Places to see:
• Old Town –This Old Town in Switzerland is filled with wonderful Baroque houses and 170 oriel windows and the fortress which were a status symbol on the houses of rich merchants.
• Rhinefall at Schaffhausen – It’s the Europe’s largest and most powerful waterfall, where the water crashes down 21 metres, across a width of 150 metres. In July the water levels are highest.
• The Untersee Lake – Rhine boat trip from Schaffhausen to Kreuzlingen is the most popular and is nearly 50 km long.
• Boat trip on the Rhine from Schaffhausen to Steinam Rhein and on across the Untersee to Konstanz and Kreuzlingen – one of the finest river trips in Europe.
• Former Benedictine abbey of Allerheiligen – the monastery is a church with its 11th century cloisters. It is an important Romanesque historic building, with a herb garden and museum about the town’s history and industry.
• Modern Art Gallery – This art gallery is a former textile factory houses that has large installations by internationally renowned artists.
• The Munot fortress and enjoy the view over the old city and the beautiful landscape. The Munot fortress, the city emblem was built and designed by Albrecht Durer between 1564 and 1589 and the huge bell of the fortress when rung is a sign of its closing.
Other Highlights of the city of Schaffhausen
• Fireworks Display: The Rhine Falls big fireworks display takes place every second last weekend in August. This is a time to be there in the place and enjoy the view.
• Culinary Tour Schaffhausen: Schaffhausen has its culinary side too which can be known in this tour.
• Night watchmen Tours: This tour is for the olden stories of Schaffhausen which are on the scarier side, so if you have a strong heart or like these kinds of scary stories, then go for it. At nightfall the night watchman will tell you frightening stories of terrible court sentences, hangmen, the plague, fires in town, etc.

How to get there:

• By train: From Zurich within 45 minutes to one hour one can take S-Bahn S16 or S33 vi 3 times an hour to Winterthur S33.
• By car: From Zurich one can take the A4/E41 direction north. One can reach right to the city. One shall need a vignette for all Swiss highways.
• Get around: To get around the place take Local buses or walk by foot in the old city.
Buses to all directions are available every 20 minutes when busy or else one can get in 10 minutes itself. One get can get a “Tageskarte” which is like a bus ticket that allows you to use all buses for a whole day.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Schaffhausen is around July-August when the weather is just right for boating, viewing and the Rhine falls also at its highest during this time. The view is splendid and enjoyable at this time.

Location on Google Maps:

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Directions from Zurich on Google Maps:

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Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers)

• Tripadvisor (hotels, restaurants)
• Booking.com
• http://www.lastminute.com/site/travel/hotels/?mpch=sem
• http://www.hotels-and-more.ch/en/schaffhausen/schaffhausen/
• http://www.travelpod.com/hotels/Schaffhausen.html
• Eurobookings.com
• Hotel.info

Blogs / Sites about Schaffhausen:

• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Schaffhausen/tpod.html
• http://www.travelpost.com/EU/Switzerland/Schaffhausen/Schaffhausen/4312185
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Schaffhausen-travel-blogs-1192139
• http://www.bugbitten.com/blogs/Europe/CanAm/Interlaken_Lucern_Schaffhausen.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schaffhausen

Images and photos of Schaffhausen:

• Google Search
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/East/Schaffhausen/
• http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_schaffhausen_4256.html
• http://search.pbase.com/search?q=Schaffhausen
• http://www.traveljournals.net/pictures/switzerland/schaffhausen/
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g188071-Schaffhausen.html

Videos of Schaffhausen (link)

Location of Anantnag (Martand Sun Temple located close by) on Google Maps:

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Mattan is derived from the name Macch(Fish)-Bhawan. This place is also called Martand, because an antient Temple named Martand is situated just 2 Kms from it. In Mattan there is a famous temple of Sun God, which is worshipped as of Konark. There are two springs named Vimal & Kamal Kunds.
Martand Temple is located at about 5 miles from the town of Anantnag, Anantnag District. By road, Martand Temple can be approached easily from Anantnag, Mattan and Achabal. The nearest airport is at Srinagar. Anantnag is situated at 33.44 latitude and 75.12 longitude, at an elevation of 5400 feet above sea level, at a distance of 33 miles from the main state-headquarters Srinagar.

