10 melodious songs in Hindi for your next travel

Hindi films are India’s best exports. People from all over the world have shown love and appreciation of Hindi cinema. Great thing about Hindi films is that it still depicts songs in its movies. Many Hindi songs from the movies are known for its melody and lyrical beauty.

If you are on your travels and looking for some melodious Hindi songs to listen to then here’s a pick of some of my favourite melodious Hindi songs. It was very difficult to pick out from a huge list of melodious songs Bollywood has to offer. But nonetheless here’s a few of the ones I would listen to for my next travels. It consists of old and new Hindi songs and all of them are melodious, easy going and pleasing to the ear. So bookmark this page so that you can come back to it later.

Melodious songs in Hindi

1. “Tere Bin” from the recent movie Simmba featuring Ranveer Singh and Sara Ali Khan. This song has been a huge hit. Although this song is mainly in Punjabi some parts are in Hindi as well. The song is mainly directed for the Hindi speaking audience. Let me know if you thing this song is melodious or not. Singers include Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Asees Kaur and Tanishk Bagchi.

2. “Yeh zameen gaa rahi” featuring Kumar Gaurav and Poonam Dhillon from the movie Teri Kasam. It does not have many hits on YouTube but it certainly is a very melodious Hindi song. This song was sung by Amit Kumar, the son of legendary Kishore Kumar. The song got Amit Kumar nominated for the Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award.

3. “Tum ko dekha toh ye khayal aaya” sung by none other than the King of Ghazals Jagjit Singh from the movie Saath Saath. Starcast of the movie includes Farooq Shaikh and Deepti Naval. Jagjit Singh was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the government of India in 2003. The song has a lovely tune and a great melody.

4. “Thoda sa pyar hua hai” from the movie Maine Dil Tujhko Diya featuring Sohail Khan and Sameera Reddy. The song has been sung by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. The song has a beautiful melody and is certainly one of my favourites from this list of my best melodious Hindi songs.

5. “Jo waada kiya woh nibhana padega” sung by the legend Mohammed Rafi and India’s nightingale Lata Mangeshkar from the movie Taj Mahal. The movie Taj Mahal (1963) is based on the stories of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan who built the monument Taj Mahal in remembrance for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. The movie is mostly remembered for its melodious music.

6. “Aan milo sajna” from the film Gadar starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel. The song has been sung by the Hindustani classical vocalist Ajoy Chakraborty and Parveen Sultana. Ajoy Chakraborty’s father moved to India during the partition in 1947 from now what is Bangladesh. This song is a semi-classical song and is very pleasing to listen to.

7. “Isharon isharon mein” from the film Kashmir Ki Kali featuring Sharmila Tagore and Shammi Kapoor. The music of this film was composed by O.P. Nayyar known for composing melodious Hindi songs. The movie was a huge hit in 1961. The song is still popular today.

8. “Tere mast mast do nain” from the movie Dabangg featuring the popular movie star Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha. The song has been sung by the Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Indian counterpart Shreya Ghoshal. The movie Dabangg and its song was a major box office hit.

9. “Pehla nasha” sung by Udit Narayan and Sadhana Sargam from the film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) featuring Aamir Khan and Ayesha Jhulka. This song has a beautiful melody and no matter how many times you listen to you it, you still enjoy it. This song is so popular that many singers have re-sung them in their own voice.

10. “Pyar ka dard hai meetha meetha” sung by the legendary singer Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle from the film Dard (1981) featuring Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini. This is a great melodious song that grows on you as you listen to it.

I hope you have enjoyed my list of best melodious Hindi songs. So next time you are on your journey then you might wish to listen to these Hindi melodious songs that I am fond off. Do you have your own list of Hindi melodious songs that you listen to when travelling then feel free to comment below?

Here are some Hindi words and phrases for your travels in India.

Copyright: The poster art belongs to the distributor and producers of the movie Kashmir ki Kali.

Things to do in London in a day

London is certainly one of the most iconic cities in England and throughout all of Europe for that matter. The history of London dates back many centuries, so you will find a lot of historical sites and monuments to see and explore in this capital city. If you have never been to London before, you might wonder what you should do first. Well, there really is no set itinerary, but you should store your luggage for the day and visit as many landmarks as you can. How can you go to London without doing that?

Below are the top 5 best places to visit in London in a day.

Big Ben and Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster is the official meeting location of English lawmakers from each of the Houses of Parliament. These would be the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Palace does have tours open to the public and foreign tourists. This will give you the chance to see where English laws have been passed for centuries. You will also get to see the famous Great Bell known as Big Ben. It is actually a clock tower that located at the northern area of the palace. You can easily see the tower from the surrounding environment on the outside. It has truly become an icon of London.

