Hotel Review: Aramness, Gir National Park, Gujarat

  

This review was first published online on 28th May 2023 in Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, UK https://www.luxurylifestylemag.co.uk/travel/hotel-review-aramness-gir-national-park-gujarat-in-india/

India's Lesser Known Summer Drinks

(This article first appeared online on 12th April 2023 in Mint Lounge, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/drink/explore-regional-drinks-of-india-this-summer-111681224760119.html)

8 Properties In And Around India Paying Homage to 'Biophilia'

 

(This article first appeared online on 3rd April 2023 on ZeeZest https://zeezest.com/travel/8-properties-in-and-around-india-paying-homage-to-biophilia-3329)

Rest and Reboot at Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary (Mary Budden)

 

(This article first appeared online on 26th July 2022 in Mint Lounge, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/news/big-story/travel-rest-and-reboot-at-binsar-wildlife-sanctuary-111658753564774.html)

Kai red ant chutney of Odisha

 (This article first appeared online on 6th July 2022 on ZeeZest https://zeezest.com/preview/stories/odisha-applies-for-gi-tag-for-the-ant-chutney-zee-zest-2021)

Hotel Review: Mary Budden Estate, Binsar, Uttarakhand

 

This review was first published online on 25th June 2022 in Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, UK https://www.luxurylifestylemag.co.uk/travel/hotel-review-mary-budden-estate-binsar-in-india/

Notes from Baijnath

 

By Raul Dias

For a handful of places across India, the celebration of good versus evil, that today’s Dussehra festival espouses, is not as definitively black or white as most would like it to be. But then, nor is the mythology that birthed it and thousands of other festivals—both religious and otherwise—not just in India, but around the world as well. Myriad interpretations abound, each shining light on hidden facets.

Just ask the inhabitants of the sleepy little town of Baijnath in the Northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh! While this year’s Dussehra festivities might be muted ones across the country due to the pandemic, in Baijnath, Dussehra is an annual no-show.

Unsung hero or wrathful foe?

Perched at an altitude of 4,311 feet on the Himalayan Dhauladhar mountain range, Baijnath is one of those rare places in India where neither Dussehra has ever been celebrated, nor the ensuing drama of the Ramleela ever played out. All this, thanks to an unlikeliest protagonist at the very vortex of it all—Ravana. 

Legend has it that the ‘demon king of Lanka’ was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and prayed to him deep in the Himalayas seeking immortality. In return for which Ravana chopped off his own ten heads at the altar. So impressed was Lord Shiva with this act of devotion that he is said to have restored the heads. Only this time, six of the heads for the six Puranas and four for the four Vedas. 

The 12th century Baijnath rock temple constructed in the Nagara style of architecture and the surrounding town of the same name were built upon this myth. And to this day, in honour of Ravana’s dedication to Lord Shiva, neither is Ravana’s effigy burnt by the residents, nor do they buy sweets or light any fireworks. Interestingly, the town is also totally devoid of jewellery shops. This is apparently to mourn Lord Hanuman’s torching of Ravana’s Lanka which was said to be made of gold. 

However, according to some, it is not entirely the respect for Ravana and his devotion to Lord Shiva, but also that all-consuming emotion of fear that prevents any Dussehra celebrations from taking place in Baijnath. As in most small towns across India, myths of destructive wrath and punishment abound here too. Everything from decades of bad luck to more ominous ones in the form of an unnatural death to those who take part in any Dussehra festivities, keep the Baijnath townsfolk away, come Dussehra night.   

Dussehra dodgers

Baijnath, however, is not alone in its shunning of Dussehra festivities. There are other Ravana-sympatico places in India where the shine of Dussehra is a tad diminished, if not fully taken off. While the people of Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh refer to Ravana as their ‘son-in-law’ as they believe that their town is the paternal home of his wife, Mandodari, Bisrakh in Uttar Pradesh claims him as its own. According to local belief, Ravana, the son of a sage named Vishrava and Kaikeshi, a Daitya princess was born in Bisrakh.

As it is believed that Mandore in Rajasthan is where Ravana married Mandodari, on the day of Dussehra, priests of the local Ravan Ki Chanwari temple perform the shraadh ceremony for his soul. In Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli District, the village of Paraswadi is nothing but a glorified hamlet, home to a handful of people from the Gond tribe. They call themselves Ravanwashis or descendants of Ravana, resolutely refusing to be identified as Hindus. 

Perhaps there is no better place than one actually named after Ravana to seek an answer to the million dollar “was he good or evil?” question. Ravangram in Madhya Pradesh is a village that has a legion of devotees who actually worship a 10-feet-long reclining statue of Ravana in an ancient temple constructed by a sect called the Kanyakubja Brahmins that Ravana was said to be a member of.

Putting it all into perspective, one cannot help but ponder on a rather controversial quote often attributed to Winston Churchill. Is history truly written by the victors?                      

(This column first appeared in the 25th October 2020 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 7 https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/notes-from-baijnath/article32931241.ece)

Puns on a Platter!

From the downright outrageous to the uproariously funny, weirdly named dishes offer an interesting insight into the culinary ethos of several countries around the world.

By Raul Dias

Growing up part Anglo-Indian on my Mum’s side, my initiation into the realm of oddly named dishes was complete the moment I, a preternaturally ravenous two-year-old, had had my first helping of pish-pash. Simply put, the rather onomatopoeic dish is an Anglo rite of passage every toddler must endure. Made with soft rice and some form of protein (mostly chicken), pish-pash as a dish was first spoken of by English writer Augustus Prinsep in the mid-19th century where he called it “a slop of rice-soup with small pieces of meat in it, much used in the Anglo-Indian nursery.”

