5 Places to Visit in Pune

Pashan, A Suburb of Pune

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Pune, a vibrant metropolis, is the second largest city in Maharashtra, India. It is a blend of spiritualism and capitalism. Pune is the cultural capital of Maharastra. The city is around 560 meters above sea level. This hilly city has a hot semi-arid climate. The average temperature is around 26°C. More than 3 million people live in this thriving city.

How to Reach Pune?

Pune has an international airport, but it is not a major international airport. The city is well-connected by rail and road. Pune Junction railway station is the main railway station. The city has three major bus stations.

Hotels in Pune

5-Star Hotels	4-Star Hotels	3-Star Hotels	2-Star Hotels	1-Star Hotels
Hyatt Pune	Hotel Sagar Plaza	Ginger Hotel	Hotel Sapna	Treebo Sahara
JW Marriott Hotel Pune	Premier Inn Pune Kharadi Hotel	The Central Park Hotel	Hotel Bhooshan	Hotel Meru
The Pride Hotel Pune	Courtyard by Marriott Pune Hinjewadi	Sayaji Hotel,	Hotel Basera

Places to Visit in Pune

Pune is a treasure house of tourist destinations. Here are the major ones among them.

Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple

This beautiful temple has a history of more than a century. Lord Ganapati's idol in the sanctum-sanctorum of the temple is 7.5 feet tall and 4 feet wide.

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Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple:

Ganpati Bhavan, 250, Budhvar Peth, Shivaji Road, Pune, Maharashtra 411002, India

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Very popular place in Pune City. The celebrations are on during Ganpati festival. The lighting and decorations are amazing to watch. Devotees visit this temple and seek blessings from lord Ganesha. Many mythological stories of lord Ganesh are usually narrated by the locales to visitors here.

— Anil Chakravorty

Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati History

Dagadusheth Halwai was a trader and successful sweet maker. He lost his son in a plague epidemic in late 1800s.

Dagdusheth and his wife Lakshmi Bai went into depression due to this tragic event. Their Guru Shri Madhavnath Maharaj recommended to make an idol of Lord Ganesh and build a temple. The temple was completed in 1893.

Darshan Museum

This famous biographical museum is on the first floor of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission. It covers an area of around 930 square meters. The museum showcases the life and teachings of its founder Sadhu T. L. Vaswani, an educationist.

Darshan Museum Timings

Opening	Closing
10.00 am	6.00 pm

Darshan Museum is closed on Thursdays.

ISKCON New Vedic Cultural Center

Located in Kondhwa, this beautiful Radha-Krishna temple is surrounded by hills. It is well-known for its holy and serene atmosphere.

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ISKCON New Vedic Cultural Center:

New Vedic Cultural Center, Katraj-Kondwa Bypass, Pune, Maharashtra 411048, India

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ISKCON Pune Guest House

• Guest House | ISKCON Pune
  “ISKCON Kamalnayan Bajaj Atithi Bhavan has 32 AC/Non AC guestrooms for Life Patrons and Guests.

Sinhagad Fort

This monument is located around 30 kilometers from Pune. Located at around 1350 meters above sea level, this fortresses has been a site of many bloody battles.

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Sinhagad Fort:

Sinhagad Ghat Road, Thoptewadi, Pune, Maharashtra 411025, India

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Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden

Located on Sinhagad Road, this beautiful garden is based on the famous ‘Korakuen Garden’ in Okayama, Japan. The garden is also known as Japanese Garden and Pu La Deshpande Park.

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Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden:

Pune Okayama Friendship Garden, Dattawadi, Pune, Maharashtra 411030, India

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Pune District

• Pune District at a Glance

Coimbatore tourist places

Clock Tower

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More than 1.6 million people live in Coimbatore, which is also known as Kovai. It is a cosmopolitan city, a large urban agglomeration. It has a pleasant climate. It is considered to be a sister city of Toledo, Ohio.

How to Reach Coimbatore City?

Coimbatore has an airport, the Coimbatore International Airport, but it is not a major airport. It is served by around 10 domestic and international carriers. The city is well-connected by road and rail.

There are 10 railway stations in and around Coimbatore; Coimbatore Junction is the primary railway station in the city. Coimbatore has eight bus stations.

Six major arterial roads and three National Highways, NH-47 (Kanyakumari-Salem), NH-67 (Nagapattinam-Ooty) and NH-209 (Bangalore-Dindigul) pass through the city.

Coimbatore Tourist Places

Coimbatore has many places of interest.

