Celebrate India: A special video on National Integration

Places to see in India Before You Die...!

1. Leh Ladakh :
The mountainous region of Ladakh in the North Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir, is like NO other place in the World. Because of it’s unusual terrain and barren landscape it’s sometimes referred to as ‘Moonland’. Set high up in the Himalaya’s at 3,000 m (9,800 ft) Ladakh is a plateau in the Indus Valley between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south. Ladakh is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and culture. Strongly influenced by Tibet and largely inhabited by people of Tibetan descent, Ladakh is also known as ‘Little Tibet’. It is not only home to some of the most beautiful and serene monasteries you’ll ever see, but it also a land of rich natural beauty – and it’s this natural beauty that hits you so hard, because it’s a barren beauty. The enormous mass of the Himalayas creates a rain shadow, denying entry to the moisture-laden clouds of the Indian monsoon. Ladakh is thus, a high altitude desert. Many travelers find themselves at loss to understand how something so barren can yet be so beautiful.
2. Kashmir:
Kashmir is set like a jeweled crown on the map of India. Kashmir is a heaven on earth. The two major Himalayan ranges and the Great Himalayan Range and the Pir Panjal, surround the landscape from the north and south respectively. The picturesque landscape is breathtaking and the green grass lands are amazing. Holidaying in Kashmir is an experience of a lifetime. The slow pace life, calm environment, lush green surroundings and fresh air are the ingredients that make Kashmir a must see destination in India.
3. Goa :
Goa is the smallest state of India in terms of geographical area, it is the major and famous most tourist attraction in India and thus commands almost a monopoly over the tourist inflow. Goa is located on the western coast of India also known as Konkan Coast. It is surrounded by the state of Maharashtra on the north, Karnataka on the east and south and the Arabian Sea on its west. The capital city of Goa is known as Panaji or Panjim and the largest city in Goa is Vasco-da-Gama. While Goa is well known for it’s beaches and laid back style…it’s also the Party Hub of India. Night life in Goa is one of the most flamboyant and matured than in any other part of the country. You could be a retro lover or a hip-hop fan; you could be eighteen or eighty; you could love dancing in the crowd or a solitary traveler…Goa serves up an endless array of things to do at night for everyone.
4. Rajasthan :
Rajasthan is the largest state of India in terms of area. The major land comprises of the Great Thar Desert. Rajasthan is surrounded by states like Gujarat on the southwest, Madhya Pradesh to the southeast, Pradesh and Haryana to the northeast and Punjab to the north and Pakistan to the west. Rajasthan covers an area of 342,269 Km sq. which is about the size of Germany. Rajasthan is the place where you’ll find great historic monuments like palaces, forts, temples etc. These monuments are preserved and maintained very well. Rajasthan is a place that will give you a real look into the Royal and luxuries past of India. The Cities like Jaipur, Udaipur, Ranthambore, Ajmer, Jaisalmer are a few worth a visit.
5. Bombay :
India’s most dynamic, cosmopolitan and crowded city home to billionaire tycoons living in posh area’s with the some of the highest real estate prices in the world and the poor living in some of the largest slum establishments around the world alike, Mumbai is definitely like no other city in the world. The crowds and chaos of this city can bewilder even the savviest of travelers. Mumbai is India at its most contradictory, with its sharp contrasts: it can be aggressively modern yet some parts deeply rooted with the traditional bordering on medieval, from glamorous to rough-edged and raw…quintessentially Indian.
6. Kerala :
Kerala is also known as the “Gods Own Country” is one of the prime tourist destinations of India. It is a perfect destination for holidays, Honeymoon, art, culture, tradition, health care, yoga, ayurveda and meditation. Kerala is famous for its natural beauty, amazing beaches, delicious sea food and backwaters. Backwaters – a unique web of lakes, lagoons, canals and rivers – are an integral part of Kerala’s Tourism Scenario. A Journey through the curving and winding backwaters of Kerala is an experience of returning to nature. Now-a-days backwater tourism is something special to Kerala. And Houseboats go a long way in actualizing the many backwater oriented tourism possibilities. Houseboat holidays have become popular in the backwaters of Kerala and provide an extremely soothing experience.
