Chandigarh - The Hub of North India

Chandigarh is the best-planned city in India, with architecture which is world-renowned, and a quality of life, which is unparalleled. As the capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh it is a prestigious city. The face of modern India, Chandigarh, is the manifestation of a dream that Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru envisaged and Le Corbusier executed.

Serenity and a city are two diametrically opposite concepts, which however, get belied in the 'City Beautiful'. Chandigarh is a rare epitome of modernization co-existing with nature's preservation. It is here that the trees and plants are as much a part of the construction plans as the buildings and the roads. India’s first planned city, is a rich, prosperous, spic and span, green city rightly called “ THE CITY BEAUTIFUL ”.

PLACES TO VISIT

ROCK GARDEN

Chandigarh has the distinction of having a unique world-acclaimed Rock Garden. It consists of art objects, fashioned from industrial and urban waste. It is situated between the Capitol Complex and Sukhna Lake in Sector 1. It nestles amidst 20 acres of woods in the form of an open air exhibition hall, theatre trove and a miniature maze all rolled into one vast fantasy land of art and landscape. It is without doubt, a tourist spot that is a must on the itinerary of every visitor to Chandigarh.

SUKHNA LAKE

The manmade picturesque Sukhna lake in the foothills of Shivalik range is an idyllic place for quiet communion with nature and for offer water sports activities such as boating, yachting, water skiing, etc..

Sukhna is an inseparable part of the city. Le Corbusier had foreseen that the residents of the city would be drawn towards it for the 'care of the body and spirit'. The planners of the city will be thrilled to find that this beautiful gift to the city has extended its attraction beyond its boundaries.

The evenings see Sukhna again coming alive with tourists, and families thronging the promenade, the Chef Lakeview, CITCO's fast food joint, shops and of course the jetties for a boat ride. For children there are a number of joy-rides and a mini train. As night descends, the lights from the hill resort of Kasauli reflect in the lake and present a bewitching sight.


Sukhna is a sanctuary for many exotic migratory birds like the Siberian duck, Storks and Cranes, during the winter months. The Lake has been declared as a protected national wetland by the Government of India. People of Chandigarh love Sukhna. During summers, there are streams of men, women and children from all walks of life offering voluntary service to desilt the lake bed for about three months. This annual ritual has been a regular feature since long.

LEISURE VALLEY

A continuum of various theme gardens to take "Care of the Body and Spirit" of the city.

Le Corbusier retained the eroded valley of a seasonal rivulet ('City Map' ) on the original site of the city and sculpted it into a linear park, now over 8 kilometers long, running through the whole of Chandigarh. It traverses the heart of the city and has been developed into a series of special "theme gardens" weaving a garland of gardens for the city : of varied hues, textures and colours. Enter this Leisure Valley, and the proximity of the city becomes a blur. Let us walk you through this meandering parkland.

MUSEUM & ART GALLERY

The Government Museum & Art Gallery was designed as a building for the Museum by Le Corbusier. It came into being on the 6th of May, 1968 with untiring efforts of Late M.S. Randhawa, the then Chief Commissioner.


Like the City of Chandigarh, the Museum owes its existence to the partition of the country. The collection of arts objects, paintings, sculpture and decorative arts was housed in Lahore, the then Capital of Punjab. On 20th April 1948 the division of the collection took place by which 60% of the objects were retained as were the objects already re-produced in books and excavated from the sites falling in erstwhile Punjab. The remaining 40% collection consisting mainly of Gandhara Sculpture and miniature paintings fell in the East Punjab’s share. Received in 1949, the collection was first installed in Amritsar and then shifted to Shimla. In 1954, the exhibits were shifted to Moti Bagh Palace, Patiala. It was decided in 1960 that the Museum should have a building of its own in Chandigarh. The plan was approved in 1962 and the work remained suspended for sometime and finally, the Museum was constructed and opened to public in May, 1968.

The Museum possesses the largest collection of the world famous Gandhara Sculptures after Lahore. There is also a well appointed library in the Museum, which meets the needs of the scholars and students through its stock of 4600 books and references of arts and allied subjects.

