Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle
Photo by: Fr Antunes, Creative Commons

Haut Koenigsbourg, means “High King’s Castle” in German, is located in Orschwiller, Alsace, France. It is situated in the Vosges Mountains, and it occupied a strategic position when it was built back in the 12th century. The main purpose was to protect the wine and the wheat routes to the north, and the silver and the salt routes from west to east. There is a collection of medieval weapons in the basement of the castle which includes crossbows, swords and armors of different kinds. Inside the buildings the rooms are extremely impressive as the walls are covered with sculptures and paintings along with striking furniture.

The castle was built in the twelfth century over the previous ruins which date back to the roman period. The castle was burnt down in the fifteenth century but it was quickly reconstructed. During the Thirty Years War, the castle was again burnt down, but this time it took centuries to complete its reconstruction.

In the present day, Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle seems like it sprang out of the mythical past with ancient force. The castle is one of the symbols of the Alsatian heritage and a perfect witness for European culture. Visitors will definitely have an ideal environment to understand the castle architecture of middle ages.

Night Life at the Honfleur Harbor
Photo by: Parksy1964, Creative Commons

Honfleur Harbor is located in Honfleur, a small town located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine. It is renowned for its old and beautiful scenic port which is characterized by the houses with slate covered frontages.

The harbor is very well constructed and was originally founded by vikings in the seventeenth century. The fishing and sailing port is very dear to modern artists. Besides, Honfleur is an amazing town renowned for sporting shops, art galleries, and many restaurants. The harbor is surrounded by well preserved high-rise buildings along with cafes and restaurants which offer a delightful views of fishing boats and docked sailing yachts.

Carvings from the Kailasanatha Temple in Kanchipuram
Photo by: mckaysavage, Creative Commons

The ‘Kanchipuram’ or ‘Kanchi’ is located in the Tamilnadu state of India. The Kanchipuram city is famous for its temples and silk sarees.

The Kanchipuram city is famous for the temples and sarees, these sarees are woven by hand. Kalidasa, a great Sanskrit scholar and poet described Kanchipuram as the best cities among the medieval period. The famous Chinese monk Xuanzang visited the Kanchipuram city in the 7th century. The city is well known as the manufacturer of silk sarees in India. The architecture of the Kanchipuram temples clearly shows the south Indian style.

Kanchipuram is knows as the oldest city in South India. The Kanchipuram city has been a center place for the learning of Sanskrit and Tamil. The Kanchipuram was ruled by Pallava dynasty in the period of 4th to 9th centuries. During the period of 3rd and 9th centuries Kanchipuram served as a capital to the Pallava dynasty.

Major Temples

Kailashnatha Temple: The Kailashnatha temple is known to be the oldest temple in Kanchipuram. The temple is devoted to Lord Shiva. The temple was built by Rayasimha (Pallava king) in a Dravidian style. In addition there are small temples devoted to Lord Shiva and Paravati (Lord Shiva’s wife).

Sri Ekambaranathar Temple: The Ekambaranathar temple is also devoted to Lord Shiva and also one among largest temples in Kanchipuram. Krishnadevaraya (emperor of the Vijayanagar Dynasty) built the Ekambaranathar temple in the 16th century. The temple comprises an area of about 12 hectares. The main attraction at the temple is the thousand pillared hall.

Kamakshi Amman Temple: The Kamakshi Amman Temple is devoted to Goddess Paravati. Paravati is also known as goddess of love. One can reach the temple by passing through the thousand pillared hall.

Devarajaswami Temple: – The Devarajaswami temple is built by the Vijayanagar dynasty rulers, the temple is said to be one of the biggest temples in Kanchipuram. The temple is devoted to Lord Vishnu. The important thing at the temple is the wedding hall, where the marriage of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi. Goddess is performed.

Vaikuntha Perumal Temple: –
The Vaikuntha Perumal Temple is devoted to Lord Vishnu. This temple structure is made of stones, which displays the greatest architecture and culture of the Kanchipuram city.

