SIKKIM: My dream destination

This lovely incident happened to me just after my class 12^th board exams got over. My father planned a holiday to north east India for all of us. After, lot of struggle, debating and convincing I was able to convince everyone for Sikkim. The main reason for my great fascination for the place was one of the chapters in my Hindi textbook of class 10^th, a travelogue by Mahadevi Verma. The natural beauty of the place influenced me so much that I spent most of my time daydreaming about it. The influence was so intense that it was still very alive till my class 12^th.

At 8 am, we left for my dream destination Sikkim from IGI airport. Oh! Wow, that was my first journey via aero plane and truly a great experience. We reached Baghdogra airport in West Bengal in nearly about two hours. From the airport, we hired a cab for the Gangtok – the capital of Sikkim. We reached the lovely city by 5 p.m.

I belong to Himachal, but haven’t till now seen a place nestled among the scenic mountains, as lovely and picturesque as Gangtok. I must say that Himachal Government must inspire and learn to form an infrastructure as beautifully as the gangtok government has built. Next day with help of a travel agent, my father fixed our trip to the Sikkim’s north. True, that was a perfect decision.

In case you don’t have much time or find the travelling unaffordable, the best option is to visit north-Sikkim or some other unique places.

Our north Sikkim trip was of three days.

Sikkim> Gangtok>North Sikkim>Lachen>lachung

Lachen: We had our first day stay at Lachen. Our cottage was located in a very dark locality which added to our fear. But when in the morning the sweet tattering of a small bird woke up and introduced us to the scenic beauty just outside our window, we forget all our fear and totally mesmerized. The sun could be easily seen behind the Himalaya ranges, spreading its warmth and colours all around. We went to an altitude of 16000 feet, a tiring and backbone troubling journey of 5 hours to Gurdongmar Lake. A view of the lake washed away the entire exertion from our minds. Do visit this place when visiting Sikkim, believe me it would surely prove a lifelong experience.

Lachung: Heavenly beautiful place, Lachung is the true spirit of Sikkim as per me. Our cottage was near to a river.

Then we visited this flower valley- Yumthang valley. But there were very few flowers at that time. Next was zero point, a place located at the indo-china border. 

Next day, we returned back to Gangtok. We captured numerous snaps of waterfalls and scenic locations that came along the way. One of the waterfalls was really huge and our driver told us that it’s called Amitabh Bachchan fall. An amazing piece of knowledge it was!

Soon, the wonderful trip came to end and on reaching Gangtok, we said goodbyes to our other group members. The dream holiday finally came to end, but I swear it’s still very alive in my memories, my thoughts. Will surely visit Sikkim some day again!

Commonwealth boosting Indian Tourism Industry

Even as Commonwealth Games continue to raise eyebrows and is a matter of gossip everywhere, one sector that’s definitely not complaining is tourism.

Indian Tourism Industry has fastened its seat belts and is all prepared to come back with new vigor and enthusiasm after destructive attacks on the country in the recent past. However, times have really changed now and so is our hospitality industry.

A huge hike in travel packages, hotel accommodations has been observed especially for the hot tourist spots of North Delhi for the beginning two weeks of October.

The major reason for it’s the announcement of holidays for schools, colleges and even few corporate offices during the upcoming Commonwealth Games. People of Delhi and NCR (National Capital Region) are marching towards neighbouring states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, few parts of Jammu and Punjab for leisure tourism.

Currently, India is in spot light of entire world due to Commonwealth boon. Thus, it’s not just the Delhi, the host city, which is in huge demands, but also cities like Agra, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Amritsar, Ranthambore, Varanasi etc have become a subject of hunt for tourists. Hence, to fulfill the needs of travellers from all over the world, the Government of India is taking consistent efforts to set up more and more accommodations, especially Budget Hotels, so as to satisfy the needs of coming flow of tourists. Very soon, Delhi will be decorated like a bride and will be a center of attraction portraying its colours with a charming glow on the D-day.

The biggest event has also opened doors for the unemployed people. Jobless people from all over the country have come forward to offer their hands in the aviation, hospitality and tourism industry.

The Government of Delhi is also planning to extend its metro train’s network to NCR region and even launch various Air-conditioned buses for the comfort of the tourists. Numerous shopping projects have also come into limelight to lure tourists.

That’s perfectly true that Tourism Industry won’t leave any stone unturned to grab maximum profits of this international event.  Save yourself from last minute booking disappointments and get ready to enjoy the international event in a grand way.

5 Creepiest Places in India

As children we all have heard a lot of fairy tales but with those fairy tales we must have also heard few scary and haunting ghost stories too. Though, we hardly remember any of those fairy tales but I am sure we do remember those creepy stories. They still sometimes haunt us in our dreams. If that’s not enough to digest then let me brief you about some of the best haunted places in India that would surely give you that real time jolt. Get ready for a pure hair rising experience.

