Temples of Kerala: Shree Vaidyanatha Temple, Kannur

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 6/17/2013 3:30:00 PM

'After around a 20 minute drive further from Shree Krishna Trichambaram temple, we arrive at the next temple in our temple trail of Kannur in Kerala: The Vaidyanatha temple.Located at Kanhirangad, 6 kms from Taliparamba and revered as one amongst the 108 ancient Shiva temples of Kerala, stepping in the temple is like stepping back in time.A flight of stony stairs running through an unkempt plantation, the simply structured temple looking from over from the top and absence of any sign(...)'

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Temples of Kerala: Trichambaram Shree Krishna Temple, Kannur

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 6/10/2013 3:30:00 PM

'Around 20 km from the town of Kannur in Kerala, 5 kms south of Taliparambu town and a short drive of around 15 minutes from Shree Muthappan Temple, is situated the Trichambaram temple.Entrance to the Trichambaram Temple compoundDescend a fleet of stairs and you are led to the temple compound in the center of which stands the main temple. Dedicated to Lord Shree Krishna in his child avatar, the Trichambaram temple, like majority of temples in Kerala, exudes a high degree of calm and (...)'

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A Sunrise and a 5 Year Wish!

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 6/3/2013 3:30:00 PM

'Have you ever gotten up early to watch the sun rise only to find it hidden behind a misty veil and then waited for it to shine in its entire splendor? If you have, you’d the joy of all those moments and if you haven’t then... you have got to try it out someday. Really. It is something so beautiful; that it never fails to inspire, to leave you in awe.Sunrise in KeralaSo when my fellow blogger friend and an ardent traveler Santosh of Huchchara Santhe asked me for a guest post on compl(...)'

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Temples of Kerala: Shree Muthappan Temple, Kannur

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 5/27/2013 3:30:00 PM

'Resonating true to the nature of Kerala, its Temples too painted a picture of peace and calm. So peaceful were its precincts that there were a few instances when I was discouraged even ringing the bell so that its tranquility could be maintained! Presented in the following series are a few temples we visited while our stay in Kannur. Come along!Shree Muthappan Temple, Parassinikadavu, KannurHighly recommended by our Kannur homestay host, Indu, we started our temple tour of Kerala wi(...)'

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Tuning into God's frequency: Sunset in Kannur, Kerala

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 5/20/2013 3:30:00 PM

'The hurrying sound of the waves is striking, even from a distance. It is the only significant sound I hear in the otherwise quiet retreat. Juggling my steps carefully through a heap of stones, naturally arranged in a haphazard manner, I make my way to the beach of Blue Mermaid home stay in Kerala. As I come down, the undulation, the ups and downs and the definitive roar clearly becomes audible. The melody is quick to charm my attention as is the magnificence of the evening setting s(...)'

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The Joys of a Local Train Ride: Kozhikode to Kannur

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 5/13/2013 3:30:00 PM

'Wisps of wind caressed my face while my eyes remained stuck to the views outside. Palm trees ascended above the choppy blue waters and the traditional houses for most of the part through the journey. Kerala, for me, was rolling its way to glorious beauty in picturesque motion.Accustomed to the madness that local trains of Mumbai offer, I heaved a huge sigh of relief when the local train ride from Kozhikode (Calicut) to Kannur, my destination in Kerala, provided for a complete co(...)'

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Planning, How to reach and Where to stay in Kannur

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 5/9/2013 3:30:00 PM

'The itinerary for our trip to Kannur and Wayanad in Kerala came pre crafted and here’s a part of what it looked like –- 2 nights stay in Wayanad in a bamboo cottage. Breakfast meals + a few activities included.- 2 nights stay in Kannur in a traditional house.- All meals included in Kannur.Keeping our interest and time in mind, we cut down Wayanad from the itinerary and added Tirupati instead.Plans were chalked out accordingly and flight tickets to Kozhikode (the nearest airport to K(...)'

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On a Nature Trail to God's Own Country: Kerala

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 5/6/2013 3:30:00 PM

'27. 03. 2013:Palm trees extend upwards at every stretch, neatly framed against an implausibly blue sky. Soft turquoise-blue waters cut through them, every now and then. As the local train from Calicut to Kannur chugs its way through the humble settlements, the muddy tracks and the tranquil streams... the quaint countryside of the city, the traveler in me peeps out of the window and scans the landscape; the place is a quiet retreat with no trace of chaos or commotion. Keeping in tune(...)'

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'One Picture From My Photo Album' Contest!

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 4/17/2013 2:30:00 PM

'Remember those times when we enjoyed our holidays with a simple film or non-digital camera and stacked all our memories in neatly covered family albums... Special, aren't they? Now is the time to wipe the dust of them, to bring them out of the attic and to savor those lovely memories once again, and in return get pampered with gifts. Here’s how!In the festive season of Gudi Padwa and Ramnavmi, My Yatra Diary together with the kind folks at CupoNation, a publishing website offering a(...)'

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Thirsty Throats and Water Woes of India

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 3/21/2013 1:50:00 PM

'Some 15 years ago, as a small kid I saw my grandfather starting a change. Moved by the plight of the heat stressed and water starved people of our native village, in the desert state of Rajasthan, he installed a water cooler from his pension money and hard earned savings. Closer, in the balcony of our home, he always kept a plate filled with water for the thirsty birds outside, never ever letting it go empty.It is said that the things you see as a child are the ones that carve deep (...)'

