Showing posts with label hill station. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hill station. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Mount Abu - The lone hill station in Rajasthan
Mt Abu, the only hill station in the state of Rajasthan is the highest peak in the Aravalli Ranges and is located at an altitude of 1200m.
The highest peak here is the Guru Shikar, which has a temple of Guru Dattatreya. At a little distance is another peak on which stands the temple of Ahilya, the mother of Dattatreya. The view from Guru Shikar is spectacular. To reach Guru Shikar you need to travel around 7kms on the Dilwara-Achalgad Road.
Mt Abu is also famous for the Jain temples, the most famous being the Dilwara Jain temple. The temple like other Jain temples has exquisite marble carvings. It looks simple form outside but the interiors are beautifully carved - the work of extremely skilled artisans.
There are five main sections inside the temple.
1. Sri Mahavir Swami Shrine- devoted to Lord Mahavir.
2. Sri Adinath Shrine - this is the oldest of all the sections and is dedicated to Sri Adinath, the first Jain teerthankar.
3. Sri Parsavanath Shrine - devoted to lord Parsavanath and has four mandapas.
4. Peetalhar Shrine - called so because most of the statues here were built with "peetal” - brass. This temple is dedicated to Sri Rishabhdaoji
5. The Luna Vasahi Shrine - dedicated to Lord Nemi Nath. An unique feature of this temple is the "Rag Mandapa" which houses 360 tiny idols of Jain tirthankaras.
The temple is open to public from 12-3pm. Jains can visit it in the morning session too. No entry fees. Cameras and mobiles are not allowed inside. Hence, I could only get a picture of the temple from the outside.
Achalagad Fort - Enroute to Guru Shikar, around 7 kms from Mt Abu town is the Achalgad fort which was built by Rana Kumbha of Mewar. It houses several Jain temples and the Kaninath temple.
Another temple - the Achleshwar temple near the foothills of Achalgad is famous for the Nandi which it houses. The Nandi is made up of 5 metals(Panchdhatu) and is said to weigh more than 4 tonnes.
Nakki Lake - situated within walking distance of the main market in Mt Abu, is a picturesque spot. Surrounded by rocky hills, it is the favorite spot for families and visitors to spend their evenings.
Legend has it that the Devatas dug this lake up with their nails (nakh) hence it got the name Nakki lake :)
There are many temples in Mt Abu in addition to the Jain temples. There is the Adhar Devi temple, the Raghuntah ji temple and the Durga temple. The world headquarters of the Brahma Kumaris is also located in Mt Abu.
Trevor’s Tank - Around 5 kms from Mt Abu market is the Trevor's tank built by a British engineer with the same name.
At Trevor’s Tank you can spend time relaxing at the tank. The tank was used once upon a time to breed crocodiles. You can trek up to the vantage viewpoints inside the park.
If you are lucky you might spot some birds. We saw lot of cages, which were no longer in use. Trevor’s Tank forms a part of the Wild life sanctuary in Mt Abu.
Evenings can be spent at the Sunset Point. There was a mad rush to reach the Sunset point and it looked like that the entire residents of Mt Abu had converged on the Sunset Point. Lot of hawkers selling corn-of-cob, chat items, roasted groundnuts, fruits, popcorn dot the stretch to the Sunset point. The Sunset point itself was not very spectacular. Can give it a miss.
Instead you can go to the Anadara Point which looked less freqented by visitors and offered a good view.
There are numerous eateries in Mt Abu - from the roadside vendors to the star hotels. Same goes for accommodation too.
Bikes are available on hire. While hiring bikes make sure you take just sufficient fuel. If needed carry extra fuel in a bottle so that you can return it if not used. Once you fill up the fuel tank and incase you haven’t been able to use up the fuel, they don’t refund the money.
There are lot of options for Shoppers too - from the bargain shopping to the luxury malls.
Overall a nice place to spend a couple of days.
MOUNT ABU
Tourist Reception Center
Opp. Bus Stand,
Tel : 02974-3151
Tourist Information Counter
Railway Station, Abu Road
The highest peak here is the Guru Shikar, which has a temple of Guru Dattatreya. At a little distance is another peak on which stands the temple of Ahilya, the mother of Dattatreya. The view from Guru Shikar is spectacular. To reach Guru Shikar you need to travel around 7kms on the Dilwara-Achalgad Road.
Mt Abu is also famous for the Jain temples, the most famous being the Dilwara Jain temple. The temple like other Jain temples has exquisite marble carvings. It looks simple form outside but the interiors are beautifully carved - the work of extremely skilled artisans.
