About the Dudhsagar Fall

The Dudhsagar Fall is one of the massive tourist attractions in Goa. This fall is among the five highest water falls in the country while if we talk about the world rankings then it is ranked as the 227th rank among the worlds highest water falls. This water fall is born from the river Mandovi. Dudhsagar is a Tiered type of waterfall that drops from a height of 310 metres or 1017 feet which is actually a good height with an average width of 30 metres or  100 feet. Due to its fall from such an elevation the water seems to be like milk and thus it got its name as Dudhsagar that is ocean of milk.  During summers it may not seem that attractive but in monsoon and immidiate post monsoon period it is in its full youth and I must say the massive flow of high volume water from a height of 310 metres is marvellous. Natures beauty comes at its best in rains when the surroundings are covered in complete thich green cover and at the middle this ocean of milk appears in its most powerful state like one of the most spectacular paintings of Almighty God. This place really makes the Western Ghats worth enchanting. Words are not enough to explain the serenity of this place.

How to reach Dudhsagar Fall?
Reaching to the waterfall is easy and there are many transport facilities available via rail route as well as road route. Train route is more popular and practical as it gives you the chance to indulge in the scenic beauty of Goa. First option is to take local trains from Madgoan which goes to Kulem from where the fall is just ten kilometer away. This journey can be completed by hiring a jeep that is easily available at Kolem Railway Station. As the road is not very smooth it takes approximately 45 minutes to cover first 8 kilometers. After which you can take a walk for further one kilometer and you touch the base of the Dudhsagar Fall. Here you find the calm and refreshing water in a pond where you can give a thought to swimming. The interesting thing about this last 10 kilometers is that you travel through the dense forest and come across three small rivulets to reach your final destination. It is just awesome and not at all tiring even though the road is rough. The Goa Forest Department is maintaining the road towards fall but the drawback is that the approach road has to be closed during rains every year. The charges for the last 8 kilometers are around Rupees 375 per head. It may seem to be expensive but the journey is worth it. After enjoying your breath taking day in the Dudhsagar Water Fall, you can catch the same local train which will take you back to Goa at around 5 – 15 pm.
The distance of waterfall from Panji is only sixty kilometers. One can directly hire a taxi o reach Dudhsagar Fall either from Panji or from Margao.  Alternatively one can catch the close ups of fall by travelling in any of the following trains that passes through the route Londa – Madgaon Railway route:

• Delhi – Goa Express
• Howrah – Vasco Amaravathi Express
• Pune Ernakulam Express
• Chennai – Vascodegama Express
• Miraj – Castle Rock Pessanger Train

For trekking enthusiast this place is a delight as it offers a trek full of challenges as one has to face stone paths and small water rivulets along with green forest and vegetation. The best time to trek is from September to May. When rain starts it is difficult to trek. There are small shelters being built on the river sides to facilitate trekkers.

Ruchi Mahajan

About the park
Sambhaji Park is a perfect place for children, young as well as for seniors. It is one of favourite place for people who do morning walk and jog here. The big garden offers plenty of space and jogging track for morning walkers. This garden has a fish aquarium, a mini fort especially for kids and a big fountain to attract loads of people. You do find people resting under the cool shades of tall green trees during day time. A variety of colourful flower plants soothes your eyes and the lovely fragrance tickles your nostrils. The green and well maintained garden is watered by sprinkle system. This system helps to keep the garden green all year around. There is a special play park in the Sambhaji Park that catches quite good number of children from around the city. Kids love the fish aquariums as it is educational as well as interesting for kids. The big fountain is located at the centre of the park and enhances the beauty of the surroundings with its sparkling showers. You can also notice a statue of Late Mr. Ram Ganesh Gadkari who was a Marathi Poet and can remember his well known work in Marathi field.

Outside the park
Mouth watering chopati is just the outside of the park to tickle your taste buds wait for visitors to come and enjoy the chaats. You can find various stalls of bhelpuri, panipuri, vada pav and other chaat items. Bring your own drinking water to escape from diseases spread due to unhygienic water. For kids there are rides available just outside like bike ride, merry go round ride, etc. balloon sellers are quite a common site here. You do find parking outside the park if you are lucky enough as this place is parked fully on all seven days of the week.

