Rishikesh in India

10 December 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  9 minutes

The legendary Beatles Ashram © Chris Dyer Peru/cc-by-sa-4.0

The legendary Beatles Ashram © Chris Dyer Peru/cc-by-sa-4.0

Rishikesh, also spelt as Hrishikesh, is a city governed by Rishikesh Municipal Corporation (since October 2017), and a tehsil in Dehradun district of the Indian state Uttarakhand. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India, it is known as the “Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas” and “Yoga Capital of the World”. It lies 21 km (13 mi) north of the city Haridwar and 45 km (28 mi) southeast of the state capital Dehradun. As of 2021, Rishikesh tehsil has a total population of 322,825; this figure includes 93 surrounding villages as well as the city. It is the seventh most populated city in the state of Uttarakhand. It is known as the pilgrimage town and regarded as one of the holiest places for Hindus. Hindu sages and saints have visited Rishikesh since ancient times to meditate in search of higher knowledge. In September 2015, the Union tourism minister Mahesh Sharma announced that Rishikesh and Haridwar will be the first in India to be given the title of “twin national heritage cities”. Due to the religious significance of the place, non-vegetarian food and alcohol are strictly prohibited in Rishikesh. The city has hosted the annual International Yoga Festival on the first week of March since 1989.   read more…

Theme Week Bhutan – Thimphu

31 July 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Tashichho Dzong © Bernard Gagnon/cc-by-sa-4.0

Tashichho Dzong © Bernard Gagnon/cc-by-sa-4.0

Thimphu is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan, and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan’s dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The ancient capital city of Punakha was replaced as capital by Thimphu in 1955, and in 1961 Thimphu was declared as the capital of the Kingdom of Bhutan by the 3rd Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.   read more…

Theme Week Bhutan – Paro

30 July 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Taktsang Monastery © Bernard Gagnon/cc-by-sa-4.0

Taktsang Monastery © Bernard Gagnon/cc-by-sa-4.0

Paro is a town and seat of Paro District, in the Paro Valley of Bhutan. It is a historic town with many sacred sites and historical buildings scattered throughout the area. It is also home to Paro Airport, Bhutan’s sole international airport. The main street has many examples of traditionally decorated buildings. Paro is home to Bhutan’s tallest building, the Ta-Dzhong, which is 22 meters (72 feet) high, and has 6 floors. It was completed in 1649.   read more…

Theme Week Bhutan – Trongsa

29 July 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  4 minutes

Trongsa © flickr.com - Thomas Wanhoff/cc-by-sa-2.0

Trongsa © flickr.com – Thomas Wanhoff/cc-by-sa-2.0

Trongsa, previously Tongsa, is a Thromde or town, and the capital of Trongsa District in central Bhutan. The name means “new village” in Dzongkha. The first temple was built in 1543 by the Drukpa lama Ngagi Wangchuck, who was the great-grandfather of Ngawang Namgyal, Zhabdrung Rinpoche, the unifier of Bhutan.   read more…

Theme Week Bhutan – Wangdue Phodrang

28 July 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong under reconstruction in 2019 © Christopher J. Fynn/cc-by-sa-4.0

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong under reconstruction in 2019 © Christopher J. Fynn/cc-by-sa-4.0

Wangdue Phodrang is a town and capital (dzongkhag thromde) of Wangdue Phodrang District in central Bhutan. It is located in Thedtsho Gewog. The town shares its name with the Wangdue Phodrang Dzong built in 1638 that dominates the district. The name is said to have been given by Ngawang Namgyal, the 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche, who was searching for the best location for a dzong to prevent incursions from the south. At the chosen spot, the Zhabdrung encountered a boy named Wangdi playing beside the river and hence named the dzong “Wangdi’s Palace”.   read more…

Theme Week Bhutan – Phuentsholing

27 July 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Bhutan Gate in Phuentsoling, border between Bhutan and India © Afifa Afrin/cc-by-sa-3.0

Bhutan Gate in Phuentsoling, border between Bhutan and India © Afifa Afrin/cc-by-sa-3.0

Phuntsholing is a border town in southern Bhutan and is the administrative seat of Chukha District. The town occupies parts of both Phuentsholing Gewog and Sampheling Gewog. Phuentsholing adjoins the Indian town of Jaigaon, and cross-border trade has resulted in a thriving local economy. The town had the headquarters of the Bank of Bhutan previously but shifted to Thimphu. In 2017, Phuentsholing had a population of 27,658.   read more…

Theme Week Bhutan

26 July 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Theme Weeks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  15 minutes

Rice terraces - Eli Shany/cc-by-sa-3.0

Rice terraces – Eli Shany/cc-by-sa-3.0

Bhutan, officially known as the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in the Eastern Himalayas. It is bordered by Tibet to the north and India to the south. Nepal and Bangladesh are located in proximity to Bhutan but do not share a land border. The country has a population of over 754,000 and a territory of 38,394 square kilometers (14,824 sq mi) which ranks 133rd in terms of land area, and 160th in population. Bhutan is a constitutional monarchy with Vajrayana Buddhism as the state religion.   read more…

Theme Week Tibet

21 October 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Theme Weeks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  12 minutes

Putuo Zongcheng Temple © Gisling/cc-by-sa-4.0

Putuo Zongcheng Temple © Gisling/cc-by-sa-4.0

Tibet is a region covering much of the Tibetan Plateau in Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Tamang, Qiang, Sherpa, and Lhoba peoples and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han Chinese and Hui people. Tibet is the highest region on Earth, with an average elevation of 5,000 m (16,000 ft). The highest elevation in Tibet is Mount Everest, Earth’s highest mountain, rising 8,848 m (29,029 ft) above sea level.   read more…

Theme Week Nepal – Pokhara

24 September 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  4 minutes

Paragliders over Phewa Lake © flickr.com - jeeheon/cc-by-2.0

Paragliders over Phewa Lake © flickr.com – jeeheon/cc-by-2.0

Pokhara is a metropolitan city in Nepal which is situated in Gandaki Pradesh province of Nepal. The country’s second largest city, in terms of population, and, largest city, in terms of area, it is the capital of Gandaki Pradesh. The city also serves as the headquarters of Kaski District. Pokhara is located 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of the capital Kathmandu. The altitude varies from 827 metres (2,713 feet) in the southern part to 1,740 metres (5,710 feet) in the north. The Annapurna Range, with three out of the ten highest mountains in the world — Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Manaslu — is within 15–35 mi (24–56 km) of the valley. Pokhara is considered the tourism capital of Nepal, being a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit through the Annapurna Conservation Area region of the Annapurna ranges in the Himalayas. The city is also home to a large number of the elite Gurkha soldiers.   read more…

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