Saturday, 2 April 2016

Top 11 Spectacular Grand Palaces of India

 

  1.Amba Vilasa Palace-Mysore

  Mysore Palace is the central piece of Mysore's attractions. The sprawling Mysore Palace is located in the heart of Mysore city. Rather the roads out of Mysore city appears radiating from the palace.http://www.clipper28.com/images/mysore.jpg

The interior of Mysore Palace is richly carved, intricate, colorful and architecturally thrilling.
It is from this palace the erstwhile rulers , the Wodeyars, ruled the Mysore Kingdom (see Maharajas of Mysore ).
Though Mysore is often referred to as the "City of Palaces", the term Mysore Palace refers to the largest and the most opulent of all its surviving palaces located in the city center, called the Amba Vilas Palace.
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Mysore Palace  history spans for  more than 500 years.  But what you see now in Mysore is the modern palace built in 1912. As mentioned earlier the first palace was built during 14th century by the then Wodeyar kings.
After the fall of Vijayanagar , and the subsequent power shifts in the region, Raja Wodeyar moved the capital to Srirangapatna from Mysore in 1610. The palace in Mysore however continued to serve as a royal residence.

2.Lukshmi Vilas Palace

Lukshmi Vilas Palace, the magnificent residence of the royal family of Baroda was built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in 1890 with Major Charles Mant as the chief architect.Until the 1860s the family still occupied the old Nazarbaug palace, a tall building with an encrustation of pavilions and kiosks on the roof which the French traveller, Rousselet, found very disquieting: 'The mass of buildings, planted on the summit of an edifice almost entirely of wood, whose foundations were soaking in a damp soil, betokened great audacity on the part of the architects, and still more confidence on that of the king'.
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The inside was dark and cavernous, and Sayajirao felt it was better suited to act as a storehouse for the family jewels rather than as a residence.Lukshmi Vilas Palace was completed in 1890. It had taken twelve years to build and had cost around £180,000. It was designed by Major Mant, who also designed palaces at Kolhapur and Darbhanga, but completed by Robert Fellowes Chisholm. As Chisholm told the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1896:'It must be kept in view that the native Rajas and chiefs of India are passing through a transitional period; that an old palace like that at Ambur would be about as useless to the present Gaekwar of Baroda as to an ordinary English gentleman.'


3.Ujjayanta Palace-Tripura

  The sight of a white, grandeur building in Agartala looked misplaced at first. Standing in front of it, I could have landed in London. The architecture and design of the building was from another era but kept in a good condition. The Ujjayanta Palace served as a home to many past rulers of Tripura since it was built in 1901. The palace was built in the Indo-Saracenic style with a Mughal inspired spacious garden and lake spread out in front. The two-storied high building has three domes, each measuring 86 feet high. The interior of the house have beautiful tiles floor, carved wooden ceilings and doors. The palace and its surroundings covered an area of 1 sq. km. and housed many temples.
The name Ujjayanta Palace was given by Rabindranath Tagore, a regular visitor to Tripura. The State has a long history of being an independent princely state. The palace include significant halls like the public halls, Throne room, Durbar Hall, Library, the Chinese Room and the Reception Hall.
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Ujjayanta Palace was built right in the heart of Agartala city. Construction work began in 1899 and was completed in 1901. The project cost at that time was Rs. 1 million and was overseen by the Martin & Burn Company during the reign of Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya. It was then a separate kingdom. 

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But after it merged with the Indian Government in 1949, royal properties were nationalised. In 1972-73 the main building was bought by the Tripura government from the royal family for a sum of Rs. 2.5 million. Up to 2011, it housed the State legislative assembly. Today the Royal Palace houses the State Museum. The royal family still inhabit a small portion the palace on the right wing.

4. Jai Vilas Palace -Madhya Pradesh

Jai Vilas Palace has turned out to be a great landmark for Gwalior City. This magnificent palace currently serves as a residence to the Scindia Family. The Palace from both inside and outside gives us a peek into the luxurious lifestyle of royal people in India. The structure of Jai Vilas Palace is Italianate to which, Tuscan and Corinthian architectural style add extra grandeur. The Durbar hall inside the palace is the main attraction. There are two mammoth chandeliers on the ceiling of this spacious room that weigh a couple of tonnes. Before they were on the ceiling, 10 elephants were used to examine the strength of the roof.
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Other attraction of the palace are a silver train with cut glass wagons which served guests as it moved around on miniature rails on the table. 
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The Scindia Museum also showcases swords worn by Aurangazeb and Shah Jehan, jeweled slippers of Chinkoo rani and many personal momentoes of Scindia Family. This 35-room museum is open on all days except on Mondays from 10 AM to 5 PM

