West Bengal • 3 monuments
Representing India’s unity in diversity, Belur Math is a pilgrimage site located on the western bank of River Hooghly in Kolkata. The temple complex was founded by Swami Vivekananda and is dedicated to the Ramakrishna Mission. The most striking feature of the main temple is that it is the blend of architectural elements of Hindu temple, church and mosque. Known as Sri Ramakrishna Temple, it houses the life-size statue of Sri Ramakrishna. The campus has many other attractions including Swami Vivekananda Temple, Holy Mother Temple (dedicated to Ramakrishna’s consort Sarada Devi), Swami Brahmananda Temple and Swami Vivekananda Room. Ramakrishna Museum (open 08:30 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.) housing articles used by Ramakrishna is another worthy place. Belur Math is visited by disciples from all over the world. It is indeed a great place to experience peace and spirituality.
Opulent green lawns decorated with mesmerizing roses and eucalyptus, huge varieties of ferns, shrubs and trees and a heart-warming environment define the Botanical Garden of Ooty. Spanning over a hill slope, the terraced garden is beautified by lily ponds, flower beds, well-maintained plants and numerous species of native and imported flora. The 20 million year old fossil tree trunk is another noteworthy attraction. Italian Garden with colourful flower varieties is among the top highlights. Other sections of the garden include Lower Garden, New Garden, Nurseries, Fountain terrace and Conservatory. The garden is host to the annual flower show which is a major draw for the tourists. Many Bollywood films and songs have been shot here. Doddabetta Peak, Ooty Lake, Rose Gardens, Wax Museum, Echo Rock and many other famous attractions of Ooty are located nearby. Warnings: Don’t litter the gardens and don’t pluck the flowers.
Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden is located in Howrah, the twin city of Kolkata, on the bank of River Hooghly. One of the world’s largest botanical gardens, it is famous for exotic and indigenous specimens (believed to be more than 12,000 in number) brought from different parts of the world. Among the top highlights is the Great Banyan Tree which with the circumference of about 330 m. is designated the largest tree in the world. The garden is also adorned with beautiful lily ponds and lakes (some offering boating facility as well). Rare species from the countries like Brazil, Java and Nepal can be found here. Orchids, palms, bamboos, cacti and aquatic plants are among the top attention-grabbers. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Warnings: The garden is aplastic bag-free no smoking zone. Prohibited activities include entry of motorvehicles and cycles, littering, alcohol consumption, flower plucking, damage toflora, washing clothes, cooking and playing sports. Take permission forphotography. /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
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