Budhgaya = It Is One Of The Foremost Important Sites From 7th Century

BODHGAYA

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BIHAR

The sacred city of Bodhgaya is located in Bihar. It is 12 km away from Gaya city. Bodhgaya is where the wandering prince Siddhartha sat under a Bodhi Tree to meditate. The first three days of his meditation and the following seven weeks of enlightenment have been closely associated with various places in Bodhgaya. 

Bodhgaya is one of the most important and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage center in the world. It was here under a banyan tree, the Bodhi Tree, Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Buddha, the Enlightened One. Born; in the foothills of the Himalayas as a Sakya prince of Kapilvastu (now in Nepal), most of the major events of his life, like enlightenment and last sermon, happened in Bihar.

Buddhism as a religion was really born in Bihar and evolved here through his preaching and the example of his lifestyle of great simplicity, renunciation and empathy for everything living. Significantly, the state's name of 'Bihar' originated from 'Vihara' meaning monasteries which abounded in Bihar.

Several centuries after Buddha's passing away, the Maurya Emperor Ashoka (234-198 BC) contributed tremendously towards the revival, consolidation and spread of the original religion.

It is the monasteries, Ashoka built for the Buddhist monks and the pillars known as Ashokan Pillars erected to commemorate innumerable historical sites associated with the Buddha's life, mostly intact to this day, that helped scholars and pilgrims alike to trace the life events and preaching of a truly extraordinary man.

There is a magnificent Mahabodhi temple and the Tree from the original sapling still stands in the temple premises. The temple is an architectural amalgamation of many centuries, cultures and heritages.

While its architecture has a distinct stamp of the Gupta era, it has later ages inscriptions describing visits of pilgrims from Sri Lanka, Myanmar and China between 7th and 10th century AD. It is perhaps still the same temple Hieuen Tsang visited in 7th century.

By Air 

The nearest airport is at Gaya 7 Kms and Patna 135 kms. Indian Airlines and Sahara Airlines connect Patna to Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi, Ranchi, Lucknow and various other cities.

By Rail

The nearest railway station is Gaya (17km).

By Road

Bodhgaya is well connected by road to Gaya (17km), Nalanda (101 km), Rajgir (78 km), Patna (135km), Varanasi (252 km), Calcutta (495km)

Plenty Of Accommodation In Goa Like Hotels,Resorts and Guest Houses

STAYING IN GOA

Accommodation in Goa is plentiful with a variety of hotels, resorts and guest houses to suit every budget and every taste. There are simple and bare rooms available for the thriftiest of back-packers and five-star deluxe luxury suites for those that want to indulge their fancies.

Almost all round the year, travellers are usually assured of finding a room - if not in a hotel, then at least in a private house. However, come the peak season of December and January, you are likely to experience problems, unless you book your rooms well in advance.

In a recent poll conducted by Smart Asia Travel.com readers, Goa has been ranked Sixth Best Holiday Destination in Asia for the year 2009. 

Just around Christmas until the dawn of the new year, Goa is in festive mood and plays host to hundreds and thousands of visitors from all over India and around the world. So accommodation is at a premium everywhere.

Most accommodation in Goa can be categorised in the following typical types:

BUDGET HOTELS:

This type of accommodation is suitable for the budget-minded traveller and especially the backpacking tourist. This can range from simple, bare rooms in regular guesthouses to cosy well furnished rooms in family-run guesthouses.

This kind of accommodation is costlier in the city and popular coastal belt areas and cheaper if you go off the beaten track in the rural areas. A decent double room with a fan, attached bath and toilet typically costs around Rs. 200/-. The prices usually double in the peak season period.

It is always a good idea to check the state of the bathroom and toilet confirming your reservation with money.

If you want to get a taste of the typical rural Goa, try accommodation in a family house with mud-floored rooms. The water supply is usually the common village well and baths/toilets are in small outhouses.

MID-RANGE HOTELS:

The next step up is the budget mid-range hotels which are to be found all over Goa and form the major portion of the available accommodation. These have proper reception areas, well appointed rooms, room service and usually a restaurant.

