Wednesday, 18 January 2012

Flights to Amritsar



Amritsar, literally meaning pool of nectar, has some of the hottest tourist attractions of India. The humongous Golden Temple immediately comes to mind as one thinks about this destination. Sitting in the middle of a peaceful lake and lavishly decked up in gold, this supposedly holiest Sikh shrine makes for a rare spectacle, especially on a full moon night.


A definite must have experience on your Amritsar holidays is a trip to the Wagah border, where India’s Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers burst into patriotic fervour. Every evening, during the change of guard ceremony, the troops try to intimidate and outdo each other in a magnificent display of gallant pomposity and just seem to fall short of coming to blows.



The fact that most of the major UK airports operate flights to Amritsar, makes the destination all the more popular. Almost every visitor pays homage at the Jalianwallah Bagh, a grim relic of India’s colonial past. This is the place were hundreds of unarmed native demonstrators were machine gunned in an enclosed space. To this day, the walls of the park bear bullet holes. There is a well in the park, into which over a hundred people jumped, preferring death by drowning rather than bullets.




Despite being a cheap holiday destination, Amritsar is nothing short of a treasure trove for visitors. The Baba Atal Rai tower treats one to mesmerising views of the city, while the Tarn Taran’s immense lake with its supposedly blessed healing waters enthral one and all.


Saturday, 17 December 2011

What are Popular Festivals in Amritsar?

Festivals of Amritsar reflects to the vibrant cultural and the traditional extravaganza. The festivals of Amritsar are connected to the different religious and the mythical significance. The festivals of the Amritsar are renowned by the excited citizens of the city. It is a perfect place to celebrate a holiday. You will reveal your own inner spirit there after taking cheap Amritsar flights. Amritsar is not much popular for festivals but its festivals are worth attending. People love to attend these festivals and buy different local items. Among many a few popular festivals including as follow.

Ram Tirath Fair: This is considered as the significant religious event of the city. This fair is organized at place which is known as the Ram Tirath. It is held on full moon day in the month of November every year. It is a four to five day event.  From the city centre of the Amritsar this place is located at a distance of the 11 km. This place is considered as the pilgrimage site for the Punjab at which the fair took place. Visitors frequently take cheap flights to Amritsar from UK. During the event pilgrims take bath in the water of sacred tank which is believed to be dug by Hanuman. Pilgrims come in the morning to attend the fair. The most attractive feature of fair you would like to attend after taking cheap flights to Amritsar is the songs and hymns with lamps floating into tank by women, which is believed to wash off all the sins.



Basant Panchami: This is a festival which stands as the important one in the district. This festival is more famously celebrated at the Gurudwara of the Chheharta Sahib which hosts the festival with the suitable support by the local community. The major attraction of the event visitors taking flights to Amritsar like the most is the competition of kite flying. Which is very old tradition related with this festival. This fair starts early morning and continues till late night.  The Bhandara is also held during this festival where the visitor can have the lunch which is free.


Diwali at Golden Temple: It is the most popular Sikh tradition to celebrate Diwali. All people in general and Sikh particularly take flights to Amritsar India to join this festival. This event is also known as Bandhi Chod Diwas in Sikh History. It is celebrated in the second half of October or November at Golden Temple. It is a festival of lighting the temple and its surroundings are illuminated with a chain of colourful lights. Every year huge crowds of tourists take cheap flights to Amritsar India from UK.



Guru Purab: It is one of the important festivals of Amritsar. Every year two of the festival takes place. One is celebrated in the month of the November when it is the birthday of the Guru Nanak Devji and the other one is celebrated in the month of the January when it is the birthday of the Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Both the festivals are celebrated with the great enthusiasm and the energy. The langars are organized free of cost at the time of Guru Purab. Every year enormous crowds of tourists take cheap flights to Amritsar India from UK to join this festival.


Saturday, 10 December 2011

About Punjab

Punjab the land of five rivers and integrated cultural history is a treasure trove for an avid tourist. For this land of the great Gurus not only boasts old ancient monuments but throbs with historical embodiments. It is no secret that whoever comes to this land of yellow fields with blue mountains providing the romantic and picturesque backdrops has never gone back without imbibing the essences of Punjab. There is no dearth of breathtaking palaces. Since this state borders Pakistan, there are two main posts from which you can peep into the land that was once an integral part of Punjab and experience the feelings of the people separated by a line.

The much truncated India’s portion of present Punjab is divided into three natural regions: the Majha, the Doaba and the Malwa.




