Sobhayamanam

A 2007 family travel story by Sobha Kalyani Some journeys are not remembered because of luxury, expensive stays, or perfect photographs. They remain close to the heart because of the emotions attached to them, the laughter shared during long drives, and the innocence of travelling during a simpler time. Our family trip to Mysuru and Bengaluru in September 2007 was one such unforgettable journey — a beautiful chapter from an era before smartphones, Insta stories or reels and social media updates that took over travel itself. Back then, vacations were truly about living in the moment in togetherness and closeness. Memories were stored in the heart more than in mobile galleries. After spending two wonderful days amidst the misty hills and cool weather of Ooty, we continued our journey towards the royal city of Mysuru. Also Read: Our Memorable Trip to Ooty in Sept 2007 Mysuru – The Royal Soul of Karnataka As we entered Mysuru, the city instantly welcomed us with its calm roads rich ...

A 2007 family travel story by Sobha Kalyani Years rolled by, still some journeys remain forever in our memories. Our short two-day trip to Ooty in September 2007 was an unforgettable experience. The memories of peaceful hills, cool mountain air, rich vegetation all around with colorful flowers, tea gardens and moments of togetherness - are cherished forever. A travel in 2007 was very much different from what it is today. It was a time before smartphones and social media, when travels were meant for real enjoyment with togetherness and bonding. But things have changed with smartphones and social media. People are more engaged on smartphones with selfies and reels and instantly uploading them on the social media. Now tourists are more concerned about the likes of their uploads than living with nature. In those enjoyable days, there were no endless selfies or reels and instant uploads, no GPS navigation — there was togetherness and only conversations, handwritten notes, printed ticke...

A Story from my Old Travel Diary - Recollection of our North India Tour April 2023 - It was a family tour to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Our travel destinations included Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mussoorie, Shimla and Manali. Day 1 of our Tour The main attraction of our Day 1 tour was to watch Ganga Aarti (Harati) at Har Ki Pauri, the most famous Ganga ghat in Haridwar. April 2023 - we landed at New Delhi airport at around 11.30 a.m, collected our baggage and walked out. We had a light brunch outside Terminal 1 of the airport and waited for our pre-booked cab. After lots of Google search and going through customers' reviews we prebooked a cab through Solo cabs for our round-trip from New Delhi - Haridwar - Rishikesh - Mussoorie - Shimla - Manali - Delhi. We repeatedly requested the Solo cabs to send a good conditioned car as our trip planner included too long drives. Yet they have sent a horrible car which was wobbling all through and we felt very uncomfortable to sit. Initiall...

A Story from my Travel Diary ' 18 March 2025 - Day 7 of our Kerala Trip. First we had the darshan of Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy early in the morning and then visited the Puthenmaliga Palace Musuem located close to the East Fort of the temple. It was the last day of our Kerala trip and our flight was at around 8.30 p.m. We checked out the hotel at 11 a.m and with the luggage in the cab, we visited Napier Museum, Trivandrum Zoo and Raja Ravi Varma Art Gallery as these three are located at one place only. Also Read: Sree Ananta Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram It was afternoon and was terribly hot. We felt completely drained off with long walks inside the complex. Fortunately, there are good number of trees in the complex and we saw many visitors taking rest under the shade of the trees. First we had a peep into the ancient artefacts in the Napier Museum which took us to the world of monarchy. From here we went round the zoo. We had no idea that the Art Gallery woul...

A Story from my Travel Diary 18th March 2025 - Day 7 and the last day of our Kerala trip. We got up before Brahma Muhurtam and after refreshing ourselves with hair wash, we dressed ourselves in traditional Kerala off-white costume - the dress code for visiting Sree Anantha Padmanabha Swamy temple - the world famous and world's richest Hindu temple in Thiruvananthapuram. Our stay was at Kovalam beach resort wherefrom it's a 30 minutes drive to the temple with toll gate on the way. We mostly visit the temples, particularly in south India, early in the mornings during Brahma Muhurtam only as it is highly auspicious. Moreover, I love the early mornings' ambiance in the South Indian temples. The aroma of fresh jasmine flowers, the fragrance of camphor, chandanam and agarbatti and the divine chanting take you to the divine world and you feel yourself spiritually elevated for a while. The surroundings outside the temples are equally enjoyable in the early hours with mouth-wat...

