The Stone House, fondly called “Kal Bangala” by the indigenous tribals of Ooty, Thodas, is the first bungalow constructed using Kal (Tamil for ‘stone’) to come up in this ravishing hill station of South India. It was built in 1822 by John Sullivan, one of the most revered personalities in Ooty, best known for establishing […]

If you are done sight-seeing the Vellore Fort, the Golden Temple and the Jalakandeswarar Temple in Vellore, take a bus or cab through the beautiful winding hill roads of Yelagiri, and head straight to the scenic Nilavoor Lake without blinking an eye. Yelagiri, often dubbed ‘Poor man’s Ooty’ is a popular hill station next to […]

If you want to visit an undisturbed and unspoiled island for your vacation, your best option would be the Malapascua Island in the Philippines, the land of beach bum’s delight. The Malapascua is a tiny island located a few kilometres away from Cebu in the Philippines. You can reach the island by a ferry from […]

The word “hippodrome” comes from the Greek word meaning hippos (horse) and dromos (way). It was built for conducting chariot races, the most admired sports of the Byzantine region (ancient Constantinople). Beyond races, this social centre served as an arena for social events including official ceremonies, celebrations, protests, executions, parades, and coronations. Located in the […]

Whenever it comes to a holiday trip, the most striking continent that comes to our mind in Europe. Among the innumerable places in Europe Athens, Berlin, Paris, London, Zurich, etc the pick of the lot in Switzerland, also the land of skiing and trailing. Though it is known for its incredible watch manufacturing capabilities, its […]

Buddhism is the second largest religion in Malaysia, Kek Lok Si temple stands as the symbol of Chinese Buddhism situated on top of the hill at Air Itam near Penang Island in Malaysia. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia and celebrated as the temple of supreme bliss for several reasons. The temple […]

First, let’s not mix Dev Deepawali up with Diwali, despite the fact that both have lights or Deepa as the central theme in their rituals. The holy city of Varanasi plays host to Dev Deepawali or Dev Diwali every year, celebrated after 15 days of Deepawali. It is observed as a mark of Lord Shiva’s […]

Just when the Muslim rulers were trying to impose control over the sovereignty of Madurai, the Nayaks of South India thwarted the advance of Muslim power in TamilNadu. Standing the test of times is the 17th century Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal in Madurai, one of the most important touring destinations of Tamil Nadu, built by the […]