Discover Jharkhand and its Many Delights

Jharkhand translates into ‘land of forests and gold’. It is also the land of tribals. These communities depend on their livestock extensively for food, and to ease the struggles of harsh conditions. Understandably, several local festivals are centred around the theme of cattle. The Kundri Mela, held in the historic district of Chatra, is one such significant fair. It usually happens in October, the time when the heat of the plains is abating. By planning a trip to the region at this time, it’s possible to take in the sights and sounds of Chatra, as well as witness the cattle fair, novel to anything you may have experienced across the Indo-Gangetic plains.

The cattle fair in Jharkhand can be quite a novel experience for tourists

The Cattle Fair

The Kundri Mela traces its origins to the 1930s. Originally it used to take place during the Phalgun Shivratri, however, off late it has been coinciding with Kartik Poornima of the Hindu calendar. Natives congregate at Pratappur and a large-scale exchange of livestock ensues. The animals are adorned and celebrated during this event. There’s much pageantry and theatre associated with this festival in Jharkhand and over time, a lot of entertainment has also been incorporated. Tribal dances, folk music, competitions and even sporting events are held alongside. Incidentally the state is famous for several other cattle fairs like the Kolhaiya mela, Tutilawa mela, Belgada mela and Lawalong mela.

Chau, a fascinating tribal dance in Jharkhand | Photo Credit: rajkumar1220 / Wikimedia

Sightseeing around Chatra

If Jharkhand prides itself as the land of forests, Chatra keeps up the reputation! It abounds with waterfalls, thickets and scenic locales where one can enjoy nature’s bounty. The area also has its share of historical legacies. Reformist Raja Ram Mohan Roy, and the Mughals before him, associated with this region. Some places that should be a part of the itinerary are:

Bichkiliya: About 11 kilometres from Chatra, to the west, lies this water reservoir, on the banks of the Niranjana River. A major part of this excursion has to be carried out on foot because of which it is not thronged with tourists and is ideal for those seeking quietude.

Duari: This is the location of a natural hot spring, near the bed of the river Balbal. Duari is a little village adjoining this spot. The locals frequent the spring for its medicinal qualities.  

Khaya Banaroo: A stream from the Banaroo Dah (water body) cuts through rocks, and meanders its way to sylvan forests. The action of the water has caused natural balconies to be carved in stone, in parts deep enough to be called a gorge. The gurgling water, and woods, creates the perfect setting to harmonise with nature.

Maloodah: Here, a 50-foot waterfall beckons the water-babies. Little hillocks fringe the fall. However a two-kilometre trek on foot must be undertaken to reach it. Dumer Sumer and Goa are two other waterfalls near Chatra that tourists are recommended. The later drops 30-feet to form a deep, clear pool at the centre, surrounded by banks of rock. On Mondays during the monsoon, locals make a ritual of taking dips in this pool.  

One of the many scenic delights of Jharkhand

Getting to Chatra requires meticulous prior planning. Koderma station is the nearest railhead. Gaya and Ranchi are the closest airports. Local buses or taxis ferry visitors to and fro.

There are several other cattle fairs being held across the country. Some of the biggest ones include the cattle fairs in Rajasthan in cities like Pushkar and Nagaur. So visit MakeMyTrip.com and plan your trip today!

A Celebration of Indian Dance and Music in Kerala

For ten days every year, the capital of Kerala comes alive with the festivities of the Soorya Classical Music and Dance Festival. Hosted in Thiruvananthapuram in October, this festival is organised by Soorya Stage and Film Society, which is one of the largest cultural societies in the world. With chapters in 36 countries as far flung as Singapore, New Zealand, Germany and Botswana, the organisation aims to promote and achieve the integration of Indian culture throughout the world. With a strong focus on promoting arts of all kinds, the Society also organises film festivals, theatre, painting and lectures that are focused on the promotion of Indian arts and culture.

Of Classical Dance and Music

This celebration of Indian dance presents many forms of the art from around the country including Kathakali, Odissi, Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyatta. Classical music is also another popular feature of the festival and will include renowned musicians from various genres including instrumental and jugal bandhis. 

Kathakali, the enchanting classical Indian dance-drama

Being a celebration of traditional Indian art forms, this festival seeks to expose the audience to a wide variety of beautiful sounds and a brilliant spectacle of joyous dance. Some famous performers who have previously participated in the Soorya Classical Music and Dance Festival include Padma Subramaniam, Lakshmi Gopalaswami, Amjad Ali Khan and Bhimsen Joshi.

One of the most beautiful Indian dance forms, Bharatanatyam

The festival is held in Thiruvananthapuram, at the Tagore Theatre in Vazhuthacaud. For a luxurious place to stay not too far from the venue, you can try the new Vivanta by Taj.  For a more modest budget, the SP Grand Days Hotel is also located nearby and has comfortable rooms available.

Visit the Sacred Serpent

If it is your first visit to Thiruvananthapuram, there are many great things to see, but the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple is not to be missed. This temple is over 260 years old and is the spiritual heart of Kerala. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple has a reclining sacred serpent with Lord Padmanabha resting on it.  The serpent is made from over 10,000 sacred stones that are believed to have been transported to Kerala all the way from Nepal on elephants. The temple is open only to Hindus and you may be required to wear a dhoti or sari to enter, but it is certainly worth a visit.

