Kausani Hill Station

Kausani is a hill station situated in Bageshwar district in the state of Uttarakhand, India.
Far from the maddening crowd, Kausani is a calm and idyllic resort. One just has walk down the hills amidst dense forests or trek around to reach the highest points of the hills, Pinnath (5 kms), Burapinnath (5.5 kms) and Bhatkot (12 kms). Enjoy a relaxing day and get wonderstruck by the starry nights.

With a total area of 5.2 sq. km, situated at a height of 1890 m above sea level, located 51 km north of Almora, Kausani is the birthplace of famous Hindi poet Sumitra Nandan Pant, who wrote some of his memorable poems in praise of this paradise on earth. In 1929, Mahatma Gandhi stayed here for 14 days at the Anasakti Ashram while scripting his book titled 'Anasakti Yoga' and was greatly impressed by its environs.The town is accessible all year round. For those who wish to avoid the cold, the best season is between April to June and again between September to November. Summer months will require light woollen clothing and winter- heavy woollen clothes.

Anashakti Ashram is a quiet and revered place where Mahatma Gandhi spent some days and wrote his commentary of Anashkti Yog. Pant Museum is another place of importance, this being the place where the famous poet of Hindi literature, Sumitranandan Pant was born. The KMVN (Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam) resthouse in Kausani is an ideal place to stay and it provides panoramic views of the mountains.

Place to see

• Baijnath
• Bageshwar
• Chaukori
• Berinag
• Gangolihat
• Patal Bhuvaneshwar
• Gwaldam
• Badhan Gari Mandir
• Angayaari Mandir
• Kote Mai Mandir
• Nar Singh Mandir
• Krishna gari
• Tall Camp
• Laubanj Village

Kodaikanal Hill Station, Tamil Nadu

Kodaikanal is one of the very popular and most sought after Honeymoon and holiday destination hill resorts in South India.

Kodaikanal is a city in the hills of the Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Its name in the Tamil language means "The Gift of the Forest". Kodaikanal is referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and has a long history as a retreat and popular tourist destination. This hill station stands 7200 feet above sea level and situated in upper palani hills of the westernghats near Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Kodaikanal is also popularly known as the princes of Hill Stations.
The cool and misty weather, the scenic beauty of the rolling hills and the wooded forest of Kodaikanal and its surroundings will mesmerize any visitor throughout the year. Walk through the wooded forests, row in the lake, bath in one of the splashing waterfalls, go for horse riding and cycling around the lake or simply admire the views.

History of Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal is the only Hill Station in India developed by the Americans. The earliest residents of Kodaikanal were the Palaiyar tribal people. The earliest specific references to Kodaikanal and the Palani Hills are found in Tamil Sangam literature of the early Common era. Modern Kodaikanal was established by American Christian missionaries and British bureaucrats in 1845, as a refuge from the high temperatures andtropical diseases of the plains. In the 20th century a few elite Indians came to realise the value of this enchanting hill station and started relocating here.

Tourism has been impacted by industrial pollution issues including the closure of a mercury factory owned by Unilever's Indian subsidiary Hindustan Unilever after evidence of widespread mercury pollution. To date no proper clean-up operation has been mounted.

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Malshej Ghat Waterfall

The main attraction during mansoon season at Manshej Ghat is water falls. From small one to huge big water falls are observed in Ghat. You can enjoy the journy through out road from this valley area. Many peoples found parking their vehicle aside & enjoying the water falls. So many teams bring the Dhol & Tasha to enjoy. Mostly Mumbai & pune tourists found visiting the place.

Malshej Ghat is 120km from pune & 150km from mumbai. To reach malshej from pune the route is chakan-manchar-Narayangaon- Malshej. & To reach from mumbai route is kalyan- murbad-kasgaon-malshej. This valley point is situated on Kalyan -Nagar highway. On the way from Pune there is a Pimpalgaon Joga dam.

Main attractions in this region are Harishchandra gad, Pimpalgaon Joga dam, Malshej water falls.

If you want to stay at Malshej Ghat then MTDC resort & Sushant holiday resort are two options available to you. Other nearby tourist attractions are Ozar- Lenyadri Ashtavinayak Ganpati temples, Shivneri fort, Bhimashankar etc.

From pune the trip will be Pune to Ozar 87km, Ozar to Shivneri 12km, Shivneri to Lenyadri 15km, Lenyadri to Malshej ghat 20km. Please see the google map attached in this post at last.

You can cover whole trip in one day or you may go for overnight stay. To see the Video clip click on last yellow text of "Malshej Ghat Video Clip" at the end of the post. 

