North India

AGRA - TajMahal

Agra, in Uttar Pradesh is a city full of history. Once the capital of the Moghuls, Agra can boast a number of marvelous buildings, the most magnificent and well known being the Taj Mahal. Besides this mausoleum, which I consider being the greatest building on earth, there are other attractions in Agra like the massive Agra fort and Akbar’s mausoleum. Agra is located in the western corner of the northern province Uttar Pradesh. Together with Delhi and Jaipur, the city forms the ‘golden triangle’, India’s most popular tourist itinerary. From Delhi, a trip by bus takes about 4 hours.

Darjeeling

Darjeeling is the legendary British hill station perched in the foothills of the Himalayas. Located in the northern extreme of the Indian state of West Bengal, Darjeeling is just east of Nepal, just south of Sikkim, and a bit west and south of Bhutan. It is most famous for its once magnificent tea estates. Despite a steady and inexorable decline since independence, roughly a half century ago, these estates still produce a substantial portion of the world's tea. Darjeeling, which is internationally acclaimed as one of the best hill stations in the world, is covered with pine trees, rhododendrons, magnolias, primulas and orchids. With houses hugging the hill side are various places to visit, which are of great interest.

Gwalior

319 kms from delhi Gwalior, city, central India, in Madhya Pradesh State, near Agra. The new section of the city, called Lashkar, a few miles south of the old city, is the site of factories producing cotton, yarn, paint, ceramics, chemicals, and leather products. The nucleus of Gwalior is a citadel crowning an isolated rock about 91 m (300 ft) high, 3.2 km (2 mi) long, and 823 m (2700 ft) wide. The rock is said to have been a stronghold for more than ten centuries. On the eastern base of the rock is the old city of Gwalior, which contains a noted white sandstone mosque, palaces, rock temples, and statues of archaeological and architectural interest. In the city is Jiwaji University (1964). Gwalior was the capital of the princely state of Gwalior until 1948 and the summer capital of Madhya Bharat State from 1948 to 1956, when Madhya Bharat became part of Madhya Pradesh. Population (1991) 690,765.

