Stories
Founder notes, monument histories, and the thinking behind Safarnama, written properly, not auto-summarised.
Why I Built Safarnama
From a childhood on the track, through a decade adrift, to walking, running, swimming and cycling again, and why that led to building Safarnama.
Jaipur: The Pink City
The Jaipur Safarnama runs 35.6 km across 10 monuments, from Sisodia Rani Garden to Nahargarh Fort, part of The Fort & Palace Trail. Jaipur is…
Udaipur: The City of Lakes
The Udaipur Safarnama runs 30.2 km across 10 monuments, from Fateh Sagar Lake to Monsoon Palace, part of The Fort & Palace Trail. Udaipur is known…
Jodhpur: The Blue City
The Jodhpur Safarnama runs 32 km across 10 monuments, from Mandore Gardens to Mehrangarh Fort, part of The Fort & Palace Trail. Jodhpur is known…
Jaisalmer: The Golden City
The Jaisalmer Safarnama runs 33 km across 10 monuments, from Gadisar Lake to Jaisalmer Fort, part of The Fort & Palace Trail. Jaisalmer is known…
Pushkar: The Lake Town
The Pushkar Safarnama runs 25.5 km across 10 monuments, from Pushkar Lake to Jagatpita Brahma Temple, part of The Fort & Palace Trail. Pushkar is…
Agra: The Mughal Capital
The Agra Safarnama runs 28 km across 10 monuments, from Ram Bagh to Taj Mahal, part of The Empire Trail. Agra is known as the mughal capital here…
Delhi: The Capital
The Delhi Safarnama runs 34 km across 10 monuments, from Qutub Minar to Red Fort, part of The Empire Trail. Delhi is known as the capital here is…
Fatehpur Sikri: The Abandoned Capital
The Fatehpur Sikri Safarnama runs 22 km across 10 monuments, from Hiran Minar to Tomb of Salim Chishti, part of The Empire Trail. Fatehpur Sikri…
Lucknow: The City of Nawabs
The Lucknow Safarnama runs 32 km across 10 monuments, from Rumi Darwaza to La Martiniere, part of The Empire Trail. Lucknow is known as the city…
Varanasi: The Eternal City
The Varanasi Safarnama runs 30 km across 10 monuments, from Chaukhandi Stupa to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, part of The Empire Trail. Varanasi is…
Shimla: The Summer Capital
The Shimla Safarnama runs 26 km across 10 monuments, from Shimla Railway Station to Jakhoo Temple, part of The High Altitude Trail. Shimla is…
Manali: The Valley of the Gods
The Manali Safarnama runs 15.5 km across 10 monuments, from Manali Bus Stand to Jogini Waterfall, part of The High Altitude Trail. Manali is known…
Dharamshala: Little Lhasa
The Dharamshala Safarnama runs 15.7 km across 9 monuments, from HPCA Stadium to Bhagsu Waterfall, part of The High Altitude Trail. Dharamshala is…
Rishikesh: The Gateway to the Himalayas
The Rishikesh Safarnama runs 10 km across 8 monuments, from Triveni Ghat to Neer Garh Waterfall, part of The High Altitude Trail. Rishikesh is…
Darjeeling: The Queen of the Hills
The Darjeeling Safarnama runs 12.2 km across 8 monuments, from Darjeeling Railway Station to Ghum Monastery, part of The High Altitude Trail.…
Leh: The Roof of India
The Leh Safarnama runs 7 km across 6 monuments, from Leh Main Bazaar to Shanti Stupa, part of The High Altitude Trail. Leh is known as the roof of…
Mysore: The City of Palaces
The Mysore Safarnama runs 11.5 km across 6 monuments, from Mysore Palace to Chamundeshwari Temple, part of The Temple Trail. Mysore is known as…
Hampi: The Ruined Empire
The Hampi Safarnama runs 10.8 km across 8 monuments, from Elephant Stables to Matanga Hill, part of The Temple Trail. Hampi is known as the ruined…
