Wednesday, 23 December 2015

Chota Imambara - Lucknow

 

The most beautiful and attractive building in the old city Lucknow is Chota Imambara. It is also called as Imambara of Hussainabad. In 1839, Mohammed Ali Shah in his second rule he built this Imambara. Many people in the city believe this building was built as a token of allegiance to his faith. When the king was in his 63 years old and unwell he was chosen by the British and crowned as the King of Oudh (third king). Azim-ullah Khan was been appointed as a superintendant of the building department for the King and he supervised the Hussainanabad Imambara building. The building is known as the Palace of Lights since during the special festivals like Muharram its decorations look good.  In the pillars of the main Tripolia gateway his contributions are been recorded in two Persian inscriptions.

It is located near the Bara Imambara on the connecting road stands well known as   Rumi Darwaza. We can also see several chandeliers used to decorate the interior of this building. These chandeliers are been brought from Belgium. There are also large and smaller gold-plated domes which can be seen by all people from far away. There are tombs for Mohammed Ali Shah and for his family members – his daughter and for her husband inside Imambara. The tombs seem to be a replica of Taj Mahal. We can see two triple arched gateways called as Tripolia gateways in the east and west as entrance.




We can see the walls decorated with Arabic calligraphy. Outside of the Imambara building there is a watchtower named as Satkhanda or tower of seven stories though it has only four stories. We can see the Gomti River near Imambara whereas the water from the Gomti River is supplied for the fountains inside the Imambara.

As a future reader the King, Mohammed Ali Shah and his Queen Malka deposited an amount of Rupees Twenty six lakh with the East India Company. They formed a Trust to maintain their religious buildings to observance of Muharrum and other religious functions. This attracts people from far off the towns and the rural areas.


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Thursday, 10 December 2015

King Kothi Palace - Hyderabad



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Hyderabad is a land of kings and royalty​,​ ​filled with many palaces, lakes ​and ​resorts. The first famous palace is King Kothi Palace. ​You will realize at first sight the exquisite architecture ​of palace ​with lavish rooms which includes ​beautiful sculptures, paintings and portraits. It includes antique books, rare manuscripts which reflects the glorious past of Hyderabad.

Very frequently referred to as the ​‘Pride of the Deccan’ – ​Hyderabad is one of the most spectacular cities in India. One young prince, ​Muhammad Quli ​was madly in ​love with a maiden from Chichlam vil – Bhagmati. ​He built a Charminar there and he renamed the village Bhagnagar​. This city later​​ turned ​out ​to be called by the name ​of ​Hyderabad.




The royal King Kothi Palace is ​an excellent piece of example of inspiration ​and influence of European Architecture. It was built by Kamal Khan and named it with the sign of “K K”. Later,​it was sold to Nizam when he expressed his desire for the palace. Nizam felt it to be a pride to have those abbreviations, so he passed a ferman and changed “ K K” to King Kothi which means Kings Mansion. Thus the name King Kothi was brought into existence.​

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Monday, 30 November 2015

Meenakshi Amman Temple - Madurai



The people who are planning for a peaceful religious tour can choose with the best place to visit can be Meenakshi Amman Temple. The temple is old around 2500 years which is located in the Madurai city where it has dedicated to deity Meenakshi amman an avatar of Goddess Parvati, and her consort Lord Sundareswarar (Lord Shiva).

The temple is sprawled with an area of 17 acres with 4 entrances in all the 4 directions north, south, east and west. The current structure and architecture of the temple was been designed by Nayakas, who are the people who ruled this region in the period of 16th and 18th centuries.