The Art Galleries are classified as follows:-

* Gandhara and Hindu Sculptures
* Miniature Paintings
* Contemporary Art Gallery
* Decorative Arts and Coins

OOTY "Queen of all hill station”

Ooty also known as Udhagamandalam is the "Queen of hill stations" and the capital of Nilgiris district. It is one of the most popular tourist resorts in India. Nilgiris means "Blue Mountains". It is a land of picturesque picnic spots. Used to be popular summer and weekend getaway for the Britishers during the colonial days. It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level. An added attraction for the tourists to Udagamandalam is the mountain train journey on a ratchet and pinion track which commences from Kallar, near Mettupalayam and wends its way through many hair-raising curves and fearful tunnels and chugs along beside deep ravines full of verdant vegetation, gurgling streams and tea gardens.

Places To Visit

Government Botanical Garden(2 Kms)

This garden was laid out earlier by Marquis of Tweedale, the then governor of Madras in 1847. This garden covers an area of 22 acres. A fossil tree trunk of 20 million years is preserved here. The flora of the garden consist of six section comprising varieties of tree species, grass carpet, variety of ferns, fashioned beds laid beds laid out in an Italian style, multi coloured flowering plants, house ferns and orchids and nurseries. This garden will create tourist's mind a memorable one. Annual flower show is held here in May every year. This garden is maintained by Tamil Nadu Horticulture Dept.
[Timing - 8 A.M -6 A.M. Entrance fee: Rs. 5 per head for adults, Children- Rs.2.]

Doddabetta

It is the highest peak (2623 meters) in the Nilgiris and is about 10 Kms from Ooty. It lies at the junction of the Western & Eastern Ghats and offer beautiful vistas of the Nilgiri Hill ranges. It is surrounded by dense sholas. One can have a panoramic view of the landscape through the TTDC telescope. TTDC restaurant is functioning here to cater the needs of tourists. Forest Department is collecting entry fee from vehicles.

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary

This Sanctuary lies at an elevation of 1140 mts in the junction point of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and extends over and area of 321 sq.kms.A variety of habitats ranging from tropical ever green forest, moist teak forest, secondary grass lands and swamps are found. Panther, Sambar,spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Wild boar,Porcupine etc. The avifauna is varied with Minivets. Hornbills, Fairy Blue Birds, Jungle Fowls etc. The Reptilions are represented by
Python,MonitorLizard, Flying Lizard, etc. It is approachable from Ooty by road Via two different routes. Via Kalhatty 36 Kms from Ooty and the other route is Via. Gudulur which is 67 Kms. form Ooty. It can also be approachable from Mysore which is at a distance of 91'Kms. The other picturesque scenic spots in the sanctuary include the Moyar Waterfalls,Ombetta swamp, Theppakad elephant camp etc.
The sanctuary visiting times are: 7.00 a.m to 9.00 a.m and 4.00 p.m to 6.00 p.m. for more

How To Get There

Air:


Nearest Airport is Coimbatore (100 kms). Coimbatore is connected to Bombay, Bangalore and Chennai

Rail:


Nearest broad gauge railway head is Mettupalayam (46 kms).Major broad gauge railway junction is Coimbatore. It is connected with all major cities. Mettupalayam to Ooty, is connected by a Mountain Railway which is 4 hours journey.


Road:
Ooty is connected by good roads.
To Madras 535 Kms. (Via Salem)
To Coimbatore 89 Kms
To Coonoor 18 Kms. (Via Gudalur)
To Mysore 160 Kms.
To Calicut 187 Kms.
To Bangalore 290 Kms.
To Cochin 281 Kms. (Via Coimbatore, Palakkad)
To Trichy 302 Kms. (Via Coimbatore, Karur)
To Kodaikanal 256 (Via Coimbatore, Palani)

Local Transport: CityBus, Taxi and Auto available

Fairs And Festivals

Tea & Tourism Festival in Nilgiris (Jan)
Thaipoosam,Elk Hill Murugan Temple (Feb)
Mariamman Temple Annual Festival, Bokkapuram (Feb)
Mariamman Temple, Car Festival, Ooty (Apr)
Mariamman Temple, Car Festival, Coonoor (Apr)
Boat Race, Boat Pageantry, Flower show, Summer Festival Dog Show at Ooty (May)
Fruit Show & Vegetables show, Coonoor (May)
World Tourism Day (Sep. 27th)


Resorts

Hotels...

