Deadhorse Alaska

Deadhorse Alaska

Deadhorse is a small, remote community in the far north of Alaska, which exists primarily as a base for oil workers and has more recently become a popular tourist spot. Famous for its extreme conditions, Deadhorse has featured in several recent TV shows, one of which showcased the truckers who drive through Dalton Highway – a dangerous and grueling job over rough terrain and frozen lakes, battling avalanches and whiteouts.

Visitors come to Deadhorse to experience a unique lifestyle and to view the arctic wildlife, like grizzly and polar bears, arctic foxes, caribou, arctic squirrels and hares, and a variety of waterfowl. Tour buses take tourists to check out the highway, communities, and the vast, harsh wilderness of Alaska.

Khajuraho Temple in India

Khajuraho Temple, Madhya Pradesh, India

One of the most popular attractions in India and presumably among India’s “Seven Wonders”, the Khajuraho Temples are the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples. The temples, known for the erotic sculptures within, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Khajuraho Temples were built between 950 and 1050 AD, during the Chandela Dynasty of Central India. After the fall of the dynasty, the temples were abandoned and forgotten and only 22 of the original 85 temples survived when they were rediscovered by a British army engineer, Captain T.S. Burt.

The temples are grouped into western, eastern, and southern sections. Inside the temples are detailed carvings and sculptures depicting scenes from life, such as war, marriage, symbols of spirituality, every day life, and all kinds of life forms. Various temples are dedicated to gods like Shiva, Surya, and Lord Vishnu.

Uluru Ayers Rock in Australia

Uluru Ayers Rock in Australia

A sacred site of the local Aboriginal tribes, Uluru (named Ayers Rock by European colonists) is a natural landmark of Australia that has come to represent the nation and its native ancestry. Made up primarily of sandstone, the rock has a reddish appearance, which often varies at sunrise and sunset. The rock protrudes 348 meters (1,142 feet) high, and has a circumference of about 9.4 kilometers (5.8 miles).

While some visitors make the steep climb up to the top of Uluru, which takes about an hour, the Aboriginal people of the region prefer that visitors walk around the sacred site, rather than climb it. Guided walks are available around the landmark, on which visitors can learn about the various sites and rock art.

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House in Australia

The Sydney Opera House is a unique and distinctive work of architecture that serves as an opera house as well as a venue for performances by celebrated musicians and other entertainers. The building has become a major icon of Sydney and Australia as a whole, and is visited by tourists from around the world. The building’s white peaked roof resembles a group of sails in the Sydney Harbour. Many visitors take a tour of the Opera House and its many performance venues, but the best way to experience this attraction is by attending a performance.

Westminster Abbey, London

Westminster Abbey, London at the time of Sunrise

Westminster Abbey is basically a Gothic Church and its profile is more of a Cathedral located in Westminster, towards the west side of the Palace of Westminster. It serves as the venue of coronation as well as burial of the British monarchy.

Westminster Abbey is a stunning architectural marvel, which dots the London city landscape. The Abbey has been the venue for every Coronation that has taken place since 1066 in Britain. Today it still serves as a church and is one of the most preferred places of Christian congregation in London. However, one has to bear in mind that the Abbey is neither a parish church nor a cathedral, but somewhere in between.

A staggering 3,000 people are buried here and one the most revered monuments is the one which has the engraving written as – “The Unknown Warrior”. The Lady Chapel in particular is splendid and has a stunning fan vaulted roof. The superb craftsmanship of renowned Italian sculptor Pietro Torrigiano is amply evident in the grave of Henry VII.

The year 1540 saw the culmination of the medieval monastery. Of course, during its 900-year-old history, the Abbey has witnessed lot of renovation and even extension, but the core area has remained unchanged.

The transepts which are located to the north and south are a virtual treasure trove. The southern transepts which is popularly called as Statesman’s Aisle has the graves of renowned personalities like William Pitt, Charles Fox, William Gladstone, Benjamin Disraeli to name just a few.

The south transept, on the other hand, is known for its beautiful rose windows, the glasses of which dates back to 1902. You will marvel at the two exquisite 13th century wall paintings that adorn the door to St. Faith’s Chapel.

One of the most popular facade of the Abbey is the Poet’s Corner. The first poet to be buried at Poet’s Corner was Geoffrey Chaucer. Even the great Edmund Spencer was buried here. William Shakespeare who was originally buried at Stratford-upon-Avon was moved here in 1740, when a monument designed by William Kent in honor of the great poet appeared in Poet’s Corner.

The Chapter House is one of the must-see places at the Abbey. It was from here that the monastery functioned and it also used to be the venue where the parliament met in the 14th century.

No visit to Westminster Abbey is complete without a visit to the library, which has an impressive collection of historical books, manuscripts and archived materials

Cleopatra’s Needle, UK

The Cleopatra’s Needle at London, England

Cleopatra’s Needle in London is a granite obelisk, which is all of 68 feet and weighs 180 tons. This obelisk originally dates back to 1500 B.C. and was built for Tuthmose III. The Hieroglyphics praising Tuthmose and honoring his third Sed festival can be found on the obelisk along with engraved inscriptions by Ramessses II which was added much later to commemorate his hard earned victories.

This mammoth granite obelisk was presented to the people of Great Britain in the year 1819 as an acknowledgement of Nelson’s victory over the marauding French armada, at the infamous battle of Nile in the year 1798. Apart from the obelisk, a portrait of Queen Victoria and other Victorian era artifacts are also found.

However, it took almost 60 long years to actually bring this mammoth obelisk to Britain. No British government was gallant enough to overcome the obstacles of shipment of this obelisk from far away Egypt to Britain. Not only was the shipment of the obelisk a daunting task, it also involved enormous expenses. Had it not been for the generosity of Mr. Erasmus Wilson who dished out a staggering £10,000 to bear the expenses of shipment, this marvelous granite obelisk would have probably remained buried in the sands of Alexandria until the end of time.

During World War I, Cleopatra’s needle suffered a minor damage, courtesy the air raids. A portion of the plinth and one of the sphinxes, which bore the brunt of the attack, is clearly visible.

Today, Cleopatra’s Needle, London is an integral part of London’s tourist landmark.

The Golden Temple

The Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab India

 The Golden Temple, also called Sri Harmandir Sahib (meaning Temple of God), is a Sikh Gurdwara, built by the fifth guru of the Sikhs, Guru Arjan Dev. The temple was constructed from 1588 to 1604, when it was completed with the installation of the sacred religious text, the Guru Granth Sahib.

After Afghan attacks in the mid-eighteenth century destroyed parts of the temple, it was rebuilt in 1764. In the early nineteenth century, the building was decorated and covered in gold by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, earning the temple its nickname the Golden Temple.

 There are four entrances to the temple, symbolizing the openness of the temple, which welcomes people from all directions and ways of life. The Golden Temple is a holy place for Sikhs and a place of worship.

The Golden Temple is surrounded by a lake called the Sarovar, which contains Amrit, holy water, (also referred to as immortal nectar). Inside, are shrines to past Sikh Gurus, saints, martyrs and various historical decor. The Golden Temple is visited by more than 100,000 people every day.