Ayodhya Temple Visit at Jal Sansthan Lucknow | Image Resource : indianewsonweb.com
Description : The Ayodhya Temple at Jal Sansthan is a beauty not only because of its historical importance, but also due to the rivers like Sarayu and Gragra surrounding it. It holds a special importance because it is known to be the birth place of Prince Ram who is an icon of the Hindu mythology. The serenity and the spirituality this place offered indeed touched the very depth of my soul and heart.
Beautiful View of Jaisalmar Fort | Image Resource : flyopedia.com
Hi Buddies! This is Saachi Agarwal born and brought up in the heart of the great Indian Thar Desert that is Jaisalmer. Fashion is my passion and I have taken my first step towards it. I am a fashion designer. But after meeting deadlines I like to chillax with my friends! As I know every nook and corner of this place there are plenty of places where we hang out especially the Jaisalmer fort and the Gadisar Lake.
Gadisar Lake | Image Resource : tushky.com
This place is not just for shopping and sightseeing. There is an array of exciting things to do in Jaisalmer. You can actually see the Indo Pak border. There are also activities like spotting animals and bashing sand dunes which can generate lots of exciting moments and can you’re your adrenaline rush high! My personal favorites are camel riding and camping with friends. These activities I have enjoyed since I was a kid.
Things To Do In Jaisalmer | Image Resource : xperinz.blogspot.com
An Array of Exciting Things To Do In Jaisalmer
The most lovable animal of my beautiful city is camel. I have done camel riding here since I was a kid. Loved going there with my parents. I usually go to Gadisar Road on Amar Sagar Pol for camel riding. They pick up the enthusiasts from here and drive you through 50 kms deep into forest where the camel safari begins. You are given a camel rider who will give you an idea of riding the camel and then begins the 3 hour journey followed by lunch and then again you get the opportunity of exploring the deeper parts of the desert .This safari costs around 10 k per head.
Camel Safari Jaisalmer | Image Resource : theclassytraveler.com
Camping is also one of the best things to do in Jaisalmer. I have been to these camping trips earlier with friends. You are expected to reach the campsite by late afternoon. There are arrangements for camel ride. This is followed by cultural program by local artists. Then comes the delicious Rajasthani dinner! You get to spend the night in superb Swiss Camps. You wake to see the sunrise from the sand dunes. This is followed by breakfast. All this is priced at just around Rs 6k per head.
Guys my beautiful city of Jaisalmer is ready to welcome you with open hands. Come and enjoy. You can feel free to leave your queries on this lovely city on my blog. I would love to give you all updates about my beautiful Jaisalmer.
There are a few places that just catch you off guard and the Buddha Park in Lucknow is one of them. This is one the best parks to visit in India when it is dark. I was absolutely thrilled when I arrived here. The amazing colourful lighting that has been done here is worth mentioning. There were moments when I was like “At one side there are ruins, and here I stand at one of the best modern day gardens”.
Buddha Statue at Buddha Park Lucknow | Image Resource : oktatabyebye.com
Perfect Ambience
The park is full of multiple lush green gardens that fill the place along with facilities for boating in an artificial stream. The location is one of the most expensive places in Lucknow and what has made it the most expensive place is Buddha Park. Roads to the park are very wide and well lit as I visited it at night.
Boating in Buddha Park Lucknow | Image Resource : flickr.com
It is one of the most beautiful parks you will ever visit and it was the perfect place to end my trip in style. Here you will see the present Lucknow, where everyone is a Nawab and the city’s affinity with royal things does not seem to fade away. A parade of elephants is going to welcome you here with statues of political leaders at some corners of this huge complex.
Food
There are ample food stalls in and around Buddha Park, which will satisfy your hunger and thirst. A few malls are also nearby and I happened to visit one of them which had “Barbeque Nation”. I had loads of food there and could not resist myself for having a walk in the park just once more before I leave this beautiful city that has the perfect blend of historical buildings and modern marvels.
