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Showing posts from July, 2016

The Double Decker Living Root Bridge At Cherrapunji

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Introduction The Double Decker Living root Bridge is one of the most breath-taking sights in Meghalaya. The bridge lies in the Umshiang village, straddling a stream in the deep valley amid the high hills of Cherrapunji. The bridge is approached after a trek from the village of Nongirat - an inverse trek that starts with a descent to the velley and wraps up after the ascent back to Nongirat. An alternative route is to ascend to Nohkalikai Falls on the other end of the valley, instead of returning to Nongirat.   The pic of the day! We were three days down in Meghalaya by this time and were geared up for the first major adventure of the trip. The itinerary for the day was simple enough: start off early to Nongirat, trek to the Double Decker Living Root Bridge, return for lunch at the Cherra Holiday Resort and then maybe cover a few sights around Cherrapunji.   On the map It was about 0930hrs by the time we started off - after a quick stop at Cherra Holiday Resport to

Ahmedabad Snapshots

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Introduction  Ahmedabad is the city at the heart of the Gujarat hinterland. he city has been a regional powerhouse and capital since the times of the Gujarat Sultanate, up to the 1970s when the planned twin city and present capital of Gandhinagar was formed.     The Mahatma's domain There is a lot of history imbibed in Ahmedabad and the corresponding architecture is beautiful too. The Indo-Saracenic style of architecture has a substantial mark, but well complemented by traditional Hindu and Jain architecture. A major historical aspect is the contribution of this city towards the Indian independence movement - the Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi can be considered the centre of the Indian Satyagraha. -x-x-x- Getting In And Around Ahmedabad is well connected by air, rail and road to all parts of India. Getting in is super-easy. The city has a strong network of buses, rickshaws and cabs for internal transport. We preferred not to undergo the hassle of bus routes and

Shangarh Is Picture Perfect

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Introduction Shangarh is a small village nestled amidst the mountains on the left bank of the Sainj. It is also the most picturesque human settlement I've seen till date. :)   The defining image of Shangarh Shangarh's calling card is the beautiful alpine meadow surrounded by a fringe of tall pines and the old temple of Sangchul Mahadev at its corner. But our not-so-perfect planning and lack of detailed information meant that we got a chance to see the real extent of beauty that a quaint and untouched Himalayan village could offer. Oh yes, we were the only tourists in the village for that period. -x-x-x- Getting In The Sainj valley is a non-touristy place spoiled by the many hydel projects. However, there are some places of interest located higher in the mountains - like Shangarh on the left bank and Shenshar on the right.   Shangarh on the map The highway to Kullu-Manali has an iconic tunnel just before Aut. One has to skip this tunnel on the left and