Take a step back in time

There are places in this world that will wow you with their old-time charms and carefully preserved heritage—cities that are hundreds of years old and still look the same, ruins of kingdoms lost forever in the jungle and waiting to be rediscovered, towns whose streets have welcomed people for thousands of years. Welcome aboard, as we take a journey from India to Cambodia and come back home following a route that will take us back to the age of kings.

Varanasi

Our first destination is Varanasi. The oldest city of one of the oldest civilisations in the world. They say Varanasi is older than history. It’s the city of spiritual scholars, religious devouts, travellers looking for a journey into their soul—it’s a 3000 year old city of mystics where the never-ending cacophony of the crowd blends in with temple bells. Varanasi is an all-out assault on human senses that truly portrays the most authentic Indian culture.

Walking down the roads of Varanasi is like travelling back in time and taking a stroll through the streets of ancient India. The thousand year old temples, palaces and ghats have been welcoming travellers and devouts for centuries while still remaining the same. The tradition of grand evening aartis still mesmerises the unaccustomed eyes of a first-timer.

When in Varanasi, take a boat ride in the Ganges in the afternoon and take in the magnificence of the skyline of Varanasi that hasn’t changed in thousands of years. Don’t forget to try the street snacks from Kachori Gali.

Angkor Wat

Off the coast of the South China Sea lies a distant cousin city of Varanasi—the lost city of Angkor. A thriving city abandoned to nature sometime in the 12th century, Angkor Wat of Cambodia is a temple the size of a small town. A megastructure that stands tall to this day, it takes you back to the time of Suryavarman II, when it was first built and thriving with life. You can almost hear the priests chanting mantras, elephants bathing in the moat, apsaras dancing and it’s one magical experience.

Priests would perform their ritual prayers with a rhythmic hymn, dawn to dusk. More than 600 Apsara dancers would dance to songs dedicated to the gods. Golds, riches and ceremonies of the temple provided work to at least 80,000 villagers. Today, nature has rightfully reclaimed what is hers.

Standing in the middle of the lost city of Angkor is like taking a dip in history itself. You’ll be standing on the same grounds that were once walked on by kings and warriors. Their palaces, their temples, their magnificent statues still stand tall, although overtaken by the mighty jungle. A mythical, mystical lost city waits for you in the jungles of Cambodia.

Panam Nagar

Our last destination brings us back home. Popularly known as Sonargaon, legend says that Panam Nagar is the mythical land of Suvarnabhumi, which is mentioned in ancient Hindu and Buddhist texts. This is the mystical land of gold which western explorers set out to find in the ages of discovery.

Myth or not, Panam Nogor/Sonargaon is one of the most beautifully preserved historical places in Bangladesh. Entire roads with pre-colonial era buildings on both sides have stood witness to countless events in history. Some of them have been carefully restored and feels almost as if you are walking down the streets of ancient Bengal. Try visiting the handicrafts museum and the zamindar houses of Sonargaon, which have recently been renovated.