'V' for VARKALA Beach -- Hidden Jewel ::
Blessed with sun kissed beaches, placid lagoons and silvery sands, Kerala is one of the internationally known destinations for beach tourism. Both the northern and the southern parts of Kerala draw tourists with their sun-drenched beaches. While Kappad, Darmadam and Muzhapilangad are the major beaches in Northern Kerala Kovalam and Varkala are the major ones in Southern Kerala.
Varkala, though it possesses a beach-resort atmosphere, is not entirely like the other beaches. It is different from Kovalam in many respects – be it topography or ambience. Though visited by a fairly large number of tourists every day, Varkala still harbours a calm ambience and is devoid of the hustle and bustle that is usually associated with Kovalam. Apart from holding the charms of a quiet beach, Varkala is also a major pilgrim destination with the presence of Sivagiri Mutt and various ancient temples including Janardhana temple.
One of the key factors that set apart Varkala from other beaches of Sothern Kerala is the fascinating stretch of cliffs. Kerala coasts are generally flat in nature. Varkala alone is the only beach in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. “The Varkala Formation” as it is called by the geologists is declared by the Geological survey of India as a geological monument. On the sides of these cliffs we can see several beautiful spouts and spas.
Location: 51 km north of Thiruvananthapuram city in Thiruvananthapuram district and 37 km south of Kollam, south Kerala.
Varkala, a calm and quiet hamlet, lies on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district. It has several places of tourist interests like a beautiful beach, a 2000-year-old Vishnu Temple and the Ashramam - Sivagiri Mutt a little distance from the beach.
The Papanasam beach (also called as Varkala beach), which is ten kilometers away from Varkala, is renowned for the natural spring. It is considered to have medicinal and curative properties. A dip in the holy waters at this beach is believed to purge the body of impurities and the soul of all sins; hence the name 'Papanasam beach'.
'W" for Warangal Fort --Hidden Jewel ::
Warangal, once the capital of the Kakatiya Kingdom, is the fifth largest city of Andhra Pradesh. Warangal's History, with beautiful lakes, fine temples, rich fauna & flora have contributed to its importance as a Tourist Centre. The ancient name of Warangal was known to be Oruguallu or Omtikonda on account of huge boulder like hillock situated near the swayambhu Siva Temple and is also called "EKASILANAGARAM". In course of time, it was called as "Orugallu", and finally known as Warangal.
Warangal the ancient Kakatiya Kingdom has everything to satisfy the thirst of tourist all over the world. It has beautiful Lakes , Forts, Architectural Monuments, Wild Life Sanctuary, Musical Garden , Rock Garden, Vana Vigyana Kendra, Regional Science Centre , a fine blend of new and old. The Capital of Kakatiyas is just 150 KM from Hyderabad , the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Places of Interest :--
Thousand Pillars Temple 12th Century
Ramappa Temple 12th Century
Warangal Fort
Ghanpur Group of Temples
Musical Garden
Rock Garden
Regional Science Centre
Van Vigyan Kendra
Etunagaram Wild Life Senctuary
NEW AMBITIOUS PROJECT
A Ropeway from top of the hillocks of Regional Science center is planned to hillock of Bhadrakali Temple. This will be a unique attraction for Tourists from the region and from Sothern Plateau and Central India.
'W' for WANKANER -- Hidden Jewel Series ::
The former princely state of Wankaner is located 53 km from Rajkot. Nestled round a bend on the River Machchhu hence its nomenclature ‘Wanka’ meaning bend, ‘Ner’ a river, Wankaner formed part of an area in Saurashtra caller Jhalawar due to the predominance of the Jhala Rajputs ruling there.
The Wankaner Royal Family known for their patronage of the artshad a personal interest in engineering and architecture, exemplified in the Ranjit Vilas Palace designed by His Highness Amarsinghji in the year 1907. This Palace built on a hilltop overlooking the town of Wankaner is an eclectic blend of various architectural styles. Gothic arches support oriental marble balconies, terraced porticos sport Doric and ionic columns and a seven storied clock tower capped with a Mughal dome. Franco-Italian window panes frame the exteriors overlooking magnificent grounds containing stables for thorough bred stallions and a fine collection of classic automobiles. The palace is occupied by the present royal family though sections have been converted into a museum showcasing a grand collection of armaments, stuffed animals, portraits and paintings, royal silver ware and exotic furniture.
Two palace guest houses, The Royal Residency and the Royal Oasis are now Heritage Hotels. The Royal Oasis is situated on the banks of the Machchhu Lake amidst a serene orchard of leafy trees, the warbling of birds and an atmosphere of cool, meditative calm. It also houses a grand indoor pool in the Art Deco style with an early twentieth century step-well located near the palace grounds. Wankaner reflects the hospitality and grandeur of old Kathiawar.
