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Archive for the ‘Punjab’ Category

Ludhiana, the largest city of Punjab, boasts of being a popular tourist spot. It has both historical monuments as well as religious centers that attract tourists from all over the world. Ludhiana is situated on the Amritsar-Delhi Grand Trunk Road. New Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh and other major cities in Punjab are well linked with Ludhiana through road. The city lies about 305 km northwest of Delhi and is 100 km away from Chandigarh

Ludhiana is on the banks of River Sutlej. in 1481, Ludhiana used to be an insignificant village that was under Yodha, Gupta and Rajput rule for centuries. It was much later during the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singhji that Ludhiana began developing. In the later years British captured and developed it as it stands today. It has 500-year old Lodhi Fort that was constructed by the Sikander Lodhi when he ruled the plains near River Sutlej.

The Museum of Rural history of Punjab is on the University campus. The museum building resemble the traditional houses of rural Punjab . A 100 yard long path, flanked on both sides by water channels, leads to the finely carved doors of the museum. There are exhibits of old bronze utensils, farming equipment etc. Open from 9 am to 1.00 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm.

Tiger Zoo is located on GT Road (Ludhiana-Jalandhar Highway) and is just 6 km away from the main city. It consists of varieties of majestic tigers moving freely in the protected jungles. The tigers are viewed from a distance and offer exciting sight. People come from far and wide to enjoy a tiger safari at the place.

Gurdwara Charan Kanwal Sahib (Machhiwara) is located on Charan Kamal Road, in the small town of Machhiwara, Gurdwara Charan Kanwal Sahib is at a distance of 35 km from Ludhiana. There are many religious connotations associated with the place the gurdwara is built on. It marks the site of the garden where Guru Gobind Singh had a sip of water and a spell of small sleep. He had rested here while fighting a guerrilla war against the massive Mughal force. This is the place where his three devotees – Dharam Singh, Daga Singh and Manu Singh joined him. A religious fair is held here every year, to commemorate the memory of the saint.

The various hotels packages in and around Ludhiana offer the best of facilities. There is a range of luxury and budget hotels in and around Ludhiana besides the star categorized accommodation hotels .

In the Golden Temple with Khajuraho and Varanasi Tour the traveler is able to see outstanding tourist sites of India . This 13 Nights and 14 Days Tour covers renowned places of interest like Golden Temple in Amritsar , Red Fort in Delhi, Rock Garden in Chandigarh , The Taj Mahal in Agra, The Kamasutra sculptures in Khajuraho, The Ashoka Lion Capital in Sarnath .

Length of the Tour: 13 Nights and 14 Days

Places Covered: Amritsar, Chandigarh , Agra, Khajuraho ,Delhi, Orcha and Varanasi

1st Day:

Arrival in Delhi .The delegate of Golden Temple with Khajuraho and Varanasi Tour welcomes the tourist’s on their arrival in Delhi. After being accorded with a warm welcome the visitors are escorted to its Hotel for an overnight stay.

2nd Day :

Sightseeing, Paying Obeisance and Shopping in Delhi-: The second day of the tour is spent in touring this National Capital of India . Incidentally, it has been the premier city for rulers of ancient, medieval and modern India. The Qutab Minar, The Humayun’ s Tomb, The Red Fort , The Jama Masjid , The Purana Quila, The Raj Ghat , The Rashtrapati Bhawan , The India Gate , The Lotus Temple, The Birla Mandir , The Sacred Heart Cathedral are some of its famous places of interest Delhi is also a home to five famous Gurudwaras : Gurudwara Sis Ganj, Gurudwara Majnu Ka Tila , Gurudwara Rakab Ganj, Gurudwara Nanak Piao and Gurudwara Bangla Sahib . Before checking into the hotel for an overnight stay the tourists are free to go for shopping spree at Khan Market, Sarojini Nagar and Connaught Place .

3rd Day :

Delhi To Amritsar On the third day the tour will move to Amritsar –The City of The Golden Temple . This number one Sikh Shrine is the most important Sikh religious site . This famous Gurudwaras of Sikhs is also known as Harmandir Sahib or Darbar Sahib. Built in 1604 AD , Golden Temple is an abode to Guru Granth Sahib – the eleventh Sikh Guru. Notably, The first ten Gurus of Sikhism in the ascending order are Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan ,Guru Hargobind,Guru Har Rai, Guru Har Krishan ,Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh. Soon after praying at Golden Temple , the visitor moves out on a visit to other Gurudwara’s and temples existing in the Amritsar City.

