Agra
Agra has long been
renowned as the city of the Taj Mahal. This has often over shadowed
the fact that this royal Mughal has, in addition to the legendary Taj,
many magnificent monuments that epitomize the high point of the Mughal
architectural achievement. Not even Delhi the seat of kings and
emperors for over a thousand years, can boast such a heritage of
architectural and cultural splendour from the golden age of the Great
Mughals. Agra was the chosen city of the Mughal emperors during the
early years. It was here that the founder of the dynasty, Babar laid
out the first formal Persian garden on the banks of the River Yamuna.
Here Akbar & his grandson raised the towering ramparts of the great
Red Fort within its walls, Jehangir built rose-red palaces, courts and
gardens. Shahjahan embellished it with marbled mosques, palaces and
pavilions of gem-inlaid white marble. At Sikandra, on theout skirts of
Agra, Akbar built his own garden mausoleum . And at Fatehpur Sikri he
created a whole new city — a leap of the imagination that made real a
unique concept of planning and design and gave expression to a style
of architecture that was a perfect blend of Islamic spatial concepts
and the Hindu genius for decorative sculpture. Across the river,
Jehangir gifted queen Noor Jehan an exquisite designed
marble-inlaid Ittamuddaulahs tomb for her parents. But Agra's crowning
glory remains the Taj Mahal, a monument to love built by Shahjahan in
memory of his beloved queen, Mumtaz Mahal.
Lucknow
Lucknow is the principal Shia
Muslim centre in India and the city celebrates holidays and festivals more
common to Iran than the other mostly Sunni Muslim communities. The city is still
famous for its cultivated manners and refined urban culture. It remains the home
of light classical music and the Kathak school of dance. Each February, the two
week Lucknow festival continues the traditions of music and dance made famous by
the Audh court. Straddling both banks of the Gomti River, a tributary of the
Ganges, Lucknow is the capital of India's most populous state Uttar Pradesh.
Neglected by most tourists, Lucknow is certainly worth a visit. Modem Lucknow is
largely the creation of the Nawabs of Audh and parts of the city still retain an
18th century flavour. The Nawabs were the descendants of the Persian merchant
adventurer Saadat Khan, who was rewarded for his services to the Mughal court
with the govemor ship of the province in 1732. His successor Safdar Jung, ruled
from Delhi and is buried there. The fourth of the ten Nawabs Asaf-ud-Daula,
moved the court to Lucknow and turned the city into a centre of Urdu poetry,
courtly diction, music and dance. At the beginning of the 19th century under Ali
Khan the court blossomed. The continued emphasis on the building of palaces and
mosques, the pursuit of pleasure in the harem, and the largely incompetent rule
led to the province being annexed by the British in 1856. The cult of the
sophisticated courtesan was a legendary part of the Nawabs' life.
Ayodhya
Ayodhya is an ancient city of
India, the old capital of Awadh, under the British Rule the city and the
administrative area around it was called Oudh. It is on the right bank of the
river Gogra, The word Ayodhya is Sanskrit for "Which can not be defeated".
Puranas and Vedas consider Ayodhya as one of the six holiest cities of India.
Religious Places:
Ram Janm Bhoomi, Hanuman Garh, Kanak Bhawan, Jain Mandir, Mani Parvat Nageshwar Nath
Mandir,
Allahabad
Allahabad - An ancient city of
India, it is considered holy as it is here that there is a confluence (Sangam)
of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna & Sarasvati. Bathing in the rivers here is
considered auspicious at the annual Magh Mela and the Kumbh Mela the world's
largest gathering of pilgrims - held every 12 years when millions come here for
a holy dip. The city is also famous for being the birth place of the first Prime
Minister after independence - Jawaharlal Nehru. Their family home, Anand Bhawan,
is converted into a museum. The Fort built by Mughal Emperor Akbar in 16th
century is considered to be the largest of the forts built by him; Allahabad
University, earlier known as the Muir College is a fine example of
Indo-Saracenic architecture.
Varanasi
Varanasi, the 'eternal city' is
one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India for the Hindus. Also known
as Kashi, the city has been a centre of learning and civilization for over 2000
years. It is a major tourist attraction for its long string of bathing Ghats on
the steps of the river Ganges. Places on interest include the Golden temple
dedicated to Lord Shiva; the great mosque of Aurangzeb; Durga temple; Bishwanath
temple; Bharat Mata temple; and the Ram Nagar Fort Museum. A boat ride down the
River Ganges at dawn is an experience to remember. Varanasi is famous for silk
brocades and beautiful Benaras saris. Excursion include Sarnath and Bodhgaya,
both major Buddhist pilgrimage centers.
