Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Sawai Mansingh Stadium Jaipur

Name: Sawai Mansingh Stadium
Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan
Seating Capacity: 30000
Home Team: Rajasthan
Floodlights: Yes
First Test: India v Pakistan - Feb 21-26, 1987
First ODI: India v Pakistan - Oct 2, 1983

Sawai Mansingh Stadium is a cricket stadium in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. It was built in the reign of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II whom was also known as SMS hence the name of the SMS Stadium in short. It is situated at one corner of the Rambagh Circle. The stadium seats 30,000.

Sawai Mansingh Stadium has hosted a solitary Test match, between India and Pakistan, starting on February 21, 1987, when Pakistan President General Zia-ul-Haq crossed the border to watch the second day's play as part of his "Cricket for Peace" initiative. The Test was notable for Younis Ahmed's return to the Test fray after an absence of over 17 years and also for Sunil Gavaskar's dismissal to the first ball of the Test match, for the third time in an otherwise illustrious career. The game sputtered to a draw after the third day's play was abandoned following heavy rain and a controversy over the alleged deposition of sawdust on the wicket which Pakistan objected to.

The stadium's ODI debut had kicked off with a contest between the same two sides on October 2, 1983. Fresh from their World Cup triumph, the Indians comfortably won by four wickets, sporting the same XI that won the World Cup final. The ground has also hosted two World Cup matches in 1987 and 1996 respectively, the West Indians losing to England in the former and beating Australia in the latter. The last ODI played on the ground is between India and Pakistan on 17 December 2007.

Milestones at Brabourne Stadium:

* The highest ODI total at this ground is 303-4 by India against Sri Lanka in 2005-06.
* The lowest ODI total at this ground is 135 by India against Pakistan.
* The highest individual score by any batsman on this ground in ODI is 183 not out by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Holidays in Jaipur India

The city of Jaipur or the 'City of Victory' was named after Sawai Jai Singh, the Kachhwaha King and the founder the city. The started was built between 1727 AD and 1731 AD. It is the first planned city in India built on the basis of principles of the Shilpa Shastra, the ancient Indian treatise on architecture. The city became famous as the 'Pink City' when the entire city was painted with pink color in the honor of the Prince of Wales, who visited Jaipur in 1853 AD.

Holiday in Jaipur can be exciting with several historic places in Jaipur. The forts and museums are bound to impress you. City Palace, the former royal residence is the first place to be visited in Jaipur. The palace built incorporating the features of both the Rajput and Mughal style of architecture. The museum in Jaiput, which is a treasure trove of the Rajputs glorious past. The exhibits in the museum include various swords, their sheaths, Albert Hall and Hawa Mahal rare collection on astronomical works and numerous royal artifacts.

Jantar Mantar is another important place to be seen on Holiday in jaipur . Built by Sawai Jai Singh, the stone observatory is one of the five observatories built by him in India. The most extraordinary of all the instruments is the Ram Yantra used for estimating elevations.

Hawa Mahal or the 'Palace of Wind' is a significant landmark of the city of Jaipur. Built in 1799 AD by Pratap Singh for the ladies of the royal household, Hawa Mahal is a five-storey building with 953 recesses and windows. The royal grandstand fulfilled the purpose of watching the royal processions and the market activities by the ladies without being watched by others.

Amber Palace was started by Man Singh with few additions made by Mirza Raja Jai Singh and finally completed by Sawai Jai Singh. It took more than two centuries to complete the Amber Fort. The palace complex is built around the Jaigarh Fort and consists of palaces, and temples.

The other important places Jaipur to visit on holiday in jaipur are the Shila Devi Temple, Nahargarh Fort, Jaisalmer Fort, Amber Fort, Jai Mahal Palace ,Ramganj Bazar, Govind Dev Ji Temple, Galtaji and Sisodia Rani Garden.

How to Reach

By Air: Jaipur has the Sanganer International Airport with frequent flights from Noida, Mumbai, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Delhi.

By Rail: Jaipur is well connected by frequent train services with all the including major cities of IndiaAhmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi.

