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Archive for the ‘Deserts of India’ Category

With the sea water receding approximately 5 kms during low tide and advancing to the shore during high tide everyday, the Chandipur Beach at Orissa offers a truly unique and captivating sight.

Easily accessible via train, the beach is merely 16 kms from the Balasore Railway Station on Howrah-Madras line of South Eastern Railways.

Watching the sea vanish right in front of your eyes and then observing its return is a very rare site. And to add more to this hide and seek of water, the Casuarina trees and creeper sand dunes seem to be swaying on a melodious musical note. The bbeach is also in close proximity to certain other places of tourist interest namely Remuna, Panchalingeswar, Aradi and Chandaneswar.

The seaside resort of Chandipur, 16 km east of Balasore, is one of Orissa’s finest beaches. The musical sway of the casuarinas trees and creepered white sand dunes add to its seductive beauty. Chandipur is one of the few beaches of the world where the sea recedes up to 5 km daily at low tide and chasing the waves in a jeep, when the sea retreats is unforgettable. When the tide is in, locals trawl for small fish along the coast. The serene and peaceful landscape of Chandipur captivates the visitor.

Easily reachable by auto rickshaw or taxi from Balasore, the accommodation at Chandipur is plentiful. Enjoy your stay at Chandipur Beach, Orissa.

Mount Abu, which is set amidst lush surroundings of Aravali hills at an altitude of 1,220 m above the sea level, is the only hill station in the desert state of Rajasthan. It enjoys a cool and pleasant climate all round the year with temperatures hovering between 21 degrees to 33 degrees celcius during summer and between 11 degrees to 28 degrees celcius during winter, offering much-needed relief from the heat and dust of Rajasthan. Besides its exceptional scenic beauty, Mount Abu is also famous for its 11-13th century Hindu and Jain temples.

The physiography of Mt Abu bears quite a distinction from the rest of the state. The places features productive lands and a pleasant climate. The place lies, comparatively, at a higher altitude and is the is the lone hill station in the region around. The place is what can best be described as Cool. The road that leads to the place is rocky and arid. One finds a lot of odd shaped rocks piled along the roadside. Mt Abu is a very famous pilgrimage centre in the state. The place is believed to have been blessed by the sages and saints that travelled to this part of the country. Located here are some important shrines and temples of Jains and Hindus.

Guru Shikhar Mount Abu

A much revered Hindu pilgrimage site, the Guru Shikhar is the highest peak of the Aravali range situated at 15km northeast of the hill town.

Dilwara Jain Temples Mount Abu

One of the renowned Jain pilgrimage, the Dilwara Jain Temples constructed between 11th and 13th century are dedicated to the Jain Tirthankaras. The temple complex comprising of five marble temples out of which the oldest temple is the Vimal Vasahi Temple is one of the exquisite specimen of Jain architectural splendour.

Sunset Point Mount Abu

3km away from the town to the west, within a walkable distance, where the valley ends, there is the Sunset Point.At the foothills down below is a deep gorge or pit.It looks as if the setting sun has just fallen or dissapeared from the sky into the mountains. This point offers one of the breathtaking mountain view from this point.

Honeymoon Point Mount Abu

Another popular spot to enjoy the scenic beauty especially the magical moment when the setting sun spreads its orange wings, the heavenly view of the Abu Valley and acres of lush greenary.

Trevor’s Tank Mount Abu

Situated just 5kms from the hill town, the Trevor’s Tank derived its name from the British engineer who built it is a well known hang out spot for those who want to enjoy several moods of nature where thick wooded hills provide the perfect abode for the different varieties of birds like peacocks and pigeons.

Goa which is rightly regarded as the “Pearl of the East” is a paradise for all nature lovers with its golden beaches and palm fringed beachfront. It is a wonderful retreat for all the nature lovers and tourism in Goa is burgeoning in leaps and bounds. Its Gothic churches, ancient ruins, palm-fringed beaches, coconut groves, ferry rides, and bubbly folk music are some of the things it is characterized by. The solitude hunters are definitely going to make Goa as their stopover in their tour itinerary.

Goa, the beautiful state located on the western coast of India, is blessed with many attractive tourist attractions. That includes, sun kissed beaches, churches, forts, temples, lavish hotel resorts and colonial monuments.

Goa has a long stretch of coastline of about 131 km and you will be enchanted by the beautiful beaches in Goa. A salubrious climate, friendly people, appetizing food, white-washed churches and a fascinating aura of the colonial times lends an unprecedented touch to this small state of western India. Not only the Indian tourists, the Europeans are also beguiled by the natural exquisiteness of this wonderful tropical paradise and drop in to Goa for spending vacations.

The Beaches of Goa

Beaches are the attractions of Goa that are marked as the first one on the tour itinerary of Goa. Calangute Beach, called the Queen of Indian beaches is a stretched for 7 kms. Anjuna, the traditional ramble center, is admired by the back packers. It is a real lively place with many eating joints, restaurants and bars. Baga Beach, a fascinating beach is near Anjuna Beach. Dona Paula Beach 7 kms far from Panaji gives a best opportunity to the tourists for best relaxation and sunbath.

