learn about 43 new places by finding out " What you like and find fascinating about your place?"

It took 5 minutes to decide the next tourist place for our summer vacation. I suggested and the whole family readily accepted my suggestion. We decided to go via Mumbai.. After the crowded city like Mumbai we entered in Goa .. Its felt like walking through a real paradise.. Like living our dreams. Goa.. so beautifully it blends the legacies of its Portuguese ancestors and Indian tradition that one can only end up loving every bit of his stay in Goa. The Gothic Churches, Goa Forts, colonial buildings, temples and shrines, villages and Mediterranean hamlets all reflects the colorful and unhurried lifestyle of Goa has its 131-km-long coastline. Long stretched sprawling beaches invite you to sit and sip Goan local made wine’ Feny’. We stayed at Margao city 6 km away from Colva beach.. We spend most of our time in colva and Benaulim beach . In our four days trip, we visited Palolim beach too. This romantic beach is popularly known as the “Lovers Paradise” having crown of palm trees. All the beaches have several shacks. where you can relax and enjoy sipping bear with delicious food.We entered into many sports like para sailing,water sccoter. We were amazed to see the relaxed life style of local people. When you are on bike (which is available on rent if you want), you find a smiling face through from a window. a calm, serene ambience ( only in off season)where you forget all tensions and want to throw your all worries in deep into the sea. We went to Panjim ( Panaji) Panjim is the smallest but pleasant state capital situated on southern bank of the river Mandovi. We chose to spend our evening on the yacht where a DJ night was on and in between the loud music we enjoyed Goan folk dances presented by a local dance group..a heavenly experience on the surface of river and under the star embedded sky. We are back from that paradise but its glorious remembrance has its own trace in our heart ,wishing that if only we could also be part of their care free life.

All of sudden we decided this programme..We means my whole family with sister and her hubby. Bandhavgarh National Park is known for the Royal Bengal Tigers. The density of the Tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the highest known in India. Before going to that placed I searched about the facts of this park and came to know that Bandhavgarh National Park is spread at vindhya hills in Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh National Park consists of a core area of 105 sq km having steep ridges, forest and open meadows.
Bandhavgarh National Park was the former hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa and at present is a famous natural hub for White Tigers. White Tigers, now a major attraction around the world’s zoos, were first discovered in Rewa, not far from here. Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the finest national park in the India and has the distinction of harboring the highest concentration of tigers per unit area of forest. The Bandhavgarh National Park is spread over on area of 448 sq km with a cross area of 105 sq km. At the center of the park is the bandhavgarh hill, rising 811 meters above sea level and surrounding it are a sloping valleys, These valleys end in small, swampy meadows locally known as “bohera”.

Bandhavgarh was declared a national park in 1968. Since then many steps have been taken to retain Bandhavgarh National Park as an unspoilt national habitat for a variety of wildlife peculiar to the area. These includes gaur (Indian bison), sloth bear, leopard, porcupine, wild boar, sambhar and spotted deer, among others and of course, the tiger.
We found a very comfortable resort between in side the forestWe decided to stay in tents… We started our journey from Allahabad U.P. by car And reached around 6 P.M. In the evening. After taking tea and snacks everybody went to allotted tents for littls rest but I explored the area and found that place amazingly beautifull with humming of birds,fresh air. There was a hall with a fire place and behind this there was a beautifull swimming pool made of stones. While I was clicking my camera..Everybody joined me. We took our dinner on a tree house.
Next day we went to the deep forest and had awesome view of tiger’s family resting under a tree. We met wild elephants.We spent almost full day and then came back with storing the scenic beauty on our mind. Such a memorable place.

