Three Must Places To Visit In Jan In India

 India is incredible. It is very difficult to know about the vast country and its heritage and beautiful places to travel to. It will take a lifetime for someone to travel across India. I am starting a series - places that one must visit in different months. Friends, in my last blog Pink City-Jaipur I had given brief details about Jaipur, Rajasthan. Here, I am going to tell my dear friends who are willing to travel but hesitate, as regards to the details of the places - the activities, major attractions, getting there, buying things, food and so on.  Beginning the series with the month of January 2021.

1.     Munnar- ‘Kashmir’ of South India

                                                                Tea Plantations- Munnar

Munnar is a town and hill station located in the Idukki district of the southwestern Indian state of Kerala.  It is situated at around 1,600 meters (5,200 ft) above mean sea in the Western Ghats mountain range. Munnar is also called the “ Kashmir” of South India" and is a popular honeymoon destination.

Famous for its tea estates, exotic, lush greenery, and craggy peaks, Munnar specialises in its tantalising charm, and that is the reason people tend to escape the cold winter months and flock to this hill station. Situated on the banks of three rivers- Madupetti, Nallathanni and Periavaru, Munnar is also blessed with natural view-points apart from the tea-plantations. 

Activities:  Trekking, rock climbing, and rappelling are some of the activities that you must indulge yourself in. Although do make sure to have all the necessary accessories to check out the full-fledged nature’s bounty.

Major Attractions :

·         The Eravikulum National Park – home to Golden jackal, Jungle Cat, Wild Dog, Leopard, Tiger

·         Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary – named after the famous scientist and ornithologist. Located at 73 kms from Munnar , it is a paradise for Bird Watchers.

·         Echo Point

·         Photo Point

·         Mattupetty Dam and

·         Tea  plantations are its major attractions.

 What to buy?

Here is my pick of 4 Munnar specialties which you can buy before you head back home from your Munnar trip.

·         Spices. ...

·         Tea. Tea is perhaps the best Munnar specialty that you should take back from your visit to the city. ...

·         Local Chocolates. ...

·         Aromatic Oils.

Getting there:

·         Road: Munnar is well connected by National highways, State Highways and Rural Roads. The town lies in the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway ( N.H.49), about 130 kms from Cochin and from Kochi- Ernakulum–150 kms.

·         Rail : The nearest major Railway Station is Emakulam and Aluva ( app 140 kms.

·         Air: The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport, which is 110 kms away. The Coimbatore and Madurai airport is 165 kms from Munnar.

Famous food

        

Puttu

The mascot of Kerala's cuisine, ‘puttu’ is a steamed rice cake made with coconut shavings. They serve it alongside kadala curry, which is cooked with black chickpeas and infused with aromatic herbs and spices.


2.   Pondicherry - "The French Riviera of the East"

                                                       Paradise Beach, Pondicherrry

Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry, and commonly referred to as Pondy, is one of the seven Union Territories of India, which is bound by the southern state of Tamil Nadu. It is often famously referred to as the ‘ French Riviera of the East’. This former colony is a perfect amalgamation of the traditional Indian sensibilities and French architecture, making it a dreamy escape that offers the best of both worlds.

 Located in the state of Tamil Nadu, Pondy is a great beach place to visit in January in India to enjoy the perfect weather for not only sightseeing but also partaking in adventurous activities or a day at the beach.

 Activities:  Scuba Diving, try your hand at Pinball, enjoy surfing, go kayaking, or canoeing at Karaikal Beach.

 Major attractions :

·         The Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most important ashrams in India, founded by the renowned Freedom Fighter and spiritual philosopher Shri Aurbindo.

·         Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8 km north-west of Pondicherry.

·         A number of old and large churches in Pondicherry, most of which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries.

·         A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade Beach

·         Paradise Beach

·         Seaside Promenade

·         Rock Beach

·         The Basilica of the Heart of Jesus

 Pondicherry boasts of the biggest statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the whole of Asia.


Getting there:

·      Road

Pondicherry is connected to Chennai via the East Coast Road through Mahabalipuram. There are daily bus services from several major stops from Chennai.  The Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation runs buses within the city and to Chennai and to various places. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates air-conditioned bus services from Chennai to Pondicherry.