Pondicherry

Pondy as Pondicherry is fondly called has an exquisite range of hotels and resorts. All of them have a distinct class and cater to the domestic and international tourist needs. The eateries cater to multi cuisine tastes with the cuisines ranging from French, continental, oriental and so on. With its distinct French connection, it is but natural that Pondicherry is a center of fashion. There are a number of top quality boutiques, antique furniture galleries and the likes. Pondy is particularly attractive as it is extremely accessible from Chennai and serves as a preferred spot for conferences and conventions of corporate houses. Altogether it is a remarkable place to spend some of the most memorable moments of your life. Let us help you investigate the glory of this wonderful place through our site. Welcome to Pondicherry Travel. Reaching Pondicherry Nearest Airports Chennai Airport is the nearest Airport from Pondicherry. The Chennai airport is well connected with the major states and cities of the country. International flights are also available from here. The other airports which are near by are the airports at Bangalore and Madurai. Nearest Railway Stations Puducherry has a railway station, though there is not enough connectivity from there.Villipuram is the nearest railway stations which are well connected with towns like Chennai, Madurai and Trichy. By Road The most preferred mode of transport to Pondy is via road. The journey is about three to three and a half hours from Chennai. There are extremely efficient bus services on this route –both ordinary buses and deluxe buses. There are excellent cab services from Chennai as well. The roads are excellent from Chennai. Bus and cab services are also available from places like Thanjavur, Trichy, Chidambaram and Coimbatore History of Pondicherry Pondicherry has a glorious history. A lot of foreign rulers have been here including the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Danes, the English and the French. But out of all of them, the French have had the greatest influence with their rule spreading across centuries. According to mythology, it is said that Pondicherry was the abode of Sage Agasthya and the place was known as Vedapuri. It is believed that Pondy had trade relations with the Romans, proof of which is found in the excavations at Arikamedu which is 7 kms from Pondy. The town fell into the hands of the successive rulers of the place which includes the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Pandyas. In 1673 the French started their rule over Pondicherry and were involved with regular conflicts between the English over the possession of the place. The disputes were however settled over an agreement between the French and the British. Subsequently the place was returned to India PLACES TO VISIT Auroville Auroville is located around eight km from Pondicherry and is a place that you should not miss while on a visit to pondy. Auroville is a township of universal essence. It has been conceived to accommodate people across 35 nations to live as a community. It came into existence in 1968. The idea of this utopian state was brought to the Mother several decades back, following which she gave her blessings to this noble task. The Government of India and later UNESCO welcomed the suggestion and encouraged it. This novel town in the making is designed to accommodate 50,000 people across the world. The town underlines the strong purpose of recognizing human unity in diversity. This township in the making was officially inaugurated on 28th Feb 1968 wherein about 5000 people of different origin assembled here along with a little bit of soil from their homeland. This soil was mixed in a lotus shaped urn placed in the amphitheatre. In this ceremony, the Mother put forward the 4-point charter for the residents. Auroville is referred to as the city of Dawn. The city has been planned out neatly. It has been divided into several zones. At the very centre, there is the peace area consisting of the Matri Mandir, the gardens, the amphitheatre with the urn and a lake. Then comes the industrial zone which is directed at the creation of green industries meant to make the town self sufficient .This area includes the city’s administration and other training