Manali, a destination for the Honeymooners

There is only one and only place to go soon after your wedding is over but before the bridal mehndi has worn off and that is Manali. Very right, the popular north Indian hill station is simply unbeatable for a best honeymoon destination of the country for newly weds in the subcontinent.

Wander the main street or the mall and get ready to witness the energetic, romantic young couples enjoying ice creams, panipuri in each other’s company. The wild grins, couples romantically holding each other’s hand and forearm-spanning stacks of red and white coloured bangles displayed by new wives is a common sight in Manali.

Most of them remove and store the beautiful bright bangles after one after completion of one year and then wear only on certain special occasions. However, with changing trends, it’s now in fashion, amongst young brides, to wear them anytime and with all types of dresses, from sari to jeans.

Numerous mini-industries have settled in the city just to cater to the fancies of these young couples. You can easily locate sign-maker craftsmen decorating wooden plaques with name of couples and romantic phrases like “Happy Honeymoon in Manali”, knick-knacks can be bought along the mall side and many exclusive resorts have opened to cater to newly weds.

The exclusive hotels for honeymooners feature amenities like special suites having round shaped beds and decorated walls to lure newly wed couples looking forward to spend beautiful moments of their lives in these suites. Many such resorts or hotels can be easily located outside main Manali, in less crowded areas like Simsa, Chadiyari or Aleo. Howsoever unusual it might look, all these resorts possess their own unique charisma, like honeymoon suites, private discotheque and in some lavish cases, exquisite round shaped bathtubs in rooms simply to pamper couples.

Honeymooners in northern India land in Manali immediately after nuptials and some continue to visit the scenic place each year simply to re-ignite the romance flames in their married life.

Maldives Tour : An offer Hard to Miss, check it out!

Island of Maldives

Maldives, a dream destination for millions of travellers is all waiting for you with its arms wide open. Sun, sea and Sand, thousand of ‘Robinson Crusoe’ islands, huge lagoons with various depths and endless shades of water, shimmering underwater corals; Maldives holidays is an ideal combo of that perfect tropical holiday destinations.

Witness the exquisite Maldives sunset with love of your life! Capture the romance in scenic surroundings all around. Settled across the equator in the mid of Indian Ocean, this necklace of islands are a rare view of a tropical paradise. If in no mood of activity, simply laze around, and pamper your taste buds with mouth-watering local cuisines. For fun-freaks, there are endless opportunities to dive into marine flora and fauna of Maldives and relish immense pleasure via scuba diving and snorkeling. Some of the beast beaches and dive site are Banana Reef, North Male' Atoll, Baa Atoll, Raa Atoll, South Ari Atoll, North Ari Atoll, Vaavu Atoll, Dhaalu Atoll, Faafu Atoll and Lhaviyani Atoll.

Just came to know about this amazing Maldives Tour Offers from one of my friends, so thought of spreading it all over. No wonder who recently married couple or an adventure freak is looking for a budgeted Maldives holiday?

Departure Date	Return Date	Number of Days	Current price	Discounted Price
11-Dec-10	15-Dec-10	3 Night 3 Day	37,999	32,999
14-Dec-10	19-Dec-10	4 Night and 4 Day	41,999	36,999
18-Dec-10	22-Dec-10	3 Night 3 Day	39,999	34,999
28-Dec-10	2-Jan-11	4 Night and 4 Day	49,999	44,999

Explore the best of Maldives with exciting charter packages. Packages inclusions are as follows:

• Return economy class airfare on Kingfisher Airlines (Charter Flight) from Mumbai to Maldives (Gan Island)
• Current applicable airport taxes
• Accommodation in Herathera Island Resort – Maldives Tourism Dev Corp co-owned
• Daily breakfast & Indian dinner
• Return airport transfers by speedboat
• Services of a Tour Director

Get an additional Rupees 5000 flat discount on dream Maldives holiday for all December departures. So, pack your bags and get ready to explore the divine Maldives!

Udaipur: The Venice of the East

Watermarked by splendour and whimsy, Udaipur, the Venice of the East is truly India’s most seductive cities. An international spot destination unto itself, Udaipur is best known for its magnificent Lake Pichola lapping against glittering white buildings and the Aravalli hills closing in to add charms to the view.

