India is a huge country and there is a lot of room to explore various trails and scenery while you are there. If you want, it’s the perfect playground for hiking enthusiasts. Since a country that big can easily get confusing for a newbie, today we’ll take a look at some of the most exciting hiking trails to try. In the end we hope that you will find this country to be as fun and beautiful as we did!
The Grand Indrahar Pass
This is one of the most popular destinations for hiking in the entire country. This pass is in the Dhauladhar Range in the Himalayans, and you will start your trek at the Galu Temple.
During the journey you can rest at a camping ground, but don’t forget to look around at the Lahesh Caves, which is a place where hikers like to explore. The Pir Panjal Mountains are also something you will see, along with the forests and Deodar and Rhododendron flowers! Your trip will wrap up at Chamba.
One more thing you will see is the Mahesh Kailash peak, which has snow on top and looks amazing! You will want to visit here anywhere from May to October for the best hiking.
By Jaime Davila – Full Story at Breakaway Backpacker
In Sarnath, Buddha preached his first sermon to his followers. Right after he attained Nirvana under a Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, he traveled to Sarnath to preach. That sermon he gave became the central belief of Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path.
Today, Sarnath is synonymous to Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. There’s a humongous stupa in the place where he used to sit and preach. This stupa is the most preserved in the area and it towers over the land where temples once stood.
The surrounding area still carries the ruins of the Buddhist Temples of ancient yore.
The Ganges River in Varanasi is everything to the Hindus who live in the city. They consider it holy but they don’t treat it like one. It’s murky and polluted. For a visitor like me, I see the flowing river crying for help. Strolling along the banks, I saw a lot of things that’s not normal in many ways. I guess, it’s just the foreign eyes in me, eh?
There were things that crept me out. But,one particular incident was when I saw a dead body wrapped in a cloth floating in the river. The boat man pointed this to me and I was mortified! Why? Because few meters from us were people bathing and swimming like it’s the most natural thing to do in the world.
Ok, well, it’s a very natural thing to do for them, at least, right? I talked to my fellow travellers at the hostel – and they, too, have seen a floating body or two. One guy told us that he saw a dog devouring a human hand. “I could never unsee that in my lifetime,” he said.
Jaipur City Palace is your window to royal extravagance of ancient India. The complex is a maze of courtyards, palaces and architectural beauty, ready to blow your mind away. And oh, it’s super pink, too, like the rest of the city. This Palace was used as a royal residence of the Singh family who ruled the city for a long time. This isn’t just huge but it’s also a marvellous place to learn history and admire its architectural designs.
It’s right in the heart of the old city surrounded by pink buildings. Thus, it got its monicker, “The Pink City.”
The City Palace in Jaipur is a mix of Mughal, Rajput and European architectural influences.
As soon as you enter the courtyard, Mubarak Mahal greets you in all its splendour. In Urdu, Mubarak can be translated into auspicious. Today, it’s a textile museum with great collections of royal clothes.
At Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, you’ll find the world’s largest sundial stone. This place a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has an ancient collection of 19 astronomical structures built in the open field. Including in these 19 objects are the zodiac signs – better find yours.
At first, you might not be impressed as they look like boring concrete in different shapes. But it makes a difference when you have a handy guidebook and the descriptions in each structure are well-written. So, read every written descriptions to appreciate each objects in front of you.
The World’s Largest Stone Sundial
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Are you planning a trip to Hyderabad anytime soon? If you are, then you surely are in for an incredible treat. Well known as the ‘pearl capital’ of India, Hyderabad is a culturally vibrant city. The capital of two states namely Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, it is also well connected by air to most parts of the country. It is regarded as a highly popular tourist spot thanks to its mouth-watering cuisines, care-free lifestyle, famous spots and much more.
While the city boasts of several luxurious five-star hotels, it also has its share of relatively less expensive yet equally comfortable options. Booking your hotel with OYO Rooms can easily get you great rooms at unmatched prices. You can utilize the saved bucks on the sumptuous eateries or splurge on a pair of authentic ‘Hyderabadi Pearl Earrings.’
So for instance even if you are looking for OYO hotels in Banjara Hills Hyderabad – an upscale area of the city.
Last August, in the bleary-eyed numbness induced by over 24 hours of flying—first from San Francisco to Singapore, then onward to Delhi—I was surprised when the driver taking me from the airport to my hotel slowed to a crawl.
I’d often heard that it was fairly common to see cows wandering on the roads in India, but I’d always envisioned this taking place on a rural country lane, not a densely trafficked four-lane highway.
But there I was, in a half-sleeping haze as dozens of cars, trucks, taxi cabs, and motorized rickshaws honked, drivers negotiated with hand signals, and everyone slowly steered their way around a cluster of five saggy- bellied old bessies.
In Hinduism, India’s most common religion, cows are revered. Their milk and its byproducts are cherished culinary staples, and eating beef is banned in most of the country’s 29 states. Often, when a household cow has passed her milking years, owners can no longer afford to feed her, and she is set loose in the streets, eating offerings from devout strangers wherever she roams.
There’s a Persian inscription on a slab inside Isa Khan Tomb which says, “This tomb, which is an asylum of paradise, was built during the reign of Islam Shah ….. by Masnad Ali Isa Khan, son of…”
It is said that Isa Khan built his tomb in his entire lifetime. He died at the age of 95! Can you imagine living your years building your own resting place? Perhaps, in modern age, this is like working your ass off while young to prepare for your golden years. But, I do admire those who are really working hard to survive and save. Nowadays, we’ve got to do things we need to do.
When you visit Humayun’s Tomb and as soon as you get your ticket, follow the footpath on your right. This leads to Isa Khan Tomb.
The might of Qutub Minar in Delhi can be felt once you see it up close. The closer you are with this lone brick minaret, the smaller you become. However, there’s something about this ancient piece of masonry that makes it worth a visit when you’re in Delhi.
Aside from the towering minaret, there are other things around that could be of interest to you. Don’t look at the ruins from afar, but see them closer and you’re in for a surprise. The intricate carvings on columns and walls would leave you speechless. They’re works of talented people from the past who might have considered these as their masterpieces.
Qutub Minar is the world’s tallest minaret made up of piled bricks. It stands at 72.5 meters.