All posts by Purva Narvekar

Is Gulmarg, Kashmir really worth going???

Clouds, Gulmarg, Jammu, Kashmir, poem, Sky, Tour, Travel, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It has been more than a year, I have posted anything but there is a reason that finally pushed me and forced me to get back over here and write something. As you rightly read the title of this blog, the reason is ‘Gulmarg.’ The experience that I had over there is mesmerizing and I want you all to go and experience it over there.

Beginning with where exactly is Gulmarg? So, the answer to this is- “its in my heart.”

Okay, so now seriously moving ahead with its location, Gulmarg is a beautiful, a scenic and photographic place located 60 kms from Srinagar, India. Specifically, from Srinagar International Airport (also called Sheikh Ul Alam Internataional Airport) it takes 1 hour 45 minutes approximately to reach this location.

Gulmarg was earlier referred to as Gaurimarg, which was the name of Lord Shiva’s wife. Today when we say Gulmarg, it means ‘Meadow of Flowers’. So now if you are thinking why is this snowy place referred to meadow of Flowers, then we are definitely those few of curious people looking for answers and even if you didn’t think of this previously, then I am sure, you definitely wish to read answer to this now!

We all have read about the great Mughal Emperor Jahangir, it is said that he loved Gulmarg and he was so captivated with the region’s natural beauty that he once carried back 21 different kinds of flowers from there. However the place was renamed by Yousuf Shah Chak calling it the “the place of roses.”

When I mention about this place, what I specifically intend to write about is the Gandola Cable Car Ride and two breathtaking phases of Gulmarg.

Just to give you a quick idea about these two phases: The Phase 1 mountain is called as Mt. Kongdori which is at an altitude of 3050 m (10,006.56 ft.) and the ticket to there costs Rs. 800. The next and my personal favorite phase is the Phase 2, the mountain over there is called Mt. Apharwat, which is at an altitude of 3950 m (12,959.32 ft.) and the cost is Rs. 1000. So, the total cost of Gandola Cable Car ride two way is Rs. 1800 per person for both the phases.

(Make sure you first book Phase 1 and then Phase 2 ticket, or else you will end up wasting your money incase you don’t get phase 1 ticket, as tickets are not completely refundable!!! As per the new cancellation policy, tickets can be cancelled only upto 2 days prior to visit day with only 50% cancellation charges)

According to my travel itinerary of 8 days. The plan to leave for Gandola Cable Car ride was on sixth day (i.e. on 21 April, 2024). Tickets for this ride are to be booked a month or 15 days before going to this place. Dates and time slot for booking are posted on their site and you need to keep a check on it, as within few minutes all the tickets are sold out (I will add the site link at the end). However we didn’t have any tickets for this ride till 18th April, 2024. Luckily the link had open up in the evening of 18th April, 2024 and our tour managers quickly booked 21 tickets for our group. However the next challenge that we had to face was ‘weather’. The weather in Kashmir is very unpredictable. We had a news that Phase 2 of Gandola Cable Car ride had been declared shut past 3 to 4 days due to weather and we were skeptical whether we have a chance to get to enjoy at the phase 2.

As someone said rightly, “What is meant to happen, will happen!”

We did get a chance to enjoy at both phases. Let me guide you what all we did when we reached Gulmarg!

We reached Gulmarg via a bus at 7.00 am and then we sat in a rental car in a group of 4 to 5 people. This car took us to a shop where we had to rent fur coats/jackets and snow shoes. What I loved there is, each car or a group is allocated a shop number from where they can rent, so that all of them get some business. The cost inclusive of both fur coat and shoes was Rs. 300 per person, once done using it, the car on our return journey takes us to same shop and we wear our original shoes, pay and leave for our next destination. Later, the car drops us to the same place where we have left our bus at beginning.

However, note that, taking coat and shoes is optional. If you feel you can bear with the cold over there or if you already have your personal coats then you don’t need to buy but also remember that, once you leave those shops, there are no further shops near Gandola Cable Car Ride where you can buy those coats and shoes. So make a wise decision! Also do not forget to carry your sun glasses, wearing it really helped me over there.

From that rental shop to Gandola Cable Car Entry it took us approximately 20-25 minutes via car. We reached there at 7.50 am. The timings as mentioned on site is 8.30 am to 5.30 pm and we got entry by 8.40 am. However, sometimes entry time differs even more depending on weather and work force- like you may get entry after 10.00 am or so. We were quite early and hence we didn’t face any issues in getting in Phase 1 of Gandola Cable Car Ride. Things you need to show them before entry is your correct ticket and identity proof. It is mandatory to show this before entering both phases.

Fortunately, the folks there said that it was a sunny, bright day after long days. We arrived at Phase 1 by 8.50 am and made the quick decision to wait in line for Phase 2, since we would not have been able to see Phase 2 of Gulmarg if the weather had gotten worse later in the day. Phase 2 entry started at 9:30 a.m. We jumped onto those cable cars right away and took in the breathtaking scenery that Gulmarg had to offer. We had reached Phase 2 by 9:45 a.m.

You might think I’m exaggerating, but trust me when I say that it felt as though a little bit of paradise had touched the Kashmiri ground. There is nowhere else in the world that could compare to the breathtaking splendor we witnessed. The freshly white colored snow-capped mountains appeared as though the brightest white clouds had surrendered themselves. Not only was the snow there as soft as fur, but we were surprised to find that it wasn’t as cold as we had anticipated—we didn’t even need gloves to hold it. We had to take off our fur coats because the weather was so pleasant that we were no longer feeling cold.

Originally we intended to stay and enjoy at Phase 2 for maximum of 15 minutes due to its altitude. However, We ended up spending almost an hour and thirty minutes there. We took a ton of pictures, played in the snow, recorded a few videos, ate pizza while sitting on the top of mountain, and gazed at the beauty that nature had to give. Not one of us experienced breathlessness or cold symptoms. This was the place where we had all had the most fun. A small number of elderly individuals were also present, and they appeared to be quite content with the atmosphere.

The beauty there made me think of a quote that Amir Khusro, one of our nation’s greatest poets had written and that the Mughal Emperor Jahangir had recited. The lines read like, “Agar Firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast.” What it means is, “If there is a paradise on earth, It is this, it is this, it is this.” I would have never agreed to these line better than what my eyes had seen and my soul and body had experienced.

We choose to go to Phase 1 after enjoying ourselves in Phase 2. We rushed to dine at Kolahoi Panorama, a cafe in Phase 1, since we were really hungry and exhausted. The dish was worth the price because it was quite tasty and came in a large quantity. We ate till we were full, looked around Phase 1, and then at last deescalated in the direction of our exit. The reason we didn’t play as much at Phase 1 was that: a) we had already had our heart filling enjoyment at Phase 2, b) the snow wasn’t as clean as it was at Phase 2, c) there was a comparatively larger crowd at Phase 1, d) we had already enjoyed snow activities at Sonmarg and the cost of these activity over here was relatively higher and e) we were feeling tired.

This is up my entire experience of this breathtakingly gorgeous phase of Gulmarg!

If you’ve been here, please let me know if you had an equally enjoyable experience or a better one!