Opening days
The Sambhaji Park is open all through the week for general public.

Opening hours
The garden is open from 8 am till 11.30 am in the morning and from 4 pm till 8.30 pm in the evening every day.

Entrance charge
There is no entrance fee charged to visit the park as it is created for public enjoyment. If you have not explored this place yet then you must visit once to know that there can be a relaxing place in the middle of crowed and traffic congestion. Enjoy your visit and share experience.

Ruchi Mahajan

The speciality of this church is that it is declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Apart from this there is another important fact is that this place has the body (mortal remains) of Great Saint Francis Xavier. The place where this church is located is known as Old Goa which used to be the capital of Portuguese during their regime.

About the church
If we go in depth of the name of the church, The Basilica of Bom Jesus, that means a catholic church of Infant Jesus. The word Basilica means church or cathedral while Bom means (here) infant while if we go the literature way it means holy or good. It is a holy place of Christians dedicated to the young infant Jesus.  The fact to be proud of is that this church is the first minor basilica in the country. It is also one of the richest churches of Goa. The elaborative architecture which is called Baroque Architecture of the church is an outstanding example in the Indian history.  The church was built during 1594 to 1605 and is sanctified by Dom Fr. Aleixo De Menezes. It has become a milestone historic holy place among Christians from all over the world.  The body of St. Francis Xavier who initiated the Society of Jesus along with St. Ignatius Loyola is kept in this church in an air tight glass coffin inside a well decorated silver casket. He died on December 2 in the year 1552 in Sancian Island. The casket is kept once in a ten year period for public viewing. People say that his body is still looks as fresh as at the time when he was buried. Last time the public display was arranged in the year 2004. It is also said that he was blessed by God with extraordinary powers of healing. He definitely had something special from God that is why he has a lot of followers and devotees who come to see his remains and remember him for his good work from across the world even after five centuries. His devotees include Christians as well as non Christians too.

This centuries old church is said to be one of the oldest churches not only in Goa but also in India too. The church has marble flooring along with some precious stones, the intricate golden altars are impressive and the interiors are simple but inviting. You can also view paintings that display the events from St. Francis Xavier’s life. The silver casket in which the saint’s body is resting is kept on top of a vault. This vault was a gift from the Grand Duke of Tuscany. This vault is significant because it was specifically designed in a period of ten years by Giovanni Battista Foggini, a seventeenth century sculptor.

There is an art gallery also in the church on the upper level. This gallery displays the work of great painter Dom Martin. The art works of that time in the church are called Murals. Anyone can visit this church as it is open for public visiting every day. I must say it is a must visit place as it not only help you to explore the history but also gives a chance to pay your prays in one of the most holy places in Goa. The finest example of architecture of this historic landmark won’t let you blink your eyes even once until you explored it completely.

Ruchi Mahajan

• First of all it is important to know that Goa is the smallest state in the country.

• Goa is also the fourth smallest state in the country by Population. Goa is not a densely populated area in India.

• Another interesting fact about Goa is that it is the richest state in the country. Yes it has two and a half times more per capita GDP than the entire country.

• The Eleventh Finance Commission has recognized Goa as best placed state because of its infrastructure. You must visit it once to see the infrastructure developed by this tiny state.

• The National Commission on Population evaluated this state on twelve different indicators and then declared it the best quality of life in the entire country.

• Goa is surrounded from three sides by two bigger states Maharashtra from North and Karnataka from East and South while the huge Arabian Sea gives it the western coast line.

• Portuguese captured Goa and ruled for about 450 years. They first came by sea way in the sixteenth century as merchants but started plans to capture the place soon. Goa was also known as Portuguese Colony.

• You still find many places in Goa named after Portuguese and Portuguese influence on the architecture of buildings.

• The biggest city of Goa is Vasco De Gama while Margao is known as the historic city in the state.

• Panaji is the state’s capital as well as magnificent place to roam around.

• Goa is popular for its spectacular panoramic beaches on the cost line.

