Nagarhole National Park

Nagarahole National Park also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park is situated around Kodagu district and Mysore district in Karnataka state of South India. It is surrounded by shallow valleys and gentle slopes on all sides.

Nagarhole National Park is said to be the best habitat for Asian elephants and is also a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.


River Kabini flows along the southern boundary of the park, and forms a reservoir on the south-eastern edge. The reservoir separates Nagargole sanctuary from Bandipur sanctuary, which is also part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.   In addition to the vivid and vibrant wildlife range, the Western Ghats and Brahmagiri Hills add to the scenic beauty of the Nagarhole National Park.


Nagarhole is extraordinarily blessed with stunning and rare flora and fauna. One can find a diverse variety of trees and shrubs. Over 250 species of birds have been found in this place. There are observation towers in the park that offer a panoramic view of the undulating expanse, riotously coloured birds, wildlife, and the virgin greenery.

Attractions: 

Fauna: Asiatic elephants, jackal, tiger, panther, gaur, muntjac, sambar, spotted deer, mongoose, civet cat, hyena. Reptiles: king cobra, krait, python, viper, tortoise, monitor lizard, toads etc.

Avian-Fauna: Malabar trogon, malabar pied-hornbill, crested hawk-eagle and crested serpent-eagle, and more.

Wildlife: The Nagarhole National Park shelters a large number of rare and endangered animals. It has a higher population of tigers and one can spot huge elephant herds wandering here.

Safari: The jeep safari takes you around in a predefined forest route. You can spot, observe and discover wildlife in their best natural habitat.
Also you can take the river safari with the jetty. There are high chances of sighting Elephants and different species of birds as well as if you are lucky enough you can even sight tigers.


How to Reach: 

This place can be an ideal weekend getaway from Bangalore or Mysore.

Nagarhole is well connected by road with Bangalore and Mysore. The nearest airport is in Bangalore, and the closet railway station is in Mysore. There are also some trains from Nanjangud to Nagarhole.
Buses ply regularly between Bangalore and Nagarhole, and also between Mysore and Nagarhole. Taxi services are also available from Bangalore to Nagarhole.
Nagarhole National Park is situated around 100 km away from Mysore in Karnataka.
And distance from Bangalore is around 220Km.


Accommodation: 

There are many private as well as government forest resorts. My personal favorite is Kabini River Lodge because of their wonderful services towards guests.


Best Time to Visit: 

November to February

Now let me take you on a journey of this National Park through some amazing photographs. 

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Meghalaya: Truly the Abode of the Clouds

By Aritra Majumdar

Travelling to the North-east was always on the card. So it was with great enthusiasm that we landed at the Guwahati Airport on a bright April morning for our trip to Meghalaya. 

After spending the first night at Kaziranga we started for Meghalaya. The road from Kaziranga to Shillong was an idealistic road-trip - good road, perfect sunshine, roadside dhabas and some or the other mountain forming a perfect backdrop. The hairpin bends of the Shillong roads welcomed us to Meghalaya – the abode of clouds! The meandering roads, the small villages, the little kids along the highway and the small chapels in between the villages set the perfect tone for the coming days.

That day we reached Bara-Pani and what a beauty it was! Known as Lake Umiam (which is a man-made reservoir), nestled amidst the mountains, 15 Kms from Shillong , it serves as the biggest source of water for the mountain-dwellers. The water was as clear as crystal, and the last rays of the sun reflecting on the water turned it to liquid Gold. We spent the night in a hotel in a small village near the lake with a panaromic view of the lake and the surrounding trees. The next morning we woke up early to enjoy a stroll on the banks of the lake. The experience is inexplicable – incredible view, chirping birds, wayward winds swaying the bigger trees and the showering the lake with flowers! We also noticed that the people/government is extremely dedicated to cleanliness-small boats cleaning the lake to maintain its beauty.

Same day we travelled to Shillong and it was everything I imagined it to be and more! Its people-food-love formula and its cultural mix of colonial past and simple folk culture of the hills of Garo -Khasi- Jaintia is enchanting. Earlier readings of Rabindranath Tagore’s “Shesher Kobita” had helped me to visualise the romantic aspects of the mountains, its warmth, its soft sunshine, the colourful not-so-known flowers along the paths and simplicity of the mountain folks. And the place certainly didn’t disappoint. However, the Police Bazaar, the heart of Shillong the market place, was extremely overcrowded, and unfortunately most hotels are near to it. It takes away the peace, quiet and beauty of the place. Fortunately we moved to a hotel near Hyderi Park and the calm and quietness of the mountains were restored.

