Meghalaya receives the highest rainfall in the world and has lot of water bodies. The rain water causes lot of natural waterfalls to appear and over centuries, erodes the limestone beneath to create unique cave systems. These are very interesting places to visit in Meghalaya (India).
We visited two such cave systems near Cherrapunji. Take a look…
Mawsmai Caves
Mawsmai caves offers us a glimpse of the unique long cave systems that Meghalaya is known for. These caves formed due to erosion of limestone by flowing water forms a complex subterranean network.
This cave system is located at Sohra near Cherapunji and is easy to access. A short walk through a paved passage in a forest, leads one to the entrance of the cave.
The cave system starts with a relatively wide entrance with steps going down. As you go more inside, it gets narrower and at places one has to literally crawl or sit down and slide across. Fortunately, it was not very humid inside and most places there was decent amount of light for us to walk through.
Take a look…
A short walk to the cave entrance
A relatively wide entrance with steps going down
The patterns on limestone created by water
Maneuvering the narrow parts of the caves
Some of us inside the caves
Light at the end of the tunnel?
The Garden of Caves
Another enchanting destination near Cherrapunji that offers a blend of tranquility and adventure is the Garden of Caves. Surrounded by natural forests, and entwining creepers , it offers a series of caves, waterfalls , pools and fossils. A walk along the well guided path takes us to these wonders.
The local Khasi tribes often used these caves as hiding places….so says a legend.
A walking stick was provided to all of us for this visit as it involves moderate amount of trekking and climbing.
The walking track is clearly marked with signboards and arrows leading you to the specific sight. Local workers also guide you to these locations.
The King’s Cave
A flat bed like rock which was used as a resting place for the king or the clan chief, there are stalactites and stalagmites formed by limestone erosion over centuries.
The King’s Cave with a flat rock bed
The Sun Syiem Falls
As we walked along the guided path, we reached a natural rock formation with sunlight trickling in and a small waterfall. It is believed that the chief would often bathe here.
Sun Syiem Falls
Stieh Maw ( War Shields)
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The board explaining the site and the stones that resemble war shields
The Root Waterfall
A fairly steep ascent along stone steps, takes one to a beautiful waterfall. Enjoy the video below by clicking on it…
At the root waterfall
The Root Waterfall(click to view video)
Baby in mother’s womb
The next spot is a rock with a natural crevice the resembling a baby in the womb
Baby in the womb
The Bamboo Bridgeand Um Dawai
A long winding bamboo bridge takes us to the next location; Um Dawai.
Um Dawai (Natural Spring)
Here we encountered a natural spring used by locals for good health. We all drank off the sweet water from the spring. Unique bamboo bottles were sold here for collecting this water.
Um Dawai
The Bamboo bridge and the bamboo bottles with spring water
The Heart Shaped RockImpression
The Heart shaped impression on rock
Arsdad Falls
Last but not the least was a beautiful waterfall in layers. One has to climb down a series of steps to reach the waterfall and the clear pool at the bottom.
The falls from above
At the bottom
The beautiful waterfall and the clear pool ( click to watch video)
The Garden of Caves was a very enjoyable destination and we thoroughly enjoyed the visit.
As you can see we saw quite a bit of the natural cave formations in Meghalaya. Time permitting, many more such caves can be explored here.
See you next week at another interesting destination. Till then, do subscribe, like and comment.
Starting the Meghalaya series with one of it’s unique attributes….the living root bridges.
Meghalaya’s Living Root Bridges are a natural wonder and have found a name in the tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites . Meghalaya is a land of dense forests and the local Khasi tribes use living roots of trees to build natural bridges across rivers. It is in fact a kind of tree shaping where the delicate roots of the rubber fig tree (Ficus Elastica) are guided to form a bridge over a framework of bamboo.
One of the less highlighted features of these living root bridges are that they become stronger and more resistant with use unlike concrete bridges and are claimed to have a life of a few hundred years. As long as the tree grows strong and healthy, the roots forming the bridge also grow and thicken and hence the bridge becomes stronger with age.
These bridges are found extensively in the Khasi and Jaintia hills of Meghalaya.Most of these bridges are found on the steep slopes of the subtropical forests that cover these hills. Other Northeastern states like Nagaland are also home to these unique natural bridges.
These bridges typically rise 50 to 100 feet above ground level and the longest one is claimed to be 175 feet long. Most of these bridges have only one level but there are unique double decker ones where they are at two levels .
How these bridges are made:
Some of these are made manually just by guiding the roots without the use of a scaffolding. Such bridges are smaller and continuous manipulation of roots is done making it a continuous process.
Using wood or bamboo scaffolding
A scaffolding of wood or bamboo is prepared and the roots are guided along this framework by wrapping the roots over the scaffolding. In these cases, the scaffolding may require replacement over time as they are made of perishable material. The roots grow along as long as the parent tree is alive.
Using Areca Palm Trunks
Here the delicate aerial roots of the Ficus Elastica tree are placed into the hollowed out branches of a type of palm tree. This provides the essential nutrition and protection and serves as a root guidance system. A bamboo framework supports the entire structure. Over time, as the aerial roots grow and become stronger, the palm support is not required. Stones, mud, timber planks and leaves are added gradually and this plugs the gaps. Over a few years (15 to 30), these bridges do not need the bamboo framework and can support weight by itself.
