Saturday, January 30, 2010

Mysore Palace Karnataka

Mysore palace is one of the largest palaces in India and one of the most splendid. The palace was the residence of the Wodeyar Mahararaja's of the Mysore State. The architectural style of the palace is commonly described as Indo-Saracenic, and blends together Hindu, Muslim, Rajput, and Gothic styles of architecture. The interiors and architecture is a great pleasure to watch.







Places to visit in Mysore:
Chamundi Hills - Mysore, Karnataka
Brindhavan Garden - Mysore

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Golden Temple Amritsar

Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple),informally referred to as The Golden Temple or Temple of God, is culturally the most significant place of worship of the Sikhs and one of the oldest Sikh gurdwaras. It is located in the city of Amritsar, which was established by Guru Ram Das Ji, the fourth guru of the Sikhs in the 14th century, and is, also due to the shrine, known as Guru Di Nagri meaning city of the Guru.

One of the several tourist attractions in Amritsar, the Golden Temple. It stands as one of the favorite tourist destinations in India.



Sri Harmandir Sahib, is built on a 67ft. square platform in the centre of the Sarovar(tank). The temple itself is 40.5ft. square. It has a door each on the East, West, North and South. The Darshani Deori (an arch) stands at the shore end of the causeway. The door frame of the arch is about 10ft in height and 8ft 6inches in breath. The door panes are decorated with artistic style. It opens on to the causeway or bridge that leads to the main building of Sri Harmandir Sahib. It is 202 feet in length and 21 feet in width.




The bridge is connected with the 13 feet wide ‘Pardakshna’ (circumambulatory path). It runs round the main shrine and it leads to the ‘Har ki Paure’ (steps of God). On the first floor of ‘Har ki Paure’, there is continuous reading of Guru Granth Sahib.




The main structure of Sri Harmandir Sahib, functionally as well as technically is a three-storied one. The front, which faces the bridge, is decorated with repeated cusped arches and the roof of the first floor is at the height of the 26 feet and 9 inches.



At the top of the first floor 4 feet high parapet rises on all the sides which has also four ‘Mamtees’ on the four corners and exactly on the top of the central hall of the main sanctuary rises the third story. It is a small square room and have three gates. A regular recitation of Guru Granth Sahib is also held there.

On the top of this room stands the low fluted ‘Gumbaz’(dome) having lotus petal motif in relief at the base inverted lotus at the top which supports the ‘Kalash’ having a beautiful ‘Chhatri’ at the end.

Its architecture represents a unique harmony between the Muslims and the Hindus way of construction work and this is considered the best architectural specimens of the world. It is often quoted that this architecture has created an independent Sikh school of architecture in the history of art in India.

Transport
Being major transport hub Amritsar in Punjab is accessible very easily. Airport in Amritsar operates domestic and international flights and also is major railway station connected with Delhi, Varanasi, Mumbai, and, Kolkata, bus services are also available for all nearest big cities like Ambala, Chandigarh and Jammu.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Tourism in Karnataka

Karnataka is a very important state of South India. The capital city of Karnataka is Bangalore also known as Bangaluru. Bangalore is the main of IT industry of India. The most of the software companies of India have their head offices in Bangalore as Infosys, Wipro etc. Karnataka is very popular in terms of tourism. The major attractions of Karnataka tourism are wildlife, historical places, cultural tour, temples and natural beauty.



Karnataka is growing tourism state of India and has great potential to attract the art & nature lover, trekker.The glorious Jog Falls, steep dense forest of Coorg (Scotland of India), coffee plantations of picturesque Karnataka are a treat to tired eyes.

Karnataka has witnessed many important historical events in its history. It is well known as a wealthy state and abounds with beautiful greeneries. extending over an area of 191,791 sq. Km is eighth largest state of India. The state located on the Western half of the Deccan Plateau is bounded by the states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Major Cites: Banglore,Mysore,Surathkal,Gokak,Hubli,Belgaum,Dharwad,Bijapur.

Karnataka Forts

Karnataka has a long history that chiefly constitutes of the Sultans and their endeavor towards strengthening their roots in Karnataka. Karnataka forts and palaces, indeed, are witnesses to those endeavor and strife. No tourist survey is complete without mentioning about Karnataka's historical forts. The whole range of ancient capitals of Bidar, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Vijayanagara, Badami, Basava Kalyan, Srirangapattan, Keladi, Chitradurga, Mysore, etc. had their forts.

Museums of Karnataka

The museums of Karnataka are repositories of the state's glorious history. Remnants of the bygone eras have been carefully preserved in the Karnataka museums. Besides sculpture and artifacts belonging to the ancient ages, the museums in Karnataka exhibit traditional paintings.


