Other Hill Station in India

Idukki Travel

Located in the southern part of Kerala, Idukki is a landlocked district spread over an area of 5019 sq. kms. Blessed generously by Mother Nature, Idukki offers diverse attractions like wild life sanctuaries, hill stations, spice plantation centres and mountain treks.

Idukki district was formed on January 26, 1972 carving out Devikulam, Peerumedu and Udumbanchola taluks from the erstwhile Kottayam district and Thodupuzha taluk from the erstwhile Ernakulam district. The name 'Idukki' is supposed to be derived from the Malayalam word `idukku', which means a narrow gorge.

Gangotri Travel

The revered shrine of Gangotri, situated at an altitude of 3,200 mts. about sea-level amidst sylvan surroundings, constitutes one of the most important pilgrimages for the devout Hindu.

Visited by hundreds of thousands pilgrims every year, this 18th century temple constructed by Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa, is near the spot where the goddess Ganga is said to have first descended on earth from heaven, in answer to the prayers of King Bhagriath.

Lord Shiva received her into his matted locks to break the great force of her fall. From there it emerged into many streams and the one which started from Gangotri was called Bhagirathi.

The Pandavas, it is said, came here to perform the great 'Deva Yajna' to atone for the death of their kinsmen in the epic battle of Mahabharat. The temple itself is situated on the right bank of the Bhagirathi

Devikulam Hill Station

Located 16 kms from Munnar, this gorgeous hill station symbolises nature in her pristine glory. The crisp and cool mountain air heavily laden with the fragrance of wild flowers and rare herbs is any nature lover's paradise.

The Sita Devi Lake offers rejuvenating springs of mineral water and is also a favourite picnic spot among tourists. Besides the expansive tea plantations, a spice garden run by the district tourism promotion council nurtures a wide variety of spices.

The idyllic hill station with its velvet lawns, exotic flora and fauna and the cool mountain air offers a rare experience to visitors. The Sita Devi Lake is an ideal place for trout fishing.

Irresistibly green slopes touching the sky at a thousand metres. Silent clusters of slender red and blue gum trees. A lovely, little lake hidden within the rolling hills. This is Devikulam. A dainty town sixteen kilometres southwest of Munnar.

A perfect picture of fairy-tale enchantment. The legend has it that once Sita Devi, the holy consort of Lord Rama, came down to frolic in the lake and the place came to be spoken about as 'Devikulam' (meaning the lake of the goddess), ever since.

Chail Travel

The former 'summer capital' of Patiala, Chail is 43-km from Shimla and dwelling in the midst of a lush green setting. At 2,250m, it has the world's highest cricket pitch and a polo ground, the old palace, now a hotel and the possibility of some angling are added attractions.

Chail is hiker's paradise. The area is very peaceful away from the hustle and bustle of Shimla. 3-kms from the hotel is the worlds highest Cricket ground. Close by is a National Park, which has limited number of birds and deers.

In 1891, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala incurred the wrath of Lord Kitchener, the then Commander-in-Chief. As a result, he was banned entry into the summer capital of the Raj, Shimla. This enraged the Maharaja and he vowed to build a new and better summer capital for himself. He looked around and after quite some time realized it had all the while been in his possession. Chail, a little village close to Shimla, was a 'slice of heaven' surrounded by lush forests with a commanding view of the snow-capped Himalayas. He rebuilt the city according to his requirements and built himself a wonderful palace.Villager in Chail, Himachal Pradesh

The picturesque resort located amidst scented forests of chir pine and gigantic deodars. Chail is built on three hills, the palace is on Rajgarh Hill, the Residency Snow View once occupied by British resident is on Pandhewa Hill and on the third hill Sadh Tiba where Chail is situated. Overlooking Satluj Valley, Shimla and Kasauli are also visible at night from here. Chail has also the highest cricket ground in the world. Well kept and well maintained the ground is surrounded by huge trees of deodar and pine. On the other side of the town are situated the massive Himalayan ranges spectacularly gleaming in the sun and snow-covered every thing under it.

Bhimtal

Bhimtal, situated at a distance of 22kms from Nainital, is named after one of the Pandav brothers called Bhim. The largest lake in the district of Nainital, Bhim Tal is 1701 metres by 265 metres, 265 metres longer than Naini Lake. The lake known for its magnificent majesty is situated at an altitude of 1371.6 metres above sea level.

Bhim Tal has an island, to the north-east side, which is an exquisite gem in the middle of the lake. It is situated within the range of temple bells, which have been chiming for the last 300 years in the 17th century edifice, beneath the shadow of the towering mountain rushing precipitously down to the emerald green lake. The island is only 91.4 metres from the shore.

Badrinath Travel

Cradled in the mountain ranges of the Nar-Narayan, with the spendid Neelkanth peak as the enchanting backdrop, is located the holiest of all the Hindu pilgrimages, Badrinath. Along the left bank of river Alaknanda, the place is called badrinath as it was once carpeted with 'badris' or wild berries

Legend
When River Ganges was requested to descend to earth to help the suffering humanity, the earth was too feeblw to bear the force of tis descent. Hence the mighty river was split into twelve channels, one of them being Alaknanda, which later became the abode of Lord Vishnu or Badrinath.

The present temple was built about two centuries ago by the kings of Garhwal. The principal idol in the temple is of black stone and represents Vishnu seated in a meditative pose, and flanked by Nara-Narayan. Badrinath is also known as Vishal Badri and is one of the Panch Badris.

Araku Valley

Araku Valley, 115-km from Vishakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh is close to the Orissa State, border. This place lures people with pleasant weather, hills and valleys. The natural beauty of this valley comes alive with its rich landscape. The area of the valley is roughly 36-km and the altitude is between 600 and 900m above the sea level.

The journey to this place on the Ghat road with thick forests on either side is in itself interesting and pleasant. One can have a wonderful trekking trip. 46 tunnels and bridges will greet you on the way. The Ananthagiri hills on the way to Araku Valley are famous for coffee plantations. Borra Caves located 29-km from Araku Valley, are one of the famous nearby tourist attraction.