The main attraction of enchanting Udaipur is the magnanimously beautiful floating Lake Palace- impetus enough for Bond films (some parts of Octopussy were filmed here). Packed with royalty and passion, Udaipur is raw Rajput, with its imperial havelis, palaces and temples at every nook and cranny.

Formerly called as Mewar, the lake city was founded in the year 1559 by Maharaja Udai Singh II after he took flight from the final discharge of Chittor by Mughal emperor Akbar.

Simply splendid, no words can describe the beauty of this stunning city. Check out the following list of its top-most sights:

Must-see in Udaipur

Bagore-Ki-Haveli

This 18th- century Haveli, situated on the water’s edge in Gangaur Ghat region, was built by Amir Chand Badwa, the former prime minister of Mewar. The haveli has been carefully kept and consists of 138 room sets around courtyards. There’s also an ey-catching art gallery, displaying magnificent folk art and popular monuments beautifully carved out of polystyrene. An ambience for energetic Rajasthani dance programs sets up each evening at 19:00 in the upper courtyard.

City Palace

A brilliant work of architecture, City Palace, settled over the lake, is largest palace in Rajasthan, with its façade of 30.4 meters high and 224 meters long. Its construction was initiated by Maharaja Udai Singh II, the founder of the city, but its aggregation of buildings is built by several maharajas. However, beautiful City Palace still manages to portray an amazing uniformity in design. The views over the lake are simply breathtaking and perfect eye-curry.

           

Crystal Gallery

The amazing Crystal gallery at Fateh Prakash Palace Hotel is truly a sight worth seeing.  In year 1877, Maharaja Sajjan Singh ordered for a rare crystal from F&C Osler & Co in England. Unfortunately, he died before it arrived. For almost 110 years, all the items stayed packed. The ostentatious, unused, rare collection includes crystal sofas, chairs, tables and beds. No camera please as Photography is completely prohibited here.

Jagdish Temple

Just 150 metres north of City Palace main entrance, Jagdish Temple, was created by Maharaja Jagat Singh in the year 1651. The temple is truly a beautifully carved Indo-Aryan temple. A black stoned image of deity Lord Vishnu is respectfully placed inside the temple.

Shilpgram

This fabulous crafts village is situated 3 kilometres west of the town. The exquisite village holds a fabulous Shilpgram festival in every December. All around the year, the village also sees fantastic performances by traditional artisans and performers from Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

10 Reasons to Visit Bahamas This Holiday Season

1. Give yourself a refreshing break from regular routine life.
2. Enjoy s
3. It’s beautiful Bahamas after all – a real paradise!
4. cenic views of palm fringes and later on narrate stories to friends about them.
5. Fishing! Aww, at one point of time you will surely say that once you caught one big fish.
6. Snorkeling, something you must-try!
7. Put your sailing caps on and get on a sailing expedition.
8. Weather in Bahamas is pleasant and friendly all around the year and offers endless opportunities for all age-group people.
9. People in Bahamas drive on the left side of the road, so test you’re driving skills and see how skillful you are!
10. A visit to Jonas Brothers at Atlantis can give immense happiness to your teenage daughter if you have one.
11. Beaches, Beaches and beautiful beaches all around!

Delhi to Darjeeling Rajhdhani Express Train: A family-friendly train adventure.

If you ever hesitate at the notion of a long Indian road trip with small children – but nevertheless longed to get back to the good old days of the open Asian overland trails –Delhi to Darjeeling Rajhdhani Express Train might be just the easy, family-friendly adventure you are seeking.

The journey of some 26 hours or so (thus includes a descent night sleep onboard) will take you through the hinterlands of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, beginning its journey from India’s national capital Delhi to New Japaiguri, a junction town. Booking First Class AC tickets is a splendid way to watch Indian laze from the simple comfort of your own small cozy bed-equipped compartment. Freshly cooked food (curries, dhal, rice and chapattis) will arrive in a tray form on your lap in each four hours or so. Station stops provides you the opportunity to stock and munch upon tasty samosas, tea and bananas. Sufficient colouring books, indoor games and portable DVD, can offer parents immense relaxation and take them back in the days of backpacker travelling.

