For today’s sky watch I once again fall back on the mountains. My last visit was to Jagatsukh near Manali and I share two pictures from there.

The Beautiful Jagatsukh, Himachal Pradesh, India

I like small and peaceful places a lot. And Jagatsukh scores very high on both, small and peaceful. Here children as small as 5 year old still roam on their own in the neighborhood and parents don’t worry that something would happen to them. I remember when we went there in October 2011 for the first time and my daughter was not in front of my eyes. I assumed she was with my husband and suddenly I saw my husband also walking towards me. I almost panicked and asked him where she was? In big cities we hardly ever let them get out of our sight! He laughed and said they are all playing together nearby and it was fine. He had been to Jagatsukh a few times before.

A House at Jagatsukh, Himachal Pradesh, India

And this was one beautiful house in the region. We often day dream that we want to retire to a small place and I would love to live in a place like this. Not this big a house but the place! Maintaining this big a house would be such a task! What do you think?

This post is part of Sky Watch Friday. Do check it out.

                          

Walking around in the hills is my favorite past time. And this time in Jagatsukh I walked at least for 8 hours in three sessions. I should actually say I was on the road for 8 hours because for most of the time I would stop and click pictures. I don’t know why the landscapes affect me the way they do. My best guess is that they put things in perspective, that I appear as a dot somewhere (or not even that) in the larger scheme of things!

Dhauladhar Range, near Manali

But I guess the people who live here would take the beautiful mountains completely for granted? I have heard many say though that they cannot take the heat of North Indian plains and would stay in their own villages in the mountains.

Jagatsukh, Himachal Pradesh

I guess they are lucky who have a gurgling stream flowing so close to their homes? Also this is not one of those villages where you have to carry a LPG cylinder for 11 kms to your house.

Majestic Mountains

I read somewhere on the internet that nature is not a place to visit, it is home (OK I dug up the reference and it is Gary Snyder) and this phrase is just stuck in my memory. Because for me, as of now, nature is a place to visit. I hope this will change one day.

Electric Wires and All!

If you look closely at the picture above you can see electric wires in this landscape. Well it was there. There is a debate in the photography circles whether it is fine to edit such elements. To begin with I use only Picasa and I would not know how to edit it. And secondly I firmly believe that if there are wires there are wires, why give a false impression about the place? I would like it if they were not there but they were there and I clicked it as it was. And this is just my view. I have no fight if someone wants to edit them. But in this world of over edited pictures it is difficult to keep expectations realistic about a destination.

                          

I visited a small village in Himachl Pradesh called Khakhnal. It is the next village after Jagatsukh towards Naggar. I love walking and I love walking in the mountains. It was evening and the sky was putting up some show!

Khakhnal, Himachal Pradesh

When reached this point I realized that there were houses ahead and I would not get a better view. I decided to turn back. It was getting late and I wanted a cup of tea before I started walking back. I was walking on the main road and I could have hopped into a bus if I wanted but I was still quite fresh.

Women at Khakhnal, Himachal Pradesh

And when I started walking back after having my tea I spotted these women on a terrace. They all were eagerly waiting for a local festival procession to pass.

This post is part of Sky Watch Friday. It is an awesome theme, do check it out.

                          

I know a lot of you will scream and say, this is an unfair question. I know you might have more than one favorite states in India. I think I will find it hard to answer it myself. But so what if it is difficult? It has to be tired.

But to answer it I will take a circuitous route. There was a time I could not decide whether I had a preference for mountains or beaches. I thought I liked them equally. You can see that desert didn’t even enter the equation so I have already started making choices. But in December 2012 I had an opportunity to pick up a vacation between a beach and a mountain and the mountains won. So that gave me an inkling that I was already getting an answer to my long standing dilemma. I am becoming more and more of a mountain person.

So now the state I pick has to have mountains. But before that I will take another detour. I have limited leaves and there are many other demands on my time. So when I take a vacation many a times it has to be to the weekend getaways from NCR rather than any thing else.

And before I reveal the state there are a few other considerations. What do you think of State government tourism activities? I know that Gujarat tourism is very active and so is Kerala. I have sen ads from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as well. But I have never come across mainstream ads from say Andhra Pradesh tourism or even Uttar Pradesh which has of all places the Taj Mahal. And then there are package tour promoters like Make My Trip India and others that promote particular destinations. Do these factors weigh in your decisions? And as of now I have still kept your life fairly simple, I have not asked for the most favored destinations in the world or I could name so many tourism boards and their lovely ads.

