My Travel

[Perfection]

All are requested to share their travel experience in this thread

[Perfection]

Koyna river originates from Mahabaleshwar, which gets an annual record rainfall of 6000 mm plus. The dam at Koynanagar is 807 m long and 103 m high. It has 98.78 TMC storage capacity, 600 MW underground power station at Pophali and the used water goes to Kolkewadi reservoir. From there it is fed to a 320 MW power station. The total power generated from different phase power stations ia around 1920 MW.

The construction work of Phase IV is in progress. A 130 m deep pit is carved from rock and it connects two underground (under lake) tunnels. The dam has a depth of 80 m and the tunnels are below the lake bottom. When the work is completed the tunnels will be opened by using explosives and water will be fed to turbines in the power plant - an engineering marvel at Koyna.

[Perfection]

Jungle trek - Jungli Jaigad fort

Location : Koynanagar near Chiplun. Chiplun is on the Mumbai - Goa Konkan railway route.

Jungli Jaigad (901 m) is a small, little known fort near the Koyna dam. Situated in thick forest infested with wild animals. From Chiplun travel to Koynanagar by Karad bus. Then travel to Navja (11 km) and to Panchdhara tunnel, the road leads to Alora in Konkan. The road passes at the foot of the fort. The entry to the fort is through a 1 m wide 15 m long route, cracked by an earthquake. The fort is 500 m long and 30 m wide with no water.

Travel from Panvel to Chiplun by train (4 hour). Travel to Koynanagar by Karad bus (1.5 hour). Koynanagar is 250 km from Panvel or 200 km from Pune via Satara. The route climbs from Alorey via Kumbharli ghat to Helwak and to Koynanagar. The dam (no entry/photography) is 3 km away on the Navja route by jeep. The near by Nehru Smriti Udyan offers a good view of the lake and dam. Entry fee Rs 10. The Koyna history museum gives details about the dam construction, power generation by underground power stations, underground water intake tunnels etc.

Travel to Navja by jeep. The road leads to Panchdhara tunnel (540 m long) and then to Alorey at Konkan after passing through two more tunnels. Jeeps reach upto Patel colony from there the tunnel is 3 km by walk. One can reach the tunnel by private vehicle by getting permission from the Chowkidar as the road has restricted travel. Just before the tunnel an unmettlaed road on left goes to the hills where a transformer is located. From there the route goes through forest and the route leads to the remote village Dicholi on the banks of Koyna river. One can travel from Koyna dam to Dicholi by launch after getting permission from Forest/Police authorities. The launch to Dicholi from the dam is at 1400 h daily. The travel takes 4 hour. The return launch from Dicholi is at 1000 h.

The route above Panchdhara tunnel gradually climbs through forest - trees prevent the sunlight to come downwards. So one can trek easily without bothering about the hot sun. After a 45 minute trek take the left diversion for Jangali Jaigad fort. Stone heaps mark the spot and the route is well marked with yellow paint on rocks. The route leads to a flagpost. Here the forest ends and one has walk on the hot sun to the fort. A left track over a narrow ridge leads to the fort. The only thing remains on the fort is a small shrine and a Deepmal (light stand). The to and fro trek takes 4 hour.

If one is not taking diversion for Jangali Jaigad the route leads to Dicholi. After around 800 m one reaches a white washed stone heap. Further the route climbs down to Dicholi and the route is well marked (white washed stones). From Dicholi one can trek to Jhungti fort, if one is adventurous.



Jhungti fort : This is an unknown small fort on the western ridge of the Koyna lake. It can be approached from Dicholi village. Dicholi is connected by ferry from Koyna (4 hour), or a walk through thick forest (10 km) is possible via the Jungli Jaigad route. Ahead of Dicholi, the route to Jhungti is complicated and passes through very thick forest. Above Dicholi two huge volcanic rock fields locally known as 'sada' are to be passed. Cross the Vaghul sada and traverse north wards in thick forest. Walking along the ridge of the ghats, reach a high point 1027 m. From here, turn west, up and down a spur to reach Jhungti, jutting out into the Konkan. No inhabitation on the way except wild animals !.

Enjoy the company of birds and animals. Be with nature.

