Blogs from Gujarat, India, Asia - page 6

Alarm went off.. With lots of difficulty I opened my eyes to check the time, It was 3.30 am and as usual I asked my husband to get ready. He warned me to leave without me if I do not get ready in 30 mins. We both were so much sleepy but we decided to leave the house at 4 am no matter what. Fortunately we were in the car exactly at 4 am. Velavdar is very much famous for Blackbuck Sanctuary, and as far as I know its the only place where you can see hundreds of deers, blackbucks, few migratory birds and wolves. The distance from our home, Vadodara to Velavdar is about 170kms. We left at 4 am and without stopping anywhere we reached there by 7 am. My husband decided to take ... read more

No mobile coverage, no proper signposting, a big lake infested with large crocodiles, dense jungle littered with ruins of ancient dwellings and a 3 km trek leading to an ancient Shiva Temple where the deity is in a subterranean cave and most importantly very little mention on the net and not listed in Wikipedia- does seem unreal and straight out of a horror movie set. But Chavda Rakhal- the hidden gem of Kutch is anything but that. Off the beaten track, this hunting ground of the erstwhile ruler of Kutch State still remains a private property of the Jadeja Royal Family of Kutch. Just about 15 km from Bhuj, the headquarters and biggest town in the Kutch District of Gujarat, Chavda Rakhal which literally means ‘Chavda’s Estate’ can be reached by following the Bhuj –Mata Na ... read more

January 18th2014 “Somewhere deep inside, something's got a hold on you And it's pushing me aside, see it stretch on forever” Better be home soon – Crowded House When thinking about unexplored (by me) Gujarat over many years, I always imagined visiting famous Jain temples, not the least one place I had heard about from travelers involving climbing many steps. Palitana was that place and so as we approached I was full of expectation. The omens were good – straight into town we hit a lassi stall (the daily lassi has become a bit of a habit in Gujarat). Then the fruit walla next to it tells us about where to find a hotel. We go there. But...... it is still being built! Something wrong with the local intelligence here. After several rides up and down ... read more

December 31st2013 “On bended knee is no way to be free Lifting up an empty cup, I ask silently That all my destinations will accept the one that's me So I can breathe” Eddie Vedder, Guaranteed The promise of a shanti Dwarka with warm climate, clean waters and holy ghats draws me westwards from Porbandar on a gorgeous sunny morning along the Arabian Sea coastline. There is a slight foreboding about the climate brought on by the vast wind farms and their turbines along the way (OK – this place might be a bit blowy). I am also full of expectation about meeting my new friend who is arriving the next day by train from Pushkar. I need to find a good place to stay, as the promise is also about spending some time in this ... read more

Dwarka ha un problema: le vacche! queste bestie insolenti si aggirano altezzose per le sue vie minacciando gli ignari visitatori, bloccando il traffico e taglieggiando i suoi poveri commercianti; non è raro che uno o più di questi placidi animali decida di sdraiarsi nel bel mezzo di una delle già strette e congestionate vie attorno al tempio bloccando del tutto la circolazione e creando code interminabili di mezzi e persone, a cui non resta che attendere speranzose o compiere spericolate deviazioni per superare l'irremovibile ostacolo. E che dire poi delle sempre più sfrontate bande di giovani vitelli che prendono di mira gli indifesi venditori ambulanti di verdure costringendoli al pagamento di un "pizzo" sotto forrma di ortaggi freschi di giornata, pena l'imbrattamento della zona attorno al carretto; individui ancora più spregevoli si spingono fino al punto ... read more