The Musafir Stories - India Travel Podcast

Giveaway alert! Follow @musafirstoriespodcast on Instagram and check out our stories for a chance to win!

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Girin Nayak, the founder of XOtoXO games as he takes us on a trip to the Chettinad region!

Today's destination: Chettinad region, Tamil Nadu!

Nearest Airport: Madurai Airport, IXM

Nearest Railway Station: Chettinad Railway Station, CTDN

Prerequisites -  N/A

Packing - Pack light clothes and sunscreen if travelling in summers

Time of the year - December to Feb 

Length of the itinerary: 3-4 days

Itinerary Highlights: 

• Girin is the founder of XOtoXO games that brings stories from India to the world, one game at a time. 
• We cover the very popular but less explored region of Chettinad with Girin - Chettinad is a region in Tamil Nadu that covers over 90 villages and is the home of the prominent and enterprising Chettiyar community covering the Shivaganga and part of Pudukottai districts. 
• The Chettinad region is peppered with over a 11000 mansions built by the Chettiyar community between the mid 1800s to 1900s - these mansions were built by procuring materials from all over the world, thanks to the trading roots of the Chettiyar community who were seafaring merchants travelling all across Southeast Asia for trade. 
• We begin the journey in one of the main towns of the region - Kanadukathan, which serves as a good base, given its strategic location. Make sure to visit the popular mansions in the town - Chettinad Mansion, Vishalam by CGH group.
• Girin also describes the architectural features, and structure of these mansions along with the front yard, courtyard, rooms and kitchens along with open roofs. Other things to check out in Kanadukathan include the markets, temples and the abandoned airfield!
• The next stop on the itinerary is Karaikudi, one of the most developed towns in the region. The Aairam jannal veedu or 1000 window bungalow, The Bangala are two popular mansions in the region. There are also vibrant markets for textiles, souvenirs as well as antiques. 
• Another of the towns in the vicinity is Thirumayam - the popular attraction in the area is a fort known as Oomayan kottai or dumb man’s fort, named after the brother of a famous Tamil freedom fighter who was executed here. The most famous mansion here is Chidambaram Vilas. 
• Athangudi is the next town on the itinerary and also happens to be the protagonist of today’s episode, as it is also the source of inspiration for XOtoXO games’ first board game. Athangudi not only has beautiful mansions but is also popular for its handmade tiles that are made in small factories. Girin also explains what goes into the making of the tiles and how this has inspired his first board game.
• We also talk about important temples in the region including one where terracotta horses are offered to the deity. 
• Finally we discuss one of the more popular exports of the region - the Chettinad cuisine! 

Links:

XOtoXO games on  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xotoxogames/

XOtoXO games on  Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/xotoxogames/

XOtoXO games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077484262331

Link to website - https://www.xotoxo.com

Cover Photo by Nakkeeran Raveendran on Unsplash

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Prasenjit Sharma, founder of Kamakhya walks and Six Degree Adventures!

Today's destination: Guwahati, Assam!

Nearest Airport: Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, GAU

Nearest Railway Station: Guwahati Railway Station, GHY

Prerequisites -  N/A

Packing - N/A

Time of the year - October to March 

Length of the itinerary: 5-6 days

Itinerary Highlights: 

• Prasenjit kicks off the episode by giving us an overview of Guwahati and its strategic location as a gateway to the Northeast. The walk begins in the Nilachal Hills in Guwahati. 
• Kamakhya walks covers the spiritual trails in Assam, including but not limited to the iconic Kamakhya temple complex. The Kamakhya temple is believed to be one of the Shakti peeths in hinduism and is considered as a holy place for Hindus. It is believed that the reproductive organ of Sati, the wife of Shiva, landed here after the episode including her father’s yagnya. 
• Prasenjit provides us with a background of the story related to Sati, Shiva and Dakshya and how this place came to be such a significant place for Hindus. Kamakhya is also known as the center for Tantrik fertility worship, given the backstory. 
• We also review the pillars of Tantrik worship, its perceptions, as well as related practices. In addition to this, we also cover things like architecture, the concept of sacrifice, panchamakara offering in tantrik worship as well as the other significant temples in the Kamakhya complex. 
• We also discuss the festival of Ambubachi, the festival that celebrates the menstrual cycle of the goddess and its beliefs. The temple sees close to 500,000 devotees during this festival and is often referred to as the mini-kumbh. 
• The communities in the temple complex including the pandas or the priests, the mali community or the cleaning staff and the signers are discussed along with some commonly held perceptions. 
• Prasenjit also highlights the contribution of the Ahom kingdom to Assam, a kingdom that ruled the region for over 600 years and was never defeated by the Mughals in 17 attempts. We talk about the heroic Lachit Barphukan, his rise and achievements and how they are being identified by the National Defense Academy. 
• We discuss other important places in the vicinity including Uzan bazaar, flower markets, beautiful heritage buildings, Ugra Tara temple, Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, Mayang - the black magic capital, Umananda island - the smallest river island, Gurudwara in Dhubri, Paua Mecca mosque in Hajo, buddhist sites, Kaziranga and Manas national parks among other places. 
• The team also engages in arts and crafts tours covering bell metal, cane and bamboo, traditional jewellery, textile tours covering the popular muga silk in Sualkuchi, the gamcha or gamosa, makhela chador as well as the celebrations of Bihu
• Finally we discuss some exotic delicacies from Assam including rice and chicken powder, silkworm fry, ghost pepper or bhoot jhalokia, bamboo shoot and pork, sticky rice among other things. 

