Mahabaleshwar : Mostly Cloudy and Misty

Aesthetic, picturesque, ravishing, chilly, mostly cloudy are some words that best define Mahabaleshwar. Mahabaleshwar is a small hill station in the state of Maharashtra, India. I visited this place on 26^th June, 2019. I travelled there by taxi. If you want to travel economically there are bus services you can opt. It takes about almost 7 hours to reach Mahabaleshwar. I took off from Santacruz, Mumbai around 9 am and reached the hotel at 6:00 pm. We halted at Lonavala also for some sightseeing. The route to Mahabaleshwar is mesmerizing. There are a plethora of green lush trees along the Western Ghats which makes the drive more beauteous.

There are many hotels available in this area. I stayed at Eden Villa it is a homestay which is close to Mahabaleshwar. Try to stay in a home stay because at first, they provide you scrumptious home cooked food and secondly, they will guide you in a better way. The caretaker of the home stay made us a delicious dinner. When I reached Mahabaleshwar it was raining heavily. Don’t forget to take an umbrella or a raincoat. They will be your savior for this trip.

Outside area of Lord Shiva temple

The next day I started my trip for sightseeing. There are numerous points in the hill station but most of the times the view is not visible. I started with the famous temples at old Mahabaleshwar. There are three temples which are an example of historic Indian architecture. The temples are Lord Shiva temple, Panchganga Mandir and Krishnabai temple. The Krishnabai temple worships the Krishna river. There is a statue of Lord Krishna and the river falls through a cow faced structure into a ‘Kund’ (a small pit). Photography is not allowed inside the temples.

Bull at Panchganga Mandir

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The next place was Elphinstone Point. It was discovered by Dr. James Murray and it overlooks two valleys Koyana and Savitri. The view is breathtaking. You can see clouds moving around the lush green Ghats. I could only enjoy the view for mere 10 minutes. After that the clouds covered the whole area and everything became invisible.

Clouds and the Western Ghats

After that I went to Connaught Peak. It is the second highest peak in Mahabaleshwar. There was no tourist when I visited this place. I was awestruck by the route. Lush green trees, snow white fog, chirping of birds and the serenity made this route enthralling. As I reached the top there was nothing to see as it was all cloudy.

The next point was Lodwick and Elephant head point. Both these points have the same route and they are quite nearby. These points are ideal for sunrise and sunset. The point has a memorial for General Peter Lodwick who first visited this place in 1824. It is at a height of 4067 mts. There is nothing much to see except a memorial. Elephants head point/ needle point gives view of a mountain which is elephant shaped.

ElephantHead Route

Misty Route

Lodwick Point

The next point was Venna Lake. It is a small lake with many eateries nearby. Boating facility is also available. When I visited Venna Lake boating was closed. It is always crowded and it can be avoided if you don’t have enough time.

The most striking place to visit in Mahabaleshwar is Mapro. It is a food processing company. They have various products like candies, sharbats, jams, sauce available with them. Along with this they have a restaurant that serve delicious sandwiches and pizza. This place is always super crowded.

Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani are famous for strawberries. You will many strawberry plantations along the route. Try the strawberry cream from Bagicha(restaurant).

Mapro Garden

Strawberry Cream at Bagicha

Goa:The quite and serene places to go to

Goa is full of beaches but finding a serene beach in Goa is a tough task. I visited Goa in March this year. Though it was hot but nothing can stop the traveler in me. Moreover, at this time the hotels are cheaper. I booked a flight from Delhi to Panaji international airport. From the airport we booked a cab to reach our Airbnb guest house. Ola and Uber does not work in Goa. To get cheaper ride you can book the cabs through Goamiles it is the only cab service app that works in Goa. Our airbnb was an ancestral home. It was beautifully maintained by the owner. The house was close to Anjuna beach. People who comes to party in Goa limit themselves to Baga beach, candolim and calagnute beach. Goa is far more better beyond these beaches. This article is basically about the must go places in Goa to satisfy the traveler in you.


1.Morjim Beach: Spectacular, serene and beautiful. This beach is not so crowded and moreover you will find foreigners here. The shacks are good and the ahack owners are really protective of their customers. They treat you very well. It is also one of the beaches famous for the turtles. Turtles come here for breeding.

2.Agonda beach: This beach is so vast and beautiful. Here also you will find mostly foreigners. This beach is in South Goa. If you are staying in North Goa then do plan to visit South Goa. South Goa is more serene and less crowded. We rode to south by our rented bike. The road after Panaji is covered with vast forest covers on both sides. According to my opinion, one should travel to South goa by bike and stay there to enjoy other nearby beaches. Agonda has many chambers near the beach to stay. 

3. Hollant beach: This is a very secluded beach. Very less crowded but amazingly beautiful. The water level is moderate. The waves are minimal here. There are no shacks just a small restaurant near the beach.

4. Reddy beach: This beach is a must-visit beach in North Goa. The beach is very isolated. Very few people come here. It is an unexplored part of Goa. There are no shacks. A small restaurant is near the beach. The beach is very picturesque.

5.Bambolim beach: The way to reach this beach is very tricky. Google map does not have the correct location for this beach. There is a small lane at the end of Hyatt hotel which leads you to this beach. This beach has no shacks. It is mainly filled by the people in the hotel. Look out for the sunset here. It is beautiful and mesmerizing. 

sunset

6 Sirdao beach: You will find only locals on this beach playing volleyball. There is no one on this beach. You can go and enjoy the view there. There are no shacks.