centers. Residential Zone comes next which is the largest area among all zones. More than half of the area will be green area whereas the rest would be the built surface. Apart from this there is an international zone, a cultural zone and a Green Belt zone. The International zone is meant to host national and cultural pavilions. In the Cultural zone there are facilities for art and sports and other cultural activities. The city has been conceived to have a green belt surrounding it meant for organic farming, forest and wildlife areas etc have been planned. Such novel ideas like transformation of waste land into a dynamic ecosystem have been successfully implemented. Botanical Garden A visit to Pondicherry is incomplete without making a trip to the Botanical Gardens. Pondicherry in general has a very fertile soil, which accounts for the greenery and vegetation around the place. It is little wonder then that the town boasts of one of the finest botanical gardens in the country .The Botanical Garden in Pondicherry is home to several species of rare and beautiful trees and plants. The approach to the botanical gardens, which is in the heart of the city, is reminiscent of the French Architecture. The origin of the Botanical gardens dates back to 1826. A lot of exotic plant species were introduced by the French here and the garden itself is laid down in the French style. This place is bliss for nature lovers and is the best place to experience a lot of peace and calm. The Garden serves as a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of the everyday life. A lot of shady trees, beautiful flowers and the impressive layout of the park with pruned plants on paved roads help to create an atmosphere of sheer visual extravaganza. Tourists and students on study tour flock the place. This is an inseparable part of Pondicherry tourism. The Botanical Gardens in Pondicherry have also been provided with a musical fountain. Colorful musical fountain shows are conducted on weekends and holidays. It provides for a wonderful sensory experience. Beaches of Pondicherry One of the best beaches in South India lies in Pondicherry. These beaches in Pondicherry are extremely clean with clear waters and clean sands. To add to it the beaches are not very crowded. Maximum care has been given to highlight the beauty of these beaches with cafes and other eateries along with resorts and cottages for the visitors. These buildings are built in a way that it does not affect the calmness and the natural beauty of the beach. Serenity Beach is very much in the town and characterizes the essence of its name. It has a very calm and serene atmosphere and the sands and the waters are extremely neat and tidy. The Paradise Beach houses the famous Chunnamber resort and is on the Cuddalore main road. The highlight is that there is a creek flowing on one side. The beach is extremely attractive as the sands are very clean and the water crystal clear. The beach offers a lot of sports facilities and accommodation on treetop houses which is an added attraction. One can also catch a glimpse of the friendly dolphins. The Paradise beach or the Plage Paradiso is one of the most famous beaches of Pondicherry. The Promenade Beach and the monuments around speak of the rich heritage of Pondicherry. Some of the important monuments of the city are on the shores of this beautiful beach. They include the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Joan of Arc and Dupleix, the War Memorial etc.A lot of information pertaining to Pondicherry can be acquired through the information centre which faces the beach. A proud beach named as Auroville beach due to its proximity to Auroville is located about 12 kms from the Pondicherry town. This beach is liked by all as it is extremely safe with shallow waters .It is an extremely serene beach. Temples in Puducherry Pondicherry has a mixed population with people belonging to various religions. The religions include Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. And hence understandably so, the place has a whole lot of places of worship for each faith. The number of Churches out numbers the other places of worship due to its French Heritage. Nevertheless the town has a fair number of temples here. Some of the noteworthy temples here include the