Next day we hopped from the Hyderi Park to the Butterfly Museum (Museum of Entomology) and drove 65 Kms to Mawsynram – reportedly the wettest place on earth. This place also has a cave where travellers can see stalactites. The drive through the Khasi Hills was again beautiful and was worth in millions of hot momos!

Another day and another breathtakingly picturesque road later we reached Cherrapunji.  The journey to Cherapunji was by far the most enjoyable – cliffs, wild flowers, small villages and chapels led the way. Here, the trek to the Living Root Bridge at Cherrapunji was worth the tiredness and effort. The view of the meandering river under the root bridge shaded by a dense canopy of huge trees was exquisite. After a lunch break at a quiet Garo village called Mawlynnong (Asia’s cleanest village) we experienced the first spell of shower! A few scattered viewing point such as the seven sister falls, etc took up the rest of the day and we retired at the Cherrapunji Resort - run by the local women, a stay at this resort is highly advisable. It was a warm, homely and comfortable stay.

Local sightseeing took up the next day. The Nohkhalikai Falls – India’s tallest plunge waterfall (1115 Feet), Ka Khoh Ramhah, and the double decker living root bridge are some of the places. Every nature lover should do nothing and just roam around Cherapunji enjoying the serenity in the lap of the nature.

The next day was scheduled for Dwaki - India’s international border with Bangladesh, 96 Kms from Shillong. Here, there is a small village market where the two countries meet (under the Border Security Force survelliance) and lastly the River! Called the Umngot, it is the natural boundary between Jaintia Hills and Khasi Hills and the water is so clear that it looks like the boats are flying in the air instead of floating on water! The local fish, Chittol here is delicious and this place affords a view of a vast expanse of Banglasdesh – which was a very personal experience for me, given my ancestral roots lie on that side of the border.

From there, it was back to Guwahati for us via Shillong Peak – from where entire Shillong can be observed, and the Don Bosco Museum with its extensive study on the people of north eastern states, their food, language, tribes, music and works of arts.

The magnificent mountains, hectic roadtrips, picturesque views, lazy afternoons and quiet Sunday mass is what will always remain with me from this trip. The breath-taking Meghalaya and its surrounding states indeed reflect diversity of an Incredible India.

About Aritra:

This guy is a true blue Bong, passionate about literature, art, food, music, photography and what not. An avid traveller from a young age, if he is not busy travelling, he is definitely busy meticulously planning a trip months ahead – he swears that is how he manages to disappear about half a dozen times each year in spite of his tremendous work load.

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Lucknow's Chowk: Every Non-Vegetarian Food Lover's Wonderland!

By Abhidip Sengupta

I studied in Lucknow and it was the last week of my college life.  We were discussing what we will miss the most after we pass out from law school. People were saying a lot of things - friends, hostel life, parties and what not, but I could only think of that humongous degchi (cooking pot) full of Biriyani you see at Idrish in Chowk and the fragrant hypnotising smoke which comes out from the degchi and mixes with evening fog of Old Lucknow. Indeed heavenly. Indeed that is the thing I definitely miss the most now.

It was almost a weekly affair for us (almost daily during the month of Ramzan) to go to Chowk  - the focus point of old Lucknow traditions - and actively partake in the culinary experiences. Simply put, we used to go to Chowk, very frequently and ate like animals, till we could not walk.

In last five years I went to Chowk many times, probably a lot more than many Lucknowites ever has. And met a lot of people there, made a lot of friends there. So I feel, somewhat I have gained a right to write about my most favourite food destination.

Whenever I took people to Chowk , I followed a distinct plan , a sort of a circuit or a map following it one can obtain the complete culinary experience of Lucknow Chowk , which does not only involve eating.