On reaching New Jalpaiguri, it’s still three hour drive up to scenic tea plantations of Darjeeling, wide spread beautifully along a steep mountain ridge. The journey can also undertaken by a 7 hour drive on famous ‘toy train’ of Darjeeling. In case, life on he rails has started to squeeze some of your luster, arrange yourself a stay at Glenburn Tea Estate, a charming working tea plantation hardly a one hour drive from Darjeeling. If you try it, you’ll discover yourself and your tedious charges picked up by some well-dressed driver, taking to a comfortable jeep journey, with idyllic surroundings all around.

If planning to stay in Darjeeling itself, a good bet with family is Mayfair Darjeeling, a luxuries property, nestled on a majestic hill, has hallowed halls where kids can giggle, scream and crash freely.

Explore ancient Buddhist gompas and pagodas. Let the little ones enjoy a pony ride up on The Mall or give a visit to Himalayan zoo. Early birds must climb Tiger Hill for amazing sunrise; enjoy a delicious lunch meal at historical Glenary’s café. After then water rafting on the River Teesta currents with older children can be a fun idea.

With all this, Darjeeling is one splendor which has lots to offer in terms of solace, adventure and fun. Pack your bags and gift your family a great time with a visit to lovely town this holiday season.

Where to go in December 2010?

 Patagonia, Argentina

What about an adventurous road trip along the coastal Rio Nego during Argentine lovely summer? Mild weather means exotic sea caves and fossil-laden cliffs. Plus, exploring Welsh settlements can be a splendid choice.

Austria

A chance to explore Europe’s best skiing, snow-covered streets of Salzburg’s and the divine festive fragrances of glühwein and cinnamon from the decorated Christmas markets can make Austria trip a fabulous way to screw winter blues.

Thailand

Thailand‘s fantabulous beaches are truly a hit during dry season. Try visiting Trang for exquisite islands and coasts; also don’t forget to pamper your taste buds with the exotic Thai cuisines.

Kerala, India

Just after monsoon says goodbye to Kerala, the entire state revitalizes and dresses up to entertain tourists. Begin your trip by visiting lush backwaters of Kollam, a serene trading town with abundance natural beauty all around.

Avoid visiting: Egypt

Sometimes, even the best of places can be dull by having to spend the entire time cheek-by-jowl with numerous other tourists. Half of the world will move to Egypt this December in quest of pyramids ‘n’ pharaohs’ experience. It’s better to wait for some time for your turn!

Top 5 Popular Festivals India

India is a highly religious country and festivals live in the hearts of people here. The many and varied festivals are celebrated all around the year and are truly a unique way to see Indian culture at its best. Below is the list of top 5 popular festivals of India that promise truly a lifetime experience.

Diwali

The festival of lights Diwali is a 5 day festival. The festival represents the beginning of a Hindu New Year. The candle, clay lamps, fireworks, exchange of sweets and infinite joy and happiness is what this beautiful festival is about. The festival of Diwali fills up the entire ambience with happiness and merriment.

Ganesh Chaturthi

The spectacular festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is an 11 day festival that portrays respect to the birth of the lovely Hindu elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha. The commencement of the festival observes huge, extravagantly crafted statutes of Lord Ganesha installed in homes and podiums, all of them exclusively constructed and beautifully decorated. When the festival ends, these statutes are paraded through the streets, with crowds singing and dancing joyfully, and finally submerged in the oceans.

Holi

It is a 2 day festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil, along with the prosperity of the harvest season (spring).  The festival is commonly called as “Festival of Colours”. On this beautiful day people joyfully throw coloured powder and water on each other and have parties. Bhang, a drink made from cannabis plants is a part of tradition and consumed during celebrations.

Navaratri, Dussehra, and Durga Puja

The first 9 days of this festival is called as Navaratri. It’s celebrated to pay homage to Mother Goddess. The tenth day is called Dussehra devoted to celebrate the defeat of Ravana by Lord Rama. The day also coincides with the win of the respected warrior Goddess Durga over the Mahishasura, an evil buffalo demon.

In east India, the festival is called as Durga Puja. Huge images of Goddess are made and immerses in holy waters of Ganges on the 10^th day.

Krishna Janmashtami

Krishna Janmashtami, celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. The festival is celebrated with intense happiness all over the country especially in Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

Kanyakumari, India

When a large number of travellers within and outside India check out some of the most popular tourist spots like Goa, Mumbai, Delhi etc, an excursion to Kanyakumari, situated at southernmost tip of India, is also worth visiting.

