Monday 31 December 2012

Andaman and Nicobar Islands


                       The Andaman and Nicobar Islands

This tourist destination might not be one everyone’s list and also off the beaten track. However that does’nt means it should be missed. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of islands which lie in the Bay of Bengal. The Andaman is separated to the north while Nicobar separated towards the south. Both the islands have been separated from Thailand and Burma by the Andaman Sea. Although these islands are one of the remote places on the planet, their beauty makes them a must visit destination.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands


Initially the islands were populated mainly by the local people who comprise of a bunch of aboriginal tribes some of which are totally cut off from the world. Port Blair does not have a glory past where it was used as a jail for rebels and freedom fighters by the Britishers. However contrary to that gory detail, the Andaman and Nicobar islands have some of the most beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters and a good list of things to do along with places to visit.


Some of the places to see in these islands are the British colonial buildings in Port Blair (including the notorious Cellular Jail) and the World War II bunkers (awesome!). Also if you are a nature fan, check out the Neil Island which has lush green forests and pristine sandy beaches. But you shouldn’t leave these islands before having a peek at India’s only active volcano at the Barren Islands (always smoking!)


For people who love water sports, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have a range of activities like Scuba diving, Snorkeling, Surfing. Also a must do is to see the coral reefs through a glass bottom boat at Jolly Buoy Island. If you are a land loving homo sapient, there are Camping, Trekking options as well.

Enjoy Deep Sea Diving In Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Andaman and Nicobar Island are indeed a very interesting tourist destination. They might not by your typical tourist destination but their asset lies in the un spoilt beauty, peace and quiet as well as a chance to see the only active volcano in India. Although our number 10 is an unconventional choice, we love it for this very reason. The Andaman and Nicobar islands give you a chance to go off the beaten track and experience awesome coastal tourism.

Amazing View of Andaman Beach
Since all good things come to an end, the Andaman and Nicobar islands are the last on our list of the 10 Best places to visit in India. We hope you liked reading this list as much as we enjoyed putting it together. If you have any more suggestions for even more awesome travel destinations, stories anything to do with travel, sound off in the comments or on our facebook page. Till next time, Happy Travelling!



 

Mount Everest



Mount Everest, Highest Mountain in the World

Mount Everest is said to be the tallest mountain on Earth. It literally means the top or the head of the sky. Mount Everest touches the borders of China, Tibet, and Nepal and is a part of the Himalayan Range… Its total height above sea level is 29,029 ft. During 1856, the name of Mount Everest was Peak XV. Its official name was given by the Geographical Society.
Despite the fact it is the highest peak in the world, hikers from all over the world come and climb this mountain despite all difficulties. A whole team of climbers can help both armature and novice climbers climb the peak. If one follows the standard route to climb, it is quite safe to climb the mountains. However, the problem in the Himalayas are faced with bad weather, fast wind and low breathing that can happen due to high altitude.


                                                                         
Climbers must pay heavy amount of money to climb the mountain, which acts as a continuous source of income to Nepal. However, an equal amount has to be raised to get license and permit of $25,000 to climb the Mount Everest. Till 2007, 210 people have lost their lives while climbing Mount Everest due to high storm.



There are two main routes for climbing Mt. Everest. One is from the Southeast of Nepal and the other is from the North of Tibet. The most preferred route out of the two is the Southeast that starts from Nepal. The best time to start climbing is during May, before the summer monsoon, as the direction of the wind is quite favorable during that time.




Saturday 29 December 2012

Kashmir Valley


            

   Kashmir Valley

 Kashmir is a beautiful valley lying between the Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. It is situated in the        northwest region of India and is 135 km long and 32 km wide. It is said that if there is heaven on earth, thenit is in Kashmir. Kashmir was made by the Jhelum River, it is said that during earlier days, it was an imperative part for the Hinduism and later for Buddhism. Srinagar is the capital of Jammu and Kashmir.




Kashmir is known for its breathtaking scenic beauty. The Kashmir Valley is in the shape of a saucer. The local people of Kashmir are mostly into agriculture and lead a very plain and simple life. The summer capital vfg is known for a very beautiful place called the Seven Springs. Visitors can see the beauty through the beautiful trolleys. I went to this divine place when I was doing my primary school and during those days, the trolley was open and could only accommodate 2 people. It was a very scary, yet a magnificent site from the up.


