Within India - Best Places of Interest

April 16, 2018 Travel, Within India

Tourism in Gujarat – Things to do in Gujarat

Been listening to Amitabh Bachchan’s urgings for ‘Kuch din toh guzariye Gujarat mein’ and wondering what exactly to do in Gujarat during your vacation? Well, we have prepared a concise guide that would tell you what you ought to do while in the culturally rich terrains of Gujarat.

Explore Wildlife

Wildlife enthusiasts have a lot to explore in the many National Parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Gujarat. In fact, its four National Parks and twenty-three wildlife sanctuaries occupy 8.7% of its geographical area. This is more than double the national average! The first thing that comes to mind when wildlife exploration is mentioned of Gujarat state are the state’s status as the sole home of Asiatic lions in the world. Let the thickets of Gir National Park reveal their hidden dwellers, expect to spot wide array of animals and birds in a wildlife safari.

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Tribes and Wilds in Gujarat- Part 2

Get to know the ocean’s family better at India’s first Marine National Park in Gulf of Kutch. Blackbuck National Park, Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, Vansda National Park, Purna Wildlife, Thol Lake Bird sanctuary and Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary are some other must-visit destinations in this state remarkably rich in biodiversity. Talking of wildlife exploration, don’t forget to include the pleasures of witnessing the race of elegant Asian wild asses against salt flats in your itinerary. You might try to join in the race and try your chances as well!

Get lost in the white expanses of Rann of Kutch

This milky white stretch of 7,505 sq km is a true geographical wonder! Yes, the surreal sense evoked by the beautiful pictures of Rann of Kutch is true of the actual site as well. If you happen to be in Gujarat during November, do not miss to witness the famed Rann Utsav. Breathing in the serene environ of Rann of Kutch under the shimmering glow of full moon is a treat to your senses. The ethereal beauty of the arid salt marsh is beautifully complemented by the ethnic hues brought in by its native population.

Follow the trails of its long coastline

Did you know that Gujarat has the longest coastline in the entire country? A visit to Gujarat is incomplete without letting its beaches let you feast on the undulating rhythms of the sea. Diu beach, Nargol beach, Tithal beach, Dwaraka beach and Jamnagar beach are some of the most popular tourist attractions in the state, let their magical shores relax and rewind your senses.

Soak up The Tribal Charm of Saputara

The only hill station in this predominantly arid land, Saputara translates to ‘abode of snakes’. Enter its nature’s womb, let the lush green forests and beautiful waterfalls feed the arid regions of your soul. One of its chief attractions is the 75 m drop of Gira Falls amidst spectacular greenery. Explore its cold and misty environ upon foot. One ought to learn about the rich ethnic culture of its native tribal population as well, visit their shrines for serpent gods upon the beautiful banks of Sarpaganga river.

Experience Gandhiji’s essence at Sabarmati Ashram

Sabarmati Ashram, nestling upon the serene banks of river Sabarmati, had served as the home for Mahatma Gandhi during a crucial period of his illustrious political life. Get to know more about his life and philosophy through the many exhibitions, archives, galleries and relics at the museum in Ashram. Visitors can let the 90 min guided walking tour across the precincts of the ashram educate one further about this great son of India’s soil. Let its austere premises help you experience the remnants of his essence that still live in this land.

Arise upon the wings of hot air balloon over Kankaria Lake

Think lakes, and the first thing that comes to one’s mind are images of boating. But Kankaria Lake in Ahmedabad lets you rise high in the air as well. Indulge in the pleasures of a hot air balloon whilst visiting Kankaria Lake.

Worship at Ancient Shrines

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga in Dwarka, Gujarat — Nageshwar Jyotirlinga in Dwarka

Join in the thousands who flock to the state for Darshan at the holiest of Shrines- Somnath Jyotirlinga, Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, Dwarkadhish Temple and Shri Arasuri Ambaji Temple. Let their sacred essence nourish your spiritual longings as well!

Jim Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett National Park is one of the few national parks in India which allows night halts in the heart of the forest. For this, tourist complexes at Dhikala, Gairal and Bijrani are to be booked in advance. Jim Corbett Park, mainland Asia’s ﬁrst National Park, spans over 1318.54 sq. kms, of which 520 sq. kms is the main area and the remaining is the buffer area. In 1936, the Park was named Hailey National Park but later renamed Corbett National Park (after James Edward Corbett, the famous hunter turned conservationist). Subsequently, the Park came under Project Tiger in 1971 for its population of the Royal Bengal Tiger and has also been declared as an ‘lmportant Bird Area’ (IBA) by Birdlife International for its many bird varieties.

Comprising mainly marshy, riverine belts, grasslands and a large lake, the Park can be viewed in an open wheeler jeep or on elephant back. It shelters a healthy population of tigers, known to kill much larger animals like buffalos and even elephants for food! The call of the sambar is believed to be a good indicator of the presence of the predator! The Park has leopards in the hilly areas and a sizable population of jungle cats, ﬁshing cats and leopard cats.

