Culinary Delight In Kolkata

Exactly after a year we are back in the literature city of India and the first capital of British Raj- Kolkata.

While we have already dedicated a post that concentrates on the beautiful places to visit while in Kolkata, Kolkata people love their food and it is only just that we dedicate a post exclusively to their culinary delight. This city has some brilliant places to provide different burst of flavors and savor them forever.

Park street in Kolkata is the perfect blend of high end resto bars and pocket friendly eat outs. This sprawling lane is full of life. Cafe Au Bon Pain is an excellent hang out that serves very unique bread bowl with soup and we were way too excited to try this for the first time and it was amazing. The cafe sells a wide variety of confectioneries and serves donuts and burritos. Their natural juices, ice tea and regular doze of coffee are simply heavenly and the sinful pastries are too tough to resist. The perfect cafe ambience adds a lot of charm to your perfect evening and their excellent service makes it a must visit place to unwind after a long day. Their pricing is also pretty decent.

For dining in, Quality restaurant at park street would be  a perfect place. Though they have a very limited menu their food quality, quantity and flavors are exceptionally good. Do ask for the day's special menu and they also serve alcohol. The ambience of the restaurant is brilliant and service too good. A meal for two would cost anywhere between Rs.500 to 600.

If you are a big fan of Kathi rolls, 'Kusum Rolls & Kebabs' serves delicious varieties of Kathi rolls. They are finger licking good with the right amount of tanginess and tender chicken pieces and spices. The rolls are pretty big and can keep you full for a long time. Right around this joint is an unnamed grill sandwich shop, this small little eat out is a fine example of the saying "Great things come in small package." We had to wait for some time to place order and dig into our sandwich.

We ended the flawless day with the trademark 'Kolkata sweet pan.'

Tasting Bengali sweets while in Kolkata is a must. We headed to Balaram Mullick and tried their baked rasagulla and kesar sandesh. Needless to say both were awesome. Tiwari sweets on AJC Bose road is another excellent place to try Bengali sweets.

If you have seen enough of Park street an ideal alternative for street food would be R.N. Mukherjee road there are abundant eat outs catering a variety of cuisine- biryani, Chinese, desi ghee parata, meals, fruits, chaat, south Indian, maggie, different styles of eggs and momos.

If you are a foodie and enjoy non veg do head to 'Arsalan' restaurant this place is famous for their biryani. However, as blasphemous as it may sound we did not try the biryani and instead ordered their signature Arsalan kebab and chicken Lahori which complimented really well with their sinful and soft butter naan. A lavish and heavy meal for two would cost Rs.600. Keep in mind that you would have to wait for a table for sometime here especially on weekends.

If you crave for south India food look no further than 'Anand' veg restaurant in CR avenue very close to Chandini Chowk metro station. They serve yummy masala dosa laced with butter and ultra soft poori with spicy and flavorful korma that makes you lick your fingers. Like a typical south Indian we finished our meal with a piping hot cup of filter coffee. Their ambience is far better than most of the fine dine places and a lavish meal for two would cost Rs.400 to 500. If you have a sweet tooth do go for their dessert 'tutty fruity special' which is a blast of flavors and filled with cut fruits, bunch of nuts, milk and two scoops of ice cream topped with wafer and cherry.

No trip to Bengal can be complete without tasting Bengali food and to get a taste of authentic Bengali food we visited Aaheli restaurant in Peerless Inn at new market. We tried their Bengali Thali- Rajbhoj and Lucha Puri. The food was exceptionally good and the most amazing dish was Elchi fish in banana leaf. The fish was perfect and melted in our mouth, a perfect taste of mustard oil and the flavorful spices. Their sweets and desserts were delicious and their service was phenomenally good but be prepared this place could burn a hole in your pocket.

After popular recommendations we visited Deckers/ Darcee's lane with great expectations and were utterly disappointed. It is a shady lane with just 4 to 5 eat outs. If you are out with your family you might return red faced looking at the dance bars in the lane displaying the dark underbelly of Kolkata. The food was also not great. For chaat we recommend AC market in Howrah & Park lane in Kolkata.

