Travel Blog

São Bento: Train Station in Oporto (Porto)

2010-05-03T07:18:00.001-07:00

The São Bento train station in Porto is one of the most beautiful sights to visit in Porto. During my visit to Porto, the train entered this station from a tunnel just after giving us a really nice view on the bridges of Porto and river.

Tunnels at Sao Bento

The snap of the tunnels gives an idea of how old these tunnels are. They remind me of the tunnels on the Mumbai Pune train route, especially the tunnel just after Thane while traveling on the fast track towards Dombivili. A clear distinguishing feature of the train stations in Portugal is the amount of ceramics and tile art present in these stations.

At Sao Bento

The above snap is one such wall near the entrance/exit of the train station. The top portion of the wall has a beautiful tile art of a village scene where the people are welcoming a steam train. The colors were really beautiful but I was a bit upset as the one with most colors was at the top of the wall. The ones on the wall accessible and clearly visible were blue in a white background depicting various scenes.

Tiles at Sao Bento

The above snaps shows a typical village scene with bulls working on the farm. On getting out of the station one can see even more tile works such as that seen in the picture below.

At Sao Bento train station

Important Websites:

The most important website is Visit Portugal. The places to visit in Porto is available here.
For the trains cp.pt website is the site I found the most useful

Grasse - Town of Perfumes in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

2010-02-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

Grasse is a town in the French Riviera known for its perfumeries. There are various ways in which one can reach Grasse from Nice. On weekdays there are direct buses from Nice; the timetable of these buses can be obtained from Transport Alpes Maritimes (TAM) website which runs buses in this area. Grasse is also connected by Train from Nice; In my second trip to Grasse I took the train which came from Ventimiglia to Grasse at the Juan Les Pins station. The bus station at Grasse is close to the perfume shops and museums.

From Grasse

As shown in the above picture a beautiful road from the bus station leads to the museums and perfume shops. There are three main perfumeries in Grasse.

Way to Perfume Factories in Grasse

At any junction you will find directions to each of these three main perfumeries. At times it can get confusing as some of these brands have more than one shop in Grasse.

Perfume Museum at Grasse

I had visited Grasse on the 26th of December, hence, most of the shops were closed and the tourism office was also closed for the Christmas vacation. Luckily the town is small and while walking down from the Bus Station (last Bus Stop in Grasse), we can see the Perfume Museum. The museum was also closed for the vacation, however the Fragonard factory was open.

Fragonard the Painter

The Fragonard brand of perfumes was named after Fragonard the painter. Call it coincidence or excellent branding by the founder that he chose to brand his/her perfumes after a painter whose name will give you an impression that Fragonard is the root for the word fragrance. The factory is a must visit as they and tours are conducted in English and French.

Using fat to absorb the flower essence.

Distill the essence

Filter the essence

Bottle the perfume with alcohol

The above snaps shows the various stages of producing a perfume in the olden days. The flowers or petals were placed in a sheet of odourless fat which absorbed all the aromatic compounds in the petals. The sheet was then distilled and the essence filtered and bottled with alcohol.

Galimardi Store

Along with the Fragonard brand the streets of Grasse are full of stores of various other brands.

From Grasse

The view from Grasse is also breathtaking as one can see the hills and the sea shore of Cannes. The train station is close to the base of the chimney in the above picture. TAM has various buses to Grasse; Bus Number 600 from Cannes, 500 from Nice and 530 from Gare Valbonne Sophia Antipolis (GVSA). The timings can be obtained from the TAM website.

Elephant Falls, Shillong, Meghalaya

2009-11-05T02:59:00.000-08:00

I realised that I had taken a few videos during my visit to the Elephant Falls in Shillong Meghalaya.

The videos are as follows. The first video is from the top of the falls.

The second one is from the bottom of the falls.

Vyas Mandir, Haridwar

2009-10-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

The Vyas Mandir is a an Ashram situated on the banks of the river Ganga at Haridwar. One can visit the Vyas Mandir, which is on the banks of the River Ganga from Haridwar Station using the following route.

Haridwar Railway Station to Vyas Mandir

Please mention Vyas Mandir or Saptarshi Mandir to the auto-rickshaw driver. The distance from Haridwar Railway station is about 7 to 10 k.m. depending on the route taken. I had visited Vyas Ashram a few days before my convocation at Delhi and being the month of August I had to face a similar music from the weather as I did during my trip to Meghalaya.

I had visited this Ashram in 1998 after my 10th exam and it was a memorable one as I had witnessed the heat of Delhi and the cool feeling of water being sprinkled on floor mats at the Taj Mahal. The temple and the rooms of this place were intact and so was the गोशाला (Goshala)

The temple, an अष्टकोण (Octagon), has ऋषि वेदव्यास (Veda Vyasa) as the deity. The idol of Veda Vyasa can be seen in the above picture. The entrance is to the temple complex is towards the right, and the walking path shown here has the other end leading to the Ghats on the banks of the river Ganges.

