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May 21, 2015

Kolkata, West Bengal

Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta is the capital of West Bengal. It is one of the metro cities of India. It was the erstwhile capital of British India and is located on eastern bank of Hooghly river. Kolkata is rich with tourist attractions such as historical buildings, museums, parks etc. There are numerous heritage buildings. The largest gallery space in India is in the Academy of Fine Arts which itself is one of the oldest and best fine art societies in our country. There are eight galleries here.

Another art house is the Birla Academy in Southern Avenue which showcases modern art. There are paintings, manuscripts, wood carvings etc. The first modern museum in the continent of Asia at Park Street-Chowringhee road. There are old collections which dates back to King Ashoka’s age.

The other prominent museums are Gurusaday Museum and the Indian Museum. Gurusaday Museum has rich collections of folk art and crafts of Bengal. The Indian Museum is one among the oldest museums in Asia. You have to devote a whole day to see and enjoy coins, fossils, stones etc. There is a 4000 year old mummy and a urn with Buddha’s ashes.

Kolkata is also proud to house the largest library in the country- The National Library. This belongs to the Government of India. There are over 2.2 million books here and it was the official residence of Bengal’s Lt. Governor in the pre-independence era. The Nehru Children’s Museum is exclusively for children and was built by Late Shri Jugal Srimal. The Rabindra Bharati Museum has memoirs of Sri. Rabindranath Tagore, famous writer and painter. This is the place he lived and has the Rabindra Bharati University as well.
The Durga Puja is another must see at Shovabazar Rajbari. The festival is celebrated publicly as old as 1757.

The Victoria Memorial is built in an Italian Renaissance cum Saracenic Style. It is built by Lord Curzon and was dedicated to Queen Victoria. There is an interesting light and sound show every evening. Coming to Parks, The Maidan is the largest urban park in the city of Kolkata. It is a big field and has the famous cricket stadium, Eden Gardens, Kolkata Race Course and many football stadiums. There are many statues as well as architectural pieces here. Victoria Memorial is situated here. The Royal Calcutta Golf Club is oldest golf club outside Great Britain. It gives freshness and is the green part of Kolkata and is called as “lungs of Kolkata”.

The zoo of Kolkata is also the oldest in India. It is 16 hectares wide and has birds and animals of different species which even include the rare white Bengal Tiger. There is a children’s zoo inside this and a reptile house too. Migratory birds from Siberia come here during winter. There is an aquarium in front of the Zoo which has different varieties of sea-fishes.

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Kolhapur, Maharashtra

Kolhapur, situated near Panchganga River in Maharashtra is a historically important place. The Mahalaxmi temple is an important spiritual centre which is visited by millions of pilgrims from all over India. Goddess Mahalaxmi also known as Amba Bai is the deity there. There are many sculptures here that are artificially sculpted. This is a large temple complex which also has other deities like Sheshashayi , Mahakali, Shree Ram etc. The idol of the Goddess weighs some 40 kgs. There are uncut diamonds along with precious stones in the idol. There are many rituals and festivals held here.

The New Palace which is also known as Chhatrapati Sahu Museum is a royal palace now partially converted to a museum. There are green parks, a beautiful lake and a zoo to attract visitors. There are artifacts and rare paintings in the museum which were used by royal family. There are also rare weapons and also a tableau that depicts court life of old century. Many old sculptures and antiques are there in the Town Hall Museum which also houses old coins, paintings etc.

The Old Palace stands behind the Mahalaxmi temple. It is a magnificient palace with a grand marqee with stone filigree work. There is a temple of Goddess Bhawani in the Palace complex. The Binkhambi Ganesh Mandir is a unique temple without any pillars. Rankala Lake is wide and spacious and has its name from Rankabhairav temple. There is another palace called Shalini Palace which is at the lake’s west bank. It is made of Italian marble and black stone. This is presently a luxury hotel.

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Patiala, Punjab

Patiala is the fourth largest city in Punjab and is famous for many things like the turban, the Patiala Salwar etc. There are a number of tourist attractions here like the Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib, Gurdwara Moti Bagh Sahib, Bahadurgarh Fort, Qila Mubarak Complex, Sheesh Mahal, Baradari Gardens etc.
Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib It is supposed to be a holy place and devotees visit there regularly. There is a shrine and a sarovar there. The water in the sarovar is believed to have healing properties. The Gurdwara Moti Bagh Sahib is also a holy place.

Bahadurgarh Fort is and ancient fort constructed in 17th century and later renovated in 19th century. The construction took eight years. The Fort was named after Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur by Maharaja Karam Singh. The fort has a a Gurdwara Sahib (Sikh temple) called Gurdwara Sahib Patshai Nauvin. It is a pilgrimage centre especially during Baisakhi Festival every year on the 13th of April.

