Kovalam Beach

Posted on July 27, 2018July 27, 2018 by indtr

Kovalam is one of the famous beaches of Kerala and almost everyone in the country has heard or know about this famous beach. A lot of people hold it as a cherished dream to atleast once visit this famous spot. Even though we reside in Delhi for the most part of the year, because we are keralites, we get to travel to Kerala couple of times in a year and have been able to make it possible to visit this beach more than once.

We have visited many beaches in Kerala but this beach is different. It is a small and compact one and one of the most important things that stand out in my mind is that it has black sand.

Kovalam is a beach town in Trivandrum. It is a crescent like beach lined with coconut palm trees.

Beaches are always fun. Looking at the waves coming with such force and might gives a little thrill going down the spine. The foam and the froth that hits us as we stand on the beach waiting for these waves is exhilarating.

The sands from beneath our foot gets washed away and we feel like floating without actually floating. It is scary and yet very exciting. Children have fun but the gaurds at this beach are very strict and vigilant and don’t let people go far away from the beach. There is a red and white striped lighthouse to the left of the beach that keeps a watch over the sea .

Zafar Mahal

Posted on July 26, 2018July 26, 2018 by indtr

I had never heard of Zafar Mahal till some days ago when my husband brought it up as one of the places we should be visiting. And to know that it was in Mehrauli which is about 15 minutes from where we live was even more astounding.

When we finally made the visit today we realized that people living right next to the Palace were also quite unaware of its existence and significance. We asked some people for directions in Mehrauli and they were quite clueless.

It could be probably because the area around Zafar Mahal has been encroached and people have built all kinds of buildings in and around that it is not seen properly and even the front façade does not give out the impression of the vastness that lay beyond.

The frontage is very simple. The Mahal looked deserted. The gates called the “Hathi Gate / Elephant Gate” were massive but closed and only a small enclosure which was part of the gate was open for people to pass through. We got in not knowing whether we should or not but once inside, saw some men old and young in groups sitting on the inside lanes playing cards. I was a bit scared, but since I was with my husband, we went on with our discovery mission.

I should confess, it was a revelation! The more we went in, it opened up more and more surprises. Even though the building was in a ruined condition, it was delightful to see the gorgeous formations and composition of the pillars, walls and its structure. Made in Red Sandstone with some marbles thrown in, there was hardly any roof left apart from the main building and the domes.

To think that this is a place where the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar wished to be buried was quite shocking. He used to spend the summers in this place and was called his Summer Palace.

The Palace was originally built by Akbar II and named after his son Bahadur Shah Zafar. The entrance was then modified by Bahadur Shah Zafar himself. The tombs of Akbar II, Shah Alam and Mirza Jahangir lie within this Palace. Akbar II’s tomb is inside a marble enclosure.

There is a royal mosque also built in marble adjacent to where the tombs lay.

The halls in the upper parts of the buildings are vast with columns of arched pillars. The carved pillars and arcades are beautiful to behold.

Kanyakumari

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

Kanyakumari is the southern tip of India. It has been a cherished dream of ours as a family to visit this place whenever we were in Kerala. So, about two years back when we were in Kerala, we finally decided to do a road trip from Trivandrum to Kanyakumari. It was a fun ride. It took us about 3-4 hours via NH 66 that passed through Nagercoil. We were not sure of the way and therefore, had to continuously check with people on the road if we are on the right track. The weather was good. There was an overcast of clouds and so we were pretty sure it would rain. We wanted to reach Kanyakumari before sunset to see and enjoy the sun going down the horizon..

The view from the car was very scenic. There were coconut trees and mountains lined on both the sides. There were fruit and juice vendors on the sides of the road to quench your thirst otherwise the places were very dry.

We reached Kanyakumari by about 5 pm and went straight to the beach to catch the sunset. But to our utter disappointment, rain came pouring down as soon as we hit the beach. It was a cloudy day and now that it began to pour so badly, we had to forego our desires and be content with enjoying the rain while we were on the beach. We went back in search of a good hotel to stay during the night and settled in one of those hotels that was close to the beach. We wanted to catch the sunrise even if we lost out on the sunset. We settled into a comfortable place near the beach and went out for dinner.

We were told we should be at the beach early morning by atleast 4.30 / 5.00 if we were really interested in seeing the sunrise. So, we set up our alarms and went off to sleep.

Early morning, it was a task to get all of us ready (we were with our children aged 11 and 12) and head back to the beach. But the efforts did not go in vain.