7.Ooty:
Ooty, Udhagamandalam, is one of the famous hill station of southern India and is popularly referred to as “Queen of Hills”. The Hill station is located in the western ghats of Nilgiri (Blue Mountains) Hills. Ooty stands at an approximate height of 7,500 feet (2, 286 m) above sea level. The landscape comprises of tea gardens, eucalyptus trees and other spice plantations. Ooty is famous for its picturesque landscapes and natural beauty. The best attraction here is the Toy train that runs between Metupalaiyam to Udagamandalam (Ooty), via Coonoor, in the Nilgiri Hills. The track is 46 kilometers (28.5 miles) long, and passes over 26 viaducts, and through 16 tunnels and tall girder bridges. The interesting fact is that it was completed in the year 1899, 45 years after the the 1st plan was drawn.
8. Madurai :
Madhurai is one of the oldest inhabited city of the Indian sub-continent. The city is located on the banks of River Vaigai. One of South India’s most historic pilgrimage cities, bustling Madurai is renowned for the magnificent Meenakshi Temple, which can attract up to 15,000 visitors on one day alone. The temple complex has sections dating back as far as 2,000 years and is one of the country’s most dramatic displays of Dravidian architecture. Sites not to miss in Madhurai are Meenakshi Temple complex and Gandhi Memorial Museum. The city is also referred to as Koodal Maanagar Cultural Capital of Tamil Nadu, Malligai Maanagar (City of Jasmine), Thoonga Nagaram (Sleepless City), and Athens of the East.
9. Uttaranchal :
Uttaranchal or Uttrakhand is a newly formed state of North India. Earlier it was a part of Uttar Pradesh. Uttaranchal is blessed with natural beauty and picturesque landscapes. Uttaranchal is a state of some untouched and un spoilt natural places.It is a perfect place for wildlife lover as Uttrakhand is home to various parks, wildlife reserves and forests. The best tourist attractions are:
The Valley of Flowers:
Home of over 500 specifies of wild flowers, The Valley of Flowers is a part of Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks World Heritage Site. Stretched over an area of 87.50 km², the valley offers beautiful landscapes, flowers and fresh water streams. The trek to Valley of Flowers along the Laxmanganga River makes the visit more memorable.
Chopta Tungnath Chandrashila :
In the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, Chopta, Tungnath, Chandrashila is an ideal destinations away from the crowded city life. Offering the majestic view of the Himalayan peaks, the area falls under Kedarnath Sanctuary housing serveral species of animals and birds including Monal – the state bird of Uttarakhand
Skiing slopes of Auli :
Auli is famous for its skiing slopes hosting some of the national and international level skiing championships every year. Besides Skiing, the 4.5 km ropeway from Joshimath to Auli is another attraction for the visitors.
Trek to Hemkund Sahib:
Though Hemkund Sahib is a popular Sikh pilgrimage centre, its challenging 19 km challenging trek from Govindghat to the Hemkund lake, invites lakhs of trekking enthusiasts.The entire trek from Ghangharia to Hemkund offers panaromic views and several varieties of wild flowers including the State Flower of Uttarakhand – Brahamkamal.
10. Kodaikanal :
Kodaikanal is one of the most peaceful and beautiful hill stations of Tamilnadu. Located 120 Km/75 mile away from Madurai, Kodaikanal is a beautiful hill station at an altitude of about 2133 m on the southern tip of upper Palani / Palni hills in Tamil Nadu in the Western Ghats. Kodaikanal is also referred to as “Princess of Hill Stations”. There are many high waterfalls and ubiquitous gardens and flower beds in bloom. The hillside is covered by the meadows and the grassland, the valley is covered up by huge eucalyptus trees and Shola forest. The places to see are Kodaikanal Lake, Bryant Park, Coaker’s walk, Bear Shola Falls, Pillar rocks, Silver cascade, dolphin’s nose and Kurinji Andavar Murugan temple.
11. Golden temple :
Golden Temple, Amritsar is one of the famous Sikh Shrines in India. People across the world come here visit Shri Harmander Sahib. It is one of the holy pilgrimages where not only Sikhs but people from different countries and of different religion pay their homage. It is popularly known as “Golden Temple” because of the Gold coating on the main building of the Darbar Sahib. The Harmandir Sahib was invaded and destroyed many a times by the Afghan and other rulers. Sri Harmandir Sahib, is built on a 67ft. square platform in the center of the Sarovar(tank). The temple itself is 40.5ft. square. It has a door each on the East, West, North and South. Main attractions to see inside Golden Temple premise are Akal Takht, Baba Atal, Sri Guru Ramdas Niwas, The SGPC Office, Central Sikh Museum and the food at Guru ka Langar.