Chennai: The Gateway to the South
The Chennai Safarnama runs 7.4 km across 6 monuments, from Kapaleeshwarar Temple to Fort St. George, part of The Temple Trail. Chennai is known as…
Mahabalipuram: The Shore Temple City
The Mahabalipuram Safarnama runs 10.3 km across 7 monuments, from Mamallapuram to Tiger Cave, part of The Temple Trail. Mahabalipuram is known as…
Thanjavur: The Chola Capital
The Thanjavur Safarnama runs 2.7 km across 6 monuments, from Thanjavur Junction to Saraswathi Mahal Library, part of The Temple Trail. Thanjavur…
Kochi: The Queen of the Arabian Sea
The Kochi Safarnama runs 3.9 km across 6 monuments, from Fort Kochi Beach to Paradesi Synagogue, part of The Temple Trail. Kochi is known as the…
Madurai: The City of Nectar
The Madurai Safarnama runs 7.4 km across 5 monuments, from Madurai Junction to Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam, part of The Temple Trail. Madurai is…
Mumbai: The City of Dreams
The Mumbai Safarnama runs 10.4 km across 6 monuments, from Gateway of India to Haji Ali Dargah, part of The Coastline Trail. Mumbai is known as…
Goa: Beaches and Basilicas
The Goa Safarnama runs 2.6 km across 6 monuments, from Basilica of Bom Jesus to St. Augustine’s Tower, part of The Coastline Trail. Goa is known…
Puri: The Temple by the Sea
The Puri Safarnama runs 6.5 km across 4 monuments, from Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple, part of The Coastline Trail. Puri is known as the…
Pondicherry: The French Riviera of the East
The Pondicherry Safarnama runs 2.5 km across 4 monuments, from Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to Promenade Beach, part of The Coastline…
Thiruvananthapuram: The Evergreen City
The Thiruvananthapuram Safarnama runs 5.9 km across 4 monuments, from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple to Kanakakkunnu Palace, part of The Monsoon…
Alleppey: The Venice of the East
The Alleppey Safarnama runs 7.2 km across 4 monuments, from Alappuzha Beach to Punnamada Lake, part of The Monsoon Trail. Alleppey is known as the…
Munnar: The Tea Hills
The Munnar Safarnama runs 6.6 km across 4 monuments, from Pothamedu to Tea Museum, part of The Monsoon Trail. Munnar is known as the tea hills…
Thrissur: The Cultural Capital of Kerala
The Thrissur Safarnama runs 4.9 km across 5 monuments, from Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours to Shakthan Thampuran Palace, part of The Monsoon…
Bhopal: The City of the Begums
The Bhopal Safarnama runs 2.9 km across 4 monuments, from Gohar Mahal to Taj-ul-Masajid, part of The Ancient Heartland. Bhopal is known as the…
Sanchi: The Buddhist Hilltop
The Sanchi Safarnama runs 1.3 km across 4 monuments, from Sanchi Museum to Stupa 2, part of The Ancient Heartland. Sanchi is known as the buddhist…
Ujjain: The City of Mahakal
The Ujjain Safarnama runs 10.9 km across 5 monuments, from Vedh Shala to Sandipani Ashram, part of The Ancient Heartland. Ujjain is known as the…
Orchha: The Forgotten Capital
The Orchha Safarnama runs 1.9 km across 4 monuments, from Jahangir Mahal & Raja Mahal to The Royal Chhatris, part of The Ancient Heartland. Orchha…
Khajuraho: The Temple City
The Khajuraho Safarnama runs 0.6 km across 4 monuments, from Matangeshwara & Lakshmana Temple to Chitragupta Temple, part of The Ancient…
Kolkata: The City of Joy