The Park is also home to rare species of fauna like otters, four to ﬁve species of deer, the ﬁsh eating crocodile, Indian elephants, the Indian python, local crocodiles and gharials, the Asiatic black bear, hog deer, walking deer, sambar, sloth bear and yellow-throated marten, among many others. It also hosts aqua fauna and birdlife with approximately 650 species including the great pied hornbill, white-backed vulture, Hodgson’s bushchat, orange breasted green pigeon, Pallas ﬁsh eagle, golden oriole, tawny ﬁsh owl and Indian Pitta.

For convenience, Corbett has been divided into different zones – The Bijrani Safari Zone, popular for its abundant natural beauty and open grasslands; the Jhirna Safari Zone, open for tourists round the year; the Dhela Safari Zone, a new ecotourism zone in tiger reserve zone popular for its wealthy ﬂora and fauna; the Dhikala Zone, the largest and most varied zone and is famous for its abundant natural beauty and a night stay here is not to be missed; and the Durga Devi Zone, a bird watchers’ paradise. The Sitabani Buffer Zone, although doesn’t fall under the Corbett Tiger Reserve area, is visited for its serene ambiance.

Rivers are the lifeline of wildlife and Corbett is fed by 3 of them — the Ramganga, the Kosi, and the Sonanadi. The Park remains open from the mid-November to mid-June with some parts like the Jhirna Zone open round the year. Also, the Birjani zone is open from mid-October to mid-June; and the Dhikala Zone from November 15 to mid-June. Interestingly, during monsoons the road of Dhikala and Birjani gets completely washed away. Do visit the Kaladhungi Museum which used to be the house of the legendary Jim Corbett, as also the museum at the Dhangarhi Gate, where you can get to see some of the preserved tiger, leopard and other wild animals. All visitors to Corbett National Park have to obtain permits.

Want to enjoy a game of cricket? A little away but surrounded by deep forest Jim Corbett Park, matches are played on the ‘Turf’ pitch. For this please check on coaching camps who offer a facility of net practice on ‘Turf’ and cemented pitches.

March 12, 2018 Travel, Within India

Panch Kedar – Five Chosen Abodes of Lord Shiva in Himalayas

Uttarakhand also was known as ‘Devbhumi’ or ‘Land of Gods’ is indeed one of the most sacred abodes of God on this earth. Of the many pilgrimage Yatras leading to Uttarakhand, the Panch Kedar Yatra information is a quite prominent one.

The Panch Kedars are a group of the five most revered Lord Shiva temple namely Kedarnath, Rudranath, Kalpeshwar, Tungnath, Madhyamaheshwar that dot the Garhwal region of the Himalayas. The history and legends associated with the temples of Panch Kedar date back to the epic eras of Mahabharata and thus are quite ancient temples.

Most of these temples lie on the most untouched and remote parts of the Himalayas that are inaccessible by the motorable roads. Thus, most routes to the temples require a good amount of seasoned trekking. Undertaking the trek to Panch Kedar lets you embark on a real magnificent tour across the most difficult terrains of the high Himalayas and it is indeed an experience worth cherishing all through your life. A proper pilgrimage tour of the Panch Kedar takes you nearly 15 to 16 days to be completed successfully.

Mythology

The existence of Panch Kedar can well be associated with the legendary tales dating back to the era of the Mahabharata. According to legendary tales, the Pandavas were struck by an immense sense of guilt for having killed their own kinsmen in the battle of Mahabharata. To get rid of their sinful act, they prayed to Lord Shiva who however was too very enraged with their actions on the battlefield. So, he evaded them by taking the guise of a bull and hiding at Guptakashi. Pandava brother Bhima, however, recognized Shiva hidden in the shell of a bull and tried to catch hold of the bull by the tail. But Lord Shiva in the guise of the bull slipped out of his hands and disappeared. Later, he appeared in five different parts in the five different regions of Garhwal. Hump appeared in Kedarnath, a face appeared in Rudranath, and arms appeared in Tungnath, navel appeared in Madhyamaheshwar, hair appeared in Kalpeshwar. In order to please the lord Pandavas erected temples at all these five locations that later came to be known as Panch Kedars collectively. The Panch Kedar Yatra should be carried out in the following order first Kedarnath, second Tungnath, third Rudranath, fourth Madhyamaheshwar, and fifth Kalpeshwar.

Read on to learn more

Kedarnath Temple

Kedarnath temple perched at an elevation of 3584 meters above the sea level falls within Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district and is dedicated to Lord Kedarnath or Lord Shiva. Kedarnath temple is one of the highest Jyotirlingams of Lord Shiva where the lingam is shaped like a cone quite resembling the hump of a bull. One can reach Kedarnath shrine only after trekking a distance of 14kms from Gaurikund base camp.

Tungnath Temple

Tungnath temple of Lord Shiva is perched at an elevation of 3680 meters above the sea level and can be reached by a 4 km long trek from Chopta base camp. Myths say that the arms of the lord had appeared at this place. Sights embellished with high Himalayan peaks, emerald meadows, and colorful rhododendrons will greet you on your way to Tungnath.

