For adventure lovers it’s cherry on the pie and for first timers it can be little scary.
So, what happens in Solang valley paragliding??
You take the cable car in a group of 4 and it takes you to the place where you will meet your guides. Your guides will take you the starting point and prepare you with all safety equipment and guidelines. Then you have to wait for your guide to do all the other preparations to fly, and all this take only 5 minutes. You will be so amazed by the preparations that the time will fly. Next the guide will attach all the equipment with your seat and he will be just behind you. Then he will tell you to run and jump off a steep cliff.
And you will be wondering in your mind whaaattt!!!! And by this fraction of second you will already be flying, it’s that fast guys!!! The ride is for 15 mins and that’s going to one of the most memorable 15 minutes in your life.
Imagine one your right side you have snow clad mountains, on your left side you have blue cloudy sky and beneath you are the coniferous forest, a beautiful river flowing and in front of you is the breathtakingly expansive Solang valley.
I wish I could fly forever !! that’s what I thought. It was so calming experience, there was a sense of peace and satisfaction in my mind. A sense of numbness in my ears because of the cold air, the cold air caressing my face and my soul.
Every one of you who wishes to fly should try this once at least. It’s a marvelous experience and a must do activity.
Was I Scared? NO, I was super excited and only for a second when my guide told me to jump, I felt scared.
The kids also loved the experience that they did it thrice, also the kids tried archery as well.
Don’t be scared just go for it, trust me you won’t regret it. It’s an amazing feeling which cannot be expressed but only felt.
The roads from Delhi to Manali is pretty good and the highway is well maintained. There are few check posts in between which can consume your time in long queues otherwise there is no issue. There are plenty of Dhabas and restaurants on the way, you can munch something whenever you feel hungry.
The food we recommend are: Aloo paratha, Rajma chawal, Dal chawal, Chole puri & kucha chole. We recommend not to have Maggi on you first few days because later on that is the only food available throughout your trip.
The first pitstop was at Hanogi bridge at Mandi. This place is famous for its hanging bridge over river Beas which leads to a Devi temple perched on top of the hill. The temple is also famous for the breathtaking view of the valley and the river flowing underneath add to it. We visited this place because of the fascinating bridge we came across while passing the place.
We reached Manali around 5 pm and it was so pleasant to be surrounded by coniferous trees and mountains. Never I my life had I imagined to see the Himalayas so closely. It was almost dark by the time we reached our homestay.
We stayed in Hampton Homestay at village shuru, Manali.
The next day began with treat to our eyes, at 6 am I wake up to see the mighty Himalayas behind our homestay. Also, the homestay was surrounded with Apple trees. My mind said wow!! And my heart was pounding with excitement to touch these apples.
Being born and raised in plateaus and coastal areas this was my first time in mountains. It was no less than a dream come true. This was just the beginning as I had no idea there were more wishes to be fulfilled during the trip.
We decided to explore Manali for the whole day and as the first place everyone visits in Manali is Mall road . Also, our major reason was to get permit for our rented car.
*Harrytinkers Tip: the queue for ladies is minimal so it’s better that a female member in the group goes to get the permit
We had amazing parathas from Aashiana pure veg restaurant in mall road and headed towards Himalayan Nyinmapa Monastery.
This was my first visit to a monastery and I found it very peaceful and beautiful. The colors they use is very bright because of that the monastery looks vibrant.
Next we headed for some adventure activities in Solang valley, famous for adventure activities like zorbing, paragliding , archery, ropeway, skiing, river rafting and horse riding.
Paragliding is the most adventurous activity during summers and skiing during winters. The rate for paragliding for adults is Rs 2000 /- (1500 for paragliding + 500 for ropeway) and for kids its Rs 600/-
Leh Ladakh was on my list since a long time, I guess after watching 3 Idiots and lots of travel documentaries I realized that I really have to go this place before I get married. Well, if you ask me why this criteria because you never know what if you partner is not as trave enthusiast as you are, why take risk man!!
So, I, coming from a family where it’s little difficult for girls to convince their parents to go on a road trip, I somehow managed to convince my parents (I know they were very scared) to allow me to visit a no network area. I had to literally prepare them not to panic if they are not able to contact me for 12 days.
