Saturday, July 24, 2010

Palace on Wheels (India's first luxury train)-Introduction,Rajesthan Tourism, History, Facilities, Route, Luxury, Names of Couches



Introduction:

The Palace on Wheels was India's first luxury train. It was launched by the Indian Railways to promote tourism in Rajasthan, and has been highly popular since its launch.

In India, the term luxury travel is best possible with the “Luxurious Trains”. These trains give you a royal treatment and you’ll never feel that you are in a train. The ambience, the looks, furniture etc. everything is so royal in these trains. Palace on wheels gives you an experience to travel like a monarch in the regal splendor. The train consists of 14 coaches named after the great princely cities of Rajasthan. Each coach has 4 twin bed chambers well equipped with modern amenities like intercom, e-commerce, satellite phone, channel music, attached toilets, hot and cold water facility and shower.


History:

The Palace on Wheels was started on January 26, India's Republic Day, in 1982.
The concept of the Palace on Wheels was derived from the royal background of the coaches, which were originally meant to be the personal railway coaches of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Rajputana, Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India.

The coaches of the Palace on Wheels derive their names from the erstwhile princely states of Rajasthan namely Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Alwar, Udaipur, Bundi, Kota, Jhalawar, Dungarpur, Dholpur, Bharatpur, Sirohi, and Kishangarh. Each coach is decorated in accordance with the culture and characteristics of the respective places.

Facilities


There are 14 coaches in the train. Each of them is named after former Rajput states and matches the aesthetics and interiors of the royal past. Facilities include a bar with the choicest Indian and international spirits, a lounge with a good collection of books, and a television and DVD player.
Cabins are air-conditioned with twin beds, DTH television[2], channel music, intercom, and attached toilets running hot and cold water.


The train has two restaurants, "The Maharaja" and "The Maharani", with a Rajasthani ambience and serving continental, Chinese, Indian and Rajasthani cuisines.

Route


The train departs from New Delhi and during its eight day journey, travels around Rajasthan with stops in Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur, and Agra.
Earlier, tickets for the Palace on Wheels were restricted to foreign nationals only by the Government of India, with Indian natives not allowed on board. However, it was later opened up to Indians as well, although even today tariffs are quoted in US Dollars.



List of Total Major & Minor Ports In India, State Wise List

List of 5 Oceans of World-Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, Arctic





The major oceanic divisions are defined in part by the continents, various archipelagos, and other criteria. These divisions are (in descending order of size):
  • Pacific Ocean, which separates Asia and Australia from the Americas
  • Atlantic Ocean, which separates the Americas from Eurasia and Africa
  • Indian Ocean, which washes upon southern Asia and separates Africa and Australia
  • Southern Ocean, which, unlike other oceans, has no landmass separating it from other oceans and is therefore sometimes subsumed as the southern portions of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, which encircles Antarctica and covers much of the Antarctic
  • Arctic Ocean, sometimes considered a sea of the Atlantic, which covers much of the Arctic and washes upon northern North America and Eurasia

List of state, union territory, capitals & their Languages in India




StatesCapitalLanguages
Andra PradeshHyderabadTelugu and Urdu
Arunachal PradeshItanagerMiji, Apotanji, Merdukpen, Tagin,Adi, Honpa, Bangini-Nishi.
AssamDispurAssamese
BiharPatnaHindi
ChhattisgarhRaipurHindi
GoaPanajiMarathi and Konkani
GujaratGandhinagarGujarati
HaryanaChandigarhHindi
Himachal PradeshShimlaHindi and Pahari
MizoramAizawlMizo and English
Jammu & KashmirSrinagar (Summer)
Jammu (Winter)
Kashmiri,Dogri, Urdu, Ladakhi,
Pahari,Punjabi and Dadri
JharkhandRanchiHindi
KarnatakaBangaloreKannda
KeralaTrivandrumMalayalam
Madhya PradeshBhopalHindi
MaharashtraBombayMarathi
ManipurImphalManipuri
MeghalayaShillongKhasi, Jaintia and Garo
NagalandKohimaAo, Konyak, Angami, Sema and Lotha
OrissaBhubaneswarOriya
PunjabChandigarhPunjabi
RajasthanJaipurRajasthani and Hindi
SikkimGangtokBhutia, Hindi, Nepali, Lepcha, Limbu
Tamil NaduChennaiTamil
TripuraAgartalaBengali, Tripuri, Manipuri, Kakborak
Uttar PradeshLucknowHindi
UttaranchalDehra DunHindi
West BengalCalcuttaBengali


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

JAMA MASJID -Introduction,Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, History, Intresting facts,Congregation Prayers,How To Reach



Introduction :-


Jama Masjid is situated in the center of Old Delhi just the opposite side of Red Fort.It is built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1644and 1658. It has three gateways, four angle towers and two minarets standing 40m high, and is constructed of alternating vertical strips of red sandstone and white marble. The main entry point is Gate No 3. The mosque's courtyard can hold a mind-blowing 25,000 devotees.The mosque also houses several relics in a closet in the north gate, including an antique copy of the Qur'an written on deer skin.

History:-


The foundation of the historic Jama Masjid was laid on a small hill in Shahjahanabad by fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shahjahan, on Friday
the October 6, 1650 AD .The mosque was the result of the efforts of over 5,000 workers, over a period of six years.


The cost incurred on the construction in those times was 10 lakh (1 million) Rupees, and it was same Emperor who also built the Taj Mahal, at Agra and the Red Fort, which stands across the Jama Masjid, which was finally ready in 1656 AD ,complete with three great gates, four towers and two 40 m-high minarets constructed of strips of red sandstone and white marble.
The Mosque was planed and designed by Ostad Khalil, a great sculptor of that era.The structure was placed on a high platform so that its magnificent facade would be visible from all the adjoining areas.

Interesting facts:-



  • A religious masterpiece, Jama Masjid is also known as 'Masjid-i-Jahan Numa', 'Jahan' means 'World' and Numa means 'Visible'.On the east,
  • This monument faces the Lal Quila (Red Fort) and has three gateways, four towers and two minarets. On Fridays and other holy days the courtyard is filled
    with devotees who come in for 'Namaaz'.
  • The cupboard in the North gate of the mosque contains a collection of Muhammad's relics - the Koran written on deerskin,
    a red beard-hair of the prophet, his sandals and his footprint, embedded in a marble slab, all of which are still preserved.

Congregation Prayers:-


The later name, Jama Masjid, is a reference to the weekly Friday noon congregation prayers of Muslims, Jummah, which are usually done
at a mosque, the "congregational mosque" or "jāmi' masjid".

How To Reach:-

Air : The temple is located in New Delhi so reaching it won't be a problem.
Rail : Delhi has two railheads - New Delhi Railway Station and Old Delhi Railway Station, both of which is connected to rest of India by several trains.
Road : Delhi has well defined road and can be reached from nearby place very easily.
Visiting Time: Daily dawn-dusk; closed during prayer times.
Entry Fee : Entry is free but tourists must pay Rs100 if carrying a camera.
When To Visit : Between October to March is the best time, but being a religious monument it can be visited at any time of the year.