Mamallapuram is 60 km/40 mile, South of Madras. Situated on the shores of the Bay of Bengali; it was once a port of the Pallavas. The Pallavas have created many marvellous monuments with Sculptural Panels, Caves, Monolithic Rathas and Temples.

VISAKHAPATANAM

Fringed by the Bay of Bengal many an alluring beach is tucked away along the coastline where one can indulge in watersport and swim or sunbathe on the shore.

The seaface of Visakhapatnam besides its busting harbour has a single massive rock jutting into the ocean at a height of 174 m. Referred to as the Dolphin's Nose, the gigantic cliff has a powerful! Lighthouse that sends signals as far as 65 km to the sea.

The beach front of Visakhapatnam is a peaceful and enticing one. Rishikonda and Bhimli are calm, making them aquatic playgrounds. The balmy breeze beckons one to be adventuro9use on water. Swimming and water skiing are perhaps the most delightful experiences. At Walttair, the Lawsons's Bay and Ramakrishna Mission beach prove to be the ultimate for sea escapists.

CHOTANAGPUR:

Anthropologists would make us believe the Chotanagpur region of Bihar must have witnessed the transformation of Homo Erectus to Homo Sapiens. Their claim is based on the findings of hand axes and blades that are littered here in the region of Pathalgarwa. The discovery of Harappan pottery in Hazaribagh further strengthens the claim to antiquity. Senior archaeologists are staking their professional reputations on the findings of the cave paintings in the Isko village. Chotanagpur has impinged on the attention of researchers as being of an ancient site of continuous human habitation.

The Constitutional Order of 1950 has classified 30 different tribes of Bihar, spread over the Chotanagpur plateau that encompasses several districts. These tribes not only differ considerably from n on-tribal population but even from one another. Cheros (found in Palamu and Chaibasa region) for instance, migrated from the sub-Himalayan tract and they bear the Dravadian physiognomy with light brown complexion, while most of the other tribes are dark skinned, short statured, curly haired and broad nosed people.

The oldest geological formation of India are found in Chotanagpur plateau that also stores a vast deposit of a variety of minerals and caters to national and international needs. Chotanagpur plateau is a region of great unevenness and consists of a succession of plateaus, hills and valleys. Most of the plateau has an elevation exceeding 1,000 feet, while the hills rise to 3,000 feet or more. In the heart of Chotanagpur there are two main plateaus - those of Hazaribagh and Ranchi.

Assam is perhaps best-known for two things tea and the one-horned rhinoceros, which is found in large numbers a at Kaziranga National Park.

Kaziranga, is one of the most visited wildlife reserves of India and figures quite often on the itinerary of the discerning tourist from around the world. Kaziranga is spread over more than 430 sq. kms. and is the place where one of the last creatures of the prehistoric age, the rhinoceros, lives. The lumbering beasts are easy to spot even from the National Highway which passes by the sanctuary. They are best viewed from atop an elephant and there are early morning elephant rides for tourist which must be booked in advance at the Tourist Centre in Kaziranga. There are jeep safaris as well and these can be organised at the Centre. At the sanctuary, you can slight herds of wild elephants, the massive wild buffalo, huge numbers of deer - the hog deer, the bara singha or twelve antlered and the large and stately sambhar. Wild boar abound as do many water birds as well as migratory species, including hornbills, storks, such as the Great Adjutant Stork and cranes.