Adiyogi Shiva Statue

Located at Isha Yoga Center, this Shiva statue is 34 meters tall. It was designed by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. It weighs around 500 tons. It holds the Guinness Book of Records as the largest bust sculpture.

Adiyogi Shiva

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Adiyogi Images

Subramaniyaswami Temple

Located around 12 kilometers to the west of Coimbatore, this hill temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan, the god of mountains. Murugan is also known as Subramaniyaswami. This temple is nestled in the Western Ghats. It is well-known for its pure air and serene atmosphere.

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Kovai Kutralam Falls

Located around 35 kilometers from Coimbatore, this waterfall gives you an opportunity to immerse yourself in natural beauty. It is in the Western Ghats. This waterfall is formed by Noyyal river, which is a tributary of Kaveri river.

Dhyanalinga

Located around 30 kilometers from Coimbatore, this yogic temple was consecrated Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, a mystic, yogi, poet and New York Times bestselling author.

Many people consider it to be a powerful energy center for meditation. A large ellipsoidal dome, which is 23.2 meter in diameter and 10.1 meter in height, covers the sanctum sanctorum. The 4-meter-high lingam is made of high density black granite.

Ellipsoidal dome of Dhyanalinga

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The Theerthakunds, though basically used as preparatory tools to enter Dhyanalinga, are very powerful by themselves.

There is a mercury lingam in the Theerthakund. The Rasalinga is made of solidified mercury which is 99.8% pure mercury. This is generally considered 100%.

— Sadhguru

Brookefields Mall

Located in Dr Krishnasamy Mudaliyar Road, this popular mall has many outlets, a six screen multiplex cinema, Fun City, a food court, Gaming Zone and much more.

G. D. Naidu Industrial Exhibition

Founded by Gopalswamy Doraiswamy Naidu, an eminent inventor, industrialist, politician and engineer who was referred to as the Edison of India, this exhibition features an eclectic range of automobiles. The emphasis is on design and innovation.

GD Naidu Museum Entry Fees: ₹20.

Arulmigu Patteeswarar Swamy Temple

This popular Shiva temple, which is located in Perur, on the banks of River Noyyal. It is around 6 kilometers from Coimbatore. It is well-known for its carved pillars, statues, shrines, and annual festival. The sanctum sanctoram of this temple was built in the ninth century by Karikala Chola.

The Kanaka Sabhai in the temple complex houses a collection of superb scultures. Two rows of ten pillars contain carvings of Lord Shiva. Its terraced roof has a series of stone-chains with a lotus at the centre.

Margazhi Tiruvadhirai is an important festival in the region. It is celebrated in the temple in December-January. The temple is open between 5:30 am and 1:00 pm; and between 4:00 pm and 9:00 pm. You may call on the number +91- 422-260 7991 for more details about the temple.

Siruvani Waterfalls

There are three different spots to try in this amazing waterfall. The first one is at the ground level.

It is actually a small pond formed by the water running down these falls.

The second is a bit higher. Here you can have fun; you can stand under the gushing cold water.

The third spot is for adventure lovers. It is a small deep hole between the rocks near the pond.

Kovai Kondattam

This amusement park is located in Kalampalayam. Built by Tamil actor Vijay, it is an eco-friendly theme park.

Marudhachalamurthy Temple

This 12th century hill temple is dedicated to Lord Muruga. It was built by Tamil kings during sangam period.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in South India

South India is rich in distinctive traditions, culture, art, lush tropical forests, flora and fauna. Here is a brief overview of some UNESCO World Heritage Sites in South India.

Western Ghats

This 1,600 km mountain range is one of the top 10 hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world. It enriches about half of the India's geographical area. It runs parallel to the western coast of India, along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau.

Western Ghats are Older Than the Himalaya Mountains

Western Ghats separates the Deccan Plateau from the narrow Konkan coast, along the Arabian Sea. The upper slopes of Western Ghats are abundantly clothed with magnificent forests, and wild animals abound. Western Ghats' forests, which are older than the Himalaya mountains, influence the Indian monsoon weather pattern.

There Are 39 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Western Ghats

39 locations in Western Ghats (wild life sanctuaries, reserve forests and national parks) are UNESCO World Heritage Sites; 20 in Kerala, 10 in Karnataka, 5 in Tamil Nadu and 4 in Maharastra.

Agasthyamalai Sub-Cluster, Periyar Sub-Cluster, Anamalai Sub-Cluster, Nilgiri Sub-Cluster, Talakaveri Sub-Cluster, Kudremukh Sub-Cluster and Sahyadri Sub-Cluster are included.