Using conventional structures
Sometimes these roots are guided along already existing steel wire suspension bridges. Here the time required for the roots to develop is immaterial as the framework is already present.
Care of these bridges
These bridges need to be constantly checked and cared for. The roots are trimmed and manipulated as per the requirement.
Visiting these living wonders
A visit to most of these bridges involves moderate amount of trekking. There are stone steps laid out but ultimately it is in the middle of dense forest and has its own challenges.
Importance of these bridges
The local villagers and farmers use it for transporting materials.
They are crucial for biodiversity as they promote growth of moss which provides habitat for squirrels, birds and pollinating insects.
They provide crossing opportunities for the wildlife in the forest.
Last but not the least, the whole exercise is a collaborative process and everyone is involved in the creation and maintenance adding to the sense of oneness , cooperation and involvement.
Our Visit
We visited two such bridges ; the first one was the Riwai root bridge at Nohwet village and the other was the double decker bridge at Nongriat near Cherapunji. A look at the pictures that follow will give you a better idea .
Riwai Living Root Bridge
Located a few kilometers from Mowlynnong, ( the cleanest village in Asia) ; a visit here required a short trek along a path with stone steps . It lies across the Thyllong river ( river of Gods) in a fairly densely forested area and is about 30 feet long. The trees that form this bridge were planted in 1840.
The stone paved passage leading to the bridge
A memorial plaque near the bridge highlights its features and also the importance attached to these natural bridges.
The memorial plaque
Long shot and closeup of the root bridge
Crossing the root bridge
Once you cross the bridge and proceed a few steps down, one reaches the Thyllong river where the rocks provide an access and a photo opportunity with the bridge in the back ground.
The Thyllong river with the rocky bed
Our group with the bridge in the background
The Double Decker Root Bridge
Located at Nongriat near Cherapunji, a trek to this is moderately challenging. It involves trekking down 3500 steps one way to reach the double decker bridge. The path is also paved but is fairly steep and many places. After reaching down, the trek up the 3500 steps can be really challenging and some of the trekkers had to use a doli towards the end. The whole trek lasted for almost eight hours.
Some pictures…
The Double decker bridge with some of our trekkers on it
A video showing one of the trekkers crossing the bridge
One of the trekkers cools her heels in the river below
I hope you have got a fair idea of the root bridges of Meghalaya. See you next week with more such natural wonders from the land of clouds.
Till then, do subscribe, give your comments and feedback.
A slight detour from my usual blogs, where the focus is on destinations and the views along the way; this post is on a bonding trip. A trip to the outskirts of Bangalore by members of our book club we lovingly call The Panacea.
The Panacea
The dream child of our founder member Dr. Minati, the Panacea is a book club in our housing community. We are around fifteen avid readers who meet up once a week and discuss the book we have read over the week. This opens up many discussions and over the weeks, we have developed a healthy reading relationship. This not only fosters our interest in reading but gives us insights into the books read by others enticing us to read more and more. We also write reviews of the book in the book club archives making it a ready reference for others.
Our weekly meets
Nourishing young minds
Social media has really stolen the place of books from the hearts of children and we try to get it back by having a silent reading session once a week with focus on the children of our community. After the session, the children are encouraged to talk about their reads giving them a platform to develop their public speaking skills. Most of us find this very fulfilling and look forward to these sessions which are really therapeutic.
One of our silent reading session with the kids
In addition to this we visit Literature festivals, book fairs and pick up books of our choice. Literature festivals facilitate our meeting up with favorite authors. Let me share some pictures of the activities of The Panacea..
Bangalore Literature Festival
With popular authors
A Bonding Trip
With our camaraderie really building up, we decided to take an overnight trip to a farm house in the outskirts of Bangalore over a weekend. This provided us an opportunity to connect more with each other and enjoyed our reading session in serene surroundings.
Setting off from our community in a mini van, we reached the resort by noon. One of our members had brought her little one along and she added color to the group.
All set to go
On the way….
We reached the resort around noon and were treated to tea before we checked in to our rooms.
At the resort
After a sumptuous lunch, we took to our favorite hobby….reading. Reading is in our blood and so we enjoyed the afternoon quietness with a book .
Post lunch we took a walk in the farm. It was cool and pleasant and the fresh air of the countryside added to the feel.
The cool walk in the countryside
After the walk, we enjoyed the peace of the sunset…
The sun sets on a beautiful day….
As darkness set in, we were back at the resort with a cake cutting session to mark the success of the club…
Celebrating our success
A reading session followed and each of us were drowned in our books till it was time for dinner. Post dinner, we had an interesting Pictionary session which had all of us in splits…
Pictionary session
She seems to have had enough of us!!!..(or was it just sleep )?
Slowly, the yawns started getting louder and we knew it was time to hit the bed. The sounds of silence from the countryside lulled us to sleep.
Next morning, we got up on time for the sunrise but the cloudy skies cheated us. However we had a long reading session with tea and biscuits.