We checked into Hotel Casa Fortuna this place literally costs you a fortune. The hotel has a fabulous veg restaurant which serves amazing food. Their deserts are mouthwatering and even 2 chocolate mud pies were not enough to satisfy our sweet tooth cravings. The hotel offers WiFi. It is a little over priced as the rooms are extremely small and there is no parking facility. You either park your vehicle on the road or in the adjacent building. The location is a pro as well as con. It is located on AJC Bose Road and if you get a room facing the main road it is way too noisy. Also, the people at the front desk are not very welcoming.

Aurangabad City Of Gates

When we think of Aurangabad, the first thing that comes to our mind are the sister caves Ajanta & Ellora but this beautiful city has its own charming history that makes you fall in love with this place. It had close to 52 gates during medieval times though only a few of them have survived the test of times. This place offers a lot to explore from Temples, Caves, Monuments to Museums, Textiles and Local Cuisines. It is a very pleasant, clean and traveler friendly city, the infrastructure is top notch and it was very appeasing and nice to see quite a few trees occupy sides of the road. To our delight, the footpaths were broad and free of any kind of encroachments.

We commenced our Aurangabad trip by visiting Grineshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the 12 Jyothirlingas, believed to be the last shrine or 12th Linga and is considered sacred among Hindus. The temple tower is made of red stone and the architecture within the temple premises left us awestruck. The carvings, pillars, paintings and statues are the highlight of the temple. Since it is one of the 12 Jyothirlingas, it is highly commercialized and people try to sell you one thing or the other right from the parking lot. Camera and phones are prohibited inside the temple and have to be deposited at a nearby counter.

Bibi Ka Maqbara is a mausoleum built by Aurangzeb's son, Azam Shah, in memory of his mother. This monument is an imitation of  Taj Mahal but fails to ignite the charm, aura and a feel of being lost in time.

The lesser known Aurangabad Caves are only 2 km away from Bibi Ka Maqbara. These caves are on par with the magnificent Ajanta and Ellora caves but do not hog the limelight. It would be a good idea to hire an auto or cab to visit Aurangabad caves as it is in the outskirts of the city and there are no other means of transport. If you want to hire an auto we highly recommend Mr.Krishna (9130194847) a very honest and thorough gentleman who makes sure that the travelers have a good time. He is pretty flexible, patient and informative.

Chatrapati Shivaji Museum tucked away in a small corner of Aurangabad is a must visit not only for history buffs but for everybody to learn more about this fearless warrior. Shivaji is very well known and respected widely for being a fierce warrior, great patriot and true liberal. Under his able leadership, our country flourished and thrived. He never differentiated people based on their caste or creed giving them opportunities depending on their skill set. Under his rule, women enjoyed great rights and were respected and honored. This compact museum lays down the legacy and artifacts from Shivaji's period.

As you enter the museum you are greeted by massive cast iron canons and huge teak wood doors. The museum is classified into different galleries exhibiting exceptionally well preserved armory - swords, pistol, barrels, canons, guns, lead balls, knives, daggers, Madu (deer horn) body armor. Artifacts range from portraits, paintings, oil lamps, candle sticks, religious importance items, extensive mughal era coins from Shivaji's period. spice box, stone and ivory sculptures, jewelry boxes. The best part about the museum is the wide collection of beautiful silver nutcrackers and 1600 AD Paithani Saree and shawl still in mint condition. They have an extensive collection of great manuscripts. The museum is very well maintained and is sparkling clean with each artifact clearly visibly through glass. The museum is closed on Thursdays.

En-route we saw a lot of handloom shops selling the famous Paithani and Himroo sarees. Paithani sarees - A Golden heritage of 2000 years, these pure silk sarees are completely handwoven with great care and fabulous artistic work. Silk from Paithan was traded for gold and precious stones ages ago. Even today, the work is handwoven in pure silk and silver. Himroo is also another traditional weaving art which is a mix of silk and cotton. This art is slowly fading away and efforts are being made by the government and weaving industry to keep this art alive.

Be sure to stop by one of the stores and check out the work. Paithani  silk weaving centre in Lokmat Nagar is the perfect place to shop and also see the weavers in action handcrafting every single saree. Government Of India, Ministry Of Textiles run a training centre for weavers here. The centre has sarees, handwoven exquisite carpets with 900 knots per sq inch, shawls, artifacts and the likes. It would be safe to say you could buy genuine stuff from this outlet.

