Archive for the ‘States of South India’ Category
September 8th, 2011 | 
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How to reach Neyyar Dam
From Trivandrum city, the route to Neyyar Dam is through Pangode – Thirumala – Kattakkada. Neyyar Dam is around 35 Km from the city. KSRTC operates regular bus services from Trivandrum city.
Nearest airport – Trivandrum Airport and Railway station is Trivandrum Central. Neyyar dam is around 10 minutes drive from Kattakkada bus station.
Things to do at Neyyar Dam
Visit Lion Safari Park, Deer Park, Crocodile Park and boating through the Neyyar dam reservoir. It is best to book the lion safari seat in advance.
Neyyar Dam is a popular picnic spot near Trivandrum. It is within 35 Km from Trivandrum city. The major attraction of Neyyar Dam is Lion Safari Park, where 7 lions are housed in their natural habitat. These lions are not bound in cages. Kerala forest department operates special bus through the Lion Safari Park where one can watch lions very closely in their natural surroundings. Other attractions at Neyyar Dam are crocodile park and deer park. Forest department also operates boat cruises through the Neyyar Dam reservoir which is a rejuvenating experience. There is also a park near the dam. Neyyar Dam offers a calm and enjoyable visit to tourists.
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Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple, located inside the East Fort in Thiruvananthapuram of Kerala is dedicated to Lord Padmanabha, a form of Vishnu. The temple has Vishnu enshrined in Anananthasayanam posture which is in eternal sleep of yognidra.
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple located in one of the seven Parasurama Kshetras. The Puranas, mainly the Skanda Purana and Padma Purana, have references for this shrine.
The legend is that it is in this place, the Hindu deity Lord Vishnu gave darshan to Indian sages like Divakarmuni and Vilvamangalam Swami. Another legend says about an Ezhava couple who saw Vishnu in the form of a child which took morsels of rice from the hands of the couple. So in this temple, naivedyam prepared from rice is offered to the deity in a coconut shell.
Another legend says that there was a saint by named Divakara yogi, who in order to get the Mukthi, performed pooja to Saligramam in this sthalam. One day, the Perumal in disguise of a two years old child took the Saligramam along with him and ran away from that place. The angry saint chased him to get the Saligramam. But the small child enters into the big hole of a tree and the tree fells revealing the Perumal in sayana seva as Anantha Padmanabha Swamy.
The temple has been renovated by King Marthanda Varma, Maharaja of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore. He dedicated his kingdom to the deity, and pledged that he and his descendants would serve the kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa, meaning the servants of the Lord Padmanabha. Thus, Sri Padmanabha assumed the title Perumal, the Emperor. The British Government also saluted the Lord with 21 Gun Salute, which was continued by the Indian Army until the abolition by the Govt. of India. Even today Sri Padmanabha is still regarded as National Deity of Travancore.
The temple has a seven-tier gopuram and a tank, named Padma Theertham which means the lotus spring. The temple with a corridor of 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite-stone pillars has exquisite and beautiful carvings. There is an eighty-foot flag-staff erected in front of the main entry from the prakaram or corridor.
The main entrance in the eastern side is known as the Nataka Sala where the famous temple art Kathakali will be staged in the nights of the ten-day uthsavams conducted twice a year, during the Malayalam months of Meenam and Thulam. In the sanctum sanctorum, the idol of Vishnu made of 10008 salagramams is in sleeping posture with the serpent pointing upwards.
Vishnu is enjoying the small of lotus held in his left hand with his right hand hanging over lord Shiva. Brahma is seen in the lotus. Sridevi and Bhoodevi stand by the side of Vishnu. This idol was from Nepal from the banks of the river Gandhaki which was brought to this temple. The Dharshan of the Perumal can be seen separately in 3 different Vaasals.
There are two annual festivals of the Temple which culminate with a grand procession, with the three deities such as Sree Padmanabha, Narasimha Swamy and Lord Krishna are carried in flower-decked and aesthetically decorated Garuda Vahanas to the Shankhumukhom beach for Aaraattu.
The old port town of Mahabalipuram also known as Mamallapuram on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, has a coastline spanning a distance of over 20 km with beautiful beaches. Located 58km from Chennai on the Mahabalipuram road, the golden sandy beach is a picturesque place bounded by the shimmering sea and rolling hills. Identified as the most pristine beaches of Tamil Nadu, the beach attracts thousands of tourists throughout the year. The beach is an idle place for sunbathing and lazing around. The sea is rough and swimming is not recommended.
