Leisure & Travel

Siem,Reap,-,August,14,:the,Landmark,Angkor,Wat,Temple,Where

Fine blend of history, nature and city life

Anil Thakore reports on an enjoyable week-long excursion to the ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the picturesque Ha Long Bay and Hanoi city in Vietnam During the past three decades since foreign exchange purchase rules and regulations were liberalised and Indians started travelling abroad with vengeance, the charm of Western countries — the hitherto popular destinations of outbound Indian tourists — has worn off. Staggering prices and poor quality service often mixed with overt and covert racism have reduced the allure of European countries, if not America which is too far away for short vacations. Therefore when we planned a foreign sojourn, we chose a ten-day expedition covering Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Hanoi and Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. The expedition began with a six-hour midnight flight by Thai Airways from Bengaluru via Bangkok to Siem Reap — the gateway for tourists to Angkor Wat. Landing an hour behind schedule at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, we rushed to catch the connecting flight to Siem Reap just about making it to the plane. But our baggage arrived 24 hours later! Siem Reap (pop.245,000), a town about which we knew nothing, was a revelation. Immigration formalities done, we walked out of its ultra-modern new airport sans check-in baggage — thanks to our Thai Airways flight which erroneously offloaded luggage of all Siem Reap bound passengers in Bangkok — into a luxury coach with tuneful Khmer music playing on its public address system. We instantly hit a four-lane highway and sped past farmlands and paddy fields to reach this well-laid out town. Apart from wide roads and neat housing colonies, several shut-down luxury hotels (crippled by the Covid pandemic) also met the eye in Siem Reap, but most astoundingly, no litter! The hospitality at the eco-friendly Golden Temple Boutique Hotel was overwhelming and helped to soothe our frayed nerves over the baggage mishap. The rooms are large and well-appointed. Lunch comprised freshly prepared Amok (steamed coconut fish with rice served on banana leaf), herbal juices and malted beer. (We had to be cautious though about our protein choices as snails and insects were also on offer.) After a satisfying meal, we soaked in the luxury of an afternoon nap followed by an expert massage. Nightlife in this sleepy little-known town was a revelation. Pub Street thrives on tourists, with all forms of entertainment, food and drink on offer. Dance bars, karaoke bars, ice cream and, massage parlours, apparel and curio shops — Siem Reap has them all! Well past midnight, Pub Street is alive and swarming with tourists from around the world. Restaurants abound in Siem Reap. With fresh vegetables and fruits easily available, choosing to go vegetarian in this resort town is a very doable option. Most veggies and fruits that we consume in India are available in Cambodia. We sampled restaurants offering French, Thai, British, American, Chinese and native Khmer cuisines. All of them were excellent. Angkor Wat Set within Angkor Archaeological Park that covers several thousand acres of…

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The spartan charms of communist Laos (contd…)

Yoginder Sikand reports from northern Laos where evidence of the deep-rooted Hindu influence on Laotian Buddhism is reflected in scenes from the Ramayana on temple walls. Moreover he stumbles across incriminating evidence of America’s secret war of the 1960s in Laos, when it became the world’s most heavily bombed country The narrow road from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang in northern Laos winds through high altitude and densely forested mountains, whose summits are hidden in thick blankets of cloud. Much of this area is virgin forest, occasionally interrupted by emerald paddy fields neatly laid in narrow valleys, bordered with rows of banana, papaya and ancient teaks, from whose trunks orchids bloom in dazzling hues. In terms of visitor footfalls, Luang Prabang is Laos’ premier tourist destination and one of the country’s oldest living cities. Formerly known as Muang Sa, its history goes back almost 1,500 years, and for some centuries it was the administrative capital of ancient Lao kings. When the French conquered Laos in the 19th century, the town’s mayor was appointed nominal ruler of the entire country, although actual power shifted to Vientiane, which is currently the country’s capital. Luang Prabang (pop. 4.3 lakh) retains much of its unhurried, old-world charm. In the town centre is the former colonial quarter, with cobbled streets and French-style bungalows strung out on the banks of the meandering River Mekong. Many of the houses here have been converted into chic handicrafts boutiques and restaurants, which cater to a growing stream of foreign tourists as this hitherto hermetically-sealed communist-ruled country begins to open up to the outside world. Every evening, this quarter morphs into a colourful, chaotic, street market. Village women from the mountains, dressed in conical straw hats and hand-woven sarongs, set up makeshift stalls on pavements selling touristy bric-a-brac — Buddhist icons and water colour paintings, Chinese porcelain urns and giant paper lanterns, buffalo horn opium pipes, turtle shell ashtrays and jewellery boxes, bamboo baskets, medicinal herbs and ferns, fierce clay masks, and bottles containing preserved snakes and scorpions. Vigorous bargaining is expected, and is usually a friendly affair that ends with the price being reduced to a fourth or even less of the first quote. Wheel carts display amazing local food: fish fresh from the Mekong, glass noodles served with crunchy, spiced vegetables, and for the more adventurous, live turtles and frogs, fermented swallows and deep-fried hornets and termites coated in honey are on offer. As with the rest of this tiny country wedged between Thailand and Vietnam in the Indo-China peninsula, the major tourist attractions of Luang Prabang are the wats or Buddhist monasteries. The town boasts almost two dozen wats, each a meticulous work of art. The pick of them all are the Wat Visoun and the Wat Mai, whose inner walls are generously embellished with finely executed frescoes depicting scenes from the Jataka Tales, recounting the many lives of Gautam Siddharth until he attained enlightenment in 5th century BC and transformed into The Buddha, liberated from the…

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Pha,That,Luang,Temple,,The,Golden,Pagoda,In,Vientiane,,laos.

The spartan charms of communist Laos

This former French colony, separated from consumerist Thailand by the River Mekong, is an unspoiled oasis of forested misty peaks, placid lakes, and acres of emerald rice fields interrupted by golden spires of Buddhist monasteries – YOGINDER SIKAND A week in Bangkok and I was fed up. The madding rush of traffic-clogged streets, rampant consumerist frenzy in malls chock-a-block with products that malls the world over stock, hordes of tourists crowding every historic site, imploring pleas from painted dolls offering ‘massage’ and more, had worn me out completely. Even the magnificent Buddhist temples, each a work of art, were insufficient attraction. After visiting almost a dozen — which my guide insisted that no visitor to Bangkok dare miss — each one seemed to resemble the other. Little wonder a tourist billboard in an inconspicuous eatery grabbed my attention. It advertised forested peaks hidden behind clouds of mist, placid lakes skirted with quaint bamboo huts, verdant islets dotting an enormous river, acres of emerald rice fields stretching into the distant horizon interrupted by golden spires of Buddhist monasteries, and smiling people. Welcome to the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos, the poster announced. I was susceptible to temptation and yielded to it. Perfunctory research revealed that Laos is one of the world’s few remaining officially socialist countries, and therefore untouched by the ravages of mass tourism. With a population of less than 7.7 million, this former French colony is sandwiched between China in the north, Thailand to the west, Vietnam to the east and Cambodia in the south. It is one of the most verdant countries in the world, with forest covering 80 percent of its total land area. At Bangkok’s swank Hualampong railway station, I boarded a train to the border town of Nongkhai to the north, a comfortable overnight journey. From there it’s an hour by bus across the border to Vientiane, the admin capital of the Democratic Republic of Laos, a distance of just 45 km. The bus fare: the equivalent of a mere Rs.2,250. The border between Thailand and Laos at this point is the mighty River Mekong that flows from the highlands of south China into Laos, and merges with the sea in the Gulf of Siam. Crossing the mile-long Friendship Bridge that spans the Mekong, I entered Laos, and as we sped along the highway towards Vientiane, the sharp material contrast with Thailand came as a shock. Rundown metal and bamboo shacks and wooden houses on rickety stilts lined the road. Drab, depressing Soviet-style office blocks displayed faded signboards. Garbage lay in giant neglected heaps on street corners. Thirty minutes later we drove into Vientiane’s main bus station, set in the middle of a chaotic, but lively traditional market. Getting off, I changed some money and hailed a tuk-tuk — a roomier version of the Indian auto-rickshaw — to take me to the part of town that my guide-book recommended as suitable for foreign tourists. This part of town shores the River Mekong and boasts rows…

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India’s most scenic road trips

Road trips in India are a great way to travel. On a road trip, you can see the transition from one place to another. You notice the subtle changes that take place as the land, water, and culture change slowly. A road trip allows you to travel at your own pace, pausing wherever your eyes want to take in a bit more or you crave a chai pakora, idli vada, poha jalebi or lal cha, Anuradha Goyal While all road trips are fun, there are some that are so memorable that the journey itself is the destination. Here are some of the most scenic road trips in India that I have enjoyed, as also some that are on my wish list. Shimla to Manali via Kinaaur, Spiti and Lahual This sparsely populated region of India and Himachal Pradesh will remain one of my favorite road trips. Start from Shimla, the capital of Himachal that is bustling with activity. Move on to the Apple country and then the Kinnaur region where the hand-woven Himachali cap is ubiquitous. Spiti Valley (Himachal Pradesh). Drive slowly to Spiti Valley where the cold desert is stunning with its silence and breathtaking landscape. Pass through Lahaul to admire Chandratal Lake between the Kunzum and Rohtang passes. End the journey at Manali where you feel as if you are back in civilization. July-August is the best time to make this road trip when the Kunzum Pass is open. Konkan road trip during monsoons Konkan and monsoons are synonymous. It rains for about six months transforming the region lush green. When you drive from Goa to Ratnagiri or its environs, all you see is the narrow strip of grey road surrounded by million shades of green. Waterfalls can appear anywhere on roadsides. The best place to be surrounded by waterfalls is Amboli Ghats. But there are other falls like Savdav Falls and Marleshwar Falls. You can also admire the landscape and waterfalls from a train tide through Konkan. Peak monsoon time is the best for this road trip. Srinagar to Leh Srinagar is the scenic city surrounding the beautiful Dal Lake replete with houseboats. It has an aura of romance, probably because of the numerous Hindi films shot here. As you start driving towards Leh, you pass by scenic Pahalgam where horses take tourists for rides. If it is Amarnath Yatra time, you will see pilgrim camps at Baltal. It is enjoyable to witness helicopters taking pilgrims to the hilltop. At Zozi La Pass the landscape changes, with greenery and colors tranforming into the barren mountains of Ladakh. Stop at the Drass War Memorial and maybe at Kargil. The moonlike landscape near Lamayuru monastery and the ancient paintings of Alchin Monastery are sights to behold. Relax after reaching Leh. You need acclimatization. Summers are a good time for this road trip, although I enjoyed a mini road trip around Leh in winter as well. Tawang via Bomdilla in Arunachal Best to start this drive from Tezpur on the…

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In Search of Rumi

Forsake the beaten paths of tourists’ Turkey to trek through the mountains of Kurdistan to visit the shrine of one of the world’s most revered mystics, the 13th century Hazrath Jalaluddin Rumi –YOGINDER SIKAND Partly in Asia and partly in Europe, Turkey is one of the most fascinating countries to visit. I had been to Turkey (pop. 84 million) twice before, on both trips confining myself to Istanbul, the world’s only city that straddles two continents (Asia and Europe), and nearby towns in the western part of the country — the well-beaten tourist trail. But on my latest trip, I was determined to explore other Turkish regions including those visited by few foreign travelers. I was certain that I wanted to visit Konya, which hosts the shrine of one of the world’s most revered mystics, the 13th century Hazrat Jalaluddin Rumi. I also wanted to trek the mountains of Kurdistan, the vast eastern part of Turkey adjoining Syria and Iran, where Sufi communities, for many decades persecuted by Turkey’s formerly radical secularist Kemalist regime, still exist. This time I wanted to experience Turkey’s rapidly fading, but once glorious, Sufi past. The cheapest ticket I could procure to Turkey entailed arriving in the town of Antalya (pop. 1.3 million), of which I had not heard. Antalya, I was to discover, is one of Turkey’s most attractive holiday resorts, with a mild Mediterranean climate almost through the year, long, palm fringed beaches, ancient mosques and castles and, above all, endearingly welcoming people. I checked into an old Ottoman building renovated and converted into a lodge. A little pool was the centre of an ornately decorated courtyard, surrounded by easy lounges — the sort one imagines Ottoman princes and nobility would have taken their ease. Calligraphy engravings on the walls gave an inkling of what life must have been for Ottoman elites a century ago. Like most towns of Turkey, Antalya presents a fine blend of cultures. The majestic Hadriyanus Kapisi in the heart of the city is a massive gate built by Roman Emperor Hadrian, and dates back to the second century AD. Close by are ancient monuments, including several finely decorated mosques and Sufi lodges. The port, dating back to Roman times, is Antalya’s most attractive quarter, dotted with old cottages overlooking a natural harbour, comprising massive rocks. The sea is unimaginably placid like a giant swimming pool. A narrow donkey-track, fringed with flaming bougainvillea, leads down to the beach at the far end, while on the other side, below a Roman lighthouse, sailing and fishing boats, in a splendid variety of shades and colours, bob on calm waters. The well-maintained 30,000 sq mts vast City Museum houses exhibits stretching back 10,000 years, to the Stone Age, through the Hittite, Greek, Roman, Christian Byzantine and Islamic eras of Turkish history. Its most curious item is the purported skull of Santa Claus, who, a plaque explains, was the bishop of a town near Antalya in the fourth century and is remembered as…