There is going to be a Next Time
I am going to remember this trip for a lifetime and I think that I will need to visit the city again as many things have been left out. Hope to take out sometime soon and come here again to have a taste of famous Tundey Kebabs which I failed to taste on this trip!
Begum Hazrat Mahal Park Lucknow | Image Resource : flickr.com
Begum Hazrat Mahal Park Lucknow : Visiting the old Victoria Park in Lucknow, that too for viewing the Begum Hazrat Mahal’s memorial was a moving moment. Her contribution in the 1857 revolution was commendable. As I am a lover of history I feel the government has done a good job of commemorating her. It also is a beautiful park with wonderful fountains.
Nawab Muhammed Ali Shah started the construction of this place with a mission of getting the bird’s eye view of the whole city. The tower was intended to be seven stories tall but due to the Nawab’s untimely death; its construction stopped after the fourth floor was built. It is believed that another purpose of building the tower was to have a clear sight of the moon which would help the Nawab spot it during the time of Eid as the celebrations of this festival depends on the moon.
Architectural Excellence
The tower is located close to Husainabad Imambara and is a 67 metre tall structure. People who knew about its history in detail, told me that since the Nawab was badly injured while climbing its stairs, the construction was limited to four floors only as the injury to him was seen as an omen and they felt that supernatural powers do not want them to complete the tower. It is a fine blend of Italian and French architecture and attracts many foreign tourists.
Satkhanda Lucknow | Image Resource : wonderdestinations.wordpress.com
Ignored Monument
The historical tower is begging for restoration work, but all authorities including ASI seemed to have ignored it. Satkhanda lies at one corner as a ruined building that people seem to have forgotten. Its construction began in mid 19th century and the tower is also famous among the British people as it is also believed that it has something to do with Sir George Couper too, who was the governor of UP during British rule.
Lucknow is full of historical buildings and if one wants to grasp as much of its history, then visiting Satkhanda is a must. Do not skip this 19th century tower because although it has decayed because of ignorance, the tower still has its own charm. The history to it is very interesting, and if you talk to a few locals living near it, you may get to hear some inside stories that you will never find on the internet. Lucknow is where the true culture of India lies. Rich and full of colour, there is so much to explore here. You just have to be interested, and this city will offer a lot.
Bara Imambara | Image Resource : learningandcreativity.com
It is one of the most famous and most visited places in Lucknow. The Imambara is a shrine of Shia Muslims and was built by Asaf-Ud-Daula in 1785. It boasts of the world’s largest arched room which has no pillars. It was used by Nawabs to hear public grievances. The whole complex comprises of a number of things including a labyrinth. It also contains the tomb of Asaf-Ud-Daula which is being paid respect by most of the visitors.
Bhool Bhulaiya
This is the major attraction of the complex. The bhool bhulaiya is a confusing maze that consists of at least 450 identical doors and passageways that are going to confuse you, and there is no chance that you will come out of it in the first attempt. I had some real fun here as I was accompanied by some more confused people like me who did not know where to go. This was probably the ultimate highlight of the day!
Bara Imambara – Bhool Bhulaiya | Image Resource : tourism-uttarpradesh.blogspot.com
Shahi Bavali
This was the royal bathroom where all royal subjects used to take a bath. It has a very deep well and all bathrooms are constructed around the well. The well is built with an aim that if somebody is approaching it, you will see his/her reflection from the eastern side. Built with precision, it was certainly enjoyable.
Asifi Masjid | Image Resource : wikimedia.org
Rumi Darwaza and Asifi Masjid
Rumi Darwaza was built by workers who were specifically brought from Rome to construct it. From the top of this building, you can have a clear of river Gomti. It is also known as the Turkish Gate. Asifi Masjid is a beautiful building on the western side of the complex and you will see thousands of Muslims visiting the place to offer namaz on Friday. The building is an amazing example of architecture of the times of Mughals.
Rumi Darwaza | Image Resource :travelokam.com
Bara Imambara is a must visit place, and you are going to be stunned by the technology used to build this. The building would have been way ahead of its time when it was built during the latter part of 18th century.