Over the years, I would encounter more funnily named Anglo-Indian culinary ‘jewels’ like the meat kofta curry doppelganger with a very rude name of ball curry. Also known as the even ruder “spinster’s delight curry”, the Sunday special would always be enjoyed with its supporting acts that took the form of yellow rice and the scary-sounding (but comfortingly mild) devil chutney. 

Egg banjo, on the other hand is an Anglo snack that was invented by the military during WWII and sees a sunny-side-up fried egg sandwiched between two slices of bread, all doused in the quintessentially British brown sauce. Though the etymology of ‘banjo’ in its name remains a mystery, the sandwich still lives on here in India in the form of the slightly tweaked (both in name and composition) ‘egg benjo’—an insanely popular snack made famous by Indore’s nightly food paradise of Sarafa Bazar. Here, the runny egg is substituted with a more practical folded masala omelette, the sliced bread with a toasted burger bun and brown sauce with tomato ketchup. 

Blighty bites

As a university student in the UK of the mid-2000s, as I navigated my way around various college and dorm cafeterias, I was hit in the face with even more inappropriately named British dishes. Take spotted dick, for instance. 

Now, before images of some virulent, male appendage-related medical condition begin to swirl in your mind, let me assure you of the name’s rather benign innocuity. This traditional British pudding (as desserts are referred to there) is made with flour, suet (a kind of animal lard), caster sugar, lemon zest and dried currants or raisins making up the ‘spotted’ component. The ‘dick’ part being an old English term for a pudding. Served warm with a thin custard sauce, this steamed pudding has been a mainstay across Britain for centuries. 

I am told that the wildly popular Stinking Bishop cheese from Dymock in South West England’s Gloucestershire county apparently gets its nausea-evoking name for the juice of the Stinking Bishop Pear that it is immersed in for its ripening process. Not for its equally putrid odour that is said to be a cross between that of a wet dog and old socks.

Another such bizarrely named specimen is the rather tasty baked savoury dish called toad-in-the-hole. Eaten as part of a light dinner that the Brits call “tea”, the easy-to-prepare dish is a bunch of fried pork sausages (or to use the more colloquial term—bangers) cooked in what is essentially a buttery Yorkshire pudding. But in America, the unfortunately named dish refers to an egg cooked in the hole cut out of a piece of white, sliced bread. 

Servings across the pond

Speaking of America, the land of the free too has its own posse of quirkily named dishes. Some like the molten cheese-exploding burger called the juicy Lucy and the soppy, meat sauce laden sandwich named sloppy Joe paying homage to particularly messy individuals! While others are in honour of “sleepy critters” like the 1970s cocktail party classic of pigs in a blanket that sees tiny, cocktail pork sausages wrapped in flaky pastry and then baked.

Devils on horseback is another iconic 70s party snack where pitted, dried prunes are wrapped in bacon strips and then baked. Interestingly, this snack has evolved from another strangely named turn-of-the-century one called angels on horseback, where freshly shucked oysters stood instead of the prunes.

Deep fried oysters also find a place for themselves in the New Orleans po’ boy sandwich ensconced within the crusty confines of a sliced mini French baguette. A shortened version of the original ‘poor boy sandwich’, the po’ boy was named after the conductors of the local streetcar company, who in 1929, were given the sandwiches free of charge for their daily lunch by a local restaurant during their four-month long strike for better wages.

South of the US in the Caribbean twin island nation of Trinidad & Tobago, a strangely named iteration of our very own Malabar parotta has been the number one snack for over a century. The buss up shut which is the local vernacular for “busted up shirt” is a flaky paratha that is smashed up by the cook using their hands after frying on a griddle. Thus, leaving the flatbread to resemble a torn-up shirt, pieces of which are dunked into spicy chickpea and potato curry and eaten with Trini-style mango achaar.    

Found in translation

Adidas. Helmet. Walkman. Any guesses as to what this trio could possibly mean in the context of food? Well, in the Philippines they are all nicknames given to popular street food snacks, I discovered on a recent trip to the archipelago nation. So, while Adidas is what barbequed chicken feet are called, helmet is the code word for roasted chicken head and walkman is bite sized bits of grilled pig ears.

Still in the Philippines, Bicol express is a spicy stew made with pork, shrimp paste and coconut milk. It is named in honour of the passenger train service of the same name that plies between the capital Manila and the Bicol region that is well-known for its spicy cuisine.

Imam bayildi, as translated onto the English menu cards in restaurants across Turkey reads “the imam fainted” and is an old Ottoman heirloom dish. Here, whole eggplants are stuffed with a mixture of onions, garlic and tomatoes and simmered in olive oil before being served with rice and a dollop of yogurt. It is said to have got its name when an imam who was so overcome by pleasure after eating the dish, fainted.  

Or maybe, the imam had just gotten a whiff of the stinking bishop…?                 

------

Toad-in-the-Hole

INGREDIENTS:

180 gm all-purpose flour

450 gm pork sausages (can be substituted with chicken sausages)

½ tsp salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

3 eggs, beaten

350 ml milk

2 tbsp melted butter

1 tbsp vegetable oil 

METHOD:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour with the salt and a pinch of pepper. Make a well in the center of the flour. Pour in the eggs, milk, and melted butter into the well and whisk into the flour until smooth. Cover and let the batter stand for 30 minutes. 

2. Grease the bottom and sides of a medium-sized, rectangular baking dish with a little vegetable oil. Preheat the oven to 220°C and place the empty dish in it. 

3. Meanwhile, in a frying pan heat remaining oil on medium flame and fry the sausages till golden brown. 

4. Put the sausages in the hot baking dish and pour the batter over the sausages and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the batter is risen and golden.

