Voyage Vedas

Landour- The curly way to Landour Landour : To be honest we discovered Landour by chance and I can say with conviction that Landour is one of the most memorable places we have ever visited in India. We were on our trip to Haridwar, Dehradun and Mussoorie and this time the theme of the trip was "Shoe String Budget for Travel". It is customary with us to keep themes for various trips; this makes the trip more memorable and different from normal visits to a place. Adhering to the theme for the trip meant a lot of travel on foot. I grew up and did my schooling from Dehradun. During my numerous visits to Mussoorie I had crossed the Picture Palace End Chowk, also called the Kulri Chowk, many times but I had never explored the path to Landour. I did not even know that there is a place called Landour. Although in back of mind somehow I always knew that the path on the left from the Kulri Chowk will take me to an unexplored gem of the mountains. I was determined to expl...

The Canal on General Mahadev Singh Road :- My remembrance of the Canal dates back to the year 1989, when we relocated to Dehradun. The Canal was the most prominent and conspicuous entity on General Mahadev Singh Road.  The small stretch that I remember started from Garghi Cantt ran through Kaulagargh Road to Ballupur Chowk then to Balliwala Chowk on to Kanwali  Road till the rice fields of Majra. A strech of atleast 10 km if not more. Like a flowery tree which blossoms in the monsoon the Canal was flooded with water in the rainy season, so much so that it reached the road level. Although it was 4-5 feet deep, the water dried up in the summers to become just a succulent stream of water. But I have never seen it completely dry even in the driest of summers. Water always gushed through its pebbly shores. I remember there was a watermill that was run by the force of the gushing waters in the Canal. People used to gather at the mill for their daily dose of gossip and to grind wh...

Memoirs of Dehra :- The word Dehradun brings back some very nostalgic memories. The thought of the place itself brings back peace and tranquility to the mind. For me, visiting Dehradun gives solace to the heart and soul. I always look forward to visit the place. Given an opportunity to visit Dehradun I seldom miss it. There are times when you have to restrict yourself of visiting the place due to various reasons, but turning down an opportunity to visit Dehra goes with a heavy heart. I grew up and did my schooling from Dehardun. Even while working in Gurgaon we used to quite often visit my parent's place at Dehradun. Most often than not we used to visit Dehradun by car. While driving from Delhi to Dehradun as soon as you cross Mohand you   kind of start getting that smell of tranquility. This is one of those feelings which are best experienced than being penned down. It feels like that the place calls you back where ever you go. I have traveled across 12 countries and have...

Fresco depicting Wright Brothers First Flight at Bansidhar Nevatia Haveli-Mandawa Mandawa - An Open Air Art Gallery : There are times when you want to take some time out of your monotonous and hectic city life and spend some quality time exploring some thing new, something unique. Specifically if you appreciate art and craft and you want to spend your special day (birthday) appreciating the craftsmanship of artisans then Mandawa is the ideal place to go to. Mandawa is around 260 km from Delhi and around 190 km from Jaipur. It is part of District Jhunjhunu(Rajasthan). It is part of the Shekhawati region. Shekhawati region is the greener part of Rajasthan which served as the gardens of Rao Shekha Ji. This region got it's name from Rao Shekha Ji,literally meaning 'The Gardens of Sheka'. His ssons later established various cities in this region. Mandawa is famous for it's opulent Havelis and Frescoes. These treasures of art and craftsmanship have given Mandawa t...

Mandawa - Composite Fresco on Seth Dayaram Dedraj Goenka Haveli Mandawa :- Mandawa is a small town in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan (India). It is part of District Jhunjhunu. Shekhawati region is the greener part of Rajasthan which served as the gardens of Rao Shekha Ji. This region got its name from Rao Shekha Ji, Shekhawati literally meaning the gardens of the Shekha. His sons later established various cities in this region. Mandawa is around 260 km from Delhi and around 190 km from Jaipur. Mandawa is famous for its opulent Havellis and the Frescoes. Mandawa has become the chosen destination for shooting scenes in various "Bollywood" movies. You can also explore local handicrafts including miniature paintings and other handmade items.  History of Mandawa :- Historic references suggest that the City of Mandawa was established in around 1740 AD by Mandu Jat. He established a Dhani (hamlet) and dug a well here. This place was initially known as ‘M...