The intoxicating smell of the first rain….aaah… could not have asked for a better holiday package. Kerala and Goa are the best holiday destinations for the monsoon. Accompanied by our monsoon wedding – this was one of the best vacations I have ever had.

Colorful umbrellas all over the house ( considering the fact that there are 4 naughty brats), wet cloths that never seem to dry looking rich and colorful, the lush greenery that greets you, the reflections of the coconut trees in the paddy fields, ‘chakka vevichathau’ ( a yummy jackfruit dish) and hot hot chaai whever you go, the delightful smile on my little niece’s face as she experienced her very first monsooon in God’s Own Country ….

A destination that will help visitors unwind, and explore the unexplored. Club Mahindra’s Tusker Trails in Thekkady  is at an altitude of 2,700 feet above sea level. Built in the traditional ‘machan’ style, it is nestled within a plantation of coffee and spices.

We were at Somnath, one of the most important temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the twelve special temples, the Jyotirlings, and even among them, it is said to be the first. The story of Somnath is one of regeneration – of the wheel of time, and above all, of change. If anything has stayed the same, it is the sea, who has witnessed the vicissitudes of the temple – its days of grandeur as well as those of neglect.

The story of Somnath begins with the moon – Soma. The Moon God was married to 27 daughters of Daksha – the lunar constellations. He promised to be true and fair to all of them, but as time passed, he fell more and more in love with one – Rohini. The other wives were angry and complained to their father about the preference given to Rohini. Daksha was angry and he cursed the moon to lose his lustre. The moon god was repentant, but Daksha could not retract his curse. He finally turned to Lord Shiva, who eventually modified the curse, causing him to lose and gain his lustre in a cycle we know as the waning and waxing of the moon. It is believed that the Moon God built a temple of gold at this location, the first temple ever to be built here. Since then, the temple seems to have followed the moon, its fame and fortune waxing and waning alternately with the passage of time.

The legendary golden temple of Somnath is said to have given way to a silver structure built by none other than Ravana, the king of the demons, but also a great devotee of Lord Shiva. In time, that gave way to a wooden temple built by Krishna while he lived at Dwaraka. While these three temples are a part of legends, the earliest historical records show the presence of a temple around 649 AD. The temple was first invaded in 725 AD by the Arabs of Sind, and rebuilt by the Gurjar Pratihara king, Nagabhatta II in 815 AD. This was a huge structure made of red sandstone, and survived for over 200 years, before it was ransacked and destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1024 AD. The temple was rebuilt, first in wood and later in stone by the Gurjar and Solanki rulers of that era, but again it lasted no more than 200 years before it was ransacked once again, this time by Allaudin Khilji, in 1296 AD. AD 1300 saw another temple rise, but it lasted only a few years, destroyed repeatedly by the Sultans of Gujarat. In 1701 AD, Aurangzeb not only attacked and destroyed the temple, but also built a mosque over the ruins. In 1783, Ahilyabai Holkar built a temple on an adjacent site, where she installed the Shiva Lingam in a chamber under the ground, to protect it from future invaders. In a chamber over this original Lingam, she installed another Lingam, one named after her as Ahilyeshwar Mahadev. It was in this simple temple constructed by her, that prayers to Lord Shiva continued unabated until modern times, when a grand temple was constructed at the original site after India gained independence.

Somnath is essentially a temple town today, whose main attraction is the Jyotirling. The main temple is a beautiful structure, built with great attention to detail, and surrounded by flower-filled gardens. A covered promenade along the seashore is a favourite with the visitors, and especially interesting is a pillar at one end with an arrow believed to indicate an unobstructed sea route to the South Pole!

The older temple built by Ahilyabai Holkar is simpler, but equally (if not more) spiritual. On one of my earlier visits a number of years back, I remember praying to the Ahilyeshwar Mahadev on the ground level and then climbing down a winding set of stairs to the underground shrine. It is an impression that has stayed with me over all these years. Now, some changes have been made for the convenience of pilgrims, and we can now visit the underground shrine directly and then climb up to the other shrine if we feel like it.

