Tuesday, 27 September 2011
World Tourism Day Timeline.
1946
The First International Congress of National Tourism Bodies, meeting in London, decides to create a new international non-governmental organization to replace the International Union of Official Tourist Propaganda Organizations (IUOTPO), established in 1934.
1947
The First Constitutive Assembly of the International Union of Official Travel Organisations (IUOTO) is held in The Hague. The temporary IUOTO headquarters are established in London.
1948
Creation of the European Travel Commission (ETC), the first Regional Commission within IUOTO. It is followed by those for Africa (1949), Middle East (1951), Central Asia (1956) and the Americas (1957).
IUOTO is granted United Nations consultative status.
1951
IUOTO transfers its headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland, where it remains until 1975.
1954
IUOTO takes part in the United Nations Conference on Customs Formalities for the Temporary Importation of Private Road Motor Vehicles and for Tourism held in New York, which adopts two key multilateral instruments to facilitate travel and tourism promotion activities.
1957
Robert Lonati (France) becomes the first IUOTO Secretary-General; his mandate will be extended until 1974.
1963
Following an IUOTO initiative, the United Nations Conference on Tourism and International Travel meets in Rome. This conference adopts a series of recommendations on the definition of the terms ‘visitor’ and ‘tourist’ regarding international statistics; the simplification of international travel formalities, and a general resolution on tourism development, including technical co-operation, freedom of movement and absence of discrimination.
1965
IUOTO takes an active part in the work of the International Conference on Facilitation of Travel and Maritime Traffic, organized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London. The Conference adopts the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic.
1966
The 79th meeting of the Executive Council of IUOTO in Madrid, approves a proposition to modify the legal statutes of the Union and creates a working group to study the effects and consequences of this change.
1967
The United Nations, following an IUOTO initiative, declares 1967 International Tourism Year (ITY), with the slogan Tourism, Passport to Peace.
1969
The Intergovernmental Conference in Sofia (Bulgaria) and the United Nations General Assembly press for the creation of an intergovernmental organization on independent tourism.
1970
On 27 September, the IUOTO Special General Assembly meeting in Mexico City adopts the Statutes of the World Tourism Organization (WTO). From 1980 onwards, this day will be celebrated as “World Tourism Day”.
1975
First WTO General Assembly meets in May in Madrid at the invitation of the Spanish Government. Robert Lonati is voted in as the first WTO Secretary-General and the Assembly decides to establish its headquarters in Madrid.
1976
The WTO General Secretariat is set up in Madrid on 1 January.
The agreement is signed for WTO to become an executing agency of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), carrying out technical co-operation with Governments.
1980
The World Tourism Conference held in Manila (Philippines) adopts the Manila Declaration on World Tourism.
1982
The World Tourism Conference in Acapulco (Mexico) adopts the Acapulco Document.
1985
The VI WTO General Assembly, held in Sofia (Bulgaria), adopts the Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code.
Willibald Pahr (Austria) is voted new WTO Secretary-General.
1989
Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Tourism, jointly organized with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, adopts The Hague Declaration on Tourism.
VIII WTO General Assembly, Paris (France).
Antonio Enríquez Savignac (Mexico) is voted new WTO Secreteary-General.
1991
The International Conference on Travel and Tourism Statistics in Ottawa (Canada) adopts a resolution defining the statistical needs of the tourism industry.
IX WTO General Assembly in Buenos Aires (Argentina) approves the recommendations of the Ottawa Conference and adopts “Recommended Measures for Security in Tourism” and “Creating Tourism Opportunities for Handicapped People in the Nineties”.
1992
WTO participates in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), where "Agenda 21" is created.
1993
X WTO General Assembly held in Bali (Indonesia), Antonio Enríquez Savignac (Mexico) is re-elected as Secretary-General. The United Nations Statistics Commission approves the Ottawa recommendations and adopts the Standard International Classification of Tourism Activities (SICTA).
1994
Joint WTO and UNESCO meeting on the Silk Road, held in Samarkand (Uzbekistan), adopts the Samarkand Declaration on Silk Road Tourism.
1995
Accra Declaration on the WTO-UNESCO cultural programme “The Slave Route” in Accra (Ghana).
I WTO Forum on Parliaments and Local Authorities: Tourism Policy-Makers, held in Cadiz (Spain), which underscores the importance of co-operation between local, regional and national authorities.
WTO, WTCC and the Earth Council produce Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry, as a follow-up to the Rio Conference.
XI WTO General Assembly in Cairo (Egypt) adopts the WTO Declaration on the Prevention of Organized Sex Tourism.
1996
II WTO Forum on Parliaments and Local Authorities: Tourism Policy-Makers, held in Bali (Indonesia), adopts the Bali Declaration on Tourism,
1997
XII WTO General Assembly in Istanbul (Turkey) approves a White Paper to define WTO strategy in confronting the challenges of the 21st century. Francesco Frangialli (France) is voted new WTO Secretary-General.
1998
The WTO.THEMIS Foundation is created in Andorra, to promote quality and efficiency in tourism education and training.
1999
The World Conference on the Measurement of the Economic Impact of Tourism, held in Nice (France), approves the Tourism Satellite Account.
XIII WTO General Assembly in Santiago (Chile) adopts the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
2000
The United Nations Statistics Commission approves the international standards included in the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA).
Third WTO Forum on Parliaments and Local Authorities: Tourism Policy-Makers, in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
2001
First World Conference on Sport and Tourism, jointly organized by WTO and the International Olympic Committee, Barcelona (Spain).
Conference on Tourism Satellite Accounts in Vancouver (Canada) aimed at promoting the use of Tourism Satellite Accounts.
XIV WTO General Assembly held jointly in Seoul (Republic of Korea) and Osaka (Japan), adopts the Seoul Declaration on Peace and Tourism and the Osaka Declaration for the Millennium. Francesco Frangialli (France) is re-elected Secretary-General.
The Assembly requests looking at the possibility of transforming WTO into a United Nations specialized agency.
2002
2002 is declared International Year of Ecotourism.
Quebec (Canada) holds the World Ecotourism Summit, which adopts the Quebec Declaration on Ecotourism.
WTO takes part in the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, South Africa), during which the programme “Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty” (ST-EP) is presented. The final declaration of the Summit includes a direct reference to sustainable development of tourism.
IV WTO Forum on Parliaments and Local Authorities: Tourism Policy-Makers, held in Panama City.
2003
WTO Strategy for Crisis Management is adopted at ITB Berlin (Germany).
First International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, Djerba (Tunisia).
XV WTO General Assembly, Beijing (China), approves the composition of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics and unanimously supports the programme Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP).
The Assembly approves the transformation of WTO into a United Nations specialized body by resolution 453(XV). The transformation is ratified at the United Nations General Assembly by resolution A/RES/58/232.
2004
First World Conference on Tourism Communications (TOURCOM), organized by WTO in Madrid, during FITUR.
The World Committee on Tourism Ethics, the implementation body for the Global Code of Ethics (adopted in 1999), holds its first meeting in Rome (Italy).
2005
Following the Asian tsunami catastrophe in December 2004, UNWTO Secretary-General summoned an emergency meeting of the UNWTO Executive Council which adopts the Phuket Action Plan.
UNWTO conference on the “Tourism Satellite Account (TSA): Understanding Tourism and Designing Strategies” in Iguazu, jointly organized with the governments of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
Applying the agreement signed between UNWTO and the Government of Korea in 2004, the official head office of UNWTO’s ST-EP Foundation is opened in Seoul.
XVI UNWTO General Assembly held in Dakar (Senegal), confirms the leading role UNWTO can play in eliminating poverty through sustainable tourism development. Francesco Frangialli (France) is re-elected for a third mandate as Secretary-General.
The General Assembly also approves the adoption of the initials UNWTO in English and ЮНВТО in Russian.
2006
XXX anniversary of UNWTO in Madrid.
Chaired by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the UN’s Chief Executives Board meets for the first time at UNWTO headquarters.
First International Conference on Tourism and Handicrafts, Teheran (Islamic Republic of Iran).
2007
Fifth International Forum for Parliamentarians and Local Authorities, Hamamet (Tunisia.)
Second International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, Davos (Switzerland), adopted the Davos Declaration, endorsed by the London Ministerial Summit on Tourism and Climate Change.
First International Conference on Tourism, Religions and Dialogue of Cultures, Cordoba (Spain)
The XVII Session of the UNWTO General Assembly held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, adopts the Davos Declaration and encourages UNWTO to engage itself in the response to one of the greatest challenges of our times
2008
UNWTO and other UN agencies present the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria at the World Conservation Congress, Barcelona (Spain)
The 84th Session of the UNWTO Executive Council establishes the Tourism Resilience Committee (TRC) to respond to the economic downturn, Madrid (Spain)
UNWTO launches the awareness campaign Protect Children from Exploitation in Travel and Tourism
Permanent Secretariat of World Committee on Tourism Ethics inaugurated, Rome (Italy)
2009
In response to the global economic crisis, the UNWTO Roadmap for Recovery is developed, demonstrating how tourism can contribute to economic recovery and the long term transformation to the Green Economy
XVIII Session of the UNWTO General Assembly, Astana (Kazakhstan), endorses the Roadmap for Recovery as a way to mainstream tourism into economic stimulus packages and appoints Taleb Rifai (Jordan) as UNWTO Secretary-General for the period 2010-2013
UNWTO and the World Travel and Tourism Council host a side event at the COP-15 negotiations demonstrating the commitment of the tourism industry to the climate imperative, Copenhagen (Denmark)
2010
First T.20 Ministers’ Meeting underscores tourism’s contribution to global economic recovery and the long-term ‘green’ transformation
The First International Congress of National Tourism Bodies, meeting in London, decides to create a new international non-governmental organization to replace the International Union of Official Tourist Propaganda Organizations (IUOTPO), established in 1934.
1947
The First Constitutive Assembly of the International Union of Official Travel Organisations (IUOTO) is held in The Hague. The temporary IUOTO headquarters are established in London.
1948
Creation of the European Travel Commission (ETC), the first Regional Commission within IUOTO. It is followed by those for Africa (1949), Middle East (1951), Central Asia (1956) and the Americas (1957).
IUOTO is granted United Nations consultative status.
1951
IUOTO transfers its headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland, where it remains until 1975.
1954
IUOTO takes part in the United Nations Conference on Customs Formalities for the Temporary Importation of Private Road Motor Vehicles and for Tourism held in New York, which adopts two key multilateral instruments to facilitate travel and tourism promotion activities.
1957
Robert Lonati (France) becomes the first IUOTO Secretary-General; his mandate will be extended until 1974.
1963
Following an IUOTO initiative, the United Nations Conference on Tourism and International Travel meets in Rome. This conference adopts a series of recommendations on the definition of the terms ‘visitor’ and ‘tourist’ regarding international statistics; the simplification of international travel formalities, and a general resolution on tourism development, including technical co-operation, freedom of movement and absence of discrimination.
1965
IUOTO takes an active part in the work of the International Conference on Facilitation of Travel and Maritime Traffic, organized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London. The Conference adopts the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic.
1966
The 79th meeting of the Executive Council of IUOTO in Madrid, approves a proposition to modify the legal statutes of the Union and creates a working group to study the effects and consequences of this change.
1967
The United Nations, following an IUOTO initiative, declares 1967 International Tourism Year (ITY), with the slogan Tourism, Passport to Peace.
1969
The Intergovernmental Conference in Sofia (Bulgaria) and the United Nations General Assembly press for the creation of an intergovernmental organization on independent tourism.
1970
On 27 September, the IUOTO Special General Assembly meeting in Mexico City adopts the Statutes of the World Tourism Organization (WTO). From 1980 onwards, this day will be celebrated as “World Tourism Day”.
1975
First WTO General Assembly meets in May in Madrid at the invitation of the Spanish Government. Robert Lonati is voted in as the first WTO Secretary-General and the Assembly decides to establish its headquarters in Madrid.
1976
The WTO General Secretariat is set up in Madrid on 1 January.
The agreement is signed for WTO to become an executing agency of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), carrying out technical co-operation with Governments.
1980
The World Tourism Conference held in Manila (Philippines) adopts the Manila Declaration on World Tourism.
1982
The World Tourism Conference in Acapulco (Mexico) adopts the Acapulco Document.
1985
The VI WTO General Assembly, held in Sofia (Bulgaria), adopts the Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code.
Willibald Pahr (Austria) is voted new WTO Secretary-General.
1989
Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Tourism, jointly organized with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, adopts The Hague Declaration on Tourism.
VIII WTO General Assembly, Paris (France).
Antonio Enríquez Savignac (Mexico) is voted new WTO Secreteary-General.
1991
The International Conference on Travel and Tourism Statistics in Ottawa (Canada) adopts a resolution defining the statistical needs of the tourism industry.
IX WTO General Assembly in Buenos Aires (Argentina) approves the recommendations of the Ottawa Conference and adopts “Recommended Measures for Security in Tourism” and “Creating Tourism Opportunities for Handicapped People in the Nineties”.
1992
WTO participates in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), where "Agenda 21" is created.
1993
X WTO General Assembly held in Bali (Indonesia), Antonio Enríquez Savignac (Mexico) is re-elected as Secretary-General. The United Nations Statistics Commission approves the Ottawa recommendations and adopts the Standard International Classification of Tourism Activities (SICTA).
1994
Joint WTO and UNESCO meeting on the Silk Road, held in Samarkand (Uzbekistan), adopts the Samarkand Declaration on Silk Road Tourism.
1995
Accra Declaration on the WTO-UNESCO cultural programme “The Slave Route” in Accra (Ghana).
I WTO Forum on Parliaments and Local Authorities: Tourism Policy-Makers, held in Cadiz (Spain), which underscores the importance of co-operation between local, regional and national authorities.
WTO, WTCC and the Earth Council produce Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry, as a follow-up to the Rio Conference.
XI WTO General Assembly in Cairo (Egypt) adopts the WTO Declaration on the Prevention of Organized Sex Tourism.
1996
II WTO Forum on Parliaments and Local Authorities: Tourism Policy-Makers, held in Bali (Indonesia), adopts the Bali Declaration on Tourism,
1997
XII WTO General Assembly in Istanbul (Turkey) approves a White Paper to define WTO strategy in confronting the challenges of the 21st century. Francesco Frangialli (France) is voted new WTO Secretary-General.
1998
The WTO.THEMIS Foundation is created in Andorra, to promote quality and efficiency in tourism education and training.
1999
The World Conference on the Measurement of the Economic Impact of Tourism, held in Nice (France), approves the Tourism Satellite Account.
XIII WTO General Assembly in Santiago (Chile) adopts the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
2000
The United Nations Statistics Commission approves the international standards included in the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA).
Third WTO Forum on Parliaments and Local Authorities: Tourism Policy-Makers, in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
2001
First World Conference on Sport and Tourism, jointly organized by WTO and the International Olympic Committee, Barcelona (Spain).
Conference on Tourism Satellite Accounts in Vancouver (Canada) aimed at promoting the use of Tourism Satellite Accounts.
XIV WTO General Assembly held jointly in Seoul (Republic of Korea) and Osaka (Japan), adopts the Seoul Declaration on Peace and Tourism and the Osaka Declaration for the Millennium. Francesco Frangialli (France) is re-elected Secretary-General.
The Assembly requests looking at the possibility of transforming WTO into a United Nations specialized agency.
2002
2002 is declared International Year of Ecotourism.
Quebec (Canada) holds the World Ecotourism Summit, which adopts the Quebec Declaration on Ecotourism.
WTO takes part in the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, South Africa), during which the programme “Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty” (ST-EP) is presented. The final declaration of the Summit includes a direct reference to sustainable development of tourism.
IV WTO Forum on Parliaments and Local Authorities: Tourism Policy-Makers, held in Panama City.
2003
WTO Strategy for Crisis Management is adopted at ITB Berlin (Germany).
First International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, Djerba (Tunisia).
XV WTO General Assembly, Beijing (China), approves the composition of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics and unanimously supports the programme Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP).
The Assembly approves the transformation of WTO into a United Nations specialized body by resolution 453(XV). The transformation is ratified at the United Nations General Assembly by resolution A/RES/58/232.
2004
First World Conference on Tourism Communications (TOURCOM), organized by WTO in Madrid, during FITUR.
The World Committee on Tourism Ethics, the implementation body for the Global Code of Ethics (adopted in 1999), holds its first meeting in Rome (Italy).
2005
Following the Asian tsunami catastrophe in December 2004, UNWTO Secretary-General summoned an emergency meeting of the UNWTO Executive Council which adopts the Phuket Action Plan.
UNWTO conference on the “Tourism Satellite Account (TSA): Understanding Tourism and Designing Strategies” in Iguazu, jointly organized with the governments of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
Applying the agreement signed between UNWTO and the Government of Korea in 2004, the official head office of UNWTO’s ST-EP Foundation is opened in Seoul.
XVI UNWTO General Assembly held in Dakar (Senegal), confirms the leading role UNWTO can play in eliminating poverty through sustainable tourism development. Francesco Frangialli (France) is re-elected for a third mandate as Secretary-General.
The General Assembly also approves the adoption of the initials UNWTO in English and ЮНВТО in Russian.
2006
XXX anniversary of UNWTO in Madrid.
Chaired by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the UN’s Chief Executives Board meets for the first time at UNWTO headquarters.
First International Conference on Tourism and Handicrafts, Teheran (Islamic Republic of Iran).
2007
Fifth International Forum for Parliamentarians and Local Authorities, Hamamet (Tunisia.)
Second International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, Davos (Switzerland), adopted the Davos Declaration, endorsed by the London Ministerial Summit on Tourism and Climate Change.
First International Conference on Tourism, Religions and Dialogue of Cultures, Cordoba (Spain)
The XVII Session of the UNWTO General Assembly held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, adopts the Davos Declaration and encourages UNWTO to engage itself in the response to one of the greatest challenges of our times
2008
UNWTO and other UN agencies present the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria at the World Conservation Congress, Barcelona (Spain)
The 84th Session of the UNWTO Executive Council establishes the Tourism Resilience Committee (TRC) to respond to the economic downturn, Madrid (Spain)
UNWTO launches the awareness campaign Protect Children from Exploitation in Travel and Tourism
Permanent Secretariat of World Committee on Tourism Ethics inaugurated, Rome (Italy)
2009
In response to the global economic crisis, the UNWTO Roadmap for Recovery is developed, demonstrating how tourism can contribute to economic recovery and the long term transformation to the Green Economy
XVIII Session of the UNWTO General Assembly, Astana (Kazakhstan), endorses the Roadmap for Recovery as a way to mainstream tourism into economic stimulus packages and appoints Taleb Rifai (Jordan) as UNWTO Secretary-General for the period 2010-2013
UNWTO and the World Travel and Tourism Council host a side event at the COP-15 negotiations demonstrating the commitment of the tourism industry to the climate imperative, Copenhagen (Denmark)
2010
First T.20 Ministers’ Meeting underscores tourism’s contribution to global economic recovery and the long-term ‘green’ transformation
Friday, 5 August 2011
Interesting Facts About India
Chess was first invented in India.
Hindi and English are the official languages of India.
India has never invaded another country.
In India you drive on the left hand side of the road.
India has more Post Offices than any other country.
India is the largest democratic country in the world.
The value of pi was first calculated by an Indian mathematician- Budhayana.
India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. However, there are still many people living in poverty. To help, please donate to Give India.
Cricket is the most popular sport in India. The Indian cricket team won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20.
Christians make up just 2.3% of the population in India. 80.5% of Indians are Hindu.
