Food trail of Rajshahi region of Bangladesh

Food trail of Rajshahi region of Bangladesh

Also see: Tour of Rasjhahi region, Bangladesh

The Rajshahi, Bogura, Naogaun, Joypurhat and Nawabganj districts of Bangladesh are adjoining to Malda and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal. These districts have a rich share of heritage and history.

Assortment of food from Rajshahi region food trail

The most well-known historical site of the region is the Somapura Mahavihara (locally known as Paharpur), a UNESCO Heritage Site. The region also consists of several other Buddhist Viharas along with a host of medieval-period mosques and temples with intricate terracotta ornamentation.

Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) Convention, Kushinagar

6^th Convention of ABTO 2023, Kushinagar

Familiarization (FAM) Trip of Kushinagar and Lumbini

Also see: FAM Trip of Kushinagar and Lumbini

Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) was founded in Nalanda, Bihar in the year 2015. ABTO aims to promote Buddhist pilgrimage and tourism at a B2B level in South and Southeast Asia along with the Asia-Pacific region.

6th Convention of ABTO 2023, Kushinagar

The association operates as a common platform for Buddhist Tour operators of the region and helps with tourism product development along with the promotion and marketing of Buddhist Religious sites.

Jim Thompson House, Bangkok – Intriguing tale of a silk tycoon

Jim Thompson House, Bangkok

Intriguing tale of a silk tycoon

Also see: FAM Trip of Thailand 2022

A winding lane guides visitors towards the Saen Saep canal (Also see: Khlong Saen Saep Express Boat) in Bangkok’s Siam locality. At the end of the lane, you can see a spacious plot of land adorned with numerous traditional Thai-style wooden houses.

Jim Thompson House, Bangkok

The compound features water bodies and gardens in traditional Thai style, presenting a striking contrast with the concrete jungle that surrounds it. This is none other than the museum housing the private collection of James Harrison Wilson Thompson, the American architect and silk tycoon widely known as Jim Thompson.

Monsieur Raymond’s Tomb — Hyderabad’s French Connect

Monsieur Raymond’s Tomb

Hyderabad’s French Connect

A path meanders upwards past the TV tower in Malakpet, a suburb in south Hyderabad, leading to the tomb of Michel Joachim Marie Raymond (1755-98), or simply Monsieur Raymond. He arrived in India in 1775 and settled in Pondicherry.

Raymond’s Tomb, Hyderabad

Later, he served as a mercenary under Hyder Ali of Mysore and then served the Nizams of Hyderabad. Under Nizam Asaf Jah II, he rose to the position of French resident of Hyderabad. His British counterpart was the celebrated James Achilles Kirkpatrick, the principal character of William Dalrymple’s best-selling book White Mughal.

Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh – Fort, Mosques and more

Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh

Fort, Mosques and more

A medieval era bridge and a fort, along with half a dozen mosques with towering gateways. This is what that sleepy hamlet of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh has to offer. According to historical records Jaunpur served as an independent sultanate under the Sharqi Dynasty (1394 and 1479).

Jaunpur Collage
First row (left to right): Shahi Qila, Jami Masjid and Atala Masjid
Second row (left to right): Jhan Jhari Masjid, Lal Darwaza Masjid and Char Angul Masjid

Later it came under the control of the Lodis followed by the Mughals. Several of the Sharqi and Mughal structures have survived the test of the time and still tower above the modern cityscape of Jaunpur. What makes Jaunpur unique is the mosque architecture, probably found nowhere in the country.

Shahi Qila, Jaunpur – A citadel on the banks of Gomti River

Shahi Qila (Royal Fort), Jaunpur

A citadel on the banks of the Gomti River

A medieval-era bridge and a fort, along with half a dozen mosques with towering gateways. This is what that sleepy hamlet of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh has to offer. According to historical records, Jaunpur was initially under the Tughlaq dynasty.

Inner gate and rampants of Shahi Qila (Jaunpur Fort), Jaunpur

Later it gained independence and served as an independent sultanate under the Sharqi Dynasty (1394 and 1479). After which it came under the control of the Lodis followed by the Mughals.

Lal Khan’s Tomb, Varanasi – A forgotten tomb of a minister of Varanasi

Lal Khan’s Tomb, Varanasi

A forgotten tomb of a minister of Varanasi

Also see: Varanasi

Varanasi or Banaras or Kashi is an ancient holy city in India, known for its charming ghats, serpentine lanes, ancient temples and chatpata street food. Varanasi is a living heritage and is often considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Tomb of Lal Khan, Varanasi

Varanasi is a holy city in India, known for its charming ghats, serpentine lanes, ancient temples and chatpata street food, but the ancient city has something much to offer, which includes Mughal-style Islamic tombs, complete with domes and minerates.

Rajghat, Varanasi – The oldest part of one of the world’s oldest cities

Rajghat, Varanasi

The oldest part of one of the world’s oldest cities

Also see: Varanasi

Varanasi or Banaras or Kashi is an ancient holy city in India, known for its charming ghats, serpentine lanes, ancient temples and chatpata street food. Varanasi is a living heritage and is often considered as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Rajghat, Varanasi

Mark Twain
Beneras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.

Pune University – Heritage Tour

Pune University

Heritage Tour

Also see: FAM Trip of Pune

At first glance, it looks like a castle straight out of medieval Europe, but it is not. This castle-like structure is actually a university and it is not in Europe but in Pune, Maharashtra, which is often considered as the education capital of India.

Pune University (or Savitribai Phule Pune University)

No surprise, the massive building with a towering bell tower was not built to be a University. It was, in fact, built to serve as a monsoon residence for the governor of British-era Bombay.

Pune Zero Stone, a failed conservation and landscaping project

Pune Zero Stone

A failed conservation and landscaping project

Also see: FAM Trip of Pune

The distance between Mumbai and Pune is 162 km but is it the distance between the respective airports or railway stations or some other landmarks of the city? Cities cover a large area so there is a need for an exact point from where distance needs to be measured.

Pune Zero Point

Surveyors call this point zero point and they are usually properly marked with a zero milestone. The 162 km is the distance between the zero points of the respective cities. The Mumbai zero point is at the St. Thomas’ Cathedral while that of Pune is at the General Post Office (GPO) (Google map location).