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India

Versatility of Vaishali -a city holding Buddha and Mahavira in its cradle

Vaishali does have a special place in my heart as I have read it for a long long time in history books about 16 Mahajanpadas and Vaishali happens to be my sasural(Husband’s birthplace). I have been in and out of this place for the past 7 years but on this fine day, we planned one day trip to visit the versatility offered by Vaishali.

What is the importance of the Vaishali place?

Vaishali is a great Buddhist pilgrimage and also the birthplace of Lord Mahavira. It is said that the Buddha visited this place thrice and spent quite a long time there. The Buddha also delivered his last sermon at Vaishali and announced his Nirvana here. After his death, Vaishali also held the second Buddhist Council.

Jubilant to find my last name -Mall

Since I have learned about ancient history I am always fascinated by how mighty they might have been, and how many struggles they must have faced to make a kingdom whose name is engraved on red sandstone which is really impressive to treasure it.

What I can do today is to take inspiration on how to carry on that torch of the magnanimity of generations.

The present Kushinagar is identified with Kusavati (in the pre-Buddha period) and Kushinara (in the post-Buddha period). It was the capital of one of the two Malla republics. The two Malla republics comprised one of the sixteen mahajanpads (oligarchic republics) of India in the 6th century BCE.

Malla (Prakrit: 𑀫𑀮𑁆𑀮𑀈 ; Sanskrit: मल्ल​ Malla) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of मल्ल South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The population of Malla, the malla , were divided into two branches, each organised into a gaṇasaṅgha (an aristocratic oligarchic republic), presently referred to as the Malla Republics, which were part of the larger Vajjika League

What is Vishwa Shanti stupa famous for?

Vishwa Shanti Stupa (English: World Peace Stupa) is a giant white Peace Pagoda in Rajgir, Nalanda District, Bihar, near Gitai Mandir. Statues of the Buddha are mounted on the stupa in four directions. It also has a small Japanese Buddhist temple with a large park.

What is the old name of Vaishali?

It is believed that the ancient city of Vaishali got its name from King Vishal. Initially, it went by the name of Vishalapuri which was later on changed to Vesali or Vaishali. And the Vishal Fort here is believed to have been the parliament of the Lichchavis.

Where is Vaishali from history?

Vaishali, Pali Vesali, city of ancient India, north of Patna, northwestern Bihar state, on the Gandak River. In antiquity, Vaishali was the capital of the Licchavi Republic and was closely associated with the early histories of Buddhism and Jainism.

1. Vishwa Shanti Stupa

This stupa is a symbol of peace and love and enshrines the relics of Buddha in its foundation and top.

Vaishali is the place where Buddha preached his last sermon before his Nirvana. The Vishwa Shanti Stupa is erected according to the teaching of the Saodharma Pundarika Sutra (The lotus Sutra) to disseminate love and peace and to create “The pure Land” on the earth.

There is something mystic about Buddha that his ideology/practises remains to be spreading in the 21st century. As a mother, I sincerely wish that the next generation could learn to tap into those resources.

The construction of the stupa all over the world was initiated by most Ven. Nichidatsu Fuji Guruji, after seeing the tragedy of atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki of Japan, at the end of World War 2.

Some local kids were pulling out lotus flowers from a pond nearby and were selling them at 10 rupees per bud.

Nipponzan Myhoji and Rajgir Buddha Vihar Society have built the Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Vaishali. Through the contribution of devotees in India and Japan, The Lord Buddha’s relics have been enshrined on the foundation and on the top of the stupa.

A detailed description of world peace pagoda

Kolhua

Kolhua is a famous Buddhist excavation site situated approximately 65 km North-West of Patna. The excavations have revealed the famous Ashokan Pillar having a statue of a lion on the top. Excavations also revealed, many other articles related to Buddhism.

Emperor Ashoka built The Lion Pillar at Kolhua. It is made of a highly polished single piece of red sandstone, surmounted by a bell-shaped capital, 18.3 m high.

