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The Paradise Trek Part 7: The land of waterfalls, and fossils
Sunset colours at Sonmasti campsiteContinued from previous post…Day 6: Sundersar (13,000 feet) to Sonmasti (11,000 feet): 7.5 kmIf I will remember Sonmasti for any one specific thing, it has to be...
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The Paradise Trek Concluding Part: Foot-wide bridges, and a maze
On way to SumbhalContinued from previous post… Day 7: Sonmasti (11,000 feet) to Sumbhal (6,500 feet): 11 kmWith every step that I took, the pain went straight to my head. I could hardly move my big...
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The swimming tiger of Sunderbans
Sunset on River BidyadhariThe Sun was a bright orange dot on the western horizon, just about managing a final peek from behind the thick wall of mangroves. Light was fading fast, bringing tiger country...
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Five reasons why I'd think twice before visiting China again
I have spent 7 posts writing about all that is beautiful and grand in China. This post is about a few things that seemed troublesome (in varying degrees) to me as a tourist or otherwise. These are...
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Gangagasar Mela: An ocean of humanity (Part I)
Gangasagar, where the Ganga meets the ocean“Sab teerth baar baar, Gangasagar ek baar”: Hindu saying (All pilgrimages again and again, Gangasagar only...
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Gangagasar Mela: An ocean of humanity (concluding part)
At the 'sangam' in Gangasagar Continued from previous post…On the way to Bharat Sevashram Sangh itself, the signboard had caught my eye even in the crowd of signboards. It advertised various kinds of...
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Dooars: The door to Himalayas
Our room (left one) at the Lataguri lodge, with the Gorumara forest in the backgroundMy Dooars trip had happened way back in 2009, all of a sudden, thanks to a cancelled Kashmir tour. Looking back now,...
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Recipe for Jadoh (Meghalaya)
Jadoh is a signature dish of the Indian state of Meghalaya. The state’s population comprises three distinct communities—the Khasis, Garos, and Jaintias. Jadoh, as far as I know, is primarily a Khasi...
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Pangong Lake, the Himalayan Marmot, and fighting AMS at Chang La
Pangong Tso (lake)Turning back from Chang La (Chang Pass), halfway to Pangong Lake, was one of the worst moments of my life as a traveller. As our cars turned back, I still remember I was in tears. But...
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Srinagar to Leh via NH1D (Part I): Sonamarg and Zoji La
SonamargAfter touring Ladakh once in 2012, I decided to go back to my favourite part of India after the Tarsar-Marsar trek in August 2015. Not to see the same parts, of course. Last time I had covered...
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Srinagar to Leh via NH1D (Part II): Drass and Kargil
Cenotaphs of the martyred soldiers at the Drass War MemorialOn the way to Sonamarg (previous post), Tanveer had stopped at a shack by the roadside and bought a small gas cylinder. I had not paid it...
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Srinagar to Leh via NH1D (Part III): The 30-foot Buddha of Mulbekh
The Buddha of Mulbekh Chamba, which was built roughly around the same time as the Bamiyan Buddhas Mulbekh is about 45 km from Kargil (previous post). It’s a small settlement with around 3–4 shops by...
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Srinagar to Leh via NH1D (Part IV): The cave shrine of Lamayuru
Lamayuru clicked from my room in Hotel NiranjanaLamayuru turned out to be an enchanting little settlement—an ‘oasis’ hemmed in by towering mountains, the green of poplars and naturally manicured lawns...
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Leh, and Khardung La, the 'highest' motorable road in the world
Leh, with the white Shanti Stupa prominent on a peak on the right and the Stok Kangri peaks forming a gorgeous backdropFew places perhaps change as dramatically in three years as I have seen Leh do....
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Kashmiri-style eggplant (brinjal/aubergine) and tomato curry
An eggplant-and-tomato curry is nothing unique and several versions are cooked by different people across India. In fact, one of my friends uses this particular recipe to cook hers without having a...
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Something different to do in Kolkata? Take a walk down the strand
View of Vivekananda Setu (Second Hooghly Bridge) from Prinsep Ghat 2Whenever visitors ask me what all they should ‘see’ in Kolkata, I’m mostly at a loss. Personally, I believe a city has to be felt and...
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Weekend destination from Kolkata: Santiniketan (Bolpur)
Khowai area in Santiniketan, BolpurI went to Santiniketan for the first time in November 2004. It was, and still is, one of those places that do not offer much to do apart from a quiet corner to soothe...
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Weekend destination from Kolkata: The temple town of Bishnupur
RasmanchaBishnupur, the town of the terracotta temples in West Bengal’s Bankura district, is well connected to Kolkata via several routes. The most popular one is the one via Arambagh, which we took on...
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Weekend getaway from Kolkata: Baguran
These red crabs are the main attraction of Baguran sea beachA narrow sandy path leads through a dense thicket, past a pond, a cluster of mud houses with tiled roofs, and a Manasa (goddess of snakes)...
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Weekend getaway from Kolkata: Gangani, the Grand Canyon of Bengal
Merely 180 km north-west of Kolkata is a stretch of deep ravine carved by the River Shilavati through its soft sandstone bed. The layers of different shades of orange and yellow—classic sedimentary...
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10 exotic things I ate (or drank) in Nagaland
Chunks of pork being smoked behind a morung at the Hornbill Festival‘Is there anything the Nagas don’t eat?’ I asked my homestay owner in Kohima while digging into some fresh comb honey. She thought...
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A winter trip to Nubra Valley (Part I): Diskit
The monastery of Diskit‘Mera car dancing car ban gaya,’ chuckled my driver Mutuk Wangyal as our Innova staggered its way up the snow-smothered highway towards Khardung La. His SUV had turned into a...
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A winter trip to Nubra Valley (Part II): Hunder
HunderContinued from the previous post...Did you know that baby camels love biscuit and cookies? Well, I didn’t and I learnt that in Hunder. Most tourist accommodation in Ladakh are shut in winter and...
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A winter trip to Nubra Valley (Part III): Turtuk
The incredibly beautiful Shyok river on the way to TurtukContinued from the previous postAs I wrote in the first post of this series, I had a flexible plan on the Nubra Valley trip. It all depended on...
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Leh Dosmoche festival
My trip to Ladakh in February 2017 had several highlights. The main aim was to sight the snow leopard, which I did. Another agenda was to visit Nubra Valley (read my posts on Diskit, Hunder and...
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