Travellers always have this fascination of  taking back a memorabilia from the city they are visiting as a glorious testimony of the journey to an unknown land. While each city has its array of emporiums and curio shops addressing this very need of travellers, it is another matter and an adventure in itself to skew through the unfamiliar surroundings, bargain with the locals and finally take home a souvenir that has somehow more value attached to it because of the preceding hunt.

In Ahmedabad, the vibrant city of Gujarat, India, this discovery may happen in a street market at Law Garden. While pockets become lighter and bags in the hands grow heavier, the eyes continue to be dazzled by the great traditional shopping fiesta offered from one corner of this busy street to the other.

Law garden is called so because of the Law College in the vicinity and it is indeed a peaceful garden in the heart of the city with plenty of play area, lush green lawns, and shaded green avenues for families to spend some relaxing moments all around. But what many come here for is not the peace and tranquillity offered inside the garden gates but the hullabaloo of activities present around it.

Shopper's Paradise. Courtesy Sudhamshu via cc/Flickr

The entire boundary wall of the garden has been utilised by enterprising gujaratis to open up their tea stalls, snack shacks, gaming shops, children rides, soda shops and to the uttermost delight of many traditional apparel hunters, hundreds of shop selling authentic Gujarati costumes and jewellery.  

It seems it is festival time 365 days a year on this side of the garden that plays host to these shops. The shimmering dresses and the glittering jewellery displayed temptingly all across the street coax every passerby to give a second glance and even stop for some impulse buy.

What you can find here

  Those who have visited the states of Gujarat or Rajasthan in India may have been greeted quite often with the sight of local women wearing a voluminous long skirt called the ghagra or the lehenga with a matching top and an unstitched cloth called odni or duppatta covering their head. It is the traditional wear of this part of India made hugely popular by bollywood movies and the great Indian weddings. What you can find in the law garden street shops is exactly the same apparels and ornaments coming straight from the creators of these items. Choices are plenty and before you splurge on the first design that you find, it is wise to traverse the length of the road and shortlist the best of the best.

The Vibrant Ghagra-Choli, Courtesy sudhamshu via cc/Flickr

Here is a list of the things you can get here,

Chaniya choli or ghagra choli – The Indian version of the skirt and top these are the most common of the items in display at every shop and interestingly with the most varied designs. Owing to the creative abilities of the creator each pair of ghagra and choli is a customised work of art. Although certain design elements prevail like the use of flower motifs, mirror work, stars and colored glasses, the ultimate costume is unique in its own respect and it is hard to find two pairs the exact replica of each other. If one notices there are regional difference too in the design patterns. While the more intricate thread work is visible in the Kutchi patterns, the other gujarati designs are adorned more with mirror and glass work. But regardless of their birth place, all are hand stitched and exquisite.

Kurta Tops – Ahmedabad is known to be a very fashion conscious city and there are many who have blended western influences with ethnic Indian wear giving rise to a new breed of garments called the kurta tops that can be worn with an Indian salwar or the ubiquitous blue jeans. The amazing design choices for this particular kind of tops is endless in the law garden shops and with the price range, any sane shopper may wish to take everything home!

Angarakha/Kurta Dhoti – Men may not feel left out after all, because there are plenty of shops selling traditional Gujarati wear for men too. The typical angarakha a frock style loose kurta for men is hugely popular garment choice during the festival season from September to November when the entire country celebrates Navaratri and Diwali. It is especially worn by men performing garba dance. There are special vivid colored, small sized costumes for kids too that can make your little boy the centre of attention of any party.

Silver Jewellery – As you keep buying your dresses it is easy to accessorize them then and there with some shops selling exclusively easy- to- wear silver jewellery. Most of course are not made of the precious metal and thus priced exceedingly low. From small studs, to drop earrings to complete set of a neck piece, matching earrings and bangles you can find almost any design complimenting your buy. The best part is, the shop owners are the creators themselves and if you ask for it, you can get a particular design of your choice with matching coloured stones, made to order in minutes!

Jewels galore , courtesy mckaysavage via cc/Flickr (This particular photo is of a shop in Rishikesh but the merchandise and display is very similar to the ornament shops in Law Garden, Ahmedabad)

Bed sheets/Cushion & Bolster covers – There is no easier way to make India come alive in your home than with these amazingly beautiful hand stitched bed sheets and bed covers. The colours are as dynamic as the country itself and patterns showcase the traditional Indian love for elements of nature and wildlife. There are again plenty of designs, shapes and sizes to choose from. For those who want a special something to adorn there walls there are also many wall hangings that you can get here. Peacocks, lotuses, creepers and the lovable Indian God Ganesha, the artisans have much in store for the connoisseurs of wall art. 