Indian Railways is the largest employer in the world. Over a million people work for them!
The Indian Film Industry is the largest in the world- even bigger the Hollywood! Bollywood makes Hindi films.
Most Indians have their marriages arranged by parents and family members, with the consent of the bride and groom. India has a very low divorce rate.
About 50% of Indian women marry before reaching 18 years of age.
India has the 3rd largest military force in the world.
Hindi and English are the official languages of India.
India has never invaded another country.
In India you drive on the left hand side of the road.
India has more Post Offices than any other country.
India is the largest democratic country in the world.
The value of pi was first calculated by an Indian mathematician- Budhayana.
India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. However, there are still many people living in poverty. To help, please donate to Give India.
Cricket is the most popular sport in India. The Indian cricket team won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20.
Christians make up just 2.3% of the population in India. 80.5% of Indians are Hindu.
Indian Railways is the largest employer in the world. Over a million people work for them!
The Indian Film Industry is the largest in the world- even bigger the Hollywood! Bollywood makes Hindi films.
Most Indians have their marriages arranged by parents and family members, with the consent of the bride and groom. India has a very low divorce rate.
About 50% of Indian women marry before reaching 18 years of age.
India has the 3rd largest military force in the world.
61 Interesting Facts About INDIA
India is about 1/3 the size of the United States, yet it is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of 1,166,079,217. India is the seventh largest country in the world, at 1.27 million square miles.g
India is the largest democracy in the world.i
The Kumbh Mela (or Grand Pitcher Festival) is a huge Hindu religious festival that takes place in India every 12 years. In 2001, 60 million people attended, breaking the record for the world’s biggest gathering. The mass of people was photographed from space by a satellite.c
Many Indians find toilet paper repellent and consider it cleaner to splash water with the left hand in the appropriate direction. Consequently, the left hand is considered unclean and is never used for eating.f
To avoid polluting the elements (fire, earth, water, air), followers of Zoroastrianism in India don’t bury their dead, but instead leave bodies in buildings called “Towers of Silence” for the vultures to pick clean. After the bones dry, they are swept into a central well.f
It is illegal for foreigners to import or export Indian currency (rupees)
It is illegal to take Indian currency (rupees) out of India.f
India leads the world with the most murders (32,719), with Russia taking second at 28,904 murders per year.j
India has one of the world’s highest rates of abortion.e
More than a million Indians are millionaires, yet most Indians live on less than two dollars a day. An estimated 35% of India’s population lives below the poverty line.l
Cows can be found freely wandering the streets of India’s cities. They are considered sacred and will often wear a tilak, a Hindu symbol of good fortune. Cows are considered one of humankind’s seven mothers because she offers milk as does one’s natural mother.k
Dancing is one of India’s most highly developed arts and was an integral part of worship in the inner shrines of every temple. It is notable for its expressive hand movements.f
Rabies is endemic in India. Additionally, “Delhi Belly” or diarrhea is commonplace due to contaminated drinking water.f
Many Indian wives will never say her husband’s name aloud, as it is a sign of disrespect. When addressing him, the wife will use several indirect references, such as “ji” or “look here” or “hello,” or even refer to him as the father of her child.f
A widow is considered bad luck—otherwise, her husband wouldn’t have died. Elderly women in the village might call a widow “the one who ate her husband.” In some orthodox families, widows are not allowed near newlyweds or welcomed at social gatherings.b
India is the birthplace of chess.l The original word for “chess” is the Sanskrit chaturanga, meaning “four members of an army”—which were mostly likely elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers.d
The Indian flag has three horizontal bands of color: saffron for courage and sacrifice, white for truth and peace, and green for faith, fertility, and chivalry. An emblem of a wheel spinning used to be in the center of the white band, but when India gained independence, a Buddhist dharma chakra, or wheel of life, replaced the spinning wheel.m
Khajuraho’s exotic art may suggest that sex was a step for attaining ultimate liberation or moksha
The temples of Khajuraho are famous for their erotic sculptures and are one of the most popular tourist attractions in India. Scholars still debate the purpose of such explicit portrayals of sexual intercourse, which sometimes involves animals.a
The earliest cotton in the world was spun and woven in India. Roman emperors would wear delicate cotton from India that they would call “woven winds.” Mogul emperors called the fabrics “morning dew” and “cloth of running water.”i
In ancient and medieval India, suttees, in which a recently widowed woman would immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre, were common.b
The Himalayas—from the Sanskrit hima, meaning “snow,” and alaya, meaning “abode”—are found in the north of India. They extend 1,500 miles and are slowly growing taller, by almost an inch (2.5 cm) a year. Several ancient Indian monasteries are found nestled in the grandeur of these mountains.m
India is the world’s largest producer of dried beans, such as kidney beans and chickpeas. It also leads the world in banana exports; Brazil is second.l
In India, the fold and color of clothing are viewed as important markers of social classification. Additionally, women will be viewed as either a prostitute or a holy person depending on the manner in which she parts her hair.k
With 150,000 post offices, India has the largest postal network in the world. However, it is not unusual for a letter to take two weeks to travel just 30 miles.f
In India, grasping one’s ears signifies repentance or sincerity.f
The Bengal tiger is India’s national animal. It was once ubiquitous throughout the country, but now there are fewer than 4,000 wild tigers left.m
Indians hold prominent places both internationally and in the United States. For example, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems (Vinod Khosla), the creator of the Pentium chip (Vinod Dahm), the founder/creator of Hotmail (Sabeer Bhatia), and the GM of Hewlett-Packard (Rajiv Gupta) are all Indian.h
Alexander the Great of Macedon (356-323 B.C.) was one of the first important figures to bring India into contact with the West. After his death, a link between Europe and the East would not be restored until Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (1460-1524) landed in Calicut, India, in 1498.l
The British Raj, or British rule, lasted from 1858 to 1947 (although they had a strong presence in India since the 1700s). British influence is still seen in Indian architecture, education system, transportation, and politics. Many of India’s worst famines are associated with British rule in India.i
Every major world religion is represented in India. Additionally, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism all originated in India.f
About 80% of Indians are Hindu. Muslims are the largest minority in India and form approximately 13% of the country’s population. In fact, India has the third largest population of Muslims in the world, after Indonesia and Pakistan.i
India has the world’s largest movie industry, based in the city of Mumbai (known as the “City of Dreams”). The B in “Bollywood” comes from Bombay, the former name for Mumbai. Almost all Bollywood movies are musicals.l
Mumbai (Bombay) is India’s largest city, with a population of 15 million. In 1661, British engineers built a causeway uniting all seven original islands of Bombay into a single landmass.l
Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948) is known around the world as Mahatma, which is an honorific title meaning “Great Soul” in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. He devoted his life to free India from British rule peacefully and based his campaign on civil disobedience. His birthday, October 2, is a national holiday. He was assassinated in 1948.m
The Lotus temple is one of the most visited temples in the world, with over 50 million visitors per year
The lotus is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. The Bahá'í house of worship in Delhi, known as the “Lotus Temple,” is shaped like a lotus flower with 27 gigantic “petals” that are covered in marble.i
The banyan, or Indian fig tree, is considered a symbol of immortality and is mentioned in many Indian myths and legends. This self-renewing plant is India’s national tree.m
Marigold flowers are used as decoration for Hindu marriages and are a symbol of good fortune and happiness.i
The official name of India is the Republic of India. The name “India” derives from the River Indus, which most likely is derived from the Sanskrit sindhu, meaning “river.” The official Sanskrit name of India is Bharat, after the legendary king in the epic Mahabharata.m
Introduced by the British, cricket is India’s most popular sport. Hockey is considered the national sport, and the Indian field hockey team proudly won Olympic gold in 1928.i
Indians made significant contributions to calculus, trigonometry, and algebra. The decimal system was invented in India in 100 B.C. The concept of zero as a number is also attributed to India.m
The national fruit of India is the mango. The national bird is the peacock, which was initially bred for food.m
Most historians agree that the first recorded account of plastic surgery is found in ancient Indian Sanskrit texts.b
Hindi and English are the official languages of India. The government also recognizes 17 other languages (Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Nepali, Manipuri, Konkani, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu). Apart from these languages, about 1,652 dialects are spoken in the country.l
India’s pastoral communities are largely dependent on dairy and have made India the largest milk-producing country in the world.l
India has the world’s third largest road network at 1.9 million miles. It also has the world’s second largest rail network, which is the world’s largest civilian employer with 16 million workers.f
Though the Ganges is one of the dirtiest rivers in the world, bathing in the river is thought to wash away one’s sins
Rivers have played a vital role in India’s popular culture and folklore—they have been worshipped as goddesses because they bring water to an otherwise dry land. Bathing in the Ganges in particular is thought to take away a person’s sins. It is not unusual to spread a loved one’s ashes in the Ganges.f
Raziya Sultana (1205-1240) was the first woman leader of India. She was considered a great leader, though she ruled for only three years before being murdered.b
Most Indians rinse their hands, legs, and face before eating a meal. It is considered polite to eat with the right hand, and women eat after everyone is finished. Wasting food is considered a sin.i
During the Vedic era in India, horse sacrifice sanctioned the sovereignty of the king.a
It is traditional to wear white, not black, to a funeral in India. Widows will often wear white in contrast to the colorful clothes of married or single women.k
All of India is under a single time zone.g
On India’s Independence Day, August 15, 1947, the country was split into India and Pakistan. The partition displaced 1.27 million people and resulted in the death of several hundred thousand to a million people.g
In recent years, Indian authors have made a mark on the world with such novels as Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses (1988), Vikram Seth’s Suitable Boy (1993), and Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things (1997).i
India experiences six seasons: summer, autumn, winter, spring, summer monsoon, and winter monsoon.m
India is the world’s largest tea producer, and tea (chai) is its most popular beverage.f
According to legend, to prevent the builders from ever replicating the beauty of the Taj Mahal, their hands were cut off
The Taj Mahal (“crown palace”) was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666) for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631). This architectural beauty has been called “marbled embroidery” for its intricate workmanship. It took 22,000 workmen 22 years to complete it.m
The first and greatest civilization in ancient India developed around the valley of the Indus River (now Pakistan) around 3000 B.C. Called the Indus Valley civilization, this early empire was larger than any other empire, including Egypt and Mesopotamia.l
After the great Indus Civilization collapsed in 2000 B.C., groups of Indo-Europeans called Aryans (“noble ones”) traveled to northwest India and reigned during what is called the Vedic age. The mingling of ideas from the Aryan and Indus Valley religions formed the basis of Hinduism, and the gods Shiva, Kali, and Brahma all have their roots in Aryan civilization. The Aryans also recorded the Vedas, the first Hindu scriptures, and introduced a caste system based on ethnicity and occupation.l
Alexander the Great invaded India partly because he wanted to solve the mystery of the “ocean,” which he had been told was a huge, continuous sea that flowed in a circle around the land. When he reached the Indian Ocean, he sacrificed some bulls to Poseidon for leading him to his goal.m
Greek sculpture strongly influenced many portrayals of Indian gods and goddess, particularly after the conquest of Alexander the Great around 330B.C. In fact, early Indian gods had Greek features and only later did distinct Indian styles emerge.m
Chandragupta Maurya (340-290 B.C.), a leader in India who established the Mauryan Empire (321-185 B.C.), was guarded by a band of women on horseback.a
When the first independent prime minister of India, pacifist Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), was featured in Vogue, his distinctive close fitting, single-breasted jacket briefly became an important fashion statement for the Mod movement in the West. Named the Nehru jacket, the prime minister’s coat was popularized by the Beatles and worn by such famous people as Johnny Carson (1925-2005) and Sammy Davis Jr. (1925-1990).
India is the largest democracy in the world.i
The Kumbh Mela (or Grand Pitcher Festival) is a huge Hindu religious festival that takes place in India every 12 years. In 2001, 60 million people attended, breaking the record for the world’s biggest gathering. The mass of people was photographed from space by a satellite.c
Many Indians find toilet paper repellent and consider it cleaner to splash water with the left hand in the appropriate direction. Consequently, the left hand is considered unclean and is never used for eating.f
To avoid polluting the elements (fire, earth, water, air), followers of Zoroastrianism in India don’t bury their dead, but instead leave bodies in buildings called “Towers of Silence” for the vultures to pick clean. After the bones dry, they are swept into a central well.f
It is illegal for foreigners to import or export Indian currency (rupees)
It is illegal to take Indian currency (rupees) out of India.f
India leads the world with the most murders (32,719), with Russia taking second at 28,904 murders per year.j
India has one of the world’s highest rates of abortion.e
More than a million Indians are millionaires, yet most Indians live on less than two dollars a day. An estimated 35% of India’s population lives below the poverty line.l
Cows can be found freely wandering the streets of India’s cities. They are considered sacred and will often wear a tilak, a Hindu symbol of good fortune. Cows are considered one of humankind’s seven mothers because she offers milk as does one’s natural mother.k
Dancing is one of India’s most highly developed arts and was an integral part of worship in the inner shrines of every temple. It is notable for its expressive hand movements.f
Rabies is endemic in India. Additionally, “Delhi Belly” or diarrhea is commonplace due to contaminated drinking water.f
Many Indian wives will never say her husband’s name aloud, as it is a sign of disrespect. When addressing him, the wife will use several indirect references, such as “ji” or “look here” or “hello,” or even refer to him as the father of her child.f
A widow is considered bad luck—otherwise, her husband wouldn’t have died. Elderly women in the village might call a widow “the one who ate her husband.” In some orthodox families, widows are not allowed near newlyweds or welcomed at social gatherings.b
India is the birthplace of chess.l The original word for “chess” is the Sanskrit chaturanga, meaning “four members of an army”—which were mostly likely elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers.d
The Indian flag has three horizontal bands of color: saffron for courage and sacrifice, white for truth and peace, and green for faith, fertility, and chivalry. An emblem of a wheel spinning used to be in the center of the white band, but when India gained independence, a Buddhist dharma chakra, or wheel of life, replaced the spinning wheel.m
Khajuraho’s exotic art may suggest that sex was a step for attaining ultimate liberation or moksha
The temples of Khajuraho are famous for their erotic sculptures and are one of the most popular tourist attractions in India. Scholars still debate the purpose of such explicit portrayals of sexual intercourse, which sometimes involves animals.a
The earliest cotton in the world was spun and woven in India. Roman emperors would wear delicate cotton from India that they would call “woven winds.” Mogul emperors called the fabrics “morning dew” and “cloth of running water.”i
In ancient and medieval India, suttees, in which a recently widowed woman would immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre, were common.b
The Himalayas—from the Sanskrit hima, meaning “snow,” and alaya, meaning “abode”—are found in the north of India. They extend 1,500 miles and are slowly growing taller, by almost an inch (2.5 cm) a year. Several ancient Indian monasteries are found nestled in the grandeur of these mountains.m
India is the world’s largest producer of dried beans, such as kidney beans and chickpeas. It also leads the world in banana exports; Brazil is second.l
In India, the fold and color of clothing are viewed as important markers of social classification. Additionally, women will be viewed as either a prostitute or a holy person depending on the manner in which she parts her hair.k
With 150,000 post offices, India has the largest postal network in the world. However, it is not unusual for a letter to take two weeks to travel just 30 miles.f
In India, grasping one’s ears signifies repentance or sincerity.f
The Bengal tiger is India’s national animal. It was once ubiquitous throughout the country, but now there are fewer than 4,000 wild tigers left.m
Indians hold prominent places both internationally and in the United States. For example, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems (Vinod Khosla), the creator of the Pentium chip (Vinod Dahm), the founder/creator of Hotmail (Sabeer Bhatia), and the GM of Hewlett-Packard (Rajiv Gupta) are all Indian.h
Alexander the Great of Macedon (356-323 B.C.) was one of the first important figures to bring India into contact with the West. After his death, a link between Europe and the East would not be restored until Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (1460-1524) landed in Calicut, India, in 1498.l
The British Raj, or British rule, lasted from 1858 to 1947 (although they had a strong presence in India since the 1700s). British influence is still seen in Indian architecture, education system, transportation, and politics. Many of India’s worst famines are associated with British rule in India.i
Every major world religion is represented in India. Additionally, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism all originated in India.f
About 80% of Indians are Hindu. Muslims are the largest minority in India and form approximately 13% of the country’s population. In fact, India has the third largest population of Muslims in the world, after Indonesia and Pakistan.i
India has the world’s largest movie industry, based in the city of Mumbai (known as the “City of Dreams”). The B in “Bollywood” comes from Bombay, the former name for Mumbai. Almost all Bollywood movies are musicals.l
Mumbai (Bombay) is India’s largest city, with a population of 15 million. In 1661, British engineers built a causeway uniting all seven original islands of Bombay into a single landmass.l
Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948) is known around the world as Mahatma, which is an honorific title meaning “Great Soul” in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. He devoted his life to free India from British rule peacefully and based his campaign on civil disobedience. His birthday, October 2, is a national holiday. He was assassinated in 1948.m
The Lotus temple is one of the most visited temples in the world, with over 50 million visitors per year
The lotus is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. The Bahá'í house of worship in Delhi, known as the “Lotus Temple,” is shaped like a lotus flower with 27 gigantic “petals” that are covered in marble.i
The banyan, or Indian fig tree, is considered a symbol of immortality and is mentioned in many Indian myths and legends. This self-renewing plant is India’s national tree.m
Marigold flowers are used as decoration for Hindu marriages and are a symbol of good fortune and happiness.i
The official name of India is the Republic of India. The name “India” derives from the River Indus, which most likely is derived from the Sanskrit sindhu, meaning “river.” The official Sanskrit name of India is Bharat, after the legendary king in the epic Mahabharata.m
Introduced by the British, cricket is India’s most popular sport. Hockey is considered the national sport, and the Indian field hockey team proudly won Olympic gold in 1928.i
Indians made significant contributions to calculus, trigonometry, and algebra. The decimal system was invented in India in 100 B.C. The concept of zero as a number is also attributed to India.m
The national fruit of India is the mango. The national bird is the peacock, which was initially bred for food.m
Most historians agree that the first recorded account of plastic surgery is found in ancient Indian Sanskrit texts.b
Hindi and English are the official languages of India. The government also recognizes 17 other languages (Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Nepali, Manipuri, Konkani, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu). Apart from these languages, about 1,652 dialects are spoken in the country.l
India’s pastoral communities are largely dependent on dairy and have made India the largest milk-producing country in the world.l
India has the world’s third largest road network at 1.9 million miles. It also has the world’s second largest rail network, which is the world’s largest civilian employer with 16 million workers.f
Though the Ganges is one of the dirtiest rivers in the world, bathing in the river is thought to wash away one’s sins
Rivers have played a vital role in India’s popular culture and folklore—they have been worshipped as goddesses because they bring water to an otherwise dry land. Bathing in the Ganges in particular is thought to take away a person’s sins. It is not unusual to spread a loved one’s ashes in the Ganges.f
Raziya Sultana (1205-1240) was the first woman leader of India. She was considered a great leader, though she ruled for only three years before being murdered.b
Most Indians rinse their hands, legs, and face before eating a meal. It is considered polite to eat with the right hand, and women eat after everyone is finished. Wasting food is considered a sin.i
During the Vedic era in India, horse sacrifice sanctioned the sovereignty of the king.a
It is traditional to wear white, not black, to a funeral in India. Widows will often wear white in contrast to the colorful clothes of married or single women.k
All of India is under a single time zone.g
On India’s Independence Day, August 15, 1947, the country was split into India and Pakistan. The partition displaced 1.27 million people and resulted in the death of several hundred thousand to a million people.g
In recent years, Indian authors have made a mark on the world with such novels as Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses (1988), Vikram Seth’s Suitable Boy (1993), and Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things (1997).i
India experiences six seasons: summer, autumn, winter, spring, summer monsoon, and winter monsoon.m
India is the world’s largest tea producer, and tea (chai) is its most popular beverage.f
According to legend, to prevent the builders from ever replicating the beauty of the Taj Mahal, their hands were cut off
The Taj Mahal (“crown palace”) was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666) for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631). This architectural beauty has been called “marbled embroidery” for its intricate workmanship. It took 22,000 workmen 22 years to complete it.m
The first and greatest civilization in ancient India developed around the valley of the Indus River (now Pakistan) around 3000 B.C. Called the Indus Valley civilization, this early empire was larger than any other empire, including Egypt and Mesopotamia.l
After the great Indus Civilization collapsed in 2000 B.C., groups of Indo-Europeans called Aryans (“noble ones”) traveled to northwest India and reigned during what is called the Vedic age. The mingling of ideas from the Aryan and Indus Valley religions formed the basis of Hinduism, and the gods Shiva, Kali, and Brahma all have their roots in Aryan civilization. The Aryans also recorded the Vedas, the first Hindu scriptures, and introduced a caste system based on ethnicity and occupation.l
Alexander the Great invaded India partly because he wanted to solve the mystery of the “ocean,” which he had been told was a huge, continuous sea that flowed in a circle around the land. When he reached the Indian Ocean, he sacrificed some bulls to Poseidon for leading him to his goal.m
Greek sculpture strongly influenced many portrayals of Indian gods and goddess, particularly after the conquest of Alexander the Great around 330B.C. In fact, early Indian gods had Greek features and only later did distinct Indian styles emerge.m
Chandragupta Maurya (340-290 B.C.), a leader in India who established the Mauryan Empire (321-185 B.C.), was guarded by a band of women on horseback.a
When the first independent prime minister of India, pacifist Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), was featured in Vogue, his distinctive close fitting, single-breasted jacket briefly became an important fashion statement for the Mod movement in the West. Named the Nehru jacket, the prime minister’s coat was popularized by the Beatles and worn by such famous people as Johnny Carson (1925-2005) and Sammy Davis Jr. (1925-1990).
