Rishikesh-Yoga,Rafting and More..

Long known as the Yoga Capital of the World, Rishikesh is fast turning into a go-to adventure destination. Rafting and trekking have for long been on the outdoors menu. Add bungee jumping, flying fox and shooting galleries to the fast expanding smorgasbord.

The once little town, now somewhat of a sprawl and with no evidence of town-planning, remains exotic to foreign eyes and domestic tourists alike. Regarded as an auspicious religious site for millenia, as the spot where the mighty Ganga descends to the plains from Shiva's matted locks(jatau), its resplendent colours, thousands of devout pilgrims and the two pedestrian hanging bridges - Laxman Jhula and Ram Jhula - still remain a considerable draw for visitors.

On offer in the popular Swarg Ashram and Laxman Jhula area, are quaint river-side cafés with vegan cakes and pastries, and an eclectic choice of unheard of yoga styles - nada yoga, mantra yoga, kundalini yoga among others.

While safety in rafting and adventure sports is increasingly getting the importance it deserves, the clogging of its narrow streets with large SUVs and the pedestrian bridges with motorcycles can be more than an annoyance. The iconic Laxman Jhula abused for years by a constant stream of honking motorcyclists has as on date been deemed unsafe and shut down even for pedestrians.

The ultimate fate of this quaint spiritual and adventure destination lies in the hands of the local populace, who stand to lose the most if the quality of visitor experience deteriorates. They might be reminded that nothing lasts forever. Visitors, both domestic and foreign, should not be taken for granted.

Till doomsday dawns enjoy the yoga and the rafting and the lovely mist-covered hills.

Silence, Samadhi & Food @ Art of Living, Bangalore

You know an ashram is on the right track when there's blueberry cheesecake in the ashram café! 

The Art of Living ashram on the outskirts of Bangalore is a three decade old institution built on an industrial scale. Think of spirituality for the masses. Spread over 65 acres and still expanding, the mind boggles at the scale and the organisation running it. The Annapurna dining hall feeds 20,000 people a day! There are thousands of rooms for the spiritually inclined from the simple  to luxe villas with lawns and miniature waterfalls!

The pleasant landscaping and architecture  thoughtfully makes use of the local geography and gradients. One can have a good cardio going up and down to meditation halls scattered across the huge campus. The distances are challenging to some, and  the ashram very helpfully runs a shuttle service for those not trusting their own two legs to lug themselves around.

The highlight for me, though, wasn't the pranayama (breathing exercises), the guided meditation or the compulsory three day phase of silence. Located close to the huge, wedding cake style Vishalakshi Mantap - the spiritual heart of Art of Livin, is the Café Vishala, the spiritual tummy of this ashram. The word 'ashram' is derived from Sanskrit and means without effort. It required no effort from me to make a beeline to the café between meditation sessions. Its  design would do commercial cafés proud. Open on two sides, it makes use of the natural breeze and surrounding greenery. The furniture and chandeliers have a pleasant antique look. The vast menu stretches from Indian favourites - mango lassi and ginger tea, through organic juices from fruits grown on the ashram farm, to blueberry cheesecake, of course.

I meditated on the vagaries of life, of what brought me here, between tiny morsels of cheesecake. Savouring the blueberry syrup, all very meditatively of course, and with complete mindfulness. With all my endriyas (senses) - on the form and colour, its sweet fragrance, its touch on my tongue, the sound of crunching as I bit into it, the burst of sweetness as it spread on my thousands of taste buds, its gentle flow down my throat and then the warm feeling as it hit my stomach. I was one with the blueberry cheesecake and in my own private food nirvana. God bless the Art of Living!

Royal Cenotaphs

We've all seen how they lived and ruled in the several sprawling palace museums and forts dotted in Jaipur and its environs.

At Gaitore ki Chhatriyan - literally memorials to the departed - in the foothills below the beautiful Nahargarh fort, you can witness how they repose in the afterlife.