Rudranath Temple

As per legends lord Shiva’s face had appeared at this place. A rock shrine made naturally at an elevation of 2286 meters above the sea level has been dedicated to lord Tungnath. Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of Neelkanth Mahadev at Rudranath and the lingam most uniquely resembles a face. Trek to Rudranath can be undertaken from several locations at Gopeshwar.

Madhyamaheshwar Temple

The shrine of Madhyamaheshwar is perched at an elevation of 3289m above the sea level. As per myths the middle part or navel region of Lord Shiva often called the ‘Madhya’ part fell on this place. Bartoli and Uniana are the two places from where the trek to Madhyamaheshwar can be started.

Kalpeshwar Temple

This temple of the Panch Dwarka lies in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district and in the valley of Urgam. As per myths, the matted locks of Lord Shiva had appeared at this place. Thus, Lord Shiva is referred to as Jateshwar or Jatadhari at the shrine of Kalpeshwar. The temple of Kalpeshwar stands at an elevation of 2200 meters above the sea level.

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Kedarnath Temple – The Sacred Dham to Moksha

March 5, 2018 Travel, Within India

Kedarnath Temple – The Sacred Dham to Moksha

Across India, there are twelve Jyotirlinga. It is expounded in Shiv Purana that Lord Shiva would specifically stay at 12 different locales as eternal Jyoti. Being able to visit each of these Jyotirlinga is considered to be such a blessing. At Kedarnath rests the pristine Jyotirlinga, one of the twelve across the Indian subcontinent. No wonder thousands of pilgrims brave the difficult terrain of its trajectory to reach Kedarnath. Paying one’s obeisance at Kedarnath Temple would require the pilgrim to trek uphill for about 19 km from Gaurikund. You could well consider the perils of the journey as a metaphor for one’s inner struggles before letting the inner Divine fully take the lead in one’s life. Or is akin to Maa Parvati’s rigorous spiritual practice to win over Lord Shiva as her husband, which she undertook in Gauri Kund.

The temple is located near the banks of the Mandakini River in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand. The temple similar to sacred shrines located in icy cold Himalayan terrain opens for darshan only six months a year. It remains open from Akshaya Tritiya (April) till Kartika Purnima (November). The idol is transferred to Ukhimath Omkareshwar Temple during the winter to ensure the continuance of Pooja rituals throughout the year.

History

The beautiful stone edifice of the temple standing on a plateau amidst snow-clad mountains dates back to the eighth century BCE. Although, the temple of Kedarnath is believed to have been first built by Pandavas in Dwapara Yuga.

There’s an interesting tale linking its conception with the Pandava brothers in which the five brothers were struck with intense remorse at their having murdered their own family members in the bloody Kurukshetra war. Upon being advised to seek forgiveness from Lord Shiva and the Lord eluding them in spite of their arduous search for them, their curiosity was piqued by encountering a certain bull. Bhim is said to have engaged in forced combat with the bull at the end of which the bull dived into the ground. This left its posterior, hump above the surface. Actually, Lord Shiva had only taken the shape of the bull to delude himself from the Pandavas. It is said that different body parts of the bull became visible at different sites in the Garhwal Himalayas, each of whom Pandavas raised a temple in honor of Shiva and prayed for redemption. Lord Shiva is said to have been pleased with their penances and freed them from their karmic sins.

How to Reach-

If you prefer to travel by road, you can travel towards Kedarnath from any of the adjacent major cities and/or pilgrimage stopovers like Delhi, Rishikesh, Nagpur, Haridwar, Mussoorie, and Chandigarh. Once one reaches Sonprayag/Gaurikund, the next phase of the journey begins – an uphill trek of 16-19 Km to the sacred shrine.

One can remit the strenuous effort involved in reaching Kedarnath by opting for helicopter services to Kedarnath. The helicopter service usually begins from Sahastradhara Helipad at Dehradun.

Sightseeing:

The trail from Gaurikund to Kedarnath would let one into intimate encounters with Himalayan topography. The trail is not just a mere test of one’s physical endurance but also of one’s spiritual ardor. If not for the unadulterated mountainous beauty that accompanies one’s ascent up the trail, hardly would have anyone had the motivation to persist in finishing the trek.

Other than the Kedarnath shrine, one also ought to pay obeisance at Bhairavnath Temple. The temple housing the fierce form of Lord Shiva is worshipped as the guardian deity in the entire area. The panorama from the temple’s premises of the entire Kedar Valley is utterly mesmerizing.

Accommodation

There is provision for temporary accommodation near the temple premises in the form of tent houses and a few guesthouses. It is thereby advisable to finish the Darshan and return downhill to stay in any of the hotels in the Kedarnath Temple area.

Best Time to Visit

Of the six months, the temple remains open for Darshan; it is advisable to avoid travel plans during monsoon season. Thus, the best time to procure blessings of Kedarnath includes May, June (pre-monsoon), September (post-monsoon), and October.

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