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Seeing Snow in India

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

Come April, the snow accumulated in the cold winters start melting slowly into the rivers that rush down from the mountains. The lower regions in the mountains that wear a uniform grey during the winter months start regaining their original hues that vary from a lush green to a light brown. Within a month, there remains no trace of snow anywhere in the valleys. Only the peaks wear a white cap, proudly displaying their perennially blacnh summits. For those travelling into the mountains to escape from the summer heat, finding snow means having to travel deeper into the Himalayas. Late into summers after the month of June, seeing snow usually means trekking long distances into otherwise inaccessible heights. Yet, until the months of May-June, there are places where snow can be accessed with out having to struggle a lot. Here is a list of such places.

Manali – Rohtang Pass. Ease of access to Manali makes it the most popular destination where one can see snow in summers. Driving up towards Rohtang Pass from Manali, the snow point can be reached in an hour or two depending on the month you are there. One never fails to see snow in Rohtang till the end of June. Even in mid-July, there will be patches in depressions where snow refuses to melt. Being just a night’s drive from Delhi and even closer to Punjab, Manali is the place with easiest access to snow.

Snow in Rohtang Pass

Snow in Rohtang Pass

Uttarakhand – Auli and Gangotri. The winter snow starts melting early in the ski lodge of Auli, but for those who don’t mind walking a bit, there is always some snow available. Auli also adds up to the experience with some spectacular vista of Alaknanda Valley. In Gangotri too, snow starts receding in the summer months, but there is always plenty of it available at the glacial origins of Ganga for those willing to do some walking.

snow in auli

Snow in Auli

Tawang. The region above Tawang remains snow bound for most of the year and is easily accessed by road. It is a long journey from the plains, however the scenic route that initially takes you through very thick forest and later through spectacular mountain scenery is worth the effort. If you are lucky and if you get there early in the season, you may get to see some snow on the way too – at Sela Pass.

snow tawang

Snow in Sela Pass

Kashmir – Sonamarg and Gulmarg. Gulmarg gets so much snow that on a good year, people continue to ski in its slopes as late as end of March. Snow continues to be available even in the later months, especially so in Sonamarg.

While these are places where snow can be accessed easily from the road, there is no dearth of snow for the adventurous who don’t mind trekking for a few days. Some great places to see snow are in Paravati Valley in Himachal and Zanskar in Jammu and Kashmir.

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Images – Hills of the South

Friday, February 26th, 2010

As the winter makes way to the hot days rather abruptly this year, here is a compilation of cooler and inviting places in the south for spending the summer in.

Avalance Lake, Ooty

Avalanche Lake near Ooty is a vast body of water with superb blue colours. It is an hour’s drive from Ooty and easily accessibly by road.

ooty waterfall

A small waterfall near Ooty. Driving around Ooty just after rainy season, you will see many such waterfalls gushing down from the hills.

kodaikanal hills

The misty hils surrounding Kodaikanal have a pleasant weather through the summer, making it an ideal place to spend summer holidays and weekends.

nandi hills near Bangalore

Nandi Hills, just two hours away from Bangalore can sometime be witness to a magical play of sun, fog and clouds.

irpu falls, coorg

The Irpu waterfall in Coorg is located inside an evergreen patch of forest. Laxmana Teertha River descending from the Brahmagiri Ranges abruptly falls down a rock surface, forming this waterfall.

chikmagalur

The winding roads of the hills near Chikmagalur are a treat to drive through.

hills of chikmagalur

The beautiful green hills surrounding Chikmagalur have some of the finest scenery that you can see in Karnataka.

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Featured Weekend Getaways from Mumbai

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Mumbaikars enjoy the unique position of being close to hills as well as the sea. Come summer, the hills of Lonavla and Khandala invite visitors to escape from the heat and humidty of the city. The sea beckons everyone in the winter when the weather is pleasant. Here is a list of featured weekend getaways from Mumbai.

