Shillong,Guwahati, Cherrapunjee - Gems of the 7 sister states

An uncommon path always holds the intrigue and possibility of a great adventure. The idea of exploring new cuisines, topography, culture, language gives the required adrenaline rush!

How about venturing into a land steeped with culture, nature's bounty and pilgrimage?

This is my humble attempt in chronicling my travel to the North Eastern states, hoping it would entice you to experience these on your own.


North Eastern states comprises of the 7 sisters -- Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland -- and the himalayan state of Sikkim. Nature has bestowed its best blessings on these sisters.

Lush greenery greets you right from the moment you step out of the airport and follows you like vodafone, wherever you go.

The topography of the place makes you dizzy and elated at the same time.. The curvy roads definitely calls for a bout of motion sickness but the feeling of breathing in pure air and the weather conditions makes it tolerable.

Gateway to this land of natural beauty is Guwahati, one of the largest growing cities. The connectivity to the airport is excellent. Many flights are direct from New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata or connected via Kolkata.

Guwahati 

Guwahati is home to the Kamakhya Temple, which is a shakti peeth revered by the Hindu customs.

The female reproductive organ is the main deity here. The temple closes for 3 days in a year when the goddess is supposed to be menstruating. The deity is actually in the form of a vagina, which is usually decked up in flowers when you visit. One has to walk down in a crypt, below the main dome, for the darshan.

Normal queue for darshan takes minimum 3-5 hours whereas Rs.500 ticket facilitates the same in 1.5-2 hours.

The legend of the temple traces back to the time where Goddess Sati sacrificed herself in the yagna fire, conducted by her father- Daksha Prajapati. She was appalled by the disrespect shown to her husband by her father , which made her step into the auspicious fire.

Lord Shiva retrieved her body from the flames, after his massive forces destroyed everyone present. He then held her body and danced the Tandav- Destruction dance. Lord Vishnu who was mighty concerned, disambulated her body by the help of his Sudarshan Chakra.

Various bodily parts scattered all over the Earth. Her vagina fell here and thus has been revered in the form of a shakti peeth (strong and powerful place of worship)


Shillong 

Termed as the "Scotland of the East" due to its topographical similarity to Scotland. 
The rolling hills, The flora and fauna spouting out of everywhere,  the enriched tribal culture etc makes it an interesting getaway,

Its a 3 hour drive from Guwahati which has curvaceous roads and hills. You can shop for local cane products and taste the local khasi cuisine. The temperature is simply cool and pleasant.. The massive traffic jams are the only hitch in this place. 

Its like Venice but on hills.. super curvaceous city. Amazement at the construction on difficult terrain is sure. 

There are many picturesque spots to be visited. Elephant falls is one of the gems found after a 20 min drive from the city centre. Elders can slowly and comfortably walk till the waterfall area. 

Elephant Falls

Umiam lake should be the next stop for clicking pictures,savouring hot tea and gorge on freshly roasted corn on cobs. 

Umiam Lake

Khasi woman selling corn on cob!

The Don Bosco cultural centre is a 7 storied museum which provides in-depth knowledge about the 7 sister states. Each floor is dedicated to various aspects of the people living here. Worth spending 1 hour here. Also, the terrace features a Sky walk which gives the bird's eye view of Shillong city. 

Shillong boasts of quirky cafes and restaurants, making your taste buds very vey happy.

One such place is City Hut Dhaba, situated in police bazar. Quirky Decor -- Usage of huge cutleries as wall decor, keeping food grains in small sacks as counter deco, ducks in its waterfalls etc.-- and Dal Makhani to die for. The waiting time for tables will be worth it. 

Dylan's Cafe is the coolest place to hang out in town. Its dedicated to the legendary singer. Record discs welcomes you and encourages you to leave your mark by the form of ceiling art. Yes, you can show your creativity on the armstrong tiles. The food is lip smacking good!