5.Taj Falaknuma Palace


An English architect designed this palace. The foundation stone for the construction was laid by Sir Vicar on 3 March 1884. He was the maternal grandson of H.H. Sikandar Jah Bahadur, Nizam lll of Hyderabad. It took nine years to complete the construction and furnish the palace. Sir Vicar moved into the Gol Bangla and Zanana Mahel of the Falaknuma Palace in December 1890 and closely monitored the finishing work at the Mardana portion. It is made completely with Italian marble and covers an area of 93,971 square meters.
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The palace was built in the shape of a scorpion with two stings spread out as wings in the north. The middle part is occupied by the main building and the kitchen, Gol Bangla, Zenana Mehal, and harem quarters stretch to the south. The Nawab was an avid traveler, and his influences show in the architecture.
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The Falaknuma palace is a rare blend of Italian and Tudor architecture. Its stained glass windows throw a spectrum of colour into the rooms.

6.Marble Palace -West Bengal


 Marble Palace is a palatial mansion, built in 1835 by a French architect for Raja Rajendra Mullick, an affluent Bengali merchant and art connoisseur. He built this grand palace with a passion of preserving the exquisite works of art. The mansion is famous for its sparkling white marble walls and floors, from which it has derived its present name. The palace also has an exquisite collection of Western sculpture and Victorian furniture. There is a private zoo, which was the first zoo in India, unveiled by Raja Rajendra Mullick. The mansion has a grand portico with stucco work and six Tuscan columns and the ground floor and first floor each have 14 Corinthian columns.
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 Marble Palace is one of the most beautifully conserved and elegant houses in Kolkata. This nineteenth century magnificent mansion was built under the benefaction of Raja Rajendra Mullick – a rich Bengali merchant with a strong urge for collecting exquisite works of art. The mansion is a masterpiece, with 90 varieties of patterned marble on the floors of the mansion. 
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The structure of the mansion is originally Neoclasical in style and it merges with traditional Bengali style of architecture with open courtyards. Close by the courtyard, there is the place of worship for the family members, which is also called Thakur-Dalan.


7.Umaid Bhawan Palace -Rajasthan

Umaid Bhawan Palace, located at Jodhpur in Rajasthan, India, is one of the world's largest private residences. A part of the palace is managed by Taj Hotels. Named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of the present owner Gaj Singh of the palace, this edifice has 347 rooms and serves as the principal residence of the erstwhile Jodhpur royal family. A part of the palace also houses a museum.
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Umaid Bhawan Palace was called Chittar Palace during its construction due to use of stones drawn from the Chittar hill where it is located. Ground for the foundations of the building was broken on 18 November 1929 by Maharaja Umaid Singh and the construction work was completed in 1943. 

The Palace was built to provide employment to thousands of people during the time of famine.

8.Rambagh Palace

 The first building on the site was a garden house built in 1835 for the wet nurse of prince Ram Singh II. In 1887, during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh, it was converted into a modest royal hunting lodge, as the house was located in the midst of a thick forest at that time. 
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In the early 20th century, it was expanded into a palace to the designs of Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob. Maharajah Sawai Man Singh II made Rambagh his principal residence and added a number of royal suites in 1931. 
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 After India became independent and the princely states united, the Palace became the Government House. By the 1950s, the royal family felt that the upkeep of the palace and its 47 acres (190,000 m2) of gardens was becoming very costly. Therefore, in 1957 they decided to convert it into a luxury hotel.


  9.The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur

Set amidst gardens and overlooking Lake Pichola, this luxury hotel is 2.4 km from both Jagdish Temple and the City Palace Museum.

Bright, elegant rooms and suites feature flat-screen TVs, DVD players and sitting areas, plus minibars and iPod docks. Suites add dining rooms, living rooms and coffeemakers, as well as private pools and furnished courtyards with lake views. A 24-hour butler service is available.

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Amenities include 2 upscale restaurants, a bar and a relaxed lounge with lake views. 
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There's also a gym, a spa and an outdoor pool, plus a business centre, meeting rooms and event space. On-site parking is free.

 10.Wildflower Hall, Shimla 






At Wildflower Hall, guests can refresh with nature walks, rafting, cycling or yoga, or relax and rejuvenate with an exclusive spa therapy.
The Restaurant includes a smart, brightly lit indoor dining space, a charming glass conservatory with intimate seating arrangements and an outdoor terrace, with magnificent views of the Himalayas. The menu features pan-Indian (including local Himachal), Asian and Continental cuisine.
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Wildflower Hall offers exclusive massage, yoga and Ayurvedic treatments at bespoke locations around the hotel and grounds.
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 Our open air whirlpool affords magnificent views across the Greater Himalayas, while our indoor pool lit and adorned by overhead crystal chandeliers - is temperature controlled throughout the year. 

