Theme Week Tibet – Dharamsala

23 October 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  9 minutes

Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration © Bernard Gagnon/cc-by-sa-4.0

Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration © Bernard Gagnon/cc-by-sa-4.0

Dharamshala is the district headquarters of Kangra district in India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu. The Dalai Lama‘s residence and the headquarters of the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan government in exile) are in Dharamshala. Dharamshala is 18 km (11 mi) from Kangra. Dharamshala has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi’s flagship Smart Cities Mission. On 19 January 2017, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh declared Dharamshala as the second capital of Himachal Pradesh state, making Himachal Pradesh the third state of India with two capitals after Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra.   read more…

Theme Week India – New Delhi

27 April 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  16 minutes

India Gate © Utkarsharma97/cc-by-sa-4.0

India Gate © Utkarsharma97/cc-by-sa-4.0

New Delhi is an urban district of Delhi which serves as the capital of India and seat of all three branches of the Government of India. The foundation stone of the city was laid by Emperor George V during the Delhi Durbar of 1911. It was designed by British architects, Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. The new capital was inaugurated on 13 February 1931, by Viceroy and Governor-General of India Lord Irwin. Although colloquially Delhi and New Delhi are used interchangeably to refer to the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), these are two distinct entities, with New Delhi forming a small part of Delhi (Old Delhi). The National Capital Region is a much larger entity comprising the entire NCT along with adjoining districts in neighboring states.   read more…

Theme Week India – Mumbai

26 April 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  13 minutes

Taj Mahal Hotel © QuartierLatin1968/cc-by-2.5

Taj Mahal Hotel Palace © QuartierLatin1968/cc-by-2.5

Mumbai, also known as Bombay /the official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. As of 2011 it is the most populous city in India with an estimated city proper population of 12.4 million. The larger Mumbai Metropolitan Region is the second most populous metropolitan area in India, with a population of 21.3 million as of 2016< Mumbai lies on the Konkan coast on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. In 2008, Mumbai was named an alpha world city. It is also the wealthiest city in India, and has the highest number of millionaires and billionaires among all cities in India. Mumbai is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Elephanta Caves, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, and the city’s distinctive ensemble of Victorian and Art Deco buildings.   read more…

Theme Week India – Hyderabad

25 April 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  11 minutes

Charminar Bazar, Mekkah Masjid, Nizamia Unani hospital and Laad Bazaar © Vivekanand pokala/cc-by-sa-4.0

Charminar Bazar, Mekkah Masjid, Nizamia Unani hospital and Laad Bazaar © Vivekanand pokala/cc-by-sa-4.0

Hyderabad is the capital of the Indian state of Telangana and de jure capital of Andhra Pradesh. Occupying 650 square kilometres (250 sq mi) along the banks of the Musi River, it has a population of about 6.9 million and a metropolitan population of about 7.75 million, making it the fourth most populous city and sixth most populous urban agglomeration in India. At an average altitude of 542 metres (1,778 ft), much of Hyderabad is situated on hilly terrain around artificial lakes, including Hussain Sagar—predating the city’s founding—north of the city centre.   read more…

Theme Week India – Bangalore

24 April 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  12 minutes

Bangalore Palace © Nikkul/cc-by-sa-3.0

Bangalore Palace © Nikkul/cc-by-sa-3.0

Bangalore, officially known as Bengaluru, is the capital city of Karnataka. It has a population of over ten million, making it a megacity and the third most populous city and fifth most populous urban agglomeration in India. It is located in southern India on the Deccan Plateau at an elevation of over 900 m (3,000 ft) above sea level, which is the highest among India’s major cities. It reflects its multireligious and cosmopolitan character by its more than 1000 temples, 400 mosques, 100 churches, 40 Jain derasars, three Sikhgurdwaras, two Buddhist viharas and one Parsi fire temple located in an area of 741 km² of the metropolis. The religious places are further represented to include the few members of the Jewish community who are making their presence known through the Chabad that they propose to establish in Bengaluru and the fairly large number of Bahá’ís whose presence is registered with a society called the Bahá’í Centre.   read more…

Theme Week India – Chennai

23 April 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  25 minutes

Chennai Film City © Mainaksinghabarma/cc-by-sa-4.0

Chennai Film City © Mainaksinghabarma/cc-by-sa-4.0

Madras, also known by its former name Madras, is the capital of Tamil Nadu. Located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal, it is the biggest cultural, economic and educational centre of south India. According to the 2011 Indian census, it is the sixth most populous city and fourth-most populous urban agglomeration in India. The city together with the adjoining regions constitute the Chennai Metropolitan Area, which is the 36th-largest urban area by population in the world. Chennai is among the most visited Indian cities by foreign tourists. It was ranked the 43rd most visited city in the world for the year 2015. The Quality of Living Survey rated Chennai as the safest city in India. Chennai attracts 45 percent of health tourists visiting India, and 30 to 40 percent of domestic health tourists. As such, it is termed “India’s health capital”. As a growing metropolitan city in a developing country, Chennai confronts substantial pollution and other logistical and socio-economic problems.   read more…

Theme Week India

22 April 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  23 minutes

Jal Mahal of Jaipur © Labhanshi Mittal/cc-by-sa-4.0

Jal Mahal of Jaipur © Labhanshi Mittal/cc-by-sa-4.0

India (Bhārat), also known as the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh largest country by area and with more than 1.3 billion people, it is the second most populous country and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, while its Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.   read more…

Allahabad in India

19 November 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  14 minutes

Millions of Pilgrims take a ritual bath at Sangam © Lokankara/cc-by-sa-3.0

Millions of Pilgrims take a ritual bath at Sangam © Lokankara/cc-by-sa-3.0

Allahabad, since October 2018 officially Prayagraj, is a large metropolitan city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Allahabad District, the most populous district in the state and 13th most populous district in India, and the Allahabad Division.   read more…

World One in Mumbai

1 June 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, House of the Month Reading Time:  7 minutes

© lodhaworldtowers.in

© lodhaworldtowers.in

World One is a supertall residential skyscraper under construction in Mumbai, India. It is located in Lower Parel, South Mumbai on the 7.1-hectare (17.5-acre) site of the defunct Shrinivas Mill. The site also houses two other towers—World View and World Crest. World One is being built at an estimated cost of over US$321 million. Construction began in 2011, and is expected to be completed in 2018. It will be the tallest residential tower in the world, if completed before Pentominium (whose construction has been put on hold following the effects of the 2008 Financial Crisis). World One‘s architect is Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, the structural engineer is Leslie E. Robertson Associates & MEP engineer is BuroHappold Engineers. The World Crest is a 57 floor residential tower with a height of 223 metres. Construction on the tower began in 2011, and was completed in 2016. The World View is a 82 floor residential tower with a height of 291 metres. The construction has begun.   read more…

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