• The historic building of the Basilica of Bom Jesus is world recognized place and declared World heritage site by UNESCO. This church is significant because it has the preserved body of a great Christian saint St. Francis Xavier in a highly decorated casket. It is kept for public viewing every ten years on the death anniversary of the Saint.

• Goa has many forts too like Tiracol, Chapora, Aguada, Corjuem, Cabo De Rama, Gaspar Dias, etc. I really find these names difficult to pronounce as they have Portuguese connection.

• Apart from historic forts, serene beaches, architectural masterpiece churches Goa is also popular for its Flora and Fauna that make Goa a rich natural hotspot with bio diversity.

• Goa is famous for its churches but it does not mean that this place does not have any temples. If we talk about temples then The Mangueshi Temple, Shanta Durga Temple, Mahalasa Temple can be worth mentioning. The interesting fact here is that these temples show the indo Portuguese Architectural style and after 1961 most of such temples were demolished and rebuilt in original Indian style.

• Goa has a number of super luxurious resorts and spas to give you treatment not less than a royal fellow.

• Goa is an interesting place to visit as it has everything to offer from beauty of nature to depth of sea, from religious fulfillment to casinos to spoil you. If you want to enjoy Goa in its fullest then indulge yourself completely in the style of Goa.

Ruchi Mahajan

The University of Pune was previously known as university of Poona is situated at the north- west of Pune. It was founded on 10th February 1949 with a motto “Where Actions Prove Knowledge”. The Chancellor of university of Pune is Shri Kateekal Sanskaranarayanan and vice chancellor is Sanjay Chahande. Currently 496531 students are pursuing education here. The University of Pune is affiliated to UGC, NAAC, and AIU. University also serves as an important institute of Astronomy. The fact to be proud for university of Pune is that it has got the highest rating ‘A’ for outstanding performance by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

A sprawling 411 acres of space was allotted to start the university. It has become a landmark in Pune. Since then it has earned many applause in the field of education, teaching and research work. There are many academic programmes are conducted here in Arts, Science, Commerce and language streams. It has forty six (46) different departments for these academic programmes.    The campus is fully facilitated and provides the right atmosphere for studying. The interesting fact about the university campus is that some incidences of Khadki Battle were happened at the place where the current premise is. Thus we can call it a historic place too. The main building of university of Pune was actually Governor’s house and was built in the year 1864. The architecture of the building can tell the story. There is a community radio service by university called Vidyarani which airs programmes centred on different departments. Along with information it is also medium of edutainment programs for students.

You not only notice students and teachers in the premises but many visitors from local as well as outside come here to relax or for morning walk in the lush green pollution free environment. There is a canteen in the campus that has delicious mouth watering items on the menu.  University of Pune has made Pune proud and students as well as teachers dream to be a part of this respectable institution.

You can get detailed information about various academic programmes conducted by University of Pune through the following website:

www.unipune.ac.in

Ruchi Mahajan

Ahmedabad is a global emerging powerhouse which is very well positioned to prosper and grow in this new age of urbanization. The development in Industrial and IT sectors among other sectors has resulted in many job opportunities in Ahmedabad and many are looking for a new business and job opportunities which will result in rise in the population of the city. With so many positive factors essential and ideal for growth has increased the value of Ahmedabad Property. The real estate sector in Ahmedabad is booming, many new constructions have come up big way in the form of SEZs, IT parks, integrated townships etc. in recent past within and around the city. The builders and developers have come up with many new residential and commercial projects. The residential projects in Ahmedabad are mostly comprising of 1 bhk, 2 bhk, 3 bhk apartments/ flats, 4 and 5 bhk luxurious / modern apartments, duplex and pent houses. Also there are residential projects of twin bungalows, bungalows/ villas, plots/ plotted schemes, row houses and farm houses. The Commercial projects in Ahmedabad are mostly comprised of shops, retail spaces, office spaces and showrooms.

