Porbandar

Introduction and history: The city of Porbandar is located on the western coast of Saurashtra, Gujarat. The name ‘Porbandar’ is derived from two words: ‘Porai’ (local goddess) and ‘Bandar’ (harbor), thereby giving the meaning of goddess’s harbor. During 10th century it was referred as ‘Pauravelakul’, which was mentioned in the Hindu epics as the hometown of Sudama, a beloved friend of lord Krishna. Some accounts also call this place as ‘Sudamapuri’. However the contemporary Indians know this city as the birth-place of Gandhi, the Father of The Nation. Porbandar is extremely rich in natural resources thanks to its location. It has lengthy sea-shore, rivers, lakes, hills, valleys and fields.

What to see and when to go: The main attraction of this place is called Kirti Mandir, which is the Birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. Known for its spiritual nature and long history the city has multiple temples. There are multiple attractions in form of Sudama Mandir, Bharat Mandir, Gita Mandir, Gayatri Mandir, Ram Dhoon Mandir and Rokadia Hanuman temple. Other attractions include Kamla Nehru Park, Nehru Planetarium and Tara Mandir. The climate at Porbandar is generally pleasant throughout the year.

Accommodation: Frequently visited by tourists from all over the country,
there are a good number of hotels in Porbandar that provide quality service to their guests. There are also multiple guest houses available to provide budget accommodation starting from 300 rupees per day. Some of the standard hotels have a beautiful sea view.
Mode of Transport: Porbandar has its own Airport, which has daily flights connecting with Mumbai. It also has a well-established road and rail links connecting with Mumbai and Ahmadabad.

Related links:

• Tourist information: http://www.porbandaronline.com/
• Official website : http://porbandar.gujarat.gov.in/

See also (nearby places): Kuchdi, Ghumli, Gope and Barda Hills are some of the nearby attractions.

Patna

Introduction and history: The city of Patna is the capital of Bihar state, is one of the ancient cities in India. Its history and tradition traces back to the earliest dawn of civilization of more than 4000 years. The name of Patna was derived from ‘Pataliputra’, which has undergone many changes. Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of Maurya empire declared it as his capital during 4th century A.D. Followed by Chandragupta, his grandson Ashoka, transformed the capital into a stone construction around 273 BC. Much later, multiple Chinese travelers came to India in pursuit of knowledge and recorded their observation about Pataliputra in their travelogues. In the years that followed, the city saw many dynasties ruling the India, but it was unable to have the glory that it had under the Mauryas.

What to see and when to go: As an ancient city, Patna offers multiple tourist attractions. Starting with one of the oldest temples Hanuman Mandir other attractions include Kumhrar, Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb, Golghar, Patna Museum, State Secretariat Building, Patna Planetarium, Qila House, Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Sadaqat Ashram and Nagholkothi. The best time to visit Patna is between October to March.

Accommodation: Being the capital city of Bihar, Patna offers a wide variety of accommodation. Multiple star hotels are available with price as high as 3000 rupees per day. Multiple budget hotels are available that provide basic accommodation facilities.

Mode of Transport: The Patna has its own Airport, which is connected with all major destinations in India. It is one of the most important railway junctions in Bihar, connecting it with multiple destinations in India. It is also connected by Road to nearby cities.

Related links:

• Patna official website: http://www.patna.nic.in/

See also (nearby places): Gaya, Nalanda, Gaya, Vaishali, Pawapuri, Rajgir, Maner, Vikramshila and Muzaffarpur are nearby attractions.

Bhubaneswar

Introduction and history: Bhubaneswar city is the capital of Orissa state, which derives its name from Bhuban (Universe) and Swarg (God).The Eswar, which is the alternate name for Shiva is known as ‘Tribuhuvaneswara’ here which means ‘Lord of the Three Worlds’. Hundreds of temples surround the city, which once had more than 2000 temples. History traces back its origins back about one thousand years ago the Kalinga period, when it was knows as ‘Temple Town’ for its Orissan style architecture. Today the city is the state capital, which is primarily responsible for administration of the state. Added to that, it also makes an ideal tourist destination.

What to see and when to go: There are number of tourist attractions, mainly the temples. Starting with Lingaraj Temple, the list of other temples includes Markandeswar Temple, Mukteswar, Mohini Temple, Papanasini, Parsurameswar Temple, Rajarani Temple, Vaital Temple. The Khandagiri and Udaygiri caves, situated about 8 kilometres from the city, serves as the site of an ancient Jain monastery, dating back to second century. It has some of the caves have beautiful carvings, which is one of the masterpieces. October to March is the ideal time for travellers to visit Bhubaneswar.

Accommodation: There are numerous hotels available in the city, which can accommodate every type of visitor. The Orissa Tourism Development Corporation’s ‘Panthanivas’ is available for more budget accommodation. The price will range from 750 to 8000 rupees per day.

Mode of transport: Being the capital city, Bhubaneswar is well connected by air, rail and road to the rest of India. Local travel can be arranged by booking taxis.

Related links:
• Tourist information : http://www.orissatourism.gov.in
• City information: http://www.come2bhubaneswar.com/

See also (nearby places): Dhauli, Hirapur, Nandankanan and Atri are some of the nearby tourist attractions.