There are five main sections inside the temple.
1. Sri Mahavir Swami Shrine- devoted to Lord Mahavir.
2. Sri Adinath Shrine - this is the oldest of all the sections and is dedicated to Sri Adinath, the first Jain teerthankar.
3. Sri Parsavanath Shrine - devoted to lord Parsavanath and has four mandapas.
4. Peetalhar Shrine - called so because most of the statues here were built with "peetal” - brass. This temple is dedicated to Sri Rishabhdaoji
5. The Luna Vasahi Shrine - dedicated to Lord Nemi Nath. An unique feature of this temple is the "Rag Mandapa" which houses 360 tiny idols of Jain tirthankaras.
The temple is open to public from 12-3pm. Jains can visit it in the morning session too. No entry fees. Cameras and mobiles are not allowed inside. Hence, I could only get a picture of the temple from the outside.
Achalagad Fort - Enroute to Guru Shikar, around 7 kms from Mt Abu town is the Achalgad fort which was built by Rana Kumbha of Mewar. It houses several Jain temples and the Kaninath temple.
Another temple - the Achleshwar temple near the foothills of Achalgad is famous for the Nandi which it houses. The Nandi is made up of 5 metals(Panchdhatu) and is said to weigh more than 4 tonnes.
Nakki Lake - situated within walking distance of the main market in Mt Abu, is a picturesque spot. Surrounded by rocky hills, it is the favorite spot for families and visitors to spend their evenings.
Legend has it that the Devatas dug this lake up with their nails (nakh) hence it got the name Nakki lake :)
There are many temples in Mt Abu in addition to the Jain temples. There is the Adhar Devi temple, the Raghuntah ji temple and the Durga temple. The world headquarters of the Brahma Kumaris is also located in Mt Abu.
Trevor’s Tank - Around 5 kms from Mt Abu market is the Trevor's tank built by a British engineer with the same name.
At Trevor’s Tank you can spend time relaxing at the tank. The tank was used once upon a time to breed crocodiles. You can trek up to the vantage viewpoints inside the park.
If you are lucky you might spot some birds. We saw lot of cages, which were no longer in use. Trevor’s Tank forms a part of the Wild life sanctuary in Mt Abu.
Evenings can be spent at the Sunset Point. There was a mad rush to reach the Sunset point and it looked like that the entire residents of Mt Abu had converged on the Sunset Point. Lot of hawkers selling corn-of-cob, chat items, roasted groundnuts, fruits, popcorn dot the stretch to the Sunset point. The Sunset point itself was not very spectacular. Can give it a miss.
Instead you can go to the Anadara Point which looked less freqented by visitors and offered a good view.
There are numerous eateries in Mt Abu - from the roadside vendors to the star hotels. Same goes for accommodation too.
Bikes are available on hire. While hiring bikes make sure you take just sufficient fuel. If needed carry extra fuel in a bottle so that you can return it if not used. Once you fill up the fuel tank and incase you haven’t been able to use up the fuel, they don’t refund the money.
There are lot of options for Shoppers too - from the bargain shopping to the luxury malls.
Overall a nice place to spend a couple of days.
MOUNT ABU
Tourist Reception Center
Opp. Bus Stand,
Tel : 02974-3151
Tourist Information Counter
Railway Station, Abu Road
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Coorg (Madikeri) - Places to see
Coorg in Karnataka
My visit to Coorg or Madikeri - as the locals call it, is going to haunt me for a long time to come. It is also referred to as the "Scotland of India". Coorg is an endless expanse of scenic beauty - lush green valleys, coffee plantations, and majestic mountain ranges. Add to this the brave race of Kodavas - Field Marshal K M Cariappa was a Kodava.
While in Madikeri we visited:
The Abbi Falls
Omkareshwara temple
Raja's Seat
Cauvery Nisargsdhama
Bhagmandala
Talacauvery
Namdroling Monastery
Raja's Tomb
Nalknad Palace
The Abbi Falls is situated very near to Madikeri city and the roar of the water can be heard from the main road from where a winding path goes through lovely coffee and cardamom plantations right up to falls.
The Raja's Seat, according to legends, is the place where the kings of Kodagu spent their evenings at. Whether this is true or not, I do not know, but this place does offer a wonderful view of the valleys and mountains.
Nisargadhama known for its calm and serene beauty, is a 2.5 sq. km. large island in the middle of the river Cauvery. Bhagamandala is the sacred site where the 3 rivers - Cauvery, the Kanika and the mythical river Sujyothi meet.
