Eternal India Encyclopedia

ETERNAL INDIA encyclopedia

A GREAT DESTINATION

Jwalmukhi : The temple is famous for its eternally burning flame. Popular pilgrimage site. Dharamsala : Hill station - large settlement of Tibetan refugees, the Dalai Lama lives here. Dalhousie : Hill station founded by Lord Dalhousie. Temple of the goddess Chamundi is made of wood and has finely engraved motifs. Kulu Valley: The Valley of the Gods. Apple orchards, and wheat fields. The main towns are Kulu and Manali. Manali at the north- ern end of the valley is the main resort.

ing very fast. In the town itself, some 30 km from Delhi is situated Magpie tourist complex, ideal for a halt for vistors to Jaipur or Agra. Hodal: Dabchick complex, 92km from Delhi on the way to Agra is a charming halt for the visitors to Taj by road. Gurgaon : Motorists from Delhi to Jaipur will pass through Gur- gaon, a fast-growing township. Dharuhera : At a distance of 70km from Delhi, Dharuhera is a compact tourist centre amidst green bushes. Rohtak : Rohtak is the seat of Swami Dayananda University, an old mosque and another, of more recent origin, are places of pil- grimage for devout Muslims whereas Vishnu, Hanuman & Devi . temples around the sacred Gokarna tank attract Hindus to this city. Mynah tourist complex in the heart of the city and Tilyar complex are tourist resorts. Asthal Bohar Math, having icon of Jain Tirthankaras as well as Hindu Gods and Goddesses is the monastery for Kanphata jogis, a religious sect of Nath order.

The state comprises Jammu which is in the plains, the valley of Kashmir, the capital of which is Srinagar situated at a height of 1768 m in the Himalayan region, and Ladakh with its headquarters at Leh (3521 m) situated on a high plateau north of the Himalayas. Kashmir is one of the most beautiful regions of India. It stands on the Dal Lake and the Jhelum River. The pleasant climate of the valley is due to its high mean average altitude approximately 1800 m above sea level. It has been described as a “paradise on earth.” Srinagar : This beautiful city has grown on the banks of the river Jhelum, spanned by nine bridges. On the edge of the city is the Dal Lake 8km long and 4km wide. A novel experience awaiting the visitors is the opportunity to live in the house-boats, some of which are quite sophisticated with all the modern amenities. Apart from the Dal Lake, they are available in the river Jhelum and the Nagin Lake. The city, 5,801 feet above sea-level, has a bracing climate and the temperature varies from -2.3°c in winter to 30.8°c in summer. Heavy woollens are necessary in winter. Sights in Srinagar Chashma Shahi : This spring, 9 km from the city, has gardens laid out by Emperor Jehangir and enriched by Shah Jahan in the early 17th century. Nishat Bagh : This “Garden of Bliss” is situated on the banks of the Dal Lake, 11km from the city, in the lap of the Zabarwan hills. The garden is laid out in ten terraces, with cascades, chinar trees, flowerbeds and fruit trees. Largest of all Mughal gardens, the 544 X 328 sq metre Nishat Bagh was designed by Asaf Khan, Shah Jahan's father-in-law, as a terraced garden surrounded by high walls. The 12 terraces represent 12 signs of the zodiac. Shalimar Bagh : Fifteen km from the city built in 1619 by Emperor Jahangir, this is a beautiful garden with rows of Chinar trees and a marble palace at its centre. Of the four terraces of the garden the fourth one used to be reserved for the royal ladies. From May to October, the India Tourism Development Corporation presents a sound-and-light (son et lumiere) spectacle here. Hawan : 3.5 km from Shalimar Bagh, the remains of remarkably ornamented brick pavements are seen in this village. This place is believed to have been called Kundala Vana Vihara during the time

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Abub Shehr: (In Hissar District) 325km from Delhi on the way to Fazilka lies Abub Shehr, famous for its Black Partridge or Kala Teethar Tourist Complex. Asakhera : Close to Abub Shehr in Hissar district, an ideal site to watch village life. The state of Himachal Pradesh was formed in 1966 when Punjab was partitioned into Punjab and Haryana. The capital Shimla in the Himalayan region, 2213 metres or 7238 ft above sea level, was the summer capital of the Raj. The Kulu valley of Hima- chal Pradesh with the Beas flowing through it and the snow-capped Himalayan peaks in the background is one of the most beautiful places on earth. AROUND SHIMLA Chail : Once the summer capital of the princely state of Patiala. 45 kms from Shimla. Kasauli : Hill station near Kalka. Solan : Hill station between Kalka and Shimla. Narkanda : 64 kms from Shimla. The Himalayas can be viewed from Hantu Peak. Paonta Sahib : Guru Govind Singh, 10th of the Sikh gurus, lived here for some time. Nahan : Hill town. The Sivalik Fossil Park, 14kms from here, has fibre-glass images of prehistoric animals whose fossilised skele- tons were unearthed there. Bhakra Nangal :The giant dam provides water for irrigation and hydro-electric power for the Punjab. Mandi : Entrance to the Kulu valley. Kangra valley : Starts near Mandi and extends to Shahpur near Pathankot. Kangra was once an important town.