World's 1000 beautiful tourist places

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Chitragupta temple is dedicated to sun god, Surya. In the inner sanctum, Surya drives his chariot and seven horses, while on the central niche in the south facade is an 11 headed statue of Vishnu. It has some very fine sculptures portraying processions, dancing girls, elephant fights and hunting scenes.

Nearby is the Parvati temple with an image of Ganga riding on the back of a crocodile.

Visvanath and Nandi temples : They are built around 1002 AD. The Nandi, the bull faces the temple. Steps to the terrace are flanked by lions on the northern side and elephants on the south.

The sculptures have particularly sensuous women writing letters, cuddling babies, and playing music while languishing more provocatively than at other temples.

Matangeswara temple is adjacent to Lakhmana temple is outside the fencing because it is still a place of worship. The temple sanctum has a 2.5 m high polished lingam (phallic image of Shiva). It is the plainest temple of Khajuraho.

Beyond the Shiv Sagar tank is the Chausath Yogini temple. The temple once had 64 cells for the yoginis (female goddess attendants) of Kali.

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Eastern group of temples, Khajuraho

Parsvanath, the largest of the Jain temples in the walled enclosure is also one of the finest. The temple has Kahjuraho's famous classic figure of a woman removing a thorn from her foot.

The adjacent smaller Adinath temple has three bands of fine carved sculptures.

Shanti Nath temple has a 4.5 m high statue of Adinath dating 1028 AD.

The four temples in the old village of khajuraho are Javari temple dedicated to Vishnu with a sikhara, Vamana temple is dedicated to the dwarf incarnation of Vishnu, Brahma temple has a four-faced lingam and dedicated to Vishnu, Hanuman temple with a 2.5 m high statue of monkey god and the oldest inscription of Khajuraho dating 922 AD.

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Southern Group ,Khajuraho

Duladeo temple : It is 1 km from the Jain enclosure with courtly women and a number of mithuna couples. The temple having figures of sexual intercourse and women in different poses. About 1.5 km is the Chaturbhuja temple with a 3 m high image of Vishnu. Bijamandala temple has some exquisitely sculpted figures and a marble lingam.

Archaeological museum : It has a collection of impressive statues and sculptures (Admission Rs 5, closed on Fridays). Dubela museum (64 km from Khajuraho).

How to reach : Remotely located in Madhya Pradesh state. From Jhansi on the Bhopal - New Delhi rail route. Rs 90, 5 hour bus travel, 172 km. Or from Satna on the Jabalpur - Varanasi rail route (Rs 60, 5 hour bus travel over bumpy road, 117 km).

Khajuraho town has plenty of budget accommodation and hotels serving foreign food (as they claims - Chinese, Korean, French, Italian, South Indian etc). The main group of temples - Western group - are near the bus station, while the Eastern group is at a walkable distance (Auto can also be hired for sightseeing).

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Bangalore, Capital of Karnataka, known as the 'Garden city'. It is one of the country's most progressive cities. It is clean city with it's shopping malls around M.G. road.

Cubbon park : It is a 120 hectare park in the heart of the city surrounded by High Court, State Central Library, government museum (Rs 4, Monday closed), Visvesvarya Industrial and Technical museum (Rs 15), Venkatappa art gallery and a government aquarium.

Vidhan Soudha : It is Bangalore's most imposing building constructed in neo Dravidian style in 1954. It houses the secretariat and the state legislature. It's floodlit on Sundays and open to the public. Located on the NW end of Cubbon park.

Lalbagh botanical gardens : This delightful 96 hectare park (Admission Rs 5) was founded in 18 th century by Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan and named for it's profusion of red roses: 'lalbagh' means red garden. The park contains India's largest collection of rare tropical and
subtropical plants, a glass house modelled on London's Crystal palace and one of Kempagowda's (18 th century) watchtowers.

Major flower displays bloom here in the week preceding Republic day (Jan 26) and the week before Independence day (Aug 15).

City market : SW of Cubbon park is the fruit and vegetable bazaar, a spice market, plenty of garland sellers and a white Jama masjid. Tipu Sultan's modest palace (Rs 5) is 5 minute walk from the market. The ornate Venkataraman temple is nearby.

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Bull temple : Bangalore's oldest temple with a huge granite monolith Nandi. Bus 31, 31E, 35 etc goes to the temple.

ISKCON temple : The lavishly decorated Sri Radha Krishna Mandir built by the wealthy International Society of Krishna Consciousness. It is 8 km from the town.

Bangalore palace : It is replica of Windsor castle built in 1880 is the residence of Wodeyar rajas of Mysore. Palace is not open for public, one can have a passing glance.

Lepakshi : The Veerabhadra temple with the monolithic Nandi is the main attraction. The temple has well preserved carvings and is in Andhra Pradesh (border). It is 100 km from Bangalore and the nearest railway station is Hindupur on the Guntakal line.

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Mysore is an architectural vaudeville of fine buildings and monuments. The naturally charismatic tourist hotspot of South India is famous for it's Silk, sandalwood, incense (agarbathi) production, traditional painting and of course the Maharaja's palace.

