilled workers. A cumbersome and time consuming process involving making of clay models, pouring molten alloy of metals, allowing it to cool and then carve them nicely to get a refined figure. The process requires skills and patience which were abundant among the boys who were busy in doing the work.

We also went and met Mr Jaidev Baghel, Master Craftsman and National Award winner for the craft. A simple man he was kind enough to show us his designs.

We bought along a beautiful sculpture of "Rudra Shiva" and "Saraswathi" which now adorns the living room of our home. 

Dokhra sculptures being made by skilled workers 

A show room in Kondagaon displaying array of Dokhra sculptures 

Rudra Shiva and Saraswathi in our Living room

If you are traveling to Chattisgarh, dont miss out to witness the process of making Dokhra artifacts and pick up a piece to adorn your drawing room.

Useful links

Dokhra work

Back of Blog - Kohima War Cemetery

Last week i was reading about Hornbill festival of Nagaland. The colourful, boisterous and lively festival of the people of Nagaland. The festival showcases the tribal culture of Nagaland. More about that in another post.

When i was reading about it, my memories went back twenty five years when i visited Kohima while in the army and went to see the second world war cemetery built by British.

You should hand it to British to ensure that honour and sacrifice made by the soldiers is never forgotten. Do you know as a country, India do not have a national war memorial even after 65 years of Independence? All war memorials are built by British - remember India Gate in Delhi - or by Army in their regimental centres.

Kohima cemetery is a place not be missed by anyone who is fond of history and to remember our brave soldiers who died for the country. Immaculately maintained in the best British tradition by Commonwealth War Graves Commission, it is a place you will not forget easily.

This cemetery was built in memory of those who laid down their lives while successfully repulsing the advancing Japanese forces during the Second World War

This was Deputy Commissioner's Tennis Court where the British and Indian forces successfully resisted the advancing Japanese forces for two months. A memorial has since been erected in honour of those who laid down their lives fighting the Japanese forces during April-June 1944.

The tomb stones are so nicely arranged with names on them. There are many unnamed soldiers as well. Some families of martyred soldiers visit the cemetery and offer tribute every year

The plaque on the tomb stone

The famous quote......

When you plan a trip to North East next time, be there to enjoy the Horn Bill Festival. At the same time don't forget to visit the cemetery with so many poignant memories......

Useful Links

Kohima Cemetery - Commonwealth War graves Commission

Battle of Kohima - World War II

Back of the Blog - Sundowner experience in Udaipur

Back of the blog. Here we will share tit-bits and snippets on India Travel which may be useful for a traveller in India. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel in India. 

This thought came to me as i was driving back home after another day in the office. As i climbed Agara flyover in Bangalore, i saw the sun setting in the horizon. It was brilliant Orange, red, crimson .....all put together. It was a spectacle for few seconds as i descended the ramp and went about maneuvering the potholes on the road. Waiting for the signal to turn green at notorious silk board junction, nostalgia stuck me. It was a lovely sunset indeed. What about a sundowner?

We have had some of the memorable sundowners experience during our travel. Of course, Goa comes first. Can anyone deny that most pleasurable activity in Goa is to sit on those beach chairs in a shack and sip bubbly as the sun goes down slowly in the horizon? A lovely place to have a sundowner is the beach restaurant in Hyatt. It is dot on the beach which is not crowded.

Our other favourite sundowner experience was on the deck at Fateh Prakash Palace hotel in Udaipur. Aptly named as "The Sunset Terrace", this restaurant must be one of the most romantic places. The setting is the king here. The backdrop of the lit up palace as the sun goes down adds to the beauty of the evening. Then you have the lake in front reflecting the colours of the setting sun. Stewards with colourful head gear are always ready to serve you the sundowner. Classical music in the background.

Oh Boy,what else to ask for!! It was one of the best "sundowner experience" for us.

The Deck at "The Sunset terrace "with beautifully lit palace as the backdrop

Sunset as seen from the restaurant. Notice the lake palace in the middle of the lake.

Next time around, begin your Night with a Sundowner by the lake...... 

One of the best ways to enjoy the sunset is to sip a sundowner by the lake when on a holiday in Udaipur as the sun goes down behind Aravalis......

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Back of the blog - Liquor from Mahua Flowers in Chattisgarh!

Back of the blog. Here we will share tit-bits and snippets on India Travel which may be useful for a traveller in India. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel in India. 

Chattisgarh in Central India is an amazing state. It is rich in flora and fauna. It is known for its indigenous tribal culture which is intact to a large extent though civilization is slowly creeping in. 