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Travel Quotes
“Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life.” – Michael Palin
“I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine.” – Caskie Stinnett
“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.” – Fitzhugh Mullan
“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” – John Steinbeck
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.” – Bumper sticker
“Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled.” – Mohammed
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu
“You lose sight of things… and when you travel, everything balances out.” – Daranna Gidel
“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac
“There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” – Charles Dudley Warner
“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese
“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener
“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J. R. R. Tolkien
“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharial Nehru
“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” – Paul Theroux
“Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by.” – Robert Frost
“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley
“People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.” – Dagobert D. Runes
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” – G. K. Chesterton
“A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” – Moslih Eddin Saadi
“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” – Rudyard Kipling
“Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.” – Paul Theroux
“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman
“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” – G.K. Chesterton
“It is better to travel well than to arrive.” – Buddha
“I should like to spend the whole of my life in traveling abroad, if I could anywhere borrow another life to spend afterwards at home.” – William Hazlitt
“A child on a farm sees a plane fly overhead and dreams of a faraway place. A traveler on the plane sees the farmhouse… and thinks of home.” – Carl Burns
“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.”
– Frank Herbert
“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” – Susan Heller
“It is not down in any map; true places never are.” – Herman Melville
“People don’t take trips – trips take people.” – John Steinbeck
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust
“If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” – Yogi Berra
“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain
“Don’t listen to what they say. Go see.” – Chinese Proverb
“The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes “sight-seeing.” – Daniel J. Boorstin
“Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything.” – Charles Kuralt
“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” – Rosalia de Castro
“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy
“It is not fit that every man should travel; it makes a wise man better, and a fool worse.” – William Hazlitt
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be.” – Douglas Adams
“What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do – especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat Moon
“The rewards of the journey far outweigh the risk of leaving the harbor.” – Unknown
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust
“I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can’t read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can’t even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.” – Bill Bryson
“I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine.” – Caskie Stinnett
“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.” – Fitzhugh Mullan
“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” – John Steinbeck
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.” – Bumper sticker
“Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled.” – Mohammed
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu
“You lose sight of things… and when you travel, everything balances out.” – Daranna Gidel
“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac
“There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” – Charles Dudley Warner
“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese
“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener
“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J. R. R. Tolkien
“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharial Nehru
“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” – Paul Theroux
“Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by.” – Robert Frost
“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley
“People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.” – Dagobert D. Runes
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” – G. K. Chesterton
“A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” – Moslih Eddin Saadi
“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” – Rudyard Kipling
“Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.” – Paul Theroux
“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman
“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” – G.K. Chesterton
“It is better to travel well than to arrive.” – Buddha
“I should like to spend the whole of my life in traveling abroad, if I could anywhere borrow another life to spend afterwards at home.” – William Hazlitt
“A child on a farm sees a plane fly overhead and dreams of a faraway place. A traveler on the plane sees the farmhouse… and thinks of home.” – Carl Burns
“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.”
– Frank Herbert
“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” – Susan Heller
“It is not down in any map; true places never are.” – Herman Melville
“People don’t take trips – trips take people.” – John Steinbeck
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust
“If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” – Yogi Berra
“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain
“Don’t listen to what they say. Go see.” – Chinese Proverb
“The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes “sight-seeing.” – Daniel J. Boorstin
“Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything.” – Charles Kuralt
“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” – Rosalia de Castro
“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy
“It is not fit that every man should travel; it makes a wise man better, and a fool worse.” – William Hazlitt
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be.” – Douglas Adams
“What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do – especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat Moon
“The rewards of the journey far outweigh the risk of leaving the harbor.” – Unknown
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust
“I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can’t read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can’t even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.” – Bill Bryson
Traditions & Customs in India
Every country has its own customs and traditions. While it is considered good manners to leave a little bit of your drink in certain regions of the world, in others you could end up offending the host with such a gesture. India is no different. Interestingly, while certain traditions will work in one part of the country they could lead to an unpleasant incident in the other.
If backpacking through this geographically and culturally diverse country, it will help to know a little more than just the art of reading the map. Of course the more common customs that are prevalent round the world also find a place here. So going to holy places with alcohol on your breath is not highly recommended, neither is propositioning a lady.
Below are some customs that should help to prevent you from offending anyone while you travel around India
Religious sentiments
In India almost anything can be holy. So right from a cow to a river, anything could have religious value. Even a small stone on the side of a road could be a camouflaged God and a simple tree could be worshiped too. So watch carefully before you tread on any of these.
If you find a few flowers, some red or orange threads tied around or even a black or red anoint, do inquire if the place has religious significance. You do not want to hurt any religious feelings while on your holiday. And when it comes to India almost everyone is of a religious bent of mind, so caution is highly advised on this front.
Greetings
A ‘Namaste’ with folded hands does just fine all over the country, however if you decide to shake hands instead, maintain a little caution when doing so with the opposite sex. While the larger metropolitan cities are usually not a problem, you could raise an eyebrow if visiting the interiors of India. A man trying to shake a lady’s hand could be seen as overstepping of boundaries, while a lady doing the same to a man could end up sending out a sexual signal. Sticking to a ‘hello’ with a nod of the head is a safer option as compared to shaking hands, unless the other person puts the arm out first.
Religious Places
Unlike the West where churches are more common and shoes are allowed in religious places, India follows different norms.
You cannot enter a Hindu temple with shoes on.
Women are not allowed to enter a Muslim place of prayer.
All Sikh religious places will require you to keep your head covered
apart from taking your shoes off.
The holy flowers cannot be thrown anywhere apart from the designated places.
Non- vegetarian food is not permissible in most religious places, while you may find a few exceptions in temples of Rajasthan where the practice of animal sacrifice is still undertaken.
Keep these tips in mind; since there is no missing the religious spots when in India, almost every corner has one.
Clothes
India is a conservative country and while it is true that the larger cities do see a lot of flamboyant dressing, in the interiors this could call for unnecessary attention. So rather than a pair of shorts, it would be better to stick with cargos and avoid show of skin especially for woman. You will be able to find a lot of traditional clothes that are easy to wear and yet allow you to blend in with the locals.
Food
To enjoy what you eat you should make sure that your food is low on spice, since Indian food on an average is very spicy and can upset your stomach and holiday for several days. But apart from this there are certain other customs that you must know about.
In most of the southern region of India, serving food on a banana leaf is common courtesy.
Rarely will you be offered cutlery in the smaller hotels of the towns.
Leaving a 10% tip is enough right from the big hotels to the small shacks, but if you do not wish to do so, you will not be offending anyone.
Refusing holy food can be a problem, so watch for that. In case you don’t want to eat the ‘Prasad’, simply keep it with you instead of refusing to take it.
Marriages
There are various types of wedding in India and while in some places simply putting on bangles on a girl’s wrist is considered a proposal, in others an exchange of flower garlands between the couple is enough. So be careful before you undertake any such activity. Applying vermilion powder in a girl’s hair (parting) is also on the same lines and will declare you wedded to the woman.
The diversity that India has to offer makes it the ideal holiday destination for the adventure traveler. However, a holiday that is marred with unpleasant incidences is no ones idea of fun. So work with the tips listed above and you will be surprised how quickly the people here open their hearts and homes to guests. After all there is an age old Indian saying that goes ‘athithi devo bhava’ meaning the guest is equal to god.
If backpacking through this geographically and culturally diverse country, it will help to know a little more than just the art of reading the map. Of course the more common customs that are prevalent round the world also find a place here. So going to holy places with alcohol on your breath is not highly recommended, neither is propositioning a lady.
Below are some customs that should help to prevent you from offending anyone while you travel around India
Religious sentiments
In India almost anything can be holy. So right from a cow to a river, anything could have religious value. Even a small stone on the side of a road could be a camouflaged God and a simple tree could be worshiped too. So watch carefully before you tread on any of these.
If you find a few flowers, some red or orange threads tied around or even a black or red anoint, do inquire if the place has religious significance. You do not want to hurt any religious feelings while on your holiday. And when it comes to India almost everyone is of a religious bent of mind, so caution is highly advised on this front.
Greetings
A ‘Namaste’ with folded hands does just fine all over the country, however if you decide to shake hands instead, maintain a little caution when doing so with the opposite sex. While the larger metropolitan cities are usually not a problem, you could raise an eyebrow if visiting the interiors of India. A man trying to shake a lady’s hand could be seen as overstepping of boundaries, while a lady doing the same to a man could end up sending out a sexual signal. Sticking to a ‘hello’ with a nod of the head is a safer option as compared to shaking hands, unless the other person puts the arm out first.
Religious Places
Unlike the West where churches are more common and shoes are allowed in religious places, India follows different norms.
You cannot enter a Hindu temple with shoes on.
Women are not allowed to enter a Muslim place of prayer.
All Sikh religious places will require you to keep your head covered
apart from taking your shoes off.
The holy flowers cannot be thrown anywhere apart from the designated places.
Non- vegetarian food is not permissible in most religious places, while you may find a few exceptions in temples of Rajasthan where the practice of animal sacrifice is still undertaken.
Keep these tips in mind; since there is no missing the religious spots when in India, almost every corner has one.
Clothes
India is a conservative country and while it is true that the larger cities do see a lot of flamboyant dressing, in the interiors this could call for unnecessary attention. So rather than a pair of shorts, it would be better to stick with cargos and avoid show of skin especially for woman. You will be able to find a lot of traditional clothes that are easy to wear and yet allow you to blend in with the locals.
Food
To enjoy what you eat you should make sure that your food is low on spice, since Indian food on an average is very spicy and can upset your stomach and holiday for several days. But apart from this there are certain other customs that you must know about.
In most of the southern region of India, serving food on a banana leaf is common courtesy.
Rarely will you be offered cutlery in the smaller hotels of the towns.
Leaving a 10% tip is enough right from the big hotels to the small shacks, but if you do not wish to do so, you will not be offending anyone.
Refusing holy food can be a problem, so watch for that. In case you don’t want to eat the ‘Prasad’, simply keep it with you instead of refusing to take it.
Marriages
There are various types of wedding in India and while in some places simply putting on bangles on a girl’s wrist is considered a proposal, in others an exchange of flower garlands between the couple is enough. So be careful before you undertake any such activity. Applying vermilion powder in a girl’s hair (parting) is also on the same lines and will declare you wedded to the woman.
The diversity that India has to offer makes it the ideal holiday destination for the adventure traveler. However, a holiday that is marred with unpleasant incidences is no ones idea of fun. So work with the tips listed above and you will be surprised how quickly the people here open their hearts and homes to guests. After all there is an age old Indian saying that goes ‘athithi devo bhava’ meaning the guest is equal to god.
Festivals in India
Seen as the land of endless mystics, India is high on the list of the adventure traveler. Offering untouched mountains, awesome rivers, lovely beaches and landforms that range from the peaks of the Himalayas to the flat Deccan Plateau, India is a dream come true for backpackers, who live to explore. Winter is a great time to visit the warmer southern regions, while summers can bring alive the mountains of Uttrakhand and Kashmir. But apart from the weather, you should plan your travel keeping in mind the festivities that the nation offers from time to time.
Just like its topography, India is rather diverse in its people too. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and many other ethnicities thrive here. This is why the country offers a large array of seemingly never ending festivals. In fact they say that if the nation declared a holiday for every festival that the people celebrate here, the entire year would be long vacation. However, there are certain festivals that are celebrated with great élan while others not so much. Visiting the country during these periods allows an insight into the age old belief system of the people here, their traditions and how they honor their Gods.
Diwali/Dipawali
This ‘festival of lights’ celebrates the home coming of Lord Rama after killing the evil Ravana. Celebrated in the evening and often compared to the Christmas of the West, Diwali sees everything right from colorful lights, ghee diyas, discounts at stores, lavish Indian sweets and also crackers that can be heard till the wee hours of next morning. The festivities that Diwali brings along engulf the entire nation, though the northern parts of the country seem to celebrate it with more pomp and show. Laxmi the goddess of wealth is worshipped on this day and people keep the doors of their homes open for her to walk in. The festival does not fall on the same date every year but is usually known to be sometime in the months of October/November and is considered to herald the coming of winters.
Ganesh Chaturthi
Another very important Hindu festival, this one is celebrated with great gusto, especially in the states of Maharashtra. The festival lasts for a total of 10 days, of which the last day sees the most action, since the idol of Lord Ganesha, the God with an elephant head, is immersed in the sea on this day. Huge processions are carried out on the 10th day with song, dance and color forming an integral part of the immersion ceremony. The festival is celebrated during the last few days of august and the early ones of September. Traveling to Maharashtra during this time will allow you to see the people here dressed in their traditions costumes and taste sweets that are peculiar to this festival.
Holi
Here the focus shifts since this one is a ‘festival of colors’ and celebrates the end of Hiranyakaship by Lord Vishnu. People throw colored water and dry color known as ‘gulal’ on each other and play holi during the first half of the day. The festival is very popular in the state of Gujarat while the in the regions of Mathura, Virndavan and Banaras it has almost cult status and is celebrated for a total of 16 days. Apart from color, the milk and weed based drink called ‘thandai’ and a sweet called ‘gujia’ is another peculiar feature of this Hindu festival. The festival is celebrated sometime during the month of March/February and heralds the coming of summer. Highly recommended for those with a zest for life and games.
Onam
A very important festival of southern India, this one is best celebrated in the state of Kerala. If you visit during this period, apart from the lovely clean backwaters, you can also get to enjoy 10 days of festivities that herald the harvest season of this region. The snake boat race is a huge attraction of this festival, which basically celebrates the return of King Mahabali after several years of exile. The performances of the various traditional dance forms like Kathkali and Kaikottikkali can liven up the evenings of Onam while the flower ‘rangolis’ are not to be missed at all. The festival occurs sometime in August/September, which is a good time to visit this region even in terms of the weather.
Pongal
Yet another significant festival of the southern region of India, this Hindu festival lasts for three days and celebrates the harvest season too. Indra the God of Rain is offered a sweet dish made of milk, jaggery and rice, which is later consumed by the devotees too. The cattle race held on the third day are fascinating beyond compare and can put any matador to shame. The ‘kolams’ (rangolis) in this festival are made of powdered color as opposed to flowers. The festival follows the sun calendar and is celebrated from the 13th to the 15th of January.
Pushkar Mela
Annually held on the banks of the Pushkar lake of Rajasthan, this fair is not one to be missed by anyone traveling to this region. Held sometime during the winter months of November/ December, it is the ideal time to travel to this region of India. The cricket match between the locals and the tourists is highly entertaining as are the various competitions held during the fair.
Durga Puja/Dusherra
This festival celebrates the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana and thus emphasizing that good shall always rein over evil. Ramlila is a huge part of this festival with the entire saga of the Ramayana being enacted which ends with the large figures of Ravana, Meghnath and Khumbhkaran being set afire. In Bengal the festival is known as ‘pujo’ and celebrates the victory of the goddess Durga killing the demon. The festival ends here with the emersion of Goddess Durga’s idol in the sea. The festival falls exactly 20 days prior to Diwali and is a must see especially in the city of Kolkata.
Kumbh Mela
Hosted by the cities of Haridwar, Allahabad, Ujjain and Nasik, this Hindu pilgrimage is known as the largest gathering of humans on this planet. The festival is held every 12 years and was celebrated in January 2007. The holy dip in the Ganges is the highlight of this festival that sees devotees from all over the globe. A backpacker’s delight, this festival allows one to see the mystic sadhus and the chanting fakirs of India, all collect at one spot. (An Ardh Kumbh Mela is held in Haridwar and Allahabad every 6 years too, though it is not as grand as the one held every 12 years.)
Hemis
This one allow tourists a glimpse into the culture and customs of the people of this region. Celebrated as the birthday of Guru Padmasambhava, this festival involves several ceremonies and processions. The mask dances of the Buddhist monks during this festival are designed to drive away all evil. Falling sometime in the month of June and July, this festival is at a time when the weather of the region is also ideal for backpacking.
Feast of Three Kings
Goa is a not to be missed destination of India and has some great Portugal culture to offer apart from the fantastic beaches. Celebrated by Hindus and Catholics with equal energy, the Feast of Three Kings worships the Lady of the Mount. The festival is great time to visit Goa since one can get to see the awesome processions with lovely Goan music and some authentic dressing. Celebrated on the 9th of January, this is the perfect time to visit this lovely port of India.
The diversity of the Indian sub continent in terms of its landforms, its people and also the technological development is fascinating beyond belief. To experience the flavor of this lovely country, it is best to backpack through the nation, rather than simply see it with colored glasses from a seven star hotel window.
Just like its topography, India is rather diverse in its people too. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and many other ethnicities thrive here. This is why the country offers a large array of seemingly never ending festivals. In fact they say that if the nation declared a holiday for every festival that the people celebrate here, the entire year would be long vacation. However, there are certain festivals that are celebrated with great élan while others not so much. Visiting the country during these periods allows an insight into the age old belief system of the people here, their traditions and how they honor their Gods.
Diwali/Dipawali
This ‘festival of lights’ celebrates the home coming of Lord Rama after killing the evil Ravana. Celebrated in the evening and often compared to the Christmas of the West, Diwali sees everything right from colorful lights, ghee diyas, discounts at stores, lavish Indian sweets and also crackers that can be heard till the wee hours of next morning. The festivities that Diwali brings along engulf the entire nation, though the northern parts of the country seem to celebrate it with more pomp and show. Laxmi the goddess of wealth is worshipped on this day and people keep the doors of their homes open for her to walk in. The festival does not fall on the same date every year but is usually known to be sometime in the months of October/November and is considered to herald the coming of winters.
