STOWE GARDEN,BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.

by Rejith

Woke up hesitantly early in the morning lacking any particular path of thoughts about what to do on last lazy Saturday. Weather too bad to go outside-too overcast and nearly zero degree outside.Anyway after having the morning routine,I did just went through National Trust directory to find out a place to visit not far from my home.Flipped though a few pages and spotted Stowe garden which is only about 25 miles from here. Started my car at 9.30 and driving though a mixture of A and B type roads reached Stowe at 10.30.Showed my NT card and entered the garden.At the gate the volunteer greeted and helped me with route map,but declined as I am already familiar. Stowe garden was created by , Lord Cobham, who set the gardens out to reveal his beliefs about the politics and morality of the day. Which path will you choose - Vice, Virtue or Liberty? Surely it is a heaven on earth.

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The trip to Ghanteshwari.

by Sourav Chakraborty

It was on a chilly winter morning in the month of December 2014, when I along with my batch mates were on our way for picnic to one of the most alluring tourist spots of western Odisha. The name of that place was Ghanteshwari. It falls under Sambalpur district of Odisha. The place was very much famed for the trees where bells were tied, and those bells did the job of a navigation unit by alerting nearby seafarers. Along the way to the temple of the main deity, you'll find a small collection of shops selling antique items. The items are world famous for their design. We were quite fortunate that on the very date of our journey it rained heavily. Some people might have said it spoiled our trip but we were the ones who always wanted something unexpected from everything and that was what exactly we were getting. The heavy rain made the beguiling place even more enthralling. The rain gave new energy to the already lively green lands which made us feel closer to Mother Nature. We had some fine food served there by the local hotels. The population out there is quite friendly who'll always refer to you as "BHAI” meaning “BROTHER”. The USP of the place is its location itself. I had a great time with my batch mates and I can assure a memorable trip to all those who plan a planned or unplanned trip to Ghanteshwari.

Odisha is filled with beautiful beaches, fascinating waterfalls, lovely lakes and even has hot water springs that are reputed for their healing abilities along with the famous temples. Share your trip experience by creating your own travel blog on eChutti and generate a travelogue to share your trip memories with friends and family. Find a travel buddy to travel together and make your journey memorable.

The Madman of Palakkad

by Akshay

It is a famous tourist destination and pilgrim place. There is a temple on the top of this hill. It is a serene and beauteous piece of nature in located at Naduvattam Palakkad district in Kerala.

The hill has 500 feet's of height and has the area around 300 acres. 'RayiraNellur mala' was dwelling place of NARANATH the madis 8 km far from Valanchery town.

It is believed that Naranath was rolling up the stone to the top of this hill and when he reaches top, he used to push the stone down to the valley. On reaching the top he used to roll them down and had burst out to laughter. It is said that he had done it by realising statue of Naranath, the mad at the south-west corner on the hill peak. It is the result of architect called Surendra Krishnan.

Along with the 18 feet height statue there is a symbol of the huge stone, which he rolled up to the hill. He was one of the members of 'Parayi Petta Panthirukulam (Pantheerukulam) - The 12 issues of Parayi' Family. I got to know about this place from my family relatives of Palakkad. My brother took me to the place, I truly enjoyed alot . So if you're visiting Palakkad in kerala then make a time to visit this historic place.

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Life Beyond The Sail

by Sreeraj

I never knew the call of open waves can be so enchanting, until I was offered a chance to get out on the water yesterday. An experience that we had never anticipated to happen, came towards us in a sail boat made by Mr. Joe Nejedly, the president of Sailing Club of Cochin and the former World Championship sailor who can be called the godfather of Sailing sport in Kerala. A jovial person with an immense passion for sailing and the love to share his sailing experiences.

It was during one of such loose talks that he asked us whether we would like to go on a sail. He might have read the answers from our faces because he called out to Mr. Joseph who was going out for a sail, to take us for a short voyage. The white double-hulled boats with multi-coloured sail, was designed by Mr. Joe himself, to ensure that it gives the secure feeling that you wouldn't fall off the vessel that easily. This boat called GO-Cat (named after his grandsons) provides adequate safety to beginners learning the basics of sailing.

Wearing the life jacket, thrilled about the experience we stepped on the sail boat escaping the familiar feeling of solid ground beneath our feet. We sat at the back leaning on the square platform that connects the two hulls, so that the main sail can be maneuvered easily according to the direction of the wind without injuring our head.

“There’s something romantic of being in command of your own boat with the vast water body stretched out in front of you, and that’s where these experiences come in” Mr. Joseph started sharing his experiences in sailing and explaining the maneuvering process as the wind steered us away from the shore.