5. Cut in wedges and serve warm alongside caramelised onions, brown sauce and buttery mashed potatoes.

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 10th October 2020 issue of The Hindu Business Line newspaper's BLink section on page 19 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/foods-with-bizarre-names/article32804928.ece)

Behind The Brand: Interview With Abdulla Ajmal, Deputy C.O.O. Of Ajmal Perfumes

 

This article. was first published online on 26th September 2020 in Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, UK https://www.luxurylifestylemag.co.uk/style-and-beauty/behind-the-brand-interview-with-abdulla-ajmal-deputy-c-o-o-of-ajmal-perfumes/

Christmas around India!

(This article appeared in the 21st December 2019 issue of the Mint Lounge newspaper, India on page 14 https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/where-to-find-the-perfect-yuletide-spirit-11576857488372.html)

Majestic Madhya Pradesh

(This photo essay first appeared in the October 2019 issue of Travel 360, the in-flight magazine of Air Asia India)

Journeys of a Lifetime!

Sit back and have the railway journey of a lifetime seeing all of what magical India has on offer. Raul Dias brings you four of the country’s most iconic rail journeys, where old world luxury meets adventure in a glam embrace.

By Raul Dias

Maharajas’ Express
Finding itself on the top of our list, and rightly so, the super-exquisite Maharajas’ Express, has been bestowed the “World’s Leading Luxury Train” award at the World Travel Awards for seven consecutive years from 2012 to 2018. In its tenth year of operations, this luxury train is just as glamourous and awe-inspiring than ever before. Though it does have several exotic itineraries to pick from, the train’s signature Indian Panorama six nights/seven days itinerary will take you on a magical journey through some of India’s most celebrated and venerated places like Orchha, Varanasi and Khajuraho, besides stopping at other well-visited tourist hot spots like Jaipur, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. The train itself is well-equipped with all the important pe-requisites to make you feel like royalty. For your comfort, the train has a four-cabin choice. Take your pick from either a Deluxe Cabin, Presidential Suite, Suite or Junior Suite. Each of these are designed so beautifully that if one sees through the window, one can enjoy uninterrupted vistas of the rolling landscape outside. For your dining needs, the dining car is where amazing world class cuisine is served on gold- and silver-plated cutlery that are in-keeping with the elegant décor of the train. The theme restaurants like the Peacock Restaurant (Mayur Mahal) and Haveli Restaurant (Rang Mahal) along with The Safari Bar will make sure that your post-excursion evenings are made equally memorable.

The Golden Chariot
Snaking its way through the four South Indian states of Karnataka, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, along with the union territory of Pondicherry, the Golden Chariot train is the epitome of luxe travel. The eight days/seven nights’ circular Southern Splendour and Pride of the South journeys start and end in the dynamic city of Bangalore with a whole host of interesting destinations covered en route. From Madurai, one of the oldest cities in South India, famous for its silks, pearls and spices that you can shop for to ogling at the sunset in Kanyakumari at the very tip of India, there is a whole lot on offer on this epic train journey. The journey also offers one a glimpse into South India’s colonial past, taking in the Portuguese flavour of Goa and the French flair of Pondicherry with specially designed day trip options. The ornately decorated train is made up of 18 coaches that are each distinct and theme-based. Inspired by the Mysore and Belur-Halebeedu schools of art and architecture, the Golden Chariot’s 44 cabins are as plush as they can get. Other luxury amenities onboard include two speciality restaurants, Madira—the lounge bar and Arogya—The Spa and Gym that aim to take care of all your sybaritic needs to the hilt.

The Heritage Palace on Wheels
With a compact three-day itinerary, this legendary luxury train journey—that operates from September to April—will take you to three beautiful cities in northern India. Be it a wander around the pink city Jaipur or to follow the trail of the mighty tiger in Ranthambhore or perhaps to Agra, home of the immortal symbol of love—the exquisite Taj Mahal, the journey aboard The Heritage Palace on Wheels will have the sights, sounds and memories of this wonderful part of the country permanently etched onto your hearts and minds. The train has 14 air-conditioned coaches that are each named after former Rajput states and each matching the aesthetics and interiors of the royal past. Each saloon has a mini pantry to ensure availability of hot and cold beverages, and refreshments at all times. The modern conveniences have been thoughtfully provided to include plush sofas to sink into, strategically placed lights to read by, wonderfully appointed beds with comfortable furnishings, inbuilt wardrobe and huge glass windows to watch the countryside roll past. Taking care of all your dining needs, the train has two restaurants aptly named Maharaja and Maharani with a Rajasthani ambience, serving everything from continental, and Chinese to the much-in-demand Indian and Rajasthani cuisines. And yes, for those with a yen for getting pampered, the train even has its very own spa that’s called…you guessed it—the Royal Spa!

The Deccan Odyssey
Using the same blue print as the iconic Palace on Wheels, this luxury train takes you on a classy joyride traversing through the wonders of Maharashtra and beyond. The Maharashtra Splendor eight days/seven nights’ journey starts from Mumbai and covers ten popular tourist locations including Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Goa, Aurangabad, Ajanta-Ellora Nashik, and Pune, returning to Mumbai after wowing you silent. The itinerary makes sure you get to visit highlighted places like the wine capital of India—Nashik, colourful Kolhapur, India’s party capital—Goa, Aurangabad and Jalgaon known for housing UNESCO World Heritage Sites Ajanta and Ellora Caves and the holy city of Ratnagiri. The Deccan Odyssey train comprises of 21 luxuriously appointed coaches. Out of these 21 coaches, 11 are to accommodate guests and the rest are used for different purposes such as dining, lounge, a conference car and a health spa. Inspired by the imperial carriages used by the Maharajas of yore for travelling, each of the coaches in this luxury train pays homage to a different royal era of Maharashtra that was once ruled by diverse dynasties. Dining options include two restaurants on board that serve a wide selection of Indian, Oriental and continental delicacies. All this—coupled with impeccable service and attention to detail—makes your meandering journey through western India one that you wish would never end…

(A shorter, edited version of this article first appeared in the July-Aug-Sept 2019 issue of HDFC Imperia magazine)

That Royal Touch

Inspired by India’s rich, royal heritage, the opulent Noor Mahal in Karnal is perfect for that dream destination wedding…and more! Raul Dias recently discovered this truly incredible palace hotel over one magical weekend.

