Know More about State Punjab

About the State : Punjab, the land of Five rivers is the richest state in India. The word Punjab is a combination of two Persian words 'Panj'(five) and 'Aab'(water). The five rivers flowing here are Beas, Sutlej, Ravi, Chenab, Jhelum. Punjab is also known as the Food Basket and Granary of India. It has a long history and rich cultural heritage. The earliest human civilization Indus Valley Civilization (Harappa civilization ) is believed to have been established in this region. Chandigarh is the state capital. Punjabi is the state language.

Major cities

Mohali

Chandigarh

Ludhiana

Amritsar

Bathinda

Patiala

Jalandha

Must see Places : Amritsar: Golden Temple, Lakshmi Narain Temple, Wagah Border (The pageant of the beating of the retreat and the change of guard of the Indian and Pakistani forces makes the most charming of the spectacles as a daily evening drill), Jallian Wala Bagh, the Martyr’s Memorial (which depicts the brutal killings of the innocents by the British). During summer it is open to tourists from 9 am to 5 pm and in winters from 10 am to 4 pm. Ram Bagh, Ram Tirath, Samadhi of Guru Angad Dev Ji, Jama Masjid Khairuddin, Samadh of Shravan, Khoo Kalyanwala, The Historical Banyan Tree (Shaheedi Bohr)
Chandigarh : Rock Garden, Sukana lake, Pinjore Gardens, and Rose Gardens better known as Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, is the largest rose garden in entire Asia and features a stunning range of over 1600 rose species.
Patiala is renowned for its palaces, museums, sports, cuisine, fashionware. Malerkotla is famous for embroidery , insignias and handiwork artifacts. Fatehgarh Sahib and Sirhind nearby have several historical buildings, especially of the Muslim era. Chandigarh is an ideal starting point for visiting Punjab.  Read More....

Best eating Joints : Relish the Punjabi cuisine at these places

Pure Vegetarian Dhaba Bharawan Ka Dhaba (Brother Dhaba) Kesar ka Dhaba Kundan Da Dhaba	Non Vegetarian Dhaba Surjeet Ka Dhaba – Famous for Amritsari Machchi (Fry Fish) Pal Ka Dhaba – Famous for Chicken and Kharore (Goat Feet dish) Bhire ka Dhaba – Famous for Grill and Tandoori Chicken
Kulcha Land Oka Cafe Crystal Restaurant Narula’s Restaurant Hot Mirchi, Ranjit Avenue	Famous Amritsari Sweet Shops Amritsar is one of the highest consumption of Desi (Pure) Ghee in India. Some famous shops are : Bikaner Sweets, Kacheri Chownk Munim Di Hatti, Lawrence Road Bansal Sweet Shop, Lawrence Road Novelty Sweets , Lawrence Road Goenka Sweets, Katra Ahluwalia Khubi Halwali , Katra Ahluwalia (Famous for Desi Ghee’s Jalebi)

What to buy where: Punjab is famous for its durries, jutties, woolen shawls, inlaid furniture, phulkari work, parandis, sport goods, leather garments and the jewelry.
Visit local Bazar in Amritsar. The main shopping areas are the Hall Bazar, Katra Jaimal Singh and Lawrence Road. Several shops outside Golden Temple sell all kinds of souvenirs such as photo’s, paintings, ornaments and even knives, swords and shields.
The main attractions are woolens, carpets and blankets, besides juttis and embroidered stuff. The bazaars of Amritsar offer a range of traditional and modern wares from carpets, durries, kites, fireworks, bangles, shawls to cut-glass and woolen textiles.

---

99% of the world’s wooden chess is made in Amritsar ! Go to Focal Point (industrial Area) and you’ll find many small houses who make chess boards.
You can buy Wooden Chess, Camel Bone Chess, Artistic Chess, Chess Boards, Chess Boxes
What to pay: from Rs. 50 to Rs. 3000 depending on the size.

Chandigarh's Sector 17 has everything to offer to satisfy one's shopping desires. Branded showrooms, fashionable clothing stores, shoes, electronics, jewelry, books etc. Do visit Khadi Ashram for homespun textiles and herbal beauty products. Phulkari is a Punjab Govt. Emporium with everything from handicrafts to jootis, woolen shawls, scarves and beautiful bedspreads. Jalandhar is famous for leather items and thus has a wide array of leather goods, which one can conveniently find at almost any shop. Popularly known as the Sports Capital of India, it has wide variety of sports goods for the sports lovers

The most popular shops that sell traditional items include Oriental Crafts, Prince Glass Corner, Taj Handicrafts, Janta Textiles and Handicrafts, Loveleen Handicraft, Pacca Bagh and Jaina Crafts.Basketry and wood works are other items that one can shop for, in Jalandhar.