Ajanta Caves, a World Heritage Monument, is not just known for its magnificent architecture but also for the elaborate mural paintings highlighting the life events of Buddha. Our Exclusive post on Ajanta can be found here.

Ellora Caves stand as a testimony for secularism with 3 different religions coexisting in harmony in the same premises. Apart from that, the mystery surrounding the architecture of these caves and the possibility of receiving help from extra terrestrial beings to finish the mind boggling carvings makes these caves even more intriguing. Our exclusive post on Ellora.

Trip to Aurangabad is not complete if one fails to visit the "Only Crater Lake In India" Lonar.

CIDCO serves as the perfect locality to stay, there are several hotels that fit all budgets and there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. To taste authentic Aurangabad biryani we recommend Karim's. Their Chicken biryani is simply amazing, it is a semi dry gravy mixed with rice and quite spicy. The chicken pieces are super tender and finger licking good. Apart from the most amazing biryani,  Karim's outlet comes highly recommended for its delicious Kathi Roll, mouth watering kababs and Kheema Pav. Another excellent biryani eat out would be this tiny place called Zaika, behind Naik college, Cannaught Place.

If you are a vegetarian we recommend 'Pakwan Thali Restaurant' at Jalna road CIDCO, specializing in Rajasthani cuisine. If you crave for Maharashtrian vada pav, Pet Puja outlets serve yummy vada pav.

To enjoy street food  and not count the calories, Cannaught place is an excellent hangout area. It serves best and clean street food. For the sheer variety that this area has to offer, it would for sure serve as a paradise for any foodie. The stalls range from Kebabs, Dum Biryani, Shawarma, Chinese, desi food and of course superb chaat. The best place to have chaat is 'Icy Spicy' behind LIC office. Their pani puri is a must try and of course you wont stop at one plate. They also serve pizzas, sandwiches and the likes. However, their stand out dish has to be their Ice Gola. They serve Ice Gola with 3 or more Golas, each topped with different flavors and is sinful. We also recommend Chatpata chicken kebabs at the Koyla Biryani joint. If you are a sweet pan freak, do try the different varieties of sweet pan at Sai Samart pan house.

While in Aurangabad do try out different varieties of 'Mastani' which is a blend of 3 fruit juices and topped with rich scoops of ice-cream. We ordered the one with extra dry fruits doused in colorful essences.

If you have a couple of hours to kill and wondering what to do, worry not the ProZone mall is a great place to hangout, it offers everything from High-end Jaguars to ice golas. The mall has a good food court with different cuisines to choose from. For adventure and sports enthusiasts there is Decathlon and for the movie buffs there is Satyam Cinemas.

We on the spur decided to watch a Marathi movie and were excited to read the synopsis of the movie Killa and immediately bought the tickets. This beautiful film captures the emotions of a young boy and is very well scripted. No wonder it won the National Award for the best Marathi film.

We stayed at Thrimurti Guesthouse, a budgeted place with clean rooms. The best part about the hotel was the helpful management. Their location is another plus as you have a whole lot of restaurants, shopping markets, CIDCO bus terminal and Mall all at a walk-able distance. To cover longer distances, there is easy access to autos at any point in time.

Thoonga Nagaram! A City That Never Sleeps- Madurai

This temple city is home to the iconic Meenakshi Amman Temple and several other grand temples and also the city where Silapathikaram one of the grand epics of Tamil literature came from. This city has lot of culture heritage and was considered a very important trade hub even in the ancient times. Legacy of Madurai the Meenakshi Amman temple was ransacked and demolished by Mughal invaders in the 14th century and restored to it's present day glory by Nayakkar family in the 16th century.

We fell in love with the beautiful age old monument Meenakshi Amman temple. This magnanimous temple has four entrances and at each entrance is a high raising Gopuram that is beautifully carved and brightly painted. There are intricate carvings of mythical creatures that took us back in time. The temple is dedicated to Meenakshi Amman and Lord Shiva. The temple walls are beautifully painted and how can one miss the brightly colored ceiling of the temple. The entire complex is supported by numerous pillars that are equidistant and placed with great precision.