 

Attractions in temple:

As a whole the structure of the temple is an amazing art to wonder. To add glory to the temple 5 most important attractions helps the temple to stand in an outstanding place:
  1. There are about 14 gopurams in which the southern gopuram is the tallest one in which it stretches nearly about 170 feet (52 meters) high.
  2. We can see the vimanas which are covered with animal, stones, demons and god figures in bright/gold plated over the idol of the main deities.
  • We can find a hall where it is named as “Hall of 1000 Pillars” or “Aayiram Kaal Mandapam”. These pillars are attractive since when we tap or strike few pillars of these we can hear distinct musical note struck/notes of Carnatic music.
  1. We have a pond in this temple called by a fascinating name “Golden Lotus Tank” or “Pottramarai Kulam”. Its believed with the fact that this Golden Lotus was been used by Lord Indra for his pooja. We have a story for this pond where it is said that Lord Shiva had blessed this pond that no marine would grow, to its surprise we can never found a fish or any marine life living in this pond.
  2. We have an expensive “Parrot Cage” or “Kilikoondu Mandapam Corridor” where the parrots are trained to call out the name “Meenakshi”
 

Dress code for visiting the Temple:

  1. Dress code for Gents : Gents are supposed to wear only full pants and shirts
  2. Dress code for Ladies: Kurthas, Sleeveless kurtis can be worn. It must be seen that it has been covered with a shawl.
  3. Camera is not allowed inside the temple
  4. Entrance fee for each place will be displayed in the board then and there.


meenakshi amman temple night view © kawaskitaif @ flickr

 Pooja and Darshan Timings:

The temple opens by morning 5.00 am to 12.30 pm. Evening it starts by 4.00 pm to 9.00 pm.Meenakshi Amman Temple - Madurai
  
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Thursday, 12 November 2015

Wonderla Amusement Park - Bangalore:




You can find Wonderla Amusement Park, Bangalore as one of an array of options to select for your kids and you for an adrenaline rush. You have the provision to stay at the Wonderla Amusement Park which is a part of the park to make the trip more convenient and enjoyable. It takes about a travel of 28km from Bangalore in Mysore Road to reach this place. 

The park offers many discount schemes which can be availed. The price for the tickets stand at Rs. 900 for Adults, Children Rs.720 and Rs. 680 for senior citizens. The cost varies based on the offers provided on schemes. There are different offers at Wonderla like 10th Anniversary Offer, Resort offer, KSRTC A/c Volvo Bus Offer, Free Privilege Member Card, Free Uber Rides, BMTC Volvo Bus Offer, College Students offer, Discount for School students group, Corporate/Bulk/Group Packages. These offers are found to be changeable based on the period of time. 

The park opens at 11.00 am and gets closed by 6.00 pm. On Saturday and Sunday/other special holidays, the closing time extends till 7.00 p.m. You can shop shorts, t-shirts inside the park, which suits for your rides.  There are lots of exciting adventurous drives in game both dry and water.  You can find about 60 rides in this park for people of various age groups.


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Monday, 19 October 2015

Visit Top slip - Coimbatore

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You wake up. ​The day begins​ . The moment you spring out of your bed, you realize you are caught up once again with your monotonous everyday routine and hectic work schedules. You desperately go in search of different ways to escape the wheel of monotony and boredom, but rarely do you succeed.

One of the best gifts to mankind has been nature. With its vibrant bursting colours, nature has the potential to cure the symptoms of routine and monotony. A quite time in the wild not only rejuvenates you, but also gives you the perfect time and atmosphere you need to reflect upon yourself.

Here are some exotic places that will amaze your eyes and refresh your soul:
​Top Slip, located in the Western Ghats is a popular getaway for South Indians and is an incredible drive from Coimbatore to Pollachi and from Pollachi to Top slip. All ​through ​the way​, your eyes will be treated to lush greenery and beautiful trees. Make sure you stop and enjoy the landscape around you. Top​ Slip ​is ​a pollution free destination. ​It stands majestically ​among other unexplored mountains and forest all around.

