The Musafir Stories - India Travel Podcast

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Siddharth Keswani, an up and coming Youtuber who makes lifestyle, travel and food vlogs. Sit back and enjoy as Siddharth takes us on a speed date with Lucknow - the land of Nawabs and Kababs!

Today's destination: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh!

Nearest Airport: Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, LKO

Nearest Railway Station: Lucknow Charbagh railway station

Prerequisites - An empty stomach!

Packing - N/A, just warm clothes if you visit in winter

Length of the itinerary: One day!

Itinerary Highlights:

• Kick start the day early with a visit to Sharmaji's tea stall to savour some bun makkhan with Sharmaji's Kullad vali Chai! If you are up for it, grab a bite of the samosas as well!

• If that didn't kick start your day, you can freshen things up by a visit to the Janeshwar Mishra park in Gomti Nagar - a vast expanse of 376 acres of green spread in the heart of Lucknow! One of Asia's biggest parks that boasts of water bodies, cycle tracks, jogging tracks, children's play areas and a wide variety of plant species!

• After spending time in the vast expanse of green, it's time to head over to the heart of Lucknow - the old city!

• Rumi Darwaza, a grand old gate built in 1784 during the time of Asaf-ud-daula, is inspired by Roman architecture offers a great photo op!

• Within walking distance from the Rumi Darwaza is the Bada Imambara and Chota Imambara - two beautiful congregation halls built in the 18th century. The Bada Imambara boasts of the Bhul Bhulaiya, a huge maze or three-dimensional labyrinth where one can get lost in! The imambara also has other structures like a popular step-well and some beautiful mosques nearby like the Asfi mosque.

• A quick ride away from the Imambaras is the Kudiya ghat situated on the banks of the Gomti River. The ghat, albeit not as popular as the ghats of Varanasi or Banaras, offers a great view of the early morning pilgrims, diyas and artis offering pooja and sadhus taking a holy dip in the river. The ghat is open from dawn to dusk.

• You don't have to break a sweat to get about Lucknow either - there are plenty of options with public transport, buses, rickshaws or tuk tuks and ofcourse for the uber cool, the Ubers and Olas! And oh, did I mention about the ever expanding Metro/subway trains and e-ricks? Yep, it's a thing!

• It's finally time for a brunch! And where better to be than Old Lucknow! Try out Rahim ki Nihari in the old city where you can sample Buffalo foot stew and SHirmal - piping hot broth also called as Paaya in parts of the country! Finish off the meal by drinking some Sulaimani chai and some makkhan malai on the side - a milk/cream based savory dish!

• After this sumptous brunch, it's time to walk around a bit in another of the city's green patches called eco-garden on VIP road. It's best to spend an evening in the cool confines of th eco-garden that boasts of a kid's friendly artificial zoo, a lot of water shows and green houses.

• After cooling down in the eco-garden, it's finally time to hit Hazrath Ganj, where the cool crowds hang out! Get introduced to Ganjing - Walking, shopping and eating around Hazrath Ganj. Siddharth also educates us and our listeners with some uber cool words like Bhowkal, Rangbazi and Rowla! Try saying that one more time!

• Now it's time to binge again - Try out the basket chaat or katori chaat at a chain called Royal Cafe! A sovoury food served with friend potatoes, vada, curd, and a lot of masalas!

• If you are up for some shopping, try out the chikan kari embroidered suits and kurtas that are synonymous with Lucknow!

• once you are done shopping, it's time to finish the day on a high by eating Galauti kebab at Tunday Kababi - one of the most popular kabab joints of Lucknow. If you still have more room in your tummy, also sample the chicken Biryani. And if there is still room, then go for a lucknowi paan!

Links:

Link to Siddharth's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEFCi3n8SE6q3p_lsv2CQ

Links to siddharth's Social media:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/siddharthk121/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/siddharthk121/

Snapchat Siddharthk121

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Reshma Narasing from the blog thesologlobetrotter.com. Reshma is an avid traveler and backpacker who has traversed the country solo and enjoys traveling to offbeat destinations. So sit back as Reshma takes us backbacking to Bir, Himachal Pradesh!

