Day3: Golden Triangle Tour With Khajuraho

After exploring the Mughal city Agra and its world famous Taj Mahal we reached the heritage village Khajuraho.

Khajuraho Tour

This internationally renowned town is famous for its erotic sculptures carved out of stones on the outer walls of the temples. We reached there in the early morning and were booked in 'The Lalit Temple View Khajuraho' hotel, one of the most famous five-star hotels of this culturally rich town. Our hotel was located only at a distance of 200 m from the Khajuraho temples. Khajuraho is a World Heritage Site which is a must-visit destination of incredible India.


After refreshing ourselves and gorging on delicious breakfast we headed to the temples of Khajuraho. This is a small village full of greenery so we decided to walk down to the temples enjoying the pleasant weather and the beauty of lush greenery. Our guide Shankar told us that these Hindu and Jain temples were constructed between 9th to 11th century. There are several legends attached to these temples and the erotic sculptures carved on them. Initially there were 85 temples in total but now over the centuries only 20 have been restored. All the existing temples have been divided into 3 groups: Eastern group of temples, Western group of temples and Southern group of temples.

We saw all the three groups of temples and were really amazed at their architectural beauty. The Western group of temples are the most fascinating among all. The temples are located amidst lush green gardens which adds more charm to them. Here the sculptures reflect eroticism draped in beauty. After witnessing the arresting beauty of the sculptures and enjoying listening to the stories behind them we went to the nearby Raneh waterfall which is located only 20 km from Khajuraho town. It is a breathtaking waterfall famous for its 5 km long, 100 ft deep canyon of crystalline granite in varying shades of color ranging from red and grey to pink. It started raining when we reached the waterfall which made it look simply wondrous.

In the evening we reached Shilpgram, a government run cultural center located in the heart of Khajurao. The shop inside its complex sells varieties of tribal handicrafts which are extremely beautiful. After buying some wonderful handicrafts we went inside the auditorium of Shilpgram to enjoy folk dances of different states. My Japanese friends were elated and after seeing the various dance forms said 'what a wonderful culture India has'. The dance performances were awesome. This marked the end of our Golden Triangle Tour with Khajuraho. My Japanese friends said that they are taking back home some golden memories of India which they will remember for long.

Shimla: The Romantic Hill Station of India where Nature Bloom at its Best

As the summer temperature of Delhi making new records everyday I with my two friends went to Shimla last  weekend to beat the scorching heat of Delhi. This is among most popular and conveniently located hill stations near to Delhi which is visited by scores of national as well as international tourists round the year. This land of enchanted beauty can be reached via rail, road or air but for us the overnight bus journey is the most convenient and reasonable one. On Friday night we boarded a luxury Volvo Bus and reached Shimla next morning.

Shimla - A Popular Hill Station of India

The cool and pleasant climate welcomes us the moment we reached this Capital City of Himachal Pradesh. When we step out from the bus we saw a hotel representative waiting for us with a placard of our name. He took us to Bridge View Hotel located at the Mall road. After check in we relaxed and refreshed for an hour before we embarked our Shimla exploration.

Shimla is often referred to as the ‘Queen of Hill Stations’ which is situated in the north-west Himalayan region. It is the place which has been blessed with all the natural bounties that satisfies the temperament of every tourist. This place is located at an altitude of 2,128 meters above sea level and known for its magnificent hill slopes, green pastures, snow-capped peaks and Victorian architectural buildings.

As we stepped out of our hotel we were on a Mall Road which is the heart of the city and encompassed by several departmental stores, shops, showrooms and restaurants. This is also called lifeline of Shimla bustling with social life which fascinates most of visitors during their tour to this place. Fairly level meandering esplanade that runs along this place mesmerized us most during visit to this place. Apart from this the jovial crowd, youthful environ and scenic beauty around the road kept us busy till afternoon. After enjoying the scenic beauty of Mall we headed towards the Jakhu Temple.

This temple is situated on Jakhu Hill which is Shimla’s highest peak at a height of 2,455 meters above sea level. The temple is dedicated to lord Hanuman which is believed to be in existence from the time of Ramayana. Though the Jakhu temple is famous for its religious significance but scores of tourists visit this place because of 2 km trek through dense pine forests. The trek was very tiring but we enjoyed it as we get excellent views of the ethereal Himalayan Mountains and the town below the valley. We stayed at this place till evening so that we can enjoy the panoramic sunset.

While returning to hotel from this place we took delectable food in our dinner at road side restaurant. The taste was so good that it still lingering on my taste buds. The whole day Shimla excursion was good but exhaustive which made us tired.

Next morning when we wake up we saw heavy rain outside which disappointed us because we cant go out. But after an hour the rain stops and atmosphere became cloudy. The beauty of cloud over the hill slopes enthralled us most and soon whole Shimla was covered with cloud blanket. Without giving any second thought we rushed out from hotel to feel and touch the cloud. It is for the first time in my life when I was surrounded by clouds. We enjoyed the nature’s panorama at our best for 2 hours and after that the cloudy blanket disappeared and we return to our hotel for check out.