So here is the step by step plan which I have followed for half a decade:

Tiwari ji’s Bhang Thandai: The journey starts from Kotwali (in Chowk), this is a very busy junction with places of interest all around you. Various famous mithai shops like Shree, (famous for lassi) , Radhey Lal Parampara etc are there, but those places are not essential to the tour which I prefer. Instead I will suggest Tiwari Ji’s Bhang Thandai. You will find it right beside the starting point of ‘phul wali gali’ in Kotwali. Start your tour with a glass of ‘light’ bhang thandai. Yes, ‘light’. Don’t try to be a hero and go for the ‘strong’ glass, if you are not that much of seasoned bhang enthusiast. Trust me , you will want your wits around  when you would have to stop at different places to eat so many lovely things. Drink a light one, get a light buzz. Most importantly it will make you very hungry  and will make you appreciate food like never before. 

Malai Makkhan: By far one of the best desserts I have ever tasted in my life has to be Malai Makkhan . You can get them near the Gol Darwaza at chowk , just beside the bhang thandai shop.  This frothy, fluffy , amazing rather sinful dessert is probably (according to me) Lucknow’s best dessert. You get it only after October and till March. It’s a seasonal dessert, as the name suggests it is made from malai and apparently they need the cold dewy air for the condensation of the malai and they serve it with crushed pistachios and silver leaves (chandi ka warq) , by adding saffron its gets a bit of yellowish tinge. This sweet , beautiful, foamy dessert is so smooth that as soon as you put it inside your mouth it melts and vanishes and only leaves behind a heavenly taste. Hence the name rightly describes ‘Malai Makkhan’. You can get them in some shops , but I think buying it from the vendors or “malai makkhan walas’ near the Gol Darwaza will definitely not disappoint you.  And it will enhance the effect of the bhang thandai in a very positive way. You will become a happy - hungry person roaming around a locality that provides you with mind boggling food.   What else do you want from this unjust world?!

Biriyani at Idrish: Quintessence of the famous Lucknow Biriyani is this place called Idrish. If you are into superficial things like ambience and cleanliness , well you can skip  the place but if you are faithfully in love with Biryani , it is a sacrilege if you don’t go to this place. Mutton Biriyani at Idrish will always be amazing. No doubt about that. It is situated in a place called Patanala at Chowk only.  Nothing can compete with Idrish’s Biriyani on a cold evening in Lucknow. I am pretty sure, you will treat Biriyanis from other places as second class citizens once you taste Idrish. Each and every grain of rice is perfectly cooked ,  meat pieces will not let you complain and the entire place (though a bit untidy) smells like heaven. A must go for Biryani lovers throughout the world.

Now from Patanala, walk till Akbari Gate , it will help you digest a bit, don’t forget you have to complete the circuit and a lot more to eat.  Smoke couple of cigarettes or drink a bottle of Cola if you have to, but make sure you have room in your tummy.

Raheem at Akbari Gate: My favourite place in Lucknow. The first time I tasted their pasanda , I literally cried. I thanked the almighty for providing me with a tongue so that I can taste such a dish. My god!  Pasanda at Raheem is indeed paradise served on a plate. Marinated beef cooked in charcoal smoke. I am literally drooling right now as I type. The perfect balance of spices, the perfect tenderness of the meat, the smoky texture will enthral you. Another must eat. 

They also make the best Nahari , a curry made of slow cooked meat. With Nahari you can eat Kulcha and Sheermal. Sheermal is a saffron flavoured a bit sweet type of flat bread. A very popular meal during the holy month of Ramzan, especially during sehri (the meal before the dawn). They have Biriyani also which is excellent , probably not as good as Idrish’s , but better than 95% of all the Biriyani you may have eaten from all the different places.

Azhar Bhai ka Paan: Right opposite Raheem , you will find a shop which rightly says : ‘Lucknow Ki Shaan, Azhar Bhai Ka Paan’ . You will find all the nazakat (delicacy) , nafasat (sophistication) and tehzeeb (culture) dripping from the paans served by Azhar Bhai. You will find various types of paan there like, pistai paan, badami paan, zafrani paan, saunfiya paan, pethe ka paan, aonle ka paan, begum pasand, wajid ali shah ki shahi gillauri, haazme ka paan, seene me dard ka paan, khattha meetha paan, shahi meetha paan, palang tod paan…YES you read it right.. PALANG TOD PAAN, apparently unleashes the beast within you, never had the guts to try this flavour though.

Buy a paan from there, keep it with you , (trust me you will need it later) don’t eat as soon as you get it, don’t forget that you have to eat more, you don’t want to send wrong signals to your taste buds, as if its over. Because its not.

