Rakhee Ghelani

Category: Buddhist

  • Exploring Bhubaneshwar: Dhauligiri and Ashoka’s Edict

    Exploring Bhubaneshwar: Dhauligiri and Ashoka’s Edict

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    I’ve been very bad at keeping my blog updated this year, busy working, travelling and collecting new stories. But I’m keeping a record of all the incredible things I’ve seen, eaten and done so that I can keep sharing them. Visiting Dhauligiri near Bhubaneshwar is one of those experiences, I visited there a couple of…

  • A Step Back in Time: Yangon

    A Step Back in Time: Yangon

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    Yangon is the capital of Myanmar. Whilst it is a bustling city, it kind of looks and feels a bit like it is 40 years behind the times. It’s hard to put a finger on it exactly. Perhaps it’s the concrete buildings, the lack of internet and phone access or just the way everything is…

  • Paradise Found: Inle Lake

    Paradise Found: Inle Lake

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    Just the mention of Inle Lake makes anyone who has been there sigh as they drift off dreamily remembering this region of Burma. It really is a paradise. What makes Inle Lake so lovely is that it’s relatively untouched. I fear in only a short while it will become just another tourist region, and all…

  • The Road to Mandalay : Burma

    The Road to Mandalay : Burma

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    I took the bus from Bagan to Mandalay, but rather than going on the brand new freeway, we took the scenic route through central Myanmar. While it may have cost me a couple of hours of my life, the journey gave me the time to really appreciate what it’s like to travel in Burma. We…

  • Hidden Delights in Madhya Pradesh: Sanchi

    Hidden Delights in Madhya Pradesh: Sanchi

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    Less than 50 kilometres from Bhopal is the small town of Sanchi, home to one of the best kept Buddhist temples in the world. Built in the 3rd century and lovingly restored in recent years, the stupa and its nearby temples and monasteries sit high on a hill. The main stupa is just spectacular! Walking…

  • Mumbai: Elephanta Island

    Mumbai: Elephanta Island

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    Whilst I had been to Mumbai 5 times previously, I had never made it to Elephanta Island, but now I have seen them twice in less than a year.  Located off the coast of South Mumbai, this island is famous for its Buddhist and Hindu caves believed to be about 1500 years old. The voyage…

  • Trekking in the Sham Valley: Ladakh

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    I was only able to take a short trip to Ladakh, but I really wanted to fit in a trek of some description.  Luckily I managed to find a 5 day trek that would let me explore some villages without having to go to high in altitude.  Whilst I have trekked in high altitude before…

  • Visiting Heaven: Leh

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    Driving from the airport to my homestay, I couldn’t hear a horn honking and the streets looked clean from plastic rubbish, I definitely wasn’t in Mumbai anymore. I had however gone from sea level to 3,500 metres in altitude in 4 hours, which very quickly turned into mild altitude sickness: a thumping headache and lethargy…

  • The Doors of Ladakh

    The Doors of Ladakh

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    Soma Gompa Temisgang Monastery        

  • A Verdant Escape: Sikkim

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    When I was invited to a conference in Sikkim I jumped at the chance.  Whilst I was excited and interested in the topic to be discussed, travel, I just wanted to experience this place for myself.  I had heard so many things about Sikkim, most people who had described it to me looked longingly as…

  • In the Path of Buddha (Part 2) – Rajgir and Nalanda

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    Rajgir is a small town in Bihar about 2 hours by bus from Bodhgaya.  I was a little apprehensive about going there as Bihar has quite a bad reputation; it is known for being unsafe, particularly for women, lawless with bandits being common place (so I was told), so I was on my closest guard.…

  • In the Path of Buddha – Bodhgaya

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    I left Delhi feeling the need for a bit of calm and zen; not two words that readily come to mind when thinking about India.  Visiting some of the famous Buddhist sites seemed like a good place to start. I still have such beautiful memories of trekking in the Nepalese Himalayas and the calming effect…

  • Guruvayur and Thrissur: How do you prove you are Hindu?

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    How do you prove what religion you were raised to someone you just met? A Christian can wear a cross, although anyone could do this relatively easily. A Muslim woman can wear a Hijab, but not all do. A Jewish woman can shave her head and wear a long skirt, although only the orthodox do.…