The second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, this “blue city” is a mesmerizing collection of azure abodes that soothes and delights anyone that beholds it.

In the city of Jodhpur, a sea of boxy indigo houses stretches for more than 10 kilometers along the walls of the historic walled old city. A blue pigment coating on a house used to indicate that a brahmin—the priests of the Indian caste system—dwelled there, but over time the color became a badge of identity for non-brahmins, too. It’s also said to have insect-repelling abilities.

Situated on the edge of the Thar desert, Jodhpur is also called the “sun city,” named for the overwhelming amount of bright and sunny days it experiences. It is home to famed forts, palaces, mausoleums, gardens, lakes, and towers, making it a hotspot for tourist activity. But above all, visitors aren’t likely to forget the eye-catching color coating the houses, creating a luscious blue sea in the arid Indian landscape. A view from the top of the looming Mehrangarh fort, one of India's largest forts from the 15th century, lets visitors overlook the bountiful, striking blue for which the city is known.

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The Blue City of India - Jodhpur

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One of the most popular Hindu festivals is Janmashtami, which is widely observed throughout India. In India, Janmashtami—also known as Gokulashtami—celebrates the birthday of Lord Krishna and will be observed on August 19 this year. One of the most well-known Hindu deities, Krishna is thought to be Vishnu's eighth incarnation. Here are some of the top places in India to experience Janmashtami festivities and travel over the holiday.

Mathura

Because it is the birthplace of Lord Krishna, Mathura celebrates Janmashtami with great fervour. The two main holidays celebrated here are Jhulanotsav and Ghatas. For the festival of Juhlanotsav, people hang swings over their idols of Krishna in their homes. In a ritual called Abhishek, Krishna idols are bathed with milk, curd, honey, and even ghee in the early morning (anointment). The idol is dressed in new attire and ornaments after being bathed, and it is then positioned in a swing (jhulan). To commemorate Krishna's birth, these swings are placed in the courtyards of homes and temples all across Mathura. Krishna statues are swung on them.

Gokul

Gokul is the most significant location linked with Lord Krishna's upbringing because it was where he spent his formative years with his adoring adoptive parents, Yashodha and Nanda. Gokul celebrates Janmashtami, also known as Gokulashtami, a day after the rest of the nation because Krishna was taken there from Mathura after midnight. One day after Krishna was born, the people of Gokul discovered his existence, so they decided to celebrate his birthday on that day.

Vrindavan

Ten days before Krishna's birthday, the festival of Janmashtami starts in Vrindavan. One of the oldest temples in India is the Govind Dev Temple in Vrindavan. Another fascinating place is Nidhi Van, a revered Krishna temple in the heart of a large forest of trees. There are many Vana Tulsi (basil) trees in the park that surrounds the temples.

Kerala

Kerala celebrates a magnificent celebration on Janmashtami. Palpaysam and appam, two special south Indian meals, are made and served to Krishna. Major rituals and festive events are centred on the Guruvayoor Sri Krishna temple. Poojas and aartis are done at the temple throughout the day to start it off. The elephants from the Guruvayoor temple accompany a procession carrying a gold idol of "Balakrishna."

Janmashtami 2022: Best Places To Visit During Janmashtami

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In many ways, the story of Buddhism all begins in Lumbini, under a full moon more than 2600 years ago. It was on that night that Queen Mayadevi is said to have stopped here during her travels to give birth to a son, Prince Siddhartha, who would find enlightenment and become Buddha 35 years later.

For visitors, Lumbini is an incredibly spiritual place and the tranquillity of the site is felt the strongest in the Sacred Garden that surrounds the central Mayadevi Temple. A large water feature, said to be the same pond where Prince Siddhartha was given his purification bath, reflects the trees of the garden. Prayer flags hang from the branches and gently sway in the breeze as worshippers sit below in deep meditation. For pilgrims who have made the long journey to get here, this is the moment they have been travelling towards.

However, there is much more to Lumbini than just the central temple and garden. The site spreads out over a large area, where you’ll find more than 30 monasteries open to the public, meditation centres, peaceful natural areas, and landscaped parks.

Even further afield, in the area around the Lumbini, there are thousands of years of history to explore. You can walk in the footsteps of Buddha as you visit his childhood estate, see his mother’s city, and stand in the exact spot where he left home through a palace gate to begin his journey to enlightenment.