Stationary – Folders, visiting card holders and pen stands get a visibly new meaning around these street shops. The designs are simple and more essentially hundred percent eco-friendly made of cloth and hardboard. They not only make good souvenirs to gift friends back home, but also can be great to portray your love for the eco-friendly goods the chic way.

Hand bags – Cloth hand bags never cease to go out of fashion and that is why here too you can see unlimited shapes and sizes of bags that can be used anywhere, from carrying college notebooks to loose change or to just ethnically accessorise a party dress.

Handy tips

• Bargain, bargain and bargain. The rule of thumb at these street shops is to give less than half of what is asked for. Do stick to your price once you have quoted it and you would surely reap the rewards of buying much more than you expected at the same price.
• Take a local with you. It is best to have a local as an aid if you are here for the first time as the shop owners are quick to recognise an outsiders especially if you come from another country. Apart from the ease in conversation, the local friend may also save you from the job of bargaining.
• When buying any apparel, whether a chaniya choli or a top, make sure that the shop owner unpacks and shows the complete set to you. There are sometimes stitching errors that go unnoticed if you do not check before you buy.
• Always dryclean the first wash as the colors run and may spoil the entire dress if not washed carefully.

To know more about Ahmedabad, visit Gujarat Tourism

As children, my brother and I always looked forward to our summer holidays when we would be visiting some unknown part of India with our parents and spent glorious days frolicking and exploring a place. The memories of these visits today come in flashes and almost always revolve around particular incidents rather than the whole trip and the sightseeing. Like what I remember of Mussoorie, one of the most popular hill stations of India is not the hills or picturesque locations, but a toothbrush (a childhood treasure) bought from the town Mall that could be detached, kept in a box and joined together again to be used for brushing. I also faintly remember looking from a roadside telescope towards the peak of a hill that on keen observation looked just like a seated camel. It is only now that I know that the rock is still there and indeed known as camel rock, one of the hotspots of Mussoorie.

Courtesy crowGraphy via Flickr

Mussoorie was discovered like many other hill stations of India, by British Army personnel named Captain Young in 1820. With the hues of blue and white decking the entire region, clouds, trees, mountains and waterfalls etched like a perfectly painted picture, the small hill town was fondly known to be called as the Queen of the hills and soon became a much sorted summer destination for British officials and later also for Indians. The town was home to Sir George Everest too, the first surveyor general of India and the man who gave his name to Mount Everest. His home, Everest House is still here and can be visited.

Mussoorie lies 35 Km north of Dehradun, the provisional capital of Uttaranchal and a gateway to the Garhwal Hills. Perched on a horse-shoe shaped ridge above the Doon valley, the life in this small town centres around the Mall, the main street decked with eating joints, shops, and interesting buildings, some of the Raj era. Many fascinating items are up for grabs in the array of small shops in the Mall but what is a real bargain here, is the varied range of woollens made by the Tibetan community living in the region and working wonders on yarns for centuries.

While street shopping has its charm, the real glory of Mussoorie can be felt when you take time to wander off towards the hills. There is a ropeway from the Mall to Gun Hill, a hill called so because of the gun that was perched on the peak and fired blank exactly at mid-day to help people adjust their watches. This pre-Independence practice has now ceased however the hill still succeeds to fire-up exhilarating emotions when on a clear day it blesses mankind with heavenly view of the greater Himalayan peaks of Nandadevi, Kedarnath and Badrinath.

Kempty falls, Courtesy bijoy mohan via Flickr

Where there are the hills, there are also the waterfalls, and true enough Mussoorie has its share of gurgling water cascading down the twists and turns of the mountain paths and creating magical rhapsodies on the way. The refreshingly cold water of most of this falls, like the Kempty falls lying 12 km northwest of town, the Jharipani falls or the Bhatta falls on the Mussoorie-Deradun road, gives every visitor a chance to feel the magic of the mountains, soothing the body, mind and soul.

Mussoorie is best visited in summer months from April to June, but September till November is also a good time when the view of the Himalayan ranges is particularly awe-inspiring. Uttaranchal as a state is known to be blessed with natural beauty all around. For hikers, lovers of adventure sports, trekkers, and nature-lovers, the whole area is like a treasure trove waiting to be explored. Budget travellers and those who can travel the world with a rucksack are particularly in for a delight with the warm smiles and cool breezes giving you company all the way. Just keep your camera handy and breath-in every fraction of this picture perfect setting.

In India it is still fairly simple to leave urbanization behind and reach a place where the only things you run into are lush green meadows, wild flowers and quaint hill tops. These destinations are not what you will find in tourist maps, but what the path going out of a crowded city will automatically lead you to.

Saswad near the city of Pune in Maharashtra is one such destination. Hidden amidst the effervescent Sahyadri mountain ranges, the place is a jewel of an abode for someone who weighs far more importance to nature than nightlife. If you are living in Pune and desperately in need of a break or if you are a traveler dying to see the India of the small towns and villages, Saswad is a good place to begin.

