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S Balakrishnan's Travellog
A series by S Balakrishnan

  • The Taj Mahal that bans Lovers !
    ' at the mini Taj replica in Thiruvarur Town in Tamil Nadu ..... '
  • Election Duty
    ' found the election duty exciting; keeping in touch with our Headquarters in New Delhi ..... '
  • The Drummer from Odisha
    ' a beautiful replica of such a lady drummer statue in the Sun Temple ..... '
  • Water, water everywhere ...
    ' Fresh water is indeed liquid gold that every drop counts ..... '
  • Valiant Women
    ' women springing up from stone images to valiantly fight against elephants ..... '
  • Feathers of different birds flock together!
    ' my quirky collections is a set of feathers that I have been collecting since my childhood ..... '
  • Gandhiji's Three Monkeys
    ' it was a gift from a Japanese monk named Nishidatsu Fuji ..... '
  • Arjun Tapas - A classic tourist attraction
    ' The Seven Pagodas, the 7th century monuments in Mahabalipuram (60 kms south of Chennai) ..... '
  • The conflict between Animal & Human Welfare
    ' this conflict is raging in our cities and towns ..... '
  • Hanuman
    ' The Hanuman temple in Namakkal is perhaps one of oldest temples (5th century) ..... '
  • Ramanujan, the Maths Wizard
    ' 22 December is National Mathematics Day ..... '
  • Managing Michaung
    ' The Michaung (pronounced Migjaum) Cyclone was playing truant with Chennai for about a week..... '
  • Naval Chronicles from the Past
    ' Exactly 100 years back, a welfare fund was created for the men of Indian army & marine force.... '
  • Mirik Memories
    ' Mirik is almost equidistance from the Darjeeling Hills & the Siliguri Plains .... '
  • Volcanoes of India
    ' isolated standalone volcanic islands situated in Andaman Sea .... '
  • A book & a story for the kids
    ' The book - A picture storybook that enchanted me as a kid continues to mesmerize .... '
  • The Sentinelese, World's Lonely Tribe
    ' As one sails from Chennai to Port Blair, the first landmass one comes across is North Sentinel Island .... '
  • Kolkata, the Roshogolla City
    ' Kolkata for me is Roshogolla City; not City of Joy nor City of Hope but City of Roshogolla! .... '
  • Maa Durga !
    ' The Navarathri (Nine Night) festival, as Durga Puja is known in South India .... '
  • A misty meeting with a Governor
    ' His Excellency the Governor of Sikkim, Shri T.V. Rajeswar! .... '
  • A post from the past
    ' A humble postcard from the past had caused all that excitement .... '
  • Lal Bahadur Shastri - Some Highlights
    ' 2nd Oct. 2023 – Lal Bahadur Shastri's 119th birth anniversary .... '
  • Marina by Night
    ' Marina Beach and Madras City are inseparable .... '
  • Two Murals from Two Corners
    'darshan of two murals of Ganapathi (in Keralam) & Tsog gi dag po or Mar po ( in Tibetan Buddhism in Sikkim) .... '
  • Elephants in a Seed
    'I am the proud owner of elephants within a seed .... '
  • Krishna Leela
    'As I was approaching the Shri Guruvayur Temple '
  • Onam Fever
    S Balakrishnan- ' August 29 - Onam Festival of Kerala ....'
  • Clicking the first roll
    S Balakrishnan- ' 19th August 2023 - World Photo(graphy) Day ....'
  • The 'Uppu' (Salt) Satyagraham by Rajaji, 1930
    S Balakrishnan- ' it was Vedaranyam march by Rajaji on the eastern coast to break the Salt Law ....'
  • The Tribes of Odisha
    S Balakrishnan- ' August 9 is International Day of the World's Indigenous People ....'
  • The Crow (that demands biscuits)
    S Balakrishnan- ' We have a routine visitor - a black crow that demands biscuits! ....'
  • Japan captures the Andamans!