10.Taj Lake Palace


 Set in an 18th-century palace encompassing a Lake Pichola island, this luxury marble hotel once featured in a James Bond movie is a short boat ride from City Palace.



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Featuring butler service, the opulent rooms offer lake and palace views, Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs, as well as minibars, period furniture and turndown service. Suites add panoramic views and ceiling frescoes, and some have balconies or terraces. Rooms service is available 24/7.

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The hotel features original art, ornate marble and glasswork throughout. Amenities include high-end restaurants and a full-service spa, fitness center & heated pool. Sunset cruises and yoga are offered

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Friday, 1 April 2016

Oh My World (OMW): 10 Worlds Beautiful Water Falls to be must Visited...

Oh My World (OMW): 10 Worlds Beautiful Water Falls to be must Visited...: 10 Worlds Beautiful Water Falls to be must Visited 1.Iguazu Falls     I guazu Falls, in Iguazu River, are one of the world’s largest ...

Oh My World (OMW): World's Beautiful Places must Visit Before Die1.Ja...

Oh My World (OMW): World's Beautiful Places must Visit Before Die1.Ja...: World's Beautiful Places must Visit Before Die 1.Jammu & Kashmir J ammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. In the...

10 Worlds Beautiful Water Falls to be must Visited

1.Iguazu Falls

   Iguazu Falls, in Iguazu River, are one of the world’s largest waterfalls. They extend over 2,700 m (nearly 2 miles)  in a semi-circular shape.  Of the 275 falls that collectively make up Iguassu Falls, “Devil’s Throat” is the tallest at 80 m in height. Iguazu Falls are on the border between the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones, and are surrounded by two National Parks (BR/ARG).


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 Both are subtropical rainforests that are host to hundreds of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna.

2.Niagara Falls

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   Niagara Falls, Ontario, is a Canadian city at the famous waterfalls of the same name, linked with the U.S. by the Rainbow Bridge. Its site on the Niagara River's western shore overlooks the Horseshoe Falls, the cascades' most expansive section. 

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Elevators take visitors to a lower, wetter vantage point. The riverbank features a promenade and an observation deck atop 520-ft.-high Skylon Tower.

3.Plitvice Waterfalls

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  The series of waterfalls that link the 16 lakes of the Plitvice Lakes National Park are what makes this scenic piece of landscape the most popular natural attraction in Croatia. Situated among forested hills near the Bosnian border, the small streams, lakes and waterfalls form an appealing water garden that invites exploration. A series of plank walks, bridges and platforms make it easy to wander the park by foot. Free boat rides take passengers from the upper to the lower lakes where visitors can view Veliki Slap, the country’s tallest waterfall.

5.Jog Falls

  Jog Falls are located in the Shimoga district of Karnataka. Four cascades, known as Raja, Rani, Rover and Rocket merge to form the huge waterfall on the Sharavathi river.
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The falls are locally known as Geruoppe Falls, Gersoppa Falls and Jogada Gundi. Jog itself is a Kannada word, which means falls.
Jog Falls are unique in that the water does not stream down the rocks in a tiered fashion; it thunders down the slope losing contact with the rocks, making it the tallest un-tiered waterfall in India.
The beauty of the waterfalls is enhanced by the lush green surroundings, which provide a scenic backdrop. 

6.Gullfoss

  Gullfoss is in the river Hvítá (engl. white river), which has its origin in the glacier lake Hvítávatn (engl. white river lake) at Lángjökull glacier about 40km north of Gullfoss.
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The waterfall Gullfoss Tobias Klose, Scuba Diving in Iceland
Glacial water is brownish, since it carries lots of sediments that the glacial ice has carved off the earth. Gullfoss is called the "Golden Falls", since on a sunny day the water plunging down the three step staircase and then tumbeling in two steps down into the 32 m deep crevice truly looks golden.

To stand at Gullfoss and wallow in the beauty and the wonder of nature is an uplifting experience. One feels more energetic when leaving Gullfoss than when arriving. That's the impact these unique nature sites such as Gullfoss and Geysir have on us.

Sigríður Tómasdóttir, the daughter of Tómas Tómasson who owned the waterfall in the first half of the 20th century must have felt the same. She lived at a farm nearby and loved Gullfoss as no one else.

At this period of time much speculation about using Gullfoss to harness electricity was going on. Foreign investors who rented Gullfoss indirectly from the owners wanted to build a hydroelectric powerplant, which would have changed and destroyed Gullfoss forever.

As the story goes it's thanks to Sigríður Tómasdóttir that we still can uplift ourself with the beauty of Gullfoss, because she was the one that protested so intensly against these plans by going as far to threat that she would throw herself into Gullfoss and therby kill herself.

