Adventure travel in India

First full marathon

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:16:22 +0530

at Auroville this sunday.

Disturbing - exotic birds and animals are being hunted to...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:30:05 +0530

Disturbing - exotic birds and animals are being hunted to extinction in Manipur. The vulture in the picture was of a bird weighing 13kg, 4ft high and 2.5meters from tip to tip. And it was ‘presented’ to a member of the legislative council by the hunter! Yes, the tribal people have a right to follow their tradition of hunting, but how long can this go on? What will you hunt when there are no animals or birds to hunt?

Source - link

Mumbai calling

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:44:39 +0530

Running the Half marathon there this weekend.

A touching account on how the Nyishi tribe which once hunted...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:30:05 +0530

A touching account on how the Nyishi tribe which once hunted Hornbills in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh may now be the best hope for their conservation. Nature always has enough for our needs, but not for our wants. Read the excellent picture blog by Arati Rao here.

Vacation!

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:39:44 +0530

Off to Goa for the NYE!

Ajay

eastcoastride: Sad to report that our trip is over before it...

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 10:19:02 +0530

eastcoastride:

Sad to report that our trip is over before it began. With our sponsor backing out at the last moment, we tried every other means - looking to hire a private auto, seeing if any dealer could rent/sponsor, etc. But there aren’t many privately registered autos on the roads. And the margin on autos for dealers is too little for them to afford letting us use one and then write it off. You might think that we could have just hired one of the many autos seen on city roads - but they are registered as commercial vehicles and taking them out of the city, let alone across state borders, is a very risky business. Let’s just say that the cops won’t like it very much. We had a limited time window in which we could do this trip as work and other commitments were keeping us busy in Jan and Feb. Hence, we are having to shelve this plan as of now.

However, the plan is not off completely and I am still on the lookout to arrange an auto for the same trip in the future. But cannot assure when it will happen though.

All is not lost - there are bigger problems in this world - watch this video and try to figure out how an Autorickshaw solves it.

eastcoastride: That’s us - Ajay and Nikhil. We’re buddies from...

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:45:39 +0530

eastcoastride:

That’s us - Ajay and Nikhil.

We’re buddies from college - N.I.T Jaipur and we know eachother from a long time. Here’s a brief on who we are.

Ajay works at a hot startup called mojostreet currently and has been a startupper for more than 3 years. He runs the adventure travel website tripnaksha and also runs a lot with the Hyderabad Runners. He wacky travels include a hitchhiking trip in the north east of India on an extreme budget (Rs. 150 per day including everything!). When he has time to breath, he is planning the next crazy thing he wants to do.

Website, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin

Nikhil Kalyan works at Adobe in Noida currently. He is an IAS aspirant and candidate too. His interest in social sciences led him to start a website called worthview and start traveling too. For him travel is a means to understand cultures and mannerisms. His interest in adventure travel is clear from his two Himalayan expeditions - link1, link2. That he did it on a 2 wheeler is notable.

Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin

Daringbadi is an off the beaten track destination, some view...

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:32:46 +0530

Daringbadi is an off the beaten track destination, some view this place as the ‘Kashmir of Orissa’. It’s a pretty hill station, about 100 km from Phulbani in Kandhamal District, Orissa. Convenient rail-head is Berhampur, 130 kms from Daringbadi. Situated at an altitude of 3000 ft above sea level, the place offers dense jungles, coffee plantations and beautiful valleys.

(source - indiamike, link)

Follow my other blog too :) eastcoastride: Orissa is one of...

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:35:06 +0530

Follow my other blog too :)

eastcoastride:

Orissa is one of only three sites in the world where the mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles occurs. Three beaches in Orissa play host to this amazing natural phenomenon: the Nasi Islands inside Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, and the mouths of the Devi and Rushikulya rivers. In the early 1990s conservationists observed an increasing number of dead turtles being washed ashore along the Orissa coast. But conservation efforts have been stepped up in the last two decades with the Indian Coast Guard increasing regular patrolling and the local population being involved in conservation.