Lonavala

Lonavala.
Beautiful hills, calm lakes, striking green valley, historic caves, silent forts and gushing waterfalls are just the few things which describe the natural beauty of Lonavala. This place is a nature’s bounty and is full of green splendor. Lying very close to Mumbai and Pune, this polite hill town has become a prominent weekend holiday for residents in these maddening cities. Lonavala is also very famous for its history as the Marathas fought guerrilla war against the Mughals and later the British here. Discovered by Sir Elphinstone in 1811, Lonavala is situated at an altitude of 625mt from the sea level, in the hills Sahyadri Hills that lie in the state of Maharashtra. Though the word Lonavala is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Layan’, the actual meaning of this word is ‘a series of resting places’. Thus, there are plenty of tourist attractions in and around Lonavala.. Read more and plan your trip to Lonavala

Alibag

Alibag. A small, idyllic town on the narrow strip of the Arabian Sea, at the southern tip of Mumbai, Alibagh or Alibaug, is fringed with tall coconut trees and golden sandy beaches lapped by the ocean. Apart from the quaint village houses, it also has farm houses of Mumbai’s affluent folk. Nearly 300 years old, Alibaug was founded in the 17th century by Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre, a naval chief of Shivaji’s kingdom. The Marathas made Alibagh a Taluka in 1852 and named it Shribag. Because Alibaug was not connected to the mainland by road at that time, the only way to get here was through the sea from Revas, Dharmtar or Mankule. However the construction of the Dharamtar Creek opened its doors to a wider public, connecting it to metros like Mumbai. A weekend getaway and a popular business centre today, Alibaug is frequented by affluent Mumbaiites, mostly to enjoy the beauty of the sea.. Read more and plan your trip to Alibag

Goa

Goa. Party, party, and more party. That’s not enough to describe how much you can party at Goa. The feni, the waves, the people… everything here is festive all year round, all day long. Romance on the soft sand and shop at the exciting bazaars here. Welcome to Goa. As you walk around the place, you cannot miss the colonial but recent past evident in the place, the people, the houses and, the language. Because of the Portuguese tyrants that ruled Goa, the culture of the place is different from the rest of India. The Portuguese got along their religion to Goa and forcefully converted the Hindus and Mohammedans in the area after the abolition of temples. Since then, Goa has adopted Christianity as a religion and culture. Read more and plan your trip to Goa.

Matheran

Matheran. Lusting greeneries, serene environments and unpolluted ambience Matheran is a fantastic tourist destination at a height of about 2516 feet above sea level in Maharashtra state of India. Matheran, the jungle on the top, was developed by British after it was located in 1850 by the British Officer Hugh Mallet, who was the Collector of Thane. This cool eco-friendly hill station is perfectly perched at the Matheran ranges of Sahyadri Mountains and the picturesque surroundings with eye catching attractions invite thousands of tourists every year to Matheran. This hill station has the unique distinction that the vehicles are banned from entering the hill station limits, keeping Matheran as an unpolluted tourist spot. Read more and plan your trip to Matheran.

Panchgani

Panchgani. Nestling between five hills in the Krishna valley, Panchgani (1,334 m) is flanked by the second highest volcanic mountain plateau in Asia on one side and jagged cliffs on the other. It is a neat, colonial-style town, cradled by green coastal plains and the River Krishna. This pretty hill-station in the Sahaydri hills is close to Pune and Mahabaleshwar. Read more and plan your trip to Panchgani.

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The Goan Evenings

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Sitting in a beach-side restaurant in Palolem’s long and wide beach in the evening, I watched the blazing sun go mild and turn orange as he went behind a boulder strewn crag that stretched into the sea. As the sea breeze kissed us in the leisurely evening, people of various origins—some from nearby towns, some on a weekend getaway and some coming from half-way across the world on a long lazy holiday—strolled along the beach in a completely unhurried pace that reflected the Goan way of living easy. Those swimming in the ocean and skimming along the waves made their way slowly towards the beach as the sun drifted down the horizon.

goa beach

Sipping my colourful and fruity drink that is so characteristic of beach-side life of leisure, I saw the clouds working with the sun to paint the sky in various hues and shapes of beauty, announcing the beginning of another careless and happy evening for the holidaying visitors. As the colours in the sky faded and the stars began twinkling in the sky, the blooming face on moon intensified the urge of the waves to reach for the shores. The otherwise silence of the evening was periodically enhanced by the gurgling waves, foaming and glistening in the darkness. As the romance of the evening took over the charm of a sunbath, the tables from my restaurant that were confined under a roof now expanded into the sandy shores, lit by candle light and the rays of moon.