Ganesh Chaturthi
Another very important Hindu festival, this one is celebrated with great gusto, especially in the states of Maharashtra. The festival lasts for a total of 10 days, of which the last day sees the most action, since the idol of Lord Ganesha, the God with an elephant head, is immersed in the sea on this day. Huge processions are carried out on the 10th day with song, dance and color forming an integral part of the immersion ceremony. The festival is celebrated during the last few days of august and the early ones of September. Traveling to Maharashtra during this time will allow you to see the people here dressed in their traditions costumes and taste sweets that are peculiar to this festival.
Holi
Here the focus shifts since this one is a ‘festival of colors’ and celebrates the end of Hiranyakaship by Lord Vishnu. People throw colored water and dry color known as ‘gulal’ on each other and play holi during the first half of the day. The festival is very popular in the state of Gujarat while the in the regions of Mathura, Virndavan and Banaras it has almost cult status and is celebrated for a total of 16 days. Apart from color, the milk and weed based drink called ‘thandai’ and a sweet called ‘gujia’ is another peculiar feature of this Hindu festival. The festival is celebrated sometime during the month of March/February and heralds the coming of summer. Highly recommended for those with a zest for life and games.
Onam
A very important festival of southern India, this one is best celebrated in the state of Kerala. If you visit during this period, apart from the lovely clean backwaters, you can also get to enjoy 10 days of festivities that herald the harvest season of this region. The snake boat race is a huge attraction of this festival, which basically celebrates the return of King Mahabali after several years of exile. The performances of the various traditional dance forms like Kathkali and Kaikottikkali can liven up the evenings of Onam while the flower ‘rangolis’ are not to be missed at all. The festival occurs sometime in August/September, which is a good time to visit this region even in terms of the weather.
Pongal
Yet another significant festival of the southern region of India, this Hindu festival lasts for three days and celebrates the harvest season too. Indra the God of Rain is offered a sweet dish made of milk, jaggery and rice, which is later consumed by the devotees too. The cattle race held on the third day are fascinating beyond compare and can put any matador to shame. The ‘kolams’ (rangolis) in this festival are made of powdered color as opposed to flowers. The festival follows the sun calendar and is celebrated from the 13th to the 15th of January.
Pushkar Mela
Annually held on the banks of the Pushkar lake of Rajasthan, this fair is not one to be missed by anyone traveling to this region. Held sometime during the winter months of November/ December, it is the ideal time to travel to this region of India. The cricket match between the locals and the tourists is highly entertaining as are the various competitions held during the fair.
Durga Puja/Dusherra
This festival celebrates the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana and thus emphasizing that good shall always rein over evil. Ramlila is a huge part of this festival with the entire saga of the Ramayana being enacted which ends with the large figures of Ravana, Meghnath and Khumbhkaran being set afire. In Bengal the festival is known as ‘pujo’ and celebrates the victory of the goddess Durga killing the demon. The festival ends here with the emersion of Goddess Durga’s idol in the sea. The festival falls exactly 20 days prior to Diwali and is a must see especially in the city of Kolkata.
Kumbh Mela
Hosted by the cities of Haridwar, Allahabad, Ujjain and Nasik, this Hindu pilgrimage is known as the largest gathering of humans on this planet. The festival is held every 12 years and was celebrated in January 2007. The holy dip in the Ganges is the highlight of this festival that sees devotees from all over the globe. A backpacker’s delight, this festival allows one to see the mystic sadhus and the chanting fakirs of India, all collect at one spot. (An Ardh Kumbh Mela is held in Haridwar and Allahabad every 6 years too, though it is not as grand as the one held every 12 years.)
Hemis
This one allow tourists a glimpse into the culture and customs of the people of this region. Celebrated as the birthday of Guru Padmasambhava, this festival involves several ceremonies and processions. The mask dances of the Buddhist monks during this festival are designed to drive away all evil. Falling sometime in the month of June and July, this festival is at a time when the weather of the region is also ideal for backpacking.
Feast of Three Kings
Goa is a not to be missed destination of India and has some great Portugal culture to offer apart from the fantastic beaches. Celebrated by Hindus and Catholics with equal energy, the Feast of Three Kings worships the Lady of the Mount. The festival is great time to visit Goa since one can get to see the awesome processions with lovely Goan music and some authentic dressing. Celebrated on the 9th of January, this is the perfect time to visit this lovely port of India.
The diversity of the Indian sub continent in terms of its landforms, its people and also the technological development is fascinating beyond belief. To experience the flavor of this lovely country, it is best to backpack through the nation, rather than simply see it with colored glasses from a seven star hotel window.
You Should Not Miss while in INDIA
1 Hampi/Vijayanagar • Deserted capital of the last great Hindu empire, scattered over a bizarre landscape of giant golden-brown boulders.
2 Taj Mahal • Simply the world's greatest building: Shah Jahan's monument to love fully lives up to all expectations.
3 Palolem • Exquisite crescent-shaped beach in Goa's relaxed south, famous for its dolphins and local alcoholic spirit, feni.
4 Bandhavgarh National Park • Deep in the eastern tracts of Madhya Pradesh, this park is rich in animal and birdlife, including tigers and leopards.
5 Meherangarh Fort, Jodhpur • The epitome of Rajput power and extravagance, its ramparts towering above a labyrinthine, blue-painted old city.
6 Kaziranga National Park • Take a dawn elephant ride as the mists slowly lift: sightings of the one-horned rhino, symbol of Assam, are virtually guaranteed.
7 Varanasi • City of Light, founded by Shiva, where the bathing ghats beside the Ganges teem with pilgrims.
8 Kathakali • Kerala is the place to experience Kathakali and other esoteric ritual theatre forms.
9 Amritsar • Site of the fabled Golden Temple, the Sikhs' holiest shrine.
10 Mysore market • Jaggery, incense and garlands are made and veggies and kitsch paraphernalia are sold in Mysore's covered market.
11 Dharamsala • Perched on the edge of the Himalayas, this is the home of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism in exile.
12 Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur • Asia's most famous bird reserve, where millions of migrants nest each winter. The perfect antidote to the frenzy and pollution of nearby Agra and Jaipur.
13 Gokarna • The beautiful beaches on the edge of this temple town are popular with budget travellers fleeing the commercialism of nearby Goa.
14 Madurai • The definitive South Indian city, centred on a spectacular medieval temple.
15 Khajuraho • Immaculately preserved temples renowned for their uncompromisingly erotic carvings.
16 Ajanta caves • Extraordinarily beautiful murals, dating from 200 BC to 650 AD, adorn the walls of caves chiselled into basalt cliffs.
17 Zanskar • A barren moonscape with extraordinary scenery and challenging trails over the high passes.
18 Camel trekking in the Thar • A wonderfully romantic if utterly touristy way to experience the Great Indian Desert. Most visitors trek out of Jaisalmer, but Bikaner offers more variety.
19 Jaisalmer • A honey-coloured citadel, emerging from the sands of the Thar Desert.
20 Kochi • Kochi's atmospheric harbourside is strung with elegant Chinese fishing nets.
21 Fatehpur Sikri • The Moghul emperor Akbar's elegant palace complex now lies deserted on a ridge near Agra, but remains one of India's architectural masterpieces.
22 Pushkar camel mela • November sees the largest livestock market on earth, where 200,000 Rajasthani herders in traditional costume converge on the desert oasis of Pushkar to trade and bathe in the sacred lake.
23 Orchha • This semi-ruined former capital of the Bundela Rajas is an architectural gem, rising up through the surrounding jungle.
24 Manali– Leh Highway • India's epic Himalayan road trip, along the second-highest road in the world.
25 Konark • A colossal thirteenth-century temple, buried under sand until its rediscovery by the British.
26 Mamallapuram • A fishing and stone-carving village, with magnificent boulder friezes, shrines and the sea-battered Shore Temple.
27 Udaipur • Arguably the most romantic city in India, with ornate Rajput palaces floating in the middle of two shimmering lakes.
28 Varkala • This pleasantly low-key Keralan resort boasts sheer red cliffs, amazing sea views and a legion of Ayurvedic masseurs.
29 Ellora caves • Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves, and the colossal Hindu Kailash temple, carved from a spectacular volcanic ridge at the heart of the Deccan plateau.
30 Gangotri • An atmospheric village on the Ganges that serves as a base for the trek into the heart of the Hindu faith – Gomukh, the source of the Ganges.
2 Taj Mahal • Simply the world's greatest building: Shah Jahan's monument to love fully lives up to all expectations.
3 Palolem • Exquisite crescent-shaped beach in Goa's relaxed south, famous for its dolphins and local alcoholic spirit, feni.
4 Bandhavgarh National Park • Deep in the eastern tracts of Madhya Pradesh, this park is rich in animal and birdlife, including tigers and leopards.
5 Meherangarh Fort, Jodhpur • The epitome of Rajput power and extravagance, its ramparts towering above a labyrinthine, blue-painted old city.
6 Kaziranga National Park • Take a dawn elephant ride as the mists slowly lift: sightings of the one-horned rhino, symbol of Assam, are virtually guaranteed.
7 Varanasi • City of Light, founded by Shiva, where the bathing ghats beside the Ganges teem with pilgrims.
8 Kathakali • Kerala is the place to experience Kathakali and other esoteric ritual theatre forms.
9 Amritsar • Site of the fabled Golden Temple, the Sikhs' holiest shrine.
10 Mysore market • Jaggery, incense and garlands are made and veggies and kitsch paraphernalia are sold in Mysore's covered market.
11 Dharamsala • Perched on the edge of the Himalayas, this is the home of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism in exile.
12 Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur • Asia's most famous bird reserve, where millions of migrants nest each winter. The perfect antidote to the frenzy and pollution of nearby Agra and Jaipur.
13 Gokarna • The beautiful beaches on the edge of this temple town are popular with budget travellers fleeing the commercialism of nearby Goa.
14 Madurai • The definitive South Indian city, centred on a spectacular medieval temple.
15 Khajuraho • Immaculately preserved temples renowned for their uncompromisingly erotic carvings.
16 Ajanta caves • Extraordinarily beautiful murals, dating from 200 BC to 650 AD, adorn the walls of caves chiselled into basalt cliffs.
17 Zanskar • A barren moonscape with extraordinary scenery and challenging trails over the high passes.
18 Camel trekking in the Thar • A wonderfully romantic if utterly touristy way to experience the Great Indian Desert. Most visitors trek out of Jaisalmer, but Bikaner offers more variety.
19 Jaisalmer • A honey-coloured citadel, emerging from the sands of the Thar Desert.
20 Kochi • Kochi's atmospheric harbourside is strung with elegant Chinese fishing nets.
21 Fatehpur Sikri • The Moghul emperor Akbar's elegant palace complex now lies deserted on a ridge near Agra, but remains one of India's architectural masterpieces.
22 Pushkar camel mela • November sees the largest livestock market on earth, where 200,000 Rajasthani herders in traditional costume converge on the desert oasis of Pushkar to trade and bathe in the sacred lake.
23 Orchha • This semi-ruined former capital of the Bundela Rajas is an architectural gem, rising up through the surrounding jungle.
24 Manali– Leh Highway • India's epic Himalayan road trip, along the second-highest road in the world.
25 Konark • A colossal thirteenth-century temple, buried under sand until its rediscovery by the British.
26 Mamallapuram • A fishing and stone-carving village, with magnificent boulder friezes, shrines and the sea-battered Shore Temple.
27 Udaipur • Arguably the most romantic city in India, with ornate Rajput palaces floating in the middle of two shimmering lakes.
28 Varkala • This pleasantly low-key Keralan resort boasts sheer red cliffs, amazing sea views and a legion of Ayurvedic masseurs.
29 Ellora caves • Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves, and the colossal Hindu Kailash temple, carved from a spectacular volcanic ridge at the heart of the Deccan plateau.
30 Gangotri • An atmospheric village on the Ganges that serves as a base for the trek into the heart of the Hindu faith – Gomukh, the source of the Ganges.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO IN INDIA
1- Taj Mahal is one of the world’s greatest buildings. You shouldn’t miss it.
2- Madurai is one of the oldest cities in South Asia. It is also known as the temple city because of its many temple complexes. You should see Madurai.
3- If you like beach, Goa is a must. Stay at Bagha beach and drink, eat and enjoy your day!.
4- If you're visiting around in winter time visit Gangtok, check out the frozen lake, and travel up to the China Border too. The place has great monasteries also.
5- India is famous with its festivals and you can catch a festival during your stay no matter which season you visit.
6- Ruins of the city of victory “Vijayanagar” better known as “Hampi” is worth to visit.
7- You can enjoy boating on the backwaters of Kerala through the lush tropical waterways of India’s Deep South.
8- If you like to see magnificent boulder friezes, shrines and the sea battered Shore Temple, Mamallapuram is the best fishing and stone carving village to visit.
9- Camel trekking at the Great Indian Desert can be very romantic touristic experience or ride an elephant bareback, Jaipur has plenty.
10- Amritsar is a city in the Punjab, in northwest India. It is a holy place for members of the Sikh religion, and worth visiting for its famous Golden Temple.
2- Madurai is one of the oldest cities in South Asia. It is also known as the temple city because of its many temple complexes. You should see Madurai.
3- If you like beach, Goa is a must. Stay at Bagha beach and drink, eat and enjoy your day!.
4- If you're visiting around in winter time visit Gangtok, check out the frozen lake, and travel up to the China Border too. The place has great monasteries also.
5- India is famous with its festivals and you can catch a festival during your stay no matter which season you visit.
6- Ruins of the city of victory “Vijayanagar” better known as “Hampi” is worth to visit.
7- You can enjoy boating on the backwaters of Kerala through the lush tropical waterways of India’s Deep South.
8- If you like to see magnificent boulder friezes, shrines and the sea battered Shore Temple, Mamallapuram is the best fishing and stone carving village to visit.
9- Camel trekking at the Great Indian Desert can be very romantic touristic experience or ride an elephant bareback, Jaipur has plenty.
10- Amritsar is a city in the Punjab, in northwest India. It is a holy place for members of the Sikh religion, and worth visiting for its famous Golden Temple.
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Dharwad
Dharwad, mentioned as `Dharawada' in a record of the 12th century of the Kalyani Chalukyas,is a major town located in the northern part of the state of Karnataka.It is located at a distance of 420 Kms from Bangalore.The city of Dharwad is just east of the famous Western Ghats and is surrounded by hills and lakes.Dharwad is famous for its milk based sweet called the Dharwad Pedha.
The Town had the honor of being crowned as the center of Education even during the British regime.The word Dharwad means a place to rest if your travelling long.The name is derived from the Sanskrit word 'dwarawata', 'dwara' meaning "door" and 'wata' or 'wada'meaning "town".For centuries, Dharwad acted as a gateway between the Malenaadu (western mountains) and the Bayalu seeme (plains) and it became a resting place for travellers.
The twin cities have a history behind them dating back to the Hoysala period. Dharwad is the administrative capital of the Dharwad district and Hubli serves as the commerce center. Dharwad is a quiet, pleasant, and fast growing city in the northern part of Karnataka. Together with Hubli , which is a city twenty-two kilometers away, Dharwad forms a twin city.
Together with Hubli, it is the second largest city in state of Karnataka. It is also a cultural Headquaters of North Karnataka.
History
Ancient Dharwad was ruled by a host of kingdoms which included the Sevunas, the Vijayanagara rulers, Bijapur rulers, Mughuls, Marathas and Haider and Tipu. The Vijayanagara rulers built a fort here which was strengthened by Bijapur rulers.Chalukyas ruled Dharwad during 12th century. A stone inscription indicates that there was ruler by the name BhaskaraDeva in 1117 AD. Later Dharwad became a part of the Vijayanagara empire. After then fall of the Vijayanagara empire(1453 AD), Bijapur's Adil Shah captured Dharwad and built a fort. The fort area was called MannaKille, and later Nazratabad, with this fort the strategic importance of Dharwad increased and it thus became part of everyone's empire.
This is the district which boasts as the birthplace of Kumaaravyaasa-the great 16th century poet known for his Kannada recreation of the Mahabharata. From time to time the district has been sanctified by a host of saints and godly persons like the Shariff of Shishunaala ( Shishvinahalli of today), Guru GovindaBhat of Kalasa, Naagalingswaamy of Navalgunda, Madivaaleshavara of Garaga and the Siddhaaruudha of Hubli.
Dharwad was the home to the famous freedom fighter and the "Karnataka Kulapurohit", Sri Alur Venkatrao. It was Sri Alur Venkatrao’s work, ‘Karnataka Gatha Vaibhava’, that mooted the idea of unification of Kannada-speaking areas.
During early 19th century , when British were expanding their kingdom , they faced lot of opposition from local rulers.To mention two of them, Baba Saheb of Naragund and Kittur Rani Chennamma.It is known for its prestigious educational institutions. It houses the Karnataka University, which caters to graduate and research students. Karnataka College offers educational services to students just out of high school who aspire to make a career either in the arts or the sciences. S.D.M. Engineering college a more recent addition to the list of educational institutions offers education in Engineering. Hubli has an Engineering college( B.V.B College of Engineering and Technology), the Karnataka Medical College and other institutions.
Dharwad is home of Hindustani classical music. Musicians of fame like Mallikarjun Mansur, Gangubai Hangal, Bhimsen Joshi, Basavaraj Rajguru hail from this place. More than a dozen excellent vocalists, instrumentalists and Tabla artists belong to Dharwad.
Tourist Places
Someshwara Temple is one of the notable landmarks in Dharwad.Built in 12th century by Chalukyas, It houses statues of Mahishasuramardini and Chaturbhuja Ganesh {Ganesh/Ganapathi represented with four hands). There is a lot of natural beauty surrounding the temple.The river Shalmala originates near the temple and flows under ground.
Unkal Lake is a beautiful water spot where you can have a wonderful view of the sunset. Here you experience cool breeze blowing in the dusk, where people of all ages relax forgetting their worries. It has green garden, recreational facilities for the children, boating.
Dattatreya Temple dedicated to Lord Dattatreya, is situated at Gandhi Chowk in Dharwad.Regarded as an incarnation of the Hindu trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. Dattatreya is usually depicted with three heads. Large numbers of devotees throng the temple to obtain the blessings of the Lord.
Siddharoodha Math is a prominent religious institution, a centre of Advaita philosophy as preached by Swami Siddharoodha (1837-1929). The latter has a very large number of devotees among all communities, all over Karnataka and also in the neighboring states, Maharashtra and Goa.
Bhavanishankar Temple This Chalukyan Temple with the image of Sri Narayana is flanked by the ten incarnations of God.
Asar Mahal It was built by Mohammed Ali Shah in about 1646 to serve as a hall of justice. The building was also used to house two hairs from the Prophet's beard. Women are not allowed inside.
Nrupatunga Betta This is a beautiful picnic spot on the Unkal Hill in Hubli. From here you can have a panoramic view of Hubli. The span of the panoramic view extends from Amargol in the North, to the Airport in the West all the way to the Southern parts of Hubli. It is a popular location for morning-walkers and especially in the evenings for the youth of Hubli to spend time. However, the development of real-estate on this hillock is a cause for concern.
Hazarat Sayyed Fateh Shah wali Darga The most famous Darga situated in Old Hubli, its one of the very old and all the community people are visiting and perform their prayers.
