Travel - Tour India to know it better- II

• Kerala houseboats on Kerala backwaters is a world famous tourist activity in India. Houseboats are traditionally meant for rice transport from nearby rice fields, but over the years transformed for taking tourists to the tour of Kerala backwaters with fully furnished boats with single or multiple bedrooms, living room, sit outs, kitchen and all with large windows overlooking surrounding natural beauty. Kerala backwaters is a unique ecosystem formed by 38 small rivers originating from Western Ghats forming a large network of canals and lakes. Natural beauty, flora and fauna and seeing daily lives of people and how they use these backwaters while resting in houseboats is what attracts tourists from all over the world. Kerala is listed among "50 destinations of lifetime" by National Geographic Traveler magazine.
• Golden Temple or Harmandir Sahib is holiest shrine of Sikhism. Harmandir Sahib literally means a temple for all. It is built as a place of worship God for people of all religion. The kitchen in a temple serve free meal known as Langarto almost 40,000 to 100,000 visitors daily depending upon general weekdays or festival holidays.
• Goa is famous all over the world as beach party destination. Goa also stands 6th in Top 10 Nightlife Cities in the world in National Geographic (magazine). Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture. It also has rich flora andfauna, owing to its location on theWestern Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot. Goa has twoWorld Heritage Sites: the Bom Jesus Basilica and churches and convents of Old Goa. The Basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, regarded by many Catholics as the patron saint of Goa. Some influences from the Portuguese era are visible in some of Goa's temples, notably the Shanta Durga Temple, the Mangueshi Temple and theMahalasa Temple, although after 1961, many of these were demolished and reconstructed in the indigenous Indian style.
• Varanasi Ghats along the Ganges in one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city of Varanasi is popular tourist attraction in India for foreign visitors. For Indians Varanasi is holy city of Lord Vishwanath and Ganges and is pilgrimage. Number of ceremonies andPujas ranging from birth to death held and organized by the banks of Ganges at Varanasi ghats. Ghats means steps leading to the banks of rivers. Theseghats and adjoining buildings are built by various kings from all over India. There are almost 100 Ghats along the Ganges in Varanasi. These ghats are for bathing on Ganges and for various Pujaceremonies and rituals. Taking sunrise and sunset boat rides along these Ghatsare popular tourist activity, especially for non-Hindu tourists.
• Ladakh region in state of Jammu and Kashmir is a major tourist attraction among nature lovers and adventure tourists for its landscapes, Adventure, wildlife and driving through world’s highest motorable road. Riding through its landscape is most popular amongmotorcyclists and touring adventure. Driving in world’s highest road where there is less oxygen is also favorite among touring adventurers. It attracts tourists for its varied and surreal landscape which changes dramatically from snow-capped mountains to barren rocky mountains, greenery and even sand dunes with camels (double humped) in these mountains. Trekking down the frozen Zanskar River and searching for a snow leopard in Hemis National Park are some other popular adventure activity.
• Brihadeeshwar Temple or Big Temple is considered to be as ancient India’s engineering marvel. It completed 1000 years of its construction in 2010 and itsVimana (Temple tower) is among tallest of its kind in the world with 66m height(216 feet). The nearest source ofGranite is 60 km away from the site nearTiruchirappalli. This temple is known as the first building fully built by granite. It is finished within 5yrs[1004AD – 1009AD]. The Kumbam (Kalasha or Chikharam, the apex or the bulbous structure on the temple) is carved out of a single rock and it weighs around 80 tons. It is raised to the top by dragging on an inclined plane of 6.44 km.

