Rajasthan means the land of Kings and I had always envisioned it as a land of bright colours and happiness and my visit to Udaipur did not disappoint.

Udaipur was established as the capital of Mewar by Maharana Udai Singh II in 1559, hence the name Udaipur. Now it is known as ‘Venice of the East’ and also as City of Lakes as it has five major lakes.

Oh wow, what a city! The old and the new sit comfortably cheek by jowl and once in the old quarter of Udaipur you dont want to ever move over to the new monotonous urban Udaipur.

Old Udaipur is a maze of narrow lanes and bridges and gates populated by cattle, humans and other livestock. All the lanes lead to various palaces, forts, havelis and museums. If you are on foot you will have to walk around gingerly to avoid all the dung and droppings of the forever munching cows and goats. It is literally like you have travelled in a time machine to the times when the Rajas ruled.

The few must visit places are The City Palace, the Vintage Car Museum, Bagore ki Haveli and the ride to the hill top by cable car from where you can get breathtaking views of Udaipur. The Lake Palace is out of bounds for casual visitors as it is now converted into a hotel and is the exclusive prerogative of the guests of the hotel.

This Lake Palace hotel had shot into fame when it was featured in ‘Octopussy’ – a James Bond film. This movie, even now, after so many years is still screened in almost all the hotels of Udaipur!

Close to the City palace is one of the most famous temples of Udaipur – the Jagdish temple. This temple in the Indo Aryan style was built by Maharana Jagjit Singh in 1651 and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

If you have the time do visit the monsoon palace from where you can get a lovely view of Udaipur and the journey is wonderful.

As far as food is concerned well Udaipur is totally tuned to catering to the Continental tastes. In the bed and breakfast hotels you have a choice of Indian/Continental breakfast. In Continental you get cornflakes/pancakes/eggs to order with bread and in Indian you get parathas/parathas or more parathas or of course the masala omlet (please specify you want it spicy if you like it) with bread.

If you are looking for authentic hygeinic Rajasthani cuisine there is one restaurant in Udaipur serving it – Nataraj dining hall. It is worth the effort and value for money. Do visit it for the experience. It is near the Udaipur railway station.

If you intend to shop around, do ask your hotel reception the best place to do so and also the approximate price at which to buy to ensure you are not ripped off.

Similarly for travelling around, fix the rates with the transport operator before you start off. The 3 wheeler autorickshaws are the best as they can very easily maneuver through the narrow lanes of old Udaipur and save time.

Overall Udaipur is a wonderful city that has tradition and modernity in equal measure and a wonderful gateway to Rajasthan.

Visit Udaipur and enjoy the hospitality of our resort, Flora , Udaipur which adds a touch of contemporary to the ancient air of the heritage town. If you have the time,  do visit Kumbalgarh, a town steeped in history .

If you are visiting Coorg then do not forget to keep at least half day for a visit to Bylakuppe. It is a Tibetan settlement about 40kms away where the Indian government had leased 3,000 acres of land to the fleeing Tibetans in 1961. It consists of two Tibetan refugee settlements that were setup in 1961 and 1969 respectively and has now grown into a full-fledged town housing the largest Tibetan population outside of Dharamsala in India.

It is the largest Tibetan community in exile with about 40,000 people in five settlements containing monasteries, kindergarten to higher level secondary schools, health care clinics, a hospital and a traditional Tibetan medical facility. The ‘Lugsum Samdupling’ settlement established in 1961 has grown to a veritable township with monasteries, nunneries and cafes and stalls that showcase the Tibetan way of life.

As you near the settlement you will find monks in robes zipping past on two wheelers. Makes one wonder – what’s the hurry for the monks? Ah well, the monks here are well rooted in tradition and well connected with all modern technology too. You will see monks chatting away on a mobile phone in one hand and rolling beads on his rosary in another!

The most visited temple here is Namdroling (The Golden Temple) and the signage is loud and clear. And of course you can spot it from afar. Three beautiful larger than life gold plated statues look down at visitors above the altar. Buddha around 60 feet tall holds prominent place, flanked by Guru Padmasambhava and Amitayush (each around 58 feet tall). The walls are adorned with colourful paintings depicting gods and demons from Tibetan Buddhist mythology. The entrance has a curtain of beads which is the favourite of kids who love going in and out.

The monastery attached to this temple is considered to be one of the best places for higher learning. This monastery dedicated to the teachings of Palyul Lineage of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism was established by His Holiness Pema Norbu Rinpoche shortly after he came to India from Tibet. A long, leisurely visit to the Namdroling monastery would take up almost half a day. If you are lucky you will witness a prayer chanting session in one of the temples and it is a ‘must experience’. Rows of monks will sit and start chanting from their books and a couple of them will blow wind instruments while there will be another who will play the cymbals. All this will be accompanied by the rhythmic beat of the drums.

