lonely planet india

World Heritage City – Ahmedabad

Almost 4 months of a gruelling schedule and a chance to getaway for a couple of days, brought me to Ahmedabad in June 2019.

I had decided to travel by train this time as Ahmedabad is only a night away from Mumbai. Isn’t it amazing that you board the train, have a good night sleep & when you wake up in the morning, you are in your destination city?

My family roots are in Kutcch, a district in Gujarat but barring a visit couple of decades back, I haven’t been there and it is such a shame. Because Gujarat has a rich history and places which I would love to see & explore.

From my first visit to Vadodara & Ahmedabad, being the foodie I am, I vividly remember, the bhakarwadi, fulwadi & the spicy aloo subji & poori lunch we had in Ahmedabad ST depot canteen and of course the amazing sukhdi prasad of Mahudi!

Back to the present (or maybe the recent past), I boarded the train Thursday night & reached early Friday morning. I crossed the Mehmadabad junction & Manipur station – about which I had read in the Gujarati novels. The Leaning Tower of India (Jhulta Minara) are right next to Ahmedabad railway station. Since I was a bit tired after the train journey, I didn’t explore the place. On my way to the hotel, what amazed me was Nashta house peppered across the city! Side note: Travelling within the city is easy with Ola autos available & I checked the fare with the normal auto drivers (most don’t ply on meter) & there wasn’t much of a difference. Getting a public transport at night is a challenge though.

I had planned to go to the Auto Museum on the first day as it was the biggest attraction for me. I have a special love for Vintage Cars! First stop was Vishala for lunch. I had heard a lot about the food – but sadly they do not serve Thali for lunch, only for dinner so I had some Puri Shaak but no match to the one I had at the ST depot years ago :p

The ambience of Vishala is amazing though. It feels like you have entered another world & the surprise find was Vichar – Utensils museum – I really enjoyed looking at all the different types of utensils of yore – specially the opium “kharal” (mortar)

Next Stop – Auto Museum

One of the biggest personal collections of vintage cars, bikes, buggies and utility vehicles, Auto World is a delight for those who love wheels. Amongst the 300 plus menu of mechanical extravaganza, some noted ones stand out; the car that was used in the movie Gandhi and the first May Bach ever made. Visitors can also find rare and wonderful assemblage of vehicles including a Bentley, Lagonda, Rolls Royce, Cadillac, Austin, Jaguar, Mercedes and Auburns.  The 1923 Rolls 20 HP with a typical shooting brake-body by Barker is one of the most fascinating cars from the Rolls Royce cache. The museum has also found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for this amazing collection. Pranlal Bhogilal started the Auto World Museum in his private estate of 2200 acres, Dastan, in 1927, and earned the Guinness Book of World Record listing in 1987 as the owner of the world’s largest private garage. An enthusiast for many years, Bhogilal collected over 204 cars of which 105 are in Ahmedabad. He ensured that all cars were in running condition. Pranlal Bhogilal passed away in 2011 at the age of 73. It is said that in 2006, Ulrich Schmid-Maybach of the illustrious Maybach family flew down to Ahmedabad from Germany to convince Pranlal Bhogilal to sell him a 6-cylinder Maybach that was designed by his grandfather. Bhogilal refused to part with this treasure. (From Gujarat Tourism website)

The entrance of museum is just astounding with a garden, peacocks and squirrels running about and lush greenery. It also has a kids park and a restaurant. The museum also houses the statue of Pranlal Bhogilal. They also offer a ride in the vintage cars for a price.

I had a ball of a time ogling at the gorgeous vintage cars and bikes. The goat cart was absolutely adorable!

Next day started with going to the Hathisingh Kesarisingh Derasar (Jain Temple) – My dad had recommended. Co-incidentally my dad’s name is Kesarsinh :p The Kirti Stambh near the entrance is just magnificient!

Sidi Saiyyad Mosque is known for it’s lattice work windows and known as Sidi Saiyyad ni jaali. The latticework is also inspiration of the logo of IIM Ahmedabad. As I was trying to photograph the latticework, I was shooed away saying women are not allowed in mosques (why this discrimination, why?)

I was famished by then anyway & thinking what to do next – There came a rickshawala to my rescue asking me where did I needed to go – I told him take me where I can have a good breakfast *insert giggle emoji* He took me to the famous Chandravilas restaurant (God bless his soul), from where apparently Amitabh Bachchan also orders breakfast when he is in town. I ordered for a breakfast platter so that I could taste everything – Batata wada, Gota, Khaman, Jalebi & Fafda, washed down with hot milky tea! This was no less than Food for the Gods 😀

Sabarmati Ashram – Was one of the many residences of Mohandas Gandhi. It is built near the banks of Sabarmati river. It’s an opulent and a very charming place. It is interesting definitely as a huge part of Indian history. Lots of political meetings must have been conducted here!