A life-size figure of a lion is placed on top of the pillar. There is a small tank here known as Ramkund. This pillar beside a brick stupa at Kolhua commemorates Buddha’s last sermon.

A life-size figure of a lion is placed on top of the pillar facing north, believed to be the direction of Lord Buddha’s last voyage. Generally, the pillars bear inscriptions by King Ashoka, but the one in Vaishali does not contain any such inscriptions.

Unlike other Ashokan Pillars, the pillar at Vaishali bears only one old lion carved in a seated position a the top signifies the end of the warrior inside King Ashoka and his new beginning as a Buddhist.

Identified by Alexander Cunningham, the pillar holds great significance for Buddhists as it is the place where Lord Buddha gave his last sermon and announcement of his approaching nirvana.

The pillar is preserved with utmost perfection and is still intact. There is a small tank called Ramkund situated within the premises. Nearby are the skeletal remains of a monastery known as Kitagarsala where Buddha used to stay during the rainy seasons spent at Vaishali.

Timings: 6 AM – 6 PM

Entry: Rs. 5 for Indians & Rs.100 for Foreigners

The Vaishali pillar has a single lion capital. The location of this pillar is contiguous to the site where a Buddhist monastery and a sacred coronation tank stood. Excavations are still underway and several stupas suggesting a far-flung campus for the sanctuary have been discovered.

The lion faces north, the direction Buddha took on his last voyage. Identification of the site for excavation in 1969 was aided by the fact that this pillar still jutted out of the soil. More such pillars exist in this greater area but they are all devoid of the capital.

Mahaveer

Vaishali district is known for its many religious significance. The history of this district has been extended from Lord Buddha to Lord Mahavir.

A small Japanese temple was on nearby premises with a big banyan tree providing much relief on that hot day.
It was scorching sunlight by the time we reached Mahavir Janamstahli tiredness can be seen on face
Categories
India

Spiritual Tourism is a new gold trip of 2023

One of the finest memorable moments of my life was a family trip to various places of spiritual significance. I have covered Kedarnath, Badrivishal, Gangotri, and Yamnotri at the age of 20 in our group a kid was of only two years. (If you think I was too young no in our culture parents start taking spiritual trips quite early as this help inculcate admirable virtues)

With domestic travel taking off in a big way post-pandemic, spiritual tourism is one of its fastest-growing segments. As per a travel trend analysis, spiritual tourism is going to be bigger in 2023.

Spiritual tourism estimates-Golden Temple Punjab: Have a 1 Lakh visitors daily, which is much higher than pre-pandemic.

Vaishno Devi Shrine, Jnk:32k-40k visitors per day(we also visited last summer/may with a heart of gratitude towards Mata Rani.

Guruvayur Devaswom, Kerala: 6k-7k visitor daily.

A Uttarakhand getaway a wellness and spiritual tour of south India and tours of the temple in Indore and Ujjaine are popular.

“It is no longer perceived as the retired community activity”

Young people are travelling for multiple causes beginning from Yoga -Meditation retreats, Learning stillness, Organic Farming, and Breaking away from mundane life.

Places such as Uttarakhand, Manali and other northeastern states provide therapeutic retreats that allow them to disconnect from their busy lives and rejuvenate.

There is also a spike in interest from NRI customer planning to explore the rich cultural heritage of India.

Combining luxury and spirituality

People are giving preference for hotels in Haridwar and Rishikesh that have private ghats, special Ganga aarti arrangements, daily yoga, meditation and walking area.

Now that people are more aware there is a growing demand for wellness, so the package offers a spiritual experience with rejuvenating yoga retreats and Ayurvedic spas.

Most popular destination:

Madurai

Thiruvananthapuram

Bodh Gaya

Gaya

Ajmer

Varanasi

Haridwar

Rishikesh

Kedarnath

Badrinath

Amritsar

Rameswaram

Categories
India

Plan your long weekends in advance

A few months have gone by in 2023 you must have enjoyed the festivities. Now it’s time to channel the traveller inside you. We will share a list of long weekends for the entire year and different locations you can select.

