What are some unknown or underrated travel destinations in India?

 

• Rani ki Vav or Ranki vav (lit. 'Queen’s stepwell') is a stepwell situated in the town of Patan in Gujarat state of India.

Engineering sketch plan of the step-well.

• It is located on the banks of Saraswati river. Silted over, it was rediscovered in 1940s and restored in 1980s by the Archaeological Survey of India.
• Rani-ki-Vav was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2014.

Its construction is attributed to Udayamati, daughter of Khengara of Saurashtra, queen of the 11th-century Solanki dynasty and spouse of Bhima I.

As the history goes, Patan where the stepwell is located was the capital of Gujarat when King Siddharja Jaysingh was in power. Then, it was known as Anhilpur Patan. The construction of Rani Ki Vav was commissioned in the Solanki or Chalukya regime. It is said that the stepwell was built as a tribute to Bhimdev the First whose father had founded the Solanki dynasty in 1050 AD. The construction was proposed by the queen Udayamati, wife of Bhimdev the first.

• The entrance is located in the east while the well is located at the westernmost end and consists of a shaft 10 metres in diameter and 30 metres deep. The stepwell is divided into seven levels of stairs which lead down to deep circular well.
• The finest and one of the largest examples of it's kind and designed as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of water, the stepwell is divided into seven levels of stairs with sculptural panels; more than 500 principal sculptures and over a thousand minor ones combine religious, mythological and secular imagery.
• The walls, pillars, columns, brackets and beams are ornamented with carvings and scroll work. The niches in the side walls are ornamented with beautiful and delicate figures and sculptures. There are 212 pillars in the stepwell.
• The structure was flooded by the Sabarmati River and remained silted till the late 1980s, when the ASI excavated it.
• The steps lead to the deepest bottom through several pillared pavilions. The lowermost step ends at a small gate which opens to a 30-km tunnel. It is supposed to have been used as an escape to the nearby town Sidhpur in times of invasion by enemies.

The World Heritage Site status has made Rani Ki Vav the queen of stepwells in India, for its sheer magnificence, intricate carvings, celestial sculptures, and water-preserving technology.Since July 2018, the new 100 rupee banknote features rani ki vav in its rear side.

The beauty of this step-well architecture is beyond the words.

What is the world's most dangerous tourist destination?

 In contrast to common misconception, countries run by dictators are quite safe. In these type of countries, common criminals are too scared of the dictator because he does not read a book called ‘’human rights’’. Corruption or crime is usually done by the people who are connected to the state. Regular tourist rarely gets hurt.

The world’s most dangerous places are usually located in developing countries. One of the great locations but with a terrible record might be El Salvador. Once a tourist steps at the airport, the first thing comes to mind is infamous kidnappings. Better to be safe than sorry. I wanted to visit the country while I was hanging in Mexico however I changed my mind quickly after reading some newspapers.

Probably the country itself is beautiful as Costa Rica. A great surfing location, full of nature and history, warm people … A tiny country which makes it easier to see around.Though the country has endured a past pocked with war and economic instability, Salvadorans warmly welcome the opportunity to show the world the country’s real character. But…

Source of the picture: Surf City El Salvador: world-class surfers ride waves to raise awareness on ocean warming | One Earth

Izalco Volcano in El Salvador's Cerro Verde National Park. Source of the picture: Should El Salvador be on your travel bucket list?

El Salvador is the leader in homicides in comparison to population. Kidnappings are very common. Not exactly a perfect touristic location for billionaires or millionaires or even average Joe from Texas.

‘’ El Salvador may be particularly dangerous, but it isn't the only Latin American country facing a homicide epidemic, writes Robert Muggah, a Brazilian crime researcher. ... Home to just 8 percent of the world's population, the region sees over 38 percent of global homicides. Every day some 400 Latin Americans are killed.’’ Source of the quoted paragraphs: Why is El Salvador so dangerous? 4 essential reads.

At the end of the day, things have a simple explanation: Corruption.

‘’ José Miguel Cruz agrees that gangs like MS-13 are not the sole cause of crime in Central America. Rather, he contends, they are “largely a symptom of a far more critical issue plaguing the region – namely, corruption.”

According to Cruz, groups like MS-13 have grown and thrived in El Salvador because the political class protects them. In August, prosecutors there showed that the country’s two main political parties had colluded with MS-13 and other gangs, paying more than US$300,000 for help winning the 2014 presidential election.

The same nexus between government and organized crime has been exposed across Central America, where political institutions routinely shield gangs in exchange for economic support and political backing in the barrios they control. Few are ever prosecuted for this crime, Cruz says.

That erodes Central Americans’ belief in the rule of law, which, in turn, makes it harder to fight violence. “Root out corruption in the Central American ruling class,” he wagers, “and the gangs and crooks will go down with it.” Source of the quoted paragraphs:

Have you ever visited any destination(s) that you considered not worth the effort? If so, which?