Travelling with your friends is the best idea for this road trip. The first tip I would say is always travel in a group. Check out the below articles to know a detailed info about Leh Ladakh road trip;
Guruvayoor is full of stories. Actually, each person who has visited this temple will have different stories to narrate. To me Guruvayoor is equivalent to heaven, whenever I imagine heaven, the only picture which comes to my mind is of Guruvayoor. What more can you expect from a Krishna bhakta
Guruvayoor temple is dedicated to Guruvayoorappan (Four arm form of lord Vishnu) situated in town of Guruvayoor in Kerala, India. Its popularly known as the Bhuloka Vaikuntha (the holy abode of Lord Vishnu on earth). The city is considered to be Dwarka of Southern India.
Several weddings and Children’s first feeding ceremony (annaprasan or choroonu) take place almost every day. The devotees seek the blessings of Lord Krishna for a happy future and the temple is famous for its healing power.
The temple is also famous for its beautiful Mural painting which is done by artists who have been trained by the Devasom board in Guruvayoor.
Temple timings
Morning: 3.00 AM to 1.30 PM Evening: 4.30 PM to 9.15 PM
The Temple will be closed from 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm:
How to reach
Guruvayoor, is well connected with all parts of the country by road and rail. The National highway passes through Kunnamkulam which is just 8 kms away. The private bus stand is towards the east of the temple, near Manjulal (the famous banyan tree). It is half an hour drive by car from Thrissur and buses ply every 5 minutes from the cultural capital, Thrissur.
The nearest railway station is Guruvayoor but not all the trains have a pitstop here, mostly people prefer Thrissur which is 20 kms away and Cochin International Airport is the nearest airport, which is 72 km.
PC: wikipedia
Story of Guruvayoor
Lord Brahma used to worship Lord Krishna’s idol during Krishnavtaram and he gifted the same to Lord Vishnu. After seven days when Lord Krishna left for his heavenly abode, the city of Dwarka submerged. Lord Vayu, the Lord of winds and Guru were entrusted with the work. They had to find a suitable place to install the holy idol. After searching for a long time, Guru and Vayu installed the idol at the temple. This was carried out because Guru Parshuram had insisted this place.
The place got its name Guruvayoor because both Guru and Vayu had installed the idol. Initially, the temple was known as Guruvayurappa and later changed to Guruvayoor
The temple pond
The temple tank (pond) temple is called Rudratheertham. Because for thousands of years, Lord Shiva used to bath here. As Shiva is also known as ‘Rudra’, the pond was named after him: Rudratheertham.
PC : local guide connect
Dress code
Devotees and tourists have to strictly follow the dress code.
Men and boys: wear mundu (single piece garment draped along the waist, very similar to sarong or dhoti) around their waist, without any dress covering their chest. You can wear a veshti ( small piece of cloth) to cover your chest.
Women and girls: saree or long skirt and blouses. Recently even salwar kameez is allowed.
Modern dresses like Trouser, short skirts are not allowed. Girls below 12 years may wear gowns.
The reason of south Indian temples emphasising on wearing one single piece of cloth (read here)
Significance of Elephants in guruvayoor
The first elephant Keshavan was donated to the Guruvayoor Hindu temple by the royal family of Nilambur on 4 January 1922. Since then, it became a common Hindu custom in Kerala to capture elephants either as calves or young adults from the wild and to donate them to the deity of the temple as an offering. Guruvayoor temple currently has 59 elephants. All these elephants are decorated and held in a procession on the day of Thrisoorpooram.
PC : Keralam.me
Krishanattom
Krishnattom is a temple art in Kerala, India. It is a dance drama and presents the story of Krishna in a series of eight plays and was created by Manaveda (the Zamorin king of Calicut) in northern Kerala. He created a poem for Lord Krishna is eight cantos.
I misinterpreted this as kathakali which was initially derived from Krishnattom. I saw this art form for the first time when I was 6-year-old, my grandfather loved this art form and on every visit to guruvayoor, he used to take me along to watch this art form. At that span of time, I couldn’t understand any of it but now being a classical dancer myself, I enjoy watching this art form. Watching krishnattom in guruvayoor is a blissful experience and one of my fondest memories in Guruvayoor.