Links:

Kamakhya walks on  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kamakhyawalks/

Kamakhya walks on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KamakhyaWalks/

Six Degree Adventures on Instagram  - https://www.instagram.com/sixdegreeadventures/

Prasenjit’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dreamweavers.journal/

Link to podcast on Majuli - https://open.spotify.com/episode/16TwAz8XY5luMwv3yYsO9r?si=1f6d842cc5264e5f

Link to website - https://www.sixdegreeadventures.com

Cover Photo by Suchitra Shots on Unsplash

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with a slow traveller and returning guest, Tanisha Guin from @stepsandstreets on Instagram.

Today's destination: Raigad District, Maharashtra!

Nearest Airport: Pune International Airport (PNQ)

Nearest Railway Station: Mumbai CST, Pune Railway Station 

Prerequisites -  Ensure to check for ground conditions before traveling

Packing - Pack rain gear to be safe

Time of the year - Monsoons are a good time

Length of the itinerary: long weekend

Itinerary Highlights: 

• Tanisha kickoffs the journey by sharing her account of her visit to the Raigad District of Maharashtra. 
• We start the journey from Alibag, after taking the Ro-Ro service from Mumbai. Alibag has been a popular weekend destination historically. However, Tanisha decides to skip sightseeing for now and turns focus on the culture and heritage of the place. She also shares the root of the name and sheds light on an important community of the region, the Beni Israeli jews. 
• After spending a short time in Alibag, Tanisha heads towards Revdanda - the key points of interest being the Fort, beach, the Rameshwar temple - it has a unique architecture that is a mix of konkani architecture and islamic influences
• After Revdanada, the team moves to Korlai that has one of the only villages that has its own creole, also called as cristi or Kristi. There is also a hilltop fort that is popular. 
• Finally, the last stop is at Murud or Murud Janjira. The region is popular for the huge sea fort, but along with this they are very  popular as the home of the Siddis. 

Links:

Tanisha’s  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stepsandstreets/

Tanisha’s  Twitter - https://mobile.twitter.com/guintanisha

Link to Tanisha’s podcast on Mirik - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Gvi0Maa19eJE3sth8zC5D

Link to Tanisha’s website - https://tanishaguin.com

Cover Photo by Girish Dalvi on Unsplash

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Winners of the Giveaway
Sudip Maji
Sanand Dekhane 
Litishka Jagdeo

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with slow traveller and host of the podcast - Postcards from Nowhere, Utsav Mamoria!

Today's destination: Kashmir!
 
Nearest Airport: Srinagar Airport (SXR)

Nearest Railway Station: Udhampur Railway Station (UHP)

Prerequisites -  Ensure to check for ground conditions before traveling

Packing - Pack warm clothes depending on time of the year

Time of the year - N/A

Length of the itinerary: 1month

Itinerary Highlights: 