Qila Mubarak Complex is spread over ten acres and is located in the heart of Patiala. There is a palace called Qila Androon meaning ‘inner fort’ inside the complex. There is also a guesthouse called Ran Baas and also the Durbar Hall. There are bazaar shops outside Qila Complex where you can get precious ornaments and hand-woven fabrics in a variety of colours. There is also a Shiva Temple there. The royals of Patiala stayed there till the Old Moti Bagh Palace was constructed.

The Qila Androon has an architecture that is a blend of Mughal and Rajasthani. It has 10 courtyards and each one unique in size. It is actually a single large building that is interconnected. It looks like a series or number of palaces.

The Sheesh Mahal meaning ‘Palace of Mirrors’ is actually a part of the Old Moti Bagh Palace which was built by Maharajas in 19th century. There is a lake in front of Sheesh Mahal. Inside, there are a large number of Frescos that were made by Maharaja Narinder Singh. There is a famous bridge across the lake called Lakshman Jhula. There is a museum with the world’s largest medal collection there.

Baradari Gardens is rich with flowers, shrubs and trees and has beautiful colonial buildings and Maharaja Rajindera Singh’s marble statue. It was built for the purpose of a royal residence, having a cricket stadium, skating rink and a small palace-Rajindera Kothi. Now it has become Punjab’s first heritage hotel.

The National Institute of Sports, now renamed as Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports is actually the Old Moti Bagh Palace now under India Government. Now, many interesting things related to sports can be seen here like the Seoul Asiad shoes used by P T Usha and Gold Medal won by Major Dhyan Chand in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.

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Ludhiana, Punjab

Ludhiana is the largest city of Punjab State. It is a metropolitan city and has urban attractions like shopping malls, parks etc.

Those who love shopping can check out markets like Ghumar Mandi, Chaura Bazaar, Mall Road, Jawahar Nagar Camp etc. There are many shopping malls such as MBD Mall, Pavilion Mall, Silver Arc, Westend Mall etc. There are also medium sized malls such as SRS Mall, Ansal Plaza, Govardhan City Center, Flames Mall etc.

The major attractions of Ludhiana include Nehru Rose Garden, Guru Nanak Bhawan, Hardy’s World, Rural Museum, Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum, Tiger Safari, Gurdwara Charankanwal Sahib Machhiwara etc.

Ludhiana has both urban and rural side. The rural side consists of farming land around the city. In the city there are many parks to walk about or have a picnic. They are Rose Garden, Leisure Valley, PAU etc.
Ludhiana is famous for its sports activities. There is Guru Nanak Stadium where Kabaddi Matches and athletic games are held. The Kabaddi game is actually from Punjab. World Kabbadi Championship Finals were hosted in the stadium twice.

In Leisure Valley, there is skating rink for speed skating and also roller hockey. There are many famous skaters here. The Rural Olympics or Kila Raipur Sports Festival is held every year in Kila Raipur wich is near Ludhiana. Rural Sports of Punjab competitions are held like rope pulling, cart race etc.

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Jaipur-The Pink Wonder of Rajasthan

Jaipur is the beautiful capital of Rajasthan. It is also the largest city and is known as the ‘Pink City’ due to the colour of its walls. It was founded by Maharaja Jai Singh in the 18th century after whom the city is named. Jaipur is rich with tourist attractions and was ranked 7th among places in Asia in a traveler survey.

Jaipur has many old buildings, palaces etc. that attract people from around the world.

City Palace complex with the Maharani’s Palace, Diwan-e-Khas, Diwan-e-Aam, Chandra Mahal, Govindji Temple and the world famous Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Moti Doongari and Lakshmi Narayan Temple,Jagat Shiromani Temple, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, Jal Mahal, Amber Palace and Fort Complex, Swarghashuli / Isar Lat, Ram Niwas Bagh, Albert Hall, Dolls Museum, Sisodia Rani Garden, Vidyadhar Garden, Statue Circle, Gaitore, Galta, Birl a Planetorium, Birla Auditorium and Convention Centre etc.

City Palace is one of the biggest marvels of Jaipur city which is celebration of the Rajasthani and the Mughal Architecture. It covers a large area and is rightly placed at the heart of the city. The buildings, courtyards, gardens are a must-see. There are many palaces within the City Palace like the Mubarak Mahal which is a welcome palace situated before the main complex. It is now part of a museum that exhibits royal clothes, embroideries, silk sarees, musical instruments etc. There is the Maharani’s Palace which houses deadly weapons like Rajput scissor action daggers, many types of guns, swords etc. There are shields too made of crocodile skin, turtle skin etc. The Diwan-e-Khas is a hall that stands between the art gallery and armoury. There are two silver vessels which are the biggest in the world, 160 cm tall, which can hold 9000 litres water and have entered Guiness Book of Records.

