After visiting the most popular sights in Goa-  exploring Fort Aguada, strolling along the Anjuna Beach & the flea markets, going on a Dolphin cruise, and exploring Colva beach where I managed to let go of my fears and go para sailing, I was now eager to explore the other side to Goa- The Old Goa as it is called. Also known as Goa Velha ["Velha" in Portugese means Old], it is located on the banks of the River Mandovi  about 9 Kms Panaji, Goa’s Capital.

Anjuna beach

Riding the bus to Panaji, I chatted up with the lady sitting beside me asking her if she knew anything about this part of Goa. She went on to tell me that the town was once a major Portuguese stronghold and before that was the capital of Bijaipur Kingdom as well. But apparently, most of the forts, weaponry, and traces of the era gone by have gone missing with time. Even though there has been a decline in heritage over centuries, the town is well maintained, inspite of the large influx of visitors year round. “You should explore the churches and temples there” she said before going on her way.

I got off in Panaji where the tour guide reccomended by a friend waited. He took over from where the lady had left off to shed more light on the history behind Old Goa. “The town was earlier surrounded by a fortified wall with barracks, a hospital and the prison. Europeans who ruled the region have left behind quite an impression apart from architectural marvels. I will show you some of the famous churches in this region for you to understand better.”

Along the Mandovi River

Within minutes we were on a road flanked on either side by a Grand church. “On your right is the Basilica of Bom Jesus and across the road is the Se Cathedral. Why dont you go explore the Bom Jesus Basilica first?” he said before wandering off to chat with some friends.

Basilica of Bom Jesus is a Church marked as a World Heritage Site standing tall but without a towering cross on top. Apparently in its place was a Hindu temple which the portugese demolished to erect the church on.. And the cross they installed kept falling off due to natural calamities, till finally they realised something bigger was in power there and so the church stands tall without a Cross.

Basilica of Bom Jesus

The interiors are overwhelming, huge ceilings, beautiful art work.. its absolutely breathtaking. The church houses two chapels, a main altar, a sacristy and a belfry at the back. Apart from these, the church also has a rich collection of paintings related to various instances from the life of St. Francis Xavier.Altars dedicated to St. Michael and to Our Lady of Hope are also present .

The church houses the sacred relics of St. Francis Xavier, patron saint of Goa. St Francis Xavier is also known as “Goencho Saib” meaning “Lord of Goa”. The saint died while on a sea voyage to China on December 2,1552. In accordance with his wishes , his remains were transferred to Goa the following year. Before I knew it, nearly an hour had passed. Making my way out onto the street to explore the Se Cathedral I noticed the guide lost in conversation.

Se Cathedral 

Inside Se Cathedral

The largest church in Old Goa, Se Cathedral is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. This Renaissance cathedral was designed in the 16th century and took nearly 80 years to complete. I noticed there was only one  bell tower, apparently the other collapsed way back in 1776 when it was struck by lightening  The interiors are filled with intricate detailing, the focal point is the 249 feet long central nave and a gilded high altar dedicated to St. Catherine.As you walk around , you will see the 15 additional altars inside the cathedral. What a beautiful building that was. I could have spent all day there, but I was thirsty for more…

I quickly made an exit towards our vehicle only to find the guide waiting there for me. “Shall we go? I have few more surprises to show you”, he chirped! I wondered what could be more magical than these structures I had just visited…

Goa with its long stretches of beaches, blue ocean, and the plethora of activities has enough to keep visitors engaged for more than a few days. Stay at the Club Mahindra’s property in Varca Beach, wake up to the sound of the ocean, and soak in the sun and sand, the ideal way to unwind and have a blast! Wish to see, check this:

What’s in a name? Well not everything. But a coastal town in the Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu with a name like ‘Tranquebar’ certainly had a magical ring to it and enough allure for us to plan a visit.

Not surprisingly, our decision to go to Tranquebar was met with raised eyebrows and strange glares. A five hour drive to a relatively unknown destination is not what most would call a good choice for a short weekend trip. But luckily for us Tranquebar turned out to be a quaint town and the perfect place to just sit back, relax and do absolutely nothing, but gaze at the azure waters of the Bay of Bengal. In fact the ocean looked so beautiful and serene, that it was hard to imagine that it was the same ocean that we had been keeping us company as we drove down from Chennai.