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India’s most scenic road trips

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Life and death in India’s most sacred city

In 2023, an estimated 40 million tourists and pilgrims visited Varanasi (formerly Banaras or Kashi) making it one of the most frequented destination of the Indian subcontinent. Orthodox Hindus choose to spend their twilight years in this city because of the belief that taking the last breath here liberates their soul from the rebirth cycle. In December, I stepped out of the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi and inhaled the air of arguably the oldest city of the world. At least Mark Twain, the American author and litterateur, thought so. “Banaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together,” observed Twain. Contemporary Varanasi (pop. 1.7 million), as it was renamed in 1947, is a holy city sandwiched between old and the new. Its ancient temples lie cheek- by-jowl with new buildings. Old dhabas on the street corners adjoin 5-star hotels. It’s a different, unique world. Varanasi aka Kashi, is a city of paradoxes. The buzzing streets, over- stocked shops, flies, masses of people, narrow lanes and alleys, noisy vendors and rickshawallas can intimidate a rookie traveler. The city is not for the faint-hearted as its sensory overload could leave first-time visitors reeling. Nor does it reveal itself easily, testing the traveler to great extreme. Yet there are not a few who experience the spiritual peace and calm it offers, and revisit regularly. In 2023, 40 million tourists and pilgrims visited Varanasi, making it the most frequented destination of the subcontinent. Among the seven sacred cities and the epicentre of pantheistic Hinduism, it hosts one of the 12 jyotir linga sites and a shakti pitha site, and for orthodox Hindus it is deemed a ideal place to die and be cremated. Legends and hymns extoll the healing power of the waters of the River Ganges as the medium of Shiva’s divine essence, and a ritual bath in the river is believed to wash away all sins. The riverine location of Varanasi is considered especially auspicious because within 10 km of this City, the Ganges flows through its confluences with two other rivers, the Asi and the Varana. This holiest of holy cities of the estimated 800 million Hindus of the Indian subcontinent and the diaspora, is believed to host 80,000 shrines of various deities of the Hindu pantheon and over 500,000 images of the deities. Since a devout pilgrim would require an entire lifetime to visit all these shrines, many who visit the city never leave. Its shrines apart, this sacred city also houses 10,000 temples dedicated to different gods and goddesses. Some of these temples are named after the great tirthas, or pilgrim centres of India — Kanchipuram, Dwarka, Puri and Rameswaram, for example and it is widely believed that by visiting Varanasi, a pilgrim attains the spiritual benediction of having visited all the major pilgrimage centres of Hinduism. Apart from the 40 million visitors the city receives annually, Varanasi’s stable population also hosts an…

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Ladakh India's little Tibet

Seven day whistle-stop tour of Kerala

A desire to check out whether the God’s own country hype which attracted 15 million tourists last year is warranted, prompted a short investigative tour of the better northern half of the state Within a continent-sized nation which despite its rich heritage of ancient cultural monuments and natural attractions draws a mere 7.24 million foreign tourists annually (cf. China 30 million), the southern littoral state of Kerala — heavily promoted as ‘God’s own country’ — is a rare success story. Last year this modestly populated (34 million) state attracted a massive inflow of 15 million tourists including 4.47 lakh from abroad to savour its unique combination of beaches, backwaters, game sanctuaries, ayurveda, meditation and yoga. Though overseas, Kerala has projected itself as an exotic holiday destination offering sun, sand and ayurveda, in India the state has a dubious reputation as a bastion of communism, a thousand trade unions and nit-picking bureaucrats who have driven out the best human resources and capital from the state, creating an industrial wasteland. The desire to check out if the God’s own country hype — ironic for a state which has been ruled by communist governments for decades — is warranted, prompted an investigative, short holiday tour of north Kerala, reportedly the better half of the state. In the high-pressure scribe’s profession in which deadlines are omnipresent, lengthy holidays are impossible. Therefore I planned a tightly-packed six nights-seven day tour package (entirely self-financed) which would combine sight-seeing (to get a feel of the much-hyped Kerala experience) with rest and recreation. December 1 (Bengaluru-Cochin) The starting point of the tour was Cochin aka Kochi which can be conveniently accessed from Bengaluru by train. Indian Railways Ernakulam Inter City Superfast Express departing at 6 a.m. daily from Bengaluru (city and cantonment stations) offers a convenient and painless passage to Cochin arriving at 5 p.m. December 2 (Cochin-Allepey) Following a tepid breakfast in Cochin at the Avenue Regent (Best Western) Hotel, the seven-day tour of Kerala began with a two-hour drive to Allepey aka Allappuzha, a scenic backwater town (pop. 240,990) which is the most-preferred jump-off point for Kerala’s famous backwater cruises. Fully furbished houseboats can be hired on a day or night basis to cruise the tranquil backwaters of Alleppey. Though one could strike a bilateral deal with any of the several houseboat operators located on the main jetty, it’s best to book your houseboat beforehand through a travel agent who will bargain hard on your behalf. Around noon we boarded a fully equipped two-bedroom houseboat of Rainbow Cruises. Twenty-25 m long, meticulously crafted from huge jackwood planks without use of nails, the houseboats or kettvalloms offer open deck lounges, roomy bedrooms with attached baths and chemically treated toilets, fans/ air conditioning and a well-equipped kitchen. On board everything is eco-friendly starting from the solar powered energy system to coir decor and cane furniture. The courteous crew comprising the captain, chef and two skilled oarsmen are on service round the clock. It’s advisable to let the chef…

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Ladakh India's little Tibet

Cambodia Beyond Angkor Wat

Although some corners of Cambodia are untouched by the excesses of mass tourism, it’s quite clear that this country is being influenced by neighbouring Thailand. Massage parlours, western-style bars and discos have mushroomed in every little town. Our solo traveller continues his exploration of Cambodia Naturally Angkor Wat, the largest religious structure in the world, was the high point of my visit to Cambodia recently. But there’s more to this little country than the ruins of Angkor in the north west upon which French naturalist Henre Mouhat stumbled, half-submerged in a jungle in the mid-19th century. Although some corners of Cambodia are untouched by the excesses of mass tourism, it’s quite clear this country (pop.16 million) is being influenced by neighbouring Thailand. Massage parlours, Western-style bars and discos have mushroomed in every little town and taxi drivers are quick to offer call-girls and even child prostitutes. Heroin, hashish and marijuana — mostly home-grown, are rampant and easily available. Swarms of sex tourists drift around languidly and stay on for months leading lotus-eating lives. Having ensconced myself in a cozy homestay in Siem Reap — the base point for visitors to the Angkor National Park — for a paltry US$7 (₹582 per night), I was tempted to stay on for a few days after completing the mandatory temple circuit. Siem Reap is calm and unhurried, and its few sights are all accessible on foot. One of the highlights is the sprawling Crocodile farm, where these long-snouted, saber-toothed reptiles laze in the tropical sun, piled on top of each other like bizarre trapeze artists, sniping inter se often leaving gaping, bloody wounds of which they are supremely unmindful. Yet this farm isn’t a centre for the protection of this endangered species. Crocodile meat is a rare culinary delicacy in Cambodia (aka Kampuchea) and is supplied from here to up-market restaurants catering to western visitors on the look-out for the exotic. The farm’s shop also sells crocodile blood in little glass phials. According to local connoisseurs, crocodile blood and rice wine make an excellent cocktail with aphrodisiac properties. These unfortunate amphibians also serve other commercial purposes — the heads of baby crocodiles are turned into key chains, their paws into pen heads, and their rough, wrinkled skins into wallets and belts. In the heart of Siem Reap there’s also a delightful souvenier market, where the true flavor of Cambodian urban and rural life can be experienced. Cambodian handicrafts are wonderful works of art, and the astonishing variety of stuff on sale at the market is incredibly cheap — copper Buddhist and Hindu icons; watercolor paintings splashed on handmade rice paper depicting Angkor temples and rustic scenes; wooden masks; puppets; exquisite silver daggers and bowls, and intricately woven silk sarongs. Fortune tellers sporting lampshade hats sit alongside ancient rustics with more than a touch of the exotic, vending bottled snakes and scorpions. Next door, women offer fish massage, which requires you to insert your feet into knee-high aquariums for them to be tickled by…

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Travel a bit of Daman and Diu

ANURADHA GOYAL Daman is a small town on the west coast of India — sandwiched between the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. But it has managed to establish to hold a niche identity for itself. Some of this identity is rooted in its past as it was a Portuguese colony along with Goa. You might remember the Union territory of Goa, Daman & Diu from your school textbooks. A contemporary identity of this union territory is that it’s a small island where you can drink alcohol unlike in the neighbouring dry state of Gujarat. In fact, this is a big reason for the Gujaratis to visit this Union territory. Especially over weekends and holidays. The town is situated on both the banks of the River Daman Ganga that merges here with the Arabian Sea. Another way to look at it is that the town is divided into two parts by the river. Moti Daman on its Southern Bank and Nani Daman on its Northern Bank. Moti means big and Nani means small in Gujarati — a language that is mainly spoken in Daman (pop.59,000). The irony is that the Moti part is the smaller of the two, but it is older. It offers more for the history seeker. While the Nani part is for the business traveler and thrill-seekers in general. I began my exploration with the Nani Daman as that is where I lodged at The Deltin. Nani Daman We started by visiting the Daman Ganga Estuary where on one side stands Saint Jerome Fort. The tide was low so the boats seemed to be parked on sand. But I was told every evening Nani Daman witnesses the high tide and boats start floating. Across the waters, we could see a black and white watchtower standing like a lone sentinel keeping an eye on the sea. Fort Saint Jerome A tired-looking fort stands on the north bank of the Daman Ganga River. Its entrance has carvings on it with a cross on the top. I do not understand these icons or the stories behind them. But the inscriptions in Portuguese safely place this fort to the days when this place was a Portuguese colony. A splendid Statue of St Jerome stands on top of the entrance arch. History books tell us that this fort was built about four centuries ago. To keep an eye on the maritime activity in the Arabian Sea. Our Lady of the Sea Church, St Jerome Fort As soon as you enter the fort you see an open ground with the church in one corner, surrounded by the thick wall that wears an even thicker veneer of age. I chose to climb a staircase leading to the upper story that looked ike a rooftop from the ground floor. However, the view was not disappointing. There was a thick wall going around the ground. Wide enough for a few people to walk side by side and keep an eye on the area surrounding the fort. There…

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Ladakh India's little Tibet

The Wonders of Angkor Wat

Set within the Angkor Archaeological Park that covers several thousand acres of flat plain in Cambodia is the temple complex of Angkor Wat — the world’s largest religious shrine. A solo traveller describes a memorable excursion My bus trundled down a highway leading out of Bangkok, already clogged with traffic at an early hour. Four hours later, we arrived at the frontier town of Aranya Prathet and joined a serpentine queue before an immigration booth. Passing under a huge arched gateway guarded by snarling lions and threatening dragons, we crossed into Cambodia. A dry bed of a stream, choked with rubbish, marked the border between these two high-contrast kingdoms of South-east Asia. Once inside Cambodia looking back across the border to the Thai side, I could see brightly-painted shops bursting with consumer goods, chic cafes, high fashion boutiques, and Chinese-run money-changing booths, doing brisk business. On the Cambodian side, limbless beggars importuned for alms, wrinkled men pushed wooden carts laden with cardboard boxes and rusted pipes, skinny women with taut skins dressed daintily in batik sarongs and turbans, squatted on their haunches vending boiled beans, prickly fruit in bamboo baskets and bits of dried meat and fish pinned to cardboards with clothes clips. Feverish construction activity choked the air with fumes and dust — a dozen casinos, owned by Thai-based Chinese tycoons, were coming up. The kingdom of Cambodia (pop.16 million) is still struggling to emerge from decades of bloody conflict and civil war — the American invasion of the 1970s and the Indo-China war followed by years of brutal rule under the communist Khmer Rouge led by the megalomaniacal Pol Pot and his clique until the early 1980s. The rickety bus we were herded into after immigration formalities chugged down a rutted road, past tell-tale signs of decades of war that laid waste this tiny country sandwiched between Thailand to the west and Vietnam to the east and north. Ravaged fields stretched into tree-lined horizons, while the eerie blankness was occasionally interrupted by thatch-roofed shacks built of tin and wooden planks, standing on cement stilts. Chickens, cattle and dogs pottered about in the space between the stilts, where old men snoozed in hammocks, while women tended to vats puffing away on log fires. As night fell, we drove into Cambodia’s second largest city, and a gateway for tourists who still come in massive droves to explore its ancient glories and behold the world’s largest religious structure — the temple complex at Angkor Wat, 12 km to the north. The contrast with the surrounding countryside is stark, surprising and welcome — broad, smooth roads, wide walkways, neatly-pruned flowering trees trailing into crystal clear canals, cheerful parks where lovers canoodle, and row upon row of brightly-lit hotels to suit every budget. “There are more hotels now in Siem Reap than temples in Angkor,” joked our amiable bus conductor. The area of Siem Reap favoured by budget travelers lies beyond a network of canals, behind a dense mango grove, close to the…

