Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Gangotri- One of the Dham

The position of initiation of shri Bhagirathi is positioned at a distance of 28 kms. The place of worship of Bhagirathi is located at Gangotri. In this place of worship figures of Shri Ganga ji, Yamuna ji, Lakshmi ji, Saraswati ji, Parwati ji and Annapurna ji are seen. All items of Pooja are prepared up by Gold only. An impenetrable jungle of deodar is also to be found here. The shrine of Ganga is sited on the right bank of the Bhagirathi (Ganga) and its voyage can be observed in a variety of moods profound and quiet in the lower plains, but at Gangotri, Bhagirathi it is splashing, hurling, frothing and lively in an overjoyed air. Bhagirthi is pretty diverse from Alaknanda, Saraswati and Yamuna, so the stream of Gangotri is taken to Rameshwaram in south India and presented to Lord Shiva. There are in addition a few Ashrams and Dharamshalas on the left bank of Bhagirathi.
Gaumukh
Gaumukh is the known resource of Ganga. The Gangotri Glacier which is approximately 6 to 8 KM in breadth and just about 24 K.M in distance end to end is positioned at an altitude of 4255 m beyond sea level and placed in the mind of the Gangotri Peaks. The most excellent time to holiday in Gaumukh is from June to Septmber every year. Earlier than June and subsequent to October the bristle pathway can be full of danger.

Devotees take one dip very soon in the freezing water of Gaumhukh and the Hindus with parochial outlook suppose that even a lone dip in the Gaumukuhi water is enough to clean away all the sins and accomplish the intention of one's life. Just 3 kms from Gaumukh, amid the two Glaciers, Meru and Gangotri, there extends a huge plain Known as "Tapovanam". It is an enormously stunning spot that enthralls the mind by its usual charisma. Nandanvan is opposite Tapovan.


Yamunotri
The shrine of Yamuna ji is the chief place of worship. In the vicinity of this temple there are a small number of hot water springs where the water comes out of the mountains hollow space and is scorching hot. Surya-Kund is the main kund. A dash of rice or potatoes, put with a loose knot in a cloth, are put in it and following a few minutes when taken out they are wholly cooked. These are taken home and used as prasad. In the close proximity to the Surya Kund there is a shila called Divya-Shila which is respected before puja is offered to Yamunaji.

Close by is the Jamuna Bai Kund constructed about 75 years ago and is used for a sacred bath. The water is pleasingly warm and comforting.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Cocoa Beach Inns: Making Your Stay Perfect

When you head to Florida for a long awaited holiday, you want to make the most of your trip and ensure that you have everything you need to come back relaxed and ready to face your day to day life once again. If its great leisure that you are searching for, then aim to find one of the extremely site, away from all the hustle and bustle of the towns because there is nobody between you and enjoyment besides the pristine white sand beaches, exquisite sunsets and lots of sun. Amelia Island hotel or Cocoa Beach Inns are perfect locations where you can enjoy the most and stay cool. The Amelia Island Hotel is similar to a tropical paradise, offering incredible accommodation with clean rooms, generous workers that are considerate and specialized and an environment where you can feel secure and comfortable. Every morning you can wake up to a brilliant sunrise that is sure to start your day out right. Heading out from the hotel, you can start your day at one of the neighbouring cafes and restaurants that offer remarkable breakfasts always given out with fresh squeezed Florida orange juice before spending the morning on a world class golf course or lazing about on one of the amazing beaches. If you truly want to enjoy and relax, you can look out for best spas where you get professional body massage, facials and other soothing treatments. If you want some additional excitement in your vacation, go through a number of the excellent fishing and charters offered from the hotel or leave for a Nature tour to view the neighbouring wildlife in their natural surroundings and with a knowledgeable guide who can reply all of your questions. Cocoa Beach is a great little town only an hour east of Orlando, Florida and offers a lot to the traveller on a budget . It has been called as one of Florida's most reasonable vacation places. It's a small beach town that offers everything that the big cities offer but without all the noise, big city prices and the hordes of tourists. Lodging
at any of the Cocoa Beach inns will grant you admission to many new outdoor activities like parasailing, eco-tours and deep see fishing and all these items are within walking distance from every place that you choose to stay at while in Cocoa Beach. The Kennedy Space Center is just nearby which is a great place to visit and learn a lot of space things and if you are lucky you can watch space launch too. There is a zoo to take the family too, exceptional choices for shopping for the buyer of the family and several new golf courses for the golfer. The place where you stay should be a memorable one, so that you actually enjoy your days away from home and for this you need to accommodate the best of hotels out there. Whether you end up lodging at the quaint Amelia Island Hotel or at any of the numerous Cocoa Beach Inns, your holiday to Florida will be definitely one that is comforting and pleasurable for you and your relatives. Whether it's a trip that may be for some educational purpose for your kids and you or you want to experience the true adventurous life with your friends or if you just want to relax and do nothing, Amelia Island
and Cocoa Beach certainly possess precisely what you are searching for. Every type of accommodation in both areas is close to everything that you might need to make your vacation or business trip a success! Chalk out for even larger savings and book your hotels online prior you depart so you won't have to panic after you reach your destination.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Where natural beauty and legend unite

Tourists flock to the site to enjoy the wonderful natural environment and visit a complex of temples worshipping the Mother of the Forest, Que My Nuong, belonging to Dao Mau (Holy Mother Goddess Religion).

