Chamundi Hills, Mysore

The Chamundi Hills with an elevation of 1000 meters is located close to Mysore (State: Karnataka) as many interesting sites. The temple top cab reached either by vehicle or by climbing around 1500 steps. From the top you can get a panoramic view of the Mysore and surroundings. At the top of the the hill are few temples. most prominent among them is the temple of Goddess Chamundeshwari.

En route to the top, one can see

• the large monolithic statue of Nandi the Bull.
• the statue of Demon Mahishasura.

At the top temple of Goddess Chamundeshwari

We started from Mysore to the Hills at around 7:00 a.m in the morning. It was drizzling on the the way. And at the top the temple tower was covered by mist. On the way we saw group of horse riders.

Lalbagh Flower Show - Petunia Flowers

At flower show in Lalbagh Gardens at Bangalore on August 2010 there were exclusive collection of various flowers on display.

One of the flower on display are Petunia Flowers.

The colors and designs were amazing.

Golden Fort, Jaisalmer

Golden Fort in Jaisalmer (State: Rajasthan) is the most magnificent site. Built in 1156 by the Bahtti Rajput ruler Jaisala, and reinforced by later rulers, the fort crowns the 80 m - high Trikuta Hill. This is one of the oldest living fort, where one quarter of the old city's population is still residing in it.

The fort has 99 bastions around its circumference and is protected by three walls. The lower wall is of solid stone blocks which reinforce the loose rubble of which Trikuta hill is composed. The second wall snakes around the fort. Above is the view of the fort from one of the havelis located outside the fort at a quite good distance.

The fort is entered from first Fort Gate and a series of massive gates via an enormous stone paved ramp, leads one to a large courtyard. In the courtyard one can see the former Maharaja's seven story Palace, Rajmahal. This square was formerly used to review troops, hear petitions and present extravagant entertainment for important visitors.

Within the fort walls, there are seven beautifully carved Jain Temples built between the 12th and 15th centuries.

The fort looks especially magical when it is lit up at night.

Bannerghatta National Park

Bannerghatta National Park (Karnataka) is at a distance of 22 kms from Bangalore. Total area of park is approximately 104 sq.kms and is covered by mostly dense forest and scrub land. It is home for various wild animals such as tiger, lion, bison, leopard, wild boar.

Other attractions include a zoo, crocodile farm, butterfly park. In addition, a portion of the park is used as a sanctuary for rescued wild animals, mainly from circuses. Below are set of images from the zoo.

On Tuesdays, the Park remains closed.

Lalbagh Flower Show - Brain Celosia

At flower show in Lalbagh Gardens at Bangalore on August 2010 there were exclusive collection of various flowers on display. The colors were amazing. Below is the Brain Celosia Flower on display:

Barah Kaman, Bijapur

Barah Kaman constructed in 1672, is an another interesting monument in Bijapur (State: Karnataka). It is the incomplete mausoleum of Ali Adil Shah II.


It is an elegant structure with 12 interleaving graceful arches. It was previously named as Ali Roza, but later ruler of Bijapur changed its name to its current name of Barah Kaman as this was the 12th monument during his reign.

It has the tombs containing the graves of Bijapur ruler Ali, and his queens.

ASI Museum, Shimoga

In Shimoga (State: Karnataka) in the fort area is the 16th century Shivappa Nayak Palace of Keladi Dynasty. Today, this palace also serves as a museum for Archeological Survey of India (ASI).

Like any other museum on display are here various sculptures belonging to various periods. Apart from the sculptures there are also manuscripts on display. The sculptures are not only inside the palace, but also out in the garden. Here we will see some of the sculptures that are inside the palace.

Above is the idol of Jain Thirtankara Adinath belonging to the 12th century A.D. Every detail is carved beautifully.

Above is the idol of Gajalaksmi belonging to 11th century A.D. Here Goddess Lakshmi can be seen flanked by elephants on either side.

Above is the idol of Mahisusaramardini belonging to 12th century A.D. Every detail is carved beautifully.

Lalbagh Flower Show - Orchids - 2

At flower show in Lalbagh Gardens at Bangalore on August 2010 there were exclusive collection of Orchids on display. The colors were amazing. Below are some of the orchids on display.

There were stalls selling the Orchids plants outside the flower show. The price ranged from Rupees 600 to 1200 depending on the variety.

St. Aloysius Chapel, Mangalore

The St. Aloysius Chapel in Mangalore (State: Karnataka) is located in the campus of St. Aloysius College. In 1184, it was built by the Italian Jesuit Antonio Moscheni.

The chapel which looks simple externally is an architectural gem. People who have seen chapels outside India say that it can be compared with any other chapels in Rome.

The uniqueness of the chapel is in the paintings inside the chapel that cover every inch of the walls. The paintings are still in good shape. A glimpse of painting can be seen in the above image.

Mysore Zoo

Mysore (State: Karnataka) the heritage city is located at a distance of 145 kms from Bangalore. Here there are various tourist attractions. One among them is Mysore Zoo. Established in 1892, it is one of the oldest and most popular zoos in India. It is home to a wide range of wild species. Officially the zoo is named as Shri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, named after the founder of the zoo.

This is one of the well maintained place, where animals are well taken care of. This is a nice place for the kids to get know about the various wild species. The trip through the zoo consumes more than half a day.

For closer look at the animals at the zoo: Elephants, Lion, Giraffe, White Tiger, Zebra, White Peacock, Rhino, Peacock, Sauras Crane, Monkey, Black Swan

Lalbagh Flower Show - Pink Dahlia

At flower show in Lalbagh Gardens at Bangalore on August 2010 there were exclusive collection of lot flower plants. Lot of Dahlias were planted as part of the show. The colors were amazing. (Click on the image for bigger picture)

The flowers were seen with lot of bees hovering over them.

Shimoga

The city of Shimoga (State: Karnataka) is located at a distance of 274 kms from Bangalore. The city is well connected by road and rail links. The city has its own historical importance.

It has been part of various dynasties since 3rd century such as Mauryans, Kadambas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas, Rashtrakutas and the Vijayanagara rulers till late 17th century. There are several places of historical importance in and around the city. There are a quiet lot of natural beautiful places around the city.

Places of interest in the city are:

• Shivappa Nayaka Palace
• Kote Anjenaya Swamy Temple
• Sacred Heart Cathedral
• ASI Museum (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Chausath Yogini Temple, Jabalpur

This temple is located on a hill top in Bhedaghat is a must visit place for all.

This temple is approached by a series of 150 plus steps. The temple in the center dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati was built by the Kalchuri dynasty in the 10th century AD.

This temple complex has an open circular courtyard around the temple atop a hill. In circular fashion there is a row of 64 idols of attendants of Goddess Durga called Yoginis around the temple. These beautiful lawa stone idols were plundered and disfigured by Moghul invaders.