Best time to visit: is between August and March.
How to Reach:
Air: The Airport at Hubli (18 KM) is the nearest airport to Dharwad.
Rail: Hubli being an important railway junction has daily trains running from Bangalore.
Road: National Highway 4 connecting Pune Bangalore passes through Dharwad.There are numerous luxury buses plying everyday from Bangalore.
The Town had the honor of being crowned as the center of Education even during the British regime.The word Dharwad means a place to rest if your travelling long.The name is derived from the Sanskrit word 'dwarawata', 'dwara' meaning "door" and 'wata' or 'wada'meaning "town".For centuries, Dharwad acted as a gateway between the Malenaadu (western mountains) and the Bayalu seeme (plains) and it became a resting place for travellers.
The twin cities have a history behind them dating back to the Hoysala period. Dharwad is the administrative capital of the Dharwad district and Hubli serves as the commerce center. Dharwad is a quiet, pleasant, and fast growing city in the northern part of Karnataka. Together with Hubli , which is a city twenty-two kilometers away, Dharwad forms a twin city.
Together with Hubli, it is the second largest city in state of Karnataka. It is also a cultural Headquaters of North Karnataka.
History
Ancient Dharwad was ruled by a host of kingdoms which included the Sevunas, the Vijayanagara rulers, Bijapur rulers, Mughuls, Marathas and Haider and Tipu. The Vijayanagara rulers built a fort here which was strengthened by Bijapur rulers.Chalukyas ruled Dharwad during 12th century. A stone inscription indicates that there was ruler by the name BhaskaraDeva in 1117 AD. Later Dharwad became a part of the Vijayanagara empire. After then fall of the Vijayanagara empire(1453 AD), Bijapur's Adil Shah captured Dharwad and built a fort. The fort area was called MannaKille, and later Nazratabad, with this fort the strategic importance of Dharwad increased and it thus became part of everyone's empire.
This is the district which boasts as the birthplace of Kumaaravyaasa-the great 16th century poet known for his Kannada recreation of the Mahabharata. From time to time the district has been sanctified by a host of saints and godly persons like the Shariff of Shishunaala ( Shishvinahalli of today), Guru GovindaBhat of Kalasa, Naagalingswaamy of Navalgunda, Madivaaleshavara of Garaga and the Siddhaaruudha of Hubli.
Dharwad was the home to the famous freedom fighter and the "Karnataka Kulapurohit", Sri Alur Venkatrao. It was Sri Alur Venkatrao’s work, ‘Karnataka Gatha Vaibhava’, that mooted the idea of unification of Kannada-speaking areas.
During early 19th century , when British were expanding their kingdom , they faced lot of opposition from local rulers.To mention two of them, Baba Saheb of Naragund and Kittur Rani Chennamma.It is known for its prestigious educational institutions. It houses the Karnataka University, which caters to graduate and research students. Karnataka College offers educational services to students just out of high school who aspire to make a career either in the arts or the sciences. S.D.M. Engineering college a more recent addition to the list of educational institutions offers education in Engineering. Hubli has an Engineering college( B.V.B College of Engineering and Technology), the Karnataka Medical College and other institutions.
Dharwad is home of Hindustani classical music. Musicians of fame like Mallikarjun Mansur, Gangubai Hangal, Bhimsen Joshi, Basavaraj Rajguru hail from this place. More than a dozen excellent vocalists, instrumentalists and Tabla artists belong to Dharwad.
Tourist Places
Someshwara Temple is one of the notable landmarks in Dharwad.Built in 12th century by Chalukyas, It houses statues of Mahishasuramardini and Chaturbhuja Ganesh {Ganesh/Ganapathi represented with four hands). There is a lot of natural beauty surrounding the temple.The river Shalmala originates near the temple and flows under ground.
Unkal Lake is a beautiful water spot where you can have a wonderful view of the sunset. Here you experience cool breeze blowing in the dusk, where people of all ages relax forgetting their worries. It has green garden, recreational facilities for the children, boating.
Dattatreya Temple dedicated to Lord Dattatreya, is situated at Gandhi Chowk in Dharwad.Regarded as an incarnation of the Hindu trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. Dattatreya is usually depicted with three heads. Large numbers of devotees throng the temple to obtain the blessings of the Lord.
Siddharoodha Math is a prominent religious institution, a centre of Advaita philosophy as preached by Swami Siddharoodha (1837-1929). The latter has a very large number of devotees among all communities, all over Karnataka and also in the neighboring states, Maharashtra and Goa.
Bhavanishankar Temple This Chalukyan Temple with the image of Sri Narayana is flanked by the ten incarnations of God.
Asar Mahal It was built by Mohammed Ali Shah in about 1646 to serve as a hall of justice. The building was also used to house two hairs from the Prophet's beard. Women are not allowed inside.
Nrupatunga Betta This is a beautiful picnic spot on the Unkal Hill in Hubli. From here you can have a panoramic view of Hubli. The span of the panoramic view extends from Amargol in the North, to the Airport in the West all the way to the Southern parts of Hubli. It is a popular location for morning-walkers and especially in the evenings for the youth of Hubli to spend time. However, the development of real-estate on this hillock is a cause for concern.
Hazarat Sayyed Fateh Shah wali Darga The most famous Darga situated in Old Hubli, its one of the very old and all the community people are visiting and perform their prayers.
Best time to visit: is between August and March.
How to Reach:
Air: The Airport at Hubli (18 KM) is the nearest airport to Dharwad.
Rail: Hubli being an important railway junction has daily trains running from Bangalore.
Road: National Highway 4 connecting Pune Bangalore passes through Dharwad.There are numerous luxury buses plying everyday from Bangalore.
Friday, 22 July 2011
Madikeri / Coorg
252 kms from Bangalore and 1525 m above sea level lies Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu. Coorg or Kodagu (originally called Kodaimalenadu) means 'dense forest on steep hill'. Dubbed as the Scotland of India, this town has a lot to offer to the tourist. Misty hills, lush forest, acres and acres of tea and coffee plantation, orange groves, undulating streets and breathtaking views are what make Madikeri an unforgettable holiday destination.
Coorg is on the Western Ghats. Set amidst verdant valleys, imposing mountains and teak wood forests, this is one of the most beautiful hill stations you can visit. It lies on Karnataka's southwestern end, covering an area of 4,102 sq km.The river Cauvery originates here at Talacauvery and is worshipped by the locals.
The Kodagu district comprises different communities - Kodava, Tulu, Gowda, Moplah out of which the largest is the Kodava community, both economically and politically. The economy depends on agriculture, coffee plantations, foretry and tourism.
There are many versions behind the origin of the name Kodagu. According to the Puranas, Kodava is the redifned name of Krodhadesa, meaning 'Land of Anger', said to have been inhabited by the Kodava tribe. While for some, it is believed to hve been named after the River Cauveri, where 'kod' means 'give' and 'ava' means 'mother' - which means Cauvery is the 'mother to the people'. Few believe the name originated from the Kannada kudu which means 'dense forest' on a steep hill. It is said that the history of Coorg dates back to as early as 888 AD.
The kingdom was ruled by many dynasties, starting with Gangas of Talakad, Kadambas, Cholas, Kongalvas, Changalvas, Hoysalas and Nayakas. Information on its early history has come primarily from the various inscriptions on stone and copper plates of 9th - 10th century.
The Haleri dynasty was the last noteworthy dynasty to rule the whole of Kodagu. It came into power around mid-16th century and was founded by a young price from Ikkeri. It was the first dynasty in the history of Kodagu, whch spanned 234 years and ruled the entire region.
While everyone talks about the tourism part of Coorg, Karnataka.com salutes Coorg for entirely another reason - a very important one. Coorgies in general opt for the military service in India. We thank them for their contribution in securing our borders.
Local Activities
Coorg is an ideal place for outdoor activities, food and shopping!
Trekking: Coorg has many verdant trekking routes in the midst of forests and hills, and it's best to go in the months from October to February. Some of the known trails are in the hills of Brahmagiri, where you could trek your way to the Irrupa Falls. You could also consider trekking to Pushpagiri, the second higest peak of Kodagu and Tadiandamol (the highest peak).
Golf: Avid golffers can tee off at the 9-hole course of Virajpet.
Angling: Valanoor is the backwater of the river Cauvery. It draws fishing lovers from all over India. You can try and catch the famous mahaseer and the best season is from October to May.
White Water Rafting: There are few good camps around Coorg that offer rafting down the Cauvery river. For some fast paced action, visit the Upper Barapole River to the south of Coorg in Brahmagiri. The best time for rafting is from mid-June to mid-September.
Food: Coorgi cuisine is famous and unique, especially for non-vegetarians as it is based on game meats, pork and other delicious ingredients. Popular dishes are pandhi (pork), koli (chicken) and yarchi (lamb) spiced with pepper, kokum, bamboo shoot, red chilly, bembla curry, kadumbuttu, noolputu, voti and excellent coffee.
Shopping: Some of the popular items to buy are coffee, honey, spices, cardamom, pepper, pineapple papads and oranges ( season). Coorgi silk saree are also very famous and they have a different style of wearing them.
Fairs & Festivals: Schedule your visit to coincie with one of the colorful festivals of the region. The festivals of the Kodava community are largely around agriculture military activities.
The 'Festival of Arms - Keilpoldu' is held in the months of June to September. During this festival the weapons are polished and worshipped before resuse.
Cauvery Shankaramana is based around the river Cauver is held in October.
The harvest festival 'Puthar' is celebrated in November or December. The festival is accompanied by folks songs and dances, performed by the different villagers at their temples.
Essentials
Getting Here
Closest Airport: Bangalore (260 km), Mangalore (135 km)
Closest Railway Station: Mysore (146 km)
Road: The Mysore - Mangalore highway (NH48) passes through Kodagu. The district headquarters Madikeri (Mercara), is 260 km from Bangalore and 120 km from Mysore. The distance from Mangalore is 136 km and from Cannanore and Tellicherry, it is about 115 km. There are regular buses plying from these places to Madikeri.
Co-ordinates: 12.25 N, 75.44 E
Best Time To Visit: April to November
252 kms from Bangalore and 1525 m above sea level lies Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu. Coorg or Kodagu (originally called Kodaimalenadu) means 'dense forest on steep hill'. Dubbed as the Scotland of India, this town has a lot to offer to the tourist. Misty hills, lush forest, acres and acres of tea and coffee plantation, orange groves, undulating streets and breathtaking views are what make Madikeri an unforgettable holiday destination.
Coorg is on the Western Ghats. Set amidst verdant valleys, imposing mountains and teak wood forests, this is one of the most beautiful hill stations you can visit. It lies on Karnataka's southwestern end, covering an area of 4,102 sq km.The river Cauvery originates here at Talacauvery and is worshipped by the locals.
The Kodagu district comprises different communities - Kodava, Tulu, Gowda, Moplah out of which the largest is the Kodava community, both economically and politically. The economy depends on agriculture, coffee plantations, foretry and tourism.
There are many versions behind the origin of the name Kodagu. According to the Puranas, Kodava is the redifned name of Krodhadesa, meaning 'Land of Anger', said to have been inhabited by the Kodava tribe. While for some, it is believed to hve been named after the River Cauveri, where 'kod' means 'give' and 'ava' means 'mother' - which means Cauvery is the 'mother to the people'. Few believe the name originated from the Kannada kudu which means 'dense forest' on a steep hill. It is said that the history of Coorg dates back to as early as 888 AD.
The kingdom was ruled by many dynasties, starting with Gangas of Talakad, Kadambas, Cholas, Kongalvas, Changalvas, Hoysalas and Nayakas. Information on its early history has come primarily from the various inscriptions on stone and copper plates of 9th - 10th century.
The Haleri dynasty was the last noteworthy dynasty to rule the whole of Kodagu. It came into power around mid-16th century and was founded by a young price from Ikkeri. It was the first dynasty in the history of Kodagu, whch spanned 234 years and ruled the entire region.
While everyone talks about the tourism part of Coorg, Karnataka.com salutes Coorg for entirely another reason - a very important one. Coorgies in general opt for the military service in India. We thank them for their contribution in securing our borders.
Local Activities
Coorg is an ideal place for outdoor activities, food and shopping!
Trekking: Coorg has many verdant trekking routes in the midst of forests and hills, and it's best to go in the months from October to February. Some of the known trails are in the hills of Brahmagiri, where you could trek your way to the Irrupa Falls. You could also consider trekking to Pushpagiri, the second higest peak of Kodagu and Tadiandamol (the highest peak).
Golf: Avid golffers can tee off at the 9-hole course of Virajpet.
Angling: Valanoor is the backwater of the river Cauvery. It draws fishing lovers from all over India. You can try and catch the famous mahaseer and the best season is from October to May.
White Water Rafting: There are few good camps around Coorg that offer rafting down the Cauvery river. For some fast paced action, visit the Upper Barapole River to the south of Coorg in Brahmagiri. The best time for rafting is from mid-June to mid-September.
Food: Coorgi cuisine is famous and unique, especially for non-vegetarians as it is based on game meats, pork and other delicious ingredients. Popular dishes are pandhi (pork), koli (chicken) and yarchi (lamb) spiced with pepper, kokum, bamboo shoot, red chilly, bembla curry, kadumbuttu, noolputu, voti and excellent coffee.
Shopping: Some of the popular items to buy are coffee, honey, spices, cardamom, pepper, pineapple papads and oranges ( season). Coorgi silk saree are also very famous and they have a different style of wearing them.
Fairs & Festivals: Schedule your visit to coincie with one of the colorful festivals of the region. The festivals of the Kodava community are largely around agriculture military activities.
The 'Festival of Arms - Keilpoldu' is held in the months of June to September. During this festival the weapons are polished and worshipped before resuse.
Cauvery Shankaramana is based around the river Cauver is held in October.
The harvest festival 'Puthar' is celebrated in November or December. The festival is accompanied by folks songs and dances, performed by the different villagers at their temples.
Essentials
Getting Here
Closest Airport: Bangalore (260 km), Mangalore (135 km)
Closest Railway Station: Mysore (146 km)
Road: The Mysore - Mangalore highway (NH48) passes through Kodagu. The district headquarters Madikeri (Mercara), is 260 km from Bangalore and 120 km from Mysore. The distance from Mangalore is 136 km and from Cannanore and Tellicherry, it is about 115 km. There are regular buses plying from these places to Madikeri.
Co-ordinates: 12.25 N, 75.44 E
Best Time To Visit: April to November
CHITRADURGA
Chitradurga derives its name from Chitrakaldurga. It is located at a distance of 202 kms Northwest of Bangalore. History dates Chitradurga District to the period of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Located at the base of a chain of lofty peaks, Chitradurga is characterized by its stunning boulder-strewn landscape. The whole district lies in the valley of the Vedavati River, with the Tungabhadra river flowing in the Northwest.
History
According to a story in the epic Mahabharatha, a man-eating giant named Hidimbasura lived on the Chitradurga hills. He was a terror to everyone there. When Pandavas were on a exile, Bhima and the giant had a war and he killed Hidimbasura. Peace was bought to the entire region. The boulders there were used as part of the arsenal. The city rests on boulders which are the oldest rock formation in the country.
Battle with Hyder Ali, Legend of Obavva
During the reign of Madakari Nayaka, the city of Chitradurga was besieged by the troops of Hyder Ali. By chance the they sight a woman entering the Chitradura Fort through a hole in the rocks. Hyder Ali and his men cut out a clever plan by sending soldiers through the hole. During this time the guard who was guarding the hole was out for lunch as usual his wife was guarding till he came back from lunch.
The wife of that guard, Obavva while in her temporary seat, noticed the soldiers emerging out of this crack, Obavva was not perturbed. As she was carrying with her, the Onake (a wooden long club meant for pounding paddy grains) she killed and quietly moved the dead, so that hundreds of them entered and fell, without raising any suspicion. The guard, Obavva's husband, after he returned from his lunch was shocked to see Obavva standing with a blood stained Onake and hundreds of dead bodies of the enemy fleet around her.
The passage still remains as a historical witness for the story, beside the Tanniru Doni -a small water source which holds cold water all round the year. Though her sincere brave attempt saved the fort this time, Madakeri could not resist the attack of 1799 by Hyder Ali. The fort of Chitradurga was lost for Hyder Ali once for all.
The government has decided to setup a science city in Chitradurga. With Obavva's backing, the science city is bound to do well !
Tourist Attractions
Chitradurga Fort is renowned for its Kallina Kote / Ukinna kote / Yelu Suttina kote which was built in parts by the Palegar Veer "Madakari Nayaka"
The old walled Town houses the impressive fort, built on the north eastern base of a cluster of rocky hills, qualifying it to be a Giridurga, or hill fortress. Though the construction of this fort commenced during 10th Century A.D it was completed only in 18th Century A.D during the rule of Palegars, with the latest additions being in the years leading to the 19th century, during the reign of Hyder Ali and later Tipu Sultan.
The fort is fortified by seven circular walls, three of which are on the ground and four on the hill. Chitradurga fort is said to have had 19 majestic doors, 38 smaller doors, 35 special entry points and four secret entrances. The fort is entered through four gateways of the outermost wall. The foothills of the fort constitute the main residential area of the town. The Mel Durgas, forts on the hill are embellished with extensive fortifications, ramparts, bastions, batteries, watchtowers and entrances located at strategic points and house fourteen temples. Some of the fort’s important landmarks are Thuppada Kola Betta, Hidimbagiri, Zadaa Battery (Flag battery), Kahale Battery (Trumpet battery), Lal Battery (Red battery) and Nellikai Battery (Gooseberry battery). The main entrance to the fort, Kamanbhavi, has carvings of the seven – hooded cobra the legendary twin headed bird, Gandaberunda, the royal swan, Rajhamsa and lotus flowers.
There is ample scope for trekking, rock climbing and even a bit of mountaineering or just plain hiking. A whole day would be hardly enough too take in the beauty and splendour of Chitradurga Fort.
Murugha Rajendra Bruhanmatha The first Murugha Rajendra Mutta at Chitradurga was built on the Chinmuladri hills by Palegar Bichugatti Bharamanna Nayaka for Guru Shanthaveera Swamiji of the 8th Pontiff of Murugha tradition. Later it was shifted to the present mutt in 1703 AD which is situated at the left side of Chitradurga - Davanagere road near M.K. Hatti. Now the 27th Pontiff of the order Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Rajendra Sharanaru presides over the mutt. The mutt is engaged in propagating Basavadharma. The Murugha Vana in the premises of the mutt is a beautiful botanical garden.
Jogimatti 10 kms south of Chitradurga is this hill resort, situated at a height of 3803 ft. (The highest point in the district). The place is named after a yogi, who was well known for his social service. Himavatkedra, a waterfall that flows through the rocks, has created a natural cave, that has a Shiva Linga and idols of Veerabhadra and Basavanna.
Taralabalu Mata Sirigere Located northwest of Chitradurga, Sirigere is well known for the Veershaiva Mutt of Taralabalu Jagadguru. The monastery is noted for the educational and religious centers run by them.Sirigere is situated on the Poona- Bangalore National Highway (NH4). It is at distance of 227 KM from Bangalore and is located between Chitradurga (27 KM), the District Head Quarters, and Davangere (50 KM).