By Raul Dias

Although I had heard of Karnal before and had even driven through it a few years ago en route from Delhi to Mori in Uttarakhand, I knew embarrassingly little about the city that seemed to be the pride of the state of Haryana. Gaurav, my rather chatty driver who ferried me from the Delhi Airport towards Karnal two-and-a-half hours away kept regaling me with tales of the Mahabharata as we drove past historical towns like Panipant and Sonipat—the former famous for its epic Battle of Panipat. It was as though he was preparing me for the grandeur and awe-inspiring beauty my final destination—the palatial Noor Mahal Hotel—had in store for me…

Grand Beginnings
Nestled in the mystical land of the Mahabharata, the truly breath-taking Noor Mahal is one of those ‘Incredible Indian Palace Hotels’ that has been built on a monumental scale. And that was evident to me as we drove up to its mighty gates that made me feel like I was entering some sort of an actual palace. But then again, it is a five-star luxury palace hotel that is inspired by India’s rich heritage and one that captures all the grandeur and luxury enjoyed by Indian Maharajas over the centuries.
A reflection of Rajputana and Mughal architecture, the grand structure that stands out as a true blend of history, culture and aesthetics, has been designed by one of India’s notable architects, Himmat Singh. Set amid the culturally rich land of Karnal, this palace hotel enjoys equal proximity to both Delhi and Chandigarh. With lush green fields and farms surrounding it, the hotel is situated on the old course of the Yamuna river traversing its way to Delhi.
Upon entering the hotel, an impressive lobby featuring beautiful architecture, intricately carved furniture, antique paintings and artefacts welcomes guests like myself with an outstanding first impression. The hotel has two courtyards laid out along the east and west axis. The first courtyard is called the Deewan-e-Aam on the lobby level, providing an access from all four sides. The second is the Deewan-e-Khas on the first floor which is surrounded by rooms and balconies with low jaalis and chajjas.

Sumptuous Living!
Speaking of rooms, Noor Mahal offers a selection of 122 heritage-imbued rooms and suites, uniquely designed to provide luxurious royal splendour. Apart from the Presidential suites and heritage suites, Noor Mahal boasts a special royal sleeping chamber called the ‘Khwabgah’ which includes two bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, a private bar, an office chamber and a spacious terrace that gives one an overview of Karnal city.
From the architecture, design and service to the intangible atmosphere and modern luxury they provide, the rooms and suites are perfect for a royal staycation. They are elegantly decorated with a mix of bespoke furnishings, beautiful antiques and carefully chosen object d’art that underscore an exceptional attention to detail. Special traditional hand-paintings on the wall enhance the grandeur. The bold and impressive ‘4 Hiran Minars’ or 4 golden towers stand 100 feet high with octagonal chhatris at the four corners on top.

Grand Feasting
Besides a totally separate banqueting kitchen, Noor Mahal takes great pride in its F&B offerings. For a unique dining experience, Frontier Mail has been designed recreating the legendry Frontier Mail train that operated between Mumbai and Peshawar during pre-independence days. Even its menu comprises of dishes from the regions through which the train made its initial journey.
And while the all-day dining Brown Sugar offers both buffet meals as well as an a la carte menu showcasing global favourites, the leather and dark wood-finished Polo Bar is the perfect place to unwind as it sets the perfect ambience for evenings with an eclectic collection of fine spirits, cognacs and cigars.

Of Dream Weddings
Spread over 10 acres and 35,0000 square feet of carpet area, Noor Mahal is an ideal venue for that dream destination wedding, offering everything from 13 beautifully appointed banquet halls to an in-house salon, spa, gym and a team of wedding planners who are at your beck and call. No wonder then, Noor Mahal has become a one stop shop for all wedding requirements as the hotel follows an innovative approach in keeping up with the times and offering guests trendy and personalised wedding experiences. The mix of royal grandeur and the rich modern hospitality makes this beautiful palace a dream destination to take those marriage vows and plan those memorable pre-and post-wedding celebrations.
No wonder then that earning the title of one of the country’s most splendid option for romantic weddings, Noor Mahal is nothing less than the epitome of intimacy and tradition.     

Noor Mahal Crossing, NH1,

Sector-32, Karnal (NCR)

Telephone: 09996787884 / 891 / 892

Email: sales@noormahal.in / salesbqts@noormahal.in

www.noormahal.in 

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 3rd August 2019 issue of The Free Press Journal newspaper's Saturday Great Escapes section on page 23 https://www.freepressjournal.in/travel/that-royal-touch) 

Rain Chasing…

Once again, it’s that time of the year when the monsoons has us all under its aqueous spell. Raul Dias takes you to four Indian states where the rains create pure magic!

