Trove Of Adventure Water Sports In Andaman : No Swimming Required

THRILLING EXPERIENCE IN WATER SPORTS IN 

ANDAMAN

What fun is it for a non-swimmer in Andaman, you’ll only end up watching all your friends splashing into the water, while you sit and sulk, right? Wrong! ‘Cause what if you can’t swim, if you have the heart you can have as much fun in the waters as a pro swimmer can.

There’s a trove of adventure sports in Andaman that wouldn’t require mastery in swimming, however you have to have the heart to plunge into the sea with your life jacket on. Don’t worry there’ll be someone to save you, if you see that big fin coming towards you!

So, here are some of the famed water sports in Andaman that you can try (no swimming required):

1. Banana Boat Rides 

Out of all adventure activities in Andaman, banana boat rides are splendidly fun and exciting. At a time six people can ride these boats that are shaped like a banana and are tied behind a speed boat to gain rush. They are perfectly safe as you’re given life jackets and instructor is always sent along on the trips.

2. Snorkeling 

If you haven’t tried snorkeling before, give it a go and you’ll know what you’ve been missing. As the colourful reefs of Havelock Island shimmers through your goggles you’ll know what made Ringo Starr sing “Octopus’s Garden”. See the underwater marine life and view the rarest of corals while enjoying one of the best water activities in Andaman at the North Bay Island.

3. Scuba Diving 

There are numerous scuba diving centres in Andaman from where you can get your PADI certificate and no, you don’t have to know swimming for that. For other tougher levels and to go into open waters you have to be a little skilled in swimming but not for PADI. So, what are you waiting for, those colourful corals and enchanting water life is waiting for you. It is after all one of the best water sports in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 

4. Parasailing 

Another one of the incredible water sports activities in Andaman that non swimmers can enjoy. Parasailing is a sport that is a wonderful mix of water and air borne adventure. You’re tied behind a motor boat while harnessed in a parachute. So, you fly like a kite behind the boat as it speeds off into the sea. Superbly thrilling it is!

5. Undersea Walking

Undersea walking is another superbly fun adventure sports in Andaman. Absolutely no experience required, no complicated equipment to handle and you get to walk on the smooth and clean sand of the sea floor with a helmet which offers a close up view of the underwater world without any hassle. No wonder it’s one of the most popular water sports in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Quick Fact: It’s perfectly safe as well because the instructors are constantly available. Also, you could keep your glasses or contact lenses on and your fancy hairdo wouldn’t mess up either.

Khjjiar Hill Station – When You Are Here You Feel As To be in switcherland

KHAJJIAR HILL STATION

AT 

CHAMBA

Khajjiar hill station is located in chamba district of Himachal Pradesh state of India. Khajjiar is a popular hill station about 26 km from Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh. One of the 160 places in the world that bear tropical resemblance to Switzerland, Khajjiar is situated at a height of 6500 feet and bestowed with natural beauty and pleasant climate.

Vast expanse of green meadows and dense forests besides vistas of majestic snow-clad Himalayan peaks make Khajjiar a popular destination among tourists. The Khajjiar Lake and Chamera Lake add to the charm of Khajjiar.

Khajjiar is also called the Gulmarg of Himachal Pradesh and serves as the starting point for treks to Chamba, Dalhousie and Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary among others. 

Indeed, trekking is the best way to explore Khajjiar. Zorbing, which involves rolling downhill from inside a plastic ‘zorb’, is a popular recreational activity during April and May. With its exotic flora and fauna, the Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary is a delight for nature lovers and wildlife photographers.

Not much is known about Khajjiar’s history but temples dating back to the 12th century still stand in majestic splendor here. The Khajji Naga Temple is the most sacred shine in Khajjiar. People of Khajjiar generally speak Himachali. However, almost all of them are comfortable with Hindi as well.

Activities at Khajjiar -  

1. Paragliding - Now you can enjoy paragliding at Khajjiar. Like Solang nala, kids can also enjoy small flights within Khajjiar and adults can enjoy the longer flights from surrounding hills, which usually land in Khajjiar. 

2. Horse riding - You can ride around the Khajjiar. There is a proper path defined for horses and this is one of the early & popular activity to enjoy at Khajjiar. The horse owners also tell you few tricks to ride the horse. On the halfway, you feel like controlling the horse on your own :). That's fun !

3. Zorbing - You would see zorbing balls rolling on other side of Khajjiar lake. 

4. Photo shoot in Himachali dress - This is typical activity which is offered in most of the hill stations in Himachal and Kashmir.

5. Interacting with rabbits and getting some photographs clicked - You would find few kids with rabbits. They allow you clicking photographs with these rabbits and charge 10 rs. During tourist season, they may ask 20 rs or so.

6. Enjoy local folk music - There is a gentleman, who sings local songs around the dry lake of Khajjiar. He sings brilliantly and you can find his videos on Youtube.   

By Air

The nearest airport from Khajjar is that of Gaggal in Kangra, situated at a distance of 180 km. Travelers can take a flight till Gaggal airport and from there, board taxis and buses available for reaching Khajjar. After the Gaggal airport, the ones in Jammu and Amritsar are the next best options, especially with their connectivity with the rest of India.

By Train

Pathankot is the nearest railhead for traveling to Khajjar. The place is situated at a distance of 80 km from the hill resort. Almost all the main stations of India are connected with this railway station. Buses and taxis could be boarded to reach Khajjar from Pathakot. Chandigarh and Delhi are two big cities near Khajjar, you can start your journey from.

