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Anamalai wildlife sanctuary is about 90-kms from Coimbatore and is situated at an altitude of 1,400 meters in the Western Ghats near Pollachi. The area of the sanctuary is 958-sq-kms. An ecological paradise, this sanctuary encompasses a National Park. It has just recently been renamed as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary.

Fauna :
It has various kinds of fauna like Elephant, Gaur, Tiger, Panther, Sloth Bear, Deer, Wild Bear, Wild Dog, Porcupine, Flying Squirrel, Jackal, Pangolin, Civet Cat and birds like Rocket-tailed Drongo, Red Whiskered Bulbul, Tree Pie, Black Headed Oriole, Spotted Dove, Pigeon, etc. The Amaravati reservoir in the Anamalai has large number of crocodiles.

Attractions At The Place :
There are many places of scenic beauty such as Karianshola, Grass hills, Anaikunthi Shola, waterfalls, groves, teak forests, dams and reservoirs. Arrangements are available at Top Slip to take tourists around the sanctuary on elephant back or by van.

How to get there ?
Air – Peelamedu airport is 10-km from Coimbatore city.

Rail – From Pollachi, there are trains to Coimbatore and Dindigul.

Road – There are regular buses from Coimbatore and Palani to Pollachi, which is the nearest big town. There are two buses a day from Pollachi to the park, at 6.00 am and 3.00 pm. The bus returns to Pollachi at 8.00 am and 6.00 pm. Tourists can also hire a taxi from Pollachi.

Guindy National Park is one of the prime visiting spots for those who come to Chennai during vacation period. A recommended picnic spot for the entire family to spend a day amidst nature and return home joyfully in the evening. This National Park encompasses a snake park and a children’s park as well.

Guindy National Park is botanically very interesting in as much as it is the only one of its kind to carry even today a derelict vegetation truly representative of the natural thorny scrub jungle of the southern dry zone interspersed with more than 30 tree species whic h include a number of centuries old gigantic shady banyan trees. This park with a network of road’s, footpaths, nature trails, lakes and ponds, all situated amidst sylvan surroundings offers good opportunities for viewing wild life.

Historical Background Of The Park :
If we look into the historical background of the Guindy Park, in earlier days it was actually a hunting preserve. Later it was known as “Guindy Lodge” and it belonged to a British citizen named Gilbert Rodericks. In 1817, the owner died with the property heavily mortgaged.

Then in 1821, the Government of Madras purchased it for a sum of Rs. 35,000/ or 10,000 pagodas (pagodas being the gold currency at that time). Later in 1910, it was declared as reserved forests. In 1947, it became the permanent residence of the Governor (400 hectares) and was called “Raj Bhavan”.

The then Prime Minister Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru permitted a small area to be cordoned off as a park for children. In 1958, it was actually handed over to the Forest department. The land nearby was allocated for Gandhi Mandapam (1954), IIT (1961), Guru Nanak Educational Society (1970), Rajaji Memorial (1974), Kamaraj Memorial (1975) and Cancer Institute (1977).

Guindy Park boasts of over 24 varieties of trees, for example, Amona Squamosa, Atlanta Monoplylla, Feronia Limonia, Azadirachta India, etc. to mention a few. Also more than 14 varieties of shrubs are also found in the park.

The main faunal attraction of this park is the occurrence of rare Indian Antelope popularly known as the “Black Buck”, found nowhere in the world except India. Over 14 types of mammals like Elephant, Antelope, Spotted Deer, Jungle Cat, Toddy Cat, Indian civet, etc. can also be seen here.

The park also accounts for over 37 varieties of birds, like the King Fisher, Blue Jay, Golden Backed Woodpecker, Crow Pheasant, Yellow Wattled Lapwing, Red Wattled Lapwing, Blue Faced Malkoha, Shrikes, Koels, Doves, Minivets, Munias, Barkets, Parakeets, Grey Partridge, Tailor Birds, Robins, Drongos, Quails, Beak Paradise, Flycatcher, Stone Curlew and so on. There are also many kinds of amphibians and snakes to add to the variety that is already available.

