Cobblestone Chronicles

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...

Hampi, with all its temples, palaces and fortresses in balletic ruins, exemplifies the rich cultural, architectural, cosmopolitan, and historical legacy of the Vijayanagara Empire, which once thrived on these very banks of the Tungabhadra river. Most of the people do not associate the ancient ruins of Hampi, detritus of the civilisation along the banks of the Tungabhadra river, with the same reverence and grandeur as the ruins along the Indus or other timeworn vestiges. Hampi was the former capital of the Karnataka Empire, established around 1336 A.D, having collapsed some time in the seventeenth century, and has a rich history representing the formulation, glory and finally, the demise of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is a place that, in its own way, has a presence – a personality, a charisma, as one might say, put together in form of rubble, remnants and records! Just ten kilometre from the town of Hospet, which is well connected by rail and road ways, Hampi ...

A regular nominee among backpackers’ favourite beaches in search of tranquility and solitude in India, Gokarna appeals to the congregation looking for a nonchalant, laid-back beach holiday. Strolls along the quiet amicable beaches make you aware of your existence; splashes of sea water on your feet, the sound of waves crashing on nearby rocks, the scent of salt air and the windswept sunsets make you live in the moment. Gokarna, for quite long, has been the destination for those who find peace in desolation, who prefer to stay away from the dynamism of Goa - rangers who can befriend the art of lull and placidity. Gokarna starts to put up quite a show right when one gets off on the Gokarna Road Railway Station. The station lies about ten kilometre from the core of the haven. The elementary, single-lane boulevard that leads its way into the town, with little to no traffic, provides the most apt introduction to what is about to come. Trees and la...