PC : Wikipedia
Annadanam (Prasada oottu)
Every day Guruvayoorappan Temple department provides free Prasada Oottu for the devotees in Annalakshmi Hall located outside the temple. Prasada Oottu starts from 10.30 am. People can have free meals and there is no religious barrier. The food is simple and filling, simplicity is what makes it delicious
Shops near the temple
There are numerous shops near to the temple which sells souvenirs like mural paintings, sculptures, variety of lamps made with bell metal. Definitely, if it’s your first visit you will find lots of unique items which you will be tempted to buy.
Where:The East and West Nada
Things which can capture your interest can be Mural paintings, lamps, electronic items, religious books, brassware, very unique Kerala handicrafts. Don’t miss the the most popular Kasavu Saree. If you are fan of mural paintings then definitely there are so many options of clothing for you. Also, you should definitely shop some of the favourite Kerala snacks such as Papadums, halwa and Murukkus.
Ghee roastDosha
Every visit to Guruvayoor is accompanied by having ghee roast from the nearby restaurant for all the three meals (I wish). Why I am emphasizing on the ghee roast is because its very delicious and as well as super crispy.
PC : cookpad.com
Harrytinkers tip
Avoid visiting the temple on weekends as it will be too crowded and you won’t be able to have a peaceful darshan
Also, during the weekday, you can expect long queues for the morning darshan.
The meals served is simple food and the place would be crowded as its free it is given to the homeless and beggars as well
Its better to stay for at least two days and 2 nights in order to attend all the rituals if you wish to and to visit the nearby places and watch Krishnattom.
Strictly follow the dress code, otherwise you won’t be allowed to enter inside the temple
The kovil inside is dimly lit so you have to look carefully inside in order to see the deity.
My father belongs to south part of Kerala: Kollam. Every year during our summer vacations, we used to visit Kollam to meet my Paternal grandparents. The whole year me and my brother would be waiting for our summer holidays to visit our grandparents.
Every year during our visit to Kollam there would be some or the other relative who would have visited the Kottarakkara Mahaganapathi Kshetram and we would relish the yummy prasadam (the Unniappams) from the temple. The first memory which flashes in one’s mind is the Kottarakkara Unniappams and later the temple. Since those time we always wanted to visit the temple.
P.c. Wikipedia
How to reach
In 2012 finally we got to visit this amazing temple. Kottarakkara is a small town in Kollam district and is 25 kms away from Kollam town and 80 kms from Thiruvananthapuram. The buses are well connecting and autorickshaws can also take you to your destination.
The deities of the temple are Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Lord Ganesha, Lord Murugan, Lord Ayyappan, and Nagaraja. Even though the main deity is Lord Shiva, the main priority is given to his son Lord Ganesha. Kottarakkara Mahaganapathi Temple is one of the famous temples in Kollam district, Kerala. Actually, the main Idol is Lord Siva, but Ganapathy is famous here. The exact name of the temple was Kizhakkekara Siva Kshetram.
The Story
The Unniappams made here is very famous and it has a very different flavour to it.Unniappams , a sweet ghee-fried snack made with rice and bananas.
The story being: The first offering of the famous sculptor Perumthachan, who carved the idol of Mahaganapathi at Kottarakkara. was Koottappam.( six to seven Unniappams stringed together).
The Unniappams are made just in front of the Lord Ganapathy’s shrine, the holy fire is lit for making Unniappams. Moreover, it is only after the sanctum sanctorum is open that the uniappam’s are made. Raw rice, jaggery, ‘kadali’- a variety of banana and Ganapathy’s favourite, ghee and sugar are the ingredients used for making unniappam.
P.c : Mathrubhumi
Right from dawn to dusk, Unniappams are made and all of these together are made as an offering to the Lord at dusk. Later on, it is distributed freely to the devotees. This offering is known as Udayasthamana Pooja. The heavy rush of devotees to Kottarakkara Ganapathy Temple speaks volumes of Lord Ganapathy’s love, care and concern towards them.
As soon as you enter the temple a sweet smell of Unniappams is sure to tempt you. The Unniappams are kept in huge cane baskets and offered to Ganapathy is Urli (bronze vessel).
Its so mesmerising to watch the Unniappams being made in front of the shrine that you will surely forget to offer your prayers to Lord Ganapathy.
Nandi hill is known for its misty morning sunsets , mesmerising sunsets and delightful nature’s beauty.
Nandi hill also known as Anandagiri (hill of happiness) is an ancient fortress which is known to be ruled by Tipu sultan. Later in the colonial rule the British had taken over this place so you can see a mix of colonial and Chola architecture in the buildings.