             Shikaras, also called as the wooden boats in Srinagar are yet again another breathtaking place to visit. In the clam beautiful lake with a picturesque view, everything looks beautiful just like a fresh canvas painting with bright and nice colors. Visitors spend a lot of time in this place. One can hire houseboats or rent and stay for as long as they want. The interiors of the houseboats are simply exotic. Kashmir is a hot piece of property for India, however, is being eyed by Pakistan. Despite the constant terror that prevails in Kashmir, visitors under army protection find it extremely safe to visit it.

 

 

 

Friday 28 December 2012

Golden Temple


                                         

                  Golden Temple of Amritsar

         The Golden Temple in India, which is often called the “Darbar Sahib or Harmandar Sahib” by the Indians, is one of the oldest places of worship for the ‘Sikhs’ and is located in Amritsar, Punjab. It is considered one of the holiest, blessed and sacrosanct places in India. It is a symbol of both beauty and peace. The temple is surrounded by a small man-made lake which has tons and tones of fishes in it. This lake is supposed to have holy water. The temple can be entered from four different sides and thus symbolizes openness, acceptance. This concept is based on the old tents which were open from all four sides, welcoming travelers from all directions.


Golden Temple - Amritsar, Punjab

The Golden Temple has three holy trees. There is also a small Sikh Museum near the Ghanta Ghar in Amritsar which is very rich in information, especially for the first time visitors. The entire top of the temple is made of pure gold and thus adds a lot of pride and beauty to the entire temple.


During the earlier days, this place was a huge lake surrounded by a thin line of forests. It is also said that Buddha journeyed to find out the real meaning of life spent some considerable time in this place. The first guru of the Sikh community called the Guru Nank also used to meditate in this peaceful place and years after he passed away, many of his disciples kept coming back to the site and then it finally became a sacred place. It was during the Fifth Guru, Arjana when the Temple was finally built 1604. It was Guru Arjan who installed the “Guru Granth Sahib” in the temple and appointed the first reader in August 1604. The temples architecture is that of both Hindu and Muslims. On many occasions, it was destroyed by a certain set of community and rebuilt by the Sikhs.


Taj Mahal


                                                          

        Taj Mahal in Agra

          The Taj Mahal is a tomb situated in Agra, India. The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is one of The Seven Wonders of the World and is said to be one of the finest art of the Mughal architecture. The architecture has a mixture of Persian, Ottoman, India and Islamic art. During the year 1983, the Taj became a part of the UNESCO, World heritage Site.


         Some of the legendary stories say that after the Taj was built, the Mughal Emperor cut off the hands of all the men who built the Taj so that the same masterpiece could not be made again. The Taj Mahal is located on the banks of the river Yamuna in Agra. It was built in the year 1631 and got completed in the year 1653 spreading over 32 acres of land.



        The Taj Mahal is also called the Taj and is a symbol of love and is known for its monumental beauty. Taj is one of the main tourist’s hotspot in India and anyone who comes to visit India definitely takes a tour of the Taj. The beauty of the Taj goes beyond words and it is said that the place looks magnificent during the full moon night. It is a true dedication to love and romance. The word Taj Mahal means Crown Palace in English and it is made up off mainly white marbles and some colorful gemstones.










Taj Mahal Main Gateway

Darwaza-i-Rauza (gate of the mausoleum) – Taj Mahal Main gateway was constructed from the year 1632-1638. The gate is asserted to be designed by the architect named, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri – based on the writings of his son Lutfullah Munhadis.
 Structure
The 93 foot high and 150 foot wide, double-storey building is constructed from red sand stone. The vertically symmetrical gate way is one of the five main elements of the historical monument Taj Mahal and was the main entrance during its construction. The size and the function of the gateway have gained it more importance than the building. The doorway is of ogival arch shape that reaches the mid-height of the gateway structure.
At the corners of the gate are octagonal shaped towers, surrounded by an open-domed pavilion. There are eleven umbrella shaped marble cupolas over the central portion of the gateway. A big decorated arched chamber lies in the archway of the main gate. It has rooms with twists, branches and side branches to hallways, most probably built to confuse people entering them. These rooms have not been used from about three centuries.



                                                                                           


Wednesday 26 December 2012

jaipur tourism




Jaipur Tourism

Jaipur is the 'Pink City' and the capital of Rajasthan, India. It was the King Sawai Jai Singh II who found the city Jaipur on 18 November 1727. He was the monarch of Amber city, which is another spot with good population of 3.1 million as per current data. As per experts, Jaipur is the optimum planned city of India, which is positioned in the land with semi-desert of Rajasthan. Jaipur is having countless monuments and forts with special and unique designs.



