THE ANCIENT CAPITAL OF THE KINGS OF KULLU

NAGGAR, which is about 20 km from Manali is now a very popular tourist spot. Naggar has been an old capital of the Kings of Kullu. The little town of Naggar, is situated high above the left bank of River Beas.

The Naggar Castle, built about 100 years back by an Indian King, was taken over by the Britishers and was used as the residence for Viceroys. The surviving old castle is a marvellous medieval mansion. It is made of alternate rows of stone and wooden beams. A temple, small yet beautiful, is located in the centre of the castle.



Now, this historic monument, is used as a hotel for accommodating tourists. It is maintained by HPTDC. A bird’s eye view from here of the valley is memorable. It has a lovely restaurant which serves various dishes starting from delicious Chinese to the delectable Continental cuisine. People who are interested in orthodox Indian architecture, this is the right place for them to visit, as the castle is adorned by beautiful stone and wood carvings which are about a century old. The castle also has an art museum in its complex.

Just a few minutes from the castle is Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery. This was the residence of Nicholas Roerich, a Russian artist, who after spending a lifetime travelling mountains, settled in Naggar. The gallery has rare portraits of the Himalayas, which Roerich had painted in canvas while living there.

Home of Bollywood

Little boxes, people on people, concrete humanity. A city where it all works, a city within which people strive for excellence or they could not stand the pace of desperate living here.Mumbai is where the intrepid traveler sees yet another face of India...the catterpillar during chrysalis...the strange transition from the nineteenth century to the twenty-first.Bright lights, neon signs, fast cars, beautiful people, the city never sleeps. Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, the home of Bollywood that churns fantasies and dreams and unreality.Throbbing with the vitality of dreams and the will to realise them, of reaching for the stars, it is a city of instant changes, constant changes, a city of opportunities, a city of fortune. It is where tomorrow stands today. If you have the guts and the gall to live in Mumbai and survive, you have arrived. Welcome to the real world.

People travel by the Central line and by the Western line everyday. And it seems all people always want to get into the same blooming train as you. When the train pulls in at the station the commuters seem to pile in half a mile before the train stops. They have to, if they want space to fit both their legs. I've never figured out how there are guys who manage to get a place to sit. It seems the only way you can get a place to sit in the train from Goregaon to Churchgate in the morning, is if you catch the train at Churchgate opposite the direction of the rush and sit and wait till it reaches Goregaon. Then don't get up. On the way back, you can have the pleasure of sneering at the five guys standing on your toes.And the worst part is, the railway department actually fines you if you do a good deed and create a little more space for everyone by not buying a ticket. How the hell do they expect you to fit a railway pass into those compartments?If you think I'm exaggerating come and help me look for my pen which I lost getting off at Andheri

A Drive Along the Beach

Howrah-Mechheda-Norghat-Contai-Ramnagar-Digha. A 187 kms drive from Calcutta along the well paved highways didn't seem to take long. We would be lodging in Palm Resort, a hotel embellished by well matted gardens surrounded by a moat and a swimming-pool for a few people like me ready to take a swim in the middle of winter.

I was fancying a drive along the beach but to my utter dismay such an ostentatious ride was no longer welcome. The beach is facing the problem of erosion for which it had to be completely cemented.

My dad, sis and I ventured a dip in the swimming pool only to see ourselves tremble with cold. We had to grin and bare it, and once we stopped fighting the cold everything fell into place and we had a good time. The evening turned out to be very cold, quite unlike the conditions expected in Digha. As we walked along the beach with the zephyr gushing against our faces we observed the sea side dotted with people, some taking a dip in the placid ocean, some on a shopping spree and some like us just taking a stroll down the beach.

It was the 25th and our hotel had arranged for live performances by a local band. As the performance got started, the guests at the hotel joined in, I too tried out a few dance steps. A bonfire and the super-hit song - 'just chill chill chill...' was all that it took for my parents to get into groove. It seemed as if they were having the best time in their life. The revelry came to a halt by midnight. And I had my fill.

