India: A Perfect Holiday Destination

Interested in India Holiday Tours? Welcome, India Tourism invites you to spend your holidays in India. Travel in India and observe its incredible cultural heritage and get fascinated with historic & magnificent monuments, fantastic forts, terrific temples, and several beautiful holiday spots. Travel in India and marvel on incredible architectural wonders of India. Architecturally beautiful structures, monuments with beautiful design, paintings & carvings, temples with fine carvings & sculptures, fantastic forts, elegant palaces, majestic tombs of mighty emperors, etc are truly breathtaking. During your holidays in India, you will too have a brilliant opportunity to see all these architectural wonders of India.

To see monumental attractions in India your must travel in Rajasthan. There are several monuments in Rajasthan, India. Embark on Rajasthan Holiday Tours and add a special charm in your holidays in India. Among all the holiday destinations of India, Rajasthan, the land of monuments or the land of Kings, maintains a special importance. undergraduate online course cuisine of Rajasthan served in the milieu of royal forts & palaces, camel safari on sand dunes, exceptional beauty of Mount Abu, friendly people etc make Rajasthan a popular spots for holidays in India. Choose any Rajasthan Holiday Package and embark on tours to Rajasthan, India. Surely, your Rajasthan Holiday will be a mesmerizing and pleasant experience.
Not only monuments, in fact, India Tourism offers a range of experience. It offers an amazing selection of holidays in India. Beach holidays on Goa Beaches & Kerala Beaches, Family Holiday on several picturesque locations, backwater holiday, etc, you can enjoy all this on your India Holiday Tours. If your children undergraduate online course interested in wildlife or water fun, India is fully prepared for it also. Explore Indian National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries and watch thrilling & sensational activities of wild animals. Go to beach destination and enjoy water funs. Hill Stations of India may also be fascinating family holiday destination. Lush green hill stations of India with their extra-ordinary beauty offer you fascinating spots for you and your family on your holidays in India.

Some of the must-visit holidays destinations and attractions in India are Rajasthan with magnificent forts, palaces, & rustic beauty; Agar with the magnificent Taj Mahal; Kashmir with extra-ordinary natural beauty, beautiful gardens, lovely free online business courses and snow; Delhi with India Gate, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, etc; Kerala with breathtakingly beautiful natural beautiful, lovely beaches and backwaters; Hyderabad with Charminar, Mount Abu’s Dilwara Jain Temples, Hill stations like Nainital, Ooty, Darjeeling, Shimla, Manali, etc. You can too enjoy the fascination of India, just choose any one of luxury holiday packages to India and embark on India Holiday Tours.

Source:http://www.potterworldonline.com/destinations/0,9317,423551,00.html

Top seven tourist destinations of Rajasthan

Rajasthan the land of kings – is the largest state of India. It has global distinction for its wealth of tourism and rich culture and tradition. The state is rich in its culture and tradition. People are generous and ready to help guests. Colourful costumes of people delight tourists. Exotic cuisine smacks your lips. Fairs and festivals of the state give you a cultural insight. Forts and palaces enchant visitors with their unique and superb architecture.

Wildlife sanctuaries and national parks provide you delightful, thrilling and sensational experience of India tourism. Camel safari provides you wonderful opportunity to see the charisma of rippling sand dunes. At sand dunes, you can watch one of the world’s best sunset views. Heritage and palace hotels provide your royal and luxurious experience. In fact, each and every destination of the state is worth visiting, worth exploring and worth praising.

There are several destinations in Rajasthan known for their delightful charm. Given below is information about top seven destinations of the state. Surley exploring these destinations will be delightful experience of Rajasthan tours India.

Jaipur – The Pink City
Popularly described as the Pink City of India, Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan. It is 260 km from national capital Delhi and 240 km from Agra – the home of India’s star attraction Taj Mahal. Delhi, Jaipur and Agra tours form one of the most tours of India, known as Golden Triangle Tour. The major attractions of the city are City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar Observatory, Birla Temple, Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Tal Mahal, Nahargarh Fort, Gaitore, Statue Circle, and colourful and bustling bazaars laden with exquisite handicrafts. Jaipur is one of the best planned cities of India and presents unique synthesis of culture, tradition and modernisation.

Udaipur – The White City
Udaipur is one of the most beautiful cities of the state. It is popularly described with several nicknames viz ’the City of Lakes’, ’the City of Palaces’, ’the City of Sunrise’, and ’the Venice of the East’. It is one of the most visited and preferred travel destinations of the state. Major attractions of the city are City Palace Complex, Lake Palace now a world famous heritage hotel, Pichola Lake, Jagdish Temple, Saheliyon-ki-Bari, Jag Mandir, Nehru Park, Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandir, Fateh Prakash Palace, Sajjan Garh Palace with excellent views of surrounding hills, lakes, and snow-white palaces, Gulab Bagh, etc. Lake Palace is one of the most popular attractions of city. It is situated on Jag Niwas Island in the middle of picturesque Pichola Lake. It is the finest example of architectural and cultural explosion. Udaipur is considered as one of the most romantic cities in the world.

