Eternal India Encyclopedia

ETERNAL INDIA encyclopedia

A GREAT DESTINATION

Kadamat : Time lagoon of even depth and endless shoreline, water sport facilities. Bangaram : Uninhabited island with three attols surrounded by blue-green waters. Outboarding, sailing, rowing, windsurfing and scuba diving.

SOBRIQUETS

Home of the Taj Mahal

Agra

Manchester of India

Ahmedabad

Garden City

Bangalore

City of Lakes and Gardens

Bhopal

Agra of the South

Bijapur

Manchester of the South

Coimbatore

Queen of Hill Stations

Darjeeling

PONDICHERRY

Land of Beaches

Goa

Living Museum, Golden City

Jaisalmer

Jewel Capital of India

Jaipur

Formerly a French colony, it became a part of the Indian Union in 1954. Pondicherry's greatest attraction is the Shri Aurobindo Ashram, founded by Aurobindo Ghosh. After his demise, the Mother founded the International Education Centre in 1952. Auroville - The brainchild of the Mother and designed by the French architect Roger Anger, Auroville was visualised as an ex- periment in international living where men and women could live in peace and progressive harmony with all creeds, polities and na- tionalities. After the death of the Mother, a power struggle fol- lowed between the Aurovillites and the Sri Aurobindo Society. These problems were sorted out following the formation of a committee by the Government of India with representatives from various quarters. More than a 1000 world citizens are in Aurov- ille. They speak many different languages. At the centre of Auroville stands the Matri Mandir or Temple of the Mother. Pondicherry's other attractions are the memorial to the Tamil poet Subramania Bharati, French Library, Art Gallery and the Statue of Joan of Arc, Bharathidasan Museum. French Institute established in 1955, a research institute. Sci- entific and Technical section prepares maps on vegetation, soil types, geology and lithology of India. The Promenade (1500 m long) along Goubert Avenue. Gandhi memorial with carved pillars, French war memorial, lighthouse (29 mts. high), beach. . Botanical Gardens and Aquarium with rare and exotic plants and ornamental fish from India and abroad. Arekamedu (20 km), excavation sites having unearthed Roman coins, wine jars etc. Chunnambar Boat House Mailam - Murugan temple atop a hillock. Pailava cave temple for Hindu trinity at Mandugupattu built during the reign of Mahendra Verma 1. Ousteri Lake - Picnic spot. Thiruvakkarai - National Fossil-wood park bearing fossils (29km) Chandramouliswara Temple with Chola architecture.

Paradise on Earth

Kashmir

Valley of the Gods

Kulu

Benaras-of the South, Golden city of Temples Temple Town, Athens of the East. City of Festivals Sandalwood City : Queen of Hill Stations

Kanchipuram

Madurai

Mysore

Ootacamund (Ooty)

:

Udaipur

:

Lake city

Varanasi

:

Eternal City

LONGEST, LARGEST, HIGHEST, TALLEST

Gandhi Setu on river Sone in Bihar

Longest Road Bridge

Brahmaputra in Assam

Longest River

Largest Lake

Chilka Lake in Orissa

Largest City (area)

Calcutta

Largest City (Pop.)

Bombay

Largest Delta

in West Bengal

Largest State

Madhya Pradesh

Highest Waterfall

Jog Falls. (Karnataka)

Highest Peak

Godwin Austen (Himalayas) Mawsynram near Cherapunji in Meghalaya Ellora in Maharashtra 57.6 ft high Buddha statue in Hyderabad's Hussain Sagar Lake. Taller than the Jain Gomateshwar Statue (57 ft) at Sravanabelagola in Karnataka.

Highest rainfall

Biggest cave temple

Tallest monolith

State with highest population density

Kerala Assam Howrah Bridge in Calcutta

State with largest area under forest

Largest Cantilever Span Bridge