Today's destination: Bir, Himachal Pradesh

Nearest Airport: Kangra Airport

Nearest Railway Station: Pathankot Railway station (and rest of the journey by bus)

Prerequisities - N/A

Packing - Warm clothes, hiking gear, hiking shoes, camping gear

Time of the year - March

Length of the itinerary: 6-7 weeks

Itinerary Highlights:

• Reshma starts the trip to Bir after completing her Nepal leg of the journey where she was on a press trip.

• In Bir, she was volunteering for about 6-7 weeks with Zostel, a pan India hostel chain

• Reshma volunteered at Zostel in terms of helping with social media marketing, customized tours, managing the reception among other things.

• As this was a long term volunteering opportunity Reshma had a chance to slow travel in Bir in her free time.

• One of the first activities she indulges in is a trek to Rajgundha. This is an overnight trek organized by Zostel where one gets to trek from Zostel, Bir and goes through a 360 degree scenic trail passing through the banks of Uhl river and virgin views of snow capped peaks culminating in take off from one of the world’s best paragliding sites.

• The trek also takes one through the Barot valley, home to India's first hydroelectric dam.

• Reshma and her friends make a stop at the quaint little village of Rajgundha where they cook together and spend the night star gazing around the bonfire. One can either spend the night at Zostel, Rajgundha or camp in the village.

• The trek continues and culminates at the Billing paragliding take off site. One can choose to fly down to Bir on a glider! Ride back to Zostel on a jeep.

• Another trek that Reshma did during the volunteering was to Gunehar river pool. Gunehar is a quaint village tucked away in the hills of the Kangra Valley.

• A short day hike will lead you to a waterfall, which is at a height of 100ft. Walking amidst the lush terraced fields and getting a glimpse of the village life are the best parts of this hike, apart from the gorgeous waterfalls itself.

• Monastery hopping is something that one can indulge in while at Bir.Palpung Monastery in Bhattu, Dzongsar Khyentse Monastery in Chauntra and Chokling Monastery in Chaugan are some of the popular ones.

• Reshma also enjoys playing holi with the locals of Bir and gets to try out the local Kangdi Chai as well as the traditional Himachali attire!

• For those interested in adventure sport, Bir is ofcourse the capital of Paragliding and was home to the 2015 Paragliding world cup. One can not just paraglide but also get certified to glide tandem and solo!

• Bir is also popular for cycling marathons. One can participate in a half or full marathon during the peak season.

• For the ones who are looking for more volunteering places like the Dharmalaya and the Deer Park institute offer some great opportunities.

• The Deer Park institute has played an instrumental role in teaching ancient Indian wisdom traditions. They conduct workshops and activities throughout the year ranging from Yoga to well-being, and there are also a few volunteering opportunities open for everyone.

• The Dharmalaya Institute has been promoting a productive and a positive living, where they conduct workshops on sustainable living. Here you learn to make use of natural resources to adopt minimalism.

• For the romantic ones, there are innumerable places to catch beautiful sunsets by just walking a few minutes!

Links:

Link to Reshma's blog : http://thesologlobetrotter.com/

Links to the blog post:

http://thesologlobetrotter.com/10-things-to-do-in-bir-himachal/

http://thesologlobetrotter.com/escape-trails-raj-gundha/

http://thesologlobetrotter.com/volunteering-zostel-himachal/

http://thesologlobetrotter.com/zostel-bir-himachal/

http://thesologlobetrotter.com/bir-billing-himachal/

Other links:

http://dharmalaya.in/

https://www.tripadvisor.in/AttractionReview-g1986662-d2733114-Reviews-DeerParkInstitute-BirKangraDistrictHimachal_Pradesh.html

Follow Reshma on:

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesologlobetrotter/

twitter: @reshmanarasing

instagram: @thesologlobetrotter

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Saakshi, from the blog My Travel Recitals. Sit back and enjoy as Saakshi takes us to an offbeat island that is a unique marvel of nature!