A good description of Martand midway through the page on this link.
Some photos of Martand (link)
Many many photos of Martand from the Indira Gandhi National Center of Arts (link)
Older photograph of the ruins of the Surya Temple in Martand (link)
More photos of the ruins of the Sun Temple at Martand (link)

Location of Jaipur City Palace on Google Maps:

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The City Palace complex covers a huge area, with gardens, buildings and structures, and courtyards. There are various buildings in the complex such as the Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Mukut Mahal, Maharani’s Palace, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum. The Mubarak Mahal is a museum visible as one enters the complex, with the museum being a costume museum, displaying the attires worn by the kings (including one huge dress worn by a very heavily endowed king).
Once you cross the cloth museum, you come across an open hall called the Diwan-I-Khas, which was a hall meant for the king for the private audience (as opposed to the public visiting hall). In this open hall, there are 2 huge silver vessels on display. They were made for a special purpose, to carry enough water of the Holy Ganga (Ganges) for the then Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II when he wanted to visit England. You can also see the Diwan-i-Aam, meant for the public audience by the Maharajah.

Tourists passing through a gate allowing movement between different sections of the Jaipur City Palace

The Ganga Jali meant for carrying holy water to purify the ruler Sawai Madho Singh on his trips

Row of canons parked outside the Jaipur City Palace

Rifles arranged around a central shield just next to the silver urns in Jaipur City Palace

Another museum in the complex is inside the Mahrani’s Mahal (Palace of the Queen, meant for the queens) showcasing a number of weapons starting from the 15th century. You get to see swords, guns, rifles, shields, daggers, and many other weapons. The museum could look much better, since when we went, it seemed much more dusty than normal.

Light and shade in the hall containing the silver urns in the Jaipur City Palace

Guards at the entrance to the cafe of the Jaipur City Palace

Entering the Jaipur City Palace through its main gate

Dolls of different shapes and colors inside the Jaipur City Palace

A beautiful long corridor inside the Jaipur City Palace

A closer view of weapons mounted on a wall in the Jaipur City Palace

Angular view of the beautiful central part of the City Palace in Jaipur

Beautiful buildings and gate inside the City Palace in Jaipur

A view of the cloth museum and beautiful colors of the sky in the Jaipur City Palace

A very well maintained inner section of the Jaipur City Palace

A pigeon walking on the floor of the Diwan-i-Khas (also known as the Sarbato Bhadra)

A music performance and dolls exhibited inside the City Palace in Jaipur

A more detailed look at the private residential part of the Jaipur City Palace

A detailed view of the clock-tower in the Jaipur City Palace

An ornate gate leading to the residential portion of the Jaipur City Place

Canons at the entrance to the private residence of the Jaipur City Palace

A view of the outside gate (form the inside) in the Jaipur City Palace

Location of Fatehpur Sikri on Google Maps:

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Fatehpur Sikri was Akbar’s act of faith, and also his folly, since it showed that even an emperor could not use all his might to fight against nature. Fatehpur Sikri was a city build by Akbar as his royal city, in homage to the saint Salim Chishti who lived in Sikri, and who ordained that a son would be born to Akbar (after Akbar had lost his earlier children). Duly after this, Salim (later to be known as Jehangir) was born to Akbar and Jodha Bai in 1569. In 1570, Akbar decided to start building his city, and this was born the complex of Fatehpur Sikri. However, water is essential to sustain any population, especially for a royal city.

The vast center courtyard of the Fatehpur Sikri compound

The architecture of the city was incredible, since there was a confluence of different building influences including Islamic, Hindu, and Jain building concepts. It was supposedly in this city that Akbar started evolving the concept of a religion that encompasses beliefs from different religions – this was known as Din-i-Ilahi (but which died out after the reign of Akbar).
Fatehpur Sikri is very impressive, including the Buland Darwaza, one of the largest gateways in the world, and which leads to a steep flight of steps on one side. There is the grand Jama Masjid to one side of the white tomb, there is the Panchratna Mahal, and there is the grand and yet simple tomb of Salim Chisti, to which religious pilgrims from multiple religions still come to seek favors and tie knots on the wall.

The marble tomb of the saint Salim Chisti at Fatehpur Sikri

Close up of the wooden gate of Fatehpur Sikri

Beehives on the huge arch of Buland Darwaza at the main entrance to Fatehpur Sikri

Parts of the building get illuminated by light bursting through windows in Fatehpur Sikri

The structure is built of red sandstone, with even the tomb being built of the same material, it was later that it was converted to being white marble. It is supposed that the saint helps childless couples, and hence families without children pay a visit to the shrine and pray their for their wish for a child to be granted.

A shaft of light through a window in a dome in Fatehpur Sikri

A long beautiful corridor inside Fatehpur Sikri

People walking in the corridor around the central tomb in Fatepur Sikri

Devouts laying a sheet on top of the shrine in Fatehpur Sikri

After we spent some time admiring the place, paying our respects at the tomb, we set off back to Delhi (there is a side road that connects back to the main Delhi-Agra highway) and reached there around dark, well satisfied that we had a good trip and enjoyed 3 UNESCO World Heritage monuments.

Many more photos of the Agra trip at this location.

