ZULUK, SIKKIM, INDIA

Zuluk, Sikkim, India,

First village on Silk Route circuit to offer home-stay facilities for tourists.

1. Located at a height of around 10,100 feet on the rugged terrain of the lower Himalayas inEastSikkim, Zuluk or Dzuluk is a small village beside a winding road.
2. It was once a transit point to the historic Silk Route from Tibet to India.
3. It is relatively an emerging and offbeat destination in East Sikkim.
4. This small village accommodates a population of around 700 people.
5. Zuluk is a hilltop and a transit point within the Silk Route.
6. The road through Zuluk makes almost 32 hairpin turns to reach Lungthung, which makes it a unique engineering feat.
7. There is also an Indian Army base at Zuluk, which has been used as a transit camp for the army movement to the Chinese border, a few kilometres away.
8. t is the very first village within this whole Silk Route circuit to offer home-stay facilities for tourists.
9. Zuluk itself does not offer views of the snow peaks but only 14 kms away the Thambi View Point offers a panoramic view of the entire Mt. Kanchenjungha range.
10. There is a local Nag Temple here. The temple has a cave like structure and the deity of King Cobra or Nag, famous Hindu mythical god is worshipped in the temple.
11. Another great attraction of Zuluk lies in watching the sunrise over Mt. Kanchenjungha and its allied peaks from Thambi View Point (around 14 kms away) at 11,200 feet.
12. The glittering rays of the rising sun kisses the snow clad peak of Mt. Kanchenjungha, which slowly turns crimson and then golden and finally silver.
13. While staying at Zuluk you can cover Padamchen, Lungthung, Nathang, Kupup Lake, Tukla Valley and all other spots in the Silk Route circuit in day trips.
14. Zuluk has high diversity of Himalayan fauna. The place shelters variety of birds like Monal Pheasant, Blood Pheasant, Khaleez Pheasant, Snow Pheasant and others.
15.  One cam may also catch a glimpse of Himalayan Weasel or A Martin. Sighting of Red Panda, wild dog and deer in the high hills have also been recorded.

BodhGaya, Gaya District, Bihar, India

            BODH Gaya, Gaya District, Bihar, India,

1. * It is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar.
2. * It is famous for being the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have obtained Enlightenment (Bodhimandala).
3. * The place-name, Bodh Gaya, did not come into use until the 18th century BCE. Historically, it was known as Uruvela, Sambodhi, Vajrasana or Mahabodhi.
4. * The main monastery of Bodh Gaya used to be called the Bodhimanda-vihāra (Pali). Now it is called the Mahabodhi Temple.
5. * For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath.
6. * In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodh Gaya, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
7. * A new development plan has been proposed to "ensure a sustainable and prosperous future" for Bodh Gaya, but has become controversial because such a plan may require the relocation of whole neighborhoods.
8. * Here you can also found bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) where Siddharta sat in meditation and after three days and three nights, he claimed to have attained enlightenment and insight, and the answers that he had sought

One Of the Oldest Complex Of Maqbaras

One of the oldest complex of maqbaras (mausoleoms) of the Nawabs of Junagadh

Bahauddin Makbara, Junagadh, Gujrat, India

1.  The older complex of maqbaras (mausoleoms) of the Nawabs of Junagadh, located near Chitkana chowk offer some remarkable 18th century architecture with vertical columns.
2.  Delicate carved arches, cornices and domes in a range of sizes, the whole accentuated by a wealth of brilliant stone carvings.
3. The newer complex, near the town gates, is even more impressive and attractive, besides being better maintained.
4.  The complex includes the mausoleom of Baha-ud-din, minster of Nawab Rasul Khanji, which has an almost funfairish flamboyance-4 minarets with pirouetting spiral staircases.
5.  It also has a facade rich in stone carvings, beautiful silver doors and large sized domes mark the architecture of this tomb of the great minister in the Nawabi court, titled Vazir-e-azam. 
6. It is also considered as the evil twin of the Taj Mahal because of its appearance.

One of the Tallest Waterfall in India

One of the Tallest Waterfall in India

Nohkalikai Falls, Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India

•   With the height of 1100 feet (335 meters), It is one of the tallest waterfalls in India.  The waterfall is located near Cherrapunji, one of the wettest places on Earth.
•  Nohkalikai Falls are fed by the rainwater collected on the summit of comparatively small plateau and decrease in power during the dry season in December - February.
•  Below the falls there has formed a plunge pool with unusual green colored water.
•  Nohkalikai Falls hold pride of place among Meghalaya's beauty spots not only for its magnificence, but also for the story associated with it.
•  In Khasi language this fall is also known as "Jump of Ka Likai", it is linked to a legend about local women Likai who after family tragedy became insane and jumped off the cliff next to the falls.
•  The heaviest flow is towards the end of the rainy season which is around August - about the best time to visit Meghalaya.
•  During this season, there are a number of companion waterfalls making their dramatic leaps off the escarpment The falls nearly dry up by the early spring as there is hardly any rainfall during the winter.
•  There are steps that take you nearly to the bottom and the adventurous can take the footpath that leads from the bottom of the stairs right down to the pool