By Raul Dias

There is something about India’s monsoon season that has always generated vastly polarised opinions. You either love it or you absolutely loathe it. There is no middle ground here. Luckily for me, I’m a member of the former tribe. A tribe that has people like me wait in fervent hope for the cooling rains after the brutality of an Indian summer year after year. And while I can go on ad nauseum about the magic of the rains and the smell of wet earth and the other assorted monsoon accoutrements, I’m not so chuffed about wading through the muck and grime that all but covers my home city of Mumbai from mid-June right through to the end of September.
So, to remedy that, for the last couple of years, I’ve made conscious efforts to see the monsoon magic from other perspectives. And that has entailed taking short breaks to places in India that truly bask in the glory of the rains.
Here’s my round up of the top states of India that celebrate the monsoons the way it was meant to be:

Rajasthan
I might be courting controversy by starting off my list with a state like Rajasthan. But believe me, the magic of the rains has never been more alluring for me anywhere else than here. Udaipur is one place that springs to mind the fastest. A place that truly reflects its glorious past of the maharajas with umpteen number of palaces and beautiful lakes, Udaipur blossoms during the monsoons with a lush carpet of green spreading everywhere you look with its lakes brimming with their aqueous bounty.
With a gentle shower every now and then, the city of Pushkar too is another great option to enjoy the rains in Rajasthan. This beautiful and soothing side of Rajasthan is replete with all he tropes of beauty, be it waking up to the call of peacocks to early morning camel rides around town to sipping some warm kullad walla chai in the bazar. Pure, undiluted bliss!

Meghalaya
No list about India’s monsoon havens could ever be complete without an ode to the state that has the word ‘monsoon’ written in big bold alphabets all over it. Why, even its name “Meghalaya” means “abode of the clouds”. Places like Cherrapunji and nearby Mawsynram have often been credited as being the wettest places on Earth, where the rains seep into (pun intended!) every part of life in these magical and misty towns.
The state capital of Shillong too is often considered one of the best places in India to visit during monsoons. Surrounded by the dew-covered Khasi and Jayanti hills which are adorned by numerous waterfalls, Shillong is always on my monsoon must-visit list.

Kerala
Though I may hear some of you shout “cliché!”, my rebuttal would be “what’s wrong with a little cliché every now and then?” It would be stating the obvious to say that the rains and Kerala go hand-in-hand, with enough written about the backwaters of Alappuzha and beaches like Kovalam that embody the season. But I prefer something a little different when in Kerala for the rains. Yes, I’m talking about hilly Munnar, that, for me, is God’s very own playground. With silvery mist, incredibly vast tea gardens, lush green hills, a romantic atmosphere and pleasant climate, this hill station is truly one of the most underrated places in Kerala during monsoons.
Still on the Kerala hill station trail, I truly believe that Wayanad is another gem of a place to visit during monsoons in all of South India. Interestingly, for the last couple of years, Wayanad has been hosting a special three-day monsoon festival called ‘Splash’ that celebrates the monsoons in Kerala the way it ought to be. 

Maharashtra
I can’t possibly not wax eloquent about the monsoons and rural Maharashtra. The heady twosome that have a bond so very tight. Replete with attractions like the Kulaba Fort, Alibag Beach, Murud Beach and Khanderi, the Konkan coastal area close to Mumbai is a great escape from the city to start with. Known for its rich history, appetizing seafood, culture, and a plethora of cute and cozy homestays, Alibag is the best place to base oneself at for a week of uninterrupted monsoon bliss.
Situated in the Palani hills of Maharashtra’s Western Ghats, Lonavala is a great hill station destination to chase the rain. Offering everything from enchanting waterfalls, lakes and lush greenery and not to mention spectacular views of the ghats and hills, this quick getaway that lies exactly halfway between Mumbai and Pune makes for the perfect weekend monsoon jaunt.  

(An edited version of this column first appeared in the 7th July 2019 issue of The Free Press Journal newspaper's Weekend section on page 3 https://www.freepressjournal.in/travel/4-indian-states-and-the-magic-of-rain)

Mandu via Madagascar

With its impressive cache of baobab trees, the ancient, fortified city of Mandu in the southwest of Madhya Pradesh seems the unlikeliest of places to find the tree of African origins thriving and thus becoming a part of the rich, local folklore.    

By Raul Dias

It’s just been a couple of hours since our minibus—having climbed the long, winding road etched onto the Madhya Pradesh section of central India’s Vindhya Range—has deposited my friends and I into the ancient, fortified city of Mandu. Here, from our basecamp in Indore, to participate in the 2019 edition of the 10km Go Heritage Run Mandu, we quickly realise something thanks to our rather loquacious driver. And that is, that myths and Mandu seem to enjoy a ‘conscious coupling’ made in folkloric heaven! It wouldn’t be an exaggeration on my part to say that everything in this city that sits precariously perched on the Malwa plateau has some sort of phantasmagorical legend ascribed to it. A fact we bear witness to almost everywhere we go…

Heads and Tales
At the city center located Ashrafi Mahal, my 14-year-old de facto ‘guide’ Khayyum sidles up to me to tell me how one of Mandu’s earlier rulers, Mahmud Shah Khilji used the now-crumbling edifice as a gym in the15^th century for some of the portly concubines in his harem. Apparently, said concubines would be rewarded with gold coins that Khilji had placed on each of the Mahal’s steps they would climb as part of their exercise regimen. And hence the name ashrafi which means “coin” in old Persian.
One is also told tales of the great love of the poetess queen of Malwa Rani Roopmati and Sultan Baz Bahadur—who built her the rather vertiginous Roopmati’s Pavilion at his Rewa Kund Palace in the early 16^th century, so that she could gaze at her beloved Narmada river. All this, of course, before she poisoned herself upon hearing of Baz Bahadur’s death and the ensuing fall of Mandu. Then there is the famous myth of the headless soldier who till this day is said to guard the Tripolia Darvaza, one of the 12 gates along the city’s stone walls that serve as portals to Mandu.   