7.Divar island: It is a small island in Goa. You can reach there by ferry. The ferry does not charge anything. The island has beautiful Portuguese houses. The houses are painted with bright colours and they are quite attractive. Fill the petrol before going to this island. There is no petrol pump there. Moreover, if you forget to fill petrol you can get it from the shops there at a higher cost. 

The island has many beautiful churches. They are quite big and fascinating. You can roam about the island on your bike. The roads are well built. I found only one restaurant there which serves alcohol and food. There are many general stores. The island is very quiet. On a good weather day, you can roam about the island enjoying the architecture.

PS: Don't forget to have Goan fish thali

Goan Fish

Durga Pujo in Kolkata

No doubt Kolkata is called the city of joy. It is a city with a soul. The soul that never sleeps and not only celebrate the festivals but also celebrate themselves.

Kolkata during Durga Pujo(as Bengalis will say) is an extreme delight. I had the opportunity to visit Kolkata during the Pujo in 2018. The atmosphere during the Pujo is full of energy and excitement. 

If you are not a localite, going during Durga Pujo in Kolkata might seem challenging to you but if you really want to experience the city, you must visit it during the festivities. 

I visited Kolkata during Durga Pujo for four days and the experience was enriching. I took a flight from Delhi to Kolkata. The flight took almost 2.5 hours.

If you plan to travel to Kolkata during Durga Pujo and have less days, I recommend to go on Saptmi(7th day of Navratri). Saptmi, Ashtami and Navmi are the main days for Bengalis during the Pujo. The 10th day i.e Dusshera is the day when immersion of the idols take place.

I stayed at Gala time hostel in Patuli area. The hostel was good providing the basic amenities. The area was in the outskirts of the city. 

More stay options are available at Park Street(mostly foreigners go for this place). I landed in Kolkata on 17th October,2018. I took a bus to Patuli. 

The transport system in Kolkata is really good especially the AC buses. If you want to curtail your expenses travel by the local buses or metro. They are cheap and quite comfortable. Cabs are quite expensive as compared to NCR regions.

The journey began with Pandal hopping. I arrived at my hostel around 22:00 hours and started the ritual of Pandal hopping. 

During the Pujo every street is lit up. You will not find darkness anywhere. The Pandals are open for the whole night with a neverending crowd. I visited the nearby Pandals. There were around Pandals near my area and each one of them was beautifully decorated. Once you get out on the streets you will feel the energy and excitement of people. 

Streets are lit all night

Pandals at Patuli

Pandal hopping is incomplete without the street food that Kolkata has to offer. The street food includes puchke(for only Rs.10), rolls, noodles, papdi chaat, gola(snowflake) and many others. The food is tasty as well as cheap.

The mornings in Kolkata are quite. There are quite few souls on the roads. In the morning  I planned to visit other places of interest in Kolkata. I took a bus from to Victoria Memorial. The only place in Kolkata where you will find n number of foreigners. It has a beautiful architecture. It was built during the British era. The tickets are quite cheap. It is advisable to go in the evening on a hot day.

Victoria Memorial

After mesmerizing the beauty of  Victoria Memorial I made my way to Burrabazar. It is a crowded place. It is a wholesale market, that has various items like stationary, medicine,electronic goods and many others. 

The market is always crowded. In the midst of the market lies the Nakhoda Masjid. It is one of the largest and prime mosques of Kolkata.

Nakhoda Masjid

 

The next visit was to Prinsep Ghat. It looks beautiful during sunset. There are many eateries around the ghat. Boat rides are also available which are very costly. I booked a boat for Rs.300(after bargaining). The boat gives a ride for half an hour around the Vidyasgar Setu.

Prisep Ghat

 

Vidyasagar Setu

At night I went for some more Pandal hopping. At night each street in Kolkata is heavily crowded. There is a huge rush for the pandals especially the famous ones. 

I visited the pandals at Ahiritola, Hatkhola, Kumartuli, Sovabajar, Mohammad Ali Park. The waiting time is around 1 hour during night. Each pandal was beautifully decorated. If you plan to visit the pandals during night buy a metro ticket to save yourself from the traffic.

 

The other day I visited Dakshineshwar Temple. It is quite far from the city located near the sacred Ganges. The route to the temple is beautiful. It is surrounded by lush green forest. Try going to the temple during early morning to save your time.

Dakshineshwar Temple

 

The other place I visited was Belur Math. It is connected to Dakshineswar through a ferry. The ticket costs around Rs.11 for one side. It is located on the west bank of Hooghly river. It is the headquarter of Ramkrishna Mission. The serenity of the place attracts people.

Belur Math

  

Dussehra is bit more different in Kolkata as from the North India. In Kolkata it is the last day of Durga Pujo. All the idols are immersed in the river and it marks the end of Durga Pujo. The roads are filled with people dancing. You can see vehicles carrying the idols of Durga. 

Babughat is the place to go for seeing this vast celebration coming to an end. The ghat is filled with people carrying the Durga idol and immersing it in the Hooghly river. You can feel the happiness and excitement in the people. Walking on the roads will give you goosebumps.

 

Durga Idol brought for visarjan

Trip to Kolkata is incomplete without the Bengali Sweets. I had the privilege to taste some of them like: kher khodom, rohogulla, mishti doi, darbesh and many others.

 

Aam Mishti Doi

No doubt Kolkata is called the city with a soul.