Colva Beach near Margo offers nice accommodation options. Naturally blessed beach are Arambol Beach in the north and Palolem Beach in the south. Other famous beaches include Miramar Beach, Agonda Beach, Mandrem Beach, Morjim Beach, Miramar Beach, Palolem Beach, Siridao Beach, Patnem Beach, Keri Beach, Lemos Beach, Mandrem Beach, Morji Beach, Asvem Beach and many more. The resorts on the Goa Beach Resorts offer all the modern tourist facilities in Goa.

Kodaikanal’s emergence on India’s map as a major tourist destination is mainly due to the ancient ruins and the lovely scenery. These remains, dating back to 5000 BC, make it a significant source of curiosity and interest for historians and tourists alike. Offering several tourist attractions in Kodaikanal, the place is positioned on the southern region of the greater Palani Hills. One of the finest hill stations in India, it occupies a sprawling area of 21.45 sq km at an elevation of 2133 meters above sea level.

Situated on the southern tip of the greater Palani Hills, the offshoot of the Western Ghats, Kodaikanal is one of the finest hills stations in India. The hill station, scattered across an area of 21.45 sq km, is situated at an altitude of 2133 meters above the sea level.

Kodaikanal has seen a major uphill trend in tourism division of late with tourists largely favoring hill stations for their vacations. There are numerous interesting tourist sites in and around the region. Some of them have been discussed below:

Bryant Park – One of the excellent tourist attractions of Kodaikanal, the Bryant Park, occupying an area of 20.5 acres, is particularly famous for growing rare assortment of flowers.

Waterfalls – The waterfalls, some of the major Kodaikanal tourist attractions found around the town include the Bear Shola Falls, Glen Falls, Silver Cascade, and the Fairy Falls. The most eminent of them, 975-feet high Thalaiyar Falls is located close by.

Green Value View – Placed on the grand River Vaigai, 5 km away from the Kodaikanal Lake, Green Value View offers an enchanting view of the Vaigai Dam.

Pillar Rocks – This area stands at almost seven kilometers from the center of Kodaikanal. There are three rocks, each pointing to the sky presenting a captivating view, and rising to an altitude of about 400 meters.

Shenbaganur Museum – The museum is sited just 5 kilometers away from the Kodaikanal Lake.

Junagarh fort in Bikaner is considered one of India’s most impressive fort complexes. It’s exquisitely decorated interiors are in an excellent state of preservation. Built in 1588 by Raja Rai Singh, it is one of the few major forts, which were not built on a hilltop. The complex consists of palaces, courtyards, pavilions, and balconies. The walls are adorned with carved stones, marble, paintings, and inlaid semi-precious stones. Each palace in the complex was built by a different ruler, over the centuries.

The Anup Mahal is one of the most impressive rooms in the fort complex. The ornately lacquered walls are covered in red and gold with colored glass inlay. White plaster pillars are decorated in delicate patterns and covered with gold leaf. In a land where water is rare, the Badal Mahal or Cloud Palace’s walls are painted with a fresco of rain clouds. The Rain Fresco photograph shows a painting of Krishna and Radna surrounded by the blue cloud motifs.

It is an unassailable fortress, which has never been conquered. Built in 1593 A.D. by Raja Rai Singh, one of the most distinguished generals in the army of Emperor Akbar, the fort is a formidable structure encircled by a moat. The main entrance to the fort is Karan Pol (Gate) that is east facing. Next to it is the Suraj Pol, the sun gate. The fort situates in it some very magnificent palaces like Anup Mahal, Ganga Niwas and Rang Mahal or palace of pleasure. The Har Mandir is the majestic chapel for the royal family for worshipping their gods and goddesses. These palaces, constructed in red sandstone and marble, make a picturesque ensemble of courtyards, balconies, kiosks and windows dotted all over the structure. The premises also house a museum which is an array of a rich collection.

Fatehpur Sikri was planned as a great town by Akbar with great care and planning in the honor of Sheikh Salim Chisti but had to be abandoned only after fifteen years due to scarcity of water in the town. Sheikh Salim Chishti was a Sufi saint who blessed the Akbar with his first son and heir, who was named Salim after him and later came to be known as Jehangir. The town was otiginally named Sikri after the village, where it was founded but its twin city Fatehpur (Victory Town) was erected to celebrate Akbar’s conquest of Gujarat in June 1573.

The two mosques in the village of Sikri have inscriptions, which announce their conception in 1314 under Mohd. Khilji. There have been records that Babur renamed the village ‘Sikri’ as ‘Shukri’, meaning ‘thanks to the god’. It was also the famous dwelling place and khanqah of Shiekh Salim Chishti, the famous Sufi saint whom Akbar revered for blessing him with child.

