india – An Indian Bureaucrat's Diary

Travel India Murud Janjira – the invincible fort

Murud Janjira Murud is a beautiful fishing village on the western coast of India – about 5 hours drive from Bombay (Mumbai). Since it has a municipality, water supply, schools and hospitals, you could even term it a small town.… Read more ›

February 22, 2008 10 Comments

Binoy Gupta

Caves, History, Islands and Beaches, Nature, Palaces and Forts, Temples and Pilgrimage, Travel India

beach, fort, History, india, island, maharashtra, murud janjira, travel india

Travel India Kodaikanal – the Gift of the Forest

Kodaikanal The Tamil word Kodaikanal which means ‘Gift of the Forest’ aptly describes this quaint, little, hill station. No other name could describe this place better! Nestling deep amidst thick forests, Kodaikanal is a unique hill station where you would… Read more ›

February 22, 2008 6 Comments

Binoy Gupta

Forests, Hill Stations, History, Lakes and Waterfalls, Nature, Travel India

boating, forest, hill station, india, kodaikanal, lake

Travel India Yercaud – Lake amidst the Forests

Misnamed the Poor Man’s Ooty The coffee is not an indigenous plant. Where did it came from? Coffee was introduced into Yercaud from Arabia in the 1920s by Mr. M. D. Cockburn, then Collector of Salem. Yercaud is a small… Read more ›

February 22, 2008 8 Comments

Binoy Gupta

Food, Forests, Hill Stations, History, Lakes and Waterfalls, Travel India

coffee, hill station, hill station india, india, ooty, yercaud

Travel India Sunderban – Journey to nowhere

Land of the Royal Bengal Tiger Largest Delta in the World The two great rivers, Ganges 2,510 km. (1,560 miles) and Brahmaputra 2,900 km. (1,800 miles), are born in the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. On the last lap… Read more ›

February 22, 2008 23 Comments

Binoy Gupta

Birds, Forests, Lakes and Waterfalls, Mangrove Forests, national parks, Nature, Travel India, Wildlife

bay of bengal, delta, india, Mangrove Forests, royal bengal tiger, sunderban, tiger

Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal – cradle of Chalukyan Architecture

Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal The Chalukyan Temple Architecture WHO designed the first Hindu temples? Who constructed them? Where were they built? What were they made of? Why did successive rulers make them more and more magnificent? These are some interesting… Read more ›

February 22, 2008 7 Comments

Binoy Gupta

History, Temples and Pilgrimage, Travel India

aihole, Architecture, badami, chalukya, History, india, pattadakal, south india temple, temple

Travel India Hogenakkal Falls – the smoking rocks

Hogenakkal Falls The Cauvery River may be the bone of contention between politicians, but oblivious to all these earthly squabbles, the river passes though some of the most picturesque regions in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in South India. Hogenakkal Falls… Read more ›

February 22, 2008 8 Comments

Binoy Gupta

Adventure Sports, Forests, Lakes and Waterfalls, Nature, Travel India, Wildlife

cauvery, coracle, crocodile, hogenakkal, india, natural spa, oil massage, smoking rock, waterfall

Travel India Lonavala and Khandala

The most popular week end get aways from Mumbai Lonavala and Khandala are two twin hill stations in Maharashtra eight kilometres from each other. They are just over a hundred kilometres from Mumbai (Bombay). The National Highway No. 4… Read more ›

February 22, 2008 18 Comments

Binoy Gupta

Caves, Forests, Hill Stations, History, Lakes and Waterfalls, Travel India

hill station, india, khandala, lonavala, vacation, waterfall, weekend, weekend getaway

Tirupati – Lord of Seven Hills

Tirupati Abode of Lord Venkateswara The temple of Lord Venkateswara, Lord of the Seven Hills, in Tirumala, commonly called Tirupati, is the richest and most revered temple in India. It is located amidst picturesque surroundings – 860 metres above sea… Read more ›

February 22, 2008 4 Comments

Binoy Gupta

History, Nature, Temples and Pilgrimage, Travel India

india, richest temple, tirumala, tirupati, tirupati temple, venkateswara

Belur and Halebid – Unique Temples

Belur & Halebid A must-see for all students of architecture, history and fine arts I have visited numerous temples in India. But the temples of Belur and Halebid built by the Hoysala kings are unique.

February 22, 2008 10 Comments

Binoy Gupta

History, Temples and Pilgrimage, Travel India

belur, halebid, hoysala, india, pilgrimage, south india, temple

Travel India Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary

The oldest bird sanctuary in India This is one wonderful scene I will never forget. I am in Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary near Chenni. The sun is just about to set. The trees are dotted with birds. At a rough estimate,… Read more ›

February 15, 2008 11 Comments

Binoy Gupta

Birds, Forests, Lakes and Waterfalls, national parks, Nature, Travel India, Wildlife

bird sanctuary, chennai, india, vedathangal

Mangalore

the Gateway to Manipal University and Dharamstala Because of the similarity of names, many people confuse Mangalore with Bangalore.Mangalore is an altogether different city – about 357 kms from Bangalore.Recently, I received an invitation to visit Mangalore.

February 10, 2008 8 Comments

Binoy Gupta

Architecture, Cities, Islands and Beaches, Temples and Pilgrimage, Travel India

beach, beach india, dharamstala, india, mangalore, manipal university

Travel India Ellora

The rock cut caves of Ellora In my earlier blog on Ajanta, I have already written that Government service does provide some unique pleasures and opportunities. I have thanked the Election Commission of India which sent me as an election… Read more ›

February 6, 2008 6 Comments

Binoy Gupta

Architecture, Caves, History, Travel India, world heritage

ajanta, Caves, ellora, historical caves, india, maharashtra

Share the life time experiences of a retired Indian Bureaucrat relating to travel and nature

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Travel India Murud Janjira – the invincible fort

Travel India Kodaikanal – the Gift of the Forest

Travel India Yercaud – Lake amidst the Forests

Travel India Sunderban – Journey to nowhere

Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal – cradle of Chalukyan Architecture

Travel India Hogenakkal Falls – the smoking rocks

Travel India Lonavala and Khandala

Tirupati – Lord of Seven Hills

Belur and Halebid – Unique Temples

Travel India Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary

Mangalore

Travel India Ellora