Morning peace…nature and books
Post breakfast, we packed our bags and started back home .
Ready to leave..
We enjoyed the return drive with a session of Book charades….our own version of dumb charades….
Book charades in progress…
The smiles say it all!!!
After a fulfilling retreat with nature, friends and our books, we returned home with promises to do it again…
This was an unusual blog for my regular readers. Hope you like the spirit of the episode…fun, friends and books.
My series on Egypt starts next week…. see you all there.
Till then, do subscribe, comment and give your feedback.
One of the main attributes of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Mudumalai National Park and it’s buffer zone form a dedicated Tiger Reserve too.Spread over an area of more than 320 sq kms and spanning an elevation of 850 to 1300 metres, Mudumalai has amazing biodiversity and harbours tropical and subtropical forests, and a vast treasure of wildlife .Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is one of the five elephant reserves in Tamil Nadu and apart from being home to elephants, also houses the Bengal tiger, the Indian leopard, the sloth bear and many species of birds.
Welcome to Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
The entrance to the Mudumalai National Park
Contiguous with The Wayanad Wildlife sanctuary, The Bandipur National Park and the Sigur and Singara Reserve forests, this National Park forms an important wildlife corridor within the Biosphere Reserve. It provides landscape connectivity for the Asian elephant population in the area contributing to the elephant protection and conservation in a huge way. All these areas are also part of the majestic Western Ghats that border the southern Indian peninsula. The Moyar river is the lifeline of this sanctuary.
There are various visitor attractions at Mudumalai park. Good wildlife viewing opportunities are the Elephant safari and the Van safari conducted by the forest department. Elephant feeding camp at Theppakadu gives an opportunity to see the elephants being bathed and fed. Bokkapuram, Masinagudi, Mavanhalla and Singara are villages here where small homestay accomodations are available.
Staying at one of these destinations gives visitors an opportunity to take safaris in forest vehicles through tracks inside the forest .
Driving to Masinagudi
A forest lodge at Masinagudi and a watch tower to observe wildlife
The landscape at Masinagudi
The Moyyar river near Masinagudi
A drive through the Mudumalai National park can be very exciting. Some pictures to prove this…
An Elephant family goes about their daily life…
Deer decide to display their road crossing skills…
The bisons decide to test our vehicle brakes….
And the little birdie displayed her home…
Where the Elephants Whisper….
The movie “The Elephant Whisperers” which went on to win the Oscar in 2023 chronicled the life of Bomman and Bellie who tended to Raghu ,an orphaned elephant calf. And it all happened right here at the Theppakadu elephant camp where Bomman worked as a mahout. The movie shot this couple to fame.
Theppakadu Elephant camp where this film was shot also shot to fame and public attention was drawn to this camp.
In 2024, The Tamil Nadu forest department released a calender with beautiful pictures of the inhabitants of Theppakadu and their caretakers. The calender outlines the life stories of these elephants.
Bomman and Bellie, the real life heros of “The Elephant Whisperers”
Theppakadu Elephant Camp
This is the oldest elephant camp in Asia ; established more than a century ago and lies in the Mudumalai National Park. Originally the elephants were used for timber transportation . Over time ,it has grown into a conservation, rescue and rehabilitation centre for the gentle giants.
The camp rehabilitates elephant calves who have been abandoned or orphaned and trains them as “Kumkis”. These are trained elephants who are used to mitigate human animal conflict by assisting forest officials in driving wild elephants back into the forest and capturing wild elephants who enter human habitations and cause damage.Thus the abandoned calves are not only cared for but are put to effective use.
Most of the mahouts at Theppakadu are tribals belonging to the Kattunayakar tribe. This is a good example of local tribal participation in conservation.
This camp is also a tourist destination where elephant feeding can be observed besides elephant rides through the sanctuary.
Lodging facilities are available close to the camp .
At Theppakadu
Accomodation at Theppakadu
Feeding centre at Theppakkadu
Food being mixed at the camp
Sigur Plateau
An important wildlife corridor within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, this area supports more than 6300 elephants being the largest single elephant population in India. It is home to several critical elephant migration corridors and was added to Mudumalai as a buffer zone for tiger conservation.
However several threats exist to this critical zone.The growth of resorts and consequent expansion of human activities, the growth of invasives weed species leading to destruction of natural foliage are some of the threats which are being addressed.
Travelling to Mudumalai
Ooty (68kms) and Mysore(100kms) are the nearest railheads while Coimbatore(160kms), Calicut(124kms) and Bangalore(240kms) are the nearest airports.
Reasonably good roads connect all these destinations with Mudumalai. A stay of a couple of days and a few safari rides are good opportunities for wildlife viewing.
With all these attractive wildlife viewing opportunities available at reasonable cost, Mudumalai sure should find a place in your travel bucket list.
Do visit this camp and have a look at the lives of these elephants….
A ride on the Heritage Train that meanders the twists and turns along the slopes of the Nilgiri mountain ranges offering stunning views of the hills and valleys is a different experience altogether.
Running on steam locomotives, the UNESCO has added it as a World Heritage site and along with the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and The Kalka Simla Railway, forms a part of The Mountain Railways of India.
