Showing posts with label Tourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tourism. Show all posts

Friday, November 20, 2015

Strange & Interesting Facts Worldwide

There are many strange and interesting facts around the world. While some are known to us there are many unknown strange  facts. I am glad to share some of such facts in this post:

1. Sudan Has More Pyramids Than Egypt

Sudanese pyramids  

Sudan has more pyramids than any other country on Earth - even more than Egypt. There are at least 223 pyramids in the Sudanese cities of Al Kurru, Nuri, Gebel Barkal and MeroĆ«. They are generally 20 to 30 metres (65 -100 ft) high and steep sided.

2. Countries Driving on the Left
Red - drives on right; Blue - drives on left  

Although people in the majority of countries of the world drive on the right side of roads, there are some fifty nations in which people drive on the left. These include England and many former English colonies such as Australia,New Zealand, India...etc... but not the U.S. or Canada. There are several non-English countries where people also drive on the left including Japan.

3. Country With More Horses Than People

Mongolian horses 
The Mongolian horse is the native horse breed of Mongolia. The breed is purported to be largely unchanged since the time of Genghis Khan. Nomads living in the traditional Mongol fashion still hold more than 3 million animals, which outnumber the country's human population (2,75 million). Despite their small size, they are horses, not ponies.

4. The Most Linguistically Diverse Country

Port Moresby -  capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea 
  
Papua New Guinea is the country that is home to the most languages, over 750 in all! The most commonly spoken languages in Papua New Guinea, however, are Motu and pidgin English.

5. Alaska Has a Sand Dunes?

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The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes lie 40 miles above the Arctic Circle, yet summer temperatures there can soar to 100 degress Fahrenheit! One of Alaska's true oddities, in some places, the sand stands 100 feet high. The three clusters of dunes within the park — the Great Kobuk, the Little Kobuk, and the Hunt River Sand Dunes — cover 25 square miles and constitute the largest active sand dunes within arctic latitudes. 

6. Strange Windmills in Ireland

Elphin Windmill, Ireland  
All windmills in Ireland turn in a clockwise direction, while the rest of the windmills in the world turn counter-clockwise.

7. London Bridge Over Lake Havasu?


The original London Bridge was shipped stone-by-stone and reconstructed in Lake Havasu City. When the bridge, built in the 1830s began to sink into the Thames River in the 1960s, it was replaced by a more modern concrete bridge. Then, England put the stones up for sale in 1967. A  man named Robert P. McCulloch Sr., purchased the bridge on April 17, 1968, at a cost of $2,460,000.   The 10,246 blocks were shipped to Arizona and reassembled over a lagoon at the edge Lake Havasu at a cost of $3 Million. The Bridge opened in 1971.

8. The Most Isolated City in the World


Perth, Australia, is the most isolated city on the planet. 200 miles across impenetrable desert from the next city of any size.

9. Power of Amazon River


The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that, more than one hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one can dip fresh water out of the ocean.

10. The World’s Longest Train Journey


The Trans-Siberian Railway offers the world’s longest train journey. It takes about 7 days to travel the 5,580 miles or 9,000 km between Moscow and Vladivostok.

11. Deforestation


About 22% of the earth's original forest coverage remains. Western Europe has lost 98% or so of its primary forests; Asia 94%Africa 92%Oceania 78%;   North America 66%, and South America 54%.  Approximately 45% of the world's tropical forests, originally covering 1.4 billion hectares, have disappeared in the last few decades.

12. Shortest Intercontinental Commercial Flight



Shortest Intercontinental Commercial Flight in the world is from Gibraltar (Europe) toTangier (Africa.) Distance is 34 miles, flight time 20 minutes.

13. World's Widest Bridge


According to the Guinness World Records, Sydney Harbour Bridge is the world's widest long-span bridge - 16 lanes of car traffic - 8 lanes in the upper floor, 8 in the lower floor (double-decker bridge). The 49 metre (161ft) wide deck makes Sydney Harbour Bridge the widest long-span bridge in the world. It is also the fifth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world, and it is the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 metres (440 ft) from top to water level.

14. World's Largest Palace Complex

Aerial view of the Forbidden City, Beijing  

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms and covers 720,000 m2 (7,800,000 sq ft). The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere.