Mahabalipuram beach also has some ancient historical monuments in its close proximity and this is the main reason of attraction of this beach. There is one of the oldest shore temples in South India built by the Pallava King Rajasimha in the early 8th century and the world’s largest bas-relief, the ‘Penance of Arjuna’, which is 96ft long and 43 ft high, the five rathas and the tiger’s cave along the beach. On the way to Mahabalipuram Beach is Dakshinachitra, 28 km from Chennai, a heritage space with exhibitions and workshops of the arts and crafts including traditional home architecture and performing artists of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
Other places worth a visit while on a tour to the beach include the crocodile farm where about 5000 crocodiles of 6 different species, alligators and other reptiles are bred in captivity, kept in open, marshy enclosures, snake venom extracting centre and a school of art and sculpture.
To feel the touch of nature, Ooty is a right spot for the lover of nature. It is located at a distance of 105 km away from Coimbatore. It sparkles with fresh vegetation and sceneries. It is “queen of all hill station”. The height of the hills in the Nilgiri range varies between 2280 and 2290 meters. It attracts the tourist by its charming flowers. Lofty mountains, dense forest, acres and acres of tea estates are green feast for the eyes of the tourist.
The fast food world man runs his life in this world of tension; and living in the sweltering heat; to while away his short leisure hour he can spend that with nature (ooty).The weather of valley is salubrious. Ooty is a best place to know the culture and tradition of India and tribal people.
Botanical gardens, lamb’s rock and Dobabetta peak, kalhatty fallskandal, cross shrine, mini garden and rose garden; Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park are till more amusing places in Ooty and its surroundings. Ooty lake boating is a remarkable spot which highly entertains the tourist. Udagamandalam otherwise called as Ooty. Its mountain train journey on a ratchet and restrain track which commences from kallar will give a new adventures effect. Finally Nature never betrays the tourist.
The Rock Fort Temple
The Rock Fort temple complex in Tiruchirappalli is a collection of three temples – the Manikka Vinayakar temple at the foot of the hill, the Uchhi Pillayar Koyil at the top of the hill and the Taayumaanavar Koyil (Shivastalam) on the hill. This Shivastalam is a rock cut temple on a hill and is the most prominent landmark in Tiruchirappalli that can be reached by a flight of steps on the way to the famous Ucchi Pillayar temple. The name rock fort comes from the fact that the place was used for military fortification first by the Vijayanagar emperors and later by the British during the Carnatic wars.
Sri Ranganathaswami Temple
Located 7-km from Trichy is Srirangam, the abode of the Supreme Lord, Sri Ranganatha, the reclining form of Lord Vishnu. The Ranganathaswamy temple is the first and foremost among the 108 Divya Desams, the holy abodes of Lord Vishnu. The temple sprawls over an area of about 156 acres (6,31,000 sq m), making it one of the largest temples in India. A total of seven concentric walls enclose the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple and the total length of these walls is 32,592 enclosed by 21 Gopurams (towers). The temple amazes us with its astounding architecture and sculptural beauty. The “hall of 1000 pillars” (actually 953) is a fine example of a planned theatre-like structure and opposite to it, “Sesha Mandap”, with its intricacy in sculpture, is a delight.
Tiruvanaikkaval or Jambukeswara Temple
Situated 2-km east of Srirangam, this beautiful Shiva temple steals the show from the larger Ranganathaswami temple due to its excellent architectural design. The temple is named after the elephant, which is believed to have worshipped Lord Shiva here. Installed under an ancient Jambu tree, the lingam is partially submerged by water and meant to represent God incarnate as Water. The Jambukeshwara temple, not less than 2 km from Shrirangam is yet another awe-inspiring tourist attraction. The infrastructure of the temple is excellent and praiseworthy. There are 7 Gopurams and 5 concentric circular concrete walls, leaving the visitors completely absorbed in its magnificence.
Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple
GangaikondaCholapuram is located in Udayarpalayam Taluk (also spelt as Taluka) of Perambalur district, at a distance of 100-km from Trichy. Rajendra I, a Chola ruler established GangaikondaCholapuram as his capital city and built a magnificent temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The architecture of this temple is an exhibition of intricate carvings on the hard southern granite stones, discarding the earlier Chola and Pallava style of subtlety and simplicity. Few sculptures found here are as great as the sculptures found in any other Chola temples. The walls tell us stories of many victories of the warrior king, the land donations made during the period, kings ascending to thrones etc.
