HERE COMES THE SUN

THE CLARIDGES, SURAJKUND, HARYANA

Surajkund is not so far, after all 45 minutes drive from East Delhi by car.

THINGS TO DO

You can pay a visit to the 2000- year old sun temple surrounded by the Aravallis.

There is also an impressive sun pool with an amphitheater built by Raja Surajmal, after whom the place got its name. A quaint lake offers laid back boat rides under azure skies. If visiting in early February, you can enjoy the famous Surajkund Mela organized by Haryana Tourism.

TARIFF

The Claridge hotel has two introductory offers until September 30.

On weekdays, a one night stays in a deluxe room costs. Rs. 7,150/- excluding taxes. It includes buffet breakfast at oasis.

On weekends, one night and two days stay in a deluxe room costs Rs. 9,000/- excluding taxes. It includes a non-alcoholic welcome drink, sparkling wine with Sunday brunch at Oasis, 15% discount on food and beverages, happy hours at Bluebar, one complimentary massage, and late check out at 4 p.m.

For reservations, contact: 0129-4190000 or
email: resv.surajkund@claridges.com

This message is gathered from diffrent tourism web site.

Guntur

Location: In Andhra Pradesh, India.

Located in the northeastern part of the Andhra Pradesh State, in the Krishna River delta, Guntur lies on the Vijayawada-Madras trunk road, about 9-km to the east of the picturesque Kondaveedu range of hills. It is the headquarters of the district of the same name. It is one of the oldest municipalities that have been constituted in 1866. The city was founded n the mid-eighth century by the French who ruled over the city for nearly ten centuries until it was ceded permanently to the British in 1788. A part of the city, which was once the small village of 'Ramachandrapuram Agraharam', is said to be much older than Guntur as mentioned in an inscription from 1296 on a pillar in Mandapam of the Lakshminarayana Swami Temple.

An important railway junction and an important commercial centre, besides the tourist attractions of the city, Guntur is known for its rice and oil mills, cotton and tobacco curing barns. Endowed with a rich history, Guntur has played a veru important role in shaping the history and destiny of Andhra Pradesh in the past. A centre for Buddhism in the early centuries, it is a place of many events and legends related to the endeavors of a man to reach a supreme spiritual plane. Guntur still enjoys the status of being the cultural and regional reserve of the times and is blessed with an abundance of Nature's blessings in the form of serene hills, lush green valleys, mighty rivers and beautiful beaches. Today, Guntur is world renowned for panoramic locales, delicious pickles and as a confluence of historical, religious and leisure destinations that are of interest to everybody.

VISAKHAPATNAM

Location: In Andhra Pradesh, India.

Situated on the shores of Bay of Bengal, Vishakhapatnam is bounded by the rocky outcrop known as Dolphin's Nose boasting a beautiful beach with a long beach road. The dense forests of Eastern Ghats on its west and mighty rivers such as Godavari and Indravati on its east, it is also known as Vizag. Surrounded by three hills, each having a shrine of their own belonging to a different religion, namely Venkateshwara temple on Venkateswara Konda, Baba Ishaq Madina Dargah on Dargah Konda and Church of the Virgin Mary on Rose hill. The city has been named after the God of 'Valor-Vishakha', and was once a part of the Kalinga Kingdom, which came under Ashoka's rule in 260 B.C. and it is reputed that it was the Great War here that changed the heat of the emperor. After that the Andhra Kings of 'Vengi', Pallavas, Cholas and rulers of the Ganga dynasties ruled the city. Finally, it was annexed to the Vijayanagar Empire in the 15th century.

Dominated by the Europeans since the 17th century, the Dutch, the French and the English used this port city as a major trading center to export textiles, ivory, tobacco, indigo and other items. It was a major port during the reign of the Asaf Jahis and the Golcondas. An important shipbuilding centre, Vishakahapatnam has the glory of launching the first steamer built in India in 1948. It is the only protected harbor on the Coromandel Coast. The major industries of the are are agriculture, shipbuilding, oil refinery, fertilizer, petrochemicals, steel mills and a naval base. The true attractions of Vishakhapatnam are its lakes, cool beaches, beautiful hill ranges, caves, temples and valley enclosures. The annual tourism event 'Vishakha Utsav' held for three days from the third Friday to Sunday in the month of January, is not the one to be missed.