Every pillar, wall and corner of this massive temple complex has elaborately carved monolithic mythical creatures and scenes from Hindu mythological epics. The sculptures in the temple depict the beauty of women by highlighting their features in an intricate manner. Big breasts, thin waist line and broad hip, all while staying in the realm of art. They were so precise in their carvings that they would create sculptures that were exactly how they saw women around them- voluptuous, highlighting their beauty and not creating a fake sculpture and expecting women to idolize it.

The other great attraction within the temple premises is the "One Thousand Pillar" mandapam aka "Aayiram Kaal Mandapam." this madapam has thousand pillars each again precisely placed with intricate carvings and paintings. The grandeur of this mandapam is enhanced by the sculptures with such minute details giving a feel that they might come to life any time. The mandapam has now been converted to an art museum with exhibits ranging from a 20 foot massive door that used to stand guard the temple to photographs to sculptures of various deities to antique coins. 

The main deity is Nataraja the cosmic dancer, however, the showstopper and the most puzzling aspect is a group of rock cut cylindrical pillars that greet you at the entrance. The puzzling aspect is if you places your ears on the pillar and knock the pillars you can hear unique musical notes, tunes from each pillar. These pillars seem to be hollow and each one creates a unique note.

The sacred pond within the temple premises is believed to be the testing ground for a new work of literature. Tirukkural by Tiruvalluvar was the piece that got the approval. Legend has is that no marine form of life exists in this pond and is considered very sacred. Walking around the pond offers a unique view point from where you have a view of the Golden Kalash or Gopuram above the main deities Shiva and Amman. To mark this spot the temple authorities have installed a copper plate.

The temple is open throughout the day however, the gates to the inner sanctum are open from 4 am to 12.30 pm and 4 pm to 9.30 pm. The age old structural engineering and water management are that effective that they still work flawlessly. Set aside at least a couple of hours to soak in the beauty of this ancient Indian monument. 

Digital cameras are prohibited inside the temple premises but mobile phones are allowed we failed to understand this logic. As you enter the lanes leading you to the temple shopkeepers pressurize you to leave your footwear and bags with them, free of any charges and in return would try to hard sell you their products. Please note that temple authorities have created safe deposit counters where devotees can leave their footwear and bags free of cost. 

Kudal Alazagar Perumal Temple, this extraordinary temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is a couple of kilometers away from Meenakshi Amman temple. The sculptures on the Goparum at the entrance depict scenes from the epics - Ramayana and Mahabarata at various tiers. The massive walls and pillars of this incredible temple exquisitely portray the various incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The long and broad walkways have elaborate paintings depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. A chamber of the temple is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi and the deity is beautifully carved.

As you enter the temple on the left do check out the elaborate carving on the wall behind a glass enclosure. This carving just blew our minds, it illustrates the Sun, Surya Bhagwan riding on a chariot pulled by 7 horses that depict 7 days of the week. Around the sun are 6 corners that depict different seasons and around them are the 12 sun signs. There are two serpents depicting Raghu and Kethu that stand guard on either side of the Sun. The serpent on the left has its tail curled outside denotes day and the one on the right with its tail curled inside denotes night. This carving was carved in ancient times before modern science, tool and gadgets, ultra powerful telescopes existed. This goes to prove the fact that our forefathers were extremely smart.

However, the sore part was concrete constructions within the temple premises eating up parts of this ancient wonder. Multiple AC vents have been drilled, ugly PVC pipes running around make the temple lose its charm. The temples is open all days from 4 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 9 pm.

Mariamman Thepakolam Temple is built around a pond and is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess of rain- Mariamman. During Thaipusam, float festival a floating chariot goes around this temple and lights up the entire area. This festival commemorates the birth of King Thirumalai Nayak. Sadly, when we visited the pond it was absolutely dry and was being used as a cricket ground. The temple would have been an absolute fantastic site to see had the pond been filled with water. It is a perfect place to take a stroll for a relaxing evening. There are plenty of food carts around to make your day end with good food. 

