Bohemia/Czech Republic - Praha

Today’s Czech Republic was once part of The Kingdom of Bohemia, under the Holy Roman Empire which included eastern European countries as Austria, Poland , Hungary, (then) Yugoslavia, etc and Prague was it’s capital . From the early 16^th century, the kingdom was ruled by the very powerful Austrian Habsburg Empire.

The Habsburgs expanded their territory throughout Europe and their monarchy continued for nearly 400 years over Bohemia.  After the decline of Habsburg Empire at the end of World war I, “Czechoslovakia” was formed.

With the beginning of World War II, Czechoslovakia was annexed by the Nazis. Initially they were to occupy only the German speaking territories but eventually entire Czechoslovakia fell into their control.

German Occupied Czechoslovakia was freed with the support of the Allies in 1945. Thereafter, the country became a communist state under Soviet influence.  Years of growing dissatisfaction amongst people gave birth to several uprisings and movements. One very important and significant event was the Velvet Revolution which was a non-violent transition of power in 1989 which took place for a month and officially ended 41 years of Communist rule in the country. 

And finally the dissolution of Czechoslovakia was peacefully achieved in 1991 and thus was formed Czech Republic and Slovakia. 

The above is only a miniscule of a fraction of 1500 years of History.

Today’s Prague is one of the most beautiful cities and sought after destinations in Europe, buzzing with thousands of visitors from all over the world. Prague’s Historical centre is enlisted under UNESCO World Heritage Centre and is dotted with historical monuments and structures. It is one of the best preserved cities in the world and the best way to explore Prague is by taking long walks and getting lost in the cobbled streets. Every structure is blended with art, beautiful lanterns on streets, flower beds and decorations in cafes and windows, the very quiet Vltava river banks, beautiful parks- so much history , so medieval! 

For a long while , I wanted to see it for myself - Prague's skyline and walk through it's famed cobbled stone streets..but with just 6 nights in Prague out of my 10 full days trip, I  may have barely scratched the surface. My original itinerary was to cover only Czech Republic, but was also too smitten by Vienna (just 4.5 hours away), so plugged in a 3 nights trip in between, which allowed me to catch a whiff of the city and I had to had to visit Cesky Krumlov , so another day was devoted to CK . 

To get the best views of Prague, you need to take some effort . So, climbed the towers ,which are anything between 170-200+ steps , steep,narrow spiral staircase up the tower! On few days I was'nt  very fortunate with the weather/ light but nonetheless, the views were still worth every step. Some of them have an old elevator which in itself is another experience .


View from Old Clock Tower - 172 feet high above ..

Old Town Square 

Most of  Prague's Historical Centre was built between 11th - 18th  century and  displays an ensemble of  interesting works of art and architectural splendour .

The next view is from Charles Bridge Tower ..and a similar climb but another day !  

Charles bridge is the most famous bridge over Vltava and also the most crowded.

One End of Charles Bridge with St.Nicholas Church in the background .

  St.Nicholas Church is a very beautiful Baroque church built in the 17th century. Beautiful frescos fill the church walls and Dome ceiling .The interiors are decorated with sculptures bearing the colors in gold,white and pastels .

  

The very ornate interiors of St.Nicholas Church 

Walking through The city of hundred Spires, you are confronted  endlessly by art.. Pastel colored buildings with incredible Art works dots the city .

Vysehrad is another castle district not frequented by many tourist crowds and a very quiet and peaceful area ..A beautiful & vast park , St.Peters Basilica , a Cemetry which is the final resting place of many known composers,writers,sculptors ,painters and such , are some of the highlights of Vysehrad ( pronounced as VisH- Ey- Hrat) .

From the park at Vysehrad 

Last day in Prague and a sunset boat cruise ..

A trip to Prague is incomplete without a boat cruise on the Vltava .

Kailasnathar Temple - from the Pallavas

Kanchipuram –   synonymous with the rich silk Kanjeevarams , traditionally woven and originated from this small town of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.  But this is not why I was in this town Or to be honest, not primarily.

Kanchipuram from being the capital of the Pallavas, is also famous for its ancient and very old temples – and this is what got me here, 75 kms from Chennai . I wanted to see the structures , the pillars, the sculptures which were laid over 1300 years ago .One such temple is the Kailasnathar Temple , the only extant and testimony of the first Pallava Dynasty structure in South India. Prior to this, temples were constructed from wood  or carved within caves / rocks and boulders.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva , Kailasnathar Temple was constructed between 685 -705 AD . The architecture is unique and since it is one of the earliest structures it perhaps does not  bear much  resemblance to the temple structures built by succeeding rulers though the latter structures have drawn influences from here.

The inner courtyard . There are 58 subshrines within the complex 

All the pillars are adorned with the mythical half lion face.

As per mythology and beliefs ,Lord Shiva appeared to a sage named Romasa and mentioned to him the Circumambulatory passage inside the Kailasanathar temple grants salvation. Many devotees still come here and crawl through the narrow passage for deliverence .

There are many exquisite temples all over Tamil Nadu , few of which I managed to see.  But the Kailasnathar Temple holds a command and authority of its own. 

Today this temple is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The Great Rann

With the change in seasons a massive wetland transforms itself  into an uninterrupted shimmering expanse of sheer white -  a landmass seemingly void .Welcome to The Great Rann of Kutch !

As seen from the Archaeological Site

A "salt marsh"/desert that spreads over 7,500 sq.kms stretching between India and Pakistan with the reputation of largest salt desert in the world. 

The shallow wetland submerges under water during monsoons and post monsoon transforms into a white- endless-sheet over a few months' period of time . You will not be able to walk on the surface or take a drive inside unless the salt crystals have hardened up . 

Best time to visit would be December onwards until March . Reach the place atleast a couple of hours before sunset , walk over the expanse without a care , lose yourself (not literally please !) , talk to the local folks, enjoy the folk music, can choose a horse or camel cart ride, soak up in the sunset , and when the sun is down , hang on with your crazy pals for some "ghost stunts" , look up , the blue has turned into millions of silver sparkles and if on a Full Moon night , you would perhaps want to camp out there (Not Allowed !) .

The vastness dwarfs every other entity around it .

There is constant patrolling and you can hang out in the Rann only until a certain time.

Please note : You will need necessary permits to enter Rann of Kutch which are issued at Police Outpost in Bhirandiyari.

Where to stay :  You can choose from Shaam -E-sarhad / Hodka Zeel /Gujarat Tourism Tents at Dhordo/ Gateway to Rann Resort .










The other experience in Kutch that should not be missed is the village tour . The intricate and exquisite artwork & crafts in each of these villages are indigenous to the region.You can pick up a lot of  these stuff directly from the craftsmen.Check out the art work on their walls and interiors of the bhungas.
The different tribes/communities of Kutchh add an intriguing dimension to their land and culture. It is essential as in anywhere in the world , to be respectful to their culture and unique ways of living. A local home cooked food could be a bonus !

Enjoy the local food - Bhakri and White Butter should be the mantra !
In most places, the meals are freshly prepared basis your order ( ie from the options given to you !).

Kutch is very easily accessible unlike some of the most awesome places in our country,where travel & logistics could be a pain.

Nearest Airport /Railway Stn :  Bhuj .
Alternate Option : via Ahmedabad .