To make her threat believeable she went barefoot on a protest march from Gullfoss to Reykjavik. In those days the roads weren't paved and when she arrived after 120 kilometers her feet were bleeding and she was in very bad shape.The people believed her and listened and the powerplant at Gullfoss was never built.
Today one can see the memorial site of Sigríður that decipts her profile at the top of the falls.


7.Nanning Detain Waterfall

Located in Shuolong Town,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Detian Waterfall originates from the Guichun River which passes Vietnam and winds back Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. When the Guichun River arriving at the bluff in Detian Village, Daxin County, then the Detian Waterfall formed. Up on the about 200-meter wide bluff, the waterfall pours down with the drop of 70 meters. 
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Visitors can the resonant roars kilometers away. If who visit the waterfall early in the morning, he would enjoy the rainbow when the rising sun shining on the mist upon the waterfall.
The Detian Waterfall is divided into three layers: the upper layer, the gradual slope, and the lower layer. In the upper layer, the water rushes along the almost vertical bluff, and pours down into the deep pool with silvery spray splashing upon the pool. Then the waterfall comes to the gradual slop, in which the waterfall has an opportunity to relax after the onrush before and gather momentum for the grandest lower layer. In the lower layer, the water rushes down and open a marvelous natural picture with wide water screen and surrounding green trees. In summer, the Detian waterfall has the largest water flow.

8.The Blue Nile Falls

   The Blue Nile Falls are one of the greatest falls in Africa. It is located in Ethiopian plateau, passing the Blue Nile River. This waterfall is also known as Tis Issat meaning smoking water, as the continuous dropping of water creates a smoke-like bounce of water droplets. The Blue Nile Falls has an enormous height of 37 to 45 meters or around 150 feet and its width is estimated at about half a mile. Watching the river water drop down the waterfalls is truly breathtaking.

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Various trips can be arranged in order to reach the Blue Nile Falls as it is a main tourist spot in Ethiopia. There are many locals that make their income from the benefits of tourism; many are selling food and drinks like calabashes and sodas. Also many people are also selling charms, souvenirs and walking sticks. For accommodation, there are hotels available a few kilometers away from the falls. If planning to visit the falls, it is recommendable to wear comfortable clothes as the trail on the way to the falls is quite bumpy. The flora around the falls can also be appreciated; there are many plant species endemic only to that area. The Blue Nile Falls are also enriched with different types of wildlife that can only be found in Ethiopia.
Currently, a hydroelectric station was built in order to divert the flow of water to the falls for electrical purposes. This has caused a decrease in the flowing water of Blue Nile Falls, however, the full beauty of the falls can still be appreciated during Sundays and holidays because the hydroelectric station only operates during weekdays. For this reason, it is advisable to visit on Sundays. Prepare everything and enjoy nature’s great miracles: go see the Blue Nile Falls!


9.Victoria Falls


   Victoria Falls presents a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, forming the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 1800’s as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ – ‘The Smoke that Thunders’. In more modern terms Victoria Falls is known as the greatest curtain of falling water in the world.
Columns of spray can be seen from miles away as, at the height of the rainy season, more than five hundred million cubic meters of water per minute plummet over the edge, over a width of nearly two kilometers, into a gorge over one hundred meters below.
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The wide, basalt cliff over which the falls thunder, transforms the Zambezi from a placid river into a ferocious torrent cutting through a series of dramatic gorges.
Facing the Falls is another sheer wall of basalt, rising to the same height, and capped by mist-soaked rain forest. A path along the edge of the forest provides the visitor prepared to brave the tremendous spray, with an unparalleled series of views of the Falls.
One special vantage point is across the Knife-edge Bridge, where visitors can have the finest view of the Eastern Cataract and the Main Falls as well as the Boiling Pot, where the river turns and heads down the Batoka Gorge. Other vantage points include the Falls Bridge, Devils Pool and the Lookout Tree, both of which command panoramic views across the Main Falls

10.Dudsagar Falls 

 The magnificent Dudhsagar Waterfall is perched in the high peaks of the Western Ghats and is a sight to behold especially in the monsoons when it is in full and furious flow. From a distance, the waterfall appears like streams of milk rushing down the mountainside. The exhuberent and spectacular waterfall is located in the Sanguem taluka.
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Measuring a mighty 600m from head to foot, this waterfall on the Goa-Karnataka border, attracts a steady stream of visitors from the coast into the rugged Western Ghats. After pouring across the Deccan plateau, the headwaters of the Mandovi River form a foaming torrent that splits into three streams to cascade down a near-vertical cliff face into a deep green pool.
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The Konkani name for the falls, which literally translated means "sea of milk", derives from clouds of milky foam which rises up at the bottom of the falls. Dudhsagar is set amidst breathtaking scenery overlooking a steep, crescent-shaped head of a valley carpeted with pristine tropical forest, that is only accessible on foot or by train.