The above snap is a panoramic photo of the river Ganges as seen from the Ghats near the Vyas Mandir. The brown color of the water along with the green banks shows the freshness and life this river brings to the Indian subcontinent.

While returning to the temple one can see the नवग्रह (Nav Graha Temple) present in the same temple complex. The last time I had visited this place, this was still under construction. On the left side are the flower beds and other plants which are used in most of the day to day rituals in the temple.

The best time to visit Haridwar is during the winter, just before the water begins to the recede for the summers. However, the rainy season has its own charms and if you are a lover of the smell of damp leaves and the wet mud, then the best time to visit any place is the rainy season.

Shree Ramnathi Temple, Loutolim, Goa

2009-10-03T07:00:00.001-07:00

The Ramnathi Temple was originally situated in Loutolim before it was shifted Bandivade in Ponda. According to the locals, a new temple has been built on the location of the old temple. This place is very close to the Madgaon Railway station and one needs to take only a small diversion of about 4-5 k.m. from the Madgaon Ponda road, i.e., NH 17B. Some of the details can be obtained from the map shown below.

Madgaon to Loutolim

The temple has no idols, as the main idols have been shifted to the Ramnathi Temple at Bandivade, Ponda, Goa.

There are photographs of the idols and one very distinct portrait (just below the frame having the picture of Ramnathi) of a God with a snake around his neck. It could be Lord Shiva or one of his Ganas. I have never seen such a portrait and would like to get its details.

There are no rituals performed in this temple (at least as far as I know) but this place has a very historical significance.

Mahalakshmi Temple, Ponda, Goa

2009-09-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

The Mahalakshmi temple is one of the few temples in Goa, that allow the devotees to perform the Abhishek of the Goddes. Normally, such as in the Ramnathi Temple, one can only bring the water from the well for the Laghurudra and other Abhishekas. However, one can perform this ritual only in the morning from 8 to say about 9 and its better to take permission at least a day before to ensure avoiding any inconveniences.

The temple is usually entered from the back-side from the road coming from the
Shantadurga temple.

The temple as in the case of most temples in pastel shades which is somewhere between saffron and peach. This is a nice shade and matches well with the greenery and creates a soothing effect to the eye.

The DeepStambh and the main entrance is on the other side. The Deep Stambh is small, however, it is one of the few DeepStambhs which are not fully white.

The lake which is mandatory for all the temples in the temple complex, is located behind the rooms. Some of the halls are located near the Deep Stambh. I would like to say that the rooms in the Mahalakshmi temple are far superior and better maintained than those found in other temples. Further, they also have air-conditioned rooms and the rates are much less that what one spends even for a simple room in a lodge (and much much less compared to hotels) in Goa.

The side of the temple, close to the entrance which people normally take, also has the chariot of the temple. This is a really huge one and the covered can be seen on the right hand side of the above picture.

Nageshi Temple, Ponda, Goa

2009-09-12T01:27:00.000-07:00

The Nageshi Temple is one of the few temples in the Ponda region where one gets to see the snakes in the temple lake. The last time I had visited this place, the snakes were resting in the water and appeared to be glancing at the people crossing the lakes. The entrance to this temple from the Mahalakshmi temple makes one cross the lake; hence, after visiting the Mahalakshmi temple I was looking forward to taking a few snaps of the snakes in this lake as one hardly gets to see snakes. This time however, I was not able to see the snakes; may be the heat had forced them to go to the cooler and deeper areas of the pond.

The above snap is of the Lake at Nageshi temple. After crossing the lake, the DeepStambh and the main entrance of the temple complex can be seen (as shown in the next snap).

The temple appears smaller than the other temples in this region but is really beautiful and quiet.

It might seem a bit inappropriate but I cant help it -- the canteen of this temple is one of the major attractions as the food served in the canteen (at least as of July 2009) was the best compared to all the canteens in this regions.

Shree Ramnathi Temple, Ponda

2009-09-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Ramnathi Temple, also known as the Shanteri Kamakshi Temple, is situated close to the Shantadurga Temple at Kavelim.

Temple Entrance:

Most of the people visiting this temple enter the temple from steps connecting the car parking to the temple office; the temple canteen is close to these steps. However, the actual entrance is a parallel to this entrance, and has the temple lake (each temple in Goa has lake attached to the temple for various rituals).

The above snap is of this entrance. An arc on the left hand side of this snap is the entrance to this lake

Deep Stambh at Shanteri Kamakshi Temple:

As with the other temples in Goa, the Ramnathi temple has a Deep Stambh which welcomes you on arrival. This is a nice place to rest after a long walk around the temple complex or after the circumambulation of this temple. The Ramnathi temple office is situated right next to the Deep Stambh.