Alas, it won’t be turtle hatching season when we travel in Orissa.

(source - link, link)

Pipli is the capital of applique craft in Orissa. The villagers...

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:33:05 +0530

Pipli is the capital of applique craft in Orissa. The villagers of Pipli produce applique art, a process of cutting coloured cloth into shapes of animals, birds, flowers leaves gods, goddesses and other decorative motifs and stitching them over a piece of cloth. These creations are then fabricated into lampshades, handbags, cushion covers or even garden umbrellas.

(source - link)

Bomkai is a traditional extra weft technique from Orissa woven...

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:36:06 +0530

Bomkai is a traditional extra weft technique from Orissa woven on a pit loom. The village of Bomkai lends its name to the bomkai sari. The bomkai sari was traditionally worn by high-caste Brahmins during rituals and ceremonies making each piece an exclusive one.

(source - link1, link2)

A farmer irrigating his field in rural Orissa. (source - link)

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:32:05 +0530

A farmer irrigating his field in rural Orissa.

(source - link)

A dance in Siribeda village of Orissa India - Dhurwa...

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:31:05 +0530

A dance in Siribeda village of Orissa India - Dhurwa tribe.

Dharua are found in the block of Korukonda of this district. Also these people are seen in the boarding district of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.

(Source - link1, link2)

A shaman, of the Bhumia tribe wearing nail sandals and sitting...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:41:05 +0530

A shaman, of the Bhumia tribe wearing nail sandals and sitting on a nail chair in Majigura village of Orissa.

After Koyas, this tribe occupies the second position in population among tribes in Orissa. Bhumias took part in the freedom struggle of this district and their contribution was an unforgetable event. The Bhumias of Nowarnagpur district have an intriguing custom, since they wish to avoid paying the bride price and also arranged marriage are not welcome. Instead, a boy and a girl in love are encouraged to elope and the marriage is solemnized later.

(Source - link1, link2)

A woman of the Gadaba tribe in Koraput district of Orissa pounds...

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:44:05 +0530

A woman of the Gadaba tribe in Koraput district of Orissa pounds grain by hand.

The word Gadava, signifies a person who carries loads on his shoulders. The tribe call themselves Guthan. The Gadavas are a tribe of Agriculturists, coolies and huntres. The Gadavas are also employed as bearers in the hills and carry palanquins.

(Source - link1, link2)

Odissi, also spelled Orissi, is one of the eight classical dance...

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 21:30:05 +0530

Odissi, also spelled Orissi, is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It originates from the state of Orissa, in eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as Odra-Magadhi. 1st century BCE bas-reliefs in the hills of Udaygiri (near Bhubaneshwar) testify to its antiquity. It was suppressed under the British Raj, but has been reconstructed since India gained independence.

(source - wikipedia)

Built in 1956, Hirakud dam is the world’s largest earthen...

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:40:05 +0530

Built in 1956, Hirakud dam is the world’s largest earthen dam. At 26km, it is also one of the world’s longest. One interesting place to visit nearby is Cattle island - which, as the name suggests is inhabited only by wild cattle.

(source - link)

What muzzles adventure sport in India?

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:51:23 +0530

The government red tape for one. And, the high cost of the sports which most people cannot afford. This article tells more details - link

Barehpani, in the Simlipal national park in Orissa is one of the...

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:41:06 +0530

Barehpani, in the Simlipal national park in Orissa is one of the tallest waterfalls in India. It is a two tiered waterfall with a total height of 399m.

(source - link)

Satkosia is the meeting point of two bio-geographic regions of...

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:35:26 +0530

Satkosia is the meeting point of two bio-geographic regions of India; the Deccan Peninsula and the Eastern Ghats. The area was declared as Satkosia Tiger Reserve in 2007, comprising two adjoining wildlife sanctuaries; the Satkosia Gorge sanctuary and Baisipalli sanctuary.

(source - link)