Hotels in Kolkata

Kolkata is the erstwhile capital of India and it has always been a city that attracts many visitors around the year. The city is most popular for its cuisine, culture, art, architecture and many things. It is a city established by the British and also a city that clutches the style of the western culture the quickest. Some of the activities that are popular in Kolkata are music, theater, art, and obviously the game of football. For the discerning visitors, it is very important to look for a proper hotels in Kolkata that suits the budget of the travelers as the city renders many options for all kinds of tourists.

Budget Hotels in Kolkata:

If you are planning to spend a great amount of time on the streets of Kolkata savoring the food, the sounds, the sights and the culture, there are a many budget hotels in Kolkata that can give you the much needful rest between journeys. One such hotel is Hotel Paramount located on the famous Park Street area. The hotel has total of 58 AC rooms, snacks and food on request, doctor on call, satellite TV, and a bathroom with toiletries and geyser.

Hotel Fancy International is located in the Fancy Market area of Khidirpur, which gives out rooms that are less expensive. It has provisions like a bar, a banquet hall, a travel desk and doctor on call. It also provides chargeable laundry and taxi services. The rooms are well air-conditioned and well-equipped with direct dialing and all other modern facilities.

Hotel Oriental supplies value for money as well as propinquity to various places of interest like Park Street, Victoria Memorial, Birla Planetarium, Howrah Railway station and the Dum Dum Airport. The rooms are well equipped with all necessary facilities and room service is perfect.

Luxury Hotels in Kolkata:

If you are looking to indulgence and be in the thick of the action, you can enjoy the comfort of the many luxury hotels, enjoying the view of the city while getting your senses enriched.

Hotel Hindustan International is situated on the J. C. Bose Road and is a perfect destination for business travelers. The hotel provides a host of facilities like free airport travel, in-house restaurant, complimentary breakfast, bar, with banquet, swimming pool, and a health club. Besides that there are deluxe rooms and many in-room facilities that can give you a grand experience.

Lytton Hotel is one of the most famous 3 star hotels in Kolkata and is located on Sudder Street. It offers fully air-conditioned rooms that are equipped with all necessary facilities like attached bathrooms and balconies. It also provides 2 restaurants, Jacuzzi, bar and a swimming pool.

Oberoi Hotel offers a host of facilities for its customers like health club, creche, safety deposit and many other in-room comforts.

Peerless Inn is a the most popular five star hotels in Kolkata that supplies an excellent view of the city from the building tower. The hotel has various services like massage parlor, gym, lounge, coffee shop, and many others amenities.

Weekend Getaways Around Delhi

Tired with the hustle and bustle life of Delhi and looking out for a change? Go away somewhere close to Delhi on this coming weekend by selecting a Weekend Getaways Around Delhi. There are abundant weekend getaways from Delhi which are easily and well connected with good roads and perfect place for a very small trip. Some popular Weekend Tours Around Delhi are Taj Mahal Agra, Rajasthan, Nanital, Manali, Mussoorie, Corbett Wildlife Park, Rishikesh, Bandhavagarh Wildlife and many more.

Make your choice from the favorable themes for Weekend Tours Around Delhi and one can have a enjoyable holiday:

Wilderness Tour: One of the nearest national parks from Delhi is the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur Rajasthan that is an perfect location for a weekend break. Move away from the rush of city and pollution-affected streets to revitalize amid nature's abundance at this national park which is also considered as a World Heritage Site. This national park is home to around 366 different bird species, 50 species of fish, 379 floral species, 7 species of turtles, 13 species of snakes and many more. The scarcest Siberian cranes also visit this place in the winter time along with various other migratory birds making winters the perfect season to see the park for a weekend getaway.

Cultural Tour: For those people who are fascinated by electing cultural tours around Delhi on a weekend also have much more options which includes places like Mathura. This place is short drive from Delhi. It may nearly 5 to 6 hours to reach Mathura. It is a known city which is considered to be the place where Lord Krishna spent most of his childhood. The city is full of sacred shrines which are affiliated to lord's lifespan. At the same locality, one can also find several examples of communal harmony with many mosques hanging next to Hindu temples.

