Badal Mahal, Kumbalgarh

In the 15th century King Rana Kumbh built a massive fort whose walls stretched for 36 kms in the Aravali ranges in a place by name Kumbalgarh (State: Rajasthan). The Kumbalgarh Fort is surrounded by 13 mountain peaks, and guarded by seven great gates, strengthened by rounded bastions and immense watchtowers. (Click on the images for bigger view)

There are many palaces, temples and gardens inside this huge fort complex. At the top most point in the fort is the palace known as Badal Mahal or the Palace of Cloud.

The palace was rebuilt by Rana Fateh Singh in the late 19th century. The legendary ruler Maharana Pratap was born here. The palace has colorful rooms. Unfortunately we could not see them as it was closed when we were there. This palace is very different, when compared to rest of the raw and grim fortress.

The entrance of the palace has beautiful carvings. Even the wooden door of the palace is also carved beautifully.

Dulhadeo Temple, Khajuraho

The Dulhadeo Temple built in 1100 - 1150 A.D belongs to the Southern Group of Khajuraho Temples (State: Madhya Pradesh). This temple is the most recent among all the temples of Khajuraho built by rulers of Chandel Dynasty. This temple stands on a platform, which is approached by a flight of ten steps. (Click on the image for bigger view)

There are several subsidiary towers clustering around the central tower. In this temple all the sections like a shikhara (tower), sanctum, the mahamandapa and an ardhmandapa are in fully developed stage and measures 21 m by 12 m.

The outer walls of the temple are decorated with three bands of sculptures. The highest band has images, which are shown either flying singly, and flying in pairs. They are seen carrying either weapons or garlands or musical instruments. The iconography of this temple also shows some distinctive traits. The facades of this temple carry the images of standing Shiva and Shiva-Parvati.

The ceiling of the maha mandap is made of a series of diminishing circles of overlapping stones like a flower. There is an image of Shiva on the lintel of the ornately carved entrance of garbh griha. The sanctum today enshrines a Shivlingam.

My Wish List: Top 10 Rock Concerts on Luxury Cruise Ships

I admit that I've got a few obsessions in life... two of which are rock concerts and cruise vacations. In my younger days I worked for Musician magazine and spent more time at concerts than in the office. These days I'm more selective about the shows I see, but still love being in the middle of the crush as a band plays to fans who know every word of every song on the set list.

On the cruise front, I love trying new ships and have a checklist that keeps track of which ships and ports of call I still need to visit. It's little wonder then that I was daydreaming earlier today and came up with a wish list of rock concert that would be amazing if they were staged aboard luxury cruise ships.

My Wish List: Top 10 Rock Concerts on Luxury Cruise Ships

1. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers aboard Paul Gauguin Cruises' m/s Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia
   
   
2. U2 aboard the Yachts of Seabourn's Seabourn Sojourn in the Norwegian Fjords
   
   
3. Jackson Browne aboard Silversea's Silver Spirit in the Mediterranean
   
   
4. Martin Sexton aboard American Safari Cruises' Safari Explorer in Hawaii
   
   
5. Daniel Lanois aboard Windstar Cruises' Wind Star in Costa Rica
   
   
6. Brian Setzer Orchestra aboard Cunard's Queen Elizabeth for a transatlantic crossing
   
   
7. John Mayer aboard Oceania Cruises' Marina in the Caribbean
   
   
8. Jimmy Buffett aboard SeaDream Yacht Club's SeaDream II in the Caribbean
   
   
9. James Taylor aboard Regent Seven Seas' Voyager in New Zealand and Australia
   
   
10. Nora Jones aboard Crystal Cruises' Crystal Symphony in New England and Canada

Note: THIS IS JUST A DREAM LIST; these concerts (sadly) will never happen. It's just something fun to think about. Which bands would be on your cruise wish list?

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com