Category Tourist Spots in India

               Located at about 1,600 metres above the sea level, Munnar is a beautiful hill station in the district of ldukki, Kerala.

               Once a summer resort for the British, Munnar is known for its pleasant climate and pristine beauty. The rolling hills covered in mist, intersected by the winding road, the dark emerald green coloured plantations, and the few lone houses in their midst, will make you fall in love with this place instantly.

               Munnar is also an ideal place for nature lovers, wildlife lovers and adventure enthusiasts alike. You can indulge in boating, trekking and paragliding. Munnar rises as three mountain streams merge – Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala.

               Among the flora found in the forests and grasslands here is the Neelakurinji. This flower which bathes the hills in blue once in every twelve years will bloom next in 2018. Munnar also has the highest peak in South India, Anamudi, which towers over 2,695 metres.

               Some of the main attractions here are the Eravikulam National Park, Mattupetty Dam, Pallivasal, Munnar Tea Museum, trekking to Chokramudy, Kundala Dam etc.

               If you wish to see two million tulips over 60 hectares of the Kashmiri landscape at an altitude of 1706 metres, you must visit Asia’s largest tulip garden — the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden.

               One of the best gardens to visit in the month of April, this Tulip Garden was formerly known as the Siraj Bagh. The garden covers the banks of Dal Lake with a colourful carpet of flowers. This Tulip Garden was created in the year 2007. Overlooking the picturesque Dal Lake, the enchanting garden sprawls over the foothills of the Zabarwan mountain range.

               The climatic condition of Kashmir is ideally suited for tulips. The garden is built on a sloping ground in a terraced fashion, consisting of seven terraces. Apart from tulips, many other species of flowers, including hyacinths and daffodils have been added as well.

               The Tulip Festival is an annual celebration that aims to showcase the range of flowers in the garden as a part of the tourism efforts undertaken by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.

               A popular weekend getaway from Mumbai, Matheran is located just 90 km from the big city. Perched on an elevation of about 800 metres on the Western Ghats in Maharashtra, the hill station has a pleasant climate. Literally meaning ‘forest on the head’, Matheran refers to the thick woods at the top of the hill. This is the smallest hill station in India.

               Matheran was first frequented in the mid-19th century by British officials and visitors from Bombay, and it has continued to be a popular tourist destination. It is Asia’s only automobile-free hill station. Automobiles are not permitted here, and with ponies transporting luggage, people on horseback and the lack of tarred roads, Matheran retains the vintage charm of hill stations developed by the British.

               There are around 38 designated look-out points in Matheran, including the Panorama Point that provides a 360-degree view of the surrounding area, and also the Neral town.

               The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is the highlight of a visit to the popular hill settlement of Ooty, in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu.

               The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) was built by the British in 1908. NMR is the only rack railway in India. Although the railway was proposed in 1854, it wasn’t completed until 1908, as the rocky terrain and thickly forested hills made the work difficult. A Swiss inventor, Riggenbach, worked on the first part of this mountain railway, and built up the initial line up to Coonoor by the year 1899.

               The railway mostly relies on its fleet of steam locomotives. Covering a distance of 46 km in around 5 hours, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway takes tourists from Mettupalayam to Ooty. This is a truly amazing journey that takes tourists from a height of 325 to 2203 metres. The uniqueness of this rail line lies in it being the steepest one in Asia. It covers a total distance of 116 km and crosses 250 bridges and 16 tunnels.

            Though it was among the underexplored destinations, this hill station, thanks to its picturesque landscapes has earned a lot of attention from tourists across India.

            Chikmagalur is a town located in the Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. It is located at the foothills of the Mullayanagiri Range. The town with its favourable climate and coffee estates attracts tourists from around the state.

            Chikmagalur also has many wildlife tourism spots and adventure sports locations. Hill stations, beautiful waterfalls and national parks – Chikmagalur has them all!  

            The hill station is sometimes referred to as ‘coffee land of Karnataka’ because of its numerous coffee plantations. There are many waterfalls located in this district like the famous Hebbe Falls, Shanti Falls and several others.