The exterior of the new Zangdokpalri temple looks majestic with a majestic rainbow arch. We are so used to being told not to photograph the idols in temples, that the ready willingness of the monks to let the idols in their temples being photographed is such a pleasant and welcome surprise. Most of the monks when approached are very friendly and ready to talk and answer all your question about their life there or Buddhism. It is almost like visiting a foreign country in your own!

There is a large parking area near the Golden Temple. A shopping arcade next to it houses many curios shops and restaurants.

Getting there: Bylakuppe is situated on the state highway 88. The nearest town for Bylakuppe is Kushal Nagar. Auto-rickshaw is the best mode for a trip to the Golden Temple from Kushalnagar. There are frequent buses shuttling between Mysore and Madikeri and you can get down at Kushalnagar.

Club Mahindra has a beautiful resort in Coorg and Bylakuppe is not too far away from our property.  Enjoy your visit to the coffee country with us and  plan a visit to Bylakuppe at your leisure.
Watch this video to experience the destination more.

We were on our way to Jodhpur from Udaipur and an important halt on the way had to be Kumbalgarh as were told that it was a ‘not to miss’ fort. We were not disappointed. The roads all the way were wonderful and despite visiting Eklinji and Nathdwar on the way we reached Kumbalgarh by 1pm. On the way we passed the impressive Club Mahindra Kumbalgarh Resort.

Though the sun was beating down mercilessly the first sight of the fort was enough to drive away any tiredness. Having parked in the official parking lot and buying the entrance tickets we set out to explore this much talked about fort.

We were accosted by ‘guides’ at the gate but we decided doing the fort on our own. There is a map at the entrance which one can use to decide what one wants to see. There is also a plaque there which told us that this fort was built by Rana Kumbha of Mewar in the 15^th century. It was built on a 3,500feet high hill overlooking the approaches from Ajmer and Marwar and was considered impregnable. The fort remained impregnable to direct assault, and fell only once, due to a shortage of drinking water, to the combined forces of Mughal Emperor Akbar, Raja Man Singh of Amber, Raja Udai Singh of Marwar, and the Sultan of Gujarat.

Another interesting fact was that, of the 84 fortresses defending Mewar, 32 were designed and built by Rana Kumbha. Of these, Kumbhalgarh, with its 36-kilometer long wall and soaring towers is the most impressive. This wall is supposed to be 2^nd only to the Great Wall of China in size!

Now it is famous as the birthplace of Maharana Pratap, the great King and warrior of Mewar. It was occupied until the late 19^th century but now the fort is open to the general public as a museum. It is lit up for a while every evening which is supposed to look spectacular. Unfortunately due to paucity of time we did not have the fortune to witness that.

Apparently there are 360 temples within the fort , 300 ancient Jain and the rest Hindu. To ascertain this, would have had to stay at Club Mahindra Resort nearby, maybe will do some other time. But if you have the time and the patience and the interest in history it would be a delightful exercise.

According to legend, in 1443, the Maharana of Kumbhalgarh, Rana Kumbha, was initially unsuccessful in repeated attempts to build the fort wall. To overcome this hurdle a seer was consulted about the construction problems who advised ruler that a voluntary human sacrifice would solve whatever that was causing the impediment. He also advised building a temple at the spot where the head would fall after the sacrifice, and to build the wall and the fort where the rest of his body lay. As can be expected, for quite some time no one volunteered, but one day a pilgrim volunteered and was ritually decapitated. Today the main gate of the fortress, Hanuman Pol, contains a shrine and a temple to commemorate the great sacrifice.

Right on top is the Badal Mahal which offers spectacular views.

We spent a couple of hours taking in the awesome sights of and from the fort and then started back the long walk back to the parking lot with a sense of having participated in the most historic forts of Rajasthan.

The Club Mahindra Resort in Kumbalgarh is a sprawling luxurious property overlookin the magnificent mountains. The fort is barely 5 kms from the resort.

During our road trip to Rajasthan we were fascinated by the havelis that were so unique and beautiful. We were told by the locals that these were built by the nobles and traders who dared not build palaces and yet had to build palatial mansions to differentiate them from the commoners.

Havelis are huge mansions with beautiful frescoes on their walls and they were built by the rich traders as status symbols. The term ‘haveli’ in Rajasthan was first applied by the Vaishnava sect to refer to their temples but later the Marwaris erected huge buildings and called them havelis. They commissioned artists to paint these buildings which were heavily influenced by the Mughal architecture.