Know more about State Maharashtra

About the State : Maharashtra, the land of colorful and diverse cultures is the second most populous state. The mountains, the temples, the beaches, the great monuments and architectural structures attract people from all over the world. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra, which is also the Financial capital of the country. Marathi is the state language. 

Major Cities

Mumbai

Pune

Nagpur

Nasik

Aurangabad

Must see Places :
Monuments : Gateway Of India, Agakhan Palace, Kesari Wada, Vishrambag Wada, Lal Mahal, Chand Minar.
Beaches : Juhu Beach, Marine Drive, Chowpatty Beach, Madh Island Beach, Versova Beach, Murud Janjira, Dahanu Bordi, Ganapatipule, Mandwa and Kihim, Marve Manori and Gorai, Shriwarhan and Harihareshwar, Tarkarli, Velneshwar, Vengurla Malvan
Hill Stations : Mahabaleshwar, Matheran, Bhandardara, Chikhaldara, Panchgani, Lonavala and Khandala
Forts : Vijaydurg Fort, Sindhudurg, Shivner Fort, Pratapgad fort, Murud – Janjira fort, Lohagad and Visapur Forts, Harishchandragad Fort, Arnala Fort and Ajinkyatara FortCaves : Ajanta caves, Elephanta caves, Ellora caves, Auranagabad caves, Pitalkhora
Religious Places : Kumbh Mela of Nashik, Mumbadevi Temple of Mumbai, Kailash Temple in Aurangabad, Pandharpur, Shirdi, Bahubali Temples, Hazi Ali tomb in Mumbai, Takhat Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib of Nanded, Osho Ashram in Pune, Mount Marry Church and Afghan Memorial Church in Mumbai, Sidhi Vinayak Temple

Know more about Traditional sarees of India and how to wear saree in Maharashtrian style

Some well known Restaurants : Maharashtrian cuisine covers a range from being mild to very spicy dishes

Italian Don Giovanni’s Mezzo Mezzo Vetro (The Oberoi Hotel) Celini (The Grand Hyatt) Mangi Ferra Taxi Spaghetti Kitchen	North Western Peshawari (Maratha Sheraton) Kandahar (The Oberoi Hotel) Kebab Corner (Hotel Intercontinental) Copper Chimney Khyber Kareem’s Malad	Regional Indian Dakshin (Maratha Sheraton) Woodlands Oh! Calcutta Poush Preetam’s Dhaba Urban Tadka Chetana Thacker’s Rajdhani Casa Soul Fry Brittania Jimmy Boy Sheetal Bukhara Great Punjab
Vegetarian Swati Snacks Little Italy New Yorkers Creame Center Statua Relish (Hotel Samrat)	Sea Food India Jones Mainland China Ming’s Pavillion Golden Dragon (Taj Mahal Hotel) Great Wall (Renaissance) Spices (JW Marriott) China Gate China White Royal China	Japanese Wasabi by Morimoto (Taj Mahal Hotel) Tiffin (The Oberoi Hotel) Pan Asian (Maratha Sheraton) India Jones Spices (JW Marriott) Origami (Atria Mall) Japengo Café (CR2 Mall) Tetsuma
Combination Oriental India Jones Pan Asian (Maratha Sheraton) Seijo and Soul Dish Jos	Lounge Olive Rain Indigo Cafe Leopold Cafe Mondegar Mocha	Coffee Shops Trattoria (Taj President) Frangipani Vista (Taj Land’s End) Hornby’s Pavilion (ITC Grand Central) Lotus Cafe (JW Marriott)

What to buy where: Mumbai: Chor Bazar is the best place for best antiques, jewelry, wooden articles, leather ware. Check out Crawford Market for flowers, fruits, meat and fish, Fahsion Street for affordable and up-to-date fashionable wardrobe, Zaveri Bazar for range of jewelry items.

Kemps Corner, Warden Road, Breach Candy and Napean Sea Road are for those who look for the glamorous shopping.

Mereweather Road behind Taj Mahal Hotel is popular for colourful and innovative carpets. Here the range is extensive, exclusive, but prices slightly higher.