Make the most of your long weekends in 2023

Enjoy a pet-friendly vacay in India-

Ooty-There are hostels as well as cottages where you can stay with your pet, that too without paying any convenience fees.

Kerala-Houseboats in Kottayam and Munnar offer the best in class facilities including bedding, food, etc. Some resorts even provide dog-watching services.

Goa-From pet-friendly villas, homestays and cottages to restaurants offering pet-safe food, Goa is a Haven you must explore.

Jaisalmer-Most accommodations here have palatial as well as budget stays, and they allow pets to stay free of cost!

For spirituality seekers

Cambodia

How to get there; By air, takes an around six-a-half hour. Visa on arrival

Best time: November to May

Budget: Starts from 70000INR

This beautifully cultural country houses the largest spiritual complex in the world called Angkor Wat. Besides other temples.Tourist head to Buddhist sacred sites to experience deeper spirituality, healing and energy. Walk, cycle or tuk-tuk to explore the whole structure.

Indonesia

How to get there: By air, takes around five hours on a flight, visa on arrival

Best time: April to June, July to August

Budget:Start from 40000INR:Temple entry fee:approx 2000INR

For Slow Travellers

Bhutan

How to get there:By air,visa free travel.Carry voter id card,for kids,keep birth certificate or Adhar card handy

Best time:March,April,May,September,October,November

Budget:20000-50000 INR approx

Book your calendar

March

Wednesday,8March-Holi Saturday,11 March Sunday,12 March

April

Tuesday,4 April-Mahavir Jayanti Friday,7April-Good Friday Saturday,8 April Sunday, 9 April

May

Friday,5 May-Buddha Purnima Saturday,6 May Sunday,7 May

June/July

Thursday,29 June -Bakri Eid Saturday, 1 July Sunday,2 July

August

Saturday,12 August Sunday,13 August Tuesday,15 August (Take a day off on Monday 14)

September

Thursday,7 September-Janmashtami Saturday,9 September Sunday,10 September

October

Saturday,21 October Sunday,22 October Monday,23 October(Mahanavmi) Tuesday,24 October-Dussehra(Take off on Monday 23 October if you don’t have a closed holiday)

November

Saturday,11 November Sunday,12 November-Diwali

Saturday,25 November Sunday,26 November Monday,27 November-Guru Nanak Jayanti

December

Saturday,23 December Sunday,24 December Monday,25 December

Categories
India

Catitude is the new vibes of kids in 2022

I must admit that I have seen such behaviour in a few adults but to observe it on a regular basis is really one and a half years old for me. On a regular basis, I will feel like have a sense of oh you going to be big “better you worship me”!!! types. Not only this I will write 5 arguments in support of my claim.

Regular occupancy of Mumma’s attention

I tell you they will take 200 per cent of your attention when they are awake but also while sleeping, if at all I’m doing some work baby will come to sit on my lap and do all my writing on the keyboard with her spare hand (another one is busy poking into my eyes or nose). Some how she is totally capable of shutting down my laptop with a few random clicks which I never got till now.

2. Pleasure of Sitting on my face

Baby will leave the whole king-size (108*108cm)bed just to come and sit on my face simply continuing her endeavours baby will pound on my face with the force of her upper body -pressing her baby soft bumps on my face. Baby will do it with such a giggle smile and sound that you are forced to enjoy a few such punches.

3. Higher sense of smelling power

Baby can withhold her face to mum’s side and can find Mumma’s boobs without even opening the silt of her eyes. If at all I want to dislocate myself then I have done the greater manoeuvre of shifting with additional body weight or just drop the idea itself.

4. Snatching my diary at night to draw something of her own.

During the night baby will make sure to wind up her chores in the first fifteen minutes and come to disturb me in my diary writing process, in that case, I would prefer to distract her with some other notepad but no big no she wants only my diary same page -same pen. To she will snatch it away by quickly pounding on me and going to the corner of the bed to put on her own creativity.