A former Danish trading centre, Tranquebar or Tharangambadi (meaning ‘place of singing waves’) was founded by the Danish in 1620, after getting into an agreement with King Raghunatha Nayak to pay Rs. 3111 per month as rent. Eventually bought by the Danish, it was later sold to the British in 1845.

As we drove through the once majestic Gateway of Tranquebar, now a dilapidated structure crying out loud for some restoration, we were transported back in an instant to an era gone by. The road leading up to the beach is lined on both sides by buildings built during both the Danish and British rule. The Zion Church and the New Jerusalem Church, built in 1701 and 1718 respectively are still active places of worship.

As the road turns left we caught a glimpse of the Dansborg Fort flanked by the grand Bay of Bengal.  A dull yellow structure and not exactly like the mighty forts seen elsewhere in India, the fort now houses a museum.

If Dansborg Fort is historically the most important structure in Tranquebar, then the most beautiful is undoubtedly, the Bungalow on the Beach, now a hotel with 8 rooms. A majestic white building with a slopping red terracotta roof, the bungalow was used as a Collector’s house in 1845 under the British rule.  The charming bungalow situated right on the beach offers breathtaking views of the ocean, dotted with numerous fishing trawlers, with the Dansborg Fort to the right and the mysterious Masillamani temple on the left. The oldest structure still standing in Tranquebar, the Masillmani temple originally had 3 mandapams of which only one survives. The one standing gopuram is in ruins and is barely protected from the sea by some big boulders to keep the water from hitting against the structure.

But nothing could keep us for long from returning to the bungalow, wanting to make the most of the time we had and to spend as many hours out on the pillared verandah that runs all along the first floor of the house, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing and watching the birds circle the clear blue sky.

There are not too many places that I have been to in the recent past that I have left with an almost certain feeling that when and if I do go back at some point in the future, I will see it looking better than when I saw it last. But luckily Tranquebar I believe will be one such place. The efforts being put in by the Danish Government, INTACH and several others towards restoring more jewels of Danish legacy will make Tranquebar only more beautiful if that’s possible.

Tranquebar is barely a couple of hours from Pondicherry , where Club Mahindra has a Zest property.  Do plan a trip to Pondicherry and Tranquebar the next time youtake a beach holiday

As we got out of the car, the metal sculptures on the gate was what greeted us. We were at the Garden of Five Senses. A park in Saidul Ajaib village, near the Mehrauli heritage area in Delhi. You cant really call it a park, its not a garden nor is it just a center for fun…

There are plenty of trees and plants scattered through the vast space, there are interesting sculptures around every corner. Once you enter the gates, all you see is open space, and plenty of it, stretching far beyond the eye can see..

The sculptures have are all a symbol of modern art, created by master craftsmen…  Amongst the innumerable marvelous pieces are a few in  terracotta and stainless steel ..

One of which reminded me of a pinwheel, one with bells around every tier and another that reminded me of the paper fan we get in the beaches….

The leaves and bells seem to flutters with every gush of wind and creates one in hearts too. They were beautiful.. The beauty is that all these are scattered and you will have to walk around the winding lanes, through quite a plethora of flora…

The other unique piece of art here is the row of children sitting for class. It is so life like, that we had to literally walk near the sculptures to make sure they were made of stone… Wow, it was fascinating….

Walking around the park, we spotted a row of stones arranged like stairs that led to an amphitheater… On the other side were a few colorful pieces that resembled children’s play area and we also discovered a cafe and a few boutique stores…

Spare yourself a couple of hours to wander the space and enjoy the sights and sounds… But watch your step, cos you never know if you are going up or down in the Garden of Five senses…
Its been about 3yrs since i was here.. wonder what kind of changes have happened… If you do visit, let me know how it is now

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.

I have wanted to experience Udaipur and the Palaces around. Finally, sometime last October we made plans with my family to explore Kumbhalgarh. Its most famous for its Fort which stretches across 36 kms of the Aravali Mountains and 1100m above sea level. The wall is 2nd biggest wall in the world after The Great Wall of China ( am sure most of us dint know this ).

Well we started this journey by taking a flight to Udaipur..which is 2 hours drive from Kumbhalgarh. We had booked our stay in the Club Mahindra Kumbhalgarh resort.

Loved the drive from Udaipur airport to the resort. We drive by the so called Aravali Mountains. We were booked up in tents. The only Club Mahindra resort which gives the tent experience. It was one of its kind.

