THE MARVELLOUS SOUTH INDIA If Egypt is described by the historians as the “cradle of civilisation”, and, Greece, the birth place of great scholars and philosophers, the entire region of South India can be symbolised as a fusion of both. The genesis of civilisation in South India dates back to several millennia. The dynasties which ruled different regions of this part of peninsular India have passed on to their posterity a great legacy of heritage and literature. Fascinated by its incredible luxuriance immaculate traditional values, British And French rulers competed to establish their rules in this part of India. While Pondicherry was ruled by the French government and Goa by the Portuguese, the rest of South India went into the hands of the Britishers. South India is now linguistically divided into four states, viz Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. While Pondicherry remains as a union territory, Goa has attained separate statehood. All these places are richly interspersed with bewitching and heart- warming tourist destinations. The entire stretch of South India can be hailed as travelers' paradise for a gamut of reasons. It offers such a diverse range of places to visit and relish, that the experience can never be summed up in one word or phrase. Its vast spreads of beaches, deep valleys, green fields, rivers, waterfalls, animal and bird sanctuaries, savoury cuisines and various sports add to the delight of the tourist, the memories of which will linger in their minds for life.

 TAMIL NADU  KNOWN AS THE LAND OF TEMPLES AND TANPURAS, TAMIL NADU IS A WONDERFUL TESTAMENT TO THE INDIAN TRADITION OF CULTURE AND ART. TEMPLES WITH TOWERING SPIRES CALLED GOPURAMS ARE A COMMON SIGHT IN THIS STATE AND A RARE SIGHT ELSEWHERE IN INDIA. SEVERAL ART FORMS HAVE THEIR ORIGIN IN RELIGIOUS WORSHIP AND EVEN TODAY, CONTINUE TO ADD VIBRANT COLOUR AND VIVID CHARACTER TO EVERYDAY LIFE. SPLENDID SCULPTURES OF VARIOUS DEITIES CAST IN BRONZE AND STONE, INTRICATE PAINTINGS ON GLASS AND THE GRACEFUL DANCE FORM OF BHARATNATYAM ARE ALL EVIDENCE OF TAMIL NADU’S CULTURAL INHERITANCE AND INCLINATION. WHILE CHENNAI ENJOYS ITS STATUS AS THE CAPITAL CITY OF TAMIL NADU, KANCHIPURAM, ALSO CALLED KANJEEVARAM, IS FAMOUS AS THE CENTER FOR WEAVING EXQUISITE SILK SAREES.THE MADURAI MEENAKSHI TEMPLE IS A WONDERFUL EDIFICE IN STONE ARCHITECTURE, THANJAVUR IS AN IMPORTANT CENTER FOR BRONZE FIGURE CASTING WHILE TRICHY IS YET ANOTHER POPULAR DESTINATION. MAHABALIPURAM IS WORLD FAMOUS FOR ITS STONE SCULPTURES AND PRISTINE BEACH. PONDICHERRY IS KNOWN THE WORLD OVER AS THE HOME OF AUROBINDO AND ITS FRENCH COLONY. IN COMPLETE CONTRAST ARE THE TWO HILL STATIONS OOTACAMUND AND KODAIKANAL. THE CUISINE OF TAMIL HAS SPREAD ITS FLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE ACROSS THE LENGTH AND BREADTH OF THE COUNTRY AND TODAY THE POPULAR UDIPI CONCEPT OWES ITS INCEPTION TO THIS STATE. MILD MANNERED, COURTEOUS, FRIENDLY AND HOSPITABLE – THE PEOPLE OF TAMIL NADU REFLECT THE ETHOS OF THE LAND ITSELF.