5. Entitled to drink breast milk leaving away the rest of mum’s body.

The baby fell so entitled to suck on mum’s milk that she wants only one body part which is the nipple and leaves away everything. Baby will through away my hands leave alone thought of cuddling or hugging.

I can make this whole post in one go after a strong determination to start writing on my motherhood section. This journey is quite nasty and full of joy. Which we can never put into words fully we all can pour our thoughts into it. Drop your journey in the comment section.

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India

Beginning 2022 at sizzling Goa

What could be a better new year’s eve celebration than enjoying it with your family in a beautiful destination like Goa? While my ask was simply a couple of cosy days by the beach, Goa offered above and beyond.


I, my husband, and our little baby set off to Goa from Bengaluru via Hampi and halted there for a night.

As we proceeded towards Goa, the road conditions were slightly disappointing and the journey became taxing due to narrow and crowded roads, however, once we checked in our resort, the exhaustion was instantly gone.


To immerse ourselves in luxury I booked the stay in Lotus Sutra, located in the bylanes of Arambol because I believe in sustainable travel, and my approach aligned pretty well with this resort. From utilizing a broken commode as a flower pot to enhancing the decor by using waste plastic bottles, I came across a range of environmentally friendly and thoughtful DIY stuff during my stay.

You can watch some glimpses here

https://youtube.com/shorts/w3qEUOyzulM?feature=share

While talking about decor, I must mention, Buddha statutes and beautiful quotations on the wall as well as paintings were effortlessly adding to the ambience of the place, making it aesthetically appealing while creating a vibe of serenity.


After comforting ourselves with a hot shower and cosy bed we headed to the beach in the evening and met some young bubbly girls who were selling beautiful seashell items.

It was indeed fun to interact with them and buy some souvenirs for our friends back home. While the incessant waves and soothing breeze had made it very difficult to get off the shore, a live band performance awaited us in the resort.

We wrapped the night with lots of dancing and singing.
The next morning, I woke up to an unbelievable surprise planned by my husband. We went for a private boat ride from Chapora Beach to a very calm and isolated island where we watched a lot of seagulls.

It was one of those experiences which you wish to last forever. You must know that Goa is not just about beaches and parties but also about culture and cuisine.

The hospitality of goans will filch your heart away, try to connect with local people to enrich your experience and get your hands on offbeat activities.

They would also suggest you best places to eat and chill. We tried delicious food thalis, checked out dive bars, and dined in infamous restaurants as well.

If you have an eye for aesthetics and architecture, you will be mesmerized by the old Portuguese infra and colourful houses that speak a thousand words.


Finally, it was new year’s eve and one special thing I will remember it by is an adorable couple who were celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary. I simply couldn’t take my eyes off of them while they were dancing together and I was lucky enough to interact with them the next morning.
We enjoyed the last day of 2021 in the resort with live music and delicious food. Since we travelled with a small kid, a lot of things had to be taken into consideration while making plans.

A large number of parties are organized on new year eve in Goa, but we couldn’t attend one in Titos since the club had restricted entry of couples with kids and secondly,

we were unaware of B-Prak’s concert, so I would suggest to research well before making your itinerary and make the most out of your holidays.
At last, I would just like to mention one important thing for parents travelling with small kids, please stay both mentally and physically prepared.

In our case, the baby fell from the bed and we had run across town in the jam-packed roads to see a doctor, so plan meticulously and stay flexible with your plans.

This trip was indeed different from trips we have had as a couple but trust me the happiness of this vacation was multiplied by the joy of being parents.

Categories
India

Hampi is a City of legends

Hampi is certainly a city that has something to offer for each category of people as Historical seeker heaven, Spiritual bliss for Ramayana followers and massive opportunity for travellers to explore the city on a bicycle or by foot.

After three long years, we happened to visit the legendary land of Hampi along with other closer destinations attached in a road trip. We started our trip from Bangalore -Hampi -Gokarna-Murudeshwar-Shimoga. I will guide you in detail on which route we followed where we stayed.

I was observing the fast of teej and in the same night, we planned to start our journey with a family of four adults and one baby.

