Tripura Sundari Temple India

This temple is one of the 51 pithasthans in India as per Hindu mythology. As per mythology, Lord Vishnu had cut off the body of Mata Sati into 51 pieces by Sudarshana Chakra and all these pieces fell at different places throughout the country and these places are known as pithasthans. It is said that 'right foot' of Mata Sati fell at Matabari.

This pithasthan is also known as Kurma Pith because the shape of the temple premises resembles to that of "Kurma" namely tortoise. Inside the temple, the idol of Maa Kali is kept which is made of 'reddish black Kastic pathar.' Maa Kali is worshipped in her 'Soroshi' form in this temple. There is an idol of smaller size of Maa Kali called 'Chotto Maa 'and this image used to be carried by Maharajas of Tripura during "Mrigaya" namely hunting and also during war.
The temple consists of square type sanctum of the typical Bengali hut type structure with a conical dome. The temple was constructed in 1501 A.D. by the then Maharaja Dhanya Manikya.
In the eastern side of the temple there is a famous Kalyan Sagar where fishes and tortoises of huge size are found and devotees feed them with "muri" and biscuits. No fishing is permitted in the Kalyan Sagar.
Every year on Dewali, a famous Mela takes place near the temple which is visited by more than two lakhs pilgrims.

United Kingdom

Despite its relatively small size, the United Kingdom is one of the most culturally diverse countries on Earth, peopled by four main ‘native’ nationalities, plus later arrivals from all over the world. The United Kingdom consists of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), plus the six counties of Northern Ireland.

The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (principally Jersey and Guernsey) are also parts of the British Isles, but somewhat confusingly not officially part of the UK.Topographically, the British mainland is broadly divisible into two main regions: the relatively low-lying south and the highland regions of the north and west. Scotland, Wales, and the northern areas of England occupy the latter, which are in general much more sparsely populated than the more prosperous southeast of England.London is perennially the principal British attraction for overseas visitors, with its historic landmarks such as the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament), Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. They also flock to the many West End theatres and the shopping areas of Knightsbridge, Oxford Street and Regent Street.Within easy day-trip distance of London are the university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, the picturesque Cotswolds with their many pretty villages, Stratford-upon-Avon (home of William Shakespeare), the cathedral at Canterbury and the seaside attractions of Brighton.Further afield lie delights like Cornwall (to the southwest), Yorkshire, Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria (a large part of which constitutes the Lake District).Wales adjoins England to the west, and offers, in addition to its populous southern cities, a diverse range of historic castles, spectacular coastline and impressive mountain landscapes.

The majority of Scotland’s population lives in the busy central belt, a lowland region in which the main centres of Glasgow, Stirling, and the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, lie. But equally as popular as the cities is the dramatic sceenery of the Highlands to the north and west, location of Britain’s highest mountains and a bewildering array of offshore islands, notably Skye, Orkney and Shetland.Halfway to Ireland in the Irish Sea sits the Isle of Man, a scenic island with Norse traditions. And west again is northern island, whose vibrant capital Belfast is a lively option for the visitor.

Singapore Travel Guide

Singapore is the East's great melting pot, a cultural pot pourri that leaves the unsuspecting visitor dazzled. Sir Stamford Raffles, a British civil servant, brought the ‘Lion City’ to world prominence after searching for a trading station to counter the Dutch influence in the Straits of Malacca, and trade has remained the island’s mainstay.Centuries before Sir Stamford Raffles acquired it from the Sultan of Johor in 1819, Singapore had been virtually abandoned. However, within decades Singapore had become the main commercial and strategic centre for the region. In 1867, it became a British Crown Colony and housed one of the UK’s most important naval bases. This status remained unchanged until 1942 when the Japanese army swept down through Malaya and occupied the colony. Three-and-a-half years later the Japanese surrendered in Singapore and the colony assumed its previous status.

And with the dissolution of the British Empire came internal self-government (1959). In 1963, Singapore joined the Federation of Malaysia, but broke away in 1965 to become fully independent. The initial outlook was unpromising: Singapore is tiny and has no natural resources apart from a good harbour.

However, Lee Kuan Yew (first elected prime minister in 1959 and re-elected eight times thereafter) managed to galvanise the population into building a strong, export-led manufacturing and service economy.Tourism for Singapore has also proven to be of good economic benefit. Culture lovers thrive in this fusion of Chinese, Malay and Indian cultures - the main ethnic groups - with its assortment of mosques, temples and synagogues. Singapore presents a happy collision of opposites – grand and expensive at the famed Raffles Hotel, but low-key and cheap in the food markets of Bugis Junction and Clarke Quay.But even in the low-key and cheap areas, Singapore remains an incredibly clean city where nothing is allowed to dull the shine – even down to the banning of chewing gum. In the last few years there has been some pressure to relax the numerous laws that have given Singapore a reputation as a prosperous but rather antiseptic and pettily repressive city-state.

But Singapore City's exciting riverside parade of bars and restaurants reveals that Singaporeans actually do know how to have fun – and plenty of it.The natural world is never far away in Singapore, either: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve has a significant area of primary rainforest within its boundaries, while, for the adventurous, Sungei Buluh Nature Park offers the chance for trekking. Check out Pulau Ubin’s mangrove forest, a bumboat’s ride from Changi jetty, or Kusu site of Taoists’ annual pilgrimage.

Indonesia Travel Guide

The islands of the Indonesian archipelago are strung like beads across the equator. Clear blue seas lap pristine beaches, gentle breezes carry scents of spices and flowers, and divers are entranced by the ocean’s riches. Inland, dramatic volcanic ranges tower above a green mantle of terraced hillsides and lush rainforest.

Bali offers an image of paradise: stunning scenery, gentle sarong-clad people and sunsets of legendary glory. On peaceful Lombok, life moves at a slower pace, while bustling Jakarta exhibits Indonesia’s cosmopolitan, modern face. Komodo Island’s ‘living dinosaurs’ and the entrancing ‘sea gardens’ of Suwalesi invite exploration, as do Borobudur’s architectural treasures, which include 5km (3 miles) of Buddhist relief carvings. Adventure-seekers head for Kalimantan’s remote jungle interior or explore Sumatra, with its teeming wildlife and wealth of tribal groups.

Since then, militant Islam has been threatening to tear the archipelago apart. Examples of inter-fighting include the Moluccan Islands, one of the few parts of Indonesia with a majority Christian population: since the beginning of 1999, they have been engaged in an increasingly violent struggle with Muslim militants that has claimed thousands of lives. Suicide bombing has occurred in Bali, most recently on 1 October 2005, and there remains a high threat from terrorism in Indonesia. The cataclysmic tsunami that occurred on 26 December 2004 further hampered Indonesia's economic and touristic progress.

However, from such a devastating tsunami also came a much-needed glimmer of hope: a peace agreement with separatist rebels was reached just as 2006 dawned, resulting in the withdrawal of state security forces from the Aceh province. In return, Free Aceh Movement rebels began disarmament and vowed to abolish their armed wing. Such withdrawal effectively ended a 29-year conflict that had claimed thousands upon thousands of lives.However, until such a catalogue of problems are fully resolved, many tourists will be deterred from travelling to Indonesia and will therefore miss out on its myriad marvels; and many of its residents will remain living amidst poverty, corruption and peril.