View from the resort is amazing. Surrounded by mountains..The day we reached we just lazed around. Did nothing just explored the place to its best and enjoyed the amazing food in the resort. The next day we planned to visit the Fort. The best time to go to the fort is evening as they light up the fort walls. It was so beautiful..words are less to describe them…

The view when the fort was lighted up was amazing. Couldn’t leave my camera for a minute. Daily at around 6.30pm they light up the fort.

Finally it was time to head back to the resort, have dinner and sleep off as next day we had planned out a day trip to Ranakpur Jain Temple. 2 hours drive from the resort lies this beautiful Temple. Bhagawan Adinatha resides in the amazing marbel temple.

Spell bound carvings all around. A day well spent. Drove back to the resort and indulged in some resort fun activities. The next morning was one adventure morning. Early say by 5am we were ready for Kumbhalgarh WildLife Sanctuary. Drive down the gushing forest early morning was amazing especially in a open jeep and rocky roads.

Though we couldn’t spot any animals, but the trip was worth while. We were back to the resort in time for a good breakfast and then we headed for Shrinathji temple. A 2 hrs drive from the resort. We were blessed with nice darshan of Bhagwan and was time to head back to the resort and start packing up as next day was time to head to a day trip to Udaipur and a flight in evening back home.

Went around palace of Udaipur. Beautiful is also less said for it..

The trip did end as good things do come to an end, but the memories are still floating afresh in my mind.

A place worth a second visit. Can’t wait to plan another vacation there

Quite a lot can be said about this beautiful, quite and a calm place. We took off from Mumbai to Bangalore via an early morning flight. As we were going to stay in the Club Mahindra Kodagu Valley, Coorg property, we had our taxi pre-booked from them. It was a nice and beautiful drive all the way to Coorg. It would have been an approx of 280 odd kms. But the entire 4 hours of drive was fabulous and the rains made it more fantastic.

The Mahindra resort was so welcoming. Located amongst luscious greens. We were gonna be there for about 4 days. We reached around noon…had a fantastic lunch in one of their open air restaurants. We then checked in to our room…had taken their 1bhk room. It was just great..especially the back view from the room was wonderful.

The next morning we were welcomed with nice rains and temperature was down to just 14 Degc. We then had planned to visit the very famous Talacauvery which is around 50 kms from the resort. It is the original source of Cauvery river and is located in the Bhrahmagiri hill at 1200m aprx above the sea level. It is believed that taking bath in Talacauvery is very sacred and can relieve the man from all the sufferings.

There is a small hill which once walked up had amazing view..actually breathtaking..

We had a wonderful day out there…got back to the resort and let the day end. The next day we had something very exciting for us to look forward to. It was a trip to Dubare Elephant camp. A place where we can give bath, scrub and feed elephants. An amazing experience with the elephants which I have never had as yet.

I had a wonderful experience out there and thanks to the team of Club Mahindra to make it more memorable. The next day was another different kind of experience which again I had for the 1st time. We were headed to a Tibetan Monastery – Golden Temple, Bylakuppe. It houses over 250 monks as on date.

Stepping inside the temple feels like walking in to another world altogether. There are three beautiful golden Buddha statues each of 40 feet namely Padmasambhava, Buddha and Amityaus look down at visitors above the altar.

An absolutely stunning place. A place where I would feel like going back again and again. With a visit to this place our trip was almost at end. The next day we had a flight back home from Bangalore…The trip was wonderful and more over the Club Mahindra has a fantastic resort out there..

A must must visit for all…

The charm of the railways is unmistakable. But it was a nondescript railway junction that made journalist, Bishwanath Ghosh literally change tracks. The writer in Ghosh was inspired by life in these railway junctions as he went on to write about them in his maiden travel book – ” Chai Chai – Travels in Places where you stop but never get off.” CLAY spoke to the Chennai based author and here is his take on travel writing .

1.What got you to write a travel book ?
I decided to write the book about two years ago. I was travelling from Kanpur to Chennai, returning from my annual Diwali trip to home. The train had stopped at Itarsi station. Itarsi is a big junction. I was having tea at the platform and during the nearly 10 minutes that I spent at the platform, I heard names of stations from virtually every corner of India being mentioned. It suddenly struck me, “People all parts of the country pass through this place, so many cultures criss-cross this station, and yet I know nothing about Itarsi except that it is a railway junction. What lies outside the railway station? Who all live there? What do they do?” Subsequently, the publishers approached me to write a travel book. They wanted something different. So I chose seven junctions that people invariably pass through during train journeys but where they never get off. I made these junctions my destination and that’s how the book came about. I started with Mughal Sarai, came to Jhansi, then Itarsi. Moving down south, I covered Guntakal, Arakkonam, Jolarpettai and Shoranur.