Near Thepakolam is the Sri Muktheeshwarar Temple which is as old as Meenakshi Amman temple. This temple is very calm and peaceful and has some great architecture. As there was no Goparum for this temple, the temple constructed at the Tepokkalam serves as the Goparum for this temple. 

Nayakkar Mahal - This palace was built with the help of an Italian architect by King Thirumalai Nayak in 1636. The architecture was a combination of Italian, Dravidian and Islamic style and was built to be the most significant palace of South India. Though the exteriors of the palace were plain and simple the splendor interiors are worth watching. Unfortunately, very little of this palace remains now as King's grandson destroyed most of the palace structure.

Like many other beautiful churches St. Mary's Cathedral is a magnificent and eye catchy cathedral standing as a fine example of secularism practiced by our beautiful Country. The beauty of this cathedral draws you to this place, the architecture providing a touch of Roman and European style is a treat for the eyes. This church is a couple of minutes walk from Nayakkar Mahal. The school around the church adds a nice charming factor.

The perfect place to satisfy your hunger pangs is to head to "Modern Restaurant," a star attraction within this star city. This age old restaurant is now successfully run by their third generation. The legacy of this restaurant has still been kept intact, they ace in serving traditional vegetarian food to their patrons. This is the ideal place to treat your taste buds for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We recommend you try all three. The elaborate meals for lunch include chapati and korma, 4 different types of vegetable curries, rice, dal, dal powder, good amount of desi ghee, sambar, rasam, puli kolambu/vata kolambu, curd, more or buttermilk, pickle, appalam and dessert. When we dined we were served mysore pak as dessert that was drenched in ghee. After this sumptuous meal they served us a banana and healthy pan for easy digestion. This huge spread of meal is priced at only Rs. 80 per person.  To ensure the authentic traditional taste, they do not use any ready made masalas or artificial food colors or flavors. All masalas are handmade to perfection in traditional style even today.

If you are there for breakfast or dinner treat yourself with different varieties of dosas or classic upma. The korma, chutney and sambar compliment the tiffin very well. Though we are not big fans of idiyappam we fell in love with their masala idiyappam.  Also, do try out their jangiri sweet which is pretty famous in Tamil Nadu and you wont be disappointed . This place has seen a wide range of eminent guests such as Sir CV. Raman, Dr. Rajendra prasad, Nehru, and the Father Of The Nation himself Mohandas Karam Chand Gandhi.' This restaurant is on Netaji Road, walking distance from Meenakshi Amman temple.

We highly recommend "Jigardhanda Junction" outlet for their awesome Madurai special Jigardhanda. This sweet drink is a big hit and a specialty of Madurai city. This outlet is near 'Periyar Bus stand.' To beat Madurai heat keep yourself hydrated the Natural way and sip on tender coconuts that are available in abundance and your body will thank you a million times.

During our stay in Madurai we checked into Rani Mangamal Residency, this age old hotel now beautifully renovated with modern amenities is managed and run by a group of able people. This is a perfect budgeted hotel to stay in Madurai. The hotel offers spacious rooms with clean bath, 24 hour running water, satellite TV, free WiFi in the lobby and all of this at a super budgeted price. The Madurai Railway Station is right opposite the hotel. Despite the railway station being bang opposite the hotel, the thick walls managed to filter out all the chaos from the station or main road completely. The Periyar bus stand is just a few minutes walk, from where one can access most parts of Madurai. Meenakshi Amman temple is at walk-able distance from here. There are plenty of restaurants in the vicinity.

Madurai is a happening town and all parts of the city are easily accessible by public transport. Madurai is too hot a city even in the month of August so it would be a good idea to wear cotton clothes and carry a good pair of shades. Also, keep yourself hydrated to beat the heat as the heat is way too dry and more grilling than the heat you face when you travel up North.

Courtallam a perfect destination very close to Madurai.

Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan!!!

Mumbai, the dream city of the Masses, a magical city that has elevated people from poverty to prosperity. The glamour world of Bollywood, home to business tycoons and one of the world's most expensive house and alongside comes the darker and grimmer world of underworld dons trying to run the city and the common man shrugging off the ghastly attack by coward terrorists. A few spots in the city still wearing the signs of destruction left behind. This city teaches the world on how to be brave and survive even in the most horrifying circumstances, be it the terror attacks or natural calamities. This city has a never say die attitude and comes together to come back to normalcy.

