Hello,
Here is the links for picnic memories, please take time to see the pix.
http://picasaweb.google.com/exchangetalk/Jammu#
http://picasaweb.google.com/exchangetalk/delhi#
http://picasaweb.google.com/exchangetalk/
And below is the details of our picnic, I hope it will help you for your trip to Jammu and Delhi, Agra, Mathura and Gwalior.
Thanks and warm regards
Digamber
Day -1 – December 11, 2008
We reached at Bandra Terminus by 7:30am via Sion, Swaraj Express has arrived at 8:35am
We had reservation for Jammu.
We entered to Gujarat by 10.30am.
At 10pm train reached at Kotha
Day -2 – December 12, 2008
At 5am we passed Delhi railway station, we are freezing here, it was cold in Delhi.
Train was getting late because of Fog, it was difficult to see outside because of Foggy atmosphere.
And train entered to Punjab at 11am; still it’s foggy outside and its cold also.
At 4.30pm train stopped at Jammu Tavi Railway station. When we get off to Jammu Tavi, we founded the army soldier everywhere on platform; they all were doing the perambulation for our security. we had booked the bus for 38 person for Katra (its 45km from Jammu). Bus started at 5.10pm from Jammu.
We got check post on the way of Katra, and at check post security guards were checked to each and every passenger and his luggage except any female.
We reached Katra at 7.30pm. We were tired because of bus traveling, roads had zig-zag turns without street lights lamp.
Now need to take rest, for rest we require the room, we found nice hotel (lodge) at (Katra) market (Hotel Ashoka Inetrnational).
About Hotel Ashoka International.
Hotel staff was helpful and they had showed the courtesy when we are there at hotel.
We can recommend to any person who is going to Jammu for Vaishnavdevi Darshan.
Hotel wala provided the pick up and drop facility for our group hotel has the Omni cars for customers.
Hotel manager was helpful he guided us for our journey.
Day -3 – December 13, 2008
At 5.30am we wake up, we all were ready to climb for Vaishnav devi darshan.
We started at 7am, hotel vehicle dropped us at Katra market, we made group of 5 person (it is easy to co-ordinate with 1+4 person than big group) we register our self for yatri purchi (purchi is Free of Cost by trust) on Vaishnav devi trust’s office.
Only one counter was opened for yatri purchi, it’s took time to get purchi. And at 8.30am we got the purchi. We made the group of 5 people.
We need to go at Banganga first because the route is starting from Banganga. We reached Banganga by Auto-rickshaw [Rs 25 for 4 sawari (Passenger)]
From Banganga, we can take Poni or Horse to reach (on the top) mata’s temple.
Poni wala will charge RS 2650 (return) and Horse wala will charge the Rs340 for one side (Rs340+ Rs 340 for return), Helicopter will charge Rs 1350 one side (Rs 1350 + Rs 1350 for Return) or devotee can go by walk for 14.5 kilometers.
We decided to climb up, we walked almost a 1 km (just passed one check post) and feel tired, and we discuss with our group and decide to take horse for mata’s temple. We hired 4 horse (one member (Rahul) wants to climb up on his own). We crossed three more check post before reaching on top. We take halt twice for refreshments. And it took 3hours 35minutes (at 12.40pm) to reach on top.
And we took the darshan at Adhwakumari, person has to enter through narrow gufa (he has to sleep and move through gufa to enter mandir)
10 minutes walk we reached at Vaishnav devi’s temple, here we need to show our yatra purchi (registeration for Mata’s darshan), before stand in Queue we have to keep our luggage at outside (like any leather items (wallet/ belt/jacket), pen, watch, cell phones and shoe’s/sandle’s etc.) at lockers room (its available at free of cost).
Then show your yatra purchi and enter (stand) for Queue. We reached in 5 minutes at ghufa, people were standing on chilled marble, Trust has organized for water, and it’s for washing the legs before entering to mata’s main mandir. We enter Mata’s main mandir its was really nice experience for me. Jai mata di.
We met some co-passengers (of Swaraj Express) at vaishnav devi’s route.
After Vaishnav devi darshan we had lunch (Chawal, Rajma and chole with Puri) and rush for Bhairavnath’s darshan.
Few of group members are still climbing to come up, and we are waiting for our group members on top. We had 4-5 cup of coffee, at 3pm we were freezing in this atmosphere on top.
At 4.15pm we had started towards getting down and we reached at Banganga by 7.30pm, hired auto-rickshaw to reach hotel. We are completely tired because of long march (14.5 km, from vaishnav devi temple to Banganga)
We reached hotel room by 8pm. And really want to get into bed. But we have few group member were staying with us and we had one handicap girl and she also came by 8pm at hotel and her mom and sister still climbing towards vasihnav devi temple and me and Ritesh need to take care of her, we arrange food for her.
Few members came at 12.45am (midnight). Then we had gone to sleep in our hotel room.
Day -4 – December 14, 2008
6am we woke up, and getting ready to go for shiv khori, it’s the place has the huge caves (at time 250 person can stand there in caves). We went down and did our check out for hotel room at 7.30am. And we are waiting for other group members who did not came back yesterday night. We tried to call on phone, and they committed to reach at hotel by 12pm.
We made plan to explore the Katra city in sphere time. We ate chole kulcha for breakfast. Its nice dish, they are preparing without garlic and onion. It was really nice to eat as breakfast. We really enjoyed the food in Katra (without onion and garlic).
In Katra, for food preparation they are not using onion and garlic. Because vaishnav devi devotee has to avoid eating onion and garlic. And non-veg food and liquor is also completely prohibited in Katra, if anyone found guilty s/he will be fine with Rs5000.