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Ladakh India's little Tibet

Ladakh India’s little Tibet

With its mountainous landscapes, snow-capped peaks, wind eroded volleys, icy deserts and ancient Buddhist monasteries, this last Shangri La is attracting a growing number of tourists Surely one of the major reasons why this mountainous beauty — declared a Union territory in 2019 — has been a bone of perpetual contention between India and Pakistan is its unmatched scenic beauty which has earned it the appellation of Switzerland of Asia. While its immediate neighbor, the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has been a hotbed for political contentions, violence and unrest, the Buddhist majority of Ladakh and Zanskar region is a calm haven for tourists despite its proximity to Kargil (which borders PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir)) and China. Not surprisingly, given the resurgent worldwide interest in Buddhism this ‘moonscape’, ‘little Tibet’, and ‘the last Shangri La’ is attracting a rising number of domestic and foreign tourists. With its mountainous landscapes, snow-capped peaks, wind eroded valleys, icy deserts, ancient Buddhist monasteries where gentle monks spin prayer wheels in time-honoured tradition, Ladakh (pop. 300,000) recorded more than 500,000 tourist arrivals in 2022 — an impressive inflow, considering the region is accessible by road for only six months of any year. During winter, roads are blocked by heavy snowfall and the only access is by air with flights from Delhi and Srinagar, weather permitting. The airport — Kushok Bakula Rimpochee — is in Leh. Several private airlines ply flights from Jammu, Srinagar, Delhi, Chandigarh, Mumbai, and Kolkata. The newly planned under-construction Zojila tunnel which is a Rs 25,000 crore project is envisioned to establish an all-weather connectivity between the Union territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. It is also likely to boost tourism even in the lean season. Contemporary Ladakh comprises the Buddhist dominated Leh and Nubra valleys and the Muslim dominated Kargil and Suru valleys. The region sprawls over an area of 59,146 sq. km and constitutes a basin surrounded by the Great Himalaya Range in the south-west, the eastern Karakoram range to the north, and the Stok range in the south-east. Moreover, Ladakh hosts several great lakes including the Pangong Tso, the world’s largest brackish water endorheic lake. However, visitors, especially foreign visitors, should note that given Ladakh’s proximity to China and Pakistan, access to certain parts of the region is restricted and a special permit is required from the district magistrate in Leh to visit some distant areas. The earliest inhabitants of Ladakh were the Khampa nomads who grazed their yaks on its high pastures. Permanent settlements along the river Indus were established by the Mons, Buddhist pilgrims on their way from India to Mt. Kailash in Tibet. Tsongkhapa, a Tibetan pilgrim introduced a new Buddhist order in Ladakh known as Gelupka, headed by the first Dalai Lama at the end of the 14th century. In the years following, the Balti-Kashmiri armies launched a series of attacks on Ladakh and in the early 16th century King Ali Mir of Baltistan defeated the nomadic tribes and annexed the region. But…

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Boats at Dive Site in Sipadan Island, Sabah, Malaysia

Sentimental safari

Why Malaysia is truly Asia

Last year 10 million tourists from around the world heeded this fast-track nation’s siren call to savour its multiple charms. An explanation There must be very few in India who are unaware of the multiple charms of Malaysia as a tourism destination. This relatively parvenu nation’s $57 million (Rs.251 crore) media campaign that kicked off nearly two decades ago continues to attract international tourists to its sprawling shopping malls, pristine beaches and ancient remains. After the country threw open its borders for tourists in April 2022, post long travel restrictions disallowing foreign tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysia experienced 10 million footfalls. Tourism is an important sector for this country which earns 102 billion Malaysian ringgit (Rs.1 lakh crore) from toursim. This southeast Asian country (pop. 33 million) has earned an enviable reputation among high-flyers worldwide as a golfing (thanks to the nearly 200 world-class golf courses across the country) and Formula-racing destination. Malaysia’s ‘truly Asia’ claim, a slogan that has remained unchanged since 1999. Its population comprising ethnic Malays (52 percent), Chinese (22 percent) and Indians (7 percent) live in peace and harmony. Like most South-east Asian nations Malaysia too experienced an economic crisis in 1997. But under the leadership of its tough, outspoken former prime minister Mahathir bin Mohammed who transformed the nation into an economic powerhouse, it was the first ASEAN country to bounce back. It’s hardly surprising that Malaysia’s ‘Truly Asia’ media campaign has struck a resonant chord in middle class India. Two thousand years ago, Indian monarchs ruled this land. In the Bujang Valley, Kedah, one can study the sprawling ruins of an ancient Hindu kingdom dating back to 300 AD. Indian kings are believed to have sailed across the Bay of Bengal to establish kingdoms there. By the 12th century, the strongest of these kingdoms, Srivijaya was lauded by Chinese, Arab and Indian traders as hosting the best trading port in the region. Soon however, other entrepots emerged and by 1400 AD, the region came to be known as Malacca, with Islam becoming the major religion and the rulers calling themselves sultans. The first Europeans to discover Malacca were the Portuguese who arrived in 1511. Led by Alfonso de Albuquerque, they sailed into Malacca harbour, opened cannon fire and captured the city. The next to arrive were the Dutch who captured the region in 1641. In the 18th century, the East India Company spread its tentacles as it had done in the Indian subcontinent and subjugated this land absorbing it into the British Empire and Somerset Maugham country of rubber plantations and Planters Punch. The Japanese Imperial Army overran most of the Malaysian peninsula during the Second World War but handed the conquered territories back to Britain following the nuclear bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and the surrender of Japan in 1945. Malaysia attained its independence a decade after India on August 31, 1957. The government established was a constitutional monarchy where the post of head of state is rotated among the hereditary sultans…

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Sentimental safari

Natural smorgasbord of New Zealand

With a population density of merely 19 people per sq. km, this outpost of western civilization in the antipodes presents a topography of natural wonders including alpine glaciers, rugged mountains, sparkling lakes, steaming volcanoes and tropical rainforests. It is increasingly drawing Indian tourists The two western outposts in the Antipodes — the distant down-under countries of Australia and New Zealand which offer the civic discipline and advanced infrastructure of developed nations supplemented with the pleasant weather of tropical countries, are attracting a rising inflow of tourists from the Indian subcontinent. Even as these eastern nations of the Commonwealth are emerging as a favoured higher education destination of Indian students, the Indian middle class is discovering the pristine, dramatic beauty of New Zealand, its (pop. 5.1 million). For Bollywood film producers in particular, the scenic countryside and golden beaches of New Zealand have become popular for depicting their staple song-n-dance sequences. Located in the south-western Pacific Ocean, south-east of Oz, New Zealand offers a rare primeval naturalness. With a population density of merely 19 people per sq. km, New Zealand’s two craggy islands are a maze of alpine glaciers, rugged mountains, sparkling lakes and trout streams, steaming volcanoes, lush green rainforests, and offer wilderness and solitude for the city-weary. This island nation, which was showcased to the world by filmmaker Peter Jackson in his blockbuster Lord of the Rings trilogy, attracted over 4 million tourists in 2022. Tourist inflow into NZ is growing exponentially and contributes a massive $16.4 billion to the economy. Ranked among the world’s youngest countries, the New Zealand archipelago comprises two major landmasses (North Island and South Island) and numerous smaller islands, notably Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands. Separated from Australia to the northwest by 2,000 km of the Tasman Sea, New Zealand’s closest neighbours to the north are New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. The population is mostly of European descent, with the indigenous Māori constituting the largest minority. Non- Māori Polynesian and Asian communities are also significant minorities, especially in urban NZ. About 80 percent of the population lives in the country’s 16 important cities including Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, and Hamilton. New Zealand is one of the most recently settled land masses in the world. Its Māori name, Aotearoa translates as ‘Land of the Long White Clouds’, referring to the clouds early explorers saw on the horizon as they approached the island. The recorded history of New Zealand begins from 950-1130 A.D, when Polynesians discovered and settled down here and developed a distinct Māori culture, centred on kinship links and land. In 1642, the first of European explorers, Abel Janszoon Tasman from Holland sailed into New Zealand waters, and from the late 18th century it was regularly visited by explorers, sailors, missionaries, traders and adventurers. In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British Crown and the major Māori chiefs, bringing New Zealand into the British Empire and. giving indigenous people equal rights with British citizens. Subsequently there was continuous European and…

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Sentimental safari

Stunning vistas and salubrious climate of HIMACHAL PRADESH

Whether it is for leisure, adventure sports such as mountaineering, fishing, paragliding, skiing, rock climbing, trekking or just plain relaxation amidst soaring mountains and pristine nature, Himachal has it all As India’s middle class keeps expanding exponentially in the post-1991 era of economic liberalisation and deregulation, and perpetual shortages of airline and train tickets in summer are history, a growing number of upwardly mobile citizens are beginning to discover the charms of a uniquely subcontinental phenomenon: the country’s alluring hill stations. At the last count in Census 2011, India boasted 77 officially designated hill stations. Fortunately these precious and enduring legacies of the British raj are liberally distributed across the country. Almost all the 28 states and 8 Union Territories of the Indian Union boast at least one such prized and carefully preserved hill resort, and the one region which is perhaps the most well-endowed with hill stations (28) and contemporary tourism infrastructure is Himachal Pradesh, a tiny state (pop. 7.5 million) in the foothills of the mighty Himalayas. Cocooned between Jammu & Kashmir and the fertile plains of Punjab and Haryana, Himachal borders Tibet in the north-east and attracted an estimated 16 million domestic and 3.82 lakh international tourists in 2019 all drawn by its stunning scenery and salubrious climate. The Himalayas sweep down into Himachal Pradesh from the north into the foothills, bringing snow and Arctic chill to the region. The Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar mountain ranges run through the state culminating in the Shivaliks to the south and the Himalayas in the north. And whether it is for leisure, adventure sports such as mountaineering, fishing, paragliding, skiing, rock climbing, trekking or just plain relaxation amidst soaring mountains and pristine nature, Himachal Pradesh has it all. Shimla The bustling hill-station capital of the state, Shimla (pop. 1 million) was first discovered by the British in 1819 before which it was part of the Nepalese kingdom and known as Shyamala (from which the name Shimla is derived). In their own inimitable style, the British persuaded the local raja to cede the town in 1830, and constructed this serene hill station which has since acquired the reputation of being the subcontinent’s most fashionable summer resort. In 1864, it was accorded the status of ‘summer capital of British India’. After the construction of the Kalka-Shimla railway line in 1903, Shimla blossomed as a tourist centre. In independent India, Shimla was initially the capital of Punjab. But in 1966 when the state of Himachal Pradesh was carved out of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, it was declared the state’s capital. Shimla is the state’s summer capital while Dharamshala is its winter capital. Sited on a ridge in the Himalayan foothills at an altitude of 7,466 ft above mean sea level, the city enjoys a perennially cool climate. Being a state capital with well-developed infrastructure and good road and rail access, Shimla is thronged by legions of summer tourists every year. Winters are cold due to icy winds that blow down from the upper…

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Sentimental safari

Sightseeing in game parks featuring the rolling savannah landscapes of Kenya and Tanzania apart, the prime agenda of the 12-day excursion was to retrace the entrepreneurial journey of my late India-born father, reports Dilip Thakore As people get on in years and approach the biblically ordained lifespan of three score and ten, it’s natural to become incrementally nostalgic about the water-colour days of childhood and early youth in simpler, halcyon, and arguably more joyful times when the law’s delay, the insolence of office and the proud man’s contumely were less ubiquitous. This was the impulse that prompted your correspondent to gather his siblings and others near and dear, to chart a brief excursion to two territories of former British East Africa — latter-day Kenya and Tanzania — where we had spent our early years and vacations from boarding schools in India. Sightseeing in game parks featuring the rolling Savannah landscapes surrounded by blue hills in the distance, and the region’s fabled animal species carefully conserved in free and natural environments apart, the prime agenda of the 12-day excursion was to retrace the footsteps and entrepreneurial journey of my late India-born father Vinoo Thakore (1906-95), who arrived steerage in Mombasa in 1920 with a working capital of 14 annas (Rs.0.85) to seek adventure and fortune in the Dark Continent. Half a century later after many adventures, including an unusual for those times ‘love marriage’ with my Zanzibar-born mother Malati Sule, 20 years younger, he returned to India having rescued most of his considerable fortune from the frying pan of African socialism, only to run into the fire of Nehruvian socialism and 20 percent per annum inflation of the 1970s, which considerably diminished his capital. Nevertheless, he had left his stamp and imprint on Africa, having established several businesses including the first milk pasteurisation plant in North Tanganyika (as it then was); purchasing a 5,000-acre sisal (a cactus-like plant which produces heavy-duty ropes manufacturing fibre) estate; and later restoring to health a languishing timber sawmill business with a 3,000-acre forest concession in Molo, Kenya. Simultaneously, our parents discharged their familial obligation to the full by educating us children in boarding schools in India and later in universities in Britain, enabling us to make our way in the world despite their considerably diminished fortune in their latter years. Forty years later, when we could afford it, my London-based sister Shyama, Bengaluru-based brother Anil and your correspondent in Bengaluru planned a 12-day sentimental journey to trace the extraordinary life and times of one of the many unsung Indian entrepreneurs who modernised the nations of British East Africa. In the process, we rekindled our association with forgotten landscapes of great natural charm and carefully preserved game parks, inhabited by cheerful, friendly people struggling — like our own citizens back home — to rise out of poverty despite the self-serving machinations of greedy politicians and an unjust global order. Day 1, Nairobi After enduring a six-hour no-frills, poor service flight by Kenya Airways from Mumbai, we…

