national geographic traveller india july 2012

july 2012 • `120 VOL. 1 ISSUE 1 INDIA

NoboDy KNows ThIs worlD beTTer

› 8 Adventure trips in indiA› pHOtO trip tO nAGALAnd› nAt GeO Gift HAmpersWIN

Short BreakS KAAs pLAteAumAnAntHAvAdypAcHmArHitrAnquebAr Old AhmedAbAd TrAvel wiTh PeTS ChAmPAGNe TrAil

aLeXaNDrIaA quest fOr ALexAnder in eGypt

INDIa’S MoSthaUNteD SIteSspOOKy sAGAs inspire visits

Himalayasfor all ages

The

HelloIndia!

8 national GeoGraphic traveller inDia | JUlY 2012

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July 2012 VOL. 1 ISSUE 1

N a t I O N a L G E O G r a p h I c t r a V E L L E r I N d I a

In focus

66

7 ages of Himalayan travelthere’s something for everyone in

this great mountain range

82

range of wondersa photographic journey through

the length of the himalayas

96

step by step to bara bangHaltrekking in the

Dhauladhar Mountains

104

monkey business a family searches for the golden

langur in assam’s forests

110

House on tHe mountainWhen a holiday destination

becomes home

Journeys

114

looking for alexander a quest to find the conquerer’s

final resting place

120

Colonial Cousinsindia’s colonial past lingers in Diu

128

symbols of prestigetemples are more than places of

worship in South india

134

pilgrim’s progressthe journey is more important

than the destination

139

tHe spirit of franCea roadtrip through champagne country, the home of Joan of arc


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64 Geo TourismSaving the Andamans from plastic

get going

146 AdventureSeeking thrills in Singapore

148 SportWatch a night race at Marina

Bay Circuit

151 Learning HolidayPottery lessons in Himachal

short breaks

156 From MumbaiKaas Plateau’s carpet of flowers

18 Editor’s Note | 20 Inspire

Voices

26 Tread SoftlyGive wildlife right of way

28 Paper TrailsThe landscape of children’s books

30 Frontier TalesSaving animals one flight at a time

32 The InsiderAre online reviews trustworthy

naVigate

34 Take 5India’s largest statues

36 Taste of TravelBamboo chicken in Andhra Pradesh

40 Travel ButlerTravel with pets made easier

46 Go NowHasankeyf ’s heritage will soon be lost

48 Fringe VisitsHistorical sites with haunted pasts

50 On FootStroll through old Ahmedabad

54 National ParkNagarhole in the rains

58 Smart TravellerDo more for less in London

62 ExperienceBonding over football in foreign lands

160 From Delhi British charm fills Pachmarhi’s hills

164 From BengaluruHeritage around Mananthavady

168 From ChennaiSlow down in Tranquebar

interactiVe

172 Photo WorkshopLandscape photography made easy

174 Photo ContestThe best of our reader’s photos

176 Adventure ContestEnter for a chance to win thrilling prizes

Singapore

this photograph was taken at rangdum Village in Zanskar, Ladakh, by athit Perawongmehta, an award-winning photogra-pher based in bangkok. his work has appeared in National Geographic magazine thailand and many international publications.

Kaas Plateau

NagarholeFrance

JULY 2012 • `120

VOL. 1 ISSUE 1

INDIA

NOBODY KNOWS THIS WORLD BETTER

› 8 ADVENTURE TRIPS IN INDIA

› PHOTO TRIP TO NAGALAND

› NAT GEO GIFT HAMPERSWIN

SHORT BREAKS KAAS PLATEAU

MANANTHAVADY

PACHMARHI

TRANQUEBAROLD AHMEDABAD TRAVEL WITH PETS CHAMPAGNE TRAIL

ALEXANDRIAA QUEST FOR

ALEXANDER IN EGYPT

INDIA’S MOSTHAUNTED SITESSPOOKY SAGAS

INSPIRE VISITS

HimalayasHimalayasfor all agesHimalayasThe

HelloIndia!

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Editor-in-Chief Niloufer VeNkatramaNDeputy Editor Neha DaraAssociate Editor mihika PaiSenior Features Writer Natasha sahgalFeatures Writer azeem BaNatwalla

Art Director DiViya mehraPhoto Editor ashima NaraiNSenior Graphic Designer & Digital Imaging DeVaNg h. makwaNaSenior Graphic Designer omNa wiNstoN

Publishing Director maNas mohaN

AD SAlESVice President eric D’souza

MuMbAIAssociate Account Director chitra BhagwatKey Account Manager DeVyaNi BamBulkarKey Account Executive rahul siNghaNia

DElHIConsultant JaswiNDer gillDeputy Account Director raJmaNi PatelKey Account Manager saloNi Verma

CHEnnAIConsultant shaNkar JayaramaN

ACK MEDIAChief Executive Officer ViJay samPathChief Operating Officer maNas mohaNVice President (Operations) saNDeeP PaDoshibusiness Head (Digital) shuBhaDeeP Bhattacharyabrand Manager ritika BasuSubscription Manager swati guPtaSenior Manager legal lalit sharmaManager (Print Production) sagar sawaNt

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nAtIOnAl GEOGRAPHIC tRAVElER u.S. Editor & Vice President keith BellowsExecutive Editor Norie QuiNtosCreative Director Jerry sealySenior Photo Editor DaNiel r. westergreNDeputy Art Director leigh V. BorghesaNIPhoto Editor carol eNQuistChief Researcher marilyN terrellManaging Editor, E-Publishing kathie gartrellGeotourism Editor JoNathaN B. tourtellotEditors-at-large sheila f. Buckmaster, costas christ, christoPher elliot, DoN george, Paul martiN, BoDy matsoN, aNDrew mccarthy, DaisaNN mclaNe, scottstuckeyDigital nomad aNDrew eVaNs

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Not saving this issue? Then please recycle.

Editor’s NotENiloufer Venkatraman


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There are 200-400 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy.

Starry, starry night

Welcome to National Geographic Traveller

India, as we launch the indian edition of

the award-winning travel magazine in in-

dia. This is where we bring together travel

and culture, travel and experience, travel and story-

telling. Our intention is simple: to inspire more travel

to more places, in our vast country and across the

world. and since in india, travel often begins with the

family, we want to bring you family-friendly destina-

tions that inspire you to go. The Himalayas are in focus in this, our first indi-

an issue. We chose this theme because, across the

spectrum, everyone we know has at least dreamt of

going there. and because as indians,

we are so lucky we don’t have to travel

halfway around the world to get to

these great mountains.

My husband and i took our daugh-

ter for her first Himalayan trek when

she was two-and-a-half, carrying

her in a child carrier backpack. last

month, aged six, we took her again, this time she

walked on her own steam. She loved it both times,

and i learnt not to underestimate what kids can do,

and vowed to continue to take her everywhere.

My own personal connection to the Himalayas

goes back to my teenage years when i trekked there

for the first time. Since then i have gone back many

times, and each time i am amazed at how much

more there is to see. i remember every one of my

treks, i often recall the views with joy, and most of

all, i can still feel the various emotions these mighty

mountains evoked on these trips. One particular in-

stance stands out. i was trekking in the Nepal Hima-

layas, and as often happens in the mountains, we

were in bed by 9 pm one night. it was probably 2 am

when i felt my husband shaking me and insisting i

get out of my snug sleeping bag. “Come on outside,”

he urged. i had whined and felt irritated. it was prob-

ably zero degrees outside. Then i heard him waking

up our friends as well. i got up. Clumsily wrapping a

blanket around my shoulders, i stepped outside the

lodge and looked up into the sky. The memory of that

view still makes my skin tingle ten years later. a bril-

liant glowing arc of stars stretched across the sky—i

was looking at the band of the Milky Way! all of us

stared in complete awe, watching billions of stars,

stunningly bright, their light glistening off snow-

capped peaks. We were shivering, but unable to go

back inside. it was all so very grand and overwhelm-

ing. as i watched the sky, i gradually felt an indescrib-

able warm, comforting feeling. For a brief moment i

thought i understood why ancient texts often talk of

the Milky Way as the path the soul takes.

anywhere one wishes to travel, there are so many

kinds of holidays, and each of us feels drawn to some

kinds and not to others. National Geographic Travel-

ler India tries to bring variety to your experience of

travel, with stories of all kinds of holidays, from sed-

entary to super-active ones. We hope we can fulfil

our goal of inspiring you to plan a trip, today and to-

morrow, and as often as you possibly can. n

I understood why ancient texts often talk

of the Milky Way as the path the soul takes

2 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | JULY 2012

The water-laden mist filters through the thick canopy of the rainforest, enveloping the road and layering my battered 4X4 with a film of moisture.