The main temple entrance is surreal and as the renovation works were recently completed, the colours on the walls were bright and shining with the sun.

Betal and Kalbhairav Temple:

There are a large number of rooms for staying in the temple complex; some of these rooms can be seen right after the Betal and Kalbhairava Temple (building with blue sheets in this photo). These rooms offer a nice view of the temple complex. The next two photos are of the view from one such room.

Circumambulation of the Shanteri Kamakshi Temple:

The next three snaps were taking while circumambulating the main Ramnathi Temple. The first one was taken while walking from the room towards the various halls where various poojas and marriages are performed. On the right of this photo are the various rooms and the Betal and KalBhairvav Temple.

The next snap is of the backside of the Ramnathi temple. The entrance to the various halls is on the right side of this snap. This temple was among the first temples to build rooms for visitors, hence the whole temple complex is full of rooms and halls

The next snap is of the other side of the temple complex, leading to the main entrance and the office. The well which is exactly in the centre of this image, is used to fetch water for the various Abhishekas in the temple.

Temple of the Kula Purushas At Ramnathi:

The Ramnathi temple also has a few temples of the Kula Purushas or the first family of the various families that have Ramnathi or Shanteri Kamakshi as their Kula Devata, or Family Deity. Each temple, has an idol of the main family and a Shiva linga for that family. These temples are generally not visited by most of the people, the reason of which I do not know. This time, however, I made it a point to at least see the room where my Kula Purusha temple was.

Palki at Ramnathi Temple:

Every monday the Palki of the deities is taken out for a circumambulation of the temple complex. I was fortunate enough to see this, however, due to the rains, the procession was taken only in to the hall in the main temple. As it was the month of Shravan, there were a huge number of people who attended this ceremony.

While returning I could not resist taking a snap of the Deep Stambh or the Light Tower at the night. These kind of towers served as the light houses for the travellers and other people visiting this area.

In general this visit to Goa, despite being a short one was really fulfilling and relaxing, partly because I had my camera and could concentrate on the colours and see the magic played by the clouds on the shades of the temple complex.

Shree Shantadurga Temple, Kavelim, Ponda

2009-09-05T05:16:00.000-07:00

The Shantadurga Temple is located at Kavelim (Kavle), a few kilometers from Ponda, Goa. This is one of the temples, which are located in the Ponda region of Goa which is home to a large number of temples. The temple is the home of the Kaivalya Math (or the Kavle Math). The temple complex is a large temple complex and one gets to see a large number of flower vendors and vendors with conch shells of sizes one gets to see in mythological pictures.

The first snap is of the panoramic view of the Shantadurga Temple complex.

On the left is the Deepa Stambh. Behind the Deep Stambh is the temple office and the main temple is at the center. The room are located on the three sides of the temple, on of which is seen on the bottom right part of the image. Circumambulation of this temple gives a nice view of the thick forest covering this temple, showing how difficult it was to locate and access this temple complex in the olden days. One common aspect of most Goan temples, is the presence of the Deep Stambh or the Tower of Light. This is typically an octagonal tower with provisions for lamps on each of the faces of this multi-storey tower.

The temple is closed to the Ponda Bus Stand and is well connected by buses. There is an auto-rickshaw stand as well at the bus stop and most of the auto drivers willingly come to this temple complex. However, at night commuting from might be problematic.

Ponda Bus Stand to ShantaDurga Temple

Lakshman Jhula (लक्ष्मण झूला) at Rishikesh

2009-08-15T05:51:00.000-07:00

On the banks of the Ganga at Rishikesh, is the famous Lakshman Jhula (लक्ष्मण झूला). It is a suspension bridge built at the place where Lord Lakshmana, the younger of Sri Ram, crossed the Ganga after performing penance to cleanse the sins for killing Indrajeet (Meghanada), the son of Ravana and husband of Sulochana (daughter of Shesha Naga). I am not sure about the reason for the penance as killing a Brahman, as the myth goes, does not justify the reason for the penance. May be it was out of respect for Ravana's father, Vishrava, or out of respect towards Sulochana and the pious Mandodari (Ravana's wife and Indrajeet's mother). Digressing from the historical/mythological significance of this place, another importance is that near the Lakshman Jhula is a temple of Sri Lakshmana in which he is standing alone. This, as far as I know, is the only place where Sri Lakshmana is without Lord Rama and Devi Sita. The Lakshman Jhula, as shown below, is surrounded by a large number of temples, which as far as I know have no historical significance.

Lakshman Jhula at Rishikesh

The Lakshman Jhula offers a breathtaking view of the the foot of the Himalayas and though the force of mother Ganga is nothing comparable to what it is near Dev Prayag, her power and the serenity this place offers reminds one that she should be revered and respected. The next two pictures are of the panoramic view captured while standing on the Lakshman Jhula. The first one shows a panoramic view while viewing in the direction of Dev Prayag, or Gangotri, i.e., the source of the Ganges. On the left one can see some of the debris and plastic waste, highlighting the total disrespect of this beautiful river. On the right, is a saffron colored multi-storey symbol of blind faith. Each storey is supposed to cleanse one sin, and when one enters the highest storey, the trustees of the temple mention that one has attained Shiva's abode.