Let us take a look at this vintage train and its origins.
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway
The idea of this railway line was concieved in 1854 but it fructified only in June 1899. It is a meter gauge track running over a distance of almost 46 kms between Mettupalayam and Ooty. It was initially running only upto Coonoor but was later extended to Ooty .The railway line is special as it ascends from 300 mts to 2200 mts elevation over a distance of 46 kms.
Crossing more than 250 bridges and 16 tunnels, this is an engineering marvel of that time built by the British but several additions and repairs have been undertaken later.
One of the several bridges
And one tunnel
The steam engine
The NMR or toy train as it is popularly known belongs to the Government of India and is operated by the Southern Railway. It is the only rack railway in India and runs on rack and pinion to climb the steep gradient.
The rack and pinion track
The Journey
The uphill journey from Mettupalayam takes more than 4 1/2 hours while the downhill takes around 3 1/2 hours. A daily service up and down with more services between Coonoor and Ooty is the usual schedule with extra services during the summer peak season.
Some of the stations enroute are, Kallar, Runneymede, Coonoor, Wellington, Aravankadu, Ketti and Lovedale . Besides stopping at these stations, the train stops multiple times along the route and passengers get off and enjoy the coolness and the views. The speed is also very slow and one can easily get off and get on the train.
Passengers enjoy the scenery at one of the stops
The outside…
And the Inside…..
Most of the stations along the route have retained their colonial style buildings adding to the vintage look…
The colonial look at Coonoor station
One problem that I noticed was that sometimes the steam let out fills the coach specially inside a tunnel and then it can get a little uncomfortable. Apart from that, the ride is enjoyable.
At many places, the train runs parallel to the road but there are some really remote parts of the track and for those unique views , one has to travel by the train.
Some pictures from one such journey…
A road parallel to the track
Road above the tracks
A beautiful valley
Beautifully maintained tea estate
A winding road
A mountain stream
And waterfalls…..
After seeing these pictures, you must be convinced that a ride on the Nilgiri Mountain railway is indeed a great way to explore the Nilgiris.
Why wait then? Just pack your bags and set off…
Don’t forget to comment and give your feedback before you leave….
Starting my series on the Nilgiris with a round up….
When you read the title, what was the picture that flashed in your mind?
For most of you, it must have been of misty mountains full of greenery . Well that’s what describes the Nilgiris in a nutshell. But let me tell you, the Nilgiris is much more than that. Let us delve into the surprises that lie hidden in those green valleys.
The word Nilgiris literally means blue mountains and those of you who have observed these mountains particularly at dawn and dusk would agree with this name. The Nilgiri mountains get covered periodically by the violet blossoms of the Neelakurinji (strobilanthus) which has led the locals to give this name. But even during other times, there is a bluish hue related to plenty of eucalyptus trees here similar to the Blue Mountains near Sydney.
The bluish hue…
These mountains are part of the Western Ghats, the long mountain chain that runs parallel to the west coast of the Indian peninsula. They range in height from 900 to 2650 mts approximately and this altitude leads to the cool climate that this place is blessed with. The Nilgiris form a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve , which is home to multiple sanctuaries and National Parks about which we shall delve in detail later.
Today, there is a separate district called Nilgiris in TamilNadu which encompasses these mountains and is bordered by Karnataka and Kerala. Ooty, Coonoor, Kotagiri, Kundah, Gudalur and Pandalur are the main areas comprising the Nilgiris district. It also includes Wellington and Aravankadu which are largely cantonment areas under defence control. Ooty, the famous hill station in south India is the headquarters of this district.
A little bit of history….
Peculiarly, unlike most parts of India, The Nilgiris was never part of any empire or kingdom. It was always tribal land. Pockets of tribal hamlets separated by vast areas of verdant forests untouched by humans was what the Nilgiris was , once upon a time. Even today, in most of the Nilgiris you will find clusters of houses forming a hamlet separated from other hamlets by forests and tea gardens. The only difference is that today ; most of these hamlets are self contained and have modern amenities including internet connectivity.
Typical Nilgiri landscape with clusters of houses separated by tea gardens
The Todas, Kurumbas, Irulas and Kotas formed the tribal population here. The Todas are traditionally cattle grazers, Kurumbas are honey hunters, Irulas are hunters and agriculturists and the Kotas are the artisans .
Toda women are also known to do beautiful embroidery using black, white and red coloured threads.
Beautiful Toda embroidery
A traditional Toda hut
The Badagas were also the indigenous people here but are not considered a tribal community.In fact, today, the Badagas form the majority of the local population of the Nilgiris.
The Badagas are an ethno linguistic community whose ancestors migrated here from Mysore. They live in settlements called hattis and speak the Badaga language which is essentially a mix of Kannada and Malayalam. Much of the tradition and culture is retained even today and you can find it all over the Nilgiris.
Badagas dance in traditional attire
In the early 1800s, the British developed these areas for tea and coffee plantations and summer retreats. It was John Sullivan, the collector of adjoining Coimbatore who undertook detailed surveys of the place and in a way ” discovered” the place. Several colonial style bunglows and churches were built and they form an indelible part of the local ambience. By the late 1800s, the hills were completely accessible with ghat roads and the railway line. So, in a way the British have contributed a lot to the infrastructure development in the Nilgiris.
