MYSORE DIARY

It was a much-needed break for us since our pregnancy. With a positive attitude, we were both ready for this travel adventure. Mysore not on my wish list. It was an adventure for us because our twin toddlers were not prepared to sit in the pram, stay with another person in our group, or walk. And so it is Mysore Diary.

Phewww ..

We were already aware about this and still we dare to have this most wanted trip. We always planned our trip with a group. Our last trip was to Kashmir before lockdown and that one was memorable. The horse ride, apple farm, saffron farm and dal lake and many more adventurous things we did. 

And this year our kids have grown up and every one wanted to visit ice places like Shimla, Kashmir, Manali but due to lots of circumstances we managed to visit Mysore -Ooty - Coimbatore trip. Out of which today I am sharing Mysore only. The major traveling was Ooty and we spent only 2 days @Mysore. 

ABOUT MYSORE/MYSURU CITY

Mysore stands the second major city in the state of Karnataka and is recognized as the cleanest city among 476 cities in India. Mysore is a very important tourist centre of the state of Karnataka. The place is known as PALACE CITY OF INDIA and declared as a heritage city. 

HISTORY OF MYSORE :

Mysore (or Mysuru), a city in India's southwestern Karnataka state, was the capital of the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399 to 1947. In its center is opulent Mysore Palace, seat of the former ruling Wodeyar dynasty. The palace blends Hindu, Islamic, Gothic and Rajput styles. Mysore is also home to the centuries-old Devaraja Market, filled with spices, silk and sandalwood.

TOURIST ATTRACTION : 

There are 36 places of TOURIST ATTRACTION so you can plan out which place you want to visit. Most of them are temples and parks. We were having limited time in Mysore. We decided to visit major attractions only. We booked our hotel at the centre where spot was near.

1. MYSORE PALACE: 

The first one is the famous Mysore Palace. It is also known as the City of the palace. 

🍁 Light and sound show

🍁 Vibrant Dusshera celebration 

🍁 Architecture of the palace - blend of Hindu, Muslim, Rajput and Gothic styles of architecture. 

🍁Details carving and hand sculpted.

MY REVIEW: 

The Palace is colourful and highly maintained. This palace is historically significant. One should definitely experience this. 

But to my knowledge it is not at all managed. The crowd and the people are so noisy. There is no proper system of entry and exist. Police are there but  no one is taking any responsibility of the management. Overall I felt it like a crowded market.

SOME POINT TO REMEMBER: 

# You have to enter this palace without your shoes.

# The palace is huge and you must have a walking capacity. (If you are going with kids )

# No DSLR is allowed but mobile phones are allowed free of cost. 

# Entry fee is minimum. 

# You can check out fridge magnets in various types outside this palace for 100 rs. Only. Buy it whenever you find it. Otherwise it will cost 800 to 1000 at Airport 😁

You can check other travel post :

Tour of ND Studio 

Visit at Karla Lanes

Kawaha - Kashmir Tea and Kesar Farm 

Sunrise at Kanyakumari 

Visit to Ramoji Rav Studio 

2. THE BRINDAVAN GARDEN :

The Brindavan Gardens, spread over 60 acres, is located at a distance of 21 km away from Mysore. 

The well-synchronised fountain show with music, boating and well-manicured grass with flowerbeds are some of the top experiences of Brindavan Garden.

MY REVIEW : 

Our experience was worse. It is because of the crowd. And the light show was not attractive. This is the most disorganised pathetic tourist place I have ever seen. 

But still the garden is beautiful. We went there for the light show which was a major disappointment. It was very difficult to manage our kids in a crowd. 

3. SRI CHAMARAJENDRA ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN 

Located near the palace in Mysore, The Zoological Garden covers an area of 157 acres. It is one of the oldest and most famous zoos in India. It plays the role of an orphanage to the abandoned animals.