Places of Interest:
River Front, Alam Gir Mosque, Bharat Mata Mandir, Tulsi Manas Mandir, Gyan
Vapi Mosque, Bishwanath Temple (Golden Temple), Durga Temple, Sarnath, Archaeological Museum, Bharat Kala Bhavan Hindu University.
Rishikesh
Rishikesh a 24 kms drive
upstream from Haridwar, at the confluence of the Chandra Bhaga and Ganga, one of
the best located pilgrimage centers along the right bank of the Ganga. According
to legend sage Raibhya undertook staunch penance here and as a reward God
appeared before him as Rishikesh, hence the name. Rishikesh has numerous
ashrams, some of which are internationally recognized as centers of
philosophical studies, yoga and meditation. International Yoga Week is organised
every year from 2nd to 7th Feb. at Rishikesh.
Places of Interest:
Triveni Ghat, Lakshman Jhoola,
Shivanand Jhoola, Raghunath temple, Pushkar temple. For the adventurous
visitors, Rishikesh is the place for starting their trekking expeditions and
excursions towards the Himalayan peaks. Going 10 km. upstream, Shivpuri is the
site for river running, rafting activities, on the roaring white waters of Ganga
from October to May
Dehradun
Surrounded by lush green
forests and hills, Dehradun, has always been a favorite with the tourists.
Dehradun," the district headquarter is located at an altitude of 2200 feet above
sea level in the picturesque Doon valley. It is endowed with a pleasant,
moderate climate & is well-connected with other important places. Dehradun is a
gateway and base camp for tourists and pilgrims headed for Rishikesh and
Haridwar, as well as those going toYamunotri-Gangotri-Kedamath-Badrinath and
Valley of Flowers, Hemkund Sahib. It has a significant number of Yoga centers
too. It also boasts of premier educational institutes such as the Forest
Research Institute, Rashtriya Indian Military Collage, Indian Military Academy.
Dehradun is quite often the venue for Adventure Tourism training programme. A
highly favored tourist destination throughout the year, Dehradun fascinates with
its lush environs. The rice, tea and leechi gardens add to the beauty of the
valley.
Gangotri
The revered shrine of Gangotri,
situated at an altitude of 3,200 Mtrs above sea level amidst sylvan
surroundings, constitutes one of the most important pilgrimages for the devout
Hindu. Visited by hundreds of thousands pilgrims every year, this 18th century
temple constructed by Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa, is near the spot where
the goddess Ganga is said to have first descended on earth from heaven, in
answer to the prayers of King Bhagriath. Lord Shiva received her into his matted
locks to break the great force of her fall. From there it emerged into many
streams and the one which started from Gangotri was called Bhagirathi. The
Pandava, it is said, came here to perform the great 'Deva Yajna' to atone for
the death of their kinsmen in the epic battle of Mahabharata. The temple itself
is situated on the right bank of the Bhagirathi .
14 kms from Gangotri is Gaumukh, where the source of the holy Ganges
- the Gangotri glacier - is situated. Submerged in the water is the "shiv lingam", the rock on which Lord Shiva supposedly sat to receive Ganga. At the legendary source of the river, Goddess Ganga is worshipped in the form of deity. The trek to Gaumukh is gradual, and several pilgrims undertake the journey to pay homage to the river at its known source.
Yamnotri
The revered shrine of
Yamunotri, source of the shadow of the 6,315 mtrs high Bandar punch mountain. It
constitutes one of the four most important pilgrimages, collectively called 'Char
Dham' Legend has it that a sage, Asit Muni, used to reside at this
secluded spot in ancient times. The chief attraction at Yamunotri is the temple
devoted to goddess Yamuna and the holy thermal springs at Janki chatty (7 km.
Away). The source of the Yamuna lies a further ahead at an altitude of
approximately 4421 mtrs since the approach is extremely difficult, pilgrims
usually offer obeisance at the temple itself. The present temple was constructed
by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur in the nineteenth century.
Badrinath
Badrinath situated at an
elevation of 3,133 mt is considered to be amongst the most pious. Situated in
the lap of Nar-Narayan Parvat, with the towering Neelkantha peak (6,597mt) in
the background, Badrinath is one of the most revered Hindu shrines of India. It
has been said that "there were many sacred spots of pilgrimage in the heaven,
earth and the other world but neither is there any equal to Badrinath nor shall
there be one." It is believed that to revive the lost prestige of Hinduism and
to unite the country in one bond, Adi Guru Sri Shankaracharya built four
pilgrimage centers in four corners of India. Among them were Badrikashram in the
north, Rameshwaram in the south, Dwarka Puri in the west and Jagannath Puri in
the east.
Tourism in States & Cities of India
Golden Triangle
