Interesting Places

How does the perfect school look for a teenager? A school named ‘Last School’ from Auroville was the best school of my life. I was 13 years old when we moved to Tamil Nadu, Auroville. It was already 3rd month of our stay in India. At that time there were holidays, so it was a perfect time to join the…

Many of us have a very idealistic idea of monasteries, thinking of some high things. In fact, everything is much simpler. The monastery is principally a school. But what they study and who teaches in this school is already a question of the quality of education and the matter of every educational institution. What do the monks learn in the…

This place is called Jagannath Puri, or Puri, the land of Jagannatha Essentially, in our tightly defined categories that most often include only the “four major world religions” or simply “our world” and “exoticism” one could conclude that Hinduism prevails in this land as well as in the rest of India. This, however, is a very flattening subject, I would…

An architecture marvel of Eastern India and a symbol of India’s heritage, Konark Sun Temple, commonly known as Konark is situated in the eastern state of Orissa, India and is one of the eminent tourist attractions. Konark houses a massive temple dedicated to the Sun God. The word ‘Konark’ is a combination of two words ‘Kona’ and ‘Arka’. ‘Kona’ means ‘Corner’…

The followers of Shiva and the Buddhists are one undivided community in Nepal, freely borrowing from their neighbors to their pantheon of sacred characters. Thus, everyone is taking refuge from Bhairava. Two great stupas, Boudanath and Swayambunath are sacred places not only for Buddhists. The sanctity of Pashupatinath is irrefutable, and the living goddess Kumari – worshiped by the Newari people – is…

Visva Bharati University is a school located in Santiniketan, West Bengal. It was founded by Rabindranath Tagore who called it Visva-Bharati, which means the communion of the world with India. The University provides all kind of education. As well as Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary education. The University provides hostels, cafeteria, hospital, libraries and good quality Wi-Fi. The university has two guest houses: Ratan Palli and…

The North East end of West Bengal covers the corridor leading to several Indian states in the Bramhaputra river basin. There is a Siliguri – a city which is a transport hub for traveling to all the neighboring countries – Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and also to the Eight Sisters – 8 eastern states of India. They include – Sikkim,…

Orissa is situated on the coast along the Bay of Bengal. Odisha is an ancient region with many ornaments. It is full of beaches, rivers, mighty waterfalls, forests, hills and rich wild life. You will find in Orissa ancient temples, historic monuments as well as pieces of modern engineering feat. History In its long history spanning more than just the present millennium, the region of modern Orissa…

Ratna Park is one of the oldest park in Kathmandu. It is situated in central Kathmandu, Nepal. It is not far from the tourist center, Tamel. It is situated between Rani Pokhari – holy reservoir – and Tudikhel – big area used mainly for organization of Nepal Army events. The name of the park comes after the Queen Ratna, the second queen of King Mahendra. Kathmandu Metropolitan…

The highest peak of the Annapurna massif is 8091 m.n.p.m. and is the tenth eight-thousander in number. For climbers, climbing this mountain is one of the most dangerous approaches in the world. “Annapurna” in Sanskrit means “filled with food.” The name also translates as “harvest keeper” – Shiva worshipers worship her as a guarantee of prosperity presenting with a gold…

From an air view, the Bauddhanath stupa looks like a giant mandala … means – diagram of Buddhist cosmology. Four Buddhas set the main directions of the world, the fifth – Vairochana – sits in the middle. These five Buddhas also embody the five elements – earth, water, fire, air and ether – represented in the elements of the stupa….

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche – one of the most amazing masters of modern Buddhist teachings. He was born in 1910 in eastern Tibet, in a family holding the legacy of the great Tibetan king Trisong Detsen responsible for spreading the Dharma teachings in the ninth century. When Dilgo Khyentse was still in the womb, he was considered a tulku by the…

It is a big city, megacity. Also called Calcutta (the official name until 2001). It is the capital city of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River (Ganges), it is the cultural, and educational center of East India, while the Port of Kolkata is India’s oldest operating port. Kolkata is the third most populous metropolitan area in India.  From my…

Province No. 1, is one of the provinces established by the new constitution of Nepal which was adopted on 20 September 2015. It is the most eastern region of Nepal which can be called Limbuwan, Kirata Kingdom, or Eastern Development Region. According to Census 2011, there are around 4.5 million people in the province, with a population density of 175.6…

Muktinath is situated at an altitude of 3,710 meters (12,172 feet) at the base of the Thorong La mountain pass in the Mustang district, Muktinath is a highly venerated sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhists. Hindus call the site Mukti Kshetra, which literally means the “place of salvation” and it is one of the most ancient temples of the…

Lumbini is a city situated in south Nepal. It is a place of buddhist cult believed to be a birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama. Lumbini was made a World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 1997. Gautama was a son of Queen Mayadevi, born in 563 BCE. When he achieved Enlightenment some time around 528 BCE, became the Buddha and founded Buddhism. In Lumbini there are many temples, monasteries and monuments….