Location of the Taj Mahal on Google Maps:

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And so we entered the complex. In the beginning of the complex, you cannot see the white structured tomb, you are in a small lane with some trees and smaller structures on both sides that seem to be used as offices by the Archaeological Survey of India. You can see a Gateway, a tall structure through which you pass. As you move towards the Gateway, you can see the white marble construction of the tomb through the Gateway and finally start to get a glimpse of the structure that draws a huge number of crowds every year.

A zoomed image of the Taj Mahal as visible from the Agra Fort

A glimpse of the Taj Mahal through the small outer gate

A diffused view of the outer gate of the Taj Mahal compound and a water fountain

As you are crossing the Gateway, there is a huge rush to get a photo where people can pose with the Taj in the background; given the queue for this act, we decide to move on and not spend the 10 – 15 minutes needed to negotiate this queue as well. As soon as you cross the Gateway, you see a beautiful site, with water pools and fountains leading towards the structure of the Taj Mahal, and green lawns on either side. The whole appearance, seen in numerous photos, looks incredibly beautiful (the photographer in me was hoping for a chance to get a shot when there would not be a tourist visible, but no chance. The only way would have been to come at a time when tourists were not allowed (not possible), or to take numerous shots from the same location so that I could paint out each tourist one by one inside Photoshop Elements – I did not think that this worth the effort).

A view of the area in front of the Taj Mahal – greenery, fountains

A large number of tourists in front of the Taj Mahal in Agra

Another view of the Taj Mahal in Agra with a glimpse of buildings to either side

As you reach the complex of the wonderful white structure, you cannot help but admire the magnificence of such a construction, and the amount of love that would have been in the eyes of an emperor to construct such a monument in the memory of his dead wife (who died when bearing their 14th child). The Taj Mahal (description on Wikipedia) was constructed over a 22 year period by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his dead wife Mumtaz Mahal, and is known the world over. The structure was started in 1632 and completed in 1653, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage monument (although it is under threat of damage from pollution). Shah Jahan was also famous for some of his other buildings such as the Red Fort in Delhi, and the extensions done to the Agra Fort, but construction of the Taj Mahal in white marble was a remarkable new effort at that point of time.
The main white structure of the Taj Mahal is built on a raised platform, and the actual tomb of the empress is in a lower section of the structure (now closed off to the public, with a fake tomb at the ground level); the body of the emperor is buried right next to the empress, and destroys the symmetry of the whole structure. There are 4 minarets surrounding the central dome, inclined slightly outward so that in the event of an earthquake, the minarets will fall away from the dome. Since the raised structure is actually a tomb where prayers are also held, it is forbidden to wear shoes. The complex is open from 9 AM – 7 PM, except on Friday when it is only open for 2 hours in the afternoon for Islamic prayers. During tourist seasons, there can be long queues to get inside the tomb so be prepared to wait, or go there early.

A beautiful angular view of the marble structure of the Taj Mahal

A side view of the Taj Mahal along with the raised platform on which it is built

View of the side of the Taj Mahal along with the minaret to the side

A minaret of the Taj Mahal, half in shade and half in light

Next to the tomb, there are other structures, and the Yamuna is visible from the backside of the monument; however, consider the magnificence of the monument, most people will ignore the other structures and concentrate on the main monument. Next part of this series will contain the trip to Fatehpur Sikri.

An angular view of the Palace next to the Taj Mahal

The once majestic Yamuna river next to the Taj Mahal

Many more photos of the Agra trip at this location.

Hotel Atithi in Agra on Google Maps:

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We reached around noon, and after resting for some time, decided to move towards Agra Fort (description on Wikipedia). We took a local conveyance from the hotel rather than taking our own vehicle, and it was a pretty short distance. Agra Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage monument, and is fairly well maintained. The fort was the headquarters from which most of the Mughals ruled over their vast kingdom, and remains an imposing structure. It is also well frequented by tourists on holidays, so you would need to spend a bit of time in a queue when entering, but after that initial wait, it is perfectly fine inside (although the entry rates are so low that a huge amount of people are always visiting). We had taken a guide when we were entering the fort, and he explained the various palaces, buildings and other structures inside the fort to us.

Tourists walking from the outside gate to the inner gate of the Agra Fort

A view of the well maintained main gate of the Agra Fort along with a huge lawn in front

A beautiful green central square inside the Agra Fort

We really enjoyed the fort, and it took us a couple of hours inside; we saw the separate palaces for the queens and princesses, as well as saw the section where the emperor Shah Jahan was confined, when he was usurped by his son Aurangzeb, locked up inside the fort with a view across the river to the Taj Mahal (the burial spot for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal). This specific location was cordoned off from public view and nobody was allowed to enter.

