This is the concluding post of my trip to India. It seemed unfinished, and it never will be fully finished, as I will not stop learning. However, I can never leave any project without a conclusion, so:
A brief overview of my trip:
1) Bangalore
2) Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer
3) Mantralayam
4) Badrachalam
5) Goa
6) East coast
7) Delhi
8) Rishikesh
9) Allahabad
10) Kullu Valley
I am head-over-heels in love with everything and everyone that I met, encountered, learned. I saw new life and death, I saw peace and pain, I saw love and a kind of hatred I never hoped to experience. I see the world through different eyes. I’ve been back in the States for more than a month now and I am still not used to everything. While I am back home (well, not anymore) my heart and soul is and always will be tied to the beautiful madness of India.
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ashuyeah asked: I love reading about your travels in India - is there anything within Karnataka that you think I might enjoy? I like nature and beaches and parks and those sorts of things.
Thanks! xx
I unfortunately didn’t see too much of Karnataka, spending most of my time in Bangalore working. I’m sure all of the coastal areas are beautiful, and I have also heard that Hampi is a wonderful place to visit. I did visit Mysore which was beautiful along the river and was a very nice, historical trip.
A spur-of-the-moment paragliding trip in the Solang Valley, 14 km north of Manali.
T.T. in the air
A 17 hour bus ride out of Delhi filled with vomiting children, a strange yet hilarious Hindi movie, and a pair of upset tummies…yeah, you get the idea. Arriving in the town of Manali was quite a relief. Not only did the Himachal state provide a much-needed respite from the plains’ heat, the peerless beauty of the Himalayas quite literally took my breath away. Manali is nestled in the Kullu Valley and surrounded by the Pir Panjal mountain range of the Himalayas.
We checked into our hotel, from which we enjoy a stupendous view of the Beas River, which we can also hear tumbling through the valley. The rest of the afternoon was spent recovering from our trip north, but we also managed a little exploring. I met a baby cow that enjoying licking my legs and nibbled my shoes a little bit. We enjoyed a nice mountain-view dinner, and even had to put on our jackets - a first for me in my 7 months in India!
The 29th was a sort of follow-up tourism day. We were worn out from the 8 hours in a taxi the day before, but there were still some things in Delhi we wanted to see.
We visited the Sikh temple, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, dedicated to Guru Harekrishan Sahib, the 8th Sikh guru. We were lucky enough to visit the shrine inside as well as see the massive kitchen that feeds 10,000 to 20,000 people per day for free. Our guide was a lovely woman who taught us a lot about the Sikh faith, like the 5 Amrit symbols: the steel bangle (kara), the knife (kirpan), uncut hair (kesh), wooden comb (kangha), and cotton underwear (kachhera).
The holy water in front of the Gurudwara
The shrine inside
The kitchen
We also visited the Baha’i Temple, also known as the Lotus Temple. Made of 59 petals and surrounded by 9 pools (contributing to the central cooling system of the temple), the lotus represents unparalleled beauty, peace and clarity. In the words of the architect of the temple, “A tabernacle of unity hath been raised.”
Please refer to my previous post for more information on the Taj Mahal. This time I visited with T.T., got stuck in a rainstorm, had a guide, and visited some shops!
After landing, paragliding in Manali!
waveofeuph0ria asked: Love your blog! Had to follow! I love your URL as well.
Thanks! :)
