However, touring these highly enigmatic hilly regions of Himalaya has never been a cake walk. You have to keep various things in mind in order to ensure safe and exciting touring for you and your family. There are a number of important precautions you ought to take before visiting places like Manali. Of all, physical fitness comes at the top. An excursion to hill places could turn into a nightmare if your body isn’t in a good state, especially if you plan to undertake adventure sports activities offered in Manali. These activities require sound physical and mental being. Along with the physical fitness, the route map you’d follow on these hilly terrains is also vital. However, this isn’t a big issue if you have a credible touring partner at your service.

Now lets move on to the things you need to have in your rucksack. Always carry a fully-equipped first aid kit, which should have some basic medicines, bandages, antiseptic, among other necessities. Further, its always good to have a handy map of the place you’re visiting. It actually gives you an idea of the landscapes you’d get to see during your traveling course. Above all, just be prepared to get familiar with new cultures and lifestyles. There are several unexplored cultures nestling in the lap of Himalayan region and you”ll surely enjoy exploring them. In addition to being a hill station, Manali also has several religious spots. You can imagine the kind of mental composure and calmness you’d attain in performing meditation there. All in all, you’ll find Manali a wholesome destination!
For details, please visit  https://shikhar.com

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Ladakh: Popularly dubbed as Little Tibet because of its close proximity to the scenic Tibet region, Ladakh ranks in India’s least populated regions. Nestled in the Himalayan ranges, the land has glistening lofty snow-capped peaks and plunging green valleys as its hallmarks. The stark mountain landscape, with its rocky ridges, glassy lakes, is studded with vivid gompas (Buddhist monasteries), palaces, villages, and seasonal plantations.

Agra: Agra is renowned world over for the Taj Mahal – the epitome of love. Thousands of tourists from all across the world flock in Agra every year to have a feel of classic Indian architecture and arts. It’s not just the Taj Mahal, but the city has several other historical places, such as Red Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, among other architectural landmarks that would spellbind you.

Delhi: The capital city of India, Delhi can be labeled as cultural melting pot where diverse Indian cultures dwell together. It presents a perfect combination of modern and traditional lifestyles. You’ll find a slew of wonderful spots here, ranging from cultural sites like India Gate, Jama Masjid, and Red Fort, to towering malls and other contemporary architectural wonders.

To explore more click below –
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Southern region of the country is dotted with myriad of exquisite temples which are popular world-over for their architectural grandeur and festivities. Whether it’s in terms of reverence, or architectural glory, temples of South India ranks among the best across the globe. While the hallowed land is filled with plethora of temples and shrines, there are some that should be enlisted in your itineraries to South India. These must-visit temples include:

Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram: Overlooking the Bay of Bengal, Shore Temple has been the prime attraction for tourists. Listed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, it’s a structural splendour built way back in the 8th century. The temple includes an assortment of three shrines, two dedicated to Lord Shiva and one to Lord Vishnu.

The Five Rathas in Mahabalipuram: The Five Rathas is actually a collection of five monolithic temples, each built in a distinct style. It’s also known as Panch Pandavas Rathas – and four out of the five temples are supposed to have been carved out of the same rock.

Meenakshi Temple in Madurai: Erected almost around 2000 years ago, Meenakshi Temple epitomizes the Dravidian architecture and art. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is known as Sundareswara or Beautiful Lord, and to his consort, Parvathi, also known as Meenakshi. It contains as many as 14 wonderful Gopurams, or towers, including two Gopurams for the main deities.

Kapaleeshwar Temple in Chennai: Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kapaleeshwar Temple stands among the masterpieces of Dravidian architectural style. It also houses sixty three Saivite saint idols impeccably carved in Bronze. Constructed way back in the 8th century, it attracts thousands of pilgrimages and sannadhis every year.

Sri Parthasarathy Temple in Chennai: Located at Triplicane, Chennai, Sri Parathasarthy Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. In fact, it is one among the 108 divyadesams, or holy abodes of Lord Vishnu. Built by the Pallavan king Narasimhvarman I in the 8th century, the temple houses idols of four of Lord Vishnu’s ten avatars.

Brihadeeshwar Temple: Situated at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, Brihadeeshwar Temple is the world’s first complete granite temple. Listed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites as a part of Great Living Chola Temples it exemplifies the great heights achieved by Cholas in architectural skills and capabilities. It stands as the one of India’s most-prized historical site.

The temples of South India has long been venerated by architecture mavens as well as devotees around the world. They portray the most prosperous period of Hindu Dynasties and religion. Shikhar Travels offers you the opportunity to be vis-a-vis with these magnificent temples and experience the Indian culture to its best.