2. It’s not often that people choose their first book to be about nondescript places which hardly features on any tourist maps…
Mine is a travel book and not a guidebook for tourists. It is a study of your own backyard, which you take for granted to the extent of ignoring it. But these are places, the small towns and the villages, where the real India lives. My book satisfies my own curiosity, and perhaps the curiosity of hundreds of others, about what lies outside the yard of these railway stations.

3. As a traveller, what catches your attention about a place?
Anonymity. Anonymity leads to curiosity, and curiosity makes you travel and discover.

4. The book is full of sights and sounds of a destination and anecdotes. Is there a specific sight or a sound that still remains with you.
The bustling markets in the evenings – people shopping for groceries, chaatwallahs doing brisk business, small-time bars full of people, men loitering around in paan shops or chaurahas. No one is ever in a hurry, they have all the time in the word. That’s the life we left behind 20 or 30 years ago.

5. What is your take on travel writing today?
Travel writing is yet to evolve, in the sense we still have a Paul Theroux giving us his take on India. But on the tourist-writing front, yes, Indians are discovering a lot of off-the-beaten-track places, which is heartening. Just about 10 years ago, no one was making such discoveries.

6. “Real India” today as it is portrayed seems to have become ironically a perspective of the foreigners only. Do you feel your book has broken that mould?
In a sense, yes. Because if you look up the internet, you will hardly find any information about a place like Mughal Sarai. But now you have a book that has an entire chapter devoted to Mughal Sarai. And the book has not been written by a foreigner, but an Indian.

7. What is your take on more opportunities to aspiring travel writers today?
The idea is not to be blind to your own backyard just because you live there. Questions need to be asked all the time: how did your backyard come into being, why is it the way it is today, what it means to other people, and so on. A traveller and a tourist are two different people. A tourist usually looks for a bed of grass to walk on, while for a traveller it can often be a bed of thorns.

How many times have you come back from a vacation, after having seen some beautiful places and experienced something nice, but wish you had good images to keep memories forever? Good travel images can stretch the experiences of our journeys all the way back to our homes. Here are 10 tips to get the best from your camera while you are on a holiday.

1. Wake up early.

The golden light of early morning is the best time to take pictures. Many things work in favour of the photographer when the sun is just coming out. The warm light makes the landscape look pretty. Fog diffuses the light and adds a magical effect. The low lighting brings out the textures of the subject and adds depth into the photograph. A photograph shot in the harsh afternoon sun can look dull and flat, but the same shot in the morning may look magical. If not in the morning, the next best time of the day is evening. Avoid the times when the sun is high.

Pic : Arun Bhat

2. Keep the sun behind you.

This is the most important and most obvious thing to keep in mind when taking pictures. If the sun is facing the camera, your subject will be in shadow, forming dark areas without details. With the sun behind you, your subject will have proper lighting and turns out better.

3. Put people in pictures.

Picture of a man standing on the top of a tall mountain can say a lot about the scale of the mountain. A lonely couple walking on a wide beach can say how empty and tranquil the beach is. A man worshiping in a temple can bring life and character to the temple. Always look for a chance to place people in your pictures.

Pic : Arun Bhat

4. Lookout for background clutter.

Have you ever noticed in pictures of Taj Mahal, that Taj is the only building seen in every one of those typical images? Imagine a few tall high rise buildings in the background of Taj, a chimney of a factory sticking out, and all possible urban construction behind Taj posing at the viewer. Would the picture look the same? Obviously not. Taj is a specially thought out monument, which was built on a high platform to block views of everything else behind. But most other places and monuments we see are not so. Lookout for an angle where you can eliminate the background clutter.

5. Shoot children.

You know it already – they have so much life, they can bring life to your pictures too. When you see willing kids, just make friends with them and take their pictures. You would make them happy too.

Pic : Arun Bhat

6. Shoot local people.

You will often come across people dressed traditionally, or in a unique manner. Lookout for the elderly people who have not shed the clothes of the olden days for today’s globally uniform dressing. Smiling people, wrinkles on the face of an old man in chai shop, people at work – they all can add beautifully to your travel experiences and memories. Get up close and talk to them, it always helps in getting good images.