Shopping Attractions:

A city of shopkeepers, the shops of one commodity can be found huddled together here. Earlier the area around Kurupam market was famous for Gold and Silver shopping. Jewellery shops at Dwaraka Nagar, saris and handicrafts at Lepakshi are good ideas.

This information is gathered from a tourist site.

NELLORE

Location: In Andhra Pradesh, India.

Significance: Famous for Ranganatha Temple.

Situated on the north bank of Pennar River, Nellore is believed to have derived its name after the paddy fields in and around Nellore, where 'Nellu' means paddy and 'Ur' means a town. It is also known as Vikramasimhapuri, the city is of extreme historical and cultural importance. It is supposed to be the place where the greatest of the Telugu poets, Tikkana Somayaji, the translator of Mahabharata into Telugu, lived. The religious highlights of the place are the temples of Talpagiri Ranganathaswami also known as Ranganayakulu, Mulaathanesvaraswami, Venugopalswami and Dharmaraja. Famous for its rice and aqua culture, the Udayagiri fort, the Narasimha Konda, Penchala Rona, Venkatagiri fort, Mypadu beach, famous rocket launching centre at Sriharikota, the Krishnapatnam port and Nelapattu are some of the most visited places here.

This area is rich in particular kind of flint called quartzite. The ancient town was part of the Ashokan Empire in the third century B.C. and ruled by Pallavas from fourth to sixth centuries. Nellore has immense potential for tourism with temples, forts and monuments, the Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary and Pulicat Lake as its chief attractions. While Vedurupattu is the breeding place for painted storks, Udyagiri fort is famous for medicinal herbs. The beach tourist complex at Ramathirtham, has a floating resort with modern amenities and facilities along with an amusement park for children, a water park, a health club, full-fledged gym, yoga classes and authentic Ayurvedic treatment. Its tourism industry is constantly on the rise and thus, it has attracted the attention of the government for promotion as a tourist destination.

This information is gathered from a tourism web site.

VIVAJAWADA

Location: In Andhra Pradesh, India.

Significance: Famous for its cave temples.

Vijayawada or Bezawada is situated on the shores of the Krishna River and is bounded by the Indrakiladri hills on its West. The largest railway junction of the South Central Railway, it is situated along the Chennai-Howrah and Chennai-Delhi rail route. Sprawled across an area of 58 sq km, the literal meaning of Vijayawada is the 'City of Victory'. It is named after the popular legend, which states that at the Indrakiladri Hill, Arjuna, the Pandava Prince had succeeded in winning the blessings of Lord Shiva after hard penance. The city progressed under the British rule. The Krishna Barrage and the Railway Bridge on River Krishna have helped in the expansion of the city's agricultural and commercial base. Today, Vijayawada is one of the big business centers of the State.

A number of temples are there in Vijayawada including the abode of Kanaka Durga (Goddess of power, riches and benevolence), the presiding deity of the city. A base for important Buddhist sites around the city including Amaravati, Gudivada and Ghantasala, it also an important base to visit Kuchipudi, the city of dance, Mangalagiri, the city of temples and Kondapalli, the city of handicrafts. 'Krishna Pushkaram', an all-India festival held once in twelve years and delicious mangoes and pickles are also a specialty of the place. A centre for Carnatic music and 'Kuchipudi' style of classical dance, it houses Andhra Pradesh Dance and Music College, Natraj Kala Samiti and Kanakadurga Gana Sabha. K L Rao Vihara Kendram on Prakasham Barrage Lake offers a variety of water sports including rowing, canoeing, water-scooters and pedal boats.

Shopping Attractions:
One can buy everything here from antiques, handicrafts and jewellery to dresses, leather goods, pearls, and semi-precious stones. Kaleshwara Rao Market is the famous vegetable market while Vastralatha is a wholesale cloth market. Gandhi Nagar is famous for shoe making Industry and is one of the entertainment areas in Vijayawada. The nearby toy-making village of Kondapalli and 'Kalamkari paintings' at Machilipatnam, Vijaywada offers a delightful shopping experience.

Rhis information is gathered from a tourism web site.