After a brief final stop at Delhi airport I set out for my last stop Chandigarh INX airport at 10:45. I had pre-booked a cab for the remainder of my overnight road journey to Shimla. Twenty hours and fifty five minutes of flying and further six hours of drive had juiced out all the energy from me. I finally checked in the Hotel Asia - The Dawn, also pre-booked and a part of my entire package. I took the luggage to my room, ordered the dinner and gave myself a rejuvenating nap before I could do anything. After a 3-hour nap and my journey from Agra to Shimla on Shimla holiday packages by Air India Airlines, I finally was ready to walk out of my room into this beautiful city and enjoy its allure.
There are always certain perks of being a successful architect. You get to travel a lot. You get to derive every creative thought and delve it into the buildings and projects you work on. As much as I love my job, there is always saturation when I need a break. It was one of these times I decided to ease off the pressure and rejuvenate my soul and my mind. Shimla was a place to be to feed my love for holiday camping and photography. I took time to book the flight to Shimla for the next weekend. I always prefer flying in Air India accounting to the immense comfort and facilities this airline has to offer every time I travel. I packed my bags, put on my holiday cap and I was all set for my journey from Agra to Shimla by Air India Airlines using its Shimla holiday packages. I overslept till 10:00, late enough to be running to catch my 13:45 flight. I hopped inside the cab and paid him a little extra to press the gas and make a race to the airport. Thankfully I got in on time and boarded the flight. It was a smooth flight only except the little turbulence in the last hour. I had to make three stops from Agra to Khajuraho where I boarded the next flight to Varanasi at 15:35.
After a brief final stop at Delhi airport I set out for my last stop Chandigarh INX airport at 10:45. I had pre-booked a cab for the remainder of my overnight road journey to Shimla. Twenty hours and fifty five minutes of flying and further six hours of drive had juiced out all the energy from me. I finally checked in the Hotel Asia - The Dawn, also pre-booked and a part of my entire package. I took the luggage to my room, ordered the dinner and gave myself a rejuvenating nap before I could do anything. After a 3-hour nap and my journey from Agra to Shimla on Shimla holiday packages by Air India Airlines, I finally was ready to walk out of my room into this beautiful city and enjoy its allure. Ok I admit. I make frequent visits to Delhi more often. The last time I headed to one of my favourite cities in India, was for my cousin’s wedding last month. Now it was nothing short of a big fat Indian wedding. My maternal uncle and aunty had left no stone unturned for their daughter’s wedding to remain memorable for as long. From Bollywood-inspired dresses, traditions, singing, and dancing to mehndi, dhol, shehnai, and what not! However, all my dearest cousin sister and I would remember was the pre-wedding shopping. It was indeed fun, enjoyable and our gang of crazy girls made the most of it! Kinari Bazaar was one of our first wedding shopping destinations. At first, it didn’t appeal to me too much but as and when we immersed in traditional shopping there, it turned out to be quite pleasing. Firstly, Kinari Bazaar, Delhi, is not any other market, mark that! It is an easily distinguished place with wholesale as well as retail shops selling everything and anything under one roof!
Thankfully, we were carrying our Bankcards otherwise; we surely would be facing the music. The variety of wedding essentials featured in this market is unmatchable. There is everything from dresses to jewellery, accessories, bangles, anklets and so much more. The shopkeepers there generally quote higher prices but they sweetly offer you heavy bargains too. Tip - Bargain with them like there’s no tomorrow! What I was surprised to see was the immense variations available there. Like you can easily get a regular churidar as well as evening gowns and bridal Sarees as well. Isn’t that great? So apart from shopping for both the bride and the groom, the rest of us also picked up tons of clothing stuffs. It was jaw dropping to find such a huge variety of embroidery work, stone work, thread work, gold/silver work etc., from across various regions in India. We got exclusive dresses with beautiful embroidery work within our budget! In addition, it is worth noticing that the quality is very not compromised upon. So, I would advise that whether you are on a tight budget or not, whether it is wedding or any other family function, do make sure you get your stuffs from Kinari Bazaar, Delhi and experience best quality products at affordable prices! Enjoy! Dakhni Sarai, Punjab : If you are in Punjab and you love palace or fort this is a must visit place for you. It is also a part of the sarai mahal. It was built by in 1640 AD during the rule of Shah Jahan by Ali Mardan Khan who was of the most well known Mughal nobles.
