Travelling North: Towns & Cities, Palace Hotels, Other Hotels

Towns & Cities
Delhi is more than just a capital city. It is a major travel gateway connecting many places by air, road and rail. Delhi is an industrial hub of North India. It still has its legacy of monuments, mosques and forts of its Moghul period. Thus it is of historical and architectural importance; of special attraction are its Palace Hotels to sample the royal past.

Old Delhi is a 17th century walled city of Shahjahanabad with city gates and heavy traffic and pollution. New Delhi is planned and well laid-out. As Delhi is spread out taking a guided city tour is a good option. Leisure Holidays any suggestions?

Places of historical interest are the famous Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Qutb Minar a massive tower built to proclaim arrival of Islam in India, Humayun's Tomb in early Moghul architecture; the Royal Baths the Diwane-i-Khas; the Raj Ghat area which is now a beautiful park, has a small black marble to mark the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated. Gandhi Memorial Museum is situated here. Peruse and shop at Janpath's Central Cottage Industries Emporium or Dilli Haat or at the famous street Chandni Chowk.

On the outskirts of the capital is the staggering achievement of architecture and technology - the new Akshardham temple. On 100 acres of space and cost of Rs. 200 crores. It is built without any cement or iron. It has two km long colonnade with 1660 pillars, 145 windows and 154 shikhars and a boat ride which takes one through 10,000 years of Indian culture.

Uttar Pradesh or UP is often known as the cow belt or the Hindi belt. In the state of UP, one can go visiting the various religious centers; for the fans of Mughul architecture there are numerous sites all over the state or go on a Buddhist circuit ( *****>> Leisure Holidays input/tie-up? - UP tourism (0522) 230 8916 UP government) The UP Government has elaborate plans to mark the 2550 years of Buddha. Writing and including all places of tourist interest in UP would be like writing pages of history. One can customize one's visit or take an organized tour.

At Agra is the famous Taj Mahal, described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love. The Taj was built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth in 1631. The construction began the same year and was not completed until 1653. In total 20,000 people from India and Central Asia worked on the building. Some of the workers had their hands or thumbs amputated to ensure that the perfection of Taj could never be replicated. The construction bill is believed to have run to three million rupees, equivalent to USD $60 million today. Sunset is an impressive time to see the beauty of Taj as the white marble takes on different colors with the changing light.

Although Agra is synonymous with Taj Mahal, there are many other historical Mughul sites in the area to make a trip to Agra worth the visit. The Agra Fort on the banks of river Yamuna, Diwan-i-Am and Diwane-i-Khas, the Nagina Masjid and the Ladies Bazaar where the female merchants came to sell goods to the ladies of the Mughal Court and the Musamman Burj - the octagonal tower. Jehangir's Palace, built by Akbar for his son displays an interesting blend of Hindu and Central Asian architectural styles.

The Tombs of Itimad-ud-Daulah and Akbar (Sikander) in the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri.

Varanasi, the city of Shiva, on the banks of the sacred Ganges is one the holiest places in India. In the past, the city has been known as Kashi and Benares. It is considered to be an auspicious city to die, since passing away here offers moksha, liberation from the cycle of birth and death. It is a magical city, which interest tourists because of its accessibility to ancient religious practices. Varanasi has been a centre of learning and civilization for over 2000 years, and claims to be one of the oldest living cities in the world. Varanasi's principal attraction is the long string of ghats (riverside steps) along the western bank of the Ganges. There are about 100 ghats, most of which are used for bathing but some are used for 'burning' - where bodies are cremated.

The temples of Vishwanath or the golden temple, Durga temple is built in the north Indian Nagara style with multilayered shikhara (spires); Tulsi Manas Temple is a modern marble shikhara style.

For Art lovers - a place to note is the Bharat Kala Bhavan at the Benares Hindu University. It has a fine collection of miniature paintings, sculptures from the 1st to the 15th centuries and old photographs of Varanasi. Ram Nagar Fort and Museum is a 17th century fort home of the former Maharaja of Benares.