Khajuraho

From delhi to Khajuraho 596kms 12hrs.  Located in the provincial state of Madhya Pradesh India, Khajuraho is known the world over for its temples, sex, architecture and sculpture. The construction of these Temples are thousand-year old took a little over two centuries, in terms of architecture of these temples, they form the high peak of the north Indian 'nagara' style. Of the 85 temples believed to have been built between the 9th and 12th centuries only 20 have survived, many in splendid condition, others having given way to the ravages of time and nature. Close to and around Khajuraho is forest land; a small clearing houses a village populated by no more than 3,000 residents, but visited each year by tourists from all over the world. Hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops mark the entrances to the two distinctive groups of temples; little boys switch from Spanish to French to German in rapid succession as they peddle handicrafts or mineral water; signboards, too, are posted in various languages, and the villagers now seldom bother to look up when they hear the thunder of airplanes overhead. The hub of tourist activity are the temples built by the Chandela Rajputs, who can be traced as descendants of the moon god. The head of the clan is believed to have been a valiant warrior who fought lions bare-handed (hence the emblem, frequently seen at the temples, of a warrior grappling with a lion); he is said to have ordered the building of the temples as a means of salvation for his mother, Hemvati, who was ravished by the Moon god. The spate of temple- building which began about the middle of the 9th century and continued until the early 12th century must have used the skills of thousands of sculptors, architects and masons; unfortunately, there is almost no record of this activity in the annals of Indian history. By the time the last temple was completed the Chandela dynasty had sunk into oblivion. Khajuraho was the Chandela capital for only a brief period; they ruled for the most part from Kalinjar and other parts of the Bundelkhand region, with Khajuraho remaining their religious center. The most important aspect of the temples is the abundance of sculptures that decorate the facades and interiors of the shrines. In this profusion of images attention has understandably been paid to divinities, less Understandably to celestial beauties and the female form in general and, controversially, to graphic sexual representations. Over the years a number of explanations have been forthcoming for the presence of erotic sculptures at what was essentially a religious centre; no single theory, however, has been able to justify their profuse expression. Were these temple centres of tantrik mysticism, which cites sex as an important component of human development towards the Absolute or were they merely a reactionary swing away from the austerities preached by the Buddha? Perhaps the answer can be found as excavations in the region continue, but this much is certain: Buddhism did at one time have a strong presence here, just as tantric rituals enjoyed a wide adulation during the medieval period. As Chandela power diminished, the importance of their sometime-capital also waned. Its heavily forested terrain could not provide much revenue, and served to deter invading Muslim armies (for whom the temples were of little interest, while the sculptures could only have appeared offensivethey certainly did to T. S. Burt, the British engineer who is credited with their 'discovery' in the mid-19th century). The temples were never, so to say, lost', for villagers and tribal inhabitants of the region were familiar with them; they continued to use one temple in particular Matangeshwar Mahadev for worship, especially on the occasion of Shivratri. While early travelers such as Alberuni and lbn Batuta had reported the presence of the temples, they were not dwelt upon in depth, possibly because of there being abandoned and overgrown by bushes and weeds. Burt announced their presence to the world, and the first major data on them was collected by General Alexander Cunningham in his Survey of India reports. Early this century there was some interest in the temples, but their inaccessibility made their study and regular travel to the site impossible. Over the years, roads were laid and the minimal facilities provided; then, a couple of decades ago, the first luxury hotel project revived interest in the region, and the resurrection of Khajuraho began The Temples of Khajuraho The beautiful Hindu temples at Khajuraho were built by the pre-Mughal Chandela dynasty around 1000 years ago. These magnificent structures, which consist externally of a series of soaring towers carved from sandstone, were dedicated to a variety of gods and goddesses. Around 25 temples remain standing in the complex. The erotic Khajuraho carvings Around the Khajuraho temples run bands of numerous, intricately-carved stone sculptures and statues. These depict gods and goddesses, musicians, battle and hunting scenes, celestial maidens and dancing women, and the famed depictions of energetic and imaginative erotica. The significance of the erotic content of these carvings is unclear. The long-abandoned temples, overgrown by forest, were 're-discovered' by the ruling British in 1838. Some of Queen Victoria's upstanding officers were not impressed. General Sir Alexander Cunningham, who mapped the site, described the sculptures as "highly indecent, and most of them disgustingly obscene.

Orchha

Main Languages : Hindi.  Telephone area code : 0517  Best time to visit : October to March Once the capital of Bundelas, Orchha is now just a village, set amongst a complex of well preserved palace and temples.  It was founded in the early 16th century by Rajput chieftain, Radra Pratap and remained the capital of powerful Rajput Kingdom from 1583 till 1783. Orcha’s golden age was during the first half of the 17th century when Jehangir visited the city in 1606, a special palace, the Jehangir Mahal, was specially built for him. Later both Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb raided the city.  Orchha today is little more than a village with a population of only a couple of thousands and is definitely worth a visit. Places of Interest: Fort The fort is reached by an arched bridge and the three palaces set in an open courtyard within the fort are the first buildings to explore. The tiered Jahangir Mahal was built in 1606 to commemorate the visit of Emperor Jahangir in 1606. The Raj Mahal, to the right of the courtyard, was built by Madhukar Shah and has bold colorful murals inside. The third palace, is the Rai Praveen Mahal, which is a two storey brick structure set in the gardens of Anand Mahal.  Of the many temples within the fort, three are especially worth visiting. The Ram Raja Mandir was originally a palace and became a temple more by accident than design. An image of Ram was installed while the temple, The Chaturbhuj was being built for it. For some reason the image could not be moved from the palace and despite its spires and ornate decoration became a sacred place. Linked to the Ram Raja is the Lakshminarayan temple, the interiors of which have some of the best preserved murals and wall paintings in Orcha. How To Reach By Air: Nearest airport is Gwalior (119 kms).  By Train: Shatabdi express from Delhi (4.5 hrs) & Agra (2.5 hrs).  By Road: 101 kms from Gwalior.