Sanghol is a village in Punjab, located in the district of Fetehgarh Sahib. It is one of the important excavation sites in India and historians have excavated many coins and seals belonging to Toramana and Mihirakula od Central Asia. In 1968, a Buddhist Stupa was found from here and then in 1985 117 stone slabs, which were beautifully carved, were excavated. These included pillars, figures, cross bars etc, belonging to the Kushana style of art. Sanghol Museum is the major attraction here, which contains a number of relics from the late Harappan Civilization in 1720 BC-3000 BC to 6th Century AD. It took us more than 3 hours to reach Sanghol from Amritsar. The museum is under the Archaeological Survey of India and was inaugurated in 1990, on April 10th. It was built to preserve the treasures discovered during the excavations at the excavation sites in Sanghol. The museum had two floors and the ground floor that we enter contained items other than the stone sculptures. They were arranged chronologically, so that you get an idea as to how the civilization developed. It contained seals, coins, precious stones, terra cotta, sealings, ivory and carvings. It also had a lot of graphs, photos, chars, maps and drawings to help us understand about the objects we see. It contained specimens of pottery from Harappa Civilization, Mauryas, Sungas, Guptas and Muslim Culture. There were coins and seals made of baked and unbaked clay. One of the seals had the name of Huna king belonging to the fifth century. In front of the stair case leading to the upper floor, we saw a stucco head of Buddha, probably from the fourth century AD. On the first floor we saw mottled red sandstone sculptures. There were figures carved on pillars, stones, crossbars and railings of the stupas that were excavated in Sanghol. We saw many themes among which most important were woman and three Vignittes, mother and child motifs and some other descriptions. One of the popular themes was that of a woman holding tree branches. The sculptures here represented the Kushana style of art of Mathura.
The visit to the museum helped us to get some information on the history of India, of which we were quite unaware. Harappa is in Punjab, Pakistan, and is an archaeological site. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro are the ancient towns that flourished in the Indus valley. A lot of excavations have been carried out by historians and archaeologists and we have come to know a lot about the life of people then, their culture and traditions. They had well planned townships with houses made of bricks and proper drainage system. The people of Harppan civilization were literate and the language used was Dravidian, which is yet to be deciphered fully. Only a part of the language has been deciphered till now. Both Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro are similar in their construction and layout, which shows that both were governed by the same power. Harappan Civilization was urban and there are evidences that it had trade relationships with Mesopotamia, Persia, Afghanistan and Southern India for items like gold, silver, turquoise and copper. They seemed a peaceful bunch of people as the remains did not show any military activities. Also there were no divisions based on class. No palaces or any important buildings have been excavated. You can see only houses that were similar in size. Small seals with images of animals and some inscriptions were excavated from the place. Sculptures made of male figures were also got, which were believed to be the gods worshipped by the people. Some bronze figures were also discovered. The civilization was believed to have reached its peak in 2500 BC. After which it declined gradually from 2000 BC. Various seals, gold jewellery, pottery and sculptures belonging to Harappan Civilization have been discovered. There were figures of girls in dancing poses and also figures of monkeys, cows, dogs and bear. The dancing girl of Mohenjo-Daro, which is a bronze statue of a dancing girl, is very famous among those excavated. Priest King is another important statue that was found belonging to the Mature Harappan Civilization. Many necklaces, bangles and other ornaments were other items found. Many toys and games were also made by the people of Harappa. A harp like instrument was also found, which is believed to have been used as a musical instrument. All these show that we had a rich and ancient culture which we must be really proud of.
Mosque And Circular Well, Sarai Nurmahal : Our next destination “Serai Nurmahal” is real close to my heart. My grand father took my here a couple of time when I was a kid. This palace was built by the great Mughal Emperor Jahangir. One of my favorite part of this mahal is the beautiful Mosque and Circular Well.
Ustad's Tomb Nakodar is located outside the town of Nakodar and a well known tourist spot in Punjab. During our stay in Amritsar we went to visit the tomb, which was quite far from Amritsar, in the district of Jalandhar. As we reached the place, we were very impressed by its massive structure and beauty. It is tomb built on the mortal remains of Ustad Muhammed Momin, who a tambura player was serving under Khan-IKhanan, one of the Navratnas in the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The tomb was built in 1612 during the reign of Jahangir. The tomb had a hemispherical dome and a pinnacle, and a series of steps on two sides, which we climbed to reach an octagonal platform. The tomb stands on this platform. The structure looked octagonal from outside but when we stepped inside, it looked square. There are two entrances to the tomb, one on the northern side and the other on the southern side. Other entrances are blocked by screens and therefore not in use. The tomb is decorated with beautiful designs and tile works that were glazed and painted.
