Eternal India Encyclopedia

encyclopedia Eternal India

A GREAT DESTINATION

of milk and honey; Places of Interest - Punjpulla, Salt Dhara, Subhash Baoli, Khajjiar, Chamba. Shimla — Himachal Pradesh; Best Time - March-June & Oct- Nov; Access - (A) Chandigarh (104 km); Desc. - One of the finest hill stations; Places of Interest - Summer Hill, Chadwick Falls, Solan, Kasauli, Chail, Chabba, Mashobra, Naina Devi. Solan — Simla - Himachal Pradesh; Best Time - April-mid July, Mid-Sept.-mid-Nov, Jan-Mar(winter); Access - (A) Chandigarh (117 km); Desc. - A popular spot to spend longer spells in the hills. Famous due to Mohan Meakin Breweries; Places of Inter- est - Karol Tibba, Mateol Tibba, Nahan (88 km). The Kulu Valley - Himachal Pradesh; Best Time - April-June; Access - (A) Chandigarh (R) Chandigarh; Desc. - In the heart of Himachal Pradesh lies the enchanting valley of Kulu. Known as the Valley of the Gods. It is literally a valley of 100 temples - a thousand deities. Excellent for long walks and treks in flower covered valleys and through pine and cedar forests. Manali, at the top end of the Kulu Valley is the chief tourist centre. Fruit farming is a major industry. Apples, Pears, Cherries, Apricots, Plums and Peaches are grown. Manali — 40 km (25 miles) from Kulu, Himachal Pradesh; Best Time - Throughout the year; Access - (R) Chandigarh; Desc. - Manali at 1829 metres, enjoys a charming location. It offers a surprising diversity of holidays, ranging from the lethargic to the invigorating; Places of Interest - Dhoongri temple, Bhrigu lake, Solang valley of Kolhi, a lovely village. Sunderbans National Park — West Bengal; Best Time - mid- Sept to mid-March; Access - Suburban train service from Cal- cutta to Canning. Thereafter accessible only by riverine water ways. Luxury launch run by Tourist Bureau. Private boats and launches also available; Desc. - The river estuaries of the Bay of Bengal form a unique environment, one that is naturally adaptable as a wildlife habitat. In this 'forest by the sea' with its dense growths of mangrove, the Project Tiger reserve constitutes 2,58,477.20 hectares. Botanical Gardens — Calcutta, West Bengal; Best Time Throughout the year; Access; - (A) Calcutta (19km from Calcutta)(R) Calcutta; Desc. - An impressive oasis of green trees and plants especially noted for its gigantic over 200-year - old banyan tree. Victoria Memorial -- West Bengal, Calcutta; Best Time - July- March (A) Calcutta (R) Calcutta; Desc. - Victoria Memorial opened in 1921 by the Prince of Wales is an impressive white marble building often called the Taj Mahal of the British Raj. Inside are memorabilia of British India. Santiniketan — Calcutta (150 km), West Bengal;Z)esc. - The "Abode of Peace" established by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. The Ashram was built by Maharshi Debendranath Tag- ore. His son, Rabindranath Tagore, turned it into an open air school in 1901 and by 1921, it had grown into the University of Vishwa Bharati.

Basilica of Bom Jesus - Goa; Best Time - Oct-Mar; Access - (A)Vasco (R) Vasco; Desc. - Built in 16th century, the most popular and famous of all the churches in Goa. The mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, kept In a rich casket, are enshrined here. Goan Carnival — Goa; Best Time - Feb; Access - (A) Dabolim- 29km from Panaji (R) Vasco-da-Gama; Desc. - Joyous 3-day festival celebrated all over Goa before the beginning of Lent. Lot of music & dancing and masquerades and processions led by the legendary King Momo. Golden Beaches — Goa; Best Time - Oct-May; Access - (A) Dabolim (R) Vasco-da-Gama; Desc. - With its 100km long coastline Goa is a land of golden beaches against a back drop of coconut palms. kms from Kulu, Himachal Pradesh; Best Time - All year round; Access -(R) Chandigarh; Desc. -Hot springs containing sulphur. A temple and gurudwara attract a large number of pilgrims. Food cooked in the springs is served as prasad. Paihousie — Himachal Pradesh; Best Time - April-June & Sept- Oct; Access- (A) Jammu(187 km), Amritsar (301 km) (R) Pa- thankot (80 km); Desc. - A hill station par excellence. # Nestling in the outer slopes of the Dauladhar range among the scented and stately oak and pine trees. It is the gateway of Chamba, the valley Manikaran Hot Springs - 45