Ranikhet

Ranikhet A hill station, idyllic in its charm, Ranikhet with its majestic pine trees, is 60 Kms. from Nainital. According to popular belief this spot had won the heart of Rani Padmini, queen of Raja Sudhardev . She chose this scenic place to her abode & since then, it has come to be known as Ranikhet, literally "Queen’s Field" . At an altitude of 1829 mts. above sea level, this hill station is undoubtedly a tourist’s paradise. The scented mountain breeze, fresh & pure, the singing of birds, the panoramic view of the Himalayas, the sights, sounds and smells leave the onlooker spellbound. Weaving an instant spell on the visitor Ranikhet draws visitors all the year round. Ranikhet is the headquarter of Kumaoun Regimental Centre. KRC museum and memorial are the jewels of Ranikhet town . The following sites can be visited during stay at Ranikhet .

Kausani

Kausani is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and imagination-stirring scenic beauty, which has earned it the moniker the 'Switzerland of India'. Besides being the birthplace of the famous poet Sumitra Nandan Pant, the place is also visited by Mahatma Gandhi who was so enamored of its dazzling natural beauty. Originally known as Valna, the mesmerizing hill resort of Kausani offers the ultimate vacation creating the romantic environment.

NainiTal

Nainital tours are also known as 'Lake Paradise'. In its beautiful 'lakes', option of boating through yachts, paddle boats and traditional rowing boats are available. The Nainital Boat House Club exclusively holds the management of Yachting in Nainital. In Nainital district, Sat Tal, Bhim Tal and Naukuchiyatal also have water sport and boating facilities. Nainital is famous for its candles, woollens, woodcrafts and handicrafts.

JaiPur

Jaipur or the "Pink City' as it is popularly called makes up one of the three points in the Golden Triangle of Indian tourism, the other two being Delhi and Agra. It is also the gateway to Rajasthan - and a visit to the city gives you a glimpse of the entire Rajasthan experience: forts, palaces, pink sandstone monuments, museums and colourful shopping. Built in 1727 AD by the famous astronomer king, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, Jaipur is a blend of princely heritage, feudal traditions and genuine Rajasthani hospitality. It took almost six years to complete the city of Jaipur, which was interestingly, the country's first modern city to be designed in a grid form over two centuries ago. The city is surrounded by a crenellated wall with seven gates meant for protection against the invading enemies. At the beginning of the city stands the imposing Amer Fort, as if guarding the entrance. Around its bye-lanes is the fascinating old township of Amer, which is recently being restored by archaeologists and conservationists.

Agra

Agra has found its mention in the famous Hindu epic Mahabharat as the forest of Agraban close to Mathura. Badal Singh founded the city in 1475. Sikandar Lodhi made Agra his capital city. Later, Babur defeated the Lodhis to capture the city situated on the banks of River Yamuna and thus, the long association of Mughals with Agra started. The Mughal love of architecture translated into beautiful monuments such as Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and Sikandra. The glory of Agra was at its peak during the reign of Akbar, Jehangir and Shah Jahan. Akbar made it the center of art, culture, commerce and learning and Shah Jahan saw it in full bloom. In fact, it is said that it was Akbar who laid the foundation of the modern city that we see now in 1558 and was known as Akbarabad. Most of the buildings belong to the period between mid-16th century and 17th century and were of high quality. These monuments were built in the contemporary Mughal style. Mughlai cuisine and the skilled craftsmen can still be seen in the narrow lanes of the city as a reminiscent of the lost times.

Kurukshetra

Kurukshetra is a place of great historical and religious importance, revered all over the country for its sacred associations. It was here that the battle of Mahabharta was fought and Lord Krishna preached his Philosophy of "KARMA" as enshrined in the Holy Geeta to Arjuna at Jyotisar. In the very first verse of Bhagwat Gita, Kurukshetra is described as DHARAMKSHETRA i.e. field of righteousness. Mythologically, the name Kurukshetra applied to a circuit of about 48 KOS or about 80 miles (128 Kms) which includes a large number of holy places, temples and tanks connected with the ancient Indian traditions and the Mahabharata War and Kururu, the pious ancestor of Kaurvas and Pandavas.

Mathura - Vrindavan

A long line of picturesque ghats - with their steps leading to the water's edge, arched gateways and temple spires extending along the right bank of the River Yamuna, emphasis the sacred character of the town of Mathura. The birth place of Lord Krishna, "the best known, best loved and most complex of Lord Vishnu's manifestations" - Mathura is today an important place of pilgrimage. The city stretches along the right bank of the Yamuna and the continuous line of ghats along the river makes a splendid spectacle when viewed from the opposite bank.

Mathura / Vrindavan

RADHA MADANA-MOHANA TEMPLE
This famous temple was established by Srila Sanatana Gosvami and was the first temple to be built in Vrindavana, which at that time was just a forest. The original Deity of Madana-mohana was taken to Karauli in Rajasthan for safety during the attack on Vrindavana by the soldiers of the fanatical Muslim Emperor, Aurangzeb.

JAIPUR TEMPLE
This temple was built by the Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Madhav, in 1917 after thirty years of hard labour. It is one of Vrindavan's most opulent and grandiose temples. The fine hand carved sandstone is of unparalleled workmanship, the huge pillars that hold up the roof are each carved from one solid rock, and the intricately fashioned marble on the alter is reminiscent of the Mughal period. The Maharaja financed the railway line that connects Vrindavana with Mathura, just for the purpose of hauling the huge pieces of sandstone used in the temple construction. The Deities worshiped here are Sri Sri Radha-Madhava, Ananda-bihari and Hansa-gopala.

Banke-bihari

means Krishna, the Supreme Enjoyer. This is one of Vrindavana's most popular temples and famous all over India, it was built in 1864. The Deity of Banke-bihari was discovered in Nidhuvana by Swami Haridasa. A contemporary of the six Gosvamis, Swami Haridasa known for his devotional bhajanas, was the guru of the famous musician Tansen.

RADHA VALLABHA TEMPLE
Another very popular temple of Vrindavana whih was founded by Hit Harivamsa Gosvami, who started the Radha Vallabha sect emphasizing devotion to Radharani. In this temple, there is no deity of Radharani, but a crown has been placed next to Krishna to signify Her presence. The original temple of Radha Vallabha was destroyed by the Muslims in 1670 and a new temple was built at the side of the old one.

SEVA KUNJA
This is the sacred place of the rasa dance and also where Lord Krishna offered service to Radharani by decorating Her hair with flowers, as well as massaging and painting Her lotus feet. Radha and Krishna would sometimes spend the night here, dancing with the gopis and enjoying various transcendental pastimes. There is also a small temple dedicated to Radha and Krishna's pastimes called Rang Mahal. Near the entrance to this garden is a kunda created by Lord Krishna. He pushed His foot into the ground just to please Lalitha devi when she was feeling thirsty and wanted to drink water.

RADHA DAMODARA TEMPLE
This is one of the most important temples in Vrindavana. The original Deity was hand carved by Rupa Gosvami and given as a gift to his beloved disciple, Jiva Gosvami, who later built a temple here. The Deity now being worshipped is the pratibhu-murti (replica) and is considered nondifferent from the original Deity. Formerly this spot was in the middle of Seva-kunja and it was the bhajana place of Rupa Gosvami. One can have darsana of the sacred govardhana-sila by asking the pujari and giving a small donation.