In my last post I mentioned a couple of Indian cities which interested me, this time I'll add a couple more. People who have not been to India have to understand that every single city is different in some way or the other. Honestly, every time I go back to India during vacations, I visit a city I haven't been to before, and get surprised. This has happened to me every single time I have returned to India and visited a new city; I have wondered every single time,"is this really India?". It's because every city is so different from the other that even though you are Indian you cannot believe your eyes. Might seem like an exaggeration, but it's true, and here is why:
North India
Rishikesh:
I really wanted to talk about Rishikesh in my last post, but there is SO much to write about Rishikesh and I wanted to take my time. I have been to Rishikesh twice, and the trip was totally worth it both the times.
Rishikesh is a tiny city by the hills. It is a VERY religious city. The sacred river Ganga (or Ganges) flows through Rishikesh. What baffled me was that this city is full of Israeli tourists, amongst tourists from other countries. They would be bursting music and lighting bongs throughout the hotels. After getting to know a few of them, I learned that they do all-India tours and stay at one location they particularly like for 3-6 months at times! Here's a pic of one of the Israeli friend we made there.
Even though Rishikesh is a dry city, as in there is no production or sale of alcohol through out the city, it is still available illegally at some hotels and cafes. Besides, tourists travelling to Rishikesh already know this and usually carry their own stash of alcohol with them, like me and my friends did!
Things to do - hike up the mountains and have a beautiful view of the city full of light, colors and temples!!
Go visit the few famous temples and chill by the Ganga river. Especially at night, when the river banks are deserted, its the best time to just go there with a few drinks and talk about life and philosophy!! Since there is absolutely no one there, it honestly feels like you own the place, being able to do whatever you feel like at the moment...without any restrictions what so ever!!
Also if you are interested in photography, this is the best time and place for you!!
There is one very famous restaurant without visiting which your trip would be incomplete!! It is called Chotiwala Restaurant. This restaurant has an old Indian priest sitting in front of the restaurant, with a crazy, weird makeup which would even make the Japanese Manga freaks freak out, through out the day greeting new customers.
Another great way to enjoy Rishikesh is to go down to the Ganga River and river raft on Ganges. It's an amazing experience and the tides are ferocious!! It's important you know the fact about the tides being ferocious because it can take you by surprise. For example, When me and my friends tried it out for the first time last summer, we were all thrilled in the beginning and started rowing relentlessly; then there came a time when the waves completely took over, and all we could see below, above and besides our boat was water, and our boat was about to be toppled over when in a flash it was over, the boat was steady and we were rowing on calm waters again. However, a couple seconds later I saw a shoe floating by our boat's side and realized it was my friend's shoe. I turned laughing, ready to tell him that he was missing his shoe when... I gasped, my friend wasn't on the boat anymore, and none of us had realized that it was actually because of him falling in the river that our boat had steadied itself in the midst of the raging waves. We looked around frantically and found him desperately flinging his arms in the water in a distance. Of course he had his life jacket on but I guess the sheer size of the waves had overwhelmed him.
So yes, although our friend was back in our boat in less than 5 minutes by the help of a safety boat, river rafting on the Ganga river isn't as easy as one might think on first sight. Nevertheless, the pleasure indubitably outweighs the fear in this activity so I would urge everyone to try it out!!
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New Delhi
New Delhi is the city where I was born, and probably where I feel most at home. The busy, colorful streets, remarkably cheap clothing and electronics markets, huge new malls emerging in every corner, high end clubs, The India Gate, The Lotus Temple, and the street food represent New Delhi. There is lots to talk about this city, but I'll get straight to the point...
Hidden mouthwatering food joints - Chanakya street; this street offers the absolute BEST 'momos' Delhi has to offer. Momos are juicy chicken/pork/vegetable dumplings with a hint of spices. Another thing that makes these momos incredibly delicious is the sauce that you dip it in, unlike the chinese dumplings that come with soy sauce, momos come with a special spicy mint sauce which is simply irresistible. Without eating this, your Indian experience would be incomplete.. New types of momos keep cropping up in the market, but the ones I like the most are tandoori momos, which are basically barbecued momos!
Bengali Market; This market specializes in east Indian food, especially sea food! I hadn't really experienced Bengali (West Bengal/Kolkatta) food until recently. It was only when I went to the Bengali market in Delhi when I realized how delicious and unbelievably spicy east Indian food really is. Although I'm Indian, I'm still not too used to Indian spices, hence the spicy food really got to me and I was sweating before I could realize the degree of spiciness. For spicy food lovers, this market is heaven; for others, it's still worth a visit since the food is different and delicious in its own mysterious way!!
Other places I love which are worth checking out:
India Gate- probably the most touristic place in New Delhi, where everyone enjoys a weekend picnic. There is a park and garden with a huge war heroes' memorial monument, which is the national monument of India! Besides chilling in the park, one can also enjoy boating since there is a small lake with boating services. People usually just go there to chill for a couple hours, enjoying street snacks while playing soccer or cricket in the park.
