The Mahabalipuram coastal temple built by the Pallava kings has many secrets. The temple has a history of over 1200 years.
Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram is a town in the Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu. It is located at about 56km from Chennai. This town is famous for its stone carvings. Built largely between the 7th and the 9th centuries, this port city of Pallavas has been classified as UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Shore Temple, Sculpture Museum, Krishna’s Butterball, Five Rathas are few of the numerous attractions in Mahabalipuram. If you are planning a visit to Mahabalipuram from Chennai, here’s how you can reach it.
By Car
The drive from Chennai to Mahabalipuram through ECR (East Coast Road) is absolutely stunning. It’s a well-maintained road, surrounded by trees on either side of the road. It runs parallel to the coast of Bay of Bengal, making it even more breathtaking. One can reach Mahabalipuram in about 1 hour 45 minutes from Chennai.
By Bus
Mahabalipuram is well-connected to Chennai by buses. One can board a bus from Koyembedu (CMBT) or Tiruvanmiyur. There are direct buses from CMBT. Else, you can also board a bus that has a board that reads ECR. However, one must note that many of these buses will drop you outside the town, on the main road.
Located 151.6 km south of Bangalore at the base of the Chamundi Hills, Mysore is called as the city of palaces. The beautiful monuments and the rich history of this place make it one of the most popular tourist destinations. The city is also the hub of sandalwood, incense and silk production. Many tourists visit Mysore to learn Ashtanga Yoga, which is practice across the city. From 1399 to 1947, Mysore was the capital of Kingdom of Mysore and was ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty. In the late 18th century, for a short period, Mysore was ruled by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. The Wodeyars contributed immensely to the growth of the city’s culture. Mysore is known for Dussera celebration and it palace, the Mysore Palace. Tourists flock to the city during Dussera festival to see the colorful procession. Mysore was the location of India’s first private radio station.
Mysore Palace
Things to do: You should start exploring the city with the Mysore Palace. The rich history and beautiful architecture of the monument are something you must not miss. The palace has a fusion of Indo-Saracenic architecture. The paintings, spacious halls and the beautiful pillar will take you back in time. The palace is lit up during festivals and on Sundays.
Dassera is another time for the year when you should visit Mysore. Mysore palace is lit up for the occasion. The Wodeyars’ family goddess is Chamundi and the idol of the goddess is taken out for in an elaborate procession involving elephants, horses and dancers.
The Brindavan Gardens is another place you must visit in Mysore. The musical fountain of the garden is famous among tourists. The Railway Museum of Mysore is an interesting place that gives you a glimpse of India’s rich history of railways.
St. Philomena is another important attraction of Mysore
St. Philomena’s Cathedral is a Catholic church that is the cathedral of the Diocese of Mysore, India. The full name is the Cathedral of St. Joseph and St. Philomena. It is also known as St. Joseph’s Cathedral.It was constructed in 1936 using a Neo Gothic style and its architecture was inspired by the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.This is one of the tallest churches in Asia.
Best places to stay in Mysore: Hotel Kanishka (0821 466 6688), Hotel Shastri Paradise ( 0821 425 2134), Hotel MB International (096206 72223), Hotel BS International (095911 17445) and Hotel Sujatha Residency (0821 249 6999) are some of the best hotels in Mysore.
Tips: Make sure you taste Mysore Pak, a sweet dish that melts in your mouth.
Best time to visit: The period between September and March is the best time to visit Mysore.
Distance from Bangalore: 151.6 km (3 hours 24 minutes)
Araku Valley, popularly known as Araku, is a scenic hill station in the Vishakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh.the hill station has retained its pristine charm.
Araku
At an elevation of about 3200 ft, Araku is famous for its coffee plantations surrounded by beautiful gardens, streams, waterfalls and valleys that are covered with lush green forests. Situated in the Eastern Ghats, the hill station is about 112 km southeast of Vishakhapatnam.
The natural beauty of the place is what attracts tourists from all over the world to the hill station. The Anantagiri Reserved Forest and Sunkrimetta Reserved Forest are a part of the Araku Valley. The Raktkonda, Sunkrimetta, Chitamogondi and Galikonda mountains form a protective wall around the valley. The Galikonda Mountain, at an elevation of 5000 ft, near the hill station is the highest mountain in all of Andhra Pradesh.
Dhimsa traditional dance by Araku Valley Women
Araku Valley can be reached by road that goes through thick forests which is an adventure in itself. There are many places of interest like the government silk farm, famous for its mulberry gardens and the tribal museum. The region is home to many tribes and the area is rich in tribal culture.