    S Balakrishnan- ' March 23 1942 - a different 'sun' rose over the horizon of the Andaman ....'
  • A jolly intro to Tamil Nadu
    S Balakrishnan- ' Tamil Nadu is both modern and traditional ....'
  • Cuttack Days
    S Balakrishnan- ' Life in Cuttack 40 years ago in 1983 was simple ....'
  • Camp @ Gudalur
    S Balakrishnan- ' hilly District in Tamil Nadu is also named after the mountains as The Nilgiris District ....'
  • Sun Temple, floodlit
    S Balakrishnan- ' the Sun Temple at Konark in Kalinga of the yore (Orissa)....'
  • Jagannath mural in a T.N. Temple!
    S Balakrishnan- ' Kanchipuram (some 70 kms from Chennai) is a holy city with hundreds of temples ....'
  • Viper Island, the precursor to Cellular Jail
    S Balakrishnan- ' Viper Island is a tiny, puny island in South Andamans ....'
  • Stone (age) implements
    S Balakrishnan- ' The batter for idly and dosa is a combination of soaked para boiled rice & black gram (urad dhal) ....'
  • How an atheist Nehru accepted handing over of power from a religious head
    S Balakrishnan- ' golden sceptre studded with jewels & adorned with a Nandhi cost Rs. 15,000 in 1947....'
  • Mt. Khangchendzonga and me
    S Balakrishnan- ' Mt. Dzonga (as Mt. Khangchendzonga is fondly called by Sikkimese) ...'
  • May 21 - International Tea Day :: Jimli
    S Balakrishnan- ' I was told in Assam that Jimli means the tender leaf shoot of tea plant...'
  • Landing in Sikkim, 1983
    S Balakrishnan- ' As a first timer to the Himalayan State of Sikkim maybe I was as nervous as Armstrong was ...'
  • Curtain Story
    S Balakrishnan- ' I never thought that changing the window curtain could be such a complicated issue ...'
  • Singiri Kona, the solitude Narasimha Temple
    S Balakrishnan- ' Singiri Kona is tucked in a 'corner' (hence Kona) in Chittor District in Andhra ...'
  • Ancestral houses - Burden or blessing ?
    S Balakrishnan- 'The ancestral houses are a century and more old and hence fit to be called 'heritage building' ...'
  • Pamban Railway Bridge : India's first & only rail sea bridge
    S Balakrishnan- ' situated in Tamil Nadu, connects Rameshwaram in Pamban Island with mainland India ...'
  • Jain Golden Temple, Ajmer
    S Balakrishnan- ' Jain Golden Temple that is situated in Ajmer City, Rajasthan ...'
  • Sattriya Dance: Assam's classical dance
    S Balakrishnan- ' The Majulii island in Assam is not only geographically unique but also culturally... '
  • In the Kingdom of Nepal in 1986
    S Balakrishnan- ' my historic trip to Nepal began on Saturday the 4th January 1986... '
  • Lakes of Rajasthan
    S Balakrishnan- ' I would consider Lake Pichola in Udaipur the most mesmerizing ...'
  • Mangrove, the magical tree
    S Balakrishnan- ' The mangroves play an important role in reducing damage to the coast by wind, wave & floods ...'
  • Yogini Temple of Hirapur, Odisha
    S Balakrishnan- ' The 64 Yogini Temple in Hirapur, though a small one, is special in many ways ...'
  • Elephanta Caves
    S Balakrishnan- ' The Elephanta Island near Mumbai, I presumed till this moment, was named so after its shape ....'
  • Phone pe Panchayat
    S Balakrishnan- ' as I was travelling in a bus from the temple town of Kanchipuram back to Chennai ....'
  • Ekambareswarar Temple, Kanchipuram
    S Balakrishnan- ' Kanchipuram, or Kanchi in short, is one of India's seven sacred moksha sthals ....'
  • Feasting on films
    S Balakrishnan- ' 20th Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF) - 15th to 22nd December 2022 ....'