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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

World's Unusual Tunnels


These tunnels are ones that you don't often see because they are rare or unique. Some have even become very popular tourist attractions!

Here are Pictures Of Eight Rare Tunnels. Enjoy! :) 


1. The Tower Tunnel, Japan
Shangrala's World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels


One of the most curious buildings in Japan is the Gate Tower Building in Osaka, Japan. This building is the result of an unusual compromise between the land owner and the Japanese government. The 5th, 6th and 7th floors of this 16-story office building is occupied by an express highway - passing right through the building. On the building's floor information board on the ground floor, the tenants for the three floors are listed as the Hanshin Expressway. 
Shangrala's                                                           World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels
The tunnel does not make contact with the building. Highway passes through as a bridge-tunnel, held up by supports next to the building. The highway is surrounded by a structure to protect the building from noise and vibration. 

2. Tunnel Log, California, USA
Shangrala's                                                           World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels

Tunnel Log is a tunnel cut through a fallen giant sequoia tree in Sequoia National Park, California, USA. 
Shangrala's                                                           World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels

The tree, which measured 275 feet (84 m) tall and 21 feet (6.4 m) in diameter, fell across a park road in 1937 due to natural causes. The following year, a crew cut an 8-foot (2.4 m) tall, 17-foot (5.2 m) wide tunnel through the trunk, making the road passable again 

3. Tunnel of Love, Ukraine
Shangrala's                                                           World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels

One of the most beautiful tunnels in the World can be found near the city of Klevan in Ukraine - The Tunnel of Love. This is in fact a train tunnel of trees. It's the main attraction in the area and also one of the most beautiful places in Ukraine. 
Shangrala's                                                           World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels

During the warm months of the year the trees planted next to each other form a fairy green tunnel along one kilometer (0.6 MI) long section of the railway. Not a lot of people seem to know very much about the tunnel, or have ever heard of it at all, making it a well-kept secret. 

4. Tunnel Rock, California, USA

Shangrala's                                                           World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels
Tunnel rock is located just inside the entrance to Sequoia National Park in Central California. A huge granite boulder beneath which the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) dug a tunnel for the roadway in 1938. The road now bypasses the 'tunnel' but visitors can walk beneath this 'balanced rock'. 

5. The "L" Tunnel, Illinois, USA

Shangrala's                                                           World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels
This tunnel is located above the McCormick Tribune Campus Center at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. 
Shangrala's                                                           World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels

A major design challenge was the noise of the public transit tracks passing over the lot. The solution was to enclose a 530-foot (160 m) section of the tracks in a stainless steel tube passing over the building. The tube's support structure is completely independent of the building's, to minimize vibration passing between them. 

6. Natural Tunnel, Virginia, USA
Shangrala's                                                           World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels
Natural Tunnel is a massive naturally formed cave that is so large it is used as a railroad tunnel. The tunnel's 200-foot (61m) width is large enough to accommodate trains, so in 1906 Southern Railway established a passenger line that snaked under the natural structure. Today, the passenger rail is no longer in use, but freights continue to haul coal through the tunnel on a regular basis. The awe-inducing nature of the structure led William Jennings Bryan, 1896 presidential candidate and Woodrow Wilson's secretary of state, to declare it the eighth wonder of the world. 

7. Guoliang Tunnel, China

Shangrala's                                                           World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels
The magnificent tunnel road in the Taihang mountains was built by 13 local villagers headed by their chief, Shen Mingxin, and took around five years to finish. This tunnel was opened to traffic in 1977. The 1200 meter (3,940ft) long Guoliang tunnel is about 5 meters (16ft) high and 4 meters (13ft) wide. 
Shangrala's                                                           World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels

The tunnel passes through the side of an almost vertical section of a mountain with many holes that looks likes windows. Traveling this road is extremely thrilling because of the seemingly bottomless cliff right next to it 


8. Tunnel of Fish, Spain
Shangrala's                                                           World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels
Journey to the undersea world of the 70 meter (230 ft) tunnel at the L'Oceanografic (marine park) in Valencia, Spain where the sea life becomes part of your life. The water moves around and above you as the illuminated lights reflect off the many fish swimming through this unique tunnel. 