Panoramic view from the Lakshman Jhula while viewing in the direction of Dev Prayag

The next picture also has beauty combined with the disrespect shown by us towards this river. The banks are full of plastic waste and bottles and cans used to fill the Ganga water. Though, if one can try to ignore (I recommend one should not) this mess, one is drenched in the serene beauty this place has to offer.

Panoramic view from the Lakshman Jhula while viewing in the direction of Haridwar

I tried to capture how the beauty of this place can mesmerize one in the following picture. Looking at the hills one can ignore the constant gongs being generated by people who have entered the multi-storey trap; one is lost in the calmness the clouds and trees have to offer. The hills and each breath of the damp mud brought with it flashes of the the various stories of Ruskin Bond and a made me feel each word of the famous quote by Rudyard Kipling,"And the last puff of the day wind brought from the unseen villages, the scent of the damp wood-smoke, hot cakes, dripping undergrowth, and rotting pine cones. That is true smell of the Himalayas, and once it creeps into the blood of a man, that man at the last, forgetting all else, will return to the hills to die".

The breath taking view offered while entering the Lakshman Jhula.

One end of the Lakshman Jhula has a temple of Adi Badrinath, a place where pilgrims can offer their prayers when the Badrinath temple is closed for the winter.

Adi Badrinath temple near Lakshman Jhula.

Further, the Adi-Badrinath temple offers assistance to all those who wish to travel the 4 dhams: Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, by foot from Rishikesh.

Rudraksha Tree at Vyas Ashram Haridwar (रुद्राक्ष - rudrākṣa)

2009-08-15T05:10:00.000-07:00

The Vyas Mandir (व्यास मंदिर) established by Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji of the Kashi Math had a large number of Rudraksha (रुद्राक्ष - rudrākṣa) saplings planted during its initial years. By Gods grace, in August 2009, I was able to visit this temple and I was greeted by two large Rudraksha Trees near the temple entrance. The tree takes about 15 to 18 years to take full shape. As shown in the picture below, it a really big tree.

Rudraksha Tree at Vyas Mandir, Haridwar

The flowers of this tree are very small and grow in bunches; the size is comparable to the size of a toddlers finger. The flowers in this 30 acre ashram attracts a large number of visitors which includes a variety of insects including the honey bee. I have used the honey bee in the following picture to give a comparison of the size of the Rudraksha flower.

Rudraksha Flower and Honey Bees at Vyas Mandir, Haridwar

The fruit of the Rudraksha Tree is considered auspicious. Further, some believe that the Rudraksha beads exhibit both dimagnetism and paramagnetism; however, I was unable to find a research paper supporting this statement. The following picture shows some blooming flowers and some with the fruit of the Rudraksha tree.

Rudraksha Flower and Fruit at Vyas Mandir, Haridwar

One can visit the Vyas Mandir, which is on the banks of the River Ganga from Haridwar Station using the following route. Please mention Vyas Mandir or Saptarshi Mandir to the auto-rickshaw driver. The distance from Haridwar Railway station is about 7 to 10 k.m. depending on the route taken.

Haridwar Railway Station to Vyas Mandir

Shree Kshetra Narayanpur (श्री क्षेत्र नारायणपुर)

2009-07-05T05:36:00.000-07:00

An impromptu visit to Narayanpur was possible because of my cousin who came to Pune last week. My parents were pondering on a place to visit when Narayanpur flashed across our minds almost simultaneously - guess this is what is called Gods will. We left Pune in the afternoon and took the New Katraj tunnel and reached Kapurwahal, a few minutes from Shirwal. Here a huge arc on the left side of the road (if coming from Pune) indicates the way to Shree Kshetra and the new Balaji Temple. (There are two other routes to Narayanpur from Pune: One from Kondhwa and the other from Hadapsar. These can be clearly seen from the map below. Further, Saswad is well connected from Swargate Bus Depot and taxis and Narayanpur is about 10 k.m. from Saswad.)

The road is really scenic and its beauty was decorated by some showers that welcomed us. I had not driven on this road, nor did I know that the Purandar Fort was just a few minutes drive from the Narayanpur Temple. (On the lighter side my third standard geography book with the talukas of Pune flashed before my eyes on seeing the mile stone indicating Purandar). However, we did not venture out to the fort and headed straight to the Dattatreya (दत्तात्रेय) temple. The temple was clean and the preparations for Guru Purnima were on full throttle. There was not much of crowd to view the Padukas of Lord Dattatreya, which according to the Shree GuruCharitra (श्री गुरूचरित्र), was placed here by the Lord before leaving for his Samadhi.

