Drift away in the Romance and History with Agra Tourism

"Did you ever build a castle in the Air? Here is one, brought down to earth and fixed for the wonder of ages".

The words said by a famous American novelist, Bayard Taylor aroused my curiosity to see the Taj Mahal.

Itmad ud daula Tomb

While traveling to the world of wonders, I was not aware that the experience would surpass my expectations. Recalling my Agra trip brings me back to my journey to the fabulous city. I along with my three friends, Jessica, Terence and Levy, started off from Delhi by car. Though my friends wanted to book an Agra tour package, yet I insisted to go by car as I had already been to Agra. It took us more than four hours to reach the city. As Agra tourism boasts of its numerous architectural marvels so one after another, there were various historic monuments to see on our list.  

But rest of the attractions took a backseat when it came to visit Taj Mahal in Agra. Built by Shah Jahan in the memory of his adorable wife Mumtaz, the mausoleum is among the few important sites around the world that meets with the hype it has been given.

That stunning marble architecture at once holds your attention with its breathtaking appeal that captured our eyes for few good seconds. The intricate design, the marvelous architecture and the fascinating appeal did not allow us to leave the place too soon. We stayed back there until evening and then headed on to see other monuments of the city. The splendor and the charm of the monument were just beyond description. Visiting one of the Seven Wonders of the World brings you a proud feeling.

Jama Masjid Agra

Enchanted by the forbidding exteriors of the Agra Fort, we moved on to the fort on our travel to Agra. With its imposing white marble mosque, it encompasses a little world of marvels. These included Moti Masjid, Diwan-i-Khaas, Diwan-i-Aam, Sheesh Mahal, Jahangir’s Palace and lots more. A series of other buildings we visited in Agra were Chini ka Rauza and Itmad-ud-daula’s Tomb exemplifying the Mughal architecture. Jama Masjid in Agra was another enjoyable experience on our trip to Agra.

Our Agra sightseeing was rewarding with the amazing gardens like Ram Bagh, Soami Bagh and Mehtab Bagh. Those popular gardens in Agra have enchanting history to captivate you. We approached Fatehpur Sikri at the end of our Agra travel, lying around 40 kms from the city. Established by Emperor Akbar, the site was a tribute to famous Sufi Saint, Sheikh Salim Chisti.

The trip to Agra was exciting as it gave us a wonderful opportunity to peep into Mughal history.

Hunt another Wildlife Wonder at Periyar National Park

We were in the search of a distant place, away from the humdrum of city life. I along with my wife and children decided to head on to Periyar National Park that has been long pending in our list of must visit destinations in India. We had to fly Kerala to visit this spectacular wildlife destination. Soon we were at our destination and settled for a hotel to shed off the fatigue. 

Periyar National Park

Lying in the Idukki district of Kerala, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is a zestfully protected wildlife destination in India. It houses 40 good numbers of tigers. Snuggled between the Cardamom hills and the Pandalam hills in the Southern Western Ghats, the park enticed us at very first sight. We felt like being in a destination where all you could see was the panorama of nature in its full bloom.

Kumily is the nearest town centre that lies at a distance of 4 km away. The hills were enveloped by dense evergreen and moist deciduous forests that provide a thick cover. Though we could not sight the tigers yet we came across various animals. The animals we saw there were leopards, elephants, deer, bison and numerous birds. My children enjoyed the sights of playful Nilgiri Langur, hanging around that kept them entertained for few minutes.

The time was to return and our stomachs were pleading for dinner. We went to restaurant and ordered fish curry and local cuisine with the well-known flavour of Kerala.

Leopards in Periyar

Next day we delighted ourselves with a full day trek through terrain that encompasses dense valleys, swamps, open grasslands and woodlands. My wife Ketthy could not stop herself taking a boat ride across the lake and I had to accompany her. Unlike others we could not see many wildlife species but we enjoyed spotting few of them.

Ketthy loved nature walk which she enjoyed while I was taking pictures of rare animals. Moreover, we also visited the nearby tribal village to learn about their culture. As it was our Kerala tour so how could we miss out the much talked about Ayurveda massage. Various therapies and treatments offered at the finest Ayurveda resorts in Kerala are worth to experience. We selected a rejuvenation package of Ayurveda and that was the best part of our wildlife tour to Kerala.

Eke out the Thrill with Arunachal Pradesh Adventure

The culture of any palace attracts me like a magnet. I had never been to North eastern states of India and that was the only reason why I opted Arunachal Pradesh for my next tour. Though we (Harry and David) were on an adventurous trip, even though I was happy to plan my Arunachal Pradesh travel. The easternmost state of India is aptly referred to as the 'Land of Dawn-lit Mountains'. The excitement got doubled and I was all set to explore Aruachal Pradesh Attractions.

Arunachal Pradesh Trekking

Starting from New Delhi, we reached Guwahati, the capital of Assam by flight. Then we had to take a pre-paid taxi from the Airport itself. We arrived at Tezpur and stayed in a hotel where we had already made our booking. Fascinated by culture and an adventure-freak by heart, I was too delighted to enter the small village of Tezpur. Trekking in Arunachal Pradesh is the most popular activity among adventure-enthusiasts.

As we had already enjoyed trekking so many times on our different adventure tours, so we looked for other activities on our Arunachal Pradesh Adventure Tour.

We opted for River Rafting in Arunachal Pradesh. It can be enjoyed in various parts of the state. Our excitement got multiplied when we started off river rafting along Kameng. The rivers and their numerous tributaries, gushing down from the mountains at raving speed added more excitement and fun to our adventure trip to Arunachal Pradesh. Next, we visited Dibang (Anini-Assam Border) where we enjoyed the adventure of river rafting.

