Adam's Bridge

Adam's Bridge (Tamil: ஆதாம் பாலம் āthām pālam), also known as Rāmar Pālam (Tamil: இராமர் பாலம் irāmar pālam) and Ram sethu. (from Sanskrit:रामसेतु rāmasetu) meaning "Rama's Bridge", is a chain of limestone shoals, between the islands of Mannar, near northwestern Sri Lanka, and Rameswaram, off the southeastern coast of Tamilnadu, India. Geological evidence indicates that this bridge is a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka.The bridge is 30 miles (48 km) long and separates the Gulf of Mannar (southwest) from the Palk Strait (northeast). Some of the sandbanks are dry and the sea in the area is very shallow, being only 3 ft to 30 ft (1 m to 10 m) deep in places, which hinders navigation.A ferry service linking the island and port of Rameswaram in India with Talaimannar in Sri Lanka has been suspended for some time because of the fighting between Sri Lankan government forces and the separatist LTTE. The Pamban Bridge links Rameswaram island with mainland India. In 2001, the Government of India approved a multi-million dollar Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project that aims to create a ship channel across the Palk Strait.

The bridge was first mentioned in historical works in the 11th century, mentioned by Alberuni Ibn Khordadbeh in his Book of Roads and Kingdoms (ca. 850 AD) and was called Set Bandhai or "Bridge of the Sea".The name Adam's Bridge probably comes from an Islamic legend, according to which Adam used the bridge to reach Adam's Peak in Sri Lanka, where he stood repentant on one foot for 1,000 years, leaving a large hollow mark resembling a footprint. Both the peak and the bridge are named after this legend. The name Rama's Bridge or Rama Setu (Sanskrit; setu: bridge) was given to this bridge of shoals in Rameshwaram, as Hindu legend identifies it with the bridge built by the Vanara (monkey-men) army of Rama , which he used to reach Sri Lanka and rescue his wife Sita from the Rakshasa king, Ravana, as stated in the Sanskrit epic Ramayana..
The sea separating India and Sri Lanka is called Sethusamudram "Sea of the Bridge". Maps prepared by a Dutch cartographer in 1747, available at the Tanjore Saraswathi mahal library shows this area as Ramancoil, a colloquial form of the Tamil Raman Kovil (Rama's Temple)Another map of Mogul India prepared by J. Rennel in 1788 retrieved from the same library called this area the area of the Rama Temple . Many other maps in Schwartzberg's historical atlas and other sources call this area with various names like Koti, Sethubandha and Sethubandha Rameswaram along with others.Valmiki Ramayan called the bridge built by Lord Rama Setu Bandhanam in verse 2-22-76.
The earliest map that calls this area Adam's bridge was prepared by a British cartographer in 1804.

Adam's Bridge starts as chain of shoals from the Dhanuskodi tip of India's Rameswaram Island and ends at Sri Lanka's Mannar Island. Rameswaram Island is connected to the Indian mainland by 3 km long Pamban Bridge. Ramasetu and neighbouring areas like Rameswaram Dhanushkodi, Devipattinam and Thirupullani are mentioned in the context of various legends in Ramayana.

India Gate

The India Gate is a war memorial in New Delhi commemorating the Indian dead of the First World War. The India Gate today also houses the Indian Army's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Amar Jawan Jyoti.

Situated on the Rajpath in New Delhi, the India Gate was originally called the All India War Memorial is a monument built by Edwin Lutyens to commemorate the Indian soldiers who died in World War I and the Afghan Wars. The foundation stone was laid on 10 February 1921 by the Duke of Connaught. The names of the soldiers who died in these wars are inscribed on the walls. It was completed in 1931. The 42 metre tall India Gate is situated such that many important roads spread out from it. Traffic passing around India Gate used to be continuous until the roads were closed to the public due to terrorist threats. The lawns around Rajpath are thronged by people during the night, when the India Gate is lit up. The India Gate also has some resemblance to the Arc de Triomphe of Paris. Inscribed on top of India Gate in capital letters is the line:
“
To the dead of the Indian armies who fell honoured in France and Flanders Mesopotamia and Persia East Africa Gallipoli and elsewhere in the near and the far-east and in sacred memory also of those whose names are recorded and who fell in India or the north-west frontier and during the Third Afghan War.
”
It is today one of the most famous monuments in Delhi.