These included Giraffe, Antelopes, Bears, Chimpanzee, and Primates. It has till now established a niche for being a home to some of the rarest family members like American Bison, Californian Sea lions, Guanaco, Polar Bear, Secretary Bird, Kangaroo, Penguin, and White Elephant in the past.

MY REVIEW :

Time required to cover the whole zoo is minimum 3 hours. It is also crowded on weekends. But we went on weekdays. Try to book a van so that walking will be minimised. It was hectic but with a variety of animals we enjoyed.

They have a snack area at the end of the zoo. No plastic is allowed. You can take your food like snacks but carry the garbage with yourself and throw it at the dustbins which is at the end of the zoo. 

It is very clean and very well maintained. 

SOME IMPORTANT TIPS WHILE TRAVELLING WITH KIDS : 

1. Don't plan palace and zoological park on same day. It is more hectic.

2. Try to go for palace after 3 pm. Evening sight with lighting is awesome.

3. Visit Brindavan Garden in the evening for light show. 

4. Carry plenty of snacks and keep hydrate your kids. 

5. Take small breaks and allow kids to rest. It is okay if you miss something your kids and your health is important.

6. Try to visit on weekdays and not on weekends.

CONCLUSION :

I love Mysore specially for historical attraction and Coffee. Our of these we love zoological park because we enjoyed it.

Plan your trips according to the places, and meal availablity. Overall the experience was good. Every thing is not according to our expectations but we learn to enjoy every moment. 

Question of the Day 

Have you been to Mysore? Which place do you like here ? 

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.

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Historical Information Source: Wikipedia 

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GLOBAL VIPASSANA PAGODA

The Global Vipassana Pagoda was built out of gratitude to the Buddha, his teaching and the community of monks practicing his teaching.

The Pagoda is the ancient structure of Buddha temples. Monks stayed there for all seasons, meditated and worshipped Buddha. Buddhist temples are the Pagoda. At this place, you will definitely find peace. You will not see any beggars near these Pagoda. No coconut seller, no sweet shops, no flowers, no garland nothing. There is no such kind of market nearby any Buddhist Pagoda and that is the speciality of Buddha temples.

WHAT IS GLOBAL VIPASSANA PAGODA? 

Global Vipassana Pagoda is the place where you can meditate under a special course of meditation. The course and code of conduct are prescribed by Sri Goyanka Sir.  In this  residential meditation 10-day course you have to follow a special code of conduct and rules. You will find transformations in yourself after finishing this Vipassana. 

WHAT IS THE SPECIAL THINGS ABOUT  GLOBAL VIPASSANA PAGODA?

Global Vipassana Pagoda is one of the seven wonders of Maharashtra. 

Global Vipassana Pagoda is a notable monument in Mumbai, India which serves for peace and harmony. 

The monument was inaugurated by Pratibha Patil, President of India on 8th February 2009. 

WHERE IS IT LOCATED?

It is located in the North of Mumbai on a peninsula between Gorai Creek and the Arabian Sea. 

THE STRUCTURE OF THE GLOBAL VIPASSANA PAGODA 

⛩️ It is a traditional Burmese design that is an expression of gratitude towards the country of Myanmar for preserving the practice of Vipassana. 

⛩️ The shape of the pagoda is a copy of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar.

⛩️ Inside of the Pagoda is a hollow large meditation hall where 8000 people can meditate at one time. 

⛩️ The centre of the Global Vipassana Pagoda contains the world’s largest stone dome built free spanning (without support).

The full details of the structure can be read here 

THE PURPOSE OF THE PAGODA:

The main purpose of Global Vipassana Pagoda is to express gratitude to Gautam Buddha for his teaching to eradicate suffering. 

To educate the people about the life and teachings of Buddha.

To provide a place for meditation for the public. 

WHAT IS VIPASSANA ?

➡️ Vipassana is the one way to achieve inner peace. Vipassana is the mediation technique discovered by Gautam Buddha. It was taught by Gautam Buddha to eradicate the illness from our life. 