Flickr photo by Swami Stream

This fledgling town has as much natural beauty as history hidden inside the walls of long forgotten fortresses and temples. In fact it has given to India many of its eminent saints, leaders and authors. Saswad was also once the epicenter of many activities of one of the greatest Maratha rulers- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Things to See and Do

The exploration of Saswad can begin right for the foot hills of the mountain one has to climb to reach the town. The valley is known as Dive ghat and has a beautiful lake call Mastani Lake built by Maratha ruler Bajirao Peshwa for lady Mastani.  As you climb along the serpentine path cut through the mountain, the view becomes ever more mesmerizing and trekking is most certainly a viable option here.

Saswad looks particularly heavenly during the monsoons and if that is the time you opt to visit, the gurgling sounds of seasonal waterfalls, cascading from every crevice down the mountain will only add to the adventure. Some of these falls are at a distance, but most are easily approachable and irresistible when all you wish to do is splash around in the cool natural springs.

Once you reach the plateau, it has its share of roadside eateries, mountain caverns turned into temples, and scattered villages, but what you see most are green pastures, fields and acres and acres of land with freshly grown figs, custard apples and sapodilla. Women and men sitting at the roadside shacks are more than eager to part with these delicious, freshly picked fruits at an easily bargained price. But be sure to buy ample as once you have tasted them you will definitely want to have some more.

One of the first historical monuments that comes into picture as you approach the town is Fort Jadhavgarh, a 300 year old fort that has been recently renovated and converted to a hotel. If you have the time and the money to spent, it is a fantastic experience in itself, with also a museum attached with the hotel.

The town itself looks sleepy, and laid back with just one main market place and fewer eating places, but as you dig deeper into the small lanes, another fort wall shows its existence. It is actually the Purandar Wada, a dilapidated structure today, but considered to be Maharashtra’s oldest standing structure of the era when Peshwas rules the kingdom. It was the residence of a minister in Peshwa’s court named Ambaji Purandare most probably in the year 1710.        

The road to Saswad and beyond is also a major pilgrimage route. There are ample temples and shrines spread within the town limits and also further at places known as Narayanpur, Jejuri, Pandharpur, Morgaon and Bhuleshwar.

Sacred Nandi Bull at Sangameshwar Temple

A temple worth a visit in Saswad more so for its historical significance rather than the religious one, is the Sangameshwar temple at the confluence of two rivers Karhe and Chambli. Dedicated to Lord Shiva and believed to be built during the Yadav era what is particularly interesting about the temple is the huge Nandi Bull adorning the path leading to the sanctum sanctorum and looking majestic in every way. During monsoons, when the rivers are overflowing, the view of the ancient temple and the water bodies is breathtaking.

A short distance from Saswad at a place called ketkawale is also a temple dedicated to Lord Balaji, which is a magnificent replica of the world famous Tirupati Balaji temple.

View from malhargad fort, Flickr photo by DraconianRain

For historians, the area is flooding with information on India’s great past. The forts of Malhargad, Vajragad, Rajgad and Torana are all located at a yawning distance from the town. Maratha Rulers were known for their ace gorilla warfare skills and the knack to built forts that lie hidden behind the great Sahyadri Mountains. There are many instances in history when the mighty Mughals attempted to scale and conquer these forts but failed. One look at the way the forts stand today is enough to realize the immense difficulty the Mughals must have faced and the brilliant architectural knowledge the people living in those era had.   

You can have an impromptu picnic at any of the many meadows you see here, or you can live for a few moments like a king in the heritage hotel in the vicinity. You can forget frozen foods and taste the goodness of farm fresh fruits for a change or you can even get yourself invited to the small huts of villagers living in the area with a big smile and even bigger hearts. You can walk, ride a bike or climb a mountain. You can even ride a wild horse grazing happily somewhere around if that is what you feel like doing.

What you can experience best in a place like Saswad, is an India untarnished, unpolished and unspoiled by commercialization. Spend a day just exploring and accepting the place as it is, and you will have seen a part of India, not shown in any guide books.

Good weather while traveling is like the precursor of all good things to come. When the sun is shining gently and the breeze is soft and cool, even the uninteresting start looking like the perfect setting for a photographic pause or simply a moment to introspect.

In India, the weather is hot almost all through the year and although a well versed tourist is ably prepared to deal with the extra hard sunshine, with lots of sun-screen lotion, hats, sunglasses and loose clothing, you might also want to double check and avoid the scorching summer months, before you embark on the journey to this land.

With India, another important reason to be extra cautious about the weather is because of the visible dissimilarity of the whole thing. Being such a dramatic combination of different topographies, the same month and the same season may look and feel quite different, depending on your choice of destination.