The Kolkata Safarnama runs 9.9 km across 5 monuments, from Victoria Memorial to Howrah Bridge, part of The Cultural Trail. Kolkata is known as the…
Bhubaneswar: The Temple City
The Bhubaneswar Safarnama runs 3.8 km across 4 monuments, from Parasurameswara Temple to Rajarani Temple, part of The Cultural Trail. Bhubaneswar…
Konark: The Sun Temple
The Konark Safarnama runs 5.3 km across 5 monuments, from Nata Mandir to Chandrabhaga Beach, part of The Cultural Trail. Konark is known as the…
Guwahati: The Temple City of the East
The Guwahati Safarnama runs 13.4 km across 4 monuments, from Kamakhya Temple to Kachari Ghat, Brahmaputra riverfront, part of The Cultural Trail.…
Shivneri: Birthplace of a king
The Shivneri Safarnama is a 5.8 km round trip across 6 stops, from Junnar up to Shivaji Maharaj birthplace and back, part of the Sahyadri…
Torna: The first fort
The Torna Safarnama is a 13 km round trip across 7 stops, from Velhe up to Konkan Darwaja and back, part of the Sahyadri Forts…
Rajgad: The king of forts
The Rajgad Safarnama is a 9.2 km round trip across 7 stops, from Gunjavane up to Balekilla summit and back, part of the Sahyadri Forts…
Sinhagad: The lion's fort
The Sinhagad Safarnama is a 7.6 km round trip across 6 stops, from Atkarwadi up to Kalyan Darwaja and back, part of the Sahyadri Forts…
Lohagad: The iron fort
The Lohagad Safarnama is a 1.8 km round trip across 7 stops, from Lohagadwadi up to Lohagad summit and back, part of the Sahyadri Forts…
Raigad: The capital in the clouds
The Raigad Safarnama is a 11 km round trip across 8 stops, from Pachad up to Samadhi of Shivaji Maharaj and back, part of the Sahyadri…
Bodh Gaya: Where the Buddha was enlightened
The Bodh Gaya Safarnama is a 11.3 km route across 5 stops, from Dungeshwari Cave Temples to Great Buddha Statue, part of the Buddhist…
Rajgir: The first capital of Magadha
The Rajgir Safarnama is a 8.2 km route across 4 stops, from Venu Vana to Vishwa Shanti Stupa, part of the Buddhist…
Nalanda: The great university
The Nalanda Safarnama is a 5.8 km route across 4 stops, from Nava Nalanda Mahavihara to Nalanda Mahavihara, part of the Buddhist…
Vaishali: The city of the last sermon
The Vaishali Safarnama is a 7.7 km route across 5 stops, from Vaishali Museum to Ashokan Pillar, Kolhua, part of the Buddhist…
Sarnath: The first sermon
The Sarnath Safarnama is a 1.2 km route across 4 stops, from Chaukhandi Stupa to Dhamek Stupa, part of the Buddhist…
Kushinagar: The Buddha's final rest
The Kushinagar Safarnama is a 2 km route across 3 stops, from Matha Kuar Shrine to Ramabhar Stupa, part of the Buddhist…
Ahmedabad: India's first World Heritage City
The Ahmedabad Safarnama is a 35.7 km route across 7 stops, from Sabarmati Ashram to Adalaj Stepwell, part of the Gujarat Heritage…
Patan: The queen's stepwell and the sun temple
The Patan Safarnama is a 37.1 km route across 3 stops, from Sahastralinga Talav to Modhera Sun Temple, part of the Gujarat Heritage…
Champaner: A sultan's city below a sacred hill
The Champaner Safarnama is a 12.7 km route across 3 stops, from Jami Masjid to Kalika Mata Temple, Pavagadh, part of the Gujarat Heritage…
Somnath: The temple by the sea
The Somnath Safarnama is a 6.1 km route across 3 stops, from Bhalka Tirth to Somnath Temple, part of the Gujarat Heritage…
Dwarka: Krishna's city on the western sea
The Dwarka Safarnama is a 21 km route across 4 stops, from Nageshwar Jyotirlinga to Dwarkadhish Temple, part of the Gujarat Heritage…