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.

Puri

Introduction and history: Puri is one of oldest and important tourist destinations in Orissa, which is famous for the Lord Jagannath temple. Puri also hosts the site of the Govardhana matha, one of the four cardinal institutions established by Adi Shankaracharya. In 1903, Sri Yukteswar established an ashram in Puri. In summary it is an ancient city, having a lot of spiritual history.

What to see and when to go: The Temple of Lord Jagannath was built during the 12th century, by Chodaganga Deva sprawls for many kilometres around. It is the tallest temple (65 metres) in Orissa.In front of the main gate the monolithic pillar, called Aruna Stambha. The temple is mainly famous for its annual ‘Ratha Yatra’, when the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra, are brought out of the temple, and placed in a chariot procession. There are also a number of holy tanks like Narendra, Markandeya, Sweta Ganga and Indradyumna. There are many Monasteries locally known as Mathas also of tourist interest. Puri beach is another major attraction. October to April is the best time to visit Puri.

Accommodation: Puri offers multiple accommodation facilities starting with luxurious resorts facing the beach. Budget accommodation is available starting as low as 350 rupees per day.

Mode of transport: Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport, which is 100 Kilometers away from Puri. It has a well connected railway station and national highway (NH-5) passing thro the place. For local travel taxis can be hired on demand.

Related links:
• Official information: http://puri.nic.in/
• Tourist information: http://www.orissatourism.gov.in

See also (nearby places): Konark, Chilika, Bhubaneswar and Gopalpur Beach are nearby tourist attractions.

Victoria Memorial, Kolkata

Introduction and history: The Victoria Memorial Hall is a formidable building which was opened in 1921. This Hall is the largest storehouse in India for a visual tour of the history of Kolkata. It also has a major collection of paintings, sculptures and manuscripts from the British Period. It is also a museum where one can see the pictures and statues of great men who played a vital role in the history of India. It was an idea developed by Lord Curzon who opened this museum to make people proud of their past and to help them understand the culture of our great nation.

What to see and when to go: There are many sections in the Victoria Memorial Hall wherein almost a whole section is specially contributed to Queen Victoria. The library is one section that is highly recommended as here one can find a truly rare collection of books ranging from Shakespeare, to Rubaiyat’s Omar Khayyam. There is also a collection of arms and ammunition used in the British era, which are displayed in the museum. For display are also some historical relics that include the ink pot used by Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidya sagar, pistols used by Lord Warren Hastings in a duel etc.

Things to do: Apart from this memorial, Kolkata has many interesting places to see. Starting with Academy of Fine Arts it has a list of places like Nehru Children’s Museum, Belur Math, Birla Planetarium, Indian Museum, Marble Palace, Vidya sagar setu, Rabindra Sadan and Kalighat temple.

Accommodation: As a diversified and old city Kolkata offers accommodation facilities starting from 350 rupees per day.

Mode of transport: Kolkata is one of important airports in the eastern part of India, which is well connected. The Howrah railway station is the biggest one in India, which has train reaching all parts of the country. The local travel is mainly via well regulated taxi systems. Don’t miss out to travel in the metro rail, which is a cost-effective and easy way to go around the city.

Timings: Victoria Memorial Garden remains open all throughout the year (even on holidays) from 5:30 AM to 7:00 PM. But sale of entry tickets closes at 6:45 PM.

Related links:
• Official site: http://www.victoriamemorial-cal.org/
• City information: http://www.calcuttaweb.com/

Kaziranga National Park

Introduction and history: Nominated for the Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, Kaziranga National park lies undisturbed by human presence in the state of Assam within the districts Golaghat and Nagaon. In 1904, Mary Victoria Leiter Curzon, the wife of the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, visited the area in vain to see a Rhinoceros. She persuaded her husband to take some urgent corrective measures to address this issue. The step was taken on 1st June 1905, which lead to the Reserve Forest creation with an area of 232 square kilometres. The area was expanded to 430 square kilometres by the order of central government in 1974.

What to see and when to go: For wildlife lovers Kaziranga offers a treat. It houses a wide range of wild animals, which include Rhinoceros, Elephant, Indian bison, Swamp deer, Samber, Hog deer, Sloth Bear, Tiger, Leopard, Leopard cat, Jungle cat, hog badger, Capped langur, Hoolock gibbon, Jackal, Goose, Hornbills, lbis, Cormorants, Egret, Heron Fishing Eagle etc. The best time to visit this park is from November to early-April.

Things to do: Experiencing wildlife and birding forms the major activity here. Besides, to have bird’s view you can go to observation towers at Sohola, Mihimukh, Kathpara, Foliamari, and Harmoti for wildlife viewing.

Accommodation: Private lodges and Forest departments’ bungalows are available at moderate to high costs, which provides the major mode of accommodation. It is strongly recommended to make advance bookings before planning a trip to Kaziranga.

Mode of transport: Kaziranga is 217 kilometres from Guwahati and 96 kilometres from Jorhat by road, which are the nearby airports. The nearest rail head is Farkating. Local travel is mainly in form of hired taxis. Inside the park authorized guides are available to take tourists via multiple modes: Elephants, Jeep and cars.

Related links:
• Official Website: www.kaziranganationalpark.com

See also (nearby places): Karbi Anglong, Baghori, Panbari Reserve Forest, Agaratoli, Agaratoli, Manas National Park, Shillong and Guwahati .