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Leisure & Travel

India’s pilgrimage tourism magnets

Down the ages, India, the land of sages and seers has been famous for its grand temples, well-designed mosques and faith-inspiring shrines. In a country where domestic tourism is largely faith driven, Religious and Pilgrimage (R&P) tourism is big business. From the snow-swathed Amarnath shrine in Kashmir, the cavernous Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu and the globally famous Tirumala Tirupati Temple in Andhra Pradesh to the remote monasteries in Ladakh, shrines, temples, mosques, monasteries and gurudwaras are the first tourism preference of India’s fast-expanding, 300-million strong middle class. A 2022 NSSO survey says that India’s temple economy generates revenue estimated at Rs 3.02 lakh crore per year ($40 billion). Not a few pundits believe this is an under-estimate. India has over 5 lakh temples, 7 lakh mosques and 35,000 churches according to Central government data. The annual revenue by way of donations, provision of board and lodging, religious services, sales of memorabilia etc of the Lord Venkateshwara temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh which attracts over 14 million pilgrims per year, tops Rs.1,000 crore, a sum second only to The Vatican in terms of revenue generation. Likewise, the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu reports an annual revenue of Rs.500 crore. Following the recent liberalisation of the Indian economy which has significantly increased the purchasing power of India’s middle class, the R&P tourism business is growing by 30 percent per year. The salient features of India’s most popular R&P destinations are detailed below. Char Dham This is the collective name of four most revered Hindu pilgrimage destinations —Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath — sited in the Garhwal Himalayan region amidst snowcapped peaks. Temples have been built at the sources of four of India’s most sacred rivers — the Ganges at Gangotri, the Yamuna at Yamunotri, Mandakini at Kedarnath and Alaknanda at Badrinath. These four temples are open only during summer months (April-November), with the exact dates of opening announced by local priests. While Gangotri and Badrinath are accessible by road, visitors must trek between 12-17 km to reach the other two shrines. According to ancient Hindu puranas, a theerth yatra (complete tour) of the Char Dham shrines is an attainment which confers great religious merit upon those who complete the circuit. Char Dham package tour. Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), the tourism department of the Uttaranchal state government conducts a ten-day Char Dham Yatra Package starting from various parts of the country. The package price of private tours inclusive of transport, food and accommodation varies between Rs. 50,000 to over Rs. 1 lakh. GMVN packages start from Rs. 20,000 for six days. NB. Consumption of alcoholic beverages and non-vegetarian food is strictly prohibited in the Dhams. Badrinath. Badrinath temple, abode of Lord Vishnu, is the pride of this temple town (pop. 3,000). Sited at a breathtaking altitude of 11,268 ft on the banks of the River Alaknanda and ensconced between the snowcapped Nar and Narayan peaks of the Himalayas, heaven is surely within reach here! Badrinath derives its name from the wild…

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Leisure & Travel

The other side of Dubai

Contemporary UAE is one the world’s fastest growing tourist destinations. It offers visitors sun, sand, sea, sports, unbeatable shopping, top-class hotels and restaurants, intriguing traditional culture, and a safe and welcoming environment Contrary to popular opinion, Dubai (pop. 3.55 million), a shopaholic’s delight, is not a country but a constituent state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A federation of seven princedoms sited in the south-eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, UAE is bordered by the Persian Gulf to the north, Saudi Arabia to the south and west, and Oman and the Gulf of Oman to the east. With an aggregate population of 10 million, it comprises Abu Dhabi (Abu Zaby), Ajman, Dubai, Al Fujayrah, Ras al Khaymah, Ash Shariqah aka Sharjah, and Umm al Qaywayn and sprawls over an area of 83,600 sq km including 1,300 km of coastline. In a country where expatriates outnumber natives, English, Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu and Persian are as widely spoken as Arabic, the official language. Though Islam is the official religion, UAE’s constitution guarantees religious freedom to all, and the toll of church and temple bells mingle with the call to prayer of muzzeins. The emirates don’t offer much in terms of surviving historical or heritage monuments. Some historical ruins of UAE — Rumeilah near Al Ain, Al Madam, Al Thuqaibah, Qarn Bint Saud and Hili indicate that the region was inhabited by nomadic tribes circa 1000-300 BCE. Recorded history however is available only for the past two-three centuries. Christened the Trucial States, they were placed under British protection in 1892. In 1952 the Trucial Council, comprising rulers of seven sheikhdoms was established with the objective of adopting common administrative, economic and development policies. This council later evolved into a federation of emirates. The discovery of crude oil and petroleum reserves in 1958 beneath the coastal waters of Abu Dhabi — the largest sheikdom of UAE — transformed the landscape and socio-economic profile of the country. Commercial exploitation of crude oil began in 1962, ushering in unprecedented prosperity in the region. In January 1968, Britain announced its intention of withdrawing British military forces from the area by 1971. In March 1968 the Trucial States teamed with neighbouring Bahrain and Qatar to form the Federation of Arab Emirates. The intention was to create a federation to encompass the entire gulf region. But the interests of Bahrain and Qatar provd to be incompatible with those of the smaller sheikhdoms, and both seceded from the Federation in August 1971 to become separate independent nations. In July 1971 representatives of six Trucial States (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ajman and Fujairah) wrote a federal Constitution and formed the United Arab Emirates, and terminated the federation’s special treaty with the UK. Thus, UAE became independent on December 2, 1971. The last sheikhdom, Ras al-Khaimah, joined the United Arab Emirates in February 1972. Today UAE is one of the world’s fastest growing tourist destinations. The country offers visitors sun, sand, sea, sports, unbeatable shopping, top-class hotels and restaurants,…

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Leisure & Travel

5 learning Holidays

A rising number of millennial parents are carefully planning holidays to offer children immersive education experiences. In this New Year special we recommend five learning holidays Holidays don’t have to be only about fun and frolic. They can combine enjoyable and educative activities to offer a wholesome experience for children. Lately, a rising number of millennial parents are carefully planning holidays to offer children immersive education experiences combined with opportunities to explore new cultures, local histories and cuisines and learning new skills. And what better way to start the New Year than planning an education holiday experience for your children. In this New Year special we recommend five immersive education holidays for children. From visiting a farm to learn about farming basics to visiting a museum displaying tactile art for people with special needs… a lot of purpose can be infused into holidays. FARM-TO-FORK EXPERIENCE Sited on the outskirts of Jodhpur (pop.1.4 million), Mharo Khet offers holiday experience that’s enjoyable and rejuvenating, and simultaneously educational in terms of children learning new age farming practices in rural India. Spread over 40 acres, Mharo Khet is a 40-year-old ancestral farm given a new lease of life two years ago by Vedika and Rajnush Agarwal, who decided to experiment with growing exotic vegetables and fruits in water-deficient Rajasthan. During their mission to transform this barren land into a green, tree-rich farm they experienced several setbacks — plants wilting in harsh sunlight and fruit orchards destroyed by animals and birds. The story of how they persisted and revived their farm is delightfully narrated by the couple when you tour this expansive farm on foot. Children visiting Mharo Khet will not just hear this trans[1]formative story but also experience farming practices firsthand, learn about the growth cycles of differing plants and vegetables, enjoy swing rides, play marbles or kanchas, and fly kites. They can relax on charpoys underneath tree canopies. There’s also a maze area that the couple has created with rows of sunflowers — its design a homage to the ball-in-the labyrinth-maze game of yesteryears. However the piece de resistance is the farm-to-fork dining experience. Visitors can select salad leaves among other foods from the meticulously maintained greenhouse, which houses over 80 varieties of produce, including exotic and native herbs, fruits, and vegetables, grown organically, without chemicals and pesticides. Even children who don’t like greens will be fascinated by this dining experience in which 90 percent of the fare is harvested fresh off the land. The seven-course lunch served underneath the shade of guava trees is a memorable experience. A visit to Mharo Khet is an immersive, education experience for adults and children who will enjoy climbing trees, tractors, Mharo Khet, Jodhpur 45 day-napping in the shade, listening to birdsong and the rustle of the leaves in the gentle breeze. Mharo Khet offers full-day and half-day tours. A visit to Mharo Khet can be combined with a trip to the historic city of Jodhpur which offers a wide range of hotel and residential options.…

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Leisure & Travel

Heart of India’s Coffee Country

Given its salubrious year-round climate, neat and orderly coffee plantations and scenic country vistas, Coorg has emerged as a high-potential tourism destination Set under the thinning canopy of the Western Ghats in the south-west of Karnataka (pop. 63 million), Coorg is the heart of India’s coffee country. During high season (April-June), the entire district is enveloped in aroma of the roasted bean, the world’s most heavily traded commodity after crude oil. With its panoramic vistas, green valleys, thick forest cover, rolling hills and dales, Coorg is known as the Scotland of India for its wet and windy climate. Though one of Karnataka’s 31 districts, Coorg (pop. 596,718) covers a land area of 4,102 sq. km —four times larger than Hong Kong and seven times the area of Singapore, most of it under tree cover because unlike tea plants, the coffee bush requires shade. In a global agri-industry dominated by Brazil which produces 40 percent (3.5 million tonnes) of the world’s coffee output annually (cf. India’s 349,000 tonnes), India is acknowledged as the producer of finest mild coffees. With their tropical climate, high altitude (3,500 ft), abundant rainfall and fertile soil, Coorg and the neighboring Chikkmagaluru districts in Karnataka have consistently produced and exported high quality coffee for over 150 years. The coffee output of these two districts accounts for 70 percent of the total coffee produced in the country. In particular Coorg coffee is valued for its blue colour, clean beans and fine liquoring qualities and is in high demand in international markets (nearly 80 percent of the district’s coffee production is exported). The numerous coffee estates here are globally renowned for their arabica and robusta coffee beans which are blended to suit national and individual palates. In March and April — coffee blossom time in Coorg — the snow-white flowers of the coffee bush waft a heady fragrance and present unforgettable vistas to visitors. When blossoms transform into berries, the bushes are cropped. The cherry-red fruit is pulped, seeds separated, dried and sent for curing. A holiday on a coffee plantation can provide the visitor a heady first-hand education experience of the entire process of coffee production from harvest to shop shelf. But there’s more in Coorg or Kodagu (the name of the district in Kannada, the official language of Karnataka). This district is also one of the world’s largest producers of pepper, cardamom, and honey. Not much is known about the early history of Coorg. Recorded history is available only from 1600 AD onwards when Kodava rajas ruled over the region and established their capital at Mercara by constructing a mud-walled fort. The martial Kodavas confronted Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan who ruled the Mysore region in the 18th century by way of sporadic rebellions and violent insurrections. But in 1785, Tipu’s large army marched into Kodagu and devastated the kingdom. Fourteen years later, with the help of the British who defeated Tipu Sultan following the historic siege of Srirangapatna in 1799, Coorg regained independence and…

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Leisure & Travel

Cultural treasures of Tuscany

A holiday destination which offers an enlightening insight into European culture, particularly of the Renaissance age, is this sunny wine-growing and cultural heart of Italy Among the numerous hitherto exotic tourism destinations favoured by the fast-expanding middle- and upper-income groups is Tuscany, the sunny, wine-growing and cultural heart of Italy — a holiday destination which offers an enlightening insight into European culture, particularly of the Renaissance age. It’s a study-cum leisure destination worth checking out since neighbouring Milan is conveniently located on the air routes to Britain and the US. Tuscany or Toscana offers the best of Italian cuisine, wine and cheese, magnificent Renaissance buildings and art, operatic Italian arias and ever chic Italians. Situated in northern Italy it is famous for its photogenic vistas of the rolling hills of Florence or Firenze and the bare limestone peaks of the Siennese Hills. In addition to inspiring landscape, the abundant vegetation consists of yellow wheat fields interspersed with the silvery grey of olive grove and the bright green of rows of grape vineyards meandering down hillsides. Quite obviously a Tuscan holiday is no ordinary experience. Tuscany is the annual summer holiday destination of some of Europe’s rich and famous including former British prime minister Tony Blair apart from other notables who arrive en famille to soak up sunshine, wine, music and Europe’s most well-preserved cultural treasures. Most of central Italy was controlled by the Etruscans (who were perhaps natives of Italy or may have come from Asia Minor) from about 700 BCE. During the period 600 200 BCE Etruscans and Romans engaged in perpetual warfare until 59 BCE when Julius Caesar established a colony for army veterans along the river Ammo which later blossomed into Florence, the largest city in Tuscany. In circa 500 AD the Roman Empire in the west crumbled and Italian unity collapsed as wave after wave of Goths, Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Huns and Lombards rampaged their way through Italy until law and order was restored by Byzantine Emperor Charlemagne. In 1100 AD the cities of Florence, Sienna and Lucca had established themselves as independent city states. Gradually, Tuscany became a patchwork of confident city states. In 1434 banker Cosimi d’ Medici became king of Florence in all but name and the Medicis ruled the flourishing city for the next 300 years. Cosimi d’ Medici was a patron of the arts and began funding works of art and grand cathedrals which are the pride of contemporary Florence. Patronage of the arts which made Florence the cultural capital of Italy reached its apogee under Lorenzo the Magnificent, who financed and possibly ignited the Renaissance in Italy. In 1799 Tuscany came into the possession of Napoleon who, however, was defeated in 1816 thus allowing Grand Duke Ferdinando III to return to Florence. For a brief period (1865-1870) Florence became the first capital of a united Italy (since Rome was holding out against the forces of unification). FLORENCE Indisputably Italy’s cultural capital, Florence (pop. 700,000) hosts some of Michelangelo’s awesome sculptures. To…