Every thoughts of Goa remind of the pleasant evenings I spent there. Each place in Goa had its own distinct characteristics that offered a unique experience, but every evening was marked by the sound of the waves and a feeling of contentment. Once listening to the waves in the deserted vagator beach after dark, we were amused by an army of small harmless crabs scurrying in such large numbers that we had to evacuate from there. But the loss of being the sandy beach was adequately compensated by a great movie playing on a big television screen in an open-air sports bar nearby. Not to forget again was the colourful fruity drink, this time followed up with a large serving of delicious Goan cuisine.

A completely different experience away from the beaches on a pleasant winter evening is still etched in my memory. In the backwaters of Mandovi River among the small islands with sparsely inhabited villages, marshes and thick population of mangroves, I sauntered in Diwar island in search of a Goa away from the sea. The tall structures of the churches from Old Goa dominated the horizon somewhere far away. Gentle aberrations of the nearby green hills were bifurcated by the blue stretch of Mandovi. As the last light of the day fell on the tip of the trees, small groups of dazzling white egrets appeared as countless dots in small clusters near the horizon. They grew larger and larger as the flew into us, some in small groups of a few dozens and some in large groups of hundreds. They kept coming in more and more numbers as the evening progressed. As darkness fell and their numbers dwindled, I had seen a few tens of thousands emerging from the eastern sky and flying into their roost in the islands of Mandovi. Nowhere else had I seen a spectacle of these pure white birds in such large numbers filling up the evening sky.

gokarna om beach

Best of my sea-side memories come from Gokarna, a small town just south of Goan borders. It is here that I have seen some of the most beautiful beaches that are a mix of rocky and sandy shores. After drifting far from the shore and swimming for hours in the calm seas, I came back and sat on a rock to witness sunset on a rocky shore. As the sun turned into an orange ball and glittered in the wavy sea waters, small boats made their way home after a long day at sea. Dolphins danced against the sun in the deep sea and celebrated the evening with joy. As the waves kissed the earth and bounced on the rocks around me, they sprinkled a few drops on me and gave me a feeling of a complete joy that I found nowhere else before.

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Featured Weekend Getaways from Delhi

Monday, January 18th, 2010

Nowhere else in India would you get so many options for a weekend journey as you would in Delhi. A short drive up north are the mountains where the weather is pleasant in summers and snowy in winter. To the east flows Ganga and Yamuna, defining places of religious and historical importance during their course. The rich Mughal and Bundela history spreads even to the south, while to the east is the tourist heaven of Rajasthan. Here is a short but useful list of weekend destinations from Delhi.

Rishikesh

Rishikesh. Although famous as a centre of pilgrimage, Rishikesh has lot more to offer. From the holy Ganges to temples to yoga to mountaineering to water sports, the city has a gift hamper for everyone. It is here at Rishikesh that lord Vishnu defeated the demon Madhu. The place is, thus, named after his name Hṛṣīkeśa, meaning lord of the senses. Rishikesh therefore conjures up an imagery of bells echoing, holy dips in the river Ganges, and soaring hills in your mind. Read more and plan your trip to Rishikesh

Manali

Manali. Miles and miles of glittering snow all around; a sky that comes alive with the mystifying and captivating open space and crisp, fresh air. Manali, in the central parts of northern state of Himachal Pradesh, is a fairytale land full of enchanting moments. A winter trip to Manali is an opportunity to have a wonderful time in the snow. The summers are equally charming as a haven for those afflicted by Indian summers in the plains. When you typically think of a vacation in Manali, it brings alive memories of a romantic, honeymoon destination. Manali is also visited by thousands of tourists every year for its thrill and adventure sports like rafting, skiing, paragliding, hiking, mountaineering, trekking and kayaking. Read more and plan your trip to Manali

Taj Mahal, Agra

Agra. Not just Taj Mahal, but Kings, queens and palaces,forts and mausoleums! Agra has some of the most colossal and intimidating forts and some intricate and aesthetic burial cambers. That is where the beauty of the place lies. Elements of history and culture dot the city with forts and palaces, mausoleums and cupolas having become a routine in the lives of the people here. Welcome to the land of Mughal marvel. Agra is a medieval city led sandstone that is in memory of Akbar’s Goan Christian wife Mariyam.  Read more and plan your trip to Agra.