A must-do on a visit to Varanasi is a boat ride on the Ganges, especially at sunset.

Mathura is identified with Lord Krishna today, however was originally a Buddhist monastic centre. At one time, Mathura had 20 Buddhist monasteries attended by about 2000 monks. Also known as Braj Bhumi, the Land of Eternal Love', is said to be the birthplace of Krishna. Thousands of pilgrims come to Mathura during Janmasthami - the day of Lord Krishna's birth. Many formative events in Krishna's life have been mapped to the surrounding countryside. The places being Gokul, Mahaban and Vrindaban. These are important pilgrimage sites and home to hundreds of temples, bathing ghats and shrines. The whole area comes alive during Holi (February/March) - the festival of colors and Janmasthami (August/September).

Vrindavan has the impressive red sandstone Govind Dev Temple built in 1590 by Raja Man Singh of Amber, it is architecturally one of the most advanced temples of north India. (Although the top four floors were destroyed by Aurangzeb during one of his demolition sprees.) The Rangaji Temple which dates 1851 is a bizarre mixture of architectural styles. The Krishna Balaram Temple Complex which is made of stunning white marble houses the Hare Krishna Organization.

Sarnath this is the hamlet Buddha came to preach after he achieved enlightenment at Bodhgaya. Sarnath was at its peak when the Chinese travelers visited it. The Muslim invaders destroyed and desecrated many of city's buildings. In 1835 when British archeologists started excavations Sarnath regained some of its past glory and is now a major Buddhist centre. There are many monuments in Sarnath, including a Stupa and a 20m high inscribed pillar, date back to the reign of Buddhism's most celebrated convert Emperor Ashoka.

Allahabad is a city to note. Built on the a very ancient site known during the Aryan times as Prayag. Chinese pilgrim Xuan Zhang as described visiting this city in 634 AD. It is at the confluence of two of India's most important rivers - the Ganges and the Yamuna. The mythical Saraswati river, the River of Enlightenment, is also believed to join them here. The confluence known as Sangam is considered by many believers to have soul-cleansing powers and hope to bathe here at last once in their life-time. The boat ride to the Sangam is known to be a magical experience.
The Allahabad fort built by Akbar in 1583 stands on the northern bank of Yamuna.

The State of Uttaranchal is a land of rolling hills, snow covered mountains and has some of India's most sacred rivers. This state offers man options, so a tourist can take one option or a combination from escaping to one of the hill stations or the Valley of Flowers, go on a trek, or as a pilgrim. Uttaranchal has many popular hill stations, including Nainital, Mussourie, Ranikhet, Almora.

The trekking and mountaineering favorites of Garhwal and Kumaon regions. There are also glacier treks of namely, Pindari Glacier Trek and the Milam Glacier Trek. Some of the popular ad revered places of pilgrimage are The Char Dham, Gangotri, Uttarkashi, Yamunotri, Joshimath, Kedarnath and Badrinath.

One can also take the New Age route to spirituality, Uttaranchal - is the Yoga capital of the world. The International Yoga festival is organized each year by Uttaranchal Tourism. ( Leisure Holidays ***** any tie-up ? call 91 135 3430)

Dehradun the state capital is an old centre of the Raj, a historic place with many institutions that the British left behind.

Haridwar is located at the point where the Ganges emerges from the Himalayas. It is one of the most sacred cities in India for Hindus. Every twelve years Hardiwar is the site of the Kumbh Mela, believed to be the World's largest spiritual gathering. It attracts millions of pilgrims. Held every twelve years it was last held in 1998.