Burning in a shrine under the arch of India Gate since 1971 is the Amar Jawan Jyoti (the flame of the immortal warrior), which marks the Unknown Soldier's Tomb. The shrine itself is a black marble cenotaph with a rifle placed on its barrel, crested by a soldier's helmet. Each face of the cenotaph has inscribed in gold the words "Amar Jawan" (Immortal Warrior). This cenotaph is itself placed on an edifice which has on its four corners four torches that are perpetually kept alive. It was unveiled on January 26, 1972 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in the wake of the 1971 Indo-Pak War. Today, it is customary for the President and the Prime Minister, as well as visiting Guests of State, to pay homage at the site on occasions of State ceremonies.

Red Fort

The Delhi Fort also known as Lal Qil'ah, or Lal Qila, meaning the Red Fort, located in Delhi, India and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.

The Red Fort and the city of Shahjahanabad was constructed by the Emperor Shah Jahan in 1639 A.D. The layout of the Red Fort was organised to retain and integrate this site with the Salimgarh Fort. The fortress palace is an important focal point of the medieval city of Shahjahanabad. The planning and aesthetics of the Red Fort represent the zenith of Mughal creativity which prevailed during the reign of Emperor Shahjahan. This Fort has had many developments added on after its construction by Emperor Shahjahan. The significant phases of development were under Aurangzeb and later Mughal rulers. Important physical changes were carried out in the overall settings of the site after the First War of Independence during British Rule in 1857. After Independence, the site experienced a few changes in terms of addition/alteration to the structures. During the British period the Fort was mainly used as a cantonment and even after Independence, a significant part of the Fort remained under the control of the Army until the year 2003.
The Red Fort was the palace for Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's new capital, Shahjahanabad, the seventh Muslim city in the Delhi site. He moved his capital from Agra in a move designed to bring prestige to his reign, and to provide ample opportunity to apply his ambitious building schemes and interests.
The fort lies along the Yamuna River, which fed the moats that surround most of the wall. The wall at its north-eastern corner is adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh Fort, a defense built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546. Construction on the Red Fort began in 1638 and was complete by 1648. However, it is believed that it is the ancient city of Lal Kot which was captured by Shah Jahan since Lal Kot literally means Red (Lal) Fort (Kot). Lal Kot was the capital city of Prithviraj Chauhan in the late 12th century.
On 11 March 1783, Sikhs entered Red Fort in Delhi and occupied the Diwan-i-Am. The city was essentially surrendered by the Mughal wazir in cahoots with his Sikh Allies. This task was carried out under the command of the Sardar Baghel Singh Dhaliwal of the Karor Singhia misl

Kovalam

Kovalam is a beach town on the Arabian Sea in Kerala, a state in south India. It is located around 16 km outside Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) City in the Thiruvananthapuram district.

Kovalam was brought to the public eye by the Maharaja of Travancore.The European guests of the then Travancore kingdom discovered the potentiality of Kovalam beach as a tourist destination in the 1930s. However, Kovalam shot into limelight in the early seventies with arrivals of the masses of hippies. That started the transformation of a casual fishing village of Kerala into one of the most important tourist destinations in all India- the Kovalam beach.

Kovalam has three crescent shaped beaches separated by rocky outcroppings. Shallow waters stretching for hundreds of metres are ideal for swimming. The beaches have steep palm covered headlands and are lined with shops that offer all kinds of goods and services.

"Kovalam means a grove of coconut trees"
The larger of the beaches is called Light House Beach for its 35 metre high light house which towers over it atop Kurumkal hillock. The second largest one is Hawah Beach named thus for the topless European women who used to throng there. It was the first topless beach in India. Topfree bathing and parading is banned now except in private coves owned by resorts. Visitors frequent these two beaches. The northern part of the beach is known as Samudra Beach in tourism parlance. A large promontory separates this part from the southern side. Samudra Beach doesn't have tourists thronging there or hectic business. The local fishermen ply their trade on this part. The sands on the beaches in Kovalam are partially black in colour due to the presence of ilmenite and thorazite. The normal tourist season is from September to May.

Charminar

Charminar (Devanagari: चार मीनार, Nastaliq: چار مینار, meaning "Four Towers" or "Mosque of the four minarets") is one of the most important monuments in the city of Hyderabad, capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah built the monument in 1591 shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what now is known as Hyderabad[1]. Legend has it that the building honors a promise Quli Qutb Shah made to Allah. He supposedly had prayed for the end of a plague and vowed that he would build a masjid on that very place. The masjid became popularly known as Charminar because of its four (Hindi char = four) minarets (Minar (Arabic manara) = spire/tower), which possibly honor the first four khalifs of Islam. The actual masjid occupies the top floor of the four-story structure. (Madame Blavatsky asserted that each of the floors was meant for a separate branch of learning .)[2] There is a legend that an underground tunnel connects the palace at Golconda to Charminar to give the Qutb Shahi royal family an escape route should they need it during a siege. However, the exact location of the tunnel is unknown.
In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli prayed: Oh God, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode. Like fishes in the water. True to the legend, the city blossomed into a synthesis of two cultures.

