Badaun - City of Saints

 Badaun is a small city in the state of Uttar Pradesh and is another busy city.Located on the banks of the Sot river, a tributary of the Ganga, Badaun is around 283 km south-east of Delhi, in

Image credit-wikipedia.

Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh.the region was ruled by kings of the Ahir community, one of whom was ‘Raja Budh’. Also, there are several claims and counter-claims that Badaun was ruled by Raja Mahipal as well as several others, making the history of this period difficult to decipher.There aren’t many things to do and attractions to visit in this town. Also, being a small town, there are fewer accommodation options.

Great Mosque-The Jama Masjid or Great Mosque is a major mosque built in historic center of Budaun.The mosque was built by Iltutmish, the ruler of Delhi Sultanate that time.This mosque reflects Persian and Afghan architecture.This mosque is the third oldest existing and second largest mosque of the country after Delhi's Jama Masjid, having a standard capacity of 23500.

Image credit-wikipedia

Badaun ke pede-Badaun ke Pede are famous throughout world, though it originated from Lucknow, India. Usually prepared in thick, semi-soft pieces, its main ingredients are khoa, sugar and traditional flavourings including cardamom seeds, pistachio nuts and saffron.

Best places to visit in Aligarh

 Aligarh district,also known as The Metro City lies in the most populous state of India Uttar Pradesh.Aligarh is also famous as the battle of ally ghur between French and British was fought over here.

Area-3650 sq.km,Population-36,73,889.Some of the famous cuisines of Aligarh are kachauri,jalebis,namkeen etc.Some of the famous tourists attractions of this place are:

1.Aligarh Fort-This historic fort is of great importance and is the strongest fort in India.Also known as the Aligarh Qila it represents historic islamic architecture through its intricate designs and symbolic walls.Popuraly it is also known as Bonay chor ka qila and has minarets,terraces and bastions.

Location-Aligarh.       Time-8:00am-6:00pm

Image credit-wikipedia

2.Maulana Azad Library-The largest university library in Asia is a seven storey building and is surrounded by 4.75acres of lawns and gardens.It has 15,00,000 books.It was founded in 1960 and had over 110 branches.It completed 50 years on 7 December 2010 and thus celebrated its golden jubilee anniversary.Its a must visit place to all the students.

Location-Aligarh.       Time-Library hours

Image credits-wikipedia

3.Shekha Jheel-It is a fresh water perennial water body.Shekha Jheel is about 17km from Aligarh,and is accessible from the Grand Trunk Road from which it is just 5 km away.Shekha jheel was formed in 1852 with the upper Ganges Canal,which flows adjacent to the lake.

Best time to visit-November to February as the migratory birds move from north to south in search of warmer climate and stop by this wetland.

Location-Aligarh.      Time-9:00am5:00pm

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Ambedkar Nagar - Uttarpradesh

 Ambedkar nagar is a small and serene place in Uttar Pradesh.It is about 180kms away from the state capital,Lucknow.It is also 60kms away from the birthplace of Lord Ram,Ayodhya.It was created on September 29, 1995 in the name of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar.The Session Division and Judgeship at Ambedkar nagar was created on 04 Nov 1999.

Ambedkar Nagar provides the travellers with a good transport facility which makes the tour comfortable. The fort of Lorepur is very popular in the district.  The Ambedkar Park in the city is a very popular picnic spot that is located in a beautiful landscape; it homes many birds and numerous herbs and shrubs.

Image credit-justdial.com

Religious Places in Ambedkar Nagar

Ambedkar Nagar is very popular for its places of worship as most of the shrines in the district are of historic and mythological importance.The city  is very popular for shrines like Maa Kalika Mandir, Shree Bram Baba Mandir, Riyasat, Durga Mandir and many more.

Image credits-google

Balrampur - Uttarpradesh

 

Balrampur is a city and a municipal board in Balrampur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is situated on the bank of river Rapti.The district has very rich literary heritage. Famous Urdu poet Ali Sardar Jafri was born here in 1913. He is among the only four Urdu poets who got the prestigious Jnanpith award (other three are Firak Gorakhpuri, Kurtulain Hyder and Shaharyar).

Famous tourist attractions of this place are:

1.Koilaba-Koilaba is a famous tourist place in Balrampur. It comprises of adventures and natural sightseeing. If you are a lover of Nature and this is a must visit site. Koilabas attracts tourists from around the entire state and it provides them peace and inner contentment. If you are in Balrampur then this is a place you should visit.

