Blogs from India, Asia

Day-3: Gangtok to Lachung: Lachung is a small village near Tibetan border situated at 9,000 ft. It is a very scenic place – for that matter, entire Sikkim is a scenic beauty. On 5th May, day time temperature forecast was 6°C and night temperature forecast was 1°C. We were told that taxi will arrive anytime between 9 and 11! This is a major (and common) problem in Sikkim. Taxi operators have formed a cartel and they dictate the terms. In Sikkim (eastern part of India), sun rises early. Unless it is raining, there is broad day-light by 5.30 in the morning in summer. And you have to wait till……..may be 11 for the day to start! In Sikkim, taxi operators ply on specific routes. Eg, taxis on Gangtok-Lachung-Gangtok route do not keep luggage carriers (I don’t ... read more

'Lakshadweep' - in most of the Indian languages means a lakh /million (laksha) islands (dweep) though it is a conglomerate of 36 islands to be precise. But I must say, it is definitely one in a lakh(million) islands when it comes to its breathtaking beauty. Lakshadweep is one of the 8 Union Territories of India and is located in the Arabian Sea off the south-west coast of India. And the tiny little gorgeous Bangaram island is one of the 36 islands of Lakshadweep. Travelling this time was different for two reasons - we were going on a vacation after 3 long years and this time there was an addition to the trip - our three year old son. This was his first time flying , so I was obviously nervous ! Since most of the resorts ... read more

I simply had to escape from the polluted air of Kolkata (previously called Calcutta) which is competing with Delhi to be the most polluted city in India. Since I wanted to buy traditional handicrafts, I decided to find the source and planned a day trip from Kolkata to Bolpur. A restless night and for the first time I appreciated the wake up call of the morning Azaan from our nearby mosque. After a cuppa tea, I took a yellow, ambassador taxi which tried to fleece me for 100 INR for a distance less than 2 kms instead of running by the meter. I offered to take another one and being the first customer of the day, it was considered bad luck and he continued. It was exciting to see the mass of humanity at Sealdah train ... read more

According to mythology, when Lord Krishna’s wife Rukmini requested her husband for the idol of Balkrishna, the child form of the Lord, Shri Krishna entrusted Vishwakarma with the task of designing the idol. Vishwakarma made a beautiful idol of Balkrishna with the holy saligrama stone and gave it to Rukmini for worship. The idol, in the course of being worshipped by hundreds of devotees at Dwaraka with the application of sandalwood paste, got completely covered with the sandalwood paste. It is believed that this same idol is now placed at the temple. As a consequence of the great flood that occurred at the end of the era of Lord Krishna, Dwaraka was completely engulfed by the sea. And the sandalwood covered idol of Lord Krishna also got washed away. Saint Madhvacharya and the Idol Decades passed. ... read more

Gujarat state in western India is geographically and culturally divided in to at least four regions: Saurashtra, Kutchh, North Gujarat and South Gujarat (with Central Gujarat in between). I have lived in Saurashtra for 36 years and North Gujarat for 27 years. Interest in re-(re)-visiting some parts of Saurashtra is therefore natural. I have copied some information (mostly legends) from sources available on internet (not necessarily authentic – I have used them only because I liked the contents). I have also given links to these sources. You may use hyperlinks to read more about the place. I have not re-written the description wherever good source is available. Saurashtra (also known as Kathiawad) is further divided into different areas (which are more relevant historically): Halar (present day Jamnagar), Sorath (Jun... read more