The new temple is essentially modern, with a touch screen telling us the story of the temple, a series of photographs showing the reconstruction, and a set of panels exhibiting the stories associated with it. The tight security ensures that we stay a reasonable distance away from the deity, and just get a glimpse of the Lingam as we make our way in the constantly moving queue. This keeps us free from the scores of pestering priests and flower sellers who take up their stations outside the older temple, where we are allowed to perform the prayers to the Lord by ourselves.

While most people visit Somnath for the temple, we looked around for the other things we could do while there. Here is what we came up with:

1. The beach is the least known part of Somnath. It is surprisingly clean and my son enjoyed playing in the water. It was also quite safe, since a bunch of guards on horseback kept an eye on those bathing or playing in the water. As the sun set and the tide started coming in, they made sure that everyone got back to the shore before the water level rose. Next time you are in Somnath, don’t miss the beach!

2.The museum is something even most of the auto drivers aren’t aware of. We just noticed a board, and pestered our auto driver to take us there, which he did after much complaining. The museum is maintained by the Gujarat government and is tucked in a busy lane in the older part of the village. It is housed in a structure built over the ruins of another ancient temple, and all the ruins and relics of ancient temples found in the area are preserved here. Relics are classified by age, so we get an idea of what the ancient Somnath temples looked like.

3.The other major attractions at Somnath are the places connected to Lord Krishna. This is believed to the place where he spent his last days, and there are various temples associated with the events which occurred then. The Golok Dham tirth has His footprints, while the Bhalaka Teerth is believed to be the place where a hunter pierced his foot with an arrow. However, if you are looking for something different, try going for a boat ride on the Triveni Sangam – where the rivers Hiranya and Kapila merge with the hidden Saraswati and finally join the sea. The sangam is said to have been the site chosen by Krishna for his final days, and if you can close your eyes and shut out the pilgrims, you can almost imagine the place the way it might have been, centuries ago!

Somnath is about 7 Km from Veraval, which is well connected by Road as well as Rail. In addition, Somnath also has a railway station, which is presently connected only by a few selected trains. Accommodation in Somnath is basic, though clean. There are plenty of budget hotels around the temple. The temple trust has also built a huge complex for tourists, and the accommodation is comfortable and affordable.

You can also combine a visit to Somnath with a trip to the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary. The Club Mahindra Safari Resort at Gir is about 50 Km from Somnath and in spite of the village roads, the journey takes about an hour and a half. The resort has rooms, cottages and even tents to stay in, and is a perfect way to visit the temple while enjoying all the comforts of the resort, as well as communing with nature!

Goa in early summer is hot, and I mean weather wise. Otherwise I believe it may always be hot. Long back I trekked with Youth Hostel in Goa and had not seen the ‘normal’ Goa at all. This trip changed it all. I was around Baga and Calangute beaches and they are where the party is. I am not the party type so I gainfully employed myself with photography.

Boats at Baga Beach

I did engage in water sports for one afternoon. And we got flipped 4 times while doing the banana boat ride drinking copious amount of sea water in the process. But I had even better time clicking pictures of para-sailing at Calangute.

Parasailing at Goa

I walked after the water sports from Calangute to Baga beach. The sun was setting and the sea was turning to gold. I had skipped lunch and yet I could tear myself away from the scene only when the light became so dull that it would need a tripod to shoot. Thankfully I was not carrying a tripod. After that I went to a shack and ordered a cheesecake and coffee. They process beer orders much faster than coffee orders!

The Sea Turns to Gold

Later when we were coming back from dinner around midnight we saw this night marker near Baga. It was so colorful. It seems North Goa never goes to sleep!

Spices at Night Market near Baga

And the market looked like this from a distance.

The Night Market at Baga

The next day we decided to head to old Goa. We had rented a car and one of us was driving. In Goa if you are on Motorbikes you can buy petrol from the road side joints! For the car we did go to a petrol pump. I could not click a picture of the bottles of on the roadside though. Our first stop at Old Goa was the Basilica of Bom Jesus and I was fascinated with these arches.