A small tomb in the courtyard of the Diwan-e-Aam in the Agra Fort

A sample of the architecture of one of the inner buildings inside the Agra Fort

Beautiful building in the Agra Fort

The brightness of the sun over the Agra Fort

The sun peeking through the outer fence of the Agra Fort

Tourists gathered around one of the fountains in the Taj Mahal complex

After exiting the fort, we decided to head over to the Taj Mahal (it was now late afternoon), but the huge queue over there (especially since we did not know whether mobile phones and other possessions were allowed inside) caused a bit of wait. Finally we had to call off the visit since there was no chance that we could get inside (the queue was expected to take another hour, and closing time was in 30 minutes). We decided to visit the Taj Mahal the first thing the next morning.

Many more photos of the Agra trip at this location.

History of Luxor: Luxor was a very famous part of Egyptian history, being earlier known as Thebes, the capital of the New Kingdom. The city started becoming more important in the time of the 11th dynasty, when the town became a big town with important people living in it. It also became a center for religion, art, and the wise. As the Pharaohs who were based here became more powerful militarily, the city became famous even outside Egypt. However, as things rise, they also fall, and it was during the time of the Late Period that Luxor started losing its power, as the political center of Egypt shifted to cities in the north. But, since the city was the center of the powerful god Amon-Ra, Thebes never lost its religious influence, even upto the time of the Greeks when Egypt became less powerful.

Location of Luxor, Egypt on Google Maps:

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Places to visit in Luxor: When you have a location that is so full of history, it is good to know more about the places to see, so that you can draw up your own list. Luxor primarily has 3 different regions for the purpose of tourism; temples and others inside the City of Luxor on the East side of the Nile; the famous town of Karnak just north of Luxor; and the old city of Thebes, (called Waset by the ancient Egyptians), which is on the west side of the Nile across from Luxor.

The City of Luxor:

The Luxor temple does not take very long to visit, and can be visited in a period of around 1 hour. The Temple is situated in the center of the town, and was built by the New Kingdom Pharaoh Amenophis III. It looks really spectacular. The hours are 9am – 6pm and admission is 20 Egyptian Pounds.

We talked about Luxor being a large museum by itself, but as for an actual museum, you have The Mummification Museum. It provides visitors with an understanding of the ancient art of mummification, and answers all the questions you could ever have on this topic. Who knew that reptiles, birds as well as humans were mummified?! (Wikipedia)

The Luxor Museum houses many of the relics found at the Theben temples and necropolis on the west bank. The museum comes highly recommended because it will enrich your experience when you visit the rest of the sites. (Wikipedia). The museum was inaugurated in 1975.

The city of Karnak:

As you move north of Luxor, you get to a view of the magnificent Temples of Karnak (Wikipedia). In ancient times, the area around Karnak was actually known as Ipet-isut, which means ‘The most select of places’. The temple complex of Karnak was built over a time period of 1500 years and was the most important place of worship in ancient Egypt. The site is huge, measuring 1500 x 800 meters, and is a spectacular complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons and obelisks, all dedicated to the Theban gods. The most spectacular view of this entire complex is the Hypostyle Hall in the Precinct of Amun-Re, a hall area of 50,000 sq ft (5,000 m2) with 134 massive columns arranged in 16 rows. The main deity was the god Amun, head of the Theban Triad; with the name of the complex being derived from the nearby modern village of el-Karnak, some 2.5 km north of Luxor.

Ancient Thebes (West Bank):

Crossing the Nile to the West of the city of Luxor lies the necropolis of ancient Thebes. Because there is so much to see and so much ground to cover, guided tours usually enter 3 tombs at the major archaelogical sites.

The Valley of the Kings: Names so because of Kings (Pharaohs) being buried here. This is where the pharaoh’s were buried and hoped to meet their Gods in the afterlife. Most famous because of the tomb of the boy Pharaoh, Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered in the 1920′s and had remained almost untouched when it was found. However, King Tut was a minor Pharaoh, having lived for only a few years (he dies when he was around 18-19), and his history was also almost eradicated by the second pharaoh who came after him. These tombs have all suffered looting over the ages, and hence when King Tut’s tomb was found untouched, it was a marvellous find. These tombs contained those of the 18th to the 20th Dynasties, and were not like the earlier pyramids, but were cut into the rock and were more difficult to find and rob.

The Valley of the Queens: The Valley of the Queens lies at the southern end of the necropolis. This is where the queens and their children were interred. Only four tombs are open to the public in the Valley of the Queens and if you had to choose just one, it would have to be Queen Nefertari’s tomb, which is the most decorated ones, apparently because she was the favorite queen of the powerful Ramesses II. Tickets are limited to just 150 a day and you are only allowed in for 10 minutes, but it is worth the effort.