Guindy National Park

Guindy National Park, A 2.82 km² (1 sq mi) Protected area of Tamil Nadu, located in Chennai, South India, is the 8th smallest National Park of India and one of the very few national parks situated inside a city. The park is an extension of the grounds surrounding Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor of Tamilnadu, India. It extends deep inside the govornor's estate, enclosing beautiful forests, scrub lands, lakes and streams. Guindy Park was originally a game reserve, then owned by a British citizen named Gilbert Rodericks and transferred to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department in 1958.

The Guindy National Park, Raj Bhavan and Indian Institute of Technology Madras habitat complex has historically enjoyed a certain degree of protection and has continued to support some of the last remnants of the natural habitats that typify the natural range of plant and animal biodiversity of north-eastern Tamil Nadu.[2]
The park has a dry evergreen scrub and thorn forest with over 350 species of plants including shrubs, climbers, herbs and grasses and over 24 varieties of trees, including the Sugar-apple, Atlantia monophylla, Wood-apple, Neem.
There are over 14 types of mammals including Antelope, 400 Black buck, Chital, 24 Jackal, Pangolin, 2000 Spotted deer, Jungle cat, Large Indian Civet, River otter, Hyena and Fox.
The park has dense forest, grasslands and water-bodies which provide an ideal habitat for over 100 species of birds including partridges, pheasants, parrots, quail, paradise fly-catcher, Black-winged kite, Honey Buzzard, Pariah kite and Eagle. Bird watchers anticipate migratory birds here like teals, garganeys, pochards, Medium egrets, large egrets, night herons, pond herons and open-billed storks every fall season.[3]
There are also many kinds of amphibians and snakes. Some species of tortoise and turtles- especially the endangered Star Turtle, lizards, geckos, chameleons and the common Indian monitor lizard are found here, as well as a large variety of insects including 60 species of spiders and 60 species of butterflies.

Guindy Snake Park, formerly the location of Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, is next to the Guindy National Park. There one can see King Cobra, pythons, vipers and other reptiles. 22 acres of GNP has been carved out into a children's park and play area at the northeast corner of the park with a collection of animals and birds. Animals in the children’s park include black buck, sambar, spotted deer, porcupine, hyena, jackal, python, grey pelican, night heron, cormorant, cockatiel, mongoose, bonnet monkey and common langur. The Snake park and Children’s park have separate entrances and independent entry fees. Drinking water, vendors and catering is available.

Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram (Tamil: மகாபலிபுரம்) also known as Mamallapuram (Tamil: மாமல்லபுரம்) is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has an average elevation of 12 metres (39 feet).
Mahabalipuram was a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas around 60 km south from the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. It is believed to have been named after the Pallava king Mamalla. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and the 9th century, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The monuments are mostly rock-cut and monolithic, and constitute the early stages of Dravidian architecture wherein Buddhist elements of design are prominently visible. They are constituted by cave temples, monolithic rathas (chariots), sculpted reliefs and structural temples. The pillars are of the Dravidian order. The sculptures are excellent examples of Pallava art.
It is believed by some that this area served as a school for young sculptors. The different sculptures, some half finished, may have been examples of different styles of architecture, probably demonstrated by instructors and practiced on by young students. This can be seen in the Pancha Rathas where each Ratha is sculpted in a different style.
Some important structures include:
Thirukadalmallai, the temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It was also built by Pallava King in order to safeguard the sculptures from the ocean. It is told that after building this temple, the remaining architecture was preserved and was not corroded by sea.
Descent of the Ganges - a giant open-air bas relief
Arjuna's Penance - relief sculpture on a massive scale extolling an episode from the Hindu epic, The Mahabharata.
Varaha Cave Temple - a small rock-cut temple dating back to the 7th century.
The Shore Temple - a structural temple along the Bay of Bengal with the entrance from the western side away from the sea. Recent excavations have revealed new structures here. The temple was reconstructed stone by stone from the sea after being washed away in a cyclone.
Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots) - five monolithic pyramidal structures named after the Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, Nakula and Sahadeva) and Draupadi. An interesting aspect of the rathas is that, despite their sizes they are not assembled — each of these is carved from one single large piece of stone.

