UNCHARTED NATURE GETAWAYS OF INDIA
There are quite a few vacation spots in India beyond the usual Taj Mahal or Royal Palaces or Goa beaches, whose natural beauty is still intact, undisturbed by the flux of tourists. And what better way to detox your mind and spirit, then to spend time in tranquil nature. There is no more rewarding feeling than being among the first few to reach and explore a destination that others haven’t yet had the pleasure of experiencing. Here we take an India tour to the lesser-known destinations across the four zones, worth the visit. Chopta Uttarakhand - A Mini Switzerland What you can explore here is the Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary located in Uttarakhand state. Chopta is also a base for trekking to Tungnath, the third temple of Panch Kedar which lies 3.5 kilometres away. Chopta is also the epicentre of the Panch Kedar – the five most sacred Shiva temples in the state which are Kedarnath and Madmaheshwar shrines, Rudranath and Kalpeshwar, and the Tungnath temple. The other place you can explore here is Hopta is an all-year holiday destination. Chopta has been declared as an important bird-watching site by national and international conservation and biodiversity organisations. It is a birding paradise with over 240 species of bird including native and migratory species like Himalayan monal, Himalayan swiftlet, Himalayan griffon, scarlet finch, hill partridge, and so on. Nearby places like Dugalbitta, Mandal village, Makkumath and the Tungnath trek route are the best sites for watching our feathered friends. Ideal time to visit Chopta is from November to May. Qila Raipur Ludhiana - Hosts Rural Olympics The Qila Raipur Sports Festival started in 1933 in Punjab by a philanthropist named Inder Singh Grewal who thought about bringing farmers from the surrounding areas for an annual meet to test their corporal endurance. It was this step that gave him the idea for such an event and that’s how the Kila Raipur Sports Festival was born. And now, this sports festival has become an international event after so many years. Held in February every year, many people come to see this event for various reasons, and one such reason is to witness the special breeds of bullocks, camels, dogs, and many other animals. Kabaddi remains one of the major attractions for sports lovers and owing to its popularity, this sport has also made its place in Asian Games. Kite Flying is another interesting part of the Kila Raipur Festival. Sikh Martial Arts Sikh mock fighting and is one way to keep the old heritage alive in these modern times. Tirthan Valley Himachal Pradesh - View Snow-Capped Himalayas Tirthan Valley, a hidden gem in Himachal Pradesh is not commercialised and locals are happy keeping it sustainable. Tirthan River is the only river in Himachal Pradesh whose flow remains unobstructed by any dam and is the only river in India which breeds rainbow trouts. The exotic valley has some exotic bird species such as paradise flycatcher, red capped white start, Himalayan Griffon, verditer flycatcher, hundreds of red billed blue Magpies and Himalayan bulbuls, black bulbuls, drongo, tits, etc. In the Tirthan Valley Jalori pass is famous for magnificent views of the snow-capped Himalayas. Once you are at Jalori pass, you can take a small easy hike to Serolsar Lake. The lake is of religious value to the locals. The lake remains frozen in winters. River crossing in the Tirthan Valley is an adventure sport for people who are looking for some adrenaline rush in the quiet valley. Serloskar Lake, has clear water which remains so despite of several leaves falling in to it. The Great Himalayan National Park is a major attraction and home to Deodar and Oak trees which permits for the core zone of the park. Damro Arunachal Pradesh - Bamboo Bridge Adventure Despite having a small population of just under 500 living in 78 houses, it stands out for being the base for the longest bridge in Arunachal Pradesh. It is made of ropes and bamboos and lake has the longest hanging bridge over the river Yamne. This 1,000 ft long suspension bridge is used by the tribals to reach the other end of the bridge for their daily activities. You can take a hike up to the Damro bridge or trek down the famous routes at Pasighat and Yingkiong. Known as the original village of the Adi Padam Tribe a lot of travellers are keen to experience their age-old customs, and watch ‘Mithun’, a domesticated form of the Indian Bison, Gaur. Apart from observing the locals go about their daily harvesting activities, you can also try a hand at fishing with the locals. The months of October-April are the best time to visit Damro, however one can visit it anytime during the year as well. Mawlynnong