Today's destination: Majuli River island, Assam - the biggest river island in the world, it is a tranquil piece of land located in the Brahmaputra river in the south and the Kherkutia Xuti is joined by the Subansiri River in the north!

Nearest Airport: Jorhat

Nearest Railway Station: Jorhat

Prerequisities - n/a

Packing - Nothing special!

Time of the year - January

Length of the itinerary: 2 days

Itinerary Highlights:

• Saakshi headed off to Majuli as a part of a blogger group that toured the island with Koyeli travels.

• One needs to head to Jorhat, the biggest city from where one can head off to Majuli on a boat or ferry!

• Enjoy the expansive views of the Brahmaputra river as you head off from the Nemati ghat towards Majuli in just over an hour. Make sure you catch a spot on the top floor of the ferry to enjoy the awesome photo ops along the way!

• The views of the Brahmaputra slowly give way to tranquil islands, pure with lush green farms and thatched roof houses that takes you back in time.

• The first stop on the itinerary is the Dakhin Pat Satra. A Satra is essentially a Hindu monastery whose origin dates to around 500 years when a Hindu saint Sri Sankardev settled in Majuli and preached a form of Neo Vaishnavism.

• Although the satra has a lot of similarities with its Buddhist counterpart in terms of the monks and the hierarchy, they are nothing close in terms of the architecture which is influenced primarily by Assamese culture.

• The next pit stop is the Samaguri Satra or the mask making Satra - an art form that is unique and popular in this region. Saakshi also has a chance to interact with Mr. Goswami, one of the drivers of the mask making culture who also happens to be a descendant of Sankardev!

• Later in the day, Saakshi has a chance to experience the bhaona performances to enact Ramayana and other epics making use of the lovely masks prepared in the Satra.

• Saakshi's satra trail is completed with a visit to the Kamalabari Satra which is popular for the Krishna bhakti bhaona performance by young monks of the Satra. All the dance moves and postures are connected to the maati (ground) and are performed in front of the Bhagvad Gita, the holy book.

• Saakshi and the group retired for the day at the Dekasang Resort, a model resort based on the traditional Mishing tribe house.

• The resort is on the banks of the Luit river and one has the opportunity for birding as well as a canoe ride!

• Saakshi then visits a traditional Mishing family, the prominent tribe in Majuli and has a chance to interact with the locals and experience first hand culture and architecture of their homes!

• Cap off this wonderful trip by sampling the traditional rice or Porag aapin and the aromatic Mishing rice beer called Apong!

Links:

Links to Saakshi's blog: https://saakshirajat.com/

Link to the blog post: https://saakshirajat.com/2018/04/04/majuli-island-offbeat-experience/

Link to the accomodation in Majuli: https://www.facebook.com/Deka-Sang-Majuli-464374083739543/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mytravelrecitals/

twitter: @mytravelrecital

instagram: @mytravelrecitals

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Prasanjit Kumar from the blog Behhind the Handlebar! So strap up and sit back as Prasanjit takes us on a ride to remember!

Today's destination: Meghalaya!

Nearest Airport: N/A

Nearest Railway Station: N/A

Prerequisities - The inner-line permit may be required if you are riding through some of the other NE states, however Meghalaya doesn't need one.

Packing - Essentials list in the links below

Time of the year - February

Length of the itinerary: 29 days

Itinerary Highlights:

• Prasanjit did the trip as a part of his North East sojourn

• The starting point for the trip was Mumbai from where Prasanjit, with his partner in crime, Muthu, headed off to the the North east. The first phase of the journey includes Arunachal, Nagaland and Assam.

• Once the duo saw through the tough route through Silchar and made their way through to Meghalaya.

• The first stop was the scenic Jaintia hills and Jowai. This offers some pristine views that are very untouched.

• Head over to the offbeat Leshka dam to check out the lovely colors of water.

• Next stop at the stunning Krang suri falls, yes 'that' iconic waterfalls you've seen in the pictures

• Experience the crystal clear waters of Dawki next, another one that is popular in the media.