Shangrala's                                                           World's                                                           Unusual                                                           Tunnels
The blue and green hues of the water and the specially designed glass used for this tunnel, reflects tourists visiting and gives the impression of almost being part of the sea existence. If staring eye to eye with these fish is not enough excitement for you, wait until you come face to face with a shark, eel or stingray. Thousands of tourists stroll this incredible tunnel every year and explore the fascinating life of many different species of fish. 






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Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Maharaja Express-A New Travelling Experience



The Maharajas' Express is a luxury train operated on the Indian Railways from early 2010. It is a joint venture between Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and the travel agency Cox and Kings India Ltd.The all-inclusive costs begin at $800 (£535 or INR 40000)per person per day, and can climb to $2,500 (£1,670 or INR 125000)per person per day.
In a world of cramped and unpleasant planes, luxury cruise trains actually may be the last respite of luxury. Sensing this demand, luxury travel companies have invested in restoring the world's most famous train routes and the art of elegant traveling. Maharajas Express is one such attempt to recreate the pageantry and elegance of the personal state carriages of colonial era maharajas of India. And travelers are responding by packing new trains.
The latest in the lines of luxury cruise trains in India Maharajas Express is a 23 guest carriage train in India designed to recreate the opulence and panache of the personal state carriages used by the erstwhile Maharajas of India. The facilities on board the train include two ornate restaurants with decorative arched ceilings, an observation lounge cum souvenir shop and 43 cabins and suites that start at roughly 110 square feet.
Catering to the seekers of luxury and indulgence Maharajas Express arrives at a new station every morning for off-rail excursions which may include visit to monuments, heritage sites, shopping, royal dining at palaces and courtyard of mighty forts and spa session at palace hotels. The eight-day Mumbai to Delhi trip crisscrosses through the western part of the country (Mumbai) with sightseeing halts at Vadodara, Udaipur palaces, an elephant polo match near Jaipur and a tiger safari through Ranthambore National Park. Passengers aboard the seven-day Delhi-to-Delhi trip visit dozens of sites in eastern and central India including the temples of Khajuraho, the tigers at Bandhavgarh National Park and the sacred ghats of the Ganges River in Varanasi. All three itineraries - two from Delhi - begin or end with a visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra.
(Source and for other details :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharaja_Express)


Destinations covered by Maharaja Express:



1. Mumbai to Delhi: Mumbai to Vadodara, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Agra and Delhi.


The Mumbai to Delhi Journey will be called "Princely India Journey" while the return trip will be known as "Royal India Tour". Tourists will get chance to see wildlife and tigers while passing through Ranthambore.

2. Delhi to Kolkata: Delhi to Agra, Gwalior, Khajuraho, Bandhavgarh, Varanasi, Gaya and Kolkata.
The Delhi-Kolkata route of the Maharaja Express will cover Agra, Gwalior, Khajuraho, Bandhavgarh, Varanasi and Gaya. The Delhi-Kolkata route will be named as "Classical India Journey" while the return trip will be called the "Celestial India Tour". The tourists will get to see some natural wildlife while crossing through the Bandhavgarh National Park.




Maharaja Express Facilities:

1. Special Bar named Machan
2. Two restaurants - Haveli and Peacock, which will be maintained by a 5-star chain.
3. Movie Screening on board.
4. Individual temperature control system
5. Environment-friendly toilets and bath-tubs
6. Direct Dialling Facilities
7. Package tours in AC buses and cars
8. Visit to Bandhavgarh, Ranthambhore national parks are highlights of the tour.


(Source: http://www.travelindia-guide.com/tour-guides/misc-travel-info/india-luxury-trains.aspx)


You can also refer http://www.themaharajatrain.com/ for further details.

Now let us have glimpses of the train:





Maharaja Express Discover India In Style With The Maharaja’s Express!