The Tower of London

The Tower of London is a historic castle in the city which served as a prison for nearly 850 years. Early on, the tower was the residence of the royal family as there are many walls and buildings which surround it. Many kings had expanded the tower throughout the centuries. Now it is a prominent tourist attraction in the city which really illustrates the true history of England. On a side note, if you are a fan of the television series Game of Thrones, then you will notice a lot of familiar settings when you visit the tower.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is a huge fortress and the Queen of England’s official residence. Fortunately, every summer, she is kind enough to allow public tours inside the palace. You will typically have from the end of July to the end of September to visit the palace each year. This will give you a chance to see the royal State Rooms up close along with other valued treasures which belong to the royal family. Some of the best things to see there are the Rembrandt paintings, Canova sculptures, and some of the best crafted English furniture that you have ever seen. If you are lucky, you may even get to spot Charles, Prince of Wales or the Queen herself, although it is rare.  

London Eye

There is no better way to see London than to take the huge Ferris wheel known as the London Eye. It is located right along the River Thames and it will give you breathtaking views of London’s most iconic landmarks from up above. During your 30-minutes on the Ferris wheel, you will see gorgeous panoramic views of Big Ben, Palace of Westminster, River Thames, Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, and more. So, even if you don’t have time to visit all those sites individually, you can simply take the London Eye and see them all at the same time. It is a truly unique experience that all tourists should take advantage of when they are in London.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour

There are special London tour packages available that will take you to Warner Bros. Studio. The luxury coach bus picks you up in London and then drives about an hour away to Watford where the tour is located. It is a tour that is dedicated to the Harry Potter series as you will get to see where a lot of the movie was filmed. If you are a fan of the franchise, then you will definitely want to check out this tour when you are in London.

This one-day itinerary of London takes travellers to the main tourist attractions and includes food stops. Readers can use it to see the best of “the big smoke” in just one day. Or they can use it as guidelines to help plan out their London exploration.

Kumbh Mela Prayagraj – where chaos meets peace

This is a story of my friend Rishabh Oberoi who went to the Kumb Mela this year. This is the part 1 of his visit to the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj
(previously known as Allahabad).

Part 1: The World Largest Religious Gathering of People on the Bed of Sangam

I believe Indian culture is the most colorful and diverse culture on the planet. From the world-famous food to the way people look and dresses; our languages, music, art, dance, architecture and even way to serve food is different every 100 kilometres throughout the country. One place where you can really see the diversity and complexity of this culture is the Kumbha Mela.

On the train to Prayagraj

On the 7th of February, me and my holy friends embarked in an adventure to the wildest and most sacred fair of India. Of course, and like most Indians of my age, we were clueless about the real meaning of it and that’s why we started our ‘discovery journey’, to remove all the misconceptions in our mind related to this PURE, WILD and BEAUTIFUL RITUAL.

Kumbh Mela a Hindu festival and assembly, held once every 12 years in one of the four sacred sites with a rich history and spiritual connection. But this famous festival amongst the Indian (conservative) Society is associated and better known for many funny facts than the Holy Story:

• The most contradictory: This is a place where you can see naked people, and by people, yes I mean Indian women too.

• The most surprising for foreign visitors: Here you can get free food, drinks and shelter for a month and a half!

• And my favorite one which is also specially highlighted in Bollywood movies: In this festival is common to hear stories such as family members (brothers or sisters) that got lost in the crowd and then met again after 12 years in the same “Mela”, which means fair in Sanskrit.

But the real and important part of the story is far from all these! The history of Indian Culture is rich and full of spirituality, which is why all the rituals followed here have some sacred and authentic meaning. I am not going to enter deep into it! But yeah, for sure I want to brief you guys about the secret of KUMBH MELA, which basically occurs every 12 years, although there are some special ones that are celebrated every 144 years like the KUMBH MELA 2019 and YES! I was the LUCKY one to attend it with some of my fortunate friends.

Now let me explain you a little about the origins of this huge gathering of faith; KUMBH is a word that comes from Kalash, which holds the nectar of immortality for which the Devas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons) came to seek for, by churning the ocean of milk; It was an order given by Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma. Eventually, when the Kalash appeared they fought for twelve days and twelve nights -equivalent to twelve human years- in the sky for ‘The Pot of Amrit’.

It is believed that during the battle between Devas and Asuras, Lord Vishnu flew away with the Kumbha of amrita, spilling some drops of it on some specific location on earth (the sacred sites) now known as: Allahabad (Prayaga), Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain; which coincidently are also the points where some of Indian Holy Rivers passes: Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical river Saraswati. So it is believed that whoever takes a bath in these Holy Rivers, especially at the time of the sacred fair of Kumbh Mela, will wash away all their sins and move towards immortality.