Utsav starts off the episode by taking us to Arq-e-gulab, one of the last remaining rosewater makers of Kashmir and shares the state of the occupation and it’s origins
We also talk about Khanaqah-e-Moula, one of the oldest mosques in Kashmir - very unique for its wooden architecture as well as some stunning interiors made of papier mache.
Utsav’s next visit was to the carpet makers of Srinagar who make handmade carpets - again one of the last remaining generations of this traditional art form. 
Next stop is at Burzahom - an ancient archaeological site that has ruins that date back to 9000 years ago. There is also a very unique stone depiction of a hunting scene and its surprising connection to astronomy. We also talk about the sad state of the archaeological remains and the conflicting needs of the locals and preservation. 
We also cover some touristy spots like Aru valley and Betaab valley (of the movie Betaab fame, starring Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh). Utsav talks about his experience trekking to the Shesh Nag lake and his encounter with the hospitality of the native Gujar bakharwal shepherd community. We also discuss about the challenges this community and their occupation faces. 
We next talk about Utsav’s visit to the Ganesh Temple in Pehalgam also called the Mamleshwar temple and the story of Ganesh and Karthikeya circumnavigating the world. 
One of our final stops is a visit to the Kargil war memorial and Hunderman Museum of memories, talking about the village of Hunderman and how it exchanged hands between India and Pakistan during recent conflicts, and how the people’s lives have been impacted. 

Links:

Utsav’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42/ 
Utsav’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/utsavmamoria 
Link to Utsav’s podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/1wBEmLH3UjoMV0kbMgy5gy?si=LULYcnCYRdWvb5YwkiGBrQ 

Links to Utsav’s series on Kashmir:

The last rosewater maker of Srinagar
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7K2uTDPcq2X2C5gQkow503?si=JuSpdW09T_ePCVRZW_l5oQ 

The Art of Writing Time: Persian and Sanskrit Chronograms
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1UebJ7ccoS9XTUQQuZ8HOl?si=Bby4cTN0RYesN5Mv0njVbA 

Gujar Bakarwals - The forgotten people of Kashmir
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7mAxndubsMcu0zPf4VnhVS?si=LAPU62buTae83EuQyXMKdA 

Kargil, Hunderman and The Museum of Memories 
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7mAxndubsMcu0zPf4VnhVS?si=LAPU62buTae83EuQyXMKdA 

Srinagar, ancient carvings and Supernovas
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2wEMBgiBkYzeliXKvG5Ph7?si=6UrAITjNTiiPFUG3aEHqNQ 

Kashmiris, Hangul and the Manual of Life
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7bzdllBWy48K1LieJgmTqq?si=Ndfx4nKdR3yF0LDMkHughA 

The Vanishing art of Kashmiri carpet weaving
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2kTTQkdiS0LFhzdOwXRuAT?si=f1U0aDXIQnCyejPKMg6H2Q 

Sheshnag, deadly hikes and a thousand year old tradition
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2OL8mp09s2FQdmS2Z5bHKB?si=q0deAcUgSnyikahLnQtY0Q 

Zbayul, the invisible village of Ladakh
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WZNprAo1ISgz2L2HE3HM1?si=4xM3YilSSxSq-DgLKuCyPg 

Cover Photo by Raisa Nastukova on Unsplash

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Giveaway - Fill out the form to stand a chance to win a copy of Clyde’s book - Susegad: The Goan Art of Contentment - https://forms.gle/qA9hg1qMibsKWyZv7

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to 3x author and podcaster, Clyde D’Souza as we talk about the concept of Susegad - the Goan art of Contentment!

Today's destination: Goa!

Nearest Airport: Goa International Airport (GOI)

Nearest Railway Station: Karmali Railway Station (KRMI)

Prerequisites -  N/A

Packing - N/A

Time of the year - Nov - Jan

Length of the itinerary: 1-2 weeks

Itinerary Highlights: 

• We kick off the conversation by discussing the root of the word susegad, its significance and its different connotations in Goa, both good and bad. 
• Clyde discusses his connection to Goa, his ancestral home at Colvale and years growing up visiting Candolim and the early memories. We also talk about the historical background and rulers of Goa and their influences, primarily the portuguese influence
• We talk more about the concept of Susegad, starting with the characteristics of Goan homes and the key features - the balcao, the red laterite exterior, the wells, the backyards, mother of pearl windows, azulejos tiles among other things. 
• Clyde also discusses the staple diet of Goans, right from poiee or breads to the xiit kodi or rice and curry, the Portuguese influences and much more. We talk about some of the popular dishes as well as some of the recipes that Clyde shares in his book. Besides the food, we also talk about mangoes and desserts which are an intrinsic part of the diet. 
• We also talk about the spirits and drinks of Goa - Feni and Urak and how they have been GI tagged and representing India around the world.
• Other topics include the celebrations and festivities and some of the unique festivals of Goa, the music of Goa and the different types of songs - from dekhnis to dulpods, fados to mandos and the popular artists. 