Next day - Talsari, famous for it's back water. We took the unpleasant undulated road unaware of the shortcut along the sea beach via Udaipur. On our way we came across the Chandaneshwar temple where we took blessings from lord Shiva. On reaching Talsari I was thrilled to bits. The sea is blue and without fury, the beach silent. Waves roll lazily, as if bored of going through the same

motions again and again. Yes, we were far far away from the crowded beaches of Digha.

It was low tide and finally we would have our drive on the hard beach of Talsari. It was a breath-taking ride with ornate display of caesarian groves on one side and on the other the majestic sea. we drove all the way from Talsari to Udaipur, a 1.5 kilometer's ride, the momories of which I'll always cherish. On our way back to the hotel we also visited the Amarabati park. Do take the boat ride there as we did, ofcourse if you have time to spare.

Two nights went by quicker than I had expected. On our way back home we thought of visiting the Shankarpur known for it's harbour. But that day our CM had to deliver a speech to the bereaved at Nandigram. This forced us to cancel our trip to Shankarpur as we kad to travel a longer way via Kharagpur to get home. It was a fantastic trip but next time if I make a trip towards Digha Shankarpur and Mondarmoni in my mind.

The Missing Link

Italy ,the once centre of the Roman empire, a kingdom that spread across Europe and West-Asian, bordered the Indian empire of the time.
There did exist interaction between these two greats, which led to the assimilation of each others culture. The empire to the west of the
Indus constituted India's immediate neighbour.

Along side is the city of Italy captured from a helepad.








This elliptical amphitheatre now in a delapidated condition, has long been the iconic symbol of
Imperial Rome, much like the peacock throne in
India. My mom had been there recently. We have
often seen the colosseum from outside, what we see
here is the interior of the colosseum.






Geographically, the two countries Italy and India, have a similarity in being protected to the north by a range of mountains, the Alps for
Italy and the Himalayas for India. Along side is
the magificent towering mountains seen from
Nainital.


Let me finish off with a delectable, mouth-watering, pizza with tandoori chicken topping.

Alluring Jorpokhri

On our way back to Darjeeling after a splendid trip to Mirik our chauffeur inquired if we were content with the excursion. I felt the panorama of the lake at Mirik encircled by hills covered with rich forest was much too congenial to ask for more. But on his insistence we agreed to visit Jorpokhri, a few killometres detour ; a place that was obscure to me then. On reaching Jorpokhri we were taken aback by the aesthetic beauty of the place we didn’t know about this place even though it was our fourth trip to Darjeeling.

The lakes are the main attraction of this place as you might have apprehended from its name, pokhri meaning lake. In and around the lake you can notice the swans contributing to the pulchritude of the place. I was enamoured of the untouched natural beauty of Jorpokhri. As you amble across the meadows you get a wide panoramic view of Kanchenzonga rising far above the clouds, which is truly breath taking. The town of Darjeeling is clearly visible. After dusk the well illuminated town is a sight to cherish.

You can enjoy the well defined snow capped peaks, the grassy meadows dotted with wild flowers, the lakes adorned with swans or just the romance and magic in the air. I assure that you would be absolutely enthralled with the magical quality that emanates from this place.

If you have tied the knot recently and are yet to disclose your unexpressed feeling to your new love of life, then certainly take a tour to this place

At Jorpokhri you can opt to stay either in the newly made tourist resort by the DGHC or the bungalows developed by the WBFDC. They offer astounding views of the Kanchenjunga range and also of the beautiful town of Darjeeling.

One can also visit to the Pashupati market which is at a few paces’ distance, though I don’t know whether it would be a bright idea to do so anymore. I regret not catching a glimpse of the Himalayan Salamanders which are said to frequent the place. It was compensated effortlessly by the beauty of the place which is alluring in a sober and soothing way. A place whose existence I was unaware of till not so long ago ago.