MALWA REGION
Malwa is a region of Punjab and parts of Haryana between the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers. This Malwa should not be confused with the Malwa Plateau region of Madhya Pradesh, Central India. Sikhs of Malwa are known for being great fighters and warriors during the era of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Malwa area makes up majority of the Punjab region consisting 11 districts, and has the most fertile land. Cities such as Ludhiana, and Mohali located in the Malwa region are the richest cities, and are the most expensive places to live in the Punjab State. Ludhiana is the business centre of Punjab and is also referred as the Manchester of Punjab. Also the city is home to Punjab Agricultural University the best in all of Asia. Malwa is also home to many NRI residents mostly from the Ludhiana, Sangrur, Moga, Barnala, and Bathinda districts. Ferozepur, which was the biggest district and a metro city before the division of India and Pakistan, also comes in Malwa region which is famous for its Patriotism as well as Martyrdom and also for the yield of best quality of wheat and paddy in the world. The Malwa region has been controlling the political power in Punjab for decades.

Malwa comprises 10(parts of some) of the twenty districts of Punjab. Districts in Malwa include:
 Bathinda, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Patiala, Ropar, and Sangrur.

The people of the region are known as Malwais. The dialect of Punjabi spoken in Malwa is called Malwais. During the Mughal era, Malwa was known as Sirhind, since it consisted of the city by that name. Sirhind was the headquarters or the Mughal administration in Eastern Punjab. The city was also the headquarters of the Mujaddidiya branch of the Naqshbandiyya Order of Sufism. Malwa, like the rest of the province, was also the scene of many clashes between the Mughals, the Sikhs, the Afghans, the Marathas and the British.

DOABA REGION
Doaba is the region of Indian Punjab surrounded by the rivers Beas and Sutlej. The name "Doaba" literally translates to "land of two rivers" ("Do" two, "Ab" river; Punjabi). It is one of the most fertile regions of the world, and was the centre of the Green Revolution in India.
Scheduled castes form more than 35% of the population in Doaba. This area is also called the NRI (Non Resident Indians) Hub of the Punjab as many people from this region reside outside India.
Historically Doaba has been the residence of 'Sanadh' and 'Sodhi' communities. Guru [Govind Singh] Ji during his visit to Sanadh region got favorable adds by Sanadh community.
The biggest cities in Doaba are Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Nawanshahr, Desha, Phagwara, Banga and Nakodar.
MAJHA REGION

Majha is a historical region of the Punjab comprising the modern districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran in the Indian State of Punjab and the districts of Lahore and Kasur in the Pakistani Province of Pakistan. Historically, Majha comprised the older settled parts of the Bari Doab (in particular Sheikhupura) and the Rechna Doab (in particular, Gujranwala), the newer settled parts belonging to the canal colonies. Major towns in the region include Amritsar, Batala, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Kasur, Sheikhupura and Tarn Taran Sahib. The largest part of Majha called the Bari Doab. It lies between two of the five great rivers of the Punjab: the Ravi and the Sutlej. As such, Majha lies in the heart of the ancient Punjab region. No wonder then, that one meaning of Majha is 'the central plains' or 'the central country'. The people of Majha are known as 'Majhis' or 'Majhis'. The Majhi dialect of Punjabi is the basis of standard Punjabi.

Wednesday, 13 July 2011

Shopping in Mumbai (Maharashtra)

Shopping in Mumbai is a memorable experience as you wander through its Bazaars with striking names like Chor Bazar, Crawford Market, The Mangaldas Market, Fashion Street, Flora Fountain, Mutton Street and Zaveri Bazar. At Chor Bazar you'll find a phenomenal collection of antiques, jewellery, wooden articles, leatherware and general bric-a-brac.

Crawford Market
Also known as Mahatma Jyothiba Phule Market named after a local patriot, the old Victorian building is located north of the Victoria Terminus station. Built in 1869, it used to be the city's wholesale produce market. Just above the main entrance there is a bas-relief designed by Lockyard Kipling, father of Rudyard Kipling depicting workers in a wheat field. The market has interesting varieties of fresh produce at wholesale rates- fruits and vegetables, a meat section, imported cheese, chocolate etc. There is a bazaar area Lohar chawl across the street with an extensive range of goods. Nearby is Kiplings' cottage where Rudyard was born.

The Mangaldas Market
The Mangaldas Market is the largest indoor cloth and dress material market in Mumbai. There are hundreds of stalls where you can buy beautiful material from the finest silk saris to raw cotton.