Traveling
By train: – The Kanchipuram city is well connected with train services; from Chennai (the capital city of tamilnadu) it’s about 75 km which takes about 50 minutes.

By bus: – The city is well connected with roads from Vellore it takes about 2 to 3 hours.

This place is worth a visit because it is a sacred place which shows the different traditions and architecture of south India.

Gloomy day at the Jama Masjid
Photo by: Saad.Akhtar, Creative Commons

The Jama Masjid is located in Delhi (the capital city of India). Jama Masjid is the biggest mosque in Asia. The construction of the Jama Masjid was ordered by the emperor Shah Jahan in the year 1656, which was also the year the Taj mahal was built (one of the seven wonders in the world). The Jama Masjid courtyard can occupy at least twenty five thousand people at a time. The unique feature of the Jama Masjid is the Quran which is written on Deer’s skin.

About 5,000 workers were involved in the construction of the Jama Masjid, taking about six years. The cost involved in the construction in those times was about 10 million rupees in today’s economy. In addition, several other mosques were built near Ajmer, Agra, Delhi and Lahore.

The mosque has seven domes each having a tower in the middle. In addition, there is a hall where prayers are offered, the length of the hall is about 61 meters, where there are 11 entrances to the prayer hall. The mosque has two huge minarets which are about 41 meters high, and there is 130 steps built with red stone and marble. In addition there are four minor minarets to the back side of the mosque.

There are several different ways to reach the mosque’s courtyard, which includes the north, south, and east directions containing steps which are built of crimson stone. There are 39 steps from the north gate,33 steps from the southern gate and 35 steps from the east gate which is the main entrance to the mosque. In the evening times, the steps of the mosque are converted into stalls, book stalls and eatable places. The western side of the mosque is converted into poultry where birds and meat are sold. In the southern part of the mosque books are sold.

Traveling
The Jama Masjid being located in the heart of the Delhi City. Delhi being the capital city of India is well equipped with all means of transport. People traveling there can choose their way of transport according to their interest.

View of Hampi
Photo by: Vijjugadu, Creative Commons

Hampi is located in the state of Karnataka, India. Hampi was the capital to the Vijayanagar Dynasty during the medieval period. Hampi village is also a religious place, which has the historic Virupaksha Temple belonging to the 7th century. In addition Hampi has several Hindu Temples belonging to the ancient past. UNESCO listed some of Hampi’s monuments as the world heritage site.

Hampi is recognized as the Ramayana (Sanskrit epic), where Hampi was the empire of King Sugriva (belonging to Vanara dynasty). Hampi has the historical settlements since 1 C.E. Hampi is situated close to the Tungabhadra River bounded by the hills on all three sides.

Hampi is famous for its history and ancient architecture, Hampi displays a large number of Hindu idols statues, which were built on a single large stone. These statues are so big that one can still see it from a half kilometer distance. Most of the historical belongings are in ruins, a large number of structures are destroyed.

Hampi has several historical places, among them is the historical Virupaksha Temple. The Virupaksha temple was built in the 7th century, which is devoted to Lord Shiva. The temple is about 49 meters high. In addition there are Pampa and Bhuvaneshwari (Hindu Goddess) sub temples within the Virupaksha temple building.

In the present day, Hampi is a great tourist spot, which is visited by the people from all parts of India. The languages spoken at Hampi are Telugu and Kannada. Hampi is the greatest producer of Manganese and Iron ore. The Karnataka government organizes a festival every year in November known as “Vijayanagar Festival”, which conveys the traditions and life style of the Vijayanagar kings.

There are several sights seeing place in Hampi which are listed below.

* Akka Tangi Gudda

* Kamalapura Archaeological Museum

* Anegondi

* Tiruvengalanatha Temple

* The Underground temple

* Tungabhadra River

Traveling

Hampi can be reached by using the Bellary airport. Only Air Deccan airways operate its services from Bangalore (the capital city of Karnataka state).