TeaGardens
Tea is grown in elevations between 1000 and 2500 mts above sea level and Nilgiris with its location and its rainfall attributes is ideal tea cultivation area. The British introduced tea to the Nilgiris from China marking the beginning of tea cultivation here.
Nilgiris is tea garden zone and these green neatly cut gardens dominate the Nilgiri landscape. In fact, at no point of time when you are in the Nilgiris are you not surrounded by them. Acres and acres of tea gardens as far as the eyes can see….that’s what describes Nilgiri landscape in a nutshell.And saying that it looks beautiful is an understatement!!!!
A tea garden is a treat to the eyes….(click on video)
Naturally, it follows that the predominant occupation of the locals is connected to tea. Starting from tending to the tea gardens to plucking the tea, transporting it to the factories, working in the tea factories and handling the logistics is the main source of revenue for the locals.Ranging from the small farmers to big corporate estates and even the government , everyone here has a stake in TEA !!
The larger estates have their factories processing their own tea , the middle level acquires tea from the small local farmers and processes them.
The elevation of the place, the soil conditions , the climatic conditions and such others change the flavour and colour of the ultimate cup of tea on your table. A lot of science goes into all this and the value of the tea from a particular place in a particular season is determined by the Tea Board. Tea auctions also regularly take place at Coonoor and Coimbatore.
There is a Tea Museum and Tea Factory visit organised from Ooty where visitors are introduced to the various stages of tea processing. The Nilgiris predominantly produces CTC tea which refers to cutting, twisting and curling. The leaves are subjected to drying, withering and rolling using machines before it is neatly packed and marketed. Black tea, Green tea, Herbal tea, and White tea are common varieties of tea produced here. Each of these use leaves of different maturity and the process used also varies.
Tea plucking in progress
A tea factory in the midst of tea gardens
A tea factory
Leaf sheds are another common sight here. They are used to store the leaves after plucking till transport is arranged.
A leaf shed with collected leaves in bags
Inside the tea factory ( click on the video)
Another familiar sight are the factory outlets of tea where it is cheaper and freshly processed tea is available..
Tea factory outlets
The Nilgiris also grows spices, coffee, carrots, potatoes and cabbage. Roadside vendors selling freshly plucked carrots along with the leaves is another unique sight.
Freshly harvested carrots for sale!
Eucalyptus and SilverOak trees predominate the landscape. Oil extracted from the eucalyptus trees is also sold widely here.
Eucalyptus trees
Wildlife
As with forests, wildlife also varies depending on the elevation. Elephants are found at the lower elevations which are warmer while the colder elevations have bison, bear, leopards and tigers. A separate episode on Nilgiri wildlife will cover these.
Home to various National parks, the Nilgiris has an exclusive Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve zone which includes the Mudumalai and Mukurthi National parks besides other areas.
Lakes
The Nilgiris has some awesome lakes ; some natural and some artificial. Naming a few of the; Ooty lake, Emerald Lake, Avalanche Lake and Pykara Lake are the more popular ones.
Emerald Lake
20 kms from Ooty is this unfrequented and pristine lake with emerald waters. A bird watcher’s paradise, the surrounding areas are an escape to tranquility. Some pictures…
Emerald Lake
Landslides….
Being a hilly area with copious rainfall, Nilgiris has had it’s share of landslides. Usually after incessant rain, these landslides do cause destruction and dislocations to the lives of the common people here. The aftermath….
Telltale signs of a landslide…
Living in the Nilgiris
Most of the population in the Nilgiris are engaged in the tea plantations and connected industries. They are friendly people who live simple lives. When I spend my summers here, I have had interactions with locals and found them to be very welcoming of outsiders although they are not very happy with noisy tourists. Many of them smile and wish you and during my evening walks I was particularly drawn by the innocence and simplicity of a brother and sister. They would be waiting for me and as I pass their home they would run up to wish me! Their eagerness to race with each other to reach first and wish just speaks of the innocence of these lovely children…..Dhanalakshmi and Adhiswaran
Picture of Innocence…..
Posh colonies and elegant bungalows are usually seen close to Coonoor, Wellington, Ooty and such pockets. Coonoor and Wellington particularly has an upmarket crowd due mainly to the defence establishments around.
A typical Nilgiri village with houses of the common man
And a posh bungalow
Summer in the Nilgiris
Summer time is Jacaranda time in the Nilgiris. The beautiful purple flowers add beauty to the green hill slopes and many a time the roads are lined by these trees with a purple carpet of flowers on the road…
Jacarandas….
Bird songs…
Summer marks the mating season of various birds here. Notable one is the Magpie Robin which sings melodiously at dawn. Living in the Nilgiris, you often wake up to their songs…
The Magpie Robin
Summer time is also tourist time in the Nilgiris. Business is brisk for the innumerable homestays and hotels.
Hotels and Homestays
Tourism provides livelihood to many families in the Nilgiris but it has it’s own drawbacks due to irresponsible tourism. Speeding vehicles belching fumes from their exhausts to blaring music played late into the night from resorts to widespread littering causes heartburn among the locals. Some where, they feel their peaceful life is disturbed and justifiably so!!!
