Kailasa Temple

Most caves leave the visitor with their mouths open, but which arouses interest because of its uniqueness is the number 16, Kailasa, which is not a cave, but a temple, the world's largest excavated stone monolith . Kailasa immediately reminds the churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia, which is certainly above and, perhaps, inspiration.

Digging a trench in the basalt, the craftsmen were able to isolate a stone monolith of 50 feet long by 33 wide and 30 tall. For a century did not stop chopping block of basalt, starting at the top and emptied following the sides, to complete a temple that well deserves to be World Heritage Site itself, although it is already set as part of Ellora.

As such a task must have seemed little stone cutters, in my free time is devoted to open new galleries and balconies on the walls of the mountain, where they can now enjoy the best views of the temple. Such is the case of the magnificent Hall Lankesvara dug into the trench wall which faces the northern facade of Kailasa, and from the balconies you can enjoy a superb view of the scenes of the Mahabharata that adorn the temple wall.

Rameshwaram - Benaras of South India

Rameshwaram is the only one of the four Dhams where the resident Deity is Lord Shiva. Varanasi of the South, Rameshwaram is one of the most sacred Hindu pilgrimage centres in India, second only to Varanasi itself. Rameswaram is hallowed by the epic Ramayana. A devout Hindu who visits Varanasi is expected to visit Rameswaram also for the culmination of his quest for salvation. Rama sanctified this place by worshipping Lord Siva after the war against Ravana. Therefore, it is held sacred by Saivites and Vaishnavites as well. It is one of the major marine food centres in the south, much of its fish and prawn catch being exported. The town's most famous monument is the Ramanathaswamy Temple which is a gem of late Dravidian architecture.

Lord Rama sent his most devout disciple, Hanuman (the monkey god), to Mt. Kailas to bring a lingam but the monkey god was delayed and as Shiva had to be worshipped at a certain time, Rama's wife, Sita, moulded one herself which subsequently became known as the Ramanatha. On Hanuman's return, Rama was forced to console the monkey god by having the lingam which he had brought from Mt Kailas installed near the Ramanatha and decreeing that the Hanuman lingam should have precedence over the Ramanatha. The temple as it stands today was begun in the 12th century AD and added to by various rulers over the succeeding centuries. Its gopuram is 53.6 metres (176 ft) high.

Rameshwaram is an island- of Lord Rama's temple at Tamil Nadu is a terrific destination. Along with being a major pilgrimage for the Hindus, Rameshwaram is a happening holiday spot too.

Discover Oriental East India

This unique tour combines the two eastern states of Sikkim and West Bengal. Similar in many ways yet so different in their cultural traditions, heritage, people and the environment. This tour reveals aspects of India very often missed while travelling the regular circuits. This journey starts at the north-eastern state of Sikkim (Indian border state to China), tucked away in the foothills of the Himalayas, a place with breathtaking beauty, rich biodiversity and the most splendid views of Mt. Kanchenjunga. We then travel to Lachung, a place very close to the Tibet border. From there we start our southward descent to the state of West Bengal, visiting the famous architectural towns of Murshidabad and Vishnupur and then to Kolkata, the erstwhile capital of the British. From Kolkata we journey to the Sunderbans National Park, the world's largest delta formed by the Ganga (Ganges) and Brahmaputra rivers. At this point you have the option of either ending your journey on the backwaters or travelling further south to visit the temple towns of Bhubaneshwar, Konark and Puri, winding up on the palm-fringed beaches of Puri.