Vani Vilas Sagar Dam (Manrikanvie) 32 kms from Chitradurga, this is an artificial lake, also called Mari Kanive, built by the Maharaja of Mysore Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV built across the river Vedavathi. Measuring 162 ft by 1300 ft this reservoir has two mantapa (pavilion halls) built in the saracenic style and is considered an engineering marvel.Recently though, the development work undertaken by the forest department to restore the nearby forest cover, and the 'panchavati' gardens - a garden of medicinal plants with the old Indian cultural theme has improved the tourist figures, making it a popular weekend picnic spot. The 'panchavati' garden has medicinal plants lined up representing cultural themes - the 'Rashis', 'Sapta swaras', 'Nava grahas' and many more.
Brahmagiri village is the ancient site of Ishila, one of emperor Ashoka's provincial capitals. His earliest rock edicts in Brahmi script and Prakrit language (3rd c. BC) containing Kannada words were discovered here.
Ankali Math The ancient monastery of Ankali Math is also called Paradeshappana Guhe. A number of caves, located underneath the Kallu Mantapa (stone sanctum) of this mutt, might have served as refuges for monks and mendicants indulged in penance and praying.
Chandravalli A tour of Chitradurga will take you to the scenic valley of Chandravalli located to the north west of Chitradurga. Chandravalli is an ancient archeological site and coins, inscriptions, ruins, stone images belonging to the Hoisala-Kadamb and Sathavahana period have been discovered at Huligondi, Basavanagondi, Baralagondi and other locations of Chandravalli. A rock inscription seen near Bhairaweshvara temple here links Chandravalli to the reign of Kadamba Mayura Verma.
Chitradurga derives its name from Chitrakaldurga. It is located at a distance of 202 kms Northwest of Bangalore. History dates Chitradurga District to the period of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Located at the base of a chain of lofty peaks, Chitradurga is characterized by its stunning boulder-strewn landscape. The whole district lies in the valley of the Vedavati River, with the Tungabhadra river flowing in the Northwest.
History
According to a story in the epic Mahabharatha, a man-eating giant named Hidimbasura lived on the Chitradurga hills. He was a terror to everyone there. When Pandavas were on a exile, Bhima and the giant had a war and he killed Hidimbasura. Peace was bought to the entire region. The boulders there were used as part of the arsenal. The city rests on boulders which are the oldest rock formation in the country.
Battle with Hyder Ali, Legend of Obavva
During the reign of Madakari Nayaka, the city of Chitradurga was besieged by the troops of Hyder Ali. By chance the they sight a woman entering the Chitradura Fort through a hole in the rocks. Hyder Ali and his men cut out a clever plan by sending soldiers through the hole. During this time the guard who was guarding the hole was out for lunch as usual his wife was guarding till he came back from lunch.
The wife of that guard, Obavva while in her temporary seat, noticed the soldiers emerging out of this crack, Obavva was not perturbed. As she was carrying with her, the Onake (a wooden long club meant for pounding paddy grains) she killed and quietly moved the dead, so that hundreds of them entered and fell, without raising any suspicion. The guard, Obavva's husband, after he returned from his lunch was shocked to see Obavva standing with a blood stained Onake and hundreds of dead bodies of the enemy fleet around her.
The passage still remains as a historical witness for the story, beside the Tanniru Doni -a small water source which holds cold water all round the year. Though her sincere brave attempt saved the fort this time, Madakeri could not resist the attack of 1799 by Hyder Ali. The fort of Chitradurga was lost for Hyder Ali once for all.
The government has decided to setup a science city in Chitradurga. With Obavva's backing, the science city is bound to do well !
Tourist Attractions
Chitradurga Fort is renowned for its Kallina Kote / Ukinna kote / Yelu Suttina kote which was built in parts by the Palegar Veer "Madakari Nayaka"
The old walled Town houses the impressive fort, built on the north eastern base of a cluster of rocky hills, qualifying it to be a Giridurga, or hill fortress. Though the construction of this fort commenced during 10th Century A.D it was completed only in 18th Century A.D during the rule of Palegars, with the latest additions being in the years leading to the 19th century, during the reign of Hyder Ali and later Tipu Sultan.
The fort is fortified by seven circular walls, three of which are on the ground and four on the hill. Chitradurga fort is said to have had 19 majestic doors, 38 smaller doors, 35 special entry points and four secret entrances. The fort is entered through four gateways of the outermost wall. The foothills of the fort constitute the main residential area of the town. The Mel Durgas, forts on the hill are embellished with extensive fortifications, ramparts, bastions, batteries, watchtowers and entrances located at strategic points and house fourteen temples. Some of the fort’s important landmarks are Thuppada Kola Betta, Hidimbagiri, Zadaa Battery (Flag battery), Kahale Battery (Trumpet battery), Lal Battery (Red battery) and Nellikai Battery (Gooseberry battery). The main entrance to the fort, Kamanbhavi, has carvings of the seven – hooded cobra the legendary twin headed bird, Gandaberunda, the royal swan, Rajhamsa and lotus flowers.
There is ample scope for trekking, rock climbing and even a bit of mountaineering or just plain hiking. A whole day would be hardly enough too take in the beauty and splendour of Chitradurga Fort.
Murugha Rajendra Bruhanmatha The first Murugha Rajendra Mutta at Chitradurga was built on the Chinmuladri hills by Palegar Bichugatti Bharamanna Nayaka for Guru Shanthaveera Swamiji of the 8th Pontiff of Murugha tradition. Later it was shifted to the present mutt in 1703 AD which is situated at the left side of Chitradurga - Davanagere road near M.K. Hatti. Now the 27th Pontiff of the order Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Rajendra Sharanaru presides over the mutt. The mutt is engaged in propagating Basavadharma. The Murugha Vana in the premises of the mutt is a beautiful botanical garden.
Jogimatti 10 kms south of Chitradurga is this hill resort, situated at a height of 3803 ft. (The highest point in the district). The place is named after a yogi, who was well known for his social service. Himavatkedra, a waterfall that flows through the rocks, has created a natural cave, that has a Shiva Linga and idols of Veerabhadra and Basavanna.
Taralabalu Mata Sirigere Located northwest of Chitradurga, Sirigere is well known for the Veershaiva Mutt of Taralabalu Jagadguru. The monastery is noted for the educational and religious centers run by them.Sirigere is situated on the Poona- Bangalore National Highway (NH4). It is at distance of 227 KM from Bangalore and is located between Chitradurga (27 KM), the District Head Quarters, and Davangere (50 KM).
Vani Vilas Sagar Dam (Manrikanvie) 32 kms from Chitradurga, this is an artificial lake, also called Mari Kanive, built by the Maharaja of Mysore Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV built across the river Vedavathi. Measuring 162 ft by 1300 ft this reservoir has two mantapa (pavilion halls) built in the saracenic style and is considered an engineering marvel.Recently though, the development work undertaken by the forest department to restore the nearby forest cover, and the 'panchavati' gardens - a garden of medicinal plants with the old Indian cultural theme has improved the tourist figures, making it a popular weekend picnic spot. The 'panchavati' garden has medicinal plants lined up representing cultural themes - the 'Rashis', 'Sapta swaras', 'Nava grahas' and many more.
Brahmagiri village is the ancient site of Ishila, one of emperor Ashoka's provincial capitals. His earliest rock edicts in Brahmi script and Prakrit language (3rd c. BC) containing Kannada words were discovered here.
Ankali Math The ancient monastery of Ankali Math is also called Paradeshappana Guhe. A number of caves, located underneath the Kallu Mantapa (stone sanctum) of this mutt, might have served as refuges for monks and mendicants indulged in penance and praying.
Chandravalli A tour of Chitradurga will take you to the scenic valley of Chandravalli located to the north west of Chitradurga. Chandravalli is an ancient archeological site and coins, inscriptions, ruins, stone images belonging to the Hoisala-Kadamb and Sathavahana period have been discovered at Huligondi, Basavanagondi, Baralagondi and other locations of Chandravalli. A rock inscription seen near Bhairaweshvara temple here links Chandravalli to the reign of Kadamba Mayura Verma.
CHIKMAGALUR
Chikmagalur situated in southwestern part of Karnataka, it is nestled in the Baba Budan hills. Chickmangalur literally means, 'The Younger Daughter's Town.' Legend reads that this town had been given as a dowry to the younger daughter of Rukmangada, the famous chief of Sakrepatna. Chikmagalur is a calm, serene town full of scenic surprises. Hills, valleys, streams and snow-white coffee blossoms are all here to woo. In and around Chikmagalur there are beautiful hill stations and places of picturesque beauty. The district is strewn with many holy spots and proliferates legends associated with stories from the epics of Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
History of Coffee
The birth place of coffee in India is Chikmagalur.The first seeds were sown about 350 years ago on the slopes of Baba Budan Giri Hills in Chikmagalur.As History tells it is the Arab Connections that led to the mushrooming of the coffee industry in India.The story goes like this a piligrim known as Baba Budan also known as Hazarat Shah Janab Allah Magatabi smuggled seven seed of coffee from Mecca while he was on a piligrimage. The seer sowed these seeds in his garden near a cave in Chandragiri.
The Hills was called as Chandra Drona in the ancient age and now called as Baba Budan Giri after the seer.Mysore Maharaja KrishnaRaja Wodeyar III gave away lands and establised norms for growing coffee in India. Even Tipu Sultan gave inam and rent free lands to farmers to grow coffee.
Sanctuary, taking picnics to the picturesque Kemmanagundi and Bababudangiri hills or just trekking around the region.
Taste the local coffee of Chikmagalur
Panduranga coffee available in Taj Garden retreat grown locally by planters in their backyard the beans arrive ready and roasted straight to the hotels kitchen presenting coffee that is so strong in aroma and flavour. The regulars prefer it best with cow's milk.
Arabica coffee available in Eagle Eye Holidays here the coffee is brewed to a light copper color with a spoonful of sugar at the bottom of the filter. Best to have it as bed coffee. Arabica is just what you need if you are camping on the misty mountains of the western Ghats. A caffeine kick you won't forget.
Vanilla coffee available in Jungle Greens a home-stay where vanilla beans are dipped in the coffee decoction to accelerate its humdrum flavors. They also serve the traditional black coffee with black jaggery instead of sugar.
Blended coffee available in Woodway Estates here the coffee is traditionally brewed with a perfect mix of 90% arabica and 10% robusta. The beans are painstakingly roasted to exemplary perfection. Their specialty is cold coffee which is always served with a dash of cinnamon.
Mysore coffee available in Riverwoods here the coffee is moderately strong and extremely aromatic, connoisseurs who prefer their coffee with heavy strains of mint and aromatic herbs must try. The main component in this blend is the uniqueness of Mysore coffee beans. It also has a fragrant aromatic topping and lends itself to easy mixing with other flavours.
Best time to Visit : Chikmagalur is gorgeous all year round. But the weather is most pleasant between September and March
Chikmagalur situated in southwestern part of Karnataka, it is nestled in the Baba Budan hills. Chickmangalur literally means, 'The Younger Daughter's Town.' Legend reads that this town had been given as a dowry to the younger daughter of Rukmangada, the famous chief of Sakrepatna. Chikmagalur is a calm, serene town full of scenic surprises. Hills, valleys, streams and snow-white coffee blossoms are all here to woo. In and around Chikmagalur there are beautiful hill stations and places of picturesque beauty. The district is strewn with many holy spots and proliferates legends associated with stories from the epics of Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
History of Coffee
The birth place of coffee in India is Chikmagalur.The first seeds were sown about 350 years ago on the slopes of Baba Budan Giri Hills in Chikmagalur.As History tells it is the Arab Connections that led to the mushrooming of the coffee industry in India.The story goes like this a piligrim known as Baba Budan also known as Hazarat Shah Janab Allah Magatabi smuggled seven seed of coffee from Mecca while he was on a piligrimage. The seer sowed these seeds in his garden near a cave in Chandragiri.
The Hills was called as Chandra Drona in the ancient age and now called as Baba Budan Giri after the seer.Mysore Maharaja KrishnaRaja Wodeyar III gave away lands and establised norms for growing coffee in India. Even Tipu Sultan gave inam and rent free lands to farmers to grow coffee.
Sanctuary, taking picnics to the picturesque Kemmanagundi and Bababudangiri hills or just trekking around the region.
Taste the local coffee of Chikmagalur
Panduranga coffee available in Taj Garden retreat grown locally by planters in their backyard the beans arrive ready and roasted straight to the hotels kitchen presenting coffee that is so strong in aroma and flavour. The regulars prefer it best with cow's milk.
Arabica coffee available in Eagle Eye Holidays here the coffee is brewed to a light copper color with a spoonful of sugar at the bottom of the filter. Best to have it as bed coffee. Arabica is just what you need if you are camping on the misty mountains of the western Ghats. A caffeine kick you won't forget.
Vanilla coffee available in Jungle Greens a home-stay where vanilla beans are dipped in the coffee decoction to accelerate its humdrum flavors. They also serve the traditional black coffee with black jaggery instead of sugar.
Blended coffee available in Woodway Estates here the coffee is traditionally brewed with a perfect mix of 90% arabica and 10% robusta. The beans are painstakingly roasted to exemplary perfection. Their specialty is cold coffee which is always served with a dash of cinnamon.
Mysore coffee available in Riverwoods here the coffee is moderately strong and extremely aromatic, connoisseurs who prefer their coffee with heavy strains of mint and aromatic herbs must try. The main component in this blend is the uniqueness of Mysore coffee beans. It also has a fragrant aromatic topping and lends itself to easy mixing with other flavours.
Best time to Visit : Chikmagalur is gorgeous all year round. But the weather is most pleasant between September and March
Bijapur
Gol Gumbaz:-The tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah, boasts of the second-largest tomb in the world.44 m in diameter, the interior of the dome is mysteriously unsupported and has a whispering gallery under it, whose acoustics are superb. Located in the north-eastern part of Karnataka, Bijapur used to be the home of the Bahamani Sultans. Adil Shah began the task of building his own tomb, quite earnestly and went on with this work for over 20 years.
530 kms to the north-west of Bangalore is the ancient town of Bijapur, the capital of the Adil Shahi dynasty. Bijapur is close to Belgaum - the gateway to Karnataka from Goa and Bombay. Bijapur has many places of Historical, Cultural and Architectural interest.
Local sights
The Gol Gombaz or Gola Gummata
The dome is the second largest in the world, 124 feet in diameter. The architecture of this building is unique with the four minarets being the four staircases leading to the top dome. The acoustics of the enclosed space make it a whispering gallery, where even the smallest sound is heard across the other side of the Gombuz. At the periphery of the dome is a circular balcony where visitors can witness its greatest marvel, "ECHO". Any whisper, clap or sound gets echoed 9 times (11 times with fading) and creates an ideal stereophonic stage even for the weak-lunged singers. Even the smallest whisper amplifies and is clearly heard at the diagonally opposite side of the dome.
Story has it that the Adil Shah with his beloved, went up this balcony and both were looking down the awesome nine storied depth of its central hall. "You do love me a lot" said the Shah, "Now, would you do ANYTHING for my sake?" "Yes" said the beautiful one. "If so" said the Shah jokingly, "would you jump down this balcony?" "Sure, and here I go" the beautiful one jumped out to show her eternal love. Heart-broken, the Shah cursed himself for testing the eternal bond between them and wept for the rest of his life. The beauty and excellence of this dome must be experienced at least once in a life time. Lovers come here to whisper (aloud!), singers to enjoy the stereophonic effect and children to test the strength of their giggle.
Jumma Masjid
Jumma Masjid is the other attraction of this city. Jumma Masjid still used for worship, has been called one of the first mosques in India. It holds an exquisite copy of the Quran, written in gold. Also dating back to the period of Adil Shah this is the largest Masjid in the region. Barah Cummon (12 arches) is another wonderful piece of architecture created simply with twelve interleaving arches as a centre stage for art festivities.
The Malik-e-Maiden.
The largest medieval cannon in the world, is 14 ft long, weighing 55 tons. Legend has it that if you touch the gun and make a wish, it will come true!
Also worth visit are the Mehtar Mahal, the Jod Gumbaz, Afzal Khan's Cenotaph, Asar Mahal, Anand Mahal, Ark-Killa, etc.
The Ibrahim Roza
Further to the edge of the city is the Ibrahim Roza, a beautiful tomb with artistically laid out corridors and interconnecting buildings with richly decorated walls and perforated stone windows. Ibrahim Roza, the mausoleum of Ibrahim Adil Shah II, is said to have inspired the Taj Mahal in Agra. At the centre of the town are large arches signifying the forts and its beauty in moonlight. Even though many of the structures were damaged by Aurangazeb, Bijapur remains a must see town.
Around Bijapur
Aihole
This Temple city is 110 kms away from Bijapur. It is famous as the 'Cradle of Indian Temple Architecture'. Aihole has over 125 temples all intricately carved and rich in detail. The oldest temple here, is perhaps the 5th century Lad Khan Temple. The Durga (Fort) Temple has a semi-circular apse and a complete portico. The Hutchmalli Temple, the Ravalphadi Cave Temple, The Konti Temple Complex, The Uma Maheshwari Temple, the Jain Meguthi temple and the two-storeyed Buddhist temple are the other attractions at Aihole.
Pattadakal
Pattadakal has a distance of 134 kms from Bijapur. A world Heritage Center, it has 10 major temples representing early Chalukyan architecture. The biggest temple dedicated to Virupaksheshvara, has a huge gateway and several inscriptions. In front of the temple is a majestic 2.6 in high Nandi. The Mallikarjuna and Papanatha Temples, and the Jain Temple from the Papanatha Temples and the Jain Temple from the Rashtrakuta period are well worth visit.
Badami
About 120 kms from Bijapur. The capital of the early Chalukyas, Badami is picturesquely situated at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills. It has four rock - cut cave temples, the largest being the third cave dedicated to Vishnu. Overlooking the temples is a reservoir its banks dotted with temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. The Bhutanatha Temples and the Museum set up by the Archaeological Survey of India, are the other attractions.
Basavana Bagewadi
About 43 kms from Bijapur, this town is the birth-place of Saint Basaveshwara. There are several important temples here.
Kudalasangama
67 kms from Bijapur is a famous pilgrim centre, associated with the great 12th century poet and reformer Saint Basaveshwara.
Astrology
In Bagalkot district a village named Kodihal has a soothsayer in every 3rd house. This village is located 20 kms from Kudala Sangama where the 12th century reformer Basaveshwara attained salvation. The village has 2,500 families out of which 800 are astrologers.
Centuries ago, members of the Gondhali community whose family profession was fortunetelling migrated from Maharashtra and settled here. It is not difficult to identify members of this community they are usually clad in white kurtas and dhotis they smear vermilion on the foreheads and wrists are adorned with chains of beads and precious stones. They also carry a bag which contains family histories of each household in Kodihal and their other regular customers, apart from a panchanga (the Hindu almanac), some conch-shells, vermilion, turmeric and other powders considered sacred.
Most of them speak Marathi at home and Kannada to clients. They also speak other languages like English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu for survival instinct.
There are over 8000 astrologers from Kodihal who have settled across the country.
Gol Gumbaz:-The tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah, boasts of the second-largest tomb in the world.44 m in diameter, the interior of the dome is mysteriously unsupported and has a whispering gallery under it, whose acoustics are superb. Located in the north-eastern part of Karnataka, Bijapur used to be the home of the Bahamani Sultans. Adil Shah began the task of building his own tomb, quite earnestly and went on with this work for over 20 years.
530 kms to the north-west of Bangalore is the ancient town of Bijapur, the capital of the Adil Shahi dynasty. Bijapur is close to Belgaum - the gateway to Karnataka from Goa and Bombay. Bijapur has many places of Historical, Cultural and Architectural interest.