Golden Triangle Tour: Golden Triangle tours are considered as one of the best Weekend Tours Around Delhi in North India as it include visits to 3 of the most enchanting and culturally flourishing cities of the region. Delhi, Jaipur and Agra makes three intersections of Golden Triangle and all these cities are a fast drive away from one place to another. Once can travel from one city to another in the matter of just 5 hours and each of the cities relinquishes a impressive and more captivating display of architecture, art, splendor and history. Both Jaipur and Agra makes perfect options for weekend getaways around packages Delhi and has many things to offer to the tourists. Agra delights the onlooker's eyes with captivating UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Jaipur is amazing with its share of gleaming markets and grand palaces.

Weekend getaways around Delhi offer a revitalizing break which is essentially required after hectic schedule at work. To break the sameness of city life and to look into interesting destinations around the city, one can go for these kinds of place for short journeys. Choose from your preferred theme for a best holiday and move towards the destination of your choice. One can also indeed come back with bagful of stories and memories to be shared next day with friends and colleagues in the office.

Hotels in India: The Paradigm of Lavishness

Hotels in India: The Paradigm of Lavishness

India is considered as most popular tourist destinations throughout the world and it renders abundant facilities for travelers including lodging, sightseeing and cuisines. It has many hotels and promotes the booming of tourism and travel industry in India. There are numerous resorts and hotels that have been popular over the last few years to cater the best accommodation needs of everyone. India is featured with various hotels that can fit in everyone's budget. There are hotels ranging from economy hotels to luxurious hotels. Various travel agent can help in finding a suitable hotels in India.

Hotels in India provide detailed summary of the various categories of hotels, and the essential groups of hotels that marks a huge role in tourism. Located in all major commercial and tourist destinations of India, the hotels are best known for their comfortable stay and warm hospitality. There are many hotels in India that are counted among some of the good hotels worldwide.

Some of the classification of Hotels in India are:

The hotels in India can be categorized into several classes on the basis of facilities, room types and location. Some of the major categories of hotels are:

Budget Hotels: The budget hotels fits for the customers from middle class to upper middle class. It is also referred as business hotels, economy class hotel, and discount hotels. They support all the contemporary infrastructural amenities for pleasant and comfortable stay.

Luxury Hotels: These hotels are outfitted with world class infrastructural facilities. It offer the tourists with good dinning and lodging experience. It caters mainly to the upper class executives, the luxury hotels broaden a warm greeting to all the customers.

Heritage Hotels: It showers the elegance and old glory of India, mainly in the form of mansions and havelis of olden times have been turned into Heritage Hotels. It renders the tourists with an opportunity to experience royal delight in traditional atmosphere. Many of the Heritage Hotels are epitome in the princely states of Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh

Resorts: The resorts are commonly found in major hill stations and sea side travel destinations of India. Located with natural scenic beauty, the resorts gives the ideal place to enjoy the travelers a valuable time with friends and family in isolation.

Other various categories of hotels are cheap hotels, 2 star, 3 star, 4 star, 5 star hotels, palm tree hotels etc. Each hotel has their own characteristics in services and facilities.

Most of the hotels in India have their own websites or other travel companies have hotel directories available that can provide the most valued information regarding hotels. With these websites it is possible to check out the standard, cost and other facilities available in hotel. These sites also supply the list of hotels required in the particular city or other tourist destination. Tourist can select hotels of their preference in any of the tourist destinations in India. They can also book their hotel room and save the inconveniences of finding the accommodation. They can also take the advantage of the other facilities that are available like online booking and check out the cost of the hotels.

Srirangapatna is also know as Seringapatam during the British time. It is a town located in the Mandya District in Karnataka. This place is surrounded by Kaveri river and looks like a river island. It is only 19kms far from Mysore city and situated beside the Bangalore-Mysore highway. This place is well significant for religious and cultural importance. Legend says the Lord Budha had visited this place and stayed in this islands.

