Mist over the mountains - Kanchenjunga

Perched between Nepal in the west, Bhutan in the east and Tibet in the north, Sikkim’s pride is Mount Kanchenjunga, the third-highest peak in the world. Formerly a Kingdom, since 1975 it has been a land locked province in India. Gangtok the capital of Sikkim, is famous for its scenic beauty and spectacular views of the Kanchenjunga. Shrouded in the heavy mist, the mighty Kanchenjunga both protects and frightens the inhabitants of the magical kingdom.

Kanchenjunga is worshiped as a deity in Sikkim. The name meaning ‘House of Five Treasures’, is represented by its five summits. Along with its natural beauty, Gangtok’s chortens and stupas mesmerize the visitor from the beginning. Monasteries, prayer wheels, red robed monks and rosary beads create a setting that is unknown to most travelers.

Wooden houses with pagoda designs, turquoise colored roofs and buzzing local markets complete the town’s look. Add to it the elegant costumes of the local people, their smiling faces, the unhurried pace of their lives and you have a place that is both unique and quaint. And if you see a proliferation of orchids anywhere, it’s only because that’s the state’s official flower.

Getting There:

The closest airport is Bagdogra and the nearest rail-head is New Jalpaiguri. Both are well connected with all the metro cities. (I took a flight to Bagdogra via Kolkatta. From airport hired a cab.)

King of my space - Ranthambhore

The park is one of the last havens for the tiger

Want to spot a tiger in the wild? Just head for Ranthambhore. Located in the midst of the Vindhyas and the Aravallis, and surrounded by parched desert land, Ranthambhore is the place to see the wild predator in its full glory. The park is named after the historic Ranthambhore fortress, which lies within the forest.

 The favourite haunt of wildlife enthusiasts and professional wildlife photographers from around the world, Ranthambhore National Park is probably the best place in the world to see the wild tigers. If you are patient, you can easily see the tiger in its surroundings.

Other residents of the park are the antelope, nilgai, sambhar and chital, which are far easier to locate. Ranthambhore has recently been in the news for its falling tiger population. But wildlife conservationist and activists have stepped up a campaign to ensure that no further damage is done.

Today, Ranthambhore is one of the few bastions where the royal animal can still be seen. We must ensure it stays that ways.

Getting there:

The nearest airport is Jaipur, located 140 km away. Sawai Madhopur, the town nearest to the park, is the most convenient railhead. It takes about 30 minutes to reach the sanctuary. The roads are in good condition (I drove down with family from Delhi).

Lonavala — Sweet Tooth Corner of Chikki

You might smack wet your lips when hear the word ‘Chikki’. Let alone the chimera of hills, dams and nature bounties, Chikki compels you to recall sugar-coated groundnuts that does wonder to your taste buds. A trip to Lonavala is never complete without stuffing bags with few kilos of Chikki — the signature dish of Lonavala. Chomping a bite of Chikki just bought from some seller is not all about the confection. Chikki, the roasted groundnut confection, is available in 30 makes and combo of different recipes across the length and breadth of Lonavala.   

As a new entrant to Lonavala shopping for Chikki need good knowledge of right places to buy from, sound acquaintance of its varieties, brands and quality. Giving into the taste and tact of Chikki sellers is easy than buying right quality from right place. A trend among visitors is to get guided by billboards and banner hanging overhead, but these are not a big help rather bombardment of advertisements for the product.

Chikki ingredients and varieties

Before you barge in some shop to lay hands on the emblematic concoction of Lonavala make sure you know all about the dish. Chikki is prepared with jaggery, sugar syrup, groundnuts and cashews (optional). However, this is a basic preparatory method and over the years there developed several varieties cooked with many more ingredients and in several tastes. Unlike jams and jellies tasting Chikki before buying is not so common here, so one will have to depend upon the word of mouth or trusted old shops known to be the masters in trade. Or, alternatively, make a choice out of preferences suchlike chana, kesar, pista, badam, coconut, rajgira, kurmura, til (linseed), dry fruits and combination of all these. Ginger, honey, mint and peanut crushes are some scrummy innovations that add to the existing choice.  Scouting Lonavala further and you are bound you come across fruity avatar of Chikki available in all new taste of strawberry, mango and chocolate. An even newer version for health freaks are the sugar-free Chikkies which are low in calorie count and prepared to serve the non-sugar customers.  

Lonavala has a whole industry that specializes in Chikki but there are specific places where you can get to taste the real Chikki in its purest form. A range of 30-40 brands makes the choice difficult but few trusted quality and tastes that can be bulk-shopped are Maganlal, National and A-1. Well, these do not set rule-of-thumb in the buying business and there are many others makers that promise you even better flavour. Some of the brands that have history of freshness and taste can be rightly purchased from National, Maganlal, Rupam, Navratna, Mahavir, Raval, Super, Vaishali, Mangal, Panchratna, Coopers, National Chikki Mart.

 Chikki that taste...

 ... crisp and not soft is said to better quality. Chikki buffs ask you to mandatorily perform a colour check for the chikki; a light brown suggests moderate use of jaggery and a darker tinge is a compromise with taste. Similarly, poor or inexpensive quality misses out dry fruit coatings or layered cake that adds to the taste of concoctions. Beware of the old stuff that smells stale an impure. The minimum price bids at Rs 80 per kg to Rs 200. Bargaining is not that big a option but taste is, so discounts are available just on bulk purchases!