I could have never believed this logo of Kearala tourism if I didn’t see the beauty of this place from my own eyes..Unbelievable lush green area with no unnatural humane interference. I wondered how could one place remained so intact,so natural that God himself appears in every leaf,every rock.we decided to take route from Wayanad.
Wayanad District;
We were not expecting at all the greens on the hills .The etymology of the word Wayanad is Vayal (paddy) Naad (land); ‘Land of Paddy Fields’. There are many indigeneous tribals in this area. It is set lofty on the majestic Western Ghats with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 Metres above mean sea level. We perticularly visited one resort called vythiri.We were surprised to see its approach road,totally uneven bearing no maintainance. We wondered wheather anybody has ever visited this place..to our utter surprise we found this place so beautiful rested in the corner of little bubbling spring. We had nice tea and moved forward.
Kozhikode(Kalikat);
previously known as Calicut, is an important and scenic town in North Kerala. The name Kozhikode is derived from the Malayalam word for the crowing of a cock. The area around Kozhikode was ruled by local rulers called Zamorins who traded with merchants from Arabia. In 1498 the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed at Kappad Beach, near Kozhikode. After the British grew to become the dominant trading power, Kozhikode, renamed Calicut, became an important British trading outpost. A locally made variety of checked cloth called Calico (from Calicut) was a popular item of export. You can tour the attractions of Kozhikode on Kerala tours with Kerala Backwater.We stayed only for one night and was most privileged to view see in early morning,luckily we could see Indian Institute of Management. You will find it lovely not only for roam around but for study too,scenic beauty from the institute is beyond imagination.
Alleppey:The Venic of East;
We had so much heard for this place..so were very excited Nowhere else will you find, spread out across the center of town, a unique crisscrossing network of canals & lagoons on which thatch covered country boats punt (houseboats) along leisurely. We spent our one day and night on house boat Just imagine and feel the swaying or the boat with the
rhythm of waves. We had a grand party. People of these boat was so humble and great cook. They served us delicacies of Kerala like aviel, pysome and fresh juicy pineapples. We could never forget these magnificent moments of life. When we left that place, it seemed that we are leaving our heart there. Then we proceeded towards:
Thekkady and Periyar;
The very sound of the word Thekkady conjures up images of elephants, unending chains of hills and spice scented plantations. Ride across the Periyar forest of Thekkady, which is one of the finest wildlife reserves in India.
The Periyar Widlife sanctuary is spread across 777 sq km, of which 360 sq km is thick evergreen forest, the Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978. Noted for its geomorphology, diversity of wildlife and scenic beauty, the Reserve attracts visitors all over the world and is one of the world’s most fascinating natural the wild life reserves. We found a beautiful sprawling lake resting in the lap of lush green hills. They provided steamer service for taking a view of animals roaming there in the forest. Unfortunately we could see nothing but bison grazing there and few fearless dears. Every body was so alert with camera to shoot those animals that I just shouted ‘look at that mouse’ to see the reactions..instantly their camera started rolling..we laghed like a train and after realizing their mistake, people also rolled with laughter.
Finally we came back with loads of memories and DVDs. God knows when we will get opportunity again to view those scenes again.

Actually our target for this vacation was only upto Banalore,capital of Karnataka in India.I came to know that after centuries of the rule of the Western Gangas, Bangalore was captured by the Cholas in 1024 which later passed on to the Chalukya-cholas in 1070. In 1116 the Hoysala Empire, overthrew the Cholas and extended its rule over Bangalore. Modern Bangalore was founded by a vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire, Kempe Gowda I, who built a mud fort and a Nandi Temple in the proximity of modern Bangalore in 1537. Kempe Gowda referred to the new town as his “gandu bhoomi” or “Land of Heroes”.We saw the famous Vidhan Soudha(The paliament) and its beautiful palace.

Vrindavan Garden;
which is on the KRS dam is one of the most visited gardens in India. The musical fountains here have fascinated not only the visitors but they have been taken on silver screen too.We were little disapponted coz we had visited in day light so no musical show was visible there.
Mysore;
Afterwords we took a short tour of Mysore or Mahishur as it was called then, traces its history back to the mythical past, when Goddess Chamundeshwari of Chamundi Hills killed the wicked buffalo-headed demon, Mahishasura. Mysore Dussehra is the celebration of this victory of good over evil. Mysore also has associations with the Mahabharata and King Ashoka of the 3rd century B.C. During the Wodeyar rule Mysore reached the zenith of its glory as a fabled centre of oriental splendour. It is 140 kms from Bangalore.
This city has retained the charm it had acquired during the reign of Wodeyars. Mysore is also known as the city of palace. For centuries Mysore has been visited for sandalwood and silk. The Mysore palace is often compared with the Buckingham palace in England.

