Marina Beach

Marina Beach :

Marina Beach is a natural urban beach in the city of Chennai, India, along the Bay of Bengal, part of the Indian Ocean . The beach runs from near Fort St. George in the north to Besant Nagar in the south, a distance of 13 km (8.1 mi) , making it the longest natural urban beach in the country and the world's eleventh longest . The Marina is primarily sandy, unlike the short, rocky formations in most of the indian beaches .

The average width of the beach is 300 m (980 ft) and the width at the widest stretch is 437 m (1,434 ft). Bathing and swimming at the Marina Beach are legally prohibited because of the dangers, as the undercurrent is very turbulent. It is the most crowded beach in the country and attracts about 30,000 visitors a day during weekdays and 50,000 visitors a day during the weekends and on holidays . 

The Marina used to be famed for its pristine beauty, jolly ambiance, and rich ecosystems. However, since the middle of the 20th century, the beach and water have become polluted. Proliferation of plastic bags, wastes and other pollutants have rendered many parts of the beach unusable. In recent years, many voluntary organisations have taken up the task of cleaning up the Marina and protecting the ecosystem. Particular efforts include protection of olive ridley turtle nests along the Neelankarai section of the beach .

Marina beach is a major tourist attraction of the city. People visiting Chennai make a point to visit the beach. It is also the main place for the local people to escape from the summer heat .The beach is popular for its shops and food stalls run by about 500 shops run by vendors. The memorials and statues, morning walk, joggers' track, lovers' spot, aquarium, and the like make it a hangout for people of all ages. Kite flying and beach cricket are common sports at the beach . The sea is generally rough and waves are strong. There are fishermen colonies present at both ends of the beach .

Marina beach claims to be the longest natural beach in India but no steps have been taken to retain the charm that it held for visitors. The coast is lined up with plastic bags . Early morning is the best time to visit this beach . One of the longest shore. Though not maintained properly, one of the best places to relax in Chennai after a day long work . Yes Marina is well worth a visit in early morning especially if you are looking for some beautiful sunrise . :) 

Have a safe Journey  . !

Nandi Hills Early Morning Ride

Nandi Hills :

To start off , Let us know the history of Nandi Hills . Nandi Hills is an ancient hill fortress in southern India, in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka state. It is approximately 60 km from the city of Bangalore . The hills are nestled between the neighboring towns of Nandi, Muddenahalli and Kanivenarayanapura . 

There are many stories about the origin of the name Nandi Hills. During the Chola period, Nandi Hills was called Ananda Giri meaning The Hill of Happiness. Nandi is also commonly called Nandidurga (Fort) because of the fort build here by the ruler Tippu Sultan. It is also perhaps called Nandi Hills because the hill resembles a sleeping bull (Nandi).  Another theory holds that the hill gets its name from an ancient, 1300 year old Dravidian style Nandi temple situated on this hill. An ancient, lord Shiva and Parvati temple also adorns this hill. The Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple in Nandi village is one of the oldest temples in Karnataka dating back to the ninth century.  

Nandi Hills offers a surprise of breathtaking scenic beauty and excellent climatic condition. Situated in the Chikkaballapur Taluk of Kolar District in Karnataka, Nandi Hills, at the height of 4851 feet above sea level is, the most popular picnic spot. Tippus Summer Residence also known as Tashk-e-Jannat (Heaven’s Envy) a beautiful palace resembling the Dariya Daulat at Srirangapatna was built in 1791 on top of this hill. The fort covers a huge area of 90 acres and is above 4,851 feet above sea level .

                                       

We started from Bangalore around 4:30 AM and we reached Nandhi hills around 6:00 including pit stops at view points on the way . The plantation and landscape of the place is beautiful. You can walk in Nandhi hills and explore the place and time will pass by. Bamboo lookouts are one beautiful thing of this place, though they are considered abandoned. After a nice 5 hours in nandi , we headed back towards Bangalore

Amrutha Sarovara is a lake formed by the water-lets flowing from the hills. It has clear cooling water with does not dry throughout the year .

Route :
From Bangalore catch airport road , reach Devanahalli cross which is on the Hyderabad highway . Take the deviation on the left and travel  23 kilometers to reach Nandi Hills . 

Timings 
Nandi hills is open from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m . 

Reach there before 5 AM to see the sunrise and to feel the cold. Such a calm and neat place. Best for bike riders for a early morning ride .  Good road with less traffic. You can enjoy the ride . Good place for relaxation but can be experienced on week days only. Weekends would be crowded. Don't carry any eatables with you as monkeys will snatch it from you. Never dare to visit on public holidays as traffic jam there will not let you reach hilltop. Early morning is the idle time to visit. whether you opt for a quick tour from bangalore , Nandhi Hills is well worth for an half day early morning trip . 

Have a safe journey .!! 