So by any chance you are in KASHMIR YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO VISIT GULMARG!!!

Link for Booking Gandola Cable Car Ride: https://www.jammukashmircablecar.com/

Statue of Unity Project- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Statue of Unity (SOU), Tour, Travel, Uncategorized, World after COVID-19, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Photos clicked by Purva Narvekar and Prathamesh Narvekar…

#SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #Excavate Places #Kevadia
Statue of Unity- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

“Manpower without unity is not a strength unless it is harmonized and united properly, then it becomes a spiritual power.”

-Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

#SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #Excavate Places #Kevadia
Height

Height- 182 meters (597 feet).

#SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #view #sardar Sarovar Dam #Narmada #Excavate Places #Kevadia
View

Location- Over River Narmada in the Kevadiya, facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam 100 km southeast of the city of Vadodara. The monument is located between the Vindhyachal and Satpuda ranges, rising on Sadhu-Bet Island in the Narmada River, approximately 3.5 km downstream from the famous Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat. The statue and its surroundings occupy more than 2 hectares (4.9 acres) of the area and are surrounded by a 12 km long artificial lake formed by the Garudeshwar weir, downstream on the Narmada river.

Why only Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel???

#SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #life #inspiration #Excavate Places #Kevadia

The statue has been built as a tribute to the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first home minister of independent India. The statue has been described as a tribute to Indian engineering skills. Sardar Patel is widely considered to be the architect of modern India. The SOU will stand tall as an inspiration to future generations, a reminder of Sardar Patel’s hearty contribution and a symbol of national harmony and integrity.

Why Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel called the “Iron Man of India”???

#SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #Excavate Places #Kevadia #Partition #Princely State
Partition of India

After India gained independence from the British, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was one of the first Congress leaders to accept the partition of India as a solution to the rising Muslim separatist movement led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He represented India on the Partition Council.
Sardar Patel had a responsibility of political integration of India and unifying 562 princely states in the Union of India. This earned him the title of ‘Iron Man of India’.

Why it was over river of Narmada???

#SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #Excavate Places #Narmada River #View #Kevadia
Front and backside of SOU over river Narmada and photo depicting left leg to be slightly forward

The colossal monument is built over River Narmada, a tribute to India ‘from the people of Gujarat’ to the leader who placed people’s welfare first. The Statue of Unity faces the river basin of the Narmada River and the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The statue is also supposed to appear as if it is walking on water, towards the Sardar Sarovar Dam, with its left leg slightly forward.

Who designed the Statue???

#SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #Excavate Places #Kevadia #Ram V. Sutar #Padma Shri #Padma Bhushan #Tagore Award #Innovation #Incredible India
Ram V. Sutar

Image taken from India today news.
SOU was designed by Indian sculptor Ram V. Sutar. In 1999, he received the Padma Shri and later in 2016, Padma Bhushan from the Government of India. In October 2018, he received the Tagore Award for cultural harmony of 2016.

When did the project began???

#SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #Excavate Places #Kevadia #Build #Statue #Project
Process of how SOU became a successful project

This project was announced in the year 2010 and the foundation of the statue began in October, 2013, where they started collecting the iron required for statue. They requested farmers to donate their farming instruments. The project was accomplished by Indian company Larsen & Toubro (L&T), with a total construction cost of ₹2,700 crore. By 2016, a total of 135 metric tonnes of scrap iron had been collected and about 109 tonnes of it was used to make the foundation of the statue after processing. A marathon titled Run For Unity was held on 15 December, 2013 in Surat and Vadodara in support of this project.

When was project accomplished???

#SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #Inaugration #Prime Minister #Narendra Modi #Excavate Places #Kevadia
Inauguration of SOU

SOU was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi on 31 October 2018, on the 143rd anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel birth.

Unique features of SOU:

#SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #Excavate Places #Kevadia
Front and Backside of SOU
  • The statue is built to withstand winds of up to 180 kilometers per hour (110 mph) and earthquakes measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale which are at a depth of 10 km and within a radius of 12 km of the statue. This is aided by the use of two, 250 tonne tuned mass dampers ensuring maximum stability.
  • The total height of the structure is 240 m (790 ft.), with a base of 58 m (190 ft.) and the statue measuring 182 m (597 ft.).
  • The height of 182 meters was specifically chosen to match the number of seats in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
  • The project took 57 months to complete – 15 months for planning, 40 months for construction and 2 months for handing over by the consortium.
  • The total cost of the project was estimated to be about ₹2,063 crore (equivalent to ₹28 billion or US$370 million in 2020) by the Government. The tender bids for the first phase were invited in October 2013 and were closed in November 2013.
  • Indian infrastructure company Larsen & Toubro won the contract on 27 October 2014 for its lowest bid of ₹2,989 crore (equivalent to ₹41 billion or US$540 million in 2020) for the design, construction and maintenance of the statue. L&T commenced the construction on 31 October 2014.
  • In the first phase of the project, ₹1,347 crore was earmarked for the main statue, ₹235 crore for the exhibition hall and convention center, ₹83 crore for the bridge connecting the memorial to the mainland and ₹657 crore for the maintenance of the structure for a duration of 15 years after its completion.
  • The Sadhu Bet hillock was flattened from 70 meters to 55 meters to lay the foundation of the statue.

Structure of SOU:

#SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #Excavate Places #Kevadia #exhibition #roof

The statue is divided into five zones of which only three are accessible to the public. From its base to the level of Patel’s shins is the first zone which has three levels.
It includes:
1. the exhibition area,
2. the mezzanine
3. the roof.

The first zone also contains a memorial garden and a museum.
The second zone reaches up to Patel’s thighs.
The third extends up to the viewing gallery at a height of 153 meters.
The fourth zone is the maintenance area.
The fifth and final zone comprises the head and shoulders of the statue.

Functioning of L&T Company for SOU Project:

#SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #L&T #Excavate Places #Kevadia #Gujarat
L&T workers and engineers at SOU construction site
  • L&T employed over 3000 workers and 250 engineers in the statue’s construction.
  • The core of the statue used 2,10,000 cubic meters (74,00,000 cu ft.) of cement and concrete, 6,500 tonnes of structural steel, and 18,500 tonnes of reinforced steel.
  • The outer façade is made up of 1,700 tonnes of bronze plates and 1,850 tonnes of bronze cladding which in turn consists of 565 macro and 6000 micro panels.
  • The bronze panels were cast in Jiangxi Tongqing Metal Handicrafts Co. Ltd (the TQ Art Foundry) in China as facilities large enough for such casting were unavailable in India.
  • The bronze panels were transported over the sea and then by road to a workshop near the construction site where they were assembled.

Problems faced while building up SOU:

#Narmada Bachao #Villages opposing Construction of Statue #Problem faced #SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #Excavate Places #Kevadia
Narmada Bachao Andolan and Villages opposing the construction of the statue

Local tribal belonging to the Tadvi tribe opposed the land acquisition for the development of tourism infrastructure around the statue. Around 300 activists were arrested ahead of the unveiling of the statue. People of Kevadia, Kothi, Waghodia, Limbdi, Navagam, and Gora villages opposed the construction of the statue and demanded the restitution of the land rights over 375 hectares (927 acres) of land acquired earlier for the dam as well as for the formation of a new Garudeshwar sub-district. They also opposed the formation of the Kevadia Area Development Authority (KADA) and the construction of the Garudeshwar weir-cum-causeway project. The government of Gujarat accepted most of their demands.