Hiran Minar

Hiran Minar is located in the open plains. This 21.34m high tower got its name after Jehangir converted the polo ground around the tower into a sanctuary for hiran (antelopes). The tower is entered through a flat-topped door bordered by sand stone panel and flanked by closed arched panels. There are 53 steps leading to the top inside the tower. One can get a bird’s eye view of Fatehpur Sikri from the top of the tower.

The tower is octagonal upto the height of 3.91m and circular to the rest of the height. The tower stands over an octagonal platform, which in turn stands on a square one. The lower square platform is 21.96m sq. and the octagonal platform is 1.2m high and is edged by a small cornice. Double flight of 9 steps has been provided on northern and eastern side, which is 3.05m high.

Karkhanas

Karkhanas is located near the northeast side of the Agra gate. The building is also popularly known as ‘Taksal’ or mint, which is a misnomer. This building was used as workshop where state commodities were produced and stored. It is believed that spices and dry fruits were stored in the building, while textiles were manufactured and precious stone work, ivory work, enameling work were carried out in this building grain.

The building is a single storied structure, which is entirely built of rubble masonry. Like other old buildings, this one is also in an ageing phase. Remnants of arched doorways and a few arcaded bays are survived only. The Karkhana surrounds a quadrangle courtyard of 72.58m by 80.21m in dimension and surrounded by a ruinous cloister. The cloister has a series of broad square bays, each made of four arches, and roofed by a cupola.

Sabarmati Ashram, formerly known as ‘Satyagraha Ashram”, situated in Ahmedabad at the Kocharab Bungalow of Jivanlal Desai, a barrister. Later on it was shifted to the banks of Sabarmati river and then it came to be known as ‘Sabarmati Ashram’. Gandhi stayed at the Ashram from 1915 to 1933 later on the Ashram was disbanded. The Ashram is a witness to many important historical events.

History:

“This is the right place for our activities to carry on the search for Truth and develop Fearlessness- for on one side, are the iron bolts of the foreigners, and on the other, thunderbolts of Mother Nature”.- This is how Gandhiji described the site of Sabarmati Ashram when he first visited the place for assessing if it was suitable for carrying out his work.

The site of 36 acres was a waste land full of snakes, but the order was not to kill them.

The Satyagraha Ashram, later renamed as Harijan Ashram, was started in all earnest with a two-fold purpose- one was to carry on the search for Truth, and the other was to create a non-violent group of workers, who would create a non-violent group of workers, who would organize and help to secure freedom for the country.

A View Of The Ashram :

Nandini:

It is on the right hand side of ‘Hridaya Kunj’. It is an old Ashram guest house, where guests from India and abroad are put up.

Vinoba Kutir:

Named after Acharya Vinoba Bhave who stayed here, and also known as Mira Kutir after Mirabahen, Gandhiji’s disciple, daughter of a British Admiral.

Upasana Mandir:

It is an open -air prayer ground, situated between ‘Hridaya Kunj’ and ‘Magan Kutir’ (the hut where Maganlal Gandhi, the ashram manager, used to stay).

Here, Gandhiji used to refer to individual questions after prayers and as the head of the family analysed and gave his solutions.

Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in India. Located in Old Delhi, the mosque has the capacity to accommodate 25000 devotees. Jama Masjid was completed in 1656 AD and it was again the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan behind this architectural masterpiece. Close to some 5000 craftsmen were involved in the construction of the msque. It is located in Old Delhi, just opposite to the famous Lal Quila or the Red Fort.

Jama Masjid is also called the Friday congregational mosque because Muslims turn up in large numbers to offer Namaz on Fridays, called as the yaum al-jum`a. Masjid-i-Jahan Numa popularly called as Jama Masjid, means the mosque commanding a view of the world. The mosque is a real example of great architecture that existed during the Mughal period. It has the blend of both Hindu and Mughal style of architecture.

The mosque contains several remnants of the Muslim Religion like a replica of the Quran written on a deer skin, a red beard-hair of the prophet, sandals of the prophet and his footprint. It is believed that the total cost of Rs.10 lakhs was incurred for the construction of the mosque. Shah Jahan has many mosques to his names that include the famous Moti Masjid at Agra and other mosques in Ajmer and Lahore (in Pakistan). One of the specialties of Jama Masjid is the high ground construction that makes the appearance even more beautiful. Broad and high steps lead to the main gateways.

The eastern gateway was perhaps used by the emperors during the Mughal Rule. It is close on weekdays. One can have the view of Old Delhi, Red Fort and some parts of New Delhi from the Southern Minaret. A nominal fee of Rs. 5 is charged for sight seeing from this particular spot.

Visiting Hours:
Daily from dawn to dusk. Closed during prayer times. (Entry closed for women after 6 pm)

Entry Fee:
Entry is free but tourists will have to pay Rs. 100 if they carry a camera along with themselves.

Best time to visit:
Between October and March. However, there is no specified or advised time because it is a religious place and one can visit at any time of the year.