Allahabad

Allahabad is one of the major cities of India, located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Allahabad is the administrative headquarters of Allahabad district and North Central Railway. Allahabad is also connected to seven out of fourteen Prime ministers of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Gulzarilal Nanda, Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Chandra Shekhar, as they were born here or were the alumni of Allahabad University or elected from a constituency of Allahabad.

Allahabad, which means the dwelling place of God in Persian, is one of the ancient cities of India. Allahabad was known as Pragya (place of sacrifice) in the ancient times. It is mentioned in the epics as the land where Brahma, the Creator as per Hindu scriptures, offered his first sacrifice after his creation of the World. Allahabad is also believed to be the site of Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the holy rivers Ganges and Yamuna and the mythological Sarasvati River.It is also one of the main sites for Kumbh Mela, the others being Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik.

The earliest historical records of Allahabad can be dated back to the period of Mauryan Dynasty. Later, it became an important territory of Gupta, Kushan and Kannauj Empires. Records states that Guru Nanak Dev, the Founder of Sikhism, visited Prayag. The 9th Sikh Gu Tegh Bahadur also visited Allahabad in 1666. With the Mughal invasion in 1526, Allahabad became a part of Mughal Empire. Later, British occupied Allhabad and made it their garrison town. This city played an important role in the First Freedom Struggle of India in the year 1857. The city also became the venue for the annual convention of Indian National Congress in 1888 and 1892. Allahabad was the epicenter of political activities of Indian National Congress, as the Anand Bhavan and Swaraj Bhavan,the homes of Nehru Family, are situated here. Post-Independence, Allahabad shot to fame when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India.

Allahabad is bounded by Baghelkhand region in its south and southeast, mid Ganges valley or Purvanchal to its east, Bundelkhand to its southwest and Awadh to its north and northeast. Allahabad, together with Kaushambi forms the Lower Doab region. Allahabad is a prominent part of the Ganges-Yamuna Doab region and is the last frontier of West India.

To reach Allahabad is easy as it is well connected to other parts of India by rail, road and air. The best time to visit Allahabad is from December to February, when the climate is mild and pleasant. 

Alibaug

Alibaug, known also as Alibag or Alibagh, is a coastal town situated in Raigad District of Maharashtra. Alibaug is the administrative headquarters of Raigad, located in Konkan region, at a distance of 30 km from the city of Mumbai.

Alibaug was founded in 17th century during the reign of King Shivbaji, by the naval chief Sarkhel Kanhoji Aangre. It is believed that the place derived its name from a rich planter called Ali. This region fell in to the hands of British, post British-annexation of Colaba, which was later renamed as Raigad. Alibaug became the headquarters of District Administration of Raigad, since 1852.During the British rule, many educational institutions were  established in Alibaug. Post Indian Independence, Alibaug rose to become an industrial area.

Alibaug, known as Mini Goa among the tourists, has a prominent place in the tourism map of India. Alibaug tourism offers beaches, forts and ancient temples to its visitors. Some of the major tourist attractions offered by Alibaug are Alibag Fort, Kaneshwar Mandir, Kolaba (or Kulaba) fort, Tower of St. Barbara(Satkhani Buruj), Chaul town, Vikram Vinayak Temple or Birla Temple, Murud-Janjira Fort, Hingulja Mandir and Korlai Fort and Korlai Creole Portuguese of Korlai village. There are many beaches in Alibaug such as Alibag beach, Kashid Beach, Korlai Beach, Thal beach, Varsoli Beach, Akshi Beach, Nagaon beach, Kihim-Navgaon Beach, Saswane, Rewas, Chaul Revdanda, etc. Magnetic Observatory established by the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism is yet another tourist destination in Alibaug.

Alibaug is also famous for its rich cultural and traditional events. vinayakachauthurthi, Narali Pornima and Holi are celebrated with much gaity and pleasure by the people of Alibaug. Fairs are also a main attraction of Alibaug, which are conducted annually at Awas village, Varsoli Village ,Chaul village, etc.

Reaching Alibaugis easy as the rails, roads and ferries connect it to other destinations in Maharashtra. Alibaug can be easily reached through Pen, which is situated en route to Mumbai-Goa highway (NH-17), by turning at Wadkhal (Vadkhal). The nearest railway station to Alibaug is situated at Pen, which connects this place to Panvel Central Railway Station. Another way of reaching Alibaug is by catamarans or ferries. The jetty at Mandwa connects Alibaug to Gateway of India of Mumbai (12 km). Another nearest jetty to Alibaug is situated at Rewas. The nearest airport to Alibaug is Mumbai International Airport, which is at a distance of 140 km away.

Agra – The Land of the Taj

Agra is the city of the Taj Mahal, in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Agra boasts of three UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort in the city and Fatehpur Sikri nearby. There are also many other buildings and tombs from Agra's days of glory as the capital of the Mughal Empire. This historical extravaganza makes Agra a major tourist attraction of India.

The Taj Mahal is an immense mausoleum of white marble, built between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife. Taj Mahal means Crown Palace. Named after one of his wife's names, which was Mumtaz Mahal, Ornament of the Palace. The Taj is one of the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tombs in the world, one of the masterpieces of Indian Muslim architecture, and one of the great sites of the world's heritage. It is the seventh wonder of the world and the poster child of Indian Tourism.

The Agra fort is similar in layout to the Red Fort in Delhi, but considerably better preserved, as much of Delhi Fort was razed by the British after the Mutiny. It is also constructed mainly from red sandstone. Emperor Akbar, king at 14, began consolidating his empire and, as an assertion of his power built the fort in Agra between 1565 and 1571, at the same time as Humayun's Tomb in Delhi. Emperor Shah Jahan added to the fort and ended up a prisoner in it. The fort has a beautiful view of his masterpiece, the Taj Mahal, on a clear day.

Agra also houses many beautiful and picturesque gardens. Swami Bagh is one such beautiful garden. Ram Bagh consists of the first Mughal gardens, built by the first Mughal Emperor Babar. Mehtab Bagh is also worth a visit. These botanical gardens give you an opportunity to view the Taj at a remove from the crowds of tourists.

Tourists can also visit important and beautiful temples in Agra. The Balkeshwar Temple, Kailash Temple, Mankameshwar Temple, Prithvinath Temple, Rajeshwar Temple, Shyam Ji Maharaj Temple, Mahakal And Mahakali Temple and Rawli Maharaj Temple.

There are also many other historical buildings in and around Agra like the tomb of Akbar in Sikandra, Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb, Mariam's Tomb, Jama Masjid, Chini Ka Roza and Gurudwara Guru ka Taal.

Agra is very close to the Indian capital of Delhi. It is well connected by roads and rails from Delhi as well as nearby Jaipur