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Manali is located in Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh. Situated at an altitude of about 1950 m above sea level, it is about 250 km away from the state capital of Shimla.

Manali has been named after Brahmas’s appointed lawgiver, Manu, who is said to have arrived in this region to begin the seventh cycle of creation and destruction. The region is also said to be the home of the seven great sages of the Hindu religion.

As an important hill station and tourist destination of India, Manali offers much in terms of natural beauty such as panoramic views of the surrounding snow-capped mountain, flower gardens and orchards with green & red apples; with places such as Solang Valley known as a winter sports location; the Nehru Kund, which is a clear water spring; the Kothi Village, offering views of a deep gorge through which River Beas flows; and the Rahalla Falls.

Apart from being a hill station, there are also several other attractions in Manali. The Hidimba Temple, built in 1533 AD, is dedicated to hidimba, the wife of Bhima who was one of the pandavas. The Manu temple, dedicated to the sage and lawgiver, Manu, is located in old Manali. The Vasishta temple, dedicated to Lord Rama and Sage Vasishta, is known for its hot springs. The nearby town of Jagatsukh is home to a few old temples dedicated to Shiva and Sandhya Gayatri.

Tourist places in Manali

Located at an elevation of 1,950 metres, Manali and the surrounding area is of immense significance to Indian culture and heritage, as it is said to be the home of the Saptarshi, or Seven Sages. An igloo shaped temple, Beas Kund has a spring, which is the origin of River Beas.

Located in the middle of a forest called the Dhungiri Van Vihar, Hadimba Temple is one of the most important temples in the region. Manu Temple enshrines Manu, who landed and settled down in Manali after the great floods and became the progenitor of human beings.

Gauri Shankar Temple, located in Jagatsukh, is dedicated to Shiva and Parvati. On the bank of River Beas, is the Vashisht Village, which is famous for a temple dedicated to Lord Rama and hot springs that are said to have medicinal properties. Malana, a hamlet across River Parvati, is believed to have been inhabited by the descendants of the Greeks that came as Alexander’s army.

Established on the south-eastern corner of Ludhiana city, Manji Sahib Gurudwara expresses the divine presence of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. One of the sacred places of Sikh devotees, the Gurudwara assigns its history to the early period of 1700s when Guru Ji passed through this holy spot.

The historical saga of the Manji Sahib Gurudwara of Haryana reveals a rather fascinating tale. While going to Malwa, in 1705, Guru Gobind Singh Ji stopped his palanquin-bearers on the very location where the Gurudwara of Manji Sahib exists.

He chose the place as a stop-over and asked one of the local peasants to bring a horse for him so that he can use it for his journey. The man assigned with the job told a lie to Guru Ji and presented a mare to him, not realizing the imminent consequences. Guru Ji did not accept the mare and left the place. On going back to his home the farmer found his horse dead. This way the local people came to know the sacred powers of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

The sincere followers of Guru Ji in the coming years built the Manji Sahib Gurudwara on the same spot where the Guru took rest for sometime. Apart from regular sessions of Guru Granth Sahib Recitation, the Sikh followers also attend the ceremony of the first, fifth and tenth Guruparabs in the premises of the Gurudwara. Commemorating the sacrifices of Guru Teg Bahadur, Shahidi Divas is also followed religiously in this sacred place.

Avani Riverside Mall is the crowning glory of Howrah’s changing skyline. Visible from miles away, it beckons all those who are looking to experience the next level of shopping, eating out and entertainment.

It is an architectural wonder spread over a massive 600,000 square feet area, designed to inspire awe and generate admiration. Showing off the most modern facilities as well as a world of amenities, Avani Riverside Mall is as world class as it can get.

Little wonder some of the world’s most desired brands have opened their stores here, and many more are making plans for a grand entry.

Avani Riverside Mall is already being called ‘The mall of many firsts’. To start, it is the first mega mall to be built in Howrah, which speaks volume for Avani Group’s pioneering spirit. And to strengthen this reputation, it has given eastern India its first multi screen PVR, promising a blockbuster movie experience like never before.

But it’s not only the ‘firsts’ that are so attractive about Avani Riverside Mall. For example, Reliance has come with a bang with its CDIT and Timeout stores, along with Reliance Trends. Showcasing everything from consumer durables to books and DVDs. And if one has a taste for slightly unconventional things, the mall is dotted with kiosks offering a variety of avant-garde and fun products exciting and quirky in every sense.

And after a whole day of shopping, one can look forward to a delicious treat that awaits him or her in the biggest food court in the region. Serving everything from Mexican, Italian and Indian to American and Chinese, it’s a mouthwatering feast for everybody.

The shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is one of the most visited pilgrim sites in India. Situated at a height of 5, 300 ft., the site is located inside a cave in a hill. One of the most visited pilgrim sites in India, the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is located in a cave, amidst the folds of the Trikuta Bhagwati hill at a height of 5, 300 ft., in the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J & K). This cave temple is at a distance of 61 kms from Jammu and the last 13 kms of the way have to be negotiated on foot by the yatris, as the devotees are called. Once at the entrance to the cave, the path turns into a narrow tunnel with a cold stream named the Charan Ganga running through it. The pilgrim has to wade through this to reach the sanctum sanctorum.

Significance Of Vaishno Devi


The holy Shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji is unique as it contains the holiest of holy Pindis manifesting Mata in her three forms which are Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati. Each of these forms represent particular attributes.

Maha Kali represents Tam Guna : Tam stands for darkness or unholiness. In her attribute of Maha Kali, Mata is constantly endeavoring to vanquish the forces of darkness. She blesses her devotees by giving them strength to never lose heart and constantly battle the forces of darkness till they prevail upon them. Maha Lakshmi represents Raj Guna : Raj stands for sustenance, prosperity and well being. In her attribute of Maha Lakshmi Vaishno Mata blesses her devotees with wealth and prosperity and thus makes their life more comfortable and happy.

Maha Saraswati represents Satva Guna : Satva stands for purity and goodness. In her attribute of Maha Saraswati, Mata blesses her devotees with pure thoughts and a high intellect. This enables them to distinguish between the good and the bad, between righteousness and unrighteousness and helps them to adopt the correct path in life.

Yatra Of Vaishno Devi

The Yatra begins at Katra and pilgrims have to cover 13 km of terrain on foot to reach the Darbar. One kilometer away from Katra, is Banganga, place where Mata quenched her thirst and at 6 km further down, is the holy cave at Adhkawari.The entire 13 km route is quite wide and tiled. Besides, the whole path is lit up every night by powerful sodium vapour lamps. The whole route is swept and cleaned from time to time throughout the day. Yatris are requested to keep the path clean.

Shelter cum sheds and shelter cum cafeterias are setup throughout the route. Pure vegetarian food is available at these outlets. Price charts are exhibited at all these outlets prominently. Drinking water has been made available all along the route, with water coolers and storage facilities.

Public utilities with automatic flushing systems along the track and at the Bhawan. After 6 km. of trekking, you would reach Adhkawari, the holy cave where Mata meditated for nine months. Do visit the cave. After 9.5 km., you would reach Sanji Chhat where you can rest for sometime. Accommodation is also available at this place. Bhawan is just 3.5 km. away.

The majestic Birla Mandir, which towers to a height of 160 feet at the junction of Ashutosh Chowdhury Avenue is a marvel of India’s indigenous craftsmanship. Spread over a 44 kathas of land, the temple which is built of white marble, is of stupendous dimensions.
This majestic temple has been designed on the pattern of the famous Lingaraj Temple of Bhubaneswar.

According to reliable sources, work on this colossal temple began way back in the 1970’s and it took all of 26 years of painstaking labor to complete this temple. A visit to this temple will reveal the intricate Rajasthani temple architecture, which is predominant. The manner in which the layering and decoration of the temple facades have been done is a pointer to the high degree of skill involved during the construction process.

Not only is the Mandir an architectural marvel in Kolkata’s landscape, this temple has experimented with innovative ideas to add luster. For instance, episodes from from the sacred Hindu scripture – Bhagavad Gita has been pictorially depicted through stone engravings which means that the eternal message of the Gita is lapped up by visitors without much difficulty.

Major Attraction Of Birla Mandir,Kolkata


The highest tower in the temple reaches a height of 165 feet while the ancillary towers reach 116 feet. The Geeta Bhavan, a hall is adorned with beautiful paintings depicting scenes from Indian mythology. There is also a temple dedicated to Buddha in this complex with fresco paintings describing his life and work. The entire complex, especially the walls and the upper gallery are full of paintings carried out by artists from Jaipur in Rajasthan. The rear of the temple has been developed as an artificial mountainous landscape with fountains and waterfalls.

Built in 1026 A.D. during the reign of King Bhimdev I of the Solanki dynasty, the Sun temple is dedicated to the Sun God. This temple, though ravaged by Mehmud of Gazni, still retains enough of it’s original structure to convey the grandeur of its conception and the superb artistry of execution. Every inch of the edifice, both outside and inside is carved magnificently with motifs of gods and goddesses, birds, beasts and flowers. Modhera is now the site of several dance and cultural festivals. The sun temple and the ambiance here provide a majestic backdrop for the exhibition of performing arts.

Konarak was sacked by the Muslim Yavana army in the 15th century. The central statue enshrined in the temple was smuggled away to Puri by priests, but the Sun Temple was badly damaged in the attack.

Nature took over the destruction from there. Over the centuries, the sea receded, sand engulfed the building and salty breezes eroded the stone. It remained buried under a huge mound of sand until the early 20th century, when restoration began under the British.