Pic : Arun Bhat

7. Emphasize the main subject.

This tip is about getting pictures of you and/or your family in front of the a monument or scenery. We all want one such image don’t we? But who gets prominence in the frame? Should it be the structure of Taj Mahal or your spouse? You know the answer well. Frame your family to be a part of the big picture; don’t make them the big picture!

8. Research before you go.

This tip is for people who want to get serious with their camera. You have limited time and want to get the best out of it. Instead of running through the place and trying to get images in a hurry, sit back at home before you leave and try to find out what matters to you in your destination. Plan to spend more time with the subjects you like, once you are at the location. But then, if you are on a vacation and the camera is just a supplementary gear, you should really not get into the headaches of research. Let a holiday be a holiday, not a time for some intense work.

9. Get out in winter.

It is the time of the year when mornings and evenings are most colourful and magical. I know it could be really cold at places, but the efforts will be rewarded. Even in daytime, the skies tend to be clearer and the light would be a great deal more conducive for photography than rest of the year.

Pic : Arun Bhat

10. Leave wildlife alone.

This is not really a tip, but an advice to exercise discretion. You would have seen many mind blowing images of wildlife on the internet, television or magazines. Shooting wildlife requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and years of experience. Do not go out of your way to get wildlife shots on your holidays. An unguided attempt may often result in disturbing the wildlife, inadvertently putting them in danger or even destruction of their dwellings. Attempt wildlife only if you are keen to go far in the field, and start with some expert help. Of course, no harm trying to capture an animal or bird that comes easy on your path.

Happy clicking and travelling!

The Sunday Times in its review had said that this book is “best avoided by patriots with high blood pressure.” Travel writer Paul Theroux’s tongue in cheek perspective of the British and their sensibilities, mannerisms, quirks and eccentricities justifies the above statement. The Kingdom by the Sea is an American’s account of the United Kingdom and is more about people than places with dollops of humour thrown in.

It is the summer of 1982 and the hot topic of the moment is the Falkland War .The author living in London as a foreigner decides to travel clockwise around the coast across England, Wales, Scotland and ireland . He walks – an average of 15-20 miles a day , stops by ports and fishing villages, travels in trains and buses ,lives in country inns and hotels which offer bed and breakfast and narrates his encounters with people he meets .The stiff upper lip slowly thaws revealing its unique traits.

The proverbial English weather is discussed along with politics and royalty in the same vein. Theroux slowly turns into a bit of a literary tourist , stopping by at a Dickensian town or showcasing Shakespearre Cliff or the place where Keats edited Endymion. While the war is raging in the backdrop and urbanisation becomes a key theme, the context however is more about the British way of life and their take on everything. As he travels, the American point of view becomes more pronounced as he reflects on the mannerisms of the English with the classic dry humour. Sample this for instance .
“The whole enterprise of bed and breakfast was carried on by the woman but done with a will, because she was actually getting paid for doing her normal household chores….Usually I was treated with a mixture of shyness and suspicion but that was traditional English hospitality – wary curiosity and frugal kindness. “

Or their take on the Queen –
“I saw the Queen ,” he said , and he winced , remembering.
“How did she look ?”
He winced again. His name was Dougie. He wore gumboots.He said.” She were deep in thought.”
Dougie had seen something that no one else had.
“ She were preoccupied.Her face was gray. She werent happy.”
I said,” I thought shewas happy about her new grandson.”
Dougie disagreed . “I think she were worried about something .They do worry, you know. Aye,its a terrible job. “
He began to walk slowly, as if in sympathy for the hard pressed Queen.
I said,” Being Queen of England has its compensations.”
“Some compensations and some disadvantages,” Dougie said.”I say its half a dream world and half a nightmare.Its a gold fish bowl.No privacy ! She cant pick her nose without someone seeing her.”
Dougie said this in an anguished way , and I thought it was curious, though I did not say so,that he was pained because the monarch could not pick her nose without being observed .”

As the reader travels with the author, Theroux’s genius as a travel writer comes through , best summed in the lines – “ All travellers are optimists, I thought. Travel itself is a sort of optimism in action. I always went along thinking : I’ll be alright, I’ll be interested, I’ll discover something, I wont break a leg or get robbed, and at the end of day, I will find a nice old place to sleep.”