The Beatles were a British pop and rock group from Liverpool. They are widely regarded as the most successful group of the rock and roll era, having achieved broad popular success, critical acclaim and cultural influence. The group broke many sales records and charted more than 50 top 40 hit singles, including 20 #1's in USA alone. The band is estimated to have sold over a billion records worldwide (a figure, most likely, that in the forseeable future no other artist will ever come close to breaking).
Dubbed "The Fab Four" by some of their fans, the Beatles were John Lennon (1940–1980), Paul McCartney (born 1942), George Harrison (1943–2001), and Ringo Starr (born 1940). Lennon and McCartney were the principal songwriters, with Harrison making a significant contribution as the band matured. George Martin produced most of the Beatles' recordings.
The Beatles created a sensation in late 1963 in the UK (the phenomenon was dubbed "Beatlemania" by the British press), notable for the hordes of screaming and swooning young women the group inspired. Beatlemania came to North America in early 1964, and the band's popularity extended across much of the world. Within the space of five years, their music moved from the awakening of their early hits (such as "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand") to artistically ambitious suites of songs (such as the albums Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road). By writing their own songs, exploring the possibilities of the recording studio and working on unprecedented quality in every recording they released, the Beatles had far-reaching effects on popular music and made two feature films. They were subjected to unprecedented press scrutiny which included criticism of their later role as symbols of 1960s youth counterculture. The group disbanded in 1970.
Marine Drive beach is located in the central Mumbai. Being situated in the most happening place of Mumbai, reaching this spot is not at all troublesome. It is said that Mumbai experience is incomplete without having tasted the famous Paav-Bhaaji at the Chowpaty Beach from one of the food vendors who are lined up on the beach. Chowpaty Beach is more famous as the site where the idols of Lord Ganesha are immersed in the sea which the end of Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
Mahabaleshwar is the grandest of all hill stations perched on the western ghats. This hill town is located some 245 km south east of Mumbai and is at a height of 4500 ft above sea level. This hill station once used to be the jewel in the British crown is much known for its cleanliness and healthy environment. It was constituted as a health resort in 1829 and was also used as a prison for convicts from China and Malaysia, it is said that after thr release their people never left the place and got settled at Mahabaleshwar for rest of their life. Mahabaleshwar is mainly a vast evergreen plateau of about 150 sq. km. Traveling is not a problem as the roads are wide, beautiful and well maintained. The places that are not to be missed on this marvel of nature are Wilson plateau, called the sunrise point and also the highest part of Mahabaleshwar, the Aurthur's point, the Baghdad point. Other sightseeing options are castle rock, Marjorie Point, Gaolani Point and Carnac Point.
Shirdi is a small town on the Ahmednagar- Manmad highway. Situated around 307 km northeast of Mumbai, the town is around 6 hr drive from Mumbai. Shirdi is a silent place with population of around 15000. The city earns the major part of its revenue from the tourists and pilgrims whose number sometimes crosses the 30000 mark with utmost ease. This holy destination is a home to a great legend Sai Baba who lived her for around eighty years before he went into his samadhi some 80 years ago in 1918. Shirdi is mainly a religious center. The town is tiny and is of just 2 Sq km. It has a main street and is full of narrow by lanes that are covered with small shops, most of them selling material that are offered at the temple.
The world heritage sites Ajanta- Ellora caves are wonders to the world with their pre-historic sculptures and exquisite stone carvings. People from various parts of the world make their visit to this place just to have a glimpse of those excellent sculpture that have seen many ravages of time. UNESCO did not hesitate to declare the caves as world heritage sites in 1983.
Sanchi is a small town on the outskirts of Bhopal, situated around 48 km from the capital city. The town comes under the district of Vidisha. Sanchi is the living example of visions and beliefs of Emperor Ashoka. The town is scattered with numerous Buddhist structures like pillars and stupas. Although the city is world known for these Buddhist sites, but Sanchi does not have great significance or consequences in Buddhist history. Though it is now considered as a pilgrimage town due to the monasteries that are present here. Emperor Ashoka came here and married the daughter of a local merchant. Sanchi thus became his center and he carried out the construction of many buildings. The Ashoka Pillar and the Great Sanchi stupa are the most exquisite works of those time. The Stupas were the earliest forms of Buddhist architecture that were the inspiration for many other buildings.