A very old temple of Lord Shiva next to this temple. The stone carvings inside the temple, especially the carved ropes on the octagon shaped pillars that were holding the Garbha Gudi, reminded me of the Kamakya temple of Guwahati. The Shiva linga, as usual, was below the floor level. The size of the Shiva Linga in this temple is smaller than those present in the modern day temples. It is so small that there was a glass placed on some flowers to ensure that mischeavous devotees do not touch the linga. There was no lighting, and a small oil lamp was placed beside the linga; the flowers ensuring that the lamp does not run out of air.

After the darshan we came out from the side entrance (shown above) for a circumbulation of the temple campus. On reaching the back side of the temple, the hill ranges of which the Purandar fort is a part of became visible to us. We then walked back to our vehicle and left for the Balaji temple. However, due the heavy crowds and the rain, we decided to head back to Pune.

The rains however did not follow us to Pune. The scenic nature of this place in this season is making me plan another trip; possibly to the Khandoba Temple, at Jejuri which is near Saswad.

ISKCON Temple - New Delhi

2009-04-25T01:58:00.000-07:00

After visiting the Lotus Temple we (my father and I) decided to visit the ISKCON temple. I had first visited this temple with Debdoot and Praveen just before leaving for the internship. I didn't have a camera as I bought one only after my internship as I had decided not to touch my salary account and live on the Rs 5K stipend and the earnings from my internships. The camera was worth the wait.

The entrance or the Gopuram of the temple, as shown in the above snap, is visible from the lotus temple.

The idol of Lord Garuda is at the entrance of the temple. The entrance was beautifully decorated with the Gerbera flowers. They were fresh however the heat was sucking the freshness of these flowers.

On entering, the idols of deities and the garlands catch the attention of the eye. The garbha gudi of the temple was airconditioned to keep the garlands of fruits and flowers fresh. The sad thing is the excessive usage of lightning to give a glories like effect on the idols.

As the sun began to set, the heat became bearable. The birds were relishing on the artificial fall created in the temple precises. Surprisingly the area was free from bird dropping.

Typical of all ISCON temples, one can find a book stall with huge volumes which are the translations of the Bhagwad Gita and an auditorium motivating the visitors to follow the path of Krishna.

Lotus Temple - Bahai House of Worship - New Delhi

2009-04-25T01:34:00.000-07:00

The lotus temple, the Bahá'í House of Worship, is close to Nehru place. Despite being about 8 to 10 k.m. from IT the first time I visited it was about a month before leaving IIT Delhi. My father had come to Delhi on some official visit and we decided to visit this place after he was done with his work.

The temple is one of the Bahai house of worship. It is open to people of all faiths and is a nice place to visit if you are visiting the NCR (Delhi Region). The above snaps should be enough to justify why people call it a lotus temple. The architecture of this temple is not only serene but also very beautiful.

The crowd, as shown in the above two snaps, just show that even in a hot summer afternoon the people flock in large numbers to visit this place.

The above snap shows the Lotus temple with the Gopuram of the ISKCON Temple on the right.

Wind Tunnel IIT Delhi

2009-04-24T05:41:00.000-07:00

The wind tunnel is one of the places where you get to see a large bunch of students protecting themselves from the summers heat. However, in the night it wears a deserted look and some times the noise of the wind gives a haunted feeling. The following snaps of the wind tunnel were taken on one such night while returning from Block VI.

The above snap was taken from inside the main building. The entrance leading to the CSC and the Dogra hall is on the left.

The above snap was taken from the library side of the Main Building. In the night time, while returning to the hostel the beautiful sight of airplanes landing cannot be missed. The next snap was taken from the closed doors next to the CSE. A fifteen second exposure was used to take the following snap. The red lines and green lights indicate the navigation lights of the airplanes.

Dogra Hall and the Main Building at IIT Delhi

2009-04-24T04:06:00.000-07:00

The picture of the Main Building with the Dogra Hall is the one of the first things that comes to the mind of any person who has visited IIT Delhi.

The above snap is of the Main Building with the Dogra Hall on the right hand side. It was taken from the top floor of Block II. The color of the clouds were enhanced using the curves tool provided by GIMP.

The above snap is of the Main Building of IIT Delhi taken from the first floor of Block II. One can see the top portion of the lecture theater above SCOOPs. It was taken on the April 24, 2008, just after I returned from my internship at General Motors.

This above picture is classic example of why the main building of IITD cannot be forgotten. This snap was taken from the circle near the entrance. This first view that any one gets when they enter the campus from the main entrance.

The above snap is the view of the Dogra Hall and the Main Building while walking from the central nescafe to the Bharti Building. It was taken on May 24, 2008 while returning from the break taken in the evening.

