Shimla

Shimla 

Location - Situated in the north-west Himalayas, Shimlais the capital of Himachal Pradesh. 

Shimla was the most important British hill resort, prior to India's independence. It is named after its patron goddess, Shamla Devi, amanifestation of Kali. Shimla, located at an altitude of 7,267 feet, is inhabited around a crescent - shaped ridge, which is blessed with perennially cool air and amazing views. It provides superb panoramic sights of the valleys, and the lofty peaks of the great Himalayan range, on both sides. The colourful local bazaars of Shimla are sprawled over the southern slopes of the ridge. 

Spread across 12 kms along a ridge that overlooks terraced hill sides and cultivations, Shimla is magnificently robed in dense forests of oak and pine, fur and rhododendron, and it is best to travel here on the slow train from Kalka. Shimla also is a convenient base for variety of adventure sports such as Skiing, Trekking, Fishing and Golfing etc. 

Places of Interest :

» Gaiety Theatre - This theatre is one of the oldest theatres in the world. It is on the Mall Road. Famous plays are often staged here.

» Himalayan Bird Park - Situated 1km from the Mall Road, in this park one finds rare birds. Models of some endangered species (animals and birds) are also found here.

» Viceregal Lodge - This hall is the most beautiful building in Shimla. It houses some of the most ancient articles that would take us back to the times of the British rule. 

» Jakhu Hill - Shimla's highest Peak, this is situated 2km from the town. One can have a breathtaking view of Shimla from here. A Hanuman Temple is also found on this peak.

» Chadwick Falls - 7km from Shimla, this is an ideal picnic spot. At 1,586 meters above sea level, it is surrounded with waterfalls.

» Summer Hill - Another picnic spot 4 kms. from Shimla, it is located at 1,851 meters above sea level. It has a beautiful temple of Goddess Taradevi. 

» Prospect Hill - Located on this hill isthe temple of Goddess Kamna. Sunrise and the moon are spectacular sights from here. A 15-minute climb from Baluganj would bring you here. For those interested in the culture and art of Himachal Pradesh, here is a State Museum.

» Kufri - 16km from Shimla, beautiful Kufri is alsocalled the "Chinese Bungalow". Many games are organised here from February to March. In winter one can ski on its snow-covered slopes and inthe summer have a ride on the back of the Yak. Kufri is well known for its natural scenic beauty.

» Chail - Another scenic spot where the river A saniflows. This adds to its beauty. The world's highest cricket field is situated here. A story goes that due to some differences, the British hadfor bidden the Maharaja of Patiala from going to Shimla. Therefore, he laid the foundation for the town of Chail and since he loved the game of cricket,a field was specially laid. Chail is about 45 kms from Shimla. 

» Nalderao - 22 kms from Shimla, it has the oldest golf course in India. The pine and deodar add to its beauty.

» Fagu - It is located 2,510 mts. above sea level.Winter is extremely beautiful here. Dense forests and apple orchards have their unique attraction. The snow-capped mountains can hold anyone spell-bound.
How To Get There?

» By Air - The airport is at Jubbarhatti, 23 kmaway. 
» By Rail - Shimla is connected to Kalka by anenchanting narrow guage railway line - where even a quaint rail-car plys. 
» By Road - By road, Chandigarh is 117 km, Manaliis 219 km, Chail is 45 km and Delhi is at a distance of 370 km. From Delhi,the driving time is about eight hours. From Delhi, Manali and Chandigarh,Luxury coaches and taxis ply to Shimla


Temperature : 

Climate	Max	Min
Summer	33°	4°
Winter	18°	1°

Distance from towns and cities :

Cities / Towns	Kms.
Amritsar	342
Chandigarh	116
Delhi	343
Dharmasala	280
Chamba	502
Jammu	848
Kulu	240
AmbalaKalka	151
Manali	89
	280 173

Ajanta Caves

Ajanta Caves

The world famous Ajanta Caves including the unfinished ones are thirty in number, of which five (9, 10, 19, 26 and 29) are chaitya-grihas and the rest are viharas (monasteries). After centuries of oblivion, these caves were discovered in AD 1819. They fall into two distinct phases with a break of nearly four centuries between them. All the caves of the earlier phase date between second century BC-AD. The caves of the second phase were excavated during the supremacy of the Vakatakas and Guptas.