The Colossi of Memnon: Two giant statues make up the Colossi of Memnon. Most visitors get a glimpse of them on their way to the Valley of the Kings but it is worth a stop to see them up close.

How to get to Luxor: Since Luxor is so much on the tourist map, it is very well connected through flights, trains and taxis from most places, including from Cairo. Inside Luxor, you can even take a hot-air balloon ride (link)

Blogs / external articles:

1. Which monuments (Tombs / Temples) in Luxor are available when (link)

2. UCLA project related to Karnak (link)

3. Virtual Tourist (link). Detailed overview of the temples and other places in Luxor.

4. A detailed description of Luxor (link)

Even in ancient times, during the late Dynasties of the Greek and Roman periods, the area drew tourists, and has been doing so ever since. Today Luxor is well equipped to accommodate tourists with many hotels and in general a tourist industry ready and willing to serve the people from many countries that descend on this area of the Nile Valley every year.

5. Details of the Valley of the Kings, including the pharaohs buried there (link)

The Egyptian belief that “To speak the name of the dead is to make him live again” is certainly carried out in the building of the tombs. The king’s formal names and titles are inscribed in his tomb along with his images and statues. Beginning with the 18th Dynasty and ending with the 20th, the kings abandoned the Memphis area and built their tombs in Thebes. Also abandoned were the pyramid style tombs. Most of the tombs were cut into the limestone following a similar pattern: three corridors, an antechamber and a sunken sarcophagus chamber.

6. Valley of the Queens (link)

The Tomb of Queent Titi (Tomb 52): She is probably the queen of a 20th Dynasty. She is depicted with the sidelocks common to the Egyptian young of the period and in the presence of the gods Thoth, Atum, Isis and Nephthys. In the next chamber the queen is shown making offerings to Hathor the cow, and in the last chamber the gods Neith, Osiris, Selquit, Nephthys and Thoth.

7. Description of the Colossi of Memmon (link)

Due to an earthquake in 27 BC, these statues became known for a bell like tone that usually occurred in the morning due to rising temperatures and humidity. Thus they were equated by the early Greek travelers with the figure of Memnon, the son of Aurora who’s mother, Eos, was the goddess of dawn. To be granted a song meant that you were very much in favor of the gods. Visitors came from miles around to hear the music, including Emperor Hadrian, in 130 A.D. The Roman emperor Septimius Severus, seeking to repair the statues in 199 AD, inadvertently silenced them forever.

8. Guide to Luxor (link)

9. Wikipedia link of Luxor (link)

ater, the city was attacked by Assyrian emperor Assurbanipal who installed the Libyan prince on the throne, Psammetichus. The city of Thebes was in ruins and fell in significance. However, Alexander the Great did arrive at the temple of Amun, where the statue of the god was transferred from Karnak during the Opet Festival, the great religious feast. The grandeur of Thebes would still remain a site of spirituality, and attracted numerous Christian monks in the Roman Empire who established monasteries amidst several ancient monuments including the temple of Hatshepsut, now called Deir el-Bahri (“the northern monastery”).

Videos of Luxor on Youtube:

Luxor at night – Karnak – Hatshepsut

Egypt 2007 – Luxor King and Queen valley, Hatshepsut, Karnak

Temples in Luxor Egypt 2003

Karnak Temple Luxor Egypt

The Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt

Colossi Of Memnon & Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple

Shopping Market Bazaar In Luxor Egypt

Valley of the Queens, Luxor, Egypt

Hot air ballooning over Luxor in Egypt

Luxor at night

Egypt (Eyewitness Travel Guides) (Paperback)

The Rough Guide to Egypt 7 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)

Global Treasures LUXOR Egypt – DVD

Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, 3rd (Cadogan Guides Cairo, Luxor, Aswan) (Paperback)

India, the sub-continental country is known for its richness in culture and tradition. For visualizing the geographic neighbors of India, the Northern side is bordered by the wide range of the huge snow clad Himalayas, the west by the Arabian Sea, and the East is covered by the Bay of Bengal. It is the southern side that is very unique as both these seas mingle with the Indian Ocean. The Land that is located in the tip of the country, where the three seas get united is none other than Cape Comerin or Kanyakumari.

Map of Kanyakumari on Google Maps:

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The name of this place has been christened after the virgin goddess – Kanyakumari Amman. As per mythology, Goddess Parvati under the disguise of Devi Kanniya did a penance in one of the rocks in this area to get the hand of Lord Shiva. Hence this place is also a popular pilgrimage. Kanyakumari and its surroundings are believed to be part of the land which was created by Parasurama, incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Folktales and mythological stories speak volumes about Kanyamymari.
In historical times, Kanyakumari was once referred to as the “ALEXANDRIA OF THE EAST”. This place was a great centre for art, culture, civilization and pilgrimage for many years, in addition, it was also a famous centre for commerce and trade.
If you talk about modern Kanyakumari, some of the distinctive monuments are located on the sea; there are two rocks known as ‘twin rocks’. Each of them are distinctive and landmarks, both symbolizing the rich past of Indian heritage, having the monuments of swamy Vivekananda and Saint Thiruvalluvar.

