Kerala House Boats

Situated: Kerala, (India)

Also popular as Kettuvallom (The traditional house boat)

Grandness: Means of Transport initially

Measure: 80ft long.

“House boats” are the exciting way to rejuvenate yourself from all the tensions and worries of life. Just    imagine yourself floating on the water, cool and soothing breeze blowing across and also with all the facilities inside your houseboats. It is really an enchanting experience. If you have not tried then you are missing some thing big time .Do visit the world famous “Backwaters of Kerala”.Its an unforgettable experience.

The houseboats are slow moving huge and enchanting barge are used for relaxation and ease. These boats are also called as Kettuvalloms.In the olden days these boats were used to transport tones of spices and rice from Kuttanad to Kochi Port.

The Kerala House boats soaring past and are provided with Gondolier on both sides one by sail and other with poles.Kerala s backwater sessions are not a restricted to only

The wildlife and the enthralling water sports like water angling, water skiing and water sailing are really exciting. The popular backwater cruise in Kerala is from the small place of Kollam-Allappuzha.

The Conventional House Boats:

Kettuvalloms are the stitched boats and are really huge country Rafts. These houseboats are the best modes to enjoy the thrilling and enchanting colorful waters of Kerala.These boats are measured up till 8o feet. The traditional boats were basically used in Kochi, Minicoy and Tranvancore islands. The link between Kerala and the backwaters is inseparable. The wood that is used to make this giant boat is Anhili this wood is found in plenty in central Travancore.Huge planks are entangled together with the help of coir ropes that is hand made and coconut fibers.

The Kettuvalloms are strong enough to withstand the huge and enormous waves in the sea .The huge angular boats are a regular sight over here. These boats form the best image ever for the backwaters of Kerala.

At present the carrier of rice and spices Kettuvalloms are the romantic getaways for newly wed couples and rejuvenating affair for the families. These boats are world famous and tourist from all around the world comes here to enjoy this session.

Making of these royal boats:

The making of these giant boats are really amazing. The manufacturing of these boats is done at a serene spot over the small village of Karunagapally that is located some 23km away from North side of Quilon.Kettuvallum boats are made without using nails. It requires great adroitness and great skills to build these huge boats. These boats are constructed with the help of giant planks of jack woods .The boats are implemented with cashew nut oil and fish oil and are left for many days.

Oil is also implemented atleast for three times before setting out on water. Each of these Jack wood plank is tied with each other with the help of coir rope and then this constructed boat is coated with black resin .This mixture is prepared by boiling cashew Kernels. These boats last for many generations with proper maintenance.

Enjoy the Palatial Ride:

A visit in Kettuvalloms, the palatial Houseboats of (Kerala) offers a bird’s eye view of the most lovable view of Kerala, also called as Gods Own Country. You can cruise through the colorful water with coconut trees on the sides and fringed backwaters throughout the night with the company of the adoring moon light.

The cradlesong of the cool waves blowing and the eye popping light of the moon can be an enchanting experience for many nights in Kettuvallom. The picturesque locales of Kerala will turn you crazy and this part makes Kerala the most enduring locations. The houseboats were initially known as Kuttanadan Kettuvalloms.

The Luxury:

These boats are changed over to floating luxury residence units. These boats are available in different shapes and sizes. The suites are attached with bedrooms, Kitchen, open lounge, living room, deck and also crew comprising of a cook, guide and oarsmen.

These houseboats are functioned using a tiny outboard engine. You will be amazed to k now that now a day a small conference room is also introduced for an innovative meeting.

The Prices of these houseboats are quite reasonable. A 24hrs stay in this houseboat will cost you starting from Rs 6000.You can also avail the cheap ones that include one bedroom and dormitories. There about 250 boats, that operates as the houseboats in the Backwater of Kerala.

Cheap boats are also available but as the price soars down the fun also starts diminishing. You can avail all the services of houseboats at Alappuzha also known as the Finishing Point. At this place, you will get your type of houseboat rates .The rent of the boats stars from Rs 500-Rs 1000 per day.

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Bollywood – The Hindi Movie Industry

Bollywood, Mumbai, Maharashtra – Welcome!

Television and movies are something that haven’t yet been tried to be quit, and never would be in near future. Anyone who has brought up watching TV or has been a part of an actor family is not unknown of the power of Bollywood that has been wielding in the Indian minds since it had been born, back in 1899. Initially, the number of people working with it, the number of people involved in it by various means, the number of people watching it and the impact of it on every kind of mind was quite less than the figures of today. Bollywood derived its name from the American Film industry situated in Hollywood. This was the Indian Film Industry needed a similar name to be recognized as a film industry, initially, and thus, Bollywood came to picture.

Bollywood – The Hindi Movie Industry – was Maharashtra’s very first film producing business. In the prior days of Bollywood, there were a very few movies being produced, on an average, every year. But as the population grew, the demand from the entertainment sector grew due to various factors. And today, over 300 movies per year are produced, including all kinds of movies. The film producers are known to invest millions and more in the creation and development of one film, and also are famous for extracting profit, doubled the investments. Such is the demand for entertainment in every region of Maharashtra, which Bollywood is known to satiate to a great extent.

State of the Cinema Estate

Originally there used to be cinema halls, only a few in numbers, for the purpose of watching a newly released movie. And in the initial days of Bollywood, watching a movie in the theatre house was no less than a celebration and occasion. But today, the scenario has completely changed; every village has a cinema house to watch every new movie, located at walking distance from the main centre of the village. Talking about the cities, there are cinema houses at every new turn of the road, and each cinema house has got multiple cinema halls, which is called a multiplex.