Tunday Kababi: From Akbari Gate you take phool wali gali and you will reach bang infront of Tunday Kababi. World famous Galawati Kababs with Paratha is beyond comparison. The soft melt- in-mouth kababs with ulte tawe ki parathas are a different league altogether. Apparently minced meat is mixed with papaya , which contains an enzyme called Papain , decomposes the meat and makes it so tender and soft that it melts in your mouth. One of the most famous places in Lucknow, probably the most famous dish in Lucknow, You will be cheating yourself if you don’t go there.

Walk straight on the phool wali gali towards Kotwali by that time you will be extremely full and tremendously happy and somewhat high , because the bhang thandai would have definitely kicked in.

No. Its not over so soon!

Habshi Halwa: Next stop is a mithai shop which is a few steps away from Tunday, on Phool wali gali  towards Gol Darwaza ,on your left side. I don’t know the name of the shop or the shopkeeper , but whenever I meet that guy he gives me the best smile and the best Habshi Halwa.  This sweet is made up with many nutritious ingredients put together such as milk, desi ghee, cashew, nuts, almonds, clove, kewda, wheat flour . Don’t know why its called ‘Habshi Halwa’ . Habshi means African, I think maybe it has so many nutritious ingredients, eating it will make you as strong as a well-built African man. Or I don’t want to sound racist, but maybe because the colour of the mithai is dark brown.

Furqan Bhai’s Itr Shop: I have a friend in Chowk , his name is Furqan bhai, his shop is situated on phool wali gali only. If you walk from Tunday to Gol Darwaza it will be on your right hand side. For us it’s Furqan Bhai’s dukaan and we never bothered to know the name. It is a shop which sells finest itrs (scents) of Lucknow. You can spot the shop , by seeing a lot of hookahs are kept outside it and very polite, young chap who is always smiling , sitting at the counter. After so much of food and walk you would love to sit and smell the varieties of itr, it will instantly make you feel relaxed , the fragrances are so nice it will make you appreciate the finer things in life. And if you love the fragrances you can buy them also. He will put drops of different fragrances on your arm to smell and taste the product while he tells you the different names of the fragrances is a trip on its own. Names like, Gulfam, Noor –e- Ilahi, Shaam-e –Awadh , Madhosh will make you fall in love with them instantly.

I am pretty sure, You will definitely be in a trance by now. Its Natural. Walk straight towards Gol Darwaza and you will reach where you have started from. You can have another round of Bhang Thandai, if you want and you can make it ‘strong’ also. Because you don’t need to worry about a single thing. You will be happy. Satisfied to the core of your heart. Because, they meant it when they said: “Muskuraiye ke aap Lucknow mein hain”

P.S. Don’t forget about the Azhar Bhai’s Paan you bought. Have it then, it will be the perfect time.

About Abhidip:

This ever smiling young lawyer found roaming the corridors of the High Court at Calcutta is a free soul who lives for his love for travelling. And the only thing that is greater than his love for travelling is his passion for food. Besides being an amazing cook, he is like a human food wikipedia! He daydreams of becoming an amazing food critique some day that will require him to travel all over the world. 

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Kuldhara – The Deserted Village of the Desert

A few years back, after spending an exquisite night under the star lit sky of the Sam Dunes, Rajasthan, we were sailing down the desert highways of at a steady speed of 140 Kms/hr when our driver decided to take a turn right on a deserted by road unannounced. Given that Jaisalmer was still a few Kms away we were surprised to say the least. Our driver only replied with a mischievous smile that the detour would be worth it. I suppose we should have been alarmed but we could smell adventure already. A short drive away on a few bumpy dirt roads we reached a “parking lot” and it was grandiosely announced that we had reached the deserted desert village of Kuldhara by what looked like the lone occupant of this village – a old man with grey beard clad in white. Clichéd and eerie in itself. 

So what was special about this place? It was deserted and in ruins. Again, what’s so special about that? Well as the old man was more than happy to dramatically explain, legend has it the entire village along with a few more in this locality decided to abandon their houses and cleared out without a trace overnight, a few centuries ago. Till date no one has any clue how they managed to completely disappear overnight or where they went to settle down. According to the old man, the prime minister of the kingdom was an incredible mix of evil and powerful and besides every other corrupt act, was coercing the entire village to marry the beautiful daughter of the village head by force. The villagers decided to protect the lady and preferred to stealthily move out in the cover of the night than to give in to the wishes of this man. But, what is more interesting is, before leaving, they put a curse on the village that no man will be able to inhabit the village ever again and that is how an entire village with perfectly good houses still lies crumpling away – barren, dissolate and unoccupied. People who tried to stay in this village were apparently chased away by paranormal activities – something not too hard to imagine – an isolated village in ruins in the middle of nowhere with a cursed history no less – not the best place to spend the night.

