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September 17, 2009

Honeymoon On Goa Beaches: Simply The Best !!

Finally, my long awaited dream came true and I tied a knot with my childhood lover. I always had a wish to visit some exciting destinations with her. As we were planning for a romantic honeymoon trip, she insisted me to explore Goa beaches. She, being an adventure enthusiast, loves to go for water sports while I am a lazy spirit and love to spend days in seclusion. And we came to a conclusion that a trip to Goa is full of attractions for all kinds of tourists with varying moods. I contacted Monika, a friend of mine who works with Caper Travel Company Pvt. Ltd. (a reputed India tour operator company), and asked her to plan a honeymoon tour to Goa for me.

Honeymoon On Goa Beaches
On arriving Goa, both of us were amazed to see the perfect blend of sea, sand, sun, surf and sea-food. The land abounds with scenic beauty all around and this makes it one of the picture perfect destinations in India. Roaring sea waves in Goa ensure a special bond between couples. The best part with this hot and happening place is that its 105 km long coastline is endowed with lovely beaches. Moreover one can avail the best of luxury services and facilities at various hotels and beach resorts in Goa. I also booked a cozy room in a beach resort near the Anjuna Beach in north Goa.

We started our exploration with north Goa and its capital Panaji/Panjim. I spend one entire day visiting the ancient Portuguese churches, monuments, gardens and statues. The next day was dedicated to all kinds of water sports, for which we visited Anjuna, Baga, Arambol, Dona Paula and the Calangute Beach. My beautiful wife enjoyed parasailing, water-scootering, wind-surfing, scuba diving, water skiing & angling, and I accompanied her in almost all the sports. In the evening, we spent some quality time on the white sands feeling the touch of cool air with some lip-smacking sea-food delicacies.

Now was the turn to explore south Goa. We visited attractive Portuguese-style villages, the cultural city of Margao and the picturesque beaches like Bogmalo, Colva, Agonda and Palolem. We spent romantic evening there while strolling hand in hand down the beaches, dancing by the fireside at midnight, and singing old songs to the beautiful notes of strumming guitar. We celebrated our newly found companionship in the trance parties till the wee hours in the night. At the end, Goa is simply the best to enjoy a memorable honeymoon. Whether you want to spend relaxing vacations together or want to have fun as a couple – Goa beaches are incomparable !!

September 03, 2009

Varanasi: The Cultural Centre of India

Varanasi: Cultural Centre of India

Banarasi Silk Sarees and Banarasi Paan have always been fascinating elements in Bollywood movies. And luckily I got a chance to visit Varanasi – the city of Moksha for Hindus since centuries. In school, I had read that the holy city not only boasts of being the oldest city of the world but is also one of the Shakti Peethas and the twelve Jyotir Linga sites in India. After arriving in the city, I rushed towards my hotel. I could hear pleasant prayers and chantings as it was quite close to the popular Dasaswamedh ghat.

I enjoyed bathing in the holy river Ganges at the ghat and explored the nearby sites and famous temples while boating there. After enjoying the boat ride for an hour, I had awesome jalebis (a traditional sweet) and spicy kachoris at a roadside shop. Meanwhile, the shopkeeper told me that it is believed that those who die and are cremated here get an instant gateway to liberation from the cycle of births and re-births. I could see many people singing alongside the ghat. The abode of Lord Shiva is more than 3000 years old.

After that, I hired a taxi ad headed towards the Buddhism pilgrimage Sarnath. Located at a distance of 10 km, this is the place where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon 'Maha- Dharma-Chakra Pravartan' (in Buddhist terminology – 'turned the wheel of the law') after his enlightenment. The ruins of the brick temple representing the Mula – gandha kuti, ruins of stupas and monasteries are the major attractions here. I also paid short visit to the Dhamekh Stupa, which is adorned with delicate floral carvings in the lower part. My driver insisted me to visit the ancient Chaukhandi Stupa and Mahabodhi Society's Mulgandha Kuti Vihar Temple as well. But we were running short of time, therefore I decided to go back to Varanasi.

I stopped for a quick bite at a restaurant and then headed towards the other popular ghats. Someone told me that Varanasi has a rich collection of over 81 ghats, but I paid short visits to the prominent ones like the Assi, Manikarnika, Tulsi and Panch Ganga ghats. Another fascinating element in Varanasi is the 18th century Durga Temple. My last halt in Varanasi was the market area, which was loaded with good quality Banarasi Carpets, Silk Sarees and several other things. Although the trip was short but perfectly enjoyable. I could feel the positive spiritual vibes in the atmosphere.