It was there, first as just a hint of golden and orange colour intermingled with each other and turning to red at some places in the far horizon. There were hundreds of people on the shore all waiting anxiously, not taking their eyes off for that first glimpse. We kept waiting and slowly it did emerge from the depths like a burning fire and then slowly forming itself into a circular white.

We stayed on at the beach enjoying the waves and the waters for a long time. There were rocks on which people tried to climb and experience the waves.

We took a ferry to reach Vivekananda Rock which has a temple dedicated to Devi Kanya Kumari and also a large statue of Thiruvalluvar.

It is believed that Vivekananda once came to this site under the instructions of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

The popular belief is that this place being the tip of the India, is the meeting point of 3 seas but geographically there is only one. We could however, see three different colours of water out in the sea when we stood watching from this place. So, God only knows!

Kanyakumari on Google Maps

Candolim Beach, Goa

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

When we were planning a family trip to Goa last year, we kept searching for the right place to stay and finally we arrived at a decision to stay at the Santana Beach Resort at the Candolim Beach looking at the reviews and ratings in Trip Advisor.

I have to say that we were not disappointed. We did have a fantastic time! The resort was right on the beach and we could just stroll down to the beach after our lunch and spend as much time, strolling and lazing around at the beach, picking up shells and just being in the water and enjoying the waves to our hearts content. It gave us an opportunity to really enjoy and feel the essence of being in Goa!

The service was decent, the breakfast was varied and had a good spread of continental and Indian. We had Goan fish curry at lunch which tasted good. The rooms were clean and bathrooms tidy with clean towels when we checked in. We were lucky to get a room with a kitchen attached, though we did not use it as we were out most of the time. It has a separate swimming pool for adults and children with beautiful lawns, properly trimmed and maintained with lots of coconut trees and other plants. It looked beautiful even at night.

Another thing that we really liked about this place was that it was really close to Fort Aguada and we could take a tour of the Fort by taking a short walk through the beach. We saw people indulge in para sailing and other evening sports at this beach. It has a great beach shack too. This place is also very close to the famous Kingfisher villa and Vivantaby Taj – Fort Aguada.

The price is very decent for the facilities that are on offer. We would definitely like to go back and stay there once more if we get a chance!!

How to get there

We can take a taxi either from the Goa airport located at Dabolim which is 46 km from Fort Aguada or any of the two Railway Stations – Margao and Vasco Da Gama.

Santana Beach Resort on Google Maps

Chandni Chowk of Delhi, India

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

Going through chandni chowk and it’s various little gulley’s is a favourite pastime for me and my husband. We would hop on a Delhi metro and shoot off, the moment we find we have a day to ourselves and are not needed to do some errand for the family or go the kids school or run to some other event.

We prefer taking the Delhi metro to this place because one we cannot dream of getting our car into the unmanageable little roads and get stuck in traffic for endless hours. It also gives a breather to my husband who is the only one in our family who can drive right now.

So, on a nice sunny winter day, we set off to be part of the busy streets, hawkers, vendors, chai wallahs, the street food guys. It is an interesting mix of people and buildings, old and new, all intermingled with each other that they still maintain an individuality yet look so distinct.

A person probably visiting for the first time might not find this place interesting at all. I used to be like that. I hated going there amongst the dirt and the chaos, amidst people jostling with each other to get ahead, people screaming at the top of their voices, a mayhem of cycle rikshaws, auto-rickshaws, car, scooter and hoards of people all getting into each others way and nerves.

I only had to make 2 or 3 visits with my husband to really understand the depth of these places. Once you get into a gulley or a lane, the varieties of a single aspect displayed was simply mind boggling. Now, I sometimes simply go there to open up my horizon, of my understanding of what all things are available there.

There is a lane dedicated to only gems and stones. Another lane would be selling only buttons and embellishments. On one lane, you will simply find laces, rows of shops selling different coloured, different styles of laces. There is a lane for bicycle parts, one lane for clothes, one for sarees, one for dry fruits and nuts, spices….. The list just goes on.. Everytime we go, we choose a different lane to explore.

This old Delhi used to be the only Delhi people knew some 30 to 40 years back. By now though the boundaries of Delhi has expanded to beyond Gurgaon on the south and Noida on the west, Rohini on the north, etc. But when you visit old Delhi, you would not imagine that Delhi has expanded so much. Life goes on as it used to couple of decades before. It is as if time stood still somewhere in those periods for Chandni Chowk while the others moved on!