All of a sudden, the visibility goes down to zero. I’m in the Western Ghats; the mon-soon rains have arrived.

The monsoon is my favourite season be-cause it is the land’s most regenerative and vibrant moment. Baked by the relentless summer sun, the dry and barren ground springs to life with the first shower, trig-gering off the cycle of renewal and growth. Almost overnight a green sheet emerges all around.

The Western Ghats are home to one of the oldest forests on Earth and a diverse variety of species. They are a Ramsar site, one of 1,950 places across the world that are covered by an international treaty for the conservation of wetlands. Over 3oo rivers, small and large, flow out of this primordial ecosystem.

Driving through the undulating terrain of the Nilgiri Hills (southern part of the Western Ghats) during the monsoon is an uplifting experience. The road that cuts through the forests allows a glimpse of the wondrous landscape. There are stunning views at every turn and a great variety of plants and animals here. But I’ve noticed that not everyone respects and values that life. As the road has been widened and improved, both the traffic and the speed at which cars travel has increased. With that I sadly see a large number of snakes, frogs and monitor lizards that lie crushed on the road.

Reptiles frequently cross the road, seek-ing prey or looking for a dry space to bask in the sun. Some instances of them getting hit are accidental, but not always. Animals often suffer because of a lack of concern and sometimes, especially in the case of snakes, a malicious attitude toward them. This was even more evident one day as I

was driving in the Western Ghats when I stopped to watch a small python trying to get across the road. We saw a car approach-ing and waved for it to slow down, pointing to the python. The driver saw us and the snake but decided to continue driving, swerving his speeding car towards the python with deliberate callousness. Timely intervention saved the animal, but the cruel intention and the disregard for animal life shown by the giggling occupants of the sports car was shocking.

This tale of neglect continues in other parts of the Western Ghats. According to experts, over 3,00,000 snakes and animals die on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway during the monsoon each year. This has seriously depleted the reptile population, particularly that of grass snakes. Depend-ent species have migrated away, causing a serious fracture in the food chain. Predators like the serpent eagle have become rare and in the absence of both these the numbers of rats and rodents have grown, causing crop damage and rodent infestations in many villages. Quite simply, our lack of concern and the consequent slaughter on the road can dangerously tilt the scale of life and come back to hurt us.

Many new species are still being discov-ered in the rainforests of the Western Ghats every year. Only a vibrant and intact eco-system can ensure their sustainability. The disappearance of any one species impacts the entire food chain, weakening the web of life and threatening our own existence.

Like in the West, we need to build speed breakers at regular intervals where animal activity is high, to ensure no one drives too fast. Signboards saying “deer crossing” are common in the U.S., as are “kangaroo crossing” boards in Australia; we can bring about similar awareness for motorists in India. Most drivers do not deliberately intend to harm animals and accidents are inadvertent. We should yield to wildlife

VOICESTread Softly

GIVE WILDLIFE RIGHT OF WAY ON ROADS RUNNING THROUGH FORESTS

Snake Crossing

mike pandey

when we’re in forested areas, where we are the interlopers; animals should have right of way. Be on the look out for animals, not just to avoid accidents, but also because stopping to watch a python crawl across the road to safety can be a once-in-a-life-time experience.

At the other end of the spectrum there are many people who stop on highways to feed animals by the roadside. They mean well, and think they are taking care of the animals by feeding them, but these actions are more harmful than we realise. Not only is it unhealthy because it makes wild animals dependent on humans, it causes them to come onto the road more, leading to further accidents. The increased deaths

of rhesus monkeys in road accidents on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway are clear evidence of this.

On your next drive, keep in mind that a little more sensitivity on our part as travel-lers can save thousands of animal lives. n

–Mike Pandey is a conservationist and wildlife filmaker. He has won the Green Oscar award three times.

The driver saw us and the snake but decided to continue driving, swerving his speeding car towards the python with deliberate callousness

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Bamboo chicken, an oil-free dish is a local specialty of the Konda Reddys of Maredumilli forest.

When signboards on a country road running through Andhra Pradesh’s Maredumilli forest advertise ‘bamboo chicken’, you’ve

got to stop. They’ve been put up by the Konda Reddys, indigenous residents of this forest, whose economy is built around bamboo. They build houses with bamboo and make their living selling it in the mar-ket. Bamboo is also used in their kitchens as a utensil to make their signature dish—a spicy, barbecued chicken with potential to

become more popular than the destination.Cubed chicken is marinated with some or

all of the following: ginger, garlic, red chilli powder, salt, lime juice (and some local spices), and stuffed into a foot-long sec-tion of bamboo. The tube’s ends are sealed with leaves and the bamboo is set over a wood-fired stove. As it cooks, the chicken is infused with juices from the bamboo stem; no oil or water is used.

After around 40 minutes of sparks, crackles and an enticing aroma, the cooked

chicken is retrieved from the charred bamboo stem and served with roti or dosa. This tender chicken with a spicy twist is a real experience of local flavour, before you get back on the road. Order a whole free-range (desi) chicken for `500, or a portion of a broiler chicken that serves two for `200. Location Maredumilli is 420 km from Hyderabad, via Bhadrachalam, and 250 km from Vijayawada, via Rajahmundry, past the temples of Rampachodavaram. n

Bamboo ChickenA SPICY BITE ON THE HIGHWAY

36 nATiOnAl GeOGRAPHiC TRAVelleR inDiA | JUlY 2012

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Fringe Visit

If their fabled histories aren’t attractive enough to inspire a visit to these places, perhaps their spooky sagas will. Though the Indian Paranormal Society (IPS)

does not have enough evidence to prove these spots are actually haunted, they are definitely scary enough to send a shiver down your spine.

Kuldhara, Jaisalmer, raJasthan

the paliwal Brahmins who inhabited Kuldhara and 83 villages around it are said to have vanished overnight in 1825. there are several explanations for the disappear-ance, the most popular one being that an evil king had been molesting little girls, drawing a curse on the area. the residents fled, leaving behind their belongings. a visit to the village is an insight into life in the early 1800s. there are ruined homes, carts, utensils and beds. Balls reportedly bounce around of their own accord, stones whiz through mid-air and mysterious voices are heard. the ipS has recorded sudden dips in temperature and unexplained fluctua-tions in the electromagnetic field, evidence of an otherworldly presence, they say. it is said that no new structure can be built here without it bursting into flames. Location: Kuldhara is on the western out-skirts of Jaisalmer. (open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; entry `10.)

Bhangarh, alwar, raJasthan

Bhangarh was built in 1573 by raja Bhag-want Das as the residence for his second son Madhoo Singh. the structure is said to have been abandoned in 1783 amidst a severe drought. the area is dotted with banyan trees and ruins of temples, havelis and peasant homes. the Shiva, Gopinath, Mangla Devi and Keshava rai temples are the best preserved ruins here. local legends offer two alternative explanations for the town’s ruin. one story involves an arrogant king and an offended sadhu, while the other is a tale of obsession involving a tantrik and a beautiful princess. Whichever version visitors choose to believe, many agree that the ‘no entry after dark’ sign put up by the archaeological Survey of india is justified by the unsettling presence of an otherworldly force, bizarre sounds and ac-companying anxiety. Location: Bhangarh is 80 km northeast of Jaipur. (open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; entry free.)

