Top Five tourist destination

Day was as usual warmer compared to any other day it was the month of May, and 5 in the evening,  Barik was sitting with his sister Atya at his gift shop, who was helping him in his calculation for the day at his shop in remote out cuts of Pune. He was counting his days sales, and normally he closes the shop by 6 in the evening and goes for teaching students at his home. As usual the traffic and evening shops were in rush, people use to do market in the evening mostly at this area.

“ Hi Barik! “ few  voices form the distance, distracted his counting. He raised his hand and acknowledged.

“Hi! Sumeet “ “Thomas” how are you. Where is Tensing he didn’t come today.

Atya asked his brother. “ Brother how can u distinguish those voices in the distance of people so accurately, and Tensing is not around how u guessed.

He said “ Atya,you know what I am thankful to Alah that he has given me best ears and smell senses, as I can distinguish the coming bus at the bus stand as well, all sound crisp and clear, smell of tomatoes and coriander that Sunita anty has in her shop.

Atya “ I sometime think, you never complain for your! “then she stopped suddenly”

Barik “ Yes! Yes! I know what you mean to say, Look its my luck that I have better senses of hearing and smelling, than you all and never complain why I can’t see.”

We should count on our blessings, see I have such a lovely sister who take care of herself.

And such a nice friend circle who are always, a call away, when I need them. Sumeet, Thomas and Tensing. What all I need then.”

After our parents left us, their family has helped us so much, this shop as well was started with the help of these friends, you know this right.”

“So you should always respect elders.”

By now Sumeet and Thomas was there at their shop, “so Barik Bhi! How was the day today, Now its 5 :15 already lets pile up, and go.” Said Sumeet.

“Go, where bhaiya, asked Atya,

You guys every day leave by 5:30 pm together and by 6 Bhai jaan is ready for his teaching,

For so many years I have never asked, where do you people go!. Regularly”.

Sumeet said “ You know we go and sit at our old favorite place, school compound ground and pass our time.

“So hurry up now lets move”. Said Thomas,

“Atya you go home after 6. Will catch up later” said Barik.

They sat on Sumeets bike and left.

They arrived at school compound, later they sat on the sitting space besides the ground.

“ Hi Boys how are you doing”.  A voice from the distance approaching them

“Good evening Mukesh Sir” John said

“Hi Boys! Good to see you, my walk is over can. Can I sit here for some time. With you.

“Why not Sir, Good evening” Barik said. As usual today we are waiting what you have in your closet to tell us about.”

Sumeet, “ Sir you were out of town for some days, I heard you went to see “The Taj Mahal”, how was the trip sir”

Mukesh Sir sat in fornt of them. And said “ Yes, I been to Agra with my friends, it was a real fun,

Do you guys know there are so many good places to see and explore,

Do you want to know about them. I read about them in books and internet, If you guys are interested, I will tell you about the best five places in the world to visit.

“Ok then listen carefully,There are so many places of interest one cannot give a straight answer, what is best and what is worst, interest and perception changes individual to individual however according to my study and research, I will tell you the best five of them

“THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT” wow said Thomas.

The number one in my list is Angkor Wat

 Angkor Wat-   This standing masterpiece is located at Siem Reap in Cambodia south east Asian country. one can plan a trip for getting the experience for a lifetime. This is a best-preserved and most-loved temple of this country Cambodia, an example of  architectural complexity.

This 500-acre majestic structure is among the largest hindu religious monuments in the world. They say it is basically dedicated to Lord Vishnu (A Hindu God) Lord Vishnu’s temple. Suryavarman II, the King of the Khmer empire built this magnificent temple in the first half of the 12th century. Initially, the temple was dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu. But later towards the end of the 12th century, it was transformed into a Buddhist temple.

The word ‘Wat’ means a temple or Buddhist monument. It is said to have inspired from Chola style Dravidian architecture from India. The whole space is calm and pleasant.

The main construction took 35 years to complete with over 5 million tons of sandstone transported 25 miles to the temple. 

This stunning monument receives more than 2 million visitors annually. Half of the tourists visit Cambodia only to see this monument.

Unlike other temples facing the East, this temple faces towards west i mean sunset side.

Angkor Wat, today remains the largest religious place on our planet.

The Angkor Wat temple size is more than 300 Football fields like this, what you have in your school, huge.

Angkor Wat and it is the most breath-taking place of worship in the world,the world heritage site attracted up to more than 2 million foreign visitors only in 2019

It remained isolated from the Western world for many years. The entire region was hidden in the dense jungle. Lost for about almost 400 years, its was discovered in recent years. In 1992, it was declared as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

People believe without proper tools, building such a huge structure during ancient times was a miracle. Even locals say this site “Temples built by gods or giants”.

The Taj Mahal

Now the second one is not other than the Taj Mahal of our country, in Agra.

It Stands marvelously besides Yamuna River, Taj Mahal is the national treasure of India and symbolizes romance and love. It is built with pure white marble and it is one of the most adored tourist destinations worldwide because of its valuable gemstones and beautiful ornamentation.

Its beauty gets a new limelight because of the love story behind the scenes. The name of this monument was influenced from Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved wife of Shah Jahan who died while giving birth to their 14th child. I hope you might have read about it.