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The beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are considered to be important junctions of climatic and solar influences. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother Durga. The dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar. Navaratri is celebrated five times a year. They are Vasanta Navaratri, Ashadha Navaratri, the Sharad Navaratri, and the Paush/Magha Navaratri. Of these, the Sharad Navaratri of the month of Puratashi and the Vasanta Navaratri of the Vasanta kala are the most important. Other two are observed by Shaktas only. The Chaitra Navaratri culminates in Ram Navami and the Sharad Navaratri culminates in Durga Puja and Dussehra.

North India

Navaratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India. In North India, all three Navaratri are celebrated with much fervor by fasting on all nine days and worshiping the Mother Goddess in her different forms. The Dussehra of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh is particularly famous in the North. In North India, as the culmination of the Ramlila which is enacted ceremoniously during Dussehra, the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Meghanada are burnt to celebrate the victory of good (Rama) over evil forces on the ‘Vijaya Dashami’ day.

Eastern India

The last four days of Sharad Navaratri take on a particularly dramatic form in the states of West Bengal and Odisha in Eastern India where they are celebrated as Durga Puja. Eighth day is traditionally Durgashtami which is big in Bengal, Odisha and Bihar. This is the biggest festival of the year in these states. Exquisitely crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the demon Mahishasura are set up in temples and other places. These idols are then worshiped for five days and immersed in the river on the fifth day.

Western India

In Western India, particularly in the state of Gujarat and Mumbai, Navaratri is celebrated with the famous Garba and Dandiya-Raas dance. Since the past few years, the Government of Gujarat has been organising the “Navaratri Festival Celebrations” on a regular basis for the nine days of Navaratri Festival in Gujarat. People from all over Gujarat and even abroad come to participate in the nine days celebrations. It is also popular throughout India and among Indian communities around the world including the UK, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and USA.

In the temples of Goa, on the first day of the seventh month of the Hindu calendar Ashwin, in some temples, a copper pitcher is installed surrounded by clay in which nine varieties of food grains are sown inside the sanctum sanctuary of the temple. All the nine nights are celebrated by presenting devotional songs, and through religious discourses. Later in the night the idol of the goddess is put in a specially-decorated colorful swing and for nine nights, this swing is being swung to the tune of temple music (called as ranavadya) by devotees who throng in large numbers to participate in the festival.

South India

In South India, people set up steps and place idols on them. This is known as golu. Photos of typical golu displayed in Tamil Nadu style can be found here.

In Karnataka, Ayudha Puja, the ninth day of Mysore Dasara, is celebrated with the worship of implements used in daily life such as computers, books, vehicles, or kitchen tools. The effort to see the divine in the tools and objects one uses in daily life is central to this celebration, so it includes all tools that help one earn one’s livelihood. Knowledge workers go for books, pen or computers, farmers go for the plough and other agricultural tools, machinery for industrialists and cars/buses/trucks for the transportation workers all are decorated with flowers and worshiped on this day invoking God’s blessing for success in coming years. It is believed that any new venture such as starting of business or purchasing of new household items on this day is bound to bring success and prosperity.

Mysore is well known for the festivities that take place during the period of Dasara, the state festival of Karnataka. The Dasara festivities, which are celebrated over a ten-day period, made official festival of the state by Raja Wodeyar I in 1610. On the ninth day of Dasara, called Mahanavami, the royal sword is worshipped and is taken on a procession of decorated elephants, camels and horses. On the tenth day, called Vijayadashami, the traditional Dasara procession (locally known as Jumboo Savari) is held on the streets of Mysore. An image of the Goddess Chamundeshwari is placed on a golden howdah on the back of a decorated elephant and taken on a procession, accompanied by tableaux, dance groups, music bands, decorated elephants, horses and camels.[5] The procession starts from the Mysore Palace and culminates at a place called Bannimantapa, where the banni tree (Prosopis spicigera) is worshipped. The Dasara festivities culminate on the night of Vijayadashami with a torchlight parade, known locally as Panjina Kavayatthu.

In Kerala and some parts of Karnataka, Ashtami, Navami, and Vijaya Dashami of Sharad Navarathri are celebrated as Sarasvati Puja in which books are worshiped. The books are placed for Puja on the Ashtami day in their own houses, traditional nursery schools, or in temples. On Vijaya Dashami day, the books are ceremoniously taken out for reading and writing after worshiping Sarasvati. Vijaya Dashami day is considered auspicious for initiating the children into writing and reading, which is called Vidyarambham. Tens of thousands of children are initiated into the world of letters on this day in Kerala.

In Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, people celebrate Bathukamma festival over a period of nine days. It is a kind of Navaratri celebration. Here Navaratri is divided into sets of three days to adore three different aspects of the supreme goddess or goddesses.

