What is now a huge reservoir for Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand In India, there not so long ago used to be Tehri town at the confluence of Bhagirathi and Bhilangana rivers. A town with hundreds of years of living history was given a watery grave for a mega hydro-electric project despite all hue and cry by activists & environmentalists. This himalayan belt is already a high-seismic activity area. A strong local movement notwithstanding against brute state power driven by strong urge to have development at any cost, Tehri town alongwith more than hundred odd villages was finally submerged in 2005. Today only history remains... Overlooking Submerged History... An account from Sursingh Dhar http://vagabondimages.in/2013/06/14/overlooking-submerged-history/
Read MoreTag: travel
If you don’t like to be alone and secluded in hills, still would like to have some great views than Sursingdhar (close to Chamba in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand in India) is the right place to be. Dense pine forests around will still keep you away from the hustle and bustle of city life. It is a delight for your eyes. Sprawling on the hill towards the left is New Tehri town. After dusk the lights of this young town along with Bhagirathipuram (‘B Puram’ as locals call it) will give you a perfect feel of star gazing. Down further, you can see the Bhagirathi River, more as a mammoth reservoir for the Tehri Dam. Up north-east, you can have splendid view of Chaukhamba and Nanda Devi peaks. Down south you can see hills hiding Devprayag and holy shrine of Chandrabadani. And this all can be e...
Read MoreThe Indian capital New Delhi serves the most economically priced Club Sandwich at an average cost of Rs.494 (approximately $8.47), while Geneva has taken over from Paris as the most expensive city for the classic chicken, bacon, egg, lettuce and mayonnaise sandwich, according to survey. A Club Sandwich in Geneva is available at an average price of Rs.1,652 ($28.34), indicates a research, results of which were released by online accommodation booking website Hotels.com. New Delhi remained the cheapest destination to buy a club sandwich, although several other holiday favourites also appeared under the Rs.850 ($14.58) threshold, including Madrid - Rs.801 ($13.74, Rio de Janeiro - Rs.781 ($13.40) and Bangkok - Rs.640 ($10.98)."The Club Sandwich, available on hotel menus across the globe, i
Read MoreWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is situated to the west of England and for a small country, has a varied and dramatic landscape. It covers just over 20,720 km² - that's about half the size of Kerala. Wales is both beautiful and accessible being only a couple of hours drive from London or cities such as Birmingham and Manchester. The population is three million, with 300,000 people in Cardiff, our capital city. Four universities (of the ten in Wales) and a vibrant population fuel a cosmopolitan city atmosphere. Cardiff Castle stands at the heart of downtown and Edwardian shopping arcades (Britain's first malls) house charming one-of-a-kind shops. Wales is home to 641 castles, more than any other country in Europe. You are encouraged to visit them: climb towers, wal...
Read More
Crescent-shaped beaches dusted with talcum powder-like sand; uninhabited tropical islands, lush impenetrable jungles bristling with unique wildlife, the thrusting soaring capital of Manila, historic cities, a diverse local cuisine and culture …the Philippines has all this and more. Go there and discover some of the 7,107 islands of this vibrant archipelago where English is widely spoken, the people are fun loving and life moves to a lilting beat. The Department of Tourism, Philippines (DOT) has announced that the country recorded a double digit growth of 23.13% in Indian visitor arrivals during the first four months of 2013 as compared to previous year’s volume for the same period. The country established its Tourism Marketing Office in India in 2006. Since then, Indian arrivals to ...
Read MoreKashmir is often referred to as Heaven on Earth and Tulip Gardens at the foothills of Zabarwan hills in Srinagar is one more addition to its glory. It is biggest Tulip Garden in whole of Asia. Spread in area of about 30 hectares, this garden has more than seventy varieties of Tulips in more than 2 million bulbs. Many of these vaieties have been imported from far Europe. Its a colour riot, a sight to behold with picturesque Dal lake in foreground. In just six years, this garden has become darling of tourists coming to Kashmir valley. This garden is in Chashmeshahi area with Botonical garden adjacent to it and many of the Mughal gardens for company in close vicinity. A must see for every tourist coming to India and Kashmir. ...
Read MoreNot like few other hotspots of the area, but a cool place to spend some quite days. Badshah Thaul has a slice of history and an eye on future. It is actually a educational hub with main campus of Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University located right at Badshah Thaul. Just three km ahead at Ranichauri is research centre campus of Pantnagar Agriculture University. Badshah Thaul was historically one of the places, where the (Tehri) king used to have his court (Durbar) whenever he was on move in the area. Hence was derived the name. Now regular local fairs are being held at this place. From Badshah Thaul one can see the hills of Dhanaulti and also the hill where one of the most revered goddess of the region Surkanda Devi is seated. Things to see and do Badshah Thaul is facing ...
Read More
As the name suggests, there has to be a Viraat and also a khai. We have both here. In Hindi, khai is a gorge and that is quite deep here. But word ‘Viraat’ has two meanings. One is big or huge and the gorge here is really worth calling viraat. In that sense, name Viraatkhai seems quite logical. But actually the place Viraatkhai associates itself with king Viraat of Mahabharata, where Pandavas spent last year of their thirteen year exile anonymously. Either ways, located in Jaunsar-Bawar region of Garhwal, Viraatkhai is beautiful to the core and thoroughly adventurous place to be. Located on a pass at an altitude of 1950 mts overlooking Dehradun-Mussorie on one side and Himalayan peaks on other, Viraatkhai is so quiet that you can even hear yourself breathing until a strong wind blows p...
Read MoreEndless pool at 55th floor (200 mts from the surface) at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore! AN Excellent hotel but the pool and park at the top is majestic. Has become a tourist destination within couple of years of launching. Worth a visit! ...
Read MoreRecent death of a Bengali tourist due to cold near Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh, when struck in an unusually heavy snowfall brought to my mind a chilling reminder of that day… or perhaps night when me and my partner could have met the same fate and almost at same place and in similar… or may be tougher conditions. It was by large distance, the toughest night of my life and but for those three kind souls, could have been the last one. 5th July 2005 was intended to be one of the most significant dates in my adventure life, and it indeed proved to be albeit in starkly different context. It also proved, like in this case too, that weather can be too deceptive; it could topsy-turvy all plans and put your entire carefully planned itinerary into waste bin. It could be a cruel joke sometimes.
Read More