Gulf of Mannar - Explore Marine Majesty !
As you leave from Rameshwaram to Tuticorin, a new face of nature unleashes. Mannar Marine National Park is a UNESCO declared natural biosphere and is one of the richest areas in terms of marine biodiversity. The first Marine Biosphere Reserve in south-east Asia it is blessed with a mix of marine, intertidal and shore habitats.
The Mannar Biosphere Reserve covers a huge area of 1050000 hectares, on the south-east coast of India across from Sri Lanka and considered as one of the world’s richest regions from a marine biodiversity perspective.
The Mannar Biosphere Reserve covers a huge area of 1050000 hectares, on the south-east coast of India across from Sri Lanka and considered as one of the world’s richest regions from a marine biodiversity perspective.
Complete combo of beaches, forest, algal community, sea grasses, coral reefs, mangroves and salt marshes, this biosphere reserve comprises 21 mesmerizing islands.
Considered biologically the richest coastal region, Gulf of Mannar has around 3,600 species of plants and animals known to live within its boundaries.
World famous “Adam's Bridge” or Ram Seth provides a natural division to Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay between India and Sri Lanka.
Recognized in 1989 by Indian Government with the assistance of UNEP, it is a home to sea horses, diverse species of fish, sea cucumbers, sponges, assorted kinds of corals and species of sea grass. In addition more than 150 species of bird are found nowhere else. More than 10 species of mangrove forms a natural ecosystem provide a chosen habitat and important fish nurseries.
Located in Ramanathapuram and Tuticorin district Mannar Biosphere reserve is a place which give pleasure to mind aesthetically. The biosphere is divided into three explicit Marine ecosystems like Coral reefs, Sea grass and Mangroves accompanied by salt marshes and Algal communities and the enchanting beaches accentuate the beauty of this place.
Though it experience tropical climate condition but receives heavy pour down during October to December due to both Southwest and Northwest monsoon.
Other Places to Visit-
Rameshwaram Comorin Cape (S India), Ramen Point, Pamban Pass, Tuticorin, Kanyakumari Port, Vivekananda rock - Thiruvalluvar Statue. The park has certain visiting hours with a very nominal entry fees [Rs. 10 per adult and Rs. 5 per child].
Best time to visit :
October to March is the best season to visit Mannar, as the climate is favorable for those not accustomed to Humid and Hot Climate.
How to Reach Gulf of Mannar :
By Air-
Madurai is the nearest airport which is about 150 Km away from the Gulf of Mannar- Marine National Park. Car on Rent Madurai ,may be hired since the airport is well connected to the road routes.
By Train –
Rameshwaram is the nearest railway station. A well defined railway connectivity from Madurai , Kanyakumari, Chennai, Tirupati. Okha to Rameshwaram is a special train for the people travelling from Gujarat.
By Road –
Cab hire services from Chennai , Madurai and all the major locations is available through clear car rental, providing chauffeur driven car and cab, trusted and authentic travel partner.You may book Taxi or Cab from multiple cities to enjoy an enchanting experince at Gulf of Mannar.
Accommodation in Gulf of Mannar –
Travellers looking for accommodation may choose to stay as per their budget.Many hotels with tariff ranging from 1200 Rs /Night to 3000 Rs /Night are available out side the park .
“Work, Save ,Travel, Repeat”- Get inspired for your next adventure!
Stay tuned to explore other Biosphere Reserves in India ! Also read Pachmarhi biosphere
Biosphere Odyssey - Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve
 |
| image courtesy: wikipedia |
India is the only country where all kinds of climatic and biogeographic conditions can be found. From the cold mountain snow regions of Ladakh trek to the plains of Gangetic and Brahmaputra and Rajasthan's Thar Desert, each place has its own meaning in terms of flora and fauna.
Natural Biosphere simply put, these are places where special ecosystems are preserved ; ecosystems and specialized environments where for various reasons, including the threat of extinction, flora and fauna need to be nurtured and preserved.
Nilgiri Biosphere in Tamil Nadu , Gulf of Mannar Biosphere in Tamil Nadu, Sundarban Biosphere (West Bengal ), Nanda Devi Biosphere are some of the world famous Biosphere in India where natural beauty is in abundance.
Because of Natural and man made threat to the biodiversity Indian government had developed strict guidelines to preserve several biosphere reserves in India.
One among these biosphere is Pachmarhi which is eleventh biosphere, in Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh. Truely adventurous and blessed with abundant beauty, Panchmarhi is the queen of Satpura. Do plan a trip to Panchamarhi and visit with a chauffeur driven cab from your convenient location.
A hidden plateau with incredible wealth, full of mystical experiences, has been partially explored so far, but will surely be one of the most preferred places for all those who wish to break with Urban Monotonous life
Narrow Bridged paths leading to peaceful natural beauty of wild bamboo groves, religious shrines and a multitude of wildlife species and dense sal forests make Pachmarhi a true treasure for tourists. A touch of pure and virginal atmosphere, these days not a very common phenomenon.