Jodhpur – The Blue City
Popularly described as the Blue City of India, Jodhpur is one of the most preferred travel destinations of the state. It is also described as the Sun City because it enjoys sunny weather all year around. Dotted with magnificent monuments, terrific temples, royal cenotaphs and ruins, the Blue City of Jodhpur offers you the ultimate experience of royal Rajasthan tour. The major attractions of Jodhpur city are the mammoth Mehrangarh Fort, the elegant Umaid Bhawan Palace and Museum, the royal cenotaph of Jaswant Thada, etc. There are several beautiful palaces inside the Mehrangarh Fort complex like Phool Mahal (the Palace of Flowers), Sheesh Mahal (the Palace of Mirrors), Moti Mahal (the Palace of Pearls), Daulat Khana, and Sileh Khana. Truly Jodhpur is worth visiting, worth exploring and delightful tour experience.

Jaisalmer – The Golden City
Popularly described as the Golden City of India, Jaisalmer has several fascinating and enchanting attractions to offer its visitors from all over the world. The city provides wonderful opportunity to see magnificent forts, stunning havelis, ancient Jain temples, and rippling sand dunes. The city also provides delightful experience of camel rides to the nearby villages and rippling sand dunes. The prime attractions of the city are Sonar Kila (also known as Jaisalmer Fort and Golden Fort), Desert National Park, Havelis, Jain Temples inside the Fort Complex, and Sam Sand Dunes. Truly, a must visit destination of the state.

Ajmer – A Sacred Medieval Town
Ajmer is a holy place for both Hindus and Muslims. It is one of the most important Muslim pilgrimage centres in India. The prime attractions of the town are Dargah Sharif, Adhai-Din-Ka-Johpra, Nasiyan Jain Temple, Ana Sagar Lake, Taragarh Fort, government museum, etc. Dargarh Sharif is the most popular attraction of the city. It is predominately a Muslim pilgrimage destination but it is revered by people of both faiths – Muslim and Hindus.

Pushkar – The Sacred City
Pushkar is a small but beautiful town of Rajasthan. It is one of the most scared pilgrim centres of India. The town is so sacred that no meat, egg and alcohol are allowed here. It is home to Lord Brahma Temple, the only temple in the world dedicated to Lord Brahma. Other major attractions of the city are Pushkar Lake, Savitri Temple, Varah Temple, Mahadeo Temple, Ramvaikunth Temple, Holy Ghats, etc. Pushkar is also globally known for the annual Pushkar Fair and Festival. Exploring the attractions of Pushkar is truly a spiritual experience.

Mount Abu - The only hill station
Mount Abu is the only hill station of the state. It is known for cool and delightful ambiance. Nature has blessed this hill town uniquely. Beautiful landscapes delight you. Due to pleasant weather and beautiful landscapes, the city is very popular among honeymoon couples. Besides, exceptional beauty, the town is also famous for ancient Hindu and Jain temples. The prime attractions of Mount Abu are Dilwara Jain Temple, scenic Nakki Lake, Adhar Devi Temple dedicated to Goddess Durga, Sunset Point, Honeymooner Point, Guru Shikhar offering panoramic views of hills, and Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary rich in its flora and fauna. Truly, a must visit destination of Rajasthan.

There are several tour packages in Rajasthan available to explore these prime destinations of the state. Some of travel agents or tour operators also provide car rental services that enable you to explore these destinations in a more convenient way. Well, get ready to experience the ultimate charm of Rajasthan tourism by exploring above mentioned prime travel destinations of the state.
source:http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=143903

Tips to ensure a happy, healthy, summer holiday

A change is as good as a rest' and over the coming months hundreds of thousands will take to the roads, to the skies and even to the rail tracks in pursuit of their change.

While very few people go on holiday anticipating that they won't enjoy it, there are things that make it more or less enjoyable.

Surprisingly, even the tourism industry now scientifically studies the aspects of holidays that make them enjoyable.

However, I could only identify one study that measured the impact on psychological well-being. The study, published in the Journal Of Travel Medicine in 2005, was conducted by Austrian researchers and identified characteristics that predicted the psychological health outcomes of the annual holiday.

One hundred and ninety one, mainly white-collar workers, were administered a questionnaire one week after completion of their annual vacation, evaluating five broad areas, including: physical characteristics of the holiday (eg, duration, distance travelled to reach destination, time zone, temperature, etc), structuring of the day (eg, number of meals provided, planning of the day, etc), health and social activity (eg, amount of sleep, physical activity, making new acquaintances, etc), stress during the vacation (eg, rows, health problems, etc) and, finally, the physical and mental strain of work and basic characteristics, such as age.

Subjects were asked to rate their subjective feelings of recuperation and exhaustion in comparison to before the holiday. Some of the results were unexpected and counter-intuitive. A proportion of the outcome (27pc) could be predicted by measuring the variables.

The higher the mental strain of work, the greater the feeling of recuperation. In addition, a warm temperature at vacation site, the amount of time vacationers had for themselves and for their needs, engaging in physical activity, good quality of sleep and making new acquaintances all had a positive effect.