Orissa… Soul of India
One of my relatives lives in Bhubaneswar Orissa,so I had an opportunity to visit that place,also known as The soul of India.Orissa is famous for sandy palmcovered beaches, nature, wildlife and religious architectural monuments .These monuments are so lively that they seem to talk ..reveal their own mystery. We planned to visit Puri first.We had heard that after staying 3 to 4 days,one can attain ‘moksha’(come out of the circle of reincarnation and be one with God),so we were thrilled and excited to visit this holy place,we were fortunate enough to witness the ritual of Jagannath Puri Rath yatra,Puri was over crowded that time,so we came to its beautiful and amazingly clean beach( nonvegaterian food is prohibited in this city,so no scattered egg shells around) to enjoy water.We came back same day.Next day we went to see The Sun Temple (the Black Pagoda),Black Pagoda is a 13th century architectural marvel. Designed as a celestial chariot of the sun. Sun tample is famous for its erotic scluptures showing every aspect of life and you will find lively dance poses sculpture in NATYA MANDIR.The Chariot at Konarak of the Sun God sits on 12 pairs of wheels.. is drawn by 7 horses, representing the seven days of a week and 24 spokes in the wheel representing hours in a day. Bathing on konark see beach is strictly prohibited,cuz beach is uneven and rocky. But we were astounded just looking at the picturesque beauty at the time of sun set.We came back same day.Next day we planned to visit Bhubaneswar itself. Bhubaneshwar is said to have 21,000 temples. The ancient city of Bhubaneshwar (Bhuban being world and Iswar God) is a walk down centuries of temple architecture. It is probably the only city in the world that enables an authentic over-view of the stages of development of Hindu religious architecture. People still follow their rituals religiously.You may still find regular dances by the ‘Devadasis’ or divine servant girls. In the fast moving world of today these temples are a gentle reminder of the splendor and heritage.On the contrary Bhubaneswar is matching steps in modernisation.Architecturally, its a very beautiful and systematically planned city.We used to take a stroll in the evenings,cool breeze was soothing after hot and humid afternoon.We were there for five days and enjoyed every moment of our stay.

Kullu – Manali – Gateway to the Himalayas

In the year 2002,in the month of June We decided to go Vaishnav Devi,(a religious place in Jammu),I had 10 days vacation in my hands,we got down at Pathankot and were planning to hire a cab to go to katra.Then suddenly I saw a tourism hoarding,which was displying a a beautiful moutain range clad with snow,it was only 340 km. away,in impulse we decided to go to kullu-manali in Himanchal pradesh firstly,instead of going to the Vaishnav Devi.Later it became a memorable experience.
Manali in Himachal Pradesh, India derived its name from Manavalaya i.e. the abode of Manu. According to myth, Manu the divine law-giver, was the only survivor of the Mahajal Pralay – the great flood – and is said to have fathered the human race. He certainly chose enchanting environs. When we entered Manali we were spellbound to see its beauty With the majestic grandeur of the Himalayas on one side, river Beas cutting across the town, verdant valleys with rolling meadows and grazing herds dotting the hillsides, apple orchards,when we were passing through a resort we saw a folk group dancing that was awesome, folk music was adding romance to the ambience and presenting a wondrous canvas. We decided to stay in a hotel,when local guide infomed about Rohtang Pass – Situated at an altitude of 3979 mtrs above sea level and 51 kms outside Manali is the mighty Rohtang Pass – the gateway to Lahaul-Spiti valley. Open for just about four months a year, it affords a wide panoramic view of the mountains. Here one sees the majesty of the mountains at its height and splendour. At the top of the pass the air seems to glitter against the snow as you look down over herringboned ridges into the Lahaul valley. There is the beautiful Dashohar Lake left of the pass. A few km away from the pass is the Sonapani glacier and slightly to the left are the twin peaks of the Gaypan-jagged pyramid of rock, snow streaked and snow crowned. When we reached there,there was steep climbing to reach at the highest peak,we put on snow shoes and hold a stick to support,climbed at the top. Bubbling with excitement we made a snowman and then slipped from the snow. An Yak was waiting there,so we took a ride and ate at local Dhaba. WE explore Manali and visited Tibetan Market and Mall: The Tibetan Market is an interesting cluster of shops. It was nice to browse around for knick knacks, handicrafts and imported goods. Rahalla Falls – 16 km from Manali town at the start of the climb to the Rohtang Pass, at an altitude of 2501m.
Jagatsukh Temple – About 6 km from Manali is the famous Shiva Temple in “shikara” style and nearby is the old and interesting Devi Sharvali Temple.
Hadimba Temple – Also known as the Doongri Temple, this four-tiered pagoda-like wooden temple stands in a clearing amid tall and stately deodar trees and has beautiful carvings on its ornamental door. Dedicated to Hadimba, the wife of Bhim, this temple is the venue for an annual fair held during May.
Vashist Spring – Across the Beas river, about 3 km away from Manali, at an altitude of 1,982 meters (6,200 feet), are the natural sulphur springs. The village itself is perched on a steep hillside across the river Beas.
Tibetan Monastery – This is new and colorful. A pleasant place to visit.
Beas Kund – The famous Beas Kund, the source of the Beas river, at the Rohtang Pass is easily accessible. The great rishi, Vyas performed “Tapa” here during the Mahabharat times.
Manikaran: 85 km from Manali and 45 km from Kullu, lies in the Parvati Valley, the holy pilgrimage place of Manikaran. Here icy cold waters of the Parvati river co-exists with boiling water side-by-side. The hot water springs are reputed for their healing properties.
On return we experienced the local color and quaint villages and the vibrant and festive mood of the people and their colorful clothes and handicrafts.ANd Ofcourse we went to Vaisnav Devi to offer our prayers.

