Juhi Gupta

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with lawyer and a hobbyist blogger - Juhi Gupta who blogs at www.forumhopping.wordpress.com Today's destination: Meghalaya, the abode of clouds! Nearest Airport: Shillong (SHL) Nearest Railway Station: Guwahati Railway station (GHY) Prerequisites -  Inner line permit may be required, pls check with relevant authorities. Packing - Good walking shoes, rain gear, waterproof gear, trekking/hiking gear Time of the year - All year round Length of the itinerary: 8 days Itinerary Highlights:   Juhi starts by sharing some insights into the state of Meghalaya, what it is known for and why she decided to visit.   An overview of Chalo Hoppo and their USP - https://chalohoppo.com/   Juhi starts her journey from Guwahati and makes the first stop at Shillong. A quick overview of preparation, group size as well as other requirements   The first stop is the popular Umiam lake, a man made lake that offers serene views as well as opportunities for boating. The team also make a quick stop at the Dylan café, dedicated to American artist Bob Dylan   Below are the places covered over the next few days   Mawlyngbna   Mawsynram   Umkhakoi lake   Split Rock   Laitlum canyons   Pynter village   Shnompdeng village   Umngot river   Bangladesh border   Root bridges - Mawkyrnot, the longest root bridge   Cherrapunji/ Sohra   Wei sodong waterfall   Arwah caves   Mawphlang sacred forests   Other places to visit - Nongriat root bridge, Nokhalakhai waterfalls, David Scott trail   Links: Link to the blog: https://forumhopping.wordpress.com/ Link to blogpost: https://forumhopping.wordpress.com/2023/02/19/meghalaya-part-i/ https://forumhopping.wordpress.com/2023/03/18/meghalaya-part-2/ Link to Forumhopping’s’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forumhopping/ Link to other episodes on Meghalaya Lost in the Caves of Meghalaya: https://open.spotify.com/episode/509JER1Ulg7ZbtZWp72HKM?si=nIh8kQqyQDCivOPaaOtqNw A ride to Meghalaya: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1pTqG2aejXX5TJdolpD7Kr?si=zr9LmjKTT06goHlqtu81Qw Photo by Amit Jain on Unsplash Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with lawyer and a hobbyist blogger - Juhi Gupta who blogs at <a href="http://www.forumhopping.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.forumhopping.wordpress.com</a> Today's destination: Meghalaya, the abode of clouds! Nearest Airport: Shillong (SHL) Nearest Railway Station: Guwahati Railway station (GHY) Prerequisites -  Inner line permit may be required, pls check with relevant authorities. Packing - Good walking shoes, rain gear, waterproof gear, trekking/hiking gear Time of the year - All year round Length of the itinerary: 8 days Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li> Juhi starts by sharing some insights into the state of Meghalaya, what it is known for and why she decided to visit. </li> <li> An overview of Chalo Hoppo and their USP - <a href="https://chalohoppo.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://chalohoppo.com/</a> </li> <li> Juhi starts her journey from Guwahati and makes the first stop at Shillong. A quick overview of preparation, group size as well as other requirements </li> <li> The first stop is the popular Umiam lake, a man made lake that offers serene views as well as opportunities for boating. The team also make a quick stop at the Dylan café, dedicated to American artist Bob Dylan </li> <li> Below are the places covered over the next few days </li> <li> Mawlyngbna </li> <li> Mawsynram </li> <li> Umkhakoi lake </li> <li> Split Rock </li> <li> Laitlum canyons </li> <li> Pynter village </li> <li> Shnompdeng village </li> <li> Umngot river </li> <li> Bangladesh border </li> <li> Root bridges - Mawkyrnot, the longest root bridge </li> <li> Cherrapunji/ Sohra </li> <li> Wei sodong waterfall </li> <li> Arwah caves </li> <li> Mawphlang sacred forests </li> <li> Other places to visit - Nongriat root bridge, Nokhalakhai waterfalls, David Scott trail </li> </ul> Links: Link to the blog: <a href="https://forumhopping.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://forumhopping.wordpress.com/</a> Link to blogpost: <a href="https://forumhopping.wordpress.com/2023/02/19/meghalaya-part-i/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://forumhopping.wordpress.com/2023/02/19/meghalaya-part-i/</a> <a href="https://forumhopping.wordpress.com/2023/03/18/meghalaya-part-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://forumhopping.wordpress.com/2023/03/18/meghalaya-part-2/</a> Link to Forumhopping’s’s Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/forumhopping/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/forumhopping/</a> Link to other episodes on Meghalaya Lost in the Caves of Meghalaya: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/509JER1Ulg7ZbtZWp72HKM?si=nIh8kQqyQDCivOPaaOtqNw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/episode/509JER1Ulg7ZbtZWp72HKM?si=nIh8kQqyQDCivOPaaOtqNw</a> A ride to Meghalaya: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1pTqG2aejXX5TJdolpD7Kr?si=zr9LmjKTT06goHlqtu81Qw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/episode/1pTqG2aejXX5TJdolpD7Kr?si=zr9LmjKTT06goHlqtu81Qw</a> Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@amitjain0106?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amit Jain</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/FYGEA9aezAw?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unsplash</a> Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">themusafirstories@gmail.com</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Meghalaya with Juhi Gupta

Anuj Haribhakti

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Anuj Haribhakti, a long time listener and avid traveller as we speak about the only place in the world where Asiatic lions live, Gir National Park! Today's destination: Gir National Park, Gujarat Nearest Airport: Rajkot Airport (RAJ) Nearest Railway Station: Junagadh Railway Station (JND) Prerequisites -  Book for permits to safaris 2-3 months in advance and lodging. Packing - According to the weather, sunscreen, hats, bug repellent Time of the year - September - Feb Length of the itinerary: 4-5 days Itinerary Highlights:   Anuj talks about the USP of the Gir national park, home to the world’s only Asiatic lion population.   We discuss how excessive hunting by the Royal families and British officers  and human movement had made this a critically endangered species in the early 1900s. We also discuss how the State government and other stakeholders have been able to turn the situation around in the early 2000s.   Anuj discusses the importance of booking the safaris and lodging in advance (2-3 months before the trip) as well as the best times for sighting.   Finally Anuj shares his experience sighting over 20 lions in his 4 days at the Gir National park. This ranges from fully grown males, to a young couple and mother and cubs. He also discusses the nearby Devaliya sanctuary where lions and leopards are kept in closed environment.   We also touch upon places in the vicinity that one could include as a part of an extended itinerary - including Sasan Gir, Swaminath temple, Diu and Junagadh.   Link to Anuj’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anujph/ Photo by Lenstravelier on Unsplash Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en website: http://www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @‌IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, &amp; Instagram. Follow the show across platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Gaana, Amazon Music Do share the word with your folks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Anuj Haribhakti, a long time listener and avid traveller as we speak about the only place in the world where Asiatic lions live, Gir National Park! Today's destination: Gir National Park, Gujarat Nearest Airport: Rajkot Airport (RAJ) Nearest Railway Station: Junagadh Railway Station (JND) Prerequisites -  Book for permits to safaris 2-3 months in advance and lodging. Packing - According to the weather, sunscreen, hats, bug repellent Time of the year - September - Feb Length of the itinerary: 4-5 days Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li> Anuj talks about the USP of the Gir national park, home to the world’s only Asiatic lion population. </li> <li> We discuss how excessive hunting by the Royal families and British officers  and human movement had made this a critically endangered species in the early 1900s. We also discuss how the State government and other stakeholders have been able to turn the situation around in the early 2000s. </li> <li> Anuj discusses the importance of booking the safaris and lodging in advance (2-3 months before the trip) as well as the best times for sighting. </li> <li> Finally Anuj shares his experience sighting over 20 lions in his 4 days at the Gir National park. This ranges from fully grown males, to a young couple and mother and cubs. He also discusses the nearby Devaliya sanctuary where lions and leopards are kept in closed environment. </li> <li> We also touch upon places in the vicinity that one could include as a part of an extended itinerary - including Sasan Gir, Swaminath temple, Diu and Junagadh. </li> </ul> Link to Anuj’s Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anujph/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/anujph/</a> Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@lenstravelier?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lenstravelier</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/_CNHacSKiXA?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unsplash</a> Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @‌IVMPodcasts on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, &amp; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Follow the show across platforms: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4ytbUFtxrLqYODt3xGd0Wq?si=98625b9c69674364" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYWRvcmlsYWJzLmNvbS9mZWVkL3RoZS1tdXNhZmlyLXN0b3JpZXMtLS1pbmRpYS10cmF2ZWwtcG9kY2FzdC54bWw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast/id1209849464" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast/1/569fZUAaSWg_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JioSaavn</a>, <a href="https://gaana.com/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast-season-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gaana</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3d448915-0250-4a8e-8eab-d716dddf3342/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a> Do share the word with your folks!See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Gir National Park with Anuj Haribhakti

Sahana Kulur

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Sahana Kulur, an educator, architect, traveler and blogger at http://www.vacaywork.com as she takes us to the erstwhile capital of the Adil Shahi sultanate - Bijapur! Today's destination: Bijapur or Vijayapura, Karnataka Nearest Airport: Goa International Airport (GOI) Nearest Railway Station: Vijayapura/Bijapur Station (BJP) Prerequisites -  N/A Packing - Good walking shoes, carry extra water as it can get hot during the day, sunglasses and caps/hats Time of the year - September - Feb Length of the itinerary: 2 days Itinerary Highlights:   We start the conversation with a quick chat about the very diverse and interesting history and backstory of the Adil Shahi sultanate and its origins - on how a young prince from Turkey was sold to a merchant and eventually ended up in the Deccan region after growing up in Persia.   Set up by Yusuf Adil Shah, the Adil Shahi sultanate broke away from the Bahamani Sultanate after constant conflicts with the Vijayanagara empire. Bijapur served as the capital of the Adil Shahi sultanate.   The Gol Gumbaz is the most prominent landmark of the capital and is the mausoleum of Mohammed Adil Shah who ruled in the 17th century. It is also the second largest dome in the world without any reinforcement, second only to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It is also the biggest domed structure in India and is currently on the tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites.   Sahana shares her experience of visiting the Gol Gumbaz at sunrise, the views from the terrace, the optical illusion and the famous whispering gallery.   Next up, we make a pitstop at Jama masjid, one of mosques in the vicinity with quaint architecture and interesting stories from the siege of Aurangazeb in 1686.   One of the other interesting monuments is the unfinished Baara Kaman or the 12 arches. It was kicked off by the son of Ali Adil Shah II, but was never completed as he was killed before its completion. It is believed that the construction was stopped by his father fearing that the structure could eclipse the Gol Gumbaz.   Another monument of interest is the Ibrahim Rouza built as a mausoleum for Ibrahim Adil Shah and his wife. It consists of a beautiful structure along with a mosque.   One of the more recent hindu structures of Bijapur or Vijaypura is the Shiva statue at the Shivagiri park. It is one of the largest Shiva statues in India and was inaugurated in 2006.   The other pit stops include a visit to the popular Khaanavali restaurants of North Karnataka that are prominent in the Jowar belt of the state. Sahana talks about Jowar rottis, brinjal curries as well as a variety of other mouth watering dishes from the state.   Finally we end the trip with a visit to the Shastri market for pulses and spices, one of the biggest markets in Bijapur and some of its popular offerings.   Some other monuments that could not be covered on the podcast include Asar Mahal, Gagan Mahal to name a few. For a detailed travel guide, please check out Sahana’s article on the blog - https://vacaywork.com/bijapur-travel-guide/   Links: Link to Sahana’’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sahana.kulur Link to blog post: https://vacaywork.com/bijapur-travel-guide/ Link to website: https://vacaywork.com/ Photo by Sahana Kulur Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en website: http://www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @‌IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, &amp; Instagram. Follow the show across platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Gaana, Amazon Music Do share the word with your folks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Sahana Kulur, an educator, architect, traveler and blogger at <a href="http://www.vacaywork.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.vacaywork.com</a> as she takes us to the erstwhile capital of the Adil Shahi sultanate - Bijapur! Today's destination: Bijapur or Vijayapura, Karnataka Nearest Airport: Goa International Airport (GOI) Nearest Railway Station: Vijayapura/Bijapur Station (BJP) Prerequisites -  N/A Packing - Good walking shoes, carry extra water as it can get hot during the day, sunglasses and caps/hats Time of the year - September - Feb Length of the itinerary: 2 days Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li> We start the conversation with a quick chat about the very diverse and interesting history and backstory of the Adil Shahi sultanate and its origins - on how a young prince from Turkey was sold to a merchant and eventually ended up in the Deccan region after growing up in Persia. </li> <li> Set up by Yusuf Adil Shah, the Adil Shahi sultanate broke away from the Bahamani Sultanate after constant conflicts with the Vijayanagara empire. Bijapur served as the capital of the Adil Shahi sultanate. </li> <li> The Gol Gumbaz is the most prominent landmark of the capital and is the mausoleum of Mohammed Adil Shah who ruled in the 17th century. It is also the second largest dome in the world without any reinforcement, second only to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It is also the biggest domed structure in India and is currently on the tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites. </li> <li> Sahana shares her experience of visiting the Gol Gumbaz at sunrise, the views from the terrace, the optical illusion and the famous whispering gallery. </li> <li> Next up, we make a pitstop at Jama masjid, one of mosques in the vicinity with quaint architecture and interesting stories from the siege of Aurangazeb in 1686. </li> <li> One of the other interesting monuments is the unfinished Baara Kaman or the 12 arches. It was kicked off by the son of Ali Adil Shah II, but was never completed as he was killed before its completion. It is believed that the construction was stopped by his father fearing that the structure could eclipse the Gol Gumbaz. </li> <li> Another monument of interest is the Ibrahim Rouza built as a mausoleum for Ibrahim Adil Shah and his wife. It consists of a beautiful structure along with a mosque. </li> <li> One of the more recent hindu structures of Bijapur or Vijaypura is the Shiva statue at the Shivagiri park. It is one of the largest Shiva statues in India and was inaugurated in 2006. </li> <li> The other pit stops include a visit to the popular Khaanavali restaurants of North Karnataka that are prominent in the Jowar belt of the state. Sahana talks about Jowar rottis, brinjal curries as well as a variety of other mouth watering dishes from the state. </li> <li> Finally we end the trip with a visit to the Shastri market for pulses and spices, one of the biggest markets in Bijapur and some of its popular offerings. </li> <li> Some other monuments that could not be covered on the podcast include Asar Mahal, Gagan Mahal to name a few. For a detailed travel guide, please check out Sahana’s article on the blog - <a href="https://vacaywork.com/bijapur-travel-guide/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://vacaywork.com/bijapur-travel-guide/</a> </li> </ul> Links: Link to Sahana’’s Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sahana.kulur" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/sahana.kulur</a> Link to blog post: <a href="https://vacaywork.com/bijapur-travel-guide/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://vacaywork.com/bijapur-travel-guide/</a> Link to website: <a href="https://vacaywork.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://vacaywork.com/</a> Photo by Sahana Kulur Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @‌IVMPodcasts on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, &amp; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Follow the show across platforms: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4ytbUFtxrLqYODt3xGd0Wq?si=98625b9c69674364" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYWRvcmlsYWJzLmNvbS9mZWVkL3RoZS1tdXNhZmlyLXN0b3JpZXMtLS1pbmRpYS10cmF2ZWwtcG9kY2FzdC54bWw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast/id1209849464" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast/1/569fZUAaSWg_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JioSaavn</a>, <a href="https://gaana.com/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast-season-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gaana</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3d448915-0250-4a8e-8eab-d716dddf3342/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a> Do share the word with your folks!See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Bijapur with Sahana Kulur

Krishan Insan

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Krishan Insan, a traveller and clean energy professional as he takes us to this lesser known gem of the North East - Tripura! Today's destination: Tripura Nearest Airport: Agartala Airport (IXA) Nearest Railway Station: Udaipur Tripura Train station (UDPU) Prerequisites -  N/A Packing - Good walking shoes for pandal hopping! Time of the year - Durga Pujo (October) Length of the itinerary: 5 days Itinerary Highlights:   We start off the episode starting with the premise of Krishan’s trip, the geographical orientation as well as access to the third smallest  state in India.   Krishan talks about the background of Durga Pujo, the 10 days of celebration, the significant Bengali influence as well as the variety of pandals that one could visit. The stops during the 5 day itinerary include   Ujjainta palace and museum   Heritage park   Albert Ikka memorial   Integrated Agartala checkpost (Bangladesh border)   More pandal hopping in the evenings   Bengali cuisine, sweets, and pushkas!   Jampui hills, Betlingchip   Tripura’s cleanest village, Vanghmun   Unakoti   Madarhaat   Chabimura   Neer mahal   Celebrating dashami and pandal hopping   Links: Link to Krishan’s instagram https://www.instagram.com/insankg/ Link to Krishan’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/InsanKG Photo by PREYAS PATEL on Unsplash Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en website: http://www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, &amp; Instagram.  Follow the show across platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Gaana, Amazon Music Do share the word with your folks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Krishan Insan, a traveller and clean energy professional as he takes us to this lesser known gem of the North East - Tripura! Today's destination: Tripura Nearest Airport: Agartala Airport (IXA) Nearest Railway Station: Udaipur Tripura Train station (UDPU) Prerequisites -  N/A Packing - Good walking shoes for pandal hopping! Time of the year - Durga Pujo (October) Length of the itinerary: 5 days Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li> We start off the episode starting with the premise of Krishan’s trip, the geographical orientation as well as access to the third smallest  state in India. </li> <li> Krishan talks about the background of Durga Pujo, the 10 days of celebration, the significant Bengali influence as well as the variety of pandals that one could visit. The stops during the 5 day itinerary include </li> <li> Ujjainta palace and museum </li> <li> Heritage park </li> <li> Albert Ikka memorial </li> <li> Integrated Agartala checkpost (Bangladesh border) </li> <li> More pandal hopping in the evenings </li> <li> Bengali cuisine, sweets, and pushkas! </li> <li> Jampui hills, Betlingchip </li> <li> Tripura’s cleanest village, Vanghmun </li> <li> Unakoti </li> <li> Madarhaat </li> <li> Chabimura </li> <li> Neer mahal </li> <li> Celebrating dashami and pandal hopping </li> </ul> Links: Link to Krishan’s instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/insankg/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/insankg/</a> Link to Krishan’s Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/InsanKG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/InsanKG</a> Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@preyaspatel1?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PREYAS PATEL</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/JAHdOBf4kpA?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unsplash</a> Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, &amp; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.  Follow the show across platforms: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4ytbUFtxrLqYODt3xGd0Wq?si=98625b9c69674364" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYWRvcmlsYWJzLmNvbS9mZWVkL3RoZS1tdXNhZmlyLXN0b3JpZXMtLS1pbmRpYS10cmF2ZWwtcG9kY2FzdC54bWw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast/id1209849464" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast/1/569fZUAaSWg_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JioSaavn</a>, <a href="https://gaana.com/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast-season-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gaana</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3d448915-0250-4a8e-8eab-d716dddf3342/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a> Do share the word with your folks!See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Tripura with Krishan Insan

Saloni Prasad

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Saloni Prasad, curator at the Surat Heritage Project as she talks about the story of Surat, through a fascinating heritage walk! Today's destination: Surat Nearest Airport: Surat International Airport (STV) Nearest Railway Station: Surat Station (ST) Prerequisites:  N/A Packing: Good walking shoes, carry extra water as it can get hot during the day in the summers Time of the year: Round the year, check Instagram for details Length of the itinerary: 2-3 hours Itinerary Highlights:   We start off the walk by talking about the history and golden era of Surat - a port town on the banks of river Tapi or Tapti. Although Surat has existed for a long time, the documented history seems to suggest important structures being built around the 14th century.  The first stop of the walk is the Surat castle or Surat fort, indicating that Surat was once a walled city and is believed to have been built during the time of Gujarat Sultanate in the 16th century by a Turkish governor/general turned associate of the ruler, Khudavand Khan. The remaining structure is now a museum and has several interesting galleries, including a gallery of archives, textiles, pictures, and woodwork among others.  From the Surat fort, we move to Andrew’s library, built over 200 years ago during the British rule of the city and is a functional library. Close to the library is the CNI church or Anglican church, one of the oldest churches in the city built in the 1800s.  The banks of the river Tapi are in the vicinity and one can walk here to experience the ghats of Surat. We also speak of the first warehouse of the British in India that was built in this region, although the warehouse/factory doesn’t exist anymore but is a marker of an important landmark in Indian history.  We also talk briefly about the battle of Swally which is not too far away from here - one of the first battles between the Portuguese and the British forces fighting on the side of the Moguls. Another iconic event that perhaps does have long-lasting repercussions similar to the battle of Plassey.  We speak about the Ghanta ovara, custom house and mint house and how a day in the ancient port city would’ve looked like.  The next stop is the Mughalsarai, which is currently the office of the SMC or Surat Municipal Corporation. The original building was built as a travel lodge or musafir khana - primarily used as a hostel for pilgrims who would board ships to Mecca. This was built by Jahanara, the eldest daughter of Shah Jahan.   The final stop is the tomb of Khudavand Khan, the man who built the Surat Fort - we talk about his origins in Turkey, how he ended up in Surat and what one can see at the tomb.  We also discuss the unmissable local street food of Surat as well as the various communities that have made Surat so cosmopolitan.  We end the episode discussing some other interesting walks offered by the Surat Heritage project, including walks in Rander, Swally, Dumas, and British and Dutch cemeteries among others.                                                                      Links: Link to Surat Heritage Project’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surat.heritage.project/ Link to Saloni’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.turquoise.ink Link to website:  https://www.suratheritage.com/ Photo by VD Photography on Unsplash Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, &amp; Instagram.  Follow the show across platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Gaana, Amazon Music Do share the word with your folks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Saloni Prasad, curator at the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/surat.heritage.project/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Surat Heritage Project</a> as she talks about the story of Surat, through a fascinating heritage walk! Today's destination: Surat Nearest Airport: Surat International Airport (STV) Nearest Railway Station: Surat Station (ST) Prerequisites:  N/A Packing: Good walking shoes, carry extra water as it can get hot during the day in the summers Time of the year: Round the year, check Instagram for details Length of the itinerary: 2-3 hours Itinerary Highlights:  <ul> <li>We start off the walk by talking about the history and golden era of Surat - a port town on the banks of river Tapi or Tapti. Although Surat has existed for a long time, the documented history seems to suggest important structures being built around the 14th century. </li> <li>The first stop of the walk is the Surat castle or Surat fort, indicating that Surat was once a walled city and is believed to have been built during the time of Gujarat Sultanate in the 16th century by a Turkish governor/general turned associate of the ruler, Khudavand Khan. The remaining structure is now a museum and has several interesting galleries, including a gallery of archives, textiles, pictures, and woodwork among others. </li> <li>From the Surat fort, we move to Andrew’s library, built over 200 years ago during the British rule of the city and is a functional library. Close to the library is the CNI church or Anglican church, one of the oldest churches in the city built in the 1800s. </li> <li>The banks of the river Tapi are in the vicinity and one can walk here to experience the ghats of Surat. We also speak of the first warehouse of the British in India that was built in this region, although the warehouse/factory doesn’t exist anymore but is a marker of an important landmark in Indian history. </li> <li>We also talk briefly about the battle of Swally which is not too far away from here - one of the first battles between the Portuguese and the British forces fighting on the side of the Moguls. Another iconic event that perhaps does have long-lasting repercussions similar to the battle of Plassey. </li> <li>We speak about the Ghanta ovara, custom house and mint house and how a day in the ancient port city would’ve looked like. </li> <li>The next stop is the Mughalsarai, which is currently the office of the SMC or Surat Municipal Corporation. The original building was built as a travel lodge or musafir khana - primarily used as a hostel for pilgrims who would board ships to Mecca. This was built by Jahanara, the eldest daughter of Shah Jahan.  </li> <li>The final stop is the tomb of Khudavand Khan, the man who built the Surat Fort - we talk about his origins in Turkey, how he ended up in Surat and what one can see at the tomb. </li> <li>We also discuss the unmissable local street food of Surat as well as the various communities that have made Surat so cosmopolitan. </li> <li>We end the episode discussing some other interesting walks offered by the Surat Heritage project, including walks in Rander, Swally, Dumas, and British and Dutch cemeteries among others.                                                                    </li> </ul> Links: Link to Surat Heritage Project’s Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/surat.heritage.project/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/surat.heritage.project/</a> Link to Saloni’s Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the.turquoise.ink" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/the.turquoise.ink</a> Link to website:  <a href="https://www.suratheritage.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.suratheritage.com/</a> Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@vdphotography?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">VD Photography</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/@vdphotography?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unsplash</a> Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, &amp; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.  Follow the show across platforms: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4ytbUFtxrLqYODt3xGd0Wq?si=98625b9c69674364" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYWRvcmlsYWJzLmNvbS9mZWVkL3RoZS1tdXNhZmlyLXN0b3JpZXMtLS1pbmRpYS10cmF2ZWwtcG9kY2FzdC54bWw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast/id1209849464" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast/1/569fZUAaSWg_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JioSaavn</a>, <a href="https://gaana.com/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast-season-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gaana</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3d448915-0250-4a8e-8eab-d716dddf3342/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a> Do share the word with your folks!See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Surat with Saloni Prasad