One of the interesting thing we found while traveling in Chattisgarh was the liquor which is brewed out of the flowers of Mahua tree which grows abundant in the forests. The tribals collect the mahua flowers which fall, dry them and then make liquor by fermenting it. 

Called locally as "Mahua" is is tangy and has high alcohol content to give you a good "kick"!

Dried Mahua flowers being sold in weekly market in Chattisgarh

Next time when you are touring Chattisgarh or Jharkhand or Orissa, make sure you taste this unadulterated country liquor which is sold in tribal "Haats" or weekly markets to feel high!!

Useful Links

Mahua in Wiki

Did you like this post? Please share it with your friends. If you want to know more about traveling  in Chattisgarh or Bastar, please write @ poorna62@gmail.com

Back of the Blog - Pondicherry French Architecture

Pondicherry is a regular haunt for us having been there many times.

Many visitors to Pondy spend time visiting regular sightseeing places like The Marina, Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville or Matri Mandir. For us, the beauty of the town lies in the French architecture of its buildings on the other side of the canal in what is known as French quarters.

The pleasing colours of Orange and Yellow on the walls, large french windows, tall gates personify the glory of yesteryear. Walking around the French quarters early in the morning before the town wakes up is a pleasure. The best way to do it is to get up early to experience the sunrise on the marina and then walk along the streets with French names to feel the French ambience all around.

Better still - join the guided heritage walk organised by Pondy branch of INTACH which is doing pioneering work in the city in restoring the heritage structures. The tour takes an hour and a half and worth every minute. I am not sure how long will these buildings remain as many of them are being bought over, demolished and new ones built.

Large french windows and balcony add beauty to this building

Notice the difference in window design on ground and first floors

Details of a typical window

Top it up with a excellent breakfast at Rendezvous on Rue Suffren street. You can also stay in one of many restored heritage Pondicherry Hotels while on your next trip to the city.

For more details on Pondicherry architecture please visit INTACH Pondicherry website here

INTACH - Preserving Pondicherry Architectural heritage

Back of the Blog - Sunflowers on the way to Goa

Back of the blog. Here we will share tit-bits and snippets on India Travel which may be useful for a traveller in India. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel in India. 

The fun of road trips is the freedom it gives one to stop and explore the road side sights. Driving in India provides ample opportunities to explore the country. It can be a lovely landscape or a small little temple or a local market or a well known local hotel famous for its delicacy...........the choice is limitless. 

When we were driving to Goa for new year holiday in Dec 2011, we were floored by the yellow expanse of sunflowers against a clear blue sky after Hubli on the way to Karwar near Kalghatgi. It was morning and the flowers were still fresh. It was a beautiful sight soothing for the eyes. We have come across similar sights of sunflowers in full glory while driving between Badami and Belgaum and also after Chitradurga while driving to Hampi from Bangalore. 

If you are driving in Haryana or Punjab in North India during December - January, you will be welcomed by the yellow mustard fields in full bloom similar to the one you would have seen in the Bollywood blockbuster "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ)"!! .........take a look at this video from the movie

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in DDLJ

Velvety grey sugarcane flowers will wave at you in Western Indian state of Maharashtra..... especially in and around temple town of Shirdi or in Mandya district in Karnataka in South India if you are driving in December.

So, next time when you drive around in the country do look for these colourful sights. They are the stress busters for a tiring road trips..........

Have you experienced similar sights during your travel? Please do share.

Did you like this post? Do share it with your friends if it is helpful to them.

Back of the Blog - William Arthur Memorial Church in Gubbi

Back of the blog. Here we will share tit-bits and snippets on India Travel which may be useful for a traveller in India. It may be some new information about the place, a new cuisine one can explore, a bit of history, a funny anecdote or a good travel book. Anything connected to Travel in India. 
Many a time, we come across little gems whenever we go on a road trip. This is one of the reason why travel is so exciting. More so when you travel in India!!

During our many trips to interiors of Karnataka, especially Malnad ( For details on exploring Malnad region, please click here) region, we have to cross a small town named Gubbi after Tumkur in South India. As we entered Gubbi Town - 90 KMs from Bangalore - we were surprised to see a cute little church built in Gothic style on the highway. It is just out of the blue. The architecture and colours have blended so nicely to make it an eye-catching building.

I am not sure who was responsible to build this church though the plaque says that it was built in the year 1904. If you know more about this church, please do share with us.

William Arthur Memorial Church in Gubbi

Next time when you are driving to Shimoga or Chikmagalur via Tumkur, just stop over for few minutes to look at this nice little church.