Holy Break

“One of the most popular spiritual gateways, 

Haridwar is a great place to spend a tranquil weekend.”

Haridwar or ‘the Gateway to the Gods’ is one of the seven holiest places according to Hindu mythology, as the Gods are believed to have left their footprints in Haridwar. Due to its geographical location too, Haridwar stands as the gateway to the other three important pilgrimages of Uttrakhand namely, Rishikesh, Badrinath and Kedarnath. Referred to as Mayapuri, Gangadwar, and Mokshadwar in the ancient scriptures and epics, Haridwar has always remained a major pilgrimage for the Hindus.

Mythologically, drops of nectar churned out from the primordial ocean fell at the four sides of the Kumbh Mela, including Haridwar. The Kumbh mela, taking place once every 12 years and the Ardha Kumbha Mela (once every 6 years) are big draws. One of the oldest living cities, has also served as the center for learning arts, science and culture.

I spent a quite weekend in Haridwar at the 90 year old Haveli Hari Ganga. The Haveli is situataed on the banks of the river Ganga is mere 300 m walk away from the sacred Har- Ki – Pauri  Ghat.

Since we reached Haridwar in the afternoon everyone wanted to rest for a while at the Haveli and explore the ghats in the evening. Every evening at 6:30 pm, an elaborate aarti is performed at Har- Ki – Pauri  Ghat – on the banks of the river – in front of the teeming crowds. The entire area is lit up with lights. The shimmering reflection of the illumination in the water is so breath taking that you cannot tear yourself away from the sight. I sat near the river bank and watched the Ganga flowing rapidly by and thousands of devotees taking holy dips in the water.

On day 2, we planned to visit two temples, one on each side of the Ganga, on the hill tops. To get to the top of both, we had to take the Udan Khatola or the Ropeway car. The view from the ropeway was marvelous, and as we gained height, a carpet of assorted flowers could be seen below.

Our first stop was the Mansadevi Temple. One of the most revered temples of Northern India, it is a must visit after you have been to Har Ki Pauri. The other temple, dedicated to Chandadevi is on the Neelparvat hills. After paying obeisance to the goddesses, we spent time viewing the surrounding mountains from the hilltop.

Rishikesh: Spirituality, Yoga, River Rafting

Rishikesh has become the international capital of Yoga with tourists from all over the world making a beeline to this holy town.

However, Rishikesh’s real fame lies in it being the Gateway to the Uttaranchal Himalayas. Sight of Ganga rushing through the Himalayan foothills is an awesome experience. There are several temples dotting the banks of the Ganga at Rishikesh, which devotees visit in thousands each day.

Situated just 20 kms from Haridwar, Rishikesh is located 1,360 feet above sea level. Several yogis and sages are believed to have lived and practised penance here. On the other bank of the Ganga there is Tapovan, which houses a temple to Lakshman. It is believed that Lakshman carried out penances here. According to some stories, his brother Bharat also meditated here, and there is a temple devoted to Bharat here. The Swargashram and the Geeta Bhavan temples are other major attractions in Rishikesh. The scenic beauty of the area and the distant sound of bell chimes create an unforgettable experience for those who visit this pilgrimage town.

Lakshman Jhula

One of the most famous landmarks here is the Lakshman Jhula, a 450 feet long suspension bridge which was built in 1939. It is believed Lord Rama`s brother Lakshman had crossed the river on a jute rope. Visitors can enjoy the spectacular surroundings and cool breeze from the river while standing on the bridge.

A newer bridge, the Ram Jhula, has also come here. This suspended bridge was recently built between Shivanand Ashram and Sawarg Ashram. It is also known as Shivanand Jhula.

Rishikesh is also known for whitewater river rafting. The rafting stretch of the Ganga is from Kaudiyala to Rishikesh where the river has 12 rapids over 36 kms.

You can indulge in a host of activities at these camps. Other than rafting, you enjoy kayaking, forest walks, trekking, bird watching, beach volleyball, cricket or simply sunbathing.

Neelkanth

12 km away from Rishikesh is the Nilkanth Mahadeo temple, at a height of about 5,000 feet, commanding spectacular views of the region. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Myth has it that Lord Shiva had consumed the effluent poison produced after Sagar manthan which had turned his throat blue and thus this place came to be known as Neelkanth Mahadev. During the months of July and August, this place gets thousands of pilgrims.

How to Reach: The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun, 35 kms from Haridwar, which is connected to Rishikesh by train. You can hire a bus or taxi from here to reach Rishikesh. If traveling by train, Haridwar connects Rishikesh to Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, Dehradun and other cities of India by trains. It is better to get to Haridwar by Dehradun Shatabdi and then hire a bus or taxi to Rishikesh. If you are travelling by road take the National Highway 58 passing through Modinagar, Khatauli, Muzzafarnagar, Roorkee, Haridwar and Raiwala. Rishikesh is served by well defined road networks and is connected by buses to other towns of Garhwal, UP and Delhi, which are further connected to other major cities of India by road.

Where to Stay: Rishikesh is full of hotels and dharamshalas. Hotels are mainly low to medium budget, catering to mainly religious tourists. There is one high budget hotel, the Glass Palace, which is situated ahead of Rishikesh. Belonging to Neemrana Hotels Group, this hotel offers rich experience being situated on the banks of river Ganga. For those visiting Rishikesh for adventure sports like river rafting, there are several camps on the banks of the Ganga.