State Wise Tourist Places in India

India is great land of tourism. India has 35 States, 7 of them is Union Territory. Sea Beach lovers can enjoy at the fantastic golden sunny beaches of Goa, Kerala, Vizag, Digha, Puri etc. If you like some adventure travel Jammu-Kashmir, Dodital, Shivpuri will be your perfect destinations, even those who are love natural scenery for them are Munnar, Nainital and many more.

India is a vast South Asian country with diverse terrain – from Himalayan peaks to Indian Ocean coastline – and history reaching back 5 millennia. In the north, Mughal Empire landmarks include Delhi’s Red Fort complex and massive Jama Masjid mosque, plus Agra’s iconic Taj Mahal mausoleum. Pilgrims bathe in the Ganges in Varanasi, and Rishikesh is a yoga centre and base for Himalayan trekking.

India is the world’s seventh-largest country stretching from the high mountains of the Himalayas to the tropical greenery of Kerala, and from the sacred Ganges to the sands of the Thar desert. Its more than one billion inhabitants are divided into two thousand ethnic groups and speak over 200 different languages.

Conform its size and population, India has an almost endless variety of cultures, landscapes, monuments and places to explore. From the ancient ruins, fascinating religious structures, exotic cities and diverse landscape there is an endless collection of tourist attractions in India that will never cease to awe and fascinate the visitor.

 

Havelock Island

Havelock is a picturesque natural paradise with beautiful white sandy beaches, rich coral reefs and lush green forest. It is one of the populated islands in the Andaman group with an area of 113 sq. km. and is located 39 km of north-east of Port Blair.

This island, with beautiful sandy beaches fringed with green canopy of the rain-fed forests beckons everyone to enjoy the frolic and fun at the azure sea.

Radhanagar Beach

Radhanagar is Without a doubt the most famous beach in the Andaman Islands. Crowned as “Asia’s best beach” and “7th best beach in the world” by Time Magazine, this place sees a lot of tourists. It truly is an unforgettable curve of white sand with perfectly coloured blue waters, all lined by lush forest and palm tress. It is easy to enjoy this postcard perfect beach – lie down and marvel at the sunset, or go in for a quick swim.
Due to its reputation and popularity one would expect crowds of people rushing to the beach, but the most amazingly the Radhanagar remains mostly empty compared to other popular beaches of the world. It can get bit crowded straight down the entrance but if you walk couple of hundreds meters to the left or right you will be alone again.

Radhanagar Beach is situated 12 km from Havelock’s ferry pier. The beach is undoubtedly one of the best beaches of Andaman Islands. Fine white sand, turquoise blue waters and a lot of peace and serenity are ehat defines this beautiful landmass.

Radhanagar Beach is not a huge island to explore. It has an overall length of 2 km and width of 30-40 meters.

Radhanagar is also a great place to spend some quality time with family and friends.

India Gate

Type : War Memorial

Construction Started : 10 February, 1921

Construction Completed : February 12, 1931

Where is it Located : New Delhi, India

Why was it Built : Memorial to Undivided Indian Army soldiers who died during World War I

Dimensions : 42 m in height; 9.1m in width; the complex is 625m in diameters and 306,000 m² in area

Materials Used : Yellow and red sandstone and granite

Architectural Style : Triumphal Arch

Designer : Sir Edwin Lutyens

Visit Timing : 24 hours a day, all days of the week

Entry Fee : None

How to Reach : India gate is easily accessible from all parts of New Delhi by road and can be reached by bus, taxis and autos. The nearest metro station is Central Secretariat on the yellow and violet line junction.

The India Gate is located at the heart of India’s capital city, New Delhi.  About 2.3 km from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it is located on the eastern extremity of the ceremonial boulevard, Rajpath. India Gate is a war memorial dedicated to honor the soldiers of the Undivided Indian Army who died during World War I between 1914 and 1921. War memorials are buildings, installations, statues or other edifices dedicated either to celebrate victory in war, or to pay tribute to those who died or were injured in war. Delhiites and tourists alike throng the India Gate Lawns surrounding the monument for a leisurely evening, enjoying the light show at the fountains along with snacking on street food. A National War Memorial to honor all armed forces members killed after 1947 is under construction at the ‘C’ Hexagon of India Gate.

