India Travel

Orissan festivals

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Eating in Orissa

Eating out in Bhubaneswar is basically limited to a choice between the predictable five-star food dished up in the a/c comfort of places such as the Sishmo, or the cheap and chilliful south Indian dishes served in the rather less salubrious cafes such as the Vineeth or the Swosti; both are opposite the railway station and open for breakfast. The one or two restaurants that make an effort to include traditional Orissan cuisine on their menus are worth seeking out (you will have to order at least eight hours in advance); seafood dishes combining prawns or delicate pomfret (a white

Baripada in Orissa

A little way north of Balasore, the highway crosses the River Burhabalanga and splits in two, the right fork towards the Bengal border and the left towards the hills of the Orissan interior. Further inland, the intensively cultivated alluvial plains of the coastal strip gradually give way to patches of deciduous forest and red-latcrite soil, punctuated by termite mounds and neatly thatched villages. "The district is the traditional home of the Santal tribe. Comprising around seventy percent of the local adivasi population, the Santals are predominantly settled agriculturalists who practise a blend of ancestor worship and Hinduism, "they're known for

Muktesvara Mandir in Orissa

Back towards the main road, the Muktesvara Mandir. often described as the "gem" of Orissan architecture, dates from the middle of the tenth century, and is set in its own low-walled courtyard. On the way in you will pass the murky green waters of the small Marichi Kund tank, believed to cure infertility -which doesn't altogether explain its popularity with noisy adolescent boys. The Muktesvara was constructed two hundred years after the Parasumaresvara, and represents the new, more elaborate style that had evolved in Bhubaneswar. The jaganiohaiia here has the complex pyramidal roof normally associated with Orissan temples, while the deul.

Summer festivals in Ladakh in Ladakh

Most of Ladakh's Buddhist festivals, in which masked dance dramas are performed by lamas in monastery courtyards, take place in January and February, when roads into the region are snowbound. This works out well for the locals, for whom they relieve the tedium of the relentless winter, but it means that few outsiders get to experience some of the northern Himalayas' most vibrant and fascinating spectacles. Recently, however, a few of the larger gompas around Leh have followed the example of Hemis. and switched their annual festivals to the summer, to attract tourists. Proceeds from ticket sales go towards maintenance

Eating in Restaurants in Delhi

Delhi-its love to eat out and have a large variety of restaurants and cuisine from all over the world from which to choose. There's something for every budget, from delicious Indian snacks at roadside stalls in Paharganj, Palika Bazaar and Janpath, to traditional north Indian cuisine at one of Delhi's many celebrated restaurants, to Western food at the likes of instantly recognizable names such as Wimpy, McDonald's, Pizza Express, TGIF and Pizza Hut. The vast buffets of luxury hotels are worth the splurge, their coffee shops are surprisingly affordable and. if you can afford it, their restaurants superlative; their bakeries

Around Thrissur in Kerala

The chief appeal of exploring the area around Thrissmr is for the chances it Provide to get to grips with Kerala's cultural heritage Countless festivals, at their peak before the monsoon hits in May, enable visitors to catch some of the best drummers in the world, Kathakali dance drama and Kutiyattam. the world's oldest surviving theatre form.

The temples in Orissa

Of the five hundred or so temples that remain in Bhubaneswar, only a handful are of interest to any but the most ardent templo-phile. They are all in the south of the city and quite spread out, but it's possible to see the highlights in a day thanks to the city's ubiquitous rickshaw-wallahs. A tour of the main temples in an auto-rickshaw should cost Rs350-200 (including waiting time). Most visitors see the temples in a historically chronological order. Apart from giving a sense of the development of Orissan architecture over the years, this also leaves the most impressive monuments until last.

Around the town in Orissa

Capital Market, situated m a residential area along Janpath, is the place to buy typical Orissan handlooms, handicrafts and jewellery. All the material shops claim to be the official government outlet, so the prices for lengths of beautifully woven cloth and ready-made garments are very competitive. Tucked in a corner of Unit Two East, next to a large fast-food joint, is a treasure-trove of tribal and village crafts and jewellery and materials, all at bargain prices. Ask to look in the dusty cupboards and you may well stumble across an antique mask or two. Hidden away on the northwestern edge of

Taptapani in Southern Orissa

One possible foray from Berhampur, if you're tempted by the lure of the nearby hills and scenes of Orissan countryside at its most rural, is the trip up to TAPTAPANI, a spa village nestled in the ghats 51km to the west. The road leads out through Berhampurs hectic commercial district to a broad, flat-bottomed river valley strewn with huge black granite boulders and poor-looking villages. Along the way, patches of rice paddy and red-brown soil are enlivened by glimpses of local women hard at work in their blue and green cotton saris. Paddy workers and cowherders are noticeable by the

Berhampur in Southern Orissa

BERHAMPUR is the last major Orissan town before Andhra Pradesh. There is little of tourist interest except perhaps the weavers' quarter around thetemple where the town's famous silk sans are still produced using traditional hand looms. Moving on is most people's priority. The mam bus routes from Berhampur are north to Bhubaneswar (4hr; the OTDC luxury bus leaves at 2.30pm); west past Taptapani (every 15min: Rsl5) towards Rayagada and Koraput; and east to Gopalpur-on-Sea. Private buses leave from the new bus stand, some way across town, while the state transport company works out of the more central bus stand in the