12. Akshardham:
The Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar Gujarat is one of the popular pilgrimage sites in India. The Temple attracts nearly 2 million visitors each year. The Temple is dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan. The temple is famous for its unusual and massive architecture. The Akshardham temple is the largest temple in Gujarat in terms of the complex. The surroundings are peaceful and clean. About 6000 metric tons of long durable pink sandstone was imported from Rajasthan and has been engraved by the skilled artisans of Bansipahadpur. It stands tall with a height of 108 feet. The shrine is located in the multi-acre patch, called Sahajanand van, with convoluted figurine of Hindu Gods, magnificently landscaped patch of land, eatery and amusements. The interiors have stunning columns that mount up to an elevated dome. A special light and sound show is organized for the visitors here. The show depicts the glorious past of Sanatan Dharam.
13. Taj Mahal :
I guess no one in the world is unaware of this Monument of Love. This monument has found a place in the Seven Wonders of the World. Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaj Mahal. Thus the Monument was also named after her name. The monument was constructed by 20,000 workers and took about 16 years to complete. The white marble which was used to build Taj Mahal was brought from the quarries of Makrana, in Nagaur district of Rajasthan. Over 1000 elephants were used to transport the big rocks of white marbled used in construction. 28 kind of rare & semi precious and precious stones were used to decorate the ineer inlay of Taj Mahal. The central dome of Taj Mahal is 187 feet high at the centre. May people say that after the completion of Taj Mahal Shah Jahan ordered amputation of the hands of all the workers. So that nobody is able to construct a monument like this again on this earth.
14. Khajuraho:
The Heart of India is Madhya Pradesh, and the hearth of Madhya Pradesh is Khajuraho. Khajuraho is an example of rich cultural heritage of India. Khajuraho is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Khajuraho is one of the best tourist destinations famous for its sculptures, temples and architecture. The realistic sculptures of the temples are famous world wide. These temples were built during the Chandela Empire. Most of the temples depict the lifestyle of a woman in medieval age. They represent life in 11th century. The Sculptures of Khajuraho are an example of a highly matured civilization. These temples were constructed in between 950 – 1050 A.D. The name Khajuraho came from the tree “Khajur” (the date palm tree) which is found in good number in this region. Now there are only 22 temples left after the natural calamities. Prior there were a total of 85 temples at Khajuraho.
15. Ajanta and Ellora Caves:
Ajanta and Ellora are the pride of Maharashtra, India. The rock-cut caves of both these sites are world famous and illustrate the degree of skill and artistry that Indian craftsmen had achieved several hundred years ago. Ajanta dates from 100 B.C. while Ellora is younger by some 600 years. The village of Ajanta is in the Sahyadri hills, about 99 kms. From Aurangabad; a few miles away in a mammoth horseshoe-formed rock, are 30 caves overlooking a gorge, each forming a room in the hill and some with inner rooms. Al these have been carved out of solid rock with little more than a hammer and chisel and the faith and inspiration of Buddhism. Here, for the Buddhist monks, the artisans excavated Chaityas (chapels) for prayer and Viharas (monasteries) where they lived and taught. Many of the caves have the most exquisite detailed carvings on the walls, pillars and entrances as well as magnificent wall paintings. Ajanta and Ellora has formed an epicenter of interest for those who appreciate and are eager to know more about Indian history and art.
16. Coorg :
Also known as Kodagu, Coorg is a place said to haunt you forever with its timeless beauty. Described as the Scotland of India, Coorg lies at an altitude of 1,525 m on the Western Ghats about 252 kms from Bangalore in Karnataka. Misty hills, lush forest, acres and acres of tea and coffee plantations, orange groves, undulating streets and breathtaking views are what make Coorg an unforgettable holiday destination.Coorg has many verdant trekking routes in the midst of forests and hills, and it’s best to go in the months from October to February. Some of the known trails are in the hills of Brahmagiri, where you could trek your way to the Iruppa Falls. Or you could trek to Pushpagiri, the second highest peak of Kodagu, or even Tadiandamol, the highest peak.For white water rafting check out the camps around Madikeri, which offer rafting down the Cauvery. Some fast paced action visit the Upper Barapole River to the south of Coorg in Brahmagiri. The best time for rafting is from mid-June to mid-September.