An ex-software engineer, Mr. Joseph had been sailing here for three years. And the experience he had was evident in the ease with which he managed to steer the sail to catch up with the unpredictable wind.

The feeling of being able to harness the power of the wind, something that is bestowed to us by nature, to sail, was indeed a great feeling. Mr. Joe encourages people to leave their mobile phones behind. So that there is no interference of hustle and bustle of city life while floating with the swaying backwaters. I felt as if I was becoming part of the serene backwaters, experiencing her moods and allowing her to influence me with her divine charm.

As we went deeper the waters were offering a breath-taking view. Joel preferred to get hands on the sail, while I just sat back and relaxed as the experienced skipper along with his new trainee took care of it all. We spent almost 45 minutes floating in the swaying waters, along with the tips and stories of sailing from Mr. Joseph. “We may not be able to control the wind, but we can always direct the sail. Remember that young sailors” said Mr. Joseph merrily as we were pulling the boat to the shore. But it was only after we left the place that I realized the depth of his words, the advice about life he had to give, simple yet profound "We can’t control the wind, but we can direct the sail!

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by Ishan Hendre

Location- Avalabetta, near Bangalore, Karnataka.

Date taken- 4/10/15

After a disappointing experience upon reaching Skandagiri, where we weren’t allowed to go ahead with our trek by officials, we decided to go to drive up to Avalabetta. (A hilltop 90km from Bangalore) This was a beautiful midnight drive with friends, which is otherwise a lovely early morning drive as enjoyed by most people. The dark night, thunderstorm, overgrown foliage and the narrow road coiling to the top gave the drive an uncanny tinge. We reached the top at around 3 am, and began our return at 7 after sunrise. The darkness on our way up didn’t allow us a single glimpse of the landscape, amen also to the dreamy early morning fog that enveloped us. So we had no clue about what surrounded us, our return held the mesmerizing revelation of the landscape.

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Mera Mumbai Meri Jaan

by Akshay

My travel resolution of 2016 is to live & explore the place where I born!

YEH MUMBAI MERI JAAN AOUR JAHAN!

Mumbai is like a NewYork of Our india, it’s the city of Dreams & the city which never sleeps. It depicts the place that is always up and about, a city with a spirit of gold and a determination to never say die, even in the wake of terrorist attacks and natural calamities. Mumbai boasts of a population of about 100 million. There is an extensive network of flights from Mumbai’s Sahar (International) and Santa Cruz (Domestic) airports. International and domestic flights connect it to almost all major cities. Trains are available from all major stations of India. The Intra city trains are the fastest and the best way of commuting through the city. Bus services both inter and intra city are equally efficient.

We Mumbaikars represent the true spirit of India as this city is a crucible of people from different religions, caste and communities. Representative of the “never say die” spirit, these people are full of life and vigour Food is the highlight of this city. Chaupati beach offers one a wide variety of street food ranging from bhelpuri (puffed rice mixed with onions, chillies and sauces), panipuri (puffed puris filled with sprouts and potatoes), vada pav (a deep fried cutlet made of potatoes in a round shaped bread) and paw bhaji (vegetables eaten with round shaped bread). Desserts of this place include chikki, srikhand, puran poli and shira.

The home of the Indian Film Industry, one has to visit the Gateway Of India, the central attraction of the city, important because this is where the British left Independent India As per my observations if you’re living in India then there things which would be mutual among every indian that is FOOD,BOLLYWOOD & CRICKET. so in case if anyone doesn’t like Bollywood then he must be in love with food or cricket. Mumbai is famous in these three things food which kind of variety we don’t have it in our Mumbai ,main thing you must be having enough money to taste every variety.

Directly or indirectly money matters, your life will ditch if you are not rich! That’s the main reason why Mumbai doesn’t sleep people now to earn & they know how much money should be used where and for what. I had visited 27 historical places in Mumbai still few are remaining. There are many cities in India which are developing up few of them like surat & bangalore etc but still Mumbai is like a king of cities in India.

Love your hometown and never explored it more as you want. Share your thoughts about your hometown on travel blogs. Want to know about New York of India — MUMBAI? JOin Mumbai travel club and get to know more about the city from travellers.