Maharaja's palace : It is the seat of Maharajas of Mysore, designed by English architect Henry Irwin and was completed in 1912 at a cost of Rs 4.2 million. Admission Rs 20, Camera Rs 5 for outdoor photography as it is prohibited inside the palace.

The interior of the palace is decorated with stained glass, mirrors and coloured paintings. Some of the stained glass are at the roof. Palace has awe-inspiring carved wooden doors and mosaic floors, as well as a series of historically interesting paintings depicting life in Mysore during the Raj era. The palace has a set of Hindu temples in it's compound of which the Shweta Varahaswamy temple with it's gopuram (tower) is the most attractive.

The residential museum (Rs 20) has a good collection of personal belongings of the Maharaja's family displayed in palace's living quarters.

On Sunday night and during Dussehra, the 97,000 light bulbs illuminate the palace from 7 to 8 pm.

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Chamundi hill : It is the summit of a hill at 1062 m with Sri Chamundeswari temple. The temple has a 40 m high 7 storey gopuram (gateway tower). From City bus stand Bus no 201 goes to the temple (Rs 6, 30 minutes). Near the parking, there is a statue of demon Mahishasura, who was one of the goddess Chamundi's victims. The goddess was the family deity of the Maharajas. From the statue, one can climb down the hill by following the 1000 plus steps (45 min). A 2 km flat walk takes you to the city (Auto Rs 30).

One third of the way down is the famous 5 m high statue of Nandi (Shiva's bull vehicle), carved out of solid rock in 1659. It is one of the largest Nandi statues in India.

Lalitha Mahal palace hotel in white marble is on the way.

Devaraja fruit & Vegetable market : It is the most colourful markets in India which provides good subject material for photographers.

Jaganmohan palace & art gallery : The palace is located west of Mysore palace. It was built in 1861 and was used as a Royal auditorium. Jaganmohan palace houses Jayachamarajaendra art gallery (Rs 15). It has a collection of royal objects from the Wodeyars, including wonderful musical machines, rare instruments, Japanese art and paintings by Raja Ravi Varma.

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya manav Sangrahalaya : Has excellent rotating exhibitions on traditional Indian art and culture.

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Folklore museum : It is in Mysore University campus, west of the city. The exhibits include carved wooden figures from Karnatakan villages, pieces with panache, decorative masks and ceremonial headdresses and some spectacular 'thogalu bombeeata' (leather shadow puppets). The wooden puppets include a 10 headed demon Ravana.

Railway museum is near the railway station.

Mysore Zoo : One of the best zoos in India with pretty gardens (Admission Rs 20, Camera Rs 10, closed on Tuesday). The animals include four white tigers, nine Bengal tigers, a range of primates, elephants, bears, birds and Rhinos.

Karanji lake nature park : It is just past the Mysore zoo is a heaven for bird watchers (Admission Rs 10, Camera Rs 10).

Other attractions of the city are Government House on Irwin road, formerly the British Residency, statue of Raja Chamarajendar Wodeyar, silver jubilee clock tower, Rangacharlu memorial town hall, statue of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar at KR circle and the towering St. Philomina's church. It is one of the largest church in India built between 1933 and 1941 in the neo-Gothic style.

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Sandalwood factory : sandalwood oil is manufactured only in Mysore. The factory is on Mananthody road at Askokapuram (2 km from Mysore palace, closed on Sundays). One can purchase incense sticks (agarbathi) and sandalwood oil (5 ml at Rs 300).

Government silk factory : It is on Mananthody road at Askokapuram (closed on Sundays). One can see the weavers at work. On-site shop sells silk and another showroom is at KR circle. For shopping silk in the city, Devaraj Urs road is the best.

Cauvery Arts & crafts emporium : It is on Sayyaji road, which sells a variety of Mysore's expensive goods.

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Around Mysore

Somnathpur : The Keshava temple is 33 km from Mysore (Admission Rs 5). The astonishingly beautiful was built in 1268 by Hoysala kings. The walls of this star shaped temple are covered with superb stone sculptures depicting various scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita, and the life and times of the Hoysala kings. Take a bus to Bannur (Rs 12, 30 min) and change there for Somnathpur, a further 10 km travel.

Srirangapatnam : The island capital of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan is located 16 km from Mysore. IN 1799, British conquered Tipu Sultan with the help of disgruntled local leaders. The fort is in ruins with a dungeon where Tipu held British officers captive, a mosque and Sri Ranganatha swamy temple.

One kilometre east of the fort is Tipu's summer palace - Daria Daulat Baugh. The highly decorated interior houses a small museum (Rs 5). About 2 km further east is the impressive mausoleums - Gumbaz - of Tipu and his father, Hyder Ali. The Sangam of Cauvery river is 500 m away, where one can have coracle ride at Rs 25. Beware of crocodiles too.

Ranganathittu bird sanctuary : It is 3 km from Srirangapatnam and is on an island in the Cauvery river (Admission Rs 10, camera Rs 20). Early morning and late afternoon are the best time to watch birds. The best season is April to July. Boat rides (Rs 25 per person) will help to watch the birds closely. The birds found here are stork, ibis, egret, spoonbill and cormorant.