Chor Bazar (Thieves Market)
Chor Bazar is a paradise for the antique hunter. It is arguably one of Mumbai's best shopping centers. This much talked about market in Mumbai occupied by an odd collection of shops deals with goods from second hand car parts to handmade furniture. One can buy good painting, jewellery, wooden articles, statues, leather ware and general bric-a-brac, silver coins and lots of other things from here. There are a number of shops where bargain is possible. The main avenue is Mutton Street, flanked by rows of little antique shops.

Zaveri Bazar (Jewellery Market)Zaveri Bazar offers a range of jewellery in diamond, gold and silver. The market is crowded and bursting at the seams. Napkin rings, picture frames, snuff boxes, bangles and necklaces in old silver can be purchased for reasonable prices. This is where the Mumbai's bullion exchange and diamond market used to be, though it is now primarily a retail centre. Mumbadevi temple is nearby.

Fashion Street

Fashion Street, also knows as FS is very famous for its readymade garments. It has at least 130 to 140 shops. You can see the latest fashion trends here, and casual wear is probably the cheapest anywhere in the world. It is a very popular area with college students and teenagers. The clothes are usually surplus exports and therefore are of very good quality and make. There are also several shoe and jewellery shops and anything else you can think of.

Flora FountainAll around the square sit Mumbai's infamous vendors selling just about everything from cheap nylon saris and ballpoint pens to herbal remedies.

The World Trade Center
The World Trade Center at Cuffe Parade is one of the main shopping centers in Mumbai. It has a huge number of state government emporiums, textile and carpet shops.

Central Cottage Industries Emporium
Central Cottage Industries Emporium where you can buy everything, ranging from the latest fashion in Bombay, handicrafts, consumer or electronic equipments, paintings, engineering innovations etc.

Thursday, 7 July 2011

Mumbai Tourist Attractions (Maharashtra)

Gateway of India
The Gateway of India is the main attraction of Mumbai city. It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary for the Delhi Durbar in 1911. Situated at the Apollo Bunder, the gateway holds greater historical significance as the last of the British troops that left India by sea, marched through its portals. The monument is complete with four turrets and intricate latticework carved into the yellow basalt stone. You can also go for a short cruise through Mumbai's natural harbour in one of the little motor launches that are stationed here.




Mani Bhawan
Mani Bhawan is one of the important places to visit in Mumbai. Presently functioning as a Gandhi memorial, it used to be the Mumbai residence of Mahatma Gandhi. It is from this famous house No. 19, called Mani Bhawan, that Gandhiji was arrested in 1932. This two storied building houses a reference library with over 2000 books, a photo feature on the Mahatma's life, some memorabilia, an old Gandhiji's charkha and a film and recording archive. A minimum entry fee is required to get into the Mani Bhawan.
 


Prince of Wales Museum
The Prince of Wales museum is another major attraction of Mumbai. Built in the year 1914, it is surrounded by a beautiful landscape forming an ideal getaway for the people of Mumbai. The museum houses art, sculpture, rare coins, and old firearms and a priceless collection of miniature paintings. The Prince of Wales museum is regarded as one of the best museums in the country.


Marine Drive
A stroll down the Marine Drive is the best way to discover Mumbai. This winding stretch of road with tall buildings on one side and sea on the other extends from Nariman Point to Malabar Hills. Due to its curved shape and many street lights, it was once called the Queen's Necklace. A popular sea front, Marine Drive is also the main thoroughfare linking for the Malabar Hills to the southernmost points of Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Nariman Point, and the Fort.

Juhu

Nicknamed as the uptown bourgeois paradise, Juhu Beach is a place that attracts a large number of visitors throughout the year. Characterised by walkers, screaming children and courting couples, the beach covers an area of about 5 kilometres. Juhu beach is attractively studded with many five star hotels offering the customers a splendid view of the coast. The beach remains noticeably crowded on weekends. Moreover, the beach activities like camel rides, pony rides, acrobats, performing monkeys and entertainers will keep you enthralled all the time. Keep away from hawkers.


Hanging Gardens

The Hanging Gardens makes another must see site in Mumbai. The park was built during the early 1880s over Mumbai's main reservoir at the top of the Malabar Hills. The reason of its location being to cover the water from the potentially contaminating activity of the nearby Towers of Silence. Located just opposite the Kamala Nehru Park, this terraced garden, also known as Ferozeshah Mehta Garden, is famous among the locals as well as tourists. The garden provides lovely sunset views over the Arabian Sea.