Tibetan Monastery

To start off , let us  know the history of the Tibetan Monastery .  The Tibet Camp as locally called is located around 6 kms from Kushalnagar town towards Mysore. This Tibetan settlement at Bailkoppa or Baylkuppe is the the second largest Tibetan settlement outside Tibet. There are over 7,000 monks and students at the Tibetan monastery. After the Chinese took over Tibet, the refugees were settled at Bylkuppe near Kushalnagar and the Buddhist Monastery was re-established here in 1972. It houses over 7,000 monks and students today. The monastery not only attracts large number of young Tibetans seeking enlightenment and education, but also draws huge tourists from all over India and abroad.

Tibetan settlement consists of a number of small camps close to each other, and has a lot of monasteries,  Most famous among them are the large educational institution Sera, the smaller Tashilunpo monastery and Namdroling monastery.

The 40 ft tall golden Buddha statues are the major attractions of Bailkoppa. The statues of Buddha, Padmasambhava, and Amitayus are the notable ones. The walls of the temples and the institutions are decorated with colorful paintings depicting gods and demons from Tibetan Buddhist mythology. The altar is decorated with flowers, candles and incense sticks.

Apart from the calm and peaceful surroundings there are shopping centers near the temples where one can shop for traditional Tibetan items like costumes, statues, carpets, jewelery etc. ( Bit costly worst part of it ) . A truly hidden gem for tourists. This the second biggest Buddhist monastery after Dharamsala. It is absolutely clean . Parking space is large. You must try the Mangoes & ripe jackfruit before you enter the temple.This is one of the must see places if you are in and around Coorg. The temples are beautiful and if you go around the right time ( We visited it around 4:30 PM ) , you can enter some of them, sit & meditate. The feeling is simply incomparable. There is a small shopping complex right outside the temple where you can get stuff at pretty good prices.

There is so much peace at the Tibetian Monastery. Don't feel like walking out soon once you have stepped in. The Buddha statue in gold is so serine & divine.Visit this place and be mesmerised. You will carry loads memories back with you, when you return. You will definitely fall in love with the beautiful temple, the architecture, the silence and the hymns, the paintings, the fragrance, the peace and serenity.This place is around 30km away from kodagu or coorg. If you are in coorg, do not miss this place. There is no entry fees to pay, no scams which you see in major temples. 

Route : Chennai - 348kms-- Bangalore - 270kms-- Coorg ( Madikeri ) 

If you are in Coorg , take the time to visit this Buddhist temple. You do not have to be a Buddhist to appreciate the location of this monastery and its beautiful views of the surrounding area. whether you opt for a quick tour or a weekend course, this Buddhist monastery is well worth a visit .!!!!

Have a safe journey .!!!

Horsley Hills Ride .!!

Horsley Hills Ride :   

                                   To start off , Horsley Hills is a summer hill resort in Andhra Pradesh , about 278 km from Chennai.  Kotha Kota and Madanapalle is the nearest towns .The old name of Horsley Hills was Yenugu Mallamma Konda. According to village belief , there used to be a little girl named Mallamma who was taken care by Elephants. She used to heal the tribal people on the hills. When she disappeared suddenly, people thought that she was a goddess and built a temple for her. 

                                   Horsley Hills is named after a British officer named W.D. Horsley, the Collector of Cuddapah district. He visited this place around 1840-43 and was impressed by the beauty of the hills and chose this spot for his summer residence. Now the Governor of Andhra Pradesh uses this house as a summer residence and hence this house is called the Governors bungalow.The narrow road to Horsely Hills is very scenic. It is surrounded with dense growths of eucalyptus, jacaranda, allamanda and gulmohar tree .

                                  I’ve always wanted to visit Horsley and finally got a chance to catch it up from chennai . We started around 5:00 from chennai in four bikes . It was a lovely early morning ride because of mild breeze . Our first pit stop was after 90 kms @kaveripakkam for tea break . We reached horsley Hills around 10 AM . After having a hard time figuring out where to stay , we finally asked some locals, who were very friendly and helpful and got a room near by . Hills is n’t very crowded, which was nice, and it's having a bar inside which was double nice! 

                                There is nothing much to do at Horsley hills, there are a few view points from where we can view the valley. The climate was good when we visited and it was cold. The haritha hill resort run by Andhra pradesh tourist corporation almost entirely covers the horsley hills.They have a restaurant and bar inside the resort . Basha restaurant is also good but you need to order in advance . MIST and peace in evening will take you to different level. Not much to see but you can just sit, relax relax relax :) and eat.. ! Goood place for one night stay trip 

Route : Chennai - Ranipet - Chitoor - Palamaneer - Madanapalli 

Things to remember : Ensure you carry cash in your hand . Nearest ATM is in Madanapalli which is 26 kms from    Horsley hills . If you are planning to stay overnight , never go there without booking resort in advance . 

Booking Links :

http://aptdc.gov.in/blog/have-a-blissful-holiday-at-haritha-hill-resort-at-horsley-hills/

                                            Have a safe journey .