  • Couch surfing !
    S Balakrishnan- ' It is a jargon of the Travel & Tourism Sector, meaning 'surfing/searching for a couch/bed' ....'
  • Thirukkural, the universal scripture
    S Balakrishnan- ' considered as the Universal Scripture as it instructs the path for a righteous life ....'
  • The 108 Divya Desam Temples
    S Balakrishnan- ' these 108 Vaishnavite shrines are revered as the most sacred Vaishnavite shrines ....'
  • Octave 2023 : The North Eastern cultural event in Chennai
    S Balakrishnan- ' Chennaite gets a chance to experience & enjoy the colourful culture ofthe North East....'
  • Limestone Cave of Andamans
    S Balakrishnan- ' explore the Limestone Cave of Baratang Island which is 100 kms off Port Blair ....'
  • Qutb Minar - A slave king's legacy
    S Balakrishnan- ' with a height of 72.5m/237.86 ft., this is the tallest brick minaret in the world! ....'
  • The Jarawas of Andamans
    S Balakrishnan- ' As the bus moved ahead, a group of Jarawa people - women and boys - boarded the bus ....'
  • Hero Stones
    S Balakrishnan- ' The practice of erecting hero stones had been in vogue in Tamil Nadu since 3rd/4th BCE ....'
  • Yak & Yeti Hotel
    S Balakrishnan- ' I landed up at Phodang's Yak & Yeti Hotel on 10th December 1985 from Singhik ....'
  • Taj Mahal - The white wonder
    S Balakrishnan- ' The Taj Mahal is a tomb built in memory of Mumtaz Mahal ....'
  • Pulicat Lagoon, Flamingos' haven
    S Balakrishnan- ' Pulicat Lake is a brackish water lagoon, second largest in India after Chilika Lake in Odisha ....'
  • Howrah Bridge - A bridge without nuts & bolts!
    S Balakrishnan- ' to see it & walk on it at least once in the lifetime is everyone's dream....'
  • Pulicat, the coastal trading centre since the 1st century
    S Balakrishnan- ' Some 50 kms from Chennai, Pulicat's original Tamil name is Pazhaverkadu....'
  • The Ticker @ Teleprinter
    S Balakrishnan- ' Stylishly called Ticker, teleprinter (TP for short) is fighting to survive in this modern world ....'
  • Ajo Garpo, Sikkim's unique stone carver
    S Balakrishnan- ' an interesting insight into the life & art work of the unique stone carver of Sikkim ....'
  • Cauvery flows, thanks to a crow!
    S Balakrishnan- ' How could a humble crow be the cause for the grand Cauvery River to flow? ....'
  • The age-old art of Chola bronze statues
    S Balakrishnan- ' The art of creating bronze statues in Tamil Nadu follows a hoary tradition ....'
  • Onam and the legend behind it
    S Balakrishnan- ' Religious legends apart, Onam is a great occasion to visit Kerala ....'
  • Ganesh collection
    S Balakrishnan- ' Lord Ganesh is the favourite god of children..unique elephant head with big ears & pot belly ....'
  • Chennai, a city with four lighthouses
    S Balakrishnan- ' Madras (Chennai) grew along with the East India Company of the English ....'
  • My first colour film roll
    S Balakrishnan- ' The first colour roll that I bought from Fotomatics Studio was Agfa; it cost 70 rupees....'
  • Chatham Saw Mill - Asia's oldest and largest
    S Balakrishnan- ' is situated in a tiny island called Chatham in Andaman & Nicobar Union Territory ....'
  • Mara Prabhu - Lord of the trees
    S Balakrishnan- ' The devotees of Lord Guruvayurappan worship Lord Maraprabhu, the Lord of the Trees ....'
  • Elephant army of Lord Guruvayurappan
    S Balakrishnan- ' Open from 9 am to 5 pm, the Punnathur Elephant Camp, maintained by Guruvayur Devaswom ....'