The highest point in Madhya Pradesh, Pachmarhi is the most scenic spot in entire central India. Situated amongst the sedate Satpura Range, Pachmarhi is located at an altitude of 3500 ft above sea level and at a distance of 200 km from the capital city Bhopal. This is one of the best getaway for a solitaire who is looking for a quiet, sleepy and subdued place, far from the chaos and clamor of cities. There are numerous walks through the deep Sal and bamboo forests that are mostly untrodden paths. Stride along these forests and deep valleys that enviously guard this pearl. Occasionally stop by for a refreshing dip in the many crisp ponds that you will find scattered through out the hill station. The saucer shaped town has few churches and army buildings that lend a colonial aura to the environment.
Orchha is a small yet interesting town situated on the banks of River Betwa in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh. The town was once covered with thick forest from all four sides and was discovered by Bundela rulers only in the year 1531. It also served as a capital to the Bundela Kings. It is dotted with numerous temples and palaces, which were built between 16th and 17th century. The monuments build by the Bundela rulers are deemed as the best example of Indo-Islamic architecture.
Situated south of Satpura Range on the Malwa Plateau, Indore is the largest city in Madhya Pradesh. The city is called the cosmopolitan capital of Madhya Pradesh and is definitely the most living as well. The city, which was founded by landlords in year 1715, gets its name from temples of Indreshwar and Indrapur. The city served as the summer capital of former state of Madhya Bharat before it was taken into Madhya Pradesh. Today Indore is a center of garment industries and is some times also referred to as ‘Textile City’.
Jai Vilas Palace has turned out to be a great landmark for Gwalior City. This magnificent palace currently serves as a residence to the Scindia Family. The Palace from both inside and outside gives us a peek into the luxurious lifestyle of royal people in India. The structure of Jai Vilas Palace is Italianate to which, Tuscan and Corinthian architectural style add extra grandeur. The Durbar hall inside the palace is the main attraction. There are two mammoth chandeliers on the ceiling of this spacious room that weigh a couple of tonnes. Before they were on the ceiling, 10 elephants were used to examine the strength of the roof.
Bhimbetka Caves, in a very short span of time have become the most visited attraction in Madhya Pradesh and have earned a place in the list of one of the best in India. Situated just 46 km from Bhopal, these exquisite caves are surrounded by the northern limits of Vindhya mountain Range. As the legend goes, these hills got their name after Bhima, one of the five Pandava brothers. The name 'Bhim-bet-ka' means 'where Bhim sat down'. There are more than 600 caves that have the collection of oldest Prehistoric paintings in India. These caves were found by Dr. V.S Wakankar, the famous Indian archaeologists in the year 1958. It took around 16 years to excavate the entire area covered by these caves. Although there are more than 600 caves , only 12 are open for tourists at the moment, but they show you the best paintings that are there in all other caves. And out of the 24 world heritage sites that have been recognized by UNESCO in India, Bhimbetka caves are the oldest one.
Today, we feel the presence of Chandelas the most as they were the one who gave India and the World, the valuable endowment of Khajuraho Temples. These temples have brought Madhya Pradesh in the frame of the most visited state in India. During the many invasions, the tribal population fled to the south of Vindhyas and since then have resided there. Still, these tribal communities are completely secluded from the development and have their own customs, tradition and arts, totally unruffled by outside world. So if one wishes to learn more about the unhampered lifestyle of tribals, Madhya Pradesh is the place for you.
The temples were built by the rulers of Chandela dynasty between 10th and 11th century. The construction of the temple just took around 100 years to complete. There were around 85 temples in the area but now only 22 exist. Rest are nothing more than ruins. They sure have gained popularity due to the erotic sculptures carved on the walls. However such sculptures cover only a small portion. The major share of sculptures are depicting the daily life of people in the rural India.