After visiting the tomb of Muhammed Momin, we went to visit the other tomb nearby, which is the Tomb of Haji Jamal, a disciple of Muhammed Momin. It was built in 1657, during the time when Shah Jahan was the emperor. It is built in the middle of a square platform, with a flight of steps on each side. The burial chamber is reached from the southern entrance. The inner chamber of the tomb is octagonal while it looks square from outside. It is also decorated with beautiful designs and the larger panels were filled with flower pots. We saw that on the west of the tombs there was a gateway, which was built in 1667 AD, as we were told by the local people. There was another gateway which is now in ruins, on the eastern side of the tombs. There was also a tank on the northern part of the tombs. The visit to the Ustad's Tomb Nakodar taught a lot about the history of Punjab and we returned back, getting a lot more informed by the visit. Durgiana Temple is one of the well known temples in Amritsar, dedicated to Goddess Durga. The temple is a large complex, built in the middle of a Sarovar and looked very much like the Golden Temple. Outside the temple there were many shops selling sweets and flowers which the devotees bought as offerings to the deity. We too bought a plate from one f the shops and entered the temple. As it was evening time, many people were getting inside. The temple is also called Lkshmi Narayan Temple. It is believed to have been built in the sixteenth century and is a beautiful temple. It is open on all days from 6.00 am to 10.00 pm. The sarovar is surrounded by a passage, which is made for the devotees to do parikrama around the temple. To the right of the main gate I saw a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Beyond the temple was the bathing ghat for the ladies. As we walked to the temple, I looked and down and saw that the water in the sarovar looked green and it had lots of fish swimming all around. I saw many people throwing eatables in the tank, which was immediately eaten by the fish. The water in the srovar was clean and not mixed with the dirty water from cleaning the floors.
The temple complex includes a number of temples, among which Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Bara Hanuman Mandir and Mata shitala Mandir are the main temples. Mata Shitala Mandir is older than 600 years and the deity here is Maa Durga. Near this temple is a beri tree, which is believed to fulfill the desires of all devotees that pray here. Bara Hanuman Mandir is in the north western side of the temple complex. Lakshmi Narayan Mandir is fully surrounded by water and we had to cross a bridge enter the temple. The doors of the temple are made of silver and it is a very beautiful temple dedicated to Lakshmi and Narayan. After praying at the temple we stood and admired the temple for a long time. The reflection of the temple on the water with the lights on in the evening was a feast to the eyes. Shadows on the Stupa: We were having fun on our Punjab outing. After taste some delicious of punjabi food we were off to our next destination. Thats when our driver Satpal advised us to check out the shadows on the stupa. Since it nearby, we decision to visit this ancient monument. I must say it is a perfect place if you are looking for a peaceful outing.
Before visiting Amritsar, I had the hotel booked online after a lot of research and comparison. I made a study of many of the budget hotels in the city and finally came upon Hotel Central Mall Suites. It is a 2 star hotel that offers you all luxuries at budget rates. So I was sure that we will have a comfortable stay in Hotel Central Mall Suites, Amritsar. On reaching the railway station, we were taken to the hotel in the cab sent for the hotel. The hotel was only about 2 km from the railway station and soon we reached the hotel. I was very impressed by the massive size of the hotel and also the well decorated interiors. The room we were shown in was spacious, well decorated and well furnished. It was air conditioned and provided with all amenities like LCD TV with cable connection, W-Fi connection, telephone and an attached bathroom. The bathroom has 24 hour hot/cold running water and toiletries. The room service in the hotel allowed the guests to have their food within the privacy of their rooms. We got refreshed and had coffee and some snacks brought in by the room service. After resting for a while, we got out of the room and did some exploring in the hotel. it was a neat and well kept hotel and had about 21 rooms. It had a big hall which could be used for meetings, conferences and parties. It had no in-house restaurant, but there were many restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel and the room service brought you whatever you needed. The travel desk in the hotel provided you whatever information you need on important tourist places in the city. We were told at the travel desk that the Golden Temple was only 2 km from the hotel and there was a free service to take guests from the hotel to the Golden Temple.
Other facilities in the hotel included laundry service, daily housekeeping, doctor on call, large parking area and so on. I must say, we had an enjoyable stay in Hotel Central Mall Suites, Amritsar. |
Blog Visits..
About Me..
A big hello to everyone here... I am 'the' Geeta Sharma, a young, vibrant, and fun-loving girl from Agra. As a kid, tall buildings always inspired me and now as I type, I myself have attained a master’s degree in Architecture and am working on several projects in and around my city. Whenever I feel taxed of my job, I find a way out in the nature, my second habitat for obvious reasons! Meditation, camping, and photography are activities for which Mother Nature inspires me! On my way back, I also make it a point to get my mind and body relaxed at nearby spa centres. That is about me and you will find much more in detail with regular blogs and updates from me. So stay tuned and sit tight for new experiences every day!
Follow Me.
Connect Me.
Categories
All
Archives
January 2016
|