Welcome to Pink city & first planned city of India: Jaipur!!! Driving the Delhi-Jaipur highway is wonderful experience in itself..feels like driving in US :)
The city welcomes you with Hawa Mahal & City Palace Museum along with Nahargarh Fort and Jantar Mantar, an observatory !!!
Once you are done with city trip, it time to have sumptuous & amazing Rajasthani thali; dal bati, churma & many more delicious dishes...
Overall an amazing place !!!
Welcome to City of Pearls & Nizams: Hyderabad -The IT city of India..
This was one of the cities which I haven't had a chance to visit so far.. So finally I am here too.. Good infrastructure.. truly International Airport..
The City boasts of famous Hyderabadi Biryani, a beautiful lake, Hussain Sagar, where u can take a cruise trip to center to see buddha statue !!!
The city is home to the world's largest film studio, the Ramoji Film City & Golconda fort...It also has amazing food joints & malls for shopping..
Overall great trip !!!
New Year, New Place, New Friends...
Only thing old is me..celebrating another b'day in style..Got d day off.. officially !!!
Started the day with Temple paying my gratitude to God..Next on agenda was shopping- Jeans, Shirt & much more !!!
There was amazing pineapple cake sent by my sis for the smearing ceremony & eating too :)
Finally, me & Deepak went to Chenab, a Punjabi style restaurant near sea shore.. awesome food & great ambiance...Just perfect day !!!
Amritsar derives its name from Amrit Sarovar, (Pool of Nectar) the holy tank that surrounds the fabulous Golden Temple:A place with serene ambiance, amazing structure & awesome food (langar)and lot of gold!!!
Next to it, is the famous Jallianwala Bagh, site of the gruesome massacre of unarmed Indians by British troops in 1919. People jumped in the well & climbed the walls to save themselves. The bullet marks on the walls depict the horrific tale!!!
About 30km from here, is Wagah Border-Indo Pak boundary where there is an elaborate change-of-guards drill every evening to showcase the rivalry on both sides!!!This is the closest you can get to Pakistan without a VISA!!!
Welcome to Delhi: The Capital of India which showcases its rich history through monuments!!
One of them is India Gate: the largest war memorial to pay homage to 90,000 Indian soldiers who laid their lives in WW-I and many more in subsequent through Amar Jawan Jyoti, a flame which remains ignited forever!!!
Being 42 mtr tall, this monument lists names of all Param Veer Chakra:Highest military award, winners!!!
Beautiful lawns & the Presidential House in front this place definitely a treat for monument lovers!!!
They say all things come to an end!!!
So here I am enjoying the last journey with my Infosys friends:)
A biking trip to Rajgarh, which started early morning with light drizzle & cool winds.With 6 Bikers & their Pillions,we traveled for about 40km before reaching the foothills of Raj-Garh:The Fort!!!
With a brief stop over for Break-fast, we started the trek for fort, about 1300 mtrs above sea level. The toughest part was near the entrance and rain & chilly weather added to the woes!!!
Once conquered, it was sheer fun with games, songs & hot tea :) The way back was even tougher with all skidding & sliding due to muddy terrian!! A hot shower & yummy poha made the day.. Overall an exiciting trip!!!
Time for another trip.. this time with my project team to break away from the daily humdrum!!! Started early on a Saturday morning, making pit stop for b'fast and making the journey enjoyable through games like dumb charades & antakashari, we reached our first destination: Harihareshwar, 200 km from Pune; a town known for its tranquil and picturesque beach and temple !!! Paying homage to the deity & enjoying the traditional food (Soul Kadi), we headed for the Dive-Agar beach; calm and beautiful which will catch ur breadth away!!! Enjoyed d tides, played some cricket & after a quick evening snack headed home..a refreshing trip !!!
Ring out the old, Ring in the new.. The best way to do that is with your family!!! Thus my parents were here in Pune for a week. We started off with Gurdwara on MG road & Chaturshringi Mandir on SB road, both of which were decorated nicely :) Then, was the shopping spree @ Malls like ESquare, Central & SGS..:) They even visited the Infosys Campus- Ph1&2 tough from outside, but liked it. We then emabarked the journey to Shirdi, the holy place for Sai Baba & the Shani Signapur, the holy place for Saturday God!!! They even had quality time together by watching a movie: RNBDJ & Pune Darshan which was a bus tour of city showing all famous places..:)
Another trip to Mumbai.. This time to be part of celebration where Srijit, my Infy batch-mate, gets his Stree (Wife) and embarks upon a new phase of life.. :) The venue was beautifully decorated and food was awesome with couple getting blessings & wishes from all !!! Then it was time to catch up with my pals: Rahul, whom I met in Canada & Drishti whom I met in Pune 5 yrs ago. The friendship continues despite the time n tide and was solidified further :) Did few rounds of bowling, visited malls and wraped up with a splendid dinner.. chicken enchillada ..!!!
Alibagh: They say you don't need any planning when you have a like minded group.. :) That's what happened on Sunday morning when we were off to Alibagh; 140 km from Pune!!!
With a brief stopover for B'fast which include Tea & Vada pav, the first inline was the fort: Murud-Janjira that remained undefeated despite repeated attacks!!! Access to Fort is through boat, which seems to be rock solid till now & the aerial view is awesome :)
Next in line was Kashid Beach ,30 km away from Alibagh, this beach is possibly one of the cleanest and most beautiful beaches with almost 'white' sand. Played in low tide waves & sand, enjoyed the horse cart ride and watched the sun go down ...:)
Finally closed the trip with a quick dinner at Punjabi dhaba..Memorable trip.. hats off to new group!!
