Leela Holidays, Holidays Redefined

22/12/2017

25/03/2017

28/01/2017

The capital city of British Columbia, Victoria boasts many historic buildings and some of the best museums in Western Canada.

The area is also home to some of the country's most exhilarating scenery: there's an ocean or mountain (or both!) vista around every corner, and the city's flower gardens are famous the world over.

Whether your taste runs to golfing, hiking, biking and fishing, or you're more the shopping, dining and theatre type, Victoria has you covered. In fact, Victoria was voted one of the Top 10 cities in North America by readers of Travel + Lesirure magazine in 2015.

Established in 1843 as a fort for the Hudson's Bay Company, Victoria's British ancestry is apparent in the double-decker buses, horse-drawn carriages, formal gardens and tearooms. The city is now a cosmopolitan centre with a lively entertainment scene and a wonderful array of attractions.

The spirit of the Lekwammen people pervades the history of Victoria.

When European ships sailed through the Georgia and Juan de Fuca Straits, there were 10 Lekwammen villages along the shores of what is now Greater Victoria.

British agent James Douglas and his men came upon these shores, searching the Pacific coast for new Hudson's Bay Company headquarters. Welcomed by the Lekwammen as new trading partners, Douglas and his entourage set up a trading post on these lands in 1842.

Fort Victoria was built in 1843 in the area known today as Old Town, now the heart of Victoria's downtown. Thousands of Aboriginal people converged on BC's coast to trade with the European arrivals. Miners made their way to the region in the late 1800s, setting the stage for a dramatic population shift.

In 1858, gold was discovered on the Fraser River. Miners from around the world came to Victoria, a well-situated seaport and major outfitting centre for the mainland goldfields. Economic activity shifted from trade to mercantilism. Fort Victoria became a rich, populous city with a dwindling Aboriginal population.

The architectural face of the city changed dramatically. Around the site of the original fort, buildings sprang up. Visitors who walk the streets of Old Town today can see an impressive concentration of historical architecture.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Victoria became the busiest seaport north of San Francisco.

In 1866, Vancouver Island and British Columbia united to form a single colony; two years later, the city of Victoria was declared its capital. In 1871, British Columbia became the sixth province of the Dominion of Canada.

The current Parliament Buildings were constructed between 1893 and 1897 on the city's Inner Harbour. Cresting the harbour, the Canadian Pacific Railway's grand Empress Hotel (now the Fairmont Empress Hotel) was constructed in 1908. With construction of the renowned Royal BC Museum nearby, the scenic Inner Harbour has become the city's symbolic centre.

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Courtesy: http://www.hellobc.com/victoria.aspx

01/01/2017

As You Log Out Of Last Year
And Login To This New Year,
I Wish To Send You Happy New Year Wishes
Full Of Success, Prosperity, Happiness And Joy.
May This Be A Year Of Change Unto Your Life
May God Give You Protection And Good Health
So That You Live To See Other Years To Come
- Manish, Poonam, Vrinda & Madhav
Leela Holidays & Leela Wellness

22/10/2014

Dear All,

Wish you a Happy & Healthy Diwali!!!

Leela Holidays...

05/07/2014

Ajanta Caves: Your History Lesson For Today

Ajanta Caves: Your history lesson for today. Over hundreds of years thirty one monuments hewn from the rockface! Two thousand two hundred years ago...

08/11/2013

Ahmedabad -

In many ways Indian tourism has ignored the city of Ahmedabad as compared to other travel destinations in the country.

Among Indian tourist cities Ahmedabad has been comparatively regarded as an underdog despite hosting some of the most priceless of India’s tourist attractions.

Travelers also tend to overlook Ahmedabad as a destination city mainly because few know of the city’s scenic beauty, historical sites, and emphatic cultural attractions.

For the perceptive traveler however, Ahmedabad presents one of the most breathtaking tourist experiences available in India more so because the scenic and historical sites here are very welcoming and are not as crowded and clattered as many of the attractions in other ‘preferred’ Indian cities.

Ahmedabad, sometimes spelled as Ahmadabad, is India’s sixth largest city as well as the commercial hub and cultural center of Gujarat state.

Ahmedabad is however not the capital city of Gujarat; the capital is Gandhinagar which is located a mere 30km north of Ahmedabad. When the city of Ahmedabad is compared to other Indian cities, including those in Gujarat, there is a tendency to undervalue its potential and understate its status.

Consequently, many tourists opt not to include it in their itineraries. Those who do, however, are surprised by the immense attractions and the graceful welcoming of the people of Ahmedabad.