2.Suhelwa wildlife sanctuary-The forest is one of the oldest forests in Uttar Pradesh and was given the status of a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1988.With a buffer zone of 220 sq.km, the sanctuary is known for affluent flora and fauna making it one of the top tourist attractions of Shravasti. The fauna found in the sanctuary includes Leopard, Tiger, Bear, Wildcat, Wild Boar, Sambhar, Spotted Deer, Nilgai, Barking Deer along with Monkeys of different types. 

Location-Balrampur.     Time-6am-6pm

3.Bijlipur Temple-It was made of red stone with exquisite carvings for which stone masons were employed from Rajasthan. There is no idol in the main temple. There is a deep hole in the ground which is covered with cloth and prayers to the Devi are performed over it.

Image credits-google

Amethi-lets explore this place.

 Amethi is a town in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is a major town of the Amethi district, in the Faizabad division.Amethi has four tehsils Amethi,Gauriganj,Musafirkhana and Tiloi. Amethi is a major town of the district and also a municipal board. Gauriganj is district headquarter.

The total geographic area of the district is about 2329.11 Sq. Km.  North side of the district is bounded by Faizabad district, south side is bounded by Pratapgarh district.It is also called the agrarian area as the main occupation of the people here is agriculture.

Amethi is also famous for the temple called Hanumangarhi and a mosque both built about hundred years ago. About three kilometres north of Amethi there is a tomb of famous poet which is in Ram Nagar, Saint Malik Muhammad Jayasi where he died. 

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Amethi is a must visit place in Uttar Pradesh.

Image credits-wikipedia,google

Agra - The city of Tajmahal

 Agra a city in the northern part of Uttar Pradesh is famous for being the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1526 to 1658.With an population of roughly 1.6million,Agra is the fourth-most populous city of Uttar Pradesh and Twenty-third most populous city of India.

The main beauty of Agra lies in Taj Mahal.The Taj Mahal,the symbol of love and also one of the seven wonders of the world holds a special position in Agra.Agra is also famous for its special cuisine,Petha whose amazing taste will mesmerize your taste buds for the entire life.

Some of the famous tourists attractions of Agra are:

Taj Mahal-The icon of India ,drawing millions of people to the city of Agra every year.It is a must visit place for every person who wants experiance the beauty of India.The magnificent structure date backs to 17th century.Shah Jahan built this beautiful mausoleum in the memory of Mumtaz,his beloved wife who passed away and decided to pay tribute to her.Construction of this took more than 20 years and and required the manpower of around 20,000 labourers.

Agra Fort- also known as "Lal-Qila","Fort Rouge" is the highlight of the city.This architecture is made of intricate designs and red sandstones.This was the seat of the Mughal Emperor.It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.Agra fort also features several fairy tale palaces and has a grandeur that is awe-inspiring.

Akbar's Mausoleum-For nearly 50 years Akbar the Great rules the Mughal kingdom.His remains can be found at the most popular tourist attraction in Agra,Akbar's Mausoleum.The structure is also surrounded by Mughal gardens.This beautiful place is also a home to deer,antelopes,monkeys etc which are in the Mughal gardens.

Fatehpur Sikri- Just at a distance of about 30kms from The taj mahal is this famous tourist attraction which was built by Mughal emperor Akbar as a part of his plan to build a grand capital for his empire.The architecture is a mix of Indian architectural styles especially the Indian architecture and Gujrati and Bengali style.The best time to visit this place is January,February,November and December as the temperature at that time is cool.

Moti Masjid-also called the Pearl Mosque was built by Shah Jahan.It was named as Moti Masjid as it shone like pearl.Located inside the Agra Fort is made up of marble.This glorious structure took nearly 4 years to be built and is designed typical to Shah Jahan's era of reign.

Image credits-Google

Districts of Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh is the fourth largest state of India.It has a population of about  200 million.The most populous state in India,Uttar Pradesh consists of 75 districts.Each district has some unique tourist attractions.