The Hill Station of Kerala – Munnar

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

A visit to Kerala is incomplete without visiting the famous hill station of Kerala called Munnar. It is part of the Western Ghats falls in the Idukki district. The name Munnar actually means three rivers. This is a place where 3 rivers (Mudhirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly river) come and join together.

During one of our annual vacations to Kerala, we made this journey to Munnar by renting a car. It takes about 3.5 hours from Kochi via Adimali. It is an uphill drive through a natural forest with a view of the most picturesque valleys and waterfalls.

As you climb up, you can see the clouds on top of the mountains enveloping the peak and then slowly as you keep going up, you can feel the clouds kind of settling in on you as well. It is a wonderful feeling when you realize that you now are part of the clouds that you saw when you were down. As you come closer to Munnar, you can see the landscape has changed into smooth slopey mountains, trimmed and parted in columns and squares. The tea gardens are spread wide across mountains and as you inch closer to Munnar, the temperature dips and you start feeling a little cold.

Munnar is a very small town with houses scattered across the mountains. You can have a good look at the entire town from one of these mountains. We stayed at the Mar Thoma Retreat Centre on the Mattupetty Road. It was a very comfortable cozy place and once we had freshened up, we were on our way to see the Mattupetty Dam, or as some call it, the Madupetty Dam. The dam is nearly 13 Kms from Munnar town. Further ahead is a beautiful tourist spot called the Echo Point. The river enveloped by mountains all around was a beautiful sight to behold.

Munnar on Google Maps

If you are making the trip from Kerala, the nearest airport is Nedumbassery at Kochi. The nearest railway station would be Ernakulam or Aluva. And then take a taxi or cab. It is about 110 Kms from airport.

Interesting tidbits on Munnar

The blooming of Neelakurinji. This tiny blue flower (Strobilanthes kunthianum) blooms every 12 years and spreads the entire mountainscape of Munnar and is a phenomenon worth clapping ones eyes on. The flower with 40 odd varieties bloom mostly in shades of blue, and thus the name. Neela in the local language stands for the colour blue and Kurinji the local name for the flower. The blooming of Neelakurinji usually starts from August and would last up to October. After 2006, we can expect another blooming in 2018. Book your tickets!

The Royal Jama Masjid of Delhi

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

Jama Masjid is the biggest mosque in Delhi. It is important as a heritage property as it was built by Shah Jahan and the coronation ceremony of later Mughal emperors were performed by the imams of this mosque. It is walking distance from Red Fort and consequently catered to the needs of the royalty of those times.

The mosque is situated in the middle of the most crowded and congested streets of old Delhi and therefore, getting to the place itself is a bit of adventure.

We took the Delhi metro and got down at the Chawri Bazaar Metro Station and walked the entire length of Chawri Bazaar to reach the West side of Jama Masjid. Crossing Gate No. 5 from where we could see the three domes from behind the structure. we walked around the border to reach Gate No. 3. The entrance gate to the mosque was on top of a flight of stairs. The wide structure looked majestic on top from where we were standing.

There is a wide worship area inside – it is supposed to be able to accommodate 25000 people to worship at the same time. There are 3 entrance gates to the inner porch and entire courtyard is lined with arched verandahs leading to the towers at the four corners.

From the verandah on the opposite side of the mosque, one could see parts of Red Fort. If you come out of the gate on the east side, you will step into the old and famous colourful Meena Bazaar of Delhi.

Humayun’s Tomb

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

The long Lodi road from Safdarjung Tomb ends rather tamely at the Sabz Burj right inside the roundabout, or what is now popularly known as the Neeli Chhatri for its spectacular blue dome. Take the second exit and you are already inside the Humayun Tomb premises. A short walk and an entrance ticket later, we entered the chirpy grounds. I was accompanying my cousin from Kerala on a tour of Delhi and were now at the famed Humayun’s Tomb.

The Humayun’s tomb is preceded by tombs of lesser known personalities, but the fun fact is that they are far better preserved. We were told that the Aga Khan Foundation along with the TATA trust had been engaged to restore the monument to its pristine past. And it was pretty evident.

The squeaky clean pathway that leads to the Humayun’s Tomb

Past the domed gate lay the Humayun Tomb.

The tomb stands on a terraced platform. You can climb up to the platform to enter the tomb. We went in October and the pleasant climate was perfect for viewing.