Around Puri in Orissa

Back inland among the coconut palms, rice paddies, muddy lakes and rivers, are many traditional brahmin villages, most of them Vaishnavite. Two such places, about 12km from Puri just off the main Bhubaneshwar road, are BIRAPRATAPUR and GANGANARAYANPUR, where you can see thatched houses of baked clay and wood, many painted with bright designs, and small temples fronted by stone frames used for suspending the deity during festivals. You may even chance upon the house of an astrologer and have your fortune told. For those not quite up to puffing around the area by bike, Heritage Tours (06752/23656) in Pun

Southeast of Leh in Ladakh

Southeast of Leh, the Indus Valley broadens to form a fertile river basin whose lush geometrical barley fields, interspersed with a tangle of turquoise streams, contrast sharply with the bare brown snow-capped mountains that sweep up from its sides. Among the spectacular Buddhist monuments that crown the rocky knolls and razorback ridges at the edge of the flat valley floor are Shyer, site of a ruined palace and giant brass Buddha, and the stunning monastery of Tikse. Both overlook the main highway and are thus served by regular buses. With the exception of Stok Palace, home of the Ladakhi queen, sights

Diwan-i-Am to the Fatehpur Sikri in the Uttar Pradesh

The logical place to begin a tour of the palace complex, whose layout is thought to have been inspired by the form of a Moghul camp, is the Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience), at the far northeast edge of the enclosure (follow the walkway from the ticket booth). Surrounded by colonnades, cloisters and exquisite pierced-stone jali screens, this was where important festivals were held, and where citizens could exercise their right to petition the king, whose throne would have occupied the raised pavilion at its west side. Note the position of the royal platform in relation to the enclosure's main

Tirupati

Set in a stunning position, surrounded by wooded hills capped by a ring of vertical red rocks, the Shri Venkateshvara temple at Tirumala, an enervating drive 700m up in the Venkata hills, 11 km from TIRUPATI and 170km northwest of Chennai, is said to be the richest and most popular place of pilgrimage in the world, drawing more devotees than either Rome or Mecca. With its many shrines and dharamshalas the whole area around Tirumala Hili provides a fascinating insight into contemporary Hinduism practiced on a large scale. If you are not particularly keen on waiting in line for hours

The festivals of Goa

Some of Goa's festivals are on fixed dates each year; ask at a tourist office for dates of the others. The biggest celebrations take place at Panjim and Margao. Festa dos Reis (Jan 6). Epiphany celebrations include a procession of young boys decked out as the Three Kings to the Franciscan chapel of Reis Magos, near Panjim on the north bank of the Mandovi, 3km east of Fort Aguada. Other processions are held at Cansaulim and Chandor. Carnival (Feb/March). Three days of feni-induced mayhem, centring on Panjim, to mark the run-up to Lent. Shigmo (Feb/March]. The Goan version of Holi is celebrated

Culture and entertainment in Calcutta

Calcutta's lively arts scene is well known for its music and Bengali theatre, though the latter is of limited access to most tourists as performances are in Bengali. A handful of galleries hold exhibitions of fine art, and the cultural centres of the various consulates also play an important role in the life of the city. Of the many nonreligious festivals each year, the Ganga Utsav. held over a few weeks around the end bf January at Diamond Harbour, involves music, dance and theatrical events. Rabindra Sadan is Calcutta's theatre and concert hall district, with numerous venues including Nandan next

Cinemas in Delhi

After gloriously hyped releases. Bollywood movie make their way to the capital where there is passionate enthusiasm for burly heroes and red-lipped maidens. If you're interested in enjoying a classic Indian experience, the best cinemas to head for are the Regal, Odeon and Plaza in Connaught Place. All show popular films with the compulsory goodies and baddies, a generous dose of manly courage and shy love, much singing and dancing, and happy endings. An alternative branch of Bollywood has recently emerged, producing films in English that ooze attitude, with sex scenes and lots of designer wear. Suburban cinemas, such as the

Music and dance in Calcutta

Calcutta music audiences have a reputation as the most discerning in the country. The main concert season is winter and spring, with the huge week-long Dover Lane Music Festival, held under a marquee in south Calcutta around the end of January and early February, attracting many of India's best musicians. Other popular venues for single- and multi-day festivals include Rabindra Sadan on the junction of AJC Bose Road and Cathedral Road and Kala Bhavan on Theatre Road. Sangeet Research Academy. Near Tollygunge Metro Station, one of India's leading north Indian classical music research institutes, offers long-term courses in various music

Cuttack in Orissa

After the comparative serenity of the surrounding countryside, CUTTACK comes as something of a shock. Orissa's former capital and most densely populated city is a crowded, noisy place packed onto a narrow island amid a tangle of tributaries and sandbanks in the River Mahanandi. As the major river crossing for the busy north-south land trade route and a nexus for the canals that connect the Orissan interior with the sea, the island developed into a strategic site. Hindu ruler, Mukunda Harichandan, built a grand nine-storey palace on site of the defensive Barbati Fort. Under the Marathas, Cuttack's lucrative trade with the

The Gurudwaras Amritsar in Haryana and Punjab

Undoubtedly the most authentic places to stay in Amritsar are the Golden Temple's three gurudwaras. Intended for use by Sikh pilgrims, these charitable institutions also open their doors to foreign tourists, who can stay for a maximum of three nights. Lodging at gurudwaras is usually free, as is the Sikh custom, but donations are gratefully accepted. Of the three, the Sn Guru Ram Das Niwas is the larger, while the neighbouring Sri Guru Nanak Niwas (where Bhindranwale and his men holed up prior to the Golden Temple siege in 1984) also offers a limited number of double rooms with attached