The closest railway station to Hampi is the Hospet railway station which is 13 km away. In addition there are several train services available from Goa, Hyderabad (the capital city of Andhra Pradesh state, India), which costs about 700Rs, which is a reasonable price.

The Karnataka road transport operates frequent bus services from Bangalore, Mysore, Hospet and Gokarna cities.

Basilica of Bom Jesus
Photo by: Jackol, Creative Commons

Old Velha Goa is located 9 km from Panaji, Goa. Goa was the number one tourism hotspot in India for several years. The income accumulated from the tourism in Goa is about 16% of India’s economy. Old Goa is famous for the cathedrals belonging to 16th and 17th centuries. UNESCO listed Old Goa as the World Heritage Site for its cathedrals.

History
The Bahamani and Vijayanagar have founded Old Goa in the 15th century, which was used as a port city. During Adil Shah rule Old Goa served as a capital of the Bijapur. Goa was bounded by water bodies, temples and Mosques. Today there is nothing left in the palace except the palace gateway. In the 16th century Goa was the capital of Portuguese territories. During the Portuguese rule the streets in India looked like the streets of Lisbon.

Attractions
St Catherine’s Cathedral (Se cathedral):
The construction of the St Catherine’s Cathedral began in the year 1561 by the Portuguese Viceroy. The church was built in several stages and finally in the year 1619 the construction was completed. In the year 1652 the construction of the altar was finished. In Asia Se Cathedral is the biggest church. The interior of the church was built in Corinthian Style. On the left and right sides of the main altar, there are three more altars which are devoted to various saints.

Basilica of Bom Jesus
The Basilica of Bom Jesus is situated in Old Goa; the church was constructed in the year 1594 and completed in the year 1605. St Francis Xavier, a priest whose body is preserved naturally, remains are placed in the main altars right side. The coffin is made of silver which contains three locks which are held with the bishop of the church. Since 1859 the body of St Francis Xavier is taken out and kept as an exhibition for every ten years, millions of people gather at the church to view the exhibition. The last time the exhibition was held in the year 2005 and the next exhibition was expected at 2015.

St Francis Church and Archeological Museum
The St Francis Church was built in the year 1517 and destroyed in the year 1661, in the year 1762 the church was restored again. A huge statue of Jesus and St Francis statue are the main attractions in the church. Backside of the church the archeological museum is situated; it contains the paintings of the Portuguese belonging to 15th century.

Traveling
By air:
Goa being the major tourist destination spot in India is well-connected with airways from all the cities in India.

By bus:
There are frequent bus services from Panaji Kadamba bus station to Old Goa, which are about 30 minutes long. In addition there are Bikes and cars which are given on rent which costs around 200 to 1000 Rs per day.

Mysore Palace
Photo by: lovelypetal’s buddy icon
lovelypetal, Creative Commons

The Mysore palace is located in the Mysore city, in the state of Karnataka, India. The Mysore palace is also the residence of the Mysore royal family. The Mysore palace is regarded as the most splendid structures in India. The Mysore palace is well known for its architecture. A number of rulers from different kingdoms and various methods of architecture and various construction styles are involved in the construction of the palace. The lighting of the palace which is done during the Dussera festival is a highlight event at the palace.

History

The Wodeyar dynasty has built the Mysore palace in the 14th century. Mysore city was ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty from the 14th century until India’s independence in the year 1947. In the year 1638 a lightning strike hit the palace, causing damage to the palace. In the year 1793 the palace was demolished, which led to the building of a new palace in the year 1803. In the year 1897 the palace was set on fire while Princess Jayalakshmanni (princess from the Wodeyar dynasty) was on the throne. The palace was later rebuilt by Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV under Henry Irwin’s (British Architect) administration.