Sarkhej Roza was a surprise find, not heard about it anywhere. It’s a mosque and tomb complex & you can’t wear footwear inside. It was afternoon and feet scalding hot – I couldn’t bear it much & rushed outside only to find that my shoes had become burning hot too! There is a Sarkhej Mahal as well & the backside view has a garden so I had a glimpse of the structure while cooling my feet & my shoes.

Usually when I am on my solo trips, I do not post on Social Media but this time I knew that I wouldn’t be able to post anything after I get back to the grind due to lack of time (Reason I have not been blogging for years now) Thanks to the photos posted, my sister in law came to know I was in Ahmedabad. They were also going to be in Ahmedabad for the weekend so had an impromptu meet planned & thanks to them I got to visit Manek Chowk, for food bingeing! The chocolate cheese sandwich was yuck but the Ghotala Dosa was super yummy (not at all healthy though)

Modhera Sun Temple – Situated 4-5 hours away from Ahmedabad, it is one of the most beautiful temple complex and an example of great architecture of ancient India. No worship is offered in the temple today & the complex is maintained by ASI. It is quite a peaceful place.

Adalaj Stepwell – Rudabai ni vav (vav being stepwell) also known as Adalaj ni vav (since it is in Adalaj) is another architecture marvel. Popular spot nowadays for pre wedding shoots, it is ruined by the pigeons (foul smelling)

Trimandir, Adalaj – All Gods in one place is the concept behind this beautiful complex. Similar complex is being built behind National Park, Mumbai

Creepiest place I have ever seen – A tea shop built over a graveyard! I felt creepy even while taking the pic – how do people manage to eat & drink here? No respect for the dead?

To wash off the creepiness – I went to Agashiye (literally on the terrace) a luxurious fine dine Gujarati Thali – Expensive but the food was worth it! It’s a beautiful hotel & houses a sort of museum of ancient textiles, etc. I would love to stay there overnight one day!

Ending the trip with a bang, what say? Did some shopping for lovely mukhwas in Manek chowk – Do try the keri ni gotli no mukhwas – It was the most amazing purchase. I did want to take home fulwadi – Das Khaman had the yummiest but only a little bit was left over. I also tried the khamni & it was simply mindblowing! I am sure places like Borivali / Kandivali would be stocking such yummy gujju snacks but now will have to wait for the lockdown to get over.

I could not visit many places which I had planned to – Kankariya, Calico Textile Mills, etc. but it is just an excuse to go there again & again!

Today is Gujarat Day too & I wish a Happy Gujarat day to all Gujjus! #JaiJaiGarviGujarat

PS: Though I have written Ahmedabad throughout my post – we rather call it Amdavad. Ahmedabad is a city but Amdavad is an emotion!

Shillong / Cherrapunji, A glimpse of North East – Part Four

Guys, last part in the series! Thank you for bearing with me 😀

Cherrapunji: If any place can be your soulmate, I can say Cherrapunji is definitely the one for me! Anybody who knows me really well, knows how crazy I am about rains! Ever since I was a kid, I have never skipped a chance to get drenched in the beautiful rains!

Cherrapunji is a beautiful place, where it rains through out the year, barring from November to February. I took MTC bus for the day trip, but to really enjoy the place, plan a 2-3 days trip. Specially to go trekking at the double decker living root bridge at Nongriat. I really regret not being able to visit this iconic place. Also, do carry umbrellas, wind cheaters and warm clothing with you.

Mawkdok bridge was the entry point to Cherrapunji. It gave a glimpse of what was lying ahead. Lush greenery, cleanliness and beauty. It was like we had entered an altogether different world!

After stopping for a while to take in all the beauty, relishing a hot cup of tea and a heavy photo session, we moved to Mawsmai Caves. It had started raining and people were reluctant to get down of the bus to visit the caves. But some of us, including me, were very enthusiastic to enjoy the rains and the caves! I might not be bungee jumping kind of adventurous, but this I could very well do 🙂

Mawsmai caves are natural limestone caves. They are lit enough to enjoy the various shapes in the cave. Certain areas inside the cave are narrow, but I could easily crawl through them. It was a thrilling experience specially towards the end of the cave.