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Monday, October 19, 2015

Penang (Malaysia)Snake Temple The Temple of the "Azure Cloud"


The Snake Temple (Chinese蛇庙pinyinShĆ© MiĆ oPe̍h-ōe-jÄ«: TsuĆ¢-biō) is situated inSungai KluangBayan LepasPenangMalaysia and is perhaps the only temple of its kind in the world. 
The temple is filled with the smoke of burning incense and a variety ofpit vipers. The vipers are believed to be rendered harmless by the sacred smoke, but as a safety precaution, the snakes have also been de-venomed but still have their fangs intact.
Visitors are warned against picking up the reptiles and placing them on their bodies for taking pictures. Local devotees believe that the temple's snake population has come there of its own accord.
The temple was built circa 1850 in memory of Chor Soo Kong (ē„–åø«å…¬), by a Buddhistmonk. Chor Soo Kong (also known as Qingshui) was born with the Tan surname (é™³ę˜­ę‡‰, or Tan Chhiau-eng) in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). He was very serious about spiritual attainment and was ordained at a young age. 
Legend has it that Chor Soo Kong, who was also a healer, gave shelter to the snakes of jungle. When he died at the age of 65 after a lifetime of good deeds, he was bestowed the honorific title Chor Soo, meaning an eminent historic figure continuously revered by a community generation after generation. After the completion of the temple, snakes appeared on their own accord. The Snake Temple was originally named the "Temple of the Azure Cloud" in honor of the beauty of Penang's sky.
Believers from as far away as Singapore and Taiwan come to pray in the temple on Chor Soo Kong's birthday (the sixth day of the first lunar month).
The pictures of the temple and the snakes are given below:





The Snake Temple is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and entrance to the temple grounds is free. Photography inside of the Snake Temple is not allowed to prevent stressing the resident reptiles. Snakes can also be found hanging from branches in the courtyard interior of the temple. 
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Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Talking about my Native Place-Sholinghur or CholaSimhapuram


View of both Hill temples in Sholinghur

I am glad to post this 150th article in my blog about my native place "Sholinghur" and about the famous temples in the town. 


Just like anyone, I have very sweet memories of the place where I was born and spent my school days in Goodlet High School managed by Church of South India. 



                                        Goodlet High School
( I left the place in 1966 and came to Chennai where all important events in my life like Graduation,Employment,Marriage etc took place. I am at present settled in Chennai in my own house.)


Now let me take you to my native place.


Sholinghur which is also called as Chozha Lingapuram (in short Sholingapuram ) and also called as  CholaSimhapuram is located in Vellore District. It is a famous Vaishnavite pilgrim place with two hill temples.


Sholinghur was ruled by the Chola EmpireNawabs of Arcot and Tippu Sultan.Sholinghur also has a historical significance. It was here that Sir Eyre Coote fought against Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali in the Second Anglo-Mysore War.

Transport:
It is just 27 K.m. away from Arakkonam on the Bangalore-ChennaiTrain Route. Easy transport facility is also available from Chennai, Vellore,Chittor, Tiruttani, Arakkonam and Arcot. People alight at Arakkonam junction and come to this place. 



1. Distance from Chennai
110 K.M
2. Distance from Vellor
50 K.M
3. Distance from Tiruttani
27 K.M
4. Distance from Arakonam
27 K.M
5. Distance from Arcot
31 K.M

There is Railway Station in the name of Sholinghur, but it is not in Sholinghur town proper. The station is in a place called Banavaram which is 13 kms from Sholinghur.


 There are direct buses from Chennai to Sholinghur. Or you can take a direct bus from Chennai to Thiruthani ( famous Murugan temple town) and from there you can get plenty of buses to Sholinghur.


You have to take an auto from Sholingur bus stand to go to Kondapalayam where the both Narasimhar and Anjaneya temple hills are situated.

The town is famous for the hill temples at its outskirts i)Sri Yoga Narasimhar (1305 steps) located on the top of the hill Ghatikachala and Sri Yoga Anjaneya Swamy hill temple (406 steps). It is one of the 108 Divya Desams - sacred places in Hinduism. The temples are located on two hillocks


The Thakkan Kulam located on the way to the hills, is a big pond with 45 feet Anjaneyar statue & temple. Also, the town has war monument built by Tippu sultan at 1784 A.D during Second Anglo-Mysore War. 

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Thakkan kulam

Narashima
Anjaneyar statue

Temple of Yoga Narasimhar (Big Hill Temple):


                                        View of Big Hill


The Big  hill which is the abode of Lord Yoga Narasimha Swami 
is of 750 feet height with steps  of 1305.


        x   


                                                  ShriYoga Narasimhar 




Lord Narasimha with Sangu Chakram, Salakirama Haram,yoga peetam, korai teeth, long nails and strong hair gives darshan to the people as santhamurthi.