How to reach Hampi

Bangalore to Hampi roads is in good condition, barring a stretch of roadworks in progress.

If you are game for a 6 – 7½ hours drive, Bangalore-Hampi is a great drive, totalling about 340km. We started at 2 o’clock at night and staying at multiple locations we reached by 9:30 AM at our destination Hotel Clark Hampi.

We take the time to freshen up and started our day with a hotel paper to visit places later we decided to assign a tourist guide with us on our way to the main road we visited the ancient temple of Maa Saraswati.

Saraswati temple premises

First three sets of monuments we visited ourselves later we decided to hire a local guide who can help us to explain the aesthetic value in simple words.

Words of caution

  1. Get your sunglasses and sunscreen cream with you.

2. You can use your beech hats conveniently.

3. Get dressed in bold fabric colour so that you can be distinct from brownstone colour.

Queen’s Bath

I can only imagine how glorious would be kingdom whose queen use to take bath in such a magnificent perimeter filled with the fragrance of sandalwood pillars decorated with gold and was set on fire by attackers for same gold.

places for beauty edification
Single monolith door where hinges were visible
A magnificent place for the Dussehra celebration
Queens use to perform goddess Laxmi puja by taking water from the pond.
look at the way the stones are interlinked giving strength to wall .
If you are having tickets already purchased from the ASI portal download them
already because at vithala temple you will not get any network
Magical stone pillars that can produce melodious music to date
Three generations of feminine energy
If you have an intelligent guide then you will get numerous memories to withhold
Made up of a single monolith still monumental
Categories
India

7 Real fear of milestone Anxiety

Parents tend to be a keen observer of their child’s overall development depending on her age and ability etc, But sometimes it also makes us anxious about milestones, a child has reached/not reached.

Milestone anxiety is real! We need to understand a few things if it is not possible to take away the stress.

1-Comparison at any age gives anxiety so avoid it.

2-Avoid listening to comments about your babies development until and unless by a specialist (most of the time it is in your best interest yet they cause a lot of anxiety/stress too)

3-Babies always don’t need our hands on them to help, just creating an environment will be a big help.

4-Let babies explore themselves and problem solve themselves and that’s the best way to learn.

5-Every child and family have their own journey, accept it.

6-There are age ranges for every milestone so it’s ok to wait!

The beginning of five-month is hidden pressure of baby should crawl

7- Every child is unique and different, accept and respect the difference.

8-Few exercises that would help in achieving these goals are:

Rolling: Rolling and crawling are physical milestones, and happens more naturally. Although we know that rolling happens before crawling With doing mobility exercises in routine the aim is to make children mobile,

So keeping that intention in mind, we would obviously want the child to start crawling, as they will also gain strength and stamina in both upper and lower limbs with crawling, and this will also give them some sense of movement. But please be aware of the fact that none of the milestones can be achieved in just a few sessions.

We have to be patient and consistent with all the exercises suggested in the program. For rolling, You can use toys, mirrors, books, to engage her in the side-lying position. 

Please allow the baby to spend roughly equal amounts of time on both sides of the body throughout the day.

But I am determined to give my child a healthy & happy environment

Practising routine mobility: so what you do here is:
1. for few sessions you encourage a child to move with toys/goals/love/being with them on the floor etc. No towel, simply baby on tummy side

2. For general playtime, place baby on the tummy (instead of the back) and you can use the rolled-up towel under the chest as support to allow for more time on mob4s

3. Occasionally can keep her on both sides as well and encourage her to roll over.

Lastly, parents care and attention along with that well-fed, rested Baby can do micarcles.

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India

Twinning with every species mother

Here is hindi phrase as bhagwan muh phade hai to khana bhi denge! I was overwhelmed by nature’s planning within half an hour of her arrival milk was there(even with the use of oxytocin).

I remember I came out of the operation theatre and nurses were holding my baby closer to my breast and she was fondly opening and closing her mouth.

That was her third activity I guess which was a little too fast but mother nature has planned everything in advance. Even I have heard that the type of milk is also different as per baby meaning breast milk is different for baby boy, baby girl, twins boy and girl.