Seven Sister Falls: As per the local guide, you need to visit in the monsoon season to enjoy the seven sisters falls in its full glory!

Eco Park: A beautiful park maintained by the Government of Meghalaya. The waterfalls are breathtaking and so is the view of the green canyons! Fun Fact: A black dog started following me just like the little lamb of Mary, a previous birth connection, maybe?

ThangKharang Park: This park is the source of the Kynrem Falls and you can also have a great view of the Bangladesh plains. The park is beautifully studded with various types of trees. It was not very crowded, like Eco Park. The rains continued and I was feeling quite chilly to be able to enjoy the beauty.

Khoh Ramhah / Maw trop: The giant natural rock formation resembles a huge upturned conical Khasi basket. According to legend the fossilized stone basket belonged to an evil giant who troubled the people through his greed and unsocial behaviour. In order to get rid of him, the people offered him a meal mixed with sharp irons and nails which killed the greedy evil giant. The basket which he left turned into a stone approximately 200 ft high.

Ramkrishna Mission Ashram: I was fully drenched by now and also it was raining continuously hence was in no mood to click pics. Since it was Sunday, the school and temple were closed. We did visit the cultural museum on the first floor. A beautiful and lovely jhanki of the north eastern states!

Nohakalikai Falls: By the time we reached the falls, the rains had stopped but it was too windy and i was chilled to the bones! I had a hot cup of coffee and Maggi in a restaurant situated near the falls. The coffee was good but I was still cold. I saw the falls from the gallery of the restaurant itself. The falls are just fabulous and mesmerising!

This was one of the best trip I ever had for more than one reason!

Fun Fact: On the way back to Shillong, the bus was twisting a lot and I lost my grip on the handle and fell inside the bus and here I was hoping to be remembered as a brave girl who came visiting the North East all the way from Mumbai and who was crazy enough to get drenched in the rains, wearing only shorts and a sleeveless top, while others were feeling cozy in their sweaters.

This is not good bye (as he once said to me) but this was just a pause. We will meet soon!!

Shillong / Cherrapunji, A glimpse of North East – Part Three

The more I write about Shillong, the more I ache to go back there. I now know why we say mountains are calling. Also the reason I had to take a break for a while. Monsoon is here in Mumbai, the climate is pleasant and greener. I can now write about Shillong without the urge to fly there.

The Dawki tour was quite exhausting so I decided to take it easy on the next day. After a good breakfast at Madras Cafe, I hired a cab to tour Shillong. The charges are Rs. 1500/- for the tour and Rs. 2000/- if you include Laitlum  Canyons. Worth it, if you are travelling in a group. The cab driver belonged to the Khasi tribe and followed Christianity. He was very chatty and was totally fixated on my weight and my single status. It was annoying but I did not let on as I wanted to know more about the local culture. He was single too and cribbing a lot about Khasi girls, on how city life has ruined them. Also, very proud of the fact that they don’t use much oil or masalas in their food, which helps them be healthy. The Khasi girls are really pretty and strong and the kids super cute! I was too shy to ask them if I could click their pictures. Next time, I hope I have more courage :p

Shillong Tour: Remember that most of the places are closed on one day or the other. Ward’s Lake is closed on Tuesday and Museums are closed on Sunday. So plan your tour accordingly.

Ward’s Lake: Ward’s lake is a horse shoe shaped artificial lake, surrounded by a lush garden. Boating facility also available. It is peaceful in the morning. You could just stroll around the garden, do boating, carry a book and read in peace. The lake is 100 years old but very well maintained. Must visit place.

Right opposite to the Ward’s Lake, there is a rose garden. Don’t miss Nehru’s statue :p

Lady Hydari Park: Lady Hydari Park is named after the wife of the first Governor of Assam. The local name is Ka Phan Nonglait Park and Animal Land. It is a huge and beautiful park. There are lots of varieties of plants, shrubs and trees. You will be welcomed by a heart shaped fountain. There is also a section for kids playground, equipped with slides and swings. There is a small pond, with ducks and pelicans. And the garden also has a mini zoo. The zoo, however is not well maintained and is quite pathetic. Since it was drizzling, could not see all the animals.

Catholic Church: Apparently the first church in Shillong. It’s very beautiful. When I visited, Sunday Mass was going on, hence didn’t go inside the church. The people were sitting outside and singing the hymns. The area surrounding the church is beautiful and peaceful!

Golf Course: Nothing much to see here except the green expanse.