three century old Manakula Vinayagar Koil dedicated to Ganesha, The Varadaraja Perumal temple which dates back to 600 AD and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, in the form of Varadaraja, TheVedhapureeswara Temple dedicated to Lord Siva, Kanniga Parameswari temple dedicated to Goddess Sakthi and famous for its blend of French and Tamil architecture and Kamatchiamman Temple dedicated to Durga and unique due to its stark features. All these temples are located within the town itself and hence can be easily accessed. Another famous temple of Sri Gokilambal Thirukameshwara Temple is located away from the town in a small town called Villianur. This temple has a Sivalingam and also has shrines of Murugan and Devi. The temple dates back to the Chola rule of the town. These temples are interesting in that it has the architectural features of the French and the Tamil style. Some of the rituals followed also have a French influence. The beauty of Pondicherry is that one can catch a glimpse of people and practices of various faiths. Pondicherry is said to have been the abode of the revered Sage Agasthya according to mythology and hence Hindus revere this place. The ceremonies in the temples are conducted with a lot of reverence, devotion and passion. Pondicherry Cuisine Pondicherry is a town that is an amalgamation of a lot of cultures. From being an ancient fishing town to being the capital of the French colonies, Pondicherry has come a long way. The cultural blend can be noticed in the cuisine of the place as well. Pondicherry has predominantly the Tamil cuisine – in its Vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes. The typical Tamil food like Dosas and Idlis are very popular among the locals and the tourists Similarly the Chettinad style of cooking mainly in the Non vegetarian preparations is loved by all The French influence in the town combined with the presence of a lot of French citizens has brought in a lot of French influences in the cuisine. There are a lot of restaurants and eateries specializing in the French cuisine. The influx of a lot of tourists in to this coastal and spiritual town necessitated the need for bringing about more variety in the cuisine. The present day Pondicherry offers a cuisine suited for all palettes. It has eateries that shell out dishes in the Oriental, Continental and other World cuisines. There are a huge number of restaurants and eateries to suit all palettes and budgets. These eateries have evolved with the kind of customers they get and leave no tourist disappointed with the variety of food they offer. Pondicherry Shopping Pondicherry is famous not only for its beaches and its historical monuments, but is also a shopper’s paradise. Shopping in Pondicherry is great value for money as the place is Octroi- free and hence the price is low. Some of the articles that are famous here are leather products, perfumed candles, pottery, jams and pickles and handmade paper. Pondicherry is also known for it doll making industry. Cute dolls are available at very cheap rates and give a distinct charm. They are often carries as mementoes from Pondicherry. Pondicherry is also known for its textile and silk industry .Yarns of beautiful silk and other textiles can purchased at low rates which adds to the attraction. The place has a lot of boutiques catering to interior furnishings, accessories and garments .It is a pleasure to shop for trendy and elegant garments from here. Aurbindo Ashram manufactures a lot of these shopping items. The textiles produced in Pondicherry include satin, twill, corduroy, poplin, chambray, oxford, cambric and linen. The Sunday market is the favorite for shoppers. Manufacture and sale of Khadi garments is also popular. The Favorite items of shoppers include Pondicherry Fashions from Auroville, Aromatics, and Décor items from village artisans, Antique furniture, European cuisine and French Bakery Items, Ashram mementoes, Ceramic tableware and décor items, art and handicraft items. Shopping forms part of the itenary of any tourist visiting here .It is a pleasure shopping here as it is easy to commute and shopkeepers are very warm and friendly. Months from December to February are particularly convenient to shop as the climate is very good then. For More Info Visit>>>>