Other group members has come back to hotel in the evening at 5.30pm till time we ask hotel wala for our room again, we had decided to stay there in hotel for one more day.
We had lunch near lodge. Then we went to room for rest, and we came out in the evening for shopping at katra market, we were roaming in market, we had Pizza at Jewels hotel in katra market, it’s a nice place to eat pizza, well organized and they have self service for customers.
Meanwhile all group members are came back to hotel from vaishnav devi. Some members come to market for shopping. And we had dinner at Krishna hotel in market. It was nice food.
Day -4 – December 15, 2008
3.50am we woke up, and getting ready to go for Shiv khori, me and Ritesh came down with our luggage and we did our check out at 6.30am and we have been waiting for bus, we had arrange the bus to go for Shiv Khori. Bus comes by 9am. Till time we were waited for bus.
Today, is sankashti chaturthi, and I am keeping fast. Ritesh also kept fast for today.
It was far from hotel and we have to reach at Jammu Tavi by 7.35pm, we have confirm reservation with Uttarkranti express for Delhi.
Day -5 – December 16, 2008
At 6.40am we reached at New Delhi railway station. We hired collie for our group luggage. Meanwhile we arranged the hotel rooms for our groups near railway station. We stay at Ved Hanse Hotel, it was bad experience in Delhi, as per my experience I can say, do NOT trust to any one who belongs to Delhi, you will find all the cheater and fraudulent there.
We give some amount to hotel wala and came with our group members and luggage, that he did not speak in manners with us, he asked for all members photo identity, as a group of 18 people we do not have all members photo identity, (we had photo identity with all members, but hotel wala wanted only voter ID card and driving licenses’, he refused to accept PAN card also), also he took all members digital photo from his web cam. After long dispute we mange to hotel wala. Again he was not satisfy with what happened, now he had asked for full payment for hotel room, we said ok, then he added 10% service tax in payments (he did NOT told when we came for room booking, and we gave him 10% service tax also).
9am we entered into hotel room, we took fresh bath and getting ready for sight seeing in Delhi, we need to book vehicle for sight seeing. We went to travel wala for vehicle booking. Guys that travel wala also cheat us.
We all have to go to visit Akshar dham also, travel wala told us its far from here and you need to travel towards UP (state) and he told us do not go there you need to pay more charges for that. We decided not to visit Akshar dham as its far from out hotel room.
Before staring the site seeing me and Ritesh had breakfast opposite to railway station, there are many thelas for breakfast, and the hotel wals use to call customers, he use to stand in front of road, and ask come and eat food in his hotel.
We find nice non-veg stuff on display, and decided to eat some no-veg for breakfast on thelas, we did not ask the hotelwala for prices of dishes, we randomly ordered Chicken 65 and roti for both of them. Hotel wala serve the veg salad before chicken and roti, we were enjoying the salad, and chicken 65 is came to our table to eat, me and ritesh were discussing while eating about the quality of food. We finished the cihicken and Roti. And asked for bill, hotelwala charge Rs216 for breakfast, we really surprised with bill amount (again we cheated in Delhi).
Finally we hired two Qualis (name of vehicle) for Rs3,000 (Rs1,500 for one vehicle) 12.30pm vehicle come to hotel, and we started to explore Delhi.
We started with Birla mandir (temple), it’s a nice temple (neat and clean), while going on road, we found the road are completely crowded by vehicles and still there was no traffic jam on some roads, we drive on cannaught place, pragati maidan and many more roads (really not remembered the name of roads).
We reached to delhi gate, it’s a really nice place most of tourist are visiting this place.
Ghandi ghar
Nehru ghar,
Lotus temple
Raj ghat
At 7.30pm we reached to Deepak dhaba, at New Delhi railway station, its near to our hotel also. After dinner we took walk to move to hotel Ved Hansa.
We ask vehicles to same travel wala for tomorrows traveling, we had booked the two quails with goods carrier, and we are traveling with luggage, that’s why we require the carrier to keep our luggage. He charged Rs12,500 for two Qualis (Vehicle)
Day -6 – December 17, 2008
At 5.30am we woke up, got ready to go for Mathura, we reached at 2.30pm at Mathura.
At 5.00pm we reached at Taj gate, it’s the time to close the gate, and we are reached a nano seconds before the close the gate.
At Taj, you need to take entry ticket (of Rs 20) to see Taj Mahal, and on every Friday all tourist has FREE entry.
At 11.30pm at night we reached at Gwalior, (Chetak Puri, Vjaya nagari).
Day -7 – December 18, 2008
We woke up at 8 am, today there was no schedule to explore Gwalior city, and we planned to do some shopping in local market. Gwalior is known for cheap city of India (people are saying they have cheap rates for all products).
Day -8 – December 19, 2008
We booked the mini bus to explore Gwalior. We visited to Museum, Shinde (Sindiya) Palace (Rs30 for palace entry)
Day -9 – December 20, 2008
Bus has arrived on 10am,
We visited to
Zoo
Chambal,
Boat ghar
Dam
Surya mandir
Chatri of Shinde’s (Shindiya’s) famly
Anchaleshwar temple.
Day -10 – December 21, 2008
We had done the packing of our entire luggage and getting ready to leave the Gwalior for return journey of home (back to Mumbai, Dombivli)
We were at lodge till 12.40pm and we had train schedule of 2pm. We successfully managed to reach before train arrived on Gwalior railway station.
with loads of luv
Digs…
Cell: 98691 123 90
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