Margastha Maarga - The Travellers way

"When you go home, tell them of us and say for your tomorrow, we gave our today" The area of Kohima and Imphal has witnessed some of the fiercest battles of World War II. Historians claim that about 4000 soldiers from the Indian troops and about 53,000 from the Japanese troops have laid down their lives in this small part of the world. The Kohima war memorial, which is situated at the heart of Kohima, on the Garrison hill, stands as a commemoration to these fallen brave hearts. The place was once the bungalow of a Deputy commissioner and is the exact spot where the battle was fought. The bungalow, it seems, did not survive the war. The tennis court on the grounds, where some of the hand to hand combats took place has been carefully preserved. The preserved tennis court ground Designed as a series of terraces, in the lower steps lie the graves of soldiers those have been buried. The name of each soldier has been respectfull...

Well.... there is no other way of putting it.... The north-eastern states of India are a paradise on earth for any traveller. The diversity and uniqueness of this region has captivated numerous anthropologists and researchers. Post independence, our leaders intended to safeguard the sanctity of these regions, which meant giving the indigenous tribes the respect and space to practice their ways of life.  The place has thus, remained largely untouched by "mordernisation" making it (in my opinion) one of the most beautiful places to visit.  This was my third visit to North-East India, but my first to the land of 'Nagas'. It was the allure of the  Dzükou Valley drawing me! I will now try to take you through the experience of visiting Dzükou in the next 1000 words or so. The gateway to Nagaland is the small but stylish town - Dimapur, reached either by air or by rail.  I reached Dimapur on a Tuesday afternoon at around 12 noon by air. For new travelers, in ...

This is just a photo blog. All pics are taken along the trail to Kalvanthin durg. Situated in the northern Sahyadris are numerous forts scattered along its many hill tops. One such is the fort of Kalavanthin Durg. Though it attracts many visitors around the year not much is known about this.     Though a short trek, it is quite demanding esp for a beginner.  Be careful in the rainy season as the rocks can be slippery and there are no much areas for grabbing onto in certain areas.

Well.....A much awaited reunion.... after a long two years of rigorous and monotonous work,  there could  be no  better place to meet than the calm, cozy erstwhile coffee and cardamom estates along our very own western Ghats. Ever heard of Nelliyampathy? ... For those who have not....let me take the pleasure and pride of introducing you to this serene lush green ghats, a relatively untouched part of God's own country, Kerala. Once carpeted with tea, coffee and cardamom plantations, most parts of Neliyampathy are now being taken back by the government after the lease period. Despite having been to this place more than a couple of times, Nelliyampathy still lures me  with its absolute tranquility. This time, I had an equally amazing company of my old colleagues and we all looked forward to spending a quiet, simple weekend, away from the city hassles. We commenced our journey from Thrissur (which is approximately a 2 hour drive from Nelliyampathy), the onl...