• Prasanjit then heads on to his most favorite place from the trip - Nongkrem village where one can trek to see the root bridges

• You can also visit Nongriat to see the famous double decker root bridges.

• Finally, plan to spend the last leg of the journey in Cherapunji visiting the popular spots like Nohkalikai falls, Rainbow falls, David Scott memorial as well as a number of scenic hills and forests.

• Experience the flavorful food of Meghalaya, sans the spicy masalas, but tasty nonetheless.

• Prasanjit ends the trip by riding to Guwahati and flying back to Mumbai to attend to some urgent business.

• Don't worry about the bike, Prasanjit comes back a few months later to do another 25 day trip covering sikkim!

Links:

Link to Prasanjit's blog - http://www.behindthehandlebar.com/

Link to packing essentials - http://www.behindthehandlebar.com/technical-tips-maintenance/essentials-i-carry-on-my-moto-trips/

email: [email protected]

Whatsapp:- +91 9987973057

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/behindthehandlebar/

Instagram: @behindthehandlebar

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A big shout on to Bijay's podcast, The Inspiring talk. You can check it out on your favorite podcast app or on the website www.theinspiringtalk.com

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Satyarup Siddhanta - a Bengaluru-based Bengali mountaineer.[1] On December 15, 2017 he became the first Bengali civilian from India to complete the seven highest summits in the 7 continents. He is the President and founder of ABETO – "A better tomorrow" foundation, and works as a consultant at Brady Corporation, India.[5]

Today's destination: Mt. Everest, Nepal

Nearest Airport: Lukla airport

Nearest Railway Station: n/a

Prerequisities - Required visas, training and certification, practice and acclimatization

Packing - n/a

Time of the year - May

Length of the itinerary: 55 days from the base camp to the Everest summit and back

Itinerary Highlights:

• Satya shares the story of his early struggles from asthma as a kid and how he overcame this to start climbing.

• Satya's speaks of his expedition to Mt. Killimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa and how he discovered the feat to the 7 Summits i.e. a challenge to scale the 7 highest peaks in each of th 7 continents (Mt. Everest in Asia, Mt. Killimanjaro in Africa, Mt. Elbrus in Europe, Mt. Aconcagua in S.America, Mt. Mckinley in N.America, Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia, Mt. Vinson Masiff in Antarctica)

• Satya discusses his trek to the Mt. Everest base camp and how this turned into a dream to scale the summit of the tallest mountain in the world.

• He then also discusses how the massive expenses related to the expedition played as a deterrent to his dreams and how he overcame the challenge.

• Next Satya discusses the preparation and acclimitazation he underwent to scale Mt. Everest, he had to quit his existing job, take up two jobs, hire a personal trainer and overcome his sweet tooth in order to get ready for the Everest challenge!

• Satya explains the duration of the Everest expedition and the iterations and acclimatization involved during the push to the summit.

• The adversities that Satya had to face during the push to the summit are also discussed, this includes a fall in a bottomless crevasse, watcing a sherpa fall to his death while climbing, and members of other teams losing fingers due to frost bite as well as death.

• Satya himself suffered from temporary blindness in the left eye while close to the summit, a failed oxygen mask and 3 failed cameras!

• Satya finally describes the feeling of being on top of the world as well as the sights!

• Final thoughts and tips.

• Listeners can follow Satyarup on his social media handles below and contribute to his expeditions when fundraising takes place.

Links to Satyarup's social media handles:

website - http://satyarupsiddhanta.com/

facebook - https://www.facebook.com/satyarup.siddhanta

twitter - https://twitter.com/SatyarupS

instagram - https://www.instagram.com/satyarup.siddhanta/

Follow the Musafir stories on

Twitter: @musafirstories

Facebook: @themusafirstories

Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast

website: www.themusafirstories.com

email: [email protected]

Photo by Theodor Lundqvist on Unsplash

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Renuka Walter from the blog Voyager for Life! Renuka is one of the top solo women travelers from India and has worked with a number of brands and campaigns. Sit back and enjoy as Renuka takes us on her solo trip to Srinagar, Kashmir!

