Chittorgarh - flashback into history

Standing on top of a hill in the beautiful Aravali hills in Rajasthan is the historic fortress city of Chittorgarh, a world heritage site and the largest fort in India. There are many forts in India but none that conjure a saga as poignant as this Rajput citadel. Any tale involving the Rajput kings is replete with accounts of chivalry, valour and tragedy and the story of Chittorgarh is grandiosely epitomical. 

As a fortress Chittorgarh was almost impregnable and withstood numerous attacks between the 7th and 16th centuries. The fort was captured three times by Allauddin Khilji, Bahadur Shah and finally by Emperor Akbar in 1567 after which it was abandoned. Every time the brave Rajput warriors rode out to face the superior enemy and were slaughtered to the last man, thousands of Rajput women committed jauhar by burning themselves to save their honour. What followed was plunder and devastation and the ruins that remain today still speak about the way of life that prevailed in the medieval kingdom. 

Chittorgarh is like a time capsule that opens a window into India's glorious past. It is a comfortable day trip from Udaipur and highly recommended for those interested in history, archaeology and culture.

#chittorgarh #history #archaeology #medievalindia

Goa - beach heaven

Goa is one of India's top sea-side destinations and is situated on the western coast overlooking the Arabian sea. For a country with a coastline of more than 7500 kilometers, Goa alone receives more than 2 million tourists every year.

The local people have a very warm and friendly nature and a laid back attitude to life that can be quite infectious. For me a trip to Goa typically means laying on the beach, savouring freshly caught fish in one of the beach side shacks and watching the sun go down.

Make sure you make a trip to Goa's magical beaches at least once in your lifetime.

#goa #beach #sunset #seafood

The Taj Mahal and Humayun's Tomb - a tale of two monuments.

If you have been to India, you have probably seen the Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world and the ultimate monument to love. Built in white marble and one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, the Taj was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz. The building was completed in 1653 and stands 73 meters tall on the bank of the river Yamuna.

But if you travel upstream to Delhi, you will find another monument which has remarkable similarities to the Taj. Humayun's tomb stands proudly in the middle of India's capital city, not far from the same river. Humayun was the second Mughal emperor and his tomb was completed in 1572. It is 47 meters tall and is built in red sandstone and white marble.

So if you are unable to make a trip to Agra this time or want to visit only when you come with your wife or husband, take a trip to Humayun's tomb before you head for the airport!

#Tajmahal #Humayun #Agra #India 

Romantic Venice - celebrating life

We boarded Trenitalia from Milan on our way to Venice. Seated across us were an old and frail looking Australian couple who were coming back after twenty years. That kind of set the standard on how romantic Venice can be. And we hadn't even gotten there yet!

The rest of it was a lesson on how to celebrate life. Think about a city that started sinking even before global warming set in. Venetians have not only learnt how to cope with it but actually serenade it as their unique way of life. And the whole world comes to join in this celebration everyday.

The city is so old that there are no historical records of its founding. And old it looks. Parts of it are almost falling apart while the rest of it is struggling to stay upright. But the older it gets, the dearer it becomes and looks all the prettier for it. Although we were visiting for the first time, we felt that we had known this city for a long long time. We would love to go back in another twenty years.

#holiday #travel #photography #wanderlust #romantic #destination

The Hudson Theatre, New York - Magical Broadway

This iconic theatre was built by Henry B. Harris, a Broadway producer and opened in 1903. Harris died in 1912 when he sank with the Titanic during its ill fated voyage. It has survived 18 different owners since then including CBS and NBC and was twice almost demolished to make room for parking complexes but miraculously survived.

The Hudson Theatre has seen many momentous occasions during its more than hundred year history and even today seeps the rich heritage of New York's art and culture. The talk show format was invented here when in 1954 the original Tonight Show started with Steve Allen. Barbara Streisand started her career here and many other celebrities such as Elvis Presley have performed here.

My trip to New York could not have been completed without an evening spent at the Hudson Theatre and was the perfect way for me to time travel through New York's rich cultural history.

#hudsontheatre #broadway #NYart #NYculture #NYheritage #indranilgoswami

Fishing in the Indian Himalayas - Manali

The glacial and rain fed rivers of the Indian Himalayas offer many opportunities for game fishing. Although I am not new to these mountains, like most people I tend to think of the usual destinations when planning my holidays. This new sport compelled me to approach the subject in a different way. For example, I have been to Jim Corbett National Park a few times and this destination is usually associated with wildlife safaris. But I never knew that the Ramganga river outside the park offered some of the richest opportunities for fishing Mahseer. Similarly, Manali is usually associated with what can be expected of a typical hill station. But the Beas offers excellent opportunities for fishing Trout.

This April I went on a driving holiday to Manali and decided to try my luck at trout fishing on the Beas. The weather was quite pleasant with plenty of fresh snow on the higher slopes. The roads were quite well maintained and traffic not very heavy as the school vacations had not yet started.

I purchased some basic equipment from the local adventure gear shop run by Mr. Rajinder Paul (http://visitmanali.com/trekshop/). Mr. Paul is a very knowledgeable and helpful person and a trip to his shop is highly recommended for anyone planning adventure activities around Manali. If not anything else, you are likely to bump into an endless stream of enthusiastic adventurers who are his ardent admirers. He was happy to give me a crash course into the basics of fishing and suggested that I should purchase a fishing permit from the nearby Kunzum hotel.

Armed with my permit and newly acquired gear, I hit the road the following morning on my 4x4 vehicle. There are many fishing spots on the Beas between Kullu and Manali and it is a very comfortable day trip with plenty of time and opportunities for stopping over for lunch and sightseeing, especially for people passionate about nature and landscape photography. I drove downstream from Manali on the opposite bank of the river through Nagar, crossed over to the other side just before Kullu before returning back to Manali in the evening. The road on the opposite side is narrower and more scenic but the river is closer to the road on the side of the main highway that goes to Manali.

Fishing is a highly evolved sport with passionate following among its enthusiasts. But for a novice like me, the biggest attraction is the opportunity to be close to nature and the fact that it needs very little equipment or preparation. Not only is it a relaxing pastime, a little study and practice can add a rather addictive dimension to this sport. Experts tell me that this addiction grows steadily with time and unlike most other sports, can be practiced by people of all age groups.

#manali #beas #fishing #4x4 #himalayas #mahseer #trout #adventure #gear #photography #indranilgoswami