12 Beautiful Panoramic Shots That Capture India In All Its Glory

1. Ajmer Sharif, Ajmer

The shrine of saint Moinuddin Chisti in Ajmer is considered holy by all. The faith and devotion visible here is overwhelming.

2. The Taj Mahal, Agra

Source: Ved tours

3. Stok Kangri, Ladakh

They say you need to climb the mountain if you want to see the view. I say, a view like this deserves a good camera.

Source :footootjes

4. Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

In this isolated haven of all that is serene and beautiful, you will discover the good kind of feeling blue. You need not be a great photographer to click a good photo of these islands. Even the most amateur photographs look amazing against the blue!

Source: andaman-islands

5. Charminar, Hyderabad

The Charminar in Hyderabad is believed to have been constructed to commemorate the beginning of the second Islamic millennium year and has now become  one of the widely known structures of India. This beautiful shot of Hyderabad city clearly points out its pride.

Source: Sathya Narayanan

6. Nohkalikai waterfalls, Cherrapunji

With a height of 1115 ft, Nohkalikai waterfalls near Cherrapunji is the tallest plunge waterfall in India and offers some of the most beautiful sights.

Source: Incredible north

7.  Marine Drive, Mumbai

Called Queen's necklace because of its layout, Mumbai's Marine Drive offers scenic beauty with lip smacking food on the Chowpatty beach. If you visit Mumbai, this is one shot of the city you must capture.

Source:ISCNW

8. Howrah bridge, Kolkata

Howrah bridge is synonymous with Kolkata and features prominently in Indian art, especially cinema. What one can spot around the bridge is unpredictable.

Source: Chiradeep Mukhopadhyay

9. Pangong Tso, Ladakh

Pangong Tso-the "long, narrow, enchanted lake". The deep blue and the surrounding can bewitch anyone into trying to embrace it.

Source: Kamil Ghais

10. Dal Lake, Kashmir

 The jewel of Kashmir's paradise, Dal lake features prominently in every Indian's travel plans. The beauty of the valley is accentuated by the presence of the slender shikaras. A reflection of the purple skies makes for a perfect shot.

Source: Akshay Verma

11. Amber Palace, Jaipur

Described as poetry carved in stone, Amber palace in Jaipur allures tourists with its charm. The light and sound show in the evenings are a tribute to the rich Rajputana heritage of the region.

Source: Jaipur beat

12. Rann of Kutch, Gujarat

The salt marshes in Gujarat- Rann of Kutch falls in the realm of the surreal.  Its unending expanse seems to symbolize time, universe and everything! This beautiful photo is hard to caption, because you'll always fall short of words.

Source: Rannutsav 

No matter which corner of India one travels to, one can always be sure to find places which excite and cultures which interest. There are images waiting to be clicked everywhere.  

17 Breathtakingly Beautiful Places In India

1. Yumthang Valley - Sikkim

Yumthang Valley is a grazing pasture surrounded by the Himalayan mountains in North Sikkim. At a height of 3,564 metres above sea level, it's popularly known as the 'Valley of Flowers'.

2. Tea garden hill of Munnar

Munnar is a town that's situated in the southwestern region of Kerala. It's practically covered fully with Tea plantations, some as high as 7000 feet above sea level.

3. Stok Range, Ladakh

At 11, 845 feet, Stok Kangri in Stok Range has is a popular mountain among climbers and mountaineers. It's often considered as a practice run for Everest.

4. Nubra Valley, Ladakh

Nubra is a high altitude cold desert with rare precipitation and scant vegetation.

 

5. Nohkalikai Falls, Cherrapunji

Located near Cherrapunji, one of the wettest places on earth, Nohkalikai Falls is one of the tallest plunge waterfalls in India. Name of the falls (in Khasi language - "Jump of Ka Likai") is linked to a legend about a local woman, Likai, who after a family tragedy became insane and jumped off the cliff next to the falls.

 

6. Nanda Devi

It's the second highest mountain in India. While the peak is not that easy to climb for regular folks like us, but the surrounding Nanda Devi National Park is a must visit atleast once in a lifetime.

7. Mizoram

Mizoram is a land of rolling hills, valleys, rivers and lakes. As many as 21 major hill ranges or peaks of different heights run through the length and breadth of the state, with plains scattered here and there.

8. Lonar Sarovar, Maharashtra

The Lonar Lake is a saline soda lake located at Lonar in Buldana district, Maharashtra, India which was created by a meteor impact.

9. Matheran

The smallest hill station in India, Matheran which is only 90 km from Mumbai, provides a pretty dramatic view of the sunset and the sunrise.

10. Leh

Leh, the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh is best experienced via road trips from New Delhi.

11. Key Monastery

Key Gompa is a Tibetian Buddhist Monastery located on top of a hill at an altitude of 13, 668 feet above sea level close to the Spiti river in Himachal Pradesh. It reportedly, was started by 100 monks in 1855.

12. Kashmir

It's not called paradise on Earth for nothing.

13. Hoggenakal Falls

This waterfall in South India on the river Kaveri is sometimes also referred to as the "Niagara Falls" of India.

14. Tungnath, Uttarakhand

Located at an altitude of 12, 073 Feet, at Tungnath mountains you can also find the oldest Hindu shrine of Lord Shiva.

