Modi government shifts Arvind Mayaram to tourism ministry

Modi govt shifts out finance secretary Mayaram to tourism

In a surprise development, Union finance secretary Arvind Mayaram has been shunted out of the finance ministry and given a low-profile ministry of tourism. In orders issued on Wednesday, Mayaram, a 1978-batch IAS officer belonging to Rajasthan cadre, was made the tourism secretary in place of Parvez Dewan on his retirement at month end. In his place, Rajiv Mehrishi, an IAS officer of the same batch as Mayaram and from the same state, was appointed secretary, department of economic affairs in the ministry of finance. Ministry of finance has four secretaries - Economic Affairs, Expenditure, Revenue and Financial Services. The seniormost among the four is designated Finance Secretary.

Finance secretary Arvind Mayaram shifted to tourism ministry

Currently, Ratan P Watal, a 1978 batch IAS officer from Andhra Pradesh is expenditure secretary while 1980-batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre Gurdial Singh Sandhu is the financial services secretary. Shaktikanta Das, an IAS officer of 1980 batch from Tamil Nadu cadre, is revenue secretary. Mayaram's transfer was part of the first major secretary-level reshuffle undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government. In all, 20 senior officials were transferred on Wednesday, many at the level of secretary.

Source India Today

Himachal Pradesh : Land of the Gods

The Land of Himachal Popularly known as the Devbhumi Land of the Gods, Himachal Pradesh is a beautiful hill state in India, nestles in north-west region of western Himalayas. 
The state is landlocked with the Tibetan plateau to the east, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, and the Punjab to the west. However, the state stands apart from its neighbours in terms of its sheer topographic diversity and breathtaking pristine natural beauty. 
From vast tracts of high-altitude Trans-Himalayan desert to dense green Deodar forests, from apple orchards to cultivated terraces, from snow capped high Himalayan mountain ranges to snow fed lakes and gushing rivers. 
 
Brief Socio-Political History of the State The earliest known inhabitants of the region were tribal called Dasas. Later, Aryans came and they assimilated in the tribes. In the later centuries, the hill chieftains accepted suzerainty of the Mauryan empire, the Kaushans, the Guptas and Kanuaj rulers. During the Mughal period, the Rajas of the hill states made some mutually agreed arrangements which governed their relations. In the 19th century, Ranjit Singh annexed/subjugated many of the states. 

When the British came, they defeated Gorkhas and entered into treaties with some Rajas and annexed the kingdoms of the others. The situation largely remained the same untill 1947. After Independence, 30 princely states of the area were united and Himachal Pradesh was formed on 15th April, 1948. On 1st November, 1966, certain areas belonging to Punjab were included in Himachal Pradesh. On 25th January, 1971, Himachal Pradesh was made a full-fledged State. The State is bordered by Jammu & Kashmir on North, Punjab on West, Haryana on South, Uttar Pradesh on South-East and China on the East. 

Summer: Packed with warm summers and the temperature Himachal never goes further than 27o Celsius. The summer duration here is from April to June. All essential for you is to lug some light lukewarm garments for the night. Monsoons: July to September is Himachal''s monsoon rendezvous. It is sensible not to visit Himachal during the monsoon season as the place is not too sociable for the period of heavy rain. The high temperature during monsoons jumps down noticeably and varies from 15o - 25o Celsius. 

Winters: The winter period is from November to mid- February. The main magnetism of winters is the snowfall at Himachal is especially during Christmas festivity in December.

Few Unknown Places That Could Attract The Tourists

We have already discussed about the various places that could interest the tourists, now we would talk about the lesser known destinations in the beautiful country called India. The country as we all know is very traditional and the culture is been followed with all heart. The religion of the people plays an extremely important role in their lives. So, we present you the amazing temples and the most important places of the pilgrimage that are situated in the country which comprises of the fantastic Indian tours.

There are many places in the country where one can go to worship their deities, but some of them were brought into existence some 1000 years back or may be more, because of which their importance in the hearts of the people automatically increases. So, these places are always flocked by the worshipers. In an all India travel packages there are numerous places of worship which are spread all over the country will be shown, but here we are going to throw some light on the places that are been loved and frequently visited buy the tourists, as they get attracted by the culture and the religious beliefs of us Indians. Below are some places in the south of the country that are worth a visit if you are coming to India for the first time and wish to get closer to the religious beliefs of the people.

