Places to visit in Mumbai, India

1. Dhobi Ghat:

It's a fascinationg place, a huge human powered laundry factory, where 100s of washermen wash clothes in large concrete wash pens under the open sky. It's a hereditary profession for many and most of the washerman (Dhobi in Hindi) families are working here since last 2 or may be 3 generations and their technique have remained same.

Clothes are soaked up in boiling water with Caustic Soda and then they are flogged on a flogging slab to get rid of stains etc.

After drying them in the open, clothes are ironed with age old charcoal presses with heavy wooden handles. It's a great photo opportunity if nothing else, you can get a view from the bridge next to the Mahalaxmi station. If you have given your clothes for washing, most probably they are being washed here. Most of the local people find it rather amusing that an activity as mundane as washing arouses such curiosity.

2. Jain Temple:

The temple is dedicated to Lord Adishwar (also known as Rushabhdev), the first of 24 Jain "Tirthankaras" (omniscients - also called "Arihants" or "Jinas") of the current era. The temple is presently used by thousands of devotees of the Jain religion for their daily worship. The core belief of Jainism is that "moksha" (freedom from the cycle of birth and death) can be achieved by the three-fold path of right knowledge, right faith and right conduct.

Compared to most Jain temples, it is very large. In addition to the main idol of Lord Adinath, it contains idols of several other Arihants and also many tableaux of scenes from the Jain scriptures. In the outer courtytard there is a small shrine dedicated to Shri Ghantakaran Mahavir, a "deva" (celestial being) whose worship is believed to provide powerful protection from various kinds of harm through the invocation of a special mantra.

All visitors are required to remove footwear before entering the temple (socks are permitted). Women should dress modestly (no shorts, skirts or low-cut tops) and should not enter the temple if they are menstruating.

3. Gateway Of India:

The Gateway of India is of course, the logical place from where to begin your tour of Mumbai. 

After all, you're following in the footsteps of royalty!

The English King George V landed in India in 1911 at this very spot, and the citizens of Bombay pooled money and ideas to build this grand memorial to him.

Gandhi returned to India from South Africa through this very arch. People thronged to the gate to see him, they had heard stories of his success in South Africa. They called him Mahatma - Great Soul.

After Indian independence, the last British soldiers departed through this arch.

But the most important thing about the Gateway is not the arch at all - it's the sea beyond it. You see, it was this deep and safe harbour that first attracted the Portguese, who called it "Bom Bahia" - Good Bay (that's where the city's name comes from).

The Portuguese later gave away the island to the English as part of the dowry of the Portuguese princess Catharine Braganza. And the English East India Company developed Bombay into a major shipping and trading harbour.

So, you see, the city's very existence is because of this stretch of calm water.

To view the Gateway and its environs from the comfort of an aiconditioned ambience, get a table by the window at the Sea Lounge at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel opposite. The Sea Lounge is a quintessentially Mumbai institution and a must on the itinerary of a first-time visitor. Apart from the restaurant itself, the lobby and the staircase of the heritage wing of the Taj Mahal hotel are worth a look.

4. Kanheri Caves:

Located 10 km  from Borivali, and in the midst of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, lies these caves. The word Kanheri originates from Sanskrit word "Krishnagiri"  and means, "Black Mountain".

Considered to be in use during the period of 1st century BC to 9th century AD, primarily by Buddhist monks, the caves were chiseled out of a massive basaltic rock outcropping. Most of the 109 Buddhist caves chiseled out of the volcanic rock are spartan and unadroned simple small chambers, known as viharas. However,  the most appealing is the Chaitya cave, built sometime during the 4th to 5th Century AD, shows signs of decorative woodwork on the roof still present, and is definitely a big draw for the tourists.There are many sculptured statues of Buddha, on the outer sides of the wall, mainly in the Avalokiteswara incarnation. 

                                                                                                        -By Anirudh

Places to visit in Goa, India

1. Maya Lake:
Maya Lake also known as Mayem Lake is situated in Mayem in the Bicholim taluk of North Goa. It is a popular tourist spot in Goa for boating. It is a famous picnic spot for the locals of Goa and tourists alike. On the roadside there are vendors dealing in Goan handicrafts and refreshments boasting of delicious coconut water.