Dylan's Cafe

Shillong cafe is the perfect watering hole. You can indulge in a round of pool/billiards and take the bottoms' up! 

Ri Kynjai is the upscale resort situated on the umiam lake. The name means "serenity by the lake" in the local Khasi language, and trust me, it is true! 

Beautifully made out of wood and cane products, the resort is the perfect getaway with family to bond and chill while soaking the nature's beauty. 

A small pathway makes the trek till the lake easy. The rooms are massive (base category) for the pricing. However, the food is kinda below average.

The Spa is a must do! 

Cherrapunjee

Dubbed as the "wettest place on the planet". 

Had only read about this place in my geography text book in school and now, standing on the place was a great adrenaline kick. You actually feel on top of the world. 

Clouds play hide and seek and the weather tends to be unpredictable.. It is advisable to carry an umbrella.

The 7 sisters waterfall is a delight to behold! The monsoon time brings out the beauty in its full glory. 

The Mawsmai caves feature stalactites and stalagmites ( icicle- shaped formation that hangs front he ceiling of a cave and protrude from the floor of the cave. It is produced by precipitating minerals from water dripping through the cave's ceiling). 

Mawsmai Cave

Venturing inside is strictly not for elders and claustrophobic people. However just viewing the entrance is good enough to admire mother nature's charm.

Its a 2 hour drive from shillong. You will be amazed at the condition of the roads, so smooth. 

Seven Sisters Waterfall

Guess, i have provided sufficient information and motivation for you to head east. Additional bonuses include, hogging piping hot hill station wali maggi, innumerable photo opportunities and to try something new. 

Thanks for reading, 

Lotsa love, 

Seeking a new adventure now....

Anu 

Gokarna, Murdeshwara and Idgunji. Devotion by the Sea!

Admiring the sunset's hues with clear sand beneath your feet and intense happiness and peace within yourself! Doesn't it sound amazing and stress free?? Break out of reverie, grab those back packs and keys to your car along with wallet and drive away on a scenic road which leads you to spirituality and peace....

A vivid memory streaked past when my parents mentioned the pilgrimage trip to Idagunji, Gokarna and Murdeshwara. I was nostalgic with the prior trips taken with family and relatives. The adrenaline of driving through lush greenery and curvaceous ghat section was overwhelming. Immediately, i confirmed the plan and went along... Presenting you, the Gems of Coastal Karnataka..

 

Idagunji

A huge Kaman (entrance) on the left side of the state highway, proudly proclaims the tiny hamlet of idagunji with its resident deity, Lord Ganesha.

The legend of this temple is a simple story of the fulfilment of devotee's prayers by the generous lord. 

 On the onset of kali yuga , sages feared the unknown evils which would be associated with the era and hence performed severe austerities in order to negate it. However, many obstacles besieged this quest, rendering it incomplete. 

Celestial sage Narada, tried to reinstate  this penance by convincing mother Parvati to send her son, Lord Ganesha to the designated spot and give his blessings. But, was refuted by mother parvati owing to the dangerous nature of the place (it had many elephants and other wild animals). 

Narada then set out to lure the lord himself by making him eat a special kind of laddu made by 5 elements, specific to that region, named as PANCHAKHADYA.

Lord Ganesha loved it so much that he requested for more. Narada being very crafty, mentioned that only if he stood over the puja site and blessed it for eternity, he would get more of them. 

Thus, the Lord consented to reside over there provided the laddu being offered as prasadam everyday!!  The chief priest of the temple chuckled and recited this story to us and proudly showed us the magical prasadam which will be offered everyday till eternity!

The diety is a swayambhu (self generated/self made) which dates back to almost 4th century BC and is in the standing position with 2 hands. This sets it apart in legend and in devotion. Also, it is a form of bal ganesh/ child ganesh. The charm of the deity instantly makes your heart fill with awe, devotion and positivity.

Every wish made surely gets fulfilled here.