➡️ It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body. It is a deep breathing technique.

➡️ This technique is taught by the teacher at a 10-day meditation course during which participants have to follow prescribed code of conduct, learn the basics and practice to achieve the result. 

➡️ Vipassana is a self-transformation through self-observation. 

➡️ The entire process is mental training to develop a HEALTHY mind. 

➡️ This technique is taught free of cost. No commercial fees or remuneration charges are here.

➡️This technique was taught by Goenka Guruji. It is an insight meditation that includes scientific, non-sectarian, results-oriented techniques of self-observation and truth realization. 

WHO IS TEACHER S. N. GOYNKA? 

Satya Narayana Goenka was an Indian Teacher of Vipassana meditation. He was born in Burma to an Indian Family and he moved to India in 1969 to teach meditation.

He became an influential teacher and played an important role in establishing non-commercial Vipassana meditation centres globally. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2012, an award given for distinguished service of high-order

(Info: Wikipedia) 

WHAT YOU WILL SEE HERE ? 

The Global Vipassana Pagoda is itself. The 7 Wonders of Maharashtra. 

The construction, the hollow meditation hall, peace, Giant statue of Gautam Buddha, Giant Ashokstamb, Rotating Dhamma Chakra, beautiful Guruji Niwas, and in overall the whole Global Vipassana Pagoda.

HOW TO REACH TO GLOBAL VIPASSANA PAGODA ?

If you are coming from Thane, Navi Mumbai then you can come by road. Prefer to have your own vehicle. You can take the bus from Thane station too. It is a 3-hour journey. 

If you are coming from Mumbai. Then get down at Borivali West station and reach the creek. You have to cross the creek by Ferry. And then you can take an auto or bus to reach this destination. 

Public transport like bus No 4, Ferry and auto rickshaw are available. 

Bus fares cost Rs.5 - 55 and Ferry costs Rs. 50 

The nearest landmark to Pagoda is Essel World or Gorai Beach. 

If you are coming with kids I will suggest taking the road route which is easy. 

And if you are coming with friends and want to do something adventurous then take the ferry ⛴️ route.

GLOBAL VIPASSANA PAGODA TIMING AND ENTRY FEE 

There is no entry fee. It is free of cost.

It is open from  9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

No external food is allowed here. 

CONCLUSION : 

Global Vipassana Pagoda is one of the 7 wonders of Maharashtra. The structure is beautiful. You must visit the place to experience the giant beauty of the construction. It is fully worked on donation. 

Global Vipassana Pagoda serves as a monument of peace and harmony.  Global Vipassana Pagoda is the meditation hub where you can do a meditation course.  It is a 10-day residential course and free of cost. Once in a lifetime, we have to do this Vipassana. It is most needed in our stressful life. Do visit once and take the magnificent experience of 10 days Vipassana. 

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.

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©Neeta Kadam. This article and image are the property of Memory Flies. Any unauthorised use or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author is strictly prohibited.

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Chaitybhumi

PS : Google 

It is not adventurous for you as a reader but for us being twin parents Yes! Adventure! Traveling with twin toddlers is quite adventurous because it is not easy when your stubborn toddlers are not ready to sit in a pram, not ready to walk , not ready to get down from your hand and not ready to eat anything. It is quite challenging and this year 2024 we decided to take them out as much as possible. 

Our first traveling spot within Mumbai. "Chaitybhumi"

For us Chaitybhumi is like a temple. We Buddhist used to visit this place right after our marriage, when our baby grew one year old and whenever we wanted to introduce our rituals to our children, the first place is always Chaitybhumi.

6th December is observed as Mahaparinirvan Din. Every year Millions of followers from all over India came here to pay homage to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on Mahaparinirva Din.

It is a pilgrimage site specially for Buddhist people. But it is open for everyone.

Okay.

What will you see at Chaitybhumi?

