Dharamshala: A Religious Trip! ;)

There are always some dreams you have in your life which you wish would come true someday. I always believe that whenever we dream we should think of the best we can achieve. This trip was one of mine.

It all started with a little bit of google-ing for the schedule of the India England cricket series which was to be held in the month of January 2013. The moment my eyes fell on the venue of the final match, my eyes lit up. It was Dharamshala!! A long pending dream was about to be fulfilled.

Well, by reading the title of the post, you all might have been misguided, but for me it was truly going to be a religious trip. A quick check for the tickets and a couple of travel bookings I was all set for an experience of a lifetime. Being a true follower of cricket, (consider it as my religion! And I believe that it’s the only religion that unites our country.) this was truly going to be awesome!

Dharamshala City (Akshay Badkar Photography)

Dharamshala is a small town in the state of Himachal Pradesh, mostly known to people as the place where ‘The Dalai Lama’ lives, is the headquarters of the Central Tibetan Administration. It houses a large population of Tibetan refugees. Not many know and not many can imagine that it houses a cricket stadium of international standards. In fact, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium is the highest (in terms of altitude) cricket stadium in the world! Yeah!!

HPCA Stadium (Akshay Badkar Photography)

But that isn’t the best part. The best part of this stadium is that it is situated at the foot of the mighty Dhauladhar range of mountains which are snow clad throughout the year!! So cricket lovers, imagine this, snow clad mountains on one side and a lush green cricket field on the other! HEAVEN!! :D

Dharamshala can be reached by various modes, nearest airport being at Gaggal and the nearest narrow gauge train station is the Kangra Valley Station. Numerous overnight buses by state transport ply to this place from New Delhi. Places to see around are plenty which include temples, churches etc, McLeodGanj being famous among the tourists.

Dhauladhar Range (Akshay Badkar Photography)

As the literal translation of the name “Dharamshala” indicates it to be a place of spiritual dwelling, this place does have that feel of its own. Though India lost the match,(but were winners of the series ;) details here) this trip was an out of the world experience!

The mandatory FB Check In ;)

A MUST visit!! :)

P.S.: The temperature that day was about 3 degree Celsius. :) Pretty 'cool' isn't it? ;)

Cheers!!

The Real Goa

Miramar Beach, North Goa (Akshay Badkar Photography)

Being from Goa, I always wanted to write a post about my state and how different it is, from the usual perspective the tourists come to the state with.

Well, the first impression which comes to mind when somebody mentions Goa is the beaches, white sands, white skin, the cheap alcohol, clubs, and then nobody remembers the rest. Most of  the people visiting end up in the areas around North Goa, Baga, Candolim etc. That may  be a stretch of about 15-20 kms out of the total coastline stretch of a 101 kms. So how much of Goa have you actually seen? You can do the math!

You might be surprised to know that 40% of Goan area is covered with forests, with about 8 major wildlife sanctuaries which attracts quite a lot of trekking enthusiasts and bird watchers. The high number of photographers in the state,doesn't mean we are some geniuses in this field, the simple logic is whatever people click comes out beautiful by default!! ;)
 

The Western Ghats houses a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Numerous streams n waterfalls originate here. In fact the famous "Komban Gaon" in the Chennai Express was actually the famous Dudhsagar Waterfalls. Goa also houses a huge number of temples and churches of which some are listed in the World Heritage sites. People here still follow all traditional customs and are proud to say that they have a rich cultural  heritage.
 

Thanks to the thousands of scenic locations, Bollywood is kind of shifted to Goa. In the past few years among the movies I have watched, about 80% are shot in Goa.
 

We tell most of the people who want to visit that the best time to visit is from November to February. Yes true. Mainly due to short winter season, in otherwise a hot n humid climate.. when we know that the state looks most beautiful in the monsoons. May be we like to keep this season to ourselves ;).
 

The best way to explore this state is by hiring a bike and moving about on  your own. The awesome narrow roads laden with beautiful coconut trees, the old Portuguese style of architecture and houses form the real essence of Goa. The food mainly consists of non veg with fish being the important part of the staple diet. Sadly nothing much for the veggies.

So next time you meet a Goan don't ask for Feni or cashews, instead come, visit the place, experience the life beyond the booze, beaches and babes!! ;)

In short the Real Goa! :)

Sarzora Lake, South Goa (Akshay Badkar Photography)