Off beaten track

The Parvati Valley Is one of the lesser known valleys near Kullu, however at the beginning there are prominent places like the hot water springs at Manikaran and Kasol, a smoky destination for the Great Indian Tourist.  The areas served by a road are perpetually full of tourists seeking easy reach and harder stuff.  On the other hand the places where one has to walk to are beautifully calm and isolated.  A sketch of the Valley A schematic sketch shows the Burshaini bowl, the road goes upto Tosh whereas the other villages are on foot tracks. If one wants solitude, then walk...  There is a large dam being constructed across the Parvati river at Burshaini, I wonder how this will affect the ecology when this is completed.  Khalga under snow I found just the village - Khalga which was off the beaten track. Early March offers a very different experience, it had snowed a day prior to my arrival and a carpet of white covered everything. It was cold, most often bitt...

The vibrant colours of Kutch A land of colours, craftspeople, history, birds, wildlife and unspoilt scenery. A visit to Kutch enables one to see this and much more, there is something for everyone. The people dress colourfully, and decorate colourfully, thus the craftspeople are skilled and the work everywhere is fine. The course work of cheap commercialism is not yet widespread, but beginning to. This area has, arguably, one of the largest migratory bird populations in the country, this was evident on our trip. The old buildings are redolent in history, but alas like most ancient monuments in the country, it is heartbreaking to see magnificent structures decaying from lack of concern. Epicentre at Lodhai Village. This is a wonderful homestay run by Bharat Kapdi, located near a lake at one end of the Banni Grasslands, it has a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. Named after the devastating earthquake of 2001, one can still see the ravages in...