Unleash the traveler - Part 1

The famous freedom fighter and poet Nazrul Islam once wrote, he wished to see the world, coming out of his zone, to observe the human race evolving along with the time. I was feeling the same post COVID era. Some of us started looking at life in different light following the pandemic. I reignited my explorer spirit end of 2021 and unleashed the traveler inside me. In this post, I am going to pen down my travel experience to five iconic cities in India between December '21 and August '22.

December 2021 will remain memorable to me forever. I visited Amritsar, Agra and Bangalore in the same month. The first glimpse of Guru Harminder Saheb Ji - Golden Temple in Amritsar was an indescribable moment for me. The celestial view of the place mixed with the devotion of the visitors offer an unforgettable experience. The visit to Jwalianwala Bagh and the famous Wagha border transports one back to the pre - independence era. The local food Amritsari kulcha, Chur chur naan, Makke di roti, Sarso di saag and Lassi are must to savour for anybody visiting the city. Visit to Tajmahal in Agra during sunset was one of a kind experience. The famous Agra petha and Dalmoot are must try for anybody visiting this historic city. Year end visit to Bangalore - the silicon valley of India was a special one as always. The morning walk in Lal Bagh Botanical Garden and Cubbon Park, the evening view of Vidhan Soudho, Sunrise point at Nandi Hills, Ulsoor Lake, evening strolls at Church Road and MG Road are not to miss attractions while visiting the city.

In summer 2022, I got the opportunity to explore Pune on a week long trip. The visit to Friendship Garden, a token of India - Japan friendship, was an unique experience. I visited Shaniwar Wada, Laal Mahal, Osho Garden, Aga Khan palace, Dinkar Museum and Dada Vaswani live Museum while in Pune. Each of these spots carries Pune's rich heritage and true global spirit. 

Kayani Bakery's Shrewberry cookies, Iraani Cafe's Chai-Muska Bun, local Maratha thali at Samrat's and Sabudana Vada in Kalyani Veg should not be missed if one really wants to indulge in local food. The quirky menu card of Irani cafe will catch every fun lover's attention😁.

Next, I visited Ahmedabad in July 2022. This was my first visit to Gujrat. The calm and practical attitude Gujrati community have always attracted me. This state has gifted  many notable legends to mother India. I started my exploration by visiting Gandhi Ashram on the bank of river Sabarmati. The bedroom, kitchen, garden, prayer garden and verandah of Kasturba Gandhi and M. K. Gandhi are maintained meticulously. I visited the rooms of Gandhi Ji's companions and the museum of Gandhi. I spent some time on the bank of the river in rain and meditated in the verandah. The tranquility of the ashram made me feel at peace with my inner self. I visited Jain Temple, Radha Swaminarayan Temple, Adalaja Stepwell, Kankaria lake, Law Garden, Trimurthi temple (hosting Hindu, Jain and Buddha idols) and Lalpat Bhai Museum. The marble  and stone architecture of the temples made me glued to the place for some time. The view of eleven bridges on Sabarmati river is a quite spectacular. I was fortunate to witness the Atal Bridge before it was inaugurated by our PM a month after my visit. Coming to food, Gujrati food holds a special place among all the Indian cuisines. I savored Gujrati Veg thali in a local restaurant on a rainy noon. Being a Bong, I am fan of non veg food. But it will not be an exaggeration if I say I can give up on non veg food if I get to eat such scrumptious veg meal every day. When I finished the food, I looked up from my plate to find people around me were watching me with rapt attention ! Visit to Seva Cafe in Ahmedabad will itch a special place in my memory forever. Here people are served food and not asked to pay the bill. Rather customer volunteer in cooking food and doing the dishes and pay the next customer's bill, since the previous customer  had paid the bill already.

India is such a beautiful amalgamation of so many different cultures, that every state here presents an unique experience to the traveler. Every city has so many tales that a single blog post is really not enough to capture them. The more I explore the stronger my resolve becomes to explore more! There is a famous Bengali poem, Bipula e prithibi r katotuku jaani, which means I know very little of this vast world. With such thirst in mind, I am continuing my exploration and will publish more tales in my next posts soon😃.