Off season, these hotels are the best bet for your stay. But, most of these hotels are fully booked with hordes of Charter tourists from Europe during the peak season, so finding a room might be a little difficult. However there are still rooms to be found for the walk-in tourist although at a slightly higher tariff.

The tariffs for rooms at such hotels range between Rs 400/- to Rs 800/- for a good-sized room with a fan, en-suite bath/toilet, a balcony and hot and cold running water. There are optionals such as cable TV and air conditioning also available. Most 1-star and uncategorised hotels fall in this category.

UPMARKET HOTELS:

These higher budget range hotels in Goa can be classified into two categories: the slick modern 2-star and 3-star hotels which can be found in all the major towns as well as all the popular coastal belt and the high-priced international standard 5-star luxury resorts which cater to the rich and the famous. The luxury resorts are all located in the coastal areas within easy walking distance
of a beach.

Resorts in this category typically have their own restaurants with different cuisines, coffee shops, large swimming pools, sports and gym facilities along with shops selling everything from books to carpets.

The luxury rooms at these type of establishments range typically from Rs 2000/- to Rs 10000/- per night and it is often best to stay at these hotels
on one of their special packages available at a much lesser rate.

LONG-TERM RENTALS:

A number of travellers, especially foreigners, prefer to spend a fairly longer period of time from a month to as many as six months at the leisurely pace of life in Goa. For such a stay, it is best to rent houses or rooms by the month, or season.

Rents usually vary from area to area and even village to village, but you can expect to get accommodation for around Rs 3500/- to Rs 5000/- a month depending upon the season and the facilities included in the cost.

It is also worth considering sharing such long stay accommodation with two or three people so as to bring down the costs. Most importantly, reserve such long-term accommodation well in advance to get a good bargain as most such houses and rooms are rented by visitors who return to the same house year after year and as such get first preference.

Such rentals are mostly to be found in the small villages around the beach areas and are owned by the local villagers. The more deposit you pay upfront and the longer you intend to stay, the less the accommodation cost.

Saputara Hill Station - This Is Outstanding Place For Honeymooners Looking For Hush-Hush

SAPUTARA HILL STATION

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GUJARAT

Saputara  is a lakeside hill station at 85 kms from Nashik on Maharashtra - Gujarat Border. Saputara comes alive in monsoon when it gets misty and green. Saputara is a highly popular monsoon getaway for local getaway seekers from Surat, Valsad, Vapi and Nashik

In winter, at the spill of dawn, trek up to the Gandhi Shikhar as the river of light bathes the streams over undulating mountains and the drifting birds, into a magical dance of awakening.

Saputara is a lakeside destination and one of the popular honeymoon destination on outskirts of Maharashtra (85 kms from Nashik) and popular with travellers from Gujarat (Vapi, Valsad, Surat, Vadodara). Saputara offers good resort like stays and is never too crowded. This is outstanding for honeymooners looking for a private time."

In rains, breathe in the rolling hills of Saputara, echoing green hues, lush with flowers, and watch the meditating rain drops sitting still on sloping leaves. Some of the thickest forest cover in the state envelops you.

In summer, walk carefree on the expanse of the Governor’s hill and see the sun dip into the Saputara lake as the sky begins to shimmer with stars.

As your bus chugs uphill, crisscrossing over the Ambika river, you leave all the congestion of towns and cities far below you and enter the spirit world of tribal people. Nestled in the Sahyadri range, at an altitude of about 1000 m, this Dangi enclave derives its name from the Snake god revered by the tribals and translates as ‘the abode of serpents’, Saputara.

In spite of being the only hill station of Gujarat, it is minimally commercialized, still unspoiled.

By air

The nearest airport is Vadodara, 309 km away

By rail

The nearest railway station is Waghai, on the Billimora-Waghai narrow gauge section of the Western Railway. For those coming from Gujarat via Surat or Ahmedabad or even from Mumbai, Billimora is the more convenient rail head, and a direct bus service is available from there.

By road

The town of Waghai is 51 km away. Ahmedabad: 409 km. Surat: 164 km. Mumbai: 250 km. Vadodara: 309 km. There are State Transport buses and private luxury coaches from Waghai and Ahmedabad. If you are coming by a private car, than National Highway might be quicker, but the state highway will offers a stunningly scenic drive.