Today's destination: Srinagar, J&K

Nearest Airport: Srinagar International airport

Nearest Railway Station: Srinagar Railway station

Prerequisities - n/a for Indian citizens, but make sure to carry ID proof to show at checkposts

Packing - Carry warm layers as the weather tends to be unpredictable.

Time of the year - June, summers are quite enjoyable but winters offers different highlights.

Length of the itinerary: 13 days of slow travel!

Itinerary Highlights:

• Renuka kicks off her journey with a visit to the iconic Dal lake and enjoying shikara rides. Dal lake is a vast lake spread over 15kms in the vicinity of mountains and gardens! Relive the memorable songs shot here right from Kashmir ki kali and Mission Kashmir to Jab tak hai Jaan and Fitoor!

• Did you know, you could shop for all kinds of things while on a shikara!

• Enjoy a night in the houseboat, enjoy the serene views and unique experience spending a night in the middle of Dal lake!

• Visit the nearby gardens - Pari mahal, a seven storeyed terrace garden that gives great view of the city.

• Visit the mughal gardens - Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Gardens & Chashm-e-Shahi that add in making Kashmir valley a heaven on earth.

• You can also plan a visit to Asia's largest Tulip gardens, spread over 15 hectares - the tulips are in full bloom in March - April.

• Enjoy other offbeat experiences like visiting cherry farms, apple farms and indulge in fruit picking activities.

• Plan a city walk in the old city to view some brilliant architecture and the traditional marketplace with a variety of shops and bakerys.

• Enjoy the traditional Kashmiri cuisine like Kashmiri wazwan as well as the more cafe oriented plum cakes and varieties of tea and kahwah!

• Don't miss taking a walk down the boulevard road and enjoy the beautifully designed houses and villas.

Links:

Link to Renuka's blog: https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/

Links to related blog posts:

https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2017/11/the-majestic-mountains-of-himalayas-await-you-in-srinagar.html

https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2015/07/my-old-city-photo-walk-in-srinagar.html

https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2015/07/its-easy-to-fall-in-love-with-srinagar.html

https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2015/07/where-to-stay-in-srinagar.html

Link to social media handles:

FB: @renukatravelbuff

Twitter: @renukawalter

Instagram: @voyagerforlife

Follow the Musafir stories on

Twitter: @musafirstories

Facebook: @themusafirstories

Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast

website: www.themusafirstories.com

email: [email protected]

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Divyakshi Gupta, the Quirky wanderer! 

Today's destination: Roadtrip to Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh.

Kinnaur is one of twelve administrative districts in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The district is divided into three administrative areas – Pooh, Kalpa, and Nichar(Bhabanagar)– and has five tehsils (counties). The administrative headquarters of Kinnaur district is at Reckong Peo.  

Nearest Airport: Jubbar Hatti, 244km 

Nearest Railway Station: Shimla railway station

Prerequisities - N/A Packing - Pack warm clothes as the winters tend to be colder in the mountains!

Also recommended to carry medicines for altitude related illness. 

Time of the year - September! The apple picking season!

Length of the itinerary: 2 weeks

Itinerary Highlights:  - This trip was headed by Doreen, who is a seasoned traveler and expert tour leader.

You can reach out to Divyakshi for more details about Doreen's tour groups. 

• The trip is kicked off at Chandigarh from where Divyakshi and her group head out in 3 vehicles.

First stop is at Fagu, which is a quaint village ahead of Shimla. 

• Fagu serves as a pitstop for the overnight stay. Lodging at the HP tourism hotel - Appleblossom. (http://hptdc.in/index.php/the-apple-blossom-fagu/) - Head off from Fagu the next morning with short stops at Rampur, one of the bigger towns and centers of commerce in the area. Carry on towards Sarahan to retire for the day.

• Sarahan is a  small village on the way to Kinnaur and offers beautiful views of the Shrikhand Mahadev mountains. Lodging at The Shrikhand (http://hptdc.in/index.php/the-srikhand-sarahan/) which has amazing views of the mountains!