Ila Reddy

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Ila Reddy, a returning guest and listener as she takes us to the ancient kingdoms of Newar.  Today's destination: Nepal Nearest Airport: Tribhuvan International Airport, KTM Nearest Railway Station: N/A Prerequisites:  N/A Packing: Pack according to the season Time of the year:  September - Feb Length of the itinerary: 9 days Itinerary Highlights:   Ila takes us overseas as we discover the Newari capitals of Nepal - Patan, Bhaktapur along with other places like Panauti and Bharatpur! Historically, the Nepal valley and adjoining areas made up a confederation known as the Nepal Mandala. Until the 15th century, Bhaktapur was its capital, when two other capitals, Kathmandu and Lalitpur (Patan), were established.  The trip was done with the Community Homestay Network (CHN). The Community Homestay Network (CHN) is a social enterprise that supports a network of homestays run by local women and families across Nepal. Their homestay model provides hosts with an additional source of income and the opportunity to meet travelers from around the world, while travelers get a taste of the local way of life.  The best part is that 80% of the revenue goes directly to the community and is used for family and household expenses, education, personal development, community activities, and community development We begin the journey by flying into Kathmandu and making our way to Patan/Lalitpur, one of the ancient cities of the Newari kingdom.  The Durbar Square is one of the iconic locations of Patan that is made up of a number of temples and provides a view into the wonderful architecture of the region.  The prominent temples of Patan Durbar Square include:: Krishna Temple, Royal Palace Patan, Jagannarayan Temple, Keshav Narayan Temple, Char Naarayan Temple, Golden Temple and others.  On the east side of the square looms the impressive Ancient Royal Palace, which dates back to the late 1600s. With its red-brick walls, tiered rooftop pavilions and latticed window screens, the palace is a shining example of traditional Nepalese architecture. The next stop is the Golden Temple Also known as Kwa Bahal and Hiranyavarna Mahavihara, this Buddhist monastery takes its English name from the beautiful golden metalwork which adorns its façade. We also speak of the rich traditional food from Nepal - including local candy, thalis, daal and sabzi.  The next pitstop is Bharatpur - to experience the life of the Tharu community that lives around the Chitwan national park. Besides the rhinos and mustard fields, the experience is all about the time spent with the community, sampling their way of life, food and celebrations!  Ila makes a short trip back to Patan again, which they used as their base camp. In this leg, Ila covers the Paubha painting workshop which she was a part of. The painting is native to Nepal and is similar to the Tibetan Thangka paintings and involves detailing of Hindu mythological figures and deities and Mandalas. Paubha painting is treated as a form of meditation by its practitioners, and mastering the pattern of even a single leaf, wave, or cloud can take weeks. The next stop from Patan is Bhaktapur, another of the capitals of the Valley. Bhaktapur, the "City of Devotees," is also known for Newar traditions, food, and artisans, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal The Bhaktapur Durbar Square - is similar to the one in Patan, except that the temples are more massive. There are several smaller squares or chowks and the one with pottery shops was particularly beautiful. Like Patan, the area is best explored on foot and the local mitho doi (similar to Bengali mishti doi, or sweet curd) is a must-try! Ila moves to Panuati after spending time in Bhaktapur -  Panauti is a historical city in Nepal, originally it was a small state given by King Bhupatindra Malla as a dowry to his sister.  Ila explores a few temples, walked around the market and alleys, and even made a day trip to Namobuddha Monastery, located atop a hill and offering exceptional views of the snow peaks. The final stop is a quick return to Patan where Ila takes part in a Ranjana lippi workshop, the traditional script of the Newari people as well as a quick visit to Kathmandu to visit the Pashupatinath temple and a sound bath meditation!                                                                              Links: Link to Ila’s substack: https://ilareddy.substack.com/ Link to blog posts:  https://ilareddy.substack.com/p/nepal-part1 https://ilareddy.substack.com/p/nepal-part2 Link to Community Homestay network: https://www.communityhomestay.com/ Link to Ila’s episode on Nagaland:  Ep. 110: Headhunters of Nagaland with Ila Reddy The ...Applehttps://podcasts.apple.com › podcast › ep-110-headhu... Photo by binaya_photography on Unsplash Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, &amp; Instagram.  Follow the show across platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Gaana, Amazon Music Do share the word with your folks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Ila Reddy, a returning guest and listener as she takes us to the ancient kingdoms of Newar.  Today's destination: Nepal Nearest Airport: Tribhuvan International Airport, KTM Nearest Railway Station: N/A Prerequisites:  N/A Packing: Pack according to the season Time of the year:  September - Feb Length of the itinerary: 9 days Itinerary Highlights:  <ul> <li>Ila takes us overseas as we discover the Newari capitals of Nepal - Patan, Bhaktapur along with other places like Panauti and Bharatpur! Historically, the Nepal valley and adjoining areas made up a confederation known as the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepal_Mandala" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Nepal Mandala</a>. Until the 15th century,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhaktapur" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Bhaktapur</a> was its capital, when two other capitals,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathmandu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Kathmandu</a> and<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patan,_Nepal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Lalitpur (Patan)</a>, were established. </li> <li>The trip was done with the Community Homestay Network (CHN). The<a href="https://substack.com/redirect/045a1f2d-da24-4e14-9b56-b63ab3dd062a?j=eyJ1IjoiMmhyMGIifQ.7eAkRzHIZUl0TTXKywcjC-XMlkN22-UVSjpxLrsjke4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Community Homestay Network</a> (CHN) is a social enterprise that supports a network of homestays run by local women and families across Nepal. Their homestay model provides hosts with an additional source of income and the opportunity to meet travelers from around the world, while travelers get a taste of the local way of life. </li> <li>The best part is that 80% of the revenue goes directly to the community and is used for family and household expenses, education, personal development, community activities, and community development</li> <li>We begin the journey by flying into Kathmandu and making our way to Patan/Lalitpur, one of the ancient cities of the Newari kingdom. </li> <li>The Durbar Square is one of the iconic locations of Patan that is made up of a number of temples and provides a view into the wonderful architecture of the region. </li> <li>The prominent temples of Patan Durbar Square include:: Krishna Temple, Royal Palace Patan, Jagannarayan Temple, Keshav Narayan Temple, Char Naarayan Temple, Golden Temple and others. </li> <li>On the east side of the square looms the impressive Ancient Royal Palace, which dates back to the late 1600s. With its red-brick walls, tiered rooftop pavilions and latticed window screens, the palace is a shining example of traditional Nepalese architecture.</li> <li>The next stop is the Golden Temple Also known as Kwa Bahal and Hiranyavarna Mahavihara, this Buddhist monastery takes its English name from the beautiful golden metalwork which adorns its façade. We also speak of the rich traditional food from Nepal - including local candy, thalis, daal and sabzi. </li> <li>The next pitstop is Bharatpur - to experience the life of the Tharu community that lives around the Chitwan national park. Besides the rhinos and mustard fields, the experience is all about the time spent with the community, sampling their way of life, food and celebrations! </li> <li>Ila makes a short trip back to Patan again, which they used as their base camp. In this leg, Ila covers the Paubha painting workshop which she was a part of. The painting is native to Nepal and is similar to the Tibetan Thangka paintings and involves detailing of Hindu mythological figures and deities and Mandalas. Paubha painting is treated as a form of meditation by its practitioners, and mastering the pattern of even a single leaf, wave, or cloud can take weeks.</li> <li>The next stop from Patan is Bhaktapur, another of the capitals of the Valley. Bhaktapur, the "City of Devotees," is also known for Newar traditions, food, and artisans, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal</li> <li>The Bhaktapur Durbar Square - is similar to the one in Patan, except that the temples are more massive. There are several smaller squares or chowks and the one with pottery shops was particularly beautiful. Like Patan, the area is best explored on foot and the local mitho doi (similar to Bengali mishti doi, or sweet curd) is a must-try!</li> <li>Ila moves to Panuati after spending time in Bhaktapur -  Panauti is a historical city in Nepal, originally it was a small state given by<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhupatindra_Malla" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> King Bhupatindra Malla</a> as a dowry to his sister. </li> <li>Ila explores a few temples, walked around the market and alleys, and even made a day trip to Namobuddha Monastery, located atop a hill and offering exceptional views of the snow peaks.</li> <li>The final stop is a quick return to Patan where Ila takes part in a Ranjana lippi workshop, the traditional script of the Newari people as well as a quick visit to Kathmandu to visit the Pashupatinath temple and a sound bath meditation!                                                                            </li> </ul> Links: Link to Ila’s substack: <a href="https://ilareddy.substack.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ilareddy.substack.com/</a> Link to blog posts:  <a href="https://ilareddy.substack.com/p/nepal-part1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ilareddy.substack.com/p/nepal-part1</a> <a href="https://ilareddy.substack.com/p/nepal-part2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ilareddy.substack.com/p/nepal-part2</a> Link to Community Homestay network: <a href="https://www.communityhomestay.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.communityhomestay.com/</a> Link to Ila’s episode on Nagaland:  <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-110-headhunters-of-nagaland-with-ila-reddy/id1209849464?i=1000531034063" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ep. 110: Headhunters of Nagaland with Ila Reddy The ...Applehttps://podcasts.apple.com › podcast › ep-110-headhu...</a> Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@binaya_photography?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">binaya_photography</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/Patan-Durbar-Square%2C-Patan%2C-Nepal?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unsplash</a> Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, &amp; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.  Follow the show across platforms: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4ytbUFtxrLqYODt3xGd0Wq?si=98625b9c69674364" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYWRvcmlsYWJzLmNvbS9mZWVkL3RoZS1tdXNhZmlyLXN0b3JpZXMtLS1pbmRpYS10cmF2ZWwtcG9kY2FzdC54bWw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast/id1209849464" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast/1/569fZUAaSWg_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JioSaavn</a>, <a href="https://gaana.com/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast-season-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gaana</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3d448915-0250-4a8e-8eab-d716dddf3342/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a> Do share the word with your folks!See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Nepal with Ila Reddy

Tathagata Neogi

GIVEAWAY ALERT: Listen to the episode and answer 3 simple questions on the Google form - ​​https://forms.gle/T3dj6SN9fnEBiF1H9 and stand a chance to win access to virtual self-guided walks on the Wandr app (https://linktr.ee/wnderapp) TRIGGER WARNING: Some ambient sounds are used to depict War sounds.  This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Tathagata Neogi, co-founder and CXO at Immersive Trails (https://www.immersivetrails.com) - a purpose-driven company that converts ethical, in-depth research into immersive experiences.  Today's destination: Calcutta Nearest Airport: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) Nearest Railway Station: Howrah Railway Station (HWH) Prerequisites:  N/A Packing: Pack light and carry extra water as it can get hot during the day in the summers Time of the year: Round the year on weekends, check the website for details Length of the itinerary: 2-3 hours Itinerary Highlights:   We start off the walk by setting context around the period during world war 2, important events around the world and in Southeast Asia and how Calcutta became a vantage point for both sides.  The first pitstop of the trail is at the New Market area, one of the busy hubs for locals to shop for their daily needs, and how this area was bustling with activity even in the 1940s. Tathagata also speaks of the ongoing air raid drills and sirens and how people didn't take them seriously.  We also discuss the Bengal famine and the lack of preparedness and empathy shown by the British government, how this was triggered and some last remaining silos with connections to the famine.  We also discuss the role of the local politicians during the famine and their vested personal interests, protests by students and mill workers. Some important pit stops include the Calcutta Municipality headquarters, Victoria Memorial, Mango Lane, Grand Hotel, Metro cinema, and Statesman House among others.  We also discuss the cultural influence the American troops brought to Calcutta including Coca-cola, the movies and ice cream! Tathagata also mentions the Calcutta key, the pocket-sized guide provided by the troops on tips to navigate Calcutta including cultural nuances.                                                                         Links: Link to Immersive Trail’s social media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/immersivetrails/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/immersivetrails Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/company/immersivetrails Link to website:  https://www.immersivetrails.com/ Link to Wndr self-guided experiences app: https://linktr.ee/wnderapp Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/ Follow the show across platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Gaana, Amazon Music Do share the word with your folks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GIVEAWAY ALERT: Listen to the episode and answer 3 simple questions on the Google form - ​​<a href="https://forms.gle/T3dj6SN9fnEBiF1H9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://forms.gle/T3dj6SN9fnEBiF1H9</a> and stand a chance to win access to virtual self-guided walks on the Wandr app (<a href="https://linktr.ee/wnderapp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://linktr.ee/wnderapp</a>) TRIGGER WARNING: Some ambient sounds are used to depict War sounds.  This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Tathagata Neogi, co-founder and CXO at Immersive Trails (<a href="https://www.immersivetrails.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.immersivetrails.com</a>) - a purpose-driven company that converts ethical, in-depth research into immersive experiences.  Today's destination: Calcutta Nearest Airport: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) Nearest Railway Station: Howrah Railway Station (HWH) Prerequisites:  N/A Packing: Pack light and carry extra water as it can get hot during the day in the summers Time of the year: Round the year on weekends, check the website for details Length of the itinerary: 2-3 hours Itinerary Highlights:  <ul> <li>We start off the walk by setting context around the period during world war 2, important events around the world and in Southeast Asia and how Calcutta became a vantage point for both sides. </li> <li>The first pitstop of the trail is at the New Market area, one of the busy hubs for locals to shop for their daily needs, and how this area was bustling with activity even in the 1940s. Tathagata also speaks of the ongoing air raid drills and sirens and how people didn't take them seriously. </li> <li>We also discuss the Bengal famine and the lack of preparedness and empathy shown by the British government, how this was triggered and some last remaining silos with connections to the famine. </li> <li>We also discuss the role of the local politicians during the famine and their vested personal interests, protests by students and mill workers. Some important pit stops include the Calcutta Municipality headquarters, Victoria Memorial, Mango Lane, Grand Hotel, Metro cinema, and Statesman House among others. </li> <li>We also discuss the cultural influence the American troops brought to Calcutta including Coca-cola, the movies and ice cream! Tathagata also mentions the Calcutta key, the pocket-sized guide provided by the troops on tips to navigate Calcutta including cultural nuances.                                                                       </li> </ul> Links: Link to Immersive Trail’s social media:  Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/immersivetrails/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/immersivetrails/</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/immersivetrails" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/immersivetrails</a> Linkedin:<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/immersivetrails" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/immersivetrails</a> Link to website: <a href="https://www.immersivetrails.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.immersivetrails.com/</a> Link to Wndr self-guided experiences app: <a href="https://linktr.ee/wnderapp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://linktr.ee/wnderapp</a> Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@museumsvictoria?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Museums Victoria</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/oyGmigXV030?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unsplash</a> Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media: Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/</a> Follow the show across platforms: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4ytbUFtxrLqYODt3xGd0Wq?si=98625b9c69674364" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYWRvcmlsYWJzLmNvbS9mZWVkL3RoZS1tdXNhZmlyLXN0b3JpZXMtLS1pbmRpYS10cmF2ZWwtcG9kY2FzdC54bWw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast/id1209849464" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast/1/569fZUAaSWg_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JioSaavn</a>, <a href="https://gaana.com/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast-season-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gaana</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3d448915-0250-4a8e-8eab-d716dddf3342/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a> Do share the word with your folks!See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Calcutta World War 2 Trail with Tathagata Neogi

Geo Sebastian

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with a very dear listener - Geo Sebastian, a rural development professional who takes us to the quaint town of Diu   Today's destination: Diu, Union territory   Nearest Airport: Diu Airport, DIU Nearest Railway Station: Veraval Railway Stn, VRL Prerequisites:  N/A Packing: Pack light and carry extra liquids as it can get hot during the day in the summers Time of the year: October to February is the best time to visit Length of the itinerary: 2-3 days Itinerary Highlights:   We start off by locating Diu on the map, a union territory on the western coast of India close to Gujarat. Diu is a part of the Daman, Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli - one of the union territories in India.  Geo also talks about the historical context and significance of Geo, the history with the Mauryas, Chavdas, Mughals and Portuguese. The Portuguese ruled Diu for over 400 years and established Diu as one of the strongholds of its operations in India. We also discuss the iconic battle of Diu and the siege of Diu fort that established the Portuguese as the undisputed rulers of the Diu.  Diu is popular for its beaches given its strategic location and also offers a welcome destination to crowds from Gujarat who seek to get away from the dry state.  Important beaches in Diu include  Nagoa beach: most popular and commercial, adventure activities like parasailing, speed boats, water-ski; Hokka trees; close to hotels  Ghoghla Beach: watersports, dolphins Jallandhar Beach: Jallandhar shrine - a demon slain by Krishna, On a hillock stood the shrine of Jallandhar, a water demon slayed by Vishnu’s discus, lending its name to the Chakratirth beach Chakratirth Beach: more like a lagoon, watch tower Gomatimata Beach: western most corner, gulls, birdwatching  Besides the beach, one should also make a visit to the Diu fort and learn about the history of this iconic fort, including the battle of Diu. While here, don’t forget to check out the massive Paanikotha fort that served as a first line of defence.  There are also important churches, temples and Parsi places of worship  in Diu with notable mentions for St. Thomas Church, St. Paul’s church, Gangeshwar temple, Tower of slience of the Parsis Other places of interest include the Naida caves - natural rock formations; old city, Zampa gateway, Fudam bird sanctuary  We also spend some time discussing some popularly available foods of the region including Farsan and seafood.                                                                         Links: Link to Geo’s Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/asocialscientist/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/khanabadoshtraveliving/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/geo-sebastian-52542011/?originalSubdomain=in Photo by Jenish Patel on Unsplash Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, &amp; Instagram. Follow the show across platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Gaana, Amazon Music Do share the word with your folks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with a very dear listener - Geo Sebastian, a rural development professional who takes us to the quaint town of Diu Today's destination: Diu, Union territory  Nearest Airport: Diu Airport, DIU Nearest Railway Station: Veraval Railway Stn, VRL Prerequisites:  N/A Packing: Pack light and carry extra liquids as it can get hot during the day in the summers Time of the year: October to February is the best time to visit Length of the itinerary: 2-3 days Itinerary Highlights:  <ul> <li>We start off by locating Diu on the map, a union territory on the western coast of India close to Gujarat. Diu is a part of the Daman, Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli - one of the union territories in India. </li> <li>Geo also talks about the historical context and significance of Geo, the history with the Mauryas, Chavdas, Mughals and Portuguese. The Portuguese ruled Diu for over 400 years and established Diu as one of the strongholds of its operations in India. We also discuss the iconic battle of Diu and the siege of Diu fort that established the Portuguese as the undisputed rulers of the Diu. </li> <li>Diu is popular for its beaches given its strategic location and also offers a welcome destination to crowds from Gujarat who seek to get away from the dry state. </li> <li>Important beaches in Diu include </li> <li>Nagoa beach: most popular and commercial, adventure activities like parasailing, speed boats, water-ski; Hokka trees; close to hotels </li> <li>Ghoghla Beach: watersports, dolphins</li> <li>Jallandhar Beach: Jallandhar shrine - a demon slain by Krishna, On a hillock stood the shrine of Jallandhar, a water demon slayed by Vishnu’s discus, lending its name to the Chakratirth beach</li> <li>Chakratirth Beach: more like a lagoon, watch tower</li> <li>Gomatimata Beach: western most corner, gulls, birdwatching</li> <li> Besides the beach, one should also make a visit to the Diu fort and learn about the history of this iconic fort, including the battle of Diu. While here, don’t forget to check out the massive Paanikotha fort that served as a first line of defence. </li> <li>There are also important churches, temples and Parsi places of worship  in Diu with notable mentions for St. Thomas Church, St. Paul’s church, Gangeshwar temple, Tower of slience of the Parsis</li> <li>Other places of interest include the Naida caves - natural rock formations; old city, Zampa gateway, Fudam bird sanctuary</li> <li> We also spend some time discussing some popularly available foods of the region including Farsan and seafood.                                                                       </li> </ul> Links: Link to Geo’s Instagram:  <a href="https://www.instagram.com/asocialscientist/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/asocialscientist/?hl=en</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/khanabadoshtraveliving/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/khanabadoshtraveliving/?hl=en</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/geo-sebastian-52542011/?originalSubdomain=in" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/geo-sebastian-52542011/?originalSubdomain=in</a> Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@jenish_patel?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jenish Patel</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/UDjkM6E_JXU?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unsplash</a> Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, &amp; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Follow the show across platforms: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4ytbUFtxrLqYODt3xGd0Wq?si=98625b9c69674364" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYWRvcmlsYWJzLmNvbS9mZWVkL3RoZS1tdXNhZmlyLXN0b3JpZXMtLS1pbmRpYS10cmF2ZWwtcG9kY2FzdC54bWw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast/id1209849464" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast/1/569fZUAaSWg_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JioSaavn</a>, <a href="https://gaana.com/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast-season-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gaana</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3d448915-0250-4a8e-8eab-d716dddf3342/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a> Do share the word with your folks!See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Diu with Geo Sebastian

