India, my home country, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh largest country by area and the most populous democracy in the World. New Delhi is the capital of India. India consists of 29 states and 7 union territories.
- Capital city: New Delhi.
- Main language spoken: Hindi and English.
- Basic Greetings in Hindi: Namaste, Shukriya/Dhanyawad.
- Currency: Indian rupee (INR).
- Forex Exchange: Currency can be exchanged at any international airports.
- Tourist visa: Visa is required to enter India (latest information can be found on Indian Immigration website).
- Best time to visit: October to March.
- Adapter required (power points): Type D plug.
- SIM: Airtel, Vodafone and BSNL are the common providers.
- Driving licence: International unexpired valid driving licence is required.
Ancient India was known as the Golden Sparrow, because of the wealth and prosperity.
Mark Twain summarized as to why India was called a “Golden Sparrow”. He quoted: “The land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of hundred nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of traditions, whose yesterday’s bear date with the antiquities for the rest of nations-the one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for alien prince and alien peasant, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the world combined.”
Andhra Pradesh
Golconda Fort
Golconda Fort, which means Round shaped hill, is a fort in Hyderabad. It is one of the most prominent structures/landmarks
Read more.Delhi
Delhi – My itinerary
It is that time of the year where everyone travels. It is a holiday season and it is Christmas. I
Read more.Gujarat
Rann Utsav (Kutch dessert festival)
Who doesn’t fancy a beautiful tent on the magical white sand dessert with the perfect pleasant weather! And how about
Read more.Jammu & Kashmir
Zor se bolo – Jai Mata Di!
Planning: One of my ex-colleagues visit Vaishnodevi every year. As soon as I heard she was planning, I immediately asked
Read more.Ladakh diaries – I have fallen in love with Ladakh. I have loved every bit of the place. So, I have created an entire diary for documenting my travels in Ladakh.
Doors of Ladakh
I am obsessed with doors <Period>. I have always had a habit of getting my pictures clicked with the colorful
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Picture perfect Ladakh!
I love everything about Ladakh! And its a no surprise as everyone loves Ladakh. The people, the culture and the
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Postcard from Hunder!
People have always told me I live in my fantasy world and that it does not exist. I ask them
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Postcard from Ladakh!
As I watch the people of Ladakh I wonder! I wonder as to how life can be this simple?
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Postcard from Nubra Valley!
The mountains – so strong and so fierce! They stand dominating every bit of the place. The power that they
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Postcard from Pangong lake
I walk alone with a camera in my hand I walk along the banks of the lake I walk looking
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Prayers at Thiksey monastery
One of the best opportunities that I got in Ladakh was to visit the Thiksey monastery during the morning prayers.
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Rafting on River Zanskar!
“Do you want to jump inside the water again?” asked my rafting instructor come guide come lead. My eyes lit
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The Surahi Dance
On our first day in Leh, there was a cultural dance and music show performed by the Ladakhi localities. One
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Thiksey monastery
Thiksey monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh. It is situated about 20 kilometers from Leh. The monastery
Read more.Karnataka
- A wild day in wilderness of Kabini – The backwaters of the Kabini reservoir are be very popular for wildlife in summer. The Kabini reservoir is located on the southern fringes of the Nagarahole National Park (Rajiv Gandhi National Park) , this was a former hunting lodge of the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore.
Almost an encounter!
The waterfall was extremely pretty. It was called “Harishina gundi” which means “The yellow waterfall” in Kannada. This was the
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Bird paradise – Rangantittu Bird Sanctuary
Rangantittu bird sanctuary is a bird sanctuary in Mandya district of Karnataka state in India. It is also known as
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Bucket List – Karnataka & around!
I have been asked a lot of questions about the places I have visited and the places I wish to
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Do these things really happen to you?
“Hey! Look, there is an elephant”, said one of the fellow passengers. We were all excited to at least see
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Goat’s leap
Mekedatu, is a place in Kanakapura district of Karnataka state in India. Mekedatu is named in Kannada, which means goat’s
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Guide to explore Dandeli
Dandeli is a town in the Uttara Karnataka district in the Western Ghats in the southern part of India. Dandeli
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Have you seen the Mysore Palace yet?
Mysore Palace is one of the must sees in Karnataka. To reiterate, travel to the state of Karnataka in India
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My family and temples – Always works!
“Where is this Somnathpura?” “Why are we going to Somnathpura?” “We need to walk a lot, Chinnu!” “It’s like a
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One day in Bangalore
Bangalore, my home, is a city in the Southern part of India. There are plenty of things to do in
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Pampakshetra of Kishkindha
Pampakshetra of Kishkindha, now known as Hampi, is a village in Karnataka in India. It is located within the ruins
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Panthera pardus in the Wild
Panthera pardus, commonly known as leopard, is one of the five big cats. My bucket list to see them in
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Photo Diary: Hampi
Hampi, also known as Hampe, is an ancient town in the northern part of Karnataka, in India. It is the
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Tadiyanmol trek
Tadiyanmol is one of most beautiful and lesser known hikes in the Western Ghats of southern part of India. It is
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Unexpected adrenaline rush? Ask me how!
Location: Bangalore Year: 2011 It had drizzled in the evening and it was time for me to take Willie out
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Up the sky, I fly so high!
Microflight flying Microflight flying at Jakkur is one of the must have experiences in Bangalore. A small flight which can
Read more.Kerala
Romantic sunset view from a houseboat
Kumarakom is by far one of the romantic places I have seen so far. Kumarakom is a popular tourist destination
Read more.Madhya Pradesh
One day in Jabalpur
Jabalpur is a small city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is an ancient city on the
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Rani Durgavati Fort
One of the historical monuments and landmarks in Jabalpur is the Rani Durgavati Fort, also known as Madan Mahal. The
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Safaris in Madhya Pradesh
I must say I was super impressed with Madhya Pradesh’s tourism board. The booking is online and there is one
Read more.Maharashtra
My first flight journey!
My first flight experience was with Rahul and was to his home in Bombay. I was so naïve that I had
Read more.Tamil Nadu
- Nilgiri Mountain Railway Train Ride – Ooty/Coonor – I have been on innumerable train journeys in my life. Honestly, I find travelling in train more fun than in a bus or even flights for that matter. A semester project in my graduation on Indian Railways, prompted me to build my ‘Bucket-List’ of Must Travel Train Journeys in India. With time, somehow this list got buried deep down and I forgot about it.
Kodaikanal – “Princess of Hill Stations”
Kodaikanal is also known as “Princess of Hill Stations”. It is a city in the state of Tamil Nadu in
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Photo Diary: Satyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary
Satyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary is a tiger reserve in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is a protected area
Read more.Uttar Pradesh
The symbol of love
Does the Taj Mahal really need an introduction? The entire World knows that it is the symbol of love –
Read more.West Bengal
Spiritual Capital of ISKCON!
As part of my Calcutta trip back in the year 2006, I visited a place called Mayapur. It was definitely
Read more.Gallery