Chokhi Dhani:The resort turned in to a village depicts the true Rajasthani culture !!! Located in Pune, it is ideal for hosting Project parties & family get together :)
It offers a host of activities: Camel & horse rides for kids , mendhi & tatoo for youngsters , art & craft, magic shows & host of other games :) One can get in to true mode & become a Rajasthani by dressing up in the traditional dresses !!!
The best part is the authentic Rajasthani royal cuisine which boasts of a vast array of savouries and sun-dried snacks. Be it dal baati and churma or missi roti , one always ends up licking their fingers!!!
Another trip to New York of India: Mumbai!!!.This time it was business cum pleasure trip; Business of getting US VISA stamped & pleasure of:
- Celebration: My friend's B'day, Anupam alias Dada, who has been my school mate, college & NY flat mate too.:)
- Travel: Mumbai-Pune highway is one of the amazing drive which gives of you a feeling of being in US again with lush green surrounding make it picture perfect..:)
- Beach: Visited the famous Juhu beach where we strolled & gorged on the famous Pani puri & Pav Bhaji !!
Being in Pune brings a host of opportunities to see b'ful places around :) Here I am: Lonavala, where nature is present in all its splendor !!! Just 64 Km from Pune, it comes to life during the monsoon season as the countryside turns lush green with waterfalls.
Water from Bhushi Dam overflows from the staircase like structure. There are spots like Tiger Leap, Duke's Nose which give amazing view of the place :)
A must visit place for people visiting Pune & bite a sweet Chiki..!!!
Far from the maddening crowd of NY, we thought of going back to Nature : Black River County Park, Morristown for a hiking trip!!!.. The day was sunny, weather was nice & bag packs were out..The trail was self guiding with markers everywhere, a river flowing alongside & lush green trees !!!Hiked for about 3 miles with up n downs, zig & zags & crossing the bridges, we reached an open ground with flowers & grass all around.. very refreshing & relaxing trip... !!!
New year, New Location & a New beginning.. celebrating my 28th birthday on 28th of April in NJ with my lovely rommies.. who reminded me that tradition never change where ever ur!!!.. the cake, the smearing & the Bday bumps :) The wishes flowed via all modes: Calls, smses n scraps ..that even God didn't wana be left out, so blessed me with his showers!!! The day was hectic with lot of work @office, ended with a low key affair with my friends...
Welcome to next edition of Fast & Furious..: New York Auto Show 2008..!!! You name it, they have it..:) Held at Jacob Javits Convention every year & first time for me it was quite an experience.. Checked out a Corvette, Posed for Porsche & Adoned with an Audi..!!! With the coolest to the concept cars, they will blow your mind away...!! A show which you can't miss & be there year after year.. :)
New Hampshire: Live free or Die!!!.. A place famous for fall..Kancamagus Scenic Hwy, a 28 mile road through the heart of the White Mountains that climbs to nearly 3000 ft. You can enjoy all fall colors: yellow, orange, brown.. :) Test your driving skills by climbing up the Mt Washington, 6288 ft with a narrow lane, two side traffic & zero visibility at few points, it definetly is an adventure ride & is rewarded suitably with a certifcate & sticker you can boast of "This car climbed Mt Washington" :)
Welcome to City of Pearls & Nizams: Hyderabad -The IT city of India..
Amritsar derives its name from Amrit Sarovar, (Pool of Nectar) the holy tank that surrounds the fabulous Golden Temple:A place with serene ambiance, amazing structure & awesome food (langar)and lot of gold!!!
Time for another trip.. this time with my project team to break away from the daily humdrum!!! Started early on a Saturday morning, making pit stop for b'fast and making the journey enjoyable through games like dumb charades & antakashari, we reached our first destination: Harihareshwar, 200 km from Pune; a town known for its tranquil and picturesque beach and temple !!! Paying homage to the deity & enjoying the traditional food (Soul Kadi), we headed for the Dive-Agar beach; calm and beautiful which will catch ur breadth away!!! Enjoyed d tides, played some cricket & after a quick evening snack headed home..a refreshing trip !!!
Ring out the old, Ring in the new.. The best way to do that is with your family!!! Thus my parents were here in Pune for a week. We started off with Gurdwara on MG road & Chaturshringi Mandir on SB road, both of which were decorated nicely :) Then, was the shopping spree @ Malls like ESquare, Central & SGS..:) They even visited the Infosys Campus- Ph1&2 tough from outside, but liked it. We then emabarked the journey to Shirdi, the holy place for Sai Baba & the Shani Signapur, the holy place for Saturday God!!! They even had quality time together by watching a movie: RNBDJ & Pune Darshan which was a bus tour of city showing all famous places..:)
Another trip to Mumbai.. This time to be part of celebration where Srijit, my Infy batch-mate, gets his Stree (Wife) and embarks upon a new phase of life.. :) The venue was beautifully decorated and food was awesome with couple getting blessings & wishes from all !!! Then it was time to catch up with my pals: Rahul, whom I met in Canada & Drishti whom I met in Pune 5 yrs ago. The friendship continues despite the time n tide and was solidified further :) Did few rounds of bowling, visited malls and wraped up with a splendid dinner.. chicken enchillada ..!!!
Alibagh: They say you don't need any planning when you have a like minded group.. :) That's what happened on Sunday morning when we were off to Alibagh; 140 km from Pune!!! 
Chokhi Dhani:The resort turned in to a village depicts the true Rajasthani culture !!! Located in Pune, it is ideal for hosting Project parties & family get together :)
