Papi Kondalu or Paapi Hills are a part of the Eastern Ghats through which the river Godavari flows where the width is barely one kilometer with a depth of about 100-130 ft. The panoramic view of the hills is spellbound attraction to the visitors. The scenic view, the grandeur of the hills and the flowing of river Godavari cannot be explained in words. One must visit and experience. The green lush rain forest on the hills reflect in the waters of Godavari add much more beauty to the on looking tourists. There is a legendary story behind Papikondalu is that during vanavasa period Lord Rama and Sita stayed in this region.

One can reach Papikondalu either from Rajahmundry (East Godavari District) or Bhadrachalam (Khammam District). The actual boat journey from Rajahmundry side starts from a small village about 20 kilometers away from a village named Pattisam or Pattiseema. This village is famous for an ancient Hindu temple of Lord Veerabhadraswamy. The journey from this village to Papikondalu takes about three hours in a mechanized boat run by several private boat owners and the A.P. Tourism. The boat takes the tourists up to a village Peranatallapalli. The boat journey gives a pleasure and peace of mind to the visitors with the cool breeze from Godavari waters, and the picturesque view of the hills. From Bhadrachalam side the boat journey starts from a village named Sri Ramgiri or Kunuru about one and half hours Journey from Bhadrachalam. Both Bhadrachalam and Rajahmundry are well connected by rail and busses.

For the boat journeys one can hire a boat entirely or can also purchase individual tickets and travel. Generally the fare of the boat journey includes breakfast, lunch and evening snacks. Enjoying the sight seeing of the scenic beauty along with the hospitality and the food served by the boat’s management staff is an experience by itself. One can also enjoy the panoramic view of the hills and the twists of Godavari River by sitting on the terrace of the boat which is an unforgettable experience to anybody. The best period to visit is from September to December where the rain fall is less with optimum waters in the river. If there are rains it is better to avoid the journey.

Places of interest to see on the way to Papikondalu:

1. Pattisam or Pattiseema: The boat journey for Papikondalu starts from this village. It is a small village situated on the banks of river Godavari. A temple is located on the top of a hill for the God Sri Uma Nandeeswara Swamy constructed during 12th century which is worth seeing.

2. Polavaram Project: This can be seen from the top of the hill situated on the back side.

3. Gonduru: The next stop is at Gonduru a small village where a temple was constructed for the Goddess Gandhi Pochamma.

4. Papikondalu: The final stop of the journey to Papikondalu is at a village named Peranatallapalli after viewing the Papikondalu. At this village Sri Ramakrishna Hermitage is worth visiting. A small water fall flowing from the hills can also be seen. Lot of varieties of handicrafts made by the local people is available for sale worth purchasing.

The whole of the Journey from Pattisam to Papikondalu and back takes about six hours which is very exciting and enjoyable one must get experienced.

Nainital the lake city of India is situated at a height of 1938 meters above the sea level in Himalayan region of the state of Uttarakhand. Nainital is surrounded by huge mountains and thick forests. It is a best tourist spot attracting several tourists from all over the world. The city is named after the local Goddess ‘Naini Devi’. Once the city was called as city of 60 lakes but now most of the lakes have disappeared due to deforestation and climatic changes. There are several places in Nainital to visit and 2-3 days stay is required to visit all the places.

Places to visit in Nainital:

• Naini Devi temple
• Naini Lake
• Mall road
• Rope way
• Zoo
• Governor’s house
• St John’s Church
• Cave gardens in Nainital
• Gurney house
• China peak
• Dorothy seat
• Hanuman Garhi
• Kilbury in Nainital

About Pics of Nainital: I along with a group of 30 members went to Nainital as a part of our course at IIM Indore. We stayed there at ‘Aurobindo Ashramam’ and learned Pranayama, Meditation, and did activities like Trekking, Grappling, Mountain Climbing etc., Apart from this we have also done some site seeing where I got chance to click some good pictures of Nainital. – RJ Stallin Sanamandra

As the root further grows, more and more bamboos are added to provide direction so that it reaches the other side of the valley crossing dangerous rivers below. These roots grow very slowly, at times a few millimeters in a few months and hence a small bridge of say about 40 feet takes a period of 23 years. This being the case, imagine how much time would have taken to build a double decker bridge as shown in the picture.