Meghalaya - Asia’s Cleanest Village Mawlynnong is a village in the East Khasi Hills district of the Meghalaya state in North East India. Mawlynnong is mainly inhabited by Khasi tribe, the famous tribe which has left behind the patriarchal rule of the society. One of the most famous icons of Meghalaya is found here – the Nohwet Living Root Bridge created by weaving the roots of the Ficus Elastica tree around a framework and continuing this process for generations. These living root bridges are a staple of Khasi traditional architecture. The Living Root Bridges in Mawlynnong have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hanging on a river, the bridges are made by connecting the aerial roots of one massive rubber tree with another. The living root bridge of Nohwet is not the only main attraction here but also a century old Church of European Architecture in Mawlynnong which is more than a century old. Sky View is a vantage point and a popular attraction of Mawlynnong Village. This viewing tower is 85 feet high and is made of bamboo. The best time to visit Mawlynnong, Meghalaya is monsoon. During the rainy season, village and its surroundings become lush green and thus turn absolutely picturesque. Patan Gujarat - Ancient Capital Of Gujarat Two famous architectural monuments have gained the status of national monuments. One of them is Sahastralinga tank and other one is Rani ki vav stepwell. Rani ki vav is an intricately constructed stepwell. It is located on the banks of now extinct Saraswati River. Rani ki vav was built as a memorial to an 11th-century AD king Bhimdev for his queen Rani Udaymati. It was added to the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Another historical monument of the Patan is Sahastralinga Tank or Sahasralinga Talav is a medieval artificial water tank was commissioned during Chaulukya (Solanki) rule. Hemchandrachary Library, Jain Temples and Kalika Mataji Temple of King Siddhraj Jaisinh are imporatant places in Patan. Salvivad, a place where Patolas are woven along with places where traditional clay toys are made are worth visiting. Lonar Maharashtra - World’s Oldest Meteoric Crater Lonar Lake gained enormous popularity beyond the boundaries of the country for it turned pink a few years back due to the saturation activity of Haloarchaea microbes. It is an astrobleme created by a meteorite impact during the Pleistocene Epoch and the only major hoverback in the basalt rock where water is alkaline. There are temples around 1250 years ago. Lonar Lake has a mean diameter of 1.2 kilometres (3,900 ft) and is about 137 metres (449 ft) below the crater rim. The meteor crater rim is about 1.8 kilometres (5,900 ft) in diameter. In 2022, the government of Maharashtra began plans to develop the site as a tourist attraction. Blue Pond Ranchi - Manmade Mine With Blue Water One of the best-unexplored tourist places in Jharkhand. It is situated in Balsiring in Ranchi near Ringrode. Pond is a man-made small mine whose water is quite blue. After extracting the mineral stones from this mine, the water was deposited on the stones below, which appears to be blue in colour. It is quite deep around more than 150 feet. This pond is become a new sensation in the region. It was created by some anthropogenic activities during construction. It is not a natural pond but it looks like natural and very beautiful. In the monsoon season or rainy season, it is filled with water and takes shape of a pond. Pollachi Coimbatore - A Unique Southern Experience Pollachi town, located between the plains of Coimbatore and the slopes of the Anamalai Hills, is an ideal location to seek a unique southern experience. Located about 40 km (25 mi) to the south of Coimbatore, it is the second largest town in the district after Coimbatore. The ancient name for Pollachi was 'Pozhil Vaitchi' meaning 'the land of natural wealth and prosperity in Tamil. Since ancient times, the Pollachi market called by the name of 'Pollachi Sandhai' has been considered as a prosperous bazaar that combines great natural wealth. The town markets are always alive with cattle, traders, and vegetables but jaggery dominates as Pollachi remains the biggest market in Asia for Jaggery production. The picturesque town has become a favourite spot among film-makers with over 1500 movies being shot here in the past few years. The best time to visit Pollachi is from December to February and in the monsoon season. Maravanthe Beach Udupi - Combination Of Sea And River Maravanthe beach in Kundapura, is a uniquely positioned beach in Coastal Karnataka with Arabian Sea on one side and Souparnika River on the other. Maravanthe wears the look of a fairyland with the picturesque Kodachadri Hills forming a backdrop to