Trunk Call
However, one Mandu-specific phenomenon defies all logic and comprehension, leaving me both bewildered and fascinated as I sprint past a few of them en route the early morning heritage run. I’m speaking of the rather bulbous trunked, leaf-bereft baobab tree that make their unusual presence felt all over the city. Native to Madagascar, some parts of mainland, sub Saharan Africa and Australia, the baobab tree is known not just for its towering height (up to 98 ft), but girth (up to 36 ft) and age (3,000 years) as well. The rather succulent trunk of the baobab is also said to hold as much as 100,000 liters of water—perfect to soak up Mandu’s aqueous bounty of the monsoon—while its fruit bat-pollinated flowers hang upside down and bloom only at night. Their otherwise mild fragrance, intensifies even more when it mingles with the musky petrichor brought on by the cooling rain that hydrates the parched, arid summer soil, making Mandu one of the India’s most idyllic monsoon getaways.  
Found almost everywhere in the city for sale and called Mandu ki Imli, the elongated, rugby ball-like shaped baobab fruit when cracked open is a cluster of white pulp-coated seeds that resemble giant custard apple segments. Both the seeds and the dried pulp when powdered and mixed with chilled water are used to make a delightful sour, Vitamin C-rich drink that I relish at a hawker stall after a sweltering trek up Baz Bahadur’s palace. I even take back a few packets of the powder for friends and family.

Disputed Origins?
Back to Mandu and its myths. This time with regards to the ubiquitous baobab tree’s origins. I grapple with three different explanations for their presence here—each more fascinating than the other. Though one of them seems to have the empirical backing that only a precise science like geology can provide. But more on that one in a while as I lose myself in the miasma of myths!
A local shopkeeper selling the fuzz-coated fruit outside the gates of Ashrafi Mahal calls it ‘Khorasani imli’. When I probe further, he tells me that it was a group of spice route traders en route from Khorasan (which was what Central Asia used to be called earlier) to the orient, who brought along a few baobab seeds from their earlier travels to Africa which they then exchanged for food and shelter in Mandu.        
Later in the day, as I take in the ship-like silhouette of the Jahaz Mahal complex built as a harem in the second half of the 15^th century by Sultan Ghiyas-ud-din-Khalji and situated between two artificial lakes, my attention is once again drawn to a row of baobab trees standing guard at the east side of the complex. My guide tells me that the Sultan had a great fascination for exotic, foreign visitors. And that it was one such visitor to his court from Madagascar who presented him with a few baobab seeds that he had planted first at Jahaz Mahal then at other spots in Mandu.

P.S. Back home in Mumbai, my geologist friend Tanya shines some light on another baobab facet I had gravely ignored while busy romancing myths. Apparently, more than a 100 million years ago, India, Madagascar and Australia were all part of the mother continent called Gondwanaland and with the ensuing continental split, it created the three distinct paths taken by the baobab.
But that still begs the question; why Mandu and not Mumbai or Madurai?
   

Travel log

Getting There
Mandu can be reached from most Indian cities via Indore (2 hours) or Bhopal (5.5 hours) by road. The nearest railhead for Mandu is Ratlam on the Delhi-Mumbai main line which is just under a three-hour drive away.

Stay
The super clean rooms, tasty food options and efficient service make the Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Department Corporation (MPSTDC)-run Malwa Retreat Mandu (Rs.1,900 approx. for two with breakfast, olrs.mpstdc.com) a good option. Another property worth checking out is the three-star Mandu Sarai Hotel (Rs.2,200 approx. for two with breakfast, sarai-mandu.booked.net).

Tip
* Plan a visit to the ancient Buddhist Bagh Caves and to the Bagh Village famous for its artisans who practice the art of block printing fabrics using herb-based dyes. Both the caves and the village can be found in the Dhar District on the banks of the river Baghini en route from Bhopal and Indore to Mandu. 


(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 8th June 2019 issue of The Hindu Business Line newspaper's BLink section on page 21 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/cover/the-baobab-tree-madagascars-gift-to-mandu/article27609709.ece)

The Learning Vacation

Travel these days is much more than simply ticking off those all-important boxes of must-visit sites and must-do activities. Enter the learning vacation where picking up a new skill or craft while immersing yourself in the local culture of the place you visit is the latest buzz word in travel. Raul Dias shows you just how to go about that!

