Honeymoon destination: Romantic Lake Palace Udaipur

Visitors might remember the romantic Lake Place set amidst the calm waters of Lake Pichola in Udaipur from the classic Bond movie, Octopussy. Now a luxury hotel it is a must see on every visitors itinerary.

Lake Palace, Udaipur

The famous Lake Palace of Udaipur, now a luxury hotel, resonates with the royal grandeur and magnificence that Rajasthan stands for. If visiting Udaipur, the Lake Palace is a must on the itinerary.

Early-Morning-Lake-Palace

The Jag Niwas, as the palace was named, was once the architectural muse for the Maharani of Udaipur, served as the summer palace to the Mewar dynasty. The Maharana of Jaipur, along with his devoted affection for Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan also let the friendship reap an inspiration for this palace, from the incomparable architectural prowess buildings in Agra.

About the Palace 

The Lake Palace has a series of courtyards that are aligned with numerous columns, terraces, beautiful fountains and well laid gardens.

The east facing palace was made in such a manner that the inhabitants could pray to the Sun God early in the morning. With its vantage position in the middle of the lake, it also served as a cool haven in the summers. Till date, the palace exhibits a grand impression with its exquisite patterns, sculptures, large columns and ornamental roof.

The inaccessibility with the vast Lake Pichola spread about it, adds to the charm of the structure.

Lily-Pond-at-Lake-Palace

Even though Udaipur is known as the City of Lakes, with five prominent lakes in the city, the Lake Palace has made the Pichola Lake the most famous destination. The other lakes to see are Fateh Sagar Lake, Rangsagar Lake, Swaroopsagar Lake and Dudh Talai Lake.

In the beginning of the 19th century, the weathered condition of the Lake Palace and the ardous upkeep began to show. This was true not only for this structure but the other lake based buildings too. This is when the palace went under a restoration process to bring back its former glory.

Lake Palace is now a luxury hotel, part of the Taj Hotels chain, consisting of 83 rooms and suites.

Sightseeing

Non-guests are able to sometimes experience the magic of the palace during the quieter season when the hotel sometimes accepts outside reservations for lunch and dinner. The best way to get close to appreciate it’s glory is with a boat ride on Lake Pichola, a fantastic experience in itself. Boat rides depart hourly from Rameshwar Chat in the City Palace Gardens (adult/child Rs.200/100 or 30 minutues or Rs.300/150 for 1 hour). Please note prices are given as a guide only and are liable to change.

How to get there

Udaipur is well connected from the capital city of Delhi by train and flights. The airport is situated about 20 kms outside the city. The city lies on the Golden Quadrilateral National Highway and is well connected by road too. Once you are at the edge of the Lake Pichola, to take a boat to reach Lake Palace in Udaipur.

Best Time to Go 

Though any season is made comfortable for a visitor, if you are planning to head out to other tourist destinations of Udaipur, the period of October to February is the best. It is worth coinciding your visit with the Shilpgram Festival which takes place in December, organised to promote art and craft of Rajasthan.

Don’t Miss 

Other enticing sites to visit are Jag Mandir, Kumbalgarh Sanctuary, Bagore Ki Haveli, Shilpgram Museum, Ahar Museum, City Palace and Saheliyon Ki Bari.

Where to Stay

The premium price of actually staying at the Lake Palace may be beyond the reach of most travellers but the beauty of the lake and it’s surrounds can be enjoyed by all. Balunda House in Udaipur has four spacious suites, a lush lawn and two common areas for guests to enjoy and can help arrange sightseeing around the city.

Major IT and Technology parks in India

Indian cities are the fastest developing cities in the world in terms of lifestyle, Infrastructure and Standard of living. IT is one of the most important factor to boost the economy of India along with the tourism and communication industry. All the major cities of India now has at least one IT park with all the required facility in the premises. Major IT parks are Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park Chandigarh,Mihan it park nagpur,Crystal IT park Indore,Venkatadri IT Park Bangalore,Eon it park Pune and DLF IT SEZ Hyderabad.

Electronic City - Bangalore

The stunning Electronics city is India’s largest electronic parks and a key IT hub of India followed by International Tech Park. Due to the Electronics City, Bangalore got it another name as the Silicon Valley of India. It also host Hosur Road Elevated Expressway, the ten-laned mixed corridor elevated highway, one of the longest elevated national expressway in the country.

Infosys-at-Electronics-City

Magarpatta - Pune

The Magarpatta city is a advanced township with residential,Cybercity and corporate towers, located at outskirts of Pune in village of Hadapsar. Magarpatta is one of the first master plan to start a trend in India of walk to work. Pune has other major IT parks as well known as Hinjewadi-one of the major Cyber city in India, Kharadi IT Park and EON IT Park.

Amdocs-at-Magarpatta-City

HITEC City - Hyderabad

The HITEC City of Hyderabad is one of the major technology township spread across a huge area of land at the center of Hyderabad city. HITEC City includes Cyber Towers,Cyber Gateway,L&T Infocity and Mindspace IT park.

Wipro-at-Hitech-City

Infotech Park - Mumbai

The International Infotech Park is located in Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Infotech Park is a masterpiece of engineering having everything in the office premise. Other IT parks in Mumbai are Infinity Park,Sureshwari Infotech Park and Everest Infotech Park.

International-or-Vashi-Infotech-Park

CyberVale IT Park - Chennai

The CyberVale IT Park is another project of ASCENDAS  after International Tech Park, It is a high tech IT park located in Taramani district of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. International Tech Park host India’s giant telecom service providers and many software companies. Ascendas CyberVale IT Park is first IT SEZ Park project in India.

