THE Kalka-Shimla rail route, which has completed 100 years offers the charm of old-world travel amidst lofty pines and lush green, misty mountains. This is one of the four narrow gauge rail routes on hill terrain in the country, the other three being the Darjeeling , Ooty and Pathankot – Jogindernagar routes. In fact, the Darjeeling route was used as a model for the Kalka-Shimla route, which was proposed in 1891.

Started during the reign of Lord Curzon in November 1903, this rail route features in the Guinness Book of World Records for offering the steepest rise in altitude in the space of 96 kilometers. More than two-thirds of the track is curved, sometimes at angles as sharp as 48 degrees.

Saputara is a beautiful and a densely wooded only hill station town situated in the “Dang” district of southern tip of Gujarat, India.

Saputara has been constructed as a well planned hill station having all necessary serviceableness like hotels, boating parks, swimming pools, club, ropeways, theaters and a museum providing the tourists an delightful vacation in the coziness of the hill station. Saputara is about 170 kilometers from Surat and about 80 kilometers from Nashik. The border of Maharashtra is about 5 km. away from Saputara.

This picturesque hill station is situated on a plateau in the Dang forest area of the Sahyadri Range. Saputara town is situated at an altitude of around 1,000 m with a climate that is pleasant although bit cold, throughout the year. Even the highest temperature in the summer does not exceed 27 degree C. Saputara literally stands for “Abode of Serpent” there is a presence of snake sculpture on the shores of Sarpagana River which flows through the town. This snake sculpture on the shores of Sarpagana River is worshiped by the local tribes on many festivals like Holi. Tribes like Kunbis, Warlis, Bhils and Gamits inhabit Dangs. They are known for their traditional dances, which are performed wearing Bamboo and Wooden masks. The dangs district constitute of an area of 1,752 km. having population of 1.5 lacks with a tribal population density of 94% and located in south-east of Gujarat.

About Vaishbavdevi

Vaishnavdevi shrine is located in the Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir. A small town Katra is the way and means for reaching out to the temple. The town is located in a high altitude and in the hilly region of lower Himalayas in the Trikuta range . Similarly, the case with the shrine of Vaishnavdevi, situated about 61 kms from Jammu, in the an altitude of about 5,200 feet over the sea level. The exact location of the site up hill is around 14 kms from the Katra town . On reaching out here, the experience is totally a different. Enchanting view of the different valleys, filled with lush green trees, humming sounds of the bees and chirping sounds of the birds, echoes of the devotees “Jai mata ki”,” Jai mata di”, Jai Jai maiya and so on, all along the path and water falls with their silvery brightness is not a thing to miss. All that is worth seeing and admiring far away from the madding crowd, unending sounds of the modern machines and vehicles. To reach on to the top of the hill one has to climb up by any of the routes available there. Devotees from all over India and abroad comes here to have a ‘Darshan’ of the Goddess presiding in the hills. Pilgrims in the earlier day’s used to begin their journey during the days of ‘Navaratri’ ( a special night in September) and continuing for 3 months consecutively. During these three months at Katra, Vaishnavdevi and other temples hosts many wonderful programs dedicated to the Goddess.

The ‘Homos’ and ‘Yagnas’ (rituals)celebrated by the devotees and pilgrims. There is an un-disputed belief about the Holy Places or Teerthasthal that they provide the much needed relief, peace and happiness to the visitor who came under the refuge of Mother Goddess from the daily hustles of life. Before going for the Darshan of Goddess one has to bathe in variably. There are various bathing places made for the same purpose. There is also arrangements at ‘Charanganga’ which comes out of the holy cave. People can use this water for bathing. Then after the pilgrims sit down as per the serial number on the given slip and wait for their turn to have a Darshan of Goddess. It is to be noted that the pilgrims are not allowed to carry any sort of leather items, cigarettes or any other intoxicants while visiting the holy shrine. In the main entrance of the cave, there is a huge stone lying which is called Bhairav’s body. There is a continuous water flow from this cave. One will not be in a position to stand erect anywhere inside the cave. In fact no body can under stand the intricacy of the shape of the cave, shrine and the rest of the things in the Vaishnavdevi. One who is really bestowed with the grace of the Goddess for her Darshan only can understand this metaphysical phenomenon. Here in the cave of the hills Goddess Vaishnavdevi is presiding deity in Her earthly abode in the forms of Mahalakshmi, Mashasaraswati and Mahakali. Some people says that out of the three presiding deities, the prominent incarnation is Goddess Vaishnavdevi. Speaking about the cave, the space would be sufficient for 3-4 people. Seated here in the very place Pundit takes the offerings of the devotees to the Goddess and gives out ‘Prasad’ to the devotees. After taking a Darshan people have to come out though the new exit, which is made a few years ago for the convenience of the pilgrims by the Shrine Board. After coming out of the temple people worship young girls and serve them Puri and Halwah( prasad ). After visiting Goddess Vaishnavdevi, people start their return journey towards Katra with Darshan of Bhairavnath where their pilgrimage ends at.

Located at Narmada river, Gujarat, the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam has a height of 455 feet. Of the 30 large dams planned on river Narmada, the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) is the largest multipurpose project involved in the construction. It was first conceived in the 1940s by Jawaharlal Nehru. The project only took form in 1979 as part of a development scheme to increase irrigation and produce hydroelectricity. The 455 ft height is the focal point of both the dam-builders plans and the Narmada Bachao Andolan`s opposition.