What to expect in 1st Zone of SOU???

#presentation of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #Wall of Pledge #queue to enter SOU Gallery #Entrance to SOU Legs containing lifts #Lift to Gallery #SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #Excavate Places #Kevadia #Gujarat
1st- presentation of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
2nd- Wall of Pledge
3rd-queue to enter SOU Gallery
4th- Entrance to SOU Legs containing lifts
5th- Lift to Gallery

The museum in the first zone briefs us about the life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and his contributions.
Moving further there is an adjoining audio-visual gallery that provides a 15-minute long presentation on Patel and also describes the tribal culture of the state.
There is an innovative ‘Make a Pledge’ wall, where you pledge for the prosperity, harmony, and growth of India.
The concrete towers which form the statue’s legs contain two elevators each. Each lift can carry 26 people at a time to the viewing gallery in just over 30 seconds.

Gallery View from heart of SOU:

#SOU #Statue of Unity #Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel #Excavate Places #Kevadia #view #dam #view from SOU #View from heart
View from heart of SOU

The gallery is located at a height of 153 meters (502 ft.) and can hold up to 200 people. You can have an amazing view from that gallery. You can see Sardar Sarovar Dam and beautiful greenery and shades of blue from the top.

We can have a view of the Satpura and Vindhyachal mountain ranges, which also form the point where Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra meet. Visitors can also get a distant view of the Sardar Sarovar Reservoir, and the 12-km-long Garudeshwar Reservoir — the latter will help ensure there is always water around the statue, which is located downstream from the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

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Ingenious Sky…

Clouds, poem, Sky, Sunrise, sunset, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Photos clicked by Purva Narvekar (Author of EXCAVATE PLACES)

Ohh Hii !!!

I wonder if you are really a sky,

Little children paint you with a blue,

They think you make everyday a new,

You rise with a yellow and sink with pink,

You become darker and people start with their drink.

I look at sun and eyes say… “ohh please don’t let me burn”

You have a day still to earn,

I look at moon and body say…

“Hey bro its night, see you in your next turn….”

-Purva Narvekar

This is what I feel looking at the sky. But the sky is like a series of events taking place in a day to me. I never get tired of looking at it…

Early Morning-Evening-Night Sky


Have you ever looked at the sky and said, “What a perfect start to a day??” or “What a warm weather??” or “What a pleasant evening??” or “What a starry night??” or “What a perfect moon light??”

Cloudy Day


The sky is a key to your mood. When it is bright you feel very positive but when it gets dull you feel you are getting tired or bored. The sky changes its color many a time in a day which is accompanied by creative white or grey clouds and sun, moon and stars.
We see many objects that are actually in space like the Sun, the Moon and stars because they are in the sky. On a clear day, the sky appears blue. We can see skies on other planets as well but the types of gases in their atmospheres are different, so the color of the sky differs from planet to planet. For example, the sky on Mars looks red.

Sunset


Many tourist places have sunset point as their main attraction. Ever wondered why is it so???
Here I have an answer to this question…Sunsets are calm and peaceful. It marks the end of our beautiful or stressful day and the beginning of a lovely night. Sunsets wave us a beautiful goodbye with a promise to return the next morning with the same strength and energy.
I truly believe in a quote given by Frank McCourt, “The sky is the limit. You never have the same experience twice.”

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Excursion to Jawahar-Palghar with M3 Yatrik…

Tour, Travel, World after COVID-19, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world…”

The term “travel” may originate from the Old French word travail, which means ‘work.’ Traveling gives us a peace of mind and happiness of exploring new places.

M3 Yatrik Group for trip…

Jawahar-Palghar is one of the finest places for excursion. I along with M3 Yatrik group visited this place on 8th November, 2020. We were group of 12 members visiting this place.

Jawhar is a city and a municipal council in Palghar district of Maharashtra state in Konkan division of India. It is a hill-station at an elevation of 447 metres (1466 feet). Jawhar taluka is tropical area and it mostly surrounded by deciduous green plants.

Palghar is a town in the Konkan division of Maharashtra state.  The town is located about 87 kilometers north of Mumbai, about 35 kilometers north of Virar and about 24 kilometers west of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway at Manor. Palghar is an important railway station on the Mumbai Suburban Railway. On 1 August 2014, Palghar became the 36th district of Maharashtra.

Places Visited in Jawahar-Palghar

What is M3 Yatrik?

Yatrik means travelling or a journey. M3 Yatrik is founded by 3 youngsters (Pushkar Bapat, Subodh Hattarki and Archis Pednekar) from Mumbai who have excitable passion for traveling.

From left- Pushkar Bapat, Archis Pednekar, Subodh Hattarki

Their passion towards trekking and travelling had started before 2016 and they took their 1st group Trek to Ratangad Fort in 2017. Now they are near to completing 4 years of group trekking. Till now they have planned and hosted more than 90 treks within Maharashtra…This indeed shows the passion towards traveling and exploring new things.

Place we halted for Breakfast and Lunch:

Breakfast and Lunch at Vishal Dhaba

We had our Breakfast and Lunch at Vishal Dhaba near Jaysagar Dam, Silvassa Rd, Jawahar and continued to our Tourist Spots. Food was excellent. So, if you visit this place you must have your food at this place. We had Upma and Poha for breakfast and both Veg and Non-veg Thali for lunch.

Places Visited in Jawahar-Palghar:

1] Dabhosa Waterfall

Dabhosa Waterfall

We reached here by 10:45 am after having Breakfast. It is a waterfall situated in the village of Dabhosa in Jawahar Tehsil, Palghar district, Maharashtra, India. This is one of the highest waterfalls situated near Mumbai. This waterfall is located over the Lendi River. You can get down near the waterfall. It takes nearly 10 minutes to get down but it is very tiring to get back up i.e. 20 minutes approx. to climb back up. Even after this you will surely get pleasure after reaching near waterfall…the sound of waterfall is so peaceful and soothing. The water is so cold that you feel like staying at that place for hours. Even adventure activities are been held at that place but due to COVID crisis these activities were temporarily closed. Overall, my experience over there is best and it is a must visit place.

2] Shirpamaal

Shripamaal

After enjoying at Dabosa Waterfall we reached Shirpamaal at 1:15 pm. The Shirpamaal is a popular structure of great emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji, situated on the top of a hill. Its purpose was to keep an eye on the enemies during the war. This structure is 3 centuries old, at top of the podium the Saffron Flag flutters in its glory and its proud history. To a very long distance from that place we can see area full of greenery and few scattered settlements. The view from that point is prepossessing.

Reason behind Hindu Flags being Saffron…

Saffron Flag

The ceremonial Maratha flag was saffron with a gold brocade border which was known as Jari Patka. The saffron flag was also used by Hindu kings of Rajputana. It is said that the high visibility of the colour could be one of the reasons for its popularity and colour of flag being saffron.