The evening time is the time when you get to see a lot of pigeons resting on the roof of the Dogra Hall. This snap was taken from Block VI using the power of the optical and digital zoom of my camera. The digital zoom reduces the quality of the images, however GIMP is the tool I prefer to reduce such damages.

The above snap is the stitched panorama of the Dogra Hall and the Main Building with the staircase for special people on the right side. IIT Delhi is the first institute I came across that provides such staircases. These staircases are a must in every institute.

The nostalgic feeling associated with these snaps is an amazing stress reliever especially for me. Looking forward for the convocation in August to take a few more snaps of the Dogra Hall; this time from the inside.

Thesis Defense in Delhi.

2009-03-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

Was in Delhi on the 14th of January for my Thesis Defense. I had submitted my thesis for review on the 2nd of July. The defense was held in the committee room. My guides Dr. Arzad Kherani and Dr. Anirban Mahanti were present along with Prof Huzur Saran, Prof. Sanjiva Prasad and Dr. Vinay Ribeiro. The presentation went on fine and was done with the paper work in 2 days time. The following snaps were taken during my stay from 12th of January to the 18th of January. The first one is the Ernet lab in Bharti Building. It shows Mrinal busy with his PhD forms.

Mrinal, Rajeshji, and Negiji were a common sight in the Ernet lab, as seen in the snap. The next snap is of the presentation room in the Ernet lab. This TV was used for most of my presentation while in IIT Delhi.

The next snap has my first machine in this lab. It was a Dual Core (not core2duo) which heated up each time I ran the simulation for more than 6 hours. Every time I booted the PC, the top command would show a process consuming 100% of the CPU utilization. The 400 GB hard drive had about 250Gigs of raw dump of the simulation data. Man, I really loved working in IIT.

The next snap is of the view from this lab during the night. The smell of fresh air of IIT and the chilly winterly winds shall never be forgotten.

The next snap is of the main building taken on the 18th of January. Pretty nostalgic and was not in a mood to leave IIT. The camera was shaking each time I held it as I didn't know when I would get to see this scene again.

This normally doesn't happen to a wierd guy like me but anyways was a really nice feeling. Looking forward for the journey ahead.

Science City Kolkata

2009-03-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

A trip to the science city is a must for kids. We get to see gigantic examples of the experiments present in the text books. It was about half an hours drive from Alipore.

We were welcomed by an unusual portrait of Rabindra Nath Tagore.

The first exhibit was the planetarium where a video on volcanoes and mountains was shown. I had seen this video on national geographic or discovery, however watching it on a gigantic wide screen was a new experience. There is a giant dinosaur that has the evolution of life on planet earth from amoebas to humans. The extreme right portion of the next photo has the dinosaur.

Then, there is a building with all the physics experiments. A lift takes us to the top floor and we walk down a spiral. Along with a few aquariums having piranhas, some life size exhibits of some baffling images such as the ones below are present.

Victoria Memorial Kolkata

2009-03-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

One of the most beautiful museums in India, the Victoria Memorial is heritage site that contains the artifacts and portraits by some of the famous painters that have visited this side of the planet. My mother was very happy and I enjoyed looking at her while she cherished each second in this museum. She has an MA in history with a post graduate diploma in Epigraphy, however for some reason she ended up working in Corporation Bank. I just hope that she starts working on Epigraphy once she retires from the Bank. I was interested in history when I was in school, partially because of the mini library we have in the house of history books and partially because of the Amar Chitra comics whose stories flashed before my very eyes as we crossed each section of this museum. Cameras are not allowed inside so took a panoramic shot of the museum.

Umroi Airport, Shillong

2009-02-15T01:05:00.000-08:00

It was time to pack the bags and leave for Kolkata. We had booked a flight from Umroi to Kolkata, even when my uncle warned me that many a time it get cancelled due to stormy weather at Umroi. Umroi is about an hours distance from Shillong and we have to cross Barapani to reach Umroi.

The road is really scenic full of rice farms. One really beautiful thing other than the scenery was little kids with school bags. Despite the rain, the hardships these people have to go they educate their kids. On the road were little kids holding the hands of their tiny siblings and crossing the road and going to school.

The airport is one of the most beautiful Airports of India and is not bigger than an 2 storeyed 3 BHK apartment. The only eatery here was this bamboo hut and food here was awesome. Boiled rice and dal but the freshness made us forget the smell of pork eaten by the other guests of this hotel.

The panoramic view of this airport will make you agree why this airport is one of the most beautiful airports of India.

The service was awesome as the announcement was personal. They came to our seats to inform us that the plane was ready to land. We could see our bags being carried out. The people in charge were seen with their radios communicating with the aircraft.

I guess this is the last of the boarding passes that shall be issued by hand, so had to take a snap.

