It is indeed one of the reminiscence of India's glorious past- one which has been largely well-documentated and one which is largely intact, as is the case with most of the Mughal-era structures of that time. The beauty of this place is that every time you come here, you learn a few new things about the old times, just like sort of revising the history. Every time, it gives you a new perspective in current situations. Well, we are talking about Father Sikri, near Agra which was the capital of great Mughal emperor Akbar. This architectural wonder is located right adjacent to the tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti, who was the guiding soul of Akbar throughout his life. Both the structures, often visited together, have different identities and different architectural values as well. But both...
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These are days of Ramlila around the country and perfect time to see Ramayana as performed in different parts of world. Prominent among them is Indonesia. The islands of Java, Bali and Sumatra still have the historical hindu influence and they still follow the hindu culture and traditions. Java is also famous for its theatrical rendering of Hindu epic Ramayana. Although the story is more or less the same, but the presentation in traditional Java style is very fascinating. It is one of the high points for tourists visiting Java, specially Yogyakarta. Ramayana Ballet is performed at Purawisata, located just one kilometre from Jalan Malioboro at Yogyakarta in Indonesia. Purawisata is a place where legendary Ramayana Ballets are performed. This particular Purawisata is very close to Yog...
Read MoreWe visited Borobudur temple in the third leg of our Indonesia trip, when we were stationed at Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta is the biggest city close to this UNESCO world heritage site. Borobudur at Magelang in Central Java province of Indonesia is a Mahayana Buddhist Temple built in 8th and 9th centuries. It has been recorded as the largest Buddhist Temple in the world. But not just that... it is not just because of its size. It is considered to be one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world and for that matter, among the greatest monuments in the world. Complex is huge and very artistically and geometrically built. It wasn't possible for us to see it from the top, but this aerial image (below) taken from internet gives an idea of what this structure is like. In the image below yo...
Read MoreAmazing Experience : Fly over the mysterious Nazca Lines in Peru
Peru offers a wide spectrum of opportunities for the travellers, right from sight-seeing to gastronomy, everything is magnificent and enticing. It is a country blessed with rich culture, mesmerizing beauty and breathtaking adventure sites. Machu Picchu is one of the major highlights of the trip of South America but there is much more to explore in Peru beyond this place. Tourists can enjoy a boat ride in Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world; enjoy a fancy picnic in the middle of the dessert in Paracas, under the spectacular star-filled sky; exploring the mysteries of the Nazca Lines, tracings of mysteriously preserved drawings in the desert sand; visit the Colca and Cotahuasi Canyons, the deepest canyons in the world; fishing piranhas in the Amazon River, the mightiest
Read MoreIndonesia is said to be melting point of cultures, something we used to define America as. The similarity doesn’t end here. Just as New York is called as ‘Big Apple’, Indonesian capital Jakarta is termed as ‘Big Durian’. I don’t know whether Americans like apple that much or not, but I can say for sure that Indonesians love their durian or Jack fruit, as we know it. Its a tropical fruit enjoyed perhaps equally in the whole southeast Asia region. So what’s Jakarta all about! Is it just the capital city of country with biggest Muslim population in the world? Contrary to that, Jakarta and for that matter Indonesia as a whole defies every stereotype attached with any Islamic country. It has got all positives one can associate any country with. So, here is my collection of Jakarta’s 13 r...
Read MoreOne reason why I was elated in my last post about Adalaj Vav near Ahmedabad in Gujarat was that I had been earlier to a few of other step wells and had been very disappointed with their maintenance. One of them is Bawadi (Baori or Baoli or step well) at Neemrana in Rajasthan. Neemrana is more famous for its 15th century fort-palace which is now a heritage hotel. This hotel has also been base of India's first zip line tour- flying fox. Well, back to the step well. You can imagine by the photo below, that how grand it would have been. This bawadi is located inside the Neemrana village (although Neemrana is now more of an industrial township as well as education hub). Its not very far from the fort palace. The first sight itself proves how glorious it would have been. On the hindsig
Read MoreMumbai will soon have a cultural hub on the lines of Times Square in New York. It will be developed by Maharashtra Tourism with help from Union Tourism ministry. This open air hub is proposed to be built in Kala Ghoda area of the metro. There are many plans to develop this area. Project has been approved and work will start on this very soon. The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism and Culture, Shripad Naik has said that Ministry of Tourism would sanction Rs. 5 crore for phase-I of the project with similar amounts for every subsequent phase. This would be over and above what the Government of Maharashtra would spend in creating the basic infrastructure to incentivize private sector parties to invest in the project. The Government of Maharashtra/local authorities, M...
Read MoreThe Nepal government is preparing to lease the Kathmandu-based old palaces for foreign and local investors who are willing to set up businesses catering to tourists in the next fiscal year, officials said Friday. The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), a wing under Nepal's ministry of tourism, said it has already prepared profiles of 90 historical palaces and buildings in the country's capital. "As the spaces and buildings for initiating tourism-related business in Kathmandu is limited, there is still a strong need for them," says Subash Niroula, acting chief of the NTB. The NTB initiated a research, titled 'A study of historically and architecturally important buildings of Kathmandu Valley', earlier in 2013 aimed at identifying historically, archeologically and architecturally significant build
Read MoreBeing awarded in World Travel Awards (WTA) is no fluke and for getting awarded in same category for years in running (seven times precisely), one has to be something special. The Raj Palace in the heart of Pink City- Jaipur in Rajasthan in Western India has seems to made this its habbit and also the habbit of its connoisseurs of luxurious life. It has been once again selected as World's Leading Heritage Hotel at WTA. Rajasthan is so rich in heritage hotels, that no other place in world can perhaps be. From Neemrana to Samode to Umaid Bhawan to Devigarh to Shiv Niwas, palaces turned into hotels are all queued up. A stay at Raj palace in Jaipur will make you feel like a real king, with one of the most hospitable and colourful culture of Rajasthan at one's service. For example wha...
Read MoreTalking about tourism in Kashmir, will generally take you to Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Pahalgam. No doubt that they are the gems of the valley, but there is still a lot besides these four top spots. Lot many places to see and admire and lot beyond the regular natural beauty spots. Naranag is one of them and it was an altogether different experience for me to visit an archaelogical site in such a scenic surroundings. But equally anguished was I to see such a place in total shambles. Nobody to protect or even take care of such an important site. It has been left to be ruined. I was astonished to see that there was not even a single sign board or a plaque which could give visitors any idea about the site, its history, importance or architecture. Go googling was the only option left. ...
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