Bhangarh Fort, India

Bhangarh Fort / Castle is situated on the way to Alwar and Jaipur in Rajasthan. It’s said that ages back a black magic sorcerer cursed the residents of the palace that they all would die of an unnatural death and their spirits will haunt the castle for time immemorial. Trust me! The fort got the capacity to freak any living mortal. You will rarely find any residential property in the close periphery of this castle.

Let me reveal you one more fact about this haunted place. Here, the village households are without roofs as there’s a popular belief and experience that the rooftop collapses the moment it’s built on a house. Truly, it’s one of the freakiest places in India. Another twist is that it’s believed that anyone who has been to this haunting places after dusk never ever comes back!

Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad– Resembling Universal Studious, Ramoji Film City has hotels which are really freaky. It is said that film city is standing on the grounds where once Nizam sultans once fought battles. As per witnesses, the lights on top keep falling off; even the light men have been pushed many a times and have had many painful injuries. Many a times, the food left in rooms gets scattered around the room  and weird  kind of marks are created on the mirror, resembling Urdu…the language used by the Sultans. Girls are troubled most by the ghosts. They’ll tear their clothing and give knock on the bathroom doors. They create great destruction. Numerous preventive measures have been taken to save place from such haunting…but it isn’t of any use…the keep on happening every other day and creating fear in people’s heart.

Mahim, Mumbai – Near to Canossa primary, there’s a d’souza chawl, where there is local well from where people fill water to perform their daily tantrums of life. This particular well does not possess any boundary wall around it. It’s said that once when some lady was filling water, the entire thing got collapsed. The lady fell in that well and died. Just after this incident, it’s said that she keeps on appearing near the well. Though she hasn’t given harm to anyone yet still the doze is enough to freak any living being.

Dumas, Surat – Take a risk to walk towards the ocean at night time in Dumas and get ready to hear those deadly noises, strong enough to scare the strongest souls.

Dow-Hill, Kurseong, Kolkatta - The forests give this uncanny and strange kind of feeling. It’s damp, cold and sometimes dark. People up here tend to get depressed from life which has resulted into countless suicides. Many times, wood cutters returning back home in the evenings have seen this head-less young boy on the road between Dow-Hill and Forest Office and then disappearing into the dense woods. People have also heard the footsteps in the Victoria Boys School corridors during times when schools are closed.

Eat, Pray and Love when in India

The idea of a soul quest or journey of self-discovery is not new. India has been the popular travel destination for spiritually-inclined seekers and travellers for decades. But the release of Julia Roberts’s starrer Eat, Pray, Love has actually pitched the international travel industry a lot. Why live a virtual life with a movie when you can experience the real thing?

Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray and Love must have stayed at the Gurudev Siddha Peeth ashram of Mahrashtra and spent many months there just to understand India. Well, you don’t have to spare so much time simply to explore India. Here are five places that will surely quench your thirst of spirituality and get your Eat Pray Love fix on India.

                                                     

Taj Mahal, Agra:  A symbol of eternal affection, Taj Mahal is amongst the most famous love gestures of the world. It’s equally breathtaking in reality as you expect from its pictures. This 17th century mausoleum is one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture. UNESCO has earmarked the lovely monument as one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

Varanasi: Situated on the banks of River Ganges, Varanasi is the city of Moksha for Hindus since ages. Holiest place for Hindus, the city is simply amazing and believed to be the best opportunity to obtain Moksha. Millions of tourists visit Varanasi every year, a place where Lord Buddha met his disciples and gave his first sermon. Stand on the ghats, quench your thirst for spirituality and think about your place in the world. Its fascinating watching daily life based round the ghats which includes people bathing and washing their clothes in the river as well as performing prayers and doing yoga.

Kerala: Situated in the southern western part of India, Kerala is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful states. It has been conferred as one of the ten paradises of the world by National Geographic. Globally famous for charming backwaters, exotic hill stations, wildlife parks, palm fringed beaches and spa centers, ayurvedic body care, ethnic temples, enriched culture and plentiful other fascinating attractions, Kerala is breathtaking in all ways.

Jaipur: Pink city or call it royal city, Jaipur is a jewel in Rajasthan’s crown. Fairy-tale palaces, rugged fortress, all display remarkable harmony in architectural splendor. The impressive forts, splendid havelis and colourful bazaars make Jaipur a huge hit among travellers all over the world. Amber Fort is one of the popular sights of the city, but visit during the month of March. It is the time when Elephant Festival is celebrated. There’s processions, polo and dances all using elephants. There is even a tug of war between 19 men and one elephant.

Hari Mandir ashram, New Delhi: A visit to Hari Mandir by Hollywood heartthrob Julia Roberts in last September caused a ruckas – as the locals here were not able to celebrate an important festival. The ashram is extremely popular among Western seekers. It is spiritual home of Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, a disciple of Swami Muktananda.