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Brindavan gardens : The ornamental gardens below the Krishnaraja Sagar dam is a popular picnic spot (Admission Rs 10, camera Rs 25). The garden will be illuminated daily from 7 to 8 pm. The illuminated dancing musical fountain is another attraction.

Bus No 301, 304, 305, 306 and 365 depart from Mysore's City bus stand (Rs 7, 45 minute, 19 km).

Tibettan settlements : Travel by Mysore-Madikeri (Mercara, Coorg) bus and get down at Kushalnagar. Shared autos will take you to Sera at Rs 10. The Namdroling monastery is 5 km from Kushalnagar is the home of Golden temple having a 18 m high gold plated Buddha. When the school is in session and it rings out with gongs, drums and chanting of hundreds of young novices. The spectacular Zangdogpalri temple is nearby.

About 2 km from Namdroling, Sera village is the site of Sera Jhe and Sera Mey monasteries, which houses around 5000 monks here.

Madikeri : Madikeri is the capital of cool town Kodagu (Coorg) region. The green mountainous region is a good base for treks to the nearby peaks - Tadiyendamol (1745 m) and Pushpagiri (1712 m). The trekking season is from Oct to March and a guide is essential for the forested route treks.

The forested hills, whose roads ramble through flowering vines, cardomom plantations, bamboo trees (nibbled by elephants) and coffee estates. In March and April, white blossoms illuminate the hills of deep green coffee plants.

The Kodava wedding ceremonies include complex dances, mock fighting with sticks and symbolic chopping of a banana leaf with a sword can be viewed at Madikeri's Kodava Samaja building.

Abbi falls (7 km) and the Raja's tombs on the route are nice places to visit. The Municipal headquarters (fort), nearby old church and the Omkareshwara temple are worth a visit.

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Belur : The Channekeshava temple was constructed in 1116 to commemorate the Hoysala's victory over the Cholas at Talakad. The religious ceremonies are at 9 am, 3 pm and 7.30 pm. The front of the temple has dancers and characters from Kamasutra, while the back has gods. The internal supporting pillars are also decorated with carvings. The 14 century seven storey gopuram has sensual sculptures portraying the activities of dancing girls of the temple.

The other Hoysala temples of Belur are the Chennigaraya and the Viranarayana temples. Direct buses operate from Mysore (Rs 60, 4.5 hour). Halebid is 16 km from Belur an has a bus in every 30 minutes.

Halebid : The Hoysaleswara temple is the most outstanding examples of Hoysala art with it's intricate carvings. The star shaped temple set on a platform is covered with riots of Hindu deities, sages, stylised animals and friezes depicting the life of the Hoysala rulers.

The temple is in a garden and have a small museum (Rs 2, Friday closed). The Kedareswara temple enclosure in Halebid has three Jain temples with fine carvings.

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Sravanabelagola : It is one of the most important Jain pilgrim centres in India, and the site of the 17.5 m high Gomateshvara statue (Bahubali). The statue was carved out of granite by the sculptor Aristenemi in 981 AD. Bahubali's father was the great emperor Vrishabhadeva, who became the first Jain tirthankar (revered Jain teacher), Adinath.

The statue is on Vindhyagiri hill and can be reached by 614 rock cut steps with naked foot (even no socks !). Sravanabelagola is 48 km from Hassan. Travel to Channarayapatana (Rs 15, 45 minutes) and change there.

The other temples of the town are Chandragupta Basti on the nearby Chandragiri hill, Bhandar Basti with the Sravanabelagola's largest temple, Chandranatha Basti temple with 650 year old paintings.

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Jog falls : The highest waterfall in India. The longest of the four falls Raja, which drops 293 m. There is little flow due to Linganamakki dam further up the Sharavati river. The bottom of the falls can be accessed via 1200 steps. Beware of leeches during monsoon season.

Three buses go to Karwar via Kumta (Rs 38, 3 hour). Karwar is a station on the Mangalore - Madgaon (Goa) Konkan rail line.

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Araku valley & Borra caves, AP : Andhra's best train ride through the magnificent Eastern ghats to the Araku valley, 120 km north of Visakhapatanam. The area is the home to isolated tribal communities and the tiny museum of Habitat. The million year old Borra caves filled with stalagmites an stalactites is 30 km from Araku. A train leaves Vizag at 7.45 am and reaches Araku (Rs 24, 5 hour). The train leaves Araku for Vizag at 3 pm. The rail route further leads to Jagdalpur (200 km, Chhatisgarh), which is famous for it's waterfalls.



Belum caves : Longest underground cave system in India, about 3.225 km long and 30 m deep. 2 km of the area has been made accessible for public viewing. Beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations, huge halls, waterfalls and a hall of lingas gives a breathtaking view. Underground water springs and streams developed. The caves are in Karnool district in Andhra Pradesh.

Entry Fee: Adult Rs.25/-; Child Rs.15/-