Annamalai Hills – It Has Largest Sanctuary In Tamil Nadu And Is Populated By Wild Tribe

ANNAMALAI HILLS

AT

COMIBATORE

Annamalai Hills is located in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu State of India.This quiet and beautiful hill has the largest  sanctuary in Tamilnadu and is inhabited by wild tribes. 

A place to visit  if you are a nature lover longing to see rare animals and birds and breathe in those air laden with freshness and herbal aura. If you are a shutterbug, this is the place to be.  Make sure to bathe in the gentle monkey falls, a natural and refreshing waterfalls, along the valparai ghat road.

It is also called as Elephant Hills. It is a range of mountains in the Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu, located along the Western Ghats, lying between 10° 13' and 10° 31' N. and 76° 52' and 77° 23' E. It is also the tallest of the hills in South India that rises up to 8850 ft. 

The geological formation is of metamorphic gneiss, veined with feldspars and quartz, and interspersed with reddish porphyrites. The Lower slopes yield valuable teak and other timber. In some areas, coffee plantations are a common sight. The area was notified as Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary in 1974 and established in 1976. anamalai

There is a 30 Km wide gap [big break in the Western Ghat mountain range] between the Nilgiri Hills to the north and the Anamalai Hills to the South that straddles the Kerala and Tamil Nadu border and serves as a major communication route between them. Highways and Rail Transport connect Palghat with Coimbatore and Pollachi. This huge gap is called as Palghat Gap. 

Attractions of Anamalai Hills : Monkey falls, Aliyar, the Crocodile Breeding Centre at Amaravati, Indira Gandhi Wild Life Sanctuary and National Park, Attakarai, Kulipatti, Manompally, Chinnar, Varagaliar, Manjampatty are some places the tourist can afford to miss.

The Anamalais rise from foothills at the height of 300 m to Topslip-Parambikulam Plateau at 800m and to the Valparai Plateau, between 1000 and 1250 m. The elevation range includes an array of habitats ranging from dry thorn forests in the low foothills to semi-evergreen stretches to grass hills and evergreen shoals in Valparai. 

The floral diversity has been estimated to be over 2000 species, of which about 400 species are of medicinal importance. The Karian Shola NP has been identified and designated as a Medicinal Plant Conservation Area (MPCA) due to its medicinal plant diversity.

By Air 

Nearest airport is situated in Coimbatore which is 96 km away from Anaimalai. The air port is connected by domestic flight to Chennai and other major cities of India. - 

By Train

Nearest Railway Junction is POLLACHI and connections are available to Coimbatore and Dindugal from there. 

By Bus

Regular bus services are available from Coimbatore and Palani to Pollachi and from Pollachi to Top Slip. Taxi Services are also available at a nominal fare.

Ganga River Rafting In Rishikesh For Adventure Lovers

Devprayag Down River Expedition

Season: Oct to Mid April throughout Dec, Jan and Feb..Area: Garhwal (Uttarakhand)

Day 01 :

We start early from Rishikesh and drive 80 kms to Bagwan passing Devprayag in the morning. It takes about 3 hours to get to the starting point where you meet your guides and rest of the red chilli team. Rafting begins after all the preparation is done. It is a relaxed day with few good rapids - a day for swimming, body surfing, relaxing and spotting wildlife.

Day 02 :

Day begins with negotiating a few small rapids. Again an easy day for rafting which ends with class IV rapid just before where we camp for 2nd night. Even if you capsize, you can swim to the camp. It is that easy though your guide decides who he can take on these rapids depending on the difficulty level. We raft about 30 Kms to reach our camping place. Meal and overnight stay at Red chilli camp.

Day 03 :

The day begins with a few easy rapids followed by the big ones. Rapids like "Three Blind Mice", "Crossfire", and the "Body Surfing rapid", "Roller Coaster" and "Golf Course" to makes an exciting end to a grand adventure. We cover 30 kms to reach Rishikesh. The trip ends near Rishikesh. After lunch, departure to your next destination.