Local sights
The Gol Gombaz or Gola Gummata
The dome is the second largest in the world, 124 feet in diameter. The architecture of this building is unique with the four minarets being the four staircases leading to the top dome. The acoustics of the enclosed space make it a whispering gallery, where even the smallest sound is heard across the other side of the Gombuz. At the periphery of the dome is a circular balcony where visitors can witness its greatest marvel, "ECHO". Any whisper, clap or sound gets echoed 9 times (11 times with fading) and creates an ideal stereophonic stage even for the weak-lunged singers. Even the smallest whisper amplifies and is clearly heard at the diagonally opposite side of the dome.
Story has it that the Adil Shah with his beloved, went up this balcony and both were looking down the awesome nine storied depth of its central hall. "You do love me a lot" said the Shah, "Now, would you do ANYTHING for my sake?" "Yes" said the beautiful one. "If so" said the Shah jokingly, "would you jump down this balcony?" "Sure, and here I go" the beautiful one jumped out to show her eternal love. Heart-broken, the Shah cursed himself for testing the eternal bond between them and wept for the rest of his life. The beauty and excellence of this dome must be experienced at least once in a life time. Lovers come here to whisper (aloud!), singers to enjoy the stereophonic effect and children to test the strength of their giggle.
Jumma Masjid
Jumma Masjid is the other attraction of this city. Jumma Masjid still used for worship, has been called one of the first mosques in India. It holds an exquisite copy of the Quran, written in gold. Also dating back to the period of Adil Shah this is the largest Masjid in the region. Barah Cummon (12 arches) is another wonderful piece of architecture created simply with twelve interleaving arches as a centre stage for art festivities.
The Malik-e-Maiden.
The largest medieval cannon in the world, is 14 ft long, weighing 55 tons. Legend has it that if you touch the gun and make a wish, it will come true!
Also worth visit are the Mehtar Mahal, the Jod Gumbaz, Afzal Khan's Cenotaph, Asar Mahal, Anand Mahal, Ark-Killa, etc.
The Ibrahim Roza
Further to the edge of the city is the Ibrahim Roza, a beautiful tomb with artistically laid out corridors and interconnecting buildings with richly decorated walls and perforated stone windows. Ibrahim Roza, the mausoleum of Ibrahim Adil Shah II, is said to have inspired the Taj Mahal in Agra. At the centre of the town are large arches signifying the forts and its beauty in moonlight. Even though many of the structures were damaged by Aurangazeb, Bijapur remains a must see town.
Around Bijapur
Aihole
This Temple city is 110 kms away from Bijapur. It is famous as the 'Cradle of Indian Temple Architecture'. Aihole has over 125 temples all intricately carved and rich in detail. The oldest temple here, is perhaps the 5th century Lad Khan Temple. The Durga (Fort) Temple has a semi-circular apse and a complete portico. The Hutchmalli Temple, the Ravalphadi Cave Temple, The Konti Temple Complex, The Uma Maheshwari Temple, the Jain Meguthi temple and the two-storeyed Buddhist temple are the other attractions at Aihole.
Pattadakal
Pattadakal has a distance of 134 kms from Bijapur. A world Heritage Center, it has 10 major temples representing early Chalukyan architecture. The biggest temple dedicated to Virupaksheshvara, has a huge gateway and several inscriptions. In front of the temple is a majestic 2.6 in high Nandi. The Mallikarjuna and Papanatha Temples, and the Jain Temple from the Papanatha Temples and the Jain Temple from the Rashtrakuta period are well worth visit.
Badami
About 120 kms from Bijapur. The capital of the early Chalukyas, Badami is picturesquely situated at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills. It has four rock - cut cave temples, the largest being the third cave dedicated to Vishnu. Overlooking the temples is a reservoir its banks dotted with temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. The Bhutanatha Temples and the Museum set up by the Archaeological Survey of India, are the other attractions.
Basavana Bagewadi
About 43 kms from Bijapur, this town is the birth-place of Saint Basaveshwara. There are several important temples here.
Kudalasangama
67 kms from Bijapur is a famous pilgrim centre, associated with the great 12th century poet and reformer Saint Basaveshwara.
Astrology
In Bagalkot district a village named Kodihal has a soothsayer in every 3rd house. This village is located 20 kms from Kudala Sangama where the 12th century reformer Basaveshwara attained salvation. The village has 2,500 families out of which 800 are astrologers.
Centuries ago, members of the Gondhali community whose family profession was fortunetelling migrated from Maharashtra and settled here. It is not difficult to identify members of this community they are usually clad in white kurtas and dhotis they smear vermilion on the foreheads and wrists are adorned with chains of beads and precious stones. They also carry a bag which contains family histories of each household in Kodihal and their other regular customers, apart from a panchanga (the Hindu almanac), some conch-shells, vermilion, turmeric and other powders considered sacred.
Most of them speak Marathi at home and Kannada to clients. They also speak other languages like English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu for survival instinct.
There are over 8000 astrologers from Kodihal who have settled across the country.
BIDAR
Bidar is a taluk located in the northeastern part of the state of Karnataka.Bidar is an important historical town. It is located 2,200 feet above sea level on a plateau overlooking the Manjira river valley. Bidar was a part of the Bahamani Kingdom which comprised of Bijapur, Gulbarga, Bidar, Golconda, and Birar. The ruler of Bidar was Barid Shah. Bidar was later ruled by the Nizams of Hyderabad. Bidar witnessed the "religious revolution" under the Lingayat Reformist Basavanna. Basavakalyan from where Shaivism spread.
A number of historical monuments dating back to 15th century can be found here.Bidar was one of the most prosperous cities of south India during the period of 11th century to 16th century.The name of Bidar appears to be derived from 'bidiru' which means bamboo. The place seems to have been known for bamboo clusters in the past, came to be known as Bidaroor and then Bidare and now Bidar.
History
In ancient time, Bidar formed an important part of the kingdom of Vidharba, referred to in the Mahabharata. It became the part of the Chalukyan Empire in the 10th century.Bidar was the capital of the Bahmani kings from 1428 till it later passed into the hands of the Barid Shahi dynasty. There are some beautiful specimens of typical Muslim art and architecture here.Bidar witnessed many upheavals during the early medieval period. It was taken over by the Yadavas of Devangiri and later by the Kakatiyas of Warangal in the 14th century. It then became a part of the Bahamani kingdom in the 14th century.
The Bidar Sultanate was absorbed by the Bijapur Sultanate to the west in 1619, which was in turn conquered by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1686.Bidar became part of the dominions of the Nizam of Hyderabad from 1724 to 1948, when Hyderabad was annexed to India to become Hyderabad state.In 1956, it became a part of Mysore state, later renamed Karnataka.Bidar, along with Gulbarga, Raichur and Koppal are collectively referred to as Hyderabad Karnataka. Bellary, though ceded by the Nizam to the British in 1796 AD, is also grouped together with these areas.
Tourist Attractions
Bidar Fort - The historical fort of Bidar was a stronghold of the Bahamani Kings in the 14th and 15th centuries is considered one of the strongest in Karnataka. It is known for its formidable defensive works. The fort is surrounded by three miles of walls with 37 bastions, most of them surmounted with cannons. This fort was a source of irritation to the Mughal rulers of Delhi, and was finally conquered by Aurangazeb. Ahmad Wali Shah built this fort and the well laid out gardens and other monuments within it, in 1429. This fort has five imposing entrances or Darwazas. In the center of this fort is the old city with its monuments and structures, belonging to the Bahamani era. There are important palaces within the ramparts of the fort. The Rangin Mahal, once the royal abode, has ornately carved wooden pillars and Persian artwork.
Ragin Mahal Palace built by Ali Barid Shah in the 1500 is one of the most elegantly decorated and one of the last remaining piece of that era. Its entire walls were once covered with colourful tile work again recalling the strong Persian influence in Bidar History.
Some of the inner room doorways are still stunning with their decorative work. The intricate inlay work of mother of pearl and curving calligraphy is a really magnificent.
Solah Khamb Mosque now houses a small museum run by ASI (Archeological Survey of India) built in 1424 predates the fort and is Bidar's oldest Islamic building. It is really huge and and looks really impressive from a distance.
Domes project out at the roof of the mosque from below. In olden days the roof has reservoir to supply water for worshippers at the mosque. Adjacent to the mosque are more palaces that is a must visit.
Guru Nank Jhira - Gurudwara Bidar is one of Holiest Place for Sikhs. Every Year this place attracts lots of tourists from all parts of the country particularly during the months of November and March. Legend has it that Saint Guru Nanak visited the palce while the land was in the grip of a famine The Guru performed a miracle at the request of the locals and a spring of water from the laterite rock mountain burst out. Till this day crystal clear water flows from the laterite trap.The belief is that drinking of this water cures many ailments.
Papnash Shiva Temple - As per the local traditional saying, the Shiva Linga idol in this temple is one of those installed by Shri RAM during the time of his journey back from Lanka. The location of the temple in a valley is mesmerising to the eyes. Every year at the time of Shivrathri festival lot of tourists visit this place. A natural spring flows into a pond in front of the temple which is called 'Papnasha'
Narasimha Zarna - The temple virtually runs into a cave waterbody and is one of the unique in the world. The water in the cave will guide the pilgrims to the idol.Narshimha Jhira Water Cave Temple At this place the Powerful diety as per the belief here is situated in cave of nealy 300 meters. One has to wade through water upto chest height to have darshan of the diety. It will be thrilling experience with bats and owls sitting on the roof toop of cave but they will not do any harm to the devotees.
Veerbhadreshewar Jatra's at Humnabad & Changlare
Two very ancient temples of Lord Veerbhadreshwara in Humnabad Taluk one at Humnabad and one at Changlara village attract lakhs of tourists in the Month of January and November respectively for the yearly Jatra and cart pulling Mohotsav's. The temple at Humnabad constructed in 1725 is famous for its moving pillar.
Bidar is famous for being the place where Bidriware, a form of silver filigree art, originated. Bidriware is silver filigree done in Islamic motifs and set against a dark background of blackened zinc, tin, copper and lead to create the most striking ashtrays, boxes, bangles and such.
Bidar is a taluk located in the northeastern part of the state of Karnataka.Bidar is an important historical town. It is located 2,200 feet above sea level on a plateau overlooking the Manjira river valley. Bidar was a part of the Bahamani Kingdom which comprised of Bijapur, Gulbarga, Bidar, Golconda, and Birar. The ruler of Bidar was Barid Shah. Bidar was later ruled by the Nizams of Hyderabad. Bidar witnessed the "religious revolution" under the Lingayat Reformist Basavanna. Basavakalyan from where Shaivism spread.
A number of historical monuments dating back to 15th century can be found here.Bidar was one of the most prosperous cities of south India during the period of 11th century to 16th century.The name of Bidar appears to be derived from 'bidiru' which means bamboo. The place seems to have been known for bamboo clusters in the past, came to be known as Bidaroor and then Bidare and now Bidar.
History
In ancient time, Bidar formed an important part of the kingdom of Vidharba, referred to in the Mahabharata. It became the part of the Chalukyan Empire in the 10th century.Bidar was the capital of the Bahmani kings from 1428 till it later passed into the hands of the Barid Shahi dynasty. There are some beautiful specimens of typical Muslim art and architecture here.Bidar witnessed many upheavals during the early medieval period. It was taken over by the Yadavas of Devangiri and later by the Kakatiyas of Warangal in the 14th century. It then became a part of the Bahamani kingdom in the 14th century.
The Bidar Sultanate was absorbed by the Bijapur Sultanate to the west in 1619, which was in turn conquered by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1686.Bidar became part of the dominions of the Nizam of Hyderabad from 1724 to 1948, when Hyderabad was annexed to India to become Hyderabad state.In 1956, it became a part of Mysore state, later renamed Karnataka.Bidar, along with Gulbarga, Raichur and Koppal are collectively referred to as Hyderabad Karnataka. Bellary, though ceded by the Nizam to the British in 1796 AD, is also grouped together with these areas.
Tourist Attractions
Bidar Fort - The historical fort of Bidar was a stronghold of the Bahamani Kings in the 14th and 15th centuries is considered one of the strongest in Karnataka. It is known for its formidable defensive works. The fort is surrounded by three miles of walls with 37 bastions, most of them surmounted with cannons. This fort was a source of irritation to the Mughal rulers of Delhi, and was finally conquered by Aurangazeb. Ahmad Wali Shah built this fort and the well laid out gardens and other monuments within it, in 1429. This fort has five imposing entrances or Darwazas. In the center of this fort is the old city with its monuments and structures, belonging to the Bahamani era. There are important palaces within the ramparts of the fort. The Rangin Mahal, once the royal abode, has ornately carved wooden pillars and Persian artwork.
Ragin Mahal Palace built by Ali Barid Shah in the 1500 is one of the most elegantly decorated and one of the last remaining piece of that era. Its entire walls were once covered with colourful tile work again recalling the strong Persian influence in Bidar History.
Some of the inner room doorways are still stunning with their decorative work. The intricate inlay work of mother of pearl and curving calligraphy is a really magnificent.
Solah Khamb Mosque now houses a small museum run by ASI (Archeological Survey of India) built in 1424 predates the fort and is Bidar's oldest Islamic building. It is really huge and and looks really impressive from a distance.
Domes project out at the roof of the mosque from below. In olden days the roof has reservoir to supply water for worshippers at the mosque. Adjacent to the mosque are more palaces that is a must visit.
Guru Nank Jhira - Gurudwara Bidar is one of Holiest Place for Sikhs. Every Year this place attracts lots of tourists from all parts of the country particularly during the months of November and March. Legend has it that Saint Guru Nanak visited the palce while the land was in the grip of a famine The Guru performed a miracle at the request of the locals and a spring of water from the laterite rock mountain burst out. Till this day crystal clear water flows from the laterite trap.The belief is that drinking of this water cures many ailments.
Papnash Shiva Temple - As per the local traditional saying, the Shiva Linga idol in this temple is one of those installed by Shri RAM during the time of his journey back from Lanka. The location of the temple in a valley is mesmerising to the eyes. Every year at the time of Shivrathri festival lot of tourists visit this place. A natural spring flows into a pond in front of the temple which is called 'Papnasha'
Narasimha Zarna - The temple virtually runs into a cave waterbody and is one of the unique in the world. The water in the cave will guide the pilgrims to the idol.Narshimha Jhira Water Cave Temple At this place the Powerful diety as per the belief here is situated in cave of nealy 300 meters. One has to wade through water upto chest height to have darshan of the diety. It will be thrilling experience with bats and owls sitting on the roof toop of cave but they will not do any harm to the devotees.
Veerbhadreshewar Jatra's at Humnabad & Changlare
Two very ancient temples of Lord Veerbhadreshwara in Humnabad Taluk one at Humnabad and one at Changlara village attract lakhs of tourists in the Month of January and November respectively for the yearly Jatra and cart pulling Mohotsav's. The temple at Humnabad constructed in 1725 is famous for its moving pillar.
Bidar is famous for being the place where Bidriware, a form of silver filigree art, originated. Bidriware is silver filigree done in Islamic motifs and set against a dark background of blackened zinc, tin, copper and lead to create the most striking ashtrays, boxes, bangles and such.
Belur
Belur is a small town located on the banks of River Yagachi, in Hassan district of Karnataka. Belur was the early capital of the Hoysala Empire. Belur is considered as the Banaras of South and is thus also known as Dakshina Varnasi.
The main attraction in Belur is the Chennakeshava temple complex dedicated to Lord 'Chennakeshava' (handsome Vishnu) temple. It was built by King Vishnuvardhana of Hoysala Dynasty in the Dravidian Style. It is about one hundred feet high and has a magnificent gateway tower. There are many subsidary shrines around the main temple.They conceived their shrines as star-shaped structures and not the usual cubical form. In this concept of the stellate, the main temple at Belur, is a show-stealer.
History
From inscription it is learnt that Vishnuvardhana got the temple built in 1117 A.D., in memory of his victory against Cholas in Talkad. Other sources declare that Vishnuvardhana got built this temple when he embraced Vaishnavism, as advised by the Great Guru Sri Ramanujacharya. Shantala Devi though a Jain by faith a noted dancer and on one of the temple's brackets her dancing poses has been sculptured in the most ornate and in exuberant style.The art showcases the intricacy of the hair styles and ormanments during the Hoysala period.
The Hoysala dynasty originally had their capital at Halebid (about 17 kms from Belur) where they ruled for over 150 years. However, it was attacked by invaders, Mallik Kafur, a couple of times during the 14th century, plundered to poverty and ruins. Thus, the Hoysalas shifted their seat of power to Belur which stood proud as a powerful empire back then.
Chennakeshava Temple
The temple is a holy house for sculptures showcasing innumerable variety of ornaments, the doorways, the ceilings, the birds, the animals, dancers and other figures are fully decorated as if they are full of life and vigour with variety of actions and movements.The doorways are guarded on either side by the gorgeously decorated dvarapalaka (doorkeepers).
There are two more shrines here that are still in use by devotees and there is a Pushkarni or stepped well to the right side of the main entrance. The temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes with no portion left blank.The main entrance is crowned by a Rayagopura built during the days of Vijayanagar empire. Within the temple complex, the Chennakesava temple is in the centre, facing east and flanked by Kappe Channigaraya temple and a small Lakshmi temple on its right. At Chennakesava temple daily pujas are performed.
A interesting sight with in the sanctum are the ancient jet-black Hoysala pillars, covered with bright vermilion smeared on by devotees.The main temple is surrounded by Temples of Soumyanayaki and Ranganayaki, beloveds of Sri Chennakesava.
Stories from the Puranas, Upanishads and other mythological stories have been carved in the most authentic way. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata also have been included .The bracketed figurines called the Madanikas or celestial nymphs are no doubt the highlight of the temple's magnificent architecture.The Madanikas are said to be inspired by the beautiful Queen Shantaladevi, epitomizing the ideal feminine form. There are about 48 pillars of various sizes, shapes and designs , bearing testimony to remarkable artistry. The main highlight of the temple is Darpana Sundari or "The lady with the mirror".
Inside, even in the darkness, you can see the shining pillars, each unique in its own splendor. The most popular being, the Narasimha pillar in the Navaranga, unique in its filigreed splendor. It is said to have revolved on its ball bearings once. Shantaladevi, a dance legend herself, built a temple in similar fashion to the main temple, which was called the Channigaraya temple. The entire structure with its intricate Filigree gleams like metal. Chloritic Schist, a light greenish soapstone, hard as granite was used to create the complex.
Hoysala sculptors have broken this custom and signed their sculptures. They engraved their names, titles and even the place of their origin at the foot of their art work. Mallitamma was the most prolific of all known Hoysala artists and more than forty well-executed sculptures stand in his name. However, even after a lapse of eight centuries, the art lovers of the whole world can adore this heritage centre. The Temple is not in a good shape still, you could spend hours studying the minute carvings on the exterior.The temple has lost its super structure but looks very imposing.
Temple Timings : 7.30 a.m to 8 p.m
Inner sanctum of main Deity closed from 10 to11 a.m, 1 to 3 p.m, 5 to 6.15p.m
Guide fee Rs 125 to 250 (Many Government appointed Tour Guides are available to show around the temple)
Belur is a small town located on the banks of River Yagachi, in Hassan district of Karnataka. Belur was the early capital of the Hoysala Empire. Belur is considered as the Banaras of South and is thus also known as Dakshina Varnasi.
