Monday, January 26, 2009

Oswal Yatri Gruh, Palitana

Accomodation in Palitana Pilgrimage Centre, Gujarat

Oswal Yatri Gruh
Taleti Road,
Palitana

Ph: 0288 - 2554122
(O) 2564175
(R) 2564583

Oswal Bhojanshala
Ph: 02848 - 252240/252670/242350

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Trivandrum Sight Seeing - Shri Chitra Art Gallery, Napier Museum and Veli Tourist Village

Our main interest in visiting Trivandrum was to see Raja Ravi Varma's famed paintings in the Chitra Art Gallery. Must say - he was an excellent artist. Some of the paintings looked so real - unbelievable. Photography is restricted inside the gallery - so you will have to visit Trivandrum to have a look at the art.

But here is a picture of the Art Gallery from outside.



We also visited Napier Musuem in Trivandrum. The architectural masterpiece was designed by Robert Chisholm, the consulting Architect of the Madras Government. The museum houses a rare collection of archaeological and historic artifacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments, a temple chariot and ivory carvings.





The museums are open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4.45 p.m. On Wednesdays, the museum opens only at 1 p.m.

Also made a visit to the Zoo in Trivandrum.

All these three places are located within the same premises - the Museum Grounds.

We also visited Veli Tourist Village. The village has been built at the point where the Veli lagoon meets the Arabian sea. It is replete with fish ponds, wading pools and landscaped gardens, along with facilities for boating and water sports and a park around the floating bridge that connects the village to the beach.







The beach was deserted except for a few stray dogs that kept us company.

The tourist village is open from : 8:00am to 6:00pm.
For more information contact : 91- 471- 2500785

Boating facilities are available at the village
Safari boat: Rs. 15 per head
Speedboat: Rs. 150
Pedalboat: 4 seater - Rs. 50 for half an hour;
2 seater - Rs. 40 for half an hour.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Photos of Medak Church, Medak Fort and the Pocharam Reservoir

The Medak Cathedral built in 1914 in Gothic style is considered to be the largest in Asia. The main tower of the church is 175 ft high and the cathedral can accomodate 5000 people at a time. There are 3 maginificient stained glass windows depicting the life of Jesus Christ.











Medak fort - Not much is left of the fort to see, but as it is on a hillock it offers a good view of the city. Do not forget to carry food and water as you climb the fort because nothing is available on the hilltop.





Pocharam which is 20 odd kms away from Medak can also be clubbed into the day trip. Pocharam boasts of a small animal sanctuary and a reservoir. The reservoir is built on the Aler river and is favourite picnic spot. Fishing is a favourite activity at this reservoir.



Sinh Sadan Forest Guest House, Sasan Gir

Sinh Sadan is the Forest Department Guest House. It is located very near to the Sasan Railway Station. Just a 5 minute walk. The bookings for the Guest House Rooms are done in the office of the Guest House Manager.



You can book in advance by writing to
The Guest House Manager,
Sinh Sadan,
Sasan - 362 135
along with a DD, for one day room charges, in favor of the Guest House Manager.



Sinh Sadan was a well-kept place. There are AC and Non AC rooms. There is a Dining Hall too. You need to place your order a little before mealtime.



There are many langurs on the premises of Sinh Sadan. However, they were not coming close to the humans - they were busy munching on the lovely rose plants in the Sinh Sadan garden. There were lot of squirrels too and these did not seem scared of human company.



Guest House Manager

Sinh Sadan,
Sasan Gir,
Dist. Junagadh,
Pin 362135
Gujarat,
India
Phone: +91 02877 285540

Gujarati Food while travelling

Dinner at the Dwaraka Railway Station


Gujarati Thali at Ambaji


Khandvi for Breakfast at Savarkundla


Pav Bhaji at Savarkundla


Plain Ice Gola at Somnath


Decorated Ice Gola at Somnath


Dabeli at Savarkundla


Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Gujarati Movie Posters in Ahmedabad





Sasan Gir, Gujarat - Gir National Park and Sanctuary

Gir Sanctuary and National Park

Gir is undoubtedly the jewel of Saurashtra the dry and drought-prone region of Gujarat, Spread over 1412 Sq. Kms. of rolling land with dry deciduous forest, Gir is best known as the last wild abode of the Asiatic lion.



The Gir National Park and Sanctuary are an out-and-out heaven of biological variety. Apart from the 300 odd lions, Gir is also home to around 250 leopards, and a number of other small carnivores like the wild cat, jackal and the striped hyena.