3] Jai Vilas Palace

Jai Vilas Palace

We had our Lunch and then headed to Jai Vilas Palace. It is one of the tourist attractions of Jawahar. It is a neoclassical style palace which was built by Raja Yashwant Rao Mukane. This palace is also known as Raj Bari and was used to be the residential palace of the Mukne royal family. It was founded by Nayak Jayaba Mukne. The place is built in the syenite stone, brought from an quarry at Sakhara, which is 12 km from its location. This palace doesn’t look much maintained but has its historic value. Due to COVID crisis visit inside the palace was restricted but overall, it was mediocre. The view from Palace was beautiful. Surrounding was full of greenery and mountains.

4] Hanuman Point

Hanuman Point

It is assumed that, Hanuman, who was the disciple of Lord Ram, rested at this place while travelling across to meet Lord Ram’s brother, Bharath at Lanka due to which the place got its name. It is surrounded by stunning greenery and view of Jai Vilas Palace. At this point there is a Hanuman Temple which is temporarily being closed because of COVID crisis.

5] Sunset Point

Sunset Point

People love to visit this place in evening because of the beautiful sunset which one can have look at and end their day with happiness. The hiding sun behind the green trees and mountains looks stunning. It gives the surrounding a paradise view. Even thou we were not able to wait till sunset we all got satisfied by the view from sun set point.

With this our 1-day trip to Jawahar-Palghar along with M3 Yatrik ended successfully. We took all cautions individually as well as in group while traveling. It was indeed an awesome trip after 7 and half months lockdown.

If you people are looking forward for trek or trips then do contact M3 Yatrik for further details.

Contact Number:

Archis Pednekar- 8369651569

Pushkar Bapat- +91 9892417607

Subodh Hattarki- +91 9930887501

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Independence Day 2020…

Independence Day, World after COVID-19, , , , , , ,

Photos clicked by; Prathamesh Narvekar, Archis Pednekar, Sonal Baghul, Parv Trivedi and Vidhi Panjwani…

“You give me your blood and I will give you Independence…”

 – Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
Indian Freedom Fighters

This line still takes a trip down our memory lane. Many influential leaders like, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and several other unsung heroes contributed to India’s freedom struggle. It would be impossible to list down all names of Patriots who contributed to Indian Struggle for Independence. Where we stand today is because of their efforts.

Mangal Pandey was one of the first freedom fighters of India and played a very important role in the freedom movement. He was a Sepoy in the British East India Company who fought against them during the Great Revolt of 1857.

Indian Flag/Tiranga/Tricolour

लफ्ज़ो से निकली शान है तू,

खयालों में रहा अभिमान है तू,

जहा जाऊ, तेरा नाम रोशन करु ऐसा मेरा प्राण हैं तू,

हर हिन्दुस्तानी से जुड़ी एक डोर हैं तू,

हम सब की पहचान है तू,

केसरी रंग सा एहसास दिलाने वाला सांस है तू,

सफ़ेदी सा शांति और सचाई का प्रतीक हैं तू,

निले रंग के कानून का पहिया हैं तू,

हरियाली से सबके मन को छूने वाली शुभता हैं तू,

शिखर पर गर्व से लेहराने वाला ये खूबसूरत सा तिरंगा हैं तू ।

– पूर्वा नार्वेकर

This is what I can think of looking at Indian Flag. The poem means that the Indian Flag, is what I am proud of, it is my pride, courage. It is symbol that we all people have feeling of nationality within us and we are connected to each other by this means. The poem symbolizes 3 colors of our flag along with Navy Blue- Ashok Chakra in between. The poem concludes by saying that Flag looks the best when it is hoisted at Summit.

The Indian Flag is pride of all Indians…In 1921, Pingali Venkayya first presented a rudimentary design of the national flag to Mahatma Gandhi in Vijayawada.

Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru hoisting Flag

First Independence Day was celebrated on 15 August 1947. This year first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru raised the Indian national flag above the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing people on 15 August,2020

 Image is taken from Hindustan Times e-paper.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hoisted the national flag at Red Fort and had address the nation in year 2020. This year India has celebrated 74th year of Independence

Celebrating 15 August,2020 on Zoom Call

Not only Indians but people around world are fighting with COVID-19. In such situation celebrating such days or events is really very difficult, as such celebrations require group gathering. Thinking of it many Indian societies, communities and local grounds have celebrated this day either on online platforms or on large grounds or society club houses.

Lata Apartment CHS- Independence Day, 2020

In my society as well, Independence Day was celebrated with 10 Committee Members and 2 Security Guards along with them other members celebrated this day standing in their balcony or windows and on zoom call. This year Flag was hoisted by our Security Guard Mr. Behere, he provided our society with 21 years of service. It was really amazing thought of committee members to hoist the flag by security guard. What they thought and everyone agreed upon was that, in this COVID-19 situation security guards were the people who worked selflessly from the day of lockdown began, for security of society members. This was an act of kindness shown by members of my society.

Independence Day Celebrated in different Societies

It was really amazing to see how each member of my society had cooperated and I am sure other societies must have also contributed by following social distancing norm.

Thought COVID-19 has made this year difficult for everyone, I am sure god has some better plans made for us. Life gives chances to everyone; you just have to wait for your turn…

With this I end my blog here and hope you enjoyed it…Happy Independence Day!!

Please do comment upon my blog and share my blog.

Let me know,how was Independence Day celebrated at your place??

Smiles are going to return soon…

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All images and drawings are made by me…(Purva Narvekar)

Everything around us is a mystery till we understand its reality…It is very well said by someone that nature has its own way to heal its wound and thinking of it, I guess Corona or COVID-19 is the best example of nature healing itself. Though this COVID-19 is giving us tough fight day by day we are standing in shelter fighting against it along with our actual warriors and saviours in the field.

The hearts that are scared,

Will be going to pop again.

The eyes filled with water,

Will be glowing very soon now.

The scars on the face,

Will be disappearing once again.

The city running around,

Is going to take a great leap now.

Think of a leap and start exercising now,

Time is arriving, start believing in who you could be now…

…Purva Narvekar

In India the first case of COVID-19 was reported on 30th January 2020 and lockdown had begun from 24th March 2020. This was the beginning of challenges for not only Indians but people around world. The spread of COVID-19 was so rapid that there was hardly any time for finding alternative for any country.

It is awful to say that in some part of India the family who lived on weekly wages are no more employed. Not only those poor family but both middle class family and rich families are suffering because of loss in business or loss of jobs. The economy of country has so badly suffered that it has made people realize that in this current situation without humanity world is like an empty jar kept aside for right time to fill it up. The best example I can give for this will be, giving salary to employees or maids or our community helpers or providing food to poor people who cannot afford meals for themselves and their family. This act of humanity had earlier lost in race of proving oneself better than others around.

What this COVID-19 made Indians realise???

If we think of this question, we realise that not only Indians but people around world have realised something very important…We realised that even if we people are working from home, there are community helpers still working in field for our good. Not only community helpers but various industries, teachers, bankers are getting out of their comfort zone and are working hard for us. There are farmers working hard to provide fresh fruits and vegetables at our doors. There are police, pilots, soldier and doctors that are protecting and saving our life risking their own. There is media working hard on providing news day and night and making us aware of world around us. Along with them there are Medical Shops working hard to provide medicines to every corner of street if required. There are even Sanitizing workers who are sanitizing areas for no more spread of COVID-19.