Amruta Dhalkar

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with a very dear listener - Amruta Dhalkar, a museologist and archivist, who takes us to a beautiful yet underrated part of Maharashtra!  Today's destination: Sawantwadi, Maharashtra Nearest Airport: Dabolim Airport, GOI Nearest Railway Station: Sawantwadi Railway Stn, SWV Prerequisites: N/A Packing:  Pack light and carry extra liquids as it can get hot during the day in the summers Time of the year: September to February is the best time to visit Length of the itinerary: 3-5 days Itinerary Highlights:  We start off our conversation with a quick peek into the history of the Sawantwadi royal family and the contribution of the women rulers of the region in maintaining its sovereignty. Amruta explains the strategic location of Sawantwadi and how it was a significant location in the ancient trade routes.  We begin by visiting the Sawantwadi Rajwada or the royal palace, its architectural structure, use of locally available colours and raw materials as well as the rich artifacts and interiors of the Sawantwadi palace.  Amruta talks about the Ganjifa art form and the origins of Ganjifa, how it came to India from Persia and was Indianized to adopt the Dashavathar form of playing cards and artistic box.  We visit the museum in the second wing of the palace, the paintings from the royal family as well as the beautiful interiors.  From the royal palace, we move towards the beautiful views of the Moti Talav and Narendra hills. Further down is the popular Ubha bazaar which is iconic for its wooden toys, lacquerware and handicrafts. The fruit plate or the fruit basket is especially popular among locals and visitors alike.  Moving away from the city, we start exploring the neighbouring towns and points of interest - the key amongst them being Pinguli village for Chitrakathi, Vetoba temple famous for offerings of kolhapuri chappals, beaches like Tarkarli, Devbagh, Nivati and Vengurla which is famous for beaches, dutch factory and Ganapati temple.  Also on the agenda are the popular forts in the vicinity including Nivati fort, Sindhudurg fort, Vijaydurg fort and its connection to Mercury! Another unique point of interest is the Dhamapur lake - a 400-year-old manmade reservoir that is a UNESCO-recognized world heritage irrigation structure. One of the earliest examples of a sustainable irrigation system in the world.                                                            We wrap up the conversation with an overview of the iconic Sawantwadi and Malvani cuisine, the popular mangoes and drinks like solkadhi!                                                                                                                                                Links: Link to Amruta’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amrutadhalkar/ Link to Amruta’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/amruta_dhalkar Link to the Kolhapur episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4SHkw6h3NVYWcqoEA07bMv?si=oBL-7i0FRhKeg94MgkG5Ow Photo by Makarand Sawant on Unsplash Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, &amp; Instagram. Follow the show across platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Gaana, Amazon Music Do share the word with your folks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with a very dear listener - Amruta Dhalkar, a museologist and archivist, who takes us to a beautiful yet underrated part of Maharashtra!  Today's destination: Sawantwadi, Maharashtra Nearest Airport: Dabolim Airport, GOI Nearest Railway Station: Sawantwadi Railway Stn, SWV Prerequisites: N/A Packing:  Pack light and carry extra liquids as it can get hot during the day in the summers Time of the year: September to February is the best time to visit Length of the itinerary: 3-5 days Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li>We start off our conversation with a quick peek into the history of the Sawantwadi royal family and the contribution of the women rulers of the region in maintaining its sovereignty. Amruta explains the strategic location of Sawantwadi and how it was a significant location in the ancient trade routes. </li> <li>We begin by visiting the Sawantwadi Rajwada or the royal palace, its architectural structure, use of locally available colours and raw materials as well as the rich artifacts and interiors of the Sawantwadi palace. </li> <li>Amruta talks about the Ganjifa art form and the origins of Ganjifa, how it came to India from Persia and was Indianized to adopt the Dashavathar form of playing cards and artistic box. </li> <li>We visit the museum in the second wing of the palace, the paintings from the royal family as well as the beautiful interiors. </li> <li>From the royal palace, we move towards the beautiful views of the Moti Talav and Narendra hills. Further down is the popular Ubha bazaar which is iconic for its wooden toys, lacquerware and handicrafts. The fruit plate or the fruit basket is especially popular among locals and visitors alike. </li> <li>Moving away from the city, we start exploring the neighbouring towns and points of interest - the key amongst them being Pinguli village for Chitrakathi, Vetoba temple famous for offerings of kolhapuri chappals, beaches like Tarkarli, Devbagh, Nivati and Vengurla which is famous for beaches, dutch factory and Ganapati temple. </li> <li>Also on the agenda are the popular forts in the vicinity including Nivati fort, Sindhudurg fort, Vijaydurg fort and its connection to Mercury!</li> <li>Another unique point of interest is the Dhamapur lake - a 400-year-old manmade reservoir that is a UNESCO-recognized world heritage irrigation structure. One of the earliest examples of a sustainable irrigation system in the world.                                                           </li> <li>We wrap up the conversation with an overview of the iconic Sawantwadi and Malvani cuisine, the popular mangoes and drinks like solkadhi!                                                                                                                                              </li> </ul> Links: Link to Amruta’s Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amrutadhalkar/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/amrutadhalkar/</a> Link to Amruta’s Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/amruta_dhalkar" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/amruta_dhalkar</a> Link to the Kolhapur episode: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4SHkw6h3NVYWcqoEA07bMv?si=oBL-7i0FRhKeg94MgkG5Ow" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/episode/4SHkw6h3NVYWcqoEA07bMv?si=oBL-7i0FRhKeg94MgkG5Ow</a> Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@makarandsawant26?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Makarand Sawant</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/q-qyqf2yqHE?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unsplash</a> Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, &amp; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Follow the show across platforms: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4ytbUFtxrLqYODt3xGd0Wq?si=98625b9c69674364" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYWRvcmlsYWJzLmNvbS9mZWVkL3RoZS1tdXNhZmlyLXN0b3JpZXMtLS1pbmRpYS10cmF2ZWwtcG9kY2FzdC54bWw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast/id1209849464" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast/1/569fZUAaSWg_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JioSaavn</a>, <a href="https://gaana.com/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast-season-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gaana</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3d448915-0250-4a8e-8eab-d716dddf3342/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a> Do share the word with your folks!See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Sawantwadi with Amruta Dhalkar

Giveaway alert! Follow @musafirstoriespodcast on Instagram and check out our stories for a chance to win!   This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Girin Nayak, the founder of XOtoXO games as he takes us on a trip to the Chettinad region!   Today's destination: Chettinad region, Tamil Nadu!   Nearest Airport: Madurai Airport, IXM   Nearest Railway Station: Chettinad Railway Station, CTDN   Prerequisites -  N/A   Packing - Pack light clothes and sunscreen if travelling in summers   Time of the year - December to Feb    Length of the itinerary: 3-4 days  Itinerary Highlights:     Girin is the founder of XOtoXO games that brings stories from India to the world, one game at a time.  We cover the very popular but less explored region of Chettinad with Girin - Chettinad is a region in Tamil Nadu that covers over 90 villages and is the home of the prominent and enterprising Chettiyar community covering the Shivaganga and part of Pudukottai districts.  The Chettinad region is peppered with over a 11000 mansions built by the Chettiyar community between the mid 1800s to 1900s - these mansions were built by procuring materials from all over the world, thanks to the trading roots of the Chettiyar community who were seafaring merchants travelling all across Southeast Asia for trade.  We begin the journey in one of the main towns of the region - Kanadukathan, which serves as a good base, given its strategic location. Make sure to visit the popular mansions in the town - Chettinad Mansion, Vishalam by CGH group. Girin also describes the architectural features, and structure of these mansions along with the front yard, courtyard, rooms and kitchens along with open roofs. Other things to check out in Kanadukathan include the markets, temples and the abandoned airfield! The next stop on the itinerary is Karaikudi, one of the most developed towns in the region. The Aairam jannal veedu or 1000 window bungalow, The Bangala are two popular mansions in the region. There are also vibrant markets for textiles, souvenirs as well as antiques.  Another of the towns in the vicinity is Thirumayam - the popular attraction in the area is a fort known as Oomayan kottai or dumb man’s fort, named after the brother of a famous Tamil freedom fighter who was executed here. The most famous mansion here is Chidambaram Vilas.  Athangudi is the next town on the itinerary and also happens to be the protagonist of today’s episode, as it is also the source of inspiration for XOtoXO games’ first board game. Athangudi not only has beautiful mansions but is also popular for its handmade tiles that are made in small factories. Girin also explains what goes into the making of the tiles and how this has inspired his first board game. We also talk about important temples in the region including one where terracotta horses are offered to the deity.  Finally we discuss one of the more popular exports of the region - the Chettinad cuisine!     Links: XOtoXO games on  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xotoxogames/ XOtoXO games on  Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/xotoxogames/ XOtoXO games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077484262331 Link to website - https://www.xotoxo.com   Cover Photo by Nakkeeran Raveendran on Unsplash   Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com   You can check out IVM Podcasts website at https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/featured Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, &amp; Instagram. https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/ Follow the show across platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Gaana, Amazon Music Do share the word with your folks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Giveaway alert! Follow @musafirstoriespodcast on Instagram and check out our stories for a chance to win! This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Girin Nayak, the founder of XOtoXO games as he takes us on a trip to the Chettinad region! Today's destination: Chettinad region, Tamil Nadu! Nearest Airport: Madurai Airport, IXM Nearest Railway Station: Chettinad Railway Station, CTDN Prerequisites -  N/A Packing - Pack light clothes and sunscreen if travelling in summers Time of the year - December to Feb  Length of the itinerary: 3-4 days Itinerary Highlights:  <ul> <li>Girin is the founder of XOtoXO games that brings stories from India to the world, one game at a time. </li> <li>We cover the very popular but less explored region of Chettinad with Girin - Chettinad is a region in Tamil Nadu that covers over 90 villages and is the home of the prominent and enterprising Chettiyar community covering the Shivaganga and part of Pudukottai districts. </li> <li>The Chettinad region is peppered with over a 11000 mansions built by the Chettiyar community between the mid 1800s to 1900s - these mansions were built by procuring materials from all over the world, thanks to the trading roots of the Chettiyar community who were seafaring merchants travelling all across Southeast Asia for trade. </li> <li>We begin the journey in one of the main towns of the region - Kanadukathan, which serves as a good base, given its strategic location. Make sure to visit the popular mansions in the town - Chettinad Mansion, Vishalam by CGH group.</li> <li>Girin also describes the architectural features, and structure of these mansions along with the front yard, courtyard, rooms and kitchens along with open roofs. Other things to check out in Kanadukathan include the markets, temples and the abandoned airfield!</li> <li>The next stop on the itinerary is Karaikudi, one of the most developed towns in the region. The Aairam jannal veedu or 1000 window bungalow, The Bangala are two popular mansions in the region. There are also vibrant markets for textiles, souvenirs as well as antiques. </li> <li>Another of the towns in the vicinity is Thirumayam - the popular attraction in the area is a fort known as Oomayan kottai or dumb man’s fort, named after the brother of a famous Tamil freedom fighter who was executed here. The most famous mansion here is Chidambaram Vilas. </li> <li>Athangudi is the next town on the itinerary and also happens to be the protagonist of today’s episode, as it is also the source of inspiration for XOtoXO games’ first board game. Athangudi not only has beautiful mansions but is also popular for its handmade tiles that are made in small factories. Girin also explains what goes into the making of the tiles and how this has inspired his first board game.</li> <li>We also talk about important temples in the region including one where terracotta horses are offered to the deity. </li> <li>Finally we discuss one of the more popular exports of the region - the Chettinad cuisine! </li> </ul> Links: XOtoXO games on  Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xotoxogames/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/xotoxogames/</a> XOtoXO games on  Twitter: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xotoxogames/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/xotoxogames/</a> XOtoXO games on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077484262331" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077484262331</a> Link to website - <a href="https://www.xotoxo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.xotoxo.com</a> Cover Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@nakkeeran_raveendran" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nakkeeran Raveendran</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/c6SNid8b-nQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unsplash</a> Follow the Musafir stories on: Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> You can check out IVM Podcasts website at <a href="https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/featured" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/featured</a> Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, &amp; Instagram. <a href="https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/</a> Follow the show across platforms: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4ytbUFtxrLqYODt3xGd0Wq?si=98625b9c69674364" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYWRvcmlsYWJzLmNvbS9mZWVkL3RoZS1tdXNhZmlyLXN0b3JpZXMtLS1pbmRpYS10cmF2ZWwtcG9kY2FzdC54bWw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast/id1209849464" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast/1/569fZUAaSWg_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JioSaavn</a>, <a href="https://gaana.com/podcast/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast-season-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gaana</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3d448915-0250-4a8e-8eab-d716dddf3342/the-musafir-stories---india-travel-podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a> Do share the word with your folks!See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Mansions of Chettinad with XOtoXO games

The Musafir Stories is an audio podcast that documents Indian travel tales. Each episode, we share the journey of travelers in their own words and relive their experience with you, our listeners. The sole aim of our podcast is to share the rich experiences of traveling in India and inspire listeners to take the leap of faith, grab those backpacks and set out to explore the beautiful and exotic country, India!

Love this show. Always keeps me interested and always look forward to new episodes. Can’t recommend it enough.

-Tabby from Your New Best Friends podcast

Excellent

Grasping narrative will make you daydreaming. The couple managed to find the best guest who has travelled to various destinations and describe the experience accurately. 
Each episode is very informative; you will get a lot of details and get an insight into the places. 
This podcast is an antidote for the commute.

Visual tour at best! - informative and indulging

The Musafir Stories - India Travel Podcast

Ajay Kamalakaran

In this episode:#russia #sakhlin #island #novella #nature #lifestyle #fareast #book #korea #japan #history #food #leisure Contest Alert!Celebrating the festive season and new year by giving away a copy of 'Globetrotting for Love and other stories from Sakhalin island' by Ajay Kamalakaran. Just answer the question in the form and stand a chance to win Ajay's book!This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Ajay Kamalakaran, an independent journalist and novelist as he takes us to the Far East corner of the world, Sakhalin island!!Today's destination: Sakhalin island Nearest Airport: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk AirportNearest Railway Station: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk StationPrerequisites -  Please check travel documents requiredPacking - Pack for the cold!Time of the year -  Summer is ideal for Indian travellers although winter has its own charm!Length of the itinerary: NAItinerary Highlights: - Ajay talks about the hidden gem of Sakhalin island, that lies at the confluence of the north and the east, where Russia meets Japan!- Learn more about the history of the Sakhalin island, its native people, and the connection to the Japanese and Koreans. - We talk about the geographical orientation, demography and the seasons of Sakhalin. Ajay explains the favourite pass-times of Sakhalin, how he got there and life in Sakhalin, the non-Americanized version. - The oil connection of Sakhalin and preferred status for Indian citizens in terms of visas is also discussed. - Ajay talks more about his book - Globetrotting for love and other stories from Sakhalin island and what inspired the book. Links: Link to the 'Globetrotting for love and other stories from Sakhalin island: https://www.amazon.in/GLOBETROTTING-OTHER-STORIES-SAKHALIN-ISLAND/dp/9386206269Link to the Ajay's latest book, A Week in the Life of Svitlana:https://www.amazon.in/Week-Life-Svitlana-Ajay-Kamalakaran-ebook/dp/B07ZXW2GKC/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=ajay+kamalakaran&amp;qid=1573532215&amp;sr=8-2 Twitter: https://twitter.com/AjayKamalakaran  Photo by Alex Kotomanov on Unsplash This episode is brought to you by Cambly - Cambly is the only app in India that provides on demand native English speaking tutors over video to teach English one on one.- For those who are interested in improving their fluency/communication skills, they can subscribe to Cambly's monthly or quarterly plans and practice consistently every week.- It is especially useful for those who want to better prepare for interviews, presentations and become a confident speaker. All sessions focus on what you want to improve on.- It can be accessed on the website www.cambly.com or by downloading the Cambly app from the Playstore or AppStore.- The Musafir Stories listeners can get a 32% discount on the quarterly plan by using the code "tms32"  Follow the Musafir stories onTwitter: @musafirstoriesFacebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcastwebsite: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.comitunes -  https://apple.co/2LPtTA3 Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7lj website - http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV Saavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi Gaana - http://bit.ly/2NClUYY pocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg castbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi Overcast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf Stitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw audioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowS TuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a RadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0 iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R Deezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode: #russia #sakhlin #island #novella #nature #lifestyle #fareast #book #korea #japan #history #food #leisure  Contest Alert!Celebrating the festive season and new year by giving away a copy of 'Globetrotting for Love and other stories from Sakhalin island' by Ajay Kamalakaran. Just answer the question in the form and stand a chance to win Ajay's book! This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Ajay Kamalakaran, an independent journalist and novelist as he takes us to the Far East corner of the world, Sakhalin island!! Today's destination: Sakhalin island Nearest Airport: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport Nearest Railway Station: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Station Prerequisites -  Please check travel documents required Packing - Pack for the cold! Time of the year -  Summer is ideal for Indian travellers although winter has its own charm! Length of the itinerary: NA Itinerary Highlights:  - Ajay talks about the hidden gem of Sakhalin island, that lies at the confluence of the north and the east, where Russia meets Japan!- Learn more about the history of the Sakhalin island, its native people, and the connection to the Japanese and Koreans. - We talk about the geographical orientation, demography and the seasons of Sakhalin. Ajay explains the favourite pass-times of Sakhalin, how he got there and life in Sakhalin, the non-Americanized version. - The oil connection of Sakhalin and preferred status for Indian citizens in terms of visas is also discussed. - Ajay talks more about his book - Globetrotting for love and other stories from Sakhalin island and what inspired the book.  Links:  Link to the 'Globetrotting for love and other stories from Sakhalin island:  <a href="https://www.amazon.in/GLOBETROTTING-OTHER-STORIES-SAKHALIN-ISLAND/dp/9386206269" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.in/GLOBETROTTING-OTHER-STORIES-SAKHALIN-ISLAND/dp/9386206269</a> Link to the Ajay's latest book, A Week in the Life of Svitlana: <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Week-Life-Svitlana-Ajay-Kamalakaran-ebook/dp/B07ZXW2GKC/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=ajay+kamalakaran&amp;qid=1573532215&amp;sr=8-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.in/Week-Life-Svitlana-Ajay-Kamalakaran-ebook/dp/B07ZXW2GKC/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=ajay+kamalakaran&amp;qid=1573532215&amp;sr=8-2</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/AjayKamalakaran" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AjayKamalakaran</a>  Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@kotomanov?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alex Kotomanov</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/russia?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unsplash</a> This episode is brought to you by Cambly - Cambly is the only app in India that provides on demand native English speaking tutors over video to teach English one on one.- For those who are interested in improving their fluency/communication skills, they can subscribe to Cambly's monthly or quarterly plans and practice consistently every week.- It is especially useful for those who want to better prepare for interviews, presentations and become a confident speaker. All sessions focus on what you want to improve on.- It can be accessed on the website <a href="http://www.cambly.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.cambly.com</a> or by downloading the Cambly app from the Playstore or AppStore.- The Musafir Stories listeners can get a 32% discount on the quarterly plan by using the code "tms32" Follow the Musafir stories onTwitter: @musafirstoriesFacebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcastwebsite: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">email: themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> itunes -  <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> website - <a href="http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV</a> Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> Gaana - <a href="http://bit.ly/2NClUYY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2NClUYY</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a> See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

72: TMS Specials: Sakhalin Island with Ajay Kamalakaran

Ajitha Yasmin

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to a very dear guest - Ajitha Yasmin, a long time listener and winner of the "Get Featured on the Musafir Stories" contest we ran on International Podcast Day earlier this year.   Today's destination: Chadar Trek on the frozen Zanskar river, Jammu &amp; Kashmir Nearest Airport: Leh Airport, IXL Nearest Railway Station: NA Prerequisites - Some experience in trekking is preferred, although not mandatory Packing - Make sure to either pack winter clothes or buy them in Leh. Decathalon is a good option in your city as well. Equipment is usually taken care of by the trek company. Time of the year - January Length of the itinerary: 6 day trek, 2 day acclimatization Itinerary Highlights:  The 12 people strong team, set off after a day of acclimatization in Leh with a stopover at Magnetic hill. The trek kicks off at Chiling from where the group heads off on a 70km trek over 6 days. The trek goes through some interesting terrain with different formations of ice over the Zanskar river. The early hours are tricky with the team having to negotiate some thin layers of ice. The first stop for the night is Shingra where the team camps. Periodic oxygen level checks are performed by the trek company to ensure that everyone is good health. The trek continues through some magnificent terrain, covering icy sheets to frozen streams. The stop of the day is at Tibb caves, a point of meeting of two mountain ranges. The team also enjoy some good vegetarian food along with Thukpa, the tibetan soupy noodles. The final day of the onward journey ends at Nerak waterfalls - a frozen waterfall that is one of the iconic points of the trek at over 11,000 ft. The return journey is along the same path but on th other side of the frozen river bank. The team enjoys interacting with the local porters and share some hummable songs and the evergreen calls of Julley!  Links: Ajitha's Travel Listen to Saif &amp; Faiza on Castbox's Original: Podcast Unfiltered with Bijay Gautam Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter Facebook Instagram Website email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - https://apple.co/2LPtTA3 Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7lj or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast" website - http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV Saavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi pocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg castbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi Overcast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf Stitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw audioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowS TuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a RadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0 iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R Deezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to a very dear guest - Ajitha Yasmin, a long time listener and winner of the "Get Featured on the Musafir Stories" contest we ran on International Podcast Day earlier this year. Today's destination: Chadar Trek on the frozen Zanskar river, Jammu &amp; Kashmir Nearest Airport: Leh Airport, IXL Nearest Railway Station: NA Prerequisites - Some experience in trekking is preferred, although not mandatory Packing - Make sure to either pack winter clothes or buy them in Leh. Decathalon is a good option in your city as well. Equipment is usually taken care of by the trek company. Time of the year - January Length of the itinerary: 6 day trek, 2 day acclimatization Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li>The 12 people strong team, set off after a day of acclimatization in Leh with a stopover at Magnetic hill.</li> <li>The trek kicks off at Chiling from where the group heads off on a 70km trek over 6 days.</li> <li>The trek goes through some interesting terrain with different formations of ice over the Zanskar river.</li> <li>The early hours are tricky with the team having to negotiate some thin layers of ice.</li> <li>The first stop for the night is Shingra where the team camps. Periodic oxygen level checks are performed by the trek company to ensure that everyone is good health.</li> <li>The trek continues through some magnificent terrain, covering icy sheets to frozen streams. The stop of the day is at Tibb caves, a point of meeting of two mountain ranges.</li> <li>The team also enjoy some good vegetarian food along with Thukpa, the tibetan soupy noodles.</li> <li>The final day of the onward journey ends at Nerak waterfalls - a frozen waterfall that is one of the iconic points of the trek at over 11,000 ft.</li> <li>The return journey is along the same path but on th other side of the frozen river bank. The team enjoys interacting with the local porters and share some hummable songs and the evergreen calls of Julley!</li> </ul> Links: <a href="https://ajithayasmin.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ajitha's Travel</a> Listen to Saif &amp; Faiza on Castbox's Original: <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hdWRpb2Jvb20uY29tL2NoYW5uZWxzLzQ5NzY3NDIucnNz&amp;episode=dGFnOmF1ZGlvYm9vbS5jb20sMjAxOC0xMS0yMzovcG9zdHMvNzA5NTg2OA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Podcast Unfiltered with Bijay Gautam</a> Follow the Musafir stories on <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> <a href="https://themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Website</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast" website - <a href="http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV</a> Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