Arches at the Basilica of Bom Jesus

It was sweltering hot in March out there but we still went to the Archeology Survey of India (ASI) building opposite the Basilica of Bom Jesus. But after exploring just a bit of the religious museum there we decided to get out and find some nariyal pani (tender coconut water).

The ASI Complex Opposite the Basilica of Bom Jesus

Our next stop was the Ruins of the St. Augustine Complex that the Portuguese ordered to be evacuated and then demolished in 1835.

Ruins of the St. Augustine Complex

While coming back to Baga we saw this Church from afar and decided to go and explore. It is called Mae De Deus Church and it is closer to Baga rather than Old Goa. It was locked but the exteriors looked beautiful.

Mae De Deus Chruch, Saligaon, Goa

Finally in the evening we were at Anjuna beach, it was again sunset time. I decided to include a beer bottle as the foreground of my picture because for one it was not suspicious if strangers clicked its picture and two I believe it represents the essence of Goa!

The Quintessential Goa

Soak into the spirit of Goa and stay with us at Club Mahindra Goa.  The sun, the sand and the sea will rejuvenate you as you visit some of the churches and monuments around our luxurious property.  Go for a walk or feel the energy ..Goa is not just a destination – but a state of mind.

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 .

In our eagerness, we were at the Bijarani gate of Corbett Tiger Reserve quite before the sunrise on this chilly December morning. Like a student rehearsing the important answers before entering the examination hall, I was trying to recall all the Jim Corbett stories that I had read trying to find one answer – How to track the Tiger ?

People of Kumaon are in absolute awe of anything and everything connected with tiger and that was amply clear at Bijarani gate when we were told about the do’s and don’ts to be followed once inside. Any thoughts of childish pranks during the safari ride had to be banished.  If we were to ignore the dangers lying inside for a moment, the view from the gate was very welcoming.

Monkeys and deer are said to be the eyes and the ears of the Jungles and this was very well demonstrated by this herd when all the elders raised their heads in unison at a distant monkey call.

Visiting Corbett Tiger Reserve is not necessarily about sighting tiger.  We were lucky to have sighted fresh tiger pugmarks and they reminded me of Jim Corbett’s knack at deducing the age, gender, weight and even whether the lord of the jungle was in a hurry or on a leisure walk, at a glance of these pugmarks.

At one point inside the forest, the guide asked the driver to stop the engine as he was trying to fathom the direction of a distant roar. For a moment we could hear what a ‘pin-drop’ silence means. But very soon presence of some other sound was becoming very obvious in our other wise  uneventful Safari  – in Corbett, an event is defined as sighting a tiger. It was the incessant sound of dew falling off the taller trees on the dry leaves and the bushes below. It took our urban sensitivities some time to register it.

My concern on such family holidays has always been the choice of locations especially since I took to bird-watching as a serious hobby a few years ago. This hobby can be extremely annoying to the family members but Kumaon region provided an ideal setting as the avian life there is so rich, I did not require to leave my family behind to take bird watching walks. We came across quite a number of new amazing species of birds and many of them posed well to my camera.  It was such a pleasure to look at them on their natural perch and not on the electric wires and poles.

And of course not to forget the loveable Barking Deer who allowed a close-up

Club Mahindra Corbett Safari Resort was located in Dhikuli and apart from Tiger Safari we had enough other activities planned. We had located a good local guide, an experienced birder himself and that made our outings extremely fruitful and enjoyable. Resort itself was located right next to river Kosi and tea in the foggy mornings in the balcony or lawn outside offered a good view.

Within a couple of kms from the resort was the suspension bridge and  Girajamata temple both along river Kosi and on the first evening when we had nothing else to do, we decided to take a walk in their direction. The bridge happened to be a hub for adventure sports so we, myself with daughter, returned to the spot next day ready both physically and me more mentally. We thoroughly enjoyed the varieties of river crossings and the credit goes to the trainer who encouraged us to take part in the sports and whose deft hands tying those confident life-saving knots gave us enough strength to accept his challenge to overcome the fear.