When visiting the Mayem Lake, a trip to the famous Chamundi temple at Piligao is worth a visit. The image of the Chamunda goddess was originally brought from a temple in Goa Velha which was ruined by the invasions of the Muslim ruler, Malik Kafur in 1312. This temple is very old, although having been rebuilt a number of times. The temple tank is quite large and in its centre is a platform stone with ancient carvings.

The crossroads leading from here proceeds towards the Mayem Lake. It leads through a beautiful and natural array of cashew trees surrounding hills and valleys, areca nut palm trees with betel leaves and pineapple plantations. An occasional glimpse towards the coast, one can see the capital of Panjim with the Mandovi River in the far distance. 


2. Arvalam Waterfalls:

The Arvalem or Harvalem waterfalls, which cascades down from the mountains, from a height of 50 metres, is one of the most awe-amazing spots. It is situated at about 2 km from the small town of Sanqilm, and 8 km from Bicholim, in North Goa.


The Arvalem Waterfall is a very scenic and beautiful picnic spot. This charming waterfall is a mind-blowing experience, with Rudra Esha Temple in its vicinity. The temple holds importance for the Hindus who believe in releasing the soul on the 12th day after death.


While leaving the temple of Rudreshwar, one can descend the staircase to look at a majestic waterfall shedding its exuberant silvery showers. The beautiful Arvalem fall, with a head of about 24 feet high, forms a sizeable lake at the bottom, which offers a sizeable temptation to seasoned swimmers.


The best time to visit this site is just after the copious monsoon when it presents a rapturous, ravishing and riotous aspect. The water flow here during the monsoon is quite less. It has a lot of greenery all round with fruit laden trees with various fruits such as bananas, bread fruits and coconut palms to name a few.


The ancient caves in the vicinity adds a touch of antiquity to this picturesque place, which finds a major attraction for the film makers as a favourite shooting spot. The Rock cut caves are just situated nearby. The Government has also developed a park from which the view of the waterfall can be peacefully relished.

3. Chorao Island:

The Tiswadi island of Chorao is situated 5 kms from Panaji. The earliest settlers of the island were 10 families of the Goud Saraswat Brahmins. The people of the island are today known as the Chodankars. The island was earlier called Chudamani, which means 'stunning precious stone' in Sanskrit. According to the locals who call it Chodan or Chodna, when Yashoda the mother of Lord Krishna threw away diamonds, the islands emerged from them. Later it got the name Ilha dos fidalgos (Island of noblemen) as the Portuguese noblemen found the island a pleasurable place to live.


Amongst the first places to be captured by the Portuguese who called the island Chorao, the Chorao Island is a quaint place that has a whitewashed church and some old villas. The island mystifies many visitors as it is screened by a thick hedge mangrove beyond the aquatic swathe. It is known to be the largest amidst Goa's 17 islands which is also bestowed with rich riverine endowments by the Mandovi and Mapusa rivers jointly.


One can reach the Chorao Island by taking a ferry from Ribandhar which is on the road to Old Goa at around 3 km from Panaji. There is also a ferry linking Chorao to Pomburpa on the island's west. One of the roads moves northwards to Mayem and Bicholim and the other road passes uphill by the majestic 16th century church of Sao Bartholomew.


Facing the Arabian Sea, the Sa Bartholomew church was erected in 1569 and founded by the Jesuits. The magnificent landmark reflects the grandeur of Mannerist Neo-Roman architectural style. The church was transferred to the diocesan clergy before 1642 and it was remodeled in 1649. In 1559, the second church dedicated to Our Lady of Grace came up in Maddel. This church was known for its large fairs that were held on the feast day with horses, camels and textiles being traded by foreign merchants.


It is known that in the island of Chorao earlier there existed a branch of a University that was affiliated to the University in Benares. It had its own seat of learning, teaching Sanskrit and ancient literature. On April 2, 1761 when the Oratorians took over the academic responsibilities, a seminary known as Real Colegio de Educacao de Chorao was also established.


The Chorao island also had many ancient temples including Ganesha, Ravalnatha, Bhaukadevi, Mallinatha, Bhagvati, Devki, Santa-Purusha, Barazan, Narayan, Cantessor, Chandeussor and Dadd-Sancol. These were destroyed by the Portuguese and this was the time that the people of Chorao smuggled the deities via Mayem to Naroa and Marcela where they are held.


