Travelling to Warsaw

This web page was part of a project done for International-Travel-Tours.com

Warsaw, the largest city of Poland and a bustling metropolis, appears to be a concrete jungle in the first impression. However, the real Warsaw is a picturesque old town hosting scores of palaces, churches, and architectural complexes. The city is known to be the lively cultural capital of Poland. Various theaters, cinemas, museums, and art galleries thrive in the city. Warsaw is dotted with luxury hotels, happening clubs and discos, parks, castles and museums.

Points of Interest
7th biggest city in the European Union Warsaw Old Town is included in UNESCO World Heriatge List.

Places of Interest
Warsaw is land of historical monuments, magnificent churches, palaces and architectural complexes. It is not a dull city of concrete builidings. It is a magnificent town with many tourist attractions luring the vistors.

Warswa Old Town
Warsaw old town was ruined completely in the World War II and it is realy diffilcult to believe that whole town was rebuilt in 1950s. City Centre hosts some elegant royal buildings. Royal Castle, King Zygmunt's Column, Square Market, and the Barbican are top attrcations of the Warsaw old town. UNESCO has appreciated the whloe site and listed it as UNESCO world heritage site.

The Royal Castle
Royal Castle in Warsaw was residence of the Polish monarchs. The castle has now been trasformed into museum. The palace was built in 1589-1619 and is located at the Plac Zamkowy, entrance to the old The personal offices of the King, as well as the administrative offices of the Royal Court of Poland were located there until the Partitions of Poland. Between 1926 and World War II the palace was the seat of the Polish president. It is located at the Plac Zamkowy, at the entrance to the Old Town.

The Wilanow Palace
The palace is now a branch of National Museum. Before being destroyed by Hitler, the Nazi ruler, the palace was the residence of King John III. The palace has baroqure interior adorned with period Polish furniture, old clocks, and collection of Polish portraits. Orangerie is the magnificent diplay of artistic handicrafts. The monument is a gem of Polish architecture.

National Museum
Displays in the national museum date from ancient to present day Poland. Formerly known as the museum of fine arts, it was renamed National Museum in 1916. In addition to Polish art the museum diplays a unique colletion of Egyptian art, famous all over Europe.

Palace of Culture and Science
This is the tallest and largest building all over Poland. Formerly known as Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science, the building is now an amazing destination to visit. It houses a concert hall, a cinema, an ice skating rink and a theater.

Frederic Chopin
Chopin was one of the famous personalities from Poland. A museum named Muzeum Fryderyka Chopina, depicts different phases of Chopin's life.

Lazienki Park
The park is located on the royal route connecting the Royal Castle to the Wilanow Pallace. Lazienki Park is the biggest park in Wraswa. Built in 1624, the palace was formerly the residence of King Zygmunt III Vasa. Park center attraction is the picturesque lake where you can enjoy short cruises in the beautiful evenings.

Jewish Ghetto
This is largest Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw. The vast area of the city was formerly once predominantly inhabited by Jewish Poles. The ghetto was built by Nazis during the world war II. The Jewish Historical Institute Gallery is a complete directory to the past Jewish history in Poland. The Ghetto Heroes' Memorial in Warsaw is a worth seeing monument.

St John's Cathedral
It boasts of being the oldest and royal church in Warsaw. The church has been concstructed completely in Mazivian Gothic Style. Built in 15th century the church was upgraded as a cathedral in 1798. St John's cathedral is one of the most coronated buliding all over Poland. The paek is worth place for leisurly stroll.

How To Reach
By Air
Polish Airlines is the national airlines operating in Poland. Warsaw is alo connected by air with all the European destimanations and the Polish cities. Being the capital city most tourists from all over the world land in Warsaw. Warsaw's Frederic Chopin Airport is situated in Okecie, 10 km south west of the city centre. All the international and domestic flights operate from here. There is a domestic airport near the international terminal. All major Polish cities can easily be accessed by the domestic airlines. Gdansk, Cracow, Poznan, Szczecin, Wroclaw and Katowice all are well connected and approachable.