The main attraction in Belur is the Chennakeshava temple complex dedicated to Lord 'Chennakeshava' (handsome Vishnu) temple. It was built by King Vishnuvardhana of Hoysala Dynasty in the Dravidian Style. It is about one hundred feet high and has a magnificent gateway tower. There are many subsidary shrines around the main temple.They conceived their shrines as star-shaped structures and not the usual cubical form. In this concept of the stellate, the main temple at Belur, is a show-stealer.
History
From inscription it is learnt that Vishnuvardhana got the temple built in 1117 A.D., in memory of his victory against Cholas in Talkad. Other sources declare that Vishnuvardhana got built this temple when he embraced Vaishnavism, as advised by the Great Guru Sri Ramanujacharya. Shantala Devi though a Jain by faith a noted dancer and on one of the temple's brackets her dancing poses has been sculptured in the most ornate and in exuberant style.The art showcases the intricacy of the hair styles and ormanments during the Hoysala period.
The Hoysala dynasty originally had their capital at Halebid (about 17 kms from Belur) where they ruled for over 150 years. However, it was attacked by invaders, Mallik Kafur, a couple of times during the 14th century, plundered to poverty and ruins. Thus, the Hoysalas shifted their seat of power to Belur which stood proud as a powerful empire back then.
Chennakeshava Temple
The temple is a holy house for sculptures showcasing innumerable variety of ornaments, the doorways, the ceilings, the birds, the animals, dancers and other figures are fully decorated as if they are full of life and vigour with variety of actions and movements.The doorways are guarded on either side by the gorgeously decorated dvarapalaka (doorkeepers).
There are two more shrines here that are still in use by devotees and there is a Pushkarni or stepped well to the right side of the main entrance. The temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes with no portion left blank.The main entrance is crowned by a Rayagopura built during the days of Vijayanagar empire. Within the temple complex, the Chennakesava temple is in the centre, facing east and flanked by Kappe Channigaraya temple and a small Lakshmi temple on its right. At Chennakesava temple daily pujas are performed.
A interesting sight with in the sanctum are the ancient jet-black Hoysala pillars, covered with bright vermilion smeared on by devotees.The main temple is surrounded by Temples of Soumyanayaki and Ranganayaki, beloveds of Sri Chennakesava.
Stories from the Puranas, Upanishads and other mythological stories have been carved in the most authentic way. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata also have been included .The bracketed figurines called the Madanikas or celestial nymphs are no doubt the highlight of the temple's magnificent architecture.The Madanikas are said to be inspired by the beautiful Queen Shantaladevi, epitomizing the ideal feminine form. There are about 48 pillars of various sizes, shapes and designs , bearing testimony to remarkable artistry. The main highlight of the temple is Darpana Sundari or "The lady with the mirror".
Inside, even in the darkness, you can see the shining pillars, each unique in its own splendor. The most popular being, the Narasimha pillar in the Navaranga, unique in its filigreed splendor. It is said to have revolved on its ball bearings once. Shantaladevi, a dance legend herself, built a temple in similar fashion to the main temple, which was called the Channigaraya temple. The entire structure with its intricate Filigree gleams like metal. Chloritic Schist, a light greenish soapstone, hard as granite was used to create the complex.
Hoysala sculptors have broken this custom and signed their sculptures. They engraved their names, titles and even the place of their origin at the foot of their art work. Mallitamma was the most prolific of all known Hoysala artists and more than forty well-executed sculptures stand in his name. However, even after a lapse of eight centuries, the art lovers of the whole world can adore this heritage centre. The Temple is not in a good shape still, you could spend hours studying the minute carvings on the exterior.The temple has lost its super structure but looks very imposing.
Temple Timings : 7.30 a.m to 8 p.m
Inner sanctum of main Deity closed from 10 to11 a.m, 1 to 3 p.m, 5 to 6.15p.m
Guide fee Rs 125 to 250 (Many Government appointed Tour Guides are available to show around the temple)
Bandipur National Park
India's one of the best known tiger sanctuaries is Bandipur National Park.
The park includes rocky hills and valleys drained by rivers Kabini, Nugu, Moyar and numerous small streams. The enchanting Nilgiri Mountains and their cloud-covered peaks form a picturesque backdrop for the park. Bandipur National Park's altitude between 680-1454 metres and is situated south of the Kabini river at the foothills of the Western Ghats. Monsoon from June to September and best time to visit is open throughout the year but preferably in monsoon when wildlife is plenty and forest is green.
History : Bandipur National Park lies at the heart of an extensive forest at the confluence of the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills. It was created at 800 kms site in the Bandipur Reserve Forest in 1931. Bandipur Tiger Reserve was constituted in 1973 by carving out 880 kms from the Wildlife Park, has boasted constant rise in Tiger population. Also famous for Sandal wood trees and rare species of Flora. The Maharajas of Mysore used the Bandipur forests as a private game reserve. The late Maharaja Jaya Chamaraja Wodeyar, the founding Chairman of the Indian Board of Wildlife was a keen wildlife enthusiast.With its location under the shadow of the Western Ghats, Bandipur is easily one of the finest habitats of the Asian Elephant and Gaurs in their natural surroundings.
Safaris : A must do when in Bandipur. Entry fee: Rs75, foreigners Rs.175. Camera still Free. Videos Rs.100. Elephant Ride Rs.100/person for 20 mins .
Timeing for Elephant Rides: 6.30am, 8030am, 3.30pm and 5.30pm. Intepretation centre 9am to 5.30pm.
Where to Stay :The government of Karnataka provides spacious and comfortable accommodation at Bandipur National Park. The rates charged are quite reasonable, but frequently all rooms are booked well in advance.
Resorts at Bandipur :
Country Club
Tusker Trails
Jungle Lodges etc
Mudumalai Forest Resort (20 km from Bandipur)
Resorts at Mudumalai:
Jungle Hut
Green Park
Jungle Retreat
Bear Mountain
Casa Deepwoods
Flora : The scrub jungles towards the eastern limits of the park consist of stunted trees, interspersed with bushes and open grassy patches. Towards its northwestern fringes, there is a gradual shift in the vegetation from open dry deciduous forests to tropical mixed deciduous forests. These diverse habitats support an enormous diversity of animal life.
Fauna : Tiger, Leopard, Elephant, Gaur, Sambar (deer), Chital, Sloth bear, Mouse deer, Wild dog, Wild boar, Barking deer, Four horned Antelope, Hyena, Gaur, Panther, Sloth bear, Crocodiles, Mouse deer, Python, Osprey are some of the animals. Grey Junglefowl, Pompadour Green Pigeon, Honey Buzzard, Red-headed Vulture, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Brown Hawk Owl, Bay Owl, Malabar Trogon, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Little Spiderhunter, Plain Flower pecker are some of the birds. Reptiles like King Cobra, Common Cobra, Python, Adder, Viper, Rat Snake, Water Snake, Marsh Crocodile, Lizard, Chameleon, Monitor Lizard, Frog, Tree frog, Toad and Tortoise are seen in this reserve.
India's one of the best known tiger sanctuaries is Bandipur National Park.
The park includes rocky hills and valleys drained by rivers Kabini, Nugu, Moyar and numerous small streams. The enchanting Nilgiri Mountains and their cloud-covered peaks form a picturesque backdrop for the park. Bandipur National Park's altitude between 680-1454 metres and is situated south of the Kabini river at the foothills of the Western Ghats. Monsoon from June to September and best time to visit is open throughout the year but preferably in monsoon when wildlife is plenty and forest is green.
History : Bandipur National Park lies at the heart of an extensive forest at the confluence of the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills. It was created at 800 kms site in the Bandipur Reserve Forest in 1931. Bandipur Tiger Reserve was constituted in 1973 by carving out 880 kms from the Wildlife Park, has boasted constant rise in Tiger population. Also famous for Sandal wood trees and rare species of Flora. The Maharajas of Mysore used the Bandipur forests as a private game reserve. The late Maharaja Jaya Chamaraja Wodeyar, the founding Chairman of the Indian Board of Wildlife was a keen wildlife enthusiast.With its location under the shadow of the Western Ghats, Bandipur is easily one of the finest habitats of the Asian Elephant and Gaurs in their natural surroundings.
Safaris : A must do when in Bandipur. Entry fee: Rs75, foreigners Rs.175. Camera still Free. Videos Rs.100. Elephant Ride Rs.100/person for 20 mins .
Timeing for Elephant Rides: 6.30am, 8030am, 3.30pm and 5.30pm. Intepretation centre 9am to 5.30pm.
Where to Stay :The government of Karnataka provides spacious and comfortable accommodation at Bandipur National Park. The rates charged are quite reasonable, but frequently all rooms are booked well in advance.
Resorts at Bandipur :
Country Club
Tusker Trails
Jungle Lodges etc
Mudumalai Forest Resort (20 km from Bandipur)
Resorts at Mudumalai:
Jungle Hut
Green Park
Jungle Retreat
Bear Mountain
Casa Deepwoods
Flora : The scrub jungles towards the eastern limits of the park consist of stunted trees, interspersed with bushes and open grassy patches. Towards its northwestern fringes, there is a gradual shift in the vegetation from open dry deciduous forests to tropical mixed deciduous forests. These diverse habitats support an enormous diversity of animal life.
Fauna : Tiger, Leopard, Elephant, Gaur, Sambar (deer), Chital, Sloth bear, Mouse deer, Wild dog, Wild boar, Barking deer, Four horned Antelope, Hyena, Gaur, Panther, Sloth bear, Crocodiles, Mouse deer, Python, Osprey are some of the animals. Grey Junglefowl, Pompadour Green Pigeon, Honey Buzzard, Red-headed Vulture, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Brown Hawk Owl, Bay Owl, Malabar Trogon, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Little Spiderhunter, Plain Flower pecker are some of the birds. Reptiles like King Cobra, Common Cobra, Python, Adder, Viper, Rat Snake, Water Snake, Marsh Crocodile, Lizard, Chameleon, Monitor Lizard, Frog, Tree frog, Toad and Tortoise are seen in this reserve.
Badami
Temple: Badami cave temples
Badami, located in the Bagalkot district of North Karnataka, was the capital of the Chalukya Dynasty. It is situated at the mouth of a beautiful ravine, flanked on either side by beautiful sandstone hills.
The Badami Cave Temples - Overview
The Badami cave temples are a set of four temples carved out of soft sandstone. They belong to the Chalukya Period. Of the four caves, three are dedicated to Hindu Gods, and the fourth is a Jain Temple.
The Badami Cave Temples - History
The Badami cave temples are an early example of the Chalukya style of architecture. It was during the early Chalukyan period that temple architectural styles were evolved.
Many new temple building styles were introduced, of which constructing rock-cut cave temples was one type. The Badami cave temples are an example of this type of evolving architecture. It is one of the most beautiful examples of early South Indian temple architecture.
Founded in 540 A.D. by Pulikesi I, Badami served as the capital of the Chalukyas. The Chalukyas ruled most of Karnataka, before the Rashtrakutas. These temples mark the emergence of the Chalukya style of temple architecture, which is a nice blend of the North Indian Nagara style and the South Indian Dravidian style.
The Badami Cave Temples - Architecture
Badami is famous for its four cave temples - all carved out of sand stone on the precipice of a hill. They all share the same plan - a veranda with columns and brackets leading to a main hall, the pillared maha mandapa which in turn leads to the small sanctum which houses the sculpture.
Legend has it there were two demon siblings Vatapi and Ilvala, who had a trick by which they could kill and make a meal of mendicants passing by. Their tricks worked until Agastya muni came by and counter-tricked them and brought an end to Vatapi's life. Two of the hills in Badami are supposed to represent the demons Ilvalan and Vatapi.
The four cave temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then, with tolerance and a religious following that inclines towards Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
The First Cave
The first temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. You would have to climb about 40 steps to reach it. Built around 578 AD, this is believed to be the earliest of the four temples. This cave depicts Shiva in his dancing form – as Nataraja depicted with eighteen arms. There are no less than 81 different dancing poses of Nataraja depicted in this cave. The first cave has gigantic carvings of Ardhanareeswara and Harira manifestations of Shiva in bas relief.
There are also reliefs of Ganapati, Shanmukha and Mahishasuramardhini, and may be the oldest in Badami. It is made of red sandstone and has a hall with numerous pillars and a square shaped sanctum hollowed in the control back wall.
The Second Cave
This cave temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Here he is depicted in the magnificent Trivikrama form, where he is measuring the earth with one foot, and the sky with the other, with a third food resting on the head of Mahabali.
It is reached through a flight of 64 stairs from the first one. On its ceiling, are carvings of Vishnu on Garuda and several other scenes from the puranas.
The Third Cave
The third rock cut temple is reached from the 2nd temple through a flight of 60 steps. It is a 100 feet deep cave, with inscriptions dating this Vishnu temple to 578 CE during, the period of Kiritivarma Chalukya.
This temple is also dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Here he is represented in various forms – as Vamana, the dwarf, as Trivikrama, an enormous entity measuring the world; as Narasimha, the man-lion; and as Varaha, lifting up Mother Earth from the sea. It also has a wonderful statue of Vishnu sitting on the serpent Adisesha.
The cave also has carved images of the Narasimha and Trivikrama avataras of Vishnu. There are also murals depicting the divine marriage of Shiva and Parvati.
The Fourth Cave
Cave temple 4 relates to 6th century Jainism, dedicated to the Lord Mahavira . He is depicted in a unique sitting posture. This is considered to be latest of the four temples, and it was built about 100 years after the other three temples. There is a carving of the Tirthankara Parshavnatha (with a serpent at his feet).
Museum
The archaeological museum of Badami has Nandi, Lord Shiva's bull, at its entrance. This museum is closed on Fridays. It houses superb examples of local sculptures, including the remarkable Lajja-Gauri images of fertility cult, which flourished in the era.
Fairs & Festivals
A number of annual temple festivals are held in towns near Badami. The annual temple festival, held at Banashankari, in the month of January-February is worth visiting; so are the Virupaksha Temple Car Festival and Mallikarjuna Temple Festival held in Pattadakal during March-April.
The Badami Cave Temples – Facts
There are other places to visit, very near the temple including:
The Badami Fort
The Badami fort is located two kilometers from the town. Besides its other attractions like the huge granary and an underground chamber, it houses one of the oldest Shiva temples in the region – Malegitti Shiva.
Perched on top of the hill is the fort with the Upper and Lower Shivalayas. The Upper Shivalaya, built by Pulakesan II, a devotee of Lord Vishnu is marked by sculpted tales from mythology on its outer walls. Look for the lion and elephant heads atop the temple steps. The Lower Shivalaya was raised to Lord Ganesh. To its north a 16th century cannon looks down on the township. The watchtower, a little further on, is believed to date to the 14th century.
The Agasthya Tirtha
This is a lake situated at the foot of the hill that houses the cave temples. It is famous because the water in the lake is believed to have great healing powers.
Temple: Badami cave temples
Badami, located in the Bagalkot district of North Karnataka, was the capital of the Chalukya Dynasty. It is situated at the mouth of a beautiful ravine, flanked on either side by beautiful sandstone hills.
The Badami Cave Temples - Overview
The Badami cave temples are a set of four temples carved out of soft sandstone. They belong to the Chalukya Period. Of the four caves, three are dedicated to Hindu Gods, and the fourth is a Jain Temple.
The Badami Cave Temples - History
The Badami cave temples are an early example of the Chalukya style of architecture. It was during the early Chalukyan period that temple architectural styles were evolved.
Many new temple building styles were introduced, of which constructing rock-cut cave temples was one type. The Badami cave temples are an example of this type of evolving architecture. It is one of the most beautiful examples of early South Indian temple architecture.
Founded in 540 A.D. by Pulikesi I, Badami served as the capital of the Chalukyas. The Chalukyas ruled most of Karnataka, before the Rashtrakutas. These temples mark the emergence of the Chalukya style of temple architecture, which is a nice blend of the North Indian Nagara style and the South Indian Dravidian style.
The Badami Cave Temples - Architecture
Badami is famous for its four cave temples - all carved out of sand stone on the precipice of a hill. They all share the same plan - a veranda with columns and brackets leading to a main hall, the pillared maha mandapa which in turn leads to the small sanctum which houses the sculpture.
Legend has it there were two demon siblings Vatapi and Ilvala, who had a trick by which they could kill and make a meal of mendicants passing by. Their tricks worked until Agastya muni came by and counter-tricked them and brought an end to Vatapi's life. Two of the hills in Badami are supposed to represent the demons Ilvalan and Vatapi.
The four cave temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then, with tolerance and a religious following that inclines towards Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
The First Cave
The first temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. You would have to climb about 40 steps to reach it. Built around 578 AD, this is believed to be the earliest of the four temples. This cave depicts Shiva in his dancing form – as Nataraja depicted with eighteen arms. There are no less than 81 different dancing poses of Nataraja depicted in this cave. The first cave has gigantic carvings of Ardhanareeswara and Harira manifestations of Shiva in bas relief.
There are also reliefs of Ganapati, Shanmukha and Mahishasuramardhini, and may be the oldest in Badami. It is made of red sandstone and has a hall with numerous pillars and a square shaped sanctum hollowed in the control back wall.
The Second Cave
This cave temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Here he is depicted in the magnificent Trivikrama form, where he is measuring the earth with one foot, and the sky with the other, with a third food resting on the head of Mahabali.
It is reached through a flight of 64 stairs from the first one. On its ceiling, are carvings of Vishnu on Garuda and several other scenes from the puranas.
The Third Cave
The third rock cut temple is reached from the 2nd temple through a flight of 60 steps. It is a 100 feet deep cave, with inscriptions dating this Vishnu temple to 578 CE during, the period of Kiritivarma Chalukya.
This temple is also dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Here he is represented in various forms – as Vamana, the dwarf, as Trivikrama, an enormous entity measuring the world; as Narasimha, the man-lion; and as Varaha, lifting up Mother Earth from the sea. It also has a wonderful statue of Vishnu sitting on the serpent Adisesha.
The cave also has carved images of the Narasimha and Trivikrama avataras of Vishnu. There are also murals depicting the divine marriage of Shiva and Parvati.
The Fourth Cave
Cave temple 4 relates to 6th century Jainism, dedicated to the Lord Mahavira . He is depicted in a unique sitting posture. This is considered to be latest of the four temples, and it was built about 100 years after the other three temples. There is a carving of the Tirthankara Parshavnatha (with a serpent at his feet).
Museum
The archaeological museum of Badami has Nandi, Lord Shiva's bull, at its entrance. This museum is closed on Fridays. It houses superb examples of local sculptures, including the remarkable Lajja-Gauri images of fertility cult, which flourished in the era.
Fairs & Festivals
A number of annual temple festivals are held in towns near Badami. The annual temple festival, held at Banashankari, in the month of January-February is worth visiting; so are the Virupaksha Temple Car Festival and Mallikarjuna Temple Festival held in Pattadakal during March-April.
The Badami Cave Temples – Facts
There are other places to visit, very near the temple including:
The Badami Fort
The Badami fort is located two kilometers from the town. Besides its other attractions like the huge granary and an underground chamber, it houses one of the oldest Shiva temples in the region – Malegitti Shiva.
Perched on top of the hill is the fort with the Upper and Lower Shivalayas. The Upper Shivalaya, built by Pulakesan II, a devotee of Lord Vishnu is marked by sculpted tales from mythology on its outer walls. Look for the lion and elephant heads atop the temple steps. The Lower Shivalaya was raised to Lord Ganesh. To its north a 16th century cannon looks down on the township. The watchtower, a little further on, is believed to date to the 14th century.
The Agasthya Tirtha
This is a lake situated at the foot of the hill that houses the cave temples. It is famous because the water in the lake is believed to have great healing powers.
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