How to get there ??
By Road: Rajkot is well connected by road to most of the major cities of Gujarat and other neighboring states. State Transport buses are regularly available from Rajkot to other cities of Gujarat. The ST bus stand is 2 km, west of Bedi Gate on the other side of Ranmal Lake. Auto rickshaws are the best way into the town, though one might also choose to walk in. Private buses are also available for Ahmedabad, Baroda, Mumbai, Bhuj, Bhavnagar, Una, Mount Abu and Udaipur.
By rail: Rajkot is a junction on the Western Railway Ahmedabad-Hapa broad gauge line. Inter City Express, Saurashtra Mail and Sau Janata Express are some of the few trains that pass through the station. The railway station known commonly as the Rajkot Junction is almost 6 km away from the Teen Batti triple gateway. Rajkot is well connected with important cities in Gujarat and India by rail. Trains for Delhi, Mumbai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Kolkata, Amritsar, Patna and Bhopal are available from Rajkot.
By air: Reaching Rajkot by air is quite a possible option as the city has a domestic airport linking it to Mumbai. Air India has daily flights from Mumbai, while Jet have daily flights.
'Y' for YUSMARG --Hidden Jewel series :: Yusmarg is approximately 47 km from the Srinagar and lies in the Badgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. The two-hour drive to the place is an enjoyment in itself. Grassy pastures stretching to acres of land, the dense forests full of pine trees, with the backdrop of splendid snow capped mountains leave you almost speechless. Within commutable distance from Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, Yusmarg is the perfect place to go for a picnic. It is possible that after reaching this place, you may want to even stay for a few days. Specially, for the lovers of long walks in picturesque locales, Yusmarg is the place to be.
Tourist Attractions
A short trek of 4km to Nilnag a small lake amidst pine trees, near a hamlet gives an ultimate pleasure to visitors.
A full day trek from Yousmarg to frozen lake in Sang e safed valley 10 km from Yousmarg is quite fascinating one. Most of the portion of the lake is covered under ice throughout the year. Trekkers are advised to carry tents along during the trip as the weather at high altitude changes frequently which can make further journey quite hard. Assistance of a guide is advisable.
Tsrar-e-Sharief
From political, social and economical upheavals, the Rishis or saints emerged with a sacred thoughts which gave comfort and mitigated the miseries of the people of valley. Nund Reshi was the patron of the Sufism in Kashmir who showed disinterest in worldly matters from childhood and renounced the world at an early age of 12 in search of divinity of God . He was an illiterate Shiekh Noor-ud-Din Noorani RA popular as Nund Reshi or Alamdar-e- Kashmir was born in 1378 AD at Kaimuh a village in Anantnag district. When the people of valley were suffering and yet spontaneously uttered concise and rhythmic verses called ‘Shruks’ which are considered of high value in Kashmiri literature.
Adventure Sports
Trekking in Yousmarg
A major trekking route from Yousmarg eads to a famous spot called Tosa Maidan, a large meadow used for cattle grasing by nomads. This area is connected through rough routes to places like Gulmarg and Poonch. The region is full of springs , the one at Khag is most famous for the curative properties.
The natural slopes of Yousmarg offer skiing opportunities to experts. School camps and adventure lovers make a week to fortnights stay at Yousmarg for the thrilling trekking routes around.Day treks are mostly commenced by the visitors. Stay in personal tents is recommended for the visitors intending to stay for longer duration. The expeditions to the various peaks in the range can be organized through the reputed Travel Agents in Srinagar.
Horse riding in Yousmarg
Horse riding in the valley can be great fun, the ponywallas in Yousmarg have quite reasonable charges for a ride compared to other destinations. A visit in summer to a place like Yousmarg will positively be cherished by every one in a group. Yousmarg is suitable for young couples, as it is quietest place out of all tourist destinations.
Last few years of large tourist inflow into Kashmir valley has seen the diversification of tourism to this wonderful destination. Most of the travel agents include Yousmarg as one day trip in their packages.
'Y' for YERCAUD -- Hidden Jewel series ::Yercaud is a hill resort situated in one of the most scenic places in TamilNadu offering an enchanting view of Yercaud big lake on one side and the valley of Killiyur falls on the other. This quiet little hill station on the Shevaroy hills of the Eastern ghats is the only one of its kind in northern Tamil Nadu. While the rest of this region is generally dry, including the predominantly short and rocky hills of the Eastern ghats, Yercaud presents a welcome contrast with its cool climate
where temperature never rises above 30ºC and dip below 13ºC . It is also a less expensive place than either Udhagamandalam or Kodaikkanal.