CyberVale-IT-Park

DLF IT Park - Noida

The DLF IT Park is an integrated campus located in Sector 62 of Noida in Uttar Pradesh. DLF IT Park divided into 5 blocks and a world class workspace with open greenery and well planned area near to NH 24. DLF IT Park is also situated in other metro Indian cities like Chennai,Kolkata, chandigarh and bhubaneswar.

DLF-IT-Park

Infocity - Gandhinagar , Gujarat

The Infocity IT park is the new landmark of one of the greenest city of India, Gandhinagar in Gujarat. Information Technology park of Gandhinagar has many companies and one of the fastest growing IT city of India.

Infocity-Park

Delhi IT Park - Delhi

The Software Technology Park is situated near to metro station of Shastri Park in Delhi. Delhi IT Park complex is belongs to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and home to National Informatics Center(NIC), RBS and Genpact companies with a gymnasium, a conference hall and training rooms in premises.

Delhi-IT-Park

Millennium City IT Park - Kolkata

The Millennium City IT Park is the project of the Rungta Group with hi-tech buildings of various reputed companies, located at Greater Kolkata region are Bidhannagar. It is also known as Salt Lake City contain Kolkata biggest building along with a luxury mall and now become a latest landmark of the city with DLF IT Park.

IBM-at-Millennium-City-IT-Park

Technopark - Thiruvananthapuram

The Technopark of Trivandrum is India’s first and one of the largest technology park dedicated to IT companies, located near Pallippuram. It has many supported facilities inside the campus like Special Economic Zones, Technopark Club and Technopark Adventure Club.

IBS-at-Technopark-of-Trivandrum

Delhi Tourism: Purana Qila in Delhi

Delhi can well be called the city of ‘monumental landmarks’ – quite literally! Out of the plenty that are sprinkled in the city, there are few that have stood the test of time and have witnessed the country’s growth over several decades, including the mighty Old Fort. Sitting in the heart of city, the Old Fort has an impressive backdrop. Directly translated from its Indian name, ‘Purana Qila’, it was founded by the Mughal King, Humayun in the middle of the 14th century.

The Structure and it’s History:

The mighty walls of the fort are about 18 meters high and run for 1.5 kilometres peripherally. It has three entrances – Bara Darwaza, Humayun’s Gate and the Talaqi Gate. The structure is primarily made of sandstone representative of the material used in other structures built under the regime of Humayun. White and coloured marble inlays have been used in places to give it deign interest. Parts of the fort reek of Mughal grandeur where architecture is concerned. This is seen in the elaborate balconies and pavilions.

Bara-Darwaza-Purana-Qula-Delhi

It is said that Humayun built the qila as a refuge for the learned men for all Islamic sects. It was also known as the city of Dinpanah or ‘Refuge of the Faithful’! It is said that eminent thinkers used the venue for discussions on theology under the patronage of the emperor.

Purana Qila and the Modern Topography of Delhi:

During the Commonwealth Games, the Old Fort was one of the few monuments that were illuminated in the evenings to make the cityscape look impressive. If one went down Mathura Road during the games, the qila was brightly lit, making a resplendent setting.

Purana-Qila-Ramparts

Given that the fort is open to public all days, do not be surprised to see this monument double up as a venue for young couples and families to spend time.

Opening Times: 

The summer timings of the Qila are 12.00 p.m to 7.00 p.m. In the winters, the timings change to 11.00 p.m to 6.00 p.m. Do check the timings before entry. The Purana Qila is open on all days

Sunset-Purana-Qila

Entry Fee: 

The fees for Indian citizens is Rs 5/- and for foreign nationals it is Rs 100/-. (These might be subject to change so please check at the counter).

What to See: 

The light and sound show at the Purana Qila is choreographed to tell the story of the empire of seven cities within Delhi and the highlights the important features of the fort. This is a great way to add context to your trip instead of just seeing the structure. The show is held daily after sunset.

Sher-Mandal

Kerala Tourism: Eravikulam National Park

The state of Kerala is offers many opportunities for tourists, ranging from coastal holidays, backwaters, plantation visits and also wildlife. One great destination for wildlife enthusiasts is the Eravikulam National Park in the Idukki district near Munnar.

Eravikulam National Park

The western ghat mountain ranges provide a wholesome environment to nurture wildlife, and this 97 square kilometre stretch is no different. Though comparatively smaller than many other national parks of the country, Eravikulam is special due to the largest population of the endangered Nilgiris Tahr.

History

The region is a game preservation area for the Kannadevan Hills Produce Company. The local tribals, Muduvan, helped the game watchers of the nearby plantations before the area was taken over by the Kerala government for preservation in the 1970s. The planter community and the Muduvans still continue their contribution towards protection of the park.

Flora and Fauna

The largest surviving population of the Nilgiris Tahr is found in the Eravikulam National Park, about 700 of them roam in the confines of the park. Wild dogs, leopards and tigers are also found here. Nilgiris marten, small clawed otter, ruddy mongoose, and dusky striped squirrel are also found along with occasional elephants in these grasslands. About 120 species of birds are also found here along with 100 odd varieties of butterflies.

Nilgiris Tahr

How To Get There 

The Eravikulam National Park if situated in the Kanan Devan Hills of the Southern Western Ghats in Idukki. The park can be accessed from Kochi and Coimbatore airports, which are located at about 148 Km and 175 Km respectively. Munnar is the nearest town (13km.) and is very well connected by roads from Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The nearest railway station in Kerala is Aluva but few trains come here. There is only one central motorable road in the park, but the rest has to be traversed on foot.

Eravikulam National Park Trek

Entry Fees

The park fee is Rs 200/- for foreign travellers but Rs 20/- for Indians. There are also additional charges for vehicles and children. Photography fees also have to be paid separately if the footage is for commercial use.

When to Go

The best time to visit the park is between January and March. The monsoons are difficult in the region and its best to avoid the months of June to August.