Like most places in Goa, the Dudhsagar waterfall too has a legend attached to its name. The legend tells the story of this powerful and wealthy king who ruled a kingdom in the Western Ghats. His lavish and opulent palace in the hills was surrounded by vast gardens which were full of deers and gazelles.

The King had a beautiful daughter, who used to enjoy taking a bath during the hot summers, in the picturesque lake near the forest on the edge of the King's palace grounds. It was her habit to finish her bath and have a jugful of sugared milk in a jug made of pure gold.

One day when she was finishing her usual jug of milk she found herself being watched by a handsome prince standing amongst the trees. Embarassed by her inadequate bathing attire, the resourceful Princess poured the sugared milk in front of her to form an improvised curtain to hide her body, while one of the maids rushed to cover her with a dress.

Thus was the legend born. The sugared milk (dudh) poured down the mountainside and continued to flow in torrents as a tribute to the everlasting virtue and modesty of the Princess of the Ghats. The Dudh Sagar (Sea of Milk) continues to flow to this day and attracts thousands of visitors to one of the most popular and famous tourist spots in the state of Goa.

A number of private operators offer special trips to the Waterfalls and the tours operated by GTDC (Goa Tourism Development Corpn) also have Dudhsagar Waterfalls as one of the tour stops.

The falls can also be reached by a train journey from Vasco or Margao. At Collem, in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary near Mollem, there is a railway station where the train stops to pick up passengers for the journey to the waterfalls. There are two trains a day that stop at Dudhsagar Station and it's possible to catch a morning train up and spend several hours at the falls before taking an afternoon train back.

Near the top of the falls, the railway line from Vasco to Londa crosses the mountainside, with excellent views from the train. There also a couple of pools that you can swim in, making Dudhsagar a great place for a day full of fun and frolic. The alternate way of reaching the falls is only advisable between January and May, when the level of the water in the rivers abates enough to permit jeeps to approach the base of the falls.

Wednesday, 30 March 2016

World's Beautiful Places must Visit Before Die

1.Jammu & Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. In the seventeenth century the Mughal emperor Jahangir set his eyes on the valley of Kashmir. He said that if paradise is anywhere on the earth, it is here, while living in a houseboat on Dal Lake.
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 "Gar firdaus, ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin ast." If there is ever a heaven on earth, its here, its here, its here. In Jammu and Kashmir the most important tourist places are Kashmir, Srinagar, the Mughal Gardens, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Jammu, and Ladakh. Some areas require a special permit for non-Indians to visit.

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Before militancy intensified in 1989, tourism formed an important part of the Kashmiri economy. The tourism economy in the Kashmir valley was worst hit. However, the holy shrines of Jammu and the Buddhist monasteries of Ladakh continue to remain popular pilgrimage and tourism destinations. Every year, thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit holy shrines of Vaishno Devi and Amarnath which has had significant impact on the state's economy. The Vaishno Devi yatra alone contributes 475 crore to the local economy annually.

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Tourism in the Kashmir valley has rebounded in recent years and in 2009, the state became one of the top tourist destinations of India. Gulmarg, one of the most popular ski resort destinations in India, is also home to the world's highest green golf course. The decrease in violence in the state has boosted the states economy specifically tourism. It was reported that 7.36 lakh tourists visited Kashmir in 2010 including 23,000 foreigners. In 2011, the number of tourist arrivals in Kashmir touched the mark of 10 lakh.

2.The Dubai Fountain - World’s Largest Dancing Fountain

Set on the 30-acre Burj Khalifa Lake, at the center of the Downtown Dubai development in Dubai, the Dubai fountain can shoot 83,000 liters of water at any moment and water jets as high as 240 feet into the air. Illuminated by 6,600 lights and 25 colored projectors, the 900 feet long fountain can seen from over 20 miles away.
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The Dubai Fountain performs daily accompanied by a range of classical to contemporary Arabic and world music. The performance repertoire including Sama Dubai; Baba Yetu, an award-winning song in Swahili; the Arab world’s top-selling dance number Shik Shak Shok; and the signature piece of world-renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Con te partiro (Time to Say Goodbye).
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When the fountain was inaugurated in 2009, it had two types of shooters - super shooters, which shoot water under more pressure up to 240 feet in the air, and extreme shooters, which can shoot water under the most pressure to 420 feet in the air.
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 Because it takes a lot of time to build up enough pressure and energy to shoot water that high in the air, the super shooters are used the least during each show. The extreme shooters were used only once during the opening ceremony, after which they were disabled and no longer used in the shows.