There are semi-precious stones on the ceiling in Diwan-e-aam. There are paintings, books and many other interesting things in the art gallery. Chandra Mahal is the only inhabited area of the complex which is the royal family’s residence. Only ground floor is exhibited to visitors which have some exhibits. There is the peacock gate in the courtyard outside. There is a temple in the City Palace complex dedicated to Lord Krishna called the Govindji Temple.

Jantar Mantar is an ancient observatory of Jai Singh which is one among five and is the largest and the best preserved one. It is built with marble and stone and is built scientifically. It is open to visitors from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm.

Hawa Mahal is another popular tourist attraction of Jaipur. The name means ‘Palace of winds’. It is an 18th Century Palace built by a king who was a poet. It has a remarkable design and is multi-niched with five storeys. It was built for the women of the palace to watch royal processions. Now it has a museum with collection of ancient coins, paintings, sculptures etc. It is a great place to look into the past and history of Jaipur.

Hawa Mahal

Jaipur is blessed with innumerable palaces, gardens and temples which can be a great experience for the discerning traveler.

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Haridwar, Uttarakhand

Haridwar is a very famous Hindu pilgrimage destination situated in Uttarakhand, North India. The Holy River Ganga enter North Indian plains first at Haridwar and the city is also known as Gangadwara. Haridwar is one among seven holiest places, also known as Sapta Puri of Hindus. The city hosts the famous Kumbha Mela which happens once in twelve years. Devotees bath in the holy water of Ganges River to attain salvation or Moksha by washing away their sins. It is believed that the holy elixir-Amrit had fallen here. The spot where it fell is called Brahma Kund and it is located in Har ki Pauri which translates as Footsteps of the Lord. This is the most holy place and one among the ‘Panch Tirth’ or five pilgrimages within the city. The other places are Kushawart, a Ghat in Kankhal, Mansa Devi Temple or Bilwa Tirtha, Neel Parvat or Chandi Devi Temple.There are many other ashrams and temples in the city.

Piran Kalivar Sharif is a Dargah of an ancient Sufi Saint which is a pilgrimage centre for devotees around the world especiallyduring ‘Urs’ festival. Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar is a bird sanctuary beside River Ganges or Bhimgoda Barrage is a heaven for bird watchers. Many migratory birds fly in during winter.

Bhimgoda Tank is situated 1 km away from Har Ki Pauri. There is a tale about Bhima which gave this name to the place. Dudhadhari Barfani Temple is a part of Dudhadhari Barfani Baba’s ashram and is built in white marble. It is a very beautiful temple. There are a number of other temples like Sureshvari Devi Temple, Pawan Dham-a modern temple and Bharat Mata Mandir-a multi-storeyed temple.

Tourists can shop around in Haridwar in places like Bara Bazar, Upper Road, Moti Bazar, Ranipur Mor and Jwalapur. Devotional items especially Rudraksha ornaments and other inexpensive ornaments are available here. Bhajans, songs, statues and religious pictures are a major attraction for devotees. There are also garment stores. Sapta Rishi Ashram is a beautiful place where seven sages or the Saptarshis-Kashyapa, Vishwamitra, Vashishtha, Jamadagni, Atri, Gautama and Bharadwaja have done meditations. There are seven currents of Ganges here which is called Sapt Sarovar. The other major attractions in Haridwar are Parad Shivling which has a 150 kg Parad Shivalinga and a Rudraksha Tree, Ramanand Ashram, Anandamayi Maa Ashram, Shantikunj and Patanjali Yogpeeth.

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Chandigarh-The City Beautiful

Chandigarh is a city in North India that serves as the capital of both Haryana and Punjab states. It is a union territory which belongs to neither states, but that comes under the control of the Central Government. It has many attractions for the visitors. Some of them are :

Sukhna Lake is a beautiful artificial lake in Chandigarh. It is 3 kms long and is rain-fed. It was made in 1958. The Garden of Silence, yet another attraction is within it. There is a serene atmosphere in Sukhna Lake. Many festivals like the Mango Festival is held here.

Rock Garden sculptures made out of recycled ceramic. It lies in middle of Capitol Complex. Rock Garden is also known by the name of its founder Nek Chand. Recycled ceramic is waste material like auto parts, marble pieces, forks, frames, broken bangles etc.

Zakir Hussain Rose Garden is another great place to see. Zakir Hussain was a former Indian President. It is 30 to 40 acres wide and is one of the greatest asian parks with 825 types of roses and 32, 500 varieties of medicinal trees and plants.

Other tourist spots include Leisure Valley, Capitol Complex, New Lake, City Centre, Open hand monument, Le Corbusier Centre, International Doll Museum, Government Museum and Art Gallery and tourist gardens like Garden of Fragrance, Butterfly Park , Valley of Animals , Japanese Garden and Terraced Garden.

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