Karnataka Hill Stations

Whether you are traveling alone, with a group or with your family, these cool hill stations will definitely make your trip more memorable. Go on a nature tour, trek the challenging hills, go fishing, river rafting, or just chill out in these serene spots.



Nandi Hills, Kemman Gundi, Madikeri, Biligirirangana Hills, Kudremukh

Karnataka Wildlife

Karnataka, in all, has 21 wildlife sanctuaries and 5 National parks! The government of India has recently proposed to the UNESCO to include important ecosystems in the Western Ghats as a World Heritage Site. The Western Ghats that run south-north through Karnataka is considered as one among the twenty five bio-diversity hotspots of the world.



Beaches in Karnataka

The Beaches of Karnataka capture a place in the list of popular beaches in India. Visit the beautiful Beaches of Karnataka.Karnataka has a 320-km long coastline. Karnataka's beach destinations include Karwar, Mangalore, Ullal and Suratkal, that invites those wants a break from the chafing grind of urban life.

Tourism in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is a beautiful state located in the southern state of India and is characterized by a varied terrain that makes it stand apart from the rest of the tourist destinations of India. Enjoy your vacations in this state as it has in store amazing music, culture, dance and don’t forget to visit its unspoiled beaches, wildlife and architectural splendors. With the efforts of the government and private bodies, lots of Tamil Nadu hotels have come up for catering to the diverse needs of the guests dropping in here each year.



Tamil Nadu is a land of varied beauty. It is mostly famous for its numerous Hindu temples based on the Dravidian architecture. The temples are of a distinct style which is famous for its towering Gopuram. Popular temple towns include Madurai, Trichy, Tanjore, Kanchipuram, Palani, Tiruvallur and Mahabalipuram.



There are many Places of tourist interest in the 30 districts of Tamilnadu, in addition to the magnificient temples, churches and mosques.

Chennai

Chennai is the capital of Tamilnadu and the fourth biggest city in India. For most tourists, Chennai serves as a starting point or base for a tour of South India. Anna Zoological Park, Covelong Beach, Valluvar Kottam, Marina Beach , Murugan Temple

Madurai

Madurai is the Temple town of the South and it is known as the Cultural Capital of Tamilnadu. The city is a lotus-shaped one built around the Madurai Meenakshi Temple. Few cities in the World can claim a tradition as old as Madurai.

Cuddalore

Cuddalore is a fast growing and large industrial city. Cuddalore is known for its picturesque beaches, particularly Silver Beach, and is an emerging tourism hub. The famous Nataraja temple at Chidambaram is in Cuddalore district.

Kanchipuram

A historic city, which was the capital of the Pallava, Chola and Vijayanagara Empires, Kanchipuram is known for its Ekamareshwara Temple, which has a 200 ft tall gopuram and the Kailashnath Temple with exquisite culptures of Shiva. Kanchipuram is also famous as a center of silk weaving in India. Kanchipuram is called the "City of a 1000 Temples" and you're sure to see why, on your tour of Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.

The important tourists spots in Kanchipuram are as follows Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Mahabalipuram, Kishkintha, Uthiramerur, Queen’s Land theme park, vedanthangal birds sanctuary and kalpakkam rector research centre.

Kanyakumari

The southernmost point of the Indian peninsula is in Tamil Nadu, India. The waters of three different water bodies mingle at Kanyakumari - the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The Vivekananda Memorial, with its statue of Swami Vivekanda is situated on a rock, 400 m from the shore. A popular sight at Kanyakumari is the view of the sunrise and the sunset over the horizon where the sky meets the sea, as you'll see on your Tamil Nadu tour.

Kodaikanal

This beautiful hill station in Tamil Nadu is known for its fine educational institutions and the Solar Physical Observatory. The star-shaped lake in the center of Kodaikanal is a popular tourist spot, with boating and water sports organized on its waters. Kodaikanal is also known for the Kurinji flower, which blooms once in 12 years and the Kurinju Andavar Temple dedicated to the Dravidian deity Lord Muruga.

Thanjavur
This capital city of the Cholas, is situated in the Cauvery River delta and is known for its impressive Brihadeshwara Temple, the tower of which is capped by an 80 ton granite monolith. The Raja Musum and Art Gallery has a collection of bronze sculptures from Chola times and the Saraswati Mahal Library has 8,000 rare manuscripts inscribed on palm leaves.


Transport

» By Air - The Anna International Airport, 16 km south of Chennai, has flights to/from Sri Lanka, Dubai, Germany, Jakarta, Malaysia, England, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. Most major Indian cities are also connected to Chennai by regular domestic flights

» By Rail - The railway station at Chennai has connecting trains to/from all major cities in India.

» By Road - The entire state is connected through an extensive network of roads. Ferry services are also available in Chennai.



Welcome to Tamil Nadu and may you enjoy your stay!