Sayaji Hotel Pune : I was pleasantly surprised to find that Sayaji Hotel Pune is located at Mumbai-Bangalore highways is a 3 star property with reasonable rates. The rooms were comfortable too for my liking and I loved the warm hospitality and coziness offered to all its guests. It definitely meets the requirements of all travellers according to me.
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The visit to the Aga Khan Palace of Pune was an amazing experience. The rich heritage of the Sultan and the historical relevance of the Palace truly reflect in all corners of the majestic Palace. After the visit to Aga Khan Palace, the next place in my Pune bucket list was the famous Pataleshwar Caves. These caves are located on the Jangli Maharaj Road and are one of the heritage sites of the city with history as old as 8th century. One of the distinguished features of the caves are its resemblance with the Ellora Rock cut temples. The caves of Pataleshwar are also carved out of a single rock. The whole temple is said to be hewn out from a single rock and also houses gigantic pillars and a shrine of Lord Shiva which is known as Pataleshwar and hence the name of the caves are Pataleshwar caves. The entrance of these caves is worth admiration. It speaks a lot about the knowledge of geometry those ancient architects had. The seating arrangement inside the temple complex is also spectacular with smaller rooms for many visitors. The visit to the cave makes one wonder how those people were able to carve such a magnificent structure. It certainly seems there knowledge was much greater than the technological knowhow available today. The caves provide many opportunities to take exotic images of the temple complex and other sights which are available from the caves inside. There is also a museum located nearby. The museum is enlisted in the Guinness Book of World records for exhibiting the largest characters displayed on a rice grain which are more than 5000.
The visit to the Pataleshwar Caves was a wonderful experience indeed. The Lord Shiva temple though had incomplete work inside and the beautification of the caves also looked incomplete but the caves are certainly a must visit for all people. After this visit I decided to head back for my hotel and have some sleep. The place which I decided to visit the next day was another famous landmark and attraction of Pune city known as the Shaniwar wada. St Mary's Church Pune : Situated in the Cantonment camp of Pune this quaint St. Mary’s Church Pune delighted me with its old world charm. It was constructed way back in 1820 by the British and still retains the practice of worshipping in the traditional manner. What really touched me was that people of all faith are allowed to enter the church, to offer prayers.
The stay at the hotel was quite relaxing and comforting. The food was also very amazing and got me refreshed. It was now time to explore some of the famous attractions and places of interest in Pune, so the first place which was in my itinerary which I visited was Aga Khan Place. It is one of the most renowned Palaces of the city built in the year 1892 by Sultan Aga Khan III of Pune. It is said that the only reason why this palace was made Sultan was to provide employment to the famine hit people of neighbouring areas. The Palace without any doubt was the finest of its kind in the region. It is surrounded by lush green gardens all around it. The guest rooms of the palace are always lavishly decorated and the suites are a reminder of the Royal heritage of the Palace. For the shutterbugs this palace provides immense opportunity to click pictures. The gardens and the architecture of the palace is a worth being framed. Aga Khan Palace also has an immense historical importance because of the role it played in the Indian National Movement. Gandhi along with his wife Kasturba and secretary was imprisoned in the Palace complex for 2 years between August 1942 and May 1944. His wife even breathed her last in the Palace complex.
After Independence the palace was donated to India by the Royal family of Aga Khan as a respect for the philosophy of Gandhi. There are also memorial inside the palace complex named after Gandhi. Several shops can be found within the complex of the Palace which deals in the sale of Khadi and handloom products. The visit to the Aga Khan Palace was a great experience thoroughly enjoyed. It was a nice destination to begin my excursion in the city of Pune. After the visit I decided to head for my next place which was the nationally renowned Pataleshwar caves of Pune. They are also one of the best tourist spots not only in the city of Pune but in whole of the Maharashtra State. Chaturshringi Temple Pune : Located to the North-West of Pune city, yet in the middle of busy Senapati Bapat Marg, Chaturshringi Temple Pune is a delight as it on a sprawling hill slope. The deity of Devi Chaturshringi bought within me the religious and pious feelings. Though the steps are a long climb, the neat and clean temple with a calm and peaceful atmosphere is really worth a visit.
This is a post I’m writing after a long time to share my adventures with you all about my trip to Pune. As it was getting hot and humid in Chennai and holidays were still on for me, so I decided to plan a visit to the city of Pune. Pune has always been one of my favourite places because of its lovely weather, delicious food and lifestyle. I decided to have a train travel as it’s the most convenient option for me considering the tight budget travel that I always prefer.