Rishikesh claims to be the Yoga Capital of the world. It is more quiet and easy going compared to Haridwar. The setting on the banks of the Ganges surrounded by hills on three sides I perfectly conducive to meditation. It's a great place for a break and relax, study yoga, meditation and other aspects of Hinduism or spirituality.
The ashrams are the Hatha Yoga Centre near Sivananda Jhula.
The Ved Niketan, Banprasth and Sant Sevak near Lakshman Jhoola.
The Maharshi Mahesh Yogi Ashram - (T.M. - Transcendental Meditation)
Omkarananda Ashram
The Yoga Study Centre
The Vanmali Gita Yogashram
The Himalayan International Institute of Swami Rama

HIMACHAL PRADESH is the land of eternal snow peaks. The well known beautiful Kulu Valley, with its well developed tourist-oriented economy could be considered the backbone of the state. On the east of the state is the Parvati Valley which is popular with long-stay visitors; the Chamba Valley further north has rugged scenery, hill stations and splendid temple complexes. The Kangra Valley is best known as the home of Tibetan Government in Exile including the residence of the Dalai Lama in Upper Dharamsala.

The state capital Shimla is set among cool pine-clad hills with colonial charm, the archetypal hill station. One can be assured of stunning views all along the way to the Himalayas.

In Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir is the well known Dal Lake with its house boats. This was considered a must for anyone visiting the north. Whereas treks leading out of Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam were amongst the most popular in the Himalayan region.

Chandigarh the capital of Punjab and Haryana is a place, was conceived and born in 1950. On the edge of the outer edge of the Siwalik Hills. Known as the gateway to the Himalyas, it was designed by Le Corbusier is unlike any other city in India. It has the world famous Rock Garden which attracts million of tourists. It is the brain child of Nek Chand, who used a variety of waste material artistically. Gardens of this city are another major draw - the Rose Garden is the largest in Asia with more than one thousand varieties of roses; the Chrysanthemum Garden, the Bougainvillea Garden, the Fragrance Garden, Shanti Kunj and the Terrace Garden.

Punjab has many places of historical and architectural interest. Founded in 1677 by Ram Das, the fourth Guru of the Sikhs - Amritsar is both a centre of Sikh religion and a major city of the state. It is known for the Golden Temple which is exceptionally beautiful and peaceful. Apart from the Golden Temple there are a number of other places of interest, i.e., Durgiana temple, Mata temples, Jalianwala Bagh (of historical interest), Ram Bagh, Taren Taran an important Sikh tank and mosques such as that of Mohammed Jan.

Palace Hotels

Background of Palace Hotels.
In RAJASTHAN - the land of the maharajas and their nobles. The legends that surround these dashing inhabitants have now passed into history-the mythical world of blood and blade, of battles won and of their undaunted spirit. But it was not just the battlefield that brought out the best in these brave warriors they gave equal attention to their residence. While the princes built the stately palaces and forts in their states-their nobles were not far behind in building suitably impressive havelis (homes of the nobles) which were in keeping with their status. All of Rajasthan is dotted with these marvelous monuments, each one an outstanding example of the rich architectural heritage. Most of the palaces here are still being used by the erstwhile royal families; a few have sections converted into museums and hotels thus allowing the tourist a glimpse into the lavish opulence which was part of the regal lifestyle.

The havelis not big enough to be rated as palaces, and too elaborate to be called ordinary places of residence, outnumbered the palaces and forts, and they have remained with the nobles as their family homes. Almost every little village has a haveli, the size and workmanship varying according to the status of the owner. Quite a few of these havelies started withering with age-the massive courtyards, the zenana mahals with murals,the carved balconies, the mardana baithak where the nobles sat with visitors, period furniture and traditional decor-it was a world with its own charm and magic.

The Heritage Hotel or the Palace Hotels concept is for tourists who look for something other than the usual star category hotel, which the havelis provide satisfactorily. Although the number of Heritage Hotels has risen substantially, these are invariably booked well in advance.

In a class by themselves, these heritage hotels extend their own unique services to the tourist. Dressed almost always in traditional turbans and dhotis, the old family retainers cater to the same kind of care and hospitality to the tourists as they do to their personal guests In most of these havelis the host himself is always around to ensure that the guest is comfortable and well looked after. What these palaces lack by way of five-star facilities they more than make up by the personalized service that they extend. The Department of Tourism takes active interest in promoting these heritage hotels. Some are listed below. A more detailed list is available with the Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan.

Other Hotels