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Vacation at Chikhaldara, Amravati

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C hikhaldara is the place for you if you wish to get away from the maddening chaos of our cities. Part icularly so, if you enjoy solitude with so me history and greenery thrown in. One additional motivation would be that your mobile would be 'switched o ff ' for most callers, but would be available to you with some coaxing!! I had decided on writing  this blog before my visit considering the scanty information a vailable on the intern et regarding the place. So, here I am.  Chikaldara at 1118 m AMSL is supposedly the only Hill Station in Amravati and is located 230 km from Nagpur. The route from Nagpur is via Amravati , Paratwara and on to Chikhaldara. The road till Amra vati is sheer bliss, okay till Paratwara and manageable thereafter. Depend on 'Google maps' to tell you when to turn off the h i ghway short off Amravati for the road to Paratwara.  View from one of the Hairpins enrou te Chikhaldara There are two MTDC resorts at Chikhaldara, the older ...

Hamsa Vaidyar and his Garden

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Our green 'Baker' home built by COSTFORD at Kottayam, Kerala

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Penning down my experiences of constructing an eco-friendly house at Kottayam, Kerala. I hope it encourages people to go for eco-friendly houses/practices whilst constructing their houses. Before we start, here are a few images of the house. The front view. The front sitout and porch on the right are visible. Porch plus the elevated kitchen towards the rear along with the private sitout One paved wall in the Guest Bedroom. 'Patch' pointing on the other wall. Athangudi tiles on the floor. The stairwell in the Nadumuttam . The stairs are made of 'Purpleheart' wood panels on a steel frame. Athangudi tiles on the floor plus Kota stone floor towards the corridor. Living, Dining and Kitchen at the far end. The MBR outer wall with 'line' pointing work and patches of patch pointing work. The lower  bedroom door is on the lower right and the upper bedroom door is right above it. View of the Living Room from the Upper Bedroom deck. ...