The districts of Uttar Pradesh are:

1. Agra

2.Aligarh

3.Allahabad

4.Ambedkar Nagar

5.Amethi

6.Amroha

7.Auraiya

8. Azamgarh

9.Badaun

10.Bagpat

11.Bahraich

12.Ballia

13.Balrampur

14.Banda

15.Barabanki

16.Bareilly

17.Basti

18.Bijnor

19.Bulandshahr

20.Chandauli

21.Chitrakoot

22.Deoria

23.Etah

24.Etawah

25.Faizabad

26.Farrukhabad

27.Fatehpur

28.Firozabad

29.Gautam buddha nagar

30.Ghaziabad

31.Ghazipur

32.Gonda

33.Gorakhpur

34.Hamirpur

35.Hapur

36.Hardoi

37.Hathras

38.Jalaun

39.Jaunpur

40.Jhansi

41.Kannauj

42.Kanpur Dehat

43.Kanpur nagar

44.Kasganj

45.Kaushambi

46.Kushinagar

47.Lakhimpur Kheri

48.Lalitpur

49.Lucknow

50.Maharajganj

51.Mahoba

52.Mainpuri

53.Mathura

54.Mau

55.Meerut

56.Mirzapur

57.Moradabad

58.Muzaffarnagar

59.Pilibhit

60.Pratapgarh

61.Rae Bareli

62.Rampur

63.Saharanpur

64.Sant kabir nagar

65.Sant ravidas nagar

66.Sambhal

67.Shahjahanpur

68.Shamli

69.Shravasti

70.Siddharthnagar

71.Sitapur

72.Sonbhadra

73.Sultanpur

74.Unnao

75.Varanasi

*Biggest district of Uttar Pradesh:

Lakhimpur Kheri with an area of 7680 square kilometre.

*Smallest district of Uttar Pradesh:

Hapur with an area of 600 square kilometre.

Bijnor - Uttarpradesh

 

The city of Bijnor serves as a prominent pilgrimage destination in Uttar Pradesh for people from every major religion. This religious diversity began developing since the 18th century, as the city of Bijnor fell under the reign of many rulers, including the Mughals, the Nawabs and, finally, the British. Shrines, temples and churches of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism are seen throughout Bijnor. Most of these religious sites also hold appeal because of their classic architecture. Most tourists are usually struck by the religious harmony, tolerance and warm hospitality practiced by the people of Bijnor.

Bijnor is famous for-

 It is widely considered to be a historical structure that is associated with the epic Ramayana. Other prominent temples in the city include Radha Krishna Mandir, Panchmukhi Mandir, Shiv Mandir and Chamunda Mandir.

Ganj is situated along the banks of the river Ganges, about 12 km from the town of Bijnor. This place is known for numerous ancient ashrams and temples near the river.

People of Bijnor give high importance to foods.People enjoy both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food in Bijnor. Sweets play an important role in the food habit of Bijnor, daily meal will accompany a sweet and it is also given as an offering in pujas & prayers.Drinks enjoyed by Bijnor people are lassi, sharbats, rayta and chaas. People of Bijnor also enjoy food products from restaurants, bakeries and confectionery shops.

Bijnor district has a rich wildlife population and is part of Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary.Besides sambhar, cheetal, hog deer. kakar, langur, jackal, monitor lizard, turtles, python, Gangetic dolphin, crocodiles, ghariyals, etc, are also found here

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Rock Cut Narasimha Temple - Dudhai

(Image from google)

The ancient temple of Lord Narasimha cut into the roce face of a hillside way in the village of Dudhai in the Lalitpur district of Uttarpradesh. The site is listed as a sacred site by the Archaeological Survey of India. The sculpture is dated back to 5th century and can be classified as Gupta sculpture. We can classify this as forgotten treasures of India.

The statue is 30 feet tall and is crafted according to the rock formation which add more grandeour and design for the statue. The image of the Asura Hiranyakasipu is sculpted as if he is laying across the Lord's lap. The dress, the jewellery everything is detailed according to the rock formation. But unless and untill we move to a closer distance, the image of Lord Narasimha is not visible as it is clearly camaflagued by the formation of the rocks.

How to reach:
The village of Dudhai is located 50 kilometers from the centre of Lalitpur district and it is 100 kms south of Jhansi. Drive down NH26 from Lalitpur, and one have to turn off the highway at Bagaria and drive to Dudhai via the village of Pali which is 28kms off from the highway turn off. The road to the hill site is a forest road built during the British era, but is used mainly by cattle drawn vehicles so it is better to use vehicles that can run on rough terrain. 