Andhra Pradesh is a state in the south of India and it has a lot of places of worship and otherwise that are very famous and which should be visited. The state has the most amazing hill stations, beaches, forests and not to forget the temples. The capital of the state is Hyderabad which is also known as the city of Nizams or the city of Pearls. It is considered as the most developed cities in India, it is also an IT hub of the nation. The city is renowned for its rich cultural history, and the architectural magnificence that the country.

We have already discussed about the various places in India that could interest the tourists, now we would talk about the lesser known destinations in the India.

The state is a home to various religious places; some of them are as follows:

• Tirupati - It is the most renowned temple in the country; here you can worship Lord Venkateshwar. The temple is considered as the second richest temple in the country, and it is also among the most religious pilgrimage in the entire world. Another shrine is the Srisailam, where you can worship Sri Mallikarjuna, which among the twelve Jyothirlings in India.
  
• Birla Mandir - This temple is visited by thousands of tourists each year whether they are Indian or that they are foreigners. This is also a temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwar; it is made up of white marbles completely.
  
• Ramappa Temple - This is situated in a place called Warangal, it is temple that has thousand pillars and is a famous destination for tourists to go to. It showcases the best taste of Kakatiya dynasty and the time of their reign. It is also known for its culture and art and also for its carvings.

Hill Stations that can attract the tourists in India

The colonialists from Europe especially the British as because they ruled the country had developed the hill stations as a place to stay during the summer time. India experiences a great amount of heat and the hilly places become the best option for the people to go there and spend their time. The hills bring you closer to the nature; it makes you feel that there is something that is beyond the might of human being. These places are not like before; a lot of people take their families out for a vacation to such cool places. India is blessed with all the climates and a person who plans to travel to India will get all the options in one country. They can get the sun if they wish to tan themselves; they can experience the freshness of the rain if they love greenery around them, the beaches if they love to feel the sand beneath their feet. Just about anything a person would want to get from a good holiday all that and even more can be received in this incredible country called India. Even though, most of the tourists prefer to arrive during the winters as the temperatures are bearable for them as in the west they hardly experience any heat in their respective countries. So, the valley is what they prefer if they arrive during the summer season. One common thing about the hill stations in the north is the very famous Mall Road.

You can walk on this long stretch of road that you can see in valley in the north. May it be Shimla or Manali or Mussoorrie, Nainital, etc? These are among the most famous places, that are flooded with tourists whether they are Indian or they are from a foreign land. Except for the name of the road there is nothing that one can say that it is similar to the other place. Each hill station will give you a different kind of an experience, the coziness that you get when you sip a cup of coffee or tea standing balcony of the cottage that you have booked and looking at the beautiful mountains, the felling is just unexplainable. If you make a trip to Nainital, you can see the Naini Lake flowing between the mountains, the scenery is simply amazing. Apart from that there is a lot that you can take home as souvenirs, to remind you of the place. The shawl made from the Yak skin is something that every tourist should take from this place. Next you could go to Manali, where you can do a lot of adventure sports such as zorbing, rappelling, etc. Here one can take the fun of the hills plus the thrill of the adventure sports. If you have time and can go a little north of Manali, you could land to Rohtang Pass, where there are snow covered mountains, and a little further would take you to Leh, where you can experience the ultimate bliss.

- See more at: http://www.compasstours.com/travel_advice_tips_articles/hill_stations_that_can_attract_the_tourists_in_india.html

A Beautiful Journey to India

India is a place where if one comes here he would never go back empty handed, it is one of those countries which has a lot more to offer than the usual expectation of the people. When you plan to spend your holiday in India, you should take care of the time of the year in which you are going to a particular, as because the climates are quite extreme in this part of the world, which means that it is very hot during the summers and very cold during the winter season. The culture and the tradition of the people here would make you fall in love with the place. If you ever get a chance to a pilgrimage or a place of worship in India and if you are lucky you will find that there are many foreigners who have made this country their own, and that they have started following the beliefs that the people here have. The experience is absolutely amazing; India will give you a lot of surprises. No place in this country you would come across as similar. The language, the culture, the traditions all vary from one place to another. The country is undoubtedly very vibrant. The attire is what that attracts the tourists a lot, so whenever they arrive to this country, they would always go to a shop that sell Indian clothes. Apart from the clothes you will also be able to find a lot of good food to eat.

