Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Udaipur ...City Of Lakes.....where Romance came eternaly...


Udaipur  pronunciation (help·info) (Rajasthani: उदैपर) (उदयपुर), also known as the City of Lakes, is a city, a Municipal Council and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is located 403 kilometres (250 mi) southwest of the state capital, Jaipur, 248 kilometres (154 mi) west of Kota, and 250 kilometres (155 mi) northeast from Ahmedabad. Udaipur is the historic capital of the kingdom of Mewar in the former Rajputana Agency. The Guhils (Sisodia) clan ruled the Mewar and its capital was shifted from Chittorgarh to Udaipur after founding city of Udaipur by Maharana Uday Singh. The Mewar province became part of Rajasthan after India became independent



 Apart from its history, culture, and scenic locations, it is also known for its Rajput-era palaces. The Lake Palace, for instance, covers an entire island in the Pichola Lake. Many of the palaces have been converted into luxury hotels. It is often called the "Venice of the East", and is also nicknamed the "Lake City".[2][3] Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar Lake, Udai Sagar and Swaroop Sagar in this city are considered some of the most beautiful lakes in the state.



Udaipur was founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II as the final capital of the erstwhile Mewar kingdom, located to the southwest of Nagda, on the Banas River, the first capital of the Mewar kingdom. Legend has it that Maharana Udai Singh II came upon a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. The hermit blessed the king and asked him to build a palace on the spot, assuring him it would be well protected. Udai Singh II consequently established a residence on the site. In 1568 the Mughal emperor Akbar captured the fort of Chittor, and Udai Singh moved the capital to the site of his residence, which became the city of Udaipur.




As the Mughal empire weakened, the Sisodia ranas, and later maharanas (also called the Guhilots or Suryavansh), who had always tried to oppose Mughal dominance, reasserted their independence and recaptured most of Mewar except for Chittor. Udaipur remained the capital of the state, which became a princely state of British India in 1818. Being a mountainous region and unsuitable for heavily armoured Mughal horses, Udaipur remained safe from Mughal influence in spite of much pressure. The rajvansh of Udaipur was one of the the oldest dynasty of the world. Even the Nepal kingdom and Jammu kingdom are believed to have been originated from Mewar.



Tourism



Udaipur is a popular tourist destination in India. The lakes, palaces and lively workspaces and culture attract foreign and domestic visitors. It is a favourite marriage destination. Many celebrities, including film stars, business families, politicians chose Udaipur to hold marriage ceremonies and parties.

City palace complex 
 The Udaipur Palace Complex at night
City Palace
Jagdish Temple  
Sajjangarh Palace flood-lit during late evening
Nehru Garden on an island in Fateh Sagar Lake
Udaipur Bathing Ghat
Jag Mandir
Lake Palace
Sukhadia Circle at Night City Palace,


 Standing on the east bank of Lake Pichola is a massive series of palaces built at different times from 1559. The balconies of the palace provide panoramic views of the "Jag Niwas" (the Lake Palace Hotel). They also have views of Jag Mandir on one side and the city of Udaipur on the other. Its main entrance is through the triple-arched gate - the Tripolia, built in 1725. The way now leads to a series of courtyards, overlapping parations, terraces, corridors and gardens. There is a Suraj Gokhda, where the maharanas of Mewar presented themselves in the times of trouble to the people to restore confidence. The Mor-chowk (Peacock courtyard), gets its name from the mosaics in glass decorating its walls. The chini chitrashala is noteworthy while a series of wall paintings of Krishna are on display in Bhim Vilas. There are numerous other palaces such as Dilkhush mahal, Sheesh mahal, Moti mahal and Krishna vilas - in memory of a princess of striking beauty who poisoned herself to avert a bloody battle for her hand by rival princes. Now the palace contains many antique articles, paintings, decorative furniture and utensils and attracts thousands of visitors every day.




The former guesthouse of the city palace, Shiv Niwas Palace and the Fateh Prakash Palace have been converted into heritage hotels.

 Lake Palace

Main article: Lake Palace



The Lake Palace was built in 1743-1746. It is made of marble and is situated on Jag Niwas island in Lake Pichola. It was originally built as a royal summer palace, but is now a luxury 5 Star hotel, operating under the "Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces" banner.

 Jag Mandir

Main article: Jag Mandir



Jag Mandir is another island in Lake Pichola which is known for its garden courtyard. Shah Jahan took refuge here while revolting against his father. There is a restaurant run by the HRH group of hotels.