• Make a visit to the much revered Bhima Kali temple and be wowed by the architecture! This also offers great view of a valley of flowers (not the Uttarakhand one!) on the way to the temple!

• Divyakshi also gets a chance to visit bird pheasentry, that preserves some rare species of birds.  

• Finally enter Kinnaur on NH22, yep the (in)famous National Highway 22! Welcome to Kinnaur! 

• Make sure to take the blessings of Taaranda devi while entering the stretch! Enjoy the lovely views of the valleys, mountains and the Baspa and Sutlej rivers!

• First stop at Sangla, stay at the lovely luxury experience at Kinner camps (http://www.kinnercamps.com/), surrounded by Deodhar trees and a minute away from the river banks! The place is run by the lovely host, Mr. Dalip Negi! Must NOT miss! 

• Make a visit to the Badrinarayan temple in Batseri, and enjoy the lovely architecture. If you are there in early September, do not miss the celebrations of the Phulaich festival, an annual celebration of the Kinnauris.

• Batseri village is a small walk from Kinner camps where you can go visit apple orchards!

• A day trip to Chitkul village - th last village on the Indo-Tibetan highway after which the China border starts! Enjoy time out on the banks of river Baspa, buckwheat fields, berries and more!

• Also visit the Kamru fort, an old fort that was used by the erstwhile rulers of Himahchal and has a beautiful Kamkya devi temple as well!

• Leave Sangla to go to Kalpa, the next pitstop of the journey. Lodging at the Grand shambala (http://thegrandshambala.com/), enjoy the hospitality by the host Mr. Prithvi Negi!

• Local trips include a visit to the makers of kinnauri shawls, juice factory, authentic kinnauri jewellery, the Suicide point!

• Enjoy apple picking sessions, yoga facing the mountains, the library where the only sound is of nature, and a hip cafe at the Grand Shambala!  

Links:

Link to Divyakshi's blog:  http://www.quirkywanderer.com/

Links to the blog post: http://www.quirkywanderer.com/2017/09/01/the-magic-of-kinnaur/

http://www.quirkywanderer.com/2017/06/27/kinner-camps-and-the-beauty-of-sangla/

http://www.quirkywanderer.com/2017/02/18/exploring-kalpa-grand-shamba-la/

http://www.quirkywanderer.com/2016/10/31/nh22-one-of-the-deadliest-roads-in-the-world/

http://www.quirkywanderer.com/2016/10/22/a-walk-in-batseri-village-sangla/

http://www.quirkywanderer.com/2016/10/14/spotting-om-over-the-kinner-kailash-mountain-range/

Follow the Quirky wanderer on Twitter: @Divsigupta

Facebook: @thequirkywanderer 

Instagram: @divsigupta website: www.quirkywanderer.com

Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories

Facebook: @themusafirstories  Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: www.themusafirstories.com

email: [email protected]

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Neeharika Satyavada who is a digital strategist turned blogger from Hyderabad! Sit back and enjoy as Neeharika takes us on a roadtrip through Karimnagar!

Today's destination: Karimnagar, TS

Nearest Airport: Rajiv Gandhi Intl airport, Hyderabad

Nearest Railway Station: Karimnagar railway station

Prerequisities - n/a

Packing - comfortable clothes and shoes as there might be some climbing to do at the forts!

Time of the year - Monsoons is the best season to go see the forts and ruins surrounded by shades of green.

Length of the itinerary: 2 days

Itinerary Highlights:

Day 1

Molangur Fort

• Built during the reign of Kakatiya dynasty/ Prathapa Rudra: 1163 - 1195 (12th centry)

• This is also a transit point between Warangal and Elgandal

• The fort is located on a granite hill and has unfortunately been a victim of incessant quarrying. Still no concrete efforts to stop the degradation

• The fort also houses the Molang Shah dargah, named after a famous saint who visited the region

• Additionally, two temples dedicated to lord Shiva are also present so is a well famously called as Doodh bawli

Elgandal Fort

• This is a magnificent fort on the banks of Manair river

• It is famous for 3 minars that gives us some insight into the architecture of the kakatiya dynasty. The minars are a part of a mosque situated right on top of the fort.