However, more was in store. All of a sudden the clouds decided to show that they are the masters of Meghalaya. The Air Traffic controller looked worried and was seen walking towards the runway looking up at the skies. He came after about 15 minute to tell us that the plane cannot land as the clouds were very violent in the nearby hills. The thunder was a confirmation of his statement. He was kind enough to arrange a taxi and book us on a flight from Gauhati to Kolkatta. One of his assistants took us to Barapani on a city taxi. The taxi to Gauhati was waiting for us and we left for Gauhati.

Pineapples were picked on the way and we reached Gauhati just in time for the flight. While we reached Gauhati we got a glimpse of clear skies for the first time in many days. The airport staff were busy watching the debate related to the nuclear bill that was being broadcast on the TV screen, hence the security checks were done in no time and we were ready to board the aircraft.

Visit to Hyde Park, Shillong

2009-02-14T23:52:00.000-08:00

The next day we visited Hyde park before leaving for Gauhati. This park has a lot of animals and the visit and the story of the Sangai deer that stopped dancing once it was taken to the zoo flashed before my eyes. Zoos have changed over the years, thanks to the discovery, national geographic and animal planet tv channels, and people have started to look at animals with respect.

There were a few deers and monkeys. Birds chirping in their cages singing for their freedom. I do not like zoos as it is against freedom, but it is necessary at times to preserve and study these creatures in detail. A very good example is the Bhubaneshwar Zoo

I then started taking snaps of the flowers in the park. The roses here had a fragrance like the ones found near Haldighati, Rajastan and unlike the ones found in Pune where one has to use a bottle of attar make them give out a fragrance. This should be evident considering the attention this rose was getting by the insects.

The one is the sunflower being tickled by the Honey Bee.

The Daswal/Hibiscus was not far behind, however my presence and the sound the lens adjusting drove these bees away. I was lucky that they were not aggressive :).

The Dahlia was in a very romantic mood and started kissing me and my lens with the wind. I could not get a complete picture as we were getting late but this shot somehow came nice.

The various stages of the Six Monthly Flower ( I do not know the actual name, if you do please comment its name).

The dancing sunflower was trying to get my attention and finally decided to pause for this snap.

Mr and Mrs Daisy smilingly agreed for this snap.

The everlasting flower and her child curiously looking at the lens. The little one was shy at first but the wind increased his confidence.

And finally this little one decided to grab my attention. Botanist please help with this little ones name.

Overall this trip was a nice one but more was in store at Umroi, the most beautiful airport of India.

Shillong, Meghalaya

2009-02-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

Shillong is full of lakes and parks. We hired a cab for the sight seeing of Shillong. Maruti cards are the rickshaws and the city buses of Shillong. Sharing (stuffing about 6 to 7 people in one car) is pretty common, and so is bargaining which reminds me of the good old days of Delhi. The first point was Wards lake.

The lake is beautiful and I shall never forget it as I lost my camera pouch here while taking some snaps. I realized this when we reached the Shillong Golf course. Carved rocks reminding me of the menhirs of Obelix were present in the golf course. From the golf course we left for the Elephant Falls, located in the outskirts of Shillong. On the way we visited the Airforce museum as well, but some of their buildings were closed for security reasons.

This is truly a very beautiful place and should be a must visit. This a multi-step water fall and one can walk right to the base of this fall. The force of the water is gentle and the sound is very pleasant for the ears. This place is very relaxing and calm.

The road leading to the falls is very soothing to the eye and the light rain was very refreshing.

The above photo is a panorama created using gimp of the last step of this water fall. The next point we visited was the Shillong peak which gives a birds eye view of Shillong and the mountain ranges around Shillong protecting it from the rain clouds that pour over Cherranpunjee

We then left for Barapani, the huge dam near Shillong

The next place was the Shillong state museum. I normally do not like museums and consider them as a waste of time, but this visit was worth it, especially for the architecture and use of local materials for decorating this museum. Sheets made of Bamboo with a glossy polish gave a cosy and warm feeling once we entered this museum. It has many village scenes of traditional Khasi, Garo and Jaintia tribes, one of which is shown below. Along with the village scenes, just like any musuem, the weapons, clothes, and the utensils were present. A reminder of sustainability of human progress.

We then visited the butterfly museum which is at walking distance from Center Point, a landmark in Shillong. Here there is a huge collection of butterflies and insects. Some of these are really scary with glowing colors fractal like patterns on their wings. There is a story with some of these insects which was worth reading. This place is a must visit in Shillong, and is not covered in the tours conducted by the State Tourism board.

Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya

2009-02-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

The next day we ventured out to Cherapunjee. I enjoyed this trip to the fullest though this is not true for my parents who have seen the rains of Agumbe in Karnataka. There is an age old saying that if it does not rain for more than 3 days then the Gods must be really angry. The trip was conducted by the MTDC (Meghalaya tourism development corp).We left for Cherapunjee at around 9 in the morning. Mawkdok Valley was our first halt. The first snap is of the bridge we crossed over this valley. As you can see the clouds resulted in near zero visibility. Parents were unhappy as they could not see this valley, but the sound of the water was enough to make us realize the depth of this valley.

