Beyond The Maps

  Day 1 – Tirupati Temples Our trip commenced as we reached Tirupati railway station,We directly went to ISKCON Tirupati, where we were staying. The room view was nothing less than incredible — the grand ISKCON temple in front and the tranquil Tirumala hills was priceless. Such a backdrop makes you overlook anything else. We cleaned up and went to Guru Pooja at the temple, a wonderfully grounding experience to begin the day. Following a fulsome South Indian breakfast, our intention was to go to the local temples. We started at the Kapileshwara Swamy Temple, the lone Shiva temple in Tirupati, situated at the foot of the hills with a holy waterfall running nearby. We then went to the Padmavathi Ammavaru Temple in Tiruchanur, the divine consort of Lord Venkateswara — one is said to have to first take her blessings in order to visit Tirumala. Then, we went to the Kodanda Rama Swamy Temple, where Lord Rama is prayed to along with Sita and Lakshmana, and Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Te...

  A 5-day trip to the kingdom of Shri Vasudev Krishna is an experience filled with devotion,history and beauty. We landed at Rajkot Airport*, where our journey began. We kicked off our road trip in an Urbania van, one of the most comfortable vehicles I’ve ever traveled in. If you’re a group of 8 to 10, I highly recommend it for long road trips. Our route took us from Rajkot to Dwarka, passing through Jamnagar. The journey lasted around 4 to 5 hours, with a couple of breaks for food and tea. The highways in Gujarat are impressive, wide, smooth, and scenic, making the ride enjoyable. The stretch near the Reliance Industries zone slowed us down due to traffic and industrial congestion, but it was fascinating to see the massive Reliance factories and catch a glimpse of the lives of workers in the area. We even passed by areas with Tata factories, highlighting Gujarat’s strong industrial presence.   Day 1: Arrival in Dwarka Finally, we reached the sacred land of Dwarka,...

If there's one trip that has wild nature, ancient philosophy, and divine presence combined — it's Ahobilam. Hidden deep within the thick Nallamala forest of Andhra Pradesh, Ahobilam is the very spot where Lord Narasimha – fierce fourth avatar of Vishnu – manifested Himself to save His devotee Prahlada and destroy the demon king Hiranyakashipu. Actually, the whole area of Ahobilam is Sheshnag-shaped, constituting the divine bed of Lord Vishnu — head in Srisailam, middle in Ahobilam, and tail terminating in Tirupati. The very terrain is divine — a living image of the Lord Himself. Day 1 – From Hyderabad to the Nallamala Forest We set out early from Hyderabad, driving through peaceful roads and foggy highways. A stop for breakfast at a rural highway dhaba provided us with energy to carry on. In the afternoon, we arrived in Ahobilam and took a break at the ISKCON center for a healthy sattvic lunch. We were housed at their guesthouse, and upon settling in and refreshing ourselves, o...

The moment you step into Mathura, you feel the air shift – the chants, the temple bells, and the calm flow of the Yamuna River all whisper stories of Lord Krishna. With a heart full of excitement and devotion, we began the journey to Vrindavan Dham.   Day 1 – Sunrise at Vishram Ghat & Exploring Vrindavan’s Local temples   We arrived early morning at Mathura Railway Station and took a short drive to Vishram Ghat, just in time to witness the golden sunrise on the Yamuna. Taking a dip in the holy river as the sun emerged from the horizon felt purifying the tiredness of the journey was gone now. We then stopped by a local sweetshop nearby for a hearty plate of   Chole Bhature– crispy, spicy, and comforting in every bite and ofcourse ended it with a perfect sweet Mathura peda. Mathura gaye aur peda na khaaye aise kaise. After a perfect North Indian breakfast we heading to Vrindavan, just a 30-minute drive from Mathura.   Upon reaching, we checked into...