India Travel Guide

Sikkim is an entirely hilly state situated in the himalayas. Its highest point is Mt. Kangchenjunga at 8586metres which is the highest peak in India and the 3rd highest peak in the world. Sikkim is surrounded by Nepal on its west, China on north, Bhutan on east and west bengal on south.

Sikkim has four districts, each overseen by a Central Government appointee, the district collector who looks after the administration of the civilian areas of the districts. The Indian army also has control of a large territory, as the state is a sensitive border area. Many areas are restricted and permits are needed to visit them.

The four districts are East Sikkim, West Sikkim, North Sikkim and South Sikkim. The district capitals are Gangtok, Gayzing, Mangan and Namchi respectively. These Four Districts are further divided into Subdivisions. Pakyong and Rongli are the subdivisions of the East District. Soreng is the subdivision of the West District. Chungthang is the subdivision of the North District. Ravangla is the subdivision of the South District.

What to expect at Sikkim:

• colourful Gompas (buddists monastories)
• view of snow covered himalayas (Mt. Kangchenjunga being the most magnificent of all)
• frozen lakes (Gurudongmar and Tsongmo)
• national parks & sanctuaries
• beautiful flora and fauna

How to reach Sikkim:

Sikkim is situated on a hilly terrain and hence there is no rail network or air connectivity to Sikkim. The only way to reach Sikkim is by road.

The nearest airport is Bagdogra. Its approx. 124 kms from Gangtok. From Bagdogra, one can get a taxi for any town in Sikkim. Second option is Sikkim helicopter service which operates daily between the Bagdogra airport and a helipad in Sikkim.

The Nearest Railway station is New Jalpaiguri (NJP). Its approx 125 kms from Gangtok. Buses and shared/private taxis are available from NJP railway station to Gangtok and other towns in Sikkim.

Things to do/see in Sikkim:

Unlike most of the cities around the world, one gets to enjoy unadulterated nature at its best in Sikkim. One can do various activities here

• Trekking - mild to the most rigorous ones
• Photography - the view of the mountains and beautiful flora and fauna are quite enticing for the photographers
• Nature walks
• Just relax and enjoy the view of snow covered mountains.

What to watch out for:

Landslides are quite common in sikkim, especially in rainy season. Going there between July to september can be avoided if possible.

Karnataka offers a wide variety of tourism options. From coastal areas to misty mountains and from hustle-bustle of city life to peaceful retreats, Karnataka has a lot to offer.

Following is a list of primary regions in Karnataka:

1. Uttara Kannada (also known as North Karnataka) - Hilly area with dense forests and waterfalls.
2. Central Karnataka (Bangalore and around) - Primarily industrial.
3. Karavali (Coastal region of Karnataka) - Coastal, of course with specialized cuisine and a different dialect.
4. Kodagu/Coorg (The coffee estates) - Hilly area, dense forests.

Maharashtra is a land of ghats, beautiful waterfalls, spicy food and ancient temples. It can be roughly divided in the following regions:

1. Vidarbha (Nagpur and around)
2. Marathwada (Aurangabad and around)
3. Northern Maharashtra (Nashik and around)
4. Western Maharashtra (Pune and around)
5. Konkan or Coastal Maharashtra

For trekking in Himalayas one needs to be prepared for rough weather, unexpected climatic changes and circumstances.It can suddenly start raining, snowing or there can be landslides. Eventually all these thrills are compensated by breathtaking views.

Time to visit

Ideal time for Himalayan trekking is October after the rains when the views are more clear. 

What to carry

• Food - nuts, Glucon-D, pickle (you might find the food you get on the way boring), biscuits, hard-sugar (i don't know what exactly this is called, but this is very good when you are thirsty or coughing)
• Medicines - Pain killer, aniseptic, lomotil, avomin
• Sleeping bag or Carry mat
• Haver-sack

Keep in mind that it is essential to acclimatize to the height. Gaining too much of altitude in a single day is not a good idea. That can lead to feeling mountain sick which can prove to be fatal. The only way out then would be to take shelter at a lower altitude.

Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry; originally Puducheri; ancient Vedapuri) is a small town on east coast of South India. It's part of the Union Territory of Puducherry which comprises four coastal towns - Karaikal, Yanam, Mahe and of course, Puducherry.

The main highlights of the place are that it was ruled by the French for a long time and Sri Aurobindo lived here. The French arrived here in 1670 and ruled till 1954. Sri Aurobindo escaped from Bengal to Puducherry and pursued a life of seclusion and meditation here. The legacy of the French and Sri Aurobindo live on in the heart of this town.

Geographically, Puducherry is divided by a water stream in two parts. The one towards the sea is where the French lived and Sri Aurobindo made his Ashram. This part can make you feel that you are in a French town with colonial architecture and heritage buildings. All streets are laid out in a grid style. Overall, a very beautiful sight.

The other part of Puducherry is like any other South Indian town with no French connection per se. It's amusing to see how such wildly different cultures live next to each other separated by just a 20 feet wide water stream.

