Today (January 26, 2025), I had the privilege of visiting the ancient Shri Varamuktheeswarar Temple in Karanodai, Thiruvallur district. Its around 44 KMs from Adyar and is locally known as Mahisasura Mardini or Erumai Vetti Palayam. It is believed to be 1800 years old and attributed to the Pallava dynasty. During my visit, the priest …
Continue reading Exploring Shri Varamuktheeswarar Temple: A Hidden Gem in Tamil Nadu
As per our Itinerary, we had to leave at 3.45 AM for Tiger Hill to watch sunrise over Kanchendzonga. Our driver was kind enough to let us be in the arms of Morpheus for a little longer. We changed our itinerary and decided to do half a day of Darjeeling local sightseeing and planned some …
04 May 2018 - Day 1 Descending aircraft always becomes the invisible hand of an artist, to the observant eye. The grey and white canvas of the sky magically transforms into green patches giving tantalizing glimpses of the world below. With every 1000 feet descent the landscape metamorphoses in to fields, houses, mountains & rivers …
22-Mar-2017 – DAY 2 It is believed that one has to visit Sri Padmavati temple at Tiruchanur and visit all the little temples that dot the Tirumala hills before taking darshan of Lord Venkateshwara to get the fruition of the pilgrimage. A bus ticket of Rs. 10 took us to Sri Padmavati temple. The temple is …
21-Mar-2017 – DAY 1 It is believed that one cannot make plans to visit the holy temple of Tirupati unless and until there is a divine calling. Back in 1995, my friends and I had made meticulous planning to tour South India, starting with a darshan of Balaji. We did reach Tirumala but were informed that …
9/4/2016 – 10/4/2016 Puneites may not have proximity to seashore like Mumbai but it has beautiful water bodies at driving distance that are ideal for a weekend trip. A casual chat led to few families from our society getting together for an overnight trip to Wai. Located on the Krishna river, it is a small …
08-May-2015 – DAY 6 Apple Hotel & Resorts served good breakfast and dinner. We had sandwiches and Poha for breakfast. But three days of food from the same chef has its effects! The enthusiasm of having a meal at the hotel had waned by now. As we were waiting for the driver to clean the …
Continue reading Travel Log – The Call of the Mountains: Day 6
07-May-2015 – DAY 5 Naggar town which is in Kullu district is approximately 21 kms from Manali. The Beas river appeared on and off along the way adding romanticism to the picturesque setting. By the time we reached the Nagar castle it was almost noon and the sun was at its merciless best. We decided …
Continue reading Travel Log – The Call of the Mountains: Day 5
06-May-2015 – DAY 4 Well laid out plans now and then run in to troubled waters. We were all excited and looking forward to the awe-inspiring view of Rohtang pass but our driver had other ideas. Throughout the trip the morose fellow was fishing for trouble. Customer service was farthest from his mind. Several times …
Continue reading Travel Log – The Call of the Mountains: Day 4
05-May-2015 – DAY 3 After an early breakfast, we headed towards Manali. The sheer beauty and expansiveness of Indian countryside can be experienced only when one travels by road. We just get an inkling of the development taking place in different corners of India by reading newspapers. The magnitude of the infrastructure development can only …
Continue reading Travel Log – The Call of the Mountains: Day 3
Travel Memories 