Biligiri Rangana(B.R.Hills)

Biligiri Rangana hills are popularly known as the B.R.Hills.They are 120kms from Mysore,situated at a height of about 5, 091 feet above sea level. They are ideally located between Kapila and Cauvery rivers. It's lower hills are enveloped with rich deciduous forests. Tourist Attractions: A beautiful temple dedicated to Biligiri Rangaswamy is a must visit place, it is built in Dravidian style.


There are so many hill resorts, this beautiful hill station has a wildlife sanctuary that covers an area of about 550 sq.km. In this sanctuary, tourists will find more than 250 species of birds like Racquet Trailed Drongo, the Crested Hawk Eagle and the Paradise Flycatcher. They can enjoy Fishing, River rafting and Trekking. Himavad Gopalaswamy Hills is another popular place to visit.Another attraction is Dodda Sampige Mara means Big Champak Tree, it is a thousand year old tree.


How to get there:

* By Rail-The nearest Railway Station is Bangalore Railway Station.

* By Air-The nearest Airport is at Bangalore, it is 254kms from B.R Hills

* By Road-There is an easy access of Road Transport,there are couple of buses running from Mysore every day.

Kundadri

Kundadri is a beautiful hill station located in Teerthahalli Taluk of Shimoga (Karnataka).This hill station is blessed with natural beauty. It is a large monolithic rock formation elevating 3200 feet above sea level. Kundadri Hill Station is a perfect destination for those who like mountain trekking.It is named after Jain monk Kundakundacharya.


Main Attractions of Kundadri Hill Station: A Jain temple of seventeenth century, situated on the hilltop. Beside the temple, there are two lotus pools. Kundadri is covered with dense evergreen woods. The back waters of Varahi Dam is one of the main attractions of this pristine hill station.Tourists can experience the cool breeze that blow from the west moreover they can enjoy the wonderful sight of the setting sun. Kundadri Hill Station has magnificent falls, it also offers trekking and bird watching.

How to get there: Kundadri is easily accessible from Teerthahalli via Nalur. This route provides easy transport. Those who start their journey from Srinagar, the route from Kammaradi-Begar-Hosagadde is best option.Those who prefer hiking can choose the route from Teerthahalli via Kammaradi- Nadabur-Halakunda.

'Solan' blessed with natural beauty

Solan is a beautiful hill station of Himachal Pradesh, it is named after the Goddess Soloni Devi.This hill station is a perfect destination where you can enjoy your holidays. Solan is popularly known as “mushroom city of India". It is a largest producer of beer and quality whisky. It's Dyer-Meakin Brewery is well known brewery in the world.


Solan city was established by British, it is a place where Pandavas lived during their 'Agyatvas' period. Main Tourist Attractions of Solan Hill station are Shoiloni Devi Temple, Jatoli Shiv Temple and Bon Monastery. The monastery is situated 12 kms from Solan, it is the second largest Monastry in the world after Tibet. A beautiful picnic spot called Giri Picnic is located amongst the cool waters of Giri.


A must visit place is Karol Tibba, an ideal place for nature lovers. At the height of 1,600 km, Barog is located, it is place where you can enjoy the wonderful views around. There is a toy train ride specially for children. The surrounding areas of Solan are rich in tomatoes, ginger, peas and beans. Solan hill station is blessed with natural beauty, its exotic views will make you spellbound.

Bhandardara

Bhandardara is a beautiful hill station. It is located in the Ahmednagar District of the state of Maharashtra.This hill station is blessed with natural beauty.Wonderful sight scenes, mountains, waterfalls, invigorating air,greenery and pristine ambiance are quite enough to catch your hold.



History:Legends say, Shri Agasti Rishi came here for mediation, he was surviving only on air and water. Pleased with his divinity and display of devotion, God blessed him with a stream of Ganga river which is called as the Pravara River. Bhandardara sits by the Pravara River.


Tourist attractions-Two most beautiful spots of this hill station are Arthur Lake and Wilson Dam. Bhandardara's other scenic spots are Mt. Kalsubai, Umbrella Falls, Amruteshwar temple and Agasti Rishi Ashram it is the Hermitage of Sage Agasti.For adventure lovers Bhandardara has most exciting trek known as Ratangad fort. Anandvaan Resort, a very popular resort of Bhandardara, it is located 2800 feet above sea level. Ghatghar, a popular viewpoint offers panoramic view of the Sahyadri ranges.Tourists can enjoy angling also.