The city was built after several conquests of the region previously known as Ashavall/Ashapall. The famous Solanki ruler Karandev 1 conquered the region from Bhil, king of Ashavall, and established a city which he named after himself. The city of Karandev slowly grew to become a renowned Hindu kingdom until the 14th century but around 1411 Gujarat was defeated by the Muslim Sultanate, Sultan Ahmed Shah, who eventually conquered the city renaming it Ahmedabad.

The city then restored its lost glory, building into a spacious open plane East of Sabarmati. Several forts were built to enclose the city including a small one called Bhadra Fort that survives to this day. The 12 gates of the larger city fort are also still surviving albeit in ruins. As the city expanded in all directions acquiring new areas and territories, a series of majestic buildings, beautiful mosques and amazing architectural landmarks were erected surrounding some of the most scenic lakes in the whole of India.

This heritage of Ahmedabad has been preserved to date and the city still boasts numerous architectural landmarks and exotic buildings. The city’s lakes are still as beautiful and well protected against pollution and human encroachment.

Ahmedabad has a comparatively small population of just over 6 million people thus enabling it to be more orderly, to have more greenery, and to retain a level of cleanliness that is quite impossible in the other densely populated cities of India.



Once you reach the city, be sure to visit Ahmedabad’s floridly carved historic monuments such as the Stepwell and the Rani Mosques.

You should also visit the numerous art galleries and museums across the city, as well as such other attractions like the Swaminarayan Temple, the Sidi Sayed Mosque, the Kamla Nehru Zoo, the Sarkhej Roja, and the Jhulta Minara, among many other priceless attractions.

A tour of Ahmedabad is an exploration of an amazing treasure of understated attractions, one that is bound to leave you pleasantly perplexed.

02/11/2013

Happy Diwali to all

29/10/2013

MANDU - Hampi of Central India

Sometimes referred to as the Hampi of central India because of its treasure trove of ruins, Mandu is one of the top tourist places in Madhya Pradesh, yet is still delightfully off the beaten path. This abandoned city from the Mughal era is spread over a 2,000 feet high hilltop, and surrounded by a 45 kilometer stretch of wall. Its spectacular main entrance, located to the north, faces Delhi and is called Dilli Darwaza (Delhi Door).

Mandu was founded as a fortress retreat in the 10th century by Raja Bhoj and conquered by the Muslim rulers of Delhi in 1304. When the Mughals captured Delhi in 1401, the Afghan Dilawar Khan, governor of Malwa, set up his own little kingdom and Mandu’s golden age began.
Although Dilawar Khan established Mandu as an independent kingdom, it was his son, Hoshang Shah, who shifted the capital from Dhar to Mandu and raised it to its greatest splendour. Hoshang’s son Mohammed ruled for just one year before being poisoned by the militaristic Mohammed Khalji, who then ruled for 33 years.
Ghiyas-ud-din succeeded Mohammed in 1469 and spent the following 31 years making his father turn in his grave, devoting himself to women and song (but not wine). He was poisoned, aged 80, by his son, Nasir-ud-din.
In 1526, Bahadur Shah of Gujarat conquered Mandu, only to be ousted in 1534 by the Mughal Humayun, who in turn lost the kingdom to Mallu Khan, an officer of the Khalji dynasty. Ten more years of feuds and invasions saw Baz Bahadur eventually emerge in the top spot, but in 1561 he fled Mandu rather than face Akbar’s advancing troops.
After Akbar added Mandu to the Mughal empire, it kept a considerable degree of independence, until taken by the Marathas in 1732. The capital of Malwa was then shifted back to Dhar, and the slide in Mandu’s fortunes that had begun with the absconding of Baz Bahadur became a plummet.

Getting to Mandu:
Mandu is located around two hours drive southwest of Indore, on greatly improved roads. The easiest way of getting there is to hire a car and driver from Indore (don't waste any time in Indore, it's not an appealing city). However, it's also possible to take a bus to Dhar and then another bus to Mandu. Indore is easily reachable both by domestic flight in India, and Indian Railways train.

When to Visit Mandu:
The cool and dry winter months from November to February are the best time to visit Mandu. The weather starts heating up by March, and gets very hot during the summer months of April and May, before the monsoon arrives in June. See more about the weather in Madhya Pradesh.

Mandu Attractions:
Mandu's magnificent palaces, tombs, mosques and monuments are divided into three main groups: The Royal Enclave, the Village Group, and Rewa Kund Group. Tickets for each group cost 100 rupees for foreigners and 5 rupees for Indians. There are other smaller, free, ruins scattered across the area as well.

By far the most impressive and extensive is the Royal Enclave Group, a collection of palaces built by various rulers around three tanks. The highlight is the multi-level Jahaz Mahal (Ship Palace), which apparently used to house Sultan Ghiyas-ud-din-Khilji's substantial harem of women. It appears evocatively illuminated on moonlit nights.

Most centrally located, in the heart of Mandu's marketplace, the Village Group consists of a mosque that's considered to be the finest example of Afghan architecture in India, and Hoshang Shah's tomb (both of which provided inspiration for the construction of the Taj Mahal centuries later), as well as the Ashrafi Mahal with its detailed Islamic pillarwork.

The Rewa Kund Group lies four kilometers to the south, and is made up of Baz Bahadur's Palace and Rupmati's Pavilion. This spectacular sunset spot overlooks the valley below. It's famous for the legendary and tragic romantic tale of Mandu ruler Baz Bahadur, who had to flee from Akbar's advancing troops, and beautiful Hindu singer Rupmati.

24/10/2013

SARKHEJ ROZA, AHMEDABAD

Sarkhej Roza comprises one of the most elegant and unique architectural complexes of Ahmedabad. In its architecture, Sarkhej Roza is an example of the early Islamic architectural culture of the region, which fused Islamic stylistic influences from Persia with indigenous Hindu and Jain features to form a composite “Indo-Saracenic” architectural style. The architectural style of Sarkhej Roza is a precursor to the Mughal period in a true amalgamation of Hindu, Jain and Islamic styles. Hindu craftsmanship and construction know-how was overlaid on Islamic sense of geometry and scale. The Roza Complex at Sarkhej was built at the advent of Sultanate era.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
At the time when Ahmedabad city was built, which was during the reign of Ahmed Shah (1410-1443 A.D.), Sarkhej was a village with a population consisting of weavers and indigo-dyers who were predominantly Hindu. It became associated with the name of Shaikh Ahmed Khattu Ganj Baksh, a Sufi saint and a friend/advisor to Sultan Ahmed Shah, who in his later years retired to the quiet environment of Sarkhej, away from the city. The saint lived till he was 111 years of age and was greatly venerated during his lifetime. Myths about his miraculous powers are prevalent even today. Life and teachings of Shaikh Ganj Baksh Khattu Upon his death in 1445, the reigning monarch, Mohammed Shah ordered a mausoleum built in his honour, along with a mosque. The construction of these two monuments were completed in 1451 A.D., by his successor Qutb'ud-Din Ahmed Shah. In the latter half of the 15th century, Sultan Mahmud Begada completed the complex by excavating a central tank and adding a number of pavilions and a small private mosque. Sarkhej now, became a place of repose and meditation; a summer resort for the royal family. Also, he built a mausoleum for himself and his family opposite to that of the saint, where his son Muzzaffar II and his queen, Rajabai were buried.A garden were constructed to commemorate the event. The complex is therefore one of an important phase in the socio-political history of Gujarat. Further additions to the complex were made in 1584 A.D., when Akbar's forces defeated Muzaffar III. A country house Gujarat, and in particular, the city of Ahmedabad.

THE RELIGIOUS REALM

Mausoleum of Ahmed Shiekh Ganj Baksh Khattu
The Sufi mystic, Ahmed Khattu “Ganj Baksh” (bestower of wealth) is venerated as a saint even today. Therefore, his commemorative tomb, which is also known as dargah in the local language is of symbolic as well as spiritual value. One of the largest of its kind in Gujarat, one of its sides measures up to 105 ft.

Roofed by a large central dome, it is surrounded by rows of 13 domes on each side. The central square, on which the dome stands has double pillars. The fifth aisle from any corner is narrower than the others. The walls are panelled with trellised windows of perforated stone works in a variety of designs.

Over the main entrance of the mausoleum is a quatrain written in person on the marble which when translated reads as:

"When the ocean of Ahmed's palm pours forth its pearls,
The skirt of hopes, becomes the treasure of Parvis:
No wonder, if in order to bend before his shrine,
The whole surface of the earth raises its head."