Architecture

The palace was built by different emperors at different times, displaying the various architectural methods. The Mysore palace is a fine example of the Muslim, Rajput and Hindu. The palace is three floored building made of granite and pink marble. The building comprises of seven massive arches, the central arch displays the fine work of Gajalakshmi (goddess of wealth) which is a highlight at the palace.

Festivals

Vijaya Dashami is the major festival celebrated in the autumn season. The festival is celebrated for about 10 days, the parade by the elephants is the major attraction of the festival.

Dasara is the most important festival which is celebrated in the month of October. The highlight of the festival is the palace illumination where 10,000 lights are used for the event.

Attractions

The temples within the palace which includes the Someshvara temple which is devoted to Lord Shiva and the Lakshmiramana temple which is devoted to Lord Vishnu is the main attraction.

A huge structure, a tiger made of bronze, at the gate and the collection of arms and weapons belonging to the 14th century are a special attraction.

Traveling

By air:

The nearby airport is the Bangalore international airport (which is 140 km from here).

By train:

Mysore is well connected by railways from all the parts of the country. Traveling by train is the easiest way to reach the palace.

By bus:

Bus services are available every 5 minutes from Bangalore. Luxury and normal buses are also available, which costs about 300 Rs.

Pink Mahabodhi Temple Complex Building
Photo by: Wonderlane, Creative Commons

The Mahabodhi temple is located in Bodh Gaya City in the state of Bihar, India. In the year 2002 UNESCO listed the Mahabodhi Temple as a world heritage site. The Mahabodhi Temple is the holiest and oldest shrine devoted to Buddhism. It is the place where Gautama Buddha got his enlightenment. The Mahabodhi temple is the oldest temple and the first temple to be constructed using bricks.

History
The Mahabodhi Temple was constructed by Ashoka in between 5th and 6th centuries. The idea of constructing the temple came as a result of Gautama Buddha’s Enlightenment at Bodhgaya. In addition a diamond throne was built marking the accurate location of Buddha’s enlightenment. In the 12th century Bodhgaya came under the control of Muslim authorities, at this era the temple was damaged and neglected. The temple was restored in 1880 by the British government under the supervision of Sir Alexander Cunningham. In the year 1949 the temple was handed over to the Buddhists.

Architecture
The whole temple is built with bricks and is the oldest among the brick structures in India. The Mahabodhi temple tower stands at a height of about 55 meters, which is bounded by four more towers which are built in the same manner. The Mahabodhi temple is bounded by railings made of stone two meters tall. In addition, the ancient railings are made of sandstone around 150 B.C. There are a few structures of Indian gods inside the temple namely “Surya”, the god of sun and “Lakshmi”, the goddess of wealth.

Attractions
The temple contains several towers which are built by many people from different parts of the world. A large amount of Buddha statues are clad in the Hindu style. In addition, there is the Niranjana River close to the temple, which has a great scenic beauty.
Currently, the Mahabodhi temple is maintained by the government of Bihar state. The government takes care of its protection and management.

Traveling
Bodhgaya is well equipped by all means of transport. From Patna (the capital of the Bihar state) the temple is about 100 km.

By Air:
The airport is about 16 km from Bodhgaya. Every Friday at 10:00am the Indian airlines operates its services from Kolkata, the Thai airways operates its services daily and the flight services from Bangkok operates weekly once.

By Road:
Bus services are frequently available from all parts of the Bihar state. In addition, the government of Bihar provides daily services to Bodhgaya.

By train:
Traveling by train is the easiest way to reach Bodhgaya. Train services from all the major cities in India are available.

The readers should visit Bodhgaya, as this is the place where one can find the ancient history of Buddhism.

Fuerte Mehrangarh at Jodhpur
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Jodhpur is located in the state of Rajasthan, India. Jodhpur is a famous destination spot in India with a broad wall that surrounds the city. The Jodhpur city is famous for its temples, forts, and Thar Desert scenery. Jodhpur is also referred as “Sun City” during summer and “Blue City” during the winter.