How to reach there and accommodation:

The nearest big railway station is Hubli. It is a 4 hour drive from there. Idagunji falls in honnavar district and is just 17 kms away from the sea side town of murdeshwara.
Accommodation is available at honnavar ( 14 kms ) or at murdeshwara (17 kms) away.


Gokarna

4 beautiful and serene beaches along with a centuries old shiva temple (which is supposedly the atmalinga of the Lord) is what makes gokarna a auspicious place and a getaway spot. Gokarna means the cow's ear and has a interesting legend associated. 

This is the current hippie/foreigner destination in karnataka. You will find lots of foreign tourists on a bliss holiday.  The market place has interesting knickknacks,such as- leather bags, trinkets, beach wear, junk jewellery etc, for purchase. 

The lore recounts a tale featuring Ravana, King of Lanka and Lord Ganesha. 

Ravana was a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva and once, was granted a atmalinga (self statue)  by the god himself. The only condition was that he wasn't supposed to place it on any ground before he reached Lanka and installed it on the designated spot. 

Other Gods panicked and approached Ganesha to prevent it from reaching Lanka. They feared the might of Ravana might increase even further. 
Lord Ganesha appeared in front of Ravana as a cowherd and magically transformed the sky,from noon to dusk. 

Ravana always worshipped Shiva at sunset and thus was perplexed what to do now?. He spotted the cowherd and requested him to hold the atmalinga  till he returns back after a bath in the river.  He strongly cautioned him not to keep in on the ground under any situation. 

The cowherd promised him, he will yell ravana's name once before keeping it down. Cunningly, he gave a soft call and kept it down. When Ravana found out what transpired, he was mighty furious and tried to move the atmalinga by using his full force. 

Few fragments of it, dislodged and flew away to a place wherein a temple dedicated to the fragments still stands. It is called Murdeshwara. 


How to reach and accommodation : 

Gokarna is almost 3 hours drive from hubli. this is the nearest airport as well. 

Konkan railways runs a train from mumbai to gokarna station. for other places, kindly google. It's advisable to drive through the beautiful countryside. The accommodation ranges from top notch 5 star resort of swaswara, medium ranged resorts like sanskruthi and modestly priced namaste cafe and home stay. 

Would highly recommend visiting namaste cafe. Perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee/ beer while viewing the sunset. BLISS! 

Murdeshwara





















The presiding deity, Lord Shiva, makes his presence felt from afar. His gigantic sculpture looms over the small temple town of murdeshwara. 

On the shore of the Arabian Sea, you will find families enjoying in the waves on the beach after offering their prayers in the temple. The temple's legend has been mentioned above. The temple has a huge courtyard featuring other gods as well. 

Gopuram, the traditional south indian temple door, is a massive 18 floor structure, which lends supreme aura and character to the temple. You can travel to the 18th floor by paying the lift charges of Rs.10/-
The beautiful view of the sea and the shiva idol arrests your attention and makes you lunge for your cameras and mobile phones.

There is a museum of statues beneath the shiva sculpture which tells a mythological story. 

How to reach and accommodation: 

RNS residency is the best option here. Rooms are decently priced and the view from them are phenomenal. One night stay is highly recommended here.. Soak in the moonlight sprayed across the sea and gaze at the beautiful stars! 

Hope you liked my post about my sojourn. Do write to me about what you liked, disliked and suggestions. Also, advise if i should keep writing more on travel topic.. 

Love, 
Anu

The charm of luxury vacations...

Google defines luxury as a state of great comfort or elegance, especially when involving great expense. When money isn't an issue (even post demonetisation) and the need for relaxation in a huge spacious area with unlimited benefits is your thing, then luxury vacations are a must for you! 

Vacation is the best way to destress, create happy memories, innumerable photo opportunities, gastronomical journey and so on.. 
You can lounge in your casual wear and be at ease with your true self.
 Now, you may ask why the need for spending so much on a room wherein you can do the trip with a lesser budget! 

True that !! 

This is my feeble attempt to highlight the features!

