Six must-visit places for everybody in India

Travel bugs bite all. Most human beings have this constant desire to explore unknown places. They travel far and wide to exotic locations in their search for the unknown. India is a vast country and while many Indians regularly go abroad to fulfil their passion for travel, they fail to explore their own country properly. Orissa POST gives some must-visit locations and places of interest in India.

Magnetic Hill (Ladakh): Imagine parking your car, turning the ignition off and then to see it move upwards and forward. Well this is an experience to savour forever. While taking the Leh-Kargil-Baltic National Highway, one will come across the Magnetic Hill which is 11,000 feet above sea level. Signs have been put up at various places

for drivers to park the car and then see it being pulled forward as if drawn by a magnet. Nobody really knows why this phenomenon happens, but then certainly it is a thrilling one indeed. So next time you pack your bags, please keep in mind the adventure you will experience if you visit Magnetic Hill.

Loktak Lake (Manipur): The beauty of this lake, situated a little more than 50 kilometres away from Imphal, will leave you speechless. To top it all the lake houses a number of small islands and they shift locations on a daily basis. Hence they are called the floating islands of Loktak Lake. The pristine water, the labyrinth of boat routes,

the greenery of the surroundings and the riveting crimson sunset, provide the visitor with a mesmerising experience. Recently the Loktak Lake is shrinking in size due to encroachments and hence it must be protected as it is a treasure of ecosystem. So next time you are in Imphal, don’t forget to hire a car and visit the lake for a memorable outing.

Cherrapunji (Meghalaya): Probably the wettest place in the planet, Cherrapunji receives at an average 11,000 mm of rain annually and most of it happens in the period March to October. But then one would ask why visit such a place. The reason is that one must experience the thrill of walking across a ‘Live Root bridge’.

Incidentally these bridges are in the form of tree. They are handmade from the aerial roots of rubber fig trees by the Khasi and Jaintia peoples of the mountainous terrain along the southern part of the Shillong. These bridges can take the weight of 50 people at a time. There are 11 such bridges (one is a double-decker) in Cherrapunji which is approximately a two-hour drive from Shillong. Also Cherrapunji literally means ‘Land of Oranges’. So what are you waiting for!

Karni Mata Temple (Rajasthan): Rats… the very word makes us cringe. But then in this temple close to Bikaner in Rajasthan, rats are worshipped. More than 25,000 black rats are in this temple and they are offered various types of food and bowls of milk. In fact the remnants of the food the rats eat are offered to the devotees as ‘prasad’. As unique and beautiful the structure of this temple built 600 years ago may be, it is this bizarre practice

of worshipping rats which make it a prime attraction for tourists. Once inside the temple, however, be careful not to trample on a rat and hat it. Penance for your sin is that you will have to buy a gold or silver statue of a rat and offer it to the temple. The rats are considered incarnations of Goddess Karni Mata and hence they are revered.

Rakhigarhi (Haryana): Well if the word Haryana is removed people will start to wonder where Rakhigarhi is. Well this village is situated in Hissar district of Haryana. Archaeologists in 1963 discovered that this was the site of the largest city in Indus Valley civilisation. Excavation of this area has been stopped since 1997 as the CBI is probing a case of misuse of funds. However, whatever little has been discovered it is still a delight for the eyes. Lack of maintenance has led to the collapse of the boundary wall protecting the site. Hence before it is completely destroyed, one must experience this archaeological delight which is a treat for the eyes.

Qila Mahmudabad (Uttar Pradesh): This small non-descript city in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh has the perfect ‘Kothi’ which gives all visitors a taste of the best of Awadhi culture. The Kothi was built in 1677 by Raja Mahmud Khan, a descendant of the first Caliph of Islam. However, the huge structure was completely destroyed by the British in 1857 during the First War of Independence but was quickly rebuilt soon after. Over the years, however, the high cost of maintenance of this huge structure (67, 650 square feet) and seismic events have greatly affected the Kothi’s condition. It is one of the four Indian structures on World Monuments Fund’s (WMF) endangered list. So before catastrophe strikes this huge and beautiful structure, a visit to the site is must.

PNN