  • Iih - The lone foot traveller from Nepal
    S Balakrishnan- ' This youth crisscrossed his own country to reach every nook & corner of that Himalayan Kingdom ....'
  • Odisha File
    S Balakrishnan- ' Odisha has a hoary heritage, dating back to B.C. period ....'
  • Float Festival of Tamil Nadu Temples
    S Balakrishnan- ' The temple tank where the float festival is held is appropriately called theppakulam....'
  • Labour Day (May Day) - Chennai's Connection
    S Balakrishnan- ' A Red Salute to Chennai's Singaravelar & Statue of Labour, Triumph of Labour, on this May Day ....'
  • Four Churches in one compound
    S Balakrishnan- ' The 4-in-1 Church complex is in Poonthamallee town , a western suburb of Chennai ....'
  • Jackfruit, the giant of fruits
    S Balakrishnan- ' Jackfruit is the State Fruit of Tamil Nadu and Kerala states ....'
  • Patwon ki Haveli of Jaisalmer
    S Balakrishnan- ' The Havelis of Jaisalmer are one of the topmost attractions of the Desert City ....'
  • "Bumchu", the Kumbh Mela of Sikkim
    S Balakrishnan- ' on the 17th & 18th of March 2022 at Tashiding Monastery, West Sikkim ....'
  • Fashion statement from the past
    S Balakrishnan- ' I came across this sculpture panel at the Odisha State Museum in Bhubaneswar ....'
  • A Shiva temple that is 1000 years ancient
    S Balakrishnan- ' Gangaikondacholeeswaram Temple stands gracefully awaiting a grand celebration on turning 1000 years ....'
  • The Marina beach of Chennai
    S Balakrishnan- ' It is the pride o Chennai or Tamil Nadu - longest beach in India ....'
  • The Grand Anicut Dam, India's oldest at 2000 years!
    S Balakrishnan- ' built in the 2nd century (150 AD) across River Cauvery near Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu ....'
  • Konark's Saturday Fair
    S Balakrishnan- ' Saturdays draw more people to Konark in Odisha ....'
  • Khecheopalri Lake, where birds keep a watch !
    S Balakrishnan- ' Khecheopalri Lake is one among 534 lakes that dot tiny Himalayan State of Sikkim ....'
  • Republic Day recollections
    S Balakrishnan- ' I usually settle down before the TV for the live telecast ....'
  • Padmanabha Swamy Temple, world's richest Hindu Temple
    S Balakrishnan- ' at the age-old City of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala ....'
  • Sunset, the most memorable!
    S Balakrishnan- ' The black & white Sunset photo from Parsons Pygmalion Point @ Indira Point....'
  • Horses - some tidbits
    S Balakrishnan- ' horses have had a great impact on our social and religious life....'
  • Muktesvara, the gem of an Odisha Temple
    S Balakrishnan- ' Every inch of it is carved delicately with floral & arabesque motifs...'
  • Hooray! I have snorkeled & I am alive!
    S Balakrishnan- ' But my wife insisted that snorkeling was a once in a lifetime chance...'
  • World Heritage Sites in India
    S Balakrishnan- ' The Tentative List of India is quite varied, unique and interesting ...'
  • Taj by night!
    S Balakrishnan- ' more so when it glows in the natural pearly light of the full moon...'
  • Deepavali - childhood reminiscences
    S Balakrishnan- ' one-day Deepavali of its bright & colourful celebration with fireworks ...'
  • Mount Manipur alias Mt Harriet in Andamans
    S Balakrishnan- ' Mt. Harriet is the highest peak in the South Andaman Group of Islands at 1,966 ft...'
  • Three Durgas - Micro, Small & Medium
    S Balakrishnan- ' A Durga image is part of the architectural style...'
  • Gandhi Account
    S Balakrishnan- ' In Tamil there is this sarcastic phrase "Gandhi Account (Kanakku)" ...'