[Perfection]

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly Prince of Wales museum) : Mumbai's premier museum, located near Gateway of India.contains some wondeful pieces. The huge domed building was built to commemorate the King George V's first visit to India in 1905 (while he was still the Prince of Wales), though it didn't open until 1923. Designed by George Wittet in flamboyant Indo - Saracenic style, it's certainly worth seeing.

Open from Tue to Sunday (1000 to 1800 h). Entry fee : R 15/300 (Indian/Foreigner), Camera/video : Rs 30/200 (Without flash for non commercial photography). Students with identity card has concession on the entry fee.Take advantage of the fee audio guide available in English, French, German and Japanese, which will help you zone in on key exihibits.

The museum's collection includes impressive ancient sculpture, terracotta figurines from the Indus valley, Gandharan Buddhas, miniature paintings, porcelain and weaponary. There is a natural history section and a collcetion of second rate European paintings.



One of the best museums in India. If one is interested in antique items, visit the Jew street shops, Mattancherry, Kochi, Kerala. Few shops have better collcetion than any museums !!.

[melvin]

I visit Machu Picchu, I am Peruvian and was incredible.
Machu Picchu was constructed around 1450, at the height of the Inca empire, and was abandoned less than 100 years later, as the empire collapsed under Spanish conquest. Although the citadel is located only about 50 miles from Cusco, the Inca capital, it was never found and destroyed by the Spanish, as were many other Inca sites. Over the centuries, the surrounding jungle grew to enshroud the site, and few knew of its existence. It wasn’t until 1911 that Yale historian and explorer Hiram Bingham brought the “lost” city to the world’s attention. Bingham and others hypothesized that the citadel was the traditional birthplace of the Inca people or the spiritual center of the “virgins of the sun,” while curators of a recent exhibit have speculated that Machu Picchu was a royal retreat. Regardless, the presence of numerous temples and ritual structures proves that Machu Picchu held spiritual significance for the Inca.

[melvin]

More about Machu Picchu.... it is located in Cuzco, Peru.
All visits to Machu Picchu at some point leave from Cusco, which can be reached via a domestic flight from Lima, or international flight from La Paz, in Bolivia. Taking the tourist train from Cusco (which takes 3.5 hours to get to Machu Picchu), you have several options.
The most common way is to take the train to Machu Picchu in the morning, explore the ruins for a few hours and return to Cusco in the afternoon. The train terminates at Puente Ruinas station, where buses take tourists up the mountain to Machu Picchu. Strangely, Machu Picchu station is at Aguas Calientes (2km before Puente Ruinas station) but is not the station used by tourists on a day trip.

[melvin]

Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage site. As Peru’s most visited tourist attraction and major revenue generator, it is continually threatened by economic and commercial forces. In the late 1990s, the Peruvian government granted concessions to allow the construction of a cable car to the ruins and development of a luxury hotel, including a tourist complex with boutiques and restaurants. These plans were met with protests from scientists, academics and the Peruvian public, nearly half of which is indigenous. Critics worried that the proposed facilities would not only destroy the beauty of the site but would enable far greater numbers of visitors, which would pose tremendous physical burdens on the ruins.

[Perfection]

Hi Melvin, Thank you for the interesting info. Do you really visited the place ?. Will you share some of your travel photos in the forum.

Machu Picchu, Peru : UNESCO World Heritage site - Inca empire in ruins.



Travel planning is like sex !. The foreplay and thinking it sometimes as pleasurable as the actual act.

[Perfection]

Alandi (near Pune)- Pandharpur Yatra, thousands of 'Warkaris' walk the 240 km route to Pandharpur near Sholapur in Maharashtra. The pilgrimmage takes 21 days of walk with the phalkis. Devotees come from all parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka to Alandi. The bullock driven chariot is followed by thousands of devout pilgrims all along the route.Pilgrims sing devotional songs all the way with their musical instruments - 'Veena' and 'Dhol'.

The Yartra started on 09 July 2007 from Alandi. Views of Pilgrim's progress from Alandi & Dehu .

Thousands of devotees come in trucks equipped with tents, cooking utensils, LPG, stove, fire wood, food items, berth to sleep. They camp all the way in tents, cook the food and walk daily with the phalki by singing songs. Hundreds of makeshift tents make the yatra comfortable to devotees.

