Lepakshi is a quaint little temple town in Andhra Pradesh. A couple of hours’ drive leads to this historical marvel. A huge monolithic bull (Nandi) is a major landmark indicating one has reached the destination. There is also a statue of Jatayu opposite the statue of Nandi. Legend has it that Lord Ram had come across…

Halebid (or Halebeed) and Belur are two adjoining temple towns in the Hassan district of Karnataka. The intricate carvings on the temples date back to the Hoysala era. This was my very first day trip after moving to Bangalore. While the heat got to us, as we were travelling in the month of April, the…

Sakleshpur is a small hilly town a few hours away from Bangalore. This was one of the first day trips I had done after moving to Bangalore. We covered the Manjarabad Fort, a star-shaped architectural marvel in itself, which provides an awesome view of the surrounding landscape. The place offers ample photo ops.

Coorg was another short weekend tour that was put together by two friends and me in a week’s time. We ditched the short route and chanced upon a scenic (but long) route to Madikeri. Our trip covered the Namdroling Monastery in Kushalnagar (the largest monastery in the South), the Abbey Falls, the toy train at…

This was another weekend trip from Bangalore. With its unique rock formations, the St. Mary’s Island in Udupi is a photographer’s paradise. The blue-green waters and the shell beach at one corner make it all the more beautiful. Our trip also covered Udupi (Malpe and the spiritual side, covering the Sri Krishna Matha) and Mangalore (the…

This was my first trip after I moved to Bangalore and my second visit to Kodaikanal. A quick backpacking tour with colleagues over a weekend turned into a culinary delight when we found an awesome cafe named Ten Degrees (totally recommended). Their menu had a unique tender coconut mousse (served inside a tender coconut), which…

Madhya Pradesh is an undiscovered jewel of sorts. There are lots of places worth visiting in this Indian state that not many are aware of. Our trip to this amazing place back in 2012 covered the awe-inspiring Marble Rocks of Jabalpur, Bhedaghat, the cable-car ride atop the Dhuandhar Falls (which is also known as India’s…

Agartala seemed like an adventure to me when I got an offer from ICFAI Tripura to join their institute as an assistant professor. Born and raised in a chaotic city such as Kolkata had made me hungry for solitude and greenery. Agartala seemed like a perfect spot for me back then. What surprised me during…

During the time when I was hell-bent on pursuing a PhD in Management (which, ultimately, did not materialize) and was busy attending interviews all over India, I had the opportunity of visiting many top-notch campuses across the country. One of them was IIT Bombay (Powai). My 2-day stay at the campus did not just include…

During my short 6-month stint at MICA (where I had worked for a while, received a doctoral scholarship, and quit the program due to a personal reason), I had the opportunity of travelling in and around Ahmedabad. The city with its rich history surprised me with its beautiful amalgamation of the old and the new….