Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu is unique in having a display of the four sculpture forms – Cave Temples, Carved Monoliths, Sculptured Scenes and Masonry Temples. They were built during the rule of the Pallava kings between 6th to 8th century AD. Kanchipuram was the capital city of the Pallavas and Mahabalipuram was their seaport. We…
Tag: Travel
Shore temple in Mahabalipuram🐚… shrouded in sand and stories
Standing on the sea shore of Bay of Bengal in Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu district of India is the famous Shore temple; seen from far as two pagoda style towers rising to the sky. Why is it so famous? It’s now merely an archeological site and as per our guide Mr. Ali, the government has…
Chowmohalla Palace: Glimpse into a royal past👑
The Chowmohalla Palace is a prominent tourist attraction in all Hyderabad itineraries. It is a glimpse into the grandiose lifestyle of the erstwhile Nizams who ruled the land. A chance for the common man to be in awe of the wealth and possessions of the rich overlords. The minute I entered the vast wooden gates,…
Love antique homes? You must visit Dakshina Chitra in Tamil Nadu🏠
Everyday, we step outside dressed to fit in; but we strive to ensure that our homes reflect our uniqueness. In a country like India, the houses are treasure troves showcasing the diversity of its people. The old houses were built – both in and out – to reflect the family’s caste, social status and means…
Wedding weekend in Kerala💐
Republic Day weekend; the kid’s school sent a message asking us to watch the Republic Day parade on the TV to see “the newly inducted stealth attack helicopter Apache and the transport helicopter Chinook” taking part in the fly past for the first time. But we were miles away in Kerala attending a family wedding….
Treat yourself to Hyderabad: A 3 day itinerary 🌆
The name Bhagmati seems quite famous in Hyderabad; though we didn’t meet any ladies with this name, there are shops named Bhagmati and even saw a boat named Bhagmati at the pier on the Hussain Sagar lake in the Lumbini Park. What’s in a name, you may ask? For Hyderabad it translates to it’s genesis….
Season’s Special🎄❄️
Last day of 2019; December passed by so quickly thanks to exams, travel and family functions. In the first two weeks the kid had is pre-board exams. With that out of the way, an excursion for his class to Auroville followed. They were staying in Auroville for 3 days to see and learn about sustainability, organic…
Namaste Hyderabad 🙏✨
10 years ago was my first visit to the city. I was in Hyderabad to conduct a training session being held at the Basheer Bagh branch of my then employer. In the evening, the office arranged a shopping-cum-sightseeing trip for all the participants to the old city – Charminar and Laad Bazaar. Charminar was closed…
Good reads for the holidays🎄📚
Winter or more aptly the cooler months in south India, free from the heat and rain are ideal for travel. Following the school calendar🗓, opportunity presents itself starting from October with the Puja holidays, followed by the Diwali hols and finally the Christmas holidays. And going by the travel trends reported in the papers, the millennials…
Chandigarh: A gridded legacy🛣
The vivid colours of a rainbow appear mystical to most beholders and so does the Rock Garden of Chandigarh. The garden was envisioned as a dream kingdom and made entirely of nature’s bounty by its author-architect Nek Chand Saini, a PWD road inspector of early 1900s. Nek Chand was witness to the trauma and pain following…
Arjuna’s Penance – one of the largest bas relief sculptures in the world – how many stories can you decipher?
😏My photo does no justice to this magnificent sculptured wall; dating back to the 7th century AD, built under the patronage of the Pallava kings, located in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. This massive monument has to be seen in person. It’s a collage of characters from the Hindu mythology – Mahabharatha. Our guide Mr. Ali explained…
Pondicherry to Mahabalipuram 🚙💨…along the East Coast Road (Photoblog)
Four nights in Pondicherry – split between two hotels – 2 nights at Maison Perumal, a boutique hotel in the heart of Pondy and 2 nights at Ocean Spray, a sprawling resort close to a beach, on the East Coast Road (ECR) but 16 km away from Pondicherry. It’s perfect for a leisurely walk in…
Scuba diving in Pondicherry🚤
The scuba diving took place on 1st Oct 2019 and am writing about it a month later; the delay was in anticipation of receiving the underwater photographs from the vendor. We paid for the same, was promised via email 15 – 24 hours later; but not received them till date, now a month and counting….
Celebrating Karnataka: Beyond Bangalore🌱
1st November is celebrated both in Kerala and Karnataka as their respective foundation day. Another very visible point of commonality between the two neighbouring states is that the state bus transport division in both states carry the same acronym KSTRC – Kerala/ Karnataka Road Transport Corporation. Everytime we see this bus in Bangalore, we are reminded of…
A glimpse into Auroville – The City of Dawn 💮
We took a half day tour of Auroville via a package called Auroville Impressions. Here’s what we got to see…🍀 Entry to Auroville is free (you have to pay for parking your vehicle at the visitor’s car park😁). Just to get a peek into the place, reach the Visitors’ Centre; see the presentation on Auroville;…
Lunching escapades🍽… places to eat in Pondicherry🍰
All holiday travel essentials include a list of – things to do and places to dine. We compile a list based on recommendations from friends, family, blog posts and then narrow down our choices. “In Pondicherry, you should eat at the Rendezvous restaurant.” was a recommendation from family member. “Cafe des Arts is a must…
Streetscapes 🏡🚶🏻♂️…Heritage walk in Pondicherry🚶🏻♀️
The best day for a heritage walk – Sunday. Evening would be more pleasant, but our guide insisted on a morning session. Essentials – wide brimmed hat to shield from the sun and camera📸. We were meeting our guide Mr. Ashok Panda in the lobby of the hotel Palais de Mahe in White town, also…
Maison Perumal: A Memorable stay at Pondicherry
Let’s start from where we left off in the last post – at Maison Perumal, Pondicherry… We arrived in Pondicherry tired and hungry from our walk at Gingee fort. Though in the heart of the city, Maison Perumal is located in a quiet lane; we made our way through the narrow road lined by cars and…
Bangalore to Pondicherry: A scenic road trip to the east coast🏖🚙
A distance of over 300 kms; approximately a 6 hour journey; less than the Bangalore-Goa road trip we had last October. We had no stops planned in-between and so the comparatively smaller distance meant a slow start, aiming to reach Pondicherry 3:00 pm; we decided to start out by 9:00 am. (We were late, starting…
Gingee fort: Our Fort(uitous) Encounter
Gingee fort – called by the British as the “Troy of the East” is a majestic fort located in the state of Tamil Nadu. We chanced upon it on our road trip from Bangalore to Pondicherry. Setting off from Bangalore by 9:00 am, we reached the town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu by 1:00 pm…