 KARNATAKA  KNOWN AS ‘KARUNADA’ OR ELEVATED LAND IN ANCIENT TIMES, KARANATAKA IS KNOWN FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD OF  MUSIC – THE SCIENCE OF CARNATIC MUSIC. ALSO KNOWN AS THE CAPITAL OF AGARBATHI (INCENSE STICKS), ARECANUT, SILK, COFFEE AND SANDAL WOOD, KARNATAKA WITH ALL ITS CULTURAL HERITAGE AND TRADITIONAL WEALTH IS ALSO ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING STATES IN TERMS OF INDUSTRIES AND TECHNOLOGY. THE CAPITAL CITY OF KARNATAKA, BANGALORE WAS DESIGNED AND BUILT AS A GARDEN CITY. HOME TO A GROWING SOFTWARE INDUSTRY, BANGALORE HAS MANY TOURIST ATTRACTIONS OF HISTORICAL, SPIRITUAL AND CONTEMPORARY INTEREST. WHILE THE ISKCON TEMPLE IS A BREATHTAKING MODERN MONUMENT ALONG WITH THE VIDHAN SOUDA AND LALBAGH HERE. HASSAN IS A GRACIOUS LEGACY OF A GLORIOUS PAST AND MYSORE IS KNOWN AS THE CITY OF PALACES AND HAS A NUMBER OF MESMERIZING PALACES, PERKS AND AVENUES AS WELL AS MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL CENTRES. WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES AT BANDIPUR AND DANDELI, THE RANGANATHITTU BIRD’S SANCTUARY, HILL STATIONS LIKE COORG, NANDI HILLS AND MERCARA AND STUNNING HISTORIC TEMPLES AND SCULPTURES AT HAMPI, BIJAPUR AND PATTADAKAL. AND IF THAT’S NOT ENOUGH. SERENE BEACHES LIKE THE GOKARNA BEACH, THE WORLD FAMOUS BRINDAVAN GARDENS AND THE UPCOMING CITY OF MANGALORE, ALL CONTRIBUTE TO MAKING KARNATAKA A MAGNIFICENT MELTING POT OF VISUAL AND EXOTIC ATTRACTIONS.

 Mistyland tours  Established in the year 2003, mistyland tours is a versatile travel companion to the visiting tourist in kerala. MLT operations cover the entire spectrum of tourism in kerala. Specialists in village backwater tourism in country covered boats and houseboats, MLT is an established tour operator in kerala.  The MLT range of services include Air Ticketing, Package Tours  ( Both Kerala & South India ), Village backwater Cruises, Metro backwater cruises, Kochi sightseeing in motor boat, Taxi services, Hotel reservation, health Packages  ( Ayurveda/Yoga), Houseboat Cruises and Conference management.

 ANDHRA  TIRUPATHI  TIRUPATHI IS A FAMOUS PILIGRIM CENTRE OF INDIA. THIS WORLD-RENOWNED TEMPLE OF LORD VENKATESHWARA IS MAJESTICALLY SEATED ON THE SEVEN HILLS OF THE MOUNTAIN RANGE BORDERING THE CITY OF TIRUPATHI. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DEVOTEES VISIT THE TEMPLE EVERY DAY TO OFFER THEIR PRAYERS. THIS IS THE TEMPLE WHICH GETS THE HIGHEST REVENUE AMOUNG ALL THE TEMPLES OF INDIA AND IS THE SECOND MOST VISITED RELIGIOUS CENTRE IN THE WORLD AFTER VATICAN.  CHARMINAR  CHARMINAR IS AFAMOUS LANDMARK IN HYDRABAD, THE CAPITAL CITY OF ANDHRA PRADESH. THIS IS A MASJID BUILT IN 1591 BY KING MUHAMMAD QULI QUTB SHAH TO COMMEMORATE THE ERADICATION OF PLAGUE WHICH HAD A DEVASTING EFFECT ON THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN THAT LOCATE DURING HIS RULE. IT WAS BUILT SOON AFTER THE KING SHIFTED HIS CAPITAL FROM GOLCONDA TO HYDERABAD TO FULFIL HIS DEVINE VOW TO BUILD A MASJID ON THE DISAPPEARANCE OF PLAGUE. IT IS NAMED AS CHARMINAR TO MARK THE FOUR CHARACTERISTIC MINARETS BUILT ON THE MASJID.