How to go there-

* By Road-Bhandardara is easily accessible by road,it is 185 km far from Mumbai and from it is at a distance of 191 km.
* By Air -Nearest airport is Mumbai.
* By Rail-Igatpuri is the nearest railway station, it is 45kms away from Bhandardara.

Amboli

Amboli is situated at an altitude of 690 m, in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. It is an offbeat hill station engulfed in tranquility and peace . Konkan coast lies on the one side of Amboli, the other three sides are flanked by beautiful valleys.


History: The history of Amboli is interesting. Its reflects the connection with British Raj. Amboli hill station was established by Colonel Westrop, a British political agent. He opened the Ghat Road from the coastal town of Vengurla, presently in Southern Maharashtra to Belagum.It is the last mountain resort of Maharashtra before the coastal islands settled.


Tourist Attractions: Amboli is blessed with natural beauty, it is a wonderful destination for getting lost among misty mountains.One of the main attractions is an unforgettable bird eye view of the Konkan beach atop Amboli hills. Other beautiful attractions are Mahadev and Narayan Gad,Historic botanical gardens,Hiranya Keshi, Sea view Point, Nagatta Falls and Bauxite Mines. Best time to visit Amboli is winter.

How to get there:

* By Rail- Sawantwadi is the nearest Railway Station,at a distance of 28km from Amboli.
* By Air-An airport at Belgaum at a distance of 64 km from Amboli. .
* By Road-Transport buses are available from Sawantwadi,Vengurla,Belgauma and Ratnagiri. Mumbai is 549 km away from Amboli.

Dharamshala

Dharamshala is located in Himachal Pradesh. This beautiful hill station is known as 'Scotland of India'. Dharamshala, a hill station, surrounded by dense forests consists of Deodars.It has the headquarters of the Tibetan Government in Exile, these headquarters are led by the Prime Minister, Samdhong Rinpoche.


This beautiful hill station is the hub of Tibetan exile world in India. History: Before the British Raj, Dharamshala was ruled by the Katoch Dynasty of Kangra, this dynasty is called as the oldest serving Royal Family in the world.The Royal Family has a residence called 'Clouds End Villa', in Dharamshala. In he year 1848 it came under the British Rule. In the year 1860, Gurkha Light Infantry came to Dharamshala. They referred to Dharamshala as 'Bhagsu', they refer themselves as Bhagsuwalas..


Tourist Attractions: Dharamshala hill station has beautiful temples and Gompas. This hill station is enveloped by beautiful mountains from three side.In Mc Leod Ganj, there is Namgyal Monastery, called as little Lhasa is one of the major attraction. Various temples like Brijeshwari Temple, Chamunda Temple and Jwalamukhi Temple are must visit places. The Kotwali Bazaar is a shopping hub for shop lovers. Other places are Dal Lake,Chinmaya Tapovan, War Memorial, Kareri Lake, Sujanpur Tira and St. John church.

How to get there:

* By Air- Gaggal Airport is the nearest one.
* By Road- Major cities like Delhi, Chandigarh and Shimla are very well connected to Dharamshala. One can easily access Air-conditioned, deluxe buses.
* By Rail-Nearest Railway line is from Pathankot to Jogindernagar, it is a part of Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh. Nearest Railway station is is Chamunda Marg , half an hour away from Dharamshala.

Siliguri

Siliguri is the second largest city in the West Bengal, it is situated at the base of Himalaya mountains. Monsoon, winter and summer are three main seasons. Siliguri is a beautiful hill station, famous for its dense fog. It is a huge producer of tea,it has developed as a profitable hub for various businesses.


Siliguri is main commercial nerve center of West Bengal. History: Siliguri has grown into a big commercial town from a small village.In the year 1907, British administration declared it as a sub-division. After the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, Siliguri became a refugee center.It is one of the largest cities in the whole North East of India..


Tourist Attractions: Siliguri is known as "Shopper's paradise". Siliguri city is blessed with natural scenic beauty, white snow clad mountain peaks of the great Himalayan Ranges attracts the tourists. It has Kanchanjunga Stadium, hosts many cultural activities, national and international level competitions. Hong Kong Market of Siliguri is one of the major tourist attractions, the market is flooded with variety of commodities, a perfect destination for shopping lovers.