What to expect at Puducherry:

• A very strong French connection. Heritage buildings, tidy streets, french food. However, this is a very small part of the town.
• An atmosphere of pursuing Spiritual Path. Sri Aurobindo's ashram stands as a very significant entity and pulls visitors from various parts of the world. This along with Auroville creates spiritual aura around this town.
• A South Indian town. Majority of Puducherry is like any other well-populated South Indian town and doesn't show a French connection.
• Pristine beaches. The beaches are clean. But unlike Goa, beaches here lack the spirit. No shacks, no lights. Several travelers have run into unfriendly localites on these beaches.

Places to stay in Puducherry:

• Aurobindo Ashram itself maintains four guest houses which are in the "French Puducherry". However, it's hard to book them in advance since they are primarily for the devotees. Also, you'll need to abide by the rules of the Ashram (no drinking and gates closes at 10 PM).
• Puducherry tourism department has a list of all the hotels with contact information on its website.
• Auroville is another good place to stay if you are ok staying a little away (about 20 kms) from Puducherry.

Getting to Puducherry:

• From Bangalore, take the route BLR -> Hosur -> Krishnagiri -> Thiruvanamalai -> Chengi ( Gingi ) -> Tindivanam -> Pondicherry. On this route, you can also visit Ramanashram  & Shiva temple at Thiruvanamalai, and the Gingee fort at Gingee. Check out the restaurant at Hotel Ramakrishna in Thiruvanamalai for meals.
• From Chennai, take the ECR for a scenic drive to Puducherry.

Places to eat in Puducherry:

• Hotel Surguru serves excellent South Indian food.
• Rendezvous has good ambience and serves OKish continental food.

Things to do/see in Puducherry:

The tourism information center is located at 40, Goubert Avenue (Telephone: 0413-2339497, Fax: 0413-2330532).

• Promenade at Puducherry was built during the French era. It's a stretch of about 3 kms (call it mini marine drive, Bombay). It tends to be a little crowded as lots of locals and tourists converge here early morning (for sunrise) and evening.
• Auro Beach is about 8 kms north of the Promenade. The sand here is white and water is clean. It's neither isolated nor crowded. Good for having fun in the water. There isn't much commercial activity on the beach.
• Aurobindo Ashram is located in the French area of the town. One can go to Sri Aurobindo's samadhi and meditate there as long as one wishes. Attached is a book store that sells books written by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
• Bharathi Park is located near the Aurobindo Ashram. It's well maintained and provides respite to those wanting to be outdoors even when the sun is harsh.
• There is a library close to the Bharathi Park which has a good collection of books on Religion and Spiritualism. One can also find material regarding history of Puducherry.
• There is an island called Plage Paradiso. On one side are the backwaters and on the other side, roaring ocean with white sands and clean water.
  You should first go to Chunnambar Beach Resort located about 8 KMs from Puducherry on the way to Cuddalore. It is located on the main road itself. Once you reach Chunnambar, you can take a speed boat ride to Plage Paradiso island. You must reach the resort by 2 PM atleast as they would stop issuing tickets by 3. By 4 the boats would return back from the island to Chunnambar. For more information contact Chunnambar Backwater Resort, Cuddalore Road, Chunnambar, Puducherry. Tel: 0413 - 2356816.

Himachal Pradesh has several different styles of temple architecture ranging from carved stone shikharas, to pagoda-style shrines, Buddhist gompas and Sikh gurudwaras. he famous Baijnath templewas built in 9th century in the shikhara style. The Bhimkali temple in Saharan is another beautiful example of hillside architecture. According to the legend, Ravana offered his head ten times to his guru at this temple. The Usha Devi temple in Nilchar is built in pahari style, with timber-bonded stone walls and a slanting roof, covered in shingles. Legend has it that Lord Krishna won a battle here, even though his opponent was helped by Lord Shiva.

Uttarakhand is called "Devbhumi" or "The Abode of God". It has several ancient Hindu temples spread all over the region. This is where Yogis head to while striving for self-realization.

The place has unparalleled natural beauty and attracts lots of tourists. Some come here for religious tourism and some looking for a hill station to beat the heat.

Chattisgarh covers 12 percent of India's forest cover. It is also home to ancient monuments, palaces, caves and rare tribal communities. The region of Kawardha is inhabited by the Gond and Baiga tribal communities.

The best time to visit Chattisgarh is between September and March.

Places of worship

The most sacred temple in this region is the Mahamaya Devi Mandir in Ratanpur. It is surrounded by hills, lakes and water tanks which are remarkably well-maintained.

The 11th century Bohramdeo temple at Kawardha is famous for its exquisite and often erotic carvings.

Millions flock to the Danteshwari temple, built by the kings of Bastar as a dwelling for their local deity. This temple is situated at Jagdalpur.

The ivory-coloured temple of Rajiv Lochan, the lotus-eyed Vishnu, stands at the confluence of the Mahanadi, Pairi and Soundhar rivers at Rajim.

Chitrakote Falls

This is the largest waterfall in India. Approximately 38 km from Jagdalpur, the Indravati river tumbles down a 100 feet deep stratified cliff to join river Godavari.

Music

Pandwani, the part-prose part-musical rendering of epics is the most famous musical form. Teejan Bai, the most famous practitioner lives in Bhilai. The tribals, however have songsto mark every occasion. Sohar songs are related to childbirth, Bihav songs to marriage and Pathoni songs are related to gouna, when the bride leaves for her husband's home. Cher-Chera songs welcome the new crop, Basant Geet the onset of spring and Sawnahi the rainy season.