By Road: Jaipur is well connected by roadways with major cities of Rajasthan, various places in Delhi City, Agra City and Mumbai City.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Forts & Monuments In Jaipur

Jaipur is the city of ancient monuments and forts and surely you will love to see the architectural wonders that trace their origin back to history. The sandstone palaces and forts are stunning and the sheer magnitude of the monuments will strike the moment you see it for the first time. Some of the important forts and palaces that you must see while on a sight seeing tour of Jaipur are Amer Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Albert Hall, Birla Temple, Govind Devji, Birla / Laxmi Narayam Temple, Moti Doongri, Kalki Temple, Galta Ji, Kanak Vrindavan Temple, and a few other places.

Amber Fort
Amber (Amer) is situated about 11 kilometers from Jaipur. It was once the citadel of the ruling Kachhawa clan of Amber, before the capital was shifted in the plains to present day Jaipur.

City Palace Jaipur
The City Palace was built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of the Kachhwaha clan of Rajputs, but a lot of changes and additions were made to the original structure by his successors.

Gaitore Chhatris
Gaitore is situated on the Jaipur-Amber road, about 15 kms from Jaipur. Gaitore is a royal cremation site of the majestic rulers of Jaipur.

Hawa Mahal
Hawa Mahal Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh,

Hawa Mahal

is the most stunning sight in the city of Jaipur.


Jaigarh Fort
Jaigarh Fort was made to tighten the security of Jaipur and Amber. Due to this fact, one may not find this fort as artistic as other forts and palaces, but it certainly has its own charm.

Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar at Jaipur is the largest stone observatory in the World and this feature makes it, a special destination for a traveler.

Statue Circle
Statue Circle forms a major landmark of Jaipur. It is situated on a busy crossing of the city. Statue Circle has got its name from the statue, which it portrays. Statue Circle comprises the statue of King Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur.

Albert Hall Museum
Albert Hall Museum is also known as the Central Museum and is the oldest museum of Rajasthan. It was built in 1886 A.D in honor of the King Edward VII visit to Jaipur.

New Year Celebrations

The whole range of celebration of the New Year's Day basically stems from the various ways ancient societies used to greet the new harvest seasons. It was first marked in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon and the first day of spring.Symbolically, New Year signifies a renewal of life. The spirit of celebration is for regeneration, while discarding the old and worn out. The customs and practices, though modified through the centuries, have still their distinctive strains in the ways we welcome each onrushing year.

The Midnight cacophony
The idea of making deafening noise is to drive away the evil spirits who flocked to the living at this climactic season with a great wailing of horns and shouts and beating of drums. This is why at the stroke of midnight we hear the deafening clamor of sirens, car horns, boat whistles, party horns, church bells, drums, pots and pans - anything that serves the purpose of producing a devil chasing din.

Resolution
In order to have a 'clean slate' on which to start the New Year, people in times past have made certain that they had all their borrowings cleared. Those were the days before such complexities as credit buying. The New Year resolutions, which we are so fond of, represent other efforts to make the year brand new. In fact, we often say that in the New Year we are "turning over a new leaf".

How the Church celebrated the New Year
Although in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the New Year, the early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the early church began having its own religious observances concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Year's Day was no different. New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision by some denominations.

Honeymoon In Jaipur

Pink city Jaipur in Rajasthan, India is popularly known as, takes one into becoming an essential part of the undying romance of the Jaipur air. The seclusion, beauty of desert sands, folk music and monuments that narrate stories of love and lovers is all here to experience. Watching the sunset, spreading its red gold glow on the pink city is perhaps the most romantic sight. The dreamlike magic of the golden glow on the golden sands creates a sentimental and love filled ambience and helps one to bond in.

Established by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, Jaipur is the perfect honeymoon destination that treats couples to vistas as one dine at a heritage hotel surrounded by beautiful wall paintings and sculpted pillars.

The various offers customized honeymoon packages for Jaipur that take care of all the technicalities involved in arranging a luxury honeymoon that leaves you tension free to just be with each other and enjoy royal Jaipur.

Sawai Jai Singh II built the Jaipur city in a time span starting from 1727 to 1731. He was the princely ruler of Jaipur at that time. Jaipur's culture, heritage and history are still preserved. Popularly Jaipur is called as the pink city because it was painted in pink in the honor of The Prince of Wales. It is brimming with old forts, majestic and royal palaces, ancient and modern temples and gardens.

