Whenever I get time in the weekend or there are holidays, I go out for travel. have been to many places in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Punjab, and Rajasthan in Northern India; Madhya Pradesh in Central India; Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal in Eastern India; Maharashtra in Western India, and Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu in Southern India.

I have been to both urban and rural India. I am particularly fond of religious travel. Whenever I go out, I make it a point to be in close touch with nature. Being close to nature gives me a chance to inhale pure oxygen and get a new lease of life.

I am yet to visit Kashmir - the Paradise of the world. I also plan to visit Auli one day.

Some of the popular places which I have visited include Chandigarh, Shimla, Kullu, Mussoorie, Nainital, Manali, Mount Abu, Lonavala-Khandala, Gwalior, Ujjain, Mumbai, Chennai, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Ranakpur, Phaltan, Dalhousie, Panchgani, Paithan, Mangi-Tungi, Kunthalgiri, and Khajjiar (Switzerland of India). I cannot think of a hill station better than Dalhousie. You will be amazed to see the waterfall there.

Ranakpur

In February, I visited Rankapur in Rajasthan. Ranakpur is famous for its 600-year old Jain temple. Its architecture is extraordinary. There are 1144 pillars and no two pillars are alike. People from all over the world frequent this great temple.

Chandigarh

I also made a trip to Chandigarh this year. Chandigarh is the best planned city in India. Though you will find shops everywhere, yet there are no jams.

This is because there are three dedicated lines on each side of the road. One lane is for parking, the second lane is for slow moving vehicles, and the last one is for fast-moving vehicles. The traffic lights can be seen from a distance, and every light has a counter.

Chandigarh is a green city. Calling Chandigarh a city of banyan trees won't be an exaggeration.

Nainital

Nainital is referred to as Sarovar Nagri. It was a welcome change from Delhi's sunny weather.

I took a boat ride at the main lake at Nainital. I also visited Sattal, Nauchakutiya Tal, and Bhimtal.

I also enjoyed the ropeway ride. From the top the main lake looked just like a small stretch of water.

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Kunthalgiri

Kunthalgiri is a sacred place close to Osmanabad City in Maharashtra. I was looking to visit this place for long. The day of reckoning finally came in January this year. The first thing that amazed me was the sight of hills from a distance and small temples perched atop these hills.

It was late evening when I reached there. I could not notice any devotees in the temple, but the Gurukul in the temple compound was abuzz with small children. They were hanging around carrying the most innocent looks on their faces. After some time, there was a religious assembly. What happened after that was something I won't forget.

The children made a beeline to buy Kheel, a sweet Indian namkeen. The children started exchanging the same Kheel with each other and their teachers. Normally, after a prayer, only one person gives and the others meekly accept. That looks authoritarian. But here I witnessed flawless teamwork without any feel of authority.

Here, every child makes it a point to approach other child and teacher. The child offers his kheel and the other accepts. They then smile at each other. Now it’s the acceptor’s turn. He takes some kheel from his pack and gives in return. Neither there is any senior nor junior. Everyone offers equal and receives equal. This mutual exchange continues for more than 2 hours.

In the morning, I went up the hills to pay my obeisance to the Gods. Some stairs were easy, while others were very steep. From the top, the view was panoramic. The wind was blowing in full speed and I could hear the rustle of prayer flags as they braced the wind. I stayed uphill for more than 3 hours. Then it was time for lunch. The lunch was in Gurukul. I got one more opportunity to come face-to-face with the children. The lunch was superb; I got pooris, cholas, and gulab jamuns.

The return journey was awesome. There is sandy terrain on both sides of the road. The road can accommodate only one vehicle at a time. There are no streetlights, no indicators, or signboards. There were curls and curves. This continues for more than 10 kilometers. The scene was exactly like a movie.

It was a truly unbelievable experience. This place is NOT for everyone. It is for those who want simplicity and serenity without an iota of luxury.

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