Coffee and citrus fruits, most notably oranges, are grown in abundance apart from bananas, pears and jack. Scenically, Yercaud is as enchanting and picturesque as the hill stations on the Western ghats and trekking here can be one of the most pleasurable ways to pass time.
Places for sight-seeing include the Lake, Lady's Seat, Killiyur Falls, Pagoda Point, Arthur's Seat, Kaveri Peak and the Shevaroyan temple.
Places of Interest::
Yercaud Lake The first thing that attracts a visitor is the lake. It is a picturesque pool surrounded by gardens and well wooded trees. Boating in the cold water of the lake is enchanting as well as refreshing.
Lady's Seat : It overlooks the winding ghat road and provides a breath - taking view. GolfThis view is spectacular at night with the twinking lights of Salem town in sight. The Tourists can have a panoramic view of the plains below through the telescope mounted at the Lady's seat.
'Z' Zanskar --Hidden Jewel ::
The Zanskar region is a small and isolated Buddhist land wedged between the main Himalayas and the Zanskar range. The main valley is approximately 300 kms long and is ringed by mountains. Zanskar comprises a tri-armed valley system lying between the Great Himalayan Range and the Zanskar mountain; The three arms radiate star-like towards the west, north and south from a wide central expanse where the region's two principal drainage's meet to form the main Zanskar River. It is mainly along the course of this valley system that the region's 10,000 strong, mainly Buddhists population lives. Spread over an estimated geographical area of 5000 sq. kms. High rise, mountains and deep gorges surround Zanskar.
Access to it is therefore over one of the high passes. The most important are the Pensi La connecting Zanskar with the Suru valley in the West, the Umasi La with the Chenab Valley in the South and the Shingo La with Lahaul in the East. This makes for very spectacular trekking country.
Zanskar Valley presents the World with Buddhist monasteries, mountain passes, glaciers and breathtaking landscape. This region can be visited by involving in Trekking.
ZULUK --Hidden Jewel ::
Set amidst the ethereal old terrains of the Himalayas in East Sikkim, at an altitude of (9,500ft), Zuluk is a relatively innovative and upcoming place for tourists. Located close to the border of Indo-China, the hamlet is a Nature-lover’s Paradise, where beauty and adventure merge, but all in perfect harmony………
The importance of Zuluk is due to its location in the historic Old Silk Route. The Route started from Kalimpong and passed through Pedong, Aritar, Zuluk and Jelep La to Chumbi valley in Tibet. After the Chinese aggression, however Nathula is the official corridor between India and China.
The inhabitants of Zuluk are mostly immigrants from Nepal who came and settled here in the hope of a better life and living. 60 families, 600 people and that’s’ all! As they say here, BEAUTY AMIDST SCARCITY! Nature has washed this place with utmost hospitality and simplicity. People here are honest, simple and hardworking by nature.
Zuluk is a balm for sore hearts and tired souls. People from cities, down with fatigue of daily life, may come here to enjoy Nature to the fullest. “FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD….” it’s a placid destination painted with the artistic gleam of The Divine Creator.
Nestled midst the backdrop of the chilling Himlayas, Zuluk supposedly experiences vagaries of Nature. Winter here is severe with snowfalls and temperature below freezing point, while summer is wet and foggy. Due to poor quality of the soil, farming is difficult. Neither there is any scope for practicing cattle rearing as most of the land is fenced and military controlled, thus making it unfit for grazing. The only source of livelihood lies in the construction and maintenance of border roads. People thus have a tough life. However, there is an immense potential for tourism which needs to be used properly.
As a primitive village, Zuluk is away from the roads of progress. Thus its unique serenity! Naturally hardly there are any hotels or 5-star Inns. However for the tourists there are adequate arrangements for cottages, with attached bathrooms. To keep away the biting chill, rooms are made cosy by room heater or fire place, which locals call Bhukari.
SIGHTS OF ZULUK
THE SUNRISE POINT (GANEK) - Ganek is the Sunrise Point here. You have got be there within 4.30am to catch a view of this breath-taking experience. The gradual reddening of the dark Eastern Skies, its scintillating reflections in the Khangehenzonga range, are worth a watch.
THE NAG TEMPLE- Situated at the vantage point in Zuluk, this temple is a cave-like structure dedicated to the Nag God. The image is a believed to be naturally formed through cracks in giant sized rocks. Quintessentially, locales worship it with great reverence.
THE THAMBI VIEW POINT - At 10,500ft this is the vantage point from where you can get an unhindered view of the Three Level Zigzag roads on the adjoining hills. This geometry of curves is matchless and during snowfall it takes a panoramic appearance that defies description.