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Sayonara, Japan: A final postcard

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 3/15/2013 3:30:00 PM

'It’s been long... almost 1 year since I came back from Japan and close to 7 months since I started blogging all about it. Today, 40 posts later, as I finally get down to drawing the curtains on this virtual journey of ours... there is a feeling of content and happiness but at the same time, there is also a strange feeling of parting that is hard to ignore.The flight of time has done its job and today, I'm back in the busy sprawling metropolis I call my home, yet... a small piece of (...)'

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My Mount Fuji Moment in Japan

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 3/7/2013 4:00:00 PM

'I loved Japan. But did Japan love me too?In the 6 days that went by, Japan floored me. Completely. With it’s beauty, it’s artistry, its originality and it’s way of doing up things. And now the time had come to return back to my country, India.The landscape outside had been consistent for a while with a thick fog of cloud cover underneath - white was all that my eyes could see. All of a sudden, the clouds cleared giving way to an unusual tapering structure protruding out from the den(...)'

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To all my Nara friends ~ With love

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 3/1/2013 4:00:00 PM

'Nara in Japan was a different trip.It was a different world, a small place – with a lot to see and even more to feel. It was about people, people who taught me how to be generous and trusting of strangers. They shared their breads, laughters, joys and stories with us. They allowed us to sleep on their beds while they slept on tatami mats on the floor. They walked miles braving the harsh sun just so that we could have meals of our choice.  They did all that, that made us f(...)'

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Going Vegan: A Vegetarian’s food guide in Japan

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 2/26/2013 3:30:00 PM

'Let me confess upfront, I was a very fussy eater in Japan. A pure vegetarian traveling in a country habitually relying on fish as one of its base ingredients, I had always been skeptical. What raised my doubts further were the incomprehensible Japanese signs and symbols and the unfamiliar smell that emanated from inside the eateries while passing by them.But this is not to say that I starved. Nope, far from it actually. I had my moments with food and I found in them my pleasures too(...)'

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The Temple of the Golden Pavilion or Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto, Japan

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 2/20/2013 3:30:00 PM

'Day 6 in Nara: New Miyako Hotel, A review - Heian Jingu Shrine and Garden - Nanzenji Temple and grounds - Nijo Castle - TEMPLE OF THE GOLDEN PAVILIONWe stood in awe, watching the patch of gold shimmer brightly in the afternoon sun. There was a positive aura emanating from the ancient structure...It felt like we had approached a tremendous power radiating furnace...Guided by the lovely Nara blogger friend stardust (Yoko), we were standing at our final destination of Japan - the groun(...)'

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Nijo Castle in Kyoto, Japan

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 2/12/2013 3:30:00 PM

'Day 6 in Nara: New Miyako Hotel, A review - Heian Jingu Shrine and Garden - Nanzenji Temple and grounds - NIJO CASTLE - Golden Pavilion TempleApart from the many temples and shrines, if there is one castle that you must visit in Kyoto, it's the Nijo castle. A UNESCO world heritage site today, the castle originally dates back to the year 1603 (rebuilt in 1628) when it was built by the infamous Tokugawa shogunate (head of the feudal military government during the Edo period).The main (...)'

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Nanzen-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 2/6/2013 3:30:00 PM

'Day 6 in Nara: New Miyako Hotel, A review - Heian Jingu Shrine and Garden - NANZEN-JI TEMPLE AND GROUNDS - Nijojyo Castle - Golden Pavilion TempleWooded temple buildings peeped out from a cloak of greens...Forested mountains stood guard behind and the clear blue skies looked on.Standing fixed,I moved my eyes and took a panoramic view of the complete scenery,Nature was at it's best here.View from Nanzen-ji terraceThe Nanzen-ji Temple and GroundsWalking further from the gardens of (...)'

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Heian Jingu Shrine and Garden in Kyoto, Japan

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 1/31/2013 3:30:00 PM

'Day 6 in Nara: New Miyako Hotel, A review - HEIAN JINGU SHRINE - Nanzenji temple and grounds - Nijojyo Castle - Golden Pavilion TempleCan you hear the rustling of the leaves?I paused...The lush green leaves swayed gently in the afternoon breeze,Silent and peaceful, yes... that was all that I could hear.Today, was our last day in Japan. After being picked up by stardust, dot at 8 in the morning, we soon set off to tick the first place from our to-see list in Kyoto – The Heian Jingu S(...)'

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Where to Stay in Kyoto: New Miyako Hotel

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 1/28/2013 3:00:00 PM

'Day 6 in Nara: NEW MIYAKO HOTEL, A REVIEW - Heian Jingu Shrine - Nanzenji temple and grounds - Nijojyo Castle - Golden Pavilion TempleEven as our train continued to speed past the scenic countryside and the setting sun burnt the skies with a wipe of dramatic yellow, I found myself admiring the paper snowwhite and Redrose had handed over to me, when we had parted just a few minutes before.Use this to find the way to your hotel in Kyoto...After living every moment that life had rolled(...)'

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A Slice of Ancient Japan: Naramachi

Author : Arti      Blog : My Yatra Diary...      Date : 1/23/2013 4:00:00 PM

'Day 5 in Nara: Deer Park - Todaiji Temple in Nara - Yoshikien Garden - Kofukuji Temple - NARAMACHIOne of the best ways to discover the ancient town of Nara is to walk through the narrow streets of Naramachi - the former merchant district of Nara - that helps you step back in time.Lined with little cafes and stores, old buildings, merchant houses and ancient temples – the streets of Naramachi in Nara are filled with structures that have simply refused to change over the years. These (...)'

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