1) Chaitya Bhoomi hosts a memorial to Ambedkar and has been graded an A-class tourism and pilgrimage site by the Government of Maharashtra.

PS : Google 

2) Ashoka Pillar it is the main entrance of the Chaitybhumi and it is a replica of the stupa of Sanchi. 

3) The list of degrees of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. You will be surprised to see Dr. Ambedkar had 32 degrees.

4) Family Tree of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.  If you are curious to know about his Family history then you must see this family tree. 

5) The place is adorned with inscriptions and other markers commemorating Dr. Ambedkar's life and his dedication to the cause of social justice. Though there are few inscriptions but they are the major one in his social justice journey.

6) Statue of Gautam Buddha which is from Thailand. The statue is 7 ft and it is donated by Sanghkaya Foundation.

PS : Google 

7) Once you enter in the main building aka The prayer house which is circular domb shaped structure and at the centre there is statue of Gautam Buddha and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar where you can lit a candle.

8) Books :

You can get variety of books of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, historical, speeches of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, His articles, his work on social justice, books of Mahatma Phule, Buddhism etc. But all books are available in Marathi only. 

9) Statue of Gatuam Buddha and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. If you are looking for a statue for your home I will suggest you to check it here. You will get a variety of statues and photo frames at reasonable prices.

10) Other accessories for car, home entrance, white Mangalsutra, Ashok Stupa keychain, Dhammachakra Keychain and many more decorative items. 

PS : Google 

PS : Google 

This is the most beautiful place where you can sit, take pics and adore the beauty of Sea.

11) Last but not the least Beauty of sea and Sea Link.

In the evening you will witness the beautiful view of sea link. Check out here.

Drawback: 

# This is a prayer house and lots of people come here from all over India. These people unable to keep the place clean. Every one whoever visiting any place should take care of their own litters.

#There is no proper arrangements for the garbage specially at Sea. 

# It is near the sea - Dadar Chowpaty and so it is filled with lots of garbage which floats with waves. There should be proper system for this garbage.

Where it is located?

At Dadar Chowpaty. From Dadar Station you can take taxi and stop is Chaitybhumi.

Conclusion: 

First time I took my kids at Chaitybhumi - prayers house. They enjoyed it. Elder one is very delighted to see the prayer house and she is surprised that it is totally different from the other temples. 

(No we didn't visit any temple with her except Shirdi.)

Chaitybhumi is one of the most devoted place for Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's (architect of our Indian constitution) followers. Because we consider him" FATHER" who give us a life. To be a human and everything like - 

Right to drink water
Right to have a good meal,
Right to have education
Right to enter in a temple,
Right to participate in elections.

And many more. Theses are the basic but most important aspect which contributes to count as a human being.

Therefore you will see the millions of followers came here to paye homage to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

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FAQ : 

What is the significance of Chaitybhumi?

Chaitybhumi is the cremation place of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. The monument more than a site of a prayer.

When was Chaitybhumi built?

The Chaitybhumi inaugurated on 5th December 1971 in the eve of 15 day of Mahaparinirvana. 

What is Ambedkar Mahaparinirvana?

Ambedkar Mahaparinirvana is death Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is observed on 6 December of every year.

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Question of the Day

Do you have any idea about Chaitybhumi? Have you visited this place?

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This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Mads' Cookhouse.

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* This is not a sponsor post.

©Neeta Kadam. This article and image are the property of Memory Flies. Any unauthorized use or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author is strictly prohibited.

Review : Pawana Lake Camping

Hello, 2021 

Year 2020 banged on us in every tiny manner. After a stressful year we all wanted to have a kick start of 2021 with happiness. This is our first vaccay of 2021 which was filled with craziness and thrill.😁

Camping is always a dream for me and Saee. She saw it on her favorite cartoon Barbie, Peppa pig and always asking me, “Mumma when we will have such camping picnic?

And finally Mr. Hubby arranged this thrilling picnic for us, Thank You Mr. Hubby!