A view of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple | Photo Credit: Psudeep01 / Wikimedia

Getting There

Thiruvananthapuram is serviced by an international airport located close to the city centre, with connections across India, and to Sri Lanka, the Maldives and countries in the Middle East and. If you are coming by train, there are connections to Thiruvananthapuram from all over India.  Most will stop at the central station at Thampanoor which is a short taxi ride to the theatre. The major bus station is also located in Thampanoor and operates across Kerala.

Want to dance? MakeMyTrip offers convenient flights, trains and buses to Thiruvananthapuram.

Head to Bengaluru for an App-enning Conference

Ever wonder what geeks (and nerds) do for fun? They go to conferences. And I mean this in the most exalted way possible because these conferences are the hotbeds of new progressive ideas from brave innovators coming up with awesome products to make our lives easier. Head to Bengaluru this August and check out the Cartonama Conference, if you don’t believe me. Cartonama is going to give you the insider’s look on exactly how developers use geospatial data and mapping to bring us wicked apps based on ‘location’! Yeah – all those apps that tell you about Thai restaurants located just around the corner, shops selling books on the history of architecture and spas offering great discounts around you...that’s the work of dedicated geeks who went to conferences like Cartonama.

Here’s a list of everything you need to know about this incredible conference:

Venue: Since Cartonama is going to be all about geographic locations and mapping, the first thing you need to know is its ‘where’! Fly in to Bangalore on September 21^st, spend the night at a comfy hotel and head straight to The Energy & Resources Institute on 4^th Main, 2^nd Cross right next to Domlur Club the next morning. That’s the geospatial on Cartonama for you!

Program: The conference is going to be an exciting day filled with some very interesting sessions on map making (these guys go deep!), best practices in dealing with location based data, infrastructure issues in managing geospatial data for apps and data application to business. Speakers like Kristine Gali and Sanjay Bhangar will talk about solution building in real life and Raviteja Dodda will talk about building location based platforms from scratch. Interspersed with these sessions will be real-time demos of things to come and refreshments and coffee breaks.

Post the Geek Speak: For veteran developers and greenhorns in the geospatial apps market, the best thing during the conference will be the 4 workshops hosted by Hasgeek – the event organiser. If you want to get in shape when it comes to training for geospatial data management and building location based services, you couldn’t afford to miss these workshops. Although the conference is on September 22^nd, the workshops will be held from September 23^rd to 25^th. While the main conference will take place at the TERI Complex, make note of the new venue for the workshops – The Center for Internet & Society in Domlur.

Bangalore offers a number of places to see and things to do

Since you’re going to be in Bengaluru – the Geekistan of India, save some energy for an eventful, totally nerdy night out in the city:

- Head to the Xtreme Sports Bar in Indiranagar for some great music, delicious cocktails and an alcohol-fuelled discussion on how to make an app to land a date without ever getting off the couch.

- Plop down for a great meal at the Geeky Dhaba in Whitefield when it finally looks like the app in the previous sentence will never see daylight.

- Already developed the App? Make a beeline for Bengaluru’s most happening place – the Sky Lounge and celebrate.

- Tired of all that speaking at Cartonama during the day time? Let it all out at Opus; they’ve got karaoke!

- Finally, if you are a hardboiled nerd, aim for any of these: Loveshack, Cirrus or The Beach – meet likeminded people, get a few drinks and throw your app idea around.

And don’t wait to come back to town to tell us all about it...we’re on Twitter!

Bangalore’s International Theatre Festival For Kids

It’s quirky, it’s unique, it’s entertaining and educative. And the best part – it welcomes children of all ages from toddlers of 20 months to kids as old as 12 years. AHA! Isn’t that your involuntary response? Ironically this also happens to be the name of one of the most fascinating and novel theatre festivals in the country. The AHA! International Theatre Festival, organised by Rangashankara will be held from July 5 to 13 in Bangalore. With theatre groups from across the world participating in the event, it promises to be a great learning experience for kids, while providing them with a lot of entertainment.

Catch the young actors in action at the AHA! International Theatre Festival. Photo Credit: John Groseclose / wikimedia

All the World’s a Stage

The festival is organised by Rangashankara, an excellent theatre facility in Bangalore, which not only brings international theatre to the city, but also organises workshops. In addition, it produces and commissions unique and innovative theatrical ideas and is committed to spreading theatre culture among the Indian youth. The festival is an annual event and has proved to be quite successful over the past years. One can expect plenty of high quality performances with storylines picked up from local and international legends and tales, mythologies and epics such as the Mahabharata. In the past, children have enjoyed plays from countries such as Germany, Argentina, and Australia besides Indian drama troupes.

Lights, Camera, Drama

While kids can expect a lot of drama, there will be a variety of other related activities to keep participants busy for the ten-odd days. These will include storytelling, theatre workshops, Yakshagana performances, discussions and forums and of course plays. There are usually two performances in a day – one exclusively for children and the other that is open to the general public, held later in the evening. Over the years, this festival has staged a number of interesting plays including Minor Matters, Robinson Crusoe, A King’s Journey, Garbage Mouse, The Stone and Pirates Code. Rangashankara is also open to taking performances to individual schools so as to spread the joys of theatre to as many children as possible.