The river Cauvery which is one of the 7 sacred rivers, originates at a place called Talacauvery in the Brahmagiri hills, at about 4,500 ft above sea level. This place is marked by a kundike from where the river emerges as a small perennial spring, but flows underground again to emerge a short distance away. From Talacauvery, steps (360 of them) lead up to the nearby Brahmagiri peak. From the peak, as well as on the drive to Talacauvery, we enjoyed a good view of the misty blue Brahmagiri hills.
The visit to Bylekuppe, where the Namdroling Monastery is situated, was like a visit to a mini Tibet. The Tibetans were offered land by the Government of Karnataka when they sought refuge in India. They have created a wonderful place for themselves here. All around us we could see burgundy robed monks with shy and sometimes aloof faces. The Monastery is spread over a huge area and there were large gold statues of Buddha. The monks were chanting and the pipes and drums being played in their prayer rooms.
Apart from all this, just walking down the winding hill roads and going for long drive on bike was what I enjoyed at Madikeri.
The place where we stayed - Daisy Coffee Estate
See more pictures here
My visit to Coorg or Madikeri - as the locals call it, is going to haunt me for a long time to come. It is also referred to as the "Scotland of India". Coorg is an endless expanse of scenic beauty - lush green valleys, coffee plantations, and majestic mountain ranges. Add to this the brave race of Kodavas - Field Marshal K M Cariappa was a Kodava.
While in Madikeri we visited:
The Abbi Falls
Omkareshwara temple
Raja's Seat
Cauvery Nisargsdhama
Bhagmandala
Talacauvery
Namdroling Monastery
Raja's Tomb
Nalknad Palace
The Abbi Falls is situated very near to Madikeri city and the roar of the water can be heard from the main road from where a winding path goes through lovely coffee and cardamom plantations right up to falls.
The Raja's Seat, according to legends, is the place where the kings of Kodagu spent their evenings at. Whether this is true or not, I do not know, but this place does offer a wonderful view of the valleys and mountains.
Nisargadhama known for its calm and serene beauty, is a 2.5 sq. km. large island in the middle of the river Cauvery. Bhagamandala is the sacred site where the 3 rivers - Cauvery, the Kanika and the mythical river Sujyothi meet.
The river Cauvery which is one of the 7 sacred rivers, originates at a place called Talacauvery in the Brahmagiri hills, at about 4,500 ft above sea level. This place is marked by a kundike from where the river emerges as a small perennial spring, but flows underground again to emerge a short distance away. From Talacauvery, steps (360 of them) lead up to the nearby Brahmagiri peak. From the peak, as well as on the drive to Talacauvery, we enjoyed a good view of the misty blue Brahmagiri hills.
The visit to Bylekuppe, where the Namdroling Monastery is situated, was like a visit to a mini Tibet. The Tibetans were offered land by the Government of Karnataka when they sought refuge in India. They have created a wonderful place for themselves here. All around us we could see burgundy robed monks with shy and sometimes aloof faces. The Monastery is spread over a huge area and there were large gold statues of Buddha. The monks were chanting and the pipes and drums being played in their prayer rooms.
Apart from all this, just walking down the winding hill roads and going for long drive on bike was what I enjoyed at Madikeri.
The place where we stayed - Daisy Coffee Estate
See more pictures here
Mahabaleshwar -Panchgani
We had made the travel and accomodation arrangements for a week's stay in Mahabaleshwar. We boarded the Mumbai - Mahabaleshwar Volvo Bus from Vashi at 12.00 midnight. It was around 5.30 am when we reached the Bus Station situated right in the center of the quaint little market of Mahabaleshwar. The walk to the hotel was just 5 minutes. It was quite dark and cold and people were still asleep.
After a short nap in our cozy little room and a tasty breakfast in the mini garden, we set out. The climate was pleasant and the journey was wonderful. Long beautiful roads with greenery all around greeted us all along our journey. We visited many "Points". Wilson Point, Marjorie Point, Arthur's Seat, Bombay Point, Lodwick Point and Elphiston Point to name a few. Wilson Point is the highest point at 4710 ft above sea level. The view was breathtaking. The Arthur's Seat also offered an amazing view. One could see the barren deep valley of Savitri on the left & shallow green valley on the right. There were some steps nearby and on descending these steps you come across a spring known as Tiger's spring, which is supposed to be the source of the river Savitri. There was an old man at this place, offering the visitors glasses of fresh cold water from the spring.
In the afternoon, we hired two horses and rode deep into the forest to the Chinaman Waterfall. The journey was one of a kind. This was the first time we were riding a horse and the experience was fun.