By Train
Warsaw has lot of options for train lovers. Warsaw has three stations for long-distance trains Dworzec Centralny (Warsaw Central), Dworzec Wschodni(Warsaw East) and Warszawa Zachodnia(Warsaw West). Warsaw Central is the main railway station handling major international and domesric trains.

By Road
Hired taxies and cabs are easily available all over Poland.

Elephant Caves in Mumbai

This web copy was written for YourAsianVacations.com

Elephanta Caves is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in close vicinity of Mumbai. The caves are located on Elephanta Island, nine nautical miles into the sea from Gateway of India. Elephanta Caves are actually a temple complex devoted to Lord Shiva and cover an area of 60,000 square feet. There is one main chamber and two lateral ones, courtyards and many subsidiary shrines.

Elegant Carvings
Elephanta Caves are carved out of rock and the images have been preserved in the internal spaces between columns. The entire temple is related to a large sculpture. In fact, one can walk through the corridors and chambers of this sculptured temple. There are three entrances to the temple. The axis of the temple is formed with the eastern and the western entrances. On the eastern side, there is a 20-pillared hall and on its western end is a cell in which a Shivalingam enshrined.

Trimurthi
One of the main attractions of Elephanta Caves is the glorious image of Sadashiva, a manifestation of Lord Shiva. This stupendous 20 feet high image of the three headed Shiva, known as Trimurthi, is carved in relief at the end of the north-south axis. It is regarded as a masterpiece of Indian art. Actually, there are five faces but only three faces are carved into the wall.

Origin of Name
It is also known as Gharpuri and named Elephanta Caves by the Portuguese, after they saw a giant statue of elephant near the landing area of the island.

History
The history of Elephanta Caves is unclear as some believe that Pulkesin II of Chalukya dynasty built the temples to celebrate his triumph while others opine that the caves were built by Kalchuri King Krishnaraja in 6th century AD. Once known as Puri and later Gharapuri, the island was proud possession of several coastal dynasties. Later Portuguese took possession of the island. After landing on the island they built a fort with a watchtower, hoisting up a flag to ward off the attacks by pirates.

Sightseeing Highlights
Maheshamurthi Cave - Lord Shiva is shown here as a creator, preserver and destroyer.
Southern Wall - Southern wall is embellished with sculptures of Kalyanasundara, Gangadhara, Ardhanarishwara, and Uma Maheshwara.

How to Reach
Elephanta Island can be reached by boat. The ferry ride from Gateway of India takes 15 minutes to reach Elephant Island.

Gateway of India in Mumbai

This section was written for India for YourAsianVacations.com

Gateway of India has become a symbol of Mumbai. The grand structure near the seacoast seems to represent Mumbai all over the world. Whenever one looks at the massive gate, it becomes clear that it is Mumbai which is being talked about. Located on the South Mumbai waterfront, it is a huge basalt arch of 26 meters. The monument calls a large number of overseas travelers as well as local citizens, who throng the place on weekends for having fun. To amble around the bay and watch the colorful crowd and serene sea is something entertaining.

History
The Gateway of India is one of the monuments erected in British era. It was designed by royal British architect George Witter on the occasion of the arrival of King George V and Queen Marry in India. It was the year 1911. The mammoth structure took almost 13 years to get completed. When India attained independence in 1947, the British troops marched out through its port in a ceremonial exit. Thus, it has big historical significance.

Architecture
The Gateway of India has an awe-inspiring architecture. It comprises of a 26m high arch built by using yellow basalt and reinforced concrete. The architectural style employed is Indo-Saracenic. The top of the monument is bedecked with a central dome, which has a diameter of 15m. The cost of its construction was Rs. 21 lakhs, borne mainly by the then Government of India.

Places in Neighborhood
Marine Drive – After a hectic day, one can relax here in the evening. Watching the sun gradually disappear is a soothing sight.
Chowpatti Beach – Chowpatti is among the most famous beaches in India. During festive season in October, the beach is in its full glory when thousands of people from all over the city immerse the idol of Lord Ganesha in the Arabian Sea.

How to Reach
One would take around 45 minutes from Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus to reach Gateway of India. Several modes of transportation are available from all airports and railway stations of Mumbai. One could also take public transport to get to the venue.