Sakhya Sagar Lake, Shivpuri

In Shivpuri, the Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Sagar lakes are the two important biodiversity support systems in the Madhav National Park apart from several other perennial and seasonal streams. Sakhya Sagar Lake is situated on the edge of forests of Madhav National Park. Boating is allowed in the lake and on the shores of the lake there is a Sailing Club. The lake is habitat of variety of reptiles. Species that can be seen here are marsh or mugger crocodile, Indian python and the monitor lizard. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

We did boating in the lake at the time of Sunset. If one is lucky then they can get glimpse of animals that have come near lake. While boating in the lake one can also see the George Castle at a distance.

For more visit Watery Wednesday

Mangaladevi Temple, Mangalore

The place name Mangalapur (Mangalore) is originated from the name of the Goddess Mangaladevi the deity of the temple. It is located at 3 kms southwest of the Mangalore city. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

The temple has its roots into the ninth century when King Kundavarma of Ahepa dynasty ruled the place. He granted land to two saints from Nepal who had come there for their religious activities under his protection and patronage. They told him the place was dedicated to Mangaladevi.

The King got a grand shrine of Sri Mangaladevi, built on the hallowed place. The two sages themselves guided and supervised the execution of the work. The ardent devotees believe that the worship of Mangaldevi brings them prosperity and happiness.

The photography inside the temple is strictly prohibited.

Maharani Sakhya Raje Scindia Chattri, Shivpuri

In Shivpuri there is a historic site of Scindia's cenotaphs. In the formal Mughal garden facing each other across a water tank are the cenotaphs (Chattris) of the Maharaja Madhav Rao Scindia and the Maharani Sakhya Raje Scindia. The cenotaphs are blended with architectural idioms of Hindu and Islamic styles with their shikhara-type spires and Rajput and Mughal pavilions. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

The queen's cenotaph has a noble dignity of line and superb structural harmony.

The memorial contain life-size image of the Queen. It is rendered extreme devotion by ceremonially dressed retainers who perform the rituals of placing flowers and incense before the statue each day.

Dunham Cellars Team with Windstar on Mediterranean Cruise

The past few years have seen Windstar Cruises augmenting its on board education series and guest lecturers have often included celebrity chefs and winemakers. This summer aboard the 312-passenger Wind Surf as part of Windstar's Signature Collection Host Series, guests will meet winemaker Eric Dunham of Dunham Cellars on the July 25, sailing from Rome to Venice. The itinerary also includes Capri and Taormina, Italy; Kotor, Montenegro; and Dubrovnik and Hvar, Croatia.

Mr. Dunham is passionate about fine wine and will share his knowledge with travelers about the wine-making process in the form of lectures, Q&A sessions, and wine tastings. He'll also lead an exclusive seven-and-a-half-hour shore excursion to the wineries of Croatia. The day will begin with a drive along the Adriatic Coast to Komaji to visit winemaker Andro Crvik. Afterward, guests will move along to Orasac for a food tasting and a visit to Milos Winery in Ponikve Village. Then, the tour will visit the "oyster capital" of Croatia—Mali Ston—for a lunch of fresh-caught seafood and fine local wines.

Eric Dunham began his career at Hogue Cellars before being named assistant winemaker at L'Ecole No. 41 winery, where he studied under the famous Marty Clubb. From there, he began crafting premium cabernet sauvignon for his own brand, Dunham Cellars.

For more information about this cruise, talk with your travel agent or contact Windstar Cruises at 1-(800) 258-7245.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photo courtesy of Dunham Cellars

Crystal Cruises to Launch Open Dining By Reservation in 2011

Crystal Cruises has brainstormed a way to keep current guests happy with its traditional Classic Main and Late Seating dining times in the Crystal Dining Room while rolling out new "Perfect Choice Dining." I applaud the cruise line for developing an option for more flexible dining by reservation! In my opinion, this change makes Crystal Cruises much more appealing.

Starting on July 1, 2010, guests booked on itineraries in January 2011 and beyond will utilize an online Priority Check-In and Planning Center (PCPC) to make advance reservations for the main dining room as well as Crystal's specialty restaurants. You must select "Open Dining by Reservation" at the time of reserving your cruise in order to participate in this program and your cruise must be fully paid before you can make reservations via the PCPC.

Open Dining by Reservation tables are available from 6:15–9:15pm, subject to availability. Classic Main Seating is at 6:15pm and Late Seating begins at 8:30pm. Tables for two, four, six, and eight are available.