         The Lord is praised by Thirumangai Alvar, Peyalvar and Nammalvar. 
They praise him as Ilangkumaran and Akkarakani.

 y

                                        Shri Amirdhavalli thayar

There was a separate temple for Amirthavalli Thayar on the Big  Hill  Previously. Now the Thayar  Shrine  has  been consider nearer to the Santum Sanctorum of Perumal. Procession Deity of Thayar is also kept there.

Yoga Anjaneya Temple(Small Hill Temple):


The Small Hill which is the abode of Yoga Anjeneya Swami is of 350 feet height with 406 steps.



                                                    Yoga Anjeneya
  It is a pleasant sight to see the Lord in the  Yoga form with  Sanguchakram. This form is the unique  one  in our country.

There are lots of monkeys on both the hills.The best way to stay safe from the monkeys is by not teasing them and not carrying anything in the hands that is visible..preferably dont carry anything.There are shops  midway that sell juices and snacks. Also different types of prasadam are available in the temple premises. So one need not carry any food item with them.



Temple in the Town: Bakthavatsala Perumal Temple


There is another temple in the town which is near the Bus stand.


a


Moolavar - Not present
Uthsavar - Bakthavatsala Perumal (Thakkaan)

q



One can have Darshan of Adikesava perumal at the rear end  of  this  temple only on  certain  occasions.  There  are  separate  sannathis  for  Andaal, Azhwaars, Erumbiyappa, and Thottaachaarya.


Accommodation:


There are many private cottages and chatrams where one can get accommodation at reasonable rents.

(Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sholinghur
http://www.sholinghurnarasimhar.com/eSholinghurhistory.html)



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Tuesday, September 22, 2015

World's second-tallest Shiva statue, Murudeshwara Temple



                                                              Gopura of Murudeshwara Temple and Statue of Lord Shiva


Murudeshwara (Kannadaą²®ುą²°ುą²”ೇą²¶್ವರ) is a town in the Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in the state of KarnatakaIndia. "Murudeshwara" is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. Famous for the world's second-tallest Shiva statue, Murudeshwara beach town lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea and is also famous for the Murudeshwara Temple.



Major attractions

  • Murudeshwara Temple and Raja Gopura: This temple is built on the Kanduka Hill which is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Arabian Sea. It is a temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva, and a 20-storied Gopura is constructed at the temple. Two life-size elephants in concrete stand guard at the steps leading to the temple. The entire temple and temple complex, including the 237.5 feet tall Raja Gopura, is one among the tallest, was constructed to its present form by businessman and philanthropist Mr R. N. Shetty.
The temple is entirely modernised with exception of the Sanctum Sanctorum which is still dark and retains its composure. The Main deity is Sri Mridesa Linga, also called Murudeswara. The linga is believed to be a piece of the original Atma Linga and is about 2feet below ground level. The devotees performing special sevas like Abhisheka, Rudrabhisheka, Rathotsava etc. can view the deity by standing before the threshold of the Sanctum and the Lingam is illuminated by oil lamps held close by the priests. The Lingam is essentially a rough rock inside a hollowed spot in the ground. Entry into the Sanctum is banned for all devotees.
  • Statue of Lord Shiva: A huge towering statue of Lord Shiva, visible from great distances, is present in the temple complex. It is the SECOND tallest statue of Lord Shiva in the world as the first tallest is located in (Nepal)and is made by Mr.Kamal Jain,this is 143 ft.high and the statue is called ( Kailashnath Mahadev ).
  • The statue is 123 feet (37 m) in height, and took about 2 years to build. The statue was built by Shivamogga's Kashinath and several other sculptors, financed by businessman and philanthropist Mr R.N. Shetty, at a cost of approximately 50 million Rs. The idol is designed such that it gets the sun light directly and thus appears sparkling. Originally, the statue had four arms, and was adorned in gold paint. However, large wind gusts blew the arm off (the one that held a small drum), and rains dissolved the paint.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murudeshwara

Some Pictures of the Temple and the Shiva Idol:



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