This is something one just can't afford to miss. Every place in the country has some sort of a specialty of its own. So, when you plan a trip to visit Delhi you must taste the street food, 'chaat' as they call it here. Other than the 'chaat' cuisines from all over the world is available in the national capital of India. If you go a little north of Delhi, you will find that the atmosphere completely changes, and with that the kind of food also does. Punjab is famous for a completely different cuisine, where you can go and try the 'sarson ka saag and makke ki roti', this is something one might die for. The experience overall is refreshingly good, and the place will make you to come back again and again. The country was been ruled by the Moguls for quite a number of years, and while they reign continued they constructed a lot of magnificent monuments that prove to be the grace of the various cities they are in. The sheer structure and grandeur of the palaces they built makes you to be in awe of it. The grand monuments include one of the Seven Wonders of the World the Taj Mahal, other than that one can visit Fatehpur Sikri, Sikandra, etc. these are all in the city Agra. In Delhi the tourists would love to visit the Outub Minar, Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Jantar Mantar, etc. The experiences and the memories one can make during their journey to this country is unexplainable.

Mumbai named world's second-most honest city - Proud Moments for India

India's financial capital Mumbai has been named the world's second-most honest city, according to a survey of 16 cities worldwide.

Finnish capital Helsinki bagged the top spot for the world's most honest cityin the survey, while Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, proved to be the least honest.

The survey put hundreds of people to test in four continents to find out just how honest they were by dropping wallets and seeing how many would be returned.

In the study, 192 wallets were dropped in cities in Europe, North and South America, and Asia. Each wallet contained a cell phone number, a family photo, coupons, business cards and the equivalent of 50 dollars in cash.

The wallets were left in parks, near shopping malls and on sidewalks, and researchers watched to see what would happen.

Of the 192 wallets dropped, 90 - or 47 per cent - were returned, according to the survey by Reader's Digest magazine.

In Helsinki, 11 out of 12 wallets were returned.

"Finns are naturally honest, it's typical for us," said 27-year-old business student Lasse Luomakoski, who found the dropped wallet in the pedestrian street of Mikonkatu in downtown Helsinki.

In Mumbai, nine out of 12 wallets were returned.

Vaishali Mhaskar, a mother of two, and a stamp vendor, returned a wallet that was left in Mumbai's General Post Office.

"I teach my children to be honest, just like my parents taught me," she said.

Another person who returned a lost wallet was Rahul Rai, a 27-year-old video editor.

"My conscience wouldn't let me do anything wrong. A wallet is a big thing with many important documents [in it]," he said.

Later that same day, three young adults found lost wallets and returned them, the magazine said. Courtesy - http://www.ndtv.com

List of Top 10 World's Most Honest Cities

1. Helsinki, Finland

2. Mumbai, India

3. Budapest, Hungary

4. New York City, USA

5. Moscow, Russia

6. Amsterdam, Netherlands

7. Berlin, Germany

8. Ljubljana, Slovenia

9. London, UK

10. Warsaw, Poland

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Agra - The City of Symbol of Love Taj Mahal‎

Short Introduction about Agra

• Agra - The City of Love
• Agra - The Former capital of Hindustan (India)
• Agra - The Loving city of Mughal Empire
• Agra - The City of Fascinating Attractions
• Agra - Most searching destination by lovers and newly married couples.