But now let it be drum rolls please, my favorite state in India is Himachal Pradesh. As I said it had to have mountains.

Himachal Pradesh, India

So which is your favorite state in India?

                          

This was probably the first time I went to the hills in March. While you can visit the hills in any seasons March brings in the spring blossoms. I have seen a bit of blossoms before but this time they were regal!

Apple Blossoms

There were two apple trees inside the home of my hosts at Jagatsukh. And they used to be full of sparrows all through the day! It was such a pleasure to sit around them. One tree was close to an outdoor water tap and Chhavi would keep playing around it. When the cows would come to that point to drink water she would come away running scared of them.

Apricot Blossoms

These Apricot Blossoms were flowering quite next to the waterfall near Prini. But there was no way I could include them in the picture. So I was content clicking the blossoms itself.

Flowering Apricot Tree

On my walk towards Kakhnal there was a hotel by the name of Rishi Palace and this Apricot tree was flowering next to it. The railings you see in the background are the hotel boundaries.

Cherry Tree

When I saw this wild white flowering tree I asked Ramakantji what were they and he said, “Cherry.” Oh well now if I can’t go to Japan I will go back to Jagatsukh to click cherries! I wonder how the tree looks with fruits.

 Cherry Blossoms

And this is the final picture of the delightful spring blossoms I sighted at Jagatsukh this time. And as I said before I am not done with flowers yet.

                          

I am very fond of clicking flowers, though recently it does not reflect in my posts. So I am going to correct it. Today I am going to post a bunch of flowers all clicked around Jagatsukh. And I have enough flowers for 2-3 weeks and that is without rummaging my folders!

Yellow Flowering Vine

When we took an auto from Manali to Jagatsukh I had spotted this vine then itself. I knew I was going to walk that way just to click this picture. I tried very hard to identify this but could not find the name. I have been lucky with every other flower in this post but not this one. So if you know the name do drop in a comment.

Daffodils

Then while walking back from my waterfall I spotted these Daffodils growing in a pot close to the wall of a house. Now I rarely get to see them in the northern plains so I had to stop and click. Till date none of the house owners have objected to me clicking flowers but their dogs are another matter!

Grape Hyacinth

Then a little later I saw two pots full of Grape Hyacinths and I climbed on a road side barrier to get closer to them. A granny from the house came out, smiled at me when she saw I was clicking her flowers. I id all these flowers using Flowers of India website. After getting a probable match I do a Google search to get more images and confirm my id. During my search I was floored by this picture of Grape Hyacinths.

Kerria Double

I saw these while I was walking in another direction, towards Kakhnal which is a small village towards Naggar. These lovely yellow Kerria Doubles were overflowing over a wall. After this point I once again turned back to sit down at a dhaba to have a cup of tea and then walk back to Jagatsukh.

Apricot and Mustard Blossoms

But I think this Apricot tree in a mustard field was my most impressive sighting. This was once again on the walk towards Kakhnal. This field was quite close to Jagatsukh market once I crossed the bridge over the river. It is such a pleasure to walk around in Spring!

                          

Recently we visited Jagatsukh and this was out second trip to the region. I walked by the road last time, as well as this time. Last time I walked only towards Manali but this time I walked on the road towards Naggar too. There is a beautiful waterfall on the Manali-Jagatsukh road near Prini. I got an opportunity to revisit the waterfall.

A Waterfall near Prini, Himachal Pradesh

This time there was a makeshift bridge across the waterfall. So I could cross the stream and get closer to the waterfall. This waterfall is right next to the bigger traffic bridge near Prini. If you walk around Prini you are bound to find this waterfall it is hard to miss, you can hear it loud and clear from the road itself.

The New Makeshift Bridge

I also thought there was more water in it this time. I took the dirt road to get down to the waterfall and clicked a few pictures. I was happy to dump my small shoulder bag near the bridge as there was no one around apart from me. I like such places. While I started walking off I realized it was quite late in the evening and if I played around will the shutter speed of my camera I would get this milky flow of water.

 The Prini Waterfall, Himachal Pradesh

So I first set my camera to TV mode (Canon) and reduced the shutter speed to 1/5 seconds. I liked what I saw on my display screen. So I climbed down again, crossed the bridge and clicked a few more pictures. I also love the fact that even though this is within the sight of the main road there was no one around. By the look of it this is not a tourist stop anyway.