Jaipur

Jaipur, popularly known as the Pink City, was founded in 1727 AD by one of the greatest rulers of the Kachhawaha clan, the astronomer king Sawai Jai Singh. The pink color was used at the time of making to create an impression of red sandstone buildings of Mughal cities - and repainted in 1876, during the visit of the Prince of Wales. The city is best explored on foot and the adventurous visitor willing to go into the inner lanes can discover a whole new world not visible to the tourist-in-a-hurry. Jaipur is barely 262 kilometers from New Delhi, and is well connected by road, rail and air. Places of interest are mainly located within the walled city. The City Palace complex is the most important landmark with its numerous outbuildings, courtyards, impressive gateways and temples. Across the road from the palace is the Jantar Mantar, one of the five observatories built bySawai Jai Singh. A collection of complex astronomical instruments, chisseled out of stone- most of which continue to provide fairly accurate information to this day - is the highlight of this observatory  Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) adjoins the outside of the palace wall. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the Hawa Mahal is a remarkable structure which overlooks one of the main streets and also provides some excellent views of the city. In the not-too-distant past, ladies of the court found it convenient to watch the activities on the streets below without being observed themselves. Located just outside the walled city is the sprawling Ram Niwas Garden. The garden houses the majestic Albert Hall Mueseum. Opened in 1887 AD, this impressive building displays a rich collection of paintings, carpets, ivory, stone and metal sculpture among other objects.

New Delhi

New Delhi, city, northern India. The country's capital city, New Delhi is located in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, on the Yamuna River. New Delhi was built between 1912 and 1929 on a site adjacent to Delhi, or Old Delhi, which had been chosen to replace Calcutta (now Kolkata) as the capital of India in 1911; New Delhi was inaugurated as the new capital in 1931. Predominantly an administrative center, the city also has textile mills, printing plants, and small manufacturing establishments. The streets of New Delhi are laid out symmetrically, according to the city plan drawn by the English architect Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens. Lutyens also designed the majestic red sandstone and marble Rashtrapati Bhawan, formerly the palace of the viceroy and now the residence of the president, which is in the center of the city, as are parliament and other important government buildings. The architecture of these buildings is mainly European, with details of indigenous Indian styles. Another building that combines Indian and Western styles is the United States embassy designed by the American architect Edward Durell Stone. The Raj Path, a wide boulevard bordered by trees and canals, runs east from the palace to a war memorial arch. The streets of the commercial center, Connaught Place, northeast of the palace, are laid out in a radial pattern.

Varanasi

The holy city of Varanasi, known as the city of temples and learning , is a place of great historical and cultural importance. This religious capital of India is situated on the banks of the holy river Ganges and is presided over by Lord Shiva. It is the heart of India and an epitome of the synthesis of cultures, religions and races. The river-front of the city is decorated by hundreds of well built ghats which is a unique feature. The holy Buddhist place, Sarnath is in its precincts . Varanasi is the premiere most place of oriental learning. Simultaneously it is keeping pace with modern advanced knowledge. It has three universities .one Tibetan Institute and an Institute of Arabic Studies. The city is reputed for silk fabrics, perfumes, artistic brass and copper wares and a variety of handicrafts. It is an important centre of literature, art and culture. It has produced great poets. writers, musicians and scholars. This vibrant city of joy knowledge and liberation has a magnetic attraction for people all over the world. Varanasi is well connected both by air and rail with all the important places of India . Its distance from Delhi is 765 Kms. The Railway Station is about 10Kms. and the airport about 32 Kms. from the University. The city is relatively free from the menace of pollution. Its weather varies from 400 C in summer (May-June) to 50 C in winter (December-January). During the major part of the year the city has a temperate climate The city is very hospitable. It has a large number of 4 and 3 Star hotels and moderately cheap lodgings.All kinds of food are available here..