What is Camping?

Camping is a stay at tent which is located near lake, sea or at hill side. It is really challenging to stay in a tent with no light, no fan (as these things are not required) under the beautiful sky with moon and stars and bonfire. Such a beautiful sight!

Well, camping is a booming now. You can find numerous camping at beaches and Lake Side. Pawana Lake has around 350 camping sites. The more important to choose the right one which is pocket friendly and have a nice arrangements with foods, beds and washroom.

Pawana Lake Camping

Pawana lake camping is one of the best camping sites near Mumbai, Navi Mumbai & Pune. It is the best way to celebrate the weekend with friends, family and college group. It is situated near the Pawna Lake where you can have beautiful Pawana dam view. Two day’s picnic where you can have your stay in a tent with rising sun .

 

You can have two sites:

# Lake side view where tent is near the lake.

# Hill Lake view where tent is on the hill with a lake view. And I think this is the best view where you can feel the beauty of sunset and sunrise.

How it is exactly?

I went with my family so it is kid friendly. You can take your 1 year baby too this place. 

# We booked our tent at hill side lake view where they have three floors. We were at 2^nd floor.

# Tent size is on twin sharing basis. It is available according to the family size too. A good quality tent with warm temperature, proper bedding and blanket.

# The campsites are well illuminated throughout the night with beautiful light. Toilets and common area are well lighted.

What is the cost?

As I mentioned it is pocket friendly.

General range is Rs. 1000 to 1500/- Child cost is Rs.750/- (Below 10 year).

If you are going with large number of group you will get huge discount.

Check in time is at 4.00 to 6.00 pm

Check out time is at 11.00 a.m.

Meals: Meals include dinner, breakfast and barbecue

The most important thing is the food. They have all homemade food prepared at the site only. As soon as you check in you will get :

#Unlimited tea and Pakoda.

#Barbecue is limited - veg and non veg.

#Unlimited buffet- veg and non veg. We had chicken soup, chicken curry, dry chicken, roti and rice.

#Desert : Jalebi and Gulabjamun.

#Breakfast : Poha or missal paav. (Maharashtrian breakfast)

**Time is restricted. Dinner time start with 9.00 pm and end at 10:30 pm. After that you will not get anything.😑 If you go on weekdays you will be served as per your demand. Cost will be varied for that.  

Things you have to carry with you:

#Power bank for charging your phones and cameras.

#Extra blanket if you want to have your own. I carry two extra blanket as I am going with my kid and I like to sleep in my own blanket. But yes in the early morning the temperature was cold where you require two three blanket.

#Extra pair of clothes. If you are going with your kids try to take warm clothes and hand gloves. Sneakers are compulsory to warm up your leg.

#Take extra flip-flop. Don’t forget to take your toiletries.

#Sun screen lotion or face mask is the must must must. We forget and had tan on our face.😌

#The most important to have warm clothes like jackets and sweater.

 

Activity:

*Camping is filled with all indoor/outdoor activity.

*Swing

*Archery

*Carom-board

*Football or volleyball

*Badminton

*Dance floor with DJ music

*Mesmerize beauty of sunrise and sunset.

 

My review:

Rating : 4/5

Food was awesome but it is more spicy for me.

Bedding and bonfire was pretty good.

Take always lake view site which gives you awesome beauty. It is my personal opinion.

Washroom is also well lighted and clean.

No mosquito at all.

Staff is cooperative and Marathi staff who have always welcoming spirit.

And most important it is safe in all manner. Even only girls can have this camping.

Go early before 5.00 pm if you want to witness beautiful sunset.

 

What is the best time?

According to me this is (Jan to Feb) best time. Neither you have cold winter nor a hot summer. I don’t think rainy season will be good because sand and soil become muddy. This is my opinion. You can go as per your comfort.

So what are you waiting for? Book your seat with your friends and family and have blast on this Valentine.