Sharing its natural boundaries with Hoshangabad ,Betul and Chhindwara the must visiting highest peak in Pachmarhi is Dhoopgarh,also famous for its sunset.
The Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve has three wildlife conservation units – the Bori Sanctuary, the Satpura National Park, and the Pachmarhi Sanctuary.
Blessed with the prominent source of Tawa Reservoir Pachmarhi Biosphere has several water bodies.
The type of forest here is deciduous with the forest dominated by teak trees and salt trees. In and around the Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve, more than 511 villages can be found.Apart from human habitant it is home to some of India’s major wildlife species like Skinks, Geckos, Cobra, Pythons ,Malabar Pied hornbill , Malabar Whistling Thrush and even the Crested Serpent Eagle Large mammal species include Tiger, Leopard, wild Boar, Gaur (Bos gaurus), Chital Deer (Axis axis), Muntjac Deer, Sambar Deer (Cervus unicolor), and Rhesus macaques can be spotted unlike anywhere else in the country.
Cave paintings in Pandava Caves and a presence of Buddhisum in its architect with a dense reserve of teak forest, Pachmarhi is virgin beauty in itself.
Other Places to Visit-
Chauragarh- hundreds of Steps to reach temple and experience panoramic view.Perfect for trek lovers.
Pandav Caves, Dhupgarh (Famous for most beautiful sunset), Guptmahadev, Apsara Vihar.
Reaching Pachmarhi
Well connected with road. Train and air route Pachmarhi may be reached by
Air Route – Nearest Airport Bhopal (210) , Jabalpur (240 ) & Nagpur (250 )
RailRoute - Nearest Station Pipariya but may be reached through Bhopal, Itarasi, Jabalpur located on central line.
RoadRoute - – Number of Cab Service providers are available serving tourist on daily basis. Cab hire Bhopal , Book Cab Jabalpur ,Car on rent Nagpur are some of the services which provide hassel free services.
Tag :
Best of India,
Mangi Tungi a pilgrimage place in Maharashtra
About Shri Mangi-Tungi Tirth Kshetra
Mangi Tungi is a famous pilgrimage center of Jain religion. It is located in Baglan tehsil of Nasik district of the state of Maharashtra. Mangi Tungi is a twin-pinnacled peak and is one of most sacred places in Jain religion. It also holds significance from Hindu point of view as according to mythology. Mangi Tungi is considered to be the place where crore of ascetic saints including Ram, Hanuman, Sugriv, Neel Nal, Mahaneel etc gained the salvation. Thus the place is also referred as 'Siddha Shetra'.
Manmand, Shirdi, Nashik, Pune are convenient places to reach Mangi Tunngi. It will best option is to book a cab online to reach Mangi Tunngi.
About 4500 steps take you to Mangi Tungi peak which is abundant with many religious and historical temples and monuments. Many caves named after the Jain Tirthankaras like Mahavir, Shantinath, Adinath, Parshava etc are situated there. Many idols and sculptures of Tirthankaras are found in those caves. Besides there are some inscriptions carved on the idols and walls of the caves which date many centuries back.
There are about six caves at Mangi peak and 2 caves on Tungi hill. The first cave contains a 3.5 feet high idol of Bhagavan Mahavir. Besides, there are numerous stone idols and sculptures carved on the walls of the cave. One of the caves houses the idol of Adinath. Many other idols and sculpture carved in the caves are in Padmasan and Khadgasan posture. Tungi peak also houses some caves containing the idol of Hindu gods and Jain Tirthankaras as well. Besides Bhilwadi village situated at the foot of Mangi Tungi peak is home to several Jain temples built about 200 year ago. Parshwanath Jain Temple and Adinath temple some of the Jain temples situated in the village.
Before few years ago, statue of Lord Rishabhdev 108 feet high status has been built on the hill. It is believed that this is Lord Rishabhdev world's largest statue.
By Air: Nashik airport is the nearest airport to reach Mangi Tungi if you are planning to reach here by flight. From the airport you can hire a private cab or taxi for Mangi Tungi.
By Railway: Again Nashik railway station is nearest. Nasik railway station is connected to Mumbai,Pune,Aurangabad and many cities of the state.
By Road:
Mungi Tungi can easily be reached from the Nasik city in Maharashtra. Well chauffeur driven cabs and taxis can be hired from Nasik to reach here.
Have you visited this sacred place, if yes, and would like to share your experience then share it with the other fellow travelers.
Manmand, Shirdi, Nashik, Pune are convenient places to reach Mangi Tunngi. It will best option is to book a cab online to reach Mangi Tunngi.
About 4500 steps take you to Mangi Tungi peak which is abundant with many religious and historical temples and monuments. Many caves named after the Jain Tirthankaras like Mahavir, Shantinath, Adinath, Parshava etc are situated there. Many idols and sculptures of Tirthankaras are found in those caves. Besides there are some inscriptions carved on the idols and walls of the caves which date many centuries back.