Shimla

Pine forests and apple orchards, crisp, clean air and breathtaking views - that's Shimla in a nutshell. Sprawled over 12 kms on a crescent shaped ridge lies Shimla, the largest hill station and erstwhile summer capital of the British in India. Descending in layers from the top of the ridge, at 2,213 metres, Shimla straddles several hills, including the Jakhu, Prospect Hill, Observatory Hill, Elysium Hill and Summer Hill.  Though Shimla town, which is now the capital of Himachal Pradesh, has come a long way from the days of the Raj, the old British buildings, quaint cottages and churches still remind visitors of an era long gone by. In the heyday of the Empire, officers and their wives strolled down the Mall of Shimla, exchanging pleasantries with fellow officers. Many a grass widow spent time wandering along walks through Shimla's pine forests, while dashing Indian princes left many an English lady heartbroken. From the days of the British, when it was the popular retreat of the sahibs, Shimla has now become the hub of major activities in Himachal Pradesh. Being the seat of government and a major tourist attraction in north India, Shimla has grown to bursting point. In peak tourist season, traffic jams and crippling water shortage are common. Nevertheless, the fresh air, magnificent snow peaks and refreshing green all around make Shimla worth a visit.

Kulu

Kulu (1220 km), located on the banks of the Beas river, was once known as Kulanthpitha - `the end of the habitable world'. Beyond its perimeter loomed the magnificent Greater Himalayas, and by the Beas sprawled the `Silver Valley'. Kulu came to be accessible to the outside world, only after Independence. The long period of seclusion, has only served to enhance the element of rawness and simplicity, that is inherent in the area.  The Silver Valley is an untouched treasure trove of natural beauty, teeming with exquisite flowers, luscious fruits, charming brooks, verdant valleys, with pristine white mountains forming the backdrop to this breath - takingly gorgeous region. What to See: Raghunath Temple In the 17th century, Raja Jagat Singh of Kulu is said to have committed a great wrong, to atone for which, he sent a courtier to Ayodhya for a statue of Lord Raghunath - Lord Rama. He built this temple to house the image, and the shrine went on to be a popular site of worship. Bijli Mahadev Temple (14 km) Located at an altitude of 2460 m, this fascinating temple rests on a spur, that offers some splendid views. The remarkable feature of the shrine, is a high pole or staff that periodically draws lightning, which shatters the `Shivlinga' and scorches the building. Butter is, then, used as an adhesive by the priest to put the `linga' together again. Basheshwar Mahadev Temple, Bajaura (15 km) This temple is by far one of the most picturesque temples in the valley, and boasts of exquisite stone carvings. Other temples The Vaishno Devi temple (4 km), the Devi Jagannathi temple at Bekhli (5 km), and the Vishnu temple at Dayar (12 km) are some of the significant shrines around Kulu. Kaisdhar (15 km) Kaisdhar is an idyllic meadow, embraced by lofty deodar trees. Kasol (42 km) Kasol, on the banks of the river Parvati, is another one of the many splendid spots that dot the Kulu valley, and offers ample opportunity for fishing trout. Manikarna (45 km) Manikarna is located at an altitude of 1737 m, in the valley of the river Parvati. It derives its name from a legend according to which, Parvati, Lord Shiva's consort lost her earrings - manikarna - and recovered them at the site from which the sulphur springs arise. There is also a gurudwara in the area, and consequently, this spot is deemed sacred by both Hindus and Sikhs. There are also trek routes from here, that lead on to Pulga, Khirganga and Mantalai. Himachal Tourism runs Hotel Parvati at Manikarna. Shoja (69 km) Shoja, at 2692 m, commands a brilliant panaromic view of the entire Kulu valley, in all its natural splendour. Raison ( 13 km) For the adventurous at heart, by the banks of the Beas, on the Kulu - Manali highway, is Raison, a good trekking site, where Himachal Tourism has established a camping base. Nagar (23 km) Nagar was Kulu's erstwhile capital for 1400 years. The fact that its awesome 16th century castle, built of wood and stone, still stands intact, proves the earthquake - resistant properties of the local architectural style. The castle has now been converted into a hotel, under Himachal Tourism. Nagar also houses a gallery that showcases the splendid paintings of the famous Russian artist, Nicholas Roerich. The shrine of Jagati Pat, the pagoda - like shrine of the goddess Tripura Sundari, the shrines of Gaurishankar and Murlidhar, built in the shikhara style, are some of the major temples of the region. Facing the castle, is also a small temple dedicated to Narasimha, the leonine incarnation of Lord Vishnu.  Adventure: The Kulu valley is the meeting - point of several trek - routes, mainly the routes from Chanderkhani Pass to Malana, over the Jalori Pass or Bashleo Pass to Simla and over the Pin Parvati Pass to Sarahan. The magnificent Beas also offers ample opportunities for some exciting white river rafting.