Mumbai was meant to be a pit stop for our Magical Monsoon Matheran trip. But coming to Mumbai and not getting engulfed by it's charm is highly impossible. This is the perfect city to see the ultra rich and ultra poor co-exist. The financial capital of India takes you aback with breathtaking high rises, bridges built over sea, the over hyped real estate prices and the sea facing homes.

Taj Mahal hotel was built in 1903 and believe it or not it was built 21 years before the Gateway of India. This beautiful piece of history is a true example of what Mumbai stand for- It's surviving spirit and fearless attitude. This hotel was opened in record time after the ghastly terror attacks.

The beautiful monument, Gateway of India, was completed in 1924 and it was built to commemorate the visit of King George and Queen Mary but the first major event to happen was the ceremony that was conducted on 28 February 1948 when the last set of British troops and divisions left India post-Independence.

The beach providing a view of Gateway of India and Taj Mahal hotel is a picture perfect moment but as much as we would love to see the beautiful building, the clutter floating in the water reflecting a darker side of commercialization and tourism melted our hearts. This significant and beautiful place is surrounded with so much garbage around, if only Mankind would respect Nature, this world would definitely be a much better place.

Commuting like the Mumbaikars in the local train is an experience in itself. You need to master the art of boarding and alienating the train without getting a scratch. That being said, this is the lifeline of Mumbai and the entire city relies on it and its pretty much a part of every single person's routine.

With the monorail being introduced, we hopped in for a joy ride and were pretty impressed with it. The smart Mono rail criss-crosses the city, ferrying people from one end to another. 

This dream city is also home to several slums which houses the most hard working class that are grossly underpaid. It is such a contrast to see one of the world's largest slum among such urbanization. This made us wonder how is it not possible to eradicate poverty and rehabilitate these folks. Living conditions in these slums are beyond imagination, millions still don't have access to clean drinking water, healthy living environment, drainage system etc.

The high and the mighty bow their heads down at Siddhi Vinayaka temple and even at times ditch their luxury cars and choose to walk it up from their sprawling bungalows to the temple. This Ganesh temple built in 1801 is one of the richest temples in Mumbai.

The Mount Mary church at Bandra, 80 mts above sea level, is a beautiful stone structure and the interiors have beautifully painted murals depicting the life events of Mary. This church is also famous for the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary held in September followed by a week long celebration known as Bandra Fair.

Bandra-Worli sea link, reduces the travel time from Bandra to Worli from 90 minutes to 20-30 minutes. This INR 16 Billion bridge is perfect for late night drives and of course makes for some beautiful photographs.

Marine Drive, is the ideal place for an evening stroll or to just sit there with the high rise building behind and the sea in front inviting us to dream big and encouraging us to fulfill those dreams. Ah! The city of Dreams.

The Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, popularly known as Victoria Terminus "VT" Station, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is blend of Victoria Gothic, Mughal and traditional Indian style of architecture. The wood carvings, tiles, iron and brass railings, and the grand staircase left us in awe at the brilliance of the designs.

Mumbai is a fantastic destination for food lovers and apart from the most famous Juhu Chowpati, there are a lot of other eateries that make you lick your fingers. We treated our taste buds to the best of street food, desserts and a wee bit of fancy continental food.

Your trip to Bombay is not complete without a visit to Leopold Cafe. They have extensive variety of Beer and their Alferdo Veg Pasta and Peking Chicken fried rice is a lovely add on. This place still bears the remains of the terror attack- the bullet holes and small crater due to the grenade blast under one of the tables tell the horrifying tales.

If you are in mood for some Nachos, french-fries, nooodles, visit Abstrakt Bistro & Lounge. The food was excellent and the ambience great.

Milkshake at Shiv Sagar- This place is not just famous for its Idly, Vada, Dosa, tea and coffee but also serves some really good milkshakes. We tried the Sitaphal Milkshake and it was as heavy as a whole breakfast meal.

Sadguru Pav Bhajji- This place is famous for the variety of Pav Bhajji that they offer with lots of butter floating on the bhajji and the only thing you can be heard saying after finishing it is - Yeh Dil Maange More!!