Well, I leave you on this note worth pondering about ……
We now delve deeper into various specialities of these mountains in forthcoming episodes.
Till then do subscribe, comment and give your feedback.. Do give your star rating below…
Welcome to the “Heartland of Wintersports in India”…..Gulmarg.
Winter converts Gulmarg into a sheet of ice and this is the time it becomes a skiers paradise…
Sheets of ice in winter
In contrast , summer brings out the blooms in the meadows justifying the name Gulmarg which means “meadow of flowers” in Persian . In spring and summer, the meadows of Gulmarg are covered with wild flowers.
A beautiful Gulmarg summer
Gulmarg….India’s Skimarg
Gulmarg is about 60 kms from Srinagar and easily accessible by road from there.
Located in the Pir Panjal ranges of the Himalayas, its popularity as a ski destination is on the rise. The Institute of Skiing and mountaineering located here provides training to amateurs and professional skiers.
Gulmarg ski resort has world class facilities including forecasting, avalanche mitigation, rescue and first aid services.
The Skiing Institute
Skiing
Gulmarg….A golfer’s dream
TheBritish started using Gulmarg as a summer retreat. Golf was one of their favourite hobbies and three golf courses were established in Gulmarg ; one of them at 8690 ft is the highest golf course in the world. The first Golf Championship was played at Gulmarg in 1922 and since then it has hosted amateur and professional golf tournaments.
The green golf course
Gulmarg Gondola….highest in Asia
The highlight of Gulmarg is the Gulmarg gondola ,the highest cable car in Asia. There are different phases of travel in this Gondola. The first phase takes tourists to Kongdoori station at a height of 8530 ft and second phase to 12293 ft.
The Gulmarg Gondola
Horse riding is another activity that one can indulge in. Strawberry valley and Leopard valley are great riding destinations.
Our snow encounter at Gulmarg
Driving down from Srinagar, we were treated to some great views of the mountains and valleys. As we started the ascent, Srinagar town could be seen below.
Views of Srinagar as we ascended
Just before we started the final ascent, we hired the snow gear for our snow encounter from one of the innumerable shops.
All ready with snow gear
All ready to greet the snow, we continued our ride up to Gulmarg where some awesome mountain views greeted us….
Beautiful mountain views while reaching Gulmarg
View from the parking lot
Soon we were at the parking lot where we got dropped off by our driver. We wanted to ride the gondola and so we decided to walk up to the gondola station.
We could have also taken a sledge but we opted to walk up to the gondola station. Sledges are pulled by men and that was something sad ; the struggle for survival!!
Sledges to the gondola station.
Gondola starting point
After we purchased the tickets we joined the queue to board the gondola. Once we boarded, it was an awesome sight as we started ascending . The cable car kept passing in between pine trees which seemed to have sprung up from a sheet of snow. A short video for you….
The cable car moves along….(click on the video)
Some pictures from the gondola…
Views from the gondola
Soon we were at the phase one gondola station where we alighted. There is a small cafe here but the main activity is playing in the snow. We also enjoyed ourselves sitting on snow and aiming snow balls. The gondolas proceeding to phase two were also visible from here. Some tourists were trying their hand at skiing too.
At phase one.
The gondola pillars and skiers can be seen in the background.
Playing with ice balls
After thoroughly enjoying ourselves in the snow, we wanted some warmth and rushed to the cafeteria where we had some hot tea and snacks.
Returning to the gondola, we boarded it for our trip down hill. Walking up from the gondola station, we met our driver and returned to Srinagar.
Book Gondola tickets online
Visitors to Gulmarg should book their gondola tickets online before starting the trip as it is almost impossible to get tickets across the counters now. Bookings are now online unlike a couple of years back when we visited the place. Tickets get full months in advance specially if you are traveling for the tulip festival.
Well, that sums up our Gulmarg trip and marks an end to the series on Kashmir which I hope all of you enjoyed.
Next week I start a series on The Nilgiris, the famous blue mountains of south India.
See you there…
Till then, do comment and give your feedback. I have also added a star rating below…please give your ratings…
From this week, I am adding a Viewer’s Corner
Viewer’s Corner
Can you share your experiences at Gulmarg? That would be great…You can put it in the comments section.
Vatikas or pleasure gardens were an ancient concept in Kashmir during the pre Mughal period when Kashmir was a predominantly Hindu region. These gardens were simply orchards or had flowers and medicinal herbs. So, most of these gardens were already established when the Mughals arrived in the 16th century.
Islam came to Kashmir in the 14th century with the Shahmiri sultans with predominant Persian influence. Persian gardens are usually terraced with water channels, cascades and fountains in addition to the flowering plants and trees.
The Mughals were so taken aback by the sheer beauty of Kashmir and they started extending and modifying the gardens. That is the origin of the Mughal gardens of Kashmir and that explains the presence of water channels, fountains and pavilions in these gardens.The site of the Mughal gardens is also unique. They are all located at the foot of the hills and have a spring feeding the water channels.