Elephants in Periyar Tiger Reserve

Periyar Tiger Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Western Ghats, Kerala | Source

5 Best Places to Stay Near Periyar Tiger Reserve

Aranya Nivas KTDC
Hotel Tigers Roare'
Jungle Palace Homestay
Hotel Treetop
Jungle Park Resort

Periyar Tiger Reserve Logo

• Periyar Tiger Reserve
  Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kumily, India. Official Facebook Page of Periyar Tiger Reserve, Thekkady.

Importance of Western Ghats

The forests harboured by the Western Ghats play an important ecological function in sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and hence have an important role in climate change.

Great Living Chola Temples

Located in Tamil Nadu, this UNESCO World Heritage Site includes three 11th and 12th century temples: the Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikondacholisvaram, the Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram. These temples give you an idea of power, wealth, imperial domain and religious commitment of the rulers belonging to the Chola dynasty.

Airavatesvara Temple in Darasuram

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Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur

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Brihadeeswarar Temple Timings

Opening	Closing
6.00 am	12.30 pm
4.00 pm	8.30 pm

Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram

Carved out of rock, this group of sanctuaries is located on the Coromandel Coast in Tamil Nadu. It is well-known for its rathas, mandapas, open-air reliefs and the temple of Rivage.

Nilgiri Mountain Railway

This 46-km long metre-gauge single-track railway was completed in 1908. It is located in Tamil Nadu. It connects Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam. It has the steepest track in Asia.

You can't leave the Nilgiri Mountain Railway without pleasant memories, whether you're on the fabled toy train or at the Fernhill station.

— Geeta Padmanabhan

Nilgiri Mountain Railway Timings

	Departure
Mettupalayam to Ooty	7.10 am
Ooty to Mettupalayam	2.00 pm

Churches and Convents of Goa

OOne of these monuments, the Church of Bom Jesus, houses the tomb of St Francis-Xavier. This UNESCO World Heritage Site illustrate the evangelization of India.

Basilica of Bom Jesus Time

Group of Monuments at Hampi

Ruins of Dravidian temples and palaces are among Monuments at this UNESCO World Heritage Site. These monuments were built by kings who ruled the Vijayanagara Empire, which was established in the 14th century. These monuments were destroyed by Islamic Deccan sultanates.

Virupaksha Temple

This temple is dedicated to Virupaksha, a form of Shiva. It consists of a layered tower of elaborate, hand-carved friezes, populated by a bevy of Hindu deities and symbols.

Group of Monuments at Pattadakal

Located in Karnataka, these monuments include nine Hindu temples and a Jain sanctuary. Built by Chalukyas, the architecture of these monuments has been influenced by both North Indian and South Indian architectural style.

• UNESCO World Heritage Centre - World Heritage List
  UNESCO World Heritage Centre

World Heritage Sites in India

• List of World Heritage Sites in India

Eiffel Tower facts

Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France.

• It was created by Gustave Eiffel.

• Its height is 300 meters, 324 meters to tip.

• Construction of this magnificent tower started on 28 January 1887.

• It weighs approximately 10,000 tonnes.

• It was built to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution and to demonstrate France's industrial prowess to the world.

• It attracts around 7million people annually, making it the most visited paid-for monument in the world.

Goa tourist places list with photos

Goa is a state in West India. This emerald land is visibly different from the rest of India. It stands out because of its Portuguese colonial architecture and heritage. Modern day Goa is a quaint blend of the old and the new, of Portuguese and Indian elements.

Peak season in Goa is between October and January. It is the time when Goa is most crowded, more festive than any other time of the year. The daytime temperatures are comparatively not too hot and the nights are pleasantly cool. It is also less humid than the rest of the year.

Whoever has been in Goa may say that he has seen the choicest rarities of India, for it is the most famous and celebrated city....

— Francois Pyrard, 17th century French traveller

How to Reach Goa?

The Goa International Airport, which also known as the Dabolim airport, is the only airport in the state. Goa is well connected by road and rail. Ferry service is available from Mumbai.

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Goa International Airport:

Goa International Airport (GOI), Airport Rd, Dabolim, Goa 403801, India

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Hotels in Goa

5-Star Hotel	4-Star Hotel	3-Star Hotel	2-Star Hotel	1-Star Hotel
Holiday Inn Resort	Sandalwood Hotel & Retreat	M The Business Hotel	Hotel Palacio De Goa	Shangrila Beach Hotel
Goa Marriott Resort & Spa	The HQ	Ginger Hotel	Jasminn by Mango Hotels	Annapurna Vishram Dhaam
The Zuri White Sands	Mayfair Hideaway Spa Resort	Hotel La Grace	Hotel Blessings	Hotel Picnic Plaza

Places to Visit in Goa

Agonda Beach

Agonda is a large village located in Canacona in South Goa district. The beautiful Agonda Beach is designated as turtle nesting site. It is a nesting place for olive ridley turtles in September every year.