Manali

Manali, at 1,926 metres on the northern edge of the Kullu valley, is the most popular tourist resort in this area. Though it does not have the colonial characteristics of Shimla, over the last few years Manali has developed into a major hill resort, chock-a-block with modern hotels and tourist lodges. Situated along the Beas River with a superb view of the perennial snow cover of the Solang Nala, Manali transports travel-weary tourists into the exalted heights of the Himalayas. Originally known as Manu-alaya or abode of Manu, the name was later simplified to Manali. The ancient village is said to be the original home of Manu, the 2nd century BC lawmaker of the Hindus.  Manali is the focal point for treks and mountaineering expeditions into the Solang Valley and over the Rohtang Pass into Lahaul-Spiti. It is also the beginning of the epic two-day trans-Himalayan journey up to the cold desert town of Leh in Ladakh, connected by the Leh-Manali highway. Manali’s rapid ascent as a major tourist destination has been further accelerated by the rise of terrorism in the Kashmir valley. Besides the local Kullu people, Manali is full of migrants including Lahaulis, Nepali labourers and Tibetan refugees. Manali is also one of the favourite joints of marijuana-hunters, ever since the hippie cult of the 60s.

Calcutta

About 1442 kms from Delhi Although the name Kalikata had been mentioned in the rent-roll of the Great Mughal emperor Akbar and also in Manasa-Mangal, to explore the history of Calcutta, we have to go back to the 17 th. century. It was in 1690....Job Charnock came to the bank of the river Hooghly (it's the part of the Ganges) and took the lease of the three villages- Sutanuti, Govindapur and Kolikata(Calcutta) as a trading post of British East India Company. The city became famous in 1756, when Siraj-Ud-Dawlah, the last independent nawab of Bengal, captured the city . But the British regained their power in 1757 and the city was recaptured under Robert Clive. Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of India, made it the seat of the supreme courts of justice and the supreme revenue administration, and Calcutta became the capital of British India in 1772. By 1800 Calcutta had become a busy and flourishing town, the center of the cultural as well as the political and economic life of Bengal.  Fascinating, Bewitching, Bewildering. That's Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal and India's largest city, a seething mass of activity with a cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Gangtok

Gangtok, Sikkim's capital sprawls over a forested hill that overlooks Mt. Khangchendzonga, guardian deity of the land to the Sikkimese Buddhists. Since 1894 to 1975 it served as the royal and administrative headquarters to the former kingdom, and even today it still bears a regal character. Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim with a population of approximately 50,000 has emerged into the mainstream of the Tourism Industry, with more and more tourist visiting this little Himalayan state every year. Gangtok has developed into a cosmopolitan flavour where old-world charm and hospitality exist along with the Internet Age.  How to get to Gangtok: Foreigners visiting Gangtok must possess an Indian visa. In addition to an Indian visa, foreigners must obtain Inner Line Permit (ILP) to visit Sikkim. The permits can be obtained from all Indian missions, Tourism Office, New Delhi, Sikkim Tourism Office, Calcutta and Sikkim Tourism Office, Siliguri on the strength of an Indian Visa...more

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