Kosi river near the suspension bridge was buzzing with a lot of bird activity with different types of Kingfishers, Redstarts, Wagtails and even a fish eagle who had made his home in a tree across Kosi.

All our days through out our tour started well before the sunrise and at the end of the day looked forward to simplest of the meals cooked in the well equipped kitchenette in the apartment.

My role was limited to dish washing at the end of the meal but that was a sort of win-win situation for all as I got to work in warm waters which was very comforting in that weather. Before I forget, I should also mention the other areas outside the reserve forest where we visited and enjoyed.

A good guide with a 4-wheel drive was a great help and obviously the rules here are meant for humans and not for animals and the birds. So you find them everywhere.

Visit to Corbett National park can not be considered complete without a visit to Jim Corbett’s bungalow at Kaladhungi where he lived until 1947.

It is now a museum of his personal belongings and for anyone who has enjoyed his writing and admired his love for the nature, it is worth a visit. There we purchased the one book of his that I would like to read again and again i.e. ‘Jungle Lore’.  And that brought the trip to a great end .

It was probably five in the morning when I woke up to the call of the wild. As my eyes accustomed to the darkness around me, I had the peacock calling , in a persuasive tone, almost pleading with me to wake up. I opened the door and stepped out. It was dark and the moon was in no mood to let go of the sky. Drenched in its light, I saw the bamboo groves standing still . No sign of the peacock though, although its continuous calls echoed through the Nilgiri mountains and reached me at the Club Mahindra resort in Masinagudi. It was probably more than a couple of hours later that I managed to get a glimpse of it, as it gracefully walked around the resort.

Wake up call from the peacock – Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

Finally it took more than a couple of hours for the sun to displace the moon . The birds that greeted me immediately were the spotted dove and a magpie robin . Sipping water were  the red whiskered bulbul and a flock of noisy seven sisters – the jungle babblers.

A spotted dove looks on – Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

Flitting in the leaves – a magpie robin ; Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

Mind if I drink some water asks the Red whiskered bulbul .Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

Jungle babblers quenching their thirst – Pic “: Lakshmi Sharath

I looked at the dense canopy of bamboo and spotted a tickell’s blue flycatcher basking in the morning light. I had repeated sightings of the bird almost throughout the morning session.

Sightings of the Tickells Blue during the day – Pics : Lakshmi Sharath

Then came the great tit but it flew away , distracted . Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

Soon we joined the manager, Atul and a group of enthusiastic guests from Mumbai who were birding for the first time. While most of them were senior citizens, their excitement at sighting a new bird was similar to a school boy who was gifted a candy.

Looking down at the photographer – Malabar parakeet . Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

An iora looks on – Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

The enthusiasm and energy was infectious as we sighted several birds – the malabar parakeet, the brahminy starling, the common iora, a grey wagtail, the jungle fowl  among others.

Standing still – A Brahminy starling

Standing right on the way – a grey wagtail . Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

Jungle fowl in the wilds – Pic : lakshmi sharath

We walked towards a dry stream and the not so common kingfisher was waiting for its breakfast in those little puddles of water.

Looking away – A common kingfisher . Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

We  walked a bit further and the remaining guests left us while Atul and I sat on the rocks and looked around.

Chased away : An orange headed ground thrush . Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

We saw a orange headed ground thrush being chased by a small bird which turned out to be the Indian pitta. Excited and happy to see it at eye level, I sat on a rock and watched it. It seemed oblivious to me, busy chasing the thrush as it surveyed the scene.

This is my turf says the Indian Pitta . Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

I dont know if the bird saw me or not, but it seemed perfectly at peace. Nothing like observing a bird with your own eyes – no camera lens or even a binoculars was required to watch its behaviour. It hopped from rock to rock, walking around in the greenery, with its brilliant colours merging with the scenery around.

I watched it for a while, until an excited Atul pointed a male paradise fly catcher perched above me , camouflaged well in the leaves. Only its long white tail fluttered around as we saw it fly into another tree. Soon it was followed by the rufous tailed paradise flycatcher and the female bird , without the long bird. We watched them for a while as they remained hidden amidst the leaves. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, we managed to tear ourselves from the stream. As we walked back, we saw the pitta still out in the open, walking around and chasing the orange headed ground thrush . And what a morning it has been in the company of the pitta, the peacock and the paradise flycatcher .