It is said that Shah Jahan wanted to build the twin of Taj Mahal on the other side of the river bank in Black Marble, just imagine how it would have been, twins white and black complete contrast and beautiful visual, its dome was covered during the Second World War to save from Air strike by then.

The Taj Mahal attracts from 7 to 8 million visitors annually, with more than 0.8 million from overseas. Most tourists visit in the cooler months of October, November and February.

I read in outlook article that In 2019-2020, the total revenue received from Taj Mahal was Rs 97.5 crore. Likewise, in 2021-22, the total revenue generated was Rs 26.61 crore. ASI( Archaeological Survey of India) noted that 24 per cent of the total revenue has been generated by the Taj Mahal alone.

Machu Picchu

The lost city of Machu Picchu is the most famous archaeological site in Peru and, arguably, all of South America. The UNESCO World Heritage–listed collection of temples, terraced hills, and plazas was once the mountaintop citadel of the ancient Inca empire, and said to be build by the the first Inca emperor Pachacuti, Archaeological studies have estimated that Machu Picchu was built during the 15th century. Pachacuteq, , after conquering the city of Picchu, ordered the construction in 1450 of an entire luxury urban complex for the aristocracy of the Inca era.It is of the New Seven Wonders of the World Getting there is one of the greatest traveling adventures in the world. Even the most experienced backpackers may get amazed in its 500-year-old trail. You need thorough route planning to get there because of its audacity and sheer scale

One of the most iconic views of Machu Picchu is seen from the top of Huayna Picchu.

Expect a full-day tour from Cusco to last upwards of 13 hours.

In high season between late May and early September, the Lost City of the Inca allows a maximum of 2,500 people to visit each day. June, July, and August are the busiest and driest months, while January is the wettest and February sees the closure of the Inca Trail. Spring and fall strike a nice balance between pleasant weather and manageable crowds. Interestingly

Machu Picchu is situated in deep in the jungle. …

Much of the construction was done without the use of mortar.

¹Among the different Machu Picchu facts to know, it is believed that the complex may have had up to 500 inhabitants. It is a marvel of engineering, its incredible Inca walls have giant stones polished without mortar in between. Its construction is estimated to have taken about 50 years and hundreds of workers. Its construction today would exceed a price of 50 billion dollars.
credit- 1(© Original: https://www.machutravelperu.com/blog/machu-picchu-meaning)

Christ the Redeemer

Now in my list at fourth Place of interest, it is non-other than the statue of Jesus Christ at the summit of Mount Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil.

 The statue of Christ the Redeemer was completed in 1931 and stands 98 feet (30 metres) tall, its horizontally outstretched arms spanning 92 feet (28 metres). The statue has become emblematic of both the city of Rio de Janeiro and the whole nation of Brazil. The statue, made of reinforced concrete clad in a mosaic of thousands of triangular soapstone tiles, sits on a square stone pedestal base about 26 feet (8 metres) high, which itself is situated on a deck atop the mountain’s summit. The statue is the largest Art Deco-style sculpture in the world. In the 1850s the Vincentian priest Pedro Maria Boss suggested placing a Christian monument on Mount Corcovado to honour Isabel, princess regent of Brazil and the daughter of Emperor Pedro II, although the project was never approved. In 1921 the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro proposed that a statue of Christ be built on the 2,310-foot (704-metre) summit, which, because of its commanding height, would make it visible from anywhere in Rio

Corcovado refers to “Hunchback” in Portuguese language. It stands tall over the vivid Rio de Janeiro of Brazil. It boasts breath-taking view of the whole city. According to several tourists, your world tour cannot complete if you skip visiting the mountain.

The Great Pyramids of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid and served as the tomb of pharaoh Khufu, who ruled under the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. One of the biggest mysteries about the Egyptian pyramids is the construction techniques used to erect them. The incredible feat of the Egyptians is all the more impressive when taking into consideration that over 2 million limestone and granite blocks were used to build the Great Pyramid of Giza. But estimates suggest each pyramid could have taken somewhere between 15-30 years to complete. However there are so much mystery about Pyramids, with time more detail will come, I hope we will learn more about them in time to come, but looking the extravagant monuments, it gives goose bumps how hard it would have been, to build such huge structures on desert area, that shows how humans are determined.

So far I have told you the 5 best in my point of view, however views changes and we are different in thoughts, whatever many be the thoughts these all monuments are proof of human reliance to build mega structure and motivate us to be determined in our goal and plan, if execution is right sky is the limit.

Other than these there are many like

The Great Wall of China: The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications that stretches across northern China. It is one of the most iconic and visited tourist attractions in the world.

The Colosseum, Italy: The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an ancient amphitheater located in Rome, Italy. It is a symbol of the Roman Empire and attracts millions of visitors each year.

The Eiffel Tower, France: The Eiffel Tower is an iconic landmark in Paris, France. It is a wrought-iron lattice tower and a symbol of both Paris and France, attracting millions of visitors who come to admire its views of the city.

With this Mukesh smiled and stopped.

Oh! It is already 6 pm, I need to go home but from tomorrow, I would tell you about 5 best things from various grounds till one month.

All three friends left for home then.

• information compiled and researched namely credit to wikipedia, google.com
• https://www.machutravelperu.com/blog/machu-picchu-meaning) this blog is very useful for machu picchu information.
• photo credits:- google, wikipedia, getty images.