Ranthambhore Fort

Ranthambore Fort Rajasthan - Set within a National Park in Sawai Madhopur district, the Ranthambore Fort stands apart from the other forts of Rajasthan. The formidable exteriors of this Fort stand 700 feet above the plains on the Thambore Hills amid forests at the junction of the Aravallis and the Vindhyas.

Believed to be built in 944 AD by one of the rulers of the Chauhan clan, it is the oldest standing fort in Rajasthan, and has withstood attempts by Mughal rulers like Allah-ud-din Khilji, Feroz Tughlaq and Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, before succumbing to an invasion in 1528. From the Mughals, the Ranthambore Fort passed on to the Jaipur royal family in the late 17th century, and the surrounding forest area became the royal hunting grounds

The Fort’s exterior walls run 7 km enclosing a 4 sq. km large complex offering a spectacular view of the national park. Access to the fort can be made only through a 20 minute walk up the flight of steps from the base of the hill. Amid the ruins of the old palaces, temples, cenotaphs, step wells and old houses, are a mosque and several temples. The Ganesh temple is particularly very popular amongst devotees. The Gupt Ganga is a series of steps cut within a rock leading to a stream.

The fine craftsmanship of the fort can be observed in its fabulous interiors of Badal Mahal and Hammir Court. The latter, named after its ruler, Rao Hammir is a hall with excellent acoustics. Stone walls ring the fort at Ranthambore buttressed by towers and bastions. Locally available stone has been used in the construction of the fort, and the quarried mines were used as reservoirs for storing water.

A trip to Ranthambore Fort offers an opportunity to observe the tiger in its natural habitat, since the Park is dedicated to the Project Tiger and has a fair concentration of leopards, caracals, jungle cats, rusty spotted cats, fishing cats and leopard cats, apart from 320 species of birds.

Beaches In Goa

Location : Clustered Between North and South Goa
Stretches For : 105 kms
Famous Beaches : Bogmalo Beach, Anjuna Beach
What To Do : Indulge in Adventure Sports

Goa Beaches Vacation, Along India's 6,000 kilometers of coast line, one small stretch of 100 kilometers on the western coast ranks not only as the best beach in the country, but also as one of the best in the world. Yes, the beaches of Goa are undoubtedly blesses beaches that are long, straight, and palm fringed with an impressive infrastructure of hotels and beach resorts, restaurants and bars, which cater to all price ranges, from top-notch 5-star luxury, to hippy flop-shops.

Goa is one of India's special places, a state endowed with fabulous weather, even more fabulous beaches, delightful people, good food, hill-top forts, little white-washed churches, soaring Portuguese-era cathedrals, a unique cultural legacy-small wonder. Goa is one of India's prime holiday destinations. Come the holidays or just about any long weekend, and Goa is packed with eager Mumbaites hoping to unwind for a few days, and sun-starved Europeans, soaking up all that glorious sun and food.

Anjuna Beach
A popular beach area near Panajim. In Anjuna there is magnificient Albuquerque Mansion built in 1920, flanked by octagonal towers and attractive Mangalore tile-roof.

Vagator Beach
A popular beach dominated by Chapora fort to the north, on its imposing headland. To the south of Vagator is Calangute beach.

Palolem Beach
About 37 Km from Margao - Just west of Chaudi one of the most enchanting beaches in Goa and relatively deserted, with backdrop of Western Ghats, situated in Southern most Taluka of Canacona.

Colva Beach
If any beach deserves the title of 'Queen' it is Colva, as this beach is without equal in India. It's nothing short of paradise, with 40 Km of uninterrupted white sand fringed with coconut palms along the whole of its length and a warm, calm sea.

Miramar Beach
A lovely golden beach of soft sand griddled with palm trees facing the blue Arabian Sea, is the nearest to Panaji.

Holidays In Agra

Agra, the city of Taj, is located at about 203 km from Delhi, the capital city of India. The privileged city of Agra is world famous for its magnificent, majestic, marvelous and beautiful Taj Mahal, the finest architectural wonder of the world. The city of Agra has a rich political and cultural past of more than 500 years. But, it was the Mughal period during which the city reached its zenith.