A Beautiful Waterfall in Himachal Pradesh

When I look at the pictures from the previous trip I am so surprised that this type of photography didn’t even occur to me even though the light conditions were very similar.

PS. One more reason why I love walking, that way I can go chase every waterfall and flower that is on my way. In a bus they flash past in a blur tantalizing me to slow down, to stop and click.

                          

It is sky watch time again! I was in the mountains again last week and one day I even managed to get up at dawn. And I had the place almost to my self, I shared it mostly with birds! But the landscape was breathtaking too and sky completely blue!

Jagatsukh, Himachal Pradesh

I stayed out for around 3 hours clicking pictures and that was time well spent! Jagatsukh is just 6 km away from Manali but it is different place. Manali has become too crowded for me but the vistas around it are so beautiful. The good bit about the region is that if you get out a little further away from Manali you can still find quite places like Jagatsukh. Between Jagatsukh and Manali is Prini which has Club Mahindra and Holiday Inn as well. So there are stay options available. There are many home stays available as well. This was a family vacation and we had a great time!

This post is part of Sky Watch Friday. Do check it out.

                          

There was a time when I constantly posted birds on my blog. Then over a few years I clicked all that I could in the neighborhood. I still get excited about birds but only if I see new ones or if I think I will really get a good shot.

This time when I was at Jagatsukh I managed to click some familiar and some new birds and I am quite excited about my sightings. So here I go.

House Sparrow

This was right at our hosts home at Jagatsukh. And there were so many house sparrows all around their place living in these hollows. They would keep visiting the Apple and the Apricot trees! It was such a pleasure to listen to their chirping all day long!

Russet Sparrow

Initially I didn’t pay much attention to the Russet Sparrows. I somehow thought they were better looking house sparrows. It took a day for me to figure out that they were Russet Sparrows and not house sparrows. And then I started chasing them and they would sit only behind a lot of leaves and trees. In the end this was the best I could manage!

Streaked Laughingthrush

Then on the last day of my stay I woke up at dawn and went out for a walk. There was no traffic on the road yet and birds were perching on the tress next to the road. Like this Streaked Laughingthrush who was busy collecting material for the nest.

Verditer Flycatcher

But the best was this Verditer Flycatcher. I was standing by the road and clicking landscapes. So I had the kit lens on the camera. And there came this lovely blue bird and sat on a clear branch. I told myself it was worth trying to change the lens then and there. So I took down my shoulder bag, opened it, then opened the kit lens. Then I fixed the 75-300 zoom, kept the kit lens in the bag and the bird was still waiting patiently right there! I could not believe my luck! I managed to click at least 5 shots before the bird decided enough was enough!

After an hour or so the traffic on the road started and the birds were no longer coming to the tress next to the road even though I could still hear them!

                          

When vacation is round the corner, the most common topic discussed is the holiday spots one should visit. Some magazines throw light on various tourist destinations that are generally overlooked. Some highlight the specialties of a particular picnic spot. People have varied interests. Some like to visit places that offer spectacular sights with picturesque landscapes and snow-capped mountains. Some like to go for a religious tour and based on their beliefs, visit places that are in line with their beliefs. Some people love adventure while some seek to visit places of historical importance. India has a lot to offer to tourists within India and outside. According to a recent report by Goibibo, here are the top 10 holiday destinations in India based on the average number of bookings on their website. Let us have a look at each of them

1) Goa

Goa

The smallest state of India gains in prominence by being number one in the list of most visited holiday destinations. People from all parts of the world visit Goa thanks to the pristine beaches here. Century old churches and forts are among other reasons for tourists to prefer Goa. Yet another tourist spot in Goa is the Panaji Bridge. The view is excellent and you could go on a pleasure ride.

2) Uttarkhand

Uttarakhand

Those who love nature will love Uttarkhand. Situated in North India, the place is renowned for its stunning natural beauty. The place is busy with various sports activities, which include trekking, river rafting, paragliding, jeep safari and a lot more. The monuments here have historical value.

3) Kerala

Kerala is located in southwest of India. The state has a lot to offer to the tourists. A place that looks like a favorite of Mother Nature has everything you would love about with nature. The hill stations, beaches, waterfalls, forests and backwaters are viewers’ delight. Some of the important tourist spots here are Alappuzha, Kovalam, Munnar, Fort Kochi and so on. Kerala has yet another importance. Ayurvedic tradition of the people of Kerala is known all over the world.

4) Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir

Three regions form Jammu and Kashmir. They are Jammu, Kashmir valley and thirdly Ladakh. The place is rightly called the Heaven on earth. The breathtaking beauty of Jammu and Kashmir has not found a parallel. This is a perfect destination on a holiday if one plans to have a relaxed holiday. Some of the important places to visit in Jammu and Kashmir are Srinagar, Jammu valley, Zanskar and Kargil.

5) Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh, the lovely hill state is located in Western Himalayas. It has several green valleys, rivers and snow-clad peaks to keep you mesmerized. Nature lovers and adventure seekers could land here hoping to experience the best. The landscapes are stunning and the air could not be fresher. The place has excellent tourist spots and many activities for those who love activity. A visit to Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh will remain in your memories forever. It is a perfect place to get away from hectic life schedule and relax; a perfect place to engage yourself in various physical activities like mountaineering, ice skating, trekking and para-gliding. The golf course here is one of the oldest in India.

6) Rajasthan

Rajasthan

Thar Desert comes to mind the moment one thinks of Rajasthan. The state is India’s largest and hence is called “The Land of Kings”. The state is famous for its forts, rides on caparisoned elephants, camel ride and palaces. Travel to Rajasthan could be educative as well as entertaining. The exclusive architectures speak of the culture and history of the people. Jaipur – the Pink City; Udaipur – the Lake City and Mount Abu are some of the most famous tourist spots here.

7) Maharashtra

Mumbai

Maharashtra is India’s third largest state and ranked second in terms of population. It is one of the most visited states by tourists from all over the world. It has beautiful mountains and forts exceeding 350 in numbers that speak volumes of its past. The state is known for ancient temples and beaches. You could go boating in the hill stations of Maharashtra, visit Ajanta and Ellora Caves situated in North Maharashtra and visit cities like Mumbai to have a great vacation. Ajanta caves are famous for paintings and sculpture while Ellora caves reveal the architectural skills of the people of the past.

8) Uttar Pradesh

Taj Mahal, Agra, UP

The most populated state in India, Uttar Pradesh is situated in the north. The house of Taj Mahal has many tourist spots to keep the tourists engaged during their stay. Some of the most frequented tourist spots in this area are Agra, Lucknow, Allahabad and Ayodhya. Three Heritage sites of the world in Agra are Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. Allahabad is the meeting point of three rivers namely Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati. Allahabad Fort is a famous tourist spot here.

9) Karnataka  

Karnataka

Karnataka is situated in South India. It is one of the excellent places in India to spend your vacation. You could have a great time in the hill stations, forests and visit ancient temples and historical monuments. Mysore is famous for cultural heritage and rightly called the Cultural capital of Karnataka. Some of the most important attractions in Mysore are Mysore Palace, Chamundeshwari Hills and Mysore Zoo. Coorg in Karnataka is famously called the ‘Scotland of India’. Famous for its coffee estates, the city delights you with its misty mountains. You could go trekking and white water rafting in this area. Other popular destinations in Karnataka include Hampi, Pattadakal and Bijapur.

10) Andaman

Andaman Islands is a group of islands situated in the Bay of Bengal. It is rated as one of the best touring destinations in India. Gandhi Park in Andaman is a combination of historical monuments and man made constructions. Amusement park and water sports keep children engaged. Yet another park in the islands is Marina Park. There are various joy rides such as giant wheels, dragon coaster and so on. Children will love the experience in toy train. Many parts of India boast of wonderful beaches. However, the beaches in Andaman present a unique experience as they are sparsely populated. The adventurous lot would love this place as it offers scuba diving, kayaking, snorkeling and various other sports.

The mentioned list is considered the most famous destinations in India. However, India has a lot more to offer. Whichever tourist destination you choose, you can be assured of enjoying unique experience. Some tourist destinations require most of your vacation time and some may require most of your wallet. The spending is definitely worth but with wise spending, you can ensure quality spending of your money.

A cost-effective way to plan your travel is to search for travel coupons such as yatra coupons and makemytrip coupons which could make your travel expenditure quite pocket-friendly. You can also subscribe at online travel booking websites to receive these lucrative deals directly e-mailed to your inbox. Also, these deals & coupons are easily available on CouponLava.com. Hope you make most out of your vacation.