History
Until 1100 Jodhpur was a part of Gurjara – Pritchard Empire, ruled by king Bargujar. In the year 1459, Rao Jodha, (chief of the Rajput belonging to Rathore family) has founded the Jodhpur city. Rao Jodha was successful in capturing the bounded province and named it as Marwar.

There are number of attractions in the city of Jodhpur, which are listed below:

Umaid Bhawan Palace
The Umaid Bhawan Palace is regarded as India’s most magnificent palace. The palace was built at a time of drought, so many people used it as a service and shelter to the public. The palace was built with about a million square foot of marble. The palace contains flourishing gardens, corridors, stunning courtyards, and majestic rooms.

Mehrangarh Fort
The Mehrangarh Fort is situated on the top of a hill, which lies in the Jodhpur city outskirts. The construction of the Mehrangarh Fort was started in the year 1459 by Rao Jodha, and most of the structures were added during the reign of Jaswant Singh in the 16th century. The fort Museum displays a great collection of furniture, cradles, musical instruments, and palanquins.

Jaswant Thada
The Jaswant Thada is built in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, in the year 1899. The Jaswant Thada is completely built with marble stones, a unique feature of the marble stones is when suns rays fall on the stones the stones produce a hot flame.

Osiyan Temple
The Osiyan temple is a famous Jain temple, which is located 60 km from Jodhpur. The construction dates of the temple are not known but the temple structures are built at different periods.

Kaman Art gallery
Known as India’s modern art gallery, which displays the paintings of various artists of the past.

Food
A large number of delicious food such as sweets and spicy food is available in Jodhpur. The most famous dish is the Mirchibada (a dish made of potato, gram flour and chilli) and Dal Baati Churma (a dish made of ghee and Jaggery).

Traveling to Jodhpur:

By Air
Flight services are frequently available from the major cities Delhi, Udaipur, Jaipur, Mumbai and Kolkata.

By Bus
Rajasthan government runs frequent bus services to Jodhpur. A large number of luxury and ordinary buses are also available.

By Train
Jodhpur is connected from all the major cities in India. In addition, there are daily services from Kolkata, Mumbai Jaipur and Delhi.

In the city you can travel by un-metered auto-rickshaws, buses, cycle-rickshaws or you can also use car cabs.

View of the Girnar Temple from higher grounds
Photo by: Emmanuel Dyan, Creative Commons

Girnar is located in the Junagadh region which is 327km from Ahmedabad (the largest city in Gujarat), in the state of Gujarat, India.

Since the 3rd century, Girnar has been a major religious place. Girnar is also a sacred place for Jains and the Hindus. Girnar Temples is known to be the “anthology of mountains” which contains about five mountains. The tallest among the mountains is 945 meters high. The first mountain contains Shwetamber and Digambar temples (Jain temples), these temples stand as a fine example in terms of architecture which portray the carvings on the temple structures.

There are almost 8,000 steps located from the starting point of the first peak to the very last shrine. Girnar is a sacred place for Jains and Hindus, which attracts a large number of pilgrims. The pilgrims climb all 8,000 steps barefoot as a belief that a person who climbs all the steps barefoot reaches Heaven.

The Neminath temple at Girnar is the major temple, which was built in the 11th century. The temple contains the deity of Lord Neminath, which is made of black granite and the eyes of the deity are made of precious jewels. The temple complex contains open space, courtyards, and several other minor temples. The temple roofs are inscribed with Goddesses in a dancing form. In addition, there is another temple known as Mallinath temple within the Neminath temple which is devoted to Tirthankar (Jain god). The temple was built in 1231 AD by Tejpal and Vastupal.

Besides these temples there are some minor temples namely Meravasi built in the 15th century. Married couples visit this temple to seek blessings. In addition, a mosque is located near the temple where childless women visit to enhance their fertility.