The Lotus Temple - A temple designed to look like a Lotus! Really pretty and clean, and good for a one time visit I guess. I myself have been there only once, and it was worth it! There is nothing much inside the temple but the view from outside is beautiful!!
North India
Rishikesh:
I really wanted to talk about Rishikesh in my last post, but there is SO much to write about Rishikesh and I wanted to take my time. I have been to Rishikesh twice, and the trip was totally worth it both the times.
Rishikesh is a tiny city by the hills. It is a VERY religious city. The sacred river Ganga (or Ganges) flows through Rishikesh. What baffled me was that this city is full of Israeli tourists, amongst tourists from other countries. They would be bursting music and lighting bongs throughout the hotels. After getting to know a few of them, I learned that they do all-India tours and stay at one location they particularly like for 3-6 months at times! Here's a pic of one of the Israeli friend we made there.
Even though Rishikesh is a dry city, as in there is no production or sale of alcohol through out the city, it is still available illegally at some hotels and cafes. Besides, tourists travelling to Rishikesh already know this and usually carry their own stash of alcohol with them, like me and my friends did!
Things to do - hike up the mountains and have a beautiful view of the city full of light, colors and temples!!
Go visit the few famous temples and chill by the Ganga river. Especially at night, when the river banks are deserted, its the best time to just go there with a few drinks and talk about life and philosophy!! Since there is absolutely no one there, it honestly feels like you own the place, being able to do whatever you feel like at the moment...without any restrictions what so ever!!
Also if you are interested in photography, this is the best time and place for you!!
There is one very famous restaurant without visiting which your trip would be incomplete!! It is called Chotiwala Restaurant. This restaurant has an old Indian priest sitting in front of the restaurant, with a crazy, weird makeup which would even make the Japanese Manga freaks freak out, through out the day greeting new customers.
Another great way to enjoy Rishikesh is to go down to the Ganga River and river raft on Ganges. It's an amazing experience and the tides are ferocious!! It's important you know the fact about the tides being ferocious because it can take you by surprise. For example, When me and my friends tried it out for the first time last summer, we were all thrilled in the beginning and started rowing relentlessly; then there came a time when the waves completely took over, and all we could see below, above and besides our boat was water, and our boat was about to be toppled over when in a flash it was over, the boat was steady and we were rowing on calm waters again. However, a couple seconds later I saw a shoe floating by our boat's side and realized it was my friend's shoe. I turned laughing, ready to tell him that he was missing his shoe when... I gasped, my friend wasn't on the boat anymore, and none of us had realized that it was actually because of him falling in the river that our boat had steadied itself in the midst of the raging waves. We looked around frantically and found him desperately flinging his arms in the water in a distance. Of course he had his life jacket on but I guess the sheer size of the waves had overwhelmed him.
So yes, although our friend was back in our boat in less than 5 minutes by the help of a safety boat, river rafting on the Ganga river isn't as easy as one might think on first sight. Nevertheless, the pleasure indubitably outweighs the fear in this activity so I would urge everyone to try it out!!----------------
New Delhi
New Delhi is the city where I was born, and probably where I feel most at home. The busy, colorful streets, remarkably cheap clothing and electronics markets, huge new malls emerging in every corner, high end clubs, The India Gate, The Lotus Temple, and the street food represent New Delhi. There is lots to talk about this city, but I'll get straight to the point...
Hidden mouthwatering food joints - Chanakya street; this street offers the absolute BEST 'momos' Delhi has to offer. Momos are juicy chicken/pork/vegetable dumplings with a hint of spices. Another thing that makes these momos incredibly delicious is the sauce that you dip it in, unlike the chinese dumplings that come with soy sauce, momos come with a special spicy mint sauce which is simply irresistible. Without eating this, your Indian experience would be incomplete.. New types of momos keep cropping up in the market, but the ones I like the most are tandoori momos, which are basically barbecued momos!
Bengali Market; This market specializes in east Indian food, especially sea food! I hadn't really experienced Bengali (West Bengal/Kolkatta) food until recently. It was only when I went to the Bengali market in Delhi when I realized how delicious and unbelievably spicy east Indian food really is. Although I'm Indian, I'm still not too used to Indian spices, hence the spicy food really got to me and I was sweating before I could realize the degree of spiciness. For spicy food lovers, this market is heaven; for others, it's still worth a visit since the food is different and delicious in its own mysterious way!!
Other places I love which are worth checking out:
India Gate- probably the most touristic place in New Delhi, where everyone enjoys a weekend picnic. There is a park and garden with a huge war heroes' memorial monument, which is the national monument of India! Besides chilling in the park, one can also enjoy boating since there is a small lake with boating services. People usually just go there to chill for a couple hours, enjoying street snacks while playing soccer or cricket in the park.
The Lotus Temple - A temple designed to look like a Lotus! Really pretty and clean, and good for a one time visit I guess. I myself have been there only once, and it was worth it! There is nothing much inside the temple but the view from outside is beautiful!!
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| India Gate |
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| The Lotus Temple |