The three temples that can be found along the stream consist of the Thuong (Upper), Trung (Middle) and Ha (Lower) and were built during the 10th century Le dynasty. Que My Nuong, a daughter of King Hung Dinh Vuong (1400 BC) is credited with creating the Mo Stream and waterfalls that feed the fields and developing irrigation works. The people respect her as Mother of the Forest and worship at the temples.

The legend says, one day, the princess wandered about enjoying the beautiful landscapes. She visited the commune and realised that local agriculture often faced droughts. She climbed to the mountain’s peak, pressed her hand on the stone, and from her finger prints, five waterfalls appeared leading water to the fields, saving the people’s crops. Since then, the stream has been known as the Mo (Fertile).

She discussed with the village chiefs and designed irrigation plans for the region. The Trung Temple still preserves the place where the princess and the elders sat. A large stone right in the middle of the temple’s yard is the centre of the site. Pilgrims visiting the temple often touch their hands to the stone as they believe that healthiness and happiness would come.

The region experiences floods between May and October which sometimes sweep away the bridge leading to the temple, but the water level has never reached to the temple’s yard. The temple at this time of year resembles an island and can only be visited by tourists via boat, says tour guide Do Bach Tra.

Ha Temple was built on large scale in typical religious architecture. It’s the place for pilgrims to burn incense and ask for holy permission to visit the other temples and pagodas in the site.

Thuong Temple is located at the highest point. Leaning on the mountain, the temple has its rear linked to a stone chamber built into the mountain.

A path beside Thuong Temple leads tourists to Giong Khe, with a panoramic view of the mountains and streams.



Due to geological tectonics, large stones of different shapes can be found. These stones are placed in tiers to make different levels of slopes within the stream bed, which result in various falls of different sizes. As a result, many natural bath tubs have been formed. Along both sides of the stream are luxuriant trees looking into the clear water.

The Mo Stream Festival is held annually on the first day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar. Neighbouring villages and communes join the festival by contributing offerings to the locals and young women and men for the festival procession. They are divided into different processional teams wearing red, green, brown and yellow.

When the rites are finished, festival-goers join various festive activities such as archery, traditional martial arts, cock fighting, wrestling and swinging.


Hau dong (spiritual singing) is performed in the evenings at all temples to entertain and praise the gods.

Large numbers of pilgrims who attend the festival. Women often come to pray for happiness and health, and enjoy the hau dong performance. Young people enjoy the sightseeing of mountains and streams. Men sit down together and enjoy the local wine and tea.

Another must-see venue is the Tran Temple worshipping General Tran Hung Dao. The race tracks and holes for measuring soldiers are remains that prove that the Tran dynasty’s troops were stationed at the location to fight against Mongol invaders in the 13th century.

Before and after a battle, the soldiers jumped into the holes. Each hole could contain ten people. Through counting the holes, a commander could find out how many soldiers had been lost.

With beautiful nature and a long history, Mo Stream was recognised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national historical and cultural site in 1998.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Christmas Celebrations in Singapore - Enjoy a Tropical Christmas in Singapore the Lion City !

An island state cum city located on the southern end of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore is Southeast Asia’s smallest nation with a land area of just over 700 square kilometers. During the past decade or so, Singapore has developed in to one of the world’s most significant economic and business centres. Considered by many to be the cleanest state in the world, Singapore has its fair share of attractions to keep the tourist interested.

Like for inhabitants of almost every other nation, Christmas is a really magical time for those in Singapore as well. From mid November, almost every shopping mall and store in Singapore begins preparing themselves for the event that is Christmas. Decorations start coming up, the sound of Christmas carols could be heard echoing through the streets, Christmas trees begin to spring up everywhere and of course Santa Claus begins to make guest appearances on almost every street corner!

A really fascinating event that happens every Christmas in Singapore is the Orchard Road Christmas Light-up, which has been happening for the past 3 decades or so. Fairy lights, glitzy decorations, ornaments and 15 metre tall Christmas trees completely transform the famed Orchard Road in to a magical kingdom. You might even see colourful Christmas floats making their rounds at night. In addition to all this, St. Andrew’s Cathedral, one of Singapore’s oldest buildings presents an interactive interpretation of the Nativity in a more contemporary manner.

The flagship property in the state's hospitality industry, the iconic Raffles Hotel, Singapore is an award winning luxury hotel Singapore. Such is the iconic stature of the hotel, that the Singaporean government even declared the building as a national monument in 1987. The luxurious accommodations and exceptional levels of service at this all suite hotel Singapore will ensure that guests staying here will be pampered to their heart’s content.