7 Places in India to Rejuvenate Your Body and Soul
The beautiful land of India, famous for its alluring tourist destinations, attracts millions of travellers from across the globe. There are thousands of marvelous attractions spread across the length and breadth of the country; and each one has a unique story to tell. The awe-inspiring beauty of nature will conquer your soul, the heartbeats of history will reverberate in your ears, the legendary ballads of heroism will captivate your mind and the amazing architectural excellence will mesmerize your senses. There are miles to go and myriads of places to explore. Here is a list of 7 spectacular places in India that will give you a refreshing break from your stressful routine.
1. Rishikesh – Discover your Mystical Connection with Nature
Rishikesh, popularly known as the “Yoga Capital of the World”, is a small town located 25 km north of Haridwar, in the state of Uttarakhand. This pilgrimage town in the foothills of the Himalayas is the starting point for the famous Chardam Pilgrimage (Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath) and also a gateway to the Valley of Flowers National Park, an enchanting ‘fairy land’ of Himalayas. Situated at the confluence of River Ganga and Chandrabhaga this sacred place is a home to several temples and ashrams, including the famous Kailash Ashram Brahmavidyapitham where the great masters Swami Vivekananda and Swami Sivananda have studied. It is believed that meditation at Rishikesh will lead to attainment of salvation. In 1968, The Beatles visited Maharishi Mahayogi’s ashram and composed several songs, which enhanced spreading of the fame of Rishikesh to the western world.
Apart from pilgrimage, meditation and Yoga, Rishikesh is a popular destination for adventure tourism, including white water rafting, trekking, rock climbing, backpacking, kayaking, rappelling and bunkee jumping and attracts thousands of tourists from India and abroad every year.
Rishikesh is well connected to major cities by road, rail and air. The city is about 15 km from Dehradun airport. By train, you can come up to Haridwar and proceed to Rishikesh by bus, taxi or local train.
2. Darjeeling – “Queen of the Hills” filled with Adventure
Fondly called as the “Queen of the Hills”, Darjeeling, located in West Bengal in the Lesser Himalaya range, is one of the most magnificent hill resorts in the world. Nestled among the vast expanse of undulating mountains and lush green tea gardens, this place of exotic beauty offers a spectacular view of the mighty Himalayas, especially Mount Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak. Tea gardens in Darjeeling produce the world renowned Darjeeling tea. One of the main attractions of Darjeeling is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, known as ‘Toy Train’, a wonderful 88 km narrow gauge train journey connecting Darjeeling and Siliguri, which has been bestowed the UNESCO world Heritage status.
Darjeeling is a paradise for trekkers and adventure tourists. You can take a breath-taking ride on the rope way known as Darjeeling-Rangeet Valley Passenger cable car, which will take you from an altitude of 7000 feet to 800 feet, offering a spectacular view of the valley. Water rafting on river Teesta and Rangeet and bird watching in Tiger Hill and Neora Valley National Park will give you an enchanting experience.
Bagdogra is the nearest airport at about 100 km from Darjeeling, which has flight connection from Delhi, Calcutta and Guwahati. Other than Darjeeling railway station, Siliguri is the closest railway station at 80 km away. A number of transport facilities are available from Siliguri to Darjeeling.
3. Jaipur – the ‘Pink City’ of Forts and Palaces
Jaipur, popularly known as ‘Pink City’ is the capital of the desert state Rajasthan and one of the most famous places in India for an incredible tour. The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations of the country where you can see many famous historical structures, forts and royal palaces built with elegant style and rich architectural excellence. Hawa Mahal, known as “Palace of Winds” built for the Rajput women in the 18th century is the most attractive monument of Jaipur. Constructed in red sandstone, and designed in the form of the crown of Lord Krishna, with more than 900 small windows, this spectacular monument with exceptional architecture attracts thousands of tourists across the globe.
Some of the major tourist attractions of Jaipur include the incredible City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh fort, Birla Mandir and Central Museum. Jaipur is famous for world-class hotels, great malls and super specialty markets, and is considered as one of the best place for shopping.
Jaipur is well connected with various cities. Sanganer airport is 10 km away from the city and Jaipur junction is the nearest railway station. New Delhi is at 250 km and Agra at 225 km by road.
4. Ajanta Ellora Caves – Unmatched Artistic Wizardry of Ancient India
The UNESCO World Heritage sites Ajanta and Ellora caves in Maharashtra are world renowned cave shrines cut out of solid rock about 2500 years ago and remain as the outstanding master piece of Indian art and architectural excellence. Abandoned for centuries, these man-made marvels were accidentally discovered and revealed to the world by a British hunter John Smith in 1819. The Ajanta caves located about 107 km from Aurangabad city, consist of 29 caves positioned in the shape of a gigantic horse shoe, and comprise of shrines dedicated to Buddha and monasteries used by Buddhist monks. The amazing paintings and sculpture depict mainly the events in the life of Buddha and are the finest examples of the ancient Buddhist architecture.