In the present day, Girnar is one of India’s biggest pilgrimage places. A race is conducted every year, the race involves climbing to the top of the 8,000 steps. A large number of people take part in it, and is the major attraction here.

Traveling
The nearby airport to Girnar is the Keshod airport, which is 40km from Girnar.

Traveling by train is the easiest way, train services are frequently available from Ahmedabad City.

From Junagadh daily services are available which is about 5km from Girnar, in addition the Gujarat state provides bus services from all the major parts of the state.

Gateway to India Archway
Photo by: poida.smith, Creative Commons

The Gateway of India is located in South Mumbai, in the state of Maharashtra, India.

The Gateway of India is built with yellow basalt (extrusive volcanic rock) and concrete. The architecture of the Gateway is purely Indo-Saracenic (combination of Indian and Islamic architecture) style. The arch of the gateway is about 26 meters; the dome at the center is about 15 meters in diameter and 26 meters from the ground surface. The Indian government spent 21 lakh Rupees for the Gateways construction.

The plan to build the Gateway of India started in the year 1911, and it was built to mark the trip to Mumbai by King George V (emperor of India during the British rule in India) and his wife Queen Mary. The gateway was designed by George Wittet , the construction of the Gateway began in the year 1915. Construction of the Gateway was extremely slow, where only a wall was built over four long years. In the year 1920 the foundations were finished and finally in the year 1924 the total construction was completed. Finally in 1924, December 4th British Viceroy opened the Gateway. The British people used the Gateway to receive their guests who visited Mumbai.

In the present day, the Gateway of India is a crowded area and is the most visited place in Mumbai. People, especially from Mumbai , use this place as a hang out area.

Traveling
Mumbai, the India’s largest city, is well connected with all means of transport from all the parts of the country and all the parts of the world. People traveling there can choose their means of transport according to their interest.

The local traveling in Mumbai is a great experience where different means of transport are available; such as the local trains stopping every 10 minutes from Bandhra, Chatrapathi, Sivaji, and Andheri railway stations. Everyday 7 million people travel in these local trains.

In addition taxis, autos, and bus services are frequently available from all parts of Mumbai.

Gomateshwara Statue
Photo by: Sandip Bhattacharya, Creative Commons

The Gomateshwara Statue is situated on the top of Shravanabelagola hill, in the State of Karnataka, India. Gomateshwara is also known as Lord Bahubali.

The Gomateshwara Statue stands at a height of 60 feet on the top of the hill. The Gomateshwara Statue was built by Chamundaraya (a poet and minister belonging to the Western Ganga Dynasty). Between the years 978 to 993 the Gomateshwara Statue was built. A single large stone was used in the construction of the Gomateshwara Statue. The Gomateshwara Statue is a completely stripped Statue, which was built according to Jain ethnicity. In addition several inscriptions were found at the bottom of the Gomateshwara Statue. These inscriptions are written in Kannada language which describes the ancient Kannada literature.

In the present day, the Gomateshwara Statue is considered as the world’s biggest monolithic statue. The Gomateshwara Statue can be viewed at a distance of 30 km. Everyday, a large number of devotees, especially Jains, visit the statue. The Gomateshwara Statue is a famous pilgrim place for the Jains.

At the Shravanabelagola hill, every 12 years devotees celebrate the “Mahamastakabhisheka festival”. Devotees Sprinkle 1008 vessels of water from the top of the statue. After the sprinkling of water, the bathing of the statue is done with a tons of sugarcane juice, milk, and the paste from the saffron flower. The process is continued with sprinkling the turmeric and sandalwood powders. on the statue. In addition the devotees offer a large amount of valuable stones and coins made of silver and gold.

In the year 2006 February the Mahamastakabhisheka festival was held and the next festival was expected in 2018.

In the year 2007, the people of India gave the number one spot to the Gomateshwara Statue among the seven wonders in India.