Mumbai and Bollywood:

Mumbai is the capital of the Maharashtra state as well as that of the Hindi Blockbuster movies, or the All India Films, Bollywood – The Hindi Movie Industry. When Bollywood was born, Mumbai was still Bombay. Bollywood could be called the Hollywood of India, and it seconds Hollywood of the USA in making quality films and well as in producing many of them in number. Annually, more than 300 films are produced with Mumbai as the epicenter of shoots and other production related stuff. The Bollywood trend, now-a-days, is seen to shoot films abroad, because of the requirements of location and climate that suits the theme of the movie.

Bollywood Movie Themes:

Coming to themes, there are movies released in Bollywood based on all kinds of themes – love, romance, action, festivities, family, friendship, humanity, patriotism, religious, social values, and so much more. There are various types of categories in which the Bollywood movies are categorized based on their themes – like Masala Movies, Parallel Movies, Musical, and so many more.

The movie stars:

The Bollywood movie stars and actors are the most adored people in Maharashtra and India. They are the most respected celebrities of the country, as well as abroad. Each of the stars has their own number of fans, which is still great, pertaining to the Indian population. These celebs are adorned so much due to their work in the movies, which entertain the viewers and enchants them to become fans of the most beautiful, hard working and well- presented stars. Apart from being adorable and respectable, the Bollywood movie stars are also famous and rich; the two things that every person dreams of. They are also in the vision due to the luxurious lives they live.

The gist of the whole Bollywood thing lies in the film studios. These are places where the actual shooting of the movies and various other activities related to the films take place. From inaugurations to rehearsals, from the first take to the conclusion, and from sound recording, to dance practice – these film and sound studios are like a mother’s womb to the movies, without which the entertainment busters wont be conceived and grow.

Screenings of movies:

Whether local, resident or tourist – any visitor in Mumbai is not left untouched by the magic of Bollywood movies, and hence, there have been built numerous theatres and cinema halls, even multiplexed ones, for the visitors to enjoy the Bollywood movie screenings in these halls. If you wish to make a good decision, for which you wont have to repent, on which movie to watch an in which theatre, it is better to purchase a movie magazine that is full of authentic reviews and listings. The most famous and reputed cinemas in Mumbai are Regal in Colaba, the Sterling, the Inox, the PVR, the Eros in Church Gate, the New Excelsior and the New Empire. There are various other cinemas in various regions of Mumbai and Maharashtra, to suit the resident people.

It is really challenging to wrap up Bollywood – The Hindi Movie Industry – in one page. It would be most appropriate to visit Maharashtra and Mumbai and have a look an feel of the Bollywood industry with personal eyes and heart.

Read more : Traveladda

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Ajanta and Ellora Caves

Tips on clicks:

Located - At a distance of 99 km away from Aurangabad in Maharashtra.

Striking features - Ajanta caves are declared a World Heritage Site, and Ellora caves possess a blended architecture of Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.

Total number of caves present – 30 in Ajanta and 34 in Ellora.

Dates back to – 2nd BC to 6th century AD for Ajanta and 5th to 10th century AD for Ellora.

Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra:

At a distance of 99 km from the historically significant city or Aurangabad, there are located the Ajanta caves of Maharashtra. These are the most famous cave structures throughout Maharashtra, India and the world. Hence, the Ajanta caves have been awarded the title of World Heritage Site. These caves had been carved in the period between 2nd century BC and 6th century AD, means they can be traced back to the pre- historic periods. These were basically built for the ancient Buddhist monks to live and pray over here. Hence, the caves can be seen to have a touch of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist architectures. The walls and ceilings of the Ajanta caves portray every aspect of the contemporary world related to every kind of human being – from kings to slaves, man to woman, children to adults, and every other style that is a part of the contemporary world living. 

Also, the Ajanta cave carvings depict different types of human beings like the Yaksha, the Kinneras – meaning partly human and partly birds, Apsaras – dancers of the heavenly courts, Gandharvas – divine mucisians, etc. These carvings and designs came out of imagination, since these things were of importance for people of then. The Ajanta caves were discovered in the 19th century itself. Prior to that they were built and later forgotten, due to the chisel, and were left hidden under the thick blanket of nature’s wild growth. There are as many as 30 astonishing caves, each leaving the visitors with jaw- dropping expressions.

Ellora caves:

These are located at a distance of around 18 miles away from Aurangabad and to its north west, cradled and the round of the Chamadari hills. They extend over a mile and a quarter more in the north – south direction. These set of caves are icons for the experiments carried out on them for over 300 years. An irregular vertical rocky ridge that rises upwards from the Earth – this is what the first impression of the spectators of Ellora is. The array of 34 and more caves in Ellora is an instance of great temple architectures. Looking at the designs and the sculptures on the cave walls, the Ellora caves seem to display, in their architectures, a perfect unification of the Jain, Buddhist and Hindu mythology. The Chalukya – Rashtrakuta rulers of the 7th – 10th century had undertaken the donation for the building of the caves. There are numerous mural paintings in Ellora caves. But, since they are quite ancient, only in one of the 5 caves, in which the paintings were made, they are even preserved now in somewhat decent and visible manner. Not only on walls, but the paintings also decorate the ceilings of these two- storied caves. There is a festival arranged by the MTDC in Ellora caves in which there are competitions of classical music and dancing.

Thus, Ajanta and Ellora serve as the most ancient icons of heritage and richness of the state and thus they preserve the indigenousness of endemic Maharashtra. It is worth visiting once a life time – the Ajanta and Ellora caves of Maharashtra.

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