How to get there ?
Air – Chennai has an airport with both domestic and international terminals. Regular flights connect Chennai with the major cities within the country and also with countries like USA, Singapore, U.K., etc.

Rail – Chennai is well connected by rail with the important towns and cities within and beyond the state.

Road – State transport buses and private buses connect Chennai with the major towns and cities within the country. Local trains, city buses, auto rickshaws and taxis are also available for local transportation.

The Dharmaraja Temple, Bangalore is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the city. You can pay a visit to this religious site and learn a lot about the religion of India.

The temple is dedicated to Swami Dharamraja, the hero of great Hindu Epic, Mahabharata. It also has another image of Hindu Lord Krishna who is worshipped across the length and breath of the country. People to worship Lord Krishna celebrate Kangra festival here. The Karaga that is a symbol of Draupadi (wife of Dharamraja) is kept inside this temple.

A large number of festivals are held in Dharmaraja Temple, Bangalore. The most famous of them is the Karaga Festival. Karaga is the symbol of Draupadi, wife of Dharmaraja in the epic Mahabharata. This festival is celebrated in March and April. Huge processions are held that start from the temple grounds and returns over here. It starts at 2 in the morning and ends at 6 in the morning. People of all religions participate inn the procession. The idol of the deities is taken out in the procession. However, the idols can be carried by the members of the Thegala community only. The music played in the procession is extremely enchanting and mesmerizing. Read the rest of this entry »

Bull Temple was constructed in 16th century and is dedicated to a sacred bull – Nandi carved out of a single granite block. It is believed that the statue keeps on growing in size further and further.

According to a legend, the temple was built in order to appease a vagrant bull that persisted on eating away the entire groundnut grown in the surrounding fields. Ever since the enunciation of Bull temple, the bull never did the same again. Anually, Kadalekayi Parishe -the Groundnut Fair is held near the temple during the month of November- December when the groundnut crop is harvested. Farmers offer the first groundnuts harvest to the sacred bull. Thousand of visitors and devotees throng the temple site from all over the state.

The temple is a typical specimen of the Dravidian-style of temple architecture constructed by Kempe Gowda. The temple is nestling in Basavanagudi housing a scared bull of Lord Shiva, it is believed that the source of the river Vishwa Bharathi originates from the feet of the Nandi. There is a Ganesh temple inside the premises with a large deity all made of 110 kilos of butter. The deity of butter is distributed as a prashada (God’s food) every four years.

Farmers offer the first groundnuts to the sacred bull. The Bhoganandiswara temple at the foothills of Nandi Hills goes back to the period of the Banas, Cholas, Hoysalas and the Vijayanagar Kings. The image has been carved out of single granite rock. The original color of Nandi bull was gray which has now turned black due to the application of coconut oil by the devotees.

The Neeladri Amusement Park, Bangalore is located 19km from the town near the Electronic city on Hosur road.

As a known fact, Bangalore is a city of stifling heat. Especially during the summers a person can literally be driven crazy by the soaring temperatures in this tropical city. To beat the heat this city has come up with many innovative methods. Not the least of which and very popular among tourists is a visit to the Neeladri Amusement Park, Bangalore.
Neeladri Amusement Park at Bangalore is among the first theme parks to be built in the city. Constructed on 30 acres of sprawling landscape, this is the only combination of amusement park and water park in the city. Restaurants, ice cream parlors, fast food stalls are all designed in colorful and different ways to delight the kids. As with most water parks locker facilities are available to visitors.

There are over 45 different impressive fun rides. The eight popular water rides in the Neeladri Amusement Park, Bangalore consist of water slides, water pools and boating. Various other rides are also available in the amusement park. Some of the popular rides are Formula 2, Family Slide, Zyclone, Guided Cars, Bouncing Castles, Bumping Cars, and Water Chute. There are also video games arcade where one can enjoy simulation games.

