It was LFC time again! Thanks to my father’s public sector job, we were entitled to go on a holiday every fours years to any place in India. After covering South and West of India, we wanted to see the northern part, to see mountains and snow. Some of the prominent places to visit in North India like Delhi, Chandigarh, Kullu, Manali, Amritsar were covered in this tour, while we covered others later
Manali was a dream destination. I still remember the aha moment I had when I first saw snow clad mountains at a distance as we went from Chandigarh towards the hills. I couldn’t get enough of it and peeped through every window across the twists and turns of the roads to see more of the mountains
Delhi
The capital of India and many erstwhile kingdoms of the past. There is a majestic feeling in the city. Despite pollution, you can see many forested areas, wide roads, large bunglows and many administrative buildings in the city
Metro connectivity is pretty good if you want to see major sites without getting stuck in traffic. If you have the means, hire a car for the day so that you can hop on and off at multiple places and save energy for walking inside the complexes rather than from and to attractions
Qutub Minar
Built in the 12th century by Qutub-ud-din Aibak after defeating Prithviraj Chauhan, thsi tower is another UNESCO World Heritage site in Delhi. The pillar has five storeys, with each one having a sifferent design. The tower is closed after a stampede in 1980s, but you can see it lit in the evenings and sometimes in colors for specific occasions
Bahá’í Lotus Temple
Shaped like a lotus with 27 marble petals, this place of worship is open for all relegions. Bahai faith has its origins in Iran in 19th century founded by Baháʼu’lláh
Humayun Tomb
One of the architecture masterpieces from the Mughals, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a standout in the area. The red-white tomb of Humayun, father of the famous ruler Akbar, has intricate architecture where you can spends hours admiring the patience, vision of ancient times. There is a large garden complex around with tombs of many other people. If you are in the region, you can see Akshardham temple on the other side of river Yamuna
Akshardham temple
Modern temple built in 2025 in red stone. The comples is large, taking 2-3 hours to walk inside and see all sides of the temple. You have to leave your belongings outside including electronics, bags, shoes
India Gate
The famous building that has an ever burning lamp at Amar Jawan Jyoti, dedicated to soldiers of the country. All the promiment offices and residences are in this area- The President’s residence Rashtrapati Bhavan, the parliament house Sansad Bhavan, Kartavya Path where the Republic day Parade takes place ending at India Gate
Rajghat area
Houses last remains of famous personalities of India like Gandhiji, Pandit Nehru, Lal Bahdur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Chaudhry Charan Singh and many others
Red Fort
This is the place where the Indian flag is hoisted every year on Independence day. Built by Shah Jahan, the fort is on similar lines of Agra Fort. There are many audience halls, gates, residences inside. Do not miss the step well which has a unique design. You can also visit Jama Masjid close to the fort- the largest mosque in India
There are many smaller, less famous places with ruins of the past like Lodhi gardens, Jahaz Mahal. If you are a history buff, spend a week in Delhi exploring them one by one, you will be amazed by the rich history of the past
Markets
Sarojini Market, Palika Bazaar, Chandni Chowk have famous markets which are all for the brave. You have to bargain quite a lot and be prepared to be stuck with fake goods. Depending on your skills, you can find good souveniers and clothes here. Even if you don’t buy anything, the street food is really good compared to all cities in India. Try out chaats, gol gappas, parathas, chole bature, kulcha, kachoris, momos and sweets
One of our relatives worked in the Navy, so we got to stay with them at the Navy quarters in Chanakyapuri, home to most of the embassies of all countries
Chandigarh
The capital of Punjab, Haryana and a union territory on its own. The city is well planned with wide roads, names sectors, predictable infrastructure. It is the first planned city of India designed by French architect Le Corbusier
Rock Garden
Built from recycled materials by Nek Chand, his hobby efforts have transformed into a large garden now
Cactus Garden: One of the largest in Asia with 3k+ species of cactus, green houses
Himachal Pradesh
One of the states that are a window to Himalayan mountains, along with Uttarakahand, Sikkim. While we cover the major spots, pick any small town and camp there for a few weeks. You will realize how small you are compared to the mighty mountains, that life doesn’t need the speed or money to be happy
Shimla
Capital of Himachal Pradesh. Mall road id the famous place where all tourists come in to enjoy the views, shop, sip coffee and hang out. Christ Church, Scandal Point are most visited places here. While you can search and find places to visit, there is actually not much to do in any of them. Plan to just relax in Shimla, so focus more on the hotel you stay
Manali
This place was magical. Every house had loads of roses on creepers decorating them. The street dogs had thick coats, loved to be cuddled. It was a quaint small town that I had always dreamt of
Rohtang Pass was on the itinerary- the first place where I saw snow in my life. The traffic jams were heavy to reach the place. Only select number of jeeps, about 1000 are permitted everyday, so you need to go through local agents to avoid problems. Permits are available a day in advance from Tourist Information centre
I played so much in the snow that my feet went numb and others had to help so much to prevent frost bite. Be careful and avoid direct contact with snow for a long time, you risk losing fingers and toes worst case
We spent the evening visiting Hidimba temple. It was very crowded and had queues for 2-3 hours. This is the temple that got featured in the South Indian movie “Roja“
Manikaran- Kullu
Home to temple, Gurudwara and many hot springs. You can take a dip in the hot pools, supposed to be good for your skin
Kufri
Known for winter sports, this area did not have much to offer in summer apart from nice views
Punjab
The land of merry! Punjabis don’t take themselves too seriously. You can see a army man, a singer in every house here; you can also see farmers in Mercedes. Their outlook towards life is something to learn from
Amritsar
Golden temple
The Golden temple was a never seen before landmark for me- completely covered in actual gold. The spirituality, optimism and energy keeps you going, something unique to Indian places of worship. Guru Granth Sahib is placed at the centre- the holy scriptures of Sikhs
Sikhism originated in 15th century through teachings of Guru Nanak. Men always wear a turban and many other relegious symbols. The Sikhs have been warriors and continue to contribute large numbers to Indian defense forces
There is a community feeling despite any relegion you belong to. Ensure you have a meal here- called langar. You can see many devotees in social service- cleaning premises, used plates, keeping shoes and doing everything required to keep this temple going
Visit once again suring night to see the temple lit, with reflections on the lake Amrit Sarovar.
Jallianwalah Bagh memorial
Very close to Golden temple, this memorial is dedicated to people who died in 1919 under General Dyer’s open masaccre. You actually feel the pain, agnony and sacrifice of millions of people during India’s freedom struggle. We felt luck to inherit a free India in our times
We did tons of shopping in Amritsar for clothes, sweaters, food like Lassi, Paranthas and what not. Probably the biggest outflow of our life in many years
Wagah Border
Emotions fly high here every evening as the flag gets lowered on both sides of India Pakistan border. You can see people chanting with patriotism. The official march has a gait, courage, patriotism unexplainable through words. You need to be here to witness the emotions- it is almost like a India- Pakistan cricket match in its final overs where result hinges on the last ball. It is a competition showcasing to each side what it means to protect the land
Haryana
Kurukshetra
This is the place where the famous war of Mahabharata happened for 18 days in 3000 BC. There are many sarovars and temples where people take a holy dip. Bhishma kund is the place where king Bhishma was laid on bed of arrows till Uttarayan (Winter solstice) came and he left for heavenly abode
This tour was done many years ago when flying was rare, supposed to be a perk that only few could afford in India. I can see the change over years, in technology, economic situation, outlook towards travel which have all changed for the better. I am hopeful about what the future can entail- maybe Mars is not that far!