• Rani ki vav is a Stepwell in a state ofGujarat. It is recently designated as UNESCO world heritage site, and is the only stepwell with the tag. It literally means “Queen’s Stepwell” as it is built by queen Udaymati in the memory of her late husband Bhimdev I. It is very intricately carved 7 storey underground Stepwell, which is in excellent condition even being around 1000 years old. This magnificent east-facing step well measures approximately 64m long, 20m wide & 27m deep. A stepped corridor compartmented at regular intervals pillared multistory pavilions is a unique feature. It was one of the largest and the most sumptuous structures of its type.
• Kumbhalgarh Fort is a massive fort built on a hilltop 1100 metres above sea level, the fort of Kumbhalgarh has perimeter walls that extend 36 kilometres, it is the second longest continuous wall in the world, after Great Wall of China. The frontal walls are fifteen feet thick. Kumbhalgarh has seven fortified gateways. There are over 360 temples within the fort, 300 ancientJain and the rest Hindu. From the palace top, it is possible to see kilometers into the Aravalli Range. The sand dunes of the Thar desert can be seen from the fort walls.
• Mehrangarh Fort is one of the most visited tourist attraction in India. The fort is situated 400 feet (122 m) above the city and is enclosed by imposing thick walls. Inside its boundaries there are several palaces known for their intricate carvings and expansive courtyards. Of these, Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace), Phool Mahal (Flower Palace), Sheesha Mahal (Mirror Palace), Sileh Khana, and Daulat Khana are notable. One also finds the fort museum comprising several palaces. This museum houses a collection of palanquins, elephant howdahs, royal cradles, miniatures, armoury, turbans, musical instruments, costumes and furniture. The ramparts of the fort are home to not only several excellently preserved old cannon but also offer a breath-taking view of the city.
• Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century temple dedicated to Sun God, Surya. The temple has been built in the form of a giant ornamented chariot of the Surya. It has twelve pairs of elaborately carved stone wheels which are 3 meters wide and is pulled by a set of seven horses (4 on the right and 3 on the left). The wheels of the temple are sundials which can be used to calculate time accurately to a minute including day and night.The temple follows the traditional style of Kalinga architecture. The original temple had a main sanctum sanctorum (vimana), which was supposedly 229 feet (70 m) tall, but due to the weight of this super structure and weak soil of the area the main vimana fell in 1837.[8] The audience hall (Jagamohana), which is about 128 feet (30 m) tall, still stands and is the principal structure in the surviving ruins. It is also featured onNDTV's List of Seven Wonders of Indiaand Times of India's List of Seven Wonders of India.
• Mountain Railways of India in UNESCO refers to the three railway lines built during British colonial rule in India that are still fully functional. This includes Darjeeling Himalayan Railwayin West Bengal, Nilgiri Mountain Railwayin Tamil Nadu and Kalka-Shimla Railwayin Himachal Pradesh. Opened between 1881 and 1908 they applied ingenious engineering solutions to establish an effective rail link across a mountainous terrain of great beauty. The Mountain Railways of India exhibit an important cultural and technological transfer in the colonial setting. The world's highest multi-arch gallery bridge and the world's longest tunnel (at the time of construction) of the Kalka-Shimla Railway were the a testimony to the brilliant engineering skills applied to make this dream a reality.
• Great Rann of Kutch The Great Rann of Kutch is a seasonal salt marsh located in the Thar Desert in the Kutch District of Gujarat, India and the Sindhprovince of Pakistan. It is about 7,505.22 square kilometres (2,897.78 sq mi) in size and is reputed to be the largest salt desert in the world. The Great Rann of Kutch, along with the Little Rann of Kutch and the Banni grasslands on its southern edge, is situated in the district of Kutch and comprises some 30,000 square kilometres (10,000 sq mi) between the Gulf of Kutch and the mouth of the Indus River in southern Pakistan. The marsh can be accessed from the village of Kharaghoda inSurendranagar District.
• Meenakshi Amman Temple is a historic functioning Hindu temple located on the south side of river Vaigaiin around 2500 years old city of Madurai. There are an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple, and it was in the list of top 30 nominees for the "New 7 Wonders of the World”. This temple is mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, though the present structure was built during 1623 to 1655 CE. The complex houses 14 gopurams (gateway towers) ranges from 45-50m in height, the tallest being the southern tower, 51.9 meters (170 ft) high. The complex is in around 45 acres (180,000 m2).
• Orchha was a medieval town established by Rudra Pratap Singh some time after 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state ofCentral India, in the Bundelkhand region. Orchha marked for its abandoned buildings related to Bundelkhand royalty comprising several palaces, cenotaphs or Chhatris, Temples, Fort etc. which are great examples of unique architectural style of Bundelkhand region.
• Andaman Islands are developing into a major Tourism hub with its exotic looking beaches and pristine islands having equally exotic names, wonderful opportunities for adventure sports like snorkeling and Scuba diving.. Indian tourists do not require a permit to visit the Andaman islands but if they wish to visit any tribal areas they need a special permit from the Deputy Commissioner, Port Blair. Permits are required for foreign nationals. For foreign nationals arriving by air, these are granted upon arrival at Port Blair. According to official estimates, the flow of tourists doubled to nearly 300,000 in 2012 from 130,000 in 2008-09. The Radha Nagar beach of Andamans was chosen as one of Asia’s best beaches in 2004.
• Chittorgarh Fort is one of the largest forts in India and probably the grandest after Kumbhalgarh Fort in the state of Rajasthan. The fort represents the quintessence of tribute to the nationalism, courage, medieval chivalry and sacrifice exhibited by the Mewarrulers. The rulers, their soldiers, the women folk of royalty and the commoners considered death as a better option than dishonor in the face of surrender to the foreign invading armies. This fort is wrapped in numerous beautiful stories. The fort is roughly in the shape of a fish has a circumference of 13 km (8.1 mi) with a maximum width of 3 km (1.9 mi) and it covers an area of 700 acres and fort complex comprises 65 important historical structures, among them 4 memorials, 4 palace complexes, 19 main temples and 20 functional water bodies.