British archaeologists uncovered the lower parts of the temple that had remained well preserved beneath the sand and restored what they could of the rest of the ruins. Trees were planted to shelter the temple from the damaging winds and a museum was opened to display whatever sculpture wasn’t left in situ or sent to Delhi, Calcutta and London.

Interesting Places To See

The Konark Sun Temple takes the form of a huge chariot for the sun god Surya, with 12 pairs of stone-carved wheels and a team of seven galloping horses (only one of which survives intact).

The temple also symbolizes the passage of time, which is under the sun god’s control. The seven horses, which pull the sun temple eastwards towards the dawn, represent the days of the week. The 12 pairs of wheels represent the 12 months of the year and the eight spokes in each wheel symbolize the eight ideal stages of a woman’s day.

The main entrance to the complex is on the eastern (sea-facing) side, in front of the Hall of Offerings (bhogamandapa). This was a later addition to the complex and was likely used for ritual dance performances, as its walls are carved with sculptures of musicians and dancers as well as erotic scenes.

The sanctuary tower was once the centerpiece of the Konark Sun Temple, but today it is no more than a jumble of sandstone slabs off the western wing. The imposing structure with the pyramidal roof that now takes center stage is actually the porch (jagamohana).

The roof of the porch has three tiers covered in statues, mostly musicians and dancers sereneding the sun god during his daily passage through the heavens. Sculptures on the bottom platform include a Shiva Nataraja, performing the cosmic dance. The interior is now blocked up.

Just beyond the porch is a double staircase that leads to a shrine containing a statue of Surya, the sun god. The beautiful image is carved of high-quality green chlorite stone and is one of the masterpieces of Konarak. Surya wears tall riding boots and is accompanied by a small figure of Aruna, the charioteer, at his feet. From here you can climb down into the remains of the inner sanctum, where the deity was originally enshrined.

One of the most pristine beaches of Orissa, this small beach is a splendid retreat for sea worshippers, located about 16-km from Berhampur. Once a humming seaport, Gopalpur offers its visitors a slice of serenity in environs that are conducive to introspection and conviviality.

One can still see the crumbling walls and pillars of the jetty, witness to its past glory of commercial activity. The pleasures of the Blue Beach and the Blue Bay of her backwaters continue to lure the water babies. Gopalpur-on-Sea is a surfer’s delight and excellent for sailing.

Discovery of a Holiday Hideout

Originally, a small fishing village on the coast of Orissa, it was so named when a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna was constructed some time in the 18th century. Apart from its temple, Gopalpur was distinguished for its magnificent beach and was discovered as a perfect winter resort.

The East India Company built huge warehouses and godowns because the trade with Burma had picked up and Gopalpur had become a trading point for rice from Rangoon. In those days, there were dances and parties that continued until the early hours and wealthy Bengalis from Calcutta made it their holiday home.

How To Reach

By Air
Srinagar airport is approximately 14 km from the city. There are daily flights to Srinagar, operated by Indian Airlines (from Delhi, Mumbai and Jammu) and other Private Airlines like Air Deccan, SpiceJet, Kingfisher, Jet Airways (from Delhi and Jammu).

By Rail
Jammu Tawi, approximately 305 km far, is the nearest railhead for Srinagar. Trains from Delhi, Calcutta, Pune, Mumbai and other cities arrive at this station only. During holiday season, when there is a heavy rush for Kashmir, additional trains operate for and from this station.

By Road
National Highway 1-A is the main highway connecting Srinagar with Jammu. J&K State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) as well as a number of private Super deluxe, A-class and B-class busses operate to and from the state. Private taxis are also available for traveling to Kashmir. This is one of the most adventurous though a bit strenuous travel track in India.

Main Attraction

Jammu popularly known as the winter capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir is also well known for its temples and shrines. There are a number of Tourist Attractions in Jammu and the most popular one is the Vaishno Devi Temple which is located in the Trikuta hills close to the city of Jammu.

A large number of tourists from all over the country flock to this religious spot every year. Jammu is bordered by Kashmir in the north, Himachal Pradesh in the south, Ladakh in the east and Azad Kashmir in the west. Jammu is surrounded by the Pir Panjal ranges, Tawi river basin, Trikuta hills and the Shiwalik range which add to the natural landscapes and attractive surroundings.

Jammu was initially named after Raja Jamboo Lochan who founded the city but with time the original name which was ‘Jamboo’ changed to ‘Jammu’. There are a number of places of Tourist Attractions in Jammu such as the Bahu Fort, Mubarak Mandi Palace, and Dogra Art Museum, Sheesh Mahal, Surinsar Mansar Wildlife sanctuary and the Rani Charak Mahal. The Bahu Fort is famous for the Maha Kali temple. The Mubarak Mandi Palace is a harmonious blend of the Rajasthani, European and Mughal architecture.