Incredible India March 2007

Our journey took us through Mumbai, Vapi,  Ahmedabad & Amritsar by train, & then by road exploring the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh & Haryana.

A tyre puncture on a side trip to Mandvi stranded us along a wide expanse of salt fields, which we took the opportunity to check out.

A VIP tour of the Welspun Mills & the Mundra Port in Gujerat was most awe inspiring.

The Mills are the largest of its kind in S.E.A. & the the Mundra port, wholly owned by the Adani group, is rapidly growing & aiming to become the largest in India in a couple of years.

Our train journey from Ahmadabad ended in Jallandar Junction which is a short drive away from Amritsar. From there it is another short drive to the Wagha border with Pakistan where everyday, the spectacular changing of the guards attracts thousands of spectators & tourists.

The Golden Temple of Amritsar is a stunning sight  esp at night, & exudes the same peaceful aura of all holy places.  We were lucky to have a peek at the handwritten Holy Book as it was being read,  witnessed some of the 1 lakh people who are fed there each day & saw the only 'one of its kind' chapati making machine in the kitchens. It churns out hundreds of chapatis every hour !

The roads of Punjab & Haryana are lined with  yellow pastures of 'sarsoan' (mustard) & green fields of wheat, onions & cotton at this time of the year.

The mango & lychee trees were full of blooms , that will blossom & yield their fruit in the hot months ahead.

We were even lucky to see a masoor dal plant which our driver recognised.

Then there were these beautifully shaped balls of dried dung being sold all along the roads - hundreds & thousands of em ! They really looked so good !!

The city of Palampur is located in a scenic tea growing area, at the foothills of the mountains of Himachal.

On the way there we visited the Bhagsunath Buddhist Temple near Dharamsala where the Dalai Lama has lived  for more than 50 years in exile; & the Sant Adinath Temple , a meditation center.

After a pictureresque drive along the deep gorges of the Kully Valley in which the mighty Beas River flows, we reached our ultimate destination  - the hamlet of Manali- a little town around which the mighty snow draped mountains of Himachal Pradesh rose around us.   

It was here that we unwound in a lovely resort, caught snowflakes on our tongues, woke up to a white winter wonderland one morning, & explored the lovely spectra around us.      

All to soon it was time to leave, but the market town of Mandi was a colorful stopover as the Shivratri fair was going on , before the hustle & bustle of the big cities of Chandigarh & Delhi.

All over, we ate & drank countless cups of chai in roadside dhabas that ranged from 0 star to 5 star.

We flew home from Delhi.

1. Where is a dry river bed used for housing, cultivation & even quarrying for sand & stones for 8 months every year before the rains come & the rivers flow again ?  ONLY IN INDIA.

2. Where in the  world can you find yourself at a crossroad, facing another car, truck, camel cart & rickshaw in a gridlock ? ONLY IN INDIA.

3. Where can you find literally a THIN LANE  or 'PATLI GALI' , a 30 inch gap between 2 buildings that is a thoroughfare ? ONLY IN INDIA .  I used it myself as a short cut to save walking to the end of the street & back on the other side. The secret is to walk almost  sideways so as not to touch the oncoming traffic ! If a big fellow comes along or someone with a hugh parcel, good luck to you .

4. And where is the road sign " Give Way" a joke ? ONLY IN INDIA.  Because nobody does!!

Still we love India for all the good things it has to offer.

Most of all the warmth, the generosity, & the hospitality of the people, whether you know them or you don't, is unmatched. The invaluable service rendered, making friends on trains & being bundled to a friends home instead of a hotel is an everyday affair. THAT'S INDIA !