3.Mount Rushmore National Memorial 

 Sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore, a granite batholith formation in the Black Hills in Keystone, South Dakota, United States. Sculpted by Danish-American Gutzon Borglum and his son, Lincoln Borglum, Mount Rushmore features 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of four United States presidents: George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), and Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) The entire memorial covers 1,278.45 acres (2.00 sq mi; 5.17 km2)  and is 5,725 feet (1,745 m) above sea level.

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South Dakota historian Doane Robinson is credited with conceiving the idea of carving the likenesses of famous people into the Black Hills region of South Dakota in order to promote tourism in the region. Robinson's initial idea was to sculpt the Needles; however, Gutzon Borglum rejected the Needles site because of the poor quality of the granite and strong opposition from Native American groups. They settled on the Mount Rushmore location, which also has the advantage of facing southeast for maximum sun exposure. Robinson wanted it to feature western heroes like Lewis and Clark, Red Cloud, and Buffalo Bill Cody, but Borglum decided the sculpture should have a more national focus and chose the four presidents whose likenesses would be carved into the mountain. After securing federal funding through the enthusiastic sponsorship of "Mount Rushmore's great political patron", U.S. Senator Peter Norbeck, construction on the memorial began in 1927, and the presidents' faces were completed between 1934 and 1939.
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Upon Gutzon Borglum's death in March 1941, his son Lincoln Borglum took over construction. Although the initial concept called for each president to be depicted from head to waist, lack of funding forced construction to end in late October 1941.
Mount Rushmore has become an iconic symbol of the United States, and has appeared in works of fiction, and has been discussed or depicted in other popular works. It attracts over two million people annually.

 4.Easter Island

Located 3,700 km (2,300 miles) off the west coast of Chile, Easter Island is the world's most isolated inhabited island. It is also one of the most mystifying places on Earth, possessing a history that remains as unclear as it is evocative.
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Easter Island's tiny land area (only 117 sq. km.) and remarkable isolation make its discovery and settlement an event that seems as unlikely as it was mysterious. The original settlers seem to have been Polynesian, although there is substantial evidence that they were joined by a South American people early in the island's history. The island's native name, Rapa Nui, is Polynesian. Isolated for centuries from the outside world, the people of Rapa Nui developed their own distinctive culture, a culture perhaps best known by the moai, huge figures carved of volcanic rock. Hundreds of these sculpted monoliths dot the landscape, some in imposing rows, others toppled, broken, and scarred by violence. Scholars have been able to reconstruct some of the tragic history that lies behind the disintegration of Rapa Nui culture, but many important parts of the puzzle-including how and why the moai were built-remain uncertain.
The first Europeans to stumble upon the tiny island were the Dutch, under the command of Admiral Jacob Roggeveen. Roggeveen made landfall on Rapa Nui on Easter Day of 1722, thus providing Easter Island with its modern name. Easter Island remained only slightly less isolated over the ensuing centuries, although it did attract the malevolent interest of Peruvian slave ships during the 19th century. Despite these depredations, the majority of Easter Island's population is still composed of descendants of its original inhabitants Even today, their distinctive language and cultural traditions give visitors a glimpse of an ancient lifestyle.

All of the residents of Easter Island live in the town of Hanga Roa, and it is an easy day's drive from town around the island in search of moai and ahu (the rectangular stone platforms which moai were mounted on). One of the most famous sites on the island is Rano Raraku, where 70 moai seem to rise from the earth. The remains of over 150 other figures lie in a nearby volcanic crater, where the rock for the moai was extracted. It is still unclear how the moai were moved from these rock quarries to other parts of the island.
The restored village of Orongo offers another Easter Island mystery. The village sits in a spectacular setting, between the volcano of Rano Kao and a sheer cliff drop-off. Rocks found at the village contain 150 carvings showing figures with a man's body and a bird's head. Anthropologists believe they were part of a religious cult, but the details on the "Bird Man" are still obscure.

