MADURAI MEENAKSHI TEMPLE - TAMIL NADU

Madurai meenakshi temple is a historic Hindu temple located in the south side of river Vaigai^] in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Parvatiwho is known as Meenakshi and her consort, Shiva, named here as Sundareswarar. Madurai is an old city. The temple complex consists of 14 gopurams.

            The original temple was built by kulashekara pandya, but the entire credit for making the temple as splendid as it is today goes to the Nayaks.  The gopuras has an height more than 50 m. Each gopuram is a multi-storeyed structure, covered with thousands of stone figures of animals, gods and demons painted in bright hues

            There is a golden lotus tank; this temple tank is an ancient tank where devotees take bath in the holy water. The area is the meeting place of Tamil sangam , the academy of poets.  There is an oonjal mandapam, every Friday the idols of meenakshi and sundareswara, are seated on the swing and by singing a hymn, swing made to move to and fro.

HALL OF THOUSAND PILLARS

The "Aayiram Kaal Mandapam" or Thousand Pillar Hall contains 985(instead of 1000) carved pillars. Each pillar in the hall is a carved monument of the Dravidian sculpture. The more prominent among the carved figures are those of Rati, Karthikeya, Ganesha.

There are lot more exciting halls and sculptures inside the temple. This is one of the oldest temple.

CHERAI BEACH - KERALA

Cherai Beach is located in Vypin island, Kochi, India. Cherai Beach is just 25 km from Kochi, and 30 km from Cochin International Airport and the nearest railway station is Aluva(20 km).

 The newly spruced up 400 meters of Cherai Beach features a walkway and High Mask Lamps that lend the environs a magical touch at night. here is a Children’s Park on the beach ensuring the kids are entertained as well.  We can see a lot of Chinese fishing nets that are synonymous with Kerala. Thick coconut groves and Chinese fishing nets on the waterfront are added attractions.

The place is a unique combination of sea and backwaters covered by lush green coconut palms and paddy fields. The backwaters are a combination of lakes, lagoons, canals and estuaries. The Beach is very safe and tourists of all age groups can enjoy the Beach alike. Scooter and Speed Boats are available for hire. Dolphins are occasionally seen here. The main beach area has been newly added with the 400 meters long walkway. 

There are many resorts nearby for accommodation.

VAGAMON - KERALA

Vagamon  is a hill station located in Kottayam- Idukki border of Kerala. It is situated 1,100 meters above sea level.

It is a place with a never-ending line of lush green hills, breathtaking ravines and meandering rivulets.  The scenic valleys, beautiful green meadows, enchanting pine forests, mists, fogs, tea estates, waterfalls  provides the tourist a hearty welcome. It’s an ideal place for tea plantations, Vagamon is also known as ‘Scotland of Asia’.

It has a cool climate with the temperature between 10 and 23 °C during summer midday. The meandering road to Vagamon is cut in solid rock lined with pine forests.

The three hills of Vagamon have made this place so popular, that it is now a sacred place to three distinguished religious beliefs – Hinduism, Christianity , and Islam.  Vagamon is also a favourite spot of adventure seekers and offers trekking, rock climbing. Kurisumala Hill is home to the famous Indo-Swiss Dairy farm project. The place is completely enclosed with tea estates and lakes. Thangal Hill is the burial chamber of Sheikh Fariduddin and Murugan Hill is devoted to Hindu God Murugan, the son of Lord Shiva. The third, Kurisumala Hill has a Kurisumala Ashram, which is a religious residence that links to both Hindu and Christian faith.

RAMAKKALMEDU - KERALA

Ramakkalmedu is a hill station in Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located about 15 km from Nedumkandom on the Munnar-Thekkady route.

 It provides a panoramic view of Tamil Nadu villages and towns. It is the proposed site for power generation using winds. It believes that or there is a folk-tale that lord 'Sree Rama', the Hindu mythological God had set his foot on this rock and hence the name Rama-Kal-Medu (Meaning: Rama's foot imprints).  The place has a Monument of Kuravar and Kurathi Statue.

Ramakkalmedu stands tall in the Western Ghats at a height of 3500 feet above sea level. Here one can move up to the tip of the rock. The strong wind that one experiences on reaching the tip of the rock is a beautiful feeling. Wind blows at a speed around 35 km per hour at Ramakkalmedu throughout the year irrespective of the season and time. 

The green hills that surround the place add up the beauty. Many tourists visit the place every day. It’s a newly discovered hill station. There is wind mill near the place, since the place receives wind on a high rate.

The wind gusts into the hills and recorded as maximum in Asia. The Sun rises on the eastern hills and sets at the western mountains and the beauty of sunrise and sunset through the mountains surrounded by green forest is a unique view that can be experienced only at Ramakkalmedu.

