Leh, earlier the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, is a top tourist attraction located east of Srinagar, capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Today, Leh is the largest town of Ladakh. It is the district headquarters of Leh district, one of the two districts of Ladakh (the other being Kargil). Leh has a special appeal in terms of adventure tourism and spiritual healing. Leh has an area of 45,110 square kilometres and has an elevation of 3,500 metres. Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) governs Leh’s administration.  Deputy Commissioner, Leh holds the power of Chief Executive Officer, LAHDC. The population of Leh mainly comprises people of Buddhist faith (about 77 per cent) followed by Muslims, Hindus and others. The average literacy rate of Leh is 75 percent. The population  [...]

I am referring to the town of Pahalgam located in the Anantnag district of the northernmost Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Regarded as the famous tourist destination, the Pahalgam town is known for its picturesque landscape and jeweled charm spreading in the Liddar valley located of the high Himalayas. Perched high at an altitude of 2130 m, the alpine town stands at the junction of the streams arising from the Sheshnag Lake and the Lidder River. Talking about Pahalgam religious significance, it is the base camp for the pilgrims of the world wide popular Amarnath Ji Yatra to reach the holy Amarnath Cave holding the naturally rising ice lingam of Lord Shiva (Perpetuator of Truth). The landscape varies from verdant wooded mountains, pine forest, stretching meadows, pastures, shimmering  [...]

Within the precincts of the Western Ghats in the south western state of Kerala in India, the Periyar National Park is the protected area along with the Tiger Reserve that forms the most alluring wildlife parks on the planet. Located in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta, the park and the reserve is considered as one of the ideal wildlife parks in India for wildlife photos, bird watching, elephant flocks, and tiger spotting. The sanctuary is one of the oldest ones in India set up in the green lands of Kerala in 1895 and entitled a Tiger Reserve in 1978. Occupying an area of 777 sq km, 360 sq km is covered with dense evergreen forests that together form the park and reserve, sometimes called as the Periyar wildlife sanctuary. Often called as Thekkady, the park is famous for the  [...]

Located at 65 km south east of the Junagadh city of Saurashtra, Gujarat in India; the Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is exclusively the abode of the pure Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica) now 300 of them and one of the most vital protected areas in Asia, thanks to its dwelling species. Set up in 1965 A.D. with a total area of 1412 square km, some 258 sq. km is covered by the fully protected area (the National Park) and 1153 sq. km. is reserved for the Sanctuary. The landscape of the park is rocky occupied with low hills and blended vegetation. In the sanctuary, you will find many human hamlets of cattle people called Maldharis holding some probable 20,000 livestock, which, by the way, is a major share of the Lion’s food. In addition, there are sites of Hindu pilgrimage  [...]

Usually, the Jain temples in India are world famous for their architectural beauty and tranquil vibes. Among the number of wonderful Jain temples in Mumbai and the magnificent ones in India, the Babu Amichand Panalal Adishwarji Jain Temple is worth visiting even though you might not be a Jain or a religious believer. It is also simply known as the Adishwar Temple that was constructed in 1904 A.D. The Jain community is known for its peace-loving attitude such that they even take effort to prevent killing even a small insect. In this context, you will find Jains in the temple wearing a cloth over their mouth and then chanting mantras or worshipping to prevent killing a microorganism in the air as far as possible. These people are the strong believers in self-restraint and aestheticism, much  [...]

Char Dham, literally meaning the Four Abodes, refers to the most significant pilgrimage route in the Garwhal range of the Uttaranchal State (once the northwest area of the Uttar Pradesh State) in India. En routing the Himalayas, the four holy abodes are the four places visited in the stated order: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. The geneses of the Char Dham are unclear, as initially it was named for the pilgrimage of four cardinal temples namely, Puri in Orissa, Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu, Dwarka in Gujarat, and Badrinath in Uttarakhand; as mention by the famous 8th century reformer and philosopher - Shankaracharya (Adi Sankara). Badrinath, the final but the most vital of the four sites in the Shankaracharya-led Char Dham; along with Yamunotri, Gangotri, and Kedarnath together  [...]

Perched in the Himalayan Mountains of the Uttarakhand state in India, the town of Auli is a key skiing spot with varying altitudes of 2915 m to 3049 m. This is inevitable as even a few French and Australian experts have considered Auli to be one of the best ski resorts on the planet. However, Auli is not that famous as ski resort as Shimla, Gulmarg or Manali. For its current tourist fame, thanks to the formation of new state Uttarakhand made from Uttar Pradesh. This state is considered as an abode of Gods and has four vital pilgrimage destinations namely 'Char Dham' (Gangotri-Yamunotri-Kedarnath-Badrinath) where Auli comes before Badrinath. Auli offers a captivating panoramic view of the towering peaks of the Himalayas such as Nanda Devi, Kamet, Mana Parvat, and Dunagiri, while its slopes  [...]

Yamunotri, one among the Four Pilgrimage Sites (Char Dham) of Hindus, is situated in the west of the Garhwal hills of the Uttarkashi district in the Uttarakhand state of India. Lying on the Lower Himalayan Range at 3235 m and close to Indo-Chinese border, it is the source of the holy river Yamuna and the seat of Goddess Yamuna (The Celestial Sister of the God of Death). The actual source of the river is at the Yamunotri Glacier on 6387 m near the Bandarpunch peaks. Yamunotri is revered by Hindus from all over the world for the temple of the goddess Yamunotri built in 19th century. The Shrine of Yamunotri is situated in the opposite direction to Gangotri. Legend According to legend, holy Yamuna is the daughter of the Sun God, Surya and the Goddess of Consciousness, Sangya. Along with  [...]

Kalimpong is a pretty hill station located in the Mahabharat Range (the Lesser Himalayas) in the northern part of the state West Bengal near the Sikkim border in India. Headquarters of the Kalimpong sub-division of Darjeeling district, Kalimpong lies at an average elevation of 1,250 metres above the sea level. The 27 Mountain Division of the Indian Army is stationed on the outskirts of Kalimpong. History: In earlier days, Kalimpong served the gateway in the Indo-Tibet trade before the annexation of Tibet by China and the Sino-Tibet War. Kalimpong has been a prominent centre of education during the British rule in India. It was also a major centre of pro-Gorkhaland agitators in the 1980s and also in current times. Geography: Kalimpong is located on a ridge connecting two hills, Deolo  [...]