51: Chadar Trek with Ajitha Yasmin

Johann Kuruvilla

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Johann Binny Kuruvilla, the face behind the blog https://kochiheritageproject.in. So sit back and enjoy as Johann takes us to his hometown!! Today's destination: Kochi, Kerala! Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport Nearest Railway Station: Ernakulam Town Station or Ernakulam Junction Station Packing - Make sure to carry some rain gear if you are there during the monsoons/rainy season Time of the year - September to February is a good time to go! Length of the itinerary: 3 days Itinerary Highlights:   Johann begins by sharing his story about the journey from the corporate world to being a blogger and how one movie - Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna bhoomi inspired him to travel to the North East!   Johann begins the conversation by sharing some insights into the rich history of Kochi and how it was formed when the previously prominent port city of Muziris was wiped out by the flooding of Periyar river in 1341.   The itinerary begins at Fort Kochi, formerly known as Fort Emmanuel - established by the portugese explorere Vasco da gama in the 15th century. The fort was then ruled by the Dutch and later on by the British with the evolution of power.   A walk through the lanes of the fort city gives one a view of the beautiful colonial era houses mingled with traditional Kerala style houses. Streets such as Princess street, Peter celli street, Burger street blend in finely with the colonial vibes of the city!   Popular churches like St. Francis cathedral (where Vasco da gama was initially buried) and Santa Cruz basilica are a part of Fort Kochi.   Other interesting things to do are attending a Kathakali performance at the Kerala Kathakali center   The walk ends at the iconic Chinese fishing nets which have become synonymous with Kochi!   From here, one can take a tuktuk or bicycle to Mattancherry, where the locals traditionally lived. This place used to be a hub of local markets and commerce as well as house boats.   Make a stop at the Mattancherry palace - where the Kerala royals used to live, this was gifted by the Portuguese to the royals! The Dutch later on renovated the palace and hence it is sometimes referred to as the Dutch Palace! The palace also has a number of murals depicting the Indian epics.   Johann also speaks of the diversity of Kochi that includes Marathis, Gujaratis, Konkanis, Kutchi memons, Jews, Arab muslims, Jains and many more sects that live peacefully together.   The next pitstop of our journey is Thrippunithura, a historical area where the erstwhile Kerala royals lived. There is the magnificent Thrippunithura palace overlooking more than 50 acres of the fort. Sloped roof, large Dutch windows, British arches and the traditional Thacchushaastram style of architecture gives a unique flavor to the palace, which is now a museum.   There is also the Poornathrayesa temple in the vicinity, which is famous for the Vrishchikoltsawam festival. The procession of decorated/Caparisoned elephants carrying the deity is a prominent event of the temple in Nov-Dec.   The final pitstop of our tour is Ernakulam - the newer region of Kochi! This is the hub of all the commercial activity among other things. A lot of new projects like the Broadway - a walkway with a lot of shops and markets, the Ernakulam market, the Marine drive etc. There is also the Subhash Park where one can catch the beautiful view of the lakes and sunset.   One can also indulge in shopping at the Lulu supermarket, the biggest mall in India, to end the trip!   Links: Website: https://kochiheritageproject.in/  Instagram: @kochiheritageproject Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com Apple podcasts - https://apple.co/2LPtTA3 Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7ljor voice/text search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast" Saavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi web/audioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowS Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi pocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg castbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi Overcast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf Stitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw TuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a RadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0 iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R Deezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Johann Binny Kuruvilla, the face behind the blog <a href="https://kochiheritageproject.in/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://kochiheritageproject.in</a>. So sit back and enjoy as Johann takes us to his hometown!! Today's destination: Kochi, Kerala! Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport Nearest Railway Station: Ernakulam Town Station or Ernakulam Junction Station Packing - Make sure to carry some rain gear if you are there during the monsoons/rainy season Time of the year - September to February is a good time to go! Length of the itinerary: 3 days Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li> Johann begins by sharing his story about the journey from the corporate world to being a blogger and how one movie - Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna bhoomi inspired him to travel to the North East! </li> <li> Johann begins the conversation by sharing some insights into the rich history of Kochi and how it was formed when the previously prominent port city of Muziris was wiped out by the flooding of Periyar river in 1341. </li> <li> The itinerary begins at Fort Kochi, formerly known as Fort Emmanuel - established by the portugese explorere Vasco da gama in the 15th century. The fort was then ruled by the Dutch and later on by the British with the evolution of power. </li> <li> A walk through the lanes of the fort city gives one a view of the beautiful colonial era houses mingled with traditional Kerala style houses. Streets such as Princess street, Peter celli street, Burger street blend in finely with the colonial vibes of the city! </li> <li> Popular churches like St. Francis cathedral (where Vasco da gama was initially buried) and Santa Cruz basilica are a part of Fort Kochi. </li> <li> Other interesting things to do are attending a Kathakali performance at the Kerala Kathakali center </li> <li> The walk ends at the iconic Chinese fishing nets which have become synonymous with Kochi! </li> <li> From here, one can take a tuktuk or bicycle to Mattancherry, where the locals traditionally lived. This place used to be a hub of local markets and commerce as well as house boats. </li> <li> Make a stop at the Mattancherry palace - where the Kerala royals used to live, this was gifted by the Portuguese to the royals! The Dutch later on renovated the palace and hence it is sometimes referred to as the Dutch Palace! The palace also has a number of murals depicting the Indian epics. </li> <li> Johann also speaks of the diversity of Kochi that includes Marathis, Gujaratis, Konkanis, Kutchi memons, Jews, Arab muslims, Jains and many more sects that live peacefully together. </li> <li> The next pitstop of our journey is Thrippunithura, a historical area where the erstwhile Kerala royals lived. There is the magnificent Thrippunithura palace overlooking more than 50 acres of the fort. Sloped roof, large Dutch windows, British arches and the traditional Thacchushaastram style of architecture gives a unique flavor to the palace, which is now a museum. </li> <li> There is also the Poornathrayesa temple in the vicinity, which is famous for the Vrishchikoltsawam festival. The procession of decorated/Caparisoned elephants carrying the deity is a prominent event of the temple in Nov-Dec. </li> <li> The final pitstop of our tour is Ernakulam - the newer region of Kochi! This is the hub of all the commercial activity among other things. A lot of new projects like the Broadway - a walkway with a lot of shops and markets, the Ernakulam market, the Marine drive etc. There is also the Subhash Park where one can catch the beautiful view of the lakes and sunset. </li> <li> One can also indulge in shopping at the Lulu supermarket, the biggest mall in India, to end the trip! </li> </ul> Links: Website: <a href="https://kochiheritageproject.in/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://kochiheritageproject.in/</a> Instagram: @kochiheritageproject Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com Apple podcasts - <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a>or voice/text search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast" Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> web/audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

42: Kochi with Johann Kuruvilla

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Srikanth from the blog traveldiaries.vacations and the capter lead of RTC Hyderabad! Today's destination: Gandikota gorge and Belum caves, Andhra Pradesh! Nearest Airport: Tirupati Airport at Renigunta Nearest Railway Station: Kondapuram Prerequisites - Camping equipment if you're planning to camp Packing - Gandikota can get hot during the day, plan to carry sufficient water and also extra layers for the night. Time of the year - September Length of the itinerary: 2 days Itinerary Highlights:  Srikanth and team set out from Hyderabad towards Gandikota - a natural gorge formed by the Pennar river in Andhra Pradesh. A couple of stops enroute the destination and a navigation error on google maps led Srikanth to the foot of some magnificent wind mills in the vicinity of Gandikota! After spending some time refreshing themselves at the APSTDC branded Haritha resorts, the group heads towards the Gandikota fort by about 3pm. Please note that camping areas are present in the vicinity of the fort, so do not fall prey to scamsters asking for money to pitch tents. Once the group had settled in on the camping area, they set out to explore the fort and its monuments. First up is the Mini Charminar that welcomes you as you drive through the fort city after passing through the gigantic darwaaza or fort gates. The mini charminar is modeled after the original monument in Hyderabad The other important monuments within the fort include the Jama Masjid, the Ranghanatha Swamy temple and the Madhavaraya Swamy temple (from the Hoysala era). Along with the religious monuments, there are several other structures like the Granery, Mausoleum, Jail, Ponds and water bodies are abundant. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to discuss some of the smaller monuments due to time constraints. Once you have enjoyed the history and architecture of the monuments, move over to the view points for some great sunset views of the gorge and the river. Indulge in star gazing as night falls, enjoy a bonfire, a sumptous meal and spend the night chatting away with friends. Wake up early for wonderful views of the sunrise and the sun painting the gorge into different colors. The group head out towards Belum caves - the second longest underground cave network in India formed by a river several centuries ago, over 3 kms long! A beautiful Buddha statue welcomes you to the monument complex, it is believed that both Buddhist and Jain monks have lived here centuries ago. The cave network is about 150m below ground level and tends to get pretty hot during the day, even in September! The caves are well lit with a number of formations like Pilidwaram, saint bed, Dhyan mandir or meditation hall, Kotilingalu chamber (thousand hoods), Banyan tree, Patalaganga and many more interesting formations!  Links: Link to Srikanth's blog Link to blog post Checkout Srikanth on Instagram! Follow him on Twitter. Link to Elita's 'Be you for you' expressive writing workshops   Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - https://apple.co/2LPtTA3 Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7lj or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast" website - http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV Saavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi pocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg castbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi Overcast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf Stitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw audioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowS TuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a RadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0 iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R Deezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Srikanth from the blog <a href="http://traveldiaries.vacations" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">traveldiaries.vacations</a> and the capter lead of RTC Hyderabad! Today's destination: Gandikota gorge and Belum caves, Andhra Pradesh! Nearest Airport: Tirupati Airport at Renigunta Nearest Railway Station: Kondapuram Prerequisites - Camping equipment if you're planning to camp Packing - Gandikota can get hot during the day, plan to carry sufficient water and also extra layers for the night. Time of the year - September Length of the itinerary: 2 days Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li>Srikanth and team set out from Hyderabad towards Gandikota - a natural gorge formed by the Pennar river in Andhra Pradesh. A couple of stops enroute the destination and a navigation error on google maps led Srikanth to the foot of some magnificent wind mills in the vicinity of Gandikota!</li> <li>After spending some time refreshing themselves at the APSTDC branded Haritha resorts, the group heads towards the Gandikota fort by about 3pm.</li> <li>Please note that camping areas are present in the vicinity of the fort, so do not fall prey to scamsters asking for money to pitch tents.</li> <li>Once the group had settled in on the camping area, they set out to explore the fort and its monuments. First up is the Mini Charminar that welcomes you as you drive through the fort city after passing through the gigantic darwaaza or fort gates. The mini charminar is modeled after the original monument in Hyderabad</li> <li>The other important monuments within the fort include the Jama Masjid, the Ranghanatha Swamy temple and the Madhavaraya Swamy temple (from the Hoysala era).</li> <li>Along with the religious monuments, there are several other structures like the Granery, Mausoleum, Jail, Ponds and water bodies are abundant. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to discuss some of the smaller monuments due to time constraints.</li> <li>Once you have enjoyed the history and architecture of the monuments, move over to the view points for some great sunset views of the gorge and the river.</li> <li>Indulge in star gazing as night falls, enjoy a bonfire, a sumptous meal and spend the night chatting away with friends.</li> <li>Wake up early for wonderful views of the sunrise and the sun painting the gorge into different colors.</li> <li>The group head out towards Belum caves - the second longest underground cave network in India formed by a river several centuries ago, over 3 kms long! A beautiful Buddha statue welcomes you to the monument complex, it is believed that both Buddhist and Jain monks have lived here centuries ago.</li> <li>The cave network is about 150m below ground level and tends to get pretty hot during the day, even in September!</li> <li>The caves are well lit with a number of formations like Pilidwaram, saint bed, Dhyan mandir or meditation hall, Kotilingalu chamber (thousand hoods), Banyan tree, Patalaganga and many more interesting formations!</li> </ul> Links: Link to <a href="https://traveldiaries.vacations/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Srikanth's blog</a> Link to <a href="https://traveldiaries.vacations/2018/09/18/roadtrip-to-gandikota-belum-caves-and-yaganti-andhra-pradesh/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">blog post</a> Checkout Srikanth on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/travelwithsrikanth/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>! Follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/travelwithsri?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Link to Elita's '<a href="https://nomadicthunker.com/be-you-for-you" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Be you for you</a>' expressive writing workshops Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast" website - <a href="http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV</a> Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

55: Gandikota and Belum Caves with Srikanth

Neeharika Satyavada

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Neeharika Satyavada who is a digital strategist turned blogger from Hyderabad! Sit back and enjoy as Neeharika takes us on a roadtrip through Karimnagar! Today's destination: Karimnagar, TS Nearest Airport: Rajiv Gandhi Intl airport, Hyderabad Nearest Railway Station: Karimnagar railway station Prerequisities - n/a Packing - comfortable clothes and shoes as there might be some climbing to do at the forts! Time of the year - Monsoons is the best season to go see the forts and ruins surrounded by shades of green. Length of the itinerary: 2 days Itinerary Highlights: Day 1 Molangur Fort  Built during the reign of Kakatiya dynasty/ Prathapa Rudra: 1163 - 1195 (12th centry) This is also a transit point between Warangal and Elgandal The fort is located on a granite hill and has unfortunately been a victim of incessant quarrying. Still no concrete efforts to stop the degradation The fort also houses the Molang Shah dargah, named after a famous saint who visited the region Additionally, two temples dedicated to lord Shiva are also present so is a well famously called as Doodh bawli  Elgandal Fort  This is a magnificent fort on the banks of Manair river It is famous for 3 minars that gives us some insight into the architecture of the kakatiya dynasty. The minars are a part of a mosque situated right on top of the fort. There is also a small Hanuman temple while scaling up the fort steps which is functional. The fort was eventually occupied by Qutub Shahi dynasty, the Moghuls and Nizams after a period of rule under the Kakatiyas and Bahamanis. The fort was rebuilt in 1754 AD by Zafaruddhaula during the reign of Sikendar Jha. - Karimuddin was a khilledar and Karimnagar was named after him, gives us an idea of the significance of the fort and the rulers. After spending the second half of the day at Elgandal, you can head back to Karimnagar town for lodging. The town also boasts of some silver filigry work and miniatures of charminar and other monuments. After spending the night at Karimnagar, you can head off to visit more temples on Day 2  Day 2 Manthani ruins  This historical place is also known as Mantrapuri or village of hymns, center for vedic learning It is famous for the Gautameshwar temple with Shiva as the residing deity. The ruins have an eerie look about them, specially during the monsoons when the area is covered by lush green grass and moss. Situated on the banks of river godavari adds to the great views at the temple This place has been famous as the home to 1000 brahmin families, often refered to as house of mantras (hymns) The ruins are reminiscent of the scens from the Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book (Indian version) where Mowgli ends up a the ruins of the ancient temple.  Nagnur ruins  These ruins are of Kakatiya and Kalyana temples, some built by the Chalukyas The mainstay of the area is the Trikuta temple (3 idols of Shiva) Lord Shiva is the residing god of the Trikuta temple. The temple is currently being restored and conserved.  Other places of interest:  Dhulikatta (buddhist shrine) which has relics and stupas attributed to Buddhism.  Links: Link to the blog post: https://mapinmypocket.com/2016/08/15/road-tripping-through-karimnagar/ https://mapinmypocket.com/2017/04/26/town-of-hymns-manthani/ https://mapinmypocket.com/2017/04/12/lost-in-time-nagunur-ruins/ More about the Guest: You can also reach out to Neeharika on her social media handles Twitter: @mapinmypocket Facebook: @mapinmypocket Instagram: @mapinmypocket website: www.mapinmypodcket.com email: neeharika.satyawada@gmail.com Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Neeharika Satyavada who is a digital strategist turned blogger from Hyderabad! Sit back and enjoy as Neeharika takes us on a roadtrip through Karimnagar! Today's destination: Karimnagar, TS Nearest Airport: Rajiv Gandhi Intl airport, Hyderabad Nearest Railway Station: Karimnagar railway station Prerequisities - n/a Packing - comfortable clothes and shoes as there might be some climbing to do at the forts! Time of the year - Monsoons is the best season to go see the forts and ruins surrounded by shades of green. Length of the itinerary: 2 days Itinerary Highlights: Day 1 Molangur Fort <ul> <li>Built during the reign of Kakatiya dynasty/ Prathapa Rudra: 1163 - 1195 (12th centry)</li> <li>This is also a transit point between Warangal and Elgandal</li> <li>The fort is located on a granite hill and has unfortunately been a victim of incessant quarrying. Still no concrete efforts to stop the degradation</li> <li>The fort also houses the Molang Shah dargah, named after a famous saint who visited the region</li> <li>Additionally, two temples dedicated to lord Shiva are also present so is a well famously called as Doodh bawli</li> </ul> Elgandal Fort <ul> <li>This is a magnificent fort on the banks of Manair river</li> <li>It is famous for 3 minars that gives us some insight into the architecture of the kakatiya dynasty. The minars are a part of a mosque situated right on top of the fort.</li> <li>There is also a small Hanuman temple while scaling up the fort steps which is functional.</li> <li>The fort was eventually occupied by Qutub Shahi dynasty, the Moghuls and Nizams after a period of rule under the Kakatiyas and Bahamanis.</li> <li>The fort was rebuilt in 1754 AD by Zafaruddhaula during the reign of Sikendar Jha. - Karimuddin was a khilledar and Karimnagar was named after him, gives us an idea of the significance of the fort and the rulers.</li> <li>After spending the second half of the day at Elgandal, you can head back to Karimnagar town for lodging. The town also boasts of some silver filigry work and miniatures of charminar and other monuments. After spending the night at Karimnagar, you can head off to visit more temples on Day 2</li> </ul> Day 2 Manthani ruins <ul> <li>This historical place is also known as Mantrapuri or village of hymns, center for vedic learning</li> <li>It is famous for the Gautameshwar temple with Shiva as the residing deity.</li> <li>The ruins have an eerie look about them, specially during the monsoons when the area is covered by lush green grass and moss. Situated on the banks of river godavari adds to the great views at the temple</li> <li>This place has been famous as the home to 1000 brahmin families, often refered to as house of mantras (hymns)</li> <li>The ruins are reminiscent of the scens from the Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book (Indian version) where Mowgli ends up a the ruins of the ancient temple.</li> </ul> Nagnur ruins <ul> <li>These ruins are of Kakatiya and Kalyana temples, some built by the Chalukyas</li> <li>The mainstay of the area is the Trikuta temple (3 idols of Shiva)</li> <li>Lord Shiva is the residing god of the Trikuta temple. The temple is currently being restored and conserved.</li> </ul> Other places of interest: <ul> <li>Dhulikatta (buddhist shrine) which has relics and stupas attributed to Buddhism.</li> </ul> Links: Link to the blog post: <a href="https://mapinmypocket.com/2016/08/15/road-tripping-through-karimnagar/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://mapinmypocket.com/2016/08/15/road-tripping-through-karimnagar/</a> <a href="https://mapinmypocket.com/2017/04/26/town-of-hymns-manthani/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://mapinmypocket.com/2017/04/26/town-of-hymns-manthani/</a> <a href="https://mapinmypocket.com/2017/04/12/lost-in-time-nagunur-ruins/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://mapinmypocket.com/2017/04/12/lost-in-time-nagunur-ruins/</a> More about the Guest: You can also reach out to Neeharika on her social media handles Twitter: @mapinmypocket Facebook: @mapinmypocket Instagram: @mapinmypocket website: <a href="http://www.mapinmypodcket.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.mapinmypodcket.com</a> email: neeharika.satyawada@gmail.com Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.comSee <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

29: Karimnagar with Neeharika Satyavada

Siddharth Keswani

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Siddharth Keswani, an up and coming Youtuber who makes lifestyle, travel and food vlogs. Sit back and enjoy as Siddharth takes us on a speed date with Lucknow - the land of Nawabs and Kababs! Today's destination: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh! Nearest Airport: Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, LKO Nearest Railway Station: Lucknow Charbagh railway station Prerequisites - An empty stomach! Packing - N/A, just warm clothes if you visit in winter Length of the itinerary: One day! Itinerary Highlights:  Kick start the day early with a visit to Sharmaji's tea stall to savour some bun makkhan with Sharmaji's Kullad vali Chai! If you are up for it, grab a bite of the samosas as well! If that didn't kick start your day, you can freshen things up by a visit to the Janeshwar Mishra park in Gomti Nagar - a vast expanse of 376 acres of green spread in the heart of Lucknow! One of Asia's biggest parks that boasts of water bodies, cycle tracks, jogging tracks, children's play areas and a wide variety of plant species! After spending time in the vast expanse of green, it's time to head over to the heart of Lucknow - the old city! Rumi Darwaza, a grand old gate built in 1784 during the time of Asaf-ud-daula, is inspired by Roman architecture offers a great photo op! Within walking distance from the Rumi Darwaza is the Bada Imambara and Chota Imambara - two beautiful congregation halls built in the 18th century. The Bada Imambara boasts of the Bhul Bhulaiya, a huge maze or three-dimensional labyrinth where one can get lost in! The imambara also has other structures like a popular step-well and some beautiful mosques nearby like the Asfi mosque. A quick ride away from the Imambaras is the Kudiya ghat situated on the banks of the Gomti River. The ghat, albeit not as popular as the ghats of Varanasi or Banaras, offers a great view of the early morning pilgrims, diyas and artis offering pooja and sadhus taking a holy dip in the river. The ghat is open from dawn to dusk. You don't have to break a sweat to get about Lucknow either - there are plenty of options with public transport, buses, rickshaws or tuk tuks and ofcourse for the uber cool, the Ubers and Olas! And oh, did I mention about the ever expanding Metro/subway trains and e-ricks? Yep, it's a thing! It's finally time for a brunch! And where better to be than Old Lucknow! Try out Rahim ki Nihari in the old city where you can sample Buffalo foot stew and SHirmal - piping hot broth also called as Paaya in parts of the country! Finish off the meal by drinking some Sulaimani chai and some makkhan malai on the side - a milk/cream based savory dish! After this sumptous brunch, it's time to walk around a bit in another of the city's green patches called eco-garden on VIP road. It's best to spend an evening in the cool confines of th eco-garden that boasts of a kid's friendly artificial zoo, a lot of water shows and green houses. After cooling down in the eco-garden, it's finally time to hit Hazrath Ganj, where the cool crowds hang out! Get introduced to Ganjing - Walking, shopping and eating around Hazrath Ganj. Siddharth also educates us and our listeners with some uber cool words like Bhowkal, Rangbazi and Rowla! Try saying that one more time! Now it's time to binge again - Try out the basket chaat or katori chaat at a chain called Royal Cafe! A sovoury food served with friend potatoes, vada, curd, and a lot of masalas! If you are up for some shopping, try out the chikan kari embroidered suits and kurtas that are synonymous with Lucknow! once you are done shopping, it's time to finish the day on a high by eating Galauti kebab at Tunday Kababi - one of the most popular kabab joints of Lucknow. If you still have more room in your tummy, also sample the chicken Biryani. And if there is still room, then go for a lucknowi paan!  Links: Link to Siddharth's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEFCi3n8SE6q3p_lsv2CQ Links to siddharth's Social media: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/siddharthk121/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/siddharthk121/ Snapchat Siddharthk121 Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - https://goo.gl/peC2Jv android - voice or google search "The Musafir stories podcast", listen, subscribe and save a shortcut on your home screen! web/audioBoom - http://bit.ly/2oZZowS Saavn - https://goo.gl/6qp2mF pocketcasts - https://goo.gl/rGipJb castbox - https://goo.gl/spUCdY Overcast - https://goo.gl/fM9Som Stitcher Radio - https://goo.gl/ihL4Gr TuneIn - http://tun.in/pilOI RadioPublic - https://goo.gl/Dy2VPvSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Siddharth Keswani, an up and coming Youtuber who makes lifestyle, travel and food vlogs. Sit back and enjoy as Siddharth takes us on a speed date with Lucknow - the land of Nawabs and Kababs! Today's destination: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh! Nearest Airport: Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, LKO Nearest Railway Station: Lucknow Charbagh railway station Prerequisites - An empty stomach! Packing - N/A, just warm clothes if you visit in winter Length of the itinerary: One day! Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li>Kick start the day early with a visit to Sharmaji's tea stall to savour some bun makkhan with Sharmaji's Kullad vali Chai! If you are up for it, grab a bite of the samosas as well!</li> <li>If that didn't kick start your day, you can freshen things up by a visit to the Janeshwar Mishra park in Gomti Nagar - a vast expanse of 376 acres of green spread in the heart of Lucknow! One of Asia's biggest parks that boasts of water bodies, cycle tracks, jogging tracks, children's play areas and a wide variety of plant species!</li> <li>After spending time in the vast expanse of green, it's time to head over to the heart of Lucknow - the old city!</li> <li>Rumi Darwaza, a grand old gate built in 1784 during the time of Asaf-ud-daula, is inspired by Roman architecture offers a great photo op!</li> <li>Within walking distance from the Rumi Darwaza is the Bada Imambara and Chota Imambara - two beautiful congregation halls built in the 18th century. The Bada Imambara boasts of the Bhul Bhulaiya, a huge maze or three-dimensional labyrinth where one can get lost in! The imambara also has other structures like a popular step-well and some beautiful mosques nearby like the Asfi mosque.</li> <li>A quick ride away from the Imambaras is the Kudiya ghat situated on the banks of the Gomti River. The ghat, albeit not as popular as the ghats of Varanasi or Banaras, offers a great view of the early morning pilgrims, diyas and artis offering pooja and sadhus taking a holy dip in the river. The ghat is open from dawn to dusk.</li> <li>You don't have to break a sweat to get about Lucknow either - there are plenty of options with public transport, buses, rickshaws or tuk tuks and ofcourse for the uber cool, the Ubers and Olas! And oh, did I mention about the ever expanding Metro/subway trains and e-ricks? Yep, it's a thing!</li> <li>It's finally time for a brunch! And where better to be than Old Lucknow! Try out Rahim ki Nihari in the old city where you can sample Buffalo foot stew and SHirmal - piping hot broth also called as Paaya in parts of the country! Finish off the meal by drinking some Sulaimani chai and some makkhan malai on the side - a milk/cream based savory dish!</li> <li>After this sumptous brunch, it's time to walk around a bit in another of the city's green patches called eco-garden on VIP road. It's best to spend an evening in the cool confines of th eco-garden that boasts of a kid's friendly artificial zoo, a lot of water shows and green houses.</li> <li>After cooling down in the eco-garden, it's finally time to hit Hazrath Ganj, where the cool crowds hang out! Get introduced to Ganjing - Walking, shopping and eating around Hazrath Ganj. Siddharth also educates us and our listeners with some uber cool words like Bhowkal, Rangbazi and Rowla! Try saying that one more time!</li> <li>Now it's time to binge again - Try out the basket chaat or katori chaat at a chain called Royal Cafe! A sovoury food served with friend potatoes, vada, curd, and a lot of masalas!</li> <li>If you are up for some shopping, try out the chikan kari embroidered suits and kurtas that are synonymous with Lucknow!</li> <li>once you are done shopping, it's time to finish the day on a high by eating Galauti kebab at Tunday Kababi - one of the most popular kabab joints of Lucknow. If you still have more room in your tummy, also sample the chicken Biryani. And if there is still room, then go for a lucknowi paan!</li> </ul> Links: Link to Siddharth's Youtube channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEFC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEFC</a>i3n8SE6q3p_lsv2CQ Links to siddharth's Social media: Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/siddharthk121/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/siddharthk121/</a> Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/siddharthk121/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/siddharthk121/</a> Snapchat Siddharthk121 Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - <a href="https://goo.gl/peC2Jv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/peC2Jv</a> android - voice or google search "The Musafir stories podcast", listen, subscribe and save a shortcut on your home screen! web/audioBoom - <a href="http://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> Saavn - <a href="https://goo.gl/6qp2mF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/6qp2mF</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://goo.gl/rGipJb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/rGipJb</a> castbox - <a href="https://goo.gl/spUCdY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/spUCdY</a> Overcast - <a href="https://goo.gl/fM9Som" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/fM9Som</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://goo.gl/ihL4Gr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/ihL4Gr</a> TuneIn - <a href="http://tun.in/pilOI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://tun.in/pilOI</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://goo.gl/Dy2VPv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/Dy2VPv</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