Hmmm… Will the Holy Water wash away the sins of one Tunisian and three Indian guys…? We had to prove it!! And let the journey begin… Bhooom!

 SCARY INDIAN TRAINS CAN MAKE YOUR FRIENDSHIP STRONGER

The train journey to the Kumbh Mela

My journey to Kumbh Mela starts with the crazy Indian train: sitting like nomads and shifting our seats at every station in a bed for one occupied by four. this intense experience of travelling make you realize that when you are with friends you can undergo even the worst circumstance and still enjoy every moment of them. A lot of the things in these Kumbh trains really fascinated me; the people from every part of India, rich or poor, Brahman or Shudra were together in it, going for the single purpose of getting their sins washed by a dip in the HOLY SANGAM. We all were sharing seats with people we had never met before in our lifes, playing games, sharing food and making fun of the people around… (One more sin to be washed!)

Unforgettable: The expression on Ilyes’ face (my Tunisian friend who happens to be a FREE TRAVELLING SOUL) after tasting TAMBAKU, Indian Tobacco. Priceless!

WELCOME TO THE CHAOS OF KUMBH MELA 2019

Our first steps into Holy Land were something like this; close your eyes and just imagine a pool of people coming out of an Indian train from every door of the box… Seriously! To have that view you needed to be there: I got really impressed and I AM AN INDIAN! Anyway, every single passenger had a smile on their face and a calm semblance of satisfaction about the fact that they had reached the place they were dreaming and struggling to get, with no clue what they were entering to… What a great landscape to start the experience!

FUNNY THING: within a few steps of walking on the roads of Allahabad towards the set up Maha Kumbh Mela… I lost my shoes!! 😛 There are 16 hours from Chandigarh to Allahabad by train, and the last one was a mental and physical torture as the people who didn’t even have their seats booked were seating with us -or should I say ON US??- But hey, it was a BIG EVENT!.. We understood it! Besides, as we stepped in the Chaos of Kumbh Mela, every single stressed vein or muscle of our bodies was refreshed. I don’t have any idea WHY, but I felt I belonged there and I was meant to be in that WORLD of beautiful CHAOS…

To be continued…

Come back to know how did the rest of those magical 4 days went. Had you heard about Kumbh Mela before? Did you go this year?

Travel hacking in 2019

Are you tired of hearing travellers tales from friends and family and feel the urge to explore the world for yourself? If so, the world is truly at your fingertips, because the internet has made it incredibly easy to combine hotels, flights, attraction tickets, and extras like car rental.

And seeing the world doesn’t have to come with a gigantic price tag, either. As we’ll see, there are plenty of travel hacks available to globe-trotters which can cut huge chunks of the cost of anyone’s trip.

Follow these tips when you book your next trip and you’ll have no shortage of cash left for making the most of your vacation.

1. Learn how to work around travel geoblockers

The first piece of advice in our travel hackers’ guide is the most technical. Many flight and accommodation booking sites now use geographical filters to segment their audiences. By logging IP addresses, using mobile tracking or implanting cookies, flight comparison sites can get a really good idea of where (and who) you are. This allows them to deliver different prices to different locations – leaving people in richer areas out of pocket.

This may be fine for super-rich people in New York or LA, but what about the rest of us? However, salvation is at hand. By anonymizing your online identity and routing traffic through servers across the world, travel fans can beat these annoying restrictions.

To do so, you’ll need a good Virtual Private Network. Check out ExpressVPN review on VPNpro for the low-down on one of the best around. When you’ve signed up, route your traffic through Mexico or Indonesia, and see how the prices fluctuate at sites like kayak.com.

2. Use free stopovers to see more of the world

When you come to book your flights, why not choose flights which pack in extra destinations? That way, you can still head to your primary destination, but sample the atmosphere in other global cities for a few days as you travel.

If you’re flying from the USA to Europe, you can often pick up free stopover deals in Reykjavik (Iceland’s capital), which has an outstanding dining scene, while Finnair offers a similar service for Helsinki. If you love Scandinavian design and culture, why not add some Finnish dates before jetting off to Greece or Italy?

The beauty of these stopovers is that they are free add-ons. So you can visit places you never would have thought of, adding nothing extra to your main vacation budget.

3. Pimp your credit card for the travelling life

when you travel, having a credit card is absolutely essential – but not all credit cards provide the same perks for travellers. In fact, some are pretty awful, coming with hefty charges to use them outside the USA.

However, there are some travel-oriented credit cards around, which come with a very low commission for currency exchange. For instance, Chase Sapphire Reserve has an outstanding reputation and bundles in $300 in “travel credits” to spend overseas.

