Shalu Sharma's Blog

  A wonderful palace built in Tudor style architecture commonly known as Bangalore Palace stands in the centre of Bangalore ( Bengaluru)  city, which is one of the three famous palaces belonging to the Wodeyar dynasty. The other two are the Mysore Palace and Fern Hill Palace of Ooty. There is the misconception among many people that the palace was constructed by King Chamaraja Wodeyar, whereas the fact is it was built by Rev. Garrett, the first principal of the Central High School which was later bought by the Chamaraja Wodeyar for a sum of 40,000/- rupees in 1873 and renovated later. Initially sprawling on 454 acres of land, the palace has lost much of its gardens and beauty to the development taking place around it. The palace attracts tourists not only for its assorted collection of rare arts and paraphernalia from the history of India, but also for its amazing wood carvings, paintings, turreted parapets , fortified towers, gothic windows, and much more. The palace groun...

There are no shortages of places to visit in India. But if you want one place then I recommend visiting Kochi. Kochi (or Cochin) is a city in India’s Kerala state. Getting to Kochi can be accomplished by many of the numerous flights including Dubai to Kochi tajawal flight . You can either plan to land in a different city or land directly in Kochi. Here is the list of some amazon places in Kochi to visit. Mattancherry Palace It is a palace most commonly known as the Dutch palace. The palace gives a feel of 1500’s India and how princes and kings built impressive palaces. This palace is also a protected heritage of UNESCO world heritage sites. It was built nearly around 1557 by the Portuguese colony and was gifted or represented to the prince Veera Kerala Varma. This palace has a unique structure and incredibly amazing architecture. People around the world come to visit this wonder. Fort Kochi This fort of Kochi has the marks of each century it has survived and portrays the beautiful yet ...

As a child and a teenager, I knew Hyderabad to be the city of Sultans, and that the Hyderabadi pearls are the best of the kind in India. Growing up a little, I learned about the famous Hyderabadi biryani. But never did I know that as an adult, there will be more to explore on my part as a traveler. I have never been a shopaholic. However, the streets of Hyderabad has such treasures strewn on them that you cannot resist the temptation of picking a thing or two. Here’s lowdown on what I discovered while shopping in Hyderabad . Laad Bazaar Let’s begin with a relatively less known product- the very vibrant lacquer bangles. The Laad Bazar, which connects the famous Charminar to Chowmahalla, is a haven for bangle lovers. You can even go behind the shiny shops to visit the artisans who create them. It’s fascinating to see how they prepare each bangle manually and paste stones on them to create interesting designs and patterns. The shine, as well as the bold colors, make the b...

Kanchipuram is also known by the names Conjeeveram, Kanjeevaram and Kanchi is a small town situated at a distance of 75 km from Chennai in Tamil Nadu. Kanchipuram is famous for the cotton and silk industry and imposing centuries old temples which has earned it fame as Varanasi of South India.  It is one of seven major pilgrimage centres for Hindus believed to give salvation to the devotees who visit them and worship the deities in the numerous temples of the city. At one time the city was known to be an abode of more than 1000 temples, but at present more than 100 have survived including some amazing churches and mosques. The city had earned its importance as the capital of Pallava’s from 4 th -10 th century. Gradually the town became a learning center which was visited by Buddhists, Jains and Saivite Hindus; though today the Jain and Buddhist temples have become extinct, leaving only archaeological remains behind. Kanchipuram Silk Sarees Kanchipuram is known for its unique silk a...

Mysore, locally known as Mysuru was the prominent city of Karnataka prior to Bangalore . This mystical and mythological city derives its name from the buffalo headed demon Mahishasur who is known to have been slain atop the Chamundi Hills by Goddess Chamundeshwari, an avatar of Parvati. The 10 day dussehra festival is organized every year to celebrate this victory of the good over the evil. The city can boast of its rich past given to it generously by the dynasty of the Wodeyars, which has created such an appealing charm about the city that it can enthrall tourists even to this day.

Badami, situated in Bagalkot districtof Karnataka, was once capital of mighty Chalukya Empire, but is now famous as tourist destination for its historical monument – The Badami Caves . These caves are considered to be the most spectacularly carved caves found in South India. The four major caves, hewn out of the hill at great height, are temples dedicated to different deities of Hindu and Jain religion. They are considered to be places of utmost importance by the architectures and archaeologists, for the reason that these caves hold significant clues to the styles followed by the south Indian architectures of past. The caves were carved out of the Deccan sandstone that is abundantly available in the area, during the 6th century, under the rule of Chalukya Empire. The color of the Deccan sandstone is believed to have given the place its name, i.e. the color of Badam which means almond in local dialect . Town of Badami seen from the caves. Source: Andrea Kirkby’s photostream Flickr

Bengaluru , which was earlier known as Bangalore is one of the most sought of exotic tourist destinations in South India. Bengaluru is the capital city of Karnataka and is the blend of ultra modern cosmopolitan culture and the traditional extravaganza. It is known to be the silicon city of India and the capital of information technology or the IT world of the country. It is the house for numerous multinational companies and is also recognised as one of the growing economical cities on the world map. It is also known as the ‘Garden City of India.’

Hyderabad is fondly referred to as the city of Nawabs and sometimes also as the city of Pearls as till the 20th century it probably was the only global center for large diamonds. Hyderabad is also famous as the birthplace of Tollywood besides hosting a thriving IT industry. But probably the most distinctive aspect of this historical city is that it is the only city in South India with a distinctly North Indian culture. This makes Hyderabad a veritable treasure house of amazing buildings and great food – and me like a kid in a candy store. Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad India