Cobblestone Chronicles

City Palace, Jaipur I read somewhere recently - “Jaipur is the finest jewellery ever created on earth, where king was the jeweller and bricks his gems”, and how true! One always falls short of words while describing the generous charm that the city has to offer to every first timer and sometimes, even the locals. The culture, traditions, art, architecture, jewellery and textiles of Jaipur have always charmed the tourists . It is one city that, even after modernisation, still holds to its roots and values. I have a small ‘online tradition’ before I begin writing a new blog. I type in the destination (in this case) ‘Jaipur…’ on Wikipedia to see how my friend,  Wiki , auto fills my search. What follows is mostly a twinkling giggle and a subsequent state of utter dismay. Sharing a few examples of what I found online below. Relax, it is not a rant. Just a perspective. Now first of all, never go for the whole ‘1-day Itinerary’ tourism, otherwise you will never b...

One sees great things from the valley, but only small things from the peak! Not quite the context in which the above quote was said, but it certainly fits the bill when we’re talking about India’s crown jewel of the north, Ladakh. No discussion about travel in India is complete without a mention of Ladakh, and I just knew that I had to tick this picturesque valley off my list as soon as I could, and from the very first minute, I wasn’t disappointed. The first notable incident of the trip happened during the flight to Leh itself. As our airplane crossed into the Himalayas, magnificent views of snow-clad Kashmiri mountains beheld us, and it is the first and only time I have seen so many passengers standing at the same time in an airplane mid-flight, it was that stunning. As we landed, the first colour I noticed was blue. The sky. It was quite possibly the bluest sky I’ve ever seen, and coming from a polluted metropolis where even sunny skies have a whiteness about them, s...

There is a place in Central India where the sky meets the holly woodland. For when the sun begins to head home, hues of orange and yellow stretch far and wide. A blanket of clouds fill them in and a few moments later or so, the once cyanic sky turns into a never-ending canvas, right from the painter’s palette like an abstract splattered above the scenic plains. Though I’d tell you that there are several places in Central India that make for a unique and fulfilling holiday if wildlife or birding is something you’re fond of, the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve is one my favourite places when it comes to wildlife. Now, I’ve travelled to Bandhavgarh only once but, the memory of that particular trip is etched in my mind in a way that I can almost visualize every sighting I had on the six safaris that I undertook there and given a chance, I’d travel to this pristine land any day. Bandhavgarh was an experience like never before.  A deeply desired tourism destination by many, Bandha...

Mysore’s ace of spade is the old-school, yet contemporary character that the city retains - the history, the archaic colonial architecture, and the aura of camaraderie that engulfs this city! Few destinations globally are equally prominent for their folklore, food, and fortune. Mysore is one such place where each one of these aspects constitute the core values of this city. Mysore boasts regal alcazars, heavenly gardens, ravishing cuisines, and dazzling desserts - a city that is successful in upholding an unperturbed and blasé convention of life despite the ever increasing tourism brought about by the cultural prosperity and unmatched festivities. This city might be the second largest in the state of Karnataka, but most prominently, it is known as the ‘cultural capital’ of the state! I visited this scintillating city in the festival of ‘Navaratri’. In contrast to other parts of the country where Dussehra is only celebrated for one day, Mysore celebrates this festival in...