Classic Drive Around Tour from Pune! (N.Karnataka)

The onset of winter triggers off the wanderlust in most of us, right? Crisp weather, healthy season, festivities in the air, looming year end celebrations...and things. A good tour to undertake for those with cultural inclinations is the classic circuit of: Bijapur-Hampi-Sandur-Pattadakal-Aihole! The good part about this drive around is that it can be done at an easy pace, doesn't take you thru too many crowded roads and is surprisingly educative & interesting even to your bored looking tween & teen kids!

The Gol Gumbaz (Round Dome) at Bijapur is a piece of architecture to be marvelled at! The precision, acoustics, robust construction has stood the test of time, with its beauty unparalleled, amidst modern India's civil engineering creations.

The vision of Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagar Empire of setting up a township so magnificent & secure, over 500yrs ago, speaks of his vision, befitting that only of a king. The current state that Hampi, a World Heritage Site, is reduced to, is the result of 16000 Moghul soldiers armed with crowbars, fire & hammers destroying the town relentlessly for 6 months in mid-1500's!

Nearby, Sandur is home to Lambadi tribe, re-settled here, having moved here decades ago from Gujarat. They turnout the finest pieces of hand embroidered work.

Not far away, Pattadakal & Aihole are superb pieces of Dravidian temple architecture! Seen to be believed.

Modest to Comfortable places to stay are available in each of these places. In India, book early! Recommended: 7days. Distance to drive (round from Pune): 1100kms approx.

Backpacking in search of the Lord! Temples of Tamil Nadu:

If i were to make mention of a footloose & bizarre backpacking experience i have had, it would easily be the temple circuit of southern India's gifted state of Tamil Nadu!
Not long ago, my photographer friend, Vinay had freshly acquired a 500mm telefoto lens for his camera. "What better, than put it to test" i had suggested. "Sure", he said, "only if you lug the 3kg monster all thru"! In hindsight, i'm glad i dint refuse! :-)
Setting off on a 'down-to-the-bone' budget (a mutually accepted pre-condition), we headed for Chennai by train. Thereafter, it was any & all available modes of transport & food that carried us thru! Over the next 10days we were to whirlwind ourselves thru Mahabalipuram-Pondy-Swamimalai-Kumbakonam-Chidambaram-Pichavaram-Tanjore(Thanjavur)-Rameshwaram-Madurai.

The Chola Dynasty (9th-14th century A.D.)truly had a great eye for detailing and built some of India's finest, largest & most intricate temples dedicated to Lords, Shiva & Vishnu.

Sample this! A 25ton Nandi Bull at Tanjore with a 4 mtr high Shiva lingam, Diamond studded palm of Lord Vishnu at Kumbakonam, Massive stone corridors, intricately carved at Rameshwaram, Lord Shiva's 'tandav nritya' (cosmic dance in anger) finely depicted in stone carving at Chidambaram...

A deligtful circuit to undertake, at leisure. Highly recommended for those keen on architecture, heritage stays, lip-smacking South Indian vegetarian fare & some serious sin washing!

And yes, comfortable & some high end options are available to put up!
(Pics top to bottom: Snap shots of temples at Rameshwaram, Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, Tanjavur & Mahabalipuram, respectively)
Lesson: Gods are safe in the hands of priests. Just that the former are more easily appeased!

Someplace Special - Wildernest, Goa

...hope you have gone thru the article above written by Dr. & Dr. Mrs Saxena. Many others have experienced & expressed this, just that they have not had the opportunity to write! Every bit of it and more is true about this magnificent property in the Western Ghats (India). The tastefully done luxury cottages (using just wood, stone & glass), the setting of the resort over 500acres of forest slope, the overwhelming views, those nature walks, folkdance evenings, peep into local village life, infinite edge swimming pool, the mind-blowing cuisine spread, and charming hospitality...all of it comes magnificently together to make this place a total sellout!
Getting here: 7hrs drive from Pune, 3hrs from Panaji, 4 hrs from Margao. Complimentary to & fro transfers by the resort from Belgaum & Dabolim(Goa) make it easy arrival....but a reluctant departure!
Do checkout http://www.wildernest-goa.com/ or http://www.swapnagandha.com/ for more.
And hey, before you book online, let Moving Clouds know! Being local anchors for them, we'll offer better rates than those published on their website!
Cheers to Susegad*... :-)
*Susegad : ('So-say-gaad'): Highly skilled & meticulously perfected art over decades, credited to Goans, which defines doing nothing!

Bhutan - Nirvana Country!

Deriving its name from many versions such as ‘Bhot-ant’ meaning end of Tibet (Bhotia meaning the people from Tibet in Sanskrit), or ‘Bhut-uttan’ meaning high land or whatever else, the present name of Bhutan has stuck. Druk Yul or ‘land of thunder dragon’ to its mostly Buddhist natives, this pristine landlocked state, that lives in the past & future at the same time, is often compared to Switzerland. Large meadows, tastefully done country homes resembling chalets, snow peaks springing up on the traveller and forested hills all of it makes this place, believed to be visited by Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava, or the Buddha of our times) a delight to travel in.