Major tourist attractions:

Kumari Amman – The temple is located on the shore and is devoted to a manifestation of Parvati. The temple is located at a picturesque point, and commands a breathtaking views of the surrounding natural beauty. The diamond nose ring of the deity can even be witnessed from the sea. The timings of visits to the temple are from 4.30 AM to 12.15 PM & 4.PM to 8.15 PM. Annual Festivals are the Car festival (May / June) and Navaratri (Nine Days) Festival (September / October). The temple can be very crowded at certain points.

Mahatma Gandhi Memorial – The monument was built on the spot where there is an urn that contained the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi before they were immersed into the river. The architecture of the temple is designed in a way so that the first rays of the sun fall exactly on the place where the ashes of this great personality were kept. Visting Hours are from 7 AM To 7 PM. Entrance is free for tourists.

Udaigiri Fort – The fort was built by King Marthanda Verma and has a factory where guns are manufactured. The splendid Padmanabhapuram Palace is a huge mansion of the Travancore Kings, recognized for its captivating artistic appeal.

Thiruvalluvar Statue – The pedestal of the statue is of 38 feet height and the statue located on the pedestal is 95 feet tall with a grand total height of 133 feet for the entire sculpture. The 3 tier pedestal known as Atharapeedam is surrounded by an artistic Mandapa known as Alankara Mandapam with 38 feet height. Surrounding the Alankara Mandapa stand 10 elephant statues, signifying 8 directions; the remaining 2 directions are with earth and space down. Visting Hours – 8 AM To 4 PM.

Vivekananda Rock Memorial – Essentially a sacred monument, built by the Vivekananda Rock Memorial Committee to commemorate the visit of Swamy Vivekananda to “Shripada Parai” during 24th, 25th and 26th December 1892 for deep meditation and enlightenment. Visting Hours – 7 AM To 4 PM.

Suchindrum – Suchindrum is a small village about 12 km. from Kanyakumari and about seven kilometres from Nagercoil. This holy place is located on the bank of the river Pazhayar, adjoining to fertile fields and coconut groves; the temple is dedicated to Sri Sthanumalayan. This word denotes Siva, Vishnu and Brahmma – Sthanu represents Siva, Mal represents Vishnu while Ayan represents Brhamma i.e. Siva, Vishnu and Brhamma in “One Form”.

Mathur Hanging Bridge – This bridge constructed in 1966, is the tallest as well as the longest trough bridge in Asia, having a height of 115 feet and a length of one kilometre.

St. Xavier Church – The church records show that the church was built in the year 1600 A.D. In the year 1865, the Church was enlarged and the shrine of our lady was also renovated and vaulted over. In 1930, the church was raised to the status of a Cathedral.

Padmanabhapuram Palace – It is one of the four municipalities in the district; 55 Km. south of Trivandrum, about two km. east of Thuckalay and 35 km. from Kanyakumari on the Trivandrum-Cape Comerin road. This town is surrounded by a fort with an area of 187 acres. The ancient capital of Travancore might be constructed before AD 1601. The palace with an area of seven acres, is situated in the very centre on the Padmanabhapuram Fort, amidst hills, dales and rivers. The palace which is situated in Kanyakumari District is under the control of a Curator of the Archaeological Department of Kerala Government.

Tirparappu Water Falls – The Kodayar makes its descend at Tirparappu and the water fall at this place, about 13km. from Pechiparai dam. The river bed is rocky and about 300 feet in length. The water falls from a height of nearly 50 feet and the water flows for about seven months in a year.

Muttom Beach – The famous beach at Muttom is located about 16 kms from Nagercoil and 32 kms from Kanyakumari. Muttom is famous for its beautiful landscaping and high rocks dipping into the sea at the beach-side. The sun set view point at Muttom is one of the most Panoramic view points in the district. Another attraction of Muttom is the century old light-house built by the British.

Vattakottai (Circular Fort) – A granite fort six kilometres north-east of Kanyakumari cape, forms the terminal of a line of ramparts known as the South Tranvancore lines built by Marthanda Varma to serve as defence for Nanjil Nadu. It is rectangular in shape and covers an area of about three and a half acres.

Peer Mohamed Dargah, Thuckalay (35 kms) – This dargah is named after Peer Mohamed Oliyullah, the great philosopher Mohamed Appa, who wrote many books on philosophy.

Sunrise and Sunset – Sunrise can be seen in Kanniyakumari through out the year at Bay of Bengal. Sunset can be seen from View Tower through out the year except the months of June, July and August.