Then they suggest different types of intake in form of formula milk, express milk and breast milk. Somehow in the beginning visiting the doctor scare us by saying the baby weight is less and keep on decreasing as she was born 2.48 kg and she was decreasing by 10gm. Till the third day, he scared us deeply by saying her jaundice is increasing so and so forth.

First was breathing

Second was crying

The third was feeding

As soon as I started lactating I can feel some level of connection with the mother of all species and their respective baby. I ought to feel a surreal level of bonding with mother nature. In Hindi, we have a saying that God has planned all for you even before your arrival.

May we all mothers are possible to share every necessary skill set for the survival of our kiddo.

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India

Motherhood

Since we have seen a major shift in the mood of netizen from the beginning to the arrival of the corona -the spread of corona from a single case to first wave and second wave. We have seen how vulnerable our life is how microorganism can be catastrophic in a big way (may it is a virus, fungi, bacteria). After delivery I was infected with UTI was suffering from a fever of 105 degree

Respecting life

So why I am talking so much about the outer world so much because in the past few years I have been on a journey of self-discovery which make bring me to the conclusion that every life is valuable and moreover I am feeling special connection and respect with babies & mother of other species as well.

Since going out & seeking the outer world is no more liberty so I will give you insight into my journey through my pregnancy how things are going forward.

Medical Science and Vedic wisdom

Just to make this blog journey more efficient I will divide it into the term of medical term month-wise, plus how our ancient wisdom knowledge of Vedic wisdom paved a path of bright & shining little one so another pillar would be the performance of sanskaras.

Fruit of my nine-month SADHANA

So what makes it all worth it yes it gives me happiness, it give me sheer satisfaction to be able to breastfeed, to spend a sleepless night in the beginning, would certainly like to spread the joy from beginning from day one.

Since we were married for four years and have gone through all the elderly dialogue so whoever is struggling to conceive I have a piece of advice for you as well.

Memoire of past few years

What makes me document my journey is just another story of mother indeed but when I see how frequently the world is crumbly around me so it is better to give my baby a written testimonial of how, when, what happened.

A reader who ever is reading my post feel free to reach out to me on mentioned issues would love to share my expertise if possible.

Your Lovingly

Namrata(A mother)

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India

Tantalizing Malaysia in 6 Days

Here is the guide on how to cover Tantalizing Malaysia in 6 Days. Malaysia had always been on our travel list and being an Indian Australian, our regular trips back to India provided us with a perfect opportunity to make this happen in the year 2006.

We chose Malaysia as a transit while visiting India and spent 6 days experiencing this beautiful country.

This was the end of April and since Malaysia possess a tropical monsoon climate it was kind of hot and humid during this time.

Malaysia- “the truly Asia” the tourism advertisement which I used to watch on television, I agree was a perfectly chosen tag line as Malaysia oozed with Asian flavours including Indian and Chinese in its culture, food, language, rituals and ethnic wear.

Demography of Malaysia

Largely a Muslim country, the Southeast Asian country Malaysia has a population of about 32 million. The country is spread in parts of the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo and is known for its beaches, rainforests and mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultural influences.

How we started from Sydney

From Sydney, we landed in Singapore and decided to take a train to Malaysia- Kualalumpur (KL city) to be able to experience not only the train but its people and countryside.

Amazed to find Railways Coach empty

It was approximately a 6 hours journey which started in the afternoon. The first-class coach had berths arranged parallel to its windows both sides opposed to 90-degree angle arrangement in Indian trains.

The trains were almost empty unlike India and beds were comfortable and cosy. We arrived at KL Sentral (Central) around midnight and proceeded to our hotel room.

The KL city is a metropolis, home to colonial buildings, very clean and tidy with busy shopping districts such as Bukit Bintang.

Our hotel was very close to the Petronas twin tower and we couldn’t be any more excited to visit the Petronas tower
the first thing in Malaysia.