Look at me and my colours – the Indian Pitta . Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

Casa Deep Woods in Masinagudi almost feels like the continuation of the forest, with bamboo trees and dense foliage surrounding your rooms. While the birds greet you in the morning, you often see a herd of deer drinking water from the stream behind. This property is a haven for birds. Just a walk in the morning and one can see a myriad range of colours flitting through the woods. Come here for a weekend and refresh yourself in the company of nature.

It feels like an evergreen rainforest the moment you enter the portals of the Club Mahindra resort in Coorg. The sun ‘ s rays squint through the dense canopy of trees as the trees shelter you from the afternoon heat . It is late afternoon and the birds are calling . You catch a sight of a wing here and there as they flit around the bushes . The coffee blossoms are in bloom and the botanical garden is in bloom. I grab a quick lunch and head out into the verdant greenery around with a pair of binoculars and a camera in tow.

Robusta flowers in blossom . Pic – Lakshmi Sharath

The sun birds and the flower peckers tease me with their energy as they play hide and seek with me. I try hard to get them to sit still but they refuse to pose for me. The red whiskered bulbul however is more obliging, although it gives me just a few seconds to take a picture.

A red whiskered bulbul looks on. Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

Suddenly the skies darken and there is a shower. The birds take refuge in the leaves and we can hardly spot them. The rainforest is however full of surprises. I see a common crow with a snake in its mouth but am distracted by a yellow browed bulbul flying past me with a cicada in its beak.. We try hard to take a picture but the bird refuses to show itself. However a velvet fronted nuthatch stops for a while as it climbs a tree.

On my way up – The velvet fronted nuthatch. Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

The skies get darker and the impending rains stop the birding activity and we cheer ourselves by walking in the garden and admiring the flowers. Nevertheless we see some activity as a brown shrike surveys the scene.

A brown shrike looks for its meal. Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

We decide to head out to a small lake , located barely half a kilometre outside the resort and the birdlife does not disappoint us there.

A pied wagtail in the lake. Pic: Lakshmi Sharath

An egret in flight – Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

We see egrets, wagtails, sandpipers, cormorants, kingfisher, swallows and an ibis as well. The rains however come tumbling down as we return to the resort.

A sandpiper basks in the evening sun. Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

Morning however seems more promising although it is still dark and cloudy. I am woken up by a whistle ; the school boy is on my balcony. I jump out of the bed and rush out , but the malabar whistling thrush , often referred to as the schoolboy for his whistling song jumps on to the branch of the tree and all I see is his silhouette. It is still dark out there and the dense canopy makes it look even darker.

Good morning says the lorikeet or hanging parrot. Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

We head out towards the Adventure Valley and are greeted by the malabar parakeets, the lorikeet , and the copper smith barbet.

Wake up people says the malabar parakeet. Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

A yellow browed bulbul perches for a couple of seconds and flies away followed by a golden oriole. We spot the racket tailed drongo, the rufous treepie and even a malabar grey hornbill whose silhouette was all that I managed to photograph.But the vibrantly coloured blue capped rock thrush was hiding amidst the leaves and didnt seem to mind me around.

Off to look for breakfast says the blue capped rock thrush . Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

We walked back to the reception and who should be waiting there , but for the brilliant blue and shining malabar whistling thrush, right out in the open , spending a good fifteen minutes foraging around , looking for food.

Foraging for breakfast – Malabar whistling thrush . Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

I wait patiently for it to have its breakfast and then head towards mine.The sky darkens again and my birding session ends, but for me the bird of the day remains the school boy.

Whats out there asks the malabar whistling thrush . Pic : Lakshmi Sharath

Club Mahindra’s resort at Coorg is located near Madikeri and is an absolute  birding paradise and looks right out of a tropical rain forest. The luxuriant greenery is a perfect haven for birds. The botanical garden, the dense canopy of fruiting and flowering trees, small plantations of cardamom , coffee and pepper takes you into an entirely different wrld. Stay with us  at Coorg and open your doors to nature.