People who love chaat will definitely vouch for this- "as long as you have not had Pani Puri you have not had Chaat". For Pani Puri, we would highly recommend Sind Pani Puri house, they have the perfect blend of spice and masala providing a perfect end to your chaat experience.

To satisfy the sweet tooth craving, head to Rassilly, a small falooda joint and try from a list of their faloodas. The Rabdi falooda was heavenly filled with dry fruits and believe us when we say it would not be possible for a person to finish the whole glass.

For those who love ice creams, Ice Cream sandwich at Rustoms at Churchgate is a must visit. This place serves Ice cream Sandwich with some variety of flavors ranging from Muskmelon to Pappay and the ice cream is sandwiched in between two wafer slabs, definitely unique.

Of course, the trademark snack Vada pav at any of the eat outs, Maharashtra's very own favorite snack is a must try.

Mumbai gave us a taste of the rapid fast Mumbaikars' life. We enjoyed the iconic places, the food and in true Mumbai style we were welcomed by our friend and her family who made the stay in Mumbai filled with happy and joyous memories.

Courtallam Natures Own Water Spa

Courtallam, a tiny town in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, is blessed with abundant natural beauty and offers the best waterfall experience in India. There are several waterfalls spread across this town where people could experience one of the best gifts nature has to offer mankind. The icy cold water crosses huge forests before cascading down and is believed to  have therapeutic properties as the forests are known for their medicinal herbs. This otherwise quiet town comes to life with the onset of Southwest Monsoon, and one can experience the periodic drizzle, cool breeze, waterfalls in full throttle and views of beautiful mountains in the backdrop making this places a wonderland.

The feel of taking bath in a natural waterfalls is rejuvenating. The gushing water descends from several feet above breaks at several rocks and then separates into different streams reducing the flow and comes crashing down on us, it is definitely once in a lifetime experience. It can easily outrun any of the luxurious and excellent spa treatments. The wonders of Mother Nature are so tough to put in words. The main falls of Courtallam is a three tier massive water body towering several feet high.

If you are a first time visitor here, the gigantic waterfalls and crowd could easily freak you out but please do shed all your inhibitions, conquer your phobias and once you stand at the rocks where the waterfall breaks you are guaranteed to fall in love with this place. Initially the threshold is a couple of minutes and the more you enjoy the feel of ice cold water hitting you on your back and shoulders, the longer you would want to stand under these majestic falls. Rightly so, it is called the Spa of South India. Courtallam has its own charm and is kind of addictive in a positive way.

 The waterfalls are open 24 hours and attracts hordes of people, all the waterfalls are divided into designated men and women sections. There is a designated area for women to change. Even late in the night, the waterfalls are open for people to take bath and it looks like day time with several shops doing brisk business.  Late in the night, you see vendors selling steaming hot herbal tea locally known as "Chukku Kapi," it is very good for health and feels excellent after a cold bath. Several hotels serve piping hot food throughout the night. The cycle of life in Courtallam goes like - Wake up- Eat- take Bath for long hours- Eat- Sleep- Repeat. Life rolls by very slowly, the surroundings are so calm and serene with nature at its best.

En-route to the falls are several shops that sell hot and cold beverages, seasonal fruits, plenty of snacks and abundant toys for kids. Courtallam is known for its exotic fruits such as Mangosteen. They definitely are the sweetest and taste heavenly. Early morning and late night are perfect time to visit the falls and enjoy the serenity of the place. During season time, which is from July to September, the climate is excellent.

There is high presence of law enforcement personnel, strict laws are implemented so that tourists can have a peaceful and joyful time at the waterfalls. There are no storage units to keep valuables or cash so it would be better to carry very minimal stuff such as a towel and cash in a plastic zip lock bag. Using soap, shampoo, oil, detergents is a strict no no and violators face hefty fines.

