World's 1000 beautiful tourist places

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Kathakali : The temple art form of Kathakali was developed around 2nd century. Kathakali (story play) performance is the dramatised form of a play base on Hindu epics. In Kathakali, most of the themes are covered - righteousness and evil, frailty and courage, poverty and prosperity, war and peace.

Drummers and singers accompany the actors. The scrip is vocalised by the singers, but it's the performers who actually tell the story with movements, mudras (hand gestures) and facial expressions. Normaly, temple grounds are the venue and the play will lasts the whole night.

Preparation for the performance is lengthy, fantastic costumes and paints are applied on the face of the dancer, highly decorated headpieces are fitted, small seeds placed in the eyes to redden the whites. The Kathakali characters are grouped as -

Pucca - The heroic, royal and divine creatures such a Vishnu or Rama. The makeup consists of green faces (symbolising heroism and righteousness) with large crown headgear.

Katti - The demons and villains such as Ravana, the evil king who abducted Sita. They are also green indicating their high position, but a red mark and white knobs on their noses and foreheads indicates their evil nature.

Tati - The wild creatures, wearing artificial red, black or white beards ('tati'). Hanuman, the monkey god is with white beard, while primitive animals have black beards.

Kari - The demoness, all in black, black beard and huge breasts
(Shurphanaka, Ravana's sister).

Minukku - The servant class, often female, with simple costumes and yellow face paint.

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Thrissur (Trichur) : It is the state's most vibrant temple festival scene at Vadakkunnathan temple and the cultural capital of Kerala. The main churches include Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral, 'Puttanpalli' (New church) and the Chaldean (Nestorian) church. Thrissur zoo and the state museum are worth a visit. Sakthan Thampuran palace is having a well furnished museum.

|||Temple festivals |||

Trissur pooram : State's biggest temple festival with colourful processions of caparisoned elephants, biggest number of drummers and the best night long fireworks (Apr/May).

Thypooya mahotsavam : A seven day festival is celebrated at Sree Maheswara temple, Koorkanchery (2 km from town) in the month of Jan/Feb. On the last day a kavadiyattam procession with hundreds of dancers with kavadi (tall ornate structures) is held.

Sri Krishna temple at Guruvayur (33 km) is another major Hindu pilgrim centre. The beginning of the 10 day festival (Feb/Mar) is celebrated with racing of around 30 elephants. The 16 th century temple is the most famous temple in Kerala (Hindus only). The temple has 63 elephants and are kept at an old Zamorin palace, Punnathur Kota.

Peruvanum pooram : On the festival day (Mar/Apr, 12 km from Thrissur), sumptuously decorated elephants accompanied by scores of drummers will be the main attraction.

Arattupuzha pooram : On the sixth day of the seven day festival at Arattupuzha temple, (Mar/Apr, 14 km from Trissur), 61 gaily caparisoned elephants gather in the temple grounds, accompanied by the temple music.

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Darjeeling (2134 m), West Bengal : Darjeeling (666 km from Kolkata) is a major hill station with hills covered with tea plantations, complicated series of interconnecting roads, Victorian colonial mansions and a striking population of Nepalis and Tibetans. The peak tourist season is Oct and Dec, while the best season is from mid March to May with clear skies. Share jeeps run in the town.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (Toy train) : It is a world Heritage route by UNESCO. One has to reach Siliguri/New Jaipalguri from Kolkata. The toy train connects Darjeeling by narrow gauge (86 km, 7 hour). The 2 ft wide narrow gauge toy train is operational since Sep 1881. One day advance reservation will ensure your seat. Batasia loop on the railway line near Ghoom is a great engineering feet.

Dhirdham mandir is near the railway station.

Chowrasta is the town centre, the main shopping street is Nehru road. For Great Himalayan views, follow the Bhanu Bhakta Sarani from Chowrasta to Observatory hill (200 m). In clear weather the skyline is dominated by Khangchendzonga, India's highest peak and world's third highest peak. Sky will be clear in the early morning. Mahakala temple and the Dorje Ling monastery with gompa at Observatory hill are the major pilgrim centres of the town. Gandhi road near the TV tower has many budget hotels. Bhutia Busty gompa with gold accented mural is follow CR Das road from Chowrasta (400 m).

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Happy Valley tea estate : One can see plucking and processing of tea during April to Nov. Follow the Lochnagar road from Chowk bazaar bus station and the estate is near the District Magistrate's office (3 km, Sunday closed, Rs 20 tip per person). Darjeeling produces 25% of India's tea. Darjeeling tea is one of the finest tea in the world. For good tea Rs 500/kg, while the finest brews will cost Rs 10,000 plus per kg. World record price for tea is $220/kg by Darjeeling's Caslteton estate.

The Bengal Natural history museum is near St Andrew's church (Bishop Eric Benjamin road near Chowrasta.

Lloyd Botanical garden : Has an impressive collection of Himalayan plants and orchids. The flowering bird of paradise in the glass conservatory is an attraction. From the Chowk bazaar bus station follow the Lochnagar road (2 km).

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Zoological park : Was established in 1958 to conserve and preserve Himalayan fauna.This better zoo has animals kept in forested environment. It has India's only collection of Siberian tigers, Himalayan black bears, rare red pandas, snow leopards and Tibetan wolves. Admission Rs 10, includes Himalayan Mountaineering Institute entry. Take a share jeep from Chowrasta bus/jeep station (Rs 5, 2.5 km).