There are about six caves at Mangi peak and 2 caves on Tungi hill. The first cave contains a 3.5 feet high idol of Bhagavan Mahavir. Besides, there are numerous stone idols and sculptures carved on the walls of the cave. One of the caves houses the idol of Adinath. Many other idols and sculpture carved in the caves are in Padmasan and Khadgasan posture. Tungi peak also houses some caves containing the idol of Hindu gods and Jain Tirthankaras as well. Besides Bhilwadi village situated at the foot of Mangi Tungi peak is home to several Jain temples built about 200 year ago. Parshwanath Jain Temple and Adinath temple some of the Jain temples situated in the village.
Before few years ago, statue of Lord Rishabhdev 108 feet high status has been built on the hill. It is believed that this is Lord Rishabhdev world's largest statue.
Accommodations in Mangi-Tungi :
Mangi Tungi hills are also famous for trekking. Stay facility is available at Mangi Tungi which can be booked online on their official portal. There are around 900 Rooms and two big halls for pilgrims with facilities of Mess, Beds & Utensils.How to reach Mangi Tungi
By Railway: Again Nashik railway station is nearest. Nasik railway station is connected to Mumbai,Pune,Aurangabad and many cities of the state.By Road:
Mungi Tungi can easily be reached from the Nasik city in Maharashtra. Well chauffeur driven cabs and taxis can be hired from Nasik to reach here.
Have you visited this sacred place, if yes, and would like to share your experience then share it with the other fellow travelers.
Tag :
Pilgrimage,
World Heritage sites in Maharashtra
World Heritage sites are managed by UNESCO. The International World Heritage programme recognizes sites of cultural importance such as forests, mountains, islands, deserts, monument, building, complex or a city as Heritage Sites for the preservation of cultural heritage. These sites will be maintained under the supervision of UNESCO. The criteria for selecting a site as Heritage site is that it should represent outstanding universal significance in terms of cultural contributions. The sites will be listed by each country and then, the International committee decides after examination of the prominence of such sites.
India has many World
Heritage sites. Let us focus upon Maharashtra state. Four sites have
been listed under the World Heritage Sites program in Maharashtra.
To visit and explore these places you will need a well travel plan and for this either you can go by railway or can think of hiring a cab because that would be a insightful travel experience for you as it will pick up you from your location and drives you to each site which offers unique and fascinating experience.
To visit and explore these places you will need a well travel plan and for this either you can go by railway or can think of hiring a cab because that would be a insightful travel experience for you as it will pick up you from your location and drives you to each site which offers unique and fascinating experience.
Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus:
It is popularly known
as CST, which was under terrorist attack. The railway terminus is
built in the Victorian Gothic style comprising beautiful carvings. It
became a World Heritage Monument in 2004.
Ajanta:
Situated about 100 km from the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra these rock cut caves are well known for paintings. These caves were discovered by British officers in the 19th century. These caves date back to 100 B.C. All are Buddhist Caves. |
| image credit:kamat.com |
Ajanta caves can be
approached by road. Hire taxis or take the MTDC tourist buses to
reach Ajanta from Aurangabad city. Ajanta caves are protected by
Eco-Conservation program. So, public vehicles are not allowed inside
the premises. Public or private vehicles would drop you at the
T-point and from there the tourists will be taken in an Eco-friendly
bus. It takes about 5 minute to reach the cave site from the T-point.
Ellora:
Ellora rock cut caves are situated at about 27 km from Aurangabad city. There are 34 caves in total belonging to Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions. They were built in various periods spanning from 5th to 11th centuries. Kailas Nath Temple, which is known for its magnificence is a single rock cut temple. |
| image credit:siddharthtravels.com |
Ellora can be reached
by road. Aurangabad is the nearest destination for accommodation and
transportation. You can visit the Daulatabad Fort on the way.
Elephanta Caves:
 |
| Image credit: Christian Haugen |
These 7th century caves are located on an island in the Arabian Sea near Mumbai Coast. Elephanta caves are located at about 9 nautical miles from the Gateway of India. You can reach the site by ferries. Regular ferries are available near the Gateway of India.
Western Ghats :
In 2012 UNESCO gave world heritage site status to 39 sites of the western ghat. The mountains cover an area of about 160,000 sq km (61,776 sq miles) stretching from the country's southern tip to Gujarat in the north to a place near Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. Western Ghats forests are home to at least 325 globally threatened flora, fauna, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish species.
Wester ghat is recognised as one of the world's eight "hottest biological diversity hotspots"
Some of popular tourist places to visit in western ghat:
Mahabaleshwar[Maharashtra], Thekkady[Kerala], Mollem[Goa], Chorla Ghat [Goa],
Mollem, Agumbe [Karnataka], Coonoor[Tamil Nadu], Dandeli [Karnataka], Kalpatta Wayanad [Kerala], Valparai [Tamil Nadu], Madikeri, Coorg [Karnataka].
Tag :
Best of India,