State Tourism Information Office Uttarpradesh

Director General
Directorate of Tourism, UP
Rajarshi Purshottam Das Tandon Paryatan Bhavan,
C-13, Vipin Khand, Gomti Nagar,
Lucknow, U.P.
Ph: 91-522-2308916, 2308017
Fax: 91-522-2308937
E-mail: upstdc@up-tourism.com, yatrup@bsnl.in

Ashoka Pillar - Saranath

The Ashoka Pillar or the Ashoka Stupa is the series of columns either in stone or in iron erected by the Mauryan king Ashoka during his reign in the 3rd century BC. Many of these pillars are almost 40 to 50 ft in height and upto 50 tons each. The pillars are found in Delhi (originally located at Meerut and Topra which was bought by Firuz Shah Tughlug in the year 1356), Allahabad (Which was at Kaushambi), Lauriya - Areraj, Lauriya - Nandangarh, Rampurva, Sankissa, Sanchi and Sarnath. There are pillars found with inscriptions in Lumbini and Nigalisagar. The pillar at Vaishali have one lion capital and the one at Rampurva have one bull capital. 

The pillars were found to be carved out of either spotted red and white sand stone found in the region of Mathura, and the other is fine grained hard sand stonewith small black spots quarried in Chunnar near Varanasi.  

All the pillars are uniform in style and have four parts. The shafts are plain and smooth and circular. The shaft tapers towards the top and are made of single piece of stone. The captials on top have the shape and appearance of a gently arched bell formed of lotus petals. The base are either square or circular in shape. The animals are either sitting or standing on the round chiseled single piece with abaci.

The most famous Ashoka Pillar is the pillar at Saranath which was eventually made the national emblem of India.

Hotel Clarks, Varanasi

Located in the Cantonment area of Varanasi, this is a 5 star hotel in Varanasi, and is in a distance of 3 km from the Varanasi Cantonment Bus stand and Railway station and is in a distance of 21km from Varanasi airport.

There are 113 rooms including Executive Suites and Rooms. All the rooms are decked up with latest facilities and features.

Restaurants :
Kadambari: A coffee shop to enjoy a wide range of snacks and drinks.
Amrapali: A multi-cuisine restaurant offering a variety of delicacies.
Sonar Gaon: A bar-be-que restaurant serving tandoori kababs & curries.
Tarang Bar: A bar & lounge offering a range of cocktails & snacks.

Address :
The Mall, Cantt.
Varanasi-221002 India

Services :
All Major Credit Cards Accepted     
Banquet Hall
Bar
Barber Shop
Beauty Salon
Business Centre
Cafe
Car Parking
Car Rental
Courier Mail Service
Currency Exchange

Direct Dialing STD/ISD Facility
Doctor on Request
Fax on Application
Flower Shop
Free Newspaper
Free Room Service
Gym
Hot/Cold running water
Internet Connection
Laundry
Meditation & Yoga
Post & Telegraph
Restaurant
Safe Deposit Box
Satellite TV
Secretarial Service
Shopping Hall
Swimming Pool
Tea/Coffee Maker in all rooms
Travel Desk

The HHI - Varanasi

The one and only 5 star hotel in the heart of the city with all high end and modern facilities and amenities.


The hotel is 20kms from airport and is quite close to railway station and 20 kms from airport. All the tourist places and religious spots and shopping malls are quite close to this hotel.

There are 98 rooms and they all are air conditioned and is enhanced with Cable TV, direct dialing STD and ISD service from room. A minibar and attached bath with modern facilities. The hotel gives 24 hours room service

Other Amenities:

• 24 hour room service
• Same day laundry & dry cleaning
• Health club
• Barber shop
• Travel service
• Currency exchange
• Baby sitting
• Over 15000 sq.ft. of state-of-art banqueting space
• wi-fi connectivity in all rooms
• Swimming pool
• Beauty salon
• Car rental
• Shopping arcade
• Safe deposit
• Business centre
• Free parking
• Non-smoking rooms

Restaurants:
Aangan  is the multi-cuisine restaurant which serves north Indian and north western dishes.

Atrium Cafe is another multi-cuisine restaurant serving Indian, Chinese, and continental dishes.

Windsor Bar is the only bar of this hotel which is well stocked with Indian and Foreign brands. Specialities are their different cocktails.

Regal1 is the banquet hall which can accommodate 300 persons.


Address: The Hotel Hindusthan International
Maldahiya
Varanasi – 221 002

Phone No: +91 542 2411484

Email ID:  hhivaranasi@satyam.net.i