I am very sure about the positive aspect that all of us waiting for i.e. gaining employment or getting regular salary from offices and getting everything back on track. I have heard and even seen that many employees from private sector are getting unemployed and some companies are not able to pay their employees. This kind of distress among people is common to see now but just believe in yourself, be positive, do not give up and be kind to yourself. Think of your strengths that you were never bothered of for years. Always remember every cloud has a silver lining and a little progress each day adds up to big result.

How is COVID-19 healing nature???

Nature is said to be the best God’s creation in human’s life. Word nature is derived from Latin word ‘natura’ which literally means ‘Birth.’ So, nature is where birth of natural resources and creatures take place. In these cities of India there was sudden loss of nature and had polluted air all around. It felt like nature was in trap among humans. The importance of nature was no more realized by people. So, we can say COVID-19 was like an alarm to humans that what are the consequences of destroying nature.

The Jungle has comes alive: Borivali national park reclaims it's ...

Animals and Birds are actually living their life in true sense without human interruption. There were many images and videos out in media as well about life in forest and wildlife sanctuary. Viewing all those images was so refreshing. COVID-19 taught us something that we ignored for years i.e. the mesmerizing beauty.

There was a beautiful poem showcasing our current situation written by Toru Dutt in the poem ‘The Sower.’ This poem started with lines like…

Sitting in a porchway cool,

Sunlight, I see dying fast,

Twilight hastens on to rule.

Currently in the high-speed journey of life I feel like missing lots of thing around us which we ignored for years. Along with that we were ignoring the sweet chirping of birds, the barking of dogs on roadside, the aeolian sound made by wind, the beauty of nature and many more. We also missed the beauty of those twinkling stars, the phases of moon, those grey clouds, the silence and peace at night and many more…

COVID-19 was like a break suddenly taken by a car racing at a speed of 120 kmph. In this case there was a bit of damage but precautions for further damage was taken i.e. there was start of lockdown. All these things looked like a very fast movie explaining everything in detail.

Even after this we can call ourselves true warriors and we are very lucky that in this situation also we have something to do and we are alive and fighting against COVID-19. We are lucky to have true warriors working for us day and night in our country.

With this I end my blog here and hope you enjoyed it and remember ‘A single thread of hope is still very powerful thing…’ comment upon my blog and let me know, “What you think world is going to be after end of COVID-19???

The Historical City Aurangabad…

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Photos clicked by Prathamesh Narvekar and Purva Narvekar

Aurangabad is a city in Maharashtra state in India on the Deccan Plateau.

It has many tourist attractions like Ajanta, Ellora, Daulatabad Fort, Ghrishneshwar Temple, Jayakwadi Dam, Panchakki, Lonar Lake etc. Tourist visiting this place must have lots of stamina in them to cover major parts in Aurangabad because in Aurangabad there is lot to walk, climb forts and it is not possible for vehicles to get at all tourist spots.

Short Glimpse of Places visited in Aurangabad

Aurangabad is actually a place where History comes alive. I literally wonder that how amazing those artists were of that time, when there were not so much of tools and techniques developed and still they managed to make traces of their cultural influences that number of dynasties had during their period of rule. Those wonderful artists have carved the old world on the stone telling us about their lifestyle, their work, the respect given to people, their tools and techniques, their thinking and many more.

DAY 1: Traveling from Mumbai to Aurangabad by Car, Bibi-Ka-Maqbara and Panchakki

Maximum travel time from Mumbai to Aurangabad by cars is 7hrs 33mins and via train is 7hrs 57mins approx. I had traveled by Toyota Innova which is 7-seater car. This was our 4 days trip where we had to cover major locations in Aurangabad.

Aishwarya Restaurant, Talegaon

We had started out journey at 6:30 am on 30 October, 2019. This day we decided to have our breakfast on the way to Aurangabad, so we had taken a halt at Aishwarya Restaurant at Talegaon, Maharashtra at 10:00 am. Food was very good there. You must try Misal Pav there which is their specialty, South Indian food like idli , dosa, vada is also good, Potato, onion pakoda and Vada pav had less salt so I did not like that dish that much rest was good. You can have tea, coffee there which is also good. Washrooms are very clean and car parking is also available. I will give this restaurant rating 3.5 out of 5.

MTDC, Aurangabad

Now we precede our journey to Aurangabad. Having heavy breakfast my family had decided to skip lunch and save our time. We finally had reached to Aurangabad at 3:30 pm and booked our rooms in MTDC Holiday Resort which is near by Aurangabad railway station. MTDC has made quite good and spacious rooms for their guest. Since rooms were renovated recently, they were not having their hotel restaurants and we had to move out of hotels to have our food or we could have ordered from Swiggy or Zomato (name of apps) from nearby hotels. Other than this the hotel was very good. The cost for Rooms was also less.

Bibi-Ka-Maqbara

At 4:30 pm we left for sightseeing and first visited Bibi-Ka-Maqbara which is at a distance of 5.8 km, which took about 15 mins to reach. This is a beautiful mausoleum of Aurangzeb’s wife and is constructed by Price Azam Shah in memory of his mother Rabia-ul-Durrani Alias Dilras Banu Begum. The top of this monument is made by marble but the walls are of plaster. This monument shows resemblance to Taj Mahal in Agra. Yet, it has its own splendor and grace. It is advisable to not take a guide at Bibi-ka-Maqbara since the guide charges us Rs. 200 and if you bargain with those people, they may charge you less, even after this they just give you very slight information about the place and take their fees at gate itself.

Panchakki

At 6:00 pm we reached at Panchakki (water mill) which is at a distance of 1.8 km from Bibi-Ka-Maqbara taking about 10 mins to reach. The Panchakki or watermill’s name is derived from a mill worked by water power for grinding corn for poor and military garrison. The water flows down through clay-pipes based on the siphon system from a distance of 11 kms. It was built by Muslim saint baba Shah Muzaffar. There is a large hall under tank. Rivulet skirts the gardens and an artificial waterfall adds interest to the scene. Her you may have a guide he may charge you Rs. 100.  Along with my family we had guide Saiyad Sajid (Balli) he gave us detailed information about this place and money was worth spending here.

Raana Restaurant

We had dinner at Raana Restaurant near MTDC Aurangabad which serves both veg and non-veg food. It is a cozy place and food is delicious.

Day 2: Devagiri Fort, Ellora & Ghrishneswar Temple

Devagiri Fort

We left from our hotel at 8:00 am having breakfast itself in hotel and reached Devagiri Fort at Daulatabad by 8:45 am which is at a distance of 15.4 km from MTDC Holiday Resort. This place in 12th century was capital of Hindu Kingdoms in the Deccan and was called as Deogiri, the hill of the gods. This fort was constructed by Raja Bhillamraj of Yadhav Dynasty, who was a great general of his time. The outer wall is about 6 kms along with several inner walls with heavy iron gates fitted with elephant spikes to force the gates. Moving ahead there is an ancient Hindu temple whose roof is supported by 150 pillars and has Bharat Mata idol because of Hindu- Muslim conflicts in past. Towards the right is Chand Minar, a pillar of victory built by king to commemorate his conquest of Daulatabad. This citadel is “one of the most powerful in India.”  