By Raul Dias

Not content with merely sitting around sipping fruity cocktails by the beach on your next summer holiday? We hear you. For most of us these days, the idea of the vacation has evolved from the one of the past where sight-seeing and picking up souvenirs was all we ever wanted out of it. And one the greatest agents of this evolution is the learning vacation. A popular trend in the west, the learning vacation is now one of the top ways we Indians travel. More and more of us are choosing this style of seeing the world, while taking back something less material and more life enriching.   
Today’s holiday is all about getting more bang for one’s buck by partaking in more immersive (and dare-we-say, ‘Insta-friendly’) experiences while we pick up skills and hobbies that will not just be with us forever, but skills that may come in handy later. The learning vacation seeks to be the conduit to all this and much, much more.
Imagine picking up a skill like pottery while embracing Mother Nature in all her glory! You can very much do that. Regarded as India’s pottery capital, the bucolic village of Andretta set against the mighty Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh is where all you pottery enthusiasts should head to. Here, the Andretta Pottery and Craft Society in Kangra is THE place to get an immersive experience by staying at a potter’s collective where you will participate in daily hands-on classes to make your own bowls, jugs and other earthenware under the guidance of an expert (andrettapottery.com).
For those with a sportier inclination why not learn to surf in some of India’s best beaches? Located 10km north of the union territory of Puducherry, near the village of Tandryankupam, Serenity Beach is home to the Kallialay Surf School run by two expat Spanish brothers. Here you can channel your inner (hidden!?) surfer as you learn the watersport’s finer nuances by signing up for their five-day surfing course that teaches you all you need to know about cruising the waves (surfschoolindia.com).
The learning vacation shouldn’t be just limited to your domestic travel. Expand your horizons and do things you’ve never done before. For example, the Northern Thailand region of Lanna is well-known as a place, not just for learning and its amazing culture, but also as a bastion of exquisite food. So, on your next Thailand vacation take some time and head up country to the arts capital of Chiang Mai to include some skill-gathering? Sign up for a four-hours long, hands-on cookery class with Chef Chanrat Karatna who will teach you to whip up from scratch local dishes like the Northern Thailand version of the ubiquitous somtamthai papaya and prawn salad and more, all served with sticky black rice that is a specialty of the Lanna region (airthaikitchen.com).
Fancy something a bit fancier? Simple. Learn all there is to truffle hunting when in Italy! A mere 15 minutes outside the Renaissance-rich city of Florence, the forested hills of Bagno a Ripoli are said to be rich with that magical, perfumed haute cuisine ingredient called black truffles. Sign up for a day foraging for and learning about all there is to know about the delicious fungus with truffle hunting expert Giulio Benuzzi and his specially trained sniffer dog named Eda. You will explore the forest near their home and follow Eda’s keen sense of smell and instincts on the track to truffles. And that’s not all. Once you unearth a few delicious truffles, you will be treated to a lunch made from them (giuliothetrufflehunter.com).
While we’ve kept this list to a minimum in adherence to brevity, the possibilities for a learning vacation are excitingly limitless. Learn a new language or hone those salsa dancing skills. Remember that the world is your oyster and it’s never too late to add value to your next vacation.    

Tips To Keep In Mind
1. Choose an activity that really interests you and don’t just do it because the rest of your family or travel group is enthused by it. Let’s be honest; kite-boarding isn’t for everyone!
2. Don’t feel the pressure to pack in too many learning activities into your vacation. Remember it is a holiday after all, not an offsite skills course.
3. Do ample research before signing up and make sure that the place or the person from whom you are learning from has the right credentials and is truly an expert in their field.
4. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t seem very good at that particular skill or craft. Give yourself some time and practice. It’s worth remembering that clichéd phrase: “Rome wasn’t built in a day!”   

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the April 2019 issue of  Purple Hues magazine of Sterling Holidays https://www.sterlingholidays.com/content/dam/sterlingholidays/footer/files/sterlingworld/purple-hues-magazine-apr-2019.pdf)

Notes from Indore

By Raul Dias

While other airports in India resort to a blend of wordless instrumental and folk tunes that serve as the ambient muzak, Indore’s Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport relies on the mellifluous voice of singer Shantanu Mukherjee, a.k.a. Shaan. “Ho Halla”, which was Indore’s Swachhta Anthem song for the Minister for Urban Development’s Swachh Survekshan 2019, has now become a sort of battle cry in the Madhya Pradesh city’s cleanliness-fronted war. And for someone with a borderline cleanliness OCD like myself, spending a few days in Indore was like finding my own personal urban version of Valhalla.

“Swachhta aadat hai, swachhta utsav hai” (cleanliness is a habit, cleanliness is a celebration), goes a line from the aforementioned song, which was part of the Indore Municipal Corporation’s (IMC) cleanliness campaign that saw it clinch the title of India’s cleanest city for three years in a row now from 2017 to 2019. The song even plays as municipal vehicles go about collecting garbage from households. In fact, I was later told, it is the de facto and mandatory caller tune of the phones of municipal officials and elected representatives.

Tastefully Clean! 
Now, if Indore’s meandering, perpetually bustling Sarafa Bazaar street were to be a human being, it would most certainly be accused of having a split personality. By day, it is a warren of jewellery shops enticing patrons with gleaming necklaces and rows of stacked bangles.
However, every night at 10 p.m., it dons another avatar: that of a street food haven serving up everything from the typically Induri mashed corn and ghee snack called bhutte ka kees, to the molecular gastronomy-influenced ice paan that makes your breath go all frosty thanks to the addition of liquid nitrogen.
But it is also probably one of the only food streets in the world that’s totally devoid of any food detritus. I saw not a single styrofoam plate or plastic cup littering the ground. Every one of the 200-plus food stalls is provided with segregated garbage bins for both dry and wet waste. And once the feeding frenzy winds down way past midnight, municipal trucks with specially fitted, pressured water jets hose down the street, leaving it spotless for the commercial onslaught of the day ahead.

Seven Plus One

Interestingly, this newfound cleanliness zeal is not limited to the authorities alone. Indore’s citizens too have taken to the cause with fervour.

This is most evident at celebratory occasions like the ‘great Indian wedding’! Giving a cool new fillip to the saat pherasor seven pledges — each corresponding to a round of the sacred fire to solemnise the ceremony — is Indore’s version of the eighth pledge. With it, the newlywed couple is administered the oath of cleanliness. And here’s another uber cool initiative: dustbins are even distributed during such wedding ceremonies to guests as return gifts.
Speaking of dustbins, for the last two years, the IMC is believed to have distributed thousands of bottle-shaped dustbins — which neatly fit into the car door bottle-holders — to vehicle owners to encourage them not to litter on the roads. So chuffed was I to see them that I even picked up a couple to take back home for friends and family, each for a mere ₹35.
And as for one of India’s biggest problems, open defecation, the city has employed something known locally as ‘dabba gangs’ that patrol the city, discouraging open defecation and urging people to use the newly constructed public toilets that one can see everywhere in Indore.

Will it be a case of fourth time's a lucky charm for the nation’s cleanest city in 2020, or will it be ‘cleaned out’ of the competition? I’d wager a bet on the former.


