Author: Dhruval
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Jalandhar & Kapurthala: Sports Balls, a Shakti Peeth, and a Moorish Mosque
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Every third shop here manufactures sports gear, and nobody talks about it, one surprising day in Jalandhar and Kapurthala.
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Firozpur: The Real Story Behind the Martyrs’ Memorial
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Asia · Solo Travel Solo traveller · 20 min read Trip snapshot Region Firozpur, Punjab Trip length 2 days, Episode 4 of 4 (series finale) Travel style Solo, with a returning guide Quick Answer Firozpur genuinely deserves more attention than it gets, the Hussainiwala Beating Retreat ceremony, Bhagat Singh’s actual…
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Bathinda to Fazilka: A 2,000-Year-Old Fort and the Border at Sunset
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Razia Sultan was held captive here, and 2,000 years later I watched the sun set right at the India-Pakistan border.
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Patiala: A Dying Art, 22 Pleats, and a City’s 261st Birthday
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Just two shops in the whole city still practise a dying brass-polishing craft, one day discovering Patiala’s heritage walk.
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Bumthang: A Lake That Burns and Bhutan’s Cultural Heartland
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A lake that isn’t a lake, a barter economy that lasted until 1968, and Bhutan’s cultural heartland, the final stop.
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Punakha to Trongsa: Two Rivers, One Crane, and Bhutan’s Largest Dzong
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No power lines to protect endangered cranes, a river confluence fortress, and Bhutan’s largest Dzong, all in one stretch.
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Tiger’s Nest: 245 Steps, a Dizzy Spell, and a Festival
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About 800 steps to Tiger’s Nest, a hot stone bath that didn’t go to plan, and a festival that needed traditional dress to enter.
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Bhutan: The Snow That Cancelled Haa Valley
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Rain cancelled Tiger’s Nest, snow nearly cancelled Chele La Pass too, and Haa Valley’s twin temples made up for both.
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Thimphu: Buddha Dordenma, a Living Museum, and Cheese Every Day
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No traffic lights, a 54-metre gold Buddha, and cheese in nearly every dish, two days getting to know Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital.
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Kwar and Dodra: A Triple-Locked Grain Store, Apricot Oil, and a Peak Google Has Never Measured
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400 sheep sleeping outdoors, apricot oil pressed by hand, and a peak no one’s ever measured, two days in the last villages of Shimla district.