The development in Ahmedabad real estate market is fairly new as compared to other big cities in India and is picking up at a faster rate. As of now the real estate residential and commercial properties are reasonable and affordable in comparison to other cities in India makes people more attracted towards investing in property in Ahmedabad. Real estate investors are setting their sights on real estate properties that are being developed in Ahmedabad. Many property buyers, NRIs and investors are making a beeline for real estate property in Ahmedabad before the Ahmedabad real estate property prices go up. The demand for the residential property and commercial property is increasing because of various infrastructure development and economical standard. Investor who purchases a property in Ahmedabad could later sell or use it personally or could put on rent, which is a very good mode of income. The return on investment in residential properties and commercial properties is at a continuous speed and is increasing day by day.

Today Ahmedabad presents excellent and tremendous prospects of growth, being a big city and expanding at a greater pace. The city focuses a lot on developing its infrastructure and offers a business friendly policy. There is a strong sentiment among the investors for real estate investments; therefore investing in Ahmedabad property is beneficial.

The tragedy that hit Elephanta Caves
In the year 1534 Portuguese captured this island and thus the Hindu population declined to visit the shrine. This place was named Elephants Island by Portuguese Rulers. They did not care about the place and the historic monument caves situated on the island. When they came to the Island they first saw a giant Elephant at the entrance and thus they named the place Elephanta Island and the caves were called Elephanta caves. They never respected the Hindu faith in God as well as the idols of Hindu Gods that were worshiped by large number of Hindus inside the caves. The Portuguese soldiers used to shot the statue heads for target practice. As a result most of the precious work of ancient art was demolished or damaged badly. Even the huge elephant structure collapsed in the year 1814 but later on it was restored. Currently it is placed in Jijamata Udyan outside the Bhau Daji Lad museum in Mumbai. The historic inscriptions were either destroyed or could not be found. Because of which it became difficult to know the original history and the exact date of inception of these splendid caves. The water dripping from the top and from cracks also contributed in damaging the interiors of caves.

We are also responsible somehow for the current condition of this historic monument as while visiting the place we carelessly touch the walls, even scratch the interiors of caves and do spread the plastic wrappers and other waste. It is a shame for us because if we do not respect our heritage who else will do. Quite later it was realised that it is a historic architectural monument and then the work of restoration started and the caves were renovated without changing the original looks in the year 1970 after a long wait. In the year 1987 it Elephanta caves have become the World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Archaeological Survey of India (AIS) is maintaining the place.

The island is picturesque and the hills are visible from a distance. You can reach the island by Ferry ride. This ferry can be taken from the Gateway of India. You can also enjoy the forest patch here that has trees like mango, tamarind, palm and Karanj trees while some rice fields are also visible spread on the valley. There is one stupa on one of the hills on the island. Thus this hill is called stupa hill. Inside the cave of Elephanta the following remains you can explore:
1. The entrance with detailed carvings

2. A big hall having thick pillars to support

3. Huge Mahesa statues

4. A marvellous three headed statue of lord Shiva – the creators face at right, the protector’s face in the middle, the destroyer’s face at the left side. This sculptor is of 6.5 meter high. It is an excellent work of ancient art.

5. Shiva’s statue depicting the event of bringing River Ganges from his hair onto the Earth.

6. A statue in which Shiva seated on a lotus representing lord of Yogis.

7. Statue of Shiva in dancing pose (Natraj posture).

8. Ardhnarishwara form of Lord Shiva (magnificent)

Events at the Island
Every year in February there is a dance festival is organised by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC).

On the occasion of Mahashivaratri People visit the shrine and worship the various forms of Lord Shiva.

The Elephanta Caves is a place worth visiting as it is not only a historic landmark but also a scenic green Island and small hills. It is also a place of religious significance as it is the abode of Lord Shiva.

Ruchi Mahajan

Ahmedabad is also financial capital of Gujarat. It is the fifth largest city and seventh largest metropolitan area of India. There has been a substantial growth in IT, education sector and scientific industries.  Ahmedabad has large number of small, medium and large scale industries. Many MNCs and major Indian companies have set up their manufacturing unit as well as corporate offices in Ahmedabad. The city has created highest job opportunities and is continuing to do so due to Industrial and business friendly policies.