By Mihika Pai

Troubled pasTs make for inTriguing visiTs Today

India’s Most Haunted

JUlY 2012 | national GeoGraphic traveller inDia 49

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aBandoned army Cantonment, meerut, uttar Pradesh

the Meerut army cantonment was the site of the Mangal pandey uprising in 1857. the British cracked down on indian revolutionaries and crushed rebellion. over 150 soldiers were killed here. this is where history leaves off and legend begins. it is believed that the spirits of the soldiers who died here still wander the abandoned cantonment, although their activities are less regimented nowadays. visitors have re-ported seeing headless apparitions, spooky shadows, hearing mysterious sounds of dripping water and sensing a supernatural presence. Gaurav tiwari of the ipS spent a night here and says that the presence does things like running around in circles and making animal-like sounds. Location: Meerut is 70 km northeast of Delhi. (open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; entry free.)

Jamali Kamali, mehrauli, new delhi

the Jamali Kamali mosque and tomb are a part of the Mehrauli archaeological complex. Jamali and Kamali were Sufi saints who preached here and were buried in the tomb when they died, around 1528. the tomb and mosque are now said to be home to jinns, but not the benevolent, wish-granting sort. Some visitors say they have heard the inexplicable sound of animals growling, others report being chased (and even slapped), and some claim that they have had recurring nightmares after their visits. Location: Mehrauli is in South Delhi. (open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; entry free.) n

golKonda Fort, hyderaBad, andhra Pradesh

textbooks have plenty to say about this imposing 13th century structure and how it shaped the history of South india. a visit to this ancient city is a history lesson in itself. it has seen the rise and decline of vari-ous dynasties and was the original home of the famous Koh-i-noor diamond. But history books don’t talk about the spirits of thieves that are said to live in the trees, the baffling shadows seen gliding around, and the sounds of people crying out in pain. the spirit of taramati, a courtesan turned queen, is often spotted here. visitors aren’t allowed to linger after dark. But since it’s a popular film location, movie crews are often here past the deadline and see much more than they’d like. Location: about 13 km from hyderabad city centre. (open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; entry `30.)

the savoy, mussoorie, uttaraKhand

Built in Mussoorie in 1902, the Savoy was amongst the grandest hotels of its time and the guestbook read like a social register. But in 1910, a guest named lady Garnet orme was found dead in her room. Strychnine had been slipped into her medicine bottle. agatha christie found this to be the perfect setting for a mystery story and based her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, on lady orme’s death. the perpetrator was never found and the ghost of lady orme is said to still roam the halls of the hotel. Guests have reported hearing flushes going off, seeing the floating silhouette of a lady, and doors opening mysteriously. the ipS has recorded the sound of a woman whis-pering and singing softly. perfect for guests who need a lullaby at bedtime. Location: the Savoy is in Mussoorie. (0135-2632010.)


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On Foot

The clothes of Swaminarayan Mandir deities are changed seven times a day and never repeated.

Behind the WallA stroll through the peAceful pols And hidden sights

of old AhmedAbAd

By Natasha sahgal

Amidst malls and industrial sprawl, on the banks of the Sabarmati river, sits a maze of roads and communi-ties from another era. ahmedabad

has long spilled far beyond the walled city founded in the 15th century by Sultan ahmed Shah. But in the older section, you can witness the city’s history and traditions coming alive in its pols, close-knit neigh-bourhoods consisting of small streets with houses on both sides. Most pols have only one gate, guarded by a watchtower. neigh-bouring pols are connected through secret passages known only to its residents; these

were once used to escape attacks.Begin your journey at the Swaminarayan

Mandir in Kalupur, which comes alive at 6 a.m. as devotees walk in with garlands and pooja thalis and exit to buy vegetables and fruit at the stalls lining the temple’s grand entrance. this colourful shrine, built in 1822, is the country’s first Swaminarayan temple. exit the gate and turn left into a tiny lane that houses a statue of the Guja-rati poet Dalpatram. the statue sits on the porch of a replica of Dalpatram’s original home, which was at the same spot. Walk south through Lambeshwarni pol and get

transported into a world where time seems to move much slower. Women do their washing outside their homes. others sit on swings, chatting as they cut vegetables.

Don’t miss the tall wooden bird feeders

or chabutras that stand in each pol. these raised covered platforms are large enough for someone to step in and put bird feed into the bowls that hang around them. the centre usually shelters a handful of nests as well. around 120 of these bird feeders were built to replace the trees that were cut down to build the city of ahmedabad. every morning, residents of the pol climb up and

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fill the bowls with grain. continue walking south to cross Relief

Road, one of the main roads that cuts across the city. it was built after the first road of the city, Gandhi road (originally richie road) got too crowded. this parallel street was constructed to provide relief from the heavy traffic—and was named accordingly.

navigate through the narrow streets where the balconies of homes across the road nearly touch each other, past the 400-year-old Kala Ramji Mandir, Haja Patel

ni pol, and Kuvavala Khancha, a street corner where the houses have British, Spanish, Mughal and Maratha architecture, and through to Chaumukhjini pol. You will find yourself leaving the hindu-dominated quarters and entering the Jain section. Sambhavnath ni khadki is a Jain temple with an unassuming entrance and small idol. it takes an informed worshipper to find the tiny entrance to the steps that lead to the plush temple in the basement. here, the rooms are spacious and made of marble. this hidden place of worship is said to have been constructed during the rule of aurang-zeb, when temples were being demolished.

For visitors who cannot climb down the steep steps, a mirror in the backyard offers a reflected image of the deity.

exit the temple, walk right towards Gandhi Road, and go under Fernandez Bridge to reach an ol, or market area. around 11 a.m. each day, a second-hand book market comes up under the bridge with thousands of old college books sold on carts. Just beyond the book stalls are rows of shops that sell temple accessories. after that you’ll find yourself in Manek Chowk, one of the country’s biggest jewellery markets. hundreds of gold and diamond shops crowd these lanes. at night, after the jewellers pull down their shutters, food carts fill the streets. it is open till 1 a.m. and the variety of the food found here is quite amusing. You will find chocolate pizzas, pineapple sandwiches and whisky-flavoured soda pop.

end the walk in the serene Jumma

Masjid, a yellow sandstone shrine with 256 pillars. Built in 1423, this is considered the first mosque in india that allowed women to enter and pray. a separate section with a carved stone curtain lets women see with-out being seen. it is interesting to note the influence of hindu, Buddhist and Muslim architecture at the entrance. it’s an ap-propriate spot to conclude a stroll through the old city: it houses the tomb of the city’s founder, ahmed Shah. n

Families live as a close-knit community in pols, often sharing meals and daily chores.

Pillared sidewalks surround three sides of the Jumma Masjid.

Around 120 bird feeders were built to replace trees that were cut down to build the city of Ahmedabad

GuIdEd WAlks

Cruta Foundation and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation organise a heri-tage walk from Swaminarayan Temple at 8 a.m. daily (09824032866; `30 for Indians; `50 for foreigners). House of MG rents out an audio-guided walk to do at your own pace (079 25506946; `200).

Swaminarayan Mandir Kalupur

Jumma Masjid

Kavi Dalpatram ChowkLambeshwar Ni Pol

Relief Road

Gandhi Road

Kuvavala Khancha

Kala Ramji Mandir, Haja Patel Ni Pol

Chaumukhiji Ni Pol

Sambhavnath Ni Khadki

Manek Chowk

heritage Walk

Chabutra

On Foot


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At every stage of life, people have different needs and different callings. The Himalayas are so diverse, they answer all these—and more. Since time immemorial, their allure has drawn sages and adventurers to them. They stretch in a 2,500-km arc, from the peak of Nanga Parbat in the west to Namche Barwa in the east. The Himalayas include nine of the world’s 15 highest mountains and more than 100 peaks higher than 7,200 m. They cover about 12 per cent of India’s land mass. The range also runs through Bhutan, Pakistan, Tibet, China and Nepal, encompassing a wide variety of religions and cultures. Although we’ve put together collections of Himalayan trips and activities that fit specific age ranges, it’s entirely possible, that for some at 50, the age of romance is just dawning, while others at 22 will already be soul searching. People could be burned out at 25 or raring to go at 80. Whichever state of mind you may be in, you can find your own magic in the Himalayas.