By Road

Khajjar is well connected with most of the cities of the state with well-developed and sophisticated roads. This place is easily accessible by road and is hardly about one and a half hours driving from Dalhousie and Chamba. Himachal Road Transport Corporation operates bus services, connecting Khajjar with the major cities in and around the state.

Velankanni Church Gearing Up To Receive Lakhs Of Devotees For 11 Days Festival

VELANKANNI FESTIVAL

AT

NAGAPATINAM

The festival starts on August 29 with the hoisting of the church flag and would end on September 8.

A total of around 800,000 devotees are expected to render their prayers at the basilica Our Lady of Health located in Velankanni – a small town in Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu – during the 11 day festival, said an official. The festival starts on August 29 with the hoisting of the church flag and would end on September 8.

“Around seven-eight lakh devotees from different faiths are expected to visit Velankanni church during the festival that starts on August 29. On certain days the number of people will go up to 300,000,” Fr E.J.Thomas, Director, Shrine Media told IANS over phone from Velankanni. He said people from the southern states and also from Maharashtra, Odisha and other states would visit Velankanni during the festival time.

A police official in Velankanni told IANS that security and other arrangements have been made to handle the devotees who congregate in large numbers. “There are open space around the church and crowd management will not be an issue,” the police official added not wanting to be quoted.

According to Thomas, special mass will be held in Tamil, English, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Konkani. During the festival, the church car will be pulled by the devotees.

He said this is the first festival after the renovation of the main shrine. The state-owned transport corporation and Indian Railways have announced special services to handle the additional passenger load to Velankanni from different places.

Chandigarh - Most Well Planned City In The World

As per report of India Times CHANDIGARH is in the most well planned cities in the World

Certainly one of the best cities in India, it is neatly planned and divided into sectors which are nicely connected to one another. Adding to that, every sector has a park and a shopping street with plantations surrounding them.

Chandigarh is the best-planned city in India, with architecture which is world-renowned, and a quality of life, which is unparalleled. As the capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh it is a prestigious city. The face of modern India, Chandigarh, is the manifestation of a dream that Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru envisaged and Le Corbusier executed.

Serenity and a city are two diametrically opposite concepts, which however, get belied in the 'City Beautiful'. Chandigarh is a rare epitome of modernization co-existing with nature's preservation. It is here that the trees and plants are as much a part of the construction plans as the buildings and the roads. India’s first planned city, is a rich, prosperous, spic and span, green city rightly  called “ THE CITY BEAUTIFUL ”.

Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple – It Was Designed By Admixture Of Chalukya,Bhumija And Maratha Style Of Architecture

MAHAKALESHWAR TEMPLE

AT

UJJAIN

The temple is located in Ujjain of Madhya Pradesh state of India.The temple is three-storeyed. In the lowest middle and uppermost parts are respectively installed the lingams of Mahakalesvara, Omkaresvara and Nagachandresvara. The pilgrims and the visitors can only have the glimse of Nagachandresvara on the festive of Naga Panchami.

A very large-sized Kunda named Koti Tirtha also exists in the temple-complex. The Kunda is built in the sarvatobhadra style. The Kunda and its water both are treated as very celestial.

 On the path adjoining the stairs of the Kunda, may be seen many images representing the sculptural grandeur of the temple built during the Paramara period. In the east of the Kunda is a large-sized Veranda in which there is the entrance to the path leading to the garbhagrha.

In the northern side of the verandah, in a cell, the images of Sri Rama and goddess Avantika are worshipped. In the southern side of the main shrine, there stand many small Saivite temples built during the shinde regime among these the temple of Vrddha Mahakalesvara, Anadi Kalpesvara and Saptarshi are prominent and are the remarkable pieces of architecture.

The lingam of Mahakalesvara is colossus. The silver plated Naga Jaladhari and the inscribed and esoteric silver-plate covering the roof of the garbhagrha add extra grandeur to the shrine.

Besides Jyotirlinga, attractive and small-sized images of Ganesa, Kartikeya and Paravati can be seen in the garbhagrha. All around the walls classical eulogies in the praise of Lord Siva are exhibited.

The Nanda Dipa always remains lit. In the exit-path, there is a wide hall in which a most attractive metal quoted stone Nandi, in the sitting humble pose may be witnessed.

The temple of Mahakalesvara is a planned admixture of the Bhumija, Chalukya and Maratha styles of architecture. The sikhara with the mini-srngas is very peculiar. In previous years its upper part has been covered with gold plate.

These are still continuing with joyful ceremony and devotional enthusiasm. The Bhasmarti in early morning, Mahasivaratri, Pancha-Krosi Yatra, Somavati Amavasya etc. are special religious occasions interwoven with the rituals of the temple.

Madhya Pradesh Government and Ujjain Development Authority exclusively contributed special repairs and made provisions for the stay of pilgrims. The same process is also being followed at the time of the forthcoming Simhastha.

By Air

Nearest airport is Indore (53km).flights arriving from Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Gwalior.

By Train

Ujjain is directly connected by railway line to Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Mumbai , Fouzabad, Lucknow, Dehradun, Delhi, Banaras,Kochin, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Howrah and many more.

By Road

Ujjain is directly connected by road to Indore, Surat, Gwalior, Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Udaipur, Nasik, Mathura.