• There is also a small Hanuman temple while scaling up the fort steps which is functional.

• The fort was eventually occupied by Qutub Shahi dynasty, the Moghuls and Nizams after a period of rule under the Kakatiyas and Bahamanis.

• The fort was rebuilt in 1754 AD by Zafaruddhaula during the reign of Sikendar Jha. - Karimuddin was a khilledar and Karimnagar was named after him, gives us an idea of the significance of the fort and the rulers.

• After spending the second half of the day at Elgandal, you can head back to Karimnagar town for lodging. The town also boasts of some silver filigry work and miniatures of charminar and other monuments. After spending the night at Karimnagar, you can head off to visit more temples on Day 2

Day 2

Manthani ruins

• This historical place is also known as Mantrapuri or village of hymns, center for vedic learning

• It is famous for the Gautameshwar temple with Shiva as the residing deity.

• The ruins have an eerie look about them, specially during the monsoons when the area is covered by lush green grass and moss. Situated on the banks of river godavari adds to the great views at the temple

• This place has been famous as the home to 1000 brahmin families, often refered to as house of mantras (hymns)

• The ruins are reminiscent of the scens from the Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book (Indian version) where Mowgli ends up a the ruins of the ancient temple.

Nagnur ruins

• These ruins are of Kakatiya and Kalyana temples, some built by the Chalukyas

• The mainstay of the area is the Trikuta temple (3 idols of Shiva)

• Lord Shiva is the residing god of the Trikuta temple. The temple is currently being restored and conserved.

Other places of interest:

• Dhulikatta (buddhist shrine) which has relics and stupas attributed to Buddhism.

Links:

Link to the blog post: https://mapinmypocket.com/2016/08/15/road-tripping-through-karimnagar/

https://mapinmypocket.com/2017/04/26/town-of-hymns-manthani/

https://mapinmypocket.com/2017/04/12/lost-in-time-nagunur-ruins/

More about the Guest: You can also reach out to Neeharika on her social media handles

Twitter: @mapinmypocket

Facebook: @mapinmypocket

Instagram: @mapinmypocket

website: www.mapinmypodcket.com

email: [email protected]

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Facebook: @themusafirstories

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website: www.themusafirstories.com

email: [email protected]

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Sarmistha Ghosh, from the blog Footloosein.me. Sarmistha is based in Pune and has extensively covered the state of Maharashtra as well as other Indian destiantions. In Sarmistha's own words - “You can always make money, but you can’t always make memories”. She wants to make the world her home and does not want to be confined to one place.  Today's destination: Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra    Nearest Airport: Ratnagiri airport Nearest Railway Station: Ratnagiri Prerequisities - n/a Packing - Pack light for a roadtrip. Make sure to carry enough sunscreen and shades. And save plenty of rooom in your car for MANGOES! Time of the year - Summer time for the mangoes, winters for the views! Length of the itinerary: One week Itinerary Highlights:  - Sarmistha starts off on her roadtrip from Pune, the first stop being Harihareshwar for the beach views! Below are the trip highlights: Harihareshwar (part of Raigad district) - Beautiful views of the casuarina lined beach - Two temples  Kalabhairav and Lord Shiva - Shriwardhan beach nearby is also popular for a variety of activities - MTDC resorts and hotels are conveniently located Anjarle - Another popular place for beaches with great views of the shoreline - The beach leads to the estuary of the river Jog, that is complimented by each side with mangrove forests. The Alphonso mangoes, also revered as the King of all fruits are found in abundance! - Cashew nut and mango trees line either side of the river Jog - Kadyawarcha ganapati temple is another popular attraction Harnai - This harbor town is famous for the fish market - Kanakadurga fort is a prominent attraction here. It was built to connect to the Suvarnadurga fort, another sea fort. There is a beautiful lighthouse here that you can visit.  - Suvarnadurga fort is on a hilly island and you'll have to take a ferry ride to get there - Visit the fish market to get a see fresh catch being auctioned by fishermen Karde - More beach views, this time a rocky beach which offers water sports. Great views of the moonlit beach from Sarmistha's accommodation. - Dolphin rides available from the beach.   - Sample the tasty local cuisine like 'Kombdi vade' - vada/puri with chicken is another speciality - ‘Solkadhi’ a digestive drink made of coconut milk and kokum. - 'Modhak' or a special kind of sweet that resembles dumplings, only much more savory! Guhagar - The Anjanvel fort or the Gopalgad Fort along with the lighthouse are places not to be missed - Experience home made konkani food with the likes of ‘gharghuti jewan’ (home-made meal), Gavran komdi (country chicken) and sea food like prawns, crabs, pomphret and other varieties of fish. - Tolekeshwar temple, Dashabhuja Ganesh Temple  and Velneshwar Temple are prominent temples of this region.  - Take the Tavsal ferry to get you across to the Jaigad creek and the Jaigad fort.  Ganpatipule - Famous for the temple of Ganapati that is located on the beach (Adevade beach).There is a Mushakraj idol at the entrance of the temple (mouse gaurding the temple) - A number of leisure activities are on offer at the beach.  - Lodging close to the Arevare beach with some beautiful views Ratnagiri - Make sure to have a pitstop at Ratnagiri city (a port city within the Ratnagiri district.) - Famous for the Ratnadurg/Bhagwati fort and the lighthouse - There are a number of mangrove forests and coconut trees all along the route to the fort. - Thibaw palace, King Thibaw deported from Burma in 1885 is also located here.