Kamla Nehru Park

Kamla Nehru park, located at the top of Malabar Hills is another site to visit in Mumbai. Overlooking the Marine Drive, the park houses "Old Woman's Shoe", wonderfully cut hazes and roomy walkaways. Moreover, the park also provides you a spectacular view of the city and the sunset. The Kamla Nehru park also makes a favourite gateway for the locals here.


Chowpatty

Another sandy gateway of Mumbai is the Chowpatty beach in the suburbs of the city. Chowpatty is perhaps the most famous beach of Mumbai, characterised by the usual hustle and bustle of stallwalahs, people snoozing under the shade of its stunted trees, screaming kids, Ferris wheels, pony rides, wayside astrologers, monkey shows, and even the odd self-styled gymnast demonstrating their skill for a fee. Moreover, the bhelpuri shops and sometimes the film shoot or a street play also adds to the festive atmosphere of the beach. A beach of action, Chowpatty makes a must visit in Mumbai.

Aarey Milk Colony

One of the most modern milk colonies in the world is Aarey Milk colony of Mumbai. Located at a distance of 32 kilometres from main Mumbai city, it falls on the main Ghodbunder Road. Aarey makes a must visit in Mumbai not only for its sophisticated dairy and the many well fed cows but also for its surrounding natural beauty. A visit to the observation pavilion here on a hill near the colony's entrance also gives you an enchanting view of the surrounding areas. But the main feature of the colony is the 4000 acres of parkland with fine gardens. You can also try the fresh milk and snacks in the colony's canteen here.

Tower of Silence

A peculiar site to visit in Mumbai is the Tower of Silence. Mumbai has a large number of Parsi population. The Parsis have the custom of leaving their dead in the open. These particular places are called "Towers of Silence", where the vultures come to eat the dead. For the Parsis, this is regarded as the final act of charity. Mumbai's Towers of Silence, have virtually disappeared today. Only a handful remain that attract a considerable number of tourists every year.


Jain Temple

Jain temple of Mumbai also makes the interesting place to visit in the city. Located on the Malabar Hill, the Jain temple houses frescoes depicting various events in the lives of the 24 Jain Tirthankaras.


Tuesday, 5 July 2011

Places to visit in Amritsar

Akal Takht
The fabulous Akal Takht building is made of a spectacular five storeys – all complete with white marble, and sporting an amazing gold roof at the top. With such a breath-taking and rare sight, the Akal Takht is, indeed, one of the top attractions in the city.
The Akal Takht is a building that Amritsar takes great pride in, and rightfully so. It was damaged once in 1984, and instantly rebuilt to the glorious sight it is today. Besides being aesthetically pleasing, the Akal Takht is important due to its grand religious significance.
Visit today for this splendid view, and get an up-close look at the spiritual and touching rituals performed here for the public! The sights are unforgettable, and the practised ritual will leave you speechless. Peaceful, historical and cultural – the defining words of Akal Takht.

Amrit Sarovar
The Amrit Sarovar is the large, clear, pure water that is surrounding the Golden Temple. It is famously known for the amazingly spiritual essence about it. Standing at the edge and looking into this great pool, you can clearly see the mirror image of the Golden Temple itself.
The Amrit Sarovar offers an amazing opportunity for the massive amount of tourists it collects. To spread the immense feeling of holiness and cleanliness, it has sections marked off for travelers wanting to bathe and dip into this smooth pool.
This important monument is guaranteed to grace you with its holy and spiritual qualities. Make a trip to the Amrit Sarovar today, and enjoy the endless possibilities of this great opportunity. Some of the most renowned people in the world have entered these waters.

Central Sikh Museum
The Central Sikh Museum is located in a wonderful spot – right outside the Golden Temple! With the many adventures to be found here, as well as the incredible views, the Central Sikh Museum attracts many kinds of travelers.
Constructed in 1958, the Central Sikh Museum houses an abundance of religious memorabilia, tying in perfectly the motif with the temple situated just outside. The pristinely preserved items tell the story of the Sikh history – your curiosity is bound to be sky-high as you travel from room to room.
Enjoy this fine collection of paintings depicting Sikh saints, warriors and powerful leaders. The display of priceless coins, documents and much more are absolutely outstanding. Explore the Central Sikh Museum to its fullest. There’s a lot to be seen, and even more to be learned.