Yediyur Lake
Yediyur Lake is a small lake located in the Basavangudi area of Bangalore. It offers facilities such as boating and water scooter rides. Modern sculptures in the vicinity enhance its beauty. The small park is an added feature. Although not very gigantic in size, this lake attracts a lot of tourists. It is however very unfortunate that although Yediyur Lake abounds in natural splendor, years of neglect has degraded it into a deplorable state. The government has currently made several attempts to restore the state to its former glory. Yediyur Lake is a perfect stopover for tourists holidaying in Bangalore, local residents looking forward to a weekend picnic or a love struck couple seeking the private coziness of a boat amidst a sylvan lake.

Hebbal Lake
Hebbal Lake is located in the north of Bangalore at the mouth of National Highway 7, along the junction of Bellary Road and the Outer Ring Road. It is a natural lake and is maintained by Sate Forest Department. This seasonal lake used to get filled during the monsoon and invariably go dry in the summer. It has a big variety of aquatic vegetation and a large number of birds live around it. You can enjoy bird viewing while boating. Hebbal Lake alone was home to over 70 species of water birds including 40 from the Himalayan and Central Asian regions. Due to increasing in water pollution, the variety has reduced but the numbers are fair enough to make a visit. Incidentally, it was one of the three lakes founded in 1537 by Kempe Gowda.

Ulsoor Lake
Located at the Northeastern fringes of the city on M.G. Road, this enchanting lake is an ideal place for boating and shopping. There is a boat club where you can hire boats for yourself and make a stop at some of the small islands dotting the lake.
This lake is one of the main attractions of the holiday goers in the city. With a radius of about 3-Km, this lake is ideal for rowing around in a boat or to sprawl on the green grass that surrounds the lake.

People could also sit and relax on the small islands that are on the lake. A Ganesha festival is also celebrated at the lake during the month of Aug-Sept. A gurudwara that is the largest Sikh shrine in the city, stands adjoining the lake and is a good place to visit. The lake is surrounded with many buildings that were once part of British army. There is a public swimming pool welcoming tourist to take a dip. Pool opens daily from 9:00am to 06:00pm and remains closed on Wednesdays.

Sankey Lake
Sankey Lake is a 500-year-old perennial water body that lies in the northern part of Bangalore. It harbors a rich biodiversity that includes birds, fishes, aquatic plants and microbes. The presence of a biotically diverse and beautiful botanical garden and a forest nursery adjacent to the lake increases the ecological value.

There are boating facilities and a road running on two sides are ideal for joggers and early morning walkers as they can enjoy the cool breeze and fresh air. Many migratory birds visit this lake during winter every year making it a good place for bird watching. You can do a lot of activities when you visit this lake. The beautiful botanical garden, forest nursery and the park are the added features.

Cubbon Park
This 300acres of sheer beauty was an outcome of a British Chief Engineer of Mysore, Sir Richard Shanky in 1864. The park has been named after Cir Mark Cubbon who was Bangalore’s longest serving commissioner. Beautiful roads, blooming trees and placid plains are spread all around. Cubbon Park is a lush, grassy expanse with flowerbeds adding to the subtle beauty of the park. The park also has several elegant Graeco-colonial style building showing British influence. There are a number of monuments within the park including a memorial hall located at the center of the park that is dedicated to Aeshadri Aiyar, a Jawahar Bal Bhavan, Children’s Park and a Museum. At the entrance you can see a diamond shaped aquarium, the second largest in the country, There is a good collection of exotic fishes in the aquarium. The park remains closed on Mondays.

Cariappa Memorial Park
The Cariappa Park Bangalore was laid out as a memorial to Field Marshall K.M. Cariappa . It is situated in a portion of the parade grounds between M.G. Road and Cubbon Road. Cariappa park in Bangalore is spread over 22 acres and  has six segments. The park is blessed with a manned waterfall with a pond which attracts a lot of birds. Six military bands perform at Military stand and elevated lawns every fortnight. In order to enhance the physical as well as mental strength of the children, the park has a play area with spider webs, balance vars, zigzag tunnels, sand pits, tarzan swing and burma bridge. There are about 3000 species of flora that can be found here.

The park is open for public from 05:30pm to 08:00am on weekdays. From 1:0pm to 07:00pm on Saturdays and from 09:00am to 7:00pm on Sundays. No eatables or pets are allowed inside the park.