Tidel Park

Tidel Park is an IT Park situated in the city of Chennai, India. It is the largest software park in Asia . It was set up on the July 4, 2000 to foster the growth of Information Technology in the state of Tamil Nadu.
It has a built-up area of 1,280,000 sq ft (119,000 m2). with centralised air-conditioning and an independent power supply. The park provides state-of-the-art network connectivity with direct satellite uplink.
It is located in Thiruvanmiyur and is well connected to all parts of the city. It is located on the IT corridor which the Tamilnadu state government scheduled to finish it by May 2006, but is yet to be completed.

It currently hosts several software, telecommunications and BPO companies. Recently, it has been a venue to several unconferences like Blogcamp, Barcamp, WikiCamp and PodWorks
Partial list of companies
Tata Consultancy Services
Verizon Data Services India (P) Ltd.
Computer Associates
Satyam Computer Services
iNautix
Sify
Cognizant Technology Solutions
HCL Technologies
Firstsource Solutions Limited
Kumaran Systems
Electronic Data Systems
SCM Microsystems, Inc
Accenture Services Pvt Ltd.,Chennai Delivery Center
Tenneco India Engineering & Shared Services Pvt. Ltd.,
Anantara Solutions Pvt Ltd
Lawrence and Associates India Pvt Ltd
@Road Software India Pvt Ltd
Financial software and Systems (P) Ltd.
California Software Co. Ltd (Calsoft, Chennai

Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal (also known as Kodai) is a city and a Taluk division of Dindigul district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, India.
Kodaikanal is sometimes referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and is a popular tourist destination. Much of the local economy is Hospitality industry based on national and international tourism. Kodaikanal was established by American missionaries around 1845, as a refuge from the high temperatures and tropical diseases of the plains. The exhilarating ambience and the salubrious climate of Kodaikanal attract thousands of tourists from far and wide nowadays.

Kodaikanal was not discovered until the early 19th century. British Lieutenant, Ward, first spotted Kodaikanal in 1821. In 1845, the first two bungalows, Sunny Side and Shelton were built by American missionaries with the help of an Englishman, Mr.Fane. Later many American and British families visited and decided to remain in the pristine hill station, as the weather reminded them of that at home. It also became a summer retreat for many European diplomats who came here primarily to escape the sweltering summer of the plains. However, it was only in the 20th century that a few elite Indians came to realise the value of this enchanting hill station and started relocating here. Amongst the current Indian locals, there are often discussions about how their ancestors trekked and climbed the mystic hills, from the villages in the foothills. It sometimes took them upto two full days to scale the steep valleys, braving attacks from wild animals and eventually reaching the summit of what is now Kodaikanal market, basically to sell their produce from the plains.
The Kodai Lake was laid out in 1863 by Sir Vere Hendry Levinge who was then the Collector of Madurai. The lake was originally stocked with fish from the local streams. In 1890, the first Boat Club was formed and today there are three different Boat Clubs with a variety of boats available on hire. Surprisingly, pictures taken in Kodaikanal during the early years of its foundation show the area around the lake with very few trees and a marshy landscape because the manmade lake had no bunds. Today, with an excellent paved path around it and strict municipal laws against construction near the lake, Kodai lake is as pristine as ever.

Ooty

Ooty pronunciation (help·info), short for Ootacamund pronunciation (help·info) (officially, Udhagamandalam Tamil: உதகமண்டலம், sometimes abbreviated to Udhagai Tamil: உதகை), is a city, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills. The origin of the name Ootacamund is obscure, but "mund" is the Badaga word for a Toda village, and it is probably a corruption of the Badaga name for the central region of the Nilgiri Plateau.[1] Another likely origin of the stem of the name ("Ootaca") comes from the local language Tamil where "Otta-Cal" literally means "Single Stone". This is perhaps a reference to a sacred stone revered by the local Toda people. Udhagamandalam is a more recent official Tamil name for the town. Ooty stands at an approximate height of 7,440 feet (2,268 m) above sea level.

The Nilgiri Hills were part of Chera Empire in ancient times. Later it fell into the hand of ganga dynasty, and then Hoysala empire under king Vishnuvardhana in the 12th century. They then became part of the Kingdom of Mysore of Tipu Sultan who later surrendered them to the British in the 18th century.
John Sullivan, the British governor of neighbouring Coimbatore province, liked the climate of this forested land, and occupied it by taking land from the native tribes (Toda, Irumba and Badaga); often buying up many square kilometres in a day for the price of a few meals.
The hills were developed rapidly under the British Raj because they were almost entirely owned by private British citizens, unlike the rest of India. Ooty served as the summer capital of the Madras Presidency, and had winding hill roads and a complicated rack railway system built by influential and enterprising British citizens with venture capital from the Madras government.