Elephant Falls: As per Mr. Modi, this is a must visit place. But tbh, I have seen better falls. Here there was lots of crowd, it was raining and people were just clicking selfies. Not a very enjoyable moment for me atleast. The falls are divided into three parts..

After Elephant Falls, it was time for Shillong Peak. However, there was lots of traffic on the way to the peak (yep!) So I asked the cabbie to take me to Laitlum instead. We pass lots of small villages on the way to Laitlum. The drive itself is worth it. If you have only one place to go in Shillong, this should be it!

Laitlum Canyons: It’s a beautiful place with a breathtaking view. Nothing to do here except enjoy the view, chill and take lots of pictures. The clouds come anytime so there would be times where you can’t see anything in front of you. Be careful though as accidents can happen here.

Khasi King’s traditional house

The Khasi Hindu Pooja Ritual

Cherrapunji: Part Four 🙂

 

Shillong / Cherrapunji, A glimpse of North East – Part One

It had been a hectic few months and I needed a vacation badly. I booked tickets to Guwahati on my birthday, as a birthday gift to self! Since then I had been planning my itinerary to Shillong. It was supposed to be Sikkim originally though.

In 2017, I was transcribing a docurmentary on Sikkim for a friend and in the process I learnt quite a bit about the state. I had made up my mind to go there for my next vacation. How did I end up in Shillong then? We had Meghalaya day at work for which I did some research and Shillong replaced Sikkim just like that.

While planning my itinerary, I was amazed to know that Nepal and Bhutan were so close to the North East. I mean, you have a general idea but you only realise certain things when you look closely. The distance from Mumbai to North East still did not hit me.

I did no check ins on Facebook. No updates on Instagram or twitter. Not many people knew about my trip. I wanted it to be a social media free trip, a solo travel in the true sense. I had infact deleted all apps (including Outlook – did not want to be bothered by office mails either) But while returning from Shillong, I did check in to Facebook and FB showed me the length of my travel. I shared the pic with my dad.

And then we googled the distance I had travelled. It was 3000 KM! (From the highest point I had travelled, that was Cherrapunji) My dad was amazed that I travelled such a long distance. Though this would not be a big deal for many, consider this, I was not allowed to get in Mulund college & was forced to study in a college in Dombivli because my parents thought I would not be able to travel in train daily. So it *WAS* a big deal for me!

Coming back to my trip..

North East India has always been fascinating for me. Be it the mountains, lakes, culture or history. We have grown up seeing the beauty of the seven sisters, as the north eastern states are fondly called in photographs, movies and documentaries. I was super excited for my trip and kept browsing for places to visit.

This was my final planned itinerary:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I arrived at Guwahati Airport around 1:15 PM. I was welcomed with a glimpse of Assam and it made me look forward to my trip even more!

The departure area has many more pictures depicting Assam. Also, there is a Goodwyn Tea shop from where you can get different types of teas for your friends and there is a handicraft shop, from where I got a gamchha for dad. The sarees are way too expensive though!

View of Saraighat Bridge from air!

Kamakhya Temple – Painting

As I was travelling to the hotel, the first thought was, I am in ASSAM! It was unbelievable! I was in the land of Bhupen Hazarika, Kaziranga National Park and tea plantations! But it was terribly hot & once I reached the hotel, I did not venture out. Just enjoyed lazying in my awesome room! One fantastic fact about Guwahati was that all boards (atleast at the bus stops) are in Assamese. I had to rely on one co-passenger to know where I had to get down. Another fantastic thing is that Ola cabs are easily available in Guwahati.

Guwahati is the common point to go to all the North Eastern states. You can get taxis from the airport for any place you want to go to. In Guwahati itself there are plenty of places to visit. Kamakhya Temple, Brahmaputra River, Umananda Temple, War Cemetry, Saraighat Bridge, etc. Book a hotel in the main market area like Paltan Bazar or GS Road. They are focal points to all the places you may want to visit. There is also a share taxi stand in Paltan Bazar from where you can get a cab to Shillong. (A direct cab ride costs 1500 rupees – Ola outstation works too for going to Shillong) A shared cab may cost 300 – 350 rupees. The cab will drop you at Police Bazar in Shillong.

The drive from Guwahati to Shillong is very scenic and you get to see Lake Umiam (commonly known as Barapani Lake) Sadly, I did not get to take a picture but the view of the lake is breathtaking!