This place is famous for its Ranganathaswamy temple. According to legends, the name of this town is taken from this well visited temple. This temple is regarded as one of the focal center of Vaishnavite in south India. Historical evidences suggest that the temple was built during the Ganga dynasty in 9^th century. The architectural pattern symbolizes the unique combination of Hoysala and Vijayanagar styles of temple architecture. It is mentioned that the three island formed in kaveri river are Adi Ranga - at Srirangapattana, Madhya Ranga - at Shivanasamudra, Antya Ranga - at Srirangam. These three island are dedicated to Sri Ranganathaswamy. The Kaveri river and its Paschima Vaahini which encompassed the islands are regarded as most auspicious. People come from far places to submerge the ashes of their ancestors. Buddha Poornima, Holi , Dussehra are some main festivals which are celebrated grandly.

The place is well marked for its historic value. Once it the was capital of Hyder Ali and Tipu sultan. This place is dotted with many antic monuments which is known as Indo islamic monuments as date back to this period. This experienced many remarkable battles. In 18^th century Hyder Ali successfully protected this land from Marathas. But in 1799 the battle of Srirangapatnam was a memorable one with its historic impacts. In this battle Tipu was killed conspiratorially but the ramparts and destroyed places are still there with the reminiscence of its glorious past.

The popular place of Srirangapatna is Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple which is dedicated to lord vishnu. Other well visited temples are Ganesh Temple Lakshminarasimha Swamy Temple, the Jyothi Mahaswara Temple, the Bidhcotta Ganesha Temple, the Panduranga Swamy Temple, the Sathyanarayana Swamy Temple, the Anjunaya Swamy Temple, the Ayyapa Temple, the Gangadhareswara Swamy Temple ,and the Raganatha Nagara Ganesha Temple. Other attractions in Srirangapatna are the Jumma Masjid (a Mosque) and the Daria Daulat Gardens. Rangantittu Bird Sanctuary is a well noticeable place for bird lovers. Shivanasamudra Falls is the second biggest waterfall in India and 27kms far from this place. This place boast of the summer palace of Tipu Sultan.

Mysore Palace

Mysore Palace or the Mysore Maharaja Palace is located in the heart of the city. Mysore Palace is one of the most visited monuments in India. And its one of the largest palaces in the country, also known as Amba Vilas Palace, was the residence of the Wodeyar Maharaja's of the Mysore state. Mysore Palace is priceless national treasure and the pride of a kingdom, the Mysore Maharaja Palace is the seat of the famed Wodeyar Maharaja's of Mysore. The palace is now converted into a museum that treasures souvenirs, paintings, jewelery, royal costumes and other items, which were once possessed by the Wodeyars. It's a Kaleidoscope of stained glass & mirrors. The tastefully decorated and intricately carved doors open into luxuriously decorated rooms. The ground floor with an enclosed courtyard displays costumes, musical instruments, children toys and numerous portraits. The upper floor has a small collection of weapons. The beautifully carved mahogany ceilings, solid silver doors, white marble floors and superb columned Durbar Hall are a fest to the eyes. The palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world. Exquisitely carved doors open into stunningly luxurious rooms.

The front of the Amba Vilas Palace has an open balcony supported by massive circular columns. The Royal portrait gallery, which is of historical importance, is a visual treat to the visitors. This three-storied structure has beautifully designed square towers at various cardinal points covered by domes. Craftsmen from Jaipur and Agra along with local workers were engaged in crafting them. The marriage pavilion or the Kalyana Mantapa with a center octagonal gabled roof, covered by stained glasses, is to the south of the building. The flooring of this magnificent Kalyana Mantapa has artistic geometrical patterns created by using glittering glazed tiles imported from England. The building has gorgeous chandeliers of Czechoslovakian make.