Links:

Link to Sarmistha's blog: https://footloosein.me/about/destinations/ratnagiri/   Twitter: @footlooseinme facebook: @footlooseinme Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories  Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: www.themusafirstories.com email: [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Chittra from the Masala Box, a blog where she shares her travels and adventures along with other musings of life!

Today's destination: Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Nearest Airport: Jabalpur

Nearest Railway Station: Umaria

Prerequisities - make sure to book your tickets for the safari as well as lodging well before time as it tends to fill up fast.

Packing - Dont forget to carry your camera! Bug repellants are also a good idea along with sunscreen and shades.

Length of the itinerary: 2 days

Lodging at: Tiger's den resort

Itinerary Highlights:

• Chittra gives us a run down of her experience about getting to Bandhavgarh national park and her tryst with the big cat.

• Chittra did two safaris during her visit to Bandhavgarh, an evening safari and a morning safari. They booked a jeep for both safaris.

• Blessed with a great guide and driver, Chittra set off on her expedition into Bandhavgarh.

• The evening Safari was not very eventful but Chittra still manages to catch a bunch of Langoors, wild dogs, deer and some birds.

• The morning safari starts early in the morning, so be sure to be out by 5 am in order to get ahead of the pack.

• After listening to some calls by langoors and deer, Chittra and her group decide to wait it out close to a place where they spot some pug marks as the group heard to interesting stories of Sita and Charger from the guide!

• After an hour long wait, Chittra was lucky to capture one of her best shots to date, a tiger with a kill that walks past her jeep. It was Spotty, the mother tigress who was taking the kill to her cubs. A sight most of us aren't lucky enough to catch!

• Chittra shares other tips while travelling to national parks and things to avoid.

Links:

Link to the blog post: http://masalabox.co.in/spotting-tiger-bandhavgarh-national-park/

Link to Chittra's blog: www.masalabox.co.in

Link to the MP forest dept: www.forest.mponline.gov.in

Link to the lodging: www.tigerdenbandhavgarh.com

More about the Guest:

Chittra is an avid traveler who has been criss-crossing the map exploring new places, tasting different cuisines and constantly trying to understand different cultures of the place. Masalabox is not just a manifestation of her travel diaries and journals but also features quite a few funny anecdotes that encountered during her travels, some memorable moments from life, some moments of angst on the society, and some opinions on everything in the world! She also does a section on movie/play reviews called 'Musings of Life'. So sit back and enjoy as we unravel the stories in the masala box.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.