The entrance itself is super majestic and can define its heritage.
There are 40 hairpin curves before you reach the entrance. During your climb uphill you will find many photogenic spots with deep gorges and steep rocky hills.Drive slowly and safely there is absolurely no rush.
Nandi Hills is the nearest hill station near our residence as its just 20 kms away. It was our first trip together and we went there for our post wedding photoshoot. It was my first time visit to Nandi hills. Akhil has visited multiple times.It was Mid- September when we visited Nandi hills and the climate was rainy and misty .
Best time to visit is : Throughout the year , isnt it wonderful. During rainy season the roads can be slippery so be careful.
Entry fees :Normal entry fee per person is 5 INR.Car – 60 INR, Two wheeler – 21 INR
Timing : 6 am to 6 pm . You can stay in the guest houses at night if you are planning to stay overnight but the entry is closed by 6 pm in order to avoid mishaps.
Nandi hills is covered with exotic plants and trees, As the horticulture department of Karnataka has full control over the hills now you can see beautiful flowers and unique trees which are not easily found in the city. The climate on top is very pleasant and usually rains every day.
The mornings are the best where you can enjoy the misty sunrise with hot tea and steaming hot pakodas .
Unexplored areas
There is also a 1300 old Nandi temple which is restricted for tourist now and truly this place is mystical. There is a small pond and a garden which is now restricted for tourists and both the places look enchanting.
Nehru nilaya
Nehru Nilaya is bungalow named after the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru as he had stayed at this place for some time. Nehru Nilaya is now converted into a guest house. No one can enter inside the building but you can click pics as we did.
We saw Bangalore Palace for the first time in Instagram and I instantly saved it for my places to visit in Bangalore. Also, Akhil and his parents has been staying in Bangalore for a long time but they have never got the opportunity to visit this palace. Finally, during the pandemic era, we took our parents out for the first time to visit this palace, because we hoped that there would be less crowd.
As an escape to the history of India and to experience the classic royal charm of Bangalore we headed over to the beautiful Bangalore Palace.
The palace is renowned for its wooden interiors and beautiful gardens.
The palace is situated in the heart of the city in Vasant nagar Bangaluru.The entrance fees is 230 Rs for Indian citizen and 460 Rs for foreigners + 300 for phone cameras for a group. Each ticket has a different colour wristband which would be provided to you on the ticket counter.
The palace and palace garden are under surveillance 24×7.The timings of the palace is 10 am -5:30 pm and its closed on Mondays.
Who built this?
The vast palace spread across 45,000 sq. ft., was built by Rev. Garett, the first principal of Central High School in Bengaluru. In 1873, Chamaraja Wadiyar the 23rd Maharaja of the princely state of Mysore purchased it and refurbished it.
10 reasons to visit Bangalore Palace
1.Colourful Interiors
The first attraction inside the palace would be the colourful interiors which is predominantly in yellow which we generally do not see in Indian Palaces. The ceilings and the pillars are ornately carved with intricate sculpting of motifs, which is definitely eye catching. The palace is colourful with hand painted wallpapers to the indicate mosaic tiles.
2.Paintings and photographs
The rooms are decorated with old paintings belonging to the mid-19th century, including some Greek and Dutch paintings from the time of the Maharajas. You will also get to see old photographs from the Maharaja’s time, framed and hung on the wall. Seems like the family loved capturing and preserving their memories.
3.Artistic furnishings
The Gorgeous chandeliers adorning the ceiling are ornate and old are adding a grace and charm to the interior. The ground floor consists of an open courtyard containing granite seats covered with fluorescent blue ceramic tiles. It also has a ball room for holding parties and a Durbar hall on first floor where the king used to address the assembly .The central courtyard, is huge and decorated with vibrant colours, arches, artworks and mosaics.
4.Architecture
The palace architecture is an amalgamation of Tudor and Scottish, Gothic architecture with tall archways, oriel windows, fortified towers, battlements, and turrets. The interior of the palace is full of decorations, moulded and fluted pillars and large arches, walls decorated with floral patterns, intricately carved capitals, patterned cornices. The upper-level corridors and passage overlooking the inner courtyard are lined with beautifully detailed metal railings. There is a massive open courtyard with granite seats, a ballroom, darbar hall, residences, and a pretty water fountain which is now defunct.