Banglore / Bengaluru

INTRODUCTION TO BANGALORE

Bangalore is the capital city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the seventh largest city in India. It is also known as the Garden City because of its many beautiful gardens and parks. The nandi hills in Bangalore is not to be missed by the pious. Though the origin of Bangalore is ancient, the present-day city was founded in the 16th century and has since continued to be an important administrative center. Because of the high concentration of IT industry, it also called the Silicon Valley of India. There are a number of good hotels in Bangalore like the Ashoka Hotel in Bangalore that make your stay in the Garden city comfortable.

LOCATION OF BANGALORE

Bangalore city is located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, in the southern region of India. It is 3,113 feet (949 m) above sea level, on top of a ridge in the Karnataka plateau. Bangalore is 998 km from Mumbai (Bombay) and 562 km from Hyderabad. The climate of Bangalore is moderate and pleasant. Summers are mild (April-June) and winters are cool (October-February). The city experiences southwestern monsoon rains in June-August.

TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS IN BANGALORE

Bangalore city has a number of tourist places. Apart from the numerous gardens, it also has some historical sites and other places of interest. The Vidhan Soudha or the State Secretariat, built in 1954, is the main attraction of this city. It is a marvel of modern architecture and is a fine amalgamation of traditional Dravidian and modern styles. Cubbon Park, the 120-hectare park located near the Vidhan Soudha, has a number of neo-classical styled government buildings. The Government Museum of Bangalore (one of India's oldest museums) and the Visvesvaraya Technological and Industrial Museum are important museums within the city. The Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens, which holds a number of flower shows, especially during the Republic Day (26th January), is located on the southern fringes of the city. The 18th-century Tipu Sultan's Fort and Palace are other important places of interest to the traveler. The 16th-century, Dravidian-styled temple dedicated to Nandi hills in Bangalore is an important place of worship. For all those religious visitors the nandi hills in Bangalore is not to be missed. The Venkataramanaswamy Temple, the Gavi Gangadhareswara cave temple, and the Someshwara Temple are other important temple of this city. The Ulsoor Lake on the northeastern edge of the city is an important picnic spot. Bangalore city is famous for it's numerous Yoga centers, where fitness freaks can learn and practice this ancient art of keeping healthy. Most of the good hotels in Bangalore are located close to the tourist spots like the Ashoka hotel Bangalore.


HOW TO REACH BANGALORE

BY AIR - Bangalore is accessible by air, road, and rail. Bangalore Airport is 13 km east of the City Station. There are number of daily flights to important cities like Calcutta, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Goa, Kochi, Mangalore, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram. Bangalore has direct international flights to Muscat, Sharjah and Singapore. It is also a stopover for many international flights.

BY ROAD - Bangalore has a large bus terminus, which is near the railway station. There are two railway stations in Bangalore. The main station is well connected to all major Indian cities. There are number of daily express trains from Bangalore to other cities of India.

We would provide you all India tourist permit vehicles for the local transportations and also for the intercity drives too.

WHERE TO STAY IN BANGALORE

Bangalore offers a range of accommodation option to the traveler. Ashoka Hotel Bangalore is one of the leading hotels in Bangalore. The bus terminus area at the heart of Gandhi Nagar, the MG Road, and the City Market area offer a number of economy hotels. MG Road area and the Racecourse area offer mid-range hotels, while high-end hotels can be found in MR Road, Sankey Road and the Racecourse area.
We offer excellent accommodation facilities in and around Bangalore.

Tourism-of-India.com provides complete information about tourism in Bangalore. Tourism-of-India.com offers various tour packages to make your visit comfortable. You can pick the one that suits you most.

Places To Visit

Shravanabelagola -158 Kms. from Bangalore or 51 Kms. from Hassan, this is a main pilgrim centre of Jains. It has a 17 meters high monolithic statue of Lord Bahubali. The symmetry in stone was created around 983 AD by Chamundraya. Mahamastakabhisheka is a ceremony held once in every 12 years where the statue is anointed with milk, curds, ghee, saffron and gold coins. The next Mahamastakabhisheka is due in 2005.

Belur - 222 Kms. from Bangalore. This is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. The Chennakeshava Temple took 103 years to complete and deserves all admiration. The Veeranjaneya Temple and many other small temples are also beautiful.

Halebid - 216 Kms. from Bangalore. The Hoysaleswara Temple here is full of intricately carved sculptures. This temple is guarded by a Nandi Bull which is incomplete despite 86 years of work on it!

Hampi -353 Kms. from Bangalore. This was the old capital of Vijayanagar Kingdom on the bank of the river Tungabhadra. 6 Kms. from Hospet. Vast relics of the empire can be seen here. It tells the visitors about the glory that was the Vijayanagar empire. 6 Kms. from Hospet one can also find the Tungabhadra Dam.

Mysore -140 Kms. from Bangalore. This city was the capital of Wodeyars. Mysore is one of the most important as well as famous tourist centers of Karnataka. The Mysore Palace, Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery, St. Philomena's Church, Mysore Zoo, Chamundi Hills, KRS Dam & Brindavan Gardens are a few places to see in Mysore. Srirangapatna, Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary, Melkote, Somanathapur, Talakad, Bandipur National Park and Tiger Reserve, Cauvery Fishing Camp, Nagarhole National Park, Biligiri Rangana Betta are a few places around Mysore worth visiting. Mysore has so much to offer to visitors that they can stay here for a week without having to spend a minute idle. many more.....