We walked into the village to a lone temple standing amongst ruins and found some workers busy restoring the temple and painting away cheerfully. Finally something about the place that seemed ordinary and normal. Further exploration of the place took us to the roof of the temple from where the panoramic view of the village in ruins was breath-taking. A few scattered bushes only added to its rustic feel.  From above we could see that some other houses were in the process of being restored. We stayed on the roof taking in the sight for quite some time and then followed the old man through the ruins of what used to be houses of the occupants of the village with some of the walls still standing and still patterned with paint. Quiet signs lay scattered around to help your imagination that this village was in fact a thriving one at some point of time. Finally, after a thorough good examination of the place that tool longer than it should have, we rode back to Jaisalmer excited with the new find with a gloating driver for company.

A ride through the desert roads with the windows down is one of my best memories. Add to that the inky sky covered with millions and millions of stars, it is hands down one of the best places to be. And when you are there, look for Kuldhara – the locals will be more than happy to direct you towards it – for an eerie, out of place experience in a deserted and forlorn village even in the middle of the day.  Even the bravest of the brave will surely feel a twinge of tiny panic at some point or the other.

Also, now it is completely restored and a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. Definitely well worth the detour.

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Top Bollywood movies that inspire us to travel in India

Bollywood movies are always being an inspiration for many people from all walks of life. They provide you with a push which can make people do things they really wanted to do. Movies like Highway which amused us with the locations from Himachal Pradesh, Gujrat and Dil Chahta Hai with locations from Goa.

Let’s have a look at the movies that have inspired procrastinating travelers to explore exotic Indian destinations.

Piku

For a person who loves the road, Piku is a gentle reminder of the saying: the journey is more important than the destination. And often, the journey is the destination. Piku, her slightly eccentric father and driver-cum-transport business owner are on a roadtrip from New Delhi to Kolkata. What happens on the way is a bonding that no ordinary experience can create. This movie tells us that travelling together may well be the finest way of created the strongest bonds.

Highway

This movie was about the sense of freedom that travel can introduce one to.
As the name implies it was filmed mostly on the road and it does portray the concept of a road trip beautifully. The road trip covered Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Kashimir.

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

The film was about the relationship of two characters Naina (Deepika Padukone) and Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor). Through the ups and downs of their lives audiences are taken through some stunning locations. Apart from the mountain trekking sequences in Himalayas, the film was also shot at various other locations including Udaipur and Gulmarg.

Chennai Express

Featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, this movie takes on a journey across India from the North to the South, enticing youwith beautiful visions of the countryside en route like Munnar, Goa and so on.

Barfi

 You get to see the most exquisite and still highly unexplored locations of Darjeeling, It takes us through the hill-station's misty mornings, muddy slopes and beautifully fenced pathways. The clock tower, the famous Glenary's Cafe and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Barfi presents the hill town at its best. The nostalgia resulting from the small town feel of the movie might just make you look for your next long weekend and plan a trip to the nearest hill station.


Jab We Met

The entire idea of shooting the movie in some of the breathtaking locations is so essential to the plot of the movie that you fall in love with the movie, the characters and the locations all at the same time. Along with Shimla and Manali at Manali Castle in Himachal Pradesh, the movie also shows some amazing view of the Rohtang Pass which lies on the Manali – Leh Highway.

3 Idiots

3 Idiots is shot across several scenic locales across India. From Chail Palace in Shimla (shown as Javed Jaffrey's residence) to the campus of Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (depicted as the Imperial College of Engineering, Delhi), the film is peppered with realistic locations like Leh Manali Highway. Shot at the Pangong Lake, the climax flaunts Ladakh's daunting peaks and turquoise-blue lakes.

Dil Chahta Hai

Dil Chahta Hai is a trip down memory lane and perhaps the single biggest reason everyone in India has gone to Goa with his friends at some point or the other.

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