The cruise line has prepared a comprehensive FAQ about Crystal's new Open Dining by Reservation.

For more information, talk with your travel agent or contact Crystal Cruises at 1-(888) 799-4625.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photo courtesy of Crystal Cruises

George Castle, Shivpuri

Deep inside the Madhav National Park near Shivpuri, at the highest point is the turreted George Castle built by the King Jiyaji Rao Scindia. Here imported English tiles for the floors and stained glass for the windows has been used. This was built at the time when British Ruled India. This was built for Emperor George V in the anticipation of his visit to India. It is a different story that he did no turn up. The castle supposed to provide best view of the lake below at the time of Sunset. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

As we did not enter the park, we did not get a closer view of the castle. But, I still managed to get a glimpse of the castle while boating in the lake. I had clicked several snaps of this castle from the moving boat.

Madhav National Park

There are several National Parks in Madhya Pradesh. Prominent among them are: Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhav National Park. Since it is required minimum 1 day time to enjoy the wildlife, landscape we had not planned our time for the park in this trip. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

Madhav National Park established in 1958 is 156 sq. km in area. This park is open through out the year. The forest here is dry forest across the hilly region and flat grasslands around the lakes. The animals most seen in the park are Deer, nilgai, Sambar, Antelope, Blackbuck, Leopard, Langur. Apart from these there are other animals like Tiger, Heyna are also present here.

We got a glimpse of wildlife while boating in the lake on the edge of National Park. The above shot is taken while boat is moving.

For more Weekend Reflections

Video: Celebrity Cruises Floats Out Celebrity Eclipse

Last summer we sailed aboard Celebrity Equinox, the second in Celebrity Cruises' $3.7 billion Solstice Class fleet. Last Thursday the cruise line floated out the next ship in the series: Celebrity Eclipse.

Take a look at this video from Celebrity Cruises and learn a bit more about this terrific new ship that starts sailing this April:

Celebrity Eclipse will sail round-trip itineraries out of Southampton, England between April and the end of October, when she'll cross the Atlantic and begin her winter season in the Caribbean.

For more information, talk with your travel agent or contact Celebrity Cruises.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Shivpuri, the Summer Capital

Shivpuri is situated 114 km from Gwalior. It is at an altitude of 1,515 feet above the sea level. We left Gwalior in the early morning, and reached Shivpuri in the afternoon. We checked into the hotel and after getting refreshed had the meals before venturing out to see the place. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

Shivpuri is known for its natural beauty and vast cultural heritage. It is the ancient town and its history dates back to the Mughal period. It was the summer capital of its erstwhile rulers, the Scindias. It came under the rule of the Scindias in 1804. Then the dense forests of this place were the royal hunting grounds. The sightseeing of this place require one day.

The places of interest are:

1. Maharani Sakhya Raje Scindia Chattri
2. George Castle
3. Madhav National Park (1, 2)
   
4. Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Sagar Lake Boating
5. Maharaja Madhav Rao Scindia Chattri

We will cover the above in some detail in the subsequent posts.

Next day morning we proceeded from Gwalior to our next destination Shivpuri.

Distance: Shivpuri ---> Survyi Ki Grahi 20 kms

Stone Chariot, Hampi

At Hampi, the stone chariot located in the Vittala Temple Complex is a shrine built in the form of temple chariot. An image of Garuda was originally enshrined within its sanctum. Garuda, according to the Hindu mythology, is the vehicle of lord Vishnu. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

The chariot built with many giant granite blocks. The joints of the blocks are smartly hidden in the carvings that adorn the Stone Chariot and due to this it appears as a monolithic structure. It is built on a feet high rectangular platform. All around this base platform is carved with mythical battle scenes. The four giant stone wheels attached to the chariot look complete with the axis shafts. On the wheels are concentric floral motifs.

In front of the chariot two elephants are positioned as if they are pulling the chariot. These elephants where later additions to the chariot and they actually replaced two horses that were carved in that position. The tails and the rear legs of the horses can be still seen just behind these elephant sculptures. A broken stone ladder once gave access to the sanctum is kept between the elephants.

New Luxury Cruise Vacations for 2011–2012 from Yachts of Seabourn

It's no secret that I'm a fan of Yachts of Seabourn. Today the luxury line released its itineraries for 2011 and 2012. There are some fantastic routes so it's time to start planning! And, if any 2011 European or Asian cruise piques you're interest, you'll be pleased to learn more about Seabourn's special promotion that includes two-for-one pricing on some itineraries starting at $3,250 per person. Value air add-ons are also on special from $699 per person in economy and from $2,299 in business class.