Venna Lake is another great attraction here. With its picture-postcard sight, boating facilities and stalls for games and snacks, this place is always busy. We went for a boat ride on the calm waters of Venna.
Evening was spent strolling around in the market. There were innumerable tiny shops stacked with different types of chikkis, jams, 'channas', cane walking sticks, straw hats etc. Fruits like strawberries, raspberries, goose berries & mulberries, vegetables like red potatoes, French beans, beets, carrots and radish could be seen everywhere. Almost all the shops were selling varieties of jams, jellies and fruit juices.
The next day we visited Panchgani. Panchgani derives its name from the five hills around it. At an altitude of 1334 m it is just 38 m below Mahabaleshwar which works out to around a 20 km. The main attraction at Panchgani was "Table Land". This flat large expanse of laterite rock is the second longest mountain plateau in Asia. You have the most amazing view of the vast plain below from here. There are some spacious caves that can be seen from here and one of them is Devil's Kitchen. It is believed that the Pandavas stayed here for a while.
We visited "Parsi Point", a windy road situated on the way to Mahabaleshwar which overlooks the Krishna valley and the blue mirror like waters of the Dhom Dam. There were many telescopes put up here, offering a view of the Pratapgad Fort.
The visit to the Pratapgad fort brought back all the history chapters to mind. Pratapgad is one of the most famous forts in the Maratha history. This fort stands 900 meters above sea level and is most well known for the encounter and decisive battle between Shivaji and the Bijapuri general Afzal Khan.
We also visited a strawberry farm on our way back to the hotel. After 4 days in this beautiful town we headed back to Mumbai by the evening bus.
Where we stayed:
Savoy Village
Next to Club,
Mahabaleshwar-412806
Phone:(02168)260310,61743
Its just a couple of minutes walk from the Bus Stand. Located right behind Hotel Rajesh.
After a short nap in our cozy little room and a tasty breakfast in the mini garden, we set out. The climate was pleasant and the journey was wonderful. Long beautiful roads with greenery all around greeted us all along our journey. We visited many "Points". Wilson Point, Marjorie Point, Arthur's Seat, Bombay Point, Lodwick Point and Elphiston Point to name a few. Wilson Point is the highest point at 4710 ft above sea level. The view was breathtaking. The Arthur's Seat also offered an amazing view. One could see the barren deep valley of Savitri on the left & shallow green valley on the right. There were some steps nearby and on descending these steps you come across a spring known as Tiger's spring, which is supposed to be the source of the river Savitri. There was an old man at this place, offering the visitors glasses of fresh cold water from the spring.
In the afternoon, we hired two horses and rode deep into the forest to the Chinaman Waterfall. The journey was one of a kind. This was the first time we were riding a horse and the experience was fun.
Venna Lake is another great attraction here. With its picture-postcard sight, boating facilities and stalls for games and snacks, this place is always busy. We went for a boat ride on the calm waters of Venna.
Evening was spent strolling around in the market. There were innumerable tiny shops stacked with different types of chikkis, jams, 'channas', cane walking sticks, straw hats etc. Fruits like strawberries, raspberries, goose berries & mulberries, vegetables like red potatoes, French beans, beets, carrots and radish could be seen everywhere. Almost all the shops were selling varieties of jams, jellies and fruit juices.
The next day we visited Panchgani. Panchgani derives its name from the five hills around it. At an altitude of 1334 m it is just 38 m below Mahabaleshwar which works out to around a 20 km. The main attraction at Panchgani was "Table Land". This flat large expanse of laterite rock is the second longest mountain plateau in Asia. You have the most amazing view of the vast plain below from here. There are some spacious caves that can be seen from here and one of them is Devil's Kitchen. It is believed that the Pandavas stayed here for a while.
We visited "Parsi Point", a windy road situated on the way to Mahabaleshwar which overlooks the Krishna valley and the blue mirror like waters of the Dhom Dam. There were many telescopes put up here, offering a view of the Pratapgad Fort.
The visit to the Pratapgad fort brought back all the history chapters to mind. Pratapgad is one of the most famous forts in the Maratha history. This fort stands 900 meters above sea level and is most well known for the encounter and decisive battle between Shivaji and the Bijapuri general Afzal Khan.
We also visited a strawberry farm on our way back to the hotel. After 4 days in this beautiful town we headed back to Mumbai by the evening bus.
Where we stayed:
Savoy Village
Next to Club,
Mahabaleshwar-412806
Phone:(02168)260310,61743
Its just a couple of minutes walk from the Bus Stand. Located right behind Hotel Rajesh.
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