There are many trains which are running between Chennai and Pune. I decided to book my ticket in the upper class section of Mumbai Express (11402). It is the best Superfast train in this route. The train starts from Chennai at 11:55 AM. I was ready and left for the station an hour and half before its scheduled departure to be on time. The station is quite far from my home. I did an early lunch so I don’t get too hungry in the train before night. The train departed at the right time from Chennai and the journey began. There were many Pune bound passengers sitting in the coach besides me. The train was a good Superfast express and there were also many stoppages at major stations on the Chennai Pune travel route. One major station which came in the route was Guntakanal Junction at about 8:30 PM. Train had a halt for 25 minutes and passengers utilised this time to get food and soft drinks for the night. I bought some packaged food too as dinner along with beverages. All my co passengers were asleep by 10 PM and so I too went to my berth and fell asleep within minutes. When I woke up in the morning the train was about to reach Daund which is not far from Pune. It finally reached Pune Junction at 9:30 AM and I got off the train to leave for my hotel. At the exit of the railway station one can find many auto driver approaching you. I hired one of them to reach my hotel which I had booked in advance for my stay in Pune. Few tips which can help you too during your student life when you choose to travel: ‐ Try in travel sites, apps which give you huge discounts on flights, trains and roadways. Also the cashbacks and loyalty points allows you to book a hotel or shop in from the given budget. Act smart when you plan your trip. ‐ Use comparing site, which compares multiple means of transport and lodging areas price, then book the most reasonable one. Do your research extremely well. ‐ Packing your bag also impacts travelling. Pack clothes which are lighter in weight, can be easily stuffed along with your rest needs into a bag pack. Always carry bag packs it’s much better than a suit case, especially when your trip involves too much land walking. ‐ Keep your student id with you, wherever you go, it can get you discounted deals on food, travel etc. ‐ Be flexible and adjustable , you need to make yourself prepared to stay in those small couch / homemade bedding /eat what is available as well ready to walk down the streets whenever possible. ‐ Plan outings in big groups, this makes the luxury stay in your budget as well you travel with comfort all your journey. This do not means you gather in any people for a group sake discount. Ensure going with people you know and your friends. These are the few ways we as students can travel with ease as well spend freely the given amount on various leisure’s. Do let me know your feedback and your tip to save in money and have a grand journey. We all love to travel comfortably, as the level of luxury increases the budget also expands. Traveling as a student I have learned to manage travelling in a limited bracket. Be it flights, railways or buses my budget is always sufficient.
Lal Bazaar Gangtok Sikkim : For someone so young and enthusiastic like me Lal Bazaar Gangtok Sikkim is just the place. Wandering through the market made me feel like I am discovering the soul of Sikkim’s kitchen. Everything right from apparel to eatable is available here. A stone’s throw away from M.G Marg, it is food paradise with a distinct culture. The trout fish was the ultimate treat.
After being captivated by the picturesque beauty of the Yumthang valley covered with around 25 species of flowers, we moved on towards our next destination which was the Gurudongmar Lake. It wasn’t very far away from our last destination and so we didn’t have to travel much. It is also located in North Sikkim which is loaded with a number of sightseeing spots. On our way to the lake, we were a bit sad that our trip was coming to an end. On the other hand, we were happy that we would be returning to our respective homes with some glorious pictures and memories. While covering the distance to reach the Gurudongmar Lake, we were extremely pleased with the waterfalls and the lush green fields in the surrounding areas. The Lake has an altitude of 17000 feet above the sea level and will surely leave you mesmerized thanks to the presence of snow clad mountains and peaks on all sides. It falls in the list of the highest lakes across the globe and holds the second rank in terms of lakes in India. One would simply be dumb struck on getting the scenic and panoramic view of the place. We came to know that the lake is associated with some religion and has been named in memory of Guru Dongmar. We could also spot the Kanchenjunga and the Mount Siniolchu from the lake and it was breathtaking. The lake is extremely clear and considered to be a sacred one. One legend says that Guru Dongmar, also called as Guru Padmasambhava touched and made the lake completely pure and holy. It is due to this reason that despite the chilly winters, the water of the lake doesn’t freeze at all. It is also believed that the lake acts as a source of water for River Teesta. We could see some tourists collecting the water in bottles believing that it has curative properties. We could also spot a place known as Sarva Dharma Sthal near the lake which means that it can be used for worshipping every religion. We had to leave the lake a bit quickly as it was already getting dark and we had to catch the return train the following day.
After exploring the Zemu Glacier, we were on our way to the most beautiful valley in this part of world, namely Yumthang Valley. Before entering the valley, we came across numerous Dhabas where we decided to try out some local cuisines. We were simply left dumb struck by the scenery on entering the valley. After watching the captivating view of the lush green valley, we had to climb over the slopes for reaching the flowers. Being girls, we were extremely excited to experience the sight off a beautiful land covered with a wide range of colourful flowers. It is abound with a number of beautiful flowers which are found in the Himalayas. Also known as the Valley of Flowers, it is certainly one of the most picturesque locations in the world. The green and steep slopes covered with trees combined with a river running through the heart of the valley make it a dreamland. The beauty of the valley can’t be expressed through words. One should definitely visit this place while travelling to Sikkim. We were so impressed with its beauty that we couldn’t forget the exact picture of the valley for weeks. Its location is considered to be a natural blessing as it lies above an altitude which is named as tree line and represents a height above which trees cannot grow. Despite this fact, the Yumthang Valley is abound with a number of Rhododendrons and trees. We came to know from one of the locals that the presence of a wide range of Rhododendrons is responsible for painting the entire valley red during the months of spring. They also showed us some old pictures of the Valley which looked like a picturesque collage comprising of forests of various colours.
Since we had visited the valley in June, we couldn’t spot any Rhododendron. However, we weren’t disappointed as we got the sight of some exquisite Himalayan flowers such as Louseworts, Cobra lilies, Cinquefoils, Primroses, etc. The Yellow Poppy is one of the rare flowers that we could spot in this valley. We didn’t have much time left for the day and so we left early as we needed to cover one more destination. |
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Hello, I am Ayushi Manroa. I love travelling and have also dabbled in photography. Being a student, I mostly end up back-packing! I started this blog to record my travelogues about the amazing places that I have been to. Be it frolicking in Goa, taking a dip in the Ganges, trekking in Coorg or hitching a ride up the Western Ghats, it is all listed here along with some of my best shots. Hope you like it. Happy reading!
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