Jaipur

Jaipur. You can romance the forts and palaces of Jaipur, fancy the a la mode polo played by the Rajputs here, or work up the back breaking camel rides offered at every corner in the city. The Pink City was formed during the supremacy of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. Amber was the city of the Maharaja at the time. Soon enough, Jaipur became more populated than they could handle and Sawai Jai Singh started a hunt for a new, secure place to build a new city. Jaipur falls in the Marwar region of Rajasthan. The city has a royal culture with the imperial past to be seen in the dresses, food and the style of living of the affluent Rajputs here. Read more and plan your trip to Jaipur.

Shimla

Shimla. The once summer capital of the British is now the preferred Summer getaway for the people of Delhi. One of the most visited hill stations of India, Shimla can be described as pine forests and apple orchards; crisp, clean air; and picturesque views… in a nutshell. Forming layers that begin from the top of the ridge, Shimla covers many hills including Summer Hill, Prospect Hill, Jakhu, Observatory Hill and Elysium Hill. A perfect getaway for summers, Shimla sees equal number of tourist in winters too. People here, like in the rest of Himachal Pradesh are simple, hard working and fond of music and drama. They revere goddess Shakti and you will find small temples on hillsides, in valleys, on peaks and ridges. Read more and plan your trip to Shimla.

Mussoorie

Mussoorie. Dream destination for honeymooners, must visit for adventurers. Mussoorie has a lot to offer its visitors, beyond the other typical hill stations of North India. Mussoorie has some stunning views of the Himalayas such that it’s a holiday of a lifetime for you. Mussoorie is situated at an altitude of 2,500m in Uttrakhand and is just 34 kms away from Dehradun. Established in the year 1825 by a British military officer, Mussoorie has a very rich history of its colonial past. This place has a very important part in India’s struggle for freedom. Most of the buildings here still carry the name of their owners from the British era and so, the relics of its past are still echoed in the hills of Mussoorie. Read more and plan your trip to Mussoorie.

Corbett

Corbett. Apart from roars, grunts and chirping, the Jim Corbett National Park also offers a holiday in the wilderness. If you are one for the wild and love to live and party amidst the forests, this place is for you. The Corbett National Park is located at the foothills of Himalayas. This tiger reserve has a variety of fauna, because of which it is able to provide a diverse habitat to let a variety of wild animals thrive. The park is home to 110 tree species, 50 mammal species, 580 bird species, and 25 species of reptiles.The park is known for its population of tigers, leopards and elephants. Read more and plan your trip to Corbett.

Nainital

Nainital. Nainital `The Queen of the Hills’ is one of the most popular holiday resorts in the Kumaon range of the Himalayas. It is placed around a picturesque lake, Naina Tal, at a height of 1940 metre above sea level. Encircled by seven hills, this resort was the erstwhile summer capital of the Uttar Pradesh government. It was only in 1839 AD that the lake and its surrounding area were discovered by an English traveller. Its quaint cottages, colourful markets, the sylvan landscape and the charming lake at the very heart of it make Nainital a delightful haven to escape to, from the dreariness of everyday urban life. Read more and plan your trip to Nainital.

Ranthambhore

Ranthambhore. Ranthambhore tiger reserve is surrounded by Aravalli and the Vindhya ranges and it is located in the Sawai Madhopur district of south-east Rajasthan. Nowhere in India can you bet for a better probability of seeing tigers. The area next to the Ranthambore Fort in Sawai Madhopur is possibly the oldest settlement of the region. Its history goes back to the 8th century A.D. The Chauhan Rajput king Sapaldaksha is said to have started work on the construction of the fort but the construction lasted for centuries. Sawai Man Singh is said to have instated a railway station here during the dying years of the British Raj. Ranthambore is a Project Tiger Reserve that is home to the fine Bengal Tigers. It is a great feeling to view the tigers in their natural habitat here. Read more and plan your trip to Ranthambhore.

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