Being a mountainous region, trekking is a popular activity and the area offers several interesting trails. Most known and popular trekking trails go through dense forests to the summit but a few adventurous trails go through the many streams that dot the landscape and are ideal to view breathtaking waterfalls like the Sangda waterfall.
There are many budget hotels, cottages and resorts. State run lodges provide affordable accommodation and are clustered near the Araku railway station.
Mid-range options are mostly found near the road connecting Araku to Visakhapatnam and a few near Araku railway station.
There are no luxury hotels in Araku Valley. There are many options for eating out in Araku Valley with restaurants and food stalls serving North Indian, South Indian, Odiya and Chinese
The best time to visit the region is between October and March.
We left Davanagiri at 6 am and reached Chikmagalure at 10 am. It is about 250 kilometers.We left Davanagiri at 6 am and reached Chikmangalore at 10 am. It is about 250 km.After arriving in Chikmagalur we relaxed for a while at the Siri Cafe in the city enterance.We then headed to the resort we booked.Taking a rest for a while, we set off to see Mullayanagiri mountain.
The Mullayanagiri Peak is a part of the Baba Bhudan Giri Range in the Western Ghats,in ancient time , Baba budhan giri Range was also called the Chandra Drona Prvatha. Coffee plantations, waterfalls, and scenic beauty make this place ideal for trekking. Chikmagalur is also known as the ‘Coffee Capital of the region’. The weather in Chikmagalur is almost perfect throughout the year. It is a coffee paradise for coffee lovers. The plantations here have the most inviting aroma and scenic beauty. Accommodation is not too expensive chikmagalur is a haven for adventure seekers.
places to visit,
Baba Budhangiri Kudremukh National Park Jhari Waterfalls Manikyadhara Falls Kemmanagundi Hirekolale Lake Badhra wildlife Sanctuary
Coffee plant
From Bangalore to Chikmagalur 240 k.m. Located at a distance. travelers have access to amenities such as resorts, hotels and homestays. Advance booking is advisable while homestays and resorts are important.There are also river side resorts
There is no rail and air connection. Travelers can avail trains or trains from Hubli or Mangalore to Hubli. The Mangalore Airport and the Kaduru Railway Station are the closest railheads to Chikmagalur.
Where To Stay
Some of the best homstays … Moon mist homestay (094480 61153) Thanmaya homestay (082622 47454),Mountain Valley Homestay (097417 67387).Coffee Grove Resort (070222 70666)
Some of the best hotels in Chikmagalur include The Planters Court (082622 35881), Crystal Inn (093686 58225) and The Gateway Hotel Chikmagalur (082626 60660).
The next journey is from Chikmagalur to Sringeri Sharda Peetham
Two days later we set off for Sringeri, a popular shrine. Sringeri is about 85 km from Chikmagulur.Along the way we saw a few tea gardens and the place looked pretty.
Sringeri Mutt is located on the banks of the Tunga River. Sringeri is known as Sarada Peetham. It was founded by Adi Shankaracharya Set up by him in 8 the CE, The monastery is located on the banks of the Tunga. Sringeri gets its name from Rishi Shringya.it is a beautiful Temple.set in the malnad region
The legend of this temple says that sringeri is a place where shankara saw a snake cowled as an umbrella protect a pregnant frog from the hot sun as a piece of evidence to this, today, one can see a sculpture called kappe shankara on the footsteps to the river Tunga.
There are many historical temples.Sri Vidyashankara Temple , Sharadamba Temple well as the Parshwanath Jain Temple are very important.
Accommodations in the temple are available to tourists.
Located at a distance of 14 km from Shimoga on Shimoga-Tirthahalli Road, it is considered as the best elephant training camp in the state.The camp is located on the banks of the Tunga River. This camp is run by the Karnataka Forest Department. Elephants may need training or care for many reasons, including health, behavioral problems, and malnutrition. The Mawats train for elephants.Elphant riding is allowed in the Camp.Visitors can watch the elephants being fed and even the training activities.
The Jungle Camp also has a cottage facility for tourists. But we Stayed at Hotel Ashoka Grand.
Cottage
2.’Tiger Lion And Safari Zoo’, Shimoga
lion and tiger Safari Shimoga are one of the popular tourist places of shimoga, Karnataka.it is located at a distance of 11 k.m from shimoga.one can spot many different animals also tiger and lions apparently.this place is perfect for the picnic and for photography.the park provide the best Jeep Safari than the canter Safari.This is a great place for wildlife photography.
travel it 