How to get there: Bagdogra is siliguri's domestic airport, it is air linked to Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. There are regular bus services from Kolkata. Its nearest railway station is New Jalpaiguri, connected to all major stations of India.

Solan

Solan ,a hill station of Himachal Pradesh is blessed with nature's beauty. Solan is named after the goddess Soloni Devi, whose temple is situated in the southern end of the town. Solan is a largest producer of quality whisky and beer. It has a well known Brewery called Dyer-Meakin Brewery. Its surrounding areas are rich in beans, tomatoes, peas and ginger.


History: British established the Solan city during their heydays in India. Solan is a place where Pandavas lived during their 'Agyatvas' period.It is mainly known as “mushroom city of India". Tourist Attractions: Bon Monastery is situated 12 kms from Solan , the second largest Monastry in the world after Tibet. Just 8 km away from Solan ,Barog is located at the height of 1,600 gives wonderful views . Temples are- Jatoli Shiv Temple, Shoiloni Devi Temple, a picnic spot called Giri Picnic amongst the cool waters of Giri.


Karol Tibba-A historic place were Pandavas lived during their 'Agyatvas' period, for nature lovers it is an ideal place. Children can enjoy toy train ride to cherish the moments. How to get there: Solan is 68 kilometers from Chandigarh and from Shimla it is at a distance of 48 kilometers. It is easily accessible both by train or bus. There are around 44 railway tunnels up to Solan. Best time to visit Solan is during Spring.

Kaza Hill Station

Kaza Hill Station is located in Himachal Pradesh .It is a very quiet and calm place where you can go for a refreshing holiday.This hill station is a chief town and center of administrative importance. The town of Kaza is a subdivisional head quarter of the remote valley of Spiti of Himachal Pradesh. Kaza is situated at an elevation of 3800 metres along the Spiti River. In the new town of Kaza, there are many government buildings.


Places to visit: Kaza Hill Station has so many places for sight seeing.There is a monastery of Ki Gompa its distance from Kaza is 11 km this is the biggest Gompa in whole Spiti .Here almost 400 monks live and they take great care in maintenance of the monastery. Kibber village is situated at an altitude of 4250 m . It is known as the highest village in the world. You can visit Thang Yud Gompa. It is in the north of Kaza.At a distance of 45 km there is Tabo Gompa a monastery ,it was built by Ringchen Zangpo, the “Great translator in 99 A.D.Here you will find a wonderful collection of sculptures and murals.

How to get there: Kaza Hill Station is linked up with Shimla and Manali but in winters there is heavy snowfall . By Air Kullu and Shimla are the nearest airports.Nearest rail heads are Pathankot and Shimla and if you want to go by road National Highway No.21 connects Manali to Lahaul Spiti. There is also a facility of taxi and bus from Manali and Shimla.

Amarnath Hill Station

Beautiful hill station that is going to fill you with the spirit of divinity, this hill station will call you again and again once you go there it is Amarnath Hill Station. It is regarded as one of the holiest shrines in India,as it is dedicated to Hindu Gods Lord Shiva, his wife Parvati and their son Lord Ganesha.


History: As per the first reference Aryararaja from 34 BCE- 17CE used to spend his summers in a lingam that is formes with snow ice.This ling has its place in the regions above the forests. If we believe on another reference Kalhana there was a wife of King Ananta named Queen Suryamati (1028-1063 ) was granted under her husband's name agraharas at Amareshwara and arranged for the consecration of Trishulas ans Banalingas.Sultan Zainu I abidin (1420-1470) came for a visit to this sacred place that is called Tirtha Amarnatha, he also constructed a canal known as Shah Kol.


Places to visit: Amarnath Hill Station has got its place at 145 kms to the east of Srinagar, the most important attraction is ice Shiva Linga and the most amazing fact is that is made naturally its formation , shape and size changes according to the season it is also said that it also changes with the waxing and waning of the moon. The must visit place is the cave of Amarnath located in a glacial valley at an altitude of 4,175 meters (13,700 feet).The cave is about 150 feet high and 90 feet long. Amarnath Hill Station has many asharams and meditation centers there are also historical temples.The region is wrapped with snow in the months of September to June, and the cave is accessible only in between July to August.


How to get there: By Air you can choose Srinagar, located 48 kms away, is the nearest airport.By Rail the nearest railway station is Jammu. By Rail the nearest railway station is Jammu. By Road you can choose Srinagar, the nearest major city to the shrine, is well connected to all the important cities in the region.