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Leisure & Travel

Odisha: Where Emperor Ashoka once converted and reigned

Contemporary Odisha offers visitors nature in all its glory with beaches, rivers, waterfalls, hills, forests and tribal life plus a rich tradition of architecture, monuments and sculptural art Odisha (formerly Orissa) is most well known for being the epicentre of the ancient Kingdom of Kalinga. Emperor Ashoka, king of Magadh, invaded Kalinga in 261 BCE and embarked upon a great slaughter in the Kalinga war. But so great was the carnage and human suffering, that the emperor experienced a momentous change of heart and embraced the principle of ahimsa or non-violence embodied in Buddhism, to which he converted after the war. Subsequently, the ancient state rose to prominence during the reign of Emperor Kharavela, a great practitioner of Jainism. Other great rulers were the kings of the Kesari and Eastern Ganga dynasties who built great temples and monuments. With the kingdom committed to peace and industrious prosperity, the Kalinga school of architecture flourished from the 7th to 13th centuries AD. In the popular imagination, the ancient kingdom of Odisha, now a fully-fledged state of the Indian Union, is a backward area on the eastern seaboard. Yet this state is culturally rich and its history and temple architecture have been carefully preserved. Consequently, contemporary Odisha (pop. 47 million) offers visitors nature in all its glory with beaches, rivers, waterfalls, hills, forests, wild and tribal life, plus a rich tradition of architecture, monuments and sculptural art. Some of its monuments date back to the 3rd century BCE and are extant to this day. As a result the state offers more than 4,000 protected monuments and archaeological sites. These include early Jain cave temples; Buddhist monasteries (viharas); domed structures (chaityas); pillars (stupas); ancient and medieval forts, palaces and colonial architecture. Bhubaneswar Known as the ‘temple city of India’, Bhubaneswar is the administrative capital of Odisha. Visitors are certain to marvel at the magnificence of the three monuments which dominate the city’s skyline — the soaring spire of the Lingaraj temple; the white-domed Peace Pagoda of Dhauli hills and the Ochre temple of Mahavir Jina in the Khandagiri hills. These ancient temples epitomise the advent and ascendancy of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism in Odisha’s rich history. Bhubaneswar offers the visitor several other places of historical interest. Close to the hallowed field of the bloody Kalinga war which transformed Emperor Ashoka into an apostle of peace, is the earliest rock sculpture of India in the shape of a stately elephant atop the Ashokan Rock Edict at Dhali, which commemorates the world’s first great mass religious conversion. Also worth a visit is the cave complex of Udayagiri which houses the famous inscriptions of Emperor Kharavela in Hatigumpha. The Udayagiri inscriptions, the exquisite sculptures and reliefs of Ranigumpha and the colossal statue of Mahavir Jina on the Khandagiri hills mark the high point of Odisha’s cultural ascendancy in ancient India. In succeeding eras, royals vied with each other in building temples. Consequently at one period in its civic history, Bhubaneswar hosted over one thousand temples many of…

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Multiple charms of Eastern Europe’s most magical city

After its recent emergence from the stifling shadow of the defunct Soviet Union, Prague has become one of the most popular holiday destinations of Europe. Offering historic sites, architectural marvels, charming gardens, classical concerts, art galleries and museums, the city is a great educational experience Once the proud epicentre of Europe, the Czech Republic, which borders Slovakia, Austria, Germany, and Poland, has some unique records to its credit — the world’s largest number of marked walking paths aggregating 37,000 km; the largest stone bridge; maximum number of castles per square mile worldwide; the highest per capita beer consumption and the heaviest concentration of Unesco heritage sites. Add to that its magical capital Prague, arguably the world’s most beautiful and romantic city. With its heritage architecture untouched by natural disaster or war, few other cities in Europe are as eye-pleasing as Prague (pop. 1.3 million) which straddles the winding River Vltava. Boasting thousands of domes, cupolas, spires, and pinnacles, which speckle its unique skyline, Prague is the revered capital of the independent Czech Republic (pop. 10 million), freed from Nazi (1938-45) and Soviet (1945-89) yoke. Despite its turbulent history, Prague retains much of its medieval grandeur with streets enriched with gothic, baroque and renaissance buildings, and monuments which have escaped the vanities and excesses of post-war redevelopment and invest this 1,140-years-old city with its distinctive character. Little wonder that after its emergence from the stifling shadow of the former communist regime of the Soviet Union, Prague has become one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe abounding in historical sites, architectural marvels, winding cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, old-fashioned street lamps, charming gardens, classical concerts, intimate cafes and restaurants, and splendid art galleries and museums. Especially for students of history, architecture, art and music, Prague is a great education experience. Student tourists have an added advantage since they get sizeable entry fee discounts in tourist hotspots, public transport and students’ hostels. Until 300 BC, the area that is now the Czech Republic was inhabited by Celtic tribes and later by Germans who were pushed west to Germany by Slavonic tribes. Subsequently the Great Moravian Empire of 800-900 AD was centred in this region. In the 14th century began the biggest expansion of the state under the reign of Charles IV of Bohemia, when Prague was declared the capital city of the Holy Roman Empire. In the 16th century, the kingdom of Bohemia fell under the rule of the Hapsburgs. Their AustroHungarian Empire lasted until the end of World War I when in 1918, the independent Republic of Czecho-Slovakia was established. However, the independence of Czecho-Slovakia was shortlived. In 1938 following the infamous Munich Pact signed by Germany’s Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and British prime minister Neville Chamberlain, Czechoslovakia was annexed by Nazi Germany. The defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II brought little respite for this landlocked country in the heart of Europe. Nazi rule was replaced by the iron hand of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, when…

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Ladakhʼs unconventional attractions

With some of the highest motorable roads worldwide, a close-up experience of the Himalayas, high-altitude lakes, and primeval wilderness with miles of solitude, the charms of the Union territory of Ladakh are unique The Union territory of Ladakh (pop. 1.3 million) administered by a Lieutenant Governor is among India’s most trending tourism hotspots. Once visited only by foreign travellers exploring monasteries and forlorn mountain trails, Ladakh’s stark, barren and unconventional landscape has been impacted upon the popular imagination by several Hollywood and Bollywood blockbuster movies, which have brought this isolated region on the radar of India’s more adventurous middle class travellers. Ensconced in the Upper Indus Valley of Kashmir, straddling the upper Himalayas and the Karakoram range, Tibetan Buddhists constitute over 50 percent of the population while the Shia Muslims are another majority here. Ladakh translates into “land of high passes”. Getting there With Aksai Chin, and Xiangjiang (China) to the north and east, and the Kashmir valley to its west, Ladakh is surrounded on three sides by Pakistan and China and subject to frequent border incursions from armed patrols of these nations. This explains the visible presence of the Indian Army in the district. If despite this geo-political drawback, the region is attracting a rising number of tourists from India and abroad, it’s because the charms of Ladakh are unique and make unconventional demands on tourists. It offers some of the highest altitude motorable roads worldwide, a close-up experience of the Himalayas, high-altitude lakes and a primeval wilderness with miles of solitude. The peak tourist season is mid-May to October. However, quite a few adrenalin-spiked hikers roam Ladakh even beyond October, when harsh winter sets in. The easiest — even if expensive — access to Ladakh is by air. At 10,692 ft above sea level, Leh’s Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport is one of the highest altitude civilian airports worldwide. However, landing at the strip is not assured with powerful and unpredictable mountain winds often disrupting flight schedules. All flights to and from Ladakh operate only during morning hours as winds become stronger and more dangerous post noon. An hour’s flight from Delhi or Srinagar, fares on the Delhi-Leh sector are among the highest and range from Rs.3,000-10,000. Less affluent and more adventurous travellers tend to drive from Manali/Srinagar to Leh, along the world’s most scenic roads. The two-day, 427 km Manali-Leh road winds its way through five steep passes in the Himalayas — Rohtang (13,060 ft), Baralacha La (16,500 ft), Lachulung La (16,616 ft), Tanglang La (17,460 ft) and Nakee La (15,647 ft). It traverses glacial streams and rivulets which feed major rivers including the Chenab and Beas, and affords spectacular vistas of Himalayan peaks. Overnight halts are at Keylong (3,096 ft) which offers conventional hotels (Rs.300-2,400 per room per night) or Sarchu (4,253 ft) and Pang (4,500 ft) with basic yet adequate tented accommodation (Rs.500 -1,000). Most tourists prefer to halt at Keylong to ease the process of altitude acclimatisation. Driving up the Manali-Leh road is a test…

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Off the beaten track in Tamil Nadu

The only state of India to host the Western and Eastern Ghats culminating in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu boasts five Unesco World Heritage sites and a southern tip plunging into the sea at the point of confluence of the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean Contrary to popular opinion, Ooty, Kodaikanal and the neighbouring Union territory of Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) are not the only holiday/vacation options that the south-eastern seaboard state of Tamil Nadu (pop. 81.5 million) has to offer people in search of rest, recreation and infotainment. It also boasts — perhaps not enough — five Unesco World Heritage sites and a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, and is the only state in India to host the Western and Eastern Ghats, culminating in the Nilgiri mountains. With an impressive 1,076-km-long coastline, its southern tip plunging into the sea is the point of confluence of the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. Therefore, instead of vaunted Ooty, you could take off to the undiscovered climes like the hill station of Valparai, 107 km from Coimbatore, or instead of just passing through Salem, you could venture a mere 30 km to the pleasant hill resort of Yercaud or discover that Rameswaram is much more than its reputation of a pilgrim town. Valparai Nestled within terraced tea gardens on the slopes of the Anamallai Hills range, skirting the Anamallai Tiger Reserve and the Indira Gandhi National Park, unhurried and relatively unknown Valparai (pop. 70,600) is easily accessible in 160 minutes by road from Coimbatore via Pollachi. The smooth tarred road has 40 hairpin bends. Enroute is the Aliyar Dam, a huge water body and the contiguous Aliyar Park, equipped with an aquarium, a small theme park, and a well-maintained garden — an ideal picnic stop. As the road curves around the Indira Gandhi National Park, a keen eye may spot huge lion-tailed black-faced macaques, langur monkeys, the Nilgiri Tahr deer or even a herd of elephants. And then, as the disparate greenery on hill slopes is replaced by rows of neat tea bushes, Valparai emerges, quiet and secluded. Among the pleasures of this tranquil retreat is soaking in the beauty of the Anamalai Range, experiencing sunrise and sunsets from vantage points, embarking on night safaris for close encounters with leopards, black panthers, gaurs and elephants or bird watching treks in the surrounding areas. Tours are arranged by most hotels and homestay managements. Excursions ex Valparai. A recommended day excursion is to the Athirapally Falls between the Parambikulam Wild Life Sanctuary and Eravikulam National Park. It’s a scenic two-hour drive (67 km) from Valparai through lush forest with enchantingly diverse flora and fauna and melodious bird sounds, and along the way is the Sholayar Dam, the second deepest in Asia. Set aside a day to visit the foot of the waterfall. Just 65 kms from Valparai, tucked deep within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, is the beautiful hideaway of Topslip. Here, the state government offers residential accommodation in lodges and tree…