36: A Day in Lucknow with Siddharth Keswani

Kaushal Karkhanis

Riverside Goa

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Kaushal Karkhanis aka The Exotic Gringo. Sit back and listen to where this pro traveller and polyglot takes us to today! Today's destination: Riverside Goa! Nearest Airport: Dabolim Airport (GOI), Goa Nearest Railway Station: Multiple options depending on your destination. Prerequisites - NA, but make sure to plan and book your stay ahead of time if traveling during the holiday season Packing - Nothing specific, but make sure to carry appropriate clothes depending on the weather Time of the year - November to March is ideal, but is also going to be busy! Length of the itinerary: Can be anything from 1 weekend to long term for slow travel Itinerary Highlights:  Kaushal starts off by taking us to the river side of North Goa - starting at the Tirakhol river. Tirakhol river divides Maharashtra and Goa and is one of the lesser explored regions. Tirakhol Fort, which is now a hotel, is a beautiful place and the restaurant is open to public. Make sure to carry your camera along, specially right after the monsoons! Nearby regioins of Keri and Arambol are very popular for their beautiful beaches as well. Mandrem, Patnem and Morjim are some of the other beaches in the vicinity. Next up is the Chapora river, which is Kaushal's favorite for its tranquility and calm. It also has a number of rare bird species and other flora and fauna. The Siolim, Chapora and Vagator are some of the villages along the river. Historically, this was the river that demarcated Portuguese India from the rest of India. Goa only became a part of independent India only in 1961! Whaaat! Other places of interest are the Chapora fort of Dil CHahta hai fame! There is the fishing village of Chapora (The village gets it's name from Shahpura, its Mughal name from the past!). There are a number of jettys which you can take a boat ride on. A very offbeat destination, ideal for someone who is looking to get away from the crazy crowds of tourists. As one heads further south, one can spend time at the village of Colvale, a quaint fishing village, also famous for the Colvale beach. Make sure to lodge at Kaza Colvale while here. Getting around Goa is a breeze - one can take the local buses, the most budget way of traveling. Then there are the 'for hire' bikes which is ideal for solo travelers and couples and Bike pilots for someone looking for a cheap alternative to cabs. The government has also tied up to Ho-Ho Goa or hop-on hop-off Goa, for full day tours around Goa for a steal. The newest mode of transport that is going to be commercialized soon will be the ferry service that can fetch you directly from the airport! Woohooo! As we continue our journey further south, one can experience the beautiful mainland from the banks of rivers like Baga, Arpora, and Mapusa which have some beautiful flea markets on the banks. The backwaters of the river Mapusa have some beautiful and quaint villages of carona, Olaulim, Corjuem and Aldona, non-touristy and super tranquil - just the perfect place to do NOTHING, and relax! Next up on the course, is the river Mandovi - one of the bigger rivers of Goa along with the Zuari. Mandovi has a number of commercially active regions along its banks and is also close the the mainland that has the capital Panjim - just the place to get you a sample of Old Goa, with ample heritage walks, fontainhas - UNESCO declared world heritage walks. The other regions of note are Reis Magos, Ribandar, Old Goa as well as a handful of islands like Vanxim island, St. Estevam island (the smallest ferry crossing), Divar island (great bicycle trails) and Chorao island (famous for Dr. Salim Ali bird sanctuary) Also, FOOOD! The area around Panjim has some of the best places to eat. Check out Anand Ashram (for the fish thali, check out Chonak and Motso fish), Konkani canteen and DTR (for some great local food), Taj Aguada (for unlimited buffet!). And for dessert, make sure to check sweets like serradura (at Mr. Baker), Bibbingk (Confeitaria 31 De Janeiro), Dodol (Cafe Morango), Vonn (at Chef Peter's restaurant). Further south are the rivers of Zuari and Sal - areas in the vicinity like Lutolim (famous for old portuguese mansions by Zuari), Varca, Cavelossim, Assolna and Navelim (by Sal river). Further south are the Agonda and Palolem backwaters (which are more popular for the beaches by the same names). In the vicinity of the Palolem backwaters are hidden beaches like Butteryfly and HOneymoon! Talpona, Galgibag and Rajbag beaches and backwaters are further down south and have some marvellous 5 star properties for anyone interested. However, one should explore the riversides in this area for some great bicycle rides. The final reccommendation, that Kaushal is also planning to visit soon is the wonderful Cola beach lagoon (north of Agonda beach), accessible by foot, bicycles and bikes only! Before wrapping up, Kaushal also gives a big shout out to Jeevit Nadi (www.jeevitnadi.org) that makes organic products like shampoos, soaps and more as well as free recipes for a toxin-free lifestyle, that go a long way in preventing the pollution of rivers, which is a real problem that is staring at the ecology of the region. Make sure you support them and the environment. Kudos!  Links: Nagaland Chief Minister's relief fund: A/C No. 10530527879 IFSC Code: SBIN0000214 State Bank of India, Kohima Branch OR https://cmrelieffund.nowpay.co.in/ OR https://paytm.com/helpinghand/cm-relief-fund-nagaland Kaushal's blog: http://exoticgringo.com/ http://www.goatrippers.com/ Twitter: @exoticgringo/ @goatrippers Facebook:@gowithgringo/ @goatripping Instagram: @exoticgringo/ @goatrippers Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - https://apple.co/2LPtTA3 Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7lj or "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast" Saavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi web/audioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowS Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi pocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg castbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi Overcast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf Stitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw TuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a RadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0 iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R Deezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Kaushal Karkhanis aka The Exotic Gringo. Sit back and listen to where this pro traveller and polyglot takes us to today! Today's destination: Riverside Goa! Nearest Airport: Dabolim Airport (GOI), Goa Nearest Railway Station: Multiple options depending on your destination. Prerequisites - NA, but make sure to plan and book your stay ahead of time if traveling during the holiday season Packing - Nothing specific, but make sure to carry appropriate clothes depending on the weather Time of the year - November to March is ideal, but is also going to be busy! Length of the itinerary: Can be anything from 1 weekend to long term for slow travel Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li>Kaushal starts off by taking us to the river side of North Goa - starting at the Tirakhol river. Tirakhol river divides Maharashtra and Goa and is one of the lesser explored regions. Tirakhol Fort, which is now a hotel, is a beautiful place and the restaurant is open to public. Make sure to carry your camera along, specially right after the monsoons! Nearby regioins of Keri and Arambol are very popular for their beautiful beaches as well. Mandrem, Patnem and Morjim are some of the other beaches in the vicinity.</li> <li>Next up is the Chapora river, which is Kaushal's favorite for its tranquility and calm. It also has a number of rare bird species and other flora and fauna. The Siolim, Chapora and Vagator are some of the villages along the river. Historically, this was the river that demarcated Portuguese India from the rest of India. Goa only became a part of independent India only in 1961! Whaaat!</li> <li>Other places of interest are the Chapora fort of Dil CHahta hai fame! There is the fishing village of Chapora (The village gets it's name from Shahpura, its Mughal name from the past!). There are a number of jettys which you can take a boat ride on. A very offbeat destination, ideal for someone who is looking to get away from the crazy crowds of tourists.</li> <li>As one heads further south, one can spend time at the village of Colvale, a quaint fishing village, also famous for the Colvale beach. Make sure to lodge at Kaza Colvale while here.</li> <li>Getting around Goa is a breeze - one can take the local buses, the most budget way of traveling. Then there are the 'for hire' bikes which is ideal for solo travelers and couples and Bike pilots for someone looking for a cheap alternative to cabs. The government has also tied up to Ho-Ho Goa or hop-on hop-off Goa, for full day tours around Goa for a steal. The newest mode of transport that is going to be commercialized soon will be the ferry service that can fetch you directly from the airport! Woohooo!</li> <li>As we continue our journey further south, one can experience the beautiful mainland from the banks of rivers like Baga, Arpora, and Mapusa which have some beautiful flea markets on the banks.</li> <li>The backwaters of the river Mapusa have some beautiful and quaint villages of carona, Olaulim, Corjuem and Aldona, non-touristy and super tranquil - just the perfect place to do NOTHING, and relax!</li> <li>Next up on the course, is the river Mandovi - one of the bigger rivers of Goa along with the Zuari. Mandovi has a number of commercially active regions along its banks and is also close the the mainland that has the capital Panjim - just the place to get you a sample of Old Goa, with ample heritage walks, fontainhas - UNESCO declared world heritage walks.</li> <li>The other regions of note are Reis Magos, Ribandar, Old Goa as well as a handful of islands like Vanxim island, St. Estevam island (the smallest ferry crossing), Divar island (great bicycle trails) and Chorao island (famous for Dr. Salim Ali bird sanctuary)</li> <li>Also, FOOOD! The area around Panjim has some of the best places to eat. Check out Anand Ashram (for the fish thali, check out Chonak and Motso fish), Konkani canteen and DTR (for some great local food), Taj Aguada (for unlimited buffet!).</li> <li>And for dessert, make sure to check sweets like serradura (at Mr. Baker), Bibbingk (Confeitaria 31 De Janeiro), Dodol (Cafe Morango), Vonn (at Chef Peter's restaurant).</li> <li>Further south are the rivers of Zuari and Sal - areas in the vicinity like Lutolim (famous for old portuguese mansions by Zuari), Varca, Cavelossim, Assolna and Navelim (by Sal river).</li> <li>Further south are the Agonda and Palolem backwaters (which are more popular for the beaches by the same names). In the vicinity of the Palolem backwaters are hidden beaches like Butteryfly and HOneymoon!</li> <li>Talpona, Galgibag and Rajbag beaches and backwaters are further down south and have some marvellous 5 star properties for anyone interested. However, one should explore the riversides in this area for some great bicycle rides.</li> <li>The final reccommendation, that Kaushal is also planning to visit soon is the wonderful Cola beach lagoon (north of Agonda beach), accessible by foot, bicycles and bikes only!</li> <li>Before wrapping up, Kaushal also gives a big shout out to Jeevit Nadi (<a href="http://www.jeevitnadi.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.jeevitnadi.org</a>) that makes organic products like shampoos, soaps and more as well as free recipes for a toxin-free lifestyle, that go a long way in preventing the pollution of rivers, which is a real problem that is staring at the ecology of the region. Make sure you support them and the environment. Kudos!</li> </ul> Links: Nagaland Chief Minister's relief fund: A/C No. 10530527879 IFSC Code: SBIN0000214 State Bank of India, Kohima Branch OR <a href="https://cmrelieffund.nowpay.co.in/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://cmrelieffund.nowpay.co.in/</a> OR <a href="https://paytm.com/helpinghand/cm-relief-fund-nagaland" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://paytm.com/helpinghand/cm-relief-fund-nagaland</a> Kaushal's blog: <a href="http://exoticgringo.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://exoticgringo.com/</a> <a href="http://www.goatrippers.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.goatrippers.com/</a> Twitter: @exoticgringo/ @goatrippers Facebook:@gowithgringo/ @goatripping Instagram: @exoticgringo/ @goatrippers Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> or "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast" Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> web/audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

44: Riverside Goa with Kaushal Karkhanis

Reshma Narasing

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Reshma Narasing from the blog thesologlobetrotter.com. Reshma is an avid traveler and backpacker who has traversed the country solo and enjoys traveling to offbeat destinations. So sit back as Reshma takes us backbacking to Bir, Himachal Pradesh! Today's destination: Bir, Himachal Pradesh Nearest Airport: Kangra Airport Nearest Railway Station: Pathankot Railway station (and rest of the journey by bus) Prerequisities - N/A Packing - Warm clothes, hiking gear, hiking shoes, camping gear Time of the year - March Length of the itinerary: 6-7 weeks Itinerary Highlights:  Reshma starts the trip to Bir after completing her Nepal leg of the journey where she was on a press trip. In Bir, she was volunteering for about 6-7 weeks with Zostel, a pan India hostel chain Reshma volunteered at Zostel in terms of helping with social media marketing, customized tours, managing the reception among other things. As this was a long term volunteering opportunity Reshma had a chance to slow travel in Bir in her free time. One of the first activities she indulges in is a trek to Rajgundha. This is an overnight trek organized by Zostel where one gets to trek from Zostel, Bir and goes through a 360 degree scenic trail passing through the banks of Uhl river and virgin views of snow capped peaks culminating in take off from one of the world’s best paragliding sites. The trek also takes one through the Barot valley, home to India's first hydroelectric dam. Reshma and her friends make a stop at the quaint little village of Rajgundha where they cook together and spend the night star gazing around the bonfire. One can either spend the night at Zostel, Rajgundha or camp in the village. The trek continues and culminates at the Billing paragliding take off site. One can choose to fly down to Bir on a glider! Ride back to Zostel on a jeep. Another trek that Reshma did during the volunteering was to Gunehar river pool. Gunehar is a quaint village tucked away in the hills of the Kangra Valley. A short day hike will lead you to a waterfall, which is at a height of 100ft. Walking amidst the lush terraced fields and getting a glimpse of the village life are the best parts of this hike, apart from the gorgeous waterfalls itself. Monastery hopping is something that one can indulge in while at Bir.Palpung Monastery in Bhattu, Dzongsar Khyentse Monastery in Chauntra and Chokling Monastery in Chaugan are some of the popular ones. Reshma also enjoys playing holi with the locals of Bir and gets to try out the local Kangdi Chai as well as the traditional Himachali attire! For those interested in adventure sport, Bir is ofcourse the capital of Paragliding and was home to the 2015 Paragliding world cup. One can not just paraglide but also get certified to glide tandem and solo! Bir is also popular for cycling marathons. One can participate in a half or full marathon during the peak season. For the ones who are looking for more volunteering places like the Dharmalaya and the Deer Park institute offer some great opportunities. The Deer Park institute has played an instrumental role in teaching ancient Indian wisdom traditions. They conduct workshops and activities throughout the year ranging from Yoga to well-being, and there are also a few volunteering opportunities open for everyone. The Dharmalaya Institute has been promoting a productive and a positive living, where they conduct workshops on sustainable living. Here you learn to make use of natural resources to adopt minimalism. For the romantic ones, there are innumerable places to catch beautiful sunsets by just walking a few minutes!  Links: Link to Reshma's blog : http://thesologlobetrotter.com/ Links to the blog post: http://thesologlobetrotter.com/10-things-to-do-in-bir-himachal/ http://thesologlobetrotter.com/escape-trails-raj-gundha/ http://thesologlobetrotter.com/volunteering-zostel-himachal/ http://thesologlobetrotter.com/zostel-bir-himachal/ http://thesologlobetrotter.com/bir-billing-himachal/ Other links: http://dharmalaya.in/ https://www.tripadvisor.in/AttractionReview-g1986662-d2733114-Reviews-DeerParkInstitute-BirKangraDistrictHimachal_Pradesh.html Follow Reshma on: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesologlobetrotter/ twitter: @reshmanarasing instagram: @thesologlobetrotter Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - https://goo.gl/peC2Jv Saavn - https://goo.gl/6qp2mF pocketcasts - https://goo.gl/rGipJb castbox - https://goo.gl/spUCdY audioBoom - http://bit.ly/2oZZowS Overcast - https://goo.gl/fM9Som Stitcher Radio - https://goo.gl/ihL4Gr TuneIn - http://tun.in/pilOI RadioPublic - https://goo.gl/Dy2VPvSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Reshma Narasing from the blog <a href="http://thesologlobetrotter.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">thesologlobetrotter.com</a>. Reshma is an avid traveler and backpacker who has traversed the country solo and enjoys traveling to offbeat destinations. So sit back as Reshma takes us backbacking to Bir, Himachal Pradesh! Today's destination: Bir, Himachal Pradesh Nearest Airport: Kangra Airport Nearest Railway Station: Pathankot Railway station (and rest of the journey by bus) Prerequisities - N/A Packing - Warm clothes, hiking gear, hiking shoes, camping gear Time of the year - March Length of the itinerary: 6-7 weeks Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li>Reshma starts the trip to Bir after completing her Nepal leg of the journey where she was on a press trip.</li> <li>In Bir, she was volunteering for about 6-7 weeks with Zostel, a pan India hostel chain</li> <li>Reshma volunteered at Zostel in terms of helping with social media marketing, customized tours, managing the reception among other things.</li> <li>As this was a long term volunteering opportunity Reshma had a chance to slow travel in Bir in her free time.</li> <li>One of the first activities she indulges in is a trek to Rajgundha. This is an overnight trek organized by Zostel where one gets to trek from Zostel, Bir and goes through a 360 degree scenic trail passing through the banks of Uhl river and virgin views of snow capped peaks culminating in take off from one of the world’s best paragliding sites.</li> <li>The trek also takes one through the Barot valley, home to India's first hydroelectric dam.</li> <li>Reshma and her friends make a stop at the quaint little village of Rajgundha where they cook together and spend the night star gazing around the bonfire. One can either spend the night at Zostel, Rajgundha or camp in the village.</li> <li>The trek continues and culminates at the Billing paragliding take off site. One can choose to fly down to Bir on a glider! Ride back to Zostel on a jeep.</li> <li>Another trek that Reshma did during the volunteering was to Gunehar river pool. Gunehar is a quaint village tucked away in the hills of the Kangra Valley.</li> <li>A short day hike will lead you to a waterfall, which is at a height of 100ft. Walking amidst the lush terraced fields and getting a glimpse of the village life are the best parts of this hike, apart from the gorgeous waterfalls itself.</li> <li>Monastery hopping is something that one can indulge in while at Bir.Palpung Monastery in Bhattu, Dzongsar Khyentse Monastery in Chauntra and Chokling Monastery in Chaugan are some of the popular ones.</li> <li>Reshma also enjoys playing holi with the locals of Bir and gets to try out the local Kangdi Chai as well as the traditional Himachali attire!</li> <li>For those interested in adventure sport, Bir is ofcourse the capital of Paragliding and was home to the 2015 Paragliding world cup. One can not just paraglide but also get certified to glide tandem and solo!</li> <li>Bir is also popular for cycling marathons. One can participate in a half or full marathon during the peak season.</li> <li>For the ones who are looking for more volunteering places like the Dharmalaya and the Deer Park institute offer some great opportunities.</li> <li>The Deer Park institute has played an instrumental role in teaching ancient Indian wisdom traditions. They conduct workshops and activities throughout the year ranging from Yoga to well-being, and there are also a few volunteering opportunities open for everyone.</li> <li>The Dharmalaya Institute has been promoting a productive and a positive living, where they conduct workshops on sustainable living. Here you learn to make use of natural resources to adopt minimalism.</li> <li>For the romantic ones, there are innumerable places to catch beautiful sunsets by just walking a few minutes!</li> </ul> Links: Link to Reshma's blog : <a href="http://thesologlobetrotter.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://thesologlobetrotter.com/</a> Links to the blog post: <a href="http://thesologlobetrotter.com/10-things-to-do-in-bir-himachal/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://thesologlobetrotter.com/10-things-to-do-in-bir-himachal/</a> <a href="http://thesologlobetrotter.com/escape-trails-raj-gundha/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://thesologlobetrotter.com/escape-trails-raj-gundha/</a> <a href="http://thesologlobetrotter.com/volunteering-zostel-himachal/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://thesologlobetrotter.com/volunteering-zostel-himachal/</a> <a href="http://thesologlobetrotter.com/zostel-bir-himachal/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://thesologlobetrotter.com/zostel-bir-himachal/</a> <a href="http://thesologlobetrotter.com/bir-billing-himachal/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://thesologlobetrotter.com/bir-billing-himachal/</a> Other links: <a href="http://dharmalaya.in/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://dharmalaya.in/</a> <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction</a>Review-g1986662-d2733114-Reviews-DeerParkInstitute-BirKangraDistrictHimachal_Pradesh.html Follow Reshma on: facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thesologlobetrotter/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/thesologlobetrotter/</a> twitter: @reshmanarasing instagram: @thesologlobetrotter Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - <a href="https://goo.gl/peC2Jv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/peC2Jv</a> Saavn - <a href="https://goo.gl/6qp2mF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/6qp2mF</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://goo.gl/rGipJb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/rGipJb</a> castbox - <a href="https://goo.gl/spUCdY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/spUCdY</a> audioBoom - <a href="http://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> Overcast - <a href="https://goo.gl/fM9Som" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/fM9Som</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://goo.gl/ihL4Gr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/ihL4Gr</a> TuneIn - <a href="http://tun.in/pilOI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://tun.in/pilOI</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://goo.gl/Dy2VPv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/Dy2VPv</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