5.Wooden work
The interiors were decorated with elegant wood carvings. The furniture, which was neo-classical, Victorian and Edwardian in style, was bought from John Roberts and Lazarus. A grand staircase embellished with complex rococo style woodwork. edging those steps is a vibrant yellow wall, I mean what a contrast.
6.Taxidermy lover
Wadiyar was definitely an admirer of taxidermy (the art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals with lifelike effect.), as we saw bar stools made with elephant legs and paw of a giant cat. Huge elephant head near the durbar hall entrance and an elephant trunk near the pathway.
7.Exquisite exteriors
The well-arranged foliage spread all over the lower half of the castle makes it more photographic and adds up to the greenery which makes it distinctive from other palaces.
8.Manicured garden
The gardens of the palace are more refined as designed by John Cameron, the English botanist responsible for redesigning Bengaluru’s serene Lalbagh Botanical Garden in the 1880s.
9.Cursed
The Wadiyar royal bloodline has reportedly been cursed for 400 years. The legend of the Curse of Alamelamma dates back to the 1600s, when Raja Wadiyar dethroned Tirumalaraja, an ailing ruler of another Indian kingdom. Rather than surrender to the Wadiyars, Tirumalaraja’s wife fled with her family’s royal treasure.
Clutching these jewels, she leapt off a cliff. Her final words were a curse on the Wadiyar dynasty, asking the gods to make their land barren and deny them heirs. This curse has remained famous due to the family repeatedly failing to produce a new male heir to their throne.
10.Windsor castle in india??
The story falls as Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar, during his trip to London,was fascinated by the Windsor Castle of London and decided to have made one for himself in Bangalore in the same style.Anything fancy can be wished with plenty of riches isn’t it. It,s said to be a look alike of the Windsor Castle. The resemblance is so marked that many scholars feel that this is an imitated version of the Tudor’s building, as if it was transported to Bangalore.
The Bangalore Palace is intertwined with the history of the city and its European architecture is a reminder of the colonial legacy of the town while its opulence also showcases the riches of the local kings. The expansive Palace Grounds around it were once a famed venue for international musical act, so this location has an important place in Bangalore’s contemporary culture too.
A visit to this Palace is a must, that will take you back in time and away from the modern landscape.
During the evening we decided to witness our first Ganga Aarti .The Ghats were getting prepared for the pooja with 6 stands for the priest to perform the pooja beautifully lit and decorated .All the buildings are also lit so colourfully. Behind the stands there was arrangement for people to watch the pooja. Also there were also arrangements to see the Aarti from front view from the boat which costs 50 per person, it’s not very expensive and if you are witnessing the Ganga Aarti for the first time you must sit here n watch it, you can see the beautiful Ganga Aarti been performed over here.
Ganga Aarti starts at the sunset and stretches up to 15 to 20 minutes. Ganga Aarti which is being performed by 6 priest all dressed in uniform of Maroon sweater and cream colour dhoti with cream colour veshti.As they perform Pooja with different procedures by lighting the lamp in all four directions. This Pooja is being offered to the Holy River Ganga and it happens every evening and every morning in the same method. It is so mesmerising to view that Ganga Aarti it is like magic the synchronisation of the priest and the bhajans which is being sung in the background everything is so magical it is a lifetime experience to see that because you go into that essence of the Pooja and you get spell bound in its whole essence, it is very beautiful.
Note: After the Ganga Aarti there is a Devi temple over there and they distribute Khichdi as the Prasad because simultaneously with the Ganga Aarti Evening Aarti in the temple also starts and finish at the same time so after attending the pooja.
Al so second day we went to watch the Ganga Aarti from dashashwamedh Ghat but from behind this time also it was as magical as it was from the front view because this pandit perform the pooja from all the four sides north south east west so whenever you are sitting you can witness the pooja as the grand as it is. The ambience when Ganga aarti is performed and everyone is involved its prayers and bhajans is mesmerising.
On the third day and last evening in Banaras to be decided to watch the Ganga Aarti from Shitala Ghat and this time we felt that dashashwamedh Ghat has much more elaborate Ganga Aarti than shitala Ghat the difference between both is Dashashwamedh ghat is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Shitala Ghat is for Goddess Parvati so all the bhajans which are sung in Shitala Ghat is regarding Devi and there will be difference in the way they perform the pooja and the number of priests performing the aarti were also less. The Ganga aarti in Dashashwamedh ghat is extravagant however in Shitala ghat is much more subtle.