Formerly called as Cape Comorin, the spectacular destination is amongst the few places of the world where both sunrise and sunset can be seen exactly from the same position. The moment you see 133 feet high stone Thiruvalluvar Statue, you have reached Kanyakumari.

What's more, the already amazing sunrise and sunset is enhanced with three bodies of water hanging out in the background - the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

Kanyakumari is immensely popular with tourists (about 2 million people visited Kanyakumari in year 2007). Hence, if possible avoid visiting it during months the months of April through September when it’s highly crowded. 

Travel Destinations for the Well Travelled

 In case you came across this blog for the first time or are a regular reader or desire to travel or are the one dying to have that lifetime, heart skipping, eye catching experience of a foreign land.  

Continue reading because the list below is compiled for the two types of travellers in you.

Adventure Rocks

• Hike in Ireland       
• Scuba Diving off  Indonesia   
• Ski in Vancouver Canada    
• Bicycle Thailand 
•  Surf Hawaii

 The Romantic Traveller

• Rent an enchanting castle in Italy ( mesmerizing April)
• Back Roads Tokyo
• Boating on the Nile
• Wine Country Chile

• Desert Safari, Yoga on a royal resort in Rajasthan India

My List of Top 5 European Islands

Perhaps it's because  there are some minute changes observed in the weather here in India  after those dreadful hot summers, I have started dreaming about an  exotic island vacation to some international destinations. And, happily for me, here is a list of the day that says top 5 best  European islands, perfect for that enchanting vacation to save oneself  from that chillingly cold climate.

Capri, Italy

Rhodes, Greece

Malta

Canary Islands, Spain

 Madeira Islands, Portugal

Have a favorite island that didn't make this list? Send me your photos and I'll add it to Mine!

Robots had a magnificent start at Box Office

Amidst all the cacophony of the Commonwealth Games, Bollywood fans witnessed two major releases last week - Robot starring Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai and Anjaana, Anjaani starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.

Robot is a story of a robot created by scientist Dr. Vasi (Rajnikanth). Chitti, the name of the robot, is not just like any other ordinary robot that serves tea or coffee but also carries the power to serve humanity in more meaningful ways.

Perhaps, Chitti, the humanoid, completely resembles him and serves him in every possible way. The problem begins when he goes a step ahead and teaches him to feel. So, one fine day Chitti falls in love with creator’s daughter Sana (Aishwarya Rai). A war occurs and how the creator wins the battle forms the entire story.

The movie is a Hindi version of Enthiran, A Tamil film. The movie is an exceptionally big hit and is still scoring the numbers with every passing day.

As per several news reports, Robots have even crossed the earnings of Aamir Khan starrer 3 Idiots.

Rajinikanth is one Indian star who is worshipped as God.

As per Mumbai-based source the crazy fans of Rajinikanth surrounded around the film on its release day in Chennai. The numbers were so huge and have even exceeded the viewer ship or popularity of other major current breaking stories of the country like CWG or Ayodhya Verdict. None of the Bollywood actors have ever been able to grab so much coverage and fan following before. Rajini you are star!

SIKKIM: My dream destination

This lovely incident happened to me just after my class 12^th board exams got over. My father planned a holiday to north east India for all of us. After, lot of struggle, debating and convincing I was able to convince everyone for Sikkim. The main reason for my great fascination for the place was one of the chapters in my Hindi textbook of class 10^th, a travelogue by Mahadevi Verma. The natural beauty of the place influenced me so much that I spent most of my time daydreaming about it. The influence was so intense that it was still very alive till my class 12^th.

At 8 am, we left for my dream destination Sikkim from IGI airport. Oh! Wow, that was my first journey via aero plane and truly a great experience. We reached Baghdogra airport in West Bengal in nearly about two hours. From the airport, we hired a cab for the Gangtok – the capital of Sikkim. We reached the lovely city by 5 p.m.

I belong to Himachal, but haven’t till now seen a place nestled among the scenic mountains, as lovely and picturesque as Gangtok. I must say that Himachal Government must inspire and learn to form an infrastructure as beautifully as the gangtok government has built. Next day with help of a travel agent, my father fixed our trip to the Sikkim’s north. True, that was a perfect decision.