            Located close to the city of Bangalore, it is a popular weekend getaway for the people of India’s Silicon Valley, Bangalore. Chikmagalur attracts tourists due to its hill stations like Baba Budan giri, Kudremukha, Mullayanagiri, Kalasa, Jayapura and Mudigere.

 

 

 

 

               Rishikesh, a most tranquil place in Uttarakhand, surrounded by hills, and bisected by the wide and sluggish Ganges, is often claimed to be the ‘yoga capital of the world’. The city is located in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is known as the gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas.

               Located near the Himalayas, Rishikesh has been revered as one of the major pilgrimage destinations since ancient times. The Ganges is the river that flows through the city, and rafting in its waters is one of the popular tourist attractions for tourists, both from India, and abroad.

               Rishikesh is considered as the adventure capital of India. For adventure seekers, Rishikesh is the ideal place suggested for starting their trekking expeditions to the Himalayan peaks and for white water river rafting. India’s first fixed platform bungee jump destination is at Mohan Chutti, a pristine location tucked in the Shivaliks, near Rishikesh.

               There are lots of holy temples and ashrams here, including the Vanprastha Ashram, Omkarananda Ashram, Sivananda Ashram and Parmarth Niketan.

               Would you like to tour the captivating backwater destinations? Then you should be spending part of your vacation at the backwater stretches of Kerala.

               Kerala’s backwaters are many and varied. The scenic backwaters of Kerala comprise serene stretches of lakes, canals and lagoons, located parallel to the coast of the Arabian Sea. The backwater regions of Kerala are among the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

               The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers. The Vembanad is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 2033 sq km. The tranquil backwater cruises are a once in a lifetime experience.

               Alappuzha, known as the ‘Venice of the East’, is especially popular for its houseboat cruises. Kerala houseboats are an integral part of the vast expanse of waterways, and form the backbone of Kerala’s backwater tourism. These houseboats serve as the most popular mode of transportation for tourists.

               Standing majestically on the banks of the Yamuna River, the Taj Mahal, for most people, is synonymous with India’s beauty. The name ‘Taj Mahal’ was derived from the name of Shah Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and means ‘crown of buildings’.

               Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife. The purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, precious gemstones used, and its picturesque location, all make a visit to the Taj Mahal gain a place amongst the most sought-after tours in the world.

               Nothing short of an architectural marvel, it’s no wonder that the Taj stands proud at being one of the ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’.

               Ustad-Ahmad Lahori was the main architect of the Taj Mahal. It was commissioned in 1632. The construction was completed in 1643, but work continued on other phases of the project for another 10 years.

               Masons, stone-cutters, painters, calligraphers, dome builders and other artisans were requisitioned from the whole of the Mughal Empire, and also from Central Asia.

               Home to one of the ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’ – the Taj Mahal – Agra is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. It is as loved by Indians as it is by foreigners who throng here in large numbers to admire its beauty.

               Agra is a city on the banks of the River Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh, and the 24th most populous in India. The city stands as testimony to the great amount of architectural activity of the Mughals, most notably the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri.

               Right from the epic Mahabharata to the Mughal dynasty, Agra has been monumental, and has played a significant role in shaping India’s history. From the Persian Gardens on the banks of the Yamuna, to monuments and mausoleums, this great city’s golden age started during the rule of the Mughals. Agra Fort attracts many tourists. Largely overshadowed by Taj Mahal, this fort is one of the finest Mughal forts in India.

               Gokarna is a small temple town in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. It is a famous pilgrim centre, and also one of the top destinations of Karnataka tourism because of its beautiful and pristine beaches.

               The name of the town Gokarna is derived from two words, Go and Karna, which means cow’s ear. According to mythology, Lord Shiva appeared from a cow’s ear, after he was sent to Patal Lok by Lord Brahma.

               The town is located at the confluence of two rivers, Aganashini and Gangavali, and the place where the rivers converge, forms a shape that is similar to the ear of a cow, hence the name Gokarna. Gokarna is known for its beaches. The main Gokarna Beach, in town, and Kudle beach are west facing. Om Beach, Half-moon Beach, Paradise Beach and Belekan Beach are south facing.

               This town is now an emerging beach destination that offers something to different types of tourists with its natural beauty and its history steeped in mythology.