Akbar, the most famous Mughal emperor, made Agra his capital in the year 1565 AD and started the construction of the Agra Fort on the banks of the river Yamuna. During his period Agra emerged as the India's most famous center of art, culture and commerce and learning. The trend continued fro many centuries and reached its zenith during the Shah Jehan's period. The glory of the Mughal period can be seen in its various wonderful architectural masterpieces such as the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort, Bulund Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri, the Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah also known as Baby Taj.

Palace To Visit Agra :

Taj Mahal : Agra is famous as being home to one of the seven wonders of the world-the Taj Mahal. The architectural splendour of the mausoleums, the fort and the palaces is a vivid remainder of the mausoleums, the fort and the palaces is a vivid reminder of the capital in the 16th and early 17th centuries.

Agra Fort : Built by the great Emperor Akbar in 1565 A.D. the fort is a masterpiece of design and construction. Within the fort are a number of exquisite building, including the Moti Masjid, Diwane-I-Aam, Diwani-I-Khas and musanman Burj, where the Emperor Shah Jahan died in imprisonment beside Jahangirs place, Khaas Mahal and the Sheesh Mahal.

Itmad - Ud Daula : To the north of the fort and across the river Yamuna are several fine examples of Mughal architecture. The Itmad -Ud -Daula as a by the Empress Noor Jehan as a memorial to her father Mirza Ghiyas Beg , is beautifully ornamented with pietra dura inlay and lattice work marble screens.

Chini Ka Roza : The tomb of Afzal Khan, the persian poet and minister at Shah Jehan's court gets its name from the brightly coloured glazed tiles that decorate it . Lies just 1km beyond itmad -ud -daula.

Sikandara : Welcome to Sikandra, a suburb of Agra, only 13 km. From the Agra Fort. The last resting place of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Akbar was the greatest of the Mughal emperors and one of the most secular minded royalties of his time. He was the heir to a long tradition of oriental refinement, a great patron of the arts, literature, philosophy and science. A visit to Akbar's monument opens before one, the completeness of Akbar's personality as completely as the Taj Mahal does of Mumtaz Mahal's.

Fatehpur Sikri : Imposing gateways and light- hearted palaces were built in red sandstone within this fortified city only to be abandoned a few years later. Among its many architectural game are the places for his queens - Jodha Bai, Mariyam and his Turkish sultana, built in varying styles, each perfect in itself.

How to Reach

By Air: There is a well-maintained airport at Kheria located 7 km from the city center Agra, which has all the major domestic airlines having their services to the city of Taj.

By Rail: Agra has many small and big railway stations and well connected by trains to almost all the major cities and towns in India. The most luxurious trains of India including the world famous 'Palace On Wheels' have Agra on top of their itineraries.

By Road: Agra has a very good network of roads. All the premier towns and cities of India are well linked by bus services to the city. The national highway numbers 2, 3, and 11 pass through the city making it easily accessible by road.

Tourist Attractions In Kerala

Kerala is a green strip of land, in the South West corner of Indian peninsula. It has only 1.1 8 per cent of the total area of the country but houses 3.43% of the the country's population. In 1956, when the states were reorganized, Kerala was formed after tying the princely states of Travancore and Cochin with Malabar, a province under Madras state.

Kerala may be divided into three geographical regions: (1) High lands, (2) Midlands and (3) Lowlands. The Highlands slope down from the Western Ghats which rise to an average height of 900 m, with a number of peaks well over 1,800 m in height. This is the area of major plantations like tea, coffee, rubber, cardamom and other spices.

The Midlands, lying between the mountains and the lowlands, is made up of undulating hills and valleys. This is an area of intensive cultivation. Cashew, coconut, areca nut, cassava (tapioca), banana, rice, ginger, pepper, sugarcane and vegetables of myriad varieties are grown in this area.

It is a purified world in Kerala, the land of trees. A big, spreading tree purifies as much air as a room air-conditioner. And the former is never switched off. The prolific, bustling, vegetation acts like a massive, biological, air-filtration plant working round the clock, round the year. Hence spending days in Kerala countryside is as if spending in an air- purified environ; some times better than it. So is the rejuvenating effect of the lush greenery of the state.

The wanton growth of trees makes Kerala a herbarium. The four month-long, copious monsoon and recurrent flurry make this land a perfect nursery for all living beings. Loitering under the canopy of the foliage, you will feel blossoming the dreams. Thus, on a sojourn in Kerala, away from the rough and tumble of cities, you're breathing freshly purified air all the time.

