Pallava Dynasty

Pallava's played an important role in the evolution of temple building in the start of the century. They initiated a sea change in the construction of temples. The temples which earlier were built of wood and brick moved to more durable form. Black stone/ Granite was identified by them. Initial temple forms started with cave excavations (Mamandur), Monolithic structures seen in Mahalbalipuram. 

 Then came the giant leap into era of structural temples. In these temples, the raw material - stone could be brought from far off places, carved and moved. This brought in lot of flexibility. Further dynasties took cue and took from the Pallava monuments and rest as they is history.

The spring board of structural temples was the Pallava masterpiece at their capital Kanchipuram - Kailasanathar Temple.

The Kailasanathar Temple was built by Narasimhavarma II ( 691 -728 A.D ) also know as Rajasimha. The temple has been built using sandstone by the architects and craftsmen belonging to the Pallava period.

The Kailasanathar Temple was preceded by the shore temple at Mamallapuram and the Pallava rulers built finely crafted mid sized temples during their reign.

Kailasanathar temple was the inspiration for other monuments of grandeur namely : Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal,Kailasa temple at Ellora, Tanjore Big temple.

Sad part is the fact that, it is not popular amongst the Kanchipuram visiting populace and not much crowd is seen on any given day. Monument is protected by ASI and sadly could not find place in the UNESCO world heritage monument list due to the rampant modifications done after.

Madurai - A Temple City

Madurai also referred as "Koodal", "Naanmada Koodal", "Koodal Nagar", "Thiruvaalavai", "Aaalavai" - a living museum for thousands of years has had an uninterrupted history of literature, art and architecture that flourished in this temple town.

The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is clearly the geographic and ritual centre of the ancient city of Madurai. The temple walls, the city streets and finally the city walls were built around the temple in concentric squares. Presiding deity of this temple are Lord Sundareshwarar (Siva) and Goddess Meenakshi.

Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple has evolved over the period starting from the legendary Siva linga discovered in the Kadamba forest. Myths, legends, facts - the temple is a complex mixture of all. The temple has evolved over a period starting from Sangam era Pandyas, Pandyas - AD, Vijayanagara, Nayaks. Starting from the Sanctum built during the Pandyan rule, Vijayanagar rulers especially Viswanatha Nayak made huge contribution to the temple structure. Thereby this temple is perfect example of evolution of Dravidian temple architecture over a 1500-2000 year time frame.

The temple and city had their dark ages for close to 50 years during the rule of Delhi Sultanate and raid of Malik Kafur. Major portions of temple were brought down. The city rose back to glory is a story in itself.

Writing about this temple and Maduari knows no end and am sure i would do no justice trying to do it here. Planning detailed writeup on my blog spot, stay tuned.

Did a guided tour of Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple at Madurai, a long pending item in my bucket list. Sharing this photologue captured during my 2.5 hour temple walk.

Very knowledgeable guide Mr MeenakshiSundaram took me through the temple complex. He also offers guided tours of other monuments/ temples in Maduari. Contact details: 9842095250/9080049902

Note: Bags and Cameras are banned inside the temple complex, hence i could capture pics only with my mobile. Apologize for average quality pictures.

Bhandardara Tourism - Tour To Maharashtra

Bhandardara is a village located in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. Bhandardara is an important holiday destination in the tourism map of Maharashtra and it is a popular weekend destination of people of Mumbai, which is at a distance of 185 km away.

Bhandardara is situated on the banks of River Pravara, towards the western coast of Maharashtra, among the Sahyadri Hills. According to the legends, this place was the meditating place of Sage Agasthya, who meditated for one year surviving only on water and air. Lord Shiva, who was pleased with his devotion, came to earth and blessed sage Agasthya with a stream of Ganga, which was later termed as River Parvara. An earthen dam was built in River Parvara in 1910 called Wilson Dam, which is regarded as the largest earthen dam in India. Bhandardara is also home to Mount Kalsubai, the highest peak in Maharashtra that elevates to a towering height of about 1600 meters above the sea level.

Bhandardara is famous for its breathtaking ambience and  scenic beauty that comprises of lofty mountains, roaring waterfalls, tranquility, lush greenery, fluorescent green paddy fields and rapids and rivulets that criss-crosses the land. Bhandardara offers many tourist attractions to its tourists such as Wilson Dam, Arthur Lake, Agasti Rishi Ashram, Ratangad Fort, etc. Another attraction of Bhandardara is the AmriteswarMandir, an ancient temple built in 1100 AD in Hemadpanthi style of architecture.