Traveling

From Bangalore airport (the capital city of the Karnataka state) it’s about 145km.

From the Hassan railway station it’s about 52km.

The easiest way to reach Shravanabelagola is by road. Bus services are frequently available from all the major cities of the Karnataka state to Shravanabelagola.

Darjeeling, viewed from the hillside
Photo by: Darkone, Creative Commons

Darjeeling, a town located in West Bengal, which is near the Lesser Himalaya’s or the Mahabharat Range. It was one of the most desired hill stations during the British rule. Not only is it famous for its beauty and fresh air, it is best known for the export of high quality tea to the world. The total area of Darjeeling is 11 square kilometers with a population of a little more than 132,000.

Darjeeling is a holy destination for both Hindus and Buddhists of the city. Located near the summit of Ghum or Ghoom is Tiger Hill which has an elevation of 2,590 meters (8482 feet), both of which are within the Darjeeling Himalayan region. It is frequently visited for its proximity to get an ideal view of Mount Everest and Kanchanjunga, the third highest peak in the world.

Kanchanjunga is beautiful, surrounded by mountains and hills, with an elevation of 8,586 meters (28,169 feet), it has been recognized as the summer capital because of its year round cool temperatures. After cold and summer season, comes spring in which the whole town is draped colorful calm and wispy clouds that everyone loves to be a part of.

The crowd combines with Darjeeling to join in a big carnival-like atmosphere. Ghum is at an elevation of 7900 ft (2400 M) and home to the Ghoom Monastery.

Another attraction worthy of a visit is the Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park, said to be one of the best in India. One of the most exhilarating experiences you can have is the Drajeeling-Rangit Valley Ropeway (Passenger cable car today), Asia’s largest ropeway and should not be missed when you visit. The Ropeway allows you to pass through the clouds and afford a view of the tea gardens down below.

When it comes to the shopping, crafts, carpets, woodwork, and leatherwork can be bought from a Tibetan refugee self help center; where you can bargain your through some of the finest in the region. Trekking has been one of the most famous events which are conducted in both high and low altitude areas along with availability of trekking equipment.

There are two ways to reach to Darjeeling, one is through air transport to its nearest airport, Bagdogra; the second is by rail which allows you to experience a lot more of India. Although you can also take a bus from Siliguri to Darjeeling, it may be too much for the faint hearted.

The best time to visit is between March and September. Accommodation in Darjeeling is easy to acquire as the town is filled with hotels and resorts along with authentic healthy food for the palate.

Brihadeeswarar Temple
Photo by: badrri, Creative Commons

The Brihadeeswarar temple, also known as “Rajarajeswaram”, is located in Thanjavur in state of Tamilnadu, which is in the southern part of India. This temple was a tribute and it reflects the power of its creator, Raja Raja Chola I. It is considered as one of the greatest glories of India because of its architecture. The temple is also listed as one of the world heritage site by UNESCO. The temple is also one of the most valued architectural sites of India and the tallest temples in the world.

The structure of the temple is enclosed with wonderful design and was constructed between the year 1003 and 1010. The temple can be approached from the eastern side through two gateways which are termed as “Gopuras”. There are two guardian statues beside the gateways made by the Shaiva legends (a community who believes that Lord Shiva is the almighty of universe). The exterior of the temple is decorated with hundreds of painted sculptures. On the other hand, the interior of the temple has a massive idol of Lord Shiva, a god with three eyes in which the third eye is closed. The legends believe that if Lord Shiva opens his third eye, the universe will be destroyed. The inner gateway is the Brihadeeswarar temple with a single large dome weighing about 81 tons. It is interesting to think about how could a huge dome weighing 81 tons be placed at such a height. The compound of the temple also includes a statue of Nandi [six meters long and three meters height] (the biggest of its own kind); a shrine with octagonal dome known as “Chandeshvara”; a columned hall; and a towered sanctuary and other small shrines. There are well carved figures of Lord Shiva and other gods on the walls of the sanctuary. Together, there are 250 Lingams (statue of lord Shiva) in the entire compound of the temple which is very impressive. Majority of the tourists are attracted because of these multiple Lingams and massive Nandi idol weighing 25 tons. The festivals which should not be missed are “Shiva ratri” and “Pradhosa poojas”.