Location : Nagarjuna Sagar
Famous For : Tallest Masonry Dam In The World
Ideal Time To Visit : October To February
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is certainly the pride of India, since it is the tallest masonry dam in the world. This colossal dam supplies water for irrigation purposes to the districts like Nalgonda, Prakasam, Khammam and Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. Named after the Buddhist monk ‘Nagarjuna’, the dam actually separates the Guntur and Nalgonda districts. Owing to its confounding height of 124 meters, Nagarjunasagar Dam can store up to 11, 472 million cubic meters in its reservoir.
Apart from these achievements, the dam also has been known for being one of the earliest irrigation and hydro-electric projects in India. Built across the Krishna River, it boasts of one of the largest networks of canal systems in the world. Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is located at a distance of 160 kms from Guntur and 150 km from Hyderabad. Considering the tourism prospects, a lake has been developed just behind the dam, which is acclaimed to be the third largest man-made lake in the world.
Introduction
Madurai or the “city of nectar” is the oldest and second largest city of Tamil Nadu. This city is located on Vaigai River and was the capital of Pandyan rulers till the 14th century. The Pandyan king, Kulasekhara had built a gorgeous temple around which he created a lotus shaped city. Mythology says when city was being named; Lord Shiva blessed the city and its people. On the auspicious occasion some Divine nectar (“Madhu”) fell from the matted locks of Shiva and hence the city was named “Madhurapuri”. This sacred town of south attracts thousands of pilgrims and visitors from India as well as abroad.
Architecture
Madurai is built around the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. Concentric rectangular streets surround the temple, symbolizing the structure of the cosmos. The entire city is laid out in the shape of the lotus. Some of these rectangular streets are named after Tamil months. The six major rectangular streets around Meenakshi temple are Aadi, Chithirai, Aavani Moola, Maasi, Maarat and Veli streets.
Climate
The climate of Madurai is warm. The temperature seldom comes below 20° C even during the winters. The rainfall is very frequent and spread throughout the year, just like the flow of pilgrims and tourists is the same during the year.
How To Reach
Air : Madurai has its own airport and there are flights, which connect the city with Chennai, Tiruchirappalli. The airline services have at least one flight daily from Madurai to Chennai. From there one can take flight to anywhere in India.
Rail : Madurai has one of the major railway junctions of South India. It is connected with the all the major tourist as well as religious places in Tamil Nadu. Though there are not many trains, which connect the city with major cities of India such as, Madurai is easily accessible from any part of the nation.
Road : There are good motorable roads, which connect this, second largest city of Tamil Nadu with other parts of the state as well as other places in India. Madurai has five bus stands, which cater to the needs of the people.
Hampi is charismatic even in its ruined state. It attracts thousands of tourists and pilgrims every year. Vast stretches of boulder-strewn hills make the backdrop of Hampi unique. Dotted around the hills and valleys are 500 plus monuments. Among them are beautiful temples, basement of palaces, remains of aquatic structures, ancient market streets, royal pavilions, bastions, royal platforms, treasury buildings.., the list is practically endless. Hampi is a backpackers paradise, the same way the pilgrims delight. Hampi is charismatic even in its ruined state. It attracts thousands of tourists and pilgrims every year. Vast stretches of boulder-strewn hills make the backdrop of Hampi unique.
Other Places Of Attraction In Karnataka
Places To See In Srisailam
Major Attraction In Mysore
Bannerghatta National Park – The Wildlife In Bengaluru
How To reach Hampi
Hampi is located in Karnataka state. It is one of the richest of the south Indian states in terms of its wide range of heritage attractions. You can access these places directly or via transit towns from Hampi by road, rail or air.
By Rail
The nearest rail point is Hospet from where one travels another 12 kilometers by road to reach Hampi.
By Road
Regular bus services from Bangalore to Hospet.
By Air
The nearest Airport is Bellary (974 km); other convenient airports are Belgaum (190 km) and Bangalore (353 km).
Places Of Interest in Hampi
Vithala Temple Complex:
It is probably the biggest of all tourist attractions in Hampi. The splendid monument comprises of 56 musical pillars. At the east of the area stands a stone chariot with stone wheels, which actually revolve. All these and the richly carved basement are chiseled out of a single rock.
Hospet
The town of Hospet, which is 13 km from Hampi, is an important tourist center. Travelers can have a panoramic view of surrounding areas from the 49-m-high and 2-km-long Tungabhadra Dam, 6 km from Hospet.
Virupaksha Temple:
Lord Virupaksha, a form of Lord Shiva was the family deity of the Vijayanagar kings. King Krishnadeva Raya used to visit the temple after every successful conquest. These tales of the Ramayana are carved on two of the inside walls of the temple.