4th Day :

Tour of Other Tourist Sites in Amritsar In addition to Golden Temple , Amritsar is a home to other tourist sites.. Jalianwala Bagh and Wagah Border occupy a top position among the tourist attractions of Amritsar . Jallianwala Bagh bears testimony to one of the world’s worst carnage. It was on a fateful Monday afternoon of April 13, 1919 , that a senior British Army officer Reginald Dyer, ordered his soldiers to fire on thousands of unarmed Indian people. The natives had gathered for a protest meeting against the cruel policies pursued against them by the Colonial British Government . In this mad shooting frenzy over 1000 innocent people lost their lives. Over 2000 people suffered brutal injuries . Even today , the bullet marks on the robust walls of the Jalianwala Bagh reminds humanity of the macabre act piloted by General Dyer.

The Wagah Border lies on the Grand Trunk road between the Indian Punjab City of Amritsar and Pakistani Punjab City of Lahore. Every evening ,the flag lowering ceremony by the soldiers of both India and Pakistan takes place at this border. It is a great sight to watch Indian soldiers in Khaki uniform and Pakistani soldiers in dark green outfit meticulously completing the formality of flag lowering .The tourists retire for the night in the relaxing comforts of Amritsar Hotel.

5th Day :

Amritsar To Chandigarh Soon after the delectable breakfast on the next day, the tourists move to the Union Territory of Chandigarh . This city is designed by the legendary Le Corbusier the Swiss- French architect . Chandigarh is the first planned city of India .It is famous world over for its amazing architectural structures and incredible landscapes. The Rock Garden, The Rose Garden , Sukhna Lake and the International Doll Museum.. are some of its outstanding tourist sites . The tourist retire in the relaxing environ of Chandigarh Hotel

6th Day :

Chandigarh To Delhi On the 6th Day , the tour moves to New Delhi which is 274 Kilometers from Chandigarh .. On arrival at India’s Capital the visitors will retire into the hotel for an overnight stay.

7th Day :

Delhi To Agra On the seventh day of the Golden Temple with Khajuraho and Varanasi Tour moves for The City of Taj Mahal –Agra. . On arrival at this historic city , the visitors proceeds for Taj Mahal- a white marble dome mausoleum . Also known as monument of Love it was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in remembrance of his spouse Mumtaz Mahal.. In addition to Taj Mahal , Agra also has other great tourist sites like Akbar’s tomb in Sikandra, Itmad-ud-daulah’s Tomb and Agra Fort . On the end of a memorable tour to Agra , it is time to proceed to Delhi for the continuation of the future travel program of the tour. On arrival in Delhi , the guests retire in the hotel for an overnight stay.

8th Day :

Agra To Khajuraho : On the eighth day from the city of Taj the tour proceeds to the another world famous town of Khajuraho. It lies in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. This famous town’s erotic sculpture monuments feature in the prestigious listing of World Heritage Sites –UNESCO.

9th Day :

Sightseeing in Khajuraho : Cultural buffs have a great time in exploring the medieval temples belonging to Hindus and Jains. 10 centuries back Khajuraho was the political Capital of the erstwhile dynasty of Chandela Rajput . After a memorable tour of Khajuraho , the guest retire into its hotel for an overnight stay .

10th Day :

Khajuraho To Orcha . Today the tour moves from one Medieval City to another such city . Orcha was set up by former Bundela kings around 17th century. The town thrives with great tourist sites like Phool Bagh , Raj Mahal and Ram Raja Mandir. For the overnight stay the guest retire into the hotel of Orcha .

11th Day :

Orcha –Jhansi –Varanasi Today from the City of Bundela rulers the tour moves to Varanasi. It is a renowned Holy city of Hindus . The tour from Orcha to Varanasi passes through Jhansi – important historical city of Uttar Pradesh . The tourists reach Varanasi from Jhansi by boarding a train at Jhansi Railway Stations

12th Day :

Sightseeing in Varanasi One of the premier City of The Hindus , Varanasi lies at a distance of 670 kilometers from New Delhi ,. This ancient city is also called Beneras or Kashi . It is situated on the Banks of river Ganges or Ganga as it is locally known . In Varanasi thrive many Ghats like , Tulsi Ghat, Harish Chandra Ghat, Assi Ghat, Dasaswamedh Ghat, , Manikarnika Ghat . It is also home to some outstanding Hindu places of worship like Vishwanath Temple, Sankat Mochan Temple , Bharat Mata temple, Tulsi Manas Temple

The Banaras Hindu University, Bharat Kala Bhavan, Jantar Mantar, Ramnagar Fort are its great cultural and art centers . For the Overnight stay the tourist check into the Hotel of Varanasi.