Reasons for travel to Bhutan can be many! Be it Hiking ( from the shortest & easiest to the longest & most difficult in the world), Camping, Drive around, Religion & Culture exploration, Textiles, Buddhist studies, finding yourself or simply doing nothing! All of this could be credible possibilities.
Hotels are good & many in capital Thimphu & Paro (airport), but get fewer as you travel interior. No matter where, delicious food is served with a smile. Responsible tourism means that each group is escorted by English speaking, humble & knowledgeable local guide cum driver, every group coming in must be registered thru a local travel agency, visa for Indians is given on arrival, very few flights, with smaller aircrafts operate from Delhi & Kolkata only thru their own airway Druk Air in Paro. As last statistics tell us, the number of tourists visiting Bhutan were less than 10000!
So how is it sustainable? Travelling to Bhutan comes at a price. Tariff: USD 250 for the foreign traveller & little more than half that for Indians per person. Includes lodge, full board, surface transfers in private vehicle, site seeing as per itinerary, guide & driver.
My take? Go for it! …If there were a Shangri-La, this is easily it!
Flying over the Himalayas, i’m told the flight from Kathmandu to Paro is the most spectacular in the world! (check what Zubin has to say....in "Our Guests Speak" section!)

Textile Tours in India - Sheer Skillsmanship!

India’s textile diversity is unmatched! Each of her 28 states has a wealth of abundance working primarily with natural fibres of cotton, silk, jute and blends thereof. Over the last 15 years, my wife & i have criss-crossed the heartlands of 10 of these states to explore how we could build a bridge between local artistry & urban needs. This seeking journey has over the years created a vibrant business that my wife, Neeta, manages.

Banjaras, is a store that retails natural fabrics in prints, weaves & handstitched yardage, and creates made-to-measurement ensembles from them, to the discerning urbanite, in the vibrant city of Pune in western India. A store that has, besides other accolades, also found mention in USA’s leading natural fibre magazine Fiberarts, for the work it does.
Often, during these simplistic journeys, we have encountered formidable artists in the field of textiles, who have made it an humbling experience. Such wealth of knowledge, such simplicity, such dedication, such creativity, such mastery over skills, such apathy by Govt. authorities, all of it boggles the mind!

Recommended regions & routes for textile tours?

• Andhra Pradesh (weaves & kalamkari)


• Madhya Pradesh ( fine weaves, prints, batik)


• Kutch-Bhuj (aari work, stitchwork & embroidery)


• Gujarat & Rajasthan (high quality block printing, tie & dye)


• Chhatisgarh ( weaves in natural dyes only)


• Uttar Pradesh (chikankari chain stitch work)


• West Bengal (silk kantha chain stitch work)

…ofcourse there are many more that have a fountain of skillsmanship. Over the years, inter-state fusion of art too has been experimented successfully with.
To undertake one such journey, usually escorted, is a stunning experience. Recommended no. of days: 7-10. Stay arrangements: Modest.

Nature Unlimited - Mt. Everest !

Mt. Everest! Few other names evoke such respect & awe. Sagarmatha (forehead of the ocean) to Nepalese, Chomolungma to Tibetans, call it what you may, the name is taken with utmost respect, be it by mountaineers, trekkers, religious followers or a commoner.
The much famed Everest Base Camp trek, has been favourites amongst trekkers worldwide for the great views of the mighty peak it offers from Kalapatthar. However, personally i preferred to be on the Gokyo route for two reasons: 1. This route offers a lot more of the Everest region’s diverse grandeur with expansive views of the Greater Himalayan range, gorgeous lakes & vast meadows. 2. The route has lot less traffic of co-trekkers. Essentially the trail is the same till a few days beyond Namche Bazaar and then branches off to the two exclusive trek routes.
On the trail a few years ago, leading a team of co-trekkers, we had reached Gokyo base camp the previous eve to some great weather, with information that it was likely to worsen over the next 48 hrs. The views all along had been mesmerizing. Camaraderie & health was buoyant too.
“Views from campsite are fantastic, sir, but those from Gokyo Ri (Peak) are to be experienced in a lifetime”, said our guide Biren. 3.30am next morning we set off, head lamps & all, for a steep uphill of 2 hrs (we were to gain 2000ft in these two hours). Lungs protested, heart thumped wild & knees groaned. But the show was on, aspirations set and feeding of each other energies, we egged on.
Sunrise behind the Great Mountain was just occurring at 6am when we reached summit (18000ft). The peaks of Mt. Makalu, Mt. Lhotse & Mt. Cho Oyu (all above 26000ft) and many more were seemingly at eye level and appeared to be just a shout away. The mighty Ngouzumba Glacier beneath us completed this arresting panorama of infinity. Conniving well with deficient oxygen, it literally blew away our minds! Suddenly, what unfurled in front of us was this! A circular rainbow atop the tallest peak in the world! (click on pic for a fuller view). A rare spectacle of nature, reserved as it were, for the fortunate few. Himalayas beckon, say the smitten. True. So true.

From me to you:- A grand stand view of the Everest Range from atop Gokyo Ri! (18000 ft / 5480 mtrs.)
(Gokyo is a 15 day return difficult grade trek from Lukla where most group fly into from Kathmandu. Our group from Pune, was arguably, the first one to do it beginning from Jiri, an additional 5 days return. All comforts are offered by Moving Clouds with porters, guides, warm & friendly camps, tasty & nourishing food)