Shalimar Bagh
Considered one of the high points of Mughal architecture, Shalimar Bagh was built by Emperor Jahangir in 1620 following the Persian architectural style. The garden was modified and extended by successive rulers who called it by different names. It was used as the imperial summer residence and court by Jahangir and Noorjahan and is located on the banks of the Dal lake.
The Shalimar bagh is the more ostentatious of the Moghul gardens and is divided into the upper and lower parts. The upper part had 2 terraces exclusively for the emperor and his courtiers and called Diwan-i-Khas. The lower has 3 terraces and is called the Diwan-i-Aam and was used to hold public audiences by the Emperor.
The central axis has water flowing along with fountains and chinar trees lining it. Although the Shalimar Bagh also has terraces, fountains and cascades, what sets it out are the two pavilions. The Pink Pavilion in the Diwan-i-Aam and the Black Pavilion in the Diwan-i-Khas.
These gardens were celebrated since many years as jewels in Kashmir but now many of these features appear tad dated though restoration and upkeep is going on. Some pictures…
The central water axis, fountains and pavilions of Shalimar Bagh
Beautiful flower beds
Nishat Bagh
Nishat Bagh meaning “Garden of Delight” is a terraced Mughal garden on the banks of the Dal lake. Built in 1633 by Asif Khan, the father of Nurjahan, it is the second biggest of the Mughal gardens. The landscaped garden and it’s fountains against the backdrop of the PirPanjal ranges and the Dal lake is a feast to the eyes.
It was originally planned in the model of a Persian garden but had to be re modelled to suit the topography of the region. It has a broad cascade of terraces lined by chinar and cypress trees and the lowest part is connected to the Dal lake. It has 12 terraces corresponding to the 12 zodiac signs.
There is a central axis that runs through the garden with water flowing in a cascade from the upper terrace to the lowest one. Fountains and pools are present in all the terraces and along the central axis canal . Benches for visitors to relax and enjoy the scenery are also provided.
Some pictures…
The central canal with fountains
The central canal almost blending into the Dal lake
Water cascades from the upper to the lower terraces
A riot of colours
Chashme Shahi
Famous for it’s natural spring, Chashme shahi is another of the Moghul gardens of Srinagar. The waters of this spring are known for their cool and rejuvenating qualities . This garden also has Persian architectural influence and the central water axis through which the spring water flows.
The spring is sheltered under a pavilion and the water flows through the central axis from one terrace to another in the form of cascades. The terraces here are much higher than in the other gardens and provides views of the Dal lake.
The pavilion guarding the spring
Verinag
This pavilion garden built around the spring that is the source of the river Jhelum was also built during the time of Jahangir but subsequently extended by Shah Jahan.
Located at Anantnag, this garden was just a spring around which an octagonal tank was constructed . This tank is 50 ft deep and has lot of fish. Cascades and fountains were built lined by chinar trees . Hot and cold baths were also built but went into ruins.
It was a pleasure retreat of the Emperor and arched recesses were built around the tank. Verinag is also a sacred place of the Kashmiri Hindus.
Verinag
Achabal Bagh
A Hindu sacred site with a spring called Achabal Nag is the origin of the present day Achabal Bagh. Situated near Anantnag, it is remotely located and has been sheltered from urbanisation and tourist influx. Empress NurJahan is believed to have enhanced and modified the existing garden.
Pari Mahal
Located close to Chashme Shahi in Srinagar, this garden was built at the site of the ruins of a Buddhist monastery as a residential school of Sufiism.
Though at one point in time, these gardens were much appreciated and celebrated, the Tulip garden has overshone these. After visiting the Tulip gardens, the charm of Mughal gardens seem to have faded.
Well, with this I conclude this episode on the (Moghul) gardens of Kashmir. Leaving you with the thought that though they are attributed to the Moghuls, they actually belong to the pre Moghul era….
I am on a holiday and so there will be no episodes published in the next two weeks. Will see you after that at Gulmarg, the ski world of India.
Till then, do subscribe, comment and give your feedback.
“Dekha ek khwab toh ye silsile huey’….this famous Hindi song from the movie Silsila would have had most of you fantasize yourself as Amitabh and Rekha in the tulip garden . Remember those stunning visuals at Keukenhof tulip gardens, the largest in the world?
Flash back to “Silsila”….
Today, let us visit the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden in Srinagar; the largest tulip garden in Asia. This was originally a model floriculture center called Siraj Bagh.
A little bit on tulips….
Tulips have their origin in Persia and were brought to Europe in the 17th century. Today, Holland is the largest tulip producer in the world. Amsterdam in Holland boasts of flower auctions that attracts buyers from all over the world.
The tulip garden at Srinagar is a more affordable option for most tourists and it is equally stunning.
The beauties…
Visiting the Tulip Garden
This garden is open only for a short period of time in summer and so, be sure to time your visit to Kashmir when it’s open. It is open to the public roughly from early April for about 20 days marking the Tulip Festival. After that, the tulips lose their color and stance and the garden is closed. This period sees the maximum tourist inflows in to Kashmir making it necessary to book well in advance.