Links:

Clyde’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clydedsouzaauthor/

Link to Clyde’s book on audible and amazon - https://linktr.ee/clydedsouzaauthor

Link to Clyde’s podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/3wuewIESKhHiMetJpK0GSv?si=8c99ef309ba94db8

Other episodes on Goa:

Islands of Goa with Stuti Bhadauria

TMS#031 : Riverside Goa with Kaushal Karkhanis

TMS#002: Road trip to Goa with Venkat Ganesh

Photo by Steve Rybka on Unsplash

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email: [email protected]

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to a returning guest, Arjun Narayanan, as we talk about the popular Madras Music season aka Chennai Music festival aka December Music Season or Margazhi music season!

Today's destination: Madras aka Chennai!

Nearest Airport: Chennai International airport (MAA)

Nearest Railway Station: Chennai Central Railway Station (MAS)

Prerequisites -  N/A

Packing - N/A

Time of the year - Nov - Jan

Length of the itinerary: 4-8 weeks 

Itinerary Highlights: 

• This week, we have a very special episode that talks all about the popular Madras Music Season - a city wide celebration of Indian classical performing arts covering carnatic music, dance (bharatanatyam) and drama. The episode is unique as it focuses on an event, a phenomenon, rather than an itinerary. 
• We start off talking about the significance of month of Margazhi, it’s importance in the Hindu religion as well as the history of the music festival starting in the early 1900s
• Arjun talks about the concept of Sabhas and kacheris as well as the popular sabhas in the city like Parthasarathy sabha, Brahma Gana Sabha, Narada Gana Sabha, Madras Music Academy, Mylapore Fine arts club, Triplicane fine arts society among others. 
• We also talk about the popular locations where the events are held - primarily T. Nagar, Triplicane, Mylapore, Adyar, the challenges in getting tickets and how to plan them as well as popular artists who are the crowd pullers 
• The events include carnatic music performances, bharatanatyam dance performances, drama and plays. The performances include both renowned artists as well as up and coming artists. In addition to the performances, there are also lecture series provided by experts. There are free concerts by up and coming artists (usually during the noon sessions), as well as ticketed events by more popular artists. 
• The instruments used in carnatic music include percussion instruments like mridangam, ghatam, violin, veena, mandolin etc. that are accompanied by vocalists. 
• We also discuss the popular sabha saapad or sabha canteens that are popular for their meals and filter coffee.
• Finally we wrap it with some places one can visit while covering the music season - these places include the popular temples in Triplicane like Parthasarthy temple, Wallajah mosque or big mosque of Triplicane, Kapaleshwar temple in Mylapore, Chepauk stadium and Chepauk palace, shopping for traditional jewellery and sarees among other things.

Links:

Arjun’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madraswallah/

Arjun’s Instagram - Simply Stories Chennai - https://www.instagram.com/simplystorieschennai/

Arjun’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/madraswallah

Madraswallah podcast - https://madraswallah.com/category/podcasts-2/

Episode on Varanasi - https://themusafirstories.com/podcasts/varanasi-with-arjun-narayanan/

Episode on Thrissur - https://themusafirstories.com/podcasts/thrissur-with-arjun-narayanan/

Cover Photo by Ricky Singh - https://unsplash.com/photos/rTikKt6ir5g

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website: www.themusafirstories.com

email: [email protected]

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Antarik Anwesan, a vlogger and Youtuber as we take you to India’s Little Lhasa - McLeod Ganj!

Today's destination: McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh!

Nearest Airport: DharamShala Airport, (DHM)

Nearest Railway Station: Pathankot (PTK)

Prerequisites - N/A

Packing - Pack warm clothes as well as rain gear!

Time of the year - March to June, Oct to December

Length of the itinerary: 3-5 days

Itinerary Highlights:

• Antarik starts off by talking about the historic connection of McLeod Ganj to Tibet and why it is also known as Little Lhasa or mini Tibet. We speak of the Tibetan government in exile and the time when HH Dalai Lama escaped Chinese rule in Tibet to set up home in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

• We begin talking about the places to cover in McLeod Ganj starting with the Tibetan quarters - Dalai Lama temple complex and his home. The Kalachakra temple and prayer hall is another prominent monument in town.

• Another scenic spot near the market area is the St. John in the Wilderness church that is a popular haunt of the tourists and locals and is renowned for its beautiful setting and neo-gothic architecture.

• We discuss the nearby villages of Dharamkot and Bhagsu Nag that form a great option for short trips from McLeod Ganj. Dharamkot is popular as the starting point for the Triund trek that gives you wonderful views of the Dhauladhar ranges.