17. Lakshadweep:
Lakshadweep is located at about 200 -300 km away from the west coat Kerala in the Arabian Sea. Lakshadweep is basically a group of 36 small islands. these islands are small and flat and hardly 4-5 m. above the sea level. Lakshadweep is the smallest UT of India. Out of 36 coral islands of Lakshadwep only 10 islands are inhabited. These islands in the Indian Ocean are surrounded by lagoons, tall coconut trees, and crystal clear blue water.he coral formations underwater form an amazingly colorful garden and the variety of fish that inhabit these waters is truly exotic. It is a great tourist destination for Divers.
18. Tirupati Balaji :
Tirupati Balaji is one of the sacred Hindu temple in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The ancient and sacred temple of Lord Venkateshwara is located on the seventh peak of the Tirupati Hills. The Peak on which the temple is situated is called Venkatachalam. The other manes of Lord Venkateshawara are Balaji, Srinivasa and Perumal. The Balaji temple is the richest and most visited place of worship not only in India but around the globe. The temple encounters a huge number of visitors. The temple is visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily, while on special occasions and festivals, like the annual Brahmotsavam, the number of pilgrim shoots up to 500,000, making it one of the most visited holy places in the world.
19. Andaman and Nicobar Islands :
Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a group of 572 emerald island islets in the eastern part of the Bay of Bengal south of Myanmar. The Islands float in the crystal clear blue water of Bay of Bengal. Andaman and Nicobar is one of the Union Territories of India that stretches over a length of more than 700 km from north to south. Andaman and Nicobar islands are the most beautiful beach destinations in India. The clear blue sea, the sunny sands and the colorful corals lure visitors to these islands. The Islands are in two groups; the Andaman and the Nicobar. The rare flora and fauna, underwater marine life, corals, tall coconut trees sway to the sea rhythm, crystal clear blue water, slow pace life makes this place an exceptional tourist destination.
20: Kanya Kumari:
Kanyakumari is a small town in the state of Tamil Nadu and is the southern most tip of the Indian sub-continent. Kanyakumari takes its name from the virgin Goddess Kumari Amman of Kanyakumari Temple situated in the town, on the sea-shore. Lakhs of tourist, round the year are lured by the serene beauty of this place and the spectacles of sunrise and sunset. Though sunrise can be viewed throughout the year, sunset is visible only from October 15 to March 15 from this southernmost tip. The sunset and moonrise can be seen almost simultaneously on full moon days from the same spot. It is a unique spectacle. Kanyakumari lies at the meeting point of the three oceans, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.

In Case ProgramminG LanguageS WerE CarS...!

• Ada is a tank. A butt-ugly tank that never breaks down. People laugh uncontrollably if you tell them you drive Ada, but really, do you want to be driving a sports car in a war zone? [from Amit Dubey]
• Assembly Language is a bare engine; you have to build the car yourself and manually supply it with gas while it’s running, but if you’re careful it can go like a bat out of hell.
  [From "Subterfug" off digg.com:]
  Assembly Language: you are the car.
• Basic is a simple car useful for short drives to the local shops. Once popular with learner drivers, it has recently been stripped down to a shell and rebuilt by a major manufacturer, The new version has been refurbished for longer journeys, leaving only cosmetic similarities to the original model. [from Przemyslaw Wrzos]
• C is a racing car that goes incredibly fast but breaks down every fifty miles.
• Cobol is reputed to be a car, but no self-respecting driver will ever admit having driven one.
• C# is a competing model of family station wagons. Once you use this, you’re never allowed to use the competitors’ products again.
• C++ is a souped-up version of the C racing car with dozens of extra features that only breaks down every 250 miles, but when it does, nobody can figure out what went wrong.
• Eiffel is a car that includes a built-in driving instructor with a French accent. He will help you quickly identify and learn from your mistakes, but don’t you dare argue with him or he’ll insult you and throw you out of the car. [From Daniel Prager with some embellishments]
• Erlang is a fleet of cars that all cooperate to get you where you want to go. It takes practice to be able to drive with one foot in each of several cars, but once you learn how you can drive over terrain that would be very hard to navigate any other way. In addition, because you’re using so many cars, it doesn’t matter if a few of them break down.
