Birds of Jakkur Lake - 7, Bangalore

Jakkur Lake in north Bangalore you can come across some colourful birds. 

Here is glimpse some of the birds.

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Ullal

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple at Ullal is located in a calm and serene atmosphere.

Even though the architecture of the temple is very similar to ancient temples in the area, this temple is very simple when compared to other temples.

In the sanctum Lord Narasimha with his consort Lakshmi is enshrined here.

Pelling

Pelling is a small town located at an altitude of 2150 m is last destination in our tour of the sate of Sikkim. It is fast growing into tourist destination in the state of Sikkim. This has become a destination for all seasons, and has hotels and resorts catering to all budgets.

The main attraction of the place is breathtaking view it offers of the Khangchendzonga and surrounding ranges. We could also get a glimpse of it for a fraction of second even though it was misty in the morning.

Other attraction in and around the town are:

• Pemayangste Monastery in Pemayangste
• Ruins of Rabdentse Palace in Rabdentse 
• Kanchenjungha Falls
• Khecheopalri Lake

This small town has serene environment and picturesque which is ideal for mountain biking, sightseeing, traditional sports and bird-watching.

How to Reach: We reached this place from Lachung which is around 170 kms away. The drive through the wining roads in the mountains was a beautiful experience.

Spotted Deer at Gir

In Gir Sanctuary went for Safari in an open jeep and we could see few animals as well as birds in the forest. We could see plenty of Spotted Deer. 

Here are few pictures that I had taken.

Vali Sugreeva Temple, Avani

Ramlingeshwar Temple complex at Avani has several shrines and one of them is Vali Sugreeva Temple. This temple is built by rulers of Nolamba dynasty around 10th Century A.D. 

The entrance to this shrine is beautifully carved and very ornate with people riding on horses and flower motifs.

Orchard Palace, Gondal

Huzoor Palace at Gondal is the royal residence. In the late 19th century an additional section was added to this palace to host personal guests of the Maharajas. 

This annex of the Huzoor Palace is known as Orchard Palace and is open to the public. The property gets its name from the fruit orchards that surround the palace.

The "Room of Miniatures" is a living room with a collection of miniature paintings, brass, and furniture. The rooms of the palace show case decorative furniture, antiques and handicrafts.

One of the highlights of the palace is the Rail Saloon of the royal family.

Today this property has been converted into seven-room heritage hotel. This place is also a delight for bird watchers.

White Peacock at Karanji Lake, Mysore

Karanji Lake at Mysore is a beautiful lake with many trees and plants all around the lake. In the park is an walk-through aviary with beautiful birds.

One such bird is white peacock.

Hanging Gardens, Mumbai

The Hanging Gardens in Mumbai is one of the oldest garden in the city. It is a terraced garden perched at the top of Malabar Hill just opposite the Kamala Nehru Park.

For people looking for quite time away from the hustle and bustle of city life this is the right place.

The park was laid out in 1881 by Ulhas Ghapokar over Bombay's main reservoir.

This garden is beautiful place with a variety of flowers and well maintained greens all around.

Namchi

Namchi is town in the state of Sikkim located at a distance of 78 kilometres from the state capital Gangtok. In the local language the name means "Sky High". It is situated at an altitude of 1675 m above sea level. 

The place is growing into a tourist destination. The places of interest that we visited in our trip of Sikkim is:

• Siddhesvara Dhaam

Other places of interest near by are:

• Samdruptse
• Ravangla

Western Reef Heron at Diu

During our visit to Diu, we came across many colourful birds. We could spot some birds around the Diu Fort in the shallow water.  One such colourful bird is Western Reef Heron. 

It is a medium-sized stocky heron that has with two plumage colour forms. The one we spotted here is with a slaty-grey plumage.  

It has a whitish throat and yellow bill. It has long yellow legs. During the breeding they have two long feathers on the sides of the nape. 

They stalk their prey in shallow water. They feed on at fish, crustaceans, mudskippers.

Nyaya Mandir, Vadodara

The Nyaya Mandir in Vadodara is the District Court of the city. This is one of the vintage buildings in the city that showcases the architecture of olden days.

The initial plan in 1896 by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III was to build a vegetable market in the centre of the city. But later it was decided to build a town hall and finally decided to build a court. This building is spread over 4 acres of land.

The structure has mix of different architectural styles like Indo-Saracenic, and Mughal architecture. It has a huge central hall with a statue of Chimnabai the the first wife of Gaekwad Maharaja Sayaji Rao III. Its facade has Italian marble tiles. 

Murdeshwar

Murdeshwar is a small town on the coast of the Arabian Sea. The name of the city is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. It is at a distance of 162 km from Mangalore. On one side it is bounded by the Arabian Sea and another side Western Ghats. 

The places of interest here are:

• Murdeshwar Temple
• Statue of Lord Shiva
• Murdeshwar Beach

Other places of interest near by are:

• Udupi
• Malaydi
• Barkur

Red Vented Bulbul at Gir

In Gir Sanctuary went for Safari in an open jeep and we could see some birds flying around. We spotted few Red Vented Bulbul in the forest.

We could see it around ticket booking counter for the jeep safari.

Their body is dark brown with a scaly pattern while the head is darker or black. The rump is white while the vent is red. The black tail is tipped in white.