State emporiums at the World Trade Centre, at Cuffe Parade are a perfect for buying souvenir, a rare artifact or textiles. The prices at the Central Cottage Industries Emporium (Apollo Bunder) and Khadi Village Industries Emporium (D.N.Road) are fixed, But the quality found is genuine.

Pune:  Tulsi Baug offers household items; jewellery, Maharashtrians traditional wares, pearl nose ring, necklace and the nine-yard sarees. Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar(Deccan Gymkhana)is a small market place  for fruit, leather items, gifts, food, shoes, and furniture. There is a lane called Hong Kong lane that sells trinkets, cosmetic jewellery, cassettes and flowers. Sweetshops of this marketplace are famous for its sweet pedas, barfis and amrakhanda as well as spicy bhakar wadis and saurali wadis. Juna Bazaar or Old Market is a place for accessories like necklaces, screwdrivers and door hinges. Antique coins are casually sold here. Laxmi Road is mainly famous for its garment shops for all weathers and its purses. It is said that a visit to Pune is incomplete if you have not visited Laxmi Road once. Mondays closed.

---

Mahatma Gandhi Road is a place with big stores. selling garments along these big stores. There are also plenty of food stalls and ice cream parlours on this road as well as in nearby areas to satiate one's hunger. Mahatma Gandhi Road, like Laxmi Road is also one way. This place is favourite for evening hangouts. It is closed on Sundays and in the afternoons.

Aurangabad is rich in its culture and heritage as well as its art and crafts. Himroo shawls, mashroo and kimkhab weaves are famous. Well-known fine paithani silk sarees are avialble here. The silver inlay craft of Bidri ware too is world famous.

Nagpur’s Sitabuldi, WHC Road, Dharampeth Road, Residency Road (Sadar) are famous for Shopping. Poonam Chambers in Chhindwara Road is a shopping mall for branded clothes and non-branded clothes, shoes, super bazaar, gifts and cards, jewellry shops, furniture, snacks and fast food, and music.

Nagpur is famous for its world-class oranges. Orange products like jam, jelly, marmalade and fruit squash can also be purchased in cheapest rates with best quality.

Nashik is known to be a religious city. Kumb Mela is organized here for every three years in the city. Little brass statues and beaded necklaces are available everywhere. Nashik is popular for its jewellery as well. Adgaonkar Bandhu, Adgaonkar Saraf, Adgaonkar Sons, Amruta Jewellery, Dhanvardhini Jewellers, Dusane and Sons, Gulawanchkar Jewellers, Heena Jewellery and J B Ankaikar Junnarkar Jewellers are some of the important jewellery shops.

Clothing and fashion apparels can be shopped at Amarson Cloth Centre, Anil Cloth Stores, Shivaji Cloth Market Bhadrakali Nasik, Babubhai Cloth Store, Beauty Corner, Bombay Silk Stores, Deolali Cloth Stores, Ganpati Cloth Store, Gurunanak Cloth Stores and Harish Cloth Stores.

Kolhapur is popular for its cotton textiles, in particular Kolhapuri sarees, also popular for its jewellery and leather sandals or Kolhapuri chappals.

Kolhapur is famous for its special type of traditional necklace called Kolhapur saaj. Har and malas, mohanmal, bormal, chaplahar, kolhapuri saaj, pohehar and putlihar are the jewelleries that are made in Kolhapur. Thushi, a choker with closely bound tiny gold beads, is very popular in Kolhapur.

Mahadwar and Shivaji Roads are regarded as good places to shop. Tourists can find a good variety of Kolhapuri chappals and other leather goods on Bhausinji Road. One can also shop around the bus station in the Rajarampuri area. Shetkaari Bazaar is the cheapest place to shop.

Know more about State Kerala

 About the State : Kerala, God’s own country, a  perfect destination for holiday, honeymoon, art, culture, health care and ayurveda. It is a small state located in the South of India on the West coast. It offers the picturesque and scenic beauty of Nature at its best. Trivandrum is the capital of Kerala. The literacy rate is the highest among all states in India.It is also famous for its rich culture and heritage. Malayalam is the state language. 