Most of the havelis in Rajasthan are not occupied and are tended to by a caretaker.

The first haveli we saw was in Udaipur – Bagore ki haveli. It is on the banks on Lake Pichola at Gangori Ghat. It was built by Amir Chand Badwa the Prime Minister of Mewar, in the 18^th century. In 1986; it was handed over to the West Zone Cultural Centre who then converted it into a museum. They have done a wonderful job of restoring it in consultation with the experts and members of the royal family. To maintain the local flavour and colour they utilised local material and the services of local craftsmen.

There are numerous corridors & balconies, courtyards and terraces in the haveli. The interiors of the Haveli are embellished with intricate and fine mirror work. On view also are the private quarters of the royal ladies, their bath rooms, dressing rooms, bed rooms, living rooms, worship rooms and recreation rooms.

Unique symbols of the Rajput clan, such as jewellery boxes, dice-games, hukkas, pan boxes, nut crackers, hand fans, rose water sprinklers, copper vessels and other items are also on display here.

The second haveli we saw was in Jaisalmer. It was Patwon ki haveli. This ostentatious haveli was commissioned and constructed in the year 1805 by Guman Chand Patwa, a rich trader. It has ornate wall paintings, intricate yellow sandstone-carved jharokhas (balconies), gateways and archways.

The office of the Archeological Survey of India and State art and craft department is also situated in the haveli.

Just a few minutes walk away from Patwon ki havelis is ther Nathmalji ki haveli.

This Haveli was the residence of Mohta Nathamal who was the Prime Minister at the Jaisalmer Royal Court. It was commissioned by Maharawal Beri Sal and constructed by two architect brothers named Hathi and Lalu.

It is said that the two brothers constructed different facets of the Haveli simultaneously.

At the entrance of the Nathmalji ki Haveli there are two elephants made of yellow stone. There are beautiful pictures of horses, cattles engraved on pillars and walls.

Then in Mandawa we stayed in a haveli that was converted into a Hotel. It was very beautiful, traditional with all the modern conveniences!

Mandawa is full of havelis and we toured the place on foot and overed most of them. The Havelis were built in this grand style by the prosperous merchants of those times. Now the entire town is referred to as an Open Art Gallery.

All these havelis are now tourist attractions. Apart from the havelis there is nothing else to see in Mandawa and it is known as Haveli tourism! Many of the other travellers we encountered during our journey had decided to stay in Club Mahindra resort- The Roop Vilas Palace Nawalgarh and explore Rajasthan..

Nature tweeted in the form of an invite from Club Mahindra to a Bloggers’ trip at their lovely property on the banks of Kosi river in Dhikuli, near the famed Corbett National Park.

We all were flown in to Delhi airport from Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai where we gathered to move on to Ramnagar by road which was around 300kms away. The road between Moradabad and Kashipur (60kms) was in a bad shape. Otherwise it was a lovely drive through the night.

Having checked in to our respective rooms, we realised that there were river lapwings and a peacock to welcome us!

We rested awhile and then the fun and games began at the adventure activity ,where we did some filmy stunts and free falling from an old bridge that was built in 1877! This sure had our appetite roaring for food which we had in ‘Machan’ in the resort.

The evening was reserved for a safari to Sitabani for bird watching. On our return we witnessed a gorgeous sunset too!

We retired early as next day we were to visit the Corbett waterfalls, Corbett museum and the cool hillstation Nainital! Had a lovely day and went to bed that night dreaming about the tigers that we would go to spot the next day.

We drove off by 5am to the Corbett National Park through the Jhirna gate which remains open throughout the year. Spent the full day there but the 164 tigers and 700+ elephants just plainly ignored us and refused to be seen! However we were not majorly disappointed as our fellow traveller Mr.S.Karthikeyan  a senior naturalist was with us. He kept us busy pointing out to some wonderful birds and other creatures of the jungle.

We decided to give the tiger another chance of giving us darshan by visiting next morning through the Bijrani gate which was scheduled to be open that day and we would be one of the 1^st group of visitors! The evening was enlivened by the performance of Kumaoni dancers arranged by the Club Mahindra Safari resort.

We went with high hopes but again returned with some lovely memories of a varied life in the jungle sans the famed tiger. We witnessed a barking deer crossing and antlers hanging around to be photographed. It was thoroughly enjoyable even  though we did not sight the famed tiger.