The royal throne, regal seat of the is called the Chinnada Simhasana or Ratna Simahasana with captivating artwork on its gold plates is displayed during the Dasara festival. The Maharajas of Mysore used to sit on the golden throne and hold durbars in the Palace Durbar Hall. The paintings of eight manifestations of Goddess Shakthi (strength) and an original painting of the renowned painter Raja Ravi Verma are also on display. The palace complex has a selection of twelve Hindu temples. The oldest of these was built in the 14th century, while the most recent was built in 1953. Someshvara Temple, dedicated to God Lord Shiva and Lakshmiramana Temple, dedicated to God Lord Vishnu are some of the more famous temples.

Palace is the venue for the famous Mysore Dasara festival, during which leading artists perform on a stage set up in the palace grounds. On the tenth day of the festival Vijaya Dashami, a parade with caparisoned elephants and other floats originate from the palace grounds. The erstwhile Royal family continues to live in a portion of the Palace. Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar is the current scion of the Wodeyar Dynasty. A silhouette of the Mysore Palace illuminated with ninety seven thousand bulbs, shimmering against an inky black night is one of the most enduring images of the city. Although tourists are allowed to visit the palace, they are not allowed to take photographs inside the palace.    

Mysore – Vibrant Place to Visit

Mysore is situated in the Karnataka State, India and it is considered as Second largest city in the state. This place is located at the base of Chamundi Hills and is popular for the Dussehra celebrations during which a large number of tourists visit the city. This city is the perceptive capital of Karnataka.

Dussehra is the most important festival of the city and this festival is celebrated for a period of 10 days. Started by King Raja Wodeyar I in the year 1610, the ninth day of the celebration is known as Mahanavami and the imperial sword is worshiped on this day. Processions constituting ornamented elephants, camels and horses are taken out. The word Mysore is derived from Mahishuru or Mahishasurana Ooru, meaning the town of Mahishasura, the demon king who is believed to have lived here. The history of Mysore can be traced back to the time of Mahabharata. It was ruled by the Ganga Dynasty from the 2nd century to approximately 10th century. Later it was ruled by the Cholas for a century which was followed by the Chalukyas, Hoysalas, the Vijayanagar Empire and finally the Mysore Yadu rules in the 13th century. During the reign of Chamaraja Wadiyar the city is said to have gained prominence. For a brief period the Wadiyars got dethroned, but finally returned to power under the British command at the end of the 17th century.

Chamundi Hills is a popular religious centre that lies close to Mysore. It is home to a beautiful temple dedicated to Goddess Chamundeshwari and is also a popular choice among adventure lovers as it offers an excellent trekking route. One of the most visited monuments in India, the Amba Vilas Palace, or Mysore Palace, is the centre of the Dasara festivities. The Jaganmohana Palace, the Jayalakshmi Vilas and the Lalitha Mahal are other palaces in the city. Chamundeshwari Temple, atop the Chamundi Hills, and St. Philomena's Church are notable religious places in Mysore. The Mysore Zoo, established in 1892, and the Karanji and Kukkarahalli lakes are popular recreational destinations.

Mysore has the Regional Museum of Natural History, the Folk Lore Museum, the Railway Museum and the Oriental Research Institute. The city is a centre for yoga-related health tourism that attracts domestic and foreign visitors. Melody World is a museum showcasing wax statues and musical instruments. The 3-D paintings in the wedding hall that seem to turn towards the viewer whichever end he’s standing at, Raja Ravi Verma’s painting in the court hall, the Durbar hall and it’s amazing lighting– each was more exquisite than the previous. There is also a life-size statue likeness of Krishnaraja Wodeyar in a seated posture. It took 15 years to construct this palace at a cost of Rs.42 Lakhs. (One can’t even think of a 2-bed apt for that money today in Bangalore but then 42L then was probably equal to 400 crores today). Photography is prohibited within the palace and so I have no pictures of the interiors. I did take several pictures outside which are below.

Bangalore-Mysore Road Trip

Place: Mysore.

Distance: 140 x 2 = 280 kms.

Directions: Bangalore -> Ramnagara -> Maddur -> Mandya -> Srirangapatna – -> Mysore City.

Participants: Vinod, Manoj, Manju, Suri.

Car: Swift Dezire.