Tourists are reaching this Indian tourist place with the large amount every year because the monuments, and the tourist places are amazing as well as providing the complete knowledge of old rulers of India. There is the big story behind the name big city of this famous destination. The Jaipur city was coloured with terra cotta pink in 1876. This was done for greeting of Prince Albert from British rulers as it was the influx of him to the Jaipur city.


 The key tourist spots of Jaipur are Jantar Mantar, The Albert Hall Museum, Hawa Mahal (air palace), Lakshmi-Narayan Temple, Amber Fort, Maharaja Palace, The Jal Mahal, Nahargarh Fort, and Madhvendra Palace.


Monuments and Forts in Jaipur:
Loads of forts and monuments in Jaipur allow a tourist to enjoy the destination with countless excitement. Some of the top most favourite Indian tourist places in Jaipur are Hawa Mahal, Nahargarh Fort, Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar, Jal Mahal, Jaigarh Fort, Central Museum, Rambagh Palace, City Palace and Albert Hall Museum. This beautiful city is covered by rugged hills from all sides.

Hawa Mahal:  this is the palace known as Winds House and some people call it as “Palace of Breeze." This Mahal was built in 1799 by King Sawai Pratap Singh. The best part of Hawa Mahal is it is designed as crown of Lord Krishna. The exclusive five-storey outer structure of Mahal is similar to the honeycomb. It is constructed with red and pink stone situated in the main center of the city.
 


 Jaigarh Fort: a fort positioned on the premonitory is known as Hill of Eagles (Cheel ka Teela). This fort was constructed by King Sawai Jai Singh III in 1726. The cause of construction of this fort was to protect the Amer fort from attackers. The length of Jaigarh fort is 3 kms.

 

 Amber Fort: Amer Fort which is also pronounced as Amber Fort situated in Amer town of Jaipur. This fort is positioned at 4 km distance from the city. Amber fort is major spot for a tourist, situated at high Aravali hill. It was built by King Man Singh First.

 


Nahar Garh Fort: This known fort stands on the hill of Aravalli Ranges. The overwhelming sight of the beautiful city is special thing to watch from this fort. It was constructed as strong protection ring for Jaipur city. Earlier, this fort was named as Sudarshan Garh, but later the name was changed to Nahar Garh fort.


Jantar Mantar: The stunning collection of structural astronomical instruments presents in Jantar Mantar is special thing to watch in Jaipur. This structural design was built by King Jai Singh Second among 1727 to 1734. The key use of Jantar Mantar was to get the exact time as per sun rays. 


City Palace: one more palace, including two different Mahal in the area is City Palace. It includes Mubarak Mahal and Chandra Mahal with some more buildings. The edifice of this Mahal was done between 1729 to 1732, and the founder was King Jai Singh Second. 






Jal Mahal: a palace constructed in the City Lake is another best spot in Jaipur. The meaning of Jal Mahal is Water Palace, which means palace surrounded with water. The boats offered to attain the Mahal are specially designed by boat-makers of Vrindavan. They have crafted the boats in Rajput style, which is again special thing for a tourist.
 


 Few other tourist spots in Jaipur are Central Museum, Rambagh Palace and Albert Hall Museum. The diverse designs of spots allow visitors to learn about the Jaipur city and its creation.

Attaining to Jaipur: 
By Road: Roads of Jaipur are neat and clean with broad lanes. Visitors can go through road as the NH 8 is directly connected to Jaipur through big cities of India. NH 12 and NH 11 is also properly maintained and better routes to reach Jaipur through road. Rajasthan Roadways buses are available frequently to reach Jaipur.

By Rail: Jaipur City is headquartering the North Western Indian Railway zone. The broad gauge railway lines from the Jaipur station permit many big trains to cross the City. The major trains from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kota, Bangalore, Gandhinagar, Coimbatore, Kochi, Indore, Pune, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Nagpur, Lucknow, Raipur, Kanpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Farrukhabad, Trivendrum, and Patna are available direct to Jaipur. The most comfy train of the planet “The Palace on Wheels” is also having scheduled stop in Jaipur.

By Air: JIA (Jaipur International Airport) is having a huge airbase of national and international flights. The airport is positioned in Sanganer town situated at just 10 km distance from the city.