Devagiri Fort

This fort is as pyramidical and only of its type in India. It is self-powerful for enemy. This fort takes about 4 hrs to climb and then return. You need to carry lots of water with you before moving in this fort. While returning you may get tired so you can have Lemon water once you leave the fort and proceed to Ellora, it makes you fresh and energetic.

Ellora

From Devagiri Fort it takes around 25 mins to reach Ellora which is at a distance of 13.2 kms. There are total 34 caves distributed among 3 religions – Buddhism, Brahmanism and Jainism containing carvings of gods and goddess and remarkable memorials of the three great faiths they represent. Caves 1-12 are Buddhist caves which are the earliest (500-700 A.D.). Caves 13-29 are Brahmanism caves and Caves 30-34 are Jain caves. Since it was not possible for us to cover so many caves we covered cave number 5, 10, 15, 16, 21, 29 and 32.

Cave 5
Cave 5

Cave 5: It is 117 ft. by 56 ft. approx. in size. Total 24 pillars hold the roof. This cave seems to be like it was used as a room for the guests or a classroom for novitiates in those times.

Cave 10

Cave 10: It has a carved roof made up of timber. This cave temple is dedicated to Vishwarkarma, the architect of the gods. It is basically a Chaitya-hall (prayer hall) where the carvings symbolize the relief people feel at the time of prayer.

Cave 15

Cave 15: The above picture is not clicked by me, the original photo got deleted by me. It has a courtyard with several small shrines and chambers for the residence of the temple priests. We can have a look at carvings of Lord Shiva which is 8 armed, warlike, slaying a demon and dancing the ‘Tandava Dance’ of destruction in homely mood.

Cave 16

Cave 16: It is the most impressive and the significant amongst all the caves in Ellora. The Kailasa Temple was built to depict Shiva’s home during the reign of Krishna of Rashtrakuta dynasty.

Cave 21

Cave 21: This cave is known as Rameshwara Cave and is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is worshipped in the form of linga. A Nandi is placed just in front of the cave over a raised platform.              

Cave 29

Cave 29: Here 2 large lions with small elephant under their paws guard the step which leads to the hall from three sides. The roof is supported by 26 massive pillars. Inside the hall is Shiva Temple. 

Cave 32
Cave 32

Cave 32: It is known as Indra Sabha, Assembly Hall of Indra, King of the Gods. Here u can travel by bus to reach Jain caves. At entrance we can see a stone elephant. The upper-storey has a verandah and a big hall with decorative pillars. It is said that, “No other temple at Ellora is so complete in its arrangement or so finished in its work ship as the upper-storey of the Indra-Sabha.”

Ghrishneswar Temple

The above picture is not clicked by me because camera was not allowed inside. From Ellora you move towards Ghrishneswar Temple which is at a distance of 1.4 km i.e. approx. 5 mins. There are total 12 jyotirlingas in India and one of them is Ghrishneshwar temple. This jyotirlinga is said to be self-oriented. This temple was built in 7 th century by sati Ahiliya Bai and mother-in-law Gautam Bai. This temple has a Shivling infront of which is image of Goddess Parvati. Here men’s are not allowed to cover their upper body if they wish to enter the temple. Along with this, even electronic item like phone, camera etc is not allowed inside temple. Sometimes rush is there in the temple but you can stand their inside the temple and pray comfortably.

Kailash Restaurant

For dinner and next day breakfast you can go to Kailash Hotel, it is a pure veg restaurant and you get very good food, even food is served faster overall ambience is cozy and you will enjoy having food there.

Day 3: Gomukh Temple, Lonar Lake, Daityasudan Temple & Motha Maruti Temple     

Gomukh Temple

Gomukh Temple is at a distance of 139.9 kms, i.e. 3hrs 25mins from MTDC Holiday Resort, Aurangabad. You can also have a stay at MTDC Lonar Resort to save your time of returning back to main city in Aurangabad. Here there is small waterfall, where you can bath or drink that water. It is very clean water and safe to drink.                                                                               

Lonar Lake
Lonar Lake

Lonar Lake is also called as Lonar Crater is located in Buldhana district, Maharashtra. This lake is formed by Basalt rock. This crater is said to be formed 52,000 years ago, when blazing ball of fire crashed into the earth at a speed of 90,000 km per hour. The water of the lake is Saline and alkaline in nature which make this lake distinct from other lakes in world. At southern end of lake there is sweet water found which is a shocking thing to know. To get into this lake you have to get down at least 302 steps which are beside cremation ground and you have to go via Gomukh Temple. There are total 4 entrance gate in different direction. On reaching lake you may see 12 ancient temples which are very dark from inside and you have to enter those temples using torch or flash light of your phone. To cover those temples nearby lake it will take around 2 hrs extra. Total time to get down to lake and then again get back to your car parking it will take 3hrs in total. You must carry water bottles before moving towards lake. Walking towards lake and watching its beauty is worth, so I insist you visiting this spot.

Daityasudan Temple

Daityasudan Temple is at a distance of 800 m from Gomukh Temple, which takes approx. 3 mins to reach. This temple has beautiful architecture and each sculpture has its own significance and there you will find some kind of brick work which has got damaged due to various invasions in past. It is a Vishnu Temple which is built in form of irregular star. Those carvings tell us about the deities which were worshiped, stories from Puranas and erotic sculptures. It is said that Lord Vishnu has come down to this place in form of Daityasudan to slay demon Lavanasura who lived under the Earth in this area along with his sisters.

Motha Maruti Temple

At Motha Maruti Temple (Magnetic Hanuman) you can see a huge statue of Hanuman in sleeping position which is made up of magnetic rock. This Hanuman idol is about 9 feet, 3 inches high and 4 feet in breadth. Idol’s right foot is on earth while its left foot is on idol of Lord Shani. This temple is near Ambar Lake.

Day 4: Jayakwadi Dam, Paithani Silk and resting in Taj Vivanta Hotel

Jayakwadi Dam
Nath Sagar (Dam’s Reservoir)

Jayakwadi Dam is one of the largest irrigation projects in Maharashtra. It is also called Nath Sagar (which is Dam’s Reservoir). It is a multipurpose project, used for irrigate agricultural land in drought prone Marathwada Region, it also provides water for drinking and industrial trial usage. This Dam is surrounded by garden named ‘Dnyaneshwar’ and bird sanctuary. The construction for this Dam began in year 1965 and lasted till 1976 with cost of approx. 4700 Cr. There are total 27 water gates for the Dam with a height of around 41.30 m. It is said that people near the Dam use magnets while in water to collect gold which comes flowing with water when ashes of dead body (cremains) are left in water. To everyone’s surprise for first time after 41 long years, in 2019 total 16 gates out of 27 gates were opened by 10pm because the dam was almost full and later 4 of these 16 gates were closed by 11:30 am. You will really enjoy this view of Dam and I insist you to visit this Dam if you visit Aurangabad.