First three days: The goddess is separated a spiritual force called Durga also known as Kali in order to destroy all our evil and grant boons.

Second three days: The Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees inexhaustible wealth, as she is the goddess of wealth.

Last three days: The final set of three days is spent in worshiping the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order to have all-round success in life, believers seek the blessings of all three aspects of the divine femininity, hence the nine nights of worship. During the eighth or ninth day, Kanya Puja, pre-pubescent girls are ceremonially worshipped. On the 10^th day, the effigy of Ravana is burnt

In some parts of South India, Saraswati puja is performed on the 9th day. Ayudha Puja is conducted in many parts of South India on the Mahanavami (Ninth) day with much fanfare. Weapons, agricultural implements, all kinds of tools, equipment, machinery and automobiles are decorated and worshipped on this day along with the worship of Goddess. The work starts afresh from the next day, i.e. the 10th day which is celebrated as ‘Vijaya Dashami’. Many teachers/schools in south India start teaching Kindergarten children from that day onwards.

During Navaratri, some devotees of Durga observe a fast and prayers are offered for the protection of health and prosperity. Devotees avoid meat, alcoholic drinks, grains, wheat and onion during this fast. Grains are usually avoided since it is believed that during the period of Navaratri and seasonal change, grains attract and absorb lots of negative energies from the surrounding and therefore there is a need to avoid eating anything which is produced from grains for the purification of Navaratri to be successful. Navaratri is also a period of introspection and purification, and is traditionally an auspicious and religious time for starting new ventures.

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Here we discuss how to plan a cycle trip in India.

Plan well in advance
You will be going on a trip that will leave you exhausted and tired. Boost your body and mind before setting up the dates. Plan well in advance. Schedule the map and keep a target distance. Like Das did. He covered 150 kilometers every day as his set goal. He also covered a maximum 190 kilometers on a certain day and his average ranged from 120 kilometers to 150 kilometers. Plan the inns where you are likely to stay for the night and the eateries where you would refuel yourself during the day. Food needs to be hygienic and healthy as keeping yourself fit through journey is most important. Seek guidance from travel bloggers or veterans who have traveled the same route before.

Choosing the bike
When it comes to selecting a cycle, you should consult someone who has traveled the path you want to go for. A full suspension bike is always better. Seating needs to be comfortable. You can customize the rest of the designs and features. Also, make sure you have a cycle repairing kit in your backpack. Make sure you have an identity card with blood group and emergency number written.

Keep the plan flexible
There might be days when you won’t be able to cover the desired distance. That doesn’t mean you start losing all hopes. You have shown enough courage to venture out on a cycle, so stay strong. In case of emergency, an alternative route comes handy.

Ask the locals
When you are cycling through villages and towns, consult a local in case of emergency. To be frank, India isn’t that technologically sound that Google could answer all your queries when on a cycle trip. So ask locals about chemists, doctors, cycle repair shops, whenever a need arises.

Bootcamp
A week before beginning the trip, your bootcamp should start. Start having more protein and tan yourself to bear the sun as much as possible. November and March are the two best months to go on a cycle tour, thanks to the weather and visibility. You need to increase your workout, simply because you would be tearing your muscle tissues quite a lot.

Never ride at night
There are highways and roads, which have poor lights and trucks drive recklessly at night. So an hour before the sunset, you should stop by some inns. Safety is vital. So do your homework well and choose the ones majority of people stay at. Use this time to refresh yourself and recharge your phone.

Keep it social
Social media always comes to use on travel escapades. Team up with like minded people and ask them to join you if interested. The more, the merrier. Also, once you take a quick break on a cycling tour, you can click selfies and keep your friends and family back home updated with your exact location.

Now that the cycling season is on, plan your trip and begin the adventure.

Source: Lifehacker

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Eco-tourism, as the term itself suggests, includes implementing tourism practices that can help in preserving environment and natural luxuries, as well as fostering cultural integrity of the indigenous people. The International Eco-tourism Society has defined some guidelines that tourists need to follow in order to ensure maximum touring pleasure while causing no or minimal adverse impacts to the place they are visiting. Catching on the same, Shikhar Group of Companies has launched Shikhar Eco-Foundation. The first project of the Eco-Foundation is based in Agoda village of Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, on the picturesque Dodital trek trail. We have already forged partnerships with the Uttarakhand Forest Ministry and Dodital Eco Vikas Samiti to carry out eco-friendly tourism activities in the region. As a part of our Eco-tourism drive, we have already conducted a two-day program for “Lodge Owners and Trekking Guides” in August 2010, in which we imparted training on ways to keep the Dodital trek clean and green. We issued guidelines to help the lodge owners develop eco-friendly lodges as well as planting saplings in their surroundings.