Panchgani is situated 20 kms East of Mahabaleshwar and spreads out over five hills. The name actually means ‘five lands’ and in this very popular hill station, that bears the Raj stamp all over it, you can have some excellent views of the flat surroundings. It is also famous for its boarding schools, its Parsee Bungalows, the fresh air, tasty strawberries and the rich Indians who like to spend some time here. Picturesque Panchgani has served as the background for several films.

From Mahabaleshwar, it takes only twenty to twenty-five minutes to reach Panchgani. It can also be easily visited from Poona or Bombay. .

Jaipur, the first planned city in India is located in the desert city of Rajasthan. It is the capital city of the state and is popular for the charm the city provides. Jaipur is also known as the Pink City and was founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II in the year 1727. The city takes pride in its cultural heritage and is considered to be the reservoir of Indian customs, tradition, legacy and civilization. Jaipur is the commercial centre for most of the rural regions of Rajasthan and has large number of destinations for the tourists to visit. We at Touristplacesinindia.com provide you with complete information on all that you want to know about tourist attractions in Jaipur.

The city has many places for the tourists to visit. It is one of the most alluring cities in India and offers wide scope to the tourists to explore the city. Some of the most appealing tourist destination it the city includes:

Abhaneri: It is a small town famous for the Harshat Mata Temple and is situated on the Jaipur – Agra road believed to be built by Raja Chand. This town is also famous for the astonishing step wells.

Bagru: It is a small village situated about 30 km from Jaipur on the Jaipur – Ajmer Road and is popular for its wooden prints.

Bairath: This historical place is located on the Shahpura-Alwar Road and is 86 km from Jaipur. This town is said to have existed from the time of Mahabharata of Ancient Indian History. This city has also the ruins of a circular Buddhist temple, the earliest structural temple in India. Another important characteristic of this town is the Banganga Fair which is celebrated annually near the town.

This scenic city nestled in the Doon valley is the capital of Uttarakhand , the northern state of India previously known as Uttaranchal. Dehradun is one of the famous tourist destinations in Uttaranchal and attracts a large number of tourists every year.

Location:

Dehradun is flanked by the Himalayas in the North, the Shivalik range in the south, the Yamuna river to its west and the Ganges to its east. The city is located in the North western side of the state and adjoins the districts of Uttarkashi, Pauri Garhwal, Hardwar, Nahan (Himachal Pradesh) and Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh).

History:

Dehra is a variation of the word dera which means camp, or a temporary abode. A group of Sikhs led by Ram Rai on being ordered by the Mughul emperor Aurangzeb to retire to the forests had pitched temporary tents in this area. Dun is the name of the valley and the word means low land at the foot of a mountain.

Darjeeling is also called ‘Queen of the hills’. This famous hill station in the state of West Bengal in India is one of the highlights of Indian tourism and West Bengal tourism benefits significantly from the vast number of Indian and international tourists that visits Darjeeling every year. The town is also the capital of the Darjeeling district which is the northernmost district of West Bengal bordering Nepal. The town offers fantastic vacations in summer as well as winter. The view of the Himalayas, particularly the magnificent view of the Kanchenjungha is one of the major attractions of Darjeeling. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, popularly known as the toy train, has become the symbol of Darjeeling

Major tourist attractions in Darjeeling

Every nook and corner of Darjeeling fascinates the tourist. The mall, the sloping streets, the beautiful colonial buildings, the pines, temples, monasteries and even the whistling toy train combine to make Darjeeling one of the best hill stations in India. The major tourist spots in Darjeeling are-

Dalhousie is a beautiful hill station in the state on Himachal Pradesh. The city was established in the year 1854 during the British rule in India and is situated on and around five hills. Located on the Western side of the Dhauladhar mountain range of the Himalayas, the city is the gateway to the ancient Chamba Hill State. We at Touristplacesinindia.com offers you complete guidance on all that you want to know about the beautiful city of Dalhousie.

The city is situated about 6000 ft above the sea level and has a large number of destinations which attracts tourists from all around the World. The hill region in which the city stands is a repository of ancient Hindu culture and is bounded by temples all around.

About Auli :

Located in the Chamoli district of the northern state of Uttarkhand, Auli is a small hill station which has recently received popularity as a ski resort in India. The slopes of Auli are considered to be the best in Asia and offer one of the very few skiing options in India. The Nanda Devi peak is visible on a clear day from the town. The city is also the venue of the annual winter sports organized during the months of February and March. The skiing season in Auli is normally between November till March.

Fast facts
Languages: Hindi and English
Best time to visit: December to March
STD Code: 013172

History
The temple at Joshimath is one of the four set up by the famous Indian saint, Guru Adi Shankaracharya. These are called pithas and are revered by Hindus all over India. The local semi nomadic Bhotiya tribes have inhabited Auli and the nearby areas for many centuries. These tribes carried out trade with the Tibetan nomads and since then, cultural intermingling has been a constant feature between these two regions. The slopes that are now popular for skiing once used to be the training grounds for the Indo-Tibetan border police force.A famous and daring skiing descent from the 23490 feet high Trishul peak was successfully attempted in 1958. Skiing down took only 90 minutes while the climb had taken four days.

Best Season, Climate, and Clothing

Since it is famous for winter sports, skiing in particular, the best time to visit this scenic hill station is during winter. November to March is the ideal time for the skiers as the slopes are in perfect condition for skiing during that period. From December to March, the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam organizes 7-day and 15-day skiing courses. Heavy woolens are needed to combat the harsh winters and temperatures can reach well below zero degrees Celcius.