In case you don’t have much time or find the travelling unaffordable, the best option is to visit north-Sikkim or some other unique places.

Our north Sikkim trip was of three days.

Sikkim> Gangtok>North Sikkim>Lachen>lachung

Lachen: We had our first day stay at Lachen. Our cottage was located in a very dark locality which added to our fear. But when in the morning the sweet tattering of a small bird woke up and introduced us to the scenic beauty just outside our window, we forget all our fear and totally mesmerized. The sun could be easily seen behind the Himalaya ranges, spreading its warmth and colours all around. We went to an altitude of 16000 feet, a tiring and backbone troubling journey of 5 hours to Gurdongmar Lake. A view of the lake washed away the entire exertion from our minds. Do visit this place when visiting Sikkim, believe me it would surely prove a lifelong experience.

Lachung: Heavenly beautiful place, Lachung is the true spirit of Sikkim as per me. Our cottage was near to a river.

Then we visited this flower valley- Yumthang valley. But there were very few flowers at that time. Next was zero point, a place located at the indo-china border. 

Next day, we returned back to Gangtok. We captured numerous snaps of waterfalls and scenic locations that came along the way. One of the waterfalls was really huge and our driver told us that it’s called Amitabh Bachchan fall. An amazing piece of knowledge it was!

Soon, the wonderful trip came to end and on reaching Gangtok, we said goodbyes to our other group members. The dream holiday finally came to end, but I swear it’s still very alive in my memories, my thoughts. Will surely visit Sikkim some day again!

Commonwealth boosting Indian Tourism Industry

Even as Commonwealth Games continue to raise eyebrows and is a matter of gossip everywhere, one sector that’s definitely not complaining is tourism.

Indian Tourism Industry has fastened its seat belts and is all prepared to come back with new vigor and enthusiasm after destructive attacks on the country in the recent past. However, times have really changed now and so is our hospitality industry.

A huge hike in travel packages, hotel accommodations has been observed especially for the hot tourist spots of North Delhi for the beginning two weeks of October.

The major reason for it’s the announcement of holidays for schools, colleges and even few corporate offices during the upcoming Commonwealth Games. People of Delhi and NCR (National Capital Region) are marching towards neighbouring states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, few parts of Jammu and Punjab for leisure tourism.

Currently, India is in spot light of entire world due to Commonwealth boon. Thus, it’s not just the Delhi, the host city, which is in huge demands, but also cities like Agra, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Amritsar, Ranthambore, Varanasi etc have become a subject of hunt for tourists. Hence, to fulfill the needs of travellers from all over the world, the Government of India is taking consistent efforts to set up more and more accommodations, especially Budget Hotels, so as to satisfy the needs of coming flow of tourists. Very soon, Delhi will be decorated like a bride and will be a center of attraction portraying its colours with a charming glow on the D-day.

The biggest event has also opened doors for the unemployed people. Jobless people from all over the country have come forward to offer their hands in the aviation, hospitality and tourism industry.

The Government of Delhi is also planning to extend its metro train’s network to NCR region and even launch various Air-conditioned buses for the comfort of the tourists. Numerous shopping projects have also come into limelight to lure tourists.

That’s perfectly true that Tourism Industry won’t leave any stone unturned to grab maximum profits of this international event.  Save yourself from last minute booking disappointments and get ready to enjoy the international event in a grand way.

5 Creepiest Places in India

As children we all have heard a lot of fairy tales but with those fairy tales we must have also heard few scary and haunting ghost stories too. Though, we hardly remember any of those fairy tales but I am sure we do remember those creepy stories. They still sometimes haunt us in our dreams. If that’s not enough to digest then let me brief you about some of the best haunted places in India that would surely give you that real time jolt. Get ready for a pure hair rising experience.

Bhangarh Fort, India

Bhangarh Fort / Castle is situated on the way to Alwar and Jaipur in Rajasthan. It’s said that ages back a black magic sorcerer cursed the residents of the palace that they all would die of an unnatural death and their spirits will haunt the castle for time immemorial. Trust me! The fort got the capacity to freak any living mortal. You will rarely find any residential property in the close periphery of this castle.

Let me reveal you one more fact about this haunted place. Here, the village households are without roofs as there’s a popular belief and experience that the rooftop collapses the moment it’s built on a house. Truly, it’s one of the freakiest places in India. Another twist is that it’s believed that anyone who has been to this haunting places after dusk never ever comes back!

Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad– Resembling Universal Studious, Ramoji Film City has hotels which are really freaky. It is said that film city is standing on the grounds where once Nizam sultans once fought battles. As per witnesses, the lights on top keep falling off; even the light men have been pushed many a times and have had many painful injuries. Many a times, the food left in rooms gets scattered around the room  and weird  kind of marks are created on the mirror, resembling Urdu…the language used by the Sultans. Girls are troubled most by the ghosts. They’ll tear their clothing and give knock on the bathroom doors. They create great destruction. Numerous preventive measures have been taken to save place from such haunting…but it isn’t of any use…the keep on happening every other day and creating fear in people’s heart.

Mahim, Mumbai – Near to Canossa primary, there’s a d’souza chawl, where there is local well from where people fill water to perform their daily tantrums of life. This particular well does not possess any boundary wall around it. It’s said that once when some lady was filling water, the entire thing got collapsed. The lady fell in that well and died. Just after this incident, it’s said that she keeps on appearing near the well. Though she hasn’t given harm to anyone yet still the doze is enough to freak any living being.

Dumas, Surat – Take a risk to walk towards the ocean at night time in Dumas and get ready to hear those deadly noises, strong enough to scare the strongest souls.

Dow-Hill, Kurseong, Kolkatta - The forests give this uncanny and strange kind of feeling. It’s damp, cold and sometimes dark. People up here tend to get depressed from life which has resulted into countless suicides. Many times, wood cutters returning back home in the evenings have seen this head-less young boy on the road between Dow-Hill and Forest Office and then disappearing into the dense woods. People have also heard the footsteps in the Victoria Boys School corridors during times when schools are closed.

Eat, Pray and Love when in India

The idea of a soul quest or journey of self-discovery is not new. India has been the popular travel destination for spiritually-inclined seekers and travellers for decades. But the release of Julia Roberts’s starrer Eat, Pray, Love has actually pitched the international travel industry a lot. Why live a virtual life with a movie when you can experience the real thing?

Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray and Love must have stayed at the Gurudev Siddha Peeth ashram of Mahrashtra and spent many months there just to understand India. Well, you don’t have to spare so much time simply to explore India. Here are five places that will surely quench your thirst of spirituality and get your Eat Pray Love fix on India.

                                                     

Taj Mahal, Agra:  A symbol of eternal affection, Taj Mahal is amongst the most famous love gestures of the world. It’s equally breathtaking in reality as you expect from its pictures. This 17th century mausoleum is one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture. UNESCO has earmarked the lovely monument as one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

Varanasi: Situated on the banks of River Ganges, Varanasi is the city of Moksha for Hindus since ages. Holiest place for Hindus, the city is simply amazing and believed to be the best opportunity to obtain Moksha. Millions of tourists visit Varanasi every year, a place where Lord Buddha met his disciples and gave his first sermon. Stand on the ghats, quench your thirst for spirituality and think about your place in the world. Its fascinating watching daily life based round the ghats which includes people bathing and washing their clothes in the river as well as performing prayers and doing yoga.

Kerala: Situated in the southern western part of India, Kerala is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful states. It has been conferred as one of the ten paradises of the world by National Geographic. Globally famous for charming backwaters, exotic hill stations, wildlife parks, palm fringed beaches and spa centers, ayurvedic body care, ethnic temples, enriched culture and plentiful other fascinating attractions, Kerala is breathtaking in all ways.

Jaipur: Pink city or call it royal city, Jaipur is a jewel in Rajasthan’s crown. Fairy-tale palaces, rugged fortress, all display remarkable harmony in architectural splendor. The impressive forts, splendid havelis and colourful bazaars make Jaipur a huge hit among travellers all over the world. Amber Fort is one of the popular sights of the city, but visit during the month of March. It is the time when Elephant Festival is celebrated. There’s processions, polo and dances all using elephants. There is even a tug of war between 19 men and one elephant.

Hari Mandir ashram, New Delhi: A visit to Hari Mandir by Hollywood heartthrob Julia Roberts in last September caused a ruckas – as the locals here were not able to celebrate an important festival. The ashram is extremely popular among Western seekers. It is spiritual home of Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, a disciple of Swami Muktananda.