The Chorao island offers picture postcard views of the towering Old Goa convents. The famous Dr. Salim Ali bird sanctuary is also situated here. However to explore the sanctuary one needs a canoe as the forest department has no operational boats. A number of soft drink stalls are situated on the ferry wharf on Chorao and one of these hires out a canoe with a guide in season that is from October to April. A drive around the island takes you back to vintage Goa.

                                                                                                            -By Anirudh

Places to visit in Bangalore, India

1. Wonder La Amusement Park:
Wonderla Holidays Private Limited owns two amusement park in the brand name of Wonderla in Bangalore & Kochin. These parks has been set up with International standards and has been attracted more than 13 million people. Both the parks have secured ISO 14001 (environment friendly) & OHSAS 18001 (Safety & Helathy) certification from BVQI, France. Wonderla parks use Reverse Osmosis treated water in the pool and the temparature of the water maintained @ 28 degree celecius. The rides at the park caters to people of all age and follows the system of pay once and enjoy unlimited rides.


2. Shivanasamudra Falls:
Waterfalls present near Mysore on average of 90Km from he city.


3. Lalbagh Botanical Garden:
The sprawling 240-acre botanical garden houses some over 1,000 species of plants including some 100-year-old trees. The construction of Lal Bagh was started by Hyder Ali in 1760 and completed by his son Tippu Sultan. Currently the park hosts a deer park, aquarium, a lake and a small rocky hillock on which is sited one of the city’s four Kempe Gowda Towers and also a Glass House.  Another highlight of Lal Bagh is the Rose Garden; this has almost all the species of roses available worldwide. The Lal Bagh Rock, one of the oldest rock formations on earth, dating back to 3000 million years, is another attraction that brings the crowds. Flower shows are conducted every year to educate people about different flora and help cultivate habit of growing plants among the public.

 The Glasshouse inspired by the Crystal Palace in London is the venue of the annual flower show. This was built in the year 1840. The Annual flower, fruit and vegetable shows held here. Lal Bagh also houses the offices of the Karnataka Horticultural Society that renders free advice and conducts weekend courses in horticulture and flower arrangement to those interested in flowers and gardens. A giant Electronic Quartz Flower clock is also in the garden built by HMT.

4. The Art Of Living:

The Art of Living International Center, founded by H H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, is located on the picturesque Kanakapura Road, Bangalore, India. Visalakshi Mantap, an architectural marvel, is the main meditation hall in the campus.

5. Bannerghatta National Park:

Park hours are 9am to 5pm.  Avoid the Sunday rush or go to the zoo early around 9.30am. Avoid hours after 3pm -  you probably won't have enough time to see everything you might like to see. Best visited when less crowded. Eat full breakfast before start your trip.  If you're ok with junk food...plenty is available at this site. Carry bottled water.

The cost of the tickets vary from Rs.35 to Rs.100 depending on the day and type of visit - weekends are higher by approx. Rs. 10-25 for the visits.  The combinations include Zoo visit, Tiger+Lion Safar, Grand Safari (most popular) etc. Expats/Non-Indians pay twice the ruppees as would an Indian.

Camera fee is Rs. 20 and Video Camera is Rs. 110 (you may not want to do this). 

 

There is butterfly conservatory near the zoo (2 mins walking distance).  The cost of the ticket is Rs. 20 in addition to the zoo fees.  

Do the safari tour first, then visit the zoo.  Animals most commonly spotted during the safari are deer, bear, bison (not staged); tigers (staged/caged).  Bus windows have grills (criss/cross wired), for safety reasons, which would obstruct the view for taking photographs and video shooting.
                                                                                                                                  - By Anirudh
           

Places to visit in India (General)

Welcome travel lovers to India. India is a land of opportunity and a land of tourism and fun. There are many package deals to India from all abroad places.

There are many places to visit like for example there are many snow covered regions at North India like Kedar, Gangothri(Birth Place Of Sacred Ganga River) and many passes like Ratang pass,Shplip-la , Jalep-la which connects Kalimpong of West Bengal with Lhasa,the capital of Tibet. Coming down to central India we have Madhya Pradesh and many other regions which are places of birth of many rivers in India(mainly South flowing). This is place for many waterfalls and also Natural beauty of Mother Earth. In south India there are many places like Kerala, Karnataka where in case you have to have a glimpse of the rafting in rivers and also boating (House Boats). Goa and Mangalore are some of the coastal places.

Every time you travel to India make sure that you visit all the above mentioned places as they are places of interest and also for tourism.
                                                                                                                                        - By Anirudh