29 Places That’ll Make You Get Your Travelling Shoes On And Ask ‘Toh Chalein Kya?’

What is that one thing that springs to your mind when you talk about travelling? Sure, it will be the scenic views, the bonding over the long journey, the feeling of exhilaration when you reach your destination. But what many overlook is that all travels begin with the same phrase. That get-go moment when someone asks, “Toh chalein kya?”, and what spells out a memory of a lifetime.

These precious moments in life often lead to the best experiences. And the best experiences often start with one simple question: Toh chalein kya? This one phrase captures every traveller’s heart and that is exactly what these 10 travellers felt as they raided every nook and cranny of these 10 cities.

Toh Chalein Kya? 🙂

Mumbai

Dadar View

Even though Dadar is a bustling downtown commercial area for all kinds of business, a slight diversion out if it brings you to the serene Dadar Chowpatty where you can unwind and even catch a glimpse of the Bandra-Worli Sealink.

 

Zip zap road map

Mumbai is an extremely connected city and what literally drives Mumbai is it’s roadways. Mumbai roads have a history connected to them back to the British Raj, and they’re the second lifeline of the city, after the railway.

(Picture credits: Adarsh Munjal)

 

Cochin

Kadamkudy

Kadamkudy Islands is a cluster of islands in Kerala and the entire group has become a census town, due to its working population and commercial activities.

 

Bolgatty Palace

This is one of the few Dutch palaces which lies outside the Netherlands and was built by the Dutch during their Southern India conquest in 1744, and it provides and excellent view to the ports of Kerala.

 

Thoppumpady Bridge

A scenic bridge that connects the mainland of Ernakulam to Thoppumbady, this bridge is a home to many tourists during sunrise and sunsets and also during monsoons.

(Picture credits: Ajay Menon)

 

Chandigarh

Chandigarh Shimla Toy Train

Built by the British in 1903, this UNESCO World Heritage Kalka-Shimla toy train provides one of India’s best scenic journeys at a stretch of 96 km.

 

Sukhna Lake

The home of the Mango Festival, this lake is situated at the bottom of the Shivalik Hills, and is an indispensable part of Chandigarh and its culture.

 

Joggers Park

This Joggers Park was inaugurated in 2015 by Kirron Kher and has added to the green cover of the city of Chandigarh, much to the delight of its residents.

(Picture credits: Singh Lions)

 

Jaipur

Nahargarh Fort

Built in the 18th Century by the founder of Jaipur City, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, this palace sits on the edge of the Aravali Hills and offers a panoramic view of the entire city.

 

Cotton Factory

This cotton factory provides one of Jaipur’s as well as the country’s best printed cotton fabric and is a photographer’s dremscape.

 

Sisodia Rani ka Bagh

Built for the Queen of Sisodia of the Suryavanshi clan, this is a serene garden palace, with a lot of imagery depicting the life of Lord Krishna.

(Picture credits: Gulzar Sethi)

 

Lucknow

Basket Chaat

A very famous delicacy in Lucknow, this basket chaat is made from a basket of fried potato filings and filled with mouth-watering chaat. Most famously available at the Royal Cafe in Hazratganj.

 

Ambedkar Park

Situated in India’s largest planned urban locality of Gomti Nagar, this Memorial Park was built at a cost of ₹ 7 billion and pays homage to Jyotirao Phule, Narayana Guru, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and all those who’ve devoted their life for humanity, equality and social justice.

 

Janeshwar Mishra Park

This park was built in recent years in memory of the late Janeshwar Mishra. Experts say that it was modelled after Hyde Park in London.

(Picture credits: Mridula Dwivedi)

 

Hyderabad

Falaknuma Palace

Falaknuma literally means ‘Mirror of the sky’ and this gorgeous palace was built in the shape of a scorpion, spread out over 32 acres.

 

Hussain Sagar Lake

Hussain Sagar is named after Hussain Shah Wahi, who built this lake, and is one of the few man-made lakes in India. The main attraction of this lake is the monolithic statue of Lord Buddha, made entirely of granite, which was installed in the year of 1992.

 

Golconda Fort

This famous fort served as the capital of the early Qutb Shahi dynasty in the 16th to the 17th Century. Translated as ‘Shepherd’s Hill,’ this site is famous for having the mine that unearther the famous Kohinoor diamond.

(Picture credits: Neeta Shankar)

 

Delhi

Lodhi Gardens

The Lodhi Gardens are an Archaeological Survey of India protected city park in New Delhi. Spread over 90 acres, it contains the tomb of Mohammed Shah, the last ruler of the Sayyid Dynasty.

 

Hauz Khas Village Lake

Hauz Khas in Farsi stands for ‘Royal Water Tank’, owing to the presence of the large water tank which signifies this place, which was built by the Allauddin Khilji dynasty in the 13th Century.

 

Shahpur Jat

This urban village near Hauz Khas in New Delhi is reminiscent of the historical value of the city as it is located within the Siri Fort, one of the ancient capitals of Delhi.

(Picture credits: So Delhi)

 

Kolkata

New Town

This is one of the many new urban planned spaces in Kolkata. This place was a village which went by the name of Rajarhat, literally ‘Market of the Kings.’

 

Colours of Kolkata

Among the many culturally diverse experiences that Kolkata is known for, one of the things which stands out primarily is its rich and colourful pallette as you make your way through the city.

 

Village in the City

Kolkata is known for it’s rich diversity and the amalgamation of the old and new, which is evident from this colourful photograph of a village made up to go with the changing times.

(Picture credits: Prasad NP)

 

Pune

Mulshi Lake

The lake is part of the Mulshi dam built on the Mula River, and is a very popular monsoon getaway owing to the ease of access from Pune city.

 

Bopdev Ghat Temple

Another scenic monsoon favourite for Punekars, this temple and the ghat it is located on serves as a popular long drive spot, providing a panoramic view of Pune city.

 

Eviva Sky Lounge

One of the best lounges in Pune city, the Eviva atop the Courtyard by Marriot has the circular lounge at the end ofthe deck, which gives a top of the world experience, along with brilliant food and drink.

(Picture credits: Natasha Shrotri)

 

Bangalore

Lal Bagh

One of the largest botanical gardens in the country, Lal Bagh is home to India’s largest collection of tropical plants and some rare species of birds. It was commmissioned by Hyder Ali and then finished by his son Tipu Sultan.

 

State Central Library

One of the most well-known landmarks of the city, the SCL boasts of over 2.4 lakh books and is known to have a copy of every book ever published in the state after the year of 1970. Truly a book-lover’s paradise.

 

VV Puram Food Street

Inspite of being full of delicious food stalls and small restaurants, VV Puram Food Street, or ‘Thindi Beedi’ as it is known, is rather unknown to people outside the locality, and is a must visit for every serious foodie.

(Picture credits: Vimal Chandran)

Now that we’ve summarised these places for you to explore in your city, we’re sure that travel plans are already being made and you cannot wait to behold these spots yourself.

The beautiful images above have been taken from a social campaign contest running on the Maruti Alto 800 social pages.

Because, in the end, that is what brings you closer to your land, doesn’t it? #TohChaleinKya?

Cover image credits: Neeta Shankar

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This story is brought to you in association with Maruti Alto 800