Last year in the month of March we planned to go to Sikkim,we found Sikkim a paradise of natural beauty, land of monumental mountains that seems to touch the heavens. Sikkim lies-sandwiched with Nepal in the west and Bhutan in the East. The edge of the Tibetan Plateau more or less demarcates the northern border with Tibet. This small but beautiful land is towered by Mount Kanchendzunga, the third highest mountain in the world, “Houses of the five treasures”.With 200 Buddhist monasteries dotted across the tiny land, the influence of Buddhism is everywhere. Even in the remotest hamlet, the fluttering of prayer flags are a constant reminder of the teachings of Lord Buddha.We stayed at Gangtok.Gangtok, the “Lofty Hill” or the “Hill made flat to build the Gangtok monastery in 1716”. Gangtok is a city, which, till one sees it, one would believe exists only in picture-story books, in the distance are the snows, on the streets amidst brightly painted pagoda roofed houses, lined with friendly smiling people are silver, silk and spice and jewellery to gladden an maiden’s heart.We were there for three days,so we planned out trip carefully.First day we went to see Changu Lake With an average depth of 50 ft, this lake is situated 35 km from Gangtok at an altitude of 12,000 ft on the Gangtok – Nathu-la highway.Its cool, placid water is in the perfect harmony with the scenic beauty around. A small temple of Lord Shiva is constructed on the lakeside. Primulae flowers and other alpine vegetation grow wild around the lake. Normal breathing was impossible,it took efforts to walk on hills but we climbed on highest peak,it was breath taking view, We bet to each other that we will surely meet a YETI:),after that we went to Ganesh Tok
It is situated on a ridge and is only 7-km from Gangtok. From this spot one gets birds view of sprawling Gangtok town down below while across the hills Mt. Khangchendzonga and Mt. Siniolchu loom over the horizon. A cafeteria serves hot tea/coffee and snacks.
Hanuman Tok:It is 11-km from Gangtok town, above Ganesh Tok with a Hindu temple where the devotees come and offer prayers.Local market was beautifull,we bought token gifts for our friends.I wish I could go again.

Few days back I had an oppurtunity to visit Rajasthan,A place of amazing legends of heroism and romance still resound from its equally amazing architecture, that still stands to narrate its tale of a bygone era. The magic of Rajasthan is unequalled in the world for its heritage, culture, safaris, sand dunes and lush green forests with its wildlife. Rajasthan is often expressed as huge open-air museum with relic,We visited Jaipur with its surroundings. The old Jaipur painted in Pink can grip any visitor with admiration. Stunning backdrop of ancient forts Nahargarh, Amer, Jagarh and Moti Dungri are dramatic testimonials of the bygone era and a reminder of their lingering romance.We stayed there in an old heritage hotel,It was thrilling to be treated like queens and kings of old times.We enjoyed the sloppy sand dunes,in Jaipur. We went to a local resort Chokhi Dhani where we had typical rajasthani cuisin had fun doing free swings,camel rides.We stayed there for three days,it was like heaven. I recommend you all to visit this beautiful place of heroism and romance.