Post lunch we were enlightened by Mr.S.Karthikeyan in an hour’s talk on Biodiversity and the need to be more nature friendly and ways to go about it.

Overall it was a great meet to put names and characters to the names of bloggers with whom we had interacted and an opportunity to exchange notes and ideas.

We returned home refreshed and enlightened,with wonderful memories of a lovely place

Thirty kilometres inland from Byndoor on the Western coast, on top of on a spur of the Kodachadri peak on the Western Ghats, in Kollur there is a very popular temple dedicated to Mookambika Devi. The goddess is called Mookambika as she is said to have slain the demon Mookasura.

The goddess is described as in the form of a jyotirlinga incorporating both Shiva and Shakti. The panchaloha image of the goddess on Shri Chakra is stated to have been consecrated by Shri Adi Shankaracharya. The Divine Mother is said to be a manifestation of trigunas or triple forms. Around the chief shrine of Mookambika, there are many other shrines. One of them is a Panchamukhi Ganesha.

As per Wikipedia

Legend goes that a Maharishi (monk) Kola was enchanted with nature’s beauty and decided to perform a penance on a rock near the Agnitheertham. Lord Shiva, delighted with Kola, appeared before him and blessed him. The Maharishi wished for the welfare of mankind and nothing else. The Lord, happy with Kola, granted him his wish. He assured that a swayambu (autogenetic) Linga would appear for his daily worship. However, Kola wanted to worship Devi also. So, a swarna rekha (gold line) appeared on the Lingam, signifying Shakti. Thus, Shiva and Shakti are worshipped together in the Lingam. Besides this, a unique feature is that the other Gods and Goddess of the Hindu pantheon also believed to reside in aroopa (non-form) in the Linga. It is thus believed to be an abode of the entire celestial congregation.

It is believed that Adi Shankaracharya had a vision of Sri Mookambika Devi and installed the deity here. The legend goes that Adi Shankara meditated at Kodachadri hills and Devi incarnated before him asking for his wish. He revealed his wish to install the Devi idol in a place in Kerala to worship where he wanted. Devi agreed but put forward a challenge that she will follow Shankara and he should not look back till he reaches his destination. But to test Shankara, Devi deliberately stopped the voice of her anklets when they reached Kollur whereupon Shankara turned and looked back because of doubt. Devi then asked Shankara to install her vigraha, just as he sees her, at that very location in Kollur.

The road is through a densely forested area making the drive very pleasant.

Apparently it is a rich temple as is evident from a gold plated pillar outside the temple as also a Gold plated Chariot for the Goddess.

There also is a drum, fashioned from a tree trunk, that was hung with reverence to be used on special occasions.

Though this temple is in Karnataka it is considered as one of the must visit temples for Keralites, especially when the child starts getting formal education.

Having driven 830kms from Bandra we reached Murdeshwar in the evening at around 5pm.

It was a very smooth drive on the NH4 upto Hubli and then onto NH63 upto Ankola to connect NH17 which has been resurfaced and a pleasure to drive on.

We checked in at Naveen Beach Resort which as the name suggests is bang on the beach. Absorbed the beautiful sunset from the beach along with hundreds of others who had come to spend their evening out there.

Murudeshwar has the tallest Shiva idol in the world . And now there is also the tallest gopuram in the world! Both are awe inspiring. The original Shiva temple also has an amazing story to tell.

The origin of the name “Murudeshwara” dates to the time of Ramayana. The Hindu gods attained immortality and invincibility by worshipping a divine lingam called the AtmaLinga. The King of Lanka, Ravana wanted to attain immortality by obtaining the AtmaLinga. Since the AtmaLinga belonged to Lord Shiva, Ravana worshipped Shiva with devotion. Pleased by his prayers, Lord Shiva appeared before him and asked him what he wanted.

Ravana asked for the AtmaLinga and Lord Shiva agreed to grant him his wish with a condition that the Atmalinga should never be placed on the ground. If it was, it would get embedded there. Having obtained his boon, Ravana started back on his journey to Lanka.
Sage Narada, fearing that Ravana may become invincible, approached Lord Vishnu to retrieve it.

Ravana used to perform his rituals religiously in the evening. Lord Vishnu and Ganesha decided to exploit his devotion. As Ravana was nearing Gokarna, Lord Vishnu blotted the sun with his Sudarshana Chakra to make it look like evening. A Brahmin boy (Ganesha) approached Ravana, who requested him to hold the Aatmalinga until he performed his rituals.

