One of the greatest festivals in Kerala, Onam brings out the rich tradition and diverse culture of the state. Held every year at the end of August or beginning of September during the first month of Malayalam Calendar for 10 days, Onam is celebrated by Keralites without any difference of caste and religion.

Onam is not just a festival, it is a social celebration.  The time for various traditional sports and enjoyments, it reflects the faith of the Keralites and their belief in religion, customs and traditions. Hundreds of people take colorful boats and indulge in wide range of racing and aquatic festivals. Huge celebrations take place in cities like Trivandrum, Trichur and Kochi. Even in rural areas, lots of merriment take place. Young people, attired in their best, sing Onappaattu, a traditional song and enjoy to the fullest.

The colorful atmosphere and vibrancy amidst rich tradition indeed make Onam a great festival.

The news is widespread that Abhinav Bindra, the 25-year-old Indian shooting ace, won the 10 meters air rifle event at the Beijing Olympics 2008 and gave India its first gold medal on Monday (11th August’08) morning. To commemorate this event, sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik creates a sand sculpture at the premises of Tata housing in Bangalore. Those on tour to Bangalore can witness the sculpture!

Now, Assam is not only famous for its tea gardens, but you can also plan your next vacation in Tinsukia town in upper Assam and expect to experience a wildlife safari! The Mahakali Tea Estate in Assam is an ideal holiday retreat for those who want to enjoy a green and balmy life amidst the woods, with birds, wolves and monkeys around. You might also see a leopard leap across the path just a foot away or wild elephants stopping by.

 To see the Tinsukia railway map click here.

Are you a bird lover or wildlife enthusiast wishing to watch diverse species of birds and spend time amidst their natural habitat? Then Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is the ideal place for you to be! Officially known as the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Bharatpur ranks among the finest bird sanctuaries in the world. Consisting of scrublands, marshes and grasslands, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is spread over an area of 29 sq-kms and is home to around 300 bird species like stork, eagles, stints, flycatchers, grey horn, pelicans, cranes and lots more. Migratory birds like Wheatears, Pipits and Larks too flock the sanctuary. Besides birds, animals like Nilgai, boar, Sambhar and Chital are also found here.

Hundreds of tourists and nature lovers visit the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary . The best time to come here is between August and November. Bharatpur is well accessible and is linked with Agra, Delhi, Jaipur and Chandigarh. Accommodation is easily available as there are lots of resorts and hotels.

Those looking for a successful career and high salary can now pursue their management course along with their engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay. This is starting from this year as the IIT-B recently revamped its academic year requirement by allowing students to engage themselves in their interested fields during their stay at the Powai campus.

See also: http://www.mapsofindia.com/mumbai/mba-colleges-in-mumbai.html

Are you planning to spend your vacation in India?  Now you can look forward to a hazard free stay in India’s top tourist destinations. Just visit Maps of India and book hotels online. This site offers you a wide range of cheap, discount, luxury, 5 star, heritage and even budget hotels in India. All you have to do is make your own choice and book your hotel online. Here, you can book hotels in India’s top tourist locations like Jammu, Mumbai, Delhi, Manali, Kovalam, Goa, Jaipur and so on- get the best of India accommodation here!

Planning for a vacation? Now you can book air tickets online. Maps of India offers a range of discount air tickets, cheap air tickets, international air tickets and domestic air tickets. The options are endless, but the choice is yours! Besides the best air tickets deals, you can book the cheapest hotel rooms and get the best vacation packages on a single visit to this site.

Wishing to have a nice and stylish journey in one of the premier airlines at affordable rates? Search for the cheap flight tickets offered in various domestic and international airlines and enjoy a wonderful air trip!! Discounted air tickets are also offered during the peak season. Book these tickets and enjoy a great air travel without shedding huge sums of money from your pocket.

To get the best deals on cheap flight tickets, make sure to book them in advance. Most airlines offer cheap and discounted tickets for a limited period. A proper idea of the various flight schedules will help you buy the best ticket. There are also lots of travel agencies and travel sites through which you can book cheap air tickets without any hassles. And what’s more, you can purchase them online at just a click of a mouse!!

 Get the best deals on the air tickets here and have a great flight!

Our land of five rivers - Punjab is also called the land of honey and milk. When it comes to talk about Indian cuisines, Punjabi dishes are one of the most talked about. My all time favorite is Chinese, but then when it comes to pick from the Indian pallete, it is always the Punjabi food that I go for. Punjab is a treasure for the travelers as much as for foodies like me, and for the ones who enjoy both, for them Punjab will be one of the most favorite tourist destinations in India. There is so much to see and there is even more to eat!

I was amazed by the fact when a friend of mine (also a Punjabi) told me that you can trace back to the Vedas to know about the region’s amazing food, which contains its earliest references. Even more interesting is the fact, that most of those ingredients that were used by the Aryans over 6000 years ago, as mentioned in the Vedas, are still so much in use today. I also came to know of some Ayurvedic texts speaking of a sundried Dumpling called Vatika, which is a spicy delicacy. Punjab’s proximity to Central Asia, Afghanistan and Persia brought on a mix of delicacies. The Punjabi foods also had their share of influence by the Mughalai recipes. Punjab travel seems to be a promising one, with so many tourist attractions to take you on, and so many delicacies to fuel you up!

This October, get ready for better than the best as the Government of Rajasthan will unveil the second Palace on Wheels after the success story of its predecessor. Named “The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels”, the super luxury cousin of “Palace on Wheels” holds much more facilities and extra luxury. The train takes you to an odyssey down the royal past of Rajasthan as you come face to face with the exotic lifestyle of the kings and Rajputs of the state in the historic era. This special Rajasthan train travel promises you all those luxuries which you missed in its elder cousin. The journey covers the top tourist attractions in Rajasthan like Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, and Bharatpur. Agra and New Delhi are also in your Rajasthan train travel.

Some of the top features in The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, that’s about to double the excitement of Rajasthan tourism by train, include 13 deluxe saloons, 1 super-deluxe saloon, 2 restro lounges, boardroom with state of the art facilities, a gym and a spa to name a few. And if you are planning to take on this royal ride yourself, then wait for few years in the queue. Yes, few years, because, reservations have already been done till 2010 and if you are lucky enough you might get yourself a reservation for 2012 which is 76% full.