Ganga aarti Varanasi
Fourth day we decided to visit the Ghat in the morning to watch the morning Pooja and so what we saw the difference is in the morning there is only one priest which performs the Ganga aarti in the dashashwamedh Ghat as compared to 6th priest in the evening This is a different experience to see Ganga aarti before the sunrise.
After visiting dashashwamedh Ghat we were really very hungry so we went to a really amazing Cafe named Niyati cafe and its a very small restaurant which serves varieties of cusines including continental, American and Indians and we definitely preffered the authentic Indian food also be ordered a rice, dal and aloo gobi ki sabzi . The food served here is very simple and very yummy,And the best part about the restaurant is there everything is cooked fresh.The owner of the restaurant is a very very sweet guy and he and his wife manages the restaurant while she prepares the food and he manages the restaurant . Maximum of 15 people could be accommodated in the restaurant and we would definitely recommend this place and everyone must go there .
In Varanasi there is a place called Lanka which is which is far away from the place where we were staying and after reading some blog recommendations in search of some amazing chat to our disappointment we did not find anything over there. But we found there was an amazing street food called the Chura matar which we saw just exploring the streets.There’s nothing so great about the place.And accidently the best part about going to Lanka was the Pahalwan dudh centre where you get a yummiest Gajar ka halva and we had the Balushahi Steaming hot flavoured milk is very famous during winters in Varanasi and we were wondering why everyone drinking the milk but to be very frank after tasting the milk we found our why!!! The milk tastes amazing with the essence of cardamom and because its being boiled for a longer time it gets that creamy texture. The boiling milk is served in kulhad which also enhances is the milk’s tastes and The longer it is boiled the better it tastes and its a must try beverages in Banaras.
Kashi chaat centre located near the godowlia chawk in Varanasi serves one of the best chaats in Varaonasi and it opens only in the evening by 6 pm and is always crowded. So we had this amazing tamatar Chaat, dahi vada , tikki chaat , paani puri and Chura matar (of course because I loved it the last time we had it) and I will recommend Kashi chat Centre to everyone who visits Varanasi just because of the amazing tamatar Chaat and also I never ever had such amazing chat ever.Also the service is very fast and every item is served steaming hot n fresh.
Sweet shops in Gowdowlia chawk
Sweets in Varanasi especially the one which made is made with milk is the totally recommendable because the the milk is very fresh and they make all the sweets with that fresh milk and the freshness of the sweets can be experienced. We had Gulab Jamun, Rasgulla, rasmalai,Cham cham and everything is very tasty and fresh. During Winters almost everyone in the town relishes the hot flavoured milk in the chilly nights of Varanasi and if you are craving for something warm and tasty definitely its the steaming hot creamy milk of Varanasi.
While walking towards the Dashashwamedh ghat the street has loads of shops which sell samosa chai and boondi, and I must say it’s really worth giving a try and I assure you the taste won’t disappoint you instead you will feel like having them more.
Litti Chokah: Rajendra Prasad Ghat
While we were strolling along the ghats we found this street vendor selling litti chokha and it was really amazing to have the authentic taste even at a local place.
Paan
Paan is soul of Varanasi and paan shop is found in every nook and corner of the city . Well to be very frank every shop serves really good paan as we had from multiple shops and cant decide which on e was best. The vendors would make it according to the taste which you like>also the size of the paan here is slightly bigger than the usual ones.
Steaming hot idlies : Godowlia Chawk
with For the morning breakfast we had steaming hot Idlies and coconut chutney with loads of mustard seeds on top from a small street vendor outside our hotel .We were a little sceptical about having idly from north India as being a South Indian we love Idli and don’t like to experiment when it comes to south Indian cuisine but this was really good and we were extremely satisfied.
Aloo parathas foms street vendors
As far as aloo paratha is considered you can happily have it from the street vendors ,its amazingly fresh and tasty
AS far as what we experienced have the local food and have it from the crowded street vendors because the crowd indicate the taste of a particular locality of city and crowd also ensure that theres something yummy food.
Poori sabzi Or kachoris
The streets shops and vendors of Varanasi serves these pooris or kachoris with aloo ( potato ) curry which is a must have and they have different variants in the recipes.