The Ellora caves located 26 km north of Aurangabad have 34 caves which reflect the temple architecture of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, and stand as the symbols of religious tolerance of ancient India. There are 17 caves dedicated to Hinduism, 12 Buddhist caves and 5 Jain caves, which depict the carvings of Hindu Gods, Buddha, and Jain saints. The magnificent murals, especially the colossal sculpture of Ravana attempting to lift Mount Kailasha, which is the largest monolithic structure in the world, are unmatched creations of artistic excellence. These famous places in India, seemingly exuding a divine energy, are worth visiting.
Aurangabad airport is well connected to Mumbai and New Delhi international airports. Jalgaon is the nearest railway station. Taxi and bus services are available from Aurangabad and Jalgaon to reach the caves.
5. Goa, the Land of Festivities – It is Time for Fun and Merriment
Goa is one of the most visited tourist destinations in India famous for its massive natural expanse of beautiful and alluring beaches. With their spotless blue waters, golden sand, swaying coconut palms and amazing sunset view, the exotic beaches of Goa attract millions of fun loving tourists from all over the world, mainly from Europe. The serene and scenic beaches of Goa offer you the best travel experience, including everything from fun to adventure. You can enjoy parasailing, wind-surfing and water-skiing; or you can simply have a leisure walk with a relaxed mind, take a swim in the clear waters or visit the eateries and taste the delicious seafood. The fun-loving carnivals, hearty welcome of the natives, mouthwatering cuisines, romantic music and merriment are unique to Goa that make it on the top among the famous places in India. Some of the popular beaches in Goa include Palolem, Anjuna, Agonda, Colva, Baga and Calangute.
Apart from beaches, Goa is famous for many other attractions including Portuguese churches, museums, forts and wildlife sanctuaries. Some of the popular destinations include Bom Jesus Basilica, Goa State museum, Fort Aguada, Chapora fort, Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary and Aravalam waterfalls.
Goa is well connected by road from major cities like Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore. Madgaon and Vasco-da-gama are the major railway stations. Dabolim international airport is located very close to the town of Vasco-da-gama.
6. Kanyakumari – the Unique Confluence of Three Seas
Kanyakumari, also known as Cape Comorin, located on the southern-most tip of India in the state of Tamil Nadu, is a place of scenic beauty and a popular pilgrimage centre and tourist destination of the country. Strategically located at the confluence of three ocean bodies, namely Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, it is one of the famous places in India, renowned for its spectacular and unique sunrise and sunset. On a full moon in April, known as Chitra Pournami, you can see a rare sight of sunset and moon rise at the same time, the sun and moon facing each other on either side of the horizon.
The most popular attraction of Kanyakumari is the Vivekananda memorial rock, a massive rock formation in the sea, at about 500 m away from the shore, where Swami Vivekananda meditated during his visit to Kanyakumari. Next to it is the 133 feet tall colossal statue of Tamil Poet Thiruvalluvar. Here the waves lap furiously against the rocks and the sea remains rough. The beach has a rocky shoreline with a beautiful expanse of multi-coloured sand. You can do a lot of things here including adventure water sports, surfing, Ayurveda massage and shopping. Major attractions include the famous Kanyakumari temple, Kamraj Memorial Mandapam and Gandhi Mandapam.
Trivandrum international airport is 80 km away. There are a number of train services to Kanyakumari from different parts of the country. It is well connected by road from different cities of southern India.
7. Thekkady – Delight of Nature Lovers and Wildlife Enthusiasts
Situated in the Idukki district of Kerala, Thekkady is one of the most visited tourist destinations of the country and an ideal place for nature lovers, wildlife enthusiasts and adventure seekers. It is famous for Periyar National Park, which is also a tiger Reserve and home to numerous species of animals including tigers, elephants, deer, bison, Nilgiri Langurs and lion-tailed monkeys. You can enjoy a thrilling boat ride along the artificial lake surrounding the sanctuary and have the unique experience of watching wildlife very near. Watching herds of wild elephants coming down to the edge of the lake will give you some breath-taking moments.
Thekkady awaits you with a variety of activities to suit your tastes. You can enjoy trekking in the nearby Kumily and Kurisumala or experience an unforgettable elephant safari through the evergreen forests in a royal style. The endless expanse of tea, coffee, pepper and cardamom plantations welcome you for a refreshing nature walk. Kumily is the nearest town suitable for shopping handicrafts, spice and cloths. Several resorts and luxury hotels are available here which offer comfortable accommodation and delicious food. The soothing climate, serene nature and the mesmerizing spell of wilderness make Thekkady one of the most sought-after destinations of tourists across the world.
Thekkady is located at 145 km from Cochin international airport and 114 km from Kottayam railway station. It is well connected by bus service from major cities.
A visit to any of these places will certainly energise your life and provide you some unforgettable moments. It is time to take a break from the hectic city life. What else are you waiting for? Pack your bags and start your exotic journey.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
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