                                                                       Road Map

It was around 6 in the morning where we had to meet up as scheduled at our Adda. When I reached the Adda, I was bit surprised to find the other three friends already waiting for me. We had a formal greeting, had some tea/coffee and then decided to leave Bengaluru around 6:30. Our drive started from Bangalore to Bidadi which was around 30kms stretch. The weather was very cold as lots of gloom in the sky that left SH-17(Mysore road) dingy. We decided kept to keep decent speed to reach Bidadi for some nice and tasty breakfast. There, we had some groovy Tate Idlies and Vadas, which esthetics merely brilliant.

                                                               Tate Idli and Vada in Bidadi
                                                                   

With little food in our stomach, we decided to proceed further. On right with some distance in the view, we saw a giant wheel of an amusement park by name Wonder La. On moving further, there were some good views of the rocky outcropping at a region. After driving for nearly half an hour, we tend to reach Ramnagaram area, which has some spectacularly large boulder hills.

The Bangalore-Mysore highway practically transverses through the rocky tract. By some distance, we found Kamat Lokaruchi which is a popular place for those who are heading towards Mysore. We spotted a huge signboards from many kilometers away stating the approaching of Kamat Lokaruchi. The highway median was open briefly and we took turn right in front of Kamat’s. Though a little expensive comparatively, the food served was authentic Kannada cuisine, especially the Karavali meals. There was ample parking space, decent toilet facilities and nice atmosphere. We also found another Kamath on the highway just near to Channapatna towards the left side. Also there was a Coffee Day and McDonald’s on the left. Signboards for both appear well ahead.

        

Cafe Coffee Day                                     Cappuccino                                       McDonald's 

After Channapatana on your right are Cafe Coffee Day and Indradanush on the same compound of the road. While Cafe Coffee Day serves Burger themes and Cappuccino, Indradanush offers the typical south  Indian menu. Just next to Indradanush is the MTR and they serve tasty south Indian food.

Further ahead, near Madur the SH-33, we crossed the highway. Towards right it leads to NH 48 at Kunigal and towards right the SH-33 leads to Malavalli where it meets NH 209. Though not as unusual as the other drive mentioned, Madur too have some better places to stop for a snacks break. Maddur Tiffanys before Maddur, Nandini Deluxe in Mandya are other subsequent options before reaching Mysore. After Mandya before moving to Srirangapatna, a major road joins the Bangalore-Mysore highway towards the right. A huge signboard supports across the highway denoting the entry to Srirangapatna. The roads on your right goes to SH-7 and Nagamangala.

Srirangapatna is an island formed by 2 subdivisions of Cauvery River. We headed towards Srirangapatna which is a major part of Mysore route. We spend around couple of hours for covering the popular places of Srirangapatna. Rangaswamy temple, the remains of the fort, ruins of Tippu’s palace, the place where Tippu’s body was found in the battle field etc. After entering the town through a long bridge, we took right and it was a bit messy junction. A little ahead on the highway on the left side, we found the signboards giving direction to the monuments on located the left side of the highway. Tippu’s summer palace, Gumbaz, the Nimishamba Temple etc are located in this part.

    Srirangapatna Map

                                                                     Rangaswamy temple

A little ahead on the highway, we exit Srirangapatna through the second bridge. Around 1 km to exit the island, we saw a steep right branch road. We left the highway and took this road and went head straight to Ranganthittu bird sanctuary and Brindavan (KRS) without entering Mysore city. This road was eventually merge with the KRS Road and further it joined the SH88 (Hunsur Road) at a place called Yelwal, nearly 12km outside Mysore city on the opposite site. We spend some time there and decided to return at evening because of Brindavan (KRS) is famous for beautiful lighting and fountains which is adorable at night times. Mysore city center was nearly 24 kilometers ahead from this point. From this point onward, there are many branch roads that goes towards and around the city and we headed towards Mysore. We took deviations at Colombia Asia junction, and drove straight ahead to reach a Y junction. From there, it was nearly about 5 kilometers, we end up in the Mysore city. The traffic from Bangalore to Mysore is perceptible. So we decided to take one day stay at Mysore and see the places in and around Mysore.