 1. Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy. You go there, you see that it tilts, and you think, that's a pretty small tower. My sandcastles used to tilt, too, for the same reason. A faulty foundation.

2. Trojan Horse, Çanakkale|, Turkey. Yeah, it's a work of the imagination, not a real anything. We didn't know it was tacky, not warlike or mysterious, until we wasted several hours getting there. We should've stayed in glorious Istanbul or kept going south down the lovely west coast.

Which is the least inhabited tourist destination in India?

 The one that I have been and seen is:

RANEH FALLS

I am very excited to introduce a mysterious place less explored. Located around 25 Kms from Khajuraho in Chattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh in the midst of dense forests (Ken Wildlife Sanctuary) and road less travelled.

Travelling to this place is only suggested during the day as you would hardly find any habitats on the way and the jungle is known for its wild-wildest animals.

It is a natural water falls in Ken river. Kind of River Canyon! You can observe 7–8 kinds of mineral rocks like granite, dolomite, black basalt, Jasper, Quartz from shades of pink, red, grey, brown, black and see the ageing of rock too.

It is a beautiful breathtaking sight ❤️.

You can take a safari and easily spot wild animals like Wild boars, Deer, Gaur, Sambar Deer, Jackel, Fox, Chital, Nilgai, Wild Pigs..

The best time for safari is early morning or just before sunset. There is a guest house for stay. We preferred staying after our evening safari and was curious for morning safari too- it was a terrific night for me as I was very scared of the wild animals. But, it was worth it. The morning safari was very different as I could see animals playing/jumping/running.

Forest guards on duty do control the area keeping the safety of people from wild animals.

Look at the rocky structure. This is a picture taken during monsoon.

Pic - a photographer friend (Suveer Singh Sikarwar)

And, these pictures are from our winter visit to this place.

This is fascinating- you see the green water? It is stagnated and known for home to Aligators (Ghariyal). We could spot a few in the bank around the greenwater. It is also famous as “Ken Ghariyal Sanctuary”.

Do visit soon before the “Dam Project” on Ken river is completed as there will be just Canyons without water.

What is the world's most dangerous tourist destination?

Beautiful picture, right?

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Truly beautiful, right?

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Now before you ask me where is this place and you wish to spend some of your hard-earned money and visit with your wife, do remember to make sure you have

1. A seriously good-quality anti-radiation suit
2. A radiation meter
3. A seriously good life insurance
4. Binoculars (if you don’t have the all of the above stuffs)

Or you better take my word that seeing it in pictures is a lot safer. Because beyond the above beauties, there is another, ghastlier face-

Presenting you, the Most Polluted spot on this Planet- Lake Karachay

[1]

 , Russia

Back in the days when Cold War was at full swing, the Mayak Association, one of the country’s biggest nuclear weapons facilities, was situated close to the lake, and began dumping all forms of by-products into this lake. In addition, water from here was used for cooling purposes of the processing machinery, further aggravating the whole thing.

Apparently speedy production of weapon-grade plutonium was given far more priority than proper safety standards, and God knows who got this legend of an idea to use the lake as a temporary dumping site for all the nuclear waste until they could be stored in a somewhat better and safer underground storage vats.

Somewhere in 1957, tragedy struck in form of a plant explosion at Mayak, releasing enough contaminants to make people seriously ill. The government kept the whole thing as a secret, until one day very soon, they ended up turning an entire affected region into some “natural reserve”

[2]

 restricted to outside world. In addition, the lake since then was filled with every possible sediment from concrete to sand to make sure that somehow the pollution could be put far away from dangerous levels. However even at such points, it was said that even staying at shores of lake without proper protection for under a minute is enough to not just give you cancer, but kill you altogether!!!

While recent pictures from the lake are missing, but as far news goes, the lake has now become a "near-surface permanent and dry nuclear waste storage facility."

[3]

But then, as far as thing goes, it is not worth of visit, unless they wish to get punched by seriously lethal doses of radiation, which has no guarantee whatsoever.

In rest of the world, you contaminate lake. In Soviet Russia, lake contaminates you!!!!

No offense!!!

What are the lesser known tourist destinations in South India?

 Pichavaram Mangrove Forest!

Most of us know that the world's biggest mangrove forest is Sundarbans spread in West Bengal and Bangladesh.

But majority doesn't know that the second largest mangrove forests is also in India. It's the Pichavaram mangrove forest in Tamil Nadu.

The forest is spread about 1100 acres and there are more than 400 routes for boating. The forest is known for its richness in biodiversity. It houses some endangered species of plants and birds.

Snakes could surprise you during your boat ride. As you go inside the forest, it would get denser and you could feel the thrill and the adventure.

This place has not become a commercial tourist destination yet. I wish this place remain underrated and unknown to the humans of the world. Let this place remain free from us!