Paithani Weaving

You can have a look at beautiful Paithan handmade sarees called Paithani which are so beautifully designed and which will attract you towards them and force you to buy at least one saree. Even that one saree will not suffice your need. Paithani has square designs along with Peacock design on its Pallu. You should have visit at ‘Paithani Production center’ which comes under Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation. There you can have a look at weaving method done by old men and women who believe in keeping art alive.

Taj Vivanta Hotel

After so much of traveling for these 4 days you can relax at Taj Vivanta Hotel at Aurangabad which is around 56.2 km from Paithani Production center. You can have lunch in Hotel itself if you reach there before 3pm or else you will have to take snacks. Nearby Taj Vivanta is D-Mart at walkable distance where you can buy groceries or drink or some packed food if you don’t wish to have hotel’s food. For dinner you can either wait in Hotel and have food or else go to Amigos Kitchen which is 15 minutes from Taj Hotel where you will enjoy that delicious spicy food.

With this we end our trip at Aurangabad and had returned back to Mumbai via car. I hope you liked my blog.

RESTO-BAR: DIVA MAHARASHTRACHA…

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Seize the moment and take a taste of this delicious Maharashtrian food.

This is the traditional Indian Restobar at T.H. Kataria Marg, Shivaji Park, at Mahim in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

Dr.Suhas Awchat and his wife Master Chef Deepa Awchat

Founder of this beautiful restaurant is Dr. Suhas Awchat who started this restaurant on 19th March 2007. Diva Maharashtracha is the brainchild of Master Chef, CEO Deepa Suhas Awchat and Dr. Suhas Awchat MD started under the Goa Portuguesa Group having two sister brands namely Goa Portuguesa and Dakshin Culture Curry. This restaurant has more than 150 Veg, Non-Veg and sea food delicacies.

I had visited this place on 22nd September, 2019 with my family-friends. We actually had a great time there. We tried many new cuisines in both veg and non-veg. The mouth watering flavours gives a soothing feel to the plate. The dessert which we finally had was like cherry on the top. You must visit this restaurant.

Guitarist at Diva Maharashtracha

It is very beautiful and cosy place to have food. You have a Guitarist playing interesting songs for you there. If we talk about food the best part of it is that, in the food there are no added artificial flavours and food colouring and the food is not that spicy i.e. it has perfect taste to the food.

Veg Cuisines

In Veg soup I had Tomato Saar which is very tasty and is a traditional soup. In veg appetizer I had Kolhapuri Paneer Sukke , Ukdiche Hirve Watane and Kaju Modak, Kaju Kothimbir Vadi, Kelphul Cutlet and Aluchi Vadi which is a Traditional Maharashtrain delicacy even other appetizer seemed good but I had not tasted them so I have no idea about how tasty they where but they definitely looked tempting. In main course I had Bharleli Wangi and Dalambi Usal which were not that spicy but had fabulous taste. I had not tasted veg rice but if you wish to eat rice you can try Nagpuri Golabhat.

Non-Veg Cuisines

In Non-veg best was the Crab Soup which was bit spicy and extremely tasty, I never had such soup in my life so when you visit this restaurant, I insist you to have this soup. In non-veg appetizer I loved Bombil Fry, Prawns Fry, Promfret Fry, Kolambichi Bhaji (if you are a fish lover) and try Chicken Kheema Thalipeeth which is a new dish atlest for me. In main course we had Chicken Shagotti, Tisrya and Prawns Kalwan, Kolhapuri Tambda Rassa which also tasted delicious and even seemed beautiful along with Bhakri, Chappati or Amboli. With all this food I was actually full and had no energy to have rice but I have heard that Kolambichi Khichadi is also something unique and tasty dish found there.

Solkadi

In appetizing drink you can try Solkadi which goes well with both veg and non-veg. It is made up of Coconut Milk.

Puran Poli and Dudhi Halwa

In Desert you can have Kharvas, Puran Poli, Pan Ice Cream and Dudhi Halwa.

If you crave for Maharashtrian food, then you must visit here.

Picture with Dr. Suhas Awchat

It is a very friendly place with perfect service, hospitality and ambience. At the end of dine the owner (Dr. Suhas Awchat) himself comes at your table to have feedback and he is really very friendly person you will interact with. He talks about history of the restaurant as well as their charitable work of giving 10% of all the bill amount to underprivileged children for their welfare. I really appreciate their work done for these children.

Family picture along with Dr. Suhas Awachat and Master Chef Deepa Awachat

Along with me I had 16 family-friends who were both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. We really enjoyed there and had nice time, will love visiting this place once again.

I insist you to have a visit to Diva Maharashtacha. You will really enjoy.

Vibrant Saurashtra…

Travel, , , , , , , , ,

Photos clicked by Prathamesh Narvekar and Purva Narvekar

Written by Purva Narvekar

DAY 1: Traveling from MUMBAI to JAUNAGADH by Saurashtra Express

Maximum travel time from BORIVALI STATION to JAUNAGADH is 15 hours. This train has no pantry and you can have your food from railway station itself when the train stops. But that food is not that hygenic so I prefer you to have your homecooked food like paratha, sandwich, cookies, thepla (it is a tasty gujrati dish), idly etc.

DAY 2: At Junagadh station at sharp 1:30 pm



Junagadh Station and Club Mahindra Hotel

From Junagadh Station to Club Mahindra Hotel Gir (a 3 star hotel) I had traveled through Innova (5 seater car). It is approximately a journey of 60 km i.e. 1 hour. Hotel is well maintained, has good quality of food, has many mango trees, swimming pool, fun zone and daily entertaining fun activites in evening. So remaining day can be well spend itself in a hotel like this.

DAY3: Visiting GIR FOREST and DEVALIA SAFARI PARK



Entrance of Gir National Park and G.I.Z. Devaliya

From Club Mahindra to GIR FOREST its a distance of 10km i.e. 20 minutes approximate. Club Mahindra has a travel desk which arranges open jeeps for us on our request for Gir Forest. We can visit Gir in any of the three timings i.e. either in morning at 6:00am or 8:30am or in evening at 3:00pm. I prefer visiting in morning at 6:00am because the temperature is quite cool and the animals and birds are seen near artificial ponds or lakes. It is a very beautiful forest, it has 523 Lions, 300 Species of Birds, 37 Species of Reptiles and other animals like Leopards, Jackal, Mongoose, Deer, Nilgai (Blue Bull), Langur Monkey etc.



Animals found in Gir National Park

Among reptiles you can find crocodiles, indian garden lizard, chameleon and many more. There are even many peacocks found in Gir. It is worth going to Gir Forest because you can see many animals and birds and hear them loud and clear. You will enjoy your entire forest journey of 3hours.

*If you have your DSLR camera you must carry it to have such beautiful pictures.