Ahmedabad is a growing real estate market. There has been increase in the population in recent decade which resulted in major construction boom. The real estate development in Ahmedabad has reached a new high and there has been a rise in real estate property prices. Being one of the progressive cities in India, the investment in realty sector is promising due to development in cities civic infrastructure and other sectors like IT, Auto, Trade etc.

The city has some of the best school and colleges in the country. Ahmedabad also hosts best facilities and amenities like restaurants, hotels, multiplexes, shopping malls, recreation center, banks, atms, hospitals etc. The real estate properties are more in demand at areas which offer better amenities and easy accessibility and such areas command a higher price structure than the rest of the city.

The city is witnessing some major construction projects including hotel projects, real estate residential project, commercial projects and shopping malls development. Among the areas which are coming up with new residential and commercial projects are C G road, Law garden, Maninagar, Chandkheda, Navrangpura, Naroda, Science City, Jodhpur, Ghodasar, Darpan Circle, Rancharda, Ranip, Ambawadi, Gota, Naroda, Sanand, Bavla, Sabarmati, Ghuma, Vastral, Sardar Patel Ring Road, Bopal etc. The location of a real estate residential or commercial property in Ahmedabad plays a major role in determination of its market price.

The Builders and developers are coming up with residential projects of plots, 1 bhk, 2 bhk, 3 bhk, 4 bhk, 5 bhk apartments / flats, duplex, penthouse, row house and bungalow / villa.  Commercial projects consist of shops / retail outlets, showrooms and office space.

There has been a huge demand for luxurious condominiums and luxury apartments. Lot of upcoming real estate residential projects is equipped with several modern amenities to give the home seekers the taste of luxury and comfort.

Real estate investment in Ahmedabad is considered safe for investors, NRIs and home buyers, it is the right time to buy property in Ahmedabad as the real estate prices are reasonable depending on the location. Besides due to the development which is taking place in Ahmedabad in all the sectors the real estate prices are expected to go much higher in the years to come. Ahmedabad has immense potential as the next hot spot for real estate market and property development in India.

• Caves 1 to 12 – Buddhist caves
• Caves 13 to 29 – Hindu caves
• Caves 30 to 34 – Jain caves

All these caves are quite close to each other representing the religious harmony in that period. The Ellora caves are declared to be the World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of its historical as well as splendid architectural significance. All these caves are being built during fifth to seventh century. The caves have different sections, multi storied buildings, temples, prayer halls as per the religious faith given different names to these sections.

The Buddhist Caves
In Buddhist caves you find large rooms for living space, proper kitchens, sleeping rooms, temple, Chaitya hall, etc. The Vishwakarma Cave which is also called Carpenter’s cave is the most popular cave among all the other caves of Buddhist Section. The speciality of this cave is that it has a high ceiling carved beautifully like wooden carving impressions. It has fifteen feet tall statue of seated Gautama Buddha in preaching pose just in the centre of the hall like stupa. A huge Bodhi Tree carved on the rock is very impressive. The entrance of this cave is quite high like multi storied structure.  The caves number one to nine are viharas that is the living place for monks also called monasteries while the cave number 11 and 12 are three storied buildings called Do Tal and Tin Tal respectively. The one to nine number caves also have some holy shrines inside them like stone carved Gautama Buddha, Bodhisattvas, saints, etc.

The Hindu Caves
Cave number 13 to 29 except 14, 15 and 16 were created during the Kalachuri Period while the caves 14, 15 and 16 were built in Rashtrakuta regime. It is supposed to be sixth century when all these Hindu caves were created. Whatever technology they used at that time the outcome was outstanding and beyond our thinking. No doubt that they must have a better planning and coordination skills that turned out to be such a huge and perfect monument in the Indian history.

