I have to write isn't it? As a siesta who smells for the slightest glimpse of hope to put words into paper this Himalayan trek was like a juicy bone given to a hungry dog. No bitch please, please.

This is going to be detailed, as usual, hugely perspective, as usual and quite fun, not as usual. Generally it's the aftermath of a brilliant moment which brings out the best in one. If I had started this post a bit earlier may be it'd have been even more energetic but writing something just before sleeping when the brain doesn't want to work brings out the most candid moments.

It all started almost half a year ago when I was on bench. After a trek to Nagala, quite overwhelming at that time, the urge to do something better provoked me in gathering information for this trek. Balaji, who was the sole accompaniment for my Nagala trek kept on saying that after Himalayas no trek is substantially satisfying. I was pondering over his words for some time. Thanks to his advice I made up my mind for this trek. Oh what all I had to do to convince my parents.

December in Himalayas would make a great status message, but how feasible (sorry I'm an IT professional, you have to bear with my IT jargons, for the ones on my side, your mind would have automatically processed the word, carry on...) it was. I wasn't sure. As a frustrated, hopeless soul I prepared my mind to go for the trek anyhow. Then began the search to find people who would fit in this devious act of a dispassionate sole. The search started with my best friends, then office mates, then school mates and finally ended with my Primary school buddies Balaji, Prasanna, Seena and Karthik (quite unknown to me before the trek) joined. The next four months with rounds and rounds of discussions online, offline was pure fun. I still maintain the mail thread that we used, guys. Our purchase for the trek didn't stop till the last day. Thanks to Balaji.

Then started our trek. Decemeber 24th to be precise. But that date is just for the papers. We were mentally offline long before. The first night in train was joyous, a bit nostalgic, remembering the past or mostly these people updating me what's what. It all started from the second night when the chill started to climb our spine. The blankets, gloves, mufflers, balaclava, everything was out and how! On 26th when we got up at 9'o clock, much late than our aforesaid destination time we could see nothing but mist. Enna orae pani mootama iruku! (People who don't know Tamil don't mind translating, literal translation won't get you anywhere, it's an inside joke) was our general feeling.

We stepped down in Delhi, guys did rounds of shopping and we started off to Old Delhi to catch our train to Pathankot. Old Delhi and New Delhi were quite contrasting in style. Loved those chickens hanging in stores. Our stomachs were craving to try them out but resisted our temptation as we didn't want to be bed ridden before even reaching base camp. The train from Old Delhi to Pathankot was, hmm, well.... Cold is an understatement. But that chill paved the way for from Kangal irandal romance between Seena and some silly looking girl. If you are waiting for a climax, well nothing happened. We got down and got into the bus to Banikhet, our base camp.

There was a lady voice calling out. Are you guys too going to youth hostel? Every one of us shifted a row in front to hear the voice and welcome some estrogen compounds in an otherwise testosterone filled surrounding. For starters the lady was none other than Pooja. The Aloo paratha at the break point was amazing. We reached Banikhet in no time. That's how excited we were. We got our room, she got hers. And as a usual self boasting, effy pround individual I started narrating my awesome 4,5 Km one day treks to Nagala and Tada to Pooja and said about difficulties. Only to be nose cut by her. She seemed to have done treks in Rajasthan, Goa and Sar Pass. I felt very small before her and escaped from there. Thanks to her we went to a useless Tibetian market where we could neither see Tibets nor the markets. The only respite was breezer which too was nothing but our two and a half rupee rasna.

Day One: Banikhet Base Camp

Enough said, we assembled for our camp fire on Day one. There was couple of guys who didn't seem to understand the meaning of applause. They kept on singing and singing and the applause grew but they never ceased to stop. As someone who has decent Hindi knowledge I couldn't even get one single song they sang. Thank you fellas. We retired in our sleeping bags after a cup of bournivta.