Petronas twin tower

The Petronas twin tower is 451 meters (88 floors) high and boasted the
status of the tallest building in the World from 1998 to 2004 until Taipei 101 was built.

The observation decks at the top were built tastefully and had a laser station where people could try their hands building their own twin towers- a lot of fun for everyone, no matter child or an adult.

The expansive view of the city from the observation deck was mesmerising. Once visited, we were happy to tick off an iconic building from our travel list.

We spent the rest of the day visiting the magnificent
shopping malls and trying local dishes. During the day, we boarded a monorail which provided a better way to see around the city.

During the evening we visited the Petronas twin tower gardens one more time which had a tasteful display of lighting fountains and finished our day relaxing in the warm spa pool in the hotel wiping off the whole day tiredness.

Batu caves

The next day was scheduled for Batu caves. Batu which means “rock” is a series of caves and temples in a limestone hill. Batu caves are Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Murugan.

Climbing 278 steps with a baby in arm on a hot humid day was not fun but it paid off in the end when we arrived
in huge, breathtaking natural limestone caves.

The gold polished Murugan statue at the bottom of the hill is the third tallest statue of Hindu deity in the World and we were mesmerised by its
magnificence and Hindu influence in Malaysia.

The refreshing, sweet coconut water once we got down was a saviour on that humid day. During the evening, we decided to visit the little India which had lots of shops selling Indian dresses, jewellery and artefacts.

There was also no dearth of south Indian restaurants serving mouth-watering food generously on a banana leaf and at a very reasonable
price. It was amazing to see how Indian culture seamlessly bonded with Malaysian and Chinese.

Mouth-watering food generously on a banana leaf
The Genting Highlands


The Genting Highlands was next on our list. Genting Highlands is a cool hill station set amidst the majestic 100 million-year-old rainforest.

Just 45 minutes away from KL City, this hill has multiple indoor and outdoor theme parks, an 18-hole golf course, a casino, and Malaysia’s biggest strawberry farm.

Genting Highlands is also perfect for adventure enthusiasts for activities such as abseiling, indoor rock climbing and flying fox activities.

Throughout the 3.4 km-long journeys, the gondola-style
cable car offered breathtaking views of mist cladded rainforests and numerous landmarks within the highlands.

The Genting Highland was full of natural beauty and provided a well-deserved escape from the hustle-bustle of the busy city life and heat and humidity.

Langkawi district


After spending almost 3 days in KL city, it was time to move to another location- Langkawi. Langkawi district is an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea some 30 km off the mainland coast of
northwestern Malaysia.

In Langkawi, we hired a car to be able to move freely and conveniently.
Once settled in our new hotel and having a good rest overnight, the next day we visited the Sky Bridge which is a 125 metre-long curved pedestrian bridge that offered an exhilarating (and sometimes terrifying) view of the waterfalls, and several islets surrounding Langkawi. The bridge is set 700 metres above sea level and is only accessible via the final station of the Langkawi Cable Carride.

We paid Malaysian Ringgit 35 for adults and 25 for children (two to 12 years old) to be able to go on this bridge. This sturdy bridge had two triangular platforms where we relaxed, enjoyed the
cool breeze and clicked some memorable photos.

When I encounter inciting Dhaba


Langkawi Island had multiple Dhaba style restaurants lined along the roads where we enjoyed not only local dishes but a wide variety of
refreshing tropical fruit juices such as pineapple, mango, watermelon, Lychee, Logan along with iced coffee and iced tea.

Eagle Square


The famous Eagle Square was next on our list. The Eagle square displayed a striking 12 metre-tall sculpture of an eagle poised to take flight atop an elevated platform. This place had hordes of tourists and a thriving business of shops and restaurants.

While driving through Langkawi, we took multiple breaks along the way as there were lakes and sea beaches all along the road and it was hard not to stop at these beautiful locations.

There was beauty spread all along. And then came the sad part, time to depart from Malaysia. We left Malaysia feeling refreshed, learning about its culture, and having engraved lots of memories in our minds and memory stick.

I loved Malaysia so much that I would not mind visiting this country again if an opportunity arises.