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IN FOCUSThe Himalayas


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Stopping to take in views of snow-capped peaks is one of the highlights of a Himalayan trek.

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When our daughter turned two-and-a-half, my husband and i decided she was ready to join us on a himalayan

trek. not a tough one, a five-day trip from Dharamshala to Kareri lake. Soon we were a small group, including four kids below nine. We organised tents, camping equipment and a few luxuries to make travelling with kids easy. our entourage had an enterprising local guide, cook and packhorse train with a stockpile of provisions, vegetables, kerosene, and first aid.

the two-year-olds undertook the journey in child carrier backpacks carried by their fathers. the seven- and nine-year-olds were propelled by their own power. For five hours each day the toddlers were in their packs. they were more amazed by the journey and landscape than the adults. they delighted in little things: hundreds of ladybirds everywhere, gurgling streams, rain, herds of goat and sheep, refreshing naps and snacks—all while perched in their packs. the older kids did well too, sometimes lagging behind, at others trying to outdo each other, but mostly finding their own rhythm to finish each day’s walk without a whimper. they were thrilled by suspen-sion bridges, pine cones, and kingfishers hovering over fish in a pond. they made friends with village kids who often knew even more interesting sights.

they became enthusiastic about spotting birds, giggled at the strong stench of goat dung as we passed through a stretch inhabited by migrating shepherds, and bonded with each oth-er and everybody else.

When a sudden thunderstorm hit us on day three, the kids were blissfully ensconced in a tent, listening to one adult’s tall tales. When the storm passed, they hopped out and played catch in the wet grass. Kids inadvertently force all of us to see the world through their eyes, to find simple joys in taken-for-granted sights, reminding us of the age that we have long passed—the age of wonder.

—Niloufer VenkatramanChild carrier backpacks give children an elevated viewing gallery during a trek.

AgeS 0-12

Age of WonderThe wonder years are every parent’s favourite

time to spend with their children. From watching animals in the wild to picking fruit on

a farm, kids will be awestruck and engaged.

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HomeSTAyS in FruiT orCHArdSplan a holiday around picking fruit on a farm. Whether it is getting their faces sticky with plum juice, strolling through an apple orchard in himachal or camping out in the shade of kin-now trees, the kids will love it. Between July and october, the slopes of himachal pradesh’s Shimla dis-trict are covered with fruit-laden apple trees. Drive 45 km beyond Shimla on nh 22 to reach Matiana (Ap-ple Orchard Inn; 93161 15261; www.krishraunire-sort.in; doubles `2,200). Kotgarh, a small town 80 km ahead of Shimla, is at the centre of himachal’s apple-growing (Banjara Orchard Retreat; 94180 77180; www.banjaracamps.com/Camps_Thanedar.asp; doubles `3,600). For a homestay experience, head to Chamba and walk 30 minutes through fields to reach a wooden house in the midst of plum, apricot, apple and pear trees (Orchard Hut; 94180 20401; www.himalayanlap.com/Orchard-Hut.html; dou-bles `2,700). eat organic meals, bathe in a spring-fed pool, pull radish from the soil and let the kids watch a cow being milked. in Uttaranchal, 55 km north of nainital, is a village called Sonapani, named after a natural spring with mineral-rich water. Blossoms appear in april, and between July and September, the orchards are full of apples, pears, apricots and plums, all framed by a thick for-est of oak, pine and rhododendron (Himalayan Village, 20-min-ute walk from nearest road; 80063 00100; www.himalayanvil-lage.com; doubles `4,200). For an experience that combines the benefits of a homestay with the facilities of a hotel amidst apple orchards, visit Ramgarh on the outskirts of nainital (WelcomHer-itageTaradale Cottage; 05942-281189; www.welcomheritageho-tels.com/hotel/taradale-cottage-ramgarh; doubles `4,000). Drive four hours from Bagdogra airport to Rinchenpong village to reach a homestay in the midst of fruit orchards where you can also trek, raft, and tour local monasteries (Yangsum Heritage Farm; 94341 79029; www.yangsumfarm.com; doubles `5,000).

It’s a long, winding trek up to Chitre, in Darjeeling district’s Singalila National Park.

Red pandas build nests for their young in tree hollows and rocks.

Wild WAyS visits to national parks provide great learning experiences for children. they’re filled with surprises and discoveries at every corner, and make a fine option for a family holiday—like the fam-ily that travelled to Manas National Park (see the story in this is-sue). Manas is located in the himalayan foothills in assam. ani-mals like the pygmy hog, assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, capped langur, hornbill, slow loris and other species call this forest their home. the biodiversity in the area is amazing to witness (176 km from Guwahati; closed for the monsoon; 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). the Singal-

ila National Park in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district in the east-ern himalayas is over 7,000 feet above sea level and is filled with unusual and endangered wildlife—most notably the red panda. it’s much smaller than its giant black-and-white cousin but just as cute. Singalila also has some great flora and fauna, including rhododendron and magnolia and some rare orchid species (ap-proximately 40 km from Darjeeling town; closed for the monsoon; 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). Namdapha National Park in situated in the eastern himalayan ranges in arunachal pradesh. Four big cats, the tiger, leopard, clouded leopard and snow leopard, reside here, along with an amazing variety of botanical wonders. it’s also home to the rufous-necked hornbill, the hoolock gibbon and the spotted linsang. its isolation adds to its charm (Miao, the headquarters of the Changlang District and the entry point for Namdapha, is 62 km from the nearest town Margherita; 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). The Great

Himalayan National Park, created in 1984, is india’s newest. it is situated in the Kullu area of himachal pradesh. it offers visitors the opportunity to meet with local villagers and observe their daily chores, which include weaving, basket-making and farming. the park’s vast range of flora and fauna differ across the varying alti-tudes. among them are the tahr and the snow leopard. the avian life here includes the endangered western tragopan (50 km from Kullu; open from sunrise to sunset). Co

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The Three Musketeers (top) never tire of the splendour of the Himalayas and visit at least twice a year; Prayer flags atop Dzongri peak (bottom) frame a view of the Kanchenjunga range.

Age of Rediscovery

When stressful times have passed, realisation dawns, that there’s a wide world waiting to be rediscovered. Journey to luminous landscapes

or explore vibrant cultures.

Frank Symthe, an English mountaineer, wrote a book on the Valley of Flowers in 1931 that led to it eventually becoming a national park and World Heritage site.

in the summer of 2008, my two closest friends, tanil Kilachand and Deepak Bhimani, and i decided to take an

adventurous holiday together. We trekked to the annapurna Base camp (12,000 ft) in nepal and were hooked. our first expedition materialised mainly because of tanil’s encourage-ment; he has been an avid trekker for most of this life. ever since, we’ve been called the three Musketeers and take two trips to the himalayas annually, in spring and in winter. We’ve climbed the nag tibba peak, har-ki-Dun, various trails in the Kashmir valley, Swargarohini and Dzongri. Har-ki-Dun is our favourite. Given our ages—i’m 80 and have had two major heart surgeries, tanil is 75 and Deepak 73—our families were anxious and sceptical about our decision to climb. For us it has not been about reaching higher each time. it’s about pushing the body responsibly and seeing how much it can endure. it’s about discovering the himalayas, about going out and seeing more. i think that if there are gods, this has to be their abode.

Guides, ponies, porters and cooks accompany our tight-knit group of three. then, all we have to do is focus on negotiating the trail and not worry about pitching tents. We cover 15-16 km a day easily, but we also take precautions like oxygen tanks and extra medication. all three of us have an area of exper-tise. tanil masterminds our travel arrangements and is our mythology expert. Deepak is an amateur photographer and astronomer who tells us about the flora, fauna, and the move-ments of planets and stars. i ensure the group unwinds with music and chatter after a hard climb, and manage the kitty.

climbing gives us a sense of achievement, as well as subtler joys: it allows us to enjoy the himalayas and experience the kindness of strangers—all therapeutic for the soul. My friend Deepak says, “if you have been given a long, healthy life it must be for a purpose and you must make the most of it. that’s what we are all trying to do.” i couldn’t agree more.