The ROOM -- Imagine a huge sprawling living room welcoming you with its brightly coloured cushions, chandeliers/state of art lighting, gigantic television with a printed menu of programmed channels, a side bar area/dining table for digging in your room serviced food without messing the sleeping area, a humongous bed ( imagine king+queen bed makes it royal bed ) with excellent turndown service, a walk in closet along with a private safe and an adjoining bathroom which gives you an awesome feel of doing your ablutions in luxury! 

Whether it is the sunken bathtub or the private shower cubicle with best complimentary essentials ( ex: forest essentials), or the additional sit out in the balcony,overlooking a beautiful landscape or just the kick of getting free knick knacks like pastries, fresh fruit and sweets ! 

The housekeeping personnel are like magical elves who keep everything spick and span! some even make interesting swans and elephants out of towels and place them on your bed !! 
Be ready to inhale rose petals smells and see beautiful arrangements when the hotel discovers you are on a special occasion trip :) 

The extra space gives you tremendous breathing space, cozy corners and value for money!

The Property -- Manicured lawns, smiling and courteous personnel wishing you during your stroll, beautiful and artistic locations wherein you can click pics and get those tons of likes on FB! The ease of checking in and checking out.. the golf cart rides and beautiful pathways for your serene walk..

Private pools -- The best feature money can buy/rent ! :) ideal for couples looking for some wicked fun! this is the latest trend in the hottest properties around. 
advisory warning- avoid winter time while booking this since none of them are heated pools.. Splash around with your special someone or indulge in a water volleyball match with family! 
In India, Serai - chikmagalur, Orange County ( Hampi,Kabini and Coorg), Leela Goa are good places with private pools.

The Food -- Chefs go out of the way to accommodate all your requests.. The spread of buffet and taste is so good that you want to overstuff yourself! The room service delivers your food with aplomb! Proper cutlery meets brilliant packaging!

Privacy -- Luxury places offer you the perfect serene environment with good crowd. You can be assured of a good guest list owing to the high price tag ( am not being racist here)! Discretion is the middle name of the staff who wouldn't disturb you until you call for them!

However, as life isn't bed of roses, similarly luxury vacations have many cons as well..


Price Tag : Its definitely not for the faint hearted! imagine paying minimum Rs.25,000-30,000 (plus taxes) for a single night! It works out best for people who are likely to be more indoors and use the facilities than for adventurous sorts! basically, for sloth bears :) 

Pricey Food and Beverage : Most properties (like leela and orange county) have a american plan system wherein the buffet breakfast,lunch and dinner are included for a small fee or with the room. In case, this isn't available, best way is to get a takeaway for at least one meal from outside. If the resort is on extreme outskirts then no option but to opt for the food plan. 

Also, if you are a avid drinker and love your 3-4 pegs or just want to have some fun... smuggle a bottle and coke tins/soda inside your room ! it just isn't practical to spend Rs.350 on a can of soda/coke! 

2 peg in room (with ice bucket on request) and 2 peg in their lounge will balance your wallet's status :) 

Veg food jugaad : places abroad have lesser varieties for vegetarians and in Indian Cuisine. My Hack is to carry a packet of haldiram's bhujia and relish it with bread and ketchup available in the hotel! Problem solved, happy tummy!

Instant food packs like sambhar rice, pav bhaji,bhel puri etc from haldiram's, MTR and priya are your best friends when you travel and also, if you wish to save few bucks! 

Its not wrong to be cost effective while being extravagant! :P (quite an oxymoron)

Some of the fabulous properties can be listed as : 

Atlantis - Dubai 

Orange County - Kabini, India

Kurumba - Maldives

Park Hyatt-- Hyderabad

Hyatt -- Hyderabad 

Westin Villa --Langkawi

Nusa Dua hotel and spa - Bali 

If you need any additional info about any of these hotels or generally, pls do comment :) will be happy to help !!

thanks for reading ! :) 

Love, 

Anu !