Day Two: Banikhet to Dalhousie

It was a 3 ½ to 4 km trek from Banikhet to Dalhousie. At least that's what was said by the Camp leader. It wasn't much difficult. The surface was plain but somewhat steep. We got enough time to rest and rejuvenate. Got to know Karthik, Arun, Priyanka, Aunty and Mahesh during the course. We got to Dalhousie by noon. The place was paradise. Nice soothing beds, great camp leader, mild trek, good noon's nap. Add to it Indo-Pak match with Yuvraj going great guns. It was heaven. I thought I didn't deserve this much royalty. The camp fire was slightly sad affair with a group claiming that that day will be their last day. Priyanka and co were the ones. We bid adieu to them in the evening and got prepared to trek what is going to be coldest place in the whole trek.

Day Three: Dalhousie to Kalatop

I was trekking with our group after a comfortable sleep in our dorm. After pacing a few yards I could see someone in red flashy pants. She looked familiar. It was dues ex machina. The group that claimed to leave the previous day didn't actually leave. All natak. They all were there trekking before us much more enthusiastically than before. I trekked with them almost the whole day. It was a nice trek with ice covered roads. Both scenic and serene. The night was horrid in Kalatop. That was the first time I skipped dinner, thanks to the freezing temperate outside my legs got numb, and fingers were burning. But still we managed to play cards with two more new people, Ankush and Ganesh. I had a terrible night. I would give it to Seena who braved the chill and went for his morning duties in an open field. *A huge round of applause* You are the man, man!

Day Four: Kalatop to Khajjiar

There was no respite even in the morning. Camp leader jokes were doing rounds in our room with the background whistle score by camp leader himself. I skipped breakfast too. I had to skip much more but due to the Censor board cutting those down. That days trek was the real one. Half way downwards and half way upwards was as arduous as it could get. We could feel every joint in our legs writhing with pain. All to see that one shabby piece of grassland which was claimed as Mini Switzerland. The hanuman statue from our balcony was much better sight than that sloppy grass field. The camp fire was cut that day but we had a good round of discussion with woman of the day Aunty Ji. Every time we faced a hurdle we could never stop thinking about Aunty. "If she could do it why can't we" was our mantra. She was a true inspiration for the whole group or at least for us five. While we were getting loose and started with Dumb C the camp leader announced for dinner and the group disintegrated. It was a great evening though.

Day Five: Khajjiar to Mangla

The shabby mass of grassland the previous day was wholly covered by ice. It was great site. We started our day by clicking lots of pictures. The whole route from Khajjiar to Mangla was lensman's paradise. We clicked lots and lots of picture. The majestic Shiva statue on top of the peak looked terrific. I couldn't stop admiring the beauty. It was the second most difficult day in the course of six days but being the last days trek and last day of the year we were quite enthusiastic about completing it. The sense of satisfaction we got after reaching Mangla base camp couldn't be said in words. We were a happy lot. That being New Year's night many retired for partying. Thanks to the stringent rules of YHAI the group got dissolved. We couldn't get in touch with much of them as they themselves were a huge group. The sightseeing in Mangla wasn't a grand affair but street foods were amazing for our taste buds which grew stale after rounds and rounds of chapatti.

Day Six: Mangla to Banikhet

After customary group pictures in front of the base camp we settled in bus. The scenery was again great but after the break point I was much more involved in all time favorite anthakshari than once in a life time opportunity to admire the beauty of Chamba River. I was glad of my stronghold in lyrics. Both in Tamil and Hindi (Yea that's a usual self boasting me if you haven't yet found out.) To be honest I was sad as the trek got over. I'm mostly a loner who keeps to myself, being with a lot of people, listening out to new perspectives was lot of fun. It took me a whole 10 minutes to understand what Professional Artist meant. Then the two strangers whom I shared my room with too were quite different. Al together it's a trek to remember.

Though our trip extended for 3 more days I don't want to include it here and burden you more. Hoping to keep in touch with everyone of you.

