World Tour

The temple, in its exceptional sense of proportion and its near perfect execution of postures of the icons, reflects the aesthetic and architectural vision of the people of the land. Blessed with the creativity of thousands of artists who have given expression to the miles of unspoilt coastline, lakes, ancient monuments, temples through their artisanship, Orissa is a land of plenty. 

The beauty of Orissa unravels like a story through its monuments, landscape and the history. Kalinga, as Orissa was known in ancient times, remained unconquered till King Ashoka captured this state. Shattered by the bloodshed, he denounced the world to follow the path of Buddhism. Today, a sense of calmness and peace winds through the air, like the notes of a flute, filling one with joy. 

Orissa has preserved its past in about 500 exquisitely carved temples and monuments. Pilgrims looking for peace and happiness throng Bhubaneshwar and Puri. The annual rath yatra has for years attracted devotees from India and abroad. Konark or the Black Pagoda, with its gorgeous Sun temple, is famous for the beautiful and quite explicit erotic imagery. Lake Chilika is an attraction not only to the tourists but also to the migratory birds. This lake is a treasure house of aquatic flora and fauna. 

Odissi, the dance tradition with its origins in Orissa is well known for its beauty, elegance and grace. The intricate mime and rhythm blend giving birth to numerous graceful expressions. 

The fabulous handicrafts and paintings add colour to simple life style of people in Orissa. The most popular crafts Patta-Chitra and palm-leaf etching serve as souvenirs from the state. The silver filigree and Applique are distinct art forms of great detail holding the onlooker in awe. The artists of Orissa still live and work in remote tribal habitations, small villages, and traditional pilgrimage towns throughout the state. It is in these little nooks and corners of the state that traditions thrives and flourishes to its full extent.

Bangalore is the capital city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the seventh largest city in India. It is also known as the Garden City because of its many beautiful gardens and parks. The nandi hills in Bangalore is not to be missed by the pious. Though the origin of Bangalore is ancient, the present-day city was founded in the 16th century and has since continued to be an important administrative center. Because of the high concentration of IT industry, it also called the Silicon Valley of India. There are a number of good hotels in Bangalore like the Ashoka Hotel in Bangalore that make your stay in the Garden city comfortable. 

Legend has it that the city is named after an old woman, who lived in this area and offered a humble meal of boiled beans to a lost Hoysala ruler. The origin of the present-day city of Bangalore can be traced to the early 16th century, when Kempegowda, a local chief, built a small mud fort here. Bangalore gained prominence in the 18th century, when it became an important fort city, under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan of Mysore. This area witnessed the struggle between Tipu Sultan and the British. The British defeated Tipu Sultan and took over Bangalore city. In 1831, the British made it the regional administrative city and established a big cantonment here.

Bangalore city has a number of tourist places. Apart from the numerous gardens, it also has some historical sites and other places of interest. The Vidhan Soudha or the State Secretariat, built in 1954, is the main attraction of this city. It is a marvel of modern architecture and is a fine amalgamation of traditional Dravidian and modern styles. Cubbon Park, the 120-hectare park located near the Vidhan Soudha, has a number of neo-classical styled government buildings. The Government Museum of Bangalore (one of India's oldest museums) and the Visvesvaraya Technological and Industrial Museum are important museums within the city. The Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens, which holds a number of flower shows, especially during the Republic Day (26th January), is located on the southern fringes of the city. 

The 18th-century Tipu Sultan's Fort and Palace are other important places of interest to the traveler. The 16th-century, Dravidian-styled temple dedicated to Nandi hills in Bangalore is an important place of worship. For all those religious visitors the nandi hills in Bangalore is not to be missed. The Venkataramanaswamy Temple, the Gavi Gangadhareswara cave temple, and the Someshwara Temple are other important temple of this city. The Ulsoor Lake on the northeastern edge of the city is an important picnic spot. Bangalore city is famous for it's numerous Yoga centers, where fitness freaks can learn and practice this ancient art of keeping healthy. Most of the good hotels in Bangalore are located close to the tourist spots like the Ashoka hotel Bangalore.

Narrating the city's Mughal past, Old Delhi, takes you through the labyrinthine streets passing through formidable mosques, monuments and forts. You will also discover lively and colorful bazaars that boast to cater all sorts of good and items at mind-blowing prices amidst a barely controlled chaotic ambience. The imperial city of New Delhi displays the finely curved architecture of British Raj.

It generates a mesmerizing charm reflecting well-composed and spacious streets under the shade of beautifully lined avenues of trees and tall and imposing government buildings.

New Delhi has expanded and now encompasses residential and commercial development to the west and south, plus the satellite towns of Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad.