Pandharpur is one of the most respected pilgrimage sites in Maharashtra. It is located on the banks of the Bhima river, which is also known as Chandrabhaga (fondly referred as it appears like a half-moon, actual Chandrabhaga river is now called Chenab and is in J&K). Pandharpur hosts the famous Vithoba temple, on the banks of the river. Vithoba is considered to be Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu; Vitthala is said to have been derived from the word Vishnu in Kannada. Vithoba's consort
is Rakhumai or Rukmini.

The worship of Vishnu - Vitthala - at Pandharpur is derived mainly from the puranas and has been augmented by the contribution of the great Vaishnava saints of Maharashtra and Karnataka from the 13th through the 17th centuries: Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Sant Eknath, Tukaram, Purandara Dasa, Vijaya Dasa, Gopala Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa.

This temple, covering a vast area, has a total of six gates. The eastern entrance to this temple is known as the Namdev gate. The sanctum enshrines a standing image of Vithoba also known as Panduranga, Pandhari or Vitthala. Vitthala is said to have been derived from the word Vishnu in Kannada.

Pandharpur hosts four "Yatras" in a year - of which "Aashadhi Yatra" attracts most (around 0.5 to 0.7 million) pilgrims to Pandharpur. Pilgrims take holy bath in river Bhima and usually stand in queues 3 km long in order to take "Darshana" of Lord Vitthala. The second most important yatra is Kartiki.

Warkaris do not leave Pandharpur on wednesday. Pandharpur, known as “Sourthern Kashi of India, proudly hosts the of Maharashtra. The Vitthal of Pandharpur is undoubtedly the premier deity of Maharashtra. It is, perhaps, the greatest centre of attraction for the masses as far as S. India. Sholapur (65 km).

Panduranga is a sanskritized form of Pandarga, the old name of Pandharpur. Pundalik, a saint was closely associated with this shrine, and hence this shrine is also known as Pundarika pura. Stylistically the image dates back to the 5th century AD.

There are inscriptions in this temple dating back to the 13th century. Namdev, the 13th century saint was closely associated with this temple. Copper plate inscriptions of the Rashtrakootas place this shrine in the 6th century AD. There is also a shrine to Pundalik at Pandharpur. Pandharpur is also the birth place of famous painter M.F. Hussain.

More than 1.5 million devotees had visited the Pandharpur temple in 2007 pilgrim season.

[Perfection]

Adventure road journey, Jammu Kashmir, India.

A road for adventure travel is from Jammu to Manali via Leh. It is a six day ardous road travel at high altitude and extreme weather conditions.Landslides and chances of road accidents are high on this route. Hair pin curves and a speed of 30 kmph with no overtaking.

No one is in a hurry on this road. Safety comes first.

Jammu - Srinagar highway is a good road which passes through the famous Jawahar tunnel.

Srinagar - Leh road is over Zoji la pass and Fotu la. Buses operate during the season with night halt at Kargil. Two day travel time is normal. Drass is the world's second coldest inhabited place. Kargil is near the Pakistan border and the highway is within the shelling range.

Srinagar - Sonmarg (87 km) - Zoji la pass - Drass (56 km) - Kargil (62 km) - Mulbekh (53 km) - Fotu la (4093 m) - Lamayuru (44 km) - Khulsi - Saspol - Leh (55 km).

Manali - Leh Jeep Safari

Manali (2050 m) - Kothi - Rohtang Pass (3985 m) - Gramphoo - Khoksar - Sissu (3130 m) - Tandi - Keylong (3350 m) - Jespa (3200 m) - Darcha - Patseo - Zingzingbar - Baralacha la (4880 m) - Sarchu - Lachulung la (5065 m) - Pang (4630 m) - Debring - Tanglang la (5370 m) - Rumtse - Upshi - Kharu - Thikse - Shey - Leh (3500 m).

Himachal Pradesh state bus operates in this route and the distance is covered in two days with a night halt at Sarchu or Keylong depending on the road conditions. Leh departure 0430 h daily, book one day in advance. The bus goes to New Delhi via Keylong, Manali and Chandigarh.