The locals say that it has taken 500 years to form this bridge that can withstand 90 people at a time without any sign of fear. Since the roots are continuously growing with their other end firmly set the strength of the bridge only gets enhanced as the days pass by. This bridge receives a good amount of tourists who have to trek quite a distance. Now this has become a trend in that area where the present generation creates a facility so that the next generation can use the same to cross the valleys in Meghalaya.

Image Source: Fun On The Net

While we enjoy the beauty of the location, it’s also important to know how the name Nandi is given to these hills. But it’s unfortunate we are not in a position to just settle with one theory. So here are the theories. Firstly and most aptly this range looks like a sleeping bull which is called Nandi in Sanskrit. Secondly, Tippu Sultan built a fort by name Nandi Durga in this place and people say the name came from there. Thirdly, during the chola period it was also called as Ananda Giri, meaning The Hill of Happiness. And there are two more, they are, A Nandi temple built in a Dravidian style some 1200 years ago and finally the presence of a Bhoga Nandeeswara temple which is stated to be belonging to the 9th century.

The height 4851 ft above sea level is the main reason for the comfort in these hills which now attract large number of resort builders and hence tourists particularly during summer.

Tippu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore exploited these hills to the maximum. While he had his summer palace, temple, horse way, secret escape routes, etc., the most interesting spot is Tippu’s drop which he used for dropping his prisoners to death.

Mahatma Gandhi during his visits to this part of the country used to stay in a house which is now named as Gandhi House. Similarly there is another building where Jawaharlal Nehru used to stay and that is named as Nehru Nilaya. These houses are now under horticulture department of India. Another importance attached to these hills is the meditation by Swamy Ramakrishna in a cave called Brahmashram. This place also was used by all Munis in olden days and it’s famous joint for youngsters.

And here are some photos to cool your eyes.

Time schedule of departure of buses from various locations to Nandi Hills.
Chikballapur – 7.15 AM | 3.15 PM
Doddaballapur – 4.30 PM
Bangalore (via Chikkaballapur)-7.30AM | 9.30AM | 4.00PM | 4.30PM
Bangalore (via Doddaballapur)-8.30 AM

Time schedule of departure of buses from Nandi Hills to various locations.
Chikballapur – 6.00 AM
Bangalore (via Devanahalli) – 12.30 PM
Chikballapur – 8.00 AM
Bangalore (via Chikkaballapur)-4.30 PM
Chikballapur – 10.30 AM
Bangalore (via Doddaballapur) – 5.30 PM
Doddaballapur – 11.00 AM
Bangalore (via Chikkaballapur) – 6.30 PM

Timing & Entry Fee
Entry Fee: Rs.5/-
Above 12 yrs: Rs.5/-
Children: Free

Vehicle Fee:
Car Parking: Rs.80/-
Two wheelers: Rs.15/-
Buses and Trucks: Rs.100/-

Entry for school children and the disabled is free.

Here are some Travel Tips:
• Collect the details and maps of the important places that you are likely to visit.
• Plan to visit the places along with a government approved guide.
• Beware of monkeys and dogs on the hills and avoid holding eatables in your hands.
• Be careful while choosing the food items at the hill station. Try to buy the food that is properly packed.
• In order to avoid stomach upsets, carry the bottled mineral water for drinking.
• Do not accept any package from a stranger.
• Sunrise and sunset points is a must visit spots at all hill stations.
• While shopping, it is always advisable to buy only exclusive items of that particular place since the cost of other items are too high in tourist spots.
• While purchasing any item, negotiate the prices to 50% and then buy. If not, it is safe to shop from the state government shops as the prices are fixed there and no one can cheat you.
• As there is a threat of wild animals in the hilly forest areas, it is better not to go out during the late night hours.

Walk a bit of distance you will see guy with a monkey and full of tricks. It’s an unforgettable experience to see the monkey doing all kinds of actions just as told by his master. Highlight was the Madhuri Dixit dance and ring jump. Can anyone forget kala katta? Your visit to Juhu does not end without tasting Kala Katta.

