Kullu Valley

 Kullu is a famous tourist destination in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Earlier known as Kullantipeetha, the town of Kullu has its several references in Ramayana, Mahabharata and other Hindu scriptures. Kullu is regarded as the oldest state valley after Kashmir and Kangra valley. According to Mythology Manu landed at a place in the Kullu region and lived there the next some days. That particular place of his abode is presently known as Manali which is believed to be come from the name Manualaya which literally means the home of Manu.

Kullu valley was once a significant place for Buddhist. It once contained a Buddhist Stupa built by Ashoka. The region also was home to twenty Buddhist monasteries with more than one thousand monks. There were also some fifteen Hindu temples which suggest that the people of both communities were coexisting there peacefully.

Prior to the rule of British the region was under the control of Pal dynasty who revered the goddess Hidimba. Presently the goddess is worshipped as the main deity of the region. It was in 1846 that the region was annexed to British kingdom. British continued to rule the region until India got independence in 1947. After the independence Kullu earlier was the subdivision of Kangra district. In the year 1963 Kullu was made a separate district. Kullu was earlier in Punjab state and it was in the year 1966 that Kullu was included in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Kalaripayattu

Culture of Kolhapur

The Khajuraho group of monuments is based in Chattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh state of India. Considered in the list of seven wonders of India they are in the World Heritage Sites announced by UNESCO. From the initial about 60 temples built during 10Th to 12Thcentury AD, now only about 25 temples remain in a respectable fashion and hence can be appreciated.  The explicit sexual matter has not been depicted inside the temples but it finds the place on the exteriors of the temple walls. Also only 10% of the carvings show sexual scenes other sculptures depict everyday life of the common peoples of those times, like women putting on makeup, Potters, Musicians, Farmers and other peoples. All these carvings are at some distances from the Temple deities.
 The temples are now nicely decorated in parkland landscape. It has a public park type look with mowed grass, rose beds and ornamental trees, earlier it was in a state of neglect with landscape setting as a semi desert and scrub. Every evening professional light and sound show is held in the lawns of the temple complex, both in English and Hindi language, of one hour each, the show gives the history, Philosophy and the art of sculpting these temples.The Khajuraho dance festival is held every year in the month of February / March. The programmers arrange top Indian classical dance and music shows. Many Indian as well as Foreign tourists visit Khajuraho then, and appreciate the Indian arts in the backdrop of Chitragupta or Vishwanath Temples. Recently The Archaeological Survey of India has discovered a site which is coming up as the largest underground temple in Khujraho. The digging of the site has begun and will take a couple of years to complete.

Khajuraho is an Indian town in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh state. It is located about 620 Kms south east of New Delhi. Khajuraho is one of the most important tourist destinations in India and a definite must have in your tour itinerary to Madhya Pradesh. The natives of Khajuraho are Bargujar Rajputs called as Bundelas or Chandelas. Chandelas lived here from 10TH to 12TH century their capital was at Kalinjar. The temples of Khajuraho about 80 in numbers were built in 200 years from 950 to 1150 AD. The natives knew about the temples but did not share the secret with others. They tried to keep the temples as best as they could keep but forests took the toll and about 55 temples have been lost. An English man learnt about these temples in 19Th century by then all the monuments had been lost. A British engineer T.S.Burt was the first engineer to explore the site. Later General Alexander Cunningham was appointed by Archaeological Survey of India for excavation and restoration of these temples. These temples are constructed in sand stone and have been named World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Khajuraho is well connected with Kanpur and Lucknow and few more cities of Madhya Pradesh.

Udaipur Culture

Udaipur History

Udaipur was founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II as the final capital of the erstwhile Mewar kingdom, located to the southwest of Nagda, on the Banas River, the first capital of the Mewar kingdom. Legend has it that Maharana Udai Singh II came on a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. The hermit lucky the king and asked him to build a palace on the spot, assuring him it would be well protected. Udai Singh II consequently established a residence on the site. In 1568 the Mughal emperor Akbar captured the fort of Chittor, and Udai Singh moved the capital to the site of his residence, which became the city of Udaipur.

Udaipur is known as the city of lakes. Udaipur is famous for its Lakes, History, cultures and its Palaces. The lake Palace on the Pichola Lake, Other lakes are Fate Sagar Lake, Udai Sagar Lake, Swaroop Sagar Lake. Maharana Udai Singh II established Udaipur as the capital city of Mewar Kingdom. As Udaipur is a mountainous terrain it remained unconquered by the British. The royal Family of Udaipur remained independent and safe from mughal influence. The royal Rajvansh of Udaipur is the oldest living family of the world. The kingdom of Nepal and Jammu has a direct link with Udaipur Dynasty

  The historical background of Hubli (known along with Dharwad as twin cities in the State of Karnataka) is of hundred years old. It was a part of the Vijayanagara Empire, and later of Marathas and Mughals.
In the past Hubli was an Agrahara managed by 200 Mahajans. It was known as Purballi earlier. It was under the Vijayanagara rule for over a period of time during when the place took prominence as a center for cotton growers. The Mughals took over the area and Hubli came under the direct administration of the Savanur Nawabs. At that time of History, the city took modern form under the supervision of a trader called Basappa Shetty. He built the present day Durgadabail which is a market center now. The Marathas re-entered the city during the British rule by Sangli Patwardhan. In the year 1880 a Railway workshop was built here.
Inscriptions at Bhavani Shankar temple convey that the region comprising Hubli was under the Chalukya rule around 1068 AD. Later the East India Company had established a factory here to convert the place into a trade center. The Marathas destroyed it.  The Savanur rulers (local rulers) built a fort in Hubli. It is a market center now. Bhavani Shankar temple is an important historical monument of Hubli dating back to the Chalukya rule. Chandramauleshwara temple is another ancient monument to be found in Unakal near Hubli which records the rule of Chalukya dynasty in the region. Hubli has come under the influence of the Veershaiva movement (a socio-cultural movement in the 12t and 14th centuries). After independence Hubli has grown into a major industrial center in Karnataka after Bangalore.