History of India Gate

The India Gate, originally named All India War Memorial, was built to pay homage to the 82,000 soldiers of the Undivided Indian Army who lost their lives fighting for the British Empire in World War I (1914-1918) and the Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919). It was undertaken as part of the Imperial War Graves Commission (IWGC) initiated by the British Imperial Mandate in 1917.The foundation stone was laid by the visiting Duke of Connaught on 10 February 1921, at 4:30 PM, in a military ceremony attended by members of the Indian Army as well as the Imperial Service Troops. The Commander in Chief, and Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford who was the Viceroy of India at the time, was also present. The ceremony hounored the 59th Scinde Rifles (Frontier Force), 3rd Sappers and Miners, Deccan Horse, 6th Jat Light Infantry, 39th Garhwal Rifles, 34th Sikh Pioneers, 117th Mahrattas, and 5th Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force), with title of ” Royal ” in recognition of their gallant services in combat. The project was completed ten years later in 1931 and was inaugurated on February 12, 1931, by the Viceroy, Lord Irwin. Every year on 26th January, the Republic Day parade starts from the Rashtapati Bhavan (the President House) and progresses around the Gate. The parade displays the latest achievements in the field of defense technology as well as the rich cultural heritage of the country.

Design & Architecture

All India War Memorial was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, a leading war memorial designer at that time. A member of the IWGC, he designed sixty-six war memorials in Europe, including the Cenotaph, in London, in 1919. Cenotaph is the first British national war memorial erected after World War I and was commissioned by David Lloyd George, contemporary British prime minister. Although it is a memorial, the design is that of a triumphal arch, similar to the Arch de Triomphe in Paris, France. Situated at the centre of a hexagonal complex with a diameter of 625m and a total area of 360,000 m2, the India Gate is 42m in height and 9.1m in width. The building material is primarily Red and yellow sandstones sourced from Bharatpur. The structure stands on a low base and rises in asymmetrical steps crowned with a shallow dome at the top. There is also a vacant canopy in front of the monument under which once stood the statue of George V in his coronation robes, Imperial State Crown, British globus cruciger and scepter. The statue was later shifted to Coronation Park in 1960 and the empty canopy symbolizes the British retreat from India.

Inscriptions

The cornices of India Gate are adorned with the inscription of sun which symbolized the British Imperial Colony. The word INDIA is inscribed at the top of the arches on both sides flacked by the dates MCMXIV (1914) on the left and MCMXIX (1919) on the right. Below this the following passage is inscribed – “TO THE DEAD OF THE INDIAN ARMIES WHO FELL AND ARE HONOURED IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS MESOPOTAMIA AND PERSIA EAST AFRICA GALLIPOLI AND ELSEWHERE IN THE NEAR AND THE FAR-EAST AND IN SACRED MEMORY ALSO OF THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE HERE RECORDED AND WHO FELL IN INDIA OR THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER AND DURING THE THIRD AFGHAN WAR”. Inscribed on other surfaces are the names of 13,218 war dead including that of a female staff nurse from the Territorial Force who was killed in action in 1917.

Lotus Temple

Lotus temple is one of attractions of New Delhi. As we all know that lotus temple has an awesome architecture and great historical importance. I know that everybody wants to know the history behind it. Here in this post I am going to tell you about historical importance of lotus temple and awesome architecture of it. Let us start with location of this temple.

LOCATION

Lotus temple road,
Near kalkaji ,
New Delhi

 BRIEF HISTORY OF LOTUS TEMPLE

First let me tell you that it is also known as bahai temple. Before we start the history I must want to tell one thing about lotus temple that it is most visited monuments in India. Construction of bahai temple is completed in year of 1986. You must be interested why it is named lotus temple. Many of people are saying that this temple looks like a lotus in shape and because of it is known as lotus temple. But this is half-truth. Lotus is a symbol of love and purity. It gives the message of immortality. And because of this bahai temple is designed like a lotus flower and it is known as lotus temple.

lotus temple front view

As I told you above that this temple is famous in world for its architecture.  This awesome architecture is built by Persian architect Fariborz Sahba from Canada. So it is the brief history of bahai temple. Now let us talk about great architecture of this temple.