Places to stay:
Hotel Parvathi Residency, Kanyakumari (link)
Hotel Singaar International (link)
Indienhermitage (link)
Hotel SeaView (link)
Hotel Cape Residency
Saagar Hotel
Melody Park Hotel.
Ashok Hotel

Reaching there

By Air: The nearest airport from Kanyakumari is situated at Trivandrum about 80 kms away.

By Rail: Kanyakumari is well connected by rail to major parts of the country.

By Road: Extensive road network connects Kanyakumari to other parts of the country.

External articles / blogs:

1. travelonthedollar.com (link): Has a few photos also

The oldest and the most ancient landmark in this town is the temple of Goddess Kumari who prayed to Lord Shiva to be accepted as wife by him. The name of this place has taken after the name of the Goddess. During the British Raj, it was also known as ‘Cape Comorin’, is probably a British spoilt version of ‘Kumari’, which mean virgin. The town is so small that an enthusiastic tourist may actually walk the entire length and breadth of the town and not shed a drop of sweat. Anyway, buses are available and the fares are rock bottom. The auto rickshaws fares are also very reasonable. In short, travelling in and around Kanyakumari is not expensive.

2. Indian Weatherman (link): Lots of photos

In 1609 AD Viswanatha Nayak of Madurai captured Kanyakumari. Afterwards there was no real threat to Venad Kings. Kanyakumari thus became an integral part of the Venad Empire with the capital at Padmanabhapuram. King Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma(1729-1758) of Venad dynasty formed Travancore ( Modern Kerala) by extending his domain further north up to Aluva. Kanyakumari thus came to be known as Southern Travancore. In 1741, King Marthanda Varma another great king from the same dynasty overcame the Dutch East India Company forces at the fiercely fought “Battle of Colachel.”

3. Video of Kanyakumari (link)
4. Post on triter.com (link)

Nearest airport from Kanyakumari is Trivandrum in the neighbouring state of Kerala. It takes about two hours by train or bus to go Kanyakumari from Trivandrum. Kanyakumari is well connected by rail to all major cities in India like Chennai, Trivandrum, Bombay, New Delhi, Kolkata, and Bangalore. Buses are frequently available from Thiruvananthapuram, the closest major transport hub. Long distance buses are available from Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai etc.

5. Nice Events on Blogspot.com (link)

Kanyakumari (also spelt as Kanniyakumari) order is contoured by Tirunelveli district in the northwestern and point, by Kerala denote in the northwest and confluence of Mount Sea and Soldier Ocean in the west and south. The coastline is nigh uniform eliminate for few points of come projects into the sea at Cape Comorin.

6. Post with great photos on indiaouting.com (link)

The temple of Goddess Kumari is rather small by South Indian standards, but comes with the usual ingredients of Pujaris (Hindu Priests), Poojas, Kumkums, and Prasads (sweet offerings made to Gods). All men are supposed to enter the temple with bare torsos as it deemed to be a mark of respect to the Devi. You should be careful about the touts in the temple.

7. miyzone on blogspot with some photos (link)
8. Photo of waves striking the rocks at Kanyakumari (link)
9. Post with great photos at oktatabyebye.com (link)

After lunch, we set out to see the Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial, by boat. There are regular ferry services from the jetty which is very close to the TTDC resort. We were lucky to get the last ferry, at 4.30 p.m. and were taken first to the Thrivallavur Statue, a famous Tamil poet of yester years. The statue is magnificent and stands tall on a rock near the Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial – the author of the philosophical work Tirukkural – a treatise on the Indian way of life.

10. Description of the Kanyakumari Temple (link)

he main entrance to the temple is through the northern gate though the deity is facing east. The eastern entrance is kept closed except on special occasions when the deity is taken out for ceremonial bath. Three corridors surround the sanctum. The outer corridor has no special shrines, but after a walk round it the devotees cross the ‘Navarathiri mandapam’ and a pathway leads to the second corridor encircling the shrine. There stands the flag mast or ‘Kodisthambam’. From here you can have a clear view of the Goddess. A move further forward will take you in front of the sanctum.

11. Story on travelpod.com (link)

Swami Vivkeananda, also known as the wandering monk, travelled all over India. When he visited Kanyakumari in December 1892, he was drawn to the two rock islets which are the southernmost tip of India. He did not have money to hire a boat so he swam to the rocks. He meditated on the rock for three days and had a vision of one India. The main hall has a tall statue of Swami Vivekananda. The other hall is built around a foot shaped carving on the rock. According to folklore this is the foot print of goddess Kumari who stood on this rock on one foot in penance. There is also a meditation hall called Dhyana Mandapam.