Here is a rough guide of the weather scenario in India and the best time to visit the different regions of the country.

The Weather

India is primarily a country of three seasons, summer, rains and winter broken by short spells of spring and autumn.

The summer temperatures in the month of April-June across the country can go as high as 47-48 degree Celsius though the northern parts like Kashmir are still blessed with cool climates. Winter months from October to February are cooler and pleasant and many trip advisors do suggest traveling during these months, to avoid extreme heat, humidity, sudden rain spells, and sunburns. Winter is also the time for many major festivals and therefore a good time to see the country in all its colorful glory.

North

Mountain Region, including Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. The states have short spells of summer but prolonged winters that are cold and dry. The lowest temperatures are recorded in the Himalayan belt averaging below 7 degree Celsius.

Dal Lake, Kashmir. Courtesy Tony George via Flickr

North-East

Himalaya Region including Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Cold, humid winter with short and pleasant summer months. The states are still worth a visit any time of the year except rainy months from June to September.

Rain. Courtesy judepics via Flickr

Northern and North-Eastern Plains

This area includes states like Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand, and part of Assam and Sikkim and other north-eastern states. Also parts of central states like Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh.

The states broadly coming under humid subtropical category, experience very hot summers, followed by heavy rainfall and dry winters.

Hill-stations located in these states can be visited in summer months. Other destinations make good winter vacations.

West

Rajasthan and Gujarat are the major states of the region with low rainfall, and extremes of temperature in summers and winters. Months from September till March are good for traveling to these destinations especially if you are interested in the desert safaris.

Sun 'n' Sand, Rajasthan. Courtesy ManojVasanth via Flickr

South, South-West, South-East

The states in this area experience tropical Savannah climates with long, dry seasons, high summer temperature and mild winters. Coastal areas are mostly humid in summers and extremely humid in rainy season.  The eastern coast receives winter rainfall from the receding Southwest monsoon.

This area includes states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Again summer is avoidable, as is the monsoons.

Weather Enduring Tips

• To prevent dehydration drink plenty of fluids.
• Add an extra pinch of salt to the food.
• Stay indoors during the hottest times of the day.
• Use hats, sunglasses, sunscreens profusely.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun.
• Wear light, loose fitting cotton clothing.
• Prefer wearing sandals over covered shoes.

For most tourists, Goa in India is the place where you can forget time for a while. Here things move in their own sweet pace without the hassles of a fast edged life and the need to do ten things at a time. It is an ideal location for the counter therapy needed by work obsessed individuals. A land where you can just laze around, relax and keep laptops & planners at bay while enjoying a dip in the sea and the fiesta on land.

Recline and Relax, courtesy diametrik via Flickr

Although every single shore of the Arabian Sea touching the Goan landscape is mesmerizing, there are a few beaches that seem like the crowning glory of this spectacular destination.

One among them is the Calangute Beach in North Goa.

The Beach

Calangute beach is just 15 Km away from the state capital Panajim and that makes it very easy to locate and reach. With narrow roads and coconut trees lining the path, a rented two-wheeler seems like the most preferred choice to move around while you also take in the beauty of the land.

As you reach closer and closer to the beach, two things catch your attention. The strong smell of wet shores alluring you towards the sea and the countless shops lining the street sides selling everything from trinkets, toys, books, bells, hats, grocery to the obvious beach wear.

Street Vendors, courtesy Paul Mannix via Flickr

Nearer the shores, are endless shacks smelling of sea-food and busy preparing some of the most mouth-watering preparations of sharks, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, mussels and other catch-of-the-day.

It isn’t easy to leave all those temptations behind, but not difficult either once you have seen the sea. Calangute is like one large stretch of uninterrupted, heavenly piece of land where the sea loves to dance around like a flamboyant flamenco dancer.

Once you are here, the feet automatically choose the shortest distance towards the water leaving footprints on the golden sand and finally letting the saline water engulf you with open arms.

Coastline, courtesy diametrik via Flickr

The complete stretch is safe and filled with everything a beach essentially means. Frolicking families, aroma of sea food wafting from the shacks, eager hands building sand castles, colorful crowds, beach umbrellas, and also hippies scattered here and there, who actually discovered this beach in the 60s and made it so popular around the world.

What to do

Along with the sun, sand and the sea to your disposal, Calangute also offers adventure sports like parasailing, water skiing and wind surfing. The seafood is well accompanied by local liquor made of cashew nuts called the feni. And during the afternoons, when the sun is a little hard to bear, you can always indulge in endless street shopping at the Tibetan market, Saturday bazaars or other street shops.

Up, up and Away, courtesy $holaydevil via Flickr

When to visit

The period from June to October brings heavy rains in Goa and therefore is avoidable. Anytime after October till February is good time to visit. March to May is good too if you do not mind the sunny summer.

