My College Trip to Chandigarh 'N' Kullu Manali

I just got back from my 8days trip to two of the most amazing cites in India, Chandigarh and Kullu Manali.
We went on our industrial tour cum excursion. The first part on our tour was getting to Chandigarh, so instead of going by buss we decided to travel by train.

On public demand ;) our HOD got our reservations done in Garib Rath train. I must say that the city is well connected by roads as well. However, I think that a journey by train just adds to the whole experience of traveling.
As the train pulls out of Rajasthan and enters Punjab, You get to see the beauty of the state. You can see the vast farms, thatches, cattle and scare crows. I have always preferred hills to plains, but while in train, I developed a new liking for the plains and farms, as I discovered their serenity.
Once we reached our destination, we were welcomed by our tour guide and the busses sent by our hotel manager to receive us.

On our way to our hotel, we discussed all the tourist attraction in Chandigarh that we would cover in our short tour. Our teacher seemed quite amused by our sudden desire to unravel the city rather than focusing on the companies we had on our list to visit ;) .

We reached our hotel by 9 in the morning, we checked in, freshened up and then left at around 2 to unravel the amazing city.
We started by going to the famous Rock Garden. Rock Garden with friends can be a bliss :D. We enjoyed like hell… we spend around 3hrs in the garden without even realizing that time passed by so fast..!!!

The Rock Garden, I learnt, has a fascinating history. One day 36 years ago, Nek Chand, a transport official, began to clear a little patch of jungle to make a small garden area for him. He set stones around the little clearing and before long, he had sculpted a few figures recycled from materials he found at hand. Gradually, his creation developed and grew. After his normal working day, Chand worked at night, in total secrecy for the fear of being discovered. When they did discover the garden, the local government officials were thrown into turmoil. The creation was completely illegal – a development in a forbidden area. However, rather than demolishing the garden, they decided to give Nek Chand a salary so that he could concentrate full-time on his work. In addition, they also gave him a workforce of fifty laborers, to aid him in creating his figures.
From the Rock Garden, our next stop was Sukhna Lake.

The Sukhna Lake is a popular hang out spot for teenagers and adults. The cool wind in the evening makes it even more mesmerizing.

We planned to go for boating. And the way we were enjoying in the lake seemed to annoy the people around us… so we got an ultimatum from the life guards and we even had to pay Rs. 100 extra as a penalty  . But we didn’t really minded paying extra as it was soo000000 totally worth it ;)
Our first day at Chandigarh ended with a surprise DJ night… and I must say I loved the surprise :D

We stayed for one more day in the city and then left for Kullu Manali by buss. Nestling in the foothills of Himalayas Kullu/Manali lies in the state of Himachal Pradesh in the northern part of India.
We did enjoy even more in Kullu Manali :D
There are many things that I tried for the 1st time in Manali (Including river rafting, snow skidding and Whisky too..!!) ;). May be that the reason Manali touched me to such an extent. I have always been a great admirer of mountains and rivers… so…. Manali was the best place where my soul could be at peace. Its scenic beauty is worth seeing. Manali is a very powerful city, it ambience grips you in many ways and at least once it leaves our soul wanting to remain forever between those beautiful mountains.

I must say that a huge part in making me fall in love with Manali was played by my resort..!!! My resort was a complete destination in itself, located at the bank of the Beas River, with its rich interiors, luxurious furnishings, imported wooden flooring, balconies facing the valley and snow clad mountains offers you a feeling of tranquility to sit and stroll at leisure.

I spend my most of the free time sitting near the window admiring the beauty of the planet earth.
As my trip came to an end… it gave me memories that I will cherish all my life and it of course increased my love and respect for nature.