— Jaisinh Mariwala

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CulTurAl QueSTFrom Kashmir to arunachal pradesh, the himalayas have a rain-bow of cultures and practices. immersive travel allows the visitor to experience local flavours, through music, festivals and home-stays. From teenagers to cab drivers, the people of Shillong love their classic rock. the annual Bob Dylan Festival (24th May) and Bob Marley Festival (6th Feb), are two of the city’s biggest musical celebrations, and two decades since their inception, they continue to draw enthusiastic crowds from across the country. nagaland’s tribes come together and show off their local arts, craft, music and food at the Hornbill Festival in Kohima (first week of Dec). visitors can eat, drink and make merry with the ao nagas dur-ing the Moatsu Festival, while consuming large amounts of meat and freshly-brewed rice beer (first week of May, Chuchiyimlang village). Ladakh’s monasteries transform into colourful cultural hubs during between June and September each year. Besides the famous Hemis festival, every monastery holds a festival in honour of Guru Padmasambhava, with traditional dance and music perfor-mances (10th day of the Tibetan lunar calendar, usually between June and July). also in ladakh, at the Sindhu Darshan festival, visitors flock to the banks of the indus at Shey Manla with pots of water from their homeland. the water from these pots is mixed and poured into the indus, serving as the perfect metaphor for communal harmony, accompanied by music, dance and revelry (June 1-3, 8 km from Leh). Naukuchiatal in Uttarakhand plays host to the Escape Festival of Arts and Music (first week of May), with live performances from a host of indian and international rock bands, in addition to exhibitions by writers, photographers, paint-ers, graffiti artists, potters and more (Lake Resort, Naukuchiatal; www.escapefestival.in).

Flowers are in full bloom in Yumthang Valley between late Febru-ary and mid-June.

Tribes from Nagaland and neighbouring states come together to showcase their culture and food at the Hornbill Festival.

SCeniC explorATionS Scaling mountains isn’t the only way to take in grand views. For a reasonably light and very rewarding fitness test, embark on the 14-km trek to the Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand to see the hima-layan countryside in all its glory (start the trek from Govindghat—around 300 km from Rishikesh; Jul-Aug; accommodation at Joshimath). if a trek still seems like too much work, drive through Sikkim’s Yumthang Valley, and watch the terrain of trees give way to a valley dotted with rhododendron, against the backdrop of snow-capped peaks (two-hour drive from Lachung, around 150 km from Gangtok; Apr-May are the best months to visit; accom-modation in Lachung). Journey to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and spend a few days amidst monasteries and colourful houses. Grab a hot cup of coffee early in the morning and watch the first rays of the sun wash over snowy mountains (around 300 km from Tezpur, 400 km from Guwahati; Sept-Mar; accommodation avail-able in Tawang). kE

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In the former Portuguese colony of Diu, cultures collide and coalesce

By Naresh FerNaNdes

PhotograPhs By ashima NaraiN

ColonialCousins

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In 1917, three young children in Fatima, Por-tugal had visions of the Virgin Mary on the

13th day of each month from May to October. In honour of these visions and revelations,

the 48 Catholic families of Diu partake in a candlelit procession called the Our Lady of

Fatima procession, which takes place on the 13th of May and October every year.

diu

JourneysHeritage


that, of course, is precisely the reason to visit the former portuguese colony, which wallows under the coast of Kathiawar like a lugubrious whale. though many visitors imagine they’ll find a microcosmic ver-sion of Goa—the headquarters of portugal’s indian empire—refracted through a vibrant Gujarati lens, Diu is even more laidback than in-dia’s favourite holiday destination. there are no rave parties here or chic beachside bars, no exotic night-markets or russian mafia dons.

this seeming stasis has immunised Diu against the real-estate fever that has infected the rest of the country. as a result, it’s an ama-teur historian’s delight. it offers the opportu-nity to explore the best-preserved portuguese town layout in india. Strolling through the island’s winding lanes and quiet squares at twilight teleports you straight into the pages of the seventeenth-cen-tury travelogue of Scot-tish sea captain alexander hamilton, who claimed that the settlement was “one of the best-built cities and best fortified by nature and art that i ever saw in india and its stately Buildings of free Stone and Marble are sufficient Witnesses of its ancient Grandeur and opulency”.

Diu was the last bead in a rosary i’ve been counting for more than two dec-ades. i’ve spent most of my life in Ban-dra, the Mumbai suburb that the por-tuguese acquired in 1534 and held on to for about 240 years. the most vis-ible impression the portuguese left on my neighbourhood was religious: our streets are studded with large churches and brick crosses. You can also taste the iberian peninsula in the food we eat and hear it in the tunes we sing.

a childhood soaked in this indo-iberian culture left me curious about the lusitanian traces that have lingered in portugal’s other minor indian territories. Since 1990, i’ve erratically worked my way through vypeen island off cochin, and chaul, south of Mumbai, both

home to people who still speak indo-portuguese creoles; i’ve wan-dered amidst the cobwebbed ruins of the vasai fort, north of Bombay; inspected the scanty sights of Silvassa; and tested the echoes of the churches of Daman.

also following this route, but in a matter of days rather than years, was a group of portuguese travellers i met on the plane in from Mum-

bai. Just over 50 years after the iberian power was kicked out of in-dia in operation vijay, portuguese citizens are finally overcoming the embarrassment of their colonial misadventures to be able to look at their former territories with fresh—rather more humble—eyes.

one member of the party caught my at-tention. Francisco de Braganza is an eight-generation descendant of catherine, the prin-cess who in 1661 was married to england’s charles ii, taking with

her a dowry that included the islands of Bombay. (Bandra, on the mainland, remained a subject of dispute between the european pow-ers and stayed portuguese for another 110 years.) as they meandered through india observing portugal’s architectural and cultural legacy in the subcontinent, Braganza and his friends were mindful that the traffic hadn’t only flowed one way: their indian colonies had provided untold wealth to their homeland.

Few people know that better than Joao Folque, whom i ran into at breakfast in the cosy guest house in which we were both staying. even though he’d never visited the country before, Folque had lived all his 52 years with india all around him. the homes he’d grown up in had been decorated with indian objets d’art. christmas Day at the Folque family seat, outside lisbon, is marked by a hearty meal of lobster cur-ry. these are the mementoes of the 46 years his grandfather spent in india—20 of them as Diu’s governor.

after dreaming of the subcontinent for so long, Joao Folque—who had been named after his grandfather—had finally taken the plunge. he was puttering through the lanes of Diu on a scooter, using his grandfather’s diaries and photograph albums as his guide. he was chatting with students in the Gujarati schools Folque Sr had established, tracking down marble plaques that bore the old man’s name and marvelling at how so many of the streetscapes seemed almost unchanged.

residents greet each other in Por-tuguese and set out plastic chairs in the street in the evening so that they can converse with passersby.

Big-city amenities take their time getting to Diu. the airport, which receives only a single flight each day, doesn’t even have a carousel, so passengers have to mill around in the tiny arrival hall until the porters haul the suitcases off a hand-pulled trolley and line them up for collection. the english-language newspapers don’t arrive until past ten and they come in such small numbers that if you’re late, you’re unlikely to snag one. if

you feel like an ice cream from the town’s most famous vendor at the hottest part of the afternoon, you’re just going to have to sweat it out: ramvijay shuts down from 1.30 p.m. for a two-hour siesta.

Nagoa Beach is popular for water sports like like parasailing, jet skiing and surfing.

St Paul’s Church which was built in 1601, is among the best examples of Portuguese religious architecture in India.