Yours sincere soul, 

Vikram M N

MAHESHWAR - A Journey to the Spiritual Capital of Ahilyabai Holkar

Hello Friends, अपना Hindi Blog लेकर एक बार फिर मैं आपके समक्ष उपस्थित हूं। आज का मेरा यह Blog मेरी महेश्वर यात्रा से प्रेरित है बहुत समय से कहीं जाना नहीं हुआ था और जब समय मिला तब दोस्तों का साथ नहीं मिल पाया, लेकिन घुमक्कड़ी का जोश कुछ इस तरह तरह चढ़ा कि निकल पड़े अकेले ही हम... जी हां दोस्तों महेश्वर की यात्रा मेरी Solo Trip थी My first solo trip

महेश्वर इंदौर से 95 किलोमीटर दूर नर्मदा के तट पर स्थित एक अध्यात्मिक और ऐतिहासिक Town है जो खरगोन जिले में स्थित है

अगर इतिहास की दृष्टि से देखे तो महेश्वर का अपना अलग ऐतिहासिक महत्व है।

महेश्वर का इतिहास

महेश्वर का इतिहास 2500 साल पुराना है। महेश्वर शहर को माहिष्मती नाम से भी जाना जाता है। महेश्वर का रामायण और महाभारत में उल्लेख मिलता है। पुराणों के अनुसार महेश्वर हैहवंशीय राजा सहस्त्रार्जुन की राजधानी थी, जिसने रावण को पराजित किया था।

मालवा साम्राज्य के अंतर्गत महेश्वर को इंदौर की रानी अहिल्याबाई होल्कर ने धार्मिक राजधानी का दर्जा दिया था जिसके कारण महेश्वर होलकर साम्राज्य का एक अभिन्न बन गया। अब हम इतिहास से निकलकर वर्तमान में आते हैं

How to Reach

By Train - सबसे नजदीकी रेल्वे स्टेशन खंडवा रोड है जो बड़े स्टेशनों से जोड़ता है। इंदौर भी एक मुख्य रेल्वे स्टेशन है जो 94 किमी की दूरी पर है।

By Bus - महेश्वर बस स्टेण्ड है जहां से खंडवा, ओंकारेश्वर, इंदौर के लिए आसानी से बसें उपलब्ध हैं।

By Air - सबसे नजदीकी एयरपोर्ट इंदौर है।

ALSO READ -- MANDU THE CITY OF LOVE

मैं इंदौर से महेश्वर के लिए बस के माध्यम से गई थी तथा लगभग 2 घंटे में मैं महेश्वर पहुंच गई थी महेश्वर घूमने की मेरी 2 वजह थी एक तो नर्मदा दर्शन और दूसरा महेश्वर किला। समूचे मध्य प्रदेश की जीवन रेखा कही जाने वाली नर्मदा नदी मेरे भी बहुत करीब है| हमेशा से नर्मदा के घाट मुझे अपनी और आकर्षित करते रहे हैं तथा एक अपार शांति प्रदान करते रहे हैं। इंदौर शहर में मैं हमेशा नर्मदा नदी और इसके घाट को सबसे ज्यादा Miss करती हूं इसलिए अकेले ही महेश्वर आने का प्लान बना लिया ताकि थोड़ी मानसिक शांति भी मिल जाए।

दूसरी वजह हैं महेश्वर किला, यह ही महेश्वर को एक दर्शनीय स्थान बनाते है तथा महेश्वर के किले को देखने को ना केवल भारतीय पर्यटक अपितु विदेशी पर्यटक भी हर साल महेश्वर आते हैं। महेश्वर पहुंचकर मैं सबसे पहले महेश्वर किला पहुंची। महेश्वर किला को अहिल्याबाई किला भी कहा जाता है महेश्वर किलेे के करीब में ही नर्मदा नदी का घाट है और यह दृश्य एक अद्भुत संगम लगता है।

इस किले की स्थापत्य कला अद्भुत बेमिसाल और बेजोड़ है तथा इसके लिए और नर्मदा घाट के निर्माण में बेसाल्ट पत्थरों का प्रयोग किया गया है जिससे इसकी सुंदरता और आकर्षण बढ़ जाता है नर्मदा नदी के बिल्कुल किनारे पर बना यह किला जिसका एक द्वार दक्षिण मुखी है जिसका मुख नर्मदा नदी की ओर है। इसका एक मुख्य द्वार भी है जो उत्तर दिशा की ओर खुलता है।

मुख्य किले के अंदर अहिल्येश्वर मंदिर सर्वाधिक दर्शनीय है। इस मंदिर की स्थापत्य कला लाजबाव है। इस मंदिर में रामजानकी मंदिर है । यहां से नर्मदा नदी का दृश्य अत्यंत मनमोहक लगता है। अहिल्येश्वर मंदिर के ठीक सामने स्थित है राजेश्वर मंदिर। राजेश्वर मंदिर छत्री के आकार का बना है। जिसमें इंजीनियरिंग के साथ-साथ हिंदु स्थापत्य कला और मुस्लिम स्थापत्य कला का अद्भुत मेल किया।