Kachori and sabzi
Malaiyo
Malaiyo is a frothy pleasant and firm dessert found only during the winters of Banaras. This is the elegant composition of milk, Saffron and several dry fruits, along with the most important ingredient, Dew. Yes this is the core reason why Malaiyo in winter is the availability of Dew.And trust me this would be a surprise for your taste buds.
The best part about Banaras is its gullies and these are very narrow lanes which I have never seen in an Indian city .Gali is mean Street. The roads are so narrow that only one auto is the maximum which can fit into the road but still the drivers there very understand that they help each other while riding through these lanes. As a passenger it was so difficult for us to even think about riding in such narrow lanes.
Pic from pinterest
Temples everywhere
There is temple in every nook and corner of the city and you will find lots of devotees gathered and performing pooja .Another interesting thing which we saw was the Khichdi baba where the temple would give free khichdi to everyone and the vessel in which this khichdi is made keeps on rotating while it is made. As it’s named as Lord Shiva’s place you can find a Shiva linga in every street.
p.c. :Times of India
Travel Ecofriendly: Electric Rickshaws
The whole town is filled with these cute electric rickshaws which takes the passengers to nearby places. Well the pace of this vehicle is slow and if you are on a vacation and want to relax and enjoy your ride in and around the city then this is the best means of travelling. It’s definitely a fun ride and prices are much more affordable than the regular autos.
Paintings
The city is made beautiful with paintings everywhere. On the way from the airport to our hotel the city is beautifully decorated with paintings all over pavement walls, on the bridge, on the and wherever your eyes could go.
Milk and milk products
You get fresh milk and milk products in almost available every dairy product store of Varanasi. The milk is fresh and is available so much in surplus in the city. The curd is tasty and perfect which results to amazing lassi and buttermilk. The paneer is soft and creamy. And of course the sweets made with the milk and khoya is absolutely tempting.
Flavoured milk
Chaat Varieties
As we all know that north India is famous for chaat and Chatpata snacks. And Varanasi has some more delicious varieties of chaat to offer and it’s very tasty and anyone would feel like having more. Starting from Pani Puri, aloo chaat, tamatar chat, dahiwada, ragda chaat, sev puri etc each and every item has its own charm and is a must have.
Sweets
The variety of sweet which Varanasi has to offer is endless and everything is so fresh. The best which we could choose from was the Rabadi jalebi, gulab jamun, peda ,besan ladoo and Rasgulla.All the sweet items are worth trying and packing them for your loved ones too.
Banarasi silk
One of the favourite categories of silk for most of the north Indians is the banarasi silk.Banarasi silk is one of the finest variants of silk produced in India. Primarily weaved in the holy city of Varanasi or Banaras in Uttar Pradesh, this silk attracts attention due to the zari and brocade work in gold and silver thread on the fine fabric. Banarasi silk saris are known all over the world for their splendour and exquisiteness. With their vibrant colours, intricate designs, and beautiful embroidery with gold and silver threads enhances the value of Banarasi sari and often finds a place of pride in the trousseau of an Indian bride.
benarasi saree
Paan
“Ab banaras aaye aur paan na khaye aise kaise ho sakta h” (coming to Banaras how can you miss the banarasi paan). Banaras is super famous for the paan and my father was very keen in tasting it and guess what it is special and tastes amazing. Also have the paan and sing the son “ Khaike paan banaras walaaaaa”.
Banarasi paan
Aghories
Varanasi is known as the land of aghoris and they are everywhere . You can either find them meditating or roaming in the cities or in the temples praying. For people who have never seen aghoris they may see very scary especially for children , but they are harmless and they are actually in their own world of trance and are not bothered about the surroundings.
You can find a wide varieties of chillum , beautifully wooden carved , in different shapes and sizes .They all are handmade and in each and every street shops you would find something different
This is what we bought from the market
Souvenirs of deities
The streets which leads to ghats and to Kashi Vishwanath temple is filled with small shops and street vendors which sells of all sorts of souvenirs and items required for daily pooja. What I found intresting is the idols made of brass and the quality is very good.Bargaining is the key for shopping here so negotiate as much as possible.
p.c. Shutterstock
Varanasi is a city of religious significance in Hindus, has the best street food and variety of things to shop. So have fun while exploring the spiritual capital of India
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