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Languid charms of Myanmar

Cut off from the rest of the world by its isolationist military junta for several decades, Myanmar has attracted considerable attention in recent times as an exotic tourism destination whose glittering pagodas have earned it the descriptive of the Golden Land Although it’s in the news for all the wrong reasons, our neighbour nation Myanmar aka Burma (pop. 54.8 million) is perhaps the most pristine, unexplored country of the contemporary world — the last Shangri-la. Sited at the junction where Asia’s two great civilizations — India and China — meet, Myanmar stretches from the Cocos Island in the south, up into the Eastern Himalayan Mountain range. It ranks among South-east Asia’s largest (area: 676,500 sq km) and most culturally diverse countries. Although a military dictatorship, Myanmar is a safe country for tourists. Boasting perhaps the lowest tourist crime record worldwide, Myanmar’s military junta has ambitious plans to modernise and improve the tourism infrastructure to attract international tourists. After a two-year lockdown owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, Myanmar reopened to international tourists on April 17. Just as well because Myanmar is a treasure trove of attractions. Languid and peaceful, the country offers sandy unpolluted beaches, tropical natural beauty, snow-capped mountains, a tranquil Buddhist culture and splendid architecture. Moreover, the Buddhist traits of serenity and gentleness are quite evident in its people, who go about their business with thanaka paste (ground bark paste similar to sandalwood) daubed on their high cheek bones to guard against the blistering sun. This is a curious sight for first time visitors. Myanmar’s rich and glorious history spanning two thousand years is evident in its spectacular monuments and ancient cities. Modern-day Myanmar is home to 135 uniquely different ethnic groups. The country’s seven administratively convenient ethnic divisions (tain) are: Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy), Bago (Pegu), Magway (Mandalay), Yangon (Rangoon), Sagaing, and Tanintharyi (Tenassarim). These are the admin capitals of the seven ethnic (pyi nay): Chin, Kachin, Kayin (Karen), Kayah (Karenni), Mon, Rakhine (Arakan) and Shan people. Topographically as well, the country is diverse with its central lowlands circled by steep, rugged highlands. As in most of South-east Asia, the cool season extends from October through February with mean temperatures averaging 20-240C; the hot season, from March through May when the mercury rises to 30-350 C; and finally, the monsoon, from June through September when mean temperatures drop to 25-300C. Richly endowed with natural resources such as gas and petroleum, timber, tin, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal and limestone, and globally renowned as a major source of imperial jade and pigeon blood rubies, Myanmar is primarily an agricultural country with 50 percent of its GDP derived from agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and forestry. Manufacturing/industry contributes only 15 percent of GDP and is strictly controlled by the military junta. In recent years, export of natural gas to Thailand has also become one of the main sources of revenue. Cut off from the rest of the world by its isolationist military junta for several decades, Myanmar has attracted much attention in recent times…

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Rest & recreation in Al Ain

What Goa is to Mumbai, Al Ain is to Dubai — a well-developed holiday destination offering footsore shopaholics a feast of rest and recreation opportunities History is likely to prove that the rulers of the tiny port city state of Dubai (pop. 3.49 million) were considerably wiser than the sheikhs and princes of other states, nations and kingdoms of the Middle East. For over four decades, Dubai has progressively reduced its dependence on crude oil revenue and has metamorphosed into a thriving entrepot and shopping mecca attracting shopaholics from around the world, and South Asia in particular. Last year an estimated 900,000 visitors from India visited or transited through Dubai and the number is growing at nearly 15 percent per year. Contrary to popular opinion, there’s more to Dubai than mere shopping and gourmandising. For a start, it’s important for visitors to appreciate this port city is a self-administered constituent of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a federation of seven independent sheikhdoms which represent the liberal accommodating spirit of Islam, widely perceived as uncompromisingly militant. Unlike most Middle Eastern countries, the emirates with their high tolerance of tourists from West and East have a thriving tourism industry. With an aggregate population of 9.89 million, the UAE comprises Abu Dhabi (Abu Zaby), Ajman, Dubai, Al Fujayrah, Raas al Khaymah, Ash Shariqah aka Sharjah, and Umm al Qaywayn and sprawls over an area of 83,600 sq km with a 1,318 km coastline. Although contemporary Dubai is also promoted as a holiday destination in its own right with white sandy beaches stretching to the horizon, exclusive hotels, Ali Baba’s cave style shopping malls and activities such as snow-skiing, desert safari, camel and ostrich racing, dune and wadi bashing, the UAE’s prime holiday destination is Al Ain, the tourist town of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, a 90-minute drive (144 km) from Dubai. What Goa is to Mumbai, Al Ain is to Dubai − a well-developed holiday destination offering footsore shopaholics a feast of rest and recreation opportunities. Built around an oasis close to the Dubai-Oman border, Al Ain (pop. 766,000) is a green low-rise city sited in the shade of the Jebel Hafeet mountains. Surrounded by awesome red sand dunes and the craggy Jebel Hafeet range of mountains, Al Ain is linked by excellent motorable roads to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. The drive from Dubai to Al Ain down an eight-lane autobahn-style motorway is just over an hour. Blessed with generous groundwater resources and self-renewing aquifers, Al Ain is one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the UAE, often described as the ‘garden city of the Gulf’. In Arabic Al Ain translates into ‘spring’ and the region with its ancient but efficient non-mechanised falaj irrigation system boasts sprawling date plantations. Al Ain has a history which can be traced back over four millennia as evidenced by numerous archaeological excavation sites which date settlements to around 3000 BC. Its more recent history is centered around seven restored plantations or oases where 42…

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Dhuandhar Waterfalls Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh

Seven off-the-beaten-track destinations

In this issue, we feature seven off-the-beaten-track domestic destinations for rest and recreation. Jabalpur Sited near the geographic centre of India, Jabalpur (pop. 1.4 million) is one of the major cities of the Hindi heartland state of Madhya Pradesh (pop. 87.4 million). Its defence related industries apart, Madhya Pradesh is famous for its Marble Rocks, a rocky gorge through which the River Narmada flows in profound silence. At Bhedaghat, 27 km from Jabalpur, the rocks rise a hundred feet on either side of the river presenting a fascinating vista during the day, and at nights when expert oarsmen row tourists across the silver nightscape. The sunlight reflects off the marble-white magnesium limestone pinnacles in daytime, prompting them to cast dappled shadows on the pellucid waters, while on moonlit nights the white rocks produce a luminous effect, transforming the waters into a sheet of liquid silver. The Narmada enters Marble Rocks by dropping several metres, creating the Dhuan Dhar waterfall. To the north and south of the Narmada are the sylvan Vindhyachal and Satpura mountain ranges. Jabalpur also boasts heritage monuments and sites. Among them: the hilltop Madan Mahal Fort built by Gond ruler, Raja Madan Shah, in 1116; Tilwaraghat, where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were immersed in the Narmada, and venue of the open session of the Tripuri Congress in 1939; Rani Durgavati Memorial and Museum with its fine collection of sculptures, inscriptions and prehistoric relics. Also worth a visit is the Chausat Jogini, also known as Ekattarso Mahadeva Temple, a sixty-four goddesses temple atop a hillock accessible via a steep flight of rock cut steps. The temple offers a singularly beautiful view of the Narmada flowing through the jagged Marble Rocks. Excursions. Ex Jabalpur, an interesting getaway is the Kanha Tiger Reserve (129 km), the largest national park in Central India. Pachmarhi (90 km) is the scenic hill resort of Madhya Pradesh. Accommodation. A small town, Jabalpur doesn’t offer many options in terms of hotel accommodation. Among the popular ones are Vijan Mahal (Rs.6,956 per night), Hotel B K Castles (Rs.2,820), Hotel Krishna (Rs.2,195), Grand Samdareeya (Rs.1,938). Belum Caves Down south in Andhra Pradesh (pop. 55.2 million), the state’s tourism development corporation is aggressively promoting the Belum Caves, an underground 3.25 km long subterranean labyrinth below the limestone plains of Kurnool district. The caves are famous for several natural wonders including 4,000-year-old stalactite and stalagmite formations. Belum is derived from the Sanskrit word bilum which translates into cave. The main entrance to the caves is via a concrete staircase down a sinkhole, which takes visitors to the main passage 30 ft underground. Walk through the subterranean passages for surreal vistas of stalactites and stalagmites crystallised over numerous millennia. This apart, the caves comprise numerous spacious chambers, freshwater galleries and siphons. Several natural formations have been highlighted with soft illumination by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. Of special interest are Simhadwaram — an arch with stalactites in the shape of a lion’s head; the Kotilingam Chamber which contains thousands of…

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Untouched charm of Bhutan

An isolated kingdom sited in the deep Himalayas which claims to measure progress by a Gross National Happiness Index, gradually westernising Bhutan may well be the world’s last Shangri-la Sandwiched between China (Tibet) in the north and India to the south, east and west, for almost a century, the mountain Kingdom of Bhutan (pop. 784,717) has deliberately shunned modernity by cultivating an isolation policy. Until a few years ago, it was difficult for travelers to visit the country. Even today — perhaps apprehensive of the devastating cultural and environmental impact of mass tourism — it isn’t easy to enter Bhutan. Non-Indian foreign tourists have to pay a sizeable daily fee and Indians get only a seven-day permit, that can be renewed at the border with some difficulty. Yet, tourist footfalls in Bhutan are on steady rise. Tourism is one of the country’s major sources of revenue, the others being export of electricity, timber, handicrafts and agricultural products. In late November last year, after a bumpy three-hour ride in a tightly-packed van along a crater-ridden road, your correspondent arrived in the Indian town of Jaigaon in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district. Jaigaon is a typical Indian town — chaotic, dirty and noisy. Crossing an ornate gate into Bhutan I entered the radically opposite pleasant town of Phuntsholing. A model of urban planning in comparison, the streets of the town are neatly laid out, well-swept, and tree-lined, with broad pavements for pedestrians. The architecture of almost all buildings is in traditional Bhutanese style, as mandated by law. Hoardings, billboards, advertisements, posters and slogans on the walls are strictly banned and conspicuously absent. Nor does music blare from shops, which are neatly white-washed, with a standard green-colour board indicating its title and address. Garbage heaps, pavement stalls, and the crush of vehicular traffic ubiquitous in Indian towns are virtually unknown in Phuntsholing (pop. 27,658). In the courtyard of a gaily-painted Buddhist temple, elders chatted in the sun while turning their prayer-wheels. The contrast with India, visible from the grills of a wall, couldn’t have been starker. As I was to discover during the next few days, Bhutan is a relatively prosperous country, with a government that does much for its citizens, providing free education, health-care, and generous scholarships to study abroad. After a peaceful night in Phuntsholing, I took a van next morning to Thimphu, the country’s capital and largest town. The six-hour drive on a smooth, Indian-built road (most roads in the country have been built with Indian assistance), passed through stunningly scenic countryside — semi-tropical jungle for the first few hours, and as we climbed higher, pristine alpine forests spread over several Himalayan peaks rising high into clouds. Down below, a river fed by waterfalls spilling from mountain slopes cut a swathe. White prayer flags, mounted on tall wooden poles, fluttered in the wind, the sweeping vista unimpeded by billboards or buildings. We passed a few small settlements as the van sped past quiet Buddhist temples, pyramid-like chortens or stupas, and neat…

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Following pug marks in Simlipal Tiger Reserve

Deriving its lyrical name from simul or silk cotton trees of the region, the Simlipal Tiger Reserve is sited in the Mayurbhanj district of the eastern seaboard state of Odisha (pop.46.8 million). Renowned for blazing red silk cotton blooms and shaded by flame of the forest tree cover, this abundant forest hides its secrets in hilly ranges, grass meadows and plateaus, and thousands of sal, semul and palash trees. Extravagantly praised by famous Oriya poet Radhanath Ray in his well-known paean Usha, salmali saila (‘hills of Simul’) are Odisha’s pride. Spread over 2,750 sq.km including core and buffer areas, this deep and gigantic forest abundant in wildlife, is ripe for exploration. Declared a national park and sanctuary by the state government in 1979, initially an area of 303 sq. km was proposed for the national park. However, the size was gradually increased to 845 sq. km in 1986, and in 1994, Simplipal was designated a biosphere reserve. Moreover to implement the eco-development scheme of the buffer zone, two neighbouring forest ranges of Baripada and Karanjia were amalgamated into the tiger reserve. Today the Simlipal Tiger Reserve encompasses 2,750 sq. km within the larger biosphere reserve covering an area of 4,374 sq. km. Straddling several hill ranges and valleys, this conservation biosphere hosts almost 1,000 species of flowering plants, 94 varieties of orchids and is the natural habitat of the leopard, wild cat, wild boar, civet cat, dhole (wild dog), wolves, bear, bison, sambhar, deer, porcupine, pangolin, flying squirrels, crocodiles and snakes. Gliding over the forest are a large number of avian species including hill mynah, the crescent serpent eagle, jungle fowl, pea fowl and the grey hornbill. Yet, the undisputed king and star attraction of the entire biosphere is the majestic (and elusive) Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT), with the reserve’s herds of wild elephants discharging the role of silent courtiers. According to the latest census conducted by the Simlipal administration the current tiger population of the reserve is 103. The census is conducted using the pug mark methodology with distinctive pug marks evidencing approximately 100 RBTs. This claim is refuted by the Wildlife Institute of India whose independent census conducted by camera trap methodology indicates a tiger population of less than 30 in the reserve. Although the anarchic violence of Maoist insurgents in the region and its dwindling wildlife has reduced the appeal of the reserve in recent years, the thrill and excitement of living in the lap of nature and roughing it out minus the comforts of luxury resorts and convenience of electricity, can only be experienced in the Simlipal Tiger Reserve. Simlipal is also famous for Khairi, the tiger cub rescued and adopted by Indian Forest Service officer and field director the late Saroj Raj Chaudhury, in 1974. The twomonths-old hungry and weak female Khairi was brought to Chaudhury by some Khaira tribals of Simlipal. Together with a sloth bear, hyena, snake and a pet dog, Khairi evolved into a majestic RBT, and mascot of the Project Tiger…

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Andaman and Nicobar Islands: India’s islands in the sun