TRAVEL WITH BEAR GRYLLS IN A LONE ISLAND

by ABHISHEK

MY TRAVELLING RESOLUTION-

TRAVEL WITH BEAR GRYLLS IN A LONE ISLAND Bear Grylls, apparently the host of Man vs. Wild TV show on Discovery Channel, is an ex US army person, trained thoroughly to compete against any challenging conditions offered by the mother earth. Seeing him take on any situation in any life threatening circumstances is really mind blowing. I have been a benevolent and crazy fan of him since my childhood. From the age of 15 till now, around 6 years, I have been watching this daredevil and he is till date unmatched and at the top.

One of the extraordinary things about him I love is his daring and never giving up attitude. I remember him falling from a helicopter and breaking his back into 3 pieces, my heart got sunk that time. But after a mere 1 year my hero was back into action. Bear Grylls can survive in any tough situation be it the hot Sahara Desert or the freezing Alaska. He has survived even in the dense forests of Africa and has also encountered the Avalanche. His tactics can seem very weird and insane sometimes. He eats animals without even cooking them and sometimes he even drinks his own urine to keep up the hydration levels. He jumps from high mountains into the river and how fascinating it is that he never fails in any of his attempts.

I want to have an experience of traveling with Bear Grylls, enough of watching him on television. I wish to see him perform live. I wish to work with him, and survive difficult situations. Commemorating his thoughts and mind set would be so great.

My travel resolution for 2016 is to learn surviving alone in a lone island with Bear Grylls. I have seen him do that many a times on television, but it’s time now I get some hands on experience. I would learn how to defend, evolve and grow myself in challenging situations. I would also talk to him about his life and journey he has had till now. It would very fascinating to hear him live.

Being in the island alone with Bear Grylls, I get goosebumps imaging the whole scenario. He would teach me how to catch fishes and climb trees to get food. He would tell me about the kinds of animals to be aware of and how to tackle any worse case scenario. I would also learn how to make small houses from wood and ignite fire to keep myself warm.

Learning to keep myself hydrated as well as cook something eatable would also be something I would learn. Finally I would acquire complete knowledge of how to built a raft and escape from the lone island. I have seen the recent episodes, in which Bear Grylls is taking along some new people in his journey for survival. I really hope to get a chance to travel with him.

You too have a such a dream to travel with the one you adore and respect? Share your travel resolutions in echutti travel blogs.

The City of stories

by Neha Prasad

Not that i have never enjoyed Goa earlier but it has so much to serve for the travelers at their every visit. It's like a piece of dessert,a giant one, which can be of your favourite appetites. Not even a year has passed now and my craving to visit this ancient town has popped-up all over again. This time it would be more precise because all that i have got missed, i shall explore it without any failure. Resolutions to discover the undiscovered should be the goal. One picturesque destination with every possible requirements you would perhaps need, is Goa. What you think you would miss? The very first step of yours till you go off-board, will leave an imprint over your memory which you will definitely cherish till the last breathe. Talk about the seamless Goan roads which will lead you to beautiful boundless beaches or talk about the crazy crowd you would encounter at every food junctions you stop. Stretched from "Mapusa to Panjim", everything you experience, would be one of it's kind. Those memories are so sharp that this year my visit would definitely be for minimum ten days in which i can at least enjoy few of the ancient serenity i missed on my last trip. I visited few beautiful churches, antiquated in their form, but what i missed is the Portugal story behind every painting carved there. With all pride, standing on the list of one of the ancient cities, Goa offers us so much to know about it's roots and the cultures we can never feel amidst our social city lives. Not only to the old symbolic churches and towers Goa is confined to, but it brings you so many other attractions, one of the top most being the mouthwatering food. Sea-food typically cooked in Goan style would leave you speechless and this time again my day-break would be at some shacks with some soul-tempting deliciously cooked lobsters. All those wrecked walls along the roadside, made out of ancient red bricks would particularly remind you of the former Portugal existence. Apart from all those historical dramas, yearly Goa-Carnival brings festivity all around the city. Four days of celebrations in Christian style which concludes with one huge colorful parade is one of my most awaited events this 2016. Best time after December is February when enthusiasm is at its peak to celebrate the happiness and togetherness, i am all set to fulfill my cravings. Goa is a city of endless stories and hidden realities, some are mind soothing and some are spine-chilling but whatever it gives, will be indelible.

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Darjeeling- The Queen of The Himalayas

by DEBDORSHI MALAKAR

On 26th December, 2016, I was supposed to fly to Bangalore to meet my sister. However, things changed quickly, and I somehow ended up in Darjeeling along with my entire family. We took the train on 25th night. Darjeeling is just an overnight journey from my home town, Kolkata. We reached there around 11 AM and checked in to Hotel Belleveu, which is right at the centre of the famous Mall Road. After having lunch, we headed to Lebong Tea Estate, which was a 1 hour drive from our hotel. The Manager who is a friend of my father, greeted us and showed us the entire production process of tea. After that we returned back to Darjeeling and had snacks at the famous restaurant " Keventers". Darjeeling is mainly famous for two restaurants-' Keventers' for its sausages and 'Glenarys' for its pastries and desserts. We obviously didn't miss out on either of them. 