  • Hindi Pakhavaada (Fortnight) Tamasha!
    S Balakrishnan- ' A simpleton was eager to taste Hindi Pakhavaada, mistaking it for crispy pakora snacks variety ...'
  • In search of roots
    S Balakrishnan- ' I am just an ordinary man in search of roots of my family ...'
  • Kannappa Naayanaar - World's 1st Eye Donor!
    S Balakrishnan- ' the recipient was none other than Lord Shiva Himself ! ...'
  • Freedom fighter's mail
    S Balakrishnan- ' at the declaration ceremony of Cellular Jail as National Memorial ...'
  • The Elephant
    S Balakrishnan- ' Let us treat the elephants humanely and preserve Nature's link ...'
  • Typing Divas
    S Balakrishnan- ' In that private commercial institute in the Nanganallur suburb of Madras (now Chennai) ...'
  • International Friendship Day - 1st Sunday of August
    S Balakrishnan- ' International Friendship Day observed on the 1 st Sunday of August ...'
  • Man on the moon - A reminiscence
    S Balakrishnan- ' Man's first dramatic venture on the lunar surface ended at 1.54 pm EDT, July 21 ...'
  • Thermometer Bird !
    S Balakrishnan- ' of visiting that Island's southern point, Parson's Pygmalion Point ...'
  • The Three Men at Land's End
    S Balakrishnan- ' lighthouse at Parsons Pygmalion Point in Southern Bay of India's southernmost in Great Nicobar Island ...'
  • Mud volcanoes of Andamans
    S Balakrishnan- ' The mud volcanoes are tiny, yes, but unique & found only in Andamans in whole of India ...'
  • Rajiv Memorial @ Sriperumbudur
    S Balakrishnan- ' Sriperumbudur is not far from Chennai where I have been living even earlier from 1991 ...'
  • Lal Market of Gangtok
    S Balakrishnan- ' when villagers from near & far Gangtok would arrive in their colourful traditional attire ...'
  • A train load of memories
    S Balakrishnan- ' As children we used to travel by train from Madurai/Thirunelveli to our native village...'
  • Michelangelo in my drawing room
    S Balakrishnan- ' What really matters is not money or size but attitude, love for arts, I console myself...'
  • Myanmar Memories
    S Balakrishnan- ' Tamu is Myanmar border town on the Indo-Myanmar border, 120 km from Imphal ...'
  • Majuli - India's 1st & only river island district
    S Balakrishnan- ' Majuli is said to be the oldest & largest inhabited mid river island of the world...'
  • The unique 63 Saints Festival
    S Balakrishnan- ' The Saivaite 'Shri Kapaleeswarar Temple' of Mylapore locality in Chennai ...'
  • Solophok Shivalaya in Sikkim
    S Balakrishnan- ' pilgrimage trekking to a Shiva temple at Solophok in Sikkim ...'
  • Hogenakkal - India's Niagara
    S Balakrishnan- ' At Hogenakkal, River Cauvery drops down the Deccan plateau from a height of 66 feet ...'
  • St Mary's Church : The first Anglican Church east of Suez
    S Balakrishnan - ' The 339-year-old St. Mary's Church in Chennai is not only India's first but also of Asia's ...'
  • The Holi(y) invasion
    S Balakrishnan - ' Holi festival is not celebrated in South India ...'
  • Bioscope show
    S Balakrishnan - ' The place was the remote Tashiding Monastery in far-off West Sikkim ...'
  • Gatekeeper's management mantra
    S Balakrishnan - ' Big Temple of Thanjavur was raised more than 1,000 years ago by the Chola King Rajaraja ...'
  • The Chola Pass & Chola Range in Sikkim - Why named 'Chola'?
    S Balakrishnan - ' It is to be noted that the mountain range is called Chola Range, not Cho La range ...'
  • Sikandra, where Akbar the Great rests
    S Balakrishnan - ' Akbar was the grandson of Babur who founded the Moghul Empire in India ...'