We owe to the community where we work, and this is very much evident in our efforts. In addition to preserving flora and fauna, providing employment opportunities to the natives and tendering due respect to the local cultures also feature at the top in Shikhar Eco-Foundation’s priority-list. Furthermore, we also encourage the use of alternate fuels in place of wood to save the purity of the environment. Not only this, Shikhar Eco-Foundation is also promoting the use of solar energy for electricity generation, which is by far less polluting and highly economical than its thermal counterpart.

It’s high time you should start playing a proactive role in promoting the going green drive. Come explore the pristine and natural sites in India while serving the humanity with Shikhar Eco-Foundation.

For more, please visit www.shikhar.com

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Encompassing a rare blend of diverse cultures, and some of the worlds most picturesque gifts that the mother nature has bestowed upon, the Himalayas have everything to catch the eye. Since time immemorial, mountaineers have been swayed by the enigmatic Himalayan ranges and kept exploring them every now and then. Shikhar Travels offers you a chance to step into their shoes and unravel trekking adventures to the fullest. Your relishing ride doesn’t end here if you are a real adventure enthusiast, as Shikhar Travels takes you on a date with the vibrant Himalayan rivers. Hone up your rafting skills and simply enjoy challenging those daunting Himalayan river waves.

It’s not just the natural vegetation, scenic landscapes, or thrilling adventures that grab your attention, but different cultures in the Himalayan abode would keep your eyeballs engaging. People seeking mental solace find the Himalayan ranges a place of choice. Shikhar Travels organizes pilgrimage tours through the Himalayan region to offer you an opportunity to get familiar with various cultures and figure out their characteristic ways of attaining composure. The Himalayan region is home to bevy of Buddhist monasteries where you will discover Buddhist practices and ways of leading life with immense tranquility.

Whether you are an independent backpacker or a group traveller, the Himalayan range will be the perfect place for your holiday excursion this fall. So, what are you waiting for, just pack your bags and give us the precious opportunity to make your Himalayan trip an unforgettable experience.

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The word Yoga comes from an ancient Hindu philosophy which means union and in this context refers to the union of finite man with the infinite god. Yoga is a physical discipline in which cycles of physical postures (asanas) and breathing exercises (prananyams) are completed to attain perfect health, serene mind and liberated soul.

There are myriads of physical benefits of Yoga. It keeps your body strong and improves endurance. Moreover, Yoga is the only science which uses body, mind and soul, all in one practice giving a practitioner perfection of health, serenity of mind and a joyous soul. It is also believed that regular practice prevents the decay of tissues, by increasing the life force, and fills the system with abundant energy.

A well designed and well structured Yoga program will unwind this eastern secret science designed for a blissful life. With our Yoga packages you can learn different kind of Yoga Asana or postures from renowned Yoga practitioners in Delhi’s popular Yoga center. We offer most flexible and genuine Yoga packages fitting in your requirements. These self transforming Yoga lessons will be the most special endowment after an eventful Indian journey.

So, experience the spiritual ecstasy of India and discover Yoga for your busy life with Shikhar Yoga tour packages !

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As the name indicates, Yoga is a spiritual discipline that focuses on bringing harmony between the mind and the body. The aim of Yoga is self-realization leading the mind to a state of liberation beyond suffering and main objective of practicing Yoga is to achieve a life full of freedom in all walks of life, health and harmony. In order to accomplish it, Yoga makes use of different movements called Asanas, which is referred to the practice of physical Yoga postures or poses, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and meditation. Yoga is primarily associated with a healthy and energetic lifestyle with a balanced approach to life.

The oldest physical and mental  discipline in existence known to humankind, Yoga is also referred to as an inner science comprising a variety of methods through which human beings can realize the union between the body and mind.  Yoga in real terms is composed of a group of physical, mental and spiritual practices or disciplines.

Studies in the field of medicine suggest that Yoga is the only form of physical  and mental activity which brings complete  healing and relaxation to the body because it stimulates the entire human system in a unique way.

The amazing thing about Yoga is that its positive effects on the health and mind are visible over a period of time. Depending upon the stamina and overall health, you can choose from  a variety of Yoga practices.

When you start practicing Yoga,  there will be certain postures  which become the foundation of your Yoga practice. Anchoring your practice with these postures  allow you to reap the benefits of Yoga –  flexibility, improved muscle strength,protection of the spine, increased blood flow, and improved mental health.

We at Shikhar give you an opportunity to experience our exclusive Yoga and Meditation itinerary with the backdrop of The Himalayas.

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