The best way to reach to Thanjavur is from Chennai (Madras) which is well connected through air and railway. It has roads connecting to almost every part of India. So there is no difficulty of transport reaching to the almighty temple.

“Many of the advances in the sciences that we consider today to have been made in Europe were in fact made in India centuries ago” – Grant Duff, British Historian of India

Ajanta Caves in India
Photo by: danchitnis, Creative Commons

Ajanta caves, the magnificent Buddhist rock-cut caves in India are located 101 kilometers away from Aurangabad, Maharashtra. It is a renowned name in the world of architecture and is listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in the year 1983. These caves were created in the 2nd century B.C. and is comprised of thirty caves along with paintings and sculptures of respective era. The caves are shaped from the volcanic lava of the Sahyadri hill.

John Smith, a British captain, discovered these caves in the year 1819 accidentally while hunting in the forest. The caves provide a different and unique combination of art and architecture. Paintings discovered inside the cave were made between the fifth and seventh century. Most of the paintings revolve around Buddhism. The reason behind establishing these caves was to provide a religious prayer place for Buddhist monks. The Chaitya hall and the Vihara hall are the best preserved Buddhist architecture which were located in different caves.

The caves are open from 9:00 in the morning to 5:00 in the evening; please note that on Mondays the caves are closed. The entrance fee varies for different tourists coming form different countries. The best way to reach the caves is through flight or train. As it is located at 100 kilometers away from Aurangabad, a person can return to Aurangabad by catching either a flight or a train which are present in plenty.

Ajanta caves, a well defined example of ancient age is full of life with the collection of murals, paintings and sculptures. I suggest the readers to visit these wonderful caves if planned a vocation in India.

Andaman Islands sunset on the beach in India
Photo by: abhijeet.rane, Creative Commons

The Andaman Islands is a group of islands located on the bay of Bengal. Making it politically a part of Andaman and Nicobar Islands union, which is a territory of India. Geographically, Thailand and Burma are much closer to the Andaman Islands than India. The Andaman chain of islands includes about 301 islands in which most of them are inhabited. These islands are gifted with sandy beaches, clear sea water, and coral reefs.

The population of Andaman Island is inhabited by 380,000 people, and in which most of them migrated from the Indian mainland. Interestingly enough, the original islanders ethnically do not belong to India. There are around 1,200 of these original islanders which are called ”adivasis”. The total land area of these islands is about 2,500 square miles. These islands are blessed with unlimited amount of marine stock. Recently a ban on catching sharks was imposed because fishing sharks was a major industry. Resulting in the exhaustion of sharks in the sea. Recently, the islands were severely hit by Tsunami because of their relative closeness to Sumatra which was also hit by earthquake. This unanticipated disaster took the lives of 4,000 people. However, the Andaman Islands were always filled with tourists all over the world because of its gifted nature and beautiful beaches. There are several services for the tourists provided by the government of India, like Scuba diving, surfing and boats. Sea food is the best order from the luxurious restaurants to the local restaurants along with alcohol. Also, make sure that you are well covered with blankets while sleeping because it is a malarial area.

The Andaman Islands is best reached by using an airplane from India which lands exactly in Port Blair. An alternative way to reach the islands is through a cruise available from India. Most of the visitors prefer to stay at Spartan Guesthouse which is where one would get luxurious accommodation.

The life on Andaman Islands is like the one in the tropical areas, which means SLOW PACED AND RELAXED.

“The waves of desire in the world-ocean are intoxicating wine”- GURU GRANTH