Interact with the friendly animals at Bannerghata National Park and Zoo. Photo Credit: mynameisharsha / flickr

Bangalore for Kids

While Rangashankara is already associated with nearly 1500 children every month, it isn’t enough for youngsters and their high energy levels. If you’re new to the city or plain wondering what to do with your kid when they’re free, here are five other places in and around Bangalore you can go to together with your children:

1. Cubbon Park – a great experience for kids with its train rides, playgrounds, swings as well as an aquarium close by.

2. Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium – while being a great experience it is also an excellent learning opportunity for kids.

3. Bookstores – such as Oxford and Crossword, which have exclusive sections for children who usually love perusing the wonderful books and educative CDs that are stacked up in plenty.

4. Hippocamus Library – enroll your young ones for summer camps and weekend activities for kids.

5. Bannerghata National Park and Zoo – a great opportunity for kids to view wildlife, including tigers, lions and a butterfly park.

Those heading to Bangalore can easily book flights and hotels on MakeMyTrip.com.

Enjoy Cricket King Size, Only at Mohali

Where would you find the craziness of cricket at its epitome? Perhaps at an exciting IPL T20 match, in a stadium filled with thousands of fans, at a city best known for its association with cricket! The city in question here is Mohali and the stadium is the state of the art Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.

Mohali and the Cricket Connection

The quaint little town of Mohali which is adjacent to Chandigarh has been best known for playing host to many epic matches; domestic, international, one-days, tests and the IPL T20.

The home ground of the IPL team, Kings XI Punjab, the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali is now all set to host some incredibly exciting matches that promise heavy dosage of good cricket and good entertainment. Apart from its home team and its star performers like Adam Gilchrist, Shaun Marsh and David Hussey, Mohali will witness many more cricketing stalwarts in action with seven matches scheduled to be played at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.

For the Love of Cricket

Some travel for love, some travel for work and the cricket buffs travel for what? Cricket, of course! For cricket fans, IPL is like city hopping and no less than an action-packed vacation. Spectators from all over and outside India travel to different cities in the country to catch all the IPL action, live!

Places to Stay

There is no dearth of good accommodation options to suit all budgets in Mohali and also in Chandigarh. Many hotels in Mohali are located close to the stadium.

Aura Vaseela, a three-star country resort is ideal for those looking to relax in a peaceful environment after the matches. It is located about 4.5 kilometres away from Chandigarh and offers a variety of room types including Deluxe, Super Deluxe and Cottages. The hotel also houses a fine dining multi-cuisine restaurant and offers excellent amenities and service. Aura Vaseela is also easily accessible from the cricket stadium.

The sprawling Aura Vaseela Resort

Town’s Pride Hotel is another good option for those seeking budget and deluxe accommodation. The hotel, located in Phase – 9, sector 63, offers good basic amenities and is conveniently located at a walking distance from the cricket stadium.

Hotel Mohali Residency is another popular option among tourists. This hotel is located close to the stadium and offers both budget and deluxe rooms. The hotel also has a barbecue restaurant.

The Barbecue Restaurant at Hotel Mohali Residency

Fans wishing to stay in Chandigarh and driving to Mohali for the matches will be spoilt for choices. From budget hotels to luxury hotels; there are innumerable options for accommodation in this vibrant city.

Partying and Eating Out

Being Punjabi by nature, Mohali and Chandigarh have more than enough options for eating out. In Mohali, most hotels have good restaurants offering delectable north Indian cuisine. There is also a variety of fast food chains in both the towns like Barbeque Nation, Domino’s Pizza, Subway and KFC in addition to several other restaurants serving Indian and international cuisines.

Tourists can enjoy mouthwatering North Indian cuisine in Mohali

While Mohali is abuzz with all the cricketing action, it’s Chandigarh where the party scene is. The city has a bustling nightlife where you can let your hair down after a thrilling day at the IPL T20 match. Some of the hippest joints include Aerizzona, Peddler’s Pub Whisky 111, Lava and many more.

After the match, enjoy the vibrant nightlife of Chandigarh

Reaching Mohali

Mohali is well-connected to other nearby cities by road. It is about 255 kilometres away from Delhi by road and just 10 kilometres from Chandigarh. You can also stop by at one of the many dhabas to enjoy mouthwatering North Indian delicacies. The nearest bus station is the Chandigarh Bus Terminal which is located at a distance of about 8 kilometres from Mohali. The nearest railway station is also in Chandigarh, about 16 kilometres away. If you’re flying in from other parts of the country, your point of entry will be the Chandigarh Airport which is about 15 kilometres away from Mohali.

So if you’re a true-blue fan of Kings XI Punjab, the rising stars, SunRisers Hyderabad, the flamboyant Kolkata Knight Riders or any of the teams who are going to battle it out in Mohali, plan your trip to the city today! Book flights, trains and buses, only on MakeMyTrip.com!

By Tania Seth