किला बाहर से जितना खूबसूरत था, अंदर से उससे भी ज्यादा खूबसूरत था। यहां बहुत शांति थी परंतु मुझे यहां ज्यादा साधु नहीं दिख रहे थे जबकि इसे आध्यात्मिक नगरी कहा जाता है मुझे बस थोड़े बहुत Tourists यहां नजर आ रहे थे।

Heritage Hotel

इस किले के अंदर रॉयल हेरीटेज होटल बनाया गया है। अहिल्याबाई के वंशज इस होटल को चलाते हैं। होटल में 13 कमरे बने हैं और २ रॉयल सूट है जिस में प्राइवेट बालकनी बनी उसमें से नर्मदा नदी और महेश्वर का सुंदर नजारा दिखता है। होटल के कमरे ऐसे बनाए गए हैं की नर्मदा नदी की खूबसूरती दिखाई देती है।

नर्मदा नदी के घाट पर बहुत सारे शिव जी और गणेश जी के मंदिर है। जैसे कालेश्वर, राजराजेश्वर,अहीलेश्वर, विठ्ठलेश्वर मंदिर है। नर्मदा नदी में घाट का बहुत सुंदर प्रतिबिंब दिखता है। नर्मदा नदी को बहुत पवित्र नदी माना जाता है। इस घाट पर बहुत सारे लोग नदी में स्नान करते हुए दिख जाएंगे, यहां हर पूर्णिमा में नर्मदा स्नान का विशेष महत्व है। यहां बोटिंग का मजा भी लिया जा सकता है।

महेश्वर फोर्ट बहुत ही सुंदर और आकर्षक था परंतु आज मौसम मेरा ज्यादा साथ नहीं दे रहा था इसीलिए गर्मी का अनुभव भी मुझे बराबर हो रहा था इसीलिए मैंने किले के बाहर की तरफ मिलने वाले नींबू पानी और गन्ने के रस से मौसम का मुकाबला किया पर गर्मी अपने जोरों पर थी।

महेश्वर घूमते समय मुझे दूसरी समस्या जो हुई वह थी Photography की कमी। क्योंकि मैं अकेले आई थी तो मुझे स्वयं की पिक खींचने में कुछ समस्याओं का सामना करना पड़ा रहा था अकेले होने के कारण मैंने अपनी फोटो के लिए काफी लोगों से मदद ली है यहां के लोगों ने खुशी-खुशी मेरी मदद भी की इसके कारण मेरी अच्छी Pics आ गई।

Solo Traveling का यह एक नकारात्मक पक्ष है Specially तब जब आप को मेरी तरह Pics Click करवाने का शौक हो। यहां पर लोगों के सहयोग के कारण मुझे बहुत सारी अच्छी Photos मिल गई और मेरी Solo Trip भी Memorable हो गई।

किले के संपूर्ण दर्शन के बाद में बाहर घाट की तरफ आ गई यहां पर कुछ समय मैंने नदी किनारे व्यतीत किए। गर्मी के कारण नर्मदा का शीतल जल अमृत समान प्रतीत हो रहा था। अकेले होने के कारण मैंने वोटिंग करना उचित नहीं समझा और कुछ समय घाट में बिताने के पश्चात में वापसी के लिए निकल गई तथा लगभग ढाई घंटे में वापस इंदौर आ गई

यह यात्रा यहीं समाप्त होती है पर यहां यात्राओं का दौर जारी रहेगा

आशा करती हूं मेरी Post आपको अवश्य पसंद आयी होगी अगर आप किसी प्रकार का Suggestions देना चाहते हैं अथवा किसी प्रकार का सहयोग चाहते हैं तो आपके Comment सादर आमंत्रित है

Deep down we are all travelers, who want to explore new, hidden and offbeat places.

Unfortunately, only a few of us can take out sometime off from our tight schedules.

Those of us who find the time think about MONEY and how much should be saved every month to afford a good trip.