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) : This prestigious institution founded in 1954 provided training for some of India's leading mountaineers (Thursday closed). Tenzing Norgay was the director of the institute for many years. It has Everest museum, which traces the history of attempts on the world's highest peak, biographies, actual flag hoisted on the summit and climbing boots. The nearby Mountaineering museum has a model of Himalaya, fauna and the historic mountaineering equipment. Tenzing samadhi statue is on a hill nearby. The institute offers various mountaineering courses. HMI is located near the Zoological park. Rangeet valley ropeway is nearby and is worth visiting if operating (3 km).

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Ghoom (5 km) has a number of fascinating gompas. The fortress like Sakya Choling gompa and the Samten Choling gompa with the protector Garuda atop its ornate Buddha backdrop. Batasia loop is near Samten Choling gompa. Yiga Choling gompa (per photo Rs 10), the most famous monastery with a 5 m high Maitreya Buddha along with 300 beautifully bound Tibetan texts. The Druk Sangak Choling gompa has vibrant frescoes and is on the Hill cart road to Ghoom. The gompa was inaugurated by Dalai Lama in 1993. Mark Drong gompa is 2.5 km on the Tenzing Norgay road from Ghoom. Japanese peace pagoda is on the AJC Bose road (3 km from Ghoom). Phin Choling gompa is on the way to Tiger hill near Ghoom.

The Gorkha war memorial is near Batasia loop (Rs 5), consists of a sanctified raised oval platform, 37’ x 24’ , with a 9 feet high bronze statue and a 30 feet high triangular granite cenotaph, on a 3 feet octagonal base, with the Roll of honour engraved on it. The bronze statue was sculptured by Gautam Pal of Krishnanagar.

Tiger hill (2590 m): has panoramic views of four of the world's highest five peaks - Everest (8848 m), Lhotse (8501 m), Makalu (8475 m), Khangchendzonga (8598 m), Kabru (6691 m) and Janu (7710 m). Tiger hill is 11 km from Darjeeling. The spectacular sunrise is the major attraction. In the high season jeeps (Rs 60 per person return) leave Darjeeling at 0430 h for Tiger hill. The best way to enjoy the nature at it's fullest is to trek back via Ghoom visiting the gompas on the way.

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From Darjeeling to Siliguri, buses are available (3 hour, Rs 58 ). Gangtok is 4 hour by share jeep (Rs 110). The major railway station is New Jaipalguri near Siliguri. The diesel toy train leaves Darjeeling at 9.15 am for NJP (Rs 42, II class, 7 hour) via Ghoom (50 min), Kurseong (3 hour) and Siliguri. It is an exhausting travel on this route by toy train.

For Kathmandu, one has to go from Siliguri to Panitanki (Rs 15, 1 hour). Cross the border by cycle rickshaw (Rs 7) to Kakarbhitta in Nepal. Kathmandu is 13 hour travel by bus (Nepali Rs 520). Buses leave the station from 3.30 to 6 am.

From Kolkata's Howrah station, Mithila Express leaves daily at 4 pm and arriving at Raxaul Bazaar at 9.10 am in the following morning (Rs 276, II sleeper). Rs 10 by auto rickshaw to the Nepal border and another Rs 10 to Birganj. Kathmandu is 8 hour by bus (Nepali Rs 200 to 450).

The train journey from Kolkata to New Jalpaiguri (6 km from Siliguri) takes about 10 hours.

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Darjeeling

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World Famous Railway routes

The Qingzang railway opened in 2006 in China, connecting Xining/Golmud, Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region. At its highest point in the Tanggula Pass, the railway line reaches an altitude of 5072 metres. The travel takes 48 hour.

The line is designed for travel at speeds of 100 km/h on frozen ground to 120 km/h on non-frozen ground. The cabins are supplied with oxygen because of the thin air at the high altitudes. The windows have ultra-violet filters to keep out the sun's glare. Cooling pipes have been used to ensure the ground remains frozen.

In Switzerland, an 1 m gauge rack railway which runs 9 km from Kleine Scheidegg to the highest railway station in Europe at Jungfraujoch (3471 m).

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Gangtok : Capital of Sikkim state. Sikkim is regarded as one of the last Himalayan Shangri-las because of its remoteness and spectacular mountain views. The state has great views of Khangchendzonga (8598 m) from everywhere.

Pemayangtse & Rumtek has the biggest chaams (colourful masked dance) just before losar (Tibetan New year) in Feb/Mar. For the exact date and other festivals visit www.sikkim.gov.in

The Nathula - China (Tibet) border - is 53 km from Gangtok. Tsomgo lake (35 km) is on the way. The 3 km long Damovar ropeway (cable car Rs 50) has spectacular views. It starts from just below the ridge and runs up to Deoali. The Namgyal institute of Tibetology (with world's largest number of Buddhist books and manuscripts, statues, thangkas - cloth painting, sacred objects like kapali -sacred bowl from a human skull and kangling - flute made from a human thighbone. It has an Orchid sanctuary. Closed on Sundays). The huge Do-Drul chorten surrounded for dormitories for young monks are nearby.