• Mysore Palace is a historical palace in the city of Mysore in Karnataka, southern India. It is the official residence and seat of the Wodeyars — the Maharajas of Mysore. Mysore is commonly described as the City of Palaces. Mysore Palace is now one of the most famous tourist attractions in India, after the Taj Mahal, and has more than 4 million visitors annually.

Tourism by state

Andhra Pradesh

Main article: Tourism in Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati Stupa, an important Buddhist site in South India, the antiquity of Amaravati dates back to 500 BCE. The stupa was then adorned with limestone reliefs and free standing Buddha figures

A View of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple

Srikalahasti Temple

Rushikonda beach, Visakhapatnam

Rock-cut Buddha Statue at Bojjanakonda, Visakhapatnam district

Ethipothala Water Falls

Palmyra palm trees barrier islands of Pulicat Lake, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh

Belum Caves, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh

Araku Valley, Eastern Ghats, Visakhapatnam

The state of Andhra Pradesh comprises like scenic hills, forests, beaches and temples.

Andhra Pradesh is the home of many religious pilgrim centres:

• Tirupati, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, is the second richest and most visited religious centre (of any faith) in the world. Srisailam, the abode of Sri Mallikarjuna, is one of twelve Jyothiralingas in India. Amaravathi's Siva temple is one of the Pancharamams, Vemulavada temple, one of the old abodes of Lord Shiva, reputed as Dakshina Kashi – Benaras of South India.
• Kanaka Durga Temple of goddess Durga is situated on the Indrakeeladri Hill in the city of Vijayawada on the banks of Krishna River. A large number of pilgrims attend the colourful celebrations of Tepotsavam and for holy dip in the Krishna river during the festival of Dusshera.^[9]

• Mallikarjuna Swamy temple situated at Srisailam in the Nallamala Hills ofKurnool district,^[10] is the abode of lord Mallikarjuna Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines in India. Lord Rama himself installed the Sahasralinga, while the Pandavas lodged thePanchapandava lingas in the temple courtyard. The Vijayanagara Empire built number of monuments, including the Srisailam and Lepakshi temples.

• The five ancient Hindu temples ofLord Shiva, known as Pancharama Kshetras, are located at – Amararama,Draksharama, Somarama, Ksheeraramaand Kumararama. Other religious places include, Srikalahasti temple in Chittoor district, Raghavendra Swami Mutt inMantralayam of Kurnool district, LordVenkateswara temple in Dwaraka Tirumala of West Godavari District,Annavaram temple in East Godavari andArasavalli Surya temple in Srikakulam District etc., are also religious places for divine worships in the state.

Famous Buddhist centres:

• Amaravathi – Guntur District
• Nagarjuna Konda – Guntur District
• Bhattiprolu – Guntur District
• Ghantasala – Krishna District
• Sankaram – Visakhapatnam District
• Bavikonda – Visakhapatnam District
• Thotlakonda – Visakhapatnam District
• Ramatheertham – Vizianagaram District
• Salihundam – Srikakulam District
• Lingapalem – West Godavari District

Others are Pavurallakonda, Chandavaram, Guntupalli, Adurru, Kummarilova, Kotturu Dhanadibbalu, Karukonda, kapavaram, Nandalur

Pilgrim centres and temples:

• Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple – The abode of Lord Venkateswara, is the richest and most visited religious centre (of any faith) in the world situated in Tirupathi City
• Kanaka Durga Temple – One of the Shakti Peetam's situated in Vijayawada City
• Sri Mallikaruna Temple – One of the Jyothirlingam's situated in Srisilam Town
• Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narashima Temple – Situated at Simhachalam near to Vizag City
• Sri Kalashastiswara Temple – Situated at Srikalahasti Town
• Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple – known as china Tirupathi located at Dwaraka Tirumala Town
• Sri Amaralingeswara Swami Temple – One of the Pancharama's located at Amaravathi Town
• Sri Someswara Swami Temple – One of the Pancharama's located at Bhimavaram Town
• Sri Kshira Rama Lingeswara Swami Temple – One of the Pancharama's located at Palakol town
• Sri Bhimeswara Swami Temple – One of the Pancharama's located at Rama Chandra Puram Town
• Sri Satyanarayana Swami TempleLocated at Annavaram near Rajahmundry city
• Arasavali Temple – Sun God's temple located 3 km away from Srikakulam almost on the shore of Bay of Bengal
• Srikurmam – Temple of Lord Vishnu in Kurma Avataram also near Srikakulam on the Shore of Bay of Bengal
• Rama Lingeswara Swamy Temple – One of the Lord Shiva's temple suituated in Yanamalakuduru village near Vijayawada, Shiva Rathri is well celebrated in this Temple

Thousand's of oldest temples are situated in Andhra pradesh.

Attractions:

• Kilash giri – Mountain view along with beach side situated in Vizag City
• Bhimili Beach – Beautiful veach near Vizag City
• Araku Valley – Known as Andhra Ooty near to Vizag City
• Borra Caves – caves formed 1 million years ago situated near to Vizag City; belongs to Odisha
• Bhavani Islands – A unique tourism spot to stay and visit near Vijayawada
• Thimmamma Marrimanu – The world's largest banyan tree, and "Marrimanu" was recorded as the biggest tree in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1989. Its branches spread over nearly 5 acres (2.1 ha). Located about 35 km from Kadiri, and 100 km from Anantapur.
• Lepakshi – this is the largest monolithic Nandi (a bull, the mount of Shiva) in the world, (length 27 feet, height 15 feet), It is 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Hindupur, and 105 km from Anantapur, and about 120 km (75 mi) north of Bangalore.
• Prakasam Barrage – A famous bridge which was constructed by the British Government in the remembrance of Tanguturi Prakasam, is the best tourist spot to visit in Vijayawada
• Kolleru Lake – A famous lake situated between Krishna and West Godavari District.
• Pulicat Lake is located at the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Pulicat Lake covers an area of 500 km². It is a brackish water lagoon, the second largest in India, and is situated along the coast of Bay of Bengal. The lake encompasses the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary attracts many migratory birds and also is a feeding and nesting ground for aquatic and terrestrial birds such as flamigoes, pelicans etc.
• The Borra Caves in the Anatagiri Hills of the Eastern Ghats, nearVishakapatnam at an altitude of about 800 to 1300 metres are famous for million-year-old stalactite and stalagmite formations. They were discovered by British geologist William King George in 1807. The caves got the name from a formation inside the caves that looks like the human brain, which in Telugu language is known as burra.
• The Belum Caves in Kurnool District have a length of 3,229 metres (10,594 ft), making them the second largest natural caves on the Indian subcontinent. The Belum Caves derive their name fromBilum, the Sanskrit word for caves. The caves have long passages, spacious chambers, freshwater galleries, and siphons. The caves deepest point is 120 feet (37 m) from the entrance and is known as Patalganaga.

The golden beaches at Visakhapatnam, the one-million-year-old limestone caves at Borra, picturesque Araku Valley, hill resorts of Horsley Hills, river Godavari racing through a narrow gorge at Papi Kondalu, waterfalls at Ettipotala, Kuntala and rich bio-diversity at Talakona, are some of the natural attractions of the state. Visakhapatnam is home to many tourist attractions such as the INS Karasura Submarine museum, Yarada Beach, Araku Valley, VUDA Park, Indira Gandhi Zoological Gardens. The weather in Andhra Pradesh is mostly tropical and the best time to visit is in November through to January. The monsoon season commences in June and ends in September, so travel would not be advisable during this period.Rajahmundry is the hub for great Engineering and Architectural monuments such as Godavari Bridge (Asia's second largest Road cum Railway Bridge), Papi Hills, Iskon Temple, Tantikonda, Sir Arthur Cotton Museum, Pushkar Ghat, Gowthami Ghat. A unique festival called Pushkaram will be celebrated along the Godavari river for every 12 years and Rajahmundry attracts 4-5 crore people during the tenure of the festival.