People have asked me so many times - how do you travel so much? Where do you get the time to travel? How do you find your travel destination?

My answer remains the same - I only travel when it’s within my budget.

Goal is to take 3-4 short trips and 1-2 long ones in a year.

Here are a few things I keep in mind before planning a trip #budgettravels #tipsandtricks

1. Plan your dates and destination (Read about the place as much as possible), but don’t spend most of the time on reaching that place. You’re on a vacation. Remember that. You deserve it!

2. Try to travel on weekdays - transportation & accommodation are comparatively cheaper than on weekends.

3 A little company never harms - traveling with a group of friends and family is always better if your getaway plan is budgeted.

4. If you have a driving license - you can rent a bike or car which would make it easier to explore near by areas from your destination.

5. I particularly avoid to traveling to crowded areas aka season time. A place can be explored better in off season.

And let me know your thoughts on this one.

#travelgram #travelblog #himachalpradesh #girlwhotravels #incredibleindia #backpackerlife #budgettravel #photogram #travelphotography #placestovisitinindia #vacationvibes #indiatravels

Follow @offbeatwayfarer on Instagram for more travel stories.

Raging like a wild fire all across the globe, the recent coronavirus outbreak has now forced China and the Maldives into another round of submission with the respective authorities imposing new domestic restrictions.

After putting a number of popular islands and resorts in a lock-down in the past few days, the Maldivian Public Health Ministry today declared a state of public health emergency in the country for a period of 30 days starting March 12, 2020 via a tweet.

China, on the other hand, as suggested by media reports, has cancelled permits for Mount Everest expeditions right before the start of the spring climbing season in 2020. The Chinese authorities have reportedly come out with this decision keeping in view the constantly increasing number of climbers applying for permits to climb the world's highest mountain and the lethal coronovirus outbreak that has already claimed more than 3,000 lives in the country till now.

However, the trek to Mount Everest remains open from Nepal for now even though the local expedition operators have reported a few cancellations.

With such large scale restrictions, we can only hope that coronavirus is contained as soon as possible.

Click here to get all the updates about coronavirus in India. And if you have anything to add, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. You can also write about it here on Tripoto and earn Tripoto Credits

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"I must admit, I have not been myself since I have gotten back from Bhutan", I said to my friend. "Why? What happened there? Is everything alright?, he said. Taking a deep breath I replied, I surely am back to Mumbai but I refuses to cross the Bhutan gate. The green cover of forests, the twists and turns on roads with prayer flags fluttering in the wind and colorful chortens on almost every nook and cranny literally ooze happiness and satisfaction. In this age of technology taking over human relationships, it is almost impossible to find a place where people prefer sitting in a circle to sip on homemade wine (Aara) with their family and friends, instead of connecting with each other on virtual world of social media. All these luxuries of city life make no sense if you aren't happy from within.

Being a traveler, I find my happiness in exploring the unexplored. As usual, I was falling short on positivity working in my corporate job, so I started skimming through places on the internet for my next adventure and that's when the thought of going to Bhutan struck my mind. Because, you know, when you're looking for positivity, there's no place on the earth as positive as the Land of Thunder Dragon itself!

I sprang out of my bed as soon as the alarm went off around 4:00 in the morning as I had to catch a 7: 40 am flight to Bagdogra. Before embarking upon my every trip, the mixed feelings of anxiety and excitement do not let me sleep through the night and this night was no different.

Traveling to Phuentsholing from Bagdogra with ever so scenic Kalimpong falling on the route, we had started finding friendships within the group with people who were complete strangers almost 4 hours back.

Upon reaching our hotel, our Bhutanese guide Norbu, dressed in traditional attire called 'Gho' welcomed us and briefed us about how amazing our next few days were going to be.

We spent almost the entire next day waiting for our turn at the immigration office of Phuentsholing. While the rest of the group was getting antsy, I was hopping cafes around the immigration office searching for traditional Bhutanese buttered tea, Suja. The frustration of waiting for immigration formalities could not take over my eagerness to explore this Himalayan country.

Day 3: Exploring the capital city Thimphu

It was a sunny yet chilly morning in the capital city Thimphu. As I was fueling up for the day with poori bhaji, the view of Thimphu city from the restaurant literally looked great.