Cost per person: Rs. 7000/-

COSTS INCLUDE:

All the transportation to the starting point, Two Night accommodation on twin share in tents, All meals - Lunch Day 01 till Lunch Day 03, Body Surfing, Cliff jumping, 80km rafting from Devprayag to Rishikesh, Self bailing rafts, life jacket, helmet and paddles, rescue bag, Professional rafting guide and Safety Kayaker along with rafting trip.

Cost excludes: Any expense of Personal

contact - redchilliadventure 

Akshardham Mandir - It Is An Ideal Blend Of Modernity And Antique Ethics In Gandhi Nagar

AKSHARDHAM MANDIR

AT

GANDHI NAGAR

Akshardham is located in Gandhi Nagar District of Gujarat State of India. It is majestic, intricately carved stone structure which stands amid sprawling gardens set in a 23-acre plot at Gandhinagar (Gandhinagar district). It is built in 6000 tonnes of pink sandstone and not a bit of steel has been used.

The temple is 108 ft in height, 240 ft in length and 131 ft in width. A point worth noting is that this modern monument to Hinduism was built as per the injunctions of Vastu Shastra.The monument enshrining the seven foot high, gold-leafed Murti (idol) of Lord Swaminarayan is the focal point of the complex. 

The monument stands on 7 sculpted pillars, 210 single-piece stone beams, 57 window grills, M domes, eight ornate zarokhas, etc. The sanctum sanctorum contains the 1.2 tonne gold-plated idol of Lord Swaminarayan, the founder of the sect that bears his name, shown in a sitting posture with his right hand raised in abhay mudra. 

He is flanked by Swami Gunatitanand on his right and Swami Gopalanand Swami on his left. Both of them were his disciples. Swami Gunatitanand is called Swaminarayan's Akshardham, the eternal abode. According to the Swaminarayan philosophy whenever Lord Swaminarayan incarnates on this planet he brings with him his Akshardham.

Gunatitan and Swami is also called Aksharbrahma and ranks second in the hierarchy of the Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha which built the Akshardham monument. Inspiring episodes and incidents from the glorious history of Sanatan Dharma are presented in sound and light form for the benefit of the visitors. The show takes the visitors through various facets of Hinduism. 

The wisdom of the Vedas, the epics, the Puranas is depicted on a crowded canvas by the exhibition. The visitor comes face to face with personages who have made this land what it is.

It is a perfect mix of modernity and ancient values. Apart from Lord Rama going in search of his kidnapped wife, the visitor can see Shravan- the dutiful son, the Pandavas losing the game of dice in the Hastinapur palace, etc. Besides the visitors can also see Sabari's long wait for Lord Rama and Draupadi's humiliation in the Kauravasabha.

The Hall of Harmony projects world religions side by side. The monument is ringed by aparikrama containing 365 stone pillars. The temple also houses the Akshardham Center for Applied Research in Social Harmony (AARSH) which is a futuristic research center with a rich library, study stations and archives. Access to the library is confined to enlisted scholars.

Dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan and inspired by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Akshardham complex in Gandhinagar is nothing short of miracle that has been created by the sacrifice of thousands of volunteers who offered their time, and skills in the construction of this beautiful piece of art that is visited by more than two million visitors annually

All in all Akshardham is a unique complex that combines art, architecture, education, research, exhibitions and devotion all under one roof and its creation is a milestone event in the chronicles of Indian history. Time stands in testimony to this great marvel as this great monument of Indian culture is not just a topic of discussion alone but more so of experience.

Visting Hours: 09:15 to 05:15 pm, Closed on Mondays.

Location : Sector - 20, Gandhinagar

For further details: +91 79 23260001/02

By Air

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport at Ahmedabad is an international airport with direct flights to USA, UK, Singapore, Dubai and other international hubs.  

By Train

The main railway station is located in Kalupur area. This station falls under the prominent national railway circuit and is connected to all major cities of India. If you are on the western side of the Sabarmati river, then you can go to the Gandhigram station near Ashram road to buy your railway tickets easily.

By Bus

Gujarat has one of the better developed road networks in India. Ahmedabad is well connected with all major cities and towns by road. Prominent bus stops are located at Gitamandir near Kalupur Railway Station and Paldi. Regular bus services are available by Gujarat state transport buses and private operators to all the major destinations of the state.