 ARCHITECTURE OF LOTUS TEMPLE

Marble, cement, dolomite, and send were used in construction of lotus temple. If you look this temple from top view it looks like half opened lotus temple. Construction of this architecture takes 10 years to complete. There are 800 people who have worked in construction of this temple. This team includes engineers, technicians, and workers. Outside of this temple there are nine reflecting pools. This temple has nine doors. White marble is used in construction of this temple and because of this beauty of temple is increased. Height of lotus temple is 40 meters.

Red Fort

Red Fort, also known by all as the Lal Qila, lies on the Netaji Subhash Marg in New Delhi stretching towards Old Delhi next to Chandni Chowk and can be reached by Metro Link with Kashmiri Gate as the nearest Metro Station. It is the seventh fort of Delhi and was constructed in 1639 that took ten years to complete in 1648 over the ‘Mughal city’ and ‘seventh city of Delhi’ named ‘Shahjahanabad’ or the ‘Walled City’ by Mughal Emperor ShahJahan. It was named as the Quila-i-Mubarak which means the ‘Blessed Fort’ that would be a home to the Mughal Royal Family and also serve as the Capital of the Mughal Empire. In 1857, Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled by the British who then used the fort as their Military camp up till the Independence of India in 1947. During the Mughal reign, the fort saw numerous changes, alterations and additions by Emperor ShahJahan, Emperor Aurangzeb and the British Government.

ARCHITECTURE OF RED FORT

The walls of the Red Fort stretches over 2.5 km in length with a height that varies between 16 metres and 33 meters cascading along the banks of the Yamuna River and surrounded by a canal or trench that was once fed by the River. These aspects act as a formidable structure against unwarranted attacks from the enemies. This fort homes various monuments like the Diwan-E-Aam made in the shape of a huge pavilion where the Emperor sat for public audience and to listen to the petitions of his commoners. The eastern side of the pavilion has a beautiful ornate balcony throne that imitates the Throne of King Solomon also used by the Emperor and behind this throne one can see a well decorated private chamber that belonged to the Emperor flanked with a row of pavilions that offered a commanding view of the serene Yamuna River.

WHAT TO SEE IN RED FORT?

The Nahrr-i-Behisht or the ‘Stream of Paradise’ is seen running through the centres of all the pavilions constructed in the fort and connected to each other and fed by the Yamuna River through the Shah Burj or Shah Tower that stands in the north eastern corner of the Red Fort. On the southern most end of the fort lies two pavilions named ‘Zenanas’ that served as the private quarters of the Royal Ladies. One of these pavilions named ‘Mumtaaz Mahal’ was converted into an archaeological museum while the larger one named ‘Rang Mahal’ or ‘Pleasure Palace’ is seen with a luxuriously carved ceiling and a pool made of marble also fed by the ‘Nahrr-i-Behisht’ stream.

The ‘Khas Mahal’, also a third pavilion lies on the south of the fort that houses the Royal chambers of the Royal families. It can be seen with a series of apartments or bedrooms, a prayer hall, a veranda or balcony and the Musamman Burj or Tower from where the Emperor would stand every morning to greet his people. Close by is the ‘Diwan-i-Khas’ beautifully decorated and considered as one of the most beautiful pavilion ever constructed studded with stones and elaborate carvings seen on its ceiling made of pure silver with a gold inlay but now is seen covered with a painted wooden inlay and beautiful patterns carved on its columns is where the Emperor used to organise Private meetings with his courtiers. The next pavilion has the ‘Hammam’ or the ‘Turkish Style designed Bath’ made in marble covered with coloured stones. The ‘Pearl Mosque’ or ‘Moti Masjid’ built of white marble in 1659 was constructed as the Private Mosque of Emperor Aurangzeb, the son of Emperor ShahJahan is situated on the western end of the ‘Hammam’ and seen with three domes and three arched openings with exquisite carvings.