So enjoy the life.

FEAST OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER IN GOA

 FEAST OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER
The body of St Francis Xavier lies in a silver casket in the Church of Bom Jesus in Goa. Ceremonies to honor his death are performed on December 3, the day he was buried.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus or Borea Jezuchi Bajilika (Portuguese: Basílica do Bom Jesus) is located in Goa, India, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

St Xavier was a great Catholic missionary, who preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Asia.

Born in Spain on April 7, 1506, he came to India with the Portuguese Viceroy of Goa in 1543, and immediately undertook the task of influencing the Goan people.

He went from street to street with a hired town crier, asking people to attend his meetings and listen to his sermons. Though he did not master the local language, he took the help of Goan scholars and translated the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Ave Maria.

He baptized the inhabitants of 30 villages. Xavier commanded awesome political power. He was able to secure pensions, even for the petty princes who converted to Christianity, from the King of Portugal.

To spread the message of Christ, he sailed to the Spice Islands in 1545, and then went on to Japan in 1549 for a year. His greatest success is recorded in Japan, where he converted hundreds to Christianity. After returning to India for a brief 15months, he proceeded to China, against the wishes of the Portuguese viceroy. It was in the Sancian Island, about 10-km from the mainland of China that he died of fever on December 2, 1552.

Legend
According to legend, some Portuguese merchants found him just before he breathed his last. They performed his last rites on the following day, and buried him in a box partly filled with unslaked lime. A few months later, a Jesuit brother disinterred the body and discovered, to his surprise, that it had not decomposed at all. He cut a finger from the body and was astonished to see blood ooze out. When this was reported to the Vatican, the title of Saint was conferred upon Xavier.


The body was interred in a cemetery in Malacca for about two years before it was brought to its final resting place in Goa. Until then, even though the body had not been anointed, it was found to be only slightly affected by death. Before the mortal remains of the saint were placed in a silver casket in the Church of Bom Jesus, one hand was cut off from the body.


The Healing Power
Pieces of the hand were distributed to various parts of the world, under orders of the Pope. Every ten years until 1994, on the anniversary of his death, St Xavier's body would be brought out and kept in a glass case, with the feet exposed, for all to see and worship. For the exposition, people from all over India would flock to the church for a glimpse of the saint.

The last exposition was held in 1994. Since the condition of the body had deteriorated visibly, it was decided by the church that the body would not be displayed anymore. There are many stalls selling trinkets and souvenirs in the fair that is held on the occasion.

A wide variety of food and drinks are also available. The pilgrimage turns into a picnic for quite a few families, as they shop in the little lanes decorated with streamers. The ambience of the church site is happy and festive.

Murudeshwar Temple

Murudeshwar is a town in Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, India. Murudeshwar is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. Famous for the world's second-tallest Shiva statue, the town lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea and is also famous for the Murudeshwar Temple. Murudeshwar has a railway station on the Mangalore-Mumbai Konkan railway route.

The western most point of the town is the landmass that juts out of the mainland to form a small peninsula about 2 km west of the Murudeshwar Temple. The temple is on a hill known as Kanduka Giri.

The Hindu gods attained immortality and invincibility by worshiping a divine Lingam called the Atma-Linga. The Lanka King Ravana wanted to attain immortality by obtaining the Atma-Linga (Soul of Shiva). Since the Atma-Linga belonged to Lord Shiva, Ravana worshipped Shiva with devotion. Pleased by his prayers, Lord Shiva appeared before him and asked him what he wanted. Ravana asked for the Atma-Linga. Lord Shiva agreed to give him the boon on the condition that it should never be placed on the ground before he reaches Lanka. If the Atma-Linga was ever placed on the ground, it would be impossible to move it. Having obtained his boon, Ravana started back on his journey to Lanka.

The town is a holy place with amazing natural beauty. The small town is largely known for the 123 ft tall statue of Lord Shiva that was built close to the coast. The statue is placed in such a way that the back of the Shiva statue is towards the Arabian Sea.

WHERE TO STAY

There are a many budget hotels near the Murudeshwar railway station. There are a few mid-range hotels near the bus stand. There is a luxury hotel near the Murudeshwar Temple which faces the Arabian Sea and is close to the beach.

WHERE TO EAT

Being a temple town there are many restaurants that serve vegetarian South Indian cuisine. The best restaurants are on National Highway 17 and near Murudeshwar beach. There are a few fast food joints near the railway station that serve Chinese and Punjabi cuisine. Non-vegetarian cuisine is also available in many eateries near the railway station and near Murudeshwar bypass.

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