Sunset, courtesy diametrik via Flickr

As the world welcomes the Chinese year of the Tiger, it is certainly not welcome news to know that only about 3500 tigers survive in the world right now. This regal animal, which is the national animal of India, is facing immense danger from human population, industrialization and natural erosion of habitat, not to forget poaching to acquire the highly mystical medicinally useful tiger parts.

Royal Bengal Tiger. Courtesy Siddy Lam via Flickr

While efforts pour in from all directions to help preserve these shy yet majestic creatures, what a traveler can do best, is to go see the tiger. See where it loves to tread, the animals it loves to hunt and how the young ones learn the fine art of hunting and survival. Go see the dense dark forests, and the thick grasslands that provide perfect ambush to the striped carnivore. Get the whole family together for a vacation, sitting in a jeep and waiting in anticipation to catch a glimpse of a crouching tiger.

What this travelling can do most is spread awareness about the tiger and its needs. It can help make better amenities and improve protection efforts, so that more and more can travel from far and wide to see the animal. It can help pour in the always useful funds for conservation efforts. And it can surely help instill an appreciation for nature into young minds.

If you are really looking forward to a trip into the tiger’s den, here are some of the best places in India for a rendezvous with this critically endangered species.

Jim Corbett National Park – Named after the hunter turned conservationist Jim Corbett, this park is in the state of Uttaranchal and one of the oldest national parks of the country.

The park boasts of 488 different species of plants and equally diverse varieties of animals. It is also a fine place to try adventure sports as the area is blessed with hills, mountains, rivers, marshes, grasslands and lakes.

This park was the first to come under the banner of the Project Tiger initiative in India.

Best time to visit – September to June

Bandhavgadh National Park – Located in the state of Madhya Pradesh, the area of the park is about 437 sq. km. About half the park is covered with fine trees of Sal and stretches of bamboo and grasslands extend to the north. The main wildlife viewing is still done in the core of the park with its 32 picturesque, wooded hills.

This area was once the hunting reserve of the royal family of Rewa but in 1968 was declared as a protected area and since then has been a tiger reserve.

The best season to visit is from November to June. Elephant and jeep safaris are available.

Ranthambore National Park – While on a trip to royal Rajasthan, it seems easy enough to slip a day or two in your shedule  for this national park in Rajasthan bound by the river Chambal and Banas.

The landscape is dotted with ancient Banyan Trees, Dhok & Pipal trees, clusters of mango trees and crisscrossed with evergreen belts.

Sighted in Ranthambore. Courtesy Koshyk via Flickr

It is also a favorite haunt of wildlife photographers, always eager to capture classic shots of the easily sighted tiger. For a relatively small area, the park has a rich diversity of fauna and flora – including 300 tree species, 50 aquatic plants, 272 birds, 12 reptiles including the Marsh Crocodile & amphibians and 30 species of mammals.

The best time to visit this park is from October to March and April to June.

Kanha National Park – This horse-shoes shaped area nestled in the state of Madhya Pradesh has long been known as the tiger country. It is a vast area that is protected – almost 1940 sq. km. and therefore apart from the tigers; other wild animals too are easy to sight like the Porcupine, Gray Langurs, Mongoose, Hyena, Jungle Cat, Leopard, varieties of Deer, as well as the majestic Gaur or Indian Bison.

 Best time to visit in from April to June or November to January. This is also a good place to observe tribal cultures of the area.

Sundarbans National Park – If it is the Royal Bengal Tiger, you wish to feast the eyes on; the place to find them is here.

The vast swampy delta of the two great Indian rivers, Brhamaputra and the Ganges extends over areas comprising of mangrove forests, swamps and archipelago of 54 forest islands all interwoven in a network. The park area of approximately 1330.10-sq-kms is the largest mangrove forest in the world, forming the core of this area. The Sundarban region has got its name from Sundari trees, once found in abundance here.

Pair of White Tiger Cubs. Courtesy Koshyk via Flickr

It is said that this area is home to almost 400 tigers but the animals are shy and the camouflage is excellent, so patience is of greatest virtue if you wish to meet the tiger here.

Sundarbans is also noted for its conservation of the Ridley Sea Turtle and incredible variety of reptiles like King Cobra, Rock Python and Water Monitor.

Best time to visit is September to May.

Bandipur National Park – If you are in the southern parts of India, enticed by the fine temple architecture, what can add a dramatic wild element to the tour is visiting this park hidden in the wrinkled folds of the Western Ghats of Karnataka.

In 1973, Bandipur became one of the first of India’s Tiger Reserves and the southernmost of the nine reserves specially established under Project Tiger. It is after the monsoon showers that the glory of this park unfolds and wild animals can be seen easily roaming around.  

Best time to visit is from October to April.