We started exploring Thimphu with Buddha Dordenma statue or Buddha Point as it's popularly known. Situated atop a hill in Thimphu, the gigantic golden statue of Buddha is a visual delight. The statue is visible from every corner of Thimphu city which gives a feeling of Lord Buddha watching over you wherever you go..

We spent the rest of the day exploring the capital city. From watching Archery competition to catching a glimpse of Thimphu Dzong (Dechencholing Palace) to rambling through Takin reserve and finally ended the day with filling up on momos and suja in a cafe overlooking the clock tower of Thimphu

Day 4: World's most beautiful mountain pass, the fertility temple and a divine madman...

With 108 memorial chortens built overlooking Druk Wangyal Lhakhang, Dochula pass is inarguably the most beautiful mountain pass in the world. Situated at a height of ~3,100 m, Dochula pass offers a panoramic view of the mighty Himalayas. Being a long weekend, the complex of 108 chortens was super crowded and it was difficult to get a good shot without fellow travellers photobombing.

The road to Punakha from Dochula pass is one of the most scenic routes I have ever traveled. The colorful prayer flags flapping in the wind all through the route complement the color of lush green forest in the backdrop.

Punakha is famous for its fertility temple and this is the place where you find the most unique phallic graffiti on houses, streets and shops. Phallus is considered to be a sacred symbol here and is believed to drive the evil eye away.

Hiking through Chimi Lhakhang village, capturing the phallic graffiti in our cameras, we reached the fertility temple. Lined with colorful flags on both the sides, the Chimi Lhakhang temple boasts of the preaching of the divine madman, Drukpa Kunley who was one of the key monks who brought Buddhism in Bhutan from Tibet. Even the priest in this temple blesses the devotees with a 10 inch phallus made of ivory, wood and bone. Behind the temple, you can catch a glimpse of Mo chu flowing between the mountains and paddy fields.

Day 5: The grand fortress, suspension bridge and rafting in Mo chu...

Starting the day with rafting in Mo chu or male river, it was time to witness the grandeur of the amazing fortress of Bhutan, the Punakha Dzong which is situated on confluence of rivers Mo chu and Pho chu.

A short hike behind the fortress lies the longest suspension bridge of Bhutan. Adorned by colorful prayer flags, this suspension bridge offers spectacular views of river and the valley. After having a traditional Bhutanese lunch at Chimi Lhakhang cafe and a short stride through the village it was now time to proceed to yet another stunning destination, Paro.

Day 6: Hiking to Tiger's nest...

It had been two years since my last trek, as I had been dealing with ankle problems and, frankly, I was not confident enough to trek all the way to Paro Takhtasang monastery or as we fondly call it the Tiger's nest. Perched at a cliff approximately 900 m off of the ground, Tiger's nest monastery is the highlight of every Bhutan trip. Muddy trail with prayer flags all along, the trek to tiger's nest is indeed a bit difficult, but the encouraging words by fellow trekkers make it easy to keep you going.

Almost midway through the trek lies Takhtasang cafeteria where everybody decided to take a pitstop for coffee and biscuits. For those who want to break for lunch, the cafeteria is the only option available. After a short hike uphill from cafeteria lies the view point of the monastery. Most of the travelers decide not to hike beyond this point since this is the only point that offers the best view of the monastery and the valley. After hiking for a while , the moment you climb down the stairs, the breathtaking view of the partly frozen waterfall makes up for the effort taken to reach there. The trek doesn't however end at this point. From the waterfall, we need to climb up the stairs to the monastery.

After paying respect to various deities in five temples, it was now time to hike back to Paro. As I was inching closer to the base of the trek a feeling of accomplishment was taking over the exhaustion.we bought different types of key chains , magnets and Bhutanese Handicrafts to give as a gift to friends.

After all, I had resumed trekking after a long time and I believe Tiger's nest was the best trek to do that.

Day 7 : Paro to Phuentsholing

We spent a day shopping at Paro market and clicking pictures of Paro airport from the viewing point and embarked upon our return journey to Phuentsholing.

had gotten back to Mumbai but as I stated earlier, I had physically left the land of happiness but mentally I am still there.