Spread over 30 acres of land at the foothills of the Zabarwan range in a sloping fashion with seven terraces, it is a sight to behold! Opened in 2007 to boost floriculture tourism, it is a relatively new addition to Srinagar’s attractions.
A short video of the layout of the tulip garden
At the tulip garden
Well, 1.7 million tulip bulbs for our very own garden were brought from Keukenhof. There are around 73 varieties of tulips here apart from daffodils, hyacinths and many other varieties of flowers .
Some daffodilsamong the tulips
The tulips are planted in rows with each row having a different color. This interspersed color pattern literally makes it a rainbow on land!!
The rainbow has descended on earth!!!
There are also a number of walkways and fountains making it a nice place for photo shoots.
Any amount of description by a mere mortal like me is not going to match nature’s visual treat. So, let me just leave you with the pictures and videos. Enjoy the colorful treat…
Some stunning pictures from the tulip garden
Last but not the least, let me leave you with one of our best memories of Kashmir….
Among the tulips…
Like all good things, this episode too, comes to an end. Next week, I meet you at The Moghul Gardens of Srinagar.
Many of us have been to Kashmir and stayed in a houseboat on Dal Lake. But how many of us have given it a second thought? We often go there as a tourist , enjoy the scenic beauty , click some nice pictures as memories and leave. Known as “floating houses”, these houseboats are iconic of Dal Lake.
The beginning of houseboats…
As we saw in the history of Srinagari or Srinagar, the region was under several regimes at various points in time. These included Emperor Ashoka, The Mughals, The Afghans, the Sikhs and the Dogras. Most of the rulers used the place as a summer resort due to its salubrious climate. The Europeans particularly the British were also interested in having their summer resorts here .But a law prevented outsiders from buying land in Kashmir.The Europeans cleverly circumvented this by building house boats. And that saw the birth of the houseboats on Dal Lake.
After independence, the Kashmiri Hanjis built, and maintained these houseboats, started cultivation on the lake ,created floating markets and thus it slowly became the centre of their livelihoods. Today, houseboat tourism is big business in Kashmir with a stay on a houseboat becoming an essential part of a Kashmir itinerary of the tourist.
Where are they?
The houseboats on Dal lake are stationary unlike their namesakes in the backwaters of Kerala. They are moored to the western edge of Dal lake and most houseboats have their own utility boats for ferrying guests to and from ashore. They typically have either European names or Indian names. There are wooden passages built to go from one houseboat to another.
A typical Kashmiri houseboat
Rubbing shoulders here are one European named and one Indian name houseboat
The wooden passages between houseboats
Features of a houseboat
The houseboats are vibrant examples of Kashmiri artistry and woodcrafting. Cedar wood which remains healthy even after prolonged stay in water is used to build these houseboats . Intricately carved wood paneling with a porch for guests to relax and enjoy the views of Dal lake are some of it’s salient features. Most of them however appear a bit dated and in need of repair and restoration.
The porch with intricate carvings on the wooden walls
They are like proper houses with a deck, porch, living room, dining room and then the indivudual guest rooms behind . A typical one would have around 4 to 6 rooms each with a double bed, attached bath and toilet. The porch and dining area is common. The caretakers also typically live beside the houseboat and food is cooked by the caretakers.
Furniture in the houseboat is made of walnut wood and that also is intricately carved. Wall to wall carpets with typical Kashmiri designs adds to the interior beauty.
The intricately carved furniture and typical Kashmiri carpets.
There are houseboats of varied capacities. This arrangement works well for all types of guests, be it families, honeymooners, friends groups or even senior citizens. There are very expensive luxury houseboats, mid range ones and even budget boats to suit every pocket.
A typical room in a houseboat.
The corridor on the houseboat from where you enter the rooms
Sitting in the porch and observing the shikaras go by can be very soothing.
Enjoying the views of Dal lake from the houseboat
As you sit on the houseboats, shikaras and ferry boats approach the houseboats with wares to sell.
Fruits for sale!!!
Shikaras
Shikaras are another iconic feature of Dal Lake. They are slender, shallow boats with a roof that is often very ornate and colourful. The interiors of the shikara are cushioned and decorated in typical Kashmiri colours and designs. These are reminiscent of the gondolas in Venice but are more decorated, colourful and having roofs.
Shikaras await tourists on a placid Dal lake
Shikara ride
A shikara ride is “must do” on a houseboat holiday.These are rowed by a boatman with oars and they literally glide on the waters of the Dal Lake making the shikara ride a surreal experience!! Shikaras have a romantic charm about them
Steps to board the Shikaras from the houseboat
On a shikara ride
The shikara sails on Dal lake (click on video)
The Shikaras take you through the narrow channels of Dal lake where the floating markets are located . Traditional kashmiri arts and crafts, shawls and snacks are available here and one can indulge oneself as one floats along…
Sailing along the floating markets on a shikara
As one sails along on the shikara, various other sights can also be seen like the Sankaracharya temple on the hillock,the moghul gardensetc.
You have now virtually stayed on a houseboat and taken a shikara ride on Dal lake. I hope you enjoyed this trip. See you next week in the gardens of Srinagar….another amazing experience indeed. Till then, do give your feedback and comments..
Travel-along.in 