12. Photos of sunrise at Kanyakumari (link)
13. Post on worldoftimepass.com (link)

Though there are several places of tourist-interest in the town and district, Kanyakumari is especially popular in India for its spectacular and unique sunrise and sunset. The confluence of three ocean bodies – the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean, and the Arabian Sea – makes the sunrise and sunset even more special. On balmy, full-moon evenings, (locally called Chitra Pournami) one can also see the moon-rise and sunset at the same time – on either side of the horizon.

14. Photos of the rocks at Kanyakumari (link)

How to plan ? Max time required for seeing whole Kanyakumari is 1 full day . Reach Kanyakumari by morning 5am and then complete sunrise (mostly at 6am; depends on seasons) and then get into prebooked hotel and complete breakfast and then visit Kanyakumari Temple , just beside the sunrise view point ; and then go for a trip to vivekananda memorial hall ( trip will be close to 2-3hrs) ;complete lunch and then you have option either to visit Padhmanabhapuram palace or go to some beaches near kanyakumari, watch sunset

15. Photos of Udaygiri Fort (link)

Photo Galleries:

1. Shunya.net Photos (link)
2. Kanyakumari Photos (link)
3. Photos of Kanyakumari at holidayiq.com (link)
4. MichaelJM’s Kanyakumari Photos (link)
5. Great photos of Kanyakumari on Sulekha.com (link)
6. Photos of Kanyakumari on oktatabyebye.com (link)

Views of Swiss countryside on way from Interlaken to Luzern

Finally we reached Luzern (it looked like a much larger city that Interlaken, as proof, the train station was much larger than the train station of Interlaken). At the Lucerne train station, we started trying to figure out how to find our hotel (the Magic Hotel); there was no easy way to locate our hotel from the railway station. However, once you are unafraid to ask anything, you can get to know anything; so we asked around and were soon pointed to cross the bridge right next to the railway station, and from there, the hotel was to the left side. The Magic Hotel was affiliated to the Best Western Hotel Krone over there, with the checkin to be done in the hotel Krone and the keys for the room at the Hotel Magic would be given after registration. Checking in one hotel for another hotel seemed a bit strange, even more so that the Magic Hotel did not even have a reception, but it was not really a problem. The good part about the Magic Hotel was that it had free internet access (wireless), unlike the hotel Oberland in Interlaken where the internet access is charged.

Map of Luzern on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Lucerne (also called Luzern in German) is a very beautiful city located on the shore of Lake Lucerne. It is the starting point of cruises on the Lake, it is the starting point of the ride on gondolas and cable cars all the way upto Mount Pilatus, it has a large cultural center called KKR, it has a monument called the Lion Monument (that commemorates the hundreds of Swiss Guards who died when the Bastille was attacked during the start of the French Revolution), and it has a split city, with a modern section, and an old section where the architecture of the city is maintained.
The best part about the location of these hotels was the easy access to some of the better parts of the city. As soon as you get down from the hotel, you find yourselves in a large square surrounded by great looking buildings. Right next door is a staircase that leads down to the lake side (the shore of Lake Lucerne). This is a fascinating place to be near – there is a great view of the Chapel Bridge, there is a whole line of open air tables and covered restaurant place with a huge number of tourists eating, drinking, and generally enjoying themselves (without making a great mess or noise).

The cobble-stone path along the lakefront with open air cafes in Lucerne

Soon, we found ourselves roaming the old city on foot. We spent some time on the Chapel Bridge / Kapellbrücke (Wikipedia), and its water tower, the 140 feet (43 m) tall Wasserturm (Water Tower). The Bridge is made from wood, and looks very beautiful, especially in the evening with the lights on it shining on the water (at this point, the Lake Lucerne is only as wide as a stream). We got caught in a shower for some time, and spent more time in the Bridge than we wanted. Lining the side of the Bridge are some exceedingly beautiful flowers.

People rushing to enter the Chapel Bridge, it’s evening and its raining

Small birds perched on top of Lake Lucerne

View of Chapel Bridge from the main road bridge in Lucerne

Close up of flowers on the outer railing of the wooden Chapel Bridge in Lucerne

After the rain was spent, we moved onto touring through the old part of the city, and along the lake front (where there were a huge number of ducks and swans that would come very close to you, to the point where you would feel more in danger than they would feel from you). There is a large shopping area, and a very large eating and dining area. Just after the rain, the place looked even more magical, and we had lots of fun roaming through the city. After some time, we went looking for the Lion Monument (it was at a walk of atleaset 25 minutes), and when we found it, it was somewhat disappointing.

Many ducks and swans on the lakefront of Lake Lucerne

One of the shopping roads in Lucerne, empty after rain

Photo of the Lion Monument in Lucerne

More photos of Luzern at my photo gallery (link)