There are 500 uninhabitated islands with tropical forests, deserted beaches, exquisite coral and marine life within Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands is likely to come as a pleasant surprise In the popular imagination despite its 3.28 million sq. km landmass and its vast unpeopled rural tracts, contemporary India is a heavily overly-populated country with “teeming millions”. Therefore news that there are 500 virtually uninhabited islands, with dense tropical forests, miles of deserted beaches, unique fauna and exquisite coral and marine life within the territorial jurisdiction of India is likely to come as a pleasant surprise for the footloose and fancy free who are terrified by American and European prices and service quality. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie 1,220 km southeast off the coast of Bengal and 1,450 km east of Chennai (aka Madras). These islands are actually peaks of a vast submerged mountain range which rises from the Indian Ocean within the territorial jurisdiction of the Republic of India and extends two-thirds the way between India and Myanmar (formerly Burma) stretching almost to the northern tip of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. They are linked to the Indian mainland not by the ethnicity of their inhabitants but through complex confluences of colonial history. Discovery of the islands was first reported in the 9th century AD by Arab merchants sailing past to the Straits of Sumatra. With a population of 434,000 the islands’ indigenous tribes have been studied for several centuries because of their manifestly different ethnicity, most famously by anthropologist Radcliffe Brown in his book The Andaman Islanders (1922). The main aboriginal tribe of the islands is the Onges, who live on the Little Andamans. They number only about 100, although at the start of the 20th century their population was an estimated 600. Like the other smaller Andamanese tribes such as the Sentinelese and Jarawas, the Onges are of Negrito descent. They practice food gathering, hunting, honey-collecting and fishing and are the only tribe on the islands who are friendly with the outside world. The Jarawas are the largest tribe and inhabit the west coasts of middle and south Andaman Islands. The estimated 150 Sentinelese live on North Sentinel Island and fiercely resist integration with outsiders. Although the islands seem ideal for travellers looking for seclusion, there are significant restrictions. Access to the Nicobars as well as most of the Andamans is denied to everyone except Indian nationals engaged in research or government business. The official reason cited for restricting access is that the tribes are endangered and require protection. The establishment of an Indian Navy base is never cited as a reason, but is likely to have something to do with the restriction rules. The first westerners to set foot on the islands were Danes who established a settlement in the Nicobars and left in 1768 due to poor health conditions. The British surveyed the Andamans in 1789 and established a penal colony but had to abandon it in 1796 also due to unhealthy living conditions.…

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The enduring charm of Kolkata and its environs

For the discerning Kolkata (aka Calcutta) remains a city with a glorious imperial past which retains its old-world flavour and Marxist coffee house culture It’s rare to encounter an informed individual who is neutral about Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), described as the ‘city of dreadful night’ by Rudyard Kipling, even before an estimated 3 million refugees from East Pakistan flooded into the city after partition in 1947. With an officially estimated population of 14 million, Kolkata is India’s second most populous city (after Mumbai). Despite pervasive poverty and deprivation, its people are friendly and Bengali wit and intellect are globally renowned. Don’t let the first impression of squalor put you off. There is a lot to be discovered in this city, and quite painlessly. The history of this justly famous metropolis stretches back to the 17th century — to the time when the Mughal empire was in disarray and Europeans had arrived in the fabled east. In 1686, Job Charnock, chief of the East India Company’s factory in Hooghly, looking for new sites, selected a group of three villages, Kalikata, Govindapur and Sutanuti — where Armenian and Portuguese settlements were already established. A factory was constructed in Kalikata on August 24, 1690, and thus Calcutta was born. In 1698 a makeshift fort was built, which was easily stormed by Siraj ud Daula, the Nawab of Bengal in 1756. Most British inhabitants managed to escape but those captured were crammed into an underground cellar. Overnight, 113 of the 146 prisoners died of suffocation, and the tragedy went down in the history books as the infamous cruelty of the Black Hole of Calcutta. Early in 1757, the British recaptured Calcutta and made peace with the Nawab. A much stronger fort was built and the small factory site morphed into the capital of British India. By that time, the European population had swelled from a few hundred to 100,000 through the arrival of new ‘writers’, as East India Company employees were designated, traders, soldiers, and what the administration termed “cargoes of females”. Things changed when Bengal became an important centre in the struggle for Indian independence, and in 1911 the wary British moved the national capital to Delhi. With the partition of the Indian subcontinent, Calcutta was affected more than any other Indian city with significantly mixed Hindu and Muslim populations, and when the dividing line was drawn through them, the area was thrown into anarchy with thousands of refugees fleeing across newly drawn borders. Calcutta, the centre of the jute-manufacturing and export industry became an apex without a base, whereas across the border in East Pakistan, jute grew in abundance, but without the infrastructure to process or export it. Seventy four years after partition, Kolkata is still suffering, confronted with challenges that rival some of the world’s most impoverished cities. Up to 40 percent of the city’s residents live in slums. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi declared Calcutta a lost cause in the 1970s, but he was wrong. Calcutta was down, but not…

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Paradise regained: Kashmir blooms again

Tourism, the mainstay of the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir, crippled by long years of militancy and civil unrest, is reviving. Tourism, the mainstay of the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir (pop. 12.3 million), crippled by long years of militancy and civil unrest, is reviving. An aggressive promotional campaign of the government coupled with tempting packages has prompted a resurgence of tourist inflow into the Kashmir Valley, even in the off-season winter months. In 2019 the state hosted over 2.5 million tourists. The government is giving top priority to tourism to help the industry flourish as it did in its heyday, before the spurt of militancy in the early 1980s. The year-round inflow of tourists and return of Bollywood film crews is an indicator of abatement of terrorist violence which has also prompted the promotion of golf and adventure tourism. Geographically, J&K comprises the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and the districts of Ladakh and Zanskar spread over a total area of 318,937 sq.km. Two years ago, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 was passed by both houses of Parliament, which re-constituted the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, with effect from October 31, 2019. The great majority of tourists head for the Kashmir Valley, of which the summer capital Srinagar with its picturesque Dal lake and fully-furbished houseboats are popular attractions. The Jammu, Ladakh and Zanskar districts are also high-potential tourist destinations in their own right, once Indo-Pakistan rivalry over the disputed status of Kashmir is resolved and peace is established in the region. Foreigners including Sultans, Mughals, Afghans and Sikhs intermittently administered Kashmir, a Hindu kingdom until the 14th century. The Amritsar Treaty signed between the British East India Company and Maharaja Ranjit on March 16, 1846 gave birth to the state of Jammu & Kashmir. As per the treaty, Kashmir and all the hilly and mountainous regions situated eastward of river Ravi were ceded by Maharaja Ranjit Singh for a sum of Rs.75 lakh to the British in lieu of indemnity to Maharaja Gulab Singh, a Dogra warlord of Jammu, who remained neutral in the battle between the British and Sikhs. Dogra rule over J&K ended in 1947 after the princely state acceded to India. The verdant Kashmir Valley is bound by the main Himalayan range (northeast) and the Pir Panjal range (southwest) in northwestern India. The valley is an ancient lake basin 140 km long, and 32 km wide situated 5,300 ft above mean sea level. Drained by the upper Jhelum River, it is sheltered against the wet southwest monsoon by 12,000-16,000 ft high mountains which make the period June-September ideal holiday months. Raj Taringini, a chronology of Kashmir’s kings written by Kalhana, eulogises the charm of Kashmir as being “as beautiful as Goddess Parvati manifest; and its owner is Lord Shiva himself”. Likewise, the 17th century Mughal Emperor Jehangir was so enchanted by the temperate climate and flora and fauna of the Kashmir Valley that…

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Hampi – testimony to a golden age

One of the 40 Unesco recognised World Heritage sites in the country, Hampi is evocative of the pomp and glory of the Hindu kingdoms of the pre-Mughal era which has brought visitors from across the seas to marvel and write about it A designated Unesco World Heritage Site, Hampi (pop.3,300) — sited in the southern state of Karnataka — is fast emerging as a popular heritage and leisure tourism destination. The Hampi ruins are evocative of the pomp and glory of the Hindu kingdoms of the pre-Mughal era which brought visitors (most famously Nobel laureate and author V.S. Naipaul) from across the seas to marvel and write about them. Recently five adventurers and travel writers re-explored the exotic ruins, sited on the banks of the tranquil River Tungabhadra. Perhaps, the flowing river which provided unlimited fresh water in this rocky terrain prompted Vijaynagara kingdom rulers to choose this location to establish their capital. Set amidst massive boulders and craggy hills, the ruins sprawl over an area of 26 sq. km and are among the 40 Unesco recognised World Heritage sites in the country. Hampi was the capital of the ancient Vijayanagara Empire which controlled the Deccan Plateau for over 200 years from 1336-1565 AD, and reached its zenith during the reign of Krishnadevaraya, its most famous emperor. Following the death of Krishnadevaraya in 1529, the neighbouring Muslim Bahamani rulers coalesced and attacked Hampi. The invading armies ran amok in the town, destroying its beautiful temples and monuments and left the once grand city in ruins. Thus far the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has identified and restored 57 major monuments in Hampi and has installed signboards and information plates to highlight their significance. Easy to read, digitally printed maps have also been placed in strategic locations amidst the ruins to help tourists find their way to monuments of their choice. ASI has also trained and accredited several multi-lingual guides for the convenience of tourists. Their fees vary from Rs.50 an hour to Rs. 1,000 per day, depending on the size of the group and monuments covered. For those who would rather wander about the ruins on their own, enterprising businessmen have started renting bicycles (Rs.100-150 per day) and motorbikes (Rs.250-300 per day). Autorickshaws driven by self-styled local guides are also an option. Day 1 — Drive to Hampi The 355 km journey from Bengaluru to Hampi situated in the Vijayanagara district (formerly in the Ballari district) of Karnataka began on October 12 at 8.15 p.m. The first 25 km out of the garden city was a tortuous jostle through narrow traffic-clogged streets. The next leg, a stretch of about 200 km on the National Highway-4, upto the famous fort-city of Chitradurga was fast and smooth thanks to the toll highway built at a cost of Rs.457 crore under the Central government’s Golden Quadrilateral project. The remaining 120 km stretch on National Highway-13 which links Hampi via Hospet with Chitradurga was also smooth and we reached Hampi at 4 a.m. Day…

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Colours and corals of the Maldives

With sea levels reportedly rising by one-two inches per year because of global warming, there’s a strong possibility that many of the 1,196 islands constituting the Maldives may disappear underwater in the near future. Advice to adventurers: visit sooner than later If you are a member of the growing tribe of adventurers worldwide interested in checking out the least explored domain on planet Earth — exotic flora and fauna beneath the oceans which cover two-thirds of the world’s surface — a good option is the Islamic Republic of Maldives (pop. 515,696). With sea levels reportedly rising by one-two inches per year because of global warming which is steadily melting the polar ice caps, there is a strong possibility that many of the 1,196 islands and atolls constituting the Maldives may soon disappear underwater. Therefore, for adventurers keen to experience the indescribable colours and coral reefs of the Maldives — a mere half hour’s flight from Thiruvananthapuram — the advice is visit sooner than later. A garland of emerald islands scattered across the Indian Ocean, tourism and hospitality is the republic’s premier industry. Last year an estimated 555,494 tourists from around the world checked into the 87 island resorts of the Maldives, described by legendary traveller Marco Polo as the “flower of the Indies”. Local people refer to the Maldives as dhivehiraajje which translates into “the island kingdom”, but ancient traders from India referred to it as Maladiv — the Sanskrit term for ‘garland of islands’ — and through Portuguese this name was adopted by other European languages. The natives describe themselves dhivehin, meaning “islander” and speak their own unique Dhivehi language. The formation and history of the Maldives is shrouded in mystery. How exactly this exquisite chain of islands surfaced is unclear, as is the total count of how many islands constitute the republic. Estimates place the figure at 1,196, divided into 26 natural atolls, though it’s impossible to arrive at an exact number because with the rise and fall in ocean levels, some islands disappear beneath the sea and resurface, and some even split into two or more parts. However of the 1,196 islands only 202 are inhabited. The unique feature of this archipelago is the harmonious relationship of its people with their environment. Maldivians deeply respect nature, revering it as their source of life and livelihood, while being well aware that nature can be a capricious and volatile force with astounding powers to bless or destroy. Maldivians are learned about climate and weather and adapt their fishing, farming and sailing programmes accordingly. They have developed their own complex calendar based on the study of stars and waxing and waning of the moon. The year is divided into seasons called nakaiy, the word having its origins in the Sanskrit word nakshatra meaning star or heavenly body. A string of tropical islands blessed with clear waters and exotic fish living off its coral reefs, the Maldives is hot and humid for most of the year. Temperatures are usually in the…