So, where will Seabourn take you in 2011 and 2012? Just about anywhere says cruise line president and CEO Pamela Conover:

"With the launch of Seabourn Quest in June 2011, our six intimate yachts will enable us to provide the unique, Seabourn yachting lifestyle to travelers anywhere they wish to explore, from the beaches of St. Tropez to the jungles of Borneo. From Iceland to Queensland and Beijing to Barcelona, you can travel the world, and travel it well, on a Seabourn yacht."

New Itineraries

• Canada and New England aboard Seabourn Sojourn
  
  
• "Patagonian Passage"—Chilean fjords, Cape Horn, and Falkland Islands aboard Seabourn Sojourn
  
  
• Singapore to Bali with stops in Borneo, Sulawesi, and Java aboard Seabourn Pride
  
  
• "Indian Oceans Delight" series of cruises aboard Seabourn Legend
  
  
• 60-Day "Stars of the Southern Cross" from Los Angeles to French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia, and Hawaii aboard Seabourn Odyssey
  
  
• 7-Night St. Petersburg & the Baltics aboard Seabourn Sojourn
  
  
• and more!

There are a lot of new itineraries mixed in with old favorites. It's worth your while to study the new PDF Cruise Calendar. I've had some time to study the options and here's one cruise that I know will be fantastic!

Andrea's Dream Cruise for 2011
Spice Islands Discoveries
12-Night Embarking June 29, 2011 Aboard Seabourn Pride
Benoa, Bali; Waikelo, Sumba; Palopo, Sulawesi; Makassar, Sulawesi;
Sandakan, Boreno; Kota Kinabalu, Borneo; Muara; Singapore

For more information about the Yachts of Seabourn, talk with your travel agent or call the cruise line at 1-(800) 929-9391.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photo courtesy of the Yachts of Seabourn

Countdown to French Polynesia Vacation with Paul Gauguin Cruises

There's no better cure for the winter blues than planning a luxury cruise vacation to some exotic destination like French Polynesia. For that very reason, I'm so thankful that I've got an upcoming voyage aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin from Paul Gauguin Cruises.

March is the probably my least favorite month. It's the busiest time of year for my work (writing and editing for book publishers, magazines, and websites) and it's generally when I reach the end of my rope regarding winter weather. I just want the snow to melt and the days to get longer and sunnier!

In the meantime, plans for my South Pacific cruise will just have to sustain me. Last week I attended a webinar hosted by Paul Gauguin Cruises. My husband and I fired up the computer and took notes as the PGC team spent an hour explaining just what was in store for travelers cruising with them.

After the webinar I downloaded the shore excursions for our seven-night itinerary and now it's time to make some tough choices. On Moorea, for example, do we want to book the "Capture Moorea Photo Adventure" tour hosted by photographer Renaud Fayada or the "Dolphin Watching Expedition" with local biologist Michael Poole? Maybe we can do both since we'll anchor off Moorea for two days. These are good decisions to have to make.

Our cruise is still two months away but the webinar has inspired me to get organized and research the cruise and the islands we'll be visiting. To that end, here are a few videos I found on YouTube. If you're planning to visit French Polynesia, these may be of interest to you as well. Enjoy!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Paul Gauguin Cruises Video

Diving in Tahiti Video

Tomb of Tansen, Gwalior

Tansen is the father of Hindustani classical music. He was an extraordinarily gifted vocalist, known for a large number of compositions. He was born in the small village near Gwalior. The great Mian Tansen, one of the 'Nine Jewels' of Emperor Akbar's court. At some point, he was disciple for some time to Swami Haridas and later Muhammad Ghaus was spiritual leader. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

The tomb of Tansen is built in the early Mughal architectural style and is surrounded by lush gardens in typical Mughal style. It is built very next to the tomb of Muhammad Ghaus. When compared with other architectural wonders in this place it is very simple.

Every year a national level music festival is organized here in November/December.

Next day morning we proceeded from Gwalior to our next destination Shivpuri.

Distance: Gwalior ---> Shivpuri 114 kms

Tomb of Ghous Mohammed, Gwalior

In the 16th century Ghous Mohammed was a Afghan Prince who later turned into a sufi saint. He had helped Babur to win the Gwalior fort. (Click on all the images for bigger picture)

In Gwalior there is mausoleum built for him in the typical Mughal architecture.

Here the interesting aspect are hexagonal pillars and screens using pierced stone technique. The marvelous stone works coupled with an excellent architecture, the tomb looks gorgeous.