On the right side of the entrance, Shaikh Salahuddin, the Sajda-nashin of the Saint lies buried. The mausoleum has a spacious compound. To its southwest corner, about 30 feet away, stands the Jama Masjid.
Life and teachings of Saikh Ahmed Ganj Baksh Khattu

Masjid
"Its beauty is due to its chaste simplicity and classic restraint: and indeed considered on its merit as a pillared hall, it is difficult to imagine how it could have been improved upon." - Sir John Marshall

In appearance and architecture, it is a simple pillared hall, with domes of uniform height and arches and minarets conspicuously absent. Observing this style, it can be inferred that the masons, stone cutters and sculptors must have been local in origin, but had not yet imbibed the saracenic ideas of minarets and arches found in buildings of later origin.

With its main entrance in the east, the masjid has another door to the south falling into the water tank. The dimensions of the Masjid are as follows:
Prayer hall: 185' x 66'.
Open court-yard between the prayer hall and the main entrance: 171' x 150.
Total area: 4300 sq yards.
5 large domes in a row and forty smaller ones symmetrically disposed, corresponding to the pillared squares within.
The roof is supported by 120 pillars of the same pattern.

The Masjid is surrounded by corridors on three sides, connected with the prayer hall. A spacious balcony looks onto the tank on its southern side. Its special feature is that it contains a special apartment for ladies in the shape of a loft (Muluk Khana) with an independent entrance from the north. Another noteworthy aspect of the Masjid is that the recital of the Pesh Imam at prayers echoes so well that it can be heard at the farthest end of the Masjid.

THE SOCIAL REALM

The Pavilion And Open Courtyard
The sixteen-pillared structure popularly known as the Baradari is situated in the central portion of the open courtyard and is seen when we enter the main gate of the Roza. A beautiful structure with nine domes upheld by slender pillars and a floor paved with coloured stones, the Baradari stands in front of the Shaikh’s shrine. There is afolklore, which says that the excavation of the lake and the building of the Jama Masjid in its initial stages were supervised by
Sheikh Ahmed Khattu himself from the Baradari. The mosque was later completed by Ahmad Shah’s grandson, Sultan Qutbuddin (r. 1451-58). The lake was further excavated and made larger by Sultan Mahmud Begda (r.1458-1511), who added the palaces on the south-western corner amidst flowering and fruit trees.

The Lake
Besides Jama Masjid, Hazrat Shaikh also arranged the excavation of a Hauz (pond) adjoining the Masjid for ablution, and felt elated when his guests visited it. People were of the belief that a bath in it would purify them and make them eligible for a place in the paradise
into the next world. It appears that Sultan Mehmud excavated the same pond further on a grand scale. This beautiful tank touching the Jama Masjid on its south, covers about 17.5 acres of land, with steps of stone. It is rectangular in shape (800' x 700'). Its sluice (inlet of water) is at the back of Jama Masjid and is decorated and carved with all the elegance ordinarily seen in minarets and buttresses of mosques.

Lesser known structures

Tomb of Ghizali Mash-hadi
This is one of the lesser known structures among the group of monuments at Sarkhej Roza. Believed to be the tomb of an Iranian poet Ghizhali Mash-hadi, it is tucked away from immediate public view, as it is situated behind the Queen’s palace.More research needs to be done to understand more about the background of the poet and why he came to Sarkhej. It is also interesting to note that his grave is positioned right in the middle of the open courtyard of the queen’s palace.
Tomb of Noblemen

This structure, which is not so famous, lies within the Roza campus and can be seen when one takes the outer road for the palaces. This structure is supposed to be the tomb of noblemen, who were close to the king. Little else is known about it.

THE ROYAL REALM

Palaces
Sultan Mehmud had built the palaces on the southwest corner of the tank. Though in ruins, they tell the tales of past glory and greatness. The palace on the south bank houses a small, but pretty mosque believed to be used by Mehmoud Begada for his paryers. Underneath the palace is the door to reach the base of the tank. There is a subterranean passage supposedly to reach Memudabad (about 30 Kms) from this place.

Mausoleums of the Kings and the Queens
Sultan Mehmud Begda erected mausoleums for himself and his family on the northern bank of this great bank and opposite the mausoleum of the saint. The Kings' chamber contains the remains of three rulers of Gujarat : Sultan Mehmud Begda, Sultan Muzaffar II and Sultan Mehmud III, the grandson of Muzaffar II.
On the western side, the other corresponding tomb chamber contains the graves of some of the queens, among which the most well known is that of Bibi Rajabai, the queearated from each other by steps leading down to the lake. A strong adherence to the principle of symmetry in architecture, points to the fact that once upon a n of Sultan Muzaffar Shah II. The mausoleums of the Kings and Queens are septime, beautiful jaalis must have adorned the outer walls of the Queens tomb as well. But now, only crude brick masonary work is seen.