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Tourist Attractions In Jaipur

Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan is a wonderful tourist attraction in Rajasthan. The Pink City of Jaipur has a number of architectural wonders that attract tourists from all over the country and abroad. Most of the foreign tourists, who come to India, also tour this city of majestic forts and beautiful havelis. Jaipur lies in the state of Rajasthan and is about 258 kilometres from Delhi, the capital of India. Jaipur Hub takes you on a tour of various tourist attractions in and around Jaipur.

Jaipur, the Pink City, is a wonderful tourist destination of India to be in. Jaipur has many tourist attractions in the form of magnificent forts, beautiful palaces, havelis, museums, temples and colorful bazaars. Jaipur also offers an exciting shopping experience among many other enjoyable activities to its visitors. India Travel Portal will take you to some of the most fascinating tourist attractions in Jaipur on Jaipur tours.

Things to See in Jaipur

City Palace: Standing majestically in the heart of Jaipur, the City Place offers a perfect example of Mughal and Rajput architecture. The City Palace houses many beautiful structures in its compound including a 7-storey palace 'Chandra Mahal' (moon palace), Mubarak Mahal, Diwan-e-Khas (the hall of private audience), and the Diwan-e-Aam (the hall of public audience). The Mubarak Mahal also houses a museum named after Maharaja Sawai Man Singh. The museum displays a rich collection of rare manuscripts, weapons, Mughal carpets and costumes, and Mughal and Rajasthani miniatures.

Hawa Mahal: Hawa Mahal or the "Palace of Winds" is the most striking monument in Jaipur. Though its name suggests it to be a palace, in really it's not a palace. Actually, the Hawa Mahal is a sandstone screen with 593 finely screened windows, used as a veil by the royal women folk to watch the proceedings on the road below without being seen.

Jantar Mantar: A not to be missed tourist attraction in Jaipur, the Jantar Mantar is a wonderful observatory, built in 1718 by the astronomical king Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of the city. Built in stone and marble, it has numerous scientifically designed instruments to study the movement of stars. The "Ram Yantra," used for gauging altitudes, is the most remarkable of all the instruments here.

Amber Fort: Your tour to Jaipur will be incomplete without a visit to the magnificent Amber Fort, situated on the outskirts of city on a sandstone hilltop. Though, its construction was started by Raja Man Singh in the 16th century AD, it was finally completed by Sawai Jai Singh in the 18th century AD. Built in red sandstone and white marble, the Amber Fort represents a fine blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture. One can enjoy a beautiful view of surrounding areas from the Fort.

Ram Niwas Bagh: Built as a famine relief project by Sawai Ram Singh II in 1868 AD, it houses a well-kept spacious garden with a zoo, an aviary, a greenhouse, a herbarium, a museum and a sport ground. Other must see tourist attractions in Jaipur include the Sheesh Mahal, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, Rambagh Palace, Jaipur Museum, Birla Planetarium, Amber Palace, Govind Devji Temple, Sisodia Rani Garden, and the Laxmi Narayan Temple.

Central Museum:Jaipur Attractions Located in the Ram Niwas Garden, the Central Museum or Albert Hall is a mixture of pillars, arches, and courtyards adorned with murals. There is a huge collection of objects displaying different facets of Rajasthani culture and history. There are miniature paintings, ivory carvings, costumed mannequins, and shields depicting scenes from the Hindu epics, among others.

Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh:Jaipur Attractions The terraced Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh (the Garden of Sisodia Queen) is situated on the Jaipur-Agra road at a distance of 6 km from Jaipur. The garden was created by the queen of Jai Singh II as an escape from the court intrigues. The landscaped gardens and murals of the life of Lord Krishna, decorating its interiors, are breathtakingly beautiful.

There are a number of other tourist attractions in Jaipur that include Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, Govind Deoji Mandir, Rambagh Palace, Kanak Valley and Laxmi Naryan Temple. Jaipur with its beautiful monuments and colorful bazaars promises to offer tourists a wholesome experience. Many hotels in Jaipur provide cultural programmes that include puppet shows, music performances and folk dances that make Jaipur tour a memorable affair for tourists.

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