Birds found at Gir National Park

Returning to your hotel by 9:30am if you visit Gir Forest at 6:00am you can rest till 3:30pm and then at 4:00pm you can visit Devalia Safari Park which is approximately 20 minutes from Club Mahindra Hotel and exactly in opposite direction of Gir Forest. Here again the caged jeeps are arranged either by the hotel or Gir Forest booking office or you can have other option like bus which which you can book at Devalia Safari Park booking office. I prefer having jeeps because first reason is that duration for bus is just 15 minutes while jeep’s duration is for 55minutes and secondly buses stops at some particular location while you can ask the driver of the jeep to stop the jeep at any place you want to and watch that animal or bird as long as you wish. It is definitely worth going to this park. You can see Lions, Antilope, Peacock, Deer, Leopards, Jackal and many more different aniimals and bird which you may or may not find in Gir Forest.



Animals at Devaliya Safari Park

Here also there are three timings i.e. in morning at 7:30 am-11:00 am for buses (each bus 15 mins) and 7:00 am-10:55 am for gypsy (each jeep 55 mins) and in evening buses start at 3:00pm-5:00pm (each bus 15 mins) and gypsy starts at 3:00 pm-5:55 pm (each jeep 55 mins). You can have either early morning time or late evening time so that you can enjoy your traveling, temperature and find more animals and birds.

DAY4: SHREE SOMNATH JYOTIRLING TEMPLE

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Shree Somnath Temple

The above picture is not clicked by me as camera is not allowed inside the temple. This day you can relax in morning till evening and then visit this beautiful temple shining in laser light in evening. It is located in Prabhas, near Veraval. It is a Hindu Temple of Lord Shiva and is one of the 12 jyotirlingas of India. Here there is a confluence of 3 rivers: Saraswati, Kapila, Hiran which meet the mighty Arabian Sea because of this confluence of these river it is said to be Triveni Sangam which is belived to be a very sacred Moksha Thirtha for Hindus. Here you are not allowed to carry your phones, cameras or any electronic instruments, you can have electronic lockers charging 10rs per electronic instrument like if you carry 2 mobiles and 1 camera you will have to pay 30rs and other is the normal locker which is free. You can place your sandals, slippers or floaters at the shoe rack near the temple. The Aarti here takes place three times a day 1st at 7am then at 12pm and then in evening at 7pm. I prefer evening time at 7pm because you can enjoy the enthusiasm of devotee and even watch the Laser-based Light and Sound show which starts at 8:00pm till 8:30pm.

DAY5: JUNAGADH MUSEUM, SAKKARBAUG ZOO, ORCHARD PALACE, SHOPPING

1) Junagadh Museum 2) Sakkarbaug Zoo 3) Orchard Palace

Junagadh Museum is one of the finest museums in Gujrat at Duruvesh Nagar. It has preserved the possessions of the Junagadh Nawabs and Maharajas. you can have look at the olden time Weapons, Armour, Howdahs present during Nawab’s time, beautiful Chandelier, Silver Items, Jewellery of olden times and paintings depicting lifestyle of Nawabs.

Junagadh Museum

On the way to Sakkarbaug zoo you can have a look at Mahabat Makabara which is a heritage place and is protected under the Gujrat Ancient Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.

Mahabat Makabara

Sakkarbaug Zoo has a large display of animals and birds of different species. Here you can find Asiatic Lions, Panther, Deer, Cheetahs, Malabar Giant Squirrels, Marmosets, Green Pheasant, White Tiger, Snakes, Bear, Ostrich and many birds like Hornbill, Owl, Eagle, White Peacock etc. This is a well maintained zoo and is 2nd oldest zoo in India and 4th largest zoo in India.

Animals at Sakkarbaug Zoo

Orchard Palace is the beautiful place where you can stay or just have lunch or dinner. It is located in Gondal in Rajkot District. The food quality is excellent and prices about 675rs both veg and non-veg, but the order for food is supposed to be given least 2hours before reaching time. You can also enjoy excellent collection of Vintage Car or Old Maharaja Cars and the Private Train. This palace has its own organic farm with various vegetables and fruits. Here even many bollywood movies shooting has took place. This place must be visited.

Orchard Palace along with its Dinning Room, Private Train and Vintage Car collection of around 35 cars

If you wish for doing some shopping for women at Rajkot then you must have a look at Bandhani Material Sarees or Dress Material having some minute work on it. This is even comfortable to wear and has rich look with those sparkling minute work on it.

Bandhani Material

This way by evening you will finally be done with day 5.

DAY6: GHANDHIJI’S BIRTHPLACE, SHREE DWARKADHISH TEMPLE

1) Museum made in memory of Mahatma Gandhi
2) Shree Dwarkadhish Temple

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Porbandar. He was one of the most respected spiritual and political leaders at the time of British Rule through nonviolent resistance. He had lived beside Kirti Mandir, which is now a tourist spot. Gandhiji’s house has 3 floors having many rooms, windows and terrace like area. There is no entry ticket here.

Place where Ghandhiji lived

Dwarkadhish Temple also known as Jagat Mandir which is dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is located at Dwarka in Gujrat. The city of Dwarka is regarded as the ‘Gateway of Moksha (Salvation).’ The pooja there is conducted by Aboti Brahmins (a caste in Brahmins who have been performing pooja for centuries). Janmashtami is the major festival which is celebrated there. The flag at top of the temple is changed 5 times a day by a pilgrimage itself and now it is said that if we wish to hoist the temple flag we need to wait for least 5 years for our turn to come.

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Shree Dwarkadhish Temple

The above picture is not clicked by me as electronic things were not allowed there. This is a very beautiful temple in Dwarka and must be visited. Here you are not allowed to carry your phone, camera or any electronic instrument. You can have lockers for the same. I suggest you must have a guide there to help you understand the temple more deeply.

DAY7: RUKMINI MANDIR, BET DWARKA MANDIR

1) Rukmini Mandir
2) Bet Dwarka Mandir

It is said that Sage Durvasa was invited by Lord Krishna and his wife Rukmini to their palace when on the way to the palace Rukmini had got tired and pleased Lord Krishna to provide her with some water. No sooner did Lord Krishna provided Rukmini water than she drank it without asking Sage Durvasa who felt insulted about this. He immediately cursed Lord Krishna and Rukmini that 1] This land will never have drinking water in it, and till now there is no clear drinking water found there due to which no vegetation there and 2] Lord Krishna and Rukmini can never stay together, due to which this temple is at a distance of 2km from Shree Dwarkadhish Temple.

Lord Krishna and his Wife Rukmini taking Sage Durvasa to their Palace

Bet Dwarka is called so because it is surrounded by water on all side and has to be traveled through boat which carries around 130 people, each one has to pay 20rs to reach to the other side by boat and it takes around 20 minutes. It is said that it is a place where Lord Krishna stayed and Dwarkadhish temple was the place where Lord Krishna worked. This is also a very positive place where 10,000 people stay. People there deeply believe in Lord Krishna and chant Mantras.

DAY8: Traveling from DWARKA to MUMBAI through Saurashtra Express

Dwarka Railway Station

The train reaches Dwarka by 1:30pm and has no pantry and u can have your food from railway station itself when the train stops. But that food is not that hygienic so i prefer you to have your homecooked food or some healthy food like fruits or something else possible. The train reaches Borivali by 6:30am.

The shrine makes you realize the power of prayers and fills even most skeptical minds with feeling of calm and spirituality. SAURASHTRA must be visited, it is one of the most beautiful place in India.

With this we end our tour to Saurashtra. I hope you liked my blog.