A Story from my Travel Diary 27th May 2024 - Day 3 and last day of our Tirumala trip. The departure time of our flight from Tirupati to Hyderabad was 8.30 p.m. Morning we got down to Tirupati and had the darshan of Sree Govinda Raju Swamy and then we headed to Srikalahasti. As it was peak season, these temples were heavily crowded with devotees and being summer it was terribly hot. Somehow we managed to have the nice darshan of Sri Kalahasteeswara and Gyana Prasunamba Devi and then had free anna prasadam which was served hot. The free annadanam hall was not that clean and people of all classes sitting together which we found a bit difficult to adjust. As there are enough time in hand, we planned to visit the less known Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Thondamandu / Thondamanpuram which is the only temple in the world where Sri Venkateswara Swamy is in sitting posture along with Sridevi and Bhudevi on either side. It is known as Sridevi Bhudevi Sameta Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Swamy t...

A Story from my Old Travel Diary Some journeys stay longer in our hearts, longer than the miles covered. A road trip from Raxaul to Kathmandu, Nepal amidst laughter and togetherness with a batch of school students during the festive glow of Dasara in 2006 is still fresh in memories. An exciting road trip filled with laughter, scenic wonders, innocent joys and priceless teacher-student bonding turned into a meaningful adventure with countless unforgettable moments. As I look back, the entire experience feels like opening an old travel album filled with photographs, stories, and emotions. A school excursion unfolded into a tapestry of culture, camaraderie, and unforgettable lessons beyond the classroom. An Excursion to Kathmandu During Dasara Vacation With the festive spirit of Dasara, students were brimming with energy, excitement and curiosity with the thought of cross-border journey. For many, that was the first international trip and the idea of entering into a different country ad...

A family travel story by Sobha Kalyani During our Kerala tour in Mar 2025, our journey took us to the Aazhimala Shiva temple with the vast stretch of shores of Arabian Sea as the backdrop. It was a perfect blend of spiritual and natural serenity which made it a truly unforgettable family travel moment . Day 6 of our Kerala Tour On Day 5 of our tour, we had a very long drive from Munnar to Kovalam and by the time we reached the beach resort, it was around 8.30 p.m. After a tiresome day, we went to sound sleep, got up a bit late the next morning and had hot cup of coffee enjoying the beautiful view of Arabian Sea from the balcony. My daughter was glued to the balcony and she didn't feel like coming inside, so beautiful the sea view was from the balcony. Well, after refreshing and having breakfast we started for this lesser known temple called the Aazhimala Shiva temple. It is less than half-an-hour drive from Kovalam towards the south. We reached the place by 8.30 a.m and it was...

Travel is not just about reaching a destination — but it’s about the paths we take and the memories we create along the way. 2nd Oct 2025 - on the day of Vijaya Dasami, we went on a sudden unplanned trip to Srisailam from Hyderabad as it was Dasara vacation. It was just a two-day trip and we were back home on 3rd Oct night. After an early morning Sparsh Darsan of Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy and a close darsan of Sri Brahmarambika Devi on 3rd Oct, we enjoyed a boat ride in Patala Ganga. On 3rd October 2025, our family set out to experience the sacred waters of Patala Ganga in Srisailam, a place steeped in devotion and natural beauty where we enjoyed a boat ride. What awaited us was not just a boat ride, but a journey filled with adventure, resilience, and serenity. Well, this was our 2nd visit to Patala Ganga, the 1st visit was in 2008 when we went down to Patala Ganga in a rope way but we did go on a boat ride in our 1st visit. Normally, tourists descend to Patala Ganga by cable car servi...

Some trips leave you with beautiful landscapes and some leave you with warm memories. Our trip to the ancient Sri Uma Maheswaram temple offered us both - serene views, sacred vibes and moments cherished forever. There are some places that instantly make you slow down, breathe deeper, and feel connected to something far older than our everyday lives. Our recent family trip to Uma Maheswaram Temple, tucked quietly in the Nallamala forests near Achampet, Telangana, was one such soulful escape. Located close to Srisailam and is known as the North Gateway of Srisailam, this temple offered us peace, cool breeze, and an experience wrapped in nature and spirituality. 3rd October 2025, the day after Vijaya Dasami - we had an early morning Sparsh darsanam of Srisailam Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy and close darsanam of Sri Brahmarambika Devi. After energizing with the divine blessings we went on a boat ride in Patala Ganga and were on our way back to Hyderabad. Also Read: A Journey to Patala Ganga...