(This article first appeared in the 7th April 2019 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 27 https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/indore/article26743786.ece)

The Hills Are Alive…

Reveling in its lush, unspoiled natural beauty, colonial architecture and unbridled old-world charm, the hill station of Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu is a blast from the past. On a recent weekend stay at one its newest resorts, The Tamara Kodai, Raul Dias experienced all this and much more

By Raul Dias

Kodaikanal. The etymology of this very mellifluous name has been conjecture’s favourite child ever since the Tamil Nadu hill town bearing this name was first discovered by the Palaiyar tribal people centuries ago. Interestingly, The Tamil language itself has at least three possible interpretations of the name ‘Kodaikanal’ where it can mean “place to see in summer”, “the end of the forest”, or “forest of creepers”. But one thing is clear from all three: they all infer in some way or form to a fecund place that’s worth the rather arduous uphill journey from the plains of Madurai below. Never mind the nausea-inducing 21 hairpin bends one encounters en route!

Blast From The Past
And that’s exactly what a group of canny American missionaries and British bureaucrats did in the mid-18th Century. In 1845 to be more precise, they saw this lush, temperate haven as a refuge from the hot temperatures and tropical diseases—particularly the dreaded Malaria—of the plains below. They first sent up their women and children while they continued to build houses and churches in a unique mélange of architectural styles that married the American aesthetic with the English country cottage style. In fact, the old St Peter’s Church that once stood in the now-derelict cemetery along the town’s Lower Shola Road was said to be built with both Anglican and Catholic elements in its architecture with a roof made from repurposed tin, salvaged from the empty biscuit tins that the children ate from.
Legendary for its six colonial style bungalows, the first two of which Sunny Side and Shelton—built by six families of American missionaries from Madurai with the help of an Englishman, Mr. Fane—are very much still in existence a little farther down the road from the cemetery. But it is one of the remaining four, Baynes bungalow that had the most relevance to this trip of mine.

Restored Glory
In May 1860, a certain Father Louis Saint Cyr stayed at Baynes bungalow and was so charmed by it that by 29 September he had bought that place to use as a rest house for the members of Christ Church. The bungalow was renamed La Providence in honour a lady patron who donated Rs. 20,000 for the reconstruction of the bungalow, after her sick daughter was cured post a stay at Baynes.
Today, as it stands, La Providence née Baynes bungalow has been christened The Tamara Kodai and was launched as a plush resort hotel in May 2018. With its 53 suites of French provincial design, The Tamara Kodai was established through the restoration of La Providence and an expansion that took place staying as close to the original colonial style of architecture as possible. True to the Tamara philosophy of ‘Sustainable Good Life’, this resort too was built sensitive to the surrounding environment, using efficient and sustainable design, and respecting the importance of the building and its history.
The resort offers world-class dining experiences at several spaces, including a French-styled dining restaurant called Bistro 1845. The appropriately named La Providence, an all-day dining restaurant that is housed in the former chapel, and 24 hour in-room dining services completes the wonderful F&B offerings here. The resort also provides conference facilities, a ballroom accommodating more than 200 guests, and a crèche for guests with young children. Wellness facilities will include The Elevation Spa, Yoga lounge, a fitness centre, and Kodaikanal’s only temperature-controlled swimming pool and pool lounge called Levinge Lounge.

The Kodai of Today
As one of the cleanest places I have every come across in India with a strong Christian population and a profusion of churches, including the La Salette church that shares a wall with The Tamara Kodai, this hill station is a little spot of paradise nestled in the Palani Hills. Famous also for its boarding schools, one can often spot their well-dressed students out for an evening walk along the paved banks of placid man-made Kodaikanal Lake—that was created by Sir Vere Hendry Levinge in 1863—or picking up tuck box supplies at the many candy shops that dot the town’s Seven Junctions chowk.
Just east of the lake and 500 metres from the bus stand is the well-maintained botanical garden called Bryant Park. The park was planned and built in 1908 by a forest officer from Madurai, H.D. Bryant, and named after him. With 325 species of trees, shrubs and cacti, the park abounds with flowers during the peak season. A large section is also dedicated to nearly 740 varieties of roses.
Another place of interest is the one kilometer-long, winding Coaker’s Walk. Constructed by Lt. Coaker in 1872, the walk is a paved pedestrian path running along the edge of steep slopes on the southern side of the town. The walk, winding around Mount Nebo, starts in front of the Van Allen hospital, running parallel to the Van Allen Hospital Road, and joins the main road beside the 200-year-old St. Peter’s Church, providing a panoramic view of the plains. On a clear day one can view as far as Dolphin’s Nose in the south, the valley of the Pambar River in the southeast, Periyakulam town and even the city of Madurai.


FACT FILE

Getting There 
There are daily direct flights, buses and trains from most Indian cities to Madurai. From Madurai, the uphill journey by road gets you into Kodaikanal in under three hours.

When to Visit
Thanks to its cool climate, Kodaikanal is a great all-year-round destination with a daily average temperature of around 17˚C. But for a real taste of the crisp winters, make sure to head there from November to February when a veil of mist shrouds the entire town and the need for an evening bonfire is imperative!

Accommodation
Offering stunning vistas, unrivalled beauty, attentive service and overall old world charm, the brand new The Tamara Kodai is an excellent choice of residence when in Kodaikanal. Visit www.thetamara.com/kodaikanal-resort/ for more information.

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 9th September 2018 issue of The Free Press Journal newspaper's Weekend section on page 3 http://www.freepressjournal.in/travel/kodaikanal-this-serene-hill-station-in-tamil-nadu-is-a-blast-from-the-past/1352142)