Bhandardara also offers tourist destinations for excursions such as Nashik (70 km), Shirdi (90 km) and Trimbakeshwar (30 km). Nashik is a major tourist destination and industrial hub of Maharashtra that possesses mythological, cultural, historical, culotural and social significance. Shirdi is primarily a pilgrimage destination owing to its Shirdi Temple, the abode of Sai Baba. Trimbakeshwar is yet another destination famous for its Trimbakeshwar Temple that abodes one of the twelve jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva.

Bhandardara is easily accessible by roads, which connect this holiday retreat to Mumbai (185 km) and Pune (192 km). The nearest railhead is at Igatpuri, which is about 45 km away from Bhandardara. The nearest airport is the ChatrapathiShivaji International Airport of Mumbai, which is about 177 km away.

The peak tourist season in Bhandardar is from November to April, when the climate is mild and cold. However, Bhandardara achieves its glory during the monsoon months when the dark clouds descends from the sky and blankets the fresh lush green vegetation of the land.

Bangalore – City of Beauty - Bangalore Tourism

Bangalore is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore tourism is very popular with people living in India and abroad. Tourists love to visit this cosmopolitan city as it also boasts of numerous historical sites worth visiting. Bangalore is the major centre of India's IT industry, popularly known as the Silicon Valley of India.

Vidhana Soudha is the legislative House of the State of Karnataka. This granite building was built by Sri K.Hanumanthaiya, Chief Minister of the then Mysore state 1951 to 1956. It is a marvel of neo-Dravidian architecture and one of the most imposing buildings in Bangalore. One of the interesting features of this building is the grand stairs in its front. The architecture of the building is based on Dravidian style, comprising richly carved bases and capitals for pillars, deep friezes, kapotha cornices, chaithya arches and heavy pediments domical finials.

Seshadari Iyer Memorial is a distinctive building constructed of red sand stone in Cubbon Park. It houses a public library and the Bangalore High Court, while the grounds include a children's recreation area with a toy train, fairground and theater.

Bangalore Palace was constructed by the Maharajahs of Mysore. This is a dilapidated building with paint peeling on the interior .This includes a guide to point out things like the mounted elephant head, though no mention is made of the numerous nude paintings.

Tippu Sultan's Palace, which dates from about 1790, is the summer retreat for Tipu sultan. The two story structure is made mostly out of wood with finely embellished balconies, pillars and arches. The timings are from 9:30am to 5:30pm on all days of the week. Tickets are Rs 10 for Indians and Rs 100 for foreigners.

Tourists can also visit the many beautiful temples of Bangalore. The Bull Temple, located in Basavanagudi, is a typical Dravidian style temple, and is famous for its mammoth bull statue that was carved from a single boulder. Legend has it that the temple was built to appease a marauding bull that stole local crops, and that the offering was effective with the bull subsequently leaving the area. Since then, local farmers have held an annual festival to express their gratitude.

The Maha Bodhi Society Temple, ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple, Maruthi Mandir and Gavi Gangadeshwara Cave Temple are other famous temples in Bangalore. Bangalore is very well connected by roads, rail and air. It also offers accommodations for all tastes and budgets.

Bandhavgarh – Into the Wild, Bandhavgarh Tourism

Bandhavgarh National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh state of India. This park is among the best national parks of India where Asian tigers can be easily viewed. Bandhavgarh Hill, at the height of 811 meters above the sea level, is located at the centre of the park. This hill is surrounded by sloping valleys.

Bandhavgarh is a relatively small park but in the last few years this former game reserve has become one of India's most prominent National Parks. The major reason for all the interest is Bandhavgarh’s high density of tigers, which roam the mixed forests. 

While the main attraction is the tiger, there is a host of other wildlife. Leopards and sloth bears are the other two extremely rare animals, seen only by chance. Other wildlife includes spotted deer, samba, Langur and Red faced Monkeys, Jungle Cats, Bangal Fox, Mongoose, Striped Hyena, Bondicoot Rat, Asiatic Jackal, Wild Boars, Nilgai, Chausingha, Chinkara, Indian Bison and of course, the elephants.

The wild animals are not the only attraction in the park. Up the mountain there is a line of ancient caves, and a huge 10th Century statue of a reclining Vishnu. 

Baghel Museum houses many precious and beautiful belongings of the King of Rewa. The King maintained Bandhavgarh National Park as his destination for hunting. There is a stuffed white tiger in the museum amidst certain personal belongings of the King of Rewa.