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Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha : Sacred Sites

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Taman Negara Rainforest is one of the oldest rainforests in the world. It has been around for 130 million years, which means the forest, once upon a time, used to accommodate dinosaurs. Spanning over a 4343 sq. km, Taman Negara is one of Malaysia’s premier and the most popular tourist destinations.

According to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, the tropical rainforest attracts between 80,000 and 100,000 tourists each year. It is popular for its vast offering of ecological and geographical attractions. This mostly includes wildlife spotting and extraordinary walking trails. You can do various things, such as canopy walks, jungle trekking, canoeing, etc.

The park has developed into a famous ecotourism destination in Malaysia. It is a particularly favourable destination for trekking, as the park's remarkable biodiversity is matched by a good network of jungle trails and the availability of expert guides. The park is also noted for fishing, especially along the upper reaches of the Tahan or Kenyam rivers, and for rafting the rapids of Sungai Tembeling.

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Taman Negara Rainforest: A Tropical Paradise

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Nature is filled with never-ending surprises. We hear scientists discovering something new every day; a myriad of new elements are recognized every year. However, one such mesmerizing factor about nature that has been recognized and might not have been heard of is the existence of bioluminescent forests. In simple terms, glowing forests.

Maharashtra’s Bhimashankar Wildlife Reserve which is situated approximately 100 km to the east of Mumbai has a rare yet beautiful occurrence — after sunset when the whole forest is dark, it actually glows and lights up. The bioluminescence phenomenon doesn't happen every day. There are chances you might have a wonderful stroke of luck and get to catch the view after an evening of heavy rains in the monsoon months of July, August and September. The fireflies, on the other hand, can be spotted easily in the pre-monsoon months of May and June.

Spread over an area of 131 km square, the Bhimashankar Wildlife Reserve is located in the Khed and Ambegaon area of Pune District (Western Ghats). The reserve was created in 1984 for the purpose to save and protect the endangered species of Indian Giant Squirrel. A total of 9 tribal villages are part of this reserve.

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Glowing Forest: Bhimashankar Wildlife Reserve

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One of Australia’s most remarkable natural gifts, the Great Barrier Reef is blessed with the breathtaking beauty of the world’s largest coral reef. The reef contains an abundance of marine life and comprises of over 3000 individual reef systems and coral cays and literally hundreds of picturesque tropical islands with some of the worlds most beautiful sun-soaked, golden beaches. Because of its natural beauty, the Great Barrier Reef has become one of the worlds most sought after tourist destinations.

A visitor to the Great Barrier Reef can enjoy many experiences including snorkelling, scuba diving, aircraft or helicopter tours, bare boats (self-sail), glass-bottomed boat viewing, semi-submersibles and educational trips, cruise ship tours, whale watching and swimming with dolphins. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world, and pulling away from it, and viewing it from a greater distance, you can understand why. It is larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible from space. Great Barrier Reef has over 100 islands, from unique and exotic islands to the Whitsundays and the remarkable Northern Islands. The islands of the Great Barrier Reef will redefine your idea of paradise.

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Great Barrier Reef | Australia's Great Natural Wonder

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Khau Gallis are an integral part of Mumbai’s metropolitan culture. Usually located near railway stations, colleges and offices, these narrow bylanes, with their roadside carts and hole-in-the wall eateries, offer visual and gastronomic treats. Packed with crowds making beelines for their favourite snacks, sweets and more, Khau Gallis remain supremely busy from the lunch hours to when the clock strikes midnight.

Mumbai consists of so many Khau Gallis around, that you will find one around the corner every now and then. They are located generally near schools, railway stations, colleges, offices, lanes, etc. These eat-streets are always hustling and bustling with huge crowds of office-goers, college students, etc. It matured into the most favorable outing spot for the people of Mumbai in the past few decades.

Google Search Khau Gallis in Mumbai & you will see Ghatkopar Khau Galli marked on Google Maps that pretty much shows its popularity. It is within walking distance of 10-15 Mins from Ghatkopar station. Different varieties of Dosa, Chaat, Pasta, Gola, Ghatkopar Khau Galli have that all.

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For Your Street Food Cravings :Mumbai Khau Gallis

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