Major cities

Tiruvananthapuram

Kochi

Kozhikode

Kollam

Trissure

Palakkad

Alappuzha

Must see Places :

Hill Stations : Munnar(The Kashmir of South), Nelliampathi, Ponmudi
Keralite Architecture : Padmanabhapuram Palace, Bolghatty Palace
Backwaters : Kumarkom, Alleppey, Kochi
Beaches : Kovalam, Cherai, Varkala Beach
Wildlife Sanctuaries : Periyar National Park, Eravikulam National Park, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Silent Valley National Park, Mathanga Wild life Sanctuary Wayanad, Periyar Tiger Reserves in Thekkady
Edakkal Caves
For the adventurer, trekking in Muthanga, Edakkal and Pakshipathalam
Trissure-the cultural capital of Kerala for Trissure Pooram, one of the biggest festivals.

Know more about Traditional sarees of India and how to wear saree in Kerala Style or Mundu Neriyathum style

 Best Eating Joints : Enjoy the Kerala delicacies here

Kochi Restaurants  serving local dishes are: Sri Krishna Cafe (Gujerati road, Mattanchery) They serve amazing Stuffed Parotta & Vegetable Masala Dosa. Art Café Here, you get really delicious Banana and Chocolate cakes. The coffee served at the café is also pretty good. Arya Bhavan All kinds of basic Tamil food is served here Palms Restaurant (Metropolitan) It is bit expensive, but the menu includes really authentic and sumptuous local cuisine.  Some other good restaurants in Kochi are Salt N Pepper, Solar Café, Fort House Restaurant and Kashi Art Café.

Multi-cuisine restaurants in Kochi : Pandhal on MG road is a family restaurant. They also have an attached pastry counter. Renaissance on MG road offers Continental, Chinese and Thai food, apart from Indian dishes. Tharavad is located on Willingdon Island. This is Casino hotel's coffee shop and a variety of cuisines are available here throughout the day. Indian Coffee House for Coffee  Azad Restaurants & Arya Bhavan for South Indian Thali Appam & Stew at Cafe Magnet, Mutton Biriyani/Paratta & Mutton Curry at Azad Restaurants Puttu & Mutton Curry/roast/fry – Hotel Buhari Bolgatty Palace Hotel for Perfect seafood

Some other famous food joints are: Bimbi's Fast Food - Shanmugham Road Chariot Beach Snacks Princess Street - Fort Cochin Chinese Jade Pavilion Taj Malabar hotel - Willingdon Island Kashi Art Café Snacks Burgher Street - Fort Cochin Pandhal Multi Cuisine - M.G. Road, Ernakulam Ramathula Hotel - Irimpichi Road and New Road Sealord Seafood - Shanmugham Road, Ernakulam Utsav Indian Taj Residency - Marine Drive

What to buy where : There are so many places in Kerala to satiate one's shopping desires. Apart from Gold, you can buy ivory carvings, pottery, brocade fabrics, earthenware products, Kathakali faces, Spices, Kerala Sari, famous Banana chips, ecofriendly coir crafts, Canned Sea Foods, Raja Ravi Varma paintings.

Kochi is known for its textiles, readymade garments, jewellery, handicrafts, antiques and spices. M.G. Road is the main commercial center. Besides, Broadway and Marine Drive in mainland Ernakulum and Jew town in Mattenchery are some of the important shopping sites in Kochi.The shops in Jew Street sell antique pieces of crockery, carved wooden furniture, bronze and brass sculptures, jewellery and many other things. Kumily in Idukki district is an important shopping center and spice trade center. Aranmula is famous for its metal mirrors, a unique craft that is not found anywhere else in the world.

---

Some of the well known Malls in Kochin:

• Abad Nucleus Mall
• Bay Pride Mall
• Forum Thomsun Mall
• Gold Souk Grande Mall
• Lulu Kochin Mall
• Oberon Mall

Visit the Connemara market at Trivandrum and pick up some great variety of beautiful South Indian silk sarees, handicrafts and antique souvenirs, clothes, fabics, spics 

When it comes to rejuvenating yourself, visiting a meditation and yoga center or a relaxed ayurvedic massage would be the best option. There are umpteen number of  ayurvedic spas offering wellness of body, mind and soul.  Choose the right place and surrender yourself in the serene beauty of nature to experience the bliss in your life.

Know more about State Karnataka

About the State : Karnataka, known as the 'Land of Sandalwood and Coffee' is the 8th largest state in India by area and 9th largest by population. The state has three major   geographical zones, the Coastal region of Karavali, the Hilly Malnad region comprising the Western Ghats (Sahyadri) and the Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of Deccan Plateau. major rivers here are Kaveri, Tungabhadra, Krishna, Sharavati. The Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka. Kannada is the state language.