 Monsoon Palace

Main article: Monsoon Palace



Monsoon Palace also known as Sajjan Garh Palace The summer resort of the Maharajas is atop the hill overlooking all of the lakes. This palace had a way to collect rain water for consumption all year around.

 Jagdish Temple

The Jagdish Temple is a large Hindu temple in the middle of Udaipur. It was built by Maharana Jagat Singh Ist in 1651 A.D. It is an example of Indo - Aryan architecture. This temple is a great example of architecture and art. The area is the main tourist place in the city. You can also find some special kind of things like rajasthani dress, paintings etc.

 Fateh Sagar Lake

Main article: Fateh Sagar Lake



Fateh Sagar Lake is situated in the north of Lake Picholas. It was originally built by Maharana Jai Singh in the year 1678 AD, but later on reconstructed and extended by Maharana Fateh Singh after much destruction was caused by heavy rains. In 1993-1994, the water vanished from the lake, but in 2005-2006, the lake regained its water.

 Lake Pichola

Main article: Lake Pichola



Lake Pichola has two islands, Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir. This lake is 4 km long and 3 km wide, originally built by Maharana Udai Singh II. There are many ghats, like the bathing and washing ghats, which can be approached through boats from the City Palace of Udaipur (Bansi Ghat). In the heart of the lake the Lake Palace stands, which is now converted into a heritage palace hotel. The lake remains fairly shallow even during heavy rains, and gets dry easily in times of severe drought.

 Saheliyon-ki-Bari

Main article: Saheliyon-ki-Bari



Sahelion ki Bari was laid for a group of forty-eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. The gardens set below the embankment of the Fatah Sagar Lake have lotus pools, marble pavilions and elephant-shaped fountains. These fountains are fed by the water of the lake gushing through ducts made for the purpose.

 Gulab Bagh and Zoo

Main article: Gulab Bagh and Zoo



A rose garden laid out by Maharaja Sajjan Singh is situated near the palace on the east side of Lake Pichhola. A library in the garden has a collection of ancient handwritten manuscripts and books. Some of the part of the Satyarth Prakash have been written in this library. Styarth Prakash stup is situated in Gulab Bagh. Within the garden, there is a zoo with tigers, leopards, Chinkara gazelle, birds, and many wild animals. Children can enjoy mini train, track of which covers the main part of the garden and the zoo.

 Doodh Talai

A rock and fountain garden and the sunset point from which one can enjoy the sunset view in Lake Pichhola and a panoramic view of the old city. Also one can enjoy the Aerial tramway (rope way) which connects one of the dudh talai gardens to Karni Mata temple.

 Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal

A museum of folk arts. It also hosts puppet shows in its auditorium.

 Maharana Pratap Memorial or Moti Magri

Atop the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, overlooking the Fatah Sagar Lake is the memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap with a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse "Chetak".[8]

 Bohara Ganesh Ji

This temple is situated near old railway station (Thokar) and M L S University. This is old and famous Ganesh Temple with standing statue of Shree Ganesh Ji considered very fruitful (Chamatkarik).Thousands of Bhaktas(devotees) come here every Wednesday.

 Nehru Garden

This is a park situated in the middle of Fatah Sagar Lake. This park covers about 41 acres (170,000 m2), with flower gardens and a lily pond. It was inaugurated on the birth anniversary of the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. The garden overlooks the ancient Moti Mahal of Maharana Pratap and gives a view of the Aravalli hills on three sides.

 Bagore-ki-Haveli

This is an old building built right on the waterfront of Lake Pichola at Gangori Ghat. The haveli now stages Rajasthani traditional dance and music.

 Ahar Museum

Main article: Ahar Cenotaphs



Located about 2 km east of Udaipur is a cluster of cenotaphs of the Maharanas of Mewar. There are about nineteen cenotaphs of Maharanas cremated there. One cenotaph is that Maharana Amar Singh, who reigned from 1597 to 1620. Nearby is also Ahar Museum, where on display is limited but very rare earthen pottery, as well as some sculptures and other archaeological finds. Some pieces date back to 1700 BC, and a tenth-century metal figure of Buddha is a special attraction.

 Shilpgram

A crafts village located northwest of Udaipur, Shilpgram hosts an annual crafts fair which is one of the biggest in India; people from different states in the country have stalls showcasing their art and crafts work.[9]

 Neemach Mata Temple

This temple is located on a green hill in the Dewali area of Udaipur. It has both stairs and an uphill slope way to climb, which is around 800 meters.Bellow this area is located new bohra colony named as Burhani Nagar,and a new Masjid is named as Burhani Masjid.This area is very peaceful,very near to Saheleion ki badi and Fateh Sagar.