River Rafting in Arunachal Pradesh

Harry was more interested in fishing, another popular adventure in Arunachal Pradesh. As Harry did not want to miss out the opportunity of fishing, we accompanied him and headed on to Tezu (on the Lohit river). Though we had to wait for a couple of hours but we ended up with catching few fishes.

Based on my knowledge, I was more willing to enjoy fishing of Mahaseer and Trout. But we had to skip the plan as we had already spent few hours indulging in fishing and the time limitation stopped us to continue further. Even Harry was happy as he could enjoy a good experience of fishing, counted among the popular Arunachal Pradesh Adventure Sports. It was a wonderful experience of adventure for us and we left back with enthralling memories.

The Blissful Rays of Divine on Mathura Travel

Being inspired by Lord Krishna, I dedicated myself to devotion of the God. This made me go on exploring places related to Lord Krishna. Once my friend Janipher who planned her India tour in near future suggested me to accompany her for Mathura travel. I jumped at it and simply uttered, “Needn't ask for good deeds” and started preparing for the same.

Shri Krishna Janam Bhoomi

I met Janipher in Delhi and accompanied her at 5:30 and immediately we left for the birth place of Lord Krishna. After 4 hours journey without taking a halt, we touched the ground of Mathura. The holy city of Mathura lies 145 km from Delhi. Though we just wanted to explore the city but to refresh ourselves we booked our sojourn at a Dharamshala at Mathura. Once done with bath and then breakfast, we left to explore Mathura temples. There were many temples but we opted the famous ones. Dwarkadheesh Temple was the first one where we went.

Situated near the sacred river Yamuna, Dwarkadheesh Temple speaks volume of its unique architectural style. This holy abode of Lord Krishna is among the most revered shrines in Mathura.

Imposing structural design and stunning paintings combined with wonderful carvings just leave you mesmerised. The beautifully designed idol of Lord Krishna soaks you in devotion. The temple also depicts the pictures of Radha and other Gods.

Built by the Birla group, Gita Mandir Temple was the next attraction in Mathura, we visited. It is acclaimed across the world for its Bhagavad Gita inscription on the walls. The exquisite carvings and paintings grabbed our attention for few minutes.

Shri Krishna’s Janam Bhoomi was next on our Mathura visit. The temple holds great importance among visitors as it lies on the birthplace of Lord Krishna. This religious spot in Mathura also shares its wall with the Jami Masjid. How could I miss out “Mathura ke Pede” ( a famous sweet) and got it packed just to enjoy after the tour ends.

Banke Bihari Temple

After that blissful experience at Lord Krishna Temples, we left for Vrindavan. People of this holy city also seem immersing in the devotion of Lord Krishna. Another city with abundance of temples Radha Vallabh temple was simply amazing. We had to follow a long queue of devotees for Darshan.

Finally, we succeeded and then headed to Banke-Bihari Temple. Another amazing temple of Lord Krishna that enabled us to forget all the worldly worries for some time and all we could think of Lord Sri Krishna. Madan Mohan temple was the last one on our visit to Vrindavan. Jennipher seem contented with the trip and so was I. We left for Delhi with the echo of the chantings of “Hare Krishna.”

A Thrilling Experience at Corbett National Park

While leaving Delhi for my trip to Corbett, I was not aware that the experience would be cherishable. Well, I still remember how the sudden trip took place. It was Monday when I got to know that I was getting an off on Friday as well. As I have five days working so I jumped at the great opportunity that rarely befalls. With an urge to make the most of my leaves I shared with my husband about Jim Corbett Trip. He agreed and assured to accompany me for the trip but on Saturday. 

Jim Corbett National Park

As he left all the responsibility to manage this trip on me, I gathered information about Jim Corbett National Park. We decided to go by car and left for Ramnagar. Though that five hours journey proved bit tiresome yet it could not decrease our excitement to encounter the wildlife at Corbett.

On being reached  Corbett National Park, we took rest in our rooms in Camp Dhikala for a while. After filling our stomach with delicious vegetarian food, we started our adventure tour to Corbett. First, we had to make the mandatory formalities at the gate office at the Dhangari Gate.

The reserve remains open from 6 am to 11 am in the morning and reopens from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm in the evening. We drove from Dhangari gate to camp Dhikala, which was two-hours long safari. It took us through dense forest patches of Jim Corbett National Park.

The area along the gorgeous Ramganga River into the far-stretched Dhikala Forest Rest House enables you to pass through dried up rivers, steep climbs and dense forest. First a scared Barking Deer came into our sight and then a heard of monkeys who were little away from our Gypsy.

For almost half an hour, we were watching the path with bated breath to check if there might be a tiger around. The forested hillside was standstill and then we had to move on. After going ahead, we captured the sight of a Leopard who was slowly coming towards our Gypsy. Though Tigers were difficult to spot yet we did not lose hope. We took a halt at the Crocodile Point. It lies on the corner of a hilltop from where you can look into the blue waters of the Ramganga River. 

Elephant Safari in Corbett

Then we saw Deer, Sambhar, Cheetal and grazing Elephants. We rushed and enjoyed the buffet lunch at Canteen, which cost us 200 Rs per head. Indian and Chinese both foods were available and we had up to our fill. We spent afternoon sitting on the wall and gazing at the Ramganga with our binoculars. In the evening, we started our elephant safari and on going ahead, several tortoises came into our sight.

We were back to the camp and had tea with snacks. As there were no facilities like TV or internet, we had to fall off to sleep at around 10 pm.

Though we could not spot tigers yet the trip ended with highly exciting note.