the Sauparnika River on one side and unspoilt white sand on the other. The golden sand, clear blue sky, swaying palm trees, and the endless shore makes Maravanthe an attractive tourist destination. Some major tourist attractions in and around the beach are Baindur, a hamlet 45 km from Maravanthe with a lovely beach. Ottinane with its overhanging cliffs and the Belaka Theertha Falls. Water sports at Maravanthe Beach are famous and one of the favourite activities among visitors. A recently constructed bridge across Souparnika River connects Maravanthe to the village of Padukone, birth place of popular badminton star Prakash Padukone and Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone. Devtamura Tripura - Rock Cut Temples It is a hill range in South Tripura district of Tripura famous for its archaeological site of rock sculptures, a panel of carved images on the bank of Gomati River dating back to 15th and 16th century AD when influence of Buddhism wanned in India. It is popular amongst the devotees for there are a lot of hills here which are wonderfully carved with images known as Chabimura. Chabimura, the archaeological site at Devtamura, dates to the 15th or 16th century includes colossal carvings of the image of Devi Chakrakma. There are in all 37 rock cut images. The purpose of the carvings, and the artists who carved them are unknown. The statues are carved on the steep sloping rock exposures of the Kalajhari Hills which drains into the Gomti River. There are in all 37 rock cut images which also include images of Ganesha, Kartikeya, Mahishasuramardini, Durga and many others. Each year in mid-January, a fair occurs at the third terrace from the top of the falls, at a time when local tribal members take a holy bath in Gomati River. Araku Valley Andhra Pradesh - Valley Of Rarest Flowers Araku Valley in Alluri Sitharama Raju district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, lying 111 km west of Visakhapatnam city is inhabited by different tribes, mainly Araku Tribes. Araku is also known for its coffee plantations and boasts of manufacturing India’s first tribal growers’ organic coffee brand. Another major attraction of Araku valley, is Padmapuram Gardens where hanging cottages are one of the top attractions. Majority of the travellers and locals prefer visiting Araku Valley during winters which is from the months of December to February. For trekking, caving, and sightseeing in Araku Valley September to May happens to be the best time to visit this paradise. Remnants of 17th century British and Dutch settlements can be seen here, including a fort and cemetery. A small region of meadows and evergreen forests in the Garhwal Himalayas popularly known as mini-Switzerland is an all-year holiday destination with pleasant in summers, rain-fresh in monsoon and a snow-clad fairyland in winter. Qila Raipur a noted village of Ludhiana district in Punjab hosts the annual Qila Raipur Sports Festival, also known as rural Olympics. In the Tirthan Valley, Jalori pass is famous for magnificent views of the snow-capped Himalayas and Serolsar Lake that is of religious value to the locals. Known as the original village of the Adi Padam Tribe, Damro has ropes and bamboo 1,000 ft long suspension bridge and domesticated form of the Indian Bison, Gaur. Mawlynnong proves that women empowerment and 100 percent literacy rate, both are achievable. It is famously known for its cleanliness and also as Asia's cleanest village. Famous for its intricate sculptures and Patola Sari, Patan contains many Hindu & Jain temples as well as mosques, dargahs & rojas. Lonar known to be the world’s oldest meteoric crater, formed in basalt rock is a national geo-heritage site in Maharashtra popular for its saline and alkaline water crater lake about 1.2 km in diameter. The water present in the pond is completely blue and the surroundings are covered by rocks and greens. Coconut farms, tea estates, and pastures tucked within the lush greenery of Tamil Nadu's ‘coconut capital’ dot the area's undulating natural environment. Pollachi is a popular Marketplace for jaggery, vegetables and cattle. This unique combination of sea and river on each side of a highway is to be the only one in India. Devtamura is popular amongst the devotees for there are a lot of hills here which are wonderfully carved with images known as Chabimura. One of the most significant parts of Araku Valley is the rarest flowers and trees at Padmapuram Botanical Garden that are hard to find anywhere else.
Tags : nature getaways India remote islands deserts jungles destinations holiday seasons Taj Mahal Royal Palaces Chopta Uttarakhand A Mini Switzerland Qila Raipur Ludhiana Tirthan Valley Himachal Pradesh Damro Arunachal Pradesh