Durgiana Temple
The Durgiana Temple is dedicated to the famous Goddess Durga, and represents the Hindu faith. Visitors are highly intrigued by the use of architecture here – it is often referred to as the "Silver Temple" of Amritsar, due to the replicated pattern of the Golden Temple, and the use of silver on its stunningly carved doors.
The entrance is welcoming, and continues to draw in visitors of all faiths, beliefs and backgrounds. The Durgiana Temple is part of a very exciting complex, containing amazing features of history here, such as the Bara Hanuman and Sita Mata temples. Merely exploring the grounds will have you lost in another world – not to mention era.
Replicating the Golden Temple has been the main cause for the important visitors, such as sages, priests and Hindu scholars from all over the world – but upon reaching the Durgiana Temple, you see that it has a personality entirely of its own. Visit today, and feel the uplifting spirit reach your heart, too – as it has done with many others.

Golden Temple
The Golden Temple, also known as the "Harmandir Sahib," is world acknowledged for being the holiest Sikh shrine in the entire city. This temple is the most major destination for travelers with culture, history and spiritual curiosity from all corners of the world.
This tourist attraction has reached the peak of fame, and continues to draw in people with its utterly sacred and holy appearance. The liveliness of the community in respects to the rituals that are performed here on a regular basis allows all under its roof to feel a sense of belonging.
The Golden Temple’s rich, lavish architectural marvel also adds to the powerful greatness of its existence. This sacred attraction is open to all visitors – take advantage of it by visiting today.

Jallianwala Bagh
The Jallianwala Bagh is a hugely historical piece, of large value to the city. This memorial was created to pay respects to the lives of thousands of innocent people in the community. The massacre took place on April 13th of 1919, a day that will forever be remembered by the people – especially when visiting the touching, beautiful Jallianwala Bagh.
The Jallianwala Bagh is a lovely, peaceful community garden, with remnants of the innocent victims located artistically all throughout. Located within the vicinity of the Golden Temple, everyone who visits has said they can feel the holiness and calmness wash over them.
The Jallianwala Bagh is a massive piece of history for this glorious town. Explore the beautiful garden walls, the lavishly grown flowers, and most importantly – the commemoration of the souls. You will truly feel touched by the spirit shown here.
 

Monday, 27 June 2011

Information about India

India, officially the Republic of India, has different names in several languages spoken in the country, as its name in Hindi language "Bharat". India is the largest country in the Subcontinent, located in the south of Asia, is the seventh largest country by geographical area in the world, the second most populous country, and the largest democracy of the world. India shares borders to the West with Pakistan, to the North with China and Nepal, to the North-East with Bhutan, to the East with Bangladesh and Myanmar, and to the south with the Indian Ocean.

The country is home of the oldest civilization, the Indus Valley civilization, in fact, the center of the civilization was situated in the province of Sindh, Pakistan, and counts with about 5000 years of glorious history. The history maybe began with the civilization settled along the Indus River, around 2500 B.C., later the Moghuls maintained effective control of the country from 1520s to until the mid 18th century, influx in the culture, architecture, etc. After, British took the control of the whole of the subcontinent, and around the 1880s the country gets its independence, until Mahatma Gandhi began the policy of non-cooperation with the British. And now India is the most populous liberal democracy in the world.

But India is not only history, the rich and exuberance culture of the country is manifested in different forms. India also is a secular state because there is professed several religions as the Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Zoroastrian and others. Maybe it is the most multicultural country in the world with 18 official languages and about 1652 dialects. Its principal languages are English and Hindi.

The country is very rich in architecture, the influence of the Mughals, British and other cultures made of the country an exquisite place to appreciate the example of the most exquisite architecture. The most representative monument is the Taj Mahal which in the 2007 was declared as one of the New Seven Wonders of the modern world, and is certainly a beautiful building of the Mughal age. But India also has many monuments such as Forts in the desert, palaces of the European style, Mughal palaces, Hindu temples, temples of other religions, Churches, and gardens.

India is the country of contrasts, from highest Himalayas in the north, to the beautiful beaches in the south, you can find different places to see and enjoy, such as the desert of Rajasthan, the jungle and wild life in West Bengal, the backwaters in Kerala, the mountains of tea plantations, and many beautiful places. Other attraction are the cities and peculiar towns, such as Jaipur called the Pink City, Udaipur called the City of Lakes, Jodhpur or the Blue City, Calcutta the City of Joy, Mumbai or well called Bollywood by its film industry. To finish the Indian festivals are several and colorful, you can see almost one in any week through the year all very fun and joy.