The Gangeshwar Temple, home to five Shivalingas is built into the rocks on the shore in Diu’s Fudam village.

diu

JourneysHeritage


“When i came here, it was like coming home,” Joao Folque Jr said. “i was filled with emotion. i can see so much that’s portuguese here—the balconies and windows of the houses, the way the streets are laid out.” there was also the matter of siestas, though Folque Jr noted that in this regard, Diu did even better than portugal. “in portugal, we take one-hour naps in the afternoon. here, they shut their shops at noon and don’t open again until four.”

Folque gener-ously loaded up his grandfather’s photo albums on my pen drive and, after hir-ing a sporty bicy-cle from a beat-up shop near the main market, i set out to explore the town myself. My first des-tination was the gar-gantuan fort on the waterfront, the toe-hold the portuguese wrested from Guja-rat’s sultan, Bahadur Shah, in 1535. Unlike the other portuguese forts in the subcon-tinent, which follow standard geometric patterns, the Diu citadel is irregularly shaped. Because they’re designed to hug the jagged coastline, the walls bulge in some places and contract in others.

however, the Mir’at-i-Sikanderi, the best-known history of medieval Gujarat, offers another explanation for why the layout of the fort is so unconventional. it says that when the portuguese asked Bahadur Shah for a piece of land on which to build an out-post, they requested a plot no bigger than a cowhide. after the sultan acquiesced, the eu-ropeans are said to have cut the cowhide into thin strips, laying them out end-to-end to claim an enormous swathe of land.

over the next few decades, the portuguese cannily took advantage of the precarious political balance between Gujarat and the Mughals in Delhi to spread their influence. By the time the Mughal emperor akbar captured Gujarat in 1572, the portuguese were sitting pretty on all of the island’s 40 sq km. From the battlements of the fort, it’s easy to see why Diu was so desirable. it stands on the mouth of the Gulf of cambay, and a few smartly placed cannons could easily control Guja-rat’s trade with the entire indian ocean rim. as i clambered atop one

of the bastions and stared at the horizon, beyond the red sails of the bobbing dhows, aden didn’t really seem so far away.

When a Dutch merchant named Jan huyghen van linschoten vis-ited the town in the summer of 1583, he understood its advantages immediately. traders from around the world who “traffic in cambia [and from thence] to Mecca or the red Sea, do commonly discharge their wares and take in their lading in Diu”, he noted. in his account,

Diu resembled Da-vos during a meeting of the World eco-nomic Forum, “full of strange nations, as turks, persians, arabians and other country people”.

today, most of the people of strange na-tions who visit Diu are tourists rather than traders, but the territory hasn’t lost its internationalism. Many courier com-panies in the bazaar bear signboards advertising their ef-ficiency at shipping packages to “lon-don, lisbon and Mozambique,” dots

on the map linked by the accident of Diu’s colonial history. the portu-guese attitude to the residents of its colonies was rather different from the exclusionary position maintained by the British: people who live in Goa or Macau were simply thought to be portuguese citizens who lived overseas. as a result, thousands of residents of Diu born before 1961 and their families have obtained dark red passports that allow them to build new lives not only in portugal, but also, since the imple-mentation of the european Union’s Schengen agreements in 1995, in the UK and other parts of the continent. Many others have fanned out through the lusitanian world, to angola, Brazil and beyond.

among those who have profited from this diasporic frenzy, even though he’s rarely strayed away the counter of his store in the bazaar, is Jagish arya, proprietor of Shri ramvijay refreshing, Diu’s best-known ice cream store. Since his grandfather opened the establish-ment in 1933, four generations of aryas have attempted to give Diu a taste of the changing world outside. they started by making fizzy drinks under the punny brand name Dew, importing bottles from Germany for their venture. in the mid-1970s, they began to serve up delicious ice cream. pizzas appeared in their menu a few years ago and then, weeks before my visit, arya and his sons spent `55,000 to bring Diu its first espresso machine. this winter, as homesick Diu natives returned from europe and africa to relive their childhoods and sort out knotty property matters, arya found himself selling approximately 50 shots of lavazza every day. “We may be a small place, but we aren’t lacking for anything here,” he said.

another effect of Diu’s population dispersal was on display in the clutch of churches in Firganiwada, the island’s old christian quarter. the territory’s christian population has never been especially large, and it has now shrunk to less than 200. this has left Diu with more shrines than worshippers to fill them. Demonstrating an admirable

though many visitors imagine they’ll find a microcosmic version of goa—the headquarters of Portugal’s indian empire—refracted through a vibrant Gujarati lens, Diu is even more laid-back than India’s favourite holiday destination.

Jhapa is at the centre of Diu town.


Diu

generosity of spirit, the congregation has agreed to let the buildings be put to other uses. in 1992, the church of St thomas, built in 1598, was converted into an archaeological museum that houses a variety of carved stones and religious artefacts from around the island. the cloisters of the shrine are used as a hotel, with a makeshift rooftop bar that offers refreshing pints of beer, tangy seafood barbeques and spectacular sunsets. it also affords excellent views of the roof of the church of St Francis of assissi, built in 1593, sections of which have long served as a government hospital.

one morning, after a refreshing swim off the secluded chakratirth beach, i pedalled off to meet Father Joseph rodrigues, the 63-year-old priest with an elvis quiff, who is in charge of the four-century-old im-maculate conception church. the building is decorated with neoclas-sical and Baroque elements, some of which have been reimagined with a Gujarati sensibility. in keeping with Diu’s coastal location, and in cel-ebration of portugal’s maritime prowess, seashells are the dominant motif. they’re everywhere: on the façade outside and above the door-ways and altars inside. the main altar and pulpit are intricately carved in dark wood, believed to have been transported from east africa.

Father rodrigues had his hands full as a stream of parents of all religions dropped by to pay the fees of their children studying in the parish school. nearby, a group of nuns were running a nursery school in a structure that used to house a Zoroastrian fire temple, another old building for which Diu has found a new function. “there’s a great sense of tolerance here,” said Father rodrigues, who speaks hindi, Gu-jarati, Konkani, english and says a weekly mass in portuguese. “it’s

clean and quiet. it’s a peaceful place to live.”the diminutive size of his flock should have made his duties less on-

erous, but that wasn’t the case. the christians of Diu, it turned out, are like the parsis of Mumbai. almost all of them are related to each other, which makes finding marriage partners nearly impossible. as a result, alliances have to be effected with families from Daman, more than 16 hours away by bus, Mumbai or even Goa. the upside, of course, is an enviably tight-knit community whose well-worn familiarity is ap-parent to anyone strolling down Firganiwada’s lanes. residents greet each other in portuguese and set out plastic chairs in the street in the evening so that they can converse with passersby.

on my last night in Diu, i joined one of these huddles, as alina da cruz, who ran the guest house in which i was staying, described the tense period of liberation in December, 1961. She recalled the roar of the indian air Force planes flying low over Firangiwada, the excitement of people clambering to their roofs to greet the aircraft with shouts of “Jai hind”, the chunks of masonry that flew across the neighbourhood when the portuguese governor blew up sections of his palace, to prevent it from falling into indian hands. Keyboard chords drifted across the wall from the house next door, where her son-in-law Gilbert was giving music lessons.

like her parish priest, alina da cruz speaks several languages ef-fortlessly and is at ease chatting with guests from around the world. She couldn’t see why this should be considered an especially admira-ble talent. “Diu has always welcomed people from around the world,” she said. “Globalisation is in our roots.” n

The lighthouse is built atop Diu fort, which is one of the most recognisable structures on the island.

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Diu

The GUIDeOrIenTaTIOnDiu is a 40 sq. km island that is part of the Union Territory of Daman & Diu. It is located just off the coast of south Gujarat’s Kathiawar peninsula, and connected to the mainland by ferries and bridges. The closest big city is Bhavnagar (166 km to the north-east).

GeTTInG ThereAir Flights are available from Mumbai and Porbandar. Return flights are only to Mumbai.Road Diu is around 380 km from Ahmedabad by road. Overnight buses are available from Ahmedabad for under `400. Rail Trains from Mumbai and Ahmedabad connect to Veraval (90 km from Diu). Pas-senger trains are available from Veraval to Delwada, the closest railhead (8 km away). Taxis and auto rickshaws are available from both Veraval and Delwada.

APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR

32 / 22°C 32 / 25°C 32 / 27°C 30 / 25°C 30 / 25°C 31 / 25°C 33 / 25°C 33 / 23°C 31 / 21°C 30 / 19°C 30 / 20°C 31 / 23°C

The maximum temperature in Diu hovers around 30°C through the year. Summer (Apr-June) is hot but not sweltering. There’s light-to-medium rainfall from June-Aug.

Most tourists tend to visit from Nov-Mar when there is a slight drop in minimum temperature and humidity.

STAY

Backpacker

Heranca Goesa Diu is a family-run guesthouse with clean rooms, Goan food and welcoming hosts (02875-253137; doubles `400).

São Tomé Retiro is set on the top floor of Diu’s St. Thomas Church. Rooms of different sizes are available, along with Portuguese food (George D’Souza 02875-253851; doubles `450).

Family

Radhika Beach Resort is set on Nagoa beach, has comfortable rooms, a fitness centre, play area for kids, and a massive swimming pool (02875-252553; www.radhi-karesort.com; doubles `2,550).

Hoka Resort is a com-pact hotel overlooking the beach, with clean rooms and an open-air lounge area with a pool. (02875-253036; www.resorthoka.com; doubles from `2,550)

comFort

Azzaro Resort and Spa at Fofrara-Fudam is the only semi-luxury hotel in Diu, with a spa , three res-taurants, and a poolside bar (02875 255421; www.azzarodiu.com; doubles `4,450).

Hotel Kohinoor at at Fofrara-Fudam is a collection of Portuguese-looking buildings with comfortable rooms, amid gardens and little foun-tains. (02875-252209; www.hotelkohinoordiu.com; doubles `2,650-4,650).

Facing page, clockwise from top left: Some of the fisherfolk in Diu still speak fluent Portuguese; Diu is connected together by two bridges, one in Ghoghla village which is also where one can spot fishermen drying Bombay Duck; The Parsi Towers of Silence and the remnants of a prayer hall though now defunct remain open to everyone; Diu has a rich and syncretic cultural history which is apparent even today. O

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ThInGs TO DO• The Sea Shell Museum, at Fudam, a village west of Diu Town, has a collection of shells painstakingly collected by Captain Fulbaria over more than half a century. (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.). • Watch boats being built from wooden planks at the workshop on Vanakbara beach, around 5 km west of Nagoa beach.• Drive east of Diu town, to the 16th century Portuguese Fort and the adjoining light-house, which is the highest point in Diu. (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)• Diu is a perfect place for cycling. Traffic is scant and the terrain mostly flat, especially on the seaside road to Fudam village, which is a joy to pedal down. Cycles can be hired at Neel Auto Garage (02875-255128/98243 63795), behind the Government Godown, near Kava Masjid.

InsIDer TIpDiu is perhaps the only place in India where visitors of any religion can inspect Zoroastri-an Towers of Silence at close quarters—and even enter them. In other parts of India, only Zoroastrians are allowed near the Towers and most often only designated pallbearers go

inside. Located in the island’s Fudam area are two abandoned dakhmas, one of which dates back from the 13th century. Locals refer to the structures as the Parsi mandir. Until the last Parsis left the island in the 1950s, bodies of community members were consigned to the vultures here.

GUJA R AT

A R A B I A N S E A

To Delwada/Bhavnagar

Portuguese Fort

Diu TownFudam

Nagwa

Diu Airport

Nagoa Beach

Vanakbara Jetty

Sunset Point

INDIA

DIU

Short breakFrom Bengaluru


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Find ruins and old-world charm in a corner of Wayanad | By Aliyeh Rizvi

Culture Quest

Devotees can perform birth, death, afterlife and soul-cleansing rituals at the Thirunelli Temple.

2+DAYS

The forest is omnipresent, which-

ever way you choose to ap-

proach Mananthavady, in Kera-

la’s Wayanad district. Muthanga

Wildlife Sanctuary with its teak trees, giant

bamboo, swamps, and tall grass lies to the

east, and merges into the Bandipur Wild-

life Sanctuary. To the north lies Tholpetty

Wildlife Sanctuary with Nagarhole (Rajiv

Gandhi National Park) just beyond. The

south and west of the district are covered in

forested hills too. Mananthavady is a small

town with a bustling market, though there

are tea plantations around and slick resorts

in the forests or near its sky-blue lakes.

Travellers can hope to catch a glimpse of

peaceful ‘Vayal Nadu’ (the land of paddy

fields, the old name for Wayanad), as they

head into the soft Mananthavady sunset,

filtering through slim areca, coconut and

squat banana plantations. The town’s peo-

ple are friendly, generous with information,

and likely to invite visitors into their homes

if they stop to ask for directions.

Though it is surrounded by wilderness,

Mananthavady’s draw is cultural. The town lies

between the ancient Thirunelli Temple to the

north, its architecture beautifully set off by the

misty blue Brahmagiri Hills, and the Edakkal

Caves to the south, bearing inscriptions dating

back to 8000 B.C. But that’s not the only cultural

experience to relish in these parts; the local food

is immensely satisfying too. Even before arriving

in Mananthavady, visitors from Bengaluru can

stop en route at Gonikoppal for a meal of batter-

fried pazham pori (banana fritters) and sukiyam

(dumplings stuffed with a sweet golden gram

paste), served with milky Coorg coffee. Or while

in town, make a recommended break at the India

Coffee House for a feast of chicken, fish curry,

rice, kalan (buttermilk gravy), kadle (chickpea)

curry and banana flower poriyal (stir fry).

eXPLORe

Divine pursuitsWash away sins According to legend, the

thirunelli temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu

was built in the Brahmagiri Hills by Lord Brahma

himself. The temple is located 31 km from

Mananthavady, on a detour leading north from

Kattikulam. Stone relics that were discovered

here in 1947 have been dated to about 1500-100

B.C. A walk past an ancient stone aqueduct near

the temple, which was installed by a Nayanar

queen, leads to purple lotus blossoms that grow

in the Panchatheertha tank (named because

it is believed that five rivers met at this point).

Vishnu’s five symbols—the Shankha-Chakra-

Gada-Padma-Pada (conch, discus, mace, lotus,

bow)—are carved into a rock here. A quick dip


Mananthavady

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UniqUe eXPeRience

Hospitality of Strangers

eighty-seven-year-old p.p. Krishnan iyer skips nimbly through a tour of his neat tamil home with its open court-yard, red oxide floor, low-ceilinged rooms, steep stairways and dark wooden beams. he lives in paingatteri agraha-ram, a settlement of about 35 houses built in the traditional tamilian row house style, about 7 km from Manan-thavady. While curious neighbours gawked at us strangers, mama (uncle) invited us in for a look around and chat. Mami (aunt) then made us piping hot black coffee while mama related stories of his ancestors, the tamil Brahmin

iyers from thanjavur who migrated to Wayanad over 250 years ago to serve as cooks for the royal family of Kottayam.

Wayanad’s cool climate is ideal for growing tea, coffee, pepper, cardamom and other spices.

in the papanasini, a pretty forest pool fed by

a rivulet, is said to absolve one of all sins. The

immersion of ashes and ancestral rites (pitrakar-

man) that most devotees come to the temple

for, are also performed here.

Visitors may get a chance to savour a special

payasam that is made with jaggery and rare

bamboo rice, which is harvested once in six

years. It is sold by a vendor near the temple for

`50 a bowl. (Temple open 5.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m.

and 5.30.-8.30 p.m.)

Visit the mother goddess The long evening

shadows are soon chased away by the nilavil-

akku (traditional metal lamps) at the valli-

yoorkavu temple, 5 km outside Mananthavady.

The temple gets its name from the word ‘valli’,

meaning a creeper. Its ‘kavu’, or sacred grove,

has an Ashoka tree that is special to the locals,

who believe Sita once sat under it. The region is

rich in Ramayana lore.

