Enjoy an 180 degree sunset view of the Taj Mahal while sipping beer from a rooftop terrace in Agra & watch the rays of setting sun fall on the Crown of the Palace. A front-side view may not suffice. We want to do so much in one day with the Taj; view it at sunrise, mid-day & sunset; see it...
The most expensive herb spice in the world, saffron is grown in Kashmir. Visit the saffron fields at Pampore (14 km from Srinagar) to learn more about the Crocus Sativus plant which blooms in the month of October. The plant produces six golden stamens & one crimson stamen. It's this crimson stamen which when dried produces saffron. A single...
The Blue Mountain Nilgiri toy train ride from Mettupalayam to Ootacamund in South India is an experience you should consider once in your lifetime. Declared a world heritage site in 2005, the railway line was completed in 1899. The engine is an 'X' Class steam locomotive, made in Switzerland. It pulls quaint blue and cream wooden carriages with...
Tourists are familiar with Fort Kochi & its renowned Jewish Synagogue in Jew Town, Kerala. The Jewish population numbering 250 in the fifties has now dwindled to six families & the number doesn't exceed 26 in the whole of Kochi. Migration to Israel is the prime reason for the fall in number. The oldest living member was 96 years old...
The Bara (pronounced - Bada) Imambara in Lucknow is neither a mosque nor a `dargah.' It is a meeting place for the dominant Shia Muslims living in Lucknow to congregate during the mourning period leading to Muharram. The most impressive monument in Lucknow, the building of this complex was initiated during the great famine of 1784 by Nawab...
Sun Temples are located in different parts of India, most prominent among them are the Sun Temple at Modhera, Gujarat located on the Western Coast of India & Konarak Sun Temple alongside the Bay of Bengal in East India. Built at the height of temple architecture in India during the 11th century by Solanki rulers, this temple is divided into...
The largest nesting site in the world for Olive Ridley turtles is Garimatha,Orissa. Every year lakhs of adult females, return after decades, to lay eggs on the very same beach they were hatched. Hatching happens on full moon nights, when the tide reaches furthest.
Where else, but at the Rail Museum in Mysore (Karnataka) will you find an Austin Car converted into a workable rail car, used for inspection purposes by the Indian railways during the 20th century. The story goes, the automobile was sold as scrap and later picked up by a Railway employee who replaced the steering wheel and the wheels...
When you visit the Taj, keep sufficient time at your disposal. ~Fly-by-day~ visits must be discouraged! You need to set aside quality time for the Taj & the surrounding monuments.
Located in Raisen district of central madhya pradesh, bhojpur temple enjoys two reputations: it has one of the largest lingams found in any temple with its height reaching 18 feet & circumference touching 7.5 feet. Secondly, the outer structure & its exterior walls were never built. The structure rests on four massive pillars with an elegantly...