• Forth is a car you build yourself from a kit. Your car doesn’t have to look or behave like anyone else’s car. However, a Forth car will only go backwards.
  [By "256byteram", on a comment on Digg.com (I couldn't resist):]
  FORTH LOVE IF HONK THEN !
• Fortran is a pretty primitive car; it’ll go very quickly as long as you are only going along roads that are perfectly straight. It is believed that learning to drive a Fortran car makes it impossible to learn to drive any other model.
• Java is a family station wagon. It’s easy to drive, it’s not too fast, and you can’t hurt yourself.
• Haskell is an incredibly elegantly-designed and beautiful car, which is rumored to be able to drive over extremely strange terrain. The one time you tried to drive it, it didn’t actually drive along the road; instead, it made copies of itself and the road, with each successive copy of the road having the car a little further along. It’s supposed to be possible to drive it in a more conventional way, but you don’t know enough math to figure out how.
  [Monadic version:]Haskell is not really a car; it’s an abstract machine in which you give a detailed description of what the process of driving would be like if you were to do it. You have to put the abstract machine inside another (concrete) machine in order to actually do any driving. You’re not supposed to ask how the concrete machine works. There is also a way to take multiple abstract machines and make a single abstract machine, which you can then give to the concrete machine to make multiple trips one after another.
• Lisp looks like a car, but with enough tweaking you can turn it into a pretty effective airplane or submarine.
  [from Paul Tanimoto:]
  Lisp:   At first it doesn’t seem to be a car at all, but now and then you spot a few people driving it around. After a point you decide to learn more about it and you realize it’s actually a car that can make more cars. You tell your friends, but they all laugh and say these cars look way too weird. You still keep one in your garage, hoping one day they will take over the streets.
• Mathematica is a well-designed car that borrowed a lot from the Lisp car without giving it nearly the credit it deserved. It can solve equations to determine the most efficient way to get to the destination, but it costs a fortune
• Matlab is a car designed for novice drivers going on short trips over terrain similar to the terrain the Mathematica car is usually driven over. It is very comfortable when driving over this terrain, but if you go off the trail even a little the car becomes so hard to drive that more snobby drivers refuse to even acknowledge that it’s a car.
• Ocaml is a very sexy European car. It’s not quite as fast as C, but it never breaks down, so you end up going further in less time. However, because it’s French, none of the controls are in the usual places.
• Perl is supposed to be a pretty cool car, but the driver’s manual is incomprehensible. Also, even if you can figure out how to drive a Perl car, you won’t be able to drive anyone else’s.
• PHP is the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, it’s bizarre and hard to handle but everybody still wants to drive it. [from "CosmicJustice" off of digg.com]
• Prolog is fully automatic: you tell it what your destination looks like, and it does all the driving for you. [Addendum from Paul Graham:] However, the effort required to specify most destinations is equivalent to the effort of driving there.
  [I forget who suggested this one:]
  Prolog is a car with a unique trial-and-error GPS system. It will go down the road looking for your destination, and if it gets to the end of the street without finding it, it will back up and try the next street over and continue until you get where you need to go.
• Python is a great beginner’s car; you can drive it without a license. Unless you want to drive really fast or on really treacherous terrain, you may never need another car.
• Ruby is a car that was formed when the Perl, Python and Smalltalk cars were involved in a three-way collision. A Japanese mechanic found the pieces and put together a car which many drivers think is better than the sum of the parts. Other drivers, however, grumble that a lot of the controls of the Ruby car have been duplicated or triplicated, with some of the duplicate controls doing slightly different things in odd circumstances, making the car harder to drive than it ought to be. A redesign is rumored to be in the works.
• Smalltalk is a small car originally designed for people who were just learning to drive, but it was designed so well that even experienced drivers enjoy riding in it. It doesn’t drive very fast, but you can take apart any part of it and change it to make it more like what you wanted it to be. One oddity is that you don’t actually drive it; you send it a message asking it to go somewhere and it either does or tells you that it didn’t understand what you were asking.
• Visual Basic is a car that drives you. [from "yivkX360" on digg.com, no doubt channeling Yakov Smirnov]