15. Drang Drung Glacier, Near Kargil

It takes about 2 days to get here from the Srinagar airport.

16. Deodar Forest, Himachal Pradesh

17. Andamans

It has 325 islands which cover an area of 6,408 km², with the Andaman Sea to the east between the islands and the coast of Burma.

Image Source:scoopwhoop

Kalavantin Durg - World's Most Dangerous Fortress

Kalavantin Durg (also known as Kelve Teen or Kalavantinicha Sulka) is located on the northern edge of the Prabal plateau between Matheran and Panvel in the Indian state of Maharashtra, at an elevation of 2,300 feet in the Western Ghats. It is also visible from the Mumbai-Pune Express Highway.

Image Credit: Rohit Gowaikar @ Flickr

According to legend, Kalavantin Durg is believed to have been built for a queen named Kalavantin during the time of Buddha or around or before 500 BCE.  

The fort is accessible through steps that were cut into the rock of the hill and looks quite impressive feat. Kalavantin Durg is also called the Climb to Heaven. No rail on the edge and no ropes on the wall, God forbid if you have vertigo. Worst of all, the hardest part is coming down. Kalavantin worthy Durg fort is considered the most dangerous in the world.

Since Kalavantin Durg is at such a height you can see the Peb, Chanderi, Matheran, Karnala, and Ershal forts and The City of Mumbai also visible.

On every Shimga Festival of Holi locals from Machi-Prabal Village dance on top of the fort and they consider it a part of their culture and heritage so a good time to visit this fort would be the Holi Season.

Source : myfuturetrips.com/ unbelievableinfo.com

The Bhangarh Fort: The Most Haunted Place In The World

The Bhangarh Fort is located at the edge of  Sariska forest in Alwar district of Rajasthan. Built in 1613, the Bhangarh fort is thought to be the most haunted place in India. It’s the only ‘Legally Haunted’ location recognized by the Indian Government. Entry to Bhangarh is legally prohibited between sunset and sunrise.

Bhangarh Fort

A signboard posted by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) is written in Hindi

A signboard posted by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) is written in Hindi says "Entering the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset is strictly prohibited. Legal action would be taken against anybody who does not follow these instructions".

A number of legends regarding the lonely historical buildings exist, but two stand out above the rest.

One legend speaks the city of Bhangarh was cursed by the Guru Balu Nath. He had sanctioned the construction of the town on one condition, “The moment the shadows of your palaces touch me, the city shall be no more!” When a descendant prince raised the palace to a height that cast a shadow on Balu Nath’s forbidden retreat, he cursed the town. Balu Nath is said to be buried there to this day in a small samadhi.

In second prominent legend, Singhiya, the wizard who was adept in black magic fell in love with theRatnavati, the princess of Bhangarh who was very beautiful and had suitors to marry her from many royal families of the country. One day while the princess, 18 years of age, went shopping with her friends and was buying Ittar(scent). The wizard saw this and replaced the scent with some potion in order to ensnare the princess. He offered the potion to her so that she took a liking for him and marry him. However, the princess saw through the wizard's trickery and when he offered her the bowl of potion, she threw it on a big boulder nearby and as a result the boulder started rolling down towards the wizard and crushed him. Before he died he cursed that Bhangarh would be destroyed soon and no one will be able to live within its precincts. Subsequent to the curse Bhangarh Fort was invaded by theMughals from the north and the city was surrounded and sacked; 10,000 people lived in the fort city at that time. All the people in the fort including the princess were killed. The present state of the fort is attributed to the curse of the wizard and people believe the ghosts in the fort are that of the princess and the wizard. Since from that day at the night time there are some paranormal activities are said to take place, some people have reportedly died by these paranormal activities.

A group of investigators also visited the town from night to early morning, disappointed to know that no paranormal activity was accused of. They also stated: "We tried to communicate to any existing spirits and asked them to manifest for us or do anything which can make us believe that they existed. Nothing happened."

Source: en.wikipedia.org

The Borra Caves

Borra caves are located in the Ananthagiri hills of the Araku valley of the Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh, India. Caves are said to have originated from Gosthani river which flows through this caves. The caves were created due to flow of river over the limestone area.

Images Credit: bharatdiscovery.org

Image Credit: panoramio.com

The Caves, one of the largest in the country, at an elevation of about 705 m (2,313.0 ft), filled with impressive speleothems ranging from very small to big and irregularly shaped stalactites and stalagmites formations. Karstic limestone structures inside the cave extending to a depth of 80 m (262.5 ft) which is considered as the deepest cave in India.

The caves were discovered by William King George of the Geological Survey of India in 1807. The tribals who inhabit the villages around the caves narrate several legends. The popular legend is that a cow, grazing on the top of the caves, dropped 60 m (196.9 ft), through a hole in the roof. Thecowherd while searching for the cow came across the caves. He found a stone inside the cave that resembled a Lingam. The village folks believed that the Lord Shiva protected the cow. Since then they have built a small temple for Lord Shiva outside the cave. 

Sources : ecoindia.com, en.wikipedia.org

A Day In The Beautiful Venice (17 pics)

One day in Venice photographer Daniil Korzhonov, capturing a beautiful Italian city in all its diversity. The most majestic pictures are taken when the city is still asleep at 5 AM.