Others come with the ability to accumulate “points” with hotel and car rental purchases – which can defray the costs of seeing the sights. With these in your pocket, you’ll find the eventual cost of any trip is much, much lower. So don’t stick with your old card. Switch before you travel.

Worshippers at the Mahabodhi Temple

4. Max out on frequent flier points over the long term

If you intend to travel to numerous destinations over an extended period of time, it’s essential to learn how to rack up frequent flier points. These points will eventually translate into free flights, but they need to be accumulated cleverly.

For example, you’ll want to stick to airlines with generous customer loyalty programs, then use them as your preferred provider. Don’t be tempted to switch to budget airlines for the best short-term prices. If you pick wisely, you’ll find that the long-term savings from free flights tend to outweigh spur of the moment savings.

And this tip can also be combined with #3. Many loyalty programs include airline credit cards which deliver plenty of points. These are often the best cards for money exchange, too, so use them as much as possible before and while you travel.

5. Don’t assume that price comparison sites are great value

On the face of it, comparison sites like Booking.com should deliver the best value, right? When every hotel room is listed and compared, great deals should leap out at you. And that seems to be the case, but looks can be deceptive.

Actually, it can often work out cheaper to contact hotels directly, rather than going via price comparison sites. Many hotels will have rooms that they need to sell following cancellations, and the booking site always takes a cut. So a phone call can work wonders.

• 

Hack away the cost of travel with savvy shopping

By using travel hacking techniques, anyone can drive down the cost of getting away. Find a way to accumulate frequent flier miles, source a credit card which works for travellers, check out our ExpressVPN review to work around geo filters, and don’t be afraid to contact hotels directly. That way, you can see the world for much less than everyone else. So why pay more?

Planning Your First Trip to China in 5 Steps

China is booming at the moment and an increasing number of foreigners are traveling there, either to enjoy what the country has to offer, find work as an expatriate, or invest in the country’s booming real estate market. But because of the particularities of the country and some of the misconceptions about the local government, going to China may seem daunting to many, especially if it’s your first trip. However, with the proper game plan and preparation, your first trip to China should be all that you expected and more. Let’s take a look at what steps you should take to make sure that your trip goes as smoothly as possible.

Choose your Destination

China is a vast country and your experience can differ greatly depending on where you decide to go. You can decide to stay within urban centers and still enjoy all the accommodations you enjoy at home or go completely off the beaten path. If you’re only staying for a short period of time and want to get a taste for Chinese city life, then cities like Shanghai, Beijing or fast-growing metropolises like Guangzhou or Shenzhen might be a great idea. But if you want something a little bit more out of the ordinary, you could go for places like Guilin or Xi’an, for instance.

Get your Visa

As a US citizen, you will be required to get a visa before you enter the country. The application fee will be $160 for a basic non-immigrant visa and $190 for a work visa. You’ll also have to provide your round-trip flight itinerary, passport, and a passport picture at your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate. Note that it can take up to two months for the application to be processed, so make sure that everything is correct if you want to eliminate delays and send your application well in advance. A visa handling service could also help you expedite the process and reduce delays.

You should also note that you will berequired to provide the address where you’ll be lodged during your trip, soyou’ll have to book your accommodation in advance for at least the first threedays of your trip.

Start Looking at Insurance

Before you leave, it’s essential that you understand the Chinese healthcare system and that you get solid health insurance coverage. While foreign residents working in the country can now have access to public healthcare in certain circumstances, going for private insurance would be a better choice, especially if you’re coming with your family. For one, depending on where you live, you may not have access to any social security benefits, like in Shanghai, for instance. Many treatments also come with significant co-payments and fees on things like repatriation and evacuation won’t be covered either. So, it is wise that you look at different insurance options beforehand and shop for private coverage instead.

Organize your Money

You should make sure that you understandlocal prices and get yourself acquainted with the currency before leaving. Alsodecide if you’ll be using travelers’ checks, cash, an ATM card, or acredit/debit card. You should also ask your bank what type of fees you canexpect for withdrawals and see if you can arrange for the fees to be waived orlowered during your trip.

Get to Learn About the Countryand Culture

Last, but not least, you should start by immersing yourself into the culture before leaving. Learn a few words before you go and use your visa processing time to practice as much as possible. Get to understand the local food culture as well. And, you also need to start growing a bargaining bone now if you don’t want to end up being slapped with a foreigner tax wherever you go.

Conclusion

As you can see, going to China doesn’t haveto be scary after all. If you come prepared, you’ll be able to enjoy thecountry to the fullest and discover everything China has to offer.