·   Rail

 Pondicherry is connected by train to Chennai, Delhi,Kolkata, and Mumbai, as well as other important cities such as Kanyakumari, Hyderabad, Nagpur Bangalore, and Mangalore.  Moreover, VM/Villupuram Junction which is at a distance of around 24 miles i.e.40 km(both by rail & road) is connected to several other Indian Cities.

·      Air

Pondicherry Airport is located at Lawspet, an Assembly Constituency in the union territory of Pondicherry. It has direct flights to Hyderabad and Bangalore.

Famous Food:

·    Samosas near South Boulevard. Mutton Samosas (source) ...

·    Bondas on Mission Street. Bondas (source) ...

·    Masala Puri on Lenin Street. ...

·   Sandwiches at Dhool. ...

·   Mutton Rolls on Mission Street. ...

·   Crab Masala Fry on Rangapillai Road. ...

·   Khowsuey on Mission Street. 


     3. Kutch, Gujarat- The White Desert of India


Virtually an island that resembles the shape of a tortoise, Kutch is an erstwhile princely state of India holding onto its grandeur nature from the past. Kutch is probably one of the most beautiful, yet surreal places in India with the vast expanses of the white salt desert.  The place comes to life during the winters when the Rann Festival is held during November-February, in which there are huge camp settlements with cultural programs, functions, and adventure activities like hot-air ballooning.

Rann of Kutch is a massive expanse of cracked earth, inland from the sea, that is both nerve-wracking and stunning with small oasis of water bodies and shrub forests doubling up as homes for pink flamingoes and wild asses.

Tribal hamlets with cylindrical mud bhungas (huts) are the epicenter for Kutchi embroidery, tie and dye, leatherwork, pottery, bell metal craft and the famous Rogan painting by the only surviving expert family.

Approximately 200 km east of the Rann, is the Little Rann of Kutch, which houses the 4953-sq-km Wild Ass Sanctuary. It homes the only remaining population of the chestnut-coloured Indian wild ass (khur), as well as blue-bulls, blackbuck and chinkara.

Kutch is also among the largest district of India with a terribly low population density. Also, Kutch lies on the India-Pakistan border and you can see parts of Pakistan from Kutch. Bhuj is an ideal starting point to visit the Rann of Kutch.

Major Attractions & Activities : 

·      Rann of Kutch festival- It's a Rann Utsav, the Carnival of Music, Dance & Culture of Gujarat. Enhance the natural beauty of White Rann when the light of Full Moon spread it on the white land.


·         Hot air ballooning,

·         Wild Ass Sanctuary,

·         Flamingo Sanctuary,

·         Crafts and embroidery work,

·         Beautiful beaches of Mandvi near Bhuj,

·         Don't miss to see the ancient town of Dholavira.

Getting there

·         Road

Ahmedabad is 335  kilometers from Bhuj approx. driving time is 7 hours. Rann of Kutch is about 85 kilometers from Bhuj.

·         Train

          Bhuj is the closest air and rail node to Rann of Kutch, at 85 kilometers.

·         Air

         The Rudra Mata airport at Bhuj is a small but busy node that connects Mumbai to Bhuj.

Famous Food :

·         Dabeli. Dabeli literally means “pressed” in the Gujarati language. ...



·         Kachchhi Thali. The usually Kachchhi Cusine consists of Roti or Rotlas, Curd, Buttermilk, Dal, Curry, Vegetables, Papad, Kachumbar. ...

·         Khichadi Kadhi. ...

·         Odho. ...

·         Pakwan. ...

·         Mesukh. ...

·         Gulab-Pak.

You can even see Amitabh Bachchan requesting you to visit Rann Of Kutch Festival during this period, in advertisements.

Friends, I have tried to give detailed information. In case you require any other information, pls send your queries in the comments section.

My next travel blog would be on Places to visit in February.

Inputs & Pics from Gujarat Tourism,TN Tourism, Pondicherry Tourism, and Wikimedia

Pls follow me on envigblogs


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