• Bhagsu Nag is a beautiful village popular for the Bhagsu temple and waterfall. The other popular spot in the village is the Shiva cafe and the wonderful sights it offers. Naddi village is another closeby hamlet that is popular for its sunset views and the Dal lake. Another popular spot in the area is the Dharamshala cricket stadium that has stunning views of the Dhauladhar ranges.

• Gallu waterfall is another less explored gem that offers wonderful views and a quick dip.

• Going back to the Tibetan quarters, make sure to check out the Norbulingka Institute to explore Tibetan culture, tradition and art forms.

• The region also has some very interesting monasteries - Gyuto Monastery that offers an opportunity to meet and interact with the monks and observe the prayer sessions.

• Tsuglagkhang monastery complex and monastery is another prominent spot for checking out Tibetan art forms and ways of life of the Tibetan community in McLeod Ganj. There is a short hiking circuit called Kora circuit that has some great views of both the mountains and the monasteries. Tibetan institute of performing arts and Library of Tibetan archives are a couple other places that offer unique experiences for visitors.

• Wrapping up with the local eateries and cuisines, don’t forget to check out the popular places like Cafe Kalimpong for momos, Common Ground, Shiva cafe, Dudu falafel for middle eastern food. Cafes like moonshine, Raku’s place, Tibet kitchen, Norling, Chocolate log to name a few.

• Momos, thukpa, tibetan brown breads like tingmo, chole samosa, Bhagsu cake are some specialities of the region you should not miss out on.

• For shopping, there are several markets offering curios and trinkets from prayer flags to prayer wheels, souvenirs, thangka paintings, wooden carvings and carpets. Main market, Kotwali bazaar, jogibara road are some popular shopping haunts.

Links:

Antarik’s youtube:: https://www.youtube.com/c/AntarikAnwesan

Antarik on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamantarik/?hl=en

Antarik on Twitter: https://twitter.com/antarik

Cover Photo by Clasiqh - https://unsplash.com/@clasiqh

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website: www.themusafirstories.com

email: [email protected]

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to blogger and traveler Upasana Kakati from www.unconventionalandvivid.com!

Today's destination: Seven Lakes Trek, Arunachal Pradesh!

Nearest Airport: Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Intl Airport - GAU

Nearest Railway Station: Naharlagun Railway Stn (NHLN)

Prerequisites - Inner line permit is required (https://itanagar.nic.in/service/inner-line-permitilp/)

Packing - Sleeping bags, odomos, hat, rain gear, gum boots, trekking gear, backpack, raincoat, down jacket, trekking pole (optional), waterproof clothing

Time of the year - Monsoons are the best time

Length of the itinerary: 8 days

Itinerary Highlights:

1. Upasana talks about the seven lakes trek in the Dibang valley in Arunachal Pradesh, one of the most pristine and beautiful treks in the country.

2. The trek lasts for at least 8 days and covers 7 alpine lakes, the highest one being located at a height of over 14,000 ft. done with Emudu trekkers.

3. Upasana does the trek in October, one of the nicer months to do this trek, however monsoons might be a great option to consider given the offbeat nature of this expedition.

4. The nearest village is Anini, where the group gathers and heads to the trailhead at Emuli village. Day 1 involves trekking through a grassland and camping at the base of the forests for about 4-5 hours.

5. It is best to have a hat, a walking stick and odomos as there are dam dims or insects in the grasslands that could cause itchy bites.

6. The first base camp is Aniku where the group spends the first night at. The next day, the team starts walking through the grasslands. It involves 4-6 hours of trekking, and is filled with the cacophony of insects and birds making loud sounds.

7. The second campsite is called Emudu camp site and has a beautiful logwood cabin in the middle of the rainforest.

8. The third day included trekking through the rain forest and ascending uphill to scale rocky mountains. It is one of the longest days of trekking along with some technical climbs accompanied by winds and rain.

9. The first lake - Kahmu-yu lake is accessed from this basecamp. The next campsite is after a fairly easy trek through the rolling hills, the 2nd lake Emuh-ya lake is next to the campsite. There are also wonderful views including waterfalls, streams and fog covered peaks that one can see from this campsite which is base for the next 3 days and serves as the basecamp to trek to the remaining 5 lakes.

10. The team fills up on tin fish, dal, rice, pickle, rotis, leafy vegetables and maggie for meals with the aim of ensuring enough nutrition for the treks. Sitting by the campfire and gazing at the night sky was another of the moments to remember.