CANDOLIM BEACH,Candolim,North Goa,India

What you like the best of this Beach

Candolim Beach, Candolim, North Goa, India

* Candolim Beach is among the most visited beaches in Goa.
* Located 15 kms north of Panaji in the state of Goa, the Candolim Beach is a part of a long extension of beach coastline of about 30 Km along the Arabian Sea that begins at Fort Aguada and ends at Chapora Beach.
* This place is also famous as it is the birth place of Fr. Abbe Faria, considered to be one of Goan freedom fighters and the Father of Hypnotism.
* The white sandy Candolim beach naturally beautified by the scrub-covered dunes draws a lot of tourists these days.
* Candolim Beach was the first area to have adopted Christianity under the Portuguese rule.
* Candolim beach offers various water-sports activities-right from parasailing to water-skiing, wind surfing and so on.
* Fishing is an activity for those who love peaceful and quiet environment.
* Yoga & meditation has also gained popularity here because of the idyllic atmosphere.
* Candolim's nightlife is very calm, giving a break from the chaos and commotion of other beaches.
* The main road that is the Candolim Calangute road is packed with shops and restaurants, but the beach front is rather free of any commercial activity apart from some water activities.
* Another interesting feature about the Candolim beach is the ship River Princess, which has been stuck at the shores of the beach since 2000.
* The best time to visit Candolim Beach is from November through February.

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One Of The Ancient Buddhist Cave,

Kondana Caves, Karjat, Maharashtra, India

Kondana Caves, Karjat, Maharashtra,

* It is situated in Karjat offers the ancient lifestyle of Buddhist followers. The site has around 16 caves and an assembly hall.
* Ancient rock-cut caves, Kondana Caves are very famous Buddhist caves.
* These caves enclose Sculptures, Stupa, Chaitya Gruh (the main Chaitya Hall) and Viharas (rooms for Buddhist Monks).
* Sculptures and stupas are specimens of the ancient period Buddhist architecture.
* There was a natural disaster in the form of an earth quake in early 1900 by which many stupas, front entrance and floor of the caves were damaged.
* The main approach to this monument is from Karjat Railway Station (on the Mumbai - Pune Railway route. From Karjat there is an all weather road till village Kondana.
* From Kondana one has to climb up the hill (about 3 k.m.) to reach Kondana Caves.
* Smoking and the consumption of liquor and aromatic foods are prohibited nearby places of the caves. 

Someshwara Temple,Halasuru,Bangalore

Halasuru Someshwara Temple, located in the suburb of Halasuru (also called Ulsoor) in Bangalore city (also Bengaluru) is a dedicated to the deity Someshwara (the Hindu god Shiva). It is the oldest temple in the city and dates back to the Cholaperiod.^[1] Irrespective of when the initial consecration took place, art historian George Michell believes there were major additions or modifications during the lateVijayanagara Empire period, during the rule of Hiriya Kempe Gowda II

Temple plan

According to Michell, the temple plan follows many of the basic elements of Vijayanagara architecture though at a lower scale. The temple has a square sanctum (garbhagriha) which is surrounded by a narrow passage way. The sanctum is connected to a closed mantapa (hall) whose walls are decorated with pilasters and sculptures in frieze. The closed mantapais connected to a spacious open mantapa comsisting of four large projecting "bays" (area between four pillars). The piers leading to the sanctum and those facing outward from the open mantapa are the standard Yali (mythical beast) pillars. The eastern gopuram is a well executed, typical 16th century structure.^[3]

There are several notable sculptures and decorative features in the complex. An impressive pillar (kambha or nandi) pillar) stands near the tall tower over the entrance gate (gopura). The tower itself exhibits well sculptured images of gods and goddesses from Hindu mythology. The open mantapa consists of forty eight pillars with carvings of divinities in frieze. To the north is the navagraha temple (shrine for the nine planets) with twelve pillars, each pillar representing a saint (rishi). The entrance to the sanctum exhibits sculptures of two "door keepers" (dvarapalakas). Other notable works of art include sculptures that depict King Ravana lifting Mount Kailash in a bid to appease the god Shiva, Durga slaying Mahishasura (a demon), images of the Nayanmar saints (Tamil Shaivaite saints), depictions of the Girija Kalyana (marriage of Parvati to the god Shiva), the saptarishis (seven sages of Hindu lore). Recent excavations at the temple site has revealed the existence of a temple tank (kalyani) which could be 1200 years old.

References

Michell, George (1995) [1995]. The New Cambridge History of India, Volumes 1-6. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press