In Paltan Bazar, there is an awesome Oyo Rooms hotel available, Onyx Garden. The ambience was very romantic and there was a mirror on the bathroom door. I just fell in love with the room! The service was very good too. They have varied breakfast options for each day of the week and the morning I was there, it was Aloo Paratha. Quality & quantity totally worth the money!

Police Bazar is the main market area in Shillong. Meghalaya Transport office is also in Police Bazar (Jail Road to be specific) Even though everything would be accessible in Police Bazar, if you want peace & quiet, don’t book your stay here. You can stay in Batti Bazar (Laban)  where I stayed or Laitumkhrah. Both places are around 2.5 KM from Police Bazar. You can get a cab easily from these places to Police Bazar and you can also walk if you wish, taking advantage of the pleasant climate and walk friendly roads.

I stayed in Oyo Homestay in Batti Bazar. It was a decent place and friendly people. I got allotted the best room because I was a solo female traveller :p There were lots of ATMS and shops around. There was also a church (laban presbyterian church) and a school around. It’s more of a residential area, Fun Fact: Swami Vivekananda lived nearby. Unfortunately, I could not have a look of the house he lived in.

View from my room – Woke up to this!

Things I love about hotel rooms – a spacious bed all for myself!

I reached Shillong around 1:30 PM, took a cab to my hotel (50 rupees if you take a “reserved” cab. 10 rupees if you take a shared cab) After freshening up, I went to the Rhino Heritage Museum in Bada Bazar (Lewduh) and then walked towards the Meghalaya Transport Corporation as I had to book tickets for Cherrapunji (I had decided to travel by public transport as much as possible)

The tourist tickets for Shillong / Cherrapunji are available at the Meghalaya Tourist Centre (and not in the main building of MTC) The office is next to Purbashree Emporium (I found it the best place to buy souveniers for friends and family) and Meghalaya Handloom House. The office timings are 7:45 AM to 7 PM in the evening. It is better to book tickets on the previous day. There is also a chance that the trip might get cancelled if there not enough tourists (like the trip to Mawsynram was cancelled as not enough people)

The MTC conducts various tours – Dawki Mawlynnong (500 rupees), Cherrapunji (350 rupees) and Shillong (300 rupees) You can also get cars on hire from them. You can also get private cabs on hire (Plenty of taxi and Sumos near the MTC office) You can share the cab or take one for your own.

Since I was super tired after the Dawki trip, I took a cab next day to explore Shillong. They charge you 1500 rupees for the tour and 2000 if you include Laitlum Canyon.

The day begins very early in the North East. Daylight happens around 4 – 4:30 AM & sunset around 5 PM. The climate is very pleasant and it also rained couple of days I was there. The shops and restaurants close down at around 9 PM. There is a Subway in Police Bazar, You can get north indian chaats and all kind of Indian sweets in the Dilli Mishtaan Bhandar (It is in the lane of Golden Arrow) They do have a seating area, if you want to sit & have a bite. In the morning, you will find lots of tea stalls selling tea and Puri Bhaji. Somehow, didn’t feel like experiencing that. I did find an amazing restaurant in Police Bazar – Madras Cafe. The entry was narrow so I was sceptical, but it is actually a wonderful place for Indian food.

Cherrapunji is rightly the wettest (now second) place on Earth. It is so so beautiful! All you see is mountains, dense trees on the mountains and clouds for miles at stretch. The mountains are peppered with waterfalls. The locals say that the real glory of the waterfalls can be seen from June to August. It rains all times of the year, except for the winter months. It is recommended to stay for couple of days so that you can enjoy the beauty of the place and also can go for the Living Root bridge trekking. Will take atleast 4-5 hours to cover this place.

Even though I was travelling alone, I did not feel lonely. The other tourists on the bus were very friendly and after a while we became one family. When we took a pit stop on the way to Shillong, my purse was locked in the dicky and I wanted to buy a bottle of water. A honeymooning couple let me borrow money to buy it. And they kept asking if I wanted to buy fruits or chips. Once when we got lost in the Mawlynnong village, a South Korean woman (who was also travelling alone) went to search for me and when I wanted to do boating in the Dawki River (They rent the boat and do not take single passengers), one uncle gave up his place in the boat they had already hired so that I can enjoy the boating (I did pay my share of fare though). I also got lots of admiration from fellow travellers and locals when they came to know I was travelling alone & I had come all the way from Mumbai. Most of the tourists are from West Bengal or Guwahati.

As my sisters said, travelling alone is liberating and you get a chance to discover yourself!

Here’s to more travels, more experiences and many more stories to share!!