Traveling to India will always consist of icons such as the Taj Mahal but the Temple town of Swamimalai can give the experienced traveler a local’s experience. Located in the Thanjavur District of India near the banks of the river Cauvery and most famous for being one of the six Battle Camps of the Lord Murugan the town is crowned with a picturesque and brightly colored icon. The name of the town means ‘God’s mountain’ and where the impressive Swamimalai Murugan Hindu Temple is located. The temple featured on the left, is built in a step format and is adorned with brightly colored motives. Inside the temple are representations of Lord Shiva and Lord Muruga being shown as one and in the place of the traditional peacock before the Lord there is an elephant that was gifted by Indira after the destruction of the demon Harikesa. The surrounding town is small in comparison and only offers the minimal tourist experience but a much more intimate and local living experience.
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Warm greetings from Sri Lanka, the land of a thousand breathtaking spectacles as you journey through tropical beaches, majestic temple ruins, lush foliage countryside, underwater coral scapes, cascading waterfalls and colorful festival pageantry. Vacationing in Sri Lanka offers a real chance to feel transported to a fantasy with its seemingly endless sites and activities especially when considering it’s an island. Sri Lanka is a tropical country so you can expect rain at almost any time of the year and in most parts. Things to do include surfing and ocean activities, visiting iconic sights including the Citadel of Sigiriya also known as “Lion Rock”, the imposing Dambulla Caves filled with religious relics and artwork. Another location worth visiting is the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, notable for having the largest herd of captive elephants in the world and was established to feed, nurse and house young elephants found abandoned by their mothers. A true paradise vacation.
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A famous pilgrim destinations for locals but still somewhat hidden from westerners is touring the Ganges river. It’s the most sacred river to Hindus and is a lifeline to millions of Indians who live along its course and depend on it. It’s worshiped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism and has historical importance including many former provincial and imperial capitals have been located on its banks. As soon as the day begins, Hindus arrive at the river to begin giving offerings of flowers or food by throwing it in handfuls of grain or flower garlands into the Ganges. Others will float small oil lamps on its surface while praying. In cupped hands they will also take the ritual drink of the Ganges and then fill a container to take with them to the temple. On great festivals Hindus float on the river in boats, shouting “Victory to Mother Ganga!” The entire experience of the Ganges will fill the traveler with a renewed appreciation for religious practices.
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The Maldives are blessed with plenty of sunshine, crystal blue waters and comfortable temperatures throughout the year, making a Maldives vacation a real tropical getaway. Relaxing is the number one thing to do in Maldives and aside from lounging around in your luxurious Maldives water bungalow, the primary activity on the Maldives is scuba diving and surfing. The islands are all coral reef hundreds of miles from any major landmass, and offer excellent water clarity plus an abundant underwater life to seek. Manta rays, sharks, marine wrecks such as planes or ships can be explored all around the island chain. The Maldives are also becoming a popular surfing destination as the turquoise water and perfect waves makes it an ideal and uncrowded destination for surfers looking for prime surfing conditions.
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The Khajuraho Monuments in Khajuraho is one of the most popular tourist destinations for photographers. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculptures. The locals living in the Khajuraho village knew about and kept up the temples as best they could. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered to be one of the “seven wonders” of India. Only about ten percent of the carvings contain erotic themes and do not show deities the rest depict the everyday life of the common Indian when the carvings were made. The temple complex offers much more than a curios visit. The temples are grouped into three sites; the western, eastern and southern complex. The Khajuraho temples are made of sandstone and where not built using mortar as the stones were put together with joints and held in place by gravity, the columns were built with megaliths that weighed up to 20 tons.
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