Bandhavgarh Fort located in the centre of 32 hills, present in the park. The fort's cliffs are 2625 feet (800 meters) high, 1000 feet (300 meters) above the surrounding countryside. There are many caves in the fort and in the hills adjacent to the fort. These caves belong to the prehistoric period. The fort still belongs to the Maharaja of Rewa and permission is required to visit it.Climbers Point ensures the view of amazing natural beauty with the view of beautiful Sal trees. This is a wonderful place to take some rest and relax.

The Shesh Shaya is a statue of Lord Vishnu in laying position with umbrella of "Shesh Nag" along with "The Shivling" and “The Brahma", and it is situated here. The origin of River "Charan Ganga" is also from the foot of "Lord Vishnu". 

Jeep safari is the best way to view the park. Most of the wildlife is seen from the Jeeps, but the star attraction, the tigers are tracked each morning by elephant. 

The closest train station is Umaria. Sleeper trains run from Delhi and Agra. Umaria is a jeep ride from Tala, the village at the Main Gate to Bandhavgarh.

Hotels In Alleppey - Alappuzha Hotels - Budget Hotels In Alleppey - Cheap Hotels in Alapuzha

Hotels In Alleppey

 Alleppey also known as Alappuzha is a tourist place in Kerala which is famous for Boathouse in backwater.Alleppey is also know for its nature, many tourists from all over the world comes and visit Alleppey.Alleppey is one of the hotspot in Kerala.

The list of Hotels in Alleppey

The Wind n Waves Alleppey Beach Stay 
Goku's Homestay
Vedanta Wake up - Alleppey
Seaside Residency
Hotel Sisir Palace
Oceanus Residency
Dazzle Dew
Cosy Regency
Beach Paradise Ayurvedic Beach Resort
Holly Hock Resorts 
Sandra deepam Holiday Resort
Regal Mansion B and B
Lake Gardens Resort
Baywatch Beach Resort 
Hotel Royale Park
Arcadia Regency
Shanthitheeram Lakeside Heritage Resort
Karapuram Residency
Sunny Days 
Kadavil Lakeshore Resort 
Kurialacherry House
GreenPalace Health Resort
Kovilakam Lakeside Villa
Coir Village Lake Resort
Emarald Pristine Island 
Travancore Palace 
Backwater Retreat House Boats
Cosy Houseboats
The World Backwaters
Abad Turtle Beach
B 4 You Houseboats
Kerala HouseBoats Retreat
Palma Laguna
Indraprastham Houseboat
El Oceano Beach Villas
Vasundhara Sarovar Premiere
Lake Palace Backwater Resort
Shirleys Cruise and Holidays
Pearl spot tours Houseboats
Gokul Cruise Houseboat
Marari Beach Resort, Mararikulam 

Palmgrove Lake Resort
NT Ward, Punnamada, 688006 Alleppey

Ramada Alleppey
 Nehru Trophy, Finishing Point, Punnamada, 688001 Alleppey

Haveli Backwater Resort
Finishing Point, 688011 Alleppey, India

Deshadan Backwater Resort
Kayipuram, Muhamma PO, 688525 Alleppey
 
Xandari Riverescapes Houseboat
Near Pallathuruthy Bridge, 688003 Alleppey
 
Grand Nirvana Jacuzzi Super Luxury Houseboat
 
Prince Homely Stay
 Cullen Road, Vazhicherry, Alappuzha, 688001 Alleppey
 
Sea Land Beach Home
 North Of Vijaya Park, Canal Ward, 688007 Alleppey
 
Dream Heaven Cottage 
 East of Chungam, Alappuzha, 688011 Alleppey
 
Venice Nest
 Exchange Road,Near Head Post Office,Vazhicherry, 688001 Alleppey
 
Top-Yard Heritage 2 stars
 Vaisyambhagom P.O Alappuzha, Kerala, 688005 Alleppey

Lake and Paddy
 Chungam, Pallathuruthy, 688001 Alleppey
Sreekrishna Ayurveda Panchakarma Centre
 Near Finishing Point,Thathampally, 688013 Alleppey

XMJ Rooms
 Vazhicherry Ward, , 688001 Alleppey

Raheem Residency 4-star hotel Beach property
 XX/1100, Beach road, 688012 Alleppey