Did you ever visit Manali and thought it was getting too crowded? Then Prini and Jagatsukh will appeal to you immensely. Prini is just 3km away from Manali and Jagatsukh 6km away on the Manali Naggar road. We stayed at Jagatsukh with a friend. This was also my daughter’s first proper trip to the Himalayas. We had dragged her up to Rishikesh before but this was our first time with her on the higher ranges.

On our first day we decided to visit the Shiva temple above Jagatsukh at Bataara which is an hour and a half’s trek with kids and all. But take this as a rough estimate as we all trek at our own pace!

Chhavi has a unique way of trekking as of now and I had made it very clear to everyone that I can barely carry myself up the path. But she was on good shoulders, mostly with her father but also with our hosts who took turns to carry her. She also had company as our host’s toddler was also on the trek.

The only stretch on which she walked was with me and of course I took a wrong turn and we had to walk back that path again. We had also carried food with us up to the temple so we had a nice picnic up there. There was water near the temple  and on a few other places on the route, so water is not a problem on this route.

We took it easy in the evening. Chhavi was so tired that could wake her up with quite an effort and much past sunset. That meant I was out with my camera in the evening and I caught the peaks turning red from our hosts home.

The next day I took a walk from Jagatsukh to Prini and back which 6km in all. It is a beautiful narrow road that I followed and it was a beautiful evening.

I saw this beautiful waterfall on the way and decided to go near it to click pictures. And without even realizing I was soon balancing on two stones and clicking pictures. It was only when I wanted to take a leap to another stone that I realized that I stood a serious chance of tripping with my SLR in the water, again. I decided to be satisfied with whatever pictures I got from the existing place itself.

A little ahead there was a dhaba (the small white structure on the right) where I sat down for Tea and Omelette. After walking for 3km tea and Omelette tasted really good. The dhaba owner asked me who was I visiting and when I mentioned my host’s name he of course knew them!

I had a most pleasant walk back but the sun had gone down and it was getting cold.

Next time when I go the region again I will also explore Naggar which is 16km from Jagatsukh

I will leave you with these majestic mountain ranges that are visible from Prini and Jagatsukh.

Relive these moments by staying at the Club Mahindra luxurious property at Manali

A walk through the monuments in Mahabalipuram is a journey that we embark on going further into our history and heritage. I visited Mahabalipuram after nearly a decade and the place still captivates me, leaving me speechless.

The Tiger’s Cave – The first structure that we visited enroute to Mahabalipuram.This mandapam contains a shrine dedicated to the goddess Durga. There are large figures in front of the caves.

As you walk further into the campus, you stumble upon this piece of structure. A temple, a nandi and a rock with engravings on it.

Then came Arjuna’s penance. This magnificient structure was  carved in the mid 17th century. Measuring approximately 30meters in length  and 15meters in height, it is the most popular of all structures in Mahabalipuram. Arjuna’s Penance is a story from the Mahabharata of how Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers, performed severe austerities in order to obtain Shiva’s weapon.

To the left of Arjuna’s Penance is where we find Krishna’s Mantap. It depicts the incident when Lord Krishna lifted the Govardana Giri mountain offering shelter to the people and cattle of the village against torrential rains.  This is a 12 column cave temple.

As you make your way towards the interiors, along the ocean sits the magnificent Shore Temple. The temple earned its  name because it overlooks the Bay of Bengal. It is one of the oldest structural stone temple in South India. One of the key monuments at Mahabalipuram, this is now protected by the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Spend  a relaxed weekend unwinding and relaxing at  Club Mahindra Big Beach Resort in Pondicherry. Wake up to the sound of the ocean, and enjoy the laid back atmosphere for a perfect weekend getaway. When planning your weekend, remember it is the right time to visit Mahabalipuram now. The Dance festival happens in the months of January – February. There are quite a few historic places worth a visit in and around Pondicherry, and Mahabalipuram is one of them. it is in fact one of the many attractions between Chennai and Pondicherry, along the East Coast Road.

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.