Amber Fort in Rajasthan built in 1592 by Raja Man Singh, is one of the finest examples of Rajput architecture. Balanced high on a deserted ridge, it tips extensive views over a deep narrow valley and the wider plains beyond. The building was finally completed in the early18th century when the threat of Mughal domination was withdrawing. Amber was once, the capital of the Mina tribes, believed to be the original inhabitants of this region.

City Palace of Jaipur or the main palace is an imposing blend of traditional Rajasthan and Mughal architecture. The vast palace complex occupies one seventh of the walled city of Jaipur. Originally built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of the Kachhwaha clan of Rajputs, additions have been made to the palace complex by many of his successors.

The complex is divided into a series of courtyards, extensive gardens and buildings. It is home to several palatial structures like the Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Badal Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum . In the first courtyard is the 'Mubarak Mahal', built by Maharaja Madho Singh II in the late 19th century. The Mubarak Mahal, or the Auspicious Palace, contains the textile section of the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum.

Jaipur Flights

SpiceJet - Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai
Jet Airways - Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur
Indian Airlines - Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai
Kingfisher Airlines - Bangalore, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Mumbai
Indigo Airlines - Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai
GoAir - Delhi, Mumbai
Air Deccan - Bangalore, Mumbai
Jaipur Flights has its own airport located at a distance of 13 kms from the city, near Sanganer. Jaipur Airport is well connected with all the major cities of India like Mumbai, Delhi, Agra, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahemdabad, Hyderabad, Chennai and Goa. Kuwait, Peshawar, Kathamandu, Muscat, Karachi, Sharjaha, Bahrain and many other global cities are too connected with the international airport of Jaipur. There are numerous airlines that run regular flights to and from Jaipur Airport.

If one is looking for cheap flights to Jaipur, then there are a few airlines that provide scheduled air services to the city of Jaipur. Talking about cheap flights, there are Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and Air Sahara. The international airlines that offer air services to Jaipur are Air Arabia and Oman Air. All the air lines provide class services and assure a comfortable journey to their passengers.

There are plenty of airlines that run domestic flights from Jaipur, Rajasthan like Jet Airways, Air India, Indigo Airlines, Air Deccan, Indian Airlines, Air Sahara, SpiceJet, Kingfisher Airlines, and GoAir. Indian airlines run about three to four flights in a day. Air Deccan charge very less for the air fare and the best part is that, one can get low-priced tickets even at the last minute.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Wildlife in Rajasthan

Rajasthan is home to many unique and beautiful species of wildlife. The National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in Rajasthan India are an exotic destination to visit, on Rajasthan Wildlife Tours. See the impressive Indian Tiger at Ranthambore National Park or Leopard, Rhino, Indian Horse, Peacocks and other exotic creatures on Rajasthan Wildlife Tours. A Rajasthan Wildlife Safari tour is sure to be an unforgettable experience. Wildlife India Travel offers tours to the wildlife sanctuaries and National Parks in Rajasthan.

Some of the popular Rajasthan Wildlife Tours are:

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary : Bharatpur Wildlife Sanctuary is also known as Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary and this great waterfowl habitat is one of the finest in the world and was created by a maharaja.

Ranthambore National Park : Ranthambore National Park is situated in Eastern Rajasthan at the confluence of the Aravali hill ranges and the Vindhyan plateau. Two rivers flow through the Ranthambore National Park - the Chambal River in the South and the Banas River in the North. Six man-made lakes and many perennial streams pass through the entire national park. In 1955.

Sariska Tiger Reserve : Sariska wildlife Sanctuary is part of the Project White Bengal Tiger. The Sanctuary extends over an area of 800 sq. kms, and has a wide spectrum and rich population of wildlife.

Gir National Park : Gir National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary comprises 1412 sq km of deciduous forest interspersed with semi-evergreen and evergreen Indian Crane, Deer, Elephant, Indian Lion and Indian Birds.

Desert National Sanctuary : The Desert National Park is located at a distance of 40kms. from Jaisalmer and exemplifies the unusual ecological biodiversity of the renowned Thar desert.

Keoladeo Ghana National Park : Keoladeo National Park, situated in the state of Rajasthan in India is a former duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas.

Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary : Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the most rugged of the Aravali in Pali City, Rajsamand Lake and Udaipur City districts of Rajasthan.