Can you make an Indian visa in Khulna, Bangladesh? While traveling from the borders of India to Bangladesh we went by bus to Khulna paying 150 Taka (1.77$) for one place. To Khulna We arrived on the 15th in the evening, and our aim was Jalico Hotel. We paid for a rickshaw 100 Taka but he didn’t know where the…

When we got to Kolkata 9th of September we had to find a hotel near the Deputy High Commission Of Bangladesh. By Kolkata’s yellow taxi we drove near the place and left the bags to look for a hotel. Kolkata We found a small hotel nearby, called Bengal Hotel. It is located on Circus Avenue surrounded by mosques. We rented…

Orissa, otherwise Odisha is unexpectedly a bit different piece of India … though like the same. So we are sitting in a land where Jagannath exists. We got to a seaside hotel, where the eternal sound of waves soothes all children to sleep. In search of a larger apartment for our six, we made a trip to the countryside in the Orissa…

We left our nice Guest House and till departure we had a whole day. Leaving backpacks at the station Cloak Room (15 rs for 1 luggage for 24 hours, it is required to have a padlock for the backpack) we went for a walk around the Varanasi Junction railway station. Among the ghats of Ganges, the closest to the station…

This time we are visiting Varanashi – the city of light. Althought we don’t go around much, we had made some pictures.

In order to know the prices of cakes… We did a small round around the region, in Bauda, Kathmandu. In the end, we chose the nearby High Himalaya Bakery: High Himalaya Bakery Ramhiti, Boudha, Kathmandu Which price list – standard in Kathmandu – I present below: small chocolate cake 500 grams – 550 rs medium chocolate cake 750 grams –…

The way The price for a taxi from Thamel to Boudanath is around 300 – 400 Nepalese rupees. To get to Boudanath by public transport, go to the stop called Ratna Park – every Nepalese passerby will show you the way – and there (crossing the walking pedestrian going from Thamel or Ason Market) ask the drivers about Baudha. A…

The Boudhanath stupa is located about 7 km northeast of Thamel – Kathmandu city center, near the ancient trade route leading from Tibet. The stupa is 44 meters high, the stupa dome is about 7 meters in diameter. The area of the stupa is approximately 6,756 square meters. Bauddhanath is one of the largest and most significant Buddhist objects in…

17th February we went on a walk to Kopan Monastery. From our house, it looks like on the other side of a city. We asked the owner of our flat, how many kilometers were between us and the Monastery. He told us that only 2 kilometers, we were quite surprised, as you can imagine. It so happened that the day we…

While we wandered around, on the hill, our father called us to see something great. We went to see what he was looking at and on the edge of a hill was a barrier, behind which we could see something magnificent. We didn’t know what it was but it was very, taking the breath. There was a river and small stupas…

11th February 2018 Today while walking through the city we sow stairs leading up to the hill and we didn’t expect what we were going to see. Today started as usual. I woke up, made exercises, ate breakfast while talking with mom in between. When sisters woke up we served them breakfast and took care of morning washing teeth. In…

I think, that you, dear reader, naturally raised the question of what the photo has in common with the title. I am going to explain. This photo was taken in the center of Kathmandu in the Tamel region at one of the many temples. I sat down at the temple sadhu (holy man) and we took a picture together. He is so…

Big, comfortable flat with two rooms in one of the most beautiful places in Goa. Maria A. Fernandes Kajumol Cola Canacona Goa India mobile: +91 9923894870 Maria offers many nice rooms and one well equipped flat. Each room has a big bed, kitchen, and a bathroom. The flat has two nice middle-sized rooms with wardrobe, beds, and a table. It has a kitchen, bathroom,…

Our target station in Kerala – Ernakulam After three days of sitting we were packed and ready for our destination point. We asked Hindu travelers if it is Ernakulam, wanting to finally see our promised land. Ernakulam Town station mysteriously came up so we decided to get out… The new land welcomed us with a clean platform on the clean station…

I haven’t seen city but I have been on railway station… Outside in the opposite there are mostly hotels that are often very busy. On the road there are also some shops and stands with sugarcane and orange juice. The town has its own university, astronomical observatory, some pretty Islamic architecture, numerous – sometimes very nice – Hindu temples. In…

Chinese cuisine is characterized by exceptional originality and extraordinary care in prepared dishes. Contrary to appearances, it offers a wide range of ordinary, well-known dishes, so you can easily find something for yourself. Often the menu that we are presented with includes pictures of the food being prepared, which will make it much easier for us to choose. I recommend…

A peaceful place where you can rest from noisy streets of big city. Open from 9 am to 10 am whole week. Tridevi Sadak, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal Mobile Number: +977 1-4425340 Waiting for our Indian visas, we decided to catch up on Kathmandu’s tourist offers while finding a nice place where we could let our feet rest. We were most tempted…

Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal. The most tourist place is called Thamel, it’s in the center of Kathmandu and everyone knows where it is. There are many shops with handmade clothes and organic clothes. Many restaurants with all kinds of tastes. The best place I have eaten there was a Chinese Restaurant It’s really great and tasty. You can…

Having arrived in Kathmandu we decided to enjoy ourselves a little bit together with the children – after all, we are in the capital … Other offers We were thinking of a traditional European amusement park. Such places are also available in the city center – such as the popular Garden of Dreams in the center of Kathmandu or Ratna…

It’s a Village on top of the hill. It’s quiet and peaceful… People have small farms with chickens. And fields with corn, rice and pumpkins. Sometimes also potato and tomato in small quality. I think that the population here is about 100 people. I’m not sure. The village isn’t big but it have few hotels and Guest Houses. There is only…

For the change we decided to move on the hill… The place is called Metlang, it’s on one of the hills next to Sarankot. Just above the Pheva Lake which makes a really great view. On one side we can see surrounding us city and on opposite side we can see an amazing view of one of the highest mountains in…

We are the second time in Bodhgaya and still have not visited the magnificent Mahabodhi temple. So we had to catch up… The Mahabohi temple was built in the third century BC. By the great ruler Asioka to commemorate the event, which was the realization of enlightenment by the Buddha Shakyamuni in this place. It was set exactly on the…

We live in a hotel called Sunrise Hotel… Where we got to know the owner of the hotel and his big family. The hotel is situated in the village called Bhedetar which is on one of the mountains next to the city Dharan. This place is very beautiful. You can see roads spreading around hills like ribbons. And the sunset…

The Great Banyan Tree is located in Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, near Kolkata. The great banyan tree draws more visitors to the garden than its collection of exotic plants from five continents. Its main trunk became diseased after it was struck by two cyclones, so in 1925 the  main trunk of the tree was amputated to keep…

The Indian Museum is the largest and oldest museum in India. It has rare collections of antiques, armor, ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies, and Mughal paintings. It was founded by the Asiatic Society of Bengal in Kolkata, in 1814. The founder curator was Nathaniel Wallich, a Danish botanist. It has six sections comprising thirty-five galleries of cultural and scientific artifacts namely…

The Victoria Memorial Is a large marble building in Kolkata… Which was built between 1906 and 1921. It is dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria (1819–1901) and is now a museum. It has a big, full of flower garden around the building and it is beautifully made from inside and outside. The construction has got some motives of the Taj…

12th of February, Sunday Today we had to wake up early because of so many things to see. This time we had to go alone without our friends. We ate breakfast and were seated in a taxi. The first stop was the big Indian Museum. It was big and impressive. Almost half of the museum was renovated. But it didn’t…

11th of February, Saturday The next day we woke up, we decided to visit the Castle of Queen Victoria. We ate a very western breakfast and then seated in a taxi which on my order went to the metro. After 15 minutes of driving, we stepped out next to the entrance of the metro. This was my first time riding…

We took a train to Kolkata Our friends, owners of the house we were renting, invited us to their house in Kolkata for just a few days. I was the most excited one so I took the planning on myself. We decided, with the owners, that we will come on Friday and leave on Sunday. To know what to see…

One day we wanted to see what is behind our house. There was a park with very unique trees.  Called Shorea robusta. It grows only in area from Myanmar in the east to Nepal, India and Bangladesh. For me, a park made of these trees looked strange and weird. When you come into a forest like that you can start to feel like an ant. So…

1st of May 2015, Friday Sadhana Forest is a part of Auroville which is an ecological experiment. Everyone wakes up early in the morning. Who doesn’t feel cold at 6am, takes a shower in an ecological system, saving water. Morning gymnastics for sleepy youth and then we are getting divided into groups. One group takes care of the forest, plants…

30th April 2015, Thursday The time has come to choose the region of India, where we want to spend the rest of our remaining six-month visa… and maybe more…. The choice fell on Auroville, an international city founded by Mother – The Mother – along with Sri Aurobindo. We wondered for some time and we thought it might be something for us….

A place in West Bengal, Santiniketan. We found this place while on a walk around our house… This is a really interesting museum with statues made of wood. Each of them has a description and a title. It depends mostly on the author’s imagination. I can’t say much about them but you can see some of them here:

One day I went with my mom to see Deer Park. What a surprise was when it turned out to be not a Deer Park but a Park with some birds only. Our journey started early in the morning. We agreed to go out at 6-7am. But because it is almost impossible for me to wake up so early I…

22nd of April 2015, Wednesday When we got bored with the big city we took the bus and went to the town called Margao. Between 4.00pm and 7.00pm, we were still passing Mumbai streets. The Sleeper Class in our bus offered us some comfort all night and at 8.00 in the morning we reached Goa state. Twenty minutes by rickshaw…