Name of City	Agra
Old Name	Previously called as Agrevaṇa (the border of the Forest) Mentioned in the epic Mahabharata.
District	Agra
State	Uttar Pradesh
Country	India
Distance from Airport	12.5 km from the city center Agra (Agra Airport)
Agra Famous for	Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's Tomb (Sikandra), Agra Fort, I'timad-Ud-Daulah (Baby Taj), Ram Bagh, Mankameshwar Temple, Jama Masjid, Swami Bagh Samadhi, Indrabhan Girls' Inter College, Chini ka Rauza, Guru ka Tal, The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Mughal Heritage Walk, Mariam's Tomb, Keetham Lake, Mehtab Bagh, Agra ke Pethe (The name of Agra sweet), Stone statue of Agra

Agra

Two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and Shah Jahan, transformed the little village of Agra into a befitting second capital of the Mughal Empire – giving it the name Dar-ul-Khilafat {seat of the Emperor}. Today a visitor to Agra is caught up in a world of contrasting edifices, of red sandstone and white marble, narrow galleys and quaint buggies, and that irresistible charm that this favorite city of the Mughals still retains. It is not surprising, that modern Agra still reflects its Mughal heritage most conspicuously.  A walk down the narrow bustling streets of the city will introduce the visitor to the wafting aroma of Mughlai cuisine.

If you are in Agra so must visit here:- 

Taj Mahal -  Dream destination for Lovers

TAJ MAHAL

Little needs to be said about this architectural wonder which is always the soul raison-de-etre for every tourist's visit to Agra. Built by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial to his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal. This monument took 22 years to be completed and was designed, and planned by Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from its stunning design balance and perfect symmetry, the Taj is also noted particularly for its elegant domes, intricately carved screens and some of the best inlay work ever seen.

Majestic View of the Taj Mahal with River Yamuna (Behind Taj)

SIKANDRA

This beautifully maintained monument is where EMPEROR AKBAR was buried. It is a very low profile monument but it has one of the most awe – inspiring tombs. It is surreal how one of the greatest emperors has been put to rest. The manicured lawns has spotted and other varieties of deer roaming in them. Named after the Afghan ruler Sikander Lodi, Sikandra is the final resting place of Emperor Akbar. The Emperor began the construction of his own garden mausoleum during his lifetime. However, the construction was completed by his son Jahangir in 1613. An impressive marble - inlaid gateway leads to the spacious four - tiered monument which is crowned by a white marble cenotaph and screen. What is interesting is that the structure imbibes the best of Hindu, Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Jain motifs, signifying the new religion started by Akbar – the DEEN E ILAHI.

Sikandra

AGRA FORT

The red sandstone structure is surrounded by chahar-bagh, a four-square formal garden. Built by the famed Mughal emperor Akbar in 1565 AD, the fort is predominantly of red sandstone.  Ensconced within is the picture perfect Pearl Mosque, which is a major tourist attraction. It lies on the bend of the river Yamuna, almost in the heart of the town. Akbar built it as his citadel over the years 1563-73 in the finest architectural style. It has imposing gates and walls of red sandstone and a moat.

Agra Fort

Baby Taj

After Agra Fort we will visit BABY TAJ or the ITMAD-UD-ULLAH – The interiors of which are considered better than the Taj. One of the most beautiful Mughal tombs, Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb was built by Nur Jahan, the Empress of Jehangir for her father in 1628. 

Baby Taj Agra -  The interiors of which are considered better than the Taj

The tomb is a resting place of the powerful personality in Mughal Court, Itmad-Ud-Daulah, whose life is very interesting. Formerly a very poor Persian merchant then named Mirza Ghiyas or Ghiyas Beg he became a minister and a trusted treasure in Akbar's court. After Akbar's death in 1605, his son Jahangir rose into power. Jahangir made Ghiyas Beg his chief minister and honored him with the title of Itmad-Ud-Daulah, the Pillar of State. Later, Jahangir met a beautiful daughter of Ghiyas Beg named Mehr-Un-Nissa and married her. Mehr-Un-Nissa soon played a significant role in the Jahangir's court and was called Nur Mahal, the light pf the Place. Owing to her influence, her father and brother were granted with privileges in the court. When Ghiyas beg (Itmad-Un-Daulah) dies in 1622, Nur Mahal decided to build a mausoleum for him. Queen Mumtaz Mahal or the lady of the Taj was also from this prevailing family. The mausoleum is entirely made of white marble and graced with intricate decoration of inlay work, and marble-screen work belonging to the Islamic style. With its tranquil, small garden on the bank of Yamuna River, the tomb stands impressively elegant from a distance.

Interiors of Baby Taj which are considered better than the Taj Mahal

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