The tomb has two stories. But the entrance to the upper floors are closed. I am sure there was a time when these were open to the general public, but that day it was closed. 🙁

Humayun’s Tomb, apart from Humayun’s grave, also contains graves of other royal members of the Mughal family of the time.

There are gates on all four sides of the tomb, which gives it a unique quadrilateral look, something of a uniqueness with subsequent Mughal architecture, especially that contains tombs.

We enjoyed our visit and after packing our memories in an electronic plastic card, we made our way to the next destination. More on that later.

Lotus Temple

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

As we exit Nehru Place under the Nehru Place Metro Station towards the Lotus temple, the roads begin to slightly deteriorate. This road definitely needs layering. As we bank left into the road that leads to the Lotus temple, the temple perimeter becomes visible with a lovely fencing that is both aesthetic and useful. The morning sun reflected the temple in all its splendour.

I was taking my cousin, who had come from Kerala, to see a wonderful architectural wonder in modern Delhi – the Lotus Temlpe, the worship abode of the Baha’i community in Delhi. Created in the shape of a flowering lotus, it is an architectural wonder and was opened to public in 1986. It is situated east of Nehru Place, south of East of Kailash and north of Kalkaji. While technically, the place where it stands is called Baharpur, everybody calls it Lotus Temple!! The regular flow of visitors, including a vociferous group of schoolchildren, was picking up as we made our way into the premises. The entry is designed in such a way as to let the visitors view the exterior for an extended period of time before they can enter the sanctorum. Verdant gardens envelop the surroundings and this autumn morning, they were in a colourful riot.

A flight of tastefully crafted steps lead up to the entrance. The structure itself is surrounded by pools of clear water. We came to know that these help keep the sanctorum cool. Footwear is not allowed inside the sanctorum. However, we were provided bags to keep the footwear.

There are nine gates that open into the sanctorum and we entered through one into the coolness of the great hall. Silent and majestic, it was a beautiful experience. We sat in one of the many benches that are provided inside the hall. After a few moments of meditation we explored a bit and then made our way out. The bags were returned and after the many customary photo sessions, we made our way back to our car.

Some facts about the Lotus Temple to help you make your visits more enjoyable

1. Visit towards the evening. The light show is a must-see!
2. More than 20% of the total electricity requirement of 500KW is generated through solar panels.
3. There is an elaborate arrangement for water conservation throughout the premises.
4. The pools cool the sanctorum even in the most fiercest of summers.
5. Photography inside the sanctorum is disallowed.
5. Entrance is free.

Know more about the Baha’i Temple | Wiki Entry on Baha’i Temple

Baha’i Temple on Google Maps

Sarojini Nagar Market of Delhi

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by indtr

Sarojini Nagar Market is the all-weather all-season market that caters to the needs of the entire South Delhi. If there is one market that can satisfy Delhiwala’s appetite for shopping, it is this market.

Sometimes I have a feeling that people come here with the sole intention of testing out their negotiation and bargaining skills. I used to hate bargaining and would simply feel quite magnanimous in handing over the price the vendors asked for. But some of my visits with my husband, a hardcore bargainer have made me realize that the vendors kind of look down upon people who do not negotiate because as the norm goes, they hike up the price by atleast twice or thrice the original price so that they would still be left with some margin when the deal is finally done.

However, there are fixed price outlets and wares where you can select garments in the same range starting from Rs. 100, 150, 200, 250, etc..

I have been visiting this market from the time I got married about 20 years ago and came to settle down in the south side of Delhi. From then onwards, if I have anything to buy from children’s clothes to shoes, bags, undergarments, hosiery items, bed sheets, covers or even curtains, etc., I head to this haven. There are even shops for buying vegetables, grocery items, household items and kitchen utensils in case you need such items.

Babu Market is another complex that lies in the same vicinity and has approximately 4 rows of shops that again caters to mostly garments with some jewellery shops and accessories and all women’s stores thrown in.

All said and done, this market offers decent products at affordable rates. You can find things you would not find anywhere else – children’s fancy dresses for their school competition, from paalak to a fairy, these shops can change their personality. They can even loan you these dresses for a day or two! What else would you need.

A word of caution though – On Sundays, only those who have some really good patience, focus and crowd management skills should attempt to attack this market. On Saturdays and Sundays, this market can be so crowded that you just need to stand at one place, the crowd will pull you to all directions.

Recently there has been an addition of a multi-storied parking plaza which has turned out to be semi-modern building in the vicinity with Haldiram’s and other food joints like McD and Subway catering to the hungry public!