There are also many Nilgai, Sambar, Chowsinga, Chinkara and Chital with the Chital population in the 50,000 range. Amazing isn’t it? Gir is also supposed to be home to some rare animals like the Pangolin and the Rattle python.



There are around 300 species of birds and a phenomenal 2000 + species of insects flitting about the dry scrub jungle. Some of the birds found here are - Flycatchers, Warblers, Parakeets, Kingfishers, Woodpeckers, Crested serpent eagle, Paradise flycatcher, Blossom Headed parakeet, Small blue kingfisher, Golden backed woodpecker and the Indian pitta.






Biological diversity at Gir -
Mammals: 38 Species
Reptiles: 32 Species
Amphibians: 10 Species
Birds: 300 + Species
Plants: 500 + Species
Insect Family: 2000 + Species



Sanctuary Visit -
The Sanctuary can be visited only during the daytime between sunrise and sunset. Sanctuary visit permits are issued at the Reception Center on request and after filling the necessary form. Guides and vehicles are available on hire at the Reception Center on first come first served basis. The permits are issued at around 6:30 am and people and agents begin queuing up as early as 5:00am. We reached the Reception Center at 8:00am though :)

Entry Fee to Gir Sanctuary



I felt that there was no order at the Reception Centre what with people jostling about, pushing each other. There were no proper instructions put up as to the procedure of obtaining permits and the timings. People staying at Sinh Sadan, the Forest Department Guest House, which is in the same premises as the Reception Centre were up early and formed a queue to obtain the Permits. The agents and other travelers who were staying elsewhere had formed a queue outside the closed gate of the Sinh Sadan. This gate was opened only at 5:30am and people rushed in like mad.
We learnt that are a fixed number or Vehicular permits allowed in a day and half of these could be booked in advance. Out of the remaining, few are reserved for the DFO’s.

The rest are available for current booking – The number of people in the queue outnumbered the number of permits available. It was jostle, push, and fights. We stayed put in a corner just watching all this unfold.
Each vehicle can seat a minimum of six people. Luckily, we found a family of four and clubbed with them to book a Vehicle.



A guide is must on all the vehicles that go into the sanctuary. Guide fees have to be paid directly to the guides.



Permit Issue Timings :
16th Oct to 15th Feb
Permit Issue Timing: 06.30 - 10.30 hrs
Sanctuary Visit: 07.00 - 12.00 hrs
Permit Issue Timing: 15.00 - 17.00 hrs
Sanctuary Visit: 15.00 - Sunset
16th Feb to 15th June
Permit Issue Timing: 06.30 - 11.00 hrs
Sanctuary Visit: 07.00 - 12.00 hrs
Permit Issue Timing: 16.00 - 17.30 hrs
Sanctuary Visit: 16.00 - Sunset
These were the timings when we visited Gir in December 2008. Please check with the officials when you plan to visit though.

As mentioned above there are two time zones to visit the Gir Sanctuary – 7am to 12pm
and 3pm – Sunset. There are 8 possible routes for the Sanctuary visit. Not sure if visitors are allowed to choose a route.



The visit to the Sanctuary lasts around 3-4 hours and lion spotting depends on the season and your luck :) We spotted a lot of deer, Sambar, chital but no lions.

Accommodation:

Sinh Sadan is the Forest Department Guest House. It is located very near to the Sasan Railway Station. Just a 5 minute walk. The bookings for the Guest House Rooms are done in the office of the Guest House Manager.



You can book in advance by writing to
The Guest House Manager,
Sinh Sadan,
Sasan - 362 135
along with a DD, for one day room charges, in favor of the Guest House Manager.



Sinh Sadan was a well-kept place. There are AC and Non AC rooms. There is a Dining Hall too. You need to place your order a little before mealtime.



There are many langurs on the premises of Sinh Sadan. However, they were not coming close to the humans - they were busy munching on the lovely rose plants in the Sinh Sadan garden. There were lot of squirrels too and these did not seem scared of human company.




How to reach Sasan?

Ahmedabad - Sasan : 408 kms
Rajkot - Sasan : 165 kms
Junagadh - Sasan : 60 kms
Keshod - Sasan : 60 kms
Veraval - Sasan : 45 kms.
Diu - Sasan : 110 kms.
Nearest Airport, Keshod : 60 kms

We took a train to Sasan as the train chugs down the jungle. We spotted herds of deer during the train journey. The train travel through Gir forests was a wonderful and unforgettable experience.

Places to Visit in Sasan

Crocodile Rearing Centre - Situated in the Forest Department office complex this centre was created to rear crocodile hatchling to be subsequently released in the wild. There are some crocodiles for public viewing at the centre. Nothing much, but since it is at a walking distance from Sinh Sadan, you can visit it.

