Teaching and researching religions, languages, literatures, films, and ecology of India: http://philosophy.unt.edu/people/faculty/pankaj-jain

Thursday, December 13, 2012

https://www.google.com/fusiontables/embedviz?viz=GVIZ&t=TABLE&containerId=gviz_canvas&q=select+col0%2C+col2+from+1ipW1R8PPP_cOWtesNJRSNClzzgGcTjgEs-KlF9Q

Sunday, December 2, 2012

India from my eyes and taste-buds, straight from my heart!



Many of my friends wonder how I can romanticize India so much. Here are my concrete suggestions and recommendations. Just few glimpses from my recent and past trips:
New Delhi, Agra - Akshardham Mandir, Humayun ka Maqbara, Taj Mahal at Agra, eating at Bukhara at ITC Maurya Hotel (one huge naan and everybody shares it without any knife, fork, or spoon, only aprons to cover your clothes!).

Chandigarh - The Rock Garden and all the museums

Almora - Visiting the Sun Temple and the Dandeshwar Temple (Jageshwar).

Badrinath and Joshimath - Visiting the temples and Shankaracharya Math. Food at Sardeswari and Auli-D respectively.

Haldwani - Food at Jayaka Restaurant, near Kathgodam train station.

Dehradun - Visiting HESCO, the temples (Lakha Mandal, Sahasradhara, Tapkeshwar, and Tapovan), Ram Rai Gurudwara, FRI, and the Doon School. Food at Tirupati Restaurant.
Gangotri - Stay at Harsil Tourist Rest House.

Shimla - The Mall Road, Tatta Pani, Kufri, Naldehra golf course, Jakhu Hanumanji, HP govt's tourist restaurants.

Jaipur - Food at the LMB Hotel (traditional Rajasthani Thaali), movie at the Rajmandir Cinema Hall (Asia's finest), visiting Amer Fort.

Jodhpur - Visiting Umaid Bhawan Palace and Mehrangarh Fort, food at Jodhpur Coffee House. Maawe ki Kachori and Pyaaz ki Kachori.

Pali - Darshan at Ranakpur Jain Temple.

Udaipur - Visiting Sajjangarh Fort, Citi Palace, Haldi Ghati, Kumbhalgarh. Food at Apni Dhani (a traditional Rajasthani resort), Sankalp (South India dishes), Nataraj (Rajasthani, Gujarati Thaali).

Chittorgarh - Visiting the fort and the museum, food at Nandan Palace.

Mount Abu - Darshan at Dilwara Jain Temple, boating at Nakki Jheel

Varanasi, Sarnath - Darshan of Kashi Vishwanath, visiting Buddhist sites at Sarnath, staying at Rashmi Guest House with a view of Ganga, food at Kashi Chaat House (Chaat originated in UP, then moved to Mumbai, Gujarat etc)

Prayag Allahabad - Visiting the Triveni Sangam, Anand Bhawan, and Chandrashekhar Azad
Park, eating at Heera Halwai (Gulab Jamun, Samosa)

Kolkata - Darshan at the Belur Math temple and Dakshineshwar Temple, visiting Shanti Niketan

Mumbai - Food at Saffron at JW Marriott Hotel near Juhu, visiting Elephanta and other Hindu, Buddhist caves http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Caves_around_Mumbai

Pune - Food at Shabri Restaurant (traditional Marathi Thaali)

Bangalore, Mysore - Food at Kamat Lokaruchi Restaurant (served on Banana Leaves), visiting Mysore Palace, Vrindavan Gardens, Chamundi Hills

Goa - The Leela Beach

Kerala - Taj tour to visit Cochin, Periyar, Thekkady, Kumarakom, Varkala, Trivendrum

Tamilnadu - Kanyakumari, Mahabalipuram, Rameswaram

Pondicherry - Auroville

Still Unfulfilled Dreams:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansarovar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarnath_Temple
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puri
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarka
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagar_Island (Ganga meets Bay of Bengal here)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamakhya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajanta_Caves
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khajuraho
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konark
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srinagar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Temple
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawapuri
Sikkim, North-Eastern States, Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep Islands






FEEDJIT Live Traffic Map

पंकज जॆन

पंकज जॆन

BlogCatalog