The next day we departed from our hotel at 4AM for ' Tiger Hill', also known as ' Sunset Point'. Although we were shivering, but it totally worth it when we were able to see the peak of ' Kanchenjungha'. We returned back and then visited the ' Kali Temple'. It was a steep climb to the top of the temple, but it offers a spectacular view of the entire region. The rest of the day was spent in shopping and trying out the local delicacies like momos and the famous ' Darjeeling Tea'. 

Finally, it was time to back to to our daily lives. It was difficult to bid goodbye to the mountains and return to the crowded streets of Kolkata. But then life goes on.....

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THAT ADRENALINE RUSH

by Surbhi Arvind

Do you ever just wake up and realise that your soul needs a vacation, just a few days out of your monotonous routine and the unwanted honking and shrieking that your city has to offer? Well, that happens with me pretty much all the time. But little can we always put our wishful plans into action. But sometimes, when God and just about everything around you conspires to put your thoughts into action, that is when you realise how thankful and lucky you are and how unimaginably exciting the next few days are going to be. 

On one such day in April last year, my dad realised that our not so happening daily routines are taking a toll on us, and that is when he decided to take us on a road trip to Rishikesh for the ever so famous white water rafting. The land of the mighty Ganga, not so far away from Delhi, but far enough to let the soul breathe some fresh air. so we packed our bags and were soon on our way, in the car, singing crazy songs at the top of our voice and clicking pictures, obviously. Road trips with family are always exciting. Halfway through our journey to Rishikesh, we took a stop at Cheetal Grand Resort to gorge on some scrumptious sandwiches, parathas, french fries and an all time favourite cold coffee. 

It took us about two more hours to reach Rishikesh, and throughout our way, we saw a lot of billboards displaying the Flying Fox Adventure Sports advertisements. The very attention seeking adventure sports prompted us to give it a try and we soon reached their office. In no time, we were thrilled for what was going to be our very first bungee jumping experience. EVER. a little more wait post the form filling formalities, and there I was, at the bungee bridge constructed 85 meters, right above the beautifully curving river Ganga. Looking at all those people going before me sure sent chills down my spine, seeing their scared faces and hesitation to fall free, but everything inside me boosted me up with excitement and courage that I never knew I had. That is when I knew this was going to be the best experience of my life so far, something that was going to do me proud of myself.

Standing at that high bridge, with the winds resonating their best wishes in my ears, I chose to go, before my siblings. That is how accelerated I was. Taking in that beautiful view of the river, waiting for me down there, the hills talking to me in a language that only I could decipher at that time, it was my "DO OR DIE" moment. And I obviously don't plan to die so soon. Standing there at the edge, I knew I had to let go of everything that has ever held me back and just LET GO. It was in that moment I realised how liberating this feeling of just letting it all go is. 

My whole world changed with that one jump. every atom of me was proud of me. I never knew I had it in me to do something so thrilling, that gives you all the rush and chills at the same time, making it hard for you to believe that you just did something like that. That inexplicable feeling only seemed to grow with every passing moment. I may not have done something so big to achieve a gallantry award, just an "I'VE GOT GUTS" certificate from Flying Fox, but this sure was a proud moment for me. That experience, combined with so much more, taught me that travel is the best teacher one needs, to pass this journey of life with flying colours.  Everything that I ever need to learn about life is there, in the beautiful views, the natural tints of pinks and greens, the less travelled paths, in facing the unknown. 

I feel, to TRAVEL is the most enlivening thing one could bless their soul with. people always talk about how they would narrate their love stories to their kids. But I would rather tell tales of my travels, of just how beautiful our planet is, that our mothers might be the best cooks for us in the whole world,  but there are so many hands out there that can add a magical taste to a simple pre-flavoured bowl of Maggi noodles, which are best enjoyed at chilly hill stations. 

A zeal to discover, a boundless mind, a heart capable of giving and receiving equally, a pair of legs to map the most mesmerising yet untrodden paths. all this, and we will have a fortune full of memories, a proof that we are actually "living" life and not just barely "existing". It's the breathtaking views, that can always take away our blues. And that is why I want to travel the world, till kingdom comes. 

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