13th Day :

Varanasi To Delhi Today is the penultimate day of the tour and it will be devoted more to explore the aspects connected with the foundation of Buddhism . Lying 12 Kilometers from Varanasi is the august Sarnath Museum. It is here that Buddha delivered his first scintillating discourse. “Suffering, as a noble truth, is this: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering————-in short, suffering is the five categories of clinging objects.”

The museum is a hotspot for many Buddist monuments. For an understanding on the memorable Buddha’s Dharma its Damekh Stupa is a great tool to refer to any student of Buddhism . Even the Ashoka Lion Capital exists at Sarnath museum . At the end of the enlightening day , the tourists move back to Delhi.

14th Day:

End of The Tour Today ,The nine days Golden Temple with Varanasi Tour comes to end . The tourists will be escorted back to the Indira Gandhi International Airport .They will now board their respective flight for their onward journey .

This Gurudwara stands at a place where Guru Gobind Singh stayed for a few days after covering journey full of hazards, because of the presence of Mughal military contingents in the area. On reaching Alamgir 11 km from Ludhiana and not finding any drinking water, the Guru shot an arrow into the ground where appeared a spring. This spring has been converted into a tank known as ‘Tirsar’ (arrow lake).

Nearby stands the magnificent six-storied Gurudwara Manji Sahib. Here a devoted Sikh presented a horse to Guru Gobind Singh. Thenceforth he discarded traveling in a Palki (palanquin). He also gave a very affectionate send off to Nabi Khan and Ghani Khan by bestowing a Hukamnama by which their services were appreciated. This Gurdwara is situated only a few kilometers away from the industrial town of Ludhiana popularly known as Manchester of India. Pilgrims and tourists can get suitable accommodation in private hotels and tourist bungalows of the Punjab Government at reasonable rates.

Gurdwara Alamgir is situated only 11 kilometers south of Ludhiana along the Ludhiana-Malerkotla highway in the memory of Guru Gobind Singh ji who had spent a few days to refresh himself of the tedium of an unrelenting fight against the Machiavellian enemy. The Guru had arrived here in the robes of Pir of Uchch. Bhai Daya Singh, Dharam Singh and Man Singh and two Afgan brothers Ghani Khan and Nabi Khan carried him in a palanquin. The Guru discarded the palanquin at Alamgir and took a horse, which was presented, to him by Bhai Naudha, a resident of Alamgir. Gurdwara Manji Sahib was later constructed where the Guru had stayed. The shrine is now called Gurdwara Manji Sahib Alamgir, which is the most frequently visited Gurdwaras in Ludhiana district.

Gurudwara Manji Sahib in Ludhiana’s Alamgir village reflects yet another landmark in the life of the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. The Mughal Army pursued the Guru and it was at this Gurudwara that he paused and rested, and blessed it with his presence. During Guru Gobind Singh’s time, the Mughals under Emperor Aurangzeb were regaining their ascendancy. Following the battle in Anandpur Sahib, the Guru abandoned the fort and came to Macchiwara, where his family was put to death.

Constructed in the middle of the holy tank Amrit Sarovar, The Golden Temple of Amritsar also known by the names Hari Mandir (The Temple of the Lord) or Darbar Sahib (The Court Divine) is one of the most famous Gurudwara of Sikhs. The temple can be reach by a narrow walk way which is 202 feet in length and 21 feet in width. The water in the tank is believed to have medicinal properties and curative powers. The devotees believe that a bath in the tank will cleanse the soul.

Golden temple is a double storied shrine, of which the lower part is built with white marble and upper part and dome are built with gold plating. One of the notable feature is that it was built on the lower level and has four entrance. The temple is a symbol of the magnificence and strength of the Sikh people all over the world and its site was sacred to them since the time of the 4th guru, Ram Das. On special occasions such as birthday anniversaries of the Gurus and on the Diwali night, the temple is attractively illuminated and it presents a feast of color and light. Among the buildings near the Golden Temple, the Akal Takht or the Immortal Throne and the tower of Baba Atal are of special interest to a visitor. The temple is open to all sections of people irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

Golden Temple, also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib is named after Hari(God) the temple of God. The Sikhs all over the world, daily wish to pay visit to Sri Amritsar and to pay obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib in their Ardas. 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 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.