Major cities

Bangalore

Mysore

Mangalore

Hubli

Udupi

Karwar

Bellary

Shimoga

Must See Places : Bangalore : Bangalore Palace, Vidhan Saudha, St.Mary's Church, Lal Bagh, Cubbon Park, Bannerghatta National Park, Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, Botanical Garden, Government Museum, Bal Bhavan, Freedom Park, Tipu Sulatan Fort, Ulsoor Lake, Vishveshwarayya Industrial and Technological Museum, ISKCON temple.
Mysore : Mysore Palace, KRS dam, Brindavan Gardens, Mysore Zoo, Jagamohan Palace, Chamundi Hills, St. Philomena's Church, Lalitha Mahal, Srirangapatna, Ranganatittu Bird Sanctuary.
Mangalore : Mangalore Beach, Sultan Battery, St.Aloysius Chrch, Surathkal Beach, Kudroli Gokarnath Temple, Ullal Darga, Light House Hill-garden, Murudeshwara
Hubli-Dharwad : Idgah Maidan, Indira glass House, Moorusaviaramatha, Siddharoodha matha, STPI-Software Technological park of India, Unakal Lake, Basel Mission Church, Bendre Bhavan, Sadhankeri Lake, Tapovan.
Udupi : Malpe Beach, Kollur, Karkala, Ambalpady, Kunjarugiri, Kota, Manipal, Dharmasthala, Shringeri
Shimoga : Jog Falls, Gajnur Dam, Agumbe, Linganmakki Dam, Lion & Tiger Safari, Shivappanayaka Fort, Sakrebayalu, Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary, Guduvi, Kuppalli, Ambuthirtha, Keladi
North Karnataka : Hampi, Badami, Pattadkal, Aihole, Bidar Fort, Basavakalyana, Banavasi, kudalsangama, Gol Gumbaz, Lakkundi.

Eating Joints : 
There are various cuisines you can taste in Karnataka, North-Karnataka style, Udupi style, and the very own Bangalorean style. Bangalore is a foodie's paradise. Some of the best Restaurants in Bangalore are :

For vegetarian : RedFort, Koramangala NH8, Indiranagar Mast Kalandar Rajdhani, Jayanagar Vidyarthi Bhavan, Basavangudi The South Indies, Indiranagar Hallimane, Malleshwaram Kamat Yatri Nivas, Gandhinagar	For Seafood: Karavalli, Residency road Kadal, Rajajinagar Oyster Bay, Koramangala For Non-Veg : Empire, Residency road Samarkhand, Infantry road
For delicious Breakfast: Koshy's Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (MTR), near Lalbagh Dosa Country, Marathhalli CTR, Malleshwaram Madurai Idly Shop, Koramanagala	Others : Corner House Surasang for Korean at Koramangala Ebony for Parse at M.G.Road Mainland China for Chinese at 100ft road, Indiranagar Eurasia for Italina at Jayanagar 6th Block

What to Buy Where : Bangalore is the shopping paradise too. There are number of shopping malls and international branded stores in the city apart from the streets full of shops to fulfill everyone's tastes and pockets. Traditional handicraft items are a must to pick up in the Karnataka tour. Beautiful Silk sarees and idols made of Sandalwood would surely bring you back the memories of this beautiful place.

Some of the most famous places for shopping freaks are MG Road, Brigade road, Commercial Street, KR Market, Jaynagar, Gandhinagar etc.
Chickpet is known for its collection of beautiful saris, jewelries and garments. It is th best place for the wedding shopping. There are a large number of stores at BVK Iyengar Road where one can look out for wood works, paper and electrical goods.

---

Commercial Street is famous for shopping colorful clothes and dress materials other than fashionable jewelries. One can also look in for shoes, art supplies, travel kits, sports, etc. Westside is a very famous shopping joint along with some of the branded stores.
At MG Road find famous sari emporiums like the Deepam Silks and Prasiddhi. Gangaram and Higgin Botham for the book lovers.Famous shopping malls include Forum mall, Garuda Mall, Bangalore Central, Cosmos, Sigma to name a few.

Other Shopping joints:

• Alankrita Antiques, Commercial Street
• Blueland Stores, MG Road
• Cauvery Arts Emporium, MG Road
• Central Cottage Industries Emporia, M.G Road
• Crimson Art Gallery, Safina Plaza
• FabIndia, Koramangala
• Kairali, M.G Road
• Jamal Carpet Industry, Cunnigham Road
• Utklika, Residency Roa