Riverine Resort
 Kanjipadam,Chempumpuram Post, Nedumudy Village, 688505 Alleppey

Punnamada Resort
Punnamada, 688006 Alleppey, India

Nova Holidays Cottage
Punnamada Road ,Near HMCA Church, 688013 Alleppey, India

Ourland Island Backwater Resort
Karimbavalavu, Punnapra, 688004 Alleppey

Palm Beach Ayurveda Resort
Sea View Ward, 688012 Alleppey

Nova Holidays Houseboat

Northof HMCA Church, Punnamada Road, 688001 Alleppey, India

Sreekrishna Ayurveda Panchakarma Centre
Near Finishing Point,Thathampally, 688013 Alleppey

Beach Paradise Day Cruise Houseboat
North of finishing point,Kayalkurisadi, 688013 Alleppey, India

Aqua Castle Houseboat - by Aqua Jumbo Houseboats
Punnamada Jetty, 688006 Alleppey

Lake Palace Resort
Chungam Thirumala ward,Allepey, 688011 Alleppey, India

Rain Dance HouseBoat
Near KSRTC Bus Stand, Alleppey, Kerala, 688001 Alleppey, India

Venice Castle
Opp. to D.T.P.C Office, Behind Canara Bank, Boat Jetty Road, 688011 Alleppey

Alleppey Beach Resorts
s/n BEACH ROAD ALLEPPEY, 688012 Alleppey

Pearlspot Houseboats
 Boat Jetty,Punnamada, 688006 Alleppey

South Canal Holidays
Civil Station Ward - Near the Lighthouse, 688001 Alleppey

Marvel Cruise
Akkarakalam Building, Mullakkal, Alappuzha, 688011 Alleppey

Alasr Holidays
Finishing point alappuzha , 600811 Alleppey

kerala holiday inn
kerala holiday inn, kaithavalappil, puthenveedu,thathampally PO, Alleppey, 688013 Alleppey

Springs inn
VCNB road, North of DTPC foot bridge, Finishing point road, Allapuzha., 688013 Alleppey

Kadavil Lakeshore Resort
 Kayalchira, Kainakary, 688501 Alleppey,

Vembanad House Boutique Back Water Homestay
Puthankayal  Muhamma.p.o, 688525 Alleppey

Swan Cruise Alleppey
 Finishing Point Road, 688011 Alleppey

Riviera Residence
East of Vazhicherry Junction, Cullen Road, 688001 Alleppey

Lemon Tree Vembanad Lake Resort
Muhamma, West of Kumarakom, Jana Sakthi Road, Kayippuram,Alleppey, 688525 Alleppey

Allahabad

Allahabad is one of the major cities of India, located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Allahabad is the administrative headquarters of Allahabad district and North Central Railway. Allahabad is also connected to seven out of fourteen Prime ministers of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Gulzarilal Nanda, Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Chandra Shekhar, as they were born here or were the alumni of Allahabad University or elected from a constituency of Allahabad.

Allahabad, which means the dwelling place of God in Persian, is one of the ancient cities of India. Allahabad was known as Pragya (place of sacrifice) in the ancient times. It is mentioned in the epics as the land where Brahma, the Creator as per Hindu scriptures, offered his first sacrifice after his creation of the World. Allahabad is also believed to be the site of Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the holy rivers Ganges and Yamuna and the mythological Sarasvati River.It is also one of the main sites for Kumbh Mela, the others being Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik.

The earliest historical records of Allahabad can be dated back to the period of Mauryan Dynasty. Later, it became an important territory of Gupta, Kushan and Kannauj Empires. Records states that Guru Nanak Dev, the Founder of Sikhism, visited Prayag. The 9th Sikh Gu Tegh Bahadur also visited Allahabad in 1666. With the Mughal invasion in 1526, Allahabad became a part of Mughal Empire. Later, British occupied Allhabad and made it their garrison town. This city played an important role in the First Freedom Struggle of India in the year 1857. The city also became the venue for the annual convention of Indian National Congress in 1888 and 1892. Allahabad was the epicenter of political activities of Indian National Congress, as the Anand Bhavan and Swaraj Bhavan,the homes of Nehru Family, are situated here. Post-Independence, Allahabad shot to fame when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India.

Allahabad is bounded by Baghelkhand region in its south and southeast, mid Ganges valley or Purvanchal to its east, Bundelkhand to its southwest and Awadh to its north and northeast. Allahabad, together with Kaushambi forms the Lower Doab region. Allahabad is a prominent part of the Ganges-Yamuna Doab region and is the last frontier of West India.

To reach Allahabad is easy as it is well connected to other parts of India by rail, road and air. The best time to visit Allahabad is from December to February, when the climate is mild and pleasant.