35: Slow Travel in Bir with Reshma Narasing

Renuka Walter

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Renuka Walter from the blog Voyager for Life! Renuka is one of the top solo women travelers from India and has worked with a number of brands and campaigns. Sit back and enjoy as Renuka takes us on her solo trip to Srinagar, Kashmir! Today's destination: Srinagar, J&amp;K Nearest Airport: Srinagar International airport Nearest Railway Station: Srinagar Railway station Prerequisities - n/a for Indian citizens, but make sure to carry ID proof to show at checkposts Packing - Carry warm layers as the weather tends to be unpredictable. Time of the year - June, summers are quite enjoyable but winters offers different highlights. Length of the itinerary: 13 days of slow travel! Itinerary Highlights:  Renuka kicks off her journey with a visit to the iconic Dal lake and enjoying shikara rides. Dal lake is a vast lake spread over 15kms in the vicinity of mountains and gardens! Relive the memorable songs shot here right from Kashmir ki kali and Mission Kashmir to Jab tak hai Jaan and Fitoor! Did you know, you could shop for all kinds of things while on a shikara! Enjoy a night in the houseboat, enjoy the serene views and unique experience spending a night in the middle of Dal lake! Visit the nearby gardens - Pari mahal, a seven storeyed terrace garden that gives great view of the city. Visit the mughal gardens - Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Gardens &amp; Chashm-e-Shahi that add in making Kashmir valley a heaven on earth. You can also plan a visit to Asia's largest Tulip gardens, spread over 15 hectares - the tulips are in full bloom in March - April. Enjoy other offbeat experiences like visiting cherry farms, apple farms and indulge in fruit picking activities. Plan a city walk in the old city to view some brilliant architecture and the traditional marketplace with a variety of shops and bakerys. Enjoy the traditional Kashmiri cuisine like Kashmiri wazwan as well as the more cafe oriented plum cakes and varieties of tea and kahwah! Don't miss taking a walk down the boulevard road and enjoy the beautifully designed houses and villas.  Links: Link to Renuka's blog: https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/ Links to related blog posts: https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2017/11/the-majestic-mountains-of-himalayas-await-you-in-srinagar.html https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2015/07/my-old-city-photo-walk-in-srinagar.html https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2015/07/its-easy-to-fall-in-love-with-srinagar.html https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2015/07/where-to-stay-in-srinagar.html Link to social media handles: FB: @renukatravelbuff Twitter: @renukawalter Instagram: @voyagerforlife Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Renuka Walter from the blog Voyager for Life! Renuka is one of the top solo women travelers from India and has worked with a number of brands and campaigns. Sit back and enjoy as Renuka takes us on her solo trip to Srinagar, Kashmir! Today's destination: Srinagar, J&amp;K Nearest Airport: Srinagar International airport Nearest Railway Station: Srinagar Railway station Prerequisities - n/a for Indian citizens, but make sure to carry ID proof to show at checkposts Packing - Carry warm layers as the weather tends to be unpredictable. Time of the year - June, summers are quite enjoyable but winters offers different highlights. Length of the itinerary: 13 days of slow travel! Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li>Renuka kicks off her journey with a visit to the iconic Dal lake and enjoying shikara rides. Dal lake is a vast lake spread over 15kms in the vicinity of mountains and gardens! Relive the memorable songs shot here right from Kashmir ki kali and Mission Kashmir to Jab tak hai Jaan and Fitoor!</li> <li>Did you know, you could shop for all kinds of things while on a shikara!</li> <li>Enjoy a night in the houseboat, enjoy the serene views and unique experience spending a night in the middle of Dal lake!</li> <li>Visit the nearby gardens - Pari mahal, a seven storeyed terrace garden that gives great view of the city.</li> <li>Visit the mughal gardens - Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Gardens &amp; Chashm-e-Shahi that add in making Kashmir valley a heaven on earth.</li> <li>You can also plan a visit to Asia's largest Tulip gardens, spread over 15 hectares - the tulips are in full bloom in March - April.</li> <li>Enjoy other offbeat experiences like visiting cherry farms, apple farms and indulge in fruit picking activities.</li> <li>Plan a city walk in the old city to view some brilliant architecture and the traditional marketplace with a variety of shops and bakerys.</li> <li>Enjoy the traditional Kashmiri cuisine like Kashmiri wazwan as well as the more cafe oriented plum cakes and varieties of tea and kahwah!</li> <li>Don't miss taking a walk down the boulevard road and enjoy the beautifully designed houses and villas.</li> </ul> Links: Link to Renuka's blog: <a href="https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/</a> Links to related blog posts: <a href="https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2017/11/the-majestic-mountains-of-himalayas-await-you-in-srinagar.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2017/11/the-majestic-mountains-of-himalayas-await-you-in-srinagar.html</a> <a href="https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2015/07/my-old-city-photo-walk-in-srinagar.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2015/07/my-old-city-photo-walk-in-srinagar.html</a> <a href="https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2015/07/its-easy-to-fall-in-love-with-srinagar.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2015/07/its-easy-to-fall-in-love-with-srinagar.html</a> <a href="https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2015/07/where-to-stay-in-srinagar.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.renuka-voyagerforlife.com/2015/07/where-to-stay-in-srinagar.html</a> Link to social media handles: FB: @renukatravelbuff Twitter: @renukawalter Instagram: @voyagerforlife Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.comSee <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

31: Srinagar with Renuka Walter

Chandroma Ray

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Chandroma Ray, who blogs at oneearthtooless.com and loves to travel and blog when she's not wearing her corporate hat! Today's destination: Offbeat Ladakh! Nearest Airport: Leh Airport (IXL) Nearest Railway Station: Jammu Tawi (700 km from Ladakh) Prerequisites - Permits might be needed for some of the locations (Turtuk); checkposts will be encountered at the border villages like Turtuk. Make sure you acclimatize atleast for a couple of days before you set out to explore the region. Make sure to pre-book a vehicle if you plan on not using public transport! Packing - Warm clothes, shoes with good grip, first aid kit, Diamox for AMS (when needed), make sure you pack light! Time of the year - End of August - Early September Length of the itinerary: 16 days for the full Ladakh itinerary, but only the offbeat destinations like the villages of Alchi, Lamayaru, Dha and Turtuk are covered in this episode! Itinerary Highlights:  Chandroma kicks off her journey on the episode by taking us to the quaint and lazy village of Alchi, situated on the banks of the river Indus! Points of interest are the old monastery of Alchi, dating back to the 11th century, and has a distinctive Kashmiri influence and has some great wall murals and paintaings. Spend time exploring the pretty cafes in Alchi for some authentic Ladakhi cuisine! Make sure to have the lamb Mok moks (known as Momos in the plains), Khambir - the home-made ladakhi breakfast bread. Just be aalsi while in Alchi, and slow travel your way to bliss! Next pitstop at the moonland of Lamayuru that is famous for its moonscapes and is about 107 kms from Leh and is accessible by bus. The village has the appearance of being in ruins and resembles the surface of the moon, gives one a feeling of travelling back in time. Best views can be seen during the early hours of dawn. Lamayuru is also home to one of the oldest monasteries in the region that dates back to the 11th century as well. One can also plan a visit around the Yuru Kabgyat Festival that takes place in the month of June/July, where the monks of the monastery put on huge masks and perform a variety of dances A quick shout out to Sandeepa/Chetan and Neelima Vallangi for their brilliant posts about the region that helped Chandroma in planning the itinerary. After spending a day in Lamayuru, heads off to the unexplored village of Dha to do something truly offbeat! About 180kms from Leh, is this village that is the home of Drokpas - the descendants of Alexandar the Great aka the Aryans, and is cut off from the rest of the world! The village is not easily located on Google maps either and the people of the village are not very welcoming to outsiders either. After having a tough time finding a place to lodge, Chandroma and her fellow travellers finally managed to find a small hotel. On exploring further, they finally met a couple of kids who took them to a local museum which was quite a find with some historic artifacts of the region. If one plans visiting the village, home-stays are not hard to come by, so it's better to pre-book and have a local contact if possible. After spending a very 'different' evening and night in the village of Dha, Chandroma heads out to village of Turtuk, on the banks of the river Shyok which is one of the last villages of India! Recaptured by India after the 1971 war with Pakistan, Turtuk is a village still trying to find its identity. The people of Turtuk are predominantly muslim and has a very different culture in comparison to the rest of Ladakh. The village also offers some great scenic views of the river Shyok, the valley and a first hand experience of the Balti culture! The region has just been opened up to tourists from 2009. Chandroma signs off with a beautiful message about why one should check out these gems of Ladakh and not just the Pangongs and Nubras!  Links: Chandroma's blog: https://oneearthtooless.com/ Twitter: @pagli86 Instagram: @chandroma86 Facebook: @oneearthtooless Shout outs: A recap of Bangalore podcasters' meetup: https://medium.com/@amarvyas/podcasters-meet-in-bengaluru-cd3ee9000168 SandeepaChetan's Blog: https://sandeepachetan.com/ Neelima Vallangi's Blog: http://www.travelwithneelima.com/ Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - https://apple.co/2LPtTA3 Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7lj or voice/ text search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast" Saavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi web/audioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowS Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi pocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg castbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi Overcast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf Stitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw TuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a RadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0 iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R Deezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Chandroma Ray, who blogs at <a href="http://oneearthtooless.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">oneearthtooless.com</a> and loves to travel and blog when she's not wearing her corporate hat! Today's destination: Offbeat Ladakh! Nearest Airport: Leh Airport (IXL) Nearest Railway Station: Jammu Tawi (700 km from Ladakh) Prerequisites - Permits might be needed for some of the locations (Turtuk); checkposts will be encountered at the border villages like Turtuk. Make sure you acclimatize atleast for a couple of days before you set out to explore the region. Make sure to pre-book a vehicle if you plan on not using public transport! Packing - Warm clothes, shoes with good grip, first aid kit, Diamox for AMS (when needed), make sure you pack light! Time of the year - End of August - Early September Length of the itinerary: 16 days for the full Ladakh itinerary, but only the offbeat destinations like the villages of Alchi, Lamayaru, Dha and Turtuk are covered in this episode! Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li>Chandroma kicks off her journey on the episode by taking us to the quaint and lazy village of Alchi, situated on the banks of the river Indus!</li> <li>Points of interest are the old monastery of Alchi, dating back to the 11th century, and has a distinctive Kashmiri influence and has some great wall murals and paintaings.</li> <li>Spend time exploring the pretty cafes in Alchi for some authentic Ladakhi cuisine! Make sure to have the lamb Mok moks (known as Momos in the plains), Khambir - the home-made ladakhi breakfast bread.</li> <li>Just be aalsi while in Alchi, and slow travel your way to bliss!</li> <li>Next pitstop at the moonland of Lamayuru that is famous for its moonscapes and is about 107 kms from Leh and is accessible by bus.</li> <li>The village has the appearance of being in ruins and resembles the surface of the moon, gives one a feeling of travelling back in time. Best views can be seen during the early hours of dawn.</li> <li>Lamayuru is also home to one of the oldest monasteries in the region that dates back to the 11th century as well.</li> <li>One can also plan a visit around the Yuru Kabgyat Festival that takes place in the month of June/July, where the monks of the monastery put on huge masks and perform a variety of dances</li> <li>A quick shout out to Sandeepa/Chetan and Neelima Vallangi for their brilliant posts about the region that helped Chandroma in planning the itinerary.</li> <li>After spending a day in Lamayuru, heads off to the unexplored village of Dha to do something truly offbeat!</li> <li>About 180kms from Leh, is this village that is the home of Drokpas - the descendants of Alexandar the Great aka the Aryans, and is cut off from the rest of the world!</li> <li>The village is not easily located on Google maps either and the people of the village are not very welcoming to outsiders either.</li> <li>After having a tough time finding a place to lodge, Chandroma and her fellow travellers finally managed to find a small hotel. On exploring further, they finally met a couple of kids who took them to a local museum which was quite a find with some historic artifacts of the region.</li> <li>If one plans visiting the village, home-stays are not hard to come by, so it's better to pre-book and have a local contact if possible.</li> <li>After spending a very 'different' evening and night in the village of Dha, Chandroma heads out to village of Turtuk, on the banks of the river Shyok which is one of the last villages of India!</li> <li>Recaptured by India after the 1971 war with Pakistan, Turtuk is a village still trying to find its identity. The people of Turtuk are predominantly muslim and has a very different culture in comparison to the rest of Ladakh.</li> <li>The village also offers some great scenic views of the river Shyok, the valley and a first hand experience of the Balti culture! The region has just been opened up to tourists from 2009.</li> <li>Chandroma signs off with a beautiful message about why one should check out these gems of Ladakh and not just the Pangongs and Nubras!</li> </ul> Links: Chandroma's blog: <a href="https://oneearthtooless.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://oneearthtooless.com/</a> Twitter: @pagli86 Instagram: @chandroma86 Facebook: @oneearthtooless Shout outs: A recap of Bangalore podcasters' meetup: <a href="https://medium.com/@amarvyas/podcasters-meet-in-bengaluru-cd3ee9000168" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://medium.com/@amarvyas/podcasters-meet-in-bengaluru-cd3ee9000168</a> SandeepaChetan's Blog: <a href="https://sandeepachetan.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://sandeepachetan.com/</a> Neelima Vallangi's Blog: <a href="http://www.travelwithneelima.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.travelwithneelima.com/</a> Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> or voice/ text search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast" Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> web/audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

40: Offbeat Ladakh with Chandroma Ray

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Priyanka Dalal from the blog MapRoute Travel Blog. Priyanka is a digital entrepreneur and traveler and on this episode she shares her experience of falling in love with the Kumbh Mela! Today's destination: The Kumbh Mela! Nearest Airport: Allahabad Airport, IXD Nearest Railway Station: Allahabad Junction Prerequisites - Be prepared to be a part of large crowds and lose your personal space! It is better to book accommodation beforehand, specially if you are going to be here on the days of the Shahi Snan! Packing - Pack light, and be ready to rough it out! Time of the year - Jan 15 - Mar 4, 2019 Length of the itinerary: NA Itinerary Highlights:  Priyanka talks at length about her experiences from the previous Kumbh Mela at Trimabakeshwar, Nashik and Ujjain. History and legends of the Kumbh Mela what to expect at your maiden Kumbh Mela Important days of the Kumbh mela - the Shahi Snan days Activities during the Kumbh Mela - discourses, holy dips, temple visits, processions Interacting with people at the Kumbh Mela - From Naga babas to foreigners and devotees from around India Useful advise for solo travelers  Links: Links to blog posts: Priyanka's Travelogue : My Kumbh Mela Story @ Trimbakeshwar, Nashik Priyanka's Travelogue : Ujjain Simhasth Solo at the Kumbh Mela Priyanka's podcast  Photo by Jose Aragones on Unsplash Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter Facebook Instagram Website email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - https://apple.co/2LPtTA3 Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7lj or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast" website - http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV Saavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi pocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg castbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi Overcast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf Stitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw audioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowS TuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a RadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0 iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R Deezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Priyanka Dalal from the blog <a href="https://maproute.in" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MapRoute Travel Blog</a>. Priyanka is a digital entrepreneur and traveler and on this episode she shares her experience of falling in love with the Kumbh Mela! Today's destination: The Kumbh Mela! Nearest Airport: Allahabad Airport, IXD Nearest Railway Station: Allahabad Junction Prerequisites - Be prepared to be a part of large crowds and lose your personal space! It is better to book accommodation beforehand, specially if you are going to be here on the days of the Shahi Snan! Packing - Pack light, and be ready to rough it out! Time of the year - Jan 15 - Mar 4, 2019 Length of the itinerary: NA Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li>Priyanka talks at length about her experiences from the previous Kumbh Mela at Trimabakeshwar, Nashik and Ujjain.</li> <li>History and legends of the Kumbh Mela</li> <li>what to expect at your maiden Kumbh Mela</li> <li>Important days of the Kumbh mela - the Shahi Snan days</li> <li>Activities during the Kumbh Mela - discourses, holy dips, temple visits, processions</li> <li>Interacting with people at the Kumbh Mela - From Naga babas to foreigners and devotees from around India</li> <li>Useful advise for solo travelers</li> </ul> Links: Links to blog posts: Priyanka's Travelogue : <a href="http://travel.priyankawriting.com/2015/10/travelogue-the-kumbh-mela-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Kumbh Mela Story @ Trimbakeshwar, Nashik</a> Priyanka's Travelogue : <a href="http://travel.priyankawriting.com/2016/06/kumbh-mela-ujjain-simhasth-may-2016-photo.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ujjain Simhasth</a> <a href="http://travel.priyankawriting.com/2015/09/solo-at-the-kumbh-mela-notes-for-a-wonderful-experience.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Solo at the Kumbh Mela</a> Priyanka's <a href="https://anchor.fm/maproute-travel-podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast</a> Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@jodaarba" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jose Aragones on Unsplash</a> Follow the Musafir stories on <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> <a href="https://themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Website</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes - <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast" website - <a href="http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV</a> Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

53: Kumbh Mela with Priyanka

In this episode:#Jaipur #Rajasthan #city #walkingtour #markets #bazaars #streets #forts #gates #palace #jewellery #foods #handicrafts #shoes #temples #hawamahal #joharibazaar #citypalace#GetFeatured on the Musafir Stories!   Capping off International Podcast Day by inviting all listeners to our annual contest #GetFeatured on The Musafir Stories - India Travel Podcast.    The process is very simple, just reach us on our email themusafirstories@gmail.com with a. An #Indian destination or experience you would like to talk about (preferably not already covered on the podcast)b. A #summary of your experience/highlightsc. Links to blogs/posts about your experience (optional)   The winner will be announced at the end of October! Please share with anyone who might be interested!!#InternationalPodcastDay #India #travel #podcastThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Arvind from the blog Jaipur thru my lens, an expert on Jaipur and its gems!Today's destination: A walking tour around the Walled city of Jaipur!Nearest Airport: Jaipur International Airport, JAINearest Railway Station: Jaipur Junction railway station, JPPrerequisites - Walking shoes, sun glasses, sun screen, energy bars and water to keep you hydrated!Packing -  Pack light, perhaps a backpack while you head out on this walking tour!Time of the year -  December to February is a good time to walk around the city as summers can be hottt!Length of the itinerary: 2 - 2.5 hoursItinerary Highlights:- Are talks about the benefits of self-guided walks vs group walking tours and what makes sense.- We start off the self guided tour of walled city of Jaipur, starting from New gate or Naya gate, the newest of the 9 gates in Jaipur. - Walking through the New gate, the first stop is at Bapu Bazaar, famous for fabric, women's shoes or mojaris/jootis, bed linen, clothes and handicrafts.-  The next gate we pass through is the Sanganeri Gate en-route to Johari Bazaar - one of the oldest and most popular markets of Jaipur.- Johari bazaar is popular for its jewellery - gold, silver, stones and all kinds of handicrafts. The Johari bazaar also has some buildings that have retained the old architecture that is unique to Rajasthan and Jaipur.- Are also talks about the other famous by-lanes of Johari bazaar like Haldion ka raasta, Ghee-walon ka raasta, Moti singh Bhamiyon ka raasta among others as well as a flavour of the local sweets - Ghevar and Fini!- Close to Johari Bazaar is Badi Chauper, a large square that is also very close to Hawa Mahal - another iconic monument of Jaipur.- Other places of interest near Badi Chauper is the Flower market that can be quite interesting for foreign travellers.- The next point of interest is the Hawa Mahal, one of the more popular palaces of Jaipur. The facade is brilliant but hidden behind is a whole complex, that is filled with stories and Rajas and Ranis.- Other points one passes by after walking around Hawa Mahal includes an old administrative building, Sirehdyodi bazaar, which leads to the Sirehdyodi Gate.- Another gate in the vicinity is the Nakkarkhana gate, an internal gate used for protection.- Jaleb chowk is another square where armies used to gather, but this is mostly empty now.- As one passes through Jaleb chowk, one can either head towards the City palace or Govind Devji temple, one of the very popular and older temples of Jaipur.- The walk can either end at this point, or trailers can choose to visit some of the more popular monuments like City Palace or Jantar Mantar depending on time and interest.Links:Link to the blogpost: https://jaipurthrumylens.com/2019/06/20/self-guided-jaipur-heritage-walking-tour/Ghevar: https://jaipurthrumylens.com/2018/09/03/ghevar-in-jaipur-rajasthani-sweet/Link to the blog: Jaipur Thru my lens (https://jaipurthrumylens.com)Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jaipurthrumylens/Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvjprInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arv_jpr/?hl=enPhoto credits Mitchell Ng Liang an from UnsplashFollow the Musafir stories onTwitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=enwebsite: www.themusafirstories.comemail: themusafirstories@gmail.comitunes -  https://apple.co/2LPtTA3Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7lj website - http://bit.ly/2xFZqOVSaavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqiSpotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVipocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewgcastbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQiOvercast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnfStitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhwaudioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowSTuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4aRadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8RDeezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode: #Jaipur #Rajasthan #city #walkingtour #markets #bazaars #streets #forts #gates #palace #jewellery #foods #handicrafts #shoes #temples #hawamahal #joharibazaar #citypalace #GetFeatured on the Musafir Stories! Capping off <a href="https://www.facebook.com/internationalpodcastday/?__tn__=K-R&amp;eid=ARBzrA3UoBGh6TJJNF-n7VuvldwVxBpaem5oAncHzspmuMyFcQu18matbdHLr3EOl53BhdY9YOJZ88E0&amp;fref=mentions&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAuyskK8T5eZMKcS3csKzg6BCwshiRNHBrKOao2hQaTewkilaUEzEtHx2dMuf7enxsGxA7IHYmG_IM977-PvmTU-E_BY9pc-FC2rONJ2ykwRegk1NotikBy9C1RbDfGeUIgj-n_v7CKWsxsnstraxWJ7VYsbuH97LoAok_eLa2tkP4N4_WaPYIqHj307FyIJUVexypZl4lbAS94PA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Podcast Day</a> by inviting all listeners to our annual contest <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/getfeatured?source=feed_text&amp;epa=HASHTAG&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAuyskK8T5eZMKcS3csKzg6BCwshiRNHBrKOao2hQaTewkilaUEzEtHx2dMuf7enxsGxA7IHYmG_IM977-PvmTU-E_BY9pc-FC2rONJ2ykwRegk1NotikBy9C1RbDfGeUIgj-n_v7CKWsxsnstraxWJ7VYsbuH97LoAok_eLa2tkP4N4_WaPYIqHj307FyIJUVexypZl4lbAS94PA&amp;__tn__=%2ANK-R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#GetFeatured</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/?__tn__=K-R&amp;eid=ARADlKq1r4ss_pxHD5iZc-Jvkl-JSwvySjExFYOqzTMQRb-lJGPNZ0EhJWm2OUcFYg6BzZDu1LZ8htOf&amp;fref=mentions&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAuyskK8T5eZMKcS3csKzg6BCwshiRNHBrKOao2hQaTewkilaUEzEtHx2dMuf7enxsGxA7IHYmG_IM977-PvmTU-E_BY9pc-FC2rONJ2ykwRegk1NotikBy9C1RbDfGeUIgj-n_v7CKWsxsnstraxWJ7VYsbuH97LoAok_eLa2tkP4N4_WaPYIqHj307FyIJUVexypZl4lbAS94PA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Musafir Stories - India Travel Podcast</a>.  The process is very simple, just reach us on our <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">email themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> with a. An <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/indian?source=feed_text&amp;epa=HASHTAG&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAuyskK8T5eZMKcS3csKzg6BCwshiRNHBrKOao2hQaTewkilaUEzEtHx2dMuf7enxsGxA7IHYmG_IM977-PvmTU-E_BY9pc-FC2rONJ2ykwRegk1NotikBy9C1RbDfGeUIgj-n_v7CKWsxsnstraxWJ7VYsbuH97LoAok_eLa2tkP4N4_WaPYIqHj307FyIJUVexypZl4lbAS94PA&amp;__tn__=%2ANK-R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#Indian</a> destination or experience you would like to talk about (preferably not already covered on the podcast) b. A <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/summary?source=feed_text&amp;epa=HASHTAG&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAuyskK8T5eZMKcS3csKzg6BCwshiRNHBrKOao2hQaTewkilaUEzEtHx2dMuf7enxsGxA7IHYmG_IM977-PvmTU-E_BY9pc-FC2rONJ2ykwRegk1NotikBy9C1RbDfGeUIgj-n_v7CKWsxsnstraxWJ7VYsbuH97LoAok_eLa2tkP4N4_WaPYIqHj307FyIJUVexypZl4lbAS94PA&amp;__tn__=%2ANK-R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#summary</a> of your experience/highlights c. Links to blogs/posts about your experience (optional) The winner will be announced at the end of October! Please share with anyone who might be interested!! <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/internationalpodcastday?source=feed_text&amp;epa=HASHTAG&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAuyskK8T5eZMKcS3csKzg6BCwshiRNHBrKOao2hQaTewkilaUEzEtHx2dMuf7enxsGxA7IHYmG_IM977-PvmTU-E_BY9pc-FC2rONJ2ykwRegk1NotikBy9C1RbDfGeUIgj-n_v7CKWsxsnstraxWJ7VYsbuH97LoAok_eLa2tkP4N4_WaPYIqHj307FyIJUVexypZl4lbAS94PA&amp;__tn__=%2ANK-R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#InternationalPodcastDay</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/india?source=feed_text&amp;epa=HASHTAG&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAuyskK8T5eZMKcS3csKzg6BCwshiRNHBrKOao2hQaTewkilaUEzEtHx2dMuf7enxsGxA7IHYmG_IM977-PvmTU-E_BY9pc-FC2rONJ2ykwRegk1NotikBy9C1RbDfGeUIgj-n_v7CKWsxsnstraxWJ7VYsbuH97LoAok_eLa2tkP4N4_WaPYIqHj307FyIJUVexypZl4lbAS94PA&amp;__tn__=%2ANK-R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#India</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/travel?source=feed_text&amp;epa=HASHTAG&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAuyskK8T5eZMKcS3csKzg6BCwshiRNHBrKOao2hQaTewkilaUEzEtHx2dMuf7enxsGxA7IHYmG_IM977-PvmTU-E_BY9pc-FC2rONJ2ykwRegk1NotikBy9C1RbDfGeUIgj-n_v7CKWsxsnstraxWJ7VYsbuH97LoAok_eLa2tkP4N4_WaPYIqHj307FyIJUVexypZl4lbAS94PA&amp;__tn__=%2ANK-R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#travel</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/podcast?source=feed_text&amp;epa=HASHTAG&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAuyskK8T5eZMKcS3csKzg6BCwshiRNHBrKOao2hQaTewkilaUEzEtHx2dMuf7enxsGxA7IHYmG_IM977-PvmTU-E_BY9pc-FC2rONJ2ykwRegk1NotikBy9C1RbDfGeUIgj-n_v7CKWsxsnstraxWJ7VYsbuH97LoAok_eLa2tkP4N4_WaPYIqHj307FyIJUVexypZl4lbAS94PA&amp;__tn__=%2ANK-R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#podcast </a> This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Arvind from the blog Jaipur thru my lens, an expert on Jaipur and its gems! Today's destination: A walking tour around the Walled city of Jaipur! Nearest Airport: Jaipur International Airport, JAI Nearest Railway Station: Jaipur Junction railway station, JP Prerequisites - Walking shoes, sun glasses, sun screen, energy bars and water to keep you hydrated! Packing -  Pack light, perhaps a backpack while you head out on this walking tour! Time of the year -  December to February is a good time to walk around the city as summers can be hottt! Length of the itinerary: 2 - 2.5 hours Itinerary Highlights: - Are talks about the benefits of self-guided walks vs group walking tours and what makes sense. - We start off the self guided tour of walled city of Jaipur, starting from New gate or Naya gate, the newest of the 9 gates in Jaipur. - Walking through the New gate, the first stop is at Bapu Bazaar, famous for fabric, women's shoes or mojaris/jootis, bed linen, clothes and handicrafts. -  The next gate we pass through is the Sanganeri Gate en-route to Johari Bazaar - one of the oldest and most popular markets of Jaipur. - Johari bazaar is popular for its jewellery - gold, silver, stones and all kinds of handicrafts. The Johari bazaar also has some buildings that have retained the old architecture that is unique to Rajasthan and Jaipur. - Are also talks about the other famous by-lanes of Johari bazaar like Haldion ka raasta, Ghee-walon ka raasta, Moti singh Bhamiyon ka raasta among others as well as a flavour of the local sweets - Ghevar and Fini! - Close to Johari Bazaar is Badi Chauper, a large square that is also very close to Hawa Mahal - another iconic monument of Jaipur. - Other places of interest near Badi Chauper is the Flower market that can be quite interesting for foreign travellers. - The next point of interest is the Hawa Mahal, one of the more popular palaces of Jaipur. The facade is brilliant but hidden behind is a whole complex, that is filled with stories and Rajas and Ranis. - Other points one passes by after walking around Hawa Mahal includes an old administrative building, Sirehdyodi bazaar, which leads to the Sirehdyodi Gate. - Another gate in the vicinity is the Nakkarkhana gate, an internal gate used for protection. - Jaleb chowk is another square where armies used to gather, but this is mostly empty now. - As one passes through Jaleb chowk, one can either head towards the City palace or Govind Devji temple, one of the very popular and older temples of Jaipur. - The walk can either end at this point, or trailers can choose to visit some of the more popular monuments like City Palace or Jantar Mantar depending on time and interest. Links: Link to the blogpost: <a href="https://jaipurthrumylens.com/2019/06/20/self-guided-jaipur-heritage-walking-tour/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://jaipurthrumylens.com/2019/06/20/self-guided-jaipur-heritage-walking-tour/</a> Ghevar: <a href="https://jaipurthrumylens.com/2018/09/03/ghevar-in-jaipur-rajasthani-sweet/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://jaipurthrumylens.com/2018/09/03/ghevar-in-jaipur-rajasthani-sweet/</a> Link to the blog: Jaipur Thru my lens (<a href="https://jaipurthrumylens.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://jaipurthrumylens.com</a>) Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Jaipurthrumylens/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/Jaipurthrumylens/</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/arvjpr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/arvjpr</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/arv_jpr/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/arv_jpr/?hl=en</a> Photo credits <a href="https://unsplash.com/@mitchellngyummy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mitchell Ng Liang an</a> from <a href="https://unsplash.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unsplash</a> Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> itunes -  <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> website - <a href="http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV</a> Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a> IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

