Travel diaries: Post cards from Gujarat-Part I

Travel diaries; Navlakha Temple, Ghumli, Gujarat

The temple in the above pictures is the 'Navlakha Temple' in Ghumli, Gujarat. Built in the 10-12th century AD by the Jethwa rulers of Saurashtra/ Gujarat it is dedicated to the 'Sun God' and is the oldest Sun temple in Gujarat. In my opinion it was spectacular, just rose out of the foot-hills in it's amazing ancient glory.

It is an important archeological site and we quite enjoyed exploring it one afternoon! Some-times I think India is so vast and there is so much beauty, in my lifetime I'll not be able to explore it in it's entirety. I am going to try my hardest though, this trip was full of visits to amazing places and it has made me even more determined to see more of this world! I long to be a permanent nomad, exploring and spending extensive time in places I like. But then I remember I need to earn a living.

Clothes-wise I stuck to the tried and tested bright long-kurta with jeans combination for ease and fun. These pictures don't do justice to the beautiful temple and it's surroundings barring the fact that the rubbish dumped around sites like these by people who come to visit, makes my blood boil!

Travel diaries: Charminar, Hyderabad

The city of extravagant palaces, beautiful tombs, stunning temples, of Nawabs, of tehzeeb and old-world charm, mouth-watering cusine and amazing textiles; Hyderabad. Walking around the Charminaar and surroundings on a warm morning before the shops opened and the frenzy began I could see glimpses of the grand city it once was and the mess it now is. I wish we are able to value the rich heritage we have in India while moving toward a more sustainable future. I am glad I visited though, the biryani and my uncle's home cooked food were delectable to say the least and it makes me so happy to see beautiful ancient structures, the plastic waste they are surrounded by makes my blood boil but that is a rant made for another post.

I will post a few of my travel photos in the next few weeks, clothes-wise I mostly stuck to the long kurta, jeans/ shorts combination. This yellow hand-loom kurta was bought the night before these pictures were taken and in my opinion is a wonderful find. I pretty much used the same leather bag and same few flat shoes over the entire trip and didn't carry a single pair of heels. It was fun to travel light on the way over, on the way back though, it was a whole different drama. Basically all you need to know is I had a lot of new kurtas to wear, not enough time to wear them all and I can't wait to return home to travel some more in India. :)

Some more travel photos

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness" ~Mark Twain, I couldn't agree more. These are some more photos taken on our various travels in India last year, I cannot wait to go back and explore more of the beautiful country.

Some travel photos

Travelling makes for such great pictures don't you think? I could look through travel blogs for hours and not get bored, the best feeling is to be packing for a new adventure, looking forward to the exploring and quiet moments of beauty. These pictures were taken travelling through little towns in Gujarat and stir the wanderlust in me soo bad.

Telling one's unique story through captured moments while the travelling magic courses through one's system is beyond exhilarating. I have noticed I keep collecting photos and things that inspire the wanderlust in me and can't wait to one day take-off and just keep going at any pace I choose. *Sighs wistfully while ironing shirt for work.*

Block print by the sea

Flowy hand block printed cotton dresses, beaded bangles, silver, shells, embroidered camel leather, a mirror work belt and bandhani chunnis make perfect autumn wear in my books. Going to the beach to watch another spectacular sunset is made even more special. I feel tremendously lucky to call such a beautiful city my home.

Running around in an embroidered choli

In my opinion things can't get better than hanging out with one's loved ones in a tropical jungalow by the coast with three massive dogs and a cat wearing embroidered clothes made by kickass women!

This choli was bought off a lady from Kutch and is among my most treasured objects. I cannot wait to go back to Kutch's magnificent white sand encrusted desert plains soon.

The landscape and arts and crafts are exquisite, while Rajasthan is being marred by unsustainable tourist influx thankfully Kutch is off the trail for most. I find people who go to Jaipur for three days, Jaisalmer for two, buy some shiny looking clothes only tourists buy, then come back to the first world and start calling India Motherland and decide to wear bindis to every music festival. People like that are just so ignorant and very funny to me.

Two days to Fridaaay, yaay!