Another striking feature of the waterfalls is that there are carvings of many Shivlingas on the rocks where the water falls with full flow. Very close to the waterfalls is an ancient temple Kutralanathar temple dedicated to lord Shiva. This beautiful temple has excellent carvings and several few thousand year old idols. The view of the falls from the temple and the thundering sound of water crashing on rocks is a phenomenal experience. Within the same compound is a jack fruit tree that is believed to be as old as the temple. You can see a demarcation on the walls with different shades and this shows how high the water level rose when several years ago massive floods engulfed this temple. The temple is open from 4 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 6 pm.

A couple of kilometers from Courtallam is the Kashi Vishvanathar Temple in Tenkasi which is considered as the Kashi of Southern India. The highlight of this temple is its magnificent Gopuram. The brightly colored colossal monument towers 180 feet high adorned with excellent carvings. This  temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and many Hindu mythological creatures take center stage here. This temple is famous for its massive monolithic avatars depicted in stone and as you enter the main sanctum you are greeted by massive monolithic carvings on either sides the temple, an ingenious construction dating several thousand years ago. The beauty was not limited only to sculptures, they beautified even the minutest things such as the water drain channels that captures your attention and you tend to forget the purpose that it serves. The water management system is ingenious and works fine till date. This talks a lot about their dedication there was no room for concentrating only on the important features, every part of the temple was given equal importance.

To ensure that the temple was lit with natural light at all times of the day, the temple was constructed in such a way that they left openings in the ceilings for natural light to seep in and fill the temple with a beautiful golden light and bright up the entire temple. The walls of the temple have ancient inscriptions carved so that several generations can read and gain knowledge. A phenomenal feature of this temples is the cool breeze that constantly flows and pushes one in the direction of the temple. This phenomenal super natural effect can be experienced under the massive Gopuram as one enters the temple. The temple is open on all days from 4 am to 12 pm and from 4 om to 9 pm.

Down south India is known for its passion and love for food. By far, the best South Indian Non Vegetarian meal that we had was at "Koorai Kadai" hotel in Tenkasi. This humble restaurant attracts hordes of food lovers from across the country as it serves an extensive variety of non vegetarian delicacies, all cooked to great perfection. It was here that we tried for the first time, the dry fish curry 'Karuvadu Kulambu'  and it was excellent. Had we not been told it was dry fish, we would have never guessed as it was not tangy but spicy and filled with flavors. It is not just the non vegetarian food, but even the simplest food that was exceptional such as rasam which had the perfect amount of pepper and flavors of various other spices. Their  'Kola Urundai' or minced mutton cutlet is a sensational delicacy and a must try. This beautiful little ball of joy is only 10 bucks. Their service is also excellent for a place that is this famous and the owner, a kind old humble man, took out time to show his gratitude to our compliments. The pricing of their food is unbelievably inexpensive.

Another gem of an eat out around Courtallam is 'Rahmat Parota Stall' in Sengottai 6 km from Courtallam. This place also known as 'Border Kadai' is a local superstar. This road side food joint gives a feel of a dhabha and like the name suggests it serves excellent parota, an Indian bread. It is famous for amazing and spicy pepper 'Natu Koli' or country chicken, the burst of flavors in your mouth and the tender, juicy chicken will make you crave for more. The only place maybe where country chicken can easily pass off as broiler chicken. The parotas are soft, small and melt in your mouth and the non vegetarian curry or "Salana" along with parotas is the reason why this place is always crowded. It is intriguing as well as very exciting to see close to 7 people work in tandem to prepare parotas on a massive scale. They use a huge tawa and in one shot over 80 parotas are cooked. There are plenty of autos that ply throughout the day till late in the night to Tenkasi and Sengotai from Courtallam. Private and state run buses also ply between these destinations.

Courtallam is easily accessible by road and rail. The nearest railway station is Tenkasi and from here autos would be the best way to reach Courtallam which is 8 km away. The nearest airport is in Tuticorin. Madurai is also an option, and there are plenty of trains that ply between Madurai and Tenkasi. A distance of 150 km can be covered in 3 hours. The best part would be to take an early morning train and throughout the journey you can spot peacocks dancing in the massive fields and welcoming the early morning sunshine. It is quiet a sight if you love birds. Also, you can spot the massive Goparum of the famous Srirangapatnam Temple from the train tracks itself. If you do have the time, it would be a good idea to include this place as well in your itinerary. There are plenty of stay options in Courtallam catering to all budgets.