Of temples, poets and mountain roads Dharmasthala – Kudremukh

Wed, Aug 25 10:37 AM
Oh, grime, fumes and potholes of the city, we bid goodbye to you. The countryside is calling and away we go...

There is some sense of fulfilment when we tread the paths that few tourists take. Maybe it reaffirms the image that we have of ourselves as hardened travellers... This is one such journey.

The Jog Falls maybe the most popular tourist spot that we hit, but the rest of the countryside, the charming tea and coffee estates of Kudremukh and the poet Kuvempu's memorial were some of the real gems that we found in this journey

We travelled through the windy roads of North Kerala to enter the coastal highway... Read this travelogue

An Odyssey to the Land of Stones - Hampi

Sun, Mar 07 09:37 PM
This is the story of stones; stones that speak of a glorious past. They are the silent and wistful reminders of a prosperous and affluent kingdom. Let’s take a trip to Hampi, where silence speaks volumes...

We were all pretty charged up for the journey ahead, a journey that will take us through Hampi’s old stone city, Bijapur’s cemeteries and Badami’s cave temples. For all those who are regaled by the years of yore then Hampi and Bijapur is the place to visit. Places where even in dead silence stones scream of a celebrated history.

It was a balmy evening in June, neither the sun nor rain wanted to take the stage. All in all a good day to begin our five day journey which would take us through three states and cover 2400 km. The UNESCO heritage site Hampi and seven tourist spots in Northern Karnataka were on our agenda. It was going to be one race of a trip... Read this travelogue

Motorcycle Diaries - A rain drenched ride to Dhanushkodi

Sat, Nov 22 12:11 PM
Two bikers brave the elements and bratty bus drivers to explore a land of myths and controversies. A ride that took them through the scenic landscape of Tamil Nadu while experiencing the state’s rich culture, heritage and way of life.

We planned a ride that would take us from Kottayam in Kerala to Dhanushkodi at the tip of India. We would cruise through charming agricultural villages watered by Periyar and Vaiga. What we never planned was the rain that became our constant companion throughout the journey.

Dhanushkodi is a land where myth and history lie entwined. It is the land spoken of in legends and is very important in the Hindu religion. This tiny strip of land had become the centre of a tumultuous political and religious controversy that rocked the country not too long ago. The brouhaha surrounding the construction of... Read this travelogue

Heaven has Come Near - Shimla and Manali

Thu, Apr 30 11:05 AM
We were a small group of three and this was our first trip to the extreme north of India. Even before reaching the foothills of the Himalayas we could see the dense growth of coniferous trees crowding on either side of the winding road. The snow capped Himalayas were peeking through the tall oak and pine trees.

In the heydays of the British Raj in India, Shimla was their summer capital, lovingly called ‘the queen of hill stations’. All government and administrative machinery would move from Delhi to Shimla in the blistering summer months and stay in huge palatial bungalows. The famous book Freedom at Midnight by Larry Collins and Dominic Lapierre describes in humourous detail the teary adieu given by the British housewives to these lavish bungalows after India became independent.

Shimla is comparable to London in terms of its climatic conditions. The temperature in summer... Read this travelogue

Ramoji Film City Hollywood Humbled!

Sun, Feb 15 2009 11:15 AM
The fairy-tale city recreates the real and the reality goes surreal at times. A filmy drift through the larger-than-life vignettes of Ramoji Film City that humbled the Hollywood with its sheer splendour!

Driving past a cowboy street, we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of an African jungle. A few meters away we came across a European city and then, we had a brief stopover at a north Indian village nearby. Once in Ramoji Film City, the world’s largest film studio complex in a sprawling 1600 acres near Hyderabad, India, you can boast of becoming a globe-trotter at once.

It’s a dream factory for the film buffs and a fantasy world for tourists. We stared at the magnificent film sets unable to distinguish between the real and the fake.... Read this travelogue

Through a Realm of Rocks

Sun, Feb 15 2009 11:15 AM
The dusty flat terrain lay ahead, vast and desolate. Rock pieces scattered around hiding a mystic past in their uncanny shapes. Sometimes it seemed like a colossal bastion with strange carvings and towering minarets.

You might have started visualizing a cowboy film where the rough and tough guys ride to the extreme in pursuit of a hidden treasure. It was the same except for the cast and plot. The rustic rocky terrain spread to the horizon all across the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, one of the largest states in India. We were on our way to Hyderabad, across the Deccan Plateau.

We were now driving to the Venketeswara Temple, Thirupathi, one of the busiest pilgrimage centres in India and the world. Taking a left turn from the NH 5 going to Nelloor, it is 81 kms to Thirupathi.... Read this travelogue

Neolithic Wilderness! Trekking the Forest Lanes of Western Ghats

Mon, Dec 15 2008 07:45 AM
The huge ficus tree had a strong iron chain tied to its aged trunk that visibly wore the scars of history deeper into its marrow. We were at Lakkidi, the gateway to Wayanad and by the shade of a leafy monument. Under the cool shade we were reminded of a not-so-cool story, a blood chilling history in fact, with all the elements of a tragedy, and of an unsung hero.

We had just reached at the high-land plains close the fluffy welcoming clouds after a long steep drive, a virtual climb along the meandering highway that snaked through the lush green hills of the Western Ghats. It was the beginning of many a visit that we subsequently made to this land of mystic beauty. Picturesque, peaceful and unassuming, this area of wilderness had more to explore than the eyes could meet. The tree-in-chains is the first sight that awaits visitors who reach Lakkidi... Read this travelogue

A Goan Get-away! Diving through the busy Goan beaches..

Mon, Dec 15 2008 07:45 AM
“This country (India) is a paradise for criminals” -Charles Shobharaj
April 6, 1986. That was the day when Charles Gurumukh Sobharaj, a notorious international criminal, was arrested from a Portuguese restaurant in Panaji, the capital of Goa.  The quote above was reportedly pronounced by Shobharaj, while being interrogated by Mumbai police inspector Mr. Madhukar Shinde. Goa was the forever-favourite retreat of the bikini killer.

In other words, the beautiful settings and the historical backdrop of the Goan beaches offered a safe haven for this jail-bird who enchanted his victims, the police officers, the lawyers (it is said that a lady lawyer who appeared for Shobaraj in the court fell for him) and the journalists all alike.... Read this travelogue