Bridge over Mawkdok valley

After a few minutes at this point, we left for Sohra, the local name for Cherapunjee.The first place we stopped was the Ramkrishna Mission.

Ramkrishna Mission, Cherrapunjee

The mission runs a school and has many welfare schemes, such as providing milk to the children here as there is a shortage of milk in this area. One startling fact about this trip was that one learns to value water when you see the hardships faced by the people here just to have clean potable drinking water. From rain water harvesting, i.e, having bamboo pipes draining the rain water in the buckets and vessels for day to day use to fighting moisture to save the food grains, every day to day activity here is a battle for survival. The next stop was Nohklai falls. Again the only thing falling or should I say pouring was the rain and the clouds :).

Way to Nohkalikai / Nohlakai Falls

We got a brief glimpse of the water for a few seconds but that was it, the clouds had decided that were the only ones in charge of this trip. The next stop was the point from where Bangladesh can been seen. We didnt spend much time here and were off to Thakarang park.

Thakarang Park, Cherapunjee

Way to Thakarang Park, Cherapunjee

The way to this park was amazing, and my mother was scared because of the near zero visibility and the confidence, or should I say the over confidence with which the bus driver was driving the bus. It must be usual for him, but hey you cant see the road, the only thing you can here is the howling for the wind and once is a while a horn of the vehicle coming from the other side. There were ducks receiving us, when we reached the park. The ducks came with their good ol pals, the goats. I guess they were waiting for the bus, as this was the only shelter for them from the rain. Once a bus leaves, they wait for another one to come.

Ducks near Thakarang Park

The next point was the beautiful Mawsmai caves.

Mawsmai Cave, Cherrapunjee

Mawsmai Cave exit

Path to the Mawsmai Cave

From Mawsmai Caves, Cherrapunjee

The last point before we left for Shillong was the eco park. My parents sat in the bus, and only a few of the fellow travelers ventured out due to the heavy downpour. For a few seconds the visibility was good and I decided to take a snap. After taking this photo

From Eco Park, Cherapunjee, Meghalaya

I turned and voila, the clouds decided to remind me that who is the master of this trip. Just a few seconds and the visibility went back to 0.

From Gauhati-Shillong-Kolkata Trips

We reached Shillong in the evening, the road full of rice fields and Dahlia flowers

From Dahlia flowers, Meghalaya

Gauhati to Shillong

2009-02-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

The route to Shillong from Gauhati was amazing. The beauty unravelled with each turn we took. The forests started becoming thicker and the smell of the leaves stronger. We stopped at one place in between, I cannot recollect the name of the place, however the pineapples, jackfruits and bamboo shoots cannot be forgotten.

Rice fields on the way to Shillong

In and Around Gauhati/Guwahati

2008-12-12T09:20:00.000-08:00

19th July 2008: Woke in the morning at around 6, though the sun was shining before 5 in the morning. We had booked a cab from Gauhati to Shillong and left for Shillong only after visiting the Bashisht Ashram, Kamakhya temple and the Uma Nanda temple. Bashisht (Vashisht) Ashram was close to the place we stayed and we reached there around 7.

Bashisht Ashram

The temple is very scenic and and we spent about an hour here before we left for the Kamakhya Temple. There is an age old saying that if you visit Gauhati and do not visit the Kamakhya, the Goddess shall make you cross the Brahmaputra at least 7 times in an around Assam. So please ensure that you visit this temple if you visit Gauhati, atleast for the scenic view that you get while traveling to the temple from Gauhati. The temple is situated on top of a hill ensuring that the Goddess gets a complete view of this beautiful region.

Panoramic View from Kamakya Temple

The only thing that hurt me was the practise of animal slaughter that is still prevalent in this temple. The Pundas (priests), just the like their brothers in Puri, are notorious for their curses and foul mouth. The queue was long and after about an 2 hours in the queue, we managed to enter the temple. The temple appears to be one from the dark ages with supporting columns wide and strong enough to carry an the whole mountain. On entering the temple, we descend to a be received by stones carrying the sould of the Devi. The temple has a divinity that makes you forget the yelling Pundas for a while.

Animal Slaughter at Kamakya

It was around noon when we left this place for the Uma Nanda temple. The temple is situated in an island in the Brahmaputra and the only way of reaching there is a boat ride. We hired a boat and the mighty Brahmaputra left me spell bound. There were whirlpools everywhere and strong gushes hitting our boat giving an impression that only the rhino hearted can cross the Brahmaputra.

Boat Trip to UmaNanda Temple

UmaNanda Temple

Monkeys relaxing in the island

After spending some time in the temple we left for Shillong.