BHUBANESWAR-PURI-KONARK
Capital,
city of the modern Orissa state and the ancient kingdom of Kalinga, Bhubaneshwar is known
as the Temple City of India. Among the finest of its 600 temples is the Lingaraja Temple
of Shiva, built in the 11th century. It is also the biggest in Bhubaneswar.
PURI, the city by the sea,
is a major pilgrim centre in India. Adi Shankara founded one of the peethas here. PURI is
also famous of its Golden Beach, ideal for swimming and surfing. But the fame of PURI,
emanates most from the Jagannath Temple, which contributed the word "Juggernaut"
to the English language. This 12th century temple is known for its annual Rath Yatra or
Car Festival. It offers typical PURI Handicrafts like miniature stone sculptures, wood
carvings, sea-shell items, patta-paintings on cloth and applique work.
KONARK completes the
Golden Triangle of Bhubaneshwar, PURI and Konark for the best of Orissan temple
architecture. The Temple Chariot of the Sun God (Black Pagoda) on the sands of the Bay of
Bengal is a 13th century architectural marvel. It is designed as a celestial chariot
of the Sun God, complete with twelve pairs of wheels and seven horses. The main sanctum is
in ruins, but the Dance Hall and Audience Hall are intact. This legendary temple has
sculptures of great beauty, covering all aspects of life. It is most famous for its erotic
art.The Konark Festival held here every year is a great attraction for cultural
cognizance.
OOTY-UDHAGAMANDALAM
Called the "Queen of the Hill
Stations", picturesque, green Udhagamandalam better known as Ooty is the most popular
hill station in the south. The major attraction of reaching Ooty has a
miniature railway connecting it with the lowlands. The trains with their quaint yellow and
blue carriages are not as tiny as they seem. The unique feature of this line is the
toothed central rail onto which the locomotives lock on steeper slopes. Also unusual is
the little locomotive, which is at the back, pushing rather than pulling from the front.
Each of the three or four carriages has its own braking man, who sits on a little platform
of each carriage and, whenever appropriate, waves a red or green flag.
HARIDWAR
Haridwar is situated on the right
bank of the holy Ganga, and is the point where the river spreads over the northern plain.
Associated with both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, Haridwar is among the seven sacred cities
of India. It is also one of the four venues for the Kumbh Mela, held in its magnitude
every twelve years. Essentially a religious centre in Utter Pradesh State which holds
promise of salvation for devotees, Haridwar is also a centre of herbal medicine, a
traditional studies at Gurukal Kangri.
DIU
A beautiful blend of Sun, sand
and sea, is a God's gift to those in quest of a blessed turf where the weary weight of this
unintelligible world can, for a while, be lightened and the waking soul can hear the music
of the spheres. It is an island retreat gently rocked by the wind and the wave from the
Arabian Sea. It offers you undisturbed peace and an unusual holiday.
DIU a former Portuguese enclave, and
now a Union Territory situated in the Western India, is steeped in history. It was a
sea-port and naval base of considerable strategic importance from the 14th to 16th
Centuries. It was also a vital trade link with the rest of India for traders overseas.
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