However one can say that Ramakkalmedu is breath takingly beautiful place.  It’s a good ecotourism spot too.

AGUADA FORT - GOA

Aguada fort is situated in Goa, India. The fort was constructed in 1612 to guard against the Dutch and the Marathas. It was a reference point for the vessels coming from Europe at that time. A freshwater spring within the fort provided water supply to the ships that used to stop by. This is how the fort got its name: Aguada, meaning Water. On the fort stands a four-storey Portuguese lighthouse, erected in 1864 and the oldest of its kind in Asia.

The fort was built to control the entry into the river Mandovi and to protect Old Goa from enemy attacks.located at the estuary of the river Mandovi, this fort was constructed as a guard against invasions from the Dutch and the Marathas. The walls of this fort are 5 meters high and 1.3 meters wide.

It’s a best example for the Portuguese military architecture. It’s a big fort that covers a large part of the peninsula at the mouth of river mandovi. A delight for a military architect was the position of the fort citadel situated at the heart of the fort on the western tip of the headland commanding any seaward approach. It is now used as a jail outside the area of the fort and can still be visited. Similar to all forts built by the Portuguese where the fort configuration usually conforms towards the ground, this one is in form of a square with bastions for artillery placed at each of its three corners, while the fourth corner is occupied by a main gate. Each of the three corners are strongly defended by a dry moat and extremely thick walls while the fourth faces out on the steep slope towards the river.  At one time, 200 cannons were a part of this fort.

Aguada fort has the one of the oldest light house. The building has a solid appearance with the presence of a balustrade around the platform with a curving staircase to the lamp housing. The great bell from the Augustinian church was initially brought here before getting transferred to the Panjim church.

There are places for accommodation in Aguada:

11)   Hotel Columbus

22)   Beach hotel de Aguada

33)   Rincon of the seas gran Caribbean hotel (9km from Aguada)

are some.

PANCHALIMEDU - KERALA

Panchalimedu is located 10 km from Kuttikkanam, Idukki. Located at an altitude of about 950 meters above sea level Panchalimedu is an ideal place for trekking. 

Legend has it that the Pandavas and Panchali took a break in the area while on exile and hence the name Panchalimedu. Here a cave is known as bearing the footprints of Bhima. There is small temple dedicated to Bhuvaneshwari. The remnants of Shivalingas, thrishul, naga idols are also there.

Panchalimedu near Murinjapuzha in Kuttikkanam offers tourists a panoramic view of an unending stretch of valleys and hills. The green hills and meadows are attracting a lot of travelers to this beautiful place every day.

The divine makaravilakku of Sabarimala is visible from this location.  Lot of pilgrims come here on the auspicious occasion to view makarvillaku.

There are places for accommodation:                                                      

1) paradise plantation retreat(Murinjapuzha, Kerala Dist 0469 2701311)                                                2)Dream land hill resort : (Kuttikanam P.O, Peermedu, Near Thekkady

Kuttikanam 09447304467)

HUSSAIN SAGAR LAKE - ANDHRA PRADESH

Hussain Sagar is a lake in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, built by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali in 1562, during the rule of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah. Hussain Sagar Lake is one of the largest manmade lake situated at the confluence of Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Begumpet.

It was 5.7 square kilometers built on a tributary of the River Musi to meet the water and irrigation needs of the city.  A famous monolith of Lord Buddha is installed at the center of the lake which was erected in 1992. Hussain Sagar Lake is popularly known as the Tank Bund, a major spot of tourist attractions.  At the end of the Hussain Sagar one can find the Masjid and Dargah of Sayedani Maa Tomb.  It is a sprawling artificial lake that holds water perennially.

Linking the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, the lake and its environs have several parks and scenic spots. The broad road on the tank bund is lined with lawns, and statues of 33 famous personalities of the state (which are now partially destroyed) stand along the bund. The State Tourism is providing new and better facilities like speed boats, motor boats, etc. The Necklace Road is another attraction which outlines the periphery of the Hussain Sagar Lake, enhancing its beauty even more. Standing on the water front at night, one is mesmerized by the glimmering row of lights demarcating the lake that looks like a diamond studded necklace. Other attractions around the lake are the Lumbini Park and the Birla Mandir. Lumbini Park features a musical fountain and well landscaped garden. The ancient temple of Katta Maisamma, symbolizing ‘goddess of the dam’, is very close to this road and pulls a lot of devotees every year.

The lake was originally constructed to supply drinking water but it is not used as a drinking water source since 1930. The lake also protected the citizens staying in the low lying areas around the lake from floods.