So it seems wherever in India you are, you are never really far from a spectacle of wild chases, telltale paw marks and the elusive royal Tiger.

Laura’s recent post on the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center reminded me of a festival held in the National capital New Delhi, India that for decades has become a part of the city’s culture and lets the whole community bond over flowers. So here is more about Phoolwalon ki Sair.

It is that time of the year when the dust has settled down on the streets after recent showers and refreshing greenery covers all land and cityscapes. The mood in capital city of India, New Delhi is boisterous as usual with an added jest and gaiety. It is time for the annual three day celebrations of a festival that is neither Hindu nor Muslim and yet makes masses go to a part of the old city called Mehrauli where a Sufi saint and a Hindu Goddess are bedecked with flower canopies and fans.

Welcome!

It is called the festival of ‘phoolwalon ki sair’ literally meaning ‘procession of the flower sellers’ but in reality encompassing the composite culture of the national capital and the nation.

 When did it Begin

It is said, during the reign of the Mughal Empire in India, and at a time when the empire was already loosing its sheen, there was a Sultan Akbar Shah II in the year 1812. He had two sons, who were more interested in merrymaking than learning the tactics of ruling a nation. However, of the two the Sultan was more interested in making the younger Mirza Jahangir as the heir Apparent denouncing the natural right of the elder son Sirajuddin Zafar.

This was not what the Britishers wanted (India was a under British rule for more than 300 years) who knew Jahangir as a reckless youth. Once when this young prince shot a fire at a british officer, the governemnt found a good oppurtunity to capture and arrest him.

The move saddened the Queen immensely and she prayed to the lords for her son’s homecoming. She promised a chadar (canopy) of flowers to be offered to the pious Dargah of Khwaja Bakhtiar Kaki of Mehrauli. When the British government finally relented and released the prince, the Queen in all her royal opulance, and with a huge troop of royalties went to the dargah to fulfill her promise.

flower fan by vvchar via wikimedia commons

The fanfare continued for several days with people from all parts of the country joining in to offer their flower canopies and flower sellers even created a pankha (fan) made out of flowers and palm leaves to be given as offering at the nearby jogimaya temple.

Thus the foundation was laid for an annual tradition that brought the whole city to the doors of two reverred holy destinations to offer their fragrant offerings.

The Revival

After 1942 Quit India movement in the country, the British government had suspended the festival for security reasons. In 1962, it was the first Prime Minister of India, Jawahar Lal Nehru who realised the deeper purpose of this festival and reinstated it with much fanfare. Since then, the three days of celebration hace always enjoyed the patronage of the ruling government and the Prime Minister makes it a point to visit atleast once and offer his prayers at the holy grounds.

Festival Today

Kathak Dancers and Quawwali singers, acrobats and fencing experts, soldiers and craftsmen, all are ready to woo the audience with their inherent talents on this occasion.  The procession, led by shehnai players and dancers, and bearing large floral fans, first visits the JogiMaya Temple to offer the floral fans and then winds through Mehrauli bazar, to reach the dargah of 13th century Sufi saint, Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki to offer the huge and delicate chadar to the saint.

Rose petal shower by ramesh_lalwani via Flickr

Also known as Sair-e-Gul Faroshan the procession of flower-sellers is especially important to the florists who pray for a better flower season in the coming year by offering big fans, embroidered with flowers to both shrines.

What makes this part of a town a must visit during these three days is the recent addition of cultural troupes from various states of India performing at  ‘Jahaz Mahal’ also in Mehrauli, which is believed to be built in the Lodhi dynasty era.

The total distance of this procession is about 30 Km and for a traveller can very well be compared to a heritage walk down the red-bricked, chaotic, bustling lanes of Old Delhi.

Amidst the fragrance of innumerable flowers, the aroma of fried Indian snacks, the rythms of divine music and the tinkering of dancers’ bells, the festival of Phoolwalon ki Sair, becomes a representation of mini-India. A memory you can easily take away of this vibrant land.

Performance at Jahaz Mahal by ramesh_lalwani via Flickr

To know more about the festival, see Phoolwaalon ki Sair

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin always gets great reviews as a fun and educational place to spend an afternoon enjoying nature. With free admission for the month of January, it seemed like it’d be a good way to spend my day off, so I drove down to La Crosse Avenue to check it out. I was looking forward to seeing some pretty flowers, snapping some photos, and maybe even composing a few lines of poetry, à la Montrealer Angela Leuck’s A Poet in the Garden (Leuck posts poetry that she writes in the Montreal Botanical Garden throughout the warm months of the year, often bringing special “guest poets” along for the ride).

Unfortunately, I must say that my trip to the Wildflower Center was a disappointment, as there didn’t seem to be much of anything blooming. There were a few tiny flowers hidden here and there amongst the tall grasses that threatened to swallow the place whole, and the hardy yucca and cacti were doing their thing, but for the most part it was obviously winter at the garden.