This isolated beach has sea on one side and forest on the other. Here you can enjoy cool breeze and warm summer sun. Agonda Beach was ranked the top traveler's choice in India by TripAdvisor website users in 2016.

Agonda Beach, Agonda, Goa

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SRCM Heartfulness Meditation Centre

Located in Sancoale, a town in South Goa, this meditation center offers you spirituality in its pure form. The subtle atmosphere here is relaxing and rejuvenating. You can learn relaxation technique and meditation for free.

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SRCM Heartfulness Meditation Centre, Goa:

219 Sailant, Near Shanta Durga Temple, Taluk, District-, Sancoale, Goa 403710, India

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It changed my way of thinking.

— Krishna Poojari

Shantadurga Temple

This private Hindu temple complex is located in Ponda Taluka. It is set amidst lush emerald hills. The majestic deepastamba (lamp tower) is another typical feature of this temple.

At the sanctum sanctorum you will see an impressive idol of goddess Shree Durga, who is also called 'Santeri' informally. The foundation stone of this temple was laid in 1730 and the construction was completed in 1738. It was renovated in 1966.

The temple is built in Indo-Portuguese architecture. Unlike other temples in the state, the Shantadurga Temple has a Pyramidical Shikara, Roman-arched windows and a flat dome encircled by balustrades.

The highlight of the temple is its golden palanquin (palkhi) in which the deity is carried on festive occasions. The maroon, peach and white colour paint of the temple make it a sight to behold.

Basilica of Bom Jesus

The Basilica of Bom Jesus is also known as Borea Jezuchi Bajilika. This renowned church was built in baroque architecture in the year 1594 and consecrated in 1605 by the Archbishop, Dom Fr. Aleixo de Menezes.. It is dedicated to newborn Jesus.

Its un-plastered exterior appears at first glance to be inferior as compared to the sparkling facades of churches like the Se Cathedral, but this little Basilica is rich in art, architecture and history.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, the Apostle of the Indies. The corpse is treasured in a silver coffer. Located in Old Goa, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is famous throughout the Roman Catholic world. It is an important destination for Christian pilgrims.

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Basilica of Bom Jesus:

Old Goa Rd, Velha Goa, Goa 403402, India

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Dudhsagar Falls

Located in Sonaulim Taluka (near the Goa-Karnataka border), this wonder of nature is a four-tiered waterfall (320 meters) created by River Mandovi. This majestic waterfall in the Western Ghats is a sight to behold.

‘Dudhsagar' means ‘sea of milk’, which is an allusion to the white spray and foam that this beautiful waterfall creates as it cascades into the waters of the lake.

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Dudhsagar Falls:

Sonaulim, Goa 403410, India

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History

Goa was a major trade center in India. It was ruled by Mauryas, Satavahanas, Chalukyas, Muslims and Vijayanagar kings at different times in history. Portuguese arrived at Goa in 1510 CE with an intention to take control over the spice route from the East. Their rule in Goa lasted for around 450 years. Goa was liberated from Portuguese by the Indian Army in 1961. It was officially declared India's 25th state in 1987.

Stay Safe!

Despite few incidents of crime, drug-related misdeeds and police corruption Goa is essentially a safe destination for travellers. I had been to Goa with my colleagues. We stayed at Cidade de Goa and had loads of fun.

You too can do so if you take some precautions. Check the news before you travel. Always use prepaid taxis. Before using any service, clarify the cost up-front. Avoid touts.

Respect holy places and local culture. Carry cash and documents in a water-proof bag. It is a good idea to use traveller's cheques and ATM cards. Take safety precautions at sea. Use life jackets.

Ask questions about the safety of the water sport you are planning to go for. Avoid swimming after a heavy meal. Avoid swimming in the absence of life-guards.

Avoid wandering alone. Do not get too close to strangers. Keep an eye on your drinks. They can be spiked with drugs. Some electronic music venues and beach shacks sell harmful drugs. Stay away from them. Avoid raves and trance parties. Penalties for using or even possessing drugs are severe.

You must enjoy local cuisine in Goa, but while eating out after sunset, ensure that you do not go for just anything. Make sure that the food is hygienic. Similarly, do not drink water from roadside vendor, especially during night hours. Always use bottled water.

These precautions will help you have a fun-filled, memorable holiday in Goa.