Fascinating! Phenomenal! Outstanding!

That’s how I would like to describe the calendar year 2019, as the curtains come down on the last in this decade!

Yes, the teens are ending! And, it’s going to be a new beginning in 2020!

It would be an understatement if I say everything was perfectly poised execution. I had my personal issues back home. And, it wasn’t a great time with my professional front too. The year 2019 was a challenging year. However, I had great chunk of learning from the past to strike a balance in such adverse situations. In fact, none of my friends nor my dearest people knew about my internal struggles. It feels great to set oneself free from such mental stigma and reach out for the skies!

1 Year,

6 Indian States

and Over 15 destinations!

That’s my way of experiencing happiness!

A perfect balance of PERSONAL and PROFESSIONAL life!

Every year, I am intent on exploring the many fascinating destinations the country has in offering. In a beautiful and diverse country like India, there’s never a dearth for travel opportunities. From easy to access tourist destinations to the more adventurous, there’s something for everyone in India. Being an adventurous buff, I prefer offbeat travel destinations that are, typically, out of reach of regular touristy crowd. People that comprehend me well know that I am allergic to crowds. Yes, I am a proud introvert! And, the year 2019 was no different than its predecessors. Most destinations I traveled to were not crowd pullers. This article sheds light on the series of enchanting travel fantasies in the year 2019.

JANUARY:

The very first weekend of the year began with a visit to the temple town of Kumbakonam in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is said that in order to visit a temple, one must have the blessings of the supreme. Not only one’s actions, but the Lord’s grace is needed to visit the shrine. Being a native resident of the state, planning and execution was pin point perfect. And, the added advantage is that Kumbakonam is my home town too! So, accommodation and food were never a problem. In a span of two days, I had visits to as many as ten temples in and around the temple town of Kumbakonam. It was a divine experience.

FEBRUARY:

The month of February was, again, a travel opportunity filled with religious fervor. This time it was the neighbouring City of heaven, popularly known as Tiruchirapalli in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Again, planning and execution was perfect. Solo travels such as these are great examples of self-assessment gauging various parameters of one’s abilities. Visits to the famed Rock Fort temple, Sri Ranganathaswamy temple (considered as the first among the 108 Divya Desams), Erumbeeswarar temple (at Tiruverumbur), and Arulmigu Thyagaraja swamy temple (at Tiruvarur) was a divine experience.

MARCH:

The arrival of spring brought with it captivating aspects of experiencing the festival of colors. Holi, the festival of colors, heralds the arrival of spring after winter. It signifies the victory of good over evil and is celebrated as a day of spreading happiness and joy. And, what can be more exciting than to be able to experience the festival at the very place from where it all originated thousands of years ago – Mathura and Vrindavan in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Let’s get to know why is this festival celebrated?

Just like many aspects of Hinduism, there are multiple legends behind this festival of holi. According to Bhagvata Purana, King Hiranyakashipu–the king of demonic Asuras, who could neither be killed by a man or an animal, grew arrogant and demanded that everybody should worship him as god. Prahlada, the king’s son, disagreed and chose to remain devoted to lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu was infuriated and subjected his son to cruel punishments. Finally, Holika, the king’s sister, tricked him into sitting on a pyre with her. While Holika protected herself with a cloak, Prahlada remained exposed. As the fire blazed, the cloak flew from Holika’s body and encased Prahlada, thus saving his life. Later, Vishnu appeared in the avatar of Narsimha, half man and half lion, and killed the king. This is why Holi begins with the Holika bonfire (aka Hokika dahan), which marks the end of evil.

According to another legend, Lord Krishna had developed a characteristic blue skin color after Putana, a demon, poisoned him with her breast milk. Krishna worried if the fair-skinned Radha and her companions would ever like him because of his skin color. Krishna’s mother then asked him to approach Radha and smear her face with any color he wanted. The playful coloring gradually evolved as a tradition and later, as a festival observed as Holi, in the Braj region of India. Braj is a region in India on both sides of the Yamuna river with its center at Mathura-Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh state encompassing the area.

After an immersive indulgence with colors, it was time for experiencing an architectural marvel – Taj Mahal. A journey of about 1 hour by train, from Mathura to Agra, will take you to closer to this majestic marvel. The Taj Mahal is located on the right bank of the Yamuna River in a vast Mughal garden. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal with construction starting in 1632 AD and completed in 1648 AD. The Taj Mahal is considered to be the greatest architectural achievement in the whole range of Indo-Islamic architecture.

JULY:

A brief pause in travel during the summer months of April through June offered the much-needed recovery and the necessary time for my personal and professional life. Fast forward to the month of July, it was an exciting travel to the tip of the peninsular India. A three-day trip exploring the southernmost city of peninsular India, Kanyakumari, and the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu, Madurai, was an amazing experience.

As a traveler and photographer, this was one of those trips that was filled with several memorable moments. At Kanyakumari, the conditions were perfect for capturing alluring time-lapse sequences. Monsoon clouds and thin tourist crowds offered great prospects for phenomenal photography!

SEPTEMBER:

With monsoons vigorously active over the west peninsular India and the whole range of Western Ghats, drenched in rains and dew, offers a picturesque and riveting account of Indian Monsoon! And, being an adventurous buff, there’s no better way to experience the beauty of monsoons than chasing the many spectacular waterfalls in the country! I choose to visit the ever magnificent Dudhsagar falls along the Karnataka – Goa border. This was my second visit and it never fails to mesmerize me! Typically, I don’t revisit any location unless very special! This, indeed, was and will always be a special travel destination. The best part of this entire travel is the train journey! Do check out my full-length blog on the fascinating and riveting aspects of this spectacular waterfalls.

OCTOBER:

Since the days I embarked on my travel and photography journey, there’s never been a year that hasn’t seen Himalayas. The year 2014 saw significant developments towards my travelling aspects and since then, I have been visiting the Himalayas at least once a year. The year 2019 helped me scale my 7th Himalayan campaign. It’s a day I have been waiting for so long this year! It’s a trek to one of the most spectacular Himalayan ranges along the North East India – Goechala pass in Sikkim. Lots of preparations had gone in the build up to this strenuous trekking activity! And, it was an intense 10-day journey in the lap of mother nature!

 

To sum up all, the year 2019 was a mixed bag of travel opportunities which helped me in varied ways both personally and professionally. Firstly, I have had an opportunity to explore the many different destinations across the country. Secondly, the travel opportunities provided me with a window of opportunity to interact with like-minded people. You know I have an introverted personality. Thirdly, it helped me accumulate great travel memories in the form of spectacular photographs!

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

I have had the privilege of displaying my photographs for public view thrice in this calendar year 2019. Most of them at the prestigious venues!

1. June 2019 – Lalitkala Academy, Chennai
2. October 2019 – Guindy National Park, Chennai
3. December 2019 – Raja Ravi Verma Art Gallery, Pune

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Do visit my social media for a comprehensive collection of travel photographs!

Instagram: xplore_with_vijay
Facebook: Vijaykumar Duraiarasan
YouTube: Vijaykumar Duraiarasan

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