69: Walled City of Jaipur with Arv

Medhavi Gandhi

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to  Medhavi Gandhi, the founder of Heritage Lab (heritagelab.in), a unique media platform for citizens to interact with museums!   Today's destination: The Indian Himalayas in paintings by Nicholas Roerich!  Nearest Airport: NA  Nearest Railway Station: NA  Length of the itinerary: 5-8 years, 25,000 kms  Itinerary Highlights:   -  Medhavi takes us on the Himalayan expedition covered by Nicholas Roerich and his family in the early 20th century (1923) in search of the mythical kingdom of Shambala, that is believed to be home to the King who will bring peace and harmony to humanity.    Roerich's expedition started from Sikkim through Punjab, Kashmir, Ladakh, the Karakoram Mountains, Khotan, Kashgar, Qara Shar, Urumchi, Irtysh, the Altai Mountains, the Oyrot region of Mongolia, the Central Gobi, Kansu, Tsaidam, and Tibet" with a detour through Siberia to Moscow in 1926.   The journey was done on horses and mules, with minimal resources and it is during this expedition that Roerich painted more than 500 marvellous paintings of the himalayan landscapes, architecture and people.   Roerich also uses very novel ways to paint, using crushed rocks minerals in his paintings to give them a unique finish.   The expedition wasn't witout controversy - Roerich was often accused of being on a spy mission and was also detained in Tibet for over 5 months in very harsh climatic conditions.   After the expedition, Roerich settles down in Naggar, Kullu in Himachal Pradesh - it is now converted into a house museum and run by the Naggar trust and still houses a lot of his important paintings.   Other important paintings of Roerich can be found in the Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York.   A huge collection of his paintings is also available in National Gallery of Modern Art, Allahabad Museum, International Roerich Trust, Naggar - Himachal Pradesh, Government Museum and Art gallery, Chandigarh, Shri Jaganmohan palace, Mysore,  Chitrakala parishad, Bangalore.   Some of his paintings that were passed on to his son, have been the subject of a legal tussle for his estate that has gone of for the longest time, with paintings worth several lakhs reportedly stolen and sold abroad.   Over his lifetime Roerich made over 7000 paintings, but his Himalayan paintings and the mystery of the expedition live one!   Some notable paintings from Roerich's Himalayan expedition detailed in Medhavi's blog   A view of Kanchenjunga from Sikkim (Tashi view point)  A view of Kanchenjunga from Darjeeling (Tiger hill)  Tashiding Monastery, Sikkim (Bhumchu festival/Banners of the east)  Mt Kailash (tibet)  Kinner Kailash (HP, 28 colors of the ranges)  Lahual (Himachal), Rohtang Pass;   Buddhist MOnks, Sissu waterfalls  Ladakh - shooting star in Changthang plateau  Buddhist sculptures on boulders (Zanskar range)  Maitreyi Buddha, near Mulbek monastery  lamayaru Monastery, Leh (Yuru Kabgyata festival, masked dance)  Lake sheshnag, Kashmir (enroute amarnath yatra, Shiva's serpent)  Naggar, Kullu   Links:  Link to Medhavi's website: http://www.theheritagelab.in/ Link to the blog post: http://www.theheritagelab.in/himalayas-paintings-roerich/ Twitter: @medhavigandhi @theheritagelab Instagram: @theheritagelab Facebook: @heritagelab Image Credit : The Heritage Lab, Painting at Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York  Follow the Musafir stories on  Twitter Facebook Instagram website: www.themusafirstories.com  email: themusafirstories@gmail.com  itunes -  https://apple.co/2LPtTA3  Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7lj or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast"  website - http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV Saavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi  Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi  pocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg  castbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi  Overcast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf  Stitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw  audioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowS  TuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a  RadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0 iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R  Deezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to  Medhavi Gandhi, the founder of Heritage Lab (<a href="http://heritagelab.in" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">heritagelab.in</a>), a unique media platform for citizens to interact with museums!   Today's destination: The Indian Himalayas in paintings by Nicholas Roerich!  Nearest Airport: NA  Nearest Railway Station: NA  Length of the itinerary: 5-8 years, 25,000 kms  Itinerary Highlights:   -  Medhavi takes us on the Himalayan expedition covered by Nicholas Roerich and his family in the early 20th century (1923) in search of the mythical kingdom of Shambala, that is believed to be home to the King who will bring peace and harmony to humanity.   <ul> <li>Roerich's expedition started from Sikkim through Punjab, Kashmir, Ladakh, the Karakoram Mountains, Khotan, Kashgar, Qara Shar, Urumchi, Irtysh, the Altai Mountains, the Oyrot region of Mongolia, the Central Gobi, Kansu, Tsaidam, and Tibet" with a detour through Siberia to Moscow in 1926.  </li> <li>The journey was done on horses and mules, with minimal resources and it is during this expedition that Roerich painted more than 500 marvellous paintings of the himalayan landscapes, architecture and people.  </li> <li>Roerich also uses very novel ways to paint, using crushed rocks minerals in his paintings to give them a unique finish.  </li> <li>The expedition wasn't witout controversy - Roerich was often accused of being on a spy mission and was also detained in Tibet for over 5 months in very harsh climatic conditions.  </li> <li>After the expedition, Roerich settles down in Naggar, Kullu in Himachal Pradesh - it is now converted into a house museum and run by the Naggar trust and still houses a lot of his important paintings.  </li> <li>Other important paintings of Roerich can be found in the Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York.  </li> <li>A huge collection of his paintings is also available in National Gallery of Modern Art, Allahabad Museum, International Roerich Trust, Naggar - Himachal Pradesh, Government Museum and Art gallery, Chandigarh, Shri Jaganmohan palace, Mysore,  Chitrakala parishad, Bangalore.  </li> <li>Some of his paintings that were passed on to his son, have been the subject of a legal tussle for his estate that has gone of for the longest time, with paintings worth several lakhs reportedly stolen and sold abroad.  </li> <li>Over his lifetime Roerich made over 7000 paintings, but his Himalayan paintings and the mystery of the expedition live one! </li> </ul> Some notable paintings from Roerich's Himalayan expedition detailed in Medhavi's blog  <ul> <li>A view of Kanchenjunga from Sikkim (Tashi view point) </li> <li>A view of Kanchenjunga from Darjeeling (Tiger hill) </li> <li>Tashiding Monastery, Sikkim (Bhumchu festival/Banners of the east) </li> <li>Mt Kailash (tibet) </li> <li>Kinner Kailash (HP, 28 colors of the ranges) </li> <li>Lahual (Himachal), Rohtang Pass;  </li> <li>Buddhist MOnks, Sissu waterfalls </li> <li>Ladakh - shooting star in Changthang plateau </li> <li>Buddhist sculptures on boulders (Zanskar range) </li> <li>Maitreyi Buddha, near Mulbek monastery </li> <li>lamayaru Monastery, Leh (Yuru Kabgyata festival, masked dance) </li> <li>Lake sheshnag, Kashmir (enroute amarnath yatra, Shiva's serpent) </li> <li>Naggar, Kullu </li> </ul> Links:  Link to Medhavi's website: <a href="http://www.theheritagelab.in/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.theheritagelab.in/</a> Link to the blog post: <a href="http://www.theheritagelab.in/himalayas-paintings-roerich/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.theheritagelab.in/himalayas-paintings-roerich/</a> Twitter: @medhavigandhi @theheritagelab Instagram: @theheritagelab Facebook: @heritagelab Image Credit : <a href="http://www.roerich.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Heritage Lab, Painting at Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York</a> Follow the Musafir stories on  <a href="https://twitter.com/MusafirStories" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> <a href="https://themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website: www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com  itunes -  <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast"  website - <a href="http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV</a> Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

59: TMS Specials: Paintings of the Himalayas with Medhavi Gandhi

Shivya Nath

CONTEST ALERT!!!  Listen to the episode and answer these 3 simple questions and stand a chance to win a copy of Shivya's best seller - The Shooting Star  1. Which Indian town did Shivya spend her childhood in?  2. In which country did Shivya go to university?  3. What is the title of Shivya's best selling book?   Email your responses to themusafirstories@gmail.com before March 7th 2019! The winners will be announced on the next episode of the podcast!  This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to none other than the Shooting Star - Shivya Nath, top travel blogger and now author with her national best seller, The Shooting Star!  Interview Highlights:    Shivya talks about her time growing up in India, where she spent her childhood in and what were her erstwhile ambitions  We talk to Shivya about her journey away from home for university, how that shaped her choices as a person and how eventually she succumbed to her 'calling'   Shivya also talks about tryst with a 9-5 job, how she constantly craved for freedom and how eventually she quit her job to move back to India  We talk about Shivya's tryst with entrepreneurship, the highs and the lows and some difficult decisions  We also discuss about Shivya's travel philosophy, her roots and the place she calls home, being a digital nomad and giving up her home  We finish the interview by talking about her choices, how she chose veganism, the percpetions and the reality of being a vegan traveler and some final thoughts to finish off the interview.     Links:  Instagram: @shivya  Twitter: @shivya  Facebook: @theshootingstarblog  Blog: https://the-shooting-star.com/  Buy your copy of the Shooting Star on   Amazon India Kindle Follow the Musafir stories on  Twitter: @musafirstories  Facebook: @themusafirstories   Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast  website: www.themusafirstories.com  email: themusafirstories@gmail.com  itunes -  https://apple.co/2LPtTA3  Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7lj or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast"  website - http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV Saavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi  Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi  pocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg  castbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi  Overcast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf  Stitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw  audioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowS  TuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a  RadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0 iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R  Deezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CONTEST ALERT!!!  Listen to the episode and answer these 3 simple questions and stand a chance to win a copy of Shivya's best seller - The Shooting Star  1. Which Indian town did Shivya spend her childhood in?  2. In which country did Shivya go to university?  3. What is the title of Shivya's best selling book?   Email your responses to themusafirstories@gmail.com before March 7th 2019! The winners will be announced on the next episode of the podcast!  This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to none other than the Shooting Star - Shivya Nath, top travel blogger and now author with her national best seller, The Shooting Star!  Interview Highlights:   <ul> <li>Shivya talks about her time growing up in India, where she spent her childhood in and what were her erstwhile ambitions </li> <li>We talk to Shivya about her journey away from home for university, how that shaped her choices as a person and how eventually she succumbed to her 'calling'  </li> <li>Shivya also talks about tryst with a 9-5 job, how she constantly craved for freedom and how eventually she quit her job to move back to India </li> <li>We talk about Shivya's tryst with entrepreneurship, the highs and the lows and some difficult decisions </li> <li>We also discuss about Shivya's travel philosophy, her roots and the place she calls home, being a digital nomad and giving up her home </li> <li>We finish the interview by talking about her choices, how she chose veganism, the percpetions and the reality of being a vegan traveler and some final thoughts to finish off the interview.   </li> </ul> Links:  Instagram: @shivya  Twitter: @shivya  Facebook: @theshootingstarblog  Blog: <a href="https://the-shooting-star.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://the-shooting-star.com/</a> Buy your copy of the Shooting Star on   <a href="https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/0143443194/ref=aslitl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=3638&amp;creative=24630&amp;creativeASIN=0143443194&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=theshosta05-21&amp;linkId=98f8bf3951596f911341466dcff71220" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon India</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/0143443194/ref=aslitl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=3638&amp;creative=24630&amp;creativeASIN=0143443194&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=theshosta05-21&amp;linkId=98f8bf3951596f911341466dcff71220" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kindle</a> Follow the Musafir stories on  Twitter: @musafirstories  Facebook: @themusafirstories   Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast  website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com  itunes -  <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast"  website - <a href="http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV</a> Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

56: TMS Specials : The Shooting Star with Shivya Nath

In this episode:#Dhanushkodi #Tamilnadu #southindia #ghost #town #tragedy #deluge #cyclone #stories #ruins #novel #fishermen #history #srilanka #talaimannar #rameshwaram    International Podcast Day Convention 2019 in Bangalore: Join us!!!   Register now: https://podcasts.hubhopper.com/o2podcollective-international-podcast-day*************************************************************************This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Sudharsan SN, a polyglot and a linguist who runs a youtube channel called Indic Living (https://www.youtube.com/user/sudharsansn)Today's destination: Dhanushkodi - the story of a ghost town!Nearest Airport: Madurai, TNNearest Railway Station: Rameshwaram, TNPrerequisites -  n/aPacking - light clothes, hat, sun screen and lots of water!Time of the year: Oct - Feb is the best time to visit as the temperatures soar during summerLength of the itinerary: 1 dayItinerary Highlights:- Sudharsan shares his experience visiting Dhanushkodi for the first time in 2002.- He draws out the history of Dhanushkodi leading up to the Rameshwaram cyclone of 1964- The lives of the fishermen before and after the cyclone- The ruins of Dhanushkodi, the railway station, the temple, the church- The inspiration for Sudharsan's book and the storylineLinks:Follow Sudharsan on Twitter : https://twitter.com/sudharsansnTime and a Cyclone Book : http://www.sudharsansn.com/cyclone/release.htmlLink to Sudharsan's youtube channel:https://www.youtube.com/user/sudharsansnPhoto by fahad pgd on UnsplashFollow the Musafir stories onTwitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=enwebsite: www.themusafirstories.comemail: themusafirstories@gmail.comitunes -  https://apple.co/2LPtTA3Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7lj website - http://bit.ly/2xFZqOVSaavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqiSpotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVipocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewgcastbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQiOvercast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnfStitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhwaudioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowSTuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4aRadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8RDeezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode: #Dhanushkodi #Tamilnadu #southindia #ghost #town #tragedy #deluge #cyclone #stories #ruins #novel #fishermen #history #srilanka #talaimannar #rameshwaram  <h1>International Podcast Day Convention 2019 in Bangalore: Join us!!! </h1> Register now: <a href="https://podcasts.hubhopper.com/o2podcollective-international-podcast-day" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://podcasts.hubhopper.com/o2podcollective-international-podcast-day</a> ************************************************************************* This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Sudharsan SN, a polyglot and a linguist who runs a youtube channel called Indic Living (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/sudharsansn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/sudharsansn</a>) Today's destination: Dhanushkodi - the story of a ghost town! Nearest Airport: Madurai, TN Nearest Railway Station: Rameshwaram, TN Prerequisites -  n/a Packing - light clothes, hat, sun screen and lots of water! Time of the year: Oct - Feb is the best time to visit as the temperatures soar during summer Length of the itinerary: 1 day Itinerary Highlights: - Sudharsan shares his experience visiting Dhanushkodi for the first time in 2002. - He draws out the history of Dhanushkodi leading up to the Rameshwaram cyclone of 1964 - The lives of the fishermen before and after the cyclone - The ruins of Dhanushkodi, the railway station, the temple, the church - The inspiration for Sudharsan's book and the storyline Links: Follow Sudharsan on Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/sudharsansn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/sudharsansn</a> Time and a Cyclone Book : <a href="http://www.sudharsansn.com/cyclone/release.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.sudharsansn.com/cyclone/release.html</a> Link to Sudharsan's youtube channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/sudharsansn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/sudharsansn</a> Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@fahadpgd?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fahad pgd</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/dhanushkodi?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unsplash</a> Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> itunes -  <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> website - <a href="http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV</a> Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a> See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

68: Ghost town of Dhanushkodi with SN Sudharsan

Divyam Goenka

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Divyam Goenka, a young trekking enthusiast and founder of Kyuriosity, a Bangalore based trekking community. Today's destination: Savanadurga Trek!!Nearest Airport: Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore (BLR)Nearest Railway Station: Bangalore Railway station Prerequisites - Some trekking experience doesn't hurt! Packing - Make sure to carry enough water to stay hydrated and some energy bars for when the going gets tough!Time of the year - November to February is a good time to do this trekLength of the itinerary: 1 dayItinerary Highlights: - Divyam and his friend hit the road after an impromptu plan to do the trek. The hill is situated about 70 kms from Bangalore and is well connected by roads. - The Savanadurga peak is over 1200 m high and is Asia's biggest monolith rock! - The best option would be to start early in the day so that you can hit the peak around sunrise. The official timings of the trek are sunrise to sunset. - Make sure to stock yourself before hitting the trek as it can be tiring if you get dehydrated. There are a couple of options at the foot of the hill that offer very good food. - Make sure to follow the trail markers or the lamp posts all the way to the summit, and avoid getting lost (although you have to try really hard for that!)- You will encounter fort walls along the trek at a few places, these are the remnants of the fort built by Kempegowda, the founder of Bangalore and later used by other rulers like Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. - The trek is medium level of difficulty, unless there is rain, or you choose to do it on a hot day. - Make sure to start early so that you can catch the sunrise and a view of the nearby Manchabele dam and Arkavati river! - The views from the summit are quite beautiful and well worth the climb, make sure to catch visit the Nandi statue at the summit! - Once you spend time at the summit, you can head back down and have a wholesome meal at the little shack at the base of the hill. - If you have more time on hand, you can indulge in activities like kayaking near the dam! - All in all, a great day trek, to a place that has a lot of historical and geographicalsignificance! Links:Link to the Kyuriosity: InstagramFacebookOther links:https://www.karnataka.com/bangalore/savandurga-fort/IG: @kyuriosityofficialFollow the Musafir stories onTwitterFacebookInstagramwebsite: www.themusafirstories.comemail: themusafirstories@gmail.comitunes -  https://apple.co/2LPtTA3Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7lj or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast"website - http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV Saavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqiSpotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVipocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewgcastbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQiOvercast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnfStitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhwaudioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowSTuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4aRadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0 iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8RDeezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Divyam Goenka, a young trekking enthusiast and founder of Kyuriosity, a Bangalore based trekking community. Today's destination: Savanadurga Trek!! Nearest Airport: Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore (BLR) Nearest Railway Station: Bangalore Railway station Prerequisites - Some trekking experience doesn't hurt! Packing - Make sure to carry enough water to stay hydrated and some energy bars for when the going gets tough! Time of the year - November to February is a good time to do this trek Length of the itinerary: 1 day Itinerary Highlights: - Divyam and his friend hit the road after an impromptu plan to do the trek. The hill is situated about 70 kms from Bangalore and is well connected by roads. - The Savanadurga peak is over 1200 m high and is Asia's biggest monolith rock! - The best option would be to start early in the day so that you can hit the peak around sunrise. The official timings of the trek are sunrise to sunset. - Make sure to stock yourself before hitting the trek as it can be tiring if you get dehydrated. There are a couple of options at the foot of the hill that offer very good food. - Make sure to follow the trail markers or the lamp posts all the way to the summit, and avoid getting lost (although you have to try really hard for that!) - You will encounter fort walls along the trek at a few places, these are the remnants of the fort built by Kempegowda, the founder of Bangalore and later used by other rulers like Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. - The trek is medium level of difficulty, unless there is rain, or you choose to do it on a hot day. - Make sure to start early so that you can catch the sunrise and a view of the nearby Manchabele dam and Arkavati river! - The views from the summit are quite beautiful and well worth the climb, make sure to catch visit the Nandi statue at the summit! - Once you spend time at the summit, you can head back down and have a wholesome meal at the little shack at the base of the hill. - If you have more time on hand, you can indulge in activities like kayaking near the dam! - All in all, a great day trek, to a place that has a lot of historical and geographical significance! Links: Link to the Kyuriosity: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kyuriosityofficial/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Kyuriosityofficial/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> Other links: <a href="https://www.karnataka.com/bangalore/savandurga-fort/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.karnataka.com/bangalore/savandurga-fort/</a> IG: @kyuriosityofficial Follow the Musafir stories on <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> itunes -  <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast" website - <a href="http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV</a> Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a> See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