Image Credits: ISKCON

Royal Entrance of Brihadishwara Temple in Thanjavur

Brihadishwara Temple, Tanjore

Architectural Kailasa Temple in Yellora

Lotus Temple, New Delhi

Beautiful Night View of Lotus Temple

Birla Mandir in the capital city of India

Birla Mandir at Jaipur

Mt.Girnar is the sacred place for both Hindus and Jains in Junagadh district, Gujarat

Rich Golden Temple at Amritsar, Punjab

Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram

Birla Mandir in complete white marble, Hyderabad

Iskon Temple, Vridavan, Uttar Pradesh

Magnificent Jain Temples at Palitana Hill Top, Gujarat

Beautifully Carved Jain Temples at Palitana, Gujarat

Facinating Khajuraho Temple, Madhya Pradesh

Meenakshi Amman Temple, the historic Hindu temple in Madhurai

Dhynalingam in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

Goddess Mahalakshmi Temple also known as Siripuram Golden Temple at Vellore

Jagannath Temple at Puri

Lord Venkateswara Temple at Tirupathi

Iskon Temple also known as Sri Sri Radha Krishna Chandra Temple, Bangalore

Temple at Mahabalipuram Seashore

Kanyakumari Temple, the scene beauty of Tamil Nadu

Snake boat race is the largest team sport in the world and lead by colourful water parades. Thousands of people gather at lakes to cheer the huge black crafts as they slice through the waters to a spectacular finish. One of the oldest and most popular boat races in Kerala is Champakulam Moolam Boat Race which is connected to Sree Krishna Temple at Ambalappuzha. This race is conducted on Champakulam Lake on the moolam day of Midhunam, the Malayalam month.

Some of the boat races held during the months of August–September are
Rajiv Gandhi Boat Race, ATDC Boat Race, Neerettupuram Boat Race, Kumarakom Arpookara Vanitha Jalamela, Karuvatta Boat Race, Thazhathangadi Boat Race, Kottayam Mahatma Boat Race and Kumaranasan Smaraka Jalotsavam. Indira Gandhi Boat Race is held on the Ernakulam Lake during the Cochin Carnival in December last week.

Photographer : Christopher Chan

Photographer: Voobie

Photographer: Danielguip

Photographer: Saravk

Photographer : TheGypSy

Photographer: Michael Foley

Photographer: Rammorrison

Photography : Betta design

Photography: Freebird

Photographer: Prakhar

Photographer: Saad Akthar

Photography: Flickmor

Photography: Vector Razdium

Source and Copyrights: Flickr

Kanyakumari is named after the virgin goddess, Kanayakumari Amman. Kanyakumari Temple also known as Kumari Amman temple located at the sea shore is the main featuring spot for the tourists to visit. The temple is dedicated to the virgin goddess Parvati, who self-punished to marry Lord Shiva.

The main attractions of this place are the enthusiastic sunsets that are visible only from October 15th to March 15th. Though sunrise can be viewed throughout the year, sunrise on full moon day is the serene beauty. But we can have a view of both sunrise and sunset throughout the year from top of a hill called Murugan Kundram which also recommends for a panoramic view of Kanyakumari. Yet another distinctive sight of this spot is, the sunset and moonrise can be viewed almost simultaneously on full moon days.

Kanyakumari known for its tranquility has very beautiful beaches with sand in multicolor. There are two rocks called as ‘Twin Rocks’ in the middle of the sea, both adding the rich Indian heritage with the Vivekananda Rock Memorial built in 1970 (where Swamy Vivekananda sat in deep meditation) and monument of Saint Thiruvalluvar. This apart, A Gandhi Memorial was built on that spot where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were kept in the vase for public viewing before submersion.

A few notable festivals celebrated in Kanyakumari are Chaitra Purnima festival celebrated in May 1st week, Navaratri festival celebrated during the month of October and the Holy Annual festival of Roman Catholic Church celebrated in the last week of December.

The facility of road, rail and air transport is available for tourists to travel. While the nearest airport is located in Trivandrum, Kerala, 87 kms away from Kanyakumari, two railway junctions, one at Kanyakumari and the other at Nagarcoil and three bus terminuses, Central and Express Bus Stand, Christopher Bus Stand and Anna Bus Stand are situated. The tourists may visit the place according to their preference of choice in transport.