Spend the Republic Day weekend creating dhokra art and practising yoga dance at a serene hill station
Dhokra art utilises rocks and brass to create innovative shapes
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It's the first long weekend of the year and naturally, plans must be made to head out of the city and enjoy the break.
To add some culture to your getaway, sign up for the Art and Yoga Trip to Panchgani. “The idea is to explore and unwind with art. This time around, we are also including yoga as part of the experience,” says Meghana Biwalkar, founder of Travel of Art, the organisers of the trip.
The three-day trip will feature yoga sessions — meditation and asanas, lots of traditional Maharashtrian food, forest trails, hikes and bird watching. If there’s time, you can also make use of the season and go pick strawberries at the farm.
The focus, though, is on the art. “We will be living in the Devrai art village. The artisans are tribals from Chhattisgarh, who have been adopted by an NGO. They ractise an art form called dhokra, which uses rocks from riverbanks and lost wax techniques to create unusual sculptures,” adds Biwalkar.
The rocks are covered with mud, and hot wax is used to create different shapes; then molten brass is poured over them. The finished product takes four weeks to set. “You will get a chance to create your own artefact,” adds Biwalkar. The finished product will then be couriered to you.
Yoga instructor Shilpa Pandey
The yoga sessions will be held in the morning and at sunset. “There will be guided meditation, asanas, vinyasa, and even yoga dance. The yoga coach is Shilpa Pandey from the Yoga Institute in Santacruz,” she says.
On: January 26 to 28; January 27 to 29
Time: 6.30 am and 12 pm
Log on to: insider.in
Cost: Rs 7,500 (without travel), Rs 10,500 (with travel)
Walk across a frozen river
Get out of the city and enjoy an ice-cold adventure all the way in Ladakh. The Chadar Trek by travel company Life Away From Life is a nine-day trail across the frozen Zanskar river. On the way, you will get a chance to stay with the local Zanskaris, visit ancient monasteries in Karakoram and the Himalayas. Expect beautiful waterfalls and frozen ice cliffs, narrow gorges, an incense tree — called so because the locals burn its branches in their morning rituals, and an old, dilapidated bridge that is 1,000 years old. You will be provided with sleeping bags, sharing tents, high nutrition meals and porters to carry your extra luggage.
On: January 24, 26, 29, 30
Log on to: chadartrek.co
Cost: Rs 27,000
Kalsubai
Hike to Kalsubai, the highest peak in Maharashtra
Show your patriotism atop the highest peak of Maharashtra, Kalsubai. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has organised a flag hoisting and trekking excursion to Kalsubai. The peak, situated in Akole taluka of Ahmednagar, is the highest peak of the Sahyadris at 1,646 metres. Its summit, at an elevation of 5,400 feet, has earned it the title of Everest of Maharashtra. At the top is a small temple dedicated to the local deity Kalsubai. The itinerary includes reaching Bari, the base village, the night before. The trek begins on the morning of January 26 at 4 am. You will stop for breakfast on the way and after reaching the summit, participate in the flag hoisting ceremony at 7 am. You return to the base village, have a home-cooked meal and then head back; you will reach Mumbai in the evening.
Meeting point: Dadar, 2 pm
Log on to: maharashtratourism.gov.in
Call: 8422822028
Cost: Rs 3,557 to Rs 3,917 plus 4.5 per cent tax
Clean up activity during the trek
Put on your trekking shoes and explore the Sahyadris with White Collar Hippie, and mountaineer and world’s first Vegan climber, Kuntal Joisher. The seven-hour trek will start at 2 am so you reach the peak in time for sunrise. During the descent, you will help clean up the trail and return to the base village for lunch. Joisher will share his experience of climbing Mt Everest along the trek. Part of the profits will go to Kunal Sanklecha: International Antarctic Expedition 2017 with Robert Swan and Mission 2041. The trip fare includes transport, guides, trash bags and gloves, access to medical kit, a goodie bag, meals, refreshments and evening tea and snacks.
Time: 8 pm onwards
Pickup Points: Oberoi Mall, Goregaon East Highway; Bisleri Factory, Andheri East Highway; Kalanagar
Bus Station, Bandra (E); Chheda Nagar Bus Stop, Ghatkopar (E).
Call: 9930260747 Log on to bookmyshow.com
Cost: Rs 3,000
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