Gir Interpretation Zone (GIZ) – It is located in Devaliya, around 12 kms from Sasan. It is a fenced area of 4.12 Sq. Kms, which represents typical Gir habitats and depicts model wildlife management practices.





Gir Orientation Centre - located in the premises of the Sasan Guest House campus provides basic factual and scientific information about Gir with the help of Interactive Photographs, Paintings and models.



Camera Fees for the Sanctuary Visit

Professional Photography (Per day / Camera)
Still Photography (8 MP and above) - Indians 100 Rs, Foreign Nationals 10 $
Documentary - Indians 5000 Rs, Foreign Nationals 500 $
Feature Film - Indians 25000 Rs, Foreign Nationals 1000 $
No camera fee for amateur photography by visitors, provided the camera is less than 8 MP.
Security Deposits
Documentary - Indians 15000 Rs, Foreign Nationals 1000 $
Feature Film - Indians 50000 Rs, Foreign Nationals 2000 $

For more information contact

Deputy Conservator of Forests
Wildlife Divison, Sasan-Gir,
Dist. - Junagadh,
Gujarat 362135
India
Phone: +91 02877 285541
Fax: +91 02877 285641
Email: wildlife_ad1@sancharnet.in

Guest House Manager
Sinh Sadan,
Sasan Gir,
Dist. Junagadh,
Pin 362135
Gujarat,
India
Phone: +91 02877 285540

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Munnar, Kerala

Munnar - Tea Gardens, Lakes, Waterfalls and Ervikulam National Park

Munnar meaning three rivers in Tamil is situated at the merging point of three mountain streams - Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala. The place has lush green surroundings, winding lanes, numerous lakes, waterfalls, streams, reservoirs, forests and tea plantations.

Munnar is also famous for the Neela Kurinji flower, which blooms once in every twelve years. We couldnt see this wonderful spectacle though as the flower had bloomed in 2006. Will have to wait for 2018 :)

We visited the following places in and around Munnar

Mattupetty Lake and Reservoir - Mattupetty lake, located around 13 kms from Munnar, is a picturesque lake that was created because of a Hydro Electric Project. The Lake is surrounded by rolling hills and woods. Boating is allowed in the lake and it is a favourite picnic spot for visitors.



Eravikulum National Park - We went here to see the endangered Niligir Tahr. The National Park is 97 sq. km. in area and is situated along the Western Ghats. The Park has the largest population of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius). The park is around 13 kms from Munnar.



For enquiries and reservations contact :
Forest Information Centre
Wildlife Warden's Office, Munnar PO, Idukki Dist.
Kerala, India.
PIN:685 612
Tel: 91-4865-231587
E-mail: roywlw@eravikulam.org



Echo Point - This beautiful scenic place,located around 15 kms from Munnar derives its name from the natural echo phenomenon here. It is on the way to Top Station from Munnar. There are lot of stalls around selling fresh carrots and fruits.



Nyayamakad waterfalls - 10 km from Munnar on the way to Rajamala is Nyayamakad - a land of breathtaking waterfalls. The waters cascade down the hills from a height of about 1600 metres.





Kundala Lake - Kundala is a picture perfect town on the way to Top Station from Munnar. The tranquillity of the place draws the tourists here. The Tata Tea Golf Course is located here. The Kundala artificial dam is another added attraction here.





Photo Point - Very aptly named as Photo Point, this place is ideal for taking lovely pictures with the rolling hills and tea gardens in the background. We met a tea vendor here who had two German Shepherd pups for company :)



Anaimudi Peak is the highest peak of Southern India at an altitude of 2695 m from the sea level.




Apart from these places the other places that you could visit are

Elephant Crossing Point
Top Station
Rajamala Wildlife Sanctuary
Pothamedu
Pallivasal
Valara waterfalls
Chithirapuram
Attukal
Lock Heart Gap
Anayirangal
Marayoor



To Reach:
The nearest airports are at Kochi (130 kms) and Madurai (142 kms) while the nearest railway stations are at Kochi and Kottayam. Munnar is well connected by a good network of road transport. Lot of tourist buses (private and government) ply to and fro from Munnar.

Accomodation:
Munnar offeres accomodation to suit all kinds of travellers - from the high end to the shoe string budget traveller.

We stayed at:

SMM Cottage
Moola Kadai,
Near KSRTC Bus Stand,
Munnar
Keraela 685612

Ph: 04965 230159
Mobile: 9447460383, 9446976949

SMM Cottage is located near the KSRTC bus depot and is around 15 minutes walk from the city market center. The home stay people can arrange for local transport and sight seeing.