 SALAR JUNG MUSEUM  DECLARED BY THE INDIAN PARLIAMENT AS AN INSTITUTION OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE, THE SALAR JUNG MUSEUM OF HYDERABAD IS THE REPOSITORY OF THE ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF DIVERSE EUROPEAN, ASIAN AND FAR EASTERN COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD. THE ART GALLERIES INCLUDE, RAGA-RAGINS IN DECCAN STYLE, MINIATURES IN MEWAR, ARWAR, JAIPUR AND MUGHAL STYLES: MODERN WORKS FROM CHUGATAI, D.P. RAI CHOUDARY, TAGORE AND SHARADA UKIL; WESTERN MASTER PIECES FROM LANDSEER, WATTS, LEIGHTON, COOPER, LANDSCAPES BY TURNER AND CONSTABLE; COPIES OF GRAND MASTER’S WORKS LIKE REUBENS, RAPHEL, TITAN. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE MUSEUM IS THE SECTION OF ARMS- EXQUISITELY BEJEWELLED HILTS OF SWORDS AND DAGGERS, HANDLES OF JADE, FISHBONE AND IVORY ORNAMENTED WITH DIAMONDS, EMRALDS AND RUBIES. THERE ARE CHILDREN’S SECTIONS, FURNITURE SECTIONS, AND VARIOUS OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS, EACH AN OCEAN OF ADVENTURE IN ITSELF.

 KARNATAKA  SHIMOGA  JOG FALLA IS SITUATED 16 KM FROM THE RAILWAY STATION AT TALGUPPA. TRAVELLERS FROM BANGALORE HAVE TO TAKE YET ANOTHER TRAIN AT SHIMOGA. JOG FALLS IS SITUATED IN A UNIQUE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT UNSPOILED BY ANY CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES. JUST AFTER THE RAINY SEASON, THE FALLS ARE A MAGNIFICENT AND AWESOME SIGHT TO SEE. AT THIS TIME THE FALLS ARE SURROUNDED BY MISTS.  MYSORE  MYSORE IS FAMOUS FOR PALACES, MAJESTIC TEMPLES AND GARDENS WHICH LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION ON THE MINDS OF VISITORS. SITUATED 770M ABOVE SEA LEVEL, MYSORE HAS A WARM AND COOL CLIMATE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. MYSORE PALACE HAS A MAJESTIC DURBAR HALL WHICH HAS AN ORNATE CELLING AND MANY SCULPTED PILLARS. THE MAGNIFICENT JEWEL STUDDED GOLDEN THRONE OF THE ‘WODEYARS’ IS DISPLAYED HERE DURING THE DASARA FESTIVAL.ILLUMINATED ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, THE PALACE PRESENTS A SPECTACLE OF BREATHTAKING BEAUTY. THE OTHER PLACES OF SIGHT SEEING IN MYSORE ARE CHAMUNDI HILLS AND BRINDHAVAN GARDEN.

 BANGALORE  VIDHAN SOUDHA  THE MAJESTIC LOOKING VIDHAN SOUDHA LOCATED IN BANGALORE IS A MARVEL OF NEO- DRAVIDIAN ARCHITECTURE AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPOSING BUILDINGS IN BANGALORE. IT HOUSES THE STATE LEGISLATURE, AND IS THE LARGEST SECRETARIAT IN INDIA. BUILT ENTIRELY FROM BANGALORE GRANITE IN THE DRAVIDIAN STYLE, IT HAS FLORAL MOTIFS ON STONE CARVINGS DRAWN FROM THE CELEBRATED TEMPLE CRAFT OF SOUTH INDIA.  LAL BAGH GARDENS  LAL BAGH IS A SPECIAL TOURIST ATTRACTION IN BANGALORE BECAUSE OF THE WONDERFULLY BLOOMED RED ROSES THAT REMAIN BLOOMING ALL THROUGH THE YEAR IN THIS GARDEN. THE GARDEN HAS ALSO A COLLECTION OF FAMOUS BOTANICAL SPECIES.  CUBBON PARK  SITUATED IN THE HEART OF THE BANGALORE CITY, THE CUBBON PARK IS AN INTERESTING TOURIST SPOT WHICH ONE SHOULD NOT MISS OUT.THE PARK WAS LAID BY LORD CUBBON IN THE YEAR IT IS SPREAD OVER AN AREA OF ABOUT 300 ACRES AND HAS AN EXQUISITE LAYOUT.