The Naubat Khaana also known as the ‘Naqqar Khaana’ which means the ‘Drum House’ made of red sandstone and in the shape of a rectangular painted originally with Gold and now covered with wooden paint is where the Mughal Emperors would listen to music played by their musicians constituting of the Cymbal, ‘Shehnai’ or ‘Hautboy’, Kettledrums and other instruments still preserved here. This place was also known as the ‘Hathi Pol’ or ‘Elephant Pole’ as all commoners except the Royalties had to use only this place to dismount from the elephants. The first floor of this building has been converted into a ‘War Memorial Museum’ that houses a huge collection of armouries used by the Mughal Emperors.

The Red Fort was made to align with the Salimgarh Fort situated adjacent to it near the Yamuna River. Persian, Mughal, Indian and European architecture reflects in this Fort with two main gates named the ‘Delhi Gate’ and the ‘Lahore Gate’. The main entrance to the Fort is from Lahore Gate which welcomes you with a string of street markets named Chatta Chowk also known as the famous ‘Meena Bazaar’ during the 17th century and located on the upper and lower arcades where the Ladies of the Courtiers would view silk saris, Jewellery, Silverware, Gems and various beautiful ornaments. Today, the Chowk lies only on the lower arcades selling only artificial souvenirs and food. This Chowk leads to a space within the Red Fort where the western side was used for military functions and the eastern side houses beautiful Palaces.

The Red Fort has become one of the most visited and popular tourist spots in Old Delhi. On the 15th of August, which is the Indian Independence Day, every year, the Indian Prime Minister hoists the Indian Flag and a sound and light show is organised for tourists every evening. It has been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage protected site and also named as the largest Fort in Delhi.

The main attraction of the Red Fort is the Sound and Light Show that tells tales of its historical past and narrated in Hindi and English for foreign tourists. The fort is opened for public viewing from Sunday to Tuesday and closed on Mondays. The entry fee for Indian residents is only Rs. 10/- whereas for Foreign Nationals is US $5.00 or Rs. 250/- (entry fees are subject to change). For video filming, the charge is Rs. 25/- for each camera and one can spend the entire day from 1000 hours to 1600 hours during its preferred visitation time.

QUICK HELP ABOUT RED FORT

Open: Tuesday to Sunday (Monday Closed)
Timings: Sunrise to Sunset
Location: Netaji Subhash Marg
Photography: Free (Video shoot @ INR 25)
Nearest Metro Station: Chandni Chowk
Entry Fee: INR 10 (Indians) & INR 250 (Foreigners)

Delhi (National Capital Territory)

Visiting Delhi for all brings in a mesmerizing effect. This tour brings back the exquisite delicacies of all times. From forts to Palaces from gardens to Malls all are a perfect picture while one visits Delhi. This is the reason why it is termed as the foremost places to visit in India. The most prominent places of visits are- Bahai Temple, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Qutub Minar, Red fort, Lotus Temple, Humayun Tomb and of course Agra must not be forgotten. For local sightseeing an AC bus costs about 451/- Rs that’s obviously would pinch you little. There are many who visit Delhi for business but usually it turns out to be a fascinating pleasurable tour indeed.

Captial City – New Delhi

Best Places to visit in Delhi :

• Red Fort
• Lotus Temple
• India Gate

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Andaman and Nicobar are very much close to Thailand and Myanmar. The perfect time to visit the Island is between October and May. Here you can find flourishing culture the tribal culture of India. Andaman has its Beach festival, food festival, film festival, monsoon music festival, these attract tourists from all around the world.

The tourists must visit the famous tourist spots namely Neil island, Port Blair, Bartang Island, little Andaman musty popularly termed as tourist place of India. Port Blair is the foremost gateway to Andaman thus all are connected by Air and via sea. Apart from this buses and trains are also available with affordability

Capital City : Port Blair

Places to visit in Andaman and Nicobar : 

• Radhanagar Beach
• Havelock Island
• Cellular Jail
• Barren Island