62: Savanadurga Trek with Divyam Goenka

MSN Karthik

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to MSN Karthik - a traveller, a film maker and a youtuber!   Today's destination: Bodhgaya, Bihar!  Nearest Airport: Gaya Airport or Patna Airport  Nearest Railway Station: Gaya Junction  Prerequisites - Just leave your worries home!  Packing - Nothing unusual!  Time of the year - Best to travel when the festive season is upon us, important festivals being Buddha Poornima (May) or Kalchakra puja (Oct-Nov) or other world healing pujas (watch for them in the calendar)  Length of the itinerary: 3-4 days   Itinerary Highlights:    Karthik begins the journey by explaining the significance of Bodhgaya, the home of Buddhism. Here is where Prince Siddhartha found enlightenment after traveling all the way from Lumbini, present day Nepal.   Karthik enlightens us about the Bodhi vriksha or Bodhi tree, it's history and importance. We talk more about the timeline of the Mahabodhi temple - one of the most important structures in Bodhgaya which is over 2000 years old, how it was patronized by Ashoka, plundered by foreign invaders, left in ruins and finally discovered again in the 19th century.   The temple is a beautiful structure, that lies in a sprawling complex with over a thousand stupas, a number of other temples and statues of the Buddha. There is a 80 ft statue that was contributed by the Japanese government that signifies 80 years of Buddha's life.   Karthik also speaks about the teachings of Buddhism, the interactions with monks who have travelled from all around the world and how their views converge.   Karthik talks about the other temples and monasteries built by representatives of different countries and the kaalachakra maidan, a huge field that is the venue of all congregations including while his holiness Dalai Lama is visiting.   Karthik further talks about his experience with Vipasana, its importance and what the retreat involves.    Links:  Link to the youtube documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xA42Eu6Fds&amp;t=0  Link to the channel Adwhyta: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU7XVC0jMY1tGEUf6m3lC0w  Linik to Vipasana meditation centers: www.dhamma.org  twitter: @MSNKarthik  instagram: @MSNKarthik  facebook: @adwhyta  Photo by Mattia Faloretti on Unsplash  Follow the Musafir stories on  Twitter Facebook Instagram Website email: themusafirstories@gmail.com itunes-  https://apple.co/2LPtTA3  Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7lj or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast"  website- http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV Saavn- https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi  Spotify- https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi  pocketcasts- https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg  castbox- https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi  Overcast- https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf  Stitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw  audioBoom- https://bit.ly/2oZZowS  TuneIn- https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a  RadioPublic- https://bit.ly/2snY9u0 iHeartradio- https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R  Deezer- https://bit.ly/2L7GmOoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to MSN Karthik - a traveller, a film maker and a youtuber!   Today's destination: Bodhgaya, Bihar!  Nearest Airport: Gaya Airport or Patna Airport  Nearest Railway Station: Gaya Junction  Prerequisites - Just leave your worries home!  Packing - Nothing unusual!  Time of the year - Best to travel when the festive season is upon us, important festivals being Buddha Poornima (May) or Kalchakra puja (Oct-Nov) or other world healing pujas (watch for them in the calendar)  Length of the itinerary: 3-4 days   Itinerary Highlights:   <ul> <li>Karthik begins the journey by explaining the significance of Bodhgaya, the home of Buddhism. Here is where Prince Siddhartha found enlightenment after traveling all the way from Lumbini, present day Nepal.  </li> <li>Karthik enlightens us about the Bodhi vriksha or Bodhi tree, it's history and importance. We talk more about the timeline of the Mahabodhi temple - one of the most important structures in Bodhgaya which is over 2000 years old, how it was patronized by Ashoka, plundered by foreign invaders, left in ruins and finally discovered again in the 19th century.  </li> <li>The temple is a beautiful structure, that lies in a sprawling complex with over a thousand stupas, a number of other temples and statues of the Buddha. There is a 80 ft statue that was contributed by the Japanese government that signifies 80 years of Buddha's life.  </li> <li>Karthik also speaks about the teachings of Buddhism, the interactions with monks who have travelled from all around the world and how their views converge.  </li> <li>Karthik talks about the other temples and monasteries built by representatives of different countries and the kaalachakra maidan, a huge field that is the venue of all congregations including while his holiness Dalai Lama is visiting.  </li> <li>Karthik further talks about his experience with Vipasana, its importance and what the retreat involves.  </li> </ul> Links:  Link to the youtube documentary: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xA42Eu6Fds&amp;t=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xA42Eu6Fds&amp;t=0</a> Link to the channel Adwhyta: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU7XVC0jMY1tGEUf6m3lC0w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU7XVC0jMY1tGEUf6m3lC0w</a> Linik to Vipasana meditation centers: <a href="http://www.dhamma.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.dhamma.org</a> twitter: @MSNKarthik  instagram: @MSNKarthik  facebook: @adwhyta  Photo by Mattia Faloretti on Unsplash  Follow the Musafir stories on  <a href="https://twitter.com/MusafirStories" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> <a href="https://themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Website</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">itunes</a>-  <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google podcasts</a> - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast"  <a href="http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>- <a href="http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV</a> <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saavn</a>- <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>- <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pocketcasts</a>- <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">castbox</a>- <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>- <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitcher Radio</a> - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">audioBoom</a>- <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TuneIn</a>- <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RadioPublic</a>- <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iHeartradio</a>- <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deezer</a>- <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

58: Bodh Gaya with MSN Karthik

Meenakshi Param

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Meenakshi Param from the blog polkajunction.com. Sit back and enjoy as we speak to the multi-talented Meenakshi as she speaks about her tryst with travel!  Today's destination: Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh  Nearest Airport: Dharamshala, HP  Nearest Railway Station: Pathankot, Punjab  Prerequisites - N/A  Packing - Warm clothes depending on the season of travel  Time of the year - All year round!  Length of the itinerary: 3-4 days  Itinerary Highlights:    Meenakshi begins the conversation by setting up the orientation of Dalhousie, the necessity of acclimatization given Dalhousie is between 6-9K ft above sea level and the history of the colonial influence on Dalhousie!  Dalhousie is named after Lord Dalhousie, the Governor general of Bengal during the British Rule and was set up as a sanitorium to help ailing soldiers recover, given it's wonderful setting. It was purchased from the Raja of Chammba for a princely sum of 12,000 Rupees over 150 years ago  Meenakshi gives us some titbits about the Thandi (cold) and Garam (hot) sadak, why they are called so and some of the nearby churches (St. John's church and St. Francis church) that one can visit while spending time acclimatizing with the city.   One can also visit the nearby markets of Subhash chowk and Gandhi chowk as well as some Tibetan markets to get a flavor of the local stuff.   Visitors to Dalhousie can also enjoy a great mix of architecture right from Himachali architecture which dominates most of the nearby hamlets to the colonial buildings in the city as well as the more recent contemporary architecture.   The people in Dalhousie is a mix of HImachali, Tibetan, Buddhists, Punjabi and Bengali people. We also discuss about the Bengal connection of Dalhousie with prominent personalities like Subhash Chandra Bose and Rabindranath Tagore having lived here during their lives.   We also discuss the points of interest in the vicinity including Khajjiar and some treks one can indulge in including Dayankund, CHamba, Bakrota hill and Aala! Listen to the local folklore about the Dainkund legends and get spooky!   The local flavors of Dalhousie include everything from fast-food to Momos, chaats, golgappas, himachali food and Rasgollas.   Make sure to grab exotic souvenirs from Dalhousie such as Himachali Chukk (pickle), wines and chutneys. Finally, make sure to carry an umbrella while going about Dalhousie!    Links:  Meenakshi's Blog Blogposts:   Dalhousie's Snowfall - White carpet  Dalhousie : Enchantment Dalhousie : Folklore - Conquering Witches! Dalhousie's Bengal connection Find Meenakshi on Twitter Like her work on Facebook Follow her on Instagram  ========================================================================  Winners of the 2nd Anniversary episode - TMS Specials: The Shooting Star!!  Abhinav Kaushik  Megha Deora  Rohan Shetty   Thank you and Congratulations guys! ========================================================================  Follow the Musafir stories on  Twitter: @musafirstories  Facebook: @themusafirstories   Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast  Website  email: themusafirstories@gmail.com  itunes -  https://apple.co/2LPtTA3  Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7lj or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast"  website - http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV Saavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi  Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi  pocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg  castbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi  Overcast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf  Stitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw  audioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowS  TuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a  RadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0 iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R  Deezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Meenakshi Param from the blog <a href="http://polkajunction.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">polkajunction.com</a>. Sit back and enjoy as we speak to the multi-talented Meenakshi as she speaks about her tryst with travel!  Today's destination: Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh  Nearest Airport: Dharamshala, HP  Nearest Railway Station: Pathankot, Punjab  Prerequisites - N/A  Packing - Warm clothes depending on the season of travel  Time of the year - All year round!  Length of the itinerary: 3-4 days  Itinerary Highlights:   <ul> <li>Meenakshi begins the conversation by setting up the orientation of Dalhousie, the necessity of acclimatization given Dalhousie is between 6-9K ft above sea level and the history of the colonial influence on Dalhousie! </li> <li>Dalhousie is named after Lord Dalhousie, the Governor general of Bengal during the British Rule and was set up as a sanitorium to help ailing soldiers recover, given it's wonderful setting. It was purchased from the Raja of Chammba for a princely sum of 12,000 Rupees over 150 years ago </li> <li>Meenakshi gives us some titbits about the Thandi (cold) and Garam (hot) sadak, why they are called so and some of the nearby churches (St. John's church and St. Francis church) that one can visit while spending time acclimatizing with the city.  </li> <li>One can also visit the nearby markets of Subhash chowk and Gandhi chowk as well as some Tibetan markets to get a flavor of the local stuff.  </li> <li>Visitors to Dalhousie can also enjoy a great mix of architecture right from Himachali architecture which dominates most of the nearby hamlets to the colonial buildings in the city as well as the more recent contemporary architecture.  </li> <li>The people in Dalhousie is a mix of HImachali, Tibetan, Buddhists, Punjabi and Bengali people. We also discuss about the Bengal connection of Dalhousie with prominent personalities like Subhash Chandra Bose and Rabindranath Tagore having lived here during their lives.  </li> <li>We also discuss the points of interest in the vicinity including Khajjiar and some treks one can indulge in including Dayankund, CHamba, Bakrota hill and Aala! Listen to the local folklore about the Dainkund legends and get spooky!  </li> <li>The local flavors of Dalhousie include everything from fast-food to Momos, chaats, golgappas, himachali food and Rasgollas.  </li> <li>Make sure to grab exotic souvenirs from Dalhousie such as Himachali Chukk (pickle), wines and chutneys. Finally, make sure to carry an umbrella while going about Dalhousie!  </li> </ul> Links:  <a href="https://polkajunction.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Meenakshi's Blog</a> Blogposts:   <a href="https://polkajunction.com/2016/03/10/dalhousie-snowfall-white-carpet-himachal-travel-blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dalhousie's Snowfall - White carpet</a> <a href="https://polkajunction.com/2017/10/06/enchantment-dalhousie-nostalgic/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dalhousie : Enchantment</a> <a href="https://polkajunction.com/2017/04/04/dalhousie-folklore-conquering-witches-dainkund-himachal/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dalhousie : Folklore - Conquering Witches!</a> <a href="https://polkajunction.com/2018/01/03/dalhousie-the-bengal-connection-of-himachal-pradesh-tagore-bose-travel-blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dalhousie's Bengal connection</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/polkajunction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Find Meenakshi on Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/polkajunction/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Like her work on Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/polkajunction/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Follow her on Instagram</a> ========================================================================  Winners of the 2nd Anniversary episode - TMS Specials: The Shooting Star!! <ul> <li>Abhinav Kaushik </li> <li>Megha Deora </li> <li>Rohan Shetty </li> </ul> Thank you and Congratulations guys! ========================================================================  Follow the Musafir stories on  Twitter: @musafirstories  Facebook: @themusafirstories   Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast  <a href="https://themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Website</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com  itunes -  <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> or voice or google search "Ok Google, play The Musafir stories podcast"  website - <a href="http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV</a> Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

57: Dalhousie with Meenakshi Param

Satyarup Siddhanta

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Satyarup Siddhanta - a Bengaluru-based Bengali mountaineer.[1] On December 15, 2017 he became the first Bengali civilian from India to complete the seven highest summits in the 7 continents. He is the President and founder of ABETO – "A better tomorrow" foundation, and works as a consultant at Brady Corporation, India.[5] Today's destination: Mt. Everest, Nepal Nearest Airport: Lukla airport Nearest Railway Station: n/a Prerequisities - Required visas, training and certification, practice and acclimatization Packing - n/a Time of the year - May Length of the itinerary: 55 days from the base camp to the Everest summit and back Itinerary Highlights:  Satya shares the story of his early struggles from asthma as a kid and how he overcame this to start climbing. Satya's speaks of his expedition to Mt. Killimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa and how he discovered the feat to the 7 Summits i.e. a challenge to scale the 7 highest peaks in each of th 7 continents (Mt. Everest in Asia, Mt. Killimanjaro in Africa, Mt. Elbrus in Europe, Mt. Aconcagua in S.America, Mt. Mckinley in N.America, Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia, Mt. Vinson Masiff in Antarctica) Satya discusses his trek to the Mt. Everest base camp and how this turned into a dream to scale the summit of the tallest mountain in the world. He then also discusses how the massive expenses related to the expedition played as a deterrent to his dreams and how he overcame the challenge. Next Satya discusses the preparation and acclimitazation he underwent to scale Mt. Everest, he had to quit his existing job, take up two jobs, hire a personal trainer and overcome his sweet tooth in order to get ready for the Everest challenge! Satya explains the duration of the Everest expedition and the iterations and acclimatization involved during the push to the summit. The adversities that Satya had to face during the push to the summit are also discussed, this includes a fall in a bottomless crevasse, watcing a sherpa fall to his death while climbing, and members of other teams losing fingers due to frost bite as well as death. Satya himself suffered from temporary blindness in the left eye while close to the summit, a failed oxygen mask and 3 failed cameras! Satya finally describes the feeling of being on top of the world as well as the sights! Final thoughts and tips. Listeners can follow Satyarup on his social media handles below and contribute to his expeditions when fundraising takes place.  Links to Satyarup's social media handles: website - http://satyarupsiddhanta.com/ facebook - https://www.facebook.com/satyarup.siddhanta twitter - https://twitter.com/SatyarupS instagram - https://www.instagram.com/satyarup.siddhanta/ Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: www.themusafirstories.com email: themusafirstories@gmail.com   Photo by Theodor Lundqvist on UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Satyarup Siddhanta - a Bengaluru-based Bengali mountaineer.[1] On December 15, 2017 he became the first Bengali civilian from India to complete the seven highest summits in the 7 continents. He is the President and founder of ABETO – "A better tomorrow" foundation, and works as a consultant at Brady Corporation, India.[5] Today's destination: Mt. Everest, Nepal Nearest Airport: Lukla airport Nearest Railway Station: n/a Prerequisities - Required visas, training and certification, practice and acclimatization Packing - n/a Time of the year - May Length of the itinerary: 55 days from the base camp to the Everest summit and back Itinerary Highlights: <ul> <li>Satya shares the story of his early struggles from asthma as a kid and how he overcame this to start climbing.</li> <li>Satya's speaks of his expedition to Mt. Killimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa and how he discovered the feat to the 7 Summits i.e. a challenge to scale the 7 highest peaks in each of th 7 continents (Mt. Everest in Asia, Mt. Killimanjaro in Africa, Mt. Elbrus in Europe, Mt. Aconcagua in S.America, Mt. Mckinley in N.America, Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia, Mt. Vinson Masiff in Antarctica)</li> <li>Satya discusses his trek to the Mt. Everest base camp and how this turned into a dream to scale the summit of the tallest mountain in the world.</li> <li>He then also discusses how the massive expenses related to the expedition played as a deterrent to his dreams and how he overcame the challenge.</li> <li>Next Satya discusses the preparation and acclimitazation he underwent to scale Mt. Everest, he had to quit his existing job, take up two jobs, hire a personal trainer and overcome his sweet tooth in order to get ready for the Everest challenge!</li> <li>Satya explains the duration of the Everest expedition and the iterations and acclimatization involved during the push to the summit.</li> <li>The adversities that Satya had to face during the push to the summit are also discussed, this includes a fall in a bottomless crevasse, watcing a sherpa fall to his death while climbing, and members of other teams losing fingers due to frost bite as well as death.</li> <li>Satya himself suffered from temporary blindness in the left eye while close to the summit, a failed oxygen mask and 3 failed cameras!</li> <li>Satya finally describes the feeling of being on top of the world as well as the sights!</li> <li>Final thoughts and tips.</li> <li>Listeners can follow Satyarup on his social media handles below and contribute to his expeditions when fundraising takes place.</li> </ul> Links to Satyarup's social media handles: website - <a href="http://satyarupsiddhanta.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://satyarupsiddhanta.com/</a> facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/satyarup.siddhanta" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/satyarup.siddhanta</a> twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/SatyarupS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/SatyarupS</a> instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/satyarup.siddhanta/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/satyarup.siddhanta/</a> Follow the Musafir stories on Twitter: @musafirstories Facebook: @themusafirstories Instagram: @musafirstoriespodcast website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: themusafirstories@gmail.com Photo by Theodor Lundqvist on UnsplashSee <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

32: TMS Specials - Conquering Mt. Everest with Satyarup Siddhanta

Aakash Mehrotra

In this episode:#Landour #Uttarakhand #hillstation #mountains #cafes #nature #walks #viewpoints #sunset #woods #heritage #british #colonial #architecture #ruskinbond #books #quaint #northindia This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Aakash Mehrotra from Delhi who talks to us about his childhood connection to the land of Landour, Uttarakhand!Today's destination: Landour, UttarakhandNearest Airport: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun (DED)Nearest Railway Station: DehradunPrerequisites -  NAPacking -  Lots of books! Carry warm clothes as the hill stations are quite chill.Time of the year -  AprilLength of the itinerary:  3 daysItinerary Highlights:- Aakash talks about his childhood connection to Landour and the charm of this Raj era cantonment sharing some quick tips as to when one can travel.- He also shares titbits about his lodging, Rokeby Manor, a heritage property built in 1840 and one of the early constructions in Landour.- Some more trivia about the history of Landour, it's founders, it's legends and myths.- Aakash also shares stories about Pahadi Wilson, one of the famous residents of Landour and how his story inspired Rudyard Kipling to write the book, The man who became king.- Aakash talks about the famous points in Landour - the Char Dukaan, Sister's bazaar, Emily's kitchen, Landour Bakehouse among others. There are also heritage buildings like Kellog Church and St. Paul's church as well as a private sanctuary - The Jaberkhet wildlife sanctuary.- Finally we discuss about the legend and most famous celebrity of Landour - Ruskin Bond, his early life in Landour, his cottage and the influence of Landour on his works.- We wrap up the episode calling out other famous celebrity connections to Landour!Correction: The author of "The Man who would be King" is Rudyard Kipling and not Ruskin Bond as mentioned in this episode.Links:Link to Aakash's blogpost:https://handofcolors.me/2018/04/01/the-secret-miracles-of-landour/#more-2093https://handofcolors.me/2018/04/17/rokeby-manor-a-colonial-charm/Link to the blog: https://handofcolors.meFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/handofcolors/Twitter: https://twitter.com/aakashmehrotra?lang=enFollow The Musafir Stories onTwitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=enwebsite: www.themusafirstories.comemail: themusafirstories@gmail.comitunes -  https://apple.co/2LPtTA3Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7ljwebsite - http://bit.ly/2xFZqOVSaavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqiSpotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVipocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewgcastbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQiGaana - http://bit.ly/2NClUYYOvercast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnfStitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhwaudioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowSTuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4aRadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8RDeezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode: #Landour #Uttarakhand #hillstation #mountains #cafes #nature #walks #viewpoints #sunset #woods #heritage #british #colonial #architecture #ruskinbond #books #quaint #northindia  This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Aakash Mehrotra from Delhi who talks to us about his childhood connection to the land of Landour, Uttarakhand! Today's destination: Landour, Uttarakhand Nearest Airport: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun (DED) Nearest Railway Station: Dehradun Prerequisites -  NA Packing -  Lots of books! Carry warm clothes as the hill stations are quite chill. Time of the year -  April Length of the itinerary:  3 days Itinerary Highlights: - Aakash talks about his childhood connection to Landour and the charm of this Raj era cantonment sharing some quick tips as to when one can travel. - He also shares titbits about his lodging, Rokeby Manor, a heritage property built in 1840 and one of the early constructions in Landour. - Some more trivia about the history of Landour, it's founders, it's legends and myths. - Aakash also shares stories about Pahadi Wilson, one of the famous residents of Landour and how his story inspired Rudyard Kipling to write the book, The man who became king. - Aakash talks about the famous points in Landour - the Char Dukaan, Sister's bazaar, Emily's kitchen, Landour Bakehouse among others. There are also heritage buildings like Kellog Church and St. Paul's church as well as a private sanctuary - The Jaberkhet wildlife sanctuary. - Finally we discuss about the legend and most famous celebrity of Landour - Ruskin Bond, his early life in Landour, his cottage and the influence of Landour on his works. - We wrap up the episode calling out other famous celebrity connections to Landour! Correction: The author of "The Man who would be King" is Rudyard Kipling and not Ruskin Bond as mentioned in this episode. Links: Link to Aakash's blogpost: <a href="https://handofcolors.me/2018/04/01/the-secret-miracles-of-landour/#more-2093" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://handofcolors.me/2018/04/01/the-secret-miracles-of-landour/#more-2093</a> <a href="https://handofcolors.me/2018/04/17/rokeby-manor-a-colonial-charm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://handofcolors.me/2018/04/17/rokeby-manor-a-colonial-charm/</a> Link to the blog: <a href="https://handofcolors.me/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://handofcolors.me</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/handofcolors/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/handofcolors/</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/aakashmehrotra?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/aakashmehrotra?lang=en</a> Follow The Musafir Stories on Twitter : <a href="https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=en</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=en</a> website: <a href="http://www.themusafirstories.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.themusafirstories.com</a> email: <a href="mailto:themusafirstories@gmail.com">themusafirstories@gmail.com</a> itunes -  <a href="https://apple.co/2LPtTA3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2LPtTA3</a> Google podcasts - <a href="http://bit.ly/2toY7lj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2toY7lj</a> website - <a href="http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2xFZqOV</a> Saavn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2J5rIqi</a> Spotify - <a href="https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://spoti.fi/2HLPSVi</a> pocketcasts - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewg</a> castbox - <a href="https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2sqBDQi</a> Gaana - <a href="http://bit.ly/2NClUYY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2NClUYY</a> Overcast - <a href="https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2LN9wnf</a> Stitcher Radio - <a href="https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2JiBbhw</a> audioBoom - <a href="https://bit.ly/2oZZowS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2oZZowS</a> TuneIn - <a href="https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2xyQH4a</a> RadioPublic - <a href="https://bit.ly/2snY9u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2snY9u0</a> iHeartradio - <a href="https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8R</a> Deezer - <a href="https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo</a> See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

71: Landour with Aakash Mehrotra

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