I was bummed, as I was looking forward to some pleasant scenery and peaceful contemplation, but instead all I saw were hibernating trees and overheard the unmusical sounds of children screaming. (There was, however, a very nice windchime, which offset some of the screaming with its Zen musicality. That was the best part of the experience.)

While my trip was a disappointment, I wouldn’t entirely write this place off, as reports are that wildflower season in the spring (April-May) is simply spectacular at the Lady Bird Center. I checked for photos online when I returned home, and here’s just a handful of the examples that I came up with:

Awesome, right? And that doesn’t even include the vast tracts of land which are currently barren, but which are supposedly filled with flowers as far as the eye can see in the spring and summer months!

So, it looks like I picked the wrong time to hit up Lady Bird, but I’m planning to return in the spring to see the Texas high country in full bloom as promised. For now, I’ll leave you with this lovely photo as an image of what you and I can (and will!) eventually be able to do to the LBJ flowers once they finally bloom in the spring, and a promise of more (and better) plant-related updates to come.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 AM to 5:30 PM, and noon to 5:30 PM on Sundays. They are closed Mondays. Admission is free throughout the month of January, and is otherwise $7 for adults, $6 for seniors 60+ and students 13+, and $3 for children ages 5-12.

‘Trees are the earth’s endless effort to speak to the listening heaven’, so said Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Thakur once, and if there is one place on earth where your heart utters the same emotions, it is in Pachmarhi, the only hill-station in the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh.

Nature’s beauty is manifested in all corners of this little hill town. From the cascading waterfalls, to the green shades embracing the numerous mountains, the twisted and turned pathways cut into the valley and the natural amphitheatres where bears still spend some entertaining hours, Pachmarhi offers to tourists a sanatorium of tranquility in nature’s lap.

Natural splendor. Courtesy Dreams_unlimited via Flickr

Discovered by chance by a captain of the British Army James Forsyth in 1857, this saucer shaped valley soon became a favorite haunt of the officers in the colonial past. Thankfully, the man-made structures in this green town are not distasteful at all and only add to the beauty. The churches and the cemeteries, and the numerous thatched roofs of colonial homes seem to mingle well with the peaks and troughs of the valley.

Pachmarhi also holds within its borders the tales of civilizations of a distant past. Scattered around the town are numerous rock cave paintings that are centuries old. There are animal painting and painting of tribal men, a detailed depiction of a musician playing his harp and a battle scene of men on horses; it is like a treasure trove for the students of history.  And graduating to a different era, there are also the famous Pandav caves named after the Pandav prince of the Mahabharata who seemed to have found shelter in the caves while roaming the land. In fact, Pachmarhi gets its name from these Pandav caves, so it is said.

Must visit

Here is a list of few places of natural and architectural beauty that you can admire at Pachmarhi.

Langur monkey, Courtesy Scotch egg via Flickr

• Forsyth Point – The place from where Pachmarhi was discovered by Captain Forsyth.
• Handi Khoh – A ravine shaped like a saucepan, hence the name Handi in Hindi language, it has a 300ft high precipice and spectacularly steep sides.
• Bee Fall – Provides drinking water to the town and is very popular
• Big Fall and Apsara Vihar (Fairy Pool) – Like its local names, this angelic location is ideal for a picnic and also to watch some spectacular species of natural world.
  

  Apsara Vihar, Courtesy Vikram Pratap Singh via Flickr

• Duchess Fall – The decent to this particular fall is steep but the end destination spectacular.
• Saunder’s pool – A little distance from duchess fall, it is ideal for a refreshing swim.
• Mahadeo – A stunning setting for a Lord Shiva hill shrine with a very beautiful shiva linga.
• Jata Shankar – It is a sacred cave formed by loose boulders that resembles the locks of Lord Shiva.
• Dhoopgarh – A popular sunset point, it also is a good location to view the entire region atop a hill.
• Pandav Caves – The protected monuments that once provided sanctuary to the Pandav Princes.
• Reechhgarh – An amphitheatre created naturally, it is entered through a cave like path and is still frequented by bears.
• Catholic Church- Built in 1892 it is a historical monument today with stained glass windows dating back to that era.
• Christ Church - 
  

  Christ Church. Courtesy east med wanderer via Flickr

• Satpura National Park – Close to Pachmarhi this park is home to bison tiger, leopard, bear, four-horned deer, blue-bull and a rich variety of birds.
• Bison Lodge – The oldest home in town it is today a museum of the flora and fauna found in the area.

Best Time to Visit

Pachmarhi is a veritable green paradise all year round and you can actually visit it even in the hot summer months of India. But off season winter months too offer peaceful and idyllic setting for a holiday.  