The chants of the devotees sanctify the entire area from dawn till dusk and the pilgrims and tourists strolling in its vicinity and around the marbled concourse encircling the pool, experience a spiritual nirvana too powerful to be contained in mere language.
 

The word Amritsar means the holy pool of nectar. 1573 Work began on digging the holy pool. 1601 Harmandir Sahib completed. 1604 Guru Granth Sahib installed. Alongside people representing 52 professions settled. In Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s time Amritsar had superceded Lahore as the pre-eminent city of the Orient

Amritsar, literally a Pool of Nectar, derives its name from Amrit Sarovar, the holy tank that surrounds the fabulous Golden Temple. First time visitors to Amritsar could be forgiven for the impression that Amritsar is like any other small town in northern India. But Amritsar stands head and shoulders above any other city, its status elevated and sanctified by the presence of the venerable Golden Temple.

Amritsar has various historical and religious sites. The most famous of them all in the Golden Temple which was founded by the fourth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Ramdas and completed by his successor Guru Arjan Dev. Another revered shrine is the Durgiana Temple which is dedicated to goddess Durga.

Amritsar is one of the most ancient and fascinating cities of India. It is an important seat of Sikh history and culture. Being the gateway for travellers coming to India on the overland route from central Asia it soon became the centre of various commercial activities.
 

Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum : The museum was founded in the year 1990.The reason behind its construction was to aware nation about the defence services, not only for its role in defending the country but also in strengthening the bonds of national integration and unity. The museum is still under construction.However, it conducts regular shows in a light and sound hall. These presentations showcase the stories of Indian heroes especially Punjabi soldiers in upholding the dignity of the motherland.

Lodhi Fort : The fort was constructed by Muslim ruler Sikander Lodhi over 500-years before.This old Lodhi fort was placed on a strategic location along the banks of Sutlej in city.This old fort has gone to rack & ruin but due to contribution of the officials and the city residents, the fort still survives.The old fort earlier stood as a strong citadel,and holds position of a military fort.It has even withstood large number of invaders but now it has crumbled under the onslaught elements in last five centuries.

Nehru Rose Garden : Nehru Rose Garden is the largest rose gardebn in India .It was established in the year 1967.Owing to its greenery, it is regarded as one of the ideal spot for picnic.The garden extends to an area of 27 acres. The place exhibits nearly 17,000 plants representing some 1,600 varieties of roses as well as several fountains. The museum also displays a musical fountainwhich further add to ita beauty.

Punjab Agricultural University Museum : The Punjab Agriculture University was founded in the year 1962.This world renowned museum is located on the outskirts of the city. It is modelled after the Land Grant College of America. The university encompasses a rural museum which displays local arts and crafts and objects belonging to the ancient times.The University also organizes a Kisan Mela every year.

Bhir : Bhir displays the famous mosque built by Mohammad Ghori in the year 1911.The mosque was constructed by 150 years old Khangah of Abdul Rehman Khan, mausoleum of Alawal Khan.He built this mosque during Shah Jahan’s regime.The mosque is octagonal in shape.Ludhiana dates back to Emperor Jehangir’s time.It surmounts the tomb of Bahadur Khan with sloping walls.The dome is double pear shaped.It also surmounts double tomb of Husain Khan, Bilwanwali Masjid, mosque of Kamal-ud-din Khan.The main way exhibits Sarai Doraha.

Hardy’s World : Hardy’s world is located at 7 Kms from the main city.This is visually stunning amusement park in the city.It offers a complete fun-package for the tourists.The place is most suitable for theme parties, cafes.The joy rides and shopping complex are the main entertainment bonanza for all age groups.

Jalandhar is located at a distance of 146 kilometers from Chandigarh in Punjab. The city has an area of 3,401 square kilometers. Jalandhar is a commercial hub. The roads of the city are free from traffic so you can drive at a good speed. Jalandhar is well connected to all major cities by a good network of rails, roads and airways.There are textiles, leather goods, wood products and sporting goods producing industries. Finished products from these industries are transported to all the parts of the country.

Time To Visit

Summer season extends from April to July in Jalandhar. Moonsoon Rains start around early to mid July and last through August and end in September. It becomes quite cold in Dec-January. Best time to visit Jalandhar is January to March, as this time climate is quite pleasant.