11. The next day includes a trek to lake 3 (Koyombo lake) and lake 4 (Dinu lake). Dinu lake is the most gorgeous of all the lakes, situated at 14,000 ft, deep blue colored and sandwiched between two mountains.

12. After return to the camp and refreshing to have a go again the next day to the final three lakes, lake 5 (Che-ne lake), and lake 6 and 7 - Huhu I and Huhu II. This culminates in a very beautiful sight, Huhu I which is located at a higher altitude, flowing down to Huhu II, engulfed by mist all around.

13. The return journey retraces the initial trek, making stops at campsite 2 before heading back to Anini.

Links:

Upasana’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unconventionalandvivid/

Upasana’s blog:: https://unconventionalandvivid.com

Blog post on the 7 lakes trek: https://unconventionalandvivid.com/guide-to-seven-lakes-trek-dibang-valley/

Upasana’s podcast: https://unconventionalandvivid.com/travel-podcast/

Emudu Trekkers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emudutrekkers/

Video series by Geetfreebird on the 7 lakes trek experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k93Ohent6Ts&list=PLZSzUvvwYwnducSpiBEW28wq_ronomF0Q

Cover Photo by Upasana Kakati

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This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to lawyer turned travel entrepreneur Paro from rawdiaries.in!

Today's destination: Gokarna, Karnataka

Nearest Airport: Goa International Airport - GOI

Nearest Railway Station: Gokarna Road Station (GOK)

Prerequisites - NA

Packing - Pack clothes for the beach, sunscreen, sunglasses and your flipflops

Time of the year - Oct to March

Length of the itinerary: 5 days

Itinerary Highlights:

1. Paro starts with the origin story of Gokarna and the etymology of the name Gokarna which means cow’s ear. She discusses the importance of gods Ganesha and Shiva to Gokarna as well as the important temples for these deities.

2. We discuss the religious circuit of Gokarna which is also referred to as the Dakshin Kashi or Kashi of the south. The most important temples are around the Gokarna main beach. The Ganesha temple and Mahabaleshwar temple are the most important temples of the circuit.

3. The Ganapathi temple is dedicated to lord Ganesha in the standing form, and relates back to the story of how Ganesha takes the form of a young brahmin boy to trick Ravana in letting go of the Atmalinga which was awarded to Ravana for his penance. The deity is in the standing form and also has short legs that reflect the episode with Ravana

4. The other important temple is the Mahabaleshwar temple that is dedicated to Shiva, it is believed that the atmalinga was placed here by lord Ganesh, who had taken the form of a young boy. The deity is usually submerged in water and only surfaces fully every 40 years.

5. The third temple that is quite important is the Mallikarjuna temple, it is believed to be the only temple that is oval in shape and is a bit away from the Gokarna main beach. The architecture of the temple is really beautiful and offers one an opportunity to spend some time in solitude away from the crowds.

6. The other important temples are the Ram thirth, Jatayu thirth and the Shiva cave that have their own significance. The Ram thirth has a very unique architecture and is situated very close to the beach and offers some great views.

7. Moving over to the beach town of Gokarna, the best way to explore some of the prominent beaches is to do the 5 beach trek. It is best to start early in the day, preferably by 5am and takes about 5-6 hours to complete.

8. The first beach is the Belekan beach, a rocky beach then going to Paradise beach.

9. The third beach is the half moon beach that appears in a crescent shape from a height and has phytoplanktons that can be viewed at night.

10. The next beach is the Om beach which is popular with the locals and has a variety of water sports. The final beach is the kudle beach that also has some water sports as well as shacks and restaurants.

11. There are a couple of other beautiful and offbeat beaches including Nirvana beach and the Honey beach. One has to take a ferry to reach these beaches and hence they are not very crowded. Make sure to catch a sunset at kudle hilltop while in Gokarna

12. The other things one can indulge in includes cafe/shack hopping - important cafes include white elephant, Levis, half way home, mantra cafe, bhagwan cafe, Prema’s cafe, Lagoon.

13. Places in the vicinity include Murdeshwar temple town, Mirjan Fort, Yana caves, Vibhuti falls and Honnavar. These places are within about 100kms from Gokarna.

Links:

Raw Diaries on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rawdiaries.in/

Raw Diaries on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSJD6yexHqBB-2VYMCnwMjg

Gokarna video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBCu62LFSMo&t=9s

Photo by Darshan Gajara on Unsplash

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website: www.themusafirstories.com

email: [email protected]

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