Athirappilly Falls

Athirapally is the land of rivers and forests and great waterfalls! The destination houses the largest waterfall in Kerala, the Athirapally waterfall, a major tourist attraction. Athirappilly Falls is one of the best places to visit in Kerala. Athirappilly Falls is a part of Chalakudy River and it is approximately 80 feet in height. The entrance to the falls is steep and is a 2 km trek to the Athirapally Falls. As you walk higher and higher, the forest area is quiet and you can hear different types of birds singing and recognize each bird from its voice. During monsoon, the trek turns slippery and is filled with little frogs jumping here and there. Walk around 15 minutes and you can hear the gigantic voice of the falls and lo! As you climb up, you can see the river flowing past huge rocks and trees. The falls are so huge that for a minute you can't believe that they can be so huge. No wonder, the sight has been a favorite with film directors for their locations. Mani Ratnam's Raavan, Dil Se, Guru and Iruvar have been shot here. If one is on a holiday to Kerala, then a visit to the Athirapally Falls becomes a must-watch experience as it is a favorite destination for all those who love the magnificence of nature and beauty. Ideal time to visit the Falls is during the monsoon when the rain water is falling on the river, and fishermen are busy catching fish sitting by the river. Swimming here is not recommended during this time, however you can still find local villagers swimming in unknown waters. There are many treks around the hilly area to explore the falls and the guide rightly calls it the Niagra of India! You don't want to leave the place and want to enjoy the falls and the sound even after the sun sets. But as you embark on the next journey, the falls and its beauty lingers on in the mind forever.

LOTUS TEMPLE

The Lotus Temple known as the Taj of modern India is a distinctive lotus-shaped marvel in marble surrounded by a landscaped garden. The Lotus Temple, located in New Delhi, India, is a Bahai House of Worship completed in 1986. This architectural marvel of the Bahai faith is essentially a symbol of peace. it serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent and has become a prominent attraction in the city. The Lotus Temple has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. The Lotus Temple is open to all regardless of religion. The Bahai laws emphasize that the spirit of the House of Worship be that it is a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions. According to Bahai faith the mere act of praying is not sufficient. The inspiration drawn from one's prayers must be translated into action which promotes the well being of humanity. The temple gives the impression of a half-open lotus flower afloat, surrounded by its leaves. The shining pure white marble, the majestic dome, the petals clearly standing out create a sense of awe. The temple is surrounded by walkways with beautiful curved balustrades, bridges and stairs that surround the nine pools representing the floating leaves of the lotus. It is a remarkable tabernacle of peace and beauty and an engineering feat that will set standards for centuries. The inner dome is spherical and patterned after the innermost portion of the lotus flower. It is like a bud consisting of 24 petals and light filters through these inner folds which is diffused through the central hall. The Lotus has three sets of petals. The outermost set of nine petals, called the entrance leaves, open outwards and form the nine entrances all around the outer annular hall. The next set of nine petals, called "inner leaves" appear to be partly closed and rise above the rest and form the main structure housing the central hall. Since the Lotus is open at the top, a glass and steel roof provides protection from rain and lets in natural light in the auditorium.

MUGHAL GARDEN IN RASTRAPATI BHAVAN

The Mughal Gardens situated at the back of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, incorporates both Mughal and English landscaping styles and feature a vast variety of flowers. The Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens are open to public in February every year. Main garden: Two channels running North to South and two running East to West divide this garden into a grid of squares. There are six lotus shaped fountains at the crossings of these channels. Whereas the energetic fountains rising up to a height of 12 feet creates soothing murmur that enthralls the visitor, the channels are so tranquil in their movement that they seem frozen. In the channels at appropriate times of day can be seen reflections of the imposing building and the proud flowers. There are wooden trays placed on stands in the centre of the channels where grain is put for the birds to feed upon. There is a red sandstone pergola in the centre over the central pavement which is covered with Rose creepers, Petrea, Bougainvillea and Grape Vines. The walls are covered with creepers like Jasmine, Rhyncospermum, Tecoma Grandiflora, Bignonia Vanista, Adenoclyma, Echitice, Parana Paniculata. Along the walls are planted the China Orange trees.The garden has more than 250 celebrated varieties of roses, which makes it one of the best Rose Gardens in the world. It has roses like Bonne Nuit, Oklahoma which are neares to being black. In blues it has Paradise, Blue Moon, Lady X. Naturalizing effect is created by the bulbous flowering plants like Narcissus, Freesia, Zephyranthrus, Gladiola, Tuberos, Oriental Lily, Asiatic Lily, Tulips, Anemone, Ranunculus, Iris, Daffodils etc. For summers the choice is rather limited. But the dedication of the gardeners and bravery displayed by the plants sees them through. The August bloom would consist of Gaillardia, Vinca, Cosmos, Zinnia, Sunflower, Gomphrena, Portulaca, Balsam, Verbena, Celosia, Canna, Cochia, Rudbeckia etc.

Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve

Tsomoriri or Lake Moriri is lake in the Changthang area in jammu and kashmir. it is the largest of the high altitude lakes in the Trans-Himalayan biogeographic region, entirely within India.  The lake sits  betweenLadakh, India to the North, Tibet to the east, and Zanskar in the west.It is hemmed between Ladakh in the North and Tibet in the east and Zanskar in the west; the Changthang plateau is the geographical setting with snow peaks that provides the source of water for the Lake. Accessibility to the lake is limited to summer season only. Tsokar means salty lake in local language and salt was extracted from this lake in earlier times, till the end of 1959, for consumption by the local people.It is oligotrophic in nature and its waters are alkaline. The lake formerly had an outlet to the south, but it has contracted considerably and has become land locked; as a result; the water is now brackish to saline. The lake is fed by springs and snow-melt in two major stream systems, one entering the lake from the north, the other from the southwest. Both stream systems create extensive marshes where they enter the lake.It formerly had an outlet to the south, but this has become blocked and the lake has become land locked. As a result, the water is now becoming saline. The lake was a source of salt for local people until 1959. this is reflected in the lake's name; Tsokar means salty lake in local language.The lake is oligotrophic in nature, and its waters are alkaline.Accessibility to the lake is limited to summer season only. The lake is located to the southeast of Leh in eastern Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, at a road distance of 240 kilometres (150 mi). The road is in a good condition for the most part. Though there is no abundance of vegetation in the lake, but different species of sedges and reeds grow in the adjoining areas among which some are Carex, Caragana, and Astragelus apps. Moreover, several species of Carex, Primula (low growing herb), and Pedicularis (parasite plant) and common species of Juncus thomsonii and Leontopodium sp, Phytoplankton species of Oocystis and diatom Cyclotella are also observed

Ellora Caves

 The name Ellora itself inspires everyone as it represents one of the largest rock-hewn monastic-temple complexes in the entire world. Ellora is also world famous for the largest single monolithic excavation in the world, the great Kailasa (Cave 16). The visit to these caves is enjoyed maximum during monsoon, when every stream is filled with rainwater, and the entire environ is lush green. The monsoon is not only a season of rains in this part, the local visitors are attracted to visit these ideal locations to have a glimpse of the mother nature in full bloom.The caves are hewn out of the volcanic basaltic formation of Maharasthra, known as ‘Deccan Trap’, the term trap being of Scandinavian origin representing the step like formation of the volcanic deposits. The rock formation, on weathering has given rise to the appearance of terraces with flat summits. At Ellora, one can also have a glimpse of the channels (near Cave 32) through which the volcanic lava once flowed. These channels, due to overheating, have a characteristic brownish red colour. Similar rock was used in the construction of the Grishneshwar Temple nearby and also utilised for the flooring of the pathways at Bibi-ka-Maqbara.The most notable Hindu cave (Cave 16) is not a cave at all, but a magnificent temple carved from the solid rock patterned closely on the freestanding temples of the time. It represents Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva, and is called the Kailashnath, Kailash, or Kailasa Temple. It originally had a thick coat of white plaster to make it look like a snowy mountain.The Kailash Temple is a stupendous piece of architecture, with interesting spatial effects and varied sculpture. It is believed to have been started by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I (756-773). The construction was a feat of human genius – it entailed removal of 250,000 tons of rock, took 100 years to complete and covers an area double the size of Parthenon in Athens.Many more Hindu caves stretch down the hillside north of Kailash, but only three are must-sees: 21, 25 and 29.he Ramesvara, dates from the late 500s and is thought to be the oldest Hindu cave at Ellora. It houses some fine sculpture, including a pair of rvier goddesses, two door guardians and some loving couples (mithunas) around the walls of the balcony.Cave 15 is also a former Buddhist cave adopted by the Hindus. The ground floor is mostly uninteresting, but the top floor has some of the best sculpture at Ellora. Along the right wall are a sequence of panels showing five of Vishnu's ten incarnations or avatars, which give the cave its name, Das Avatara. A panel to the right of the antechamber depicts the superiority of Shaivism in the region at the time - Shiva emerges from a linga while his rivals Brahma and Vishnu stand in humility and supplication. The cave's most elegant sculpture is in the left wall of the chamber: it shows Shiva as Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer.

GOLDEN TEMPLE AMRITSAR

GOLDEN TEMPLE IN AMRITSAR

Golden temple is one of the famous temples of Amritsar. It is also known as historical place of India. This great temple of India is also known as Harmandir sahib and darbar sahib. It is named after the god of Sikh shri hari. And because, it is made from gold it is also known as golden temple. Shri hari sahib temple is situated in the center of small lake which is made by man. Name of this lake is Amritsar Lake.  Construction of this lake is started in 1573 under the leadership of fourth guru of Sikh guru ramdas ji. After the four years in 1577 construction of Amritsar Lake is completed. In 1588 construction of golden temple is started under the leadership of fifth guru of sikh , guru arjan dev ji. As we all know that in construction of this temple too much gold is used and because of this thing golden temple is attacked too many times. It is one of the well known Pilgrimage centre of India.