The cave number sixteen is the special attraction as it has a temple resembling the holy abode of Lord Shiva on Kailas Parbat. This cave has various superb wall carvings representing dancing Shiva (Natraj Mudra), wedding scene of Shiva – Parvati, another interesting wall carving shows that Ravan is lifting mount Kailas with his full strength while Shiva and Parvati are sitting on it with guards. Three main structures you can explore here are sacred bull Nandi, the Nandi Mandap and the Shiva temple. The temple was covered with white plaster in order to make it more look like mount Kailas. The Dravidian art is reflected in the design of this temple.The multi storied cave with huge intricate carvings represents the architectural skills those people had when no technology or machineries were used to lift the heavy weights of rocks. It is estimated that for creating these magnificent caves approximately more than 200000 tonnes of rock needed to be removed from place. I do not have a clue how they did it. These caves took almost hundred years to get the desired shape. Another cave in Hindu section is known as Dashavtara which is cave number 15. It has shown the ten different Avtaras of Lord Vishnu. It also shows the killing of Hiranyakashyap by the man-lion form of Lord Vishnu through its art work on stone.

The Jain Caves
These are the last work in the Ellora caves. These five caves were said to be created in the ninth and tenth centuries. These caves were of Digamber jains that is one section of Jain followers. The caves have carvings on the walls, pillars and at the entrance of the caves depiction the Jain philosophy. There are various names given to the Jain caves like Chhota Kailas (cave 30), the Indra Sabha (cave 32), and the Jagannath Sabha (cave 33). Apart from these cave 34 seems unfinished having a hall with four pillars and a shrine. The carvings are quite impressive as well as detailed with attractive paintings on the ceiling of the caves. The Jain caves are a bit smaller in size as compared to the Buddhist and Hindu caves in Ellora.

Visiting Hours:
From sunrise till sunset
Mondays closed for visiting.

Ruchi Mahajan

Mahabaleshwar comes under Satara District of Maharashtra state. It is not a new place because it is said that the first person who discovered and visited Mahabaleshwar in the year 1215 was a king named Singhan from Deogiri. He was the person who first thought of using the great water source of River Krishna. He is the person who built the temple as well as a water tank on the River Krishna. It was rediscovered during the nineteenth century during British regime. As we all know British were always tried to find places that can help them to escape from extreme summers and thus Mahabaleshwar was established in the year 1829 as a health resort. It was actually the summer capital of Bombay Province during that time. The climate of this place was favourable and cool to make a perfect place for developing a health resort. It is situated on the Western Ghats in Maharashtra and is called “The Capital of Hill Stations” of Maharashtra. The main attraction of this place is the evergreen jungles that spread all over the valley make it the perfect destination for nature lovers. The cool climate attracts thousands of tourists during summer season.

Mahabaleshwar is situated at a height of 1353 meters that is 4439 feet. The distance from Pune approximately 120 kilometres that is 75 miles away while Mumbai is 285 kilometres away. The highest peak of Mahabaleshwar is heighted about 4718 feet from sea level. This peak is called Sunrise point or Wilson point. This place is spread on a plateau which is 150 square kilometre.  This plateau is surrounded by dense green cover. The big and famous Krishna River starts from Mahabaleshwar and passes through three states of country namely Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The very interesting fact about the source of this River is the mouth of a statue of a cow. This statue is situated in an old temple of God Mahadev (Shankar) in the old Mahabaleshwar. Krishna is not the only rivers that starts from the cow’s mouth but there are four other rivers too that are called Koyana, Venna, Savitri and Gayatri respectively. These rivers start from the mouth but later merge into Krishna River. Isn’t it miraculously interesting?

Apart from natural beauty Mahabaleshwar is also known for its holy shrine which is called Mahabaleshwar temple of Hindus. People come and worship Hindu God here. This place is very popular for its strawberry and honey production. Actually the climatic conditions are quite favourable for strawberries and mulberries and that is why you can enjoy mouth watering ripe clear red berries as well as you can visit the strawberry farms too. The Mapro factory that makes fruit jams and fruit drinks, is also on the way if you want to visit and buy the fruit products. A strawberry with cream is my favourite and you should also try it once.

The Venna Lake is popular for boating in Mahabaleshwar and always catches good crowd. There are many things to do in Mahabaleshwar like horse riding, boating, go carting, video games, pool activities, nature walk, trekking, visiting various tourist points, etc. the panoramic views of valley are exceptionally beautiful and attracts good number of honeymooners. Panchgani another beautiful spot is just 20 kilometres from Mahabaleshwar.

There are accommodations available from economy to luxurious. All types of food in various restaurants available here to try.

Ruchi Mahajan