Location

Pachmarhi is 210 Km from Bhopal city, the capital of Madhya Pradesh and it is advisable to hire private taxis to reach the hill station from here as the state run buses are almost always crowded and bound to leave you weary. Bhopal is well connected by air and rail to all important cities of India.

Traveler’s tip

• During the month of Feb-March Pachmarhi celebrates the festival of Shivaratri like the rest of India and is populated with hoards of devotees. If you are there to getaway from crowd avoid this time.
• Because of the dense forest area, mobile signals are weak at most points.
• Wear comfortable footwear as there is lot of walking, climbing to do.
• Carry an extra pair of clothes to change after an instinctive dip in the pools or waterfalls.
• Look out for the spider webs inside the water bodies before you swim. It may not be fun anymore if the spider spots you.
• Most spots are still not very commercial and the raw natural beauty is still preserved. Therefore always carry essentials like water and snacks with you.

A 'close encounter' at the Samburu Game Park

From Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to the Samburu Game Lodge is about 150 miles as the crow flies. But, if you leave Nairobi in the middle of winter, you’ll arrive at Samburu in midsummer. However, that’s not because the roads are so bad, or the little Nissan safari buses which most tour operators use being anything other than quick and efficient.

The reason for the seasonal shift is that on this journey crosses the Equator, at a place called Nanyuki, where the buses always stop. Ostensibly, it’s just to let passengers stretch their legs and attend to essential comforts, but, as often happens where tourists frequent, there’s quite a bazaar atmosphere, where ‘quality African craftwork’ (it says here) can be bought.

Lorraine at the Equator

Usually, too there’s someone there with a container of water, a funnel and a few match-sticks. For a fee, he will demonstrate the phenomenon where, if you pour water into a funnel, or let it out of the bath, or something, it swirls out clockwise to the south of the Equator, and anti-clockwise to the north. Although my ‘day job’ at the time was in aviation, nobody loves a smart-ass, so I resisted the temptation to lecture about Buys Ballot’s Law and the Coriolis Effect!

Having had our pit-stop and coffee, we left Nanyuki behind, and headed down into the Great Rift Valley and Samburu.

The Samburu Reserve takes its name from the Samburu people who live in the area. The Samburu are often to be seen in their traditional garb of wrap-around blankets and metal and bead bracelets and necklaces; sometimes the men wear red clay on their faces and in their hair. Most tours to the area include a visit to a Samburu manyatta (a fenced compound which acts as a sort of outdoor village hall/meeting place/club-house) to see a display of Samburu dance.

Grevy's Zebra

Samburu tribesmen dancing for us

The reserve consists of several adjoining game parks on either side of the Ewaso Nyiro River. One of these is the Buffalo Springs Nature Reserve. There are springs, to be sure, but Jacob, our guide/driver said that buffalo never frequented them. But, what were those bovine-looking animals drinking from the springs?

We had discovered Jacob’s system. ‘Elephants?’ he would say ‘There are no elephants around here.’ This usually made sure that we would see elephants … and soon! ‘We will see no lions today!’ usually meant more lions than you could shake a stick at … not that anyone shook any sticks at them; we stayed safely in the bus, which has a raised roof, to act as sun-shade and observation platform.

The guides aren’t allowed to use radios to talk to each other, and animals are not tagged in any way. But, if one guide sees something interesting, the others will arrive very shortly! One day, Jacob spotted a leopard in a tree, with the body of a recently-killed gazelle. Within 15 minutes, nineteen safari-buses had arrived on the scene!

Elephants at Samburu

We saw elephants, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, lions, cheetahs and many kinds of antelope and gazelle … including the tiny ‘dik-dik’ and the amusing gerenuk or ‘giraffe-gazelle’. And, of course, there were many buffalo! And, as a bonus, we had a rare glimpse of the usually haze-shielded and cloud covered Mount Kenya in the distance.

Seeing animals at their best usually calls for a pre-dawn start, with another drive around sunset. At these times, the animals are at their most active. So, when breakfast beckons, we returned to the Samburu Lodge. The cabins at the lodge are thatched, round huts of a design based on the African hut called a rondavel. Like all good game lodges, there are two watering holes … one within the compound, that is, the swimming pool, and one outside. A bank about three feet high surrounds the compound, this, we were assured, ensures that visitors don’t have too close an encounter with the game … especially the crocodile, which is usually seen basking by the water-hole.

One thing the bank won’t keep out is the baboons. The barman said that it has been known for them to snatch food from the plates of diners in the restaurant. Then, we were summoned to dinner … not by a gong, but a relentless thunder of African drums.

‘Oh, yes! Very Hollywood!

’ I said. But, the barman explained that the drums served an extra purpose. They scared the baboons away, and they wouldn’t be back for several hours!

Samburu Lodge