5.Rio de Janeiro

  Welcome to the Cidade Maravilhosa, or the Marvelous City, as Rio is known in Brazil. Synonymous with the girl from Ipanema, the dramatic views from Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado mountain, and fabulously flamboyant Carnival celebrations, Rio is a city of stunning architecture, abundant museums, and marvelous food.
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 Rio is also home to 23 beaches, an almost continuous 73-km (45-mile) ribbon of sand.
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As you leave the airport and head to Rio's beautiful Zona Sul (the touristic South Zone), you'll drive for about 40 minutes on a highway from where you'll begin to get a sense of the dramatic contrast between beautiful landscape and devastating poverty.
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 In this teeming metropolis of 12 million people (6.2 million of whom live in Rio proper), the very rich and the very poor live in uneasy proximity. You'll drive past seemingly endless cinder-block favela, but by the time you reach Copacabana's breezy, sunny Avenida Atlântica—flanked on one side by white beach and azure sea and on the other by condominiums and hotels—your heart will leap with expectation as you begin to recognize the postcard-famous sights. Now you're truly in Rio, where cariocas (Rio residents) and tourists live life to its fullest.
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Enthusiasm is contagious in Rio. Prepare to have your senses engaged and your inhibitions untied. Rio seduces with a host of images: the joyous bustle of vendors at Sunday's Feira Hippie (Hippie Fair); the tipsy babble at sidewalk cafés as patrons sip their last glass of icy beer under the stars; the blanket of lights beneath the Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain); the bikers, joggers, strollers, and power walkers who parade along the beach each morning. Borrow the carioca spirit for your stay; you may find yourself reluctant to give it back.

6. The Cape Winelands

About 40 km to the east of Cape Town, lying in the shadow of a continuous belt of Cape fold belt mountains,
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 lies a series of generous valleys known as the Cape Winelands – a collection of historic towns, little hamlets and Cape Dutch farmsteads that provide well-regarded South African wines to the world.
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 These mountains create an incredible scenic backdrop for a myriad vines, but they are also one of the reasons wines do so well here.
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 Their geological compositions provide unique soil conditions that directly effect the character of wine.

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Famous For its wines

The boundaries of this municipality, which covers an area of 22,289 square kilometres (8,606 sq mi), coincide roughly with the boundaries of the geographical area that has been known since the early days of the Cape Colony as "The Boland". In Afrikaans Boland means "up land" or "the higher land" or "the land above" (i.e. in contrast to the low coastal areas of the original Dutch settlement at the Cape). However, the term "Boland", as originally used, was a loose concept, with no defined borders (cf. the informal but not meaningless terms "The Sahara" or "The Rocky Mountains"). The Boland is generally mountainous, with range after range of beautiful and isolated sandstone peaks reaching towards 2000m but also has broad, fertile valleys that are home to some of the country's finest vineyards.
The region has a Mediterranean climate. Summers are hot and dry and winters cool and damp, with snow on the peaks during August and September. The extent and diversity of the geographical features here are truly marvellous. There are so many peaks, ranges, escarpments, valleys, cliffs, rivers, pools, waterfalls, screes, canyons, springs, forests, caves and other natural features that no person could visit all of them in a lifetime.

 7.Torres del Paine

Soaring almost vertically more than 2000m above the Patagonian steppe, the granite pillars of Torres del Paine (Towers of Paine) dominate the landscape of what may be South America's finest national park. Before its creation in 1959, the park was part of a large sheep estancia, and it's still recovering from nearly a century of overexploitation of its pastures, forests and wildlife.
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Most people visit the park for its one greatest hit but, once here, realize that there are other attractions with equal wow power. We're talking about azure lakes, trails that meander through emerald forests, roaring rivers you'll cross on rickety bridges and one big, radiant blue glacier. Variety spans from the vast openness of the steppe to rugged mountain terrain topped by looming peaks.
Part of Unesco's Biosphere Reserve system since 1978, the park is home to flocks of ostrich-like rhea (known locally as the ñandú), Andean condor, flamingo and many other bird species. Its star success in conservation is undoubtedly the guanaco, which grazes the open steppes where pumas cannot approach undetected. After more than a decade of effective protection from poachers, these large, growing herds don't even flinch when humans or vehicles approach. The puma population is also growing, and huemul (an endangered Andean deer) have been spotted in Valle Frances.
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When the weather is clear, panoramas are everywhere. However, unpredictable weather systems can sheath the peaks in clouds for hours or days. Some say you get four seasons in a day here, with sudden rainstorms and knock-down gusts part of the hearty initiation. Bring high-quality foul-weather gear, a synthetic sleeping bag and, if you're camping, a good tent. It is always wise to plan a few extra days to make sure that your trip isn't torpedoed by a spot of bad weather.
The crowning attraction of this 1810-sq-km park is its highly developed infrastructure, which makes it possible to do the whole 'W' hike while sleeping in beds, eating hot meals, taking showers and even drinking the random cocktail. It's essential to make reservations ahead of time.
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If you want to sleep in hotels or refugios (rustic shelters), you must make reservations in advance. Plan a minimum of three to seven days to enjoy the hiking and other activities. Guided day trips on minibuses from Puerto Natales are possible, but permit only a glimpse of what the park has to offer.
At the end of 2011, a raging fire burned over 40,000 acres. The fire took weeks to contain, destroyed old forest, killed animals and burned several park structures. An international visitor was charged with accidentally setting the fire while trying to start an illegal campfire. The hiker denied setting the fire but paid a US$10,000 fine and agreed to help with reforestation efforts. Chile has since enacted a stricter 'Ley del Bosque' (forest law) to protect parks and Conaf has started to actively remove visitors found breaking park guidelines. The affected area, mostly between Pehoé and Refugio Grey, is essentially the western leg of the 'W' trek.
Be conscientious and tread lightly – you are among hundreds of thousands of yearly guests.