Ravana returned to find the boy gone and the Aatmalinga on the ground. Lord Vishnu removed his Chakra, and it was daylight again. An angry Ravana tried to uproot the Aatmalinga. He threw away everything covering the Linga, including its cloth, to a placed called Mrideshwara in Kanduka-Giri (Kanduka Hill). Mrideshwara has been renamed to Murudeshwara.

This entire legend has been carved on the temple gopuram.

Murudeshwar also has an amazingly beautiful beach which has been developed as a resort with water sports.

At the northern tip of Mumbai, in Borivili, lies the magnificent Sanjay Gandhi National Park. It encompasses an area of 104 sqkm and is surrounded on three sides by India’s most populous city. It is notable as one of the few national parks existing within a metropolis limit in Asia and is one of the most visited parks in the world.

The rich flora and fauna of Sanjay Gandhi National Park attracts more than 2 million visitors every year. Tourists also enjoy visiting the 2400 years old Kanheri caves sculpted out of the rocky cliffs which lie within the park.

The region is hilly with elevations between 30 m and 480 m. The Park encompasses two lakes, Vihar Lakeand Tulsi Lake, which meet part of the city’s water requirements. The park is said to be the lungs of the city as it purifies much of the air pollution of the city.

An estimated 800 types of flowering plants; 284 kinds of birds; 5,000 species of insects; 36 types of mammals; 62 reptiles and 150 species of butterfly call it their home.

It is the breathing space for stressed out Mumbaikars who wish to go birding, or just a walk in the forest!

It is an invigorating trip that one would not mind, whether one has interests in history, culture or just plain adventure.

Nearest Railway Station: Borivili on the Western sector.

Entrance fee to the Park: Rs20/-per head and Rs.50/-per vehicle.

Entrance to Kanheri caves: Rs.5/-per head.

Timings: 0730hrs to 1730hrs.

Buses available from Main entrance to the caves at regular intervals at Rs.30/-per head.b

Drive down 40kms north of Bandra on the Western Express Highway and you will land yourself in the Ovalekar butterfly garden.

It is a naturalist’s haven and a photographer’s delight.

Mr.Ovalekar is always at hand to guide every visitor round his painstakingly built butterfly park. The entry charges are just Rs.50/- per head which includes a guided tour of the garden by Mr.Ovalekar.

Do call him prior to your visit to know the best time to visit. Now do have a look at what I saw on my visit in April this year and the butterfly season had barely begun.
To get there : Drive down the Eastern or Western Express highways to reach Ghodbunder Road. Owla is a non-descript village near the Suraj Water Park on this road.

One can also take a train to Thane and exit by the western side of the station to take an auto rickshaw to the garden. BEST bus number 700 (running between Thane and Borivali stations) also passes this way. You can mail him at ovalekarwadi@gmail.com .

If you live in Mumbai and any time you feel like going river rafting, or maybe just for some time to have a tete a tete with nature, just hop on to your bike/car and head for Kolad which is around 140kms away!

Yes, the river Kundalika out there is fed by various dams at specific times when the dams let out excess water into the river and then the fun begins. One fine Saturday morning, we did just that, though we did not have river rafting in our agenda.

We just wanted to chill on the banks of Sutarwadi lake. The drive took us about three hours and once there, checked into a lovely airconditioned cottage. Spent the afternoon checking out the place and soaking in the atmosphere to unwind all the urban stress. Soon it was time to watch the sky set on fire by the setting sun.It was wonderful watching the sun go down.

Had an early dinner and feeling totally relaxed retired early for the day. We were told that the river rafting begins around ten in the morning and if we wished to catch the action we would have to head over to the neighbouring village and take the assistance of the local boys to guide us to the vantage point from where we could watch the adventurers river rafting. Woke up early in the morning to catch the sunrise and the early birds. Was not disappointed.

After a hearty breakfast we set out for the trek to the vantage point from where we could capture the sights of the Kundalika river before and after the water is released from the dam and also capture the excitement of the river rafters as they raft by.

We met some enthusiastic youngsters in the village who willingly, for a small monetary consideration, guided us to the spot. The river was more like a stream when we saw it first. The boys told us how high it would rise once the water from the dam was released and showed us where we could rest till then and set up our shooting positions.

We had to wait for a couple of hours and then we saw the birds flying past in panic which told us of the oncoming rush of water. The gurgling of the stream soon turned into a roar of flowing water. And then we saw the rafters screaming with pleasure as they raised their oars in acknowledgement.

The beauty of this river is that you can go rafting all year round as every morning the dams release water and the river swells just enough for some exciting river rafting. Back to the resort for some lunch after which we rested for a while and returned back to Mumbai feeling rejuvenated and ready to face the urban chaos!
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