A few paintings, which survive on the walls of Caves 9 and 10date back to the second century BC-AD. The second group of the paintings started in about the fifth century AD and continued for the next two centuries as noticeable in later Caves. Caves 1, 2, 16 and 17 have remarkable paintings with themes intensely religious in tone and centre around Buddha, Bodhisattvas, incidents from the life of Buddha and the jatakas. The paintings are executed on a ground of mud-plaster in the tempera technique.

By Air:
Currently Aurangabad is the nearest Air point for Ajanta. It can be reached from New Delhi and Mumbai (Bombay), international airport. Indian airlines as well as Jet Airways have daily flight to Aurangabad from New Delhi and Mumbai.
Jalgaon has also developed its Airport. Soon it will also start. Ajanta Caves is far near from Jalgaon Airport while a bit distant from Aurangabad Airport.

By Rail: 
Jalgaon is the best place to drop in for Ajanta if you like Rail journey. It is centre point of all major railway stations of India and has Bhusaval (Just 28kms from Jalgaon) as Second largest depot of railways in entire Asia.
All Super Fast, express, mail and passenger trains stops at Bhusaval and most of them at Jalgaon as well. You can check online status of availability of reservation on Indian railways official website. From Jalgaon, you can pick up Taxi/ state transport department bus to reach ajanta.

Cave Timings: 
9.00AM to 17.30PM Indian Standard Time (IST)
Ajanta Caves remain closed on Monday. CAVES REMAIN OPEN ON ALL NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
Cave Charges: 
1. For Indians below 15 years : FREE of Charge
2. For Indians above 15 years : Rs. 10/- per head 
3. For Foreigners above 15 years : US $5 or equivalent in Indian rupees per head
4. For Photo Camera/ Video Camera: Rs. 5/- (Camera to be used without flash) 

MOTI DUNGRI , JAIPUR

Moti Dungri

Location:	Jaipur, Rajasthan
Built In:	1761 AD
Built By:	Seth Jai Ram Paliwal
Visiting Hours:	5:00 AM to 1:30 PM & 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM, everyday

The Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple was constructed by Seth Jai Ram Paliwal in the early eighteenth century, and continues to be one the most popular tourist destinations in Jaipur. Situated in the heart of Jaipur, the Moti Dungri temple is perched on a small hill, and is surrounded by an exotic palace. In the recent past, the palace was home to Rajmata Gaytri Devi, but now, the palace is locked to public, with the temple being the only tourist location. The highlight of this place is the famous and auspicious temple of Lord Ganesha, which is frequently visited by the inhabitants of Jaipur, and other tourists from around the world. In modern times, it is said that thousands of devotees flock the temple on a daily basis and it is considered to be one of the most important religious structures in Jaipur. The temple is nestled by the beautiful palace, called the Moti Dungri palace, which is an imitation of a popular Scottish castle.

History Of The Temple
According to the priests of the temple, the King of 'Mewar' was returning back to his palace from a long journey and was carting a colossal 'Ganesh' idol on a bullock cart. It is said, that the king wanted to build a temple, and had decided to consecrate the idol of Lord Ganesh wherever the bullock cart halted the first time. Legend states that the bullock cart stopped at the foot of the Moti Dungri hills, which is where the temple is situated today. It is said that the construction and the design of the temple was commissioned to Seth Jai Ram Paliwal, who supervised the construction of this magnificent structure, on the inspiration of 'Mahant' (chief priest) Shiv Narain Ji. The temple was originally built to house the 'Ganesh' idol, with only the 'Shaiva' (Lord Shiva followers) visiting the temple. Thereafter, the palace complex was built, encompassing the Moti Dungri Ganesh temple within it, making it a popular religious and tourist center in Jaipur.

Layout Of The Temple
The temple is surrounded by the beautiful Moti Dungri palace, which is an imitation of a Scottish castle. The temple itself spans 2 kilometers and is carved out of stone. Apart from the intricate stone carving, the temple is known for its exquisite lattice work on marble with mythological images engraved on the marble, which offer a splendid view for art-lovers. The idol of Lord Ganesh is located in the heart of the temple, and is hidden from view. Only at certain timings in a day are visitors allowed to have a glimpse of the feted idol.

Other Tourist Attractions

• The ‘Hawa Mahal'
• Statue Circle
• The City Palace
• Nahargarh Fort

The Moti Dungri temple houses the idol of Lord Ganesh, and is flocked by devotees and tourists all year round. From 'Ganesh Chathurthi' to 'Paush Bada', the temple is always bustling with the preparations of festivities and is a landmark destination in Jaipur. This is definitely a must-visit for those wanting to savor a bit of the rich cultural heritage of the city.