Jama Masjid Lucknow | Image Resource : rohit0318.wordpress.com
Desription : Every city has its elegant Masjid and in Lucknow the Jama Masjid acts as the king of all the shrines. It has an elegantly built gateway and is a pride to the city of Lucknow. I visited the place with my friends and took the most wonderful pictures and would suggest other tourists to visit it too.
After I had visited The Residency, I decided to take the blessings of God by visiting the most famous temple in Lucknow- Mankameshwar. The temple is not far from my previous destination and is situated in an area called Daliganj. It is said to be at least a 1,000 years old and is flooded with devotees all the time. Though the temple is devoted to Lord Shiva, it also has a Shani temple within its premises.
Mankameshwar Temple Lucknow | Image Resource : blog.clearcarrental.com
The most interesting thing about the temple was that it had a woman priest who is said to be the first woman priest in the history of this temple. No fee is charged to enter temple premises and though it looks quite old from the outside, it is well maintained from the inside. It is surprising that the old walls of the temple have been able to survive for all these years and credit goes to temple administration for maintaining them.
I have always been fond of stories related to Lord Shiva and have always believed in him. Since I was allowed to capture pictures here, I did not let the opportunity slip and clicked some 20-30 photos within the premises. You will see innumerable shops offering stuff for puja inside the temple. Flowers, sweets and most importantly milk; everything is available just outside the temple.
A small market can fulfil your wish of getting a souvenir though I myself did not buy anything from here. Daliganj is full of old buildings and looks far away from the humdrum of city where there is immense construction going on, and there is a lot of traffic because of metro railway pillars taking up a lot of space on road.
Holy Shivling at Mankameshwar Temple | Image Resource : happytrips.com
You should give this temple a visit as it is the oldest and one of the most famous temples in Lucknow and if you are lucky enough to visit in the holy month of sawan, you are going to see thousands of devotees pushing to touch the holy shivling. It is a beautiful place and truly a one where you could feel at peace and reflect on your life.
Rumi Darwaja Lucknow | Image Resource : itimes.com
Description : The Rumi Darwaja is a very elegant gateway which was constructed to uphold the Mughal rule with elements of Mughal architecture in it. It is beautifully designed and stands tall and strong even today. I got a chance to visit there when I had to organize a fashion show in the city.
During my visit to Lucknow, I decided to visit the Charans Club and Resort . The place is spread across a wide area and has all basic amenities that one would require in a fun filled trip. It is around 15 km from Lucknow railway station and is also not far away from the tourist destinations I was planning to visit next.
Charans Club and Resort | Image Resource : hotels.eglobe-solutions.com
It has ultra-spacious rooms with all modern amenities and I was glad that I had made this choice. The resort has a gaming section too which has a number of pool tables. Snooker and Pool have always interested me, but I have never been able to learn them completely. I tried myself against other guests in table tennis and badminton, and I must say I am really good at these two.
Full of Facilities
Charans Club and Resort Lucknow has a bar, gym, restaurant, cafe and most importantly, the thing that is of utmost importance to me- Wi-Fi. I decided to stay in AC Executive room and only returned to my room when I wanted to sleep. Most of my time, I spent near the swimming pool and in the restaurant where I tried a number of cuisines. It offers everything within Indian, Chinese, Asian and Continental cuisines.
Charans Club and Resort Rooms | Image Resource : cleartrip.com
The thing that really helped me the most was the car rental service. I really needed a vehicle to roam around the rest of Lucknow and Charans Club provided me just that. I also availed the laundry services at the resort and got all my clothes neat and clean. There is also a business centre within the resort which was actually of no use for me but if you guys want to have some kind of business meeting, then this one seemed to be a fine place.
Home Away From Home
I came back to this resort after visiting a number of places in the city and cocooned myself in the comfortable bed of my room with some cool breeze from the air conditioner comforting my body. It is a pleasant place to stay and a must visit!
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