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Nagaland: The Edge of India

Encircled by Assam to the north, Burma and Arunachal Pradesh to the east and Manipur down south, this unspoilt land of green valleys and shrouding mists offers the visitor warm, colourful people and ecologically well-preserved habitats A fascinating kaleidoscope of legends and lore, tribal wealth and pristine beauty, Nagaland’s multi-hued cultural tapestry offers the visitor warm, colourful people, a riot of exotic flora and greenery, and ecologically well-preserved habitats — perfect for a rich holiday experience. Recently, the Central government allotted the state administration Rs.400 crore to boost this tiny (pop. 2.28 million) north-eastern state’s tourism potential. Encircled by Assam to the north, Burma and Arunachal Pradesh to the east and Manipur down south, this unspoilt land of green valleys and shrouding mists sprawled over 16,488 sq. km is mainly populated by the Naga community, that has strong ethnic, cultural and linguistic ties with the ‘seven sister’ states of north-east India. Carved out of territories earlier known as the Naga Hills-Tuesnsang Area (NHTA), the state was formally established through the enactment of the State of Nagaland Act, 1962. It is the only state of the Indian Union where English is the official language. Nagaland is almost surrounded by three scenic mountain ranges — Patkal, Barail and Naga — which form a jagged chain from north to south. The state’s highest peak is Saramati in the Tuesnsang district (3,840 m) while the Japfu Peak (3,014 m) is just a notch below. From these mountains several rivers including the Dikhu and Doyang, the state’s primary sources of water, originate. Apart from mountainous terrain, Nagaland is also endowed with scenic valleys, fresh water streams, deep gorges and unique flora and fauna. The state is a wildlife enthusiast’s delight with the spectacular Fakim and Itanki wildlife sanctuaries a must-see to get a flavour of the local wilderness. Adventure seekers in particular will appreciate the invigorating treks that the Dzukou Valley, Mokokchung, Pungro, Mount Tiyi and Satoi ranges offer. There’s also plenty of rock climbing, jungle camping and nature walks for experiencing the exotic vegetation. Nagaland’s sub-tropical rainforests harbour tigers, leopards, elephants, deer, wild buffalos and other rare species. Its vast swathes of paddy fields — fed by an extensive irrigation system — are a visual treat. A perennially salubrious climate allows year-round tourism though the wet monsoon season (June-September) is not the best time. Although the state currently lacks the creature comforts of starred hotels, smart eateries and glitzy malls, basic comforts are plentiful. Its capital Kohima is a pretty and welcoming town, with a dramatic setting of mist-swathed mountains and emerald rivers and lakes. An overwhelmingly rural community, the descriptive ‘Naga’ has become an omnibus word for tribal communities of north-east India. However, of the 32 tribes populating the north-eastern states, 16 major sub-tribes are concentrated in seven districts of Nagaland. Primary among these are the Angamis, the Sema, Konyak, Aos and the Rengmas, each with its distinctive culture, language and lifestyle. The Naga people are also known for their uncompromising sartorial culture,…

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Lutyen’s stimulating Mughal capital

The story of India’s past from the 12th-20th centuries remains immortalised in the well-preserved monuments and exquisite gardens of Delhi which became India’s admin capital in 1931 With an archaeological heritage dating back over 2,500 years, Delhi, with its magnificent array of monuments, forts, tombs, palaces, mosques, temples and churches has as much to offer as India’s other business tourist entrepots such as Jaipur, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Chennai, Mumbai, and Kolkata. Indeed for over a century under British rule, Mumbai and Kolkata were the more popular imperial strongholds than this northern city which stands on the ruins and remains of several Mughal and Sultanate dynasties, and is indelibly Islamic in character because of its legacy of majestic specimens of Muslim architecture. But in 1911, a decision to shift British India’s admin from Kolkata to Delhi inaugurated a new period in this city’s history, transforming it into the national capital that is New Delhi — a bustling metropolis populated by celebrated politicians, bureaucrats, lawyers, intellectuals, creative artistes, writers, and other powerful elites. Its character now is undeniably modern, cosmopolitan, and global, even as the story of India’s past from the 12th to the 20th centuries remains immortalised in the well-preserved tombs, monuments, and exquisite gardens that lend shape and character to this city which transformed into the admin capital of India in 1931. Geographically, the National Capital Region (NCR) aka Delhi (population: 13.8 million) — the third most populous city in the country after Mumbai and Kolkata — is sited on the Indo-Gangetic plain flanked by Uttar Pradesh to the east and Haryana on the other three sides. To the south-east flows the Yamuna — one of the most sacred rivers of India. The region experiences extreme weather conditions with harsh, forbidding summers (May-August) when the mercury rises up to 45°C and bone chilling winter months (December-February) when the temperature could dip to 2°C. However the best time to visit Delhi is October-November, when the temperature remains constant at a moderate 30°C and occasional rains cool the metropolis. All in all, Delhi which includes Old Delhi, the part of the city built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century, as well as New Delhi, which boasts some of the finest examples of 20th century Victorian architecture, is a unique and stimulating blend of past and present, old and new, ancient and modern. Over time, it has evolved a distinctly secular character with its mosques and temples coexisting with gurudwaras, churches, and edifices like the lotus-shaped Bahai House of Worship, making it a city of rich religious and cultural diversity. The history of the national capital is colourful and interesting. Upto the 7th century AD the NCR was under the rule of the Maurya, Kushan, and Gupta dynasties. Following the fall of the Gupta kings, the region came into the possession of Rajput Tomara leader Anang Pal who established the towns of Anangpur and Lalkot. Later in 1191 AD, Mohammed of Ghor mounted a campaign to seize the stronghold of the Chauhan…

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Seven days in Himalayan Foothills

The awe-inspiring Himalayas sprawl 2,560 km across north India. Therefore a visitor has to experience them piece at a time, drawing up and following a carefully planned itinerary The mighty Himalayan range of mountains evoke a wide array of emotions in people. For the adventurer it’s a vast playground; for a naturalist it’s a paradise of flora and fauna, for pilgrims its mystical, remote temples and shrines are points of salvation. The rugged peaks, evergreen forests, rushing rivers and rapids offer something of value to everyone. For backpackers and trekkers, camping on their scenic slopes and in ravines of the snow-capped ranges, is akin to attaining nirvana. But the Himalayas sprawl 2,560 km across north India. Therefore the visitor has to experience them piece at a time, drawing up and following a carefully planned itinerary. For the purpose of this travelogue, your correspondent together with a five-strong band of adventurers, chalked out a plan to holiday in the foothills and travel along the well-beaten pilgrim trails of Jammu and Uttarakhand. The itinerary included a flight from Bangalore to Delhi, train journeys to Jammu, Amritsar, Haridwar and Rishikesh before catching the Delhi-Bangalore return flight seven days later. The journey began on March 4, at Bangalore airport which is in the throes of a major facelift. Unexpectedly, the flight was undelayed and we landed in Delhi at 9.30 a.m. An overnight train journey deposited us in Jammu, a city of temples, at 7.45 a.m the next morning. Now a Union territory governed directly by New Delhi, Jammu has an interesting history. According to legend, Raja Jamboo Lochan who reigned in the 14th century witnessed a tiger and a lamb drinking peacefully from the same pond at the same time. This extraordinary phenomenon prompted the raja to build a city on the site, for the strong and weak to live together in peace and mutual tolerance. Initially, the city was known as ‘Jamboo’, after his own name. With the passage of time and due to frequent mispronunciation, the city (pop. 502,000) acquired its current nomenclature. Sited in the sub-mountainous foothills of the Himalayas with the Shivalik range rising to the north and the IndoGangetic plain in the south, Jammu enjoys a sub-tropical climate with hot, dry summers and cold winters. In 1730, the region was subjugated by the Dogra prince, Raja Dhruv Deva of neighbouring Kashmir, who transformed it into the winter capital of the kingdom of Jammu & Kashmir. Over the next two centuries Jammu emerged as an important centre of art and culture, becoming widely known for its pahari school of painting. There are few natural attractions in the town — its myriad temples and shrines with their glittering shikharas soaring into the sky are its claim to fame. The Raghunath Mandir comprising a cluster of shrines is the largest temple complex in contemporary Jammu & Kashmir, which since the partition of India in 1947, has been the bone of contention between India and Pakistan. Therefore a…

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Sylvan hill stations of Tamil Nadu

Notwithstanding the ravages of the past half century the Blue Mountains continue to exert a strong allure and the hill stations of this southern state attract large crowds through the year Recently a group of trekkers set off down the The Finicio Trail in the Nilgiris aka, the Blue Mountains. The three day trek followed a rough track, from Mannarkand in Kerala to Melur village in the Nilgiris — the same path that Jacome Finicio, a Jesuit priest, took in 1603 in search of the lost tribes of Israel. Finicio’s report was the first ever-recorded document of the idyllic environs and hospitable tribes of the Nilgiris. Now, 418 years later, a lot has changed. Efforts to make the hills profitable during the past 30 years in particular have been at the expense of the pristine environment of the Blue Mountains. Water drained from the Nilgiris now supports 50 percent of Tamil Nadu’s hydroelectric power and irrigates 2,000 hectares of agricultural land. The development of tea, coffee and tourism industries in the region has turned its ecosystem topsy-turvy. The Finicio trail is one way of marketing the hills through ecotourism and help them regain their past splendour. The government of Tamil Nadu is also making belated efforts to preserve the environment of its premier hill station Ooty, by restricting further construction in this region, according to a senior government official of the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation. It is also keenly promoting other hill stations in the state through publicity campaigns and advertisements in the media. Notwithstanding the environmental ravages of the past 60 years, the Blue Mountains continue to exert a strong allure and Ooty still retains much of its stately, natural charm which has earned it the title of Queen of Hill Stations. Similarly, other hill stations of Tamil Nadu — Kodaikanal, Yercaud and Elagiri Hills — continue to attract large crowds through the year, especially in the blistering summer months, when the mercury in the plains can shoot upto 40oC and higher. To those who can afford to get away, these hill stations offer a cool bracing climate, natural beauty, fresh air, picturesque mountain views and refreshing solitude. It was in these hills that the British, who ruled the southern peninsula (then known as the Madras Presidency) from the mid-18th century, first discovered the coolant charms of the ‘little England’ hill resorts of Tamil Nadu to which they could make a quick getaway come summer. A massive effort in terms of planning and engineering feats of mind-boggling complexity was undertaken to make the hill stations accessible to the public. Today these resorts which are perhaps the most enduring and appreciated legacies of the British raj, attract ever growing numbers of middle class tourists from across the country to engage in adventure activities like trekking, river rafting and hang gliding and to enjoy the annual summer festivals and cultural shows that are a common feature of every hill station. Udhagamandalam (Ooty) Nestling in the heart of the Blue Mountains,…

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Coorg India’s Scotland alternative

Karnataka’s Coorg, aka Kodagu, district offers not only rain-forests but a diverse array of natural wonders, including grassy glades, paddy fields, roaring waterfalls, deep gorges and gushing rivers – Punita Malhotra The mention of Coorg (aka Kodagu) conjures up visions of thick, green rainforests shrouded in ethereal floating mist. But to truly appreciate the rich tapestry of its topography, visitors must venture deep into this hill district sited on the eastern edge of the Western Ghats in the southern state of Karnataka (pop.63 million). Spread over 4,000 sq. km, Coorg (pop.5.5 lakh) is often described as Scotland of India. It offers not only rainforests but a diverse array of natural wonders, including grassy glades, green paddy fields, roaring waterfalls, deep gorges and gushing rivers. Located at an altitude of 3,000-5,500 ft above sea level amidst cloud-soaked mountains, Coorg receives an average of 2,500 mm of rainfall every year. These cool weather conditions and hilly topography are perfect for coffee plantations. Coorg is the largest coffee-producing district of India and also hosts expansive tea gardens and orange groves. Moreover, as the adventure capital of Karnataka, it offers diverse adrenaline-pumping outdoor sports including quad biking and kayaking. Moreover, history buffs can dive deep into the rich cultural traditions and architectural heritage of the local Kodava community. Madikeri Madikeri, the administrative capital of Coorg district, is the ideal starting point to explore the district. Sight-seeing options abound in this small town (pop.33,381). The marketplace welcomes visitors with a charming row of shops that advertise endless varieties of homegrown produce such as coffee, local chocolate, spices and wine. Tibetan monks in dark red garments and traditional Kodava houses provide a fascinating first glimpse into the region’s culture. For heritage lovers, a guided walking tour of the town is a must on the wish-list. The most popular attraction is Raja’s Seat. Once a favourite hangout of the Kodagu royalty, this public garden attracts sizeable crowds keen on enjoying its 360-degree panoramic vistas and breathtaking sunsets and sunrises. Also check out the imposing Madikeri Fort & Palace. Originally built of mud during the 17th-century, it was rebuilt with granite during the reign of Tipu Sultan (1750-1799), ruler of the Mysore kingdom. The palace is a two-storied building constructed in European style with grand pillars and checkered floors. Other noteworthy pitstops in the complex are a Gothic-style church with stained glass windows, now a museum, the Kote Maha Ganapathi Temple, Mahatma Gandhi Public Library and District Prison. Young visitors will be delighted at the prospect of discovering the maze of secret passageways within the palace complex. Not far away, is the Omkareshwara Temple. Built by Linga Rajendra II in 1820, this revered Shiva temple is an interesting blend of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles, featuring a dome-shaped structure in the middle of a pond with four Moorish turrets on all sides and tiled roofs. A short drive away is Talacauvery, the starting point of the much-revered River Cauvery. Talacauvery has a special significance for locals, as the…

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