Top slip is a vital​ ​tourist center with the Annaimalai Tiger Reserve. ​There is a solon park and a life ​s​anctuary which covers an area of 958 sq.kms. I​t's been separated from Nilgiri hills by the Palaghat Gap on the north. The Solon park is found to be contiguous ​to the ​west side ​of Parambikulam Life Sanctuary and the Eravvikulam park with Chinnar Wild life Santuary on the other side.​​​

 

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Saturday, 19 September 2015

Shopping @ Coimbatore



Want to go on a wardrobe shopping spree in Coimbatore? ​​Then this read is for you. Coimbatore, the cotton city of India, is filled with bazaars, street markets and malls all over. There aren’t many cities that are better when it comes to shopping for clothes and clothing accessories. Designs and models from contemporary to the latest fashion trends can be found here, which helps if you want to reinvent yourself style-wise and make a fashion statement. Pothys, a chain of textile showrooms, has been the go-to shop for people in Coimbatore, as it houses under one roof clothes and clothing accessories for a wide group of people ranging from different socio-economic backgrounds. 

The shop has separate sections for Men, Women, and Kids which makes shopping a lot easier and fun. This place, for women, is especially great as an enormous collection of Indian silk sarees like Samudrika Pattu, Kancheepuram Silk, Parampara Pattu, Vastrakala Pattu, Mayuri Menpattu, Vasundhra Pattu, etc. can be found here. The variety and quality of the products is exceptional which gives people a joyous and satisfying shopping experience. Their website also has an online store for people who would like to sit on a couch and shop in the comfort of their homes.

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Sunday, 26 July 2015

Must-see places in Cochin

Sunset-over-Kochi

Cochin, also known as Kochi, is a major port on the south-west coast of India in the state of Kerala. It is known as the Queen of the Arabian sea. With an extensive history of being occupied by the Portuguese, and later by the Dutch and the British, it was the first of the European colonies in India. With a rich history, culture and heritage, it is one of the best tourist places to visit in India.

1. Mattancherry Palace:

mattan

Mattancherry Palace was gifted to the Raja of Kochi, Veera Kerala Varma by the Portuguese in 1555. The palace was later renovated in 1663 by the Dutch, which gave it an alternate name, The Dutch Palace. The Mattancherry neighbourhood is full of colonial buildings. The palace lacks the grandeur that is often expected of a palace; however, there is a small museum and some rare art inside, including paintings of previous kings and some preserved Hindu murals, depicting scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranic legends in intricate detail. People who love history should definitely check this place out.

 2. Kerala Folklore Theatre and Museum:

kerala-folklore-theatre


The Kerala Folklore Theater and Museum is a privately owned museum located in the outskirts of Ernakulam. Opened in the year 2009, the museum showcases the rich heritage that Kerala exudes through its numerous art and dance forms. Artifacts that bear the scent of bygone era like masks, sculptures, in wood, stone and bronze, costumes of traditional and ritual art forms, musical instruments, traditional jewelry, manuscripts of rare medicinal and astrological secrets, and Stone-Age utensils are all preserved in this museum with utmost care. It is a great place to start if you are interested in learning about Kerala’s culture. Its architecture is magnificent. Stage performances usually take place at 6.30 p.m. everyday.


3. Paradesi Synagogue:

Kochi_Jewish_Synagogue_C


Built by the early Jewish traders in 1568 adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace, this synagogue was partially destroyed by the Portuguese and rebuilt again by the Dutch. It features an ornate gold pulpit and elaborate hand-painted, willow-pattern floor tiles from Canton, China, which were added in 1762. It’s magnificently illuminated by Belgian chandeliers and coloured-glass lamps. The graceful clock tower was built in 1760. Shorts, sleeveless tops, bags and cameras are not allowed inside.

4. St. Francis Church:

 St-Francis-Church-Fort

St. Francis Church was built in 1503. It has great historical significance and is considered to be the oldest European church in India. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524 and his body was originally buried in this church, but after fourteen years his remains were removed to Lisbon. Originally built by the portugese, it was subsequently claimed by the Dutch and British.

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