  • Bali Jatra - Odisha's maritime heritage
    S Balakrishnan - ' full moon day of Kartik month, to commemorate Kalinga's maritime history ...'
  • Mishing tribe of Assam
    S Balakrishnan - ' They are historically known as Miri ...'
  • Lingaraja Temple - Abode of the Lord of Three Worlds
    S Balakrishnan - ' Lingaraja temple's origin is as mysterious as the occupant Himself!.... '
  • Indira Gandhi's one-minute function
    S Balakrishnan- ' Coming back to 1983, the event was to rename existing Gangtok-Nathula Road as Jawaharlal Nehru Marg.. '
  • The Last Emperor - Loka, the great Andamanese king
    S Balakrishnan- ' ...Adi Basera (Tribal Guest House) in Port Blair, Andamans... '
  • Gandhi Memorial Museum, Madurai
    S Balakrishnan- ' Gandhiji visited the Temple City of Madurai five times during his lifetime '
  • A trip to Indira Point: Down memory lane, 37 years back :: Part 2
    S Balakrishnan- 2 part series on a trip to Indira Point
  • A trip to Indira Point: Down memory lane, 37 years back :: Part 1
    S Balakrishnan- 2 part series on a trip to Indira Point
  • The Buddhist connection of Hajo in Assam
    S Balakrishnan- ' Hajo, 24 kms from Guwahati in Assam, a quite little spot... '
  • Manipur, the land & the people
    S Balakrishnan- 'Some images of Manipur will forever remain etched in my memory... '
  • Sanamahism and Seven :: Part 2
    S Balakrishnan- 2 part series on Sanamahism & Seven
  • Sanamahism and Seven :: Part 1
    S Balakrishnan- 2 part series on Sanamahism & Seven
  • Moreh and Yongchak :: Part 2
    S Balakrishnan- 2 part series on Moreh and Yongchak
  • Moreh and Yongchak :: Part 1
    S Balakrishnan- 2 part series on Moreh and Yongchak
  • Meitei meets Madrasi ! :: Part 2
    S Balakrishnan- 2 part series
  • Meitei meets Madrasi ! :: Part 1
    S Balakrishnan- 2 part series
  • Tamu, window to Myanmar
    S Balakrishnan- 'The town is a neatly arranged habitation in the north-west Sagaing Region of Myanmar '
  • Bishnupur - In search of an old Mandir :: Part 3
    S Balakrishnan- 3 part series on an old Mandir at Bishnupur
  • Bishnupur - In search of an old Mandir :: Part 2
    S Balakrishnan- 3 part series on an old Mandir at Bishnupur
  • Bishnupur - In search of an old Mandir :: Part 1
    S Balakrishnan- 3 part series on an old Mandir at Bishnupur
  • Koro & Krishna - The young & old faces of Manipur :: Part 2
    S Balakrishnan- 2 part series on 'The young & old faces of Manipur '
  • Koro & Krishna - The young & old faces of Manipur :: Part 1
    S Balakrishnan- 2 part series on 'The young & old faces of Manipur '
  • Loktak, the lake of disappointment :: Part 2
    S Balakrishnan- 2 part series on a trip to Loktak..
  • Loktak, the lake of disappointment :: Part 1
    S Balakrishnan- 2 part series on a trip to Loktak..
  • In search of handicrafts
    S Balakrishnan- ' handicrafts, Panthoibi and Paona Bazaar! .. '
  • Magical Manipur - Ima Market
    S Balakrishnan- ' ...for me Manipur meant Ima Market and Ima Market meant Manipur .. '
  • Magical Manipur-II: Krishna, our friend, philosopher & guide
    S Balakrishnan- ' Ultimately he turned out to be like Lord Krishna to Partha (Arjun) .. '
  • Magical Manipur-Part I: Thagatchari (Thank you), Manipur!
    S Balakrishnan- ' In total, our stay in Manipur was pure bliss of the highest order .. '