Delhi has overtaken Mumbai & Kolkata in recent years to become the most vibrant creative art center in India. The city has more than twenty five galleries. Conducted tours, seminars, film shows and study classes on art appreciation, history and conservation are frequently organized. Most of the performing art centers are around Mandi House and Bhagwan Das Road.

There is an amazing range of activity from cultural walks, talks, theatre productions and art exhibitions to films by Indian and foreign directors. One can find an option at the Habitat World at Lodhi Road as well as Siri Fort at Khel Gaon.

Area : 1483 sq. Kms.

Altitude : 239 m above sea level

Population : 1,3782976 (2001 census)

Males : 51.21 million Females : 42.49 million

Literacy rate : 81.82%

Density : 9294 persons per sq. Km.

Languages : Hindi, English, Urdu and Punjabi

Climate : Extreme Hot in Summer and Cold in Winter

Maximum Temperature : 46 Degree Celcius

Minimum Temperature : 04 Degree Celcius

Winter : December - February

Spring : March to mid April

Summer : April end to August

Autumn : September to November

Best time to Visit : October to March

River : Yamuna

Visa

There are three kinds of visas for tourists.

The 15- day single/ double entry transit visa. This visa is valid for 30 days from the date of its issue.

The 3-month multiple-entry transit visa. This visa is valid for 90 days from the date of first entry into India, which must be within 30 days from the date of its issue.

The 6-month multiple entry visa. This visa is valid for 180 days from the date of entry into India.

Visa Extension

It is virtually impossible to get the 15 day or 3 month visa extended. Only the 6 month tourist visa can be extended. It can be quite a bother to extent it beyond a 15 day period. Avoid it unless there is an emergency. A 15 day extension on the 6 month visa is issued by the Foreigner's Regional Registration Office (FRRO) Hans Bhawan, 1st floor, Bhahadurshah Zafar Marg Tel: 3319781. It is open on weekdays, 9.30 am to 1.30 pm and 2pm to 4pm. A 15 day extension is given only if confirmed air tickets are not available. No fee is charged. The 6- month visa can be extended for a maximum period of one month, but any extension beyond 15 days is a complicated matter.

Remember, it is a three-step procedure.

Step1	Collect the long term visa extension form from the Ministry of Home Affairs Office located on the 1st floor of the Lok Nayak Bhawan behind Khan Market Tel: 4697648 / 4697018.
Step 2	After filling up the form, take it, along with four passport-size photographs, to the FRRO for authorisation. A fee of Rs. 775 is levied on a 1- month visa extension.
Step 3	After authorisation for visa extension is stamped on the form by the FRRO, take it back to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Lok Nayak Bhawan. Here you will receive the actual visa extension.

Jammu and Kashmir is very popular since the ancient time which became an important centre of Hinduism and later of Buddhism and because of its geographical importance as it is lying between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range bounded by Pakistan, Afghanistan and China from the West to the East, this region became the hub of Muslim Monarchs, Afghan Durranis, the Sikhs, the British until 1947. It is because of this continuous intermingling of diverse cultures, religions and languages, the region of Jammu and Kashmir is representing the unparalleled cultural cohesion which symbolize the Indian unity in diversity. However, the regions are broadly divided into three main regions that comprise of Kashmir – the jeweled crown on the map of India, Jammu - the winter capital of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh - bounded by the world’s mightiest mountain ranges, the Karakoram and the Great Himalaya. The region of Jammu and Kashmir was so beautiful that the Mughals aptly called it as the “Paradise on Earth’ or “Heaven on Earth”.

The city of Jammu is popularly known as the ‘City of Temples’ with innumerable other places of worship and shrines of all faiths as well as other destinations to visit. Some of the famous attractions of Jammu are mountain ranges, Shivalik hills, Raghunath Temple, Trikuta hills, Portrait of a Dogra Ruler, the Pir Panjal Range, ruins of a fort in Kathua, Udhampur and Jammu districts, the temple skyline of Jammu city, Bawey Wali Mata Temple, the Peer Kho cave temple, Ranbireshwar Temple, Lakshmi Narayan temple, Duda Dhari temple, Peer Baba Shrine at Satwari, shrine of Peer Mitha, St. Marry's Garrison Church, St. Paul’s Church, St. Peter’s Church, Jamia Masjid, Ibrahim Masjid, Sunder Singh Gurudwara, Gurudwara Singh Sabha, Singh Sabha Gurudwara, the Amar Mahal Palace, Ranbir Canal, Bahu Fort and Gardens, Peer Baba, Mubarak Mandi Palace etc.

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