The presiding deity is Bhagavathy, the mother

goddess, who is worshipped in three different

forms through the day. At dawn she is the Jala

Durga, at noon she is Bhadrakali, and in the

evening she is Vana Durga, who shimmers with

an intense energy in the light of the oil lamps.

The temple’s namboodri, or chief priest,

believes the goddess has existed in her form

here as a smooth stone since the Dwapar Yuga

(the third of four yugas described in Hindu

scriptures). A 15-day festival is celebrated at the

temple in February-March every year, during the

month of Meenum (according to the Malay-

alam calendar). The temple is also frequented

by several of Kerala’s indigenous tribes—the

Paniyars, Kurumas, Adiyars, Kurichyars, Ooralis

and Kattunaikars. (Open 5.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m.

and 5.30-8.30 p.m.)

See the mosque without minarets About 23 km

from Mananthavady, via Kakody, is the Korome

Mosque, built 250 years ago by Athillan Pap-

pan, a Mapilla Muslim who built it and other

structures in the area in the traditional Kerala

architectural style of a Nair tharavad (family

home). Instead of minarets, it has a wooden

roof and interiors that are intricately carved and

painted. (Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Women are not

allowed inside.)

peep into the pastFirst impressions Hidden in the forest, the

edakkal Caves located high up on Ambukuthi-

mala hill (about 100 m), exude a quiet energy,

evoking a powerful connection with the past.

The caves are near Ambavayal village, 17 km

south of Mananthavady. According to local

legend, the caves were created by arrows shot

by Luv and Kush, the two sons of Rama. Another

story claims that Rama killed the demoness

Surpanakha here.

Short breakFrom Bengaluru


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Clearly visible pictorial inscriptions in the

caves are said to date from 8000 to 6000 B.C.

However, in 2009, historians found a ‘man with

a jar cup’ symbol indicating links with the Indus

Valley Civilisation, which dates to around 3000

B.C. (Entry `30; Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m.)

Homage to a hero Mananthavady houses an

interesting memorial and museum dedicated

to the heroic Pazhassi Raja, also called Kerala

Simham or the Lion of Kerala, a king from North

Malabar who belonged to the Kottayam dynasty.

He spent his life fighting the Mysore army led

by Tipu Sultan from 1773 to 1790 and then the

British, until his death in 1805.

The shadowy forests of Wayanad offered

the perfect cover for his guerrilla warfare tech-

niques. He would dissolve into the mist only to

reappear and launch a stealth attack. This

warrior king, who once freely roamed the forests

with his tribal Kurichiyar followers, now rests

under the Pazhassi Kutheeram, a memorial in

Mananthavady that marks the place where he

died of a bullet wound. The museum showcases

artefacts, coins, information about Wayanad’s

history, and letters from British officers com-

plaining about Pazhassi Raja. (Open 10 a.m.-1

p.m. and 2-5 p.m.)

STAY

BuDgetFour Seasons Homestay Owners Mary and

Johnson offer a choice of rooms. The first-floor

room is expansive and built in a traditional style,

with an open balcony that offers a sweeping

view. Three people can comfortably stay in the

family room downstairs. (04936-203654; www.

thefourseasonswayanad.com; thefourseason-

[email protected]; doubles `1,500-2,000.)

The Bamboo Village Guests get to tap rubber,

plant paddy and participate in village life as

part of the homestay programme run by uravu

and Kabini, two local organisations. The uravu

store sells fine bamboo products, vanilla bean,

herbs, and spices. A portion of the income goes

towards the village development fund. (04936-

206842; www.kabani.org; doubles `2,000

onwards including food.)

CoMfortAgraharam Cottages Conveniently located

close to the Thirunelli Temple, it has a forest-

facing restaurant serving local cuisine made

with produce from their garden. (96050 05020;

www.agraharamcottages.com; info@agraharam-

cottages.com; doubles `3,500-7000.)

Pepper Green Resorts Centrally located in

Kattikulam village in Mananthavady, this is a

convenient place to explore Wayanad from.

(96450 76760; www.peppergreenresorts.com;

[email protected]; doubles

from `3,000 to `5,000, includes breakfast).

Olives Homestay This homestay is located 1.5

km outside Kalpetta town. (94473 58118;

www.oliveshomestay.com; info@oliveshomestay.

com; doubles from `3,000 with breakfast for two

and dinner on weekdays.)

LuxuryVythri Resorts Tree houses and distinctly

set apart cottages characterise this luxurious

getaway, which is 15 km from Kalpetta (a town

that is 32 km south of Mananthavady).

(04936-256800; www.vythiriresort.com; vy-

[email protected]; doubles from `8,500 with all

meals, yoga and one-hour guided group trek.) n

TRIP PLANNER 6

In and around

North/West

East/South (each is a half day trip)

Heritage: Pazhassi Raja Memorial (in town)Culture: Paingatteri Agraharam (5 km via Thonichal); Korome Mosque (23 km via Kakody)Spiritual: Valliyoorkavu Bhagvathy Temple (7 km)

Spiritual: Thirunelli Temple (31 km) Nature: Kuruva Island for birdwatching (17 km) Trekking: Pakshipathalam (36 km)

Nature: Pookote Lake (50 km); Karappuzha Dam (17 km) Trekking: Chembra Peak (42 km via Meppady); Kanthanpara Falls (57km) Culture: Edakkal Caves (45 km via Ambalavayal)

Sweet, rich payasam (above) is known by different names across India, and is a vital part of traditional feasts and celebrations; The petals, seeds, roots and stem of the lotus (right) are an important ingredient in vari-ous Asian cuisines.


Mananthavady

WAyANAD

Mananthavady

Thirunelli Temple

TO BENGALURU

TO CALICUT

TO MANGALORE

Pazhassi Raja Memorial

Pookotle Lake

Kanthanpara Falls

Eddakal Caves

Muthunga Wildlife

Sanctury

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The mundu (left) is pulled up during work and loosened to cover the legs during formal events; Bananas flowers (above) are known to have blood purifying properties.

locationMananthavady is a town in Kerala’s Way-

anad district, around 100 km northeast of

Kozhikode (Calicut). It is a forested region,

with Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary to the north

and Muthunga Wildlife Sanctuary to the east.

Mananthavady is 280 km/6 hours from Ben-

galuru. It is 120 km from Mysore and is also

accessible from Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangalore,

Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai.

Getting thereroad There are three driving routes from Ben-

galuru to Mananthavady. The recommended

route is Bengaluru-Bidadi-Ramanagaram-

Channapatna-Maddur-Mandya-Srirangapa-

tna-Mysore-Nanjangud-Gundlupet-Sulthan

Bathery-Kalpetta. Start early from Bengaluru/

Mysore as all three routes go through national

parks that are closed from 6 p.m.-6 a.m.

There are no direct buses from Bengaluru to

Mananthavady, but you can take an overnight

bus to Kalpetta (`350-500). From Kalpetta,

there are frequent local buses to Manan-

thavady.

rail Take a train to Thalassery, 80 km/90

minutes from Mananthavady. There are fre-

quent government and private buses, tickets

start at `100. Taxis charge upwards of `1,500

to travel the distance.

air Closest airports are Kannur International

Airport at Mattanur (70 km) or Kozhikode Air-

port (136 km). Take a local bus (`200) or rent

a taxi (approximately `7 per kilometre).

Getting aroundThe best way

to enjoy the

area is to

drive there so

you have a

car handy for

your explora-

tions. Local bus

services are avail-

able, and you can hire a

vehicle to explore specific

places (about `1,500 for 8

hours/200 km). Having

a Malayalam-speaking guide

will help you make the most of

your trip.

SeasonsMananthavady has good weather throughout

the year, ranging from a minimum of 10°C in

winter to a maximum of 35°C in summer. It is

most pleasant between October and March.

During the monsoon, July to September, it is

humid but beautifully green. Summers are

hot, between 28-35°C, but with a cool

breeze in the mornings and eve-

nings. Most of the local temple and

folk dance festivals occur between

January and March.

THe GUiDe

national geographic traveller india july 2012

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