 Udaipur Solar Observatory

Main article: Udaipur Solar Observatory



Asia's only solar observatory, the Udaipur Solar Observatory, is situated on an island in the middle of the Lake Fatah Sagar.

 Sukhadia Circle

Sukhadia Circle (Square) is a large roundabout in the city's northern suburb of Panchwati, on the road to Ranakpur and Mt. Abu. The Circle is a popular recreational centre and meeting place.

 ZRTI - Zonal Railway Training Institute

The Zonal Railway Training Institute, a premier training centre of Indian Railway and the biggest of its kind in Asia, situated amidst lush greenery in a vast area with its simple, but impressive arc shaped building and pleasant campus lay-out is in tune with the aesthetics of the City of Lakes.

 Status of Shiva (45, eastern).

The beautiful and BHAHIM village "Menar" between Udaipur and Chittor. This Status is on bank of Bhram Sagar and giving bless to all villager

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

TAJMAHAL ..the eternal love story

Agra, once the capital of the Mughal Empire during the 16th and early 18th centuries, is one and a half hours by express train from New Delhi. Tourists from all over the world visit Agra not to see the ruins of the red sandstone fortress built by the Mughal emperors but to make a pilgrimage to Taj Mahal, India’s most famous architectural wonder, in a land where magnificent temples and edificies abound to remind visitors about the rich civilization of a country that is slowly but surely lifting itself into an industrialized society.
The postcard picture of Taj Mahal does not adequately convey the legend, the poetry and the romance that shroud what Rabindranath Tagore calls "a teardrop on the cheek of time". Taj Mahal means "Crown Palace" and is in fact the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world. It is best described by the English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, as "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones." It is a celebration of woman built in marble and that’s the way to appreciate






Taj Mahal stands on the bank of River Yamuna, which otherwise serves as a wide moat defending the Great Red Fort of Agra, the center of the Mughal emperors until they moved their capital to Delhi in 1637. It was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess. She died while accompanying her husband in Burhanpur in a campaign to crush a rebellion after giving birth to their 14th child. The death so crushed the emperor that all his hair and beard were said to have grown snow white in a few months.
When Mumtaz Mahal was still alive, she extracted four promises from the emperor: first, that he build the Taj; second, that he should marry again; third, that he be kind to their children; and fourth, that he visit the tomb on her death anniversary. He kept the first and second promises. Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years. Twenty thousand people were deployed to work on it. The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport it to the site. It was designed by the Iranian architect Ustad Isa and it is best appreciated when the architecture and its adornments are linked to the passion that inspired it. It is a "symbol of eternal love".

As a tribute to a beautiful woman and as a monument for enduring love, the Taj reveals its subtleties when one visits it without being in a hurry. The rectangular base of Taj is in itself symbolic of the different sides from which to view a beautiful woman. The main gate is like a veil to a woman’s face which should be lifted delicately, gently and without haste on the wedding night. In indian tradition the veil is lifted gently to reveal the beauty of the bride. As one stands inside the main gate of Taj, his eyes are directed to an arch which frames the Taj.
 
 
The dome is made of white marble, but the tomb is set against the plain across the river and it is this background that works its magic of colours that, through their reflection, change the view of the Taj. The colours change at different hours of the day and during different seasons. Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight when the semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch the glow of the moon. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. These changes, they say, depict the different moods of woman.
Different people have different views of the Taj but it would be enough to say that the Taj has a life of its own that leaps out of marble, provided you understand that it is a monument of love. As an architectural masterpiece, nothing could be added or substracted from it.

Alwar Gateway of Rajasthan !!!!!!!

Alwar (Rajasthani: अलवर) is a city and administrative headquarters of Alwar District in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located around 160 km south of Delhi, and about 150 km north of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan.
India's highest ever recorded temperature of 50.6 °C (123.1 °F) was measured at Alwar on 10 May 1956
Alwar was formerly the capital of the princely state of Alwar. It was formerly spelt as "Ulwar" in British India. This placed it in last position in alphabetically ordered lists, so a king changed the spelling to "Alwar"tobring it to the top.