8.Marrakesh 

From the moment you arrive in Marrakesh, you’ll get the distinct feeling you’ve left something behind – a toothbrush or socks, maybe? But no, what you’ll be missing in Marrakesh is predictability and all sense of direction. Never mind: you’re better off without them here.

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Start at action-packed Djemaa el-Fna and head north into Marrakesh’s maze of souqs, where Berber tribes once traded slaves, gold, ivory and leather, and where modern tourists scour people-packed alleys for carpet bargains and babouches. 

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 If you look carefully, you’ll also spot a number of creative new boutiques and galleries. They signify the evolving face of the medina as a new generation of craftsmen and artists try to connect the city’s hankering for modernity with its traditional craft heritage.

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Beyond the souqs, the medina is an ideal place to explore private palaces and riad mansions, many of which now provide the city’s most atmospheric accommodation. But it’s worth leaving the old city occasionally for dinner, drinks and art galleries in the ville nouvelle (new town), mountain bike rides in the palmeraie (palm oasis) or horse-riding and weekend retreats in the Agafay Desert and Ouirgane.

 9.Everest Base Camp

You’ll be smitten by Nepal, a country of hospitable people, beautiful scenery, and a large variety of cultural traditions.

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 This blend of outdoor adventure and cultural exploration is a great way to experience the Himalayan Mountains - the world’s most impressive mountains.

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Our carefully crafted itinerary ensures proper acclimatization, allowing you to fully enjoy one of the world’s great treks and the easy walk up Kala Pattar. You'll experience:

  • Base camp living, spending a night at camp and meeting Everest climbers
  • The infamous Khumbu Icefall up close and personal
  • Stunning views from 18,000-foot Kala Pattar
  • Friendly Sherpa people
  • Mountain Madness-style hospitality, including our private food service and the best teahouses in the Khumbu

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Discover why this has become one of our most rewarding journeys and a Mountain Madness Classic, first developed more than 25 years ago by our founder Scott Fischer.

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 Why Go With Mountain Madness
  • Over 25 years' experience in Nepal
  • Private food service with a wide variety of traditional and Western meals prepared by our cooks
  • Luxurious hotel accommodations in Kathmandu's Yak-n-Yeti
  • Kathmandu cultural tour
  • Yak support allows you to carry only your daypack
  • Hand-selected teahouses
  • Highly skilled professional Western and Nepali guides
  • All-inclusive price
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Hope i think you are planning to go at base came 
happy journey

10.The Great Barrier Reef

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As the world’s most extensive coral reef ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef is a globally outstanding and significant entity. Practically the entire ecosystem was inscribed as World Heritage in 1981, covering an area of 348,000 square kilometres and extending across a contiguous latitudinal range of 14o (10oS to 24oS). The Great Barrier Reef (hereafter referred to as GBR) includes extensive cross-shelf diversity, stretching from the low water mark along the mainland coast up to 250 kilometres offshore. 

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This wide depth range includes vast shallow inshore areas, mid-shelf and outer reefs, and beyond the continental shelf to oceanic waters over 2,000 metres deep.
Within the GBR there are some 2,500 individual reefs of varying sizes and shapes, and over 900 islands, ranging from small sandy cays and larger vegetated cays, to large rugged continental islands rising, in one instance, over 1,100 metres above sea level. Collectively these landscapes and seascapes provide some of the most spectacular maritime scenery in the world.
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The latitudinal and cross-shelf diversity, combined with diversity through the depths of the water column, encompasses a globally unique array of ecological communities, habitats and species. This diversity of species and habitats, and their interconnectivity, make the GBR one of the richest and most complex natural ecosystems on earth. There are over 1,500 species of fish, about 400 species of coral, 4,000 species of mollusk, and some 240 species of birds, plus a great diversity of sponges, anemones, marine worms, crustaceans, and other species. No other World Heritage property contains such biodiversity. This diversity, especially the endemic species, means the GBR is of enormous scientific and intrinsic importance, and it also contains a significant number of threatened species. Attime of inscription, the IUCN evaluation stated "… if only one coral reef site in the world were to be chosen for the World Heritage List, the Great Barrier Reef is the site to be chosen".

Hope you already asking leave to your Boss
cheers,
Happy Journey