The royals of the ruling Kachhwaha dynasty of Jaipur are commemorated in lavish marble chhatris, lovingly carved in detail with scenes of courtly life - musicians, courtesans, dancing girls, elephant fights and hunting scenes.

It must be remembered there are no bodies buried here. The royals were cremated according to Hindu rites on huge funeral pyres made of fragrant sandalwood and dripping in even more fragrant ghee. The surviving wives often committed 'sati' - a ritual suicide - and burned alive with the dead royal.

The first cenotaph dates to 1733 and all the kings, except one, and several princes till recent times were cremated here.

Look for the exceedingly beautiful friezes on the ceilings and platforms, arched corridors, and graceful symmetrical domes on multi-tiered platforms, surrounded by expansive lawns and old trees.

Shahpura House - Jaipur

A visit to Rajasthan would be incomplete without experiencing the lively colours, art and crafts of a traditional haveli. Luckily, several have been converted to hotels or guesthouses, and are accessible to the heritage cognoscenti. Shahpura House in Jaipur's  Bani Park is one of them.

Set on a quiet lane in a very quiet residential area, the old haveli was lovingly restored and turned into its hotel avatar in 1991. Even the cheapest of rooms are spacious, come with marble floors, traditional textiles and rich antique furniture. The coloured glass doors, appliqué and pietra dura art in traditional Rajasthani miniature style, gilded ceiling and furniture in the faux durbar hall, there is beautiful art and antiques everywhere you turn.

The attention to detail extends to the bartender. Expect one in a costume more reminiscent of aristocratic durbars and royal courts, rather than the bustling, noisy, hurried pace of modern-day Jaipur. The food and liquor is a bit overpriced though, and maybe not the best at its price. A 18% tax on top of it, may ruin your appetite for dining in-house as well.   

Monkey Temple at Galta

The hills of Jaipur hide a complex of temples built into a dramatic gap between two cliffs. The temples rise in three tiers and a series of holy tanks in which visiting pilgrims take a ritual bath. The Hanuman Temple is dedicated to the monkey god. Not surprisingly hundreds of monkeys descend on the temple early in the morning looking for food from the pilgrims. Not for the monkey-wary 😄🙈🙉🙊🐒🐵

Nachana Haveli - A memorable heritage experience

Of all the traditional 'havelis' in Jaisalmer trying to sell you an authentic Rajasthani experience, Nachana gets high marks for getting it right effortlessly. Built in the 18th century for the younger princes of the Royal House of Jaisalmer, the aristocratic descendants still live in a part of this vast mansion. Built using the local yellow sandstone, the haveli is in a mix of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal styles. Airy arched corridors surround leafy courtyards. Dark twisting staircases lead to the terrace or to other inner courtyards. Family heirlooms, including swings, a pedicab, sundry water vessels and candlestands are scattered across the property. It's a feast for heritage-seeking eyes.

Rooms start around USD 50 in season, with discounts available off-season.  Even if you aren't staying in the property you can still enjoy the experience sipping beer in their rooftop restaurant named Saffron. The overpriced cuisine is a hit and miss affair but the superbly chilled beer and great views more than make up for their lack of a reliable chef 😄    

JAISALMER - A Promise Belied

JAISALMER has a lot going for it as a tourist destination. A massive hilltop fort that seems to float over the surrounding countryside, and glows an eerie gold at sunset! The atmospheric fort and its equally atmospheric old city built of the same yellow sandstone, once made this an exotic destination to linger for days. An outpost in the desert, with several beautiful havelis, a lake surrounded by arid desert, several temples of varying aniquity in the fort proper.

When I visited this town 30 years back,  it had a small town feel, a lot of colour and the hustling for desert safaris was good-natured. Now touts of assorted colours and self-proclaimed 'guides' ruin your solitude and quaint experience. Civic disorder - uncollected garbage, open urinals and trash cans, haphazardly parked vehicles in narrow streets and traffic on steroids, ruin the once-vaunted atmosphere of this fort-town first established in the 12th century.