Alwar contains many interesting and historical monuments. The city has a beautiful lake and a picturesque valley. The Sariska Tiger Reserve is located in the Aravalli hills only a few kilometres away from Alwar. The sanctuary, which is a Project Tiger reserve, also boasts of many other species, including rare birds and plants. The military cantonment of Itarana lies on the outskirts of Alwar. Hill Fort Kesroli now a heritage hotel is also near by.
Fairy Queen

Fairy Queen is the oldest working engines in the world and one of national treasure (cultural artifacts) of India. The engine was built in the year 1855 and acquired by the Eastern Indian Railways from a British firm. Now the train is used for tourism purposes that departs from the Delhi encampment and reaches its destination at Alwar, in Rajasthan

The Fairy Queen, built in 1855, is the world's oldest steam locomotive in regular operation today, plying between New Delhi to Alwar in India. The locomotive was certified by the Guinness Book of Records to be the oldest operational locomotive after the Rajasthan government invoked it in 2004 to lug a deluxe train in order to boost tourism in the area. The Fairy Queen is run on the lines of the Palace on Wheels, the internationally renowned luxury train
.


Friday, April 20, 2012

Jaipur Pink City - Cultural capital of India




HawaMahal (Wind Palace)
The city is remarkable among pre-modern Indian cities for the width and regularity of its streets which are laid out into six sectors separated by broad streets 34 m (111 ft) wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter immediately to the east. The Palace quarter encloses a sprawling palace complex, (Hawa Mahal), formal gardens, and a small lake. Nahargarh Fort, which was the residence of the King Sawai Jai Singh II, crowns the hill in the northwest corner of the old city. The observatory, Jantar Mantar, is one of the World Heritage Sites.[2] Jaipur is a popular tourist destination in Rajasthan and India.
In 1876 Jaipur was colored in terracotta pink to welcome Prince Albert, and thus the name “Pink City” was attached with the city



                                                                     Albert Hall

Jaipur is a hotspot for culture. Cultural Centres like Jawahar Kala Kendra and Ravindra Manch have helped promote the unique culture of the state of Rajasthan. Albert Hall Museum (Government Central Museum) hosts several arts and antiquities. There is a Government Museum at Hawa Mahal, an art gallery at Viratnagar. Jaipur also hosts the Numismatic Section, Directorate. The Town Hall (Old Vidhan Sabha Bhawan) is slated to be converted into a museum. There are figurines depicting various forms of Rajasthani culture along various parts of the city. The city also decorated its flyovers with different interesting themes.

Rajasthan - Simply Colourful



Rajasthan attracted 14 percent of total foreign visitors during 2009-2010 which is the fourth highest among Indian states. It is fourth also in Domestic tourist visitors.[22] Endowed with natural beauty and a great history, tourism is a flourishing industry in Rajasthan. The palaces of Jaipur and Ajmer-Pushkar, the lakes of Udaipur, the desert forts of Jodhpur, Taragarh Fort (Star Fort) in Bundi, and Bikaner and Jaisalmer rank among the most preferred destinations in India for many tourists both Indian and foreign. Tourism accounts for eight percent of the state's domestic product. Many old and neglected palaces and forts have been converted into heritage hotels. Tourism has increased employment in the hospitality sector.
Rajasthan is famous for its majestic forts, intricately carved temples, and decorated havelis, which were built by Rajput kings in pre-Muslim era Rajasthan. Rajasthan's Jaipur Jantar Mantar, Dilwara Temples, Chittorgarh Fort, Lake Palace, miniature paintings in Bundi, and numerous city palaces and havelis are an important part of the architectural heritage of India. Jaipur, the Pink City, is noted for the ancient houses made of a type of sand stone dominated by a pink hue. In Bundi, maximum houses are painted blue. At Ajmer, the white marble Bara-dari on the Anasagar lake is exquisite. Jain Temples dot Rajasthan from north to south and east to west. Dilwara Temples of Mount Abu, Ranakpur Temple dedicated to Lord Adinath in Pali District, Jain temples in the fort complexes of Chittor, Jaisalmer and Kumbhalgarh, Lodurva Jain temples, Bhandasar and Karni Mata Temple of Bikaner are some of the best examples.


Rajasthan is often called a shopper's paradise. Rajasthan is famous for textiles, semi-precious stones and handicrafts. The attractive designs of jewellery and clothes are eye-catching and invite shoppers. Rajasthani furniture has intricate carvings and bright colours. Rajasthani handicrafts are in demand due to the intricate work on them. Above all, Rajasthan's shopping appeals to both tourists and people from other parts of India due to its cheap prices for quality goods.
Bikaner is famous for its namkeens, Jaipur for its jewellery, Jodhpur for sweets and Jaisalmer for yellow stone, wall paintings of bundi

Monday, April 16, 2012

Ghumakkad India !! is a place where you can see and discover different colours of India.
It makes you able to explore the unattended Himalayas to most visited cities.Its tours you through the indian sprituality and lifestyles.Indian peoples Indian culture Indian rituals you will get full essense of India.

Real India Real peoples Real colours !!!!!!!!!!!