Interpersonal conflict was negatively associated with recuperation, but only to a very small extent (two per cent), while health problems during the vacation, number of hours slept and number of meals provided had no impact.

Turning to the predictors of improvement in levels of exhaustion, only 15pc of the variance could be explained. Time-zone differences, temperature and health problems during the holiday predicted improvement but, surprisingly, the duration of the holiday and the travel time to the destination did not impact on this.

The finding that the duration of the holiday did not effect exhaustion levels might seem surprising, since it is assumed that the longer the vacation, the greater the time to sleep and unwind.

However, other leisure research has shown that the greatest improvement occurs in the first three days of holiday and peaks by seven.

On the other hand, the extent to which leisure time predicts recuperation is proof of our intuition that freedom from obligations is central to a holidays restorative value.

Surprisingly, self-determination of daily activities or some scheduling of daily activities was not related to recuperation as other studies found, but the mood-enhancing effects of physical activity and also of social interaction were clearly demonstrated in this study.
source:http://www.independent.ie/health/tips-to-ensure-a-happy-healthy-summer-holiday-1402382.html

Kerala Festival Message

Believe it or not, Kerala has around 20,000 Hindu temples and shrines and in almost all the villages there is at least one place of worship for Christians and Muslims.

These major and minor places of worship had contributed significantly to the development and continued maintenance of the rich cultural heritage of the state through the vibrant annual festivals.

Although some of the major festivals are known at the national and international levels, many of them are not known beyond the boundaries of the state.

The organisers of these celebrations are not publicity-conscious. As a result, the efforts to keep track of these festivals have become very difficult.

Obviously, neither the State Tourism Department nor any individual have tried to systematically bring out the detailed information on these cultural festivals till recently.

Kerala Festival Message 2008’, a directory of festivals in Kerala, edited by C A Menon, is a major work which provides detailed and systematic information about the festivals in Kerala.

The directory was first published in 2004 figuring out the details of around 1000 festivals across the state.

The latest and updated version lists out over 2500 festivals in the state in the year 2008, with eye-catching pictures to provide a glimpse of the richness of these festivals to its reader.

The latest volume also covers all the festivals beginning from January 2009 as well as major festivals next year.

The compilation is a valuable addition to the material that helps both domestic and foreign tourists to acquaint themselves with the festivals and rituals in Kerala.

Aimed at facilitating travel agents, tour operators and tourists, especially foreign tourists, to plan their programmes well in advance and to synchronise them with the festivals of their choice, the author is at present engaged in bringing out a directory of festivals in the state in the next five years shortly.

source:http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20080527001853&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0

Kerala Tourism: The Culture and The Curry

Kerala is a gateway to paradise. The state offers an enthralling experience with its captivating landscapes, mind blowing backwaters, majestic hills, wildlife parks and sanctuaries, tea plantations, and last but not the least, its stunning sun-kissed beaches. With the hordes of tourists and travelers visiting Kerala for spending holidays, Kerala tourism is rising at great strides. Apart from an excellent getaway to nature, Kerala tourism is also redefined as Kerala Health Tourism, Kerala Backwater Tourism, Kerala Culture Tourism, Kerala Beach Tourism, and many more.

Kerala takes pride in being one of the oldest civilizations on the face of the earth. Historians suggest that Kerala culture is a blend of numerous civilizations, varied customs, practices and beliefs as a result of interaction of Indian as well as overseas cultures. A variety of performing arts such as Koodiyattom, a type of drama or theater and UNESCO-listed human heritage art; Kathakali, a dance drama that depicts ancient epics; Kerala natanam, a popular offshoot of Kathakali; Koothu, a light-hearted comedy performance similar to modern-day stand-up comedy; Mihiniyattam, the dance of the enchantress which is a choreographed performance by women accompanied by music and vocalizations, and many more art performances are unique to Kerala.

The Kerala culture is reflected in its festivals, pilgrimages, literature, music, traditional performances, customs, practices and cuisine. Variety and uniqueness of Kerala's culture may be experienced by being a part of its annual ten-day festival known as Onam. During Onam, a host of colorful sports, cultural programs and rituals are organized. Celebrated at the end of August or beginning of September, the festival is a complete reflection of the rich culture that Kerala boasts of.

The Kerala food is unusual which offers some of the most sumptuous tastes on earth. Keralites are gourmets with a difference. The cuisine is usually hot, spicy, aromatic and flavored. Use of coconut is an integral part of the cuisine. It is used either chopped or grated to garnish the dishes. Coconut milk or paste is used to thicken gravies and its oil is used for cooking. Rice is the staple diet. A typical lunch or dinner may consist of rice, seasonal vegetables cooked in coconut oil with different spices for flavor, dal, seafood curry and a sweet dish as dessert. Seafood is taken almost with every meal. Fish like sardines, tuna, rays, and crabs, mussels and oysters are taken with unique preparations. Apart from meals, different snacks such as banana chips, murku, shakaruperi and many types of halwa are consumed any time during the day.

Sorce:http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/62158